Initial D
Encyclopedia
is a manga
by Shuichi Shigeno
which has been serialized in Kodansha
's Young Magazine
since 1995. It has been adapted into a long-running anime
series by OB Planning, Studio Comet
, Studio Gallop, Pastel, and A.C.G.T
, and a live action film
by Avex and Media Asia
. Both the manga and anime series were initially licensed for distribution in North America
by Tokyopop
(2002–2009); the anime license has since been picked up by Funimation Entertainment
, while the manga is no longer available in English.
The story focuses on the world of illegal Japanese street racing
, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes
and rarely in cities nor urban areas, and the drift
racing style is emphasized in particular. Keiichi Tsuchiya
helps with editorial supervision. The story is centered on the Japanese prefecture of Gunma, more specifically on several mountains in the Kantō region
and in their surrounding cities and towns. Although some of the names of the locations the characters race in have been fictionalized, all of the locations in the series are based on actual locations in Japan.
, the series follows Takumi Fujiwara, an eighteen year old who helps his father run a tofu shop by making deliveries every morning to Akina
with his father's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)
. It is revealed that Takumi has been driving on Mt. Akina every morning to deliver tofu
to the summit five years before he even had his license. As a result his skills in mountain racing were honed, as was his ability to drive under adverse weather conditions.
Despite being originally apathetic about the notion of racing, Takumi begins to grow more interested as he receives other challenges, and begins to understand the concept of a street racer's pride. He then proceeds to defeat drivers in more advanced and more powerful cars, such as the Honda Civic (EG6) hatchback, the Nissan Sileighty, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32). He defeats them in all sorts of conditions, mostly for the first time (Duct Tape Deathmatch, wet weather race, first race in a course other than Mount Akina), culminating in the battle between him and Ryosuke Takahashi, the so-called "White Comet of Akagi." Although Takumi falls behind Ryosuke earlier on in the race, he manages to catch up to him using a variation of the 'gutter run' and passes Ryosuke at the end of the track. Ryosuke acknowledges Takumi is the better driver, and tells him "...there's a much bigger world out there."
s, appear in the Gunma area, defeating anyone in their path, until their No. 2 racer, Seiji Iwaki, was defeated by Takumi, breaking their winning streak. Their leader, a professionally-trained driver named Kyoichi Sudo, challenges Takumi to a race to “teach him some things” and as a sort of cover event for his race with Ryosuke, his primary target. This race saw Takumi's Eight-Six blow its engine. While it may have been a defeat for Takumi, Kyoichi did not consider it a race, instead considering it more as a seminar to show Takumi how much he needs a better car as he believes the Eight-Six is far too old to match Takumi's skill level. Kyoichi, believing in his street racing philosophy that professional circuit techniques were adequate to conquer the mountains passes, races Ryosuke who had the opposing philosophy that somehow, the fastest street racing required more than just what the circuit could teach. Ryosuke proceeds to defeat Kyouichi after noticing and exploiting Kyouichi's inability to tackle some right-hand corners with full confidence, due to the risk of a head-on collision. When Kyouichi confronts Ryosuke about the loss, Ryosuke explains that their techniques and abilities are actually quite close, but highlights Kyoichi's weakness of right-handed corners, and that Kyoichi didn't need to be concerned as motorsports (and his home course) did not have two-way traffic. This proved once and for all to Kyoichi that street-racing had its own special requirements just as Ryosuke had believed.
Meanwhile, Bunta knew that the engine in the Eight-Six was about to give out. In fact, one of Bunta's "secret" tasks for Takumi was "to lose." In anticipation, he had already bought a new engine http://web.archive.org/web/20040422155043/http://hayasamotorsport.com/4A-GE+Silver+top.jpg- a high revving 11,000 rpm, Group A 4A-GE 20 valve. This is extremely unusual, because this type of engine is supplied to race teams only, and is not street legal. Bunta installs the engine without a new tachometer
to teach Takumi the importance of learning mechanical knowledge and understanding why the car behaves as it does, though he has an instrument set ready for installation once Takumi knows of it. A fellow Eight-Six driver named Wataru Akiyama, who was surprised with Takumi's lack of mechanical knowledge, told him that he needs a new tachometer.
Once Takumi unsealed the power of his new engine, Wataru challenges him to a race anywhere of Takumi's choosing. Choosing Wataru's home course, the treacherous Shomaru pass, Takumi went on to race Wataru despite the risks. Wataru, who knew the course well, was absolutely sure that Shomaru pass was a test of endurance and that it was not a course where overtaking was possible. Despite this, Takumi, upon noticing that in the process of four back-to-back runs through the course, the landslide which covered one half of the road at a certain part of the course had flattened out leaving enough space for another car, took advantage of Wataru not noticing the change in the course and went side-by-side with him. Takumi eventually overtook the clearly shocked Levin driver and won the battle.
As Extra Stage begins, Mako is battling emotional wounds from what she thinks was a rejection by Iketani, while Sayuki's childhood friend Shingo (of the Myogi Night Kids) and his teammate Nakazato arrive to warn them about Team Emperor, which defeated the Night Kids on their home course just as they have so many other street racing teams from around the region. Mako's driving has been adversely affected by her preoccupations, and she worries about her ability to measure up to the Emperor's challenge in her current emotional state. Finally, a pair of Emperor affiliated Evos show up in Usui. The challenger, an arrogant blonde driving an Evo 4, belitted the female racers and felt confident enough to win easily. Later on in the race, the Evo 4 could barely keep up with the Sil-80, until the battle was finally decided in an extended corner, called C-121 (also called "The Terror of Usui"). where the Evo 4 hit the guardrail and lost control. Shingo and Nakazato were late and didn't get to see the race. Thinking the girls also lost, they consoled them saying they lost in their home course as well, but Sayuki unexpectedly told them they won. The Night Kids leaders were startled, thinking they raced against the top Emperor drivers whereas they only defeated an off-beat member.
Though Mako decides she does not need a man in her life for a while, she gradually develops a relationship with a friend of Shingo's named Miyahara after Shingo and Sayuki discreetly play matchmaker. Miyahara is a street racer himself, not a good one though, and he intends to give it up because he believes he has reached the highest level he possibly can, with no chance of progressing further. He has lost interest and intends to move on. He drives a red Toyota MR2
and plans to switch to an SUV in pursuit of settling down after racing. Mako feels differently, knowing there are many drivers better than her whose level she wishes to attain. As Mako and Miyahara grow closer, Miyahara reveals that he wishes Mako would quit racing also for her safety's sake, because if she was his girlfriend he would be consumed with worry for her each time she raced.
However, after Mako takes him on a drive on an unknown pass, that was home to the mountain snow resort they were vacationing at, he finally understands why she will not give up racing and realizes that she is in love with another man, Iketani.
Kogashiwa Kai, the son of Bunta's old rival, driving a Toyota MR2 (SW20) later challenges Takumi upon knowing he beat his original target, Kyoichi. He and his father planned to beat Takumi by using a line strategy his father had devised and used against Bunta: the In-Air hairpin jump on the 33rd, 36th, 37th, 38th, and 39th hairpins of Irohazaka. Bunta, knowing how Kogashiwa has used the special line factor before, predicted to Takumi that Kai would surely be in front by the later half of the race and proceeds to give Takumi some obscure advice on how to beat Kai. Kyouichi, who had been with Iwaki Seiji , Keisuke, and Takahashi Ryouske, had predicted as well that Kai would use the technique and explains how he himself could not come to use the strategy due to his pride in his skills alone without need for strategy. Kai, upon realizing that he cannot win in a straight-forward clash of skill, uses the line strategy to overtake and further distance himself from Takumi. Takumi then finds it in himself to try this technique and masters it at the first try, finding himself catching up to Kai. At the last moment before they reach the finish Takumi realizes the meaning behind the advice given earlier by Bunta when he notices dead leaves piling up on one side of the road. Takumi proceeds puts his car past the shrubs and into the gutter to sling shot side-by-side forcing Kai to the side of the road where Takumi guesses the leaves would pile up on. Bunta, while talking to Yuichi, has predicted that Takumi had a 50% chance of passing Kai. As they pass the bridge side-by-side airborne, the 50% chance presents itself as Kai had landed on the side of the road where the leaves had piled up, resulting in him losing control and spinning out right before the goal.
This stage also saw the appearance of Miki, a former student at the same high school Takumi attended who Takumi once punched over Miki's bragging about his sexual exploits with Natsuki (seen in a flashback from 1st Stage). It was Christmas season, and Natsuki surprises Takumi at his house, and celebrates Christmas with him and Bunta. On New Year's Day, Miki takes Natsuki under duress, even attempting to rape her near Lake Akina. But Takumi, after hearing a few words of a call from Natsuki which was cut short, came to the rescue.
As spring comes, Takumi tells Ryosuke that he wants to request another battle with him, this time on Mt. Akagi, before making his decision regarding the team. It is unclear who actually wins the race, but during the race Keisuke reveals to the other members of the Red Suns that the race is not really about who wins or loses. As they approach the finish, side by side, Takumi decides that it is his desire to remain with Ryosuke and join the team.
.
Takumi, on the other hand, contends with the "Four-Wheel Drive Complex" when he was overtaken by a Subaru Impreza WRX
, an AWD car, on one of his delivery runs. It is later revealed that his father was driving the car. Bunta then allowed Takumi to deliver Tofu, as well as practice in the WRX (alternating with the Trueno) to improve his skills as a driver and to get a feel of what modern cars can do.
Project.D's opponents grew tougher and tougher, as well as more deceitful and threatening. They defeated local racing teams (like the Seven Star Leaf), students of the Todo-juku racing school (including a professional driver who is a graduate of the school), the combined forces of the Northern Saitama Alliance (who even used a Suzuki Cappuccino
kei-car), thugs in Lan Evos, and the "Godfoot" and "Godhand" tandem of Team Purple Shadow. In the shadows, Wataru Akiyama watches Takumi from a distance and looks for weaknesses, but this ceased when Project.D conquered Saitama, so he began giving Takumi a few pointers, especially with the 4WD problem. There are also glimmers of romance, like Kyoko Iwase, Keisuke's fellow Mazda RX-7
FD driver and uphill ace racing for the Northern Saitama Alliance, falling in love with him, even lending her precious car to Keisuke—but, although he likes her, he rejected her, deciding to focus more on driving.
Takumi also learned a lot, including the theory of infinite lines and Joushima (the "Godhand" of Team Purple Shadow) teaching him the theory of one handed driving. Though he doubted that Takumi would start driving with one hand, he did believe he would master using the infinite lines to his advantage in future races. Hoshino, the "Godfoot" of Purple Shadow, offered his racing connections to Keisuke, who refused, saying he has still got a lot to do in street racing.
25GT Turbo (ER34), and the other is Keisuke vs. Smiley Sakai's Honda Integra
DC2. Both races are noticeably shorter than the other races in the feature.
Battle Stage 2 was released on DVD on May 30, 2007. The official soundtrack to Battle Stage 2, featuring 24 Eurobeat songs that played during the feature, was released on September 5, 2007.
In the end, they never knew that Iketani and Mako would never see each other again directly and admit their true feelings for each other.
Announced in chapter 530 of the Initial D manga, Extra Stage 2 aired on pay-per-view on October 3, 2008 and is available on DVD from December 5, 2008.
for an English release. The company decided to change the names of the characters in the anime edition. In addition, starting with Volume 2, the company changed the names of the characters in the manga to match the name changes in the anime. The company changed names of characters. For instance, the main character, Takumi, became Tak, and his best friend Itsuki became Iggy. Some characters, such as Takumi's father, Bunta, retained their original names. These name changes were to reflect the name changes that Sega
implemented into the western releases of the Initial D A Stage video games {see below} due to name length limits. Viewers are able to view the episodes with the original Japanese 5.1 track should they wish. In addition, Tokyopop cut out a character's enjo kōsai
relationship with another character and edited sex scenes, appearing in volumes 1 and 9 in the original tankōbon
manga. In addition, "street slang" has been interlaced in translations (a drift is described as "slammin'", for example), and there have been accusations that Tokyopop has put out incorrect spec sheets on the characters' cars in the manga. The company also changed the music from the series' staple eurobeat
tracks to originally developed tracks of rap and hip-hop via Stu Levy
(DJ Milky), the Tokyopop CEO and an in-house musician.
(Complete Initial D Eurobeat Song Selection.) The massive editing has been attributed to rumors that Tokyopop was hoping to cash in on the growing Import Scene
brought about by The Fast and the Furious
with edits that would conform to American broadcasting standards (Americanization
) on TV. The anime aired on Adult Swim
in Australia.
The manga was also subject to the same name editing as the anime; the street slang was toned down and Tokyopop has been leaning toward the Japanese names in later volumes.
The first edition also had some translation errors. One example was the technical term "Waste Gate" (which is a mechanism used to regulate the boost pressure generated by a turbocharger) that was translated as "West Gate". Another was an inaccurate explanation of how an engine's displacement is calculated. (The explanation given is how a ship's displacement is calculated, which is totally different).
In 2006, Funimation Entertainment
announced that it would be distributing the DVDs of the series (since Tokyopop's original distributor went bankrupt). At the New York Anime Festival
2009, Funimation Entertainment
announced that it will be re-releasing and re-dubbing Initial D: First Stage, Second Stage, Extra Stage, Third Stage, and Fourth Stage. They will not be using the original Tokyopop dubbing in the re-release. It will include a brand new English dubbing and it will retain the original music from the Japanese series in uncut format, but they are starting with the release of the Third Stage and going up, before rereleasing the earlier stages.
dub) (and the removal of the original music) of the anime series and the editing of character names in the English language version of the manga. Tokyopop said that it was trying to Americanize the series so it could be aired on television, while at the same time keeping the Japanese spirit of the series.
music as background music in race scenes.
's Media Asia Group
. It was directed by Andrew Lau
and Alan Mak
, whose credits include the 2002 Hong Kong Blockbuster Infernal Affairs
and 1999's The Legend of Speed, a previous street racing melodrama directed by Lau. The movie featured Taiwan
ese star Jay Chou
as Takumi Fujiwara and Hong Kong stars Edison Chen
as Ryosuke Takahashi and Shawn Yue
as Takeshi Nakazato. Many changes were made to the plot and many fans disapproved. However the movie was met with critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple awards, including best picture, at the Hong Kong Film Awards
and Golden Horse Awards, winning many of them. Changes include many of the races, leaving out many of the side characters and their vehicles, and changing many of the characters such as Itsuki and Iketani being combined into the same character. However the locations and sets are identical to their appearance in the manga.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Shuichi Shigeno
Shuichi Shigeno
is a Japanese manga author famous for the anime and manga Initial D. Shigeno has also created Bari Bari Densetsu, Dopkan, and Tunnel Nuketara Sky Blue all prior to the manga that would make him famous in 1995...
which has been serialized in Kodansha
Kodansha
, the largest Japanese publisher, produces the manga magazines Nakayoshi, Afternoon, Evening, and Weekly Shonen Magazine, as well as more literary magazines such as Gunzō, Shūkan Gendai, and the Japanese dictionary Nihongo Daijiten. The company has its headquarters in Bunkyō, Tokyo...
's Young Magazine
Young Magazine
is a Japanese manga magazine published weekly by Kodansha. The magazine was started on June 23, 1980 and is targeted at adult males . It is also known as Young or YM. It goes on sale Monday every week...
since 1995. It has been adapted into a long-running anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series by OB Planning, Studio Comet
Studio Comet
is an animation studio based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established January 21, 1986.-Notable staff:*Hiroshi Kanazawa *Kazuo Harada *Shin Misawa...
, Studio Gallop, Pastel, and A.C.G.T
A.C.G.T
A・C・G・T is a Japanese animation production company, founded in 2001. It has been involved in the development of many series, predominantly contributing to other studios and adapting works based on light novels and manga. It is a subsidiary of OB Planning, who handles executive production on many of...
, and a live action film
Initial D (film)
Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.-Plot:...
by Avex and Media Asia
Media Asia Entertainment Group
Media Asia Entertainment Group , Media Asia Group , is a Hong Kong production company and distributor for films made in Hong Kong and throughout China. It is a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development Company Ltd.- History :...
. Both the manga and anime series were initially licensed for distribution in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
(2002–2009); the anime license has since been picked up by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
, while the manga is no longer available in English.
The story focuses on the world of illegal Japanese street racing
Street racing
Street racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and...
, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes
Touge
is a Japanese word literally meaning "pass." It refers to a mountain pass or any of the narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around the mountains of Japan and other geographically similar areas, like the legendary Nordschleife in Germany....
and rarely in cities nor urban areas, and the drift
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
racing style is emphasized in particular. Keiichi Tsuchiya
Keiichi Tsuchiya
is a professional race car driver. He is also known as the "Drift King" for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport...
helps with editorial supervision. The story is centered on the Japanese prefecture of Gunma, more specifically on several mountains in the Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
and in their surrounding cities and towns. Although some of the names of the locations the characters race in have been fictionalized, all of the locations in the series are based on actual locations in Japan.
Synopsis and Stages
Set in the late 1990s to early 2000s in Japan's Gunma PrefectureGunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
, the series follows Takumi Fujiwara, an eighteen year old who helps his father run a tofu shop by making deliveries every morning to Akina
Mount Haruna
is a dormant stratovolcano in Gunma, eastern Honshū, Japan.- Outline :Mount Haruna has many peaks and the tallest one, Mount Kamonga is 1,449 m high. It appeared about 300,000 years ago and the last known eruption was c. 550. The volcano has a summit caldera containing the symmetrical cone of...
with his father's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)
Toyota AE86
The AE86 generation of the Toyota Corolla Levin and Toyota Sprinter Trueno is a small, lightweight coupe introduced by Toyota in 1983 as part of the fifth generation Toyota Corolla lineup. For the purpose of brevity, the insider-chassis code of "AE86" is used to describe the whole range...
. It is revealed that Takumi has been driving on Mt. Akina every morning to deliver tofu
Tofu
is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
to the summit five years before he even had his license. As a result his skills in mountain racing were honed, as was his ability to drive under adverse weather conditions.
First Stage
The story begins when street racers called the RedSuns, a team from Mt. Akagi, come to challenge Mt. Akina's local team, the SpeedStars, to a "friendly" race. After seeing how skilled the RedSuns are, the SpeedStars treat it as a race for pride, determined not to be humiliated on their home turf. However, the SpeedStars are left in a bind when their team leader and primary downhill driver, Koichiro Iketani, had an accident during a practice run. They were desperate for a replacement until Iketani learns from Yuichi Tachibana, the manager of the petroleum station he works in, that the fastest car in Akina's downhill was a panda-coloured Eight-Six owned by a Tofu store owner. He discovers that the store's owner, Bunta Fujiwara, was a street racer of great repute in his younger days known as the "Ghost of Akina" . Iketani appeals to the older man to take his place in the race against the RedSuns. Iketani is confident that Bunta will come to save the day. But when the race day comes, his son Takumi appears with his Trueno instead. Although at first reluctant to let Takumi race, Iketani relents after it is revealed that he is actually the "Ghost of Akina," the one who outran Keisuke while on one of his delivery runs. Takumi proceeds to defeat Keisuke Takahashi and his Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), causing considerable astonishment in the local racing community and putting an end to the Red Suns' winning streak.Despite being originally apathetic about the notion of racing, Takumi begins to grow more interested as he receives other challenges, and begins to understand the concept of a street racer's pride. He then proceeds to defeat drivers in more advanced and more powerful cars, such as the Honda Civic (EG6) hatchback, the Nissan Sileighty, and the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32). He defeats them in all sorts of conditions, mostly for the first time (Duct Tape Deathmatch, wet weather race, first race in a course other than Mount Akina), culminating in the battle between him and Ryosuke Takahashi, the so-called "White Comet of Akagi." Although Takumi falls behind Ryosuke earlier on in the race, he manages to catch up to him using a variation of the 'gutter run' and passes Ryosuke at the end of the track. Ryosuke acknowledges Takumi is the better driver, and tells him "...there's a much bigger world out there."
Second Stage
A group of street racers called Team Emperor, all using Mitsubishi Lancer EvolutionMitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, colloquially known as the Lancer Evo or Evo, is a high-performance sedan manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. There have been ten official versions to date, and the designation of each model is most commonly a roman numeral...
s, appear in the Gunma area, defeating anyone in their path, until their No. 2 racer, Seiji Iwaki, was defeated by Takumi, breaking their winning streak. Their leader, a professionally-trained driver named Kyoichi Sudo, challenges Takumi to a race to “teach him some things” and as a sort of cover event for his race with Ryosuke, his primary target. This race saw Takumi's Eight-Six blow its engine. While it may have been a defeat for Takumi, Kyoichi did not consider it a race, instead considering it more as a seminar to show Takumi how much he needs a better car as he believes the Eight-Six is far too old to match Takumi's skill level. Kyoichi, believing in his street racing philosophy that professional circuit techniques were adequate to conquer the mountains passes, races Ryosuke who had the opposing philosophy that somehow, the fastest street racing required more than just what the circuit could teach. Ryosuke proceeds to defeat Kyouichi after noticing and exploiting Kyouichi's inability to tackle some right-hand corners with full confidence, due to the risk of a head-on collision. When Kyouichi confronts Ryosuke about the loss, Ryosuke explains that their techniques and abilities are actually quite close, but highlights Kyoichi's weakness of right-handed corners, and that Kyoichi didn't need to be concerned as motorsports (and his home course) did not have two-way traffic. This proved once and for all to Kyoichi that street-racing had its own special requirements just as Ryosuke had believed.
Meanwhile, Bunta knew that the engine in the Eight-Six was about to give out. In fact, one of Bunta's "secret" tasks for Takumi was "to lose." In anticipation, he had already bought a new engine http://web.archive.org/web/20040422155043/http://hayasamotorsport.com/4A-GE+Silver+top.jpg- a high revving 11,000 rpm, Group A 4A-GE 20 valve. This is extremely unusual, because this type of engine is supplied to race teams only, and is not street legal. Bunta installs the engine without a new tachometer
Tachometer
A tachometer is an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, as in a motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute on a calibrated analogue dial, but digital displays are increasingly common...
to teach Takumi the importance of learning mechanical knowledge and understanding why the car behaves as it does, though he has an instrument set ready for installation once Takumi knows of it. A fellow Eight-Six driver named Wataru Akiyama, who was surprised with Takumi's lack of mechanical knowledge, told him that he needs a new tachometer.
Once Takumi unsealed the power of his new engine, Wataru challenges him to a race anywhere of Takumi's choosing. Choosing Wataru's home course, the treacherous Shomaru pass, Takumi went on to race Wataru despite the risks. Wataru, who knew the course well, was absolutely sure that Shomaru pass was a test of endurance and that it was not a course where overtaking was possible. Despite this, Takumi, upon noticing that in the process of four back-to-back runs through the course, the landslide which covered one half of the road at a certain part of the course had flattened out leaving enough space for another car, took advantage of Wataru not noticing the change in the course and went side-by-side with him. Takumi eventually overtook the clearly shocked Levin driver and won the battle.
Extra Stage
Capitalizing on the popularity of the all-female street racing team known as Impact Blue which appeared in First Stage, this OVA focuses on Impact Blue's dynamic duo of Mako and Sayuki rather than Takumi and the usual main cast.As Extra Stage begins, Mako is battling emotional wounds from what she thinks was a rejection by Iketani, while Sayuki's childhood friend Shingo (of the Myogi Night Kids) and his teammate Nakazato arrive to warn them about Team Emperor, which defeated the Night Kids on their home course just as they have so many other street racing teams from around the region. Mako's driving has been adversely affected by her preoccupations, and she worries about her ability to measure up to the Emperor's challenge in her current emotional state. Finally, a pair of Emperor affiliated Evos show up in Usui. The challenger, an arrogant blonde driving an Evo 4, belitted the female racers and felt confident enough to win easily. Later on in the race, the Evo 4 could barely keep up with the Sil-80, until the battle was finally decided in an extended corner, called C-121 (also called "The Terror of Usui"). where the Evo 4 hit the guardrail and lost control. Shingo and Nakazato were late and didn't get to see the race. Thinking the girls also lost, they consoled them saying they lost in their home course as well, but Sayuki unexpectedly told them they won. The Night Kids leaders were startled, thinking they raced against the top Emperor drivers whereas they only defeated an off-beat member.
Though Mako decides she does not need a man in her life for a while, she gradually develops a relationship with a friend of Shingo's named Miyahara after Shingo and Sayuki discreetly play matchmaker. Miyahara is a street racer himself, not a good one though, and he intends to give it up because he believes he has reached the highest level he possibly can, with no chance of progressing further. He has lost interest and intends to move on. He drives a red Toyota MR2
Toyota MR2
The Toyota MR2 is a two-seat, mid-engined, rear wheel drive sports car produced by Central Motors, a part of Toyota, from 1984 until July 2007 when production stopped in Japan...
and plans to switch to an SUV in pursuit of settling down after racing. Mako feels differently, knowing there are many drivers better than her whose level she wishes to attain. As Mako and Miyahara grow closer, Miyahara reveals that he wishes Mako would quit racing also for her safety's sake, because if she was his girlfriend he would be consumed with worry for her each time she raced.
However, after Mako takes him on a drive on an unknown pass, that was home to the mountain snow resort they were vacationing at, he finally understands why she will not give up racing and realizes that she is in love with another man, Iketani.
Third Stage
By this time Ryosuke approaches Takumi with an offer. Ryosuke has been putting together a racing team featuring the best racers of the Gunma prefecture, and would like Takumi to join. Takumi doesn't want to decide whether or not to accept the proposal until he settles his score with Team Emperor leader Sudou Kyouichi, who had looked down on the AE86 because of the car's age and had seriously damaged Takumi's confidence in the AE86 after being defeated by him. Takumi proceeds to Irohazaka pass to challenge Kyouichi. Kyouichi had chosen to let Takumi lead; if Takumi prevents Kyouichi from passing him, he wins, if Kyouichi passes him, he loses. Takumi notes how the match is unfair, but this is quickly dismissed by Kyouichi. In the end, Takumi is able to prevent Kyouichi from passing. Kyouichi, who takes great pride in his knowledge and ability to race on his home course, concedes defeat and also gave praise to the new AE86, although Takumi still believes it was more of a tie and was more concerned about Kyouichi finally acknowledging the abilities of the AE86.Kogashiwa Kai, the son of Bunta's old rival, driving a Toyota MR2 (SW20) later challenges Takumi upon knowing he beat his original target, Kyoichi. He and his father planned to beat Takumi by using a line strategy his father had devised and used against Bunta: the In-Air hairpin jump on the 33rd, 36th, 37th, 38th, and 39th hairpins of Irohazaka. Bunta, knowing how Kogashiwa has used the special line factor before, predicted to Takumi that Kai would surely be in front by the later half of the race and proceeds to give Takumi some obscure advice on how to beat Kai. Kyouichi, who had been with Iwaki Seiji , Keisuke, and Takahashi Ryouske, had predicted as well that Kai would use the technique and explains how he himself could not come to use the strategy due to his pride in his skills alone without need for strategy. Kai, upon realizing that he cannot win in a straight-forward clash of skill, uses the line strategy to overtake and further distance himself from Takumi. Takumi then finds it in himself to try this technique and masters it at the first try, finding himself catching up to Kai. At the last moment before they reach the finish Takumi realizes the meaning behind the advice given earlier by Bunta when he notices dead leaves piling up on one side of the road. Takumi proceeds puts his car past the shrubs and into the gutter to sling shot side-by-side forcing Kai to the side of the road where Takumi guesses the leaves would pile up on. Bunta, while talking to Yuichi, has predicted that Takumi had a 50% chance of passing Kai. As they pass the bridge side-by-side airborne, the 50% chance presents itself as Kai had landed on the side of the road where the leaves had piled up, resulting in him losing control and spinning out right before the goal.
This stage also saw the appearance of Miki, a former student at the same high school Takumi attended who Takumi once punched over Miki's bragging about his sexual exploits with Natsuki (seen in a flashback from 1st Stage). It was Christmas season, and Natsuki surprises Takumi at his house, and celebrates Christmas with him and Bunta. On New Year's Day, Miki takes Natsuki under duress, even attempting to rape her near Lake Akina. But Takumi, after hearing a few words of a call from Natsuki which was cut short, came to the rescue.
As spring comes, Takumi tells Ryosuke that he wants to request another battle with him, this time on Mt. Akagi, before making his decision regarding the team. It is unclear who actually wins the race, but during the race Keisuke reveals to the other members of the Red Suns that the race is not really about who wins or loses. As they approach the finish, side by side, Takumi decides that it is his desire to remain with Ryosuke and join the team.
Battle Stage
Initial D Battle Stage (special) summarizes the major street races from the two TV series. Rather than simply using clips from the TV series, the new special entirely re-animated all of the original CG car and background footage with new computer graphics rendering. The special also features a battle between the yellow FD3S of Keisuke against the white Evo 4 of Seiji. Music is from an entirely new Super Eurobeat songs and guest commentary from legendary "Drift King" Keiichi TsuchiyaKeiichi Tsuchiya
is a professional race car driver. He is also known as the "Drift King" for his nontraditional use of drifting in non-drifting racing events and his role in popularizing drifting as a motorsport...
.
Fourth Stage
This series focuses on the exploits of the new team founded by Ryosuke, Project.D, which is composed of Ryosuke (leader and strategist), downhill specialist Takumi, uphill specialist Keisuke, and a staff consisting primarily of members of the Akagi Red Suns. The team travels the region, challenging other teams and posting the results of the battles on their website. Each race is intended by Ryosuke to develop a specific area of his drivers' skills. By this time, Takumi matures slowly into a more confident and knowledgeable street racer, while Keisuke improves on his technical driving skills. Takumi instinctively develops many new techniques through his own ingenuity after some prompting by Ryosuke, such as passing with his headlights off so that his opponent is unable to see him coming and block him, and using weight shifting to execute maneuvers similar to the gutter-hook technique on Akina. Ryosuke also formed the team because in a few months he is headed for medical school, and this is his last chance in a long time to indulge in street racing.Takumi, on the other hand, contends with the "Four-Wheel Drive Complex" when he was overtaken by a Subaru Impreza WRX
Subaru Impreza WRX
The Subaru Impreza WRX is a turbocharged version of the Subaru Impreza, an all-wheel drive, four-door passenger vehicle. It is available as a sedan or wagon....
, an AWD car, on one of his delivery runs. It is later revealed that his father was driving the car. Bunta then allowed Takumi to deliver Tofu, as well as practice in the WRX (alternating with the Trueno) to improve his skills as a driver and to get a feel of what modern cars can do.
Project.D's opponents grew tougher and tougher, as well as more deceitful and threatening. They defeated local racing teams (like the Seven Star Leaf), students of the Todo-juku racing school (including a professional driver who is a graduate of the school), the combined forces of the Northern Saitama Alliance (who even used a Suzuki Cappuccino
Suzuki Cappuccino
The Suzuki Cappuccino is a small 2-door, 2-seater demountable hardtop roadster produced by Suzuki Motor Corporation. The vehicle was designed to meet Kei car specifications for lower tax and insurance in Japan. Weighing just , the Cappuccino is powered by a turbocharged, three-cylinder, 657 cc DOHC...
kei-car), thugs in Lan Evos, and the "Godfoot" and "Godhand" tandem of Team Purple Shadow. In the shadows, Wataru Akiyama watches Takumi from a distance and looks for weaknesses, but this ceased when Project.D conquered Saitama, so he began giving Takumi a few pointers, especially with the 4WD problem. There are also glimmers of romance, like Kyoko Iwase, Keisuke's fellow Mazda RX-7
Mazda RX-7
Series 1 is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumerics of the vehicle identification number. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located license plate, called by Werner Buhrer of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."In 1980...
FD driver and uphill ace racing for the Northern Saitama Alliance, falling in love with him, even lending her precious car to Keisuke—but, although he likes her, he rejected her, deciding to focus more on driving.
Takumi also learned a lot, including the theory of infinite lines and Joushima (the "Godhand" of Team Purple Shadow) teaching him the theory of one handed driving. Though he doubted that Takumi would start driving with one hand, he did believe he would master using the infinite lines to his advantage in future races. Hoshino, the "Godfoot" of Purple Shadow, offered his racing connections to Keisuke, who refused, saying he has still got a lot to do in street racing.
Battle Stage 2
Initial D Battle Stage 2 summarizes the major street races from the recent Fourth Stage TV series. While the first Battle Stage had every battle re-animated from scratch, the only episodes altered in the second version were the early races in stage 4, to match with the visual style of the latter portion of Stage 4. Additionally, two races that were previously seen only in the manga were animated specially for the feature. The first race is Takahashi Keisuke vs. Atsuro Kawai's Nissan SkylineNissan Skyline
The first Skyline was introduced in April 1957, by the Prince Motor Company, and was marketed as a luxury car. It featured a 1.5 L GA-30 engine producing 44 kW @ 4400 rpm. It used a de Dion tube rear suspension and was capable of 140 km/h . The car weighed around 1300 kg...
25GT Turbo (ER34), and the other is Keisuke vs. Smiley Sakai's Honda Integra
Honda Integra
The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in...
DC2. Both races are noticeably shorter than the other races in the feature.
Battle Stage 2 was released on DVD on May 30, 2007. The official soundtrack to Battle Stage 2, featuring 24 Eurobeat songs that played during the feature, was released on September 5, 2007.
Extra Stage 2
Extra Stage 2 provides a closure on the relationship between Iketani and Mako. This story took place during the time Project D battled the Toudo school. Iketani finally met up with Mako Sato and apologized for not being able to meet her 6 months ago. Mako told Iketani she had something to tell him and asked him to meet her again. Iketani was excited that Mako gave him a second chance, he arrived 2 hours early this time. However, an old man was lost and asked Iketani for directions. Being a good person, Iketani agreed to help the old man back but on his way back. The only problem was, the old man's destination would take almost 2 hours roundtrip. While making his way back, Iketani hit the tire's shoulder on a jagged rock and got a flat tire, but he ran and was lucky to find a public phone and called Mako to take him to where they first met. This time, however, Mako tells him that she is leaving for Tokyo for a one-year professional racing season sponsored by a publishing company and the experience will be published on a magazine. With Iketani's blessing and his goal of making her happy, Mako pursues her dreams. Mako also discussed her situation with her teammate Sayuki, whom she also gave Mako her blessing, disbanding Team Impact Blue in the process. Iketani then goes back to Akina and tries to forget about her for now while replenishing his driving skills with Kenji, while Mako and Sayuki are gearing up for their final race in Usui as Team Impact Blue...In the end, they never knew that Iketani and Mako would never see each other again directly and admit their true feelings for each other.
Announced in chapter 530 of the Initial D manga, Extra Stage 2 aired on pay-per-view on October 3, 2008 and is available on DVD from December 5, 2008.
Characters
Initial D contains a myriad of characters, many of whom appear in a very small number of episodes, usually to race one of the main characters or as a teammate of another racer. The most frequently recurring characters are the protagonist Takumi Fujiwara, his love interest Natsuki Mogi, his father Bunta, the members of the Akina Speed Stars, and the members of the Akagi Redsuns (later Project D).American licensing and alterations
The manga and anime have also been licensed by TokyopopTokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
for an English release. The company decided to change the names of the characters in the anime edition. In addition, starting with Volume 2, the company changed the names of the characters in the manga to match the name changes in the anime. The company changed names of characters. For instance, the main character, Takumi, became Tak, and his best friend Itsuki became Iggy. Some characters, such as Takumi's father, Bunta, retained their original names. These name changes were to reflect the name changes that Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
implemented into the western releases of the Initial D A Stage video games {see below} due to name length limits. Viewers are able to view the episodes with the original Japanese 5.1 track should they wish. In addition, Tokyopop cut out a character's enjo kōsai
Enjo kosai
means "compensated dating" and is a practice which originated in Japan where older men give money and/or luxury gifts to attractive women for their companionship and, possibly, for sexual favors. The female participants range from primarily school-aged girls to housewives. A common misconception is...
relationship with another character and edited sex scenes, appearing in volumes 1 and 9 in the original tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
manga. In addition, "street slang" has been interlaced in translations (a drift is described as "slammin'", for example), and there have been accusations that Tokyopop has put out incorrect spec sheets on the characters' cars in the manga. The company also changed the music from the series' staple eurobeat
Eurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
tracks to originally developed tracks of rap and hip-hop via Stu Levy
Stu Levy
Stuart J. "Stu" Levy is the founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the manga media company Tokyopop. Levy also produces, directs, and writes for graphic novels, film and television....
(DJ Milky), the Tokyopop CEO and an in-house musician.
(Complete Initial D Eurobeat Song Selection.) The massive editing has been attributed to rumors that Tokyopop was hoping to cash in on the growing Import Scene
Import scene
The Import Scene or Import Racing Scene or Tuner Scene refers to the subculture that revolves around modifying imported brand cars , especially those of Japanese brands, for street racing.-History:...
brought about by The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (film series)
The Fast and the Furious is a series of action films that focuses on street racing and heists. Produced by Universal Studios, the series was established in 2001 with the eponymous first installment, which has since been followed by four sequels, and two short films that tie into the series...
with edits that would conform to American broadcasting standards (Americanization
Americanization
Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
) on TV. The anime aired on Adult Swim
Adult Swim
Adult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
in Australia.
The manga was also subject to the same name editing as the anime; the street slang was toned down and Tokyopop has been leaning toward the Japanese names in later volumes.
The first edition also had some translation errors. One example was the technical term "Waste Gate" (which is a mechanism used to regulate the boost pressure generated by a turbocharger) that was translated as "West Gate". Another was an inaccurate explanation of how an engine's displacement is calculated. (The explanation given is how a ship's displacement is calculated, which is totally different).
In 2006, Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
announced that it would be distributing the DVDs of the series (since Tokyopop's original distributor went bankrupt). At the New York Anime Festival
New York Anime Festival
The New York Anime Festival is an anime and manga convention held annually since 2007 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City...
2009, Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
announced that it will be re-releasing and re-dubbing Initial D: First Stage, Second Stage, Extra Stage, Third Stage, and Fourth Stage. They will not be using the original Tokyopop dubbing in the re-release. It will include a brand new English dubbing and it will retain the original music from the Japanese series in uncut format, but they are starting with the release of the Third Stage and going up, before rereleasing the earlier stages.
Reception
Some fans of Initial D reacted negatively to the English dub (TokyopopTokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
dub) (and the removal of the original music) of the anime series and the editing of character names in the English language version of the manga. Tokyopop said that it was trying to Americanize the series so it could be aired on television, while at the same time keeping the Japanese spirit of the series.
Manga
- Initial D Manga Japanese Release - 43 Volumes (1995 - ongoing, Vol. 43 released on July 6, 2011)
- Initial D Manga Tokyopop Release - 33 Volumes (2002–2009, expired license)
Anime
Avex has released the anime in several parts called Stages. One noticeable feature is that it uses EurobeatEurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
music as background music in race scenes.
- Initial D (referred to retroactively by fans as "First Stage") - 26 episodes (1998)
- Initial D Second Stage - 13 episodes (1999)
- Initial D Extra Stage - 2 episode OVA side-story focusing on Impact Blue (2000)
- Initial D Third Stage - a 100 minute movie (2001)
- Initial D Battle Stage - a 50 minute movie (2002)
- Initial D Fourth Stage - 24 episodes (2004—2006)
- Initial D Battle Stage 2 - a 1 hour movie (2007)
- Initial D Extra Stage 2 - a 50 minute OVA side-story focusing on Mako and Iketani (2008)
Games
Numerous arcade and other platforms video games have been released (note: The U.S. versions of the arcade titles are called simply "Initial D").- Initial D Arcade Stage / Initial D (2002 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(NAOMI 2)) - Initial D Arcade Stage Ver.2 / Initial D Ver.2 (2003 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(NAOMI 2)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 3 / Initial D Version 3 (2004 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(NAOMI 2)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 4 / Initial D 4Initial D Arcade Stage 4Initial D Arcade Stage 4 is a racing game developed by Sega Rosso. It is the sequel to Initial D Arcade Stage Ver.3. This version has been heavily updated compared to its predecessors. The game underwent location testing from October 21, 2006 to October 30, 2006 in game centers in Tokyo, Osaka, and...
(2006 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(Lindbergh)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 4 LimitedInitial D Arcade Stage 4Initial D Arcade Stage 4 is a racing game developed by Sega Rosso. It is the sequel to Initial D Arcade Stage Ver.3. This version has been heavily updated compared to its predecessors. The game underwent location testing from October 21, 2006 to October 30, 2006 in game centers in Tokyo, Osaka, and...
(2007 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(Lindbergh)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 4 KaiInitial D Arcade Stage 4Initial D Arcade Stage 4 is a racing game developed by Sega Rosso. It is the sequel to Initial D Arcade Stage Ver.3. This version has been heavily updated compared to its predecessors. The game underwent location testing from October 21, 2006 to October 30, 2006 in game centers in Tokyo, Osaka, and...
(2008 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(Lindbergh)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 5 (2009 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(Lindbergh)) - Initial D Arcade Stage 6 AA (2011 - ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
(RingEdge)) - Initial D (1999 - Sega SaturnSega SaturnThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
) - Initial D (1999 - PS1PlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
) - Initial D: Special Stage (2003 - PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
) - Initial D Mountain Vengeance (2004 - PC)
- Initial D: Street Stage (2006 - PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
) - Initial D Gaiden (1998 - Game BoyGame Boy lineThe line is a line of battery-powered handheld game console sold by Nintendo. It is one of the world's best-selling game system lines with a combined 200+ million units sold worldwide....
) - Initial D: Ryosuke Takahashi's Fastest Typing-theory (2001 - PS2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
) - Initial D Another Stage (2002 - GBAGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
) - Initial D Collectible Card Game (2003 - Collectible Card GameCollectible card gamethumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
) - Initial D Extreme StageInitial D Extreme Stageis a racing game developed by Sega for the PlayStation 3. It is based on the Japanese comic Initial D created by Shuichi Shigeno in 1995.Initial D Extreme Stage was released in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea on July 3, 2008...
(2008 - PS3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
) - Initial D RPGRole-playing video gameRole-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
(Sony EricssonSony EricssonSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB is a joint venture established on October 1, 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to manufacture mobile phones....
mobile phoneMobile phoneA mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
)
Feature film
A live-action movie based on Initial D was released on June 23, 2005 in Asia. The movie was jointly produced by Japan's Avex Inc. and Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
's Media Asia Group
Media Asia Entertainment Group
Media Asia Entertainment Group , Media Asia Group , is a Hong Kong production company and distributor for films made in Hong Kong and throughout China. It is a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development Company Ltd.- History :...
. It was directed by Andrew Lau
Andrew Lau
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung is a Hong Kong cinematographer and filmmaker. Lau began his career in the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a cinematographer to filmmakers such as Ringo Lam, Wong Jing and Wong Kar-wai. In the 1990s, Lau decided to have more creative freedom as a cinematographer by becoming a film...
and Alan Mak
Alan Mak
Alan Mak Siu-Fai , born on 1 January 1968 in Hong Kong, is a writer, director, actor and producer.-Biography:In 1986, Mak studied at the School of Drama in the Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts. Upon graduation in 1990, he started his movie career....
, whose credits include the 2002 Hong Kong Blockbuster Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs is a 2002 Hong Kong crime-thriller film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It tells the story of a police officer who infiltrates the triads, and a police officer secretly working for the same gang. The Chinese title means "the non-stop path", a reference to Avici, the lowest...
and 1999's The Legend of Speed, a previous street racing melodrama directed by Lau. The movie featured Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese star Jay Chou
Jay Chou
Jay Chou is a Taiwanese musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for...
as Takumi Fujiwara and Hong Kong stars Edison Chen
Edison Chen
Edison Koon-Hei Chen is a Hong Kong film actor, Cantopop singer, Hong Kong hip hop rapper, model, record producer, fashion designer, and a pop icon. Chen is also the founder of CLOT Inc., and the CEO of Clot Media Division Limited...
as Ryosuke Takahashi and Shawn Yue
Shawn Yue
Shawn Yue is a Hong Kong actor and singer. A former model, he has starred in many films such as Jiang Hu and Infernal Affairs II and has established himself as a recognized face in Hong Kong cinema.- Background :...
as Takeshi Nakazato. Many changes were made to the plot and many fans disapproved. However the movie was met with critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple awards, including best picture, at the Hong Kong Film Awards
Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
and Golden Horse Awards, winning many of them. Changes include many of the races, leaving out many of the side characters and their vehicles, and changing many of the characters such as Itsuki and Iketani being combined into the same character. However the locations and sets are identical to their appearance in the manga.
See also
- List of Initial D episodes
- List of Initial D chapters
- List of Initial D characters and teams
- Initial D Arcade StageInitial D Arcade StageInitial D Arcade Stage is a racing game series developed by Sega Rosso, a division of Sega, based on the anime and manga Initial D...
- Initial D: Street StageInitial D: Street StageInitial D: Street Stage is a video game based on the manga and anime Initial D. It was released on February 23, 2006 for the Sony PlayStation Portable...
- Initial D: Extreme Stage
External links
- Avex webpage for Initial D
- North America Premier of the Live Action Initial D
- Initial D Arcade Stage Version 3.0
- Initial D Games Official Website - SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
- Initial D Games Official Website - SegaSega, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...