All-Rounder Meguru vol. 18

Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve talked about Meguru’s (and Maki’s) efforts to work his way to the top spot in the Nationals.  You can chalk that up to a mix of digital titles being somewhat “out of sight, out of mind” when it comes to reviewing them, as well as the inherent predictability of this current arc in general.  That’s the biggest problem this series faces as it gears up for the Meguru vs. Takahashi showdown.  The good news is that mangaka Hiroki Endo has at least one good idea to get around that.

Before we get to that showdown, vol. 18 picks up right in the middle of another one:  The climactic match between Maki and Aya.  The latter showed the former the limits of her style many volumes ago and their rematch left Maki in a bad spot at the end of the previous volume.  Not only was the girl from Fighter’s Brew on the receiving end of a charge, but she was behind on points as well.  If she was going to come back from these things, she would need to do it both quickly and brilliantly.

As to whether she pulls it off… revealing that would undermine the match’s biggest selling point.  That would be its unpredictability.  Since Maki is a supporting character, Endo doesn’t need to give her the same kind of victory that it feels like Meguru is cruising towards.  This means that each turn in the Maki/Aya fight has genuine tension to it as it’s not quite clear who’s going to win until the very end.  Which results in a victory that feels earned.

Then it’s onto Meguru vs. Takahashi, and the fight we get will seem veeeeeeery familiar to anyone who’s read any kind of fiction involving a climactic one-on-one fighting match such as this.  So expect to see Meguru come out of the gate strong, then falter as Takahashi gets into his groove, and then find the motivation he needs from his trainer at halftime before he starts turning things around.  He even remarks, “You can see everything from up here,” in the ring at one point.  It’s all very standard-issue as far as these kinds of fights go.

What keeps things from getting boring — aside from the always on-point fight choreography — is how Endo re-frames the Meguru/Takahashi conflict via flashbacks before things get going.  “All-Rounder Meguru” has been unique in that it’s a story about fighting where the two main characters don’t really have any animosity towards each other.  Takahashi may be a little standoffish towards his childhood friend, but it’s not like he has any kind of score to settle with him.

So how do you build up enthusiasm for a climactic fight where it’s not about seeing the hero beat the villain?  Endo figured the best way to do this was to shape it into a clash of ideologies as well as fists.  It’s been touched on before, and we’re reminded here that Takahashi is fighting because he sees martial arts as a way of life.  Something that, if you’re going to commit to it, you should strive to be the best at.  Meguru, on the other hand, sees it as a means of self-improvement.  A way to be a better person and achieve some measure of happiness as a result.  It’s these mindsets that are really clashing when the two get into the ring just before the volume’s halfway point and it gives the fight some extra meaning which helps offset the predictability.  A bit.

Then there was the advice that Meguru gets from his trainer between rounds which helps him get around the biggest obstacle in his fight with Takahashi.  It was another nice character moment in a series that has been full of them.  I’m also willing to bet that we’ll get a couple more in the final volume when it’s released in March.  The fight is still up in the air, even though you’d be a fool to bet against Meguru at this point.  Still, his journey as a character has been interesting enough that I want to see what he makes of the ending he reaches.