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Just watched the last episode of Initial D Fourth Stage. While it wasn’t quite the finish I was expecting, it is still a finish nonetheless. The fourth season of the very popular Japanese anime that has spawned many a fan site and a huge following is now complete and in the books. With flashy cars, dangerous street races, cool looking characters, and realistic animations, what’s there not to like about the Initial D?

Episode 24 (Final): Never Ending Challenge
In the last episode, Takumi’s 86 was overtaken by Joushima’s S2000. However, the young ace managed to turn things around and regain the lead by using the gutters and his wild blind-attack (driving without the damn headlights!). It was enough to shake Joushima (Godhand)’s concentration and force him to grasp the steering with both his hands. Joushima’s one hand steer technique was broken, if just for a heartbeat. This episode is the dramatic conclussion to an epic street battle.

Spoiler Warning (Skip the next following section to avoid):
Here comes the unexpected conclussion to the race. They enter into the 8th run. It is a battle of endurance and Joushima is pushed to the limit. This forces him to reveal his ‘record-line-attack’. We are then treated to a series of theories about racing lines. The secret to Joushima’s one handed steer will be finally revealed as his S2000 slowly but surely pulls away from Takumi’s aging 86. In a desperate attempt to keep up, Takumi once again relies on the gutters and curbs. However, this puts a huge strain on his suspensions and ultimately causes it to breakdown as they near the finish line. Unable to control the car, our favourite downhill specialist is forced to watch as Joushima races out of his sight.

Unexpectedly, Joushima gets nauseated coming out of a turn and spins out of control. He stops the car and ends up throwing up on the curb. This opens the door for Takumi’s 86, broken suspension and all, the opportunity to crawl pass and win the race (a true hare and tortoise story). Apparently Joushima has been getting sick recently but hadn’t expected on the race dragging out for so long and/or getting sick behind the steering. An anticlimatic finish but regardless, the victory goes to team Project D. I’m putting it down as a draw in my books.

Since the 86 is broken, Keisuke is the only one to attempt the timetrials but fails to break the record set by Hoshino. After the timetrials, Takumi gets to see first hand Joushima’s one handed steer technique from the passenger seat as the middle age downhill specialist known as Godhand takes him for a ride. The episode ends with a montage of prior races in the season.
End Spoiler

There’s a sort of open ended finish to this one, giving the impression of more to come. However, I’m not sure whether there is any plan for future seasons. I’m sure all the fans out there, like me, will be keeping their fingers crossed and an eye out for any news. As for those of you who aren’t fans (yet), download the series, watch it, and let me know if it changes your mind.

Useful resources for both fans and non-fans alike who are interested in the series:

• Full listing of bit torrents for Initial D Fourth Stage from Anime Suki
• A full episode guide for the whole Initial D anime franchise from Answers.com