MF Ghost

It's a very good anime that majorly focuses on racing with a great soundtrack to get your blood pumping just right. If there was one thing I wish I could take out of the anime, it would be the weird 'angels' stuff. they are just not needed here and honestly the entire setup and the way people keep obviously pulling up the 'love' thing and the terrible camera angles on them just annoys me. The anime is perfectly good on it's own. I really like the character setups of all the racers and the cars. The commentary and terrain is well set. I wonder if we'll see better roadtrack variations in the upcoming seasons but it's hard to comment negatively since a single season takes up a single race (qualifier+race) and I wouldn't have it any other way. People keep comparing to initial D but here I will say to each his own. Yes I would have liked that more but I couldn't even watch more than a few episodes of it because the characters, specially the MC, were irksome and the female character was even more so. In any case this anime is more up my alley and I love that it just keeps everything centered on the racetrack. THE OST was good. Specially the ending song of each season is incredible (singer: Himika Akaneya)

I love this show. I also hate this show. Initial D has been my favorite anime ever since I binged it during the summer of 8th grade. I have so many fond memories of being introduced to the world of street racing, seeing all these sick JDM cars, and listening to the banger soundtrack. When MF Ghost was announced, I was so pumped to be able to scratch that untouched itch again. While I didn't necessarily want to consider it a sequel, I knew it was a little inevitable. I walked away from the first season feeling confused. I had a great time watching it, but was a lot of it from nostalgia alone? I have a hard time saying no. Despite this, there are still things I generally like about the anime. LIKES: The combination of fast cars and eurobeat feels like a match made in heaven, at least for me. The racing is admittedly unrealistic, but I still enjoyed the scenes and appreciated the ability to expand outside of Japanese machinery. Something that I felt Initial D lacked towards the end was vehicle diversity; it felt like every other race had a Lancer Evo, and while it was a bit annoying, it was a hard step to overcome since all the cars were pretty much expected to be from a Japanese manufacturer. Here, the scope expands, and the stakes are higher. The weight of millions of fans, billions of dollars at stake, and faster, more dangerous cars make things all the more important. I also really like the sense of speed that the show offers. When you ride with Kanata, you FEEL the 200 horsepower, you FEEL the 200+ kph. The cinematography is also pretty good I'd say. Lots of cool shots and great angles of the cars going at it. The animation, while it could be better, is good in the races and fine everywhere else. I wish the characters looked a bit more unique but it's solid. With that being said, I have a lot of complaints as well. DISLIKES: I wholeheartedly think that this show would be better off as an independent one, and not as an Initial D sequel. The issue is, the show wants to be a sequel. There are so many references to Takumi, Ryosuke, and other characters from Initial D that I would almost say its a must watch before anyone sees this. And as a multi-time Initial D viewer, I love seeing these little references. But I also think the perception of the show is soured from this, as MF Ghost lags behind Initial D in so many components. Let's get an obvious one out of the way. SHOW THE DAMN RACING. There are so many times that the racing is interrupted to show the Angels saying something (that is typically useless), the commentators repeating something they've already said, the race engineer unnecessarily stressing, or fans watching on their screens. It's missing those fleshed-out sequences of that Initial D had, the tense build-ups and dramatic maneuvers that really drew out the best from the drivers. I wouldnt be as upset if it at least cut to a driver thinking or talking, but it totally ruins the mood when I have to see two people duking it out immediately followed by an Angel shaking her ass. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH FANSERVICE? I dont really understand the need to add glorified cheerleaders for a street racing competition. I know for stuff like Nascar they have them, but they dont have as much spotlight as these Angels do. And most of them basically act like OnlyFans models, it feels unnecessary and takes away from the main allure of the show. Let the racers race! Speaking of racing, we need to talk about our racing protagonist, Mr Kanata Kirigiri. Aka MR. PERFECTION. It's sick to see how skilled he is behind the wheel, my gripe is that it's ALL we see. In Initial D, Takumi worked his way up by learning from each race, going through struggles and bouncing back from them and being a better driver through steady progress. Kanata has not faced one bit of adversity, apart from his car. As a character, he has been flawless. Perfect execution, otherworldly technique, and every girl is head over heels for him. There's a scene where the commentators mention the best driver in the field and say something along the lines of "He's probably the only driver here that can do that". Immediately cut to Kanata doing the same thing. I dont hate that Kanata is a good driver, I hate that he's faced no trouble at all. Every time we see him, we know he's going to overcome any immediate trouble without breaking a sweat. There's not any doubt for him, which makes a pretty predictable plot. The side characters are all either unoriginal or just straight up weird. Most of the racers themselves are fine, albeit similar. They all more or less act the same, with that stereotypical brave, stoic expression and the thoughts of their car (and themselves) being the best. I wish they were more distinct, apart from their hairstyles. Some of them actually are distinct, but not in a good way. Michael Beckenbauer is the most notable, but because he is bored with MFG and is basically a German racing robot. KOUKI. Oh brother. You're telling me there is a character who's main trait is that he is in love with strictly 17-year-old girls. It sounds as bad as it was to watch. It's a shame too, because I love his car. But how can anyone seriously root for them? Shun is also in love with a 17-year-old, but I dont think he knows her age so I'll give him a little more leeway. Yet, the fact that his main racing ambition revolved around said 17-year-old is so cringe. He's just kind of a creep, although a good friend. Ogata is pretty clearly an Itsuki regen, with more tuning ability. Ren is the last one I'll mention. I thought it was really weird how she started with this whole "I dont believe in love at first sight" and then immediately did two minutes later. She is a confusing character but not one with a ton of personality. She's smart and kind and secretly an Angel. That's about it. I dont think she adds that much to the show, at least for as much as she's shown. You could also make the argument that being in love with Kanata is odd, but I dont really consider them related so I'm not entirely fussed by it. I also chalk this up to Shuichi Shigeno's inability to write female characters more than anything. I've mentioned Initial D a lot in this review, and honestly, I dont want this show to be a carbon copy of it. But this show feels like it wants to copy that same spark, yet it takes all the things that Initial D did poorly and omits most of the things Initial D did well.

Can an entry level Japanese sports car beat the best of the European supercars? Maybe: If all cars are made equal by a weight-to-grip ratio rule. That's part of the premise of MF Ghost. Some other details are that it's a future where all cars have gone EV, so there is nostalgia for racing the classic petrol cars of 2020s. I'm not sure why it had to be set in the future - maybe it's to preserve the timeline since this is a sequel to a previous racing series called Initial D. This anime follows Kanata Rivington, a young half English, half Japanese man who has travelled to Japan hoping to find and reunite with his father. He also happens to be an incredible racing driver and soon enters the Japanese MF Ghost competition as an unknown rookie. Kanata is staying with a host family who had a connection with his late mother. Their daughter Ren immediately develops a crush on Kanata. She is secretly an Angel in MF Ghost which is a group of models who provide "fan service" for the race. When not in her makeup, the Clarke Kent affect kicks in and no-one recognises her as the mysterious Number 7. Other characters include the top fifteen racers (dubbed the Godly fifteen) and Kanata's mechanic Ogata. The cars are all pretty classic, including three Porsches, a Lamborghini Huracán, a Ferrari and more. Then there's the Japanese cars: a Nissan GT-R, a Honda Civic RS, a Honda NSX and Kanata's car: a Toyota 86 GT. All of these are lovingly animated with the details that make them special. The races show these cars from many angles and they become characters themselves. The races are really fun and exciting. They focus on many different battles going on throughout the pack. Kanata is an underdog so has to battle his way up from the bottom. The drivers all have seemingly super-human abilities when it comes to knowing their cars - but Kanata especially has many tricks up his sleeve. The races are commentated by the actual commentators of MF Ghost, the mechanics and drivers talking over headsets and also the inner dialog of the drivers as they strategise through the course. Off the racetrack, there are plenty of character moments as Kanata builds friendships with the other drivers and explores a nearby town with Ren in search of the location of a photograph of his father. In the overall arc, there is Kanata's search for his father, the mysterious machinations of the races organisers and Kanata's progress towards the finishing podium. I'm assuming that Kanata will eventually become number one with his incredible skills but maybe they will drag it out over a number of seasons. The downside for me is the sexism portrayed by the MFG Angles. It sometimes seems like the show is critiquing the objectification of these women but then they undercut it by frequently panning the camera over their bodies. It's like the producers of the anime are afraid all the teenage boys will stop watching if they don't get an eyeful of hot teenage bods every ten minutes or less. It's just too much. Overall, I'm really enjoying this series and currently waiting each week as the second cour is being simulcast.

I Got An Angel Of My Side MF Ghost is a sho about, a British and a German racer driver, going over to Japan and showing them, how to drive properly. Shuichi Shigeno is the master of this kind of driving shows, he knows how to make likable characters and driving drama that just works. The characters are so well defined, and really make driving entertainment, because of their own egos. He knows how to make nerdy specific entertainment, and how to even the smallest detail can make the difference in the race. And some good fan service in this one, because of the angels. It's also so interesting, to compare it to the creator earlier work Initial D, so many of the same qualities, but at the same time, feeling like it's own thing. Like how the main characters different tone and ambition, makes it an entirely different series to watch. The electronic soundtrack really helps with making the racing hype, and making it distinct to other racing shows. It feels a lot more professional to watch because it's much more sports like, but it lack that street racing charm that the original have, and the main race takes up the entire season, and it can be exhausting, how long they are. it's a good time even, if it can't live up to initial D, but what can.

STORY: 4.5/10 (Review adjusted based on show length) Complexity: 3 World-Building: 4 Pace: 5 Direction: 6 CHARACTERS: 4.3/10 (Review adjusted based on show length) Quantity vs Quality Ratio: 4 Development: 5 Depth: 4 ART, ANIMATION & MUSIC: 9.67/10 (Review adjusted based on air date) Art Style: 9 Animation Quality: 10 Soundtrack & SFX Quality: 10 ENJOYMENT LEVEL 6/10 =============================================== Comparing 'MF Ghost' as the spiritual successor to 'Initial D' is both its greatest strength and its most significant weakness. It is heavily reliant on nostalgia, featuring cameos from loved characters from Initial D and using Eurobeat tracks, clearly borrowing the style and essence. And while the animation quality has a modernized upgrade, the narrative feels like a diluted, out-of-place reuse of the predecessor's formula. Kanata lacks the relatable charm of Takumi, coming across as a 'Gary Stu', prodigy archetype whose motivation feels blurred. Furthermore, the show's jarring blend of high-stakes racing with gratuitous fanservice shots creates a tonal mess that presents a confusing identity for the series, making it more like a well-animated but soulless copy. =============================================== =====PROS===== ++ Excellent art and amazing direction. The scenes & angles of shots taken during the race is masterful. The art & colors are sharp, motion is smooth and not choppy. Initial D had a legacy in this department back then, glad to see it carried over successfully. +++ They kept the eurobeat soundtracks that made Initial D legendary. They go hand-in-hand with the epic scenes and masterful directing of the show. Car revving and other soundtracks/SFX are incredibly well-made and immersive to listen to. =====NEUTRAL===== = The hype around Kanata felt artificial. I know he's supposed to have been tutored by Takumi, but it still seemed over-hyped. Since he's new and hasn't gathered enough rep, it came across like he has an artificial spotlight on him just because he's the MC. = It's unrealistic in terms of possibilities and limitations of cars and driving skills. I'm no car expert, but even I can tell that its over the top. It may or may not be a big deal for you. = It's different from Initial D. Initial D was more personal, underground and special. This is more official, formal and mainstream. I just think Initial D's vibe was more apt, unique and memorable. =====CONS===== - The race(s) are too long (just a single race really). It's not a good pace to cover 1 race per season. A 15 person race with multiple zones? And you want to showcase every small battle between them? You'd have to make this some 300 episode marathon series to cover a decent chunk. -- The whole MFG angels thing is unimportant & needless. With the races as long as they are, these moments just act as a pointless filler. It's meant to be a 'break' but it just increases fatigue, giving a 'Is this not over yet?' feeling. The moments of respite when not in a race (Kanata spending time with Ren or with his racing group) could've either been more compressed (so that the races get more time) or more fleshed out (so that we have genuine character development and depth), but instead its in this uncanny valley in-between. -- Perverseness? The whole vibe around the angels and some of the racers is...awkward. The fan-service is uncomfortable and I think the main issue is how blatant it is, especially since it features underage girls. Most shows are more subtle about it so MF Ghost comes off as shameless in that aspect. Viewers are not watching this with the same intent as when watching Highschool DxD, its out of place. -- Characters are weak, but this is to be expected really. If we have 15 competitors to showcase and the MFG angels and others, clearly there's not enough time to cover them all in 12 episodes. It would've been better if the story was narrated around Kanata alone, that way many of the needless characters & random encounters in races could've been avoided. And we'd be introduced to characters as Kanata encounters them. - Lack of showcase of technique or detail. There's a lot of hype, but low amounts of actual substance or detail. Kanata is just too good and perfect without a real reason, like the rest of the show. Events felt too perfect, too polished and too smooth on the outside which meant its shallow on the inside and the whole setting collapses from a few meaningful questions. - There's no friction, tension or elements that would make it thrilling, and there is nothing at stake. If Kanata loses, he doesn't need to care. He doesn't need the money, the fame or anything. His end goal seemed to be an afterthought that was made up solely as a reason to justify coming to Japan. It's like its set in some ideal world that is alien to us which makes it not relatable in anyway. Best Characters (None that I actually liked but were decent among the rest): Beckenbauer, Nozomi Worst Characters: Shun, Sawatari, Kanata I'm a big fan of Initial D and I never expected or wanted MF Ghost to rival the legendary series. Still, I didn't expect it to be so different from Initial D in terms of its tone, vibe and setting. The series is quite polarizing, on one hand we have amazing races and pumping eurobeat music, while on the other we have weird immature romance and awkward fan-service moments. It's important to know what you want with this show, I would suggest paying attention to the races themselves and zoning out on everything else. And on the whole, be prepared for something completely different from Initial D except for the eurobeat I suppose.