(L) Ookiku Furikabutte (Big Windup!)

[mit7059]

Somehow I would be surprised if they made another season of Oofuri, as sad as that might be. I'm just hoping that since Nice Pitching picked up the manga we can look forward to quicker manga scans. I don't think I've ever been as captivated by a series as I was by this one where I couldn't wait at all for the next episode characterized by obsessive checking of central's forums for the status of the next episode. The only anime that even came close was probably Honey & Clover, but even then I could be more patient, with Oofuri I needed it NOW. There's something just inherently dramatic about the Japanese Tournament style of baseball, win you go on, lose you go home.

[firehawk12]

You know, comparing this to Cross Game, I do appreciate that the games seem more dramatic, even if they can be a little gimmicky. I guess it's probably because real baseball could never be as exciting as they make it in the show.

I guess it didn't do to well in Japan that a second season is out of the question?

[jpwong]

Well, you have to admit that Ooffuri uses baseball to drive the story and pretty much be the central story whereas Cross Game's main plot is the love story aspect and baseball is just one of the things to drive it's story onward. It's only natural that the heavier focus on baseball is going to result in more dramatic and epic games.

[mit7059]

Originally Posted by firehawk12

You know, comparing this to Cross Game, I do appreciate that the games seem more dramatic, even if they can be a little gimmicky. I guess it's probably because real baseball could never be as exciting as they make it in the show.

I guess it didn't do to well in Japan that a second season is out of the question?

I think the series did do well but I'm not sure if there is enough manga to make a second season yet. Also this somehow feel like the type of series where they don't make a second season and just expect people to start reading the manga, sorta like H2. Because the games take so long it can also be hard to package a 26 episode series. Say the season starts with 2 starter episodes, then 10 for a game like against tosei then 3 in between but then what if a game needs to take like 15 episodes? Considering how in depth the details are its not out of the question. Also keep in mind that even if there was a second season we might not we able to see it, Oofuri is licenced, and while Funimation might not own the rights to any second season, they also very well could and Central is the only group that cares about Oofuri and they stay far away from licensing issues. But who knows maybe we'll get lucky, I'll be reading the manga regardless.

I think one of the reasons why the baseball in oofuri/cross game seems more dramatic than say your average MLB game is because so much more is on the line. If a major league team loses a game, big deal, there are 162 in a season, if a high-school team in Japan loses a game, they go home, there are no second chances. For that reason alone it makes the game more dramatic, and from what I hear about real Koshien it sounds plenty dramatic. Japanese baseball in general just sounds like a lot of fun, in their major leagues every player has their own song that the fans will sing every time they come to bat, comeon how could you not have fun at a game like that?

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by firehawk12

You know, comparing this to Cross Game, I do appreciate that the games seem more dramatic, even if they can be a little gimmicky. I guess it's probably because real baseball could never be as exciting as they make it in the show.

With regards to whether baseball in Oofuri is real enough, it is probably the most realistic of all the baseball anime shows done so far.

Originally Posted by firehawk12

I guess it didn't do to well in Japan that a second season is out of the question?

The first season did okay ratings-wise but the DVDs sold extremely well with an average of more than 10k DVDs per volume, IIRC. That's considered extremely good in Japan for an anime show.

A second season will depend on how far they want to take it. As mentioned in an earlier post of mine, the end of the Oofuri anime corresponded to the 30th monthly instalment. As of to date, the manga series has reached the 71st monthly instalment. There is more than enough for a second season of 26 episodes but I wonder whether that certain instalment would be a good stopping point (and if you don't mind being spoiled, you can PM me for more info).

[firehawk12]

Maybe it's because I'm in Toronto, but the combination of artificial field turf and a retractable dome means that none of that muddy baseball ever happens here.
If another team as stolen your pitcher's motion, it might also be a good time to send in the relief pitcher.

I do agree that there's a different emphasis in Cross Game... but having the games come down to a superduper mega player who can hit home runs as well pitch extremely well? Yeah, I'm watching it more to see which characters end up together rather than for the baseball.

As for a second season, I guess the various licensing issues would present some problems here, but I just assumed that a second season would get made and that the series would end with them presumably winning the Koshien. Now I'm curious about this stopping point though... I almost want to know about it. :lol:

I'm glad it's been a moderate financial success... hopefully someone is already planning out a second season in some office somewhere.

[mit7059]

Originally Posted by firehawk12

As for a second season, I guess the various licensing issues would present some problems here, but I just assumed that a second season would get made and that the series would end with them presumably winning the Koshien. Now I'm curious about this stopping point though... I almost want to know about it. :lol:

I'm glad it's been a moderate financial success... hopefully someone is already planning out a second season in some office somewhere.

Thats the problem though, they could never fit the rest of the story into just one season.

[Theowne]

I definitely think there's a lot more drama and weight with Japanese high school baseball tournaments compared to just watching a regular pro game. Not that pro games can't be exciting, but there's a lot more weight in Oofuri because one loss means you're out of the running for good, and that means, as people often say in these baseball anime, that your "summer has ended". Every single mistake and little victory has a great deal more effect. The high school baseball shows end up feeling more tied to the personal achievements of the characters. And while this doesn't quite apply to the OF cast, for some players in their senior year the only remaining chance at Koushien they will ever have can hang on one game.....I was watching a documentary called "Kokoyakyu" from PBS, and you can see that anime doesn't exaggerate it, these kids take it really seriously, when they lose they really do break into tears, in the video I was watching even the Coach was crying along with his student.

Anyways with regards to comparisons with Cross Game, I think Oofuri is really, as I said before, just about showing us every element of playing baseball from the perspective of one team that is formed at the beginning. Stuff like Cross Game or Touch is about specific characters and their story which involves baseball, but the focus is always on them individually.

I'm not going to pretend I know if a second season is likely, but I do hope for more animated material because quite frankly I'm still not able to perfectly follow the plays in manga form as well as I could seeing it in motion. And I always prefer a good animated version to the manga, even though I can get through the story a lot faster in manga.

EDIT: I didn't realize the mangaka was a woman. That's interesting, so this is a portrayal of a male-dominated sport with a male-dominated cast/interaction written by a woman. And here I thought the proportions on Momokan was a dead giveaway for a male author.

[firehawk12]

Originally Posted by mit7059

Thats the problem though, they could never fit the rest of the story into just one season.

I don't know anything about the manga, but if they did some time compression with the games and kept it to the "key" moments, they could probably save several episodes that way.

Originally Posted by Theowne

EDIT: I didn't realize the mangaka was a woman. That's interesting, so this is a portrayal of a male-dominated sport with a male-dominated cast/interaction written by a woman. And here I thought the proportions on Momokan was a dead giveaway for a male author.

Yeah, it was one of the reasons I was drawn to the series before I even considered Adachi. This clearly ain't Taishou Yakyuu Masume anyway.

[mit7059]

Originally Posted by firehawk12

I don't know anything about the manga, but if they did some time compression with the games and kept it to the "key" moments, they could probably save several episodes that way.

But I wouldn't want them to do that, I think it would cheapen it, the heart and soul of Oofuri is that is the detail it goes into, by switching to the standard 'only show the key moments' I feel like the show would lose a lot.

[Theowne]

One of the best things about the show, for me at least, was that it was detailed and made you really feel like you were watching a real game play by play, and was still able to be dramatic in depicting this.

[Veritas]

Rumor circulating on 2ch that Oofuri is being picked up for a second season coming in spring. Nothing confirmed, but please. Pleeeeeeeeeeease....

[Katapan]

Originally Posted by Veritas

Rumor circulating on 2ch that Oofuri is being picked up for a second season coming in spring. Nothing confirmed, but please. Pleeeeeeeeeeease....

I wonder what they're basing this assumption on. I wanted to spread a similar rumor here, but the only reason I have to think that a second season is in the works is that Oofuri's currently getting a rerun on TBS. That, plus the fact that it was immensely popular, of course - we knew a sequel would be coming one day, it was just a matter of when. If 2ch has more to say on the matter, I'd love to hear it, and then look forward to spring so damn much.

[Kirarakim]

That would be fantastic because a few series I am following will be ending around the spring and I will have something to look forward too.

Well here's hoping the rumors are based on some truth.

[Proto]

Anyone watched the R1 DVD's? How is their quality of the sub/dub? I was thinking on acquiring this show but wanted to ask here before.

[Veritas]

Get the DVDs. I got into this animu through reviewing the R1. I watched both and prefer the dub over the sub.

It's also just a really attractive package. The covers and interiors of both volumes are really nice, and the spines make a picture of Abe and Mihashi standing next to each other. Also each disc has a picture of the base on it (4th disc is called Home) so you can make a little baseball diamond.

[monir]

I also recommend getting the DVDs. It's the only sport series I've bought DVDs for.

And yeah, the rumor has been spreading for few days already. I don't know how it was started, but I sure hope that's the case that a second season is in the works.

[firehawk12]

Nice. I guess we'll know more soon, but I certainly hope it's true.

[Theowne]

Anticipation building....I was so hooked when I first watched the series that I went through all the episodes in the span of two days.

[mit7059]

Originally Posted by Theowne

Anticipation building....I was so hooked when I first watched the series that I went through all the episodes in the span of two days.

I wish I had been able to do this, unfortunatly I was watching from the first episode and had to suffer through waiting for releases, checking central's website multiple times daily, waiting through slow torrents right after they came out etc. I'm so glad that the manga is getting regularly scanlated again, nice pitching is doing a great job but I try not to think about their *ehem* other works. *shudders slightly* and I love how they update the status of the translation like Central did with the anime. A season 2 would be excellent, I'm glad that the show was more popular in Japan than it was here.