Initially...

I was never a car freak. I couldn't smell a car miles away and be able to name its make, model, capacity, power, engine and interior design.

Until Initial D.

Not that I can do all that now, but at least I'm beginning to appreciate the differences in cars. I could differentiate a Skyline, an Impreza, a LanEvo. I know that there are FF cars, FR cars and 4WDs.

All thanks to Initial D.

Now I can have decent conversations with my uncle and dad when we're stuck in traffic. Though I'm still baffled with their fascinations with stereos and speakers, I can actually understand them when they compare cars. Hell, I even found out that my dad sometimes speeds to frightening limits (actually only until 120 cuz apparently his car rattles after that - that raised some taunting laughter from me and my uncle), and that my uncle(the cab driver) is a cornering expert.

I've watched the Initial D anime and am still buying the manga. I'm caught (in love) between Takumi and Keisuke and I start having withdrawal symptoms when I come to the end of the manga while it was in the middle of a race. I can't believe I have to wait approximately 5 months for the next manga to be out(what am I supposed to be doing all this time... counting cars?).

Note that this is NOT a promo for the anime(on sale at all good VCD stores) and manga (it costs S$5 each at Kinokuniya). Nor do I get any commission for plugging the upcoming Inital D Movie starring Jay Chou (ahh my darling) and Edison Chen (slurps) next autumn.

I'm just a great Inital D fan.