Midori no Makibaō (みどりのマキバオー, lit.'Green Meadow King') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsunomaru. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from November 1994 to February 1998, with its chapters collected in 16 tankōbon volumes.
A 61-episode anime television series produced by Pierrot was broadcast on Fuji TV from March 1996 to July 1997. A second manga series, titled Taiyō no Makibaō, was serialized in Weekly Playboy from 2007 to 2011, and later in the Shū Play News website, under the title Taiyō no Makibaō W, from 2011 to 2016, with the overall series' chapters collected in 36 volumes.
The Midori no Makibaō manga has had over 9 million copies in circulation. In 1997, it won the 42nd Shogakukan Manga Award in the children category.
Plot
Midori Makibaō is a small white mule. Compared to the other thoroughbred horses, his physical size is comparable to a donkey with wide nostrils. However, with guts and speed as his weapons, Makibaō wins in every big race.
At the beginning of his career, Makibaō has trouble making his debut as a racehorse. But he has reasons to overcome his difficulties; a lifelong rival horse called Superhorse Cascade, that Makibaō needs to defeat. Plus, he is determined to win back his mother, Midori, a horse taken away to pay debts.
There are many hardships that Makibaō has to overcome, but he thrives in a series of races to become a great racehorse.
Written and illustrated by Tsunomaru, Midori no Makibaō was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from November 28, 1994,[6] to February 9, 1998.[7] Shueisha collected its chapters 16 tankōbon volumes, released from June 2, 1995, to June 4, 1998.[8]
A second series, titled Taiyō no Makibaō [ja] (たいようのマキバオー), started in Shueisha's Weekly Playboy on March 26, 2007.[a] The manga was later moved to the Shū Play News website, continued under the title Taiyō no Makibaō W (たいようのマキバオーW), where it ran from May 9, 2011,[11] to November 14, 2016.[12] Shueisha collected the Taiyō no Makibaō chapters in 16 tankōbon volumes, released from August 17, 2007,[13] to June 17, 2011,[14] while the Taiyō no Makibaō W chapters were collected in 20 tankōbon volumes, released from September 16, 2011,[15] to February 17, 2017.[16]
Anime
A 61-episode anime television series adaptation, produced by Pierrot and directed by Noriyuki Abe, was broadcast on Fuji TV from March 2, 1996, to July 12, 1997.[17] The opening theme is "Hashire Makibaō" (走れマキバオー, "Run, Makibaō") by F.MAP, while the ending theme is "Tottemo Umanami" (とってもウマナミ, "A Very Good Average") by Men's 5.
The series was re-released on a Blu-ray Disc box on July 27, 2022, which included a five-minute-long new episode that adapted the final chapter of the original manga series.[18]
"Clash!! The Wounded Spirit!!" Transliteration: "Gekitotsu! Kizudarake no Konjō!!" (Japanese: 激突!! 傷だらけの根性!!)
December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14)
36
"Two Traps! The Start of the Satsuki Shō!" Transliteration: "Futatsu no Wana! Satsuki-shō Sutāto!!" (Japanese: 2つの罠! 皐月賞スタート!!)
December 21, 1996 (1996-12-21)
37
"Make It Happen! White Miracle!" Transliteration: "Okose!! Shiroi Kiseki!!" (Japanese: 起こせ!! 白い奇跡!!)
January 11, 1997 (1997-01-11)
38
"Fear! The Invisible Enemy!" Transliteration: "Senritsu!! Mienaiteki!!" (Japanese: 戦慄!! 見えない敵!!)
January 18, 1997 (1997-01-18)
39
"The Fierce Battle! Japan Derby!" Transliteration: "Gekitō!! Nihon Dābī!!" (Japanese: 激闘!! 日本ダービー!!)
January 25, 1997 (1997-01-25)
40
"Deliver! To the Goal of Japan's Best!" Transliteration: "Todoke!! Nihon'ichi no Gōru e!!" (Japanese: 届け!! 日本一のゴールへ!!)
February 1, 1997 (1997-02-01)
41
"Banei Racing to Visit Mother" Transliteration: "Haha O Tazunete Ban'eikeiba" (Japanese: 母を訪ねてばんえい競馬)
February 8, 1997 (1997-02-08)
42
"The Ambition of the Nemesis, Beard and His Parents" Transliteration: "Shukuteki Hige Oyako no Yabō" (Japanese: 宿敵・ヒゲ親子の野望)
February 15, 1997 (1997-02-15)
43
"The Challenge from Makibako!" Transliteration: "Makibako kara no Chōsen!" (Japanese: マキバコからの挑戦!)
February 22, 1997 (1997-02-22)
44
"Farewell, Mother!" Transliteration: "Saraba O Ka-chan!!" (Japanese: さらばおかーちゃん!!)
March 1, 1997 (1997-03-01)
45
"Secret Training Deep in the Mountains!" Transliteration: "Yamaoku no Himitsu Tokkun!!" (Japanese: 山奥の秘密特訓!!)
March 8, 1997 (1997-03-08)
46
"A Change? Tarezo's Big Change!" Transliteration: "Ihen?! Tarezō Dai Henshin?!" (Japanese: 異変?! たれ蔵大変身?!)
March 15, 1997 (1997-03-15)
47
"Running! The Kikuka-shō of Determination!" Transliteration: "Hassō!! Ketsui no Kikka-shō!!" (Japanese: 発走!! 決意の菊花賞!!)
March 22, 1997 (1997-03-22)
48
"The First Move is a Must! Kansuke's Big Game!" Transliteration: "Sente Hisshō!! Kansuke no Dai Shōbu!" (Japanese: 先手必勝!! 菅助の大勝負!!)
March 29, 1997 (1997-03-29)
49
"Collapse! The Legend of the Black King!" Transliteration: "Hōkai!! Kuroi Teiō Densetsu!!" (Japanese: 崩壊!! 黒い帝王伝説!!)
April 5, 1997 (1997-04-05)
50
"New Coach Tsavidel!" Transliteration: "Shin Kōchi Tsabideru!!" (Japanese: 新コーチ・ツァビデル!!)
April 12, 1997 (1997-04-12)
51
"Clash! The Decisive Battle of Arima Kinen!" Transliteration: "Gekitotsu!! Kessen no Arima Kinen!!" (Japanese: 激突!! 決戦の有馬記念!!)
April 19, 1997 (1997-04-19)
52
"The Last Spurt of the Dangerous Race!" Transliteration: "Inochigake no Rasutosupāto!!" (Japanese: 命がけのラストスパート!!)
April 26, 1997 (1997-04-26)
53
"Pour All Your Strength! The Final Closing!" Transliteration: "Sosoge Zenryoku!! Saigo no Kecchaku!!" (Japanese: 注げ全力!! 最後の決着!!)
May 10, 1997 (1997-05-10)
54
"Hungry! The Tarezo Trial" Transliteration: "Harapeko! Tarezō Saiban" (Japanese: はらぺこ!たれ蔵裁判)
May 17, 1997 (1997-05-17)
55
"American Makibao!" Transliteration: "Amerika no Makibaō!" (Japanese: アメリカのマキバオー!!)
May 24, 1997 (1997-05-24)
56
"Trapped Makibako!" Transliteration: "Toraware no Makibako!!" (Japanese: とらわれのマキバコ!!)
May 31, 1997 (1997-05-31)
57
"Discovery? The Phantom Strongest Horse!" Transliteration: "Hakken?! Maboroshi no Saikyō-ba!!" (Japanese: 発見?! 幻の最強馬!!)
June 7, 1997 (1997-06-07)
58
"Operation Magnet of Fear!" Transliteration: "Kyōfu no Magunetto Sakusen!!" (Japanese: 恐怖のマグネット作戦!!)
June 14, 1997 (1997-06-14)
59
"Rampage! Escape from the Amazon!" Transliteration: "Dai Abare!! Amazon Dasshutsu!!" (Japanese: 大暴れ!! アマゾン脱出!!)
June 21, 1997 (1997-06-21)
60
"The Greatest Race Ever!" Transliteration: "Shijō Saidai no Rēsu!!" (Japanese: 史上最大のレース!!)
July 5, 1997 (1997-07-05)
61
"Run! Makibao of the World!" Transliteration: "Hashire!! Sekai no Makibaō!!" (Japanese: 走れ!! 世界のマキバオー!!)
July 12, 1997 (1997-07-12)
Other
An art exhibition to celebrate the series' 30th anniversary is set to run at the Graveyard Gallery in Nakano, Tokyo from November 7 to December 2, 2024.[19]
^みどりのマキバオー. s-book.com (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 21, 2004. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
^"Contents". Weekly Playboy (in Japanese). No. 15. Shueisha. 2007. Table of contents. Archived from the original on July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023. 【新連載スタート!】「たいようのマキバオー」 ○つの丸