Hungry Heart: Wild Striker
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| Hungry Heart: Wild Striker | |
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| ハングリーハート WILD STRIKER (Hungry Heart: Wild Striker) |
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| Genre | Sports, Shōnen, Comedy |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Hitoshi Haga, Satoshi Saga |
| Studio | Nippon Animation |
| Network |  Animax, Fuji Television       Animax Italia Teen Television GMA Network, QTV11 |
| Original run | 2002-09-11 – 2003-09-10 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Yoichi Takahashi |
| Publisher | Akita Shoten Asuka Comics Editorial Ivréa |
| Serialized in | Shonen Champion |
| Original run | 2002 – |
| No. of volumes | 6 |
Hungry Heart: Wild Striker (ハングリーハート WILD STRIKER?) is a Japanese manga and anime series, authored by Yōichi Takahashi, and produced by the anime television network, Animax, who have broadcast the series across its respective networks in Japan, East Asia, South Asia, South America and other regions.
The anime series spanned 52 episodes, and was produced by Animax and Nippon Animation, being also broadcast, translated and dubbed in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and other languages. Originally spanning 6-tankōbon volumes, the manga was serialized in Akita Shōten's Shōnen Champion manga magazine.
German-based sportswear brand Puma were the commercial sponsors for the anime series, with the many of the clothing and sportsgear sporting Puma's brand.
Contents |
[edit] Storyline
Hungry Heart: Wild Striker tells the story of Kanō Kyōsuke (叶恭介 Kanō Kyōsuke?), a teenaged high-school student, who, at the beginning of the series, has just transferred into the Jyoyō Orange high school. Kyōsuke's older brother is the illustrious and extremely famous A.C. Milan soccer player, Kanō Seisuke (叶成介 Kanō Seisuke?), who had first taught him how to play and love the game of soccer and whom he has greatly admired since childhood, but after Seisuke leaves Japan to sign for Italian powerhouses A.C. Milan, Kyōsuke's love for the game started to slowly evaporate and lessen, and eventually lost most of his passion for it.
After his transfer to Jyoyō, however, and a fated meeting with Tsujiwaki Miki, an enthusiastic girl with a lot of passion for soccer and who soon reinvigorates his love for the game with her determination to excel, Kyōsuke's deep love and passion for soccer returns to its fullest and soon joins the Jyoyō soccer team, making several friends, such as his fellow freshmen, Jefferson Sakai, a talented goalkeeper, and Rodrigo, a passionate Brazilian transfer student. Kyōsuke, invigorated with Miki's care and help and by his love and determination to excel in soccer, along with his friends at Jyoyō, take on the best, and discovers an immense and determined passion for the game.
[edit] Characters
- Names are given in the original Japanese order, with the family name, or surname, followed by a given name, which interestingly, was the format used in the English dub.
- Kanō Kyōsuke (叶恭介 Kanō Kyōsuke?), voiced by Kousuke Toriumi
Called Orangehead jokingly by some of his friends, Kyōsuke learned the tricks and trades of soccer from his illustrious older brother, A.C. Milan playmaker Kanō Seisuke. After Seisuke's departure, he had slowly lost his interest in the game, but rediscovered and reinvigorated his love for the game after a fated meeting with Miki. Initially joining as the coach of Jyoyō's girl's soccer team, the determination exhibited by the girls, especially Miki, invigorates his passion for soccer, and soon he joins Jyoyō's male soccer team, emerging as their ace striker.
- Tsujiwaki Miki, voiced by Natsuki Katou
- Kyōsuke's closest friend. She's the only girl Kyōsuke got attached with.
- Rodrigo, voiced by Katashi Ishizuka
- A transfer student from Brazil, Rodrigo is Jyoyo's playmaker, who earns the interest of several professional J-League clubs.
- Jefferson Sakai Kōji (Goalkeeper), voiced by Masaya Takatsuka
- He's known for charming girls in school. Jyoyō's GK. He is also known for his superior acceleration speed.
- Kamata (Defender)
- He's known as Sergeant Chin. He played forward in junior high.
- Sako (Midfielder)
- Jyoyo's team captain in the first year.
- Hiroshi Ichikawa (Midfielder), voiced by Hiroyuki Yoshino
- Known for his hot-headed attitude.
- Masashi Esaka (Midfielder)
- He's called Ōsaka by Kyosuke. He's the series' comic relief for his bald look. In second year he is chosen by Sako as the new captain.
- Yūya Kiba (Forward), voiced by Kenichi Suzumura
- Called Nesthead by Kyosuke. Kyosuke's rival in 2nd year for the forward position.
- Masahiko Shinkawa (Midfielder)
- The fastest in the team. Yūya's buddy.
- Kazuya Muroi (Defender)
- Replaces Kamata in 2nd year as defender. Known for his Mohawk look.
- Murakami Kazuo, voiced by Takashi Matsuyama
- Coach of Jyōyo men's soccer club. He was formerly a powerful forward for the Japanese National Team.
- Mori Kazuto, voiced by Akari Hibino
- Jyōyo's team manager.
- Fukuko
- Jyōyo dormitory's cook.
- Dōmoto Kaori
- Jyōyo's nutritionist and cook. She has a special friendship with Seisuke Kanō.
- Kanō Seisuke (叶成介 Kanō Seisuke?), voiced by Takehito Koyasu
- Kyōsuke's brother. Known as a soccer genius and plays in AC Milan.
- When he was young, he led both his Middle and High School's soccer teams to the nationals and won, was in the top three in High School, a world renowned player before 17, had a J-League contract before 21, and finally an AC Milan star. He also had excellent academic grades.
- Furuki
- Ryosei's team captain. He plays ID (Important Data) soccer.
- Makoto Iguchi
- Kokuryō's ace GK. He also plays with the Japan youth team.
- Shinji Kamiyama
- Kokuryō's ace Striker. Kyōsuke's rival as the best striker in the region. JYT member.
- Fujimori Minoru, and Kaoru (midfielders)
- Kokuryō's dynamic duo. They are members of the JYT.
- Yuki Kagami (midfielder)
- Known as Seisuke Kanō Jr. Tenryū's captain. He's Kyōsuke's rival as the best player in high school soccer in Japan.
- Gon, voiced by Masashi Nakayama himself.
[edit] Teams
- Jyōyo Akanegaoka high school( Jyōyo Orange Hill)- Kyōsuke Kanō's high school team.
- Ryōsei high school- they are known for their ID soccer, based on data collected by their captain Furuki.
- Yamanomori high school- a school in the mountains. Known for their teamwork.
- Kokuryō high school- the regional champions and Tenryū's rival school.
- Tenryū high school- The national champions. Seisuke Kanō's former high school.
[edit] Similarities and differences with Captain Tsubasa
Yoichi Takahashi still used the same formula he used in Captain Tsubasa, but in a least exaggerated way. He still included a character with Brazilian origins and a character with European style (in Sakai's case, he was raised in Europe, unlike Genzo who was invited to train in Germany). Players don't have signature or trademark moves like Tsubasa's Drive Shot, Matsuyama's Long Shot, Tachibana twins' acrobatic shot, Hyuga's Tiger Shot and Schneider's Corkscrew shot. Instead, Takahashi made his striker characters to be competent at any kind of shot (it is always shown at Kyosuke's plays and the 5 shots challenge between Murakami and Sakai). Unlike Nankatsu who always wins championships, Jyoyo did not win any national championships at all. Some characters from this anime look similar from characters from Captain Tsubasa like Esaka and Ishuzaki, Murakami and Otomo team coach, Ichikawa and Urabe and many others.
[edit] Trivia
- Masashi Nakayama, known popularly as Gon, of Jubilo Iwata had his appearance on the training camp episode. He had a showdown between him and Kyosuke. He wore a uniform similar to his jersey.
- On the last episode, some famous J League players had their appearances on the game between Japan and Cameroon.
- Also in the last episode, the game relives the 1998 FIFA World Cup game against Jamaica. That game is Japan's first appearance in a world cup (since this anime was produced in 2002, the KoreaJapan world cup year). This is also the game where Masashi Nakayama scored Japan's first goal in a world cup appearance. Although Japan lost that game, it proved that Japan, being a young team, has the potential to be a contender in the world cup. Since that game, Japan appeared in the next two world cups. In the anime though, Kanou Kyosuke was the only one who scored in that game. Like in the real game, Japan lost.
- In the first episode Tsujiwaki Miki mentions she just started to like soccer after reading a famous manga about a soccer player who fufills his dreams. This is a reference to Yoichi Takahashi's other work, the famous soccer manga Captain Tsubasa.
[edit] External links
- Animax's official website for Hungry Heart: Wild Striker (Japanese)
- Nippon Animation's official website for Hungry Heart: Wild Striker (Japanese)
- Hungry Heart, mirror of Japanese soccer (French)
- Animax East Asia's page for Hungry Heart (English)
- Animax South Asia's page for Hungry Heart (English)
- Hungry Heart - Wild Striker at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
- Hungry Heart (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
