Inshallah. The World Series is over in five games. The 2024 Dodgers have made it to the mountaintop, no matter what this pretty dummy thought. Did it really happen? I think we need proof.

Calls, jokes and canards aside, I walked the line between a serious journalist and a goofball fan. Depending on the subject, sometimes it’s a mile wide and sometimes it’s an inch wide.

Between the (funny) lines

Shohei Ohtani comes from Ōshū in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. I’ve been a fan of Japanese culture for almost thirty years, from watching dubbed, terrifying Godzilla movies with my mother to discovering anime Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) and The vision of Escaflowne.

Oddly enough, Mexico and Latin America have really impressed the DBZ in a way that seems more passionate and cultural than the United States, but that essay is a topic for another day.

I’ve tried not to make assumptions about Ohtani based on his origins. Still, Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s success in Japan was a big deal, considering television ratings and official announcements.

Either way, I had a question in the back of my mind that I forgot about as the season progressed.

Women’s Night took place at Dodger Stadium in July and everything changed. All of the Dodgers’ wives and girlfriends chose alternative walk-up songs for the team, and with one exception, the musical selections didn’t stand out.

Ohtani’s wife, Mamiko Tanaka, chose Il Vento D’oro by Yugo Kanno. The song is the theme of the main character from Part 4 of the venerable anime JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. For anyone who knows anything about anime, this song is a clear indication because you don’t just choose this song at random.

If they were simply choosing a nondescript Japanese pop song, someone would probably have picked “Stay With Me” by Miki Matsubara or, if you wanted a deeper tone, “It’s Gonna Rain” by Bonnie Pink. Yes, the songs are old, but good music is good music, regardless of whether you can understand the lyrics.

I wondered if Ohtani was like me, an otaku, and wondered what anime and manga he liked. When I saw the following from Kiké Hernandez during the NLCS, I was confirmed that my thoughts were not wrong.

“We can take the bus to San Diego and it looks like a party bus. Or we could be on a flight with music blaring and He just sits in his chair and reads comics. And that’s just Sho. He is amazing. “

(Emphasis added.)

No disrespect, but Ohtani doesn’t read Jughead comics. Like someone researching the mystery of Pepe Silvia, I had an idea when I had to get to the bottom of this mystery, this nagging question. I was hindered at every turn.

After all, I’m probably the Brent Honeywell of Dodger writers; Could you even pick me from a lineup without Adric? I couldn’t just ask anyone serious to ask Ohtani, because honestly it’s not a serious question.

Eric Stephen has better things to do than endure my flights of fancy; It’s enough work just to edit my (sometimes) long essays. I’ve improved quite a bit over the last three years.

Someone had to ask, I need to know: What manga and anime is Shohei Ohtani a fan of?

Does he like serious things like? Berserk? Does he like the classics? Naruto, DBZor bleaching? Was he interested in ongoing things like JoJoor (God forbid I dare to dream) One piece? Was he a fan of the work in progress? Chainsaw Man or Dandadan?

Ohtani just isn’t like us, but if there’s something in common, I’ll understand it the way Mookie Betts in New York understands a foul ball.

I have so many questions right now.

And yes, I could and will do some research and ask about the gondola. I’m looking forward to writing lots of year-in-review essays. I have been working on learning Japanese for 50 days (since this essay) and am anticipating a special project that I am excited to share with you. I guess a little taste wouldn’t hurt…

I have a 2025 itinerary to complete and guide entries for six new cities to write, but we’re finally starting to prepare for a parade, and as the season’s credits begin to roll, I have the questions for Ohtani that no one wants to ask would have thought:

Shohei Ohtani, what is your favorite manga?

(大谷翔平さんの好きな漫画は何ですか？ / Ōtani Shōhei-san no sukina manga wa nanidesu ka?)

Follow-up question: What is your favorite anime?

(追加の質問ですが、あなたの好きなアニメは何ですか? / Tsuika no shitsumondesuga, anata no sukina anime wa nanidesu ka?)