khane - 2016-12-20 23:45:33

Review link here:
Thematic review of Cross Game

https://animerurouni.wordpress.com/2016/12/19/thematic-review-2-cross-game/

theron.towne - 2016-12-19 07:58:05

(A review for parents/families.) This is one for the whole family to enjoy together. I liked Cross Game well enough when I first watched it by myself, but when I showed it to my kids (boys and girls) they were absolutely hooked. Even my wife genuinely enjoyed (almost) every episode, and I could tell she was having fun speculating with the kids about things like who that mysterious Ojii-chan was or whether the protagonists would win in the end (you can guess and hope, but the show doesn’t let you absolutely trust in a certain outcome).

A few things of note: There doesn’t seem to be a licensed version of Cross Game for viewing outside of Japan, nor does there seem to be a dubbed version (a shame, because this show is a real gem and deserves a wider audience). Also, my whole family is used to watching subs, even the young ones who can’t read. (They just watch and enjoy the animation. We rarely stop to explain what was said, and they rarely ask.) If you don’t normally watch subbed anime, your mileage may vary. Try a few episodes and see what you think.

Some small warnings for parents: There is some slight sexualization of female characters in this show, a few of the male characters are seen ogling on a very few occasions, and there is alcohol and tobacco use by some of the adults (in a way that is normal and acceptable in Japan). All of these things are incredibly tame in comparison to most shounen anime, but a very small number of things would probably have to be cut or changed to get a true G rating in the US. On a completely different note, if your kids don’t already own baseball gloves, balls, and bats, you’ll probably find yourself spending a bit of money on those things after they watch Cross Game.

Overall, I highly recommend this series. My family enjoyed Cross Game as much as or more than the Studio Ghibli films we have watched together.

novella.farrell - 2015-08-11 13:33:43

When we group up, everything that defines us as a person is brought into question. This could be our ideals, passions, hobbies, relationships with others and many aspects that make us, well, us. This is part of the reason why as we grow up, we end up remembering our childhood or high school lives in such a bittersweet fashion. It is this period of our life that defines us so much as people, where we look at things that defined us in the past, and where we decide whether to keep them or discard them.

Of course, this is not a difficult subject to write about or even make the audience relate to. Writing a story involving such a theme isn't difficult, since there really isn't much to do. The problem is, however, that writing characters centered around this theme is difficult. Since they are not defined by the setting, there's only so far you can go with writing characters around whatever the setting is. The key is, the characters have to feel and act human, not necessarily be complex (hell, in this kind of story, simplicity is probably the way to go). Problem is, a lot of writers sink into the melodrama and overblown character trait trap, where they focus on one layer and make that define the character or be overly dramatic even when there is nothing to be dramatic about.

Cross Game doesn't do that. Cross Game is human. In fact, it's so human that I legitimately wondered at times whether I was watching fictional characters or actual human beings. Hell, I wondered whether or not the writer was writing his own life experience onto the show.

The story isn't particularly remarkable, but serves its job well. The sports element is hardly even present for most of the show, and the show succeeds where most sports anime fail; making us care about the people playing the sports rather than watching it just for the sports. This works exceptionally well, hell I'd argue the show is more slice-of-life and about people discussing sports or practicing than actually playing matches. This works exceptionally well, since the viewer is emotionally involved in what's happening and isn't watching, oh I don't know, a football getting kicked around, players celebrating and that being the end of the story.

This wouldn't have worked without the characters. The characters are the driving force behind the show, and they never stop moving forward from the beginning to the end. I've spoken earlier on that they are human, and I cannot help but repeat myself; they are human.
They don't take loss by crying and running screaming or trying to kill themselves or any other stupid reaction. They don't go crazy and act like it's the end of the world if they lose a baseball game. No, they feel depressed for a bit, then life goes on. The character interactions are excellent and the romance which is the driving force behind the show is developed with a ridiculous amount of subtlety and care, and never feels forced or unnatural.

The artwork is pleasant to look at and very distinct, though the animation quality is nothing particularly special to look at. The backgrounds are very simply done, but somehow feel very normal looking and does a good job in bringing the show to life. The animation is the weakest aspect of the show, not because it's bad, but because the show deserves better.

The voice actors never scream or act irrationally, and a lot of care went into all of their lines. The soundtrack is nothing remarkable, but fits the overall mood of the show and plays at the right time, meaning that it's never in the way of the viewer enjoying the show.

Overall, Cross Game is an excellent show that does an exceptional job in its human characters, extremely human characterization and it's hard not to walk out of this show smiling and feeling satisfied. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

giovanny.tremblay - 2014-01-18 02:04:15

I went into this thinking it was a simple baseball anime with a little bit of romance from a star player or something like that. lets just say after the first episode they made it clear its not going to be like that. It was a highly enjoyable anime with almost no fillers which kept my attention the whole time. all though it was 50 episodes it didn't take me long to finish and left me wanting more. this is a anime that has taken a spot in one of my favorites and I highly recommend this to everyone.

whitney89 - 2013-11-21 11:55:17

Cross Game is a mixed bag of sports, romance, and slice of life so well balanced in its approach and execution that it leaves the viewer emotionally satisfied on a level seen only in the best of atmospheric slice of life anime.

Story

While its categorized as a baseball anime, the baseball is not what is on display here. Rather the relationship between Kou, Aoba, and the rest of the supporting cast is the true highlight of the series. With a baseball story full of tropes and cliches, the saving grace of Cross Game comes from its mature telling of personal growth and love. Save for a forced twist towards the end of the second act, Cross Game's story never leaves the bounds of reality and serves to humanize the characters that inhabit its world.

Animation/Sound

The simplistic art style, smooth animation, and crisp sound does much to endear the series. Nothing stands out. Nothing breaks immersion. Nothing is supposed to. It does a good job of supporting the story.

Character

The heart of Cross Game, the characters found here are genuine, likable, and down to earth. Save for a few moments of declaration, characters do not venture into the realm of exaggeration. Although they are not the most colorful of ensemble to inhabit a story, their portrayal is in line with real world equivalents. Kou is witty and hardworking with a penchant for teasing. Aoba is crass and tomboyish, but interesting and nuanced. Not a doubt exists in your mind that somewhere someone is exactly like one of these characters.

Overall

A mature story of loss, healing, and love. Cross Game has an almost childish air to its simplicity. No crude jokes, great drama, or over-hyped goals; it serves as a shining example of how unnecessary convoluted plots are to the telling of the human drama.

thora25 - 2013-07-02 06:08:45

I am typically hesitant to even begin decently long shonen series. They tend to be filled with flaws that reflect lazy writing for the sake of length, unfortunately. From huge casts of characters, ranging from the barely touched upon yet interesting side characters to the incredibly dull main characters who receive much more than their fair share of exposure. On top of that, there are occasionally long stretches of boring developments or slow pacing to keep the content running. Very often these lengthy series become too stagnant and similar to itself, leading me to feeling the need to take breaks from the show simply because I need to experience something in any way different for once. Last but not least, the ending is very rarely satisfying, leaving me wishing I had spent my time on a series that could end itself without so many bumps in the road. Cross Game has none of those problems, and that is why it is a series that will be remembered. To begin with, as most will immediately assume based on what they may see about the show before viewing it, Cross Game appears to be a baseball anime. However, that presumption is a mistake – is a show that involves baseball, but it isn’t about baseball. Baseball is the lowest common denominator that ties almost every character to each other, and it is the driving force that provides the challenges and rivals that keeps the characters aiming higher. This drive and determination is a theme that is played out in a very classic shonen way, but Cross Game plays its cards just right by keeping the work, successes, and failures relatable to anyone. This is achieved by keeping the focus not on the baseball itself but on the characters and how they react to and deal with the significant baseball-related events as they occur, allowing the story to stay easily understandable and interesting to even non-sports fans. That isn’t to say that there is no baseball in the series, quite the opposite in fact. However, the games that are focused on are limited to the most important, intense ones that keep the viewer on their toes while being easy to follow for the non-sports fan. The baseball fans in the audience need not be turned away by the comparatively sparse amount of actual playing, though. Since the viewers who aren’t into baseball won’t need to be entertained by antics or extravagant special moves, Cross Game’s take on the game of baseball is realistic and fun for purists who just want a good game of baseball. Both sets of viewers will easily be able to understand how the game keeps the world of Cross Game turning. Cross Game also knows where to put its attention when it comes to the characters. The cast is kept decently small and focused, allowing for as much growth and screen time as possible for the most important characters. The people who will be mainstays are made clear early on, allowing for introductions to take as little time as possible to give way for optimal development. Of the main cast, there are no flat characters, and with the diversity of the roster it is a rare moment to become tired of what the series has to offer. On top of their contributions to the story, each character also provides a unique atmosphere and sense of humor to the scenes they are involved in, keeping the show fresh and on its toes at all times. The cast deals with basic themes of life, death, and love, but each in their own different stride, bringing an interesting dynamic of how long it takes individual characters to cope with certain situations while also interacting with each other on a daily basis. This all leads to a small, well-developed lineup of characters that are all memorable, and that cast itself is quite possibly the strongest asset Cross Game has to offer. As the saying goes, the real beauty is in the journey, not the destination, and Cross Game recognizes and relishes in this fact. In terms of plot twists or surprise advancements in the relationships, there are very few if any. The turns and twists the story takes are, for the most part, what many would describe as unsurprising or cliché. In the case of Cross Game, though, this is definitely not a negative. From the results of games to the status of relationships, Cross Game takes the most natural progression without attempting to insert unnecessary drama or convoluted twists, and it works perfectly without either of those because the story simply doesn’t need them to stay both entertaining and lovely. The music, animation, and even art are all simple and to the point. The retro-feel of the art with the more modern animation style gives a sort of “remastered” feeling to the viewer, complimenting the traditional standards and themes Cross Game makes a point to keep intact. The opening never changes and, while never exactly fitting the state the story is in at any given point in time, is just ambiguous enough to keep a certain relaxed mood in mind for each episode. The endings are never terrible but simply not memorable. The single exception is the first ending, which incorporates itself into the first episode in a beautiful and melancholy way that successfully set the tone for the entire next forty-nine episodes to come. If nothing else, that moment is one that will stick around in many viewers’ memories as possibly the most emotionally powerful scene of the entire series, and that in itself is worth something significant. Cross Game is not the most intellectually compelling anime you will ever watch. It doesn’t delve deeply into subjects, and it never leaves a certain comfort zone when discussing more tender subjects. It doesn’t have groundbreaking characters or a surprising story with exciting cliffhangers. It is fully aware, however, that those things don’t matter if the execution isn’t just right, and that shows bright as day. Thus, Cross Game’s simplicity is also its beauty, standing as an instant classic and a coming-of-age story that will be looked upon as one of the greats someday by the power of its small successes and incredibly human characters.

leichmann - 2013-05-18 10:39:35

Sometimes, simplicity is a beautiful thing. At the heart of "Cross Game" is a simple shounen story about baseball and romance. But even though it's the kind of story where you can roughly predict the ending within the first few episodes, there's never a dull moment. Heart warming, heart wrenching, beautiful in its simplicity... the joy of watching "Cross Game" comes not from its destination, but from the journey itself.Despite being a predictable story at its core, "Cross Game" begins in a way that is anything but predictable, featuring an early twist in the tale that no doubt comes as a big surprise to the majority of viewers. Because of this twist, "Cross Game" is not an anime that's easy to review, as the remainder of the series is built around this early key event, and it's nigh on impossible to go into details about a lot of the qualities "Cross Game" possesses - such as how it completely turns the conventions of character development on its head - without spoiling it. The twist itself is not only remarkable in its timing and its impact on the remainder of the story, but also in its dramatisation... or rather lack of. They would have been forgiven for making a meal of it on such an occasion, but instead it is handled in a surprisingly subtle and understated manner (in truth I actually found it to be a bit *too* understated). And in fact "understated" is a word that describes "Cross Game" perfectly as a whole. This is especially noteworthy considering it's a shounen, a genre famous for its flamboyant production. "Cross Game" barely uses any production gimmicks, as it goes about its business in a refreshingly quiet, down to earth manner. The rather plain art style, reflecting the low key dramatisation, is probably the weak link in the series. The lack of effort that can be seen in the excessive panning upwards towards the clouds (this is used so much it's almost like a running joke) and the sub-standard character designs (there are a lot of similar looking characters, and everyone have monkey ears) is likely to put off a lot of viewers. But you'll probably regret it if you completely ignore "Cross Game" just because of the unspectacular exterior. Because in all honesty, this is one of the most pleasant, likeable shows I've ever watched, and it's a travesty that not more people have seen it. I guess the other main reason a lot of people haven't tried "Cross Game" is because of its baseball tag. Now, I'm not particularly interested in nor knowledgeable about baseball, so I can't really comment much on the technical side of things, but the baseball part of "Cross Game" can still be enjoyed without too much knowledge about the game. As I've already stated, the anime doesn't heavily use the over the top embellishment omnipresent in shounen sports anime, and nor does it have a bad habit of dragging games out - even the longest games take just a couple of episodes to complete. More importantly though, baseball isn't crucial to enjoying "Cross Game". The fact that the source material is done by an author who is famous for his baseball mangas comes as a massive suprise to me, because if you haven't come across his other works before, like me, you would probably think that such an author would put more emphasis on baseball... but instead it plays second fiddle to the characters.Because even more than baseball, "Cross Game" is about the chemistry between the members of the cast, and about growing up. Though it's arguable whether its shounen content prevents it from being a slice of life, there is no doubt that, in the very least, it shares a lot of the values with shows of that genre. There's often a strong sense of melancholy and nostalgia, and yet it's not a show that's shackled by the past - it's about moving on, and in fact it's the past the provides the inspiration for the characters to strive forward. A painstaking amount of attention has been given to fine-tuning the character interactions. The delicate nuances and countless metaphors and double meanings in the dialogues not only enriches the interchanges between the characters but also gives the show great rewatch value. It's easy to miss a few hidden meanings just by having a short lapse in concentration, and in fact there is so much subtlety in the dialogues that notable difference to the implied meanings can be drawn out just from watching different translations. In addition, "Cross Game" is also content with devoting a significant number of episodes concentrating on the mundane, every day stuff. The episodes about buying a birthday present, about valentines day, about taking care of someone who's caught a cold... it's actually these small but priceless distractions from the main plot that, along with its attention to details regarding character interactions, brings "Cross Game" to full bloom. Ko Kitamura makes for quite an unusual main character, especially for a shounen anime. In fact he has most of the qualities normally reserved for an intriguing, dark horse type side character. Usually, the main character of a shounen anime comes in two flavours. The most common one being some level 1 loser who gets bullied a lot and who ceases to function in front of girls (Ippo from "Hajime no Ippo" being a classic case), and watching them improve is a bit like playing an RPG game, where you have to slowly grind up the levels. But occasionally you also have characters like Akagi from, er, "Akagi", a badass anti-hero who is virtually untouchable from episode 1. Ko is not like either of those. Instead he's somewhere in between, and comes off as a mostly normal, believable character but with that extra something about him. He gets a headstart in terms of baseball skills, and within very few episodes shows himself to be quite a special player without the usual montages and "level grinding". Moreover, he doesn't start from the bottom of the social ladder either. He's popular in school, possesses a sharp sense of humour, a quiet air of confidence and maturity, and is incredibly dependable both on and off the baseball grounds. Even though baseball is important to him in a personal way, he's wise enough to recognise that there are far more important things in life, and would willingly give up all he has achieved in baseball at the drop of a hat if it can be exchanged away for those more important things. Out of the whole cast, he's probably also the one that's hardest to read - he doesn't show his emotions or thoughts easily, but not to the superhuman extent of the aforementioned Akagi. This makes him kinda enigmatic but in a believable way - most of the time, his casual exterior can fool everyone apart from those that are closest to him, but at the same time you can often make a good guess at what he's thinking from the subtle signs that he drops. What he does share with common main characters though, is his willingness to try hard, but he does this in a way that reminds me of a character from "Planetes" nicknamed Miss Swan. This nickname came about because like swans, she's all graceful and elegant on the surface, but underwater, she's padding away like crazy. A similar analogy can be applied to Ko, who, despite looking so calm and nonchalant all the time, is trying harder than almost anyone to reach his goals. And when it matters, there are few better people to put your trust in. All in all, like one the characters put it, "Ko sure is a cool guy". From the point of view of character development though, it's probably Aoba that takes the biscuit. She starts off in the anime as a baseball loving tomboy. In this anime there's probably no one who loves the game more than her, no one who puts in as much effort as she does, and no one who has to make as much sacrifices as she does. The tragic thing is that because she's a girl, she is unable to take part in the high school baseball tournament representing the school that she attends. But to see this as wasted effort is to undermine her the sacrifice she chooses to make later on in the series.Ko and Aoba are both interesting in the their own right, but when they come together, they become the show's highlight. Aobo hates Ko from a young age because he always monopolised her sister Wakaba's attention whenever they're together... but also because of how similar her own personality is to Ko's - this is especially a problem considering their competitive streaks. It honestly is delightful watching the two of them clash over every little thing, uncanny to see their mutual understanding, and satisfying in the extreme to see the trust and mutual respect that grudgingly develop between them. Because of the remarkable similarity between them, by appreciating what makes Ko so great, Aoba also begins to appreciate her the strengths of her own personality.Wakaba is another character worthy of note. Though sweet and innocent, she possesses a maturity and wisdom far beyond her years, and her strong personality inspires everyone whose lives she touched, bringing out their very best qualities. If she has any faults, it's that her character is probably designed *too* perfectly... but I guess this ties in with the simplicity that's the essence of this show. Wakaba inspires a great many characters in "Cross Game", but perhaps none more so than Akaishi, the big guy with the even bigger heart. He starts off as a common bully, but ends as an incredibly endearing, selfless character. There are other great characters found in support too, like Azuma, who we initially see as just a baseball player devoid of emotions and completely focused on winning. As the series progresses, he becomes more and more human underneath his unchanging expression. Oh yeah, and I love his dead pan, cutting one liners.There are a few characters I would like to have seen more of though, in particular Nakanishi and the baseball coach. I'd like to have seen more of Nakanishi because he played quite an important role in the early part of the series, and it's a shame that later on he becomes little more than a joke character both on and off the baseball grounds. As for the coach, his tactical know-how and knowledge about the game is said to be extraordinary, but as the show went on, this aspect seems to get neglected, and it felt more and more like Akaishi is the one running the show on the tactical side. Aoba's cousin Mizuki's presence also faded after the first few episodes, but unlike the others, I'd rather have seen less rather than more of him. He struck me as a bit of a redundant character, and I don't really know why he was introduced in the first place (although he is responsible for drawing out one of the most hilarious one liners in the series from Azuma).These are all smallish problems though. The one big problem in the cast is Akane. Her appearance mid series threw a big spanner in the works, and I really didn't like that. Up until the point of her introduction, "Cross Game" is a very straight forward show (apart from the early twist), and it should have stayed that way. Akane's introduction feels like a Clannad-esq twist to complicate things. But thankfully, "Cross Game" is not "Clannad", and so does not take the cheap option that the latter most likely would have taken. In the end, none of the melodramatic endings that I was dreading came to pass. To be honest, the result rarely looked in doubt. It felt like Akane merely stalled things a little rather than knock them completely off track. In fact, she eventually becomes the catalyst, and is involved in some poignant scenes that helped to offset her introduction (which I think should never have happened).As the anime approached its climax, key events starts coming in thick and fast, with almost every episode throwing up some significant development. These kind of got ruined by the previews though - they spoilt way too much for me. I often ended up watching an episode with great anticipation, only to find to my disappointment that the previews at the end of the previous episode had already picked out most if not all the choicest lines, leaving very little behind for me to discover for myself. So, if you're watching it for the first time, I highly recommend that you skip the previews.Anyway, complaints about Akane and the previews aside, the second half of "Cross Game" is still really good overall. But as everyone knows, bad endings can marr an otherwise fantastic series. And when you boil down to the bare facts, the ending of "Cross Game" is a very simple and predictable one... and it just goes to show that the simplicity of an ending does not necessarily stop it from also being an incredible one. The last episode features a double climax that simultaneously hits the emotional apex both on and off the baseball field, followed by a gentle, blissful wind down in the second half. It's so simple, so beautiful, so satisfying, so perfect. In this current era, "Cross Game" is a breath of fresh air, an anime that isn't hampered by cynical pandering nor reliant on melodrama and flashy production values. But despite its understated style and lack of gimmicks, it is as powerful as the best dramas and as addictive as the best shounens. And despite being a shounen, it's as human as the best slice of lifes and as sweet as the best shoujos. It's an anime that, while not seeming to be special in any way, ends up being oh so special.***As an aside, I'd like to talk a bit about the anime adaptation of "Cross Game". Unsurprisingly, "Cross Game" left a bit of a void in my life after I finished it, like I knew it would from just the first few episodes. This led me to follow up by reading through the manga, which allowed me to gain some insight into some of changes made during the anime adaptation. For the most part, the anime follows the manga pretty faithfully. A few subtle points are removed here and there, and other events are added in order to expand a chapter in the manga into a full episode. The two main changes though, are the way the anime reordered events to bring forward the early twist to be even earlier, and the expansion on Aoba's girls' baseball try out that only briefly gets mentioned in a single scene in the manga. Given the general result when anime studios try to mess around with the source material, it's normal to have certain reservations about changes. However, I honestly think that in the case of "Cross Game", most of the changes are made for the better. Changing the order of events allowed the anime to hit the ground running amongst other things, and fleshing out the girls baseball trials adds extra weight onto the decision made by Aoba later on in the series. The anime also enhanced the sweet and innocent feel of the work by removing most of the terribly inappropriate fan service that turned up on occasion in the manga. Add to this the competent voice acting and the music - who can forget the extended version of the first ending theme that was used to such potent effect - and you have yourself one very, very nice adaptation.