Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge?
This edition is still running in the ’90s but features a refreshed translation and lettering for the 2020s, as well as a special large size.
Remember me? Relive Takumi Fujiwara’s journey from tofu delivery boy to street-racing legend in an all-new, large-sized, 2-in-1 print edition of the series that made Japanese street racing into a worldwide phenomenon.
Contains a new translation of Initial D Vol. 1-2.
Takumi Fujiwara spends a lot of time behind the wheel. His tofu delivery job sends him racing down the treacherous roads of Mount Akina, and without even realizing it, Takumi has mastered racing techniques that take most drivers a lifetime to learn. Of course, none of his friends realize this. They’re all too busy watching the Akina Speed Stars, the local street racing team. When the legendary Red Suns show up to challenge the Speed Stars, the rival team obsesses over a phantom car, the Trueno Eight-Six, seen racing through the mountain roads. Who is the driver, and will they take on the dangerous challenge?
This edition is still running in the ’90s but features a refreshed translation and lettering for the 2020s, as well as a special large size.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Imprint: Kodansha US/Japan
Publication date: 19/03/2024
Series: Initial D Omnibus
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.
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