One look at my list of watched animes will tell you that I am a novice to the world of animes. Certifying "Hungry Heart: Wild Striker" to be the best sports anime that I have ever seen might not amount to much, since it is arguably the only sports anime that I have seen till date.
This incident occurred during the era when I had not yet watched an anime. One fine day, I came across my friend sitting in front of his laptop watching a "Japanese cartoon" in which characters with large eyes and pointed noses wearing orange were playing soccer with other characters with
...
large eyes and pointed noses wearing blue. After watching over my friend's shoulder for about a couple of minutes, I thought I had got the general idea of the show. With what I assumed to be a wise wag of the head, I told him my impression - a soccer based show where the team you support face overwhelming odds, but they always manage to win.
I was totally wrong.
My friend assured me on the above point, and convinced me to give it a shot. Thus, I began watching "Hungry Heart: Wild Striker". And I am glad I did.
The main focus is on the soccer team of Jyoyo Akanegaoka High School. The soccer matches are a treat. True that some of the players seem to be adept at defying the laws of gravity and the limits of the human body. Often the ball is kicked or headed from an altitude of several times the goal-post. At some points, an attempt to tackle the ball from an opponent is not so much skill display on terra firma as a battle of wills in mid air. Also, some of the frames are used repeatedly.
But in spite of all this, I thoroughly enjoyed the soccer matches.
What mainly got to me was the spirit of the players, their approach to the game. The I-refuse-to-give-up attitude is only to be expected, but I liked it nevertheless. Then there is the way in which rivalry between teams and players are depicted. In the matches towards the end of a soccer season, where the opponents are formidable and Jyoyo's dreams of holding aloft the cup are seriously threatened, sparks fly. But at the end of the match, after the whistle has blown and the dust has settled, the gestures of the characters reveal the mutual respect beneath all the rivalry.
There is also the element of unpredictability. Because of this, an overflow of adrenaline is almost inevitable. This is not the usual show where the side you support magically discover hitherto unknown skills with the ball and score away. If the figures on the score-board are not in favour of Jyoyo, and the referee is eying the clock and putting the whistle to his mouth, it is reason enough for fans of Jyoyo to panic. And even though this was just an anime featuring - not even professional soccer, but just - high school soccer, I found myself heartily supporting Jyoyo.
It was not just the soccer matches that had me hooked. A lot happens off the field as well. It becomes clear that before joining the Jyoyo team, Kyosuke had once quit soccer because he becomes fed up of being compared with his illustrious elder brother, whose skills are at such a level that it is he who makes Japan a force to be reckoned with in the world of football. And yet, it was with his brother that Kyosuke nurtured his own skills at soccer, and developed a passion for the game. Bit by bit, the relation between Kyosuke and his brother is revealed. The encounters between Kyosuke and Tsujiwaki Miki - captain of the girls soccer team - are hilarious, and much more.
Then there are the relations between the players. This is seen both on the field and off it, during serious matches and during practice matches.
As the series progresses, we see the characters change. Perhaps this is one of the most charming aspects of any show. For most of the characters, I don't think I could use the same adjective to describe them the way they are at the beginning and at the end.
The background score is excellent, especially during the matches. It is totally in sync with and reflective of the situation of Jyoyo. But then, I usually learn to appreciate the music after I have appreciated the anime. As for the animation, I am not complaining. The voice of the characters is excellent.
Overall rating: 8
Bottomline: A rather under-appreciated anime. But excellent as it is, a fair warning for followers of soccer played in the real world - you might not like it. This last paragraph has been added as an afterthought after remembering what happened after I recommended Hungry Heart to an EPL fanatic. I think he got as far as the tenth or eleventh episode before he dropped it in disgust. And for months after that, he never lost an opportunity to give me a tongue-lashing for convincing him to see such an anime.
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Sep 21, 2011
Hungry Heart: Wild Striker
(Anime)
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One look at my list of watched animes will tell you that I am a novice to the world of animes. Certifying "Hungry Heart: Wild Striker" to be the best sports anime that I have ever seen might not amount to much, since it is arguably the only sports anime that I have seen till date.
This incident occurred during the era when I had not yet watched an anime. One fine day, I came across my friend sitting in front of his laptop watching a "Japanese cartoon" in which characters with large eyes and pointed noses wearing orange were playing soccer with other characters with ... 
Sep 9, 2011
Shion no Ou
(Anime)
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I always had the impression that playing games like shougi (I am more familiar with chess) is boring, and watching games like shougi being played is torture. Two people sitting on two sides of a board with a lot of pieces on it pondering for a long time, wrinkling eyebrows and stroking chin and doing other similar unconscious activities indicating that their brain is working overtime. They take a long time to finally make their move. However, the shougi sessions in Shion no Ou are a real treat.
I was glancing through the synopsis of different animes, and Shion no Ou caught my eye. A ... |
