Ep 20. Act. 20 The End of Summer

In "Initial D: First Stage" season 1 episode 20, titled "Act. 20 The End of Summer," the end of summer has arrived, and the racing world in Mount Akina is stirring. Takumi Fujiwara returns to high school life, leaving his racing life behind. Meanwhile, Takumi's friend, Itsuki, has set up a date with a younger girl, but things go awry when they encounter a group of street racers.

The episode starts with Takumi's dad waking him up in the early morning, before school, to go on a delivery. Takumi is tired and wants to go home, but his father tells him he needs to take the car out and practice on the mountain pass on their way back. At school, Takumi returns to his normal life, hanging out with his friends and attending classes. However, he can't help but think about racing and how it has affected his life.

Meanwhile, Itsuki asks a girl out on a date, hoping to start a relationship with her. However, things don't go as planned when they encounter a group of street racers who challenge Itsuki's driving skills. Itsuki and the girl are scared, and the situation becomes dangerous when one of the street racers tries to hit Itsuki's car. Thankfully, Takumi comes to the rescue and defeats the street racers.

After the incident, Itsuki is shaken up and decides to stop pursuing the girl, realizing that he wasn't ready for a relationship and needs to focus on his driving skills. Takumi also realizes that he is not ready to quit racing just yet and decides to continue racing on Mount Akina, but only on weekends. The episode ends with Takumi's father noticing his son's passion for racing is still burning brightly.

"Act. 20 The End of Summer" is a turning point for Takumi and Itsuki's characters, as they both come to a realization about their future goals and dreams. The episode also showcases the dangerous consequences of street racing and the importance of driving skills and safety on the road. Overall, it is a poignant and reflective episode that sets up for the remaining episodes of the season.