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((Forward: Damn, I'm late on this one. Good news, though: I have the entire day to work on the next chapter, so 302nd Down will be done within 24 hours.))
Welcome to Game Hunter's review of Eyeshield 21. The purpose of these reviews is not to summarize the events in the chapter: I will assume you've already read through the chapter and have a simple understanding of what happened. (For those of you who haven't, I highly recommend a good read before continuing on.) Instead, I will go into detail the points I find most important in terms of the match, the story, and the characters. Most often this will bring about pictures from the past, ideas about the future, and reflections on what was seen but was not understood. If anything, I hope that you, the reader, will gain a better knowledge and perception of the manga. With that in mind, let us begin...
The battle of the two greatest running backs in high school Amefuto comes to its breathtaking conclusion...
301st Down: Run
Let's break down the meaning of the title, always an important part of understanding an author's perspective:
Context: It's almost too obvious that we're going to see Sena in this play. It's somewhat less obvious that seeing Sena's run will inevitably place him in front of Yamato, but I think most of us can understand that far.
-- Additionally, this is Sena's final run. With eight seconds left (given to us last chapter) there is no room for any more plays...this is Sena's ultimate sink-or-swim moment. Either he gets by Yamato or he doesn't, as there are no more opportunities. (Compare to Monta's own sink-or-swim situations against Shinryuuji, Oujou and Hakushuu. Even though he explicitly says it's not sink-or-swim to Kisaragi, that's just his confidence talking.)
Monosyllabic: In the Japanese case, it's a single character/symbol. Often a short title will imply a very simple meaning. However, adding the context of the desperate situation to this, it's a title that has to quickly move along, such that the rest of the chapter can appear to use as little time as possible. Indeed, the entire chapter took place within the span of five-to-six seconds, and the title imposes on the reader how slowly time is actually moving.
Connotations: Throughout the manga, Sena's mantra has been all about running. "Only in speed... I won't lose!" is what we saw in the Teikoku match. Slowly but steadily we've seen our heroic protagonist evolve from a quick little wimp to the resourceful and prideful running back known as Eyeshield 21. The title, therefore, also suggests that Sena's run will reach a new level in this last play, not only because he's the main character, but because it's always been there: the golden legs have already trained for years, and it's simply a matter of reaching their fullest potential.
Whew. Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the meat of the chapter.
I don't care what anyone says, it's still a cool name. Furthermore, it actually makes sense by the end of the chapter!
What a deliciously awesome play this was. I don't know about the rest of you, but this definitely goes in the category of "best plays ever," along with the Monta in-motion play (including the setup, spanning chapters 193-196) the zero-second Killer Hornet, and Card 21 from this match. Unlike the other examples, however, it was a trap within a trap within a trap, and without any preparation whatsoever (besides Teikoku knowing Deimon uses trick plays).
The Chris Cross is (in ES21 terms) the running equivalent of the Hail Mary pass. It's a high-risk play that, if it goes well, allows for either a TD or a large number of yards. The difference here is that it also takes the form of whatever it needs to, and therefore needs less of an in-game setup to be properly established as a deciding factor. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they had gained an impressive first down if they hadn't dropped the ball in its first use. (But at least it set up another play, right?) This doesn't even mention the fact that additional trick plays can be added on top of the Chris Cross.
Let's do a move-by-move breakdown of the Evil Cross, shall we?
Note that Step 6 can change depending on who's open for a pass. Teikoku figured out steps one through four after the second step, but (as Takami notes) failed to remember Sena's own influence on the field, an "inactive" piece waiting to be used.
The only thing a little sad about it was Monta's relative use in the play...I know that the play will change its shape depending on the situation in front of them, and that Monta would have easily taken the ball in other cases, but he didn't get the hold the ball at all. He essentially filled the same position Yukimitsu or Ishimaru would have, and was only necessary at the beginning of the play because of the initial hiding of the ball. However, this means Monta is even more likely to be used in another chapter, as his character has yet to be given a proper conclusion in the battle of the greatest receivers. Still, he looks pretty satisfied with his role on page 12, so I guess he's fine with it.
Now that the Evil Cross is out of the way, there's nothing stopping Sena, right? ...Right?
I think I just soiled myself.
Wrong. As anticipated, we got our final runner's showdown: the enveloper against the ghoster. We've had quite a few Yamato/Sena battles in the past, actually:
- The initial bout during the period that Yamato handicapped himself and subsequently removed said handicap. Sena caught him, but Yamato showed off his true form with the Caesar's Charge, something Sena simply could not (and cannot) break while on defense.
- Sena struts out Yamato's own move, Multiple Devil Bat Ghost; Yamato responds by foregoing all means to strike Sena down and simply lifts him up like a bulldozer, throwing him aside afterward.
- Realizing that sideways runs are useless, Sena attempts the One Man Devil Bat Dive. Yamato's height, however, prevents any aerial offenses, and he catches Sena by the foot, slamming him to the ground.
- In another desperate tactic, Sena taps into his shorty power and tries to squeeze directly past Yamato, the low route: Yamato has other plans, and his superior strength and fast reactions are able to stop Sena's rush.
- After having an epiphany, Sena unleashes the full extent of his training and pulls out his final card, the Devil Four Dimension. It catches Yamato off-guard completely, and Sena passes the emperor for the first time.
- Confident in his own move, Yamato pulls out all of the stops himself and outdoes his old best, turning the Caesar's Charge into a super-light-speed tackle, which effectively counters Sena's D4D.
Sena's response? It's quite simple, actually: since the D4D is nothing more than a light-speed, no-motion back-step, it shouldn't be hard with someone of Sena's ability and experience to stick in some feints on top of it! Sure enough, it does the trick.
This isn't to say that such an accomplishment is to be taken lightly, however. I think it's safe to say that, even in the case of Sena's "simple" back-step, Yamato had never seen anything like it at Notre Dame. I don't think anyone in the stadium had seen anything like it, either: to pull off that kind of stunt requires some pretty ridiculous leg strength, balance and flexibility. As a matter of fact, chances are high that it could only be pulled off by someone of Sena's stature: that is to say, short, light-framed, and filled up only from the waist down. It's an enormous change in momentum done in a single step, placing an enormous strain on the lower body...and Sena can use it at will. I'm quite honestly surprised that no mention was made of how physically difficult it should be to perform a feat of that magnitude. On the other hand, we saw how much Sena's legs were pushed to their limits in the Shinryuuji game, so it's possible that he's made remarkable progress in leg strength and endurance over the course of six weeks that the issue of strain is negligible. Also, it's a manga.
However, on top of this (which is at the very least an incredible thing to do) Sena can also add feints and cuts during and after the back-step...which is holy-crap-amazing if you ask me. To put it into more manageable terms, it's kind of like if you were playing dodgeball by running towards the ball-carriers and avoiding the balls at the very last second, even if they throw the ball when you're right next to them. It's almost the same as dodging a freaking arrow. It requires not only sharp reflexes and intense footwork, but the ability to anticipate the attack and fluidly evade with the least possible movement. Sena combines not only the D4D and the Devil Bat Ghost here, but his "arrows of light" skill (which I'll dub Foresight for the time being), all of which is done in an instant. Yamato, who has spent years developing the skill to stop players faster than him (the only detriment to his play-style, as referenced here) can only look on in awe at the sheer alacrity that Sena possesses. It's a shot to his pride, to say the least.
Can't touch this.
I think Yamato's quote sums it up nicely: "I've always misread it. The true strength of Sena's run isn't about the fact that he can run 40 yards in 4.2 seconds. He can freely create a ghost on 360 degrees, even while rewinding time by going backwards...no speed or power can touch it. This is true speed," (301st Down, pages 17, 20, 21). It also puts Sena at that ideal place of the impossible defensive situation: "Remember it well! Against a speed you can't even touch, no amount of power will help!" (218th Down, page 5, though I'm sure it's been used before then). Sena has finally set himself in a place among the top players, with an ability that no one can copy. (No, not even Agon.)
That leaves us with what will happen in the next chapter. It's 100% certain that there will be a 2-point TFP attempt (if only because there's no reason Deimon should go for overtime if they can win right now) and it's almost absolutely certain that the attempt will be successful. Right now, Monta is lacking his shining moment, and the only chance he has is in the next chapter, during the kick-off. There are three possible options for the kick-off: squib, ultra-high/short, and onside. In my opinion, the onside is the least and, at the same time, most likely to occur, if only because it has the lowest chance of succeeding for one reason: Taka Honjou, the grandmaster of catching. On the other hand, there are a few factors that make the onside kick more useful:
- Ultra-high and ultra-short would require a precision that Musashi simply does not have. I doubt he's trained for such a thing, and even then the odds of it going well are far too low.
- A squib kick that would actually allow for the ball to bounce backwards is far too risky and is already heavily-horizontal in motion, so I doubt anyone from Deimon would reach it in time.
- The onside kick, while is seemingly impossible given the past chance against Taka (who so effortlessly snatched the ball during Teikoku's own onside kick), is a ground battle, which has been established as Monta's one shot at gaining some dominance in the field of receiving. He shook off Taka twice before on the ground, maybe he can pull out something here, too.
Still, I can't shake the feeling that Deimon still has a good chance of losing. Keep in mind that Musashi's kick is not the only possible means of scoring points if the onside kick is successful: Sena's new technique is nigh-untouchable. Either way, there's no time for a second play afterwards. We can only pray that the finale is just as amazing as the rest of the this saga has been.
Oh, it can. And it will.
Welcome to Game Hunter's review of Eyeshield 21. The purpose of these reviews is not to summarize the events in the chapter: I will assume you've already read through the chapter and have a simple understanding of what happened. (For those of you who haven't, I highly recommend a good read before continuing on.) Instead, I will go into detail the points I find most important in terms of the match, the story, and the characters. Most often this will bring about pictures from the past, ideas about the future, and reflections on what was seen but was not understood. If anything, I hope that you, the reader, will gain a better knowledge and perception of the manga. With that in mind, let us begin...
The battle of the two greatest running backs in high school Amefuto comes to its breathtaking conclusion...
301st Down: Run
Let's break down the meaning of the title, always an important part of understanding an author's perspective:
Context: It's almost too obvious that we're going to see Sena in this play. It's somewhat less obvious that seeing Sena's run will inevitably place him in front of Yamato, but I think most of us can understand that far.
-- Additionally, this is Sena's final run. With eight seconds left (given to us last chapter) there is no room for any more plays...this is Sena's ultimate sink-or-swim moment. Either he gets by Yamato or he doesn't, as there are no more opportunities. (Compare to Monta's own sink-or-swim situations against Shinryuuji, Oujou and Hakushuu. Even though he explicitly says it's not sink-or-swim to Kisaragi, that's just his confidence talking.)
Monosyllabic: In the Japanese case, it's a single character/symbol. Often a short title will imply a very simple meaning. However, adding the context of the desperate situation to this, it's a title that has to quickly move along, such that the rest of the chapter can appear to use as little time as possible. Indeed, the entire chapter took place within the span of five-to-six seconds, and the title imposes on the reader how slowly time is actually moving.
Connotations: Throughout the manga, Sena's mantra has been all about running. "Only in speed... I won't lose!" is what we saw in the Teikoku match. Slowly but steadily we've seen our heroic protagonist evolve from a quick little wimp to the resourceful and prideful running back known as Eyeshield 21. The title, therefore, also suggests that Sena's run will reach a new level in this last play, not only because he's the main character, but because it's always been there: the golden legs have already trained for years, and it's simply a matter of reaching their fullest potential.
Whew. Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the meat of the chapter.
I don't care what anyone says, it's still a cool name. Furthermore, it actually makes sense by the end of the chapter!
What a deliciously awesome play this was. I don't know about the rest of you, but this definitely goes in the category of "best plays ever," along with the Monta in-motion play (including the setup, spanning chapters 193-196) the zero-second Killer Hornet, and Card 21 from this match. Unlike the other examples, however, it was a trap within a trap within a trap, and without any preparation whatsoever (besides Teikoku knowing Deimon uses trick plays).
The Chris Cross is (in ES21 terms) the running equivalent of the Hail Mary pass. It's a high-risk play that, if it goes well, allows for either a TD or a large number of yards. The difference here is that it also takes the form of whatever it needs to, and therefore needs less of an in-game setup to be properly established as a deciding factor. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they had gained an impressive first down if they hadn't dropped the ball in its first use. (But at least it set up another play, right?) This doesn't even mention the fact that additional trick plays can be added on top of the Chris Cross.
No deliciously awesome play of Deimon's would have complete without a deliciously evil name, am I right?
Demons really don't ask gods for favors...and I doubt the gods are willing to lend a hand anymore.
Demons really don't ask gods for favors...and I doubt the gods are willing to lend a hand anymore.
Let's do a move-by-move breakdown of the Evil Cross, shall we?
Note that Step 6 can change depending on who's open for a pass. Teikoku figured out steps one through four after the second step, but (as Takami notes) failed to remember Sena's own influence on the field, an "inactive" piece waiting to be used.
The only thing a little sad about it was Monta's relative use in the play...I know that the play will change its shape depending on the situation in front of them, and that Monta would have easily taken the ball in other cases, but he didn't get the hold the ball at all. He essentially filled the same position Yukimitsu or Ishimaru would have, and was only necessary at the beginning of the play because of the initial hiding of the ball. However, this means Monta is even more likely to be used in another chapter, as his character has yet to be given a proper conclusion in the battle of the greatest receivers. Still, he looks pretty satisfied with his role on page 12, so I guess he's fine with it.
Now that the Evil Cross is out of the way, there's nothing stopping Sena, right? ...Right?
I think I just soiled myself.
Wrong. As anticipated, we got our final runner's showdown: the enveloper against the ghoster. We've had quite a few Yamato/Sena battles in the past, actually:
- The initial bout during the period that Yamato handicapped himself and subsequently removed said handicap. Sena caught him, but Yamato showed off his true form with the Caesar's Charge, something Sena simply could not (and cannot) break while on defense.
- Sena struts out Yamato's own move, Multiple Devil Bat Ghost; Yamato responds by foregoing all means to strike Sena down and simply lifts him up like a bulldozer, throwing him aside afterward.
- Realizing that sideways runs are useless, Sena attempts the One Man Devil Bat Dive. Yamato's height, however, prevents any aerial offenses, and he catches Sena by the foot, slamming him to the ground.
- In another desperate tactic, Sena taps into his shorty power and tries to squeeze directly past Yamato, the low route: Yamato has other plans, and his superior strength and fast reactions are able to stop Sena's rush.
- After having an epiphany, Sena unleashes the full extent of his training and pulls out his final card, the Devil Four Dimension. It catches Yamato off-guard completely, and Sena passes the emperor for the first time.
- Confident in his own move, Yamato pulls out all of the stops himself and outdoes his old best, turning the Caesar's Charge into a super-light-speed tackle, which effectively counters Sena's D4D.
Left: 296th Down, page 3. Right: 290th Down, page 14. Bottom: 299th Down, pages 6-7.
The glory of the Caesar's Charge...at least up until now.
The glory of the Caesar's Charge...at least up until now.
Sena's response? It's quite simple, actually: since the D4D is nothing more than a light-speed, no-motion back-step, it shouldn't be hard with someone of Sena's ability and experience to stick in some feints on top of it! Sure enough, it does the trick.
This isn't to say that such an accomplishment is to be taken lightly, however. I think it's safe to say that, even in the case of Sena's "simple" back-step, Yamato had never seen anything like it at Notre Dame. I don't think anyone in the stadium had seen anything like it, either: to pull off that kind of stunt requires some pretty ridiculous leg strength, balance and flexibility. As a matter of fact, chances are high that it could only be pulled off by someone of Sena's stature: that is to say, short, light-framed, and filled up only from the waist down. It's an enormous change in momentum done in a single step, placing an enormous strain on the lower body...and Sena can use it at will. I'm quite honestly surprised that no mention was made of how physically difficult it should be to perform a feat of that magnitude. On the other hand, we saw how much Sena's legs were pushed to their limits in the Shinryuuji game, so it's possible that he's made remarkable progress in leg strength and endurance over the course of six weeks that the issue of strain is negligible. Also, it's a manga.
However, on top of this (which is at the very least an incredible thing to do) Sena can also add feints and cuts during and after the back-step...which is holy-crap-amazing if you ask me. To put it into more manageable terms, it's kind of like if you were playing dodgeball by running towards the ball-carriers and avoiding the balls at the very last second, even if they throw the ball when you're right next to them. It's almost the same as dodging a freaking arrow. It requires not only sharp reflexes and intense footwork, but the ability to anticipate the attack and fluidly evade with the least possible movement. Sena combines not only the D4D and the Devil Bat Ghost here, but his "arrows of light" skill (which I'll dub Foresight for the time being), all of which is done in an instant. Yamato, who has spent years developing the skill to stop players faster than him (the only detriment to his play-style, as referenced here) can only look on in awe at the sheer alacrity that Sena possesses. It's a shot to his pride, to say the least.
Can't touch this.
I think Yamato's quote sums it up nicely: "I've always misread it. The true strength of Sena's run isn't about the fact that he can run 40 yards in 4.2 seconds. He can freely create a ghost on 360 degrees, even while rewinding time by going backwards...no speed or power can touch it. This is true speed," (301st Down, pages 17, 20, 21). It also puts Sena at that ideal place of the impossible defensive situation: "Remember it well! Against a speed you can't even touch, no amount of power will help!" (218th Down, page 5, though I'm sure it's been used before then). Sena has finally set himself in a place among the top players, with an ability that no one can copy. (No, not even Agon.)
That leaves us with what will happen in the next chapter. It's 100% certain that there will be a 2-point TFP attempt (if only because there's no reason Deimon should go for overtime if they can win right now) and it's almost absolutely certain that the attempt will be successful. Right now, Monta is lacking his shining moment, and the only chance he has is in the next chapter, during the kick-off. There are three possible options for the kick-off: squib, ultra-high/short, and onside. In my opinion, the onside is the least and, at the same time, most likely to occur, if only because it has the lowest chance of succeeding for one reason: Taka Honjou, the grandmaster of catching. On the other hand, there are a few factors that make the onside kick more useful:
- Ultra-high and ultra-short would require a precision that Musashi simply does not have. I doubt he's trained for such a thing, and even then the odds of it going well are far too low.
- A squib kick that would actually allow for the ball to bounce backwards is far too risky and is already heavily-horizontal in motion, so I doubt anyone from Deimon would reach it in time.
- The onside kick, while is seemingly impossible given the past chance against Taka (who so effortlessly snatched the ball during Teikoku's own onside kick), is a ground battle, which has been established as Monta's one shot at gaining some dominance in the field of receiving. He shook off Taka twice before on the ground, maybe he can pull out something here, too.
Still, I can't shake the feeling that Deimon still has a good chance of losing. Keep in mind that Musashi's kick is not the only possible means of scoring points if the onside kick is successful: Sena's new technique is nigh-untouchable. Either way, there's no time for a second play afterwards. We can only pray that the finale is just as amazing as the rest of the this saga has been.
Oh, it can. And it will.
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