Run on Your New Legs, Vol. 4

Run on Your New Legs #4

by Wataru Midori, Abigail Blackman (Letterer), Caleb Cook (Translator)

Kikuzato, a high-schooler with a prosthetic leg, continues his dreams of being a para-athlete. Even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and arguments with his father, Kikuzato stands proud at the start line for his first competition. 

Genres: Manga, Sports, Graphic Novels, Contemporary, Young Adult, Seinen, Disability

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2020

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): みどりわたる

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

COVID-19 has hijacked the story, but the characters carry on.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Chapter 23. Inter-High Canceled -- Chapter 24. If It Were Me -- Chapter 25. This Feeling -- Chapter 26. I'll Be Cheering You -- Chapter 27. I Ain't Giving Up -- Chapter 28. Back Then -- Chapter 29. That Same Sky -- Chapter 30. Check Me Out Then -- Translation Notes -- Special Thanks -- Bonus -- Preview of Next Volume

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the sudden pivot brought about by COVID, Kikuzato and his teammates are watching their school year go up in smoke. As they all deal with it in their own ways, Kikuzato winds up on a surprise excursion with a familiar face after his dad pushes his buttons hard one last time.

The derailment that COVID brought to a lot of our lives (to a degree; as a health care professional I was never off work or school at any point, but it still sucked) came for this manga, which decided not to avoid this upheaval but integrate it into the story and, though the actual transition was wobbly, the ongoing story as seen in this volume is remarkably solid.

It’s hard not to feel bad for these students having their social lives yanked from under them, especially those that are striving for their last shot at sports tournaments. This gets a lot of the fine details exactly right, especially when half the kids are all excited about everywhere they’ll go with their newfound freedom, only to realize that they have exactly nowhere to go.

And everybody gets it this volume, from Sakashita’s devastation at losing her last shot at competition to Kikuzato having to endure having his dad, who was never previously around, suddenly being at the house full time and delivering lots of useless parent “advice” about how rough his son has it.

That arc does force both father and son to wrestle with some things - it definitely feels like dad has not truly processed anything in Kikuzato’s life since the accident happened. They learn to coexist a little bit better, which is honestly the most you can hope for with teenagers sometimes (from my own experience).

But it also sends Kikuzato out on his nighttime run, where he bumps into the wheelchair-bound Rin, who had been hovering in the background earlier in the series. He comes to her rescue and she has a delightful intro, which would be improved if her full-page shot didn’t make her look cross-eyed, and the two develop a fast friendship wandering around.

Rin keeps Kikuzato at arms length, but you can tell that there’s a connection between the two, even beyond the fact that Rin loves watching runners, and it’s incredibly charming how the two continue to have a flourishing whatever during the pandemic. Their dynamic is wonderful.

We see Chidori very briefly, so there’s still some running stuff, but it’s definitely sidelined in favour of all this isolation and COVID. The mangaka admits that a lot of the minutiae got jettisoned in favour of this new angle and I have to consequently admit that they make the most of it.

Seeing the track team holding meetings over Zoom and figuring out how they can train even without access to a field or such is good material and I really liked the realism of the fight for screen time in a household and hilarious Zoom interruptions (the only fan service in this volume is brilliantly done).

I think the biggest knock against this is still going to be that some people just don’t want to have a reminder of the misery that was isolating and drowning in hand sanitizer for nearly two years. That’s fair enough. It also goes for the pom-poms to have a bit of a cheese moment that’s a bit much.

My other downer is the notification that next volume is the last one and I’m genuinely not ready for this to end yet. I had really been hoping to watch Kikuzato through his training and triumphs and the slow evolution of his relationship with Rin. It’s possible the ending will manage to get it all in there, but it’ll be tight.

4 stars - as a time capsule and a study of people affected by COVID, it’s very interesting. You’ll be left a bit wanting in terms of the technical bits about running, but the characters kind of make up for it. Solid change from what it was and it handles its new normal very well.

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm not alone in this…"

Very much enjoyed this volume more than the last!

I was surprised with how much I wasn't fond of the appearance of Covid and its impact on everyone in the previous volume that I found this volume to be very moving when it comes to these characters overcoming obstacles they are now facing as a result of Covid. I don't think I really gave much thought to how Covid affected sports in general until seeing how hard it was on Shouta, though especially on how hard it was on Sakashita. Seeing how much she loved running and how depressed she was really hard to see. I was glad that a large part of this volume centered around the track club doing what they could to come together, but even more so actually *talking* about how they could be there for her and show they cared. That communication was something I was super missing in the previous volume with Take and Shouta, so I really appreciated seeing how no one just gave up and left Sakashita to her own devices until she just happened to "come around."

I LOVED things that took place with Shouta's dad! I was VERY upset with his Dad before and appreciated how things unfolded in this one for the better. Also, hurrah to him saying housewives get stressed too and deserve a break because truth! LOL!

I also loved loved loved the ending! I won't say how (because #spoilers) but it was beautiful and moving and made me almost tear up. Everything that takes place in this volume felt like it led up to that moment, making it all the more powerful.

Lastly, I LOVE this cover! It is one of my favorites! I really love how the track club is on there because I've really come attached to this group of characters!

I'm excited and sad the next volume is the last! Hoping it will be a good one!

[Lailatun Nadhirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banyak pengetahuan tentang kaki palsu..

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth installment in the manga "Run On Your New Legs" that features a disabled boy on his journey to become a para athlete.

With COVID-19 shutting down school, Kikuzato and the track and field team have to get really creative with how they practice. Their meetings are now done online, the team is saddened by the cancellation of many races, and their physical get-togethers have been greatly limited. Stuck inside, Kikuzato awaits his new leg with a new desperation.

I was a bit scared that the introduction of COVID would destroy the beauty of this story, but I feel that it actually enhanced it. COVID was hard on everyone, but I think that athletes had it pretty rough. And it was only made worse for para athletes, such as those that are blind, that depend on other people to compete and train. I love how this volume explored how COVID affect all types of para athletes, not just the characters in the story.

Rin Mori is a great addition to the cast of characters. She seems like such a sweet girl, and it is great to see Kikuzato get all flustered around her. Since Mori is in a wheelchair, getting even more disability reps in this story is wonderful.

The camaraderie shown between Kikuzato and his teammates is truly beautiful in this volume; I think it's the strongest it has been in the entire series. I feel I got to know the entire team on a much more personal level in this installment, which really helps me get a better feel of this friend group. Usami is still so precious, and he just makes me so happy every time that I see him!

The arc that Kikuzato shares with his father in this volume is also sweet. His father reminds me of my dad in various ways, so I can feel the strain of their relationship personally. I won't go into too many details, but it makes sense that a strained relationship blows up when one is confined in tight quarters.

Overall, I am very pleased with how this story has evolved over time. I am excited to see what happens in the final volume and experience the rest of Kikuzato's adventure. I mean, he has to get his new leg before the series ends, right?

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the covid lockdown goes into place, Kikuzato has to figure out how to still stay in shape. His father being at home full time is really driving him crazy, and he finally confronts his father’s snide comments about his condition. Kikuzato meets a wheelchair-bound girl while out on a jog one night named Mori-san who is a huge running fan and recognizes him. The two form an unlikely friendship. Kikuzato also gets help from some other running club members to adjust his form in his new leg, and works with them to cheer up some of the Seniors who were devastated by the event cancellations because of covid.

It seems hard to believe in a few years that something like this story will give teens who never experienced the covid lockdown a glimpse into what life was like during that time. (Although Kikuzato and his friends seem to be able to leave their houses a lot more than in some other places of the world.) It was very interesting to see how athletes with prosthetics would exercise at home in different ways than others. It was also interesting to learn how runners with a prostheses need to balance differently at the start of a race from other runners. I’m really glad Kikuzato and his dad finally talked! Enough was enough.

Notes on content:
Language: I don’t remember any; if any, just one or two minor swears.
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Characters are all Japanese.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Kikuzato’s dad makes rather hurtful comments about his future since he only has one leg now; there is progress in their relationship over the course of this book. Grief over missed out events that the covid pandemic stole from high schoolers and professional athletes.

[eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

โดนมังงะชุดนี้ตกเพราะเกี่ยวกับการวิ่ง แค่นั้นเลย ไม่ได้ดูด้วยว่ามันเป็นเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับอะไร รู้แค่ว่าวิ่ง วิ่งอย่างเดียว เอาค่ะ! ซื้อ! (พูดกับพี่ ผจก นายอินทร์ 55555)

โชตะคุง เป็นเด็กมัธยมปลายปี 1 ที่ประสบอุบัติเหตุ ทำให้เสียขา 1 ข้างไป มันอาจจะไม่ใช่เรื่องใหญ่อะไรถ้าโชตะคุงไม่ได้จะเอาจริงเอาจังกับการเตะฟุตบอล หลังจากที่พักรักษาตัว โชตะคุงกลับมาเรียนอีกครั้งแบบซ้ำชั้น และแน่นอน ต้องออกจากชมรมฟุตบอลด้วย แต่การซ้ำชั้นทำให้มีโอกาสได้เจอเพื่อนใหม่ รวมไปถึงคุณชิโดริ ช่างทำแขนขาเทียม โชตะคุงจับพลัดจับผลูได้ไปเข้าชมรมกรีฑาและเริ่มออกวิ่งอีกครั้ง

และเพื่อนๆในชมรมกรีฑานี่แหละที่ทำให้โชตะคุงอยากจะเอาชนะตัวเอง ด้วยการฝึกซ้อมอย่างหนักเพื่อเข้าร่วมแข่งขันการวิ่งของคนพิการ

มังงะ 5 เล่มจบนี้ยังไม่ทำให้เราฟินเท่าไร เราว่ามันยังสนุกไม่สุดแต่ก็ดีที่ได้อ่าน มิตรภาพระหว่างเพื่อนน่ารักเสมอ น้ำใจนักกีฬาที่หยิบยื่นให้กัน ชมรมคนใส่ขาเทียมที่เข้าอกเข้าใจกันเป็นอย่างดี โดยที่ไม่มีใครรู้สึกน้อยใจในโชคชะตาเลย บางไม่มีขามาตั้งแต่กำเนิด บางคนเป็นโรคร้ายเลยต้องตัดขา บางคนประสบอุบัติเหตุ แต่ทุกคนใช้ชีวิตปกติดี ไม่ได้มีใครมานั่งเห็นใจหรือสงสาร ทุกคน treat พวกเค้าเท่าๆกัน ซึ่งดีมาก

นอกจากนั้นคุณชิโดริได้ทำให้โชต��คุงได้รู้จักกับขาเทียมสำหรับวิ่งโดยเฉพาะ ทำให้โชตะได้สัมผัสถึงความอยากออกวิ่งอีกครั้ง เราว่ามันเป็นมังงะที่ดีอีกเรื่องหนึ่งเลย เราได้รับข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับขาเทียมแบบที่ไม่เคยรู้มาก่อน รู้เลยว่าคุณนักเขียนทำ research มาเป็นอย่างดี ได้เรียนรู้ท่าทางการวิ่งที่ถูกต้อง และแน่นอน มันทำให้เราอยากหยิบรองเท้าวิ่งออกไปวิ่งเลย

แต่มันมีอย่างนึงที่ทำให้เรารู้สึกแปลกๆคือการเอาโรคโควิดนี้เข้าไปเป็นหนึ่งในเหตุการณ์ในมังงะ (เพราะเรื่องนี้เขียนขึ้นตอนที่โควิดเริ่มระบาดพอดี) เรารู้สึกแปลกมากที่เห็นตัวละครใส่หน้ากาก รู้สึกว่าไม่อยากให้มันเป็นหนึ่งในเรื่องราวที่ต้องจารึกไว้เลยกับความยากลำบากที่ต้องเผชิญ

แต่สิ่งหนึ่งที่เราชอบเกี่ยวกับมังงะโชเน็นคือการได้เห็นชีวิตมัธยมของเด็กๆที่สดใส เรามีชมรมให้เข้าหลังเลิกเรียนมันดีมากๆเลย จำไม่ได้แล้วว่าตอนเราอยู่มัธยมนั้นมันมีอะไรแบบนี้ให้ทำไหม รู้สึกว่าพอมีกิจกรรมให้ทำ มีงานอดิเรกให้ได้สนใจ มีเพื่อนๆรุ่นน้องรุ่นพี่นอกคลาสให้ได้สนิทกัน ดีจังเลยยยย

[Lucky Karms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I actually like the Covid plot because I think it actually adds something to the story. Athletes were all going through rough times, and this was even more true for para athletes. Like the manga explains, blind track runners couldn't train because they weren't able to find a place to train with their guide beside them. And for the athletes who have a missing leg running track, their needs are never going to stay the same. This can cause problems because one year they can be fine and the next, they're struggling to find the right prosthetic that doesn't irritate them or fits weirdly. Even despite this, our lives still continued right? Though I think it would dishonest to not mention that the pandemic did take chances from people because no matter how talented you were, it's not like anyone could do anything about it yet. And to depend on time is risky because you don't stay the same forever, even more evident when you're an athlete.

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another solid volume for Run on Your New Legs. I feel Midori's incorporation of COVID is still working to this series's advantage. The characters are now forced to re-prioritize their goals in the wake of the pandemic's start, and Sakashita's subplot in particular has her fully grappling with hers. There's a lack of Chidori this volume, which was odd given his role in the series, but the break from him allows Kikuzato some quality time with his dad and the prospect of hope for him at the end of COVID's bleak tunnel.

It's a shame the next volume is the series's last, especially since it feels like the mangaka is building towards a bigger goal in mind. Rin's official introduction also doesn't feel as dynamic as it could be, given there isn't much content left. Here's to a good ending nonetheless! I'm with Kikuzato on this last lap.

[Ellyn → Allonsythornraxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

30/06/2023
3.5 ⭐️
I was really thrown off by the Covid stuff at first but ended up really enjoying this one anyway.

read for graphicsathon round 9!!

Letterboxd | Instagram | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Twitter | StoryGraph | Hoemance Book Club | Graphicsathon

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kikuzato and his friends try to cheer each other up and on when the COVID pandemic shuts down schools and athletic events.

I wish this series was more than five volumes because I'm starting to care about the characters and we won't get much more depth and growth. I respect the mangaka's decision to include COVID in the story and I think they did a great job bringing back the feeling of uncertainty with masks and hand sanitizers and being unhappy being cooped up. I had never thought about how this event affected athletes - one of the panels shows someone practicing their rowing with one oar in their bathtub. I'm glad my main activity is reading which I can do indoors or out.

[n [larrythelatypus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

here's my complaint about the inaccurate portrayal of track and field in this volume:
this motherfucker puts blocks on a BRICK ROAD
AND DOES BLOCK STARTS ON A BRICK ROAD
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO

also I kind of wish the mangaka did not put COVID in this universe. I'm enjoying the story and the very real experience a ton of ppl went through but I just want to see Shouta run already 😭

[Mark Will Never Cry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bit upset to hear that the story will be ending in the next volume, but I guess that is the way it needed to be done. This volume was pretty good, a couple of conflicts were solved and there are some new aspiration. There was also a problem, that focused a lot of the disability of the main character and how to work with it and not against it. Pretty good stuff, if I do say so myself.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice seeing Kikuzato and the others trying to cheer up Sakashita during this volume. I know that she was really disappointed that she couldn't compete and took it pretty hard. Also Yashima is really endearing in this one to me.

[⋅˚⚘˖;ִ໋₊ ꩇׁׅ݊ayo ⊹;ꕤ˚⋅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like others said, it was interesting to see how Covid impacted different sports during that time through this! I also liked this cover art very much, and the art inside is clean, expressive, and wonderful as always

[Mikaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating, I do like the story but I wasn't into the covid plot that started.

Although I do like how characters are there for each other to deal with the mental effects that Covid brings.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continued well-done portrayal of covid effects on HS life, with pivots to the story arc & characters responding to restrictions in realistic ways.

[B]

Not cooooooovid nooooooooooooooooo

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is turning into a reflective series, and I'm not mad about it, it just makes for a slower story.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

i feel like i just got transported back in time with this one

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting so close to the end! I want it to keep going. This is a great series!

[Malaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book soooo much it was sooo good!

[Brenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good still even with the take on covid life for athletes. Fun series.