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Old 2012-11-30, 21:21   Link #1
Nafi
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Anime like Cross Game?

I finally finished Cross Game after pacing myself for a little over a month. I finished and am a bit depressed that I never found this type of theme in an anime before. The theme I'm talking about isn't the baseball, it's the type of romance.

Even though the romance is little, the theme makes it VERY interesting. The girl he liked dies and he is close to her sister, that type of theme. The sister hates him, but isn't the -dere (Like fullblown, I know Aoba is a tsundere, but she never admits the feelings honestly and straight forward) type of character.

So any anime with romance in the following characteristics:

-Something instead of the romance, such as sports to fighting to something that also serves as a main theme of the anime.

-Romance where it is hinted but it is never admitted and most likely is at the end.
-Girl says she hates the guy (like Aoba) and guy is pretty much emotionless to serious.

The following would be appreciated if found:

-A childhood past between the characters, it can either be that they are childhood friends (even if they hate each other) or if something in the past happened (such as a death of a close one).
-Something to do with a school.

Please, I don't want anime with a type A tsundere, aka tsunderes like Shana and the others. I already watched Suzuka and Love Hina, so don't recommend them please.

I'm going to try out Touch, hoping that it is worth it and similar to Cross Game. If you guys watched it, give me a quick comparison of the main male protagonist and the female character to the protagonists of Cross Game. By the looks of the manga cover, it looks like the female in Touch doesn't seem like a cold type (such as Aoba).
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Old 2012-11-30, 21:37   Link #2
SeijiSensei
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I'll suggest Chihayafuru, though I think there will be more romance in the second season starting early next year. Regardless, it's definitely worth watching.

Sakamichi no Apollon might also have some appeal.
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Old 2012-12-01, 18:17   Link #3
Sackett
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I would suggest Touch of course, by the same author (it's a common theme for Adachi). Truthfully you might want to look at a bunch of his works. Although in my opinion Touch and Cross Game are the best.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is another that has the type of romance you are identifying, but is mainly focused on other plot elements. Childhood friends, childhood trauma, serious guy, a "light" tsundere, etc.

I would also suggest Crest of the Stars and the sequels Banner of the Stars.

Maison Ikkoku is an older work that is actually more focused on the romance, but I think would be something you would enjoy if you enjoyed Cross Game.

You might even like Space Battleship Yamato with the understated romance.

Maybe Last Exile would be good to check out.

Ano Hana might also be to your liking. (The original one)

I didn't finish, but I heard that Hanasaku Iroha developed in that direction.

I've heard Steins Gate is a good romance, might be worth looking into (it's on my watch list)
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Old 2012-12-01, 22:14   Link #4
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I'll start off by saying that while I'll give you suggestions based on what you asked I figure your best bet is still with Touch,you're right in that the female lead is different from Aoba (same goes for the male lead who's not really like Kou) but what makes Adachi so good isn't so much the ingredient he uses but how he uses them,he's just a great storyteller so I'd say your safest bet is Touch,nevertheless here's some other recomendations based on what you asked though couldn't find something that had everything you wanted

Otome yukai Zakuro:
On the upside:I think you'll like the female lead,like Aoba she's on the tsundere side but not an over the top one,romance is an aspect of the show but not the only one (there's a whole plot that involves action)
On the downside: the male lead is more emotional than Kou so might not be what you're looking for,no school setting or any past connection with the characters.

Steins;Gate:
On the upside:Again it has a female lead I think fits what you're looking for and while there's a romance aspect it's mainly a sci fi time travel story.
On the downside: Again not sure the male lead is what you're looking for,he has a quite over the top personality though when it comes to love he's more reserved, also has no school setting or past connection.

Kaicho was maid sama:I think you'll like both the female and male lead and it has a school setting but it's mainly a romance title with no major other aspect
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Old 2012-12-02, 22:14   Link #5
Nafi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sackett View Post
I would suggest Touch of course, by the same author (it's a common theme for Adachi). Truthfully you might want to look at a bunch of his works. Although in my opinion Touch and Cross Game are the best.

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is another that has the type of romance you are identifying, but is mainly focused on other plot elements. Childhood friends, childhood trauma, serious guy, a "light" tsundere, etc.

I would also suggest Crest of the Stars and the sequels Banner of the Stars.

Maison Ikkoku is an older work that is actually more focused on the romance, but I think would be something you would enjoy if you enjoyed Cross Game.

You might even like Space Battleship Yamato with the understated romance.

Maybe Last Exile would be good to check out.

Ano Hana might also be to your liking. (The original one)

I didn't finish, but I heard that Hanasaku Iroha developed in that direction.

I've heard Steins Gate is a good romance, might be worth looking into (it's on my watch list)
Well I am definitly going to watch/read all of Adachi's works, so Touch is a yes.

FMA is more toward the other aspects, like the romance is so so.

A lot of people told me to watch the Crest of Stars, and that is on my Anime waiting list right now.

Maison Ikkoku will have to wait because I really can't handle more than 1-2 old anime due to the change in "old style drawings" and quality. It takes me time to get used to it.

I checked some sites and they said Space Battleship Yamato is not an active romance, well no where close to Cross Game, but I do understand when you say "understand romance".

The Last Exile I'm unsure about since none of the anime sites state it's a romance.

Ano Hana I heard of and might/might not watch. Is it going to have a new season? Is everything resolved in that one season if it isn't going to have another one>

Hanasaku Iroha is on my waiting list, but I might not watch it since I have a feeling it doesn't have the drama. Please tell me if it does, and how much drama if it does.

Steins Gate I heard has romance, but barely. Romance isn't even near the focus of the show (according to people). They said that it is just a Scientist/Patient close relationship which sparks at one point, otherwise it's not a romance. I'm not sure since I have never seen it, but I might try it later on.

Quote:
Originally Posted by totoum View Post
I'll start off by saying that while I'll give you suggestions based on what you asked I figure your best bet is still with Touch,you're right in that the female lead is different from Aoba (same goes for the male lead who's not really like Kou) but what makes Adachi so good isn't so much the ingredient he uses but how he uses them,he's just a great storyteller so I'd say your safest bet is Touch,nevertheless here's some other recomendations based on what you asked though couldn't find something that had everything you wanted

Otome yukai Zakuro:
On the upside:I think you'll like the female lead,like Aoba she's on the tsundere side but not an over the top one,romance is an aspect of the show but not the only one (there's a whole plot that involves action)
On the downside: the male lead is more emotional than Kou so might not be what you're looking for,no school setting or any past connection with the characters.

Steins;Gate:
On the upside:Again it has a female lead I think fits what you're looking for and while there's a romance aspect it's mainly a sci fi time travel story.
On the downside: Again not sure the male lead is what you're looking for,he has a quite over the top personality though when it comes to love he's more reserved, also has no school setting or past connection.

Kaicho was maid sama:I think you'll like both the female and male lead and it has a school setting but it's mainly a romance title with no major other aspect
I started the anime Touch yesterday, and let me tell you, it did not grab my attention straight away. Cross Game just grabbed my attention and I ended up watching 5 episodes on my first day (holding back), then I started pacing myself. Touch seems like more of a comedy, it's not a bad anime, it will probably get better, but the beginning was quite weak. I already saw hints of romance in the first 3 episodes of Touch. It did take me a while to get used to the art style (mainly due to quality). I'll praise Touch on one thing though, it's one of the first anime in a LONG TIME that made me laugh naturally (just laughed out with no control). I don't watch that much comedy anime (just comedy I mean), so this is maybe a second for me in finding something funny in a romance anime. One major thing I dislike about Touch is the fact that they make baseball look like a joke, maybe it's because it's an old anime, but the pitches look very mediocre when the backup pitcher was throwing. The twin aspect took me a while to get due to similar names. Everyone in this anime smiles all the time too, does it ever get dramatic?

Some reason, I would have felt more satisfied if Kazuya somehow dies or something happens (I know it's messed up). I'm get the feeling this is going to be the jealous type of romance. But, like someone on another forum said, "Adachi always has different ingredients, but makes up something wonderful with what he has."

As for the other anime, Otome yukai Zakuro, I will give it a try later on when I have an anime slot to use up, even though I dislike anime that less than 24 episodes. Stein;Gate, as I said in the text above (when I quoted the other person), everyone said it was a scientist/patient relationship and that he is close to all his patients except one of them which ends up with a spark moment (romantic). Everyone said if I'm looking for romance, that it wouldn't fit my requirements.

Kaicho wa Maid-sama is definitely on my list, many people told me to watch it since I am a fan of tsundere ever since I watched my 3rd anime which was Shakugan no Shana. I just like other types of tsundere other than Type A. My preferences for tsundere changes from time to time. I heard in this anime, she shows her emotions like in the beginning (embarrassment, not love) and after that, she becomes less emotional. Any comparison and differences between her and Aoba. Also, I never knew the guy was like Kou, I thought he was more open. Having no other major aspect is a down for me, but I can handle it.
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Old 2012-12-03, 07:02   Link #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nafi View Post
Steins Gate I heard has romance, but barely. Romance isn't even near the focus of the show (according to people). They said that it is just a Scientist/Patient close relationship which sparks at one point, otherwise it's not a romance. I'm not sure since I have never seen it, but I might try it later on. (...) Stein;Gate, as I said in the text above (when I quoted the other person), everyone said it was a scientist/patient relationship and that he is close to all his patients except one of them which ends up with a spark moment (romantic). Everyone said if I'm looking for romance, that it wouldn't fit my requirements.
Where are those people?I need to go yell at them

The first half indeed is on the comic side of things and there's no romance.So yes overall the romance side isn't present throughout the show.
But the second half of the show is a whole lot more dramatic and the guy and girl get closer,by episode 19 his feelings for her are what motivates his actions throughout the rest of the show.The relationship between the two is central to the plot at the end.

I feel it's closer to what you're looking for than HSI or Ano Hana are.

The romance in HSI didn't really go anywhere,it also doesn't really have the type of characters you're looking for.There's some drama but it's mainly lighthearted.

Ano hana is similar to cross game in that you've got a a character setting out to accomplish the wish of his dead childhood love.
However this show is all about one way love relationships,everyone's in love with someone they can't have so it doesn't have the sort of relationship you said you were looking for.

About Touch
Quote:
does it ever get dramatic?

I can 100% guarantee you that it does.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Nafi View Post
Kaicho wa Maid-sama is definitely on my list, many people told me to watch it since I am a fan of tsundere ever since I watched my 3rd anime which was Shakugan no Shana. I just like other types of tsundere other than Type A. My preferences for tsundere changes from time to time. I heard in this anime, she shows her emotions like in the beginning (embarrassment, not love) and after that, she becomes less emotional. Any comparison and differences between her and Aoba. Also, I never knew the guy was like Kou, I thought he was more open. Having no other major aspect is a down for me, but I can handle it.
Yes she's indeed more of the type to be embarrassed but that's also due to how the male lead likes to put her in embarrassing situations,speaking of him,sorry I didn't express myself quite well about the guy,he's more open up front but you always get the impression that while he seems quite open you never know what he's really thinking,that's why I thought you'd like him.

But she's more similar to Zakuro I'd say,if you're afraid that otome youkai zakuro being short means it's rushed and/or doesn't have a satisfactory ending don't be,in fact the last 5 minutes of the show are my favorite part of it.
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Old 2012-12-03, 07:52   Link #7
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Ano Hana is wrapped up in a single season, without feeling rushed. Check out an episode or two and see waht you think.

Starblazers/Space Battleship Yamato is like Fulllmetal Alchemist, the romance is there, but it's secondary to the main plot.

Last Exile does have some romance (again understated similar to FMA), but the main reason I suggested it is because it has two childhood friends bound together by the death of their parents.

Like I said, I haven't gotten to watching Steins Gate yet, but it did almost win "Best Romance" in the AnimeSuki choice awards last year.
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Old 2012-12-10, 19:07   Link #8
Nafi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by totoum View Post

The first half indeed is on the comic side of things and there's no romance.So yes overall the romance side isn't present throughout the show.
But the second half of the show is a whole lot more dramatic and the guy and girl get closer,by episode 19 his feelings for her are what motivates his actions throughout the rest of the show.The relationship between the two is central to the plot at the end.

I feel it's closer to what you're looking for than HSI or Ano Hana are.

The romance in HSI didn't really go anywhere,it also doesn't really have the type of characters you're looking for.There's some drama but it's mainly lighthearted.

Ano hana is similar to cross game in that you've got a a character setting out to accomplish the wish of his dead childhood love.
However this show is all about one way love relationships,everyone's in love with someone they can't have so it doesn't have the sort of relationship you said you were looking for.
Okay, I'll start tomorrow on Steins;Gate. I'm hoping it's worth it since finding anime like Cross Game (the romance aspect which doesn't take over the plot) is very difficult.

Quote:
Originally Posted by totoum View Post
About Touch



I can 100% guarantee you that it does.
I'm on episode 13, and it still seems very light in drama (no drama what so ever) and it's more comical. I'm guessing since it's a 100 episodes, that the drama will be stretched out somewhere in the middle-end? Cross Game had the drama always intact with the story, but it is shorter than Touch, which I'm guessing means that the drama is spread out also?



Quote:
Originally Posted by totoum View Post
Yes she's indeed more of the type to be embarrassed but that's also due to how the male lead likes to put her in embarrassing situations,speaking of him,sorry I didn't express myself quite well about the guy,he's more open up front but you always get the impression that while he seems quite open you never know what he's really thinking,that's why I thought you'd like him.

But she's more similar to Zakuro I'd say,if you're afraid that otome youkai zakuro being short means it's rushed and/or doesn't have a satisfactory ending don't be,in fact the last 5 minutes of the show are my favorite part of it.
Well regardless, that anime is definitely on my list. I just tend to post pone anime with a main tsundere lead because I find that certain types of tsundere characters are really rare.

And when I say short, I mean short as in length. For some reason, when I watch an anime, I tend to have a feeling of rushing through it. I pace myself to 2 episodes a day (some days I miss out on). So if it's 12 episodes, that would be finished in a week. Every time I finish an anime, I feel that lasting appeal which usually puts me in a sad state. I feel like I finished it and that's that. It happened with almost all the anime I watched and which I got attached to (except Romeo X Juliet for some reason). So a 12 episode anime (which I tried before) which had a complete story put me into the worst state after finishing it in 2 weeks (I tried my hardest to pace myself at the time). So I basically stay away from those types of anime since I hate the feeling which lasts a couple of days to a week.
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Old 2012-12-12, 09:55   Link #9
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Cross game is my all-time favorit anime. Havent been able to find anything quite like it, or as good. Other animes that i think give a somewhat similar feel for different reasons are:

Planetes

Berserk



http://www.anime-planet.com/users/Lo...ing&order=desc
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Old 2012-12-12, 12:53   Link #10
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I'm going to recommend Chihayafuru again which seems to have gotten lost in the walls of text above. It's mostly about the game, karuta, and the relationships between Chihaya and her fellow devotees, but there are hints of romance. As I said, it's likely that part of the story will be more developed in the next installment in January.
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Old 2012-12-12, 18:23   Link #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nafi View Post
I'm on episode 13, and it still seems very light in drama (no drama what so ever) and it's more comical. I'm guessing since it's a 100 episodes, that the drama will be stretched out somewhere in the middle-end?
I'd say around episode 25

Chihayafuru indeed mixes sports and romance very well,it has a school setting and the characters do have a childhood past together and I think you'd like both male characters.

The only thing real difference from what you're asking is that the girl doesn't start out hating anyone,that's why I didn't recommend it at at first but thinking about it more it has many of the other things you were looking for.
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Old 2012-12-13, 23:18   Link #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Logos55 View Post
Cross game is my all-time favorit anime. Havent been able to find anything quite like it, or as good. Other animes that i think give a somewhat similar feel for different reasons are:

Planetes

Berserk



http://www.anime-planet.com/users/Lo...ing&order=desc
I remember watching 2 episodes of Planetes but it was around 3 AM in the morning, so I have no idea what I watched to be honest. If it's similar, I'll give it another shot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SeijiSensei View Post
I'm going to recommend Chihayafuru again which seems to have gotten lost in the walls of text above. It's mostly about the game, karuta, and the relationships between Chihaya and her fellow devotees, but there are hints of romance. As I said, it's likely that part of the story will be more developed in the next installment in January.
I already had that on my list, the only downside is that I dislike watching "ongoing" anime or anime with a next season. I'll wait until the show is close to finishing the second season, hoping that it will be the last season of the anime.

Quote:
Originally Posted by totoum View Post
I'd say around episode 25

Chihayafuru indeed mixes sports and romance very well,it has a school setting and the characters do have a childhood past together and I think you'd like both male characters.

The only thing real difference from what you're asking is that the girl doesn't start out hating anyone,that's why I didn't recommend it at at first but thinking about it more it has many of the other things you were looking for.
Well, I still hate the competitive aspect of Touch, it's as if there isn't any. Overall, it gives me the best feel since it has similar art styles to Cross Game. I realized I liked the hinted romance/past in Cross Game and the competitive aspect, not really the sport. I also liked the fact it barely contained comedy even though it was considered a romantic anime,
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Old 2012-12-14, 00:29   Link #13
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Planetes, like Nodame Cantabile and Toshokan Sensou, fall into the category I call "senpai romances." They all feature couples with a young woman who is being mentored by a slightly older man, during which time their relationship develops into a romance. While I think all three are definitely worth watching, I'm not sure any of the relationships in those shows are particularly similar to that between Kou and Aoba. If anything it's Aoba who plays the mentoring role in some parts of Cross Game. Nodame resembles Aoba in the talent department, but she declares her love for Chiaki-senpai at the end of the very first episode. In the other two shows the women show promise, but they require training and direction, and the romances take longer to build.
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Old 2012-12-14, 17:11   Link #14
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Well if you liked Cross Game then I would definitely check out Touch and H2. They are both my Mitsuru Adachi and follow similar threads about baseball with a romance subplot. Or is it a romance with a baseball subplot? You get my drift. They've got aging animation art, but the story is solid and still there. Touch was a personal favorite, as it also has several movies. One live-action and four animated, I believe. I didn't watch the live-action, but I did watch 3 of the animated movies. I really enjoyed them.

If you're looking for more sports-oriented shows, then also check out Eyeshield 21 (amer. football), Giant Killing (soccer), Knight in the Area (soccer) or Kuroko no Basuke ("Kuroko's Basketball"). My personal favorite of these is Knight in the Area, but YMMV.

If you're looking for a romance with some competitive flavor thrown in, definitely check out Chihayafuru. It's Josei, but I have to say its romantic subplot is better than most romantic anime's actual romantic MAIN plot. Chihayafuru is one of those rare anime that pulls off touching, exciting, cute, and funny all at the same time. If Deadman Wonderland, Bakuman 2nd, and Mirai Nikki hadn't been airing in the same season, it would have probably made my #1 favorite slot for Fall 2011. That being said, it's my favorite josei/shoujo of all time, so there's that.

Some shoujo romance shows that are airing this season are Sukitte Ii Na Yo and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. Both very different in premise and execution, but both are instantly recognizable as fitting somewhere into that shoujo romance niche. Sukitte is much more serious and even a little bit on the morose side (leaning towards josei), Kaibutsu is much more on the gags/humor side (leaning towards shounen). Just depends on what you like.

And while I got talking about it, I suppose Mirai Nikki *might* fit your requirements in the loosest of terms. It does, in fact have a romance that takes place in a school, but it's got Yuno the Yandere in it. (Welcome to Mirai Nikki, where every path is a Yuno Path) I loved it, but it's borderline horror which you might not like. (Or you might love it like I did, I have no idea)

Another (yes, that's its actual name) is also a horror anime with a tragic end, but also a decent romantic subplot. The main plot was the main focus, however, and if you don't know what happens it'll keep you guessing. (It did me, I kept thinking it was going to be a Sixth Sense ending, then it wasn't. I felt dumb.)

Also Bakuman. But while the romance is the driving force of the main character's motivation, one would argue that the focus of the show flips back and forth between the main character's work as a mangaka and his love interest. I personally love it, though it's only in the school setting for the first season or so.

For an ongoing anime this year I'm really enjoying Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. I'm actually not sure if this is going to be a harem or not, but the focus does seem to be on one girl more than the others (Mashiro), so we'll see. Immensely enjoyable show that's got a light scattering of ecchi with funny dialogue and very cute voice acting. Oh, and the OP and ED are sung by the voice actresses, too. I freaking love that.

Those ones were more recent, but how about an old one? A personal childhood favorite of mine was Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. The romantic subplot was really sweet and endearing, and while the show is more-or-less a parody of Evangelion, I always considered it superior to Eva because it was essentially Eva with good character development, a convincing love story, and main characters that didn't make you want to gouge your eyes out with a rusty spoon. That, and Mitsuki Rara is probably still on my top-5 list of anime girl crushes, lol.

Another (kinda) old one for ya. Ah! My Goddess. Probably one of my favorite anime ever (top 10 AT LEAST), and it's got a great romance between a goddess and a motor geek. It's a school setting, but keep in mind it's also a college school setting, so it's not as rigid in structure as a typical school anime is, and it doesn't revolve around their school activities aside from K1's club.

I think that's enough for now. I honestly don't think I can put any more down with decent descriptions (more like my personal opinions) without going into everything I ever watched that was 1) Romance 2) School-Life and/or 3) Osananajimi ("Childhood Friends"). That would freaking take an entire thread unto itself. >_>
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Old 2012-12-15, 00:12   Link #15
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Well if you liked Cross Game then I would definitely check out Touch and H2. They are both my Mitsuru Adachi and follow similar threads about baseball with a romance subplot. Or is it a romance with a baseball subplot? You get my drift. They've got aging animation art, but the story is solid and still there. Touch was a personal favorite, as it also has several movies. One live-action and four animated, I believe. I didn't watch the live-action, but I did watch 3 of the animated movies. I really enjoyed them.

If you're looking for more sports-oriented shows, then also check out Eyeshield 21 (amer. football), Giant Killing (soccer), Knight in the Area (soccer) or Kuroko no Basuke ("Kuroko's Basketball"). My personal favorite of these is Knight in the Area, but YMMV.

If you're looking for a romance with some competitive flavor thrown in, definitely check out Chihayafuru. It's Josei, but I have to say its romantic subplot is better than most romantic anime's actual romantic MAIN plot. Chihayafuru is one of those rare anime that pulls off touching, exciting, cute, and funny all at the same time. If Deadman Wonderland, Bakuman 2nd, and Mirai Nikki hadn't been airing in the same season, it would have probably made my #1 favorite slot for Fall 2011. That being said, it's my favorite josei/shoujo of all time, so there's that.

Some shoujo romance shows that are airing this season are Sukitte Ii Na Yo and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. Both very different in premise and execution, but both are instantly recognizable as fitting somewhere into that shoujo romance niche. Sukitte is much more serious and even a little bit on the morose side (leaning towards josei), Kaibutsu is much more on the gags/humor side (leaning towards shounen). Just depends on what you like.

And while I got talking about it, I suppose Mirai Nikki *might* fit your requirements in the loosest of terms. It does, in fact have a romance that takes place in a school, but it's got Yuno the Yandere in it. (Welcome to Mirai Nikki, where every path is a Yuno Path) I loved it, but it's borderline horror which you might not like. (Or you might love it like I did, I have no idea)

Another (yes, that's its actual name) is also a horror anime with a tragic end, but also a decent romantic subplot. The main plot was the main focus, however, and if you don't know what happens it'll keep you guessing. (It did me, I kept thinking it was going to be a Sixth Sense ending, then it wasn't. I felt dumb.)

Also Bakuman. But while the romance is the driving force of the main character's motivation, one would argue that the focus of the show flips back and forth between the main character's work as a mangaka and his love interest. I personally love it, though it's only in the school setting for the first season or so.

For an ongoing anime this year I'm really enjoying Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. I'm actually not sure if this is going to be a harem or not, but the focus does seem to be on one girl more than the others (Mashiro), so we'll see. Immensely enjoyable show that's got a light scattering of ecchi with funny dialogue and very cute voice acting. Oh, and the OP and ED are sung by the voice actresses, too. I freaking love that.

Those ones were more recent, but how about an old one? A personal childhood favorite of mine was Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure. The romantic subplot was really sweet and endearing, and while the show is more-or-less a parody of Evangelion, I always considered it superior to Eva because it was essentially Eva with good character development, a convincing love story, and main characters that didn't make you want to gouge your eyes out with a rusty spoon. That, and Mitsuki Rara is probably still on my top-5 list of anime girl crushes, lol.

Another (kinda) old one for ya. Ah! My Goddess. Probably one of my favorite anime ever (top 10 AT LEAST), and it's got a great romance between a goddess and a motor geek. It's a school setting, but keep in mind it's also a college school setting, so it's not as rigid in structure as a typical school anime is, and it doesn't revolve around their school activities aside from K1's club.

I think that's enough for now. I honestly don't think I can put any more down with decent descriptions (more like my personal opinions) without going into everything I ever watched that was 1) Romance 2) School-Life and/or 3) Osananajimi ("Childhood Friends"). That would freaking take an entire thread unto itself. >_>
I'm currently watching Touch, I get the adachi feeling from it even though it's a lot more comical. For chihayahuro, I'm going to wait until the next season gets near the end. Sukitte Ii Na Yo and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun are on my to watch list.

Let's just say Mirai Nikka was a bit too much, and I only read the manga. It doesn't have the characteristics I need in my current need, but still, I bit too much...blood...

Bakuman is a good manga I am currently reading, and Another is a horror which I dislike. Otherwise I am already watching or watched the rest of the anime you suggested, and ah my goddess was weird for the first season. It became serious during the second season in my opinion.

Chihayahuro is probably the closest in similarity to Cross Game because of the female protagonist has a similar feeling to Aoba, I just can't put my finger in it.
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Old 2012-12-15, 00:49   Link #16
jte742
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You might like Spice and Wolf (both seasons), though it stretches your requirements a little. It is driven equally by romance and by business and economics (you'll learn about exchange rates and margin buying, among other things...), and the romance between the two leads is really only hinted at until the very end. Also (in relation to your other thread), there is not a lot of comedy. The main characters don't quite match what you requested (the female lead doesn't hate the male like Aoba does, and the male lead isn't quite as reticent as Kou is), and there are no childhood past or school elements, but if you can overlook those things, it is a great anime and one of my favorites.
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Old 2012-12-29, 12:12   Link #17
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I'm going to second Spice and Wolf and also Crest of the Stars+sequels. Both amazing shows and somewhat similar in feel to Cross Game, though obviously not anywhere near the same subject material.
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Old 2013-01-03, 22:12   Link #18
Nafi
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Sorry for replying late to my own thread, my internet wasn't functioning properly.

Spice and Wolf is something I will begin to watch since it is actually dramatic/serious. I may buy the Blu-ray version since out of the 40 romance anime I watched, I only disliked two (just because I didn't look into the overview of the anime).

The Crest of Stars has a female that dislikes the male, or doesn't have any particular feeling, correct?
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Old 2013-01-03, 22:41   Link #19
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Crest of the Stars is a very subtle romance. It's not that the girl is hostile or indifferent. It's just that both Lafiel and Jinto are very restrained personalities. Very passionate actually, but very restrained because of it. So their romance develops slowly, as it naturally would for people of with that personality.
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Old 2013-01-05, 14:05   Link #20
Nafi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sackett View Post
Crest of the Stars is a very subtle romance. It's not that the girl is hostile or indifferent. It's just that both Lafiel and Jinto are very restrained personalities. Very passionate actually, but very restrained because of it. So their romance develops slowly, as it naturally would for people of with that personality.
So would it be a similar relation to Aoba and Kou? Except the fact they are different. As long as the romance is in the background and emerges while the anime goes on, I'm fine with it.
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