Third Stage opens with a compilation of shots focusing on the Toyota AE86 we have come to know and love, and in the background, a funky song by M.O.V.E., the Japanese eurobeat group which composed the openings of all the seasons so far. And there are no soundtracks like Initial D. My predisposed bias towards it hits like a resounding gong, but the tracks here really drive home, and will have your armpits dripping sweat at every race’s conclusion. ‘Fly Me To The Moon & Back’ being the crowning track of Third Stage with the foreboding yet victorious grit the track pounds out, even just through a short snippet of screen time. After our introductory tune comes to its natural conclusion, you can feel your adrenaline rush subside for a moment as it cuts to our protagonist’s school in Akina. But, something’s different. Everything is different.

Initial D now moves like the greatest of animated films. The slow panning shots are now few and far between, not the here-and-there bits of character acting we had in the First Stage. Third Stage doesn’t stop, and the production doesn’t hold back from letting you notice this. The hand-painted backgrounds paired with the cutting character designs of Shigeno bars you in a cell, forcing you into the environment of this small valley town, whether you like it or not. Most of, if not all of these shots, look more beautiful than the manga, which is a key factor in making this not only a successful adaptation, but a masterful one. Your eyes move back and forth, from the blood-pumping CGI action sequences to the quiet outlook of the sunset. And the CGI isn’t intrusive in the slightest, either. It manages to be the only creation to hit that sweet spot, where the digital marries the handcrafted. They blend enough to become one entity, allowing you to realise the two worlds of racing and the real are completely separate, yet intertwined.

Some of these shots just take your breath away, and I’m utterly surprised this is Mitsusawa’s only credited work. And it’s hard to call this a one-hit wonder when the world feels this lived in. Comparatively to the rest of the series, as well, Third Stage’s atmosphere just feels...colder. This may have just been the autumn wind blowing in through my open window, but I really felt the pressure around Takumi, the weight of the racing world placed squarely on his shoulders. You can practically taste the dense morning clouds of Akagi as Takumi groggily makes the first tofu run. It burns the tension in tread marks, and stops, freezes your heart when it wants to. It allows you to breath in the sunlight, and cough on the octane-dense air of the gas station.

Through this extra bit of movement, all of the character’s personalities come alive. From Iketani’s eyebrow raises to Itsuki’s overly energetic pouts, there are extra pieces that didn’t need to be there, but raise the quality of this film so high, none can compete. Not even mentioning the voice work! The English voices are crisp and suit each of the characters scarily well. Joel McDonald’s voice noticeably deepened just enough so you can feel the growing age of the Takumi Fujiwara, while the older voices remain consistent, Chuck Huber being an always remarkable example of this. The dialogue runs into each other, but in a realistic way, like how conversations between three friends would go. Someone’s bound to be interrupted.

Oh, the characters themselves? In terms of actual movie standards, this is the greatest two-in-one combo you’ll ever pay for. It’s our protagonist’s story, Takumi’s, obviously, but it also gets tangled with Natsuki’s. Both are grappling with not only their feelings for each other, but the fear of what to do next upon school’s conclusion, and how each approaches that lingering heartbreak. They run parallel to each other, so, when these lines never cross, no matter how foreshadowed, it still pierces like a weighted arrow. The side characters, especially in the Takahashi brothers, show progression since the First Stage, previously as enemies, but now appearing as allies. Yet they still somehow ride the line of animosity all rivals seem to clench, which makes their sparing appearances ever-so-memorable. In antagonists, The Emperors felt so distant and detached in Second Stage, but placed themselves into the spotlight for Third Stage to exude some honestly intimidating pressure I didn’t feel in Second Stage at all. You feel the crushing weight of Takumi’s previous loss more than in the actual previous season, and the rematch feels that much more important, despite not relying on the past too much, even as a little bit of a crutch. The new opponent for this stage, Kai Kogashiwa, brings some past history which ups the personal ante I, again, never felt in the Second Stage. It adds that force that made First Stage so good, Kai and Takumi foiling each other so tight they felt like removed brothers.

Third Stage sets its world in stone, and you’re along for the rollercoaster of a lifetime.