Tsubasa, Nostalgia and Dreams

Remember that? of course you do. it was so awesome back then.

In several manga forums, I saw that Captain Tsubasa is still some people's favorite sport manga. Although the only one big plus from it is the nostalgic part. Everything else is too far from good compared to other sport manga, especially today. It was so unrealistic from the story, plot, even physcology and physics. If we read it again today, maybe we would yell, "How on earth can that happen!!?" It was so different when we were children. That's just was so crazy seeing Tsubasa or the others releasing their new skill and rip the opponent's goal. But Tsubasa is more than a childish show.

"To win the World Cup for Japan!" Tsubasa stated his dream. As a manga, this is reasonable and plain. Putting the highest achievement in football as ending, and making the author's nation as protagonist. And coincidentally or not, it is the dream of everyone who loves both football and his nation. Admit it, as Indonesian kids we ever played our national team in a game like PES, FIFA, or Football Manager and bring it to win the world cup (using edited players sometimes, lol). It was how we express our dream and maybe, instead of making money from creating a football story, Takahashi just wanted to express his dreams. To see the Japanese football team acknowledged by the world, to see japanese players play for elite teams in Europe like Tsubasa in Barcelona, Aoi in Inter, Hyuga in Juventus, or Wakabayashi in HSV.

Captain Tsubasa Covers, showing Tsubasa Ozora wearing Japan World Cup jersey (2006, 2010, 2014), and the official World Cup balls 

Today, Captain Tsubasa is still releasing one-shots. It actually matches the latest actual events in Football history such as Italy winning 2006 World Cup and the born of Tiki-Taka generation. But it is not as famous as back then. Apart from the reason we are growing up and not interested anymore in highly unrealistic story, there is another one: The dreams come to real. They don't need to have imaginary players like Aoi and Wakabayashi who play in Europe, they have plenty right now. They do not need Tsubasa squad as now they have Honda, Kagawa, Endo, Okazaki, Ryo, Hasebe, and the others. In a country when 40 years ago football was completely unknown, they now have AKB48 and Pokemon supporting them and the world seeing them as dark horses in current world cup.

Of course the dream is not over yet. They keep dreaming to achieve the highest. As till now they have taught us the classic lessons we often forget, Dare to Dream!

See how Captain Tsubasa have amazingly influenced Japan and Football in "Captain Tsubasa and The Rise of Japanese Soccer" by tofugu.com