I think that if I did not know about the series’ plans to suddenly cut off the series at episode thirteen episodes, I would have absolutely loved this past arc. Still, even though knowing that this arc could have been God knows how much better, I still loved the way that the past match evolved. It really showed how much more interesting your plot can become with a lot of added realism.
In baseball, losing matches are two of a kind: the margin of loss is so small that it depends on just one pitch whether the team would have lost or won, or they’re matches that the main team would never be able to win off, making them lose by a huge margin. This episode however, falls in none of those categories. six versus eleven is a huge difference, and yet until the final pitch I kept thinking that there might be some way for them to get back, or at least close most of that distance. The final pitch here was nothing glorious: it wasn’t your hot blooded pitcher battle between the two most important characters of the game. Instead, it was against a guy who was so scared with the weight put on his shoulders that he only could have hit that ball by sheer luck.
In any case, I’m glad that, knowing the episode count, the creators reserved at least one episode for the aftermath. This episode definitely made a huge impact on the characters, and this doesn’t just mean Mihashi and Abe. The guy who was up at the final pitch also must be thinking very hard about the way he completely blocked back there.
I wish I could say that a potential third season could really make a lot of use of this development, but let’s not kid ourselves: there’s no way that there’s going to be a continuation for this series. I doubt that even the creators knew that this series would only get thirteen episodes, judging by the pacing, or otherwise they would have cut back on the slice of life episodes, or that first match. This series was incredibly lucky already to get a sequel and license. Heck, A-1 only made one other sequel before: Birdy the Mighty Decode, and that was because it clearly planned beforehand. Even their most popular series, Kannagi, hasn’t gotten a sequel, despite being nowhere near complete.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
What? Only 13 episodes? I was expecting 24-25 episodes and now I hear this…the disappointment.
I really hope Mihashi…mans up a little after this -__-
I would really like a third season since it’s been popular, but if not I guess I can read the manga. I do hate when the anime feels like an ad for the manga(/light novels)…
Ahahaha your quibble earlier you mentioned with High School Sports. You’d say they can’t afford to lose in a game, and well that’s right but you do see one thing different here and that’s giving your all in a pretty lopsided game (something I don’t think I’d see in an adult game). Though even then this series wouldn’t dwell TOO much in a loss as it would emphasize future tournaments and the need to train up for those.
Well 14 since there is a DVD bonus episode XD. But yes I do agree a third season seems rather unlikely, even with the material since how much games would be devoted to watching another team (both Musashino and the Koshien matches). And while Nishiura is just in camp for training and bulking up (though undergoing team building). I don’t really see that as being much third season material. Skipping is an option but would have downside.
It’s a shame that it ended like this, and I find it weird, because the first season dvd’s sold 17K+ each…so yeah.
Even so, I enjoyed this season just as much as the first, so I’m happy. I’d love to see more of it as the manga progresses though.
Wasn’t the first season of Ookiku Furikabutte is their bestseller. Depending on how well this season go, third season isn’t so farfetch.
I think that a third season is possible, it’s just that it will take a while before there’s enough material for one. (I mean, the time between the first and second season was 3 years… -_-;;;)
there just isn’t enough manga material to make a sequel without going their own way
and it’s getting published at a very slow pace
So IF there’ll be a third, you’re bound to wait another 3-4years and it would result in the same pace. Meaning you’d want a fourth to get some kind of closure ^^
I have to disagree on the “not enough material” thing, as of now, there are over 70 chapters published in Japan. The first 2 seasons only took up like 30-ish of those chapters, so there’s definately enough material to work with.
I think there’s going to be a third season. The heart of the series was placed on that. There have been too many clues left behind as that superfast pitcher that used to be in Abe’s team, that first year hitter who almost hit a homerun off Mihashi and obviously that catcher who was playing right field for the team they lost against. They got plenty enough material and it didn’t feel as this is the ending to me. Time is the question, who knows when….but I’m pretty sure that we are going to get at least 1 or 2 more seasons