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Reviews
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Monday, 21 April 2008 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | AUTHOR / ART: | | YUSUKE MURATA / RIICHIRO INAGAKI | | | ▪ | FORMAT: | | JAPANESE / B&W | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 200 | | | ▪ | RATING: | | OT | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 01/29/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/21/2008 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Eye Shield 21 is a nice addition to the lineup of available sports related manga. We’ve had manga about soccer, lots about tennis, and so why not football? Football certainly seems like it would be a sport not so familiar or popular in Japan, but perhaps this series proves otherwise. The art and story is dynamic and full of movement. It’s about football, so of course the art would need to jump right off the page to make it work and keep it interesting over multiple volumes. This series more than accommodates for that. Besides the detailed and dynamic art, the story and characters also posses a lot of ability to make the reader laugh. Humorous facial expressions, situations, and the odd character types make this series a funny read. It’s the somewhat classic idea of throwing a group of very different, often eccentric characters together on a sports team and see whether they can make it work. Perhaps not the most unique idea ever, but Eye Shield 21 makes it work in a way that is always entertaining. As the story goes, wimpy Sena Kobayakawa (Eye Shield 21 himself) has been running away from people who make his days difficult all his life. His one true time to shine is when the football gear goes on - then things change for the better. Sena’s speed and uncanny ability to stay out of the way of big bullies is what makes him a great high school football star. All the bone-crunching action and goofy comedy of a sports manga is here, as well as the pleasant surprise of a heartwarming story of growing up and learning life’s many lessons. In volume eighteen, it's time for some serious gridiron action when the Bando Spiders collide with the Devil Bats! The game gets off to a bad start for the Bats when an incredibly accurate onside kick, combined with top-notch blocking, results in a field goal and an early lead for the Spiders. From there it just gets worse as the Devil Bats try to overcome the Spiders' special defensive maneuver, the "Run Force"! This volume promises plenty of pent-up emotion, gritty determination and a finale you may not see coming.
IN SUMMARY:
Eye shield 21 is very well-drawn and contains buckets of wacky sports action. For the young football fan, this series is like a fantasy story involving football teams of lore and players with skills and techniques we can only dream about. Good fun with lots of laughs!
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