New Initial D the Movie (新劇場版「頭文字D」Shin Gekijō-ban Inisharu Dī, also known as Initial D Legend) is a Japanese anime film trilogy based on the manga series Initial D.
The movie is a retelling of the early stages and is split into three parts with the first part, Legend 1: Awakening released on August 23, 2014.
Part 2 of the series, named "Legend 2: Racer", was released on May 23, 2015.
Part 3 of the series, named "Legend 3: Dream", was released on February 6, 2016.
The entire trilogy covers chapters 1-50 (Volume 01-05). The post-credit sequence in Legend 3 was taken from chapter 147 (Volume 14).
Legend 1: Awakening 
Edit
The movie opens with Koichiro Iketani driving on his way home on Akina, where he witnesses an impromptu battle between Keisuke Takahashi of the Akagi RedSuns and a mysterious Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 (known as "Akina's Eight-Six"), which outmaneuvers Keisuke, defeating him.
Later, at a gas station, Iketani invites his co-workers Takumi Fujiwara and Itsuki Takeuchi to a meeting with his street racing team, the Akina SpeedStars, located in Akina. While there, they find that the Akagi RedSuns were already there. Keisuke wanted to find and challenge the "monstrous" Eight-Six whereas Ryosuke, Keisuke's brother and leader of the RedSuns, uses the meeting to initiate his plans to dominate the Kanto region. During their practice, the SpeedStars are outmaneuvered by the RedSuns' amazing driving skills, but this doesn't stop Iketani from trying to keep up. As he starts another downhill run, he suddenly crashes into the guardrail due to his car striking a sharp bump along the road.
He later discovers the monstrous Eight-Six as a desperate replacement when his boss reveals that the Eight-Six is a tofu delivery vehicle owned by Bunta Fujiwara, Takumi's father. Bunta declines Iketani's offer, claiming that he's too old to be Iketani's replacement. A few days later, Takumi asks Bunta to borrow the Eight-Six so that he can go on a date with his girlfriend, Natsuki Mogi. Bunta eventually accepts, but offers Takumi a condition that he must go to Akina on Saturday night and defeat Keisuke on the downhill run. However, unbeknownst to everyone else, it was Takumi who defeated Keisuke at that first encounter as he was returning from the daily morning delivery run.
Later, Takumi heads to the race under the bewilderment of the SpeedStars. Iketani agrees to let Takumi race after finally understanding him. At the start of the race, Keisuke takes the lead and pulls away, but Takumi later catches up as the race goes on. Eventually, Takumi overtakes Keisuke on one of the five-consecutive hairpins by performing a "ditch turn". After Takumi wins the race, Keisuke tells Takumi to not lose until he ever rematches. Despite Takumi's claim that he's no racer, Keisuke claims that Takumi's racing is part of Takumi's own pride before driving away.
The next morning, Takumi and Natsuki play around at a beach during their date, where Takumi realizes his experience regarding last night's race. As Takumi embarks on his next morning delivery, he prepares himself for the next battles to come.
In a post-credit scene, a black Nissan Skyline GT-R R32, driven by the Myogi NightKids' Takeshi Nakazato, storms up Mt. Akina looking for Takumi's Eight-Six while chasing Kenji's 180SX.
Legend 2: Racer Edit
The film opens with Takeshi Nakazato, the Myogi NightKids' leader, challenging Ryosuke Takahashi, the RedSun's leader on a downhill battle one night. Afterwards, Nakazato tells Ryosuke that he witnessed Takumi Fujiwara's gutter technique he used to defeat Keisuke Takahashi, and believes that he battling Takumi will make things interesting. However, Ryosuke believes that Nakazato's car is incapable of defeating Takumi's Eight-Six, much to Nakazato's chagrin.
The next day, Nakazato arrives at a gas station where he encounters Itsuki Takeuchi, who accidentally accepts Nakazato's challenge as he drives off. However, Takumi later refuses to accept because he is not a racer despite being persuaded by Itsuki. Meanwhile, Yuichi Tachibana overhears the situation and tells the Akina SpeedStars why Takumi refuses to race. He referenced to Takumi how good Nakazato is and that no one would think he's a coward if he refuses. Later, Takumi changes his mind, but when he arrives home, he is shocked to discover that his father, Bunta, had already taken the Eight-Six with him. Takumi waits desperately, and realizes how much of a racer he already is.
Meanwhile, in Akina, the Akina SpeedStars attempt to apologize to the NightKids for their mistake. Just as they did so, Takumi arrives in the Eight-Six, much to their relief. As the race starts, Nakazato takes the lead, whilst Ryosuke and Keisuke follow as spectators. During the race, Nakazato's AWD driving skills keep Takumi at bay. Unbeknownst to Takumi, Bunta tuned the Eight-Six's suspension, allowing Takumi to stay on Nakazato's tail. As they approach the five consecutive hairpins, Nakazato blocks the inside, prompting Takumi to try and overtake Nakazato from the outside. Eventually, Nakazato drives into the outside, causing Takumi to drive into the inside, overtaking Nakazato. Nakazato attempts to block Takumi again, but his car spins out, and hits the guardrail, making him lose.
The following day, Iketani's Nissan Silvia S13 has been fully repaired, and Iketani and Itsuki take it to Akina to test drive it. They were then ambushed by a posse of NightKids led by Nakazato's teammate, Shingo Shoji, and his red Honda Civic SiR II EG6. Shingo then bumps Iketani's car, making him spin out. Takumi arrives and witnesses the situation as the NightKids drove off. Back at Akina's peak, Iketani demands Shingo's apology, which Shingo agrees if he loses his "Duct Tape Deathmatch" challenge against Takumi, during which the driver's right hand is taped to the steering wheel. Shingo then admits that if Takumi loses, Shingo will overthrow Nakazato as the new leader of the NightKids.
As their race starts, Takumi's tape nearly causes him to crash. He then learns that steering less will let him clear corners faster. Shingo gets impatient with Takumi's inability to crash. So, he bumps Takumi's Eight-Six, making him spin out. However, Takumi manages to avoid crashing and regains control. Enraged, Takumi drives recklessly, even going as far as cutting corners and bumping guardrails. Takumi eventually overtakes Shingo by using his gutter technique. Shingo, refusing to lose, decides to end the race in a double crash, but Takumi countersteers in time and moves out of Shingo's way, causing Shingo to crash, and lose the race.
The next day, the film ends with Takumi receiving a bouquet of flowers at work, along with a card addressed to "Panda Trueno", which then happens to be a formal challenge issued from Ryosuke.
Legend 3: Dream Edit
The film starts with Takumi Fujiwara chasing down the NightKids street racers for making fun of Itsuki Takeuchi's new Toyota Corolla Levin SR AE85, which Itsuki believes is an Eight-Six, and outmaneuvers them. Afterwards, Itsuki tells Takumi that he is amazed when he discovers his newfound appreciation for the car.
The next day, Takumi's upcoming battle against Ryosuke Takahashi is fast-approaching. As Takumi and his girlfriend, Natsuki Mogi, go out on a date, Takumi reflects on how far he had been racing over the summer, and becomes curious about the outcome of Takumi's upcoming battle. That night, Takumi was seen driving Koichiro Iketani's Nissan Silvia S13. That same night, his father, Bunta Fujiwara, drives the Eight-Six with Yuichi Tachibana to test his newly tuned suspension in preparation for the battle.
The next night, Ryosuke Takahashi downgrades his white Mazda RX-7 FC3S to 260 hp, which Ryosuke believes would give him the advantage and power he needs to defeat Takumi. Ryosuke then comments that this approach to the race makes him think back to his earlier days of racing, as "Akagi's White Comet".
The next day, Natsuki becomes suspicious of Takumi's lack of interest in her. She later confesses to Takumi about a flashback when Takumi punched her ex-boyfriend two years ago for sexually exploiting her. She even apologizes to Takumi for not explaining it to him earlier, which Takumi accepts. Takumi and Natsuki then kiss. Later on, the Akina SpeedStars suspect that Takumi's interest in Natsuki causes him to zone out, so Itsuki drives Takumi to Akina later that night to help the latter regain focus on racing. While there, they witnessed an impromptu battle between Takumi's previous rivals, Keisuke Takahashi and Takeshi Nakazato.
On the night before the race, Ryosuke tells Keisuke that he will retire from street racing if he loses to Takumi, but will reaffirm his plans of dominating the Kanto region. Takumi arrives, and the race begins. Takumi starts in front but is pressured by Ryosuke's driving skills being equally matched to Takumi's, especially at his gutter run. Eventually, at the Five Consecutive Hairpins, Takumi becomes over pressured, and enters the corner too fast, making him lose control, and allowing Ryosuke take the lead.
Eventually, Ryosuke's tires wear out, and Takumi manages to come level with Ryosuke. As they approach the final corner, Takumi tries to overtake on the outside. Ryosuke's tires cause him to slide outwards, allowing Takumi to take the inside and win the race.
After the battle, Takumi asks Ryosuke why he slowed down during the last section of the race, to which Ryosuke responds by telling Takumi the truth and accepts the defeat. He then tells Takumi not to be content with a small stage like Akina, and that there is a much bigger world out there.
A few nights later, Takumi is seen racing against an orange Toyota GT86 as he races up the mountain on his morning delivery.
In a post-credits scene, Ryosuke is seen inviting Takumi to a battle as invitation to join Ryosuke's new team, Project D.
Voice castEdit
- Mamoru Miyano as Takumi Fujiwara
- Yuichi Nakamura as Keisuke Takahashi
- Daisuke Ono as Ryosuke Takahashi
- Maaya Uchida as Natsuki Mogi
- Minoru Shiraishi as Itsuki Takeuchi
- Hiroaki Hirata as Bunta Fujiwara
- Tomoyuki Shimura as Yuichi Tachibana
- Junichi Suwabe as Takeshi Nakazato
- Keni Fukuda as Hiroshi Fumihiro
- Hiroshi Tsuchida as Koichiro Iketani
- Shūhei Sakaguchi as Shingo Shoji
- Anri Katsu as Kenji
- Yumi Hara as Mako Sato
- Kaya Okuno as Sayuki
- Shin-ichiro Miki as Toyota GT86 Driver
Songs Edit
The original anime previously used Eurobeat as their prominent soundtrack during race scenes. However, in the trilogy, it is now replaced by modern-day J-rock songs sung by artists such as Clutcho, Backdraft Smiths, and the Hug Me. Clutcho previously performed Flyleaf, the first ending of Initial D: Fifth Stage.
Legend 1: Awakening Edit
Abbey - Clutcho (Reveal Trailer)
Candle Flames - Backdraft Smiths
Avoid - Clutcho
We'll Start Our Race - Backdraft Smiths
Galavanize - the valves
One by One - the Hug me
Legend 2: Racer Edit
The Brave - Backdraft Smiths
Carry On - Backdraft Smiths
Strobe - Clutcho
No Matter - the valves
Inner Fighter - Moonlight Green
Monster - Moonlight Green
Resurrection - Back-On
Legend 3: Dream Edit
September's 7th Day (D version) - Backdraft Smiths
Crank It Up - Backdraft Smiths
Curious (D Mix) - Backdraft Smiths
The Dependence - Backdraft Smiths
Chase for Dream - Tatsuyuki Kobayashi
Differences between the Movies and Manga Edit
The Entire Trilogy Edit
- Many expressions on several of the characters are toned down, giving off a much more serious tone.
Legend 1: Awakening Edit
- Iketani briefly witnessed Keisuke's impromptu race with Akina's AE86. He also checked in with Keisuke to see what has happened
- This is also the first scene in the trilogy as opposed to the Manga slowly building up to it.
- Iketani crashed not due to oncoming traffic, something that happened in the manga, but rather a ditch in the road that caused him to lose control of his S13.
- There was a unique ending not seen in the manga, where Takumi decided to test his skills on an uphill tofu delivery.
Legend 2: Racer Edit
- In a similar fashion to the previous movie, Kenji witnessed Ryosuke and Nakazato's impromptu race against each other as they pass by him. in the manga, a generic driver and passenger witnessed it instead.
- In the manga, Iketani and Kenji quickly went to the Fujiwara Tofu Shop to see why Takumi hasn't arrived to his race with Takeshi. When Bunta came around with the AE86, Takumi quickly sped off to the race, with the two Speed Stars members following behind him. In the New Movie, most of the scene is the same, albeit with Iketani and Kenji staying at the start of the race.
- Shingo was introduced the same way in both versions, however with a few differences. Shingo sped off after he bumped Iketani in the manga, only to return shortly after Takumi drifted in Iketani's S13, the following night. In the movie, Takumi was following when Iketani was bumped, prompting him to almost immediately start the race after he demanded Shingo to apologize.
Legend 3: Dream Edit
- Itsuki got his AE85 after Takumi has beaten Nakazato in the manga. In the movie, it was shown that he got it after he beat Shingo.
- Takumi took Iketani's S13 for a spin with Iketani riding along at the same time Bunta took Yuichi along for a drift in the AE86 as he tests the new suspension settings.
- Keisuke explains why Ryosuke refuses an offer from a pro-racing team to Fumihiro. In the manga, Ryosuke is explaining why to an unknown mechanic.
- The Toyota GT86 made two cameos, one seen when the SpeedStars are wondering why Takumi is acting strange, after he had an intimate moment with Natsuki, and the other seen later in the movie's ending. The driver bears some semblance to Takumi himself.
- Reminiscent of the first movie's ending, Takumi decided to once again test his skills on an uphill tofu delivery. After a few corners, he spots the GT86 again. They challenged him to a duel, to which Takumi accepts. The scene ends as he speeds off and a single drop of water falls out of the water cup.
- Takumi being asked to join Project D straight after beating Ryosuke also happened in the live action movie but at a different time frame. In the film, Takumi was offered the day after the race took part whereas in the live action portrayal Ryosuke offered him during the conclusion of the race they had that same night.
