Ask John: How Will Initial D Fourth Stage Be Released?

Question:
I have read in the news section of Animenation that Initial D Fourth Stage will broadcast on Sky Perfect pay-per view as two back to back episodes per week. What does that mean?

Answer:
Actually, since the first word of Initial D Fourth Stage appeared, new clarification of its Japanese broadcast schedule has appeared. According to the official Japanese Initial D Fourth Stage webpage, two new episodes will air every other month from April 2004 until April 2005.

Beginning on April 17, 2004, Japanese viewers with access to the Sky Perfect TV satellite television network will be able to pay 840 yen ($8 American) to watch Initial D Fourth Stage episodes 1 & 2. Then beginning on June 19th, Japanese viewers will be able to pay another 840 yen to watch episodes 3 & 4. Episodes 5 & 6 will then be available on a pay-per-view basis beginning on August 21st. And so forth through April 16, 2005 when episodes 13 & 14 become available.

Initial D Fourth Stage is not the first anime series to be broadcast on a pay-per view basis, but it is the first to have such an extended broadcast schedule. The Ghost in the Shell TV series is broadcast on a schedule of two new episodes becoming available for pay-per-view viewing on the first evening of every month. The R.O.D. TV series, the second pay-per-view anime TV series, aired two consecutive new episodes each week. One night each week, viewers could order the latest R.O.D. pay-per-view offering and watch the latest two episodes of the series.