:: Episode 01: Enter the Dweeb
Honto no Ace (Real Ace)
Summary
It all begins with a middle school Mihoshi match, effectively showing Mihashi's old teammates looking at their pitcher, Mihashi, in utter disapproval. Mihashi looks positively faint-ready, but without signs from Hatake, he throws the ball anyway, and POW, the opponent team's batter hits it flying!
Back to the present, Mihashi makes his way towards the baseball grounds of his new school, Nishiura. He's not planning on joining or anything, but he simply MUST go watch anyway since he LOVES baseball SO freakishly much. The ever so enthusiastic Momoe completely foils his plans of not joining, however! He tells her he's a pitcher, and introduces Mihashi and us, the viewers, to some of the other Nishiura players. Mihashi eventually breaks down into pathetic little tears, and tells everyone about his dramatic past; how his old teammates hated his guts because he got to be a pitcher because it's his grandpa's school, and how he refused to leave the mound. Abe, Nishiura's catcher, LIKES what he hears, and invites Mihashi to throw for him. The two of them have a touching little conversation where Abe promises Mihashi to make him a hundred percent real ace if he follows his signs.
Mihashi gets to pitch against the batter, Hanai (with Izumi acting as the referee - GAWRSH he looks so SILLY in the protective gear!), and thanks to Abe's AMAZING signs, manages to strike him out. Nishiura officially gets established as a team!
Best parts
Redrawn scenes
In the original, Abe was kind-of-sort-of... staring off into space. The DVD made him look more focused.
Zoom-in on Kano! He's closer to his teammates on the DVD.
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