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[Initial D World]

Many people don't understand why Iketani has such severe inferiority complex. Given the situation he was in, it's not hard to empathize with him. Does anyone remember how confident he was in the first few episodes from Initial D First Stage prior to his crash?

He was so confident that he actually came off a little cocky. Of course, that was no longer the case when his junior Takumi stepped up on the big stage. Right there, Iketani already suffered a strike to his ego. But that's alright since Takumi is on his side, it helps Iketani to rebuild his confidence by continually improving himself.

Then, Mako appears and requested to race Takumi as her "final street race" before graduating from the streets. Iketani's inferiority complex comes back. He thinks someone like Mako won't be into a guy like him. Through mere coincidence, Iketani found out that Mako used to have a big crush on Ryousuke Takahashi, the No.1 superstar street racer in the Gunma area. His inferiority complex kicks into high gear. He instantly withdraw himself from the relationship before it even started. He couldn't help but compare himself to Ryousuke, and experience this immense sense of defeat.

Little did he know, Mako is just being honest with him. She didn't want to hold anything back from him. To her, Ryousuke was like an idol, like a star from movies. Every young girl usually have an idol or two like that they look up to. Iketani mistakes that as love and thinks that Mako will expect the same from him, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

In conclusion, self-pity destroyed an otherwise perfect couple between Mako and Iketani. Every time I watch this scene from Initial D, it serves as a counterexample of dealing with relationship. If you have someone in mind, don't be afraid to tell them what you think. Don't be like Iketani and regret it for the rest of your life.

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» Screenshots from Initial D First Stage ACT.20「ジ·エンド·オブ·サマー」"The End of Summer"

Image size reduced, original size: 1200 x 1376. Click here to view the image in its original dimension.

[shadow55419]

If I'm gonna be honest, i would have been flying down that shoulder when i came up on that traffic jam.

[ThrasherDBS]

Whenever I watch that particular episode, I keep rooting for Iketani to get to Mako in time, even though I know what happens in the end. I think that particular episode is that well put together.

It's also got my favorite Yuichi moment too. Him giving Iketani that short lecture about women and love, and then telling Iketani to "go or he's fired" just exemplifies how awesome I think he is. Seriously, he sounds like he'd be a great boss to have. He's the kind that acts as a father figure to his employees, taking interest in and supporting their hobbies, and also giving them a kick in the ass when they need it.

This episode didn't necessarily teach me anything new about just taking the plunge and telling a girl how you feel, though it did reinforce it. Having a self-defeating personality will get you nowhere, and the sooner you can overcome it, the sooner that you'll be able to focus on the reasons why she'd pick you, rather than the reasons that she'd pick someone else. I'd hate to walk around with the guilt that Iketani had after Mako left, but I'm glad he gets a second chance later on to at least bring some closure to the situation though.