As I've said before, shonen series are my favorite and the main reason I watch anime and read manga. What keeps me coming back for more is the general structure that exists in most regular shonen series. One crucial (albeit optional) aspect of the genre (demographic?) is the tournaments. It seems like pretty much all modern shonen series have a tournament of some kind at one point.
While some may call tournaments an easy way out, I see it as the perfect method to give every character exposure. Everyone will get a chance to shine when a tournament is involved. It's also a great way to have a bunch of fights close to each other without the need for much buildup. This was pulled off perfectly in Flame of Recca and Yu Yu Hakusho.
On the other hand, the tournament isn't a perfect plot device. In fact, it may be riddled with as much problems as benefits. First of all, the sense of danger is pretty much gone since you just know the main character/group has to make it to the finals. I guess the same can't be said for the side characters (I seriously had no idea who was going to win between Krillen and Chaozu) but the main character is where it really counts.
It also requires many forgettable characters that's only purpose is to be slaughtered by the main characters when the tournaments are long. Yes, there are some important opponents that might end up as allies or persistent enemies, but the majority of the opponents are just named cannon fodder. One way to remedy this is to have a small tournament with only one real round. This was pulled off nicely in Katekyo Hitman Reborn during the Vongola Ring arc. Every single Varia member has gotten screen time since the tournament and have cemented themselves as important side characters.
Sometimes, interuptions to the battles (or worse yet, the tournament getting cancelled outright) mess up the pacing. This is especially noticeable in Shaman King (Why couldn't you just stick to the damn tournament, Takei?). Cancelling tournaments is like giving the reader/watcher blue balls. Fortunately, some series catch themselves and carry out the fights in a bit of a different way. This happened in Naruto during the chuunin exam where Sasuke's fight was interrupted, but would still go on and eventually turn into the amazing Gaara vs Naruto fight.
Fortunately, mangaka are always finding new and creative ways to have tournaments. The Hunter X Hunter tournament required one of the fighters to actually say they give up or the fight would continue. The Shaman King tournament required the oversoul to be active at all times. The Mar tournament allowed winners to continue even if their team lost. Of course if the content of the fights are great, these gimmicks aren't necessary.
Some series with great tournaments include: Naruto, Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Yu Yu Hakusho, Flame of Recca, Dragonball and Dragonball Z, Law of Ueki, and Bleach (kind of). Go check them out if you like tournaments ;)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment