Genre Sports
Age Rating For Older Teen
Price $9.99

Publisher's summary of volume from the back cover:  A trip to the school festival at rival Ojo High gives Sena and the Devil Bats a rare chance to unwind, but their visit is more than just friendly. Will Hiruma succeed in learning the identity of Ojo's latest and greatest secret weapon? Meanwhile, Doburoku introduces a new training method designed to keep Deimon in top form and improve all the players' stamina, but they'll need more than breath control if they hope to stand a chance against the White Knights!

What's great about manga is that most series have a beginning as well as an ending. Compare that to US comics which seem to stretch out in perpetuity and is convoluted by what preceded it. That's not to say manga isn't immune to such problems but usually it takes longer for them to get there. A quick glance at the page introducing the characters in this volume of Eyeshield 21 and one could say we're at that point. There's honestly too many characters and the small panels do them no justice as far as characterization is concerned. Of course to the series's credit, if you've been following them this long, they're all familiar to the reader to the point that you're aware of each one's quirks.

Fans of Eyeshield 21 might be asking why get this volume? Yes, it's steeped in the continuity that's been built up for the past 23 volumes but this particular volume gives us some closure in the sense that this is the competition we've been waiting for ever since the first few volumes. The Deimon vs Ojo match has been built up for quite some time--in fact it's a surprise that this isn't the last match in the tournament. There's little time for introductions here but instead Inagaki is reaping the seeds that he's sown.

The manga follows the formula of what makes Eyeshield 21 an engaging read. Despite the progress of Deimon, Ojo is nonetheless presented as formidable. There are favorite characters on both teams and while you're not exactly cheering for the opposing team to win the match, one nonetheless feels sympathetic towards them.

Murata's art here is refined and whether it's a beautiful scene showcasing yachts or exagerrations such as a literal army of knights, the artist is at the top of his game, especially when you compare it to when the series started. All the while, there's humor as well whether it's the shojo spoof in the opening page to super-deformed moments of the various characters. Suffice to say, this is pure pay-off that if you've been following the series faithfully, one ceases to appreciate the details because the quality has been consistent.

Nothing particularly new here but again, Eyeshield 21 is all grown up and it's starting to give us some closure on what it's established.

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