Spritle

Spritle (Kurio Mifune, 三船くりお "Mifune Kurio") is a fictional character in the Japanese anime cartoon "Mach Go Go Go"; the cartoon is known in English as "Speed Racer" after the title character, Speed Racer. Spritle is Speed's younger brother (in the remake, "Speed Racer X", he is Trixie's younger brother).

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Spritle's original voice artist was Junko Hori. Corinne Orr was the English dub voice actor for the American adaptation.

Spritle constantly gets into mischief, along with his pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim (Senpei), and the two frequently hide together in the trunk of Speed's race car, the Mach 5. Spritle at one point builds a replica of the Mach 5, with two of the gadgets — self-deploying jacks and special tires — normally found on his big brother's car.

Spritle and Chim Chim often get into arguments over candy, one of their favorite snacks, and villains in the show usually use candy to bribe them into revealing information about Speed and the Mach 5. In episode 20, Spritle and Chim-Chim are kiddnapped by Dr.Nightcall.Spritle often helps Speed on his adventures, and always somehow gets out of the danger he gets himself into.

In the Spanish version for Latin America, Spritle was translated as "Chispita" and Senpei as "Chito".

Portrayal in the Film

In the live-action 2008 feature film Speed Racer, Spritle is played by Paulie Litt. He presents him as a somewhat more hyperactive and rambunctious boy than the cartoon character. He and Chim-Chim have a recurring trait in the film where they are inspired by their favorite animated series to the point where they imitate every stunt they watch.

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In the animated 2008 series, Spritle has become the headmaster of the racing academy that the Racer family built. He is voiced by Peter Fernandez, who was the original voice of Speed Racer and Racer X from the 1967 show.