Initial D

Next on the review lineup we have Initial D, I never post about anything I haven’t finished =) so for now, we have 1st, 2nd, 3rd and extra stage to talk about.

WARNING This review will contain spoilers referring to previous seasons. I think it’s fine since It would be logical to have watched the previous before you read about the later installments. At any rate, the reviews will be short and to the point.

Initial D: 1st Stage

The protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara, is an excellent natural driver. He developed his skill by drivng approx 5 years before he got his license while helping his father’s tofu shop delivieries. He ultimately gets involved (unwillingly) in street/mountain racing. And is helped by his father (subtly), who is a better driver than [Takumi] himself.

The story starts off from there. Unlike all other animes recently, there is no “past” to be talked about, but rather, focuses on how Takumi slowly learns to appreciate the world of racing (and hones his natural talent). That’s it. This series I guess would really appeal to the car fanatics out there. I’m not really a car fanatic but it still was a very interesting/entertaining series to watch. Considering 1 race could span 3 episodes (I s#!t you not)… It still has this charm on the viewers who appreciate the technical aspects it delves on (car components, driving techniques, etc.).

However, my recommendation is really a blur. I loved this series, but can’t really recommend it because of the risk that people who don’t understand the world of cars and racing, might not appreciate it at all. It really depends on the type of person you are. If you’re a car lover, you’ll like this, if you’re not… I really couldn’t say how you would react to it.

Aside from the somewhat narrow “market” this anime appeals to, it also has its share of flaws. One major flaw is the animation/illustration itself – which you’ll get used to. Still their lips f*&^ing suck! hehehe. And the CG also takes some getting used to, you can really see the the difference with CG and traditional animation – which isn’t so good when you plan to use them together. However, I believe it’s an acquired taste, because going into the second stage/series, those flaws become very trivial.

Initial D: 2nd Stage

The story of Takumi continues. 13 episodes of basically the same old Initial D racing action we’ve grown to love. Aside from battling new drivers, the theme of this season I believe is Takumi’s realization of his 86′s need for more power (regardless of driving skill). We get to see new cars, new opponents and almost all the familiar faces. We also get to see some sort of emotional conflict between Takumi and Mogi, which was a welcome development to add varitey to the storyline. Art has greatly improved from the 1st season, CG is more detailed and I dunno if I just got used to the 1st season, but it seems the blend looked good right from the start.

Initial D: 3rd stage

The 3rd season is a movie. As we know from the 2nd season, the 86′s engine is now more powerful. The main theme now is Takumi’s need for speed. We now see him issuing challenges. In addition to that, Takumi is invited by Ryosuke to join an ultimate racing team the latter is creating. Emotional conflict between Mogi and Takumi comes to a climax here. And a different conflict arises when Mogi’s old guy (the guy Takumi punched in the 1st season) shows up – a rather short conflict it was, but welcome nonetheless.

There were 3 major races. First was the rematch at last with the Lancer Evolution III¹, second was with the son of Bunta’s² arch-rival, and lastly (and surprisingly), Ryosuke of the RedSuns… in their homeground! That’s something we won’t see often.

Initial D: Extra Stage

If you have some obbsession with those two racer girls in Initial D, then you probably will disagree with this review.

Surprisingly, this is all about the drivers of “Impact Blue ” or more commonly known as the Sil-80. The way I understood it, it’s supposed to have taken place somewhere within the first part of the second season. It’s divided into 2 parts, where one is about Mako racing against the Evo, and one is about her relationship with another driver. Basically that’s it (if I remember it right) I was rather dissappointed with the extra stage. Sure it was unique in the sense that they changed the focus of the series, but as an Initial D fan, I really wasn’t looking for what it had to offer. If you have come to like Initial D, then I would assume you appreciate driving development (no matter who it is), info on cars, and racing… basically anything about cars. Any other story would be much welcome if it were connected to the main theme. Or if it must be about a person’s life, I’d think it would be better if it were about Takumi, Bunta, or the brothers. Don’t get me wrong, I really couldn’t care less since in fact it was a side-story, so as the title implies, they pretty much could talk about anything. It’s just a shame that they had to talk about something as trivial as that when they had the chance to delve on other things (a story on Bunta’s life would be splendid if you ask me) Aside from that, if you really like the two girls, then you probably would like this. But if you’re into Initial D because of what it was meant to relay, I’d suggest you watch in order: 1st stage, second stage, extra stage, then lastly, the movie – as the movie will kind of erase the lull given by the extra stage.