The titular Hanagata is a Junior High student who used to be an ace Little League Pitcher until he busted his shoulder. Now, in Junior High, he has decided to focus on his batting. But, the School has been banned from official games, and the baseball club has reluctant members.

In the manga and anime, Tiger Mask (whose real name was Naoto Date) was a feared heel wrestler in America who was extremely vicious in the ring. However, he became a face after returning to Japan when a young boy said that he wanted to be a villain like Tiger Mask when he grew up. The boy resided in an orphanage, the same one that Tiger Mask grew up in during his childhood. Feeling that he did not want the boy to idolize a villain, Tiger was inspired to be a heroic wrestler. The main antagonists in the manga and anime was Tiger's Cave, a mysterious organization that trained young people to be villainous heel wrestlers on the condition that they gave half of their earnings to the organization. Tiger Mask was once a member of Tiger's Cave but no longer wanted anything to do with them, instead donating his money to the orphanage. This infuriated the leader of the organization and he sent numerous assassins, including other professional wrestlers, to punish him. Most of the environment and characters were fictitious, but real-life pro wrestlers Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba were included in the manga and anime as well.

Mitsuru Hanagata, the genius little league pitcher. He injured his shoulder in a little league match and withdrew from baseball. His shoulder should have healed, but in a match against the a baseball club full of hooligans, he realises that his shoulder is permantly injured. He will never be able to pitch again. So he turns to becoming a genius batter instead!

**"Hyuma, be a big giant star!"**This is the story of Hyuma Hoshi , a hot-blooded boy who endures intense, bloody training in response to his father's wish!Adapted into Anime twice once in 1968, lasting 182 episodes and again in 1977(As Shin Star of the Giants with a follow-up), lasting a total of 75 episodes. Numerous Anime films were also produced as well as an OVA featuring a crossover with Tezuka's Atom, directed by Gundam's Yoshiyuki Tomino.---- **Won the 8th Kodansha Children's Manga Award in 1967**

Ai Saotome is a high school girl from a well-to-do family. When she was kid, she was in an accident that resulted in a young boy being permanently scarred between his eyes while she emerged unscathed. Although she never knew who he was, she never forgot him.Makoto Taiga ' a young man with a scar between his eyes, has had a rough life, but has emerged as a bancho, rough and tough bully - a thug and a brawler and about as rude as they come - all of which he blames on the incident that gave him his scar. When Ai and Makoto run into each other again, Ai feels guilt for what Makoto has become and decides to intervene and rehabilitate him. Is he a diamond in the rough, or just a bully?NOTE: Volume count based on the bunkoban.