Is
One Outs is a sports anime? Well, it does look like it but in my opinion, it's actually more about gambling. I personally like baseball related anime and that's why I decided to try watching
One Outs. As a baseball anime,
One Outs is quite disappointing. However, as a psychological anime, I think
One Outs is interesting and entertaining.
Story: 8/10 – GoodKojima Hiromichi, the star batter of the Lycaons, heads to Okinawa to train. There, he meets Tokuchi Toua, who is a pitcher and also the undisputed king of a gambling form of baseball called 'One Outs'. After losing a bet to Kojima, Tokuchi is forced to sign up with the Lycaons. Unknown to his team mates, his contract is a special one - 'One Outs contract'. According to the contract, for every out he pitches, he gets 5,000,000 yen, but for every run he gives up, he has to pay 50,000,000 yen.To call
One Outs a sports anime is not exactly appropriate. While it does revolve around a baseball team, the series is more about Tokuchi playing mind games with his opponents. If you intend to watch
One Outs for the baseball, you will feel disappointed as the appeal of One Outs lies not in its baseball but more in the psychological battles, which make this series a joy to watch.
Characters: 9/10 - GreatTokuchi is a great character. No matter what obstacles he faces, he is always cool and always have a solution for it. Though he's not a fast pitcher, he's able to make many strikeouts and give up little runs using his wit, ball-throwing techniques, and mind reading skills. As for the other characters, they are very typical and little attention is given to them. They are either tools for Tokuchi to use, or obstacles for him to destroy.
Art/Animation: 6/10 – AverageTo be frank, I do not like the character designs. It's decently done but it's not my cup of tea. Though the series is full of guys, there's not a single bishounen! (v.v)
Sound/Music: 8/10 – GoodI like the Opening theme ('Bury' by Pay money To my pain). The song got stuck in my mind after the very first time I heard it.
Enjoyment: 9/10 – GreatThis series is quite addictive to watch. Though the game results are predictable, the strategies that Tokuchi uses are not. It's fun and interesting to see how Tokuchi plays mind games with his opponents and how he manages to get his team out of all the pinches.
Overall: 9/10 - Great
One Outs is a series about mind games. If you like that and love seeing how one character (Tokuchi) owns all other characters,
One Outs is a must watch!
