Truth be told, not every game is about winning or losing. The first thing any team has to do is take care of winning the games they’re supposed to win.  But just as with every other collection of academic sports teams, a tier system definitely exists in Japanese high school […] Read more

Each rival lands a punch, but it was the right-hander who landed the haymaker. Score one point for each side in the Eijun-Furuya battle, but I’m pretty sure the southpaw would gladly trade his passing marks on his finals for the starting nod in the opener of Koushien qualifying (or […] Read more

Now the real drama begins. As soon as I saw this week’s episode title (“Emergency”) this was one of the possibilities I considered that it might refer to.  Ultimately this is the story of the duel between Eijun and Furuya for the ace number, and while the third-years have been […] Read more

I’d recognize that voice anywhere… It’s all about separating the wheat from the chaff on this week’s Daiya no A.  Everything in Japanese high school baseball is about getting to Summer Koushien at any cost (it’s probably the most popular single sporting event in Japan, including the Olympics and World […] Read more

There’s definitely a method to Miyuki’s madness, but madness it is. In case anyone has any doubts about the importance of pitching inside, here’s a noted baseball expert explaining why it’s so important.  “I own the inside of that plate” indeed – especially for a guy with no breaking pitches, […] Read more

Anyway you slice it, that ep was a cracker. Now that’s how you rebound from an off week.  I wasn’t too worried about last week’s off episode because Ace of Diamond has been pretty darn consistent, but nevertheless it’s great to see the show follow it up with one of […] Read more

The trial by fire continues. There’s a sort of watershed feel to this episode of Diamond no Ace for me.  All of the pieces (barring unforeseen circumstances) for the first major component of the story are in place – the varsity team has been selected, the training camp is over, […] Read more

These high school training camps are dangerous places, apparently – and for more than just wedgies. I noted last week that we saw the twin towers of the sports anime schedule, Yowamushi Pedal and Ace of Diamond, bringing us their training camp arcs simultaneously.  Not satisfied with that, Diamond even […] Read more

Hooray for Diamond no freakin’ Ace, dammit… Another carryover, another anime with no moe and no idols and no badly written romance and ecchi comedy.  Uchuu Kyoudai and Diamond no Ace have hit me like a B-12 shot, and it couldn’t have come at a better time – one more […] Read more

So you know that whole sports anime thing?  That’s how you do it, right there. As I’ve said already, we’re extremely lucky to have two sports series as great as Yowapeda and Daiya no A airing in the same season (along with Hajime no Ippo and Kurobas).  I love Yowapeda […] Read more