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Tokyo Override, an original anime produced by Netflix with the collaboration of Yamaha Motor, made its exclusive worldwide debut on Thursday, November 21st, 2024.
Directed by FUKUDA, Yusuke, and Veerapatra Jinanavin, Tokyo Override is a sci-fi anime set in Tokyo 100 years in the future, where AI has been integrated into daily life and all aspects of urban life are automated.
The role of Yamaha Motor
Existing, specially designed, motorcycles roar through the streets of Tokyo in this action-packed motorcycle series. The dynamic motorcycle action is precisely one of the highlights of thid anime and the reason why Yamaha supervised and collaborated on different parts of the production process.
In fact, Yamaha Motor's Creative Center provided 3D design data and helped record the actual sounds of its Yamaha YZF-R1 and VMAX. In addition to actively participating in the production process of the series, the manufacturer also envisaged the motorcycle racing environment 100 years from now and helped design a life-size conceptual model of the Y/AI racing motorcycle that participates in the races. This model will be displayed at the upcoming Motor Expo 2024 in Thailand (Nov. 29th-Dec. 10th).
"The process of creating the scenario called the World Building - which we did with the production team - was particularly interesting," said Satoshi Nakamura, from the Planning Design division, said. "We spent a lot of time in numerous discussions about what the world of Tokyo would look like 100 years in the future, and we compiled the results into a 'bible' to follow during production. The events and vehicles seen in the series, as well as the story itself, are all based on this 400-page bible."
Realism, beyond previous motorcycle animes
Among the top riders in Tokyo Override there's Amarin who rides the Y/AI, a vehicle entrsuted to human capabilities. For the sake of realism, the design of the bike maintains the same riding position as the MotoGP YZR-M1, while the shape of the vehicle strikes a balance between advanced design and product design.
In the AI-based society illustrated in Tokyo Override, traffic accidents and other problems are much less likely to occur, but natural disasters are still out of the control of humans. So, to prepare for such eventualities, the production team focused specifically on the world of racing.
"In racing, unforeseen accidents can always occur. The idea of making it a means of identifying risks and finding routes to move to a safe place is really unique and, with the added fun factor inherent in racing, I felt a sense of reality as I looked at it from the perspective of racing 100 years from now," Nakamura explained.
"The story is based on the social structures, technology, and values of people 100 years in the future, which we created in the World Building bible. If you watch the series, while imagining how these things come together, perhaps you'll find it even more interesting," Nakamura concluded. "I don't know the ending, yet. As a viewer, I'd really like to immerse myself in the world and its history."
