Speed Racer: Collector’s Edition includes the original Speed Racer series on DVD and Blu-ray, the Mach Go Go Go anime series on Blu-ray and DVD, Mach Go Go Go Restart on DVD, and a collectible Speed Racer keychain. Speed Racer is only in English, while Mach Go Go Go and Mach Go Go Go Restart have Japanese audio with English subtitles.

Speed Racer: Collector’s Edition
English Publisher: FUNimation Entertainment
Format: Blu-ray/DVD
Release Date: November 7, 2017

Speed Racer: Collector’s Edition comes in a collectible Speed Racer bust that makes sound effects. The pictures online of the bust don’t truly show just how ugly it is. My kids like to refer to it as “the cursed bust,” and my husband refers to it as “nightmare fuel.” The discs are stored in the back of the bust, in cardboard packaging. Now, I don’t know if it’s a manufacturing issue with my copy or what, because after I took the back off the bust to get the discs out, I haven’t been able to get the back to stay on.

The keychain isn’t anything terribly great, either. It’s a ridiculously large, cardboard square with a picture of Speed Racer on it. It’s definitely a collectible, because you’ll never be able to use it in real life!

I also truly question the inclusion of both DVDs and Blu-rays in this set. Between all the Blu-rays and DVDs, there are 26 discs included. Personally, I think this should have been a Blu-ray only release. But then again, that’s just me.

I watched episodes of Speed Racer each day, alongside their counterparts in Mach Go Go Go in order to compare the two series. When all was said and done, I liked Mach Go Go Go better than Speed Racer. While Mach Go Go Restart had a promising start, the series went downhill rather quickly. It’s not surprising to see why its initial 52 episode order was cut down to 34.

When FUNimation Entertainment released this set back in 2017, they were charging around $300 or so for it. Now that it’s no longer available through FUNimation, Amazon, or other retailers directly, third party sellers have been selling it for at least half of that amount, if not less.

To be honest, though, I would only recommend this set to fans of Speed Racer who really want to be able to see and to own Mach Go Go Go, since FUNimation never bothered to release the original source material in a more inexpensive release. Mach Go Go Go Restart really isn’t a selling point, in my opinion, unless you’re such a big fan of the franchise that you have to own everything available for it. The bust and keychain weren’t selling points to me, either. But if you feel you must own a copy of Speed Racer: Collector’s Edition, then please make sure to not pay the full $300+ for it. Find a reputable third-party seller that’s selling it for much cheaper, because in my opinion, that’s about all that it’s worth.

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