Initial D - The Movie (2 Disc Set)

I've always like the anime series of Initial D and the was quite pleased when I first saw this movie. They've stuck to the storyline and tightened to condense it really well. Ignoring the fact it's a Chinese crew, where the series is based in Japan, it's very good

From comic book to Anime with effects scenes straight from the GT simulator – that's what attracted me to these early series on Cartoon Network. Getting the DVD sets that were available proved to be elusive, but managed to collect most via eBay. The first ‘stage’ was obviously translated correctly for the US market, but subsequently the rest of the ‘stages’ (up to five) were awful subtitle translations that didn't make much sense.
Along comes the RL movie, with Chinese actors and crew. Considering the series is based in Japan it only just gets away with it. They stayed true to the plot, a coming of age for Takume (Tak) and his best buddy. There's ofcourse a girl in the frame, but this subplot takes a strange turn. If you're into the typical Chinese tragedy where the girl always crops it, then you'll get the idea that this is typical Chinese symbolism at work with the suppression of women. Its the only part of the film I did not like. As the film is about downhill racing and drifting through corners its a riveting rush. The actors were taught to do their own driving stunts, it made for realism and looked great on close-ups. If you thought Fast & Furious was fantastic, get the movie that started it all for an intense joyride and action packed suspense.