Go for it! Our Hit and Run - A thorough analysis of a moving baseball story

Go for it! Our Hit and Run - The appeal and excitement of a passionate baseball anime

Overview

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is a TV anime series that aired in 1979, based on a baseball manga serialized in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" by Aya Hideo. The anime covers the first three volumes of the manga, and each episode is 75 minutes long. Directed by Mitsunobu Hiroaki and produced by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television, it features a star-studded cast and staff, including Utsumi Toshihiko as the lead character Endo Ran.

■ Story

After the third-year students retired, the Inaba Junior High School baseball team found itself in a difficult situation, suffering 18 straight losses under captain Endo Ran. With ace pitcher Taki gone, and the school no longer giving permission to play official games against other teams, the team members, unable to let go of their passion for baseball, were able to participate in the regional tournament thanks to the efforts of their advisor, Mr. Akiyama. In a match against the powerful Koryo Junior High School, the team won with passion that went beyond skill, but their only pitcher, Tsuyoshi, injured his shoulder before the second round. This is a moving drama that depicts the love of baseball and the bonds between teammates.

■Explanation

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is a baseball manga by Hideo Aya that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from 1978, and three of the 13 volumes of the manga were made into an anime. Toshihiko Utsumi, who played the main character Ran, is also known for his role as Starling in Rascal the Raccoon, and his passionate performance became a hot topic. This work captivated many fans as a coming-of-age drama that depicts not only baseball skills, but also team unity and individual growth.

■Cast

Ran/Toshihiko Utsumi and Maro/Akira Kamiya and Tsuyoshi/Tsubasa Shioya and Hatsuto/Yoshiaki Okamura and Banba/Takayuki Omigawa and Hikomaru/Kento Shiozawa and Hiromi/Tatsuya Matsuda and Take/Kiyonori Suzuki and Sakura/Yutaka Mizushima and Jun/Minoru Inaba and Ryu/Yoshito Yasuhara and Ikumi/Mami Koyama and Professor Akiyama/Goro Naya

■ Main staff

・Original work: Hideo Aya, "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday ・Producer: Koichi Motohashi ・Production management: Mitsuru Takakuwa ・Planning: Shoji Sato, Ryuichi Akutsu ・Music: Kensuke Kyo ・Direction: Hiroaki Mitsunobu ・Producer: Yoshio Kato ・Scriptwriter: Futoshi Takahashi ・Storyboard: Hiroaki Mitsunobu ・Character design: Hiroshi Kanazawa ・Layout: Hiroshi Kanazawa ・Animation director: Hiroshi Kanazawa ・Art director: Rui Ito ・Director of photography: Katsuji Misawa ・Sound recording director: Shigeharu Shiba ・Color design: Sachiko Mitsunobu ・Animation: Hiroshi Ogawa, Hideto Kojima, Utsugi Isamu, Sachiko Ito, Mitsuharu Yokokawa・Finishing touches / Yuko Tomioka, Fumie Ito, Noriko Arakawa, Setsuko Okamoto, Satomi Urano・Backgrounds / Masako Furuhashi, Tojo Toshitoshi, Hatsue Nishimoto, Hisae Omiya・Cinematography / Hitoshi Kaneko, Yoshinori Yoshikawa, Tatsumasa Shimizu・Mixer / Kunio Kuwabara・Sound effects / Yasufumi Yoda・Sound recording studio / Cinebeam・Developing lab / Tokyo Developing Lab・Positive film editing / Takeshi Seyama, Shuichi Kakesu・Assistant director / Yasuo Kageyama, Tatsuya Okamoto・Production desk / Katsuhiko Mori・Production manager / Soichiro Mito・Production / Nippon Animation, Fuji Television Network, Ltd.・Production cooperation / Tsuchida Productions

・Opening theme "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" Lyrics by Nobu Tanaka, Composition by Toshikazu Sato, Arrangement by Toshikazu Sato, Vocals by Masahiro Sawada ・Ending theme "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run no Theme" Lyrics by Nobu Tanaka, Composition by Toshikazu Sato, Arrangement by Toshikazu Sato, Vocals by Instrumental

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run・Lyrics by Nobu Tanaka・Composition by Toshikazu Sato・Arrangement by Toshikazu Sato・Singer by Masahiro Sawada・Ending theme song
・Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run Theme・Lyrics by Nobu Tanaka・Composition by Toshikazu Sato・Arrangement by Toshikazu Sato・Singer by Instrumental

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is a work that depicts the brilliance and setbacks of youth, as well as the bonds between teammates, through the sport of baseball. In particular, the protagonist Ran's journey overcoming difficulties with his teammates moved viewers. The animated portion focuses on the early episodes of the original work, and viewers can become drawn into the story while learning the basic rules and tactics of baseball.

Toshihiko Utsumi's passionate performance brings out the charm of the character Ran to the fullest, and his voice and emotional expression are particularly impressive in the match scenes. The inclusion of many popular voice actors from the time, such as Akira Kamiya and Tsubasa Shioya, also adds to the appeal of this work.

The music is also an important element in enhancing the emotion of this work. The opening theme, "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run," features Masahiro Sawada's powerful singing voice, inspiring the viewers. Meanwhile, the ending theme, "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run no Theme," while instrumental, expresses the tranquility and emotion after the game, leaving the viewers with a lingering feeling of the story.

■ Recommendation points

This work is recommended not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like youth dramas and moving stories. In particular, the following points are the reasons for the recommendation.

• The brilliance and setbacks of youth : The way the main characters grow and overcome setbacks through baseball resonates with many viewers.
• Bonds with teammates : The story depicts team unity and friendship, allowing players to feel the importance of bonds with teammates.
• Hot-blooded game scenes : The baseball game scenes are realistic and powerful, and have the power to draw the viewer in.
• Great voice actors : The performances of great actors including Toshihiko Utsumi really bring out the charm of the characters.
• Emotional Music : The opening and ending music add to the emotion of the story.

■Comparison with related works

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" stands out for its uniqueness compared to other baseball anime. For example, baseball anime such as "Star of the Giants" and "Touch" are also popular, but "Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is characterized by its more realistic game development and depth as a youth drama. Also, compared to other works in which Toshihiko Utsumi appears, such as "Rascal the Raccoon," his acting ability shines in this work.

■How to watch

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available on some video streaming services, so you can enjoy it easily. You will be especially impressed if you watch it during baseball season.

Conclusion

"Ganbare! Bokura no Hit and Run" is a masterpiece anime that depicts the charm of baseball and the excitement of youth. The growth of the main characters, the bonds between teammates, and the passionate game scenes will deeply move the viewers. The acting of the great actors including Toshihiko Utsumi and the moving music are also points not to be missed. Highly recommended not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like youth dramas and moving stories. Please feel the charm of baseball and the brilliance of youth through this work.