Fire Ball! (manga)

Fire Ball! (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series by Yukinobu Tatsu. It is a high school baseball manga featuring Kyuji Katagiri, a strong pitcher obsessed with being number one, as the main character. The story depicts Kyuji's rise to prominence using his fastball, thrown with an unorthodox delivery, as his main weapon. It was serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from March 2013 to September 2014, with its chapters collected in five volumes.

Plot

In the fall of his third year of junior high, Kyuji Katagiri, who had decided to attend Seimine Academy, a prestigious baseball school, has a fateful encounter in a casual baseball game with Taro Tanaka, a genius cleanup hitter who led his senior league team to a national championship. After being defeated by Tanaka, a peer and formidable rival, Kyuji sets his sights on defeating him in high school baseball. To do so, he deliberately avoids Seimine Academy, where Tanaka is going, and instead enrolls at the public school Haneoka High.

Characters

A first-year pitcher at Haneoka High School who uses his signature pitch, the "Fireball"—an ultra-downward, high-speed fastball thrown from a unique delivery. He's a passionate, slightly airheaded baseball fanatic who’s obsessed with being number one.

A fellow first-year student and genius home run hitter with exceptional batting sense. He attends Seimine Academy and plays as a catcher.

A first-year student at Haneoka High and the baseball team’s manager. She is Kyuji's childhood friend.

A first-year catcher at Haneoka High. His only real boast is having played in the senior league. His nickname is "Big Mama".

A second-year student at Haneoka High. He bats cleanup and possesses rare batting sense and power. Position: third baseman.

A second-year student at Haneoka High. Captain of the baseball team and a self-proclaimed baseball analysis nerd. Known for his flexible wrists and consistent hitting. Position: shortstop.

Publication

Written and illustrated by Yukinobu Tatsu, Fire Ball! was serialized in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Magazine from February 6, 2013, to August 6, 2014. Kodansha collected its chapters in 5 volumes, released from May 17, 2013, to September 17, 2014.

Shueisha started releasing a new edition of the five volumes on March 4, 2025.

Volumes

References

External links