is a Japanese baseball manga series written and illustrated by Shinji Mizushima. The original series was serialized in Akita Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Champion from April 24, 1972, to March 27, 1981, but it was followed by several sequel series running until 2018. Chapters of the series were published into 205 volumes in total, making it the series with the second highest number of volumes. It was also made into an anime by the same name. It was immensely popular in Japan during its original release, and is one of the most popular sports manga of all time.
Synopsis
Dokaben is centered on Taro Yamada and his teammates Iwaki, Tonoma, and Satonaka and was focused mainly on their activity as a high school baseball team. At first, it focused on Yamada, Iwaki, and Sachiko and was set in Takaoka Middle School. But in Volume 8 the team is transferred to Meikun High School for their baseball skills.
The story of Dokaben continues in Dai Kōshien, Dokaben Pro Baseball Story, and Dokaben SuperStars Story.
Characters
Meikun High School baseball team
Yamada generation
Position: Catcher
Position: Third baseman
Position: Second baseman
Position: Pitcher
Position: Catcher, Left fielder
Senior / Younger student
Position: Catcher, First baseman
Position: Center fielder
Position: Right fielder
Position: Shortstop
Position: Pitcher
Position: Shortstop, Second baseman
Manager
Manager of Meikun High School baseball team
Yamada family
Taro's 9-year-old little sister
Taro's grandfather "Ji-chan" means grandpa in English
Rivals
Kanagawa
Kantō
→ Michihiro Ikemizu (ep. 82)
→ Takashi Tanaka
Whole Japan
Others
Iwaki's girlfriend
Shinji Kobayashi's little sister
Video game adaptation In 1989, Capcom released an arcade video game based on the manga.
Cultural references In the "Simpsons Comics internationale" in issue #132, the Japanese supplement (Too crazy, Juvenile Prankster, BARTOMU! (serialized in "Laughing Laughing everyone is laughing")) opens as a parody of Dokaben, with Bartomu playing for the "Yokohama Li'l Ninjas", and an art style heavily based on Dokabens highly recognized style of art.
Notes
References
External links Official Nippon Animation Dokaben introduction page