MF Ghost released a new trailer.
The latest preview for the upcoming anime adaptation of Shuichi Shigeno's sequel manga shows off plenty of footage of the new series' officially licensed cars, including the Nissan GT-R, Ferrari 488 GTB and of course, the new show's flagship ride, a bright red Toyota 86, the spiritual successor to Initial D's iconic Trueno hatchback. The trailer also features the first animated look at Ren Saionji, the series' female lead, and Kanata Livington, MF Ghost's new protagonist, who was trained in the art of drifiting by the franchise's original hero, Takumi Fujiwara.
The new anime is based on the manga series of the same name, which was first published in 2017 and was created by Shuichi Shigeno, Initial D's original author. MF Ghost is set several years after the events of Initial D, and focuses on a new protagonist, Kanata Livington. Set in the near-future where electric cars have become the primary mode of transportation for most people and cars with combustion engines are utilized solely by racing enthusiasts, the series begins with Kanata traveling to Japan in order to meet his estranged father. Shortly after arriving, however, Kanata becomes involved with MFG, an underground street racing group. Using skills taught to him by the legendary drifter Takumi Fujiwara, Kanata makes a name for himself by beating technically superior supercars using his Toyota 86.
MF Ghost is being directed by Tomohito Naka, who previously directed the theatrical releases Initial D Legend 2: Racer and Initial D Legend 3: Dream. The series is being produced at Felix Film, a relatively new animation company that previously worked on 2021's Otherside Panic. Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway's Naoyuki Onda adapted the character designs for the show.
The MF Ghost manga recently received its first official English localization, with Kodansha and ComiXology Originals publishing the series' first 10 volumes last January. The series has been a commercial success in Japan, where it has sold over 3.2 million copies.
Shigeno's original Initial D remains his popular work, having achieved a global circulation of over 48 million copies. The story of a tofu delivery boy who ends up becoming one of Japan's best drift racers was one of the most popular manga of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and is credited with introducing new audiences to the Japanese tuner and drifting subcultures. Initial D is also available in English from Kodansha.