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When I first began watching Initial D, I thought I would end up dropping within the first few episodes as it was show about street racing, something I knew absolutely nothing about, but to my surprise, I instantly became hooked and couldn't stop watching until the very end.

Let me first point out that you don't need to have any kind of background information on cars, racing or anything to fully enjoy this show. Also, don't let the old look of the anime fool you. It has some amazing CG effects done for the cars that was not only outstanding for it's time but is still ... outstanding now!

The story was gripping and amazingly kept itself from becoming repetitive. You'd think that since it's an anime about street racing you'll just see the same thing every time during every race. WRONG! Thanks to the fantastic CG effects for the cars, they were able to make every race it's own unique and exciting thrill ride for the viewer. I got goosebumps during every big race and constantly found myself doubting that the main character could win even though he's practically considered a god among street racers.

The main character Takumi was one of biggest reasons this show worked out so well for me. His modesty about his skills and his laid back attitude towards everything made him an entertaining character to watch in every situation. (Especially during races.) Most of the other characters though were unfortunately a little bland compared to Takumi.

One look at the art style and you yourself would think that this show couldn't be any good. I thought the same in the beginning but for a show about street racing, the art matches almost perfectly. But that was one of my major gripes with this show. The art ONLY matched when stuff about street racing was happening. Whenever the show tried to be anything else, I couldn't help but find it terribly boring simply because the art style did not fit.

I especially hated when it tried to show romance between the characters. The designs for the female characters were absolutely hideous and I just could not take it seriously. I thought it was a real shame too since the anime's soundtrack had something great for every situation, and if the girls appearances were better, the romantic scenes could've fit really well.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not trying to say that the show is only good once the characters get behind the wheel. Even when they're not racing, the anime does a damn good job of developing the characters and building up the tension for the next big race, then keeping you on the edge of your seat until they cross the finish line.

I watched the subbed version of the anime and I suggest you do the same. The English dub by Tokyo pop was an insult that should never be viewed by anyone. Funimation has currently taken over the dubbing rights to Initial D and I have yet to see if they did a good job or not, but I still recommend the subbed version anyway.

Overall, this was an incredibly good anime. If not for a few major flaws it could have been perfect. I highly recommend checking it out if your looking for something exciting to watch.

Honestly, I found this anime to be the most disgusting thing I've seen in a long time. I'm not talking about the incest theme though as I actually like seeing plots revolve around touchy subjects like that, but there were multiple parts which literally had me staring with my jaw hanging. Although I can't say that that was always a bad thing. Some of it was gross in a more entertaining way.

I might have liked it a bit more if the artwork wasn't so lousy and an actual plot existed but instead I got a load of " Wtf is this?!" thrown at me every ... week.

Because of the shows long and forgettable name ( Well, at least to us western folk) I often reffered to it when speaking with my friends as "Monkey Grenade" because it's like watching a monkey swallow a grenade, you know whats about to happen is gonna be sick but you can't help but give in to that urge to look anyway. Perfect metaphor to describe this show if you ask me. ( Especially when you've got your main character daydreaming about tentacle rape.)

Most of the disgusting parts I speak of are mostly a result of the actions of the shows protaginist Shuusuke, a chronic masturbater with a serious porn addiction and the IQ of a walnut. Oh, and did I mention he belongs to a club of people who just as if not more perverted than him. Thank god the really nasty stuff only happens in his imagination because otherwise I might have to sue the creator for emotional trauma.

The other main character is his sister Nao who I think is incapable of applying logic to anything she does. Apparently she is in love with her brother which makes zero sense to me due to previously stated facts. The girl is fully aware of how messed up her brother is, and at one point when Shuusuke tries to become normal she does everything she can to keep him as the sicko he is. Yeah you read that right.

Nao is supposed to be a main character, but all she does is stalk her brother every episode and do absolutely nothing to take the lead in the harem. Wait a minute, did I just say harem? Why, how on earth could a person like Shuusuke have a harem? Oh, but wait he does! He has a harem which includes a girl who is willing to do anything at anytime for him and yet he still chooses his right hand...

After reading that I'm sure you'll be suprised to hear that I actually watched the whole thing. Despite how dreadful the shows characters are ( as well as their design) there were alot of momments that were actually watchable. Although an actual plot is absent here and the last few episodes were a let down compared to previous ones, I did in fact somewhat enjoy this. ( Although I'd emphasize somewhat.)

If you yourself are a huge pervert you'll enjoy this show! If not, your better off avoiding it altogether because honestly, I only kept watching this to kill time.