Vroom Vroom Party Starter – Acquisition Announcement
Announcing the redub of:
Initial D First stage
Initial D Second stage
Initial D Extra stage
Initial D Third stage
Initial D Fourth stage
Featuring: New English dub Cast, All Uncut, Keeping Eurobeat audio music
Also, we just acquired X (TV) and X OAV
Based on the CLAMP manga series, the anime is directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (“Ninja Scroll” among others)”) and animated by Madhouse (“Aquarion”, “Beck”, “Black Lagoon”, “Gungrave”).
ABOUT X
It’s 1999 and the end of the world is fast approaching. Fifteen year old Kamui Shiro, a powerful psychic, has returned to Toyko after a 6 year absence to protect his childhood friends, Fuuma and Kotori. As all prepare for Armageddon, it is Kamui’s destiny to decide the fate of the world and mankind, whether he wants the role or not.
FUNimation Entertainment will release the first of the series on DVD in 2010.
120 Responses to “Vroom Vroom Party Starter – Acquisition Announcement”
NJ_ on September 30th, 2009 at 4:16 pm says:
@Tyrenol
You forgot to mention Bandai Visual USA (and their soon to be clone, BEI) & Toei USA’s failures (which they still keep doing like with their latest Winckler deal 
).
Chrisc on September 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm says:
I couldn’t stop laughing when I read this. Spoiler ▼
.
Richard J. on September 30th, 2009 at 4:54 pm says:
@ Chrisc: If you’ve some of Strike Witches and just don’t like it, I’ll stop trying to convince you to get it. Of course, that leaves other Funi shows I can try to get you to buy! I think you’re already into Bamboo Blade so. . . hm, have you tried Tower of Druaga? First episode parodies so many RPG and fantasy tropes and cliches and the series itself is a lot of fun. Odd but interesting.
Chrisc on September 30th, 2009 at 5:16 pm says:
@Richard someday I will own Tower of Druaga, Romeo x Juliet, Kaze no Stigma. I am still thinkng about My Bride is a Mermaid! & Spice and Wolf. Bamboo Blade is a must own. Soul Eater I will buy when the season box set comes out. I did not give up hope yet that Rosario + Vampire would get licensed. I still need to buy Negima!? part 2, I am sure I might buy others if I can fnd them cheap like Magikano, Jinki Extend, and a few others I am forgetting. I have a good size Blu-ray want list.
Tyrenol on September 30th, 2009 at 5:55 pm says:
@ NJ_:
BVUSA is a tentacle from the Bancolding$ octopus. So why repeat myself? 
(The only good thing coming outta them is Tekken. And that’s just a squeak away from the crap they do.)
I avoid picking on Toei; they were responsible for the 80’s Transformers and GI Joe cartoons.
Although… With Kadokawa “running home crying like a bullied child,” my hope was that FUNi would license Megafuku. (Well maybe FUNi can ask Zexcs directly for that show and Regios.)
Finally, I’d like to go back to ADVNation’s point about the “high licensing cost” of anime. It’s hard to figure out which anime will or won’t flood the anime industry with AWESOMAGE orz; thereby having hobbyists handing you more-than-enough money to license more. And, as proven throughout this decade, “popularity in Japan/Asia” hardly means “financial popularity in the US / West.”
That’s why I repeat the term “There Needs To Be Something For Everyone.” The outdated “throwing wet noodles to the wall in hopes for something to stick, and then bandwagoning the heck out of it” doesn’t work anymore.
But hey. Nabari no Ou KILLED-ON-THE-SPOT whatever anime that thought “spinelessness = funny.” My personal opinion is that every other anime should be like Nabari; featuring everyone (regardless of color and gender) kicking each other’s rear-end 100% and still be nice enough to wash your dishes. (Of course, it doesn’t matter what I’d say. Right? )
Chrisc on September 30th, 2009 at 6:00 pm says:
I would say Toei makes crap but I know thats not true, or at least 5% is not.
Mario1-7 on September 30th, 2009 at 6:05 pm says:
@ADVNation@
No….. No You don’t smell like Roses… And I mentioned you because jmf said something about twitter, and I argue with you everywhere I go so I know he had to see me fighting with you there and saw my comments (Which I win ALL of the Arguments)
@Chrisc@
Your right I should have put *Come back*
@NJ_@
What in the hell are you talking about
@Tyrenol@
I don’t understand you. Who do you think you are anyway? You goal is to purge the Anime industry? What are you doing to Purge anything?
Kailer on September 30th, 2009 at 6:25 pm says:
So…how about that Initial D? After reading up on the show a bit more, it sounds like something I’d be into. For people who’ve seen the original (like, not the DJ Milky hackjob), what’s it like? I’m getting very sports-anime tournament style impressions. Do we get interesting, well-rounded characters with lots of growth, or just a bunch of cardboard cutouts who drive cars a lot? Is there an overarching plot?
I’d love to know people’s thoughts on this show.
Psychopuppet on September 30th, 2009 at 6:32 pm says:
Wow this went way off topic then went back then went just way to the left and jumped the curve. I thought this nonsense is why Myspace , Facebook , Private Msgs. , and other places/things existed.
Well to get back on topic:
I somehow missed they got X TV too. Good show. Is it going to be the Remix version that Geneon released a while back? I am honestly thinking about double dipping if it is the remix as I have the original 8 disc release which takes up way to much space now. That is the only reason I do like the newer cheaper packaging the space saving. Other then that though I really miss the days of art boxes and singles as I am a fan of the art as much as the shows I buy.
Chrisc on September 30th, 2009 at 7:00 pm says:
@Kailer its imposible to know if Initial D is any good unless you seen it before. Everyone has diffrent opinions on animes.
dragon0 on September 30th, 2009 at 7:13 pm says:
@ Kailer
I haven’t seen either Inital D or X. I’ve seen the original preview for X but it didn’t catch my attention. Perhaps funi will do a better job with it and peak my interest. I lookf orward to it either way.
Kailer on September 30th, 2009 at 7:13 pm says:
@ChrisC
Well, obviously, but I’d like to hear other people’s thoughts so I have some sort of idea. That is the point of asking for recommendations, after all.
And I’d rather read some discussion of Initial D instead of “Tyrenol and Mario bitch at each other, Part 15498.”
Kailer on September 30th, 2009 at 7:23 pm says:
@dragon0 (sorry for double-posting, Rojas)
X is fantastic. It’s a very CLAMP series (as in, if you’ve seen/read one of their series, you’re already familiar with about 80% of the tropes that pop up, such as “one person just for me,” the importance of wishes and the strength of will, a dark doppelganger or double, evil guys who aren’t), but if that works for you, it has a good mix of action and the supernatural. Most of the characters are compelling and have lots of layers, which makes watching those little psychological issues unfold rather fascinating. The series plays with some heavy philosophy without getting too convoluted. I fully recommend it to anyone who hasn’t picked it up yet. Thanks, FUNi, for keeping it on the market 
dragon0 on September 30th, 2009 at 8:16 pm says:
@ Kailer
Well I love getting tips from others on anime so once funi puts it up on the portal or I find it being streamed I’ll give it a go. 
Tyrenol on September 30th, 2009 at 10:26 pm says:
@ Kailer: “I’d rather read some discussion of Initial D instead of ‘Tyrenol and Mario bitch at each other, Part 15498.’”
…..which is what I’ve been trying to avoid, thank you oh so very much.
My thoughts on X: The movie was pretty good despite the fact that almost everybody had been slaughtered. (If I spoiled it for you, my apologies.) I couldn’t even get past the first few X/1999 TV episodes. Way too dark for me. 
I’m pretty sure that there are a lot of X/1999 fans who are happy about this license rescue. So yeah. 
salvazn on October 1st, 2009 at 2:07 pm says:
@Rojas-
Nice title…taken from the Conan O’Brien Bud Light (Swedish) commercial.
Well Done!
haha……somehow that does tie in with Initial D………I guess. haha
Joserpm on October 9th, 2009 at 8:43 pm says:
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I was waiting for Initial D to be properly dubbed and done the way it should have been. I REALLY hope that you keep the character names in the English translation. Let Itsuki keep being Itsuki…not Iggy!!
Michaela on November 4th, 2009 at 6:40 am says:
This older nee-san says THANK YOU to Funimation for acquiring Initial D. I’ve been one of that manga’s *very* patient fans for almost a decade, and it’s one of my favorite anime/manga series of all time. I can’t wait to ditch my crappy import DVDs for the new ones. I’ve purchased other Funimation DVDs and I have not been disappointed, so I’m sure I’ll be delighted to be able to watch a DVD of Initial D that’s a quality product on my big screen as opposed to the nearly defective international DVDs I currently own.
I’m happy for the re-dub too, because it will hopefully open this series up for lots of new fans, something Shigeno-sensei’s work really deserves! His artwork in the manga is wonderful, and it’s hard to support the creator of the series when the releases we’ve had of it until now have been CRAP.
I hope that this will breathe new life into a series that didn’t get the chance to shine here in the states. It’s a show/manga I’ve introduced to a lot of people over the years, and not one of them has been disappointed with it. Sure, it’s technically a “sports” anime, I guess, but, for this fangirl, the wonderful characters and delightfully improbable-yet-not story have kept me hooked on it still after all this time. And the Eurobeat…music you really ought to hate, and yet, you can’t. I have often wondered if Initial D was the originator of The Crowning Music of Awesome. The music really fits and makes the show, so I’m so pleased to see that restored, along with, hopefully, a more faithful translation of the story. (and…I shamelessly admit, my MOE for Takahashi Ryousuke will never fade…*discreetly wipes bloody nose*) 
So, thank you again, Funimation! You’ve made this older fangirl very very happy.
Carrigan on November 21st, 2009 at 12:54 pm says:
I’m very excited to here about the initial D re-dub and stateside release of some of the later stuff.
I have all of the “other” versions….and only way I can stand it is in Japanese “classic” version. Please include the original Japanese dubbing, as well as the improved english dubbing. And please be accurate to the translations and names. Thanks a bunch.
Flash on December 30th, 2009 at 7:18 pm says:
Glad to hear of a proper english dub of Initial D. Hopefully they’ll pick up the licensing for Extra Stage 2 and 5th Stage for continuity sake. Has there been any release date issued or even when they’ll start production?
