Did Initial D ever actually catch on?

[spock]

This past week I spent alot of my free time at Fry's and I noticed they weren't ever in short supply of Initial d mangas or DVDs compared with other popular animes, like InuYasha or .hack//sign. It seems to me that TokyoPop's actions were in vain, considering they had everything from the "tricked-out" DVDs and card and yet I've never seen or heard anyone talk about Initial D. But then again, I don't get out much. Even the Initial D Zip Zaps seem to be a flop compared the Starky and Hutch's Gran Torino. My theory: the cars in Initial D aren't "tight" enough for the general American public. Most Americans preffer show over go. They could care less about a car that looks like a 3rd generation Accord hatchback with a set of little black Watanabes. They would much rather see something like a Supra with flashy graphics and dubs. That, and most people in America aren't very interested in relatively low-powered touge machines compared to the beasts on the highways. It lacks the glamour of things like "The Fast and the Furious."

I'm obviously really bored and decided to write this up.

[GoukiS14]

hahaha yeah actually I think the books are doing ok.... but the anime is just kinda aight.... cuz of the prices that's why the price has dropped down to like $20 or something like that

[nissanguy_24]

the english dub sucks major donkey balls.

But when it comes to the books i think they are selling well. i always buy them when they first come out.

[prodigy]

I agree with you nissanguy, the manga is doing very well but the anime isn't. It is because TOKYOPOP tried to make it "cool" but they just made it lame when they changed the sound tracks, exhaust tones, names, and other crap for the American audience. I also think that the anime did do very well like two years ago when it was first released on the internet. Everyone that loved it downloaded it along time ago; when TOKYOPOP released it, the hardcore fans didn't buy it because of the changes they made to it.

[GoukiS14]

hahah yeah god Bunta's american voice.... I would rather listen to chalk board being scratched

[nissanguy_24]

oh god not just that, but when they took the racing scenes and like added mirror effects and crap, like they would a crummy music video. its like normal version.. "Fd driving down the road"

tricked out version! "Fd driving down the road with hip hop thudding in the background oh wait, suddenly the screen splits in two! yeah there mirror images of each other! oh *Censored**Censored**Censored**Censored* there mixing together now! hell yeah! oh crap now theres 4 of them! yeah, oh two of the scenes are black and white! bam, oh the gamma is way up on the other two.. man now there fadding back together!"

now isnt that so much better then the 'japanese' version?

[anonomousdrift]

i just bought the whole thing online in japanese with english subtitles......that works the best for me

[Shin_Kudou]

While the series doesn't seem to be catching on, the game is huge. It seems everybody who goes to arcades has played it at least once. Hell, I can hardly go to a store or fast food without noticing at least one guy with an ID card poking out of his wallet.

[ACDSupra7]

Haha, yeah. Then they come and jump off our touges =\

[Mr.Shifter]

Re: Did Initial D ever actually catch on?

Originally posted by spock
. They would much rather see something like a Supra with flashy graphics and dubs. That, and most people in America aren't very interested in relatively low-powered touge machines compared to the beasts on the highways. It lacks the glamour of things like "The Fast and the Furious."

I'm obviously really bored and decided to write this up.

well said, if somting doesn't have nitrous or a huge wing on the a$$ end it isn't cool. I was once asked when I was going to put air bags on my Nissan, hey people are odd.

[PandaFD3S]

>well said, if somting doesn't have nitrous or a huge wing on the a$$ end it isn't cool. I was once asked when I was going to put air bags on my Nissan, hey people are odd.


hell i think huge plastic wings are cheesy.......you wouldnt believe how many cool cars ive seen driving on the freeway that have been ruined by an unneccesary large spoiler

[Dingo]

no one buys the anime probaly cuz people are downloading it.
buut i've asked friends that are really into anime if they've seen Initial D, and they dont know anything bout it. guess people are more into those romantic/cute/fuzzy stuff that you just want to rip them up! and stuff

ehn, lets see those fixed up cans with nos and wings do on a mountin road

[PandaFD3S]

initial d

my sister is a huge anime fan and yet completely hates initial d..........i guess you have to be a drifting fan to appreciate the series at all.......once i saw the first episode i immediately downloaded the first and second stage, the 3rd stage movie and the extra stage movie.............which didnt work on my computer

[nissanguy_24]

update your codecs. If your codecs are out of date that is the only reason a video file "wouldnt work on your computer"

[spock]

Well, I never meant that the TokyoPop version of Initial D was popular here in America. I just meant everything like the mangas and the toys and stuff. I spend alot of my free time at Fry's and I've noticed the other mangas , like GTO, tend to outsale Initial D. I don't know how things are there in California, but I've just noticed it's not too popular here.