Not in my life did I ever imagine that a conventional shounen sports manga could be so captivating. While I do enjoy sports mangas from time to time, I've usually found that they always fall into the trap of perpetuity, where despite the fact that the characters have been developed and their intimate aims and goals have been attained, the story goes on much longer than it should in order to push the characters to 'reach for the stars', ruining the pacing of its story and tarnishing the central narrative. (There are of course exceptions. E.g. H2) Sayonara Watashi no Cramer by Naoshi Arakawa (ofYour Lie in April fame) perhaps deserves to sit among the best of shounen sports manga for its sheer craft, entertainment value and most importantly, character and narrative restraint.

Despite the lightness in Arakawa's approach to character, the numerous characters in the manga (which is not restricted to the central characters) have a surprising amount of depth. Even the supposed throwaway characters written for humour have surprisingly deft characterisation that renders them humane. The art is very competent. It looks incredible, it is dramatic in the appropriate moments and it creates a fantastic sense of movement which is essential for a sports manga. At the same time, one thing I found very valuable in this manga is that despite the fact that some individual players have a tremendous amount of talent and skill, it may not necessarily be appropriate to play in such a way at that moment - psychology, teamwork and tactics play a very essential role in the battles on the field. I've not seen such a depiction done with such skill and clarity in a shounen sports manga. It is incredibly good.

Most importantly, Sayonara Watashi no Cramer understands that it is not the plot that makes a sports manga worth reading - for if it were the game that was exciting, why not just watch it in real life? Why even read a manga about it? It is the characters that make the journey worth sitting through. This is beyond writing believable characters with depth, it is about making the narrative be about the journey of the characters instead of the goal or a vague plot. And following this story philosophy, Sayonara Watashi no Cramer ends in a strong and appropriate manner. It ends when the girls' inner journey has been completed. While this may make you yearn to read more if there were more (I did for sure), the power of the ending would be broken if it were to go on.

Perhaps my biggest and only criticism of Sayonara Watashi no Cramer (it is maybe more of a nitpick...) is though it touches upon brief disappointments and feelings of inadequacy in sportsmanship, it never truly goes in-depth into the despair one might feel, on the failure of the body to keep up with others, on the failure of the body in the face of age and ageing joints. Perhaps I wish it dipped a little more in the 'Ping Pong' direction and explored the nuances and difficulties that entail a life in sportsmanship would face.

Still, what Sayonara Watashi no Cramer provides is incredibly masterful. I would even go as far as to say I very much prefer it to Your Lie in April. For despite the powerful drama and nuanced characters and developments of Your Lie in April, Sayonara Watashi no Cramer is affecting without the over-sentimentality and dramatic twists. It is simply great storytelling.