Moshi Koko Yakyu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no "Management" o Yondara

***Moshi Kōkō Yakyū no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no "Management" o Yondara***

(もし高校野球の女子マネ   ージャーがドラッカーの『マネジメント』を読んだら *Moshi Kōkō Yakyū no Joshi Manējā ga Dorakkā no "Manejimento" o Yondara*?, What If the Manageress of a High School Baseball Team read Drucker's "Management"?), or ***Moshidora*** (もしドラ?), is a 2009 Japanese business novel by Natsumi Iwasaki. It follows high school girl Minami Kawashima who manages her school's baseball team using Peter Drucker's*Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices* to rally her dispirited teammates. The novel has been adapted into a 10-episode anime television series by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK and produced by Production I.G. Originally scheduled to air on March 14, 2011, it was postponed due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and instead aired between April 25, 2011 and May 6, 2011. A live-action movie was released in Japan on June 4, 2011.

## Plot

The story follows Minami Kawashima who, as a favor to her childhood friend, Yuki Miyata, takes over as manager for the Hodokubo High School Baseball team when Yuki is hospitalized with an illness. With no previous experience managing a team, Minami ends up picking up a copy of Peter Drucker's business management book, *Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices*, and starts to manage the baseball team like one would manage a business, with the goal of reaching the nationals.

## Characters

Minami Kawashima (川島 みなみ *Kawashima Minami*?)
*Voiced by:* Yōko Hikasa
The protagonist of this story, Minami is a high school kid who hates baseball, having had her dreams of becoming a professional baseball player shattered at a young age. When her best friend, Yuki, is hospitalized with an illness, Minami takes her place as manager for a high school baseball team, using Peter Drucker's *Management* as a reference point. She is portrayed by Atsuko Maeda (from the girl group AKB48) in the film.
Yuki Miyata (宮田 夕紀 *Miyata Yūki*?)
*Voiced by:* Kana Hanazawa
Minami's best friend who has been with her since they were babies. She has had a condition since when she was little and had become hospitalized after becoming the manager of the baseball team. She joined the team having been impressed seeing Minami play baseball as a kid, and dreams of taking her team to the nationals. However, just as the team reach the finals of the prefectural tournament, she succumbs to her terminal illness and passes away. She is portrayed by Haruna Kawaguchi in the film.
Makoto Kachi (加地 誠 *Kachi Makoto*?)
*Voiced by:* Kenjiro Tsuda
The coach of the Hodokubo Baseball Team. While his orders are sometimes harsh, he always has the team's safety in mind. After Minami informs him about innovation, he concocts the 'no-bunt, no-ball' strategy, hoping to revolutionize high school baseball. He is portrayed by Yo Oizumi in the film.
Keiichirō Asano (浅野 慶一郎 *Asano Keiichirō*?)
*Voiced by:* Tetsuya Kakihara
The team's main pitcher. He is often determined to show his worth on the field, though his play tends to weaken after making 100 pitches. He is portrayed by Koji Seto in the film.
Jirō Kashiwagi (柏木 次郎 *Kashiwagi Jirō*?)
*Voiced by:* Akio Suyama
The team's catcher, who is also one of Minami's childhood friends. He is portrayed by Sosuke Ikematsu in the film.
Ayano Hōjō (北条 文乃 *Hōjō Ayano*?)
*Voiced by:* Sayaka Nakaya
The team's score keeper and part of the management team. She is incredibly shy, usually saying little else besides "Oh, yeah, right," and has a strong admiration for Yuki. She is portrayed by Minami Minegishi (AKB48) in the film.
Jun Hoshide (星出 純 *Hoshide Jun*?)
*Voiced by:* Yoshimasa Hosoya
Initially the team's captain, though prior to the prefectural tournament he steps down from this position to focus on his plays.
Masayoshi Nikai (二階 正義 *Nikai Masayoshi*?)
*Voiced by:* Shintaro Asanuma
One of the team members who joins the management team and is later made the team's captain after Jun steps down.
Fumiaki Kutsuki (朽木 文明 *Kutsuki Fumiaki*?)
*Voiced by:* Ryouta Akazawa
The team's pinch runner. He is a fast athlete, often occasionally training with the track club.
Yūnosuke Sakurai (桜井 祐之助 *Sakurai Yūnosuke*?)
*Voiced by:* Hideki Nakanishi
The team's shortstop. He is rather timid and often makes mistakes under pressure.
Daisuke Niimi (新見 大輔 *Niimi Daisuke*?)
*Voiced by:* Yasuaki Takumi
He's the team's secondary pitcher. He often lacks physical strength.

Hanae Chin (陳 花江 *Chin Hanae*?)
*Voiced by:* Yukiko Monden
An anime original character, Hanae is a friend of Yūnosuke's who tries to support him when he's down. She later joins the management team, wanting to make something of herself.