Fanservice? For guys? Ahh… what happened Oofuri?!

I was sorely disappointed that this episode was just purely about Musashino, Haruna’s team. When I saw this chapter in the manga before, I didn’t bother to read it or try and understand it, because it didn’t have any exciting baseball bits nor were there anything about our lovely Nishiura boys. There were just a long conversation between Haruna and the relief pitcher, Kaguyama, whom we saw during the 15th episode. I think the events that transpired here happened before Koshien, or not…

Just a quick walkthrough of the events: Haruna and Kaguyama are out late exercising and practicing. Walking towards the field, they talk about a short spat between Ookawa, the captain(?), and Haruna over Haruna’s 80-pitch rule.

Kaguyama reveals that he wants to quit baseball. He is tired of sitting on the bench, never winning a single match. Haruna is about to share his own experience when– Ookawa and Miyashita appear from the bushes. They quickly apologize and tells that they are interested in hearing Haruna’s story. So, Haruna goes on to tell his little tale about him having the “overuse” syndrome, his injury, his painful rehabilitation, and his stint with SENIOR.

Haruna challenged Kaguyama to 50-meter dash duel. With a little help from Miyashita, they brainwashed Kaguyama into thinking that if he really tried, he can beat Haruna. Although, Kaguyama did not beat Haruna, he beat his own best record, shaving .7 seconds from his running time! From there on, Kaguyama regained his fire and passion for the game.

Thoughts

This was a pretty boring episode. Not even a single scene with any of our Nishiura boys!!! Rant rant rant rant rant. However, this was still a feel good episode, which Oofuri is known for.

>_< See Haruna is annoyed as I am!

Haruna employed the placebo effect on Kaguyama, leading him to think that he could win against him, although in reality he couldn’t. However, this was enough for Kaguyama to realize that there is still a lot of room for improvement and that he can still be a better player. Blah blah blah… I want more Tajima!!!

This whole episode would have been a complete waste, if not for Haruna’s sexeh bodeh and his shocked expression after finding out that Miyashita and Ookawa are together. Other than that though… * sigh *

EDIT (in sane mode, a day after posting this):

Obviously, I was really groggy when I posted this, that I wasn’t even able to give a proper introduction to this Christmas Countdown / “12 Days of Christmas” feature we have. This is a joint project of the ABC, a brainchild of CCYoshi this time. Together with other participants, JRoxas, CCYoshi, 0rion, Owen S, Quinn, Xerox, Michael Huang, DS, Moogy, Martin, Nekoro, Nekoron, CalAggie, and IKnight, we’re gonna do a series of retrospective posts, reflecting on whatever stuffs in 2007—manga, anime, games, the blogosphere in general, or even our own [otaku] lives for that matter.

I was originally planning to have a “nth Day of Christmas” format for the title, then include some catchphrase for each day, in tune with the “12 Days of Christmas” song, but bah… who cares about that anyway? What matters most is the content! Ok, that was just an excuse. I know I can’t pull off something 0rion did, way ahead of schedule for that matter.

Since I have not seen enough animes to reflect on for this year, I’d be mentioning a couple of random stuffs along the way, reflecting on just about anything related to my otaku-life =P

Speaking of juices, Momoe of Ookiku Furikabutte certainly made such a huge impression with the “FRESHLY SQUEEZED” (literally) pomelo juice she showed way back episode 1. And Momoe continued to become even more of a kickass as the series went on

I am still out of creative juices, up until this time, and I really think some FRESHLY SQUEEZED pomelo juice from Momoe will help a lot. Just seeing Momoe’s mere gesture of performing this feat makes you brim with motivation to do just about anything >3

Now on some reflection on Oofuri… Ookiku Furikabutte is one of the greatest baseball shows out there. No it’s not because its baseball BL-ness, but because of the unique take it had on this sport. It succeeded in showing how baseball is not simply about power fastballs, as depicted in most shows. It’s all about techniques, and the uhm… bond between the players, particularly the pitcher and the catcher, aka the BL battery =P

And, quoting myself in my comment on our chef hamster’s first post on Oofuri:

“Given a show like this with a different take on baseball, slow-ball or fast-ball pitchers alike, and even those who don’t have confidence in themselves, can find their selves in Ren… and inspire them to be just like he is [who trained with all blood and sweat in pitching, until he eventually gained an extraordinary control over his pitch]”

Ookiku Furikabutte 25 – One Win 「ひとつ勝って 」 (Finale)

It was winter when Kanou confronted Mihashi about moving to Saitama and the possibility of quitting baseball. The baseball that he had been playing at Mihoshi, was not really baseball. That was why Kanou urged him to trudge on and that he must absolutely continue baseball, no matter what. Though thoughts of quitting baseball filled Mihashi’s mind, not once did he ever step down from the mound during middle school. It never occurred to him that he would pitch as seriously as Kanou.

The next day after their first round match, Mihashi is absent from school. Abe meets Izumi and tells him of his plans to visit Mihashi with Hanai over lunch break. It seems that Hanai has something to give Mihashi. Tajima comes running and is happy to announce that they too will be going to eat lunch! Abe doesn’t know what he is talking about. Izumi explains that Tajima messaged Mihashi earlier and Mihashi invited them to eat curry for lunch. Tajima comments on how easily Abe gets angry. Some girls pass by and tells them they saw the game. The girls even know that Tajima plays clean-up.

Abe inquires as to what Izumi and his class do during lunch breaks. Tajima answers that they end their packed lunches. However, eating it too fast, especially when they eat their favorite food, it makes them sad because it ends too soon. Abe finds out from them that they talk about food during lunch breaks. Izumi adds that they take a quick nap, if they are not eating.

Tajima is already salivating from the image of curry, but Izumi reminds him that they still have to go see Hamada. The boys go to cheer for Hamada in his basketball game. Then, another set of girls cheer for Hamada, calling him the “cheering squad guy”. Abe predicts that when Mihashi comes to school the next day, people will also recognize him. It may just give him a boost of confidence or make him more timid. His thoughts wander to why Mihashi did not reply to his email. It might be because Mihashi thinks he is angry with him, though he quickly dismisses the idea.

A still groggy Mihashi goes to check his mobile phone. Ruri messaged him that if she should tell Kanou about their win. Mihashi intends to tell Kanou himself and extends his thanks her for coming to watch him yesterday. Then, he receives a message from Abe. Panic-stricken over the possibility of Abe and Hanai scolding him, he contemplates on escaping. However, the doorbell rings, outside waits Abe, Hanai, Izumi, and Tajima. Tajima informs that their final test results are in making Mihashi wobbly. Mihashi recovers quickly after knowing that he did not get any red marks.

Abe orders Mihashi to weigh himself, while Izumi volunteers to stir the curry since Tajima’s right hand is sore. Tajima shares that he exerted himself too much during the last time he was at bat, when he hit Junta’s sinker after several failed attempts. Abe silently remarks that without Tajima’s hit, they would have lost.

After finding out that Mihashi dropped three kilos and now only weights 50 kilos, Abe gets on the verge of giving him a good scolding. He manages to stop himself in time, realizing that it would be best to say it in a nice manner. Abe tries another point of conversation and inquires what Mihashi ate last night. It does not help as Mihashi starts to fear that he might have eaten something he shouldn’t have. Izumi saves Mihashi from an annoyed Abe and asks him to set the table as they’ve finished reheating the curry. Hanai gives Mihashi a CD and newspaper.

With the sports news on the background, Hanai leads them, saying how good the food looks! They gobble up the food with much gusto. Abe is glad that Mihashi seems to have retained his appetite, but losing three kilos is still very alarming. The news mentions Haruna’s team winning, renewing Mihashi’s admiration for him. Mihashi is happy, since they won as well.

Abe asks for Mihashi’s take on why they won. Mihashi starts to get emotional as he remembers the events that took on their game against Tosei. He remembers getting yelled for not stepping down from the mound when he felt that he couldn’t throw any more. He justifies that it was because he believed that he had truly become Nishiura’s ace. In the end, Mihashi gets filled with his own thoughts and is unable to finish uttering his answer to Abe. While getting another serving of curry, Hanai also recalls the the game, remembering how Mihashi went up against Tosei’s clean-up batter to clinch the win and how they supported him during this time.

Tajima tries to make small talk and asks Mihashi why he transferred to Nishiura. Mihashi reasons that it is because his mother used to study there, also there’s the bicycle and uniform. Additionally, it seems their family does not have money. In order for him to get into Nishiura, Mihashi put in the extra hours to stud for the entrance exams. The guys cringe at the thought that Mihashi was that bent on transferring that enabled him to study really hard. On the subject, Tajima shares how his grandfather got sick one day. He went home after practice to find the house empty because everybody else was tending to his grandfather at the hospital. He will never forget how scared he was. That is why he lives closely now, so it will not be a problem. The others also share their reasons.

The sports news mentions Mihashi’s name, though Mihashi believes that it was not his doing. Without the others, the game wouldn’t have been as fun as it was. Emotion gets the best of him as tears start to fall from his eyes. He apologizes to everyone for how he did as he pleased during the game, mentioning how Abe wanted to get him substituted. Abe corrects him that the problem was hesitating to throw the ball home. As long as Mihashi understands, then Abe is willing to let it slide. Abe suggests for Mihashi to get himself massaged, Tajima mentions that there is a doctor nearby and he’d be happy to accompany Mihashi there.

Izumi gives Mihashi a piece of paper, written are comments of the other Nishiura players about the game. All of them mentioned Mihashi’s superb and passionate performance. Mihashi trembles a bit as he reads it. After, Abe helps Mihashi do some stretches. Soon after, the guys leave.

Mihashi receives a mail from Shuu-chan (Kanou) that they won. He informs Kanou that they also won and gives him his thanks. Back at Mihoshi, a big smile is painted on Kanou’s face for being called “Shuu-chan”, it seems like they were back in grade school again.

Clutching a baseball, Mihashi smiles as he sleeps…

Thoughts

The final episode… NOOOOOO… I want more TT__TT

On the last episode

During the part when Mihashi was reading the note Izumi gave him, I couldn’t help but be moved. It was really touching, knowing how the others felt about Mihashi and how they acknowledged his efforts. It is the first time that Mihashi felt like he was really part of the team, so reading something like that must have been made him really happy. After all, each one of us craves for acceptance. I am happy that Mihashi finally has a set of friends who truly accepts and appreciates him ^__^

Ah… the wonders of brotherly love. Can’t help but get this warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Technically, the art and animation on this one was better than other episodes. The lines were crisp and the colors were bright. Also, I did not notice the guys’ faces being deformed. It happened a lot on previous episodes. Guess A-1 put in a lot of time and care in preparing this last episode.

It was anti-climatic though. I was wondering if it was better to have ended the series last episode, serving more of a cliffhanger to lure people into the second season, if there is one. Though, I liked this easy-going episode and it gives the viewers more closure.

Second season?

I know I want one! We’re still at the budding stages of the Summer Tournament and the anime ended at the 30++ chapter of the manga and there are about 40++ chapters released, if I am not mistaken. Not to mention that the series is really popular in Japan, so the possibility of a second season is high. I still want to know more about the guys and Mihashi is a unique lead. I hope A-1 decides to do another season.

Start to finish

From the moment Momoe squeezed the juice out of those pomelos with her bare hands, I knew right then that Ookiku Furikabutte was going to be special. Finally, after watching the last episode, this series is definitely going to my “all-time favorites” anime list. Episode after episode, it succeeded in bringing something different to the table. From the unique character designs, Shiga’s weird science and meditation talks, to boys’ non-generic personalities, and Asa Higuchi’s different perspective and presentation of baseball, and a lot more of good things, made this series special.

The series kept it fresh and exciting all the way to the end. I can’t help but sing praises. The characters are very relatable and the jokes easily understood.

It shows the high school baseball at its purest form, where it is played for the joy of playing. Witnessing the team grow and bond as a unit was wonderful. Seeing their efforts awarded was very satisfying.

Not only did it score in character development, but as well as presenting baseball. It never dumbed down baseball for non-baseball fans. Yet, it still presented it in a manner that most can appreciate. A-1 did a terrific job in animating this series. Hats off to Asa Higuchi, author of the manga, and to A-1 for bringing this wonderful series to life!

Final Thoughts?

It was fun, exciting, heart wrenching, exhilarating, amazing, excruciating, and heart-warming. It was made out of the same things that real life is made of. I loved every minute of it and I am craving for more.

I would like to thank the readers and the commentators who accompanied me in watching this series. Thank you for being patient with me and for sharing your insights. I am planning to make more Oofuri posts. Hope to see you then or in another series.

Update: Corrected some translation mistakes in the summary and added a few details as well.

Note: Will probably add more information on the summary and my thoughts later on.

If you are ready to know, then find out in…

Ookiku Furikabutte 24 – Conclusion 「決着」

On the stands, the Tosei band is playing twice as hard, matching Tosei’s playing beat per beat.

Mashiba refuses to bunt the first two fastballs. Feeling Mihashi’s apprehensions against throwing any more fastballs, Abe signs for a shootball (shuuto). Mashiba bunts it close to home, Mihashi runs to get it, but trips himself. Tajima gets to it, but throws it a split-second too late.

With Mihashi down on his knees, Abe scolds him out of his momentary depression, telling him that this is not going to be a repeat of Mihoshi. Back on the mound, Mihashi starts to feel the pressure and fear starts to settle in. After a pitch, Abe quickly passes the ball to Suyama in an effort to stop Mashiba from stealing second. However, Mashiba proves to be too quick. During Matsunaga’s turn, Mihashi strikes him out.

Shimazaki bunt fouls the second time. Abe runs to catch it, but comes up short. He punches the ground out of frustration. Right after, he comes over to the mound to apologize, surprising Mihashi. Tajima tries to preempt the direction of Shimazaki’s hit, but miscalculates, but Suyama is there to in time for the pickup. Suyama loses a bit of control of the ball and throws too far off the first baseman’s reach. Mashiba takes advantage and advances to third base.

Mihashi’s worries doubles as Aoki, Tosei’s cleanup batter, is up next with one out and a man on third and first. The pressure finally gets to him and he begins to doubt himself. He feels as though he is back in Mihoshi, and like before, the team will lose because of him. However, just when Mihashi seems to have reached his lowest, the team lets him know that they are all rooting for him, that they believe in him. Mihashi does not quite understand how none is angry with him. He is unable to believe that the others could tell him such kind words.

With Mihashi’s straight, Aoki shoots it off to middle outfield. Izumi dives and catches the fly ball at the tip of his glove for the second out. While on the ground, he flicks the ball to Hanai, who throws it all the way to home base. Mashiba slides to home, colliding with Abe. Everyone looks on to the umpire for his decision. Then finally, he declares that Mashiba is out.

NISHIURA WINS!!! NISHIURA WINS!!!

Nishiura and the crowd erupt in elation knowing that they have clinched the win! After exchanging bows with Tosei and the officials, Nishiura goes to their cheering section and formally shows their gratitude for their support.

At the Tosei bench, Kazuki holds the “win” charm given to him he also recalls the kind and encouraging words his family had uttered to him. Once he was ready, he stands and instructs the others to clear the bench. On their way out, Junta catches his attention. Barely able to speak, eyes filling with tears, Junta says his sincerest apologies to Kazuki. Kazuki hugs Kazuki as both start to sob uncontrollably. Emotions run high as the Tosei team mourns their lost.

Outside the stadium, Momoe gives out some instructions to the boys. She makes it clear that there is much to be done, seeing that they barely made it past Tosei.

Kazuki approaches Hanai.

Kazuki: Hanai, that last throw to home was really amazing.
Hanai: Ah… no…
Kazuki: For an all-freshman team to be this strong, it is all right to aim for Koshien (Summer Tournament Championship). This (shows senbazuru or “Thousand Paper Cranes”) was made by our managers and staff, will you accept it?
Hanai: Yes!
Kazuki: Please do your best. We’ll be rooting for you!
Hanai: Thank you very much!

Mihashi lies on a folding bed as Shiga examines him. Afterwards, they find him sound asleep. Tajima tries to wake him up without success, when Riou happens to past by. Riou inquires on Mihashi’s condition and comes face-to-face with Tajima. He soon realizes that this was the guy who hit Junta’s sinker and also managed to figure out his pitching motion. He takes time to chat with Tajima. He tells him to do their best before running off.

Abe and Tajima lug an exhausted and sleeping Mihashi to the car park. Momoe tells Mihashi’s mom to take Mihashi straight home to rest. The guys were about to put Mihashi at the backseat, but Mihashi’s mom stops them. She takes off Mihashi’s wet clothes before putting him in. During the drive home, Ruri glances over Mihashi’s sleeping face and thinks to herself how glad she is that she came.

Thoughts

Finally, the last episode… NOT! There is still one more episode left!

The first half of the episode went by like a blur. I was surprised as Abe that Nishiura had already won. I forgot that Aoki came to the plate with a man already out. Thus, Izumi’s catch and Abe’s successful block at plate are the second and third outs, respectively. I was not expecting the game to end that way. Kazuki did not even get the chance to bat for one last time.

Tosei: Class Acts

It was really quite a match between Tosei and Nishiura. The Tosei players are such class acts, especially Kazuki, the captain. They graciously accepted defeat, it hurt, but they accepted it without regrets or bitterness.

It was rather hard and emotional to see Tosei crying over their loss. Junta and everyone else started sobbing and crying, it was quite a sight to see. It shows how invested these players are on baseball. I’ve mentioned this before, but this game was a do or die. It is single-elimination. That and Kazuki being a senior means that it was going to be the last shot he will have for Koshien and with that loss, Tosei’s “summer has ended”.

What’s so great about Kazuki is that despite that sad fact, he still went out of his way to congratulate Hanai and Nishiura. He also handed him a senbazuru.

Senbazuru 「千羽鶴」: Thousand Paper Cranes

The senbazuru is one thousand origami (Japanese paper-folding) cranes strung together. It is a symbol of long life. It is said to be a common occurrence for people to give it to a person who is sick or in the hospital. It is believed that one who possesses a senbazuru will be granted one wish. They are also being offered when going to shrines to wish for happiness, luck, and long-life or when rooting for one’s favorite sports team.

In any case, getting a senbazuru goes deeper than just receiving folded papers. It has a special connotation among Japanese. I believe that Kazuki meant for it to bring Nishiura good luck and truly wishing for them to reach the championships.

Nishiura at crunch time

It was beautiful to see how the guys have bonded so much together. Being able to sense Mihashi’s confidence waning, they immediately made their feelings of support known to him. It made all the difference from Mihashi going back to his Mihoshi days and from the Mihashi that we saw in this game.

They really are inspiring. That is part of what’s great about non-professional sports is that it is pure and untainted by money. The players play for the love of playing. They play for pride, excellence, for their own satisfaction, and for sheer enjoyment of it. It is different, almost sacred, seeing them play and relishing every moment of it. That is part of the appeal of sports anime, isn’t it? Seeing individuals working their hearts out and then seeing them being rewarded for all they have done. Being passionate about something is really a beautiful thing.

In this episode, Hanai finally had his time to shine. That throw to homeplate was nothing short of amazing. Earlier in the episode, I was disappointed when he struck out so easily, but he redeemed himself with that play to clinch their win. Everybody got their own time in the limelight. It was truly a win as a result of team effort.

Coming to an end…

This is the second to the last episode. Though, from the looks of it the next episode will mostly be just wrapping up this series, an epilogue of sorts. I was watching this episode slowly, trying to savor each moment. I was sad knowing that such a wonderful series is coming to an end. You can only imagine my surprise when I saw that there was still an episode left because for quite some time, I believed that it was going to end with this episode.

Well, no complaints here, I am not quite ready to part with Oofuri just yet.

Episode 25 (Finale) – One Win 「ひとつ勝って 」

Ookiku Furikabutte 23 – 「ゲンミツに」

• A small recap of the game thus far, highlighting the events and runs that happened culminating to the current score right now.
• The cheerers are in high spirits.
• The count goes 2-0 with Abe unable to hit Junta’s fast balls.
• Hanai is making his intentions of winning obvious at the bench with Sakaeguchi. Hanai stresses that it is vital for them to tie the score up.
• The Nishiura bench is on their feet, strongly hoping for Abe to get a base hit.
• Abe hits a line ball near third base. The throw to first is a tad late and Abe gets first base.
• Kazuki recalls the coach’s instructions in dealing with the Nishiura’s first base coach, Tajima.
• Izumi goes for a safety bunt. First baseman and Izumi race towards first, with Izumi leading only by a hair.
• Anticipating that Nishiura will try to steal third upon Tajima’s signal, Kazuki subtly adjusts his position. Tajima notices and holds out on his coaching.
• As soon as the pitch touches Kazuki’s mitt, he throws the ball to third, sending out a clear signal to Tajima that they will not allow third to be stolen.
• Sakaeguchi is struggling to get a decent bunt.
• Suyama calls timeout and talks to Sakaeguchi.
• Before ending the timeout, a nervous Sakaeguchi takes off his glove and holds Suyama’s hand. Suyama gives him a resounding encouragement that he can do it.
• Sakaeguchi sucks it up and manages to lay down a bunt, helping the runners advance to second and third, respectively.
• Suyama strikes out, missing a sinker for the last strike.
• Tajima comes in with two outs.
• Hanai, Mizuntani, and Mihashi give Tajima some serious cheering. Tajima obliges with the good guy pose, causing all three guys to blush. Shiga reminds Hanai that he needs to prepare as he is up next.
• The crowd is riled up and the chanting continues.
• The count goes 2-0. All eyes are on Tajima.
• Junta delivers a sinker. Tajima adjusts his grip midway through his swing and he sends the ball flying deep into the outfield.
• Abe runs home to score, Izumi soon follows! Nishiura get the lead!
• The Nishiura bench and crowd goes wild, praising Tajima for his incredible hit!
• Kazuki analyzes the hit, recalling how Tajima adjusted his grip. The Tosei coach also acknowledges that it was not Junta’s fault. The coach signals Kazuki to talk to Junta.
• Hanai strikes out, making it three outs.
• Possibly for the last time this tournament, Nishiura goes on the defensive.

Thoughts

This episode was riveting and gripping. It glued me to my seat and was afraid to blink, lest I miss any of the action. As Nishiura edged closer and closer to scoring, my breathing was slowly staggering.

For several times at bat, Tajima failed to hit Junta’s sinker, till that moment. The tensed atmosphere, the relentless rain, the muffled sounds of the audience, everything was carefully weaved to create that magical moment. One can only imagine how sweet that victory must have felt for Tajima. When Tajima shot his fist and roared in triumph, I was overcome with emotion.

Yokatta ne, Tajima? TT__TT

I am really looking forward to see if Mihashi will crack under the pressure. Tosei has a respectable amount of power hitters and they already have a lot of success against Mihashi’s pitches. The tables could easily turn. I haven’t spoiled myself with the manga, so I really do not know who will come out the winner.

Episode 24, HERE I COME!

Notice

This is still a work in progress. Come back soon for the final write-up.

Episode 24 – Conclusion 「決着」

Ookiku Furikabutte 22 – Defend! 「防げ！」

• Bottom of the eight, Mihashi strikes out Aoki for the first out.
• Kazuki hits a single.
• Momoe signals to go for a double play.
• Kazuki gets a head start to second, while Motoyama hits pass the infielders. This makes it 1 out with man on first and second.
• Junta fakes bunt and hits the ball pass Tajima. Abe tries to block the home plate, but Kazuki bumps him off. Kazuki scores and Tosei leads by one again!
• Yamanoi hits Mihashi on the head. Mihashi retrieves the ball, but seems baffled as to what to do next. Abe shouts for him to throw the ball to him. This time Abe successfully blocks the plate, stopping Tosei from increasing their lead.
• Abe requests for timeout right away and grabs Mihashi by the collar, scolding him for hesitating to throw him the ball.
• Mihashi, who is unable to explain himself, motions several gestures to which Tajima interprets. Mihashi saw that the third runner was rather a big fellow, thus possibly bumping Abe from home plate once again. This show of concern infuriates Abe more. Abe reminds him that he has not been injured for the many years he has played baseball.
• Finally, Abe lets go of Mihashi, leaving him on the brink of tears. Tajima reassures Mihashi that Abe is no longer angry. Mihashi also recalls Abe’s promise that he will not get injured for the next three years.
• Mayakawa strikes out for third out. The inning ends with a score of 3-4, Tosei leading.
• At the Nishiura dugout, Abe tells Mihashi that he is no longer angry. He also instructs him to conserve his strength for the last inning.
• Tajima remarks that if they won’t be able to tie it, then there would be no need for them to defend.
• Abe gets ready to take up bat.

Thoughts

Mihashi being worried of Abe is really cute. Though, there really is a concern when a catcher chooses to block the plate. It may be true that the catchers are well-padded, but since they are to absorb the runner’s momentum and the impact, the chance of injury is greater for them. Mihashi is so afraid of losing Abe as the catcher, that for a split-second, Mihashi actually thought of not throwing the ball to Abe.

Now, there is a real need for Nishiura to score and tie, at the very least. If they fail to do so, then there won’t be a need to finish the game and Tosei will be declared winner. This tournament is single elimination. If Nishiura loses, they will need to wait it out till next year for another shot.

Notice

This is still a work in progress. Come back soon for the final write-up.

Episode 23 - Closely 「ゲンミツに」

Ookiku Furikabutte 21 - One More Run 「もう一点」

• Hamada is after seeing a Suyama, the next batter, to the field.
• Kazuki analyzes Mihahi’s pitch. He peps his team to do well in the last two innings.
• Junta throws Suyama a really high ball. Suyama attributes this to the bad condition the mound is in.
• Suyama hits it high into midfield. Three fielders pursue the ball, but none of them catches it.
• With no outs, Suyama advances to first base.
• After the count goes 2-1, Momoe predicts that the sinker will come. She gives the sign to Tajima, however he is not looking.
• After seven pitches against Tajima, Riou cheers Junta on. The other Tosei players soon follow.
• Nishiura’s cheering squad obliges and starts chanting Tajima’s name.
• After the first sinker, Junta does a pickoff attempt. Then, Kazuki signs for another sinker again, which Junta greatly disklikes.
• Tajima strikes out on the last sinker. He shows his disappoint and wonders if his batting is not up to the high school baseball level.
• Tajima apologizes to Momoe for his performance at the plate, then goes off to coach at first base.
• Suyama steals second then third with Tajima’s help.
• Hanai gets a base on balls, resulting in first and third being loaded.
• The Tosei coach realizes that as soon as Tajima gets to coach, Nishiura starts to steal bases.
• Hanai steals second base with Junta’s pitch against Oki.
• The Tosei coach is starting to think that it is only Tajima who has figured out Junta’s motion.
• Tosei hands Oki an intentional walk. Now, the bases are loaded.
• Mizutani is up. Momoe tells him to hit the ball.
• A caped Mihashi tries to encourage Mizutani. However, the image of Ruri calling Mihashi “Ren-Ren” causes Mizutani to chuckle. Questions about Ruri and Mihashi fill Mizutani’s mind at the plate. Mizutani’s determination is renewed knowing that Mihashi will work hard till the very end. Thus, so must he.
• Mizutani swings and misses on the first pitch. Suyama tells him the magic words “third base runner” to put him in a relaxed state.
• Mizutani manages to hit the ball and it gets pass Shingo. Suyama scores, tying the game. Hanai attempts to squeeze another run, but is tagged out.
• Tajima tells Mihashi not to mind his strike out and tells himself not to mind his as well.
• Mihashi,Hanai, Izumi, and Sakaeguchi try to cheer Tajima, who is still down because of his last time at bat. Hanai tells him that the match is still not over and there’s still a chance for them to win.

Thoughts

I thought that in this episode, Tajima would finally be able to convert on his plate appearance. I wanted him to shine in this episode so badly, through his batting. Somehow, seeing Tajima failing against Junta was saddening (besides the fact that I am a big Tajima fangirl). He did redeem himself by helping the other Nishiura players in stealing bases. Emo Tajima is really not good for the show. Though, it does give Tajima more depth seeing him more serious and slightly depressed. Now, it is Mihashi’s turn to encourage Tajima.

I remember mentioning that Tajima and Mihashi have a good chemistry and I can easily picture them being best friends. These past few episodes, we see them often running together back to the dugout, chatting a bit as they do. Tajima and Mihashi are getting along very well. Someone asked about who will end up being Mihashi’s BFF (Best Friends Forever) before. My money goes to Tajima

Much pressure is on Tosei to score, since it is already second to the last inning. Yoshi! Onwards to the next episode! GO NISHIURA!!! \o/

Episode 22 – Defend! 「防げ！」

Ookiku Furikabutte 20 - Coming From Behind 「逆転」

• Motoyama strikes out. Nishiura goes on the offensive.
• Ruri takes out some mini-flags with “K” prints. (K – is the symbol for strikeout)
• Ruri gets a call from his brother that Mihoshi is also having a match. He mentions about Kanou as well.
• Nishiura comes up empty in the 7th inning.
• Mihashi expresses his desire to win to Abe. Abe ensures him that it is possible as there is still 3 innings left.
• Mihashi strikes out Junta, making it 10 strikeouts for the game.
• Yamanoi hits it deep and gets base.
• Mihashi manages to field Mayakawa’s bunt for the second out.
• Mihashi is breathing heavily.
• Mashiba hits and gets base. First and third are loaded again with two outs.
• Mihahsi loses his footing and throws his pitch way off, allowing third baseman runner to score. Tosei takes the lead with a score of 3-2.
• Sakaeguchi comes over to the mound to check on Mihashi.
• Abe calls for another timeout.
• Abe tells Mihashi that it was the rain’s fault. He touches Mihashi’s palm and finds that it is very cold.
• Abe tells Mihashi to get a hold of himself.
• Mihashi gives up a walk, giving Ruri the impression that Nishiura might lose.
• Mihashi confirms that he can still pitch.
• For the last strike, Shimazaki swings and misses, losing his grip of the bat. He is the 11th recorded strikeout for Mihashi.
• While the teams are in the dugout, the officials have a meeting. Momoe hopes that the officials will let them finish the game.
• Mihashi goes off to the shower. Abe follows and finds Mihashi drenching himself with water.
• Abe orders Mihashi to grip his hand, but Mihashi struggles.
• Ruri barges in and announces that Mihoshi and Kanou won. The janitor drives Ruri off as she is not allowed in there.
• Tajima and the others start jeering Mihashi for being called “Ren-Ren”.
• Sakaeguchi recalls his conversation with Mihashi. Since Ruri is so cute, Sakaeguchi exclaims that it would certainly be bad if Mihashi and her continud to live together.
• Tajima presents his hand to be gripped. Mihashi grips it with force now, causing Tajima to cringe. Same thing happens with Abe.
• Hanai calls them out to the bench because the match is about to continue.
• The team hopes to score and tie the game.

Thoughts

Mihashi committed an unforced error which resulted in Tosei to lead by a run. The rain caused the ground to be slippery, I believe, causing Mihashi to lose his footing. I am really glad that Abe made it clear that nobody blamed Mihashi for the 3rd Tosei run.

One thing that has been consistent with Ookiku Furikabutte is that they never allow the characters to be in deep depression over their mistakes. After blowing their one-run lead, the Nishiura team redirects their energies into scoring instead of wallowing in despair.

This episode did not showcase any outstanding dramatic plays that we saw in the past few episodes. However, it is laying down the groundwork for, what I hope to be, a dramatic comeback from Nishiura come next episode.

Notice

This is still a work in progress. Come back soon for the final write-up.

Episode 21 – One More Run 「もう一点」

Ookiku Furikabutte 19 - Tosei’s Power 「実力」

• Mihashi and Sakaeguchi gets a champion’s welcome at the dugout.
• Mihashi practices with Tajima while waiting for Abe.
• Mihashi’s mom thinks that Mihashi is not nervous at all, because of the smile on his face.
• Ruri reminisces that it has been so long since he saw Mihashi smile like that. That is why she always wants to see Mihashi play, but he never tells her about his games.
• Tosei gets a base hit
• Junta’s bunt is fielded. One out.
• Yamanoi hits it deep and advances to first base.
• Abe notices that the hitters have been waiting for the change-up and decides to let Mihashi throw fastballs.
• Tosei scores a run.
• Mashiba pops a fly, but is easily caught by Mihashi for the third out.
• Mihashi starts to nosebleed.
• Mihashi is lying on the bench and being nursed by his teammates. Since it is at the end of the fifth inning, they still have some time till the next.
• Tajima hands Abe his fan while he observes Junta practice.
• Mihashi declares that he is well enough to pitch.
• Tajima gets base hit, then steals second, but the next three batters strikes out.
• Matsunaga strikes out while holding out for the curve ball.
• Shimazaki gets base hit.
• Aoki hits it deep, second and third base loaded.
• Abe calls for a pow wow.
• Kazuki bunts it. This allows Tosei to tie the score.
• Mihashi cheers on his teammates, lifting their spirits.
• With two outs, Motoyama is up next.

Notice

In an effort to catch up to the latest episode, I’ve decided to polish this entry later on, furnished with screenshots and the works. Hopefully, the bulleted summary should suffice until I get some time to work on this again.

Episode 20 – Coming From Behind 「逆転」

Ookiku Furikabutte 18 – Another Run 「追加点」

Nishiura, with Mihashi’s quick thinking, denies Mashiba a run, maintaining their 1-0 lead against Tosei, last year’s champion. Before the windup, as the same with Mashiba, Mihashi shots Shimazaki, the third base runner, a hard look. After a foul ball, Kazuki pops one high. Tajima runs to catch it, making it three outs!

As Mihashi jogs back to the bench with Tajima, he loses his footing and slips. Kazuki grabs Mihashi’s back, preventing him from kissing the ground. Kazuki advises him to be more careful, eliciting praises from both Mihashi and Tajima.

Abe tries to talk Mihashi out of batting, but Mihashi blinks his way out of it. Abe gives in and allows Mihashi to do as he pleases. Meanwhile, Momoe along with the others watch Tajima explain how he is able to determine if Junta will do a pickoff or a pitch.

On the plate, Mihashi tries to figure out why Abe asked him to stop batting. Then, he recalls his bad fall earlier and realizes that Abe does not want him to risk injury again. However, he does not want to waste the hours he had put in at batting. Junta throws a wild forkball, hitting Mihashi. Junta takes his hat off to apologize while Abe charges to Mihashi’s side. Mihashi shots up and declares that he is not hurt at all. Though, Abe insists otherwise, causing quiet a scene. This makes Junta snicker, despite himself.

Abe is up. After the pitch, with Tajima’s help, Mihashi steals second. Momoe signals for a bunt. Abe acknowledges and presumes the bunt position. Kazuki signs for his fielders to be wary of the bunt. Abe goes from bunting to hitting position, before finally bunting the ball. The ball settles on the uneven terrain, allowing Mihashi and Abe to reach third and first with ease.

Junta strikes out Oki. Sakaeguchi comes to the plate with one out, first and third loaded. Nishihiro subtly reminds Mihashi of his situation as the third base runner. Feeling a bit tense, Sakaeguchi recalls the relaxing exercise they did before. He brings himself back to that time. Once he was satisfied, he gets himself ready to face Junta. After the count goes to 2-2, Momoe signals for a squeeze play. Just as Junta throws the pitch, Mihashi makes a run for home, surprising Tosei. The pitch is way outside, but Sakaeguchi dives for a hit, allowing Mihashi to score Nishiura’s second point!

Thoughts

The game has not even reached the halfway mark and yet we’ve been treated to some exciting and very entertaining plays! Mihashi and Sakaeguchi put up quite a show for us.

Hit by pitch

Mihashi was unintentionally hit by Junta’s pitch, awarding him a free walk to first base. I did a bit of reading and have learned that there are times that a pitcher will hit a batter intentionally. Why? Your guess is good as mine—intimidation. Another interesting tidbit, catchers will mostly just use the middle finger to tell the pitcher to hit the batter.

Squeeze play

A squeeze play is used when there is a man on third and with lesser than 2 outs. The batter is supposed to hit the ball as further away from the plate as possible, greatly increasing the runner’s chance of scoring. That’s why Sakaeguchi pursued the ball, even though it was way off the strike zone.

Mihashi, I love you

… BUT, you are so gay when you run. You’re still awesome, nonetheless.

BL moments

• Kazuki saving Mihashi from falling
• Abe surrendering to Mihashi’s cute blinking
• Abe getting concerned over Mihashi when he tried to stop him from batting and when he rushed over to Mihashi after getting hit by a pitch

Episode 19 – Tosei’s Power 「実力」