If you’ve spent any time on the touge—even if it’s just the digital version in Assetto Corsa—you know that the ghost of the AE86 never really left. It’s been years since Takumi Fujiwara drove off into the sunset of "Final Stage," and honestly, the racing anime genre hasn't quite felt the same. But things are moving. Fast.
There is a massive amount of noise online about the Initial D new anime right now, and if you're confused, I don't blame you. Between official sequels, 30th-anniversary celebrations, and a live-action movie that’s been stuck in the garage, it’s a lot to track.
Basically, the "new" anime everyone is talking about is actually the continuation of the official successor, MF Ghost. But there’s a lot more under the hood than just a title change.
The Return of the Touge: MF Ghost Season 3 is the Real Deal
Let’s get the big one out of the way. If you are looking for the next chapter in the Initial D universe, you are looking for MF Ghost Season 3.
It was officially confirmed at the "Initial D 30th Anniversary 2days" event at Fuji Speedway. This isn't some loose "inspired by" project. It’s the direct continuation of the story written by Shuichi Shigeno. It’s scheduled to hit screens on January 4, 2026.
Why does this matter to Initial D fans? Because MF Ghost is the world Takumi built.
Kanata Rivington, the protagonist, isn't just some kid who happens to be fast. He was trained by Takumi Fujiwara himself in the UK. Season 3 is set to cover the "Round 3: The Peninsula Manazuru" arc. If you’ve been following, you know Kanata is currently struggling after losing second gear in his Toyota 86. It’s exactly the kind of "mechanical underdog" drama that made the original series legendary.
Why Season 3 Feels More Like Initial D Than Ever
The first two seasons of MF Ghost did a lot of heavy lifting to set up the world—a near-future Japan where internal combustion engines are almost extinct. But Season 3 is where the nostalgia hits high gear.
- The Original Cast Returns: We aren't just getting cameos. Voice actors like Tomokazu Seki (Keisuke Takahashi) and Takehito Koyasu (Ryosuke Takahashi) are confirmed.
- The Eurobeat Factor: Yu Serizawa and MOTSU are back for the opening theme, "TIMELESS POWER." You can’t have a Shigeno race without that specific high-bpm energy.
- The Legacy Plot: We are finally getting deeper into what happened to Takumi after his rallying accident in Europe.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "New" Initial D Movie
You might have seen headlines about a new live-action movie directed by Sung Kang (Han from Fast & Furious).
Here is the truth: it’s complicated.
As of early 2026, the project is technically "on hold." Sung Kang is a massive gearhead and actually had Akira Nakai of RWB building the AE86 for the film, but production has hit some speed bumps. There were rumors of a January 1, 2026 release date floating around Reddit, but that turned out to be a misinterpretation of a 20th-anniversary screening event for the 2005 Jay Chou film.
Don't expect a live-action Initial D new anime or movie in theaters this summer. The focus is squarely on the animation side for now.
Subaru and the Comet: The Next Big Thing?
If you’ve already binged every episode of the anime and need something fresh, Shuichi Shigeno hasn't stopped. In July 2025, he launched a new manga titled Subaru and the Comet (or Subaru and Subaru).
This is where the timeline gets interesting.
The story takes place roughly a year after Kanata Rivington (from MF Ghost) arrives in Japan. It features two protagonists—Subaru Sato and Suisei Kudo—and for the first time in the franchise’s history, we have a female lead driver.
While there is no official Initial D new anime announcement for this specific manga yet, the pattern is obvious. Kodansha and FelixFilm (the studio behind MF Ghost) are clearly building a "Shigeno Cinematic Universe." If MF Ghost Season 3 maintains its popularity throughout 2026, a Subaru and the Comet anime adaptation is almost an inevitability for 2027 or 2028.
The 30th Anniversary Impact
2025 marked 30 years since the original Initial D manga debuted in Weekly Young Magazine. To celebrate, we saw a massive "We Love Cars" ad campaign in Shibuya featuring seven Japanese automakers, from Toyota to Mitsubishi.
This level of corporate backing is rare for "dead" franchises. It proves that the demand for the Initial D new anime aesthetic—the drifting, the technical jargon, and the 90s aesthetic—is at an all-time high.
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How to Watch the New Content Properly
If you're trying to catch up before the 2026 rush, here is the roadmap. You don't want to just jump into the middle.
- Initial D (Stages 1-6): The foundation. You need to see Takumi’s growth to understand why his "ghost" haunts the new series.
- MF Ghost Season 1 & 2: These are available on Crunchyroll. It introduces the MFG racing circuit and the "Kami 15" drivers.
- MF Ghost Season 3: Airing now (as of January 2026). This is the current peak of the franchise.
The animation style in the new series is a massive departure from the old 90s cel-shaded look. FelixFilm uses high-end CGI for the cars, which some purists find jarring. Honestly, though? Once the Eurobeat kicks in and you see a GR86 taking a line that shouldn't be physically possible, you stop caring about the frame rate.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you want to stay ahead of the leaks and official drops, stop following generic "anime news" accounts that just repost old trailers.
Keep an eye on the official mfg-anime.com website. It’s in Japanese, but Google Translate handles it well enough to give you the exact air dates and car specs. Also, the 30th-anniversary merchandise drops are happening throughout 2026, including some high-end die-cast models of the new "Project D" illustrations Shigeno did recently.
The era of the internal combustion engine might be ending in the real world, but on the screen, the 4A-GE is still screaming at 11,000 RPM. Whether it's through Kanata's 86 or the return of the Takahashi brothers, the Initial D new anime spirit is very much alive.
Go watch the Season 3 premiere. It’s the closest we’re going to get to that old Akina magic for a long time.