Now that it is April, we have bid farewell to the new fan of the previous quarter, and we have officially ushered in the new one in April. On the first day of this month, there has been a new update to the plot content of the first episode, that is, the adaptation of the manga of the same name written by the Free Fangbunsha, which is responsible for the release of the manga of the same name. The copyright of this animation was purchased by a station, and Monkey Mountain has also recently acquired many good dramas such as "Don't Shoot at the Image!" Battle of the Full Moon, Saga Idol is Legend, and Throngs! Seaton Gakuen" and so on. When I watched the performance of the first episode of the work, I couldn't help but feel that Monkey Mountain still did not disappoint the fans this time, and bought a high-quality animation work. This article will make a brief observation and evaluation based on the performance of the first episode of "Ball Aria".
The theme of the new "Ball Aria" is the sport of baseball related to competition. However, compared with other similar themes, men are generally the protagonists, and the protagonists in this work are all female characters, in other words, beautiful girls who can play baseball. Although it seems novel in the setting of beautiful girls playing baseball, there are already works with similar settings before, that is, "Baseball Sweetheart in August". Judging from the previous reactions, in fact, as long as this kind of work "spends" some effort on the main characters and beautiful girls, paints them beautifully, and shapes the characters cutely, most of the "macho" audience will buy it. The beautiful girl herself is the "selling point", and the plot is secondary.
However, the most impressive thing that the premiere of the animation "Ball Song" made to the audience was that the beautiful girl characters in the work did not seem to be so "beautiful", in other words, they were not "beautiful" enough. The lines of the characters are relatively simple, and the colors used in the girls' hair seem to be slightly monotonous, and the layers are not clear enough. The overall character painting style feels that it seems to be relatively simple, and even a little closer to the style of another animation, "Blessings for a Better World". Especially when the female number two of this game, Yamazaki Tsushihime, appeared, I thought it was KeiE of Su Qingli who came to make a cameo in baseball. However, watching the performance of the entire episode, I am used to watching it and seem to feel that this style of painting is still acceptable.
Poster of "Ball Aria"
Among them, it is particularly important to mention the design of the proportions of the figure, and the design of the leg proportions is very characteristic. The proportions on the thighs are significantly shorter than those of the female characters in other animation works, the so-called "meat legs". Although it does not look beautiful enough, it is also in line with the design of the original manga, and the full muscles are more in line with the image of the sports girl in reality, highlighting the characteristics, which I think is OK here.
Excellent performance skills can better convey the emotions of the characters and create a vivid character image. In the performance area, I think "Ball Aria" is very well done, and the wonderful performance adds charm to the characters and creates a full image.
Like Yoshino Kawaguchi, one of the twin girls pictured above, her two braids are shaken many times in the first episode, which is a good reflection of the character's emotional changes and character personalities. The excitement and trembling up and down when excited, and the powerlessness of depression when depressed, as an audience can feel its cuteness and vivid and lively personality, leaving a deep impression on people.
On the other hand, the portrayal of the eyes of the characters is also a performance technique that appears many times in the first episode. The following figure shows the expression of the girl's efforts to get the approval of others:
Express your joy through the flashing highlights in your eyes.
Or the sharp narrowing of the pupils to reflect the shock and panic of being hit by the outrageous remarks of his peers.
There is also a slight shaking of the pupils of the eyes to show the complicated mood of the girl who is inexplicably confused by the enthusiasm for regaining baseball.
In the process of playing the first episode of the animation "Ball Song", in fact, it is not difficult to see that the creators frequently spend efforts on the "eyes" to show the inner emotions and changes of the girl. Coupled with various other kinds of rich expression portrayals and the design of character movements, they all highlight the full image of each character's flexible life. For example, the sensitive and delicate personality of the protagonist Takeda Yongshen, the natural and lively image of Yoshinori Kawaguchi and the considerate and gentle appearance of Yamazaki Tsuruhime, as well as the straightforward temperament of Kawaguchi, all vividly show the characteristics and charm of each beautiful girl in the first episode.
Although the design of the character image may be slightly rough, the rich and wonderful performance enriches the character image in the work, presenting their respective characteristics and charm to the audience and creating a vivid image. In terms of performance, there is no doubt that 10% has been won back.
In fact, in the process of watching the first episode, we can find that the plot of the actual memory is still too much, but in the process of watching, it does not give the audience a boring impression, mainly thanks to the smooth narrative. The first episode of "Ball Aria" is mainly about takeda Yongshen, the protagonist of the junior high school baseball club, who was depressed, originally planned to give up baseball after entering high school, but after meeting his partner who loved the sport, he regained his former enthusiasm.
The creators have scattered related memories such as Takeda Yongshen's childhood memories of Aome Takema and Takema Takema when Takeda Yongshen was in junior high school, and narrated them layer by layer in different time periods, interspersed in daily stories. The advantage of this is not only that the audience will not be bored by too much reminiscence of the plot, but also further describe the experience of the protagonist Takeda Yongshen and let the audience experience her emotional changes in succession, thus enriching the portrayal and narrative of this character.
On the other hand, the use of lenses also adds to the narrative side. The scene pictured above is a scene reminiscent of the protagonist Takeda Yongshen's defeat in the competition when he was in junior high school. The strong contrast between the empty and silent baseball stadium and the small figure of the protagonist is shown through the panoramic lens of the overhead angle, which shows takeda's disappointment and powerlessness because of the effort she has spent, and at the same time reflects her confused and helpless state of mind at that time. Such a delicate portrayal also makes sufficient preparation for the subsequent emotional changes, making the depiction of this character image more full.
From the above, we can know that the use of good shots can not only make the picture more layered and expressive, but also create a story atmosphere that conforms to the real situation and promote the development of the plot. For example, in the above picture, the protagonist Takeda Yongshen throws a "magic ball", with such an oblique angle from slow to sharp, not only reflects the oppressive feeling of the "magic ball" thrown by Takeda Yongshen at such a subtle camera angle, but also creates a tense atmosphere with a close-up of Kawaguchi's fear and fright. Such a clever use of the camera also reflects the unpredictable "magic ball" thrown by the protagonist Takeda Yongshen, showing its unique technical strength, which can make the audience feel the power released by her in front of the screen.
The wonderful narrative and the clever use of shots can be said to complement each other and attract people, so that as the audience, we are fascinated by the youth stories shown by these beautiful girls, and we can't help but look forward to the subsequent plot development.
Judging from the performance of the first episode of the "Ball Song" animation, it should be considered remarkable. The tight plot, the full portrayal of the character image and the voice actor's enthusiastic performance, coupled with a good art style, are still quite worth seeing on the whole. Even if there are flaws, they still can't hide the shining points. However, just playing the first episode can not be conclusive, so please look forward to the follow-up performance of the anime.