The appeal and reviews of "Capeta": A racing anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults

Capeta - Kart racing of dreams and passion

"Capeta" is a TV anime series that aired on TV Tokyo from 2005 to 2006 and is based on the manga of the same name by Masato Soda. This work is a touching story about the growth and challenges of a boy, Katsuhei Hira (known as Capeta), who has been obsessed with kart racing since he was a child. Here, we will take a closer look at the appeal and highlights of "Capeta," as well as the attention to detail of the production team behind it.

story

Capeta, also known as Taira Katsuhei, is a boy in the fourth grade of elementary school. He lost his mother at a young age and lives with his father, who is busy with work. During his boring days, Capeta's only dream was a cool car. One day, his father brought home some materials that had been discarded at his workplace, completed a handmade racing kart, and gave it to Capeta as a gift. When he tried to run it on the circuit, the frame was bent and it would not run straight. However, Capeta used his inherent kindness and intelligence to master the kart and succeeded in running it normally. On the contrary, he showed such a good run that he approached the kart of Minamoto Naomi, the East Japan Junior Kart Champion, who was running on the same circuit, and tried to overtake him. Naomi's mother, Minamoto Nanako, who was watching this run, encouraged Capeta to participate in an official kart race. Capeta decided to participate in his first official race with a kart made by his father, and further sharpened his driving skills in unknown territory.

Commentary

"Capeta" is a passionate story about kart racing, depicting the pure passion to race and the strong will to be faster than anyone else. The original is a popular comic by Masato Soda, and the TV anime is made in two parts, an elementary school edition and a junior high school edition. The story depicts Capeta, who learns about the world of karting after receiving a kart, and his fierce battles with his rivals. This work inspires and encourages viewers through the story of boys working hard towards their dreams.

cast

Naoto Adachi plays Capeta in the elementary school version, while Toshiyuki Toyonaga plays him in the middle school version. Other talented voice actors appearing include Yuta Takihara (elementary school version) and Kohei Kiyasu (middle school version) as Ando Makoto, Yume Miyamoto (elementary school version) and Mika Kikuchi (middle school version) as Suzuki Shigenami, Shinya Kote as Taira Shigeo, Rei Naito as Minamoto Naomi, Yuu Daiki as Minamoto Nanako, Tsuyoshi Maeda as Shiba Ryo, and Mika Ishibashi as Sarky (Reinhard III). This cast portrays Capeta's growth and challenges in a realistic way.

Main Staff

Many talented staff members are involved in the production of "Capeta". The original work is by Masato Soda, the director is Shin Misawa, the assistant director is Hisaya Takabayashi, the series composition is by Mutsuo Kamiyo, the character design and general animation director is Tadami Okimura, the kart design (formula design) is Koichi Okawara, Yoshiko Takeda, Gong Shu, Katsunori Takamatsu, Yoshiki Kamiya, the art director is Kazuhiro Takahashi, the color coordination is Yuko Tsumori, the director of photography is Seiichi Morishita, the editor is Toshihiko Kojima, the music is Toshihiko Sahashi, the dubbing direction is Yuji Mitsuya, the dubbing direction and sound effects are Takashi Endo, the sound production is Delphi Sound, the sound direction is Kazuzo Hamano, the producers are Norio Yamakawa, Hidenori Itabashi, Kosuke Tamura → Bunpei Ogawa, the animation production is Studio Comet, and the production is by TV Tokyo, Sotsu Eizou, and Marvelous Music Publishing. These staff members worked together to create the world of "Capeta".

Main Characters

Capeta, also known as Taira Katsuhei, is a fourth-grade boy. He lost his mother at a young age and lives with his father. He loves his father very much, but he doesn't have much time to spend with him because he is busy with work, so he doesn't do anything well and spends his days half-heartedly and bored. However, when his father gives him a handmade racing kart, he shows his natural talent as a driver. His determination to win, his never-give-up attitude, and his dedication to research are what make him stand out. In the junior high school version, he joins Team Capeta and joins the "Formula Stella" racing school to compete against Naomi.

Shigeo Taira is Capeta's father. He works for a road paving company, but is so busy that he doesn't notice how lonely Capeta is. However, he supports his son's dream by giving him a handmade racing kart as a gift for his car-loving son.

Shigenami Suzuki is a childhood friend of Capeta. She likes Capeta's father and wants to take care of Capeta. Although she is small, she has a woman's heart and is hostile towards Nanako. In the junior high school version, she debuts as an idol.

Makoto Ando is a classmate of Capeta. He likes Shigenami and bullies Capeta because he doesn't like him because he's always with Shigenami, but he's actually a good guy who supports Capeta's kart racing. In the junior high school version, he belongs to Team Capeta and, as a good supporter of Capeta, he has him participate in the "Formula Stella" racing school to compete against Naomi.

Minamoto Naomi is an elite in the karting world who has received a special education and is always a cool young man. He is a good rival of Capeta, and was moved by Capeta's passionate driving when he met him in elementary school, and even now in junior high school, he can't take his eyes off him.

Nanako Minamoto is Naomi's mother and the president of Autohaus Racing. When she was young, she competed in the All Japan Kart Championship. She recognized Capeta's talent and has her eye on him as a rival to help Naomi grow.

Saruki (Reinhard III) is a monkey kept by Capeta. Capeta inherited him from Momotarou Tagawakami, who held a party to celebrate his first win in a kart race. Monami has secretly taught him some tricks.

subtitle

"Capeta" consists of 52 episodes, each of which is titled "Lap." Below are the subtitles of each episode.

• Lap.01/Remove the limiter! (2005/10/04)
• Lap.02/My Kart! (2005/10/11)
• Lap.03/My first circuit! (2005/10/18)
• Lap.04／Full throttle!(2005/10/25)
• Lap.05／Rival! (2005/11/01)
• Lap.06/Team Capeta! (2005/11/08)
• Lap.07／Entry!(2005/11/15)
• Lap.08／Crash! (2005/11/22)
• Lap.09/Course record! (2005/11/29)
• Lap.10/Time Trial! (2005/12/06)
• Lap.11／Start! (2005/12/13)
• Lap.12/Battle! (2005/12/20)
• Lap.13/Team Order! (2005/12/27)
• Lap.14／Winner!(2006/01/03)
• Lap.15/Step Up! (2006/01/10)
• Lap.16／Penalty! (2006/01/17)
• Lap.17/Overtake! (2006/01/24)
• Lap.18/Sponsor! (2006/01/31)
• Lap.19／Festival!(2006/02/07)
• Lap.20/Partner! (2006/02/14)
• Lap.21/Racing History! (2006/02/21)
• Lap.22／Pressure! (2006/02/28)
• Lap.23/Last Chance! (2006/03/07)
• Lap.24/Condition! (2006/03/14)
• Lap.25／Reverse!(2006/03/21)
• Lap.26/Traction! (2006/03/28)
• Lap.27／Blue Flag!(2006/04/04)
• Lap.28／Challenge!(2006/04/11)
• Lap.29/Slick tires! (2006/04/18)
• Lap.30/Hard Rain! (2006/04/25)
• Lap.31/Side by Side! (2006/05/02)
• Lap.32/Final Lap! (2006/05/09)
• Lap.33/Presentation! (2006/05/16)
• Lap.34／Scout! (2006/05/23)
• Lap.35/Performance! (2006/05/30)
• Lap.36/Idoling! (2006/06/06)
• Lap.37/New Machine! (2006/06/13)
• Lap.38／Formula Stella!(2006/06/20)
• Lap.39／First Step!(2006/06/27)
• Lap.40/Shift Up! (2006/07/04)
• Lap.41／Blind Corner! (2006/07/11)
• Lap.42／Turning Point!(2006/07/18)
• Lap.43／Heat Up! (2006/07/25)
• Lap.44／Pit in!(2006/08/01)
• Lap.45/Victory Road! (2006/08/08)
• Lap.46／Audition! (2006/08/15)
• Lap.47/Perfect Win! (2006/08/22)
• Lap.48/Next Stage! (2006/08/29)
• Lap.49／Versus! (2006/09/05)
• Lap.50/Second Driver! (2006/09/12)
• Lap.51／Red Zone!(2006/09/19)
• Lap.52/Checkered Flag! (2006/09/26)

Theme songs and music

The theme song and insert songs by "Capeta" also add to the appeal of the work. The theme song and ending theme are introduced below.

Opening Theme

• OP1: "Never Ever"
• Lyricist: Kazuko Kobayashi
• Composer: Shunsuke Yazaki
• Arrangement: Yasuaki Maejima
• Vocals: Tsubasa Imai
• OP2 "Fuse"
• Lyricist: Teppei Inoue
• Composer: BAZRA
• Arrangement: BAZRA
• Sung by: BAZRA

Ending Theme

• ED1 "We"
• Lyricist: Teppei Inoue
• Composer: BAZRA
• Sung by: BAZRA
• ED2 "Nana Navigation"
• Lyricist: SJR
• Composer: SJR
• Sung by: Nanase Hoshii
• ED3: Here we go!
• Lyricist: Ryo Owatari
• Composer: Ryo Owatari
• Arranged by: Missile Innovation
• Song: Missile Innovation
• ED4 "My Star"
• Lyricist: Funta
• Composer: Funta
• Arrangement: Kiyoto Chikada
• Vocals: Mika Kikuchi

Attractions and reviews

"Capeta" was loved by many viewers as a coming-of-age story about a boy who pursues his dreams and passion. In particular, it depicts Capeta's passion and hard work for kart racing, as well as the friendships and conflicts he meets with the rivals he meets along the way. It also delves deeply into the bond with his father and his relationship with his childhood friend, making it a fascinating human drama.

Studio Comet, in charge of animation production, focused on the realistic depiction of kart racing, pursuing visual impact and realism. In particular, a lot of time and effort was put into the design of the karts and the depiction of the driving scenes, providing viewers with a realistic racing experience. In addition, the character designs and background art are also beautiful, raising the quality of the entire work.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of "Capeta." The soundtrack by Toshihiko Sahashi effectively expresses the tension of the race and Capeta's growth. The theme song and ending theme also match the atmosphere of the work, capturing the hearts of viewers.

"Capeta" has gained support from a wide range of people, from children to adults, and has garnered many fans. In particular, the brilliance of youth, friendship, and the attitude of working hard towards one's dreams depicted through the sport of kart racing have inspired and inspired many viewers. This work is not just a sports anime, but a deeply moving human drama, and has received very high praise.

Recommendations and related works

If you enjoyed "Capeta," we also recommend the following works, which are also inspiring stories about youth and friendship through sports.

• "Aim for the Ace!"

A youth sports anime themed around tennis. It depicts the protagonist's efforts and growth, as well as his friendship with his rival.

• "Slam Dunk"

A youth sports anime themed around basketball. It movingly depicts the protagonist's growth and the bond with his teammates.

• "Haikyu!!"

A youth sports anime centered around volleyball. It depicts the efforts of the main character and the friendship with his teammates.

"Capeta" was loved by many viewers as a coming-of-age story about a boy who pursues his dreams and passion. The brilliance of youth and friendship depicted through the sport of kart racing, as well as the attitude of working hard towards one's dreams, have inspired and inspired many viewers. This work is not just a sports anime, but a deeply moving human drama, and has received extremely high praise. Please watch it and experience Capeta's passion and growth.