Review and impressions of "Goddamn Survival Chaser": What is the appeal of the fight for survival?

Goddamn Survival Chaser: The thrill and drama of racing in the world of rally racing

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

April 27, 1990

■Release and sales

Nippon Victor

■Frequencies

47 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

・Original story by Kaoru Shintani

■ Director

・Director: Noboru Furuse

■ Production

Victor Sound, Signal

■ Story

Gen Todoroki has little experience but is a top-notch driver, and his skills are recognized, leading to him signing a contract as a driver for the Seioh Rally Team. The team is part of the public relations activities of the Seioh Group, a major Japanese trading company. What awaited Gen on the team was to participate in the Safari Rally. Gen travels to Kenya with his navigator Rob and his teammates Shin and Dick to participate in the rally.

■Explanation

The original work is a manga of the same name by Shintani Kaoru, and is based on the WRC (World Rally Championship), which was still relatively unknown when it was first released in 1990. It was made into a video animation in two volumes, the first of which was subtitled "STAGE 1: Survival Chaser" and the second "STAGE 2: Go Ahead." The anime version covers the Safari Rally at the beginning of the original story, and the events leading up to the dissolution of the Seioh Rally Team, to which the main character belonged.

■Cast

・Gen Todoroki/Kouichi Yamadera/Rob Lowe/Ryusei Nakao/Tsukasa Rokkoji/Hiroshi Suzuoki/Koty/Yuriko Fuchizaki/Shin/Tetsuaki Genda/Dick/Masashi Ehara

■ Main staff

・Director / Noboru Furuse・Producers / Toshio Ikuaki, Isamu Senda・Planning / Tomoko Sato・Original story / Kaoru Shintani・Screenplay / Tomo Fujikawa・Direction / Toshiya Shinohara・Character design and animation director / Noboru Furuse・Art board / Kazutoshi Shimizu・Art director / Yuko Tahara・Director of photography / Mitsunobu Yoshida・Sound recording director / Miwa Iwanami・Editor / Shuichi Kakesu・Music / Eri Sugai・Arrangement and performance / BROADWAY
・Music Director: Hisao Tomono ・Animation Production: Studio Signal

■ Main Characters

Gen Todoroki is known as Gen. He is a skilled but rough rally driver. He is nicknamed "Mr. Survival" because he always survives even when he gets into a major accident.
Rob Lowe is a black boy of French nationality. He is Gen's navigator. At first, he and Gen clash, but they eventually become good partners.
Rahul Uzbek Singh is an Indian rally driver for the Seioh team. He believes in stable driving, but he has a passionate side. He teams up with Dick.
Dick Van Dyke is an American navigator for the Holy King team. He was originally scheduled to be Gen's navigator for the Safari Rally, but his driving style did not suit Gen's, so he ended up navigating for Shin.

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Background and production of the work

"Goddamn Survival Chaser" was released as an OVA in 1990 and is based on the manga of the same name by Shintani Kaoru. Shintani Kaoru is known for his rally-themed works, and this one is one of them. The OVA is made up of two episodes, each about 47 minutes long. It was produced by Victor Onsan and Studio Signal and directed by Furuse Noboru, who also served as character designer and animation director, and his vision is strongly reflected throughout the work.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "Goddamn Survival Chaser" is about rally driver Gen Todoroki who joins the Seioh Rally Team and takes on the challenge of the Safari Rally. Gen is a top-notch driver, but his rough driving has earned him the nickname "Mr. Survival." His navigator, Rob Lowe, is a black boy from France who initially clashes with Gen, but gradually they build a relationship of trust. The relationship between these two is at the heart of the story, enhancing the thrill and drama of the rally.

Gen's teammates Shin and Dick are also important characters, and Gen's growth is depicted through his interactions and competitions with them. Shin in particular is portrayed as a character who believes in stable driving but has a fiery inner passion, which contrasts with Gen. The relationships and growth of these characters add to the appeal of the work.

■Animation and visuals

In terms of the OVA's visuals, Furuse Noboru's character designs stand out. The characters' expressions and movements are drawn in detail, and the rally scenes in particular convey a sense of speed and tension. The portrayal of the backgrounds and cars is also realistic, bringing to life the world of rally racing. Kazutoshi Shimizu, who was in charge of the art boards, and Yuko Tahara, the art director, also contributed greatly to the work's visuals.

Cinematographer Mitsunobu Yoshida's camerawork is also superb, bringing out the thrill of the rally to the fullest, especially in the scenes of cars racing at high speed, with effective use of perspective switching and zooming in and out to create a strong visual impact.

■Music and Sound

The music was written by Eri Sugai, with arrangements and performances by BROADWAY. The up-tempo music that heightens the thrill of the rally and the melodies that portray the characters' feelings are effectively used to enhance the atmosphere of the work. Sound director Miwa Iwanami also makes full use of sound effects that enhance the performances of the voice actors, and the engine sounds and tire sounds are particularly realistically reproduced in the rally scenes.

■Characters and voice actors

The appeal of the characters is further enhanced by the performances of the voice actors. Yamadera Kouichi, who plays Todoroki Gen, perfectly expresses Gen's roughness and inner kindness. Nakao Ryusei, who plays Rob Lowe, also does a good job of portraying a boyish voice and a character that grows. Genda Tesshō, who plays Shin, and Ehara Masashi, who plays Dick, also firmly express the individuality of their characters, livening up the atmosphere of the team.

■ Work evaluation and recommendation

Although "Goddamn Survival Chaser" is a work themed around the unique sport of rallying, it is able to appeal to a wide range of viewers by depicting the growth and human relationships of the characters. In particular, the visuals and sounds that realistically reproduce the thrill and drama of rallying have the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the story that depicts the relationships and growth of the characters is also fascinating and leaves a lasting impression on viewers.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

• Although the work is based on the unique sport of rallying, it has an appealing story and characters that can be enjoyed by general audiences.
• The visuals and sound are superb, bringing the thrill and drama of a rally to life.
• By depicting character growth and relationships, you can move the audience.
• As an OVA work from the 1990s, it also has historical value.

"Goddamn Survival Chaser" is recommended not only for those who are interested in rallies, but also for those who like sports-themed works and works that depict the growth of characters. Please give it a watch.