It took a while, but it seems like I made it just in time for Christmas. You ask for it, here it is. Spoilers ahead. It's important to make sure that we're not looking at an initial D through roast-colored glasses, because only then can we see that it isn't some philosophical masterpiece like Stein's Gate, nor does it possess the artistic beauty of Redline. It doesn't have me as ocular levels of character development, it lacks the profanity of even Wong-Au Midnight, and unlike Capetta, it doesn't represent the harsh realities of life anywhere near the same extent. I mean, the closest it's ever gotten is with the story of Kawari Suicide, which happened because of a pre-arranged marriage that she did not want to enter. Frankly, I think there could have been other ways around that issue, aside from Suicide, but that wouldn't give the Shinigami vs. the Osuke Mini arc any reason to exist. On the subject of existence, initial D's conception and relatively lasting lifespan itself is a near miracle, although it has been over two years since the drop of the last legend movie. The drawbacks would render other anime dead within a few episodes, unless there's a sufficient amount of fan service, of course. The point I'm trying to make is this. Shuichi Shiguno created a masterpiece that prospered and lived as long as it did thanks to the passionate enthusiasts of the real world action that the show's stories based on. It will never have the ratings of Stein's Gate, with its 1.1 million members on my anim list and the number 3 ranking, but it doesn't try to. It's not a sci-fi thriller, but rather a sports action, placing it closer to Haji-mei Noibo, but with one key difference. It's a say-in-an instead of a shonen, with the quickest way to separate the two being the age group that each is aimed at. A say-in-an is aimed at young adult males as per definition over 18, while shonen is aimed at teenage boys. The classification never really made sense to me, and I wouldn't try to make any sense of it if however you either, just as I don't bother trying to make sense of many other things that happened in Japan. Just like Haji-mei Noibo, it is based around the real life activity that others can participate in, but one that isn't as popular or legal. If we were to branch it out in some sort of family tree, Togue battles fall on the racing in the same manner the boxing falls under fighting. Now you might ask me, Sirren, how to fuck this video and what you just said matter. Well let me tell you, it's because unlike the underground series Among A Midnight, Initial D is Borderline Mainstream. I don't just mean Mainstream among Gearheads, but I mean Mainstream among other anime and possibly other non-animated TV shows. There's a reason the Funimation bought the rights to stages 1-4 aside from it possibly being relatively inexpensive to do so, and who knows, maybe they will finally set their size to the last two stages and the Legend films. Netflix has added the rights to the not so critically acclaimed movie for some time now. Good luck finding Capetta or One Got Midnight in a list of shows and either service. Despite the lack of the traditionally socially accepted requirements of what would be considered a wholesome viewing experience, Initial D has struggled on for 18 years to become one of the earliest of a handful of multi-season car shows to last so long. To put that in perspective, Top Gear as we know it, including the post-clarks and error that nobody really cares for, has been going for 16 years. But unlike Top Gear, it has far fewer followers, so few that they don't even bother just finding an English speaking Twitter page. So what captivated the small following to stay loyal to the show for as long as they have? Stages 5 and 6 answered that question along with many others that come up throughout the series. Let's start by narrowing down the cast to three characters that the viewers consistently circle back to, Takumi Ryosuke and Ksuke. I think we can all agree that the Project D trio has some superhuman and some might say near godlike driving skills, making them seem like heroes to the spectators. All three tend to perform don't try to set home levels of stunts, from case case flat out a tag in the fog, Ryosuke zero approach to driving on the mountain pass, and probably the most daring of them all, Takumi's headlight trick. If you need more proof of just how difficult some of the basic techniques can be, check out Rich Chasers and progression these myth-busting videos. And yet these heroes of the mountain pass are only human themselves, and Shigeno does a stellar job representing this humanity to the viewer in a manner in which we can help but resonate with some of the aspects of these characters. Take Takumi, a young driving prodigy who can pull rabbit out of the hat tricks in the heat of the moment, regardless of what challenges he's presented. But take him out of the driver's seat, and he becomes an average developing teenager dealing with a lot of the same struggles, many other teenagers of his age deal with. What's even more, as the show develops, Shigeno successfully paints a larger picture around Takumi and much like Wanga Midnight, our main protagonist is no longer the only character the viewer is invested in. Case case, the god that he is thanks to the countless hours he puts into the practice routinely normally goes through. For this, he sacrificed relationships as well as his troubled past. Ryosuke on the other hand can't escape from his past and realizes that he has to confront it in order to move forward. At least three characters couldn't be more fundamentally different from each other. Where Fujiwara's lack of experience as fuels his will to expand his existing skills, Ryosuke uses his existing experiences in order to function as the team's strategist. Case case, on the other hand, doesn't resort to anything complex and simply faces any situation with a big dick in a locker room attitude. This takes us back to the Wanga Midnight video where I quoted along the Bhutan's infamous words. It may be powerless to alter certain events, but we remain free to choose our attitude towards them, which clearly represent Case case on attitude towards his circumstances. Whether he has to beat the shit out of a Yakuza gang or face an opponent in a match that has gone far out of the scope of the original strategy, Case case proceeds with absolute confidence in himself and his own abilities. The only things he has control of. The saying can be said of Ryosuke, who lays all scheming to rest when the time comes to battle and opponent, was pretty much trying to murder him. Even Spiral Zero's leader remarks that Ryosuke is using the fundamentals of his own theory. So how does all of this look to the spectator? Ask Shinji, who clearly answers this question in the finale of Stage 5. Shinji can be seen almost as if he were the viewer of the show itself, someone who wishes that he were as cool as the heroes participating in the battle. Except unlike the unlucky viewer, he is in the show, and he does have the power to be that hero that he wishes to be. And apparently all it takes for Shinji to spring into action is a hot chick to boost his motivation. I mean, seriously, he even goes as far as to give away the Takumi in the battle that he was leading, just so he can pass him again right in front of Mako. Not a coincidence. We can see Shinji go through a lot of the same transformations that Takumi went through in his early battles. Except for Shinji, it's the act of being a hero that is more significant. Super Eye Patch Wolf has a great video on what it takes for a hero to feel real, and Shinji's introduction is almost a reminder by Shigeno that the project D-Trio isn't just a group of really good drivers, but instead they are heroes to those who see them as such. Occasionally, I'll come across a character who makes me question everything I understand a hero to be. One that shatters the ideals of the heroic archetype and becomes something different and special. Characters who make us question everything we understand heroes to be. That's who the trio is really meant to be seen as. They don't have to be representing some notions of high morality, but instead they invoke unique emotions in the viewer that make us either consciously or subconsciously look up to them while also being very relatable at the same time. The definition of a hero varies from one person to another, and one person's opinion of a hero made this degree entirely with another. In the case of Shinji, Henry Theroux's quote could not fit any better. The hero is commonly the simplest and the obscurest of men. Shinji does not desire to save the world or to bring about universal justice. He wants to win a race and to impress his crush while he's in the process. Calvin Coolidge would add to this by stating that heroism is not only the man but in the occasion, and in this case, the occasion is the perfect one for Shinji to show off his will to be the hero that he wants to be. I'd like to leave this off with a few words about heroism and initial detaining in the world of gear heads. First off, heroism doesn't have to be limited to high stress situations. Times of peace call out for different kinds of heroes. The key similarity between all kinds of heroes is that they are inspiring individuals who set some sort of an example. This showed self-promote and activity that is otherwise frowned upon by the society as something dangerous in the legal, but such bounds never stop real-life characters from putting the Toggi stage on the map and eventually deriving a legitimate sport out of it. Initial D isn't just a tale of a kid and his age 6, but a tribute to those who made the world of Toggi racing and drifting infamous across the globe. The age 6 itself is the icon that it is today arguably thanks to this magnificent series, and its characters have been immortalized for the rest of eternity. All thanks to the passion of one individual that was inspired by a realm that he wanted to share with the rest of the world. Merry Christmas to everyone and thank you very much for watching this video. I went ahead and linked my manga Midnight videos as well as some others that I mentioned in the description for your entertainment. I'm spending a good bit of time on donut media's subreddit, so drop on by and say hi, and if you came here from a link on any other subreddit, mention it in the comments along with what you thought of this video. Drop a like if you liked this video and maybe subscribe, don't forget to hit that bell icon so you can be notified whenever I drop new videos and let me know if you would like to see something specific come up next. That being said, the new year will be bringing about some exciting projects that I'm really stoked to share with all of you. Stay safe out there and enjoy your holidays.