# Ganbare, Kickers!

Ganbare, Kickers! (がんばれ!キッカーズ, Ganbare! Kikkāzu, roughly translated Fight, Kickers!) is a soccer kid manga by Noriaki Nagai. It was published by Shogakukan in CoroCoro Comic magazine from 1985 to 1989 and collected into 20 volumes.
The manga was turned into an anime series by Studio Pierrot in 1986–1988. It consists of 26 episodes and one OVA, but only 23 episodes aired in Japan during the initial broadcast from October 1986 to March 1987, and the last three instead aired as a TV special in January 1988. In 1988 the anime arrived to EMEA in its dubbed version and had some success in the Middle East (الهداف Al Haddaf), Iran (فوتبالیست‌ها), South Korea (내일은 축구왕), Italy (Palla al centro per Rudy), Spain (Supergol), France (But Pour Rudy), Poland (Piłkarze) and especially in Germany and Austria (Kickers). In Malaysia, the anime was aired on TV1 RTM in 1990s, Awesome TV in 2020. In Indonesia, the anime was aired on Indosiar in 1995-1997, TPI in 2003, Bali TV in 2005.

## Story

The story is about an enthusiastic kid soccer team at the Kitahara elementary school, who struggle without a competent striker, when little Kakeru Daichi's (大地翔 Daichi Kakeru) family moves into the town. He immediately applies to join the team, keen to use his skills gained in the kid team of famous soccer club "The Falcons". With Kakeru the team becomes complete in every sense and he motivates the team to challenge the "Red Devils", a strong secondary school team whose goalkeeper Uesugi is considered undefeatable. They lose 10 to 1, but Kakeru's scoring a single goal is still a small miracle. Under the strong leadership of their own goalkeeper Masaru Hongo, Kickers then enter the kid championship and fight their way up through hard won victories. Meanwhile, Hongo falls in love with Ayumi Daichi (大地歩 Daichi Ayumi), Kakeru's cute, sporty sister. In turn the striker enamours Akuna Yukie, a fragile, angelic pianist girl, who happens to be Uesugi's much younger sister. These affairs lead to some embarrassingly funny situations as well as numerous complications with the team's devoted and jealous cheerleader trio.
For a short while, Kickers gain a professional trainer whose instructions help them win their way to the semi-finals, just to meet the Red Devils once again. After a dramatic match, that spans two 20 minute episodes, Uesugi fends off Kakeru's final freescore and so the Kickers are out! The devastated team is soon divided by the arrival of Harry, a famous junior talent, who has been fired from three big name teams already for subversive behaviour. He infiltrates and splits Kickers, but his rudeness and Hongo's strong leadership re-unite the team. Harry then seduces Ayumi and assembles a faux team out of the school's scum so he can defeat the Kickers almost alone. Although the naive Kakeru is no match for the older and much stronger Harry, the Kickers's teamwork spirit and Uesugi's support secures a victory in this dirty match and Harry is devastated. The anime series ends with a redeemed Harry reconciling with the Kickers, before leaving the town to play overseas.

## Crew

    Original story: Noriaki Nagai
    Series Director: Akira Shigino
    Series Composition: Sukehiro Tomita
    Script: Hiroshi Kaneko, Isao Shizutani, Mitsuo Aimono, Sukehiro Tomita
    Episode Director: Akira Shigino, Harumi Tamano, Kazu Yokota, Minoru Shinbayashi, Roku Iwata, Shigeru Morikawa
    Storyboard: Akira Shigino, Harumi Tamano, Kazu Yokota, Makoto Moriwaki, Minoru Shinbayashi, Roku Iwata, Shigeru Morikawa, Takayuki Kaneko
    Art Director: Satoshi Miura
    Art design: Masahiro Sato
    Character Design: Takeshi Ozaka
    Animation Director: Takeshi Ozaka, Katsuichi Nakayama, Masami Shimoda, Mitsuo Shindo, Takafumi Hayashi
    Composer: Jun Irie
    Director of Photography: Hitoshi Kaneko
    Editing: Masanori Sakamoto
    Sound Director: Naoko Asari
    Sound Effects: Kazutoshi Sato
    Production manager: Reiko Fukakusa
    Producer: Haruhiko Akamine (NTV), Kunitaka Okada (I&S), Takaichi Matsumoto (Pierrot)
    Executive producer: Yuji Nunokawa

## Voice actors

    Tomiko Suzuki - Kakeru Daichi
    Yuko Kobayashi - Akuna Yukie
    Ikue Ohtani - Kiyoshi Hara
    Kazue Ikura - Masaru Hongō
    Tarako - Taichi
    Michie Tomizawa - Tetsuya
    Urara Takano - Mamoru
    Eiko Hisamura - Hikaru Uesugi
    Chieko Honda - Ayumi Daichi

## Episode list

| No. | Title | Original release date |
| 1 | "Hara! Is This Really the Soccer Club?" Transliteration: "Harā! Hontoni Kore ga Sakkā-bu?" (Japanese: はらァー！ほんとにこれがサッカー部？) | October 15, 1986 (1986-10-15) |
| 2 | "Taichi Guz Saved the Onboro Team!" Transliteration: "Guzu no Taichi ga Onboro Chīmu o Sukutta!" (Japanese: グズの太一がオンボロチームを救った！) | October 22, 1986 (1986-10-22) |
| 3 | "Stop Deco and Soccer!" Transliteration: "Deko, Sakkā Nante Yamete Shimae!" (Japanese: デコ、サッカーなんてやめてしまえ！) | October 29, 1986 (1986-10-29) |
| 4 | "Confrontation with That Uesugi! Nanyo Match Kick-off!!" Transliteration: "Ano Uesugi to Taiketsu da! Nan'yō-sen Kikkuofu!!" (Japanese: あの上杉と対決だ！南陽戦キックオフ！！) | November 5, 1986 (1986-11-05) |
| 5 | "I Won't Give Up! I'll Definitely Get One Point!" Transliteration: "Akirame nai zo! Zettai 1-ten Totte Yaru!" (Japanese: あきらめないぞ！絶対１点とってやる！) | November 12, 1986 (1986-11-12) |
| 6 | "It is a Such a Fool! Is the Captain Naughty?" Transliteration: "Son'na Baka na! Kyaputen wa Etchi da?" (Japanese: そんなバカな！キャプテンはエッチだ？) | November 19, 1986 (1986-11-19) |
| 7 | "Get it! Friendship Soccer Ball Flying in the Sky" Transliteration: "Todoke! Sora ni Mau Yūjō no Sakkā Bōru" (Japanese: とどけ！空に舞う友情のサッカーボール) | November 26, 1986 (1986-11-26) |
| 8 | "Hara, Kenta-kun's Phantom Super Shoot" Transliteration: "Harā, Kenta-kun no Maboroshi no Sūpā Shūto" (Japanese: はらァー、健太君の幻のスーパーシュート) | December 3, 1986 (1986-12-03) |
| 9 | "A Big Pinch! Kickers Who Can't Kick the Ball" Transliteration: "Dai Pinchi! Bōru no Kerenai Kikkāzu" (Japanese: 大ピンチ！ボールのけれないキッカーズ) | December 10, 1986 (1986-12-10) |
| 10 | "Eh Kenta and Deco Leave! Struggling with Rough Play" Transliteration: "Etsu Kenta to Deko Taijō! Rafu Purē ni Kusen" (Japanese: えっ健太とデコ退場！ラフプレーに苦戦) | December 17, 1986 (1986-12-17) |
| 11 | "Opposition to Marriage!? A Strange Challenge Letter Received by Mamoru" Transliteration: "Kekkon Hantai!? Mamoru-kun ga Uketa Hen'na Chōsen-jō" (Japanese: 結婚反対！？守くんがうけたヘンな挑戦状) | January 7, 1987 (1987-01-07) |
| 12 | "Both Gaku and Akina Won the Championship! Kickers Cheer" Transliteration: "Gaku mo Akina mo Yūshōda! Kikkāzu ga Ōen-dan" (Japanese: 学も明菜も優勝だ！キッカーズが応援団) | January 14, 1987 (1987-01-14) |
| 13 | "Blow Off Computer Soccer!" Transliteration: "Konpyūtā Sakkā o Buttobase!" (Japanese: コンピューターサッカーをぶっとばせ！) | January 21, 1987 (1987-01-21) |
| 14 | "Don't be Stupid! Decide on a Double-Speed Shoot!!" Transliteration: "Baka ni Suru na! Baisoku Shūto o Kimero!!" (Japanese: バカにするな！倍速シュートを決めろ！！) | January 28, 1987 (1987-01-28) |
| 15 | "Tetsuya's Special Dish! Feeling is Kickers Detective Team" Transliteration: "Tetsuya no Tokudane! Kibun wa Kikkāzu Tantei-dan" (Japanese: 哲也の特ダネ！気分はキッカーズ探偵団) | August 26, 1987 (1987-08-26) |
| 16 | "Get It! A Ridiculous Coach has Arrived" Transliteration: "Getsu! Tondemonai Kōchi ga Yatteki ta" (Japanese: ゲッ！とんでもないコーチがやって来た) | February 4, 1987 (1987-02-04) |
| 17 | "Kickers' Big Mom Valentine's Day!" Transliteration: "Kikkāzu no Dai Mome Barentain Dē!" (Japanese: キッカーズの大もめバレンタインデー！) | February 11, 1987 (1987-02-11) |
| 18 | "What's Wrong? Coach Who Left During the Match" Transliteration: "Dō Shita no? Shiai-chū ni Tachisatta Kōchi" (Japanese: どうしたの？試合中に立ち去ったコーチ) | February 18, 1987 (1987-02-18) |
| 19 | "It's an Official Game! But I Had a Problem with the Baseball Club" Transliteration: "Sā Kōshiki-senda! Demo Nodamabu to Torabu tta" (Japanese: さあ公式戦だ！でも野球部とトラブった) | February 25, 1987 (1987-02-25) |
| 20 | "I found it! White? Eightback Weaknesses" Transliteration: "Mitsuketa zo! Shiro? Eito Bakku no Jakuten" (Japanese: 見つけたぞ！白？エイトバックの弱点) | March 3, 1987 (1987-03-03) |
| 21 | "A Mysterious Team Appears! Is the Second Game a Big Battle?" Transliteration: "Nazo no Chīmu Shutsugen! Dai 2 Shiai wa Dai Ransen?" (Japanese: ナゾのチーム出現！第２試合は大乱戦？) | March 11, 1987 (1987-03-11) |
| 22 | "GO! A Fierce Battle with Rival Uesugi has Begun" Transliteration: "GO! Raibaru Uesugi to no Nettō ga Hajimatta" (Japanese: ＧＯ！ライバル上杉との熱闘が始まった) | March 18, 1987 (1987-03-18) |
| 23 | "You are a Shooting Star! Burn Kickers" Transliteration: "Kimi wa Nagareboshi! Moetsukiro Kikkāzu" (Japanese: 君は流れ星！燃えつきろキッカーズ) | March 25, 1987 (1987-03-25) |
| OVA | "Our Legend" Transliteration: "Bokutachi no Densetsu" (Japanese: ぼくたちの伝説) | August 21, 1987 (1987-08-21) |
| 24 | "Alone Ace Striker" Transliteration: "Hitori Botchi no Ēsu Sutoraikā" (Japanese: ひとりぼっちのエースストライカー) | January 5, 1988 (1988-01-05) |
| 25 | "The Mystery of the Red Rose Given to Ayumi" Transliteration: "Ayumu-chan ni Okura Reta Akai Bara no Nazo" (Japanese: 歩ちゃんに贈られた赤いバラのなぞ) | January 5, 1988 (1988-01-05) |
| 26 | "Defeat the Outlaw Group, the Jackals!" Transliteration: "Autorō Shūdan Jakkaruzu o Taose!" (Japanese: アウトロー集団ジャッカルズを倒せ！) | January 5, 1988 (1988-01-05) |