Giant Killing is one of the very few sports manga that I actually enjoy reading; no super-human abilities or god-given talents or anything like that. It's a realistic depiction of a relatively weak team gradually building their strength after getting a new young coach who was a player of ETU himself. However, this realism doesn't mean that it's dull and boring, totally the other way around. (NOTE: It's realistic compared to many other sport/soccer manga out there, but not realistic enough if compared to real world.)

The focus isn't only on the players; the coach is also the main part of the story. He guides the players to find their own strength even though most of them lack any sort of talent. And the process doesn't happen instantly like a player having an epiphany in middle of a match and suddenly becoming stronger like many other sports manga. The players improve with each match and training session, but they also fail quite often.

Each match is a captivating story and with each goal scored I also feel the joy. A single match takes many chapters to complete, but it doesn't feel redundant at all.

Finally, if you're tired of all those sports manga with superpowers and such, I definitely recommend Giant Killing. Give it a try; high chance you won't regret it.

... Last updated on June 24th, 2019, 12:11am

Giant Killing is unexpectedly fantastic. While matches always take tons of chapters, this allows for plenty of smoothly flowing action scenes, as well as character development and shenanigans (including not just the players of both teams, but also coaches, and sometimes even subs or supporters).

And on a separate note, there's also something very enjoyable about a manga full of adults (not school kids or teens like in most manga) taking their jobs (whether they be playing or coaching) seriously, and doing well at them. It's almost competence porn. In any case, I really enjoy this aspect. Tons of fiction contains protagonists who, because they're supposed to be relatable, are initially depicted as unambitious and unmotivated everymen. When contrasted with that, the characters in Giant Killing are like a breath of fresh air.

Not to mention the strong focus on team and organisation. There's an all-encompassing sense that the kind of ideal club Tatsumi aspires to build as coach is like a family, with everyone (players, coaches, staff, supporters, etc.) working together as one. And while a few players on the club do stand out, the manga does give significant screentime to a surprisingly wide cast.

... Last updated on November 14th, 2018, 12:56pm

Didnt really enjoy the anime adaptation but the manga is pretty enjoyable. Its paced much better and the story flows quite well. I dont really understand the comments saying there are no tactics and such, for nearly every major game the manager comes up with tactics and the players train in them. They just dont go into much details as to what those tactics are. The biggest issue is that the main bulk of the scans are pretty spotty in quality, you can more or less follow whats going on but the English used feels really unnatural, like a machine translation. There's also lots of sloppy mistakes like getting players names wrong from chapter to chapter. Pity this hasnt (and likely wont) get an official translation. Worth a read even if you arent a fan of soccer.

I honestly feel that this story is paced very well. It actually has a very realistic feel to it. You really get a sense of whats going on and Tatsumi's reasoning, strategics, and thoughts are understandable.
When I think of non-realistic soccer mangas; I instantly think of ones like Whistle!! and Captain Tsubasa... Though I suppose they have their perks. Of course, even though I'm stating that Giant Killing has a realistic plot... it still IS a manga. It can only go so far.

In Giant Killing, the plot really gets you on edge. Honestly, its really one of the few that actually get me whooping with joy when a goal is scored. For the most part, its truly unexpected; because losing is a huge possibility in this story.
Also, for once the story revolves around all the players as well as the management, fans and coaching team. Readers are told a story through the perspectives of many people, and are let in on their thoughts and emotions.

Character designs and personalities are quite likeable. There isn't one character I truly hate in this manga. The artwork is quite good, and the paneling is relatively smooth.

I have never truly been a fan of soccer before, so I can't be the best judge of whether or not the games played in this manga resemble real life pro-level soccer games.

Edit: Wow! It's been a long time since I wrote this. I am still avidly following GK! Though it's slowed down quite considerably, I still enjoy it a lot even 3 years after. I highly recommend people give this a try! If not the anime is also an excellent source as it follows the manga very closely.

... Last updated on December 16th, 2014, 4:56pm

I absolutely love this series. I rate it just below my absolute favorite Slam Dunk. This is arguably the best soccer manga I've read. The fact that the focus is not solely on the main protagonist, that the mangaka took the time to flesh out not only the main character but also the whole team makes the story quite varied and never got boring. The main leads doesn't disappoint either. Tsubaki is a breath of fresh air on hot blooded soccer heroes. He loves soccer and has the talent to be great on it but the fact that he has a lot of flaws makes his journey very interesting to watch. If you like sports fiction, this is a definite recommend.

Better than your average soccer manga but still lacking.What is it lacking?A little dose of realism.Don't misunderstand i don't mean that it uses supernatural abilities like flaming shoots from the middle of the court.It's just that there is not much of a strategy around it.Simply,the coach is not much of help since the tactics and the formation that he has shown on his players are almost null.It's mostly about a type of manga that the coach gives courage to the players and they miraculously play better.Sure,psychology plays a major role an any sport but if that it was all about then it would be better to hire a psychologist for a coach and not a football expert.If you pass by that fact then you will probably like it,but if you want sth more realistic i would go with fantasista. Perhaps the reason has to do with the lack of knowledge and complexity of the sport in which the japanese authors clearly don't have as much knowledge(since it's not their primary choice as a sport).

... Last updated on May 22nd, 2013, 5:09am

When I first found this manga I wasn't too interested in reading it because I am not interested in mangas that have sports as the backdrop. But I am really glad that I started to read this one. So far the first 21 chapters I read have been interesting and I want more. The manga is more then them kicking around a ball. It deals with rebuilding trust, working hard, making people believe in something that they gave up on and overcoming their weakness. These are themes that are seen in other mangas whether it deals with sports or not.It is hard for me to write a review without giving anything away so my suggestion just read it. It wont kill you to spend 30 mins reading some of the chapters.

... Last updated on June 20th, 2010, 1:45pm

very intriguing and captivating story, and very likeable characters. it really just pulls you along for the ride. i had only checked it out because i had to get it for a friend, but now i'm glad i did. so worth it.

Read volume one, and so far I really like it. The main character is quirky and interesting, and you can't help but love him. As nomated23 said, its neat that the story is told from the coach's POV instead the heroic player. Also interesting is that unlike any other sports story I've seen in movies, manga, or anywhere else, the main character didn't accidentally end up with the underdogs. In fact, he purposefully sought them out. He LIKES trying to turn underdogs into "giant killers" that can win against the best teams.
So far the plot has captivated me and I love all of the characters. Can't wait for the next chapter!

I love the fact that this manga focuses on the coach rather than the players. It is cool to see all the strategies that go on behind a teams success. The story will have you rooting for East Tokyo United(ETU) as they are a weak team going against better ones. Might i add also that the main character has a certain charm because he seems quite knowledgeable. Reminds me of "last inning" but for soccer. Looking froward to the next chapters.