Nine (manga)

Nine
Cover of volume 1 of wideban release.
ナイン
Genre	Romantic comedy, Sports (baseball)
Manga
Written by	Mitsuru Adachi
Published by	Shogakukan
Demographic	Shōnen
Magazine	Monthly Shōnen Sunday Zōkan
Original run	October 1978 – May 1979
Volumes	5
TV film anime
Directed by	Gisaburō Sugii
Studio	Group TAC
Network	Fuji TV
Released	May 4, 1983
Anime film
Nine the Original
Directed by	Gisaburō Sugii
Studio	Group TAC
Released	September 16, 1983
TV film anime
Nine 2: Sweetheart Declaration
Directed by	Gisaburō Sugii
Studio	Group TAC
Network	Fuji TV
Released	December 18, 1983
TV film anime
Nine 3: Final
Directed by	Gisaburō Sugii
Studio	Group TAC
Network	Fuji TV
Released	September 5, 1984
TV special
Network	Fuji TV
Released	January 5, 1987
Anime and Manga Portal

Nine (ナイン, Nain^?) is a baseball manga series by Mitsuru Adachi. It was serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sunday Zōkan from the October 1978 through May 1979 issues. The series was adapted into three television anime movies^[1] and a live-action television drama.^[2] An altered version of the first anime was released in theaters, with new and re-arranged new music.^[3][4]

The story is about two friends who were star athletes in junior high school who decide, on entering high school, to join the struggling baseball club so they can have a challenge. The title comes from the nine members of a baseball team.

Plot summary

Just before entering Seishū High School, track star Katsuya Niimi and judo champion Susumu Karasawa see a girl crying as the school loses a baseball game. The boys decide to join the team and improve it in order to make her smile. The girl turns out to be Yuri Nakao, daughter of the baseball coach, and they learn the baseball team will be shut down if it doesn't start winning. The series follows the three, as well as pitcher Eiji Kurahashi, as Niimi and Karasawa learn about baseball and what it means to be one of nine players on a team, as they work together through high school make it to Kōshien.^[5]

Characters

Character voices listed are for the anime releases only.

Katsuya Niimi (新見 克也^?)

Voiced by: Toru Furuya

Center fielder on the Seishū High School baseball club, in love with Yuri. In junior high, he held the national records for the 100 meter and 200 m races for his age group. His favorite food is gomokuzushi. He wears the number 8 on his jersey.

Yuri Nakao (中尾 百合^?)

Voiced by: Mariko Ishihara (TV movie 1), Mariko Kurata (TV movie 2), Narumi Yasuda (TV movie 3)

The manager of the Seishū High School baseball club and daughter of the baseball coach. There is a growing romance between Yuri and Katsuya.

Susumu Karasawa (唐沢 進^?)

Voiced by: Kei Tomiyama

Right fielder on the Seishū High School baseball club. In junior high, he was the prefectural champion in judo. He wears the number 9.

Eiji Kurahashi (倉橋 永二^?)

Voiced by: Kaneto Shiozawa

Left-handed pitching ace on the Seishū High School baseball club, and was one of the top pitchers in all of Japan in middle school. Lives with his father, a truck driver.

Yukimi Yasuda (安田 雪美^?)

Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto

Star athlete of the Seishū High School track club, who has a crush on Katsuya since Middle School. After transferring to Seishū at the beginning of the school year, she begins pursuing him, much to the annoyance of Yuri.

Kentarō Yamanaka (山中 健太郎^?)

Voiced by: Akira Kamiya

A childhood friend of Yuri, and ace pitcher at Bunan High School where he has taken his team to victory at Kōshien. After an unexpected reunion with Yuri, he becomes the romantic rival of Katsuya.

Jirō Yamanaka (山中 二郎^?)

Voiced by: Yoshikazu Hirano

Kentarō's younger brother and a new member of the Seishū High School baseball club, playing third base. He has a crush on Yukimi. He wears the number 5.

Chimi Yamanaka (山中 智美, )^?)

Younger sister of the Yamanaka brothers. She tries to mediate the relationship between Yuri and Kentarō, who in turn uses her to interfere with the developing romance between Yuri and Katsuya.

Coach Nakao

Voiced by: Ichirō Nagai (TV movies), Kōichi Kitamura (theatrical movie)

The coach of the Seishū High School baseball club. He is in jeopardy of losing his job for not having won a single game, which he does with the addition of Eiji Kurahashi to the team. He formerly coached Kentarō for a short time when he was younger, and they were neighbours.

Kazuya Niimi's father

Voiced by: Tatsuyuki Jinnai

A former baseball player who helps Eiji join the baseball team after talking to his father, with whom he formed the winning battery at the invitational Kōshien tournament of 20-odd years prior to the events of the manga.

Kazuya Niimi's mother

Voiced by: Kazuko Makino

Appears in the theatrical movie.

Eiji Kurashashi's father

Voiced by: Takeshi Aono

Appears in the theatrical movie.

Yukimi Yasuda's mother

Voiced by: Miyoko Asō

Appears in the theatrical movie.

Sources:^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

TV movies

Nine

The first Nine TV movie aired on May 4, 1983 on Fuji TV's Nissei Family Special program.

Music Opening theme "Love - Innocent" (LOVE·イノセント, Rabu Inosento?) Vocals: Mariko Tsubota Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Insert songs "Invited Desires" (つのる思い, Tsunoru Omoi?) "Goodbye to Sadness" (悲しみにサヨナラ, Kanashimi ni Sayonara?) Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Ending theme "Midsummer Runner" (真夏のランナー, Mannatsu no Runner?) Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa

Staff Director: Gisaburō Sugii Teleplay: Hiroichi Fuse Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda Art Director: Hiroshi Ōno Music: Hiroaki Serizawa Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV

Sources:^[6]

Nine 2: Sweetheart Declaration

The second Nine TV movie, Nine 2: Sweetheart Declaration (ナイン2 恋人宣言, Nain Tsū Koibito Sengen^?), aired on December 18, 1983 on Fuji TV's Nissei Family Special program.

Music Opening theme "Sweetheart Declaration" (恋人宣言, Koibito Sengen?) Vocals: Mariko Tsubota Lyrics: Mariko Ryū Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Insert songs "Blue Sky Feelings" (青空気分, Aozora Kibun?) "My Young Boy" (私のYoung Boy, Watashi no Yangu Bōi?) Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Mariko Ryū Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Ending theme "Midsummer Runner" Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa

Staff Director: Gisaburō Sugii Teleplay: Shin'ichi Shirayama Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda Chief Animator: Minoru Maeda Art Director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura Music: Hiroaki Serizawa Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV

Sources:^[6]

Nine 3: Final

The third Nine TV movie, Nine 3: Final (ナイン 完結編, Nain Surī Kanketsuhen^?), aired on September 5, 1984 on Fuji TV's Nissei Family Special program.

Music Opening theme "Endless Summer" (エンドレスサマー, Endoresu Samā?) Vocals: Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Insert songs "Around August" (八月のゆくえ, Hachigatsu no Yukue?) "Boys in Love" (Boys in love, Bōisu in Rabu?) Vocals: Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Ending theme "Midsummer Runner" Vocals: Mariko Tsubota and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa

Staff Director: Gisaburō Sugii Teleplay: Yumiko Takaboshi Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda Key Animation Director: Minoru Maeda Art Director: Katsuyoshi Kanemura Music: Hiroaki Serizawa Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV

Sources:^[6]

Theatrical movie

The first Nine TV movie was remade into a theatrical movie titled Nine the Original (ナイン オリジナル版, Nain Orijinaruban^?), released on September 16, 1983 by Toho. Modifications were made to the original TV movie to fix problems with it, and some of the seiyū and background music were changed as well. When the Nine movies are rebroadcast on TV, this movie is shown in place of the original TV movie.

Music Theme songs "Amateur Photograph" (青いフォトグラフ, Aoi Fotogurafu?) "Love Taking Flight" (愛を翼にして, Ai o Tsubasa ni Shite?) Vocals: Mariko Kurata Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa Insert songs "Invited Desires" "Sentimental Season" (涙色の季節, Namida-iro no Kisetsu?) "Midsummer Runner" Vocals: Mariko Kurata and Hiroaki Serizawa Lyrics: Masao Urino Composer: Hiroaki Serizawa

Staff Director: Gisaburō Sugii Screenplay: Hiroichi Fuse Animation Director: Tsuneo Maeda Art Director: Hiroshi Ōno Music: Hiroaki Serizawa, Yasunori Tsuchida Audio Director: Atsushi Tashiro Producers: Yūkichi Ōhashi, Atsushi Tashiro Production: Toho, Group TAC, Fuji TV

Sources:^[3][4]

TV live action drama

A Nine live action TV drama special aired on January 5, 1987 on Fuji TV's Monday Dramaland (月曜ドラマランド, Getsuyō Doramarando^?) program.

Cast Aki Asakura (Yuri Nakao) Kazuya Takahashi (Katsuya Niimi) Kōyō Maeda (Jirō Yamanaka) Mikio Ōsawa (Kentarō Yamanaka) Mami Ōtsuka (Yukimi Yasuda)

Staff Original Work: Mitsuru Adachi Director: Yoshiharu Ueki Teleplay: Fumiyo Asō Production: Fuji TV

Sources:^[2]

See also

These are titles with a similar theme of baseball.

• Captain
• H2
• Hiatari Ryōkō!
• Play Ball
• Princess Nine
• Touch

References

1. ^ Van Huffel, Peter (January 17, 2004). "Adachi Mitsuru あだち充". http://users.skynet.be/mangaguide/au14.html. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "あだち充 アニメ" (in Japanese). あだち充 DΑTΑBΑSE. http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown/5399/anime.htm. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "劇場アニメ「ナイン」" (in Japanese). あだち充 DΑTΑBΑSE. http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown/5399/Nine.htm. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "ナイン(1983)" (in Japanese). goo 映画. http://movie.goo.ne.jp/movies/PMVWKPD17357/index.html. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Nine". AdachiFan. http://www.freewebs.com/adachifan/nine.htm. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d} "BS夏休みアニメ特選｜ナイン" (in Japanese). NHK. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/bs2006summer/program/nine.html. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 
7. ^ Hitoshi Doi. "Search results for "Nine" in anime database". Seiyū Database. http://www.usagi.org/doi-bin/seiyuu-lookup.pl?DB=anime+roles&value=Nine. Retrieved June 21, 2007. 

External links

• Nine (manga) (manga) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Nine (manga) (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia