I'm not a huge fan of watching sports or even dealing with anything with sports in general, with a few exceptions, but there's something about Big Windup! that captivates me. An anime which combines a real-life sport, with characters that you learn to care about. Count me, slightly interested. Big Windup's story is practically a run through experiences and not so much overarching progress to something large. The characters exist in this world where they play baseball, progress, and win for their team. Nothing special, but it's the actual games and characters that make the show worthwhile.

There's no bad guys, no antagonist organizations, and no titanic rival. Big Windup! is focused on realism and character development; it's more on the present, here and now. The show does really well with presenting itself because you get engaged with what's going on screen without thinking too much about what's going to happen next. Think of it as a bunch of journal entries being written and presented rather than an intricate series of plot points leading up to something. Surprisingly the story is actually quite grounded, giving you a more realistic sports show without being super dependant on being real-life.

If your looking for award-winning storytelling, look elsewhere, because of Big Windup! is more about the thrill of the sport than the captivation of complex plot lines. For a sports anime, the animation does its job. There weren't really over-exaggerated Dragonball-like home runs or dempsey rolls as it really tries to stay grounded. I did, however, feel as if the animation could've required a slight bump in portraying hits and pitches better. Certain scenes are so static that it tends to drag on in establishing shots that need a bit more life.

The style is very apparent, and the characters are distinct. Before you get to actually know everyone though, I can guarantee you that the similar looks of everyone are going to confuse you. The biggest thing you'll notice is Mihashi's over-exaggerated face that goes for that really simple lolwut look, it can be off-putting at times, but it happens less frequently as you go on that it becomes less bothersome. A large portion of this show is centered on character development, Mihashi being the center focus. He's got low self-esteem and can be somewhat annoying. Big Windup! manages to show his development, as he joins and gets acquainted with his new team, he learns to be more confident with himself and his team. Now if you have watched the first couple of episodes you might think, wait...does this show have homosexual undertones? To some extent, it can be misinterpreted as such, but to completely honest it wasn't all that bothersome. I saw it more like a really good friendship than the fangirl guy-guy pairing, but that's just me, it can easily be mistaken that way though.

I'm gonna admit this to everyone, I went in this show the first time, watched the first couple of episodes and dropped watching it until I became interested in watching it again. A couple of years later I came back, re-watched the episodes, and instantly fell in love with the show. Something clicked for me, and it's hard to describe the feeling of just seeing the characters interact and play baseball. The bulk of the plot just wants you to sit back and relax as you go along for the team's baseball journey. It's not gonna make the anime top lists, and it's not even getting another season after its newest one either, which is unfortunate. But you know what? I have such a nostalgic soft spot what we're given in Big Windup that I appreciate what I got in this show. It's just a heartwarming anime about a bunch of friends having fun playing baseball, and what more could you want from that? It's a little show with a big heart.