.gif)
Nine (manga)
Encyclopedia
is a baseball
manga
series by Mitsuru Adachi
. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sunday Zōkan from the October 1978 through May 1979 issues. The series was adapted
into three television anime
movies and a live-action television drama. An altered version of the first anime was released in theaters, with new and re-arranged new music.
The story is about two friends who were star athletes in junior high school who decide, on entering high school
, to join the struggling baseball club so they can have a challenge. The title comes from the nine members of a baseball team.
champion Susumu Karasawa see a girl crying as the school loses a baseball game. The boys decide to join the team and improve it in order to make her smile. The girl turns out to be Yuri Nakao, daughter of the baseball coach, and they learn the baseball team will be shut down if it doesn't start winning. The series follows the three, as well as pitcher Eiji Kurahashi, as Niimi and Karasawa learn about baseball and what it means to be one of nine players on a team, as they work together through high school make it to Kōshien
.
Coach Nakao
Kazuya Niimi's father
Kazuya Niimi's mother
Eiji Kurashashi's father
Yukimi Yasuda's mother
Sources:
Nissei Family Special program.
Insert songs
Ending theme
Sources:
Insert songs
Ending theme
Sources:
Insert songs
Ending theme
Sources:
and background music were changed as well. When the Nine movies are rebroadcast on TV, this movie is shown in place of the original TV movie.
Insert songs
Sources:
TV drama special aired on January 5, 1987 on Fuji TV's program.
Sources:
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Mitsuru Adachi
Mitsuru Adachi
is a Japanese manga artist. After graduating from Gunma Prefectural Maebashi Commercial High School in 1969, Adachi worked as an assistant for Isami Ishii. He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kieta Bakuon, based on a manga originally created by Satoru Ozawa...
. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sunday Zōkan from the October 1978 through May 1979 issues. The series was adapted
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
into three television anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movies and a live-action television drama. An altered version of the first anime was released in theaters, with new and re-arranged new music.
The story is about two friends who were star athletes in junior high school who decide, on entering high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, to join the struggling baseball club so they can have a challenge. The title comes from the nine members of a baseball team.
Plot summary
Just before entering Seishū High School, track star Katsuya Niimi and judoJudo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
champion Susumu Karasawa see a girl crying as the school loses a baseball game. The boys decide to join the team and improve it in order to make her smile. The girl turns out to be Yuri Nakao, daughter of the baseball coach, and they learn the baseball team will be shut down if it doesn't start winning. The series follows the three, as well as pitcher Eiji Kurahashi, as Niimi and Karasawa learn about baseball and what it means to be one of nine players on a team, as they work together through high school make it to Kōshien
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
.
Characters
Character voices listed are for the anime releases only.- Center fielderCenter fielderA center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
on the Seishū High School baseball club, in love with Yuri. In junior high, he held the national records for the 100 meter and 200 m races for his age group. His favorite food is gomokuzushi. He wears the number 8 on his jerseyJersey (clothing)A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
.
- (TV movie 1), Mariko Kurata (TV movie 2), Narumi Yasuda (TV movie 3)
- The managerManager (baseball)In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
of the Seishū High School baseball club and daughter of the baseball coach. There is a growing romance between Yuri and Katsuya.
- Right fielderRight fielderA right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
on the Seishū High School baseball club. In junior high, he was the prefecturalPrefectures of JapanThe prefectures of Japan are the country's 47 subnational jurisdictions: one "metropolis" , Tokyo; one "circuit" , Hokkaidō; two urban prefectures , Osaka and Kyoto; and 43 other prefectures . In Japanese, they are commonly referred to as...
champion in judoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. He wears the number 9.
- Left-handedLeft-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitchingPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
ace on the Seishū High School baseball club, and was one of the top pitchers in all of Japan in middle school. Lives with his father, a truck driverTruck driverA truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
.
- Star athlete of the Seishū High School track club, who has a crush on Katsuya since Middle School. After transferring to Seishū at the beginning of the school year, she begins pursuing him, much to the annoyance of Yuri.
- A childhood friend of Yuri, and ace pitcher at Bunan High School where he has taken his team to victory at KōshienHigh school baseball in JapanIn Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
. After an unexpected reunion with Yuri, he becomes the romantic rival of Katsuya.
- Kentarō's younger brother and a new member of the Seishū High School baseball club, playing third baseThird basemanA third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
. He has a crush on Yukimi. He wears the number 5.
- Younger sister of the Yamanaka brothers. She tries to mediate the relationship between Yuri and Kentarō, who in turn uses her to interfere with the developing romance between Yuri and Katsuya.
Coach Nakao
- (TV movies), Kōichi KitamuraKoichi Kitamura, real name was a Japanese voice actor born in Osaka, Japan. Kitamura was employed by the talent management agency Mausu Promotion. He died on October 2, 2007 of pneumonia.-TV:*April to Sandman *Dragon Ball GT *Esper Mami...
(theatrical movie) - The coachCoach (baseball)In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
of the Seishū High School baseball club. He is in jeopardy of losing his job for not having won a single game, which he does with the addition of Eiji Kurahashi to the team. He formerly coached Kentarō for a short time when he was younger, and they were neighbours.
Kazuya Niimi's father
- A former baseball player who helps Eiji join the baseball team after talking to his father, with whom he formed the winning battery at the invitational KōshienHigh school baseball in JapanIn Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
tournament of 20-odd years prior to the events of the manga.
Kazuya Niimi's mother
- Appears in the theatrical movie.
Eiji Kurashashi's father
- Appears in the theatrical movie.
Yukimi Yasuda's mother
- Appears in the theatrical movie.
Sources:
Nine
The first Nine TV movie aired on May 4, 1983 on Fuji TV'sFuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
Nissei Family Special program.
Music
Opening theme-
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota
- Lyrics: Masao UrinoMasao Urinois a Japanese lyricist, script writer, and film director. He has written lyrics for many musical groups and individual artists, sometimes under the pseudonym ....
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Insert songs
-
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Ending theme
-
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Staff
- Director: Gisaburō SugiiGisaburo Sugiiis an anime director and Nihonga artist. He is currently a member of the anime studio Group TAC, and is most well known for his work as director of the Touch series and the movie Night on the Galactic Railroad...
- Teleplay: Hiroichi Fuse
- Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda
- Art Director: Hiroshi ŌnoHiroshi Onois a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:*Nihon shashinka jiten / 328 Outstanding Japanese Photographers. Kyoto: Tankōsha, 2000. ISBN 4-473-01750-8. Despite the English-language alternative title, all in Japanese....
- Music: Hiroaki SerizawaHiroaki SerizawaHiroaki Serizawa is a Japanese singer and songwriter. He has released albums under two other similar names: Hiro Serizawa . He has released music for many Mitsuru Adachi anime series, including Touch and Hiatari Ryōkō!- External links :* *...
- Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro
- Production: TohoTohois a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, Group TACGroup TACGroup TAC was a Japanese animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, and founded in 1968. They have worked on movies, videos, TV shows, and commercials, and have contributed to all stages of the process, including planning, production, sound effects, and so on...
, Fuji TV
Sources:
Nine 2: Sweetheart Declaration
The second Nine TV movie, , aired on December 18, 1983 on Fuji TV's Nissei Family Special program.Music
Opening theme-
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota
- Lyrics: Mariko Ryū
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Insert songs
-
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Mariko Ryū
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Ending theme
- "Midsummer Runner"
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Staff
- Director: Gisaburō Sugii
- Teleplay: Shin'ichi Shirayama
- Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda
- Chief Animator: Minoru Maeda
- Art Director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura
- Music: Hiroaki Serizawa
- Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro
- Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV
Sources:
Nine 3: Final
The third Nine TV movie, , aired on September 5, 1984 on Fuji TV's Nissei Family Special program.Music
Opening theme-
- Vocals: Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Insert songs
-
- Vocals: Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Ending theme
- "Midsummer Runner"
- Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Staff
- Director: Gisaburō Sugii
- Teleplay: Yumiko Takaboshi
- Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda
- Key Animation Director: Minoru Maeda
- Art Director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura
- Music: Hiroaki Serizawa
- Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro
- Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV
Sources:
Theatrical movie
The first Nine TV movie was remade into a theatrical movie titled , released on September 16, 1983 by Toho. Modifications were made to the original TV movie to fix problems with it, and some of the seiyūSeiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
and background music were changed as well. When the Nine movies are rebroadcast on TV, this movie is shown in place of the original TV movie.
Music
Theme songs-
- Vocals: Mariko Kurata
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Insert songs
- "Invited Desires"
- "Midsummer Runner"
- Vocals: Mariko Kurata and Hiroaki Serizawa
- Lyrics: Masao Urino
- Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa
Staff
- Director: Gisaburō Sugii
- Screenplay: Hiroichi Fuse
- Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda
- Art Director: Hiroshi Ōno
- Music: Hiroaki Serizawa, Yasunori Tsuchida
- Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro
- Producers: Yūkichi Ōhashi, Atsushi Tashiro
- Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV
Sources:
TV live action drama
A Nine live actionLive action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
TV drama special aired on January 5, 1987 on Fuji TV's program.
Cast
- Aki Asakura (Yuri Nakao)
- Kazuya Takahashi (Katsuya Niimi)
- Kōyō Maeda (Jirō Yamanaka)
- Mikio Ōsawa (Kentarō Yamanaka)
- Mami Ōtsuka (Yukimi Yasuda)
Staff
- Original Work: Mitsuru Adachi
- Director: Yoshiharu Ueki
- Teleplay: Fumiyo Asō
- Production: Fuji TV
Sources:
See also
These are titles with a similar theme of baseball.- CaptainCaptain (manga)is a baseball manga series by Akio Chiba which ran in Monthly Shōnen Jump from 1972 to 1979. This series ran concurrently with another Chiba manga series Play Ball, which ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1973 to 1978...
- H2H2 (manga)is a Japanese manga written by Mitsuru Adachi portraying high school baseball. It has been made into an 41-episode anime series and an 11-episode television drama series, H2: Kimi to Ita Hibi, directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi.-Plot:...
- Hiatari Ryōkō!Hiatari Ryoko!is a high-school romance manga by Mitsuru Adachi. It was published by Shogakukan in 1980–1981 in the magazine Shōjo Comic and collected in five tankōbon volumes. It was later adapted into a live-action television drama series, an anime television series, and an anime film sequel to the television...
- Play Ball
- Princess NinePrincess NinePrincess Nine, or , is a 26-episode Japanese anime broadcast in Japan in 1998. The television series was produced by Phoenix Entertainment in Japan, released by ADV Films in North America, aired from April 8 to October 14, 1998 on NHK, ran for 26 episodes, and six volumes of the series were...
- TouchTouch (manga)is a Japanese high school baseball manga by Mitsuru Adachi. It was originally serialized in the weekly manga magazine Shōnen Sunday from 1981–1986...