Search - Initial D - Battle 6 - Asphalt Angels on DVD

A new twist is added as a female drift champ steals the show

Brian Camp | Bronx, NY | 09/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The sixth volume of this consistently satisfying anime series about downhill mountain road racing in Japan introduces a female racer, Mako Sato, who has mastered downhill "drifting" on Usui Pass and challenges our hero, Takumi, to a race on her home turf. Poor Iketani, who'd managed to get the beautiful Mako's phone number when he'd helped her out at the end of Vol. 5, feels he's been used and even tries to get Tak to back out, but once Tak's mind is made up, that's it.



What's interesting here is the attention to the female characters, Mako and her partner, Sayuki, who always rides with Mako as she races and helps her navigate obstacles and particular turns. The two have a remarkable discussion of strategy as they sit and drink together at an outdoor café with the candlelight flickering on their faces on the night before the big race. Despite the presence in the earlier volumes of two other female characters (neither of whom makes an appearance here), this is the most attention to women yet seen in this series and it's most welcome. The actual race doesn't start till the end of episode 17 and continues through all of episode 18, so don't expect anything but a cliffhanger ending for this volume. It's times like this that make us beg for four episodes on a disc, as opposed to the standard three we get with this series.



The look of the series keeps getting better and better with each volume. Here the character design of the faces is stronger, more detailed, and more expressive. Meanwhile, the 3-D look of the cars and some of the backgrounds in the race scenes is blending more and more with the 2-D look of the rest of the production, achieving an integration of the two modes that wasn't so evident in the early episodes.



The music, at least as heard on the "Eurobeat"-heavy Japanese track provided on the "Classic" version, is as varied and exciting as that on any of the previous volumes. One of the songs featured during the race, "May Be Tonite," appears on the "Initial D: Vocal Battle" CD. I should remind fans that this music is not heard in the "Tricked Out" (English track) version.

"

Forget anything TOKYOPOP brings...

H-F | Canada | 09/03/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"TOKYOPOP doesn't know anime and transform it into uglyness (change score, characters' names, cut scenes, etc...). Pioneer at least keep the original score and characters' names for their animes."

Sil-Eighty drivers are HOT HOT HOT!!!

Evil Boy Genius | Los Angeles, CA | 07/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this battle, after Cole (Iketani) meet a beautiful female driver name Mako in the parking lot, Cole ask her out on the date and later on he finds out that she is the top driver of her blue car Sil-Eighty at Mt. Usui (when they cross each other on the mountain) with her driving partner Syuki. When Cole know she is the top driver at Mt. Usui, Maya ask Cole to do her a favor and that is to ask Takumi to race with her Mt. Usui because she heard of the new legend at Akina. In return, Maya will loose her virginity to Cole after the battle. This will be the first time for Takumi to battle at the opponent's court. The battle continue on "Battle 7"This is the first stage of the fourth stages of the entire series....which is not over yet. "Stage 1" series which have 26 episodes. I think Tokyopop will combine Stage 1 & 2 together. So, there will be 13 battle DVDs that you need to buy.
"Stage 2" have 13 episodes (Meet a new team name Evolution and Tak starting to race at oppenent courts more offten now. Also, a love story of Tak And Natsukiand continues. Tak get a new car engine. A new out of town girl that actually like Iggy. Tak find out the dark secret that Natsuki has been hiden from him.
"Stage 3" is the movie. Continuing a love story between Tak and Natsuki, also some battles take place. Ry ask Tak to join his new team called "Project D" and hope to conquer all the mountains in Japan
"Stage 4 (Project D)" is being air on Japan right now and DVD vol. 1 and 2 which contain 2 espisodes on each volume is out. Tak will be the downhill and K.T will be the uphill specialist for this project. Stage 4 I heard have 14 espisodes and there might be "Stage 5" and is going a be a movie. I can't until next year to get "Stage 4" DVD because I don't want to get volume by volume, hopefully they will put all the espisodes into one package.I would recommended everyone to watch the Japanese dialog track because the character voices and the music are ways better than the dub version. If you have to watch the dub version, switch over to Japan version whenever they race. You will know what I mean the differences in car audio sound and music from the dub version.Natsuki has a dark secret and you guys will know in "Stage 2" series."