Rebound #1 [Paperback]

K. Lee (Author), Yuriko Nishiyama (Author), NishiyamaYuriko (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 8, 2003

Johnan High’s star basketball team is hitting the road. They’re the best team in their area, but now they’ll have to face the top teams from across the country. Their first stop takes them to Tokyo where they’ll face the fearsome five from Kyan high. The moves are bigger, the stakes are bigger, and Johnan’s players have lost their home court advantage. In order to win these game’s they’ll have to go back to the streets where b-ball follows a different set of rules.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. The first book in a new manga series, which will have instant appeal for reluctant readers as well as kids bored with the usual sports novels, Rebound (the sequel to the Harlem Beat series) follows the Johnan High School varsity basketball team as they travel to Sapporo, Japan, to compete in the National Basketball Championships. The tournament proves to be a wake-up call: the competition in Japan is fiercer than any from neighborhood teams--particularly the Kyan Marine Industry team, a brawny assortment of toughs who were accustomed to strong-arming their opponents into submission. The translation is first rate, and Nishiyama delivers plenty of sports action, including a terrific, comical slam-dunk contest and an exciting preliminary game against the Kyan team, as well as an awkward teenage love story that will strike a chord with readers. The book is printed manga-style (back to front, right to left), but most comics readers are probably already familiar with the format. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Publisher

Yuriko Nishiyama is a female manga artist who lives and works in Japan and who likes to write mostly for a male audience. After her debut in 1990, she went on to create many popular new manga stories, including "Ellie’s Mysterious Time Travel," and "No Huddle". She continues adding new "Harlem Beat" stories that are enjoyed by a growing number of fans in Japan and around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (April 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193151402X
• ISBN-13: 978-1931514026
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,325,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > By Creator > Nishiyama, Yuriko

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harlem Beat rebounds with a new look and name, January 30, 2004

By 

E. Cheng "manga enthusiast" (Syosset, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rebound #1 (Paperback)

In order to make the series more marketable, publisher Tokyopop began publishing Harlem Beat in a new form factor (more in line with the rest of their graphic novels) and a new name, Rebound. The decision is understandable as the name Harlem Beat doesn't indicate that the book is mainly about high school basketball. However, I feel that they didn't do a particularly good job in bridging the gap between the two series. 2 of the volumes were skipped in the transition. Another minor greivance is that they did not continue using the original cover art from the Japanese series. The covers for Rebound are all B/W interior artwork overlays. This is another marketing decision that may not sit well with manga purists, but I believe that the doors that it will open to new fans may be worth it.

The story picks up where the 11th volume of Harlem Beat leaves off. New readers to the series may find it disorienting to be dropped into the action without knowing any of the characters and being unfamiliar with the previous events. The story revolves around rookie Nate Torres who learns of the joys of basketball through playing streetball. Eventually, his talents lead him to join his high school team, along with running mate Masahiro Sawamura. These two exciting players rejuvenate the team and help them go deep in the tournament, and possibly to a championship.

It is highly recommended that you go back and purchase Harlem Beat 1-9 in order to get the whole picture. Nate learns some important techniques in the "Harlem Beat" part of the series, and establishes some important bonds as well. The original Japanese series ran for 29 volumes, so there will be a total of 18 volumes of Rebound, plus the 9 volumes that Tokyopop published as Harlem Beat and the 2 volumes that haven't been published.

Yuriko Nishiyama, the creator of the series, is actually a female artist who has done many sports related series before. Despite being published originally in Japan under a "Shonen" (boy manga) label, the series has a somewhat "Shoujo" (girls-manga) flair with it's pretty boys and panel layouts. But it won't disappoint the sports enthusiast either. There will inevitably be comparisons to the other basketball manga being published currently in the US, Slam Dunk by Takehiko Inoue (published by Raijin Comics). But the styles are completely different between these two creators, and they both have their merits. Harlem Beat/Rebound stands on its own with strong characters and exciting pacing and action. Definitely check it out.

5.0 out of 5 stars Rebound is a Great sports manga series, Def up there with Slam Dunk, December 25, 2010

By 

KCs NOTOR1OUS "no justice, just us" (Kansas city, mo) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rebound #1 (Paperback)

This manga is really good, I started reading this series at my local library when I was around 14 and beginning try outs for the High school b-ball team, It def. helped with the confidence. I'm 20 now and on the college b-ball team at UCM, and the storyline, characters, artwork, etc. is all gooood, worth the money.