Itsuki from stage 1 annoyed me, he was brash, loud, irritating and a failure as a human being, it was frustrating that he didn't develop at all - but the during the second stage he begins to show signs of changing, and it isn't just Itsuki. Every single member of the cast shows signs of changing - this sort of character development was completely absent from the first stage.
Having said this the 2nd stage hasn't lost its focus at all, along with this character development we get to see lots of exciting races and they're animated even better than they were before.
I take my hat off to whoever picked the ending theme - because it suits the series so SO well.
To conclude, if you don't like cars you're probably not going to like Initial D (especially the first season), the show does have a lot more to offer though.
PS - I have always driven like a lunatic - Like Takumi I began driving Illegally at 14 and own what many would describe as a piece of shit on wheels, but to me it's my piece of shit - something I've driven for 7 years now I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world!
I like cars, but I'm against spending loads of money on them, I think what's important is that you understand how your vehicle works, that you put in the time and effort to "make it your own".
One criticism I do have - is that so far there hasn't been a single fatal injury in the series, my cousin died while street racing, the sort of happy endings that Initial D portrays don't always take place, in the real world people end up smashing through barriers and falling off mountains
