Moshidora (TV)

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

For another thing, if the infielders are drawn in close, there is either a big gap between them and the outfielders, or else the outfielders are drawn in, too, and a moderate fly ball will go over their heads. In cricket terms, the close infield is like having all four infielders playing "silly mid" positions, so close to the batter that they can only catch balls hit very near them, and then only if they have quick reflexes, lol.

While I still think that the "no balls, no bunt" strategy has some practical merit, at least for Minami's baseball team in particular, I do question this part of it that you're referring to here. But then, I don't really grasp why this would be a part of a "no balls, no bunt" strategy to begin with.

How far "in" or "out" you position your fielders typically depends on the perceived strength of the specific batter that you're facing. In other words, it adjusts back and forth throughout the game, unless the Manager chooses not to bother with it at all.

You draw fielders in close for batters that either lack power and/or prefer to hit for average. This is because such batters are more likely to hit ground balls that you'll need to field, and won't be able to catch for an out.

You draw fielders farther out for batters that have considerable power and/or prefer to hit for power (i.e. swing for the fences). This is because such batters are more likely to go deep when they do hit the ball (so if your fielders are too close in, the ball will simply shoot over their heads, even if it isn't a homerun).

So if your pitcher is facing a good clean-up hitter, shifting your fielders inward makes no sense to me, even if you are employing a "no balls, no bunts" strategy.


Other than this, though, I still see some rationale to the no balls, no bunts strategy for Minami's team.



Putting aside the sports strategy side of things, I did like Episode 6 a lot. I like how this anime keeps serving up new, practical, and believable problems for Minami to deal with. It's totally believable that this school's baseball team is now the talk of the school (given Minami's impact on it), hence leading to more 1st year students wanting to join than what the team really wants or needs. So Minami was absolutely right to interview all of these applicants, and screen out most of them. It's good to see that while she's generally a kindhearted person, she's willing to be ruthlessly efficient when that's absolutely necessary in order to achieve key goals.

Making Nikai the Team Captain I have mixed feelings on. It was a beautiful scene in many ways, and Nikai has clearly rose to be a very important character in this anime, so it's nice to see him get a powerful scene here.

On the other hand, having your team's Captain be someone who isn't an actual player is perhaps even more unusual than the no bunts, no balls strategy. Still, I guess that goes with the wildly innovative approach to baseball that Minami has clearly embraced, and which is in keeping with Drucker's book.


Overall, I'd give Episode 6 a 8.5/10

Very nice. Very solid. Nothing that blows me away, but just good, consistent, believable storytelling and character development.

[Anh_Minh]

More death flags for Yuki. ;_;

Also, more alienation for the poor girl. She's probably feeling like she's lost her place as manager.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

More death flags for Yuki. ;_;

Also, more alienation for the poor girl. She's probably feeling like she's lost her place as manager.

Yes, I have to agree with that.


A few other points on Episode 7:

Moshidora is clearly influenced by The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I had alluded to this before, but it's a bit more obvious now, what with Minami wielding a megaphone and being able to create such drama.

Now, I'm not saying this to be critical. I think it's actually very smart of Moshidora to have its female lead be inspired a bit by Haruhi.


That being said, I think Minami is nearing a setback point. I have a feeling that her philosophical debate with Yuki is a bit of a turning point for Minami. I suspect that her team might not make the Nationals, and that will force Minami to rethink what Yuki said to her.

These are just speculations though.


Truly loved Episode 7 overall. It managed to make the baseball games seem pretty exciting.

9/10 for it.

[Xacual]

Personally I saw Yuki's and Minami's attitudes as:

Minami - Established goal as the Nationals and does not want to divert from that, optimistic?

Yuki - Accepting possible defeat before it happens just in case to cushion the blow, realistic / pessimistic?

I'd also suggest that Yuki is being more pessimistic because of her illness. It sounds like there is some bad news maybe she won't be able to ever be a manager again. She was quite upset when Minami said there wouldn't be anymore interviews which cut back what little manager duties she was able to do.

[Kanon]

So much death flags... Yuki's going to die, isn't she? ;_;

Minami and Yuki's opposite views on the tournament were interesting. I don't think it's a matter of being optimistic or pessimistic. Minami is taking a professional approach: bringing the team to koushien is her job. She's doing that to help themachieve their goal, and not for fun. Yuki, on the other hand, is more laid back. She thinks failure is ok as long as everyone had fun and got something out of it. Losing can sometimes teach you more than winning. She's the Pierre de Coubertin of this anime.

I think they both have a point, but I'm inclined to side with Yuki on this one.

[Tri-ring]

I believe Minami had lost sight of the customer's desire and her mission.
Was the customer's desire toward the team to go to Koshien or was it to deliver something else?

[JagdPanther]

In the words of Herm Edwards... you PLAY to WIN the GAME.

Yeah, it's very unfortunate, but the death flags are, in fact, riding high. Something is clearly wrong. I wish Minami would've pressed about it instead of letting things slide.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Kanon

So much death flags... Yuki's going to die, isn't she? ;_;

Either that, or she's going to attend the game in episode 10. Leaving her in the hospital provides no dramatic resolution.

How many months has Yuuki been in the hospital now, with 70% of her expenses covered by Japan's national health insurance system? How have her parents come up with their 30% share of what must be tens or hundreds of thousands of yen per day? Whatever her illness, its principal symptom seems to be keeping Yuuki bedridden. Why isn't she just bedridden at home?

I generally dislike slckly-girl characters, but Hanazawa's sprightly performance makes Yuuki rather more palatable than most. I could do without the melodrama though.

Minami and Yuki's opposite views on the tournament were interesting. I don't think it's a matter of being optimistic or pessimistic. Minami is taking a professional approach: bringing the team to koushien is her job.... Yuki, on the other hand, is more laid back.

I thought of TinyRedLeaf's earlier analysis during this scene.

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I'm beginning to see why the original novel was such a hit in Japan, emphasising as it does the communal spirit and integrity that makes for good management, values that would no doubt resonate with the Japanese, who are big on team work and public harmony.

Yuuki embodies this communal perspective on management by her emphasis on personal development and the joys of teamwork. One would think from what we've seen about Drucker's theories so far, Yuuki might be expressing his views as well. But no, Minami whips out her copy of Management and points to a seemingly different Drucker. This one tells us results are everything, and ganbatte isn't enough. Is this a conflict between "Eastern" and "Western" theories of management, a conflict within Drucker's theory, both, neither?

As for the similarity with Haruhi, I think it's most obvious when Minami is shot from the front like these:

Spoiler:

The shape of her mouth in the second image seems especially Haruhi-like.

I doubt it's accidental.

[Dr. Casey]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Whatever her illness, its principal symptom seems to be keeping Yuuki bedridden. Why isn't she just bedridden at home?

And I agree with everyone that Yuuki has indeed raised quite a few death flags, though personally I think Minami has possibly raised even more.

My own personal speculation for how the series will end is that Minami's unique approach as manager will bring her team to the finals. However, the other team that they're slated to compete against in the championship match will think that it's impossible to defeat Minami and friends, and so one of the rival team's members will kill Minami just before the finals in an attempt to demotivate her companions. Minami's team is crushed, but they soldier on despite their heartbreak and win the championship trophy in honor of Minami's memory. I'm not 100% positive by any means that this is how the series will end, it's just an idea.

[Haak]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

And I agree with everyone that Yuuki has indeed raised quite a few death flags, though personally I think Minami has possibly raised even more.

My own personal speculation for how the series will end is that Minami's unique approach as manager will bring her team to the finals. However, the other team that they're slated to compete against in the championship match will think that it's impossible to defeat Minami and friends, and so one of the rival team's members will kill Minami just before the finals in an attempt to demotivate her companions. Minami's team is crushed, but they soldier on despite their heartbreak and win the championship trophy in honor of Minami's memory. I'm not 100% positive by any means that this is how the series will end, it's just an idea.

Lol, dude, I think Madoka Magica has had a bit too much influence on your perspective. XD

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Yes, I have to agree with that.


A few other points on Episode 7:

Moshidora is clearly influenced by The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I had alluded to this before, but it's a bit more obvious now, what with Minami wielding a megaphone and being able to create such drama.

I think the megaphone is a staple of supporters. It was fun seeing Aoba (Cross Game) bludgeon people with one. Thank god it's not a vuvuzella, though...

Originally Posted by Kanon

So much death flags... Yuki's going to die, isn't she? ;_;

Minami and Yuki's opposite views on the tournament were interesting. I don't think it's a matter of being optimistic or pessimistic. Minami is taking a professional approach: bringing the team to koushien is her job. She's doing that to help themachieve their goal, and not for fun. Yuki, on the other hand, is more laid back. She thinks failure is ok as long as everyone had fun and got something out of it. Losing can sometimes teach you more than winning. She's the Pierre de Coubertin of this anime.

I think they both have a point, but I'm inclined to side with Yuki on this one.

I don't think it's a matter of optimism either. I think it's a matter of perspective. Minami's still in the middle of it. She still has things to do, she can still make a difference, and she hasn't delivered on the Koshien thing, so she doesn't want to let up.

Yuki looks more like she's at an end. She's tallying accounts. That's why it looks so sinister...

[Triple_R]

Concerning Minami's disagreement with Yuki, I think that it might point towards a possible fundamental misunderstanding, or forgetfulness, on Minami's part.

To put it simply: Why did Minami do all of this in the first place? What was her primary original goal in choosing to Manage the Baseball Team?

I haven't read Drucker's book, but I wonder if there's any section in it that advises Managers to never lose sight of their original primary objectives.

And wasn't Minami's original primary objective basically to make Yuki happy, and to help cheer her up?

Just something to think about...

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Concerning Minami's disagreement with Yuki, I think that it might point towards a possible fundamental misunderstanding, or forgetfulness, on Minami's part.

To put it simply: Why did Minami do all of this in the first place? What was her primary original goal in choosing to Manage the Baseball Team?

I haven't read Drucker's book, but I wonder if there's any section in it that advises Managers to never lose sight of their original primary objectives.

And wasn't Minami's original primary objective basically to make Yuki happy, and to help cheer her up?

Just something to think about...

OTOH, she promised to do the manager's job seriously. Failing to do that would be failing a lot more people than just Yuki.

[mizou]

Someone can tell me what's the purpose of the anime ? I mean I just watched more than half of episode 1 so I don't have an overall idea about the story! from what I understand it's an anime about baseball girl manager! so I don't expect much action! maybe I'm wrong so I want to know because you follow the releases : Is there Baseball play like ookiku with tension or if's just talking about how to play ?

[Dop]

Pretty much ever since episode one I've thought that come the Big Game, Yuki will be dying... If she doesn't actually die, it'll be close.

"Let's go out there and win one for the gipper Yuki."

All those paper cranes in the end sequence are significant, I think.

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

OTOH, she promised to do the manager's job seriously. Failing to do that would be failing a lot more people than just Yuki.

True. It's perfectly right for Minami to do what she can to help lead her team to the Nationals.

But the process itself involves some smaller successes, and has clearly earned some rewards. Think of how much it's bringing the school together, of how much camaraderie and school spirit its created.

I think that Yuki is telling Minami to not get overly invested in going to the Nationals. Of course it would be great if the team did, but there's a danger that Minami will consider everything up until now a complete failure if the team doesn't make it to the Nationals, and I think that would be a grievous shame given the positives that have already come to fruition from Minami's managerial approach. I also think that this is what Yuki is afraid of. She doesn't want to see her close friend, who she has come to greatly admire, suffer a nasty disappointment like that.

[ipodi]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

My own personal speculation for how the series will end is that Minami's unique approach as manager will bring her team to the finals. However, the other team that they're slated to compete against in the championship match will think that it's impossible to defeat Minami and friends, and so one of the rival team's members will kill Minami just before the finals in an attempt to demotivate her companions. Minami's team is crushed, but they soldier on despite their heartbreak and win the championship trophy in honor of Minami's memory. I'm not 100% positive by any means that this is how the series will end, it's just an idea.

I am sorry, but this has got to be one of the most inconceivable speculations ever put forth, unless you are just joking. It would be infinitely more advantageous to kill a starting player than to kill the manager if the goal is to win the game.

Yuuki embodies this communal perspective on management by her emphasis on personal development and the joys of teamwork. One would think from what we've seen about Drucker's theories so far, Yuuki might be expressing his views as well. But no, Minami whips out her copy of Management and points to a seemingly different Drucker. This one tells us results are everything, and ganbatte isn't enough. Is this a conflict between "Eastern" and "Western" theories of management, a conflict within Drucker's theory, both, neither?

Personal development is a means to an end. You succeed by learning from your failures so you could try again, but it's not okay to justify your failure. Hopefully, as employees continue to learn from their past mistakes, they will learn to do things better (i.e.,personal development), and try again to succeed. But personal development is never meant to be the goal for an organization-it's a goal only for individuals.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Either that, or she's going to attend the game in episode 10. Leaving her in the hospital provides no dramatic resolution.

How many months has Yuuki been in the hospital now, with 70% of her expenses covered by Japan's national health insurance system? How have her parents come up with their 30% share of what must be tens or hundreds of thousands of yen per day? Whatever her illness, its principal symptom seems to be keeping Yuuki bedridden. Why isn't she just bedridden at home?

I generally dislike slckly-girl characters, but Hanazawa's sprightly performance makes Yuuki rather more palatable than most. I could do without the melodrama though.

I'm a bit sick (no pun intended) of sickly girl in anime too, especially since their illnesses are always the same: mysterious disease whose only symptom is "being unable to leave the bed". Sometimes comes with a light cough as well, usually appears when the patient is near death.

I do like Yuki a lot though, mainly for her gentle personality. Oh and yeah, being voiced by HanaKana helps.

[Deconstructor]

Originally Posted by Dr. Casey

However, the other team that they're slated to compete against in the championship match will think that it's impossible to defeat Minami and friends, and so one of the rival team's members will kill Minami just before the finals in an attempt to demotivate her companions.

I didn't know Lil' Slugger was pinch-hitting for the enemy team.

[Guardian Enzo]

Indeed, serious death flags for Yuki again in episode 7. I've been thinking the spoilerific crying in the ED was when the team lost, but might it be because they won one for Yuki?