This article uses Creative Commons licensed content from Wikipedia's Major (manga) article. The list of authors can be seen in the page history there.

This article uses info from the Manga version of this series instead of the Anime. The Animepedia only does Anime, Manga form should not be documented here but elsewhere.

Major
MajorMAJORMejyā
Genre	Sports, Shonen, Comedy, All Ages
Anime series: Major Season One (メジャー)
Directed by	Kenichi Kasai
Studio	Studio Hibari
Network	NHK Hero TV
Original run	November 13, 2004 — May 21, 2005
No. of episodes	26
Anime series: Major Season Two
Directed by	Kenichi Kasai
Studio	Studio Hibari
Network	NHK
Original run	December 10, 2005 — June 10, 2006
No. of episodes	26
Anime series: Major Season Three
Directed by	Kenichi Kasai
Studio	Studio Hibari
Network	NHK
Original run	January 2007 — Ongoing
No. of episodes	26
Manga Series: Major
Authored by	Takuya Mitsuda
Publisher	Shogakukan
Serialized in	Shōnen Sunday
Original run	1994 – Ongoing
No. of volumes	62 volumes

Major (メジャー, Mejyā) is an anime adaptation of the manga series Major (MAJOR, Mejyā) by Takuya Mitsuda (the manga title uses English characters, whereas the anime title uses katagana). The anime is produced by NHK and Studio Hibari, first ran on November 13, 2004, and is currently on its third season.

Contents 1 Story so far 1.1 Kindergarten ~ First grade 1.2 Little League 1.3 Junior High 1.4 Kaido Highschool selection 1.5 Kaido Highschool 1.6 Seishuu Highschool 1.7 Minor league baseball 1.8 Baseball World Cup 2 Characters 3 Themes 3.1 Season One 3.2 Season Two 3.3 Season Three 4 Voice Cast 4.1 Japanese Voice Cast 5 Plot differences between the manga and anime version 6 Trivia 7 References

Story so farEdit

The story of Major follows the life of Goro Honda, from kindergarten to being a professional baseball player, seeking and overcoming tremendous challenges.

Note: The following sections follows the original manga story. There are several plot differences between the manga and later anime adaptation.

Subsections are divided according to how the official website split the story.^[1]

Kindergarten ~ First gradeEdit

Goro's father, Shigeharu Honda, was a pitcher struggling between the major and minor teams of the NPB. Nonetheless, Goro looked up to his father, wishes to be a professional baseball player just like his father. Aside from his father, Goro was very close to two other people -- Momoko Hoshino and Toshiya Sato. Momoko was Goro's kindergarten teacher, and especially watched out for Goro because there are no other kids of Goro's age at the kindergarten. Toshiya was another kid in the neighborhood, the only one Goro could find of his own age, and whom Goro taught baseball to.

The father and son were struck a cruel blow when Honda's arm injury prevents him from continuing his baseball career as a pitcher. Goro was especially shaken by the fact that his father wouldn't be able to continue as a baseball player anymore. To Honda, his son and baseball are all he has left in his life (his wife died 2 years ago). For his son's sake, Honda took up his best friend's advice, revived his batting instincts, and successfully transformed into a slugger. Amidst all this turmoil, Momoko was drawn deeper and deeper into the family's life. Eventually, Honda proposed to Momoko.

Right when Honda established himself in the major team Yokohama Marine Stars, the Tokyo Shiants signed a contract with the American MLB player, Joe Gibson, famous for his huge physical build and fast balls. When the Marine Stars with Honda and the Shiants with Gibson finally met on the field, Gibson struck out every single Marine Stars batter, except for Honda. Honda managed to touch the ball on his first at-bat, and at his second at-bat hit a home run off Gibson's 100-mile best pitch. After Honda's home run, the Marine Stars coach launched a series of bunt attacks, scoring additional points, and psychologically shaking up Gibson who considers the tactic unsportsmanlike. When it was Honda's third at-bat, Gibson has completely lost mental focus, and accidentally pitched a 99 mile dead ball hitting Honda's head. The umpire immediately called Gibson off the mound, though Honda quickly got back onto his feet and continued with the game. Honda's excellent play made him the headline of major newspapers the next morning... the very morning that Honda died due to internal bleeding in his skull, leaving his heartbroken son and fiancé behind.

Little LeagueEdit

Three years has passed since Momoko Hoshino, unmarried, adopted Goro as her own son upon Honda's death. Goro began school as a fourth grader, and was finally old enough to join the local little league team, the Mifune Dolphins. However, the local kids were mostly interested in soccer, and Goro had to get new friends he made at school to join in order to have enough members to keep the team from being abolished.

Goro showed himself to be an extremely gifted baseball player. So much in fact that the Dolphins coach hated to see Goro waste away his potential with the other crappy Dolphins players. The coach recommended Goro to join the nearby Yokohama Little team instead, which has better players, coach, and resources. When Goro visited, he discovered that not only was his old buddy Toshiya at Yokohama Little, but his own father, Shigeharu Honda, had been a member of the Yokohama Little with the current coach. Goro was torn, because if he were to follow his father's footsteps, that meant he would be abandoning the friends he asked to join the Mifune Dolphins. Goro had a big fight with Momoko over the issue, and Momoko sought advice from Hideki Shigeno, Honda's old buddy and teammate. While meeting with Shigeno, Momoko coughed blood, and was hostipalized. Whlie it turned out it was just a gastric ulcer, it made Goro realize the living people are much more important than the dead.

At that time, Joe Gibson had just returned to the MLB after pitching in Japan for three years. He sent an invitation to Goro to travel to America, all expenses paid, and watch the MLB All-Star game, where Gibson was going to be the starting pitcher for the National League. At the game, he declared to the American League's player that he would only pitch fast balls. Gibson threw 18 strikes, not a single slugger of the AL's top rotation could touch Gibson's pitch despite knowing what's coming, and Gibson earned standing ovation from the audience. This was Gibson's own way to show Goro how great a slugger Honda had been, as Honda had hit a home run off Gibson's best pitch in a duel of only fast balls. After the game, Gibson allowed Goro to throw a hardball at him, where ever Goro wants to, if it would make Goro feel any better. Goro responded that he would postpone this "punishment" until the day he could pitch as well as Gibson, which was Goro's own way of acknowledge Gibson's greatness.and after honda goro his team will fight yokohama little.when the night before the finals,goro push himself to train so that he can deafeat yokohama little.goro had an injury at his shoulder in the middle of the game.they beat yokohama little.but they only got the 4th place. momoko goro's mother proposed to shigeno honda's old teamate.

Back in Japan, with renewed determination, Goro led the Mifune Dolphins through various trials and practice matches, intending to defeat Yokohama Little, the best team in the region. At the end of the season, Goro's adoptive mother marries Shigeno Hideki and the new family moves to Fukuoka when Shigeno is traded from the Marine Stars.

Junior HighEdit

Goro moves back to Mifune when his stepfather is traded back to the Blue Oceans and finds his little league friends grown up and attending Mifune East Junior High School. He surprises his friends when he tells them that he has been playing soccer and doesn't plan on playing for the junior high baseball team, but changes his mind after confronting a bully who is threatening one of his friends. Together, Goro and his friend Komori Daisuke rebuild the junior high baseball team. The team becomes strong enough to enter the regional junior high tournament and Goro once again finds himself playing against his friend and rival Sato Toshiya, who plays on the Tomonoura Junior High School team. Mifune eventually beats Tomonoura in a tight game and Goro and Toshiya vow to play on the same high school team together.

Kaido Highschool selectionEdit

After the tournament, Goro, his friend Komori, and Toshiya decide to try out for the baseball team of the prestigious private high school, Kaido.

Kaido HighschoolEdit

Goro and Toshiya make the junior varsity team and spend a year and half together as teammates. However, in their second year, Goro reveals that his true desire is to challenge the excellent players of Kaido instead of play on the same team as them. His friend Toshiya is hurt by Goro's decision, but respects him for it. The season ends with Goro leading the junior varsity team to victory over a scrimmage against the varsity team, and with Goro quitting Kaido High School to play for another team.

Seishuu HighschoolEdit

Goro has returned home after quitting Kaido. Upon his arrival, his mother voices her displeasure with the fact that he did not consult with her about his leaving. She insisted Goro to be accountable for his actions and to accept the responsibility of paying the application fees on which ever schools he chooses to enroll in. Goro's enrollment had been refused by several schools due to the assistant coach of Kaido (Egashira) threatening to sue the other schools. Goro was able to finally avoide Egashira's interference by enrolling in Seishuu High. Having been an all girls school until just two years ago, Sheishuu didn't have a baseball team. Goro enrolls, determined to create a baseball team from scratch. Goro's Stepfather, Shigeno Hideki later retires from his position as ace pitcher for the Blue Oceans.

Minor league baseballEdit

Despite losing the match against Kaido, Seishuu Highschool was the only team that actually put up a fight against the Koshien champion. As a result, Goro attracted the eyes of many scouts, including the Yokohama Marine Stars and the Tokyo Shiants. However, upon learning that Joe Gibson is still pitching in MLB, and dedicated his 300-win acheivement to his "young friend in Japan", Goro lost any interest in Japanese professional baseball, and went to America to try out for the Major League.

Goro's 95 mile fast ball, while ineffective against Major League sluggers, allowed Goro to start in Triple A instead of the rookie league. In Triple A Goro found a new rival -- Joe Gibson Jr, son of Joe Gibson and an outstanding slugger. Junior blamed the death of Goro's birth father as the cause of the tragedy that befell on his own family, and he challenged Goro to a bet: If Junior hit a homerun off Goro, Goro is to return to Japan and never set foot on American soil again; On the other hand, if Goro can strike out Junior, then Junior will visit Goro's father's grave and apologize for his insults. Goro managed to strike out Junior with his fast ball, now at 100 mile/h, and lead his team to victory in the 3A Championship.

Baseball World CupEdit

After the baseball season was over, Goro returned to Japan. Shimizu finally told Goro her feelings for him, and they became a couple. On the other hand, Goro learned from Toshi that there is going to be a Baseball World Cup the following year hosted in America, and for the first time, Major League players will be allowed to compete in it. Due to Goro's impressive performances in the practice match between Rookies and the All-Star Japan team, he was selected as a replacement pitcher starting the second round of preliminaries. Goro pitched as the closer against Venezuela and Korea, earning a win and a save respectively. Then Mayumura earned a win, pitching as closer against the Dominican Republic, advancing Japan to the semi-finals.

Shimizu came to America to cheer Goro on, and encountered Toshiya's younger sister, Miho Satoh. The day before the semi-finals match against Cuba, Toshiya accidentally ran into his sister, and the traumatic memories of being abandoned by his parents 7 years ago were reawakened. Toshiya's body went into involuntary shock, and was temporarily hospitalized. Miho felt guilty about the incident, but Toshiya called her on the phone, and asked her to come watch the next game. By knowing his sister is somewhere in the audience, Toshiya felt he would be able to do his best. Toshiya made several excellent plays against Cuba's aggressive offensive in the semi-finals, and Goro got the win as the closer.

After the Cuba game, Gibson Jr. revealed to the Team USA's manager as well as Goro that his father, Joe Gibson, had heart disease. Junior hoped the manager might be able to prevent, and Goro to dissuade, Gibson from getting on the mound and potentially kill himself. However, with players mostly in a "exhibition game" mentality, Gibson got on the mound in the 8th inning in the USA vs Venezuela semi-finals, risking his heart to awaken the baseball spirit of his teammates.

The following day, Gibson collapsed during practice session, and Goro rushed to the hospital to see Gibson. Gibson revealed to Goro that in a chance meeting with Momoko 10 years ago, he asked her why she had not accepted any monetary compensation from him. Momoko smiled gently, and asked Gibson to remain an top-class baseball player until Goro grows up, so that Goro could be proud of having a father who hit a homerun from such a great pitcher, and that would be enough for her and for Goro. Momoko's kind words had been the pillar that supported and drove Gibson all these years, but he felt if he could not complete this Baseball World Cup, and play against Goro on the mound, he would have failed Goro and Momoko. Goro comforted Gibson, telling him that he had done enough, and to just watch Goro and Junior's showdown on TV.

The Japan vs USA finals game began with Japan taking a five point lead, prompting Gibson to leave the hospital and went to the stadium to cheer his teammates on by their side. Japan had to send out Goro at the 8th inning to protect their remaining 1 point lead, but Junior scored a home run off Goro's 100 mile fast ball. The game went into extra innings, and Gibson walked onto the mound again, determined to lead USA to victory.

CharactersEdit

Main article: Characters

ThemesEdit

Season OneEdit

• Opening (episodes 1-26): "Kokoro e (心絵 -- ココロエ)" by Road of Major
• Ending (episodes 1-16): "Step" by Beni Arashiro
• Ending (episodes 17-25): "Faraway" by Paradise GO!! GO!!

Season TwoEdit

• Opening (episodes 27-52): "Saraba Aoki Omakage (さらば碧き面影)" by Road of Major
• Ending (episodes 27-39): "Wonderland" by May
• Ending (episodes 40-51): "Shoboi Kao Sunnayo Baby (しょぼい顔すんなよベイベー)" by The Loose Dogs
• Ending (episode 52): "Saraba Aoki Omakage (さらば碧き面影)" by Road of Major

Season ThreeEdit

• Opening (episodes 53-present): "Play the Game" by Road of Major
• Ending (episodes 53-67): "Strike Party!!!" by BeForU
• Ending (episodes 68-present): "Yoru ni Nareba" by The Loose Dogs

Voice CastEdit

Japanese Voice CastEdit

• Motoko Kumai as Honda Goro (eps 1-26)
• Shoutarou Morikubo as Honda (Shigeno) Goro (eps 27-)
• Fuyuka Oura as Sato Toshiya (eps 2-26)
• Masakazu Morita as Sato Toshiya (eps 27-)
• Rie Kugimiya as Komori Daisuke (eps 1-26)
• Kouki Miyata as Komori Daisuke (eps 27-)
• Kahoru Sasajima as Sawamura Ryouta
• Hideki Ogihara as Yamane
• Takehito Koyasu as Honda Shigeharu
• Junko Noda as Momoko Hoshino
• Shunsuke Sakuya as Shigeno Hideki

Plot differences between the manga and anime version Edit

• Team names
  • The "Yokohama Marine Stars" in the manga became "Yokohama Blue Oceans" in the anime.
  • The "Tokyo Shiants" in the manga became "Tokyo Warriors" in the anime.
• Many violent scenes (mostly physical fighting) in the manga were either greatly toned down, or completely removed in the anime.
• The match between the Kaido JV and Varsity teams
  • In the manga, Sato Toshiya's homerun in the 7th inning was worth 2 points, placing the JV team in the lead. The 8th and 9th innings quickly ended without incident or anyone scoring.
  • In the anime, Sato's homerun was only worth 1 point. Goro lost one point in the 8th inning, but hit a 2-point homerun off the Varsity team's ace pitcher and took back the lead. The 9th inning ended without either team scoring.
  • In the manga, Mayumura was never on the field. In the anime, he helped made a hit in the 8th inning, to see if Shigeno has the ability to follow up with a game-winning homerun, instead of having to rely on Sato in the 9th inning.

• The birth of Chiharu and the retirement of Shigeno Hideki
  • In the anime, the birth of Chiharu and the retirement of Shigeno Hideki both happened a few years later than the manga timeline.

• Kawase Ryouko
  • Ryouko's plot elements in Season 2 and 3 of the anime were not present in the original manga. In the manga, there was no mention of her after the little league match. Shimizu decided to go to Sheishuu after Komori's encouragement only; Taiga pitched the 300 practice sliders to Goro with his injured hand.

• Ayane
  • When Goro first moved back to Mifune, and was asking directions to Mifune East, the person who gave the wrong directions in the manga was Yamane (intentionally). In the anime it was Ayane (unintentionally).
  • Ayane's plot elements in Season 3 of the anime were not present in the original manga. In the manga, there was no mention of her after Goro and Toshiya began school in Kaido.

TriviaEdit

• TV Asahi releases its list of the Top 100 Anime of All Time at the end of every year. In 2006, Major is ranked 46th, just behind another sports anime, Eyeshield 21. Based on a survey of 100 Japanese celebrities, it ranked as the 70th most popular show.

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Official Websites' Scene page