Ranked #224

Cross Game

Cross Game is the latest story from Adachi to be animated. Once again, Koshien rules!

If anyone has watched or read any of Adachi's previous stories (Touch, H2) than you will know what to expect: Great characters (albeit looking the same as ever!), a great story, lots of dry humor, and the ever-present dream of going to Koshien. However, there are some subtle differences with this story and characters that I think make Cross Game Adachi's best work so far. I'll get more in depth with that a little later. On to some categories:

Art/Animation - 7/10

Some people may find the art a little bland. However, I am going to pretty much ignore the drawing style, as it is entirely based on Adachi's drawing style, and as he has been successful it it for a long time, there really is no need to address it. However, his drawing style is mostly reflected on the character designs. Other than that, the art is stunning, especially the clouds when they show the sky (which they do often). I will talk about the animation, though, which is what most of my score is based on. Overall, the animation is fine, but it suffers somewhat because of the drawing style, which tends to produce bland looking animation. It also seemed to me that the director took a look at the huge success of Touch and thought that they could copy some of the animation styles from that time, which also drags it down a little bit. However, the animation is still crisp and lifelike, especially at crucial moments in the baseball games, which is where it probably needs the most focus, and they did a great job of that.

Sound - 9/10

They picked a good first opening song for this anime. There is only one so far (Summer Rain) through 30 episodes, and I imagine there will be another one soon. Summer Rain has a nice touch of acoustic guitar that leads into the rock song. The band has a nice male singer with pretty good range. The opening animations are also very good. The endings so far have been pretty good as well, although I don't listen to endings very much. I like the second ending better than the first, but that pretty much all I have to say on that. The background sound/music is also very good. It reflects the tension very well during games, and is very good at setting the mood at the batting center and in homes as well.

Characters - 10/10

Without a doubt, the characters are the star of the show, and are the reason the premise behind Cross Game works. Without good characters, there is no way anyone would want to keep reading and watching Adachi's works.

The hero of the story is Kou Kitamura, son of the owner of Kitamura Sports. When we first meet him as a child and later as a middle-schooler, he is aloof and self-centered, but he shows flashes of competitiveness and compassion, which increase their presence in his character throughout the show and create a very likable hero. His dream of making it to Koshien is based on Wakaba's dream of Kou pitching in the Koshien in front of a sellout crowd.

The next character to talk about is Tsukishima Wakaba. Although she really is a minor character in terms of real-life presence, her influence is seen throughout the entire show and behind many of the motivations that the characters have. Her death is a tear jerking one, and from then on, while she is not seen again in the real life of the characters, numerous flashbacks and memories that Kou, Aoba, and some others have of her remind us of her influence, sometimes to an annoying extent (although not very often). Her character is almost perfect, and made more so because of her death, which I think is kind of lame in that there are no moments of Wakaba as anything other than a good girl. She is always kind, beautiful but not conceited, and she only shows selfishness with her relationship with Kou.

The second main character and the heroine of the show is Tsukishima Aoba, the third daughter of the Tsukishima family. Aoba is loves baseball and is fiercely competitive. She was also jealous of Kou as he spent so much time with her older sister, Wakaba, and early on declares her dislike of Kou, though he doesn't seem to care. Aoba's competitiveness never changes throughout the story, even though she knows she will never be able to play an official baseball game in high school. Aoba and Kou are constantly at odds with each other, and provide great humor and banter in their encounters, which happen often as they live right next to each other.

Akaishi Osamu is Kou's catcher and bats fifth. He was tough guy at a young age, but after Wakaba died, who he liked, he became more considerate of others. He also was the one who heard Wakaba's dream of Koshien, with Kou pitching, Akaishi catching, and Aoba in center field. He, along with Kou fight to make Wakaba's dream come true.

Azuma Yuuhei is the fourth batter of the Sheishu High team. He was a star player in middle school who came to Sheishu because of a gathering of famous middle school players under a new coach who promised a trip to Koshien. When the coach quit, most of the other players left, but he stayed behind, believing that Kou had what it took to reach Koshien.

Nakanishi Daiki is Kou's friend from childhood. He was Kou's catcher throughout middle school, but moved to third base at Sheishu High. He bats third.

Senda Keiichirou is the shortstop and leadoff batter on the Sheishu High team. He has a big ego and likes to act flashy, which the caoch calls "perfect" for a shortshop.

Story - 8/10

The story of Cross Game flows in a laid back matter. The motivations of each character are conveyed very smoothly and there are no real inconsistencies within the plot, which is reflective of Adachi's genius as a storyteller. The story sneaks up on you and begins to encompass you, whether you want to or not, and because the characters aren't so easy to figure out at times, it keeps you guessing as well, which keeps you engaged. The only issues I have with the story is that the influence of Wakaba seems a bit too much, and she annoys me at times.

Enjoyment - 9/10

Now the pace is a bit slow, and that may turn some people off, but this is no high profile action series. This also isn't a comedy either, but it also doesn't become overly dramatic. The show is character-driven and has virtually no plot holes, so, it doesn't become confusing, which often takes away enjoyment, especially with a drama like Cross Game is. It's an interesting show to watch and the pacing of the show, as well as the right balance of action, comedy, and character development serve to ensure that you keep watching from one episode to the next.

Although the plot may be simplistic (Go to Koshien! Rah! Rah!) at times, Cross Game doesn't depend on a complex plot, as the show all about the characters than anything else. The main focus of the show, from beginning to end, are the characters. This is emphasized by the fact that the action and drama clearly take second place to each of the characters, and therein lies its genius.

OVERALL: 9/10

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