TokyoPop initial d response - For Initial D fans

[sil80]

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…

First, we score Initial D, this kick-ass franchise property from Japan. We get the anime, the manga, the merchandising -- and we are thrilled! Then, we start making our plans. This is gonna be Speed Racer for the new millennium -- we’re thinking lunch pails, videogames, t-shirts… you name it!

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!<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>, 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?)

We are passionate about anime and manga, and we believe in helping spread the word to as many people as we can. Many of us remember the joy of discovering Gigantor, or Robotech, or Yamato, or Dragonball, or Pokemon for the first time, and then rushing home from school every day so we would not miss a single episode. And we recall the further element of mystery when we learned that these shows came from Japan! At first, they were just great shows with weird, fascinating, complex story lines and an incredible approach to graphic design and camera work. Only later did we begin to obsess about where they came from, and then take the further step of comparing our initial innocent appreciations with the original Japanese source material - the birth of the otaku, ne?

This will all happen again with Initial D -- an entire generation of kids is gonna get hooked on anime and manga… without ever really thinking of it in those terms -- they’ll just really like the show, and will want to see more things like it. And some of those kids WILL go on to become true fans and go through all the evolutions of appreciation that we all know and love so well… eventually seeking out subtitled DVDs, collector’s editions of the manga, cosplaying Tak at AX, and learning to speak and read Japanese themselves so that they don’t even have to deal with our choices.

At TOKYOPOP we will always remain committed to both audiences: we will be there to ‘break’ new shows and to expose anime and manga to the widest possible audience, and we will also never renege on our commitment to serve the fan market, as well -- because that’s where we came from, and that’s where all the real fun lies, anyway, ne?

TOKYOPOP STAFF

[Nerfdude]

shit, they're gonna do this DBZ style.. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hmmm.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hmmm:'> well, fuck that, i've got it all on VCD in japanese, and i'm perfectly happy with it.

[KiDyNomiTe]

They betta not make Tak (still don't like the name <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sneaky.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':pissed:'> ) deliver pizza, sure it fits in the US a whole lot better than Tofu, but this is all happening in Japan, Japanese people don't eat pizza like we Americans do. If they change it to pizza they might as well set it in America or it won't make any sense. At least they will release unedited version w/ subtitles. The only thing I look foward to is the arcade game, I have heard alot about it from people in Japan and it sounds like fun. As long as I am not asked if I drift, or as long as I don't see Civic driving around chgallenging me for a gumtape deathmatch, I'll be happy.

And whats with the writers of Initial D always using the comparison of Chocalate and Shit, or is that just a bad translation.

[SR20Fastback]

This is really fucking stupid. They're gonna bring this show to America to show to 8 year olds. Then the 8 year olds are gonna steal the keys to Daddy's Taurus and go try to drift. These people are fucking lame, EVERYONE wants the original Initial D. Who the fuck wants to call Takumi Jeffry or whatever name they gave him that sounds so retarded because its NOT HIS NAME. Man this is just been the 2 days of piss Allan of time. Thank god I have some self control and dont attack random pedestrians...

[BlackFox]

My name is Jeffrey &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

I want to try out the Initial D game at Dave and Busters, but I can't get in w/o someone over 21.

[Loren]

First off, Im totally indifferent to the changing of the names, and the tofu delivery. Yes it won't be the same, but are they really important changes? They are extremely superficial. They aren't taking out characters and replacing them, just changing their names, don't whine it could be a LOT worse. The tofu thing, again, its very superficial, do you really watch the show because your obsessed with tofu and you love tofu delivery so much? The show as a whole, the idea of it, will be unchanged, just a couple minor changes that have nothing to do with the story line. and SR20Fastback, Takumi is not a real person, get over it hes a cartoon character! And what is this about an arcade game? At Dave and Busters?

--Im not a true Initial D fan, i don't watch anime at all except for it, and if truth be known, i probably wouldn't watch it if i wasn't so bored, right now i don't have a car, a girlfriend, or a job, so i find myself with free time to download cartoons... don't cry for me, im already dead

[uuninja]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Loren @ July 15 2002,3:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">--Im not a true Initial D fan, i don't watch anime at all except for it, and if truth be known, i probably wouldn't watch it if i wasn't so bored, right now i don't have a car, a girlfriend, or a job, so i find myself with free time to download cartoons... don't cry for me, im already dead</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

damn I'm with you hommie! No girl, job and cars look sketchy. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

[Loren]

what happened with the UUNet job, and the scandanavian girl(s)?

[adey]

Agreed w/ SR20Fasback -- I think it's a bad idea to bring it to the states, especially if they're changing the target audience. Drifting is here is like Drag Racing in Japan... heck, it's nowhere NEAR as developed as Drag Racing in japan! To suddenly bring this crazy looking, totally new (not to mention incredibly dangerous) and misunderstood lifestyle (as it is in Japan) stateside is, IMO, crazy. It will do nothing for the tuner industry and enthusiasts (like us) but give us a bad name.
Plus, with the huge crowd of new "mAd DrIf73Rz y0", canyon lovers (such as myself) will have a hard time keeping up our habit without worrying constantly about police.

[Sniper-X]

Seriously, this is a bad idea. &nbsp;Nothing good will come of it, especiall the "MaD DRiFTerZ Yo!" part like Adey said. &nbsp;That'll just ruin the whole scene. &nbsp;Simply wonderful.

And with the changes to the series...it'll become another ruined anime series, just like how they ruined Akira, DBZ, and any other anime released to cater to the "American" audience.

[Nerfdude]

um, out of curiosity, how was Akira ruined? i've got the dvd, and i had the tape 3 years ago...

[Sniper-X]

They ruined Akira with the new english dubbing. &nbsp;The older version's dubbing was actually pretty decent. &nbsp;But the new re-release...oh man, it's horrid.

[One-Eighty SX]

I myself agree with what everyone is saying... its very totally lame bringing something here and changing it for a target group of fawken 8 yr olds... WHAT WASTE!!! But least there will be an uneditted, uncut. subtitled version so its not that big of a lose... JUS DONT WATCH THE AMERICAN VERSION... its jus simple as that!!! For the Drifting scene that is a tough one, i think itll force us to go underground even deeper... I dont think cops would go out and look for drifters as much as yall think they would. But some would jus to crack down another lifestyle we are used too... sighh how pitful this is gonna be... damn ALLAN CHILL THE FAWK DOWN!!! They are least coming wid the DVD version so chill out nikka xiet.... u get all crazy ova nothing... I agree wid u one some parts but u jus got insane with it all... so pipe down for a bit and relax its not gonna be that bad. Seriously think bout it; Drifting is catching here but u think ppl care unless its the drifter people... All ppl care bout is Drag racing so they couldnt begin to comprehend what drifting is about or how to go and do it.. They would prolly ass drag their civic thinking they are drifting. But i would like to see drifting become apart of our motorsport world now... but i mite get hated on for saying that.. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/notify.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':notify:'> .. later i jus wannted to put my words down here

[240Dori]

simply unbelievible, i remember getting the first few episodes fansubbed about a year and a half, two years ago. &nbsp;I couldnt even fathom it being dubbed i still cant, i got all the HK dvd's and am fine with those, i dont think i want to watch the dubbed version...this whole thing sucks...they should just leave takumi and his tofu be. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':('>

[Loren]

not to knock drifting at all, because i like it... but don't talk bad about drag racing, because theres a lot more technology, and progession in it than there is (and probably ever will be) in drifting.. you know how much money there is in top fuel cars? it cost about 50k$ for a turn key rail key that will run low 8, high 7s... how many drifters put that much money into a car just for drifting? point being, i saw some people acting like drag racing was dumb... well it isn't, and im not basing that just on the fact that it gets expensive and it way more popular than drifting, but when Car and Driver, Road and Track, etc. test a car they do braking, slalom, and 1/4 mi times among other things, but you don't see drifiting performance in their. partly because its hard to measure, partly because basically no one cares.. everyone wants straight line perfomance, no one wants a slow car.

[KiDyNomiTe]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Loren @ July 16 2002,2:43)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">First off, Im totally indifferent to the changing of the names, and the tofu delivery. Yes it won't be the same, but are they really important changes? They are extremely superficial. They aren't taking out characters and replacing them, just changing their names, don't whine it could be a LOT worse. The tofu thing, again, its very superficial, do you really watch the show because your obsessed with tofu and you love tofu delivery so much? The show as a whole, the idea of it, will be unchanged, just a couple minor changes that have nothing to do with the story line. and SR20Fastback, Takumi is not a real person, get over it hes a cartoon character! And what is this about an arcade game? At Dave and Busters?

--Im not a true Initial D fan, i don't watch anime at all except for it, and if truth be known, i probably wouldn't watch it if i wasn't so bored, right now i don't have a car, a girlfriend, or a job, so i find myself with free time to download cartoons... don't cry for me, im already dead</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Well its the little things that make Initial D a very good anime. They are gonna start cracking down on some drifting spots, but mainly curb humpers, I doubt they will be going to mountain roads to stop people from drifting. Anyway if anything this might open up more tracks to keep people away from doing it on the streets.

I also heard on a forum that they will be making a movie on Initial D with Jackie Chan in it. Someone said that they might make some special edition Hachi rokus for the movie. I don't knwo fi they are making BRAND new ones or getting old ones and rebuilding them, but either way they will end up selling them.

BTW does anyone know when that Project D thing comes out, the newer Initial D when Takumi and Ryo (dunno how to spell his full last name) start making theier little best of gunma crew.

[bing]

by the tiem this happens, my 240 will be so unbelievably sexy taht some dumb kid will pay tens of thousands of dollars for it just to be like the kids in the cartoon... which by the way it will be, a cartoon like bugs bunny and god forbid the power rangers....

there will definately be some serious accident when FWD kids try to drift with their e-brakes...

but in the end all that matters is that the idiots lose there money, and the smart and lucky people who took something cool and peddled it to those idiots get all the money and hoard it. just like every other industry ever created in the history of the planet

[Nerfdude]

oh, yeah, totally. i bought the new DVD and popped it in, and the new dub.. i was like, what the fuck is this? what happened to the funny quotes? i remember the general had one hilarious one... but, all in all, i think this one makes more sense, and sounds a lot better. i miss the old one, though...

[SR20Fastback]

Haha sorry James had sort of a bad couple days &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'> &nbsp;Im fine, but I think its lame to change the show. Even if it is little things, I guess Im just picky, but Im the same about my car too. Well I still stand on the marketing drifting to 8 year olds. Theres gonna be a lotta "hey look at my mad phat drifting taurus action" 2nd graders out there now... Bastards... I dunno I need a beer &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[CoasTek240]

i'm glad it's getting bigger.. but i wish it would stay the same.. also does anyone know what order the series' go in and how they are named

i've seen 1st 2nd ans 3rd stage(the movie)
am i right with those
what else is there?
and does anyone have them?
where can i get them?

[Yosho]

Oh no, a small company has gotten hold of a great property and doesn't have the knowledge or resources to do it justice. &nbsp;I give them all the credit in the world for trying to stay true to their ideals... but I still see failure on the horizon.

I think everyone is right... this is gonna be just like DBZ except now the media will have more than just F&F to focus on. &nbsp;I can see it now, "12 year old boy steals family car and kills 4 people when he looses control around a turn. &nbsp;Apparently he saw a 'cartoon' that showed a character pulling the parking brake while driving. &nbsp;More on this story at 11!"

This should be marketed to 16+... then it won't matter what sex sceens are in it. &nbsp;Marketing a driving themed anime to non-drivers is just asking for trouble. &nbsp;

Another huge problem with DBZ is the English voice actors SUCK! &nbsp;In fact, it's pretty much regarded as the worst dub of a series out there. &nbsp;If only Pioneer, Central Park Media, or ADV had gotten hold of it... they'd at least be able to hire good voice talent.

Oh well. &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

[SR20Fastback]

Well if someone of importance somehow reads this thread, cant say we didnt warn you.

[kurissuS13]

kidynomite, it's Ryosuke Takahashi. &nbsp;also, who's in that team? &nbsp;it looks only like Takumi, Ryosuke, and Keisuke are the only ones.

coastek240, i think it goes like:
1st Stage
2nd Stage
3rd Stage The Movie
Extra Stage (i think i might have confused this with 3rd Stage)
Battle Stage (doesn't really continue the story, just a summary of the Initial D story, but with one extra battle)

thur's also the Initial D Movie, but i don't kno whur that fits in.

Yosho, doesn't it seem odd how the same voice actors are used over and over? &nbsp;i felt weird after hearing the voice of Ritsuko from Evangelion, which is one of the best anime EVER, used as the same voice for the Ultra Hot Boss Lady in Goldenboy. &nbsp;but, that's me.

[KiDyNomiTe]

IIRC someone said that &nbsp;the Extra stage goes after the second stage or was it after 1st stage.

There is an Initial D movie? I though the movie was 3rd stage, if they are two different things what happens in the movie, maybe I have already seen it.

[Yosho]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (kurissuS13 @ July 17 2002,02:59)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Yosho, doesn't it seem odd how the same voice actors are used over and over? i felt weird after hearing the voice of Ritsuko from Evangelion, which is one of the best anime EVER, used as the same voice for the Ultra Hot Boss Lady in Goldenboy. but, that's me.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I'm not 100% sure, but I think the Goldenboy Dub came out before the Eva dub. &nbsp;Could be wrong though. &nbsp;(damn I wish they'd bring more Goldenboy over... "Study Study Study...!") &nbsp;T&A in that is so funny... &nbsp;

I know what you mean though about voice actors being reused... most of the time it's great, and you don't notice it (or you're not really sure) but when it goes bad, it really goes BAD. &nbsp;2 that stand out in my mind are the Dubbing of Captain Tylor (one of the best series going, very crapy US Dub). &nbsp;They even used Lisa Ortis (Lina Inverse in Slayers) who's great. &nbsp;Still, she sounds so strange in Captain Tylor... it just doesn't work. &nbsp;The other really bad dub was Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro. &nbsp;They used both primary US actors from Fushigi Yugi as the primary actors for that Lupin Film. &nbsp;One or the other would of been fine, but both together sucked. &nbsp;I had to remind myself what I was watching. &nbsp;The original dub was fantastic... why'd they have to go and screw it up with the DVD release!?! &nbsp;At least the second dub had talent though... if Intial D is using DBZ as a mold (which is what it sounds like)... that's just scary. &nbsp;Another flaky US Dub and cut job.

BTW, they aluded to Robotech in their opening letter. &nbsp;Robotech was cool and all, but Macross is much much better. &nbsp;If for no other reason than we don't have to listen to Minmay sing in English!! &nbsp;Ugh... &nbsp;Too bad they didn't dub the series instead of cutting it up into Robotech. &nbsp;Harmony Gold owns the rights though, so there's no way that great series will every come out here in a true Macross form.

[ruf]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Loren @ July 16 2002)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">not to knock drifting at all, because i like it... but don't talk bad about drag racing, because theres a lot more technology, and progession in it than there is (and probably ever will be) in drifting.. you know how much money there is in top fuel cars? it cost about 50k$ for a turn key rail key that will run low 8, high 7s... how many drifters put that much money into a car just for drifting? point being, i saw some people acting like drag racing was dumb... well it isn't, and im not basing that just on the fact that it gets expensive and it way more popular than drifting, but when Car and Driver, Road and Track, etc. test a car they do braking, slalom, and 1/4 mi times among other things, but you don't see drifiting performance in their. partly because its hard to measure, partly because basically no one cares.. everyone wants straight line perfomance, no one wants a slow car.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Your main "pro" about drag is that people put a lot of money into it. That's pretty much what drag racing is: How much money can you throw at a car. Is that something to be proud of? A rolling expression of your bank statement?

Drag racing is a measure of a car's ability.
Drifting is a measure of a driver's ability.

Why do US car mags post 1/4 mile times? To rate a car. If they were rating a driver, then 1/4 mile would factor in very little. Don't get me wrong, drag racing takes some skill, but not NEARLY as much as road racing or drifting. If you understand anything about drifting at all, it's not about the car. The car is just a tool for the driver to use and abuse. Heck, the most popular platforms are all cars that were made in the late 80's and early 90's that cost less than $20K new! Who cares if the next guy has 10-15hp more than you? On a drag strip or a roadcourse, you would be at a severe disadvantage.

Now, drag race TUNING is another story altogether. Building and maintaining a drag car is far from dumb. It takes a LOT of skill and commitment, and I respect and admire that. I think that the actual drag racing is pretty dumb though. Drifting is kind of pointless too, but it is a showcase of a driver's skill and creativity. The worst is when you have a drag racer that can't spin a wrench to save his life (or his engine) that just pays a shop to tune his car.

[KiDyNomiTe]

Drag Racing requires the drivers to have a lot of skill too. You think controlling a car that does 9s in the 1/4 mile is easy, I think not. I have heard people with SRs going out to drag strip for the first time and bieng very dissapointed. The range of people with SRs &nbsp;run from upper 13s to 15s. You can't just jump in a car and drive it. You have to know the car and be able to cotrol which requires a good driver. Drifting requires a lot of drving skill too, you have to know your car and know your limits just like in drag racing. A drag racer would not be able to drift like a pro, and a drifter would not be able to drag race like a pro.

[ruf]

Most of the guys having trouble in the 1/4mi with SR or KA+T have only been to the strip a handful of times. You get very little practice at it and it is a skill you have to learn. At the enthusiast level, 9s passes are hard to come by. I work with a guy that wrenches and drives on a gas rail team (think top fuel, but gas instead of alcohol) who tells me that a monkey could drive most of the cars now that they're automatic. The real job is that of the mechanic who has to tune the clutch.

Drag - 80% car, 20% driver
Drift - 20% car, 80% driver

[Drifting Ricer]

Here I have a couple of things to say.

IMHO:
Drifting uses allot more skill then a drag racer will &nbsp;ever have. In drag racing the real skill is in the tuning of the car. The mechanics are the real heroes. Drifting/Road racing the drivers is the real star. Sure you in drifting/road racing you can talk about suspension set ups all you want but still takes someone with skills to make it work. The same thing can be said in auto x. This is my opinion and that doesn't make it right. But it sure has hell makes it right for me. : P

Anyway some of the best voice acting I ever hear was armitage III and The new D movie.

I feel sorry for new initial D is ganna get marketed to ppl who can't even drive. Allot of what makes initial will be lost in the translation, like all the shop talk. Can anyone say watered down? I don't really wanna keep on going because this will lead me into SUV's for some reason. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sneaky.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':pissed:'>

[miata_man]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Drifting Ricer @ July 19 2002,4:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I feel sorry for new initial D is ganna get marketed to ppl who can't even drive. Allot of what makes initial will be lost in the translation, like all the shop talk. Can anyone say watered down? I don't really wanna keep on going because this will lead me into SUV's for some reason. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sneaky.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':pissed:'></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
the only person i feel sorry for is you and use the word "a lot" correctly. maybe you should do the translations for the manga.

[Anubis]

I can tell you exactly whats gonna happen. The shit USA version will come out, and fans will be pissed, but later on in the year they'll release a "Uncut" Original DVD version with the original names, language etc. They did the same thing with samurai troopers. &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

[Rikadyn]

Redsuns -
White FC3s - Takashi Ryosuke
Yellow FD3s - Takashi Keisuke
Orangish &nbsp;S14 Qs - Kenta (no last name mentioned to my knowledge)

anyway... Our mission becomes clear...Tokyopop must be destroyed...+twitch+

If like Manga, Pioneer or Urban Visions had got the license we prolly not see this crap...specially if Urban Visions got it...we'd prolly have added sex and violence scenes <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

[Drifting Ricer]

miata_man: What are you my engrish teacher? I didn't appreciate that. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sneaky.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':pissed:'>

[Lyger]

I'm not sure about this. When I heard DBZ was coming to the U.S I was happy, then I saw it for the first time in English and I was disgusted. It just wasn't the same as the original DBZ that was shown in Japan and now Initial D. I just don't see Initial D being targeted to younger audience. It is a anime that needs to kept to its true form as oppose to being alter to be put on next to another cartoon such as Pokemon. If they would put that on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, I might watch it, but that would only if they would get good voice actors and keep the names. Then maybe, I'll watch it. It is only my opinion I think its a bad idea to put on televison in the U.S. I just see a lot of editing going on, just like DBZ. Until then, I'll stick with the fans subbing and those "Back Up Copies" that are on VHS or on DVD's. That's my 2 cent worth.

[Rikadyn]

mmm...adult swim...YuYu Hakusho and Cowboy Bebop are great shows

[Yosho]

Now there's a good dubbing! &nbsp;Cowboy Bebop is better in English than in Japanese. &nbsp;Actually, come to think of it, that's probably my favorite anime.