Details
- Episodes:25
- Format:TV
- Average Score:81
- Popularity:1051
- Status:Finished Airing
- Season:Fall 2008
- Duration:23 min. per ep. minutes
- Genre:Sports, Psychological, Seinen
- Country:JP
Toua Tokuchi is an athlete by profession, but a reckless gambler at heart. On the streets of Okinawa, he uses nothing but his wits and a "fastball" peaking at a mere 134 kmph to somehow achieve 499 wins in the game of "One Outs," a simplified version of baseball between the pitcher and one batter. Amazed by Toua's unique prowess on the mound, veteran slugger Hiromichi Kojima artfully scouts the pitcher for his long unsuccessful team, the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons. Kojima desperately hopes Toua will lead them to the championship; however, Tsuneo Saikawa, the mercenary owner of the Lycaons, sees the vastly talented pitcher as a threat to the income generated by the team. Rising to the challenge of swaying the owner, Toua suggests a one-of-a-kind "One Outs" contract: every out Toua pitches will earn him five million yen, but with every run he gives up, he will lose fifty million yen. Adapted from the manga by Shinobu Kaitani of Liar Game fame, One Outs documents the intense psychological battles between Toua and those around him. With millions of yen at stake, can a pitcher who has done nothing but gamble in a head-to-head imitation of baseball finally lead a real baseball team to victory? [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Episodes
1. The Mysterious Man
Kojima is in his last year in the major league and has never won a championship. He and a few teammates go on a training camp to practice. Their only pitcher injures his finger and can no longer pitch to Kojima. The remaining teammates feel bad and begin to search for a new pitcher quickly. Who they find and where they find this new pitcher is not where they had expected.
2. Gambler
The One Outs battle between Kojima and Toa Tokuchi does not end according to Kojima's wishes, leading him to seek enlightenment to beat Toa in the mountains.Kojima returns and rechallenges Toa Tokuchi, betting his pro career against Toa's arm.
3. One Outs Contract
Kojima lets himself get hit in order not to lose. He gets Tokuchi to join the Lycaons. Tokuchi negotiates an astounding contract that looks very much to be in his disadvantage with the Owner of the Lycaons. The Owner is shocked when he receives the amount he is to pay Tokuchi after the pre-season game, which is the first game Tokuchi plays in. In the second game, which is against the Fingers, Tokuchi retires all the batters.
4. The Team's Qualification
The Lycaons play against the Eagles. There is a bribed player within their midst. Tokuchi tells the player to stop playing. The Lycaons are now a disadvantage, but fight to get the points. Tokuchi allows the player to return at the end of the episode.
5. Hope
The player,Yoshida, plays excellently. Tokuchi becomes tired and pitches a dead ball. Yoshida takes over him. The Lycaons win the game. Four more conditions are added to Tokuchi's contract. The next game they play is against a very strong team, the Mariners. He pitches first and walks the first two batters, an unexpected action.
6. Low Spinning Fastball
Two out of the Mariners's three strong batters are retired by Tokuchi. Takami notices an oddity about Tokuchi's fastballs and explains to his team why it's different. With what Takami has advised them to do, they start to hit the fastballs, but they have yet to score. Tokuchi does something unexpected and Takami is struck out at the third pitch.
7. Trick & Trap
Tagami realises Tokuchi's weakness-his stamina. Tokuchi is forced to push himself. The game goes past the 9th inning. Kojima decides to bat. Tokuchi tells Kojima something. Kojima manages to hit the pitch. The Lycaons win the game. The next game against the Mariners, the Mariners' batters are able to hit Tokuchi's pitches. Takami suspects that Tokuchi has a plan, and at the end of the episode,manages to figure it out.
8. Foul Play
Tokuchi plays for time while the Mariners rush to reach the fifth inning. When it's the Mariners's turn to defend, Tokuchi tells his team to tie with the Mariners. They manage to do so.
9. Settlement
The 4th inning ends with the Lycaons in the lead by one point. The Mariners underestimate Tokuchi, thinking he'll have trouble pitching in the rain. Instead, he turns it to his advantage. The game ends in an unexpected way.
10. Strategist vs Gambler
The Lycaons are up against the Bugaboos. The Bugaboos have a new team manager, one who is known as Shirooka the Strategist. In the midst of the game, Tokuchi is placed in an unexpected position in defense. Then, Manager Shirooka sends out a player to play-Johnson. A very fast runner.
11. World`s Fastest Man
Johnson successfully steals home while Tokuchi is the pitcher,and Tokuchi has given up his first run as a professional. Tokuchi talks to the team about the way to stop Johnson. Tokuchi bats near the end of the episode.
12. Invincible Pitching Style
Tokuchi discovers the weakness in Johnson's defense. Tokuchi's plan to stop Johnson is set into motion.However, Tokuchi has another plan in addition.The plan works. Later, when the Bugaboos are attacking at the ninth inning, Johnson taunts Tokuchi and Tokuchi decides to battle it out with Johnson.Tokuchi wins the battle and the Lycaons win the game.The episode ends with Tokuchi saying that the real battle will be tomorrow.
13. The Sealed Feet
Johnson is the leadoff batter for the third game. Tokuchi is sent to pitch while Johnson is at third base. Tokuchi intimidates the batter. Shirooka decides to change the strategy. Tokuchi is making errors at his position at first base.Another strategy to stop Johnson is carried out. However, Shirooka carries out a plan to counter it.
14. A Nine Players Infield
Tokuchi shifts the outfielders defending positions. Tokuchi intimidates the batters. Shirooka realises that Tokuchi is really a terrifying person. The episode ends with the game going into extra innings.
15. A One Player Infield
Game 3 in a 3 game series between the Lycaons and the Bugaboos has entered extra innings with the score tied 0-0. Tokuchi uses the manager Mihara Yuuzaburou's desire to win this game to break the owner's hold over the manager. With the manager no longer obeying every order that is given to him by the owner, Tokuchi is free to pitch the remainder of the game against the order of the owner. Tokuchi uses the rest of the game to break down every aspect of Johnson's game showing that nothing about him is to be feared, not his batting ability or his speed. The Lycaons go on to win the game 1-0 thus winning the series against the Bugaboos, 2-1.
16. Trick Stadium
Tokuchi explains why he was so sure his plan would work. Tokuchi tells Kojima there is a simpler way to defeat Johnson, and the method is shown when Kojima watches the game where the Bugaboos go against Blue Mars, the Lycaons next opponent. The owner of the Lycaons talk with a mysterious person. Tokuchi attends the briefing on the Blue Mars. Tokuchi stays back and watches the video, and says to Kojima that the Blue Mars are cheaters. In the game, though the Lycaons were leading, the Blue Mars caught up.
17. The Deceiving Knuckleball
The Lycaons are shocked and become discouraged when the Blue Mars tie them. The manager Mihara tries to lift their spirits. The Lycaons end up losing to the Blue Mars in the first game. Tokuchi states that he can pitch the deceiving knuckleballs, and then shows the team why the pitches are fake knuckleballs. The team becomes angry when they know that the BlueMars were cheating.
18. Stolen Sign
Tokuchi tells Ideguchi that their signs are being stolen. Tokuchi, Kojima and Ideguchi search for the signal that tell the BlueMars the Lycaons's signs. Tokuchi decides to use the Blue Mars sign stealing against them.
19. Shady Signal
Tokuchi, Ideguchi and Kojima continue to search for the way the Blue Mars are stealing the Lycaons's signs. Tokuchi discovers the trick behind their shady signal. Tokuchi goes off to turn their sign stealing against them. Since the manager is unwilling to listen to Tokuchi, Tokuchi finds a way to convince manager Mihara.
20. Ridicule
The manager listens to Tokuchi. Tokuchi does something without the manager's knowledge that enables them to get a point. The Lycaons manage to take the lead. The Owner has a plan to get Tokuchi's earnings to disappear.
21. Disclosure
Tokuchi suggests changing signs. In the second game, yet the Blue Mars are still able to hit the pitches. Ideguchi realises that their signs are being stolen. At the end of the episode, Tokuchi states that they are being wiretapped.
22. Interception
Tokuchi states that they have been wiretapped. He realises where the wiretap is. The assistant manager for the BLue Mars is revealed. The Lycaons manage to lessen the point difference.
23. Capture
Tokuchi's plan is accidentally revealed.Williams is sent to pitch in the final inning. Tokuchi has a plan to counter the fake knuckleball and goes to bat. At the end of the episode, he manages to steal up to second base.
24. Conspiracy
The Blue Mars catcher realises that Tokuchi knows about the fake knuckleballs. The Lycaons take the lead.The Owner's plan to clear the amount Tokuchi has earned is explained.It is then sat into motion when Tokuchi goes to bat. Tokuchi retaliates in an unexpected way. The episode ends with Tokuchi lying on the ground.
25. Beyond the Triumph...
Tokuchi is uninjured. He goes back to the mound to pitch. The Blue Mars try to frame him. The batter that accused Tokuchi finds the tables turned, and in order to avoid the Blue Mars being found of cheating, Tokuchi tells him to kneel down as an apology. The Lycaons go on to win the game and are no longer last place. But this is just the beginning. The aim is the championship.
