MF Ghost 3rd Season

Round 3 of the MFG competition is heating up on the final race day at the Peninsula Manazuru track. Despite starting at the very front of the pack, MFG rookie Kanata Katagiri has difficulty getting the most out of his Toyota 86 GT due to an injury unknown to his competitors. Falling further behind, Kanata finds himself in a desperate situation that only stirs up unwanted memories.

At the head of the race, a vicious battle takes place between the two top drivers in the competition—Michael Beckenbauer and Kouki Sawatari—for the first spot on the podium. Given their aggressive and absurd driving, anyone daring to surpass either of them will have to match their level of pride until the very end. But when all hope seems lost for Kanata, a legendary competitive spirit awakens within him, and it may just push him to overcome his physical limitations and climb back to the top.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Katagiri, Kanata Main

Uchida, Yuuma Japanese

Saionji, Ren Main

Sakura, Ayane Japanese

Takahashi, Ryousuke Supporting

Koyasu, Takehito Japanese

Takahashi, Keisuke Supporting

Seki, Tomokazu Japanese

Takeuchi, Itsuki Supporting

Iwata, Mitsuo Japanese

Iketani, Kouichirou Supporting

Yao, Kazuki Japanese

Sudou, Kyouichi Supporting

Tanaka, Masahiko Japanese

Akiyama, Wataru Supporting

Matsumoto, Yasunori Japanese

Kitahara, Nozomi Supporting

Serizawa, Yuu Japanese

Kenji Supporting

Takagi, Wataru Japanese

Kurosu, Nobuhiko Producer

Ogo, Hirotsugu Producer

Kase, Naoto Producer

Suzuki, Yuuji Producer

Reviews

Mar 27, 2026

Venom_waz

Recommended

Guess I'm this show's No. 1 glazer based on my last review. Well, strap-in for an unhinged rant, if you wish.

This season had some of the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

The highs - episodes 3 and 4 were probably the best in the entire show, in contention with S2E7.

For the... "Lows." Uh... Well...
Surprisingly, I actually really liked the grandma's truck episode. Even the beach episode wasn't as... terrible as it was shaping up to be.

But fuck all of that, let's talk about the actual low - the resolution to the main plot (spoiler free)...
... Hhahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahaahahhahahahahhahhahahahahahahhahaahahhahahahahahahhahahhahahahh.

They just straight up said "Fuck it" and canned the whole main plot with Kanata in the span of one episode. It's so ballsy, I just have to respect it. Doesn't change the fact that that whole episode was one of the most rushed story lines I've ever seen.

It's a recurring issue with this writer, they falsely assume we are going to care about a character who's been given zero character-defining moments and little to no screen time.

On one hand, I was thankful that we didn't have to sit through the most cliche plot ever any longer, on the other hand, jokes aside, it really did seem like the author just gave up on trying to make the story work. That does sadden me a little, just a bit. At least they set it up with the foreshadowing, which does sweeten the sour aftertaste.

But as I've said in my last review, I'm not gonna piss my pants over that fact. I never watched this show for its great character writing. If you want the reverse MF Ghost (Great characters, 0 Hype), I recommend you watch Overtake.

The quick wrap-up leaves more time for racing. Judging from the comments on every episode, a lot of fans would appreciate if that was the only thing happening in the series.
Sadly, those people—as well as the ones who overtly focus on the writing—just don’t get it.

The characters aren't peak fiction, but they're good enough to make you watch them race.
In many other sports anime (like Haikyu), I positively did not give a fuck about whether or not any of the MC won;
but in MF Ghost, I do care. Why is that?

Since my last review, I've put some thought into why I even like this show. Am I just mentally challenged?
Most likely. But, then I thought some more, read a couple more bad reviews and came up with two things.

1) You're far more likely to like this show if you watch any actual sports. Reason for that, in real sports you don't get these insane character arcs for actual people, or other perfectly written narratives. You watch sports to be entertained, and if there's one thing MF Ghost does well, it is that it's entertaining.

2) Not all of the characters are as bad as people say. This one's sure to bring up a storm. Sawatari Kouki (aside from the idiotic 17 complex) is genuinely a fascinating character to watch. His ego is extremely big, but it takes second place to his cunning nature. When he's outmatched by Beckenbauer, he doesn't dwell on that fact, like most expect him to, instead choosing to immediately switch his strategies to ones that could help him gain the edge.

Aiba and Sena are also great underdogs, perhaps letting the viewer channel into them their hopes and dreams of wanting the members of Akina Speedstars to actually do something for once. We joke around that Kanata is a total husk of a character made just to race, but that isn't entirely true. He's just incredibly standard, his most interesting character moment being when he lied to Ren that he could predict where a train would stop, just to make her feel less guilty. I think it would be a better idea to have someone with a strong character to be the main hero, especially considering that Takumi, the previous MC, was already a pretty bland character.

There's also the matter of "Realism". I could just say - "If you're still, after 3 seasons, looking for realism in a series made by the inventor of "Fujiwara zone" and "Gutter run, blind attacks", what are you even doing with your life" - but I do understand the sentiment. The straw man I brought up may actually have a few solid points. The drift overtakes were always kind of iffy, even in Initial D, needing to be worked around with clever camera angles and quick cuts. This season in particular had some real stinkers that could only be explained by teleportation. Then again, that same kind of dumbassery gives us moments like the double lane jump and "water traps" in sanctioned races, which are hilarious in their entertaining way.

The real downgrade was the eurobeat choice, most glaring issue being that they started reusing songs.
That may be due to budget issues (?), but then again - how much could the rights to eurobeat songs with 2000 Spotify streams really cost?... They picked some real good tracks to reuse, which kinda makes it even worse, since now I'm sick of hearing Adrenaline by Manuel... The not-reused songs, which there weren't many, were just okay. Still looking for the song starting with "DISTORTED SOUNDS".

As somebody who watched this show a lot, the three main issues for this series could be fixed if you: used a different main character, give the "npc" racers more time to shine, quit interrupting the action with constant switches to the Angels or announcers.

Despite me shitting on this show every time I get, I would be lying if I wasn't sorely entertained by it. I was looking forward to every Thursday to watch it, after all. It may be controversial, but I think MF ghost, along with Initial D, have the most fun "battles" out of any sports anime I've watched.

As always, the end was cliffhanged. Much to the dismay of that one guy below me, lol.
The fact that there are only gonna be 4 seasons was surprising, but it might be a good thing - the ending has potential to make or break the whole series.

I'm still hungry for more. I'm probably going to do a more in-depth analysis after the show ends.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Mar 26, 2026

PanzerIV-J

Mixed Feelings

Is MF Ghost Season 3 better than Season 2? I’d call it a wash (basically a tie).
Is it better than Initial D? Still no—but at this point, MF Ghost has separated itself enough that comparing the racing directly is harder than before.
Is it bad? Not really. But like the previous seasons, it comes with a lot of issues that hold it back.

MF Ghost Season 3 sits in a very similar position to Season 2. It improves in some areas, but at the same time, it continues to carry over many of the same flaws from both prior seasons. The result is a season that is ... overall decent, but still frustrating if you’ve been paying attention since Season 1.

Starting with the racing style, MF Ghost is now fully committed to being different from Initial D. This is no longer about street racing or touge battles—it’s much closer to organized motorsports. The races involve large groups of drivers and feel more like GT-style circuit racing or even Formula 1 rather than head-to-head downhill battles.
This does help the series stand on its own, but it also removes a lot of what made Initial D special. Initial D thrived on tight, technical driving, driver psychology, and adapting to extreme situations. MF Ghost replaces that with broader race strategy and positioning, which isn’t necessarily worse, but it’s definitely less personal and less intense on an individual level.

This also ties into one of the biggest ongoing issues: Kanata as a protagonist.
Just like in Season 1 and Season 2, Kanata starts off as an already elite driver due to his off-screen training by Takumi. This continues to hurt the series. There’s very little sense of progression because he doesn’t have to earn his skill on-screen. Unlike Takumi, who had to adapt, struggle, and grow, Kanata mostly just applies skills he already has.
Because of that, a lot of the tension comes from external factors—mainly his car—rather than his development as a driver.

And the car itself is still a major point of contention.
The GR86 continuing to compete with high-end supercars still feels questionable, even with upgrades. While the show occasionally mentions tuning and improvements, it rarely goes into enough detail to make it believable. This has been a consistent criticism since Season 1, and Season 3 doesn’t really address it. Compared to Initial D, where upgrades were at least somewhat explained and grounded, MF Ghost still expects the viewer to just accept it.

Now onto the characters.
While they are slightly better than in Season 1, most of the cast still feels underdeveloped or forgettable. Many drivers show up, get brief moments of personality, and then fade into the background. There’s a lack of strong rival presence compared to Initial D, where each opponent felt distinct and memorable.
That said, there are still a few standouts. Michael Beckenbauer and Emma Green are among the more interesting characters in the series. They have clearer personalities and feel more relevant to the races themselves. Emma in particular still feels more engaging than Ren, and her interactions with Kanata are more interesting than the main romance the show keeps pushing.

Which brings us to the romance.
Just like in the previous seasons, the romance—mainly involving Ren—continues to be one of the weakest aspects of the show. It still feels forced, underdeveloped, and more importantly, it constantly interrupts the racing in episodes where racing is the main focus.
This is a common criticism of the series as a whole, and Season 3 doesn’t fix it. If anything, it reinforces the idea that the show doesn’t fully understand what its audience is here for. Most people are watching for the racing, not for repeated inner monologues about romance that don’t meaningfully progress.

Now for the biggest issue of the entire series, which is still present here: pacing and race interruptions.
This is easily the worst part of MF Ghost.
Races are constantly interrupted by announcers, MFG girls, and Ogata reacting on the sidelines. These interruptions happen mid-race, often with no buildup, and completely kill the tension. Instead of letting the viewer stay immersed, the show repeatedly pulls away to explain things that were already visually clear.
This has been one of the most widely criticized aspects of MF Ghost overall, and Season 3 continues the same pattern.

The structure still feels like this:
30%: Filler racing where nothing happens
30%: Meaningful racing where positions actually change
40%: Commentary, exposition, or MFG Girls segments that interrupt the race

Because of this, races feel artificially stretched. What should be fast-paced and intense ends up feeling dragged out and segmented.

Another commonly pointed-out issue is tone.
Compared to Initial D, MF Ghost feels much less mature. Initial D had a grounded, slightly gritty atmosphere with more natural character interactions. MF Ghost feels more sanitized and sometimes even leans too far into fanservice, especially with the MFG girls. Instead of adding to the world, these elements often feel like distractions.

That said, the season isn’t without positives—and this is where MF Ghost does deserve some credit.
When the races are actually allowed to play out, they can be genuinely enjoyable. The multi-car format creates moments of chaos and strategy that you wouldn’t get in Initial D. There are times where positioning, overtakes, and race flow feel exciting, especially when the show focuses on the drivers themselves rather than cutting away.

The visuals are also consistently solid. The cars, tracks, and race sequences are well-animated, and the sense of speed is handled fairly well. This is one area where MF Ghost benefits from being a modern production.

The Eurobeat is another strong point. While not as iconic as Initial D at its peak, it still adds energy to the races and helps capture some of that classic feel, albeit, I think season 3 is actually worse than season 2 in this regard sadly.

There are also small improvements in character presentation. While still not great, some characters feel slightly more defined than before, and certain rivalries are a bit more noticeable.

Finally, there’s the bigger picture.
Racing anime is an extremely niche genre. There simply aren’t many modern options. Most fans have already watched Initial D multiple times and gone through nearly every other racing anime available. Because of that, MF Ghost fills a gap that very few shows currently do (even if the racing fans are not a fan of MF Ghost, they still end up watching because there are pretty much no other options).

Even with all its flaws, it still has value simply because there isn’t much else like it right now.

Overall, I’d give MF Ghost Season 3 a 7/10.

It’s about on par with Season 2—some improvements, but still held back by the same core issues. If you’ve made it this far, it’s worth watching, but it still hasn’t reached the level it should be at.
I also still recommend watching Initial D if you haven't, its still a very good racing anime, and I would recommend it over any of the MF Ghost seasons so far.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Mar 26, 2026

joyo123

Not Recommended

Preliminary (12/13 eps)

Edit:
Don't watch as it airs or even after this season aired.
Instead watch it after the next upcoming season has finished airiing

Cause this is a literal clown show full of cliff-hangers and bizarre story writing.
An actual insult to us car people.

If there ever comes a situation,
Where you need to write a thesis on how to make a cliff-hanger in the animation industry.

... This season of this show has to be a prime example and an actual case study.

This is a show where there is no completion, no flow of events and especially no understanding of what makes.
Cars and anime tick.

Its already a rare occurrence where cars get the spotlight and in those moments where you can see the carbon fiber, the closeups of the dashboard, the changes and representation of G-forces on the cars in the style of anime.

But, alas.
Its absolutely overshadowed by constant over the top and actual cliches of irrelevant women, yes the twat that for some reason is liked both by an old geezer and our star of the show.
Sprinkled throughout the show as out of date seasonings over brand new steamed rice.

Its bland and frankly the highlights of the show would probably be enough to maybe run for 20mins straight cause boy those are the best parts about the show.

Just don't watch this as it airs
Binge watch instead.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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