The introduction of Mizuki adds a new male element into the show, one that I'm not quite sure we needed.
What They Say
Aoba starts high school at Seishu Gakuen. Her cousin, Mizuki Asami, starts there too, where he becomes the center of the all the girls' attention. But what really bugs Ko and Azuma is that Mizuki is moving in with the Tsukishimas...
The Review!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The previous episode gave us some good focus on the past for Aoba and Ko as they spent time with family where they used to when they were little. The memories of their younger days with Wakaba certainly had its impact and it gave them a bit of a connection that they sometimes forget about in a way. While Aoba has certainly harbored issues with how Wakaba was so friendly with Ko, they also had a lot of good times together and something very strong that kept them together. The quick introduction at the end of Mizuki, Aoba's cousin, wasn't all that much of a surprise but it's potentially an element going into the new school year that threatens to change and unbalance things.
I already felt this way when Azuma moved in with Ko, though that hasn't been used all that much in general so far. Having Mizuki move in with Aoba's family certainly makes sense considering that they are family, but it feels like a bit much after having that with Azuma and Ko already happening. Mizuki does have some good moments initially there, as he pays his respects to both Wakaba and his aunt, lamenting that he wasn't there to go to Wakaba's funeral as he was overseas, unlike his aunts which he was able to attend at a young age. With Mizuki joining the group in making their way to school now that he lives there, it adds a bit of tension to things as even Azuma isn't a fan of this situation, going so far as to cover lightly for Ko in how he's not making his way there with everyone because of Mizuki.
Mizuki is fairly laid back and segues into the Tsukishima household fairly easily, though there are a few moments where the youngest sister causes a bit of trouble. Mizuki's making himself at home though for some it's becoming obvious that he has some level of affection for Aoba, based on pictures on the wall, but what kind of affection he has is what's uncertain. Mizuki's presence doesn't keep Ko from coming there for practice and Aoba is finding her own frustrations with Mizuki in general with simple things like following directions to the convenience store. It's hard to tell how she really feels about him since she treats him like Ko in a lot of ways, and you can see Ko realizing that. Azuma says it best though when he offhandedly comments to Ko that cousins can indeed get married, making Ko aware that others see his problem as well.
In Summary:
Mizuki fits the role of the casual playboy for the series, something that we haven't had and I was hoping we could avoid. He's causing trouble already at school and inserting a little tension among the guys who have an interest in Aoba since he's living with her now. Aoba for her part is kind of oblivious to his charms but at the same time sees that there are people who are interested in him and see him as kind of cool, which she hasn't really understood for herself. Seeing how Ko handles things is definitely interesting as he's playing it kind of cool, outside of the runs that he has, especially as so many others have a huge interest in her in general. With the new school year under way and a new dynamic that's slowly getting figured out. I can definitely appreciate that they don't go the standard sitcom route and throw things to the window and make it chaotic, but more real world and somewhat subtle, at least for anime. Cross Game again proves its chops in playing things straight and giving us a drama without being overly dramatic or silly.
Features
Japanese 2.0 Language, English Subtitles
Review Equipment
Sony KDS-R70XBR2 70" LCoS 1080P HDTV, Dell 10.1 Netbook via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
LOGIN
REGISTER
RSS
HOME
