Summary
- Initial D was a successful racing manga with international adaptations, but its sequel MF Ghost has been less popular.
- MF Ghost, a sequel to Initial D, is in its final arc with 21 volumes since 2017, but is ending soon.
- The term “climax” in manga can refer to high tension moments, not just the story’s ending, leading to potential confusion for readers.
Initial D made it big in the 2000s with international audiences. It’s rare for a racing manga not only to last so long, but also to spawn many successful adaptations on small and big screens, and this one is all about drifting.
While Initial D is a name those into anime a few decades ago have at least heard of, its sequel MF Ghost is apparently much lesser known, at least internationally. It has also been adapted (recently) into anime by Felix Film, with international distribution, but it seems it hasn’t been able to garner similar attention, despite streaming on Crunchyroll.
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The manga has been running since 2017, with 21 compiled volumes so far, which is not bad, though. So it surely built a loyal fanbase, at least in Japan. But it’s coming to an end soon — the manga will enter the climax of its “final battle” on January 10, when the next Young Magazine issue is released.
It went through a few hiatuses recently. The first time was from November 2022 to February 2023, due to Shuuichi Shigeno’s health. Then, from April 2023 to June 2023, it was once again on hold, starting its final arc.
“Climax” Usually Means “Ending”
Manga magazines typically use the word “climax” to refer to the final moments in a story. However, some authors may also use it when referring to other moments of high tension in a story, which is more common in irregular serializations. While the term is most commonly associated with the ending of the story, it can also refer to the conclusion of a serialization period, especially in the case of stories that have long breaks between chapters.
Since this usage is slightly different from the literary concept of a “climax” (the point of highest tension that leads to the resolution, but not necessarily the imminent ending of a story), it can cause confusion for some readers.
Rally Races with Eurobeat
Initial D follows Takumi Fujiwara, a teenager who drives an old Toyota AE86 joining the world of illegal street races that take place in the mountains of the Gunma Prefecture. Despite driving an old car, Takumi is skilled enough to beat faster vehicles. In addition to the exhilarating races and amazing drifting scenes, the anime adaptation is also known for heavily incorporating Eurobeat music into its soundtrack, leading to a niche group of fans who appreciate it for this musical aspect.
MF Ghost takes place several years later, featuring a few characters from the original manga. It follows Takumi’s pupil Kanata Rivington getting involved in street races.
MF Ghost is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The original manga is published digitally in the US by Kodansha USA.
Source: ANN