Shining Gold and Black Pearls :: Schneider x Wakabayashi (Captain Tsubasa)
Title: Shining Gold and Black Pearls
Author: Maria (frannie_arnoul@yahoo.es)
Fandom: Captain Tsubasa
Pairing: Karl-Heinz Schneider/Genzou Wakabayashi
Disclaimer: Youichi Takahashi pwns Captain Tsubasa, not me. Thank God, some say. :P Shin manga images com from the French edition, from Tsubasa World; the Road to 2002 scans come from La Página de Capitán Tsubasa. Some Road to 2002 screencaps are by natharell.
Warning: Spoilers for the Road to 2002 anime series and the Captain Tsubasa manga (more specifically: the Shin CT, the World Youth Cup, and the Road to 2002 mangas). Also, this is SLASH friendly; meaning, there'll be boy/boy love squealing/fangirling/whatever under the cut.
Shining Gold and Black Pearls :: The Genzo Wakabayashi x Karl-Heinz Schneider Ship Manifesto
Field of Dreams :: Basic Story
Captain Tsubasa is a very classic manga series of the 80's, made by Youichi Takahashi. It lasted for 36 manga volumes, then had three sequels (Would Youth Cup,. Road to 2002, and the current Road to 2006). Also, it has three TV series (the classic one from 1983, the J one from the mid 90's, and the Road to 2002 Alternate Universe... not counting the upcoming CT Golden), as well as several movies, many manga specials and the Shin CT OAVs.
To say that this series had an influence over shonen manga in general..., er, it's an understatement. It marked several of the patterns that would be followd for a long time in sport-based mangas (stubborn and good hearted hero, spunky rival who can be a good friend when needed, not-so-skilled player who works hard, sweet but not sugary female supporter who gets the hero, etc). The influence is so strong, that even after more than 20 years since it was released, it's still one of the better-loved shonen mangas out there. Several actual Japanese soccer players have declared that their intrest in soccer spawned after they read/watched Captain Tsubasa as kids, and in other places of the world (Europe, Latin America, Asia) the first TV series is still a part of young people's collective memories.
The yaoi fandom for this series isn't as big as others, but it *is* there. Not only it has a BIG and famous member like yaoi manga author Minami Ohzaki (who started her career with Hyuga x Wakashimazu dj's, way before Zetsuai and Bronze), but despite all the years that have passed, many Japanese fanartists are still dedicated to make the strong bonds between the males go beyond friendship and rivalry. The couple I've chosen is one of those...
Super Star Goal Keeper :: Genzou Wakabayashi
Position: Goalkeeper
Birthday: 7/12
Age: 12 (primary school arc), 15 (junior high arc and Shin), 18 (WYC), 19 (Road to 2002)
Height: 1'88m
Weight: 78 kg.
Techniques: Straight defence and Upper Defense.
Alias: Super Star Goal Keeper.
Friends: Tsubasa Ohzora, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Hermann Kaltz, Taro Misaki.
Rivals: Kojiro Hyuga, Ken Wakashimazu, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Dieter Müller.
Family: Parents, two brothers, housekeeper, dog (John). In the anime, they live in England; in the manga, they live in the family mansion. Tatsuo Mikami counts as a mentor and legal tutor in Germany until he's of legal age.
Teams: Shutetsu and Nankatsu (elementary school), Hamburg FC (through Shin to Road to 2002), possibly Bayern München in the future.
Seiyuu: Kouichi Hashimoto (until the Shin OAV), Shinnichirou Miki (J), Kenichi Suzumura (Road to 2002)
Latin American voice actors: Eduardo Tejedo (first series and movies), Benjamín Rivera (J), José Luis Reza (Road to 2002)
Wakabayashi is... a lot of things, to say it short. He starts out as a very talented, but self-centered and bratty 12-year-old boy who leads the team of Shutetsu, a private school for rich children that won last year's elementary school soccer championship. After our hero Tsubasa Ohzora sends him a challenege ball (in a very sui-generis manner - you have to see the scene tiself), Genzo becomes obsessed with training to beat Tsubasa and his team, the Nankatsu, in the upcoming city tournament.
During the match, Tsubasa manages to score against Genzo, who was until then unbeatable. This, and both a slap and a very stern lecture from his coach Tatsuo Mikami, are pretty much a wake-up call for the arrogant and selfish Wakabayashi. He starts to think less about his own record and more as the captain that he is, and gradually realizes what's his place in a team. The match ends up in a draw, and the Genzo that comes out of the field is quite different from the one that came in.
The next days, however, aren't just sweet and songs for him. In a practice match, Wakabayashi is seriously injured and for worse he's humiliated by Meiwa-higashi school ace Koujiro Hyuga, who has come to challenge him. His situation is truly shitty since he's not able to play regularly until the end of said tournament, but he refuses to give up and not only keeps on training as much as his injury allows him to, he also cheers for his friends and, at a certain moment, saves Tsubasa from letting himself be overpowered by Misugi from the Musashi team and give up fighting. When back in the final game, he fights heroically to keep the Meiwa team from scoring, and is one of the pillars for the victory for the Nankatsu.
Few weeks later, Wakabayashi receives an offer from Mikami to go to Germany and try his luck at the Hamburg FC. With the approval of his parents, he takes the chance and goes there, spending the next years fighting hard: first, for a place in the junior Hamburg team, and later for the Bundesliga title... but he's always ready to defend the Japanese goal zone whenever it's needed. And not even the serious injuries in his hands that he sustained the WYC were enough to stop him.
The Emperor of German Soccer :: Karl-Heinz Schneider
Position: Forward
Age: 15 (Shin), 18 (WYC), 19 (Road to 2002)
Height: 1'90m
Techniques: Firee Shoot, Neo Fire Shoot
Alias: Kaiser (Emperor)
Friends: Dieter Müller, Genzo Wakabayashi, Stefan Levin, Franz Schester, Manfred Margus, Shou Shunko.
Rivals: Genzo Wakabayashi, Tsubasa Ohzora, formerly Stefan Levin.
Family: Parents, younger sister (Marie), dog (Salsa). His father is his boss as well, since he's the coach for both the German team and the Bayern München
Teams: Hamburg FC (until the end of Shin), Bayern München (WYC and Road to 2002)
Seiyuu: Keiichi Nanba (until the Shin OAV).
Latin American voice actors: Marcos Patiño (first series and movies), Carlos Iñigo (Road to 2002).
Schneider had a rather happy childhood as the eldest child of a young, succesful soccer coach in Hamburg, loved by his peers and family. He still keeps, after all of those years, the pendant that his parents gave him when he was 7 years old. However, when he was 15... his life took a drastic turn. The bad campaign of his father's team had him kicked out of his work, and for worse some rabid fanatics even took physical actions against the Schneider family. Trying to protect them from the violence, Mr. Schneider left the familiar house, and this marked young Karl deeply; he was very close to his father, and thought that his mother and Marie didn't really understand this.
Karl had an offer from the Bayern München team... that would give him the chance of becoming the ace of the group at age 16. He decided to take it, but also asked for permission to play a last match with his ex-teammates... which was the Hamburg v/s Japan game, with Wakabayashi as the Hamburg team GK and Schneider as the captain.
Few after the game, we see Schneider as the star of the German team in the world junior tournament in France. He's talented, well-loved by the fans, fiercely competitive (this is shown in his interactions with Genzo) and a great leader in and off the courts. His goal is not only to be the champion... he secretly hopes that his parents will see him and understand how hurt he is by their distance. His first wish won't come true, since Germany loses to Japan... but his second one does: his parents and Marie go to the final game, and have GREAT news for him. Not only his parents have re-thought decided not to go through a divorce... but Mr. Schneider has also been also contacted by the Bayern people, who want him as their coach. And so it went: father and son become the pillars of strength for the Bayern München. And they'll remain like that through the years.
Those were the best days of my life... :: Canon Story
When Genzo Wakabayashi arrived to Germany at age twelve, he applied to the Hamburg SV team... bu he was scorned by the junior German players, who underestimated him seriously for his Japanese blood and even treated him very badly. Genzo was stubborn enought not to give up, and insisted that he had an option... and even beated the shit out of the ones who didn't believe him. Then, he gained the respect of his teammates, and was fully accepted in Hamburg.
Out of all the Hamburg players, Hermann Kaltz is Genzo's closest friend and companion... and Schneider is the only one who can pose a real challenge to him. In volume 25 of the manga, Schneider challenges Genzo to a duel to test how powerful his "Fire Shoot" is, and wins since the strength of the shot can't fully be contained (Wakabayashi caught the ball, but due to its raw power the ball simply slipped through his fingers). We can also see them working as teammates; the whole volume 26 is about the Hamburg v/s Japan match, and the interaction of Wakabayashi and Schneider gets showcased several times (when Wakabayashi translates from Japanese to German the "We will win" yells, when Schneider senses that Genzo considers himself a part of the Japanese team and asks him what's up...). Also, after the game we see that, in Genzo's first days, Schneider was the one who asked Genzo to replace the offiical GK in the practices that ended up with Wakabayashi beating up his teammates and becoming *the* GK.
After that, the bits of interaction between Wakabayashi and Schneider in the Shin manga (featuring the Junior World Tournament in France) are more centered on declarations and challenges issued before the final match (like the time when, in the middle of a full stadium and just before the Germany/Uruguay match, Schneider asks out loud why on Earth Wakabayashi isn't playing, and demands that Japan wins to have a showdown with the SSGK). However, as the final starts... oh, boy. Their war is set: Genzo outsmarts Karl by giving pre-match pointers to his teammates (and Karl realizes it immediately as he sees how Schester, the "German Computer", is stopped by Tsubasa), early in the match Wakabayashi stps Schneider from scoring very daringly and Karl praises him openly, Schneider is the German player who manages to score against Genzou (and he does it TWICE, once with with the Fire Shoot and the other with a NON FS with his other leg), Schneider declares that he'll use a Hat Trick (a quite difficult soccer move) to score next time against an injured Wakabayashi, etc. As much as they're pillars of their teams, they've now taken conscience of their positions towards each other: eternal rivals that can be each other's nemesis in the game, but get along well outside of it, as proven by Schneider asking Genzo to take their rivalry seriously from now on in the Bundesliga... and in their first duel, Genzo's performance is so spectacular that he forces the BM team and Schneider himself to a draw.
We almost don't see Schneider in the World Youth Cup manga (covering the second JWT in Japan) since the spotlight is more centered in other new players like Santana, Aoi Shingo or Stefan Levin (who, ironically, causes the downfall of Germany by injuring the GK Müller, and also gives lots of trouble to Japan in their match)... however, he hasn't been forgotten, and we see him re-appear in the Road to 2002 manga. There, some weeks after the WYC that Wakabayashi and the Japanese team won, he goes to Hamburg and talks to Wakabayashi... about an offer from the Bayern München. Yes, the BM wants Wakabayashi as their goalkeeper, and Schneider has taken that so personally that he goes to talk about that to Wakabayashi, himself. While flattered (who wouldn't?), Wakabayashi decides to reject it... because he still feels he hasn't earned his place in Germany, and he wants to stick by the team he's been in for seven years already. Schneider accepts this, and before leaving he tells Genzo that if he's not changing his mind, he'll make the Japanese man re-consider... by playing.
Later, we have the match Bayern München v/s Hamburg match, where Genzo and Schneider finally have a declarate, non-barrels-held duel in the Bundesliga. This is features in both the Road to 2002 manga and anime series, but both canons have some differences. The manga has a quite harsh approach: Schneider fouls Kaltz rather violently at some point, Kaltz replies very aggressively and starts a fight... to only get kicked out. The TV series is somewhat softer in this points (even when Kaltz still gets expulsed), and includes some cute scenes how Schneider, Kaltz and Wakabyayashi as teenagers, acting like normal friends. In the end, Schneider and the BM win, but Wakabayashi and the Hamburg don't go down without a fight... and Schneider and Wakabayashi aknowledge each other as the most important rivals.
What follows after this is uncertain. I haven't been able to keep up with the manga, and the TV series ended up shortly after the Hamburg/Bayern match. However, according to some rumors and hints given in the canon AU manga "Millenium Dream", it's highly likely that Wakabayashi changes his mind - and maybe joins the Bayern München team, fulfilling Schneider's wish. Nothing has been openly said, though... let's give it some time. And correct me if I'm wrong and Takahashi has already said the last word about the deal.
(NOTE: From the "Rumors doujinshii, which you can find in Spanish HERE. Translation by leviosa8 )
Me, myself, and... them :: Why do I like them?
The people who know me from fandoms, online life and RL know that I'm usually adverse to rival and enemy pairings. My natural liking of "friends and partners" couples (be it het, yaoi or yuri) make me quite wary of those hook-ups where the persons are facing it off in the sports, grades, work, etc. fields. Lots of times, rivalslash goes by the (IMHO) baseless "OMG HATE = LUST OR LUV" premise - not considering any other factors but the "OMG THEY'RE HAWT".
And what makes the GenzoxKarl couple different?
The deal of the respect, and of how long they've met each other. When Genzo arrived to Germany, he was 12 years old, and he already knew of Schneider's precocious fame. During his first hard days, he said once and again that he wanted to face Schneider, and he finally got it. On the other hand, Schneider could see the potential of the boy everyone pushed away, and asked him to replace the GK, to later target Genzo and allow him to show what eh was made of.In the years that followed, while they're not exactly the best friends of the world, we can see that Schneider and Wakabayashi have a sort of odd bond... they know how well they work together, but consider already as future rivals. However, unlike several rivalries, though, Genzo and Karl don't hate each other's guts, and when the moment comes they can work together: the Hamburg/Japan is a proof, along with Schneider *personally* telling Wakabayashi 'the Bayern wants YOU to be in the team'. If the Golden Boy of the Bundesliga comes to you and tells you that in person, then the man must have you in *incredibly* high regards.
Another important topic is... you just can't apply the typical seme/uke standard behavior to them. Schneider and Wakabayashi are not only rivals, but *equals* in all senses. Both of them are, physically, very tall and well-built; the height and build rule doesn't count. Psychologically, none of them would pin down to the other, unless he *really* wants to; this is a series when even the youngest and smallest player JUST WON'T GIVE UP, and it applies in both the courts and their private lives. The emotional dynamics between two young, very attractive, popular, talented and stubborn men have an incredible potential, which could bring up extremely intresting fanfiction.
As a final point, I have to mention something. Since the original CT manga was created *before* the Yaoi-plosion, Takahashi (unlike Inoue Takehiko from Slam Dunk or Konomi Takeshi from Prince of Tennis, as well as the ones who work with them) is *not* prone to give the yaoi fans their fanservice. Yet, the Road to 2002 series does have scenes with Karl and Genzo that can be easily interpreted as slashy, like episode 20 (Schneider's first apparitions, including a part where he and Genzo speak about their teams), episode 22 (where Genzo asks Karl if eh wants to play against Japan), episode 26 (where the guys speak before the Germany/Uruguay game, face to face in the corridors instead of in public), etc. And not to mention the fact that Schneider's re-design makes him look slightly femenine (dude, what's up with the girly eyelashes?)... but that's another subject.
Artistic License :: Fanwork
Since the show hasn't been licensed in the USA to my knowledge, there's not a lot of English CT fanwork out there. And even in the places where CT has been exhibited, the fandom leans more towards het (not that's necessarily a bad thing since I ship YayoixMisugi and SanaexTsubasa LIEK WHOA, but I want more yaoi!). However, with some effort, you can find Schneider/Wakabayashi fanarts among the Japanese pages...
* Hustler's
* Hanna-Hanna
* Chibisa
Information High :: Links
NOTE: Almost all of those are SPANISH links. Babelfish may be required.
* La Página de Capitán Tsubasa. The best CT info page, IMHO.
* Wakabayashi's friends. A rather complete Wakabayashi shrine, if a little too... erm, fangirlish, to my tastes. XD
* captain_tsubasa. The biggest CT fanwork comm in LJ. Lots of slash contents, so!
* Number 1:: The Genzo Wakabayashi Fan Listing.
Author: Maria (frannie_arnoul@yahoo.es)
Fandom: Captain Tsubasa
Pairing: Karl-Heinz Schneider/Genzou Wakabayashi
Disclaimer: Youichi Takahashi pwns Captain Tsubasa, not me. Thank God, some say. :P Shin manga images com from the French edition, from Tsubasa World; the Road to 2002 scans come from La Página de Capitán Tsubasa. Some Road to 2002 screencaps are by natharell.
Warning: Spoilers for the Road to 2002 anime series and the Captain Tsubasa manga (more specifically: the Shin CT, the World Youth Cup, and the Road to 2002 mangas). Also, this is SLASH friendly; meaning, there'll be boy/boy love squealing/fangirling/whatever under the cut.
Shining Gold and Black Pearls :: The Genzo Wakabayashi x Karl-Heinz Schneider Ship Manifesto
Field of Dreams :: Basic Story
Captain Tsubasa is a very classic manga series of the 80's, made by Youichi Takahashi. It lasted for 36 manga volumes, then had three sequels (Would Youth Cup,. Road to 2002, and the current Road to 2006). Also, it has three TV series (the classic one from 1983, the J one from the mid 90's, and the Road to 2002 Alternate Universe... not counting the upcoming CT Golden), as well as several movies, many manga specials and the Shin CT OAVs.
To say that this series had an influence over shonen manga in general..., er, it's an understatement. It marked several of the patterns that would be followd for a long time in sport-based mangas (stubborn and good hearted hero, spunky rival who can be a good friend when needed, not-so-skilled player who works hard, sweet but not sugary female supporter who gets the hero, etc). The influence is so strong, that even after more than 20 years since it was released, it's still one of the better-loved shonen mangas out there. Several actual Japanese soccer players have declared that their intrest in soccer spawned after they read/watched Captain Tsubasa as kids, and in other places of the world (Europe, Latin America, Asia) the first TV series is still a part of young people's collective memories.
The yaoi fandom for this series isn't as big as others, but it *is* there. Not only it has a BIG and famous member like yaoi manga author Minami Ohzaki (who started her career with Hyuga x Wakashimazu dj's, way before Zetsuai and Bronze), but despite all the years that have passed, many Japanese fanartists are still dedicated to make the strong bonds between the males go beyond friendship and rivalry. The couple I've chosen is one of those...
Super Star Goal Keeper :: Genzou Wakabayashi
Position: Goalkeeper
Birthday: 7/12
Age: 12 (primary school arc), 15 (junior high arc and Shin), 18 (WYC), 19 (Road to 2002)
Height: 1'88m
Weight: 78 kg.
Techniques: Straight defence and Upper Defense.
Alias: Super Star Goal Keeper.
Friends: Tsubasa Ohzora, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Hermann Kaltz, Taro Misaki.
Rivals: Kojiro Hyuga, Ken Wakashimazu, Karl-Heinz Schneider, Dieter Müller.
Family: Parents, two brothers, housekeeper, dog (John). In the anime, they live in England; in the manga, they live in the family mansion. Tatsuo Mikami counts as a mentor and legal tutor in Germany until he's of legal age.
Teams: Shutetsu and Nankatsu (elementary school), Hamburg FC (through Shin to Road to 2002), possibly Bayern München in the future.
Seiyuu: Kouichi Hashimoto (until the Shin OAV), Shinnichirou Miki (J), Kenichi Suzumura (Road to 2002)
Latin American voice actors: Eduardo Tejedo (first series and movies), Benjamín Rivera (J), José Luis Reza (Road to 2002)
Wakabayashi is... a lot of things, to say it short. He starts out as a very talented, but self-centered and bratty 12-year-old boy who leads the team of Shutetsu, a private school for rich children that won last year's elementary school soccer championship. After our hero Tsubasa Ohzora sends him a challenege ball (in a very sui-generis manner - you have to see the scene tiself), Genzo becomes obsessed with training to beat Tsubasa and his team, the Nankatsu, in the upcoming city tournament.
During the match, Tsubasa manages to score against Genzo, who was until then unbeatable. This, and both a slap and a very stern lecture from his coach Tatsuo Mikami, are pretty much a wake-up call for the arrogant and selfish Wakabayashi. He starts to think less about his own record and more as the captain that he is, and gradually realizes what's his place in a team. The match ends up in a draw, and the Genzo that comes out of the field is quite different from the one that came in.
The next days, however, aren't just sweet and songs for him. In a practice match, Wakabayashi is seriously injured and for worse he's humiliated by Meiwa-higashi school ace Koujiro Hyuga, who has come to challenge him. His situation is truly shitty since he's not able to play regularly until the end of said tournament, but he refuses to give up and not only keeps on training as much as his injury allows him to, he also cheers for his friends and, at a certain moment, saves Tsubasa from letting himself be overpowered by Misugi from the Musashi team and give up fighting. When back in the final game, he fights heroically to keep the Meiwa team from scoring, and is one of the pillars for the victory for the Nankatsu.
Few weeks later, Wakabayashi receives an offer from Mikami to go to Germany and try his luck at the Hamburg FC. With the approval of his parents, he takes the chance and goes there, spending the next years fighting hard: first, for a place in the junior Hamburg team, and later for the Bundesliga title... but he's always ready to defend the Japanese goal zone whenever it's needed. And not even the serious injuries in his hands that he sustained the WYC were enough to stop him.
The Emperor of German Soccer :: Karl-Heinz Schneider
Position: Forward
Age: 15 (Shin), 18 (WYC), 19 (Road to 2002)
Height: 1'90m
Techniques: Firee Shoot, Neo Fire Shoot
Alias: Kaiser (Emperor)
Friends: Dieter Müller, Genzo Wakabayashi, Stefan Levin, Franz Schester, Manfred Margus, Shou Shunko.
Rivals: Genzo Wakabayashi, Tsubasa Ohzora, formerly Stefan Levin.
Family: Parents, younger sister (Marie), dog (Salsa). His father is his boss as well, since he's the coach for both the German team and the Bayern München
Teams: Hamburg FC (until the end of Shin), Bayern München (WYC and Road to 2002)
Seiyuu: Keiichi Nanba (until the Shin OAV).
Latin American voice actors: Marcos Patiño (first series and movies), Carlos Iñigo (Road to 2002).
Schneider had a rather happy childhood as the eldest child of a young, succesful soccer coach in Hamburg, loved by his peers and family. He still keeps, after all of those years, the pendant that his parents gave him when he was 7 years old. However, when he was 15... his life took a drastic turn. The bad campaign of his father's team had him kicked out of his work, and for worse some rabid fanatics even took physical actions against the Schneider family. Trying to protect them from the violence, Mr. Schneider left the familiar house, and this marked young Karl deeply; he was very close to his father, and thought that his mother and Marie didn't really understand this.
Karl had an offer from the Bayern München team... that would give him the chance of becoming the ace of the group at age 16. He decided to take it, but also asked for permission to play a last match with his ex-teammates... which was the Hamburg v/s Japan game, with Wakabayashi as the Hamburg team GK and Schneider as the captain.
Few after the game, we see Schneider as the star of the German team in the world junior tournament in France. He's talented, well-loved by the fans, fiercely competitive (this is shown in his interactions with Genzo) and a great leader in and off the courts. His goal is not only to be the champion... he secretly hopes that his parents will see him and understand how hurt he is by their distance. His first wish won't come true, since Germany loses to Japan... but his second one does: his parents and Marie go to the final game, and have GREAT news for him. Not only his parents have re-thought decided not to go through a divorce... but Mr. Schneider has also been also contacted by the Bayern people, who want him as their coach. And so it went: father and son become the pillars of strength for the Bayern München. And they'll remain like that through the years.
Those were the best days of my life... :: Canon Story
When Genzo Wakabayashi arrived to Germany at age twelve, he applied to the Hamburg SV team... bu he was scorned by the junior German players, who underestimated him seriously for his Japanese blood and even treated him very badly. Genzo was stubborn enought not to give up, and insisted that he had an option... and even beated the shit out of the ones who didn't believe him. Then, he gained the respect of his teammates, and was fully accepted in Hamburg.
Out of all the Hamburg players, Hermann Kaltz is Genzo's closest friend and companion... and Schneider is the only one who can pose a real challenge to him. In volume 25 of the manga, Schneider challenges Genzo to a duel to test how powerful his "Fire Shoot" is, and wins since the strength of the shot can't fully be contained (Wakabayashi caught the ball, but due to its raw power the ball simply slipped through his fingers). We can also see them working as teammates; the whole volume 26 is about the Hamburg v/s Japan match, and the interaction of Wakabayashi and Schneider gets showcased several times (when Wakabayashi translates from Japanese to German the "We will win" yells, when Schneider senses that Genzo considers himself a part of the Japanese team and asks him what's up...). Also, after the game we see that, in Genzo's first days, Schneider was the one who asked Genzo to replace the offiical GK in the practices that ended up with Wakabayashi beating up his teammates and becoming *the* GK.
After that, the bits of interaction between Wakabayashi and Schneider in the Shin manga (featuring the Junior World Tournament in France) are more centered on declarations and challenges issued before the final match (like the time when, in the middle of a full stadium and just before the Germany/Uruguay match, Schneider asks out loud why on Earth Wakabayashi isn't playing, and demands that Japan wins to have a showdown with the SSGK). However, as the final starts... oh, boy. Their war is set: Genzo outsmarts Karl by giving pre-match pointers to his teammates (and Karl realizes it immediately as he sees how Schester, the "German Computer", is stopped by Tsubasa), early in the match Wakabayashi stps Schneider from scoring very daringly and Karl praises him openly, Schneider is the German player who manages to score against Genzou (and he does it TWICE, once with with the Fire Shoot and the other with a NON FS with his other leg), Schneider declares that he'll use a Hat Trick (a quite difficult soccer move) to score next time against an injured Wakabayashi, etc. As much as they're pillars of their teams, they've now taken conscience of their positions towards each other: eternal rivals that can be each other's nemesis in the game, but get along well outside of it, as proven by Schneider asking Genzo to take their rivalry seriously from now on in the Bundesliga... and in their first duel, Genzo's performance is so spectacular that he forces the BM team and Schneider himself to a draw.
We almost don't see Schneider in the World Youth Cup manga (covering the second JWT in Japan) since the spotlight is more centered in other new players like Santana, Aoi Shingo or Stefan Levin (who, ironically, causes the downfall of Germany by injuring the GK Müller, and also gives lots of trouble to Japan in their match)... however, he hasn't been forgotten, and we see him re-appear in the Road to 2002 manga. There, some weeks after the WYC that Wakabayashi and the Japanese team won, he goes to Hamburg and talks to Wakabayashi... about an offer from the Bayern München. Yes, the BM wants Wakabayashi as their goalkeeper, and Schneider has taken that so personally that he goes to talk about that to Wakabayashi, himself. While flattered (who wouldn't?), Wakabayashi decides to reject it... because he still feels he hasn't earned his place in Germany, and he wants to stick by the team he's been in for seven years already. Schneider accepts this, and before leaving he tells Genzo that if he's not changing his mind, he'll make the Japanese man re-consider... by playing.
Later, we have the match Bayern München v/s Hamburg match, where Genzo and Schneider finally have a declarate, non-barrels-held duel in the Bundesliga. This is features in both the Road to 2002 manga and anime series, but both canons have some differences. The manga has a quite harsh approach: Schneider fouls Kaltz rather violently at some point, Kaltz replies very aggressively and starts a fight... to only get kicked out. The TV series is somewhat softer in this points (even when Kaltz still gets expulsed), and includes some cute scenes how Schneider, Kaltz and Wakabyayashi as teenagers, acting like normal friends. In the end, Schneider and the BM win, but Wakabayashi and the Hamburg don't go down without a fight... and Schneider and Wakabayashi aknowledge each other as the most important rivals.
What follows after this is uncertain. I haven't been able to keep up with the manga, and the TV series ended up shortly after the Hamburg/Bayern match. However, according to some rumors and hints given in the canon AU manga "Millenium Dream", it's highly likely that Wakabayashi changes his mind - and maybe joins the Bayern München team, fulfilling Schneider's wish. Nothing has been openly said, though... let's give it some time. And correct me if I'm wrong and Takahashi has already said the last word about the deal.
(NOTE: From the "Rumors doujinshii, which you can find in Spanish HERE. Translation by leviosa8 )
Me, myself, and... them :: Why do I like them?
The people who know me from fandoms, online life and RL know that I'm usually adverse to rival and enemy pairings. My natural liking of "friends and partners" couples (be it het, yaoi or yuri) make me quite wary of those hook-ups where the persons are facing it off in the sports, grades, work, etc. fields. Lots of times, rivalslash goes by the (IMHO) baseless "OMG HATE = LUST OR LUV" premise - not considering any other factors but the "OMG THEY'RE HAWT".
And what makes the GenzoxKarl couple different?
The deal of the respect, and of how long they've met each other. When Genzo arrived to Germany, he was 12 years old, and he already knew of Schneider's precocious fame. During his first hard days, he said once and again that he wanted to face Schneider, and he finally got it. On the other hand, Schneider could see the potential of the boy everyone pushed away, and asked him to replace the GK, to later target Genzo and allow him to show what eh was made of.In the years that followed, while they're not exactly the best friends of the world, we can see that Schneider and Wakabayashi have a sort of odd bond... they know how well they work together, but consider already as future rivals. However, unlike several rivalries, though, Genzo and Karl don't hate each other's guts, and when the moment comes they can work together: the Hamburg/Japan is a proof, along with Schneider *personally* telling Wakabayashi 'the Bayern wants YOU to be in the team'. If the Golden Boy of the Bundesliga comes to you and tells you that in person, then the man must have you in *incredibly* high regards.
Another important topic is... you just can't apply the typical seme/uke standard behavior to them. Schneider and Wakabayashi are not only rivals, but *equals* in all senses. Both of them are, physically, very tall and well-built; the height and build rule doesn't count. Psychologically, none of them would pin down to the other, unless he *really* wants to; this is a series when even the youngest and smallest player JUST WON'T GIVE UP, and it applies in both the courts and their private lives. The emotional dynamics between two young, very attractive, popular, talented and stubborn men have an incredible potential, which could bring up extremely intresting fanfiction.
As a final point, I have to mention something. Since the original CT manga was created *before* the Yaoi-plosion, Takahashi (unlike Inoue Takehiko from Slam Dunk or Konomi Takeshi from Prince of Tennis, as well as the ones who work with them) is *not* prone to give the yaoi fans their fanservice. Yet, the Road to 2002 series does have scenes with Karl and Genzo that can be easily interpreted as slashy, like episode 20 (Schneider's first apparitions, including a part where he and Genzo speak about their teams), episode 22 (where Genzo asks Karl if eh wants to play against Japan), episode 26 (where the guys speak before the Germany/Uruguay game, face to face in the corridors instead of in public), etc. And not to mention the fact that Schneider's re-design makes him look slightly femenine (dude, what's up with the girly eyelashes?)... but that's another subject.
Artistic License :: Fanwork
Since the show hasn't been licensed in the USA to my knowledge, there's not a lot of English CT fanwork out there. And even in the places where CT has been exhibited, the fandom leans more towards het (not that's necessarily a bad thing since I ship YayoixMisugi and SanaexTsubasa LIEK WHOA, but I want more yaoi!). However, with some effort, you can find Schneider/Wakabayashi fanarts among the Japanese pages...
* Hustler's
* Hanna-Hanna
* Chibisa
Information High :: Links
NOTE: Almost all of those are SPANISH links. Babelfish may be required.
* La Página de Capitán Tsubasa. The best CT info page, IMHO.
* Wakabayashi's friends. A rather complete Wakabayashi shrine, if a little too... erm, fangirlish, to my tastes. XD
* captain_tsubasa. The biggest CT fanwork comm in LJ. Lots of slash contents, so!
* Number 1:: The Genzo Wakabayashi Fan Listing.