Title: 水球ヤンキース Suikyū Yankīsu (Yankees)
English Title: Water Polo Yankees
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2014
Episode: 10
Cast:
- 中島裕翔 Nakajima Yuto
- 山﨑賢人 Yamazaki Kento
- 間宮祥太朗 Mamiya Shotaro
- 千葉雄大 Chiba Yūdai
- 吉沢亮 Yoshizawa Ryo
- 中川大志 Nakagawa Taishi
- 高木雄也 Takaki Yuya
- 矢本悠馬 Yamoto Yuma
- 佐野ひなこ Sano Hinako
- 鈴木伸之 Suzuki Nobuyuki
- 大政絢 Omasa Aya
- 倉科カナ Kurashina Kana
- 大原樱子 Ohara Sakurako
- 橋本環奈 Hashimoto Kanna
- 森本レオ Morimoto Leo
- 皆川猿時 Minagawa Sarutoki
- 北村有起哉 Kitamura Yukiya
SYNOPSIS
Inaba Naoya was a crybaby when he was younger, and a yankee or a delinquent youth from Kasumino Technical High School saved him from bullies. Naoya grew up idolizing the yankee and aiming to be just like him when he grew up.
After spending his youth abroad, Naoya goes back to Japan to study in Kasumino Technical High School, which everyone calls Kasuko. He is shocked to discover that the water polo club from Suiran High School basically rules the town because they are the top water polo club in the country.
Naoya also finds out that Kasumino Technical High School will close down in a few days. In order to stop his beloved school from closing down, Naoya sets up a water polo club.
REVIEW
Suikyū Yankees is a drama about youth and friendship. I like slice of life stories, particularly the ones that focus on characters growing up and becoming mature over time, so this seemed like an interesting drama to watch.
It talks about the importance of having a purpose in life, and working hard to accomplish one's goals, and not giving up just because the situation becomes difficult to overcome.
Kurosawa ?: If you give up from the start, you can't do anything. If you don't give up, things will not end.
Kurosawa ?: You can become anyone you want to be, the possibilities are infinite.
-- E01
Inaba Naoya: Just because I can't win, I'll quit? Isn't it because I'll give up that I can't win?
-- E01
I like all the members of the Kasumino Technical High School water polo club, especially since they are just average teenagers who didn't have anything to focus their energies on prior to playing water polo. It's somewhat easy to root for people who persisted to improve leaps and bounds in a short period of time because they wanted to participate in inter-school competitions.
It's also interesting to see an inexperienced club take on the best water polo club in the country. It's fun to see a disadvantaged team develop the same level of skills as a team provided with the best training facilities and qualified instructors, because it further reiterates the drama's point that you can do anything you set your mind to despite many limitations as long as you don't give up.
Anyway, I think it's weird that Suikyū Yankees blatantly promotes popular idol Hashimoto Kanna from the group Rev. from DVL. I can't help wondering if there may be a better way to advertise her in the drama.
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水球ヤンキース Suikyū Yankees
