Hacker Cinema
Initial D
頭文字D
1998 · TV series · 25 min episodes · 5 seasons
Takumi’s job as a tofu delivery boy has turned him into one of the most formidable drivers around. Behind the wheel of his Eight-Six, he’s one with the road—and his life shifts into high gear when the underground street racing world takes notice. Drivers from across the region are lining up for a shot at the new guy. Takumi’s not just focused on winning—he’s out to prove he’s the best.
2 positive1 neutralfrom 3 commenters
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3 comments on Hacker News
It was a major consideration for Initial D, which is pretty much the definitive car anime. Animating movement in tandem with dynamic camera movement is very difficult (also why shows like Love Live use 3DCGI for dance scenes, and why Disney was using 3D elements in films like Beauty and the Beast) and modeling accurate vehicle physics in hand drawn animation is also difficult. It simply wouldn't have been viable without 3D animation.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=YDqKsQu9el4
If someone is looking for more recommendations based on anime they've watched and their locations, here's a 2019-version in Japanese (there's a huge number of videos in Japanese it seems, I just took a random version).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlvPi09jVoA
I'll try listing them the ones below (brackets contain English names):
1. Hokkaido
Haiyore! Nyaruko-san: Sapporo City
Boku dake ga inai machi (Erased): Tomakomai City
Kanon: Sapporo City
Seitokai no ichizon: Sapporo City
Golden Kamui: All across Hokkaido
Servant x Service: Sapporo City
Sora no method: Toyako Town
Omoide no Marnie (When Marnie Was There): Kushiro City
Kimi ni todoke: Haboro Town
WORKING!!: Sapporo City
Saikano: The Last Love Song on This Little Planet : Otaru City
Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru (Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation): Asahikawa City
2. Aomori Prefecture
Kumo no mukou, yakusoku no basho (The Place Promised in Our Early Days): Aomori Prefecture
Flying Witch: Hirosaki City
3. Iwate Prefecture
Inugami!: Morioka City
4. Miyagi Prefecture
Kannagi: Sendai City
Haikyuu: Sendai City
Wake Up, Girls: Sendai City
5. Akita Prefecture
Itoshi no Muco (Lovely Muco): Akita City
Kumamiko: Akita Prefecture
6. Yamagata Prefecture
Omoide Poroporo: Yamagata City
LEVEL E: Yamagata City
7. Fukushima Prefecture
Mikakunin de Shinkoukei (Engaged to the Unidentified): Kooriyama City
8. Ibaraki Prefecture
Girls und Panzer: Oorai Town
Momokuri: Mito City
Noucome (My Mental Choices are Completely Interfering with my School Romantic Comedy): Mito City
Sakura Trick: Inashiki City
9. Tochigi Prefecture
Yosuga no sora: Ashikaga City
Mokke: Tochigi Prefecture
Nasu: A Migratory Bird with Suitcase: Utsunomiya City
10. Gunma Prefecture
Nichijou: Isesaki City
Initial D: Mt. Akagi, Mt. Myogi
Sora yori mo tooi basho (A Place Further than the Universe): Tatebayashi City
Aku no Hana: Kiryu City
Houkago no Pleadas: Oota City
Love it. I would say "Mask no kamen (2005)" was the inflection point. Prior to that, I watched a bunch of shows and enjoyed some of them, but then I randomly stumbled onto this masterpiece. It is so good that I was motivated to lookup its director, Hamatsu Mamoru. It truly is unlike anything else you will watch.
When you see something that good, it makes you wonder what else is out there. Among the thousands of generic shows, there are true gems like Initial D. Did you know that Initial D continued with Season 5 after taking an 8 year break? Many fans don't know the new seasons exist.
How many even know that shows like Crest of the Stars exist? Its plot complexity resembles Babylon 5.
Then there's Kaiji. Kaiji is just... something else... Truly, truly something else. A simple game of rock/paper/scissors becomes a life or death experience when combined with gambling, greed, and group dynamics. Interestingly, they released a side story from the perspective of the villain's middle manager! It is absolutely insane how they apply corporate tactics to what happens to the hapless groups of gamblers.
Now there is such a masterpiece as Soul Land from China. Chinese donghua are taking animation to next level, although their stories tend to share the same plot. Soul Land makes you feel like you are inside a video game. Not everyone likes 3D anime, but this is done exceptionally well. Tencent is offering an official subtitled release through its YouTube channel, which recently became a paid offering and I paid for it.