Taizan 5’s Fighting Girls Is a Surprisingly Uplifting One-Shot

 

Manga artist Taizan 5 has something of a reputation. Between Takopi’s Original Sin and the more recent The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins, this pseudonymous creator tends to cover some pretty heavy stuff. Issues of abuse, trauma, bullying, and mental health fill the pages. It’s not done with a light touch, but the results are honest and eye-opening. For new one-shot Fighting Girls, though, Taizan 5 goes a little lighter… at least by comparison.

This new one-shot is available to read now. At around 70 pages, it’s an easy single-sitting read. And the heart of this story may surprise you.

 

A Rivalry Is Born

Fighting Girls kicks off (literally) with an introduction to karate student Koume. This shy girl is surprisingly good at karate and is consistently top of her class. But that all changes when Tiara arrives. This new student beats Koume easily, time after time. And soon, at least in Koume’s mind, the two are rivals.

When Tiara heads off to Tokyo to become a professional MMA fighter, Koume does the same. With only social media to guide her, she chases after her childhood rival. All she wants is one chance to beat Tiara. And as both rocket to the top of their respective games, that chance grows closer and closer. At least, until Tiara makes an announcement that shakes Koume.

 

The Agony of Defeat

 

Anyone who’s ever prided themselves on their accomplishments, especially as a kid, will know Koume’s angst. Throughout the majority of Fighting Girls, Tiara is a looming shadow, seeming to care nothing for Koume’s frustration. No matter how hard Koume fights, Tiara shrugs it off. It’s almost as though she doesn’t know, or care, that they’re rivals.

A few readers have already noted that Koume and Tiara are reminiscent of Shizuka and Marina from Takopi’s Original Sin. From their character designs to their family issues to years of unspoken rivalry, it’s not a hard comparison to draw. And the similarities are certainly there, at least to a degree. What’s most similar between the two, though, is how much the story changes once we switch perspectives.

 

Underneath It All

It’s worth it to read Fighting Girls for yourself, so we’re not going to give away the ending. However, we will say that the story switches from Koume’s perspective to Tiara’s at a crucial point. We get to see the whole story again, this time through Tiara’s eyes. And like Taizan 5’s other work, it’s a powerful lesson in how our life experiences can completely alter our view of a situation.

The most we’ll say is that the ending of this little one-shot is surprisingly uplifting. Yes, Koume and Tiara have vastly different views of their rivalry and what it means. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, a change of perspective can help. And this stand-alone story ends on a definite high note.

Taizan 5’s past long-form works show us how the circumstances of our lives hold us back and push us forward. They demonstrate that anyone can be a hero or a villain if you just move the camera slightly. But they also show that it’s through communication and understanding that these disparities can be turned into something more meaningful. And Fighting Girls does the same once again.

Fighting Girls is now available to read on the Viz website.

​ Manga artist Taizan 5 has something of a reputation. Between Takopi’s Original Sin and the more recent The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins, this pseudonymous creator tends to cover some pretty heavy stuff. Issues of abuse, trauma, bullying, and mental health fill the pages. It’s not done with a light touch, but the results are honest and eye-opening…. Otaku USA Magazine

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