A Passionate Review of One Outs (26 EP)

"What does it mean to be a winner? Is it the last one standing? It means to climb over a mountain of corpses to get to the top. By no means is it a glorious sight to behold, in fact, it is extremely cruel. Even so, if you still wish to seek victory... then you must become a devil."

"A low possibility means it is not zero" -Tokuchi Toua, One Outs.

I LOVE suspense. Whenever I read books, I always sprint near the end of the book, especially if the climax is extremely gripping. This was especially true for One Outs, I remember I finished this anime on the last day of school sophomore year in my World History AP Class. I always loved the trope in which a character bests the odds no matter what. In One Outs, the motto "NOBODY WINS BUT I" really encompasses this idea, that even when the odds have flung Tokuchi against the walls and all hopes seem to have been lost, Tokuchi manages to pull out a MacGyver and save the day.

However, most MacGyvers usually are far-fetched ideas that are impossible and unthinkable. With Tokuchi, all of his ideas are so creative, yet simple. His deductions are not seemingly godlike, like Sherlock Holmes, but are rational and calculating. He will never lose, and yes, this may seem like a spoiler, but the way this anime hold you on the edge of your seat, making you constantly wait for the grandiose reveal of how Tokuchi pulls off yet another perfect game.

If you haven't guessed already, this anime is about Japanese baseball, and how it is innately tied with gambling. Tokuchi Toua, a master gambler, applies his skills in this cutthroat game, with his end goal being to lead the unskilled Lycaons to win the league championships.

Like a mouse in Skinner's Box, I was caught up in the gambling spirit. I was addicted to the point in which I looked up the manga to continue reading. Just a side note, this was the first anime that exposed me to manga. I read the rest of the series in just two weeks, and even shed a few tears along the way, something that was pleasantly unexpected. This anime, next to Death Note and Code Geass, are examples of how powerful great minds can be. Always be observant, watch closely, and sometimes, take a leap of faith, and maybe we all can strive to become as brilliant and cunning as Tokuchi Toua.