Initial D Set

I am going to keep this short and sweet. The series is incredible, I loved every minute of it. So when they decided to release in the US finally I rushed out an bought it. BUT, It is the worst translation and voice acting I have ever heard. The dubbed version is wretched, and I will never listen to that again. TokyoPOP if you ever see this review, get your act together, it was horrible, stay to the original anime, do not make up your own garbage storyline!!! Watch the series, but make sure to do it subtitled, do not listen to the garbage that Tokyopop did.

This box contains the first 15 (First 5 Volumes) of 26 episodes of the stage 1 series put together in the nice collector box with 3 1/64 scale die-cast cars and logo decals.

This movie/series is for car racing fans out there. If you are not into racing, it will be boring for you and the movie will seem predicable. The main point of the movie is that no one expects a young guy driving an old car could out race/battle all/most the new and HIGH POWER engine car. Each race/battle ready pump you up with euro/dance music on Japanese audio track (Rather than Hip-Hop on English dub track) and raises a new trick in racing strategies that we can learn from it (Of course we are not dumb enough to do it in real life). The "Trick-Out" version is just adding more camera angles during the battles. It displays serveral angles in one screen during difting take place.

This is the first stage of the fourth stages of the entire series.... which are not over yet. "Stage 1" have 26 episodes. I think Tokyopop will continuing using the battle numberings system until the series is over.

"Stage 2" has 13 episodes - Meet a new team name Evolution (Their cars are Mitsubishi). Tak starting to race at opponents' courts more often now. Tak got a new Turbo Charge engine. Also, a love story of Tak And Natsuki continues. Iggy make friend with a new out of town girl. Tak find out the dark secret that Natsuki has been hidden from him.

EXTRA STAGE - 3 Acts (OVAs) talk about maya and her friend take a ski trip on the mounting where maya's friend try to set her up with a guy so that she could forget the other guy. This stage seem fall between stage 2 and 3.

"Stage 3" is the movie. Continuing a love story between Tak and Natsuki, also some battles take place. Ry ask Tak to join his new team called "Project D" and hope to conquer all the mountains in Japan

"Stage 4 (Project D)" is being air on Japan right now and DVD vol./round 1 - 4, which contain 2 episodes on each round/volume are out. Tak will be the downhill and K.T will be the uphill specialist for this project. Round/Vol. 1, Tak battle against red Miata. Stage 4 I heard has 14 episodes and there might be "Stage 5" and is going to be a movie. I can't until next year to get "Stage 4" DVD because I don't want to get volume by volume, hopefully they will put all the episodes into one package.

BATTLES STAGE - Just the recap/short version of all the three stages' battles take place (Not all battles). There are about 15 battles recap. NOTHING MORE! This stage is for someone just want to watch the battles again without watching the whole movie or skip it to where the battle begin.

I would recommend everyone to watch the Japanese dialog track because the character voices and the music are ways better than the dub version. If you have to watch the dub version, switch over to Japan version whenever they race/battle. You will know what I mean the differences in car audio sound and music from the dub version.

Natsuki has a dark secret and you guys will know in "Stage 2" series.

This series is so great and one of favorite BUT don't trust the translation. Normal dialog is kinda OK but MAKE SURE shut it off when the battle starts. The translation is so completely screwed up whenever conversation or the line gets technical. It's really a JOKE!! If you like or know or do this kind of high speed cornering rather than drag racing, you will know what's going on by just watching. They show you enough images to help you understand. Use your imagination but not your ears if you can't understand original Japanese. That's how bad translation is. One of the great thing about this series is that they stay as realistic as possible (at least somewhat). The writer does same kind of thing and famous racing driver is helping to create the show. The translation spoiled all those sweet things if you trust it. Having mentioned that, if you still want it, it will worth buying but otherwise forget it.

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