Book Britches: Cardfight!! Vanguard
volume 1 Story &Art by Akira Itou Review
From the publisher: “Timid teen
Aichi Sendou was never one for making a statement or even defending himself.
But when a precious trading card of his is stolen, Aichi, who has never played
Vanguard before, is set to face an acquaintance who should be an insurmountable
adversary...Kai. With the support of his favorite card and some cherished
memories, the unlikely warrior is ready to stand up for himself and to change
his life for the better.
Inspired by the hit trading card
game and the basis for the beloved anime, Cardfight!! Vanguard is poised to
stake its claim among shonen manga's elites.”
Cardfight!!
Vanguard is, if nothing else, a painful read. We are only seeing a potential
plot being set in motion in the final pages of the book. The first volume is
mostly set-up establishing the core cast and how all their problems can be
solved by a card game. Without a fundamental understanding of the game (one
which I lack) or prior investment this series gives little reason to compel the
reader to continue.
Let me
make one thing perfectly clear: I am perfectly content watching and reading children’s
marketing vehicles. The problem is that at this point there are small stakes.
Thus why should we, the readers, care about the book? I really do not get the
appeal of Cardfight!! Vanguard thus far. To be fair the antagonists are
compelling characters and the imagined action scenes are fun but otherwise this
series has little to offer to those beyond its target demographic though I feel
even they deserve better.
Review copy provided
by the publisher.
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