Japanese Phenom Shohei Ohtani Is an Avid Manga Reader but Which Series Tops His List?

In the world of baseball, there’s only one who is almost flawless in all aspects of the game. A rare combination of a masterful pitcher, a powerful hitter, and a dynamic outfielder – Shohei Ohtani. The spotlight not only falls on what the slugger does on the field, but his off-the-field life captivates fans too. The Japanese sensation, if not stealing the show on the diamond, can be found rifling through the pages of manga.

Does he like Naruto or Dragon Ball? He once used the first ending song of Jujutsu Kaisen as his walk-up music, so maybe he enjoys watching Itadori and Gojo Sensei. Like the rest of the world, has Ohtani been captured by the compelling story of Attack on Titan? Or maybe he likes Ace of Diamond or Major for baseball. Or perhaps it’s an entirely different sport.

Shohei Ohtani’s All-Star favorite series 

Everyone has their favorite leisure time activity – for Shohei Ohtani, it’s manga reading. But among his top favorites is not a story concerning yakyu. The baseball legend is vibing perfectly with a basketball manga. Even though the Japanese player is not an MVP in basketball, his manga love expands to the hard court. 

Ohtani, in a candid revelation, shared last year that he enjoys reading Japanese comics, especially Slam Dunk. Despite stating that basketball isn’t exactly his strong suit, his love for Slam Dunk remains solid. Not only does he enjoy the comic, but the magic of the series makes him want to try the sport too, even though the two-way phenom might not have the All-Star skills in basketball.

The story of Sakuragi and the gang, and consequently Shohoku High School’s basketball team’s story, may not exactly be what Ohtani experienced growing up. But with upward of 170 million copies in circulation, one can easily understand why the tale resonates with Shotime too.

But just when fans thought Ohtani’s interests couldn’t get any more fascinating, here come the badminton blues. 

Baseball champion never won a badminton battle

Ohtani comes from an athletic family; his father played baseball while his mother was a badminton player. Having played in the Japanese Industrial League, Toru Ohtani passed on his yakyu skills to his son. But from his mother’s side, who played badminton at the national level, Shohei never did all that well, at least compared to his mother.

Per Fangirl Sports Network, “To this day, Shohei says he has never beat his mother in a badminton match.” Despite conquering the baseball world with his exceptional skills, it seems like the two-way sensation remains on the losing side against Kayoko Ohtani!

Read More: Everything to Know About Japanese Wonder Shohei Ohtani’s Family

Shohei Ohtani may be an all-rounder with varied interests but however perfect, even he can’t do everything.

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