Baseball Anime Appreciation – Cross Game
First of all, I have a bad habit and that would be reading the manga of an anime still being aired once I find it good. In this case, it’s Cross Game of Mitsuru Adachi.
Okay, now now, I think my perspective towards baseball animes have changed a lot when I started reading Cross Game. For a certain, I’m looking for the drama and romance in this anime but what comes a long with that is my unexpected inclination towards the sport itself the anime is all about.
Now who’s going to tell me that baseball anime is NOT an overrated genre? There is the spontaneous Major, a gambling and strategical approach from One Outs and the typical highschool Ookiku Furikabutte. Baseball is always around the corner whenever we talk about school sport clubs in anime.
Isn’t it annoying to just keep on watching the endless invincibility of the famous ace pitcher of the team? Well, often as we know, it’s the usual scene. A heavy air surrounds the baseball field whether it is the Koshien, ordinary or even international. The next scene would be the deciding moment whether the pitch gets hit or not. The ball curves to the right or left, whatever many possibilities…
What caught my attention from Cross Game would be the drama of course. Cross Game has a tear jerking story right at its first volume, Seasons of Wakaba. I’m also touched when Koh didn’t knew at first what he must do right after that certain event. I think the author was very successful in conveying that thought of innocence among children during tender age whenever somebody dies.
I also like Aoba’s character in the story since she is the somewhat not true to herself female protagonist. One thing I admire about her would be her perseverance in practicing baseball even though she won’t be able to play in an official tournament.
Actually, I’ve been reading the manga without understanding almost all the baseball terms except for home run of course which signifies that the team is winning/scoring. Even so, I was able to appreciate baseball because of the other incorporated genre such as romance in Cross Game. Cross Game isn’t actually dealing with the technicalities of the sport itself which I liked since it focuses more on the lives of the characters and their development as they try to reach for Koshien. And of course, I’m more interested to Aoba because we all know that she won’t be able to play on it. Second point of interest for me would be about the dream that Wakaba saw before the incident, and the romance between Koh and Aoba which is rather more complicated than your typical tsundere girl story.
Cross Game would be the first baseball genre anime that falls on my list of animes. I don’t intend to spoil anymore so let’s just enjoy the anime adaption which has a lovely music. The ED Koi Kogarate Mita Yume by Ayaka is just so pleasant to ears. The title is also so fitted to the theme of the anime since it shares the idea together with Wakaba’s dream sequence about Koh and the others.
As for now, I think I just became an Adachi fan! Might as well try to check out his novelty mangas such as Touch since some of Cross Game’s concept originally came from those.
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After watching Touch, one of my all-time favorites, I'll watch anything Adachi throws at me.
Check out Rough! It's so adorable as well
You should definitely read Touch. I also recommend H2 (another baseball manga which I think is superior to both Touch and Cross Game) and Katsu! (boxing this time, not nearly as good as H2 or Touch but still enjoyable).
I'll really try watching Touch. But can I ask what is preferable? Reading or watching it?
Hmm I see… According to some fans of Adachi, H2's anime seemed to be the not so good above else. I'll consider reading it though. Thanks for the recommendations.
Okay, I'll read this one if I'll have the time
H2 is considered by many as the best work by Adachi, and also one of the worst manga to anime transition ever. Many says the live-action drama of H2 was better than the anime version.
Oh, I get it now. then I should not waste my time watching it then. Thanks
try the live-action of H2….i think it was far more better than the anime…and it is one of my favorite….
I’ll gladly do so since maglor said that the anime one was one of the worst adaption of his works.