Genre Sports
Age Rating For Older Teens
Price $7.99
What does a wimpy kid who's been bullied all his life have to depend on but his own two feet? Sena Kobayakawa is about to start his first year in high school and he's vowed not to get picked on anymore. Unfortunately, the sadistic captain of the football team already has his eye on Sena and his lightning-fast speed.
I don't know about you but to me, nothing sounds more anachronistic than the Japanese doing a manga series about--of all sports--American Football. Yet Eyeshield 21 manages to successfully pull it off and has become one of my favorite series of all time. Most sports titles usually take one of two routes: either start out with a prodigy player or someone who knows absolutely nothing about the sport. Eyeshield 21 is more of the latter. Our titular character is Sena, a kid who just entered high school and is far from the athletic type. Recognizable story elements are thrown in such as the school bullies, the female childhood friend, and the school sports team that's lacking players. Sena has only one talent however: running fast, a talent honed by years of serving as gopher for numerous bullies. In the span of one volume, we witness Sena's inadvertent draft into the football team and their first game win.
What sets Eyeshield 21 apart however is the way the story is narrated. Humor and slapstick comedy intertwine with serious sports drama. For example, one of the characters, Hiruma, usually pulls out guns and bazookas out of nowhere. The sports scenes might be exaggerated but Eyeshield 21 isn't the Dragonball Z of sports manga--at least so far. As can be expected from various sports manga, the reader is also taught about the basics of the game which in this case is, American Football.
The art style isn't too simplistic but neither is it too complex. Suffice to say, the characters are drawn to the point that they can be serious when they need to be serious yet is easily adaptable for slapstick. My only complaint about the art is that in the prologue, the pages are darker than the rest of the volume but aside from that, I'm satisfied with the presentation. Nothing outstanding, but nothing that sticks out like a sore thumb either.
This volume has lots of minor extras that include a map of the school and a mini-comic of the characters in an RPG scenario. Each chapter is also separated by a drawing of each character's room, typically hinting at the personality that they have. They're nice eye-candy and extra information but nothing truly essential.
Overall, the first volume of Eyeshield 21 is easy to get into. It begins with excitement and comedy and the last chapter gives us closure to this mini-story arc. Also, you don't need to be a fan of American Football to enjoy this manga. When I started out with the series, I knew absolutely nothing about American Football (I prefer Soccer more) but halfway through the series, I slowly became familiar with the rules of the game--not because of Wikipedia but by sheer enjoyment for the series. Eyeshield 21 comes highly recommended and manages to successfully juggle contrary elements.
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