As part of this month's Manga Moveable Feast on Mitsuru Adachi's Cross Game, Kate Butler and I engaged in a bit of conversation about our love of sports manga in general and this series in particular. As we reference the plot and characters, this page from VIZ's Shonen Sunday website might come in handy. MICHELLE: I'm fighting the compulsion to start this thing off by going, … [Read more...] about Cross Game Color Commentary
Mitsuru Adachi
Cross Game 2-3 by Mitsuru Adachi
The first volume of Cross Game (well, the first collected volume from VIZ, which includes the first three volumes of the Japanese version) introduced the characters and established the motivation for average boy Ko Kitamura to devote himself to becoming a good enough pitcher to reach the Koshien tournament. It’s very good, but there’s little actual baseball. Volumes two and … [Read more...] about Cross Game 2-3 by Mitsuru Adachi
Cross Game 1 by Mitsuru Adachi: A-
When the first volume of Cross Game arrived at my house, I'm pretty sure my exact words were, "Eee!" Happily, I liked it every bit as I thought I would. The back cover really says it best: “Cross Game is a moving drama that is heartfelt and true, yet in the brilliant hands of manga artist Mitsuru Adachi, delightfully flows with a light and amusing touch. The series centers … [Read more...] about Cross Game 1 by Mitsuru Adachi: A-
Touch 2 (Japanese) by Mitsuru Adachi: B+
Book description: Junior High life continues for the Uesugi twins and their childhood friend, Minami Asakura. Minami volunteers Tatsuya to run the final leg of the mixed relay for their class in the inter-school athletic meet, Tatsuya gets (falsely) accused of reading Minami's diary, Kazuya begins dating a cute girl named Kaori and ends up seeing a movie with her that he'd … [Read more...] about Touch 2 (Japanese) by Mitsuru Adachi: B+
Touch 1 (Japanese) by Mitsuru Adachi: B+
Book description: The Uesugi and Asakura families have been neighbors for years and their children have grown up together. The kids are now in their third year at Meisei Junior High. The Uesugi brothers, twins Kazuya and Tatsuya, could not be more different. Kazuya is a serious and clear-headed baseball star who scores first in his class on exams while Tatsuya is a slacker … [Read more...] about Touch 1 (Japanese) by Mitsuru Adachi: B+