This time we’re discussing a new hit in Japan, The Days of Diamond by Ohashi Hirai, a seinen baseball manga that started in 2023 and already proved to be an early success from the beginning. Now that MangaPlus are doing simultaneous translations we’re up to date and want to get as many people on board for this mature take on childrens’ baseball.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction - Enzo anticipating the series before Mangaplus translated it
6:34 The ‘suffering from success” storyline and the young age of the characters
8:09 An authentic presentation of Japanese children of this age
9:36 Why has The Days of Diamond become a breakout hit in Japan?
11:55 Why is it harder for sports series to become breakout hits with English audiences?
16:33 Major theme of the series: “If we can be great at something do we have an obligation to utilise it?”
20:03 Spoiler discussion begins
20:10 Jiro Ayasegawa upbringing around women as part of his character
21:35 Taiwan U12 World Championships: Ayasegawa’s projected feelings and conflict with teammates
28:40 Our feelings on Coach Namiki’s decision not to take Ayasegawa to his academy
33:39 How long do we think the series will cover in Ayasegawa’s journey?
36:05 If Ayasegawa does embrace his gift will that be something readers should celebrate?
37:14 What do we want to see from the series and the directions the series could go?
41:19 Mixed feelings on the current story arc
43:49 Enzo’s (Book) Recommendation: Searching For Bobby Fischer by Fred Waitzkin
46:08 Enzo’s (Manga) Recommendation: Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi
47:15 Samu’s Recommendation: Big Windup (Ookiku Furikabutte) by Asa Higuchi
50:14 Overview and final scores
