# Dash Kappei

Dash Kappei (ダッシュ勝平) is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Noboru Rokuda and first published in 1980 in Weekly Shōnen Sunday. The manga had 158 chapters.
The manga was also adapted into a 65-episode anime television series by Tatsunoko Production in 1981, chiefly directed by Masayuki Hayashi. The anime was aired across Japan on Fuji TV Sundays at 6 p.m. from 4 October 1981 to 26 December 1982.

## Story

The hero of the story is a teenage boy named Kappei Sakamoto, who is a high school student with amazing athletic abilities who joins the basketball team of Seirin High School and quickly becomes one of the most skilled players. Kappei has one unusual handicap for a basketball player - his height; he stands not even one meter tall. His Achilles' heel is female undergarments; he has a particular interest in white undergarments, and is even more enthusiastic about joining the basketball team when he discovers that the team's female coach, Coach Natsu, wears white undergarments (although his inventive attempts to sneak a peek at said undergarments usually result in a physical beatdown from the hot-tempered coach). Eventually, Kappei's athletic prowess extends beyond basketball, and he tries out for - and excels at - every sport the school offers.
In the first episode, Kappei meets and becomes enamored with Akane Aki, a sweet, pretty girl who is quite athletic herself (she later joins the school's ping-pong team) and signs on as assistant coach of Seirin's basketball team. Much to Kappei's delight, not only is Akane pretty, but she also wears white undergarments, and Kappei sets his sights on winning her heart. Kappei eventually moves in with Akane and her family after his parents (who are rarely around) leave for the United States. However, Kappei has an unusual rival for Akane's heart - Akane's dog, Seiichiro, who has often fantasized about marrying his owner and, resenting Kappei, immediately seeks to sabotage his relationship with Akane through various tricks. Seiichiro can also speak, although only Kappei can understand him.

## Characters
### Kappei Sakamoto (坂本 勝平, Sakamoto Kappei)

    Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka
    The protagonist of the story who not only excels in basketball, he also excels in every sport and loves to be in the spotlight, especially when he is admired by the girls. He is obsessed with women's white undergarments, for him a "symbol of purity". He falls in love with Akane, and wants to marry her.

### Akane Aki (秋 あかね, Aki Akane)

    Voiced by: Mizuho Tsushima
    Akane is a transfer student to Seirin High, becomes the assistant coach of the school's basketball team. She befriends Kappei and is a strong believer in his talents, and though she initially finds him rather strange, soon develops feelings for him, and even shows signs of jealousy when Kappei shows interest in other girls.

### Seiichiro (诚一郎)

    Voiced by: Toru Ohira
    Akane's dog, who can walk and speak like a human being, although only Kappei can understand his speech. He is also enamored of Akane and dreams of marrying her (despite the fact that she is human and he a dog) and, resenting Kappei's muscling his way into her life, becomes Kappei's sworn enemy, but also his best friend. He often appears in brief entr'actes to explain the rules of whatever sport Kappei happens to be playing at that time.

### Kaori Natsu (夏 かおり, Natsu Kaori)

    Voiced by: Kazue Komiya
    The basketball team's hot-tempered coach. Though she tries to be a proper young lady and is on the hunt for a boyfriend, she loses patience easily (especially with Kappei) and is well known for her grotesque and humorous facial expressions when angered.

### Kaoru Tachibana (立花かおる, Tachibana Kaoru)

    Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue
    Captain of the basketball team.

### Kyōshirō Nemuri (狂四郎, Kyōshirō)

    Voiced by: Kazuyuki Sogabe
    A member of the basketball team.

### Daiba

    Voiced by: Akira Murayama
    A member of a rival basketball team. He stands nearly two meters tall, and is a giant in every sense of the term. He is also Akane's ex-boyfriend; Akane broke up with him because of his violent temper, and now he wants to discredit Kappei and win her back.

### Mr. Okazaki

    Voiced by: Hiroshi Masuoka
    Kappei and Akane's homeroom teacher.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Animation directed by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Pure White! The Basketball Star" "Junpaku Pikari! Baske no Hoshi" (Japanese: 純白ピカリ! バスケの星) | Masayuki Hayashi | Yū Yamamoto | Tsuneo Ninomiya | October 4, 1981 (1981-10-04) |
| 2 | "Akane's Shoot, The Secret Technique" "Higi Akane Shoot Da!" (Japanese: 秘技アカネシュートだ!) | Directed by : Shohei Ishida Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | October 11, 1981 (1981-10-11) |
| 3 | "Spark of Love? Between Dog and Human" "Koi no Hibana? Inu tai Ningen" (Japanese: 恋の火花? 犬対人間) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Juuji Mizumura | October 18, 1981 (1981-10-18) |
| 4 | "Kimi ni Furafura Kyuu wa Yurayura" (Japanese: 君にフラフラ球はユラユラ) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Tomoyasu Masago | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | October 25, 1981 (1981-10-25) |
| 5 | (Japanese: 勝平のスポーツ万能選手?) | Directed by : Minoru Akitsu Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Yū Yamamoto | Akio Sakai | November 1, 1981 (1981-11-01) |
| 6 | (Japanese: 恐怖の空中バスケ!) | Directed by : Masayuki Hayashi & Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Haruya Yamazaki | Takashi Saijō | November 8, 1981 (1981-11-08) |
| 7 | (Japanese: 誠一郎の恋愛必勝法) | Directed by : Minoru Akitsu Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takeshi Shudo | Akio Sakai | November 15, 1981 (1981-11-15) |
| 8 | (Japanese: 悪夢の四角関係マラソン) | Yoshizo Tsuda | Takao Koyama | Juuji Mizumura & Takashi Saijō | November 22, 1981 (1981-11-22) |
| 9 | (Japanese: おそるべきネイスミス学園) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Yū Yamamoto | Shizuo Kawai | November 29, 1981 (1981-11-29) |
| 10 | (Japanese: ライバル藤堂くん出現!) | Directed by : Minoru Akitsu Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Akio Sakai | December 6, 1981 (1981-12-06) |
| 11 | (Japanese: 勝平ムリムリカンニング) | Directed by : Masayuki Hayashi Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | December 13, 1981 (1981-12-13) |
| 12 | (Japanese: 大場の殺人シュート!) | Directed by : Minoru Akitsu Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Akio Sakai | December 20, 1981 (1981-12-20) |
| 13 | (Japanese: 怪奇! バスケ幽霊対勝平) | Yutaka Kagawa | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai & Takeshi Yamazaki | December 27, 1981 (1981-12-27) |
| 14 | (Japanese: 千手観音シュートを破れ) | Directed by : Shohei Ishida Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Akiyoshi Sakai | Shizuo Kawai & Takashi Saijō | January 3, 1982 (1982-01-03) |
| 15 | (Japanese: 超秘技! 全国ナマ中継) | Directed by : Minoru Akitsu Storyboarded by : Kenji Terada | Yū Yamamoto | Akio Sakai | January 10, 1982 (1982-01-10) |
| 16 | (Japanese: 風満会長の華麗なる犯罪) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Juuji Mizumura | January 17, 1982 (1982-01-17) |
| 17 | (Japanese: 脅威のアマゾネス軍団) | Directed by : Keiichiro Mochizuki Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai & Akio Sakai | January 24, 1982 (1982-01-24) |
| 18 | (Japanese: 映画初出演! 僕はスターだ) | Directed by : Shohei Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | January 31, 1982 (1982-01-31) |
| 19 | (Japanese: 勝平涙の減量特訓) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | February 7, 1982 (1982-02-07) |
| 20 | (Japanese: 熱血先生あらわる!) | Directed by : Keiichiro Mochizuki Storyboarded by : Kenji Terada | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai & Akio Sakai | February 14, 1982 (1982-02-14) |
| 21 | (Japanese: 鳥人間・勝平空をとぶ) | Directed by : Shohei Ishida Storyboarded by : Mamoru Oshii | Yū Yamamoto | Shizuo Kawai & Takashi Saijō | February 21, 1982 (1982-02-21) |
| 22 | (Japanese: 登場! 勝平のおじいちゃん) | Yoshizo Tsuda | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | February 28, 1982 (1982-02-28) |
| 23 | (Japanese: 空前絶後! 選抜優勝大会) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Kenji Terada | Haruya Yamazaki | Akio Sakai | March 7, 1982 (1982-03-07) |
| 24 | (Japanese: 勝平はリモコン人形?) | Directed by : Shohei Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai & Takeshi Yamazaki | March 14, 1982 (1982-03-14) |
| 25 | (Japanese: 恐ろし! 勝平の過去) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Akiyoshi Sakai | Shizuo Kawai | March 21, 1982 (1982-03-21) |
| 26 | (Japanese: 不思議!? 秘技なしバスケ) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Keiichiro Mochizuki | Akiyoshi Sakai | Akio Sakai | March 28, 1982 (1982-03-28) |
| 27 | (Japanese: 超能力で決勝戦!) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Osamu Sekiguchi | Shizuo Kawai & Masami Abe | April 4, 1982 (1982-04-04) |
| 28 | (Japanese: 勝平の女子体操教室) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | April 11, 1982 (1982-04-11) |
| 29 | (Japanese: 勝平のウルトラ・ゴルフ) | Yutaka Kagawa | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai | April 18, 1982 (1982-04-18) |
| 30 | (Japanese: 初体験! アイスホッケー) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Yū Yamamoto | Shizuo Kawai | April 25, 1982 (1982-04-25) |
| 31 | (Japanese: 夏コーチ・ラブフィーバー) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | May 2, 1982 (1982-05-02) |
| 32 | (Japanese: 勝平童話! シンデレオ物語) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Akiyoshi Sakai | Shizuo Kawai & Masami Abe | May 9, 1982 (1982-05-09) |
| 33 | (Japanese: 天才か? 勝平卓球に進出) | Masayuki Hayashi | Akiyoshi Sakai | Juuji Mizumura | May 16, 1982 (1982-05-16) |
| 34 | (Japanese: 筋肉美人・瀬里香対勝平!) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | May 23, 1982 (1982-05-23) |
| 35 | (Japanese: 対決! 勝平対カバゴリラ) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | May 30, 1982 (1982-05-30) |
| 36 | (Japanese: 驚き! あかねの卓球部入部) | Hiroko Tokita | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai | June 6, 1982 (1982-06-06) |
| 37 | (Japanese: 新卓球部で反撃だ!) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Akiyoshi Sakai | Juuji Mizumura | June 13, 1982 (1982-06-13) |
| 38 | (Japanese: 爆笑! 勝平のプロレス卓球) | Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Masami Abe | June 20, 1982 (1982-06-20) |
| 39 | (Japanese: 秘技ジーンボール対四天王) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | June 27, 1982 (1982-06-27) |
| 40 | (Japanese: 熱戦! 勝平対あかね) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Juuji Mizumura | July 4, 1982 (1982-07-04) |
| 41 | (Japanese: 神秘? 電気人間勝平) | Hiroko Tokita | Yuriko Fujii | Shizuo Kawai | July 11, 1982 (1982-07-11) |
| 42 | (Japanese: カバゴリラとの最終決戦!) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Sukehiro Tomita | Takanori Hasegawa | July 18, 1982 (1982-07-18) |
| 43 | (Japanese: 新登場! ジョー・コッカー) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Harumi Saito | Shizuo Kawai | July 25, 1982 (1982-07-25) |
| 44 | (Japanese: コッカーの失われた秘宝) | Directed by : Hiroyuki Tanaka Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Takeshi Shudo | Masami Abe | August 1, 1982 (1982-08-01) |
| 45 | (Japanese: 大恐怖ビッグ・ヘアー) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Juuji Mizumura | August 8, 1982 (1982-08-08) |
| 46 | (Japanese: ウエストサイド大バスケ) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Hiroshi Sasagawa | Takeshi Shudo | Shizuo Kawai | August 15, 1982 (1982-08-15) |
| 47 | (Japanese: 勝平のスペースオペラだ!) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Futoshi Takano | Sukehiro Tomita | Takanori Hasegawa | August 22, 1982 (1982-08-22) |
| 48 | (Japanese: 勝平阿蘇に帰る!) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai | August 29, 1982 (1982-08-29) |
| 49 | (Japanese: 勝平相撲だ! ハッケヨイ) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Sukehiro Tomita | Juuji Mizumura & Akinobu Takahashi | September 5, 1982 (1982-09-05) |
| 50 | (Japanese: フェンシングおしかけ入部) | Hiroko Tokita | Haruya Yamazaki | Masami Abe | September 12, 1982 (1982-09-12) |
| 51 | (Japanese: 出た新秘技! 洗たくバサミ) | Directed by : Yutaka Kagawa Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Takeshi Shudo | Takashi Saijō & Akinobu Takahashi | September 19, 1982 (1982-09-19) |
| 52 | (Japanese: 勝平ばあちゃん大特訓!) | Masayuki Hayashi | Takao Koyama | Shizuo Kawai | September 26, 1982 (1982-09-26) |
| 53 | (Japanese: 勝平式特訓場大公開!) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Sukehiro Tomita | Juuji Mizumura & Akinobu Takahashi | October 3, 1982 (1982-10-03) |
| 54 | (Japanese: チェス式階級決定戦だ!) | Katsuhito Akiyama | Harumi Saito | Kenzō Koizumi | October 10, 1982 (1982-10-10) |
| 55 | (Japanese: 無敵! クニャクニャ剣法だ) | Hiroko Tokita | Takao Koyama | Takashi Saijō & Akinobu Takahashi | October 17, 1982 (1982-10-17) |
| 56 | (Japanese: オオカミ男の挑戦!) | Directed by : Hiroyuki Tanaka Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Haruya Yamazaki | Masami Abe | October 24, 1982 (1982-10-24) |
| 57 | (Japanese: 大幻術! あかね変身) | Directed by : Masahisa Ishida Storyboarded by : Aritoki Sugiyama | Akiyoshi Sakai | Shizuo Kawai | October 31, 1982 (1982-10-31) |
| 58 | (Japanese: バカ強! 勝平打倒ロボ) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takeshi Shudo | Juuji Mizumura & Akinobu Takahashi | November 7, 1982 (1982-11-07) |
| 59 | (Japanese: 倒産! 青林高校大ピンチ) | Yutaka Kagawa | Akiyoshi Sakai | Fumio Iida | November 14, 1982 (1982-11-14) |
| 60 | (Japanese: 体力勝負だ! 超人レース) | Directed by : Hiroyuki Tanaka Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Haruya Yamazaki | Takashi Saijō | November 21, 1982 (1982-11-21) |
| 61 | (Japanese: 決死! 一輪車大ジャンプ) | Directed by : Katsuhito Akiyama Storyboarded by : Shinya Sadamitsu | Takao Koyama | Masami Abe | November 28, 1982 (1982-11-28) |
| 62 | (Japanese: 優勝ランナーはだれだ!) | Hiroko Tokita | Sukehiro Tomita | Fumio Iida | December 5, 1982 (1982-12-05) |
| 63 | (Japanese: 死のデスマッチ・パニック) | Yutaka Kagawa | Akiyoshi Sakai | Juuji Mizumura | December 12, 1982 (1982-12-12) |
| 64 | (Japanese: さらば! 散りゆく勇者たち) | Directed by : Yoshizo Tsuda Storyboarded by : Katsumi Endō | Haruya Yamazaki | Shizuo Kawai | December 19, 1982 (1982-12-19) |
| 65 | (Japanese: 勝平の名は永久に不滅です) | Masayuki Hayashi | Takao Koyama | Takashi Saijō | December 26, 1982 (1982-12-26) |