Baby Steps

Baby Steps

Cover of first manga volume of Baby Steps published by Kodansha, featuring Eiichirō Maruo and Natsu Takasaki.
ベイビーステップ
(Beibī Suteppu)
Genre Comedy, Sport, Romance
Manga
Written by Hikaru Katsuki
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Magazine
Original run October 2007 – ongoing
Volumes 34
Anime television series
Directed by Masahiko Murata
Produced by Kenji Saito
Written by Katsuhiko Chiba
Music by Yoichiro Yoshikawa
Studio Pierrot
Network NHK-E
Original run April 6, 2014 – September 21, 2014
Episodes 25
Anime television series
Season 2
Directed by Masahiko Murata
Written by Katsuhiko Chiba
Music by Kōhei Yamada
Yoichiro Yoshikawa
Studio Pierrot
Network NHK-E
Original run April 5, 2015 – scheduled
Episodes 25

Baby Steps (ベイビーステップ Beibī Suteppu) is a Japanese manga series by Hikaru Katsuki. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since October 2007. The story is centered on Eiichirō Maruo, a first year honor student who one day decides that he is lacking exercise. He then joins the Southern Tennis Club (STC) where he begins his tennis journey. An anime television series adaptation of the series began airing in Japan in April 2014 with a second season began airing April 5, 2015. It also won the 38th Kodansha Manga Award in the Best Shōnen Manga category.[1]

Story

Eiichirō Maruo, a first year honor student, one day decides he is unhappy with the way things are and lacks exercise. He finds a flyer for the Tennis Club and decides to check it out. He is instantly captivated by it. With no prior experience and poor physical conditioning, he embarks on a tennis journey using his smarts, dedication and work ethic. He uses his inherent studious nature to develop an extremely strategic approach to tennis, taking notes on the habits and tendencies of his opponents thus allowing him to predict their shots before they make them.

Characters

Southern Tennis Club

Eiichirō Maruo (丸尾 栄一郎 Maruo Eiichirō)
Voiced by: Taishi Murata
Eiichirō Maruo, also called Ei-chan (エーちゃん) by his friends is the main protagonist of the manga, Baby Steps. He later becomes a member of Southern Tennis Club, STC on his mother's suggestion to fulfill his lack of exercise. His aim is to become a professional tennis player.
Natsu Takasaki (鷹崎 奈津 Takasaki Natsu)
Voiced by: Minako Kotobuki
Natsu Takasaki, also known as Natchan, is the main female protagonist. She is a member of Southern Tennis Club, and studies in the same year and high school as Maruo. She is aiming to become a professional player. Natsu is the exact opposite of Maruo tennis-wise.
Takuma Egawa (江川 逞 Egawa Takuma)
Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa
Maruo's first real rival, his aim is to be a professional. He seemed to have a crush on Natsu but that ended when she was getting very close to Maruo.
Yukichi Fukazawa (深沢 諭吉 Fukazawa Yukichi)
Voiced by: Hiro Shimono
Yūki Tajima (田島 勇樹 Tajima Yūki)
Voiced by: Yūki

Ōsugi High School

Kojirō Kageyama (影山 小次郎 Kageyama Kojirō)
Voiced by: Takuma Terashima

National tennis players

Takuya Miyagawa (宮川 卓也 Miyagawa Takuya)
Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara

Media

Manga

Volume list

As of March 17, 2015, 34 volumes have been released.[2]

No.Release date ISBN
01 February 15, 2008[3]ISBN 978-4-06-363957-5
02 March 17, 2008[4]ISBN 978-4-06-363968-1
03 May 16, 2008[5]ISBN 978-4-06-363991-9
04 August 12, 2008[6]ISBN 978-4-06-384027-8
05 October 17, 2008[7]ISBN 978-4-06-384052-0
06 January 16, 2009[8]ISBN 978-4-06-384089-6
07 April 17, 2009[9]ISBN 978-4-06-384124-4
08 June 17, 2009[10]ISBN 978-4-06-384149-7
09 September 17, 2009[11]ISBN 978-4-06-384188-6
10 November 17, 2009[12]ISBN 978-4-06-384214-2
11 February 17, 2010[13]ISBN 978-4-06-384248-7
12 April 16, 2010[14]ISBN 978-4-06-384283-8
13 July 16, 2010[15]ISBN 978-4-06-384329-3
14 October 15, 2010[16]ISBN 978-4-06-384381-1
15 January 17, 2011[17]ISBN 978-4-06-384428-3
16 April 15, 2011[18]ISBN 978-4-06-384459-7
17 June 17, 2011[19]ISBN 978-4-06-384506-8
18 September 16, 2011[20]ISBN 978-4-06-384558-7
19 November 17, 2011[21]ISBN 978-4-06-384580-8
20 February 17, 2012[22]ISBN 978-4-06-384631-7
21 April 17, 2012[23]ISBN 978-4-06-384655-3
22 July 17, 2012[24]ISBN 978-4-06-384706-2
23 September 14, 2012[25]ISBN 978-4-06-384735-2
24 December 17, 2012[26]ISBN 978-4-06-384782-6
25 February 15, 2013[27]ISBN 978-4-06-384812-0
26 May 17, 2013[28]ISBN 978-4-06-384865-6
27 August 16, 2013[29]ISBN 978-4-06-394911-7
28 November 15, 2013[30]ISBN 978-4-06-394964-3
29 January 17, 2014[31]ISBN 978-4-06-394994-0
30 March 17, 2014[32]ISBN 978-4-06-395028-1
31 June 17, 2014[33]ISBN 978-4-06-395105-9
32 August 16, 2014[34]ISBN 978-4-06-395160-8
33 November 17, 2014[2]ISBN 978-4-06-395244-5

Anime

Information on the anime can be found over on the List of Baby Steps episodes page. All episodes from seasons 1 & 2 that have aired are included.

Reception

In 2014, Baby Steps won the 38th Kodansha Manga Award in the Best Shōnen Manga category.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Yo-kai Watch, Baby Steps Win 38th Kodansha Manga Awards". Anime News Network. May 8, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 ベイビーステップ（３３） [Baby Steps (33)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１） [Baby Steps (1)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  4. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２） [Baby Steps (2)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ ベイビーステップ（３） [Baby Steps (3)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  6. ↑ ベイビーステップ（４） [Baby Steps (4)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ ベイビーステップ（５） [Baby Steps (5)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ ベイビーステップ（６） [Baby Steps (6)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ ベイビーステップ（７） [Baby Steps (7)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ ベイビーステップ（８） [Baby Steps (8)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  11. ↑ ベイビーステップ（９） [Baby Steps (9)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１０） [Baby Steps (10)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１１） [Baby Steps (11)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  14. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１２） [Baby Steps (12)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  15. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１３） [Baby Steps (13)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１４） [Baby Steps (14)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  17. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１５） [Baby Steps (15)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  18. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１６） [Baby Steps (16)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  19. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１７） [Baby Steps (17)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  20. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１８） [Baby Steps (18)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  21. ↑ ベイビーステップ（１９） [Baby Steps (19)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  22. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２０） [Baby Steps (20)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  23. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２１） [Baby Steps (21)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  24. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２２） [Baby Steps (22)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  25. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２３） [Baby Steps (23)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  26. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２４） [Baby Steps (24)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  27. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２５） [Baby Steps (25)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  28. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２６） [Baby Steps (26)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  29. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２７） [Baby Steps (27)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  30. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２８） [Baby Steps (28)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  31. ↑ ベイビーステップ（２９） [Baby Steps (29)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved January 17, 2014.
  32. ↑ ベイビーステップ（３０） [Baby Steps (30)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  33. ↑ ベイビーステップ（３１） [Baby Steps (31)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  34. ↑ ベイビーステップ（３２） [Baby Steps (32)] (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved December 3, 2014.

External links