IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (2005) 2nd Season

IGPX 2 is everything the first season was and more. Thanks to the return of Toonami, I finally decided to sit down and watch IGPX. With high-speed action that kept you on the edge of your seat, this is a series action fans crave for. This season improved on everything the first needed. From the fun and action packed story, to the beautiful art and 3D animation (for its time), to the great soundtrack, IGPX 2 is a high-speed thrill ride worth watching.

Story:
The story of IGPX season 2 is right where season 1 left off. With the team back ready and hungry for more, they ... race towards the championship. This season finally expands from just having more of Takashi being the main focus, to the whole team having problems they need to overcome. I would say this is one of the highlights of this season. Each team member had problems and changes of thier own as the went through the season. It was also paced quite nicely. With each episode the tension grew more and more. Each character had their own way of dealing with the fame that came with being in the IG1, especially Takashi. The team also learned to rely on one another, learning that the IGPX is a team sport. Which turned out to be one of the lessons this taught us.

The story was completely action packed, along with some comedy, well made drama, and dashes of romance. The romance continued to grow as the season went forward, but in a good way so it didn't take over what IGPX was really about, action filled, fast paced mecha racing. It really felt like a sports series this season. The story even expanded to showing that the other teams faced problems as well, which was a really nice touch making it feel how competitive the sport really was. A new team taking the place of Black Egg has joined the fray. Team White Snow is a mysterious dark horse that could just as easily take the crown that had been given to Takashi and the gang.

Art and Animation:
For 2006, the art was beautiful. The back drop of the futuristic city was nice and really cool to see throughout. The characters' designs seemed pretty unique for each one, some more than others. Their animation also seemed to flow very nicely. However, some parts looked to be a bit lazy and not as well done, but it didn't happen too often. But often enough for me to notice.

The 3D animation was a huge part of the series. For 2006, it was pretty good. It also seemed to flow quite well. At times though, it was choppy and sort of awkward, but at a tolerable level. I however, enjoyed it.

Sound:
The sound for IGPX was split between hip-hop beats and orchestral music. Some might think it would be a bit weird to have both in one series. But Production I.G. did a very nice job. The hip hop beats were between deep and strong, something to bob your head to a little bit, or fast paced and upbeat. A lot of the tracks done were by Amon Tobin, who did a great job, like "Easy Muffin" and "Verbal". They fit beautifully with the situations throughout the series, they also added this little "cool" feeling to the series. These usually happened during the racers' down time between races.

The orchestral music came in during the races themselves. The feel reminded me of the Transformers soundtrack, which is actually quite fitting. It was epic and dramatic, but not overbearingly. It was just enough to get your heart racing a bit faster. The soundtrack was another highlight of the series that I think was done masterfully.

Character:
One of the most essential parts to any series, are the characters. Much more developed and well rounded this season, I really liked the characters. Coming from all walks of life, each brought something to the table to make it interesting. Each had a background and problems of thier own that had been addressed in either season. This time, it was a lot more focused on all of the pilots, even thier coach. With thier pasts, physical and mental issues, and present obstacles to overcome, the team had to show perseverance and determination to try and win the title. Also learning along the way that teamwork and friendship is something very valuable. The characters are really what made this series interesting and enjoyable to watch.

Overall, IGPX 2 was an intense and fun season and an improvement on everything season 1 needed improving on. Beautifully put together,the competition was more fierce and as competitive as ever. I enjoyed it from start to finish, always eager to watch the next episode as soon as "To be continued" flew onto the screen.

Teaching us that teamwork and friendship is a key to winning, not only on the track, but in life as well, IGPX 2 is truly a "champion" of a series.