Eighteen years after a tofu delivery Toyota AE86 drifted onto the scene, author Shuichi Shigeno has announced that the hugely popular Initial D manga will come to an end on July 29, 2013.
Since 1995, the tale of a teenager with a gift for slinging his dad’s old hachiroku on the touge has sold over 48 million copies and made a hero car out of Toyota’s last RWD Corolla.
The long-running manga has spawned a live-action film, numerous video games and an endless mountain of diecast toys. But it was the anime series that really resonated with non-Japanese viewers, and it was hugely influential in spreading awareness of drifting in the west.
Though the story of Takumi Fujiwara is coming to a close, it has been announced that a theatrical release Initial D movie will be released in summer 2014, and that another anime series, Initial D Final Stage, will bring the anime up to current with the final pages of the manga.
via Initial D World.
Sad day, but all good things must come to an end! My favourite manga, period.
Will be remembered though as long as the AE86 legend is alive. That is, I do not see it being forgotten any time soon! Every new 86/FR-S will only help cement & link both legends long into the future.
Takumi Fujiwara, drift on my brother! Drift on! :):) Every time I turn my 20 valve’s key I salute you! Every time my FA20 sparks, I know the future is not too lost yet.
Dear Disney! With the Star Wars franchise being revitalized,may I humbly suggest a remake of Mark Hamill’s “Corvette Summer” as “Hachiroku Summer”?
The crazy styling on that Corvette and the plot considered, wouldn’t it be more of a “Bōsōzoku Samā”?
Now if only some US company will release a proper, unbutchered manga translation.
Fuck TOKYOPOOP and Stu Levy.
Yeah, sad day… An ending to a grat chapter of Jpop culture. I will miss that waiting for next volume.
But for some reason I always preffered Wanga MidNight. It had better mood, and was more realistic. One the two main caracters (Akio) was a real human. He wan’t prefect, he didn’t had that ridicilous luck that Takumi was gifted with. So it was (it is) easier for me to idetyfiy with Asakura, than Fujiwara.
Shame that the WM anime was covering only several volumes of the manga. I still wait fo more blasting thru Shuto ExpWay…
Pretty sad, speaking of which i need to catch up on the anime! 5th stage needs me!
Are there any other good car or racing related mangas / animes apart from this and Wangan Midnight?
well, i can suggest over rev. it’s great! and it gives a realistic view… though i’m not gonna put initial d aside, of course…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Motorsports_anime_and_manga
i’m sad but i think it’s about time.
In Germany I’m known as “Takumi Fujiwara” in 1:10 RC drifting scene. I chose this synonym, coz my first RC drifter was a Hachi Roku and I feel connected with the character Takumi of Initial D in many points. I’m 18 years old and drifting is a part of my life for a few years.
Since I was a little child I liked to hit the streets in the hills as copilot of my dad. We took and still take them on the racing line but sometimes sideways and hoping that nobody drives towards us. My dad and I are real car enthusiasts and the tracks around us were our “touge”.
I could cry when I hear that this is maybe the end of Initial D.
With tears in my eyes I’m hoping for a comeback….
Just like the rest of us Takumi has to grow up.
(I have not really grown up though).
Where you can read the latest translations? Last I checked the only place doing them was a place called wekmanga that would barely release chapters and would ask for donations to put them out faster.
no more anime series.
last will be Initial D Movie with official title – Initial D: The Final Stage