The anime that single handedly created the worldwide JDM mania. Ask every car people in their late 20s to 40s about Initial D, they will say “that anime made me buy my first Toyota/Honda/Mazda/Nissan” or something like that.
Initial D is an anime packed with intense driving action, high-stakes drama, street racing antagonists, educational explanations about car mechanics, and it’ll make you itch to get behind the wheel or own a Toyota Trueno AE86.
Table of Contents
Initial D Original Series
1. Initial D 1st Stage (1998)
| Episodes | 26 |
| Aired | Spring-Fall 1998 |
High school student Takumi Fujiwara works as a gas station attendant during the day and a delivery boy for his father’s tofu shop during late nights.
Little does he know that his precise driving skills and his father’s modified Toyota Sprinter AE86 Trueno make him the best amateur road racer on Mt. Akina’s highway.
Because of this, racing groups from all over the Gunma prefecture issue challenges to Takumi to see if he really has what it takes to be a road legend.
2. Initial D 2nd Stage (1999)
| Episodes | 13 |
| Aired | Fall 1999 |
Following his victory over RedSuns leader Ryosuke Takahashi, AE86 driver Takumi Fujiwara is challenged by the Lancer EVO-based “Emperor,” a group known for taking decals of racing teams they defeat, cutting them up and placing them on their cars like a fighter plane kill board.
Takumi’s undefeated streak is on the line as his AE86 is virtually no match against the more powerful and more agile four-wheel-drive EVOs of the Emperor team.
3. Initial D 3rd Stage (2001)
| Episodes | 1 Film |
| Aired | Winter 2001 |
Takumi is approached by RedSuns leader Ryosuke Takahashi and offered to join him in forming a professional racing team.
Before coming up with an answer to the proposal, Takumi seeks retribution by issuing a rematch to Emperor leader Kyouichi Sudou, who previously defeated him due to an engine failure.
He is also challenged by Kai Kogashiwa, a second-generation street racer whose father was once a fierce rival of Takumi’s father Bunta.
4. Initial D Extra Stage (2001)
| Episodes | 2 |
| Aired | Spring 2001 |
The Lancer EVO-driving group “Emperor” have defeated every racing team they’ve met in the Gunma region. Now they’re out to challenge the duo of Mako and Sayuki and their SilEighty – the Impact Blue of Usui Mountain.
5. Initial D 4th Stage (2004)
| Episodes | 24 |
| Aired | Spring 2004-Winter 2006 |
Takumi Fujiwara and brothers Keisuke and Ryousuke Takahashi have formed “Project D,” a racing team aimed at bringing their driving skills to their full potential outside their prefecture.
Using the internet, Project D issues challenges to other racing teams and posts results of their races.
Managed by Ryousuke, the team has Takumi engaging in downhill battles with his AE86, while Keisuke challenges opponents uphill. Among their rivals are the Seven-Star Leaf (SSR) and Todo-juku.
6. Initial D Extra Stage 2 (2008)
| Episodes | 1 OVA |
| Aired | Fall 2008 |
Iketani missed an opportunity to see Mako-chan and hates himself for never calling to say he was sorry. By chance he runs into her 6 months later, and the situation is awkward. Iketani does not have time to talk at that moment, but both want to talk, so they arrange a second meeting. Iketani goes to the meeting place early, but an old man was left behind from an tourist bus, and asks Iketani to catch the bus for him. Iketani being a nice guy, so he can’t say no.
5. Initial D Fifth Stage (2012)
| Episodes | 14 |
| Aired | Fall 2012-Winter 2013 |
Taking place in the sacred land of street running Kanagawa, once more Takumi Fujiwara will show his driving skills on his now legendary Hachi-roku.
6. Initial D Final Stage (2014)
| Episodes | 4 |
| Aired | Summer 2014 |
After defeating every racing team in the prefecture, everything comes down to one last race. Takumi Fujiwara has never lost a race, but when his opponent is also using an AE86, it turns into a battle of the AE86. Will Project D succeed in the final and most difficult race of Initial D?
New Initial D Movie Remake
1. Initial D Legend 1: Awakening (2014)
| Title | New Initial D Movie: Legend 1 – Kakusei |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Summer 2014 |
First of the three part theatrical film remake of Initial D First Stage.
Koichiro of the Akina Speedstars witnesses a mysterious driver outmaneuver rival Keisuke of the Akagi RedSuns. The race, he later discovers, was won by none other than his own co-worker, Takumi. What happens next is the stuff of street racing legend!
2. Initial D Legend 2: Racer (2015)
| Title | New Initial D Movie: Legend 2 – Dokusou |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Spring 2015 |
Second of the three part theatrical film remake of Initial D First Stage.
The leader of rival group Myogi NightKids, Takeshi, wants to challenge the now infamous Takumi in a race down Akina. As Takumi questions his identity as a racer, he discovers that, behind the wheel, there’s more to lose than just a simple race.
3. Initial D Legend 3: Dream (2016)
| Title | New Initial D Movie: Legend 3 – Mugen |
| Episodes | 1 |
| Aired | Winter 2016 |
Third and final part of the three part theatrical film remake of Initial D First Stage.
Takumi Fujiawara has garnered the attention of the street racer Ryousuke Takahashi, leader of the RedSuns. As he prepares for the biggest race in his life, Takumi finds himself trying to juggle his passion for racing with his personal life.
