Official Website
www.ntv.co.jp/katemasu
Broadcast
Saturdays, 9.00 – 9.54 p.m. from 12 April 2014
Station
NTV
Story
Tamo Aoshi became a biology researcher after graduating from Tokyo University. However, it has been determined that the research lab he belongs to will be shutdown because of some circumstance, so Aoshi takes a one-year teaching job at his alma mater Odawara Jotoku High School. It is a prestigious private high school which admits 200 students to Tokyo University each year. Sanjo Mitsushige, the baseball club coach during Aoshi’s high school days, is now the principal and he encourages Aoshi to take over as the coach of the baseball club which has never won a game since it was established. But Aoshi, who used to belong to the baseball club, had a hard time and painful memories as its catcher and turns Sanjo down on the spot. In the first place, the school’s baseball club does not have the semblance of club activities. There are now six members including its manager Tarumi Yuzu and they are hoping for the return of Akaiwa Kimiyasu who quit. The highest number of times they have thrown the ball back and forth without dropping it is nine. They prefer the outfield because the infield is scary. Furthermore, they practice on the grounds only three hours a week. Their coach Masumoto Nobuki also has no knowledge of baseball. The only member who has both motivation and true ability is Shirao Tsuyoshi. He has been persuading Akaiwa every day in an attempt to bring him back to the club, but Akaiwa will not open up. Aoshi pretends that he cares nothing about the baseball club. However, he is forced to participate in a practice. Then he gets cajoled by Tarumi Kaede, the owner of the cafe which is still the club’s hangout, and her daughter Yuzu, and by the time he realises it, he has got himself involved in the problems of the very weak club. One day, the magazine journalist Tone Riko comes to interview the baseball club. Riko is repulsed by Aoshi’s lack of motivation, but he starts to talk about going together with her to greet the baseball club of the champions, Doto Academy, which Jotoku High School had a practice game with 13 years ago. The fighting spirit that Aoshi had forgotten, is reignited and he decides to participate in a friendly game with Doto Academy. But first, he has to assemble nine members! Finding them interesting and strange creatures, Aoshi decides that he will give his charges victory, guided by his offbeat theory that “triumph is possible even if weak”. And then they seriously set their sights on the annual nationwide high school baseball championship with their brand of preposterous baseball. Will Aoshi and the enthusiastic baseball club members be able to work out a method to win despite being weak?
Characters
Ninomiya Kazunari as Tamo Aoshi
A rookie teacher around 30 who has come to Odawara Jotoku High School. Form teacher of Class 3B. A graduate of Tokyo University. Although he was devoted to biology research at Tokyo University, he “changes occupations” to become the coach of the high school’s ragtag, untrained baseball club, and guides them to victory with his unusual theory. He is normally composed, but must get to the core of an issue if he has any doubts.
Aso Kumiko as Tone Riko
A journalist for the sports magazine Trophy. She has a strong interest in Odawara Jotoku High School’s baseball club and comes in pursuit. She has a strong aspiration to move upwards, and at times empowers the members of the baseball club. She starts a series on “winning despite being weak” based on Jotoku High School’s baseball club.
Fukushi Sota as Akaiwa Kimiyasu
A member of Odawara Jotoku High School’s baseball club and student of Class 3B. Although he loves baseball, he is not very good at it. He wishes to go to Tokyo University but has not set out his life’s goals. He and Tarumi Yuzu, the manager of the baseball club, are childhood friends. Disgusted with his father’s uninhibitedness, he has run away from home.
Arimura Kasumi as Tarumi Yuzu
The manager of Odawara Jotoku High School’s baseball club and student of Class 3B. She has loved baseball from young because of her mother’s influence and is the one in the club with the most fortitude. She wishes to go to Tokyo University. Although she likes Akaiwa Kimiyasu, he only thinks of her as his childhood friend.
Nakajima Yuto as Shirao Tsuyoshi
A member of Odawara Jotoku High School’s baseball club and student of Class 3B. He has been engrossed in baseball since elementary and junior high school days, and is the only member of the club with true ability. Because he has set his sights on becoming a professional baseball player in the major league in the future, he has given up on studying.
Ichikawa Ebizo as Yachida Kentaro
Tamo Aoshi’s eternal rival. He was the clean-up batter and pitcher in high school days, and pitcher in Doto Academy’s victory at the nationwide high school baseball championship. He was a professional player but retired because of a broken shoulder. He was studying in the US in order to become a coach, but is now guiding his alma mater’s baseball club as a special temporary coach.
Yakushimaru Hiroko as Tarumi Kaede
Tarumi Yuzu’s mother. She runs Southern Wind, the cafe which is the hangout of baseball club members, and supports their dietary needs. She is like the club’s “coach behind the scenes”.
Click here for photos from the press conference.
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Tagged: Aso Kumiko, Ninomiya Kazunari