"Winning a game is not dependent on surpassing your opponents with your strength or waiting for lucky breaks. Conquer the opponent, crushing them, and stepping over the fallen ones ruthlessly. Winning means dominating over countless dead bodies."
One Outs, I admit, was never on my radar. It only recently caught my attention when I found out that Hagiwara Masato, known for voicing Kaiji Itou (a dumb gambler with a crazy lucky streak and serious cunning known for crazy come-from-behind victories), and Akagi Shigiru (an insane gambler with a crazy lucky streak and serious cunning known for crazy come-from-behind victories), would be voicing Tokuchi Towa, a pitching
...
gambler with a crazy lucky streak and serious cunning, known for crazy come-from-behind victories.
If I sound like I am mocking it, don't be fooled. One Outs provided for some seriously gripping drama that kept me from going to bed at decent hours, much like "Kaiji" and "Akagi" before it. Animated by Madhouse but not adapted from a manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, Madhouse took the lessons it learned from animating both "Akagi" and "Kaiji" Season One to put out an incredibly solid thriller that stands out as a great introduction to the manga series, and to psychological seinen gambling series.
(Note: I will be making comparisons to both "Akagi" and "Kaiji," mostly due to the similarities in theme, storytelling, and because Madhouse and Hagiwara Masato were both involved. No spoilers for either of those series to follow, and this review will cover the basic storyline without getting into the major twists.)
Story - 8
The story is about a baseball team. The Lyacons are a team much like the Red Sox (before their awesome win in 2004), a losing team with a highly devoted fan base. The manager is a complete asshole, one who really doesn't care about if the team wins or loses, but if they can turn a profit with filling the seats. Kojima, the star player, goes to Okinawa for training, where he meets a mysterious pitcher who makes bets with people in a game called "One Outs," a pitcher vs batter duel in which the pitcher must strike out the batter. Tokuchi, who had won 499 bets beforehand, barely loses to Kojima, in which Kojima gambled his retirement against Tokuchi's pitching hand, and is signed onto the Lyacons under a unique "One Outs" contract.
Throw an out, earn 5 Million Yen. Let a runner score, lose 50 million.
What follows are the first few games of the Lyacon's baseball season, with the typical arcs going in a pattern of learning about the opposing team, how high the stakes have been raised for Tokuchi, what crazy tricks the opposing team has to their advantage, and then Tokuchi systematically breaking down every single opponent that even tries to match his cunning. This is the basic story arc from "Akagi" (and Kaiji to a certain extent). If you're not ready for it, you might get sick of how many gosh dang times people underestimate Tokuchi and his planning, and how he basically not only saw through your plan but is actively undermining it AND turning it against you. It can get annoying, but part of the appeal is watching a genius like Tokuchi actually planning and counteracting seemingly clever plans while generally acting like a bored asshole (more on his character in a bit). This isn't to say the story is predictable: it's just that some might be turned off by what can sometimes feel like deceptive tension for the sake of tension.
Regardless, even if you're not into baseball, the show more or less using baseball as the framing device for what are basically one-on-one duels of cunning and wits. You don't need to know a lot about baseball: just knowing the basic rules will help you get the most out of the show. It has a snappy pace that gives it the "just one more episode" feeling to every ending. The pacing is slow, for sure, but deliberately so. No episodes ever feel too long or short, with each story arc resolving nicely and carrying into the next one. The story ends around the end of the manga's first major story arc, and I can imagine the rest of the manga plays out much like the events that preceeded it. But thankfully, One Outs ends on a clean note; something that plagues "Kaiji" Season 1 and "Akagi" (Madhouse definitely took this lesson to heart for the end of "Kaiji" Season 2).
(Note - Yes, I know it's not Madhouse's fault for the ending of "Akagi." The duel with Washizu has been going on for 10 years. I went to a convenience store recently and saw the new chapter, and it doesn't look any closer to ending. Kubo Tite WISHES he could stretch out a manga like that.)
The drama works very well, and it is those intense psychological battles that carry the story through to the end. The drama, the dialogue, and the intense reactions to the events of the story work very well. The issue, I find, is when the story tries to be "funny." While Kaiji and Akagi were occasionally sprinkled with bits of dark humor, it mainly kept the tension wound tighter then the seams on a baseball. "One Outs'" problem is with the material it is adapting: the moments of humor, be it the goofy reactions from the players or the visual metaphor of the manager being a dog is inconsistent with the themes and tone that One Outs tries to achieve. Nothing wrong with the occasional joke, but when a super serious moment has a moment of goofiness just kinda thrown in, the dissonance is really hard to ignore. Shows like "One Outs," "Kaiji," and "Akagi" are at their very best when it has a deep look into the hearts and minds of the key players in games of insane chance, skill, and wits.
In the end, the bits of humor don't detract from the overall story. I can even see "One Outs" as being a great introduction to the style of storytelling present in "Akagi" and "Kaiji," while not being as deathly serious. Plus, baseball fans are going to get a nice kick at all the care and attention that goes into dissecting and understanding the complexities of baseball, without getting in the way of the main plot threads spun by the devilishly clever Tokuchi.
Art - 6
The art is my second-least favorite part about the series. They did a good job adapting the manga's look and style, but it doesn't help that the manga's style is not that great to begin with. It's just odd to see main characters with really strong, sharp lines and great design being placed next to characters that are outright comical. As I mentioned in the story, the dissonance is hard to ignore.
Tokuchi is the best designed character of the bunch, animating fluidly and really carrying the emotions and attitudes that come from a guy like him. While he may be stoic, even the most stoic of characters have traces of emotion, and Madhouse did a great job with him in general. The other character that make up the supporting cast work well along side of Tokuchi. While they are more "normal" looking, it helps make Tokuchi stand out more, which is a good thing (Bonus points to Madhouse for giving Tokuchi a long nose, much like the heroes in many of Nobuyuki Fukumoto's works). Tokuchi is a very weird, mysterious guy that you can't help but notice, even in a crowd; and the art design carries this well. Characters like Kojima and Ideguchi help complete the contrast: Tokuchi is a thin, stoic, and sharp mouthed punk. Ideguchi is an emotional, stout catcher who wears his heart on his sleeve, and Kojima is a serious minded and broad, imposing man who is still approachable and humble. Madhouse clearly put a lot of thought into this dynamic, and it works out well. The three take up the most screen time, and the animation helps carry out these character moments when they are not talking.
As for the other characters, they don't get the same love. Many of the faces on the Lyacon's team are bland, and comical in comparison. It's ultimately kind-of-distracting, as their faces enter the frame, and instead of remembering them when they leave it, you end up annoyed because they took away valuable face time from the three main characters. There are good details on Tokuchi's opponents, but not many stand out. But with some of the antagonists, they're designed well enough to carry the idea that these are the kind of people who would go against Tokuchi in a battle of some kind.
Backgrounds are the weakest part. Most of the action takes place in baseball diamonds, and Madhouse fell flat in this regard. While there are moments of intense action that work really well, they really don't capture the full excitement of a baseball game. They use strong visual metaphors, but they're not as clever or well defined as the ingenious metaphors found within "Kaiji" or "Akagi." One would think that all that time spent animating "Hajime No Ippo" would give Madhouse some ideas on how to make baseball, which is typically seen as a dreadfully boring sport to watch (never watch baseball on TV if it's not a Tournament game) into a heart-pounding battle of wills. Ultimately, it simply only works some of the time, and is merely the plate in which the meal is delivered on, not being as finely crafted as the other elements.
Sound - 5
Sound was... ok. The ED is forgivable, and OP is just better off skipped. Granted, considering how perfect "Kaiji" Season 2's opening was, I might be the wrong person to ask.
Background music did it's job without standing out. The show has wonderfully exciting moments, and has appropriate background music when needed, but other then Tokuchi's theme, no track really stands out. Madhouse did amazing work with "Akagi" and "Kaiji" in terms of OST; a forgettable soundtrack is a sin.
It's not bad, it's not great. It's like a part-time worker: just punches in and punches out without making an impression. It's a damn shame, too. Music is what makes shows like these so gripping and exciting, and they just did an average job.
At this point I've been railing against the show really heavilly. But the next part is what makes the whole thing worth it.
Character/Voice Acting - 9
I have no idea what it is about Hagiwara Masato, but the people who make important decisions at Madhouse have figured out that by giving this guy an insane gambler to voice, he will nail it so perfectly it will give you chills. It's one thing to be a one trick pony, but this pony can do a really freaking good trick. Masato captures the essence of this character perfectly, with a deceptively monotone voice that is filled with the cunning of a demon behind every syllable. He's assure of himself that seems like arrogance to people who don't understand him. He's a punk who plays the fool so well that his deception will trap you before you even realize what is going on. And when he delivers lines about putting your life into a game, or when he's says that he will take out the next batter in 3 pitches, it pierces you like an untarnished blade that looks like it has not drawn blood until the very last moment.
He's really good, that's what I am saying. While Akagi was a genius who seemed bored all the time (And Kaiji was just in a league all of his own), this character is one of a troubled man. A guy who knows he is smart, and feels like he is a giant among men. But the difference here is that once he gets with the Lyacon's, you get the idea that he genuinely cares about people other then himself. While he is motivate by money and thrills, he wants to make others better. He gives encouragement, gives credit for his ideas to others, and all-in-all seems like a guy who really wants to have this team win. Tokuchi feels like a more likeable version of Akagi, in which he teaches harsh lessons to improve others. Then he crushes his opponents like a man who can only feel pleasure in overcoming insane odds, and then rubbing salt in the wound. The quote at the top captures his mentality perfectly, and Masato's voice acting carries it beautifully. While many of the other characters might be one note, he manages to conduct a symphony and uses every single limited note to create a wonderful character piece into the mind of a man who lives on the very edges of luck and skill.
Just listen to Tokuchi. The other voice actors turn in great performances, but it's all Masato's show. So with the voice acting, character arc, and story, it all hinges on how much you like this guy's voice. He's a great voice actor, and his strength carries the show to new heights.
Enjoyment/Overall - 8
I marathoned "Kaiji" Seasons 1 and 2 in about the span of 2 weeks or so. I went through "Akagi" in a few days. Likewise, "One Outs" came and went quick, but was still a great ride. I was seriously pumping my fist by the end, and the tension often kept me from getting a decent night sleep before work. "One Outs" is a lot like the title character: Singularly minded; but extremely brilliant at it's one talent. The art and music may not do much, but the well told drama along with with great voicework puts "One Outs" over the top, and rarely strikes out.
4 out of 5.
Apr 10, 2014
"Winning a game is not dependent on surpassing your opponents with your strength or waiting for lucky breaks. Conquer the opponent, crushing them, and stepping over the fallen ones ruthlessly. Winning means dominating over countless dead bodies."
One Outs, I admit, was never on my radar. It only recently caught my attention when I found out that Hagiwara Masato, known for voicing Kaiji Itou (a dumb gambler with a crazy lucky streak and serious cunning known for crazy come-from-behind victories), and Akagi Shigiru (an insane gambler with a crazy lucky streak and serious cunning known for crazy come-from-behind victories), would be voicing Tokuchi Towa, a pitching ... |
