Ballpark de Tsukamaete! (Catch Me at the Ballpark!) – 10

This was a classic “two out of three ain’t bad”episode of Ballpark de Tsukamaete. And with a show that packages mini-episodes the way this one does, that is indeed a good batting average (.667? Hell, half that gets you into the Hall of Fame). I had nothing particular against the first chapter, which featured an ex-idol – and, crucially, ex-Suns vendor – named Uda Natsume. Natsume comes back to the park and commiserates with Kotonoha-san about her foundering acting career, and positive “Ganbare!” vibes fill the air. But all in all it’s kind of a snooze.

The next two pieces are much better. First, we have Dennis Young longingly watching the affection fellow ex-pat Bryan gets from their teammates. This manifests itself mainly in the proverbial slap on the ass, such an integral part of the game (I remember baseball announcers calling it a “pat on the po-po” when I was a kid). There does seem to be a gulf between foreign players who fit in here (Randy Bass being the ultimate example), and those who remain islands on an island. And Bryan (I’ve known quite a few Puerto Rican guys, but never one named Bryan) is about to give Dennis some very good advice when the latter is called away to meet with the manager.

Bryan certainly isn’t wrong that Dennis’ refusal to speak Japanese and looking at his interpreter instead of the person he’s talking to is part of the problem. But from what I know it seems like what’s required to fit in as a foreign NPB player is really nothing more than a little effort. A few words of Japanese, a smile, a sense that you want to be there – that gets it done. This bit gets a very funny conclusion when Dennis hits Ruriko on the butt with a home run and then, in their meeting after the game so he can apologize (he has no idea), she gives him just what he’s been looking for (in more ways than one).

Finally, a pretty huge bombshell. The identity of Sun-Shiro is revealed, and much sooner than I expected. It’s Tsubaki, the other half of the long-ago Double-T phenom pair with Kojirou (Natsume was a big fan, as it turns out). Tsubaki phones his old friend to tell him about the baby, and it’s clear they haven’t spoken in a long time. Tsubaki has had it rough – it seems like the yips derailed his career, and he gave up the game after clinging on in an independent league in the States. Turns out that Tsubaki is in the room next door, and as soon as that was clear it was obvious who it was.

Most of Ballpark de Tsukamaete’s best chapters have involved Sun-Shiro, so it’s no huge surprise that this one was right up there. I figured Sun-Shiro had to be someone of significance with all that buildup but honestly had no idea who (even if we had heard Tsubaki’s name before). All in all this was excellent and generated some well-earned and honest emotion. I’ll never look at a giant salamander the same way again, that’s for sure.

Uchuujin MuuMuu (Me and the Alien MuMu) – 09

I kind of love this weird, disjointed show. Now that we only have a few episodes left it’s actually starting to be sort of coherent. And this ep mostly made sense. It was great but that makes me a little sad, because sheer randomness is a big part of Uchuujin MuuMuu’s appeal. I don’t want it to get too logical – especially as the manga is ongoing. Any attempt to give a free-flowing mind trip like this series an artificially complete ending would creatively strangle it, I’m pretty sure.

The main headline here is why finally meet the other cat – at least I think it’s cat, he’s very weird and bunny-looking – from the OP/ED (and his slave). Turns out MuuMuu shot down a UFO and the media is all over it (in addition to his shopping trip with Decimaru). A detective named  Anamori (Konishi Katsuyuki) stops by for a visit. But he’s working for the good guys – he’s partnered with Siberia (Takahashi Karin). Siberia introduces himself as MuuMuu’s assistant and calls him “Sempai”. Siberia’s job is  greasing the wheels for MuuMuu’s experimentation with human technology, but it’s clear that being his assistant is a trying endeavor.

Anamori-san offers to pay Sakurako’s electric bill and reminds her that the fate of the Earth rests with she and MuuMuu. But I’m with her original instinct here – Anamori is not to be trusted. Once Siberia is gone MuuMuu goes right back to watching the idiot box, and the term really applies both ways here. MuuMuu has gotten enraptured by the inanity that is most Japanese TV (and fat, according to Siberia). And with that whole fate of the Earth thing going down that’s a real problem. MuuMuu has lost all interest even in taking things apart, and Sakurako finally storms out of the apartment in a huff.

Turns out she’s off buying an OLED TV and getting a lesson in how to explain it to MuuMuu, but he doesn’t know that and recruits Siberia and Decimaru to help him find her. Eventually he employs the broadcast tower method (so he was listening, at least) and finds her outside the electronics store. It’s nice to see the pair of them reconciled, but that doesn’t bring them any closer to saving the Earth. Not that I’m in any hurry to see them do that, as the chaos in the interim is consistently entertaining.