First Stage - Act 13

First Date
Stage	First Stage
Act	13
Air Date	August 8th 1998
Chapters Adapted	Chapter 32 (p. 11-13, 16-17) Chapter 33 (p. 3-5)
Opening	"around the world"
Ending	"Rage your dream"
TV Rating (%)	2.5
Audience Share (%)	25.4
Episode Guide
Previous	← First Stage - Act 12
Next	First Stage - Act 14 →

First Date (イツキの初デート, Itsuki no hatsu dēto, known as Iggy's First Date! in the Tokyopop version) is the thirteenth Act of Initial D First Stage.

This episode features Itsuki Takeuchi's impromptu battle with Shingo Shoji.

Synopsis

Shingo's itching to take on the Eight-Six in a dangerous race, but with nobody stepping up to accept the challenge, he takes drastic measures to get his way.

Plot

The episode continues with Shingo arriving at Mount Akina, where he tells Iketani to relay a message to the driver of Akina's Eight-Six, (unaware that it’s Takumi) challenging him to a duct-tape deathmatch. He wagers that if he loses, he will apologize for bumping Iketani's car, before driving off. Takumi expresses no interest in racing, and Iketani supports his decision.

The next morning at the gas station, while Takumi is serving a customer, Iketani and Itsuki inform Yuichi about Shingo’s challenge. Yuichi warns them that a duct-tape deathmatch is the most dangerous type of race. Itsuki downplays the danger, prompting Iketani to ask him to turn the Eight-Five’s steering fully left without letting go. Itsuki is shocked to learn that despite a 180-degree turn, the wheels barely shift, highlighting the steering limitations. Iketani explains that Takumi would have to initiate drifts to make each corner, but without the ability to counter-steer, the race would be nearly impossible. Yuichi notes that the race favors FF cars and advises Takumi to avoid it, unaware that Takumi has overheard their conversation, potentially piquing his interest.

Kenji arrives at the gas station with another Speed Stars member, revealing that Shingo Shoji, the EG6 driver, is the No. 2 of the Myogi Night Kids and self-proclaimed fastest downhill racer. Though unpopular with Takeshi and the rest of the team due to his narcissism, Shingo aims to defeat the Eight-Six and claim leadership. He spreads a rumor that the Speed Stars are scared and hid the race rules, intending to provoke Takumi into racing. Takumi, initially indifferent, states again that he has no intention of racing, relieving the Speed Stars. Iketani supports his choice.

That evening, Shingo and two other Night Kids members meet at a family restaurant, discussing the race. Shingo insists he’s ready and will do anything to force the Eight-Six to race. Takeshi arrives and warns Shingo not to disgrace the Night Kids. Shingo mocks him, claiming his loss to the Eight-Six in an R32 already damaged their reputation. He states that his challenge is to avenge that loss and sarcastically asks Takeshi to be grateful before leaving. The two Night Kids members talk down Takeshi and praise Shingo as their new leader.

Meanwhile, Itsuki calls Saori from a phone booth and invites her on a road trip to Akina, which she accepts. The next morning, as Takumi prepares for deliveries, he tries to ask Bunta about duct-tape deathmatches but hesitates. While driving up Akina, his thoughts drift to his recent time with Natsuki, revealing he’s been thinking about her lately.

Later that morning, after serving a customer, Yuichi asks Takumi and Iketani where Itsuki is. They don’t know, though he was just washing his car. They discover Itsuki hiding in the garage, reading a love manual. Iketani grabs it and correctly guesses he has a date. Putting him in a headlock, Iketani scolds him for not asking for advice. Itsuki retorts that Iketani has no experience with women, making his advice useless. Yuichi shares his own dating experiences, saying they relied on trial and error. Itsuki reminds Yuichi he’s taking the day off, which Yuichi accepts.

That afternoon, Itsuki picks Saori up from the bus stop. Meanwhile, Shingo visits the gas station to ask Iketani if Takumi accepted the challenge. Iketani says no. Shingo taunts him, calling him a coward and vowing to make him race, before leaving. Meanwhile, Itsuki’s date goes well. They visit Lake Akina, ride the cable cars, and enjoy the mountain view. While rowing a canoe, Itsuki tries to kiss Saori, but she dodges, causing him to fall into the lake. Embarrassed, he apologizes, and the rest of the date becomes awkward. That night, as they drive down Akina, they’re unaware that Shingo is following them. Eventually, Shingo bumps the Eight-Five with his EG6. Under pressure, Itsuki accelerates while Saori clings to her seatbelt. The car scrapes the guardrail, and Shingo hits him mid-corner, causing the Eight-Five to spin. Determined to protect Saori, Itsuki crashes into a wall.

Later, Yuichi receives a call from the city hospital reporting the accident. Takumi and Iketani rush to check on Itsuki. The doctor finishes bandaging his leg, explaining he’ll need a few days for tests. Saori sustained minor scratches and went home, and only the trunk of the Eight-Five was damaged. Once alone, Itsuki begins to cry and tells them that the red EG6 caused the accident. Enraged, Takumi finally accepts the challenge. As he leaves, Iketani tries to stop him, but it's no use.

Stats

Airdates

• Fuji TV: August 8, 1998

Characters

In order of appearance:

1. Koichiro Iketani
2. Shingo Shoji
3. Kenji
4. Itsuki Takeuchi
5. Takumi Fujiwara 
6. Yuichi Tachibana
7. Takeshi Nakazato
8. Saori
9. Natsuki Mogi (Flashback)

Cars

1. Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6)
2. Nissan Silvia K's (S13)
3. Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85)
4. Nissan 180SX Type II (RPS13)
5. Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86)

Music

Japanese

Original (2.0 Stereo)

Time	Song	Album
0:04 - 1:34	around the world - m.o.v.e	Initial D Sound Files Vol 1
1:31 - 2:46	Unreleased Sound File - "pride"	-
5:12 - 6:19	Deep Fear - Ryuichi Katsumata	Initial D Sound Files Vol 2
8:34 - 9:33	Tension - Ryuichi Katsumata	Initial D Sound Files Vol 1
11:24 - 11:55	Admiration - Ryuichi Katsumata
11:56 - 12:00	Eye-Catch 2 - Ryuichi Katsumata
12:33 - 13:58	Cheerful - Ryuichi Katsumata
14:32 - 15:17	Tension - Ryuichi Katsumata
15:27 - 16:36	Hope - Ryuichi Katsumata
16:56 - 17:28	Unreleased Sound File - "Endearing"	-
18:19 - 20:17	Dancing - Vicky Vale	Super Eurobeat Presents Initial D ~D Selection 2~
21:39 - 22:20	Rock It Down - m.o.v.e	Initial D Best Song Collection 1998-2004
22:21 - 24:20	Rage Your Dream - m.o.v.e	Initial D Sound Files Vol 1
24:21 - 24:50	Around The World (Instrumental) - m.o.v.e.	-

Credits

Main episodic credits only. For a complete list of credits, please see Initial D First Stage#Credits

• Script: Hiroshi Toda
• Storyboard: Yukihiro Makino
• Episode Director: Mihiro Yamaguchi
• Animation Director: Takahisa Ichikawa, Takeshi Yamazaki
• Assistant Animation Director: Kiyotaka Iida
• Director of Photography: Seiichi Morishita
• CG: Daisuke Fukase (Nest), Kazuhira Tanaka (Nest), Masafumi Suzuki (Nest), Sadanori Kaneda (Nest)
• Key Animation: Koji Yasuda, Ryuji Tsuzuku (Studio Mark), Tatsuo Honda, Yojiro Shige, Yū Yoshida (Studio Mark), Yuichiro Masuda
• In-Between Animation: Daisuke Kikuchi (Wombat), Hiroshi Watanabe (Wombat), Hirotoshi Ozaki (Wombat), Kazuhiro Fukuchi, Kentarō Inoue (Wombat), Masakazu Sugizaki (Wombat), Tadashi Kubo (Wombat), Yō Hashimoto

Gallery

Eyecatcher A

Eyecatcher B

Differences from the Manga

• Saori and the entire date with Itsuki are anime exclusive.
• Itsuki's race with Shingo and subsequent crash are exclusive to the anime.