Capeta

Capeta is a blue-collar, work your hands to the bone sort of sports anime about racing (mostly go karts). Personally, I'm not big on racing in real life, but I found it really fun and exciting here.

Story:
It's not an unfamiliar story: a humble working class kid (Capeta) with a natural aptitude for a sport struggles to climb to the top. Toss in the additional weight of a bunch of financial difficulties with his never-die attitude and you've basically got Rocky (or Hajime no Ippo) in a go kart. It starts with Capeta in elementary school and follows him through his mid-teens. ... It feels a little young and simple, but there's plenty of action and drama and excitement.

I'm kind of a sucker for this sort of story so I don't know how much you should trust me, but I found the story entertaining and heartwarming. It doesn't even come close to original or unique and it's pretty repetitive (how many obstacles and disadvantages does one kid have to face?!?!), but it's loaded with fighting spirit and nail-biting races.

Art:
I'm not a huge fan of the way the characters look, but it's fine. The character designs remind me a lot of Hajime no Ippo. The action of the races and the backgrounds are done well enough and I thought the general style was really appropriate to the atmosphere of the story.

Sound:
I thought the music was good and well-used. There was something about the song they used for the end credits (and for those "special" moments ;)) that appealed to me even though I can't put my finger on what it was. I also thought that they did a good job of putting the sound on the races: when to emphasize the shouts from the crowd, when to focus on the roar of the engines, the squeal of the tires. The sound of the races really added to the overall enjoyment and emotion of the moment for me.

Unfortunately, some of the voice acting got on my nerves. There were just one or two voices that really disagreed with me (especially the younger characters) and it annoyed me enough to reduce my overall enjoyment of the scenes they were in.

Character:
I think in any story like this, you need to really be able to buy into the main character. If you don't think he's admirable, charismatic and heroic, then the whole premise of the story doesn't work. Because of that, I think they really shove what a great, amazing guy Capeta is down your throat. I wouldn't be surprised if some people found it overbearing or hard to swallow. He's a little too perfect and it feels like he's more saint than man. Luckily, I was pretty willing to accept their characterization of him.

There was a point when I started feeling like everyone in Capeta's support system were getting a little silly: has there ever been a bunch of grown men who cried together more easily or more often? And some of the minor side characters (and their episodes) felt somewhat superfluous to me. But, generally, the supporting cast does a good job of narrating Capeta's struggles and voicing the audience's feelings.

Enjoyment:
For all it's flaws, I still really enjoy watching this series. I understand it's melodramatic and generic and somewhat heavy-handed, but I still get caught up in the tension and the drama of the races and Capeta's struggles to do his best no matter what the circumstances are. I didn't take the non-racing moments of the show too seriously and just had fun watching the show.

While I don't think that this is a must-see for people, I think that people who enjoy sports animes and like stories about rising to the challenge and overcoming the odds can have a good time with Capeta. It's just wholesome, good-natured fun. ^.^

For a while now, I have been pondering how to best approach this review. See, I knew the minute I finished this anime that I would have to write one, even if for no other reason than to get it out of my system (so that I might somehow once again join the land of the living, and maybe even study for my impending finals).
But how do I go about convincing all of you nice folks that this is just about the best anime ever? My main problem lies in the fact that no matter what I write, this review will be subjective. The more ... I gush about the awesomeness of this anime, the higher rank I grant it, the more subjective this review will seem. I might as well pull out my chequered handkerchief right now and wave my credibility a jolly old good-bye (preferably in that invigorating manner seen in old cartoons).
But who cares, enough rambling. What is this anime about?
Well, this anime is about friendship and friendship through rivalry. It’s about how sharing a passion for something can bring people together. It’s about growing up, and learning that life is hard and unfair and always dealing you the shortest straw. It’s about fighting through all the crap that is thrown your way, because not fighting would mean giving up on something you love. Even if fighting means tears, sweat, blood and broken bones.
It’s about good people doing good things, because they see how hard you are trying, and because somewhere down the line, they wish someone had been kind to them too.
It’s about a single father working his ass off day and night in order to provide for his only son. It’s about a lonely kid who desperately wants his father to come home, but never admitting it because he knows his father is out there working hard for him. And it’s about this father sitting his son down in a kart, for no other reason than to see him smile, and then watching magic happen.
But mostly, it’s about a boy who loves cars, and who, when given the chance, would like nothing better than to keep on racing for the rest of his life. Even if he can’t say it out loud. Even if he can’t admit it to himself, because doing so would be the single most selfish thing he ever asked for.

To say that this anime has well-rounded characters would, (in-my-already-established-subjective-opinion), be an understatement. Instead I will say that the characters are immensely human and then leave it at that. (Otherwise I would most likely start rambling about the stereotypic-gender-based-characterization that seems to make up the basis of about 90% of all anime characters ever, and that's not a dissuasion any of us are ready for. I'm not sure what I'm trying to say here, but I'm sure it’s something.)
The anime sets a good pace all the way through its 52 episodes. Too often you find sports anime obsessing over a single match or game, *chough* Ookiku Furikabutte *chough*, and forgetting that there are viewers out there who didn’t just come for the sport, but for the characters and the underlying story. Capeta doesn’t really suffer from this, but neither does it rush. One of the most redeeming qualities this anime has is its ability to linger on the few truly peaceful moments in between all the worry and struggle, and then speed up its pace just enough to create the truly nerve-racking, heart-ponding moments that should always be required from a sports anime.
Likewise I believe a soundtrack can make or break a show, and here Capeta once again shines. The soundtrack used in this anime is nothing short of amazing.

If I had to fault this anime for anything, it would be the art. Nowadays enough panoramic idyll and glitzy sunsets can carry an anime through (even if the plot has the anatomy of a Swiss cheese. (Yes SAO, I am looking at you)). Capeta has none of this. And while I personally loved the art, a lot of people might initially be put out by the main character’s less than comely face. I urge you all to watch it anyway, because there is a simple, down-to earth honesty feel to the art that fits the show immensely well.
Before I finish off this ramble of a review, I will answer the question I probably should have started out with: Do you need to like sports anime to like this show?
The answer is no. I honestly don’t believe you do, not because there isn’t a focus on racing, but because story is about so much more than simply winning and becoming ‘stronger’. Nor do you need to be specifically into racing or go-carting to enjoy this anime, though I do believe a small amount of enthusiasm towards the sport as a whole adds to the experience.

Lastly, if there is anyone out there who made it through this review, I salute you, and I hope you go watch the anime, because it is certainly worth your time.

Well I Rarely write reviews But after finishing capeta in 3 days,I decided to write one.
I am a sucker for adreanline and sports anime and capeta is one of the best sports anime i ahve ever seen.
The Races were very well done.The characters are on to the point.The ost cant be any better.The story was well planned.
I loved that i never skipped the oenings.Well capeta might be fictional character but seeing him grow up and reach his dreams and accomplish his goals step by step,motivated me a lot.This anime has no antoganists,not even the rivals.
Overall this is an Awesome adrenaline ride.

Story: basically the story is about a boy that has a dream reaching for his goals and encounter obstacles along the way. What I like about this anime is there is no really "bad guys" even the rival of Capeta. By the way Capeta is the protagonist in the anime. Throughout the anime it shows how Capeta overcome all the obstacle inside and outside of the race track with the help of his friends. And how he surpasses his limitations.

Art: nothing to say much. I like how they show Capeta grow from a gradeschooler to adulthood.

Sound: great sound effects I can almost here the sound ... of the engines revving up....

Character: I like all the characters maybe except for the guy who considers Capeta as his eternal rival. note: I am refferring to the fat rich kid .

Enjoyment: I enjoyed all the races scenes.

Overall: I really enjoyed the series. It awakens the "Wanna be Driver" in me. ^_^

This will be a very simple review as I don't want to say spoilers.
I first watched this incredible anime when I was a kid and recently i decided to rewatch it because I showed a race to a friend who never heard of this anime and we both got goosebumps.

Story: Capeta trys the Karts at a very young age and he decides to start racing as he loved it. Capeta as many challenges along the way but with is ability and his friends and family he overcomes those chalenges step by step race by race league by league as one of his dreams is to ... race with is "rival" Minamoto Naomi who was a year older so he was always a step further than Capeta.

Art: For me is a 10/10 very original and I can't imagine this anime without this art.

Sound: Absolutely incredible it fits the scenes very well and very VERY emocional.

Character: I like them a lot, they have good development and one thing I like about capeta and what makes this shounen very original is there is no antagonist, all the racers are kind likeble as they have cool personalities and are not bad people they just wanna race and be fast.

Overall: 10/10 amazing anime wish it could continue as we only have the first 3 arcs adapted.

Final words: This is the most underated anime of all time seriously if you're still reading this please take my advise and watch this masterpiece, it is so unkown that it is sad and I can't understand why. Hiden gem.

10/10 I have watched all 52 episodes at least 5 times, this show is the best, no cliche's no harems, no girl shit, just full on action and drama. This is by far the best anime compared to a lot of shows nowadays that are ruined by fan service and annoying girly voices.

The story is one of a kind, never found anywhere else and can be called a masterpiece. The art is also a masterpiece, in its era and even nowadays i find that art to be by far better then nowadays anime art.

Sound is extraordinary very nicely composed to go with the action ... and the drama.

Characters have their own uniqueness and background story/goals and are not treated as side characters.

I wish there is a second season but unfortunately its really under rated and it will take a studio courage to bet on it since all of them only care about $ even if they have to animate trash manga which we see a lot.

I well probably go on now to read the manga, but i do hope a second season comes in next generation, just like hunter x hunter who got re-adapted 12 years later or like cooking master which just got adapted again after 20 years, Capeta still has a chance of a second season as long as we support it!

I truly enjoyed this anime and would rate it 100/10 if i could, do give it a go, you well never be disappointed, i am sure tears well roll throughout this masterpiece adventure.

Capeta is a really good universe, and I don't mean that as some kind of lazy way of saying, "the writing was good" or something like that. No, I say it because of the characters that inhabit the world of this story; the majority of characters, regardless of how they are initially introduced, are easily defined as being good-natured, and more so, there is no one that I would define as intentionally evil to any degree.

Story: 8, The ironic thing about Capeta is that even though it's a racing anime, and more specifically a sports anime, ya know, the type of genre that gets ... dominated by man vs man conflict types? Yeah, but instead, Capeta has primarily man vs nature conflicts, which is an ironic way to describe it, seeing as a car isn't part of nature, but hear me out... Capeta (the character) isn't constantly struggling to beat another racer, he's constantly struggling to beat another racer while driving a much worse vehicle. This is why I say that the core of the conflict is man vs nature, as the primary conflicts are, the cart is damaged, we are too poor, etc. He's attempting to overcome the very nature of the racing world. Most of these conflicts are overcome by Capeta (the character) learning to adapt and in most cases, using the fact that he's driving a worse car to his advantage by changing his own driving style to match the unique characteristics of the vehicle. The core thought behind every obstacle Capeta (the character) comes to face with isn't, "how do I beat this guy?" it's, "how can I drive this car even faster?".

Art: 9, The art style is a pretty subjective one, and personally I think part of the reason I like it so much is because its very reminiscent of Hajime no Ippo, which I really enjoyed. Additionally, the art style really matches the hard-working nature of this show. Lastly, some of the scenes towards the end of the series are animated really beautifully.

Sound: 9, All of the OSTs fit the scenes they're put in perfectly, and the OP and EDs fit the core nature of the anime just as well. Most of the voice acting was spot on as well, really the only thing that held this back from a 10 in sound was the voice acting specifically for the little kid characters. Most of them are pretty annoying in my opinion, with Monami hands down earning most annoying, but I will say that this is probably compounded by the fact that I find Monami to also be the hands down most annoying character even without taking her voice into consideration.

Character: 9, The beautiful thing about almost every character in this anime is, regardless of their level of importance, every character is typically introduced in a heavily flat manner, or to be more specific; they are introduced in a manner that specifically makes them seem like a very flat, very troupe-driven character, however, that is anything but what that character actually is. Its a level of hidden ingenuity in this anime; instead of trying to blow you away with an amazing character right out the gate, the writer intentionally made his characters seem flat, so that their progression as round, dynamic characters would be both surprising and enjoyable. Naomi is probably the character that this rings truest for, as he is very much introduced as just some stereotypical douche, but I'd be shocked if you said you watched all 52 episodes and still felt that way about him.
There is a single character that holds this anime back from being a 10/10 in character, and that is hands down Monami, or at least that's what I would have said at the beginning of the anime. While I do like her a lot more by the end, I think a lot of her character is just straight up obnoxious, to the point that I literally had to skip over certain scenes in the beginning because she single-handedly made me want to stop watching. Regardless, there is still one other negative I see in character, and that's a result of the fact that the anime kinda gets tunnel vision a lot, and to explain what I mean; The anime has a habit of becoming too focused on its core narrative, and while I think other shows could learn a thing or two from it, at the same time, this anime gets tunnel-vision to the point of you asking, "so whatever happened to that one guy?" and even if they do pop-up again we really never learn why they faded into irrelevance for the series.


Enjoyment: 9, Part of the enjoyment of Capeta is that Capeta (the character) doesn't win every race, and they take a very realistic approach by not having him win every race (especially considering that basically everyone else is racing top of the line machines with dedicated mechanics, and Capeta (the character) is racing a trash-kart made by his complete amateur of a father (also, not dissing his dad, its just the truth)). However, foreshadowing is like the most abused story mechanic in Capeta, and it made some things a little overly predictable at times.

Overall: 9, By halfway through the first episode, I had already fallen in love with this anime, and I'm glad to say that I never lost that feeling throughout the watching experience. However, reaching the end was a truly bittersweet moment simply because it felt that it came too fast. Capeta has several time skips in it that honestly feel like a shame simply because I really wanted to be able to follow Capeta's entire journey from karts all the way to F1. Additionally, while it is teased at the end that they do eventually make it to the F1 level, its never shown directly in the anime (not sure if the anime covers everything that the manga did), and I definitely thought we were gonna get to the F1 level, so I'm a bit disappointed in that.

When I was a smol kid, I first watched this on TV on cartoon network. This anime is literally epic. If you are reading this, just give first 3 episode a try. Art is a bit old, but this anime a goldmine.

The plot is simple and amazing, there might be something you may not like about this anime. This anime was made in 2005, so complaining about art and sound won't work, all old anime around 2005 have same type of art and work. This is under-rated anime, and not many people know about this anime, if you have found this and are reading this ... review. Give it a try, you won't regret it.

For a sneak peak on the story : Will give you same vibes as a 8.5+ rating anime will give. A racing based story. Friendship and struggle in life.

won't say anything more about story because story is simple and might be a spoiler to you.

Completed this series in 2 days and I feel it's necessary to write a review. First of all, do not expect anything from the art work because honestly I think it's pretty badly drawn. Or rather, this type of drawing usually don't appeal to audience. I had some problems appreciating the protagonist initially simply because I don't like his face. Moreover, he doesn't own the special quality a talented sportsman should have - arrogance and confidence. Nevertheless, as you'll see in the course of his development, he turned out to be a rather remarkable boy, creating miracles every now and then. That's when the enjoyment ... kicks in.

The races were very exciting, in my opinion. A few of them were rather memorable as it gave me some sort of adrenaline rush that I thought would never happen when I started this series (because the first few episodes were so boring).

As usual, our protagonist Capeta is met with piles of trauma and difficulties that everytime he recovers from a pinch, you can't help but cheer him on. That being said, it is mention-worthy that there are no 'bad guy' in this anime. Ok maybe there is - okane. The fact that motor racing is a rich man's sport and the setting that Capeta is some poor neighborhood kid, concoct the well-needed drama for this anime.

Before I forget, a piece of advice for those who wish to watch this. Be prepared to fast-forward. Some characters (like the fat kid) say really nonsensical, useless and not funny stuffs. Others that i forwarded were just repetitive parts. In all, watch this if motor racing is your kinda stuff, or if you have no better animes to watch. Or else go watch Major.

The Series starts off when He was a Kid.
Capeta has always been left alone at home,while his dad works.
Capeta grew up liking Cars/Race Cars,He always adored them,and sometime
space out,due to his imaginations. One day,Capeta's father found a spare
parts for a Go-Cart/Cart,and he asked the Manager of a Cart Track Manager,if
he can have the parts.That's when his dad started cleaning up the parts
and fixing it. Capea one day found out about the Cart,he went up in the Hill,
with his Two friends. But the cart did not have an Engine,so his father told him
that he had to wait.
Once they got an Engine,they went to a Cart ... Track.
He met a kid named Minamoto,His Rival.
He kept on chasing his back to catch up with him,and challenge Minamoto.

(Hope this helps,Watch the anime,if you want to know more,I cannot spoil anything)

ost!

neck breaking speed, at every turn, cross, and lead. Hair, clothes ripples as every cart/race car tumbles, and engine rumbles.

After a while, you learn the exhilarating familiar hum at the start of the race, then with the call for 3... 2... 1... woooo!

The start of a race, and not just any race, with the power of story telling, we are immersed on every feelings, emotions, condition, and reactions as this opponent over takes the mc, or when an intentional bump, or an accident, connects.

In summary, a kid that always dreamed in the path of a race track. Lacking from any resources, money, time, ... sponsors, team, us, viewers, are facing reality, blood and sweat. Perhaps even succeed and that is adventure. The unpredictability of this series is quite familiar.

This was a treat, and although I was an elementary student since I've last glimpsed "Capeta", an imprint can never be erased, thus saw this page and got the need to write for a review, not with pauses for remembering, but with fluency and ability for exceptional memory, which is uncommon of me.

thanks for reading.

Capeta tells the story of a 10-year-old boy, who cannot find enjoyment from anything. One day, that changes when he finds out that his father had been building a go-kart for him using old scrapped parts that he was able to salvage from a karting circuit. After driving the thing for the first time, he finds a passion in racing, and through many struggles eventually finds himself in the world of F1.

The first things that I will mention here are the things that I consider the biggest flaws in this anime.
First, while it does have some quite good racing, it is at times quite unrealistic ... and does not get very technical. There are some things about racing explained, but for example some terms that make the foundation for driving on a circuit, like "racing line" or "slow in, fast out" are never even mentioned.
At this point I feel like I should mention that I am by no means an expert when it comes to racing and many others are infinitely more knowledgeable. But I am quite confident that I know a bit more than someone who knows nothing.

That last line brings me to the next problem.
And that would be characters. How does that connect to the last line, you may ask. Well, to be exact, it doesn't really, it just connects to the reason why I really don't like that one certain character. And that character is Monami. It is very clear that her purpose is to be the one who keeps thinking positive when everyone else is getting depressed. What annoys me about her though, is the way that she keeps talking about things that she clearly doesn't understand.
Aside from Monami, the characters vary in quality. The main character Capeta and his rival Naomi, among some other characters are quite likeable and relatable. Some other reccuring characters also just feel like they are there for a single purpose and not even necessarily needed.

Then, before I get to the positive things is, in my opinion probably the biggest weakness of this anime. And that would be that it is clearly unfinished.
(MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)
You would like to think that the anime ends with Capeta finding himself driving in F1, since it has been teased in the start of the opening animation since the start. But no. It ends after Capeta (quite unrealistically) wins his first race in the Formula Stella series, which is his first step from karting toward the world of F1. After that race ends in the final episode, the only thing that happens is that you can hear a radio broadcast of Capeta and Naomi racing for the F1 championship.


Alright then, enough negative talking, now let's get to the things that I enjoyed
Aside for being incomplete, the story is quite good. It is clearly divided into 3 arcs:
First, Capeta finds himself driving a cart for the first time and after that ends up racing for the first time. This arc comes to a clear end, when Capeta's first race finishes.
Next, there is a time skip of a few years, and Capeta has made his way up the ranks in the world of karting, chasing his rival Naomi. This arc at some points felt to me a little too dragged out, and not much progress was being made. But it did also have many positive sides. A very big part of this arc is Capeta with his friends and father struggling with money, and that almost being the end of Capeta's racing career. I really like the fact that they put such a big emphasis on telling that it doesn't matter how good you are at something, sometimes there just is something that stops you from being able to do something you want. And more often than not that is the lack of money. This being especially true in motorsports where you need to constantly be getting new parts, gear and equipment in order to keep racing. This arc eventually comes to an end as Capeta is injured when driving his worn-out kart that could barely be steered, and his future in racing is very close to ending.
The third, and final arc of the anime is where Capeta takes his first step in what I like to call "big boi racing", by that I mean he leaves behind racing with carts and instead hops behind the wheel of a formula class car. As all the others, this arc has its ups an downs. Overall it was quite enjoyable, but I wish there was a bit more of actual racing involved.
Of course, I am aware that the manga exists and apparently has more story, so I will likely read that at some point.

(MILD SPOILERS OVER)

The art and animation are pretty much what you'd expect from an anime that aired in the mid-2000s. Nothing much to say about them. If anything, the animation was a bit better than I was expecting, but not quite breathtakingly good.

As for sounds, there is but one reason why I simply could not give sound a score of less than a 9. And that is the fact that at the start of every episode before the opening song starts playing, there is a clip where you can hear the wonderful sound of the legendary V10 F1 engine.
Aside from that, the music is quite good and fitting, and for the most part the VAs get a passing grade for their work. I also have to give extra points for the fact that there are several characters who speak with a strong dialect, there is just something about that that I really enjoy.
There was one scene that stuck to mind where they did quite a fun little trick with the music. That was when one of the characters tried driving a kart (with poor results) and the music's tempo slowed down as his poor driving was shown, and then picked up in speed for a short time when the camera was focused on someone who drove faster.


Welp, that's quite a lot of text already and I'm not quite sure if I still have something else to say, but I think it may be time to finish this with a quick summary.

Overall, I found this anime very enjoyable, despite it having its flaws (some bigger than others). The question lies, would I recommend this, and to whom? The short answer is yes, I would recommend this for anyone who has even a slightest interest in racing. It doesn't matter if you are familiar with racing or not, this can be enjoyed either way. Then again, if you are a bit more familiar, and want some in-depth racing technique analysis, that is not something you will get here. However, even though I definitely belong to the latter of those two groups, I still did enjoy this quite a bit. Let it be mentioned as well, that I managed to binge watch this in less than 48 hours, which is quite the feat these days when normally I can barely get myself to watch a single episode a day.

Simply one of the best Sports Series I have ever watched & as well as the one of the most underrated Anime Series or Manga.
Well !!! being a Formula 1 Fan this is a true Pleasure for my Mind & Body.

Hope they reboot this series while storyline going in manga direction and hoping that they go all the way to the end.

Wish there was English Official translations for this Manga Series, for me to pick up the story from the anime,, But Scans are taking so much time, One Day i would love ... to own the complete Manga & Anime box sets.


Overall this is great show , Would love to see more of this .

True Gem lost in Time, due to unpopularity amidst the newly releasing ones where half of them are trash but still get good traction as the Anime community is quite active now.


Must watch for any F1 or Cars fan , a feast to your eyes.

Overall, 8/10. The show's biggest weakness is a low budget. It impacts the visual quality of the show, but it does improve over time. Taira Kappeita is not that complicated of a character, but his simplicity works and he is complemented well by the other drivers. With the driving and action, the visuals do hold it back somewhat, but I was still invested. The driving techniques themselves are quite accurate, and overall the show is faithful to karting and Junior formula. The engine sounds for the KT100 seem to have been sampled from an actual Yamaha engine, and same with the Junior Formula cars. I ... highly recommend this to any car enthusiasts out there, and I think even those who aren't should still give it a shot.

I've never had the urge to write a review for an anime before, but Capeta is disgustingly overlooked and underrated. I've put off this show as I've not had the keenest interest in professional racing. But I am willing to say it's the best anime I've watched to this date, it's true that the anime doesn't have the best style art wise but you get used to it very quickly and its actually good enough and suits the anime anyways.

But besides the art style, the way this anime blends real life difficulties with the sport really well, had me tearing up multiple times for ... the character because the different struggles he faces financially and his upbringing just feels so real.

I cannot believe an anime like this was overlooked by the masses, leading it to be discontinued early on. This is a hidden gem, and definitely something worth watching even for those not into cars.

As a racing anime, in my opinion despite loving initial d, Initial D pales in comparison to Capeta (and that's with my bias towards street racing in japan). Capeta doesn't feel like a story built upon plot armour, it feels so gripping that you literally ride the emotional rollercoaster with the characters.

I don't even read mangas, but as the anime was ended abruptly due to lack of popularity upon its release, I will finish it off properly by reading the manga.

Please, give this anime a chance, it's genuinely that good.

I wish they would just complete the series properly.