MF Ghost is the racing anime successor of Initial D, and its first season had a rocky start. It did not receive great reviews, with Anime News Network describing it as “the Initial D you have at home.” A little severe I’d say, but fair enough as far as the general mood of the show goes. I had a good time watching the races but found the characters bland; which seems to be a common sentiment. Anime series don’t always start well though, and as MF Ghost‘s second season is complete, I thought why not give it another chance. After all, no protagonist racer worth their salt would win everything in the first race. There’s always a buildup.
What You Need to Know
MF Ghost has two protagonists. Kanata Katagiri/Rivington is a young racing talent with something to prove. Ren Saionji is his love interest non-driver and not quite a fan girl. You’d think that not being a racer, Ren would be relegated to secondary character status, but if anything she’s the only other primary character. She gets more screen time than rival racers and possibly more internal moments than Kanata. What makes her relevant to the plot is that Ren is secretly an MFG Angel, the MFG racing circuit’s version of a cheerleader. That, and her crush on Kanata.
In season one these two young folks met when Kanata moved in with Ren’s family while in pursuit of his dream: to find his dad. Since Kanata is a racer — a half-British half-Japanese prodigy trained in England — he enrolled in the MFG circuit to get attention that might reveal his father. That and do what he loves. Ren falls for him right away and helps him search for his father. Few races that matter occur in season one, and it ends on a cliffhanger during Kanata’s qualifying time trial for the next major race.
Predictably Kanata didn’t find his dad.
The Cringe on the Course
A big obstacle to my enjoyment of MF Ghost was the fan service. Having no characters viewers would organically want fan service from, the MFG Angels are dressed up in the most ridiculous getup possible and thrown to the wolves. These women must kiss drivers as part of their job description, are dressed in ridiculous outfits, and explicitly are filmed in-universe to get as many asset shots as possible. They would have been less cringe if they were actual cheerleaders. Who knows, a Cheerleader X Racing anime crossover could be cool.
The Angels have one saving grace. In season two Ren needs romantic help. Instead of a friend or parent, she gets help from an Angel, who is characterized better than most of the rival drivers. That’s still not a ton of characterization, but it’s something. Otherwise, in season two the sexualization doesn’t improve, and the Angels’ scenes remain mostly filler.
Not Giving Up on MF Ghost
Season two of MF Ghost starts with a quick time trial, and then the most significant race in the series starts shortly after. I enjoyed this race a lot. It builds on what we’ve learned in season one as Kanata drives up the ranks, and showcases his skills. It also does more to establish real rivalries than season one ever did. Watching this show from season one, until the end of this race, is worthwhile to fans hungry for Initial D shenanigans. Ending on episode 20, it’s fair to say that most of season two will appeal to racing fans.
During and after this race though, the show is dragged down by bland characters — its biggest weakness. Another racer confronts Kanata at his garage, and his entire character is ‘main rival’, forged through the thread of Initial D. We never get to know him in this season. Nostalgia glasses can’t replace good character writing, so he may as well not have been introduced. Most characters in MF Ghost are memorable for their screen time, and little else.
At this point, the only character I care about is Ren. She’s a teenager with a dead-end job and a crush on a slightly older guy. Living with her crush complicates things, as does the way she keeps her job secret from him. Her struggles feel real — unlike the racers we don’t really know. I wish I cared if any racer won. Instead, I worry Ren will get her heart broken. If I watch season three, scheduled to release in 2026, it will be because I’m invested in Ren, not the racers.
Engines and Exclamations
I’m not trying to give the impression MF Ghost has nothing but one race for racing fans. There are a variety of cool sports cars. There are entire scenes describing the technical tricks and car troubles that let Kanata, and others, steal positions. New courses in season two even offer new track challenges. If the racing was fun for you in season one, it will continue to be enjoyable. I’m not a car or racing guy, and I still found myself cheering clever overtakes. I only wish the racing cared about characterization.
Verdict — MF Ghost and the Middle of the Pack
The problems of MF Ghost‘s first season continue to hold it back in season two. There are hints of crazier racing to come, but the racing we have is on the simple side. A few characters get some depth, but most remain very bland. The main difference between Initial D and MF Ghost though, are the stakes. Kanata doesn’t need to win the races, so he doesn’t challenge the best racers yet. Like its lead, MF Ghost remains middling in practice, winning enough that it’s not worth warning people away from, but not good enough to recommend either. I don’t think reviewers can call the series Initial D at home though: in Initial D racers either won or lost. They didn’t get anything for participating. MF Ghost is here for the participation award.
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