Makoto Call!
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese shōjo manga
series by Kazuko Fujita
. The series first appeared in July 1990 on the 15th issue of the semimonthly Shōjo Comic
. It won the 37th Shogakukan Manga Award
for shōjo. While shōjo, the series has elements of classical sports manga like player rivalry and special attacks.
The series is about high-school student Fujisaki Makoto, a figure skater who returns from Canada to Japan. As the result of a random encounter with her new school's volleyball
team, she joins the team, and with her help they are able to hold off (but still loses at the end) to high school championships favorites led by Hitomi Kanou. There begins Fujisaki's road to stardom and Barcelona
.
. It was serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Shōjo Comic
from 1990 to 1992, and collected in nine tankōbon
volumes by Shogakukan
under the Flower Comics
imprint. It was reprinted in 2003 in four bunkoban volumes.
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...
series by Kazuko Fujita
Kazuko Fujita
is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She made her professional debut in 1977 in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic and she has written manga mainly for Flower Comics. She is best known for Makoto Call! about a girl who plays volleyball, for which she received the 1992 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo...
. The series first appeared in July 1990 on the 15th issue of the semimonthly Shōjo Comic
Shojo Comic
is a shōjo manga magazine published twice monthly in Japan by Shogakukan since 1968. It was originally published weekly and it continued to be published weekly until the 1980s. Many influential shōjo manga ran in Shōjo Comic during the 70s. Moto Hagio's works and Keiko Takemiya's works in...
. It won the 37th Shogakukan Manga Award
Shogakukan Manga Award
The is one of Japan's major manga awards, sponsored by Shogakukan Publishing. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1955 and features candidates from a number of publishers.The current award categories are:...
for shōjo. While shōjo, the series has elements of classical sports manga like player rivalry and special attacks.
The series is about high-school student Fujisaki Makoto, a figure skater who returns from Canada to Japan. As the result of a random encounter with her new school's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team, she joins the team, and with her help they are able to hold off (but still loses at the end) to high school championships favorites led by Hitomi Kanou. There begins Fujisaki's road to stardom and Barcelona
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
.
Main characters
- The protagonist. As a former figure skater, she is a gifted athlete and quickly learns volleyball skills even with no prior experience. She stands 172 cm tall.
- A childhood friend of Makoto, he is an amateur photographer.
- The new coach of the school volleyball team and a former Japan National Team player. He stands about 190 cm tall.
- The star of the Tōyō High School's volleyball team and Makoto's rival.
Manga
Makoto Call! was written and illustrated by Kazuko FujitaKazuko Fujita
is a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She made her professional debut in 1977 in Bessatsu Shōjo Comic and she has written manga mainly for Flower Comics. She is best known for Makoto Call! about a girl who plays volleyball, for which she received the 1992 Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo...
. It was serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Shōjo Comic
Shojo Comic
is a shōjo manga magazine published twice monthly in Japan by Shogakukan since 1968. It was originally published weekly and it continued to be published weekly until the 1980s. Many influential shōjo manga ran in Shōjo Comic during the 70s. Moto Hagio's works and Keiko Takemiya's works in...
from 1990 to 1992, and collected in nine tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Shogakukan
Shogakukan
is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, manga, non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan.Shogakukan founded Shueisha which founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan...
under the Flower Comics
Flower Comics
is an imprint label for bound volumes of shōjo manga and lady's comics published by Shougakukan in Japan. They are usually released around the 26th of each month...
imprint. It was reprinted in 2003 in four bunkoban volumes.