List of Cross Game episodes

DVD cover with, above, an orange banner and the title written in Japanese script at the top; below, a frowning girl in a school uniform stands with arms crossed, her back to a boy in baseball uniform holding a glove and ball, with a circled numeral 1 on the right
Cover of the Japanese DVD release of Cross Game volume 1, showing Ko (left) and Aoba

Cross Game is an anime television series based on the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Mitsuru Adachi and published by Shogakukan.[1][2] The series is about the high school baseball players Ko Kitamura and Aoba Tsukishima and their attempts to fulfill the dream of Aoba's dead sister, Wakaba, of seeing them play in the national high school championship tournament in Koshien Stadium.

The anime adaptation is produced by SynergySP and directed by Osamu Sekita, with character designs by Yuuji Kondō and music by Kotaro Nakagawa.[1] The series began broadcasting on the TV Tokyo network on 5 April 2009 in the 10:00–10:30 am slot;[3] episodes began syndication later in April 2009 on AT-X and other channels in Japan, and finished airing with episode 50 on 28 March 2010. The first DVD volume of episodes 1–3 was released in Japan on 24 July 2009,[4] with additional DVDs released monthly. Viz Media began streaming subtitled episodes of the Cross Game anime in North America in May 2010.[5][6]

Six pieces of theme music were used in the series. "Summer Rain", written by Kentarō Kobuchi and sung by Kobukuro,[7] was used as the opening theme song for all episodes. It was released by Lantis on 15 April 2009 in both regular and limited edition versions,[7][8] and reached #2 on the Oricon singles chart.[9] "Heartfelt Dream" (恋焦がれて見た夢, Koi Kogarete Mita Yume), composed and sung by Ayaka and arranged by Shintarō Tokita.,[10] was the ending theme song for episodes 1–13. It was released as a single by Lantis in both regular and limited edition versions on 22 April 2009,[10][11] and reached #6 on the Oricon singles chart.[12] "Orange Days" (オレンジDays, Orenji Deizu), written and performed by Squarehood,[13] was the ending theme for episodes 14–26. It was released as a single by Warner Music Japan on 5 August 2009.[13] "Moeru yō na Koi ja Nai kedo" (燃えるような恋じゃないけど), by Tsuru,[14] was the ending theme song for episodes 27–39. It was released as a single by Warner Music Japan on 11 November 2009.[14] "Rehearsal" (リハーサル, "Rihāsaru"), by Natsuko Kondo, was the ending theme song for episodes 40–49. It was released by 725 RECORDS on Kondo's album Kondomania 4 (コンドウマニア 4, Kondōmania 4) on 11 November 2009.[citation needed] "Loving Maiden" (恋スル乙女, Koisuru Otome), also by Kondo, was the ending theme song for episode 50.

  1. ^ a b あにてれ：クロスゲーム スタッフ [Anime TV: Cross Game Staff] (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 16 February 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  2. ^ クロスゲーム [Cross Game] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on 27 February 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
  3. ^ あにてれ：クロスゲーム [Anime TV: Cross Game] (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  4. ^ クロスゲーム [Cross Game] (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  5. ^ "Cross Game". Viz Media. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Viz Confirms Streams of Cross Game Baseball Anime in May". Anime News Network. 10 May 2010. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  7. ^ a b "虹（通常盤） – コブクロ – ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [Rainbow (standard release) Kobukuro – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  8. ^ "虹（初回限定盤） – コブクロ – ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [Rainbow (first pressing limited edition) Kobukuro – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  9. ^ "コブクロ-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック" [Kobukuro – Release – Oricon Style Music] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 3 August 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  10. ^ a b "夢を味方に／恋焦がれて見た夢 （通常盤） – 絢香 – ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [A Dream for a Friend / Heartfelt Dream (standard release) – Ayaka – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  11. ^ "夢を味方に／恋焦がれて見た夢 （生産限定盤） – 絢香 – ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [A Dream for a Friend / Heartfelt Dream (limited edition release) – Ayaka – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 24 March 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  12. ^ "絢香-リリース-ORICON STYLE ミュージック" [Ayaka – Release – Oricon Style Music] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 28 July 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2009.
  13. ^ a b "オレンジDays – SQUAREHOOD – ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [Orange Days – Squarehood – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  14. ^ a b "アイタリナイ / 鶴 / ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン – Warner Music Japan" [Aitarinai – Tsuru – Warner Music Japan] (in Japanese). Warner Music Japan. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2009.