Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie Review

Rev your engines. The grand finale of the Initial D trilogy has arrived.

Bringing the epic Initial D anime trilogy to a fantastic closing act, Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream takes the film series to its peak with a quality conclusion to the saga. Released by anime distributor Sentai Filmworks in North America, Initial D is a quality adaptation of the fan-favorite manga series created by the talented author Mayori Sekijima. Fans will want to check out the grand finale of the trilogy to see where the characters journey takes them.

The concluding chapter of the trilogy has Takumi once again hitting the road with fast and furious non-stop action as he takes the challenge given to him by the Redsun racer leader Ryosuke at the end of the second part. As the film unfolds and builds towards the epic race between the two blazing-fast drivers, the storyline follows the preparations for the race and also explores the romantic love-life of Takumi as he has some dramatic troubles with his girlfriend Natsuki. Can Takumi win the race and keep the heart of his girlfriend?

The action and spectacle of the car races are every bit as satisfying as viewers have come to expect from the Initial D franchise. Some of the best races in the entire trilogy are spotlighted in the second outing. The film features beautiful animation and an exciting music score featuring great tunes like “Crank It Up” by Backdraft Smiths. The tunes are rockin' and add to the excitement.

Rev your engines to the max. It's time to rumble!

Initial D: Legend 3 – Dream is the second-best entry in the trilogy as a close-second to the first film in the saga. The feature-film returns to the roots by delving even more into the character-development of our racing hero, Takumi. The director of the first Initial D feature-film returns to the creative table after taking a step-back from the second-installment. The return to the series roots makes it a standout entry worth seeking out.

Masamitsu Hidaka (Pokemon, The Sacred Blacksmith, Linebarrels of Iron) has a fine-eye for bringing out the best of the story (and all it has to offer) and this entry is a worthwhile one on every level. It was especially invigorating to see the romantic sub-plot unfold between the two young lovers, Takumi and Natsuki. The romance was sweet and added a great deal to the storytelling. The screenplay by Mayori Sekijima (Natsume's Book of Friends, Initial D: Legend 1) remembers the beauty of youth and young love and the story focuses on this element as well as the cool racing scenes.

As the last entry in the Initial D anime feature-film trilogy, a lot is riding on the production. With any good film series, audiences want the conclusion to be a satisfactory one that ties together events and characters with a degree of denouncement while building upon the blocks established in the earlier chapters in the saga. Initial D: Legend 3 – Dream manages that feat. The film concludes the trilogy while leaving room open for more installments at the same time (and that is exactly what works best with stories such as these). Worth a watch for fans of the franchise.

Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Rounding out the Initial D anime trilogy, Initial D: Legend 3 – Dream features a superb 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. This is a high quality Blu-ray encode from beginning to end with bold, beautiful color reproduction on display and superb detail which does not disappoint at any point during the presentation. Resolution is great. The line art looks consistently impressive. For the concluding chapter in the trilogy, there are many exciting and fast-paced car races which are beautifully reproduced with undeniable gusto. The artwork looks consistently bold with colorful imagery which helps the experience be an even more immersive one.

This is a beautiful and highly satisfactory presentation which showcases the anime at its absolute best. There were no jarring issues with regards to quality. There was one scene with minor banding but the effect was altogether fleeting and should in no way deter viewers from seeking out the best possible presentation. Make no mistake: Initial D looks stunning on Blu-ray and fans will be satisfied by the encode on this release. The animation is highly stylized and from the unique character-designs to the gorgeous race-cars, the world of Initial D looks stellar in high-definition. A first-rate presentation that no fan should allow to be overlooked. A proper send-off to the trilogy.

Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Blasting on to the Blu-ray format with engines roaring along the roads, Initial D: Legend 3 – Dream features a blazing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound presentations in both a English dubbed version and the original Japanese language version. The lossless sound quality on display is crisp with exceptional fidelity throughout the entire audio presentation. Dialogue reproduction is superb. Voices are crisp and easy to understand. English subtitles ate provided for the Japanese language presentation.

As the third and final outing within the Initial D anime trilogy, one would certainly hope to experience some exciting aspects for the sound mix. The sound designers don't disappoint in that regard. The epic car races sound crisp and well-oiled (to say the least). A highly satisfactory experience that satisfies on all levels. Kudos to the sound engineers.

Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Initial D: Legend 2 - Racer Recap (HD, 5:42)

Japanese Preview (HD, 1:32)

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

Initial D: Legend 3 - Dream Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The last installment in the action-packed Initial D trilogy, Initial D: Legend 3 – Dream is a bit of a dream come true for fans of the series. The action is spectacular and the character-development is pitch-perfect. The animation is superb. The end result is a fun and charming final act that is worth tuning in to see. The Blu-ray release is light on extras but has a first-rate presentation with quality PQ/AQ. Worth a pick-up for fans. Recommended.