Gurazeni – 11

That was a fantastic episode of Gurazeni top to bottom, and I’m really going to miss this show when it ends (either next week or the 29th, depending on who you believe).  There hasn’t really been anything anime-wise that caters so exclusively to the hardcore baseball fan, but it also helps that the characters (especially Bonda of course) are so quirky and interesting, and that Watanabe Ayumu is one of the shrewdest directors in the business.

This week’s visiting player is Haratake Hiromi, a middle reliever who pitches for Bonda’s hometown team from lovely Hiroshima – the “Carnabeats” (I have no idea why, as that was a Japanese pop band back in the 60’s).  Haratake is a hilarious oddball – he’s a 14-year middle reliever who’s created a “banchou” persona which has made him a popular player despite his mediocrity on the field.  He offers life advice in an online column, and goes around on local TV dressed as a delinquent frequenting the local food scene (okonomiyaki on top of ramen – seriously?).  Bonda admires him tremendously – both for his entertainment value, and his ability to survive on guile alone.

Guys like Haratake are part of the baseball fabric – including the part about being really slow on the mound.  This is incredibly annoying to pretty much everybody including the pitcher’s own defense, but probably most so to batters – which is really the point.  I love the fact that Haratake’s “The Hell with it!” moments usually win the day – he appears to give up and just groove a 137 kmh fastball, but the hitters are fooled – and these moments are carefully orchestrated.  The best part of all this comes when circumstances force both Haratake and Bonda to hit (against each other) in the fifth inning of a high-scoring shootout.  Relief pitchers hitting is a rare thing but does happen, and Haratake doesn’t even pretend to care – he’s working out pitch sequences even as he stands there with the bat on his shoulder.

I totally buy what happens next – which is awesome in itself, as it’s Bonda hitting a home run.  As a guy who gets an AB or two per season – maybe – Bonda isn’t impacted by the mind games Haratake plays, because he’s not really thinking at all as a hitter, just reacting.  And Haratake’s meatballs are so fat even a relief pitcher can punish them – which Bonda does, for what turns out to be the game-winning home run.  That has to feel great for a relief pitcher – but the cruel nature of NPB is revealed when Haratake gets sent down to the minors as a result.

Also of note: looks like we’re finally going to meet the “Shuu!” girl from the ED next week – and her name is Yuki.

Gegege no Kitarou (2018) – 12

Gegege no Kitarou (which is returning for a second cour – I wasn’t certain of that) concludes the tanuki arc with a rather violent and disturbing finale that raises as many questions as it answers.  The series continues to adroitly mesh timely social commentary with the classic storylines of the original series, this time around hitting the bullseye with its depiction of Japanese society after the tanuki takeover.  Most folks – especially those in authority – fall all over themselves trying to get in line with their new overlords.  Eventually they decide to build detention camps (oh, boy) for those who speak against their tanuki rulers.  Are there any abandoned Wal-Marts available in Japan, I wonder?

Meanwhile, the solution to the problem of the Kaname Stone is obvious, and Mana points it out – as a human, she should be able to touch it.  But is she human?  There’s something connecting her to the youkai world to be certain, but that aside she becomes a youkai for real when Gyobu-danuki activates his curse and turns her into a tanuki.  After a tough fight that’s all hands on deck (I was disappointed we didn’t see Nezumi-otoko change sides and fight with the good guys, as he did in the manga’s version of this story) Kitarou’s team does manage to get her to the stone – but it’s only after Ittan-Momen (a loincloth’s revenge) takes down Gyobu that Mana turns back into a human and manages to break the stone (how does a 13 year-old girl possess that kind of strength, I wonder?).

Speaking of possess, that’s exactly what the fallen Gyobu-danuki’s spirit does to the youkai beast, which means this fight isn’t over yet.  It’s also worth noting that the Kaname Stone appears to have imprinted its power into Mana’s hand – which comes in handy in defeating Gyobu-danuki, but seems to present a separate problem for Mana after.  I’d almost forgotten about this mysterious fellow, but he hasn’t forgotten about Kitarou and his friends – and Mana seems to be of especial interest to him.  Just what does he mean, “hollow vessel”?