When watching any media piece it’s common for a viewer to judge a program based on its past performance and build expectations of what they’d like to see. This can lead to feelings of disappointment when a show doesn’t live up to expectations. This isn’t so with Cross Game, a shounen which demonstrates that a captivating story can be found even in a simple story of baseball and love.
The main characters in the show are all memorable from the four street sisters to Ko’s best pal Daiki. This small group of characters is what makes the whole show so special and able to bring an air of authenticity and ambiance to every scene they appear in. Their characterization also allows them to tackle the themes of death and love with ease, giving them a deeper feeling than you’d think of from a standard shonen.
Cross Game is unique in that it knows how to focus its attention. The characters are well-developed, but there isn’t much drama or surprises in every episode. This lets the viewers truly enjoy the development of the relationships without being overpowered by the need to create more emotional tension or a plot that is constantly trying to surprise readers with new twists and unexpected cliffhangers. The fact that it is able to avoid these kinds of pitfalls is the reason why Cross Game so wonderful, and is something the genre could benefit from more of.