Cross game

[Free]

No one I know in real life watches anime, and I've spewed too much non-sense on IRC for anyone to actually take me seriously. The most I can do is to release an episode of CG as Naruto or something, but I can only imagine it bringing more harm than good. Hah hah... >_>_>

But bravo to you! =]

[Proto]

My two sibblings are anime watchers, and they do enjoy these kind of series so it will be a cinch to get them to watch this in December when I go to Mexico and give them my hard drive. I've got a pair of friends who also watch anime who also have promised to start watching it once it finishes (since they don't like watching on going anime). Lastly I've gotten 2 or 3 people on another forum I frequent to watch it.

@The Rumblefish: Nice analysis there, it has got me thinking as well: I wish I could write something more to it but it's pretty much complete.

[HitagiIsHot]

Originally Posted by Sackett

Well I showed the first 4 episodes to my younger brother yesterday. He's Mr. Baseball, and hasn't watched any anime at all since he was a kid (and then it was limited to Dragonball Z). He said he liked it- in fact we were only going to watch the first two, but he wanted to wacth the next ones.

How is everyone else doing at spreading the word?

I got a younger brother too that watched a little bit of anime with me (Code Geass, One Piece), will definitely try to do the same. I am sure he will enjoy it. I also started a blog where I wrote a couple of Cross Game articles (however I too am playing catch up at the moment, watching up to the latest episodes and enjoying every moment of it). It's a great show no doubt, any one know how many episodes are scheduled for this series?

[MeoTwister5]

I managed to get at least one more person in another forum I go to to watch and he loved the first episode, and another said he'll try it out when he has time.

[HitagiIsHot]

I just got my family to watch episode 1. They liked it.

[Free]

Nomo wallpaper this week. You just gotta know what Waka-chan's blood type is... Or click all of them one by one until you get it right. :P

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/contents/c...uiz/index.html

[idont]

Originally Posted by Free

Nomo wallpaper this week. You just gotta know what Waka-chan's blood type is... Or click all of them one by one until you get it right. :P

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/contents/c...uiz/index.html

http://translate.google.com/translat...istory_state0=

[jpwong]

I keep forgetting to come and check this when the show is actually airing XDD

[MeoTwister5]

I'm assuming something huge just happened this week?

[leongsh]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

I'm assuming something huge just happened this week?

Do you really want to know before you watch today's episode?

[cf18]

Manga Kou got more eye candy than anime Kou.

[Proto]

Spoiler for personal review of this episode:

Quite a nice episode, not as poignant or extraordinary as the last one, but that's natural, we need a bit of a wind down before the next climax. Other than that, we got some nice development between the characters, and the story is moving in an interesting direction. I just love the work that the VA's have done in this series, it adds another layer of enjoyment to the whole thing.

[poko-kun]

Today's episode was nice.
Especially, the "thank you" one.

I just came back from a cosplay event.
My friend and I had a lot of fun today

Spoiler for ...:

Poko as Aoba, Hiou as Kou (Sorry, we both love Gintama too. lol)

[DeX-kun]

I must say, another good episode.

Spoiler for Episode 32:

I really enjoyed this episode because of the development between Kou and Aoba. Kou is quickly becoming a definite favorite as male lead (Personally, Tomoya from Clannad is my top favorite male lead but Kou comes very close so far.)

My favorite part of the episode was when Aoba was throwing a bunch of information on Akane in Kou's face and saying how their blood type is different. Then Kou follows up by saying to Aoba, "Hey, so what's your blood type?" I also enjoyed how Aoba thanked Kou for worrying about her

Originally Posted by poko-kun

I just came back from a cosplay event.
My friend and I had a lot of fun today

Spoiler for ...:

Poko as Aoba, Hiou as Kou (Sorry, we both love Gintama too. lol)

Nice cosplay. I think your poses accurately describes the relationship between Aoba and Kou

[Sackett]

Originally Posted by poko-kun

Today's episode was nice.
Especially, the "thank you" one.

I just came back from a cosplay event.
My friend and I had a lot of fun today

Spoiler for ...:

Poko as Aoba, Hiou as Kou (Sorry, we both love Gintama too. lol)

Awesome, one of the few cosplay pictures I actually like.

Anyway, watched the episode now that the subs are out.

Wow! What a trip.

So first of all we once again have a villain (a streaker at a girls school) decked by the mighty fastball. The first time they did that trick I thought it a bit out of flavor for the show. The second time... well I think that you can only pull that trick so many times: Once. I mean how often do ordinary people in Japan run across villains/streakers? (Maybe I don't want to know...) Of course Akane is right there to witness Kou's moment of glory (and get an eyeful of the streaker too).

So a slight tick off the show for that, but hey, it's a minor flaw in a stunning masterpiece, I'll overlook it.

Then the Akane Kou-service. Woah, that's a little cliche. Although I guess if she's not used to living across from someone maybe she isn't in the habit of closing the blinds. It probably wouldn't have bothered me as much except that coming right on the heels of the streaker bit I started feeling like I'd wondered into some poorly made knockoff of Cross Game instead of the actual show.

Then we have Akane attacked by a gang of delinquents- Again!? I thought: What are they doing throwing all these cliches at us? Then the moment of coolness: "Ah it's not really a mugging, it's just an idiot boy trying to impress a girl". It was a cliche because it was an invoked trope!

Then Akane breaks out the awesomeness! Instead of being swept off her feet by her rescuer- she calls the police! Like a sane person! I couldn't stop laughing. I wonder if the first two cliches were just there to set us up for one of the best subversion of a trope ever.

Then Kou's worried about the absent Aoba- and when she thanks him... the trains fail to arrive on time! (In Japan that's sort of like snow in July) And Kou begins blaming Aoba for it: "You just had to go and thank me didn't you. Now look what you've done!"

Amazing... still the early cliches... not the quality I expect from Cross Game- but the 2nd half was so good I won't complain too much.

[Proto]

Since they take out the meta jokes it's more difficult to see that Adachi is just poking fun at himself but...





Images are from the equivalent manga chapters for this episode, so no future events spoiled.

[Guardian Enzo]

Another perfect 10, I'm afraid. Just as hoped, Akane seems to be acting as the catalyst for a chemical reaction between Kou and Aoba. Some favorite moments:

Spoiler for Wait:

- Azuma, on-target as usual - "You're so alike."
- The painful moment of Akane and Momiji side-by-side, and Tsukishima-san's reaction.
- "Thank you." The importance of that small moment can hardly be overrated.
- Kou's reaction to inadvertently peeping at Akane - "Blink, blink". So perfectly and utterly Kou.

What happens next, that's the true question. Aoba seems to have laid her cards on the table to some extent - nothing overt, but her actions betrayed her profound interest in the new girl and her interactions with Kou. Aoba can't have been surprised by Kou's heartfelt concern over her being "missing" - yet she 's so deep into self-denial that perhaps it takes something like that to occasionally remind her how much Kou cares for her.

What of Kou? He has too much integrity to fall for Akane based on her looks - and too much loyalty to Waka's memory. But Akaishi is a different matter. Unlike Kou, he never had the experience of being with Waka-chan, so Akane only has to compete with a fantasy, not a memory. Might he fall for Akane?

[poko-kun]

Thanks Dex-Kun & Sackett
But don't be afraid of my thanks, nothing bad is going to happen when I say it.

About episode 32
I like the pause when Kou asked Aoba about her blood type, it emphasises his feeling.
Seems like Kou was trying to tell her that he would like to know her personal detail too.

[DeX-kun]

Originally Posted by poko-kun

Thanks Dex-Kun & Sackett
But don't be afraid of my thanks, nothing bad is going to happen when I say it.

Originally Posted by poko-kun

About episode 32
I like the pause when Kou asked Aoba about her blood type, it emphasises his feeling.
Seems like Kou was trying to tell her that he would like to know her personal detail too.

That's exactly what I was getting at Kou asked her that question because he's trying to show her that he wants to know more about her rather than Akane So far, it seems like the catalyst is a success

[mit7059]

Spoiler for not needed since ep is out but just to be safe:

I though this episode was really good, but it does get back to the typical loss of subtlety in the manga/blatancy argument. Especially with the mugging, they couldn't be more blatant with wanting you to know that the 'muggers' and the 'rescuer' were in cahoots, the shot of them together was not in the manga and it's a shame because it removes the surprise or the a-ha! Moment because it doesn't trust the viewer to figure it out on their own. And for the Kou peeping on Akane seen I though it was fine but I wish that they had captured Kou's expression a little better from the manga, in the manga it looks like he's in shock, in the anime it looks like he's just bored, I thought a lot of comedy was lost. But at the same time it serves a very important purpose: It once again reminds Kou that Akane is not Waka-chan, she's not some 11-year-old kid, she's a fully matured 17-year-old as is he, which is an important thing to note.

But the best part of the episode by far was the end with Kou and Aoba, both his looking for her, her bashfulness and guilty pleasure that she liked him looking for her and the typical Kou/Aoba argument to bring everything back around. Perfectly executed.

EDIT: As was pointed out I was totally wrong about the differences between the manga and anime, I simply forgot that part of the manga.