I've never been interested in MMA or sports manga/anime in general, and I only checked this out because Endo makes it. It ended up being a page-turner for me.

What really drew me in was some of the best realistic ensemble characterization I've read in a manga. No need for a bad guy, just people doing their hobby/obsession together, helping each-other out and becoming friends in the process.

To me, it reads like 50/50 slice-of-life/sports manga. The well grounded characters feel alive and realistic in their motivations and struggles, (very unlike Teppu in that regard) and the geniune friendship among the people at Meguru's MMA gym made me care for and root for them, not just in the fights but their issues with family and real life.

We even a view into the minds of the opponent characters, who have their own, realistic reasons for wanting to succeed in amateur MMA. There's no "bad guy who plays dirty" or "annoying unfriendly enemy" type here and most of the fighters have no animosity towards their opponents.

At first, I didn't pay attention to the grappling moves (there's quite a lot of those), but I ended up re-reading the manga and pay attention to all of the action. It's superbly depicted and movement is indicated in a way that makes it pretty easy for a layman like me to follow what they're doing, even with the complicated grappling moves.

You can tell Endo did a lot of research into the "boring" stuff in amateur MMA. Like, how hard it can be for girls to find opponents in their weight and skill class, or how the logistics work during a tournament. Too much to mention.

Surprisingly, a very very very enjoyable manga for me.

If you read a lot of novels and manga then you will notice that some authors are just pure genius while some 'rarer' breed of authors are just simply good because of skills, experience, well researched and well-thought out plans. Endo Hiroki turns out to be both. His previous work was brilliant but rely too much on talent alone so it was somewhat detached and confusing to me. This one really shows his experience is starting to match up with his talent.

This work is simple, realistically grounded and straight forward. Yet, it's not boring but addictive. It has well paced drama and humor and a bit of angst. IAnyone with some writing experience will know it's incredibly hard to be simple and understandable. It's even harder to be simple and still manages to add certain depth to characters even with their simple/plain lives through some slice-of-life/humor moments. It has a seinen/sport vibe with a coming-of-age feeling.

A very good manga: it's a solid piece about sport and personal growth.
The narration is very slice of life and down to earth, but it never bores: it's like a steady flow. Trough the trainings, the torunaments and various sublots we see the progression in skill and in character of Meguru going hand to hand with the exploration of the secondary characters' lives, who each possess their own voice and consistence.
But the golden spot is taken by the sport: the fights are very well researched and beautifully drawn, the techniques are realistic and the explanations never feel heavy.
Some themes of the author are constant (like the yakuza), but ultimately add depth to the story.
From Eden is a great jump, but Endo never fails.

... Last updated on April 8th, 2012, 11:20am

This manga has got to be my favorite manga of all time. Only other one that can compete would be Holyland. However this manga just draws me in like no other, the best manga I have ever read.

... Last updated on December 27th, 2011, 1:29pm

I personally love this manga. As someone with some knowledge in mixed martial arts I'd have to say it's pretty accurate. The series is certainly grounded in realism and has the potential for a very exciting plot. The driving motivation behind the main characters is quite interesting and I find myself wanting to learn more and more about them; without giving too much information, this particularly true of Takashi. In the gaps between character development I find myself completely entertained by the interplay between the characters as well as the exciting fights (although it's been more grappling up to this point). I'm not sure if it's the novelty of a new series but I think this is a really good read.

To someone unfamiliar with the world of MMA I'm not sure how appealing this series may be to them, as it definitely relies more on the jargon and fundamentals of it then some other fighting series. If your a fan of series like Holyland or Hajime No Ippo then you'll probably enjoy this too.

Good manga is like being guided through a dream.
Unclear graphics and unnecessary words cause pause as witnesses decipher or skip over them.
Inspiration of shooto graces All Rounder Meguro, but realism didn't break through the art and words.

A rather "safe" follow-up to Eden from Endo. Where Eden alternated brilliant writing with a loss of focus, this sports manga sticks to patterns. As a result it's a more consistent, solid read; be it a lot less adventurous and surprising. In the end, it's fun to read and that's what matters. Eden had its moments where I didn't know whether I was reading to know what happened next, or because I was actively enjoying the story itself.

... Last updated on February 7th, 2011, 4:26pm

It's good because it's centered on the sport and getting in shape and fit to compete and not on the "drama". The complexity of MMA and shooto is what drives this manga, not cheap plot devices, it's the type of manga written for fans of martial arts and mma specifically which is extremely popular in Japan.
It's not Eden and It will never become like it, Endo said so himself. The most philosophical this will ever get is the few parts where Takashi ponders on why he fights - which are few and far between.

I don't read sports manga. And I think tournament style sport fighting - including kickboxing & wrestling, are idiotic beyond belief.
Having said that, Endo Hiroki has yet again sucked me right into his story.
A big plus would be "Meguru" is an excellently paced, really enjoyable read, without the agonizing plot twists that characterised "Eden".
Definitely worth reading. Certainly good enough to buy if this ever gets licensed for English release *fingers crossed*.

... Last updated on May 17th, 2010, 1:17am

To call it a "ridiculously good manga" at this point seems like it can only be the exaggerations of an Endo fanboy or a fan of MMA.

I mean, I enjoy it and it's one of the first things I read whenever I pick up an issue of Evening, but that's more due to a loyalty to Endo than the merits of the series so far. For starters, I'd like to see less focus on the sport aspect of it and more on the character aspect, although even my interest in that aspect is mostly based on what it could potentially evolve into.

Also I can't help but feel there's a bit much overlap between this series's Takashi and Eden's Kenji, but maybe the similarity is only superficial and I'm just not thinking very hard about it