IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (2005)

Overview:
IGPX is a speck of gold ore in the seemingly automated production of Shounen muck. Whether this charms you or Bleach does, there`s very little room to argue which Anime has the better pacing and scene direction. IGPX is a quality Shounen work that can easily appeal to people who aren't fans of the genre.

As a racing Anime infused with martial arts, its closest relatives are not Naruto or DBZ, but instead Hajime no Ippo, Kenichi, and Slam Dunk. Structured competition is the core of IGPX. In that list, and including any anime I have ever seen, IGPX contains the best ... representation of both athletics and martial arts. That seems to be a strange claim given that the show`s premise is not a real sport, and the physical aspects of martial arts are never elaborated upon. Instead of a typical Shounen formula where the main character brings out his latent potential, IGPX has much more focus on the intricacies of athletic competition: from psych outs to how athletes slump into self doubt, get big headed with overconfidence, or attain that magical balance that many refer to as "being in the zone."

Story + Characters:
Takeshi is the up and coming phenom protagonist. He has basically reached his peak, and with his talent and skill, has helped his team earn a spot in the most prestigious professional league in his sport (racing robots): the IG1. The focus of character development isn`t Takeshi improving his skills, but improving as an athlete. In other words, his attitude and his competitive spirit. Takeshi`s mood shifts between Laissez-fair, cockiness, and self-doubt lends him some complexity that the rest of the cast doesn`t have. Simple and predictable as the rest of them are, their personalities aren`t totally off the wall exaggerated and they function perfectly well in the usual race-a-week framework.

The story amounts to little more than detailing the progression of Takeshi and his team through the IG1 league. Even the side conflicts like romance, or other character specific issues seem to stay within the league. Everything is related back to racing.

Animation + Sound:
In more technical aspects, both the traditional and CG animations look full and smooth. IGPX never cuts any glaring corners. The music is fitting, and of a general high quality. Fully orchestrated pieces usually play during the races while an upbeat hip hop influenced techno soundtrack fills the rest of the gap. The script is the biggest fault in IGPX. The characters have very little subtlety in their words, especially the main characters. Everyone is painfully blunt or overt. Perhaps its a problem that plagues the whole genre, but every detail of the emotions characters feel have to be spelled out for the viewer. The script has too many unnecessary frills. The excessive explanations I mentioned already, but another example is just pointless banter. Characters will shout each others names as they attack, for no reason really, more times than you will be able to count.

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Through the heart-pounding excitement of the characters, the viewer catches a little bit of the thrill of competition. This is the basis behind every formulaic underdog sports movie, and it is also behind every sports Anime. In this aspect, IGPX delivers not only in quantity of races, but also quality. The races are concise and fast paced, never dragging out tension longer than its breaking point. There are no standstills. If nothing else, chances are, the action will keep you interested in IGPX. Some of the common Shounen pitfalls are present, but they`re not difficult to overlook when the meat of the series is so well done.

IGPX

Story ~
IGPX has one of the best story line I have seen, to be topped only by Kanon and MAYBE FaTe Stay Night. The story is interesting and it is really addicting once you started to watch it. I seen the whole thing like five times... all 26 episod.

Art ~
The art isn't too bad for the time it was aired, of course most anime aired in 2007 and Q1 Q2 of 2008 are far better like Clannad, Shippuuden, and One Piece HD. But it is definitely at the top at its time.

Sound ~
I personally really like the OT's guitar solo at the beginning, the closing ... isn't as good. And most OST in the serie are among the best I have heard.

Character ~
Takeshi is among the best protagonist design in the history of anime. Topped maybe by Nayuki from Kanon.
Amy Stapleton is by far the kawaiiest of all female character design.

Enjoyment ~
The story is over all very enjoyable.... *TRYING to sound professional here*

Overall ~
Among my favorite anime I have seen so far, the only one that MIGHT be better than it is Kanon 2006.

I'm writing this because the other reviews have rated IGPX is less than ten and the anime only averages a seven. I find this deeply wrong. Never before has an anime impressed me as much as IGPX. This is a passionate plea for anyone looking at the page to go watch it.

IGPX is animated by Production I.G., so high quality is to be expected. While the characters and scenery are all beautifully animated, the mecha/race sequences are entirely CGI. Thankfully, the CGI is more than enough to look good on the track, yet is kept seperate from the non-race scenes as to not be jarring. ... A professional voice cast consisting of Haley Joel Osment, Michelle Rodriguez, and even Mark Hamill is used to great effect. This is one of the few series I prefer to watch dubbed. A brilliantly liscensed electronic soundtrack sets the mood perfectly for the series and is never distracting.

Where IGPX really shines, however, is the story. IGPX is a mecha anime, but a greatly appreciated original take on the genre. There's no intense war going on to complicate the plot. Each season is a tournament arc in the best way possible. The races are pure adrenaline and varied enough that they never lose excitement. Although the characters are never in any mortal danger, at times youcan actually feel like you're in the mecha, flying across the track at 400+ mph. Off the track the series is almost slice-of-life in plot and pacing, as it focuses on Team Satomi preparing for matches. This side of the story is enough to carry whole episodes; one of the best episodes, "Holiday," features no racing at all. Each member of Team Satomi is fleshed out just enough to keep with the gentle pacing and to make the audience really connect with each character. There is romance in the series and it is handled realistically and maturely, something uncommon in many anime.

So if all this is true, why was IGPX a commercial failure? Simply put, it was never properly suited for Cartoon Network. It was too mature for Toonami and not flashy enough for Adult Swim. If it had been more successful, more seasons were possible, but IGPX ends perfectly. Every plot thread is resolved as it should be, so you won't leave the series unsatisfied.

If you like realistic characterization, a great soundtrack, star vocal talent, and a nice balance of slice-of-life and action, IGPX is a must-watch. I urge you to take the chance.

IGPX is a criminally underrated gem. It's riveting the entire time. It paints a brilliant picture of the world surrounding the sport they play, and makes you feel like you're there with them, involved in the process/stressors that they're going through during the season. It's hard to talk about this without giving anything away, but if you're thinking about watching this show, just do it. Do yourself a favor. Going in blind is completely fine, you'll get sucked in pretty quick. It's 2 seasons, which i think is perfect. It doesn't overstay its welcome but it also fully fleshes out the story.

What a waste of time. I can't believe I watched it all... I guess I wanted to see more of Andrei backstory but was really dissapointed. The protagonists and their problems are just stupid... Lets start with story - non existent... Main protagonist has issues but cannot be replaced, his replacement is fired just beacuse he (River) wants to replace him and protagonist represents "the spirit of team Satori" (means he can't be responsible for anything he does and if he's not fit to be lead racer the story doesn't care). Next issue is race itself... There is a 3 lap race in witch you ... can't do anything in first lap (like in Formula 1 tire lap) so what's the point (none), robots aren't even racing on tires.... Next is point system in which First place gets 15 points (2nd 7, 3rd 5, 4th 3, 5th 2, 6th 1) in witch team is guaranteed 1st place or a draw when they go for First and no team goes for it... Really... Really... Every team goes for team win, where's strategy in that... Then there's Yamma and his problems (His boss thinks he's too old and can't race anymore). He wagers his entire carriere on race with our protagonists and mops the floor with all three of them (I really wanted to see him more) until they have docking action (one piece reference) and by magic mind riding they execute miracle co-op to defeat him (you heard me right)... Then there's last boss of 2nd season whitch is giant docking (yep, second time) monster from 3 opposite team racers robots combined and of course our protagonists won second GrandPrix in their 2 years carrier by defeating them (Seriously, they didn't deserve none). And my last question is: where's more Yamma...?

Review for IGPX : Immortal Grand Prix (2005)
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Writing a Review for a 10 year old anime,
Reason being : Only found out that IGPX had an anime, My watch list has been so crowded I spotted this on the front page of Kissanime as a random anime.
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Summary Review of the Full review down below

Story : In my opinion, the story has a lot of really dumb and strange problems,

Art : The art style is fine maybe even great during it's time, No complains,
...
Sound : The sounds are done well, No problems with the voices or effects.

Character : Some minor problems with the personalities of the characters in my opinion, Some felt rather undeveloped.

Enjoyment : I was sort of disappointed with it, I personally expected a little more action

Overall : I am a fan of IGPX:Immortal Grand Prix's game on the PS2 and played it a lot, Personally watching this isn't that great.

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Full Review

Story : Can't really write much about why the story is so full of meaningless problems since that would be spoilers, Personally what I disliked about the story was more of the world the story exists in, If that makes sense. The lack of actual action on the track (racing & fighting) is disappointing, Playing the game first probably made me expect some cool tactics and strategies played out by the teams.

Art : The art is fine, It was probably great back in 2005 and can still be good today, No complains here, It will not hinder your enjoyment of the anime, 8/10 is what I rate good art animes, 10/10 for animes with unique art styles that work.

Characters : The characters feel very hollow and under-developed at least that's how it feels to me, Probably because their traits are very standard and don't really make them memorable in anyway. In my personal opinion.

Enjoyment : I wish I could have enjoyed it more, Still an anime to watch when you have "extra" free time,

IGPX is by no means the deepest anime out there. It's extremely simple story-wise and the animation is average, but oh god is it perfect.

If you're a sadsap like me who yearns for their 2000's nostalgia back, this anime is the embodiment of it.

Aired on toonami, a soundtrack ripped straight from Ninja Tune, mechs, it is the ultimate slab of serotonin.

More on the soundtrack, IGPX contains the greatest licensed soundtrack in anime history. In collaboration with the legendary Ninja Tune label, throughout the show you will hear beats from Amon Tobin, Cujo, Bonobo, The Herbaliser, and Neotropic. A roster of some of the ... greatest Drum n Bass, Nu Jazz, and Big Beat producers to ever live completely fill the shows soundfield. That alone is deserving of a 10/10.

If you need a quick 2 season run of joy slop, this anime is very readily available to view anywhere. Although, it's no Evangelion in terms of layered story. The characters race robots to heavy beats, and thats nearly the whole extent of the show. It's a simple premise that makes the 'ooga booga' portion of your brain flick violently, and that's all I ever really needed.

IGPX is, in my opinion, the best case scenario for anime co-production: a show where western production and eastern design come together in a harmonic, coherent fashion for the purpose of making something that, above all else, carries a particular kind of *soul* - the Toonami soul.

Yes, the story is silly: it's sports anime about giant robots playing roller derby, as such the writing is suitably predictable and falls for a couple little clichés. It's quaint at best and inoffensive at worst - something I wish Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory or Air Gear could be at *their* worst.

Looking past that though, you get F1-inspired ... mecha designs by Koichi Mashimo of Outlaw Star fame, a mammoth soundtrack licensed from the british underground label Ninja Tune (for which I could honestly write a separate review for, and it'd be an easy 9), an all-star VA cast that sees Haley Osment, Mark Hamill and *Michelle Rodriguez* in the same scene sometimes. And for once, the phrasing of the localized script is adapted to the kind of performance each mainliner is best suited for - so that it all sounds smooth and believable.

tl;dr, this is a production by committee that feels much closer to a true, actual labor of love - because it is. It's an anime made by people who love racing, martial arts, giant robots and 2000s triphop music - and if you fall under any of those categories, you should check it out.

Think of IGPX as "mechs doing roller derby" with its premise. The series is pretty much treated like a typical sports anime as the series is primarily focused on Takeshi and the members of Team Satomi trying to keep things together when competing against other teams in the Immortal Grand Prix. Each team has their varying tactics and strategy that they stick with, which Team Satomi wind up having to find ways of overcoming. The animation for this is actually pretty solid with the mecha in the series well-animated in CGI and moving fluidly without any degradation of detail or noticeable shortcuts. The fluid movement ... is also retained with regular animated shots with characters, though they are not as pleasing on the eyes as the IGPX matches that take place. The show is smart to have a diverse range of fight choreography in each race since Team Satomi find themselves dealing with varying strategies and tactics used by different teams they compete against. As I winded up watching the Toonami version of this series, it is known for having a soundtrack different from the Japanese version which consists mostly of techno tracks that clash poorly with the onscreen action.

If you happen to look deep enough into IGPX though, you will come to realize that it doesn't have much to offer in terms of depth and substance. A number of the character types and plot developments that take place throughout the series are typical approaches to sports anime with characters such as the gifted slacker Takeshi, rival and former teammate River, brash tomboy Liz and soft-spoken gifted girl Amy. The anime tosses in a developing love triangle, a period of self-doubt Takeshi deals with in IGPX's second half, personalities among Team Satomi butting heads with each other and Satomi struggling to stay afloat that are all typical storytelling tropes of sports anime. Also, the anime does not put much thought into elements of its advanced future as Amy's cat Luca is conveniently able to telepathically interact with her owner through their mech and perform hacking without any reason provided beyond cute factor and the mecha used in the series seem impractical in design as they don't seem to have a means shown to move over 300 MPH beyond it violating physics and their thin designs making it unlikely they would be capable of maintaining themselves over such immense speeds and actively pummeling one another during the races. Granted the anime was made in mind for younger viewers, but thinking deeply enough about the show's story and world setup will have you realize the cliches it milks and the avoidance of any deep thought going into its sci-fi and mecha elements.

Overall, IGPX mostly exists to show off the roller derby-like competition that the Immortal Grand Prix offers and the struggles that Team Satoshi go through to maintain cohesion as a team. While the onscreen action is a decent spectacle to see, the series doesn't have much else of substance to offer as it dabbles into storytelling cliches and character types typical of sports anime and disregards putting much thought into its science-fiction elements. It's a decent diversion for casual fans and younger audiences, provided you don't think too deeply about its storytelling.

This Anime was striking gold when I was a kid even when I watched it when I'm older is really good, sucks there aren't more seasons. The art wasn't bad for it time. and I like the character development for each character. The story is short but it's enjoyable. there isn't many type of these racing anime anymore it rare to find a good one. Tho I didn't like the plot twist at the ending. 10/10

IDK how to make this longer so I'm just wasting space right now. Nevermind how much do I have to write to submit ok attempt 3.