At times, I would even find myself switching the channel to avoid that awkward feeling. It was just that I used to feel guilty for feeling patriotic for Japan.

So, keep moving.' I was also glad when the world cup was finally over.

We do witness the rise of our heroes but it wasn't about as if they have finally achieved it or finally, they are at the top. It was something my 14 year old self would really enjoy. Shaolin Soccer seems to be the closest thing to it. Most of the goals shown in the anime were, ahem, IMPOSSIBLE. It was interesting how for Tsubasa and Genzo, the ball was a friend but Hyuga, the forward player, would let it all out and would kick it as hard as he can. I really enjoyed the healthy(ok, perhaps not so much) rivalry between Tsubasa and Hyuga. No doubt, gradually it became mostly about Tsubasa, Hyuga and Genzo Wakabayashi. I must say the first 10 episodes are really important as it shows the history of this fictional Japanese national team and each character has something to offer. Obviously, these all teams were fictional. We see Japan beating many strong teams in this anime. I must say that the mangaka must be having huge dreams expectations from the Japanese national football team. It felt like a celebration of Japan having an opportunity to co-host the 2002 Fifa world cup. It's a fact that the original Captain Tsubasa anime has inspired many famous footballers to pursue career in this sport.

Captain tsubasa anime batch