Let's Watch: Cross Game

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Cross Game

Description from ANN: 5th grader Koh 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 Koh pitching at legendary Koshien Stadium, site of the national high school championship finals. However, tragedy strikes, and it is up to Koh, with the help of Aoba and his other teammates, to make Wakaba's dream come true.

Length: 50 episodes.
Realese: Spring 2009 (this is for all yalls that missed out on the fansubs!)

Series Trailer.

The series is currently streaming subbed at Hulu and Vizanime. New episodes are posted each Monday.

Let's watch and discuss!
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Episode 1

So far I have only watched the first episode, but I can just tell I'm going to like it. Cross game is cute, funny and youthful, but also disarmingly affecting and poignant. The first episode is one of the best intro episodes I've seen in a long time. The music for the series is absolutely beautiful! Also: it has been said before, but you don't have to be a baseball fan to appreciate what's going on here (though, if you are[like me] then it's all the sweeter!). I was genuinely moved at the end of the first episode. I think if the girlies give this one a chance, they will really dig it.

[steenajack]

Hm, this looks interesting. What's the content on it if you don't mind me asking?

Edit: I checked out the Viz site and it says TVG....O.O!!!!! This makes me want to watch it now. I shall check it out. :3!

[blkmage]

Like I said before, this is a great show and if you're thinking about it, give it one episode. Adachi's a master at what he does and he's done so many of these stories that he's got the sports/love triangle genre cornered. If there's a series that made me much more willing to give sports series (particularly ones where we spend some time away from the sport) a shot, it's this one.

I will admit that when I first watched the first episode a year ago, I was a bit troubled by its pacing. The reason was that that's ten chapters it's covering. In retrospect, I realized that it may have been the only feasible way to adapt it. Also, if you're wondering, this show is a complete adaptation. The ending for the anime is the same as the ending for the manga, so you're not missing anything if you're going anime-only.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Episodes 2-5

You know blkmage, I had no idea that the first episode packed that many chapters of manga into a half hour. The episode just felt so "smooth" and not hurried that I'd never have known. The good flow continues with the remaining episodes Viz has. Plot and character development move along but at a steady rather than frantic pace. And, again, magey is right: Prince of Tennis this ain't. In that show, the sport is the show, whereas in Cross Game, baseball happens to be the backdrop for a touching story of love and loss. Speaking of loss, I really, really appreciate how the characters are all dealing with death in different ways and that the loss in question is a reference point for so many events, major and mundane. I think the word for this series is bittersweet (heavier on the sweet) Also: Aoba is awesome.

[MasterDias]

I just finished watching this a few months ago, so I won't re-watch it right now. I'll echo blkmage's recommendation though. Really well-done series.
I'm pretty surprised Viz went with this. Sports series never do well over here.

[mechana2015]

This show is about way more than the sport, and in fact somehow manages to balance the sport sections to feel important, while keeping the emotional rollercoaster of a storyline right in the game, without losing much from either. Also, unlike a certain football based anime, this one seems to get the rules of the game right and represent it in a way that makes a lot of sense, and in a totally realistic manner, rather than some superpowered crazy game where the rules don't matter.

[steenajack]

Uguu! I just finished episode 1. Love it already! It's kinda hard for me to follow the story since it's subbed only, but still I enjoyed it and would love to continue watching more.