All About Initial D (With Car Models Explained) (2024)

Japan is well-known for its car and street racing culture. Since the 1990s, enthusiasts have gathered and formed racing clubs that compete to see who is the fastest. Japan’s street racing culture is captured and preserved through anime.

When it comes to Japanese street racing, the best-known anime are Initial D and Wangan Midnight. Both capture the unique charm of street racing in the mountain passes (Initial D) and public roads (Wangan Midnight). They also show some of the popular cars of the 1990s that are still highly sought after today.

In addition, a new racing anime and the sequel to Initial D was released. MF Ghost shows the fictional racing culture of today’s world and how internal combustion cars are a dying breed, slowly being replaced by electric vehicles.

In this article, we will introduce you to all you need to know about Initial D, then briefly about Wangan Midnight, and MF Ghost. We will briefly talk about the story of these anime and show you the popular cars that appeared.

Initial D

Storyline

Initial D is arguably the king of racing anime. Since its inception on November 6, 1995, Initial D has become a pop culture phenomenon captivating Japanese and global fans.

The Initial D series explores the story of Takumi Fujiwara, a high school student who is naturally gifted at driving. Despite his talent, he isn’t interested in cars and only thinks of driving as a chore. His life changes when he discovers the Japanese underground street racing scene.

Throughout the series, Takumi grows and aspires to surpass his limits. He eventually joins the Takahashi brothers in their conquest of challenging the best street racers of the Kanto region.

What makes Initial D truly special is how accurate its depiction of 1990s Japanese street racing is. The locations, the culture, and the vibe are all captured perfectly in the street races of the Initial D anime.

In addition, Initial D introduced Japanese cars to the world. Today, many Initial D fans come to Japan to hunt and purchase the iconic cars seen in the anime. Even the roads and mountain passes have become tourist attractions for fans wanting to recreate the iconic Initial D races.

And, of course, Initial D highly popularized Eurobeat. Today, the genre is well-loved by racing enthusiasts and is commonly featured in many racing games and films.

The Initial D anime was released in various seasons, movies, and OVA called stages. The first season of Initial D was released in 1998. The story then concluded with the release of Initial D Final Stage in 2014.

Even after the anime ended, Initial D’s popularity remained strong. Sega continues to release Initial D arcade video games in the Initial D Arcade Stage series that started in 2002.

New anime and movies continue to be released, such as the Initial D Legend series and the upcoming Initial D live-action film directed by the Fast and the Furious star Sung Kang (Han Lue). Initial D is a must-watch for fans of Japanese cars and street racing culture.

List of Initial D Stages

Initial D First Stage (1998)
Initial D Second Stage (1999)
Initial D Extra Stage - OVA (2000)
Initial D Third Stage - Movie (2001)
Initial D Fourth Stage (2004-2006)
Initial D Extra Stage 2 - OVA (2008)
Initial D Fifth Stage (2012-2013)
Initial D Final Stage (2014)

Initial D Compilation Movies

Initial D The Movie - Legend 1: Awakening (2014)
Initial D The Movie - Legend 2: Racer (2015)
Initial D The Movie - Legend 3: Dream (2016)
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Famous Japanese Cars in Initial D

Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)

Year Model: 1983 - 1985 (Zenki model)

Color: High-Tech Two Tone

Driver: Takumi Fujiwara, Bunta Fujiwara (Former Owner)

The Toyota AE86 is the face of the Initial D franchise. This iconic car is driven by the series protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara. What made this car special was how it beat far superior cars in the mountain pass races.

Keisuke referred to the AE86 as an old car, and Kyoichi Sudo of Team Emperor (Initial D Second Stage) downright mocked it. Nevertheless, the AE86 prevailed and showcased how good of a driver Takumi is.

This car is based on Keiichi Tsuchiya’s popular AE86. Like in Initial D, Keiichi Tsuchiya used his AE86 to achieve many things. This very car won him many titles and helped him achieve the title of “Drift King.”

Initial D Locations in Japan

Despite being a fictional story, Initial D’s locations actually exist in Japan. Initial D’s central location, S-City, is based in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. Even Initial D’s racing locations/mountain passes (Tōge) are real.

Mount Akina, Initial D’s most famous location, is based on Mount Haruna. This is where Takumi Fujiwara delivers tofu. It is also where iconic battles in the early seasons take place, such as the race between Takumi and Ryosuke Takahashi.

It’s not just the racing courses in the anime that are real. Even the famous Fujiwara tofu shop existed in real life. Fujinoya Tofu Shop, located in Shibukawa, was the main influence for the Fujiwara Tofu Shop.

Fujinoya Tofu Shop became popular among fans and was often visited in the early 2000s. It was even used as a set for the 2005 live-action Initial D film. After the owner passed away in 2008, the building was demolished. However, the “Fujiwara Tofu Shop” sign used in the film was preserved in the Yokota Museum.

(Image: Fujiwara Tofu Shop by Speedhunters.com)

An Initial D-themed cafe was later built on the base of Mount Haruna.

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藤原とうふ茶店(Fujiwara Tofu Cafe)® (@fujiwara.tofu.cafe) • Instagram photos and videos

Malaysian fans also built their version of the Fujiwara Tofu shop.

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Fujiwara Tofu Shop Malaysia (@tofushopmalaysia) • Instagram photos and videos

The People that Inspired Initial D

In addition to the locations, the characters of Initial D are also based on real people. Takumi Fujiware and his father, Bunta Fujiware, are based on the legendary Keiichi Tsuchiya.

Keiichi Tsuchiya is best known as Japan’s drift king, who popularized drifting in professional races. Just like the Fujiwaras, Keiichi Tsuchiya was a street racer who honed his skills in mountain passes using his Toyota AE86. He eventually became a professional racing driver and used his AE86 to beat far superior cars.

Keiichi Tsuchiya also served as an adviser for the Initial D series. He also makes several cameo appearances in the anime.

Interestingly, Takumi may also be based on the owners of the Fujinoki Tofu-ten. According to ALBO, a popular Youtuber and author of the documentary series “Drift Hunter", Jun Fujinoki, the grandson of the owner of the Fujinoki Tofu-ten, was the delivery boy of the shop.

Just like Takumi, he would deliver tofu to the hotel found on the top of Mount Haruna during the dawn. These kinds of similarities aren’t just a coincidence.

Initial D author Shuichi Shigeno visited and studied the racing scene in the Gunma region in the 1990s. Documentaries released in recent years can confirm just how accurate Initial D’s depiction of Japanese street racing culture is.

Where to Buy Initial D Merchandise

Initial D figures, model kits, and all types of merchandise can be bought in Yahoo Auction, Mercari, Rakuma, Rakuten, using Zenmarket.

Initial D Merchandise from Japan with ZenMarket

MF Ghost

Initial D’s story concluded after the Final Stage. However, Shuichi Shigeno made an official sequel called MF Ghost. The story takes place in the late 2020s to early 2030s in a science fiction version of modern Japan.

Unlike Initial D, which was set in the late 1990s, MF Ghost is set in a completely different world. With the advent of modern technology, self-driving cars have replaced internal combustion engine cars. MFG was founded to preserve the use of internal combustion cars in competitive racing.

MF Ghost features an all-new cast and revolves around the new protagonist, Kanata Rivington. The 19-year-old racing prodigy, who beat European top-tier cars, entered the competition in Japan to find his long-lost father.

In addition to the new cast, MF Ghost also sees the return of many of Initial D’s fan-favorite characters. Mainstays include Ryosuke Takahashi (the founder of MFG, which serves as the successor to Project D), Keisuke Takahashi, and Takumi Fujiwara. Even side characters from the original series, such as Kenji, Iketani, and Itsuki, return in MFG.

Also, with its modern setting, MF Ghost features many new cars. Some notable examples include the Toyota GT86, Toyota GR Supra, Nissan GT-R NISMO (R35), Lotus Exige S (Series 3), and the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

MF Ghost is an ongoing manga series that started in 2017. Its anime adaptation premiered in October 2023. MF Ghost is a must-watch for Initial D fans and Japanese car enthusiasts looking for a modern twist to the Japanese street racing anime genre.

Also Read: 20 BEST CAR RACING ANIME OF ALL TIME

Wangan Midnight

Initial D wasn't the only street racing manga in the 1990s. Wangan Midnight by Michiharu Kusunoki, first published in 1990, was Initial D's predecessor.

Unlike Initial D, which primarily takes place in the mountain passes, Wangan Midnight's street races take place on the Bayshore Route. In addition to street racing, Wangan places high emphasis and detail on tuning and modifying cars. The story of Wangan revolves around high school student Akio Asakura, who is extremely passionate about racing.

The story begins when Akio Asakura meets the legendary "Blackbird." The Blackbird, driven by the surgeon Tatsuya Shima, is known as the "King of Wangan." When the Blackbird challenges Akio, he loses but gains the motivation to be even faster.

While buying parts for his Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX (Z31) at a junkyard, he discovers a Nissan Fairlady S30Z in pristine condition. He acquires it and discovers that the car is heavily modified. It has upgrades, such as a tuned L28 engine, triple carburetors, and twin turbos, and is bored and stroked to 3.1 liters.

Overall, the car produces a healthy 600hp. However, he also finds out that the car is cursed. All of the owners of the S30Z faced unfortunate accidents. The previous owner, who was also Blackbird's rival, died in an accident during a street race against Blackbird two years before the start of the story, which is why the car was scrapped.

These unfortunate accidents gave the S30Z the nickname "Devil Z." However, Akio Asakura faces the challenge and uses the car to attempt to beat Blackbird.

Similar to Initial D, Wangan Midnight was also based on real events during the 1990s. The name of the series, Wangan, literally translates to "Bayside" or "Bayshore." It is also the name of the "Bayshore Route" or the "Wangan Route" found in the Shuto Expressway in Tokyo.

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In addition, the Wangan route was the home course of the notorious Japanese street racing club called "Mid Night Club." The Wangan route also appears in several video games, such as Gran Turismo 5, 6, Sport, and 7, and films like Megalopolis Expressway Trial (Shuto Kousoku Trial).

Wangan Midnight was adapted into a 26-episode anime which ran from June 2007 to September 2008. It also has a live-action adaptation released in 2005.

Aside from the anime, Wangan Midnight also has a successful arcade game series. Bandai developed Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune, which was first released in 2004. The long-running series is a hit in arcades in Japan and other Asian countries.

Overall, despite not having the same cultural impact as Initial D and having a shorter anime, Wangan Midnight is still a great watch for Japanese car fans. It has a completely different setting from Initial D and offers a different perspective on the 1990s Japanese street racing scene. And, of course, Wangan features many different cars and car modifying techniques.

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