(L) Cross game

[poko-kun]

If you experienced Touch before
the "But you can't have him" could be

Spoiler for Touch reference:

an invitation to play a fair game.

Until Kou pointed out that he can't compare the live to the no longer live one, Aoba always thought that she couldn't be compared to her late sister. (ie; Can I borrow a pot? episode)
What Kou said must unlock her closed door.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by poko-kun

If you experienced Touch before
the "But you can't have him" could be

Spoiler for Touch reference:

an invitation to play a fair game.

Until Kou pointed out that he can't compare the live to the no longer live one, Aoba always thought that she couldn't be compared to her late sister. (ie; Can I borrow a pot? episode)
What Kou said must unlock her closed door.

Now, thas was an interesting line. The obvious implication being that Aoba was asking Kou to compare his feelings for her to his feelings for Akane - one live girl with another. But was that what she meant?

[The Rumblefish]

Yes, I always wondered whether there was a double entendre (is that how you say in English?) in Aoba's question. At a first glance, she is obviously asking about a comparison between Akane and herself. But she might be implying "and how do I compare to my sister"?

This might also be hinted by the comparison made by Nakanishi at the beginning of the episode. He wasn't the first one to make such a comparison, but the two people who did so before knew Wakaba and Aoba much better. Nakanishi has a more objective view of the situation (if you consider he was being honest here and not deviously clever), so maybe his comparison made more of an impression on Aoba.

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Spring better have something to fill this huge void.

For a similart sports + slice of life + subtlety mix, I was recommended by a friend to follow Giant Killing. It will start roughly when Cross Game ends.

[germanturkey]

^^ that soccer anime right? i'm all for that, since that's more my domain that baseball..

[The Rumblefish]

Yes if I understand correctly it's soccer + slice of life in a more adult environment, with light romance elements. Not exactly in the vein of Adachi's stuff, but it is rare to have something close to his works anyway so I'll take what I can get.

[poko-kun]

We can look it as Aoba asked Kou to make a comparison between Waka and Akane, but Kou's answer was like "c'mon... I don't compare the live with no live, you gotta realize and enter the game by yourself"

Kou did tell Aoba before that "he's interested in her" ( "So.. what's your blood type?" // "Do you like clever pitcher more?") Even it looks like he was just teasing her, but I haven't seen he did that to other girls,even Wakaba.

Anyway.... we still don't know his answer. But remember what he promised to Akane that he will tell Aoba the truth.. (yet he asked Aoba if he could lie... what a boy)

[Proto]

I couldn't stop this episode from giving me shivers from sheer excitement and emotion every 3 minutes. One off the best build up episodes I've seen a while. SynergySP sure knows how to build anticipation.

So how you do find her, Waka-chan?

[The Rumblefish]

I believe one line has not been mentioned here yet, the one spoken by Aoba when they leave the cemetery. She mentions having had a psychic chat with her dead sister and says:

"It's alright if you are with that person." That's what she told me.

Note: the exact sentence in the sub is "with her", however the original line is あの人, which directly translate to "that person". By this I mean that, although you are led to believe Wakaba was talking about Akane or at least a girl, neither the identity nor the sex of the person is specified in the sentence. Furthermore, the identity of the person Wakaba was directly talking to ("you") is also not 100% specified. You'll understand why I mention this in a minute.

Now, remember Aoba does not know about the promise that, when Kō decides on the girl he fell in love with, he should bring her to Wakaba's grave. So Aoba has no way to know about the eventual hidden intention behind this trip. She thinks this trip is all about Wakaba and Akane.

Three things about that line. The first obvious way to read it is "it's alright if Kō is with Akane". Alternatively, and that's how I understood it at first, Aoba might have understood "it's alright if Kō is with Akane (but not with Aoba)".

In either case, this implies that Aoba is indirectly giving her disgruntled approval for Kō's relationship with Akane. Even if Aoba did receive that message from Wakaba, she did not have to mention it to Kō. It is possible that she was touched by his gesture and the way he is handling this whole situation, which leads her to admit defeat (consciouly or not) and/or to follow her sister's plea that Aoba "can't have Kō".

Yet, another way to understand the sentence is: "it's alright if Kō is with Aoba". After all, let's assume that there really is a psychic bond between the two sisters. If you prefer to stay down-to-earth, let's rather say that Aoba was so close to her sister, she could feel precisely what sentence Wakaba would say even if she did not consciouly understand/accept the true meaning of the sentence.

Maybe Wakaba is simply giving Kō her answer about the person he brought with him at the cemetery. Kō is not only looking for Wakaba's protection of Akane. He is also coming to the cemetery in order to receive Wakaba's approval about that person (coming along with him). Inadvertently, Aoba gives him the greenlight for "her"...self. In that case, Kō might know what Aoba is talking about even better than Aoba.

And finally, there is one last way to understand this sentence, which should be obvious if you simply read the quote by itself without having your mind distracted by the context (they were talking about Akane's resemblance to Wakaba just before that quote, which is the only reason we are led to believe the quote is about Akane).

"It's alright if you are with that person." That's what she told me.

What would you understand here at a first glance? That Wakaba said to Aoba "it's alright if you (Aoba) are with that person."

Although Aoba did not understand it correctly and deduced the message was meant for Kō regarding Akane, Wakaba is in fact aknowledging her sister's love for Kō.

[MeoTwister5]

Ah the vagueness/subtlety of missing pro/nouns.

My video file stuttered like hell throughout the cemetery and coming home section of the episode so I had to skip around so I actually thought the scene was omitted. Going back to the episode I found it there buried in the skipping. Having thought it was omitted I neglected to post about it since I've read the original material after everything in the previous episode, so I guess I was mistaken.

Taking it into a more realistic account I'll have to assume that Aoba does not know of any promise Kou as to fulfill, especially about the grave, and specifically that it's more probable that Wakaba would be speaking and referring to Aoba herself and not as some sort of pass-the-message for Kou.

For this reason I'd think that Wakaba was speaking specifically to Aoba, "you" being Aoba and "that person" being a specific person, and really now there's no other person in question but him. Sure enough it would seem that Kou has his own "visions" of Wakaba but AFAIK all of these were discussions and not really message passing. Whenever Wakaba had something to say posthumous, it was almost always to the person she spoke to.

In that sense, the direct approach would be the the third interpretation, that Wakaba gives her go signal to Aoba. She's fine if Aoba is with Kou, because she approves of it. It also fits in very perfectly with my theory/assertion.

More importantly though, it may have been the most critical opening that gives the Aoba the feeling to ask the question. The central line of dialogue in this episode and likely the rest of the series, that will galvanize our attention more than the baseball perhaps. As someone who was always so tied to Wakaba this line of approval gave her her first opening to do what she has likely been hiding along, in a similar line of denial like Kou, out of her own sense of respect for the past displaced as antagonism towards Kou. But now that symbolically Wakaba has given her approval, she can timidly start opening the door to an issue she's been hiding for years.

[poko-kun]

Originally Posted by The Rumblefish

Note: [I]the exact sentence in the sub is "with her", however the original line is あの人, which directly translate to "that person".

Yeah... but if Waka was speaking about Ao or Kou who was standing next to each other and in front of her grave... the sentence should be... "sono hito ga aite nara yuru sutte"
Japanese has 2 of "that" sono//ano depends on where the object stands from listener. Ano is used when the object is far from both speaker and listener.

[The Rumblefish]

Hmm good point. But hey, we don't know when she said that. Maybe it was when Kō was not right next to her!

/grasping at straws

[poko-kun]

That must be when Aoba bought a drink for an old man.
(My attempt to help.... )

[Proto]

I was going to mention that point but then I realized I was overthinking it. This series, baring Akane's existence doesn't have any supernatural elements. Aoba does not have any paranormal powers, that was just her way of telling Kou she's ok with whatever he decides. Even if she ended up half contradicting herself during the next half

[Haak]

Lol. I did not expect a Gettier Problem of all things to come up, this episode. XD

[Free]

I prefer The Rumblefish's interpretation. It's an internal dialog, so essentially no one else is there. If Adachi didn't meant it to have that meaning, he should have.

However, I would have prefered these moments to be less numinous, while equally profound.

[monir]

I'm supposed to be in a tight schedule thanks to someone, but I still had been itching to sneak in a post since this morning after watching episode 47. This is an amazing series we are being part of. Kou needed some serious inspiration, a boost in his psyche to bring out the maximum potential as his talented self. While baseball is a team game, a pitcher's contribution is still outweighs everyone else's. If the rest of team game rallies around the pitcher, such team is virtually unstoppable.

All an inspired Kou needs from his team is to rally around him to beat this very balanced and classy team. Eagerly looking forward to the remaining episodes. I think it's times-up for me for today.

[Ottocycle]

Here's something I shamelessly stole took from the official site:

Spoiler:

Both AS safe:

I've ended up using the first one though as it's too pretty, so if anyone doesn't mind that, please go ahead and use or edit them as you will.

As for actual series talk, I'm still earnestly waiting for an OST release.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Ottocycle

As for actual series talk, I'm still earnestly waiting for an OST release.

You've joined the very long list of people waiting here. I hope it's released eventually.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Kobato, Cross Game, SoranoWoto and KnT are all ending in the same week.

Dammit.

Spring better have something to fill this huge void.

For me, the kicker is that Inuyasha is ending the same week. That's one I've had an on/off relationship with for the better part of a decade. Though I've read the manga, seeing it end on screen will still bring the immediacy of it home.

[Nosauz]

man this is one show i'd love for commentary from the director on music selection, which to me is one of the greatest things this director has done to enhance what was an amazing manga.