I feel the same way about MFG. I read some parts of the manga when I was 12 and didn’t know what a good story was, so I didn’t really get why people hated it because I just thought that anything initial d racing is cool. However, when the MFG anime released I was already 14 and making my own original racing anime. (I posted a few racing test animations on my channel) I realized that, man, MFG’s story kinda sucks! The characters are way too shallow and it feels like they have no purpose to be there racing at all. Kanata just seems not excited about racing. Instead of it being an interesting character trait like in Initial D with Takumi, it just seems like the author got too lazy to give him proper reactions. And what’s up with that guy in the blue supercar that has a crush on only specifically 17 year olds? Like what the hell??? But yeah, instead of being a cool story that single handedly getting me into JDM cars like Initial D, MFG just made me wish that the author put more effort into the story. It’s like modern fast and furious; there’s action but there’s no deeper story or substance. And in the case of MFG, the action isn’t even that good. Initial D deserves a better sequel, or no sequel at all.
I couldn't agree with you more. People standards of this media are so low. Mostly due to the fact that it's an anime and the people who defend this garbage are to afraid to critique something because its taboo to them. MFG has 0 substance and quite frankly no good visuals either. nostalgia is all they have and they even screwed that up to considering takumi got written off screen. which is a big middle finger to initial d fans.
Valid opinion, but I think mf ghost is good enough (not the best or not the sequel we wanted), considering the corners in the races aren't meant be drifted and I get why people don't like this, the only disappointing thing in mf ghost for me is the music, it could have been better but it still fits. Also the story building unlike initial D is an interesting but weird approach but hey, there is nothing we the viewers can do, we just have to appreciate the work that went into the anime
it's not good enough. don't set your standards low. just because all the corners arent meant to be or to be drifted doesn't have anything to do with anything. i agree with you on the music. it's lazy. youtube eurobeat artists make better songs in there bedrooms then mf did. the thing that makes it "interesting' is that it blows and people are trying to be in the grey area on an opinion about it when it's lazy. as a viewer the solution is to not watch it. theres nothing to apprieciate because a lot of work when into it but with 0 passion. it gets a F from me.
About Initial D going out on top, kind of feels like hit its peak with Fourth Stage and then dropping off early in Fifth Stage, although you could throw in the race between the S2K and 86 as the beginning of the end. After that, it's like the writing just nose-dived and the races were not as interesting or high stakes. A fan did a much better version of Takumi vs Ken II which was way more interesting, even though we all know the expected outcome. One of the biggest disappointments for me with Initial D was no rematch between Keisuke and Takumi?. Although the anime hasn't reached it yet, the cameos of the Speedstars is depressing - Iketani's still working with Itsuki at the gas station, and is still a lonely driver with a receding hairline. Honestly, it feels like the creator was losing steam a long time ago. He would have benefitted from having some better assistants or consultants who would help with the story. Then we got MF Ghost, it's just more of the same poor writing. It had a cool concept with the whole race consisting of gas-powered cars in a purely electric car world, but execution fell flat. Honestly, like you said in your commentary, maybe it would've been better if Shigeno just left Initial D alone, but I get why he wanted to come back, let's face it, his two mangas he wrote between Initial D and MF Ghost did not appear to have done well (his baseball one last 2 years, and another one which sounds like a bit of a self-insert lasted 1 year), just seems like he's phoned it in with weak writing and weak ideas.
first stage was peak and 2 -3 where great but not better than 1. project d blows. i agree that the speed stars are depressing in mf. i don't think mf is a cool concept because it's an emulation of our world now or our future world. the 90s was a better concept that emulated their time because the 90s was cool. shigeno didn't want to come back but was drawn in to throw something together because of initial d fans that can't survive without initial d content.
@@GMazzenga That is a good way to put it, you see the development of the character of Takumi through First Stage and it more or less concludes to an extent with the last few episodes of Second Stage and in Third Stage - realizing that his "natural" ability will only get him so far if wants to continue racing. Initial D was a project of its time, the manga did start in late 1995. I still have the feeling Shigeno came back to Initial D since he has nothing new to offer and his works after Initial D were not a roaring success. Besides Initial D his only renowned work that had any legs was about motorcycle racing and I doubt he would go back to a manga he wrote in the 1980s at this point. Everything else he developed lasted at most 2 years, just before Initial D, and right after. I don't know a whole lot about his work besides the synopsis where one sounds like a self insert - "The story follows a middle-aged, divorced manga creator (IRL Shigeno was married and his wife passed away in 2015) who can't get his works to sell. One day, he meets a stunningly beautiful girl, and his life begins to change." (Takane no Hana) and the other one which is about a flashy dressing girl ("gyaru") who has a gifted right arm and joins a women's baseball club. The former lasted 2 volumes (published for a year), whereas the later was 6 volumes (published for 2 years), before returning to Initial D with MF Ghost. I still think it was a missed opportunity that the later stages were essentially just race of the week storylines for the most part with very minor character moments sprinkled in. I would have to loved to see Fourth Stage having focused on Keisuke as the main character/point-of-view - I was so pissed when they skipped the ER34 and DC2 races in Fourth Stage.
