Are you a huge baseball fan? I’m not, but I have new found respect
for the sport and check in on it occasionally. All thanks to a sports
manga called Daiya no Ace (Ace of Diamond). Sports manga seem to be a
hit or miss genre with most readers. Either you like them or you don’t.
Popular series like Kuroko no Basket builds upon the popularity of
basketball and by paying homage to a well-respected classic: Slam Dunk.
As someone who’s consumed hordes of sports manga, there’s none that have
done it quite like Ace of Diamond
Daiya
no Ace is about Eijun Sawamura, the best pitcher from his middle school
on a doomed team. After a scout sees him pitch, he’s invited to a
well-known baseball school away from his home town, friends and family.
Upon arrival he’s thrown into the chaos of trying to be varsity player
for Seido High School. As he lived his life being better than all the
people in his area, he’s quickly humbled when thrown into the heart and
pinnacle of high school baseball in Japan. A lot of sports manga series
suffer from having a main character that’s virtually unstoppable. Kagami
Taiga from Kuroko no Basket who gets random power ups in match and can
jump out the gym, Eichizen Ryoma who’s never lost an official tennis
match on screen (Prince of Tennis). In Ace of Diamond the reality of
there is always someone better is quickly made apparent even with the
vigorous amounts of effort and training put in. Everyone has things they
specialize in and certain things they aren’t good at. Or all-rounders’,
jack of all trades but masters at none. You can either strengthen what
you’re good at or attempt to fix what you aren’t good at.
Even as far as Daiya no Ace has gotten, Sawamura still isn’t a starting pitcher or the best player on his team. He is a valued member who has a never give up attitude and gives the team positive vibes, but he’s not over powered. Although he’s stupid and unrefined (which his upperclassmen never fail to beat into him, literally). It’s refreshing to see a sports series that does away with the ridiculous powers, unstoppable main characters to get a well-grounded series and a relatable protagonist.
Respected lengthy series that continue to do well take time establishing its characters and building its world accordingly. Daiya no Ace doesn’t rush into official matches but instead takes it’s time starting with tryouts and several chapters of the team practicing. It captures the true essence and nature of playing sports on a team. Rivalries, companionships and competitiveness. Not everyone can play so each day every player goes out and does their best in order to receive recognition from the coach. The training sessions are engaging, hilarious and focus on team chemistry building. Even characters that may not get along eventually come to respect each other’s roles on the team and what they bring to the squad. The characters are probably the best thing about this narrative. Each character has tons of character depth and impressive development throughout the course of the series. Including rival teams.
Moving
forward, no player, no matter how talented or filled with potential can
play amazingly every single game. There are outside life factors that
may affect your in game psyche or you can just have an off day. The
opposite is also true. Some days you’re on fire and feel like you cannot
be stopped. I can’t express how perfectly this anime captures that
ideal. One of the characters known as the Monster Rookie on Seido can be
on fire one game but suddenly in one inning begin to struggle. The
physiological aspect of sports is well presented here. Pressure,
expectation, those do or die, go big or go home moments. Did you throw a
pitch and their team hit a home run? Now you’re in a pitching slump for
a few games. Worried about an injury? Play through the pain. No other
manga has been able to capture this truth of sports as well as Ace of
Diamond
The
in game matches are intense and the story makes a conscious effort to
explain the game and any obscure rules of baseball. The suspense the
matches create can have you at the edge or your set. The emotion and
intensity of the player are captured brilliantly by the artwork and
expressions on the characters’ faces. This goes for the anime as well.
Madhouse and Production I.G work in collaboration to make the anime. As
for the actual writing itself, it’s just a story about a high school
team trying to win a championship so it’s not particularly deep in that
sense. It’s straightforward which is fine.
In conclusion, Daiya no Ace is the true embodiment of brotherhood and the realism that comes with playing on a team. It has intense matches, great characters with depth, splendid art work and tons of humor that’ll have you spitting out your tea. Whether you decide to read the manga or watch the anime, you’ve just hit a home run.
Written By: Nya Hemmingz
Follow @LolitaZenpie
Daiya
no Ace is about Eijun Sawamura, the best pitcher from his middle school
on a doomed team. After a scout sees him pitch, he’s invited to a
well-known baseball school away from his home town, friends and family.
Upon arrival he’s thrown into the chaos of trying to be varsity player
for Seido High School. As he lived his life being better than all the
people in his area, he’s quickly humbled when thrown into the heart and
pinnacle of high school baseball in Japan. A lot of sports manga series
suffer from having a main character that’s virtually unstoppable. Kagami
Taiga from Kuroko no Basket who gets random power ups in match and can
jump out the gym, Eichizen Ryoma who’s never lost an official tennis
match on screen (Prince of Tennis). In Ace of Diamond the reality of
there is always someone better is quickly made apparent even with the
vigorous amounts of effort and training put in. Everyone has things they
specialize in and certain things they aren’t good at. Or all-rounders’,
jack of all trades but masters at none. You can either strengthen what
you’re good at or attempt to fix what you aren’t good at. Even as far as Daiya no Ace has gotten, Sawamura still isn’t a starting pitcher or the best player on his team. He is a valued member who has a never give up attitude and gives the team positive vibes, but he’s not over powered. Although he’s stupid and unrefined (which his upperclassmen never fail to beat into him, literally). It’s refreshing to see a sports series that does away with the ridiculous powers, unstoppable main characters to get a well-grounded series and a relatable protagonist.
Respected lengthy series that continue to do well take time establishing its characters and building its world accordingly. Daiya no Ace doesn’t rush into official matches but instead takes it’s time starting with tryouts and several chapters of the team practicing. It captures the true essence and nature of playing sports on a team. Rivalries, companionships and competitiveness. Not everyone can play so each day every player goes out and does their best in order to receive recognition from the coach. The training sessions are engaging, hilarious and focus on team chemistry building. Even characters that may not get along eventually come to respect each other’s roles on the team and what they bring to the squad. The characters are probably the best thing about this narrative. Each character has tons of character depth and impressive development throughout the course of the series. Including rival teams.
Moving
forward, no player, no matter how talented or filled with potential can
play amazingly every single game. There are outside life factors that
may affect your in game psyche or you can just have an off day. The
opposite is also true. Some days you’re on fire and feel like you cannot
be stopped. I can’t express how perfectly this anime captures that
ideal. One of the characters known as the Monster Rookie on Seido can be
on fire one game but suddenly in one inning begin to struggle. The
physiological aspect of sports is well presented here. Pressure,
expectation, those do or die, go big or go home moments. Did you throw a
pitch and their team hit a home run? Now you’re in a pitching slump for
a few games. Worried about an injury? Play through the pain. No other
manga has been able to capture this truth of sports as well as Ace of
Diamond 
In conclusion, Daiya no Ace is the true embodiment of brotherhood and the realism that comes with playing on a team. It has intense matches, great characters with depth, splendid art work and tons of humor that’ll have you spitting out your tea. Whether you decide to read the manga or watch the anime, you’ve just hit a home run.
Written By: Nya Hemmingz
Follow @LolitaZenpie
Tags:
Anime/Manga
As a french reader, I never understood base-ball rules. Like never. But I religiously watch each and every iteration of Adachi's work because I found it fascinating. The investment, the relationships (love and friendship), the intensity.
ReplyDeleteThank for pointing me to another sport rabbit hole, I like it.