Dokaben

Dokaben (ドカベン) is a baseball manga by Shinji Mizushima, serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from April 24, 1972 to March 27, 1981. It was later made into an anime by the same name. It was immensely popular in Japan during its original release, and in sports manga of all time it likely ranks second only to Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue.

A dokaben is a kind of bento box which the protagonist, Taro Yamada, likes to eat.

Outline
Dokaben is centered on Taro Yamada and his teammates Iwaki, Tonoma, and Satonaka and was focused mainly on their activity as a high school baseball team. At first, it focused on Yamada, Iwaki, and Sachiko and was set in Takaoka Middle School. But in Volume 8 the team is transferred to Meikun High School for their baseball skills.

The story of Dokaben continues in Dai Koushien, Dokaben Pro Baseball Story, and Dokaben SuperStars Story.

Yamada generation

 * Taro Yamada (山田太郎,)
 * Position: Catcher
 * Position: Catcher


 * Masami Iwaki (岩鬼正美,)
 * Position: Third Baseman
 * Position: Third Baseman


 * Kazuto Tonoma (殿馬一人,)
 * Position: Second Baseman
 * Position: Second Baseman


 * Satoru Satonaka (里中智,)
 * Position: Pitcher
 * Position: Pitcher


 * Santaro Hohoemi (微笑三太郎,)
 * Position: Catcher, Left fielder
 * Position: Catcher, Left fielder

Senior / Younger student

 * Sho Doigaki (土井垣将,)
 * Position: Catcher, First Baseman
 * Position: Catcher, First Baseman


 * Tetsuji Yamaoka (山岡鉄司,)
 * Position: Center fielder
 * Position: Center fielder


 * Mitsuo Kita (北満男,)
 * Position: Right fielder
 * Position: Right fielder


 * Koichi Ishige (石毛幸一,)
 * Position: Shortstop
 * Position: Shortstop


 * Keiichi Nagisa (渚圭一,)
 * Position: Pitcher
 * Position: Pitcher


 * Tomoaki Takashiro (高代智秋,)
 * Position: Shortstop, Second Baseman
 * Position: Shortstop, Second Baseman

Manager

 * Ieyasu Tokugawa (徳川家康,)
 * Manager of Meikun High School baseball team
 * Manager of Meikun High School baseball team

Yamada family

 * Sachiko Yamada (山田サチ子,)
 * Taro's 9-year-old little sister
 * Taro's 9-year-old little sister


 * Ji-chan (じっちゃん)
 * Taro's grandfather
 * "Ji-chan" means gran-pa in english
 * "Ji-chan" means gran-pa in english

Kanagawa

 * Mamoru Shiranui (不知火守,)


 * Daigoro Unryu (雲竜大五郎,)


 * Gosuke Domon (土門剛介,)


 * Goro Tanitsu (谷津吾郎,)


 * Gonza Nankai (南海権左,)


 * Shinji Kobayashi (小林真司,)

Kantō

 * Gosuke Gama (賀間剛介,)


 * Hayato Kagemaru (影丸隼人,)
 * → Michihiro Ikemizu (ep. 82)


 * Jiro Kinoshita (木下次郎,)


 * Chuji Kunisada (国定忠治,)


 * Fumio Ataru (中二美夫,)
 * → Takashi Tanaka

Whole Japan

 * Sankichi Sakata (坂田三吉,)


 * Kojiro Inukai (犬飼小次郎,)


 * Takezo Inukai (犬飼武蔵,)


 * Tsutomu Ogata (緒方勉,)


 * Ryo Inugami (犬神了,)


 * Kazuma Musashibo (武蔵坊数馬,)


 * Hikaru Yoshitsune (義経光,)

Others

 * Natsuko Natsukawa (夏川夏子,)
 * Iwaki's girlfriend
 * Iwaki's girlfriend


 * Toshiko Kobayashi (小林稔子,)
 * Shinji Kobayashi's little sister
 * Shinji Kobayashi's little sister

Cultural references

 * In the "Simpsons Comics internationale" in issue #132, the Japanese supplement (Too crazy, Juvenile Prankster, BARTOMU! (serialized in "Laughing Laughing everyone is laughing")) opens as a parody of Dokaben, with Bartomu playing for the "Yokohama Li'l Ninjas," and an art style heavily based on Dokaben's highly recognised style of art.

Art style
The art style of Dokaben is very rubbery and motional, with surprisingly dynamic use of speed lines, with a heavy use of black and very straightforward body construction. The motion and Dynamics are highly retained even in reprints. In his book Reinventing Comics, Scott McCloud mentions it as the example of the sports genre, drawing high recognition to the style.