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リアルバウトハイスクール [Real Bout High School] #3
Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School, Vol. 03
At Real Bout High School, teachers don't break up fights, they grade them In a school where martial arts are the standard curriculum, Ryoko is kicking butt and taking names. The Real Bout manga spawned the hit anime series. With elements similar to The Matrix, Charlie's Angels, and Tomb Raider, Real Bout combines martial arts with a strong female lead--the perfect recipe for today's teen audience.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 30, 2014
Welcome to Daimon High, a typical high school in Japan...except it's the only school where students are graded on their street fights! Sophomore Ryoko Mitsurugi, the school's samurai idol, is in emotional turmoil: her biggest crush, Tatsuya, is about to transfer to another school and out of her life. The only one just as affected by this turn of events is Senior Azumi Kiribayashi, Ryoko's long-time competitor for Tatsuya's affections! Azumi reacts by challenging Ryoko to a K-Fight rematch...she promises to crush the samurai idol, and that might just happen with the state Ryoko's in. But the reasons for Azumi's challenge might surprise you as the real bout between Ryoko and the fighter perhaps destined to be her greatest rival, Shizuma Kusanagi, draws closer...and behind the scenes, Student Council President Isozaki is plotting *something* with the samurai girl in mind...
In this volume, the story of SAMURAI GIRL becomes full of emotion, almost bordering on the maudlin...but then, real life teenagers in high school aren't exactly known for having a handle on their emotions, either! What kids at Ryoko's age suffer may not seem a big deal to adults in hindsight, but I'm sure you remember those crises back in the day that at the time threatened to end your world. The fact the high schoolers here can settle disputes by fighting is a strange kind of metaphor for the conflicts that teenagers fight in real life...and emotion, one way or the other, plays a huge role. Ryoko actually undergoes a maturing process in this volume, and we see surprising layers to her upperclassman and sempai, Azumi. Some characters stay stubbornly the same, like the edgy, competitive Shizuma...Hitomi, who is as devoted to Ryoko as ever...and the always-disturbing Daisaku, who STILL can't help but photograph Ryoko without her knowing it! And like the previous volumes, Reiji Saiga's story looks fantastic thanks to Sora Inoue's art!
In this volume, the story of SAMURAI GIRL becomes full of emotion, almost bordering on the maudlin...but then, real life teenagers in high school aren't exactly known for having a handle on their emotions, either! What kids at Ryoko's age suffer may not seem a big deal to adults in hindsight, but I'm sure you remember those crises back in the day that at the time threatened to end your world. The fact the high schoolers here can settle disputes by fighting is a strange kind of metaphor for the conflicts that teenagers fight in real life...and emotion, one way or the other, plays a huge role. Ryoko actually undergoes a maturing process in this volume, and we see surprising layers to her upperclassman and sempai, Azumi. Some characters stay stubbornly the same, like the edgy, competitive Shizuma...Hitomi, who is as devoted to Ryoko as ever...and the always-disturbing Daisaku, who STILL can't help but photograph Ryoko without her knowing it! And like the previous volumes, Reiji Saiga's story looks fantastic thanks to Sora Inoue's art!
January 26, 2019
WARNING: Here be Spoilers! Read at your own risk!
Whoo! Man, this was an intense read! For a comedy series, this volume was also pretty dramatic and quite powerful.
At the end of Volume Two, we got a match between Tatsuya and Ryoko that ended with Ryoko being devastated with the news of Tatsuya's transferring to a school in another district. As a result of that bombshell of a news, Ryoko is now putting on a brave face but is hurting hard emotionally which is starting to show in her martial arts skills and abilities. And now, because of that, Azumi has challenged Ryoko to a grudge match. Who will win?
Much like the second volume, I missed reading this volume in order because it was missing from the Library at the time back when I was a teenager. However, like all of the volumes of the series, it is the kind of book that not only stands the test of time when you return to read it ten years later, but it also is still fun and maybe even a little challenging to the mind.
This is definitely Ryoko's story and it deserves to be, since she is the most heavily affected person shown by Tatsuya's decision to transfer schools. Tatsuya, Shiori, and Azumi have some great scenes, though, appropriately. Daisaku, however, is so weird. He kind of makes me think of Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker if Peter Parker was a stalker. Shizuma doesn't have much 'screen' time in this story-arc, though, until the end where he and Ryoko have a friendly sparring match.
The ending to this volume is a great cliffhanger and leaves you wanting more with a good amount of questions answered, but also several more left unanswered. Like who the mysterious Trowa Barton female-look-a-like who appears at the end of the volume is, or what the Student Body President of Daimon High School is planning for Ryoko? Well, if you are interested in those questions, read the next three volumes and get ready...for War!
Whoo! Man, this was an intense read! For a comedy series, this volume was also pretty dramatic and quite powerful.
At the end of Volume Two, we got a match between Tatsuya and Ryoko that ended with Ryoko being devastated with the news of Tatsuya's transferring to a school in another district. As a result of that bombshell of a news, Ryoko is now putting on a brave face but is hurting hard emotionally which is starting to show in her martial arts skills and abilities. And now, because of that, Azumi has challenged Ryoko to a grudge match. Who will win?
Much like the second volume, I missed reading this volume in order because it was missing from the Library at the time back when I was a teenager. However, like all of the volumes of the series, it is the kind of book that not only stands the test of time when you return to read it ten years later, but it also is still fun and maybe even a little challenging to the mind.
This is definitely Ryoko's story and it deserves to be, since she is the most heavily affected person shown by Tatsuya's decision to transfer schools. Tatsuya, Shiori, and Azumi have some great scenes, though, appropriately. Daisaku, however, is so weird. He kind of makes me think of Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker if Peter Parker was a stalker. Shizuma doesn't have much 'screen' time in this story-arc, though, until the end where he and Ryoko have a friendly sparring match.
The ending to this volume is a great cliffhanger and leaves you wanting more with a good amount of questions answered, but also several more left unanswered. Like who the mysterious Trowa Barton female-look-a-like who appears at the end of the volume is, or what the Student Body President of Daimon High School is planning for Ryoko? Well, if you are interested in those questions, read the next three volumes and get ready...for War!
November 15, 2007
I liked this book because it has a lot of action and adventure. I would recommend this book to any one who likes action/adventure.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews