There are no spoilers in this review
Well what can I say? I enjoyed it allot like I have with the previous instalments. It felt different though. They fixed the biggest flaw that I though there was but another one came up which just messed with atmosphere of the show. My enjoyment was somewhat less because of that but I'll explain in detail later.
Story
What can I say, it's typical Initial D fashion. Absolutely immersion for a car fanatic like me, with them layering on more and more technical talk about the mechanics and the techniques used I enjoyed it allot. I have to say my favourite battle was the AE86 vs the Cappuccino, it was a truly thrilling race.
I have to say this series move the story along quite well and it was interesting learning more about some of the side characters stories allot more than just the main characters. The Third Stage focused more on Takumi, probably because it was a movie. As usual I can't wait for the next stage.
Tech
Now this is probably the section where I saw the most change in the quality and atmosphere of the show. I said in my Third Stage review that the art in it had increased in quality but wasn't up to how I wanted quite yet. I was happy to see in the Fifth Stage that the art is finally where it should be at. The CGI was a massive improvement and really makes the series greater.
The animation quality and sound quality both improve really well to and is note worthy to mention. The sound effects where also better and generally the show felt allot more developed than previous seasons.
This is all good. But unfortunately it isn't all a jolly good time. The biggest new floor to come from the changes is the sound track. The Eurobeat music which Initial D is famous for is gone and replaced with more typical OST music.
This I think damaged the atmosphere of the show and the thrill factor the most. It was one of my favourite things about the show and the loss of it has prevented Initial D getting a 10/10 in my book. Which is a shame because it's such a great show. But overall I am mostly happy with the improvements to the show.
Characters
The characters developed nicely and we saw a bit more about some of the side characters and their love interests. It was interesting seeing a certain best friend spending time with his interest from Stage 2, but it was unfortunate how it ended.
I feel sorry for the guy but I doubt we have seen the last of that. I do think I missed out on a bit of character development by not seeing Extra Stage 2 yet. It hasn't been translated officially yet and may not have, so we don't see any more of Mako and how she's doing. Hopefully she surfaces in the Fifth stage.
Conclusion
Fifth Stage increases the standards the rest of the series has set and is a vast improvement overall. Some changes to the music did take away the thrill factor of the battle scenes somewhat but it can't be helped.
Unfortunately I can't give a stage of Initial D 10/10 status yet but I have high hopes for the Fifth Stage. I have to say my love of cars has become somewhat increased due to Initial D and I am thankful for that. I'd highly recommend Initial D to anyone who is a car fan like me. I think it's the best of it's genre and it's reputation amongst fans mirrors that.
Score: 9/10
