Let me just clarify a couple of things before we begin.
- Goro is still a lousy dad.
- Hikaru is still as asshole.
With that out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks. It’s been a long haul with Major, and I don’t just mean this season – which ended up taking seven months to air thanks to the pandemic. I’ve now been with this franchise for eight anime seasons, multiple movies and OVAs, and intermittent sojourns with the manga. That Mitsuda Takuya has managed to keep it fresh and vital after almost 100 volumes of manga is a great achievement. There was a lot of skepticism when Mitsuda announced a Major sequel, but I think he’s really put the old adage to the lie – you can go home again.
He’s done that by taking a radically different turn in Major 2nd, which in hindsight was a brilliant decision. Major is a superb example of a very traditional sports manga. In many ways it’s the archetype baseball series in fact. Adachi Mitsuru certainly has equal stature but never had a series run for this long, and the focus of his baseball series is always more on the people than the sport. That’s true with Mitsuda too, more so in Major 2nd than in the original series, but in a way that’s not true with Adachi baseball is at the heart of the character drama.
Some elements of this are pretty straightforward. Daigo is a phenomenal protagonist – just as Goro was but in a frankly more interesting way. Following a sweet and humble kid as he tries to overcome his own feelings of inadequacy and thrive by using servant leadership to help others rather than himself – that’s radical, but it totally works in practice. Other aspects of Major 2nd are trickier, though, and they’ve really come to the surface this season. I give full credit to Mitsuda for acknowledging one of them, but I’m honestly not sure if he’s acknowledging the other or not.
That second one is Goro’s role in the series, and it’s troubling. Basically we see a repeat here of the end of the first season – Ikari Gendo waltzes in at the last to act like a father of sorts when his son is at his low ebb. I think Goro is quite a sad figure actually – some consider him an outright bad person, but I don’t. I do think he’s a bad dad, but I don’t think that’s synonymous with being a bad person. Rather, I think Goro is weak. He so defines himself through baseball that he can’t let go of it, even at the expense of being a presence in his family’s life. The things that are OK when you don’t have kids are no longer cool when you do, but Goro has never really changed, and that’s a problem.
What I don’t know is, does Mitsuda-sensei get that? It’s a very interesting question and I’ve never felt sure of the answer. I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to think Goro is a rotten pop but then you get an episode like this, where he’s almost treated like a returning hero. And even here, he can really only communicate with Daigo through baseball and baseball metaphor. I get the sense he wants to do better and just doesn’t know how, which again makes him more sad than reprehensible to me. But are we supposed to think even that? Who the hell knows.
The other knot is one Mitsuda indisputably acknowledges, though just how he untangles it is very much an open question. He even spoke it openly (through Goro) in this episode – the glass ceiling. Hikaru’s cloddish and condescending way of dismissing Daigo’s tea party with the girls was pretty despicable, but there are two conflicting narrative imperatives at play here nonetheless. If Major 2nd is a Major-like story of one person’s baseball journey from boyhood through professional stardom, what Daigo is doing is setting himself back. Hikaru said it badly but he is right about one thing – Daigo can never achieve baseball greatness with a team composed almost entirely of girls. It sucks and it isn’t fair, but neither is life.
But – and it’s a big “but” – Daigo is accomplishing a hell of a lot. He’s helping a bunch of people have a baseball experience they would never have without his relentless dedication and support. He’s growing tremendously as a person and as a leader by taking all this responsibility on himself. But that has a cost, both in the long and the short term. Baseball is a sport where development begins young. Pro scouts do indeed track middle schoolers, looking fur future pros. Daigo is hurting his own progress as a baseball player at an absolutely critical time in his development – but he’s doing it by being part of something unique and rewarding. That’s a tangle indeed.
The short-term cost becomes apparent in this episode, as Daigo effectively has a nervous breakdown and collapses in school. Dramatic yes, but not unrealistic – I could totally see a sensitive child like Daigo being vulnerable to such a thing. Without any question he’s taken on far too much for a boy his age, and that has a price. But equally certain is that Hikaru’s cruelty and thoughtlessness made this breakdown far worse than it needed to be. The first time Hikaru led to Daigo’s emotional trauma it was an accident, but this time it was quite intentional. And I have to say I find that pretty sad.
Which leads us to the last elephant of this veritable menagerie in the room – where do we go from here? I’m not wholly comfortable with Daigo setting off on a path to live up to Hikaru’s expectations of him, because Hikaru had no right to judge him and the choices he’s made. And I’m equally uncomfortable with Goro spouting a bunch of platitudes after being absent as usual all season, and steering Daigo on the right path. But that said, for the sake of realism I don’t think he can have his cake and eat it too. He can continue with Fuurin and try and put a few cracks in the glass ceiling, and that would be a valid choice. But he can’t ride that horse to the top, and he can’t maximize his own potential as a player if he does make that choice.
On the subject of Daigo’s potential, there is one rather interesting moment in this episode that invites interpretation. After his game of catch with Goro Daigo unleashes a heck of a toss back to his dad, and leaves his catcher’s mitt behind as he races off to school. Is that a possible route forward? If indeed Hikaru can’t pitch and the intent is for them to one day form a next gen battery, well- this would really be the only way to go about it. I don’t know how I feel about that honestly, not just because I’m uncertain I want to see such a mirror of the first series but also because I rather like exploring the truly heroic importance of the catcher by making him the hero. But I know being a pitcher would make Daigo very, very happy, and seeing him happy would make me happy.
We’ll get our answers in time – certainly those that read the manga, but I suspect anime-only fans as well. It may be a year or a little more before it happens, but I expect Major 2nd will continue as an anime because it always has, and it remains very popular in Japan. We’re already making some history here, it seems, because none of the arcs in Major has extended beyond a two-cour season – and it seems as if Daigo’s junior high arc will do just that. That’s all good for me – while the plot mechanics of it are challenging, I like the Fuurin supporting cast and I think this season has been equally as compelling as the first, if less overtly dramatic.
Especially in a year like this one, where the stresses of the world are off the charts and an already struggling anime medium has seen its output seriously impacted by the pandemic, a show like Major 2nd is absolute gold. Good sports anime are my comfort food at any time, but a great one like this at a time like this is particularly precious. Daigo is one of sports anime’s most endearing and relatable protagonists, and his teammates have grown into a very winning and quite diverse cast. Kudos to Mitsuda for taking chances, to Watanabe Ayumu for his usual superb direction, and to Major 2nd for standing out as one of the very best series of 2020.
End Card:
Riv
November 8, 2020 at 12:08 pmDaigo’s outbursts of feelings always make me tear up–as you say, he’s such a likable protagonist because he grapples with all those feelings of inadequacy. I, too, will be very interested to see what path his story ends up following. I’m sad to see the series end for now, but that was a great last episode. As for Goro–I agree he’s a crap dad, but I’d have been surprised if he had played a bigger part in the series/Daigo’s life just because it seems like parents are often totally absent in sports anime or show up only occasionally. It comes across to me as more of a quirk of the genre–and a convenient narrative device for when Daigo needs a pick me up with a cameo appearance by Goro. The intricacies of Goro’s own life, calling attention to his failings at parenthood, etc. would make a very interesting story, but featuring them would make the narrative structure of Major 2 quite different. (In fact, speaking of parents, I did sometimes wonder if the absence of a crowd of cheering parents at practice/tournament games was again simply a reflection of the genre and the difficulty it would add to animating the scenes to include a bunch of parents or if parents often do not attend their kids’ games in Japan unless they are big tournaments. The bleachers were so empty!).
Guardian Enzo
November 8, 2020 at 1:46 pmParents rarely attend kids’ games unless, as you say, they’re important ones. Just how it is (and Mom always seems to make more time for big sis’ games than Daigo’s).
I agree with you, a focus on Goro’s role as a bad parent would make Major 2nd a different series than the one it is – interesting, but different. I’m just very curious what Mitsuda himself wants us to think of him, and I don’t think that’s an easy question to answer.
leongsh
November 8, 2020 at 1:16 pmThey changed the last bit from the manga. There’s something that happens after Daigo leaves Goro after the catch ball at the riverside but before Daigo reaches his school.
Interesting that you made little to no mention that Goro dropped everything in Kochi (located at southern part of Shikoku Island) and flew back to Tokyo to get back to the Tokyo suburbs when he got message that Daigo collapsed in school. All within a few hours. Yes, he has the means to do so but general Japanese parenting culture is to have the sons tough it out. Agree that he is no Father-Of-The-Year candidate but he will be there for his children if and when they call out to him.
Guardian Enzo
November 8, 2020 at 1:48 pmI give him basically zero credit for spending some of his sizable fortune to fly back when he finds out his son has been rushed to the hospital. Anything less would have been straight-up reprehensible.
KumaShock
November 8, 2020 at 4:45 pmI have pretty mixed feelings about this episode. On Goro: Crap dad or not he did act as a catalyst for Daigo to finally express himself by provoking and cajoling him to finally speak his feelings about that scumbag HIkaru. That needed to be done and fast or it would have hollowed out Daigo on a much more long term basis. That’s pretty much a reprise of his role at the end of season one also, but I was happy he did it. At least he is good for that. I’m also happy everyone else was able to reframe what they were feeling also, and use those feeling to move forward and understand and support Daigo more. That bodes well for a return next season for Daigo, Mutsuko, and the seniors’ final year of middle school at Fuurin.
Things I was perhaps less happy with. The potential foreshadowing of Daigo evolving into a pitcher and thus bringing back the dream of the magic battery again was one. And secondly in his father/son chat, Daigo being encouraged by Goro to still define himself in terms of Hikassuru’s amazing achievements, in a mixed message “that you still did well” to get where his team to achieve the way it did. That essentially let Hikaru off the hook for his intentional cruelty to Daigo, and downplayed Daigo’s achievements as a great captain and leader, whose greatest assets may be his vulnerability and leadership rather than monstrous baseball skills.
For one awful moment (for me anyway) towards the end when they focused on Daigo’s legs as he was maintaining the field, I thought they were going to pan up into a shot of a bigger high school version of Daigo who had developed into a younger version of Goro 2.0 (I suspect that was the director’s intention too). That may come I guess (and it may be how he is able to deal it back to Hikassuru next season by becoming a monster pitcher) but I find the dynamics of the current team more interesting and for next season at least would want to see more of the dynamics of the mixed team once again before their inevitable split for the high school arc (except for Sakura who will continue to develop into Daigo’s better half I suspect).
I think the strength of the show wasn’t just Daigo’s inevitable struggles but the character development they gave the entire central cast (even Sensei got a little bit). I found myself caring about all the team and not just Daigo to the point where I could easily accept a Mutsuko/girl’s team spin-off series in the future. That’s why I am eager for the next season to be announced I want to see where the path of the whole team goes now not just Daigo and Hikassuru (sorry I can’t stop calling him that). In creating that new mixed team theme and dynamic, Major 2nd was able to redefine/overthrow the male dominated shounen themes of Major and replace them with something new and interesting and modern. That’s what I’m interested in seeing, not a return to the older much worn stereotype.*
*In fact that’s the big challenge for Goro perhaps in Major 2nd. How to transition the shounen hero into his son’s series where different dynamics and interactions are the norm…
Guardian Enzo
November 8, 2020 at 5:57 pmAll very interesting points, Kuma. I share your misgivings about Daigo being a pitcher especially, because as I said I want him to be happy and I think that would make him happy. But I also want Daigo to be Daigo, and not to define himself through his father or Hikaru. And I like the plucky, determined underdog that he is an awful lot.
elianthos
November 9, 2020 at 12:54 amI sorta wanted to throttle Goro as soon as he hopped into the episode tbh but he’s doing what he can so gotta live with his evident parental limits. And he did manage to get through eventually *sighs*
And we sorta got some possible hints – both verbal and not – at what’s coming next. I’m still betting on Prince Charming coach too X°DDD. All of which I do hope we are going to see animated because some of the standard ED teasers? Clues? Do not make much sense to me otherwise either 😛
As for today’s ED sequence, well, everyone is running and going to aim for the Fuji before they set sight for the Everest? Bring it on.
Guardian Enzo
November 9, 2020 at 7:47 amThis is why I consider Goro a bad parent rather than a bad person. On some level he at least tries, whenever there’s a crisis anyway.
Ki
November 9, 2020 at 2:18 pmOpinions on Goro’s parenting and how the viewer is supposed to see it could be a whole topic in and of itself. I’m firmly in the bad father but not a bad guy camp. I’ve actually known people like Goro in real life—very unsettled and in and out like a whirlwind. I finally realized knowing people who do act like that is what made me feel anxious Goro would become Fuurin’s coach even though it wouldn’t really make narrative sense. I do have to wonder how Goro can realize things about Diago’s and Hikaru’s relationship, but can’t seem to realize how important having a bigger presence in his son’s life would be for Daigo’s mental and emotional health. A lot of things in Major 2nd have left me uncomfortably ambivalent and left with a lot of questions. I want Daigo and Hikaru to be a battery, but can’t excuse Hikaru’s behavior (which at best was a slap in the face to the viewer and to Daigo). I want Daigo to be a pitcher, but can’t help but feel as though I’d been strung along if he does change positions. I want to see the mostly girls’ team Fuurin beat Tsujido, but can’t help feeling that wouldn’t be very feasible. It’s a rare series to make a viewer so conflicted. At any rate, it’s always a pleasure reading your opinions on the series, Enzo.
Guardian Enzo
November 9, 2020 at 3:42 pmThanks for an excellent comment, Ki. I agree that my reactions to this series are full of conflicts, and that it’s pretty rare for a sports anime to elicit such strongly nuanced reactions. I’m often not sure (as with Goro) whether the mangaka intends me to feel the things I’m feeling, but maybe I’m guilty of discriminating against Major because it’s a sports series. If this is all intentional Mitsuda has evolved tremendously as a writer – and generally speaking I do think there’s a lot of evidence he has.
zeroantizero
November 10, 2020 at 9:18 amAdd to that list at the top:
#3 Diamond no Ace is a better baseball anime.
Guardian Enzo
November 10, 2020 at 12:05 pmFor all the colorful replies that spring to mind, I’ll just say I vociferously disagree and leave it at that.
Anchen
November 11, 2020 at 1:28 pmI saw this episode on the day it aired, but took a while too figure out what I wanted to say about the episode. I agree with the assessment that Goro is not a bad guy but is a bad parent. He is in many ways basically Goku for baseball anime. Simple minded and singularly focused, has moments where he cares and pulls through, but is in general an absentee parent. Could be worse I suppose, but could also be better. I wonder if Satou is doing any better with Hikaru though. If anything he seems to at least want to be involved, but instead due to bad choices or something before, is now unable to. Is sort of the opposite issue that Goro has, where Satou wants to spend time with his son but can’t, while Goro could spend time with his son but mostly won’t.
Anyway, parent stuff aside, I do wonder where this series will go. It seems like based on how this ended there would be at least one more arc for middle school, but this seems like a strangely long time to be spending on Middle School especially since they mostly skipped by it for Goro. Makes me wonder if Mitsuda knows his end game for this series or not.
As for the episode itself, I think this was a nice way to cap the season and get Daigo and the team back on the right track. They still have a lot of things to do and fix, number 1 of which is to get a coach. The throw that Daigo ended the catch with Goro was something that is intriguing, but still don’t know if I love the development. I think it still will be a while before we see Daigo on the mound because while Goro who caught it saw what that throw was, I would bet Daigo himself probably has no idea what he is starting to be capable of. Would probably take a good coach and some moment to trigger it again for someone to recognize and suggest it to Daigo since I don’t think he would have any intention of suggesting it himself.
All in all, I enjoyed this second season of Daigo very much. Thank you for blogging it Enzo despite all the stoppages and delays, was always interested in your insights and thankful to have a place to discuss the series as there isn’t really any other coverage on it, and reddit only goes so far.
Guardian Enzo
November 11, 2020 at 2:54 pmRe: Satou, he at least has a very good excuse – he’s divorced and his wife has primary custody. And even so it still seemed like he saw Hikaru more than Goro saw Daigo.
As for Daigo, it’s really too early for him to know what he can or can’t be as a player. He’s still very much a child physically compared to most of his male rivals. When he hits his growth spurt he may find himself capable of things he can’t imagine at the moment.
You’re very welcome. In general coverage of sports anime in English is criminally light.
Wangwang
November 12, 2020 at 2:48 pmI can think of two cases similar to Hikaru: Ayumi from Glass Mask, and Akira from Hikaru no Go. Both of those characters can do something downright cruel to other people for the sake of their rivalry with the protagonists. And in both case the stories totally give them passes. The audience just suppose to admire the determination of the rival, not how awful their actual action is. It’s like a motip in competition manga: as long as you strive for the best, anything happen to anyone else is irrelevent.
Guardian Enzo
November 12, 2020 at 3:55 pmAkira is an interesting example in this context. I guess my take on this is that I don’t think we were supposed to give Akira a pass – I think we were supposed to have mixed feelings about his actions towards Hikaru. And I’m not sure Major has totally weighed in on how we’re supposed to feel about Hikaru II. I think the next time he appears will tell us a lot about that.