Capeta

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Capeta is also a genus of jumping spiders.
Capeta
カペタ
(Kapeta)
Genre Sports
Manga
Author Masahito Soda
Publisher Flag of Japan Kodansha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly Shōnen Magazine
Original run 2003
Volumes 14
TV anime
Director Shin Misawa
Studio Studio Comet, Delphi Sound (audio)
Network Flag of Japan TV Tokyo
Original run October 4, 2005 – September 26, 2006
Episodes 52

Capeta (カペタ Kapeta?) is a Japanese sports manga and anime about kart racing by Masahito Soda. The manga won the Kodansha Manga Award for shōnen in 2005.[1]

The series consists of three separate arcs. The first is of Capeta in his first experiences with kart racing. The next is Capeta a few years later having to deal with mounting monetary issues. The third is Capeta trying to realize his dream of beating his rival and becoming a professional racer. The anime is known for[citation needed] numerous references and homages to Initial D and Best Motoring International references, as well as Formula One. In addition to this, there are many karting and racing references that not only add flesh to the story, but are also factual (such as comments about racing lines, tire usage, slipstreaming and general commentary on the world of four-wheel racing).

[edit] Plot

Kappeita Taira (平 勝平太 Taira Kappeita?), otherwise known as "Capeta" (カペタ Kapeta?), is a ten-year old boy whose single-parent father, Shigeo Taira (平 茂雄 Taira Shigeo?), works for a paving company. While completing a paving job at a go-kart track, his father sees a young boy racing at the track and amazed at the speed and seeming thrill of the sport. Realizing that his young son has an interest in racing cars (particularly Formula 1), Shigeo asks the circuit steward as to whether he is able to take some old worn-down parts out of the circuit's trash pile. Taking these back to his workplace, he manages to construct a rundown yet driveable kart. Shigeo's boss, Mr. Ikari, (initially begrudgingly) supplies a generator engine to power the kart.

Determined, Capeta, in his first time on a race track, manages to not only master the mangled racer, but also overtakes other racers in much faster, better karts. One of the people he catches and attempts to overtake on the inside line is Naomi Minamoto (源 奈臣 Minamoto Naomi?), a talented young racer who drives for a works karting team, Endless Autohouse Racing. This overtaking maneuver shocks Naomi so much so that he drops the accelerator of his kart, accelerates past Capeta. This infuriates his mother and team manager, Nanako Minamoto (源 奈々子 Minamoto Nanako?), as he overrevved a brand new engine which he was supposed to be merely running in.

Capeta, unaware of the difference in machinery between his own kart and Naomi's works-grade kart, does not understand why it was impossible for him to catch Naomi. Nonetheless, onlookers are amazed that a child from out of the blue is able to outrace the regular drivers of the track, let alone unnerve the track's local hotshot. Nanako, also amazed, offers to help Capeta's entry into the world of kart racing, secretly as a rival for her son. After what is a difficult conversation for Capeta, the Taira father and son turn down the offer to enroll Capeta in the Endless Autohouse Racing team and run their own single kart team on their own instead.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Joel Hahn. Kodansha Manga Awards. Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.

[edit] External links