ANIME REVIEW | The Daily Goings-On at a Lively "Ballpark"
Since moving to Tokyo, I’ve been finding myself going to a lot more baseball games. For one, they’re a hell of a lot cheaper than in America, as I’ve paid an average of $45 for Yomiuri Giants tickets compared to Boston Red Sox’s $200! Second, the fans are a whole lot livelier, as they sing, chant, and wave their arms around almost for the entirety of the game! (American fans, meanwhile, need a pipe organ to motivate them to merely cheer for their own damn team!) Lastly, with it being cheaper and more livelier, the vibes of a Japanese baseball game are way more fun, as I’ve lost count of how many times I could feel my ass getting sore at Fenway Park.
But I’m not here to praise Japanese baseball and bash its poorer, duller American counterpart. I’ve got an anime to write about. And fortunately, it just so happens to be about Japan’s Favorite Pastime! However, Catch Me at the Ballpark!, based on the manga by Tatsuro Suga, isn’t about the people who hit homers or win championships; it’s about the little people who make the games an enjoyable experience for everyone.
The main character of Catch Me at the Ballpark! is Ruriko (Fairouz Ai), a beer vendor gyaru working at the Chiba MotorSuns Stadium. Her task is to walk around the ballpark and serve alcohol to the customers. One of her favorite customers is Murata (Satoshi Inomata), a salaryman who comes to games to relieve his stress from work. Ruriko’s teasing and Murata’s knack for being a repeat customer of hers could be hinting at a romance building up, but that’s not what this anime is about.
Instead, Catch Me at the Ballpark! shows the ballpark through the eyes of many. Players, vendors, announcers, mascots, and even the wives of aging baseball stars showcase a different light of what goes on before, during, and after the game goes on. It brings a refreshing take on the sports genre, as it’s not just the players on the field that keep the ballgame rolling. Nay, it’s an entire army of folks that make going to support your team a memorable time!
For starters, there are the security guards, who help keep everyone safe. A great example of their dedication arrives when rookie guard Reiji (Chiharu Sawashiro) learns from the veteran Ryuichi (Jin Urayama) how to calm a lost kid. It goes into a flashback to when Reiji was young and lost at the park, only for his future senpai to be the one to help him out. The moment teaches Reiji to take his job more seriously, as there’s no such thing as an annoying emergency.
Those who are hungry can count on the concession stand workers. Natsuno (Ayumi Mano) is often working there, hoping one day to become a beer vendor girl herself. However, despite her not landing her dream job, she still works hard for herself and the ballpark. This dedication delights her coworkers, to the point where she becomes the go-to girl for getting your baseball grub! (Yes, she gets a raise, too.)
Perhaps the most entertaining folks in Catch Me at the Ballpark! are the ones attending the games themselves. Player wife Yuki (Rika Tachibana) and player girlfriend Kisa (Wakana Kuramochi) often go to cheer their men on, even if they aren’t really much into baseball. A fight to help sell their respective beloved’s themed meal results in both stomachaches and a mutual respect for one another. There are also the older drunks who often find joy in talking to Ruriko, who go so far as to teach her how to use social media! (Not all gyarus are tech-savvy, apparently!)
However, the best character — even ranking above the best girl Ruriko — is Sun-Shiro. The silent mascot of the MotorSuns is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. He dances, he wrestles, and even acts as the staff psychiatrist when the time calls for it. Just who is behind the mask of Sun-Shiro? Nobody knows, and perhaps that’s for the best.
Visually, the series can unfortunately suffer from looking like PowerPoint presentations. EMT Squared (A Destructive God Sits Next to Me) may have the characters and setting look bright, but the movement can be choppy. Where this flaw is showcased well is during the mascot fight in Episode Six. Instead of going all in with the crazy antics, the fight between Sun-Shiro and Fukuoka Styx mascot Kaiser is very underwhelming, with the humor saved more for the dialogue rather than having an animated bit of cartoony violence.
Despite the animation not being up to par with other sports-based series, the strengths of Catch Me at the Ballpark! help to overcome this downside. The voice cast is great, with Fairouz leading the charge with glee as Ruriko. The composing duo of MONACA (Shangri-La Frontier, Monster Strike) do an okay job with the anime’s score, but it’s the theme songs that shine musically. Genic gets the right exciting tone with their opener “Hurray!!”, while the female voice cast get a seventh-inning stretch-worthy closer in the dance-friendly “Ballpark de Shake! Don’t Shake!”
Watching Catch Me at the Ballpark! won’t replace the feeling of going to the game. However, it will want you to go out and experience one yourself. Its delightful cast, fun stories, and heartwarming moments go to great lengths to show why — no matter the final outcome — going to a baseball game is fun and enjoyable. It’s not exactly a grand slam anime, but Catch Me at the Ballpark! gets enough base hits to make any sports fan’s hearts pound with joy.
Story:
Script:
Animation:
Voice Acting:
Soundtrack:
Final Grade (not an average):
Catch Me at the Ballpark! can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and has been licensed by Crunchyroll. Episodes 1-8 were observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.
