Cross Game 5

Cross Game - Omnibus edition #5

by Mitsuru Adachi, Lillian Olsen (Translator)

Reads R to L (Japanese Style).

In the summer of his second year in high school, Ko and the Seishu baseball team must take on mighty Ryuou Gakuin and their genius slugger Keitaro Mishima. With everything on the line, will destiny find Seishu moving on to the next round? Later, new neighbors are setting up shop next to Kitamura Sports, and their daughter bears a striking resemblance to Wakaba...

Genres: Manga, Sports, Comics, Slice Of Life, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2011

About the author

Mitsuru Adachi (あだち充 in Japanese) is a Japanese manga artist. After graduating from Gunma Prefectural Maebashi Commercial High School in 1969, Adachi worked as an assistant for Isami Ishii. He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kieta Bakuon, based on a manga originally created by Satoru Ozawa. Kieta was published in Deluxe Shōnen Sunday (a manga magazine published by Shogakukan).

Adachi is well known for romantic comedy and sports manga (especially baseball) such as Touch, H2, Slow Step, and Miyuki. He has been described as a writer of "delightful dialogue", a genius at portraying everyday life, "the greatest pure storyteller", and "a master manga artist". He is one of the few manga artists to write for shōnen, shōjo, and seinen manga magazines, and be popular in all three.

His works have been carried in manga magazines such as Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Ciao, Shōjo Comic, Big Comic, and Petit Comic, and most of his works are published through Shogakukan and Gakken. He was one of the flagship authors in the new Monthly Shōnen Sunday magazine which began publication in June 2009. Only two short story collections, Short Program and Short Program 2 (both through Viz Media), have been released in North America, though Viz is scheduled to begin publishing Cross Game in October 2010.

He modeled the spelling of あだち (rather than 安達) for his family name after the example of his older brother, manga artist Tsutomu Adachi. In addition, it has been suggested that the accurate portrayal of sibling rivalry in Touch may come from Adachi's experiences while growing up with his older brother. Adachi did the character designs for the OVA anime series Nozomi Witches, so he is sometimes incorrectly given credit for creating the original series.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are few manga releases I truly look forward to these days more than Adachi's Cross Game. It is straight-up beautiful, the most beautiful sports shonen manga I've yet to read so far. I could go on and on about how awesome it is, but instead I'll just concentrate on this one volume, in which Stuff Happens. So much Stuff Happens, you guys. This latest volume of Cross Game is so important because of that Stuff. And because Senda gets his own subplot! A-ah, okay, that was a joke. Senda who? Poor guy. Still, what an amazing, amazing book. Just when you think this series had run out of places to go, it goes there and it does so perfectly.

You can read the rest of my review at Nagareboshi Reviews!

[Ronin Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a good volume! I loved meeting the look-alike girl and everyone’s response to it, and the art felt extra good.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The legendary showdown between Seishu and Ryuou kicks off this volume, and there's plenty of great baseball action and some light drama sprinkled in between hits. The game genuinely plays out in the most tense way, and ends with a rather unexpected, heartwrenching result. The second half of this volume introduces new neighbors to the Kitamuras, among whom include Akane who steals the spotlight immediately. Ko and Aoba have to come to terms with their deep buried emotions regarding Wakaba's untimely death, and so it kicks off another great turn for this series.

I'm seriously impressed by the consistency of this series over this many volumes when usually I find my interest diminishes with most lengthy series. Adachi simply knows how to cultivate very human moments even in the most mundane moments, and that's the mark of a master storyteller.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of this had great action, and the second half made the actual love/relationship stuff go in a completely different direction than I could have ever anticipated. This series is a real page-turner.

[Coke Fernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

[Ren (A Bookish Balance) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

[David Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid couple volumes, introducing Wakaba’s doppelgänger. Still great but not peak.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the big game and the arrival of a new character who is a splitting image of someone from the past. Such a sweet well-written story. Sad that I'm over half way finished.

[Greta K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A palate cleanser was necessary after this morning’s manga reading…this was great as expected.

[Estara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this volume is as far as I got in scanlations - so I was able to appreciate the subtleties of the emotional plot more than the first time around: I sort of understood bits of the baseball game and the deft pacing made it clear even to me when the time for the crunch came, but those explanations we get via Aoba and Azuma's brother mostly went past me.

It just makes me think how much Seishu would be at a loss if they didn't have Ko, no matter how good Azuma is. What makes this volume - for me - is the introduction of Akane and her effect on the people who have known and loved Wakaba. I'm not sure if I should believe either Ko or Aoba with their "in my mind Wakaba is stuck in 5th grade" spiel.

Especially when Aoba advises Ko to have the yukata-clad ghost of Wakaba back safe and sound at her grave on the sixth anniversary of her death - the traditional date for the local summer festival.

Akane starts out as a bit of a blank slate but she already develops personality when talking to the drawing Momiji or giving Aoba a self made pillow full of ruffles in thanks for her help with a manipulative admirer.

Emotional developments are really set into motion now, because both Ko and Aoba's family are confronted with a Wakaba-look alike.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction of Akane, the spitting image of Wakaba, was handled nicely. I worried at first it would be a trite manga trope, but Adachi had his characters react in quite believable ways to the plot twist.

[Laurianne Uy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got chills when Akane showed up. (I was wondering about that front cover...)

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viz Digital - Another terrific installment.

[Child960801 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The big baseball game finishes. A new girl moves into the neighbourhood and she looks exactly like Wakaba, causing lots of old feelings to surface again.