Rookies (manga)

Rookies
Cover of the first tankōbon volume, featuring Koichi Kawato (front) and the students of the Futagotamaga High School
Genre	Sports[1]
Manga
Written by	Masanori Morita
Published by	Shueisha
Imprint	Jump Comics
Magazine	Weekly Shōnen Jump
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	February 16, 1998 – August 25, 2003
Volumes	24
Television drama
Directed by	Yuichiro Hirakawa
Written by	Yoshihiro Izumi
Music by	Takefumi Haketa Yu Takami
Original network	TBS
Original run	April 19, 2008 – July 26, 2008
Episodes	11 + Special
Live-action film
Rookies: Graduation
Directed by	Yūichirō Hirakawa
Studio	Toho
Released	May 31, 2009 (2009-05-31)

Rookies (stylized as ROOKIES) is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Masanori Morita. It was serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from February 1998 to August 2003, with the chapters collected in 24 tankōbon volumes. The manga has been adapted into a television series which was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System between April 19, 2008 and July 26, 2008. The series was later released on DVD by TC Entertainment, and the soundtrack released on June 28, 2008. The finale of the TV series was in the form of a film, called Rookies: Graduation (Rookies－卒業－, Rookies -Sotsugyō) which premiered on Japanese cinemas on May 31, 2009. Rookies is one of the best-selling manga series, with over 21 million copies in circulation.

Rookies is the story of an amateur teacher, Koichi Kawato, who is faced with the challenge of guiding a high school baseball club composed of delinquents. The students are wary of him and often threaten Kawato, but he refuses to abandon them and continuously speaks highly of recognizing their dreams. Eventually, the team is assembled and they dedicate their time to achieve their dream of going to the Koshien Spring baseball tournament.