Touch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
タッチ (Tatchi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Written by | Mitsuru Adachi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Published by | Shogakukan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Imprint | Shōnen Sunday Comics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Sunday | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Demographic | Shōnen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original run | August 5, 1981 – October 12, 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volumes | 26 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anime television series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Directed by |
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Written by |
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Music by | Hiroaki Serizawa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Studio | Group TAC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original network | Fuji TV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Original run | March 24, 1985 – March 22, 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Episodes | 101 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Touch (Japanese: タッチ, Hepburn: Tatchi) is a Japanese high school baseball manga series written and illustrated by Mitsuru Adachi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1981 to 1986, with its chapters were collected into 26 tankōbon volumes.
The manga has been adapted into a 101-episode anime television series[3] – which was one of the highest-rated anime television series ever,[4] three theatrical anime movies which summarized the TV series, two anime television specials which take place after the events in the TV series,[5] a live-action TV drama special, and a live-action movie released in 2005.
Touch has sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the best-selling manga series. In 1983, it was one of the winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen and shōjo categories, along with Adachi's other work Miyuki.
Touch follows twin brothers Tatsuya and Kazuya Uesugi, along with their childhood friend and nextdoor neighbor Minami Asakura. Tatsuya, a naturally gifted athlete whose raw skills exceeds Kazuya's, has always allowed his hard-working younger brother to take the spotlight, but as the two of them near high school with Minami, Tatsuya realizes that perhaps he does not want to lose Minami to his brother after all. When Kazuya is struck in a traffic accident on the morning before the final game of the regional tournament, Tatsuya takes over his brother's position of ace pitcher, and utilizes his natural talent to complete his younger brother's goal of fulfilling Minami's dream of going to the Koshien.
Written and illustrated by Mitsuru Adachi, Touch was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine from August 5, 1981, to October 12, 1986. Its chapters were collected in 26 tankōbon volumes, released between December 1981 and January 1987. It has been reissued in 11 wideban volumes, 14 bunkoban volumes, and then again in 17 "perfect edition" volumes in the original magazine size with color inserts.
No. | Japanese release date | Japanese ISBN |
---|---|---|
1 | December 1981 | 4-09-120651-4 |
2 | March 1982 | 4-09-120652-2 |
3 | July 1982 | 4-09-120653-0 |
4 | October 1982 | 4-09-120654-9 |
5 | January 1983 | 4-09-120655-7 |
6 | April 1983 | 4-09-120656-5 |
7 | July 1983 | 4-09-120657-3 |
8 | October 1983 | 4-09-120658-1 |
9 | December 1983 | 4-09-120659-X |
10 | May 1984 | 4-09-120660-3 |
11 | July 1984 | 4-09-121131-3 |
12 | September 1984 | 4-09-121132-1 |
13 | November 1984 | 4-09-121133-X |
14 | December 1984 | 4-09-121134-8 |
15 | January 1985 | 4-09-121133-X |
16 | April 1985 | 4-09-121136-4 |
17 | June 1985 | 4-09-121137-2 |
18 | September 1985 | 4-09-121138-0 |
19 | October 1985 | 4-09-121139-9 |
20 | December 1985 | 4-09-121140-2 |
21 | April 1986 | 4-09-121451-7 |
22 | May 1986 | 4-09-121452-5 |
23 | August 1986 | 4-09-121453-3 |
24 | October 1986 | 4-09-121454-1 |
25 | November 1986 | 4-09-121455-X |
26 | January 1987 | 4-09-121456-8 |
Main article: List of Touch anime episodes |
The anime series of Touch premiered on March 24, 1985, and ran until March 22, 1987, comprising 101 episodes in total.[6] It was one of the highest-rated anime television shows ever in Japan, with episodes consistently rated 30+ percentage points during parts of its run.[4] In a 2005 poll by TV Asahi of the top 100 animated television series, Touch was ranked 9th.[7]
Three compilation films were created, presenting a condensed version the TV series. Touch: The Ace Without a Number on His Back (タッチ 背番号のないエース, Tatchi: Sebangō no Nai Ēsu) was released in Japan on April 12, 1986, by Toho as a double feature with Take It Easy starring Kōji Kikkawa. The film was directed by Gisaburō Sugii and written by Yūjin Harada, Satoshi Namiki, and Sugii. The film earned ¥900 million at the box office.[8] The score for the film was composed by Hiroaki Serizawa. The opening and ending theme songs (respectively) were "The Ace Without a Number on His Back" (背番号のないエース, Sebangō no Nai Ēsu) and "Youth of Glass" (ガラスの青春, Garasu no Tīnneiji), both sung by 1980s pop duo Rough & Ready and composed by Serizawa. The themes were released together as a single, reaching #9 on the weekly Oricon charts and placing #63 for the year on the annual chart.
The second film, Touch 2: Goodbye Gift (タッチ2 さよならの贈り物, Tatchi 2: Sayonara no Okurimono), was released on December 13, 1986, by Toho as a double feature with Koisuru Onnatachi starring Yuki Saito. Touch 2 was directed by Hiroko Tokita and written by Tomoko Konbaru. The score was composed by Serizawa and featured song by the folk song group Bread & Butter.
The final film in the trilogy, Touch 3: Long After You've Passed Me By (タッチ3 君が通り過ぎたあとに -DON'T PASS ME BY-, Tatchi 3: Kimi ga Toori Sugita Ato ni -Don't Pass Me By-), was released by Toho in theaters in Japan on April 11, 1987, as a double feature with Itoshi no Erī (いとしのエリー) starring Onyanko Club member Sayuri Kokushō. Touch 3 was directed by Sugii and written by Yumiko Takahashi and Sugii. The score for the film was composed by Serizawa. The opening and ending themes (respectively) were "Long After You've Passed Me By" (君が通り過ぎたあとに -Don't Pass Me By-, Kimi ga Toori Sugita Ato ni -Don't Pass Me By-) and "For the Brand-New Dream", both sung by The Alfee. The two songs were released as a single that ranked #5 on the Oricon charts and #7 on The Best Ten music show.[9]
There were two television animated sequel specials aired: one in 1998 and one in 2001. Touch: Miss Lonely Yesterday: From There to You... (タッチ Miss Lonely Yesterday あれから君は…, Tatchi Misu Rōnrī Iesutādei Are kara Kimi ha...) aired as part of the Friday Roadshow on Nippon TV on December 11, 1998. It was directed and storyboarded by Akinori Nagaoka and written by Tomoko Konparu. Serizawa reprised his role in writing the score. The opening and ending theme songs (respectively) were "Touch (Friday Night Version)" (タッチ(フライデーナイト・バージョン), Tatchi (Furaidē Naito Bājon)) sung by Natsumi Sawai and Quick-Times, and "Hi Hi High" sung by Sachiko Kumagai.
Just over two years later, Touch Cross Road: The Whereabouts of the Wind (タッチ CROSS ROAD〜風のゆくえ〜, Tatchi Kurosu Rōdo: Kaze no Yukue) also aired as part of the Friday Roadshow on NTV on February 9, 2001. It was directed by Nagaoka, written by Konparu and Sugii, and the score was written by Serizawa. The theme song, "The Whereabouts of the Wind" (風のゆくえ, Kaze no Yukue), was sung by Satoru Sakamoto (best known for producing the group Dorothy Little Happy).
A laserdisc boxset containing 26 discs of the series was released in Japan on December 10, 1995.[10] The three theatrical films were released on VHS, and the series and all of the movies have been released on DVD and Blu-ray.
The TV drama special aired on Fuji TV on June 1, 1987.
A live-action movie of Touch was released in Japan on September 10, 2005; Keita Saito starred as Kazuya Uesugi, Masami Nagasawa as Minami Asakura, and Syota Saito as Tatsuya Uesugi.
In 2012, Mitsuru Adachi began the Mix manga, and it received a 24-episode anime adaptation in 2019. It is set at Meisei High School thirty years after Touch.
The manga has sold approximately 100 million copies.[14]
In 1983, it was one of the winners of the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen and shōjo categories, along with Adachi's other work Miyuki.[15]
Kazuya Kamenashi of the J-pop group KAT-TUN was named after Kazuya Uesugi.[16][17] Tatsuya Ueda, of the same band, was named after Tatsuya Uesugi.[18]