![]() With this, we get the full shebang, even if it occasionally looks like you’re watching looped replays from a PS2 racing game. Not that I can blame them for going all-CG, as it beats having the folks at studios Pastel and OB Planning cut corners with a more traditional style. This is especially true for the racing sequences, which I would consider one of the series’ eye-zapping crimes I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Originally released in 2001, Third Stage has pretty much everything one could ask for from an Initial D flick, and it does manage to look nicer than the TV series. Before Takumi can make this decision, he’s got a little more growing and learning to do, and that’s precisely what he does in Third Stage. He wants to enlist Takumi on his racing team, which he plans to take all over, challenging racers on their own courses. This is where former opponent Ryosuke Takahashi comes in. He’s made some modifications to his Trueno’s engine, and can generally beat the pants off anyone that challenges him on his home turf. Thus, he and his Toyota Trueno (referred to widely as the AE86, or simply the eight-six) were eventually thrust into the world of mountain racing, as if he had been working toward it all his life.Īt this point Takumi is more well versed in the sport. Takumi grew to know the course so well, and can run the whole thing without even spilling a drop of water from an open container. However, he just so happens to make tofu deliveries for his father’s store, an occupation that brings with it the treacherous curves of Mt. See, Takumi wasn’t always a drift racer racing wasn’t even on his radar in the early days. This kicks off a succinct montage of Takumi’s victories, and establishes the progress he’s made since he started racing. Near the beginning, the uninitiated are treated to wistful sunset recollections courtesy those near and dear to protagonist Takumi Fujiwara. While it’s ideal to start from the beginning, this 100-minute flick is pretty solid as far as introductions are concerned. Lest I sound too down on the look of Initial D, it’s probably more fair to say that it’s an “acquired taste.” Shuichi Shigeno’s art has always been faithfully translated to animation, for better or worse, but getting past those mannequin stares-the frozen poses that make everyone look about 100% more awkward than they should-doesn’t take too long.Įven if the art style doesn’t make you flinch for a second, any hesitation from a newcomer to jump in with Third Stage is understandable. I made it through about ten volumes of the manga, as well as select portions of the TV show, and now, thanks to FUNimation’s wrangling of the series, I can add the Third Stage feature to my shout-it-loud dismissal of all aesthetic common sense. Seriously, both the anime and manga practically challenge me to dislike them on a regular basis, yet I keep coming back no matter how severe their distinct handicaps may be. ![]() Initial Dhas always managed to entertain to some degree in spite of the myriad ways it attempts to turn its audience off.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |