Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! facts for kids

Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!
Cover of the first manga volume
爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!! (Bakusō Kyōdai Rettsu Endo Gō!!)
Genre	Sports (racing)
Manga
Written by	Tetsuhiro Koshita
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Original run	July 1994 – October 1999
Volumes	20
Anime television series
Directed by	Tetsurō Amino Takao Kato
Written by	Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
Music by	Gouji Tsuno Kouji Tsuno
Studio	Xebec
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	8 January 1996 – 21 December 1998
Episodes	153
Anime film
Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! WGP Bōsō Mini Yonku Dai Tsuiseki!
Directed by	Tetsurō Amino
Studio	Xebec
Released	5 July 1997
Runtime	80 minutes
Manga
Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! Return Racers!
Written by	Tetsuhiro Koshita
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Seinen
Magazine	Coro Coro Aniki
Original run	October 2014 – ongoing
Volumes	4
Manga
Let's & Go!! Tsubasa, the Next Racers
Written by	Tetsuhiro Koshita
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Kodomo, Shōnen
Magazine	Coro Coro Ichiban
Original run	August 2017 – ongoing
Volumes	4

Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! (Japanese: 爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!!, Hepburn: Bakusō Kyōdai Rettsu Endo Gō!!, lit. "The Racing Brothers Let's & Go!!") is a popular manga and anime series from Japan. It was created by Tetsuhiro Koshita. The story first appeared in the CoroCoro Comic magazine from 1994 to 1999.

The series is all about the exciting world of Mini 4WD racing. These are small, motorized model cars that people customize and race. The main characters are two brothers, Retsu and Go Seiba. They love Mini 4WD racing and are very good at it. The series was made to go along with Tamiya's Mini 4WD toy cars.

Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! became very popular. It led to three anime TV shows made by Xebec between 1996 and 1998. Each show had 51 episodes. Many video games and other cool items like CDs and stickers were also released. Years later, a new manga series called Return Racers started in 2014. It showed what happened to Go and Retsu 20 years later. A spin-off manga about a character named Tsubasa also began in 2017.

Mini 4WD Racing Adventures

Mini 4WD racing is a super fun hobby where kids and adults race small, custom-built cars. These cars have tiny motors and can be changed in many ways. Around the world, people hold exciting competitions for Mini 4WD cars every year. Racers show off their skills and passion for speed. Companies also create new parts and ideas to make the cars even better.

The story follows two brothers, Go and Retsu Seiba. They used to argue a lot about who was the best racer. One day, they met Dr. Tsuchiya. He is the head of the Tsuchiya Racing Factory. Dr. Tsuchiya gave them two special Mini 4WD cars: the Sonic Saber and the Magnum Saber. He told them to customize their cars for an upcoming race. Now, Go and Retsu are ready to win. They set off on amazing races, meeting new friends and rivals along the way.

Meet the Racers

This series has many cool characters who love Mini 4WD racing.

TRF Victorys

This is the main team in the series, featuring the Seiba brothers and their friends.

Gō Seiba (星馬 豪, Seiba Gō)

Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa (former), Showtaro Morikubo (Return Racers Web Radio), Mutsumi Tamura (current, outside of series)

Go is one of the two main brothers. He is Retsu's younger brother and is in fourth grade. Go is often quick to act and a bit impatient. But he can also be calm and kind. He usually wears goggles on his forehead, which are more for style. His favorite color is blue, which matches his hair and eyes. Go's cars, like the Magnum Series, are all about speed. In Return Racers, Go becomes a professional Formula-1 racer. He also takes care of a boy named Tsubasa, who wants to follow in his footsteps as a Mini 4WD racer.

Retsu "Let's" Seiba (星馬 烈, Seiba Retsu)

Voiced by: Yuriko Fuchizaki (former), Yūko Sanpei (current, outside of series)

Retsu is the other main brother. He is 11 years old and in fifth grade, making him Go's older brother. Retsu is usually more patient than Go, but he can get annoyed sometimes. He always wears a green hat. His favorite color is red, matching his hair and eyes. Retsu's Mini 4WD cars, the Sonic Series, are known for their balance. Together, he and Go are called the "Let's Go Brothers." In the WGP series, Retsu is the captain of the TRF Victorys team. In Return Racers, he works on a space development project.

Ryo Takaba (鷹羽 リョウ, Takaba Ryō)

Voiced by: Urara Takano

Ryo is a wanderer who lives off the land with his younger brother, Jiromaru. When he first met the Seiba brothers, he became their rival, especially Go's. But soon, he became their friend and joined the TRF Victorys.

Tokichi Mikuni (三国 藤吉, Mikuni Tōkichi)

Voiced by: Chie Koujiro

Tokichi is a rich boy whose father owns a big company. Go likes him right away, probably because of his money! His family owns an arcade, which is a popular place for kids. Tokichi is great at making cars that are good at turning corners. He also loves to make grand entrances, like jumping from a helicopter.

J (ジェイ, Jei)

Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe

J started as a battle racer for the Ōgami Corps. But he soon found that he enjoyed regular racing with the Seiba brothers more. He left Ōgami Labs and went to live with Dr. Tsuchiya as his helper. J became a much happier person. He is the best mechanic on the team. He helped Go build the Cyclone Magnum and designed the Proto Saber EVO. J and Go are very good friends.

Jirōmaru Takaba (鷹羽 二郎丸, Takaba Jirōmaru)

Voiced by: Ikue Ōtani

Jirōmaru is Ryo Takaba's younger brother. He really looks up to Ryo and follows him everywhere. His cars often get damaged during races. In one episode, Jirōmaru even raced in place of Ryo when Ryo was hurt.

Dr. Tsuchiya (土屋博士, Tsuchiya-hakase)

Voiced by: Masashi Ebara

Dr. Tsuchiya is the head of the Tsuchiya Racing Factory. He is a leader in developing Mini 4WD cars. He used to be a jet pilot, and his love for jets inspires his car designs. He created the Super Avante, which was the first of the Saber series cars. He often disagrees with Dr. Ogami about how Mini 4WD racing should be.

Ichimonji Brothers

These brothers are main characters in the MAX series.

Gouki Ichimonji (一文字 豪樹, Ichimonji Gōki)

Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe

Gouki is one of the two main characters in MAX. He is Retsuya's twin brother. He used to be a battle racer but quit because he didn't like the rules. He wants to become a true Mini 4WD racer. Gouki lives with his uncle, who works for GEN Manufacturing. He is a good mechanic and values the true spirit of racing.

Retsuya Ichimonji (一文字 烈矢, Ichimonji Retsuya)

Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka

Retsuya is Gouki's twin brother and also a main character in MAX. He was also a battle racer but decided to change for the better. He lives with his brother at their uncle's workshop.

Ogami Corps

This group focuses on "battle racing," where cars are designed to attack rivals.

Dr. Ogami (大神博士, Ōgami-hakase)

Voiced by: Ryūzaburō Ōtomo

Dr. Ogami leads the Ogami Corps. He is Dr. Tsuchiya's rival. Dr. Ogami believes in battle racing, where Mini 4WD cars have weapons to destroy other cars. He used to work with Dr. Tsuchiya, but they disagreed on how racing should be. He has a daughter named Marina. Later in MAX, he changes his mind about battle racing.

Marina Ogami (大神 マリナ, Ōgami Marina)

Voiced by: Haruna Ikezawa

Marina is Dr. Ogami's daughter and appears in MAX. She is a skilled battle racer. She owns the Fire Stinger, a powerful car. She later joins the Borzoi School with her father.

Kai Okita (沖田 カイ, Okita Kai)

Voiced by: Yuka Imai

Kai was the first battle racer from Ogami's team to appear. His car, the Beak Spider, caused trouble by damaging other Mini 4WDs. He later became rivals with Ryo. In the WGP anime, he leads the Savanna Zebra team.

Gen Kondo (近藤 ゲン, Kondo Gen)

Voiced by: Ayumi Kida

Gen was another battle racer from Ogami's team. He owns the Brocken Gigant, a car that can lift its front wheels to stomp on rival cars.

Rei Hijikata (土方 レイ, Hijikata Rei)

Voiced by: Satoko Kito

Rei is the third and only female battle racer from Ogami's team. She owns the Ray Stinger, which can be controlled by laser and has a needle to attack other cars.

NA Astro Rangers

This is a team from America that competes in the WGP series.

Brett Astaire (ブレット・アスティア)

Voiced by: Kentarō Itō

Brett is the captain of the NA Astro Rangers. He seems cool and strict at first, but he becomes caring and kind.

Edge Blaze (エッジ・ブレイズ)

Voiced by: Hisayoshi Izaki

Edge is from Los Angeles and is a cheerful and outgoing member of the team. He can be very emotional sometimes.

Josephina "Joe" Goodwin (ジョセフィーヌ・グッドウィン)

Voiced by: Akiko Yajima

Joe is a kind and friendly girl from New York. She doesn't like to be underestimated. She has a crush on Ryo because he once saved her.

Michael Miller (マイケル・ミラー)

Voiced by: Hidehiro Kikuchi

Michael is the youngest member of the team. He may be small, but he is very smart and talented.

Horvy "Hammer D" David Grant (ハマー・デーヴィッド・グラント)

Voiced by: Takuma Suzuki

Hammer D is the tallest and oldest member of the team. He likes to play baseball. He sometimes gets worried and loses focus, so he needs to concentrate.

Other Racers

Here are some other important racers in the series.

Jun Sagami (佐上 ジュン, Sagami Jun)

Voiced by: Chinami Nishimura

Jun has been a friend of the Seiba brothers since they were babies. She is a great baseball pitcher. At first, she wasn't very good at Mini 4WD racing, but she got better thanks to the brothers. In Return Racers, she works with Retsu on the space development project.

Makoto Kohiro (こひろ まこと, Kohiru Makoto)

Voiced by: Motoko Kumai

Makoto is a determined racer who almost beat the Seiba brothers once. He is a friendly rival and became friends with them. He might not always win, but his determination and luck help him.

Futoshi Kurosawa (黒沢 太, Kurosawa Futoshi)

Voiced by: Akio Suyama

Kurosawa is a big and loud racer. He owns the "Black Saber," a special Mini 4WD car. He used to cheat by putting weapons on his car, but he never won that way. After seeing Kai Okita's powerful car, he decided to race fairly and became a friend to the main characters.

Chīko Mikuni (三国 チイコ, Mikuni Chīko)

Voiced by: Akiko Yajima

Chīko is Tokichi's younger sister. She has a crush on Retsu. She races her own Mini 4WD car called the "Flower Axe."

R (アール, Āru)

Voiced by: Arisa Andō

R is J's older sister. She was thought to have died in a plane accident. She was first upset that J left Ogami, but later understood his reasons.

Supporting Characters

These characters help and support the racers.

Takeshi Sugiyama (杉山 闘士, Sugiyama Takeshi)

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo

Also known as "Mini 4 Fighter" (ミニ四ファイター, Mini Yon Faitā), he is the announcer and commentator for most Mini 4WD races. He owns a legendary Mini 4WD called "Shining Scorpion." In MAX, he went to America but came back to Japan. He disguised himself as the "Masked Fighter" until he revealed his true identity.

Tamotsu Sagami (佐上 保, Sagami Tamotsu)

Voiced by: Hidenari Ugaki

Tamotsu is Jun's father and runs the Sagami Model Shop. The Seiba brothers often visit his shop. He refuses to sell battle racing parts because he believes racing is not about destroying other cars.

Kaizō Seiba (星馬 改造, Seiba Kaizō)

Voiced by: Hidenari Ugaki

He is the father of the Seiba brothers. Kaizō loves Mini 4WD and enjoys racing with his sons. His own car is called the "Godfather Special." He would enter competitions if adults were allowed!

Yoshie Seiba (星馬 良江, Seiba Yoshie)

Voiced by: Shinobu Adachi

She is the mother of the Seiba brothers. She is kind and brave. At first, she didn't like Mini 4WD racing because Retsu and Go fought about it. But she eventually got used to it.

Masamune Ichimonji (一文字正宗, Ichimonji Masamune)

Voiced by: Hidetoshi Nakamura

He is the father of the Ichimonji brothers. He creates the "Z Series" Mini 4WD cars. He knows Dr. Tsuchiya and Dr. Ogami. He later set up his own research lab.

Sayuri Dōmoto (堂本サユリ, Dōmoto Sayuri)

Voiced by: Yuka Imai

Also known as "Fighter Lady" (ファイターレディ, Faitāredi). She is a commentator for Mini 4WD races in MAX. She looks up to Mini 4 Fighter. She has played Mini 4WD since she was young.

More About the Series

Manga Comics

The original manga series was published in CoroCoro Comic magazine from 1994 to 1999. It was collected into 20 books. A new series, Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! Return Racers!! (爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!! Return Racers!!, Bakusō Kyōdai Rettsu Endo Gō!! Return Racers!!), started in 2014. It shows Go and Retsu's lives 20 years later. A spin-off manga, Let's & Go!! Tsubasa, the Next Racers (レッツ&ゴー!! 翼 ネクストレーサーズ伝, Rettsu Endo Gō!! Tsubasa Nekusuto Rēsāzu-den), began in 2017.

Anime TV Shows

An anime TV show was made by Xebec. It was directed by Tetsurō Amino. The first series aired on TV Tokyo from January to December 1996. It covered the first part of the manga. The next series, Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! WGP (爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!! WGP, Bakusō Kyōdai Rettsu Endo Gō!! WGP), aired from January to December 1997. It covered the second part of the manga. The third series, Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! MAX (爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!! MAX, Bakusō Kyōdai Rettsu Endo Gō!! MAX), aired from January to December 1998. This series followed the story of the sequel manga.

Movie Fun

A movie based on the second anime series was released in Japan on July 5, 1997. It was called Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! WGP: Bousou Mini 4WD Daitsuiseki (爆走兄弟レッツ&ゴー!!WGP 暴走ミニ四駆大追跡!, Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! WGP Bōsō Miniyonku Dai Tsuiseki!).

Video Games

Many video games were also made based on the series:

• Mini 4WD Shining Scorpion Let's & Go!! (1996, Super Famicom, ASCII Corporation)
• Mini 4WD GB Let's & Go! (1997, Game Boy, ASCII Corporation)
• Mini 4WD Super Factory (1997, Sega Saturn, Mediaquest)
• Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! WGP Hyper Heat (1997, PlayStation, Jaleco)
• Mini 4WD GB Let's & Go! All-Star Battle MAX (1998, Game Boy, ASCII Corporation)
• Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! Eternal Wings (1998, PlayStation, Jaleco)
• Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!! POWER WGP2 (1998, Super Famicom, Nintendo)