Review is for the first 7 chapters courtesy of NetGalley and Kodansha.

This volumes follows Takumi and his friends who are really into street racing. While Takumi isn't as outwardly excited as his friends, he is a pretty good racer himself. I know nothing about cars, but I did find what I read enjoyable. There are many detailed notes at the back of the volume, which really helped with understanding all the technical car and racing terms. This is such a classic manga, so it is nice to see it get a new edition with updated translations

I had read Initial D before, back when I was in high school, but didn't remember the main story. I had also forgotten that, while the story is great, I didn't really care for the art style. That being said, I was making sure it was appropriate for me to purchase in a school library and it definitely is. I think it will do the kids good to see where some of the current ones got their inspiration.

This preview features the first seven chapters of Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno. Takumi Fujiwara is a high schooler who works at a gas station and for his family’s tofu shop as a delivery driver. He spends his free time watching the local street racing team, the Akina Speed Stars, and hopes he can join someday. One night while out watching the cars race down Mount Akina, a legendary rival team from another town arrives to challenge them.

Older teens and adults may appreciate the 90s aesthetic, sketched pen stroke art style, and excellent car illustrations. For those looking to purchase for a teen audience, content warnings include occasional swearing, some suggestive conversations, and smoking. While the main characters are teens, they are often involved with young adults in their 20s.

Initial D
-released

If you are into things like street racing (or racing in general) and cars, this would be up your alley. I did really enjoy the anime, which was one of the reasons I wanted to give the manga a try. It has the feeling of the older art style manga had and the first couple pages were in color. Although I still found some enjoyment from this series, I didn't feel the same impact as it had in the anime for me.

Thanks netgalley for the advance Arc of this manga

I love reading manga and I thought I would love thos but I didn't connect with the story, I do see why this is though a loved story by many but just didn't work for me because I didn't feel any connection to the characters though the story being told.

I am not a racing fan but I did enjoy this manga because the story has an oblivious hero who surprises himself and his friends when he realises that he is actually a seriously talented racer.

Takumi Fujiwara learnt his driving skills by driving his Dad’s car to deliver tofu and when he realises that he can give other street racers a run for their money he slowly but surely rises to the challenge and the possibility of being something other than a gas station attendant.

This is a new omnibus version that collects volumes one and two of this popular series. If you like your street racing series then these omnibus versions are an opportunity. This series isn’t really my thing but I did enjoy the artwork and the unassuming hero, also great to have two volumes in one.

Copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I have watched the anime for this multiple times over the years. To see it in a referbed manga was refreshing and nostalgic. The artwork is beautiful.

This story is one I never tire of experiencing in any form and is one that will always bring me comfort.

I never thought I would read something about nighttime car races that would grab my heart like this. I loved it - the way that a tofu-making dad subconsciously made his son into the best racer in the country without him realizing it?!? Wonderful! The brief beach scene was so serene, all the characters shifted throughout the book and drifted into the new story arcs. I am so impressed. I will definitely read more.

Full review for Booklist magazine

For all outward appearances, Takumi is a normal high school student who has a crush on the hottest girl in school, and has a boring job driving his family's old car and delivering tofu up the local mountain. When an out-of-town racing club comes to challenge the local racing club to a downhill race on Mount Akina, life becomes a little more interesting. One of the out-of-towners loses on a practice run to an unmarked Trueno Eight-Six and becomes obsessed with finding the driver. Takumi's hum-drum life and the world of street racing collide in this classic manga that made street racing a sensation in the early 2000s and popularized several models of cars in and out of Japan.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

This was such a 90's manga. The art style was so nostalgic and round and fun. I also love the trope of 'Character B is extremely obsessed with Topic X, and Character A knows nothing about it and is apathetic towards it, but actually Character A is way better at Topic X then anyone else.' Very Takumi coded. I do love that he seems so ambivalent to this thing (racing) that he's impossibly good at, but doesn't care about it at all. He doesn't even know he's a good racer. It's hilarious. We love a one-brain-cell king. Also Takumi really drinks his Respect-Women juice in the first half of this manga, and for that, he is a darling.

I want to see what happens next! I want to see the big race. I want to know Natsuki's secret. I can't wait for more!

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend and I can’t wait to buy a copy for myself, very happy to see this getting a reprint 🙂

Rating 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It is really great to have Initial D in an omnibus format. It is an entertaining and engaging graphic novel that has strong and memorable characters and storyline, which appeals to longtime fans as well as new.

This is surprisingly fun and engaging, Shigeno throwing the reader into the world of the manga right away and making it a pleasure to read about cars, and driving, even for someone like me who has no driving license (on the other hand, don't ask me how much of what the manga shows is realistic). The story is as simple as they come: Takumi a high schooler who just got his driving license, works in a petrol station and has a friend who is crazy about cars and want to race down this famous mountain. Takumi is a little aloof and doesn't seem to much care about what his friend says even if, we pretty soon discover, he is amazing at driving down that same mountain. The volume (well, what we get here is less than half the first Omnibus 1, so it would be a little bit less than a traditional manga volume) shows what seems to be the 'driving force' behind the story: different drivers, races, and that amazing AE-86 Trueno. And if soccer or other sports manga can go on forever, maybe Initial D can maintain the interest through its 48 volumes. For now, it already has the head start.

Downsides: those faces. I don't know if Shigeno changes much his style as the story progresses but the faces are meh at best; they seem to be plastered on the page. And also Natsuki, the female character, who seems to be just one more of those female characters in shonen manga.

At the end, it also has some explanations about Japanese relationships, places and driving stuff.

Read the shortened review copy; as someone who doesn't really have an interest in cars, I still found this surprisingly entertaining! Will be buying the full physical copy.

I really loved the volume. I always loved Initial D and thought it was great to see a racing manga, so I was really glad to get this e-arc. The art style was pretty good and the plot flowed really nicely. I especially loved that there was notes at the back in terms of car parts and other car related topics so people who don’t know much about cars could still follow along. Definitely good for people who want to get into manga with cars and racing.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC sampler of the 'Inital D Omnibus 1' by Shuichi Shigeno.

Due to the length of this omnibus I only recieved a small segment of it as an Arc so I am purely criticising that segment.

Overall, I did enjoy the piece I recieved. It's not my usual genre and form of manga, but it was interesting to read. I especially loved the art style, it was fresh and new.

Takumi Fujiwara frequently navigates the challenging roads of Mount Akina as part of his tofu delivery job. Unbeknownst to him, he's honed racing skills that most drivers only acquire after years of experience. However, his friends are oblivious to his talents, as they're engrossed in the local street racing team, the Akina Speed Stars. When the renowned Red Suns challenge the Speed Stars, the spotlight shifts to a mysterious car, the Trueno Eight-Six, tearing through the mountainous terrain. The identity of the driver and their willingness to accept this perilous challenge remains a mystery.I fondly remember watching the manga film with my friends decades ago. We'd all fantasize about owning and racing those cars. Seeing it again recently transported me back to those youthful days, offering a delightful trip down memory lane. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this story and reliving those moments.Many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics.

Thank you Kodansha for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 ⭐️

I’m very excited to be able to read a new translation of a classic and beloved series. This was my first time experiencing Initial D and I’m glad I decided to take a dive into this work!

I enjoyed Takumi as a protagonist, and I love that he has unintentionally & uniquely been building impressive driving skills while having minimal knowledge about cars and the racing scene. I like that it got right to the action with the immediate introduction to rivals, providing drama and eventually motivation for our protagonist. Even with the fast pace of the story, we get to see the camaraderie Takumi and the Akina Speed Stars have for each other. The art is a bit static compared to other series that were released around a similar time, but the expressions are charming and the art definitely shines most in the racing scenes.

There are quite a few changes from this new translation and the old one. Overall, the new translation far exceeds the old one. For the curious, I’ve expanded on it in my GR review.

My major gripe is Natsuki’s current arc, and it definitely shows as a product of its time. My GR review also expands on this, particularly her out-of-place sexualization.

This series is still a very engaging read despite that, and as someone who knows nothing about cars I’m very thankful for the described terminology in the translator’s notes at the end to help understand what everything means. The bonus comic was also very cute.

I was a little sad that the ARC provided was not complete due to space limitations, and I wish it had at least covered up to all of Volume 1 (10 chapters) instead of stopping at Chapter 7. Regardless, I had a great time with what was available, and now I have a reason to grab a full copy for myself!

For the shelf collectors, Initial D Omnibus Vol 1 is a great addition to a collection, for both old and new fans alike. This is the first time it has been in paperback since its TokyoPop days if I recall correctly, making it very accessible to add to a shelf without paying insane resale prices. Prior to reading this I was only familiar with the music, but I’m now a fan and definitely will be looking forward to future releases!

From what KodanshaUSA was able to show so far I'm really glad they're releasing this classic manga series in print and I'm buying the omnibus as soon as I go to a bookstore!

Initial D was one of my first Manga although I confess I could only find up to volume 3 back then. When I learned that Omnibus’ were due to be released I was excited since it would give me a chance to collect the series properly.


This omnibus features a new translation but of course the classic tale of racing that helped start the craze in Japan. The art work is so detailed and suits the story well. Of course it does have a bit of an older vibe to it but I am glad they haven’t tried to update this. The story is easy to follow and engaging as well. I will definitely be adding a physical copy to my shelves in the future and highly recommend to fans new and old.