^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Librarything & Tumblr by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}  
Title: Ready Set Hut
Series: Eyeshield 21 #37
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

Synopsis:

The Power of Team Work. Every single player on Japan’s team begins to really play their strengths as part of a team instead of as the “ace” of the team. And they tie the game at 45-45 and no time left. Instead of going into overtime, the NFL player who called the game decides to call it a draw. Nobody from either team is happy and they all go back on the field to play, unsanctioned, to decide who is the best. We never find out the outcome.

The book and series ends 2 years later, when all those players are now in college. Hiruma, Kurita and Musashi have all gone their separate ways, bent on fighting each other as only best friends can. Sena actually was accepted at the Notre Dame Highschool for his last year and makes his comeback to Japan as the fastest runner out there. Everyone else has gone to their various colleges and become stable members of their colleges’ football teams. And now the focus of everyone is The Rice Bowl.

The End.

My Thoughts:

I am glad that they didn’t show the ending of the game between Japan and America. No matter the outcome, it would have been the wrong way to end the series. We got to see 2 great teams battle it out and the battle was what we were supposed to see.

The final chapter, 2 years later, was just so full! Trying to fit in double digit characters lives was well done but it felt very rushed and I for one would have appreciated just a bit more of their personal lives being shown. However, it was good to see so many characters shown and the people I’ve grown to know over 37volumes moving on to their secondary education.

Thoughts on the Series as a Whole:

This series had NO bad volumes. Some weren’t quite as good as others, but not a single one left a bad impression in my mind. I think the manga-ka did a great job of balancing the individuals, especially Sena as Eyeshield 21 with the group. Football is a team sport and no ONE person is good enough to drag the team to victory. I would have like to see a bit more outside of the football stadium but considering what I got inside it, I’ll be thankful instead of wishing for something else. It was good.

I thought I would be writing a lot more when I decided to do this “series as a whole” thing, but honestly, I don’t have much to say. I’m a casual football fan and this still got me excited and entertained me. I read this series for a whole year from start to finish. I’m not sure what else can be really said.

I think the following picture really encapsulates what I liked about this manga. Its self-determination and can-do attitude.

I am also including ALL the previous volume reviews down below.

★★★★★

1. Sena vs Panther (Vol. 36)
2. The World is Mine (Vol. 35)
3. The Last of the Deimon Devilbats (Vol. 34)
4. The Devil’s Mistake (Vol. 33)
5. The Christmas Bowl (Vol. 32)
6. The Winner Is… (Vol. 31)
7. This Is American Football (Vol. 30)
8. Second Quarterback (Vol. 29)
9. Showdown at Tokyo Dome (Vol. 28)
10. Shin vs Sena (Vol. 27)
11. Rough N Tumble (Vol. 26)
12. The Perfect Player (Vol. 25)
13. The Indomitable Fortress (Vol. 24)
14. Then Came the Showdown (Vol. 23)
15. Time Out 0 (Vol. 22)
16. They Were 11 (Vol. 21)
17. Devils vs Gods (Vol. 20)
18. The Successor (Vol 19)
19. Sena Kobayakawa (Vol. 18)
20. The Drive to be the Best (Vol. 17)
21. Dawn of the Time Out (Vol. 16)
22. The Toughest Warriors in Tokyo (Vol. 15)
23. Demons vs Gods of the Sea (Vol. 14)
24. Who is the Real Eyeshield 21? (Vol. 13)
25. Devil Bat Ghost (Vol. 12)
26. Open Season (Vol. 11)
27. Is There A Loser in the House? (Vol. 10)
28. Hell is for Devil Bats (Vol. 9)
29. True Warriors Seek Out Strong Foes (Vol. 8)
30. Musashi (Vol. 7)
31. Devil Bats Take Flight (Vol. 6)
32. Powerful (Vol. 5)
33. Intimidation (Vol. 4)
34. They are called the Devil Bats (Vol. 3)
35. The False Hero (Vol. 2)
36. The Boy with the Golden Legs (Vol. 1)

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Librarything & Tumblr by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: The World is Mine
Series: Eyeshield 21 #35
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

 

 

Synopsis:

The All-Star games turn out to be another championship set of games from top players all across the world. Not just American and Japan. And the NFL player who is sponsoring the whole thing is offering a $3million reward to the MVP of the championship AND a signing contract to his team.

The Japanese team is assembled and includes Agon. He does his sneaky stuff and gets a bunch of second stringers on board and then in the first game makes it so they play and not the actuall All-Star Japanese team. His purpose? To look good and win the MVP so he gets the $3million. Things work out and Japan blows past Russia, Militaria (yeah, what a name right?) and then Germany. Lots of fun and giggles.

Japan makes it to the finals, where they are facing off against the American Team, the “gods” of highschool football.

 

My Thoughts:

Ok, I was totally wrong. I thought this All-Star story-arc would suck but it was probably one of the most humorous volumes yet. There was no serious emotional moments like in the previous volume, just fun moments where each player shows their talent and the manga-ka have fun. I laughed quite a bit.

Each game leading up to the finals simply showcased a couple of players and how the overall Japanese team played. I didn’t think it could work but it totally did. I kept being surprised by goodness left and right and my star rating kept creeping up a half star at a time. I started it at 2 stars because I was just unhappy with the whole concept but the manga-ka just kept making things better and better. I absolutely LOVE it when low expectations are blown away completely and you end up with something fantastic. The thing is, this volume would not stand on it’s own. It relies on the whole of the previous series so far. Much like a real football team, one player may shine for a moment, but it is only due to the collective work of the whole team. This volume shone spectacularly but only because of the solid foundation of the previous 34 volumes!

Not much else to say beyond the fact that I am impressed. I now am looking forward to the final 2 books again. Much like a football game with its ups and downs and setbacks and comebacks.

★★★★★

 

1. The Last of the Deimon Devilbats (Vol. 34)
2. The Devil’s Mistake (Vol. 33)
3. The Christmas Bowl (Vol. 32)
4. The Winner Is… (Vol. 31)
5. This Is American Football (Vol. 30)
6. Second Quarterback (Vol. 29)
7. Showdown at Tokyo Dome (Vol. 28)

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot, Librarything & Tumblr by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: The Last of the Deimon Devilbats
Series: Eyeshield 21 #34
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 216
Format: Digital Scan

 

 

Synopsis:

The Christmas Bowl is completed.

The Devilbats pull off miracle after miracle. Sena outruns Yamata. Monta outcatches his opponent. They catch up 34-42. Then the Alexanders score 2 points and make it 44-34. 10 Point difference. Impossible to overcome. Fans leave the stadium.

And Hiruma, who has finally believed in each player this game, lies his ass off about a grand plan he has and everyone believes right back at him, even while knowing it is a lie. Only thing is, he wasn’t lying. They make another touchdown, then grab the ball from a short kick off and now, everything rests of Musashi’s shoulders, or really, his foot. Can he do the Magnum Kick, 60 yard kick, something no one in a highschool league has done? Of course!

And the Devilbats WIN!!!

And then things rush through the post-game celebration and suddenly there is an All-Star Game on the horizon versus some American players. Well, at least I know what the final books will be about.

 

My Thoughts:

Holy smokes!!!!! What a volume!!!!! [please notice all the exclamation points. I mean every single one]

This was a seat of your pants will they/won’t they kind of storyline. Right to the last second everything was in doubt. I mean, even when Musashi kicked, the manga-ka drew things out so you weren’t sure, with the ball hitting the goal posts. Whooooo!

I think my favorite part was when the most useless player, the school nerd, who only ran pass formations, was ignored. He had never caught a pass before. He only stayed in the formation, distracting other players. But this time? He was ignored. And he got a touch down!!! It was great.

This was the perfect volume of the series so far. It had tension, it had great plays. It had players overcoming their natural weaknesses. It had the emotions.

So I had to ding a half star when the volume ends with an All-Star game coming up. I don’t like All-Star games. An All-Star game is where the best players get together, form 2 teams and then play each other. I was in this for the Devilbats, not the other star players from other highschools. Throw in that their opponents seem to be Americans and well, it just isn’t appealing. I am suddenly not looking forward to the final volumes.

I wish the series had ended here. It was perfect.

★★★★ ½

1. The Devil’s Mistake (Vol. 33)
2. The Christmas Bowl (Vol. 32)
3. The Winner Is… (Vol. 31)
4. This Is American Football (Vol. 30)
5. Second Quarterback (Vol. 29)
6. Showdown at Tokyo Dome (Vol. 28)

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: The Winner Is…
Series: Eyeshield 21 #31
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 192
Format: Digital Scan

 

 

Synopsis:

The final 5 minutes between the Devil Bats and the Dinosaurs. The Dinosaurs make a touchdown and kick the ball for a 7point lead. Now there is only 2 minutes on the clock. Kurita MUST face, and overcome, Gaou if he is going to open a path for Sena to run through. Sena makes the touchdown and so the Devil Bats are only 1 point behind.

Their choice is to kick the ball for 1 point and go into overtime or to try for a 2 point conversion by running the ball and winning the game. With Hiruma’s fractured arm, Sena’s worn out body and the rest of the team utterly exhausted, the Devil Bats don’t have a hope in hell [ha, “Devil” bats & “Hell”, get it?] of winning in overtime. So a 2 point run it is. Hiruma does his tricky stuff and Kurita and Gaou faceoff for the final showdown and the Devilbats win.

The rest of the volume is Sena and Monta and Suzuna scouting out the competition for the Christmas Bowl. And what they find is an All Star Team with a female quarterback [at least, I think she’s the quarterback, it was hard to tell if that was what was said]. And not only that, their running back receiver is the son of the man who inspired Monta. Fighting against his idol’s son might more than Monta can bear.

Hiruma is aware of ALL the dynamics and has asked various members of the defeated teams to help train the Devil Bats.

 

My Thoughts:

Excellent. A fantastic volume.

Kurita’s battle against Gaou was great. It was everything he’d fought for and cried for and trained for and in the end it was Kurita’s experience AND strength that overcame Gaou. That was a pleasure to see.

The end of the volume with the 3 characters scouting out the opposition was kind of weird. The opposition was so confident that they gave them their play book of 1000 plays. I’m still a bit confused if the girl who carried luggage around was the quarterback or not. Sadly, reading this on an 8in tablet made some of the text rather small and hard to read. I’m getting older and diabetes sure isn’t doing my eyes any favors. After this series, if I read any more manga or comics on a tablet, I’m going to have to buy myself a 10-11in tablet. So part of me is hoping that she is, because that’ll add a really weird mix into the game. But on the other hand I don’t want that to happen. No woman should be placed in that situation, period.

I don’t know if the emotional punch I experience from this series is deep enough to stand up to a re-read. Honestly, I’d rather not find out. I think that I’ll read this, enjoy it immensely and move on. But my goodness, this initial read is SO GOOD!

 ★★★★ ½

 

1. This is American Football (Vol. 30)

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: This Is American Football
Series: Eyeshield 21 #30
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

 

 

Synopsis:

Sena takes over being quarterback for a couple of plays and allows the Devilbats to make a touchdown. Kurita is just sitting around numbly from his failure to protect Hiruma and it takes his apprentice getting the stuffing beaten out of him to bring back his fierce, protective spirit.

Hiruma comes back in the game and no one can tell, except Sena and Musashi, if he’s ok or faking it. Either way, Hiruma gets in the heads of the Dinosaurs and really messes them up. So much so that the score is tied at 35-35 with only 5 minutes to go in the final half.

 

My Thoughts:

Much better than the previous volume. Gaou is stopped by Komusubi, who gets the heck beaten out of him time and time again. Just when it looks like he’s done for, Kurita finally wakes up and realizes it is up to him to protect the whole team from Gaou. And he does. Gaou’s power drives are stopped cold and the Devilbats begin to make inroads.

Hiruma coming back was something else. It was supposed to show his grit, his determination, his pure will power. But my only thought was, “grow up kid, you have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t waste it by destroying yourself right now”. Back in my teens or even 20’s I would have been eating up Hiruma’s attitude with two spoons! I guess I’m mellowing.

I kept wondering if they were going to end this game in this book but as soon as the page came up all dramatic about “Only 5 Minutes Left!!!” I knew another volume was on the way. Sure enough, 3 pages later the volume ended. It didn’t actually bother me, which surprised me. I think it is because it brought home to me that I am nearing the end of this series. Only 7 more volumes to go!

★★★★☆

 

1. Second Quarterback (Vol 29)

^{This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission}
Title: Shin vs Sena
Series: Eyeshield 21 #27
Author: Riichiro Inagaki
Artist: Yusuke Murata
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Sports Manga
Pages: 200
Format: Digital Scan

 

 

Synopsis:

The conclusion to the game between the Devil Bats and the White Knights. With under 2 minutes left, the Devil Bats score a touchdown and take the lead. It would appear to be all over but the White Knights won’t go down without a fight. Making an incredible comeback, Shin manages to make a touchdown with only 1 second left on the clock.

Now, the Devil Bats must catch the kick-off, run the ball down the field, avoid the whole White Knight’s team and score a touch down. Can Sena overcome total exhaustion, the spectre of defeat and Shin to make the Devil Bats dream of the Christmas Bowl come true?

If you think I’m going to tell you, screw you!

 

My Thoughts:

Just kidding!

Of course the Devil Bats win. There wouldn’t be much point to a 37 volume manga series that ends at Vol. 27 now would there?

But my goodness, even while I “knew” that the Devil Bats had to win, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen right up until the last page. Now that is how you do “tension”. I would also say that this was the ultimate, so far, in showing heart and guts. If the series HAD ended here, I would be more than satisfied with the time I spent reading this.

Now that I have given a volume 5 Stars, I’m probably going to be extra tough on the next couple, so expect more “nit picky” complaints. A concern I do have is how they’re going to top this. I sure hope the momentum of the series stays strong.

★★★★★

 

1. Review of Vol. 26