Seinen Giant Killing by TSUNAMOTO Masaya and Tsujitomo

[Kaiten]

Giant Killing
Written By: TSUNAMOTO Masaya
Art By: Tsujimoto
Genre: Sports
Serialized In: Weekly Morning
Scanlated By: Chibisuke Scans
[RTS]

In Giants Killing a ragtag bunch from East Tokyo are struggling in Japan's top football league. The team is going through an abysmal spell right now where they are nearing the bottom of the table and have lost 5 matches in a row. The loses haven't done much to team moral, because it was already low. Fan support, on the other hand, is looking bleak. In the world of football, once the fans turn on a team the end is near. Teams don't recover. Coaches are fired, players are sold, and teams drop to smaller divisions where profits often prevent them from ever being successful against even mediocre top division programs. East Tokyo United, ETU, can only blame their coach right now. And Coach is ready to give up this next game to prove to his team and fans, that against the biggest club in the nation he can make this team win.

An interesting manga. The only sports manga I've seen from the coaches perspective. An anime is scheduled to debut in April 2010.

Alternative DL source

This is a Kodansha Comic. Raws and Edited Mangas are not available at Mangahelpers. Check the Manga Editors site for new releases!

 

[Drmke]

Just read chapter 1, and I loved it. Very good manga and I love that its form the coach's point-of-view. The ending was funny when he couldn't remember that girl's name I wonder if, in time, if he manages to make ETU good enough to enter into worldwide competitions, they will have to face FC? Would be cool bu that's assuming FC continues to do as well, or even better, without Tatsumi being with them.

I intend to read the rest of volume one when I get home...but if the rest is as fun as the first chapter, I'll be happy. BTW, when did this manga start in Morning?

 

[Kaiten]

It's actually been running for a while now, since 2007. There are 12 volumes already.

Seeing things from the coaches point of view is really novel and interesting. As volume 1 proceeds it becomes more about the psychology of managing players and egos. I'm curious to see how some of the early games go. I expect some losses, maybe valiant, but still losses, early in the series. As the young players develop later in the story maybe they'll be able to challenge the powers.

 

[boemshiika]

after reading vol 1 i have a sudden craving for a manager game. im glad someone picked this p, cant wait for vol 2.

 

[Unproductive]

There's an animation of this as a lead up to the World Cup in South Africa. Maybe they'll do a good job. I don't know about the world cup though. I hope that it's somewhat warm down there for the games. It's winter.

 

[mathi36]

volume 2 is on its way^^.

Btw, the anime of giant killing will air this april!!

 

[Kaiten]

I'm looking forward to the anime (nice to in to the World Cup). I'm looking forward to volume 2 as well, glad you guys picked it up!

 

[mathi36]

yeah, we were (and still are) kind of thrilled to scanlate a seinen sports manga.

Even the art is fun. You either like or hate it^^.

To the world-cup? Didn't know that :O.

 

[barbapapa]

Seinen and football (you know, soccer for the yanks). Great combination, and good Edited Manga. Looking forward to v2 and the anime!

 

[Kaiten]

The anime is on my list for this spring (a surprisingly seinen heavy season). Volume 1 was definitely impressive. Considering how dull most sports series starts out being even slightly impressed is a good sign.

---

Volume 2 is out!!

 

[mathi36]

I wonder how this story'll devlop and if Tatsumi's gonna stay with ETU or repeat what he's done some time ago again and will just leave the team when a more promising team/challenge awaits him.

 

[Kaiten]

My guess he will leave ETU at the end of the series. It always feels weird predicting something that's already been written but I speak no Japanese :x
I bet when he achieves what he wants to achieve, whether that's a title or some measure of respectability he'll wander off into the sunset, find some other cellar dweller to rebuild.

Volume 2 was great! The first glimpse of game action was incredible; the mesh between typical (if brilliantly drawn) game scenes with the added focus on strategy was outstanding. Prince and Tsubaki are great characters, I'm interested to see how their on field chemistry develops.

 

[mathi36]

mmhm, it's fun how the manga mixes different point of views. The art is really good, although you have to like it^^. It's not the usual manga-drawing style. What do you mean by...what's already been written? The manga's not finished yet, volume 13 just appeared and...but since I cannot read japanese aswell only guesses remain.

 

[Kaiten]

I don't know what happens from volume 3-13, I can make predictions but a lot of plot has been written already. It's not the same as predicting a series that is caught up.

I love the art. The character design and backgrounds are really distinctive, especially for a realistic series. The use of perspective reminds me, in a way, of One Piece. It's not stereotypical manga art, something else I like about it.

 

[bellcrossage]

I just started reading the manga after watching the first episode of the anime, and I have to say that I find the manga hilarious. Tatsumi is a prankster manager at one point. He's a fun guy to watch.

 

[destiny4ever]

As the anime girl I am, I first watched the first episodes of this series and loved them. After reading a comment on the thread where the anime is discussed I decided to give the manga a try and read the first chapter and I’m so glad I did. The first chapter was awesome, it was 70 pages long, but it was so fun to read it that it didn’t even feel as a 70-page chapter. Tatsumi is just so amazing! I’m hooked and I plan to continue reading it. Great manga indeed.

 

[Akiyama]

Are Tatsumi and Yuri related by blood in any way? I don't even know the answer and I've read the first volume. xD

 

[destiny4ever]

Are Tatsumi and Yuri related by blood in any way? I don't even know the answer and I've read the first volume. xD

I so want to know the answer to that question too!! I hope they are not, since I don't dislike the idea of a Yuri x Tatsumi pairing to be honest.

 

[Unproductive]

Are Tatsumi and Yuri related by blood in any way? I don't even know the answer and I've read the first volume. xD

No. It should be perfectly clear that they aren't.
Rather there shouldn't be much of an indication that they are.

 

[destiny4ever]

No. It should be perfectly clear that they aren't.
Rather there shouldn't be much of an indication that they are.

Ah. I got confused because of what happened during the first episode/chapter two. I know Yuri is the daughter of the barkeeper and the barkeeper is the younger brother of the President, but since Tatsumi called the President “old man” I thought he was his son. Sorry for the misunderstanding.