The appeal and reviews of "Ippatsu Kanta-kun": A must-see anime experience

One shot Kanta-kun

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

September 18, 1977 - September 24, 1978 Every Sunday 18:00-18:30

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 53

■Original Story

Tatsunoko Productions Planning Department

■ Director

General Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa

■ Production

Fuji Television, Tatsunoko Productions

■Works

©Tatsunoko Productions

■ Story

The Tochi family, living in a downtown area, is a large family consisting of the mother, six sons, two daughters, and a dog. Following the wishes of their father, a baseball player who died in an accident during a game, the family formed an amateur baseball team called the "Tochi Homers" with their mother as the manager. Among them, the third son, Kanta, is a playful and mischievous boy, but he has the greatest passion for baseball in the family. Although the brothers sometimes fight, they work together in practice and games, deepening their bond.

■Explanation

The story of a large downtown family who form a little league baseball team and their slapstick baseball struggles. A warm-hearted sitcom that depicts the family ties and the interactions with people they meet through baseball, with a mix of laughter and tears. This work was loved by many viewers as it portrayed the state of family life in Japanese society in the 1970s and growth and friendship through sports. In particular, the way the family bonds deepened through the sport of baseball deeply moved viewers at the time. Another appealing feature is the depiction of downtown scenery and a sense of everyday life, and it contains many elements that evoke nostalgia for the Showa era.

■Cast

・Kanta/Ota Yoshiko/Jubei/Ohira Toru/Kumiko/Asou Miyoko/Ichiro/Akimoto Chikako/Jiro/Shiozawa Kaneto/Shiro/Komiya Kazue/Goko, Rokuko/Yokozawa Keiko/Shichiro/Inoue Yo/Youkichi/Suzuki Reiko/Oka Yoshiyoshi/Oikawa Hiroo/Hanako/Kurosu Kaoru

■ Main staff

・Produced by: Tatsuo Yoshida ・Planning by: Jinzo Toriumi, Tomoyuki Miyata ・Original story by: Tatsunoko Productions Planning Department ・Music by: Shosuke Ichikawa, Koba Hayashi ・Sound Director: Kan Mizumoto (Zack Promotion)
・Sound recording: Yoshihiro Kaneko (Shinsaka Studio)
- Effects/Shoji Kato (anime sound)
・Development: Toyo Development Laboratory ・Production: Masanori Nakano, Minoru Uchima (Yomiuri Hiroshi), Minoru Ohno (Yomiuri Hiroshi)
・Character design: Akiko Shimomoto ・Art: Tsuneo Nonomiya ・Animation: Setsu Yoshihashi ・Producer: Akira Inoue ・General director: Hiroshi Sasagawa ・Production: Fuji Television Network, Tatsunoko Productions

■ Main Characters

・Tohashi Kanta The third son of the Tohashi family. He is a big baseball fan, but a bit clumsy and a bit of a joker. Kanta is always positive, and even if he fails he always gets back up, which was well received by viewers. His character is portrayed as someone who gives children dreams and hope.
・Baseball Jubei The pet dog of the Tobachi family. Although he is a dog, he can speak human language and is one of the players of the Homers. Jubei's presence symbolizes the bond between family members, and his humorous behavior adds laughter to the story.
Kumiko Tohashi is the mother of the Tohashi family. She raises eight children at a ramen stand and is the director of Homers. Kumiko's strong motherhood and leadership skills have touched viewers' hearts. Her character is portrayed as a symbol of a mother who supports her family.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Birth of the Flying HomersEpisode 2: The Uniform of DreamsEpisode 3: The Great Struggle! The Okara Cheer SquadEpisode 4: The Dream Home RunnerEpisode 5: Hanako's Go-Go OnigiriEpisode 6: Daddy's Smiling BallEpisode 7: The Small RulebookEpisode 8: I'm Quitting Baseball!
・Episode 9 / Defeat! Silver Fox・Episode 10 / A wonderful point・Episode 11 / The secret of the intruding great coach・Episode 12 / Sudden illness! Faking illness? Jiro's absence・Episode 13 / Siblings at third base・Episode 14 / The troubles of the popular Kanta・Episode 15 / He's a man! Baseball Jubei・Episode 16 / The lonely ace・Episode 17 / The rumored master batting saves・Episode 18 / The longing for Koshien・Episode 19 / The groundskeeper's dust・Episode 20 / Come back Jubei! The ninth batter・Episode 21 / The blue-eyed relief pitcher・Episode 22 / The terrifying dead ball・Episode 23 / Rokuko volunteers for special training!
・Episode 24/Mom is a great coach・Episode 25/Baseball Mask appears!
・Episode 26/A scout has come!
・Episode 27 / Kanta vs. the Bully・Episode 28 / The Autocratic Beautiful Pitcher・Episode 29 / This is the Way of Baseball for Men・Episode 30 / The Memories of the Field・Episode 31 / A Victory Covered in Bruises・Episode 32 / A Foul of Friendship・Episode 33 / Homers Dropped to the Minor League・Episode 34 / The Mysterious Coach・Episode 35 / Shiro's Microcomputer Baseball・Episode 36 / Dad's Pinch Hitter・Episode 37 / Shichiro's Switch Hitter・Episode 38 / Hanako's Scorebook・Episode 39 / Japan's Best Bullpen Catcher・Episode 40 / Homers Disband!?
Episode 41: Let's go! Warrior trainingEpisode 42: Stolen positionEpisode 43: Play ball at Yaizu PortEpisode 44: Crow Tengu at Nachi FallsEpisode 45: Dad who lived in TosaEpisode 46: Baseball dojo in SetoEpisode 47: Fate! Showdown at AkiyoshidaiEpisode 48: Aso's final warrior trainingEpisode 49: Decisive battle! Tokyo representative matchEpisode 50: Main tournament! Brother and sister team clashEpisode 51: Homers suspended!?
・Episode 52: The Unexpected Hero in the Semi-Finals ・Episode 53: White Ball! High in the Sky

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Let's do it! Baseball Way ・Lyrics by Akira Ito ・Music by Shosuke Ichikawa
Arrangement: Hiroshi Tsutsui Vocals: Yumi Chiba, Young Fresh, Koorogi '73
・ED
・Homers song ・Lyrics: Akira Ito ・Music: Shosuke Ichikawa ・Arrangement: Hiroshi Tsutsui ・Singer: Young Fresh, Koorogi '73

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Ippatsu Kanta-kun" is a TV anime series produced by Tatsunoko Productions that aired from 1977 to 1978. This work is a human interest comedy that depicts the deepening of family bonds through baseball, and provided many viewers at the time with a lot of emotion and laughter. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work, as well as the recommended points.

Story and Characters

The story of "Ippatsu Kanta-kun" depicts the Tochi family, who live in a downtown area, forming a baseball team, the "Tochi Homers," and taking on the challenge of a match. The third son, Kanta, in particular, is portrayed as a playful and clumsy character, despite his passion for baseball, making him easy for viewers to relate to. The setting of the dog, Jubei, who can speak human language, is also unique, adding depth to the story as a symbol of family ties. The mother, Kumiko, is a character who supports the family with a ramen stand, but also has the strong leadership skills to bring the team together as the manager of the Homers, and has impressed viewers.

Animation and Art

The character design for this work was done by Akiko Shimomoto, and one of the attractions of the work is the depiction of the scenery and daily life of the Showa era downtown. The art was done by Tsuneo Nonomiya, who realistically reproduced the Japanese homes and streetscapes of that time. In addition, the careful drawings by Setsuko Yoshihashi, who was in charge of animation, were also praised, leaving a vivid impression on viewers.

music

The music was composed by Shosuke Ichikawa and Hayashi Koba, and the theme song "Yaruzo Ippatsu! Yakyudou" and the ending theme "Homers no Uta" were composed by Akira Ito with music composed by Shosuke Ichikawa and arranged by Hiroshi Tsutsui. The songs were performed by Yumi Chiba, Young Fresh, and Koorogi '73, and their familiar melodies and lyrics added to the worldview of the work.

Evaluation and recommendation points

"Ippatsu Kanta-kun" has been highly praised as a work that depicts family ties and the growth and friendship that come from baseball. In particular, Kanta's positive attitude, Kumiko's strong maternal instinct, and Jubei's humorous behavior have brought emotion and laughter to viewers. Another attraction is the depiction of the scenery and everyday life of the Showa era downtown area, and it contains many nostalgic elements.

The points that make this a good recommendation are that it is an ideal sitcom that the whole family can enjoy, that it is portrayed as a presence that gives dreams and hope to baseball-loving children, and that it contains many elements that evoke nostalgia for the Showa era. It is especially recommended for viewers looking for a work that depicts family ties and growth and friendship through sports. It is also recommended for viewers who want to enjoy the scenery and lifestyle of the Showa era downtown area.

Other Information

This work is an original anime work produced by Tatsunoko Productions, and the original story was created by the Tatsunoko Productions Planning Department. The general director was Hiroshi Sasagawa, and the production was done jointly by Fuji Television and Tatsunoko Productions. The copyright is owned by Tatsunoko Productions.

The series was broadcast on Fuji TV from September 18, 1977 to September 24, 1978, every Sunday from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. The series consisted of 53 episodes, each 30 minutes long.

The cast included many talented voice actors, such as Oota Yoshiko as Kanta, Ohira Toru as Jubei, and Aso Miyoko as Kumiko. The main staff included the production staff of Tatsunoko Productions, including Yoshida Tatsuo in production, Toriumi Jinzo and Miyata Tomoyuki in planning, and Ichikawa Shosuke and Hayashi Koba in music.

The subtitles depicted unique content for each episode, providing entertainment for the viewers. In particular, episodes that symbolize the beginning and end of the story, such as episode 1, "The Birth of Homers," and episode 53, "White Ball! High in the Sky," are memorable.

Above, we have introduced a detailed review and recommended points for "Ippatsu Kanta-kun". This work was loved by many viewers as a human interest comedy that depicts family ties and growth and friendship through baseball. It contains many elements that evoke nostalgia for the Showa era, and we highly recommend it as a work that the whole family can enjoy.