Captain Tsubasa

Captain Tsubasa (Japanese: キャプテン翼, Hepburn: 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/soccer 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, titled Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002, which was serialized between 2001 and 2004 in Weekly Young Jump, which spanned 15 volumes. The latest sequel, Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun, was serialized in Grand Jump from December 2013. The Captain Tsubasa manga has sold over 70 million copies in Japan making it one of Shonen Jump's most popular series ever.

The original Captain Tsubasa comic series was adapted soon into an TV animation series, produced by Tsuchida Production, whose first season premiered in Japan on the TV Tokyo network between October 10th, 1983 and March 27th, 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, Shin Captain Tsubasa, was produced by Shueisha and CBS Sony Group, Inc. and spanned 13 original video animations (OVAs). 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, animated by Group TAC, which aired in Japan between October 7, 2001 and October 6, 2002, with music published by Avex Mode.

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 been broadcast across several other regions over the world, including South America, Europe and the Middle East. The success of the series spurred several Nintendo Super Famicom video game adaptations. Enoki Films holds the United States license to Captain Tsubasa, under the title Flash Kicker. In a poll conducted by TV Asahi in 2005, the Captain Tsubasa anime series ranked 41 in a list of top 100 anime series.

Plot

Captain Tsubasa

Tsubasa Ozora is an 11-year-old elementary school student who is deeply in love with football 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 football". When he was only barely a year old, he was almost run over by a rushing bus while playing with a football. However, Tsubasa 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 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 football. His mother concludes that he was indeed born only to play football. 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 football teams and where Tsubasa meets Ryo Ishizaki, a football-loving young student who often sneaks out from his mother's public bath houses and chores to play football. He meets Sanae Nakazawa (also known as Anego), his future wife, an enthusiastic girl who also loves football 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 footballers, 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 football skills, convincing him to join Nankatsu Elementary and its fledgling high school football team, which Roberto coaches later as he passes his techniques onto Tsubasa.

Tsubasa meets Taro Misaki, who has travelled around Japan due to his father's job and soon joins Nankatsu. The two become the best of friends in 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 football, 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...

World Youth

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. After Shingo is taken to a badly furnished field, the man runs away, stealing all his money. 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.

Road to 2002

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 counterattack 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 Izawa 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.

Go For 2006

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]

Golden-23

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 (3-0 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.

Kaigai Gekito in Calcio

One-shot released in Japan in 2009. It comprises 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.

Kaigai Gekito En La Liga

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. 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.

Media

Manga

First edition cover in a Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump comic book magazine 1981

• Captain Tsubasa (1981-1988 in Weekly Shōnen Jump; 37 volumes)
• Captain Tsubasa Boku wa Misaki Taro (lit. I am Taro Misaki) (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa: Saikyo no teki:Holland Youth (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa: "World Youth" Saga (1994-1997 in Weekly Shōnen Jump; 18 volumes)
• Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002 (2001-2004 in Weekly Young Jump; 15 volumes; 144 chapters)
• Captain Tsubasa Millennium Dream (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa Final Countdown (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa: Road to 2002 - Go for 2006 (5 chapters included in the 15th volume of Captain Tsubasa Road to 2002)
• Captain Tsubasa FCRB (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa Golden Dream (one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa: All Star Game (one-shot; 5 chapters)
• Captain Tsubasa: Golden-23 (2005-2008 in Weekly Young Jump; 12 volumes)
• Captain Tsubasa Japan Dream (2006, one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa Kaigai Gekito Hen (May 2009 - February 2012 in Weekly Young Jump; 8 volumes)
  • In Calcio (May 2009 - September 2009 in Weekly Young Jump; 2 volumes)
  • En La Liga (February 2010 – February 2012 in Weekly Young Jump; 6 volumes)
• Captain Tsubasa Live Together (2010, one-shot)
• Captain Tsubasa: Rising Sun (2014)

Reception and legacy

In 2001, the Captain Tsubasa anime series was ranked forty-ninth in Animage's "Top 100" anime productions list.^[8] The anime adaptation has also been very popular in Japan. In 2005, Japanese television network TV Asahi conducted a "Top 100" online web poll and nationwide survey; Captain Tsubasa placed forty-first in the online pool and thirtieth in the survey.^[9][10] In 2006, TV Asahi conducted another online poll for the top one hundred anime, and 'Captain Tsubasa placed sixteenth on the "The Celebrity List".^[11]

Captain Tsubasa inspired the prominent footballers such as Hidetoshi Nakata, Alessandro Del Piero, Fernando Torres, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Alexis Sánchez and Andrés Iniesta to play football and choose it as a career^{[12][13][14][15][16]} as well as Stephen Chow's film Shaolin Soccer and an Adidas running shoes.^[17][18] A bronze statue of Tsubasa Oozora will be erected in the neighborhood of the anime's creator in Katsushika, Tokyo in spring 2013.^[19]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Captain Tsubasa.

	Anime and manga portal
	Association football portal
	Japan portal

References

External links

• (Japanese) Captain Tsubasa manga official website
• (Japanese) TV Tokyo official Captain Tsubasa anime website
• Enoki Films USA Flash Kicker also known as Captain Tsubasa website
• Captain Tsubasa at Anime Video Games Reviews
• Captain Tsubasa (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Captain Tsubasa (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia