A new trailer was unveiled for Studio A-Cat’s upcoming racing anime, Highspeed Étoile, providing more footage and details, including an official date. The 3D CGI show, which was first revealed in the summer of 2022, has finally locked onto April 5 for its Japanese broadcast. Given that MF Ghost’s second season was promised for later this year, racing enthusiasts will continue to enjoy the resurgence of the sub-genre that began in 2023.
The trailer can be seen on YouTube on the anime’s official channel. Highspeed Étoile changes several anime traditions by going all in on 3D CGI to animate everything, and provide a predominately female cast.
While neither of these things are unique in and of themselves, they are a rare sight for racing anime, especially when compared to MF Ghost.
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Highspeed Étoile Is a Digital Showcase
Anime directed by Keitaro Motonaga
Anime News Network provides the following synopsis of the upcoming show:
In the near future, the latest technology has made it, so vehicles can travel at 500 km/h (about 310 mph) safely and securely. A next-generation race event called NEX Race is born, which changes the world of racing. NEX Racing features AI control support and a “Revolburst” mechanism. A newcomer named Rin Rindo will make her debut in NEX Race, and will further revolutionize the sport. Rin once had a dream of becoming a ballet dancer, but had to give up on that dream due to an injury. Afterward, she became a NEET and a gamer who lived in her grandmother’s house. But one day, she is suddenly thrown into the world of racing.
The trailer presents a highly idealized and more fantastical version of circuit racing, with its neon-colored vehicles providing plenty of high-speed spectacle. While this begs the question of whether any realistic elements, like in-depth mechanical and technical details, will be buried in showy racing – making it more Speed Racer than Initial D – there are reports that Japan’s Super Formula racing organization is both sponsoring and collaborating on the anime. Its advice could lend Highspeed Étoile the sense of authenticity the show needs to dampen a recurring accusation in anime of relying on “cute girls” to broaden interest in a subject.
Besides Motonaga’s presence as director, a number of high profile voice actors have also signed on for the show, boosting anticipation for its broadcast. Besides Fuka Izumi, who will be voicing lead protagonist Rin, Yoko Hikasa, Yui Horie, and Nana Mizuki will also be performing in the anime. The trailer also reveals that Mizuki sings the show’s opening theme, “ADRENALIZED”, and also gave a surprise casting with Yukari Tamura voicing the vehicle AI, ami. This also marks a rare reunion of Mizuki and Tamura, who famously worked together to voice the leads of the Lyrical Nanoha series in the 2000s.
The last two years have seen a brief resurgence in anime focused on racing, with 2023 seeing the broadcast of both Overtake! and MF Ghost’s first season. Highspeed Étoile will be complimenting MF Ghost’s second season, amusingly putting an optimistic spin on a high-tech future that the latter anime dreads as dooming racing. Their choice of animation medium also cements this contrast, as A-Cat’s use of 3D CGI is still an uncommon choice in Japan. But, if Highspeed Étoile succeeds next month, it will be a welcome change of pace for the anime industry, prevalence of CG vehicles or not.
