There was everything from muscle cars to pickup trucks, VWs, and just about everything else.Īlthough I was brought up around all sorts of cars, it was the muscle cars that really rubbed off on me – especially after spending countless hours riding in the backseat of my dad’s ’70 GTO. I spent my childhood watching dozens of cars coming and going from our driveway as my dad bought them, fixed them up and then sold them. Thanks to the influence of my dad, I’ve pretty much been fascinated with automobiles since birth.

Initial D is not responsible for my love of cars, but it is something that dramatically changed the way I see them – specifically those that come from Japan. So in a way this is part retrospective, part editorial and part autobiography. With the Initial D manga series recently publishing it’s final volume, I thought now was the perfect time for me to share the story about how Shuichi Shigeno’s fictional saga of Japanese touge racers helped to shape my career path and my life in general. Yes, it’s amazing and a little bit scary just how much this animation and comic book series from Japan has impacted my life. Not just writing this story I mean, but the reason I’ve found this amazing career as a Speedhunter and professional car maniac.

As strange as this might sound, I’m pretty sure Initial D is the reason I am sitting here right now.

Initial d street stage change language