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spooderman's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Classism
annoyedhumanoid's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
this was the graphic novel that got me into graphic novels, so i have it to thank for that, plus, it's why i'm in fencing club right now, which is why i'm rereading it. unfortunately, it wasn't as good as i remember. let me start with the good: the story is dramatic, some might say overly so, but i'm a fan. i love Bobby and his friendship with Nicholas. it's a pretty accurate depiction of fencing!
now, the not-so-great:
now, the not-so-great:
- i found the art underwhelming.
- i have to talk about the weird gaze this graphic novel takes. the two main characters, roommates, and rivals are both high school freshmen, and this is the start of the school year, so most likely 14 years old, possibly 15 [edit: the book's synopsis says Nicholas is 16. i'm still going to talk about the weird gaze though]. yet they're undeniably sexualized to some extent: Nicholas discovers his roommate is Seiji by walking in on the latter taking his shirt off, with sunlight streaming in through the window casting a gleam on his torso. there's a cell with Nicholas showering, censored by a rubber duck. expository "we're fencing now" cells are often closeups of the bare torsos of people in the midst of changing into their gear. this is arguably a romance/gearing up to be a romance, so i understand perhaps planting seeds of attraction between characters, but this just feels a little icky. also it doesn't help that these high schoolers are all unrealistically slim and muscular.
- there wasn't very much content to it. i first read it digitally and so had access to a few volumes at once. this time around i read it physically and only got the first volume from the library, and it was over very quickly.
to clarify the "it's complicated" diverse cast of characters: it's diverse in all respects except gender—it's an all-boys boarding school, so the only women are the coach and her assistant but they're side characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment, Classism, and Violence
peachani's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Minor: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Abandonment
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