The popular
Kisarazu Cat's Eye franchise comes to a wistful end with
Kisarazu Cat's Eye World Series. First aired in 2002, the original TBS television series follows the adventures of five baseball-loving friends. They form a Robin Hood-like burglar ring in their quiet hometown of Kisarazu at the beckoning of their cancer-stricken leader who is determined to make his final days excitingly worthwhile. By day they play baseball, by night they wreak hilarious havoc. Innovative, heartwarming, and comical, the youthful series gained a huge fan following; feature film
Kisarazu Cat's Eye Japan Series was released the following year, becoming a big box office hit. Three years later, the series' second and supposedly final film,
Kisarazu Cat's Eye World Series, surpassed the achievements of its predecessor, topping the Japanese box office and grossing over two billion yen. The entire team returns for the film including director Kaneko Fumiki, writer Kudo Kankuro, and cast members Okada Junichi (
Hana Yori mo Naho) of V6, Sakurai Sho (
Honey and Clover) of Arashi, Sato Ryuta (
Tokyo Friends), Tsukamoto Takashi (
Taiya no Uta), and Okada Yoshinori (
Train Man).
Kisarazu Cat's Eye World Series is full of the quirky humor, off-the-wall situations, and baseball fever that has made the series an audience favorite. The story picks up three years after the death of Kisarazu Cat's Eye leader Bussan (Okada Junichi). The rest of the gang - Bambi (Sakurai Sho), Master (Sato Ryuta), Ani (Tsukamoto Takashi), and Uchi (Okada Yoshinori) - has disbanded, and it seems the days of the past are long gone. Masta and Ani have left for better places. Ucchie is in the Self-Defense Force, mostly getting harassed by his menacing female commander (Kuriyama Chiaki, Kill Bill). Only Bambi remains in Kisarazu, and one day he hears a voice from above: "If you build it, he will come." Bambi goes about rounding up the original gang, and sure enough he - Bussan's spirit - does return Field of Dreams-style, along with a baseball team of zombies.
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