At Yunteng TV, halfway through the broadcast of Episode 5 of 'Initial D', the viewership ratings broke past 7% for the first time.
With the audience size for dramas in Great Zhou being limited, 'Initial D's massive popularity inevitably impacted other shows airing at the same time on competing channels.
Even the Big Six networks saw their viewership numbers drop sharply, some dipping to record lows.
"You get it now? If I want to overtake you, I can do it anytime!"
Shingo Shoji, behind the wheel of the EG6, wore a cocky smirk, exuding an air of inexplicable confidence as he intentionally pulled up right behind Takumi Fujiwara's car.
To the audience, that line basically meant:
If he wanted to crash into Takumi, he could do it just like he had in previous episodes—cripple the 86 on a whim.
A lot of viewers were already seeing their blood pressure spike.
Especially seasoned drivers—those who've encountered aggressive, reckless drivers cutting people off or ignoring traffic rules—were projecting all their past frustration onto Shingo Shoji.
Even the long-time lurkers in the 'Initial D' fan group couldn't hold back anymore and started chiming in:
"What's Takumi doing?! Crash into him already!"
"Yeah! Just hit him!"
"What are you guys even saying? This is a racing drama, not a crime thriller. That crash was scripted. Don't you want to see how the story develops?"
"Still, I can't take it! Watching this guy—Shingo Shoji—act like this is unbearable!"
"He's way too arrogant."
"Enough already. Takumi, end this idiot."
In the scenes that followed, Shingo—still tailing Takumi's 86—gradually realized something terrifying:
He couldn't catch up.
Even though his EG6 was naturally better suited to this particular race mode, Takumi—on his first ever Death Tape Run—had already overtaken him during the crucial race segment.
"I don't understand…"
Beads of sweat formed on Shingo's forehead. And then, he made a choice.
At first, after being overtaken by Takumi, he still believed he could close the gap. But after trailing him and sensing his terrifying control and precision behind the wheel, Shingo admitted defeat—internally.
"If I lose this, I'll lose all my standing in the Night Kids team… Even a tie would be better than defeat."
He forced a grin—the kind of smile that said "I can't afford to lose." Slamming down the gas pedal, he ignored all danger. As Takumi began drifting into a corner, Shingo made a reckless move—he wanted to pull the same dirty trick again:
Force a crash and end the race in a tie.
"Let this race end with both of us crashing!"
That sinister grin of his flashed across TV screens.
Everyone watching 'Initial D' held their breath.
No way…
He's not seriously going to drag Takumi down with him, is he?
And then—it happened. The god-tier ending theme "Rage Your Dream" kicked in.
Of course, it was just the song. The episode wasn't over yet—there were still at least ten minutes of plot left.
The screen switched to slow motion.
Takumi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. His hands and feet moved in perfect sync. As the 86 drifted through the corner, it suddenly surged forward—
Fans' hearts skipped a beat.
Behind him, the EG6 slammed straight into the guardrail, bounced upward, spun into a 360-degree flip, and then crashed back down into the rail again.
Takumi didn't even glance into his rear-view mirror. Without slowing down, he cleared the final corner, crossed the finish line, and gunned it straight toward his family's tofu shop.
Only then did the ending theme's vocals truly begin.
Shingo's hands were still taped to the steering wheel—a rule of the Death Tape Run. The crash just now had likely fractured his arm.
His face was twisted in pain, mixed with despair. Reflected in his wide, unfocused pupils was the silhouette of the AE86 speeding off into the distance—without even a pause.
The victor owes the loser nothing.
Not even a glance in the mirror.
He lost.
Even with all his dirty tricks…
Even with his EG6's advantage on this kind of course…
Even though Takumi had never run a Death Tape Run before…
Even after trying to crash into him during a turn…
He still lost.
And not just the race—he lost his dignity.
The actor's performance was flawless. The pain on his face conveyed not just physical injury, but emotional defeat.
Viewers were both thrilled by Shingo's crushing failure and quietly moved by the somber mood amplified by the ending theme.
This… was the ultimate image of a loser on a mountain pass.
"That was so satisfying!"
"Serves him right!"
"That ending theme is divine! I almost cried from how good this was!"
"Can someone explain how Takumi pulled off that move at the end?"
"You should be asking—how good is Director Jing Yu, really? That shot was insanely dangerous, and they still pulled it off flawlessly. As far as I know, nobody on the 'Initial D' production team has even been injured."
"Shout-out to the entire 'Initial D' crew! And thank you, Director Jing Yu. The actor who played Shingo was phenomenal. This is the street racing drama I dreamed of. I wanna take my car up the mountain right now!"
"Takumi was just too damn cool. That's what a real badass looks like. This whole racing scene tonight had me grinning like an idiot."
"But seriously—Iketani is such a good guy! He was following behind Takumi and Shingo the whole time, worried that Takumi might get sabotaged. And even after Shingo crashed, he still rushed over to help him and take him to the hospital."
"Right? Shingo crashed into him during a race before and sent him to the hospital. Even if it were a minor injury, if it were me? I'd leave him there to suffer a little. I mean—it's just a fracture. He's not gonna die."
"But honestly… that moment kinda touched me. The Akina crew is full of genuinely good people. Iketani, Itsuki, and Takumi—they all just love racing and chasing speed for the thrill of it. So far, the only truly despicable person is Shingo. Whether it's Takeshi Nakazato, Keisuke Takahashi, or Ryosuke Takahashi—they're all solid characters."
"Even Natsuki isn't bad! Her dad seems rich, though. I just hope that later, when she brings Takumi to meet her dad—who drives a Benz—he won't look down on Takumi just because he's poor and runs a tofu shop."
"I don't think so. Natsuki's dad has only appeared three or four times, and we've never even seen his face. But from his voice, he sounds pretty gentle. He doesn't seem like the 'money over everything' type. And judging by earlier scenes, he's clearly a car enthusiast. Maybe he's even been among the spectators on Mount Akina all along."
"I love this plot line. Imagine Natsuki's dad becoming a fanboy of the Akina 86, and later getting won over by Takumi's driving skills—that'd be peak storytelling."
"Director Jing Yu: Here's the pen, you write the script then."
"Still, it's a little disappointing that Natsuki wasn't played by Yu Youqing or Xia Yining. Bit of a missed opportunity."
The fan chat was a chaotic mess, but overall, everyone's emotions were settling down.
But then, in the final scene of Episode 6—
When Yu Youqing appeared onscreen playing Sato Mako, everyone was stunned.
They'd assumed Yu Youqing didn't appear in 'Initial D' due to scheduling conflicts. No one expected that she had taken a role in the drama, just not the female lead.
And not only that…
The supporting role she played was developing a surprisingly close relationship with Iketani.
What the hell??
In a drama where Jing Yu is the lead, and Yu Youqing and Xia Yining don't play the female leads… that's already weird enough. But now the two actresses are cast as side characters with love interests other than the main protagonist?
For Jing Yu's long-time fans, this moment felt like being NTR'd—on a spiritual level.