Eyeshield 21, Vol. 1 [Comic]

Riichiro Inagakiri (Author), Yusuke Murata (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The underdog-with-exceptional-ability-makes-good plot is typical of boys' manga, but seeing another country's view of a great American competitive sport—in this case, football—provides added entertainment. Since football isn't a popular sport in Japan, Sena Kobayakawa's school's team only has two players: Ryokan, a large, friendly boy who dreams of someday competing in the Christmas bowl game, and Hiruma, the quarterback better known for frightening the underclassmen. At 5'1", Sena has always been smaller than his classmates, so he's been used as their gofer and errand boy. As a result, he's developed outstanding running speed. He wants to be team manager, but he winds up competing under the name Eyeshield 21 to keep other teams from knowing his name and stealing him away. The three must recruit enough players to form a team of 11 in order to play their first game. The thin-line art style gives the players a certain delicate beauty, while exaggerated reactions put readers directly in touch with the characters' emotions. Game scenes are drawn in loving detail that captures football's violent grandeur. This promises to be Viz's third sports hit, joining popular series on tennis and soccer. (Mar.)
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Product Details

• Comic: 208 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1st edition (April 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591167523
• ISBN-13: 978-1591167525
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #463,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST MANGA I'VE EVER READ, March 26, 2006

By 

Bickazer "MapleStory" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eyeshield 21, Vol. 1 (Comic)

Eyeshield 21 isn't the best sports manga out there--it's the best manga that I've ever, ever, read in my three or four year career as a manga fan. Everything about Eyeshield is so darned perfect--the characters, the art, the story...I can't believe it. I can't see it deserving anything less than 5 stars. I can't imagine how ANYONE can hate Eyeshield 21, for Eyeshield 21 has got something for everyone.

Story: The story for Eyeshield 21 is a little stereotypical; it's basically the same sports manga formula of underdog-team-strives-to-be-the-best--but it's carried out in a serviceable way that doesn't get too annoying. However, Eyeshield has got one thing going for it--it's about FOOTBALL. Not the black-and-white ball, but AMERICAN FOOTBALL. I'm surprised it's even so popular in Japan where American football isn't that popular. A neat thing about Eyeshield 21 is that you don't have to know squat about football to enjoy it.

Characters: This is where Eyeshield 21 REALLY shines--the characters. Seriously, Riichiro Inagaki is a genius. All of the characters have distinct personalities while not being too stereotypical and cliched--Sena's the shy kid who can run really fast because he's spent most of his life running from bullies, Hiruma's the demonic quarterback for the Devil Bats, Kurita's the nice fat guy with a chestnut-shaped head, Monta is like a monkey, etc. etc. Even the "bad guys" are well-thought-out, funny, and original. Honestly, even if you hate football, just read Eyeshield 21 for the characters. What can I say? They're awesome.

Art: Ah, more genius. Yusuke Murata is a genius artist and brings Inagaki's writing to life. I really love how Murata depicts things using visual metaphors--such as Sena visualizing the path he's going to take. The character designs, too, are all unique and distinct and you'd never mistake one character for the other. Eyeshield 21's art is detailed; perhaps a little too detailed, but it's still excellent.

Overall: Like I said before, Eyeshield 21 has something for everyone. Don't like football? Read for the characters. Don't like manga? Read for the football. It's not sugary-sweet and "BELIEVE IN YOURSELF" like so many other sports manga nor is it chock full of bishounen *coughPrinceofTenniscough*, but Eyeshield 21 is still the de facto best sports manga, perhaps even best manga, I have ever read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It is the best Manga I've ever read!, April 2, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Eyeshield 21, Vol. 1 (Comic)

Although it can be quite crude, or innapropiate for younger teens and children, it is very interesting and comical! You will love it! I personally promise your happiness. :-)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best sports manga in history!!, February 8, 2008

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Eyeshield 21, Vol. 1 (Comic)

i thought this story was gonna be pointless and stupid. oh, how wrong i was. my bro let me borrow the first 4 or so books, and i was addicted to it after the first 2 chapters! and the best part is? you don't have to know squat about football to enjay and laugh at it. about all that i knew about football before i read this was that you take the ball, and run for your life, or you will be doggie-piled. i didn't even know what a quarterback was. now i actually know some stuff. and it's sooo funny. as far as i'm concerned, the devil of a captain is the one who pulled the story together, and made it funny. heck, he recruted the main star by dangling him upside down and purpousfully missing him with a gun! i even got my other bro addicted to this series, and he doesn't even like manga/anime! point is, it is the best sparts manga ever, and is a must buy.