Anime Column] Tokimeki☆Time Trip vol.2 "Bakkosan Brothers Let's Go! WGP", the world's most popular handsome rivals!

I still love it when I look at it now!"

Why were they so popular with the ladies?"

There is a reason for everything interesting!　A female anime writer takes a look back at some nostalgic works that became hits with female anime fans.

In this second installment, we look back on "Bakushan Brothers Let's Go! WGP" (broadcast in 1997).

Mini 4WD is on the rise, and the third boom is coming!　It is said that the mini 4WD is booming and the third boom is coming.

Mini 4WD is a four-wheel drive model car (plastic model) with a small motor and powered by dry cell batteries, and is sold by Tamiya, a model and plastic model manufacturer.

The mini four-wheel drive series was first introduced in the "Dash! Shikidero" anime was broadcast in 1989, and the first mini four-wheel drive boom began around that time. Then, the "Bakushan Brothers Let's & Go! anime was broadcast from 1996 to 1998. This "Bakushan Brothers Let's Go! was very popular among older sisters at the time!　Some adult fans got into mini 4WD from the cartoon and drove their mini 4WD in street corner races.

Of the three-year-long series, the second series, "Bakkosan Brothers Let's & Go! WGP".

The Hoshiba brothers, who love mini 4WD, and their unique TRF Victories friends.

This is a hobby anime in which children enjoy real-life products in the play, and the original comic is serialized in Shogakukan's "Corocoro Comic. The original comic was serialized in Shogakukan's "Coro Coro Comic." Although the content is apparently intended for small children, it was quite interesting for the older ladies as well.

There were two main reasons for the gradual rise in popularity in the first year. One is that the characters are unique, attractive, and fun. The other reason was that the drama centering on the race was hot and refreshing.

The main character in "Bakkoso Brothers Let's Go! are two brothers who love mini 4WD cars, Seiba Seibasen and Seiba Gou. Together, they are Retsu & Go. The brothers have contrasting personalities.

The older brother, Retsu, is thoughtful, responsible, and firm. He is good at building machines that emphasize fine-tuned high-speed cornering, and is nicknamed "the nobleman of cornering" (even though he is in elementary school).

He is usually a calm "big brother" who corrects his younger brother who tends to rush around. It is so cute to see him show his childishness when he shows a glimpse of his passionate fighting spirit in a race or when he gets upset in a fight with his younger brother.

On the other hand, his younger brother, Gou, is a simple, straightforward, and straightforward person. He pursues speed, vigor, and power. His motto is "Fly, Magnum! is his motto, and he is good at building machines that emphasize speed on the straightaway.

He is quick to get angry, fight, and screw up, and wherever Gou goes, there is trouble!　No matter what kind of trouble he causes, he always seems to be in his own way, making us feel that the more stupid he is, the cuter he is.

In the first year of "Bakushan Brothers Let's Go! In the second year, "WGP Arc," the rivals form a five-member team called "TRF Victories" together with Retsu and Gou to represent Japan against representative teams from all over the world.

Ryo Takaha is a wild and taciturn loner who can be relied upon in times of need. Fujikichi Mikuni, the selfish dimwit from Mikuni Konzern, is a hard worker who is sometimes unfair. J (Jay), a mild-mannered boy who was raised by Dr. Ohgami, a battle racer who won even if it meant destroying his opponent's machine, but changed his mind when he discovered the joys of mini 4WD racing. Ryo's younger brother, Jiromaru Takaha, joins the team as a mascot.

The members were well-characterized. Fujiyoshi said, "~de gaesu! and Jiromaru is fond of saying "An-chan, ~dasu! Jiromaru was fond of saying, "Why does only the younger brother of the Takahaou brothers have an accent? I was often asked by fans, "Why do the Takaha brothers have only the younger brother's accent?

In the "WGP (World Grand Prix)" version, the teams traveled around the world and competed against representative teams from all over the world. Unlike the first year, where you could just run around as an individual, the first year required teams to create, work together, and run in formation, and the driving required for the race changed drastically. It was interesting at the beginning of the second year, when the image of "Retsu, who never wins easily" and "Gou, who wins forcibly in the end," changed to "team competition" and the degree of "usability" reversed.

In addition to the change in the development of the race, the drama of the five members of TRF Victories, who were initially incompatible with each other, gradually united around the captain, Retsu, and the ace, Gou, was exciting, fun, and deeply moving.

Attractive, unique, and handsome rivals from around the world

The popularity of the work, which slowly gained momentum in the first year of the Mujirushi series, when they fought Okita Kai, Kondo Gen, and Hijikata Rei, the battle racers of the Okami Legion, broke out in the second year with the "WGP Arc".

The unique and attractive representative teams from around the world that were the rivals were a major force. The three teams that were particularly popular were the U.S., Italy, and Germany.

The U.S. national team was the "NA Astro Rangers. The members are an elite group of NASA trainees, with excellent teamwork and the ability to analyze, plan, and execute a strategy. At first, the team members had some nasty words and actions, such as looking down on the low-level Japanese team, but they soon came to recognize each other and became good rivals who kept in touch in their private lives as well.

The team leader is Brett Astia, who wears goggles to hide his eyes. He was always saying "cool" and "perfect," but his perfectionism was too much, and he was not very good at filling in the blanks, and his weakness for changing circumstances made him very lovable. Jo, the red team leader, has a winning personality, but ever since she was saved by Ryo in a jet ski race, she has been conscious of him and showed her girly side, adding color to the story.

The Italian national team is "Rosso Strada. The members are all slum-raised delinquents with an insatiable appetite for victory. They appeared as villains who deceive the people around them with their outward good looks, while using their machine's built-in knives to damage the machines of their opponents in battle races. Although Gou was the first to realize this fact, it was a bit depressing that it took him so long to get his friends to believe him because his lack of trust backfired on him.

The team leader was Carlo Sereni. He appears to be a violent boy, but he is highly competent, sensible, and smart without battle racing. He is lonely with no family and carries the shadow of bad memories that come back to him when it rains, which made the hearts of girls with a weakness for bad boys swoon.

The German national team is "Eisenworf. They are the champions of the European Championships and are the team of champions aiming for a double crown with the WGP. The reason for their weak presence in the early stages of the competition was the participation of the second team, but after the arrival of the first team, their performance was remarkable.

The team leader was Michael Friedrich von Weizsaecker. Although he is the youngest member of the team, he leads the team with his charisma. The handsome duo of Schmidt and Erich, teammates and supporters of Michal, were very popular with female fans.

They are cool, badass, geniuses, and full of individuality, but the fact that they are all in upper elementary school, close in age to Retsu and Gou, is a point of contention. They are cool, but as the story progresses, they interact with the TRF Victories and show their true faces on their days off and their childlike expressions.

The climax of the WGP version is very emotional.

In the climax, the representative teams from the top four countries, Japan, the U.S., Germany, and Italy, who have won the qualifying races, will compete in the final race. This final race is really exciting.

TRF Victories, with the resurgence of Retsu, who had been struggling with leadership, has put their initial poor teamwork behind them and is now working together as one to win the championship. Fans are deeply moved by the sight of Retsu, who has grown into a strong leader with a stronger mentality, and Gou, whose flying has improved and who is now able to drive in formations and play as a team.

The final race takes place on the Hakone Ekiden course, a three-day round trip from Tokyo to Hakone. The race, where the mini 4WDs, Retsu and Gou and their friends race at the same speed as real cars in the scenery familiar from TV relays of the Ekiden, is full of power and reality, and is hotly anticipated!

Various dramas were prepared for the last big stage. The NA Astro Rangers, now hardened, put their pride on the line and were determined to have a perfect race this time. The Rosso Strada, which had been penalized after being caught in a battle race, showed its bottom line that Carlo, who was giving it his all, was strong even without the battle. On the other hand, Eisenworf's undefeated genius Michael suffers his first defeat and loses his form.

On the second day, Carlo made a miraculous catch-up and won the race without a battle, giving his all for the first time, and the scene where he pumped his fist in the air in elation of the race was the most famous scene of the climax.

The race was further intertwined, and the final race came to an emotional finish, but Gou did not stop, and he continued to run with his beloved Beat Magnum. It is like a story that never ends.

The mini 4WDs running on the wall like ninjas, the Australian team speaking in Shikoku dialect for some reason, and other childish hatteries that make you laugh and say, "That's not true! In this "racing anime" filled with the power of happiness, you will be drawn into the passion of Retsu and Go and the little handsome guys who genuinely enjoy racing and fall in love with mini 4WD as you watch their activities in a world with childish bluffs that will make you laugh.

The "Bakushan Brothers Let's & Go: The Movie" was highly acclaimed by fans. WGP Runaway Mini 4WD Great Chase! is positioned as an episode in the WGP series, focusing on the activities of the TRF Victories, but also featuring glimpses of their rivals from around the world. It is recommended for newcomers to the series, as the high quality images allow viewers to enjoy racing on a large scale.

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