What is this Initial D stuff?

[shackmgr6073]

I have heard a few people around here talk about it occasionaly.... I manage a RadioShack store and we have new ZipZaps with Initial D books. I know it's some kind of Japanese anime but I guess I don't get the fascination. Could someone maybe point out what I'm missing?

 

[bruce95fmla]

it is a drifting cartoon animation. Try and download it sometime on Imesh.. or hit me on aim.. protegeonurass... I can send you a few.

 

[boostisgood]

It started a few years back, kinda as a cult following, within the tuner scene. Not many people knew about Initial D.

As the sport compact scene has evolved in the states, to match whats hot in Japan, drifting has been introduce. Initial D is all about drifting, and has a great storyline behind it.

Now, since it will be commercialized in America, it is going to lose A HELL OF ALOT of its magic, and the fascination. Especially when the asstard 18 YO kids try to drift, and kill themselves.

 

[Iconoclast]

got books 1 - 7 and the first 3 epeisodes.

but regardless or the "scene" and the whole bandwagon, im-a-drifter-now-since-i-have-a-rear-wheel-drive, im a huge collector of anime and manga.

i prefer big robots, special powers, and sleezy anime broads over the series so far- but the story is half decent and the animation is up to standard but i rather the later.

 

[EXA4DRIVER]

It started a few years back, kinda as a cult following, within the tuner scene. Not many people knew about Initial D.

As the sport compact scene has evolved in the states, to match whats hot in Japan, drifting has been introduce. Initial D is all about drifting, and has a great storyline behind it.

Now, since it will be commercialized in America, it is going to lose A HELL OF ALOT of its magic, and the fascination. Especially when the asstard 18 YO kids try to drift, and kill themselves.

I agree 100% It's so funny how people use to make fun of modded Japanese imports back in the mid 80's and early 90's. My cousins would be smoking V8's in their Mazda RX-2's and Toyota Starlets, and would get no respect. Now everyone and their mamma has a ****** modded Japanese car.

Your comment on how it's going to loose a lot of it's magic is sooooooo right.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

I love Initial D!

The characters, the storylines, the cars, the music, the battles, the drifting. We got the first few episodes from a friend, who downloaded them (back when downloading took forEVER), then downloaded some ourselves, then later I bought all the episodes (and some additional stages) on DVD thanks to Ebay and Hong Kong video pirating. They're all in original Japanese with English subtitles.

It's thanks to Initial D that I know anything at all about cars. It will be the reason I autocross, and in test-driving the MSP I shouted out "Takumiiiii" while tackling a seriously curvy road... my husband just burst out laughing and the sales-guy just hung on, confused.

I liked the music so much, I'm afraid I also have about half of the CD's as well, similarly downloaded first, then later purchased (yea Ebay). *shame* I also have all the Initial D cars lined up along the top of my monitor, and a remote control AE-86. *hides face in shame* I even have a T-shirt with the tofu shop logo on the front.

I was glad to hear Initial D is coming to the US because it means more merchandise, although I do feel the show will be/has been butchered. I may NetFlix the new DVDs just to see what they've done to the show, but with the music replaced, the car sounds re-recorded, whole storylines gone (Natsuki's "papa"), I'm not holding much expectation. I hope it finds an audience here, but it won't be with the show's original admirers.

I do watch other anime, but this just hit me as a favorite because of the characters.

Takumiiiiiiiii!

 

[REMillers]

*raises hand*
Been into Initial D before it was ever truely known.
Won't even go through the list of chit my roomate bought after he finally caught one, but one of them was a AE86 plus a Silver Top engine.

The new DVD sucks completely, TokyoPop has rarely done a good redubbing of any anime.
The music is so ghetto, the voices suck on most charaters plus their dialogue. Guess maybe if you haven't watched it before you may like it, but it doesn't have near the same magic as the Japanese version.

 

[shackmgr6073]

Thanks for all the awnsers, but I think I am gonna pass. I am more of a regular cartoon guy. I don't get why that Japanese anime could be entertaining at all. My roomate watches some of those shows and I just don't get it. Crappy annimation with badly done audio, I don't really care for it IMHO. Anyway I think I hate it cause my roomate like it... and it makes him seem a little(gay)

 

[kidkorrupt]

yeah, that anime is pretty good. stage 1 is the best, in stage 2 the damn art changed and its no fun after takumi gets the new engine.

blame initial D for insane prices on the old corolla gts here.

everyone wants to do a trueno/levin conversion now, lol

 

[REMillers]

Nah the Movie has some of the Best CGI cars, and anime
Some Anime is pretty bad but it is a personal artist taste for each one. One of those things that can have many different layers besides the plot in the movie.
One thing I like about lot of the real anime is how the words flow, watch Princess Monoke to experiance this.

 

[Midnight22]

princess mononoke is the best!!! i own it

 

[SpicyMchaggis]

yea dude...intial D is quite specatcular..i remember a year ago when I found out about it..downloading bootleg japanese episodes. the show is amazing..its not just about drifting..its just about the tuner scene in japan..i dont think it has anything to do with competing with the american scene or anything..it just represents a style in japan..true -kyle

 

[LinuxRacr]

it is a drifting cartoon animation. Try and download it sometime on Imesh.. or hit me on aim.. protegeonurass... I can send you a few.

Hey, I need to be hooked up with a few. Canyahelpmeh?

 

[zumi]

Thanks for all the awnsers, but I think I am gonna pass. I am more of a regular cartoon guy. I don't get why that Japanese anime could be entertaining at all.

i think you have to give it a chance before you can start liking it...and believe me, once you start, you will get addicted. At first the animation might seem crappy, but you have to realize that it's comic-based so there is more emphasis on the frame-by-frame art rather than making it "flow" like the modern Disney stuff. (although initial d has some 3-D cgi stuff, unlike other japanime) you'll appreciate the artistic styles, and then realize it has something that "regular cartoons" don't: multi-episode story arcs. it's what makes it so addicting because you may end up watching 10 episodes to find out what happens...it's great fun =)

 

[Khoifather]

I have all the episodes and man is it a great anime show!!! You'll fall in love with it once you start watching it!!!

 

[Roywhitep5]

the arcade game is pretty cool........ for the first few time you play it. then it gets totally gay and unrealistic. i hate that game now cuz i always see these stupid kids playing it and acting all badass because they think its just like real driving. these are usually the kids that get 3 tickets and cause an accident 2 months after getting their liscence. i would love that game if it was more of a simulator.

oh yeah the series kicks ass. i want a sil80

 

[SpicyMchaggis]

there is an arcade game?!!??! where the hell have i been!??! canada?..actually..yes..

 

[REMillers]

Yep there is a acarde game, but only in a few places. Luckily we have one here
It is also cool cause you get a little card to keep track of your progress.

 

[shinzen]

Man, one of my buddies brought up the first three american releases this past weekend, and I gotta say- it kicks ass! I've been watching japanese animation for years and I am hooked on these

 

[Necessity]

I reccomend getting the original japanese versions on DVD from Ebay. $60-80. And I think AutoxMSP is selling his set in the DC forum.

I was immediatly hooked on Initial D and thus have spread it throughout my office and caused a sickness. I've had a coworker trade in 7 series and purchase a miata to tune for autox and track (honest!), and another pull out his old civic and start dropping serious $ into. It's quite possibly the best series I've seen yet.