REVIEW: ‘Oblivion Battery’ Episode 1 — “I’ll Make You Remember”

Oblivion Battery (Boukyaku Battery) is a new anime series from MAPPA based on the manga by Eco Mikawa. Oblivion Battery Episode 1, “I’ll Make You Remember,” introduces viewers to the new baseball-focused in a very well-done way that should have viewers coming back for more.

Oblivion Battery Episode 1 starts by introducing the dynamic duo of Haruka Kiyomine (Yoshimasa Hosoya) and Kei Kaname (Mamoru Miyano). Haruka is a pitcher and Kei serves as his catcher. This duo is known as a “battery” in the baseball world, hence the series’ name. The duo was unstoppable in their early years before they were forced to stop playing after Kei was afflicted with amnesia.

The idea of a sports team having to battle their way back against adversity is nothing new. What is new, and what Oblivion Battery Episode 1 does well, is the reason why this duo ends up at rock bottom. Kei has no clue who Haruka is anymore. Haruka has not only lost his on-field partner but his best friend as well. It instantly makes Haruka a sympathetic character and gives viewers a reason to root for Kei to regain his memory and skill.

These two exciting players had the chance to go to their pick of premier high school baseball teams in Japan. Instead, because of Kei’s amnesia, they end up at a school that does not have a baseball team at all. It is a shocking drop from their famous heights that saw them plastered all over local newspapers. Then we meet Yamada Taro.

Yamada is a former youth baseball player as well who once faced the terrifying duo. He knew instantly after facing them that he could never reach their level. This is going to be a recurring theme with many of the new players Haruka and Kei meet. Yamada recognizes the duo immediately and is shocked to see them at some no-name school that does not even have a team.

Kei’s first interaction with Yamada shows how badly the amnesia affected him. He comes across as clueless and serves as the comedic relief for the series. He cracks a few jokes, but they are incredibly corny and are mostly just about nipples. His earnestness though helps the humor of the situation land quite well. He has no clue who he really is and his current nature juxtaposed against his impressive history as an athlete is quite comical.

This clues viewers in on how different Kei and Haruka are as well. Where Kei has always been a bit of a jokester, it is enhanced by his current condition since he has no clue how good of a player he used to be. Haruka, by contrast, is stoic and imposing. He has always been the more serious of the two and will serve as an excellent counter to Kei’s humor throughout the series.

Oblivion Battery Episode 1 brings the duo and their new friend Yamada together to join the school’s rebuilding baseball team. It is a classic “something from nothing” story where they are going to try to rebuild their careers without any real structural support. Kei and Yamada are reluctant at first, but Harkua clearly misses the sport and wants his old pal and new friend to come alongside him.

They won’t have to do it alone, thankfully. There are a few other players at their school who want to recruit these former stars. This leads to a great scene where Haruka tries to show off his ability but Kei refuses to catch for him. Yamada stands in, but his inability as a catcher forces Haruka to hold himself back. When Kei does step in, it is only to stop Haruka from embarrassing himself. He still does not see how great he is as a player, but others sure do.

What makes Oblivion Battery Episode 1 so great as it introduces the premise and characters is the exemplary animation. MAPPA are no strangers to top-notch animation and it is no different here. The way Haruka winds up and unleashes a devastating pitch is so visceral. The tonal shifts from comedy to serious are visible as well, with subtle animation techniques used to show the tone they are trying to display. There might not be any flashy fighting moves or special skills, but the baseball feels genuinely real which is vital for a sports anime.

Oblivion Battery Episode 1 is a solid mix of serious and funny that starts off what could be a truly great sports anime. The amnesia gimmick helps with the humor but also adds a more serious tone that opens up so many new avenues to explore as the series continues.

Oblivion Battery Episode 1 is streaming on Crunchyroll.