Dokaben

Dokaben
Screenshot from the anime opening featuring the team.
ドカベン
Genre	Sports, School
Manga
Written by	Shinji Mizushima
Published by	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run	April 24, 1972 – March 27, 1981
Volumes	48
Anime television series
Studio	Nippon Animation
Original network	Fuji TV
Original run	October 6, 1976 – December 26, 1979
Episodes	163
Manga
Dai Kōshien
Written by	Shinji Mizushima
Published by	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run	March 23, 1983 – August 7, 1987
Volumes	26
Manga
Dokaben Professional Baseball
Written by	Shinji Mizushima
Published by	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run	March 23, 1995 – December 25, 2003
Volumes	52
Manga
Dokaben Superstars
Written by	Shinji Mizushima
Published by	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run	January 8, 2004 – May 8, 2012
Volumes	45
Manga
Dokaben Dream Tournament
Written by	Shinji Mizushima
Published by	Akita Shoten
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Champion
Original run	2012 – present
Volumes	25

Dokaben (Japanese: ドカベン^?) is a baseball manga by Shinji Mizushima, serialized in Akita Shoten Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine from April 24, 1972 to March 27, 1981. Chapters of the series published in 48 Tankōbon volumes by Akita Shoten. 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.

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 Kōshien, Dokaben Pro Baseball Story, and Dokaben SuperStars Story.

When Takehiko Inoue (author of Slam Dunk & Vagabond) was young, he drew a lot of spectacular scene from Tokaben, the first manga he paid.

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.