"Ace of Diamond Act II" Review: A story of new challenges and growth for Seidou High School

Ace of Diamond act II - The rapid progress of the Seidou High School baseball team and the growth of Eijun Sawamura

Overview

"Ace of Diamond Act II" is a TV anime series based on the sequel to the popular baseball manga "Ace of Diamond" by Yuji Terajima. It aired on TV Tokyo and AT-X from April 2, 2019 to March 31, 2020. It consists of 52 episodes, each 30 minutes long. Animation was produced by MADHOUSE and directed by Mitsuyuki Masuhara. The work depicts the members of Seidou High School's baseball team as they aim to win the national championship, focusing in particular on the growth and success of left-handed pitcher Eijun Sawamura.

■ Story

Sawamura Eijun, a member of the Seidou High School baseball team, is a left-handed pitcher from a weak team in Nagano. He has a passionate personality and a tearful side, and is known as a pitcher who fights with passion. His specialty is a unique pitch with an unknown origin, and now a second-year student, Sawamura finally makes his debut at the spring Senbatsu Koshien. His only goal is to reach the top of the country. With Sawamura at the center, the Seidou High School baseball team begins its winning streak, aiming to revive its prestigious status.

■Cast

The cast includes Osaka Ryota as Sawamura Eijun, Shimazaki Nobunaga as Furuya Akira, Sakurai Takahiro as Miyuki Kazuya, Uchida Yuuma as Okumura Koshu, Asanuma Shintaro as Kuramochi Yoichi, Hanae Natsuki as Kominato Haruichi, Takeuchi Shunsuke as Yuki Shoji, Yamashita Daiki as Seto Takuma, Murase Ayumu as Yui Kaoru, and Hatanaka Tasuku as Asada Hirofumi. These actors bring to life the unique characters of the members of the Seidou High School baseball team.

■ Main staff

Based on Yuji Terajima's "Ace of Diamond act II" (published by Kodansha in Weekly Shonen Magazine), the director is Mitsuyuki Masuhara, the series composition is Takeshi Kodama, the character designs are Satoshi Tazaki and Minoru Ueda, the chief animation directors are Ryo Kobayashi and Shinichi Yoshikawa, the action animation directors are Yuzo Sato, Kaito Senkoshi and Norikazu Tokura, the assistant director is Kazuya Iwataka, the art director is Sawako Takagi, the color design is Narumi Konno, the director of photography is Hiroshi Inoue, the editor is Mariko Tsukatomo, the sound director is Hajime Takakuwa, the music is Gen Momoishi, and the animation production is by MADHOUSE. These staff members have worked together to bring out the charm of the original work to the fullest.

■ Main Characters

Sawamura Eijun is from a weak team in Nagano and has a passionate and tearful personality. As a pitcher who fights with his heart, he has a unique pitch with an unknown origin. Furuya Akira is a pitcher with a fastball as his weapon and a monster class batting power. He is depicted as Sawamura's biggest rival. Miyuki Kazuya is the key player of Seidou and is good at bringing out the talent of pitchers. He is a super-talented catcher who has been featured in the newspaper and is coveted by coaches of other schools. Kominato Haruichi is a promising player with excellent offensive and defensive skills and has excellent bat control. Kominato Ryosuke, a third-year student, is his older brother and plays second base. Yuki Tetsuya is the captain of the Seidou High School baseball team and is a first baseman who leads the team with his play. Kuramochi Yoichi is a shortstop who likes to tease Sawamura and boasts ironclad defensive ability. These characters add excitement to the story of the Seidou High School baseball team.

■Subtitle

Episode 1 "Beyond the Dream" (April 2, 2019), Episode 2 "I Want to Stand Up Soon" (April 9, 2019), Episode 3 "The Child of Baseball" (April 16, 2019), Episode 4 "The Beginning" (April 23, 2019), Episode 5 "Reunion" (April 30, 2019), Episode 6 "Go Straight" (May 7, 2019), Episode 7 "KING" (May 14, 2019), Episode 8 "A Stimulant" (May 21, 2019), Episode 9 "Battle x Battle" (May 28, 2019), Episode 10 "First Battle" (June 4, 2019), Episode 11 "What's in the Line of Sight" (June 11, 2019), Episode 12 "Selfish" (June 18, 2019), Episode 13 "First Attack" (June 25, 2019), Episode 14 "Presence" (July 2, 2019), Episode 15 "My Role" (July 9, 2019), Episode 16 "Only if I Win" (July 2019) 16th), 17th episode "3 Months" (July 23, 2019), 18th episode "What I Want to Confirm" (July 30, 2019), 19th episode "Fighting Attitude" (August 6, 2019), 20th episode "Self-Assertion" (August 13, 2019), 21st episode "No Time" (August 20, 2019), 22nd episode "Nomination" (August 27, 2019), 23rd episode "One Pitch, One Second" (September 3, 2019), 24th episode "Unfinished" (September 10, 2019), 25th episode "Release" (September 17, 2019), 26th episode "Under the Same Flag" (September 24, 2019), 27th episode "The Episode 28 "It's Not Stopping" (October 8, 2019), Episode 29 "Spring, and then──" (October 15, 2019), Episode 30 "BLOOM OF YOUTH" (October 22, 2019), Episode 31 "Something Like a Vow" (October 29, 2019), Episode 32 "Craving" (November 5, 2019), Episode 33 "Heat Transfer" (November 12, 2019), Episode 34 "Competition" (November 19, 2019), Episode 35 "Because He's Awesome" (November 26, 2019), Episode 36 "As a Catcher" (December 3, 2019), Episode 37 "Winning Mindset" (December 26, 2019), Episode 38 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 39 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 40 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 41 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 42 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 43 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 44 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 45 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 46 "The End of the World" (December 26, 2019), Episode 47 "The End of the World" (December 2 December 10, 2019), Episode 38 "Fragile" (December 17, 2019), Episode 39 "I'm counting on you" (December 24, 2019), Episode 40 "Face" (January 7, 2020), Episode 41 "A Community of Fate" (January 14, 2020), Episode 42 "20 People" (January 21, 2020), Episode 43 "Summer Camp" (January 28, 2020), Episode 44 "Hanging" (February 4, 2020), Episode 45 "Go Exceed!!” (February 11, 2020), Episode 46 “Encouragement” (February 18, 2020), Episode 47 “Underfoot” (February 25, 2020), Episode 48 “Get Back” (March 3, 2020), Episode 49 “Serious Blue Road” (March 10, 2020), Episode 50 “FIRE” AGE” (March 17, 2020), Episode 51 “That’s It” (March 24, 2020), Episode 52 “Ace Of Diamond” (March 31, 2020).

■ Related works

Related works include "Ace of Diamond" and "Ace of Diamond -SECOND SEASON-". These works also tell the story of the Seidou High School baseball team, making them a must-see series for fans.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme for episodes 1 to 29 is GLAY's "Hajimari no Uta" (Lyrics by TERU, Composition by TERU, Arrangement by GLAY SEIJI KAMEDA), and from episode 30 onwards it is GLAY's "Ryusei no How!" (Lyrics by TAKURO, Composition by TERU, Arrangement by GLAY, Seiji Kameda, DJ Mass MAD Izm*). The ending themes are "Golden After School" by OxT (lyrics and composition: Masayoshi Oishi, arrangement: KanadeYUK, Tom-H@ck) from episodes 1 to 13, "Kodou Escalation" by Uchida Maaya (lyrics: Hotaru, composition: Tom-H@ck, arrangement: KanadeYUK, Tom-H@ck) from episodes 14 to 29, "Chance!" by Mimori Suzuko (lyrics: Hotaru, composition and arrangement: Masayoshi Oishi, yamazo) from episodes 30 to 39, and "Everlasting Dream" by OxT (lyrics: Hotaru, composition and arrangement: Tom-H@ck) from episodes 40 to 44 and from episode 46 onwards. These songs add to the atmosphere of the anime.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Ace of Diamond Act II" faithfully reproduces the charm of the original work while adding depth with the expressive power that only anime can provide. In particular, the growth of Sawamura Eijun and the rapid progress of the Seidou High School baseball team are beautifully depicted, drawing viewers in. The character designs and animation are also of very high quality, and the intensity of the game scenes and the detailed expressions of the players are impressive. The theme songs by gorgeous artists such as GLAY and OxT also help to liven up the worldview of the anime.

The character of Sawamura Eijun is attractive for his passionate personality and tearful side, and he resonates with viewers. His quirky pitches and the process of his growth are enjoyable not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like sports anime. In addition, characters such as Furuya Satoru and Miyuki Kazuya are also unique, and the relationships and rivalries within the team add excitement to the story.

The story of the anime revolves around the Seidou High School baseball team's quest to become national champion, and the tension of the games and the growth of the players are portrayed realistically. The game scenes at Koshien are particularly impressive and have the power to draw viewers in. The human drama within the team and the growth stories of each individual player are also carefully depicted, and there are many moving scenes.

Musically, Ace of Diamond Act II is also an outstanding work. GLAY's "Hajimari no Uta" and "Ryusei no How!" are perfect for the anime's theme and lift the spirits of the viewers. OxT's "Golden After School" and "Everlasting Dream," Uchida Maaya's "Kodou Escalation," and Mimori Suzuko's "Chance!" are also important elements in livening up the atmosphere of the anime. These songs not only deepen the worldview of the anime, but also become memorable masterpieces for viewers.

■Recommendation

"Ace of Diamond Act II" is recommended not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like sports anime and youth stories. In particular, it is an anime that should be watched by those who want to be moved by the growth of Sawamura Eijun and the rapid progress of the Seidou High School baseball team. In addition, the quality of the anime is high, including the character design, drawing, and music, making it a work that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally. If you also watch the related works "Ace of Diamond" and "Ace of Diamond -SECOND SEASON-", you will be able to understand the story of the Seidou High School baseball team more deeply.

This anime depicts the passion of youth, friendship, and the importance of hard work, and will give viewers a lot of inspiration and courage. Please enjoy the story of Sawamura Eijun and the Seidou High School baseball team.