Kyojin no Hoshi (Star of the Giants)

Aired: 1968 - 1971

A TV anime produced by Tokyo Movie. Based on the manga by Ikki Kajiwara (story) and Noboru Kawasaki (art) serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine. Broadcast in 182 episodes on the Yomiuri TV / Nippon TV network from March 30, 1968 to September 18, 1971. The series follows Hyuma Hoshi (voiced by Toru Furuya), who is subjected from early childhood to brutal spartan elite training by his father Ittetsu Hoshi (voiced by Seizo Kato), a former Giants third baseman, as Hyuma struggles to become the ace pitcher of the Yomiuri Giants. Iconic gimmicks such as the 'Major League Ball Training Brace' and the 'Disappearing Magic Ball', combined with extremely exaggerated and impassioned performances by the cast, established the sports-spirit (spokon) anime genre. With peak ratings of 36.7%, it had an enormous impact on boys' culture of the era. Sequels include 'New Star of the Giants' (1977) and 'New Star of the Giants II' (1979). (C)Ikki Kajiwara, Noboru Kawasaki / Kodansha / Tokyo Movie