Eirtaku Initial D

[ I should probably mention that this post contains major spoilers, having said that I doubt anything could spoil this great series]



For all you people who love Initial D, hello kenshin, here's an interview with Shigeno Shuuichi the creator of Initial D. It's taken from Initial D artbook and is translated by the same guy who is translating the manga.

It's available on the yahoo group but if you don't want to join, I haven't(yet), here it is.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/D_Project/message/193

It makes for some pretty interesting reading.



Following is a translation of the first section of the
super-long interview from the Initial D artbook. They
were not kidding when they named it a "super long"
interview. So, in the interests of not going crazy
(not to mention avoiding drowning in too much
information all at once), I will be posting this
interview in sections. I think there's some pretty
fascinating information about how Initial D came about
in this interview. Enjoy!


Shigeno Shuuichi Special Long interview
From the art book

Translated by Eikichi

Disclaimer: This is a translation from the interview
with Shigeno Shuuichi, featured in the first Initial D
art book. The interview is copyright Kodansha. This
translation is done without permission for the benefit
of English speaking fans of Inital D, and no
infringement is intended.



Introduction: Initial D has become a mega-hit that's
sold a total of 27,000,000 copies. How was this world
overflowing with originality created? Shigeno
Shuuichi tells all about "D", and himself, in this
special long interview.


"D"'s World All Began With An 86.


Interviewer: This interview is about the manga
"Initial D". It also will include the world outside
the manga, including Mr. Shigeno's private life. By
digging into both of these elements, I believe we can
really feel the world of "D". So, Mr. Shigeno, since
you've given so many interviews in the past there
might be some overlap with previous questions.

Shigeno Shuuichi (hereafter called Shigeno): I
understand.

Interviewer: So, before we dive into questions about
Initial D, Mr. Shigeno, would you tell us about how
you got introduced to cars?

Shigeno: It was about 20 years ago, around the time
the first volume of _Baribari Densetsu_ came out. I
was going to the Kan'etsu Expressway, and along the
way was a Toyota dealership. I'd been thinking of
buying a car around then, and they had a show of the
new cars going on. So I went in with my head swimming
with thoughts of buying a car. And there was an 86.
And I bought it just like that. Honestly, at the time
I didn't care what it was, as long as it was a car.

Interviewer: So you bought a Hachiroku then, even
though you hadn't gone to see one?

Shigeno: Yes, so if they had something that
looked like a family car, I would have bought that.
Seriously, it just happened at the time I was going to
buy a car, the AE86 was debuting, and by chance I
happened to be going by that dealership. Then I found
out later about the world of racing and rallies with
the redesigned cars through reading magazines.

Interviewer: When you look back on it now, it was kind
of a meeting with destiny, wasn't it? So, you first
became aware of racing and mountain passes after that?

Shigeno: It was about 2-3 years after I purchased the
Hachiroku. I think Tsuchiya Keiichi's videos on
drifting had a huge influence. Watching those was a
serious culture shock. What an incredible world, I
thought... So then I picked up some magazines, and
found out about tuning the Hachiroku and attacking
mountain passes. At the time I was doing the
serialization of _Baribari Densetsu_. Slipping in
between work, heading out late at night driving down
the Kan'etsu to the passes in Gunma with the 86, it'd
immediately be a great way to get away from things.

Interviewer: On those passes where you got away from
it all, did the world of _Initial D_ exist?

Shigeno: I think back then the concept of
racing teams or groups really wasn't there. It felt
like we were all fellow car owners, and however many
times you'd come to a place suitable for drifting, it
was just about enjoying the performance as much as you
wanted.

Interviewer: So it didn't feel like you were battling?

Shigeno: I can't say unconditionally that it didn't,
but in the areas I went to, it had more of an
atmosphere of a group of friends who all love cars
goofing off and polishing their driving skills, rather
than driving recklessly. But I think that there was
some local pride. There were also times when it got
hard to race, when there was an accident, or the
residents complained about the noise. So, there was
an unspoken rule to do as the locals did.

Interviewer: So, did you polish your technique
somewhere like that?

Shigeno: I didn't have friends. I drove alone.
*laughs* It was most convenient to my job to start
driving at around 3 AM. In return, it was a lot of
fun. It was just a dialog between me and the car.
Even so, no matter how hard I worked I couldn't get it
to turn like in the video (Tsuchiya Keiichi's). But I
really dove into it heart and soul, thinking, "just a
get a little better." I had a theme while I
practiced, to come up with something original. When
I'd get stuck, I'd buy driving how-to books. *laughs*

Interviewer: So you met up with the Hachiroku, and
went out to the mountain passes. So when did you get
the idea for _Initial D_?

Shigeno: It was about 10 years later, just before the
serialization started ('95). Up until then, rather
than a car manga, I was intending to do something that
was like _Baribari Densetsu_. But something inside me
was resisting it. Then just before the serialization
began, I thought about some things, and decided that I
wanted to draw material that I was familiar with.
Once I decided that, things proceeded smoothly. I
took my own car out, and set the stage with places
that felt like my home turf. By then, in general
everyone already was running in teams.

Interviewer: Thinking about it, it seems miraculous
that _Initial D_ even exists, with you not looking for
a Hachiroku, or even intending to do a car manga
series.

Shigeno: That's true. When the serialization started
the Hachiroku boom had ended, but now there's
another boom. Maybe it is miraculous that it's
because of a car I bought without any ulterior
motives, and now almost 20 years later it races in a
manga. But I think if I had bought another car back
then, I have no doubt that Initial D would not exist
now. I can't imagine D with an MR2. I think that it
was the one and only car. So then my meeting the
Hachiroku really was a stroke of luck.

Interviewer: So you have shaped the manga Initial D
based off of a one-time miracle and stroke of luck,
and on your getting away from it all at 3 AM. So then
your solitary time attacking the passes really was
priceless.

Shigeno: Yes, it was.

 

That's pretty cool, nice to know what the real motivation was behind one of the greatest anime ever.

 

Car racing!

BRRROOM BROOM VRROOOOOOOOOM! NRRRR *SKREEEEEECH!!* ..CRash* ...whadumph!!!1`1 tinkle tinkle tinkle....


...

Haven't seen it yet..but I love the soundtrack. Get it!

 

Yeah, that was an interesting read... thanks for posting it

 

If any on you have wandered into a store selling manga after watching the Initial D anime; seen the Initial D manga up on the shelf and thought well mother****in kickass, picked it up started reading and suddenly thought, WTF?, the names are all scewed up. Here's the reason.

Those arse bandit's TokyoPop in the good old US of gay, decided that they wanted to appeal to a younger and wider audience,(read: thick and illiterate) went and changed the names and edited the storyline. Although how in the name of Saint Armitage of Shanks they are going to write out underage prostitution, which is a major plot element, I almost can't wait to see.


For some of you this may be old news but just as many of you may find it interesting to hear TokyoPop's lame *** excuse so here it is, slightly reduced so you don't have to listen to too much of their crap.


from animenewsnetwork.com

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Responding to the Anime community's uneasiness regarding "editorial changes" being made to Initial D, Tokyopop has sent out a very lengthy letter explaining their choices.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following letter was sent to us by Tokyopop last night, give it a read and let us know what you think in the forum; our own impressions will be posted in there and may be posted as an editorial on ANN.



AN OPEN LETTER TO THE ANIME AND MANGA FAN COMMUNITY

TOKYOPOP & Initial D
During the past few days, there’s been a lot of discussion about TOKYOPOP’s plans for Initial D. We’ve taken notice, and thought we would chime in some insight from within the walls of TPOP headquarters…

We also know that we have a responsibility to be true to the spirit of the original Japanese version of Initial D. So, we start having lots of late night sessions about how to present Initial D to the widest possible audience and yet still retain its core essence. Some of us insist on calling the car the ‘Hachi-Roku,’ others call that insane and say that the only way to present the car to an American audience is as the ‘Eight-Six.’ We talk to bigwig network execs who want all the kanji removed from the logo and the car, who want to change tofu delivery to pizza delivery, who are utterly mystified at our insistence on retaining the original Japanese sound effects and printing the manga right-to-left, and who want us to refer to Takumi as Jeffrey “because it would be easier to pronounce”!

Most of the time, amidst this onslaught, we stick to our guns. Tofu stays tofu - place names like Mount Akina, Myogi, Akagi, the names of the racing teams, the name of the very prefecture wherein the story unfolds, the Fujiwara Tofu Shop kanji on the side of the Eight-Six -- we keep them all. But, bless our pointy little heads, we decide to create nicknames for some of the character names in the books because we know that they will have to be changed when the show gets on television, anyway – and at least we can keep the nicknames close.

So, Takumi becomes Tak, and Itsuki becomes Iggy, and Bunta & Kenji become Bunta & Kenji (wait, those aren’t good examples - gomen!), and Wataru Akiyama becomes Aki, and Keisuke Takahashi becomes K.T. It could’ve been worse – we could’ve been forced to go with Dirk, Patsy, Buffy, Andrea, Chelsea, Geoffrey, and Chandler … and, just FYI, the hot Sega Initial D arcade game due in a neighborhood near you soon will also feature the same names currently running in our manga.

So, why did we release the first volume of the manga with the original names? We simply screwed up – d’oh! – and went to press before our strategy was finalized. Those of you who bought the original print run of Volume 1 now find yourselves with a true collectible. Just so you know, our next printing of Volume 1 will have the altered names. Also, in the spirit of full disclosure: there are a few sex scenes in the manga that we’ll be altering -- one in the 1st volume, another later on in Vol. 8 or 9. These edits are necessary because we are positioning Initial D in the U.S. for a younger audience than it serves in Japan.

And thus, the saga has unfolded. We’re still wildly excited and overwhelmed by the initial fan and industry response to Initial D -- future plans for the property include all the things fans have asked for over the years -- and only occasionally received for such a mainstream property: premium, uncut, subtitled DVD releases, limited collector’s sets of the uncut manga themselves, exclusive ‘bundles’ comprising rare merchandise and obscure treasures… Rest assured, we are committed to making Initial D available in as many fan-friendly formats as possible.

So, if the broadcast TV version of Initial D is not to your liking, we completely understand. There’ll be an unedited, subtitled, Japanese language DVD release coming that we think you’ll enjoy. If the manga with the altered names isn’t your thing, that’s cool, and we certainly respect your right to disagree with us. (We’re thinking of shrink-wrapping the ‘nicknames’ version of the manga with a bottle of White-Out and a felt-tip pen so that fans can make their own name-changes as they see fit - whaddya think?)

TOKYOPOP STAFF

 

That's old news.
I posted in Eirtaku (I think it was Eirtaku anyway) about this as soon as it was announced.
Tokyopop released the 1st 2 volumes with the original names and all, but that was only for the 1st printing or something.
I managed to get my hands on the 1st volume with the original names, hopefully it'll be a bit of a collectors item in the future

 

Part two of the interview has just been translated, so here it is..

This is taken from the same source as part one.

Starting With a Temporary Title, "D"'s Big Break!!

Interviewer: So, you probably get this question once a
month, but I'm really curious what the title "Initial
D" is supposed to mean?

Shigeno: Out on the street they usually say that it's
"drift", but it's not. As the story progresses, it
will become clear. So, please look forward to finding
out what it means. The meaning, or at any rate, the
title was decided fairly quickly. Before the
serialization started, it had reached the stage where
Young Magazine was going to do a preview copy, and
said it has to have a title, even a temporary one. So
for starters, so I put together "D" along with the
characters "kashiramoji" (Ed: the Japanese word for
"initial"), with the pattern of both the katakana and
kanji. I thought the combination looked cool
together, but at that time I wasn't feeling 100%
certain that was it... So I wasn't totally used to
it. But it got to the point where time was running
out and I still hadn't decided on a formal title. So
it was kind of like, "Well, this will do." (Laughs.)
So at first it didn't really stick for me. But now
I've gotten fond of it, and it seems to fit nicely.

Interviewer: So the title was set, and the
serialization started. The character Takumi was born.
And you established that he worked for a tofu
store...

Shigeno: Actually, that happened right before the
serialization started. Like I'd mentioned earlier, I
had decided to do a four-wheel manga, but doing a
series based on my experiences with domestic cars
attacking mountain passes wasn't really major. It
wasn't a world that was generally well-known, only a
small part of the population knew of it.

Interviewer: Now a car manga about mountain passes is

accepted very naturally.

Shigeno: Back then, it was different. So I drew,
thinking that it's ok if just that small number of
people understood it. At first I was going to have a
heroine (Natsuki) have a role. But fundamentally,
it's a man's world, with no womanly feel to it, so I
decided to establish it that way. Very early on I
threw out the idea of a gender-balanced story where a
woman would ride along in the passenger seat. I
decided to have a closed story, where it was about
facing off with the car alone.

Interviewer: Very like your world once was, when you
would drive up the Kan'etsu at three in the morning.

Shigeno: Yes. It's lonely, but it's a world where
you have a conversation with the car.

Interviewer: And it turned out to be a big break.
More so than you had imagined.

Shigeno: Yes. More than just being unexpected, I
didn't understand how. I think at first it was only
in a small world. And then I guess once people who
didn't know the specialty deciphered some of it, they
started getting interested and reading it.


Scary to think how it might have turn out, though I'm sure it would still have been good but still...

 

And here's part 3.


Little By Little... Feeling Nervous. Behind The
Scenes Of The First Manga Volume


Interviewer: And so the serialization started.
Takumi didn't really race at first. Even by the end
of the first manga volume, our hero still hadn't
raced. But when he finally raced, he did get all
fired up about it.

Shigeno: I had originally planed for it to happen
earlier. I was nervous about it myself.

Interviewer: But as it turns out, it was really cool.


Shigeno: Yes, but originally, (thinking about making
it popular) it was really risky. Back then it was
expected that you dive into a climatic scene early on,
or that was the theory, so even I was feeling that way
as slowly the story moved forward. So even while I was
stretching things out with a laid-back attitude, I
myself was thinking it was going to fail. I was
becoming worried, so in return I thought I had to up
the tension. In the end everything turned out all
right, so I'm almost glad for the feeling of risk.

Interviewer: I'm really surprised that's how things
were behind the scenes. I thought you looked totally
confident.

Shigeno: I think some people can understand.

Interviewer: But you can almost say that all the
developments afterwards came from that drawing it out.
In fact, it developed quickly.

Shigeno: But no matter what, the race was long. A
story should develop quickly.


The Secret Story Behind The Birth Of the Charismatic
Takahashi Brothers, And the Appearance of Takeshi And
Shingo


Interviewer: The rivals that appeared were the
Takahashi brothers, who are still the most charismatic
in the series. Is there a reason that you took a
chance and made them brothers?

Shigeno: It was probably because there were two
RX-7's. (Laughs.) I didn't know which one should
appear. I like the FC, but I have an FD... So I
thought I'd be unconventional, and have both show up.
Since they're both rotary engines, I wanted to have
them be close friends or have some other strong
connection, and they ended up being brothers. So it
all came out of the cars. After that, those two came
together very smoothly. I decided in one burst how
the first five volumes of the manga were going to go.
It felt too fast to me if, right after Keisuke, the
younger brother, was defeated that Ryousuke, the older
brother, showed up. Because Ryousuke is number one in
the area. It was necessary that Takumi progress up to
that level. So he quickly experiences drifting in the
battle against Takeshi, and from the death match with
Shingo's EG-6, he had to correct his runner-up
drifting. His battle with Ryousuke consists of all
the huge growth he made because of those two. I
thought that the Takumi who had just beaten Keisuke
couldn't beat Ryousuke. So the battles with Takeshi
and Shingo were absolutely necessary for him to be
able to win. Maybe because at the time I was coming
up with a reasonable premise to make Takumi progress,
but while I was worrying about his opponent's cars and
personalities, and the order the races were in, it all
came together naturally in my head. And then when I
was thinking about how to set up Takumi doing a
visitor race, the two on Usui (Mako and Saiyuki)
naturally came together.

Continued in part 4: From The Car, The Characters And
The Set-up Evolve