Chapter 3 of "Initial D: The Movie" also focuses on the battle between Takumi and Natsuki!　Chapter 2 "Toushi" Opening Day Greetings Report

The opening day of the animated film "Initial D Legend 2: Fighting Race" was held on May 23.

Initial D" is an anime film based on the popular manga (author: Shuichi Shigeno), which was serialized in Weekly Young Magazine from 1995 to 2013 and has sold 48.6 million copies in its 48 volumes. The main character, who has the mark of a "young leaf," drives his father's old Hachi Roku (AE86 Sprinter Treno), which is owned by his father who runs a tofu shop, and engages in heated public road battles with other drivers from all over the country with his amazing drift driving skills... The story is told in 4 TV series + 1 movie version + several OVAs from 1998 to 2012. The series was a huge hit from 1998 to 2012, with four TV series, one theater version, and several OVAs produced. The new film version is produced by Sanzigen and Raidenfilm, which are known for their CG production techniques, and all the sounds of the cars in the film are reproduced by professional racing drivers. In addition, the cast has been completely renewed and the film depicts the battle between the "Rotary Takahashi Brothers" (Ryosuke: FC3S RX-7 / Keisuke: FD3S RX-7), who claim to be the fastest in the Gunma area, and Takumi Fujiwara, the main character, in a three-part story.

On May 23, the opening day of the film, Junichi Suwabe (Takeshi Nakazato), Hiroaki Matsuura (Sanzigen representative), and Tomohito Naka (director) attended the stage greeting held at Shinjuku Piccadilly. Also representing Gunma Prefecture, the setting of the film, were Gunma-chan, winner of the Yurukyara Grand Prix (2014), and JKB, a member of the women's cart club, who came to present a bouquet of flowers. Below is the report.

Q. You played Nakazato, the leader of the Myogi Night Kids, what was your impression of the character?

Suwabe: I have been reading the original story since the serialization started, so "Initial D" is a work that I am very attached to. For that reason, I was honestly worried. I wasn't sure if my voice and acting would fit the character of Nakazato. However, since I was entrusted with the role, I did my best to play it! I watched the completed film, and the battle scenes seemed to fit well for me. (Received applause from the audience) Thank you very much! I did my best despite my nerves.

Q. What is your impression of Nakazato?

Director: Nakazato used to drive a Silvia and drift, but he switched to a GTR and started to drive with grip. I told Suwabe-san during recording that I wanted him to portray the image of a samurai. Nakazato is a rambunctious type, but he also has a playful side.

Q. (In response to a comment from Shuichi Shigeno, the original author) How do you like it?
Comment from Mr. Shigeno
<The characters were fascinating and really cool. The aesthetics of the loser makes me cry. It's refreshing. At the end, Nakazato's "I'm glad you're alive..." really got to me. ＞

Suwabe: I'm glad to have received such a comment from Shigeno-sensei. ...... I'm glad I'm alive! (audience applause) I am really happy. Thank you very much!

Q. If you could battle with any character from Initial D, who would it be?

Suwabe: I am a safety driver (laughs), so if we were to have a battle, what kind of confrontation would it be? (laughs) If we were to have a battle, it would be about what kind of confrontation we would have. Maybe a parallel parking battle, with the most important thing in the corner (audience laughed).

Q. We have a comment from Mr. Shigeno regarding the battle scene.
Comment from Mr. Shigeno
<The expression of the cars in the battle is hot. The ingenuity unique to animation is very good. The air goes through the turbine and explodes with a bang, and the pistons just move like a dart. ＞I am very happy with the way it was done.

Matsuura: I was in charge of CG creative producer. So the challenge came immediately. We knew that this time the main focus would be on battles, so we decided to try a more mechatronic expression.

Q. Director Naka, can you tell us a little about LD3?

Director: I think the biggest highlight of LD3 will be the battle with Takahashi Ryosuke. There were not many scenes of Natsuki this time, but in LD3, there may be a battle between Takumi and Natsuki in between.

Q. Any last words, everyone?

Matsuura: This time there are many battle scenes and a lot of CG cuts. We had racing driver Kataoka supervise us, and we paid a lot of attention to the GTR battles and FF drifts! We created the images, but Kataoka-san taught us the logic behind it, and we made more than 100 changes. We hope you will look forward to LD3 and see it.

Director: The most difficult thing was to keep the film within the 60-minute time frame. The truth is that there was a little more volume, but we had to drop some scenes because of tears. However, thanks to that, I think the film is finished in a way that makes viewers want to see more of it. We are now in the process of producing LD3, so please continue to support us with both LD2 and LD3.

Suwabe: I felt sympathy for Nakazato when he apologized with a sad expression on his face in front of his broken car. I have actually cried while apologizing when I crashed my car in the past (laughs)!