The one word that basically sums up this series is evolution. Everything, the characters, the CGI racing scenes, the plot, has "evolved" from the first series. (AKA First Stage) Anyone can see this by watching an episode of First Stage and then watching an episode of this series. The artwork is better, the CGI has gotten much better (there are license plates on the cars now) and the addition of a new gang certainly heats things up plotwise. Though this series is short, (13 episodes compared to 26 from First Stage) it is more than worth watching if you are a fan of the first series. After this, there is the OAV Extra Stage which has similar art/CGI and of course, the movie Third Stage. Incidently, this series and the OAV fill in the gaps in Third Stage as well as provide a nice transition.
Review of Initial D: Second Stage
