Interesting to see that as the team keeps winning more, we get to see more and more of their family members. This episode showed a ton more parents and siblings who came by to support the lead characters. It’s an excellent way to flesh them out, and I’m glad that with such a large cast the creators also weren’t afraid to draw in such a large cast of parents and siblings. This is no standard show in which everyone and his dog lost their mother due to some illness or something: for once the mothers act like actual mothers: very talkative and supportive of their sons. I like them so much more than the “weak mother” stereotype.
Mihashi and Abe also were a major theme in this episode, I especially loved the contrast between their families: they’re both only children, but with Mihashi’s family the mood is very fidgety. Abe’s household is much calmer and colder, and yet you can tell that they’re family of each other. It was specifically a big episode for Abe, because he finally found out that he isn’t exactly the best friend.
It’s a bit of a shame that the creators glossed over the game for the best sixteen here (I would have loved to have seen what the heck happened in that fifth inning…) but it looks like the next match is going to get full coverage as we finally have a team who analyzed Mihashi’s pitches beforehand. Could prove to be very interesting.
Rating: * (Good)
Minor correction Abe isn’t an only child, though we’ve not really seen his brother outside of Omake’s. He has a younger brother Shuu, which was mentioned in passing by the mother, who also plays baseball. Though as you can see Abe’s really just not open about anything at all, I don’t ever recall him talking about his family even minor details to any team mates.
On another note, what I do love about Oofuri is that you just do get such ‘normal’ people. The series just captures quite a slice of life of baseball. Not in the usual sense but instead in a very down to earth, e.g. the mothers and the crowds, yet technical manner. And yes do look forward to the next match, which I wonder if it will take up the remaining episode count as its quite long.
I don’t like Bijou, and I don’t like their assistant coach. But it looks like it’s going to be one hell of a match for Nishiura, even more than their last match against Tosei. I haven’t read these chapters yet, so really looking forward to the next episodes!
Btw I’m loving the last scene in this episode. Poor Abe getting all excited just because Mihashi gets to understand him fully for once. xP
I loved the first season, i was just pumped watching him take out the number 1 seed. I love the 2nd season, the characters rock, i love the development. They make baseball very enjoyable to watch compared to real baseball. I hope this series continues as long as the manga does.
I am also a little afraid that the game with Bijou Dai will be long. I hope that they won’t spend too much time on it, since the fate of Nishiura in this match… it would be nice if they spend (more of) the last episodes on what happens after the match.
And yeah, I don’t like Bijou Dai either. *gulp* Even though it’s not really their fault. You naturally support the good guys after all.
Yeah, I was waiting for this episode for Abe`s dad.
The next match is going to take a quite few episodes (maybe even more than Tosei!), but it would be really weird if it didn`t wrap up post-game, which probably needs its own episode. I would be happy with that.
I agree that the families are very normal and likable. In fact it kind of proves that you don’t need to have weird characters to have likable characters.
On the other hand, I’m not as fond of the off-field antics of Mihashi. He reminds me of Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke, in that he operates in his head 90% of the time. After a while I get really annoyed by that. In fact, I dropped KnT after a while, because it didn’t have something else, like an excellent baseball story, to make up for this deficiency.
Abemiha is awesomeeeeeeee(Fangirls scream can’t stop now!!)
I’m really glad that in the end. At least Abe success to reach at Mihashi at once. See the two understand their dialogue each other at once make me feel…really happy.>///
(Sorry for double post..T_T It has some problem while I write the above post.)
And the family in this series feel really charming. It make main characters more lively and more realistic.I really really like it.