Sawamura is finally getting some proper development. Jesus Christ, he barely did anything in part one of this manga, and I was getting really impatient, waiting for him to level up. Part one was well-written, but slow af. When the main character gets shafted for the majority of the manga so that side characters, who were barely relevant to the story, could get their sob story told, I had to ask myself why was I even continuing to read this. I was getting really tired of watching him drag his feet, being barely above mediocre, while his peers are out there getting accolades and making a name for themselves. Finally, though, we see some tangible growth with Sawamura in Part 2. It feels good to see him grow and become someone his team could count on.

I'm also loving some of the new first years. They're a great addition to the story and adds a fun dynamic to the team. I'm enjoying the manga so far, and hope the pacing will be better than in Part One.

... Last updated on February 1st, 2019, 8:46am

This series for a lot of people, is a demonstration of "tough" love. The Protagonist is not in the spotlight for majority of the previous series and also for most of the early volumes of the second act, the author in turn, uses the Deuteragonist (Furuya) for this role, which can be a bit frustrating for people who actually read for Sawamura. If his development paid off over the course of 60+ volumes it's up for the reader to decide.

The previous series had Sawamura's rival, Furuya, have all the limelight and important confrontations. This series, when Sawamura and Furuya are 2nd years, is when Sawamura's pitching starts to bear fruit and begin to really establish him as Seido's Ace after not being able to pitch in the Spring Koushien.

That is why I read the series. Many manga that have a 'slow-improving' main character tend to just suddenly give them a burst of growth but Sawamura's growth as an Ace Pitcher is tempered and full of setbacks, and only really begins to show in the later part of Act 2.

The many enemy teams are well developed, and the rest of the Seido team of course. Seido's growth from a strong regional school in Act 1 to a powerhouse that has fought in the nationals in Act 2 is apparent.

The author, Terajima Yuuji, has a real knack for showing, not telling,