Cross
Game volume 6
Author:
Mitsuru Adachi
Viz
Media/Shonen Sunday
373
pages (2-in-1 omnibus edition)
Spoiler
warning: Review contains spoilers for the series so far.
Read with caution!
The
arrival of a new year brings Ko's last shot at Koshien closer at
hand. But Akane Takigawa and her striking resemblance to Wakaba cause
Ko's heart to stir. Meanwhile, something happens to make Azuma and
Aoba grow closer. Young feelings wax and wane in Ko's third year of
high school. And to top it off, the Seishu baseball team gets a new
coach?! (Source: Goodreads)
It's
been almost two years since I've spent quality time with Ko and the
Seishu team but once I dove into the sixth omnibus edition of Mitsuru
Adachi's manga, it did not feel like such a long time as much as a
brief weekend away from good friends. In the last volume, people were
wondering if ghosts could age as new girl in town Akane walked into
their lives, striking more than a passing resemblance to the deceased
Wakaba. In this volume, we explore more of Akane's character and see
what happens when another eligible young woman comes into the sphere
of Ko Kitamura.
Cross
Game volume six is surprisingly light on actual baseball, although it
is certainly a part of the story. We don't get any multi-chapter
Seishu games but a lot of training, with everyone person reaching and
straining for one great goal: to reach Koshien - and win. For Ko, who
is now a third year, this is it. If he can't reach Koshien this year,
he never will. Is it any surprise that he's training like mad?
Luckily, he's clearly got the skill to win as well as a great teacher
in the form of Aoba.
It's
been a great volume for Aoba, who has continued to embrace her
passion for baseball and has used it to lead Seishu to victory.
Naturally, she's so focused on the pitcher's mound at Koshien that
she doesn't seem to realize she has a new guy gunning for her
affection: the usually quiet Azuma Yuuhei. He even openly tells his
team mates that Aoba is the only girl he could see himself dating.
Whether or not Aoba realizes it is another thing...
Also,
I find it hilarious that the man wanting to marry Aoba's sister won't
be able to unless they reach Koshien - so now he's pushing everyone
on the team to get there! It cannot be denied: baseball flows through
the blood of all Tsukishimas.
As
for Akane Takigawa, we are seeing more of her as her but also as the
teenager Wakaba could have possibly grown up to become. Amazingly
enough, she is getting along best with Aoba and Ko. She is also
drawing out a lot of emotions from Akaishi, who had quite a secret
crush on Wakaba - the same girl Akane looks so much like. Naturally,
Akaishi becomes emotionally attached to Akane too. Author Mitsuru
Adachi is creating a web of relationships upon which this series lies
on, and at the heart of it is Wakaba, even from beyond the grave.
Don't
worry: baseball activities does happen! After all, we are training
for Koshien, which means a lot of laps and bat swings and practice
pitches. And something happens on the field that changes the dynamics
of the team permanently. But right now, this volume is more about
characters interacting and exploring their various relationships that
a pennant. Luckily, looking at people is one of the things Mitsuru
Adachi does best.
It
doesn't feel like Cross Game is nearing its end, but there's only two
more omnibuses left in this series. I believe in the abilities of
Adachi to bring this series to a satisfying conclusion – I just
wish I had more of it to read!
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