MAPPA’s Oblivion Baseball: Everything we know so far
Studio MAPPAStudio MAPPA’s returning to sports anime with upcoming baseball series Oblivion Baseball. Here’s what we know so far.
Despite the success of the series that put MAPPA on the map, Yuri!!! On Ice and Hajime no Ippo, the studio has steered relatively clear of sports-themed anime. Until now.
Based on Eko Mikawa’s baseball manga series, Bokyaku Battery, MAPPA is set to bring the blood, sweat and tears of competitive sport to life once more.
So, from release window to cast members, here is everything we know so far about it.
Oblivion Baseball release window
Oblivion Baseball will debut in Japan on TV Tokyo in April 2024.
Although the news was met with fans pleading for MAPPA to give their animators a well-deserved break after the Jujutsu Kaisen controversy, this adaptation has been in the works for over three-years.
So, despite the series debuting into the shadows of concerns over MAPPA anime worker well-being. At least no one can accuse MAPPA of rushing the episodes out in this case.
What’s Oblivion Battery’s plot?
The story of Eko Mikawa’s shonen manga follows Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname, a middle school star pitcher and his equally gifted partner catcher, who mysteriously disappeared one day.
They reappear at an ordinary high school in Tokyo. But Kei is suffering from amnesia and his athletic skills have reverted to the low-level of a baseball amateur. Can they work together to get back on top?
Oblivion Battery cast and crew
The new anime has big shoes to fill as it will join the ranks of Studio MAPPA’s other formidable series. Makoto Nakazono is directing the series alongside Takeshi Iida, Hitomi Hasegawa is handling the character designs and Michiko Yokote is behind the character composition.
The released cast list is as follows:
- Toshiki Masuda as Haruka Kiyomine
- Mamoru Miyano as Kei Kaname
- Kengo Kawanishi as Shuto Kirishima
- Mark Ishii as Hironobu Makita
- Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shunpei Chihaya
- Takeo Ōtsuka as Eiichiro Kokuto
- Yōhei Azakami as Aoi Todo
- Yoshitaka Yamaya as Kazuki Tsuchiya
- Yuuki Kaji as Taro Yamada
We currently don’t know where the series will be streamed outside of Japan. However, as soon as the information is released, we’ll be sure to update you.
Is there a trailer?
On December 17, KADOKAWA released the first teaser trailer for the series.
Featuring the high-stakes world of competitive baseball, we’re introduced to the sports partners Haruka Kiyomine and Kei Kaname, and the events which led them to enrol in a normal high school.
Through friendship and hard-work, we begin Kei Kaname’s journey to recover his baseball skills and his memories. But will he succeed?
Find out in April 2024 when Oblivion Battery debuts.
While you wait, you can check out our other anime coverage here.
