Initial D: First Stage (TV Series 1998) - Trivia - IMDb (original) (raw)
Initial D: First Stage
Throughout the series, the characters use chassis codes to refer to cars rather than actually saying the name of the car. This is a common Japanese auto industry term to easily refer to a car and its year without having to give a drawn out explanation. The S13 refers to the RPS13 SR20DET Nissan Silvia (Japan only) made from 1989-1994. The Silvia made between 1995 and 1998 was an S14, and 1999 to present is the S15. R32 refers to the BNR32 Nissan Skyline (Japan only) made from 1989-1994. FC refers to the FC3S Mazda RX-7 made from 1986-1992. FD refers to the FD3S Mazda RX-7 made from 1992-2002. EG6 refers to the EG6 Honda Civic 3-door hatchback made from 1992-1995. And most importantly, 86 (or 'Eight-Six') refers to the AE86 Toyota Sprinter Trueno, known in the U.S. as the Toyota Corolla GTS, made from 1983-1986 (the Trueno is also known as the hachi-roku, however 'hachi' and 'roku' are just the literal Japanese words for 'eight' and 'six').
The Fujiwara Tofu Shop actually exists in Shibukawa, Gunma prefecture. It does not, however, have a driveway or an AE86.
Keiichi Tsuchiya, well known as the 'Drift King' of Japan and a pioneer in the field of drifting, was on-hand as an advisor to the show. He also makes a brief cameo in episode 24 during a phone call to Bunta Fujiwara
Initial D creator Shuichi Shigeno is an avid motorcycle enthusiast and is famous for his motorcycle comics. However, he had a difficult time in the transition of writing a comic about cars instead.
When the series first aired in America, the popularity of imported JDM cars skyrocketed. Vehicles like the Mazda RX-7 and the Nissan Silvia became extremely popular with tuners and drifters alike. Most JDM vehicles gained in price, and nowadays this is called "Drift Tax".
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What is the Japanese language plot outline for Initial D: First Stage (1998)?