| Captain Tsubasa | |
Cover of Captain Tsubasa Bunkoban edition volume 1 as published by Shueisha |
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| キャプテン翼 (Kyaputen Tsubasa) |
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| Genre | Sports (Football) |
| Manga | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | 1981 – 1988 |
| Volumes | 37 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Studio | Tsuchida Pro |
| Network | Animax, TV Tokyo |
| Original run | October 10, 1983 – March 27, 1986 |
| Episodes | 128 |
| Anime film | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Europe Daikessen | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Released | July 13, 1985 |
| Runtime | 41 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Ayaushi, Zen Nippon Jr. | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Released | December 21, 1985 |
| Runtime | 60 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Asu ni Mukatte Hashire | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Released | March 15, 1986 |
| Runtime | 35 minutes |
| Anime film | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Sekai Daikessen, Jr. World Cup | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Released | July 12, 1986 |
| Runtime | 57 minutes |
| Original video animation | |
| Shin Captain Tsubasa | |
| Released | July, 1989 – July, 1990 |
| Episodes | 13 |
| Manga | |
| Captain Tsubasa: World Youth | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
| Original run | 1994 – 1997 |
| Volumes | 18 |
| Original video animation | |
| Holland Youth | |
| Directed by | Isamu Imakake |
| Released | October 14, 1994 |
| Runtime | 41 minutes |
| TV anime | |
| Captain Tsubasa J | |
| Studio | Studio Comet |
| Network | Animax, TV Tokyo |
| Original run | October 21, 1994 – December 22, 1995 |
| Episodes | 47 |
| Manga | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002 | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Original run | 2001 – 2004 |
| Volumes | 15 |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Gisaburō Sugii |
| Studio | Group TAC (animation), Madhouse (production) |
| Network | Animax, TV Tokyo |
| Original run | October 7, 2001 – October 6, 2002 |
| Episodes | 52 |
| Manga | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Golden-23 | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Original run | 2005 – May 2008 |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Manga | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Kaigai Gekito Hen in Calcio | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Original run | May 2009 – October 2009 |
| Volumes | 2 |
| Manga | |
| Captain Tsubasa: Kaigai Gekito Hen En La Liga | |
| Written by | Yōichi Takahashi |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine | Weekly Young Jump |
| Original run | February 2010 – ongoing |
| Volumes | 1+ |
Captain Tsubasa (キャプテン翼 Kyaputen Tsubasa), also known as Flash Kicker,[1] is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981. The series mainly revolves around the sport of Association football.
The story focuses on the adventures of a Japanese youth soccer team and its football captain Tsubasa Oozora[2] (大空 翼 Ōzora Tsubasa), whose name literally translates to "Big Sky Wings". The series is characterized by dynamic football moves, often stylish and implausible. The plot focuses on Tsubasa's relationship with his friends, rivalry with his opponents, training, competition, and the action and outcome of each football match.
The Captain Tsubasa manga series was originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump comic book magazine between 1981 and 1988, spanning a total of 37-tankōbon volumes. It was continued onto a sequel, Captain Tsubasa: "World Youth" Saga, which was serialized between 1994 and 1997 in Shōnen Jump, spanning 18 volumes, and another sequel, entitled Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002, which was serialized between 2001 and 2004 in Weekly Young Jump, which spanned 15 volumes. The comic is still running, with the latest sequel entitled Captain Tsubasa: Golden-23, serialized in Weekly Young Jump from 2005 to 2008.
The original Captain Tsubasa comic series was adapted soon into an TV animation series, produced by Tsuchida Pro, whose first season premiered in Japan on the TV Tokyo network between 10 October 1983 and 27 March 1986. This first series tells only the synopsis of the first 25 volumes. Four animated movies followed soon, between 1985 and 1986, continuing the storyline. In 1989 a new animation series, entitled Shin Captain Tsubasa, was produced by Shueisha and CBS Sony Group inc. and spanned 13 OAV. Shin captain Tsubasa tells the comic book's synopsis from volume 25 to volume 36. The animation series was followed soon after into a second sequel, entitled Captain Tsubasa J, produced by Studio Comet, which aired between October 21, 1994 and December 22, 1995 in Japan on the Fuji Television network and spanned 47 episodes, as well an OVA series, Captain Tsubasa: Holland Youth, which was published in 1994. The animated series was continued on further into a third sequel, Captain Tsubasa: Road to Dream, also known as Captain Tsubasa ~ Road to 2002, the latest animated adaptation of the series, produced by Group TAC and Madhouse Studios, which aired in Japan between October 7, 2001 and October 6, 2002.
All of the versions of the Captain Tsubasa animated series has been broadcast by the animation satellite television network, Animax, across its original network in Japan and later across its respective networks worldwide, including East Asia, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and other regions. It has also been broadcast across several other regions over the world, including South America, Europe and the Middle East. The success of the series also spurred several Nintendo Super Famicom video game adaptations. Enoki Films holds the United States license to Captain Tsubasa, under the title Flash Kicker.
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Tsubasa Ozora is a young Japanese Elementary school student who is deeply in love with soccer and dreams of one day winning the FIFA World Cup for Japan. He lives together with his mother in Japan, while his father is a seafaring captain who travels around the world.
Tsubasa Ozora is known as the Soccer no Moshigo which translates as "heaven-sent child of soccer". When he was only barely a year old, he was almost run over by a rushing bus while playing with a soccer ball. However, Tsubasa had held the ball in front of him which served as a cushion for most of the impact. The force of the bump blew him away, but he was able to right himself over again with the ball. Hence, Tsubasa Ozora's motto of "The ball is my friend". Ever since he was little, he always went out with a soccer ball. His mother now having concluded that he was indeed born only to play soccer. At a very young age, Tsubasa Ozora already has amazing speed, stamina, dribbling skills and shotpower, astounding anyone who sees him play.
At the beginning of the story, both of them move to the city of Nankatsu, a town well-known for their talented elementary school soccer teams, and where Tsubasa meets Ryo Ishizaki, a soccer-loving young student who often sneaks out from his mother's public bathrooms and chores in order to play soccer, Sanae Nakazawa (also known as Anego), his future wife, a young enthusiastic girl who also loves soccer and helps cheer the Nankatsu High team on, and Genzo Wakabayashi, a highly talented young goalkeeper whom he soon challenges to a game in Nankatsu's annual Sports Festival. He also meets Roberto Hongo, one of the best Brazilian soccer players, who is a friend of Tsubasa's father, and who arrives in Japan and starts living with Tsubasa and his mother. Roberto becomes a mentor to Tsubasa and helps him to harness his soccer skills, convincing him to join Nankatsu Elementary and its fledgling high school soccer team, which Roberto coaches later as he passes his techniques onto Tsubasa.
Tsubasa also meets Taro Misaki, who has travelled around Japan due to his father's job and soon joins Nankatsu, and the two become the best of friends in both the pitch and real life, forming a partnership soon to be renowned as the "Golden Duo" or "dynamic duo" of Nankatsu. Soon Tsubasa and his Nankatsu team start taking on the best of elementary school soccer, meeting such talented players as Kojiro Hyuga,[2] Ken Wakashimazu, Jun Misugi, Hikaru Matsuyama, and many others. His Nankatsu squad wins numerous youth national championships, and wins the U-17 World Championships for Japan, before leaving the country to play in Brazil.
Tsubasa leaves Japan for Brazil, and starts playing, with his mentor Roberto as the manager, for São Paulo[3] (F.C. Brancos in the anime[4]) , in Brazil's premier professional league, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, winning the final against Flamengo (F.C. Domingos in the anime), 4-3. While in Brazil, Tsubasa gets to meet several talented Brazilian players, such as his teammate and roommate Pepe, who comes from a humble background, and Flamengo star striker Carlos Santana, a prodigious talent.
Enthusiastic football-loving youngster Shingo Aoi, whom Tsubasa once played against while in the high school national championships, leaves Japan to play football in Italy, where he hopes to play for a major Italian professional team. After arriving in Italy, however, Shingo gets tricked by a man who gives him fraudulent promises of getting him selected for an Italian team, but after Shingo is taken to a badly-furnished field, the man runs away, stealing all his money in the process. Shingo realizes that he is swindled, and tries hard to get his money back, doing such jobs as shoeshining, and his enthusiastic attitude catches the eye of one of the coaches of Inter Milan (Intina in the CTJ Anime), who sign him to play for their squad as an attacking midfielder.
The Japan's youth side plays the first phase of AFC Youth Championship without Taro Misaki, Makoto Soda, Hiroshi Jito, Shun Nitta, the Tachibana brothers Masao and Kazuo, and Kojiro Hyuga. After Tsubasa, Wakabayashi and Shingo join the team, it defeats Thailand 5-4 after being 4-1 down at one stage. In the second phase Japan beats Uzbekistan 8-1, China 6-3 and Saudi Arabia 4-1. In the semifinals Japan beats Iraq 3-0. The Japanese win the Asia Youth title beating South Korea 2-0 and qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship.
In the first phase Japan defeats Mexico 2-1, Uruguay 6-5 and Italy 4-0. In the quarterfinals, they beat Sweden 1-0 and Netherlands 1-0 in the semifinal. The Japanese win in the "Great Final" the World Youth Championship, defeating Brazil 3-2 after extra time with Tsubasa scoring a hat-trick and the golden goal despite the fact that Brazil used a new player at the extra time called Natureza, who became the third person to score a goal on Wakabayashi from outside the goal area - the first being Karl Heinz Schneider of Germany, and second being Sho Shunko of China.
Tsubasa moves from São Paulo to F.C. Barcelona[5](FC Catalunya in the anime), in the Spanish Liga, after the end of the FIFA World Youth Championship final, taking his childhood friend and now wife, Sanae. He asked her out before moving to Brazil, and the couple maintained a long-distance relationship before he proposed to her after the World Youth Championship.
While Tsubasa moves from São Paulo (Brancos in the anime) to Barcelona[5](Catalunya in the anime), Kojiro Hyuga is bought by Juventus (F.C. Piemonte in the anime). Tsubasa plays very well in training, displaying all his skills, but the Dutch coach Van Saal (Edward in the anime, inspired by Louis van Gaal, who coached Barcelona at the time) demotes him to FC Barcelona B,[5] the reserve team that plays in the second division, because Tsubasa and Rivaul (inspired by Rivaldo) cannot play together whilst Rivaul holds a key position for playmaking.[4]
Meanwhile, Kojiro Hyuga plays for his first game for Juventus (Piemonte in the anime) against Parma in the Italian Serie A, but does not score because of his physical imbalance. Juventus coach Carlo Monetti replaces him with David Trezeguet (David Tresaga in the anime), who scores the winning goal as Juventus beat Parma 1-0.
In Germany, Genzo Wakabayashi[2] and his Bundesliga team, Hamburger SV (Grunwald in the anime version), play against Bayern Munich (Routburg in the anime version), led by Karl Heinz Schneider. Wakabayashi makes many great saves, impressing players and coaches from both teams. But in an attempt to win at the final moment despite the coach's decision to aim for a draw, Wakabayashi left the goal area to take a free kick shoot that was stopped at the last second, which give Bayern a chance to counter attack on an undefended goal, allowing them to win 2-1.
In Spain the liga championship begins and the match between Barcelona (led by Rivaul) and Valencia (San Jose in the anime) (who have just bought Tsubasa's old rival Carlos Santana) ends 2-2. Tsubasa watches the match from the tribune (in the anime version Tsubasa plays as a substitute in the match and scores a goal).
In the 2nd stage of the Japanese J. League, Júbilo Iwata, led by Misaki, Gon Nakayama (inspired by real player Masashi Nakayama), Ishizaki and Urabe, defeat the Urawa Red Diamonds led by Igawa and Sawada, 2-1. In other J. League matches, F.C. Tokyo, led by Misugi, draws 1-1 with Consadole Sapporo, led by Matsuyama.[6] In Italy, Hyuga and Aoi are bought respectively by Reggiana and Albese.
In Spain, Tsubasa plays three matches with FC Barcelona B and he records 12 goals and 11 assists in three matches. Tsubasa is inserted in the Barcelona lineup because of an injury of his rival Rivaul and the disastrous results of the Barça (one point in four matches), and plays the Súper Clásico against Real Madrid, who have just bought his old rival Natureza. Tsubasa ends the match with three goals and three assists and Barcelona wins 6-5.
This is the epilogue of Captain Tsubasa Road to 2002. It is composed of five chapters. This manga follows Kojiro Hyuga and Shingo Aoi in Italy. In this manga, Kojiro Hyuga was loaned out to AC Reggiana while Shingo Aoi was loaned out to Albese. Kojiro Hyuga makes a hard training and he makes his debut scoring a hat-trick.[7]
While Tsubasa plays for Barcelona against Real Valladolid, recording a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win, the 23 players of Japan's U-22 national team ("The Golden-23") are convoked to play two friendly matches against Denmark and Nigeria.
Two futsal players, Kazami and Furukawa, join the national team and display great skills, scoring two goals in a training match. Meanwhile, the Japan U-20 side led by Takeshi Sawada win the AFC Youth Championship, defeating South Korea 6-5 on penalty kicks in the final. In Brazil, Minato Gamo, the former coach of the U-20 national team, tries unsuccessfully to convince Soga, a Japanese player who plays in Vasco da Gama, to join the national team.
Tsubasa's wife Sanae informs him that she is pregnant. In Japan the match with Denmark begins. At the end of the match Japan-Denmark Japan defeats Denmark 4-2 (scorers: Misaki (J), Haas (D), Nitta (J), Nitta (J), Matsuyama (J), Haas (D)).
In Germany Hamburger SV plays a Bundesliga match and Genzo Wakabayashi isn't in the line up because of the bad relationship with the coach Zeeman, starting rumors that Wakabayashi will leave Hamburger SV. A lot of teams were interested in signing Wakabayashi such us ACF Fiorentina, A.S. Roma, Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen. Minato Gamo meanwhile wants to convince Igawa, a player who can play in all the roles (Goalkeeper, Defender, Midfielder, Forward), to join the national team. In Spain FC Barcelona plays a liga match against Real Betis and Tsubasa scores two goals and makes an assist for Rikaar. In Japan Genzo Wakabayashi joins the national team.
The match Japan-Nigeria begins and Nigeria plays very well. It has two champions Ochado (that plays in Paris SG) and Bobang (that plays with Shingo Aoi in Albese). After some minutes from the beginning of the match Nigeria has the first great opportunity to score the first goal in the match with a penalty kick but the Japanese goalkeeper Genzo Wakabayashi saves in corner kick. Wakabayashi saves another shot and makes an assist for Ken Wakashimazu who scores a goal with an overhead kick. However Nigeria scores two goals with Bobang and Ochado. Nigeria at the end of the first half is winning 2-1. Meanwhile Minato Gamo convinces Gakuto Igawa to join the national team. The second half begins, the Japan attacks and during the injury time Misaki scores the equalizing goal. The match ends 2-2.
In Spain Barcelona wins 3-2 the match against Valencia led by Carlos Santana
In Japan, the match Japan-Paraguay begins, at the end Japan defeats Paraguay 3-0(scorers: Gakuto with his Bullet Shoot, Wakashimazu with a Jumping Head, Nitta with a Running Volley Shoot).
In Spain, Barcelona plays against Atlético de Madrid, this team is very good and Fersio Torres (inspired by Fernando Torres) quickly scores a goal. But Barcelona replies quickly and Tsubasa scores a goal with his famous Overhead Kick and another goal with a Twin Shoot Tsubasa-Rivaul.
The Asia qualifications begins and Japan beats Malaysia (6-0 for the first match and 5-0 for the return match), Thailand (2-0 for the first match, 3-0 for the return match), and Bahrain (score unknown for the first match and 5-0 for the return match) and qualifies to the third round. In the third round Japan beats Vietnam 5-0, draws against Saudi Arabia 1-1 and loses against Australia 3-1. Standings after Day 3 (of 6): Australia 9; Japan and Saudi Arabia 4; Vietnam 0. Only the first classified is admitted to Olympic Games.
In the Day 4, Japan defeats Saudi Arabia 2-0. Unfortunately, Australia defeats Vietnam 5-0. In Day 5, Japan defeats Vietnam 4-0 and Australia draws against Saudi Arabia 1-1. Standings after Day 5 (of 6): Australia 13; Japan 10; Saudi Arabia 5; Vietnam 0. In the last day Japan plays against Australia. If Japan defeats Australia 3-0, 4-1, 5-2, 6-3 etc. qualifies to Olympic Games. If Japan wins 3-1, 4-2, 5-3 etc. plays a playoff against Australia. The match against Australia begins and Japan scores the first goal of the match with Tachibana brothers's skylab hurricane; unfortunately Tachibana brothers gets injured and are substituted by Wakashimazu and Nitta.
Nitta scores another goal. Japan tries to score the third goal but unfortunately all their shots hit the bar or are saved by the goal keeper. In the second half Australia scores the goal of 2-1 but Japan reacts and scores two goals (scorers: Igawa and Misaki). Japan wins 4-1 and qualifies to Olympic Games.
One-shot released in Japan in 2009. It's composed by 24 chapters. This one-shot tells the Serie C-1 match between Reggiana and Albese. This match is the challenge between the tiger Kojiro Hyuga (Reggiana) and The Prince of the Sun Shingo Aoi (Albese). Hyuga scores two goals in the first half, showing to be strongly improved in physical game. However in the second half, Albese reacts and scores two goals. Hyuga eventually scores the victory goal in the last minute, allowing his team to be promoted into Serie B. Albese is disappointed for its defeat because they wrongly think that Albinoleffe won against Ravenna and overtook them in standings. Actually Albinoleffe lost 2-1 to Ravenna, and this means that both Reggiana (1st) and Albese (2nd) are promoted. Both teams celebrate their promotion.
This one-shot started in February 2010, in order to celebrate the series' 30th Anniversary. It tells the return match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. And then from there on seven more chapters are added in which first two goals from barça been rejected by the referee. The match goes on and Rivaul finally scores a genuine goal, followed by one from R Madrid. In the second half, Natureza scores the second goal 10 minutes before the end of the match. Tsubasa scores the draw goal with a Flying Drive Shot in the added time. The match ends 2-2.
Captain Tsubasa was adapted into several Nintendo Super Famicom (the Japanese equivalent of Super NES) video game adaptations, spawning three titles. It can be considered either a "Sports RPG" or "Soccer simulation". Characters run down the field in real time, but when a player comes into contact with an opposing player, a turn based battle is initiated. The player can select moves such as "slide tackle" or "header" depending on the situation, and success is based on individual teammate stats, which improves with each win. Animations are impressive for the original Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) game, specially the second game, demonstrating smooth and dynamic moves, large and fast moving sprites, and physics-defying moves, also featuring an incredible production in the music department, creating stunning melodies for a 8-bit system. This second Captain Tsubasa game for the Famicom is considered to be the finest and most polished game in this style. Another outstanding adaptation was on the Mega CD, only for the japanese market, again. Re-styled graphics, audio CD quality, longer intros and cinema displays and full of original music and voices from the series.
Upon release, the soccer-based RPGs topped the sales charts in both Japan and South America, even an official Spanish language version was published.
Captain Tsubasa for NES was distributed in North America as Tecmo Cup Soccer Game, as part of the Tecmo sports franchise. It was heavily Americanized, featuring a different main character, a different introduction, different music, and more American looking characters (no spiky black hair, for example).
Tecmo Cup Football Game, on the other hand, is a Captain Tsubasa rip-off designed for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and targeted for the European market. It features an overall looking much more reminiscent to the Japanese series, only avoiding the original Captain Tsubasa characters' and instead replacing them with similar redesigned ones, following characteristics from the German ethnicity (mostly spiky blond/brown hair and large blue eyes) along with using western names. The game is kind of a mix from Captain Tsubasa Vol. III (Super Famicom) and Tecmo Cup Soccer Game (NES north-american remake of Captain Tsubasa Vol. I) the graphic style is heavily inspired by the Super Famicom game but with most of the music from Tecmo Cup Soccer Game, bearing in mind the majority of the soundtrack was done exclusively for that game, they re-utilized them on the Megadrive version. Sadly this game was never released, even though it was promoted on european magazines from that time, Sega decided not to publish a series of third party games on Europe in late 1994, leaving the market without many interesting games, including important japanese releases like Splatterhouse 3 and Golden Axe 3. Pirate bootlegs of Tecmo Cup Football Game could be found on the black market a couple of years from its supposed date release. That's why now the game can be found on the emulators and roms scene.
Tecmo World Cup, Tecmo World Cup '92, and Tecmo World Cup '93 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis are unrelated to the Captain Tsubasa series.
Each subsequent release in the series improved on graphics and gameplay. Captain Tsubasa J: The Way to World Youth, the final Captain Tsubasa game for the Super Famicom (Super NES), abandons the RPG formula and plays as a traditional soccer action title. Another game based on Captain Tsubasa J was later released on the Sony PlayStation, Captain Tsubasa J: Get In The Tomorrow by Bandai.
In the Nintendo DS crossover fighting game Jump Ultimate Stars, Tsubasa, Wakabayashi and Hyuga appear as support characters, while Roberto and Sanae appear as helper characters. Misaki also has a cameo in the game, appearing when Tsubasa is summoned with a certain koma.
Captain Tsubasa inspired the prominent footballers such as Hidetoshi Nakata and Alessandro Del Piero to play football and choose it as a career.[8][9]
Shaolin Soccer was inspired by Captain Tsubasa.[10]
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