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Whistle!

Whistle!
First tankōbon volume cover
ホイッスル!
(Hoissuru!)
GenreSports
Manga
Written byDaisuke Higuchi
Published byShueisha
English publisher
ImprintJump Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original runFebruary 24, 1998 – October 8, 2002
Volumes24 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byHiroshi Fukutomi
Written byShun'ichi Yukimuro
Music byToshihiko Sahashi
StudioStudio Comet
Original networkAnimax
Original run May 5, 2002 – February 3, 2003
Episodes39
Video game
Whistle!: Fuki Nukeru Kaze
PublisherKonami
GenreSports
PlatformPlayStation
ReleasedJanuary 3, 2003
Video game
Whistle!: Dai 37-kai Tokyo-to Chuugakkou Sougou Taiiku Soccer Taikai
DeveloperIntense
PublisherKonami
GenreSports
PlatformGame Boy Advance
ReleasedFebruary 27, 2003
Manga
Whistle! W
Written byDaisuke Higuchi
Published byShogakukan
ImprintUra Sunday Comics
Magazine
  • Ura Sunday
  • MangaONE
DemographicShōnen
Original runSeptember 26, 2016 – April 5, 2021
Volumes5 (List of volumes)

Whistle! (Japanese: ホイッスル!, Hepburn: Hoissuru!) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Daisuke Higuchi. The series was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 1998 to October 2002. The series was adapted into a 39-episode anime television series broadcast exclusively by Animax across Japan. In North America, the series was licensed for English language release by Viz Media. A sequel, titled Whistle! W, ran in Shogakukan's Ura Sunday and MangaONE web platforms from September 2016 to April 2021.

Plot

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See also: List of Whistle! characters

Whistle! is about a middle school boy named Shō Kazamatsuri. He transfers from Musashinomori School to Sakura Jōsui Junior High School for better hopes to make the soccer team, since he never got a game at his old school due to his small stature. Yūko Katori, his teacher, introduces him as a former star of the famed Musashinomori team, causing his classmates to be wrongly ecstatic. Right after that, one of the players, Tatsuya Mizuno, reveals that he was never a regular. In other words, since he never got the chance to play, Shō is a poor player. Shō struggles to improve his skill so he can make the team at his new school and to ignore the drastic disadvantage he has due to his height.

Media

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Manga

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Main article: List of Whistle! chapters

Written and illustrated by Daisuke Higuchi, Whistle! was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 24, 1998,[a] to October 8, 2002.[b] Shueisha collected its 212 chapters in 24 tankōbon volumes, released between July 3, 1998, and March 4, 2003.[5][6]

In North America, the series was licensed for English release by Viz Media. The 24 volumes were released from October 12, 2004, to January 5, 2010.[7][8]

A sequel manga, title Whistle! W (ホイッスル！Ｗ, Hoissuru! Daburu), started in Shogakukan's Ura Sunday manga website on September 26, 2016.[9][10] The manga went on hiatus in April 2019 due to Higuchi's health issues.[11] The series resumed publication after nearly two years on February 8, 2021,[12] and finished on April 5, 2021.[13] Shogakukan collected its chapters in five tankobon volumes, released from to May 19, 2017, to May 19, 2021.[14][15]

Anime

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A 39-episode anime television series adaptation aired in Japan on Animax from May 5, 2002, to February 3, 2003.[16][17][18][19] The opening and ending themes are "Double Wind" and "Sweet Days" respectively, both performed by Minako Komukai. In 2016, a new Japanese audio track for the anime was aired.[20]

Video games

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Games include: Game Boy Advance and PlayStation versions.

Stage adaptation

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A stage play adaptation was announced in February 2016 for a late August to early September release.[21]

Reception

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The Whistle! series has received good reception. A review by Greg McElhatton of Read About Comics stated that the Whistle! manga had good drawings that showed the characters move around with the soccer ball during matches.[22] David Welsh of Precocious Curmudgeon said the series is very interesting that those who do not have soccer background will enjoy reading the manga, as well as with the realistic illustration used.[23]

Scott Campbell and Holly Ellingwood of Active Anime have remarked that the art is clear since all the "line and detail has obvious care and attention given to it, resulting in well-managed visuals for a well-flowing read.",[24] while praising Sho's character development as the readers "see him strive against so much to obtain what he worked for is uplifting."[25] Eduardo M. Chavez's review on Whistle! Volume 1 noted that although it does not look good for characters to run away from their problems, Sho's inner determination to play soccer is the main highlight of the series.[26]

Notes

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  1. ^ It started in the magazine's 13th issue of 1998 (cover date March 9),[1] released on February 24 of that same year.[2]
  2. ^ It finished in the magazine's 45th issue of 2002 (cover date October 21),[3] released on October 8 of that same year.[4]

References

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  1. ^ 週刊少年ジャンプ 1998/03/09 表示号数13 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on May 2, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  2. ^ "Contents". Weekly Shōnen Jump (in Japanese). No. 12. Shueisha. 1998. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2023. 次号No.13は 2月24日火発売!! 新連載第4弾!! 樋口大輔先生 巻頭カラー「ホイッスル!」55P!!
  3. ^ 週刊少年ジャンプ 2002/10/21 表示号数45 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "Contents". Weekly Shōnen Jump (in Japanese). No. 44. Shueisha. 2002. Table of contents. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023. 次号No.45は 10月8日火発売!!
  5. ^ ホイッスル！ 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on January 23, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  6. ^ ホイッスル！ 24 (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 21, 2003. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  7. ^ "Whistle!, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on February 8, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  8. ^ "Whistle!, Vol. 24". Viz Media. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  9. ^ Ressler, Karen (August 23, 2016). "New Whistle! Soccer Manga Launches on September 26". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  10. ^ 樋口大輔の新連載「ホイッスル！W」開幕！2人の主人公が紡ぐ新たなサッカー伝説. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 26, 2016. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  11. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 16, 2019). "Daisuke Higuchi's Whistle! W Soccer Manga Goes on Hiatus". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  12. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 8, 2021). "Daisuke Higuchi's Whistle! W Manga Resumes After Nearly 2 Years". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 18, 2021). "Daisuke Higuchi's Whistle! W Manga Ends in 5th Volume". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  14. ^ ホイッスル！Ｗ １ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  15. ^ ホイッスル！Ｗ ５ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  16. ^ "Whistle! official episode guide, episodes 1–10" (in Japanese). Marvelous Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 20, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  17. ^ "Whistle! official episode guide, episodes 11–20" (in Japanese). Marvelous Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  18. ^ "Whistle! official episode guide, episodes 21–30" (in Japanese). Marvelous Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  19. ^ "Whistle! official episode guide, episodes 31–39" (in Japanese). Marvelous Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  20. ^ "Whistle! Anime's 'Voice Remake' Reveals New Cast Members, December 17 Streaming Debut". Anime News Network. December 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "Whistle! Soccer Manga Gets Stage Play Adaptation". Anime News Network. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  22. ^ Whistle! Vol. 1. Archived March 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
  23. ^ "From the manga stack: WHISTLE!". Precocious Curmudgeon. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  24. ^ Campbell, Scott (May 5, 2008). "Whistle Vol. 19 (Advanced Review)". Active Anime. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  25. ^ Ellingwood, Holly (February 5, 2007). "Whistle! Vol. 15". Active Anime. Archived from the original on December 6, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  26. ^ Anime on DVD, Whistle! Volume 1. Archived June 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 11, 2008.
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