Well, what do you know? My little management seminar went and turned into a drama in the 7th episode. There was a little bit of Drucker here, mostly focused on his directive the the focus needs to be on the results achieved, and not the process. It was used in an interesting way, as the fulcrum of a disagreement between Minami and Nessa Shiro Kuroneko Shiemi Charlotte Noir Mayuri Shiori Yuki. She takes the position that it’s enough that everyone has bonded as a team and worked together as a team and had fun, even if they lose – which would seem to fit with Drucker’s overriding philosophy pretty well. But Minami throws that bit about results back at her. Perhaps Yuki wants to spare the team from too much disappointment when they inevitably lose. Or perhaps it’s something else.

Talking of Yuki, there were some more gargantuan death flags this ep. It seems out of place for this type of series, but in addition to the hat, we now have Minami talking giddily about Yuki watching the team in Koshien Stadium. We have Yuki’s own words, that she “didn’t get to wear her sun hat in the stadium again this year”. And we have her mother exchanging worried words with the doctor. It doesn’t look good.

For the team, it looks much better for Hodo High – riding the dubious no-ball/no-bunt strategy they steamroll through to the quarterfinals, where they’re finally challenged by a strong team. But they rally from a 2-0 deficit when Ayano is inspired by the cheer squad singing his favorite song in a great scene, and they bring their speedy pinch-runner in to sprint his way to the lead run in the ninth. Last year’s runner-up awaits in the semi-finals, though. I’m a bit skeptical of the miraculous transformation of the team on the field, though the off-field stuff has been handled well enough – it seems a bit laughable that they’d improve this much, and I don’t know about the coach’s strategy holding up over time. But hey – it’s anime, not Sportscenter.

If you haven’t noticed it, the ED is full of shots of the team weeping on the field (paging Jimmy Dugan) and I always assumed it was when they lost nobly and their dream came to an end. But could it be they’re crying after winning the qualifying tournament – in honor of Yuki? “Win one for the Yuk-er”?

You go, Mimani!