Asuka Sugo

Future GPX Cyber Formula is a racing anime made by Sunrise for Nippon Television. It aired 37 episodes, plus a special, from March 15 to December 20, 1991. It was the first series that Mitsuo Fukuda directed. He later became well known for other Sunrise hits. Hiroyuki Hoshiyama planned the story, Kow Otani wrote the music, and Shoji Kawamori designed the futuristic race cars. The show won Animage magazine's Anime Grand Prix award for 1991, which was voted on by fans. The series imagines car racing in the near future, around the year 2015 from the point of view of 1991. Cyber Formula is a top racing league, separate from real Formula One. Its cars run on clean engines that do not pollute the air. Every machine also carries an onboard AI, a computer that can think and talk, to help the driver during the race. Races happen on wild courses at huge speeds, and the cars can change shape to deal with different parts of a track. In many ways, the AI partner is as important as the person behind the wheel. The hero is Hayato Kazami, a fourteen-year-old boy. His father built a special car called Asurada, which has one of the most advanced AI systems ever made. Through an accident, Hayato ends up registered as the official driver of this machine. That makes him the youngest racer in the league. He joins team Sugo, and Asuka Sugo, one of the three main characters, stands close to him through the season. Asurada itself speaks and has its own personality, so the bond between the boy and his car is the center of the story. Hayato has a lot to learn. Older drivers do not take a kid seriously, and he has to earn their respect one race at a time. A cold and proud rival named Bleed Kaga (real name Jotaro Kaga) pushes him hard on the track. Other racers, such as Naoki Shinjo, also appear. Away from the track, some people want to steal Asurada and its powerful system for themselves, so Hayato must protect his partner, too. The show slowly teaches him that a great machine is not enough. He needs skill, courage, and a good heart to really win. The TV series was popular enough to start a long run of sequels on home video. These were OVAs, meaning stories released straight to tape or disc. 11 (Double One) came out in 1992 and 1993, ZERO in 1994 and 1995, SAGA from 1996 to 1997, and SIN from 1998 to 2000. There was also a recap called Early Days Renewal in 1996. The franchise is still active today. For its 35th anniversary in 2026, a new short anime called Future GPX Cyber Formula: Asurada was announced. It is set to play in Japanese theaters on February 19, 2027, together with a remastered movie version of Early Days Renewal. A game called Spiral is also in development.