May MMF: Cross Game #1
Posted by eeeper in manga, MMF, shounen, slice of life on Saturday, May 28, 2011
I’m not a big fan of Shonen manga. I read it in the course of my day to day but I kind of stay away from it. But I don’t shy away from it by any means. I heard about Cross Game from Ed Sizemore, I believe, and decided to just cover it for the MMF. I had heard Mitsuru Adachi from his work on Touch (which I still haven’t gotten through) so I thought “it’s another baseball manga from Adachi!?” The phrase One Trick Pony came up, I can tell you. But the good news news is that I don’t feel of what I’ve read of Adachi that he’s in danger of being stale.
I found myself liking what I was reading by something I thought of after getting through the first part of volume 1. It was this: there are people with degrees of potential. There are the people who seem to burn bright but are cut down, the people who take a while to burn bright and the ones who seem to burn bright but really are dull on second glance. It’s been said that I give too much away in my reviews so in an attempt to not completely spoil everything I will censor some of my review. You have been warned.
Ko Kitamura, in his third year of Junior High (seriously, I don’t get school ages in Japan/US), and works at his family’s sports equipment shop. He is friends with the Tsukishima family who run a local baseball batting centre, specifically Wakaba and to a lesser degree Aoba. He and Wakaba are the same age with Aoba being a year younger. Because of them being extremely close and friendly, people assume that Wakaba and Ko make a good couple. Ko and Aoba don’t get on but they are not hostile with each other. Life is good with Ko and the Tsukishima’s
until Wakaba drowns at summer camp
. We then see as Ko and the Tsukishima’s grow up together and they enter high school. Ko is an excellent batter and Aoba is a great pitcher. Wakaba states that Ko could be really good. Aoba doesn’t believe her, per se.
Now I’m going to stop “plot-ising” here. The main thing that has me ordering the second volume of this series is the fact that Adachi completely gets the idea of the impermanence of life. People go about their life not knowing what could be around the corner. But they treat each day as best they can. I can’t tell you why but when the story is joyful, the author knows where to break and tell a joke, or give you something to feel light and good. But when things are bad, oh Lord, it’s absolutely heartbreaking.
I knew seeing that drawing near the end of chapter 8 of the river was, I don’t know, too nice. Something about it screamed “You’re not ready for what’s coming.”
On page 187-189, I’ve been there. Not specifically that situation, but the feeling of being lost and not knowing what to “do”. But life goes on. Horribly, painfully, it goes on. Where Adachi gets it right is that people cope with loss as best they can. We know they are hurting. But they try their best to meet each day.
The artwork is amazing. When the boys and Aoba play baseball, there’s a fluidity to the proceedings that is really buzzing. I know when they throw things, that they (the baseballs) are travelling fast. Unfortunately when they talk about scores and runs, I still don’t understand baseball. Oh well. The tranquillity of the scenes of daily life is really amazing. I could really feel that summer heat belting down on me. I found myself looking at all the details in the backgrounds to see if I could peer around covers and over buildings!
The characters are lovely, with the main leads getting the most development but the background ones are good too. Daiki Nakanishi, who is friends with Ko, serves as baseman ( I do know what everyone in baseball does, I just don’t know about scoring in baseball). Senda, a shortstop on the high school team, is an eejit. There, I’ve said it. Other than the Tsukishima sisters there aren’t that many female characters but towards the end of the omnibus things do improve at that end. Ko especially, I feel for. He’s not trying to be a great baseball player but he can’t help it. And it’s the Tsukishima sisters that make him want to be better, if only on a sub-consisous level.
All in all, I love this series. I can’t recommend this enough to people. The back of the book states “[the] story will change your perception of what shonen manga can be.” Yeah, that sounds about right in my case.
2011 Spring Anime Challenge Poll
So, after my initial foray into the 2011 Spring Cleaning Anime Challenge of a review of Redline, I’m gearing up for the next part: audience participation! (uuuggh, this is always death) So here’s the poll. Yes, I will review what ever wins the poll.
On the podcast front, nothing new. Hiatus is still going on. I don’t like it anymore than you do but I will tell you all when we’re back.
Show on hiatus, Western world falls
Posted by eeeper in tech issues, updates on Monday, March 21, 2011
Good header, right? Well, I thought so.
Anywhos, this is a hard post for me to write. For the past four years, I’ve trundled on with the podcast despite all the things that life has thrown at me. Most podcasts don’t survive after about 8 to 9 episodes. People just run out of steam. But despite all the threat of podfade, I’ve never put the show on hiatus. Until today.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I’m currently dealing with a situation that demands more time on my part than I currently have. I’m not going any further into an explanation as it’s a purely personal matter. I don’t want to have to deal with the given situation but I’m needed so you do what you’ve gotta do. So, for the time being, I’m suspending the show. Oni only contributes to the show, he doesn’t edit it as he doesn’t have time himself, hence the show going on hiatus. I’ll still be doing blog posts, reviews when I can and hopefully will have something for the MMF for ARIA. I’m not going THAT far away.
If anyone needs to speak to me regarding this post, you can hit me up on my email address. Thanks for the understanding bump, everyone.
Not much else to say except THIS!
No new show this week.
Sorry. No new show for you this week. We were supposed to record a new show last night but after I came back from voting, I started to get a sore throat. So we postponed until today.
But I ‘m still no better today so Oni asked that we hold off until I can speak properly. So I’ll directly post here when we record.
Laters,
Phillip.
Killing our Demons, by hook or by crook.
Hello, and welcome to something called a podcast. We used to do these things, ya know?
In this, the first show of the year, I tackled the GAINAX show, Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt. while Oni takes on the show Demon King Daimao. We also catch up on the time in between and what we got up to in the downtime. Plus, an apology for someone who has never met Oni. Remember, it’s all Oni’s fault.
Thanks to everyone who has stuck with us for all these months! This proves that you love us, you really love us!
Arghh, I need more beer…..
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