Hungry Heart: Wild Striker
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese soccer
manga
and anime
series, authored by Captain Tsubasa
creator Yōichi Takahashi
. The manga series was serialized in Akita Shoten
's Weekly Shōnen Champion. The anime series was produced by Nippon Animation
and Animax
, and premiered in Japan on Animax between September 11, 2002 and September 10, 2003, spanning a total of 52 episodes.
Animax later aired the series across its other networks worldwide, including its English-language networks in Southeast Asia
and South Asia
, and its other networks, including Hong Kong
, Taiwan
, Latin America
and numerous other regions. The anime series has also been broadcast, translated and dubbed in English, Spanish
, Portuguese
, Italian
, Hindi
, Urdu
and other languages.
German
-based sportswear brand
Puma
were the commercial sponsors for the anime series, with many of the clothing and sportsgear sporting Puma's brand.
soccer player, Kanō Seisuke, who had first taught him how to play and love the game of soccer and whom he has greatly admired since childhood. After Seisuke left Japan to sign with Italian powerhouse A.C. Milan, people started comparing Kyōsuke with his brother and criticizing him due to his different playing style. Living in his brother's shadow, Kyōsuke's love for the game slowly started to evaporate and lessen, and he eventually lost most of his passion for it.
After his transfer to Jyoyō 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. He soon joins the Jyoyō men's soccer team and makes several friends, such as his fellow freshmen, Sakai Jefferson, a talented goalkeeper, and Rodrigo, a passionate Brazilian transfer student. Kyōsuke, with the support of his friends at Jyoyō and invigorated with Miki's care and help and by his love and determination to excel in soccer, takes on the best, and discovers an immense and determined passion for the game.
, (Forward)
, (Midfielder)
, (Goalkeeper)
, (Defender)
, (Midfielder)
, (Midfielder)
, (Midfielder)
, (Forward)
, (Midfielder)
, (Defender)
, (Defender)
Furuki
Makoto Iguchi
Kamiyama Yuujirou
and , (midfielders)
, (midfielder)
Narumi Keisuke
Narumi Mitsuko
Coach Numakawa
Toda and Ueno
Ending theme songs
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, authored by Captain Tsubasa
Captain Tsubasa
, also known as Flash Kicker, is a popular long running Japanese manga, animation, and video game series, originally created by Yōichi Takahashi in 1981...
creator Yōichi Takahashi
Yoichi Takahashi
is a Japanese cartoonist and manga artist, best known for his work Captain Tsubasa.-Works:Yoichi Takahashi has had many items published including art books, manga, novels, and guides, most of which are of about his manga Captain Tsubasa.-Manga:...
. The manga series was serialized in Akita Shoten
Akita Shoten
is a Japanese publishing company established on August 10, 1948 in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Its main editorial target has always been teenagers , and it currently publishes mostly manga...
's Weekly Shōnen Champion. The anime series was produced by Nippon Animation
Nippon Animation
is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
and Animax
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, and premiered in Japan on Animax between September 11, 2002 and September 10, 2003, spanning a total of 52 episodes.
Animax later aired the series across its other networks worldwide, including its English-language networks in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, and its other networks, including Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and numerous other regions. The anime series has also been broadcast, translated and dubbed in English, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and other languages.
German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-based sportswear brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...
were the commercial sponsors for the anime series, with many of the clothing and sportsgear sporting Puma's brand.
Storyline
Hungry Heart: Wild Striker tells the story of Kanō Kyōsuke, a teenage high school student who at the beginning of the series, has just transferred into Jyoyō Orange High School. Kyōsuke's older brother is the illustrious and extremely famous A.C. MilanA.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
soccer player, Kanō Seisuke, who had first taught him how to play and love the game of soccer and whom he has greatly admired since childhood. After Seisuke left Japan to sign with Italian powerhouse A.C. Milan, people started comparing Kyōsuke with his brother and criticizing him due to his different playing style. Living in his brother's shadow, Kyōsuke's love for the game slowly started to evaporate and lessen, and he eventually lost most of his passion for it.
After his transfer to Jyoyō 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. He soon joins the Jyoyō men's soccer team and makes several friends, such as his fellow freshmen, Sakai Jefferson, a talented goalkeeper, and Rodrigo, a passionate Brazilian transfer student. Kyōsuke, with the support of his friends at Jyoyō and invigorated with Miki's care and help and by his love and determination to excel in soccer, takes on the best, and discovers an immense and determined passion for the game.
Characters
- Note: Names are given in the original Japanese orderJapanese namein modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
, with the family nameFamily nameA family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
, or surname, followed by the given nameGiven nameA given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
. This is also the format used in the English dub.
, (Forward)
- Called Orangehead jokingly by some of his friends, Kyōsuke learned the ins and outs of soccer from his illustrious elder brother, A.C. Milan playmaker Kanō Seisuke. After Seisuke's departure, he slowly loses interest in the game, but rediscovers his love for it after a fated meeting with Miki. Initially the coach of Jyoyō's women's soccer team, the determination exhibited by the girls, especially Miki, invigorates his passion for soccer, and soon he joins Jyoyō's men's soccer team, emerging as their ace striker. In the last episode, he becomes a player for AFC Ajax.
- Kyōsuke's closest friend, and the captain of the Jyoyō female soccer team. Despite their frequent arguments, the two eventually fall in love with each other.
, (Midfielder)
- A transfer student from Brazil who wants to go pro in order to help his large family. While he appears to be cold, self-centered and only driven by money at first, his attitude radically changes after his meeting with Kyosuke. Rodrigo is Jyoyo's playmaker, who earns the interest of several professional J. LeagueJ. LeagueThe or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
clubs. In the final year, he becomes the captain of Akanegaoka.
, (Goalkeeper)
- A half-Japanese transfer student from SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, known for being attractive to women. Jyoyō's star goalkeeper learns to overcome his repressed fear of injury through his interactions with his new teammates. Sakai shares a strong bond with both Rodrigo and Kyosuke.
, (Defender)
- Referred to as "Sergeant Chin" by Kyosuke, he played forward in junior high but becomes Jyoyo's defensive leader and vice captain. Kyosuke often joking jabs at him, but respects Kamata deeply. Kamata is currently playing for a regional team and aiming for a spot in the J-League.
, (Midfielder)
- Jyoyo's team captain and playmaker prior to Rodrigo's takeover. Sako is levelheaded, mentally quick and always willing to help his teammates. He has a rivalry with Ryosei's captain and genius playmaker Furuki during high school. He and Furuki end up being teammates in university.
, (Midfielder)
- Known for his hot-headed attitude. In the first year, he has trouble with Rodrigo's individualist attitude, as he believes teamwork is the key for victory. In the second year, he is chosen to be vice captain and has to deal with Yūya and his group.
, (Midfielder)
- Referred to as "Osaka" by Kyosuke, Esaka seems to take everything in stride and with a smile on his face. While appearing to be no more than comic relief, he is actually quite passionate about his teammates' well-being and the team's performance. He is selected to be Jyoyo's new captain by both Sako and Kamata, who both acknowledged his excellent attitude and drive to improve.
, (Forward)
- Anime-only character. Called "Nesthead" by Kyōsuke. Kyōsuke's rival during his second year for the forward position. He also falls in love with Miki and battles with Kyōsuke in order to win her heart. He is known for his speed and striking ability.
, (Midfielder)
- Anime-only character. The fastest member of the team and Yūya's close friend. He and Muroi joined soccer to help Yūya make it into the J-League as a way to thank him for getting them out of their lives as delinquents. He is known for his incredible speed and dribbling ability.
, (Defender)
- Anime-only character. Replaces Kamata in Kyosuke's second year as a defender and is known for his Mohawk hairstyleMohawk hairstyleThe mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
. Like Shinkawa, he started playing soccer to help Yūya make it into the J-League.
- The coach of the Jyōyo men's soccer team. He was formerly a powerful forward for the Japanese National Team.
- Manager of the Jyōyo men's soccer team. He used to play soccer in middle school, but due to an injury cannot play anymore.
- Jyōyo dormitory's cook.
- Jyōyo's nutritionist and team doctor. A good friend of Seisuke, who asked her to watch over his brother in his absence.
- Kyōsuke's older brother. When he was younger, he led both his middle and high school's soccer teams to the nationals and won, and was in the top three in high school. A world renowned player before 17, he also had a J. League contract before age 21, and later became the A.C. MilanA.C. MilanAssociazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
star and captain. He also had excellent academic grades.
, (Defender)
- A transfer student from Colombia who wants to go pro in order to help his large family. While he appears to be cold, self-centered and only driven by money at first, his attitude radically changes after his meeting with Kyosuke. Rodrigo is Jyoyo's playmaker,
Furuki
- Ryosei's team captain. He plays ID (Important Data) soccer and later plays on the same college team as Sako.
Makoto Iguchi
- Kokuryō's ace goalkeeper. He also plays with the Japan youth team.
Kamiyama Yuujirou
- Kokuryō's ace striker. Kyōsuke's rival as the best striker in the region and a member of the Japan youth team.
and , (midfielders)
- Kokuryō's dynamic duo. They are members of the Japan youth team.
, (midfielder)
- Known as Kanō Seisuke, Jr, He is Tenryū's captain and becomes Kyōsuke's rival as the best player in high school soccer in Japan.
- Like Jyōyo's coach Murakami, he was a former player for the national team. He was the first man to ever score a goal in a World Cup for Japan, since this was their first time to play in the tournament.
Narumi Keisuke
- Biological father of Kyosuke, who held a mark in Japanese football. Lost his life in a car accident shortly before being called to the Japan national football team. Kyosuke was in the car, but managed to survive the accident. He holds a record of scoring in the prefecture before Kyosuke broke it.
Narumi Mitsuko
- Biological mother of Kyosuke. She lost her life in the car accident along with her husband.
Coach Numakawa
- Head coach of Tenryu High and Japan Under 22 delegate.
Toda and Ueno
- Both are side backs for Jyoyō. Kamata teaches them some defensive techniques in the first year. Sakai also tells them what to do in some trainings and matches.
Teams
- Jyōyo Akanegaoka High School (Jyōyo Orange Hill) - Kyōsuke Kanō's high school team. Members: Sakai Jeferson Kouji, Toda, Ueno, Kamata (graduated), Muroi, Ichikawa, Shinkawa, Esaka, Sako (graduated), Tanaka, Rodrigo, Kanou Kyosuke, Kiba Yuya, Sasao, Shimizu (graduated), Omura (graduated).
- Ryōsei High School - 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. Members: Kamiyama, Iguchi, Fujimori Twins
- Tenryū High School - The national champions. Seisuke Kanō's former high school. Members: Seisuke Kanō (graduated), Kagami, Sawamura, Suzuki, Mishima, Aida
- Japan Under 22 delegate - Chosen by coach Numakawa to represent Japan in the Amsterdam Preliminaries. Members: Kanou Kyosuke, Kagami, Kamiyama, Iguchi, Fujimori Twins
- Jyoyo Asahigaoka High School - Sister school to Jyōyo Akanegaoka High School.
- Colombia Under 22 Team - Coach Lopez to represent Colombia in Bogota March International Football
Staff
- Executive Producer: Kōichi Motohashi
- Planning: Shōji SatōShoji Satois a male badminton player from Japan.Shoji Sato is regarded as one of the fastest on foot players in the world. -Career:He won four Japanese National Championships in a row between 2003 and 2006....
, Masao TakiyamaMasao Takiyamais president and representative director of the Japanese anime satellite television network Animax, AXN Japan and Mystery Channel, each subsidiaries of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan .-Biography:...
, Yōko Matsuzaki - Production Manager: Shigeo Endō
- Director: Satoshi Saga
- Series Composition: Yoshiyuki Suga
- Character Design: Ken'ichi Imaizumi
- Chief Animation Directors: Tetsurō Aoki, Masahiro Kase
- Background Artist: Kazue ItohKazue Itohis a Japanese actress from Seya-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. She attended Kibogaoka Senior High School and made her acting debut in 1978 as a Horipro talent and has also voiced Shura in the anime Rurouni Kenshin. She also performs as a singer, including the opening and ending theme songs for...
- Art Director: Ken'ichi Ishibashi
- Color Design: Takashi Ōhira
- Music: Noboyuki Nakamura
- Sound Director: Hideo Takahashi
- Producers: Katsunori Naruke, Shunichi Kosao
- Production: Fuji TelevisionFuji Televisionis a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
, Animax Broadcast JapanAnimaxis a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
, Nippon AnimationNippon Animationis a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City....
Anime theme songs
Opening theme songs- Kids AliveKids AliveKids Alive was a Japanese rock band formed in 1998 when bassist Akihiro Yamamura, vocalist Yuta Aihara and guitarist Hiroshi "Keiji" Kanno signed up for Kids Records. Their first major debut single was released in 2002. They changed over to the Cutting Edge label for their next five singles and...
- "2nd Stage" (ep. 1-42)- Lyrics: Keiji, Yoshiyasu Ichikawa. Music: Keiji. Arrangement: Kids Alive, Junichi "Igao" Igarashi
- Natsuki KatōNatsuki Katois a Japanese actress and former fashion model, regularly appearing on television in various roles.-Career:After she was spotted and recruited with 1998's television commercial appearance by a current entertainment production, she made her debut in 1999....
as Miki Tsujiawaki featuring Athens Generation - (ep. 43-52)- Lyrics: Mami Takubo. Music: Hiroaki Ōno. Arrangement: Jun Asahi
Ending theme songs
- Utaibito HaneUtaibito HaneUtaibito Hane is a Japanese male folk band. Its members are Shinichi Yasuoka and Tetsuro Honda. In 1998 they met each other and formed Hane. Afterwards they changed its name Utaibito Hane. Performing many times on the street in Fukuoka, they succeeded in winning popularity...
- (ep. 1-12)- Lyrics: Shinichi Yasuoka. Music: Tetsuro Honda. Arrangement: Junjiro Seki.
- KokiaKokia (singer)is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who performs under the stage name Kokia . She is best known for her songs and "The Power of Smile." She is also recognised for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film...
- (ep. 13-39)- Lyrics: Kokia. Music: Kokia. Arrangement: Taisuke Sawashika.
- Kokia - (ep. 40-51)
- Lyrics: Kokia. Music: Kokia. Arrangement: Taisuke Sawashika.
- Kids Alive - "2nd Stage" (ep. 52)