History YMMV / SpeedRacer

* MemeticPsychopath: Speed himself is one, due to a large amount of clips being posted showing moments of him that...didn't age well, such as being told another racer needs to win so he can pay for his sister's medical treatment...then [[LackofEmpathy refusing to throw the race and speed up]] or getting his enemies killed with no remorse. Type [[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Speed+Racer+Sociopath&page=&utm_source=opensearch "Speed Racer Sociopath" in the [=YouTube=] search box]] for some interesting results...

** [[https://youtu.be/uQJBLaIq2dI "He's going over that cliff!]] '''''[[OhCrap AAAAAAGH!]]'''''" has become a pretty symbolic sequence, primarily due to how shockingly realistic the scream is. Many have commented how it sounds like the actor was genuinely being murdered.

** [[https://youtu.be/uQJBLaIq2dI "He's going over that cliff!]] '''''[[OhCrap AAAAAAGH!]]'''''" has become a pretty symbolic sequence.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saM8Rn0ahFA Sometimes it doesn't even end up sounding like human language!]]

** Snake's about to beat Speed Racer, and [[TemptingFate says it out loud as if in disbelief that he's gonna win.]] One second later, his car engine catches on fire and the entire vehicle explodes in five after that. ''Right before the finish line.'' It would be an AssPull if it wasn't so hilariously spontaneous to come off more as highly murderous PlotArmor for Speed.

* NewbieBoom: In TheNineties, Cartoon Network ran a lot of older series, and this was one of them.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: People [[KilledOffForReal die]] in this series on a regular basis, and while there's no gore or explicit violence, it doesn't even attempt to disguise how horrible some of the wrecks and incidents are. No one [[NeverSayDie dances around the subject matter either]], which makes it all the more jarring to realize that an entire generation of kids were raised on a series that puts more controversial cartoons like ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' to shame. Today's audiences consequently suffer a case of ValuesDissonance when they look back on this and realize just how ''dark'' such an over-the-top and corny series can be thanks to its shonen roots.

* SubbingVsDubbing: Many people actually prefer the ''dub'' because, well, a lot of people grew up on it and it has its NarmCharm from being made in the 60s.

* TearJerker: The very fact that the Racer family, while happy and tight knit, is incomplete, given that the oldest brother Rex ran off years earlier. To make it worse, Rex actually <i>wants<i> to go home, but because of his involvment with secret organizations and crime-fighting, [[KeepingSecretsSucks he can't.]]

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Part of the reason why the movie didn't do too well is because it tried to keep the campy tone of the original series.

** In ''Race for Life'', Speed just won a South American Grand Prix cup and is being serenaded with flamenco music and a dancer. Right after a brief comment with no animation from him, ''[[HellIsThatNoise hellish screaming]]'' ensues as it cuts back to the dancer.. and just lingers on her for the next couple seconds as if no one heard it. It's hard to tell if it was a horribly misfire on dubbing a flamenco shout as agonized terror, or if it's the crowd reacting to a wounded José stumbling into the scene and everyone inexplicably has a huge DelayedReaction.

* MemeticPsychopath: Speed himself is one, due to a large amount of clips being posted showing moments of him that...didn't age well, such as being told another racer needs to win so he can pay for his sister's medical treatment...then [[LackofEmpathy refusing to throw the race and speed up]] or getting his enemies killed with no remorse. Type in "Speed Racer Sociopath" on [=YouTube=] for some interesting results...

** In ''Race for Life'', Speed just won a South American Grand Prix cup and is being serenaded with flamenco music and a dancer. Right after a brief comment with no animation from him, ''[[HellIsThatNoise hellish screaming]]'' ensues as it cuts back to the dancer.. and just lingers on her for the next couple seconds as if no one heard it. It's hard to tell if it was a horribly misfire on dubbing a flamenco shout as agonized terror, or if it's the crowd reacting a wounded José stumbling into the scene and everyone inexplicably has a huge DelayedReaction.

** In ''Race for Life'', Speed just won a South American Grand Prix cup and is being serenaded with flamenco music and a dancer. Right after a somewhat flirty chuckle and "Olé" from him, ''[[HellIsThatNoise hellish screaming]]'' ensues as it cuts back to the dancer.. and just lingers on her for the next couple seconds as if no one heard it. It's hard to tell if it was a horribly misfire on dubbing a flamenco shout as agonized terror, or if it's the crowd reacting a wounded José stumbling into the scene and everyone inexplicably has a huge DelayedReaction.

** In ''Race for Life'', Speed just won a South American Grand Prix cup and is being serenaded with flamenco music and a dancer. Right after a somewhat flirty chuckle and "Olé" from him, ''[[HellIsThatNoise hellish screaming]]'' ensues as it cuts back to the dancer.. and just lingers on her for the next couple seconds as if no one heard it. Then a wounded José stumbles onto the scene, implying that it was a random off-screen audience member that screamed and everyone only just had a DelayedReaction to it, but it's all too easy to assume the dancer herself inexplicably started screaming as if they mis-dubbed what was supposed to be an eccentric flamenco shout.

** That time a flamenco dancer inexplicably [[HellIsThatNoise screamed at the top of her lungs]] in the middle of a race celebration dance without the animation even remotely showing for it. One can only assume the script called for an eccentric shout to compliment the moment, and the dub voice direction interpreted it as ''ear-piercing terror'' more akin to a dying mountain lion. And of course, there's Speed's somewhat flirty line preceding it for further MoodWhiplash.
--->'''Speed''': Heheh.. ''Olé!''
--->'''Dancer''': '''AAAAAOOOOUUUGGHHHH'''

** That time a flamenco dancer inexplicably [[HellIsThatNoise screamed at the top of her lungs]] in the middle of a race celebration dance without the animation even remotely showing for it. One can only assume the script called for an eccentric shout to compliment the moment, and the dub voice direction interpreted it as ''ear-piercing terror'' more akin to a dying mountain lion.

** Snake's about to beat Speed Racer, and [[TemptingFate says it out loud as if in disbelief that he's gonna win.]] One second later, his car engine catches on fire and the entire vehicle explodes in five after that. ''Right before the finish line.''

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: That time a flamenco dancer inexplicably [[HellIsThatNoise screamed at the top of her lungs]] in the middle of a race celebration dance without the animation even remotely showing for it. One can only assume the script called for an eccentric shout to compliment the moment, and the dub voice direction interpreted it as ''ear-piercing terror'' more akin to a dying mountain lion.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: That time a flamenco dancer inexplicably [[HellIsThatNoise screamed at the top of her lungs]] in the middle of a race celebration dance without the animation even remotely showing for it. One can only assume the script called for an eccentric shout to compliment the moment, and the dub voice direction interpreted it as ''ear-piercing agony.''

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY9YNF5MMQo "He's going over that cliff!]] '''''[[OhCrap AAAAAAGH!]]'''''" has become a pretty symbolic sequence.

* MemeticMutation: Everyone has parodied how every character in the show is a MotorMouth.

* {{Woolseyism}}: The "ninjas" were changed to "Assassins" in the dub. Which is actually correct, given their role in history.

* TheScrappy: Snake Oiler is one of the whiniest and most annoying villains to appear onscreen. Though granted, that's likely the point.

* MemeticPsychopath: Speed himself is one, due to a large amount of clips being posted showing moments of him that...didn't age well, such as being told another racer needs to win so he can pay for his sister's medical treatment...then [[LackofEmpathy refusing to throw the race and speed up]] or getting his enemies killed with no remorse. Type in "Speed Racer Sociopath" on YouTube for some interesting results...