Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’ll be returning to Big Windup!, for the most simple and pure reason of all: I really, really want to know what happens next. With Mihashi’s initial insecurities about joining a new team at least mitigated, if not resolved, Big Windup! has swiveled its focus outwards, introducing close to half a dozen new rivals, and floating the upcoming summer tournament as the crucible that will bind them together. It was certainly compelling watching Abe navigate the potholes of Mihashi’s battered psyche, but now that they’re a genuine battery, I’m eager to see our team face off against all manner of nefarious foes.

Of course, it’s clearly not going to be quite that simple. Mihashi is still largely commanded by his insecurities, and with last episode having introduced Abe’s previous star pitcher, I’m guessing our anxious ace will need some consoling. At the same time, this new arrival offers an opportunity to dip into Abe’s own history, and perhaps reveal why he’s gained such a distrustful disposition. Either way, I’m sure Big Windup!’s delightful mix of psychology and tactics will carry us through the drama to come. Let’s get to it!

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Our boys have done it! After nine agonizing innings of tense gameplay and fraught psychological drama, Abe and his teammates have secured victory over Mihashi’s old team. Of course, a great part of that victory came from accepting that Abe is not the undisputed leader of his team. It took Tajima’s support to get Mihashi back in the dugout after failure, and it was actually Mihashi himself who made the crucial discovery regarding Oda’s batting strategy. As a fellow control freak, I can sympathize with Abe’s desire to micromanage every aspect of his victory – but ultimately, his perfect team can only flourish through him letting go, and trusting his players as much as his own instincts.

The results of that trust are already clear to see. When offered the opportunity to return to a repentant Mihoshi, Mihashi unambiguously declared his new allegiance, and then passed out for his first peaceful sleep in a week. Abe believing in his teammates means they will believe in him, too, and play far better for it. With our heroes having secured their first victory and consolidated into a true team in the process, I’m eager to see where their journey leads us next!

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am pleased to report that we’re returning to the dugout and loosening our shoulders for a fresh inning of Big Windup! This production has more than proven the merits of its sports drama/psychology combo, harnessing the unique dynamics of baseball to essentially construct a unique psychological subgame. Abe must use his players as board pieces to outmaneuver his opponents, carefully managing their emotions to essentially “trick them” into playing better than their own instincts would dictate. Simultaneously, he must carefully manage the expectations of his opponents, using their own preferences against them through manipulation of Mihashi’s precision pitches.

All of this would likely work if Abe were playing some strategy video game. Unfortunately, this is real life, where the emotions of others are never fully within your control, and your opponents have just as much opportunity for tactical innovation as you do. Mihoshi’s coach concocted a maneuver that actually put his team in the lead, and with two innings left, Mihashi is on the verge of an emotional spiral that may end his pitching career altogether. With Abe’s plans in tatters, could it finally be time for Mihashi to step up, and for Abe to trust his pitcher’s instincts? Let’s find out!

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Hello folks, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. You all ready for some baseball? When last we left off, Mihashi and his new teammates had at last pulled ahead of his former team, securing two runs while Mihashi maintained his clean shutout. Mihashi’s actual skill level was always clear to opposing pitcher Kanou, and with his teammates refusing to see it, Kanou’s nerve was badly shaken. In fact, he almost got in a fight with his catcher Hatake, before their reliable ace and apparent mediator Oda cleared everyone’s heads.

Things have been going smoothly so far, but that’s largely been a result of the Mihoshi team not taking this match seriously. With Kanou now having made clear just how much this match means to him, his teammates have rallied to his side, and Mihashi will now be facing a far more motivated opposing lineup. Even Momoe recognized the fraught nature of this moment, urging Abe to protect his pitcher the best he can. Mihashi is currently like a bright-eyed baby bird on the verge of leaving the nest, and it’s up to Abe to keep him from being… perforated with emotional buckshot? I dunno, that metaphor kinda got away from me. Regardless, we’re at a critical moment, and I’m eager to see these teams face off at full strength. Let’s get to the field!

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. You folks ready for some baseball? The match between Mihashi and his previous team, Mihoshi (yes, it’s a little confusing), is finally heating up, as Mihoshi’s players begin to realize this isn’t the pitcher they’re used to. With Abe’s tactical and psychological support, Mihashi is striking out batter after batter, and gaining the confidence in his play that he’d been denied for years. With every ball Mihashi throws, he is developing into the weapon his team needs, a pitcher who could truly carry them to glory.

Unfortunately for our heroes, they’ve so far been benefitting from the fact that their opponents aren’t trying very hard. Most of Mihoshi’s players don’t take Mihashi seriously, and those who weren’t around for the middle school drama have even less incentive to care about this practice game. So it went for ace hitter Oda – but with pitcher Kanou having now begged him to actually commit, and the rest of the team presumably realizing they’re in actual trouble, I’m guessing Mihoshi’s engines will now be kicking into gear. Can our heroes take down Mihoshi’s best, and help their pitcher gain the confidence to succeed? I don’t know why you’re asking me, let’s just watch the damn episode!

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Hello all, and welcome the heck back to Wrong Every Time. Today I am beyond eager to return to Big Windup!, as we’ve finally arrived at our team’s first actual game. After three episodes of Abe and Mihashi struggling to connect, witnessing Mihashi’s treatment by his former teammates finally gave Abe the context he needed – he now understands where Mihashi is coming from, and what’s more, he actively sympathizes. Abe doesn’t just want to manipulate his pitcher, he wants his pitcher to succeed, and I’m guessing that means we’re going to see some real cunning from our scheming catcher. The show’s premiere offered a brief taste of how Abe can use his opponents’ psychology against them, and since then, each episode has only reaffirmed Big Windup!’s insightful approach to its characterization and drama. With Mihashi’s old teammates arrayed against them, I’m looking forward to a thrilling fusion of sports tactics and psychological drama. Let’s get to it!

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to the site. Today I’m eager to return to Big Windup!, whose last episode ended with Abe at last agreeing to try Momoe’s practice methods. Is Abe actually capable of the humility necessary for genuine teamwork, or will this just reaffirm his belief that all his teammates are idiots?

Abe and Momoe have made for an interesting contrast over Windup!’s first two episodes. Rather than attempting to genuinely connect with his teammates as human beings, and cultivate their skills into well-rounded baseball players, Abe has essentially been trying to fool his players into winning in spite of themselves. He’s not bothered by the fact that Mihashi is skittish and unbalanced; those qualities make him easier to manipulate, so Abe considers them a plus. In contrast, Momoe wants her team to be well-rounded, confident, and resilient, with each player carrying their own weight, and knowing they can trust their teammates to support them. The two butted heads over Windup!’s first two episodes, but it’s already become clear that Mihashi is dedicated to genuinely improving, and that Abe is losing his grip on his pitcher. With Momoe having assigned Abe the task of actually speaking honestly with Mihashi, let’s see how our battery fare in episode three!

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Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time! Today I’m eager to get back to a property that’s lain dormant for far too long, the intriguing baseball drama Big Windup! Though my initial excitement for this property was centered on Tsutomu Mizushima’s presence as the director, Big Windup!’s first episode proved the core material being adapted is already brimming with punchy, narrative-friendly ideas. Rather than focusing on a team of idealists all trying to Do Their Best, Big Windup! has so far been driven by the whims of Abe, a psychological mastermind determined to manipulate his team into greatness. Abe’s perspective offers a unique tactical twist on the sports drama standard, and the show’s already promising some intriguing tension between his and captain Momoe’s perspectives. Beyond that, it’s too early to tell where this series may lead, so let’s get right to business then. Onward to Big Windup!

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Hello everyone, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re embarking on a new journey, as we explore the first episode of 2007’s baseball-focused drama, Big Windup! I didn’t really know anything about Big Windup! before starting this project, save for a general familiarity with its character art, so I of course went to work checking out the staff and such to get some picture of what I’m in for. That led to me discovering this was directed by Tsutomu friggin’ Mizushima, and with that, my anticipation for baseball action was thoroughly primed.

If you’re not familiar with Tsutomu Mizushima, I’d describe him as a workmanly director with a particular mastery of editing, meaning his shows usually benefit from both high-paced narrative momentum and phenomenal comedic timing. His shows are defined less by specific visual signatures than a general sturdiness of form and lightness of tone, and his recent catalog is brimming with fine shows like Girls und Panzer, Shirobako, Witch Craft Works, and Prison School. Both Witch Craft Works and Prison School clearly demonstrate he’s able to augment his style to match the aesthetic of his source material, and beyond that, I’m also excited to see an award-winning sports manga by a female mangaka.

As a final point, this first episode is directed by Mizushima himself, with animation direction by the show’s character designer and Chief AD Takahiko Yoshida, meaning we’re undoubtedly in for a blueprint of the show’s intended style going forward. With all that established, let’s check out the first episode of Big Windup!

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