Cross Game
Subtitle says it all… Lol!
Ok.. Seriously, I’m totally in love…
With Cross Game. Lol! You didn’t for a second think I’d actually be confessing my feelings on NaNeee?! Did you? -.-”
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5th grader Ko Kitamura lives next door to the Tsukishima family, owners of a batting cage and the Clover cafe. His girlfriend, Wakaba, is the 2nd Tsukishima daughter; the 3rd daughter, the baseball prodigy Aoba, can’t stand him. Wakaba dreams of Ko pitching at legendary Koshien Stadium, site of the national high school championship finals. However, tragedy strikes, and it is up to Ko, with the help of Aoba and his other teammates, to make Wakaba’s dream come true,
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Here we have a bunch of kids, barely adults yet fully matured enough to understand love and look at it with a truly open heart. Open any other random anime, and we have a bunch of grown-ups, slapping the arse off each other and still a-blur to what love represents.
Hurray for consistencies don’t you think? Lol.
Like I’ve mentioned a while back, the animation feels fresh as it successfully differentiates itself from the animation style of other animes. The different character portraits and the simple match between color and outlines are a welcomed combination for a nice relaxing watch. I know my screen-shots don’t exactly show that, but I was taking random shots and deleted the anime before I realized I didn’t exactly take much varieties. Lol!
Character development and the non-baseball storyline in Cross Game is a definite positive. To slap viewers with a “WTF?!” the moment they start taking fond of the irresistible charm Wakaba and Ko has from the very first episode. Now THAT’s golden!
The baseball aspect of the anime , however, feels way too lacking. 50 episodes, 3 years of school baseball and only 3 matches were given any focus on. Baseball itself too, has been simple in the anime. Some matches feel like they lasted just minutes. Well, actually… all matches.
It’s good that they cut to the chase but it kills the mood at times. They could have made the matches more nail-biting by going into the finer details between plays. A slight touch of “One Outs” would have been perfect here.
I enjoyed the last 3 ending themes a lot. Opening and the first ending felt pretty much “Myeeeh” though. Nothing I would put on my play-list.
End of the day, the development of the relationship between characters were more worth watching than the baseball itself. And I love that aspect of Cross Game. Don’t expect crazy graphics, heart wrenching drama (maybe a little -.-”), deep and thick plots and the anime will shine through being just so averagely packaged.
In Cross Game, viewers pretty much know what to expect and will still love every bit of it!
Cross Game
Rating: 5-Stars
More info: AnimeNewsNetwork.com
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NaNeee?! 
A very good anime, I was really touched by how all the characters just had great chemistry through their interactions and you really rooted for certain characters to come away victorious at times. The baseball drama aspects were also preserved well and they managed to keep it from forcing us to suspend our disbelief. Overall, great series, probably the best out of those that started in 2009.
April 28, 2010 at 1:25 am
I’ll tell you what Baka-Raptor once wisely told me:
Watch Touch.
April 28, 2010 at 12:49 pm
For me, character development drives sports anime, so it’s good that it’s got that part.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll watch this ever because I don’t like the character art style.
April 29, 2010 at 6:16 pm
@Zzero
“Overall, great series, probably the best out of those that started in 2009”
A gem like this doesn’t come often indeed!
@Glo
Hahaha. Will definitely put Touch on the list, now if only it ever clears up. Xp
@Yi
Lol. A stage you can never get pass?
May 2, 2010 at 6:05 pm