The long-awaited anime version was broadcast in April this year, and became a hot topic on social media. As a fan of the series, I enjoyed watching every episode right up to the final episode, with its beautiful drawings, lively characters, and unique animation that made the most of the series’ charm.
However, as a fan of the original work, I would like to tell those who are only watching the anime that “Wasurenai Battery gets increasingly interesting from here on out.” I would like those who have watched the anime to read the rest of the story in the original work.
So I decided to write down my passionate thoughts. The anime has been adapted up to the middle of volume 5 of the 18 volumes that have been released so far. This is where the growth of Haruka Kiyomine, Kei Kaname, and the Kotesashi baseball team begins!
*This article contains some spoilers.
So far, the Kotesashi baseball team has played against strong teams such as Teitoku High School and Hyoga High School. However, these were just practice matches. From volume 6, the summer tournament for the Koshien tournament begins.
In official matches, where a single loss means the dream of participating in Koshien is shattered, the excitement is completely different from practice matches. In the midst of all this, I hope you will pay attention to the Kotesashi baseball team, which is growing not only as individual members but also as a team.
Taro Yamada is the narrator of this story, and is trusted by his teammates for his solid skills and kind personality. In preparation for the summer tournament, he decides to switch positions to first baseman.
Yamada, who was a catcher until junior high school, will give up his position to Kaname in Kotesashi. However, Kaname has lost his memory and his skills are amateurish. Yamada may also have a chance to work hard as a catcher.
Even so, Yamada says he is truly looking forward to the success of the Kiyomine/Kaname battery. His expression is beaming as he talks about how proud he is to be able to catch balls that the fielders put their soul into.
The first baseman is an important position, almost like the catcher of the infield. Readers will surely fall in love with Yama-chan as he plays first base in the summer tournament!
Kotesashi’s ace pitcher is the genius pitcher, Kiyomine Haruka. However, with so many games concentrated in a short period of time in the summer tournament, they can’t just let Kiyomine keep pitching.
So Kotesashi decides to conserve Kiyomine’s energy. The pitcher in place of Kiyomine is Suzuki, a second-year who has experience as a pitcher since elementary school.
Suzuki can throw a stable sidearm pitch, but the ball is slow and is sure to be hit. By helping Suzuki with defense, Kotesashi will improve his team strength.
The anime also depicts the achievements of team members who don’t get much attention, and you’re sure to get your heart racing with more thrilling matches than ever before!
Kei Kaname’s memory loss holds the key to this work. The final episode of the anime depicted some of the darkness in his heart, but from here on, the reason for his memory loss will gradually become clear.
A big trigger was the “Zettai Notebook” that Kaname wrote when he was an elementary school student (which actually appeared in the anime’s ending animation). In the numerous notebooks, traces of the efforts that the young Kaname had made in studying baseball were left behind. Kaname himself, who had lost his memory, did not remember this, but encouraged by his own efforts in the past, Kaname puts even more effort into practicing and becomes better.
However, with this notebook as a clue, Kaname also remembers memories that he “didn’t want to remember.” Why did Kaname lose his memory despite having the skills to be described as a “monster battery” of junior high school students? Be sure to watch to find out the truth behind the biggest mystery in this work.
One of the biggest attractions of this work is the comedy. There are many anime fans who love the sharp comedy. From the second half of volume 5 onwards, the number of heated matches and serious scenes increases, but the sharp comedy is still alive and well!
From here on, for those who love the comedy episodes of “Wasurei Battery”, I will introduce three of the best comedy episodes selected by me based on my own personal opinion!
Kotesashi High School’s first summer tournament has finally begun. The opponent in the first match is… the coach and the ace have the same face. Just because it’s the first time participating in the metropolitan school, they look down on Kotesashi with all their might. The opposing coach loudly declares, “It’s a 5th inning cold game!”… this is a sign of things to come.
Meanwhile, the game finally begins. The opposing pitcher is a middle-aged, overweight man, clearly over 30 years old. He doesn’t look like a high school student at all. You’d think he’d be amazing if he made fun of Kotesashi so much, but he allows hits in succession to the first batter Todo and the second batter Chihaya, and in an instant they lose two runs.
攻守交替し、次は相手高校の攻撃です。これまた大したことはないだろうと舐めてかかる相手監督。そんな舐めた態度を清峰の剛速球でコテンパンに打ち負かし、15対0で小手指がコールド勝ち！ 今までいろんな野球漫画を読んできましたが、こんなに笑える初戦は初めてでした。
第2話から名前だけ登場していた清峰葉流火の兄。そう、AV保有数7千本を誇るキングオブAV鑑賞ニストの兄・清峰葉流馬です。その兄が50話でついにその姿を現します。
普段は傍若無人でマイペースな清峰が名前を聞くだけで怯える兄。どんな人物かと思いきや、予想の斜め上を行く馬のマスクで登場します。しかしその見た目に反して口調は丁寧で礼儀正しい常識人のよう。
一方、弟の非常識な態度にはとても厳しいようで、チームメイトの前で兄にしばかれまくる清峰。兄に虐げられる清峰の姿はチームメイトたちの目にも私たち読者の目にもとても新鮮に映ります。
これまで登場したキャラクターの中でもダントツで濃いキャラ・清峰葉流馬に大笑いしちゃってください！
最後にご紹介するのは、清峰たちにラブコールを送り続ける帝徳高校の岩崎監督の回。清峰たちを前に取り乱す岩崎監督の姿に気づいた帝徳の部員たちが、その真相を探る様子が描かれています。
厳格な名将であるはずの監督の様子がおかしい原因が小手指の選手だと推理した部員たちは、監督の足元に清峰、要、藤堂、千早の写真を仕掛けます。そしてちょうどいいところに現れる監督。
バラまかれた写真を拾った監督はしばらく凝視した後、震えはじめ、平然と立ったかと思いきや即座に膝から崩れ落ちてしまいます。その後、床やフェンスを叩きながら「なんで来んかったん」と激しく取り乱します。キャラ崩壊が止まりません。
監督をなだめようと影で見ていた部員たちが駆け寄ると、すぐさま取り繕うものの、その顔には隠しきれない涙が……。表紙から爆笑必須の53話、ぜひご覧ください。
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現在甲子園では高校球児たちが熱戦を繰り広げている真っ最中。さらに、お盆休みで長くお休みだという方も多いのではないでしょうか。原作は「少年ジャンプ＋」で初回全話無料で読むことができますし、アニメも各配信サービスで視聴することができますので、ぜひこの機会に『忘却バッテリー』に触れてみていただきたいです。
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