Moero! Top Striker


Moero! Top Striker is a Japanese anime television series. It was produced by Nippon Animation and broadcast for 49 episodes on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from 10 October 1991 to 24 September 1992.
The series tells the story of a boy named Yoshikawa Hikaru, who went to Genoa, Italy to study football at his father's request. He plays for the prestigious team, Sanpodestà Junior. One day, Hikaru's parents suddenly die in an airplane accident, and his aunt living in Japan is about to take him in, but Robson, a local doctor, notices his talent and he decides to stay in Italy. After being coached by Robson, Hikaru joins the weak team Columbus and participates in the Genoa Cup.
Although Hikaru loses to his former team, Sanpodestà Junior, in the Genoa Cup final and ends up as runner-up, he is selected to represent Genoa in the Italian Youth Soccer Tournament, and he is respected for bringing together his assertive teammates. Eventually, Robson suggests that a mixed team called "J-Wings" be formed, bringing together talented players from all over the world, and Hikaru expands his field of activity, participating in the European Tournament and the Junior Champions Cup with his former rivals.

Overview

In the early 1990s, Italy's top football league, Serie A, attracted star players from around the world, including Dutch players Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten, and Frank Rijkaard, German players Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann, and Brazilian player Careca. The 1990 FIFA World Cup was held the year before the series aired, creating a vibrant and prosperous sport. This work depicts the growth of a japanese boy who travels to Italy to study football, as he encounters and interacts with renowned coaches and rivals. The protagonist's teammates are all foreigners, and the entire series is set in Europe, giving it a rich international flavor.
The series was scheduled to air in France before its japanese broadcast. At the request of the french broadcaster, the characters' appearances were not distorted, and their eyes and mouths were depicted small to create a realistic impression.
In South Korea, it was broadcast on SBS TV in 1993 under the title "Football King Shuttori" and became a more popular football anime than "Captain Tsubasa".

Characters

Main characters

;Hikaru Kikkawa
;Anna Liegi
;Albert Robson
;M. Bertini
;Julian Ray
;Catherine Ray
;Cesare Gatti

Teammates of Columbus

;Roberto Concini
;Lucas Rondi
;Giorgio Fornari
;Macaroni Giotti
;Antonio Solozzo

Players of San Podesta Junior

;Mario Santis
;Renzo Rotta
;Coloni
;Renato
;Carone

Other players

;Bruno Moricone
;Yann
;Papan
;Jupiter Wings

Students of the ballet school

;Sofia Ruggiero
;Monica Rossi
;Lisa Palmioli

Video game

  • ''Top Striker''