Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie Review

An entertaining second outing in the Initial D anime franchise

Expanding upon the exciting foundations which were constructed from the ground up in the first Initial D feature-film adaptation (Initial D: Legend 1 – Awakening), the second outing in the planned trilogy is a worthwhile follow-up to take things in another direction. The anime feature-film was produced by studios Sanzigen (Arpeggio of Blue Steel) and Liden Films (Phantom in the Twilight) as adaptation of the original manga by creator Mayori Sekijima. With both heart and humor in good measure, Initial D balances the action with the drama while upping the stakes from the first feature.

Initial D: Legend 2 – Racer picks up where the first Initial D feature-film left off with a blaze. The storyline once again explores the growing determination of the naturally gifted racer Takumi as he comes to grips with the reality that he has an affection for being a racer (and nothing can stop that passion). While coming in to his own as a badass racer, Takumi faces off against the diabolical and ruthless Nakazato (who is a leader the race club known as the Myogi NightKids).

As the storyline of part two starts to unfold, Initial D: Legend 2 – Racer builds to an epic confrontation between Takumi (in his trusty “Eight-Six” vehicle) against Nakazato. Which racer will come out ahead with the stakes raised to the max? The action and excitement will keep the adrenaline rush going to the very end.

It's time to get fast and furious, folks.

The non-stop race sequences are one of the key reasons to check out the fantastic second-chapter in the Initial D franchise. The second film places an even greater emphasis on the racing than the first film. While the story-to-action ratio might not be as balanced as the first feature-film managed, fans will certainly appreciate seeing so many fast cars blaze across the streets of Tokyo in this installment.

Building to a story-expanding conclusion (with a built-in preview to prepare audiences for the next chapter and a possible confrontation between the Redsun racing leader Ryosuke and Takumi), the experience is one that fans shouldn't pass on. The races are great and the characters remain just as memorable as they were in the first feature in the trilogy. The last act of the film has one of the best races in the entire anime trilogy run (which has insanely fantastic neck-and-neck intensity as the cars battle their way to the glorious finish line).

Featuring exceptional animation direction by Atsushi Aono (Cowboy Bebop, Steins;Gate) and Koichi Hashimoto (Spriggan, Sword of the Stranger), Initial D: Legend 2 – Racer is a worthwhile anime to experience and cherish for its beautiful animation and commendable craftsmanship. Featuring art by talented animators including the likes of Kyoung Gi Kim, Sung-hee Kim, and Hyun Ah Song, there certainly is much to cherish about the second Initial D film as it soars with the creativity on display.

Tomohito Naka (Mysterious Girlfriend X, My Little Monster) capably directs the feature (especially with regards to the action-packed sequences). The final race in the Initial D: Legend 2 – Racer is enough reason to tune in and see where events will lead to going forward. The second entry is an enormously entertaining one that might lack the same degree of well-oiled precision on display in Initial D: Legend 1 – Awakening but that absolutely shouldn't deter fans from checking it out to see where the saga is heading to next. Anime fans will a great deal of love and affection for racing anime should consider it a must-see event. Check it out!

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blasting on to the highway with as much speed as the first Initial D outing, Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer features an impressive 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The quality of the presentation is superb overall and will leave fans feeling highly satisfied by the experience. The color reproduction is first-rate and the rich, bold hues in the imagery evoke the heavily stylized world with clear precision.

The character designs (and race cars) are well animated and reproduced with the strong encode. There were no noticeable issues with banding on display and the image looks remarkably tight and effective. During the fast-action finale, the cars blazing across the screen offer viewers an adrenaline-rush with precision and there are no encoding anomalies to report.

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rev your engines. There is something to be said about having a fun surround sound presentation and the Initial D franchise certainly understands how important this is to the film-viewing experience. The implementation of the surround channels can make the film viewing experience all the more engaging and exciting.

The second outing in the Initial D anime feature-film series is an excellent example of why stereo can't always cut it. Presented with both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English track and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Japanese language track, either of these tracks will provide listeners with a lossless audio presentation which takes advantage of the surrounds. The included English subtitles for the Japanese language presentation are superb with no issues with spelling or grammar.

The dynamics of the audio track are impressive and the roaring engines of the race cars are beautifully reproduced from beginning to end. Dialogue is consistently crisp, tight, and easy to understand. The music score is also effectively utilized and the quality on display is consistently stunning. Initial D is certainly no slouch in the surround-sound department and the second-outing in the trilogy continues to showcase the wonderful sound-mixing.

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Initial D Legend 1: Awakening Recap (HD, 3:26)

Initial D Legend 3: Dream Preview (HD, 00:38)

Clean Closing Animation (HD, 3:01)

The release also contains trailers for other releases from Sentai Filmworks.

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The second part in a trilogy of Initial D feature-film anime adaptations, Initial D: Legend 2 – Racer is a fun blast of action-packed race-car excitement that blasts onto the road with enough energy to entertain viewers in spades. While the storytelling is a little less polished than the first film in the series (Initial D: Legend 1 – Awakening), the remarkable animation and intense finale make up for it. While the Blu-ray release is altogether light on supplemental materials, the top-notch PQ/AQ help to sufficiently round out the release and make it a worthy addition to any anime collection. Recommended.