Title: Whistle
Author: Higuchi, Daisuke.
Publisher: Shueisha, VIZ Media, Culture Comics, Elex Media.
Copyright: 2004
Price: 7.99
Rating: 10
Synopsis:
Whistle! is about a boy named Shō Kazamatsuri. He transfers from Musashinomori School to Sakura Josui 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.Whistle is one kind of a story that taught you a lesson about keep trying your best, within a goal Sho try to reach out, but just trying your best is it enough? Will Sho and his teamates oversome their problem?
Review:
Shō, while not that good at soccer, has a thirst to improve and never gives up. His determination is something that even Mizuno doesn't have and often inspires the people around him. He has a very optimistic attitude and is so open-minded that sarcasm and arrogant comments don't work on him, but rather takes it literally and usually agrees with the person, which either annoys them or humors them. He becomes a regular of the Josui High soccer varsity team and is one of the members to have the position of Forward next to Shigeki Satō. While he may not be the best nor the leader of his soccer team, he is the heart of it.
He later qualifies for the Junior Senbatsu Team, though only as a substitute player. Though many of the other Senbatsu players found him to be a less than average player, they soon realize his potential as a forward. He also becomes the one to bring the rest of the team together. After Tenjo leaves, Shō takes his place as the number 19 forward. He shows his real skills in a one-on-one battle with Tenjo, and in the final game.
Unbeknownst to his soccer teammates, Shō has an interesting past with him, as he is the son of Kensuke Shiomi, one of Japan's most famous soccer players, who had the potential to become one of the best forwards in soccer, known for scoring goals from a non-existing zero angle (a shot that Shō would later use in his match against Hiba Junior High). After his parents died in a car accident, he was adopted by his uncle and aunt, Mamoru and Reiko Kazamatsuri, which is where he received his family name. Originally, he was never told about who his real parents were until he started playing soccer. Along with the fact that his brother, Kō, does not look anything like him, a relative told him that he could not go against blood, which at first seemed ambiguous to him. He found out the truth after transferring schools; he realized that there are different names for his parents on his family certificate, though he kept it to himself since he considers himself to have two mothers and two fathers. For a soccer player, Shō is pretty short, 146 cm to be exact. Shigeki calls him "Pup" or "Puppy" (pochi). Due to late night practices, Shō would often fall asleep in class, causing Shigeki to jokingly say that Shō has already given up on school. His jersey number is 9.
