cross game cross game romantic comedy baseball manga series serialized weekly sunday issue february issue collected volumes final volume published april shortly end anime series received 54th manga praised internationally quietly brilliant great success series adapted episode anime television series aired tokyo network april march episode anime covers time frame volume manga received high praise outside japan cross game story neighboring sisters born day hospital close treats boyfriend officially declared year younger hates taking sister away dies slowly grow closer fulfill final dream seeing play high school baseball championship manga divided multiple parts consists volume prologue takes place main characters elementary school ending death starts years later year junior high continues summer year high school continues story break ending traveling plot start son owner lives neighborhood batting center run family proximity relationship businesses families close years children forth homes age jealous time spends older sister natural pitcher excellent form secretly trains good publicly showing little interest baseball dies swimming accident summer camp fifth grade starts year junior high continues training secret enters joins baseball club childhood friends interim principal regular principal medical leave brought new head coach turn brings transfer students schools play baseball team led star clear favorite school friends refuse evaluation tests join string team placed second string portable team head coach use junior high school field practice causes rivalry parts team summer practice portable team loses narrow margin summer vacation string team plays qualifying tournament portable team practice recently closed elementary school support mysterious old man portable team practice matches local high schools reached semifinals higher regional near end summer vacation interim principal decides dissolve portable team asks rematch string team losing team dissolved coach leave portable team playing wins narrow victory string team dissolved head coach interim principal leave work schools spring second year student enters stays despite having string team moves family dormitory closed reformed team goes prove defeating round summer qualifying tournament lose second round opponents overtime ending hopes year subsequently reaches advances semifinals narrowly beaten goes win spring tournament later year enter summer break girl named striking resemblance moves door causes mixed feelings characters particularly liked soon friends begins working cafe year begins romantic expresses interest gains new assistant coach form older brother agrees marry makes summer baseball tournament starts starts dominating shutout round opponent second round face led string player round defeated team headed head coach wins nearly perfect game ending story starts tournament progress win hospitalized unspecified illness initially play affected worrying condition continues perform promises date reaches illness severe expected scheduled surgery morning final game begins tells loves way thinks lying wins extra innings berth final chapter morning traveling visits recovering hospital head train station holding hands main characters voiced protagonists fifth grade enters early despite age close families treat couple shows little interest baseball outsiders practiced daily mile hour cage old swing bat described characters including like particular competitive attributes frequent similarities game team elementary school inspired pitching form pitcher urging secretly adopts daily training play baseball junior high school convince join high school baseball team pitches control incredible fastball ace pitcher strong hitter describes having self confidence excellent despite odds share deep bond love takes heart values opinion voiced protagonist daughter family year younger seen characters loves baseball father played catch little strong pitcher poster famous fastball pitcher bedroom wall young told interested guy pitch fastball miles hour excellent pitching form based form wide variety pitches girl play official inter school games practice games plays center field replaces pitcher younger members baseball team inspired effort puts baseball coaching work hard claims secretly disappointed able pitch official game points close according jealous time spends frequently intense dislike series despite like behavior talents characters comment ace pitcher slowly comes admit qualities player reluctant offer advice teaches new breaking pitches eventually admits faith ability fulfill dream pitches teased similarities behaviors habits means green leaf fresh leaf media manga written illustrated published began manga magazine sunday issue concluded chapter february issue seventeenth final volume scheduled release april series divided multiple parts season consists volume takes place main characters elementary school season covering volumes chapter numbering restarted begins years later year junior high school continues high school october series went hiatus end resuming march start untitled covers volumes summer year high school series licensed france italy south_korea hong_kong taiwan indonesia thailand march confirmed series licensing north_america volume collecting volumes published october publication going anime adapted anime television series produced directed character designs music series aired tokyo network beginning april slot episodes began syndication later april channels japan finished airing march dvd volume episodes released japan july additional dvds released monthly opening theme song summer rain written sung released april regular limited edition versions peak ranked oricon singles chart ending theme song episodes heartfelt dream composed sung arranged released single regular limited edition versions april reached oricon singles chart ending theme episodes orange days days released single august ending theme song episodes released single november ending theme song episodes rehearsal final ending theme episode began streaming cross game anime north_america reception manga series received 54th manga japan volume french edition won manga manga academic paper presented conference example telling story silent scenes scenes dialogue convey message volumes japanese edition described ann quietly brilliant slice life genre best saying despite storytelling matching pleasant feelings come reading series french edition praised great success pure delight usual citing key ingredients appealing funny characters funny situations accessible drawing style talent staging baseball scenes praised ability mix sports world love relationships real implied awaited skill rendering moving scenes dialogue reviewer noted art style changed touch cleaner action scenes dynamic praised sense elliptical staging stories appealing secondary characters ability develop comedy panel reviewer claimed handling death remarkable event gave real meaning story episode anime series called masterpiece new season ann complimented musical score understated highly effective reviewers ann gave highest possible rating said given higher rating possible praised honest heartfelt storytelling saying easy episode pacing fourth reviewer found typical anime adaptations production values best mediocre times marginal viewing episode said series older feeling character designs reminiscent 1980s 1990s calling great look wonderful simplicity backgrounds filled detail called animation solid stated series lot potential making excited impressed way events episode handled second episode comparing pacing style orange road stated favorites series especially liked way romance shown elementary school days affected current relationship called episode understated moving slower pace helps begin showing true nature characters good pacing continues fourth episode dynamic developed praised character building fifth episode calling interaction charming reminiscent real things starting fall place main focus series high school baseball end sixth episode praises exposition seventh episode protective instinct comes use flashbacks past affecting characters present good pacing sets apart sports
Cross Game