Initial D Extra Stage

AuronSurmount★ 3

I came into this OVA with high hopes and expectations. I am going to be straight forward with this one, instead of the way I did my other reviews with Stages 1 & 2 of Initial D. This OVA was pretty terrible. I have seen mixed reviews on this OVA, but I will explain my reason for giving it such a bad rating. First i noticed some differences between the first two stages and this one. The Dialogue, more specifically in the flashbacks, isn't the same. Also some events happened differently also. For example: When Zak faced Lan-Evo and crashed his car into the wall, hisheadlight broke. Whereas in this it just sparked but did not turn off. This may not be that big of a deal, but when added with the other inconsistencies it is hard not to be bothered by it, at least for me. So i want to put it out there that the first stage i watched with my friend, while the second stage my little five year old brother watched with me. The first two stages were mildly family oriented... at least there was nothing that would upset the family type person or a parent. However, when I got to this Extra Stage I noticed some major changes in the group of people it was oriented towards. Instead of it being oriented around everyone they cut of the family type. They threw in some adult oriented parts. A couple examples: there was a whole scene where Zak was staring a girls boobs while she talked. (focusing more on him staring that her talking). Also, a little further into the OVA there is partial nudity (a topless girl in the shower). Luckily i had sent the child to bed before I watched this OVA. Don't get me wrong, i personally don't think anything is wrong with it. alltho a little heads up or a not so drastic change would have been nice ;D I don't mind nudity as long as it is tasteful. Also, on top of tasteful it also has to have a good plot, which this one sadly lacked. Yes, I understand it was about Maya's relationships and the Lan-Evo challenging the rest of Gunma. To be quite honest it was pretty dang boring. I got no enjoyment out of watching this OVA. It was a total waste of my time. I am going to watch Extra Stage 2, and see if Extra Stage one is really necessary. If you want to see if I think you can skip it, go ahead and look at my next Initial D review. It will be the first thing in the review. Not to mention i don't include spoilers. So reading it will be safe anyways. (otherwise, i may just edit this one later). Rewatch Value: NONE

naganje★ 8

I thought that Initial D without Fujiwara Takumi and his fearsome Hachi-Roku would simply not work out at all, but I was proven just the opposite. I found the story very good, although it was quite different from Initial D has offered so far. What's more, it was a very pleseant feeling to see one of the minor characters play the lead guitar. The first episode of the Extra Stage was especially pleasing since it was another race I have become used to throughout the series. It was also very interesting to see the members of the Night Kids in a better light. The second episode was moreof an emotional story. On one hand, it's not what one might expected from Initial D. On the other, due to its Christmas theme such a plot did the job perfectly. It was also very pleasing to see one of the characters picture the dilemma each racer faces at the climax of his 'career'. Concluding, story-wise the OVA does a great job since it answers problems which have not been addressed in the series. When it comes to art, we see the same animation as in the First and Second Stages. Some characters are still having a bad hair day and the girls are still darn ugly. But Initial D is not about the animation of people but more about the animation of cars and races and in that aspect it fullfills the expectation. As a whole the OVA looks very good, though those of you who don't like Initial D's style of animation will feel dissapointed. In the sound department we gat the same thing as in the series, which is a combination of very good, almost top notch voice acting with that cool eurobeat we have been savouring throughout the series. As I have said it's nice to see minor characters in the leading roles. They fit the story perfectly and are interesting due to the difficulties that they have to face due to their line of 'profession'. However, without Takumi, who is the protagonist of the series, and Itsuki, who is hilarious in his role of the leading racing dumbo. As an OVA Extra Stage was a joy to watch, however I'm hoping that the emotional direction adapted in it won't be used too much in the series itself. If this would be a separate anime I would rate it even higher, since the 'Initial D=Takumi and his Hachi-Roku' factor would be put aside. In overall, the Extra Stage is quite different in terms of plot from the series it is still fun to watch and a must for every fan of the Akina Hachi-Roku.