H2 ~kimi to ita hibi

Network: TBS
Air time: Thursday 10:00-10:54 PM
Number of episodes: 11
Genre(s): sports, romance
Official Home Page: http://www.tbs.co.jp/H2/
Opening/Ending themes: K - over...
Click here to buy this series on DVD!

Cast and characters:

Yamada Takayuki <<Kunimi Hiro

Ishihara Satomi <<Koga Haruka

Tanaka Koutarou <<Tachibana Hideo

Ichikawa Yui <<Amamiya Hikari

Ishigaki Yuuma <<Kine Ryuutarou

Nakao Akiyoshi <<Noda Atsushi

The Popular Sports Manga Finally Becomes a TV Drama on TBS

So, here's another drama based on a sports manga. If you saw Ueto Aya in "ACE o nerae" last winter, then you might have some idea of what to expect. H2 was a popular manga from the very popular artist, Adachi Mitsuru - most famous for "TOUCH" which was published from 1981 to '87. In 1992, he made "H2". There was also a 39-episode TV anime series in 1995. The drama stars Yamada Takayuki and Ishihara Satomi who are, perhaps, the two hottest teen drama stars currently in the business. Since it's based on an already-popular series and features already-popular actors, there is no doubt that this drama will be a hit.

Once again, I am going to have to begin with my usual apology and say that I never really read the manga or saw the anime. I can remember picking up a volume or two of the manga back when my Japanese level was still very low and never quite figured out much other than the fact that it's about baseball - as virtually all of Adachi's work is. I have, on the other hand, seen the anime versions of two of his other series - "TOUCH" and "Miyuki" - so it would be incorrect to say that I'm completely unfamiliar with his work. Adachi Mitsuru is required reading for all manga fans who like sports and romance. And if you don't like sports - only romance and comedy - there's always "Miyuki".

Now, for those who, like me, never read the manga, here's a basic rundown of the story.

Kunimi Hiro (Yamada) was a gifted baseball player in elementary and junior high school, known especially for his pitching. Unfortunately, before entering high school he and his teammate, Atsushi (Nakao) suffered injuries which permanently damaged Hiro's elbow and Atsushi's back, rendering them unable to play baseball ever again. Baseball is everything to these two, so they are, understandably, crushed by this unfortunate turn of events.

They both enter a high school which doesn't even have a baseball team. Atsushi works on the school paper, and Hiro is on the soccer team. He tries very hard to enjoy soccer. He's shown buying some soccer manga in one scene in order to make himself like it, but he doesn't display any of the same natural talent that he did for baseball, and in fact he's terrible at the game. He tries his best not to think about baseball, but he certainly isn't a happy child.

Koga Haruka (Ishihara) is the manager of the school's "baseball enjoyment club", which is the closest thing the school has to a baseball team. All of the members are horrible at baseball, their equipment is garbage, and their manager is clumsy. They can't find a team who will play against them for the final game of the graduating students, so Haruka desperately makes an agreement for them to have a baseball match against the soccer team.

Hiro quietly takes his place as catcher. No one at the school knows that he used to be a star baseball player. Since the soccer team also has Kine Ryuutarou (Ishigaki), who was also quite a good pitcher in elementary school, the soccer team makes fools of the "baseball enjoyment club".

However, partway through the game, Hiro can no longer stand to sit and play catcher. He says that the game is "an insult to the god of baseball," and quits the soccer team mid-game. He joins the "baseball enjoyment club" for the rest of the game as pitcher. Atsushi also puts away his camera and joins as well. Despite their injuries, they put on a good show and almost win the game - which they would have won if it weren't for a slip-up by another teammate at the end.

When word of their performance gets around, Hiro and Atsushi suddenly find themselves the most popular guys in school. Haruka begs them to join the "baseball enjoyment club", but they tell her about their injuries and why they can't play. Soon after, however, it is found that the doctor who originally diagnosed their injuries was a fraud. They get themselves checked by another doctor and find that Hiro's elbow and Atsushi's back are perfectly strong and healthy after all. (Talk about lawsuits!)

Their first impulse is to look into transferring to a different school where their friend and former teammate Tachibana Hideo (Tanaka) is now the star player. Instead, they suddenly get a weird idea and decide to join the "baseball enjoyment club" at their current school. Now they will attempt to turn the club into a full-fledged school-endorsed team and lead them to victory at the holy grail of high school baseball: the national championship at the "koushien" arena.

Actually, at the very beginning, it showed Hiro facing off against Hideo at the koushien, so it's pretty safe to say that they will get there by the last episode.

Like "ACE o nerae", this drama based on a sports manga is highly dramatized - even more so than your average TV drama. Of course, baseball is the most important thing in this world, and the players who have the natural ability are practically without flaw. What I enjoyed in "ACE o nerae" was watching Hiromi's change from being a beginner who can hardly play to becoming world champion. In this drama, Hiro is not a beginner, but rather a junior high star who makes a sudden return in high school. I doubt I'll enjoy it quite as much as I did "ACE o nerae", but I think it's going to be pretty entertaining as well. I'm definitely going to watch every episode of this drama.