Initial D: Third Stage

2001 1h 44m JA

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 57

ActionAnimationRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

With high school graduation right around the corner, Takumi Fujiwara has a lot on his mind and a lot to prepare for. Everything becomes even more complicated when Takumi is offered a spot on Ryosuke Takahashi's elite Kengai Racing Team, which seeks to assemble the greatest racers in the Gunma area for a tour of Japan's mountain passes. Before he can accept however, Takumi feels the need to settle the score with the Lancer Evo driving Emperor team, defend his downhill-racer crown against the son of his father's greatest rival, and finally settle things with his unfaithful girlfriend Natsuki.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Shin-ichiro Miki
Takumi Fujiwara (voice)
Ayako Kawasumi
Natsuki Mogi (voice)
Mitsuo Iwata
Itsuki Takeuchi (voice)
Takehito Koyasu
Ryosuke Takahashi (voice)
Nobutoshi Canna
Kai Kogashiwa (voice)
Masahiko Tanaka
Kyoichi Sudo (voice)
Takumi Yamazaki
Miki (voice)
Unsho Ishizuka
Bunta Fujiwara (voice)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Noboru Mitsusawa
Writers: Nobuaki Kishima, Hiroshi Toda, Shigenori Kageyama
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ryuichi Katsumata. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Shuichi Kakesu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Shin-ichiro Miki and Ayako Kawasumi and Mitsuo Iwata carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0388130 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Noboru Mitsusawa directs. Ryuichi Katsumata scores. Shuichi Kakesu cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

125 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Original score by Ryuichi Katsumata. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
3Editor Shuichi Kakesu shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Shin-ichiro Miki and Ayako Kawasumi and Mitsuo Iwata carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0388130 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
7Classified under 8 themes, including "car race", "sequel", "street race", "drifting".
8Released under 12 different titles around the world.