"Initial D Fourth Stage" Review: The Secrets of Drifting and the Speed ​​of Youth

"Initial D Fourth Stage" - The ultimate driving technique and a youthful story

Initial D Fourth Stage is the fourth series of the TV anime series based on the popular manga Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno, and was broadcast on Animax from April 17, 2004 to February 18, 2006. The 24-episode series follows Takumi Fujiwara and his beloved Hachiroku as they take on new challenges.

story

Takumi Fujiwara, who has become invincible in the Gunma area by utilizing his ultimate driving techniques, moves on to a new stage after graduating from high school. That is, joining "Project D", a special team for expeditions outside the prefecture led by Ryosuke Takahashi of Red Suns. "Project D" recruits challengers online on PC, pursues speed only on the streets, and aims to win battles and set course records in various places. Takumi's new challenge begins with a showdown with Team Seven Stars from the Tochigi area, led by Toru Suetsugu, a renowned daredevil kamikaze downhiller.

Commentary

"Initial D Fourth Stage" is based on the popularity of the original manga and depicts a deeper story and character growth. Animation is produced by ACGT and directed by Tominaga Tsuneo. While faithfully recreating the worldview of the original, it beautifully combines the dynamic racing scenes and character portrayal of emotions that are unique to anime. In addition, with supervision by Tsuchiya Keiichi and the Hot Version editorial department, the realistic drifting and car depictions have been praised.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Takumi Fujiwara: Shinichiro Miki
• Ryosuke Takahashi: Takehito Koyasu
• Keisuke Takahashi: Tomokazu Seki
• Bunta Fujiwara: Unsho Ishizuka
• Yuichi: Tomomichi Nishimura
• Koichi Ikeya: Kazuki Yao
• Itsuki Takeuchi: Mitsuo Iwata
• Natsuki Mogi: Ayako Kawasumi
• Wataru Akiyama: Yasunori Matsumoto
• Kenta Nakamura: Kosuke Okano
• Toru Suetsugu: Hiroki Nakamura
• Junro Kawai: Seiji Sasaki
• Tomoyuki Tate: Kazuhiro Nakata
• Kyoko Iwase: Megumi Toyoguchi
• Daiki Ninomiya: Toshiyuki Morikawa
• Smiley Sakai: Takase Yumitsu
• Toshiya Jojima: Masashi Ehara
• Hoshino Kozo: Otomo Ryuzaburo

These voice actors express the characters' personalities in a rich way, leaving a deep impression on the audience.

Main Staff

The following staff members are involved in the production of "Initial D Fourth Stage".

• Original author: Shuichi Shigeno
• Published in: Weekly Young Magazine
• Publisher: Kodansha
• Planning: Ryuzo Shoji
• Director: Tsuneo Tominaga
• Character design: Akira Kano
• Mechanical design: Hideaki Yokoi
• CG Director: Kanemori Yasuda
• 3DCG: Pastel
• Art director: Masayoshi Banno
• Music: Jun Umebori, Dennis Martin
• Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
• Theme song: move (avex tune)
• Executive Producer: Ren Usami
• Producer: Yoshiyo Fukuda
• Animation production: ACGT
• Produced by: OB Planning
• Supervised by Keiichi Tsuchiya and Hot Version Editorial Department
• Produced by: Twomax, Wedgelink, OB Planning

Thanks to the cooperation of these staff members, we were able to create a work that brings out the charm of the original work to the fullest.

subtitle

The subtitles and broadcast dates for each episode are as follows:

• ACT.1/Project D (2004/04/16)
• ACT.2 / Full Throttle! Downhill Battle (2004/04/16)
• ACT.3 / The Strongest Man in Toudou Juku (2004/06/19)
• ACT.4 / Two pieces of advice (2004/06/19)
• ACT.5 / Starting Line to Victory (2004/08/21)
• ACT.6 / Blind Attack (2004/08/21)
• ACT.7 / Storm of Hachigo Turbo (2004/10/15)
• ACT.8 / Fateful FD Battle (2004/10/15)
• ACT.9 / Kyoko's Confession (2004/12/17)
• ACT.10 / Saitama Area Ultimate Weapon (2004/12/17)
• ACT.11 / Downhill Battle in the Rain (2005/02/18)
• ACT.12 / Straight of Conflict (2005/02/18)
• ACT.13/Motivation (2005/04/15)
• ACT.14 / Sad Lonely Driver (2005/04/15)
• ACT.15/4WD Complex (2005/06/17)
• ACT.16 / Angry Hill Climb (2005/06/17)
• ACT.17 / Saitama Area Final Battle (2005/08/19)
• ACT.18/Last Drive (2005/08/19)
• ACT.19 / Godfoot and Godarm (2005/10/14)
• ACT.20/Super GT-R! (2005/10/14)
• ACT.21 / Dogfight (2005/12/16)
• ACT.22 / Magic of One-Hand Steering (2005/12/16)
• ACT.23/Endless Battle (2006/02/17)
• ACT.24 / Never-ending Challenge (2006/02/17)

Related Titles

"Initial D Fourth Stage" is linked to the following related works:

• Initial D
• Initial D Second Stage
• Initial D Extra Stage
• Initial D Extra Stage 2
• Initial D Third Stage
• Initial D Fifth Stage
• Initial D Final Stage

These works depict the growth of Takumi Fujiwara and the human drama surrounding him.

Theme songs and music

The theme song and insert song for "Initial D Fourth Stage" are performed by move. Below are details of the theme song and ending theme.

Opening Theme

• OP1: DOG FIGHT
  • Lyricist: motsu
  • Composer: t-kimura
  • Arrangement: t-kimura
  • Sung by: move
• OP2: Noizy Tribe
  • Lyrics: motsu, yuri
  • Composer: Dubby Budda
  • Arrangement: Dubby Budda
  • Sung by: move

Ending Theme

• ED1: Blast My Desire
  • Lyricist: motsu
  • Composer: t-kimura
  • Arrangement: t-kimura
  • Sung by: move
• ED2: Nobody Reason ~ Noah's Ark
  • Lyricist: motsu
  • Composer: t-kimura
  • Arrangement: t-kimura
  • Sung by: move

Ratings and Recommendations

"Initial D Fourth Stage" is a work that depicts the dynamic racing scenes and character growth that are unique to anime while inheriting the charm of the original work. In particular, it beautifully depicts the evolution of Takumi Fujiwara's driving technique and the deepening of the relationships surrounding him. In addition, the realistic depiction of drifting and cars has been praised, making it a must-see for car enthusiasts and racing fans.

This series depicts universal themes such as the passion of youth, friendship, and fighting with rivals, and can be enjoyed by a wide range of generations. In particular, the way Takumi grows through his activities in Project D is inspiring to viewers. In addition, the race battles in each episode are tense and will definitely draw you into the story.

In addition, the theme song and insert songs by Move also add to the atmosphere of the work, and the fusion of music and video is wonderful. This is a work that can be recommended not only to anime fans but also to music fans.

"Initial D Fourth Stage" is a must-watch not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who are interested in anime and racing. Be sure to experience Takumi Fujiwara's new challenges and growth through this series.