02 August 2005

Eyeshield 21, vol. 1

One thing I respect about manga is that it encompasses a broader scope of genres than American comics. One of their more popular genres is sports comics. Manga about basketball, baseball, and professional wrestling have proven successful, so why not a comic about high school football? Hence, Eyeshield 21.
The basic premise is as follows: A shy teenage boy transfers to a new school, where he meets a devil-may-care scoundrel and a gentle giant. Together, they start a football team in order to win the prestigious Christmas Bowl, and hilarity ensues.
I enjoyed this manga for a variety of reasons. First of all, I like football, and seeing football action rendered in a hyperkinetic manga style is vastly entertaining. Secondly, it's quite funny, in a silly, slapsticky sort of way. Finally, it is educational, as it teaches the basic rules of football to the uninitiated.
In conclusion, this book is a light, fun, cheap little read. Give it a shot.



Recommended for: Football fans; manga fans; people who don't fully understand the rules of American Football.
Not recommended for: people who don't enjoy sports; people who find the various conventions/cliches in manga to be tiresome.

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