Captain Tsubasa: The appeal and reputation of the 1983 original series

Captain Tsubasa: A timeless masterpiece depicting the dreams and passion of soccer

The TV anime series "Captain Tsubasa," which aired from 1983 to 1986, depicts youth, friendship, effort, and growth through the sport of soccer, and its influence has not faded to this day, continuing to fascinate fans around the world. In this article, we will introduce the appeal of "Captain Tsubasa" and provide detailed information about it, and explore why it continues to be loved by so many people.

■Overview of the work

"Captain Tsubasa" is a television anime series based on the manga of the same name by Yoichi Takahashi. It was broadcast every Thursday on TV Tokyo from October 13, 1983 to March 27, 1986, and became a long-running series with a total of 128 episodes. It was produced by TV Tokyo and Tsuchida Productions, with Mitsunobu Hiroaki as chief director. The original manga was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), and its popularity was such that it was not only adapted into an anime, but also spawned four feature films.

■ Story

The story revolves around the soccer life of Tsubasa Ozora, who transfers to Nankatsu Elementary School in Shizuoka Prefecture. Having been familiar with soccer since childhood and with the belief that "the ball is a friend," Tsubasa walks the path of soccer with good teammates, rivals, and mentors. His genius talent and passion blossoms through national tournaments and European tours, creating many moving scenes.

■Explanation

"Captain Tsubasa" can be said to have sparked the current popularity of soccer in Japan. When it was broadcast, it broke the record for the highest audience rating (21.2%) for an anime program on TV Tokyo, and its influence is immeasurable. The original work is a coming-of-age story about a genius soccer boy drawn by Yoichi Takahashi, depicting his exploits from elementary school to junior high school. Its popularity has not waned even after it was made into an anime, and it has been re-animated twice, as "Captain Tsubasa J" in 1994 and "Captain Tsubasa" (Heisei version) in 2001. It is also broadcast in over 50 countries around the world, and many of the world's top players declare themselves to be fans.

■Cast

The main characters are voiced by:

• Tsubasa Ozora: Yoko Kogayu
• Genzo Wakabayashi: Koichi Hashimoto
• Taro Misaki: Eiko Yamada
• Kojiro Hyuga: Hirotaka Suzuoki
• Ken Wakashimazu: Nobuo Tobita
• Roberto Hongo: Hideyuki Tanaka

■ Main staff

The main staff involved in the production are as follows:

• Original author: Yoichi Takahashi
• Chief Director: Hiroaki Mitsunobu
• Character design: Nobuhiro Okasako
• Art director: Ichiro Nakano
• Director of photography: Seiichi Morishita
• Music: Hiromoto Tobisawa
• Sound Director: Hiroshi Yamazaki
• Producers: Heita Gotsu, Hiromichi Mogaki, Masao Kodaira
• Production: TV Tokyo, Tsuchida Productions

■ Main Characters

Details of the main characters are as follows:

Tsubasa Ozora

A boy with a cheerful and positive personality. He has a talent for soccer that could be called a child of the future, and shows outstanding skills such as overhead kicks as an elementary school student and drive shots in junior high school. He can also imitate other players' techniques after seeing them just once. His motto is "The ball is your friend."

Taro Misaki

A boy with a mature personality and consideration for others. He has traveled around the country with his father, a painter, and belonged to various teams, so he is able to play in combination with other players of any style. After meeting Tsubasa at Nankatsu Elementary School, they became a golden duo.

Genzo Wakabayashi

A goalkeeper who boasts impenetrable defense, he faced off against Tsubasa on their first encounter, and they became rivals as well as sworn allies bound by a strong friendship.

Hyuga Kojiro

Nicknamed "The Fierce Tiger," he is a striker full of fighting spirit. As the eldest child of a single-parent family, he strives to become a professional in order to help his family. For this reason, he has no tolerance for those who play soccer with a careless attitude.

Ken Wakashimazu

The son of a karate dojo owner, he is a goalkeeper who uses his skills to defend the team. He and Kojiro have been friends since they were elementary school students, and they have built a strong bond of trust.

Roberto Hongo

A former Brazilian national team player of Japanese descent who retired due to retinal detachment, he is Tsubasa's most respected mentor.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for all 128 episodes are as follows:

• Episode 1: Fly into the sky
• Episode 2: Burning Soccer Boy (1983/10/13)
• Episode 3: Kick-off for tomorrow
• Episode 4: The ball is my friend
• Episode 5: Where are the rivals?
• Episode 6: Secure the goal
• Episode 7: The Fateful Long Shot
• Episode 8: The Birth of a Refreshing Duo
• Episode 9: Take the Last Chance
• Episode 10: Dreams go to Brazil
• Episode 11: The Stray Wolf Kojiro Appears
• Episode 12: Aim to be number one in Japan!
• Episode 13: A muddy, heated battle
• Episode 14: The Prince of the Field
• Episode 15: The Scarred Goalkeeper
• Episode 16: One Dream, Moero Eleven
• Episode 17: Opening! National tournament
• Episode 18: Fated Showdown! Tsubasa vs Kojiro
• Episode 19: The Terrifying Bullet Shoot
• Episode 20: Soccer is my dream!
• Episode 21: Don't Cry! Tsubasa
• Episode 22: The Twin Strikers
• Episode 23: Ishizaki's Big Mistake
• Episode 24: The Great Air Battle
• Episode 25: I'm the best goalkeeper in the tournament!
• Episode 26: Glass Ace
• Episode 27: Top 4! Clash
• Episode 28: The North Country's Hot Eleven
• Episode 29: A bloody showdown
• Episode 30: The Scarred Prince
• Episode 31: A Magnificent Showdown
• Episode 32: Set Wings in a Trap
• Episode 33: Wings that can't fly
• Episode 34: Revive Wings
• Episode 35: Jun, don't die
• Episode 36: My heart is still beating
• Episode 37: The Miracle Super Long Shot
• Episode 38: Kojiro, the Sleeping Tiger
• Episode 39: The Return of the Genius Goalkeeper Wakabayashi
• Episode 40: There it is! The opening twin shot
• Episode 41: Clash! Wakabayashi vs Kojiro
• Episode 42: Bare your fangs, ferocious tiger!
• Episode 43: The Golden Duo in Danger!
• Episode 44: The Fiery Diving Head
• Episode 45: In a pinch! A battle without an ace
• Episode 46: Yes! Ishizaki's specialty: face block
• Episode 47: Kojiro's V Sign
• Episode 48: The Miracle Triple Shot
• Episode 49: Scorching Hot Overtime
• Episode 50: Ah, the phantom goal!?
• Episode 51: We Won't Lose!
• Episode 52: Deadly Battle! Extra Time
• Episode 53: The Golden Duo Returns!
• Episode 54: The Final Battle! Tsubasa vs Kojiro
• Episode 55: Glory and Goodbye
• Episode 56: Each Departure
• Episode 57: We are third-year middle school students
• Episode 58: A passionate start to the third championship
• Episode 59: A New Rival
• Episode 60: Wings! Become a Hawk on the Field
• Episode 61: No-Trap Hayabusa Shoot
• Episode 62: Lullaby of the Challengers
• Episode 63: Defeat Tsubasa! I'm the hero
• Episode 64: The Return of Ace, Jun Misugi
• Episode 65: A dream match! Misugi vs Kojiro
• Episode 66: To Europe's Wings
• Episode 67: The Fall of a Nobleman on the Field
• Episode 68: A letter from Wakabayashi
• Episode 69: Kojiro, the Fierce Tiger Sharpening His Fangs
• Episode 70: Aim for V3! A turbulent start
• Episode 71: Make it! Drive Shot
• Episode 72: Block! The Deadly Razor Shot
• Episode 73: The Hot Footsteps of Rivals
• Episode 74: Here Comes the Skylab Hurricane!
• Episode 75: Wings, fly higher than anyone else
• Episode 76: The Tachibana Brothers' Deadly Combination Play
• Episode 77: Make it! Sliding Shot
• Episode 78: Clash! Top 8
• Episode 79: The Northern Eagle, Hikaru Matsuyama
• Episode 80: The Unveiled Prodigy, Hiroshi Jito
• Episode 81: The Hawk in the Field with its Wings Plucked
• Episode 82: A series of spirited drive shots
• Episode 83: Clash! A Deadly Battle in Front of the Goal
• Episode 84: Unbreakable Teamwork
• Episode 85: Burn Up! Top 4
• Episode 86: Wakashimazu's Unfortunate First Run
• Episode 87: Kojiro, the Fierce Tiger in the Cage
• Episode 88: The Angry Tiger Corps!!
• Episode 89: Taro Misaki's Report from Europe
• Episode 90: The Dream Tour to Europe - Who will be chosen?
• Episode 91: Fly to the Field! The Eagle and the Hawk
• Episode 92: The Northern Eagle's Invincible Long Shot
• Episode 93: Counterattack to Victory
• Episode 94: Fierce Attack! Four Consecutive Shots
• Episode 95: Wounded Wings: Resurrect the Phoenix
• Episode 96: Farewell to the Northern Warrior
• Episode 97: The Tiger's Challenge
• Episode 98: Remember Europe's passionate promise
• Episode 99: Tsubasa vs. the English Heavy Tank Corps
• Episode 100: A New Trial
• Episode 101: Burning Field: Tsubasa vs. Pierre!!
• Episode 102: Defeat the Number One in Europe!
• Episode 103: The Invincible Emperor, Schneider
• Episode 104: The Last Kick to Glory
• Episode 105: A Fated Showdown Again
• Episode 106: The Last Fight of the Century
• Episode 107: The First Super Shot!
• Episode 108: Counterattack Drive Shot
• Episode 109: Fire-breathing Tiger Shot
• Episode 110: The greatest crisis for the champion Nankatsu
• Episode 111: The Miracle Drive Shot
• Episode 112: Hyuga Kojiro's Counterattack!
• Episode 113: Soar! Phoenix
• Episode 114: Burn! Fiery Teamwork
• Episode 115: Dream Diving Overhead
• Episode 116: I'll get the last goal!
• Episode 117: Defend Our Goal!
• Episode 118: Run, Tsubasa! To the Victory Goal
• Episode 119: Time's Up
• Episode 120: Run! V3 is our dream
• Episode 121: The Miracle Hawk of the Field
• Episode 122: The Return of Our Captain
• Episode 123: Tsubasa's Final Plan!!
• Episode 124: The Scarred Hero
• Episode 125: Glory and a New Journey
• Episode 126: Best Friends: Genzo Wakabayashi and I
• Episode 127: Eternal Partners: Taro Misaki and I
• Episode 128: Fly! Shining Warriors (1986/03/27)

■ Related works

The "Captain Tsubasa" series includes the following related works:

• "Captain Tsubasa: The Great European Battle" (film)
• "Captain Tsubasa: In Danger! All Japan Jr." (Movie)
• "Captain Tsubasa: Run Towards Tomorrow!" (Movie)
• "Captain Tsubasa: World Battle Jr. World Cup" (movie)
• "Captain Tsubasa J" (remake, TV anime)
• "Captain Tsubasa: The Strongest Enemy! Dutch Youth" (Movie)
• "Captain Tsubasa" (Heisei version, TV anime)
• "New Captain Tsubasa" (video animation)

■ Theme songs and music

The theme songs and insert songs for "Captain Tsubasa" are as follows:

Opening Theme

• OP1
  • Period: 1-87
  • Song Name: Burning Hero
  • Lyricist: Osamu Yoshioka
  • Composer: Takayuki Baba
  • Arrangement: Hiromoto Tobisawa
  • Vocals: Hiroyuki Okita
• OP2
  • Period: 88-128
  • Song Name: Burning Hero
  • Lyricist: Osamu Yoshioka
  • Composer: Takayuki Baba
  • Arrangement: Shiro Sagisu
  • Sung by: Takayuki Takemoto

Ending Theme

• ED1
  • Period: 1-49
  • Song Name: Winter Lion
  • Composer: Takayuki Baba
  • Arrangement: Hiromoto Tobisawa
  • Vocals: Hiroyuki Okita
• ED2
  • Period: 50-110
  • Song name: Run, Tsubasa!! - Captain Tsubasa cheer song -
  • Lyricist: Hiroshi Uchiki
  • Composer: Hiroshi Uchiki
  • Arrangement: Hiroshi Takami
  • Song: Captain Tsubasa Cheering Squad
• ED3
  • Period: 111-128
  • Song name: Run, Tsubasa!! - Captain Tsubasa cheer song -
  • Lyricist: Osamu Yoshioka
  • Composer: Hiroshi Uchiki
  • Arrangement: Hiromoto Tobisawa
  • Sung by: Yoko Kogayu

■ Evaluation and impact

"Captain Tsubasa" is not only an appealing story and characters, but has also contributed greatly to the spread of the sport of soccer. It is known as the work that sparked the rise of soccer in Japan in particular. When the anime was first broadcast, it is said to have inspired many children to take up soccer and become professional soccer players. It has also been highly praised overseas, broadcast in over 50 countries around the world. Its influence is such that many professional soccer players publicly declare that they are fans of "Captain Tsubasa."

The work has been praised for its realistic and moving story development and character growth. In particular, the story of Ozora Tsubasa's growth has resonated with many viewers, teaching them the importance of hard work and friendship. Additionally, scenes depicting confrontations with rivals and the importance of teamwork left a strong impression on viewers.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Captain Tsubasa" is recommended not only for those who love soccer, but also for those who want to enjoy a story about youth, friendship, and hard work. It is especially recommended for the following people:

• Soccer fans: You can learn soccer techniques and tactics while enjoying an inspiring story.
• People who like coming-of-age dramas: The story of growth and friendship between Tsubasa Ozora and his friends will resonate with many people.
• For sports anime fans: Captain Tsubasa is the gold standard for sports anime, unrivaled in its influence and appeal.
• For those who like stories of hard work and growth: Tsubasa Ozora's process of hard work and growth will give viewers great inspiration and courage.

■How to watch

Captain Tsubasa is available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available on streaming services. You can watch it on the following services:

• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• YouTube

You can also enjoy the world of "Captain Tsubasa" more deeply by watching related works and remakes. In particular, the movie version and remakes "Captain Tsubasa J" and "Captain Tsubasa (Heisei version)" are a good opportunity to rediscover the appeal of the original work.

Conclusion

"Captain Tsubasa" is a timeless masterpiece that depicts youth and friendship, hard work and growth through the sport of soccer. Its influence has spread not only in Japan but all over the world, and it continues to inspire and encourage many people. It is a work that can be recommended to a wide range of people, including those who love soccer, those who like youth dramas, those who like sports anime, and those who like stories of hard work and growth. Please watch "Captain Tsubasa" and experience its charm for yourself.