Eyeshield 21 17
January 16, 2008
This volume was AGONIZING. The entire thing is the game with Seibu, and they swing so wildly between dominating and losing horribly that you just can’t read fast enough. You want them to win so bad that you have to know right now whether or not some trick or other will succeed.
The end of the game was by far some of the most intense storytelling in the series yet. Without spoiling much, there are two things that contribute to this. One is a situation where, if a few plays don’t go as intended, Seibu may win the game by just letting the clock run out, which is always a strategy that bugs me in football. Another tense moment comes when Monta is trying to make a catch.
If you follow this series, this volume is what you’ve been waiting for. As good as everything else has been so far, this blows all of that totally out of the water. It’s wonderful.
January 16, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I don’t even /like/ football and you’re making me want to read it! :)
January 17, 2008 at 3:07 am
Oh, I hate watching real football, and I still love it! It’s really funny, has great characters, and the football always manages to be entertaining. It is long, though. The goal of the team is to play in the “Christmas Bowl,” and I believe that the bowl will be the end of the series, but they still haven’t reached it yet, 27 volumes in.
January 17, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Sounds like Prince of Tennis and the nationals. :)
January 19, 2008 at 2:57 pm
[...] checks out vol. 9 of Kage Tora at Active Anime. At Slightly Biased Manga, Connie gives her take on vol. 17 of Eyeshield 21, vol. 4 of Hoshin Engi, vol. 4 of I.N.V.U., vol. 3 of Ark Angels, vol. 5 of Elemental Gelade, and [...]
January 20, 2008 at 1:13 am
Yeah, it’s a lot like that. The characters in this one are a lot more likable than they are in the Prince of Tennis, though. The comedy and the training sessions disguised as Field Day or whatever really help break up the monotony of games.