Ranked #745

Taishou Yakyuu Musume.

Taishou Yakyuu Musume was a nice surprise in this Summer 2009 season.

While most "moe-oriented" shows nowadays tend to let their own cuteness take over and steal the spotlight, Taishou avoids this pitfall by not letting go of the baseball focus but few times when to flesh out their characters.
As a slice-of-life show, the most remarkable aspect in this anime is the setting, which takes place in Japan’s 20s, providing an interesting background for the story to unfold. The cultural differences between now and then are definitely the show’s greatest highlight, because it not even once stops being interesting. This show is a great look on the uprising of feminism, which even if I can’t say it’s historically correct in the context of this decade, is deeply associated in this case with the girls’ interest in baseball. This theme is handled with subtlety.

You aren’t required to know the rules of baseball to enjoy this anime, but if you’re a baseball fan you should definitely check it out as it certainly has a different approach than most sports shounen anime… it is more similar to that of slice-of-life/moe shows, but without losing the focus of what it is all about - of course, the "train and and you'll get better" aspect is still present. If you’re joyed by all things cute you can get into this blindfolded, as you’ll go crazy in the very first minutes when Koume sings us a song to introduce old Tokyo. Additionally, this is can be very interesting for anyone who’s into pre-World War II Japan.

The characters in this show aren’t really anything special, and they mostly fit the common moe stereotypes. In the short spam of 12 episodes, it’s impossible to flesh out and develop all of them, but it manages to be satisfying at least for the main lead Koume. Although you may be lead into thinking this anime is full of yuri undertones, they’re non-canon... well, maybe except for one or two characters taking "friendship" a bit too far, and real fangirl for her Onee-sama... so I guess it manages to satisfy both shoujo-ai goggles addicts and not, with such it's large, sympathetic cast. Meanwhile there are some romantic developments here and there too (not between girls), so this really is a show for anyone who just finds the girls to be adorable. The side-characters are very interesting too, due to the setting’s influence – I especially enjoyed Koume’s interaction with her parents, since she hid her hobby from them, while they hold expectations common of that era. I’ll leave this unspoiled to not break down your enjoyment of the series.

J.C. Staff did a nice job with the production. The animation is pretty colorful without being too hard on the eyes and fluctuates from basic to very fluid, when they're playing baseball, for example. The soundtrack doesn’t really shine but it’s fitting, and the OP/ED themes are especially catchy, sung by the golden cast of voice actors who all perform top-notch...

What could be overlooked as terribly generic, manages to be very entertaining overall, even if a bit simple and formulaic. This is a great show for anyone looking for a short, fun, cute and yet thrilling experience and doesn’t mind if the characters don’t undergo some deep study or development, even if they’re doing something supposedly groundbreaking. read more

"Good wives, good mothers." and "Revere the masculine, despise the feminine." were ideals perpetuated by the governing bodies of Japan demanding obedience from the country's women as far back as the Meiji and Tokugawa eras.

In all of this ancient land's history, however, it is in the 20th century that the issues of gender equality became modernised and took greater strides. The Taishou era in particular was period where women, influenced by Western cultures, became more liberated and actually attempted to veer away from the standard domesticated expectations that were placed on them by society.

It is at the beginning of this era in which Taishou Yakyuu Musume is set.

The influence of the West and America in particular are important themes within this anime. So too is gender in relation to the expected roles of men and women. But do not assume that this series is a political or fist-pounding affair. More than that, it is a show about young girls growing up in a period of change. And even more than that, it is an anime about baseball, about loving the sport and living it, and observing the true meaning and importance of sports in character building.

We follow Koume, who is a nice and somewhat ineffectual girl who gets strung along in her classmate's drive to put a chauvinist fiancé in his place. Out of that almost silly and childish goal comes a story that is laden with the issues that girls had to face during a period in time where they had set roles to fulfil. Despite the proactive stance that this anime takes on female empowerment and liberation, it never gets heavy-handed or overly unpleasant, which makes it a rather interesting thing to watch. More than the politics or sociology, this is an anime about baseball and about these girls.

What results from the girls trying to become adequate baseball players is the insight into the feminism of the Taishou era. Yet, this does not get in the way of the immediate story being told. The anime's storytelling is actually quite clever in this respect, as it maintains its plot of the girls playing baseball and dealing with little bumps along the way, but the undercurrent of the positive role of strong girls in society is ever-present.

And how ironic that an anime like this would have such adorable art. Taishou Yakyuu Musume uses a soft-palette and the characters are all pretty with healthy blushes. Yet the girls are never made into moe blobs nor are they the "dumb and cute" stereotypes. This anime is soft and gentle in appearance; it treats a heavy subject matter like gender equality in a manner that makes it non-threatening.

The music is actually light and suits the atmosphere of the anime quite well. Even Koume's little musical interlude in the first episode suits the mood of the era quite well, as the type of song she sings was a popular song type of the Taishou period. The OP and ED songs are acceptably decent. "Romantic Strike!" is a cute, fun, energetic song and sets the mood of the anime. It is a funny, amusing and entertaining anime more than anything, and the music creates the mood for that.

The cast consists of generally likeable girls of various "types". There is a cocky rich girl, the resident tomboys, the old-fashioned girls, the super-geeky girl and the like. More than anything, the characters on their own are not exactly exceptional, but together, they make a great team. Their positions on the field fit perfectly with their skills and personality. Seeing them cooperate and work together is quite an enjoyable experience.

The best thing about Taishou Yakyuu Musume is that it presents true girl power and none of that "grrl" power nonsense with all the spice, sparkles and sass. It is a pleasant, very fun and ostensibly, extremely adorable anime. The sports aspect is a generally good touch, and the games, while not the greatest moments in sports anime's history, are riveting in their own way.

It is never unrealistic in what it presents. The girls do not suddenly grab trousers and put them on or start kicking aside their arranged marriages or burning their bras or anything like that. They do not take their bats and come out swinging, knocking their obstacles out of the park. No, they show us a different kind of feminine strength. They progress as much as they possibly can and that in itself is a great stride. One does not have to open ones mouth to make a statement.

What the girls of Taishou Yakyuu Musume do is not kick over the bucket of water. They simply drop their pebble inside. It is the rippling that is created then which really matters afterwards. read more