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Major (manga)

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Major
Frst tankōbon volume cover, featuring Gorou Honda as a child
Genre
Manga
Written byTakuya Mitsuda
Published byShogakukan
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runAugust 3, 1994 – July 7, 2010
Volumes78 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed by
Music byNoriyuki Asakura
Studio
Original networkNHK-E
English network
Original run November 13, 2004 – September 25, 2010
Episodes154 + 3 OVAs (List of episodes)
Anime film
Major: Yūjō no Winning Shot
Directed byTakao Kato
StudioXebec
ReleasedDecember 13, 2008
Runtime100 minutes
Sequel
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Major (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese sports manga series written and illustrated by Takuya Mitsuda. It was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 1994 to July 2010, with its chapters collected in 78 tankōbon volumes. It was followed by a sequel titled Major 2nd, which started in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in March 2015.

It was adapted into a 154-episode anime television series by Studio Hibari and later by SynergySP, titled Major.[a] It ran for six seasons on NHK E from November 2004 to September 2010. Two original video animations (OVAs) were released in December 2011 and January 2012.

In 1996, Major received the Shogakukan Manga Award for the shōnen category. By October 2024, the manga series had over 66.66 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series.

Plot

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The story follows the life of Gorō Honda from childhood through his professional baseball career, focusing on his perseverance through adversity. Gorō's father, Shigeharu Honda, is a professional baseball pitcher who plays for teams in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Gorō deeply admires his father and aspires to follow in his footsteps. His mother, Chiaki Honda, passed away two years before the story begins. Gorō forms close bonds with his kindergarten teacher, Momoko Hoshino, and his childhood friend, Toshiya Sato, whom he teaches to play baseball. Shigeharu suffers a career-ending arm injury, devastating Gorō. Determined to continue supporting his son, Shigeharu retrains as a slugger and eventually joins the Yokohama Marine Stars. During this time, Momoko grows closer to the family, and Shigeharu proposes to her. In a pivotal game against the Tokyo Giants, Shigeharu hits a home run off a fastball from American pitcher Joe Gibson. However, Gibson later throws a pitch that strikes Shigeharu in the head, leading to his death from internal bleeding the following day.

Three years later, Momoko adopts Gorō. When he reaches fourth grade, he joins the Mifune Dolphins little league team, recruiting friends to prevent its disbandment. Recognizing Gorō's talent, the coach suggests he transfer to the more competitive Yokohama Little team, where Toshiya plays. Gorō hesitates, unwilling to abandon his friends, but after Momoko falls ill, he reaffirms his commitment to those around him. Meanwhile, Gibson invites Gorō to watch the MLB All-Star game in the United States, where he demonstrates his pitching prowess. Inspired, Gorō vows to one day challenge Gibson. Leading the Dolphins to victory over Yokohama Little, Gorō suffers an injury and later moves to Fukuoka with Momoko and her new husband, Hideki Shigeno, without saying goodbye to his teammates. After returning to Mifune, Gorō reunites with his friends at Mifune East Junior High. Initially uninterested in baseball due to a shoulder injury, he eventually rejoins the sport as a left-handed pitcher. He rebuilds the school team with his friend Komori Daisuke and defeats rival Toshiya’s team in a regional tournament. Despite tensions over high school choices, Gorō and Toshiya eventually enroll together at Kaido High School, a prestigious baseball powerhouse. After rigorous training, Gorō leads the junior varsity team to victory against the varsity squad before leaving Kaido to seek greater challenges.

Gorō returns home, where his mother insists he take responsibility for his decision. After facing opposition from Kaido’s assistant coach, he enrolls at Seishuu High School, a former girls' school without a baseball team. He forms a team from scratch and leads them to the summer tournament quarterfinals against Kaido. Despite a valiant effort, Seishuu loses, and Gorō collapses from exhaustion. Gorō’s performance attracts professional scouts, but upon learning Gibson remains active in MLB, he leaves for the United States. He begins in Triple-A, where he clashes with Joe Gibson Jr., who blames Gorō for past family tragedies. After striking out Gibson Jr., Gorō helps his team win the Triple-A playoffs. He later represents Japan in the Baseball World Cup, facing Gibson Jr. in the finals. Despite a strong performance, Gorō loses, briefly losing his passion for baseball before returning to the sport with renewed determination.

Gorō debuts in MLB with the Hornets, initially excelling before developing the yips. After recovering with psychological assistance, he struggles with motivation until Gibson’s retirement reignites his drive. Years later, Gorō faces Gibson Jr. in the World Series, while his wife, Shimizu, gives birth to their child. After a 14-year career, Gorō retires due to a shoulder injury but later returns to Japan as a hitter and fielder for the Blue Oceans, inspiring his children just as his father once inspired him.

Characters

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Main

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Gorō Honda (本田 吾郎, Honda Gorō) / Gorō Shigeno (茂野 吾郎, Shigeno Gorō)
Voiced by: Motoko Kumai (child), Showtaro Morikubo (teen/adult)[3]
From early childhood, Gorō demonstrates exceptional baseball talent, developing his passion for the game through his father, a professional player for the Yokohama Marine Stars. After his mother's death when he is three years old, baseball becomes his primary connection to his remaining parent. Determined to follow his father's career path, Gorō dedicates himself to becoming a professional player, believing this pursuit will honor his father. His natural competitiveness and enthusiasm for the sport attract friends and teammates who admire his dedication.
At age six, Gorō suffers another devastating loss when his father dies during a game after being struck by a pitch from American player Joe Gibson. This tragedy fuels Gorō's ambition to reach Major League Baseball and eventually face Gibson himself. Following his father's death, Gorō is adopted by Momoko Hoshino, his former kindergarten teacher and his father's romantic partner. When Momoko later marries, Gorō takes the surname Shigeno.
Shigeharu Honda (本田 茂治, Honda Shigeharu)
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu
Shigeharu is an up-and-coming baseball pitcher for the Marine Stars. He is a widower and lives with his son, Gorō. An elbow injury threatens to end his baseball career early on until his friend and teammate, Shigeno, suggests that he try hitting. He develops feelings for Gorō's kindergarten teacher and nearly marries her. However, he dies after being struck in the head by a pitch from Joe Gibson, an American pitcher who came to Japan from the MLB. During his childhood years, he played for the Yokohama Little league, and later Koshien high school alongside Shigeno.
Chiaki Honda (本田 千秋, Honda Chiaki)
Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka
Chiaki Honda was the deceased wife of Shigeharu Honda.
Momoko Hoshino (星野 桃子, Hoshino Momoko) / Momoko Shigeno (茂野 桃子, Shigeno Momoko)
Voiced by: Junko Noda[4]
Momoko was Gorō's nursery school teacher when he was younger. After Gorō left nursery school, she dated his dad Shigeharu and was engaged to him at the time of his death. She adopted Gorō and raises him as a single parent until she marries Hideki Shigeno several years later. Her name changes to Momoko Shigeno. She then has children of her own, a boy named Shingo and a girl named Chiharu.
Hideki Shigeno (茂野　英毅, Shigeno Hideki)
Voiced by: Shunsuke Sakuya[4]
Hideki Shigeno serves as the ace pitcher for the Yokohama Marine Stars and maintains a lifelong friendship with Shigeharu Honda dating back to their high school years. When Shigeharu suffers a career-threatening arm injury, Shigeno suggests his transition to a batting position. Following Shigeharu's death, Shigeno reconnects with Momoko and Gorō, providing baseball guidance to the young athlete. He marries Momoko three years later, formally adopting Gorō as his son. The couple later has two children: Shingo (born 1996) and Chiharu (born 2001).
Shigeno's professional career includes trades between the Yokohama Marine Stars and Fukuoka Eagles, with a return to Yokohama in 2000. After struggling with performance issues, he announces his retirement, though his final season shows marked improvement. The team retires his jersey number (#17) in recognition of his contributions. Following his playing career, Shigeno becomes a sports commentator before accepting the position of head coach and pitching instructor for Japan's national team during the 2005 Baseball World Cup.
Toshiya Sato (佐藤寿也, Satō Toshiya)
Voiced by: Fuyuka Oura (child), Masakazu Morita (teen/adult)[3]
Toshiya initially focuses on academics at his mother's insistence until discovering baseball through observing Gorō Honda's solo practice. Despite early reluctance, he becomes an accomplished catcher, joining Yokohama Little League per his mother's condition that he only play for top teams. When Gorō returns years later, their friendship develops into a competitive rivalry as opposing players. After his family abandons him due to financial troubles, Toshiya lives with his grandparents, vowing to turn professional to repay them. He targets Kaido High School as his path to pro baseball, but misunderstands Gorō's intentions when scouts pressure him to withdraw. Following a loss to Gorō's team, they reconcile and enroll together at Kaido, becoming junior varsity teammates before Gorō departs.
Toshiya later underestimates Gorō's new team during a tournament matchup, though impressed by Gorō's pitching. He excels in the Koshien Tournament as Kaido's cleanup hitter and catcher. After high school, he joins the Tokyo Warriors as Rookie of the Year. During the Baseball World Cup, he transitions from designated hitter back to catcher, regaining form with Gorō's support.
Kaoru Shimizu (清水薫, Shimizu Kaoru)
Voiced by: Yuko Sasamoto[5]
Kaoru Shimizu becomes Gorō Honda's classmate in elementary school and joins the Mifune Dolphins Little League team after witnessing his dedication to baseball during an argument. As the first player Gorō recruits, she serves as catcher during the finals against Yokohama when Daisuke sustains an injury. During this period, she develops romantic feelings for Gorō. In junior high, she transitions to softball and captains Mifune East's team, maintaining some resentment toward baseball despite Gorō's early influence. Initially intending to follow Gorō to Kaido High School, she chooses Seishu High instead after learning Kaido lacks a softball program and upon Gorō's encouragement to pursue her passion. While attending Seishu, she persuades her younger brother Taiga to join the baseball team.
After graduating, she enrolls at Kyowa University. During her freshman year, Gorō confesses his feelings and they begin a relationship. Known for her intense enthusiasm for softball that mirrors Gorō's baseball devotion, she eventually marries him and they have two children together.
Joe Gibson (ジョー・ギブソン)
Voiced by: Kōji Ochiai
Joe Gibson, the pitcher responsible for the fatal injury of Gorō Honda's father, carries this burden throughout his career. Motivated by the incident, he maintains elite performance in Major League Baseball to preserve Honda Shigeharu's legacy as a formidable player. The tragedy strains his family relationships, particularly with his son Joe Gibson Jr., who blames both Gibson and Honda for their family's dissolution. After his wife and daughter's deaths, Gibson returns to America where he continues pitching past age 40, achieving over 300 career wins.
When Gorō enters professional baseball, Gibson awaits their eventual confrontation. During the Baseball World Cup, he serves as Team USA's ace pitcher despite suffering from angina pectoris, risking fatal consequences by continuing to play. He views this potential sacrifice as atonement to Gorō, Momoko, and the late Honda. Following successful surgery, Gibson reflects on his past rivalry, acknowledging, "I too once had a great rival, though he is now dead because of me."

Supporting

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Daisuke Komori (小森 大介, Komori Daisuke)
Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya (child), Koki Miyata (teen/adult)
Daisuke serves as Gorō's catcher during their time with the Mifune Dolphins little league team, alongside teammates Sawamura and Shimizu. Initially bullied by Sawamura, Daisuke forms a bond with Gorō after he intervenes. Their battery continues when Gorō returns from Fukuoka to Mifune East Middle School, though their partnership ends when Mayumura defeats their team single-handedly during a match against Kaido's affiliate school.
When Gorō later attends Seishuu High School, Daisuke becomes his rival, with Gorō ultimately prevailing. Following high school, Daisuke plays as a pinch hitter for his university team before transitioning to a professional career outside baseball. He eventually returns to coach the Mifune Dolphins little league team.
Taiga Shimizu (清水 大河, Shimizu Taiga)
Voiced by: Romi Park
Kaoru's younger brother initially appears observing his sister's baseball activities. He later joins the Seishuu High School baseball team as a shortstop during their third year of establishment. Demonstrating exceptional fielding skills and speed, he becomes instrumental in the team's challenge against Kaido High School. When pitcher Gorō Honda suffers an injury during a practice game against Kaido, he temporarily assumes pitching duties.
Originally cynical about their chances, his perspective changes after witnessing Gorō's determined performances while injured. He eventually becomes team captain, leading Seishuu's renewed challenge against Kaido with the declared goal of reaching the Koshien tournament. Initially lacking confidence, he attempts to master the gyroball to inspire teammates before Gorō advises him to develop his own team identity rather than emulate others. As the team's leadoff batter and starting shortstop, he bats left-handed.
Ryota Sawamura (沢村 涼太, Sawamura Ryōta)
Voiced by: Kahoru Sasajima
Initially, Ryota is a bully in elementary school, pushing Daisuke. Gorō and Shimizu stand up to him, and he eventually backs down after Gorō hits him for trying to throw his baseball glove into the river. He soon realizes that he does not have any real friends and asks Gorō if he can play baseball with him, Shimizu and Daisuke. He started off playing soccer but changes to baseball so he could play in Little League with Gorō and the others. In junior high, he went back to soccer and was the captain of the team. In season 6, we learn that he injured his knee and could not continue playing. He remains friends with Daisuke, Shimizu, and Gorō.
Yoshitaka Yamane (山根 義隆, Yamane Yoshitaka)
Voiced by: Hideki Ogihara
Introduced in the Junior High story arc, Yoshitaka Yamane is on the Mifune Junior High School team but uses it to cut class with some other friends that follow him. He and his friends beat up Daisuke after he tells them that they have to quit if they are not going to contribute to the team and frightened the remaining players into quitting, too. When Gorō returns and confronts him, Yamane reveals that he hates baseball because he cannot play it anymore. He was injured the year before and cannot throw the ball with his right arm. Gorō, who suffered a similar injury, teaches Yamane to throw left-handed, and he rejoins the team, playing first base. He goes on to Mifune High School with Daisuke, where he became the pitcher.
Joe Gibson Jr./"Junior" (ギブソンJr.)
Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa
The son of Joe Gibson, Junior, is of the same age as Gorō. When Junior's parents divorced because his mother could not stand life in Japan, whereas Gibson wanted to remain in Japan pitching until he had found out how to make up for killing Honda, Junior stayed with his father in Japan. When his mother and sister died in a traffic accident in America, Junior became resentful towards his father and the deceased Honda. His motivation to play baseball was fueled by the desire to defeat his father. He is an extremely talented batter, being able to switch hit. He played for the AAA Oklahoma Falcons, the MLB team Texas Raiders, as well as the USA Team during the Baseball World Cup. He hit the walk-off home run against Gorō 103 mph pitch to lead the USA to the world cup victory. He plays third base.
Ken Mayumura
Voiced by: Makoto Yasumura
Mayumura emerges as a composed and determined pitcher with a direct, sometimes cold demeanor. He maintains emotional control even when competing against veteran players. His pre-game ritual of listening to music in a bathroom stall, perceived by others as mental preparation, actually serves to manage his anxiety. Possessing a fastball comparable to Gorō Honda's velocity and mastering the gyroball like Shigeno, Mayumura aims to achieve every major individual accomplishment in Japanese professional baseball before pursuing a Major League career. He begins his professional career as a starting pitcher for the Yokohama Blue Oceans in NPB. Later, he advances to become the ace pitcher for the Texas Raiders in Major League Baseball, where he forms a battery with catcher Jeff Keene.

Media

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Manga

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Main article: List of Major volumes

Written and illustrated by Takuya Mitsuda, Major was serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 3, 1994,[6] to July 7, 2010.[7][8] Shogakukan collected its 747 individual chapters into seventy-eight tankōbon volumes, released between January 13, 1995, and December 17, 2010.

A sequel to the series, Major 2nd, started in Weekly Shōnen Sunday on March 11, 2015.[9]

Anime

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Main article: List of Major episodes

Major has been adapted into an anime television series by Studio Hibari and later by SynergySP, titled Major (メジャー, Mejā).[a] The series was broadcast on NHK E for 154 episodes divided in six seasons from November 13, 2004, to September 25, 2010.[10] An animated film telling the story between the first and second seasons of the anime was released on December 13, 2008.[11] Two OVAs were released on December 16, 2011, and January 18, 2012. The OVAs adapted the World Series chapter, which was skipped in the TV series.[12]

Reception and legacy

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By November 2021, the Major manga had over 55 million copies in circulation.[13] By October 2024, the manga series had over 66.66 million copies in circulation, making it one of the best-selling manga series.[14]

Major won the 41st Shogakukan Manga Award in the shōnen category in 1996.[15] A 2020 poll conducted by Goo with 14,846 participants ranked Major as the sixth best manga series ever published in Weekly Shōnen Sunday.[16] On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150.000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, Major ranked 83rd.[17]

In 2006, the anime series ranked 46th in an online poll conducted by TV Asahi on Japan's favorite animated TV series. A Celebrity List of the same poll placed the anime series at the 70th spot.[18] In 2005, sporting goods manufacturer Mizuno entered into a one-year agreement with Shogakukan to have their company logo appear in the baseball equipment used by Goro Shigeno and other characters in the manga series. Under the agreement, Mizuno would also use the Goro Shigeno character in other promotional events.[19] An article from The Boston Globe credits the manga series for helping increase the popularity of the gyroball pitch.[20]

Following Japan's victory against the United States in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final, Matsuda created a commemorative illustration featuring Goro alongside Shohei Ohtani that was published in Sports Nippon.[21]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Using katakana instead of the manga's English characters

References

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  1. ^ 【情報局】12月のアニメ新番組（２） 吾郎が帰ってきた！　 『メジャー』第２期開始. Anime Style [ja] (in Japanese). Studio You. December 6, 2005. Archived from the original on February 15, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  2. ^ Graffeo, Clarissa (October 30, 2015). "Baseball Anime Grand Slam". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Major 2nd Anime's Promo Video Reveals Cast, Staff, April 7 Debut". Anime News Network. January 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Major 2nd Anime Adds More Cast Members". Anime News Network. March 8, 2018. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "Major 2nd Anime Casts Kana Hanazawa, Natsumi Takamori, Yuko Sasamoto". Anime News Network. February 6, 2018. Archived from the original on February 14, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  6. ^ 週刊少年サンデー 1994/08/03 表示号数33 (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Archived from the original on March 25, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  7. ^ 満田拓也「MAJOR」16年の連載が大団円、最終巻は12月. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. July 7, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  8. ^ "Major's Last Manga Volume to Bundle Special OVA". Anime News Network. July 7, 2010. Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  9. ^ Rafael Antonio Pineda (March 4, 2015). "Baseball Manga Major's Sequel Centers on Goro's Son". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  10. ^ "Major Baseball TV Anime's 6th Season to Debut in April". Anime News Network. December 4, 2009. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  11. ^ Loo, Egan (October 25, 2008). "First Major Baseball Anime Film's Trailers Streamed". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  12. ^ "Major Gets New Final Original Video Anime". Anime News Network. November 21, 2011. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  13. ^ "あの異例の宣言文"から7年…ついに交替した「少年サンデー」新編集長は何者か？. Gendai Business (in Japanese). Kodansha. November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  14. ^ 紀伊國屋書店鶴見大学ブックセンター @Kino_Tsurumi_BC [@Kino_Tsurumi_BC] (October 18, 2024). 本日発売雑誌・コミック入荷のお知らせ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 18, 2025 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ 小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
  16. ^ Dennison, Kara (April 20, 2020). "Fans Choose the Best-Ever Weekly Shonen Sunday Manga". Crunchyroll News. Archived from the original on April 25, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  17. ^ テレビ朝日『国民15万人がガチで投票!漫画総選挙』ランキング結果まとめ！ 栄えある1位に輝く漫画は!?. Animate Times (in Japanese). Animate. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  18. ^ Macdonald, Christopher (October 13, 2006). "Japan's Favorite TV Anime". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  19. ^ 漫画の主人公とミズノが契約 野球用具を独占提供 (Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. March 11, 2005. Archived from the original on March 15, 2005. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  20. ^ "Dissecting Matsuzaka". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 6, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  21. ^ Morissy, Kim (March 27, 2023). "Major Manga Creator Draws Illustration to Celebrate Japan's WBC Win". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 31, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
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