Book Review: Initial D

Initial D
by Shuichi Shigeno
Review by Sam

This iconic series follows Takumi, as he works his way up through the ranks of the Japanese drift scene. His journey takes him from challenges with the local street racers to professional level drift battles. Takumi’s drifting life is interwoven with his personal relationships – from his best friend to romances and rivalries. The art is beautiful and dynamic, injecting real life into the pages and races. Similarly, the world that develops as Takumi’s friends face their own struggles is engaging and fun.

I highly recommend this series to fans of racing movies or games, as well as general readers of manga and action-adventure stories. As a casual manga reader, I found the series was free of some of the intense tropes that have at times alienated me when reading other series.

If you enjoy the first volume, I highly recommend reading further, as the writing and intensity improve greatly as the series progresses. The deep dives into the different engines and strengths of the cars becomes a more central focus, which I found educational while remaining interesting.

Overall, Initial D is one of my favourite manga series and one which I can wholeheartedly recommend. Perfect for manga-lovers and car-lovers, or those looking for high-energy Fast and Furious style races.