Initial D Fifth Stage Episode 1 Review

Initial D: The Fifth Stage is finally airing! Here's a quick look at the first episode.

I did promise not to write frame-by-frame, episode reviews but this is an exception. I want to show the artistic direction of the new season which has obviously evolved given the lengthy period between stage 4 and 5.

Takumi driving his father's car. The cars blend in well with the background.

The opening is a surge of upbeat, nostalgic awesome. m.o.v.e once again do the opening scene which shows various cars drifting through the mountain passes. The music is typical m.o.v.e with a high tempo beat and the contrasting voices of Yuri and Motsu.

The familiar petrol station in glorious HD!

Itsuki cruising in his 85. Note the vibrant background.

One thing that immediately struck me was how well the cars blended in with the rest of the scene. In previous seasons, it was obvious that the cars were 3D objects and didn't blend in as well with the general artwork. That never detracted from the anime for me and indeed I've heard of people who actually like this look. In the Fourth Stage, the cel-shading of the cars was done to create a more congruent look. They've taken this even further in the Fifth Stage. The cars blend in seamlessly with the environment. It's quite startling but I like it.

Drastic character redesigns! Look what they did to Takumi and Keisuke.

At least the girls look okay.

Obviously the rest of the artwork has been taken a notch up too. The backgrounds and characters are beautifully detailed. It's delightful to see familiar locations and characters almost completely transformed. However, some characters do differ significantly from the manga designs namely Takumi, Ryosuke and Keisuke. To be fair, the quirky manga designs weren't to all tastes but it does seem like a bit of a risk to tamper with them.

Nah just kidding. This is what Takumi, Ryosuke and Keisuke actually look like.

Takumi showing off his dorifto.

Being the first episode of the season, there isn't a battle just yet. It basically sets the scene for things to come. I was very impressed by how the cars look and move so the actual battles should be exciting! The only real blemish is the closing song. It's not done by m.o.v.e and is not particularly memorable either.