Is this virtue or trauma?

I made a promotional page for a Japanese movie "Gyakyo NINE". When you visit the site, they say "No full force? you should die". In short it is a comedy about a weak baseball team that gets to win in the end after a few ups and downs. As you know, comedy sports movies like Major League and Shaolin Soccer, as well as serious sports movie like Rocky or Vision Quest, are very common and popular around the world.

But I suppose serious sports animation would be rare other than in Japan.  Many Japanese sports animations are so far from comedy, they are completely serious; "Perfect Stoic world". Main character works hard to make his dream come true, but many troubles and tough episodes come to him from one minute to the next. Sometimes he sheds bitter tears because of severe coach's training or miserable losses to his rival. But still he tries to go up and up... That is a typical story of Spokon Anime (Sports Konjo animation) = Spots balls animation.

For example I wrote about "Kyojin no Hoshi" (A star of Yomiuri Giants) before. It is old, but still the most famous Supokon Anime. The main Character Hyuma wears this type of brace to make his muscles big. That brace is called "Major League training brace" :-). Hyuma is patient for his father's severe training everyday, but he never gives up wanting to be a player for the Tokyo Giants. Fire in eyes are a typical expression to show Hyuma's passion. Sometimes it took 10 minutes before Hyuma throws a ball because they show his intense psychological conflict. He stares at batter (3minutes), cocks (3minutes) , rises his leg (3minutes) and particles of sand flutters from his show toe (1 minutes). You'll be physically tired with just watching this animation. We have to see Hyuma is overstraining and being tense. By the way when my brother was an elementary school boy, he tried to make that brace with a spring from my mom's diet machine and cried because his skin was nipped by the springs. Yes yes many boys did the same in those days. I am sure.

"Ashita no Joe" (Tomorrow, Joe) is another big old comic/animation. Joe is a bad boy who was in Juvenile Training School, he meets his coach Danpei and gets to be a professional boxer. A fight with his rival Rikiishi is a kind of legend for Japanese guys. Actually Rikiishi's funeral was held in fact when he died in the comic. This white page is a famous last scene, where people argued "is Joe dead or is it just metaphor of his burning out". Not only boy's comic, girls old animations "Ace wo Nerae", "Attack No.1" were so popular for girls,  those sports are very popular in Japan, I am sure it is related to those animations. 

Actually basically I can say Japanese have a concept that to make efforts, to be patient, to do hard is valuable.  But not only that, many 30s, 40s Japanese were imprinted with "I can get my victory after big efforts and patience" by his hero in his favourite animation in their childhood.  I wonder if some foreigners who works for Japanese companies or work with Japanese will may feel it and agree with me.

But I can't say Spokon Anime is only an old product. Captain Tsubasa or Slumdank aren't so old animation but still they keep those severe tastes a little.  Recently "Ace wo Nerae" and "Attack No.1" have been remade into TV dramas featuring Aya Ueto. 

Maybe Japanese like "KONJO!" (have balls). -You can't make it? It because you haven't done enough yet!-  Hmm maybe yes basically, then those ideas are bolstered by the kids animated heroes which we love to see in childhood. Is this a kind of virtue or just bad trauma?

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Captain Tsubasa's strong ideals even reached italians.
With Hokuto no Ken, Captain Tsubasa was the best loved japanese anime in late '80s, due also to great italian tradition in football. Really famous among guys, it impressed childhood's feelings for the real "suffer" felt by all characters to reach they own goals, and also for... the kilometric dimensions! Me, I was literally "kidnapped" by Tv screen every afternoon. Very famous is Bruce Harper's (I don't know japanese name of this character) motto (when is hit by ball in the face): "Soccer ball is my best friend, soccer ball is my best friend" !
Ciao Mari!
Max