DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionInitial D SECOND STAGE
MANGA ActionInitial D
OVA ActionInitial D BATTLE STAGE
SPECIAL ActionInitial D to the Next Stage: Project D e Mukete
MOVIE ActionNew Initial D Movie: Legend 1 - Kakusei
MOVIE ActionNew Initial D Movie: Legend 3 - Mugen
MOVIE ActionNew Initial D Movie: Legend 2 - Dokusou

REVIEWS

• 

  serime

  90/100
  Can an anime about street drifting be that interesting? (Spoiler-free review)

  Delivering tofu, in a rather unusual way.

  Initial D is somewhat of a shounen "sport" anime - although it can be hardly be summarized by a couple of tags; it's about street drifting on "touges", a japanese name for mountain passes, where people prove their driving skills by launching themselves in curves at crazy speed in the middle of the night.
  Everything is surrounded by a touch of romance and light comedy bits in pretty much all the episodes, setting for an even smoother experience than it would already be.

  Our protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara, is at first glance a really ordinary highschooler - most of the time caught with a rather funny "daydreaming" look on his face. Completely ordinary as I said, except for the fact that he has been helping his dad deliver tofu for five years up on the mountains at four in the morning with his Toyota Trueno. The desire to get home as fast as he can and be done with his job made him an excellent driver, and that's pretty much the input from where the story unfolds.
  We also have a dumb and annoying childhood friend, a naive senpai, a cute girl and a mixture of interesting rivals that make for interesting battles - and every single one show a certain personal growth, thanks to all kinds of events.

  But what if I don't care about cars? - you might say; that's completely fine - I don't, for example. In fact, you're gonna relate a lot with the protagonist who's completely ignorant about all things related.
  As long as they don't actually hate cars, anyone can pick this up - everything's is more or less explained as the story goes on, its accessibility is one of its strongest points; the anime still puts the story, the characters and their feelings at top priority.

  Aesthetics and style worthy of an animation that came out at the end of its decade.

  What truly makes this anime a gem of its time is how it blends so many things togheter perfectly: the vintage night life of japan, the italian eurobeat, the adrenaline shot of an extreme, risky and illegal sport - wrapping up the 90s of a precise japanese subculture.
  I don't think I'd be exaggerating in saying that this show is the main reason for why drifting and eurobeat got so famous on the internet and anime community, a show that delivers a breathe - although obviously exaggerated for making it dramatic - of a passed generation.

  Being an old anime, it has its flaws - certain romance parts will make you want to carve your brain out with an ice cream spoon, for example.
  Most of the discussions are exaggerated, with people screaming or shouting and moving their faces in awkward poses - I wouldn't say that's a flaw though since it adds to the anime's charm and improves the comedy bits, but I could see why some people would be annoyed.
  Its animation and artstyle is also not exactly the easiest to swallow, but after a couple of episodes you'll pretty much be able to ignore the funnel-looking lips.

  As already mentioned before, this anime features an eurobeat soundtrack - a really good one, at that - and it's pretty much impossible to not get hooked to the battles when something like that is playing in the background; as a genre that saw its prime exactly in the nipponic land, it's the best one that could've been picked.
  There's a reason for why eurobeat's associated so often with drifting, and as you already guessed this show is said reason.

  An experience that can be both cozy and adrenalinic, both of them worth your time.

  All in all, this is an anime that I'd recommend to most people.
  It's a well balanced mixture of everything, and definitely one of those works in their niche genre that will never be able to be outclassed by a similar one - surely a military stone of its decade.

  Continue on AniList
• 

  Kassenentleerer

  80/100
  Initial D is more than just the memes.

  "Initial D is a good series. Please give it a try. Don't let it die as a "good meme", it deserves more than that." - some random ass dude in the youtube comments.

  

  Not often does it happen, that the running gag of a series overthrows the show's presence as a whole, but Initial D has done it. The reputation and general popularity it has among the Japanese community couldn't transfer to the West, but it has gained some sort of exposure over the last few years. Exposure that came in form of an unmissable Deja-Vu and car-crashing meme, which was undoubtedly hilarious at first. However, this gain of popularity only marginally increased the number of people actually watching the series, which I think is a grave mistake. It speaks volumes that the YT-comment mentioned above receives only a fiftieth of the amount of likes the top-comments obtain, which only talked about the meme or how hype this song is (which it is, no question about it). Unsurprisingly, having the image of an ultimate joke of a series in my head before starting to watch it out of pure boredom was inevitable for me, but the ride was substantially different to what I expected. Not that it wasn't hilarious and over the top, which was already proven by the time episode 1 ended, but it had more to offer. More to offer in form of solidly implemented character ambitions, naturally developing relations and dynamics, an overall great eye for its audiovisual style and a lovable cast of background characters, which round the experience up by quite a lot.

  Each progressive race tends to lessen the overwhelming grip of the meme surrounding your mind and creates a continuously more exciting time as it progresses. Actual thrills and goosebump moments appear, something that was not to be expected, judging by the start of the series. However, the show's style itself doesn't change, the involvement tends to increase drastically as Initial D progresses. It's more than obvious on which aspect the show gradually improves upon and that aspect lies in its character department. Takumi, the resident protagonist and spaced-out teenager, and his dynamics with his friends and love-interest Mogi undergo various simple, but effective little steps. More prominently, his initial rejection of the street-racing scene despite his massive talent promoted by his father doesn't simply change for the better, his mindset gradually develops over time and he naturally grows on each opponent. Of course, that alone isn't an absolute milestone of good writing, but it's a decent foundation and definitely supports the anime's quality. You can really feel through the little interactions he has with his father and Mogi, that a change of mind about a certain aspect influences multiple sides of him and doesn't feel isolated in his character development.

  Without Takumi, character development feels a little dry. I'd actually say it's non-existent most of the time. Not that it necessarily has to be a thing, as the rest of the cast and his eventual rivals take a backseat most of the when time their arc ends, they're still prevalent from time to time and it feels good to see them again. Knowing that its source material is a huge long-running manga, one season of an anime adaption can only do so much naturally.

  Speaking about its long-running source material and subject at hand, comparing it to long-running sports series like Hajime no Ippo or Haikyuu is inevitable. They share a lot of similarities, but Initial D takes advantage in shifting the focus from school-life to the much more stylish and underused street-racing scene. It actually manages to get the underground racing scene right in terms of style and mentality, which contributes a lot to its visual appeal, mainly through character designs, outfits, and little details at the side. The character designs, in particular, look sick as hell and benefit from it's western influence for sure. Without those and some of its self-aware ridiculousness during its racing scenes, there wouldn't be a way to really defend it from looking horrible at times. The good use of lightning and darker colors during its adrenaline-fueled night races on different mountain passes is accompanied by its CGI, which is barely an optimal display of animation skills and feels more like a PSP game. Thankfully, it was hardly bothering me at the start and it was easy to get used to as time progressed, due to the overall solid directing during climaxes.

  What actually makes these racing scenes as thrilling and furious to watch is the soundtrack, which originated the original Initial D meme through its ingenious choice of basically reviving Eurobeat. It's hype as hell and I don't care when anyone says it doesn't fit, as it clearly does complement the series' ridiculousness in that aspect. It's impossible for me to imagine a world without the howls of engines, the squealing of tires overtwisting and flashy headlights going down the streets without cheesy, overblown dance music in the background. It is that memorable, be it in an ironic or unironic way. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. Don't even @ me.

  Conclusion:

  Initial D was a solid surprise in quality, but it was more than a solid surprise to me personally. I subscribed to its style in almost an instant. Be it because of its stylish exterior, meme-worthy musical choices, bits and pieces of actually great character development or its wholesome dynamics as a whole, Initial D has managed to get a sweet spot in my favorites. It was almost like it somehow delivered a full-package without me asking for it. For fans of sports anime or avid fans of racing in general, Initial D is a notable thing to look out for. It has its fair share of problems, it tends to lose some momentum from time to time, but it also has a full-package of charm within it, waiting to be unwrapped.

  ---

  At the end of the day, the main thing I wanted to get out with this review is: Goddamn it, quit memeing with Initial D related stuff and get to frickin' watch it, you might find something that fits your taste perfectly.

  Story (6/10)
  Art (8/10), Animation (5/10)
  Sound (10/10)
  Characters (7/10)
  Enjoyment (9/10)

  Overall (8/10)

  Continue on AniList
• 

  LeiberX

  90/100
  Drifting... Eurobeat... Precisa de mais algo?

  Se você despertou algum interesse por essa obra devido aos memes na internet, não sinta vergonha, pois os "memes" são a melhor parte deste anime.

  ---

  Initial D é uma obra bem peculiar desde seu lançamento em 1998 até os tempos atuais, basta dar uma olhada no número de animes sobre carros... Deu uma olhada? Pois é... Ainda tem o detalhe de que a categoria automotíva se especialize na arte do Drifting, então vamos começar.

  

  Com a recente experiência que tive ao assistir toda a obra, posso afirmar que nesta primeira temporada a direção foi muito boa no geral. De início somos apresentados a um background de corridas noturnas pelas montanhas que logo logo será palco de muita ação e adrenalina. Temos uma grade de personagens razoável, com alguns sendo mais carismáticos que outros. E temos para o final a cereja do bolo, o Eurobeat Italiano.

  Protagonista:

  

  O nosso protagonista Takumi Fujiwara é apresentado como um colegial que teve uma adolescencia deveras diferenciada e não tem muita expressão, pois a todo momento ele aparece com uma expressão facial séria. Takumi mostra logo no início que não tem interesse nenhum em carros, nem mesmo em dirigi-los... Mas o roteiro lhe salva desta heresia, dando a ele um desenvolvimento bem estruturado, onde ele passa a ter sonhos, vontades e até mesmo a expressão de outros sentimentos. Interessante notar que futuramente o Takumi se apega a um carro em específico e vemos durante a obra que o seu carro praticamente se torna uma logo do protagonista, como um Pikachu para Ash, da mesma forma como o Picachu, o seu carro irá passar por transformações junto do protagonista.

  Arte:

  

  Para a época na qual o anime foi lançado, a sua arte é bem aceitável até, mas o seu diferencial está no CG usado nas cenas de drifting. Foi muito bem usado o artifício da computação gráfica durante toda a obra que não tiveram pena de usar bastante durante as corridas, basicamente as cenas de maior tensão/ação bem animadas e com ótimos angulos de cena.

  História/Desenvolvimento:

  

  De início temos toda uma construção do ambiente das corridas de drifting e suas equipes, temos também de fundo o ambiente colegial do protagonista, que traz juntos alguns amigos para dar uma equilibrada na obra em sí. Nesta primeira temporada a direção fez um ótima trabalho, pois temos a cada corrida uma apresentação sobre o passado de muitas equipes e pilotos na qual Takumi irá correr contra, consequentemente temos um desenvolvimento mútuo, na qual a cada racha o nosso protagonista vai sendo apresentado a novos sentimentos e experiências jamais vividas por ele. São colocados 2 personagens na obra com o papel principal de servir como tutor para nosso protagonista do início ao fim, e temos de forma leve um pequeno romance que por algum motivo desenrola um plot meio macabro que tem nada haver com o anime. Mas como qualquer obra feita pelo homem... Ela é imperfeita e deixa um pouco a desejar, como o desenvolvimento fica muito focado no protagonista, percebe-se alguns personagens secundários que ficam carentes de uma melhor desenvoltura, na qual ficam parecendo robos. Não nos é entregue nenhum violão propriamente dito, não que a obra necessite de uma, mas se tratando de esportes, um vilão sempre cai bem... Mas podemos chamar de violões temporários os adversários de Takumi em cada uma de suas corridas, pois nos é apresentado sempre um pouco de seu passado e desejos.

  Soundtrack:

  

  Rapaiz, tirando as músicas relaxantes dos momentos fora das corridas. TEMOS O MARAVILHOSO EUROBEAT... Que é usado em 99% das cenas de corrida, toda as vezes eu me via batendo o pé ao rítimo da música ou pulando de adrenalina. Falando sério agora, Eurobeat para os leigos, consta como um estilo musical criado por volta de 1980 na Italia, que seria uma influência forte de músicas mais rápidas e empolgantes ao estilo Disco (em alta na época de 70 em diante na Europa), a derivada desta mistura se transformou no Eurobeat, que algumas pessoas ainda chamam de música eletronica... Nos anos em que Initial D estava sendo feito, o Eurobeat tinha ficado bem famoso no Japão, especificamente mais nas casas noturnas por ser um rítimo bem animado, então a direção viu que o anime seria uma boa oportunidade para tentar reviver o Eurobeat que infelizmente de forma rápida estava se tornando desconhecido (ainda continua ;-; ), então essa tentativa de reviver deu certo por um tempo e deu a obra essa característica única de cenas de drifting com eurobeat de fundo, a mais pura sensação de adrenalida possível em animações.

  

  Considerações Finais:

  Resumindo, Initial D é uma boa obra, que tem uma bela construção de cenário, alguns plots interessantes ao decorrer da história, um pouco de romance, alguns personagens bem desenvolvidos e muuuuuuuita batida no coração ao som do Eurobeat que contagia qualquer um. Acho que é uma obra na qual possa divertir qualquer pessoa que esteja aberta a pegar carona com Takumi, pois ela é capaz de divertir até mesmo alguem que não goste ou entenda de carros. De forma prévia, se você for um aficionado por carros ou um Gearhead... então você está vendo o anime certo, pois nas futuras temporadas a tendência da direção é focar mais e mais no desenvolvimento de Takumi como piloto e na apresentação de uma enchurrada de termos técnicos, habilidades e segredos do mundo automobilístico.

  Esta foi minha primeira review bem meia boca, mas espero que eu possa ter esclarecido um pouco do que você pode esperar vindo desta obra. :v

  Continue on AniList

SIMILAR ANIMES YOU MAY LIKE

• ANIME

  ActionWangan Midnight
• ANIME

  Dramacapeta
• MOVIE

  ActionREDLINE
• MOVIE

  ActionTough Guy!
• ANIME

  ActionAppare-Ranman!
• ANIME

  ActionSK∞
• OVA

  ActioneX-Driver: Nina & Rei Danger Zone
• ANIME

  ComedyYowamushi Pedal
• OVA

  ActionGoddamn
• ANIME

  ActionYoroshiku Mechadoc
• ANIME

  SportsF
• OVA

  ActionNew Initial D Movie: BATTLE DIGEST