Eyeshield 21, Volume 6 Book

One of the things I like about One Piece is that bad guys don't need to always remain bad guys. And their "turning good" isn't always a coming to god moment. Sometimes, it's just a matter of perspective. The same person who can be a royal pain in the ass when you're on opposite sides of a fight can be a dependable ally when your goals are the same.

Such it is in Eyeshield. there aren't really redemption arcs ever, but there are recontextualizations and changing priorities. A lot of times it feels more natural than a concentrated redemption arc. And thus it is for the Ha brothers, as we watch them start to take football seriously against the overwhelming size and power of their adversaries. It gives us a lot of the fun in the early part of this book, and one particular page early on where the three are trying to figure out how many times they need to win in order to win is artistic comedic timing at its finest. All Hail Yusuke Murata.

Another part of the fun of a lot of storytelling is watching people analyze the situation that they're in and improve themselves to meet the needs of the event. Not only do we see Deimon doing it all the time, but their opponents usually do as well, unless they're one-note. the stuff here with Taiyo is brief, but fun as they start to reassess their thoughts on the game. And it's good to see, because while almost every team of star player in this series comes in with one aspect of the game that they think is paramount, the ones who do best are the ones who open their minds. :)

No rest though -- as we wrap up the Taiyo game, we finally get to get sort-of a look at the Shinryuji Nagas. To this point, the Ojo White Knights have been the mountaintop at which the Devil Bats have been aiming, but the Nagas may present just as big a challenge.

A lot of great football in this. A few laugh-out-loud moments for me. Overall, just great. :)