is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsunomaru. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from November 1994 to February 1998, with its chapters collected in 16 volumes.
A 61-episode anime television series produced by Pierrot was broadcast on Fuji TV from March 1996 to July 1997. A second manga series, titled Taiyō no Makibaō, was serialized in Weekly Playboy from 2007 to 2011, and later in the Shū Play News website, under the title Taiyō no Makibaō W, from 2011 to 2016, with the overall series' chapters collected in 36 volumes.
The Midori no Makibaō manga has had over 9 million copies in circulation. In 1997, it won the 42nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the children category.
Plot Midori Makibaō is a small, white mule. His physique, comparable to that of a donkey and characterized by wide nostrils, distinguishes him from larger thoroughbreds. Compensating for his stature with exceptional determination and speed, Makibaō achieves victory in major races.
His career begins with significant challenges, yet he is driven by two powerful motives: to defeat his lifelong rival, the thoroughbred Superhorse Cascade, and to win back his mother, Midori, who was sold to settle a debt. Despite numerous hardships, Makibaō prevails through a series of demanding races to establish himself as a celebrated racehorse.
Characters Horses
Other
Media Manga Written and illustrated by Tsunomaru, Midori no Makibaō was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from November 28, 1994, to February 9, 1998. Shueisha collected its chapters 16 volumes, released from June 2, 1995, to June 4, 1998.
A second series, titled , started in Shueisha's Weekly Playboy on March 26, 2007. The manga was later moved to the Shū Play News website, continued under the title , where it ran from May 9, 2011, to November 14, 2016. Shueisha collected the Taiyō no Makibaō chapters in 16 volumes, released from August 17, 2007, to June 17, 2011, while the Taiyō no Makibaō W chapters were collected in 20 volumes, released from September 16, 2011, to February 17, 2017.
Anime A 61-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe, was broadcast on Fuji TV from March 2, 1996, to July 12, 1997. The opening theme is by F.MAP; the song is a cover of 's 1970 song . The ending theme is by Men's 5.
The series was re-released on a Blu-ray box on July 27, 2022, which included a five-minute-long new episode that adapted the final chapter of the original manga series.
Episodes
Dokodemo Makibao A spin-off original net animation (ONA) series, titled , premiered on December 16, 2024, on the YouTube, X/Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram platforms. It was directed by , who also oversaw the scripts, and produced the series at DLE with cooperation by KDDI. The music was composed by , and starred Inuko Inuyama, Shigeru Chiba, Toshiharu Sakurai, and Frogman.
A second season, titled , premiered on October 8, 2025. It is directed by Frogman and Tsukasa Nishiyama, with Naotoshi Nakajima and Yuh Ochiai overseeing the scripts, and Matsuno returned to compose the music.
Other An art exhibition to celebrate the series' 30th anniversary ran at the Graveyard Gallery in Nakano, Tokyo from November 7 to December 2, 2024.
A collaborative illustration with Umamusume: Pretty Derbys Cinderella Gray manga, featuring Midori Makibaō and Tamamo Cross, was included in Weekly Young Jumps 39th issue of 2021, released on August 26 of that same year. On April Fools' Day 2026, a collaborative video with Umamusume was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Midori no Makibaō anime series, the fifth anniversary of the Umamusume video game, and the year of the Horse in 2026. The video recreates the opening sequence of Midori no Makibaō, featuring Makibaō and the Umamusume characters whose names end with "o" (such as Tokai Teio, T. M. Opera O, Sakura Bakushin O, Sakura Chiyono O, Sakura Chitose O, and Calstone Light O).
Reception The manga has had over 9 million copies in circulation. In 1997, the manga won the 42nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the children category.
See also List of fictional horses
Notes
References
External links