Natsumi Fujiwara & Shotaro Morikubo appear! The long-awaited father-son battery, long awaited by both fans and cast members, was realized!　MAJOR 2nd Saitama Seibu Lions Collaboration Day" Report

On April 29, 2018, a collaboration event between the TV anime "Major Second" currently airing and the Saitama Seibu Lions was held at the Saitama Seibu Lions vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles game at the MetLife Seibu Dome in Saitama, where Natsumi Fujiwara, who plays Daigo Shigeno, the main character of the work, and his father Shotaro Morikubo, who plays Goro Shigeno, the father of the protagonist, took the stage.

Major 2nd" is based on Takuya Mitsuda's manga "MAJOR 2nd," which is serialized in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shōnen Sunday. It is a sequel to "MAJOR" featuring Goro and depicts the growth of his son, Daigo. The book is currently in its 13th volume.

Incidentally, this is the first collaboration between the Saitama Seibu Lions and the "MAJOR" series. On the day of the collaboration day, which was eagerly awaited by fans of the original story and anime, the weather was beautifully clear, as if reflecting their excitement. In addition to the collaboration project, the day was filled with fan services, including the distribution of Lions original kids' gloves to children who came to the game that day.

Before the game, Fujiwara-san and Morikubo-san held a mini talk show in the space behind the back net, where Fujiwara-san introduced that he had brought his own glove, which he uses on a regular basis. Her comments conveyed her enthusiasm for the first pitch. Morikubo-san was also surprised by the enthusiasm of the cheering crowds that flocked to the event, many of them cheering for both teams during the major holiday weekend. He said that he was also fully prepared to receive Fujiwara's pitch.

In the first pitch ceremony just before the game, Mr. Fujiwara was the pitcher and Ms. Morikubo was the catcher. Since Daigo is the catcher and Goro is the pitcher in the film, this was a heart-warming situation for fans of the film.

The two watched with relaxed faces as the players from both teams were called to the field, and when they were all called, Fujiwara-san trotted to the mound, while Morikubo-san grabbed a glove and headed for his position. Then, as the announcer in the hall urged them on, Mr. Fujiwara finally pitched at Mr. Morikubo's glove. Mr. Morikubo said he was determined to catch the ball. The result of Mr. Fujiwara's pitch was a brilliant no-bound pitch, although it floated a little high!　It was a great performance, and added to the excitement of the game.

The number on the backs of the two players was "13," the same number Daigo wears in the film when he is pitching in a game. It seems that the father and son wore the same number, and their hearts were united at the first pitch ceremony. The uniforms were custom-made for promotional purposes, and they were well-prepared for the collaboration event. It is possible that the uniforms may be used at future events related to the works, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Finally, the game began!　In the second and third innings of the Lions' game, Morikubo-san and Fujiwara-san were in charge of announcing the players' names when they came up to bat (so-called "Uguisu Mistress"), and their voices echoed throughout the venue.

In the third inning, with the Lions trailing 0-2, the score was tied, perhaps with the support of Ms. Fujiwara, and her announcement was heartwarming. The Seibu lineup exploded, and by the end of the game, the Lions had won by a score of 16-4!　Fujiwara and Morikubo were smiling with a sense of accomplishment as they enjoyed the atmosphere of the stadium.

(Reporting and writing by Atsushi Saeki)