Major S1
Summary: Gorou Honda, a little boy obsessed with baseball, has always admired his father, Shigeharu. Wishing to follow in his father's footsteps, Gorou dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. In turn, his son's starry-eyed admiration encourages Shigeharu to keep persevering, despite his late wife's death and his unsatisfying position on the second-string team Blue Ocean.
Unfortunately, an elbow injury forces Shigeharu off the team, and he falls into despair. However, after an offhand joke from his childhood friend, Shigeharu reevaluates his choices and decides to keep playing, leaving behind his prime position as pitcher and taking up the bat. Now motivated more than ever, Gorou works hard to carve his way in the Japanese Little League.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Description
Gorou Honda, a little boy obsessed with baseball, has always admired his father, Shigeharu. Wishing to follow in his father's footsteps, Gorou dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. In turn, his son's starry-eyed admiration encourages Shigeharu to keep persevering, despite his late wife's death and his unsatisfying position on the second-string team Blue Ocean.
Unfortunately, an elbow injury forces Shigeharu off the team, and he falls into despair. However, after an offhand joke from his childhood friend, Shigeharu reevaluates his choices and decides to keep playing, leaving behind his prime position as pitcher and taking up the bat. Now motivated more than ever, Gorou works hard to carve his way in the Japanese Little League.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Major S1 Pictures
Major S1 Review
Major S1 — Gorou Honda, a little boy obsessed with baseball, has always admired his father, Shigeharu. This overview is intentionally spoiler-free and focuses on tone and intent rather than plot specifics.
Thematically, It sits firmly within Sports conventions as a TV work and has garnered attention (MAL score: 8.2). This work explores character dynamics, tonal shifts, and the interplay between narrative ambition and execution. The story's pacing and tonal choices are crafted to complement the central ideas, often emphasizing atmosphere and emotional truth over explicit exposition. The show's ability to evoke a consistent mood — whether melancholic, exuberant, or contemplative — is a recurring strength, and the scenes are constructed so viewers can infer stakes without needing explicit spoilers.
Characterization is a core pillar here. Protagonists and supporting figures are written with distinct motivations and narrative roles; even when archetypal, the series invests in small behavioral details that make choices feel earned. Character arcs are handled with an eye for gradualism: development often arrives through incremental beats rather than abrupt, expository shifts. The interactions between characters create texture, and relationships are used to illuminate both personal flaws and larger thematic concerns.
On the visual front, production values play a significant role. The animation quality varies by sequence but frequently showcases thoughtful direction and composition. Background art, framing, and color palettes are used deliberately to support tone — quieter scenes favor muted palettes while action or heightened emotional beats employ brighter, more kinetic visuals. Direction choices, such as camera movement and shot selection, often elevate scenes beyond their raw script, creating moments that linger in the viewer's mind.
The soundscape — score, incidental music, and sound design — complements the visual language. Music cues are placed to maximize emotional resonance without manipulating the audience with melodrama; this restraint often leads to more authentic emotional payoff. Sound design punctuates key moments, and when the series leans on silence, those quieter moments are given weight by measured audio choices.
Pacing and structure are handled with craft. Episodes are arranged to build tension and release methodically, and the narrative rarely rushes through important emotional beats. That said, the deliberate pacing may feel slow to viewers who prefer faster plot turnover; the reward is greater nuance and an accumulation of meaning across the series. Accessibility is generally good — one can appreciate surface-level pleasures, while repeat or attentive viewing reveals additional layers.
No title is without flaws. Occasional unevenness in subplots or variable animation across episodes can be distracting. Some tonal shifts might feel abrupt if you expect uniformity; others will argue that those shifts are purposeful. These are worth noting, but they seldom undercut the larger achievements of the work.
In sum, Major S1 offers a rich experience for viewers who value character-driven storytelling, considered visual design, and a soundtrack that supports rather than overwhelms. For fans of Sports, this is an especially rewarding watch. It's recommended for those who appreciate layered narratives and artistry in animation, and best approached with patience and attention to nuance.
Characters & Voice Actors
Honda, Gorou
Main
Kumai, Motoko
Japanese
Komori, Daisuke
Main
Kugimiya, Rie
Japanese
Komori, Daisuke
Main
Yeo, Min Jeong
Korean
Komori, Daisuke
Main
Huang, Ting Yun
Mandarin
Sawamura, Ryouta
Main
Sasajima, Kaoru
Japanese
Sawamura, Ryouta
Main
Hong, Beom Gi
Korean
Shimizu, Kaoru
Main
Sasamoto, Yuuko
Japanese
Shimizu, Kaoru
Main
Han, Chae Eon
Korean
Shimizu, Kaoru
Main
Lin, Angel
Mandarin
Andou
Supporting
Ishii, Takao
Japanese
Andou, Takafumi
Supporting
Saiga, Mitsuki
Japanese
Esumi
Supporting
Matsumoto, Sachi
Japanese
Gibson, Joe
Supporting
Ochiai, Kouji
Japanese
Gibson, Joe
Supporting
Hyeon, Gyeng Su
Korean
Hasegawa
Supporting
Tsunematsu, Ayumi
Japanese
Honda, Chiaki
Supporting
Hidaka, Noriko
Japanese
Honda, Yoshiharu
Supporting
Tahara, Aruno
Japanese
Honda, Shigeharu
Supporting
Koyasu, Takehito
Japanese
Honda, Shigeharu
Supporting
Katou, Yuuko
Japanese
Hoshino, Momoko
Supporting
Noda, Junko
Japanese
Staff
Furuichi, Naohiko
Producer
Mitsunobu, Seiji
Producer
Kasai, Kenichi
Director, Storyboard
Takakuwa, Hajime
Sound Director
Awai, Shigeki
Episode Director, Storyboard
Fujimoto, Jirou
Episode Director, Storyboard
Ishida, Tooru
Episode Director
Matsumoto, Yoshihisa
Episode Director, Storyboard
Miyake, Koutarou
Episode Director
Miyata, Ryou
Episode Director, Storyboard
Miyazawa, Michihiro
Episode Director
Nagao, Makoto
Episode Director
Suzuki, Yoshio
Episode Director, Storyboard
Suzuki, Takuo
Episode Director, Storyboard
Takashima, Daisuke
Episode Director
Yokoyama, Junichi
Episode Director
Shizuya, Isao
Script
Tsuchiya, Michihiro
Script, Series Composition
Yoshida, Reiko
Script
Yoshioka, Takao
Script