The God of High School
Volume One
A teenager who’s skilled at fighting is invited to participate in a battle contest in the graphic novel The God of High School.
Mori Jin, a seventeen-year-old trained in Taekwondo by his grandfather, has never been defeated in almost 300 fights. He’s selected to compete in the “God of High School” competition sponsored by a mysterious organization; it’s a one-on-one fighting tournament consisting of several matches in a “win and advance” format. Some of his fellow participants are amiable; others are rude and focused on victory.
The competition includes a variety of actual martial arts styles as well as imaginative new elements, resulting in techniques that are fun and fantastic, yet somewhat grounded in reality. Concepts from video games also feature into the story, whose fighters track their strength and stamina levels, along with other statistics.
The book has a dynamic, sometimes manic energy. Tongue-in-cheek humor pairs with imaginative fight scenes to create an entertainment whirlwind, further enhanced by multiple art styles. Most of the book is drawn in a classic anime style, but there are realistic renderings and occasions when, to maximize a jokey moment, the characters are shown with a simplified cartoon appearance before the book shifts back to normal in the next panel.
Concluding with a mesmerizing battle against a formidable opponent, The God of High School is an action-packed martial arts graphic novel.
Reviewed by
Peter Dabbene
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
