Casio releases watch inspired by Initial D and MF Ghost

We don't usually write about watches here at AutoFun Philippines, but this new Casio timepiece got us excited.

The Japanese watch maker recently released the Casio ECB-2000MFG-1A – the name of this red-and-black watch already offers a clue of its relationship to one of the most popular works of motorsports literature.

It is the result of a collaboration between EDIFICE, which is Casio's motorsports line-up, and the two street-racing manga (Japanese graphic novels in English) of renowned Japanese artist Shuichi Shigeno.

These are, of course, MF Ghost and Initial D.

"The all-new collaborative design captures the dynamic realism of the street-racing world depicted in the two manga series," Casio said.

"The watch even pays homage to the two Toyota models that feature in the manga — the AE86 and the GT86, which share the nickname "Hachi-Roku" (Japanese for "Eight-Six")," the company added.

Check out the cool promotional video, complete with the Eurobeat music that helped make the Initial D anime series so memorable.

Inspired by the mountain

Without spoiling too much, Initial D follows the rise of Takumi Fujiwara.

From being a humble delivery boy for his street-racer-dad's tofu shop, he became one of the biggest sensations in Japanese illegal street racing, which is usually held on mountain passes.

The ECB-2000MFG-1A even incorporates the name of the tofu shop, which is printed on the side of Takumi's AE86.

The lettering "藤原とうふ店 (自家用)," which stands "Fujiwara Tofu Shop (Private Use)," is placed on the black leather underside of the watch's strap.

Moreover, the black, IP-finished case back includes the engraved Initial D title logo.

A legacy continued

Meanwhile, the red accents on the bezel and dial, along with the red Cordura nylon outer fabric band, incorporate the signature colors of MF Ghost.

This manga is set many years after Initial D, in a world where self-driving electric cars dominate the roads.

Young Kanata Livington, who was trained by Takumi in the UK, takes on supercars in his red Toyota GT86 while searching for his long-lost father.

The ECB-2000MFG-1A also includes neat touches like the Japanese lettering "ギャァア" on the watch strap and the base of the dial.

This roughly translates to "Gyaaaa" or the sound effect of tires screeching on the road.

The timepiece also features smartphone integration, a solar panel that helps with charging, high-luminosity double LED, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a box that includes scenes from the manga.

Now who do we throw our money to for this awesome watch?