Major S4

As Anime fans, we love getting lost within the many Fantasy worlds portrayed in our favorite shows. They are full of the unordinary, bringing magic and super abilities with them. Yet, a touch of reality is nice every now and then, especially for people who like watching or playing Sports. For that reason, Sports Anime is a thing, a big thing! There are always Sports series in almost every season to cater to those needs.

There is one sport we see even in non-Sports anime, and this game holds a special place in fans’ hearts; Baseball. So an Anime about Baseball, that's where Major S4 comes in! Also known as “Major 4th Season”, “Major 4,” or simply just “m4”, this is a 26 episode TV Anime series that aired from the 5th of January until the 28th of June, in Winter 2008.

It was produced by NHK and brought to life by Studio SynergySP. The main staff included Fukushima Toshinori as Director, Yoshida Reiko on Script, Umemoto Yui as Episode Director and Storyboard, and Suenaga Mitsuyo also on Script. It featured the Genres of Comedy, Drama, and Sports, targeted at the Shounen Demographic. It received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years or older. 

The Anime series is adapted from the source Manga titled “Major.” It ran for 78 Volumes from the 13th of July 1994 until the 7th of July 2010. It was serialized in Shounen Sunday and carefully crafted by Author and Artist Mitsuda Takuya. In light of its success, this series won the 41st Shogakukan Manga Award for the Best Shounen Manga back in 1995. The prequel to the Anime is “Major S3”, a 26 episode TV Anime series from Winter 2007. The sequel “Major S5” ran for 25 episodes in Winter 2009.

The Story revolves around Protagonist Gorou Honda, who had just finished high school. He had set his sights on somehow becoming a professional baseball player. However, his dreams and aspirations are much higher and more ambitious than just becoming a Japanese Baseball League player, so to meet his goal, he decides to move to America, the very birthplace of his beloved sport.

Here, he aspires to play in the Major League. Upon arrival, Gorou discovers that there will be no smooth sailing for him, as the existing Major League players are way faster, stronger, and far more driven than he is. However, this is not enough to bring him down, as he is highly determined and eager to catch up with the rest.

To this end, he must first and foremost conquer the ranks of the Minor League, which is also a place where numerous skilled players actively compete on the grueling paths to the Majors. Gorou progressively learns that he must adapt to American culture’s stark and vast differences against his homeland and then push himself to all new extremes in the turbulent race to join the Major League.

Major S4 has its own Story to tell the audience, accompanied by great comedy and engaging drama. It is fundamentally well made but is similar to S1 and S2 due to the story being left hanging by the conclusion. The episodes flow like an entertaining tale, but unfortunately, some of them come across as annoying, as a hindrance to the main plot, decreasing the overall enjoyment.

The series would've been better if all the episodes connected with the main plot. Another downside is that many of the minor plots end too quickly, rather than being shown step by step, even at the cost of applying unnecessary tension on the main characters. As the story progresses, there is visible continual development, improved motivation, growing faith, and unyielding perseverance shown by Gorou.

This is not only limited to him, though, as other characters that come into the picture showcase these traits too, with a burning passion for Baseball and even continues to fire up the whole series in their wake. As Gorou overcomes many hurdles daily, he aspires to play against a specific person and become the best. Despite being placed in impossible situations repeatedly, he believably overcomes them in this underdog tale. Now set in a capable team, he must focus more on watching out for himself. It is best to note that this season is more aloof and humor-driven than its predecessors. It is less about domination in the sport and more about the bonds formed among team members.

As for Characters, Goro remains the solid protagonist who improved tremendously. He reaches new heights, but viewers can't help but feel something is missing. Characters new and old add to the entertainment in the series while assisting Gorou to proceed smoothly despite missing superb skills. This season is about Gorou and his team attempting to win the Championship with fewer matches and more bonding time. For example, he meets a pitcher who shows him he has much to learn before aiming for the Majors.

A new element of how a team affects the city they play for is well portrayed. Viewers see how various city residents come to him, speaking of how their hopes are now in his hands. The connection between the team and the city are masterfully depicted and shows how the protagonist mentally improves himself to play under extreme pressure, which is a very realistic aspect in any competitive Sport.

The Art and Animation of S4 are vastly improved from its predecessors. The Art still retains its basic and nostalgic style, though. Facial expressions show tremendous improvement, best seen in Gorou's over-confident smirk throughout the series. The Animation for the matches is highly fluid and detailed but becomes quite dull due to repetitive use.

The Sounds and Music are average at best. The Opening theme is "Rise" by Kouhei Ootomo, which really could've used some improvement. The Ending themes are "One Day" by The Loose Dogs and "Ame Nochi Niji Iro)" by Goro Shigeno x The Loose Dogs feat. Maki Ohguro, which are both catchy and easy to follow. Some of the OSTs are great and fit each moment perfectly.

The rest, however, attempted to portray the American vibe and failed, ending up as stereotypical country music. In that sense, the whole series relies a lot on US stereotypes, which is a significant weakness. The Voice Acting is well done, especially for Gorou and his team, who often perform enjoyable skits. Every character had a distinctive voice and vocal mannerisms that were consistent and memorable. The sound effects are well done and fitting too.

If you wish to make the most out of Major S4, you must watch all the prequels. Overall, it is a good Anime despite its flaws, the biggest of which is the feeling that the story lacks. The episodes hold impact, and thus it is not difficult to sit through until the end. It is a nice and deserving series, which is pretty average in every department if broken down though.

Regardless, it delivers a decent amount of enjoyment and thrills, with good characters, sounds, music, and a bit of story, making for a good watch. If you're a fan of the genres, like Baseball, or just enjoy Sports Anime in general, this show is recommended.