Ep 3. Act. 3 Downhill Specialist Arrives

In the third episode of Initial D: First Stage, titled “Downhill Specialist Arrives,” the focus shifts to one of Takumi's biggest rivals yet - Keisuke Takahashi. Keisuke is the older brother of Takumi's friend and fellow racer, Ryosuke, and is known for his impressive driving skills and technical knowledge.

The episode opens with Keisuke and his team, the Red Suns, arriving in Akina to scout out the competition. Keisuke is eager to test his skills against Takumi, who he has heard is a skilled downhill racer. Meanwhile, Takumi is unaware of the attention he is receiving and is focused on delivering tofu to a nearby hotel.

As Takumi is driving, he encounters a group of cars driving recklessly and decides to show them up by easily overtaking them with his AE86. Unbeknownst to Takumi, the group of cars belong to the Red Suns and Keisuke is watching the entire encounter.

Later on, Keisuke and his team challenge Takumi to a race down the mountain of Akina. Takumi initially declines, citing that he is not interested in racing for the sake of racing and that his priority is to deliver tofu. However, his friends convince him otherwise and Takumi agrees to race Keisuke.

The race starts off in a tense and competitive manner as both drivers push their cars to the limit. Keisuke attempts to use his superior technical knowledge to gain an advantage over Takumi, but Takumi's instincts and natural driving ability prove to be a match for Keisuke's expertise. The two drivers continue to race neck and neck, each trying to gain the upper hand.

As they approach a hairpin turn, Keisuke attempts to use a risky maneuver to gain the lead. However, the move backfires and he loses control of his car, ultimately crashing into the mountain. Takumi, who was right behind him, is forced to make a split-second decision and swerves to avoid the debris.

The episode ends with Takumi arriving at the hotel to deliver the tofu, completely unaware of the impact he has had on the racing world and the attention he is now drawing from his rivals. “Downhill Specialist Arrives” is an intense and exciting episode that showcases the rivalry between Takumi and Keisuke, while also displaying the impressive driving skills and technical knowledge of both drivers.