Princess Nine - First Inning (Vol. 1)

Starring:Hilary Haag, Monica Rial, Vic Mignogna, Chris Patton, Kelly Manison, Christine M. Auten, Andy McAvin, Tiffany Grant, Jennifer K. Earhart, Cynthia Martinez (II), Kira Vincent-Davis, Shelley Carlene-Black, Kelli Cousins, Margeaux Baulch, Aninda Praptiningtyas, John Swasey, John Gremillion, Marcy Bannor, Kurt Stoll, Victor Carsrud
Director: Tomomichi Mochizuki
Studio: Adv Films
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
When he died 10 years ago, Ryo Hayakawa's father left more than the restaurant Ryo's mother runs: his daughter inherited his talent for baseball, including a jet-propelled fastball. Determined to overcome sexist opposition and make a girls' team the national champion, Ms. Himuro, the head of prestigious Kisaragi High, gives Ryo a scholarship. Then complications arise: snobbish tennis ace Izumi dislikes Ryo; handsome baseball star Hiroki is smitten with her; drunken coach Kido, who recalls Mr. Fujisawa in El Hazard, has to find enough top players. Hiroki's attraction is understandable as Ryo's a very likable character. She's not a klutz or a whiner, as many anime heroines are; she's proud of her abilities but surprised at where they take her. In action sequences, the artists flatten the ball to suggest speed, a manga convention that looks weird in animation. Rated 12 Up but suitable for younger viewers; alcohol use. --Charles Solomon

Princess Nine - First Inning (Vol. 1)
Average customer rating:

Wow, this was surprisingly great

My first sports anime.

The pitcher with a golden left arm...

Not your typical anime...

who said good shows are extinct?

Princess Nine - First Inning (Vol. 1)
Starring: Hilary Haag , Monica Rial , Vic Mignogna , Chris Patton , and Kelly Manison
Director: Tomomichi Mochizuki
Manufacturer: Adv Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Princess Nine - Triple Play (Vol. 3)

Princess Nine - Double Header (Vol. 2)

Princess Nine - Strike Zone (Vol. 4)

Princess Nine - Grand Slam (Vol. 6)

Princess Nine - Bases Loaded (Vol. 5)

ASIN: B00005PJ7R
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Amazon.com

When he died 10 years ago, Ryo Hayakawa's father left more than the restaurant Ryo's mother runs: his daughter inherited his talent for baseball, including a jet-propelled fastball. Determined to overcome sexist opposition and make a girls' team the national champion, Ms. Himuro, the head of prestigious Kisaragi High, gives Ryo a scholarship. Then complications arise: snobbish tennis ace Izumi dislikes Ryo; handsome baseball star Hiroki is smitten with her; drunken coach Kido, who recalls Mr. Fujisawa in El Hazard, has to find enough top players. Hiroki's attraction is understandable as Ryo's a very likable character. She's not a klutz or a whiner, as many anime heroines are; she's proud of her abilities but surprised at where they take her. In action sequences, the artists flatten the ball to suggest speed, a manga convention that looks weird in animation. Rated 12 Up but suitable for younger viewers; alcohol use. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

Wow, this was surprisingly great.......2007-06-14

It doesn't matter who you are, or what kind of shows you think you like, you need to see this. I hate sports and I'm not in high school by a long shot, and it just doesn't matter. This might be my favorite animated show ever.

The unusual thing about Princess Nine is that, rather than running out of steam like most anime (and most TV shows), each episode is better than the previous one, until by the time you hit the amazing (and surprising) ending, you won't believe you care so much about a girls' high school baseball team. So stick with it through the first few episodes; it quicky rises from OK to good to great to fantastic.

The art is average at best (although the baseball sequences are pretty good), and the principal's cupholder hairstyle is unintentionally hilarious. But it's the characters and situations that make Princess Nine stand out. The male 'love interest" character isn't a whiny hopeless nerd, but he also isn't a boring superhero type. The female "rival" character might be the most complex and interesting character in all of anime AND in all of sports drama. Also, the baseball strategies and situations are entertaining and clever. Did I mention that I hate baseball?

By the way, there are no anime inside jokes, and the Japanese cultural references are minimal, so this would be a very good "starter" show for people who haven't watched anime or think they don't like it because of all the robots and naked girls with swords. This show is for everyone. No violence, nipples, or other things you may find objectionable. Having said that, I love violence and nipples, and yet I think this is one of the best animated shows ever. It's certainly the best sports show.

If you can watch the first 8 episodes of this show and then walk away without finishing it, you're a stronger person than I. In fact, you must be some kind of heartless machine.

P.S. Watch it in Japanese with subtitles. Just suck it up and do it. The Japanese voice actors add a lot to the show.

My first sports anime........2006-06-25

Princess Nine First Inning is an anime I wanted to watch ever since I went to Anime USA 2005 and heard such great things about it from the voice actresses and actors who were in it. The DVD holds five episodes, some extras and even some player statistics. The story is not sci-fi or fantasy based, but a sports anime. I never really watched one before and was quickly hooked onto the story itself. The DVD cover suggests that the anime is for 12 and older but I think that is only because of some heavy drinking the adult characters do. The idea is an all girls school is starting a baseball team and it needs nine of the best players. This anime is the story of those nine girls and their dreams (and fears).

The pitcher with a golden left arm..........2005-05-05

Princess Nine transcends the sporst genre to become a true classic of anime. With deep characters, complex plot, solid animation, an inspired orchestral musical score, and EXCELLENT voice acting (including the superb English dub), this is one anime that every serious anime drama fan should definitely not miss. There's much more to this one than just baseball. In the first five episodes found on this disc (how's that for value?), the main characters who hold the show together are introduced.

The character of Ryo Hayakawa is first shown in the first episode in a moment straight reminiscent of The Natural (which is what inspired the creators of this show in the first place). The orchestral music swells, she winds up a pitch... and we just know that she's going to be the driving force of this show. And indeed she is.

Very quickly Ryo finds herself with a scholarship to a prestigious high school where the lady chairperson is forming a baseball team (just to see her Ryo achieve greatness like her now-dead father). From there she quickly earns the romantic interest of a hot-shot up-and-coming high school baseball star, and the girl who thought that SHE was going to be his girlfried. I knew I was going to love this show the moment Ryo and her rival Izumi first met, with dramatic music kicking-in and everything turning into a stylized painting (just as the episode ended). That brings to mind something that I really love about this show. Also every episode ends on a cliff-hanger. Often in this show an episode will end just as a challenge is declared, the tide is about to turn, or things are looking particularly bad (and dramatic!). It really keeps you glued to the TV set, as you're just dying to know what is going to happen next.

Really, the best parts of this first disc are the developing of Ryo's character, her rivalry with Izumi, and the growing romance between her and the baseball player who keeps calling her Tofu. The rest of the episodes just cover the recruiting of additional players (and this trend continues in the next disc until all the positions are filled).

If you get a kick out of this disc, just wait till the next one, where Ryo and Izumi have a showdown. Get this one now if you love sports anime!

Not your typical anime..........2002-04-28

My first exposure to this series was through the ADV trailer on the Robotech series. At first glance it seems a far departure from the typical robot/battle/sex/gore fare that gets translated into English, so I had to check it out. Over all, it is a really decent series that doesn't play into any of the typical stereotypes, and becomes a very crafty exploration of Japanese culture and ethics by presenting an all girl's highschool attempting to break tradition and form a baseball (not SOFTball) team to compete against boys schools. There are plenty of complexities within the dynamic between all the players, their pasts and how it all fits together into the present. Perhaps the most refreshing idea of the series is presented through a very simple, elegant subject which means so much to the Japanese- baseball (highschool baseball holds big interest in the Japanese public). The involvement of the visionaries and management of the team adds depth to the stories which play up to the aspiriations of all those involved with the team, and those of the people against the formation of a girl's baseball team.

The first few episodes plod slightly as it reveals the hidden power of the central character, Ryo Hayakawa, a fourteen year old high school girl who is the daughter of a late baseball superstar. The revelations of her father and his involvement in people's lives unfolds through the series. Ryo inherited her father's ability to throw a fast, accurate baseball. She is then discovered by Ms. Himaro, the president of Kisaragi High where she hopes to put together a girl's baseball team, and Hiroki who is a star male high school player. The team's rather slovenly, apparently disorganized, drunken coach Kido reveals his hidden depths as hegets Ryo to use her enthusiasm to lure in other girls from around Japan and gain scholarship to Kisaragi. The second episode has Kido trying to land a wayward athelete whose home is being shattered by divorce. The fourth episode concerns Ryo's unexpected solo aventure to a seaside town where a girl with extraordinary batting abilities is hiding her skills so she can stay with her enfeebled father.

All around, the stories are fun and enthralling once the series gets underway. The video is very good, the audio is fine, and the disk extras are nice additions. The only negative to me is the style of layout and animation- it is the usual flat technique prevelant in the less skilled productions. However, the developing stories, unique characters and complex back story make up for anything the series is lacking. Sweet, aggressive, thoughtful.....'Princess Nine' is a very enjoyable series!

who said good shows are extinct?.......2002-03-17

i dont wanna hear anymore moanin from kids sayin there are no good shows out there - princess nine bucks the system! if u wanna see a good, wholesome show about growing up, inner conflicts and issues we have to grow thru and overcoming then this one is for u! the characters, storyline, storytelling and plot all come together unbelievably well. if hollywood got smart n made a movie on this cartoon it be raining money for them! anyway if ur not sure - rent it out first; but be prepared to buy the rest of the volumes after seeing volume 1!

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