First of new “Initial D” anime trilogy to hit theaters in August!
Full Info, Official Link
Translated by The Asahi Shimbun from the website of Anime Anime Japan Ltd.
“Initial D: Legend 1–Kakusei” (awakening), the first of the “Initial D” reboot trilogy, will hit Japanese theaters on Aug. 23 to the delight of manga and anime fans and even auto enthusiasts.
The project marks the 35th anniversary of Kodansha Ltd.’s Young Magazine weekly manga anthology, which ran the original manga series by Shuichi Shigeno.
The street racing manga started its 18-year run in 1995. Spanning 49 volumes, the series has more than 48.6 million copies in print.
The story focuses on young street racers and particularly their drifting techniques in mountain passes. It revolves around Takumi Fujiwara, who developed incredible driving skills while delivering tofu in an old Toyota AE86. He defeats his rivals, who drive new and more powerful sports cars.
The film is being helmed by Masamitsu Hidaka, whose past anime works include “Linebarrels of Iron.” Screenwriter Mayori Sekijima, who is behind “Phi Brain” and other popular titles, wrote the screenplay.
The movie is being produced by leading 3D computer graphics studio Sanzigen Inc. and Liden Films, both of which are affiliated with Ultra Super Pictures.
“Initial D” has spawned many animated adaptations, including TV series, straight-to-video series and a feature-length film. In 2005, it was adapted into a live-action feature film produced in Hong Kong starring Jay Chou.
More information about the new anime film will be updated on the official website at (http://initiald-movie.com/).