Daigo Shigeno loves baseball. Ever since he was an infant Daigo's been surrounded by baseball. His father, Goro, is a famous Japanese baseball player. When Daigo becomes a fourth grader he decides to join his local Little League team, the Mifune Dolphins, in hope of becoming as good of a baseball player as his dad.
Unfortunately, Daigo becomes frustrated due to his lack of skill, combined with peer pressure to live up to his father's legacy. Within a year Daigo gives up his dream. Now an apathetic sixth grader, Daigo's desire to play is rekindled when he meets Hikaru Sato, the son of his father's friend and rival Toshiya Sato.
Major 2nd is a 2015 sequel to the 1990s manga Major. It is published by Shogakukan. In April of 2018 Major 2nd was adapted into an anime.
Major 2nd provides examples:
- Anime Accent Absence: Hikaru was raised in New York but speaks Japanese fluently, while speaking English with an accent.
- Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Daigo is not a Child Prodigy like his father.
- Establishing Character Moment: The series begins with Daigo reciting his paper on how he loves his dad, loves baseball, and wishes to be a great pitcher like his dad.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: Daigo found out the hard way that it can be difficult having high expectation put on you because of your parent's legacy. He thought he'd be an instantly good pitcher, but he turns out to be average if not below average. It discourages him at first.
- Generation Xerox:
- This is both Daigo and Izumi's goal. Like their father, they both love baseball and are on their school's baseball teams.
- Daigo and Hikaru are rivals. Their fathers were also baseball rivals growing up.
- New Transfer Student: The end of episode 1 introduces Hikaru as the new transfer student of one of the 4th grade classes.
- Pretty Boy: Before he even appears, Hikaru is described as an attractive new student.
- The Rival: Hikaru is one to Daigo, just like their father's Goro and Toshiya in the original series.
- Ship Tease: Daigo blushes when Sakura asks to walk home together.
- Spin-Offspring: It is a sequel series starring Daigo, the son of the protagonist of Major.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Daigo began playing with the Dolphins as a fourth grader but grew frustrated with his inability to play at the level he wanted. He quit until he rejoined in sixth grade.
