Kyojin no Hoshi (Star of the Giants) (1968-1971)

An emotional, feature-length drama depicting a father and son who had devoted their lives to Japanese professional baseball. Based on the manga (graphic novel) by Ikki Kajiwara (story) and Noboru Kawasaki (drawing). A classic masterpiece of so-called 'Sports Konjou' genre ('konjou' means something like guts or spirit) and one of the nationally-popular manga/anime works. The story of a boy named Hyuma Hoshi, who became a powerful baseball pitcher with precision control and blazing fastball, through his hard practice and special training under his father Ittetsu Hoshi, who was once a third baseman of the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, a leading team in Japanese pro baseball league, but he injured his shoulder by the World War Two and retired. Hyuma joined the Giants and fights fiercely against his lifetime rival Mitsuru Hanagata, the batting genius of the Hanshin Tigers, developing his 'pitching magics'. Directed by Tadao Nagahama. Produced by Tokyo Movie. 182 episodes. There are also the sequel TV series, 'Shin Kyojin no Hoshi' (52 episodes, aired in 1977-78) and 'Shin Kyojin no Hoshi II' (23 episodes, aired in 1979). 'Kyojin no Hoshi Special Edition: Fierce Tiger Mitsuru Hanagata' (13 episodes, aired in 2002) is the re-edited version of the first TV series (with some new shots added), featuring Mitsuru Hanagata as the leading character.