Why "Initial D"?

[Taro Toporific]

So... What the hell does the initial "D" stand for?

A Hong Kong rebuke to Hollywood
Movie based on Japanese comic is local Chinese favorite
CNN.com, Thursday, July 7, 2005 Posted: 0329 GMT (1129 HKT)
HONG KONG, China (AP) --Darth Vader, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are feeling the heat at the box office fr0m an unusual rival in Asia -- a movie based on a Japanese comic book, directed by Hong Kongers and starring a Taiwanese pop star making his debut in the movies.
"Initial D," the story of a young street car racer, has stunned "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and the action thriller "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"...more....

[yellowlightman]

The D stands for drift.

Hope someone gets smart and releases that movie over here in the States, with the current tuner subculture it'd do really well I think.

[jingai]

Makes me wish I had a Trueno and delivered tofu for a living.

[Taro Toporific]

The D stands for drift.

wikipedia on Drifting

[Kanchou]

...I hate to be technically but D doesn't really stand for anything... It's just widely assumed (and more than likely) that it stands for "drift."

And I heard that the movie was actually pretty bad. It doesn't really follow the original story with any faithfullness either (ie, the main character's dad is turned into an abuseive drunk).

...but it was filmed on location on the actual mountain roads where the manga stories took place, with real cars, so I suppose that's a merit.

*goes back to hide in his shell*

[Taro Toporific]

...I hate to be technically but D doesn't really stand for anything...

What does "Initial" stand for?
Shouldn't it be written "D", hee, hee.

....but it was filmed on location on the actual mountain roads where the manga stories took place, with real cars, so I suppose that's a merit.

I wonder what the movie's excuse was for everyone being Taiwanese and speaking Chinese on Japanese mountain roads?

[Taro Toporific]

...I hate to be technically but D doesn't really stand for anything...

What does "Initial" stand for?
Shouldn't it be written simply "D", hee, hee?

....but it was filmed on location on the actual mountain roads where the manga stories took place, with real cars, so I suppose that's a merit.

I wonder what the movie's excuse was for everyone being Taiwanese and speaking Chinese while racing on Japanese mountain roads in drift cars that they own and that are licenced in Japan?

[Neo-Rio]

/etc/init.d ?

Nah, what the hell would a Linux filesystem have to do with driving?

[Kanchou]

Well, sure it stands for something, what I mean was that I don't think the writer ever pointed out what

[dando]

I wrote Japanese column about this movie.
http://dando.exblog.jp/3096076/
If you can read Japanese, please read it.

I will translate it and add to my "Japanese Blog Review" series soon.
http://dandoweb.com/e/

[Samurai_Jerk]

I wonder what the movie's excuse was for everyone being Taiwanese and speaking Chinese while racing on Japanese mountain roads in drift cars that they own and that are licenced in Japan?

Hmmm, good question. I'm still waiting for Martin Scorcese to explain why everyone in that piece of crap Kundun spoke English.

[Mulboyne]

Asahi: Asia's stars take well-loved manga down an unusual course
Seen from on high, the winding mountain road in the opening sequence of "Initial D" could be anywhere in the world. It's not until a few minutes have elapsed that telltale Japanese characters can be seen on the side of a car, making it clear that the action about to unfold takes place in the Land of the Rising Sun. But "Initial D" is not a Japanese film-at least, not in the conventional sense. A tale of teenage street racers who battle each other in the mountains at night, it was shot in Gunma and Niigata prefectures by Hong Kong directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. The characters are Japanese, yet the actors are stars from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Japan, all of whom delivered their lines in their native tongues during filming...more...

[gkanai]

I LOVE that gif animation.

[electrocat]

yeah, hilarious

[jingai]

What's the animation from?

[Mulboyne]

Apologies. My interent etiquette is terrible - I have no idea where I saw that. Presumably the same place I saw this one although it didn't tickle me as much.

[Taro Toporific]

Stars shine at Chinese 'Oscars'
Saturday, April 8, 2006 Posted: 1412 GMT (2212 HKT)
HONG KONG (AP) -- Taiwanese pop idol Jay Chou was named best new performer and China's "Ke Ke Xi Li" won the top Asian movie honors Saturday at the 25th Hong Kong Film Awards -- one of the most prestigious events for the Chinese-language movie industry.
Chou, famous for his soulful ballads, said his success for his role as a street car racer in "Initial D" won't cause him to walk away from his singing career....more...