45 - Fantasy

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:02] Sa
    I do what I'm asked to do every game.
[00:07] Sa
    I didn't have the luxury
    to think about anything more.
[00:11] Sa
    All my upperclassmen are just so amazing.
[00:16] Sa
    I respect them,
[00:18] Sa
    and they're super cool.
[00:21] Sa
    I'm not really sure how to put it,
[00:24] Sa
    but I just want to keep
    playing with this team.
[00:31] Sa
    Not sure if that came out right.
[00:35] Wa
    Eijun.
[00:41] Ry
    We've been calling you for a while now.
[00:44] Ha
    B-Brother.
[00:46] Sa
    Ow...
[00:51] Ku
    Get over here, Sawamura!
[00:53] Ku
    You wanna be late to Inashiro's game, stupid?
[00:57] Sa
    That hurt!
[00:58] Sa
    That hurt more than usual!
[01:00] Ku
    Just your imagination, stupid.
[01:02] Ku
    Well, I need to take him now,
[01:05] Ku
    but please come cheer for us again.
[01:08] Ku
    You listening?
[01:10] Ry
    Start walking.
[01:12] Sa
    I'm being abused!
[01:14] Ku
    I'm not abusing you.
[01:16] F1
    He just wants to keep playing
    with this team, huh?
[01:20] F2
    That's our Ei-chan.
[01:25] Ku
    Walk!
[01:27] Sa
    See ya!
[01:28] F1
    But it doesn't change the fact...
[01:31] F2
    ...that it's just one more win away.
[01:34] F3
    We all...
[01:37] F3
    ...want to see you pitch at nationals.
SIGN    Fantasy
[03:18] C1
    Mei!
[03:19] C2
    Mei-kun!
[03:21] C3
    Show us some great pitching!
[03:23] C4
    Narumiya-kun!
[03:24] C5
    We came to cheer you on!
[03:26] C6
    Narumiya!
[03:27] C6
    Let's go to nationals!
[03:29] R1
    The cheering is louder.
[03:31] R1
    Are there more people now?
[03:35] R2
    The winner of last year's
    West Tokyo tournament,
[03:38] R2
    Inashiro Vocational High School,
    led by Coach Hiroshige Kunitomo.
[03:43] R2
    They're the favorite to win this tournament.
[03:46] I1
    Damn.
[03:47] I1
    Why are they only cheering for Mei?
[03:50] I1
    I'm sick of this.
[03:51] I2
    Stop complaining.
[03:52] I2
    He's our ace, after all.
[03:54] R2
    Three-hole and third baseman,
    Hideaki Yoshizawa, third-year.
[03:58] R2
    Seven-hole and second baseman,
    Tsubasa Hirai.
[04:02] I3
    But he doesn't have a girlfriend.
[04:06] R2
    Two-hole and shortstop,
    Katsuyuki Shirakawa, second-year.
[04:10] I4
    'Cause he's a little boy.
[04:13] R2
    Another second-year.
[04:14] R2
    Leadoff and center fielder,
    Carlos Toshiki Kamiya.
[04:23] R2
    Second-year again.
[04:25] R2
    Six-hole and first baseman,
    Riku Yamaoka.
[04:30] R2
    The key player, cleanup and catcher,
    Masatoshi Harada.
[04:34] R1
    Wow!
[04:35] R1
    His pitch consistently looks really good.
[04:39] R2
    I heard he did a lot of running in the off-season.
[04:45] Na
    Koshien Stadium was good,
    but I really like Jingu Stadium, too.
[04:49] R2
    And possibly the number one pitcher in Kanto,
    second-year ace, Mei Narumiya.
[04:56] R2
    I wonder what he'll show us today.
[05:00] Na
    I wish we played games every day.
[05:03] Ha
    You just don't want to practice.
[05:06] Ha
    Give me another fastball.
[05:14] Is
    Damn kid's looking good.
[05:17] Is
    That was a nice sound.
[05:26] Mi
    He's a special opponent for us.
[05:29] Mi
    If we can't take him down,
[05:31] Mi
    we won't make it to nationals.
[05:39] Na
    They're watching.
[05:40] Na
    They're all watching.
[05:43] Na
    Watch closely.
[05:46] Na
    I'll change your glimmers of hopes and dreams
[05:49] Na
    into complete despair.
[05:54] Ha
    Th-That speed and control.
[05:57] Ha
    If he throws breaking balls along with those,
[05:58] Ha
    it's going to be tough to get a hit.
[06:01] Sa
    I'll watch you down to your every last bone.
[06:05] Fu
    I want to go back and pitch.
[06:09] S1
    Come get your lunch, please!
[06:12] S2
    We have multiple types, so pick what you like.
[06:14] S3
    Over here!
[06:16] S4
    First come, first served!
[06:18] Ku
    Do you have a meatloaf set?
[06:19] Ka
    Can I get a fried chicken set?
[06:29] D1
    That's some wicked sound.
[06:31] D2
    I bet nobody here is expecting us to win.
[06:35] D3
    Well, we can probably only win
    one out of ten games against them.
[06:39] D2
    Moron.
[06:40] D2
    Don't say that right before the game.
[06:43] DC
    In order to make that one win possible,
[06:45] DC
    we've been working hard, no?
[06:49] D3
    Professor.
[06:59] DC
    Boys, it's time we made history today.
SIGN    Sakura
SIGN    We will now begin game two of the semifinals
SIGN    between Inashiro Vocational High School and Sakurazawa High School.
[07:15] Um
    Both teams, line up!
[07:17] EE
    Let's go!
[07:18] EE
    Let's go!
[07:25] R2
    The tournament favorite versus
    the only public school in the semifinals.
[07:29] R1
    Isn't Sakurazawa a famous high academic school?
[07:33] R1
    I'm surprised they're still in the tournament.
[07:36] R2
    They used to never make it past the first game.
[07:40] R2
    Though they won against a seeded
    school in their third game this year.
[07:48] R2
    It's a miracle that they've made this far.
[07:56] DC
    Tokyo Prefectural
    Sakurazawa High School.
[07:59] DC
    We're one of the top schools
    in Tokyo, academically,
SIGN    Tokyo Prefectural Sakurazawa High School
[08:02] DC
    but no one knows about us in the sports world.
[08:07] (Flashback) DG
    See ya, Professor!
[08:09] (Flashback) DC
    Yes. Goodbye.
[08:14] (Flashback) D1
    Professor.
[08:15] (Flashback) DC
    Are you done with practice already?
[08:18] (Flashback) DC
    I just changed.
[08:20] (Flashback) D1
    Yeah, we all have cram schools.
[08:24] (Flashback) DC
    I see.
[08:25] (Flashback) D1
    You got forced to oversee
    the baseball team, right?
[08:30] (Flashback) D1
    You don't have to show up every time.
[08:32] (Flashback) D2
    We're just doing it to get
    some exercise between classes.
[08:37] (Flashback) D1
    Excuse us.
[08:39] (Flashback) D2
    Excuse us.
[08:40] (Flashback) D3
    Excuse us.
[08:40] (Flashback) DC
    Okay, goodbye.
[08:46] DC
    Sakurazawa High School was on a
    twenty-year consecutive zero-win record.
[08:51] DC
    However, no one cared about the record,
[08:56] DC
    and the students simply
    enjoyed being in the tournament.
[09:01] DC
    That is...
[09:03] DC
    ...until they joined.
[09:09] (Flashback) D1
    All right, one more.
[09:11] (Flashback) D2
    Ready?
[09:16] (Flashback) D1
    Sorry, Akira!
[09:18] (Flashback) D3
    That one was pretty good.
[09:21] (Flashback) D1
    One more!
[09:22] (Flashback) D1
    I'll catch it this time.
[09:24] (Flashback) DC
    You boys aren't going home yet?
[09:27] (Flashback) D1
    Oh, Professor.
[09:28] (Flashback) D1
    I mean, Coach.
[09:30] DC
    First-years, Akira Nagao-kun...
[09:34] (Flashback) D2
    I'm a little excited knowing
    I get to play in the games.
[09:38] DC
    ...Yoshimi Hidokoro-kun...
[09:40] (Flashback) D1
    We only just barely have enough people,
[09:43] (Flashback) D1
    and even us first-years get to play.
[09:46] DC
    ...and Masaaki Minamoto-kun.
[09:48] (Flashback) D3
    These guys were just
    benchwarmers in junior high.
[09:52] (Flashback) D1
    Shut up! Not like you played a lot!
[09:54] (Flashback) D2
    Besides...
[09:55] (Flashback) D2
    There's a pitch I've been dying to try.
[10:00] (Flashback) D2
    Professor!
[10:01] (Flashback) D2
    I mean, Coach.
[10:03] (Flashback) D2
    If, and only if,
[10:05] (Flashback) D2
    since it's a very low chance,
    statistically speaking,
[10:09] (Flashback) D2
    we went to nationals...
    wouldn't it be cool?
[10:12] (Flashback) D2
    I bet we could change the world!
[10:18] (Flashback) D3
    Easier said than done.
[10:21] DC
    Nationals.
[10:24] (Flashback) DC
    I see that you three like baseball.
[10:29] (Flashback) DC
    However, as it is, it's just a fantasy.
[10:41] D2
    Just a fantasy, huh?
[10:45] D2
    We finally got our first win
    one year after that day.
[10:51] D2
    It was a scrimmage,
    and we didn't exactly win easily,
[10:58] D2
    but that one win changed everyone's mentality.
[11:05] DC
    Listen up, boys.
[11:07] (Flashback) DC
    This team's fate currently rests
    entirely on Nagao-kun's pitching.
[11:12] (Flashback) DC
    In order to win,
[11:14] (Flashback) DC
    we must greatly improve our fielding.
[11:17] (Flashback) DC
    Now onto the batting.
[11:20] (Flashback) DC
    If you played catch on a merry-go-around
    going counter-clockwise,
[11:21] (Flashback) D1
    Professor's been thinking, I see.
[11:24] (Flashback) DC
    the ball throw will sway to the right.
[11:24] (Flashback) D2
    I heard he's read every book
    on baseball there is.
[11:26] (Flashback) DC
    This is known as the Coriolis effect.
[11:30] (Flashback) D2
    He's starting to look like a real coach.
[11:33] (Flashback) DC
    Let's do this, boys.
SIGN    Miss
[11:37] (Flashback) D4
    I'll take over.
[11:38] (Flashback) DC
    Sorry.
[11:41] (Flashback) DC
    Did you need to throw that without a bounce?
[11:46] (Flashback) DC
    How about you make it bounce once,
    so it'll get to the other side without fail?
[11:49] (Flashback) D5
    Y-Yes, sir!
[11:51] D2
    Professor gave each person a notebook
    with what they needed to work on,
SIGN    Baseball Book
[11:55] D2
    and we wrote in it even during practice
    when something was on our mind.
[12:00] D2
    From a single play, to daily
    assignments, and overall goals.
[12:05] D2
    As the number of notebooks increased,
[12:07] D2
    we managed to win more scrims.
[12:14] D2
    And this year...
[12:20] D2
    Shortstop!
[12:23] Um
    Out!
[12:25] D5
    Yeah!
[12:26] D5
    Nice, shortstop!
[12:31] I1
    Carlos first, and now Shirakawa?
[12:37] Sa
    Wh-Why can't they hit a pitch that slow?
[12:41] P1
    Nice one, Akira!
[12:42] P1
    Nice pitch!
[12:45] Mi
    Chris-senpai.
[12:46] Ch
    Yeah.
[12:47] Ch
    There's no doubt about it.
[12:51] Ch
    He's a knuckleball pitcher.
[13:01] I1
    Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.
[13:02] IC
    How was it?
[13:05] I1
    I knew his pitch from seeing the videos,
[13:08] I1
    but I never expected it'd be such a high level.
[13:17] IC
    How they're making every throw with a bounce
[13:20] IC
    already tells you their level of play.
[13:23] IC
    But it also means they know themselves.
[13:29] Sa
    Are they just playing catch?
[13:37] Um
    Out!
[13:40] C1
    Inashiro just went down, three for three!
[13:42] C2
    Is that a knuckleball?
[13:44] C1
    Their defense is good, too.
[13:45] C1
    These guys are pretty good!
[13:47] D1
    Nice pitch, Akira!
[13:49] D2
    Nice pitch!
[13:50] DC
    Couldn't have started a better way.
[13:52] D3
    Fist bumps?
[13:54] D3
    Are you trying to be like Coach Hara?
[13:56] DC
    Your pitch even works against Inashiro.
[14:01] DC
    Great job on improving so much
     over the past two years.
[14:04] DC
    I'm very proud of you.
[14:10] D2
    Don't count your chickens
    before they hatch, Professor.
[14:13] D2
    If we don't win, it'll just end as a fantasy.
[14:25] Um
    Strike!
[14:27] Um
    Batter out!
[14:36] C1
    Three consecutive strikeouts from the first inning?
[14:39] C2
    He's going all out already!
[14:42] D1
    This is crazy.
[14:44] D1
    It's like he's telling us they're better.
[14:48] DC
    That's who they are.
[14:50] DC
    We just do our own baseball, isn't that right?
[14:55] DC
    Only those who believe
    in themselves can pave their paths.
[15:03] D1
    He sure knows what to say, sometimes.
[15:05] D2
    Though he still can't hit for fielding practice.
[15:10] D1
    But he's right.
[15:13] D1
    We just do our own thing.
[15:16] (Flashback) D1
    Let's go!
[15:18] (Flashback) DD
    Yeah!
SIGN    We go into Inashiro's offense in the second inning.
SIGN    Fourth batter, catcher, Harada-kun.
[15:31] C1
    Masa-san!
[15:33] C1
    Let's go, cleanup man!
[15:37] Na
    He sure is popular.
[15:43] Is
    Let's see how he hits the knuckleball.
[15:46] Yu
    Maybe he can utilize his flexible batting.
[15:51] Sa
    Chris-senpai, how about a little
    explanation on the knuckleball?
[15:56] Ch
    Good idea.
[15:59] Ch
    You grip the ball with your fingertips,
[16:01] Ch
    and in the moment of your release,
[16:03] Ch
    you snap your fingers
[16:05] Ch
    to spin the ball in the opposite
    direction of a regular fastball.
[16:09] Ch
    By doing so, the ball flies with zero rotation,
[16:12] Ch
    making it break in directions
    not even the pitcher knows.
[16:18] Ch
    It's a difficult pitch to catch,
[16:20] Ch
    so some catchers use large mitts
    specialized for knuckleballs.
[16:24] Ch
    It's a difficult pitch not everyone can throw,
[16:28] Ch
    so it's a very special pitch.
[16:32] Sa
    Not even the pitcher knows how it'll move?
[16:35] Sa
    That's irresponsible, if you ask me!
[16:38] Ch
    Your moving fastball is like that, too.
[16:42] Mi
    The more time they spend trying
    to figure out the knuckleball,
[16:46] Mi
    the deeper they fall into Sakurazawa's trap.
[16:49] Mi
    Impatience can bring the team
    a sense of insecurity,
[16:51] Mi
    and that can lead to mistakes.
[16:54] Mi
    I assume all the teams
    that went up against Sakurazawa
[16:57] Mi
    went down without being able
    to play to their best abilities.
[17:05] Um
    Ball!
[17:07] Ha
    That's not spinning at all.
[17:10] Ha
    This is going to be really hard.
[17:13] Na
    Masa-san!
[17:15] Na
    I want a big one! A big one!
[17:17] Ha
    Shut it.
[17:19] Ha
    See it with your own eyes.
[17:26] Ha
    I don't need to swing big.
[17:28] Ha
    If I can make contact with the ball, then...
[17:31] Ha
    It's a different break!
[17:37] Um
    Out!
[17:38] D1
    Yes! One out!
[17:40] D2
    Nice pitching, Akira-kun!
[17:42] D3
    Nice one!
[17:44] Na
    That was so lame, Masa-san.
[17:46] Na
    Are you seriously our cleanup?
[17:47] Ha
    Shut up!
[17:49] Na
    All righty, then.
[17:52] Na
    I'll avenge you, Masa-san!
[17:55] Ha
    I'm gonna punch you.
SIGN    Batting fifth, pitcher, Narumiya-kun.
[18:01] C1
    Mei, hit it!
[18:03] C2
    Narumiya-kun!
[18:05] C1
    Mei!
[18:07] D1
    So this is...
[18:09] D1
    ...the best pitcher in Kanto, Mei Narumiya.
[18:14] Na
    Wow! That's a huge mitt.
[18:17] Na
    Is that tailor-made?
[18:23] D1
    Stop.
[18:24] D1
    Calm down.
[18:28] D1
    Gotta calm down.
[18:33] D1
    In junior high, Yoshimi and
    I were both benchwarmers.
[18:43] D1
    Inamoto just barely managed
    to play in and out.
[18:47] D1
    I wanted to play games in high school,
    even if the team wasn't good.
[18:52] D1
    But I knew we wouldn't
    be able to beat the best schools
[18:55] D1
    in terms of talent and physique.
[19:00] D1
    That's when I discovered...
[19:03] (Flashback) D2
    Akira, what are you reading?
[19:06] (Flashback) D2
    Wakefield?
[19:08] (Flashback) D2
    Is that the majors?
[19:09] (Flashback) D1
    Yoshimi, do you know about
    a special breaking pitch?
[19:14] (Flashback) D2
    A special pitch?
[19:27] (Flashback) D1
    It doesn't require superhuman powers
     to throw a knuckleball.
[19:37] D1
    If I can master this pitch, then maybe...
[19:40] D1
    ...I'll be able to dream.
[19:52] D1
    One out!
[19:53] D1
    One at a time!
[19:56] D2
    Yeah! One at a time!
[19:59] D3
    Just like usual!
[20:01] D4
    Send them our way!
[20:03] D5
    Akira!
[20:08] D6
    Let's go, Akira!
[20:11] DC
    That's right, Akira-kun.
[20:14] DC
    You need not tense up when you pitch.
[20:18] Na
    He's oddly calm.
[20:22] Na
    Pisses me off a bit.
[20:25] DC
    Just like your usual self,
[20:29] DC
    be calm and comfortable when you pitch.
[20:35] DC
    That alone will take your pitch to new heights.
[20:38] Na
    What the?
[20:40] Um
    Strike!
[20:42] Um
    Strike!
[20:45] Um
    Batter out!
[20:47] IC
    I thought I told him to swing compactly.
[20:52] DC
    Always be calm and steady
    as a rock, never excited.
[20:58] DC
    This is the secret to a great knuckleball.
[21:01] DC
    The zen state of mind.
[21:08] C1
    Is this for real?
[21:10] C2
    Inashiro cleanups struck out.
[21:12] C3
    That knuckleball's amazing.
[21:17] R2
    It's not a pitch you can learn overnight.
[21:20] R2
    He must've spent his entire
    high school life learning this pitch.
[21:27] R2
    It wasn't a fluke that they've made this far.
[21:33] D1
    Yeah! We can do this!
[21:36] D2
    We can put up a fight against Inashiro!
[21:39] D3
    Hidokoro, eyes on the ball!
[21:42] D4
    We've gotta score first!
[21:46] Um
    Strike!
[21:48] Um
    Batter out!
[21:50] Mi
    Mei.
[21:55] Na
    Bring it on.
[21:59] Na
    Like I'd lose a pitching game.
[23:36] Mi
    So this is why Mei was pitching
    all out from the start.
[23:38] Ch
    He's putting pressure
    on the opponent from the mound.
[23:41] Sa
    From the mound?
[23:42] D1
    We just have to be persistent and patient.
[23:44] D1
    If we play like we usually do,
    a chance will definitely come around.
[23:48] DC
    That's right.
[23:48] DC
    This isn't the first obstacle
    you've hit on your way here.
[23:53] Sa
    Next time on Ace of the Diamond:
    Pitching of Despair.
SIGN    Pitching of Despair
[23:56] Sa
    Let's win the national title!