[Anime Lyrics] Ganbare Kickers

Kimi wa Nagareboshi

Opening Song

by Tomomi Nishimura

Yuubae no sora ni mitsuketa nagareboshi

Shiroi NOOTO ni sotto hasan da no

Sekai de ichiban chiisana inori desu

Awai omoi ga kimi ni todoku you

GOORU POSUTO ni yori kakatte

Kuchibue wo fuite mitano

Wasure sarareta BOORU ga

Potsun to mune ni kage otosu wa

KURASU no sumi de medata nai ko ga

Kimi wo sukina no

Nee warawa nai de ne

Namida wo tsunageta kirara no niji no hashi

Douzo watatte koko made kite ne

Yasashisa de itsuka yume kara tsuredashite

Watashi inoru no kimi wa nagareboshi

Dare ni mo shirezu okani saita

Nadeshiko no hana no youni

Ai shite mitai hitori no hito dake wo zutto

Kireina mama

Nusumidori shita bureta shashin wo

Shiori ni shita no

Mizuiro no shishuu no

Yuubae no sora ni mitsuketa nagareboshi

Shiroi NOOTO ni sotto hasan da no

Sekai de ichiban chiisana inori desu

Awai omoi ga kimi ni todoku you

Namida no ryuusei tsunageta niji no hashi

Tameiki dake ga kyou mo tooru wa

Yasashisa de itsuka yume kara tsuredashite

Watashi inoru no kimi wa nagareboshi

Ganbare, Kickers! (がんばれ!キッカーズ ) is a romantic soccer kid manga drawn by Noriaki Nagai. It was published by Shogakukan in CoroCoro Comic magazine from 1985 to 1989. The story is about an enthusiastic kid soccer team at the Kitahara elementary school, who struggle without a competent striker, when little Kakeru Daichi's (大地翔) family moves in to the town. He immediately applies to join the team, keen to use his skills gained in the kid team of famous soccer club "The Falcons". With Kakeru the team becomes complete in every sense and he motivates the team to challenge the "Red Devils", a strong secondary school team whose goalkeeper Uesugi is considered undefeatable. They lose 10 to 1, but Kakeru's scoring a single goal is still a small miracle. Under the strong leadership of their own goalkeeper Masaru Hongo, Kickers then enter the kid championship and fight their way up through hard won victories. Meanwhile, Hongo falls in love with Ayumi Daichi (大地歩), Kakeru's cute, sporty sister. In turn the striker enamours Akuna Yukie, a fragile, angelic pianist girl, who happens to be Uesugi's much younger sister. These affairs lead to some embarrassingly funny situations as well as numerous complications with the team's devoted and jealous cheerleader trio.

For a short while, Kickers gain a professional trainer whose instructions help them win their way to the semi-finals, just to meet the Red Devils once again. After a dramatic match, that spans two 20 minute episodes, Uesugi fends off Kakeru's final freescore and so the Kickers are out! The devastated team is soon divided by the arrival of Harry, a famous junior talent, who has been fired from three big name teams already for subversive behaviour. He infiltrates and splits Kickers, but his rudeness and Hongo's strong leadership re-unite the team. Harry then seduces Ayumi and assembles a faux team out of the school's scum so he can defeat the Kickers almost alone. Although the naive Kakeru is no match for the older and much stronger Harry, the Kickers's teamwork spirit and Uesugi's support secures a victory in this dirty match and Harry is devastated. The anime series ends with a redeemed Harry reconciling with the Kickers, before leaving the town to play overseas.