25th May 2011

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Mental Health Month: Cross Game & Coping With Loss

(The following is a guest post by Charles of Beneath the Tangles. Thank you, Charles, for providing a great article!)

May is Mental Health Month, a time to emphasize the importance of mental wellness and to spread awareness of mental health conditions.  As such, Manga Therapy is addressing anime or manga characters who have overcome the challenges of mental trauma. Tony has been so nice as to allow me to write a guest post on this topic.

While many encounter depression or another mental health condition personally, one area that will affect all of us sometime in our lives is death.  Although the topic is often used for shock value in anime and manga (I’m singling you out, Code Geass), every once in a while, a mangaka or animator will create a work that instead treats bereavement in a most sensitive way.  Perhaps no mangaka consistently tackles the issue of death and bereavement with more heart than Mitsuru Adachi, which he masterfully demonstrates through the series, Cross Game.

The first volume of Cross Game introduces us to Wakaba, the beautiful and beloved 2^nd sister of the Tsukishima family; Aoba, the 3^rd sister, who is a tomboy and gifted pitching ace; and Ko Kitamura, the relaxed son of a sporting goods store owner, who is the object of Wakaba’s affection and of Aoba’s jealousy.  A carefree childhood is suddenly changed forever when Wakaba drowns while saving another girl.

Mitsuru Adachi’s handling of the death and of the characters’ reactions to it, which is the driving force of the entire series, is subtle and graceful.  It’s also accurate as to how people in real life often mourn and grieve.  Right after hearing about Wakaba’s death, Ko doesn’t react with denial, despair, or anger (which are common reactions to such an event).  Instead, he acts completely normal.  Inside, though, he wonders how he should react.   Confusion is a typical part of mourning, and Ko demonstrates this emotion.  It’s not until he sees tough-guy Akaishi break down in tears that he understands he, too, has to cry.

In reality, one doesn’t have to cry to mourn and grieve.  But, as the Mental Health America site stresses, it’s “very important to allow yourself to express these feelings.”  Ko decides to express them through weeping.  And because he expresses his feelings, he’s able to both honor Wakaba and begin the healing process.

Besides the shedding of tears, Akaishi responds in another way – as is typical with a child’s death, he must feel that what happened was unjust.  How could this wonderful girl, who inspired such feelings of love and devotion in so many, be gone?  She’ll never live to her full potential; she’ll never marry Ko; and she’ll never live out her dreams.  So Akaishi, to whom Wakaba told her final literal dream (Ko will be the pitcher to Akaishi’s catcher at Koshien), will fulfill this dream for her.

It’s the pursuit of this dream that provides the plot for the series.  In volume 2, the characters are now years removed from the tragic event, and their pain has eased with time.  Ko, Aoba, and Akaishi have gone on with their lives, but they still miss Wakaba and are still affected by her death.  Again, all this is common and expected.  They continue to work through the grieving process.  Akaishi sets the necessary gears into motion to achieve Wakaba’s dream and Ko does the necessary training to become an elite pitcher, as well as other actions, like enduring humiliation and misunderstanding to fulfill another of Wakaba’s wishes.

And Aoba?  Well, despite being an assertive, popular, and confident character, it is she who has the hardest time with Wakaba’s death.  Aoba pushes Ko away, when the two, who were so close to Wakaba, could have helped one another.  In a way, Cross Game becomes her journey as much as anyone’s – one toward peace and closure.

And so, both together and separately, the characters cope with Wakaba’s death.  It is difficult for sure, but as the series shows, those of us left behind must cope with death if we want to achieve mental wellness.

Having watched the anime series (it follows the manga closely and is almost as wonderful), I know how the story ends.  I won’t ruin it here, but instead end on this note.  As the characters march toward their baseball goals, they also march toward the goal of how we want to feel after the death of a loved one, which, as Mental Health America puts it, is this: “Some day the pain will lessen, leaving you with cherished memories of your loved one.”  In the end, Cross Game is more about this than baseball – valuing the here and now and moving on, while always treasuring and honoring a lost loved one from the past. 

Note: This post heavily referenced the grief and bereavement page of the Mental Health America website.

Tagged: Cross GameMental Health MonthMitsuru AdachiShonen Sundaygrief and bereavementmanga psychologypsychology of grievingguest postBeneath The Tangles