"Gurazeni" review: A masterpiece anime that depicts the realistic world of baseball

Gurazeni - A unique work depicting the harsh reality of professional baseball

"Gurazeni," a unique work depicting the harsh reality of professional baseball players, is a TV anime series that aired on BS Sky Perfect TV from April 6 to June 22, 2018. It is based on a manga by Yuji Moritaka and Keiji Adachi, directed by Ayumu Watanabe, and animated by Studio Deen. It consists of 12 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and depicts the real life and psychology of professional baseball players.

story

The protagonist, Natsunosuke Onda, is a left-handed sidearm relief pitcher for the Jingu Spiders. He is 26 years old and single, in his eighth year since turning pro after graduating from high school, and earns an annual salary of 18 million yen, hardly the best possible salary. Despite witnessing the harsh reality of being a professional baseball player, Onda continues to repeat the phrase, "There's money buried under the field..." as he takes to the mound each day.

Because Onda is on the edge of being a professional baseball player, he is worried about his life after retirement. He is also a "salary maniac" who can recite the annual salaries of first-string players from the 12 baseball teams off the top of his head, and money is always on his mind. This is a work that realistically depicts Onda's daily life and the struggles he faces as a professional baseball player.

character

Natsunosuke Bonta

A left-handed relief pitcher in his eighth year as a professional. As a professional, he is on the edge of being a player, so he is worried about his life after retirement and money is always on his mind. He is such a salary maniac that he can recite the annual salaries of first-string players from the 12 baseball teams off the top of his head. His voice actor is Fukutsugu Ochiai.

Yuki

She is the poster girl for the restaurant "Kitchen Ajihei" in Ebisu. Natsunosuke has fallen in love with her and has his eye on her, but most of the other customers also come to see Yuki. She is the heroine of this work and is voiced by M.A.O.

Tanabe

The manager of the Jingu Spiders. He favors Natsunosuke. His voice actor is Kazunari Futamata.

Sakota

Jingu Spiders bullpen coach. He has a very intimidating face and is in charge of the relief pitchers. His voice actor is Kenji Nomura.

Small village

He is the pitching coach for the Jingu Spiders' first team. He often works with Manager Tanabe. His voice actor is Ryuzo Ishino.

Tokunaga

Baseball commentator. Former pitcher for the Jingu Spiders who retired three years ago. He is like a good older brother to Natsunosuke, hailing from the same hometown as him. His voice actor is Daisuke Namikawa.

Shibuya

A starting pitcher for the Jingu Spiders. A good colleague of Natsunosuke. His voice actor is Takanori Hoshino.

Matsumoto Announcer

An announcer for Otowa Radio. It is stated in the story that he is a real person, and is modeled after freelance announcer Hideo Matsumoto. Hideo Matsumoto is also in charge of the voice actor.

staff

The original work is by Yuji Moritaka and Keiji Adachi, directed by Ayumu Watanabe, with series composition and script by Hideo Takayashiki, character design by Kenichi Onuki, music by Akifumi Tada, sound director by Koji Tsujitani, animation by Studio Deen, and production by Sky Perfect! and Kodansha.

episode

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: My workplace, the valley
• Episode 2: Habits, Friends
• Episode 3: Prefectural Association
• Episode 4: On the road to retirement, the man who couldn't become a professional
• Episode 5: Safe and Dangerous Stocks
• Episode 6: Multiples
• Episode 7: A second-string team but a first-string team
• Episode 8: Commuting to the Stadium
• Episode 9: Teacher or opposite teacher
• Episode 10: High school graduates and college graduates
• Episode 11: No ball to throw
• Episode 12: Special Gourmet

Evaluation and Impressions

"Gurazeni" has been praised for its realistic portrayal of the harsh reality of professional baseball players. In particular, through the character of Natsunosuke Bonta, the show has resonated with viewers by portraying the frantic life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety he faces after retirement. As the subtitles of each episode suggest, the show has also shown new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes life of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

Recommended points

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.

"Gurazeni" is a work that depicts the harsh reality of professional baseball players, and is recommended not only for sports anime fans, but also for those interested in the real life of a working member of society. In particular, the portrayal of the hard-working life of a professional baseball player and the anxiety after retirement depicted through the character of Bonta Natsunosuke is sure to resonate with many viewers. Also, as you can see from the subtitles of each episode, the work shows new possibilities for sports anime by depicting the daily life and behind-the-scenes of a professional baseball player.

The animation was produced by Studio Deen, and the quality is high, with realistic and detailed character designs and background art. The baseball scenes in particular are powerful and have the power to draw the viewer in. The music also shines with Akifumi Tada's style, enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The voice actors are also impressive, with Fukuji Ochiai's performance as Natsunosuke Onda receiving particular praise. He portrayed Onda's conflicts and anxieties so realistically that he left a deep impression on viewers. M.A.O, who plays Yuki, also delivers a performance that brings out the charm of the heroine.