zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Acura's New Ad Campaign Is An Initial D-Style Anime
Acura's New Ad Campaign Is An Initial D-Style Anime-June 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:26

Image for article titled Acura's New Ad Campaign Is An Initial D-Style Anime

Promotional anime are all the rage right now. Toyota fell back on its Initial D heritage for a, and (while not an official Toyota ad) the will likely spark more than a few first-gen 86 purchases. Now Acura, in the midst of reviving its Type S performance brand, is getting in on the fun with what appears to be a full limited series.

Toyota’s 45-second GR86 FasterClass ad spot was fun, but Type S: Chiaki’s Journey seems to be a larger endeavor. The series’ lists four episodes in one season, as well as three cast members: Daisuke Tsuji (Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai) and Hiromi Dames (Cyberpunk 2077's Blue Moon and the go-to voice of DC’s Lena Luthor), as well as a Steve Blum (with no prior listed IMDb credits, but we can assume this prominent anime dub and video game voice actor Steve Blum). also lists a summary for the show:

The series takes us on an exhilarating adventure centered on Chiaki, a young driving protégé, and her wise uncle Noboru. When emotions heat up with Chiaki and her nemesis Erich at the local racetrack, Noboru steps in to mentor Chiaki as she prepares to put her family legacy on the line in the biggest race of her life.

So far, all we’ve seen of the show is a on Acura’s YouTube channel and social media pages. It’s only fifteen seconds, but there’s some interesting information hiding in those few frames.

The series follows Chiaki, a red-haired, red-coated, strong-eyebrowed, winged-eyeliner-wearing, angry-in-one-shot-of-the-teaser protagonist who is apparently not Vi from the . Erich, the rival, is presumably the blond guy driving some sort of muscle car.

While the trailer is certainly quick-cut, there’s enough room in some scenes to catch an interesting detail: Type S: Chiaki’s Journey seems to borrow the . When Chiaki is driving the NSX, you can see the background behind her changing on each frame while her facial expressions only move every other. In the argument with Erich, her hair moves on each frame, and her (and Erich’s) mouth holds each frame for two.

You see it too, right? It’s not just me?

Personally, I’m a sucker for racing anime. Whether it’s the original Initial D series, the Legends movies, or annually rewatching Wangan Midnight. I get, however, that it’s not exactly the most popular subgenre — you’re unlikely to find MF Ghost in U.S. movie theaters the way you’d see Evangelion or Your Name. If the backing of a major automaker is what it takes to make racing anime viable, then I say go for it — the more anime races that make their way to screens, the better.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
For $28,000, It’s Not The Same Old Saab And Dance
For $28,000, It’s Not The Same Old Saab And Dance
In what is possibly the most annoying car ad practice, the seller of today's uber modified Saab says he's entertaining offers. Well, la-de-freakin'-da, we're not here for his entertainment, we're here for his judgement. Based on its laudable 61% Nice Price win, it looks like it could easily be someone's...
Jun 18, 2026
For $10,000, KISS My Ass-Engined Car
For $10,000, KISS My Ass-Engined Car
Do you like classic rock? How about classic VWs? Today's classic rock radio station promotional VW brings them together in one KISS-themed package. Its price however may be the KISS of death. Where would classic rock be without the British? From the Beatles to England Dan and John Ford (Prefect)...
Jun 18, 2026
For $2,499, This Is A Festiva You Might Actually Want
For $2,499, This Is A Festiva You Might Actually Want
There's always a party at Ford, it's only the venue that changes. Today's Festiva represents a party sort of like our political third parties in that no one really wants to come. This one may be different, but will its price have you wanting to party on? The laggardly replacement...
Jun 18, 2026
For $4,600, Learn English As A Second Language
For $4,600, Learn English As A Second Language
For a nation known for its inclement weather, Great Britain sure built a lot of great cars for enjoying the sunshine. Today's Triumph looks to be a shining example of just such a car, the question of course is whether buying it would be such a bright idea. Real Porsche...
Jun 18, 2026
For $28,000, Be Tributary
For $28,000, Be Tributary
Tribute bands may not always look like their honorees, but they usually do a good job of at least sounding like them. Today's '81 Porsche 930 is outwardly a tribute to the legendary 959, but does its price think it's the real deal? Prince may have wanted us to party...
Jun 18, 2026
For $15,000, Join The Mod Squad
For $15,000, Join The Mod Squad
The P71 package upgraded pretty much all the Crown Vic's hardware for police duty, with the exception of the engine's cylinder count. Today's Crown Vic rectifies that oversight with a Triton Ten under its hood, but does its price tag also have too many added numbers? The reality TV show...
Jun 18, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved