Rookies

Rookies adheres to the typical sports manga formula, featuring a cast of delinquent archetypes and cliché moments with a teacher who shows genuine care for his students. The story scores an 8; I genuinely love it and appreciate its humor and pacing. As mentioned earlier, it's packed with sports clichés that make it reminiscent of other sports manga, but overall, it's enjoyable.

The art earns a 9. I really admire the mangaka's style—they know when to take the art seriously and when to relax it a bit. There are some truly cool moments in the manga where the art shines brilliantly.

The characters receive a 7. I wish more was done with some of the kids. Each arc focuses on one team member, but after their arc, they become less relevant until they're needed for a crucial play. It gets cheesy, and the coolest characters sometimes get overshadowed by others.

The ending gets a 9. I appreciate a sports ending that isn't necessarily realistic. I enjoy a feel-good conclusion, and among the sports manga I've read, this one has a particularly uplifting ending.

Overall, I rate it an 8. While I gave many aspects a 9, the story just isn't quite good enough to be considered great. Rookies is very good, and I recommend reading it before diving into other sports series as it might serve as a smoother introduction. Despite its quality, the tropes and clichés solidify its place as an 8.

One of the most underrated shonen sports manga ever.

"The way to forge a new path is with confidence and courage."

*May contain slight spoilers!

- A raw and inspiring story about a teacher who saw potential in a group of high school delinquent misfits and believed in them when no one else would. Through his passionate love for them, incredible trust, and unyielding belief, they were able to become better people.

I was actually rating Diamond No Ace on MAL when I saw Rookies being recommended below it! Having checked out the description, I decided to give it a try as I was craving some awesome baseball action having just finished Daiya a few days before.

If you are looking for something similar, it might not be the best choice. But I guarantee that reading this manga will not be a waste of time.

Overall ratings:

STORY/PLOT: [10/10] - This manga is somewhat old, so a few of the scenes are typical of the early 2000s! It also contains a lot of stereotypical Japanese high school gangsters. It was hard for me to read at first since I didn't have much experience with shonen manga from the early 2000s BUT the humor and awe-inspiring moving moments easily overcame that, and I found myself reading the next fifteen chapters without even noticing. In conclusion, the story itself felt very raw. It was raw, youthful, and overwhelming with many emotions. It made me feel like I was there.

CHARACTERS: [10/10] - I want to start this by talking about Kawato and just how he is the best adult character I have ever come across. Heck, I would love to have an adult like that in my life. He does and understands what an adult needs to be, especially when it comes to his students. He was clumsy with his ways, being the rookie teacher he was. However, everything he did was for the sake of others. Kawato Koichi taught his students, workmates, superiors, and even the whole baseball organization AND enemy teams to be better people. Kawato Koichi is a man from beyond. As for the other characters, the author did a good job of introducing them and slowly letting them become better versions of themselves! It was very inspiring to see how far they had really come. Often, there would be characters you would dislike in stories, but all of the characters here were fun and had their own good characteristics. My favorites are Mikoshiba, Shinjo, and Sekikawa.

ART: [8/10] - Now, although I love this manga, the art style is one of those that I don't have much fondness for. The only reason I'm giving this an 8 is because the author was able to utilize his talent for making expressive facial expressions and character individualism. Overall, not a favorite but not bad! It wasn’t hard to follow along.

OVERALL SCORE: [10/10]!

All in all, this story is one of the best I've ever read up to date. The clumsy and awkward journey of the baseball theme was so funny, refreshing, and hope-inspiring. It's really a mystery why a manga this good doesn’t have many readers and reviews! The last chapter really made me cry, although yes, I did feel it was kind of rushed. It was amazing, and I have no regrets ever reading this manga.

Please give it a try! Stick after a few chapters, and you'll soon see the amazing bundle of incredible human beings trying to fight for all their worth.

Thanks for reading! Stay safe :3

I must admit, this manga truly took me by surprise. I ended up enjoying it much more than I had anticipated. The number of times I found myself laughing out loud is countless.

Story - The storyline was one of the manga's stronger points. It kept me guessing at every turn; whenever I thought I knew what was coming next, I was proven wrong. My only gripe was how long it took to cover a single game across multiple chapters. Additionally, I felt that the final chapter was somewhat rushed.

Art - If I'm being honest, the artwork was my least favorite aspect of this manga. While it was decent and certainly not difficult to follow, it didn't quite measure up to some other manga I've read. The style did remind me a bit of Slam Dunk though.

Characters - Every character in this manga was fantastic. There wasn't a single one that irritated me or made me want to punch them. Each character's unique personality was refreshing and added a lot to the story.

All in all, I really enjoyed this manga. I would gladly read it again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good sports manga. I particularly liked the concept of transforming delinquents into a disciplined team. There were also some valuable life lessons woven into the narrative about perseverance, believing in yourself, and pursuing your dreams.

Some spoilers for the first 40 chapters of the manga:

Manga comes in various forms, ranging from realistic slice-of-life stories to the wildest fantasies. However, sports manga often straddles the line between reality and fantasy. At first glance, Rookies seems like a typical sports manga, but it's actually not; it’s a "sports manga that isn't a sports manga."

Rookies is a "sports" and drama manga written and illustrated by Masanori Morita from 1998 to 2003. It was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump and ran for 24 volumes, which amounts to about 230 chapters. The series also received a live-action television series and a movie. Unfortunately, it was only officially released in Japan, Italy, and Taiwan, meaning the only way to read it elsewhere is through *ahem* less-than-legitimate means.

The main characters are a group of delinquents, including Keiichi Aniya, a star pitcher from middle school; Toru Mikoshiba, a baseball fan forced by the group to be their gofer; Shuta Sekikawa, known for his speed; Kei Shinjo, a muscular and quiet man; Yuya Okada, the calmest one despite his dreadlocks; Tetsuro Yufune, the chicken of the group; Kiyooki Hiyama, the short-tempered one; Tomochika Wakana, the mood-maker; Taichi Hiratsuka, who thinks highly of himself and is a lifelong friend of Shinobu Imaoka, who is always with his best friend. Despite the large main cast, the author takes time to develop their relationships and personalities carefully. This is evident as I can remember all of them clearly, along with their roles on the team.

For example, Aniya, the ace of the team, was the gang leader and only interested in hooking up with girls, believing it was a good life. Also, at the slightest mention of baseball or Koshien, he would get physical. This leads the reader to believe his care for baseball ended long before the series began, but light is slowly shed on his feelings through small reactions, such as when he watches kids play and interacts with Toko Yagi, his childhood friend and future love interest. All of this builds up to the moment he returns to the mound, creating a profound sense of empathy for the gang leader.

Still, his past is not easily forgotten. The reader, despite understanding the character’s humanity, can’t help but feel a bit angry at his earlier attitude. And that’s normal, so normal that the author quickly addresses it, introducing the central pillar of Nikogaku's baseball philosophy: "One for All," meaning giving it your all for the team. But baseball is a team game, and one character cannot be the focus of a sports manga.

So, Mikoshiba was the weak glorified servant to the rest of them, and this weakness makes him relatable. The feeling strengthens as the series progresses, when he is chosen to be the captain of the group that used to bully him but became his "partners in crime." His true passion for baseball and the Koshien dream is revealed despite his lack of aptitude, solidifying his role.

On the other hand, Seikawa and his mohawk are blessed with rare speed, initially used for crime and petty things but finding new use when a dream is found. This is achieved traditionally: he discovers the truth about himself and sympathizes with his ideals, becoming central to converting the rest of the gang after being attacked by Shinjo.

Shinjo was the strong-arm of the group, mainly responsible for their protection. But as members start to reform, he feels abandoned and lashes out, attacking his friends, painting him as the villain. Instead of being thrown out, the author brings him back, telling a story of a comeback of friends and dreams, eventually becoming the "shield" of the team, partially because of Kawato, the protagonist of the manga.

I've talked a lot about Rookies but haven’t mentioned its dreamer and goofy protagonist, Koichi Kawato. Much like his students, he is seen as a rebel due to his profound innocence rather than violence. This is evident from the start: he wears white clothing while other teachers wear black. It's further clarified when Kawato discards a tie, saying it creates a barrier between teachers and students.

Another central point of the protagonist is his tendency to get involved with problems around him, shown in the very first chapter. During the series, Kawato helps a student disillusioned with the world, a teacher who "only teaches in classrooms," and even the principal and his hate for the baseball club. Always with the phrase "Glitter into your dreams, Flutter into tomorrow" as a guiding light.

This phrase is the centerpiece of the manga’s philosophy, even if childish. It's pure innocence, suggesting everyone should have a dream and work hard to achieve it. Unlike most series with similar themes, Rookies never shies away from its core, sticking with it through hell while portraying it with care and realism.

I’ve written a lot about Rookies but haven’t explained my initial statement: "a sports manga that is not a sports manga." Most sports manga discuss dreams, but the main focus is always the sport itself. On the other hand, Rookies is the exact opposite: the sport is merely the way to the dream. It could have just as easily been a soccer or basketball manga, and the message would still be the same. In contrast, Hajime no Ippo would be fundamentally different if it were about a sport other than boxing. As a result, Rookies is better defined as a manga about dreams, portrayed realistically.

This also calls for traditional paneling and a realistic art style. Panel-wise, everything follows the rules except for Kawato, who ignores the borders between panels, visually emphasizing his outsider status. The art itself, even in comedic moments, stays faithful to reality, creating the impression that this story could happen, strengthening its impact.

One last detail setting Rookies apart is its comedic sense, combining serious and stupid humor. The former comes from the crazy plays the team makes and how seriously they act, such as Yufune's "Meow" batting, where he meows and manages to hit even the fastest balls. The latter comes mostly from Kawato’s carelessness and innocence, like the time he took off his pants in the middle of class. These comedic scenes provide breaks between heavier content and surprisingly don't break the tension during games.

Overall, Rookies is both impressive and motivating, a lot indeed. Like Kawato’s teaching, there's never a dull moment between practice, matches, explorations of human relations, education, literary quotes, and blatant innocence. After reading it, I can't help but feel hopeful for the future and others, as everyone, even the wildest delinquents, can be good people.

Thank you for reading!

"Flutter into your dreams, glitter into tomorrow" by Kawato Koichi

Warnings: - If you don't enjoy bloody comedy, this manga may not be for you...

- Apologies for any errors in my review.

This manga offers one of the finest baseball tales imaginable. Despite its age, it remains satisfying and leaves you craving more. What truly impressed me was the boundless creativity of Kawato-sensei's vision.

Story:

The plot kicks off when a newly transferred teacher, Kawato Koichi, arrives at Nikogaku High School to become the homeroom teacher for a class filled with delinquents who are part of an idle baseball club. Determined to revive the club, he devises a plan to trick these troublemakers into resuming their activities...

Drawing:

The artwork is impeccable, leaving nothing to criticize. Every panel showcases Morita-sensei's expertise, particularly his unique facial expressions that make certain scenes unforgettable. The high quality of the illustrations made finishing the manga a quick yet delightful experience.

Characters:

The characters possess a special charm reminiscent of golden-age shonen heroes, now rare in modern times. Their development is both surprising and epic, adding layers of enjoyment to the story.

In conclusion, I believe this manga is vastly underrated. Many have overlooked it, but if you're a fan of baseball or school comedies, you'll find it highly entertaining. Unlike "Diamond no Ace," this story isn't solely about baseball; it blends humor and emotion seamlessly. Many scenes had me laughing or crying due to the exceptional plot. I sincerely hope the author produces more works of similar caliber.

My overall rating: 10/10

~End

English is not my first language

If you expect to find in Rookies a manga focused exclusively on baseball as I expected, I'm sorry to inform you that you won't find what you want. But that's not a bad thing at all, because what you'll get is a mix of a sports manga and GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka).

Rookies is as much about baseball as it is about its characters and their dramas and dreams, the critique of the education system, and the professional conduct and duty of a teacher.

In a way, Rookies reminded me a lot of American sports movies: It's not just about the sport; so much so that there isn't as much focus on the rules and the complex techniques that can be used (which are usually presented with more complex explanations in mangas), but how sports, be it baseball, football, or basketball, is something important to the characters and how they really want to win; that's where much of the emotional weight comes from. And the final pages only reinforce this idea, since a distribution of credit is made at the end for the staff and the editorial board.

Rookies is somewhat of a cheesy tale. Kawato, the cornerstone of Futagotamaga High School, spouts lines like "Flutter into your dreams, glitter into tomorrow" to a bunch of high school kids. Even if they were well-disciplined, none of them would likely find that line anything but corny. However, I think that's one of Rookies' biggest charms.

This series does something quite intriguing. While the manga heavily focuses on baseball, it equally emphasizes character development. Before anything else, Rookies builds a great baseball team based on a strong cast of characters.

Yes, this manga is unrealistically romanticized. Kawato is the kind of teacher everyone wished for. He genuinely cares about his students and isn't jaded or desensitized to their struggles. Instead, he places himself below his adolescent students, risking even his career to help his baseball club play games and win Koshien. He's emotional, empathetic, and wants nothing more than for his students to "Flutter into [their] dreams." Would any real teacher go that far for their students? An emotional bastion, a wholehearted and honest person who props up his team? Probably not.

Yet, this is precisely what makes this manga emotionally compelling. It's not half-hearted. Kawato has heart-to-heart conversations with delinquent kids who have never been praised, violence being their only language. It's not as if these kids aspired to be Yakuza their entire lives; they, too, want to live their youth with purpose. But they lacked the opportunity, courage, and backbone to take the first step towards playing baseball with hopes for something bigger than their previous aspirations could ever have been.

Again, is this realistic? All the baseball club members, who were delinquents, reformed into better players. Each player has their own redemption arc and motivations for joining the baseball club, but could an entire team reform? Probably not. But in this story, it did happen, and that raw emotion towards aspiring to reach Koshien shines through.

Each player strives to become a better baseball player. They sweat, cry, and run with all their might towards first base, hoping not to get out. They will play despite injuries and soldier through the pain. They will practice swings outside of practice times until exhaustion. For each player, losing is a "death sentence," and this emotion truly comes through in the manga panels.

For all the talk about the baseball club members, you might wonder why I haven't discussed any in particular depth besides Kawato. Well, there are just too many characters to cover. I don't think there's a weak character in the 10+ player cast of Futagotamaga High School, and it's a treat to watch these players grow not only as baseball players but also mentally.

Another plus point: with a strong cast of characters diving into becoming baseball players comes the actual baseball games. Unlike Cross Game, which forsakes baseball games in favor of character development, Rookies manages to balance both. The first 50 or so chapters were the best ones, where the baseball club gets reformed and finds their motivation to become baseball players, but the games are good too. This series is smart about pacing each game. This 200+ chapter run covers around a year of actual baseball, neither too short nor long. There are only two powerhouse schools in the region mentioned, and only four extensively covered games, two being practice games. Each game covered play-by-play shows the extent of the progress and maturity each player goes through. You get to know each player's strengths, the pitching strength of rival schools, and the buildup to all runs in the game. The series is thorough, and it feels like a baseball manga focused on baseball. Because of the one-year timeline and the lack of too many powerhouse schools, this manga can focus on a small pool of rival characters and games that truly matter.

That said, character development matters more than the actual game. The biggest game Futagotamaga High School wins isn't extensively covered play-by-play but rather on the players' depression at their coach not being at their bench, them being down runs after losing a scoring opportunity near the end of the game, and the subsequent turnaround victory when Kawato returns to the dugout as a coach.

As I said, I liked the earlier chapters best since they were all about fostering character development, but the later arcs, while good, rely too much on dramatic turn of events. Kawato risks his job, or he's suspended from the dugout. Many key players get injuries threatening their ability to play. Much of the tension is artificially driven by dramatic circumstances caused by these sorts of things, whereas the earlier chapters didn't need to rely on that.

This review contains no spoilers.

I knew this manga was going to be funny because of a glimpse I got from a section of its TV series. But I had no idea what I was truly getting into. This is my first ever review on this website, and I've been looking forward to writing it because I enjoyed the manga so much.

The characters are brilliant, each with a relatable backstory. Watching them develop their personalities and reach their full potential is heartwarming. Even though this manga is about baseball, the focus is not just on the game but also on how each character battles their own shortcomings, works together as a team, lifts each other's spirits during crucial moments, and does their best to avoid mistakes that could hinder their progress towards achieving their dream of reaching Koushien together! "One for all!"

The sensei is an immensely strong-willed, funny, and determined person who goes to great lengths to understand his students and bring out the best in them. Everyone respects him, and he has such a refreshing aura. He has taught me many valuable lessons, and I've come to respect him too! Words can't describe how powerful of a character he is. And, of course, there are characters who remind us how important it is to maintain your cool and humor even in adversity.

The mangaka has done an exceptional job of bringing out a wide range of emotions through this masterpiece. I have laughed a lot, cried a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed reading this powerful manga.

This manga consistently reminds us of the importance of teamwork, showing that even the strongest players can't beat a team working together towards a single goal alone; how having talent means nothing if you don't hone it regularly; how understanding others and the reasons behind their actions leaves a positive impact on both parties; and, most importantly, the value of dreams.

This manga has left a profound impression on me and taught me many things. It has completely mesmerized me. Now that I've finished this manga, I can't wait to watch its TV series, which I know will be very funny. Since I've enjoyed this manga so much, I am looking forward to reading other works by Masanori Morita. If I could give a manga a standing ovation, this would be it. It has been that impactful for me.

"Flutter into your dreams, glitter into tomorrow" - Koichi Kawato