Review of the manga "GIANT KILLING" | Is it finished? Discussing its appeal.

Preface

The manga "GIANT KILLING" is a soccer-themed manga that has been serialized in Morning magazine since 2007.
As of June 2021, the series has reached 58 volumes and has been running for a long time, but it is still not finished.
I became interested in it when there was a campaign offering the beginning of the story for free, and that's what got me hooked.

I'm not particularly fond of soccer, nor do I dislike it.
When the World Cup is a hot topic, I might watch the broadcasts as a casual fan, but I'm not so enthusiastic that I watch the entire matches.
I'm not particularly knowledgeable about soccer; I understand the rules well enough to explain "offside," but I don't really understand the more detailed roles and responsibilities.
At best, I only know the basic positions like forward, midfielder, defender, and goalkeeper.

That said, most sports manga are quite enjoyable if you give them a read, so it wasn't surprising that I got hooked on this one.
This time, I'd like to share my own thoughts on why I found "GIANT KILLING" interesting.

What kind of manga is "GIANT KILLING"?

The main character of "GIANT KILLING" is a director named Takeshi Tatsumi.
To put it simply, the story of this work is about Tatsumi, who becomes the manager of a weak team, and uses strategy and tactics to defeat stronger opponents.
The story revolves around "giant killing," which is also the title of the work.

That being said, victory is by no means achieved through opportunism or luck.
The process of identifying and utilizing the strengths of one's own team's players, while simultaneously analyzing the opponent's weaknesses and exploiting them, is meticulously depicted, making the unfolding of the match very convincing.
Its strength lies in its storytelling, which progresses at a perfect pace—neither dragging on nor being too abrupt.

Furthermore, despite soccer being a sport involving large numbers of players, the individual stories of the players are carefully depicted, making it a well-crafted ensemble drama.
The sport of soccer makes you realize that it involves not only the players, but also the team staff, supporters, the players' mentors, their families, and many other people.

What makes "GIANT KILLING" interesting?

Now, regarding the manga "GIANT KILLING," which I described in the previous section, I tried to think about what made it so interesting.

I like war stories, such as "Altair: A Record of Battles" and "Legend of the Galactic Heroes."
Any story that features a scenario where one uses wisdom and strategy to counter a formidable opponent gets my blood pumping.
Also, I generally like works that feature deception, such as "Kaiji," "Usogui," and "JoJo."

The appeal of "GIANT KILLING," despite the difference in genre, probably shares some common elements with works like that.
I've picked out a few elements that make this work interesting.

Winning against a superior opponent through intellect

There's nothing surprising about a strong opponent beating a weaker one, and that's not what makes it interesting.
However, it is generally difficult for a weaker opponent to defeat a stronger one, and that is precisely why it naturally sparks curiosity about "how will they win?", making it more interesting.
Since this work is titled "GIANT KILLING," it always possesses that kind of appeal.

For a weaker opponent to defeat a stronger one, they must not try to counter aspects that are beyond their immediate control, but rather utilize their intelligence and strategies.
Because soccer is a sport played with many people rather than one-on-one, the influence of individual skill is smaller, and there are more elements that can be used for strategy and ingenuity.
Coach Tatsumi not only plays during the game, but also lays the groundwork for victory from the very beginning.

For example, at a press conference held shortly after the start of the season, where each team's manager announces their aspirations for the season, Tatsumi makes the following statement:

The weak grow into the strong

Even if you win through strategy, it's not satisfying if your allies remain the underdogs the whole time.
The story also provides a solid depiction of the players' growth and development.
In particular, the rapid growth of Daisuke Tsubaki, who could be considered the main character from the athletes' perspective, offers the simple enjoyment of a sports manga.
Not only Tsubaki, but all the players who appear in the story, both allies and enemies, grow and develop under Tatsumi's guidance.
The fact that not only allies but also enemies learn and become more formidable adds further realism to this game, which is not based on convenient plot devices.

The human drama is interesting.

While the main story of the underdog triumphing over the strong is certainly engaging, the human drama woven by the various characters is also a major highlight.
Both allies and enemies are portrayed in a very human way, as individuals with both strengths and weaknesses.
That's precisely why this work is so relatable and appealing.

Director Tatsumi has a carefree and seemingly unserious demeanor, and at first, his true feelings aren't really depicted, giving him a somewhat mysterious aura.
Despite his outward appearance, Tatsumi harbors a burning fighting spirit that surpasses everyone else's, and when he does show it, you can't help but think he's incredibly cool.
Tatsumi doesn't talk much about himself, but as the story progresses, there are scenes where he reveals his past and inner thoughts (Volume 30).
The scene where he exposes his own weaknesses to inspire the players brought me to tears as a reader.
I think it resonates with people because it's not just a manga about who wins and who loses, but because it portrays human beings so realistically.

Afterword

I reread "GIANT KILLING" from the beginning and found it interesting all over again, so I decided to write this article.
Even people who are not interested in soccer"We will do everything we can to defeat the strong as the weak."If you enjoy that kind of content, I think you'll definitely enjoy this work.
(As a similar type of work, I also highly recommend the baseball manga "ONE OUTS.")

Before reading this book, I found soccer a little difficult to get into, but now I can watch it with a certain degree of familiarity.
I can't go so far as to talk about the appeal of soccer itself, but I hope I've managed to convey what makes this film so enjoyable.

GIANT KILLING (1) (Morning Comics)

Rakuten Market: GIANT KILLING（1）