Initial D (film)

For other uses, see Initial D (disambiguation).

Initial D is a 2005 Hong Kong film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It is a film adaptation of the Japanese Initial D manga and anime series.

Plot

Taking place in the Gunma prefecture in Japan, the film concerns a young tofu-delivery driver named Takumi Fujiwara, trained from a young age and way before he could drive to deliver tofu to the peak of Mt Akina and unknown. He had been trained to an incredible level of skill in taking on the five hairpin corners plus using the gutter techniques of Mt. Akina (Mt. Haruna in real-life). The film chronicles his evolution from an uninterested delivery boy into a hardened tōge racer, also showing how he learns techniques of racing without affecting his delivery load.

Takumi drives his father, Bunta Fujiwara's Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) which is seemingly unmodified but is perfectly suited for the downhill corners of Mt. Akina, which gains the attention of local street racers all across the prefecture. Some ultimately challenge Takumi to races on Akina's downhill, including Takeshi Nakazato who leads the NightKids team and drives a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32). Ryosuke Takahashi, leader of the RedSuns team and a driver of the Mazda RX-7 (FC) helps out Takumi along the way by giving him advice and teaching him about car mechanics. Takumi agrees to race Ryosuke in three weeks.

While following the path of a street racer, Takumi must deal with his alcoholic father and his girlfriend Natsuki Mogi (Anne Suzuki) who's with an older man (who drives a Mercedes-Benz S-Class) at a love hotel for two weeks as he takes on more difficult challenges.

With all the talk on Takumi's AE86, Takumi's close friend Itsuki Tachibana buys a new car after his Nissan Silvia gets totalled. He wounds up buying but swindled (mentioned by Itsuki's father) getting a faulty AE86 instead. Takumi was lured by Itsuki to teach driving down Mt Akina, but halfway through, a member from the Emperor Team taunts them and almost made them crash, which makes Takumi angry and successfully getting back at the Emperor Team's racer, where his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV crashed.

Takumi thus gains more fame, but the Emperor Team is mad. Afterward, his AE86 apparently breaks down mechanically after being bothered from a racer in the Emperor Team as payback, which led to Bunta dropping a new TRD 20-valve SilverTop racing engine and modifying the car. Takumi tests his new car, but is not used to the new mechanics, until Bunta teaches him how to drive right, he becomes ready.

Though, Takumi is bothered by Natsuki's absence, and despite a fight between Itsuki and him where Itsuki claimed he saw Natsuki coming out of a love hotel with her older partner and he impulsively declares Natsuki a slut (but apologizes eventually), Takumi suspects something amiss about her. When Ryousuke and Takeshi arrive to pick him up for their duel, Takumi follows, but he briefly sees Natsuki with her older partner, which seemingly confirms what Itsuki saw.

At last the showdown on the Emperor Team, Ryosuke and Takumi race along with the racer from the Emperor Team, Kyouichi. Ryousuke and Takumi handle their common opponent from the Emperor Team and work together. The Emperor Team loses when Kyouichi swerves to avoid hitting another car and refused to listen to advice. The race then leaves only Takumi and Ryosuke where they take each other on. In the midst, Bunta explains the factors on Takumi's chances to win, and finally Takumi succeeds to win the event by beating Ryousuke at the last hairpin turn with the new car's mechanics that he learned.

After the race, at a convenience store Ryosuke offers Takumi a chance on a racing team composed of expert racers, on which Takumi has been undecided. Until he discovers his girlfriend being dropped off by the older partner he confirms the suspicions of her and he runs away from her, but she kept running towards him. Outrunning Natsuki and back to his car where he tearfully drives away, he is upset and their relationship ends with Natsuki regretfully crying. In the end Takumi apologizes to Itsuki and he joins Ryousuke's team as the film ends.

Cast

Main article: Initial D characters and teams

Major characters

• Jay Chou as Takumi Fujiwara
• Anthony Wong as Bunta Fujiwara
• Edison Chen as Ryosuke Takahashi
• Anne Suzuki as Natsuki Mogi
• Shawn Yue as Takeshi Nakazato
• Chapman To as Itsuki Tachibana
• Kenny Bee as Yuichi Tachibana
• Jordan Chan as Kyouichi Sudou
• Will Liu as Seiji Iwaki (Kyouichi's partner)

Minor characters

• Chie Tanaka as Miya (Gas station girl / Itsuki's love interest)
• Tsuyoshi Abe as Kenji (One of the gasoline boys/ Member of the Akina SpeedStars)
• Kazuyuki Tsumura as Mr. X (Natsuki's "papa")

Production

The American release of the film (assumed to be the same version in all other English-speaking countries) has a different soundtrack than the original Asian market version.

Changes from original versions

The film differs from the manga and anime in several distinct ways. Some changes are significant, while others are minor.

Film	Anime/Manga/Games
Itsuki Tachibana is the spoiled brat and the son of Yuuichi Tachibana, the Gas Station manager. He is the de facto leader of the Akina Speed Stars.	Kouichiro Iketani is the leader of the Akina Speed Stars, while Itsuki Takeuchi (as he is named in the original series) is an employee like Takumi at the gas station, and is more of a comic relief. Itsuki is not the son of Yuuichi Tachibana nor is he even family related.
Bunta Fujiwara is portrayed as an abusive, easily angered, alcoholic womanizer.	Bunta is portrayed as a wise and often secretive father, who nurtures Takumi's "gift" of touge racing. He likes to drink, but is not an alcoholic.
Team Emperor is portrayed as a Bōsōzoku gang.	Team Emperor is portrayed as a semi-professional street racing team.
Itsuki tells Takumi that Natsuki Mogi is cuckolding him after noticing Mogi in another man's Mercedes-Benz driving out of a hotel. Takumi then sees Mogi in the Mercedes on the highway and also when he goes to Mogi's estate in the end.	In the anime, an anonymous phone call following a number of anonymous notes (later turns out to be the daughter of the middle-aged man, also a friend and classmate of Natsuki) informs Takumi that Natsuki Mogi is engaging in enjo kōsai. Takumi stakes out a family restaurant and sees Mogi entering the Mercedes together with a middle aged man. In the manga, Takumi sees the two come out of a love hotel parking lot.
Itsuki drives a Nissan Silvia K's (S13) which he crashes and later on he drives a Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86).	Itsuki mistakenly obtains a Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85), thinking it is a Toyota Corolla Levin (AE86), in contrast with Takumi's Trueno. Koichiro Iketani drives the Nissan Silvia K's (S13). But Itsuki only borrowed the Nissan Silvia Q's (S13) and not the same car.
Both Takumi Fujiwara and Ryosuke Takahashi use the gutter technique to win Kyouichi.	Only Takumi and Bunta are ever seen using the gutter technique. Ryosuke knows of it but has never actually attempted it.
The engine, carbon fiber hood, tachometer, and light weight headlamps are installed all at once during the re-tuning after the AE86 breaks down.	Each of the modifications are installed separately: first, the 200+ horsepower 4A-GEU engine and then the tachometer are installed during 2nd Stage. During the 4th stage, a carbon fiber hood and light-weight headlamps are installed.
Bunta gave Takumi a cup of water to put it on the cup holder in the AE86 the following day after Takumi breaks the tofu in the AE86's boot. Bunta tells Takumi not to spill even a single drop of it or warned that he'll be thrown/kicked out of his house for the night.	Bunta simply gave Takumi a cup of water right on his very first day of his tofu delivery; Bunta filled the cup up a little more every time and just told him not to spill a single drop of it.
Takeshi Nakazato drifts when driving his R32.	Takeshi Nakazato never drifts when driving his R32, as he prefers the "grip" style of driving instead.
'Papa' drives a Mercedes S-Class (although this is shown initially as a W220 and subsequently as a W140)	'Papa' drives a Mercedes E-class.
Keisuke Takahashi, Ryosuke's younger brother, is not featured, although Ryosuke has the same dress style as Keisuke does in the manga, blending the characters into one person in way.	Keisuke Takahashi appears at the beginning of the anime and runs the first race with Takumi using his FD.

Sequel

On 29 October, there has been a report that Jay Chou is directing and starring in Initial D 2 which is expected to be released in 2012. The only confirmed actor so far returning is Edison Chen as Ryosuke Takahashi.

Release

File:InitialD film.jpg

Hong Kong region 3 DVD cover

Initial D was released on 23 June 2005 in several Asian markets including Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and mainland China, where it topped the box office in its first week. The film made its North American debut at The Imaginasian Theater in New York City and was released on DVD soon afterward.

It went straight to DVD in Australia on 21 October 2005. It was also released in the United Kingdom on 28 April, and the Philippines on 12 July 2006. Tai Seng Entertainment, the distributor of Initial D in the United States, released Initial D on Blu-ray on 22 January 2008. This is an exclusive release for the Blu-ray format.

Awards and nominations

Initial D won six awards out of 15 nominations from the 42nd Golden Horse Awards in 2005 and 25th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006.

42nd Golden Horse Awards

Category	Nomination	Result	Ref
Best Supporting Actor	Anthony Wong Chau-Sang	Won
Best New Performer	Jay Chou	Won
Best Adapted Screenplay	Felix Chong Man-Keung	Nominated
Best Original Song	"飄移" (Drifting) by Jay Chou from November's Chopin	Nominated
Best Visual Effects	Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung	Nominated
Best Sound Effects	Kinson Tsang King-Cheung	Nominated

25th Hong Kong Film Awards

Category	Nomination	Result	Ref
Best Supporting Actor	Anthony Wong Chau-Sang	Won
Best New Performer	Jay Chou	Won
Best Sound Design	Kinson Tsang King-Cheung	Won
Best Visual Effects	Victor Wong, Eddy Wong, Bryan Cheung	Won
Best Film	Initial D	Nominated
Best Director	Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai	Nominated
Best Editing	Wong Hoi	Nominated
Best Original Score	Chan Kwong-Wing	Nominated
Best Original Song	"飄移" (Drifting) by Jay Chou from November's Chopin	Nominated

External links

• Initial D at IMDb
• Initial D at AllMovie
• Initial D at Rotten Tomatoes
• Initial D (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia