Speed Racer Trends on Social Media as Fans Rediscover the Classic

Speed Racer is trending on social media as fans rediscover the classic. A lot of people logging onto Twitter just tried to figure out why the anime series is taking center stage. Well, it's hard to pinpoint why the trend popped up (That could be true for a million different topics per day.) The excellent Speed Racer Out of Context account has been on a tear this week. All the clips from the anime made the rounds and that probably crested with the love-fest you see on Twitter today. Funny enough, the Wachowskis film is also getting its roses as a result. Despite all that fan love, Lilly Wachowski has been vocal about how some of the red tape in getting projects off the ground led her to step away from the movie business for a while.

Wachowski said about her decision to take some time for herself, "I got in when film was at its peak, before boards and marketers found a way to wrangle movies…Eventually, all those people and institutions ended up in the room with you and specifically behind the typewriter and behind the lens and behind the Avid. It created a bit of tension for me personally. I got to this breaking point and I had to walk away."

For those of you discovering Speed Racer thanks to the trending tab, here's a vid where Speed himself gives a brief demonstration of the controls of his car, the Mach 5.

It's also a testament as to why it's simultaneously one of the coolest and silliest cars ever in fiction. pic.twitter.com/tG7tE9SqNo

— No Context Speed Racer (@NoContextMach5) August 15, 2020

Speed Racer hasn't been forgotten by the fans in any way, shape or for. Star Emile Hirsch talked about wanting to do a sequel on Twitter a few years ago.

"Watching my 4 and a half year old son hysterically laugh and filled with wonder and delight as we watched Speed Racer for the 10 year anniversary last night was an all time meta moment for me," the star began. "Speed Racer 2, don't think we're just playin.'"

Later Hirsch would add, "The Wachowskis said long ago that the sequel to SPEED RACER would be mind blowing," Hirsch wrote. "And the script is written. Waiting. RETWEET this to show them just how many people love the movie and want to see the next one."

Do you love the Speed Racer anime? Let us know down in the comments! Check out some fun responses below: