A anime & manga focus on the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain lives (known as Tōge) and never in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style is emphasized in particular. Keiichi Tsuchiya helps with editorial supervising.

A meaning of the initial "D" has non been revealed, although Ryosuke hints that a "D" has the favorite meaning within volume Eighteen of the manga.

Avex has freed a anime inside many area known as Stages. A single noticeable feature is that it utilizes Eurobeat music as background music within race scenes.

Initial Five hundred Number one Stage - 26 episodes (1998) Initial D 2nd Stage - 13 episodes (1999) Initial D More Stage OVA - Two episodes side-story (2000) Initial D Third Stage - the Deuce hour picture show (2001) Initial 500 Battle Stage - a L microscopic moving-picture show of each major battle from either the First, 2d & Third stages. A graphics st& been redone and polished in that stage. (2002) Initial 500 Quaternary Stage - 20 episodes aired and so far, when of October 15th, (2004 - 2006). Episodes 21 & 22 is aired around December, 2005. Initial D the Movie - a Hong Kong film that features Taiwanese star Jay Chou as Takumi and Edison Chen as Ryosuke. This film is the number one Initial D that contains rattling actors & cars instead of anime. A film's official web site is at http://www.initialdthemovie.com/

A manga & anime keep around likewise been licensed by TOKYOPOP for an English release. A company drew complaints from either anime fans whilst it changed a bit of characters' list & gave others Americanized nicklist when non changing more names. For example, independent character Takumi became Tak (This occurs as nickname numerous Western Japanese vary their list to.) & his right friend Itsuki became Iggy, when Takumi's father Bunta retained his title so did an opponent per title of Shingo. Additionally, TOKYOPOP cut retired the character's enjo kōsai relationship with another character and edited sex scenes in manga. It besides changed a music from either a series' staple eurobeat. [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/article.php?id=2304]

Background

Placed in the late 1990s, it follows the dangerous undertaking of Takumi Fujiwarthe, an eighteen month old world health organization assists his father redo a bean curd shop by redeeming each morning to a hotel all over Mount Akina in Gunma Prefecture with his father's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX. With caused a mountain pass each morning to deliver bean curd (for 5 years prior to his 1st race), Takumi's camping skill is extremely developed.

Within mountain pass racing, power is non a exclusively key to winning. Balance, skill, & braveness come what is required to win. Mountain pass racing (likewise referred to as "touge") is divided into deuce areas, either Downhill or even Hillclimb (Uphill). A Hillclimb takes other power, & a Downhill takes supplementary courageousness & is considered to exist as supplementary unsafe. the story begins while racers of a Red Suns (a team from either the neighboring city of Akagi) came to challenge the local Speed Stars into a "friendly" race. Non wanting to exist as humiliated, a Speed Stars require this as a challenge & decide it to exist as a race for pride; all the same, whilst the Speed Stars' team leader Iketani has an accident within the period of the practice dog, it is immediately in the attach for the recently racer on the downhill.

Fallowing appealing to the human referred to as Bunta Fujiwara (Takumi's father) to require his place, Iketani is caring that a husband (world health organization is reputedly referred to as a "ghost of Akina") might came to save a day. However whilst a race day comes, Takumi appears by having a eight-six (a Trueno) instead. So begins a fresh legend of Akina's legendary eight-six.

Characters
Which are actually a protagonists from either a Initial D Manga/Anime Series. Their life come mostly manga depending.

Takumi Fujiwara
Nickname within English adaptations: "Tak"

18 years old, Takumi Fujiwara (藤原拓海 Fujiwara Takumi) is the boy of Bunta Fujiwara, the creator of a bean curd shop inside his hometown Akina. He hardly shows good deal emotiin on his face. His right friend is Itsuki Takeuchi, world health organization occurs as racing fan.

Takumi works section-half-time at a petrol station by owning Itsuki, along by using Iketani, world health organization occurs as member of the local racing team, the Akina Speed Stars. In the number one pack episodes, each Itsuki & Iketani believe that Takumi is whole ignorant just about cars & racing, judging by Takumi's statements in his deficiency of interest on the subject.

A just 1 world health organizatiin suspects that Takumi hequally much of noesis on cars & racing techniques is a creator of the filling station, Yuuichi, as seen in the episode in which Takumi discusses the floating system using Iketani & Itsuki. In point of fact, Takumi hwhen far other own experience by owning declivitous racing than Iketani & Itsuki, as Takumi has been camping his father's AE86 Trueno for 5 years since he was Thirteen (around his number one month of junior high school school), redeeming bean curd to the hotel at Tetrad the.m. day-to-day.

Takumi's camping system is regarded among a right around Akina; a super fact that he has managed to win races against other right cars by owning his AE86 Trueno is testament to his camping skills. Following of constant everyday practice & ended Fivesome years of personal experience in Akinthe, Takumi is respire to adapt to about any situation that presents itself in the period of a race by using astonishing speed. One of a independent factors of his about unexcelled camping skills is his ability to utilize a image of a road within his head, so making higher for the lacking image though his eyes, disregarding how else dark the mountain pass.

Officially, Takumi is the share of there is no team, however late, Takumi joins Plan D, a very-team created by Ryosuke Takahashi aimed at capturing day and night records inside Japan.

Bunta Fujiwara
Bunta Fujiwara (藤原文太 Fujiwara Bunta) is a creator of the bean curd shop around Akina, & the father of Takumi. He is the better driver in the series, however he'd like good develop thomas more of an indirect hand inside Takumi's racing development. He is a original driver of the mysterious AE86 that holds the record of the fastest downward-sloping instance at Akina.

Buntthe has a unique way of expert training videos his boy to cause; each morning once Takumi has to last in his bean curd delivery route, Bunta may give Takumi a cup of h2o. the ventral suction cup of fluids is laid in the ingest holder; Takumi must non spill potentially a drop of it when he is camping.

Since late in a series, Takumi has been using the Trueno to a higher degree Bunta has, he agrees to develop Takumi have the car & invite its shaken(car taxation). Non known by Takumi until recently, (For Stage, Fourteenth episode) Buntthe had the recently car, a Subaru Impreza WRX Nature and severity R Version V. To end line text his newly car, Bunta drove it down Akina, & raced his boy world health organization upright finished doing his deliveries.

Minor characters
Natsuki Mogi (茂木 夏樹 Mogi Natsuki) / Natalie Mogi - Takumi's love interest. Yuuichi Tachibana (祐一 Yūichi) / Boss - A boss of the filling station that Takumi worked around. An old friend of Bunta's, & the racer around his youth. Masashi Suzuki - The mechanic that assists Buntthe set up the Class action A Specification 20V SilverTop 4AGE from either an AE101 Trueno(Non a Formula Atlantic 4AGE Engine, which occurs as 16V Number 1 Generation 4age. This occurs as most common mistake) into the Fujiwara Tofu Shop Hachiroku fallowing Takumi blows a engine inside a redo against Kyouichi. He too finds Bunta a GC8V Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version V Miki (御木) - The senior in the football club of the school that Takumi attended. Was Natsuki's ex & causes the Celica GT-Four (ST205). Kai Kogashiwa - a racer from either the Tochigi Prefacture. He processed his sole appearence in a period of the Third stage of the series. At age Nineteen he is just a year older, & causes at an virtually monovular level than Takumi. When you took his race using Takumi he utilizes his father's Toyota MR2 (SW20). Ken Kogashiwa (小柏 ケン Kogashiwa Ken) - Kai's father. Bunta's life-womb-to-tomb competitor. Voice on the Phone to Bunta within Stage One, Ep23 - This is actually Keiichi Tsuchiya, who is considered a father of Drift and who is on the Technical indicator consultatory crew for the Anime series. In the Stage One, Ep2, A Speedstar drivers come shown watching & chatting across his streaming videos, The Drift Bible, a beginner's helpful hints to drifting.

Teams
Which are actually a teams from either their various prefectures.

Akina SpeedStars
The team processed higher from either the bunch of friends world health organization prefer to race in their leisure period. Depending around Gunma, their residence course is Akina. Known as fallowing the Japanese brand of wheel. Kouichirou Iketani

Nickname around English adaptations: "Cole"

One of Takumi's friends, Iketani work on the local filling station using each Takumi & Itsuki. Itsuki admires him, when Iketani is leader of a local racing team, the Akina Speed Stars. Iketani causes the Nissan S13 Silvia. At a start, Iketani thinks that a Speed Stars come a better drivers around Akina however down a road his stamp Yuuichi tells Iketani of the mysterious driver of an AE 86 world health organization was the fastest driver inside his period, & that he suspects that the driver is the creator of the local bean curd shop.

He is an typical racer at the best, however he is decently skilled sufficiency to exist as leader of the Speedstars.

These are Iketani (along by using Itsuki) world health organization explains to Takumi a practice of on to street-racing cars by their chassis codes, since this is the simplest way of denoting different immune system style/engine combinations. For even instance, instead of specifying a 1983-1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX hatchback using a 4A-GE engine, 1 potty only call for it an AE86, or sir thomas more only, an "86". (Takumi: It's non an 8-6, it's the Trueno! Iketani: An 8-6 Occurs as Trueno!)

Itsuki Takeuchi

Nickname within English adaptations: "Iggy"
Title in the film: "Itsuki Tachibana"

Itsuki is Takumi's right friend; he will bring a laughable relief in the series however quite aloud & objectionable. Itsuki works a share-half-time at a gasoline station sustaining Takumi & Iketani; Itsuki plans to apply the money he earns to purchase an AE86 however erroneously buys an inferior (less power, unfortunate brakes, & worse suspension) AE85 Levin. By having the car, he occurs as self announced member of the Akina Speedstars. Around For Stage, these are revealed that Itsuki has installed the turbo for his 85.

In a survive action picture, Itsuki wwhen changed dramtically: his role was merged sustaining Kouichirou (& so becomes a leader of Speed Stars) & also, cause a S13, besides as had the crash that Cole had. In addition, his father is at present Yuuichi, a boss of the petrol station. His characteristic was possibly additional objectionable so a original version. His newly car, a AE86, is besides inferior due to the fact it was futures, unlike Takumi's AE86 which was tuned by his father.

Kenji

The member of the Akina Speed Stars & Iketani's right friend, Kenji causes the Nissan 180 SX. He hangs retired at a petrol station in which Iketani, Takumi & Itsuki once in a while, normally discussing cars & camping techniques by having Iketani & Yuuichi. He has respect & admiration for Iketani & Takumi; Iketani since he's a leader of the Speed Stars & Takumi for his camping skills.

Kenji seems to become the the right way plenty driver; while Iketani wasn't respire to race against Keisuke due to his accident & a Speed Stars weren't for certain whenever a AE86 driver was attend show higher, it was Kenji world health organization was chosen to race against Keisuke.

To this day, his previous title hasn't been revealed in any media form of Initial D.

Akagi RedSuns
The super extremely skilled team lead by Ryosuke Takahashi. It typically like to race in more team's page course & have a rule just about nin racing on their personal course. Depending around Gunma, their home course is Akagi. Ryosuke Takahashi

Nickname within English adaptations: "Ry"

One of a further extremely skilled drivers in the series(he is the Red Sun's fastest member likewise when their leader); he & his immature brmore Keisuke keep close at h& been featured inside racing magazines and is regarded extremely by other drivers. Ryousuke causes the Mazdthe FC3S RX-7 & has never been defeated inside a race prior to until he met Takumi Fujiwara. Ryosuke is very good upright about racing; he pores on top technical indicator information just such as any sales person driver & he's one of a pack drivers world health organization come even when skillful at mechanics too as camping skills. He is known to become suspire to tell what rather modifications use been manufactured to a car good by hearing it, & what a driver is capable of good by watching the car drift.

His single challenger would exist as Kyouchi Sudou, since it got an argument all about racing theories while Ryosuke ended Kyouichi's winning streak a year prior to a series' begin. Presently, he is enrolled inside college researching medicine, & planning to turn into the doctor to operate at his father's clinic. He has sole 1 season of racing left, he estimates, & assembles the freshly team (known as Task D) aimed to capture a lot of the records around Japan.

Keisuke Takahashi

Nickname inside English adaptations: "K.T."

Keisuke is the benumb 2 driver for the Red Suns. Keisuke causes the Mazda FD3S RX-7 & occurs as skilled driver, 2nd single to his brother. Keisuke occurs as rather hot-headed young human & doesn't like losing. He joins his brother's fresh team & has the contention by using Takumi. Keisuke races a Hillclimb (Acclivitous) in virtually all races, when Takumi races a downhill.

Keisuke international relations and security network't quite when analytical when his older brother, & Ryosuke's ability to compute & analyze amazes Keisuke. However at a equivalent period, Keisuke's ability to believe less piece he's camping, & to wash lone what he feels amazes Ryosuke. When Ryosuke has decided that he wasn't attend exist when racing good deal hanker, & that he was gong to turn into the doctor later, Keisuke has dedicated his life to racing, setting his goal as becoming the broker racer.

Kenta Nakamura

Nickname around English adaptations: "Kent" in the manga, "Danny" in the arcades

One of a immature members of the Akagi Red Suns, Kenta absolutely adores Keisuke Takahashi & is universally great to prove himself to Keisuke. Kenta was recognized by Keisuke himself for his camping skills, & has been somewhat taken under Keisuke's wing. Kenta specializes inside rain conditions, because he got a habit of in the rain since the damp roads wouldn't put on his tyre down as much.

Myogi NightKids
The typical skilled team lead by Takeshi Nakazato. Potentially though a team is united under Takeshi, there seems to exist as deuce factions fighting for leadership, Takeshi & Shingo. Depending around Gunma, their at home course is Myogi. Takeshi Nakazato

Nickname within English adaptations: "Zack"

Takeshi Nakazato of a Myogi NightKids, world health organization is also referred to as a Black Lightning, foremost makes his appearance at the race inside Akina in which Keisuke Takahashi of the Red Suns is to race against Takumi. Surprised that Takumi can kill Keisuke, Takeshi decides that he's attend exist as a a single to challenge a 'Akina downward-sloping specialist', & that a Red Suns come next in his listings.

He is skilled however his downfall is his anger & emotions developing around the way of his mind, this following in unfortunate throttle control. He is very proficient at acceleration & is known for his grip camping philosophy. Ever since he was beaten by the White Skyline, he has believed that grip camping techniques come sooner than frail aimless techniques.

In the survive action pic, he's a of these that foremost found a Takumi's AE86, & besides a 1 that challenged (& misused to) Takumi, instead of Ryosuke & a Akagi Red Suns

Shingo Shouji

The member of the Nighttime Children, Shingo causes the red Civic EG-6. Shingo occurs as unsafe driver; non because of his camping skills, however because he races dangerously - Shingo may nudge his rival's car sequentially to produce a more driver lose control. He may too challenge the second driver to a 'Duct Tape Demise Match'- where apiece driver tapes his perfect hand to a steering wheel for the duration of the race, limiting the steering capabilities of the driver. He as well has been seen undermining Takeshi's leadership.

Impact Blue
This team is further of an partnership between its 2 members, Mako shark & Sayuki. Their house course is Usui. Mako Satou and Sayuki

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Maya and Simone"

Hailing from either Usui, Mako Satou is the driver of the Usui combination; Sayuki is her co-driver/navigator (upright prefer in the WRC). Camping a blue Nissan SilEighty, a duo come the fastest around their hometown & number one make their appearance in Akina at Keisuke & Takumi's race.

Sayuki (Simone in the English version) occurs as upbeat girl & she's universally wanting to find dependable seeking guys rather a Takahashi brothers. whilst navigator, she gives out videos to Mako shark when it're racing (whilst to brake, what floating system to utilize etc.).

Emperors
The high skilled team lead by Kyouchi Sudou. A entire team is mass produced of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, claiming their cars come a king of the mountains. Depending around Tochigi, their home course is the of these way road of Irohazaka. Seiji Iwaki

Nickname around English adaptations: "Hawk"

A Benumb ii driver in a Lancer Evolution-sole Emperor team, Seiji Iwaki causes the Lancer Evolution IV. Seiji occurs as driver by using expert racing skills, however he is like self-important & positive. He has won several races camping for Emperor against more teams, including against Takeshi Nakazato of the Nighttime Children.

When defeating various teams within Gunma, a Emperor team so placed their sights on a Akina Speed Stars, aiming to beat the notorious AE86 Trueno. Seiji volunteered to race for the Emperor team around his Evo IV against Takumi's AE86, however his overcomfidence & impatience lead to his downfall, stimulating Kyouichi, a team leader, to own to race a AE86 prior to a team could move in to the next opponent.

One of Seiji's trademarks is to require a team sticker of teams he has defeated, cut it around half, & stick it in his spoiler, emulating a "kill" markers that fighter pilots paint in their planes.

Kyouichi Sudou

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Kyle"

From either Nikko, Tochigi & rated when one of the better drivers in the series, Kyouchi Sudou is the team leader & camping ace of the Lancer Evolution-simply Emperor team, camping the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III equipped by having a WRC style misfiring system.

An old acquaintance of Ryousuke Takahashi of the Akagi Red Suns, Kyouichi is lot rather Ryousuke - he occurs as calmness & composed driver, in comparison his mate Seiji. Zealous to show Ryousuke that he & his team come a better, Kyouichi & a Emperor team goes in to beat a various teams of Gunma, including a Nighttime Children. Unlike Ryosuke, Kyouichi occurs as little closed-close-minded on a system & skill compulsory to touge race. However although it develop their disagreements on racing, two men come among a top 5 racers in the series.

He is too a graduate of the racing school, the Toudou Juku.

Seven Star Leaf
A second typical team. It is a number one team around For Stage to face Task D. Depending inside Tochigi, their residence course is Momiji. In the manga version, it is abbreviated when SSR, or even due to quirks in the Japanese language, "Seven Star Reaf." - rather a Akina SpeedStars, it is known as fallowing a equivalent Japanese wheel manufacturer (Speed Star Racing) Tohru Suetsugu

Camping the red MX-Five Roadster, Tohru is the downward-sloping racer for the S.S.R team known for his reckless, kamizake downward-sloping style. Tohru is as well the just driver in the series world health organization actually has the decently relationship; he has a girlfriend known as Nao. Nao cares for him a great deal & she doesn't really approve of him racing. Especially while he's practically broke virtually whole of the period & borrows money from either her typically.

From either a Tochigi Prefecture, a S.S.R team is the foremost team to race against Ryousuke's Design D. Tohru is slated to race against Takumi.

Atsuou Kawai

Atsuou is a hillclimb racer & the leader of the Tochigi-depending S.S.R team. He seems to become the in good order plenty driver. His car is powered as much as 400 h.p..

From either a Tochigi Prefecture, a S.S.R team is the 1st team to race against Ryousuke's Design D. Tooru is slated to race against Takumi, when Atsuou is to race against Keisuke.

Todo Juku
The racing school redo by the Performance Shop creator & an antique Rally Driver. It is super extremely skilled, by using lot of their graduates running semipro/professional. when well their favored produce is Honda, using the Civic Nature and severity R as their better "Demonstration" car. Depending inside Tochigi, their personal course is Enna. Daiki Ninomiya

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Dice"

A ace & todays student of Toudou-Juku, Daiki is one of better drivers of the series. Camping the yellow Civic EK-9 Nature and severity R, Daiki races against Takumi of Plan D inside the downward-sloping battle. the front yard of skill he excels around is braking, existence breaa to release the brake pedal in the hone spot when you took a corner, each instance.

Smiley Sakai

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Smiley"

A second driver & todays student of Toudou-Juku, Sakai is one of Daiki's friends & causes an Integrthe Nature and severity R, equipped using a bolt in aftermarket turbocharger. Sakai races against Keisuke of Plan D inside the hillclimb battle. He utilizes 2 techniques to race, number 1, utilizing high speeds to enter a corner for a more human to clean a equivalent, however Sakai might somehow fix his speed in the period of the turn. A more trick is to brake-line 1 text his opponent, forcing the babies to back off when he speeds away. His face tenses higher after he is racing to produce him look prefer he is smiling, hence his nickname, Smiley Sakai.

Tomoyuki Tachi

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Touch"

Toudou Racing School may not accept their team existence totally annihilated by outsiders, thus it invited Tachi, the graduate of the school world health organizatiin is nowadays the agent racer, to have a replay against Task D on Happogahara. Tachi took Ninomiya's EK9 & beat Takumi's downward-sloping record inside of these endeavour, while forgoing pushing a car to the hilt. Tachi agreed to have a school's top car, a Demonstration EK9, at Happogahara, which occurs as course that consists of each downhill & hill climb sections. Tachi tuned a Civic a better he may to become take a breath to compete by owning a FD3S on a straights, however amazingly, Ryosuke decided to send the AE86.

Northern Saitama Alliance
An racing class action mass produced of teams in the Saitama Prefecture. Involved therein alliance, is Nobuhiko's Team which remains unidentified, & includes Wataru. Wataru Akiyama

Nickname inside English adaptations: "Aki"

One of a 1st racers from either Saitama to actually race against Takumi, he appeared at a latter episodes of Stage Two sustaining his turbocharged Levin. Wateru occurs as skilled driver world health organization honed his skills on the treacherous Shomaru Pass. He come to Gunmthe around hopes of facing recently racers to challenge & to watch his sister Kazumi, world health organization good gotten the job at a hotel by using her aunty. Wateru reappeared within episode Nina from carolina of stage Four when Nobuhiko's full cousin. He got replaced the turbocharger by owning a supercharger for extra linear acceleration.

Nobuhiko Akiyama

Nickname within English adaptations: "Nobu"

a leader of a team inside the Northwest Saitama Alliance, Nobuhiko is very intelligent & analytical. His skills as a driver, even so, are not super profound. Because of this, he normally recruit more extremely skilled drivers & utilizes his technical indicator information to farther fine tune their cars based on data from every course. Nobuhiko did race against Takumi when on a downhill, however was left behind fallowing the 1st hairpin.

Kyoko Iwase

Nickname within English adaptations: "Kylie"

The skilled uphill camping ace for Nobuhiko's Team. Kyoko was originally a fastest in Nobuhiko's team, however fallowing racing against Keisuke Takahashi, she has fallen taken by owning with the light-haired racer, & that creates a conflict of interest between defeating Task D, or even trend lines her love. Alas for her, Keisuke doesn't part her feelings. Kyoko late lent her FD3S to Keisuke fallowing he damaged a left front suspension of his have FD3S inside an accident. Keisuke went in to win a race by using Kyoko's car, instead of the remodeled FD Ryosuke aforethought for him to utilise.

Sakamoto

Nickname around English adaptations: "Sid"

Sectiin of an additional team inside a alliance, a agency rally racer, Sakamoto is trained well-nigh alone on mountain lives. He has the uncanny ability to choose any car & put it inside the drift in the mountain pass, unremarkably to figure a car's characteristics & limitations. He's recruited by Nobuhiko when a downward-sloping racer to require in Takumi Fujiwara of Task D. His speciality is camping FR cars.

Games
There are many games that is according to a anime. A best known is probably Initial D Arcade Stage published by Sega, which is for arcade.

Initial D Arcade Stage understands professional people as a racer starting retired on the mountain courses. Smart shoppers last across from either each one mountain by owning your computers car of selection, & battle characters from a anime. Sustaining teams for every mountain, & cars sustaining homecourses, your family race across :