Farewell Eyeshield 21!!

These few days, I felt like I've kicked around here and there, yup, just like a goddamn ball. Sigh? I don't even know what emotion should I be displaying now. Is it one of regret? thankful? grateful? shy (impossible xD)? or others? Hm...












Sorry for digressing away from topic. In actual fact, this post is all about Eyeshield 21(manga). Any decent fan would have known by now, Eyeshield 21 has just recently concluded its ard...6-7 years of running.



And what a good 6-7 years it has been! I've turned from someone who is ignorant of the difference between American football and rugby, to someone who at least know some of their difference. =)

Of course, the manga only shows only a few difference between those two, but for those who are curious, u can just query wikipedia and google.

Onto the main point. Eyeshield 21 has been exceptionallly good for the past few months, so good that every single week, I would be craving for more ES rather than the too-long-for-its-own-good Naruto and turning-rather-boring Bleach. Not only does Eyeshield 21 has pace and action, it has has a huge dose of comedy and laughter, a perfect blend in my opinion.



It even has great artwork thanks to the hardwork of Yusuke Murata-sensei and his team of staffs. All the characters in the manga are drawn in such a way that they can easily be identified and differentiated from one another. Though I do admit, the artwork may be pleasing to the eyes(at least for me), but early on in the series, the artwork is of inferior quality compared to the latter part of the manga. It's still quite good, but the artwork really picks of starting from around...volume 3?



The storyline is quite typical, akin to that of a sports shonen manga - Weak boy who is always bullied enters a club, gets stronger and stronger while meeting new friends and foes. Yes, it is that predictable, but that is only for the overall plot. The story itself is full of surprises and laugh-out-loud moments! With a cast of small-sized boy with speed beyond his peers, demonic yet intelligent strategist, kind-hearted "fatty", cute girl who desires to "protect" the main hero, and a monkey, the story is engaging and appealing. Kudos to Riichiro Inagaki-sensei for creating such a nice cast and plot.



My favourite character in the story is the tricky, devilish Yoichi Hiruma. He beats the main character, Kobayakawa Sena hand down simply because he's such a bad-ass devil - though he is actually quite caring inside.



Seriously, this guy is l33t! Although he has no special ability, and his athletism is average for his age, he makes up for it through his hard work(not shown in manga) and cunning ability to predict opponent's strategy(shown a few times in the manga) and to trick his way to victory(shown countless of times, throughout the game).

I would like to say more, but the best things should be enjoyed yourselves. I won't be so insensitive as to spoil your Eyeshield 21 experience. =x

All in all, Eyeshield 21 has been a huge part of my life for the paw few years, and it was kinda sad to see it finally end. But hey, at least they end it at a high point, making this manga absolutely phenomenal, rather than follow Naruto's and Bleach's doomed path which is to drag and drag the manga till it is no longer as interesting as it used to be.

Thanks ES21, it has been a wonderful journey with you. Lastly, I wish Yusuke Murata-sensei and Riichiro Inagaki-sensei the best, and hopefully they collaborate on other manga in the near future!