DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA ComedyCross Game

REVIEWS

• 

  Ronyfaz

  100/100
  a sweet, simple dream

  > "Show me a sweet dream" - Coach Maeno And that's just what this show was. A sweet dream. My only regret about watching this anime was that I watched it too quickly. Probably the fastest I've ever watched a 24+ episode anime. But I couldn't help it. And there were many reasons why. Gripping, emotional, and sincere doesn't begin to describe this show. Cross Game has one of the greatest pilot episodes I've ever seen in any show, rigged full of emotion and pulling you in, quickly attaching you to so many of its cast in the process: the show carries on that momentum consistently throughout its proceeding 49 episodes. As you've probably noticed, Cross Game is a sports anime. While I have never had an interest in baseball, Cross Game fueled my competitive spirit to the point where I would verbally cheer for the MC's team, either because of my limitless love for its cast or, in some cases, my firm hate for the opponent. All the build up delivers. If you have no interest in sports, I'd still give this show a shot. There is never a true focus on the sport rather than its mean to move the story forward. >"Simple is best" - (once again) Coach Maeno This anime is a simple masterpiece. And by "simple", it's as you read it. But there's a strength in that. The show's writing is phenomenal and it's characters compliment each other in a unique and astonishing way. Dynamics between characters create such a natural and mellow feel to the show. The main character, Kou, is a large reason why. A likeable protagonist with a big heart. His interaction with any cast member is bound to have your eyes and ears locked. It's a smooth, simple sea. A very fun one to sail on. The story is well constructed and its characters have a sense of familiarity that make you feel involved in everything this show is about. You can't help but want to stick around. --------- Cross Game is a journey of emotion. A hail to baseball and its troubles. A shining cast's voyage towards happiness, acceptance, departure, and love. There's something to take away from this show for everyone. You want romance? Check. You want action? Check. You want a fun, passionate, exciting, and humane display of fiction embedded in a 50 episode anime about a baseball player named Kou who decides to commit himself and grow into a kinder, more mature person? Check. I could go on about this show's redeeming aspects, but if I were to summarize my journey with this show into one compact sentence, it would be a "sweet dream." Fans of all kinds of different genres, except people who only and only watch horror (honestly--you guys too), try Cross Game out. Give it a test watch. See how it goes. It might just be a sweet dream.
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• 

  yuureivt

  94/100
  Slice of Life with a side of sports creating a near perfect combination.

  I write my reviews based off 5 elements: Story, Characters, Music, Animation/Production Quality and Impression. All of my reviews are spoiler free. This review is based on the subbed version

  Story:

  While it takes a while to develop an end goal, in typical Japanese baseball anime fashion, the goal of the main character is fairly predictable. However, that being said, there is not much of a complex story in this series. It's a fairly straight shot type of story that has a clear beginning and end. The amount of plot twists are minimal and episodes are fairly easy to digest given the low complexity of the situations in the story. As long as you have the minimum knowledge of the rules of baseball, most people will find this to be a fairly easy watch. In my opinion, there is no real need to have an overly complex story and I actually enjoy the mundaneness of this series. The fact that's it's not trying to be Eyeshield 21 or Kuroko no Basuke by giving characters super powers is a plus in my book given how this series is mostly character driven and is more focused on the slice of life elements. That's not to say the series does not also dive deep into baseball. A fair chunk of the series takes place on the field as well as practice and in the club, however the best moments in the story typically happen off the field.

  Characters:

  From episode one, viewers will more often than not find themselves already becoming attached to certain characters. Due to the nature of this series being heavily character driven, Adachi does a masterful job of creating both realistic (outside of the fact that the mc is basically a pitching prodigy) and relatable characters. My only issue with the characters is that the main character can sometimes be underwhelming in terms of how I personally would think someone would act in certain situations; but that is not to say it is entirely unrealistic. I just do not believe MOST people would act the way he does in those situations.

  Music:

  If I were to describe the music in this series I would describe it as mediocre with flashes of brilliance. While the opening and ending for the most part are forgettable there are moments in the series in which the music is WONDERFULLY placed and brilliantly enhance the viewing experience. There are specific songs where when they play certain sections, I become overwhelmed with the emotion I felt during the scenes they were played in. For these specific songs, I give high marks for their quality and how they were used in the series.

  Animation/Production Quality:

  Adachi has a VERY specific and unique drawing style that most everyone who has ever seen his works can recognize. He is widely known as an artist who can create an entire dialogue filled with emotion without having a character utter a single word. He masterfully draws and fleshes out the best scenes with nothing but the characters, their facial expressions, emotions, and the backdrops behind them. That said, outside of that, the animation quality is average at best and at times does dip below average. This is not a high budget anime by any means, but it doesn't have to be. As a slice of life anime that paces itself one firm step at a time, there's not much to nitpick over when it comes to the animation. The voice acting is nothing to write home about, but that is mostly because they're not expected to sing or voice in laborious or extraneous circumstances, it's exactly as if someone is just speaking. Because of that, I don't particularly think the voice acting stands out, but it does exactly what it's required to do.

  Impression:

  Many people get interested and invested after just the first episode; as did I. I watched the series when it had already finished production and ended up binge watching the entire series in a span of a couple days. By the end of the 50th episode I had lamented the fact that I did not take my time to properly savor the joy I felt while watching. I have a very short list of anime I would love to watch with my (future) kids one day and this series is near the top.

  Final Words:
  It's a shame that most will never watch this anime as they either have no interest in Adachi's drawing style or are not keen in how it is neither too deep into the slice of life pool or the sports pool. The most endearing fact of this story is that it feels like this could happen in real life; that it HAS happened in real life. The characters are all extremely likable and feel true to life. Whenever anyone asks me for a recommendation for an anime and they ask for something that's easy to watch; this is the first one out of my mouth.

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• 

  Arthas

  99/100
  Cross game's review but actually only the first episode because im too lazy to write for the rest

  I am always curious whether fans can sell the plot of Cross Game without divulging anything that happens in the first episode. I couldn't do it. As a fan of the show, this is not only a difficult task when somebody asks why this is my top tier juicer sports romance anime of all time, but also a necessary one since the spoiler-free emotional investment in the first episode can be an incredibly rewarding viewing experience for the rest of the show.

  

  The show is about an elementary school boy named Kou who hates baseball's experience and... something that makes him want to play...and then he gets good at it. Wow! What a beautiful explanation that makes this show stand out among thousands. ok no :)
  Cross game first episode happens to be its best and I can't even give a plot summary much less give it a detailed examination without revealing the show's biggest surprise, so this review has a major spoiler.

  

  One of the reasons the first episode feels so heavy compared to the rest of the show is because it packs many episodes worth of information within its first 20 minutes. The event in the first episode stretch across the first 10 chapters of the manga and considering the rest of the show follows this standard 2 chapters per episode rule, the director can easily be giving the first volume 5 episodes without slowing it down the story. However, when you see that less important sniff of its first volume appears as a flashback across episodes 2,3,4, and 5, It will become clear that the creator consciously decided to make the big reveal at the end of the first episode. Ok for sure... but why?

  Taking Wakaba as one of the main characters and killing them at the end of the first episode in the 50 episodes series is not only a bold statement but also a huge risk. One, the writer risks alienating the viewers by killing what the first episode demonstrates as the most affable character. Two, the writer risks not doing the manga justice by rushing what suppose to be a slow-burning but still a sudden reveal. Most importantly, the writer risks losing viewers' interests by divulging the biggest plot point literally 2% of the way into the series. Pulling this off not only need guts but also the conviction that reveals as this will only keep the viewers staying.

  

  It is easy to see that Wakaba dominates the first episode's attention which partially makes her death so jarring. We do not get any foreshadowing, just a cut to a river scene which just only makes sense after the fact. She died off-screen to mimic how cold absorbs the news. Everything after this point is just an unsettling quiet reaction to life-changing news but also we can understand what going through an 11-year-olds mind. Wakaba's funeral scene shows people in black suits and dresses and Wakaba's sisters silently grieving. Kou, the prince of the series, is caught by surprise and doesn't know how to behave or what to think. The ending is he asking his parents to go to the summer festival not because he wants to join the fun but because that it's the plan he makes with Wakaba. When he gets there, he doesn't take in the sights and sounds but walks with his head down asking a stranger for guides. He passes by a guy who praying and as a child, he suddens realizes that he understands what he should do and what he should feel.

  

  This is just only the first of the 50 episodes and even if this grabs your attention, it is still reasonable to ask whether it is wise to finish the rest after killing the most affable characters. I would not be able to answer the question for everybody but I could say that the first episode is my top of the top, and the rest of the 49 episodes continue to press all my buttons.

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