Acura’s Turbocharged Anime 'Chiaki's Journey' Returns for Season Two

Debuting on Sunday 16th, the day of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach - the longest-running major street race in North America - ‘Chiaki’s Journey’ is back for season two with more high-speed action. The four-episode animated season is available to watch on YouTube and culminates in the protagonist Chiaki racing the new turbocharged 2024 Integra Type S to Pikes Peak Summit - something that will be reflected in real life when the car makes its motorsports debut at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June, driven by racing car driver, Loni Unser.

Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America and, after the success of its action-packed first season of ‘Chiaki’s Journey’, is launching its most powerful Integra yet with four new episodes, created with MullenLowe LA and animated by The Line Animation.

The first season, which chronicles the exhilarating adventures of young racing prodigy Chiaka and her uncle Noboru, has been viewed nearly 275 million times, making it Acura’s most successfully viewed campaign to date. Season two picks up where season one left off, as we learn about Chiaki’s father and his teammate from the past while Chiaki takes on Colorado’s daunting Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Replicating this feat in the real world as part of this campaign is Loni Unser, a fourth-generation race car driver who finished second in her division at the event in 2022. The Unser family has won nine Indy 500 championships and was the first family, starting in 1926, to race in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - where they have since won the overall crown, ‘King of the Mountain’, twenty-six times. 

As well as the anime series and Loni’s race, the campaign also includes an experiential activation at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Uncle, where Noboru’s garage from the series will come to life. Throughout the weekend, race attendees can visit the garage and see the 2024 Integra Type S, along with easter eggs from the new season. Additionally, the cars pacing the Grand Prix at the event (#93 Racers Edge Acura NSX GT-3 Evo22s) will also feature anime-style wraps tied to the debut of ‘Chiaki’s Journey’ season two. 

The full Acura ‘Chiaki’s Journey’ season two is available here on YouTube, featuring four 60-second episodes.

The campaign will be supported on digital lifestyle properties, including anime streaming platform Crunchyroll and publications like Kotaku, Jalopnik and Fandom, as well as through streaming and on social media. ‘Chiaki’s Journey’ will also be accompanied by a series of OOH activations which will be displayed in outdoor media across various major US markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Miami.