“Catch Me at the Ballpark!” Anime Review: The Story of the People from the Ballpark

Cheers to Our Team!

In each episode, we get a banger and must-listen opening song from GENIC titled Hurray!!. This is what I would expect from a sports anime, where you can feel the supportive melody and excitement of sports. The opening visual itself also tells a great story of what the anime would be, which is again the story of those who attend the ball game. Everyone here is someone, and it’s not just the player’s story. It’s our story of us who love the game and want to cheer for our team during their match. SHOW YOUR SUN!

After a banger opening music came a banger cheerful ending music from the anime cast Ruriko, Kohinata, and Kokoro. The ending song is titled Ballpark de Shake! Don’t Shake!. Honestly, this is an earworm song that I listen to most in this Spring 2025 season. It got two seiyuu who I liked and a great animation visual to showcase the cuteness of the beer vendor girl. SHAKE, SHAKE!

I know that this music might not be for everyone, but at the very least, this ending song really suits the theme of a baseball game. In the song’s clip, we see a sort of “cheerleader” who hype up the game. At least, this song would make you a bit more energetic after one episode of a good game.

Conclusion

Overall, as a fan who doesn’t follow sports genre too much and doesn’t watch any kind of sports anime or real-life, the angle that this anime shows really makes me feel respectful for those who attend the game and support their team. Yes, their team might lose, but their support really makes the difference between an exciting game to just a game. Initially, I’m not really interested in this anime. But after I finished it, this is really a great anime that manages to tell a story of everyone from the ballpark.

Thus, I would say Catch Me at the Ballpark is my hidden game anime of Spring 2025. You don’t need to be a baseball fan to enjoy this. You just need to know that this is a slice of life story of those who are in the ballpark. It explores each perspective from the vendor to the fans. Hence, I would recommend this anime to everyone who loves anime, especially the slice-of-life genre. It has a good story without much conflict, and it also has a nice atmosphere. This new take on the sports genre is a refreshing anime to watch, as opposed to all of the mainstream anime.

Pros

• Interesting take on the sports genre, with a refreshing angle.
• A story that can be relatable to any person.
• A banger opening and ending song.

Con

• Too many characters to be focused on.

Facts and Figures

The Indonesian Anime Times | Review by Cakra Bhirawa