Initial D

For some reason, Youtube recommends that I watch a bunch of Initial D videos. I am not complaining. Saw quite a few good episodes. Most of them were subtitled. Let's start with Takemi coming up on Keiuske late one night. Takemi power passes him on a particularly dangerous double curve. Keiuske thinks Takemi is going to bite it. Keiuske is amazed when the AE-86 does an "inertia drift".

You would think Keiuske would have learned his lesson. He challenges the boys from the gas station. Unfortunately their leader is injured after he tried pushing himself too far during a practice. Iketani asks Bunta, Takemi's dad, to help represent the local boys. Bunta sends Takemi out instead, with a promise of use of the car on the weekend plus a full tank of gas if he wins the race.

Takemi comes up Mount Akina at the last minute. The gas station boys are puzzled why Bunta sent him up. Takemi amazed them when he declares that he already beat Keiuske once before. Ryoske, Keiuske's older brother, sees the AE-86 take off at the beginning of the race. He confirms that this car is not the secret weapon. He has an intuition that the driver is the real secret weapon.

On the downhill, Keiuske leads most of the way. Takemi uses a trick to take the inside lane on a curve. Normally that would spell down. But Takemi knows how to hook his tire onto the rut in the side of the road. That gives him the ability to take the turn really fast, and he powerpasses Keiuske.

Finally I saw Takemi battle Mako on her home turf. Initially they were amazed that Takemi could keep up with them. When they got to the most challenging curves on the course, Mako's partner realized that Takemi was out of their league. Foreshadowing of what is going to eventually happen in that race.