Customer Reviews

Real Bout High School #1

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's hard to say what I like best about this series because I like pretty much everything about it.
The art is the first thing to note. It is a well drawn series with beautiful characters. There are a lot of scenes where they simplify the characters down for comic effect - which comes off good and is well placed.
The story has a lot of humor in the beginning. As the story progresses through book five the story takes a more serious tone but doesn't lose the humor that has made the series so good.
The characters are forced to face who they are and who they want to be as life seems to throw all sorts of challenges their way. There is a lot of heart in the story and it's easy to get into how they feel. The situations they get into are sometimes farfetched but how they face them or run from them is very human and is what makes the story so great.
The characters are just fun, lovable, and quirky. From Ryoko's single minded determination to be a great woman (through combat none the less) to Shizuma's blazing ego and desire for food as he fights his way through school.

From start to almost finish (as the series hasn't ended at this time) the series is great.<

Were "Ranma 1/2" drained of its fantasy elements, it might resemble "Real Bout High School," a martial-arts high school comic that goes by almost too fast. The first volume introduces us to its hot-headed protagonists, but moves by almost too fast -- it would have been much better if the authors had slowed down enough to really introduce us to Daimon High's inhabitants.

When the "Vipers" attack in the street, Ryoko Mitsurugi thrashes them -- but soon she receives some help from an uncouth, unibrowed boy. At first she gives him no more thought, until Shizuma Kusinagi shows up at the Intracampus Martial-Arts Competition, and wipes the floor with his rivals. Then... he transfers.

Now Ryoko has a new rival, which reinforces her insecurities about her femininity. Then Shizuma introduces the concept of the K-Fight to Daimon High, where students and teachers can settle their differences via combat. And now Ryoko finds herself ensnared in a romantic rivalry, while Shizuma ends up challenging a teacher to fight him.

As an action story, "Real Bout High School" fits the bill -- lots of fighting, in different styles, between all sorts of people -- including a student-teacher brawl brewing at the end. The artwork is solidly drawn, full of detail and slapstick extra.... although with the usual focus on women's barely-covered bodies (with especial emphasis on Ryoko's rather thick legs).

Actually, there is almost too much action. The plot moves at a lightning-fast speed, so you might miss key developments. And some of the characters -- such as perky fighter Azumi and violence-loving principal Mr. Todo -- are only introduced during the fights themselves. It feels very rushed in places, and could have used a few more chapters devoted to characterization.

But if they are not so easily understood, then Ryoko seems to be -- she's tough and dedicated to the samurai ideal, but also insecure about her abilities, her femininity, and her appeal to kendo hottie Tatsuya. And Shizuma is both gritty and funny, whether giving Ryoko a noogie or blasting away twenty opponents.

While the first "Real Bout High School" feels rushed, it has plenty of action and sets up the start of an interesting series. Now that it's started, it has time to flower.

Hi (...) I'm as a new fan of manga I've only read about 7 so far but I have already become obsessed with them and intend to read more. I look back on this manga quite fondly as it was the first I ever read it was good lots of action,good plot and halorious storyline as well as indepth characters the only thing holding it back from 5 stars is the fact that it at times was VERY confusing but all and all it was good manga and what started my obsession.

Face it, wouldn't you like to go to a school where teachers don't care if you fight, but instead encourage it to settle disputes? How about a school where you can even fight the teachers themselves if need be? In the world of Real Bout High School, it's all in a day's homework.

First there's the top student fighter in all the school, Ryoko Mitsurugi (also known as the Samurai Girl), and therefore quite the popular student. That's all good, until a tough newcomer by the name of Shizuma Kusanagi moves on campus. His skills are supreme and can easily take down just about any student that has the nerve to fight him. It's pretty obvious then, that Ryoko has a rival in the works, and it all depends on the battles ahead to see which will become victorious.

This action-based manga is not without fresh comedy, of course. The main characters always have something to hilarious to say or an awkward moment to fall into. Unlike many other fighting-type manga stories, there are actually real feelings behind each face and each problem. It's not just, "Let's go beat 'em to a pulp for no reason." You can actually feel for the characters, which is essential in any good story.

Sora Inoue does a wonderful job with the artwork that leaves you gaping at every panel. It's what every manga fan looks forward to. Mix this in with Reiji Saiga's impossibly wonderful story-telling abilities, and you've got something that can and will leave you wanting more until the very end.

Real Bout High School is probably the most surprising series I've come across yet. Although it's a fighting series, it isn't based on video games, so there can be a much better storyline... And it shows. Although the art and story are very obviously shonen (targeted toward males), the series still manages to not become just another string of pointless battles. The characters are easy to keep track of, and the relationships keep a realistic feel to them. This is one of the best manga series I've found, and that's coming from soneone with a fairly well-sized collection.

This book takes place at a school were there is more attention paid on how well the students fight than on how well they're learning things in class. There are so many clubs for different fighting styles that they're all fighting for space and money. Ryoko Mitsurugi is one of the best fighters in the school. Shizuma Kusanagi comes and shakes everything up by starting K-Fights, which allow students to resolve issues through battle.

The artwork is nice, although the layout is occasionally confusing, since so much tends to go on in one page. I don't really have a lot of problems with this volume. The reason I'm giving it a three is because I feel like the characters might as well be cardboard cutouts. There aren't even all that many hints that there are depths to them. I'll be reading the rest of this series because I don't think it's bad, but I hope that the other volumes had some depth to the characters personalities.

First, I saw advertisements for it in the back of other tokyopop books. I thought to myself, 'Oh, maybe. It doesn't look so great though...' My opinion was turned 360 degrees as soon as I looked inside. I took a visit to Barnes and Noble, and when it caught my eye, I decided to leaf through. The first thing that came to mind was 'Wow! These pictures are great!' Then, as I breifly read the first bit, I learned that it has a wonderful storyline too. It starts you out right in the action! At first, it leaves you asking a few questions; Who? What? How? But the answers are soon provided. The kick-butt girl and main character, Ryoko, is one you can easily love. But not only is it filled with action, it has comedy and a little romance too! I give this book three thumbs up, and I hope to get to read the second book soon.

Ryoko,regular average high school girl with an ability that not most girls have, she is a samuri, she fights like a guy but has a sweet heart,her and her friend hitomi, and another friend or annoyer,shizuma another samuri are all destined to prove to one another who is the best, but to her she just wants to prove that she can be a women and at the same time be a samuri, at daiman high school,where she attends all kinds of awesome things happen and one of them is that there will be all kinds of tournements going on....with new people about to enter the ring..I recommend this to who is interested in samuri stuff

this series of books are one of the best ones i ever read.its funny,and has a lot of action in it.for Inuyasha fans,this book is almost beter than it. If you dont buy this book, your going to regret it

i read this at my friends house and then we watched the anime version. we both decided that it was extremely confusing and insane. it starts out as if the series had already been going for awhile so i was like huh? whats going on? and the anime goes on a totally different storyline than the manga, so that didn't help either. the drawing is very well done while the story was a bit confusing and i had a hard time getting into it. the eye style makes it seem like a shoujo manga, but it has definate shounen themes in it. overall, it as okay and i'd probably read the next one to try and clear up my confusion.