Inside Flap: Hitoshi Matsumoto is funny. I think he's made me laugh more and harder than anyone else in the world. His very concept of humor is funny. I'm sure that if you looked into his head, you would find an infinite number of words and formulas, arranged so that he can instantly calculate whatever the funniest combination would be at any moment. You might call him a genius; how funny can you get through effort alone? Someday, I'd like to draw a story about people in search of laughs. I've actually already got the main character's face and the title picked out, but I don't know when I'll eventually get a chance to show them. It's a theme I'd love to draw before I die. (Note: This eventually became Morita's next manga, Beshari Gurashi.)
Back Cover: Finally, the preliminary regional tournaments that will lead to the Summer Koshien have begun. The Nikogaku Nine are pumped and ready for their first-round opponent. But society had not forgotten the wicked deeds of their past. Can Nikogaku withstand the hatred and harassment that assaults them from the internet?
Character Introduction:
Koichi Kawato, Aniya, Shinjo, Mikoshiba
Hiyama, Yufune, Sekikawa, Wakana, Okada
Hiratsuka, Imaoka, Hamanaka, Akaboshi, Toko Yagi
Principal Fujimura, Vice Principal Ikebe
The Story Thus Far: New teacher Kawato has accepted his mission to reform the currently-suspended baseball team. He scrapes together a group of young toughs and clears the necessary hurdles to keep the team alive. The Nikogaku Baseball Team is off to a new start. They lost their first practice game in a heartbreaker, but the team now has the dream of the "Koshien" firmly implanted in their hearts.
The team harasses the talented-but-uninterested rookie Akaboshi for his plan to make the jump to America. Meanwhile, the other new members -- roughneck punks drawn by the thug image of the former team -- grow angry with the new, serious baseball team, and attack. Even Kawato and Akaboshi become targets... However, the situation sorts itself out when the second-years and Kawato crush their assaulters. Grateful to his senpais for saving him, Akaboshi decides to join the team and show off his skills. Soon a rivalry between Aniya and Akaboshi begins, with the summer Koshien prelims close at hand: who will be the team's ace pitcher?!
Contents
Vol.156 - 1 - Ace -
Vol.157 - A Wise Man Changes His Mind, A Fool Never
Vol.158 - Video Love Letter
Vol.159 - Nikogaku Debut
Vol.160 - 100x Payout
Vol.161 - Response
Vol.162 - Sasazaki Theater
Vol.163 - The Strikeout King's Perfect Game (5 Innings)
Vol.164 - Virtual Fork
Vol.165 - Enemies on All Sides