(CR) Ace of Diamond (Season 2 & 3)

[FlareKnight]

With how dramatic Narumiya was acting leading to his first pitch I figured he'd be throwing unicorns or something instead of a baseball. We get it, you are a really good pitcher. Take it down a notch .

Is what it is for an episode though. Just throwing out a reminder that any path forward means going through Inashiro.

[thundrakkon]

I was sort of disappointed that the whole episode focused on teams that are not the main character's team. Also, of course there was so much focus on one of the most annoying jackass character in Narumiya. This series likes to make its audience suffer.

[FlareKnight]

I suppose we sort of got some solid moments for Sawamura there. Did focus more on where his pitching is right now and how terrifying he can become.

Of course it was kind of used as motivation fuel in the tale of Furuya. The guy who gets to start because the coach read a really nice journal entry . What was Sawamura's journal not interesting enough? Or was he so impressed that he didn't even bother to read past Furuya?

Oh well. Let's see how this game goes.

[thundrakkon]

It's still quite tiresome and annoying to have to watch Furuya so much, and it doesn't get any better that he is failing but still gets all the attention. Hopefully, this will end soon, and they can put Furuya out of his misery.


As for Koushu, it is beginning to look like he will end up as Sawamura's catcher, like I previously guessed. In universe, he seems like a jerk, but I just don't get the jerk vibe from him. He seems to have his reasons that might be legitimately good. In this series, where jerks abound aplenty, Koushu doesn't come across as a jerk to me.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

It's still quite tiresome and annoying to have to watch Furuya so much, and it doesn't get any better that he is failing but still gets all the attention. Hopefully, this will end soon, and they can put Furuya out of his misery.

I feel like DnA fans could learn from what Einstein supposedly said (but actually didn’t): Insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by thundrakkon

It's still quite tiresome and annoying to have to watch Furuya so much, and it doesn't get any better that he is failing but still gets all the attention. Hopefully, this will end soon, and they can put Furuya out of his misery.


As for Koushu, it is beginning to look like he will end up as Sawamura's catcher, like I previously guessed. In universe, he seems like a jerk, but I just don't get the jerk vibe from him. He seems to have his reasons that might be legitimately good. In this series, where jerks abound aplenty, Koushu doesn't come across as a jerk to me.

Not really a jerk but really, really abrasive. And he has a problem with authority which he doesn't have with people in the same grade.

[Master_Yoma]

Just what is going on with Furuya he really getting worse just so many balls he throwing

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by Master_Yoma

Just what is going on with Furuya he really getting worse just so many balls he throwing

He has no finesse and control. He only knows to throw the ball hard and each time he is throwing harder and straining hinself and ending up with even less control that the little control that he has. Plus, listen to Narumiya, he has also identified that he was like that after the 3rd years left. It's the start of an implosion.

[thundrakkon]

It was a little annoying with the anime making Furuya play the hero loser role during the first half of the episode, but when Sawamura came in, the anime became awesome again. Sawamura was really epic this episode.

[Lexxus]

Whew. The part I was waiting for. Damn. Just goosebumps. It's time for Sawamura to get his recognition.

Note: The animation could a little bit better but passable.

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by leongsh

While Diamond no Ace Act II has Eijun giving Kataoka a metaphorical slap-in-the-face.

As posted earlier. It's a wake up call that there's this pitcher that has been frequently giving the team a fighting chance and saving his ass that he has shunted aside for Furuya. The tide is turning for Sawamura.

[FlareKnight]

Next time, Kataoka needs to spend more time looking at his players and not their journal entries. That was just bad coaching and it put his team in a bind. In some ways I could see giving Furuya the start just to see if he can get on his game. But he had so many chances to pull him before the other team did some damage. And it would have been natural with how his pitch count was climbing too fast.

[monir]

Sawamura's time has come! Let's see if it lasts another episode.

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, that's about how it goes. Even if Sawamura was in god mode he couldn't will a 3 run gap to close on his own. In the end it came down to bad coaching and the offense not getting the job done. Deserved to lose the game and that's exactly what happened.

Be nice to see this lead to some progression for Sawamura and reaching the darn ace goal. But we know what show this is. All this is about is setting up Furuya to get his head on straight and actually play competently.

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Be nice to see this lead to some progression for Sawamura and reaching the darn ace goal. But we know what show this is. All this is about is setting up Furuya to get his head on straight and actually play competently.

Cryptic response time - one word to watch out for - Hakuryu

Kataoka has woken up from that slap in the face he received from Sawamira's pitching performamce. He sacrificed the team for the sake of Furuya - something he said to Ochiai that he would not do in the second part of Act I. He and the team at large were blinkered after Furuya's performance af the Winter Koshien invitational. His admittance to the press about his late decision to relief caused the loss is an acknowledgement of that he has woken up.

As to where it will go, the key word is Hakuryu.

[Lexxus]

I'm looking forward with the Hakuryuu game. This is it.

[Norn]

I really wonder what they're going to do with the batting line up. The pitchers are pretty reliable and the fielders defend well, but Seido really has a problem when it comes to batting. For a team in a district with so many strong pitchers, you'd think they'd be a little stronger.

I hope cheetah starts batting from a position that actually benefits his running, and that Haruichi grows over his attachment to his wooden bat. It's fine to have a personal style and flair, but generally you're only allowed that if you can actually get results. You can't put the team in a bind just because of your own desires.

I think Miyuki should perform a bit more. In terms of batting there's no one better in the team right now. That being said, he's a good lightning rod, with how opposing batteries try to walk him often.

Outside of those three I don't think that the first team has any great batters. Shirasu is decent and seems to bat consistently, whilst Yui and Tetsu Jr still need to get used to first team. Especially the latter needs to work on making contact. He may have more talent than his brother, it's the elder Tetsu that ultimately became a monster through practicing like crazy.

I do not understand why Zono is regarded so highly in the line up. I'm sorry but as a third year he's not very reliable. Gets shut down often. Relies on forcing his swing rather than letting the swing run it's trajectory. Late swinging. Inconsistent batting performance. He will get you an rbi one game, and then get swung out for the next games. He's almost the exact opposite of Shirasu, a quiet guy who doesn't hit it long but consistently makes contact in order to get in base and make the runner advance towards home. Unless Zono actually improves I don't see why he'd be that high up the line up, let alone in the first team.

All in all, when those first years who just got promoted to 2nd string reach the 1st team, Seido will most likely finally have strong offensive power to move forwards.

[monir]

I lol'ed.

[Uribatake]

Wow, Kataoka actually did the right thing instead of worrying too much about Furuya's feelings. I'm not even a fan of the "Go Exceed" OP, which I started skipping about 10 episodes into the first season, but that song really got me pumped after we got to that moment we've been waiting for since the series started. Shame we've only got 7 episodes left.

[thundrakkon]

Yeah, I'm glad they went with this approach for Sawamura. I was dreading that stupid Ochiai's thoughts that doing the best for the individual (Furuya) is more important than doing what's best for the team. The best should be playing. Also, Sawamura's goal is to be the Ace of all the pitchers in Japan, not just the Ace of the team. So it makes sense that he is the Ace of the team in his 2nd year. Which leaves for him to try and get Ace for Japan in the 3rd year.


Ah yes, this is ending at episode 52, which is a bit sad, but to be expected. The previous season ended at 52 as well. However, knowing how long running baseball series always get subsequent series, I do expect another season to come along when more manga material is available.