With a little more torque and some tightening of the turns, Tak rides his brakes with the delicate touch of an artist. The young Speed Star drives his father's Eight Six through treacherous mountain passes in a race against the Night Kids' Zack. It's intuitive rookie vs. seasoned street racer atop Mt. Akina, where a deadly combination of five consecutive hairpin turns puts drivers to the ultimate test. As Ry of the Red Suns follows behind, he studies Tak's unorthodox moves and incredible raw talent with keen interest. He is one of many racers eager to pit their own talents against the mysterious Eight Six.

Takumi Fujiwara
An 18-year-old with a passion for driving, Tak began his motoring career by delivering tofu every morning to a hotel. He was trained by his father.

Bunta Fujiwara
Owner of a tofu restaurant, Bunta is Tak's dad. He is the mysterious driver who holds the fastest downhill record in Akina.

Natalie Mogi
She is Tak's love interest and goes to the same school as Tak and Iggy.

Iggy Takeuchi
Iggy is Tak's best friend. He works with Tak at the gas station.

Shuichi Shigeno

Something magical happens when Shigeno-sensei touches pencil to paper and begins to render the street poetics of drifting, oversteering, powersliding, and studder cuts. His visual palette in Initial D is grace personified - characters, cars, and movement leap off the page with power ... and with an economy of stroke that is stunning.

A veteran manga-ka (manga artist), Shigeno-sensei is also known as the creator of an earlier series on motorbike racing called Bari Bari Densetsu.