Initial D (is an anime series from Shuichi Shigeno and published by Avex, based on the manga.

The anime and manga focuses on the world of illegal Japanese street racing, where all the action is concentrated in the mountain passes (called touges) and never in cities nor urban areas, and the drift racing style is emphasized in particular. The manga is drawn by artist Shuichi Shigeno, who started publishing the manga in 1995, featured in Kodansha's Young, on a weekly basis. The manga and anime has also been licenced by TOKYOPOP for an English release. The company drew complaints from anime fans when it changed some characters' names and gave others Americanized nicknames while not changing other names. For instance, main character Takumi became Tak and his best friend Itsuki became Iggy, while Takumi's father Bunta retained his name and so did an opponent by the name of Shingo. In addition, TOKYOPOP cut out a character's prostitution relationship with another character and edited sex scenes in manga. They also changed the music from the series' staple eurobeat.

Avex has released the anime in several parts called Stages. One noticeable feature is that it uses Eurobeat music as background music in race scenes.

Initial D First Stage - 26 acts
Initial D Second Stage - 13 acts
Initial D Battle Stage - 45 minute movie of every major battle from 1st, 2nd and 3rd stage. The graphics have been redone and polished in this stage.
Initial D Third Stage - 2 hour movie
Initial D Extra Stage OVA - 2 hour side-story movie
Initial D Fourth Stage - 14 episodes aired so far, as of April 16th, 2005. The next two acts will air on June 18th, 2005.
Initial D The Movie - a movie that is being filmed that features Taiwanese star Jay Chou as Takumi. This film will be the first Initial D that contains real actors and cars instead of anime.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Background
Set in the late 1990s, it follows the adventures of Takumi Fujiwara (Who has the nickname "Tak" in the English adaptations), an eighteen year old who helps his father run a tofu shop by delivering every morning to a hotel over Mount Akina in Gunma Prefecture with his father's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX. Having driven the mountain pass every morning for five years before his first race, Takumi's racing skill is highly developed.

In mountain pass racing, power is not the key to winning. Balance, skill, techniques are what is need to win. Mountain pass racing, is divided into two concepts, either Downhill or Hillclimb (Uphill). NA (Natural Aspiration) cars have the advantage on the Downhill but Turbo equipped cars have more power going Uphill.

The story begins when racers of the Red Suns (a team from the neighboring city of Akagi) come to challenge the local Speed Stars into a "friendly" race. Not wanting to be humiliated, the Speed Stars take this as a challenge and decide it to be a race for pride; however, when the Speed Stars' team leader Iketani (known as Cole in the English adaptations) has an accident during a practice run, they are immediately in a bind for a new racer on the downhill.

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