In the episode, "Drive! Aho Girl!", Yoshiko Hanabatake rides her dog to Akina and ends up challenging a legendary rider to a race similar to the Initial D series. The race sequence is also in a manga form. It also somewhat resembles "Baribari Legend", a motorbike manga series also produced by Shuichi Shigeno.
In the rally game art of rally developed and published by Funselektor Labs Inc., the car "the original" (which is based of the AE86) features the text "tofu" on the underside. The car also has a special unlockable panda livery. Additionally the game features stages called "mount haruna", which is the real life equivalent of Akina, and "mount akagi". When all collectables are found on the map "kanto mountain", the player unlocks the achievement called "eurobeat".
In Episode 9 of the anime Bakuon!! (at 10:30) there is a flashback of the school principal, in which a drawn carbon fiber hood Toyota AE86, similar to Takumi Fujiwara's car, is shown parked in the background.
One of the recruitable racers found in the game is Steve, who is driving a white Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86), the same model that Takumi Fujiwara uses in the series. Steve will also gives the player advice about parts in-game, which references to Takumi's personality facets from the series.
In Episode 37 of the anime adaptation, Shunsuke Hayami, driving a blue Nissan Fairlady Z (Z34), races with his former senior Yuzuru (nicknamed "Yuzuru-86"), driving a Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) (similar to the one driven by Takumi Fujiwara) carrying tofu behind his car. Yuzuru's AE86 has side decals written in Japanese similar to Takumi's reading "Hakkai Tofu Store (Private Use)".
In Drift experience Vol.1, there are events named 'Initial Drill' likely to be a play on initial D, 'Hawi'i Red Suns', referencing Akagi RedSuns
Also in Drift experience, rival drivers have the names 'Takumi' and 'Keiichi', in reference to Takumi Fujiwara and Keiichi Tsuchiya
In the 'Made In Japan', there is an event named 'togue spirt', referencing Keisuke Takahashi searching for Takumi, calling him 'The White Ghost of Akina'
The anime, Dear Boys has a few Initial D references.
In Episode 14 (at 9:45) Kazuhiko Aikawa and Mai Moritaka are seen going on a movie date, where they watch a scene of the battle between Takumi Fujiwara and Toru Suetsugu, when Takumi overtakes Toru passing over the gutter. However, the Eight-Six lacks the Fujiwara Tofu Shop logo.
As Dear Boys released in 2003, its likely that A.C.G.T (who produced both series) were in production of Fourth Stage at the time, making this a sneak preview of the series.
Takumi vs Toru's battle featured on Episode 14 of Dear Boys
In the Sakura Tour Pack, which was released for the game in 2015, one of the 11 events is called "Initial Drift", where the player must score up to 10,500 points by drifting and speeding in a mountain course in Japan using a BMW M5 (F10). The event title, as well the objective and the course is a reference to Initial D.
In the episode "Life Course, Left or Right" (右か左か人生コース) of the 2005 series, several children are shown playing radio controlled cars that resemble Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota AE86 (although drawn as a 2-door notchback instead of 3-door liftback) and Keisuke Takahashi's Mazda RX-7 (with the A-Spec kit), along with a Subaru Impreza (GC8) in WRC livery.
"Bonus Stage" is a reference to how the Initial D series includes the naming 'stage' in its titles (e.g. First Stage, Arcade Stage).
"Multi-Track Drifting" is a reference to Densha de D, a fan comic parodying the Initial D series featuring trains instead of cars. It is specifically a reference to a two-page spread highlighting a character's shock of a train drifting across two sets of tracks.
"Bring Home the Tofu" is a reference to Bunta Fujiwara's tofu business, as well as Takumi's role as a tofu delivery driver.
"Kansei Dorifuto" and "NANI?!" are both references to the scene from the first battle of the series (which the scene was later featured as an internet meme afterwards), featured in Chapter 003 of the manga and the ending scene of Act 1 of First Stage, where Keisuke Takahashi is ambushed and passed by Takumi, in which he exclaims "NANI?! Kansei Dorifuto?!" (means "WHAT?! Inertia Drift?!" in Japanese).
"My Initial is D" is a reference to the series title. It is a challenge available to those who own the AE86 in Forza Horizon 5, when this challenge is completed, the character named Jamin will say "Woo! Initial D fans, let me hear it! ... Alright, fine, I know you're out there."
In Genshin Impact, there is an achievement called "Déjà Vu!". To complete this achievement, the player needs to continuously sail their Waverider at high speeds for a certain period of time.
The Shuichi Shigeno edition AE86 seen in Gran Turismo 7, without foglamps
Ditto, with foglamps
Additionally, the Nissan SilEighty appearing in the first two games in the series appears to be modeled after Mako's car, although the shade of blue in the game is not an exact match to her car. Later games in the series replace the SilEighty with Kids Heart's "official" SilEighty produced in limited quantities in 1998.
In Grand Theft Auto IV, if you look at the rear of the ambulance near the rear left door, there is a set of letters and numbers, 'AE-86-4AG', which is a reference the Toyota AE86 and its engine, 4AG.
In Grand Theft Auto V like in GTA IV, The Los Santos Medical Center variant of the Ambulance has a small decal on the bottom of both front doors reading '4AG-86', referring to the Toyota AE86 and its engine, the 4AG. Similarly, the Los Santos Fire Department variant has a decal in the same location reading 'RB26-32R', referring to the Nissan Skyline GT-R (R32) and its engine, the RB26DETT. Both Easter eggs are a nod to the AE86 and R32 GT-R, which appears in the show.
In Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V, there is a tuner car called the Karin Futo, which is based on the notchback version of the Toyota Corolla Levin (AE86), its name is derived from the Japanese pronunciation for the word drift, "Dorifuto" (ドリフト), but it is also an anagram for tofu, which references Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86), having used both for drifting and tofu delivery in the series. The Futo's stock wheels closely resemble the RS Watanabe F8, the same wheels that were found on Takumi's AE86. The Futo's stock wheels can be also purchased in GTA V via the in-game's mod shops, found under the Tuner category in Wheels section, named "Fujiwara", the surname of both Takumi and Bunta.
The livery features Kanji on the side of the car, similar to that featured on Takumi's Eight-Six. The text reads "スタンスアンドレアス" which translates to "Stance Andreas", a company in the GTA series.
The livery also changes the Futo logo on the back of the car to read "Tofu", a reference to Takumi's role as a tofu delivery driver.
In chapter 215 of the manga, Masayoshi and Shousuke Komi can be seen playing an arcade racing game called Initial M, with a similar styled logo to Initial D.
In the sixth episode of the anime adaption, Fixtures of Summer, Nanako Kuroi and Yui Narumi are driving to the Miuru-kaigan beach area. However, on the way, a yellow Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) (similar to the one owned by Keisuke Takahashi) begins to pass them, resulting in Yui, driving her blue Subaru Vivio (possibly a RX-R), challenging the unseen driver to a race. It is revealed in the segment that Yui is a skilled driver. Other references in the race segment include:
The Vivio having a cup of water in the cupholder, similar to how Bunta places a cup of water in the AE86 to prevent Takumi from breaking the Tofu, and to improve his driving skills.
The 2D visuals, 3D effects, and the two onlookers were drawn in a similar style to Initial D.
The gutter technique scene in Lucky Star
Yui pulls off a gutter drop, one of Takumi's specialties.
Konata Izumi telling Nanako that she normally feels car sick but feels better when she rides inside Nanako's car may be a reference to Natsuki Mogi telling Takumi the same thing.
This race features the song "Gravity" by "m.o.e.v", which is a parody of Noizy Tribe by m.o.v.e (used as an opening theme in Fourth Stage). m.o.e.v. is a self parody. m.o.v.e. would later remix the song on their 2009 album anim.o.v.e 01.
In the second part of the sixth episode of the anime adaption, Anego and Yamada gets teleported by Punie Tanaka during their date. Near the end of their date, Anego gets teleported into a backseat of a car. Punie then talks to Anego via the car's radio, where she announces that Anego is now on a car ride through Hitouko and introduces a crazy male driver under bad influence, who got his driver's license and is a big fan of Initial D. Soon, the camera pans away from the interior view to reveal that the driver drives a Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86), similar to the one that is driven by Takumi. The car's side decal reads "Tanaka Punie Shop (Home Business)". The car enters a mountain pass that is similar to Mt. Akina. Anego kicks the driver's face, causing him to pass out and forcing her drive the AE86. She then passes a yellow Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), similar to Keisuke's FD3S. The scene where both cars drift together head-to-head is a reference to the first battle from the series.
In the second episode of the second season of Miss Monochrome, Miss Monochrome misinterprets the term "promoter" as "pro motorer," leading her to search for a professional motorist. This results in a scene set on Akina from Initial D Legend 1: Awakening, where Akagi RedSuns racers are drifting. A Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) drifts around a corner, prompting Miss Monochrome, seeing it as the promoter she is looking for, she then grabs onto Rū and transform into a Toyota Sprinter Trueno 3door GT-APEX (AE86) where she is driving and engages in a battle.
The entire sequence re-uses the same animation as Takumi Fujiwara's battle against Keisuke Takahashi from Legend 1, as both were made by the same studios, LIDEN FILMS and SANZIGEN. However, the AE86 has a "Miss Monochrome" livery instead of the "Fujiwara Tofu Store" decal, and the RX-7 is pink/purple with blue underglow. The AE86 ultimately overtakes the RX-7 using the Gutter Run like the battle in Initial D.
The logo of the game series bares a striking similarity to the Initial D logo, this could also be a reference to how Pastel (the team who worked on the game alongside TOP) worked as the animation team for Second Stage.
Konosaki Michi's Honda CR-X in the first Morero Downhill Night game
The Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) is featured in a Special Event called "Drift King". At one point, Kim, the player's friend who supported them in the game's original storyline and a few other special events, references "Kansei Dorifuto" and "Tofu Delivery" during the conversation of the first Drift challenge in Chapter 1. Also, in the third Drift challenge from Chapter 2, the character "Isabella" drives a modified yellow Mazda RX-7 (FD3S), similar to Keisuke's Fifth Stage FD3S.
If accepted, the player can pick up a stranded racer named Boost. If not being chased by the police, Boost mentions watching a street racing anime taking place in the mountains of Japan, where two street racers worked together until one of them gets betrayed by the other. They then have a final battle in the end.
From the fourth week, there is available the S+ class drift event, called "Takahashi's Special".
During Volume 7, it was added another drift event, referenced to Night Kids, called "Myogi Night".
The Toyota Sprinter Trueno, with similar specifications to Takumi's AE86 in the "White Ghost of Akina" arc of the series, makes an appearance, complete with the Fujiwara Tofu Shop sticker. This particular variant of the AE86 is released in collaboration with the Initial D series.
In Chapter 80, Ryoko Shino, is the main character of over Rev. Someday at Innaki pass her car was having problems. while she was checking her car then someone came dressed like Takumi fujiwara but the person was wearing glasses approached her and asked what the problem was. when Ryoko asked what the car was. he showed her the ae86 car that was parked there. when they finished talking, he drove the Toyota MR2 with Ryoko and told her about his friend who was an expert on the road and had died 14 years ago. then later Ryoko's friends, Aika and Sawako saw Ryoko sitting in the passenger seat but they didn't see the person who looked like Takumi and considered him a ghost. after driving and they parked on near parking lot, Ryoko thanked him and turned to AW11. But when she looked back at the man. The man disappeared without a trace just like Takumi who is known as the "Ghost Of Akina Eight-Six".
In Episode 4 of the anime adaption, SWGP 2018, a character known as "GTR" appears, based on Takeshi Nakazato from the series. His skeleton bobsled is based on the R32, with him saying that the ""R" in GTR stands for the legend who is invincible!". He is promptly blown up with a rocket launcher.
Running In The 90's 2023 Music Video[]
Max Coveri - Running In The 90's 2023 (Music Video)
One of the stickers that you can achieve in the Online Matchmaking mode is named after the "Legend of the Streets" campaign mode in the Arcade Stage Series, in which the player must achieve 25 Drift-Boosts in a Matchmaking game.
In episode 1 of the anime's first season, Ooji Karasuma, Tenma Tsukamoto, and Kenji Harima pass by a white Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) (similar to the one driven by Takumi Fujiwara) during a bike chase to school. The AE86 has side decals written in Japanese similar to Takumi's reading "Kobayashi Tofu Store (For Private Use)", and is labeled 'Truemo' on the front. Episode 21 of the anime's second season, titled Second Semester, also begins with a parody of Initial D. The scene depicts a race between a red Honda NSX (NA2) driven by Yoko Sasakura and Itoko Osakabe against a black Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 driven by a character who even resembles Takeshi Nakazato. The spectators seen commenting on the race are also drawn in the same art style as Initial D, some of which seem to resemble Kenji and Sayuki.
In the first episode of the anime adaption, Exodus to Tomorrow!, the opening credits sequence of the episode is similar to the opening credits sequence to Initial D. In the opening sequence, Aoi Miyamori is driving to Misato Segawa's house for an animation check-up in a white Suzuki Alto (HA25) owned by the animation studio company that she works with, Musashino Animation. While waiting on the traffic light and listening to the radio announcement about Exodus!, a blue Nissan March (K13) shows up next to her, the March is actually belongs to another animation studio company, G.I. Staff. The driver of the March, Tomigaya challenges Aoi to a race, in which Aoi accepts. Both hatchbacks races through the streets to Segawa's house from the city to a mountain course, but near the end of the race, Tomigaya ends up driving over a road construction site as he is getting closer to Segawa's, causing his car to spin out of control and miss the turn on the left that leads to Segawa's, which Aoi eventually passes him, arriving at Segawa's house and takes the victory.
Aside to the opening credits, the closeups of the pedals and the speedometer imitates the ones found in Initial D. The scene showing the March and the Alto going airborne during the highway sequence is a homage to the second bridge jump scene featuring Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota AE86 and Kai Kogashiwa's Toyota MR-2 (SW20) in Third Stage. The scene where Tomigaya's March is shown drifting around the corners in front of Aoi's Alto is similar to what Keisuke Takahashi did in his FD3S RX-7 in front of Hideo Minagawa's Toyota Supra RZ (JZA80).
Taito's Side by Side and Battle Gear series of arcade racing games contains many references to Initial D:
The default high scores in the Special course (a course combining all featured seasons in the first Side by Side, Akina in Side by Side 2) in the two Side by Side games are named after Initial D characters.
The default Class C rankings (for low-end cars such as the AE86s) for each track in the first Battle Gear also includes two entries named "BUN" and "TAK" by default.
The FD RX-7 and the 180SX in Side by Side 2 (and its console port, Side by Side Special) are modeled after Keisuke Takahashi's Mazda RX-7 and Mako Sato's Nissan SilEighty. Additionally, Side by Side Special also changes the color of the Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6) from black in the arcade counterpart (having originally colored green in the first Side by Side) to red, ostensibly to match Shingo's car (although with darker shade of red).
Pressing Start when highlighting Toyota when selecting a manufacturer in the first Battle Gear gives the player the choice of "Mecha Tune" AE86 Trueno based on Takumi Fujiwara's Toyota AE86 and "Turbo Tune" AE86 Levin based on Wataru Akiyama's Toyota AE86, in addition to Toyota AE85s (with the Levin ostensibly standing for Itsuki's car). Battle Gear 2 also extends this to Mazda and Mitsubishi, featuring Keisuke's FD RX-7 (originally the pre-facelift Type RZ model from the first Battle Gear, which was replaced by the facelift Type RS model in Battle Gear 2) and Ryosuke Takahashi's FC RX-7, as well as Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III and IV (based on Kyoichi Sudo's and Seiji Iwaki's cars, respectively). Additionally, the orange color for the Nissan Silvia K's Aero (S14) in these games (which will also remove the rear wing) appears to reference Kenta Nakamura's Nissan Silvia, although he drives a pre-facelift S14.
The console port of Battle Gear 2 (released as Tokyo Road Race in PAL regions) also includes "tuned" versions of Toyota MR2 (based on Kai Kogashiwa's Toyota MR2, albeit the turbo GT model instead of the naturally aspirated G-Limited trim) and Honda Civic Type R (EK9) and Honda Integra Type R (DC2), based on Daiki Ninomiya's and Smiley Sakai's cars, respectively. The console port also moved the R32 GT-R, originally a regular car in the arcade version, to an unlockable "tuned" car, and updates the "tuned" FD RX-7 to use the A-Spec body kit.
The Japanese box art, options menu background, and save icon (in PlayStation 2's browser) also is based on Takumi Fujiwara vs Keisuke Takahashi.
In addition to all previous "tuned" cars in Battle Gear 2, Battle Gear 3 (both arcade and console versions) also includes a "single-turbo tuned" Mazda RX-7 based on Kyoko's car (with Keisuke's car now branded as "twin-turbo tuned"), as well as "tuned" cars based on Mako's Sileighty (listed as a 180SX in the game), Koichiro Iketani's Nissan Silvia, and Bunta Fujiwara's Subaru Impreza (albeit based on Version VI, instead of Version V), as well as second version of Wataru's AE86 Levin with supercharger installed instead of a turbo. Additionally, these "tuned" cars have driver silhouettes based on respective characters, as well as opponent names based on the character the car is referencing to (for instance, the "single-turbo tuned" FD RX-7 uses the opponent name of "KYKO", due to the four-character limit).
Battle Gear 3 Tuned, the arcade-only update to Battle Gear 3 also introduces "Takumi Mode" (ostensibly named after Takumi Fujiwara, although written in Japanese as 匠モード) in its time attack mode, which imposes a time and speed penalty for wall contact. A new tuned car, based on Itsuki's turbocharged AE85 Levin, was also added.
With Battle Gear 4 and Battle Gear 4 Tuned, the series stopped featuring references to the Initial D series, possibly to avoid legal issues with Kodansha or Sega, which produced officially licensed Initial D Arcade Stage games. However, parts to recreate these cars on their own were available for players who had a NESYS key (the game's equivalent to a save card), until the game's online services closed on March 31, 2019. Additionally, the AE85 Levin, previously a secret/unlockable car, was promoted to a regular Class D car (grouped with city cars such as Toyota Vitz/Yaris, Honda Fit/Jazz, and Nissan March/Micra) in Battle Gear 3.
Default high score names for the Special course in the first Side by Side. "RED" does not correspond to any Initial D character, as no character used the NSX yet in the series when the game was released in 1996.
Default high score names for the Special course in Side by Side 2. In the American ROM version of the game (with Honda cars disabled), "KEN" is shown with a Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon GT-B (BG5) instead.
One of attract mode sequences in Side by Side 2, referencing Takumi vs Ryosuke.
One of attract mode sequences in Side by Side 2, referencing Keisuke vs Nakazato.
The cars that both Kevin and Stevonnie drives has a few design elements to the cars featured in the anime; The fictional Dondai Supremo driven by Greg Universe in the series (but borrowed by Stevonnie in the episode), while it is mostly based on the Volkswagen Golf Mk2, it has some elements borrowed from the Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86), however the Supremo's elements are more similar to the Kouki model, rather than the Zenki model like the one Takumi has, while Kevin's Himitsu X-12 is based on Keisuke Takahashi's Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 Type R (FD3S). Both cars are painted similar to the Initial D counterparts as well.
Stevonnie's ignorance about the car (knowing it only as a "Dondai", when Ronaldo talks about the "power of Supremo") also references the anime, in which Takumi initially doesn't understand when his car is referred to as an "AE86", as he only knows the "Trueno" name on the badge.
During the gameplay, the player can score up points by doing stunts with the car (such as drift, jump, overtake, etc.), one of these is called "Kansei Drift", when the player makes an inertia drift. The amount of points the game will give the player will depend on how long they maintains the drift.
In the "drift" portion of the main story, the first racing team encountered, called Kansai, is full of members referencing Initial D. The most blatant ones are "Hiroto", who drives an AE86 Sprinter Trueno identical to Takumi's Fifth Stage AE86 (complete with a kanji sticker on the side door), "Reisuke", who drives an FD3S RX-7 being very similar to Keisuke's in Third Stage (where it bore the early Project D Mazdaspeed body kit as well as the RedSuns stickers), and "Kyosuke", who drives an FC RX-7 being nearly identical to Ryosuke's in the first three stages. "Katsuhiro" drives an AE86 Levin similar to Wataru Akiyama's AE86 but the driver background of "Katsuhiro" mentions a nonexistent driving style and not a very fast driver, and thus references Itsuki Takeuchi. "Masako" drives a Blue Mica Subaru Impreza WRX STi V-Limited, it references Bunta Fujiwara's Subaru Impreza.
Kansai Racing Team drivers' background
Katsuhiro "The youngest of nine siblings, two of whom are pro racecar drivers, Katsuhiro's driving style is nonexistent, and his choices are often questionable. Still, Katsuhiro drives with all his heart....but even so, he still isn't very fast. Katsuhiro's stubbornness prevents him from further improving and refining his skills."
Hiroto "A 20-valve 4-AG motor with an 11,000 rpm redline gives Hiroto's AE86 surprising ability on the downhill. Hiroto was born completely deaf but his drifting techniques display no handicaps. He is an inspiration to his entire team and to everyone in his community. A well-liked individual, Hiroto takes wins and losses in stride-- a true model of sportsmanship."
Reisuke "Reisuke is the fire and spirit behind the Kansai Racing Team. His wild technique and burning passion to be the best have led him to master the uphill battle with his re-built yellow RX-7. He is able to focus on the track and become one with the race line, no matter the opponent."
Kyosuke "The charismatic leader of the Kansai Racing Team, Kyosuke rarely ever drives his white RX-7 fo competition. Instead he is the nerve-center of the crew, putting together simulations and training his two main drivers to master the streets in hopes of one day going on the closed circuit."
In Episode 3, Colonel is transporting Ren Usuegi in his personal limousine. However, a black R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R (similar to the one owned by Takeshi Nakazato) passes them. Colonel then challenges the R32 to a duel, resulting in him drifting easily to beat the car. During the race, Ren screams in fear while Colonel is drifting the limousine.
His bios usually describe him delivering either tofu, milk (in the Kaido Battle/Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift series), or udon noodles (in Racing Battle: C1 Grand Prix) to a hotel at the top of a mountain pass, similar to how Takumi delivers tofu from his father's tofu shop to a hotel on top of Akina.
The rival Tofu Maniac (Toshiro Kaneko) is possibly a reference to Initial D, as he drives an AE86 (albeit a Levin) and his name could possibly be a reference to Takumi Fujiwara's job as a tofu delivery driver.
On the Iroha A Route, there is a team known as 'Emperor' (Changed to 'Grinders' in the English version), they're directly based off of the Emperor team from Initial D, as all 3 members drive Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions.
The Rival, 'Pattern 2' (Seiji Iwaki, changed to 'Kiyoji Iawgi' in the English Version) is a parody of Seiji Iwaki, as they both share the same name (at least in the Japanese version), and both of them are described as being fast, but they both get carried away by there emotions. (however, Pattern 2 drives a Silver Evo VII compared to Seiji, who drives a White Evo IV)
The nickname 'Pattern 2' could be a reference to the various Simulations that the Emperor team uses in the series.
The leader of the team, 'Misfire Kyoji' (Kyoji Sudo) is a parody of Kyoichi Sudo, as both of them are the leaders of the respective team, both of them drive black Evo III's, one of their training methods was Gymkhana, and both of them prefer sticking to basic, but effective methods in there driving.
However, the 3rd member of the team, 'Asphalt's Sorrow' (Yasuhiko Fujisaki) is the only exception, as he is neither a parody of Satake or Ren Nogami, and is shown driving a red Evo VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition. It should be noted that he's been in the series since the 1st game, driving for R.R. for the 3 games before.
A Tricker/Tricky on the Iroha A route, God Shift Bunta/G-Shifter (Bunta Fujinoki) is a parody of Bunta Fujiwara, he's originally shown driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STi (albeit it's a Ver. VI Sedan compared to Bunta's, which is a Ver. V Coupe), he's later seen driving a First facelift (“Blob-eye”) GDB Impreza in Chain Reaction/Kaido Racer, and a custom Impreza 22B STi in Touge No Denetsu/Drift 2. (in game, it's referred to as 'RIV320'.)
His ingame bios mentions how he's a middle-aged man who owns a tofu shop (referring to the Fujiwara Tofu Store), and that he drives at an unbelievable speed down the course (possibly referring to Bunta owning the fastest record on Akina).
His last name, 'Fujinoki', could also be a reference to the owners of the real life inspiration of the Fujiwara Tofu Store.
Introduced in Kaido Battle 2: Chain Reaction/Kaido Racer[]
The rival Autumn Lord (Takumi Kirazu} is a reference to Initial D. He drives a late model Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) with eight spoke Watanabes, and is said to be famous for calling Mount Haruna by a weird name, likely a reference to how Haruna is called Akina in Initial D. He is also said to drive with a cup of water in the cupholder (similar to Takumi) and always races while listening to "trance music", likely a reference to the shows Eurobeat soundtrack.
In Kaido Battle: Touge No Denetsu/Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift 2, His number plate reads TO-FU, a reference to Takumi's tofu delivery job.
This rival seems to be more of a joke rival, mocking fans of the series who modify Sprinter Trueno's to look like Takumi's in real life.
On the Akagi route, there's a team known as the 'Akagi Blue Sign' (changed to 'Akagi Big Blue' in the English versions of Kaido Battle: Touge No Denetsu/Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Drift 2), which is a parody of the Akagi RedSuns. the team consists of 2 members, who are once again parodies of Ryosuke Takahashi and Keisuke Takahashi.
The leader, Dr. Clever/Dr. Slick (Ryuichi Hashimoto) is a Parody of Ryosuke, Ryuichi drives an RX-7 FC3S similar to Ryosuke's (with the reference being more noticeable in Touge no Denetsu/Drift 2, as it's painted in White).
It's noted in his bio that Ryuichi's driving is fuelled by logic, (similar to Ryosuke's use of theories during his battles) and it's also stated that he's working on finding the unified theory of speed for pass racing (being a nod to Ryosuke's 'Fastest Racing Theory').
The other member of the team, Mischevious Fool/Naughty Fool/HC Top (Ryuji Hashimoto) is a parody of Keisuke Takahashi, he's originally shown driving a Red RX-7 FD3S Type RS (later changed to a white ɛ̃fini RX-7 with an RE-Amemiya kit, compared to Keisuke's it has a different rear wing, different headlights, a different muffler and it uses the OEM rims)
His bio mentions about how his parents allowed him to do whatever he wanted, this could be loosely based off how Keisuke was part of a biker gang before he joined the RedSuns.
Whilst he's not apart of the Akagi Blue Sign, the rival Suntanned Big Mouth/Pretty Boy (Masayuki Ishii) is possibly a parody of Kenta Nakamura. He is said to be the sidekick of the leader of Akagi Blue Sign (similar to Kenta's relationship to Keisuke). He drives a Nissan Silvia S14, though it is a K's unlike Kenta's Q's.
It should be noted that his original nickname in the Japanese version was 'Pretentious Suntanned Bastard', however, this was changed overseas in order to maintain an E rating.
Similar to the 'Emperor' team from the previous game, the team 'Jail Emperor' is based off the Emperor team from Initial D, being a team on 1st Iroha that drive Lancer Evolutions.
The leader of the team, 'Black Dragon' (Keiichi Fujita) is loosely based off Kyoichi Sudo, as both of them are the leaders of their respective teams, and both of them drive Evo III's.
The second member, 'White Dragon' (Makoto Iwamoto) is really loosely based off Seiji Iwaki, with the only similarities being that they are the Second driver of there teams, and both of them drive white Lancer Evolutions (however, whilst Seiji drives an Evo IV, Makoto drives an Evo VI).
Similar to 'Asphalt's Sorrow' from the previous team, 'Blue Dragon' (Shigeru Takata) is the only exception, as he's once again neither a parody of Satake or Ren Nogami, and is shown driving a blue Lancer Evolution VII.
Platinum Prince (Leader of Team R.R.) drives a white FC3S with a sticker of his teams name In the same position, color, and a similar font as the RedSuns sticker on Ryosuke's FC.
The rival Black Onyx (Sukemasa Okajima) is said to use a technique where he turns off his headlights and drives blind. This is possibly a reference to Takumi's Blind Attack.
The team Haruna Starlights is a parody of the Akina SpeedStars. Each member is a reference to a certain member of the team.
The rival Fake/False 86 (Kazuya Takenouchi) is a parody of Itsuki Takeuchi. He accidentally bought an AE85 instead of an AE86, much to the ridicule of the Starlights. He would later turbo his Eight-Five and grows to love the car.
The rival Rev SR (Ken Yushima) is a parody of Kenji. He drives a Nissan 180SX, and while a part of the Starlights, he's never been in a race. His driving skill is pretty low, similar to the other Starlights. He is best friends with the Starlights leader Kamiikedai.
The rival Total FR/Must FR (Kouji Kamiikedai) is a parody of Koichiro Iketani. He is the leader of the Starlights, though his skill is low. He is said to be targeted by other teams because of this.
The introduction video for the boss Solitary Wandering/Eternal Wanderer (Eiji Kurihara), has a plethora of references in it. These include;
The leader of the team, Undefeated Myth R/Mohair Legend R (Takeo Nakamura), is a parody of Takeshi Nakazato, he is shown driving a black Skyline GT-R V-Spec II
It's stated in his bio that he loses his temper easily in battles, and his driving suffers because of it, likely referring to how Takeshi's anger and emotions get in the way of his mind, resulting in poor throttle control. It also states that his team formed for no reason, and the 2 members aren't that attached to each other, referencing the rivalry between the 2 main members
The 2nd member of the team, FR Killing/FR Search (Kengo Shōbuzawa) is a parody of Shingo Shoji, he is shown driving a Honda Civic SiR-II (however, it's painted in Granada Black Pearl, compared to Shingo's, which is painted in Milano Red)
His bio states that he loves to challenge FR drivers to battles, and the reason why is that he wasn't able to afford an S2000, thus causing him to hate FR's with a passion, this is somewhat based off of how Shingo usually nudges his opponents out of the way (especially if they're in FR's). This is further backed up how Kengo's Japanese Nickname is based off of Shingo's nickname of the 'FR Killer'.
On the Shiga Kusatsu course, the rival Mononugu Beat/Ceasfire (Nobuhiko Seno) is loosely based off of Nobuhiko Akiyama, he is shown driving a Toyota Altezza RS200 (however, it's not a Z Edition), but apart from the car and the colour, it's vastly different from Nobuhiko's Altezza, with it not sporting the TRD N1/N-Plus body kit, having Yokohama AVS Model T7 rims instead of the TRD Sports T3 wheels, having a rear wing, and it having pink vinyls on the sides.
A team on Usuitouge, 'Love Boat' is a parody of Impact Blue, the team consists of 2 members who are parodies of Mako Sato and Sayuki respectively.
The team leader, Full Throttle C121/Full-on C121 (Masayo Saito), is a parody of Mako Sato, she is shown driving a Nissan Sileighty (however, it's Warm White compared to Mako's Impact Blue Sileighty, and features different body modifications).
Masayo's bio states that she met a guy who has always had feelings for, but she has given up on him, Likely referring to her relationship with Iketani. It also mentions how her driving technique is superb, and that she can run through the Pass at full throttle and drift without stopping. This is likely referring to her being the fastest driver on the Usui Pass.
The second member, Miniskirt Checker/Skirt Checker (Sara Seino) is a parody of Sayuki, however compared to Sayuki, Sara drives a red ECR33 Nissan Skyline GTS25t.
Sara's bio states that she's training with Masayo to become the fastest runner on the Usui Pass, referencing Mako and Sayuki's co-operation during runs and races. It also states that her personality is the opposite of Masayo's, as she is very flashy, likely referring to Sayuki's more outgoing personality compared to Mako's.
A team on the Irohazaka(Nikko) course (albeit the uphill route compared to the Downhill), 'The President' is a parody of the Emperor team, the team consists of 2 members who are parodies of Kyoichi Sudo and Seiji Iwaki respectively.
It should also be noted that the team's been rumoured to crush other teams, similar to the Emperor's invasion of Gunma in Second Stage.
The team leader, Top of 4WD/4WD Chief (Kyōta Suga), is a parody of Kyoichi Sudo, he is shown driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III (however, it has additional modifications such as Canards, a rear wing, and 5Zigen Fire-Ball rims).
Kyōta's bio states that he used to believe his technique in Gymkhana Races was impeccable, likely based off Kyoichi's training in the Gymkhana Events. And also that he's been training a lot after losing to a compact FR, which could be either based off his loss against Ryosuke, or his lost against Takumi during their rematch.
The second member, King (of) Works (Seiichi Kanagi) is a parody of Seiji Iwaki, he is shown driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV (However, compared to Seiji, who uses an Evolution IV RS, Seiichi uses an Evolution IV GSR).
Seiichi 's bio states that his technique is quite advanced, but his mental game is weak, and often chokes in high-pressure battles. Likely referring to how Seiji's arrogance causes him to loose some of his battles.
There are a few references to Initial D in Wangan Midnight.
There are plenty of red Mazda Eunos Roadsters (NA6CE)s shown as traffic cars in the anime, which looks strikingly similar to that of the one owned byToru Suetsugu. This is likely because the studio who made Wangan Midnight (Studio A.C.G.T) also made Initial D Fourth Stage, and thus they reuse the models of the Eunos Roadsters. One roadster is also driven by a group of "Feeling Team" in the first episode.
In the arcade games (starting with Maximum Tune 4 until 5DX+), a group of "Racer Wannabes" drives a modified AE86 and a yellow FD3S RX-7, cosplaying as the vehicles driven by Takumi Fujiwara and Keisuke Takahashi during the Project D arc in the series.
The Yakuza/Like a Dragon series developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by SEGA (who also distribute the Initial D Arcade Stage series) features a few references from the Initial D franchise.
At the magazine stand area inside the convenience stores, the player can read the first chapter of the Initial D manga. This feature was removed in the remastered version, likely due to licensing issues.
One of the 4WD model cars that you are able to buy in-game is labled as the "Street Legend". The model car itself seems to be based on the AE86 Trueno, and the description of the model reads as, "I'm not a racer, just a delivery guy forced into this by a greedy tofu shop owner." This is referring to Takumi being tasked to deliver tofu for his father's tofu shop.
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