Major: Episode 29

What the holy freak? Goro-tachi are in middle school? Erm, I thought they were high-schoolers. I mean, take at look at Yamane’s features and tell me with a straight face that he is a middle-school kid. *scratches head* And what hard ball? Or rubber ball? I’m confused. Nevertheless, it’s easier to swallow Goro’s coy resistance to the baseball team.

After the disappointing previous episode, Major bounces back with better (but not exactly stellar) dialogue and writing. Yamane’s one-hundred degree turn is briefly explored to allow Goro’s come back and Yamane’s second chance. The flashback of a younger Goro even offers an understanding to his empathy with the scruffy-haired dude. More importantly, audiences are shown a glimpse of the acceptance of the Shigeno name.

While the episode is far from brilliant, I thoroughly enjoyed the practice match against the West side. The focus is once again the characters, not the game itself. The match is nothing but an instrument for character development. I’ve been hearing cries of displeasure from various forums on this second season. I clearly had my gripes with the second episode but taking the succeeding installment into account, it is not as bad as I thought. It is merely a set-up for this episode, albeit crudely paced. The staggering maturation of the core characters may have been quite a sight for fans but I still urge viewers to patiently wait for a few more episodes before making harsh conclusions. And come on, green-eyed hottie Toshi is back, what more can you ask? ;p Hee. I’m easy to please.

BTW, is it me or is the video source for the sub seems to be of lesser quality? No big, only an observation. I am but a leecher, anyway. *shrug*