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Initial D isn't just an amazing racing anime series, it's legitimately one of the best, underrated shows out there. On a fundamental level, its story revolves around a young teen named Takumi who gets interested in the street racing scene. It isn't a complex plot by any means, but everything associated with the show makes the series worth checking out.
Great music? Check. Fun characters? Also, check. These aren't the only reasons that make Initial D worth watching, however. Fortunately, this article highlights some other aspects of the racing anime — alongside the aforementioned two — that make it worth watching.
Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective.
Want to see a great racing anime? Here are eight reasons to check out Initial D
1) Music
The most notable thing for anyone watching Initial D is its catchy music. It's not uncommon to see some Eurobeat playlists with several songs from this show on them. This racing anime features classics such as:
- Deja Vu
- Don't Stop the Music
- No One Sleeps in Tokyo
- Running in the 90s
- Revolution
The CGI used for the original series' cars is certainly outdated, but the music is charming enough to listen to even today. On a similar note, the voice acting and audio are sublime and do an excellent job of bringing the characters and scenery to life.
2) Characters
This show about street racers has surprisingly more depth than one might think. The main protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara, starts off as a tofu delivery boy who honestly doesn't care much about cars. He just does his job and goes through life as a regular teenage boy until some circumstances make him appreciate driving.
Afterward, unsurprisingly, he becomes a full-fledged street racer. It's later revealed that he's extremely adaptable and great at driving something considered outdated, like the AE86. Of course, this racing anime isn't just about him.
Even seeing minor characters like Shingo Shoji undergo development in their personalities is sweet. He goes from playing dirty and almost killing Takumi's friend to accepting his loss and being amazed by the protagonist's driving. The series also has some other fun characters like Itsuki, Bunta, Keisuke, and Ryosuke.
3) Timeless concept
Initial D started as a 1995 manga that still has an impressive fanbase to this day. If one were to look at various social media platforms like Reddit, it's pretty clear that the series is still popular. In fact, the series has several anime adaptations:
- First Stage (26 episodes)
- Second Stage (13 episodes)
- Extra Stage (two episodes)
- Third stage (105 minutes-long movie)
- Battle Stage (one episode)
- Fourth Stage (24 episodes)
- Battle Stage 2 (one episode)
- Extra Stage 2 (one episode)
- Fifth Stage (14 episodes)
- Final Stage (four episodes)
- Legend 1: Awakening (70-minute-long movie)
- Legend 2: Racer (70-minute-long movie)
- Legend 3: Dream (70-minute-long movie)
The concept of a young teen becoming a street racer is simple yet good enough to be watchable in any era. These anime span nearly 30 years, 1996-2014, and the series is more than capable of producing new shows in later decades.
4) Popularity
As far as niche racing anime go, Initial D is unquestionably the most familiar series that readers can discuss. For some people, popularity is an important metric. If that's the case, then they should definitely give this series a go, especially if they like the idea of street races being a major part of the plot.
Part of the reason for its fame is that it's a complete package as far as good shows go. Some of the other reasons can be seen in the other entries of this listicle, such as the aforementioned awesome music and fun characters.
5) Action-packed and short
The longest iteration of Initial D is only 26 episodes long. Several other great anime tend to be much longer. Within the racing genre, something like Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix is 44 episodes long, which can be a bit taxing to binge-watch by comparison.
Moreover, it's not required for viewers to see every Initial D anime adaptation. Just watching one of them is good enough to scratch that racing itch. Of course, several different adaptations exist for those who want to consume more of what this series has to offer.
6) Real cars
Usually, these types of shows often include some fictional content, but Initial D surprisingly features real cars. For example, the protagonist's AE86 is a very popular vehicle that actually exists in real life. More specifically, it's said to be the Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno.
Similarly, his friend, Itsuki, uses a Toyota AE85. Other real-life cars featured in the series include:
- Keisuke and Ryosuke's Mazda RX-7
- Bunta's Subaru Impreza
- Shingo's Honda Civic
It's pretty cool to see these vehicles get highlighted in a racing anime like Initial D. Additionially, readers should also know that it's not uncommon to see fans of the series purchase the cars in real life and paint them to look like the characters' vehicles.
7) Enjoyable even for non-vehicle enthusiasts
Despite the series' focus on real-life vehicles, it's not necessary to care about them to enjoy the anime. One can easily enjoy Initial D just by virtue of the show's characters and how they explain everything.
That said, it's not rare for Initial D fans to actually get into cars because of how good the show is. The whole package (music, characters, and story) is enjoyable enough to the point that it's an excellent anime series to watch from start to finish. Plus, one can still know nothing about cars after watching the show, and that's perfectly okay.
8) Good races
Calling Initial D one of the best racing anime logically means that it's worth talking about the actual street races it features. Even if it's predictable that Takumi will win, the whole execution of the races is good enough to make people want to see the entire series.
For example, it's satisfying to see people with better cars lose to what other characters call "the old, rusty AE86." It's an underdog story that's simple yet effective in its approach.
Seeing various characters lose to Takumi is a ton of fun for several different reasons. Sometimes, it's because his opponent is a jerk. Other times, it's because it's a bout between two skilled racers, and viewers can't help but root for the protagonist in that situation.
