Battery (novel series)

Battery
Cover of the first volume of the novel series
バッテリー
(Batterī)
GenreSports
Novel
Written byAtsuko Asano
Illustrated byMakiko Satō
Published by
  • Kyōikugageki
  • Kadokawa Bunko
Imprint
Audio drama
StationNHK FM
Original runApril 17, 2000April 28, 2000
Episodes10
Manga
Written byAtsuko Asano
Illustrated byChikage Yuniwa
Published byKadokawa Shoten
MagazineMonthly Asuka
DemographicShōjo
Original run2005September 24, 2021
Volumes8
Live-action film
The Battery
Directed byYōjirō Takita
Written byTadashi Morishita
Music byRyō Yoshimata
StudioToho
ReleasedMarch 10, 2007 (2007-03-10)
Runtime119 minutes
Television drama
Written byAtsuko Sagara
Original networkNHK General TV
Original run April 3, 2008 June 12, 2008
Episodes10
Anime television series
Directed byTomomi Mochizuki
Written byTomomi Mochizuki
Music byAkira Senju
StudioZero-G
Licensed byAmazon.com (streaming)
Original networkFuji TV, Kansai TV (Noitamina)
Original run July 14, 2016 September 22, 2016
Episodes11[1]

Battery (Japanese: バッテリー, Hepburn: Batterī) is a Japanese novel series by Atsuko Asano that was published by Kadokawa Shoten. The series is about Harada Takumi and Gō Nagakura, two boys who start a baseball team. For the work the author received the Noma Prize for Juvenile Literature in 1997 and the Shogakukan Children's Publication Culture Award in 2005.[2] It has sold over 10 million copies in Japan,[3] and has been adapted into a film in 2007[4] and an anime television series in 2016.

Plot

This story is about a young baseball pitcher named Takumi Harada who just recently moved in with his grandfather, a former coach at Nitta High School. Later on, Harada meets a catcher named Gō Nakagura. They start playing ball together, and Harada realizes that Gō can keep up with his pitches. Harada gets motivated and joins the baseball team at Nitta High. The two boys later begin their journey with a baseball team.

Characters

Main characters

Takumi Harada (原田 巧, Harada Takumi)
Voiced by: Koki Uchiyama (anime), Mamoru Miyano (radio drama)[5]
Portrayed by: Kento Hayashi (movie), Yuma Nakayama (TV drama)
Gō Nagakura (永倉 豪, Nagakura Gō)
Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka (anime)[5]
Portrayed by: Kenta Yamada (movie), Shō Takada (live-action series)

Other characters

Seiha Harada (原田 青波, Harada Seiha)
Voiced by: Yūi Fujimaki (anime), Hayato Taya (radio drama)[5]
Portrayed by: Akihiro Yarita (movie), Shintarō Morimoto (TV drama)
Shūgo Kadowaki (門脇 秀吾, Kadowaki Shūgo)
Voiced by: Yūki Ono (anime)[5]
Portrayed by: Dai Watanabe (movie), Ryūta Nakamura (TV drama)
Shunji Mizugaki (瑞垣 俊二, Mizugaki Shunji)
Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (anime)[5]
Portrayed by: Yasuaki Seki (movie), Kazuma Kawahara (TV drama)
Kazuki Kaionji (海音寺 一希, Kaionji Kazuki)
Voiced by: Yūichirō Umehara (anime)[5]
Portrayed by: Hiroshi Yazaki (movie), Ryōsuke Kawamura (TV drama)
Keita Higashidani (東谷啓太, Higashidani Keita)
Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa (anime)[6]
Fumito Sawaguchi (沢口文人, Sawaguchi Fumito)
Voiced by: Ayumu Murase (anime)[6]

Media

Anime

An anime television series adaptation aired on July 14, 2016, on the Noitamina block of Fuji TV[7][6] and concluded on September 22, 2016. The series was directed and written by Tomomi Mochizuki, with animation by the studio Zero-G. Hideoki Kusama served as character designer and chief animation director, and Akira Senju was in charge of the music.[5]

References

  1. ^ "バッテリー 6 - Blu-ray&DVD - TVアニメ「バッテリー」公式サイト" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  2. ^ "Battery (6 volumes)". Japanese Board on Books for Young People. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
  3. ^ "TVアニメ化!シリーズ累計1,000万部越えの青春野球小説『バッテリー』が描き下ろしアニメイラストの幅広帯で登!". Oricon. July 14, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  4. ^ "バッテリー" [Battery]. Variety Japan. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Atsuko Asano's Battery Novels Get TV Anime in July on Noitamina". Anime News Network. May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Baseball Anime Battery Casts Ayumu Murase, Kaito Ishikawa & Premieres July 14". Anime News Network. June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  7. ^ "Atsuko Asano's Battery Novels Get TV Anime in July on Noitamina". Anime News Network. March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2016.