Best Racing Drama
Ever since horse girl Oguri Cap left the small town of Kasamatsu to chase greater heights in Tokyo, she has rapidly gained attention with her remarkable results. Her goal to become the best horse girl in Japan seems within reach, but there is a rival in her way—another running prodigy named Tamamo C...
Ford v Ferrari chronicles the efforts of American and British automotive professionals, including Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, tasked by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca. The film depicts their work to develop a vehicle capable of competing against Scuderia Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans race. It centers...
Tokyo is the home of national-level horse girls and the next generation of running prodigies. Jou Kitahara, a rookie trainer with big dreams and modest expectations, does not expect to find talent in the quiet town of Kasamatsu—until he meets an ash-gray-haired girl with a wild, unconventional strid...
Unlike his friends, Takumi Fujiwara is not particularly interested in cars, with little to no knowledge about the world of car enthusiasts and street racers. The son of a tofu shop owner, he is tasked to deliver tofu every morning without fail, driving along the mountain of Akina. Thus, conversation...
Rush chronicles the intense competition between British Formula One racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda throughout the 1976 racing season. Directed by Ron Howard, the biographical sports film features Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl portraying these drivers’ contrasting styles and rivalry. It depicts...
Takumi Fujiwara finally joins Ryousuke and Keisuke Takahashi to create "Project D." Their goal is twofold: Ryousuke wants to develop his "High-Speed Street Racing Theory," while Keisuke and Takumi aim at improving their driving skills by facing powerful opponents on dangerous roads. The idea of Proj...
In the final match against the Kanagawa street racing team Sidewinder, Project D street racer Takumi Fujiwara is faced with a surprising challenger: Shinji Inui, a 17-year-old high school student. Beginning to drive at a very young age, Shinji is not only familiar with the mountain pass where the ra...
Accumulating an impressive series of victories with his AE86, Takumi Fujiwara has imposed himself as street racing's newest rising star. However, his newly found confidence of winning at his home turf of Mount Akina has been put in jeopardy by a new Emperor team exclusively using a car model favored...
Takumi Fujiwara is a skilled street racer, but he suffers a crushing loss against the team Emperor's leader Kyoichi Sudou due to his AE86 experiencing an engine failure. Doubting his abilities, the recent high school graduate is then approached by the Akagi RedSuns' team leader Ryousuke Takahashi, w...
The 1966 film Grand Prix chronicles the world of Formula One racing through a story involving an American driver and a European team. Featuring an international cast including James Garner and Yves Montand, it was directed by John Frankenheimer and produced by Edward Lewis. The movie’s narrative inc...
After earning a series of difficult victories in the prefectures of Tochigi, Saitama, and Ibaraki, the drivers of Project D—an amateur street driving group led by ex-street driver and expert tactician Ryousuke Takahashi—Takumi Fujiwara and Keisuke Takahashi now have to take Project D to the next lev...
After spending his summer racing against some of the best racers in Gunma, Takumi Fujiwara receives a formal challenge from the leader of the Akagi Red Suns, Ryousuke Takahashi. Despite his initial reluctance to get into the hobby, Takumi cannot help but feel excited to go up against the former "Whi...
After losing his mother at a very young age, elementary school student Capeta Taira is forced to become more independent to avoid his father worrying for him. Working in a paving company, his father is often busy and has to work overtime to make ends meet. However, no matter how tough he acts in fro...
Ever since he published a picture that sparked a wave of online harassment, freelance photographer Kouya Madoka has lost everything: his wife Saeko Yukihira, his confidence, and his courage to photograph people. However, years later, a job offer introduces him to the exhilarating world of Formula 4...
Initial D Battle Stage 2 is a one-time release anime OVA expanding upon the racing narrative of Initial D’s fourth stage. It consolidates key conflicts and battles from that storyline, offering a concentrated experience for fans. Notably, it includes two additional races drawn directly from the mang...
Rush is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by Ron Howard that depicts the intense rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 season. The film stars Chris Hemsworth as Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Lauda, exploring their contrasting personalities and the severe cras...
Why this score?
High audience scores, strong racing sequences, and praised dual performances; slightly under-recognized critically.
Scoring methodology
After Aoi Zip Formula was banned for one year from Cyber Formula racing due to cheating, Jotaro Kaga, alias Bleed Kaga, returns for the 17th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix. However his old car is no match for the returning champion Hayato Kazami, whose skill has improved tremendously, and his Nu-Asu...
The Initial D Battle Stage is a Japanese Original Video Animation (OVA) focusing entirely on racing sequences from the popular Initial D anime series. It compiles all of the significant street races into a single, extended presentation. The production retains the original dialogue and dramatic pacin...
After his disappointing loss in the last round of the 14th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix, which causes him the championship, Hayato Kazami decides that he needs a change and switches over to the Sugo Garland SF-03 for the 15th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix while he waits for the newest Asurada des...
The second race in the MFG tournament at the notoriously difficult Lake Ashinoko track is underway. Though his car is severely disadvantaged in terms of horsepower, tune-ups to Kanata Katagiri's Toyota 86 GT allow him to quickly soar into a qualifying position. However, torrential downpour on the fi...
It is now time for the 11th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix. With all the expectations and pressures placed upon him, Hayato Kazami struggles to regain the championship form that he had a year ago. Moreover, Osamu Sugo, aka Knight Schumacher, has reentered the competition, and declared Hayato to be a...
Round 3 of the MFG competition is heating up on the final race day at the Peninsula Manazuru track. Despite starting at the very front of the pack, MFG rookie Kanata Katagiri has difficulty getting the most out of his Toyota 86 GT due to an injury unknown to his competitors. Falling further behind,...
The Yowamushi Pedal: Spare Bike is a key bicycle used by the protagonist, Hiroki Yukawa. It’s notable for its crucial role in his journey and represents a vital tool for competitive cycling within the anime's narrative. The bike serves as a focal point for character development and intense racing se...
A freak accident during the 12th Cyber Formula World Grand Prix causes Hayato Kazami to miss the rest of the season, and critically injures both his body and his will to continue racing. Hayato's longtime friend, Asuka Sugo, helps nurse him back to health, and in return he proposes to her and promis...
"Monkey Turn V" is the second season of the sports anime adapting Koji Konomi's manga about competitive hydroplane boat racing, known as kyotei, in Japan. The series continues to follow the protagonist's journey in the highly competitive racing circuit after he transitions from baseball to boat raci...
As electric vehicles dominate everyday life in the 2020s, interest in traditional combustion engine cars is maintained through a motorsports series known as the MFG. Hundreds of ambitious drivers, with a staggering 30 million viewers online, fiercely compete for a spot in the Godly Fifteen—the leadi...
The film details the life of Enzo Ferrari during the summer of 1957, focusing on his challenges as he oversaw Scuderia Ferrari’s preparations for the Mille Miglia race. Directed by Michael Mann, it portrays the Italian founder's personal and professional difficulties alongside the racing team’s ende...
From dusk until dawn, street racers gather on a Tokyo highway—the Wangan Route—in search of only one thing: speed. Among them, a newcomer attracts the attention of the route's veterans after he purchases a Nissan Fairlady Z, a car infamously nicknamed The Devil Z. The newcomer ignores the warnings o...
Days of Thunder is a 1990 film directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert Cruise in his NASCAR debut. The story features Cruise as a rookie driver competing in the sport alongside real-life NASCAR racers. It was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, incorporating cameos from ESPN commentato...
Project D e Mukete provides a comprehensive revisiting of Initial D’s core story. This special edition compiles recaps from the First through Third Stages, offering expanded insight through staff commentary and behind-the-scenes footage focusing on the development of the Fourth Stage. It is intended...
