Initial D is an older anime but I got addicted to it pretty quick.

Initial D focuses around Takumi, a high school student who is thrown into the world of street racing in the Akina region of Japan. Little does he know that he already has the skills to be one of the best in all of Japan.

I’ve watched the series about 3 times over now and it is one of my guilty pleasures. I don’t really have a reason to watch it, and some people may find it boring to watch but to each their own.

There is currently 4 stages in the anime (stages 1, 2, and 4 are TV seasons and 3rd is an OVA). They also have an extra stage that follows 1st stage and the battle stages which follows the 3rd stage and 4th stage which basically summarize the stages before it and show more of the car battles. One of the unique things about the stages is that each stage has its own animation style, with the exception of 3rd stage which has the same animation style as 2nd stage. Oddly enough, upon its North American release, 1st stage and 2nd stage were released as one which would confuse the casual viewer of anime.

One of the things that I enjoy the most about this series is the soundtrack. The Japanese soundtrack is perfect for this series, from the music in the background to the opening and ending themes. Initial D’s soundtrack consists of a number of Eurobeat tracks which includes the original “Night of Fire” track.
Also M.O.V.E. (formally known as MOVE) provides both the opening and closing tracks to all of the stages. I will touch on M.O.V.E on another post, but if you want to hear a good example of J-POP at its best this is a good place to start.

Currently I am waiting for a 5th Stage. There has been no confirmation that one will be coming, however the manga is still going on in Japan so there is a good possibility that one will be coming soon.
Also on Initial D, there was a live action movie loosely based on the series released in Hong Kong. Many people did not like the movie saying that it did not stay true to the series; I however enjoyed it because I don’t need a complete re-telling of the story, that’s why I have the anime. They kept the important parts of the series in the movie and made a few compromises which I feel are justified.

That’s my take on Initial D, soon to come will be M.O.V.E.

- Kei