List of Wangan Midnight characters
This is a brief list of all the characters in the Wangan Midnight series.
Main characters[edit]
Akio Asakura[edit]
| Japanese name | Akio Asakura (朝倉 アキオ Asakura Akio) |
| Car | Nissan 300ZX (Z31, Z32 in the live-action movie)
Datsun 240Z/Nissan Fairlady Z (S30) "The Devil Z" (悪魔のZ Romaji: Akuma no Zetto) |
| License plate| | て 53-681, classification 33 (Devil Z, Anime)
83-954, classification unknown (Z31) 63-11, classification 111 (Z32, 2009 film) |
| voice actor | Shun Oguri, Yuichi Nakamura (film) |
| Age | 19 (18 before Perfect GT-R arc) |
| Engine | Kitami-tuned 3.1L 12v L28 (3134 cc) intercooler with twin TD06 turbochargers, 84mm crankshaft, with triple twin-barrel SK Racing 47mm carburetors, HKS Surge Tank Type 1 (Type 2 in the manga), electronic ignition, Dry Sump system, tuned to 600 HP and later 770 HP with twin IHI RHC6 turbochargers (Devil Z) OEM 12v VG30ET (Z31) OEM 24v VG30DETT (Z32) |
| Aero Parts (Z31) | Carbon fiber side mirrors, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke wheels (red) |
| Aero Parts (Devil Z) | Nissan Z432R Wing, Nissan S30 ZG Flares, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke wheels (black in the manga with brushed step lip, gray with brushed step lip for its first look in the anime, then replaced with silver with brushed step lip; bronze with brushed step lip in the Maximum Tune games), one-off custom side mirrors (anime), Vitaloni Sebring Mach 1 (manga), Fairlady Z 240Z-L Headlight Cover (manga and Maximum Tune 6), Fog lamps (possibly Cibié), Full underpanel, BRE ducted air dam (mounted in the brake ducts are the fog lamps; also, the manga is unclear if it is a custom air dam, or just a drawing error by Kusunoki - actually referring to a BRE air dam), later on, replaced with ductless BRE air dam. |
| Year | 1972 (Devil Z), 1983 (Z31), 1989 (Z32) |
| Color | Midnight Blue (Devil Z) Red (Z31) Ultra Red (Z32) |
The main protagonist of the series, Akio is a 19-year-old live-alone student who was running in the Wangan with Ma and his friends in his Nissan Fairlady Z (Z31) when he was easily trounced in a race by the Blackbird. He then found the scrapped body of the blue S30 Z known as the Devil Z in which he bought and restored to good condition. His racing life began since then. He was surprised to learn that the former (and deceased) owner of the Devil Z shares the same name that he has. He wears a black jacket (red in the anime) over a white T-shirt, and blue pants and brown shoes.
He was a fairly good racer during his teens, even though he had a license for a year. He started racing when he was around, and he had a reputation. He had to save some money (although half of it was a loan from his father) to buy his Z31 and had to sell it in order to buy the Devil Z. He had trouble adjusting to it, but when it was heard about the Devil Z, it increased his reputation. He also improved his skills while driving it.
He is a counterpart to Akira Shimizu in Shakotan Boogie who also drives an S30Z, but with a G-Nose body kit.
Reina Akikawa[edit]
| Japanese name | Reina Akikawa (秋川 零奈 Akikawa Reina) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R (BNR32) "Reina R" Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec (BCNR33) "RGO Demo Car" Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec (BNR34) (Movie) |
| Engine | 2.6L 24v R32 RB26DETT 600hp, later detuned to 500hp (Perfect GT-R-Akasaka Straight Arc) and eventually tuned to 600hp again (Monster Machine Arc and onwards) (BNR32) 2.6L 24v R34 V-Spec II RB26DETT 500hp (BNR34) 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT 800hp (BCNR33) |
| Age | 19 |
| Parts | Nismo front bumper, Nissan ducktail spoiler, BBS LM wheels, Custom side mirrors, Mesh Front Grille (manga only), Nismo N1 Rear Spoiler (ZERO on the Roads onwards) |
| Year | 1991 (R32), 1996 (R33), 1999 (R34) |
| Color | Gun Gray Metallic (R32, Return of Devil Z arc), Crystal White (R32, End Of Devil Z Love Story arc), Pink (R33) (Super Clear Red in the Anime), Active Red (R34) |
| License plate | 71-023 classification 34 (BNR32),
48-579 classification 33 (BCNR33), •3-05 classification 313 (BNR34, 2009 film) |
| voice actress | Reiko Suhou, Rio Matsumoto (film) |
A high-end fashion model and TV personality who hosts a motoring show and formerly one of Akio's main rivals, she finds herself depressed with how she has pushed others out of her life in her original pursuit of fame. She harbors her sadness and frustration by day, shoot after shoot, until she can get off of work and drive her GT-R on Wangan highway to vent. Finding herself depressed by quite a lot, she finds herself enamored with the Devil Z after it overtakes her on the highway late at night after a shoot. She follows Akio to a parking area, where she then steals the Z, which by now she feels obsessed to drive. Later on, she encounters the Devil Z and the Blackbird having a race and decides to join in but her car spins out and crashes.
After this incident, she is content to just follow the other racers without trying to pull into the lead. Her GT-R is tuned by Kazuhiko Yamamoto. As a safety precaution, it is fitted with a roll cage and later repainted white to be more visible to other cars. However, she also proved to be a great racer being able to keep up with the Akio and Tatsuya when they're racing. At some point during the Perfect GT-R, Yamamoto detuned Reina's R to 500 HP as a safety precaution. However, during the Monster Machine arc where Reina left her R for a ride with Blackbird during a visit to Kitami's, he asked Reina to left her R in his care for a week and is implied to have reassembled the engine and recovered the missing 100 HP back to it's original 600 HP setup. It is possible that due to how Reina is able to drive RGO's R33 quite well, he is convinced that Reina is able to master another 100 HP in her R. Despite tuning Reina's R without Yamamoto's acknowledgement, he was impressed at this and how Reina is able to master her R's newfound power to the point where he offered to tune her R to 800 HP, but she declined it and is content with the 600 HP setup. This would eventually became one of the factors of Yamamoto's return to the tuning world. Akio is her primary love interest, and he may also harbor feelings towards Reina. In the Akasaka Straight Arc, it was revealed that she used to be neighbors with Akio in her home area and wanted to be friends with him back then, but he moved away due to his parents divorce before she got the chance, which made her upset. She would later temporarily move to the United States after earning an actress role and left her GT-R to Rikako while she is away. She confessed to Akio, in which he accepted it and would wait for her return.
Early in the manga, she wears a white jacket over a black shirt and white pants and black shoes; in later volumes of the manga, she dons a black turtleneck tank top and a red skirt. In the anime, she wears different clothes, consisting of a white T-shirt, blue skirt and brown fashion boots. She also wears a black jacket over a red T-shirt, white pants and white rubber shoes as the series progresses; or a blue jacket over a yellow dress, a blue short skirt, and white shoes. She also wears an orange jacket over a white shirt, a blue skirt and red shoes.
Tatsuya Shima[edit]
| Japanese name | Tatsuya Shima (島 達也 Shima Tatsuya) |
| Car | Porsche 911 Turbo S (930) but later switched to Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 (964) "Blackbird" (ブラックバード Burakkubādo) (Manga/Anime/Movie/Maximum Tune 6) Gemballa 3.8 RS (Japanese versions of Maximum Tune 1 to Maximum Tune 3 DX Plus) RUF CTR (Maximum Tune 4 to Maximum Tune 5DX Plus) RUF RCT (Maximum Tune 5 DX Plus) Nissan Fairlady Z (Z33) "Blackbird" (English versions of Maximum Tune 1 to Maximum Tune 3 DX Plus) Citroen BTRS (Wangan Midnight Manga Volume 1-3, WMMT5 JP To WMMT6, & The Return Of The Devil Z Arc) Citroen CTRS (Wangan Midnight Manga Volume 3-42 & WMMT5 JP/Falcon Pictures & Comic 8 Casino Kings Arc) |
| Engine | 3.3L 12v 6ZYL Single Turbo 470HP later tuned to 500HP (930/CTR) 3.6L 12v M64 KKK Twin Turbo 700HP (964/CTR/RCT) JGTC spec 3.5L 24v VQ35DE 700HP (Z33) |
| Parts | Porsche 930 Turbo S Aero Kit (930/CTR/BTRS, The return of the Devil Z arc), Porsche 993/RUF CTR2 Sport Aero Kit (930/964/CTR/CTRS, pre-Akasaka Straight arc), Gemballa Aero Kit (964/RCT, Akasaka Straight arc onwards), Gemballa rear wing (RCT), Nismo S-Tune GT aero kit (Z33), Nismo S-Tune GT rear spoiler (Z33), BBS LM (gold) wheels, one-off custom side mirrors |
| License Plate (964) | 22-039, classification 33 (anime)
22-46, classification 33 (2009 film) |
| Age | 27 |
| Year | 1988 (930), 1991 (964), 2003 (Z33), 1988 (CTR), 1991 (RCT), 1980 (BTRS) 1983 (CTRS) |
| Color | Super Black (Z33), Basalt Black Metallic (930/964/CTR/RCT/Gemballa) Super Black Metallic (BTRS/CTRS) |
| Voice Actor | Shin-ichiro Miki, Kazuki Kato (film) |
A surgeon by day and a racer by night and the rival of Akio, this man is the driver of the Porsche 911 dubbed as "Blackbird". He was the one racing with the original owner of the Devil Z when it crashed. The boyfriend of Eriko, he assumes the role of taking care of her in place of her dead brother. When he met Kitami, he asked him to tune the Blackbird to match the Devil Z. He also made some appearances in the new story arc, Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner. His voice actor is Shin-ichiro Miki who voiced Takumi Fujiwara in another anime and manga, Initial D.
Shinji Ogishima[edit]
| Japanese name | Shinji Ogishima (荻島 信二 Ogishima Shinji) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 Type R (FD3S) (WMMT3DX+/WMMT6) Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec (BCNR33) "RGO Demo Car", BMW M3 CSL (E46) (WMMT6) Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR34) "Arise No. 7" (アライズ7号 Araizu 7-gō) (Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner) |
| Age | 25 |
| Engine | 1.3L 2-rotor 400hp 13B-REW twin turbo 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT 800hp (BCNR33) 3.2L 24v S54B32 I6 (E46) RGO 2.6L 24v R34 V-Spec II RB26DETT |
| Aero Parts | Gemballa front bumper, carbon fiber hood (C1 Runner), 3D GT wing, Volk TE37 wheels (FD3S) Nismo front bumper, Nissan ducktail spoiler, BBS LM wheels, Custom side mirrors, GT Spoiler (R33) GT Spoiler, Yokohama Advan Racing RS (R34) |
| Year | 1997 (R33), 2001 (FD3S), 2003 (M3 E46), 2001 (R34) |
| Color | Pure White (original story and WMMT series), Innocent Blue Mica (C1 Runner and WMMT6), Pink (R33), Silver gray metallic (M3 E46), Aqua Blue (R34) |
Shinji Ogishima is an editor of an automotive magazine "GT Cars", and also a driving specialist, formerly a member of RGO team. He made a debut appearance in the last volumes of the original Wangan Midnight manga. He became one of the main characters in the Wangan Midnight: C1 Runner story arc, replacing Akio Asakura. He was known as "FD Master" as he made a debut appearance with driving a third generation Mazda RX-7 (FD3S). In the C1 Runner story arc, he is a main character who is joined by his friend, Nobu Setoguchi, who also drives the same car as Ogishima, but with different modifications and appearances. He also made appearances in the new arcade games, Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3DX, 3DX+, and later Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 6R as one of the rivals the player has to beat.
Nobu Setoguchi[edit]
| Japanese Name | Nobu Setoguchi (瀬戸口 ノブ Setoguchi Nobu) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 Type R (FD3S) Porsche 911 3.6 Turbo (964) "Blackbird" (ブラックバード Burakkubādo) |
| Age | Unknown (possibly younger than Ogishima in appearance) |
| Engine | 1.3L 2-rotor 400 hp 13B-REW twin turbo (FD3S) 3.6L 12v M64 Twin Turbo 600 hp (964) |
| Aero Parts | Gemballa front bumper, carbon fiber hood, 3D GT wing, Volk TE37 wheels (FD3S) (FD3S) Porsche 935/76 Front Bumper, Duct Rear Bumper, Gemballa rear wing, Yokohama Advan Racing RCIII wheels (silver), one-off custom side mirrors (964) |
| Year | 2001 (FD3S), 1994 (964) |
| Color | Pure White (FD3S), Silver Metallic (964) |
Shinji Ogishima's best friend, and one of the editors of "GT Cars". Influenced by his grandfather, he has an old-fashioned behavior in society. He works in a factory during his school days and got interested in cars. After getting a driving license, he was advised to drive his white RX-7 around Shuto Expressway. He wears a simple white T-shirt with long trousers.
Recurring racing characters[edit]
Jun Kitami[edit]
| Japanese name | Jun Kitami (北見 淳 Kitami Jun) |
| Car | Nissan Fairlady Z Z-L (S30) |
| Engine | Kitami-tuned 3.1L 12v L28 (3134 cc) intercooled with twin TD06 turbochargers,84mm crankshaft, with triple twin barrel SK Racing 47mm carburetors, HKS Surge Tank Type 1, electronic ignition, Dry Sump system, tuned to 600 HP |
| Age | Unknown (possibly around 50s) |
| Aero Parts | Fairlady 240Z-L Headlight Cover, Nissan Z432R Wing, Nissan S30 ZG Flares, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke wheels (silver), one off custom side mirrors (anime), Vitaloni Sebring Mach 1 (manga), BRE-Type Spook Front Spoiler with Brake Ducts, front bumper delete |
| Year | 1972 |
| Color | Grand Prix Orange |
| Japanese voice actor | Kenta Miyake |
Also known as the "Tuner from Hell" (地獄のチューナー Jigoku no Chūnā), he is the one that originally modified the Devil Z and also Blackbird as well. He laughs in the face of danger and will gladly take anything past the "safe" 600 hp (450 kW) mark. Unfortunately, the cars he tunes are so powerful that they are extremely difficult to control, hence his reputation as the "Tuner from Hell". He has a big scar on his face, presumably from a past racing incident. Even though he drives a powerful car, he is now only a mechanic.
Compared to other tuners, he has a few strict requirements: for one, he prefers carburetor engines over fuel injection engines since he is old fashioned about cars; even when he accepted the offer to tune the Blackbird just to make a car that can challenge Devil Z, he still complained a lot about it. He also refuses to tune cars driven by women as seen when he refused to tune Reina's R due to how the guilt of getting a woman killed would make him unable to forgive himself. Despite this, Kitami decided to take the risk and reassembled Reina's R to tune it back to it's original 600 HP setup after seeing her skillfully driving RGO's 800 HP R33. This would end up becoming one of the factors that encouraged Yamamoto to return back to the tuning world. Incidentally, he owns a bike shop, and was once a pro racer, racing in GT back in his younger days. He prefers to drive older Japanese tuning cars.
Kou Tominaga[edit]
Kou Tominaga (富永 コウ Tominaga Kou)
| Japanese name | Kou Tominaga (富永 コウ Tominaga Kou) |
| Car | Honda S2000 Type S (Manga/WMMT6), Nissan Skyline R33 "YM Speed" |
| Age | Unknown (Possibly late 40's, early 50's) |
| Aero Parts | Custom Front Bumper, 3D GT Wing, Rays VR CE28N Wheel (bronze), OEM Hard Top (S2000) |
| Engine | YM Speed 2.2L 16v F22C1 + HKS Bolt-on Turbo (S2000)
YM Speed 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT (R33) |
| Year | 1985 (FC3S), 1990 (928), 1982 (S130), 1994 (Cosmo), 2000 (Aristo), 1991 (FD3S) |
| Color | LM Limited Blue (R33) Silverstone Metallic (S2000) |
| Japanese voice actor | Susumu Chiba |
A longtime associate of Jun and nearly as fervent in the pursuit of speed. A CPU tuning specialist, he got the nickname "The Jet" from his racing days and his CPU settings were often called "Jetting". He helped tune Keichiirou Aizawa’s Monster Machine Toyota Supra RZ along with Akio Asakura, mainly providing the lightening carbon parts. Before he established his "Tominaga Speed" tuning shop, he was once a tuner working for ZERO with Kijima and Machida. He also helped re-tune the Devil Z, Blackbird, Kijima's ZERO FC3S, and Makoto's Yamashita Z32. He owns a Honda S2000 Type S that he later helped tune with YM Speed and lends it to Yamamoto's half-brother, Yuji Kishida.
Masaki[edit]
| Japanese name | Masaki (マサキ) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 GT Limited, Nissan Fairlady Z 280ZX Turbo (S130), Porsche 928 (Manga); Toyota Aristo V300/Lexus GS300 (Wangan Midnight (video game) Wangan Midnight PS3); Gemballa RSR/Eunos Cosmo Type S (Maximum Tune 1-3) Ruf RK Coupe (Maximum Tune 4 & 5) Porsche 928 GT (Maximum Tune 6) later switched to an Efini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) |
| Age | 31 |
| Aero Parts | One-off custom front bumper, BBS LM wheels (gold), 1998-spec FD spoiler (FD3S), Custom Aero Set (S130) |
| Engine | 1.3 L 13B-T 2-rotor (FC3S), 1.3 L 13B-REW 2-rotor 500hp (FD3S), 2.0 L 20B 3-rotor (Cosmo) |
| Year | 1985 (FC3S), 1990 (928), 1982 (S130), 1994 (Cosmo), 2000 (Aristo), 1991 (FD3S) |
| Color | Covert Gray (Cosmo, RSR), Sunburst Yellow (FD3S), Dark Gray Metallic (Aristo), Light Green (FC3S), Carrera White (RK Coupe), Grand Prix White (928 GT) |
| Japanese voice actor | Tokuyoshi Kawashima (PS3 video game) |
Known widely as the King of Speed before a bad accident 10 years ago while trying to break 300 km/h in an RX-7 FC, he was inspired to go back to street racing when he encountered the Devil Z, going as far as to get a new car, a highly tuned RX-7, from his oldest friend Kazuo Ota, a genius tuner who founded the Speed Factory RGO with Masaki long ago. He has a special fondness for rotary engines and makes up for a lack of raw power with handling ability. Masaki was skipped in the anime due to unknown reasons, but his car was briefly shown in Episode 21 of the anime. His RX-7 is similar to Keisuke Takahashi's from Initial D because they are both tuned and share the same color.
Koichi Hiramoto[edit]
| Japanese name | Koichi Hiramoto (平本 洸一 Hiramoto Koichi) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BNR32) "The Authentic Dragon" |
| Year | 1993 |
| Aero Parts | Nissan lip Spoiler, Enkei NT03+M Wheels (silver), Enkei NT03RR wheels (silver); Nismo LM GT4 Wheels (anime) |
| Engine | Green Auto Shop 2.6L 24v R32 V-Spec RB26DETT 600hp |
| License plate | 10-985, classification 33 |
| Age | 24 |
| Color | Spark Silver Metallic |
| Japanese voice actor | Daisuke Namikawa |
A hardworking man in the Green Auto Shop for 15 years who often races on the Wangan with his friend Harada until one day, the two encountered Reina's gray GT-R (white in the anime) which makes Hiramoto decide to get his own car, despite his promise to his wife Megumi that he had put his racing days behind him. When she learns of his decision, she leaves him to live with her parents because it is better than wondering every night if he'll even come home. After extensive tuning of his GT-R, he challenges both the Devil Z and Blackbird. They run a long race, neck and neck the whole time. Hiramoto encounters one chance to pull ahead at the risk of his own life, but instead pulls back and drops out, realizing that there are more important things to live for. He then sells his car, giving up racing and returning to his wife who by then gave birth to their child.
Harada (Haruda)[edit]
| Japanese name | Harada (原田) |
| Car | Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX 2-Seater (Z31) |
| Year | 1986 |
| License plate | 20-895, classification 33 |
| Age | 19 |
| Aero Parts | Custom Front Bumper, 50th Anniversary Side Skirts and Rear Bumper, RS-Watanabe 8 Spoke White/Black Wheels |
| Engine | Green Auto Shop 3.0L 12v VG30ET, approximately 450 HP, later tuned to 500 HP |
| Color | Silver Two-Tone |
| Japanese voice actor | Tsubasa Yonaga |
Hiramoto's friend and also works in the Green Auto Shop who helped him tune his R32 to race with the Devil Z and the Blackbird on the Wangan. He drives a Nissan Fairlady Z (Z31) in which its engine overheated when he encountered the Blackbird and tried to chase after it. He is then seen riding with Hiramoto during the latter's encounter with Reina and her R32 on the Wangan, and the race with the Devil Z and the Blackbird. However, his name was pronounced (in the anime), as "Haruda", not "Harada".
Takayuki Kuroki[edit]
| Japanese name | Takayuki Kuroki (黒木 隆之 Kuroki Takayuki) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Age | 26 |
| License plate | 26-649, classification 33 |
| Aero Parts | Volk TE37 wheels (manga and games), BBS RS-GT wheels (anime) |
| Engine | FLAT Racing 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT 800 HP |
| Color | White |
| Year | 1997 |
| Japanese voice actor | Akimitsu Takase |
Also known by his nickname Taka, Kuroki is a devoted student of street racing who spends hours just analyzing his vast storehouse of data and coming up with strategies. He staunchly believes in the superiority of the Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 and refuses to drive anything else. His intellect is formidable, and he puts his plans into motion with absolute precision and confidence. He's one of the very few drivers who managed to get a clean one-on-one victory over Tatsuya Shima but, when facing Akio, the engine overheated and blew causing Akio to pull him into a stop. Also, he is fiercely independent, and not associated with such tuners, like some of his rivals. He shows up relatively late in the manga and quickly becomes a ubiquitous figure. Formerly a member of the R200 club before they disbanded. He is also the former boyfriend of Mika Murakami, who he later reconciled his relationship with after losing to the Devil Z. He is the only character to wear glasses in the manga and anime. His voice actor is Akimitsu Takase who voiced "Smiley" Sakai in another anime and manga, Initial D.
Kouichi Kijima[edit]
| Japanese name | Koichi Kijima (城島 洸一 Kijima Kōichi) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC3S)/GT-Limited "Legendary FC" (FC3S), Mazda RX-7 Type R (FD3S) (Maximum Tune 3), Mazda RX-8 (Maximum Tune 2-3) RUF CTR "Yellow Bird" (Maximum Tune 4 & 5), Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 (964) (Maximum Tune 6) Mercedes-Benz SL-class (R129) (anime) |
| Year | 1985 (GT-Limited), 1990 (GT-X), 2003 (RX-8), 2001 (FD3S), 1987 (CTR), 1996 (W140), 1994 (964) |
| Engine | 1.3L 13B 2-rotor with C7 turbo 500 HP (FC3S) |
| Aero Parts | Pro Shop Wave front bumper, BBS LM Wheels, GT Wing (FC3S)/Custom Aero Parts, AVS T6 wheels (FD3S) |
| License plate | 61-725, classification 55, (Plate later changes to 19-208, classification 510) |
| Age | 26 |
| Color | Dover White (GT-Limited), Crystal White (GT-X), Velocity Red Mica (RX-8), Orange (FD3S), Canary Yellow (CTR) (Carrara White in the anime), Polar White (R129), Speed Yellow (964) |
| Japanese voice actor | Jin Horikawa |
A car enthusiast and writer for numerous famous car publications, also a TV personality, as such, he knows many prominent people. He is Reina's co-host for their motoring show Drive Go Go!. He's experienced a tremendous variety of vehicles in his career and knows how to get the most out of each one. Once known as the "Big Mouth Slugger" back in the day, he was both a tuner and a driver who set records at the Tsukuba circuit along with his fellow tuners Kou Tominaga and Machida. Their shop, ZERO, created the legendary FC. Early in the anime, Kijima showed no interest in returning to his old life as a racer. However, when Reina introduces him to Shima and Akio, the latter asked him to test the Devil Z. The car mesmerized Kijima and that brought back his motivation and passion for racing. After a brief reunion with Machida, Kijima is informed of the ZERO FC's whereabouts and brings Akio along to find it in Gotenba. They both meet Hayashi, who restored and owned the FC. Kijima tries to buy the FC back from Hayashi but the latter refused, instead of asking Kijima to drive the car alongside to understand the importance of that FC. Afterward, although Hayashi understood Kijima's bond with the car, he still refused to give the FC to Kijima unless the latter could prove why that FC is supposedly faster than the FD. After a one-on-one battle with Oki, a highly-skilled touge racer who drove an FD, Kijima's FC won the race and Hayashi finally gives it to him. Although already restored to its former glory, Kijima's FC is modified by Tominaga in order to challenge the Devil Z and Blackbird. During the final race, he managed to keep up with the Blackbird and Devil Z but eventually retires. His RX-7 is similar to that of Ryosuke Takahashi's from Initial D because they are both tuned and share the same color, while his voice actor is Jin Horikawa who voiced Nobuhiko Akiyama in said series.
Keiichiro Aizawa (Keiji Aizawa)[edit]
| Japanese name | Keiichiro Aizawa (相沢 圭一郎 Aizawa Keiichiro) |
| Car | Toyota Supra RZ (JZA80) "Monster Supra" |
| Year | 1997 |
| License plate | 61-980, classification 34 |
| Engine | Tominaga-made 3.0L 24v JZA80 2JZ-GTE 500 HP, later upgraded to 800 HP and eventually detuned to 400 HP |
| Aero Parts | Custom Front Bumper (anime), TRD Rear Spoiler, Custom Side Mirrors, Yokohama Advan Racing TCIII (Maximum Tune series), RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke Rims (Drift Spirits event), Volks TE37 Rims (Anime, Manga, PS2 games) |
| Age | 22 |
| Color | Silver Metallic Graphite (before detune), Silver Gray Metallic (after detune) |
| Japanese voice actor | Kenichi Suzumura |
Also known by his nickname "Kei", Keiichiro Aizawa is the character who drives the Supra RZ, dubbed as the "Monster Machine" (モンスターマシン Monsutā Mashin) tuned by Kou Tominaga, Kazuo Ota, Kazuhiko Yamamoto and Akio Asakura. After meeting Devil Z, Kei decided to chase after him. His desire for racing and his car choice was inspired by his father, who drove a MkII Supra and was killed by a drunk driver. He works in a host club to finance his racing activities. Initially, Kei tunes the Supra, but after meeting Gatchan and Yamamoto, he decides to have his Supra tuned by them. His Supra then became a joint project car of his father's tuning colleagues (except for Jun Kitami) in order to beat the Devil Z. While Ota, Yamamoto, and Tominaga tune the engine to 800 hp and with Takagi and Akio taking care of rebuilding the body, their colleagues Yoshioka and Ueda handled the exhaust and the suspension respectively. Gatchan also joins in helping tune the Supra by giving it a new intake, and some new aero parts. Kei gets his back and was given one week to get used to it. During the race, the Supra's body (particularly in the rear section) starts giving in to the stresses of the high power despite Akio and Takagi's best efforts in rebuilding. Even with Kei's skills, the Supra becomes too dangerous to drive and that causes Kei to subsequently give up in the race. After the loss to the Devil Z and Blackbird, Kei decides to give up racing and let go of his Supra. He subsequently quits his job at the host club. The tuners then took the Supra and detuned the engine to 400 hp (300 kW) to make it drivable and then repainted his Supra to the same silver color as his father's. The tuners gave the car back to Kei and encouraged him to continue racing, even if it meant he would never be able to go 300km/h anymore on the Wangan. His Supra is similar to that of Hideo Minagawa's from Initial D. But despite the fact that their cars are both tuned, Minagawa's car is white while Kei's car is silver. In the anime, he is known as Keiji Aizawa.
Gatchan (Gen Sasaki)[edit]
| Japanese name | Gen Sasaki (佐々木 元 Sasaki Gen) |
| Car | Toyota Celsior 4.0 V8 (UCF11) Toyota Crown Athlete (GRS204) (WMMT5 North American Release) |
| Year | 1990 (Celsior) 2012 (Crown) |
| Engine | Speed Shop Mach 4.0L 32v 1UZ-FE + bolt-on turbo, "tuned" to 1,000 hp (750 kW) |
| Parts | VIP aero kit, Enkei RPF1 wheels |
| Color | "Gatchan Purple" |
| Japanese voice actor | Kenji Takahashi |
A much-maligned character in the manga, Gen Sasaki (佐々木 元 Sasaki Gen), fondly known as Gatchan (ガッちゃん Gacchan), is regarded as a joke in the manga, anime, and arcade game. His own vehicle, the Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS400), which he calls the "Super Celsior" has everything from underbody lighting, to fancy emblems, to dark window tinting; but keeps the air conditioner, radio, and the back seat; all of which are normally removed during the lightening process. Although he is a pretty good driver, he gets clobbered every time he goes up against something built to race. He is also quite obnoxious, frequently bragging about the incredible upgrades he's made to psych people out. He embarrassed Reina when he first met her one night while accompanying Yamamoto, mistaking her for a call girl.
Tomoya[edit]
| Japanese name | Tomoya (友也) |
| Car | Honda Integra Type-R (DC2) "R Killer" (Maximum Tune 6); Toyota Corolla (ZZE124) (Maximum Tune) "R Killer", Nissan 180SX Type X (Maximum Tune) "R Killer", but later switches to Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II |
| Year | 1998 (R Killer, Integra), 2001 (R Killer, Corolla), 1994 (R Killer, 180SX), 1994 (BNR32) |
| Engine | ACE 1.8L 16v B18C-R '98 spec 250hp (R Killer, Integra), ACE 2.0L 16v S13 SR20DET (R Killer, 180SX), ACE 2.6L 24v R32 V-Spec II RB26DETT 800hp (R32) |
| Aero Parts | Enkei NT03+M Wheels, GT Wing (R Killer, Integra) Enkei RC-T4 Wheels, GT Wing (R Killer, 180SX) Gram Lights 57F wheels, 2D GT Wing, Nismo carbon fiber hood, Nismo Front Bumper, C-West carbon fiber trunk (R32) |
| Age | 19 |
| Color | Championship White (R Killer, Integra), Pearl White (R Killer, 180SX), Crystal White (R32), Super White II (R Killer, Corolla) |
A young friend of Akio who lives with a woman named Kyoko Kitahara known for the quote "I'm a person who disappears...". He works for a tuning shop known as ACE, and he tries (unsuccessfully) to "fix-up" Kyoko and his fellow mechanic, ACE boss Gen Goto. He drives a Honda Integra Type-R but after blowing the engine on his R Killer Integra, he switches to ACE’s demo car, a modified Nissan Skyline R34 V-Spec II. However, he wrecks the R34 demo car while racing and proceeds to work with ACE on building the tuning shop’s new project car, the "ACE32R", a modified R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R. He is a timid, insecure character and after trying unsuccessfully to overtake the Devil Z and Blackbird for Wangan superiority, he feels "out of place" and moves away from Tokyo.
Makoto Morishita[edit]
| Japanese name | Makoto Morishita (森下 マコト Morishita Makoto) |
| Car | Originally drives a Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version VI (GC8), later switched to a tuned Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX Version S 2-Seater (Z32) |
| Year | 1999 (GC8), 1994 (Z32) |
| Engine | OEM 2.0L 16v EJ20 VI turbo 400hp (Impreza), Yamashita-made 3.0L 24v VG30DE + bolt-on HKS Twin Turbo F1 Turbine 650hp (Z32) |
| Aero Parts | Enkei NT03+m Wheels, GT Wing (GC8) BOMEX front bumper, 2D GT Wing, Volk TE37 Wheels (Z32) |
| Age | Unknown (possibly at mid 20s) |
| Color | Arctic Silver Metallic (Impreza), Lightning Yellow (Z32, Maximum Tune games and manga), Dark Blue Pearl (Z32, only on the PS3 game) |
Another model who was friendly with Reina, she got drawn into street racing after hearing of Reina's exploits. She received a Subaru Impreza WRX from her boyfriend Hiroki as a gift, but after encountering the Devil Z and failing to keep up with it, she tried to get rid of the car and broke up with her boyfriend, then searched for a better car. She then meets Yamashita, a veteran tuner who offered to sell her Impreza and loaned to her a Z32. Though Makoto had her gripes on the Z32, she came to appreciate the car's sense of unity and asked Yamashita to sell it to him. Yamashita, being enamored with Makoto's determination to race, decided to give her the Z32 for free as well as helping to tune it. Makoto is proven to be a quick learner in racing even if she does not have the experience that Reina has. After work on her Z32 is completed by Yamashita and Tominaga, she faces Blackbird and the Devil Z using the newfound knowledge and skill acquired from Akio, Reina, and Yamashita. However, during the race, she becomes too overwhelmed and loses her pace but she continues anyway. After the race, she quits her job and lets go of the Z32. Yamashita tells her that he changed his mind and decided to keep his shop open. He then offers Makoto to work for him which she accepts. Her red hair is similar to Rikako Ota but more auburnish, and she has a boyfriend again named Kei.
Oki[edit]
| Japanese name | Oki (オキ) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD3S) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Engine | 1.3L 2-rotor 13B-REW 500hp |
| Aero Parts | Gemballa front bumper, carbon fiber hood, 2D GT Wing, AVS T6 wheels |
| Age | 20 |
| Color | Light Green (manga, Maximum Tune series), Pure White (PS2, PSP and PS3 video game) |
A touge ace in the manga. Hailing from Hakone, Oki has long been unchallenged on the mountain road...until the Devil Z came along. As such, he's decided to give it a try racing it on Tokyo's highways. He is not seen in the Legendary FC arc of the anime adaptation for unknown reasons.
Eiji Kamiya & Maki Kamiya[edit]
| Japanese name | Eiji Kamiya (神谷 エイジ Kamiya Eiji) |
| Car | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR (CP9A) |
| License Plate | 81-265, classification 33 |
| Voice Actor | Mitsuru Miyamoto |
| Year | 1998 |
| Engine | OEM 2.0L 16v CP9A 4G63 400 HP (while in Osaka), Rikako-made 2.0L 16v redtop CP9A 4G63 V 450 HP stroked to 2.2L (during Eiji's visit to Tokyo) |
| Aero Parts | HKS Kansai front bumper (?), Volk Racing TE37 wheels (Bronze), Custom-made side mirrors, Lancer Evolution V RS taillights (Eiji, Manga, PS2 and Maximum Tune games) |
| Age | 25 |
| Color | Nayez Blue Pearl |
| Japanese name | Maki Kamiya (神谷 マキ Kamiya Maki) |
| Car | Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR (CP9A) |
| License Plate | 20-552, classification 33 |
| Voice Actor | Tatsuhisa Suzuki |
| Year | 2000 |
| Engine | OEM 2.0L 16v CP9A 4G63 400 HP |
| Aero Parts | HKS Kansai front bumper (?), Volk Racing TE37 wheels (White in Maximum Tune 1 - 5DX+, Bronze in WMMT6), Custom-made side mirrors, Lancer Evolution V spoiler (manga and Maximum Tune games), Custom Rear Spoiler (PS3 and PSP only) |
| Age | 19 |
| Color | Scotia White (Anime, Manga and Maximum Tune games), Pure Yellow (PS3 and PSP only) |
Two half-brothers from the Kansai region. Eiji's the serious racer, and he's tremendously gifted, both as a driver and a tuner. Maki has potential but for the moment mainly just tags along. They met Tatsuya Shima and his Blackbird when the latter visited Osaka while looking for a new exhaust pipe. Eiji, inspired by Shima's driving, then decided to visit Tokyo, meeting Rikako Ota in the process.
Note: In the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune series, Maki's Evo VI is an RS, due to white Evos always being the RS versions, while in the original manga and anime it was a GSR.
Rikako Ota[edit]
| Japanese name | Rikako Ota (大田リカコ Ōta Rikako) |
| Car | Nissan Silvia Spec-R (S15), Honda Fit 1.3 W (GD1) (Anime Only) |
| Voice Actress | Rie Tanaka |
| Year | 1999 (S15), 2004 (GD1) |
| Engine | RGO 2.0L 16v S15 SR20DET (S15), Stock 1.3 i-DSI L13A 86 HP (GD1) |
| Aero Parts | Nissan front grille (with fog lamps), 2D GT Wing, Nismo carbon fiber hood, Volk TE37 wheels (S15) |
| Age | 19 |
| Color | Pink (S15), Premium Yellow Pearl (GD1) |
Rikako Ota is the daughter of RGO owner Kazuo Ota, and an aspiring tuner herself. Known to inherit RGO from her father after his retirement, she follows her father's footsteps as a tuner by engaging in tuning herself. When Eiji Kamiya comes over to Tokyo and works for RGO, she tunes his Evo along with him and even comes along during his battle with the Devil Z and Blackbird. Her first solo tuning work was with the Devil Z, after Akio specifically asked for her help in tuning the Z's engine. Her addition of a dry-sump lubrication system on the Z's L28 engine resulted in Akio's victory against Kijima's FC and the Blackbird. Since then, Jun Kitami has entrusted her with tuning the Devil Z, as he told her before the race with the Z's race with Kijima and Blackbird that he would no longer tune the Devil Z.
Yoshiaki Ishida[edit]
| Japanese name | Yoshiaki Ishida (イシダ ヨシアキ Ishida Yoshiaki) |
| Car | Ferrari Testarossa (Manga and Anime); Ferrari F355 (film); Gemballa Avalanche/Subaru Alcyone SVX (Maximum Tune 3 DX and Maximum Tune 3 DX Plus); Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (Maximum Tune 4- 5DX+); Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 (Maximum Tune 6) |
| License Plate | 41-215, classification 33 (Testarossa), 41-79, classification 310 (F355, 2009 film) |
| Voice Actor | Junichi Suwabe (anime), Yoshihiko Hakamada (film) |
| Year | 1986 (Testarossa), 1995 (F355), 2007 (Avalanche), 1991 (SVX), 2009 (ZR1), 2012 (Aventador) |
| Engine | 4.9L 48v Tipo F113B (Testarossa F512M), 3.5L 5v Tipo F129B (F355), 3.0L 12v M30 (Avalanche), Kitami-tuned 24v EG33 (SVX), 6.2L LS9 Supercharged (Corvette ZR1 C6), tuned to 600hp |
| Aero Parts | Koenig Competition body kit, G-games 77 NTL wheels, Fixed Front Headlights (Testarossa) |
| Age | 32 |
| Color | Bianco (White) (Testarossa F512M), Carrera White (Avalanche), Galaxy White Pearl (Corvette ZR1 C6), Fly Yellow (F355), White Mica (SVX), Bianco Isis (LP700-4) |
A photographer of Japanese idols. He meets and gets to know Reina, whom he happens to share the same passion for racing and aspiration to defeat the Devil Z. He has had his car tuned by Kitami to around 600hp.
While racing against the Devil Z, Ishida had thoughts of his late man who died of cancer, a poor uneducated man "covered in factory grease" who works all day long for his son's sake; a complete contrast to Ishida's own rich life that is, according to him, "eating good food, drinking fine wine, surrounded by lovely women, partying all night in the sparkling lights of the sparkling big city". He thinks that the life he is currently living is "just a sham", due to his dissatisfaction (despite his prestige), and he tried to seek the answers within the Devil Z on the Wangan, only to fall back midway through the race for unknown reasons.
Kouta Takahashi[edit]
| Japanese name | Kouta Takahashi (高橋 功太 Takahashi Kōta) (Ko-chan (コウちゃん)) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 GT-Limited (FC3S) (manga) Mazda éfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S) (movie), Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC3S) (Maximum Tune games and anime) Mazda RX-8 Type S (Maximum Tune 4 & 5 Story 1 only), Toyota 86 (Maximum Tune 6 Story 1 only) |
| Voice Actor | Anri Katsu (anime), Masaki Sata (film) |
| License plate | 59-27, classification 322 (FD3S) |
| Year | 1985 (GT-Limited), 1993 (FD3S), 1989 (GT-X), 2003 (SE3P), 2012 (ZN6) |
| Engine | 1.3L 13B-T 2-rotor (FC3S, GT-Limited) 1.3L 13B-T 2-rotor (GT-X), 1.3L 13B-REW 2-rotor (FD3S), 1.3L 13B-MSP Renesis 2-rotor (RX-8), 2.0 L 4U-GSE / FA20 H4 boxer engine (GT86) |
| Aero Parts | RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke wheels, Fujita Engineering front lip, RX-7 GT-Limited taillights (manga, PS3 games, and Maximum Tune games) (FC3S) |
| Age | Unknown |
| Color | Dover White, Pure Red (PS3 only) (GT-Limited), Pure White (FD3S), Tornado Silver Metallic (GT-X), Velocity Red Mica (RX-8), Lightning Red (GT86) |
Akio's friend who helps him tune the Devil Z before he met Kitami. He owns a local tuner shop with the help of his brother Ma. He is also the one watching over Akio when he tunes the Z prior to meeting Kitami. His voice actor is Anri Katsu who went on to voice the fake Takumi Fujiwara in another anime and manga, Initial D.
Yuji Kishida[edit]
| Japanese name | Yuji Kishida (岸田 ユウジ Kishida Yūji) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) Mazda RX-7 Type RS-R (FD3S from RGO) Honda S2000 (AP2) "ZERO for the Roads" (manga), Honda S2000 Type S (AP2) "ZERO for the Roads" (Maximum Tune 6) Mazda Roadster RS (Japanese version)/Mazda MX-5 (International Version) (NCEC) "ZERO for the Roads" (Maximum Tune 3DX & 3DX+) |
| Year | 1996 (R33) 1997 (FD3S) 2006 (AP2), 2007 (AP2 Type S) 2006 (MX-5) |
| Engine | YM Speed 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT (R33)
RGO 1.3L 13B-REW (FD3S) |
| Aero Parts | SSR Type C Wheel, Nismo Aero kit (R33) Custom Front Bumper, Volk TE37 Wheels (silver), Custom Rear Spoiler, RE Amemiya Fixed Headlight (FD3S) Custom Front Bumper, 3D GT Wing, Volk ZE40 Wheel (bronze), OEM Hard Top (S2000) |
| Age | 19 (possibly same as Akio) |
| Color | White (original and Maximum Time 3 series) (R33), LM Limited Blue (WMMT6) Pink (FD3S) Silverstone Metallic (S2000) Sunlight Silver Metallic (MX-5) |
The half-brother of Kazuhiko Yamamoto who also works at YM Speed, as well as a photographer on his own right. Yuji is a shy and introverted person. He is often naïve and finds himself feeling unsure about his future as copes with accepting his father's death. He sees the Blackbird as a "fighter jet for the roads" while driving YM Speed's R33 Skyline GT-R demo car, and so he decides to find the best "ZERO for the Roads" in order to outrun the Blackbird. He later encounters the Devil Z while driving. He found RGO's RX-7 with a rotary engine, but found out that he was not satisfied. Yuji later on also tests the NSX and the Blackbird in order for him to understand the different vehicle dynamics of an MR and RR respectively. Not too long after, he discovers Tominaga's S2000 and asks to test drive it. Yuji was satisfied with the S2000, thus using it as the basis for the "Zero for the Roads." He and Yamamoto then proceed to tune the S2000 (MX-5 in 3DX+) as well as modifying its appearance. After the S2000 was completed, Yuji then battles the Blackbird and the Devil Z on the New BeltLine and ends up being outrun by both.
Hayashi[edit]
| Japanese name | Hayashi (林) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 GT-X (FC3S)/GT-Limited "Legendary FC" (FC3S) |
| Year | 1985 (GT-Limited), 1990 (GT-X) |
| Engine | 1.3L 13B 2-rotor with C7 turbo 500 HP (FC3S) |
| Aero Parts | Pro Shop Wave front bumper, BBS LM Wheels (FC3S) |
| License plate | 61-725, classification 55 |
| Age | 51 |
| Color | Dover White (GT-Limited), Crystal White (GT-X) |
| Japanese voice actor | Kōji Ishii |
Koichi Kijima's tuner who was asked for the "Legendary FC" by Kijima. He can be briefly seen test-driving his shop's FC RX-7 at Gotemba, before finally giving it to Kijima at the latter's request.
Akio Asakura (original)[edit]
| Japanese name | Akio Asakura (朝倉 晶夫 Asakura Akio) |
| Car | Mitsubishi Lancer/Nissan Fairlady Z-L (S30) "The Devil Z" (悪魔のZ Romaji: Akuma no Zetto) |
| License plate | て 53-681, classification 33
53-68, classification 33 (2009 film) |
| voice actor | Tomokazu Seki, Shinichiro Ishikawa (film) |
| Age | 21 |
| Engine | Kitami-tuned 3.1L 12v L28 (3134 cc) intercooled with twin TD06 turbochargers,84mm crankshaft, with triple twin barrel SK Racing 47mm carburetors, HKS Surge Tank Type 1, electronic ignition, Dry Sump system, tuned to 600 HP |
| Aero Parts | Nissan Z432R Wing, Nissan S30 ZG Flares, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke wheels (black with brushed step lip), Vitaloni Sebring Mach 1, Fog lamps (possibly Cibié), Full underpanel, BRE ducted air dam (mounted in the brake ducts are the fog lamps). |
| Year | 1972 (Devil Z) |
| Color | Midnight Blue/Super Blue Extra White Ultra Red Black Yellow & Blue |
Eriko Asakura's actual (deceased) elder brother, who died in an accident while racing against the Blackbird on Wangan while driving the Devil Z. The current Akio Asakura finds it interesting that he shares his name with the deceased Akio, albeit with different writings on their given names (whereas the late Akio's given name is written in kanji (晶夫), the current Akio's given name is rendered in katakana (アキオ)). His voice actor was Tomokazu Seki who voiced Keisuke Takahashi in another anime and manga, Initial D.
Tuning shops[edit]
- RGO Speed Factory
| Japanese name | Kazuo Ota (大田 和夫 Otha Kazuo) |
| Car | Mazda RX-7 Type RS-R (FD3S) Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Year | 1996 (FD3S) 1997 (R33) |
| License Plate | 48-579, Classification 33 (BCNR33) |
| Engine | RGO 1.3L 2-rotor 13B-REW twin turbo (FD3S) RGO 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT 800 hp (BCNR33) |
| Aero Parts | Custom Front Bumper, Volk TE37 Wheels (silver) (manga, PS2 games, and Maximum Tune games) (bronze), BBS LM wheels (PS3 and PSP games), RE Amemiya Fixed Headlight (Maximum Tune games), Custom Rear Spoiler (manga and PS2 games), Mazdaspeed A-Spec Rear Spoiler (PS3 and PSP games) (FD3S), Efini RX-7 Spoiler (Maximum Tune games) BBS LM wheels, Custom side mirrors (R33) |
| Age | Unknown (possibly at 40s) |
| Color | Pink (manga and Maximum Tune games), Competition Yellow Mica (PS3 and PSP games), Vintage Red (PS2 games) (FD3S) Pink (Maximum Tune games), Super Clear Red II (anime, manga, and PS2 games) (R33) |
| Japanese name | Yamanaka (山中) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Engine | RGO 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT 800 hp (BCNR33) |
| Aero Parts | BBS LM wheels, Custom side mirrors |
| Age | Unknown (possibly at mid-20s) |
| Color | Pink (Maximum Tune games), Super Clear Red II (anime, manga and PS2 games) |
A shop owned by Kazuo Ota. RGO stands for "Racing Goes Ota" infamous in the manga for tuning Masaki's monstrous Mazda RX-7 and a light blue R33 Skyline driven by Ota and Yamanaka themselves. Ota is familiar with Jun Kitami and scoffs at anyone trying to chase down the Devil Z. His teenage daughter, Rikako, a university student, studies under his wing. She's inexperienced but learning, and she's even developing a taste for actual battling, driving a Nissan Silvia. She actually started tinkering with engines since she was in middle school by dismantling scrapped engines (and being scolded by her father for it), and eventually, she was the one who assembled the engine of the tuning shop's demo car, a pink R33 Skyline. She was also the one responsible for enhancing Eiji Kamiya's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V along with her father (Eiji then tried to get her to go with him back to Osaka, but she staunchly refused). She even got to tinker with the engine of the Devil Z, going as far as to take it completely apart in the process of tuning it. It is revealed that in ten years, she is slated to inherit RGO from her father. Yamanaka, who challenged the Blackbird, also works here and drives the R33 Skyline. For unknown reasons, the shop was renamed Rikako Speed Factory when Rikako possesses ownership of the shop. Kazuo Ota's wife is Yoko who serves as the queen that controls RGO, hence Rikako's mother.
Japanese voice actors: Kiyoshi Katsunuma (Kazuo), Kōzō Mito (Yamanaka), Ayumi Tsunematsu (Yoko)
- R200 club
| Japanese name | Yasuro "CCR" Motoki (元木 CCR 康郎 Motoki "CCR" Yasuro) |
| Car | originally used Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33), but later switched to Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BNR34) |
| Age | Unknown |
| License plate | 29-492, classification 33 (BCNR33) |
| Aero Parts | Enkei NT03+m Wheels (BCNR33), Gram Lights 57F wheels (BNR34) |
| Engine | R200 Club 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT (BCNR33), R200 Club 2.6L 24v R34 V Spec RB26DETT 400hp (BNR34) |
| Color | Super Clear Red II (BCNR33), Lightning Yellow (BNR34) |
| Year | 1997 (BCNR33), 1999 (BNR34) |
| Japanese voice actor | Go Shinomiya |
| Japanese name | Ryoichi "JAPAN" Tezuka (帝塚 JAPAN 良一 Tezuka "JAPAN" Ryoichi) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Age | Unknown |
| Aero Parts | Volk TE37 Wheels (BCNR33) |
| Engine | R200 Club 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT |
| Color | Midnight Purple Metallic |
| Year | 1997 |
| Japanese voice actor | Daisuke Matsuo (anime), Kiyoshi Katsunuma (PS3 video game) |
| Japanese name | Jun "JPP" Sonoda (園田 JPP 順 Sonoda "JPP" Jun) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Age | Unknown |
| License Plate | 65-184, classification 33 |
| Aero Parts | BBS RS-GT Wheels (BCNR33) |
| Engine | R200 Club 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT |
| Color | Crystal White (Maximum Tune and PS2 games), Sonic Silver Metallic (PS3 and PSP games) |
| Year | 1997 |
| Japanese voice actor | Shinya Fukumatsu (anime), Tomoyuki Shimura (PS3 video game) |
| Japanese name | Yasuhiko Miki (三木 安彦 Miki Yasuhiko) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Age | 40+ |
| Aero Parts | Advan Racing SA3R Wheels (silver) (BCNR33) |
| Engine | R200 Club 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT |
| Color | Sonic Silver Metallic |
| Year | 1997 |
| Japanese voice actor | Yūto Kazama |
Consists of Jun "JPP" Sonoda, Ryoichi "JAPAN" Tezuka, and Yasuro "CCR" Motoki; a ragtag alliance of speed shop owners who banded together due to their inability to beat anyone alone. Named themselves R200 from the fact that they claimed to be among the first drivers to break the "200 mph (320 km/h)" speed limit, all while driving an R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec. Motoki acts as the leader, Tezuka acts as his crony, and Sonoda, the wisest and best driver, is the "go-to guy". They quickly got wiped out by Reina's white R32 GT-R, Shima's Blackbird, and the Devil Z. Since then, they gave up street racing and relegated themselves to mere mechanics, signifying the end of the R200 Club. They are somehow minor villains or antagonists in the manga and anime.
The group also had minor members and friends, though only Yasuhiko Miki and Takayuki Kuroki (see above) were named. Miki rode as a passenger with Motoki during the chase against the Blackbird. After the R200 club disbanded, tension arose between Miki and the other members (but he remained friendly with Kuroki), and he subsequently disappeared. In Wangan Midnight video games Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune's Outrun mode (scrapped from Maximum Tune 4 and beyond), and later in the new Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3DX Story Mode, he also drives a Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 like the other R200 Club members.
In Maximum Tune's story mode, there is a chapter where the player races against the R200 Club but Reina's GT-R, Shima's Blackbird, and Akio's Devil Z are removed. This could be a reason that their main target was the player in the story mode, although it could be explained by the fact the games can only handle four players at a time.
- ACE
| Japanese name | Gen Goto (後藤 元 Goto Gen) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) |
| Year | 2001 |
| Engine | ACE 2.6L 24v R34 V-Spec II RB26DETT N1 800 HP (BNR33)
ACE 2.6L 24v R34 V-Spec II RB26DETT N1 600 HP (BNR34) |
| Aero Parts | Gram Lights 57F wheels, 2D GT Wing, Nismo carbon fiber hood |
| Age | Unknown |
| Color | Lightning Yellow (Maximum Tune 1), White (Maximum Tune 2 to 6 series), Gold (PS3 and PSP games) |
A shop owned by Gen Goto. Tomoya as well as fellow mechanic, Shinagawa, works here, and they tune the Nissan Skyline GT-R exclusively, later driven by Tomoya. Goto himself drives a tuned Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 V-Spec II N1, which also serves as the tuning shop's demo car. In Maximum Tune's story mode, it is shown that ACE also has a Skyline GT-R R33 V-Spec demo car, which was briefly borrowed by Akio Asakura and Kouichi Kijima when the latter saw a return of his motivation to race again.
- Tominaga Speed
Owned by Kou Tominaga. Specialty in ECU Setting and tuned Akio's Z, Shima's Blackbird, and Kei's Supra. More of a companion to Kitami's shop than a rival due to the owners' acquaintances with one another.
- Yamamoto Speed
| Japanese name | Kazuhiko Yamamoto (黒山本 和彦 Yamamoto Kazuhiko) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec (BCNR33) Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR34) Subaru Impreza WRX STi Spec C (GDB-C) (Maximum Tune 1 only) Subaru Subaru Impreza WRX STI hatchback (Maximum Tune 3DX-5DX+) Mazda Roadster 1.5 S Special Package (ND5C) (WMMT6) Honda NSX (NA1) |
| Age | Unknown (possibly in his 40s) |
| License Plate | 87-624, classification 34 (BNR34) |
| Aero Parts | SSC Type C Wheel (bronze) (R33) Nismo Aero Kit and SSC Type C Wheel (silver) (R34) Volk ZE40 Wheel, GT Wing (GDB-C) |
| Engine | YM Speed 2.6L 24v R33 V-Spec RB26DETT (R33) YM Speed 2.6L 24v R34 V-Spec II RB26DETT 400hp (R34) YM Speed 2.0L 16v EJ20 (GDB-C) YM Speed 2.0L 16v EJ20 (GRB) YM Speed 1.5L 16v P5-VPS (MX-5) YM Speed 3.0L 24v C30A (NA1) |
| Color | Crystal White (manga and Maximum Tune games), Gold (PS3 and PSP only), LM Limited Blue (WMMT6) (R33) Bay Side Blue Metallic (R34) WR Blue Mica (GDB-C) WR Blue Mica (GRB) Blue (MX-5) Neutron White Pearl (NA1) |
| Year | 1995 (BCNR33) 2001 (BNR34) 2003 (GDB-C) 2007 (GRB) 2015 (MX-5) 1990 (NA1) |
| Japanese voice actor | Tomoyuki Shimura |
Owned by Kazuhiko Yamamoto; the shop that specializes in Nissan Skylines. Reina's White GT-R (BNR 32) and later, Yuji's S2000 AP2 were tuned there. Kazuhiko Yamamoto drives a Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR 34). Beginning with Maximum Tune 3DX, he drives a 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI hatchback and in Maximum Tune 6, he drives a 2015 Mazda Roadster 1.5 S Special Package (ND5C). The shop was originally named Yamamoto Motor Co. Ltd. when Reina first came to have her GT-R tuned. After working alongside colleague and RGO boss Kazuo Ota on Kei's JZA80 Supra to challenge the Devil Z, and Kitami returning Reina's R back to it's original 600 HP as an encouragemnet to be himself, Yamamoto decided to return to the tuning world and his shop's name reverted to its original name of Yamamoto Speed (Later shortened to YM Speed). When he was asked the reason for his return by Kuroki, he revealed that it's because of Akio and Reina. His voice actor was Tomoyuki Shimura who voiced Bōsōzoku Gang Leader in another anime and manga, Initial D.
- Kitami Cycle
A regular bicycle/motorcycle shop owned by Jun Kitami with a large warehouse to tune cars. It is the very shop in which he built Akio's Z, Shima's Blackbird, and Ishida's Testarossa. It was once a famous tuning shop that rivaled RGO and Yamamoto Speed (later named YM Speed) until the series of accidents that labeled Kitami as the Tuner from Hell that lead to it slowly losing customers, and consequently close down.
- Works-R
Eiji Kamiya's own tuning shop in Osaka. This is also the shop that tuned the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution of Eiji and Maki. The shop is speculated to have closed temporarily when Eiji came over to Tokyo. The shop is also affiliated with Shige, the famous exhaust maker that made the exhaust pipes of the Kamiya brothers' Lancer Evolutions and Shima's Blackbird.
- ZERO
The shop that tuned the Legendary FC that Kijima used to create a course record in Tsukuba. ZERO is famous for tuning boosted up cars and was featured in numerous car magazines for the boosted cars' course record. Some known workers of this shop are Kouichi Kijima, who races the tuned cars; Machida, who tunes the demo cars; and Kou Tominaga, who sets up the boost and ECU settings along with Machida.
- SpeedShop MACH
A rag-tag tuning shop specializing in cars that combine luxury with performance (e.g. the Toyota Celsior/Lexus LS400). It is not a serious shop by any means, as it is "owned" by Gen Sasaki.
- Body Shop Sunday
The shop specializing in bodywork, it was there that the bodies of the Devil Z and Blackbird were worked on. It is owned by Yuichi Takagi, an expert in welding, who actually was among those who helped first build the Devil Z years ago. He worked on the Devil Z again after it was destroyed in a collision, and repaired the body of the Blackbird when it was later involved in an accident. He also worked on the body of the Supra RZ/Monster Machine of Keiichiro Aizawa, as he was a close friend of Kei's late father.
Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Takagi, anime), Bon Ishihara (Takagi, PS3 video game)
- FLAT Racing
The independent shop owned by Takayuki Kuroki. Originally it had a large staff, but Kuroki eventually dismissed all of them and became the sole worker. The shop exclusively tunes the Nissan Skyline GT-R. Kuroki suspended the shop when he decided to challenge the Devil Z, putting all his effort into tuning his personal R33.
- Night on Racing
A tuning shop owned by Miki Yasuhiko. Similar to Kuroki's FLAT Racing, the shop is seen to specialize in tuning the Nissan Skyline GT-R. However, the shop went bankrupt and subsequently closed.
- Green Auto Shop
A tuning shop and garage where Harada and Hiramoto work at. Green Auto Shop is also briefly affiliated with Jun Kitami when the latter needed to find customers.
- Kimura Car Service
A garage and tuning shop that seems to specialize in European cars and at one point, was the tuner for Tatsuya Shima's Blackbird. Shima became unhappy with the shop's inability to tune his car to his liking. Kimura then became reluctant to tune the Blackbird further, thus causing Shima to leave in disappointment and eventually find Jun Kitami to tune the Blackbird.
- Yamashita Factory
A tuning shop owned by Yamashita that specializes in the Nissan Fairlady Z (Z32). It was in this shop where Makoto not only sold her Impreza but also where her Z32 was tuned in.
Non-racing characters[edit]
Masaki Takahashi[edit]
Ma (マー)
Akio Asakura 's best friend and the brother of Ko-chan, he enjoys riding with him and picking up girls. However, when Akio gets the Devil Z, Ma, like other people, grows concerned about him, as Akio puts his life and chances of graduating with Ma in danger to drive the Z. His full name is Masaki Takahashi (高橋 正輝 Takahashi Masaki) and he rides a scooter bike, Suzuki Address.
Voiced by: Kiyotaka Furushima, Kousuke Yonehara (film)
Rumi Shimada[edit]
Rumi Shimada (嶋田 るみ Shimada Rumi)
Akio's homeroom teacher. Knowing Akio's poor attendance record (caused by his obsession with the Devil Z), which forced him to repeat his last year of high school, Rumi is sent to learn why Akio has yet to attend her class. It is slightly hinted that she has a slight love interest in Akio because of Akio's driving skills and Akio decided to date with her (PS3 game story).
However, she has never made an appearance in Maximum Tune 4 and beyond, due to the Story Mode in Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune being reworked.
Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi, Maimi Okuwa (film)
Megumi Hiramoto[edit]
Megumi Hiramoto (平本めぐみ Hiramoto Megumi)
The wife of Koichi Hiramoto who engaged in Enjo kōsai while her husband worked at a tuning shop so they could save enough money to buy a house in the countryside. They lived in a small house while that happened. She was distraught when Koichi took their savings to buy a Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 (The same color as Reina Akikawa's R32.) to go street racing, and in response moved away, but later reunited with him after she gave birth to their child.
Voiced by: Tomoko Kawakami
Machida[edit]
Machida (町田)
A friend and former racing partner of Kijima during his time in ZERO. He was the one who built the first non-boosted car of the shop, the Legendary FC. After ZERO closed down and he and Kijima went their separate ways, he worked as a renovation expert for mansions and townhouses. When Kijima decided to once again drive the FC, he refused to tune it but he told Kijima of its whereabouts, saying he had given up the racing life.
His voice actor is Keiji Fujiwara, who has previously voiced Shingo Shoji in another anime and manga, Initial D.
Ma-Mi[edit]
Mami (マーミ)
Masaki's wife. Named "Marmi" in the English version of the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune games up to Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 3DX+.
Voiced by: Eriko Kigawa (PS3 video game only)
Kyoko Kitahara[edit]
Kyoko Kitahara (北原 恭子 Kitahara Kyoko)
She is the girlfriend of Tomoya. She sometimes accompanies him when he races in his Integra. After Tomoya loses and realizes that he "feels out of place," they leave Tokyo together.
Mika Murakami[edit]
Mika Murakami (村上ミカ Murakami Mika)
A college friend and the former girlfriend of Takayuki Kuroki, and also an associate of Reina Akikawa as a result of being a freelance photographer and journalist (though often contracted by car magazines to work on various articles). When Kuroki delved into street racing years prior to the current storyline, Mika's relationship with him became strained due to the time he spent on tuning his car, and they broke up and went their separate ways. Mika decided to see Kuroki again while he was planning on challenging the Devil Z. Mika then realizes that his persistence in wanting to be the best was his greatest trait and came to appreciate that part of him. After Kuroki's failed race against the Devil Z where he blew his car's engine and later worked on fixing it with his own hands, Mika confesses her love to Kuroki and decides to be there for him. Even though Kuroki tried to brush her off once more, he eventually appreciates Mika's persistence in staying with him and they rekindled their relationship. She was once engaged to an editor of a magazine. Mika Murakami is not seen in the Maximum Tune games for unknown reasons.
Voiced by: Mami Higashiyama
Yumeko Sasaki[edit]
| Japanese name | Yumeko Sasaki (佐々木夢子 Sasaki Yumeko) |
| Car | Toyota Aristo V300/Lexus GS300 Vertex Edition (JZS161) Toyota Chaser Tourer V (JZX100) (WMMT5 North American Release) |
| Age | Unknown (possibly at her 40s) |
| Aero Parts | 2D GT Wing |
| Engine | Gatchan-made 3.0L 24v JZS161 2JZ-GTE, possibly tuned to 1000hp |
| Year | 1997 (JZS161), 1996 (JZX100) |
| Color | Pink |
Gatchan's wife and an acquaintance of Reina Akikawa, though only seen once in the anime conversing with Reina at the Host Club where Keiichiro Aizawa works, where she is apparently a frequent patron. She also appears in Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune in specific circumstances during 10-Outrun mode as a "critic" to the player's performance. Beginning with Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 4, she becomes a racing character where she drives a Toyota Aristo V300/Lexus GS300, appearing in one stage with her husband Gatchan in his Celsior.
Tatsuya[edit]
Tatsuya (龍也)
An old friend of Keiichiro Aizawa who also works at the host club alongside him. His name is not to be confused with the driver of the Blackbird, Tatsuya Shima, as the kanji in their names are different.
Voiced by: Daisuke Ono (PS3 video game only)
Yasu-san[edit]
Yasu-san (安さん)
Car: Nissan Diesel Quon
Isuzu Giga (2009 live-action movie)
The driver of the express carrier truck that Akio crashed the Devil Z in to. He made an unknown cameo in the anime, manga and live-action film, however, he is prominently featured in the PS3 game as a playable character. His name is not to be confused with former R200 Club member Yasuhiko Miki, despite both characters being referred to as "Yasu-san". In the live-action film, Yasu-san is depicted as a trucker in his late 40s to mid-50s. The vehicle that he used in the live-action film was an Isuzu Giga.
Voiced by: Unknown
Portrayed by: Masanori Machida (2009 Live-Action Film)
The Feeling Team / racing wannabes[edit]
| Japanese name | The Feeling Team (雰囲気組 Fun'iki-gumi) |
| Car | Nissan Skyline GT-R (BNR32) (anime and Maximum Tune 1-3), Mazda Eunos Roadster (NA6C) (anime only), Mazda Roadster RS (NCEC) (Maximum Tune 3DX and 3DX+ only), Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86) (The Feeling Team B), Mazda RX-7 Type R Bathurst R (FD3S) (The Feeling Team A) (Maximum Tune 4-5DX) |
| Age | Unknown |
| Aero Parts | Custom Aero Parts, AVS T6 wheels (FD3S) RS Watanabe Eight Spoke F8-Type Wheels (Black), TRD Carbon Fiber Hood, OEM Duck Tail (AE86) |
| Engine | 2.6 L 24v R32 RB26DETT (R32), 1.6 L 16v B6-ZE (NA6CE), 2.0 16v MZR-14 (NCEC), 1.6L 16v Bluetop 4A-GEU (AE86), 1.3 L 13B-REW 2-rotor (FD3S) |
| Year | 1991 (BNR32), 1989 (NA6CE), 2006 (NCEC), 1983 (AE86), 2001 (FD3S) |
| Color | Red Pearl (BNR32), Classic Red (NA6C), Dark Blue Pearl (NCEC, Feeling Team 1) Sunlight Silver Metallic (NCEC, Feeling Team 2), High-Tech Two Tone (AE86), Sunburst Yellow (FD3S) |
| Japanese voice actor | Kenji Takahashi (Feeling Team 1) |
An unknown group of drivers appearing in the anime and Maximum Tune series. In the anime, they first appeared in a red Mazda MX-5 in the same color of Tohru's MX-5 from Initial D, and later, they suffered from crashing their R32 while racing Akio and Ishida. From Maximum Tune 4 until 5DX+, they cosplayed as Initial D characters, right down to sharing the same cars as the members. The Feeling Team was removed from the storyline in Maximum Tune 6.
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