Ah, the match is over, and Cross Game is back to what it’s best at: Slice of Life. After sitting through an entire baseball match that lasted for three full episodes, even though it was just a practice match, showed me that that was the flaw of this series: during these matches, there simply is no room for this series to show what it’s really good at, and when this continues for three episodes in a row, it does get annoying. And I think that that was the main difference with Touch: Touch excelled in its matches, while its slice of life moments are vastly inferior to Cross Game’s.
And that’s why I’m really glad to see the slice of life back, because it really is as witty as ever. We get introduced to a new character, one of Senda’s childhood friends. It’s good to have this guy growing into something more than a comic relief character, and this episode definitely portrayed him as a real person. Definitely a plus. Anyway, that friend of his keeps bugging Aoba for a match, even though Aoba really doesn’t care. It’s also interesting that Aoba has no intentions of joining a high school with a girl’s baseball team. I really wonder what’s behind that, if she’s so much into the sport.
Another running thread through this episode was Wakaba’s birthday, and Kou and Aoba are the ones who still remember it, both in their own ways. Aoba has bought some flowers to put on her grave, while Kou seems be completing a list of birthday gifts that Wakaba compiled when she was still alive, apparently. The problem however is that he doesn’t have enough money, and so we see him throughout the episode accompanying the baseball manager and her friends in order to get his hands on the item Wakaba wanted.
What this episode also did was make the town this series plays in feel alive. They’re these nice touches, like when Daiki came out of Wac Donalds and saw Kou as a passer-by, or how there are at least two high schools in the area. Alone they may seem pretty insignificant, but when all combined together, they give a pretty good feel of the place that Kou and the others live in, and you can see that when characters aren’t the main focus of the screenwriters, they still are doing things on their own, instead of waiting for the camera to focus back onto them.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
Thankfully the baseball match is over and this show has returned to where it’s best at.
If i understand correctly there are no girl’s baseball teams, only softball. And Aoba is not interested in it.
As for the Wakaba’s gift – have yet to see the anime, but in the manga it was not a question of money. It simply was the last item (they were not produced anymore) and the manager took it first. So Kou had little choice.
Just a quick explanation on a certain point you were wondering about:
It’s also interesting that Aoba has no intentions of joining a high school with a girl’s baseball team. I really wonder what’s behind that, if she’s so much into the sport.
It’s more like Aoba is keeping true to Wakaba’s dream of her being on the same team as Kou and Akaishi. After seeing what Kou could possibly achieve in the recently finished game, she finds herself drawn in to that dream of Wakaba’s.
With regards to the gift, why Kou debased himself to get it is also because that teapot was the last of its kind and the first team’s manager bought it. Production of it has stopped and Kou set any personal pride aside just to ensure that he got it in order to complete the birthday wishes of Wakaba.
I agree that this series is shaping upto be a great slice of life anime but I think you under-rate the baseball arc. I’m not a baseball fan but the match-up riveted me for the simple reason that the characters were made flesh and given depth.
This series has got 80’s drama manga written all over it… and I’m loving every second of it!
I agree with evil train. I loved the baseball eps, and I hate watching baseball!
Frankly what I’ve needed for a long time is another Maison Ikkoku. And it looks like I have it. And I get to experience it week by week, how perfect.
Only problem is no one is talking about it. I think you are the only major blogger on this consistently.
I think the match was important for building the relationship between Kou and Aoba. They seem to refer to the match quite a bit and it’s something shared by both. Even though Aoba sees the failures, I suspect she is impressed with what Kou has accomplished. I wouldn’t be so sure there are going to be more long matches like this.
I thought this was a really good emotional episode. Really didn’t care if Kou & Aoba progress as a couple. The love they shared for Wakaba is touching. I enjoyed this one greatly.