Cross Game

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Japanese: クロスゲーム

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 17

Chapters: 170

Status: Finished

Published: Sep 2, 2005 to Feb 17, 2010

Genres: Award Winning, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sports

Themes: School, Team Sports

Demographic: Shounen

Serialization: Shounen Sunday

Authors: Adachi, Mitsuru (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 8.46¹ (scored by 9,603 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #181²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #870

Members: 24,408

Favorites: 887

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8.46

Ranked #181Popularity #870Members 24,408

MangaShounen SundayAdachi, Mitsuru (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /17

Chapters: /170

Cross Game

Vol. 1
$13.99

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Synopsis

Kou Kitamura is a fifth grader whose family runs a sporting goods store. One of the regular customers of his family's store is the Tsukishima Batting Center, and so he gets to know the four daughters of the Tsukishima family (Ichiyo, Wakaba, Aoba, and Momiji) very well. Since Kou has spent so much time practicing in their batting cages, he has become a genius hitter, but has no knowledge of any other aspect of baseball. This is in contrast to Aoba, who, despite being a year younger, is an adept pitcher and hitter. Wakaba is a classmate of Kou's, and she seems fully intent on marrying him when she grows up. All seems idyllic in their world, until tragedy strikes. The story then skips ahead to four years later, as Kou has continued the training he began four years ago, but has not played in a baseball game since. As he finally begins playing again, it remains to be seen whether or not he will live up to the expectations of those who know the true talent he has been hiding all this time.

(Source: ANN)

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BackgroundCross Game was published in English in 2-in-1 omnibus edition's by VIZ Media under the Shonen Sunday imprint from October 12, 2010 to November 13, 2012.

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Related Entries

More characters
Characters

Kitamura, Kou

Main

Tsukishima, Aoba

Main

Azuma, Yuuhei

Supporting

Tsukishima, Wakaba

Supporting

Adachi, Mitsuru

Supporting

Akaishi, Osamu

Supporting

Nomo

Supporting

Azuma, Junpei

Supporting

Senda, Keiichirou

Supporting

Tsukishima, Ichiyou

Supporting

Reviews

Jul 5, 2021

IustinMakihige

Recommended

Cross game a manga that i did expect to like it but in the first i didn't like so much that i expected and after some time i like it more than i expected . And this is my review about this manga .

Story7/10
The story isn't so special is a slice of life after all . It sure have some unique traits of story . I really like that manga isn't so much in the baseball games and is more into relation between the characters . The story is definetly good and really interesting in some points . Anyways it will have some baseball games ...

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Mar 4, 2017

Stranger_Hanyo

Recommended

After being recommended I read Cross Game. So how was it? If you want a short answer, it's AWESOME!

I have never been a lover of sports manga/anime before and I don't know a single thing about baseball(well maybe except it is played in Japan and America, ;P). But I am a fan of romance and Cross Game, despite being a sports focused manga, portrays romance in one of the most beautiful ways possible.

The character build-up is wonderful, Aoba's developing feelings for Koh and his subtle love for her is expressed in such a way, that you won't find any moment boring. Mitsuru Adachi's art is ...

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Jan 8, 2026

midas123

Mixed Feelings

At first glance Cross Game looks very much like a simple retro sports story with its art style straight out of 90s. It’s charming but it doesn't exactly prepare you for the absolute whiplash the first volume throws at you. You start by meeting Ko and a pretty big cast of neighborhood kids and it feels like a low-stakes childhood adventure. Baseball is there in the background but the focus is really on the relationships specifically between Ko and the sisters Wakaba and Aoba. But then the story hits you with a tragedy that completely changes the trajectory of the entire manga and sets the ... stage for a story that is as sweet as it is filled with a weird kind of lingering guilt.

The character work is easily the strongest part of the series. Even after a time skip the cast remains distinct and memorable and watching them try to fulfill unsaid promises to the past is really compelling. Ko and Aoba’s relationship is the definition of a huge slow-burn. It's 170 chapters of tiny steps where even a normal conversation without an insult feels like massive progress. I know absolutely nothing about baseball. I’m completely green when it comes to the rules and names but the manga still works. You don’t need to be an expert to feel the tension of a match because the emotional stakes are always tied to the characters rather than just the scoreboard.

However, for all the great character development, the actual experience of reading this can be incredibly frustrating at times. This mangaka is iconic for a reason but he loves to lean into tropes that just drive me crazy. The middle of the manga adds love rivals that feel totally forced. It feels like the story is constantly throwing obstacles in the way just to create fake tension and keep you guessing if the couple you’re rooting for will actually end up together. There’s even a point where one of the main characters reveals feelings out of nowhere and it honestly felt like a bad comedy. It’s tiring to be edged for over a hundred chapters only for the manga to pull these last-minute drama cards.

Ending feels a bit underwhelmingly rewarding. The last match is great and the anxiety is real even if you don't understand the sport but the payoff for the romance is just so subtle. I’m not a huge fan of ambiguous endings that are up to interpretation especially after surviving 160 chapters of slow-burn and unnecessary love triangles. It never explicitly states where the characters stand and while you can obviously piece it together, it still feels like a rushed conclusion. It’s like the author built this beautiful bridge and then let you walk across it in the dark.

Ultimately Cross Game is a great story with some really powerful messages about moving on from the past but you need to be in the right mindset for it. If you love the 90s aesthetic and you prefer a romance that is quiet and subtle rather than loud and clear this is a dream come true. For me it was a very sweet and wholesome journey that just lacked the definitive punch I was looking for at the end. It’s an 8/10 that could have been higher if it didn't lean so hard into those tiresome rival tropes.

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Cross Game Manga Licensed

VIZ Media has announced on their site that they acquired Adachi Mitsuru's baseball manga Cross Game. First volume is scheduled for release in Fall 2010. Additio...read more

Apr 9, 2010 8:10 AM by freedo- | Discuss (19 comments)

Manga Cross Game To End Serialization

According to Weekly Shonen Sunday vol.11 2010, manga Cross Game was announced to end serialization in the next issue to be released on February 17th. Chapter 160 wil...read more

Feb 9, 2010 4:07 PM by dtshyk | Discuss (11 comments)

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Poll: Cross Game Chapter 170 Discussion Laevantein - Feb 15, 2010	42 replies	by blaziken25 »» Apr 3, 2025 6:47 PM
Poll: Cross Game Chapter 153 Discussion Ishmael - Aug 11, 2009	3 replies	by Zooincle »» Oct 6, 2023 2:22 PM
Question before starting to read the manga Kushna - Oct 3, 2023	3 replies	by zckfox »» Oct 3, 2023 8:34 AM
Cross Game volumes raabyray - Oct 25, 2021	0 replies	by raabyray »» Oct 25, 2021 1:13 PM
Final chapter? NotDolphy - Nov 14, 2012	2 replies	by alinadc »» Jun 22, 2021 2:09 AM

Cross Game
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