In addition to fine graphics, the presentation of this book is right-to-left on the page and in the binding. So, without any adaptation beyond translation, we now have this manga the way it was intended to be read.
Initial D is about cars. The art for anything else can look somewhat unsophisticated, but when Shuichi Shigeno puts pencil to paper to depict a Skyline GT-R or Nissan Silvia sliding around a mountain corner, his talent shines. There is no question that the cars sometimes seem more animated than the boys behind the wheel, but Takumi, the main character, has plenty of appeal. He is a real anti-hero, someone who doesn't quite buy into the racing frenzy his friends are caught up in, preferring instead to worry about the advances of an interesting girl in school. But, Takumi does have some connection to the mystery racer who has made a name for himself flying down the hard curves of Mount Akina, shaming a group of racers from another area trying to make a name for themselves against the locals. Initial D takes us right up to the big moment and leaves us gasping for Part 2.
