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アイシールド21 [Eyeshield 21] #37
Eyeshield 21, Vol. 37: Ready Set Hut
Catch all the bone-crushing action and slapstick comedy of Japan's hottest football manga!
Wimpy Sena Kobayakawa has been running away from bullies all his life. But when the football gear comes on, things change--Sena's speed and uncanny ability to elude big bullies just might give him what it takes to become a great high school football hero! Catch all the bone-crushing action and slapstick comedy of Japan's hottest football manga!
Final Volume!
Ready Set Hut
In this action-packed final volume, Team USA and Team Japan face off in a bid for the title of best youth football team in the world. Rivalries within Team Japan are put aside as Hiruma and Agon execute a complicated formation. Can smart strategy overcome the sheer physical dominance of the American team? Seeing his teammates hurt, Sena bolts in and Team Japan seems set for victory. But the final five minutes of the game takes a surprising course as the earth-shattering rivalry between the two teams continues...
Wimpy Sena Kobayakawa has been running away from bullies all his life. But when the football gear comes on, things change--Sena's speed and uncanny ability to elude big bullies just might give him what it takes to become a great high school football hero! Catch all the bone-crushing action and slapstick comedy of Japan's hottest football manga!
Final Volume!
Ready Set Hut
In this action-packed final volume, Team USA and Team Japan face off in a bid for the title of best youth football team in the world. Rivalries within Team Japan are put aside as Hiruma and Agon execute a complicated formation. Can smart strategy overcome the sheer physical dominance of the American team? Seeing his teammates hurt, Sena bolts in and Team Japan seems set for victory. But the final five minutes of the game takes a surprising course as the earth-shattering rivalry between the two teams continues...
200 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2009
9 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 14, 2019
“Eyeshield 21” is a sports manga with wide appeal. Like most great sports stories it understands that the true heart of the game is the people playing it.
“Eyeshield” verges on being on a shonen manga due to its clever take on football. Every game is a battle between warriors. All the stars have special moves that they use to give them an edge and the plays are often spectacles to behold with constant strategic interplay. This less then realistic take gives the manga an infectious quality, making the games feel like life or death struggles. Some of the games could be likened to battles in Naruto and Dragon Ball for the intensity and lasting impact.
The art also propels this clash of titans along and brings it to startling heights. The artist Yusuke Murata, of One-Punch Man renown, shows his usual level of excellent detail and understanding of form. The funny light-hearted moments and sense of comedy are expressive and charming. The action is tight and easy to read. Even in scenes of dialogue the mastery of anatomy shows how to combine the cartoonisms with realism effectively. When he pushes things to more unrealistic levels it feels like an organic extension of his realism due to his ability to judge how far to go. This is a manga that can be looked at purely for the art and framing even if football means nothing to you. Read it for the superb characters.
The characters are where “Eyeshield” truly shows its amazing plays. All the main characters are fleshed-out with compelling if not complex motivations. All have arcs, and watching them grow with each other and fight through there struggles is the highlight of the storytelling. Even all the teams they face have likable and memorable characters. Many of conflicts feel like true tests of ability and endurance for the main cast. More than once in the story you are left wondering how the Devil Bats will compete against their foes only for their heart and talents to come bursting forth in interesting ways.
There is a lot this series does right but it has a few weak points. While the writing is good, the story structure is repetitive. The series falls into a loop: of a volume for preparing for a game and then 3 volumes for the game. The games are intense but almost always come down to a few seconds and one point. This cliché and unrealistic approach to every game does get tedious.
Fans of action, sports, and great characters need to give this a try. Even if you are none of those, picking this up to look at the art is well worth your time. Every tackle hits like a truck, every victory screams from the page, and defeats drips with bitter sweat. Experience the thrill of sports vicariously and cheer for the characters.
“Eyeshield” verges on being on a shonen manga due to its clever take on football. Every game is a battle between warriors. All the stars have special moves that they use to give them an edge and the plays are often spectacles to behold with constant strategic interplay. This less then realistic take gives the manga an infectious quality, making the games feel like life or death struggles. Some of the games could be likened to battles in Naruto and Dragon Ball for the intensity and lasting impact.
The art also propels this clash of titans along and brings it to startling heights. The artist Yusuke Murata, of One-Punch Man renown, shows his usual level of excellent detail and understanding of form. The funny light-hearted moments and sense of comedy are expressive and charming. The action is tight and easy to read. Even in scenes of dialogue the mastery of anatomy shows how to combine the cartoonisms with realism effectively. When he pushes things to more unrealistic levels it feels like an organic extension of his realism due to his ability to judge how far to go. This is a manga that can be looked at purely for the art and framing even if football means nothing to you. Read it for the superb characters.
The characters are where “Eyeshield” truly shows its amazing plays. All the main characters are fleshed-out with compelling if not complex motivations. All have arcs, and watching them grow with each other and fight through there struggles is the highlight of the storytelling. Even all the teams they face have likable and memorable characters. Many of conflicts feel like true tests of ability and endurance for the main cast. More than once in the story you are left wondering how the Devil Bats will compete against their foes only for their heart and talents to come bursting forth in interesting ways.
There is a lot this series does right but it has a few weak points. While the writing is good, the story structure is repetitive. The series falls into a loop: of a volume for preparing for a game and then 3 volumes for the game. The games are intense but almost always come down to a few seconds and one point. This cliché and unrealistic approach to every game does get tedious.
Fans of action, sports, and great characters need to give this a try. Even if you are none of those, picking this up to look at the art is well worth your time. Every tackle hits like a truck, every victory screams from the page, and defeats drips with bitter sweat. Experience the thrill of sports vicariously and cheer for the characters.
December 24, 2018
About this book : I do not care about the outcome of this game at all. I just love to see them play. I love the epilogue. (SHIIIIIIP) This ending was very satisfying while also leaving me wanting more. I think this is the perfect place to stop the serie.
About the serie :
I've reread the entire serie in about 3 days (as I always do because it is one of my favorite manga serie) and I decided to be lazy about reviews. But I think it might be time for a chunkier one. So here goes.
I know Sena is the main character in this serie but to me this story has always been about more characters than him. If I can be generous I'd say all the members of the Devils Bats are main, if I'm realist I'd say this is about Kurita, Hiruma and Sena (and Mamori, let me have this please).
Admitedly I haven't read a lot of mangas about sport (I shall try to correct that in the future) but I love the themes here, even though I'm pretty sure they are very common themes.
I feel like every character encountered in this serie adds some commentary to those themes but in the end it's the main three characters that represents them best.
Sena's arc is all about standing up for yourself. He starts has this guy whose being bullied and used by people who are stronger than him and when he choses to join the american football club it's the first step of his improvement. It's a very classic arc, the one of the underdog with a talent who finally finds his place and become the best through struggles. But I love it. I love how it is done, even on the small level of each game : he starts with trying to avoid contact entirely and become more and more offensive as he gains more experience. I adore the moments when he suggests things and then loses all confidence at the last moment though. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Kurita now. I feel like Kurita is a highly underappreciated part of this team. I just gotta say it even though no one is fighting me on it ^^ (and I am part of the problem because I love Hiruma the most but...) Kurita is the heart of this serie. He is the one who starts playing american football first. He is the one who makes Hiruma start playing instead of just watching. He is the one who dreams of going to the Christmas Bowl and find people to join in on his dream. Yes, Sena decided to stay in the club as a running back after their first match BUT he decided to be part of it of his own free will after speaking with Kurita. Kurita is the one all about pursuing your dreams and finding people to share that dream with. Over the serie we see plenty of teams where people have small fights among themselves but are working together toward the same goal. And the most unlikely pairing is Kurita and Hiruma. Hiruma may be the one saying that if you don't try there is zero chance it will work but I am pretty sure he learned that from Kurita and for that Kurita should get more love.
And now my favorite : Hiruma. One of the main theme of this serie is talent vs training. This is abondantly clear in the moment that opposes Agon and Hiruma. Our fave quaterback is not a talented athlete. He is not bad, but he doesn't he has limitations, he trains hard and his main quality is his brain. The authors could've made him improve greatly from the first book, it's what happens to all the characters. But not Hiruma. He never starts to run faster than he did in the first book, when he starts avoiding tackles they tell you that he learned to do that before the serie started because he had to and when people use technic instead of tackles he can counter them in theory but is limited by his capacities. Hiruma himself doesn't really improve despite all his training. He also proves that talent alone will get you nowhere. I feel like in the end the Hiruma is the one showing that talent and training should go hand in hand if you're really gonna be the best and that that's not really the point : the point is that if you have a goal you should do everything in your power to achieve it. Hiruma, who all along seems to be the least passionate about the sport and seems to be there just to mess with people because he can is actually the one that will tell you passion is the most important thing to have. He shows it when he recruits Yukimitsu, and when he is the one having the most fun in tough games and when he feels that Sena or Monta are ready to finally defeat their opponents. Hiruma knows his limitations, but he loves this sport and he has a best friend who taught him to never give up on his dream so he goes and find people that will make up for his shortcomings. All the while pretending he doesn't care. I love it. I'm pretty sure I stopped making sense in the Kurita part anyway.
What I'm saying is : I love these three.
I have nitpicks about the serie like the fact it takes 18 books for Mamori to know that Sena is Eyeshield 21 or the fact that the way to the Christmas Bowl is unclear until the Christmas Bowl happen (and the fact my ship isn't canon). But...
Who cares?
I love these characters. I love seeing Sena finding his place, Kurita and Hiruma achieving their dream, Monta understanding that it's okay to alter your goals, Mamori becoming a member of the team rather than their substitute mom.
I love the story. I love being tense during most games even though I have reread this several time and know the outcome already. I love the sport peptalks. The dumb attacks' names. The long inner monologues during actions that last for a few seconds in real time.
This is one of my favorite manga serie and I am glad I reread it because I was feeling really bad lately and this made me feel better. I'm gonna try to make those characters proud of me until I need another reread <3
About the serie :
I've reread the entire serie in about 3 days (as I always do because it is one of my favorite manga serie) and I decided to be lazy about reviews. But I think it might be time for a chunkier one. So here goes.
I know Sena is the main character in this serie but to me this story has always been about more characters than him. If I can be generous I'd say all the members of the Devils Bats are main, if I'm realist I'd say this is about Kurita, Hiruma and Sena (and Mamori, let me have this please).
Admitedly I haven't read a lot of mangas about sport (I shall try to correct that in the future) but I love the themes here, even though I'm pretty sure they are very common themes.
I feel like every character encountered in this serie adds some commentary to those themes but in the end it's the main three characters that represents them best.
Sena's arc is all about standing up for yourself. He starts has this guy whose being bullied and used by people who are stronger than him and when he choses to join the american football club it's the first step of his improvement. It's a very classic arc, the one of the underdog with a talent who finally finds his place and become the best through struggles. But I love it. I love how it is done, even on the small level of each game : he starts with trying to avoid contact entirely and become more and more offensive as he gains more experience. I adore the moments when he suggests things and then loses all confidence at the last moment though. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Kurita now. I feel like Kurita is a highly underappreciated part of this team. I just gotta say it even though no one is fighting me on it ^^ (and I am part of the problem because I love Hiruma the most but...) Kurita is the heart of this serie. He is the one who starts playing american football first. He is the one who makes Hiruma start playing instead of just watching. He is the one who dreams of going to the Christmas Bowl and find people to join in on his dream. Yes, Sena decided to stay in the club as a running back after their first match BUT he decided to be part of it of his own free will after speaking with Kurita. Kurita is the one all about pursuing your dreams and finding people to share that dream with. Over the serie we see plenty of teams where people have small fights among themselves but are working together toward the same goal. And the most unlikely pairing is Kurita and Hiruma. Hiruma may be the one saying that if you don't try there is zero chance it will work but I am pretty sure he learned that from Kurita and for that Kurita should get more love.
And now my favorite : Hiruma. One of the main theme of this serie is talent vs training. This is abondantly clear in the moment that opposes Agon and Hiruma. Our fave quaterback is not a talented athlete. He is not bad, but he doesn't he has limitations, he trains hard and his main quality is his brain. The authors could've made him improve greatly from the first book, it's what happens to all the characters. But not Hiruma. He never starts to run faster than he did in the first book, when he starts avoiding tackles they tell you that he learned to do that before the serie started because he had to and when people use technic instead of tackles he can counter them in theory but is limited by his capacities. Hiruma himself doesn't really improve despite all his training. He also proves that talent alone will get you nowhere. I feel like in the end the Hiruma is the one showing that talent and training should go hand in hand if you're really gonna be the best and that that's not really the point : the point is that if you have a goal you should do everything in your power to achieve it. Hiruma, who all along seems to be the least passionate about the sport and seems to be there just to mess with people because he can is actually the one that will tell you passion is the most important thing to have. He shows it when he recruits Yukimitsu, and when he is the one having the most fun in tough games and when he feels that Sena or Monta are ready to finally defeat their opponents. Hiruma knows his limitations, but he loves this sport and he has a best friend who taught him to never give up on his dream so he goes and find people that will make up for his shortcomings. All the while pretending he doesn't care. I love it. I'm pretty sure I stopped making sense in the Kurita part anyway.
What I'm saying is : I love these three.
I have nitpicks about the serie like the fact it takes 18 books for Mamori to know that Sena is Eyeshield 21 or the fact that the way to the Christmas Bowl is unclear until the Christmas Bowl happen (and the fact my ship isn't canon). But...
Who cares?
I love these characters. I love seeing Sena finding his place, Kurita and Hiruma achieving their dream, Monta understanding that it's okay to alter your goals, Mamori becoming a member of the team rather than their substitute mom.
I love the story. I love being tense during most games even though I have reread this several time and know the outcome already. I love the sport peptalks. The dumb attacks' names. The long inner monologues during actions that last for a few seconds in real time.
This is one of my favorite manga serie and I am glad I reread it because I was feeling really bad lately and this made me feel better. I'm gonna try to make those characters proud of me until I need another reread <3
November 13, 2013
#Program BUBU
Pertama kali dibeli dan dibaca pada tanggal 13 Mei 2010.
Pertama kali dibeli dan dibaca pada tanggal 13 Mei 2010.
July 8, 2024
MIS POLLITOS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
March 30, 2024
Officially my 2nd favorite Sports Manga Series! 🏈
December 21, 2011
Sad that the series has ended. Definitely a series worth purchasing and re-reading.
February 8, 2019
Eyeshield 21: Ready Set Hut continues where the previous tankōbon left off and contains the last nine chapters (335–333) of the on-going manga series.
The tankōbon finishes the American Football Youth World Cup finals with Japan playing against the United States of America. Yoichi Hiruma and Agon Kongo decided to put their difference aside to play together and they managed to score a touchdown just as the second half ends with a score of 28–13.
The second half – the third quarter particular was very different. It seem Team Japan finally found their legs and the two teams managed to trade points and at the end of the third quarter the score was 42–27 with Team United States still in the lead. The last quarter increased the factor in drama as the gap between the two teams began to shrink and with three seconds, left in the game Team Japan tied the game at 45–45.
Unfortunately, the planers never conceived that a game could end in a tie and did not plan for an overtime quarter. However, both teams decided that they did not like such an ending and played an illegal and unofficial overtime quarter. Officially the winner of the tournament were both teams and unofficially – well it was left ambiguous as the last chapter served as an epilogue two years later.
This tankōbon is written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. For the most part, I really liked how the story progressed. At first, I hated the fact that it ended in a tie, but after some introspection, it was the best of possible endings.
Logically, Team United States should have overpowered Team Japan. The United States has a bigger population and in some parts of the country, American Football is akin to religion. It would be totally inconceivable and farfetched to have Team Japan win for those same reasons. However, a tie seems like the best of both worlds.
Overall, Eyeshield 21 was a wonderful coming of age story about the most unlikely American Football player in Sena Kobayakawa – a wimpy and small kid that grown strong in conviction with his friends and teammates. The reader witnesses the growth of Sena Kobayakawa and his team through the Prefecturals (Autumn Tokyo Tournament), the Regionals (Kanto Tournament), and the Nationals (Christmas Bowl). The crème de la crème formed a Japanese Football Team to play in an International Tournament (American Football Youth World Cup).
All in all, Eyeshield 21: Ready Set Hut is a wonderful conclusion to an equally wonderful series.
The tankōbon finishes the American Football Youth World Cup finals with Japan playing against the United States of America. Yoichi Hiruma and Agon Kongo decided to put their difference aside to play together and they managed to score a touchdown just as the second half ends with a score of 28–13.
The second half – the third quarter particular was very different. It seem Team Japan finally found their legs and the two teams managed to trade points and at the end of the third quarter the score was 42–27 with Team United States still in the lead. The last quarter increased the factor in drama as the gap between the two teams began to shrink and with three seconds, left in the game Team Japan tied the game at 45–45.
Unfortunately, the planers never conceived that a game could end in a tie and did not plan for an overtime quarter. However, both teams decided that they did not like such an ending and played an illegal and unofficial overtime quarter. Officially the winner of the tournament were both teams and unofficially – well it was left ambiguous as the last chapter served as an epilogue two years later.
This tankōbon is written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. For the most part, I really liked how the story progressed. At first, I hated the fact that it ended in a tie, but after some introspection, it was the best of possible endings.
Logically, Team United States should have overpowered Team Japan. The United States has a bigger population and in some parts of the country, American Football is akin to religion. It would be totally inconceivable and farfetched to have Team Japan win for those same reasons. However, a tie seems like the best of both worlds.
Overall, Eyeshield 21 was a wonderful coming of age story about the most unlikely American Football player in Sena Kobayakawa – a wimpy and small kid that grown strong in conviction with his friends and teammates. The reader witnesses the growth of Sena Kobayakawa and his team through the Prefecturals (Autumn Tokyo Tournament), the Regionals (Kanto Tournament), and the Nationals (Christmas Bowl). The crème de la crème formed a Japanese Football Team to play in an International Tournament (American Football Youth World Cup).
All in all, Eyeshield 21: Ready Set Hut is a wonderful conclusion to an equally wonderful series.
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November 16, 2018
Well this was a far more emotionally gripping series than I expected it to be. There's so much character growth, it's great! But as great as a lot of it is, this volume definitely has my favorite moment of the series:
I will laugh about this for eternity.
I will laugh about this for eternity.
September 14, 2021
Akhirnya.
Jilid terakhir. Inagaki sensei berhasil mengakhirinya dengan baik (berasa kosong melihat ilustrasi di halaman2 terakhir jilid ini hhu). Plus halaman2 penjelasan terkait bagaimana perjalanan para karakter setelah 2 tahun berlalu, memberi kesan mengharukan. Sungguh suatu karya yang luar biasa.
Eyeshield 21 menjadi salah satu manga yang sangat kental dengan aura shounen manganya. Banyak karakter, perkembangan tokoh, hubungan persahabatang yang menguar serta pertandingan penuh plot twist yang menegangkan, plus artwork yang macho tanpa ada bumbu2 romans (LOL)
Sangat layak untuk dinikmati meskipun pembaca barangkali bukanlah mahfum dng olahraga ini (saya sendiri pun selepas membaca manga ini tetap tidak tertarik dengan sepakbola amerika ini hhe).
Overall 8.0/10 menurut saya.
Jilid terakhir. Inagaki sensei berhasil mengakhirinya dengan baik (berasa kosong melihat ilustrasi di halaman2 terakhir jilid ini hhu). Plus halaman2 penjelasan terkait bagaimana perjalanan para karakter setelah 2 tahun berlalu, memberi kesan mengharukan. Sungguh suatu karya yang luar biasa.
Eyeshield 21 menjadi salah satu manga yang sangat kental dengan aura shounen manganya. Banyak karakter, perkembangan tokoh, hubungan persahabatang yang menguar serta pertandingan penuh plot twist yang menegangkan, plus artwork yang macho tanpa ada bumbu2 romans (LOL)
Sangat layak untuk dinikmati meskipun pembaca barangkali bukanlah mahfum dng olahraga ini (saya sendiri pun selepas membaca manga ini tetap tidak tertarik dengan sepakbola amerika ini hhe).
Overall 8.0/10 menurut saya.
September 16, 2024
Eyeshield 21 itu manga olahraga pertama yang saya sukai. Dulu belinya acak, dan tidak lengkap. Sekarang bisa baca lagi dari awal berkat ngerental di Pitimoss.
Ceritanya umum ditemui di manga olahraga. Anak jago yang masuk ke klub rendahan, lalu ikut turnamen dengan harapan bisa bertanding di Christmas Bowl, kasta tertinggi football di Jepang. Penceritaannya mudah ditebak, tapi asyik dibaca. Pacingnya bagus, dan karakter tidak selalu menang. Ilustrasi dari Yusuke Murata memanjakan mata. Karakternya unik dan ga jatuh terlalu dalam ke lubang klise yang membosankan.
Ceritanya umum ditemui di manga olahraga. Anak jago yang masuk ke klub rendahan, lalu ikut turnamen dengan harapan bisa bertanding di Christmas Bowl, kasta tertinggi football di Jepang. Penceritaannya mudah ditebak, tapi asyik dibaca. Pacingnya bagus, dan karakter tidak selalu menang. Ilustrasi dari Yusuke Murata memanjakan mata. Karakternya unik dan ga jatuh terlalu dalam ke lubang klise yang membosankan.
August 10, 2024
I'm just glad this series is over. There are some nice moments in this volume, better than I was expecting, but at this point I care very little for how the game itself goes. This arc has been a victory lap of characters returning to show how much they learned since we last saw them, and it exists for everyone to smile at seeing the characters again and not because there's an actual story worth telling.
May 23, 2020
This has easily become my favorite sports manga and one of my favorite series of all time. Absolutely brilliant from start to finish. Words can’t even describe how much I adored reading this. Just phenomenal!!
December 29, 2017
Akhirnya telah menyelesaikan membaca eyeshield 21, aku sangaaaaatttt sukaaaaaaaaaaaaaa seluruhnya sgt menakjubkan, dan berharap bgt komik ini dicetak ulang dan aku hrs memilikinya.
May 23, 2019
Nice
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2019
The ending was fine. The series was fine. It wasn't great, but I'm glad I read it I guess.
February 25, 2021
IT'S OVER 😭 but I'm keeping all these characters in my heart forever 🥺❤ also let me just play Be Survivor until there's news of an anime reboot or something ☹️🤞
Read
September 26, 2022Spring Tournament Arc
Rivalry Match Arc
Death March Arc
Autumn Tournament Arc
Kanto Tournament Arc
Christmas Bowl
Youth World Cup Arc
Rivalry Match Arc
Death March Arc
Autumn Tournament Arc
Kanto Tournament Arc
Christmas Bowl
Youth World Cup Arc
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2023
La fin d'un excellent manga qui a su me faire vibrer, frissonner d'exaltation. Merci ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2024
I’m ready for football season
June 6, 2025
Se sintió apresurado el final pero no por eso desmerece ser uno de los mejores Spokons de la historia.
Read
August 12, 2025(finished july 18th)
February 1, 2015
Note: Since vol 37 is the last in the series I will be using this review to more or less review the entire series.
It's been a fun run over the last 6 months to read what is to my knowledge the only gridiron football manga series out there. Considering the NY Giants had an abysmal season this year, Eyeshield was a beacon of light for football related fun this fall/winter season(s). Following Sena, Hiruma, Kurita, and the whole Devilbats team provided quite an addicted manga read for me. Watching the team build from just a center/quarterback/running back to a complex squad filled with clever trick plays is the essence of why at 23 years of age I still find myself reading shonen type manga. In a way this sports series is a lot like the typical shonen fighting series (DBZ/Yu Yu Hakusho/Kenshin/Shaman King/Flame of Recca/etc) which have a set of protagonists training hard and displaying new techniques or skills in the face of overwhelming odds. Being the huge football fan that I am, I loved seeing the complexity of the concepts being built on from volumes 1 – 37. Hiruma's trick plays towards the end of the series really show how this series was used to actually teach native Japanese readers the foreign playing rules of American football. Add the tournament styled story structure of the Tokyo. Kantou, and Youth World Cup arcs, and you have yourself a recipe for success.
The Devilbat's opposing teams provide great antagonist fodder for this type of manga environment. There are really some great characters in this series that aren't wearing Bat's colors, and having the World Cup arc at the end kind of gives them an opportunity to shine as fan favorites. My one complaint with this that may be addressed with the anime series is the fact that I would have liked to see a few other teams with more than just 2 star players on the roster. The Gunmen and White Knights are pretty flushed out, but it feels like there should have been more opportunities to give more teams the distinct flavor these two had. That being said the Dinosaurs, Sphinx, and Poseidon teams were among my favorite adversaries of this series.
My other two complaints are rather big. The first is the completely rushed together lackluster final arc that wraps up in this volume. The YWC games are so quick (sometimes only a single page) that is seems like a wasted idea to present a whole world full of football teams only to have most of them not even highlighted or given one central captain like character. It's all one rushed setup to the Japan vs USA game.
And damn that last game between the American expert players and the underdog Japanese team. This arc exemplifies my biggest complaint about this series which is the that it has downright RACIST undertones in it through the author. Not only is Panther one of the most stereotyped designed characters I have ever seen in a manga, but other characters praise his “African genetics” to run and hold a ball. Sena is presented as an underdog due to racial/national inferiority to the born gifts of Panther. There is also this idea presented that Americans are somehow genetically stronger than the Japanese. I understand this is all for a plot point, but in a tweenage comic series it's a bit out of place, not to mention a stupid plot point to begin with. Some of the dialogue really crosses the line between character inspired ignorance and just flat ignorance on behalf of the author. If there is any huge complaint I have about the series it's this.
All in all though Eyeshield 21 is a fantastic read start to finish. Lull volumes rarely occur and when they do it is only for one volume (unlike a series like Bleach which seems to have 5 whole volumes straight of boring non-action material). The characters are truly loveable, and it's hard not to find one to identify with. Despite a really crappy 2 volume final arc the rest of the series is a very well paced that may even help some readers learn a thing or two about the sport of football in the process. If you're a fan of tournament styled fighting mangas give this a shot. If you're a fan of sports manga like Slam Dunk or Prince of Tennis this is also definitely for you. The whole series gets a 4 (although this particular volume on it's on would actually get a 2).
It's been a fun run over the last 6 months to read what is to my knowledge the only gridiron football manga series out there. Considering the NY Giants had an abysmal season this year, Eyeshield was a beacon of light for football related fun this fall/winter season(s). Following Sena, Hiruma, Kurita, and the whole Devilbats team provided quite an addicted manga read for me. Watching the team build from just a center/quarterback/running back to a complex squad filled with clever trick plays is the essence of why at 23 years of age I still find myself reading shonen type manga. In a way this sports series is a lot like the typical shonen fighting series (DBZ/Yu Yu Hakusho/Kenshin/Shaman King/Flame of Recca/etc) which have a set of protagonists training hard and displaying new techniques or skills in the face of overwhelming odds. Being the huge football fan that I am, I loved seeing the complexity of the concepts being built on from volumes 1 – 37. Hiruma's trick plays towards the end of the series really show how this series was used to actually teach native Japanese readers the foreign playing rules of American football. Add the tournament styled story structure of the Tokyo. Kantou, and Youth World Cup arcs, and you have yourself a recipe for success.
The Devilbat's opposing teams provide great antagonist fodder for this type of manga environment. There are really some great characters in this series that aren't wearing Bat's colors, and having the World Cup arc at the end kind of gives them an opportunity to shine as fan favorites. My one complaint with this that may be addressed with the anime series is the fact that I would have liked to see a few other teams with more than just 2 star players on the roster. The Gunmen and White Knights are pretty flushed out, but it feels like there should have been more opportunities to give more teams the distinct flavor these two had. That being said the Dinosaurs, Sphinx, and Poseidon teams were among my favorite adversaries of this series.
My other two complaints are rather big. The first is the completely rushed together lackluster final arc that wraps up in this volume. The YWC games are so quick (sometimes only a single page) that is seems like a wasted idea to present a whole world full of football teams only to have most of them not even highlighted or given one central captain like character. It's all one rushed setup to the Japan vs USA game.
And damn that last game between the American expert players and the underdog Japanese team. This arc exemplifies my biggest complaint about this series which is the that it has downright RACIST undertones in it through the author. Not only is Panther one of the most stereotyped designed characters I have ever seen in a manga, but other characters praise his “African genetics” to run and hold a ball. Sena is presented as an underdog due to racial/national inferiority to the born gifts of Panther. There is also this idea presented that Americans are somehow genetically stronger than the Japanese. I understand this is all for a plot point, but in a tweenage comic series it's a bit out of place, not to mention a stupid plot point to begin with. Some of the dialogue really crosses the line between character inspired ignorance and just flat ignorance on behalf of the author. If there is any huge complaint I have about the series it's this.
All in all though Eyeshield 21 is a fantastic read start to finish. Lull volumes rarely occur and when they do it is only for one volume (unlike a series like Bleach which seems to have 5 whole volumes straight of boring non-action material). The characters are truly loveable, and it's hard not to find one to identify with. Despite a really crappy 2 volume final arc the rest of the series is a very well paced that may even help some readers learn a thing or two about the sport of football in the process. If you're a fan of tournament styled fighting mangas give this a shot. If you're a fan of sports manga like Slam Dunk or Prince of Tennis this is also definitely for you. The whole series gets a 4 (although this particular volume on it's on would actually get a 2).
May 9, 2016
Saya tak banyak ambil tahu hal sukan, apatah lagi membaca akhbar perihalnya. Namun, manga ini mengambil sisi berwarna-warni termasuk hitam, hal-hal bersukan yang tak dapat saya alami, seolahnya saya turut bersama di pinggir padang merasai getirnya. Hal demikian buat saya sangat suka manga ini, dan rupa-rupanya dilukis oleh mangaka One Punch Man yang terkenal itu. Kisahnya seorang yang lemah yang sering dimangsakan pembuli dan akhirnya menjadi hero negara Jepun, dikagumi dalam bidang American Football. Perjalanannya amat sukar dan perlu ada persefahaman berpasukan. Watak utama terpaksa menyembunyi identiti untuk mengelak dicuri persatuan lain kerana kebolehannya memecut lari (hasil dibuli bertahun-tahun) dengan memakai penghadang mata dan jersi bernombor 21: maka nama samarannya Eyeshield 21.
February 2, 2015
Hands down the best sports manga I have ever read. Every character on the Deimon team got their time to shine at some point of time, and I liked how Sena wasn't always the main focus though I may be biased because I'm a Hiruma fan. I do regret binge-reading the last few volumes, if only to prolong my time with the Deimon Devil Bats. Funny, intense, a little rushed towards the end, but still an awesome series.
July 18, 2012
Finally read all of the volumes and it is a fantastic sports manga; hugely entertaining and when it is funny, it is very funny! A little slack off with the final 3 volumes which weren't really necessary, but they were still a good read. Doing 7000+ pages of over-the-top, last-minute-turnarounds American football shenanigans without ever feeling repetitive is an amazing feat.
December 7, 2012
I was so sad to read the last volume of my favorite manga series. Ah, but all good things must come to an end. On the last page, I literally had to wipe a tear from my eye. Maybe they'll continue Eyeshield, who knows. *shrug*
February 6, 2016
Every time I finish rereading this series, I always feel a gaping hole in my heart. I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life.
Eyeshield 21 always gives me the worst literary hangover.
Eyeshield 21 always gives me the worst literary hangover.
September 13, 2015
Such a fitting finale for this series ;)
March 19, 2012
It was a bittersweet end.Sigh.Anime is next for me.I want more though.Sigh.
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