Author / Artist:
Mitsuba Takanashi
All that matters to 15-year-old Nobara Sumiyoshi is volleyball—she’s an awesome player with big-time ambitions. But sometimes it seems like a girl just can’t get a break in the competitive world of high school volleyball.
Nobara’s family wants her to inherit the role of “young mistress,” serving rich patrons at her family’s old-fashioned Japanese restaurant. No thanks! When Nobara transfers to Crimson Field High School, known for its top-notch volleyball team, it turns out that her mother will stoop to dirty tricks to keep her off the court. With assistance from her feisty Aunt Momoko, who’s got some connections at Crimson Field, Nobara decides to start playing offense.
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 02:04 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
Nobara has earned a temporary place on the Eagles volleyball team, and they are battling it out against the Sokai team to prove that sheer will and determination can overcome physical disadvantages. Ryo has been mocked for wanting to be an attacker, all because he hasn’t attained the magical height of more than six feet. Nobara wasn’t even given the time of day by the arrogant Sokai team, so they both have something to prove. Athletic ability and heart have more to do with winning or losing than a person’s height or gender, but will they be able to show the haughty Sokai players that there’s more to winning than they think?
Mon, 11/16/2009 - 15:55 — swanjun
Pull Quote:
Okay, yes, I completely admit that Crimson Hero can be sappy at times. This whole volume seems calculated to make one verklempt, be it the way that the most inexperienced member of the team demonstrates her growth by scoring the winning point or how the girls from the other team come to regret the way they’ve abandoned their friendships in pursuit of the number one spot on the team. Transparent manipulation like this would usually annoy me, but it just works so well in a sports manga that I can forgive it.
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 02:05 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
The result is a story about determination and teamwork. Nobara’s team, small as they are, care about each other. Aigaku, on the other hand, is about winning at all costs, including losing friendships and playing unsafe if so directed. They focus on individual achievement instead of working together, a no-no lesson for the group-oriented Japanese.
Sun, 01/10/2010 - 02:07 — Anonymous
Pull Quote:
All in all, while there are things I enjoy about this series, most of them weren't really on display in this volume. But now that this match is over, I have hope that the focus will swing back towards the aspects of the story that I have more interest in. Meanwhile, people who enjoy the moment-by-moment drama of an intense sporting event will likely be happier with this volume than I was.
