Studio: SANZIGEN
Publisher: Sentai Filmworks
Distributor: Section23 Films
Release Date: December 5th, 2017
Need an anime that makes you go zoom zoom? How about animation lines as thick as your… finger? Tired of me reviewing so many slice-of-life / school titles? Well, Sentai Filmworks has got you covered with Initial D Legends 1: Awakening. Distributed by Section23 and published by Sentai, this anime is definitely for those who like action and racing in their anime. Many thanks to Section23 for the review unit.
In Initial D Legends 1: Awakening, Koichiro Iketani witnesses a random street race on Mt. Akina. The drivers are the Akagi Red Suns’ Keisuke Takahashi and… some random guy in an old car who beats Keisuke pretty hard. Little did Koichiro know, the mystery driver was a fellow co-worker at the gas station he is employed by. As time goes by and events happen, the Akagi Red Suns and the hometown Akina Speedsters get into a scuffle that turns into a turf war that makes The Fast and the Furious look slow and frustrating!
Going into the series, I was impressed with the driving animation. The way the lights streak into the night air was awesome. Not only that, but the dub also felt pretty natural. To be honest, it feels like Initial D Legend 1: Awakening could be a really great game. The storytelling grips you fast and leaves you with an impression. The music gets your blood running and pumps you up during the races and really makes me wish I could feel the g-forces of those cars. While the animation style isn’t quite what I like to watch, it was compelling and engaging.
For the price of $39.98 USD in the Sentai Filmworks store, Initial D Legends 1: Awakening is definitely worth it. An hour of pure racing action that doesn’t let itself get too stale. The music is intense, but not overbearing. With this being my first time in anything Initial D, I think this was a good start. Plus, it’s easy to share with friends coming over! I’m looking forward to following the rest of the series. Let us zoom zoom together.
Lolinia gives Initial D Legends 1: Awakening a Drastik Moé Measure of 7.4 out of 10.0 (74).
