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リアルバウトハイスクール [Real Bout High School] #5
Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School, Vol. 05
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 February 11, 2003
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May 3, 2014
In the terrible aftermath of their defeat at the hands of the Vipers led by G, the truth is undeniable: with Student Council President Isozaki's help, criminal forces are trying to steal the K-Fight System and *literally* exploit the suffering of Ryoko Mitsurugi and her group, Shinsengumi. The girls disappear after their devastating loss, and the students of Daimon High rally to find them, led by Principal Todo and the dedicated K-Fight Staff! But Shinsengumi must still face the all-male fighters who defeated them one more time at the amusement park called Dragon Land. If they don't appear, the girls must forfeit and suffer total defeat...but even if they do show up, how can Ryoko and her friends fight opponents who already proved to be superior to them? The one wild card in the situation is Shizuma Kusanagi, who is aligned with the Vipers...but the rogue is determined to follow his own rules!
It's always darkest before the dawn, and that's definitely true here as Ryoko and her girl fighters of Shinsengumi face their moment of truth against the forces that already beat them so brutally. I can't go into detail here, except that G and the criminals he's working for seem to want to video record the girls' beatings and humiliations, and sell them to sadistic customers. (And I don't doubt there's sickos like that out there!) As much as I wanted to take this dark turn seriously, there are two problems. First, the story tries to strike a balance between the melodrama of its dark themes and its established goofiness, and too often it doesn't work. Second, there are too many story gaffes in Volume Five. It seems like there are gaps and outright holes in the plot where certain things should have been explained but weren't. For example, what motivated Isozaki to work with G in the first place and set the girls up? I'd chalk it up to poor writing (I don't doubt deadlines had something to do with it!)...you'll feel the need to use your imagination to fill in those gaps! All the same, the art is better than ever, and you'll still care for the characters and what happens to them. They're each allowed to shine, but some aren't allowed to shine as much as they could have, like Hitomi. In spite of its flaws, I still liked it overall...and it made me want to see how it would end!
It's always darkest before the dawn, and that's definitely true here as Ryoko and her girl fighters of Shinsengumi face their moment of truth against the forces that already beat them so brutally. I can't go into detail here, except that G and the criminals he's working for seem to want to video record the girls' beatings and humiliations, and sell them to sadistic customers. (And I don't doubt there's sickos like that out there!) As much as I wanted to take this dark turn seriously, there are two problems. First, the story tries to strike a balance between the melodrama of its dark themes and its established goofiness, and too often it doesn't work. Second, there are too many story gaffes in Volume Five. It seems like there are gaps and outright holes in the plot where certain things should have been explained but weren't. For example, what motivated Isozaki to work with G in the first place and set the girls up? I'd chalk it up to poor writing (I don't doubt deadlines had something to do with it!)...you'll feel the need to use your imagination to fill in those gaps! All the same, the art is better than ever, and you'll still care for the characters and what happens to them. They're each allowed to shine, but some aren't allowed to shine as much as they could have, like Hitomi. In spite of its flaws, I still liked it overall...and it made me want to see how it would end!
Displaying 1 of 1 review