Rating: 
Summary: It's great story!
Review: One teenager is realizing his potential ability to be a great racer.. He already learned the techniques by his father, the legendary driver in the town, but he wasn't quite into the racing.. Isn't it amazing?
Story is more and more interesting..
As he awaked, the more interesting the story became..
First I was disappointed by its drawing, but I became to get used to the creator's style.. Amazingly it looks good!
As I afore mentioned, story is great..
But the drawing, if you are already used to reading the cute comics, it takes little bit of time.. In my view, the characters in this comic are still somewhat ugly..
I can recommend this to every manga fans!
Rating:
Summary: It's great story!
Review: One teenager is realizing his potential ability to be a great racer.. He already learned the techniques by his father, the legendary driver in the town, but he wasn't quite into the racing.. Isn't it amazing?
Story is more and more interesting..
As he awaked, the more interesting the story became..
First I was disappointed by its drawing, but I became to get used to the creator's style.. Amazingly it looks good!
As I afore mentioned, story is great..
But the drawing, if you are already used to reading the cute comics, it takes little bit of time.. In my view, the characters in this comic are still somewhat ugly..
I can recommend this to every manga fans!
Rating: 
Summary: NOT an "authentic manga"
Review: The book iteself is of poor quality with the margins of the manga running into the spine, which is stiff as a board. Certainly this isn't one of Tokyopop's worst releases, but they certainly didn't put their best into it either. Some of the text is so small, you can barely read it, some of which also runs into the spine.
The translations are terribly inadequate. Seasoned fans of Initial D will NOT appreciate the liberties taken with the translations of this series, of which the flavor and personality is lost. Things the characters said were either totally made up or misconstrued. For example, an original sentence in Japanese on Page 16, in the Japanese version, Takumi says "Hey, stop reading that while walking ... It looks silly...", in Tokyopop's version, same word bubble, Takumi says something about being so upset he wanted to burn the school down. It's nice to know that new fans will think Takumi is a pyromaniac with a scary temper. Later in the chapter, Mogi asks "Papa" (who is now "Baby" in Tokyopop's version), if making that much money is okay (feeling guilty for being paid to see him), but Tokyopop has her saying, are you sure I'm worth it? I'm high maintenance you know. Made up conversations take place thoughout the book totally disregarding the original content. Perhaps it wouldn't be so disappointing if Tokyopop would not claim to have produced an "authentic" manga. This is certainly not a translation, but an adaption. They even changed all the names. In fact, they did the names correctly the first print, and changed them for the second print.
New fans to Initial D, and to Tokyopop, will probably not notice a difference at all. What you don't know, won't hurt you. If you do not know that the dialog was ripped apart and made up, then you will not care and will probably enjoy the book. In fact, you're probably going to be happy that you can read the manga at all and enjoy it in a language you can understand. But understand that you are not reading the same story that was intended by the original author. Seasoned fans who know the dialog and know what is being said and can stumble their way though manga in Japanese will be sorely disappointed in this book.
If you're buying this book soley to support Tokyopop, or to enhance your Initial D collection, don't bother. You will be very unhappy. Stick with the originals. If you can't understand Japanese and can't find translations, and want to try this book, go ahead, buy it, you'll probably enjoy it as you won't be able to compare it to the original and cringe at the awful job they did representing the content. But know that you are being cheated because you didn't have the hindsight to take Japanese before you became interested in manga, and that you are at the mercy of a company that has sole rights over the work, and doesn't care about it's presentation.
I returned my copy and will just keep my Japanese collection.
Rating: 
Summary: americanized, not tokyopopized.
Review: The story and the drawings in the book are top par and all this talk bout the story not being "true" to the real story, it is all bull. the creators of the american version had to make a book that was popular in japan a readable book in america. in tokyo the humor and the slang is different. they had to make the text make sense in english and to our culture. some humor would make absolutely no sense when translated, or it would get the quick boot by the editors because it was an american pressure point, a la columbine. so some of the text had to be changed. also, who really cares if mogi said she was guilty about her godfather paying so much for her in american culture than in japanese culture. they had to make the text in a japanese culture feel the same in an american culture. to a japanese man, a joke about japanese men being short would fall through just like a japanese joke about american men being tall would. we're not tall to us and they aren't short to them. above all, the story kicks some major and the drawings are stuff that you would see in a 2 hour portrait. try to get the initial d anime while it is in original japanese language with english subtitles, its most likely "truer" than what is going to be in the american release.
Rating:
Summary: Great Series, For Both Girls and Boys
Review: This is a really great series and I enjoy reading it. My guy friends didn't know I read it until I told them and they told me it was asupposed to be a guy's manga, but I told them, it has chicks in it too! The first part in the first book was kinda disturbing but that's the only part like that that happens...that is, except for Iketani's mindless babbling about the girl of his dreams. I would recommend this book to everyone I know, especially people who like cars, such as myself, and people who want to learn about cars. This manga has taught me somethings I never knew about downhill racing. Anyway, when I read this book, I can't wait to see what happens next in the series and I'm always mad when I get to the end of the book and the interesting part is about to happen. I always have to go back to the book store and get the next book when it comes out, but I have to say, it's definitely worth it!!
Rating: 
Summary: Nice story...Lost a lot in the translation.
Review: This is not another 'why did they change the names' write up (but I still don't like that). It is more along the lines of the translators being totally clueless about cars (and racing). It appears that the only information they ever gathered about racing is from 'The Fast and the Furious'. Thing like Ryosuke saying 'I changed the turbine to increase the compresion.' Hello, changing the turbine has no affect on compresion ratio, it affects the boost pressure. Then there is the part when Ryosuke is racing Takumi. The corner where Takumi passes Ryosuke is not '2 R shaped curves back to back' (as Shingo/Nakazato where saying), it is a 2 radius turn (it sharpens near the end). Then there are the 'definitions' in the end. Load shift is not side to side shifting of weight, it is front/rear. Then there is the description of a rotary engine, which is just downright pathetic. Last of all, fix the scale on the map of the Gunma prefecture. It is not 200km per (whatever). That would make Gunma 1000km (600 miles) across!! I've driven in Japan, and it isn't that big. Sorry, the original Japanese one is a little more techinical (and acurate) then this sad translation. This looks like a sad attempt to cash in on the Fast and the Furious. The only reason this volume (vol 1) has a 2 is because it kept the original names. All the other ones I've looked at I have given a 1. I'm waiting to see how their version of the Anime translates (compared to the funny english HK version I currently have)
Rating:
Summary: Nice story...Lost a lot in the translation.
Review: This is not another 'why did they change the names' write up (but I still don't like that). It is more along the lines of the translators being totally clueless about cars (and racing). It appears that the only information they ever gathered about racing is from 'The Fast and the Furious'. Thing like Ryosuke saying 'I changed the turbine to increase the compresion.' Hello, changing the turbine has no affect on compresion ratio, it affects the boost pressure. Then there is the part when Ryosuke is racing Takumi. The corner where Takumi passes Ryosuke is not '2 R shaped curves back to back' (as Shingo/Nakazato where saying), it is a 2 radius turn (it sharpens near the end). Then there are the 'definitions' in the end. Load shift is not side to side shifting of weight, it is front/rear. Then there is the description of a rotary engine, which is just downright pathetic. Last of all, fix the scale on the map of the Gunma prefecture. It is not 200km per (whatever). That would make Gunma 1000km (600 miles) across!! I've driven in Japan, and it isn't that big. Sorry, the original Japanese one is a little more techinical (and acurate) then this sad translation. This looks like a sad attempt to cash in on the Fast and the Furious. The only reason this volume (vol 1) has a 2 is because it kept the original names. All the other ones I've looked at I have given a 1. I'm waiting to see how their version of the Anime translates (compared to the funny english HK version I currently have)
Rating:
Summary: Who cares?
Review: This manga from Shuichi is awesome, on of the best ones i've read. So what the translation is inaccurate, the storyline makes sense and the art work is great. Finally a manga with a realistic view on downhill racing. Every moment of it is exciting and I can't wait for the next volume...
Rating:
Summary: Not 100% Authentic Manga
Review: Tokyopop has decided to falsely label this in their authentic manga series. This volume is NOT that. They have changed the characters names, even after using the original names in volume 1. Authentic, my foot! Support manga! But do not buy Initial D in this format. 100% isn't part of the time, Tokyopop!
Rating:
Summary: NOT an "authentic manga" at all
Review: Tokyopop has now decided to rename all of the characters' names for the second volume of this series, and will reprint the first volume with the "new" names. Make them get it right...don't buy the book until they fix everything.
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