I think I’m really getting the hype now. I can’t gush enough over how good the dramatic writing is. Like, super-nervous, can’t-stop-reading, (4.5 ★’s)
I think I’m really getting the hype now. I can’t gush enough over how good the dramatic writing is. Like, super-nervous, can’t-stop-reading, someone-save-me-cos-I-think-I’m-addicted good.
This issue specially was adorable just as much as it was intense. We really got a glimpse of the original fencing team’s friendship and awww, cuteness overload. Not to mention the humour, ah, that wall of forbidden sentences never gets old.
Merged review:
(4.5 ★’s)
I think I’m really getting the hype now. I can’t gush enough over how good the dramatic writing is. Like, super-nervous, can’t-stop-reading, someone-save-me-cos-I-think-I’m-addicted good.
This issue specially was adorable just as much as it was intense. We really got a glimpse of the original fencing team’s friendship and awww, cuteness overload. Not to mention the humour, ah, that wall of forbidden sentences never gets old....more
(4.5 ★’s) There are four things you need to know or else your life is forfeit:
One. Aiden is the devil and my love and yes you should be absolutely ter(4.5 ★’s) There are four things you need to know or else your life is forfeit:
One. Aiden is the devil and my love and yes you should be absolutely terrified because he plays with emotions and minds as a lil baby boy does with his toys.
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Two. If you remove noses (and no not the way Voldemort wore it) and make everything and everyone round, you’d achieve unprecedented cuteness in your drawing to match the mood as you switch from refined to omg-why’s-this-so-adorable. And y’all know how I stan creativity and thus I can do nothing but stan Johanna the Mad because damnnnn her growing creativity in emanating the matches is mad. But also the hilarious cuteness.
“Aiden beat Seiji. If I beat Aiden that’s like...I beat Seiji.” “Ah! An indirect win. The same concept as an indirect kiss!”
Three. I’m sure I’ve already said this by I feel obligated to say it again: Nicholas is an unstoppable, adorable, clueless dork and Seiji an insufferable, suffering, emotional hedgehog and how they mutually rile one another up and are the other’s motivation for trying harder makes them the perfect match while providing me with the best servings of humour.
Four. Coach has practically called dibs on shipping Nicholas and Seiji oh boy, this clever clever woman is a mastermind and totally that one friend who stays up late plotting how to set up two of their gay friends together.
Okay you can now shoo. The days lessons are over and yes I loved this even though it wasn’t add layered as the previous one it still thoroughly monopolies my attention and that’s what I call good entertainment. Moving on.
(4.5 ★’s) There are four things you need to know or else your life is forfeit:
One. Aiden is the devil and my love and yes you should be absolutely terrified because he plays with emotions and minds as a lil baby boy does with his toys.
[image]
Two. If you remove noses (and no not the way Voldemort wore it) and make everything and everyone round, you’d achieve unprecedented cuteness in your drawing to match the mood as you switch from refined to omg-why’s-this-so-adorable. And y’all know how I stan creativity and thus I can do nothing but stan Johanna the Mad because damnnnn her growing creativity in emanating the matches is mad. But also the hilarious cuteness.
“Aiden beat Seiji. If I beat Aiden that’s like...I beat Seiji.” “Ah! An indirect win. The same concept as an indirect kiss!”
Three. I’m sure I’ve already said this by I feel obligated to say it again: Nicholas is an unstoppable, adorable, clueless dork and Seiji an insufferable, suffering, emotional hedgehog and how they mutually rile one another up and are the other’s motivation for trying harder makes them the perfect match while providing me with the best servings of humour.
Four. Coach has practically called dibs on shipping Nicholas and Seiji oh boy, this clever clever woman is a mastermind and totally that one friend who stays up late plotting how to set up two of their gay friends together.
Okay you can now shoo. The days lessons are over and yes I loved this even though it wasn’t add layered as the previous one it still thoroughly monopolies my attention and that’s what I call good entertainment. Moving on.
“I always look at these old faces and think...how many of them achieved the dreams they had when they were at school?”
In this house we st(4.5 ★’s)
“I always look at these old faces and think...how many of them achieved the dreams they had when they were at school?”
In this house we stan only one king and that is the adorable, manipulative playboy Aiden Kane fight me.
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YES LET HIM. I absolutely support it because he’s not just a privileged rich kid, he’s also an observant, exploitative genius and that’s truly all I care about and no that’s not problematic and yes I thank Ms. Pacat from the depths of my haunted heart for showing us how utterly he slays in action—it was delightful.
Honestly, I’m surprised to be shelving an issue of this series as a fave, but this one was undoubtedly the best so far—and no, that has nothing to do with the fact that it focuses on Aiden the talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before hot rich guy I adore. Nope, whatever do you mean?
Merged review:
(4.5 ★’s)
“I always look at these old faces and think...how many of them achieved the dreams they had when they were at school?”
In this house we stan only one king and that is the adorable, manipulative playboy Aiden Kane fight me.
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YES LET HIM. I absolutely support it because he’s not just a privileged rich kid, he’s also an observant, exploitative genius and that’s truly all I care about and no that’s not problematic and yes I thank Ms. Pacat from the depths of my haunted heart for showing us how utterly he slays in action—it was delightful.
Honestly, I’m surprised to be shelving an issue of this series as a fave, but this one was undoubtedly the best so far—and no, that has nothing to do with the fact that it focuses on Aiden the talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before hot rich guy I adore. Nope, whatever do you mean?...more
Seiji (ISTJ) + Nicholas (ENFP) ⤵ Basically A Match Made in the Heavens
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——START OF USELESS
(4.5 ★’s) I’m just gonna come out and say it;
Seiji (ISTJ) + Nicholas (ENFP) ⤵ Basically A Match Made in the Heavens
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——START OF USELESS RANT——
I take it you’re probably pretty confused now and thinking wtf is that gibberish—so I’ll clarify. That four-letter combination is an MBTI personality type, the most popular of the typology systems applying the 8 Jungian cognitive functions of Carl Jung’s analytical psychology to divide people into 16 types—other systems include socionics (3 subtypes for each type), CPT (4 subtypes), OPS (32 subtypes), etc.
Now, before you get your feathers ruffled and go on a rant about how people are more complicated than to be put into 16 or 48 or 64 or even 512 predefined and clear boxes, I should say that I wholly agree! These types and functions limit the processes of the human brain if viewed too strictly (with the stereotypes of this doesn’t do that and that can’t do this, especially considering how no one can agree on the true interpretation of each function and what Jung even meant) and the human brain was never made to be limited. BUT, they still have some merit in pointing out general tendencies in the way we perceive and judge the world and can be very helpful in self-development.
There’s also the Enneagram (a system that doesn’t work with dichotomies or rigid functions and just focuses on trauma, fears, and nurture and is much more flexible) so you can look that up instead (I’m not gonna give a presentation about typology here as much as I want to)—it has 9 types, and with all the additional subtypes and instincts and whatnot, you get 2,916 Enneagram types; LOL, yes, you read that right.
Anyway, either shoo and do your research, or read on if you already know what these are to see how I’ve typed the characters of this series with MBTI and, in the parenthesis, the general Enneagram types (1 to 9) and also their wing (adjacent numbered type) if they have one. You could just skip the whole thing, too. Or leave a comment if you want me to dump my significant(ly nonsensical) well of knowledge on your head, or have a debate on typology or my reason for choosing these types for the characters. Options, options, OPTIONS, you have.
“‘I’ll win alone and nothing will stop me’ is a great attitude to succeed in individual matches, but it’s lethal on a team.”
But ladies and gents and all in between, let me tell you why, despite my expectations, I’m loving this comics series! Can you guess?? C’mooon. What do I, the obsessive schemer, love more than anything else?? Strategy, of course! So it’s a simple two plus two to realise why, with every step C.S. Pacat takes towards exploring team strategies and imparts insight on how fencing is an individual combat sport and attracts personality types who are not so good with teamwork, I love her work a little more.
Second to strategy is always humour for me, of which Ms. Pacat and Johanna the Mad’s mad art have provided aplenty from the beginning (I’ve literally talked about this in every single one of these 16 reviews tf) but just—HOW IS THE TEAM BANTER GETTING EVEN BETTER I CAN’T THIS DRAMA QUEEN IS DYING HELP.
Plus, the recurring themes and remarks are sounding like the series’ own signature moves—you know, like a dancer (have we now established that I dance?). At this point, I’m just starting to feel like we’re an old married couple, this series and I, with all our own secret jokes I swear.
—Same man, same. Seiji is annoying and that is, in fact, a valid defense. No, his presence and harsh criticism pushing the team to see they’re slacking and now working harder does not redeem him because it’s not encouragement—he’s just putting them down (except for a few exceptions) and it’s a sign of their strength that they won’t give up.
THAT! That’s why I don’t like Seiji. And no, you’re not allowed to point out how I was just saying I like him now or how I’ll be going aww and defending him in the next paragraph. Nope, hush. So yes, he can’t be captain anytime soon because has no team sense or understanding of complicated team strategies. Please stop taking out your damn frustration on everyone else, you baby!
But ahhhh okay fine as much as that’s absolute idiocy and makes me wanna punch him in the face, I understand that, at its heart, it’s all his insecurity and loneliness. It’s a delight to see him show his genius too and yeah maybe he’s not that cleverly strategic, but he is cleverly tactical and that is applaudable for itself. And it’s even more precious to see this baby grow, too, and try and realise how each person in a team has a role.
Dear Seiji, I beg you go on like so I can continue to like you; please and thank you.
While you’re at it also stop the other thing you do that goes on my nerves and cease being obsessed with Jesse cos I HATE THIS SEIJI DON’T PINE AFTER SOMEONE WHO DISCARDS YOU AND WALKS OVER YOU SO EASILY AND IS AS UNDESERVING AND MANIPULATIVE AND ABUSIVE AS THIS BASTARD ⤵
I fogging hate how Seiji and Jesse’s dynamic is such a parallel of him and Nicholas (or is it the other way around) and nope lady, I am not a fan of this drama because it’s hurting my boy Nicholas and also keeping Seiji from growing, just saying. STOP THIS STOP IT RIGHT NOW.
“Jess, would you like to pick a partner?”
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Mary is sad and angry and why is life so effing unfair that some people get a lifetime of training and opportunities and some people just...don’t!?!? Whyyyyyyyy? Nicholas, my boy, keep being awesome and unstoppable and use every obstacle and moment of injustice as fuel for the fierce bulldozer you are. Yo, you reader right there—you should probably learn a thing or two from this boyo. So listen well and listen close.
“I can take you to the next level but it’s going to be a lot of work.” [image]
Be like Nicholas—when the world tells you you can’t have something, punch it in the face and say I will. Be like Nicholas—when someone tells you you’ve been left in the dust, down and behind, smile and set your jaw and accept the challenge, see it as encouragement to push and develop and grow. Be like Nicholas—let the thrill of the challenge fill you with so much drive, let the gratitude for the opportunity to live and thrive overwhelm you with so much positivity that nothing, no amount of pressure, could ever make you falter.
Be like Nicholas—impossible to put down, impossible to discourage, simply impossible.
It’s so damn easy to be lonely and sad and insecure, but it’s so much harder to be nothing like that. Nicholas, you’re my unique, special snowflake and you deserve the world. It’s good to remember that, sometimes, recklessness and the willingness to take risks is what saves the day; and that’s the reason this appreciative, possessive cinnamon bun is a gem—well, despite also being idiotic and cluelessly difficult...
He’s really a bulldozer and I think his infinite enthusiasm peppered with compliments, admiration, and showers of love and friendship are truly getting to Seiji and drilling into his protective shell. It was a rocky path, my friends, but Nicholas smoothed it over alright (not that Seiji would admit it, ofc).
⑴ Duh, who did you think it was gonna be other than my actual fave character Aiden the Magnificent(ly adorable, hilarious, and manipulative)? His D&D alignment is soooo Chaotic Evil it’s not even funny—a little baby demon who enjoys messing with things. If anyone deserves a rabid fan base, it’s this guy; not least because he’s a genius at reading and predicting the minds of people and thwarting them like a madman. Can he please save the day more often?
⑵ How can one mention Aiden and not immediately get to Harvard? This romantic, loving, true leader needs more respect for always shouldering everyone’s responsibility and attempting to bring harmony to their chaos, just as he’s been gifting the chaos of Aiden the Lost Boy with solidarity and support all through his life. Please, is there anything more beautiful?
⑶ Other honourable mentions include: Dante the Boy Who Cares Nothing About Fencing And Yet Happens To Be Dragged Into It (who is cutest embodiment of wth am I even doing here), Bobby the True Hero Of This Story Who Happens To Be Short Yet Love Fencing (whose glow up we’re all waiting for), and Eugene the Epitome Of Hope And Hard Work And Cool King Jocks (who is so soft and nervous inside).
While this volume was not as solidly good as the previous one, it still stood testament to Pacat’s masterful storytelling as we witnessed the team take its first baby steps and fail and fall down and apart, and then get back with again but this time together. The vulnerability and well placed (and conquered) hurdles that elevated Rivals are the same thing that made Avengers (2012) a successful for considering them and Justice League (2017) a failure for lacking them.
I can’t wait to see them march forward—
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AND I’M DONE THAT’S IT I F##KING REVIEWED ALL THE ISSUES AND VOLUMES SOMEONE PLEASE APPRECIATE ME. Please, no need to get up—oh, why, thank you for the applause.
Before anything else, let’s just appreciate this first ⇓
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DED. OK onto the actual issue which, well, I guess the streak of good luck Before anything else, let’s just appreciate this first ⇓
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DED. OK onto the actual issue which, well, I guess the streak of good luck had to end somewhere, didn’t it? It’s sad that this one didn’t live up to the previous two masterpieces but I’m probably being unfair because this was a cute little wrap up of the tryouts and it had feels.
FRIENDSHIPS. This 12th issue is closing a main chapter of the comic series and we get to truly witness the bonds formed and blooming—from Seiji and Nicholas’s miniscule moments to the latter’s understanding of Eugene and the way they boast yet vouch for one another, I know I will one day die of cuteness overload, I’m telling y’all.
BABY TEENS. I genuinely have no idea what else to call it but man are these characters all such babies with their rivalries and school competitions. I actually feel sorry for the neat and responsible Seiji—he’s getting so overwhelmed and scandalised I’m dead. ...more
I’m actually crying (no, not over the above pic) like literally crying what the fog the heartless bLadies and gents, lo and behold!
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I’m actually crying (no, not over the above pic) like literally crying what the fog the heartless beach that I am is crying over a cute lil young adult comic what is this.
But sometimes—no matter how hard you work, no matter how strongly you feel—you still won’t get the one thing you want. This is what it feels like to have your dreams go up in smoke.
I hereby rescind my previous claims and declare this issue the best of the series yet and thus it shall be granted the rare honour of being marked as a fave of mine—an honour that had previously been solely bestowed on the wickedly delightful 5th issue, yes.
OK, I think I should slow down and explain. Let’s start with the drama and then the ever-present adorableness and then get to why my soul is bleeding. We have...
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ONE. Draaaamaaa. It’s the final match and oh boy, the tension is real. Pacat’s dramatic writing is as top notch as always, and her humour boldly blesses these pages. I mean, Nicholas and Seiji the clueless, innocent babies will one day kill me ...more
Nope, I’m totally not addicted to this delightfully diverse, engagingly dramatic, and adorably young adult series peppered with humour like this (see Nope, I’m totally not addicted to this delightfully diverse, engagingly dramatic, and adorably young adult series peppered with humour like this (see below)—whatever do you mean?
Fiiiine, who am I kidding? I totally am. The aforementioned fantastic, intense storytelling and one-of-a-kind art still prevails, but the real gem of this volume was the added depth to the characters and their bonds that ended up breaking my icy heart and healing it. I mean, I even cried, I swear!
I shall now proceed to explain.
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I said it before, I won’t say it again (*starts singing in Dan Reynolds voice* love is a game to you, it’s not pretend; maybe if I fall asleep, I won’t breathe righ—*realises she’s in the middle of a review, smiles sheepishly*) OK let’s not pretend I’m not gonna say it again because I absolutely am.
See that dork in the above image? The one who scored one hit when he was 14 marks behind and acts as if he’s been handed heaven on a string? Yeah that one—that’s Nicholas Cox the overconfident cinnamon bun who will make everything a race and is determined to succeed yet never wants to win at the cost of walking on someone else. And yet people keep dragging him, saying he’s confident for no reason; well let him! At least he’s not arrogant and dismissive like another certain guy...
Yup, that guy. Though TBH I no longer hate Seiji (I even like him) and yes I still want to kick him for being stuck in his head like an insecure obsessed little teen (which I’m realising he technically is??) but I just appreciate the friendship blooming between these two idiots (I’m also realising I tend to refer to them like this in almost all my reviews of the series *grins*) and how their palpable chemistry spills into their fencing gah.
Look at the above pic and tell me that’s anything other than the epitome of the dynamic of an ESFP and ISTJ (these are Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality types BTW, I’m not actually spewing gibberish). Speaking of MBTI types...
THAT’S AN ESFP-ESTP INTERACTION RIGHT THERE, YES. And nope, just because Trump is an ESTP doesn’t mean all ESTPs are Trumps; Eugene is my optimistic, loving baby who might have seemed like a bullying jock at first, but he’s a layered human being so you fiends will back off! *brandishes sword*
Now allow me to bother you with a commercial break. Just reminding you that this wall of forbidden sentences exists and y’all should get one cos it ain’t ever gonna get old. ⇓
Yes, Aiden dumped him. Yes, my fave fencer and delightfully manipulative Aiden KaneKing is a careless, lonely kid with no present family and childhood of neglect and he dumps everyone except one guy and that is Harvard the benevolent, wise leader who is trying so hard to shower the flighty playboy with love and support and save him from himself and Aiden has no idea what to do with it except protect it and awwww this is the cutest thing ever, no?
Whoever doesn’t agree can take a left down the cliff. *grins*
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Among other treasures contained within this volume are: ➊ Tanner the spiky, loyal, caring angry hedgehog trying to keep his friends together, ➋ Kally the hardworking and admirably gracious scholarship student who shocked me with his wisdom, ➌ a diverse cast with beautifully represented and fleshed out families and, finally, ➍ a team that looks out for each other.
You know me, I’m always craving team spirit and found families like a lil kid demanding his favourite toys, so the glimpse into the depth of these teens’ bonds and the promise of more, more than satiated me. I LOVE THEM ALL OKAY.
This 3rd volume is the best one yet, aiming to close a main chapter of this comic series and oh boy does it do so with a bang—because, duh, cliffhangers. Now, off to the future we gooooooo.
I hereby announce this showdown of my two rival gay boys was even better than I could’ve hoped—Ms. Pacat, I salute you for improving this series with I hereby announce this showdown of my two rival gay boys was even better than I could’ve hoped—Ms. Pacat, I salute you for improving this series with every damn issue!
The feels.
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It’s so adorably heartbreaking to see how lonely both of these idiots are (not that I’m saying loneliness is adorable or anything—wouldn’t wanna romanticise pain and have y’all chase me down with pitchforks, now would I?), and I really, really wish Seiji would stop dismissing everyone and everything to escape his damned feelings. This little addition definitely injected some hope into my heart—I mean, HE GAVE NICHOLAS RESPECTABLE FEEDBACK I’M DEAD.
But, like, can we just—THE CHEMISTRY.
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There is more chemistry in these pages than there was in my entire highschool chemistry textbook—back in the good ol’ days of highschool, that is. More than anything, I appreciate how Seiji and Nicholas’s connection extends to even their fencing and we watch rile one another up, pushing the other to do better, be better.
Gah, if only Seiji wasn’t so obsessed with another certain boy as Nicholas is with him. Life’s so effing unfair I wanna throttle someone. My little otter Nicholas had nothing and it’s time life get in the business of paying back.
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And to mention other cute gems: the diverse, beautiful families. Harvard the benevolent, wise leader. Tanner the spiky, loyal, caring angry hedgehog trying to keep his friends together.
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