Inazuma Eleven (manga)

Inazuma Eleven
Cover of Inazuma Eleven first volume as published by Shogakukan in Japan on September 26, 2008
イナズマイレブン (Inazuma Irebun)
Genre	Sports (association football), Comedy, Fantasy
Manga
Written by	Tenya Yabuno
Published by	Shogakukan
Magazine	CoroCoro Comic
Demographic	Children
Original run	June 2008 – October 2011
Volumes	10
Anime television series
Directed by	Katsuhito Akiyama, Yoshikazu Miyao
Produced by	Fukashi Azuma (eps 1-38), Sayako Muramatsu (eps 1-120) → Shinnosuke Wada (TV Tokyo/eps 121-127), Kiyofumi Kajiwara
Written by	Atsuhiro Tomioka
Music by	Yasunori Mitsuda
Studio	OLM
Licensed by	UK: Arait Multimedia
Original network	TV Tokyo
English network	AU: Spacetoon NA: Nintendo eShop PH: Cartoon Network UK: Disney XD, CITV, Kix! US: Cartoon Network ZA: Nicktoons(2017)
Original run	October 5, 2008 – April 27, 2011
Episodes	127
Anime film
Inazuma Eleven: Saikyō Gundan Ōga Shūrai
Directed by	Yoshikazu Miyao
Produced by	Kiyofumi Kajiwara, Katsumi Ota, Makoto Wada
Written by	Atsuhiro Tomioka, Tatsuto Higuchi, Hiroshi Ōnogi, Kenichi Yamada, Akihiko Inari, Yoshifumi Fukushima
Music by	Yasunori Mitsuda
Studio	OLM
Released	December 23, 2010
Runtime	90 minutes

Inazuma Eleven (イナズマイレブン, Inazuma Irebun, lit. "Lightning Eleven") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tenya Yabuno based on a series of video games created by Level-5. The manga has been published by Shogakukan in CoroCoro Comic since the June 2008 issue. The manga series won the 2010 Kodansha Manga Award and 2011 Shogakukan Manga Award in the Children's Manga category.

An anime television series based on the game aired on the TV Tokyo network from October 5, 2008 until April 27, 2011. The series was produced by Level-5 in conjunction with TV Tokyo and OLM. The series also airs on TVB in Hong Kong, Modern Nine TV in Thailand, Indosiar in Indonesia, Tooniverse in South Korea, Rede TV! in Brazil, Cartoon Network in India, Philippines, South Asia, East Asia, Taiwan, Pakistan, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Australia and New Zealand, Rai 2 in Italy since June 14, 2010,FDF in Spain and Panda Biggs in Portugal since December 2, 2010 and on Disney XD in the Netherlands since July 4, 2011, and on Disney XD in both Ireland and the United Kingdom from July 25, 2011. It formerly aired on CITV in the United Kingdom but now airs on Kix. In Germany, it aired on RTL II since June 10, 2012. An Arabic dub has been airing on Spacetoon for the MENA region since 2010, as well as the channel's other overseas territories.

The first 26 episodes can be seen in the United States on Hulu, in both English and Spanish (European) versions. However, the Japanese version is not available at this time. Additionally, the European Spanish dub merely translates the English dub. There is a separate Latin American dub that translates from the original Japanese, but it is also not available in the United States at this time. The first three episodes can also be freely viewed via the Nintendo 3DS eShop, which were released alongside the North American release of the first video game.

Plot

Endou Mamoru is a cheerful goalkeeper in Raimon Jr High, with six other players in the team. But there was a day when the team was almost lead to disbandment by Natsumi unless they are to win the match against the Teikoku Gakuen, currently the best team of Japan. He tried to save the club by gathering four more players to the team. In the second series, Endou and Raimon had to gather players from all over Japan to defeat the new enemies, Aliea Gakuen. In the third series, the Football Frontier International was announced, and Inazuma Japan was assembled, the coach being Kudou Michiya.

Characters

Main article: List of Inazuma Eleven characters

• Mamoru Endou (円堂 守) (Mark Evans) (Captain, Goal Keeper, Libero) - Mamoru is described as a football loving, cheerful goalkeeper. He is the type of person who never gives up and always thinks of others before himself. He also shows great admiration toward his grandfather, Daisuke, and keeps training notebooks that his grandfather wrote, which includes hissatsu techniques. People around him call him a football maniac due to his love for football. Because of his positive personality, he attracts people even if they're enemy or ally. It was because of this that he was able to gather new members. His teammates benefit from his mental strength and encouragement. They also respect him despite his carefree attitude. He trains harder than anyone else to get stronger. The reason for doing so is that he wishes to face stronger opponents. Though he may be at disadvantage, he always find a way to bring his teammates to victory. His techniques include the God Hand (which later evolves into the True God Hand and further evolves into God Hand V), Fireball Punch, the Majin Hand, the Fist of Justice (which evolved into a libero technique, the Megaton Head and further evolves Gigaton Head), the Hammer of Wrath, and Outer Dimension Hand (which later evolves into Outer Dimension Hand Remastered and True Outer Dimension Hand), Omega the Hand and God Catch.
• Shirou Fubuki (吹雪 士郎) (Shawn Froste) (Forward, Defender) - When the Raimon Eleven team first meets him, he is the captain of Hakuren Junior High School's Football club in Hokkaido, and is both an excellent defender as well as the team's ace striker. He joins the Raimon Eleven in episode 33 to defeat Aliea Academy. He is afraid of loud noises resembling avalanches, due to his family being killed in an avalanche. Initially, he has a split personality, and switches to his brother's when on the offensive on the football field. He wants to be perfect and believes that he can only do so if he continues to be one with his brother. Later on, with Gouenji and the others' help, he realizes he can be perfect just by playing with others as a team and his brother's personality fades away. Comically, he seems to be popular with most girls as shown in the anime for his kind attitude towards people. His secret techniques include Eternal Blizzard, Wolf's Legend and Ice Ground (which later evolves into Snow Angel). He can also do combination techniques, such as Crossfire with Gouenji and Thunder Beast with Hijikata, and The Birth with Hiroto. Further on in the story, Fubuki becomes a member of Inazuma Japan for the Football Frontier International (FFI). Unfortunately, his leg gets badly injured in a match with Korea's Fire Dragon team during the Asia finals. He eventually returns to substitute Kurimatsu.
• Shuuya Gouenji (豪炎寺 修也) (Axel Blaze) (Forward) - He is the ace striker and voice of reason of the team. His sister, Yuuka is in a coma because of Kageyama's interference to stop him from playing against Teikoku Academy. He keeps an amulet made by his sister, and makes a promise with her to stop playing football, but when he sees that his passion for the game is strong, he changes that promise to become the champion of the Football Frontier. Later, Yuka wakes up from her coma, and he begins to play football more freely with his teammates. Gouenji joins up with the others to play against teams around the world. He becomes close friends with Endou, Koyuki, Fubuki, and Kidou as the story progresses. His known techniques are the Fire Tornado (which evolves into the Fire Tornado Remastered), Maximum Fire, Bakunetsu Storm and the Bakunetsu Screw. He also forms a combo technique with Kabeyama called the Inazuma Drop, one with Kidou called Twin Boost, one with Endou called the Inazuma One and a combination of the two called the Inazuma One Drop. Other combos techniques include Crossfire with Fubuki, Tiger Storm with Toramaru, Dragon Tornado with Someoka and jet stream with Toramaru and Endou.
• Yuuto Kidou (鬼道 有人) (Jude Sharp) (Midfielder) - He wears goggles and a red cape. Originally from Teikoku. The reason why he plays for Teikoku is for his sister, Haruna Otonashi. He was forced to win 3 constructive football championships in order to be with her again, so he decided not to contact her for 6 years, leading Otonashi to believe she gets in his way. After seeing Kageyama's wrongdoings, he and the rest of Teikoku quit. Eventually, Kidou joins Endou's team, changing his cape to blue. He is mostly the strategist of the team. In Raimon Middle School, he is close friends with Endou and Gouenji and he can do a combination with Gouenji and Endou called the Inazuma Break(which evolves into Inazuma Break V2 in the match against Neo Japan). Other combination techniques include Emperor Penguin No.2, Death Zone, Death Zone 2, Last Death Zone and Emperor Penguin No.3. Individual hissatsu techniques also include Illusion Ball.
• Ichirota Kazemaru (風丸 一郎太) (Nathan Swift) (Defender) - Originally a member of the track team, Kazemaru is convinced by Endou to become a player on the football team, because the team needed 4 more players for their match; if Endou could not get them the football club would be closed. Kazemaru is finally convinced by the promise of fighting a lot of stronger players, and by Endou's fighting spirit. His secret techniques include the Banana Shoot, the Dance of the Wind God(which later evolves into Dance of the Wind God Remastered), Tornado Falls which he performs with Kabeyama in the match against Korea Fire Dragons and the Hurricane with Fubuki. With the aliea meteorite he performs Bunshin Defense, Dark Phoenix and Triple Boost.
• Heigorou Kabeyama (壁山 塀吾郎) (Jack Wallside) (Defender) - Despite his height, he is a really shy person, sometimes even disappearing before a match, with the excuse of going to the bathroom. Most of the time Endou has to help him overcome his fears. He respects Endou very much. In the match against Wild Junior, he and Gouenji perfect a move called the Inazuma Drop and later he masters defensive techniques on his own, The Wall(later evolves into True Wall) and The Mountain(which later evolves into The Mountain V3).
• Ryuugo Someoka (染岡 竜吾) (Kevin Dragonfly) (Forward) - Self-proclaimed ace striker of the team, he had troubles with Gouenji for that position. Later, he accepts Gouenji and acquires new techniques, like the Dragon Crash and Wyvern Crash, and he combines with Gouenji to form Dragon Tornado. After Gouenji left, and Fubuki was brought in in his stead, he initially had trouble accepting Fubuki as he strongly felt that Gouenji shouldn't be replaced and the ace-striker seat was rightfully his. However, he later overcame it, with Endou's help, with the belief that they were strengthening the team so that when Gouenji came back, the team would be good enough for him. He has a combination hissatsu technique with Fubuki(Wyvern Blizzard) and with Goenji(Dragon Tornado). His individual techniques include the Dragon Crash(later evolves into True Dragon Crash) and Dragon Slayer(later evolves into Dragon Slayer V3) which he uses it in the match against Knights of Queen. With the aliea meteorite he performs the Dark Phoenix with Kurimatsu and Kazemaru.
• Asuka Domon (土門 飛鳥) (Bobby Shearer) (Defender) - He used to live in America with Aki, but he did not care for football because of an accident involving one of his best friends. He used to be in Teikoku until he came to Raimon to spy, and saw everyone working hard. He then decided to join the Raimon Football Club. With Endou, he feels that he can keep up with him, unlike his friend, Ichinose, and the others at Teikoku. He quits being a spy when Fuyukai, the coach and another spy from Teikoku, planned to blow up the bus they were using. Later, he and Ichinose join the American Team in the FFI arc but maintain close relationships with the members of Raimon Eleven. He has a defensive technique known as Killer Slide and his combination hissatsu techniques are Death Zone 2, Tri-Pegasus and The Phoenix.
• Kazuya Ichinose (一之瀬 一哉) (Erik Eagle) (Midfielder) - Ichinose is childhood friends with Domon and Aki. However, because of an accident in his childhood, he moved away for medical treatment, leaving Aki and Domon to think that he died. Through rehabilitation treatment, and his love for football, he went to Japan to visit Aki and became a member of Endou's team. Aki describes Ichinose similar to Endou. Together with Endou and Domon, he tries to recreate the Tri-Pegasus, and it evolves to The Phoenix. Later though, in the FFI arc, he returns to America to join his team. He is apparently quite famous in the football world, often known as the Field Magician. His individual hissatsu techniques include Spinning Shoot, Flame Dance, The Pegasus Shot.
• Aki Kino (木野 秋) (Silvia Woods) (Manager) - Aki is the team manager. She used to play football but stops after experiencing a horrible trauma. She is close friends with Kazuya Ichinose and Asuka Domon. She also has a crush on Endou and had a crush on Ichinose when she was little. In Go series, it is hinted that she is in a relationship with Ichinose.
• Haruna Otonashi (音無 春奈) (Celia Hills) (Manager) - Originally from the school paper, after seeing Raimon play against Teikoku, she became a big fan and decided to be a manager. She is the sister of Yuuto Kido. She has not had any contact with him for 6 years, however.
• Natsumi Raimon (雷門 夏未) (Nelly Raimon) (Manager) - She is the daughter of the chairman of the school and is the student council president. She becomes a manager because of Endou's passion for football. She is shown to have a romantic interest in Endou and strongly believes that he is the best goalkeeper around. She later leaves the team under the pretence of going abroad to study, but it is later revealed that she was in fact investigating the case of the accident involving Endou's Grandfather, Daisuke. She gets married to Endou in Inazuma Eleven Go.
• Ayumu "Shourin" Shōrinji (少林寺 歩) (Timothy "Timmy" Sanders) (Defender) - Another of Endou's original team, usually playing as defender. He's also one of the smallest of the Raimon Eleven. His individual technique is Kung Fu Head, later he does a combination technique with Shishido called Shooting Star when both of them were in the Dark Emperors at the end of season two.
• Daisuke Endō (円堂 大介) (David Evans) (Supporter, Goal Keeper) - Endo's grandfather and the original Inazuma Eleven's goalkeeper. He is admired by Endo Mamoru. He was involved in an accident, which was caused by Kageyama (a man obsessed with vengeance) on the way to the district finals, and everyone believes that he died in the accident. His whereabouts are still unknown. In the later episodes he is revealed to be alive. Giving Endou some ideas like, "If you can't block it you just need to protect the goal." His technique is Outer Dimensional Hand.
• Shin'ichi Handa (半田 真一) (Steve Grim) (Midfielder) - Another of Endou's teammates. He usually plays as a defender, but sometimes he goes to being forward.
• Kakeru Megane (目金 欠流) (William "Willy" Glass) (Forward) - A little pretentious. Megane joined the team before they played against Teikoku Academy claiming himself to be "the hero who saves the team". But when he saw his teammates fall one after another, he ran off, abandoning the uniform and letting Gouenji wear it. Ever since he's almost always on the bench. Megane has a habit of deciding cool names for every new technique his teammates create, for example he was the one who called Someoka's first technique Dragon Crash. He later becomes a Manager. In the FFI Arc it is shown that he has a little brother who is much better than him in football, but more emotional.
• Jin Kageno (影野 仁) (Jim Wrath) (Defender) - Kageno joined the team to help and get people to know him. He has a dark aura and is very negative at peoples comments. His teammates revere him, and Kageno's always willing to help.
• Sakichi Shishido (宍戸 佐吉) (Sam Kincaid) (Midfielder) - Another of Endo's teammates. Shishido is versatile and often does a little of everything.
• Kūsuke "Max" Matsuno (松野 空介) (Maxwell "Max" Carson) (Midfielder) - Another one of Endo's original teammates. He excels at all sports, and was often involved in many other sport clubs. Max joined the football club to "help cure his boredom" when Endou was gathering team members, but he actually starts to enjoy the sport. He is often seen wearing a pink and blue cat-design cap, which is his 'trademark'. At a sleepover training camp, it is also revealed that he wears a different hat to sleep. His combination hissatsu technique is Revolution V with Handa.
• Teppei Kurimatsu (栗松 鉄平) (Todd Ironside) (Defender) - Like Shourin, Kurimatsu is one of the shortest members of the team. He has a buck tooth and a bandage across his nose. His hair resembles that of the X-Men character Wolverine (comics). Kurimatsu along with Kabeyama are best described as a comedy duo, ending or including almost every sentence with "deyansu" ("actually"). Kurimatsu becomes the new captain of Raimon Junior High after the graduation ceremony of Endou and others. His techniques include, Phantom Dribble(which later evolves into True Phantom Dribble), Spinning Cut, Revolution V and Dark Phoenix, when he wore the aliea meteorite.
• Touko Zaizen (財前 塔子) (Victoria "Tori" Vanguard) (Defender) - She is the daughter of the prime minister and the captain of the Eleven In Black. She joined the Inazuma Caravan in episode 29 to battle against Gemini Storm. Her move is "The Tower", but later in the series she does a technique with Kogure and Tsunami called "The Perfect Tower". In FFI she evolved her hissatsu technique into "The Tower V2".Touko has a crush on Endou
• Yūya Kogure (木暮 夕弥) (Scott "Sneaky Scotty" Banyan) (Defender) - Kogure is a small character with a prankster attitude. From Cloister Divinity Junior High in Kyoto, he was often off the team most of the time due to his lack of trust towards others and his pranks. However he joined the Inazuma Caravan due to Haruna's urging. Kogure joined in the nick of time when Epsilon attacked his school. Kogure's most noted technique is Senpuujin, later he does a technique with Touko and Tsunami called The Perfect Tower when they went up against Genesis the second time.
• Rika Urabe (浦部 リカ) (Suzette "Sue" Heartland) (Forward) - Rika is on a girl's football team in Osaka. She first appeared when the Raimon Eleven came to Osaka believing that Aliea Academy had a base hidden in an amusement park that was somewhere in Osaka. When Rika first met Ichinose she immediately fell head-over-heels for him and claims him to be her husband after he eats her "Lovey-Dovey Dish" which was just a simple Okonomiyaki that she made. She joined the Inazuma Caravan to help them in their second match with Epsilon. After their match with Epsilon, Rika decided to stay on the team hoping to be with Ichinose. She calls Ichinose "Darling". Although she wants to try and keeps on insisting on it, she has never done Butterfly Dream with Ichinose before. Her technique is Rose Splash and she later does a technique with Touko called Butterfly Dream.
• Jousuke Tsunami (綱海 条介) (Hurley Kane) (Defender) - Tsunami loves to surf and is the oldest in the team at 15. Tsunami originally didn't know anything about football at first, until he released a powerful shot at his first meeting with Endou called Tsunami Boost. He began to take more interest in football and joined his school's football team. He later joined Inazuma Eleven to defeat Aliea Academy and then Inazuma Japan in the FFI Arc. His individual hissatsu techniques include The Typhoon and he has a combination technique with Touko and Kogure called Perfect Tower. In episode 98, Tsunami has a new hissatsu technique called "The Tube".
• Yuki Tachimukai (立向居 勇気) (Darren LaChance) (Midfielder, Goalkeeper) - He is a big fan of Endou, and also the second goalkeeper of Inazuma Japan. Tachimukai originally played midfielder, but changed to Goalkeeper because of his great admiration for Endou. He was able to master God Hand just by watching tons of videos of Endou performing it. He also masters the Majin Hand by copying Endou and training. He joined Inazuma Eleven to defeat Aliea Academy and returned to his home town after they defeated Aliea Academy. He came back to join Inazuma Japan in the FFI Arc. His Hissatsu Techniques also include the Mugen Hand and the Maou Hand.
• Hiroto Kiyama (基山 ヒロト) (Xavier Foster) (Midfielder) - Growing up in an orphanage, the only 'parent' he knew was an elderly man who frequently visited the orphanage. Later, the children in the orphanage start learning football and are manipulated by the elderly man who is vengeance-hungry, and he uses a meteor that enhances human capabilities on the children. He is shown to love his 'father' a lot and goes through pain for him, like when he released the limiter, knowing that afterwards they would experience excruciating pain, and also shielding him from a ball, which in anger, one of the children kicked at his 'father'. He was originally the captain of The Genesis but later joined Inazuma Japan for the FFI Arc. His Alias is Gran, which people from Aliea Academy, besides Reize/Midorikawa, still call him. His hissatsu shoot is Ryuusei Blade (Meteor Blade), which later evolved to Ryuusei Blade V2, he also learned another hissatsu shoot called Tenkuu Otoshi (Celestial Smash). He also does a combination hissatsu technique with Gouenji and Toramaru, Grand Fire Ignition, and one with Fubuki, The Birth.
• Ryuuji Midorikawa (緑川 リュウジ) (Jordan Greenway) (Midfielder) - He is the captain of Gemini Storm, the second rank team of Aliea Academy. He pretended to be an alien, and often used sayings beginning with: "Earth has this saying, '....'" His team lost to Raimon Eleven. Later, it is revealed that he improves and is better than those in the first rank team, Epsilon. After joining Inazuma Japan with Hiroto, it is also shown that he constantly overstrains himself as he wants to get stronger. Later on in the FFI Arc, he leaves the team with Fubuki. His individual hissatsu techniques are Astro Break and Lightning Accel.
• Toramaru Utsunomiya (宇都宮 虎丸) (Austin Hobbes) (Forward) - He is a new character introduced in the FFI Arc. He is quite the fan of Gouenji. He is one of the representatives of Inazuma Japan, and he is new to football, so he is a player of unknown talent. But in later episodes he is showing his real skill. His individual hissatsu moves are Tiger Drive and Gladius Arch. He also does a combination hissatsu technique with Hiroto called Grand Fire Ignition, and one with Gouenji called Tiger Storm, and one with Gouenji and endou called Jet Stream. He learns RC Shoot when he and Tobitaka had a confrontation.
• Seiya Tobitaka (飛鷹 征矢) (Archer Hawkins) (Defender) - He is a new character introduced in the FFI Arc. He was in a gang before Hibiki asked him to play football. His technique is Shinkuuma, which is revealed when he helps Toramaru with a shot.

Media

Manga

The Inazuma Eleven manga series, based on the video game series of the same name, was written and illustrated by Tenya Yabuno. It began publication in the June 2008 issue of the Shogakukan magazine CoroCoro Comic and ended in the September 2011 issue. A total of ten tankōbon (bound) volumes of Inazuma Eleven have been released in Japan between September 26, 2008 and October 28, 2011.

Volumes

No.	Release date	ISBN
1	September 26, 2008	978-4-09-140699-6
2	February 26, 2009	978-4-09-140780-1
3	June 26, 2009	978-4-09-140830-3
4	October 28, 2009	978-4-09-140852-5
5	February 26, 2010	978-4-09-140898-3
6	June 28, 2010	978-4-09-141068-9
7	October 28, 2010	978-4-09-141128-0
8	February 28, 2011	978-4-09-141204-1
9	June 28, 2011	978-4-09-141064-1
10	October 28, 2011	978-4-09-141347-5

Anime television series

Main article: List of Inazuma Eleven episodes

The animated series, Inazuma Eleven (イナズマイレブン Inazuma Irebun, lit. "Lightning Eleven"), was produced by OLM, Inc. and directed by Katsuhito Akiyama. 127 episodes aired on TV Tokyo from October 5, 2008 to April 27, 2011.

The series is also available for video on-demand streaming via Toon Goggles

Main article: List of Inazuma Eleven GO episodes

The second series, Inazuma Eleven Go! (イナズマイレブンGO!), adapted from the manga of the same name, began airing on May 4, 2011.

Anime film

Main article: Inazuma Eleven: Saikyō Gundan Ōga Shūrai

Guidebooks

A series of three guidebooks to the first anime series have been published by Shogakukan. The books detail the television episodes and include player information and uniform catalogs.

Teams

FFI

• Yellows Coffees - Colombia
• Inazuma Japan -Japan
• The Kingdom - Brazil
• Brockenborg - Germany
• Big Waves - Australia
• The Empire - Argentina
• Desert Lion - Qatar
• Unicorn - America
• Red Matador - Spain
• Orpheus - Italy
• Fire Dragon - South Korea
• Little Gigant - Cotarl
• The Great Horn - South Africa
• Knights of Queen - England
• Rose Griffon - France
• Orange's Bowls - Netherlands
• The Jaguars - Mexico
• Reggae Boys - Jamaica
• Maples Reds - Canada
• The Kiwis - New Zealand
• The Dark Lions - Belgium

Reception

Inazuma Eleven won "Best Children's Manga" at the 34th annual Kodansha Manga Awards.

According to Kogyo Tsushinsha, the first film, Inazuma Eleven Saikyō Gundan Ōga Shūrai, debuted in second place at the Japanese box office for the weekend of December 25 and 26, 2010. By February 6, 2011, the film had grossed US$ 21,099,188 by its seventh week of screening in the country.

External links

• Inazuma Eleven Series (meta series official site) Template:Ja icon
• Inazuma World Template:Ja icon
• TV Tokyo Inazuma Eleven site Template:Ja icon
• Inazuma Eleven at Cartoon Network (Philippines)
• Inazuma Eleven at Cartoon Network (Southeast Asia)
• Inazuma Eleven (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Inazuma Eleven (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia