Me:

Harvard vs Seiji time!

I find this match interesting becoming it really provides perspective of Seiji's experience as an elite fencer. Already with that first big panel you can see how everyone is watching Harvard and cheering for him, wanting for him to take down Seiji because of his skill level. It's kind of subtle at that point, but already surrounded by a crowd full of people, all their eyes are on Harvard and Seiji is not recieving any support.

Bam, two more pages. Conformation that there are a bunch of people there for Harvard, and adding all these external conversations to hype up the match. They're really drawing out the pre-match part to set the scene here and it's very effective to add some more dramatisation and increase the percieved importance of the match.

Also, I love Coach Williams' dramatics. She is a mysterious jedi master who can see into her fencer's souls and will monologue mysteriously about it. Icon.

The final hype page. As far as I can remember, I recall this being the only time when they really touched on the salute before the match. It's cool because you can see the real intention behind Harvard and Seiji's salutes, they're both very formal and proper which shows how they respect each other. And then we get the shoes close up, and then Seiji's face close up, and we can tell that our boy is Locked In. I love the shadows around the edges of Seiji's face as well because it really brings your focus to his narrowed eyes and really hammers home his intense concentration. And then as soon as they hear "Allez!" BAM Harvard is moving and he's got those speedy background lines to really show it...

...but Seiji is faster. I really love how they go outside the panel on Seiji's hit panel, it looks really cool and adds some more dynamics to the fencing. And those speedy lines are back. And meanwhile, while Harvard is getting annihilated, we have Coach Williams' mysterious and deep observations being brought to light. I like how the page starts with random bully guy begining to realise how deeply he underestimated Seiji, and then cut to Williams being mysterious. It's a very nice way of revealing her observations without her outright telling the reader. Peak show don't tell right there.

The way they continue to alternate between Coach Williams, the observers reactions, and Seiji's points really builds the sense of Seiji's insane skill really well. You can visually see the observers realising Seiji's level of talent, you have Coach Williams leading you towards forming your own ideas of Seiji's skill, plus proof of Seiji being good. This is a nice way of building a picture of Seiji's insane skill without being direct or in your face about it, and very effective too. Showing only the most shocking points of the match helps build Seiji's skill up to the reader as well.

Here we go again, Seiji being amazing. Those panels where they're outside of the boundaries of the panels are so cool!

A full page of Seiji absolutely wiping the floor with Harvard with more of those speedy lines and that focused expression again. And that blur of Seiji's arm to show his speed? Epic. This whole page really hammers home how good Seiji truly is and how a lot of people forget that.

Woah, this panel. A full page of everyone parting for Seiji, giving him space and keeping out of his way. That's rough. Especially with Seiji's back turned and everyone else as blurry and indistinct. It singles Seiji put of everyone else, and the way his back is exposed sort of shows a duality of exposing a weakness even as he does it with condifernce.

And then this page:

The way Seiji is split in half in those top to panels, mirroring the two solit opinions people have on him, delicious *chef kiss*. And that third panel, where they finally say how isolated Seiji must feel and how Seiji is standing so far from the crowd? Absolutely beautiful. Plus the blurred background and indistinct crowd that draws you focus to Seiji and how solitary he is? Even beautifuler. This whole fencing scene really shows us Seiji's experience through the art as well as the words and I think it's so neat how they complement each other and give context to Seiji's experience. I love it.