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MANGA/ANIME DIFFERENCES PART 1:
VOLUMES 01 - 17
The explanation of the races has a lot more narrative in car terms in the manga then there is in the anime, even explaining what customization parts and specs were added or modified. But most of these narratives are retained in the anime, through the explanations of either the audiences (usually key characters like Ryosuke) or through the psychological thinkings of the drivers which is not very often. Example) In the battle between Takumi and Shingo, Takumi performs the 4WD pass an incoming car. This was narrated in the manga, but in the anime, this was loosely explained by Ryosuke.
The race battles in the anime are more extreme in camera angle and performance compared to it’s original manga counterparts, more for a shocking dramatic and flashy appearance. When manga and anime are seen side by side, the difference becomes obvious.
The audience gallery in the races (mostly in 4th Stage) has a lot more involvement in the manga, but they tend to be too repetitive that most of their conversations have been removed making the anime more fast paced.
Smoking is also more commonly seen in the manga book and more toned down in the anime.
The clothing changes everytime just like in real-life. In the anime, the clothing changes don’t take place as much in the 1st Stage, but is commonly seen happening in the following Stages ahead. In the manga however, brand name shirts could be seen. Such shirts may include a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey, a Spiderman? like shirt, or even brand names of famous car part companies like BLITZ, Mugen, NISMO, etc. Plus, the use of the “New Balance†clothing line is heavily used, especially in the anime. The anime does include car company names but they may tend to be mis-spelled in early Stages such as “Trueno†would be called “Torenoâ€Â.
Volume 01:
In the opening driving sequence of the anime, Yuiichi is seen flashing his headlights at the incoming Eight-Six during it’s delivery times. This is not in the manga.
In the first chapter, Takumi got angry and punched his senior Miki, for his perversion comments concerning Natsuki. However in the anime, this event was moved after the race with Keisuke, in episode 07 of 1st Stage.
Koichiro Iketani originally had a different hairstyle in the first few chapters, until he gets his S13 into an accident. Afterwards, his next hairstyle has become the standard throughout the whole series. In the anime, his hairstyle remained the same throughout the whole series.
One character in the manga wears a cap, in the anime, that same character wears his cap backwards.
In the manga, while working at the GS Gas Station Itsuki and Iketani tease Takumi if he can describe what a drift is. In the anime however, they were watching “The Drift Bible†at work featuring the “Drift King†while Takumi ignored Itsuki’s enthusiastic comments making Itsuki ask Takumi if he knows what is a drift.
Shiraishi, who is Natsuki’s classmate friend and Papa’s daughter, makes her first appearance in Chapter 006, but never makes any appearances again until Volume 14.
Natsuki has a nude scenes in the manga in Volumes 01 and 09. In the Tokyopop release, clothing were added into her. In the anime, none of the nude scenes were featured, but the story of her relationship with Papa remains identical.
Iketani’s time trial attack on Mt. Akina happens after he changes the tires in the manga, but in the anime he does the time attack just before he decides to talk to Bunta.
Iketani’s first time going to talk to Bunta while driving s scooter is not seen in the manga, but Bunta mentions it to Yuiichi. The part when Iketani on the scooter appears the 2nd time is seen in the manga.
Nakazato’s introduction to the series is right at Mt. Akina in the manga. His intro in the anime is seen with the Nightkids at a restaurant driving their way to Mt. Akina.
Takumi’s comment to his dad that he can probably beat him in a year or so is mentioned just at the time he’s leaving to defeat Keisuke. Takumi doesn’t mention this in the anime until after he defeats Ryosuke.
Just before the Takahashi drivers arrive to perform their drifts for show, other Redsuns members show off their drifting skills in the manga. Not so in the aniime since it’s focused already on the Takahashis.
Ryosuke’s drifting scene near the guardrail is only a few centimeters off in the anime where the manga has more of a sense of simplistic realism, the anime version exaggerates it’s dramatic angle for a more flashy effect.
Volume 02:
Ryosuke states that the Eight-Six must have a monster driver at the starting launch in the anime. He never mentions thinking of this until halfway through the race in the manga.
In the anime, when Ryosuke explains how Keisuke got passed on the third hairpin, Keisuke vents out a lot of anger and kicks the guardrail. He never did any of this in the manga.
Itsuki in the anime shows a picture of him being known as a Eight-Six duo with Takumi, though this is also mentioned in the manga without the picture. This segment is also scenes switched with Takumi and Natsuki going to the beach in both versions.
In the anime, Nakazato has a flashback as a drift racer showing him driving an S13 in Myogi, where he was beaten by a white GT-R32. This result in him buying a grip only GT-R32 is also part of a radio drama in Japan that actually has a story of him defeating the white GT-R32 with his black GT-R32. This is not in the manga.
Takumi brings Tofu at work to give to Iketani, courtesy of Bunta feeling bad for the S13 racer in the anime only.
When Takumi drives with Iketani as the passenger, Yuiichi is hiding in the bushes watching the drift. He also appears out of nowhere to comment on Iketani passing out. Only in the anime.
Itsuki makes a exaggerated comment about Iketani passing out during Takumi’s test drive on Akina. This attitude of Itsuki’s exaggeration is only seen in the anime.
In the manga, while driving around Iketani tells Kenji of his experience as the passenger of the Eight-Six. Not seen in the anime.
The car Nakazato passes in the manga is an Integra DC2 where in the anime it was an S13 Silvia.
After coming back from a delivery using Yuiichi’s car, Takumi is asked by Itsuki about racing another battle. I the anime Takumi was just about to park the car, but in the manga he was asked after getting out of the car.
Nakazato comments that the race is in two days while practising on Mt. Akina. This isn’t in manga, but in the anime this is a bridge between two scenes. The scene were Nakazato visits the gas station and the scene when Kenji arrives to tell about the unexpected battle.
Volume 03:
Yuiichi in the anime is hiding among the crowd in the battle against the Eight-Six and GT-R32.
The race battle between the Eight-Six vs the R32 in the anime is more extreme, because Takumi drives his car much deeper into the inside gutter of the fourth hairpin compared to the manga.
After the race the next few days Iketani and Itsuki are talking about improving their driving skills. Takumi is out with Natsuki talking about him not having his own car. Both scenes were removed in the anime.
Upon meeting Shingo at the peak of Mt. Akina, Itsuki attempted to do the Gumtape method in his Eight-Five to see how it feels. In the anime, he attempted this method at the GS Gas Station.
A miscellaneous team consisted of an MR2 and S13 was beaten by Itsuki’s Eight-Five driven by Takumi in the manga. In the anime however, this would be known as team Thunder-Fire, that drove the S13 yet the other car was a 180SX.
The scene of Itsuki putting the Speedstars sticker on his Eight-Five and Yuiichi and Iketani trying to remove the sticker because is crooked is not in the manga. The part of them talking about Itsuki being as a passenger in the Eight-Five is also much later on.
Shingo is seen arriving at a restaurant. Iketani and Kenji see his EG6 arriving in the manga, but in the anime it was Kenji and another member of the Speedstars that see this car.
As seen only in the anime, Takumi and Natsuki going out on another date is the start of the filler episode coming up when Takumi ask Natsuki to find a blind date for Itsuki. This is the intro start of Saori (an anime only female character). The date happens the next day which goes out quite well.
Itsuki’s exaggeration of Iketani’s fear in Takumi’s driving is repeated in the S13 sequence, as this is also only in the anime. Also in the manga, Itsuki is seen falling out of his car.
Volume 04:
The Shingo race had a major difference in the anime comparison to the manga. In the original manga, the race is settled immediately after the challenge with Itsuki present. In the anime, Takumi didn’t bring his Eight-Six with him and Shingo did not recognize who the Eight-Six driver was until the next week when the race took place. A gallery of people arrive to watch the race the next week. This was also added with the RedSuns and NightKids watching the whole Gumtape Deathmatch battle.
Another filler like episode is created with Takumi asking Natsuki to find Itsuki a date. This gave the appearance of Sasori, an anime only character, a chance for Itsuki to come along for a blind-date. Elsewhere Nakazato meets up with Shingo at a restaurant to warn him about the dangers of the Eight-Six race where Shingo ignores the leader of the Nightkids. Later on Itsuki sets up another date with Saori and begins reading a “Love Manual: How to Impress a First Date†while at work. However, the plans of the date goes out well at first but falls apart when Itsuki makes a rush kiss to Saori at Lake Akina. Meanwhile Shingo is really upset that the Eight-Six driver does not want to challenge him in a Gumtape match. Eventually the whole date fell apart with the arrival of Shingo in Mt. Akina, assuming Itsuki’s Eight-Five was the Eight-Six, forcing Itsuki to lose control and crashing his car with Saori in the passenger seat. This puts Itsuki in the hospital and was never present during the Takumi vs Shingo race. Saori also cuts off her ties with Itsuki and she is never seen again in the anime. This story arc is what triggers Takumi to battle Shingo in the gumtape race, and Iketani couldn’t talk Takumi out of the race. Just before the battle, Takumi goes out with Natsuki again.
Yuiichi went to watch the gumtape match in the anime, and is nearly runned into by the Eight-Six on the first corner because Takumi wasn’t aware of the gumtape limitations that he understeers and nearly collides to the guardrails.
The incoming car during the Four Wheel Drift segment was an S13 in the anime, and an SUV in the manga.
Takumi bump the guard railings as a rebound twice in the manga and once in the anime. Takumi also overtook the EG6 in the 3rd hairpin in the manga, and the 4th hairpin in the anime.
Anime only, Ryosuke comments that if the Eight-Six can’t do a Four Wheel Drift against an incoming car, then it never was a worthy opponent for him. Nakazato on the other hand comments that the Eight-Six only gets faster when the driver is angry rather than making mistakes and choking.
In the anime, Iketani follows the Eight-Six and EG6 from behind with Kenji as the passenger of the S13. In the manga, it was Itsuki that was the passenger, and Kenji followed behind with his 180SX.
In the manga at the Esso Gas Station, Takumi and Itsuki ask Iketani about what an FC and FD car is like, which is a segment concerning rotary engines. But in the anime, Kenji brings over a rare video tape at the gas station to showoff the driving skills of the “White Comet†two years prior to the arrival of the RedSuns at Mt. Akina. Itsuki also brags how Takumi will not lose if he’s won against an FD, a GTR, a race in another mountain (Usui), a gumtape match, and a rain race, but nobody would believe him.
Tsubame (Tricia in Tokyopop) is Ryosuke and Keisuke’s cousin, and makes her appearances in volumes 04 and 07, but never makes any appearance in the anime.
In the anime at the restaurant, Ryosuke tells Keisuke, Fumihiro and Kenta that he does not want to go pro. In the manga, Keisuke tells Fumihiro that Ryosuke doesn’t want to go pro, as Ryosuke is elsewhere at the car shop and Kenta has not made a manga appearance until the end of Volume 06.
Bunta test drives the Eight-Six with Yuiichi much earlier in the manga than in the anime, but still it takes place just before the race between Takumi and Ryosuke.
Just a day before the Ryosuke and Takumi battle, Itsuki takes Takumi up Mt. Akina with his Eight-Five asking questions and driving wildly out of control to Takumi’s shock. Other questions included if Takumi has already hit first base with Natsuki or not. Itsuki asks these questions because Takumi hasn’t been himself lately assumed he was avoiding his best friend. Strange thing is this plot happens before the rain race in the anime.
Also, a battle between Keisuke and Nakazato takes place, as they pass by the Eight-Five in Takumi’s shock to see it. This reckless race resulted in a tie as both drivers are saying who is the fastest and how they weren’t really driving their best when in reality they are just bluffing their way out of it. However this was the set up leading to the official race in Myogi in Volume 07. This segment was never seen in the anime, being an unnecessary plot segment.
And the next day was the official battle between Ryosuke and Takumi. In the anime Iketani tells Yuiichi about the race battle before going to the mountain. In the manga, this is where Mako and Sayuri make their first appearance.
Volume 05:
In the manga, Ryosuke’s race against Takumi began after Shingo’s battle. In the anime, Ryosuke was the last race of the 1st Stage. Shingo’s race was followed by Mako and Sayuki’s Sil-Eighty, then the Keisuke vs Nakazato and the Kenta rain race before the final Gunma battle between Takumi and Ryosuke.
Shingo’s arm is in broken from his last race against Takumi where in the anime, his arm is completely healed. It makes more sense in the anime because it would be weird to see Shingo driving his EG6 with his arm wrapped around, especially since his car is a stickshift.
In anime, Fumihiro originally does the countdown until Keisuke interrupts saying he should do the countdown. In the manga, Keisuke was already the choice of the countdown. Also in the anime only, Iketani/Kenji/Itsuki are seen shouting for joy in Takumi’s launch and lead at the starting point.
In the manga, there was no audience that watched the Takumi vs Shingo Gumtape match. By Volume 05, Takumi has fixed his weakness of oversteering. Ryosuke was surprised on how Takumi has improved this quickly in such a short period of time. This is apparent to see how the Gumtape match effected Takumi’s driving was different within a week. In the anime, the race is stretched much further later on.
Yuiichi was watching the whole race in the anime to tell Bunta about the Eight-Six being in the lead. Bunta comments that it’s a bad idea to have the Eight-Six in the lead. In the manga, Bunta never knew anything about the Eight-Six being in the lead since Yuiichi never went to see the battle.
Takumi does the gutter technique and Ryosuke also does the same from behind. Oddly enough, this gutter move was only seen in the manga and not in the anime. Nonetheless, the following from behind sync was identical from manga to anime. Another oddity is most people assumed Ryosuke did do the gutter trick as well in the anime.
Anime only, Kenta is seen at the Five Consequtive hairpins.
Takumi does not perform the gutter hook technique until he races against Seiji in Volume 09. There was also no flashback of Takumi talking to Bunta in the wintertime until Volume 09. However in the anime, he recalls the winter season flashback during this race and uses this technique twice in order to catch up to Ryosuke during the climatic battle of episode 26 of 1st Stage. For the anime segment Takumi was of close to the same age, probably about 17 years old, but in the manga he was still in his early teens of Junior High.
When Takumi beat Ryosuke, everyone in the gallery were shocked of the final results. In the manga, they were so shocked that everyone were speechless in silence. It is as if everyone wanted the White Comet to win, but everyone also wanted the Eight-Six to win as well. Nakazato and Shingo also comment how FR cars are also amazing, compared to their FF and AWD ones. Sayuri tells Mako to pay attention to the driving styles of the FC and Eight-Six.
But in the anime, Itsuki shouts “Banzai!!†as the Speedstars are in full joy of the outcome. Nakazato and Shingo also keep their distance from each other avoiding the fact they are firends, Sayuri comments about going out with Takumi while Mako should go with Iketani, and Natsuki makes a comment saying that cars are cool to Takumi at lake Akina.
Natsuki in the anime was at the finish line of Mt. Akina wanting to see Takumi’s battle.
After what Ryosuke telling Takumi there are many other great racers around the world, Takumi goes up Mt. Akina to reflect on this. In the anime however he is seen reflecting on this while doing his deliveries.
At Mt. Usui, just before Iketani meets Mako for the first time, Sayuri comments Mako about her driving skills and how she should not worry about knowing anything about cars, just like how Takumi knows nothing about cars. This is not in the anime.
In the anime only, Kenji pinches Itsuki in the face, and Itsuki pinches Takumi in the face as the shock of seeing Mako for the first time.
Iketani was planning to speed up his car to show off to Mako in the manga, but Mako doesn’t like people that just speed up on public roads to impress people, saving Iketani the embarassement.
In manga only, we see Iketani talking more about Mako at the restaurant with the guys. They never were seen at the restaurant in the anime, although Iketani noted of going to a restaurant before going to Mt. Usui.
Volume 06:
After leaving Mako after asking to challenge the Eight-Six, Iketani pisses off unintentionally an incoming car in the manga, but no incoming car was present in the anime.
Mako talking to Sayuri in the manga about moving on is moved to a scene a little later on in the anime but otherwords is still the same.
In the Mt. Usui battle, Takumi decided to be the chaser car against the Sil-Eighty for the first run (and only run). This is because Takumi thought of how Ryosuke decided to chase after him. But in the anime, Takumi did not race Ryosuke first, but he concluded with his own improvising of what he should do, which is be the chaser rather than the runner.
Only in the anime, some of the roads of Mt. Usui had rock piles that Takumi had to avoid by swerving. This is also the longest race in 1st Stage being 1 and 2/3 of an episode long, yet it wasn’t that long of a race in the manga.
In the anime only during the battle at Mt. Usui, Ryosuke elsewhere was collecting data concerning where is the best point to attack Takumi. This was only in the anime since in the manga, Ryosuke has already lost to the Eight-Six. Another small scene in the anime shows Papa dropping Natsuki home, which is a hint of the story that is to come in 2nd Stage.
During the battle, the incoming car in the manga was an S14 Silvia, but in the anime it was an S13.
In Mako’s flashback sequence 3 years prior to meeting Iketani, Ryosuke with his FC defeated a Supra in a battle. The rare scene of seeing a Supra lose is so briefly seen in the anime. Iketani also asked Mako about Ryosuke which he never asked in the manga, and Mako tells him everything she knows about Ryosuke.
Ryosuke’s theory begins to evolve his strategy in the anime for his upcoming battle with the Eight-Six, with Keisuke having a hard time keeping up. Again this is not in the manga since Ryosuke has already lost to the Eight-Six.
This is the end of summer as Itsuki comments to Takumi that he has already competed in 5 races being the FD, GT-R, EG6, FC, and Sil-80 just before school starts, and a note that the EG6 was not an official race in the manga. But in the anime there was only 4 races Takumi has competed against since the FC battle is the last in 1st Stage.
In the anime, Itsuki brags to his classmates about what happened during the summertime battles racalling them all in class. In the manga, he mentions this to Takumi at a park.
Kenta’s character design in the anime for 1st Stage, 2nd Stage, and 3rd Stage are completely different to his original character design in the manga. However by 4th Stage, Kenta has been reanimated to look identical to his original manga counterpart.
At a restaurant Ryosuke talks to Keisuke about forming his own Dreamteam of streetracers to compete against other Prefectures, this is the prelude to “Project Dâ€Â, but in the anime this whole sequence is cut out. However the dreamteam idea is mentioned at the very end of 2nd Stage, which makes a lot more sense of what’s to come.
Volume 07:
In the anime only filler plot, Kenji sees Takumi with Natsuki one night (when Takumi and Natsuki were out again which was Takumi’s first kiss with her). This results with Kenji telling Iketani and Itsuki about Natsuki and Itsuki getting jealous upon hearing this, plus Iketani remembering Mako. This leads to the forming of the anime only “LONELY DRIVERS CLUBâ€Â, to Kenji’s embarrassment among his friends.
To further this plot but in the manga Volume 04 just before the Ryosuke and Takumi battle, Itsuki takes Takumi up Mt. Akina with his Eight-Five asking questions and driving wildly out of control to Takumi’s shock. Other questions included if Takumi has already hit first base with Natsuki or not. Itsuki asks these questions because Takumi hasn’t been himself lately assumed he was avoiding his best friend. Strange thing is this plot happens before the rain race in the anime.
In the manga, Takumi and Itsuki have a paper, rock, scissor battle of who is driving to Mt. Myogi and Takumi loses as he has to drive his Eight-Six. In the anime, Itsuki wanted to save gas and asks Takumi to drive his Eight-Six.
In the manga, Keisuke and Nakazato were driving downhill towards the Mt. Myogi starting point where they pass by the Eight-Six. In the anime, both drivers were already at the downhill start, when they see the Eight-Six drive up the mountain.
Ryosuke was present during the Keisuke vs Nakazato battle in Myogi in the manga. In the anime, Ryosuke didn’t bother even going knowing he had full confidence in Keisuke’s driving skills. Instead he was busy collecting more data to compete against the Eight-Six.
Nakazato and Shingo were talking to each other to get Nakazato motivated to defeating Keisuke’s FD. This was only seen in the manga and not in the anime.
Keisuke forbid Kenta from battling the Eight-Six in the rain. In the anime Nakazato said anyone can battle the Eight-Six, saying it’s not a private challenge but everyone wants a piece of the action, and Keisuke should understand this feeling as a streetracer. In the manga however, Nakazato could careless since he has lost his racing confidence, but Ryosuke who is seen at Mt. Myogi was the one who didn’t mind seeing Kenta race against the Eight-Six.
In the anime, Kenta issues this challenge to Takumi saying that if he can’t beat Kenta, then the battle between Ryosuke is cancelled. Of course in the manga, this isn’t the case since Ryosuke already lost.
Kyoiichi and Seiji (at the time had a slightly different character designs), were seen in the shadows watching the whole rain battles leading to the next story arc.
Volume 08:
During the rain race between Takumi and Kenta, the Evo IV of team Emperor makes an appearance trailing from behind. In the end, the Evo IV beats both cars which Takumi never mentioned (nor was he really trying his best during the race). The next day at the GS Gas Station, Iketani and Kenji were estatic to ask if Itsuki saw the Evo IV during the rain race. Ryosuke has a video of the rain race with the Evo IV’s appearance. Tsubame (female cousin of the Takahashis) wakes up Keisuke from his messy room to go watch the video. None of this made it into the anime because this happened loosely in between 1st and 2nd Stage. To add this scene would be too confusing to divide the seasons. It’s a shame though since it’s a great plot twist.
After the rain battle in the anime, Natsuki on a bike visits Takumi at the Gas Station. Itsuki, Iketani, Kenji, and Yuiichi are spying on them from across the street.
In the anime, Team Emperors defeated Thunder-Fire as the intro to 2nd Stage. Other teams they have beaten included team Drifters. In the manga, other teams included team Kings and team Over Take, plus references to the defeat of another team in Shirane. While Seiji defeated Nakazato of the Nightkids, Kyoichi at the same time was scouting out the course of Mt. Akina with his Evo III. In the anime, the Evo IV vs R32 was extended by a whole lot more, with Kyoichi present during the race sincee in the manga being only a few pages long.
A scene with Takumi and Natsuki at school is reintroduced for the start off of 2nd Stage. Another scene later on, Takumi finds a note in his locker saying Natsuki is seeing an older man in a Benz. This note never existed in the manga book and only in the anime.
Bunta shows Yuiichi the new engine earlier in Volume 08, but a little by later on in the anime. Bunta also tells Yuiichi that Takumi has to lose to learn something new but says this at the mountain peak in the manga, yet in the anime he tells this at the car shop alongside with Masashi.
Takumi carwashes the Eight-Six just before the race against Seiji. In the anime, while Takumi was carwashing, Bunta was talking
with real-life “Drift King†Keiichi Tsuchiya, aka “Dori Dori†in episode 23, concerning with the race against Takumi and Ryosuke coming up. Also in the anime 1st Stage, Itsuki tries to show Takumi his heel-toe techniques which were completely off. Also at school he is embarrassed of his overracting in front of the teacher.
Volume 09:
Masashi and Yuiichi saw Takumi race the Evo IV in Mt. Akina in the anime. This was the first time Masashi saw Takumi’s driving skills, but in the manga he saw him drive the first time during a regular delivery run in Volume 08.
Ryosuke predicts the corner Takumi will overtake the Evo IV as Keisuke was told. The question was, did Ryosuke know this off out of strategy in the manga?! Or was it because of his experience against this gutter hook technique in the anime?!
Takumi’s original flashback of him driving in the Winter in his Junior High days as well as Bunta telling him of the gutter hook technique is mentioned here originally in the manga. In the anime, the flashback took place during Ryosuke’s battle with Takumi.
In the manga only, after Takumi overtakes the Evo IV and wins, the Speedstars all get cans of cold drinks, shake them and open the cans to celebrate the win of the Eight-Six once again.
Takumi in the anime finds another note of Natsuki going out with papa in his locker. This makes him somewhat suspicious and reluctant whenever he sees Natsuki’s face.
Tsukamoto, a wannabe RedSuns (yet never any raceteam member) manga only character, was a senior of Takumi and Natsuki’s highschool. He drives a 180SX, and brings both Takumi and Natsuki to Mt. Akagi. Tsukamoto also talks about the popularity of the RedSuns and the legendary Eight-Six (not knowing Takumi is the driver of that Eight-Six). Because of Tsukamoto’s terrible driving skills, it is more apparently seen here how Natsuki has car motion sickness which is never really seen in the anime. At the peak of Mt. Akagi Tsukamoto and Takumi get a drink while Natsuki accidentally leans on an S13 car bumping it by accident. A girl and her boyfriend accuse her of denting the car and begin to degrade Natsuki in trash talk making her feel really bad in low self-esteem. By chance, Takumi asked to drive Tsukamoto’s 180SX downhill to see the difference in technique. It’s also by chance that the S13 was on the downhill and Natsuki requests that Takumi defeats the S13 out of her own pure revenge. Tsukamoto in the passanger seat is shocked that his 180SX is so fast he feints and the S13 loses out of the driver and his girlfriend’s own embarassment and humiliation. The next day Natsuki and Takumi were talking about leaving Tsukamoto in his car since he feinted, is also when Itsuki came into the scene to ask Takumi if he wanted to go see the race between the Redsuns and team Emperor. Later on that day, Natsuki visits Takumi at the GS Gas Station for the first time in the manga (in the anime Natsuki visited Takumi just before the race against Ryosuke), while Itsuki, Iketani, Kenji and Yuiichi saw them talk from the distance. This whole plot sequence was removed in the anime being not necessary or out of place.
Since Tsukamoto was never in the anime, Natsuki talking to Papa about not seeing him anymore is mentioned during the battle of the Eight-Six against the Evo IV, while she was being dropped off home. But in the manga after the Tsukamoto story, Natsuki had just had sex with Papa and is seen in the manga naked (edited in Tokyopop with clothes), where she tells Papa in the hotel afterwords that she doesn’t want to see him anymore. On their way back, Papa and Natsuki pass by Kyoiichi’s Evo III as he is on his way to Mt. Akagi.
However this was Takumi and Natsuki’s last date, just before he gets his first telephone call concerning Natsuki’s relationship with Papa. Another girl tells him off the phone that Natsuki has sex with an older man in a Benz.
Maebashi
Volume 10:
One of Kyoiichi’s scout finds the location of Takumi’s work at the GS Gas Station, this wasn’t mentioned in the anime as it was unnessesary if Kyoiichi is eventually meeting with Takumi at the Gas Station.
Also in the manga, Takumi gets another phonecall from the same girl telling him about Natsuki and Papa. This time Takumi is furious about her lies, but she begins to cry saying it’s all true before hanging up.
Takumi sees Natsuki with Papa coming out of the hotel near the Maebashi interchange in the manga. At the time Takumi was having a drink and when he saw them, he threw his drink towards a wall. The anime had them coming out of a restaurant also near Maebashi and Takumi was in his car having a drink, which he crushed his drink and threw it across the road.
In the anime, Tsukamoto makes a very very brief cameo appearance during the Eight-Six vs Evo III Akagi battle. Most manga readers
may not have recognized this however.
Also in the anime only, Natsuki visits Takumi at work that same night but he was off work that day (not knowing he was actually in Akagi battling the Evo III), but Itsuki was at work at the time. There Iketani suspected that if Natsuki is there looking for Takumi, then it’s possible Takumi went to challenge Kyoiichi at Mt. Akagi, taking the bait. In the manga, Iketani wasn’t working that night, instead he was with Kenji at the restaurant talking in concern about Takumi not taking the battle, unaware that he took the bait.
In the anime only. After te battle, Kyoiichi goes up to tell Ryosuke that Takumi has an engine blow, and reminding him of the upcoming battle between the FC and Evo III.
Volume 11:
Both Shingo and Nakazato are present in Akagi watching the battle between Ryosuke and Kyoiichi, where they made an appearance in the anime but never made an appearance in the manga. Iketani and Kenji are also seen in the anime, although they were also there in the manga itself, they were never seen once during the race.
Wataru and Kasumi make their introduction just before the race begins in the anime as they were part of the gallery at the peak, where they were introduced in the manga during the first quarter of the race somewhere along the roadside.
There was no countdown start seen in Ryosuke and Kyoiichi’s race in the manga, unlike in the anime.
Only in the anime, at the point where the Evo III overtakes the FC is where Nakazato and Shingo are seen, surprisingly they were cheering on Ryosuke to defeat Kyoiichi.
Manga only, there is a brief scene where Kenta is speechless after what Keisuke said about Ryosuke winning. This is probably in reference to remind people how good the Takahashi brothers really are.
In the anime only, Keisuke tells Ryosuke that Kenta saw the Eight-Six recently back on the road. The brothers take a look at Mt. Akina to see the car realizing by the sound of the new engine, it has just become a more formidable monster.
At one point in the manga, on her lunchbreak Kasumi visits Itsuki at the GS Gas Station while wearing her kimono which she never wore in the anime. Instead she was just carrying a grocery bag and regular clothes.
Volume 12:
Just before Wataru went to Akagi, friends of his are asking about his cute sister Kasumi. This isn’t mentioned in the anime but completely shifts to the point where Wataru is already talking to Keisuke. Wataru tells Keisuke about him seeing the race of the FD vs Emperor’s Evo IV in Mt. Akagi, how the FD easily defeated the LanEvo. You never hear this explanation in the anime. Interesting note though, the battle between the FD and the Evo IV were never seen in the manga nor in the anime stages, but was added into the Battle Stage anime special as a bonus race.
Only in the manga, elsewhere in Kasumi and Itsuki were talking about their dreams and the next day Itsuki is talking to Takumi about girls, asking about his relationship with Natsuki (in the anime Itsuki asked this much later on after Itsuki has gone out with Kasumi a couple of times already). Oddly though the FD vs Eight-Six Turbo short-lived unofficial battle took place the next day in the manga, when in the anime it took place the same night Itsuki was with Kasumi (rather than Itsuki and Kasumi going out already on another date in the manga).
During the Keisuke and Wataru unofficial race on Akagi, Tsukamoto crashes his 180SX on the mountain railing. However in the anime, Tsukamoto was replaced with a member of Thunder-Fire.
After the Eight-Six Turbo visited the GS Gas Station, Iketani was talking to Yuiichi inside the store in the anime, where in the manga they were talking outside near the garage.
Wataru leaves after Kasumi slaps him and gets angry at him. When Takumi leaves Itsuki with Kasumi, he tells Itsuki he is going already as was stated in the anime. In the manga, Takumi didn’t say anything, instead you could tell in his facial gestures and body language that he was going without using words and Itsuki also did facial gestures and body language without using words to tell Takumi not to go. The words they trade back are in word bubbles as if they were reading each others thoughts which is a unique way to express character in the manga.
After Wataru leaves, in the anime Kasumi was more sad and Itsuki tries to cheer her up. In the manga, Kasumi turns around and has a cheery face making fun of Itsuki saying that Takumi was the real Eight-Six driver friend.
When Kasumi was teaching Itsuki how to drift his Eight-Five, they were having a good conversation while Itsuki was driving in the anime. The manga, they were having the same conversation, yet the Eight-Five was parked on the side of the road. Also the scene where they are both sleeping inside the car is only in the anime.
In the anime, after Takumi hears of the new tachometer’s arrival, he rushes right out of school and sees Natsuki, but completely ignores her saying he was busy. After installing it, Wataru visits Takumi at the GS Gas Station to plan out their race match. Later that day Takumi visits Itsuki’s house to ask if he can go with him to Syoumaru. In the manga, Takumi asks Itsuki to go to Syoumaru at the GS Gas Station, although they weren’t working at the gas station that day.
Volume 13:
In the manga, Itsuki notices all the new upgrades in the Eight-Six dashboard, but he was also thinking about his own problems and relationship with Kasumi. Not noted in the anime.
In the anime only…Kenta gets some realiable information about the Eight-Six vs Eight-Six battle. Both Ryosuke and Keisuke see this as a chance to see the battle. Iketani is working that night but is excused by Yuiichi to go see the battle with Kenji. Unlike in the anime, in the manga there were nobody present throughout the whole match, so none of the RedSuns knew about the battle. Only Takumi and Wataru were in Syoumaru.
In the anime only, Natsuki is applying to work at a McDonald’s like restaurant. On their way to Syoumaru by chance, Iketani and Kenji see her having an interview at the McDonald’s.
Each round that is fought in the anime we see the end and start of each round. In the manga however, we never really see the end or start of each next round and it’s rather narrated that the next round has already begun.
On the 5th round of the battle between the two Eight-Sixes, Wataru was running low on gas and lost his concentration thinking about the gas. It was during this brief lost in thought did Takumi overtake Wataru in the brief space he had. The anime finish was far more dramatic, as Takumi overtakes Wataru through the mudslide that was lowered after passing it five times.
Natsuki applies a job at a McDonald’s like restaurant in the anime, which Iketani and Kenji see while on their way to see Takumi’s race. This is only in the anime.
Kasumi’s flashback of Wataru in the manga and anime are identical in plot, except in the anime there was only one flashback and Wataru was tuning up his Eight-Six, where in the manga he was simply just talking. Also Kasumi telling Itsuki he was leaving Gunma for good in the anime was during the 2nd round of the battle, where in the manga the battle has already ended when Kasumi tells Itsuki this.
Additional plot of Itsuki and Kasumi are removed in the anime. These are, one in school when Itsuki is talking to Takumi about Kasumi’s true feelings of Itsuki as only like a friend or younger brother yet also like a boyfriend to her. Another segment of the story was the conversation at Lake Akina. After dropping off Kasumi at the station, Itsuki also has a lot more thoughts explained concerning about him moving on with his life.
In thea anime only, Nakazato plans his revenge against the Eight-Six and Emperor. However, the Nightkids story ended in volume 08 of the manga never seen again. In the anime they were seen throughout 2nd Stage, even 3rd Stage and Extra Stage. This is also where Ryosuke starts forming his own team which will become “Project Dâ€Â, even though this is mentioned in Volume 06 of the manga. Other additional scenes include Iketani teaching Takumi about car engines and Natsuki seen working at the GS Gas Station.
Volume 14:
Since 3rd Stage is a movie, most of volume 14 – 17 have been re-edited to make the transition as a theatrical like storytelling. The intro opens with Natsuki having a cheery smile to set up the movie, yet in the manga she is already in a frown since it’s a continuation.
Flashbacks of all the previous races of 1st Stage and the engine blow of 2nd Stage are seen in the anime movie version being necessary, but wasn’t necessary in the manga.
In the manga, after work, Takumi talks to Ryosuke at Lake Akina while Itsuki, Kenji, and Iketani were at the restaurant. In the anime, the conversation was just at the side of the streets (possibly the gas station?), and the restaurant scene wasn’t present.
Takumi calls up Ryosuke upon meeting him in consideration to join the new racing team. But instead Takumi asks where to meet Kyoiichi for a race battle. Ryosuke was driving in his car talking in a cellphone to Takumi in the manga, but in the anime he was in his room at home. Takumi on the other hand was calling at a payphone in the anime where in the manga it was elsewhere?
Ryosuke and Keisuke have a conversation about Takumi’s new engine. In the anime, their conversation was at their home, while in the manga, they were at Mt. Akagi, plus there is a lot more conversation about the Eight-Six engine in comparison to Kyoiichi’s monster engine with it’s dry sump.
Kyoiichi in the manga has a couple segments where he is in somewhat of a shock of the Eight-Six driving abilities. Seiji also notes the part of Kyoiichi’s absolute victory near the end of the race not presented in the anime as it’s already been repeated.
In the manga only, after Kyoiichi and Takumi have their conversation, Kyoiichi leaves and in his mind he already knows that Takumi is going to make it bigger saying Gunma is too small for him. He also notes that if Takumi had a better racing car, he would be undefeatable.
This is the original story in the manga completely removed in the movie for time constraints. Shiraishi (a fansub name?!) makes her first appearance in volume 01, chapter 06 of the manga and is never seen again until volume 14 – 16, but she is never seen in the anime. Shiraishi was working on a project on who is the coolest guy in their highschool. Takumi was ranked 2nd coolest guy in all 3rd year of class seven to his surprise. But it was this very brief moment did Takumi recognize Shiraishi’s voice as the mystery girl who made the phonecalls about Natsuki. After class, Takumi has a private talk with Shiraishi who would assume to deny making the phonecalls but later admits it is her. One thing to note is, Shiraishi never wrote any letters like in the anime but only made two phonecalls. Her relationship with Natsuki goes so far to reveal that Shiraishi is Papa the Benz driver’s daughter. NOTE: It’s odd to remove a pivotal role of a character like her to connect with the letters and phonecalls.
Other notable manga only plot is Bunta and Yuiichi’s continual talk how the Eight-Six is going to blow everyone away, which is an unnessesary explanation in the movie.
Volume 15:
Only in the manga. Just before Kai’s arrival at the GS Gas Station, at the highschool Itsuki asked Takumi what his plans were after graduation. In another part of the highschool Shiraishi also asked the same question to Natsuki.
In the anime, on his way to work Takumi sees Natsuki working at the McDonald’s, and remembers a flashback of when both of them went to the beach. Itsuki was already working at the GS Gas Station at the time so he saw Kai Kogashiwa in the anime, where he was still in school in the manga talking to Takumi about the new race team Ryosuke is putting together and the chance meeting with Keisuke at Mt. Akina.
In the anime Kenji tells Iketani about the info of Kogashiwa’s race history while driving on their way to Irohazaka. The manga had Kenji explaining all this in their favorite family restaurant hangout, along with Itsuki, down to when Kogashiwa use to ride motorcycles, gokarts, and beating Seiji at Irohazaka.
Manga only, Bunta and Yuiichi have a small argument at the GS Gas Station concerning Ken, as if both Bunta and Ken are settling their scores against each other through their sons. Iketani notices this. Also another scene with Takumi talking to Itsuki at the highschool concerning what Takumi thought of Kai’s aura. Another short scene is Bunta was just revving the car when Takumi appears out of nowhere beside him scaring the face on Bunta.
Kai meets up with his friends at a restaurant just before the race at Irohazaka, but in the anime he never meets up with them.
Both Ryosuke and Keisuke were present during the battle between the Eight-Six and the SW20. This makes sense because Ryosuke is gathering more data about the Eight-Six on how Takumi overcomes his obstacles. But in the manga, they made no appearance.
Takumi gets the idea on how to do Kogashiwa’s hairpin jump on his 2nd time seeing it in the manga book. In the anime, he gets the idea after he sees it the 4th time.
Kyoiichi and Seiji were watching the race at the 2nd Bridge of Irohazaka, but in the anime they were up at the peak of the mountain.
In the manga, Kyoiichi describes all the events of the race between Takumi and Kai. Kyoiichi predicted Kai’s hairpin jump attack, but he also predicted that Kai performed his hairpin jump too soon as Takumi will have time to recover from the shock. In the anime however, it was Ryosuke who tells Kyoiichi that the hairpin attack Kai performed was much too soon (as if the anime version of Kyoiichi was less knowledgeable then the manga version).
Volume 16:
Manga only, the next day Takumi has 2 hours sleep and is greatful for Bunta’s tip on how to win, but at the same time he drinks the cup of water Bunta gave him not realizing it’s the cup for rolling the water. So Bunta whacks him in the head.
Earlier in the anime, just after the Kyoiichi battle Natsuki asked Takumi they were friends so she wants to be able to work in talking to her. Later on after the battle with Kai, Takumi picks Natsuki up at the McDonalds and brings her up Lake Akina as they were talking about Papa the Benz break up, and Natsuki telling him he loves him with a strong aggressive, yet expressive voice of honesty.
The manga original story (never in the anime and is probably the most major change in the anime/manga plot) had it all different as it begins with Yuiichi talking to Iketani about what happened at Irohazaka against the MR2. This was then followed with Takumi and Itsuki at school talking about what is their goal after graduation. At the front doors of the school Natsuki asks Takumi who is reluctant of talking to her to meet with her after school. Later that day Takumi picks Natsuki up and they have a conversation on the way up Mt. Akina about how she broke up with Papa the Benz. At the lake itself she fights to make their friendship with each other work as it begins to snow. On the way down the mountain is when Natsuki ask what Takumi’s plan is for Christmas time. And it was after she was dropped off at home did Takumi ask why Natsuki spends so much time talking to him when Natsuki simply bluntly told him how much she likes/loves him leaving in tears. This makes Takumi angry at himself for making Natsuki cry. The next day, manga only, Natsuki applies part-time at the GS Gas Station shocking Takumi. There she gets to know also Yuiichi, Iketani and Kenji and is popular among the customers. Takumi wants Natsuki to quit but she wouldn’t saying she likes the job and it is Takumi that doesn’t understand. Even Kenji, Iketani, and Itsuki at the family restaurant enjoy Natsuki’s company at the Esso.
More plot in the manga only show Itsuki attempts to drive his Eight-Five during the snow, and more driving ofTakumi at Akina (Note: You never seen the Eight-Six drive in the snow in the anime until the part where it chases after the Celica GT-4) Knowing this, Itsuki starts bragging to Takumi of his driving his Eight-Five with Iketani at the snowy mountain road. Meanwhile Natsuki and Shiraishi are talking to each other about the new part-time job at Takumi’s work to Shiraishi’s surprise. Also when the guys at the Gas Station ask Natsuki to go out with them for a Christmas party, Natsuki declines. Right here, Kenji gives Takumi a hint and tips about a girl’s feelings which Takumi doesn’t understand Kenji. All this manga only plot leads to Natsuki’s eventual arrival at the Fujiwara Tofu Shop for Christmas just like in the anime. Although in the manga, Natsuki’s panties are accidentally seen by Takumi and Bunta.
Extra Stage episode 02 with the Sil-80 takes place around this time around the Christmas season. The original story was on a separate manga?!
Natsuki makes a handmade Eight-Six keychain for Takumi in the anime. There is no such keychain in the manga.
Back to more manga only plot, Keisuke is seen practising driving in the snow at Mt. Akagi because of Ryosuke’s influence that the Eight-Six practises in the snow. Although this plot segment is told in the anime Extra Stage, you don’t see him driving unlike in the manga. At the school, Natsuki again has a conversation with Shiraishi about the part-time job and Shiraishi’s jealousy of Natsuki. Takumi and Itsuki are at the same time talking about Valentine and Takumi’s popularity among the girls. And about this time, Miki makes an appearance in the manga at the highschool. Miki, with his Celica then drops off Natsuki at the gas station where he sees Takumi working there too making Miki angry and remembering that time back in volume 01. Later on during her workshift, Miki calls her at work, much to Natsuki’s irritation to meet up later.
Miki picks up Natsuki at the Esso after her work shift, but in the anime Natsuki decides to go along with Miki after her McDonald’s job out of chance seeing her. Natsuki agrees to go with him since she didn’t want to scare away the customers. In the manga, Shiraishi is known as Papa’s daughter. In the anime, there is rumors that Miki is Papa’s son, as seen in the 3rd Stage fansub translations. And Miki in the anime is more irate and insane then he was in the manga book he was a more believable character.
Takumi’s driving in the snow chasing after the Celica GT4 was greatly extended in the anime compared to the manga where it was barely seen. In the manga, Takumi going up Mt. Akina in the snow isn't seen as he already meets up with Miki's GT4, unlike in the anime where the snow driving hillclimb can be seen.
Volume 17:
In the manga only (more plot removed heavily in the anime), after having the conversation with Natsuki after the Miki chase, Takumi admits to Natsuki that it wouldn’t be the same working at the GS Gas Station without her, as he liked working with her. Natsuki turns red and realizes that Takumi does like her still, not knowing what she should do.
More manga only plot, it’s Valentine’s day February 14, Natsuki makes three boxes of chocolate at work, but one of them was originally for Itsuki who wasn’t working that day. In a brief scene at school Itsuki passes by Shiraishi and thinks of her concerning what is her connection in relevence. Another cute girl approaches him to tell Itsuki to give the chocolate to Takumi. Itsuki then discovers that there are two more chocolates for Takumi in his locker and gives them all to Takumi at work. Natsuki on the other hand had already given the last chocolate originally for Itsuki to the usual customer guy that fills up gas there. To Itsuki’s disappointment, a rare scene of him smoking can be found. Elsewhere also that day, Takumi meets up with Shiraishi who admits leaving a box of chocolate in his locker for Valentines, and apologizes for him and Natsuki’s connection to each other. This is the last time Shiraishi is mentioned in the manga as she never makes any more appearance in the series.
Anime only segment, while driving on Mt. Akina, Takumi sees a motorcyclist overtake him. Takumi then meets with Ryosuke and challenges him at Mt. Akagi in an unofficial match to find out something about himself. Ryosuke accepts the challenge. When Takumi asks what he should do at the battle to Bunta, his father simply says to find out the answer on his own. During the battle in Akagi, the Nightkids, Impact Blue, Redsuns, Speedstars and Team Emperor were present. The end of the race was never seen, yet most fans had many assumptions how it was finished (although it looked like a tie). At the same time, this being an anime exclusive, some people consider this race as canon to the story while many don’t recognize it as any race of importance.
Bunta hates going to graduation so he never attended Takumi’s graduation in the manga. Somehow Bunta decided to go to the graduation in the anime movie instead.
Manga only, during graduation time, only Iketani and Yuiichi were at work. Rather than seeing a battle between Takumi and Ryosuke like in the anime, Takumi decides to bring Natsuki to Mt. Akina after graduation. Although Takumi tells him that he wants to be the fastest driver to Natsuki at Lake Akina, this was only in the anime. In the manga, Takumi showed her why he wants to be the fastest driver since Natsuki asked why wouldn’t he go away from Gunma like schooling in Tokyo. This was Takumi’s answer and for one night just to show how fast he could drive. Natsuki isn’t afraid of Takumi’s fast driving, and most noticeable is the fact that his time attack exceeds beyond the speed he won against Ryosuke’s FC and Seiji’s Evo IV. However, no public audience was present to witness the incredible new course record. On top of that, the winter to spring season change had the roads covered with pebbles which makes it even more challenging to drive on. Afterwords Natsuki decided not to go to Tokyo but Takumi was able to convince her to go, because they both have to chase their dreams even if they are separate. Time also passed by that night for two hours. These two hours were of debate among fans wondering if Takumi had made love with Natsuki or not, yet it’s ambiguous and not proven.
(Note: This is because Itsuki asked Takumi that question if Takumi did have sex with Natsuki or not at Mt. Akina, but Takumi simply replied yet another ambiguous answer of “That’s none of your businessâ€Â.)
The manga ending of Part 1 of “Initial D†before Part 2 begins (which is Project D), is when Natsuki finally leaves her work at the GS Gas Station, and Takumi drops her off to take a train to Tokyo University. Natsuki is in tears while in the train, and Takumi has made the choice to stay behind to complete his goal.
The anime ending is presented differently yet the same direction and references. Natsuki is seen studying at the University tired, and working at a video store in downtown Tokyo. Takumi is working as part of a moving company, driving with Natsuki’s homemade Eight-Six keychain, and preparations of Project D is commencing (with Matsumoto’s first appearance). |
