lilithespark's manga / #Friendship(45)

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, this manga did just that! Highlyyyy recommend! I've been looking for a sports manga like this all this time. This might just be my favorite sports manga among all favorites. I'm so very impressed by the pacing and how natural the manga's storyline feels, considering that Daiya no A has been serialized for more than a decade. I'm just left with that simmering aftertaste of the victory Sawamura led Seidou to. All the growth crescendoed in such an intense climax. I could really feel Sawamura's change and improvement as a pitcher. He's starting to feel like the MC now. He's finally the ace! In the later chapters, he really felt reliable and had changed so much compared to the little runt he was just a year ago…. I love him as a character because of his pure determination and willpower. He's a simpleton, yet he's not afraid to admit that. He chooses to shoulder his teammates dreams on his shoulders. He's still battling head to head with his rival, Furuya, too. Reading this is so exhilarating. I think my hands are trembling from the excitement. I really love how the story goes about. No opponent is underestimated. The players are crushed, they fall, but they stand back up again stronger than ever. I've never felt that a single character was redundant in this story. They all have their own dreams, wishes— to go to the top together as team. The opponents never feel shallow either. Even if Seidou beats the living crap of them, the reader is able to see a glimpse into their backstories and how they came to be. In terms of character growth, I think this act far surpassed the previous. I was enamored with how it wasn't linear. They didn't just keep growing stronger; they met roadblocks. It was those very obstacles that helped them win where it counted the most. It also set the tone for the future of the story. "There's no end … But there are those who are even better, right? There's a much bigger world out there, isn't there? I wanna see it— I wanna come even a step closer to what lies beyond. Let's go there. Together." p.s: those matches against ichidai and inajitsu were something else. note how furuya calls sawamura by his given name "eijun," shows how they've evolved from their somewhat meaningless bickering, also chris x kazuya? anyone? i don't actually ship anyone in ace of diamond but it's a cool thought. update: i'm really sad that this is how it ends, but it looks like the author didn't like this story very much to begin with… it really felt like sawamura was just on the starting line. the "ending" was bogus. no resolution whatsoever…. i really loved the characters and wanted to see them go to Koshien again, but still, I'm glad the last match was hype *sobs* guess we won't ever see eijun or furuya at his peak, though… maybe he'll continue the story in the future.

On par with Initial D in terms of racing action imo. This is a ducking masterpiece. Maybe it's because it's an older manga, but I really think this should be in the spotlight some more! The storytelling is absolutely riveting, and you can't help but fall in love with each of the characters and especially the rivalry between MC Taira and childhood friend Minamoto. I love how this manga also goes into the technicalities of racing, so it feels like the main characters are actually racing on Formula race tracks and strategizing legitimately to compete. It actually feels plausible. The art is, of course, fabulous, but like I said before, I think the storytelling is just super well done. (i'm running out of extreme positive adjectives). You can feel the character's emotions, and they don't feel contrived at all. Masahito truly captures all of their complexities and little quirks that make them jump off the page almost, and he just knows how to write an exciting story. Like look at all his other works; Dance, Subaru! and it's own sequel are also top tier. The racing is so exhilarating as a reader, which is exactly what I look for in a sports manga. This ticks all my boxes, so if you're into sports manga or just want something great to read, please, please, PLEASE read this. This was worth every moment of my time, and I'm sad it's over…

This was really sweet and wholesome. A tale of young love. The conflict was slightly frustrating because the author seemed to only dip their toe in the deepest of darkest of themes. They stopped right before we could get really depressing angst. *sob* Anyway, the theme is pretty relatable, not wanting to hold back the person you love. The short chapters made this digestible. Nice read.