Hot Stove League

I have, rather weirdly, been watching Hot Stove League, a baseball Kdrama, rather than any of the more romantic-y ones I was in the middle of. 

I mean, I like Namkoong Min, one of the main characters , but it's not like I'm a big baseball fan. At all. The only reason to go to a baseball game is to eat hot dogs and sit in the sun. And I usually watch these things as a form of escapism, I suppose...if there's romance in my life, this is where I get it. But, here I am, on episode 11 out of 16.

Anyway, the story. The Dreams is in dead last place and has been. They bring in Baek Seung-Soo (Namkoong Min) as the new general manager, even though he's never run anything baseball before. That's actually kind of his specialty -- he's also reformed a wrestling team and a handball one (if I remember right). Though each of those teams were disbanded after he turned them around. That'll be important later...

He gets a lot of push back at first from both staff and players, but as he makes some drastic decisions and behind-the-scenes deals, they start coming around. However...that actually pisses off the guy that hired him. Kwon Kyung-Min (played by Oh Jung-Se -- I know him as the sort-of sleazeball in When the Camellia Blooms and also Extreme Job) is a man with a chip on his shoulder and feelings of inadequacy. I actually don't want to go into all the chaebol big corporate drama, but suffice it to say that his goal is to get the team disbanded. Seung-Soo is too insubordinate for a man who craves respect (earned or not). While you feel his pain, you just don't like him...

I'm also not going to go into all of the different and varied issues he faces, but I will mention some staff -- notably the Operations Manager first... Lee Se-Young, played by Park Eun-Bin, who I COMPLETELY did not recognise as the lead from Extraordinary Attorney Woo because the characters are SO different. Honestly, it was a face palm moment for me. I haven't seen her in anything else yet, but, man, she does a good job of inhabiting her characters. And, I guess, a radical haircut really changes how someone looks. Anyway, she's good in this too.

And...there's Han Jae-Hee played by Joe Byeong-Gyu...the main guy from the Uncanny Counter. Who is also so radically different here! The second season of that is on my watch list. He's a puppy here...well, he's kind of a puppy there too, but in a different way. 

Tons of other actors as well; it's a big ensemble cast and I've seen a lot of them in different things, generally as supporting characters. Hot Stove League is a good show, even if it is about baseball, haha. It's holding my interest and is well done even if literally NONE of it is a normal storyline that I look for. Also, could Seung-Soo have a more tragic backstory? FFS, the poor man. I do hope he finds some happiness by the end. Will update when I have finished it, but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm not even sure why I started it.

Edit: Er, so I finished this ages ago. So long now that I can't actually remember my overall feeling for it in some ways. I did enjoy it. I don't feel like the ending was totally satisfying (as he leaves because he is forced out) but there was triumph. It was definitely not my normal type of watch and some bits dragged a wee bit (possibly because I am very not sporty). But, anyway, I liked it. I wouldn't watch it again, but it was good. 

Horimiya (and Horimiya: The Missing Pieces)

Er, so, little/big dude and I actually watched this together ages ago, but they've released some new random episodes, so it brought it to mind again. Horimiya is a sort of slice of life rom-com and it does what it does really well.

Actually, as I'm sitting here typing this up, I'm thinking we really ought to just collect the books, especially since the manga is complete and totally finished. 

But, let's talk about it. Kyouko Hori (the girl) is popular and outgoing at school while Izumi Miyamura, a dark haired boy who always wears long sleeves, has a gloomy reputation. But, outside of school, Hori can be a bit of a hothead and likes to be comfy, while Miyamura is actually tattooed and pierced and a bit of a bad-ass (sort of). He hides himself with long hair and keeping to himself after bad experiences in middle school. (Who hurt you, Miyamura? We'll kill them.)

When Hori's little brother gets a nosebleed one day and an after-school looking Miyamura is the one who helps him back home, they figure out each other's secret real personalities. They gradually grow closer, often spurred on by Hori's little brother and the rest of her family, who immediately take to Miyamura. 

There are some great side characters and stories too and the gradual emergence of Miyamura and acceptance of him at school is a lovely side plot. 

We really loved the first season and we're working our way through the "Missing Pieces" now. It's a bit of an odd one -- it's not a second season, but is instead glimpses back into the bits of story that didn't adapt the first time around. Not sure if any other show has done that before, but this is the first time I've seen it. It's nice, though a bit discombobulating...I think I need to go back and re-watch the whole thing to see where all the missing pieces fit in.

So, am I glad I watched it? Definitely. It's a really well done rom-com and you really get to know and care for the characters. Great story arcs, nice resolution, just an all around feel-good show. 

 

The Girl I Like Forgot her Glasses

This is a rather different anime in some ways and a very normal one in others. The Girl I Like Forgot her Glasses is a young romance and very sweet.

Kaede Komura has a serious crush on Ai Mie, who sits next to him. He relishes the days that she forgets her glasses (she is, literally, just about blinder than a bat) because then he gets to help her. At the same time, he's in a constant flutter because she gets too close trying to see his face. 

They're in the equivalent of middle school, so maybe 12ish? It's similar in some ways to Komi as it is another set up with a classmate helping out another classmate (interesting in that it always seems to be the boy helping the girl), but more innocent as they are younger. When another girl in class thinks they are kissing as Mie gets so close to him all the time, Komura practically turns inside out denying it. There's also no dodgy weird echhi friends like in Komi (that one blonde girl in Komi who's always trying to look up her skirt I could seriously do without). 

At any rate, it seems pretty obvious to the rest of the class (and even to the most popular guy, who everyone kinda expects Mie to be interested in) that the pair are made for each other and like each other. Have I said wholesome already? It's seriously wholesome. Komura has the classic hang up that he thinks he's not good enough. Mie is both clueless and not. 

It's very, very sweet. The "different" aspect is that the animation is of a very different style. They use odd angles and sort of hyper-realistic hair (man, she's got a lot of hair) and it's both intriguing and a bit off-putting at the same time. I've never seen another anime like it. 

When I started it, I didn't realise it wasn't fully released, so here I am awaiting episodes. Will update when I have finished it. I've heard the manga is equally wholesome and sweet...though, to be honest, I doubt if I'll pick it up because I think the anime is likely sufficient to scratch the itch for this particular story.

Edit: I did finish it and it was very sweet, though also not a huge resolution at the end. But, hey, they're middle schoolers.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lvl999

Little dude and I (I really need to start calling him big dude, he's so much taller than me now) finished My Love Story with Yamada-Kun at Lvl999 and both really enjoyed it. 

Yamada has got a real Tanaka-kun vibe going in more ways than one. Anyway, Akane is a 20 year old university student and she was just unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend, who has been cheating on her with someone he met playing an MMO. She'd started playing the game with him too, and even joined a guild and all kinds of things. 

Yamada happens to be in that guild, though when they first meet, it takes bit for that to click. He's actually a pro gamer (not in that MMO game they play, but a different one...he plays the other game to relax) and is in his final year of high school. He's ridiculously handsome but also very awkward and sincere and has never had a girlfriend.

Rounding out the cast are Eita, who plays Rurihime in game. He's a handsome glasses wearing guy who's 19 and a good friend of Yamada's. In the game, he's got an adorable kawaii avatar based on his little sister Runa, who is also in the guild. Eita immediately takes to Akane, but it takes somewhat spoiled Runa a while longer to warm up. And there's Mr. Kumota (I might be spelling that wrong as I didn't go look) who owns some kind of farm and is ridiculously well connected and just the sweetest old guy. An old guy, incidentally, who's probably supposed to be not much older than me. Sigh. Lastly, there's Momo, Akane's friend. They're polar opposites but great friends. And Tsubaki (I think I spelled that right), a school friend of Yamada's who has had a crush on him for a while BUT is also the only girl at school that treats him like a person rather than a choice piece of meat.

Anyway, as expected, Akane and Yamada slowly grow closer. Both, for their own separate reasons, seem to feel they aren't good enough for the other one. Not that this is a particularly angsty anime. It's sweet. Yamada is one of those stoic, never-change-expression guys (who I always love) so it was nice to see him coming out of his shell. Which Tsubaki notices...she does confess to him, but she went into it fully knowing he'd already found someone he likes because she's been watching him for a long time.

So, really enjoyed it. Liked the art. Liked the characters. Would definitely re-watch. I'd say I maybe wanted a little more out of the last episode after they finally get together. Maybe I'll see about the books? I think it is still ongoing. But, all in all, a nice watch. Definitely glad I watched it.