Akane Takigawa is introduced in the second half of Cross Game as a new resident who moves into the neighborhood when her family opens a soba shop next door to the Kitamura sports store. Her most immediately striking feature is her uncanny physical resemblance to Wakaba Tsukishima, a beloved character who died in childhood several years before the story's main timeline. Akane has brown eyes and dark brown hair cut to just above her shoulders, and she is often seen carrying a drawing pad, as she is a talented artist who attends an all-girls private academy and belongs to the art club. Her artistic ability is significant enough that she later wins a national poster contest for the Koshien baseball tournament.

The arrival of Akane creates a profound ripple effect among the characters who knew and loved Wakaba. For Kou Kitamura and Aoba Tsukishima, seeing someone who looks so much like the girl they both cherished is a deep emotional shock, forcing them to confront memories they have carried for years. Others, such as Osamu Akaishi, who had a secret crush on Wakaba, also find themselves powerfully and uncomfortably drawn to Akane because of the resemblance. Despite this, Akane is very much her own person. While her appearance mirrors Wakaba, her personality is distinct, and she is portrayed as a perceptive and observant young woman who is keenly aware of the feelings of those around her.

Rather than being a source of supernatural mystery or a simple replacement for Wakaba, Akane functions as a catalyst for emotional growth in the other characters. She quickly becomes friends with both Kou and Aoba, even taking a part-time job at the same café as Aoba, which allows their friendship to develop naturally. She is a calm and stabilizing presence, and her resemblance to Wakaba gradually shifts from being a source of pain to one of a strange, comforting peace for the Tsukishima family. While she does develop romantic feelings for Kou, her role is less that of a rival in a love triangle and more of a gentle guide who helps Kou and Aoba recognize and articulate the deep bond they share. In one notable instance, she asks Aoba to tell her more about Wakaba, framing it as a way to keep Wakaba's memory alive, as a person only truly disappears when no one remembers them anymore.

Akane's own narrative arc takes a serious turn when it is revealed that she has a significant health issue requiring surgery. This revelation adds a layer of dramatic tension, as her operation is scheduled to take place on the same day as a crucial final baseball game. In a move that underscores her selfless nature, she lies to most of her friends about the reason for her hospitalization, confiding only in Kou. Her successful surgery and recovery, relayed to Kou by Aoba who waits at the hospital, provides a moment of profound relief and allows the characters to move forward, having confronted their past and faced the possibility of losing someone else they care about. Her notable abilities include her artistic talent, which she uses to capture the world around her, and her emotional perception, as she consistently demonstrates a clear understanding of the unspoken dynamics between the other characters.