I want to marry Wakaba. Okay I guess that won't work because I am already happily married and she is an anime character in fifth grade, but other than that the writers and animators do an amazing job of establishing Wakaba's character in such a way that is is clear that any guy would be pretty much putty in her hands. With that said this anime explores a lot of questions with perhaps the key question being - what impact can a 5th grade girl have on the lives of her friends and family? Well if you invest the time to watch this series you will find out she can have an influence far beyond her years. This is a charming, well-written series that has great characters, a strong plot and if you are so inclined gives you an opportunity to think about and discuss the dynamics of friendship,family and romance. While liking baseball will be a plus in how much you enjoy this drama, even if baseball is not your thing you will still enjoy this series. Because of a main plot development this might be a little intense for younger viewers, especially the first few episodes, but after that this is a family friendly drama that can can enjoyed by the whole family. (I think upper elementary and above would be fine.) While this series is pretty much ecchi free, male characters do exhibit a normal, healthy, and non-exaggerated interest in the female form, but I would argue that the way it is done is tasteful and if it was not there would actually detract a bit from the story. (this aspect is a very small part of the series and I only mention it to point out that it is appropriately done and makes the characters more real.) There are positive portrayals of both male and female characters and in particular "Cross Game" ends up giving a strong plug to the value of girls being involved in sports. On a negative note, the stereotype of adult males only being able to have fun by drinking to excess and making fools of themselves is used in this story as a form of comic relief. This is a still pretty minor and should not stop you from enjoying the story.