What Is a Cross-Game?
When watching any type of media it is easy for viewers to develop expectations based upon the past. This can lead to a feeling of disappointment when a show doesn’t meet expectations. This isn’t so with Cross Game, a shounen that shows that a wonderful story can be found in a simple story of baseball and love.
The main characters of the show are each memorable from the four street sisters to Ko’s best friend Daiki. This small ensemble is what makes the entire show so memorable and able to bring the character of each and atmosphere to every scene that they are in. Their characterisation also enables them to tackle the themes of love and death effortlessly, giving them a deeper feel than you would expect from a typical shonen.
Cross Game is unique in that it knows how to focus its attention. Although the characters are well developed, there is little drama or twists throughout each episode. This lets the viewers truly enjoy the development of the relationships without being overwhelmed by the need to create more emotional tension or a plot constantly trying to surprise the viewer with new twists and cliffhangers. The fact that it avoids these kinds of pitfalls is the reason why Cross Game so wonderful, and is something the genre could really benefit from more of.