I did not know details on Miki Nagasawa. Of course, she is a famous voice actress in Japan. As you know, she formerly played the role of Maya Ibuki from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
In Autumn 1997, TV-Tokyo broadcast a title "Vampire Miyu." Ms Miki Nagasawa played the role of the heroine Miyu Yamano.
The latest column showed details on the TV-series Vampire Miyu.
Miyu Yamano was very cool and clever. Miki Nagasawa played the role for six months. Of course, Director Toshiki Hirano and Cartoonist Narumi kakinouchi are very popular. Therefore the TV-series are also very popular. In the works, Ms Nagasawa won the admiration. In EVA, Maya Ibuki was always confused. Her fans thought Miki Nagasawa was always confused. That time she could play the role of a cool and difficult character. Therefore she won the admiration.
In Spring 1998, owing to Miyu's success, she got two new jobs.
One is, of course, "CYBER TEAM in Akihabara," the other is "Princess Nine."
Princess Nine is broadcast by NHK (Nippon Housou Kyoukai) Broadcasting Satellite-2 channel TV station. We Japanese must pay an additional charge when we watch NHK BS-2 channel. Therefore most of Japanese cannot watch the anime. However NHK Publishing published a guidebook and an original comic book on Princess Nine. I also read those books.
Recently I collected some data on Princess Nine, as follows;
"Princess Nine - Baseball Club of Kisaragi Women's Senior High School" Copyright (C) Norihoshi Date/ Phoenix Entertainment, NEP21, Kakeru Takamine 1998
In the anime, Ms Miki Nagasawa plays the role of the heroine "Ryo Hayakawa."
More than 17 years ago, an excellent pitcher appeared at inter-high school baseball games. His name was Hidehiko Hayakawa (CV = Kazuhiko Inoue). Soon later he entered a professional baseball team sponsored by Himuro plutocracy.
Then Ms Keiko Himuro (CV = Ryouko Sakakibara) from Himuro Family was young. She loved him for two years.
Hidehiko Hayakawa pitched a kind of migic ball called "Inazuma Ball (Lightning Ball)." His Inazuma ball was very famous.
Thereafter she parted from him. He was married with Shino (CV = Sumi Shimamoto). He had only one child. The child was Ms Ryo Hayakawa (CV = Miki Nagasawa).
Ten years ago, Hidehiko Hayakawa was dead.
At present, Ms Keiko Himuro is the president of Himuro plutocracy. She always wears a pendant with Hidehiko's portrait. She wanted to have a women's baseball team which can win the championship at Koshien all-Japan inter-high school baseball games.
On the other hand, Ryo Hayakawa pitched fast balls in baseball games. She was 15 years old. Her family consisted of her mother Shino and her. Shino managed a small tavern in Tokyo downtown. Of course, she was very poor. Ryo could not enter any senior high school.
Ryo was already very popular because the speed of her ball was more than 120 kilometers per hour. Keiko Himuro hired Ryo as a member of Baseball Club of Kisaragi Women's Senior High School. Keiko is also the president of Kisaragi Women's School.
Keiko already hired two girls who were famous baseball players. They are Hikaru Yoshimoto from Osaka (CV = Naomi Nagasawa) and Yuki Azuma (CV = Ayako Kawazumi).
Ryo scouted two girls who had experienced baseball in junior high school days. They are Koharu Hotta from Kouchi (CV = Akiko Yajima) and Kanako Mita (CV = Rumi Kasahara).
On the other hand, a cute and tall girl from Okinawa entered the club in order to get popular. Her name is Yoko Tokashiki (CV = Masami Iiduka). Of course, she is not good at baseball. She is a right fielder.
They did not have a catcher. Ryo scouted a fat and tall girl from Judo Club. Her name was Mao Daidouji (CV = Kokoro Shindou).
There manager is a drinker. His name is Shinsaku Kido (CV = Kouji Ishii). He was a catcher who caught Hidehiko's balls.
Mr. Kido sought for a fast and tall runner. Her name is Seira Morimura (CV = Kyouko Hikami). She gave up track-and-field events. She was a bad girl. He brought her to Ryo's club.
Kido's assistant appeared. Her name is Nene Mouri (CV = Taeko Kawada). She is a cheering girl.
The club consisted of eight members, one assistant and one manager.
Of course, the club needed the 9th member.
President Keiko Himuro was married. Her husband was dead. She had only one daughter. Her name is Izumi (CV = Mami Kingetsu, she played the role of Shiori Fujisaki).
She was famous for a "genius" tennis player. Her playmate in her childhood was Hiroki Takasugi. He is a famous slugger of Baseball Club of Kisaragi Gakuen Senior High School.
One day Ryo appeared in front of him. He and Izumi is beautiful. Ryo is plain. But he began to like her when she pitched a fast ball. He called Ryo "Ganmo-chan."
Thereafter he often advises her on baseball games.
Izumi began to stand against Ryo.
On the other hand, Ryo's playmate in her childhood was Seishirou Natsume (CV = Tetsuya Iwanaga). He is plain. He is rather shy and weak. But he studied hard. He also entered Kisaragi Gakuen Senior High School. He yearns for Ryo for a long time.
Principal Mita (CV = Naoki Tatsuta) stood against President Himuro on founding the Baseball Club in Women's school. Her daughter Kanako was a famous baseball player in her junior high school days. Principal Mita inhibited her to play baseball in the senior high school.
Kanako Mita called herself Ta-Mi Ko-Na-Ka. She keeps playing baseball.
At last Ryo scouted Izumi as a third baseman. Oh! Izumi challenged Ryo. Izumi said, "If I win the game, you must leave school. If you win the game, I will join with the club."
Of course, Ryo won it. Izumi joined with the club.
But headquarters of high school baseball association did not want the women's team to join with the association.
The headquaters set a game between her team and "Rinkaidai Fuzoku" School team. The team is very popular.
Then the speed of Ryo's ball was more than 140 kilo meters per hour. But her balls were almost all straight.
The team had to train their catcher Mao. She was not good at baseball. Of course, the pitcher was Ryo. Ryo pitched fast balls. Izumi entered the batter's box. Then Mao looked at Izumi's hands. Izumi is called "Genius." But a lot of scars on Izumi's palms remained. Izumi just began to play baseball. She had trained herself harder in secret. Ryo is rather a genius. Izumi is a hard worker.
On the other hand, Izumi is Hidehiko's daughter. Journalism reported that Izumi could pitch Hidehiko's "Inazuma Ball."
Manager Kido trained Ryo. He ordered Ryo to plow the field by her hands. She completed it. Takasugi saw the work.
In the game with Rinkaidai Fuzoku, Izumi hit a two-base hit. Then the team gained one run. In the top of the 9th inning, Ryo found the true character of Inazuma Ball. She remembered she had plowed the field. Ryo pitched Inazuma Balls. Kisaragi Women's School won by 3 to 2. The team could join with the association.
In the anime, Manager Kido and President Himuro are drawn as wirepullers of women's baseball. Izumi often bullied Ryo. But Izumi makes efforts very hard. Ryo is rather easy-going.
Perhaps in Japan, many girls and boys will become fans of Ryo. In several countries, Izumi will win the admiration at her efforts.
Producer; Katsuhiko Gotou
Producer-General; Yasuhito Yamaki
Director; Tomomi Mochizuki
They tried to make an anime mixed with "Aim at the Ace" and "Kyojin No Hoshi." The wanted to avoid Japanese Sports Spirit Anime. However they made a Japanese Sports Spirit Anime, say, a tearjerking program.
The team consists of eleven unrefined characters including Izumi, Ryo and Kido.
Moreover most of them are very tall (more than 175 centimeters).
As you know, in Japan the number of children decreased. So some senior high school teams include several female players. The height of most of female players is about 165 centimeters. It is said that 168 centimeter-tall girls can become regular players. In the sense, Kisaragi members are "regular" players. They are common in Japan at present. But if they begin to play some sports, the tall girls will play basketball or volleyball.
Previous Column|Next Column|Column Index|Index
Keywords:
Aim at the Ace
CYBER TEAM in Akihabara|Previous Column|Next Column
Kyojin No Hoshi|Previous Column|Next Column
Neon Genesis Evangelion|Previous Column|Next Column
Princess Nine|Next Column
Vampire Miyu|Previous Column|Next Column
