Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Binktopia]

Straight into the action, and Kenichi fully intends to make good on his promise of using Muay Thai to finish this. The art is doing an excellent job of relating how beat up both fights are. The blood and bruises work with the ragged, torn clothing so well that you can nearly feel the wear on both Kenichi and Koukin.

This chapter is doing some great work with technical martial arts that we haven’t seen in a while. Fights like this are what I’ve been missing: pure martial arts with a minimal amount of text.

Koukin has the upper hand, as well he should. Kenichi beating him on technical merit in Muay Thai would be out of character. What Kenichi pulls out to turn the tides, however, is an excellent move. Master eyes! Certainly Kenichi isn’t a master, but he’s channeling Apachai so faithfully that he’s mirrored his eyes.

But do they shoot lasers?

A tiny flashback to set up the fact this is an Apachai move. Something as basic as putting all your strength into an uppercut is befitting of Apachai, and Kenichi should have that down pretty well — after all, he gets sent flying by it every other day. (Good job, now dodge!)

Agaard speaking out during the match is a huge taboo. The manga goes so far as to have Agaard thinking about how it was a mistake to do so, and a reaction panel of silence from Koukin. There has to be something that will happen as a result of this, it simply has too much focus. All that said, the CHAI-KICK is excellent, and the stark whiteness used for the attack makes it seem devastating.

Everything but his hair is gone!

A nice bit of closure to the fight. I’m ready to wind down and feel the implications from this. Apachai seems to have died the permanent kind of death, but we’ll see. Also, if this whole ordeal hasn’t left a mark on Kenichi’s character and evolution, I will be incredibly disappointed.

Final Flash: The past two chapters were a return to form for HSDK, and everything that we originally wanted out of this arc. It’s a shame they came so late, but that doesn’t lessen the quality they present.