Captain: A Showa Era Masterpiece

My son.

This is a masterpiece of Showa era manga.
But don't make the mistake of thinking it's just a baseball manga.

In this work—
there isn't a single genius.

The protagonist is a benchwarmer.

The first captain, Takao Taniguchi.

Taniguchi was a guy who was a benchwarmer on the prestigious Aoba Junior High baseball team.
In other words, he was an underdog from the very beginning.

He wasn't particularly good at baseball.
He didn't have any special talent.

There was only one thing—

he wanted to play baseball.

Just for that, he transferred to Sumitani No. 2 Junior High.

It wasn't "talent" that brought him to the top.

That's where it starts.

Taniguchi, you see,
works himself to death.

In the morning, too. After school, too.
More humbly than anyone, repeating things more than anyone.

Effort, guts.
They might sound a bit old-fashioned now, but—

They suit this era perfectly.

And before you know it,
the guy who was a benchwarmer becomes the captain.

But don't get the wrong idea here.It's not like he suddenly became strong.

He didn't suddenly become strong.

This manga properly depicts the reality that even if you work hard, results don't come easily.

The theme isn't about winning or losing

The essence of this work isn't victory.

It's about the conflicts, weaknesses, and hesitations that each individual carries.
How they overcome them.

In other words—

it's a story about human beings.

That's why the psychological portrayal is so heavy.
And so incredibly realistic.

Highlight: The Match Against Aoba

The biggest highlight is the match against Aoba.

A showdown against the prestigious team he once belonged to.
That alone is intense, but the story doesn't end there.

The Aoba manager is so obsessed with winning that he
breaks the rules.

Taniguchi protests.

But—
it isn't accepted.

The game continues as is,
and after a desperate struggle, Sumitani loses.

Even so, 'justice' does not disappear

This is the amazing part.

A voice rises from the Aoba cheering section.

'Is running away winning?'

That's right.
The work properly shakes up ethics.

And after the match—

A single girl applauds.

As if in response to that,
applause spreads throughout the stadium.

This is—

the highlight of this manga.

Back then, I cried.

My son.

You see, I was reading this scene
at the counter of my regular coffee shop.

And then—

I cried.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I sobbed,
but I could barely hold it back.

The owner, an older woman,
gave me a look like, 'Huh?' and was totally put off, but that didn't matter.

That's how much this scene hits home.

If you've read it, you should understand.

It even reaches a proper conclusion.

And what's more,

this match doesn't end there.

Later on, an issue is discovered through the newspaper,
and there is a rematch.

Here, the Aoba manager is portrayed completely as a 'heel'.

That's why the reader
is given a proper place to vent their emotions.

The structure around this part is brilliant.

Summary

My son.

"Captain" is not a story of dreams.

It is a story about how to move forward in reality.

There are no geniuses.
There are no miracles.

All there is—
is effort, struggle, and a little bit of growth.

That is precisely why,
it still hits home even when you read it today.

This is a masterpiece of the Showa era.
There is still so much more to talk about.

Let's leave it at that for today.