Yoshitaka Yamane is one of Goro Shigeno's middle school classmates and fellow teammate on the Mifune East Baseball Team. Introduced in the Mifune East Arc, he becomes a regular character for the rest of the series.
Appearance[]
Yamane first appeared with shorter hair but decided to grow it after his injury. After he entered high school, he appears with a shorter again.
Character[]
He was a baseball enthusiast before his injury. Since then, his personality turned to rebellious while growing resentful towards the sport. But despite his renegade behavior, Yamane would not resort to violence according to his disapproval of his flunkies injuring the players.
Yamane in season 3, during the match between Mifune High and Seishu High
History[]
Yamane was a member of Mifune East Junior High's baseball club until his senpai teammate intentionally injures him in a practice to take his starter position. But even after he recovered, Yamane realized he cannot throw with his right arm anymore without pain. Upset that even the new captain failed to recognize his injury, Yamane began to resent baseball and ended up becoming a delinquent. He would prevent anyone from enjoying the sport such as using his gang to chase off the club's members and vandalizing the equipment.
After Goro returns to Mifune and transfer into the school, he quickly quarrels and fights with Yamane when the equipment gets vandalized again. Yamane ended up confessing about his injury, but was motivated into baseball again after hearing Goro's story about his past injury. Furthered by the captain's apology, Yamane begins to train with his other arm.
He plays a large role during the Mifune East Middle arc, being on of the deuteragonists alongside Daisuke Komori.
During the Seishu High arc, Yamane, Komori and Masahiko Oobayashi build a team in Mifune High in order to participate in the regional tournament. He and his teammates end up facing Goro in a match and ultimately lose to him. During this time, Yamane is shown to be fully recovered from his injuries and assumes the position of pitcher, being Mifune High's ace.
Yamane is one of Goro's friends to appear in almost every season of the anime and almost every arc of the manga after his introduction.