A good opening or ending sequence can elevate even mediocre looking anime. And with Ballpark de Tsukamaete!‘s production values being on the limited side, it needed a cute, eye catching ending like this:
Originally a manga by Suga Tatsurou, Ballpark de Tsukamaete! starts off simple by following an overworked salaryman to his favourite way to unwind: taking in the game at his local ball park. Here he meets a particularly aggressive beer vendor girl and they start flirting a bit. So far so standard romcom, but the manga wasn’t content with just this. From the third chapter already it started broadening its view, following other people working or visiting the park. What you get is a series that lovingly depicts the community centered around the local baseball team: supporters, stadium staff, players and their families. The anime does the same, following its two segments about the salaryman and the beer girl with one centered on some security staff as they help a lost girl find her parents.
The animation in this first episode, except for that ending, was serviceable at best, not really up to the manga’s standards. A bit of a disappointment but the story makes up for that and it’s a fun, cozy watch, done competently enough that the animation quality doesn’t matter that much.
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