▪	RELEASED BY:		TOKYOPOP
		▪	AUTHOR / ART:		MITSUBA TAKANASHI
		▪	FORMAT:		JAPANESE / B&W
		▪	PAGES:		192
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		12/04/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		11/15/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

Nobara’s team may be on the verge of disbanding and Nobara’s been told flat out that if she ever truly wants to get ahead, she’ll have to leave her team behind. Such a choice is excruciating for Nobara and it’s made even harder when the coach sends her to the All Japan Juniors Training Camp. There she finds out what it’s like to compete with ace players. They see her as a disgrace and try to shut her out, but when her true potential begins to shine, how will it tip the scales for her difficult decision? Stay or go? The girls on her Crimson team don’t make it easy when they try to push her for her own good. She doesn’t understand their feelings and it will take a shake up for her to decide on a new goal in the latest drama filled volume of Crimson Hero.

This manga has proven excellent for its well thought out mix of sports suspense and personal drama. Nobara goes through a lot of soul searching in the latest chapters as does her teammates. But it’s not just the girls’ team that’s having problems.  On the boys’ side, Yushin and Keisuke receive shocking news that all except one of the second years have withdrawn from the team! It seems they were jealous and put out that they were benched for the first year players to be starters. Things take a very dramatic turn when the second years who had resigned start bullying the one that remained, Tachibana. Things even turn to violence at one point. It serves as an eye opener for Yushin who makes his own command decision in the wake of this upset.

For Nobara, the shake up comes with her having to make a crucial decision, one that will affect her entire future. That’s an awful lot of pressure on a girl who’s just about to turn sixteen. But she does seem to thrive under pressure. Her newest resolve will see her turning to a stranger for special training. She has a plan, one that involves her heart and her spirit to not only be the best, but to bring those she cares about along with her.

IN SUMMARY:
A big shake up happens with both the girls and the boys volleyball teams in the latest Crimson Hero. This manga volume, Nobara makes a decision that could change everything.