With a stray pitch that completely missed the batter, Eijun Sawamura loses his final middle school baseball game. Frustrated by this defeat, Eijun and his teammates vow to reach the national tournament once they are in high school. But everything changes when a scout unexpectedly invites him to Tokyo's prestigious Seidou High School after seeing the potential in his unusual pitching style. Encouraged by his teammates, Eijun accepts the offer, ready to improve his skills and play at a much more competitive level of baseball.
However, now surrounded by a large number of skilled players, Eijun struggles to find his place on the team. He declares that he will one day become the team's ace, but that's only if fellow first year Satoru Furuya doesn't take the title first, with his breakneck fastballs that earn him a coveted spot on the starting roster. With the addition of these talented new players to an already powerful lineup, the Seidou baseball team aims to become the best in Japan, facing off against a number of formidable foes that stand in their way.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
mushimk
There's a certain finesse in the way all the characters in this anime have to prove themselves at their favorite sport. Overall, characters psychology and in-game tension is here one of the best you could find in an anime sport, but that's it : for the rest, this anime is way deserved by a pitiful story, pretty much non-existent, and full useless and unbearable flashbacks to know more about characters that will STILL lose at the end (most of the time). You want something original and crazy ? Go for One Outs, that's way better.
ITFujoshi
This was my first venture into the sports anime genre, and DnA just sucked me into it like a black hole. I've never watched a single baseball game in my life and I've never showed any interest in the sport. I honestly thought that I wouldn't like this show, but if it's good enough to get approved for 52 episodes in its first season (and the fact that it was being produced by Madhouse), I thought I'd give it a try. I can honestly say that DnA has become one of my all-time favourite shows. The story (10/10) is pretty straightforward: we follow Sawamura's journey asa pitcher as he grows and develops his skills in order to become the ace of Seidou's (famous) high school baseball team. But the show provides us more than just following Sawamura's journey; we basically get an overall glimpse of how high school baseball in Japan. The show definitely takes its time to progress, and we don't really see Sawamura beginning to grow until we're about 12 or so episodes in. But, in the episodes before that we see exactly why it took him a while and how hard he's worked up till then; we also get to see a pretty touching relationship develop between him and his future mentor.
Though I initially did get the feel that Sawamura is the absolute MC, as the story progressed and more characters were introduced, there was a slight focus shift where Sawamura was undoubtedly still the MC, but the other Seidou team members were also just as important.
One thing that the story always provides and excels at is: SUSPENSE. DnA knows hows to build up suspense leading up to the final scene in every episode, especially in the later episodes when they're in the Koshien qualifying matches.
The art (8/10) to be honest, didn't really sit well with me in the first episode (and only the first episode; I know, shame on me for judging a show based only one episode). But now, I don't even remember the reason I didn't like it. I re-watched episode 1 and I can only conclude that maybe it was because I wasn't expecting the show to be great and the relatively slow start of that episode that caused me not to like the art immediately. Overall, no complaints; the only reason it didn't get a higher score was because I've been spoilt with unique and or eye-popping art styles lately (Haikyuu! being the best) and can't help but compare them.
The baseball-playing scenes are very well-done especially some of the pitches which are animated showing clear movement of the ball (slow-mo shots of how the ball moves, or a clear arrow-like streak of light to see the course of the ball). Especially Sawamura's unique pitching form is well done. I never tire of seeing it. In later episodes, we also get to see how genius of a catcher Miyuki is with a few amazing saves.
Because comedy is a big part of this show, sometimes we'll see chibi forms pop out now and then, or sudden solid-colored background changes (with sfx and the like) when the mood switches suddenly from serious to funny.
Overall, the animation gives off a very shounen-like vibe: we get to see red-colored and blue-colored demon eyes for when they're fired up, players aura engulfing their bodies like a flame when they're pumped up, etc.
And now onto the TWO PARTS that truly make DnA the great show that it is, the show's soundtrack (and sound effects) and its impressive cast of characters.
The SOUND (10/10) of this show is just... flawless (swoon). Madhouse somehow just knows how to perfectly fit the background music to whichever scene comes up which in turn really made me feel the intensity/emotion every scene: whoever came up with the score deserves an award (if he's not already gotten one).
And the sound effects give me the chills every time: the ball hitting the mitt with a resounding BAM! (or when Furuya throws it's more like thunder splitting open a tree), the sound of the metal bat hitting the ball (or when Raiichi hits it, more like canon fire) vs the sound of Haruichi's wooden bat hitting the ball, etc.
The voice actors did (and still do) an amazing job; their voices fit the characters perfectly. If you check out their impressive resumes, it's definitely no wonder.
As for the OPs and ED's:
Both OP's so far are by the same artist, and they're really good (and revved me right up); though I'm enjoying the 2nd OP more; I can't help but shout "Fight!" as well every time I hear it, putting me in Seidou-cheering mood.
The ED's have also been good, though not as good as the OP's. The 4th ED, which is sung collectively by 3 of the 4 main cast members, is a really nice tune.
The CHARACTERS (10/10) are all loveable and memorable. Though we have the main cast consisting of 4 people, the supporting cast is nothing to sneeze at.
Sawamura is the loud, cheerful, wears his heart on his sleeve kind of guy. So what kind of quirk does he have that makes him the MC? He's a southpaw (left-handed) pitcher and has a peculiar pitch (both of which make him a unique type of player). But, even though he's unique he isn't the type of MC that's super-talented right from the start, he doesn't suddenly "power up" in the middle of a game, is unstoppable and wins all the matches; on the contrary, he gets into Seidou and quickly realises it's not as easy as he thought to become the ace because there are other people there who are more skilled than him. He falters during important moments, and even if he doesn't get back up immediately, he does eventually pick himself up and learns to move on. In other words, he accepts that he has a lot of faults, and this is what makes him so likeable and seem more human. Though a bit of an idiot (well, a big idiot), he works hard, values friendship, supports the team and always puts 120% in everything that he does. And the best part for me, he's unpredictable. Just when you think he's turning the corner and well on his way to becoming the ace, he messes up a play or does something really silly. I'm always on edge with him.
Miyuki, the genius catcher, is personality-wise, almost the exact opposite of Sawamura, except for the cheerful part. He's as crafty and intelligent as they come and though on the outside he's always smiling, he has a bit of a dark side. He's like the evil genius.
Furuya is our MC's rival for the ace spot. At first glance, he looks like the cool and collected type of person, also; but after a while I found him to be an adorable idiot as well: not being able to catch a simple throw and his insta-snooze reaction amongst others.
Last but not least of our main cast quartet, is Haruichi. Character-design wise, he's the cutest one. And though he might be cute, he's one amazing baseball player: not only is he a batting prodigy, but an exceptional fielder as well. At the same time, he's so humble and shy. Cuteness overload!
And then we have the other Seidou members, who all play an important role in the show. All have distinctive and quirky personalties and you will grow attached to at least one after watching DnA.
As far as enjoyment (10/10) goes, I am thoroughly enjoying watching every second of DnA. Whenever I watch it, i can always expect a good dose of humour interlaced with the appropriate amount of emotional moments and also a killer cliff-hanger. I wait eagerly for Saturdays to roll around and every time I finish watching the latest episode, I want to jump out the window because it's going to take another week before I can watch the show again.
Overall (9.6/10) I would recommend anyone to start watching DnA immediately, even if you've never seen a baseball match before, even if you know absolutely nothing about the game (but after watching the show, I got so curious I even googled basic baseball rules, pitch types and the structure of Japanese high school baseball tournaments). And I envy you if you haven't watched it yet, because you'll be able to marathon the show, so you don't have to get as frustrated as me with those cliffhangers. :)
karlstein12
DnA is probably one of the best sports anime that I've come across yet. Although hailing from a country where Baseball is scarce, this started out to be a pretty interesting anime. It begins with an aspiring young pitcher named Eijun Sawamura, who throws a wild ball which flies over the catcher giving him no chance to seize it. This happens to grab the attention of a particular woman who turns out to be a scout for the baseball team of the highly popular school named Seido. Hence unfolding the journey which awaited Eijun in his future. What really got me into this at firstwas the soundtrack which had a pretty intimidating atmosphere. Even when I first heard the opening, "Go EXCEED!!", I was really fascinated by it and knew it was special. Same goes for the other two openings which approach as the show progresses. The endings were pretty fine too but average compared to the opening themes.
All the characters are pretty neatly drawn but there were some flaws too as most of the players in the team who rarely got featured were very dull to look at.
I would gladly recommend Diamond no Ace to anyone who is into sports anime's.
There is a second season coming out and I have high expectations for it.
Cauthan
(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site) [Synopsis]: After failing to take his middle-school team to Nationals, Sawamura Eijun (Osaka, Ryota) decides to enroll at the prestigious Seidou High in order to pursue his aspirations in baseball. The story follows him and the Seidou team as he trains and practices to become the ace pitcher of the team and they try to restore Seidou to its former glory after it’s 6 year absence from the Koushien championship. [Characters]: As is the case with many sports shows, Diamond no Ace has an impressively large cast of characters and so I will address the cast mostly as awhole entity with some focus on the most primary characters.
Despite there being multiple characters, such as Furuya Satoru and Miyuki Kazuya, who also recieve a good deal of the narrative spotlight, I think that Eijun is the indisputable protagonist and the show concerns itself first and foremost with his experiences at Seidou. With this being the case, I think one’s enjoyment of the show can be either amplified or hampered by their level of enjoyment of Eijun though there are plenty of other characters who they might attach themselves to. He is strong-willed, boisterous, and at times obnoxious in his often overenthusiastic approach to things. He is extremely motivated towards reaching his goal of becoming the ace pitcher for the team as well as winning the summer tournament and attending Nationals. While Eijun has a few skills to start out with, his knowledge of pitching and of the sport is mediocre and so his learning as a first-year doubles as character progression for him and explanatory insight into the strategy of the game for the viewer.
Along with Eijun there are a few other first-year characters (and one second-year) who show notable growth throughout the series. Furuya Satoru is a highly talented pitcher who often acts as Eijun’s rival on the team, Kominato Haruichi is the skilled younger sibling of one of the third-year students, and Miyuki Kazuya is an all-star catcher who enjoys manipulating and reigning in his unruly pitchers. The Seidou school accepts a great many skilled players however the most important of them belong to the First-String – primarily the third-year players and those skilled enough to win tournament games (the top 20 players for the summer tournament). While these people are the most often featured throughout the show as they play in all of the important games, they are a little slow to be explored initially and not every player is as memorable as the next even on the main team.
As for the characters not part of the main team, because it is impossible to present an entire team that is foreign to the audience with the same level of intrigue as the main cast, the opposing teams most often feature between 2 and 3 characters of note – one usually with slightly more backstory or context than the others. In this way, the teams themselves are not very memorable however they can be identified easily enough by means of their noteworthy player(s). These characters are usually interesting enough however I found that a good deal of the opponents were not as memorable as I might have wished with the exception of a select few. Overall, the method used here is both sufficient and necessary and certain viewers may gravitate in interest towards one interesting player or another.
[Art/Animation]:
I found the art and animation to be highly consistent throughout the show despite its 75-episode length and at no point did I find there was a notable drop in quality. The character designs are pretty subdued as the show comes off as fairly realistic in its approach and so the players look normal while each appearing different enough to be distinguishable from one another. I myself was felt underwhelmed with the art style if only in that it felt like a pretty standard approach to things and didn’t feature anything particularly adventurous however it works perfectly well for what it tries to do and I have no actual qualms with the designs or animation. It was well done however was not done so in such a way that I would actively list it as a strength of the show. In the same vein of the unadventurous approach, I thought that the comedic scenes and comical faces and animations were pretty run of the mill and I didn’t think any gag save maybe 2 really did much for me throughout the show.
One of my biggest gripes with the show appears in this category and that is its rampant overuse of the ‘white background’ effect. In moments of intensity or drama, it can be visually helpful to have the scenery and setting fall away in place of the character’s reaction or realization and add to the emotion or excitement of the moment however in the case of Diamond no Ace I found it made such excessive use of this technique that it felt exhausted after just a handful of episodes. There are plenty of cases within the show where it uses the white background successfully however with its appearance 4 to 5 times an episode for 75 episodes, its usage firstly comes off as a bit boring and secondly somewhat tarnishes what could have otherwise be well executed uses of the technique in later scenes. What I want for the show in the future is for it to allow the scenes and sentiments stand on their own from time to time while avoiding the usage of a potentially good concept.
[Story]:
The show starts a little slow as it introduces us to Eijun and subsequently the structure of Seidou High. While this pacing is retrospectively not an issue within the context of its 75-episode length, it is quite slow by other standards. I felt it took nearly 20 episodes to start rolling which can be quite demanding if someone is trying to get into the show. The show has a good deal of drama however I thought that at least the early episodes came off as a little melodramatic whereas the later parts of the show address more interesting and legitimate problems and dilemmas.
The pacing of the games was actually quite an interesting element of the show. At times the games would start off with the first at bat and play out for a good while from there however there were plenty of instances where the show would launch into a prospective game after a couple innings. I found this allowed the games to focus around the compelling parts of the game while avoiding perhaps some of the more typical moments. It also allowed for the show to setup certain situations without having to spend time prefacing itself – the game could start with 2 runners on base and a full count and you are immediately brought into the excitement of the moment. The end of the games were also sometimes subject to this approach in that, after resolving the key drama of the game or watching a major game-changing play, the game would end as expected and it would skip ahead to the celebration or the aftermath. Overall, I found this kept things fresh and cut out things that otherwise may have seemed grating and so this narrative technique I found to be a strong point within the show.
The show is, to a degree, pitcher-centric which is somewhat to be expected given the main character’s vocation and the way baseball is played – it simply wouldn’t be as interesting if it focused on left field or the shortstop. Because of this necessary focus, we spend a good deal of time, especially in the early half of the show, with the pitchers of the Seidou team. They each have their own unique style; for instance Eijun is known for his unwieldy and aggressive but hard-to-hit pitches whereas Furuya throws an incredible fastball. The show features good progression in the way of their pitching styles and approaches however because each pitcher has a lot of ground to cover, the pitching styles start off rather stark and simple. This can be problematic in the first half of the show because the lack of a dynamic strategy within the main focus of the games can come off as a little boring and it takes a while before things start to mix up.
Lastly, because the show takes a long time to get moving and must introduce a lot of different players on the main team, the highlighting of the opposing players starts off a little lackluster whereas the show gets much better at presenting these characters as the show progresses. As Seidou faces tougher and tougher teams in either tournament games or scrimmages, the number of interesting opponents on any one team gradually grows slightly which I felt helped the opposing teams seem more formidable. The progression from one team with a single outstanding player towards one with multiple was an interesting way to evolve the gameplay without making certain players seem unnaturally good or other teams much worse than they were – each team feels like a legitimate challenge at some level.
[Music]:
The music is good enough however I felt it was almost non-present in the early episodes of the show as far as impact is concerned – it was discernible but dialed back. The music was decent when it came around however it didn’t blow me away with its appearance despite adding to the scenes successfully. As the show progresses into the later half of the episodes I found that there were maybe 2 to 3 recognizable songs that would play repeatedly in accordance with the big action scenes or dramatic moments. They worked well however I felt the show was somewhat lacking diversity in this area and I would have liked a few more songs of note to have appeared in this same manner and with similar levels of execution.
[Final Thoughts and Rating]:
Diamond no Ace is a show that accomplishes what it sets out to do. It does baseball well and the characters and plays are appealing enough that one can easily find themselves interested in the outcome of things. Some areas where the show loses some points for me are the sometimes obnoxious nature of the protagonist, the somewhat uninspired art approach, the overuse of certain dramatic visuals, and the slow to start pacing of the show. I also felt that the comedy was pretty lacking despite its frequent presence in each episode. It came off as very bland both in terms of the gags and the character reactions and really didn’t further my enjoyment of the show in any way.
Rating: 7
I gave the show a 7 because, either by way of its high points or its consistent appeal, the show was enjoyable. It falls short in a few regards as discussed above and many of those things are fairly subjective to me and so it’s perfectly reasonable that anyone who finds themselves more engrossed in either the main character or the beginning of the show will enjoy the show a good deal more as it only gets better as it continues.
[Recommendations]:
I would recommend Diamond no Ace to any sports fan as I think it does the genre well. The show has good dramatic moments that usually come with the territory of sports and so I would recommend it for that reason as well. Those interested in inter-team rivalry would do well to watch as there is a fair amount of competition in this regard which is not something I see in every sports show.
JamesTBrosnan
NOTE - Do NOT be fooled by the first few episodes or the sport. This is pretty much the Hunter x Hunter 2011 of Shounen sports anime. Starts off typical and ends up something completely different. Story - 10/10 The story is for me split into 2 parts. The first part (episodes 1-20) is used to introduce the characters, the game and the world of this anime. It does so by relying on cliche's. Its the weakest part of the series. The second part is episode 20 onwards. This is where the writers talent really shines. After going through all the cliche's most of the setup is donefor the main teams and we enter our first major arc. This arc is only a taste of what's to come, it has everything. The series becomes much more strategic, much more tense, much more emotional, much faster paced, and much much more unpredictable.
The writing is exceptional in every regard. From tone shifts, to little bits of foreshadowing, everything is perfectly written. Its one of the few anime that even after a major shift in the story which completely changes the series and characters forever, it still manages to impress me in all the ways it previously had.
Art & Animation - 9.5/10
For a 75 episode series the art and animation is absolutely breathtaking. Its no surprise knowing that this is done by the two leading studios in the industry, Madhouse (HxH2011) and Production I.G. (Kuroko no Basket, Haikyuu, Attack on Titan). Take the beautiful art of Hunter x Hunter 2011's Chimera Ant arc and merge with the fluidity and intensity of Haikyuu and that's the art and animation in a nutshell. Its done in a way that the slow sport of baseball ends up being much more intense than a basketball match from Kuroko No Basket. It's beautifully done. Only major flaw is that some episodes, especially when the studios have new anime starting at the same time, tend to have simplified art, but it is still acceptable as they are in the minority.
Sound - 10/10
The music of this series is phenominal. The ost sounds very similar to that of a work by Hiroyuki Sawano, consisting of guitar solo's, rock instruments, large orchestrations and even a cover of a song from Micheal Bay's Transformers! (which far outdo's the original)
The opening's and ending's are especially note worthy. In particular those done by GLAY and the band consisting of the composer and co-composer called OxT (you may know them from Overlord's opening)
I'd also like to take a moment to talk about the voice actors. HOLY S H I T! (excuse my language) There talent is amazing. It's so obvious that they are pouring there heart and soul into this and the ending themes they themselves create are some of the best ending themes of there year. (Final Victory by the Voice Actor of our main character is easily my ending theme of last year)
Enjoyment - I've already watched the anime 5 times in the past 4 months.... its saddening I can't give it more. 10/10
Overall - 10/10
With absolutely phenomenal writing that has the ability the grab your heart and stomp it almost every episode, either through heart breaking scenes that are expertly animated and directed, or moments of hope when your heart is jumping with joy at the pleasure of having this experience, this is an anime that is beautifully directed, flawlessly paced, phenomenally written, flawlessly composed and beautifully animated, this is easily in my opinion the greatest sports anime of all time, and easily one of the greatest anime of all time.
People who think it will be useless and boring because its about baseball let me leave you with this....
MADHOUSE X PRODUCTION I.G. X UFOTABLE
Npk005
This is my first review on one of my favorite anime as well as one of my second best sports anime of all time. This is a kind of anime which makes you watch for more after each episode. This anime does character development superbly. Story 9 The story of this anime is well written. IT shows all the aspect of main character life as well as gives enough story of side characters. It knows the perfect timing of telling the story of character and makes sure that person watching it doesn't get bored. Even though the story is well written the episodes in the series feela bit stretched. In the end the story feels good if you watch it in whole completed series, and beware that series doesn't have the main ending instead it stretch out to second season.
Art 8
The art in this anime is pretty good. I also can't say that it is too good counting that it is a newer series. The art is good enough that it is not worse like 'ping pong' nor it is as good as 'free'. In the end art is well fitting for the anime.
Overall 9
This anime is one of the best baseball anime which only focuses on the sports rather than making a romance out of it. This anime in my opinion very much in top five best sports anime. In the end, Diamond no ace is a treat to watch and a fabulous anime.
kaaarebeaaar
Yes, I know that that number of episodes are intimidating, but this anime is truly one of the greatest sports anime I have seen up to date. I normally do not like to watch sport animes, but after convincing myself to keep an open mind, I tried this anime out. And now i am simply hooked. I would like to say beforehand that this anime is not yet completed, everything in here is my own opinion, and that I definitely give this an a solid 10/10 The storyline is rather simple, but just to sum it up in a few words; Sawamura is a country boywho loves baseball, and gets scouted for Seido High School's baseball team in the city. A simple baseball anime but the way the story is played out is amazing! The character interactions and the tournaments are very well developed and invigorating. The beginning starts off rather slow but intriguing enough to continue. However once you reach deeper into the anime, you have seen these characters work so hard and bond so well for so long that to see them win or lose completely moves you to feel as they do. Also this anime is very realistic about how baseball is played, how teams do win and lose, and does not have any ridiculous-named moves/attacks.
The art style might be what turns you away but I find it okay and very unique. Its graphics and animation is not out-of-this-world amazing, but its good enough to keep you okay with it and continue the show. But I do think that the animation for the game scenes are done rather well. The slow-motion or the fast-pace combined with the music really gets you absorbed into the moment
The OSTs are also something to be praised. I wouldn't call the music original but it has character to it. The OSTs fit into their respective scenes and some of them even have the power to move you to feel energized or sad or even shocked. As mentioned above the music combined with the scene in the game really has an impact.
A 10/10 for these characters are very very well developed, and absolutely none are hate-able. There is a huge cast of different teams and its amazing how the mangaka is able to make each and every one of them special and different. Right off form the bat, I was able to remember who was who and their special little quirks that make them so likable! It is a pleasure to watch these different characters learn how to trust each other and form a team based connected and strengthen by their individual special skills. Ace of Diamond really shows how important teamwork and trust is in baseball and also in life.
You can really see the strong bonds between characters and that shows in their great display of teamwork. I greatly admire all of the teamwork and friendship that the characters display. They act cute and funny with each other, but right in the next moment, can act serious. Especially after watching these characters struggle to improve themselves through hours of long practice and learn how to trust each other, you get really attached to them. You even get attached to the opponents because of how great they fought to win.
Yes that was a very long paragraph for characters, so all you need to really know is that these characters are extremely likable, display great teamwork, and have the funniest to the most serious interactions with one other.
Whether or not you like sports anime will determine if you like this anime, but it certainly doesn't hurt to give sport animes a shot. Ace of Diamond is realistic, funny, suspenseful, and, for me at certain scenes, tear-jerking. I am rather glad that I opened myself because then i would have never been able to have the pleasure in watching Ace of Diamond.
Aspection
This review may be biased as baseball is definitely not my cup of tea, but comparatively to other sports and specifically baseball animes I've seen, this one is near the bottom. Nevertheless, Diamond no Ace does it's job well- it stuck to it's focus on baseball, developed a strong cast of likable characters, made every game exciting, and for the most part followed a reasonable plot. If you're looking for an anime entirely dedicated to baseball, this is it. My 5 rating is very harsh considering this show does a lot of things well, notably establishing one of the most enjoyable, unique, and vast castof characters. But for a show that is entirely dependent on it's hype, I lost interest too frequently.
Considering the sheer length of this show, not much happens. Our MC Eijun is scouted for a prestigious baseball school, assimilates to the baseball club, and goes through a tournament. This could theoretically fit 75 episodes with extensive background development of side characters, episode-long training montages, school life, maybe even romance- but that just doesn't happen. The tournament starts at around episode 20, meaning this is a 55 episode tournament arc- it's inherently too long. And yet the show focuses on nothing but the tournament for the following 50 episodes. This means each game becomes progressively longer to fill the inevitable empty space, and that entails constant flashbacks & mundane camera angels between every. single. pitch. I am not exaggerating when saying most flashbacks (which are plentiful) play up to 10 times throughout the tournament arc; the games became awfully slow- painfully slow.
And while this is very common in shounen, this one really pushes the boundaries. While overusing cliche flashbacks and showcasing the dugout and crowd every 30 seconds, the dramatization never ends which turns itself dull. Yelling is initially exciting, but at some point it becomes too much, unfortunately, that's the case here. With most games lasting 9 innings, the intelligent-based cast are bestowed closeup screen-time to let the audience know something important is finally about to happen. But the further the tournament progresses they start proclaiming every single inning as the turning point; They start crying wolf. The anime's pattern in general became very predictable, and I ended up skimming through the end due to lack of interest.
Lastly the plot is very odd, and personally not to my liking. When following a shounen MC I'm expecting him to be the best. Not from the get go, but he needs to prove his promise. And while Eijun is given immeasurable chances to do so, he seems to always fail when it matters- not once, always. And considering his teammate rival Furuya is outright superior in every sense, seeing Eijun failing again and again and yet still getting supported becomes discouraging. He is in the 1st-string of one of the best baseball schools by sole virtue of his lucky and unique pitching form, and he never pulls through. Either make him struggle more before he makes it or have him be useful. People, even in fiction, don't get this much back patting. His character design is good, its a waste to have him stubbornly cling to his weaknesses. His existence in the team doesn't really make sense, might as well have Furuya as the MC, he gets to play nearly twice as much as Eijun.
The Characters, art, and sound all range from 7-10, but the story and dependent hype enjoyment just doesn't hold up. If you're looking for either a baseball or sport anime, there is better out there. But if you truly love baseball animes, the cast, don't mind hours of ideal time, and already watched the better shows, this isn't the worst of them either.
ShinyaKougami
Spoiler free review "I'm here to become the ace!" - Sawamura Eijun Diamond no Ace is an exhilarating ride - filled with emotion that is complimented by exciting action. Story: If one has seen a substantial amount of high school sports anime, one will quickly begin to see that Diamond no Ace follows the typical formula for a successful sports anime albeit with alterations. This makes certain plot elements less meaningful and predictable, however the execution of these elements is skillfully done in order to differ from other titles in its genre. On the other hand, if one isn't well-versed in this genre, then congratulations the experience will beamplified by two fold. Plot elements will be original, consequently resulting in the emotional aspects of the plot to be more effective that really pound one's heart.
Art and Animation: The art quality is fair, it is not the best one has seen nor is it the worst. However, for a series that boasts a 75 episode count, it certainly is impressive that the art quality never deteriorated into a horrible mess, a testament to the studio's skill and organisation.
What really shines in Diamond no Ace is the animation quality. This is evidently demonstrated when pitches are thrown, one can really feel the intensity, speed and power. This is also the case for batting, catching etc. This type of fluid animation aids to further immerse the viewer into the world of Diamond no Ace.
Sound: It is difficult to describe sound in a written review. Nonetheless, the sound in Diamond no Ace, in my humble opinion, is the best aspect of the series. Receiving a great rating of 9. The soundtrack (excluding openings and endings) really accentuates the character's emotions, their determination, conviction etc. It transforms the baseball field into an epic battlefield unveiling the tense and epic atmosphere the characters are experiencing. The complimenting soundtrack was what enabled me to become a fan of baseball, it converts viewers who never had an interest in baseball to enthusiastically watch and cheer for the team they like best (Seidou for most of us).
Character: Diamond no Ace has a plethora of characters. This results in a lot of mentor, supporting and rival characters for our main protagonist, Sawamura Eijun to learn and grow from. The bonds that each of these characters share with each other is another aspect in which Diamond no Ace excels at. As we observe the characters throughout each episode, it is evident that all of them slowly grow, adding more depth to the characters which further immerses the viewer into this fictional world creating a more personal link with the characters of the series. However, having too many characters can deteriorate the plot and thus the effectiveness of the series. Although, Diamond no Ace creates great bonds between its characters, some of them seem quite one dimensional, this is especially the case for some of the supporting characters (third years). Furthermore, the overabundance of rivals, existing in the same team, creates a frustrating conflict for the main character. At times, it seems the main antagonist is the rival not the opposing team.
Overall: 7 - A good rating
Through the combination of impressive animation, decent visuals, amazing sound and a fair plot, the final rating for (non spoiler) Diamond no Ace is a good rating of 7. Worth checking out if you are a fan of sports anime in general. However the limitations due to the character and plot sections prevent this anime from reaching a greater score of an 8 or a 9.
Thanks for reading my review :) below is spoiler filled comment/rant discussing the character and plot sections of this anime.
~~~~~~spoiler comment alert~~~~~~
For those of you who have watched the series, i am mainly talking about Furuya. His character was interesting at first, i believed that he was going to be another obstacle to Eijun's journey in becoming the ace - which was built up from episode 1 and obviously the title reflects that the plot is going to be centered on his journey in becoming the ace, ultimately leading his team to victory.
From episode 1, the audience is teased that our main protagonist was going to form an unstoppable battery with Miyuki - the genius catcher. But this was not the case, as even in the manga Sawamura is still a bench warmer, and at this rate it seems Miyuki is going to graduate before Sawamura ever dreams of becoming the ace. I would understand about 20-30 episodes of Sawamura becoming a bench warmer to Furuya, in order to train and build more character depth in order to return stronger. But unfortunately this was not the case. Even in season 2 of the anime (episode 22 as of this date) and the manga - Sawamura is still a bench warmer. It appears that Sawamura is turning into a support character for Furuya - his rival. He is seen cheering Furuya and motivating him to pitch well, when in reality the main protagonist Sawamura should be pitching as the ace. It is incomprehensible that the main protagonist is reduced to be part of a supporting cast, as Furuya begins to form a battery with Miyuki. After enduring 65 episodes of Sawamura bench warming for Furuya and Tanba (i can accept this), the mangaka wants us to endure another 100 episodes of Sawamura bench warming, and now even being part of Furuya's supporting cast. I have heard rumors that the mangaka did not originally intend for Sawamura to be the main protagonist but instead have Furuya to be the protagonist, but his editor wanted Sawamura to be the main protagonist due to his Naruto/shounen like personality (no source). Nevertheless, it almost seems that Sawamura is shoehorned into the series at this rate.
I am not a shounen fan or a Sawamura lover etc. It is frustrating that the character we followed from episode 1 and the character we have the most emotional attachment with is reduced to nothing but a supporting cast. It would of been perfectly fine for Furuya to be the main protagonist if we just followed his journey from the start instead of Sawamura's, as his character is much more unique and fresh to the sports anime genre.
I am also not a lover of overpowered naruto type of plots either ( i dislike them) , but enduring 65 episodes of training (im sweet with this - was a great arc) then another 30 episodes of bench warming (k, its sweet as long as we see him grow and in the end see him as the ace forming a battery with Miuyki as teased), but then realizing that even in the manga he is still a bench warmer -.- that's going to be like 100 episodes of bench warming and possibly Miyuki graduating before even forming a battery together. k no thanks -.-
Nevertheless, a good sports anime series - there is no denying that.
BabyGirl06301
I'm about to punch myself in the eye for not watching this anime sooner. I never really have been too great with words, but I want to do the best I can to explain all the things this anime does so well because it exceeded any expectations I had for it. Being with the sound design, the score for this anime is phenomenal. Not only is the music able to convey the emotion of a scene well, but it's capable of forcing the emotion onto the audience. There were a few times that the writing would put me in a situation that was already highly emotional,but the music would really send it to a new realm. If we're talking about the art, it's easy to talk about the style itself or how nice the character designs are, but the animation is what's really worth talking about. You've obviously got a lot of movement when it comes to sports anime, and baseball especially is a really mobile sport in a lot of differing ways; this anime absolutely knocked those animations out of the park. Whether it was to convey speed, depth, strength, or power, the animation took it above and beyond.
Moving onto the good stuff now, let's get into the story. Two things this anime does better than, dare I say, most sports anime out there is tension and tone. Along with the idea of tension, the story was able to pull off an unparalleled level of suspense. I mentioned this when discussing the sound design, but the story also aids to put the audience in emotional positions through the tone it's written in. It was easy for me to get completely locked into a high-paced scene or feel heavy during a sorrowful one. And the sorrowful scenes? Oh, they hit hard. Even within the humor of the series-- which is an accomplishment on its own-- the tone was put down beautifully. As for tension, let me just tell you, I don't think I've ever been as on edge as I was during the course of this anime. I think that's because you really never know what's going to happen within the story, which pulls it back around to the suspense factor. Typically, in competition anime, certain things are bound to happen that'll tip the viewer off as to what's about to happen next. Even if it's just a few seconds prior, the build-up to certain moments is very clear. Diamond no Ace didn't do that. At all. It tricked you until the very end by using music, tone, and tension to lead you to believe something was going to happen that could end up getting completely flipped by the end. And it did it well. It did it in a way that made a lot of sense and created a lot of interest in the story. The really only negative thing I can think to say about this anime is that the pacing of the events was strange to get used to. It started with a lot of practice time, and then flipped into nearly no off time from the games they were playing, so it started to feel like it was all going by really quickly. That being said, in the long run, I think the set up used to tell the story made a lot of sense. It's unique to me, but being able to choose the optimal times to show character improvement as opposed to game experience and vise versa is a brilliant feature to have in a story.
Onto the thing that's probably the hardest for me to talk about: the characters. I'm not sure exactly how to explain the care that was taken in developing these characters without giving too much away, but it's something that needs to be noted. When you have main characters, they need to meet a certain list of requirements to be worthy of the audience's interest. Those things can be something like: a goal for them to meet, a strong and memorable personality, good opportunities for development, etc. This anime made me think that's there's so much more that should be on that list than I ever knew. Throughout this anime, I got to understand these characters wholly and without any missing pieces. The experience they gained wasn't unrealistic. If they fall down, they didn't always get right back up. If they had the determination to do something, it didn't always work out. This anime wrote *people* and not characters. Yes, they have to be slightly surreal in their abilities and personalities for this to be an interesting story, but they had a special level of depth that I really can't say if I've seen from this genre yet or not.
The story is fearless, the characters pull you in, and everything artistically that went into Diamond no Ace just makes it all the more enjoyable to watch. Not a lot of anime have been able to so boldly make my favorites list, but this one did. It's special, and I'm ready to spend all the time I can with these characters and their baseball.
Vikorean
No need for superpowers, Baseball is already epic enough. Ace No Diamond achieved the subtle performance of remaining technical and grounded without losing the viewers attention. We don't feel like we are being treated like idiots and rather enjoy becoming Baseball experts throughout the show. One of DNA's strengh is they keep the story very realistic. Which makes it very difficult to predict whether the MC will deliver or not. He eventually will (I presume), it is a sport shonen after all. But the storytelling is efficient to a point of rendering his progress unpredictable. Since I mentionned the MC, let's have a closer look athim. At first glance Sawamura may seem like the regular loud generic shonen underdog. Which he kind of is. However, his abilities as a pitcher aiming to become the Ace are what make him more complexed than he seems. As the spectators are often taken aback and can't really put a finger on Sawamura's talent, so are we. After completing almost 3 seasons, I am still unable to tell exactly what makes Sawamura such a good pitcher. But I know he is, we can just feel how special he is. Which makes us even more eager to see how his progress will unfold.
Sawamura's complexities in his game make a very funny contrast with his rather simpled minded and straighforward personnality. Which is the opposite of his rival competing for the same position. Furuya is an overpowerfull and straighforward pitcher acclaimed by the whole country. And yet he has the social skills of a toddler and suffers with the immense pressure overtalented players put on themselves. These few examples just show how well written and complexed the characters are, giving a very realistic insight on what Baseball highschoolers in Japan may go through. The final product is a very relatable team we almost forget is fictional and meant to serve the plot. It almost feels like one of these Netflix documentories in the dailylife of a sports team.
Finally I must emphasise the show's secret weapon: an absolute smashing banging soundtrack. I have not experienced such an epic soundtrack since Naruto. Even though the playlist is pretty limited, the music is just too good. Its timing during a game to make Sawamura's moments pure adrenaline shots are the show's trademark. Nothing original, but perfectly delivered. Sometimes, it is best not trying to invent something and rather do simple things right. DNA understood it perfectly.
As it is a sports anime, it is difficult to give it the maxium note. It eventually ends up being repetitive with the game after game format. The show sometimes pays its realism by throwing too much intel, dedicating sometimes a whole episode about a game between teams we don't care about. Which leads me to DNA's main weakness. As a baseball anime, it ironically has almost too much baseball. As an anime viewer, a few moments of breathers between games to dive in the character's lives and struggles could have been well needed to catch a break. We are limited to baseball pitches, training grounds and sometimes the highschool corridors and classrooms, which sometimes feels a bit frustrating.
These few setbacks are the price DNA decided to pay to keep the anime away from any non sense and treat us to some quality Baseball actions. Besides, Sawamura's goal is so crystal clear, it will quickly become the only thing you care about. In its genre, DNA nailed every aspect making a sports anime a great enjoyement. I can only recommend it, especially if you don't know a hoot about Baseball.
MooMuse
"There is absolutely no reason I would like this anime... But hey, I'm bored. I'll give it a try." Is what I thought when I clicked on episode one. If anything. This show caused the opposite reaction right off the bat. (No pun intended) Ace of the Diamond / Daiya no Ace has caused me so much laughter, tears, and joy that If I didn't give this show a 10 I'd be lying to my heart. It isn't the BEST all around show I've ever watched, however something about it is just really right. It isn't a Shounen where everything goes completely right and you get an invinciblemain character who wins every game. (Although, it does still maintain that Shounen feel) You've got lessons being taught that you could only learn while playing and losing on a real sports team. That is no easy feat; to achieve such an emotion as defeat while instilling lessons in the viewer because of a tv show.
The animation is AMAZING at times and other times its just solid. It never is low quality (unless intended for comedic purposes)
The sound REALLY pulls me in as a viewer. I think the emotions behind the timing of the music, the dynamic sound effects, and a crew of great voice actors make this sound category of this show a solid 10/10.
Characters. 9/10. Just watch it and find out. I won't say more here.
All in all I enjoy this anime very much for many reasons. I'd give it an overall score of 10 likely due to emotional impact.
I have actually found myself rewatching this anime, so I'd suggest at least watching it once. Best sports anime I've seen.
(sorry for my lame review, I'm not a writer.)
Injenss
Diamond No Ace is a VERY good anime. You couldn't watch an anime for 75 episodes if it wasn't good. It has all of the prerequisites of a top sports anime. A funny cast of likable characters, all of the suspense and drama that comes with watching sports, the heartbreak of defeat, the thrill of victory, that routing for the plucky underdog feeling, etc.... It's all there. And yet, as good as this anime is, it has one MASSIVE problem that keeps it from being as good as other sports animes like Hajime No Ippo, Haikyuu and Kuroko's Basketball: It has flawedlogic all throughout it.
This flawed logic wouldn't be so bad, if it wasn't for the fact that they made it central to the plot of the anime.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
There were two egregious examples of this flawed logic that really made the drama seem manufactured and fake, just to push the story in the way they wanted it to go.
1. Sawamura gets freaked out because the players of another team look at him with high levels of determination. This causes him to panic and blow a super important game. It's ridiculous, because they are playing in an elimination tournament the entire time. EVERY player has been looking at him like they want to kill him, and every player is playing for their playoff lives. Why would he suddenly get freaked out and wonder why it is players from the other team are trying so hard, when literally everyone he beat was the same? When literally everyone on his team is the same? When HE is the same? It made no sense and was clearly done just to push forward the conclusion they wanted.
2. This happens again when Coach Kataoka tells Sawamura he's the reliever for Furuya. This destroys Sawamura's ego so badly, he almost completely crumbles on the team. One problem: This kid has been a reliever for the ENTIRE SERIES. He starts perhaps one game for Seidou the entire show. Furuya was always the starter after Tanba got beaned in the head. It made no sense he would suddenly implode because he was told to relieve for Furuya near the end of the series during some random scrimmages. Worse, his collapse was connected to the first logic flaw, so here are two flawed logic points working to bring about a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Not a bad ending, but not as satisfying as one would hope.
These two things hurt the anime. It didn't make it a poor anime to watch, but it definitely poured cold water on it for the final arc.
Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the anime. It's very funny, and the sports tournament aspect never really gets old as long as you can enjoy the characters in it. The characters are nuanced, especially Miyuki and Chris, and the bond that the team shares and the way they support each other really make you get behind them. Another important aspect is that their opponents were also entertaining, especially Inashiro and Yakushi, their main rivals. There were no cartoonish bad guys, just a bunch of kids trying to reach their dreams. I actually felt for some of them when they lost and started crying.
It really is a good anime, in spite of the logic flaws that would have us believe that Sawamura is as emotionally fragile as a girl made of fabrege eggs when the plot suits it. I really enjoyed it and I think most sports fans would, too. Hell, I'm not even a baseball fan and I liked this.
FumBum
Great writing for a sport like baseball that's generally pretty boring. In stuff like basketball or volleyball the tension and hype never really stops so when taking on something like baseball that's filled with breaks it's not easy. The art and soundtrack is nothing special, but what really drives this for me is the characters and stories. I really liked learning about the other teams backgrounds and there isn't a single game or arc that I didn't enjoy. I think it's a great watch for a sports anime and it's definitely up there on my list next to Kuroko no Basket and Haikyu.
killerqueen2000
I have caught up with the current ongoing manga so my thoughts on the anime has changed a little since reading it Story -6 : The story of this series is very typical shounen material so its something you would expect from most sports anime. Usually a sports series is good because of its characters anyways so thats all I will say for the story. Art -7: I liked the art, it doesn't try to be too flashy, and characters all have different designs so its easy to tell the difference. I think the anime does a decent job, especially when trying to portray the emotions ofcertain characters like when they feel frustrated the color of the backgrounds change with the emotions of the characters. I think the art of the manga is better though as the author is pretty good at drawing the faces of his characters, especially the eyes. Really brings out the intensity of the characters.
Sound -7: The sound was decent, although sometime the ost were repetitive, i enjoyed them. The sounds of the baseball bat hitting the ball is also repetitive but its not an issue for me. The openings were great and the endings were ok. The best part is for sure the voice acting. The VAs are so into their roles that they hold special events to do with this series and cosplay as the characters. There are even character songs of our favorite characters in the series which i recommend everyone to give a listen.
Characters -8: Now, like most sports anime this is the best part of a series . There are a lot of characters in this series and while not all of them are amazing, there are quite a few likable ones. Usually, the mc Sawamura eijun would be the main focus of the series. However, a lot of times the focus shifts to the Seido team as a whole. There are senpais in the series who are great supporting characters of the first years but they also have their own goals that they want to accomplish, to be a big contributor to the team. Seido baseball club is so lovable because of the interactions of all these characters as well as how they support one another or striving to improve themselves.
Yuki is the captain of the team so he has a lot of responsibility and usually gives his teammates encouragement. The most important characters to the mc are Miyuki the catcher and Chris the other catcher. Chris is the main support of Sawamura and is a big part of his development as a character. Chris himself was struggling because of an injury and this was also one of the reason why Sawamura developed. These characters support one another but are also self motivated.
Miyuki, the main catcher of the team is sometimes the core of the team because he is the one who takes care of all the catchers. He has a carefree attitude and his teammates get pissed off because of him sometimes but they respect him a lot. Like Chris, his relationship with Sawamura is amazing and you get to see it from a realistic perspective. Miyuki's relationship with Sawamura is one of the best dynamics in the series.
The backstory of the characters are simple to understand, and although the series is never deep, its executed in a realistic way. Sawamura is still the main character and got the most development. He was a typical shounen mc at first but his characters development is done in the most realistic way possible. Many people complain that he gets overshadowed by his rival Furuya and doesn't get enough screen time but for me that was why I liked Sawamura even more. He struggled a lot and being an inexperienced first year, he had to learn a lot from his mistakes. Its amazing how much struggles he goes through and seeing him overcome them is satisfying. He has a loud personality but is also very self motivated, which makes him a perfect character to root for and makes him more suitable to be an ace. Season one is him discovering his potential from the help from others and from himself, and slowly developing it so his struggles made a lot of sense. His rival Furuya however, is different because he had natural talent from the start, which was a good contrast. Character interactions, relationships, and their goals is what makes this series great in its characters.
Enjoyment -9 and overall : I enjoyed this series a lot. It can be slow in pace and some fans might still be angry or impatient about Sawamura struggling so much but for me thats why this series is so different than the other shounen. This series is nothing deep like Ping pong or Ashita no joe but its done realistically in shounen fashion. Its pretty similar to haikyuu but a lot more focused on the mental side of athletes because of how the sport of baseball is structured where there is a special meaning of being an ace in the team- a person who shoulders the hopes and dreams of everyone else and leads the team to victory. Mainly I love seeing Sawamura working hard to reach that goal of becoming an ace and he still has a lot to learn.
7.5 is my score of the anime. I originally gave it at least an 8 but after catching up with the current manga, season 1 is good but not nearly as good as the current manga. I recommend more people to watch this anime because the character struggles of Eijun make him one of the best sports protagonists imo
alphakiller1
Diamond no Ace is a great anime about a boy Eijun Sawamura from Nagano where he played baseball in Akami Middle School.He joined Seido Highschool where he hoped to become the ace.The series revolves around Sawamura throughout his journey to get better to become the ace. Story(8) - I would rate the story 8 as it is bit mainstream, the story is also a bit slow and reduces the effect of its story.Like all great sport animes the main character in Diamond no Ace is weak at the beginning but shows great potential,the main character wants to become the best in the team andalso face challenge from a supporting character.So I would say the story is cliche.
Sound(10)-The sounds in the anime are well timed and chosen based on the mood and environment of the scene.
Characters(10)-The best thing about Diamond no Ace are its characters.Each character have their own personality,are really unique and each and every character have a different atmosphere.I personally felt really attached to the characters by the end of the first season.I would say that each character was deeply thought and designed.Each of them have something unique in them.
Enjoyment(10)-Despite of being a sports anime Diamond no Ace is really funny with hilarious scenes between depressing and sad moments.There are only funny scenes whenever the team is back at the dorm.
Overall(10)-Even thought the story is cliche Yuji Terajima did a great job with diamond no ace.The characters are the ones firing up the anime.
The comedy is well timed and the middle of the anime (Episode 20-Episode60) is just perfect.With only 1-2 arcs in the first season Yuji Terajima did a brilliant job.
LuzuNatalia
While I am not a huge baseball fan, and was actually a little skeptical at first, Diamond no Ace turns out to be one of the most interesting sports anime I've watched. The story begins slow paced but steady and the hype eventually builds up. What I love the most in this series is that it leans more on the realistic side, rather than being too exaggerated or the supernatural. The games are also really interesting and entertaining to watch, and most of the time the outcome is unpredictable. I also liked the fact that the series showcases various "aces" / pitchers (and notjust the main protagonist) with different personalities, and that getting to the top is not as easy-- even prestigious teams fall while the underdogs win. Nearly all the teams and characters here are very likable. The tracks are also amazing and helps build up the hype in a lot of scenes and matches.
***However, if you are not open to a series that's not solely focused on it's protagonist, I suggest you can skip this one (rather than ranting about later).
The character development here is SLOW though, and might get frustrating but then again, its steady and realistic if you put into account the personalities of the characters.
Overall, its a smart, engagingly entertaining and a great sports anime to watch whether it be that you're a baseball fan or not. :)
Geddon616
Rewatched the anime a short while a go and thought that if it was worth a rewatch it was worth a review. So to begin with i will give a brief caution to those who want to see it. If your one of those pretty much sick of the main character being largely underpowered in comparison to those around him and to top it all being only as clever as a monkey then this anime is really something you should be careful about getting to high expectations from. i will write both good and bad about the main character so that it gives both of myviews so to speak on him
To begin with i really like the story since it kinda puts you in the shoes of a big baseball school and its not like you follow a tiny baseball club that has some fantasy dream. It feels real when they talk about it and it ads to the fun of it. The sound and the entire atmosphere you can get from just watching as the pitcher steps on the mound or the hitter stands ready to maybe hit a big homerun. Eventhough im not one to be spesific when it comes to the art i do like it. Its nice and smooth enough but feels like a sports animation. The main character which the story is supposed to revolve around has his moments. Eventhough he has alot of bad sides you can say he also has his good parts. he creates and enthusiasm few people have on his team and he manages to create a good mood and sometimes so funny that you will laugh your ass off.
So the to downside. As i said before if you dont like the moneky stupidity and majorly underpowered Main character then this will piss you of which it often at times did to me. So on the more negative side of the supposed main character swamura ejun. Why supposed well through the anime it was rare to really feel that he was the main character unless you looking at the first episodes there he is introduced. But after that he dissapears more and more only giving hints of what he might be in the creator of this anime eyes. He is a pitcher with not much room between his ear which he componsate by being loudmouthed and at times annoying and cringy.
To summarise fun and good anime to watch if you need a good sports anime that gives you much of what every sports/baseball anime can give you but. There will be time that the irritation might make you want to just press pause and think back on and consider if you really want to continue since something annoying might have happened at the end. I rewatched it because much of it had great parts that i loved and that i could still remember. Things that made me laugh or just love a certain character eventhough he might be wicked. But it never felt great its not like an anime there you want to say this is one of the best sports or baseball anime you have watched. Its more like this was fun and good maybe i will watch it another time if i feel for it.
BasementOtaku
I made a video: you can find it at my YouTube channel "BasementOtaku" Video Script: Ace of the Diamond (8/10): Huzzah for rating systems, if you want to know more about my luxurious rating system check the description down below. Now it is about time I sprinted toe first into this review. I finally did it, I made it through all 126 episodes of Ace of the Diamond! Although I didn’t watch the recap episodes so it is a little less than that, but it was a long a heartfelt journey that I did not expect to be graced with. Most sports anime these days last around twentyfive or fifty episodes so if a show is this long it had better be good and for the most part Ace of the Diamond is. This show has some of the highest highs I have ever gotten in sports anime and I can honestly say I actually enjoy watching baseball now where before I found it tedious and dreary. It does a great job of teaching the viewer the necessary information and then slowly adding layers of complexity. Making you appreciate every good pitch and clutch fielding play. There is also an assortment of matches that don’t involve the main team and that leads to some truly nail biting moments as I couldn’t guess who was going to pull out on top in those games, even the main team isn’t safe! This unpredictability helps to raise the stakes and build tension where other sports shows can feel like they have a pre-determined outcome. One of the shows greatest strengths is in how it makes the opposing teams feel real, and that they are people working together even though there are some stars. I found myself rooting for the opposing team after hearing some of their backstories. It makes you appreciate that everyone is giving it their all and I felt heartbroken a few times when the main team won because I had gotten so invested in the other team. While this could be seen as a weakness, as it takes quite awhile for the main team to be fleshed out, I really enjoyed the ride and the second season does a great job of making up for lost time. Now the show isn’t perfect, and the time between games can really drag the show to a less than stellar pace. I found myself setting the show down a few times when I was following it week to week because of those slower sections. They do have some touching character moments and build up drama for the upcoming games, but it can sometimes feel more like an excuse to give the animators a break than intentional pacing. If you are unsure as to whether you want to dive into the show, the first two episodes do a great job of building up excitement so I would watch those two and make your judgement. I’m sure this show isn’t for everyone but as a sports anime aficionado myself I found Ace of the Diamond to be a long ride worth taking.
