A teaser promotional video for the upcoming original anime HIGHSPEED Étoile was released Friday. As a collaboration between the Super Formula Championship and HSE creators King Amusement, Good Smile Company, and Yostar various entities including series partners will appear in the show as sponsors on cars and driver firesuits.
While a staff has not been named, the PV reveals the show will be in full 3D CGI. Much of the video contains racing action alongside grid shots of the characters, the lead cast having been introduced in February. The trailer takes place at a futuristic Fuji Speedway, as indicated by the grandstock/paddock setup on the front straight—previously featured on the initial key visual released with the project’s announcement in July—and even a restoration of the thirty-degree “Daiichi” turn used in the track’s original layout.
At the end of the PV, twenty-nine brands were depicted alongside the HSE and Super Formula logos, with the most notable being Honda Racing Corporation and Toyota Gazoo Racing. Honda and Toyota are the series’ two engine manufacturers, both providing motors for six teams apiece with Honda as the reigning champion.
While the anime is the only aspect announced to date, HSE intends to be a multimedia project. Some companies shown may gleam some details on what other media the franchise intends to pursue, such as gaming giant SEGA, printing company Dai Nippon Printing, and toymaker Takara Tomy. Arcade chain GiGO, formerly owned by SEGA, is also listed.
“HIGHSPEED Étoile will collaborate with various companies like in actual motorsports, and will carry out initiatives with supporting companies such as corporate logos appearing in the main story,” reads a statement from the project. “Finally, the supporting company information is announced. Here are the supporting companies whose logos are printed on each character’s racing suit and machine. Please look forward to what kind of design will appear.”
Other sponsors include anime music platform Anileap, Japanese drink Chill Out, gaming PC company GALLERIA, cosmetics brand KOSÉ, toolmaker Kyoto Tool, department store chain Marui, automotive parts maker Mitsuba Sankowa, music venue chain Mixalive, food delivery service Nosh, advertising firm Quaras Inc., artificial intelligence company Rinna, 3D house printer Serendix, digital scale manufacturer Tanita, crowdfunding site Ubgoe, tablet producer Wacom and related art programme Clip Studio Paint, and logistics brand Yamato Transport. Some sponsors are games like Azur Lane, trading card game WIXOSS, tabletop player Mahjong Soul, and virtual reality platform VRChat and the metaverse market Gugenka Inc.
Yostar was previously responsible for Azur Lane‘s anime adaptation. Studio GS, who provided mechanical and prop design for the 2022 short series Jōkaku Gattai Oshirobots, is one of the named sponsors.
HSE is set to premiere in 2024.
