Then Came the Showdown! (Eyeshield 21 #23) (Manga Monday)

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Title: Then Came the Showdown!

 Series: Eyeshield 21 #23

 Author: Riichiro Inagaki 

Artist: Yusuke Murata 

Rating: 4.0 of 5 Stars

Genre: Sports Manga

Pages: 210

Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats win against the Naga, at great physical cost to each player. Then we follow the other 3 games of the day and watch new teams and new techniques come to light.

The volume concludes with the Devil Bats taking a day off to rest,but they all end up at the clubhouse anyway, so obviously Hiruma uses that time to get some stuff in. The next battle is agains the White Knights and as things stand, the Devil Bats do not stand a chance against them.

My Thoughts:

After having drawn out the game against the Naga for 3 volumes, the last 4 seconds of the game, and the win, felt rather anti-climactic. It did come down to a battle between Hiruma and Agon and Hiruma's year of practice and 1/10^th of a second paid dividends. Agon ate dirt and I was pretty happy. He was a scumbag and I wished he'd been broken instead of just beaten in the game. I wanted his soul crushed, his spirit destroyed, his very will to live extinguished. As you can tell, I didn't like him.

The short little episodes showing the highlights of the games by other teams just didn't work for me either. After a 3 book game, it felt very rushed and like it was a scheme for getting info to the readers without telling a good story. I know that Sena/Eyeshield 21 and the Devil Bats are the main characters, but for goodness sake, a little balance wouldn't hurt things.

There was nothing wrong with this volume at all beyond the imbalance, but it was noticable enough for me to ding a star off.

1. Review of Volume 11
2. Review of Volume 12
3. Review of Volume 13
4. Review of Volume 14
5. Review of Volume 15

Time-Out 0 (Eyeshield 21 #22) (Manga Monday)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Time-Out 0
Series: Eyeshield 21 #22
Author: Riichiro Inagaki

Artist: Yusuke Murata

Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 210
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The battle for the game continues between the Devil Bats and the Naga.

Monta wins the catching game against both Ikkyu AND Agon, thus allowing a crucial 4 seconds to remain on the clock. Sena's legs are done. He has one play left in him and that is it. Hiruma is pulling out every single trick he can think of to keep the dream of going to the Christmas Bowl alive.

The rest of the Naga watch as their top players are countered and it shakes them. Agon isn't shaken, but neither does he learn. He knows that his talent has been enough before and he's going to stick with that.

The volume ends with 4 seconds on the clock and 8 yards to go for the Devil Bats to tie the game up. Not Fair!

My Thoughts:

Holy smokes, another nail biting, adrenalin pumping volume of Eyeshield 21! It was awesome to see the various members of the Devil Bats match the Naga in ability and come back from an impossible point deficit.

Honestly, since this is still the same game started 2 books ago, (or was it three?), I don't have much to say. There is no resolution and I'm not one to talk about specific plays within a game since it doesn't mean that much to me. Monta catches the ball, Sena runs the ball, Hiruma throws the ball, The End.

It is kind of a double edged sword, being a social football fan. Since I'm not that into it, I don't care about the details as much, but if I were into the details, I'd probably give up in disgust as it wouldn't match real life; this is a manga after all. It would be like me reading a Land Surveying Manga, hahahhaa. Goodness, the very idea makes me cringe, as I could see something like cutting down whole forests with one “power” swing of a machete or bouncing the laser off of multiple objects and getting the info from each bounce, just silly things like that. That wouldn't be real, but to someone who doesn't know surveying, it would just be cool.

I actually groaned at the end of this volume, as the manga-ka lets the reader believe the game is lost for the Devil Bats for at least 3 pages. Then I groaned again, and louder, when the volume ended and there were 4 SECONDS left on the clock. All I can say is that they had better finish this game next volume and give me some “slice of life” segments to break up all the “football”. It's getting pretty danged serious and needs some lightening up again.

1. Review of Volume 6
2. Review of Volume 7
3. Review of Volume 8
4. Review of Volume 9
5. Review of Volume 10

They Were 11! (Eyeshield 21 #21) (Manga Monday)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, & Librarything and links at Booklikes, & Goodreads by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: They were 11!
Series: Eyeshield 21 #21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki 
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 180
Format: Paperback

Synopsis: Spoilers

The Second Half. The Devil Bats begin to grind their way through Agon and his team the Naga's. Each member begins to give more than they have, as this IS a do or die game. Things are starting to seem favorable after 2 touchdowns, but with it still being 32-14, can the Devil Bats come back?

With a 3point kick by the Naga, bringing the score to 35-14, the volume ends. Ouch.

My Thoughts:

Oh man. This was another good volume full of tricks and surprises by Hiruma. I did begin to wonder just when he would run out of tricks though. At some point all avenues are closed and your hand is empty of cards. But so far, he keeps on pulling out more cards and hanging in there by the skin of his teeth.

This time around we see how physical the game is, as Sena's legs are starting to give out on him. He is relying on time outs to allow them to be iced and to go for just “a bit more”. We'll see if he can go the entire game. I am also wondering if the manga-ka will deal with recovery between games, as that is a very real thing.

Since the game doesn't end with this volume, I suspect that the next couple of games are going to be very long and span 4+ volumes. I have to admit, I am not looking forward to that. I have much preferred the volumes that encompass 1 game or maybe 2 volumes that encompass pre-game off field things [slice of life stuff], game and then post game off field action. I am not enough of a football fan to want a game drawn out so long like I suspect the rest will be.

1. Review of Volume 1
2. Review of Volume 2
3. Review of Volume 3
4. Review of Volume 4
5. Review of Volume 5

Devils vs. Gods (Eyeshield 21 #20) (Manga Monday)

^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.}
Title: Devils vs. Gods
Series: Eyeshield 21 #20
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 150
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats begin their impossible battle against the reigning champions, the Naga. Hiruma taunts Agon, the star player but realizes that his tricks will only go so far against the Naga's huge pool of natural talent.
Every trick, every play that the Devil Bats can come up, the Naga simply surpass them.

Agon is a brute, a believer in Power and Ability above all else. He plays to hurt and he plays by himself. His own team is simply there so he doesn't have to do everything himself. And as much as Hiruma and the Devil Bats may hate him and his arrogance, he has the ability to back up everything he claims.

The books end at the half time mark with a score of 32-0 in the Naga's favor.

My Thoughts:

 After Superbowl 51 last night where the New England Patriots [whoooo!] came back from a huge deficit to win against the Atlanta Falcons, it was very fitting to read an Eyeshield 21 manga today. And to have the book end just like where I gave up watching the game last night, with an impossible gap, well, that is just great drama.

And just like how the Pats came back, with 17 more volumes in this series I KNOW that the Devil Bats will come back. And it will be glorious to see Agon eat the dust of defeat.

Now, for this volume. It was solid. Watching the Naga steamroll the Bats was disheartening but it also drove home the point that football is a brutal sport.

The overall dourness was lightened by little things here and there. For example, in one scene a reporter is interviewing one of the players and in the background you see two little chibi versions of some other players being chased by the team mascot, a mad dog who is carrying a knife and fork. Just silly little things like that keep the tone from getting too dark or serious.

Sena Kobayakawa (Eyeshield 21 #18) (Manga Monday Part II)

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Title: Sena Kobayakawa
Series: Eyeshield 21 #18
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The game between the White Knights and the Spiders happens and the White Knights crush the Spiders.

Which leads into the wildcard game between the Devil Bats and the Spiders. The Spiders are a kick team and with their own Eyeshield 21, they dominate the first half of the game. Sena puts off his eyeshield and plays as himself for the first time. If he wants to put that eyeshield back on, he'll have to overcome the Other Eyeshield 21.

My Thoughts:

 This was still a good volume, but it lacked some of the humor and some of the passion of the previous books, which is why I knocked it half a star.

This was a very different kind of game from what we've seen so far. It made for a good break and introduced some new skills and parts of the game. The Spiders are dominating so far and there doesn't seem much that the Devil Bats can do. Obviously the Devil Bats will have to change their strategy and each team member will have to improve.

The Drive to be the Best (Eyeshield 21 #17) (Manga Monday Part I)

^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.}
Title: The Drive to be the Best
Series: Eyeshield 21 #17
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Paper copy

Synopsis:  Spoiler

The Devil Bats get some serious momentum going now that they have a kicker on their side. They begin the comeback and are just overwhelming the Gunmen. Sadly for them, the Gunmen respond in kind and while the outcome is in doubt right up until the final seconds, the Devil Bats lose the game.

THEY LOSE THE GAME.

My Thoughts:

 This was good. This was real good. Seeing the struggle of both teams, as the tide of the game went back and forth was impressive and rather moving actually.

Then when the Bats lose the game on an obscure rule, I wondered HOW the manga-ka was going to keep this going for another 20 volumes. I should have known better. Bloody Wildcard. Basically, the Devilbats get another chance to participate in the Christmas Bowl. The hows and whys and whatnots are irrelevant. And Hiruma, the quarterback, knew about this the whole time but didn't tell his team because he wanted them playing like this was their last chance. What a character!

The ending was pretty good too. Right after the game, they meet another team and the team captain simply stiff arms Kurita [the biggest, toughest guy on the Bat's team] aside like he was nothing. And what's more, he's carrying a jersey with the number 21 on it and his helmet has an eyeshield. Looks like things are gearing up for Sena to step out of the shadow of the Eyeshield 21 moniker and to become his own player. Good stuff!

Dawn of the Time-Out (Eyeshield 21 #16) (Manga (non) Monday)

^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.}
Title: Dawn of the Time-Out
Series: Eyeshield 21 #16
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:  Spoiler

It is the Devil Bats versus the Gunmen. Two super aggressive teams battling it. Unfortunately for the Devil Bats, the Gunmen are simply more aggressive and Kid's quick snap throw speeds up to compensate for blitz after blitz after blitz. To add more bad news to the mixture, Sena can't seem to compete with his old friend Riku and in fact Riku steals the ball from Sena and scores a touchdown.

This is all being televised and Musashi is at the hospital with his dad. Musashi's backstory is revealed and his reason for quitting football and highschool are shown. His dad beats him and tells him to get over himself and go help his team mates. Now with a kicker on the team, Hiruma has options.

But with a 20-6 deficit, is even Musashi going to be enough?

My Thoughts:

Wow, wow, wow!!! That is exactly how I started my review for #15 and it continues here. The game between the Devil Bats and the Gunmen starts with each team scoring a touchdown against the other by running the kickoff. Which means that there are 2 touchdowns within 1 minute of the game starting. I found that pretty exciting.

The Gunmen are just plain good and their quarterback, the Kid, is olympic quality. Hiruma is simply outclassed and his tricks aren't enough. Sena doesn't have the willpower to counter Riku and each member of the Devil Bats encounter their opposites and fail.

The return of Musashi is done pretty well. You can see where he gets his fire from. Also, his return re-energizes the Devil Bats and gives Hiruma another whole set of options to play with. Thus the volume ends and we have to wait until the next volume to see if the Devil Bats can come back from a 14point deficit.

The Toughest Warriors in Tokyo (Eyeshield 21 #15) (Manga Monday)

^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.}
Title: The Toughest Warriors in Tokyo
Series: Eyeshield 21 #15
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:  Spoiler

In a surprise move, Sena carries the ball through the Poseidon wall and it looks like he’s home free, until he gets tackled on the 1 yard line! With 2 seconds on the clock, Sena is blocked and it is up to short Komusubi to literally use all his strength and push the whole group of players into the end zone. Hence winning the game for the Devil Bats.

Sena meets an old friend and it turns out they’re going to be arch-rivals in the next game, as Riku is the secret weapon for the Gunmen in the next match. Master and Apprentice matchup!

Deimon High has a field day and Hiruma blackmails those in charge so he can run it as he sees fit. He then proceeds to use it as a training day for his players. What a sneaky guy!

My Thoughts:

Wow, wow, wow!!!

The conclusion to the Devil Bats/Poseidon game was fantastic. That is how a sports manga should read, in doubt of who will win right up until the last second. Even while knowing that the series continues up to 37’ish, I was still wondering who was going to win. That is the kind of experience I want.

The Field Day chapters lent the humorous air that I’ve come to expect and was executed perfectly. Hiruma and his plans. The manga-ka must have a blast coming up with such silly and fun ideas.

The ongoing story line of Musashi and why he’s not on the team continues and we see that without a kicker the Devil Bats can’t possibly win against the last couple of teams. 1 or 2 points will decide the games to come. Things are obviously being setup for a dramatic return at the last deciding moment of one of the games. Rather good drama.

The Demons vs. the Gods of the Sea (Eyeshield 21 #14) (Manga Monday)

^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Wordpress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.}
Title: The Demons vs. the Gods of the Sea
Series: Eyeshield 21 #14
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 216
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The game between the Devilbats and the Poseidons has begun. With each team pulling out new abilities, it is a real toss up of a game.
The book ends with 1:18 on the clock and the Devilbats behind 5 points.

My Thoughts:

Where the previous book had jammed the games into 2-4 pages, here we get a full game stretched out for the full book and in fact it doesn't finish up by the end.

This shows that while tricks are good, brute strength is the basis of football.

Who is the Real Eyeshield 21? (Eyeshield 21 #13) (Manga Monday)

 ^{This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Booklikes & Librarything by  Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission.}
Title: Who is the Real Eyeshield 21?
Series: Eyeshield 21 #13
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 216
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

All the games from the second up until the semi-finals are shown, usually in 4 pages and just enough to show the strengths and weaknesses of various teams.
There is a lot of non-game stuff, which was just what I was looking for.

My Thoughts:

This was a great volume. There was a lot of emotional drama going on as teams lost and people watched their last chance at the Christmas Bowl go down the drains. There was one particular scene between Hiruma and the quarterback of the Chameleons that boiled down the hopes and dreams of all the 3rd Years. It was very touching.

It has been a tough day, so this is all I feel like writing.

Open Season (Eyeshield 21 #11) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Open Season
Series: Eyeshield 21 #11
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats make it back to Japan in time to start the Autumn Football season, which will end with the Christmas Bowl, the aim of so many of the players. A lot of character growth goes on and we see the ups and downs as players realize their limits and what they can and can't do.
The Devil Bats first game is against the Amino Cyborgs and their super science football players. Sena is late and it is up to the rest of the team to hold the line until their star runner can make it to the stadium.

My Thoughts:

This one was not all happy skippy. Some of the devil bats who made it through the Death march weren't picked for the team, as they just weren't good enough. Other members of other teams were having teenage crisis's of their own as they came up against the barriers of their own bodies. It was all very drama'y but in a very shounen way.

Mamori takes one step further toward's becoming Hiruma's love interest, as odd as it is to think of him having a love interest. So much is made of Mamori being like an older sister to Sena that at this point I'm resigned to her and Sena never getting beyond that "sibling" level.

We also see quite a bit of family interaction, at least compared to earlier volumes. Sena's homelife is exactly what you'd expect from someone like Sena in volume one. His mother's a harridan and his father's a weak "yes dear" kind of husband. It is good to see Sena growing beyond the barriers put up by his upbringing.

The game with the Cyborgs starts out very interesting. The Cyborgs just muscle their way through until the Devil Bat's coach reminds them about how they pushed the truck and suddenly, their training comes into play and they just tear apart the Cyborgs. But even with that, the Devil Bats can't score consistently on only a passing game.

And finally, that is where Sena makes his entrance. He gets on the wrong bus, and has to be driven to the stadium by one of the rival teams who want to beat Hiruma. Sena gets catapaulted into the stadium and makes a 3 point landing [foot, knee and hand] and looks wicked cool. It made me smile. Now the game, in the next book, can really begin!

Is There A Loser in the House? (Eyeshield 21 #10) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Is There A Loser in the House?
Series: Eyeshield 21 #10
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats begin their 1200mile training course from Texas to the city of Las Vegas. Along the way Sena meets a cute roller blade girl and her brother, who are wrapped into the storyline. Sena accidentally tries out for the NFL. The team as a whole gets a lot stronger [duh, pushing an 18 wheeler 1200 miles tends to do that].

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Shin begins extra training at Mt. Fuji. Panther shows up to test himself against Shin and realizes that he is an ant compared to Shin. Shin continues his non-ability to interact with electronics.

My Thoughts:

Another solid read. I found this volume to be very balanced between "Inspiration!" and humor.  Shin training himself and rating Panther's ability in an eyeblink was the former. The 3 clowns from the Devil Bats pawning ALL the clothes so they could gamble [and being escorted from the casino by burly guards whilst unclothed] was very much the latter.

At Las Vegas we see Mamori in a cocktail gown and while it was just one little frame, it made it very obvious that Mamori is a young woman, not a girl. Not fan service'y at all but more that she could carry it off. Part of her emerging maturity is the fact that she is seeing how hard Hiruma is pushing the team, and himself. She is seeing beyond the "psycho gun toting madman" facade to the hardcore dedicated player and can appreciate it without making a big deal of it. It is also shown up with the emergence of Suzuna, the roller blade girl. She's Sena's age and is presented as such. I hope that the 2 of them have larger roles in the future.

The book ends with them winning all the money they need at the casino and getting ready to head back to Japan. The volumes about America have made me laugh because it is a view that is distorted yet just recognizable enough that I know where the distortion is coming from. Like looking in a fun house mirror.

Hell is for Devil Bats (Eyeshield 21 #9) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Hell is for Devil Bats
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Devil Bats lose. But only by 1 point. So the American team has to stay in Japan, which leads to Hiruma taking their plane tickets and taking the Devil Bats to Texas. Where they promptly win a game of beach football, win $1000, spend $1000 on snacks and run across Hiruma's old coach.
He challenges them to accept the Death March, a grueling 40 day training period where they will pack in 1 years worth of training on the way to Las Vegas, where they will get enough money to fly back to Japan. Everyone accepts and thus begins a time that has killed all who have attempted it, da da dum!

My Thoughts:

The humor was in your face in this volume. As soon as Hiruma gets to Texas, he immediately heads to a gun store, where the owner tells him that he can't take the guns back to Japan, to which Hiruma responds "I'll be smuggling them". Then Sena and Monta try to shoot some handguns and go ass over teakettle. I was laughing my head off.

The beach game was a fun little interlude leading into the training. In classic shonen style, the training is shown as powering/leveling up instead of the boring,hard work it really is.

One thing to note is that everyone, but Mamori of course, now knows that Sena is Eyeshield 21. The team spirit begins to coalesce and the Devil Bats truly start becoming a team instead of just a group of individuals that Hiruma is tricking into working together.

And that's it for this week's Manga Monday.

True Warriors Seek Out Strong Foes (Eyeshield 21 #8) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: True Warriors Seek Out Strong Foes
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

Japan versus America in a game of American Football. Can the Devil Bats even hope to compete against a team that is made up of some of the toughest Americans out there? It is American Brute Force and Power versus Japanese strategy and speed.
But when Panther enters the game, can Sena up his game against a fresh opponent who isn't intimidated by Eyeshield 21's speed? In fact, can Sena keep up with Panther?

My Thoughts:

Another GREAT volume. This had my adrenaline up and running even as I sat on the couch and just read this volume. That is good story telling.

There was a lot of back and forth between strategies, point scoring, etc during this one. It wasn't one team dominating or the other pulling sneaky tricks to edge by by 1 point. This was all out war and the tides of fortune rose and fell appropriately.

I did have to roll my eyes at the coach's back story. It explained a lot but my goodness, it just showed him for the shallow guy he was. And his little "connecting" moment with Panther's desire to play had me groaning. However, the little montage with him getting kicked off the "46'ers" made me laugh, mainly because it was the "46'ers" instead of the 49er's. Just one of those things that strikes you funny at the right moment.

Hiruma is a freaking genius. I know that he is the quarterback but he's competing with the coach of the Alien's and coming out ahead. Coach and QB and doing a good job at both at the same time.  I really hope that his character is given more serious attention in future volumes. He might be providing a lot of comic relief but there is a good amount of depth to be explored.

I do continue to be disappointed by Mamori's lack of a role. Even as a potential love interest. She shows up and is shown in various panels, but that is it. I sure do hope she takes a bigger role by the end of the series.

Musashi (Eyeshield 21 #7) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Musashi
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The coach of the American Team reneges on his deal and doesn't come to Japan. Hiruma puts together a very insulting video and releases it on the internet, thus forcing the coach and his team to come to Japan or be labeled as cowards.
Various aspects of the Devil Bat's team members are shown to progress character growth. Sena and Monta find out who Musashi is and make a deal with him that if they can win against the Americans that he'll come back to the team as the kicker. The book ends right before the game against the Americans start.

My Thoughts:

I am reading a scanned copy, so the American coach is represented as a complete rascist against anyone not white and as a complete ass hole. I'm sure he's still presented as a jerk in the official release, but it makes me want to go hunt down a paper copy to see how it was changed. It is also shown that he's making his team's public face "mighty white" and keeping the one black guy on the team on the bench. Which just doesn't jive with real football.

That aside, not a lot really happens. It is amazing how I can read 200 pages of misc stuff, setup stuff and still enjoy it. A little bit of attention is given to various characters and it really works. They are starting to feel more like real people and not just cliches in a sports manga. This time around it was one of the 3 delinquents. He doesn't want to be useless but he doesn't want to leave his 2 friends. I'm hoping he can drag them upward with him.

The journey to find Musashi, the guy who started the club with Hiruma and Kurita but then dropped out of highschool, is part of the story but I wish they'd concentrated on finding another kicker. They showcase one guy who wants to go head to head with Musashi, so maybe later in the series he'll come on board, but for now he's disappeared.

Devil Bats Take Flight (Eyeshield 21 #6) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: Devil Bats Take Flight
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

After a brutal game, the Devil Bats manage to tie the score at the end of the game. The de facto leader of the Sphinx admits that since the Devil Bats tied on the Sphinx's home turf, that it is a win for the Bats. So the Devil Bats are the ones to play the American team.
Then everyone goes and watches a game between the White Knights and gods and undisputed champions of highschool football, "The Something Or Others" [I tend to lose track of the names as they don't mean anything to me]. In the previous season the White Knights almost unseated them but a pair of freshman turned the game around. Now those freshmen are experienced and trained. And they destroy the White Knights. The leader of the two looks like he'll be the Nemesis of Sena, as he is portrayed as a pretty bad guy.

My Thoughts:

Finally, we get someone who is just plain bad and not "striving to be better" and all that macho stuff. He's just at the end of the volume but it is apparent that he'll be around for some time, as his talent and his teams quality make them the top team.

The game between the Bats and the Sphinx's ended up satisfactorily without the "underdog team wins every game by hook or by crook" that is the hallmark of many Disney movies. I do like how the manga-ka's breakdown a particular part of the game [albeit in a simplistic way] and make it the focus of one whole game, hence allowing the new Devil Bats, as well as the readers unfamiliar with football, to become "experts". I'm a social sports fan, so I don't know how this would come across to a serious football fan. They'd probably laugh it off or point out all the wrong things :-) But it works for me and considering that this is a manga, I suspect the target audience are not hardcore Patriots fan [the Patriots are the Number One team here in the United States and have been since they came into existence in 1792!]
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They Are Called the Devil Bats (Eyeshield 21 #3) (Manga Monday)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: They Are Called the Devil Bats
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

After a quick jump ahead of the White Knights, the Devil Bats are simply playing a delaying action. Shin is a machine that just mows down all opposition. However, something inside Sena responds and instead of running away, he gets faster. Instead of losing 0-99 like they did last year, they simply lose 12-62.  There is also an incident where Eyeshield 21 takes out the White Knight's quarterback and when he's in the hospital is becomes very apparent that said QB doesn't really want to be playing football.
The second half of the book is based on the football team looking to capitalize on how well they did to attract new players. Sena comes across someone who is playing for the baseball team, can catch anything, but is a terrible all-round baseball player. Insta-friendship :-)

My Thoughts:

There are times where manga is the perfect medium to express an ideal thought. Every excess of emotion that has ever been experienced can be experienced, less painfully and in many cases with great happiness, in this format.  Who doesn't remember that one small triumph in their life? For me, since this is a sports related manga, I can remember one summer camp where I won the 50yard dash, the 100 yard dash and the 1/4mile run. I got 3, plastic, gold medals, and was cheered by everyone. Everyone being about 40 other kids. It meant nothing in the long run and I wasn't suddenly on the path to stardom and track famousness, but it is a little golden point in my memory.

Reading this book was like watching others get their golden points, even if they are fictional characters. Monta, the new receiver, has to give up his dream of being a baseball player but he's encouraged by Sena that the ending of one dream can just be the start of another.

The humor was back up too and had me chuckling several times.
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The Boy with the Golden Legs (Eyeshield 21 #1) (Manga)

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes. blogspot.wordpress.com by  Bookstooge's Exalted Permission.
Title: The Boy with the Golden Legs
Series: Eyeshield 21
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 208
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

Sena has graduated from middleschool and makes it into the highschool he was aiming for. Sadly, the same bullies who used him are also attending. With the encouragement of a childhood friend named Mamori, Sena joins an afterschool club. He joins the Football Club, planning on being the manager but the quarterback has recruited Sena for his speed, earned by running from the aforementioned bullies.
Now Sena and the other 2 members of the club must recruit 9 other members for at least one day for their first game. Can Sena survive a Football game when he can't even stand up to bullies?

My Thoughts:

My goodness, I enjoyed this. While I am not a big fan, I understand and enjoy football and can follow a game just fine and this series is not a serious series, at least not starting out. The Quarterback is constantly shooting off guns and rocket launchers and missiles [it IS manga after all] and practically kidnapping players. The humor is very much right down my alley.

Sena makes for a great main character. He is the classic underdog: small, picked on, cheerful, full of optimism and with a hidden talent that just needs to be teased out. His childhood friend Mamori is going to be the obvious love interest, even while being a year or two older than him. She hangs out with him, stammers and blushed around him way too much to be anything BUT the love interest. And she gets roped into being the manager for the team when it becomes painfully apparent that Sena can't organize anything to save his life. So she won't just be a blushing rose but an integral part of the story.

The whole idea about Eyeshield 21 being an alter-ego for Sena to hide him so the other sports teams won't steal him away is properly "Manga". It is ridiculous, over the top, silly and it totally works. It also allows for a good bit of setup with other football teams and the whole idea of scouting your opponents to discover their strengths and weaknesses.

If you're worried about this being bogged down with "sports" knowledge, have no fear. No previous knowledge of football is necessary but  the creators give you just enough of the rules at the critical moment so you know why "X" or "Y" needs to happen, or not. Kind of like a Chess Grandmaster explaining how a particular piece moves without explaining the whole game.

I started this series back in '09 and stopped when I caught up to the series [it didn't end until Volume 37 in 2011]. I didn't write any reviews then, as I wasn't reviewing manga but I do remember enjoying it immensely and that didn't change with this re-start of the series. I am really looking forward to reading the rest.
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