This series just gets better and better doesn’t it? This episode probably featured some new record in terms of amount of subtle jokes and references for this series. There were about fifty hints throughout the episode about Kou’s feelings to Aoba’s childhood friend. On top of that, there were fifty more subtle plot points that ever so slightly developed Kou’s and Aoba’s relationship forward. Did all of that really just fit into 20 minutes?
Among the best parts between them in this episode was the way Aoba greeted her new “sempai” as she formally entered the baseball club, the point where the entire school found out that Kou and Aoba weren’t dating, and where the two of them used Akaishi to get each other to the infirmary when both of them sustained a small injury. What struck me the most was the surprisingly innocent way in which Aoba looked at childhood friend (yeah, forgot his name). Is he really going to be just a minor character? We’ve never even her even remotely similar up till now.
But yeah, this is really slice of life as it should be. Even without the subtle romance, those small scenes in which Kou and Azuma lived and trained together and the chemistry they have between themselves was really enjoyable to watch. The way they get on each other’s nerves when one of them slacks off is hilarious to see, not to mention how Kou succumbed to food poisoning in a certain part of this episode.
Rating: ** (Excellent)]]>
Cross Game – 20
Great slice-of-slice stuff as usual, I agree. But just to clear some things, Mizuki isn’t Aoba’s childhood friend but rather his cousin. That’s why Azuma made that joke “Can cousins get married”, and Kou responded he doesn’t know.
Dear god, can this anime be any more charming? Couldn’t keep a grin off my face for nearly the entire episode.
This series creates a problem for me. As a closet anime fan, I like to keep this my guilty hidden pleasure. But this series is so compellingly good that I feel like I should share it with others. That’s never happened before.
Coincidentally, I’m an aging man. I’m nearly 30. How is it that a series I view as vastly more mature than it’s peers has those cat illustrating tutorials. I’m beginning to suspect that I have the mind of a child. Not that I mind.
While Cross Game isn’t exactly aimed at adults, the cat illustration audience is just one of of the groups the anime targets. The interviews with high school baseball girls towards the end would be another. It’s really trying to be a “family show” compared to something like….Kanon, or such…
The milk part was absolutely hilarious.
Meanwhile, the “can cousins get married” was slightly disturbing. How come no one finds it odd, is it more acceptable in Japan to have crushes between family members…?
And I agree with Theowne about the age range of the target audience; this is truly something that everyone can enjoy. Young kids won’t get all the subtle jokes and clever hints, but they’ll still enjoy other aspects of it. And I know plenty of people who watch anime and hit their 30’s, don’t worry about that =)
Man do I love this series. Besides the subtle dialog and comments that help drive the story forward, I also like how they’re slowly drawing Aoba more grown up every episode. I like the fact that the animators aren’t keeping her one size and then magically making her totally different an episode later. Or, I’m just reading into it too much. 😛
(P.S. I’m 31, married, with kids. I still watch a lot of anime. Don’t worry about it so much.)
One interesting point is how Aoba’s cousin is protrayed so positively. Usually with a new love rival you get some character flaws. It gives the protagonist something to leverage while trying to win the affections of the heroine. You don’t have that here. I also like the fact that the Aoba doesn’t seem to be completely charmed away. There seems to be a deep connection between her and Kou which is overcoming the rivals advances.