After recently finishing the first season of Ookiku Furikabutte, I quickly caught up with the currently-airing second season. While the latest game isn’t as intense as the match with Tousei last season, it turned out to be a great vehicle for some good-old-fashioned character development.
Especially for Hanai, the team captain.
Hanai interests me greatly. He has a strong competitive streak and a big desire to be the team’s star player, but his actual playing ability keeps him from being one. He continually reminds himself to stop being selfish and work for the good of the team, but deeply yearns to surpass the genius Tajima. I think I can sympathize with such a feeling, devoting yourself to team-oriented play because you’re just not good enough. Haven’t we all met someone like that?
Now put into Tajima’s cleanup batter slot, Hanai feels he has stepped into shoes too big to fill up. This thought wears on his self-confidence further, and I am torn between calling him pathetic and urging him on to do his best.
I sure can’t blame Tajima for being so damn good (and awesome), but his exploits really are quite a double-edged sword. By just being himself, he prevents Hanai from growing as a player, and no-one could do anything about that. This show, it kills me so.
Will Hanai be able to do something Tajima couldn’t? How will Momo-kan handle his self-destructive behavior?
That’s exactly what I’ll be finding out in the next few weeks.
Continuing World 
That’s a nice angle to take it.
Looks like I’ll be checking out another baseball title.
I feel sorry for Hanai but he’s trying to fill in such a big shoes.
Tajima is made of pure win after all
I’m not terribly inclined to see Ookiku Furikabutte. I saw some of Cross Game and liked it, but somehow baseball just takes effort for me to like.
But that’s why I appreciate posts like these, which tell me the really interesting parts. Cheers. š
So 2DT, you don’t want to watch the show…yet you want to read plot details on blogs. For a show you don’t watch. Okay then….
DO UR BEST HANAI!!! REMEMBER UR SIZE!!!
Hanai’s a bigger guy, and naturally more muscle then Tajima. If he works at it, and learns to control the ball just a little more, there’s a great chance that he’ll be a great home run hitter. But at the same time *blushes* He is he cutest uke ever ^^ (Am I aloud to say that?) Tajima’s his seme of course^^ (I’m not sure if I am). Tajima’s a high percentage hitter, who’s able to call almost 80% of his hits, but his limit seems to be able to get a double, but unlikely homers.
I hope the series picks up again, so we get to see more of Hanai’s development. You can’t let the good captain down!