AZUSA WILL HELP

Gives new meaning to “fantasy baseball”



Review by: Craig “Filthy Yakker” Norris

Length: 45-minute OAV
Genre: Sports, comedy
Watched: All, subbed

I’ve seen robots do all sorts of amazing things. In the history of the entertainment industry, robots have rebelled against humanity, they have transformed and rolled out, and have even traveled back in time to save Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong from certain doom. After all that, a game of baseball seems like it would be a cakewalk, right? Well, not if the robot in question is programmed to swing a feather duster instead of a bat.

Plot synopsis: In the future, special robots have become adapted to participate in sporting events, including high school baseball. Enter the Karu Ducks, one of the worst high school baseball teams to ever lace up the cleats. Even worse, their ace pitcher has just quit the team, leaving them one player short. To prevent the club from being disbanded, the team pools their funds and invests in a robot to fill the roster. Unfortunately, they couldn’t afford a high-performance sports robot, and settle for Azusa, a used maid robot.

Artwork: Considering that the character designs are unremarkable (including the handful of robots that show up), the artwork is still pretty decent. It definitely looks like the recent production that it is, and presents a good combination of crisp colors and fluid motion. Plus, it’s great to see a recent production, especially one focused on robots, that doesn’t lean on CG to carry the visuals.

Music: No, “Centerfield,” “Talkin’ Baseball,” and “Right Field” do not make appearances on this soundtrack, even though they easily could have been worked in. Really, nothing about the soundtrack says “baseball,” or is even indicative of sports in general. Not even any corny organ music during the games. Disappointing, really. On the plus side, “YMCA” was conspicuously absent, and “Cotton-Eye Joe” was nowhere to be heard.

Characters: Each member of the team has a different personality and their own unique quirks that make them all seem so radically different from one another. The plot mainly focuses on Shunpei, who is a melancholy young man who can’t seem to escape the demons from his past that prevent him from taking the mound. He wants to do whatever it takes to keep the baseball team together, which leads him to purchase Azusa, a used maid robot, to fill the final roster spot. Azusa, despite wanting to help, has no idea how to play baseball, and her blind effort ranges from pathetic to just plain painful. Still, she tries her very hardest, and smiles all the while. The one member of the team who is most opposed to Azusa’s presence is the coach and Shunpei’s grandfather, Senzou. Senzou believes that sports robots cheapen the game and prevents the human players from reaching their full potential. Rounding out the team are: the Captain, so appointed because he is the only senior left on the team; Doujima, the freshman, and Shunpei’s best friend; Tonomura, the master of secret swings; the Yamada twins, who seem to be more focused on developing their stand-up comedy routine than playing a ball game; Mizuho, the only human girl on the roster (though she is decidedly un-ladylike); and Tanabe, who is impossible to notice for any reason. These differing personalities all share a common thread that keeps them together as a team; they can’t play baseball to save their lives. But at least their names are easier to remember than that St. Louis team from days gone by.

Plot: Robots playing baseball is not a new concept; in fact, the roots of the idea can be traced back at least to 1960 by an episode of "The Twilight Zone.” And who can forget the 1991 Nintendo classic “Base Wars?” (Answer: everybody.) Therefore, in terms of originality, this anime strikes out. However, this anime does breathe decent life into the concept by having the actual baseball playing being a side-note to the acceptance of robots by the sports community, and more specifically Azusa struggling to be accepted by her teammates. For an anime that centers on robots, it has an extremely human element that is easy to find endearing. Unfortunately, it also feels like the plot wasn’t given enough time to develop, as this could easily take up a full-length movie or more.

CHICKS!: There’s something about a really cute girl wearing a baseball uniform that drives me absolutely wild. And that extends to non-animated girls, as well. So, understandably, I was easily smitten by Azusa. She is far from a hard-nosed player, but her gentleness and her unwavering effort supersede any lack of skill, at least on the basis of desirability. And that pink ponytail poking out the back of her ballcap sends my libido into extra innings. Far less feminine is Mizuho, who at times seems jealous of Azusa getting all the attention, but at other times rebuffs any sexual remark with a pummeling that would clearly be a red flag for ‘roids rage. (What, you think I would go through an entire review of a baseball anime and not mention performance-enhancing substances?) Keep her away from The Clear, and she might be dateable.

Overall: This is not “The Natural,” nor is it “Major League.” But for a 45-minute OAV, it is a decent story, and has just enough baseball in it to keep fans like me watching. As a baseball story it will decidedly remain under the radar, but as any baseball veteran will tell you, whether it’s a towering moonshot or it just sneaks over the wall, a home run is a home run.

IN A NUTSHELL
+ A nice story
+ Not too sports-oriented
+ Both funny and heartwarming
- Soundtrack is bush league
- Story felt a bit rushed
Rating: 7.5/10



Return to Index