Initial D: First Stage," which first aired in Japan in 1998, is a consistently exciting and compelling anime series based on Shuichi Shigeno's popular manga (comic book) about downhill mountain road racing in Japan's Gunma Prefecture. The protagonist is high school boy Takumi who, unbeknownst to his classmates and buddies at the gas station where he works, has been honing his downhill driving skills for the past five years by speeding up and down Mt. Akina making early morning deliveries for his father's tofu shop. When Takumi just matter-of-factly beats an area road racing star on an impromptu downhill race, he finds himself thrust, somewhat reluctantly, into the world of "touge" (mountain) racing and the various teams from neighboring mountains. His close buddies, Iketani and Itsuki, who are tied to the local Akina Speed Stars, are stunned to learn of Takumi's secret skills and are somewhat infuriated by his nonchalant attitude. Takumi's single father, once a downhill champ himself, has made a point of nurturing this attitude by guiding his son, not by example or instruction, but by letting him find his own way.