I need to read the instructions a little more carefully next time… Going by the promo materials and the title alone I thought F was an anime about Formula 1 circa the late 1980s. The super era of Senna, Prost, Mansell and Piquet on full display in a Japanese cartoon… (jaw drops)… will I see a cameo by Satoru Nakajima (Japan’s first full time F1 driver) as well? Not exactly, but what we get instead is a dramatic take on junior level motor racing, comedic insanity and a dream come true… do you know how long I have waited to see F, which is sometimes called Formula 1: Engines on the Track?
First can I apologize for a second… Long ago I was a major, HUGE, F1 fan and I am still an otaku of the history of the sport. But the recent years have been more, eh, I’ll pass. That being said, racing anime are always a treat for me. I love the sport and the cars for the essence of elegant motion that is honestly on the edge of danger. Usual suspects like Speed Racer and Initial D are fun as well as the motorcycle themed Bari Bari Densetsu, but I crave open wheel cars so badly. Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix, or Super Grand Prix, works in that category, but I prefer something a tad closer to the 80s/90s. Enter F, which has to be the shortest title I have ever seen for an anime… not just one word, but a solitary letter!
Our story surrounds an unlikely character and not my first choice for a racing idol to look up to, Gunma Akagi. He is brash and cocky and only cares about being the fastest driver in the world. He fights dirty, often opens his mouth too fast and isn’t afraid to throw a punch, or two. Honestly he is a shithead and at first I could not stand the guy, but in many ways he is a tragic character. Gunma comes from a well to do family and is in many ways the black sheep for not being up to the conventional standard expected of him. His father and elder brother hate him and in many ways I am sure Gunma’s attitude is due to the fact that he is trying to discover his own identity and prove his worth to himself. Plus the disrespect to how the family treated his mother is also foremost on his mind.
Along with his mechanically inclined friend Tamotsu, who is a genius at tuning engines, Gunma begins his climb up the junior racing formula series beginning in FJ1600, which reminds me of the older Formula Ford series they used to have here in the west. It is here he meets a rival, that is oddly familiar. Gunma first met Kazuto Hiziri while driving on the public roads while trying to outrun his BMW with a souped up tractor (a great comedic device from this show). Hiziri has it all, money, driving talent and a beautiful girlfriend, but his dream is to get to Formula 1. Gunma is the total reverse, yet it is the rivalry between these two that soon drives Gunma to become a better driver and also another prospective F1 pilot. Gunma soon follows Hiziri to Formula 3 where the ultimate showdown takes place. All the while Hiziri ended up hiring Tamotsu away from Gunma, which gives Gunma even more reason for revenge.
Yet Hiziri is hiding a secret which could cut his career short, but he continues otherwise because like what Steve McQueen said in LeMans, “Racing is life. Anything before or after is waiting.” Gunma as well has his share of problems. Besides issues with family and the defection of Tamotsu, he also loses his license and has difficulty finding a stable ride to get into F3. As much as F is about racing, it is also a show about people, the dramas between them and the complex interwoven web that connects them all together. This is a comedy, a drama, a sports/racing anime… a beautiful amalgam of everything that for it’s time looks, sounds and performs at the top of its game. This was a show I always wanted to see, but this was more than what I had expected.
When it comes to media depicting motor racing I am a very, very snobbish indeed. Very few movies and TV shows, and even sometimes anime, ever fit the bill and often times come off as too Hollywood, or mainstream, or polished for my taste. In terms of live action, the previously mentioned LeMans is a masterpiece, but for anime F is absolutely brilliant and shows what I love about the sport, or maybe what I used to love to be more precise. It’s the atmosphere, the sounds, the smells… it’s the watching of fast machines split through the air at a great pace under the control of very competent hands. My only regret is that at 31 episodes F was cut far too short. Just as it was ending it was getting really, really good. Yet F ends how any champion should go out, on top of the world.
Kosaku Hatanaka is a hungry young up and coming boxing talent that has promise, but a major flaw. His punch delivery is brilliant, but he desires for something else. Becoming a boxing champion is not so much it, though he wants to perform well. Kosaku is obsessed with eating food almost all the time, which presents problems for keeping him at his class weight maximum. Can you blame him though? Being half starved, he often gorges a meal in secret, which either keeps his weight too high, or worse, throws up in the ring… gross. A recent binge meal came from a chance encounter with a young nun who felt sorry for the young man’s condition of monitored starvation. She feels guilty and from this chance encounter blossoms a relationship that I would have never thought could have existed… a boxer and a nun… now that’s different.
Owing up to his ‘sins’, Kosaku begins to train harder. He even takes to the streets where he runs and shadow boxes, often times with comedic outcomes… watch out for that right jab! Soon a rival comes forth to challenge this hopeful talent. Can Kosaku stay the course and commit to his talents? Nope… temptation is always around the corner and much like any addict he begs one of his gym mates for ¥500, or even ¥1,500 just to satisfy his cravings for ramen, or kabobs. His coach is aghast and offers a barbeque meal and suggests he should retire so he can pig out when ever he wants. All the while Sister Angela, the ever faithful nun, still believes in him, but is angered that he can’t see his flaws are hurting himself and those around him.
Though the roles of boxer and nun are a unique combination, the underlying character archetypes are ever present in a romantic comedy. Kosaku is not stupid, but naive and a little immature, while Angela is strong willed, yet tender. She is faithful to what is good inside Kosaku, though it does push her buttons from time to time. Such is true in any relationship, it is the learning for accepting flaws both inside us and with a significant other that allows us to grow and prosper as human beings. After all to learn more about yourself don’t look in a mirror, just see how the dynamics in your relationships play out, be it love or friendship. Often times where we screw up is where we learn our biggest lessons. … Kosaku, put down those snacks! Will the boy ever learn?
Another point to remember with One Pound Gospel is to look at the director, Osamu Dezaki. Known for his creative use of still shots and lighting, he let’s most of his signature skills take a back seat to support Rumiko Takahashi’s original look… though he does from time to time fit in the Dezaki magic! Boxing is nothing new for Dezaki as he directed the influential Ashita no Joe, a true classic. That being said, Dezaki and Takahashi make a great combination that delivers action, comedy and sincerity. One Pound Gospel is more than a knockout of a great romantic comedy, it’s a real winner.
The sun beats down as sweat drips from your forehead onto your hands. Those hands are gripping a tennis racket and as you pant for a moment of breathe you concentrate your stare upwards to your opponent. It’s your turn to serve, its match point and you are about to finish the game of your life. … (shakes head) … Wow, daydreaming really takes your mind away from where you are. Almost as if you are in the ‘game’ so to speak; the game of tennis in this instance. We are not here to discuss the actual sport itself, but an anime about a girl’s rise into the world of high school tennis. Serve, smash, volley… welcome to the original TV adaptation of Aim for the Ace.
For shojo sports anime, Aim for the Ace is perhaps the grand dame of the genre. The elder spokeswoman, yet not the originator. A volleyball themed series from 1969, Attack No. 1, is from my research the first anime to show girls in the world of sport. Aim for the Ace is perhaps remembered better because of the popular and excellent film adaptation from 1979, but this entry will look at the previously released TV series of 1973. Both tell the same story with a small amount of variation to story, both were created at TMS (Tokyo Movie Shinsha) under the direction of Osamu Dezaki (GENIUS!) and both are hallmark titles representing the growing sophistication of anime in the 1970s. The movie may have a more technically sophisticated presentation (which is ‘SO’ important in our HD obsessed world), but the TV series has a few tricks up it’s sleeve that I found endearing.
Like many sports entries, Aim for the Ace is a simple coming of age story. Our heroine Hiromi Oka, though being a complete amateur (and at times a klutz), wins a spot on the coveted varsity team at Nishi High School. Nishi’s coach Jin Munakata sees much potential in the abilities of Hiromi, which in typical shojo fashion starts a soap opera of drama between the other girls on the team. Kyoko Otawa, in particular, would loss her spot on the varsity squad, which brings out a very jealous and deceptive character. And then there is the queen herself, the best player on Nishi’s squad, Reika Ryuzaki a.k.a. Ochoufujin (Madame Butterfly). At first, Rieka lives up to the sempai relationship towards Hiromi by becoming a shining example to follow. Yet when Hiromi’s skills begin to improve and challenge those of Reika’s is when we see the dark side of the beautiful butterfly. Needless to say the greater length of this TV series lends itself to more story and character development compared to the movie.
Visually, Aim for the Ace is a great example of manga come to life. Gorgeous watercolor like backgrounds and rougher lines push the look of being hand made. There is a simplicity within the rawness that makes it feel honest and have a lot of heart. So while this may have been par for the course for animation back in the day, it is welcome to see a cartoon not look too overly polished and sophisticated like many productions of today. Then again this was all completed under the direction of Osamu Dezaki and I have many times commented on how much I enjoy the way he approaches animation. Dezaki knows just how to make it all look so… so… so damn good!
The Classic Anime Museum 
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