Review of Initial D Second Stage

Second stage is more of the same, for better or worse. We get to see Takumi push the limitations of his 86 even further (eventually past its breaking point). More races outside of the usual Akina downhill get showcased as well. The drama/romance arcs still mostly fall flat, but it's definitely handled better than in first stage. Itsuki just takes more L's, but it plays an important role regarding Takumi's progression as a racer. There are some odd changes in character design, but the art/animation is an improvement overall. The cgi is less jarring and animated more fluidly. The backgrounds are less flat and bland thanbefore. The soundtrack remains unique and fits nicely with racing.

Overall, I had a decent time with this season. I'd imagine i would have enjoyed it more if I had more interest the more technical aspects of racing, but there enough stuff outside of that to keep me interested