Short Program

Probably one of the most difficult feats in manga is to tell a compelling short story, and Mitsuru Adachi is a master of the medium. This selection of some of his best short works include two tales in the dangerous life of a pretty private-eye-to-be; a boy's stop-off on the way changes his life's destination; five short-shorts in a quirky cafe; Japan's future ace pitcher can't even throw a ball; when a school play goes bad, the world is a stage for love and karate; a drama of rugby and past lives; two off-beat time-travel tales; and more! Mitsuru Adachi's low-key but high-impact stories are a must read for any manga aficionado. (Source: VIZ Media) 1. Haru ga Kuru Mae ni... (Before Spring Comes) 2. Wakaba Mark (Subject - Wakaba) 3. Tochuu Gesha (A Stop on the Way) 4. 5×4P 1 5. 5×4P 2 6. 5×4P 3 7. 5×4P 4 8. 5×4P 5 9. Shindo 4 (4 on the Richter Scale) 10. Ace wo Tsubuse! (Aim at the Ace) 11. Spring Call 12. Yuku Haru (Spring Passes) 13. Kaerimichi (The Road Home) 1 14. Kaerimichi (The Road Home) 2 15. Sayonara Game

Satomi Azusa is a popular teenage gravure idol. She's also a highly talented baseball player, but, as a girl, she can't play on her school's team. Her father happens to be the coach of the team, and he concocts a scheme to allow her to play. His scheme involves Hirayama Keita, Azusa's childhood friend, a teenager of no particular talent. Keita's redeeming feature is that he looks a lot like Azusa. In fact, after putting Keita in a wig and girl's clothes, not even their parents can tell the two of them apart. To help Azusa's (and her father's) dream come true, Keita agrees to trade places with her during the baseball games. Soon "Hirayama Keita" becomes a popular player, and "he" begins to move towards a career in pro baseball. How long can Keita and Azusa keep up the act? What will happen when people find out? (Source: MangaHelpers)