‘Initial D’ Watch Order: Chronological & Release Date

This article will give you a thorough insight into the Initial D anime series. You’re going to get all the necessary information and a complete guide to watching the whole series, including the four anime movies that are part of the franchise. So far, the Initial D franchise is comprised of five anime seasons, five OVAs, and five movies.

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated in October 2023 and it reflects the most up-to-date state of Initial D anime.

Initial D all seasons, OVAs, and movies in release date order

In this section, we are going to bring you an overview of the Initial D works in the proper release order:

1. Initial D First Stage (anime, 1998)
2. Initial D Second Stage (anime, 1999–2000)
3. Initial D Extra Stage (OVA, 2000)
4. Initial D Third Stage (film, 2001)
5. Initial D Battle Stage (OVA, 2002)
6. Initial D Fourth Stage (anime, 2004–2006)
7. Initial D Battle Stage 2 (OVA, 2007)
8. Initial D Extra Stage 2 (OVA, 2008)
9. Initial D Fifth Stage (anime, 2012–2013)
10. Initial D Final Stage (anime, 2014)
11. New Initial D the Movie, Legend 1: Awakening (movie, 2014)
12. New Initial D the Movie, Legend 2: Racer (movie, 2015)
13. New Initial D the Movie, Legend 2: Dream (movie, 2016)
14. Initial D Battle Stage 3 (OVA, 2021)
15. New Initial D the Movie: Battle Digest (movie, 2022)

Are all Initial D seasons & movies connected & what’s the best way to watch them?

All the seasons of Initial D are connected, but the movies are mostly retellings of things that happened in the anime with a few added scenes. The anime follows the protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara, as he becomes involved in street racing and the world of touge racing (mountain pass racing).

The story progresses through different seasons, giving us insight into Takumi’s growth as a racer and his challenges. The seasons build upon each other. The best way to watch Initial D is in the release date order. Watching all media in order will give you a complete understanding of Takumi’s journey and the evolution of the racing culture in the series.

Initial D chronological watch order

It’s a good thing that Initial D chronological order coincides with the release date order since there have been a lot of media released over the years. If you’re attempting to re-watch the anime, or you’re new to the world in general, you should start with Initial D First Stage (1998) since it’s our first contact with Takumi Fujiwara, who was at that time an 18-year-old high school student.

Then, you should proceed to Initial D Second Stage, and in between the second and third stages Initial D Extra Stage OVA is available that was released in 2000. The first and only significant movie was released in 2001, and it’s the first big crossroad we see Takumi at.

Following the film, we have Initial D Battle Stage (2002), Initial D Fourth Stage, Initial D Battle Stage 2, Initial D Extra Stage 2, Initial D Fifth Stage, and the last anime season released in 2014, Initial D Final Stage. If you’re willing to check out all the best races from the fifth and final stages, make sure to check out Initial D Battle Stage 3, released in 2021.

Initial D Legend: Awakening, Racer, and Dream is a movie trilogy that retells the story of the Initial D anime but with new animation and character designs. It adds nothing new to the plot, which is why we did not list them separately; if you want a digest version of the whole series, this is your way to go. New Initial D the Movie Battle Digest is a recap of the movies, but with some additional scenes.

Where to watch Initial D?

You can watch Initial D anime on Crunchyroll as it’s expected; the anime-oriented streaming service is the best and most reliable place to find nearly all popular anime. You can also watch four seasons of Initial D as well as the accompanying movie trilogy on AppleTV+ with an active subscription. Hulu has only two seasons of the anime. As for the New Initial D the Movie Battle Digest there is currently no reliable place to watch it.

Will there be more Initial D anime seasons or movies?

Nothing has been confirmed regarding the revival of the anime or the release of new movies, but considering that New Initial D the Movie Battle Digest was released in 2022, we can’t really rule out some new content released in the coming period. But for now, you can consider anime to be finished.

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