This work, "Oi! Tombo", has been decided to be made into an anime in 2024, and it is attracting attention as a rare golf manga that has made it to the anime stage. Golf manga is rarely made into an anime compared to sports such as baseball and soccer, so why was this work able to make it to the anime stage? The reason behind this lies in the unique background of golf manga and the hidden challenges that golf manga must overcome in the future. In this article, I would like to analyze and introduce the current state of golf manga from this work, "Oi! Tombo". Although it is a genre that is not often made into an anime, it is a genre that is interesting compared to other sports manga, so I hope that this work, "Oi! Tombo", will pique your interest in golf manga.
Golf manga with few anime adaptations
As mentioned at the beginning, golf manga is a genre that is rarely animated. However, while the number of baseball players is 2.68 million in 2022, the number of golf players is about 5.6 million in a 2022 survey, making it a sport with a larger player population than baseball.
Unlike other sports, it is difficult to adapt into animation
Even though more people play golf than baseball, why is it a minor sport in anime? The reason behind this is that golf is difficult to portray as an anime. Compared to baseball or soccer, there are fewer movements in golf, and from the outside, it just looks like the player is repeating the same swing over and over. This lack of movement makes it difficult to adapt golf into an animation.
Young people are turning away from golf
Also, anime works are basically enjoyed by young people. Although the number of baseball players is certainly smaller than that of golf, there are many young people, which overlaps with the age group that watches anime. On the other hand, golf has a low number of young players, as the "young people are turning away from golf" cries out, so it is difficult to turn it into an anime.
Small serialization in golf magazines
Golf manga has never received much attention, and it was said that the best it could get was a small serialization in golf magazines that deal with golf information. Magazines are the media that middle-aged people get the most, so publishing them in magazines was the only way to attract attention. Due to this background, golf manga tends not to attract much attention.
Why can't golf become a major content like baseball?
So why can't golf manga attract the attention of young people like baseball manga and become a major content? From here, I would like to briefly explain the weaknesses of golf manga. It's not that golf manga is bad, but rather that baseball manga is too strong, so please check it out.
Baseball is fun even for amateurs
The strength of baseball is that it is easy to understand even for amateurs. No matter how little you understand the rules, you can tell that you are getting closer to victory when the batter hits the ball, and that the defensive team is getting closer to victory if the ball thrown by the pitcher is not hit.
Less opportunities to be exposed to it from an early age
And above all, golf is a sport that people have few opportunities to be exposed to from an early age. Although the number of players is greater than baseball, most people start playing after they become adults, so it is difficult for children to try playing golf. On the other hand, baseball is active in club activities and is not currently played, so it is not included in the number of players, but it can be said that the potential fan base is larger than that of golf, as people who are still interested in baseball because they used to play it in the past.
Golf is expensive and has a lot of technical terms
The reason why few people want to play golf from an early age is because the barrier to entry is high. Golf has a lot of technical terms, and etiquette is also specified in detail. And above all, it costs a lot of money to practice and prepare equipment. It is a sport that is difficult to start unless you are an adult who has money to spare and can understand etiquette to a certain extent.
The anime adaptation is a great achievement for a golf manga
Compared to baseball, golf has rules that are difficult for amateurs to understand, and there are few young players, which is why it is a difficult genre to adapt into an anime. For this reason, there are very few golf manga that have been decided to be adapted into an anime, like this work, so the decision to adapt this work, "Oi! Tombo," to an anime can be said to be a great achievement for a golf manga.
It was the favorite to be animated as a golf manga
Thus, this golf manga, "Oi! Tombo," was said to be "an achievement in itself to be animated." However, while it is said to be difficult to animate, it was the favorite to be animated as a golf manga, so much so that it was said, "If a golf manga was to be animated, it would have to be Oi! Tombo."
Friendly characters and a dramatic story
This is because this work, "Oi! Tombo," is a rare golf manga, and is characterized by friendly characters and a dramatic story. Generally, golf manga tends to focus on techniques and thrilling scenes, but this work deliberately makes those scenes less interesting and focuses on highlighting the charm of the characters.
Can this work create a trend for golf anime?
Of course, the work also depicts techniques unique to golf manga, but none of the techniques are very realistic, and the manga tends to be depicted as fiction. Even if the terminology is difficult, if you can accept it as fiction and focus on depicting interesting techniques, this work shows that even amateurs can enjoy it.
The uniqueness of this work as a golf manga
As such, this work can be said to be quite unique as a golf manga. From here, I would like to delve deeper into the uniqueness of this work, "Oi! Tombo," as a golf manga. The ingenuity of this work can also be applied to other sports manga, so if you are interested in sports manga other than golf, please check it out.
Depicts realistic depictions, but does not forget to be entertaining as a manga work
While this work depicts realistic techniques so that golf fans can enjoy it, there are many bold depictions as a manga work, such as the protagonist Ooi Tonbo's eccentric golf playing style. The important thing is not to depict realistic golf play, but to prepare a development that readers will find enjoyable to read. In this way, this work is consciously drawn to develop a story that puts the reader first, not golf first.
Characters over Techniques
For this reason, this work is more about depicting the backgrounds and inner thoughts of the characters than about their techniques. Golf is also known as a mental sport, and if your mind wavers while playing, the ball may fly in an unexpected direction. This work delves into the mental aspect of golf, while also depicting the story of the characters.
A story that follows the growth of a female protagonist
For this reason, this work can be said to be a manga that features characters, but the protagonist is a woman, and it is a story about a girl who has been playing golf since she was little and who distinguishes herself as a professional. Therefore, rather than each individual sport, you can enjoy the growth of a woman named Oi Tonbo.
Will this lead to an expansion of the golf demographic?
Thus, while this work depicts the very niche theme of golf, it is designed to be enjoyable even for manga fans who are not familiar with golf. This challenging style of the work has been a great success, attracting fans other than golfers, and has even led to its anime adaptation.
Friendly illustrations
Oi Tonbo, who appears in this work, is also a childlike character with the cuteness of an anime character. Golf manga often has characters with distinctive illustrations, but in this work, characters with friendly illustrations that appeal to everyone play a major role.
This work jumps out of a golf magazine
These various ideas were successful, and this work jumped out of the golf magazine and caught the attention of many people. Golf manga is often supported by a small number of core fans in the narrow world of golf magazines, but this work has become a work that is accepted by a wide range of manga fans, with the number of copies of the book alone exceeding 1.8 million.
Surprisingly well received by people other than those with golf experience
Therefore, when you look into the fans of this work, you will find that there are surprisingly many fans who are not golfers. In the niche market of golf manga, there has never been a manga that has gained so many fans who are not golfers. This trend will accelerate even further with the anime adaptation of this work.
The deep world of golf
Golf has attracted attention due to the animation of "Oi! Tombo", but golf itself is actually deep and is a very interesting sport even if you pay attention to it as a competition. Compared to baseball and soccer, it is a sport that is not familiar to high school and junior high school students, but if you play it as an adult, you will realize how fun it is, so please find out about golf now.
It's fun if you understand the rules
Golf has complicated rules and terminology, and if an amateur reads a golf manga, they tend to find themselves in a situation where they can't understand what is being said because of all the technical terms. On the other hand, if you play golf and naturally understand the rules, you will be able to follow the conversations of those players, so it can be said that it is a genre that you can understand the fun of. There is no doubt that it is a high barrier to entry, but if you take the plunge and jump over that barrier, it can be said that it is a genre that allows you to experience many masterpieces that you have not been able to experience before.
Useful Golf
And above all, golf is a very useful skill for working adults once you learn to play. Unlike baseball or soccer, it is a sport where you go around a course slowly and take your time, so you can have various conversations while playing. Therefore, you may talk about work with your coworkers while playing golf.
Get to know the world of golf through anime!
If you can play golf like this, not only will you be able to enjoy a wide range of golf manga that you have not been able to understand before, but you will also be able to use it as a communication tool after you become a working adult. If you can learn golf, the possibilities will expand, so even if you do not have the time to play golf right now, why not try to get in touch with the world of golf by watching the anime version of this work, "Oi! Dragonfly"?
Summary
What did you think? This time, we have delved deeper into the genre of golf manga, starting with this work, "Oi! Dragonfly". Compared to baseball or soccer manga, golf is a genre that doesn't attract much attention, and if you read it and you've never played golf, you'll find it full of technical terms and you won't understand what it's saying. It's a genre with a strong quirk, but there are works like this one, "Oi! Dragonfly," that even people who have never played golf can enjoy, and there are many maniac works that you can enjoy more deeply by taking the plunge and learning the rules while actually playing. If you're a fan who became interested in golf manga after watching the anime version of this work, "Oi! Dragonfly," please take a look at other golf manga.
