Initial D Second Stage
頭文字〈イニシャル〉D SECOND STAGEFollowing his victory over RedSuns leader Ryosuke Takahashi, AE86 driver Takumi Fujiwara is challenged by the Lancer EVO-based "Emperor," a group known for taking decals of racing teams they defeat, cutting them up and placing them on their cars like a fighter plane kill board. Takumi's undefeated streak is on the line as his AE86 is virtually no match against the more powerful and more agile four-wheel-drive EVOs of the Emperor team. (Source: ANN)
Reviews
vbreitenberg - 2016-10-16 05:39:02
Much more enjyable than First Stage. You get much more character development and really feel for them. In the end it matures the characters and the story of Initial D
velda24 - 2013-12-29 08:20:17
If you haven't gotten enough of Initial D, car racing or downhill drifts, then these thirteen episodes will stop the withdrawal symptoms for a while. The story continues where the first series left off, with Takumi facing a challenge from a member of Emperor. This team's main objective is to defeat the best racers in each district of Japan, and be the best team there is (it's the closest thing to world domination you can get in a racing anime). Takumi is once again thrown into race after race to defend his honor, record and the glorious name of the *ahem* Fujiwara Tofu Shop...
For fans of the original series, the most obvious difference would be the change in art style. The characters and scenery are slightly more detailed, but the art style detracts from the manga's original look. Usually detailed art is a welcome improvement, but in this case the characters look a lot dorkier and weirder than the original (which was already quite poor). The computer rendered cars still look the same, though, and the racing scenes are still carried out in the same way.
The plot expands a bit this time, involving things like defeat, betrayal of trust and love troubles that both Takumi and Natsuki experience. Although more effort was made to flesh out the characters, the theme is still welded, glued and nailed to downhill racing, so all this takes a backseat to the smell of burning rubber. Which is a good thing, because watering down the racing action would nullify the main appeal behind this title.
Being a direct continuation of the original's storyline, you would have to watch that first otherwise you will not understand what's going on. You really don't need background information to watch a car race, but knowing a bit about the characters or even the cars will help a lot.
Things do get a little dirty at one point when a horny guy gets itchy fingers, but other than that the only objectionable thing in this title would be dangerous driving. Suitable for almost all ages, but it appeals mostly to those who enjoy racing or can drive.