Cross Game 1

Is this a kissing animu?

*Spoilers ahoy!*

OP:  “Summer Rain” by Kobukuro
ED:  “Koikogare te Mita Yume” by Ayaka
(No Youtube links, because I assume no one cares about this anime enough to post them)

Summary:

*SPOILER WARNING, IF YOU’RE GONNA WATCH THIS, DON’T READ ON…YOU’VE BEEN WARNED*

Cross game is a Baseball Anime. I’m not much into most sports anime. But since I tend to try a little of everything, this showed up on my list. I liked the first episode, but that’s likely because someone died. I like all anime where someone dies.

Ko and Wakaba are fifth graders who are born on the same day, same time, and the same hospital.  They get along great. Ko works with his father, and delivers goods from their sporting goods store.  Wakaba gets Ko to take her to swimming class where she gives him a kiss on the cheek before she leaves.  On the way back he runs into the big guy in his class, Akaishi, and wants to know what their relationship is.  Ko avoids the situation by running away to a nearby baseball game.  Akaishi pitches to Ko’s team and strikes everyone out except Ko.  Ko attributes that to his practicing at the batting cages in his spare time.  Ko gets recruited into the baseball team, even though he has no experience fielding.

Ko and Wakaba make a date to go to the festival when she gets back from swimming camp and kisses him on the cheek yet again (fifth graders move so fast nowadays).  Unfortunately she dies trying to save another girl at the camp.  Ko copes with things the best he can, until he realizes that to truly heal from Wakaba’s untimely demise he must just let himself cry, after he sees Akaishi cry over her as well.

Impressions:

Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll stick with this one, but it was a rather touching episode.  I really liked the 80’s feeling from the design and animation.  Natsu no Arashi was nostalgic feeling, this is just downright old school.  I’m immediately reminded of all the 80’s anime that I’ve watched, so it makes me feel good.

I assume now we’ll be getting more into the baseball, likely being used as a way to cope with the loss of Wakaba.  That’s where this show might lose me.  I haven’t watched many sports anime, aside from maybe Bamboo Blade, but that worked for me as I was actually doing Kendo at the time.