In Japan, baseball is a national pastime—perhaps even moreso than in the United States.
However, the game's considerable popularity pales in comparison to the popularity of anime—the distinctive animation style that constitutes one of Japan's most recognizable cultural exports.
Accordingly, two weeks before the season-opening series in Tokyo between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, MLB partnered with the anime to release a short film previewing the series Wednesday.
In the film, an announcer discusses the series and the history of baseball in Japan with Sakonji Urokodaki, a character from the series. ran in four seasons from 2019 to '24, along with several associated films.
As noted by the video, five top Japanese players will participate in the season-opening series: designated hitter and pitcher Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Roki Sasaki and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers, and pitcher Shota Imanaga and right fielder and designated hitter Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs.
