Noob here....

[Thourun]

Ok first of all, I love good anime (ghost in the shell [the show & movie], akira, jin roh [sp], etc) and I love cars and raceing so do you guys think Initial D will appeal to me? I've never heard of it before and your forum dosent have a sticky for noobs like me so... what EXACTALLY is initial D?

[Layla's Keeper]

Initial D is the story of one Takumi Fujiwara, a high school student who has been groomed since junior high to be the ultimate racing driver.

Through a series of events revolving around his buddies at the gas station where he works, Takumi is lead into the world of mountain street racing and him and his Trueno quickly become a phenom due to his speed and incredible drift technique.

It's a fun series with a good soundtrack and tells not only a good racing story, but a good story about growing up and life experiences. The characters all feel like guys you could know, and overall it's a great series to watch.

[Thourun]

Interesting, it's wierd I've never heard of it before. I'll have to look for it next time I'm in Harvard square. Whats the game portion that I see being discussed in other threads here?

[Layla's Keeper]

The game is a highly successful arcade game in which you choose a car and race it against both the computer and other players in a quest for supremacy and modifications.

You save your progress, your best track times, your modifications, and your win/loss record on a card that you purchase from the arcade machine.

There are currently three versions. Each new version is an update with more tracks, more cars, more opponents, fresher graphics, altered physics engines, and different music.

Cards aren't universal version to version. You need a version 1 card for version 1, version 2 card for version 2, and 3 for 3.

[Thourun]

Interesting, but I don't like arcade games because of the whole pay as you play thing, I like a one time fee. They need something like that but in a massively multiplayer environment online. That woud be fun.

[AkinaSpecialist]

Then it would flop. Because the whole experience of playing Initial D is on the arcade machine. Anywho you have alot of Initial D to watch. Have fun looking for it 85% of the time. Order the japanese english subtitle box set for season one for cheaper than buying all the damn discs for 20 bucks each. They're at disc six right now and they still havent finished first stage. Do the math. Look out for these

First Stage Season Box Set
Second Second Season Box Set
Extra Stage
Third Stage Initial D movie

and your gonna have to wait a while before we can legally get fourth stage.

[Layla's Keeper]

There is no Japanese subtitle only box set. The Japanese as a rule generally do not include English subtitles on their Region 2 DVD's. Also, it's very rare for Japanese DVD's to have more than two episodes per disc and they barely ever have extras. Consider then that Japanese DVD's in Japan often cost 10 to 20 dollars MORE than comparable American DVD's and you then realize that, yep, that set is bootlegged.

The rules are clearly posted, Specialist. And with them posted there is a zero tolerance policy. One week away for you. Next time it's permanent.

[Thourun]

Man I hope I'll be able to find it around here in a store. After what you said about the music being good I rememberd a track a guy who likes Anime put on a CD he burned for me, it's called Initial D Nights of fire or something I loved it, would be a great song to drive to. I'll have to ask him if he has any of the DVDs so that I can borrow them when I get back to school.

[Layla's Keeper]

If you have a Best Buy or similar store in town, you can pick up the DVD's legally for about $15 each, 3 episodes a DVD.

[-The Stig-]

Originally Posted by Layla's Keeper

If you have a Best Buy or similar store in town, you can pick up the DVD's legally for about $15 each, 3 episodes a DVD.

Or he could go buy the books, at a local book store. I got the first three books at Radio Shack for $20. It was a bundled set.


At Radio Shack...

... go figure.

[Thourun]

I'll check out Newbury comics for it, heh I was just at best buy yesterday, ohh well. There seems to be alot of bootleging and illegal copying/selling of material in the anime comunity, is it realy as big of a problem as the sticky post makes it out to be?

[Layla's Keeper]

It is the #1 risk to anime sales. One of the biggest problems both the US distributors and the Japanese studios have had is that Hong Kong bootleggers take the subtitle feeds off the internet and then mass produce bootleg DVD's using those feeds.

What once was the primary way to see anime in general in the states is now one of the biggest threats to its livelihood. Many MANY formerly fansub friendly news sources, magazines, and conventions are now taking a zero tolerance policy with fansubs, scanslations, and bootlegging. Anime News Network, of course, is the most notable of these.

Yes, it is a big problem. When you see a fansub of a series, check a reliable news source to see if the series in question is already licensed. Usually, if the series is a newer one, it is licensed and is in fact due to be released on DVD.

[AkinaSpecialist]

Anyone wonder why ANIME WAS SO EXSPENSIVE!? Bootleggers! They bootleg offer a smaller price and more efficient whatevers. But its wrong! Japanese studios have to start charging more cuz they're losing so much money. Boot leg=bad!

Well anywho onto Initial D.

I seen Forth Stage non-bootleg I hope at the Tokyo Pop stand at the latest Comic Con here in San Diego. So, if you were there that was your chance to watch it. Awesomeness is Fourth Stage.

[SSBigBlock]

Why must they touture us with the long wait between the disc? But I have the sixth disc and it is very good series. I recamend getting it. A friend of mine that I knew when I was in the Air Force got me hooked on to it. I'm always looking forward to the next disc to come out.

[AkinaSpecialist]

Who isnt waiting for the next disc. Its killing me on the inside waiting for Initial D to continue. In the mean time play the game! SSBigBlock check out the Sega Rosso thread.