"The appeal and ratings of this anime: Why is it a must-watch?"

"The appeal and ratings of this anime: Why is it a must-watch?"

"H2" - A hot drama about youth and baseball

■ Public Media
TV anime series
■ Original Media
comics
■ Broadcast period
June 1995
■Broadcasting station
TV Asahi
■Frequencies
half an hour
■ Number of Episodes
Episode 41
■Original Story
・Original story: Mitsuru Adachi (Shogakukan "Weekly Shonen Sunday")
■ Director
・Director: Hidehito Ueda
■ Production
・Cooperation: Ashi Productions ・Production: ABC, ASATSU, Toho Co., Ltd.
■Works
©1995 Mitsuru Adachi/Shogakukan/Toho/Ashi Productions
■ Story

Hiro Kunimi, who was the ace of the baseball team in junior high school, and his best friend and rival, Hideo Tachibana, won the regional championships of junior high school baseball for two consecutive years. After that, Hiro was diagnosed by a doctor with a bomb in his right elbow, and his teammate Noda also hurt his back and gave up on baseball. Hiro and Noda entered Senkawa High School, which does not have a baseball team, while Hideo Tachibana went to Meiwa First High School, a prestigious baseball school. Hiro joined the soccer team and Noda joined the swimming team. Their high school life unrelated to baseball began. ...or so they thought, but they joined the "baseball club" on impulse! Then they discovered that the doctor who diagnosed them was an unlicensed doctor and that the diagnosis was a lie. Soon, the "baseball club" was promoted to the "baseball club". Their goal was not the National Stadium or the Kokugikan, but Koshien! Here, their passion for baseball flared up again.

■Cast

・Kunimi Hiro/Furumoto Shinnosuke/Amemiya Hikari/Imamura Keiko/Tachibana Hideo/Miyamoto Mitsuru/Koga Haruka/Suzuki Masahito/Kine Ryutaro/Takenaka Shinichi/Noda Atsushi/Tsuda Kenjiro/Yanagi Morimichi/Izaki Hisakatsu/Sagawa Shuji/Hiyama Nobuyuki/Koga Fujio/Matsumoto Yasunori/Hirota Katsutoshi/Koyasu Takehito/Kunimi Taro/Mitsuya Yuji/Amemiya Takaaki/Tobita Nobuo

■ Main staff

・Original story: Mitsuru Adachi ・Planning: Yoshiro Kataoka (ASATSU), Masamichi Fujiwara (Toho)
・Composition/Okeya Akira・Director/Ueda Hidehito・Character design/Hirata Tomohiro・Art director/Umino Yoshimi・Color setting/Kawabata Shizuko, Asai Satoko・Sound director/Matsuura Noriyoshi・Director of photography/Sugiura Mitsuru・Editor/Masaki Naoyuki・Music/Iwashiro Taro・Producers/Fujita Koichiro, Odake Satoshi (ABC), Matsushita Yoko (ASATSU), Yamazaki Tatsuji (ASATSU), Fukuyo Masako (Toho), Kato Hiroshi・Cooperation/Ashi Productions・Production/ABC, ASATSU, Toho Co., Ltd.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Youth = Baseball? Episode 2: Aiming for the Ryogoku Kokugikan Episode 3: Hey, soccer club Episode 4: Baseball was different Episode 5: Do I need to fill out a membership form?
・Episode 6/This is Kunimi Hiro!
・Episode 7: Should we quit the club?
Episode 8: Glass Elbow Episode 9: God Wanted to See It Episode 10: What an Unpleasant Turn of Events...
・Episode 11/Defeat! Meiwa Daiichi・Episode 12/I wonder if he has no luck with the lottery・Episode 13/If you're a friend, you'll know・Episode 14/The second team has come out・Episode 15/It's pretty cool, isn't it・Episode 16/This time it's not a loser・Episode 17/Hiro is injured!? What will the baseball club do?・Episode 18/The bottom of the ninth inning is a heated battle! The batter is Kunimi...
Episode 19: A big reversal! The birth of the Senkawa baseball team?
・Episode 20/ Pursuit! Hiro vs. Haruka・Episode 21/ Haruka, Hikari and Hiro at sea・Episode 22/ Pinch hitter date・Two people who can't go home・Episode 23/ I can't sleep... a night just for the two of us・Episode 24/ Each summer・Like fireworks・Episode 25/ Manager decision! I am Koga Fujio・Episode 26/ Goodbye senpai! A tearful send-off match・Episode 27/ Hide-chan's phantom home run・Episode 28/ Commemorative match! Dangerous guys have arrived・Episode 29/ Hikari in trouble! Shuji's trap!?
・Episode 30 / Hikari's lie and Hiro's tears・Episode 31 / A new rival! Eikyo Hirota・Episode 32 / Genius Tachibana's spirit in the batter's box・Episode 33 / Welcome to the Senkawa Festival! Eikyo Gakuen・Episode 34 / I don't mind a serious fight・Episode 35 / Should I strike out before I announce it?
・Episode 36 / My scorebook is 3 to 1・Episode 37 / Crunch! Waiting in a cardboard box・Episode 38 / First date! I look forward to working with you from now on・Episode 39 / The cast on my heart is still there・Episode 40 / An unchanging dream・Episode 41 / A promise to summer starts here!

The appeal and evaluation of "H2"

"H2" is a youth baseball anime based on the original work by Mitsuru Adachi, and was broadcast on TV Asahi in 1995. Although it is a long series of 41 episodes, the story development and character development that never bores the viewer are appealing. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of "H2".

The appeal of the story

The story of "H2" depicts the passion for baseball, friendship, and the struggles of youth. The protagonists, Kunimi Hiro and Tachibana Hideo, are friends and rivals who won the regional championship twice in a row during their junior high school days. However, Hiro gives up baseball due to an injury to his right elbow, and Noda also has to give up baseball due to a back injury. The two go on to Senkawa High School, which does not have a baseball team, and were meant to live lives unrelated to baseball. However, they join the baseball club on impulse, and the story follows their process of eventually being promoted to the baseball team.

This story is a drama of failure and recovery, and it is moving to see the passion for baseball rekindle. The discovery that the doctor's diagnosis was a lie also surprises the viewer and adds depth to the story. The road to Koshien is full of difficulties and challenges, and has the power to draw the viewer in.

Character Appeal

Each character in "H2" is unique and charming. The main character, Kunimi Hiro, is a hot-blooded man who values ​​his passion for baseball and friendship, and he resonates with viewers. Tachibana Hideo is Hiro's rival, but he also never forgets his friendship, and his growth is not to be missed. Female characters such as Amemiya Hikari and Koga Haruka also add color to the story.

The acting of the cast is also excellent, with the passionate performances of the voice actors, including Shinnosuke Furumoto as Hiro, Keiko Imamura as Hikari, and Mitsuru Miyamoto as Hideo, bringing out the charm of the characters. In particular, Shinnosuke Furumoto's performance, which realistically expresses Hiro's suffering and joy, will surely touch the hearts of viewers.

Animation and Music

The animation of "H2" is characterized by the character designs of Tomohiro Hirata, and faithfully reproduces the atmosphere of the original work. The movements in the baseball scenes are also realistic, giving the viewer a sense of presence. In addition, the backgrounds created by art director Yoshimi Umino are beautiful, richly depicting the setting of the story.

Music is also an important element, and Taro Iwashiro's music adds excitement to the story. In particular, the background music that heightens the tension of the baseball games in the drama and the melodies that express the characters' feelings stir the emotions of the viewers. The opening theme "Shadow of Youth" and the ending theme "Natsu no Hi no 1993" are also masterpieces that remain in the hearts of viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"H2" has been highly praised as a passionate drama about youth and baseball. The story development, character growth, and the quality of the animation and music all come together to draw viewers in. It is a must-see for baseball fans in particular, and many will relate to the story of the struggles and comebacks of youth.

The recommended points are as follows:

  • People who like hot dramas about youth and baseball
  • People who like stories that depict character growth and friendship
  • People who like Mitsuru Adachi's original works
  • People who like 1990s anime
  • People looking for an inspiring story

"H2" is a work that will inspire and inspire viewers, so we highly recommend that you watch it at least once. This work, filled with the brilliance of youth and passion for baseball, will surely touch the hearts of many people.

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