INITIAL D Legend 1: AWAKENING (Released 2014)

INITIAL D Legend 2: RACER (Released 2015)

INITIAL D Legend 3: DREAM (Released 2016)

3 stars (out of 4)

A reboot of the classic car racing anime series, the INITIAL D Legend movies play out pretty much as expected plot-wise. Main character gets challenged by various tough opponents, which he reluctantly takes on, all the while developing an appreciation for the sport.

I never saw the original series, but I’m sure the updated animation added to the excitement here, including impressive camera work that would zoom in on the driving inside the cars, and then seamlessly transition out as the vehicles maneuvered down the mountain course. I also had no complaints about the voice cast, which included Miyano Mamoru, Ono Daisuke, Nakamura Yuuichi, and Suwabe Junichi in major roles.

Mogi, the girlfriend, existed only as a plot device and to provide fan service in the first 2 films. Fortunately, she was redeemed a little bit in Legend 3, as she was given more lines and seemed like more of a friend and confidante for Takumi.

That relationship didn’t work as well for me as the one between the Takahashi brothers, though. It was realistic how they both shared a passion for racing; and I loved seeing their easy rapport and mutual respect for each other.

I was not quite convinced that Takumi’s dad would have told him nothing about cars and racing while he was growing up, considering the dad’s past and the racing culture of his hometown. A valid reason would’ve been that he didn’t want his son to get involved in racing – that I would understand; but that didn’t seem to be the case. Regardless, it did make for good comedy that the fastest guy on Mt. Akina had no interest in racing and didn’t know jack about cars!