Introduction
Hi baseball boys and girls!
The highly anticipated new anime “Oblivion Battery” will be premiering in April 2024!
This is a youth story about two boys who grow through baseball.
The main characters, Kiyomine Haruka and Kanae Kei, are both passionate about baseball. In middle school, they were a battery that everyone feared.
However, after a mysterious incident, Kei suffers from amnesia and no longer remembers baseball.
Haruka meets Yousuke again and invites him to play baseball again. The two of them enter the same high school, which has no baseball team.
They also meet Yamada Taro, who quit baseball after being discouraged by Haruka and Kei in middle school.
Despite the lack of a team, the three are joined by other talented baseball players who also have a past with Haruka and Kei. Together, they form a new baseball team and begin playing baseball again.
Will the two of them be able to regain their memories and achieve their dream of going to Koshien?
“Oblivion Battery” is a heartwarming story about friendship and baseball that is sure to appeal to fans of both sports and anime.
- Official website：https://boukyaku-battery.com/
- official X：https://twitter.com/boukyakubattery
Prime Video: Every Tuesday, the fastest streaming service available immediately after the broadcast.
description of works
“Oblivion Battery” is a Japanese manga series centered around the theme of baseball, telling a coming-of-age story.
The narrative focuses on the dynamic duo of a pitcher and catcher, known as a battery, who possess exceptional talent.
As they strive for the pinnacle of high school baseball, their journey is marked by mutual understanding, growth, friendship, and competition.
The story conveys various life lessons through the medium of sports, highlighting the importance of learning from past failures without forgetting them and moving forward towards the future.
Synopsis.
Once lauded in middle school baseball as the unbeatable pitcher-catcher duo, Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname, known as “The Monster Battery,”
choose an obscure high school, Koteshi High in Tokyo, for reasons unknown, especially puzzling as Kei has lost all his baseball knowledge due to amnesia.
They reunite with other former prodigies who had left baseball behind after defeats by them, now all coincidentally at the same school,
setting the stage for a revitalized high school baseball journey.
Introducing the main characters
Haruka Kiyomine (清峰 葉流火, Kiyomine Haruka)
- School Year: 1st Year at Koteshi High School
- Position: Pitcher
- Throws/Bats: Right/Right
- Height: 185 cm
- Birthday: December 10
- Blood Type: B
Description: Praised in middle school as ‘flawless,’ a powerhouse pitcher known for his over 140 km/h fastball and outstanding batting sense.
However, he’s not very talkative and struggles with communication. He is determined to play baseball exclusively with his childhood friend Kei.
Kei Kaname (要 圭, Kaname Kei)
- School Year: 1st Year at Koteshi High School
- Position: Catcher
- Throws/Bats: Right/Left
- Height: 172 cm
- Birthday: April 15
- Blood Type: AB
Description: Once celebrated as a ‘tactical genius’ for his calm and collected game leading, this renowned catcher was adept at hitting long balls across the field with exceptional bat control and clutch performance.
However, due to amnesia, his baseball skills have reverted to those of a complete novice. His personality has also shifted to being more honest and relaxed, occasionally spouting odd jokes.
Aoi Todo (藤堂 葵, Aoi Tōdō)
- School Year: 1st Year at Koteshi High School
- Position: Shortstop
- Throws/Bats: Right/Right
- Height: 181 cm
- Birthday: August 31
- Blood Type: O
Description: Known for his vigorous batting and strong arm, this shortstop plays with a forceful style, opting for full swings from the get-go.
Despite his flamboyant appearance, he is a serious and diligent hard-worker, embodying a stoic approach to the game.
Shunpei Chihaya (千早 瞬平, Chihaya Shunpei)
- School Year: 1st Year at Koteshi High School
- Position: Second Baseman
- Throws/Bats: Right/Switch
- Height: 167 cm
- Birthday: September 28
- Blood Type: A
Description: A second baseman who disrupts bases with his skillful bat control and swift legs. His playstyle is based on technique and theory, boasting rich baseball knowledge.
Despite his cynical personality, he serves as the team’s brain, offering valuable advice to teammates.
Highlights
The highlights of “Oblivion Battery” can be encapsulated in the following points
- Richly Drawn Characters: Central figures like Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname, along with the supporting cast, each have their own unique backgrounds and challenges. The story revolves around how they grow and influence each other.
- Psychological Battles and Strategy: The psychological warfare and strategic play during baseball games are compelling. Each move in a game carries deep thought and calculation, affecting the flow of the match.
- Amnesia and Rebirth: Kei Kaname’s amnesia is not just a dramatic plot device; it deeply influences his character development. Losing his memory allows him to rediscover himself and reignite his passion for baseball, a journey that resonates with readers.
- Youth and Friendship: The bonds formed through baseball and the competition with rivals encapsulate the essence of youth stories. The connections forged through shared struggles and growth provide many touching moments.
- Trials and Growth: The main characters face various trials through their engagement with baseball. Overcoming personal issues and conflicts and witnessing their development offers universal appeal.
- The Beauty of Baseball: Beyond the intense game moments, the manga shines a light on teamwork and individual effort. Scenes filled with love for the game are plentiful.
Thus, “Oblivion Battery” transcends the boundaries of sports manga, exploring the depths of human drama and the brilliance of youth.
Readers may find different aspects to enjoy, making it a versatile and engaging read.
style and theme
“Oblivion Battery” is characterized by its depiction of youth drama centered around sports. The style focuses on realistic interpersonal relationships and psychological portrayals,
while scenes of baseball games and practices convey intense passion and tension. Additionally, it features the growth stories of its characters, delving deeply into each person’s inner conflicts and past.
The main themes include friendship, challenge, growth, and renewal. The element of amnesia experienced by one of the key characters, Kei Kaname,
symbolizes the process of overcoming their past selves and discovering new identities.
The story delicately and powerfully illustrates the friendships formed through the shared goal of baseball, as well as the individual and team growth experienced along the way.
Another important theme is the balance between competition and cooperation. Overcoming competitions within and outside the team and approaching goals through mutual support
offers profound emotional experiences to readers. “Oblivion Battery” questions the values and meanings of life through baseball, enriching the narrative with depth not only as a sports story but also as a human drama.
Evaluation in Japan
Manga
- Total circulation: About 1 million copies
- Kodansha Manga Award, Boys’ Division: Nominated
- This Manga is Amazing! 2015: 11th place
- National Bookstore Employees’ Recommended Comics 2014: 16th place
Fan Reviews
- The story is interesting
- The characters are charming
- The art is beautiful
- The depiction of baseball is realistic
- It was moving
- I cried
- I’m looking forward to the next chapter
Main criticisms
- It is a conventional development
- There are some parts that are difficult to understand without baseball knowledge
Overall Evaluation
Oblivion Battery is a work that has attracted many fans with its charming characters and realistic baseball depiction, even though it has a conventional development. It is a work that is recommended not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like youth stories.
Staff and Cast
Cast
- Haruka Kiyomine: Toshiki Masuda
- Kei Kaname: Mamoru Miyano
- Aoi Todo: Yohei Azakami
- Shunpei Chihaya: Nobunaga Shimazaki
- Taro Yamada: Yuki Kaji
- Kazuki Tsuchiya: Yoshiaki Hasegawa
- Eiichiro Kunito: Tsuyoshi Otsuka
- Hiroshi Makida: Mark Ishii
- Akito Kirishima: Kengo Kawanishi
Staff
- Original Work: Eiko Mikawa (Serialized in Shueisha’s ‘Shonen Jump+’)
- Match Production: Eimitsu Takashima
- Director: Masato Nakazono
- Series Composition: Michiko Yokote
- Assistant Director: Takeshi Iida
- Character Design: Hitomi Hasegawa
- Action Animation Director: Junpei Tachinaka, Masahiro Tokumaru
- Art Director: Yukitoshi Funao
- Color Design: Naomi Nakano
- Director of Photography: Yuki Kawashita
- 3D Director: Kohei Ogawa
- Editor: Masato Yoshitake
- Music: Tomoki Kikuya, Hiroko Yamazaki
- Sound Director: Yasushi Nambu
- Sound Effects: Takuya Hasegawa
- Production: MAPPA
Conclusion
So far, we have looked at the outline and evaluation of the manga “Oblivion Battery”.
“Oblivion Battery” is a youth story about the growth of boys through baseball.
The main characters, Kurei Haruka and Kanae Yousuke, are both passionate about baseball. In middle school, they were a battery that everyone feared.
However, Yousuke suffers from amnesia and quits baseball.
Haruka meets Yousuke again and invites him to play baseball again. The two of them enter the same high school and decide to form a battery again.
Will the two of them be able to regain their memories and achieve their dream of going to Koshien?
“Oblivion Battery” is a work that has attracted many fans with its charming characters and realistic baseball depiction, even though it has a conventional development.
It is a work that is recommended not only for baseball fans, but also for those who like youth stories.
If you haven’t read “Oblivion Battery” yet, I highly recommend you to read it. You will surely be drawn into this story.
See you next time on my blog!
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