There often comes a heart vs. head moment for me when it comes to sports anime. I know that, realistically, a certain result is unrealistic – but a part of me wants it to happen anyway. I tend to lean towards the “head” side when this happens, but the more invested I am in a series the more likely it is that the heart wins out. And this is one of those cases, because even though I know Fuurin really has no business advancing to regionals, Daigo has busted his tail so hard I really want to see it happen for him.
Because I know both Major and baseball as well as I do, I had a pretty strong vision of what the top of the 7th might look like. In my mind I saw Yayoi being intentionally walked to load the bases for Daigo with the game at 5-4, but I thought Mitsuda might go really bold and have them walk her with the bases loaded at 5-3 (it’s happened, especially in youth ball). Instead walking her was a no-brainer, as first base was open. That came after Chisato walked (offering to bunt unsettled Michiru) and Tao singled.
Here’s where baseball minutiae really kicks in. Tanba made a very unwise call sending Chisato on that play, because her run meant nothing. Fuurin was lucky and she was safe (despite cramping up), and on the throw home Tao and Chisato advanced to second and third. Great, right? Well – if I’m Fuurin I want Sawa swinging the bat, not walking, and if it had been runners on first and second they might have faced her. But as it stood Oobi had no choice but to walk her and face Daigo. Of course Daigo is the protagonist, so it pretty much had to play out that way no matter how we got there.
At this point Daigo has no idea his dad has arrived in the stadium, but Michuru does – and that was part of my imagined scenario, too. Because she’s a Shigeno otaku she decides to show off her Goro form, complete with losing her cap on every delivery. That’s all well and good – her overhand fastball is a rocket – but Daigo has a chance knowing fastballs are coming. And he’s taken so many baby steps since we’ve been watching him that they’ve turned into giant strides. He’s no longer the kid who has to try and bunt every time he faces Michiru because he’s overmatched – he may not be a natural, but he’s made himself into a ballplayer.
That two-run single was a thing of beauty – as was the animation on Tao’s slide to beat the throw at the plate – and it’s only three outs for the heart to get what it wants. But the head knows it isn’t going to be that easy, and Yayoi hasn’t thrown a pitch in anger for a very long time. Predictably she’s gassed and while she dispenses with the bottom of the order, once the Yokohama trio and Michiru are due, things start to unravel. She plunks Idemitsu and Michiru doubles home the tying run. She could have taken third on the throw, but doesn’t – because she knows if she had, Daigo would have walked her two remaining comrades and faced a zaku. As it is, they pretty much have to face Uozumi-kun (though walking him too would have been bold, and probably smart).
Meanwhile, Goro has found Kaoru and Fujii-san in the stands, and we learn a little about what he’s been up to. That is, being a coach, as apparently he’s run out of countries that will pay him to play. Dude loves baseball more than he loves his wife and kids, sadly – there’s no two ways about it. But Goro does at least give credit to Daigo for inspiring him to coach when he was feeling depressed about his career ending. And more importantly, he shoots down Fujii and Kaoru (who really should know better) when they try and pass off Daigo’s improvement as genetics. It’s anything but, as anyone who’s watched him would attest – nobody could have earned his success any more inarguably than Daigo has.
But there’s still the matter of the game at hand, and it looks rough. Yayoi was indeed injured – her elbow, predictably – though her doctor has told her it’s healed sufficiently to pitch. I believe her when she says she’s tired rather than injured, but this is still a testament to the fact that she’s come to give a damn about this team against her will – and I think that can all be laid at Daigo’s feet. How could anyone look at how much he’s done with so little given to him naturally and not feel guilty about mailing it in, especially if you’re ultra-talented yourself? It looks grim for Fuurin – who will pitch, even if Sakura makes that catch? But as I said this game is as much about the way Fuurin loses it as anything, and I think the foundation has been laid for a successful next stage.
leongsh
September 20, 2020 at 12:14 amThe other thing about the reveal here about Goro training and coaching Daigo, which we were shown in an earlier anime-only episode, is also that he has been doing so whenever he is back home from his player-coach job in Shikouku. That’s why he knows how hard his son is working on his baseball skills and not just a simple handover after just that short period. While he has not made time for Daigo earlier prior to his son being made the captain, he has started that change since Daigo’s request Goro to train him. Be negative on Goro for all you want. He is turning for the better.
In any case, the team still needs a proper coach to train and guide them.
Guardian Enzo
September 20, 2020 at 12:18 amHe shouldn’t have to beg his father, an ex-pro, to train him in the first place. Goro should have reacted to Daigo’s flailing by helping him unbidden. If, that is, he’d ever been around to see it.
“I refused at first.” ROFL
BluBlu
September 20, 2020 at 4:22 am“One hell of a game for a trial run”. I think Goro sums up perfectly my thoughts…but not in a positive way (neither in a negative but…). Again, I can’t be in awe regarding feasibility or right/wrong calls due to my baseball “level” so I am talking from a sport manga point of view. I mean, I really wonder what’s coming up next considering that in that “trial run”, and even that final only, we had a concentrate of almost every formulaic turnarounds.
So, we had: the mysterious super opponents, the miracles of friendship power, the mysterious injuries, the mysterious pitching relievers, the mysterious mistakes from the team not making mistakes, the I am bad but actually no, I am just specialized on lefties, and so on. At that point, I am excited (half-ironic) at discovering if they will crush all the high schools if they had a coach.
Anyway, this is entertaining and I still have faith that characters’ development/personalities (I am missing you my dear Anita) will come later because apart from a gyro-ball pitch, I don’t see what we are lacking (I am exaggerating on purpose) at the games’ scenario level.
tsirrus
September 20, 2020 at 10:36 amI also think that Sakura will miss the ball due to the leg cramp. Too many flags.
What are the odds that Goro will end up being Fuurin’s coach?
Kevin Domingo
September 20, 2020 at 8:56 pmI love Major so much. This is my all-time favorite anime. And im not even a baseball fan.
Will somebody tell me will Goro coach Fuurin? And will Michiru meet.Goro here? I would love to see her reaction.
Pls pur spoiler tag if needed. Thanks.
Guardian Enzo
September 20, 2020 at 10:10 pmNo ability to spoiler tag in comments so please don’t answer! Thanks for the comment, though. I don’t know what happens but that would certainly be an interesting development.
leongsh
September 21, 2020 at 1:56 amIf you want to know answers to those questions, the raw manga chapters are available out there. That’s all I can say.
elianthos
September 22, 2020 at 12:16 amEvil cliffhanger! XD
It would make more sense for Michi and her three baseball musketeers to win in the end, but the heart wants what it wants…
I got the impression Goro is still employed as player-coach elsewhere going by the subtitles this week re: becoming Fuurin coach? If it were to happen it would be interesting to see though… and finally the chance for daddy to be more tangibly present in his son’s life not to mention the rest of his family 😛
Guardian Enzo
September 22, 2020 at 9:18 amAll this chatter is interesting but honestly, Satou always seemed more “coach-y” than Goro to me. Plus, I’m not sure I want Goro coming in and kind of taking over the series. Putting the old protagonist in a central role in a sequel is a risky move.
Still – I would welcome some indication from Goro that he’s interested in his kids’ lives.