AnimeSuki Forums

CWW · 2009-12-14, 01:42

See? I knew Adachi is trying to set up Akaishi x Akane. D:

Also, Momiji's reaction to Kou's date was the best reaction.

MeoTwister5 · 2009-12-14, 02:39

Kou's talk with Akane at the start was an interesting portrayal of how he both knows so little and also so much of what really goes on inside the head of Aoba. He clearly understood so much of Aoba's frustrations at the limitations placed on her being on unequal terms with everyone else by virtue of being a woman, but also seemingly very little of what truly drives Aoba now as compared to the past.

Azuma as we would expect any person to be is almost completely out of it. He's not the machine he sometimes seems to be and it's obvious how much he is affected by inadvertedly injuring her. In a role reversal, it's Kou's turn to be the wingman and.. uh... yeah he really didn't say much. For Azuma it's a flashback of the days with his brother, and I'm expecting his play to suffer as a result.

Aoba as usual brushes it all off by being her regular pissy and demanding self. Thing is, everyone knows by now and her face just gives it away.

That proposal was so full of hilarious fail that words are not needed to describe it.

Do we have to question Akaishi's true intentions? Perhaps he still lives under the assumption that Kou still has a thing for Wakaba so much so that he's willing to go out with a look alike. Perhaps he thinks this is what Kou wants and perhaps he thinks he's doing him a favor. Perhaps Akaishi has a different agenda? No one knows for sure right now.

Best scene of the episode of course is everything between 16:00 and 18:30. Sure the flashbacks were somewhat emotionally manipulative and in-your face, but that small gesture of bringing her her glove and ball was enough to get her out of her depressive rut to make her want to improve as a training pitcher to help the team get to Koshien. Again, another proof that we need KouxAoba at some point before I am forced to rain blood and violence in the streets.

Willen · 2009-12-14, 04:31

This was a very interesting episode. The relationships between the characters are getting more complicated. And it looks like Ichiyo is going to make Junpei earn that marriage proposal, somehow. Poor guy.

ZGMF-X10A · 2009-12-14, 14:27

nice episode. Aoba must have been pretty injured if she has to stay in the hospital because her leg got hurt. I think Aoba has some feelings of Azuma because she wanted Ichiyo to stop talking when she said Azuma might have feelings for Aoba. Akashi has feelings for waka and now also for Akane but he set Kou and Akane up so that he could Akane smile. I guess is if Kou doesn't end up with Akane (I hope not) than Akashi would be would Akane. It looks like Ichiyo agreed to marry Azuma's brother but under one condition. Well the only condition I can think of related to the story is if Kou and others get into Kosien. This would make Azuma's brother give tips and advice on how to get into Kosien, I don't think he can practice with them. I don't think it would make much of a difference though.

Nomo drawing song is back, now with some christmas themes. Next episode" It's his first date" I'm guessing it's Kou's first date after Waka's accident.

Aoba with Azuma's eyes. lol does that mean Azuma is always half awake?

Reckoner · 2009-12-14, 14:31

Another good episode. Even if the rest of the episode sucked, it was worth it just for Junpei's proposal

.

Free · 2009-12-14, 15:17

Akaishi got pretty much all the good lines this time. Anyone else went "phew" when Akaishi set down that whole box of bottles before Akane called out to him? It'd totally suck if he dropped all of that... =P

PS. 25 numbers were called out, but the coach said "The above 26 people". Intentional "mistake"?

HitagiIsHot · 2009-12-14, 15:17

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Everything from Junpei's proposal, to Akaishi giving Akane Kabuki tickets, and to the sleeping Kou and Aoba in the hospital. It seems Kou is not as straight forward either (just like Aoba) about his feelings. It was especially nice to see Kou's visit and interaction (or lack thereof) with Aoba to cheer her up in the hospital. The Junpei scene was really funny too. It was a perfect dawn evening and moment, and then that happened...

*** ½ stars (Excellent) See my review & synopsis with pictures here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Free

Akaishi got pretty much all the good lines this time. Anyone else went "phew" when Akaishi set down that whole box of bottles before Akane called out to him? It'd totally suck if he dropped all of that... =P

PS. 25 numbers were called out, but the coach said "The above 26 people". Intentional "mistake"?

Yeah it was refreshing to see Akaishi getting all the good lines and seeing Azuma a little off his game. Also I would think the women's coach hasn't seen a talent like Aoba and couldn't afford to give up on her. Perhaps she made the team? It will be interesting to see what happens in the tryouts in the coming episodes.

Haak · 2009-12-15, 14:10

Lol. You know what? As soon as I saw Aoba with that ball and Kou sleeping I figured Aoba was eventually gonna hit headshot him.

And I was right. It's what any self-respecting teen would do

[edit]

Where did evryone get those cool Cross Game sigs btw?

HitagiIsHot · 2009-12-15, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haak

Where did evryone get those cool Cross Game sigs btw?

Pellissier created some avatars a while back. Check his post here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZGMF-X10A

Aoba with Azuma's eyes. lol does that mean Azuma is always half awake?

lol yep, either that or constantly bored

Proto · 2009-12-15, 20:16

I'm temporarily back to Mexico, so last week was pretty hectic for me and I couldn't watch the episode till now. But wow, did the episode delivered. Not only are they seamlessly integrating the female selection tryouts into the main stoyline and thus giving more and more depth to Aoba's character than what was already there in the original script, not to mention Azuma elder confession scene, of which we only got a passing mention in the original material, but everything was done perfectly to a tee. Have I mentioned how much I love the OST in this series?

As for the people getting impatient with the slow development, sit back and relax. The author knows what he is doing. I hope.

That said, there was a little joke that didn't make it to the anime that i would have lilked to see.

Sackett · 2009-12-16, 08:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZGMF-X10A

nice episode. Aoba must have been pretty injured if she has to stay in the hospital because her leg got hurt.

I've noticed that Japanese shows depict going to and staying in the hospital for things that would be treated on an outpatient basis in America. Not sure if this is a convention of Japanese fiction, or if it represents real differences in how Japanese and American health systems work.

Guardian Enzo · 2009-12-16, 10:46

Hospital stays in the USA tend to be much shorter than in almost any other industrialized nation, due to our... unique health care system.

BetoJR · 2009-12-16, 11:01

Well... immobilized patients who do not have anyone to care for them at home stay at the hospital around here, too.

Nosauz · 2009-12-16, 11:49

didn't really like the added "national team" bit because it's just SO not aoba. She could care less about baseball if it weren't for wakaba's dream she'd have quit just like she said she would. Also her reasons to play baseball are more rooted in the inequality that she has to endure even with all her raw talent, it's not about playing on large stage it's about proving to herself that she can compete with kou for wakaba's attention. It's perpetuated but with this addition it takes some of the integrity from her character.

BetoJR · 2009-12-16, 12:12

That's not true, at all. Aoba clearly and very much openly LOVES baseball - it's not some issue with Kou over a perceived fight for Waka's attention, or anything like that.

You may be missing the picture, here.

PeterI · 2009-12-16, 12:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Hospital stays in the USA tend to be much shorter than in almost any other industrialized nation, due to our... unique health care system.

I think part of the difference may be that the Japanese medical system may be less willing to give people strong take-home pain killers. That's just about the only thing the hospital could do for Aoba that she couldn't get at home.

I also think is is an Adachi plot device so that he can have people visit Aoba in hospital.

Nosauz · 2009-12-16, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by BetoJR

That's not true, at all. Aoba clearly and very much openly LOVES baseball - it's not some issue with Kou over a perceived fight for Waka's attention, or anything like that.

You may be missing the picture, here.

I know she does love baseball... but there is something about playing in koshien versus just being on the national girls team. Her favorite base ball players are male pros and in the manga she doesn't even try out for the national team, hinting at the fact that she wants to be recognized by the "baseball" world in a sense the male oriented baseball world. That's what pains her not just not being able to play because Azuma has stated many times that she could play for a girls school and be great yet here she is at seishu.

typhonsentra · 2009-12-16, 13:09

I'm surprised with some of the filler they've fit into the show given how much ground they have to cover from here until the end of the series. So far is works out to something a little under 3.5 chapters per episode (Sometimes they change things around, like with the first volume where they spread a lot of the material around a series of episodes in flashbacks) and they have 14 episodes left to go with about 44 chapters unfinished.... so that means only 5 more chapters of the comic left? Over the next three months?

If it ends this soon I'll be seriously disappointed.

BetoJR · 2009-12-16, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosauz

I know she does love baseball...

Then why did you say "She could care less about baseball"? Sounds like going back on your word...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nosauz

and in the manga she doesn't even try out for the national team

Actually, it's alluded that she did try. Her rationalization might have been like you put, but she did - at least - try.

Nosauz · 2009-12-16, 13:13

I meant baseball in the sense of competing on the female stage. In the end she doesn't proceed for selection because she doesn't want to. In the manga atleast while she's in the batting cage with Azuma there is no hints that she did want to. All her work is poured into being recognized by the male baseball world which she idolizes. I mean midori begs her countless times to challenges/play but she just doesn't see the appeal when there are pitchers like kou and batters like azuma, in a sense being "recognized" by the people who recognize them she'd would be happy.

2009-12-14, 02:39	Link #2102
MeoTwister5 Komrades of Kitamura Kou Join Date: Jul 2004 Age: 39	Kou's talk with Akane at the start was an interesting portrayal of how he both knows so little and also so much of what really goes on inside the head of Aoba. He clearly understood so much of Aoba's frustrations at the limitations placed on her being on unequal terms with everyone else by virtue of being a woman, but also seemingly very little of what truly drives Aoba now as compared to the past. Azuma as we would expect any person to be is almost completely out of it. He's not the machine he sometimes seems to be and it's obvious how much he is affected by inadvertedly injuring her. In a role reversal, it's Kou's turn to be the wingman and.. uh... yeah he really didn't say much. For Azuma it's a flashback of the days with his brother, and I'm expecting his play to suffer as a result. Aoba as usual brushes it all off by being her regular pissy and demanding self. Thing is, everyone knows by now and her face just gives it away. That proposal was so full of hilarious fail that words are not needed to describe it. Do we have to question Akaishi's true intentions? Perhaps he still lives under the assumption that Kou still has a thing for Wakaba so much so that he's willing to go out with a look alike. Perhaps he thinks this is what Kou wants and perhaps he thinks he's doing him a favor. Perhaps Akaishi has a different agenda? No one knows for sure right now. Best scene of the episode of course is everything between 16:00 and 18:30. Sure the flashbacks were somewhat emotionally manipulative and in-your face, but that small gesture of bringing her her glove and ball was enough to get her out of her depressive rut to make her want to improve as a training pitcher to help the team get to Koshien. Again, another proof that we need KouxAoba at some point before I am forced to rain blood and violence in the streets. __________________ Medical Student vs. Anime Last Exile - Fam the Silver Wing -

2009-12-14, 14:27	Link #2104
ZGMF-X10A Tsukiyomi -Moon Phase- Join Date: Jun 2003	nice episode. Aoba must have been pretty injured if she has to stay in the hospital because her leg got hurt. I think Aoba has some feelings of Azuma because she wanted Ichiyo to stop talking when she said Azuma might have feelings for Aoba. Akashi has feelings for waka and now also for Akane but he set Kou and Akane up so that he could Akane smile. I guess is if Kou doesn't end up with Akane (I hope not) than Akashi would be would Akane. It looks like Ichiyo agreed to marry Azuma's brother but under one condition. Well the only condition I can think of related to the story is if Kou and others get into Kosien. This would make Azuma's brother give tips and advice on how to get into Kosien, I don't think he can practice with them. I don't think it would make much of a difference though. Nomo drawing song is back, now with some christmas themes. Next episode" It's his first date" I'm guessing it's Kou's first date after Waka's accident. Aoba with Azuma's eyes. lol does that mean Azuma is always half awake? __________________

2009-12-14, 15:17	Link #2106
Free Pro Procrastinator Fansubber Join Date: Apr 2009	Akaishi got pretty much all the good lines this time. Anyone else went "phew" when Akaishi set down that whole box of bottles before Akane called out to him? It'd totally suck if he dropped all of that... =P PS. 25 numbers were called out, but the coach said "The above 26 people". Intentional "mistake"? __________________

2009-12-15, 14:10	Link #2108
Haak Me, An Intellectual Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: UK Age: 33	Lol. You know what? As soon as I saw Aoba with that ball and Kou sleeping I figured Aoba was eventually gonna hit headshot him. And I was right. It's what any self-respecting teen would do [edit] Where did evryone get those cool Cross Game sigs btw? __________________ MAL \| AnimeSuki Choice Awards 2020 Winners Last edited by Haak; 2009-12-15 at 14:27.

2009-12-15, 20:16	Link #2110
Proto Knowledge is the solution Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: St. Louis, MO Age: 39	I'm temporarily back to Mexico, so last week was pretty hectic for me and I couldn't watch the episode till now. But wow, did the episode delivered. Not only are they seamlessly integrating the female selection tryouts into the main stoyline and thus giving more and more depth to Aoba's character than what was already there in the original script, not to mention Azuma elder confession scene, of which we only got a passing mention in the original material, but everything was done perfectly to a tee. Have I mentioned how much I love the OST in this series? As for the people getting impatient with the slow development, sit back and relax. The author knows what he is doing. I hope. That said, there was a little joke that didn't make it to the anime that i would have lilked to see. __________________ How to play Japanese games in Linux

2009-12-14, 01:42	Link #2101
CWW Lurker Join Date: Oct 2008	See? I knew Adachi is trying to set up Akaishi x Akane. D: Also, Momiji's reaction to Kou's date was the best reaction.

2009-12-14, 04:31	Link #2103
Willen Aoba Tsukishima Join Date: May 2007	This was a very interesting episode. The relationships between the characters are getting more complicated. And it looks like Ichiyo is going to make Junpei earn that marriage proposal, somehow. Poor guy.

2009-12-16, 11:49	Link #2114
Nosauz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Age: 35	didn't really like the added "national team" bit because it's just SO not aoba. She could care less about baseball if it weren't for wakaba's dream she'd have quit just like she said she would. Also her reasons to play baseball are more rooted in the inequality that she has to endure even with all her raw talent, it's not about playing on large stage it's about proving to herself that she can compete with kou for wakaba's attention. It's perpetuated but with this addition it takes some of the integrity from her character.

2009-12-16, 13:09	Link #2118
typhonsentra Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: USA	I'm surprised with some of the filler they've fit into the show given how much ground they have to cover from here until the end of the series. So far is works out to something a little under 3.5 chapters per episode (Sometimes they change things around, like with the first volume where they spread a lot of the material around a series of episodes in flashbacks) and they have 14 episodes left to go with about 44 chapters unfinished.... so that means only 5 more chapters of the comic left? Over the next three months? If it ends this soon I'll be seriously disappointed.

2009-12-16, 13:13	Link #2120
Nosauz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Age: 35	I meant baseball in the sense of competing on the female stage. In the end she doesn't proceed for selection because she doesn't want to. In the manga atleast while she's in the batting cage with Azuma there is no hints that she did want to. All her work is poured into being recognized by the male baseball world which she idolizes. I mean midori begs her countless times to challenges/play but she just doesn't see the appeal when there are pitchers like kou and batters like azuma, in a sense being "recognized" by the people who recognize them she'd would be happy.