

The hard-to-follow plot focuses too much on Itsuki-we see his emotion, but we don't know why. The girl characters Ringo and Mikan are real people with talents and secrets, although there are a few panty shots here and there. Creator Oh! Great is best known for the sexy, violent Tenjho Tenge, but he's toned down his work without losing the beautiful drawing and strong action.

Statements like "We have wings on our feet" and images of skaters flying with birds are mostly rhetoric-their tricks never really affect the plot. When their turf is challenged by the Skull Saders, an evil gang of skaters, Itsuki puts together a gang to fight them, and the result is an oversimplified West Side Story on roller-blades. Itsuki is an orphan and a young roller-blade daredevil who lives in a house with four orphan girls. This zippy little manga, which attempt to take skating tricks to superhero levels, shows more promise than it delivers. –Benjamin Russell, The Derryfield School, Manchester, NHĬopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. A number of Internet fans have reacted with glee that Ballantine is publishing the book, but purchasers should be aware of some of the dubious cultural content. This is compounded by the uncomfortable sexual crudity that permeates the dialogue and circumstances: statutory rape is one of the punishments levied when Itsuki loses a match. Itsuki is presented both as a screwup and a success, which is a difficult dynamic to pull off, making his character inconsistent and tough to empathize with.


Combat scenes lack definition and clarity, as such flair seems to be reserved for a series of stunning set pieces showcasing the spectacle of speed and flight that the riders can achieve. He further learns that there is an entire secret, multilayered world of skate culture that he is only beginning to understand. After a vicious beating and sexual assault by the Westside skate gang, the Skull Saders, he discovers that his adopted sisters are all members of the infamous and mysterious gang of riders, the Sleeping Forest. Grade 10 Up–Itsuki is a 13-year-old inline skater who has been informally adopted by the Noyamano family.
