{"rewrite":{"id":"r_00472d90a97d331509eb62fd","clusterId":"c_8d8b76e3406b46b4720502d5","slug":"nippon-marathon-2-developer-cites-shonen-anime-takeshi-s-castle-as-influences","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Nippon Marathon 2 Developer Cites Shonen Anime, Takeshi's Castle as Influences","summary":"Onion Soup Interactive's Andy Madin discusses the early access release of Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu, a chaotic Japan-themed racing game. In an interview, Madin cites Takeshi's Castle and shonen anime like One Piece and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as key influences on the game's over-the-top character design and physics-based chaos. The game is available on PC and Linux.","whyItMatters":"The interview highlights how a Western indie developer draws directly from Japanese variety shows and shonen anime to create a multiplayer game that prioritizes chaotic fun over realism.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eOnion Soup Interactive\u0026#39;s Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu entered early access on PC and Linux in April. The sequel to the 2017 original features completely reworked controls and graphics. Developer Andy Madin told Game Spark that the game\u0026#39;s chaotic marathon system is directly inspired by the Japanese variety show Takeshi\u0026#39;s Castle. He also cited shonen anime such as One Piece and JoJo\u0026#39;s Bizarre Adventure as giving him confidence to create ridiculous character designs. The game is priced at 1,450 yen with a 10% launch discount until July 10.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Nippon Marathon 2 developer Andy Madin cites Takeshi's Castle and shonen anime as key influences for the chaotic racing game's over-the-top characters and physics-based gameplay. The sequel is now in early access on PC and Linux.","twitterPost":"Nippon Marathon 2 developer Andy Madin cites Takeshi's Castle and shonen anime as key influences for the chaotic racing game's over-the-top characters and physics-based gameplay. The sequel is now in early access on PC and Linux.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Onion Soup Interactive's Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu is now in early access on PC and Linux. Developer Andy Madin discusses the game's influences, including Takeshi's Castle and shonen anime, in a new interview. The sequel features reworked controls and graphics.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/09/169054.html\",\"title\":\"\\\"Watching shonen anime gives me confidence that it's okay to make characters with crazy settings\\\" - Developer interview for the Japan (?) racing game 'Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu'\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4292,"outputTokens":1980,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1783593834,"createdAt":"2026-07-09T10:38:54.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-09T10:42:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-09T10:38:54.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_8d8b76e3406b46b4720502d5","canonicalTitle":"「少年アニメを観ていると「キャラクターをぶっ飛んだ設定にしても大丈夫なんだな」という自信が湧いてくる」日本（？）レースゲーム『Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu』【開発者インタビュー】","representativeArticleId":"a_eb15dcf1ec6fa48931f6e839","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu\"],\"studios\":[\"Onion Soup Interactive\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"release\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-09T09:30:03.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-09T09:30:03.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-09T10:42:28.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/07/09/169054.html","title":"「少年アニメを観ていると「キャラクターをぶっ飛んだ設定にしても大丈夫なんだな」という自信が湧いてくる」日本（？）レースゲーム『Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu』【開発者インタビュー】"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Nippon Marathon 2: Daijoubu"],"studios":["Onion Soup Interactive"],"people":[],"type":"release","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}