More than 100 86s and BRZs gathered!　Event to Commemorate the Release of Chapter 2 of "Initial D, the New Movie" Held at Shimizu PA

An event was held at the Shimizu Parking Area to commemorate the release of the animated film "Initial D Legend 2: Fighting Race," which opened in theaters on May 23, 2012.

Initial D" is an anime 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 drifting skills... The story is told in four TV series from 1998 to 2012, plus one movie version, plus several OVAs. The series was a huge hit, with four TV series, one film version, and several OVAs produced between 1998 and 2012. 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" (older brother Ryosuke: FC3S RX-7, younger brother Keisuke: FD3S RX-7), who claim to be the fastest in the Gunma area, and the main character Takumi Fujiwara in a three-part story.

Racing drivers Manabu Orido, Chiho Oda, Sayaka Adachi, Tomoyuki Amano, Seiji Yamaguchi, Akira Banba, and Tomoko Sakata participated in a commemorative event held on May 16-17 at Shimizu PA on the New Tomei Expressway. They explained their driving techniques in the film based on their actual racing experiences. In addition, more than 100 TOYOTA 86 and SUBARU BRZ cars from all over Japan participated in the concurrent car event. Below is a report.

Manabu Orido, Chiho Oda, and Sayaka Adachi, who recently participated in the Kuma Kogen Rally, took the stage at the All Japan Rally "Initial D" talk show on the 16th. Orido, who participated in the rally for the first time in a car wrapped in the "Initial D Legend 2: Fighting" movie, said, "This was my first experience in rallying, and my image changed 180 degrees. It was a lot of fun, but I had a lot of fear of falling, and the mossy green roads on a rainy day were terrible. I also had trouble with a plastic bottle rolling out from under my seat during the race, so I had a double fear (laughs)." Looking back on the race, he added, "I was 2nd in SS (Special Stage) 1 on the first day and had the fastest lap time in my class in SS2, but in SS3 in the afternoon, I had a problem with the concrete pylons that indicate danger. In SS3 in the afternoon, I hit a concrete block to hold the pylon in place, which is called "to-fu" in Ehime. The Tofu shop's car got hit by a "to-fu" block... I would definitely like to participate in the next rally," he said. Adachi, who co-drives for Norihiko Katsuta, explained the role of a co-driver in a race in an easy-to-understand manner, and also showed the race notebook he actually uses for navigation.
In the "Initial D" driving technique talk, racing drivers Manabu Orido, Tomoyuki Amano, and Seiji Yamaguchi discussed techniques that appear in the original story, such as "ditching," "disappearing lines," "do you feel women's eyes on you as a driver? The team thoroughly examined the "Letting Go Drift" technique. Orido answered, "I do feel women's eyes on me! You can see it on the circuit even during the race." He also called attention to the duct tape death match depicted in the film, saying, "No, I don't. I don't want to do that because it will break my bones! Let's not do it because it will break your bones. Amano said, "I think some cars can do drifting without letting go...but if you ask me if I would do it, I wouldn't do it. Yamaguchi said, "There is a "disappearing car" rather than a disappearing line. There are some cars that really disappear during the race (due to problems) (laugh)," he said.
The "86S in Shimizu PA," held in conjunction with this event, featured more than 100 TOYOTA 86s and Subaru BRZs from all over Japan over the two days of Saturday and Sunday, a dress-up contest, PR booths for sponsors, demo car exhibits, and a "rock-paper-scissors" tournament with gorgeous prizes. The event also featured a dress-up contest, PR booths for sponsors, demo car exhibits, and a "rock-paper-scissors" tournament with gorgeous prizes.
In addition, a "Nari-giri Photo Session" and a "Flower Arrangement Experience (17th)" using an 86 patrol car were held for PA users, and at the food court of NEOPASA Shimizu, "Initial D Limited Collaboration Menu" was sold, including "Akina's Pork Bowl" which was inspired by the rock surface of the mountain pass, and sweets using tofu named after the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. Fujiwara Tofu shop, and sweets using tofu.