toyota blog: I Have Your AE86, Takumi!

So there is a little manga series called Initial D. You may of heard of it, or quite possibly, you may have not. If you are one to enjoy Japanese cartoons (manga), automobiles, racing, drifting, rad characters and/or a touch of romance, then Initial D would be right up your alley. Whether you read the manga or watch the anime, I suggest you give it a shot. It’s gotta be one of my favorite manga/anime series that I’ve completely involved myself in.

Oh yah, there is even a live action movie based on this series. Though, sadly enough it doesn’t stick to the canon as well as I would have liked and combines multiple characters into one uber character, but it’s still a great ride nonetheless.

But enough of that. My main goal today is to show you a beautiful thing. Something, that if you’re like me, you would be unable to break the stare fixed between this object and yourself. It’s essence and aura just draws you in. It’s, how should I say, inescapable.

While I toured around Tokyo, I made my way to Ikebukuro. I know this area is famous for it’s Sunshine City which is lined with many shops, restaurants, game centers and other forms of entertainment. Very close to Sunshine City was something even just a little more special in my heart. This place, the Toyota Showroom Amlux.

I love cars. What can I say? I may not be the most technical person when it comes to car knowledge, but I appreciate their beauty and sheer glory. Vehicles are so much more to me than just tools to reach a destination. They need to be understood and sometimes, feared just a little.

When I stepped into the Toyota Amlux I was greeted by something so unexpected, that it should really have been expected. I don’t think anything could have been any better. Well, perhaps if Bill Murray had been there to give me a high-five. Then yah, that would have made my arrival a perfect one. S-Rank worthy for sure.

I’ll just get on with it. If you know Initial D, you know who Takumi is. If you don’t, then let me say this. He’s the guy you’ll come to love. You’ll cheer for him, you’ll be amazed by him, and you’ll even cry for him. Takumi is one of my favorite characters just because you see him from so many angles. Oh yah, he also drives a Toyota Sprinter Trueno. *\(^_^)/*

The cup of water in the cup-holder is a direct reference in Initial D. Takumi used a cup full of water to help him perfect his drifting abilities. His dad, Bunta, came up with the idea.