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MF Ghost Eurobeat Appreciation Post
It's a whole new year! Cheers to all. Like many, I would have to say 2025 was gnarly, and mostly not in a good way.
I passed my exam though, and I'm currently scrambling to catch up on all the actually fun things I wanted to think/write about. It's a big disorganized mess right now, but I'm working on it.
There's at least half a dozen fandom-related write-ups I want to do, but I want to start with MFG because the new season snuck up on me soooo fast. It's already here!
No one asked for this, but these are basically an offshoot of my series rewatch notes with added video links bc I got tired of rewinding to all the different timestamps, lol.
With the MF Ghost anime, the music is one thing I can't praise highly enough. Masafumi Mima's sound direction is legendary, and in both this series and Initial D, it elevated Shigeno's manga from a fun but messily-paced racing story to an absolute hype machine. IMO, it's the glue that brings the whole thing together. You know they were serious when they got Motsu from m.o.v.e. to do the intros. The original score is no slouch, either. I especially like the use of rock guitar in the scene transitions and MB's piano theme.
Between the lovingly detailed racing angles and the music, I find the road scenes in this show to be so mesmerizing. I just can't get enough of those sick synthesizer beats and pseudosensical lyrics!
Soo without further ado...
#5: Kanata's Odawara Quals (S1 Ep2)
Break Out Fire by Mega NRG Man
Do you remember? Break out fire!!!
The 86's break out moment! The upbeat, galloping rhythm sets the mood for the beginning of the series so well, and it's a blast to watch the :O faces drop along with the Initial D flashbacks. I must say I've really developed an appreciation for Yoji Tanaka's in-universe commentary for every race. The series wouldn't be the same without it.
#4: Odawara Pike's Peak - Beckenbauer vs Ishigami (S1 Ep6)
King of the Century by Leslie Parrish
Now, you can beat the future
You can see what this is all about
And you'll never feel the same again
Beckenbauer's trash talk really sets up the scene, and the beat drop right at the overtake moment is ahhh so satisfying.
#3: Kanata Flying Blind at Ashinoko (S2 Ep6)
Speed of Light by The Snake & Adrenaline by Manuel
I got a burnin' fire
Never cared if you're sorry for me
DYINGGGG at "Heavy fog? Hallelujah!"
This is where things get really crazy, with the 86 terrorizing Maezono's token Honda and Junichi Suwabe's Ferrari in zero visibility fog. The call from Ogata is a great transition between the two songs, imo
Step on the gas
If you wanna see the race, I'm ready...
Kanata's warpath pulling off a succession of blind attacks makes it a moment where I have to go "ah yes, this is Initial D."
#2: Kanata's Ashinoko Quals (S1 Ep12) vs Michael's Manazuru Quals (S2 Ep11)
Kind of cheating here, but I see these two scenes as complementary so I'm combining them.
Spitfire by Go2 & Firebird by Dream Fighters
I know my heart is a puzzle (Take my fire!)
Your fears are not my concern (I'll make you feel alright)
You may believe I can dazzle
Well, I can burn
In the deep of this magic night
I drive alone on this lonely way
Light and rain, it clouds my view
And makes me feel so strange
Each of these scenes are cap-offs for their respective anime seasons, and taken together, they're really a study of contrasts: you can see the difference in their driving styles (explosive vs controlled), their shifters (H vs paddle), etc and the music reflects that.
#1: Beckenbauer vs Sawatari Duel at Ashinoko (S2 Ep4)
Go Wild by Dusty & In the Fire of Victory by Ace
It wouldn't be right not to give the top spot to Beckenbauer vs Sawatari in the rain! The scene and this soundtrack were made for each other. The tension is SO palpable, and I could feel how the synth almost seems to emulate the sound of the torrential downpour. I'm pretty sure I held my breath the first time I watched it.
And eloquence is not something that Eurobeat lyrics are usually known for, but!:
When a story dies, ashes get in your eyes
In the black of night you know you always rely on
Deep inside, and then you feel you're still alright
(It's notable that they're racing on a road covered in volcanic ash).
And the follow up!!:
The uwu :3 face MB makes while taking back the lead made me laugh SO hard.
Honorable Mentions:
Anyway Anymore by Cherry
https://youtu.be/W-wigrhYjgw?si=fNhcvc3nlCaN7RMF
Alas, for the the tragically underdeveloped Akaba Yanagida rivalry and RIP to any hope for significant focus on the other racers
Hi Love by Jay lehr
https://youtu.be/XG7rfPjhEiI?si=vPoNXzJF2qWnqsOYĹ
Very sweeping, perfect for the setting.
And this Throwback!!!:
Speed Lover by Speedman
https://youtu.be/44QPHlXClUQ?si=zAF7F_9HAv9-DIVP
Can't believe they brought this song back from the year 2000!
Fun fact: there are TWO songs titled "Spirit of the Night" on this soundtrack, one by Deemo and one by David Dima.
1) Deemo's version comes with Kanata pulling a Fujiwara zone:
https://youtu.be/2woXKApR1os?si=BWYgcACrJTz1odwW
2) David Dima's is the bgm for MB's Ashinoko qualifier:
https://youtu.be/4THv_Xgw8v4?si=hhXQ85ehtiAuWNRF
It's a notable addition to the Michael Beckenbauer character song collection.
As for S3, I already love how dramatic and reverb-heavy the new OP Timeless Power sounds. Love the kick.
Other things I'm looking forward to this season:
-The beauty of Manazuru/the Seaside Double Lane
-Emma Greene bringing the drama
-Nozomi Kitahara raising her power level
-"Ogata-san! It's time for R E V E N G E."
My Future Song Wishlist:
-"Boom Boom Booster" by Tora
-"Shockwave" by Mike Snap
-"Spirit of the Night": We have Deemo and David Dima, we have to go 3 for 3 with Daniel/Marco Rancati's version!
-"All I Need is Love" by Sara Righetto - this song is from the 90s, but they did actually bring back 1998's Rage Your Dream by m.o.v.e. this season, so I choose to believe anything is possible
I passed my exam though, and I'm currently scrambling to catch up on all the actually fun things I wanted to think/write about. It's a big disorganized mess right now, but I'm working on it.
There's at least half a dozen fandom-related write-ups I want to do, but I want to start with MFG because the new season snuck up on me soooo fast. It's already here!
No one asked for this, but these are basically an offshoot of my series rewatch notes with added video links bc I got tired of rewinding to all the different timestamps, lol.
With the MF Ghost anime, the music is one thing I can't praise highly enough. Masafumi Mima's sound direction is legendary, and in both this series and Initial D, it elevated Shigeno's manga from a fun but messily-paced racing story to an absolute hype machine. IMO, it's the glue that brings the whole thing together. You know they were serious when they got Motsu from m.o.v.e. to do the intros. The original score is no slouch, either. I especially like the use of rock guitar in the scene transitions and MB's piano theme.
Between the lovingly detailed racing angles and the music, I find the road scenes in this show to be so mesmerizing. I just can't get enough of those sick synthesizer beats and pseudosensical lyrics!
Soo without further ado...
My Top 5 Eurobeat Moments for MF Ghost Seasons 1 & 2:
#5: Kanata's Odawara Quals (S1 Ep2)
Break Out Fire by Mega NRG Man
Do you remember? Break out fire!!!
The 86's break out moment! The upbeat, galloping rhythm sets the mood for the beginning of the series so well, and it's a blast to watch the :O faces drop along with the Initial D flashbacks. I must say I've really developed an appreciation for Yoji Tanaka's in-universe commentary for every race. The series wouldn't be the same without it.
#4: Odawara Pike's Peak - Beckenbauer vs Ishigami (S1 Ep6)
King of the Century by Leslie Parrish
Now, you can beat the future
You can see what this is all about
And you'll never feel the same again
Beckenbauer's trash talk really sets up the scene, and the beat drop right at the overtake moment is ahhh so satisfying.
#3: Kanata Flying Blind at Ashinoko (S2 Ep6)
Speed of Light by The Snake & Adrenaline by Manuel
I got a burnin' fire
Never cared if you're sorry for me
DYINGGGG at "Heavy fog? Hallelujah!"
This is where things get really crazy, with the 86 terrorizing Maezono's token Honda and Junichi Suwabe's Ferrari in zero visibility fog. The call from Ogata is a great transition between the two songs, imo
Step on the gas
If you wanna see the race, I'm ready...
Kanata's warpath pulling off a succession of blind attacks makes it a moment where I have to go "ah yes, this is Initial D."
#2: Kanata's Ashinoko Quals (S1 Ep12) vs Michael's Manazuru Quals (S2 Ep11)
Kind of cheating here, but I see these two scenes as complementary so I'm combining them.
Spitfire by Go2 & Firebird by Dream Fighters
I know my heart is a puzzle (Take my fire!)
Your fears are not my concern (I'll make you feel alright)
You may believe I can dazzle
Well, I can burn
In the deep of this magic night
I drive alone on this lonely way
Light and rain, it clouds my view
And makes me feel so strange
Each of these scenes are cap-offs for their respective anime seasons, and taken together, they're really a study of contrasts: you can see the difference in their driving styles (explosive vs controlled), their shifters (H vs paddle), etc and the music reflects that.
#1: Beckenbauer vs Sawatari Duel at Ashinoko (S2 Ep4)
Go Wild by Dusty & In the Fire of Victory by Ace
It wouldn't be right not to give the top spot to Beckenbauer vs Sawatari in the rain! The scene and this soundtrack were made for each other. The tension is SO palpable, and I could feel how the synth almost seems to emulate the sound of the torrential downpour. I'm pretty sure I held my breath the first time I watched it.
And eloquence is not something that Eurobeat lyrics are usually known for, but!:
When a story dies, ashes get in your eyes
In the black of night you know you always rely on
Deep inside, and then you feel you're still alright
(It's notable that they're racing on a road covered in volcanic ash).
And the follow up!!:
The uwu :3 face MB makes while taking back the lead made me laugh SO hard.
Honorable Mentions:
Anyway Anymore by Cherry
https://youtu.be/W-wigrhYjgw?si=fNhcvc3nlCaN7RMF
Alas, for the the tragically underdeveloped Akaba Yanagida rivalry and RIP to any hope for significant focus on the other racers
Hi Love by Jay lehr
https://youtu.be/XG7rfPjhEiI?si=vPoNXzJF2qWnqsOYĹ
Very sweeping, perfect for the setting.
And this Throwback!!!:
Speed Lover by Speedman
https://youtu.be/44QPHlXClUQ?si=zAF7F_9HAv9-DIVP
Can't believe they brought this song back from the year 2000!
Fun fact: there are TWO songs titled "Spirit of the Night" on this soundtrack, one by Deemo and one by David Dima.
1) Deemo's version comes with Kanata pulling a Fujiwara zone:
https://youtu.be/2woXKApR1os?si=BWYgcACrJTz1odwW
2) David Dima's is the bgm for MB's Ashinoko qualifier:
https://youtu.be/4THv_Xgw8v4?si=hhXQ85ehtiAuWNRF
It's a notable addition to the Michael Beckenbauer character song collection.
As for S3, I already love how dramatic and reverb-heavy the new OP Timeless Power sounds. Love the kick.
Other things I'm looking forward to this season:
-The beauty of Manazuru/the Seaside Double Lane
-Emma Greene bringing the drama
-Nozomi Kitahara raising her power level
-"Ogata-san! It's time for R E V E N G E."
My Future Song Wishlist:
-"Boom Boom Booster" by Tora
-"Shockwave" by Mike Snap
-"Spirit of the Night": We have Deemo and David Dima, we have to go 3 for 3 with Daniel/Marco Rancati's version!
-"All I Need is Love" by Sara Righetto - this song is from the 90s, but they did actually bring back 1998's Rage Your Dream by m.o.v.e. this season, so I choose to believe anything is possible