Uknighted Manganime Life is too short to watch bad anime

I haven’t died, I’ve just been busy. X_x. That said, Major 30 and 31 are being squished into one post. And in my infinite laziness, screencaps will come later (if at all). But enough excuses, on with the post!

Episode 30 deals with the meeting between Goro and Toshi-kun. Or, to put it in a more adult way, Honda Goro and Sato Toshiya. We learn that braided-girl goes to Tomonoura, and she isn’t “useless manager” … but only because Toshi-kun doesn’t want a manager who doesn’t know anything about baseball. Haha! But she is the obligatory love interest for Toshi-kun. Dur.

Toshi-kun is far too driven for his age, dammit. Did I know any guys like him when I was in high school? I honestly have no idea. I suppose I knew a few who had ideas about where they wanted to be. Not bad for a kid who started out hiding behind his glasses and who only picked up baseball because Goro needed a playmate and pulled the first guy who was handy. I wonder if Toshi-kun’s mother still disapproves of her son in baseball. Unlikely, since Toshi played for Yokohama Little. But still.

We also get a good look at the relationship between Shigeno and his adopted son Goro. The two of them aren’t bad. It’s a good combination, where Shigeno gives advice only when asked, but he makes sure the advice is truthful. Momoko has an excellent scene here, where we find out who really wears the pants in that relationship. *grin*

Muta and Oikawa make for excellent comic relief. Just wait for right before their first match, when they’re all hanging around waiting for Goro to show up. Oh, Laurel and Hardy. ^_^ Yamane makes a perfect straight man, too … the three of them could be The Three Stooges of Major.

Episode 31 … well, I never noticed it before, but it seems Shimizu speaks some sort of Kansai-ben. All the -ya’s and -sa’s reminded me of Comic Party’s female artist (whatever her name was, the genki one with the long hair and spectacles. Don’t laugh, I’m just too lazy to go look it up at the moment).

Anyway, in this episode, East Mifune wins (of course) their first round. Bit of a tense moment there as Komori and Yamane had some issues with Goro skipping practice and other things, but in the end they pulled together and won. Goro stayed to watch Tomonoura’s game, and that’s where he hears (from the Yokohama Little coach) that Toshi-kun was abandoned three years ago when his parents went bankrupt and disappeared with his little sister, leaving Toshi-kun alone. (So, that solves the “do they approve” question …) He lives with his grandparents now.

It’s always hard when you hear a hard-luck story about your opponents. On the one hand, you feel sympathy and sorrow and you want to help them out. On the other hand, it’s not like you have to throw your own game just to help them, because you have to win, too. I feel bad for Goro. This will be interesting in the upcoming match!

We learn that the girls softball lost their matches, and Shimizu meets Goro because she was late as she was clearing out her locker. (It sucks how 3rd years retire when they lose.) And … Shimizu asks Goro out after practice. Can we say, “dei-to”? Yay, Shimizu, good for you! Bowling, karaoke, and arcade games.

Shimizu is also the one who finds out what’s really been eating Goro. And being Shimizu, she’s great at pep-talks! As Goro put it, the “softball team captain” was right.

Oooh, the preview was actually interesting. We get to see a shot of Toshi-kun’s dismayed face. (He was too cute–too perfect, really. Seeing that face puts things back in perspective! ^_^) I can’t wait for Major 32!