Writer’s Spotlight: One Outs

The show is about the Lycaons, a major league baseball team in Japan. During a training rout to get out of a slump, the Lycaons main batter Kojima finds a sand-lot pitcher named Tokuchi Toua that reigns supreme as the king of “one outs” – a gambling form of baseball in which the batter wages directly against the pitcher.

If the ball lands in the infield or is not touched, the pitcher wins. If the batter manages to get only a single hit to anywhere in the outfield, he wins. Enter Toua, a fastball pitcher around 77mph which makes him exceedingly good. With poise and a calm demeanor, he joins the Lycaons only after repeated attempts to get him to drop his nasty habit by Kojima, who believes the sport of baseball to be holy. Toua’s gambling is an eyesore, and he challenges him to step up his game on a field in the majors – and this is where the fun begins.

Initially, I didn’t care much for baseball. The series though has more of a psychological feel to it, when Toua is picking apart baseball with his tactics. It’s a who-can-outhink-who-first type of show, and I revel in guessing stuff like that. I must say, Tokuchi is one of the more cool main characters I’ve seen in awhile. While everyone around him is freaking, he doesn’t let anything phase him – he just keeps coming up with strategies.

If you like cat and mouse anime like Death Note, Akagi – you’ll like one outs. It has that same mysterious feel to it that makes the watcher feel right at home.

Happy Watching!

Shimus Darkraven,

Resident Nerd and News Writer.