Hot Stove League
Dec. 14th, 2020 04:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
satalasers ADORED.
This is a blend between Moneyball, because it's all about behind the scenes stuff of baseball, and One Outs, because it was all about the psychological warfare employed against our protagonist. Apparently it's similar to Giant Killing as well, even if that's football, but I haven't seen that.
- Anyway, this was super great and loveable and even if you don't have much of an interest in sport -- I don't, but if I like the characters, I will put up with anything -- you'll find it super enjoyable and easy to follow and get sucked up in the drama.
- This had heavy friendship feelings. Like, I love that the main character wasn't much of a baseball fan, he'd been a manager for various sports teams and making them successful before them eventually having to disband, and he moved on. But you saw him learn and use the lingo, and even if he never really grew to love the sport, he helped the company he worked in so well. I think what I adored about him was that he always made choices that unsettled others -- who grew used to what was comfortable -- and tried to right, so he's not necessarily being difficult because his personality is something other people have to grow and tolerate, but because he sees the flaws in the system and the people, and tries to correct those mistakes. IDK, he's harsh when he needs to be, because he won't tolerate harsh behaviour but he's not petty in retribution, but he will make unpopular decisions, but at the same time, he's fair and he's gentle, and I cared about him a lot.
- And I like that despite being wronged a couple of times, he still tries to help out? Like, yes, he won't put up with terrible behaviour, from the star player, and got him kicked out for a better and more capable player, but then, you do see the manager get the player back in the team, once it becomes clear that the player has become much less of an arrogant person and learns to value teamwork.
- I really liked the assistant manager, who was just. Awesome. And I liked that she first tried to educate him, but then mend bridges between the discontent, but also disagree with the manager when she felt he was wrong. If there's ever a season 2, I would love it if it followed her instead of him, even though I dearly loved their friendship, and how protective she became of him.
- I loved both his relationship with his brother, who was disabled, and his mother, who he constantly took photos to reassure her that he was eating. It was such a good subplot, and I really liked both of them, and how they were handled.
- Something I also appreciated was that the baseball team were characters in their own right. Even if the show was much more about behind the scene, and uprooting the bad seeds from the company, you got to know a lot of baseball cast, for you to care about their wellbeing and wanting them to succeed. One thing that made me sad about One Outs and Moneyball was that you never really got to know the team that well, maybe one or two episodes focused on a character to shine, but once their moment was over, that was kind of it. (And also Chris Pratt was fairly minor in Moneyball, but he's the only player that I remember about that movie TBH.)
- Here, I loved how you cared about a player who was Americanized, but returned to play again in Korea and be naturalized? I wasn't really aware about the social nuiances, about what happens if you avoid military conscription, but it's interesting to think about how it's portrayed. I super loved the subplot where a player gets stagefright, and can't seem to overcome it, but his team members support him, and cheer for him when there's progress.
- I did not expect to love the asshole star player in the slightest. I thought he would be gotten rid of and I'd never see him again, BUT I WAS SO WRONG. And they just redeemed him in such a good way that I loved it. I love him in earnest, and I'm glad that he mended bridges with team mates and former friends, and the distance between him and them is much closer and warmhearted now.
- I also super loved the manager having friends with other managers. I don't know why I liked it so much, but I liked that a friendship was cultivated, even if the other two managers found him to be kind of cold and calculating. He had a business mind, but I honestly really liked that about him.
- I adored the boss of the company. HE WAS TERRIBLE. But I have a penchant for those slightly -- no, very -- pathetic people, who smirk and act factitious and he's just extremely petty. He was very superficial, wanting the manager to begin with, because he'd do a competent job but actually hates that he's far more competent than he should be and wants to get rid of him instantly. The best thing is that literally everyone knows he's being needlessly selfish and making everyone suffer through his temper tantrums, BUT on the other hand, I kind of loved that, because everyone was kind of sighing every time he made a disruptive decision that everyone knew was just a powerplay tactic because of his ego and his eventual hatred of the manager.
- And even he got a good ending! Which is weird, but I think the show was sufficiently able to show that he was kind of. Desperate. His uncle and cousin kind of had him under his thumb, and he was so desperate not to be like his father, so he definitely took out some of his frustrations on the manager, even though he was spineless throughout the show, but even he managed to become a better person and live a happier life, and just. Yeah? He made me happy?
- I cried when the manager cried when holding a baby. I know the show doesn't go into much detail with his wife, but it was enough, and it was sad.
Super loved it. 10/10.
This is a blend between Moneyball, because it's all about behind the scenes stuff of baseball, and One Outs, because it was all about the psychological warfare employed against our protagonist. Apparently it's similar to Giant Killing as well, even if that's football, but I haven't seen that.
- Anyway, this was super great and loveable and even if you don't have much of an interest in sport -- I don't, but if I like the characters, I will put up with anything -- you'll find it super enjoyable and easy to follow and get sucked up in the drama.
- This had heavy friendship feelings. Like, I love that the main character wasn't much of a baseball fan, he'd been a manager for various sports teams and making them successful before them eventually having to disband, and he moved on. But you saw him learn and use the lingo, and even if he never really grew to love the sport, he helped the company he worked in so well. I think what I adored about him was that he always made choices that unsettled others -- who grew used to what was comfortable -- and tried to right, so he's not necessarily being difficult because his personality is something other people have to grow and tolerate, but because he sees the flaws in the system and the people, and tries to correct those mistakes. IDK, he's harsh when he needs to be, because he won't tolerate harsh behaviour but he's not petty in retribution, but he will make unpopular decisions, but at the same time, he's fair and he's gentle, and I cared about him a lot.
- And I like that despite being wronged a couple of times, he still tries to help out? Like, yes, he won't put up with terrible behaviour, from the star player, and got him kicked out for a better and more capable player, but then, you do see the manager get the player back in the team, once it becomes clear that the player has become much less of an arrogant person and learns to value teamwork.
- I really liked the assistant manager, who was just. Awesome. And I liked that she first tried to educate him, but then mend bridges between the discontent, but also disagree with the manager when she felt he was wrong. If there's ever a season 2, I would love it if it followed her instead of him, even though I dearly loved their friendship, and how protective she became of him.
- I loved both his relationship with his brother, who was disabled, and his mother, who he constantly took photos to reassure her that he was eating. It was such a good subplot, and I really liked both of them, and how they were handled.
- Something I also appreciated was that the baseball team were characters in their own right. Even if the show was much more about behind the scene, and uprooting the bad seeds from the company, you got to know a lot of baseball cast, for you to care about their wellbeing and wanting them to succeed. One thing that made me sad about One Outs and Moneyball was that you never really got to know the team that well, maybe one or two episodes focused on a character to shine, but once their moment was over, that was kind of it. (And also Chris Pratt was fairly minor in Moneyball, but he's the only player that I remember about that movie TBH.)
- Here, I loved how you cared about a player who was Americanized, but returned to play again in Korea and be naturalized? I wasn't really aware about the social nuiances, about what happens if you avoid military conscription, but it's interesting to think about how it's portrayed. I super loved the subplot where a player gets stagefright, and can't seem to overcome it, but his team members support him, and cheer for him when there's progress.
- I did not expect to love the asshole star player in the slightest. I thought he would be gotten rid of and I'd never see him again, BUT I WAS SO WRONG. And they just redeemed him in such a good way that I loved it. I love him in earnest, and I'm glad that he mended bridges with team mates and former friends, and the distance between him and them is much closer and warmhearted now.
- I also super loved the manager having friends with other managers. I don't know why I liked it so much, but I liked that a friendship was cultivated, even if the other two managers found him to be kind of cold and calculating. He had a business mind, but I honestly really liked that about him.
- I adored the boss of the company. HE WAS TERRIBLE. But I have a penchant for those slightly -- no, very -- pathetic people, who smirk and act factitious and he's just extremely petty. He was very superficial, wanting the manager to begin with, because he'd do a competent job but actually hates that he's far more competent than he should be and wants to get rid of him instantly. The best thing is that literally everyone knows he's being needlessly selfish and making everyone suffer through his temper tantrums, BUT on the other hand, I kind of loved that, because everyone was kind of sighing every time he made a disruptive decision that everyone knew was just a powerplay tactic because of his ego and his eventual hatred of the manager.
- And even he got a good ending! Which is weird, but I think the show was sufficiently able to show that he was kind of. Desperate. His uncle and cousin kind of had him under his thumb, and he was so desperate not to be like his father, so he definitely took out some of his frustrations on the manager, even though he was spineless throughout the show, but even he managed to become a better person and live a happier life, and just. Yeah? He made me happy?
- I cried when the manager cried when holding a baby. I know the show doesn't go into much detail with his wife, but it was enough, and it was sad.
Super loved it. 10/10.
