I’m not exactly sure why last week suddenly introduced a hiatus, but it was probably the Olympics. But seriously: it was SO WORTH THE WAIT. This episode was amazing, it was just one huge chunk of atmosphere. It was exactly what this series is best at. And on top of that the character-development is finally kicking in! Despite the wonderful characters, Cross Game up to this point always suffered from two flaws: first of all the baseball (on which I’ve commented often enough), but the characters also were pretty static for most part after the first episode. Right now however, everything is coming together and you can really see how everyone’s evolving. Senda is growing up from the idiot he used to be, Kou, although this is very subtle, is also growing up and isn’t the kid that he once was. Aoba is throwing her Tsundere-side away, the bond between every character and Akane has also changed considerably from when we first met her. I truly believe that this final arc is all about transcending into adulthood. Not necessarily about the increased responsibilities, but rather leaving the past behind, and growing up. I fully remember that a few months ago, I commented on how I couldn’t see this show surpass itself anymore after that point. Well. I was wrong. Rating: *** (Awesome)
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Cross Game – 47
