頭文字D [Initial D]

In the high-stakes world of Japanese street racing, Initial D follows Takumi Fujiwara, an unlikely tofu-delivery driver who discovers his mundane after-school job has secretly honed him into an extraordinary drift racer. Published by Kōdansha from 1995 to 2013, this 48-volume series is most famously associated with writer and artist Shuichi Shigeno, whose detailed car mechanics and thrilling mountain-pass races defined a generation of motorsport manga. More than just a racing story, it captures the underground car culture of the 1990s and the personal growth of a reluctant hero, making it a cornerstone of the genre that inspired both anime and a global drift phenomenon.