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Saturday, 17 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | VIZ MEDIA | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | YUSUKE MURATA / RIICHIRO INAGAKI | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT / BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 191 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | T+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/06/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/18/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Eyeshield 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 Eyeshield 21 makes it work in a way that is always entertaining.
As the story goes, wimpy Sena Kobayakawa (Eyeshield 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 twelve, we’re back at the Deimon-Amino game as Sena faces his nemesis Munakata in a memorable football showdown. As the season unfolds, new rivals emerge, along with a non-stop slew of opposing teams all looking for a win. This volume promises plenty of pent-up emotion, gritty determination and a finale you may not see coming.
One last thing that is very much worth noting about this book is the humorous little mid section where the story is put on hold and we get to read some funny 4 panel “comics” detailing jokes and occurrences happening outside the general flow of the main story. It’s great to see the characters getting up to day-to-day things, as well as showing a different side of them than in the rest of the story. More manga series should do this, or do more of this – it is very entertaining. Eyeshield 21 has a lot of good things going for it - making it worth a glance even if you’re not a big fan of football.
IN SUMMARY:
Eyeshield 21 is well drawn with dynamic movement during sporting scenes, and wacky characters that you can’t help but smirk at. It’s often funny, and has some great extras that really add to the package. If you enjoy sports or sports manga, don’t miss this one. Otherwise, it still might be worth a look if you’re looking to try something different. |
