Masterpiece. No other words, or adjectives, to describe it. As the second part of the series, it chronicles a new beginning for every character. If the beginning was an intense ride or die situation, this one feels much more like the consequences. It couldn't be the same, not after our main character became the most infamous human being to grace this particular action world. So much effort, sacrifices, and tears were shed just to keep the status back to square one, and none of it mattered. Placing Shioon in an even worse situation than ever before, it feels like an urgent need to reach for the stars.
The first part identified itself more as a roller coaster. The actions taken had a natural, inevitable quality to them. Every moral compass clashed, and created this narrative for itself. However, “New Waves” is more of a self-imposed, multiple choice narrative. It's the moment it could've changed for good, one way or the other. The main character takes us to his story, not his teacher's. He messes up, comes up with solutions by himself, takes extreme risks to advance the plot, while still being the metaphorical Mcgufffin of the world. It's INCREDIBLE.
The story sends us in a path of no return for the forced maturity of Shioon. I wouldn't call it a coming of age story, or a one of adulthood for that matter. That happened in the previous one, and surprisingly, it takes more on the themes of love, family love. Love for those who motivate you, for those who took a risk for you. In a world filled with hatred, fights, or the constant of death at every confrontation, a wholesome guy destroys the conceptions of hatred by doing all he knows… his best. It's so powerful to see a monstrous, old, and routhless leader, corrupted by politics, revenge, and family quarrels, crumble in front of a kid who protects those he cares about with the utmost honesty. Again, he's the only, and most perfect protagonist for this story. His actions speak louder than his words, his loses scream as much as his victories, and his wins feel so rewarding because of his progress in a hostile world he doesn't originally belong to. It's all about his decisions, and how he uses everything around him to make everything a better place for those he cares about. Love, without being corny, without needless drama, but with actions that ripple throughout this world.
Characters are another piece of the perfect puzzle. So many of them, new, involved. The old ones develop even more, serving as human beings, rather than obstacles to overcome. The past is much more important in this series, since this isn't a beautiful, cute world. Tragedy will always follow those who're old. Tragedy is always at the doorstep of the young. Everybody suffers so much, in such an organic way, but again, Shioon steals the spotlight for unyielding will. Imagine, in a world of talent, prestige, sacred bloodlines, hierarchy. The rules are brutal, but this one, a kid, who searches for the best of those around him, changes EVERYTHING. I said it before, but I'll say it again. He's the domino piece that changes this world, and those he affects become such a big part of the story that you can't imagine the amount of connection you'll feel by the end.
I call this a perfect narrative, and an improvement in what I already described as a perfect story. Every action matters, there's not a single chapter, or page you can skip. Effective in storytelling, perfect in execution, with some of the best character writing in the medium, and the art is something that's only getting better. It stopped using those beautiful perspective-bending panels, which is a small shame, but the fights retain that brutality we love. The art takes a much more emotional approach, rather than a subjective view of what's happening. Scale increases, we get more environmental damage in every picture. Not the same, but just as great for what it achieves.
10/10. There's no doubt in my mind. This belongs in the golden road of martial arts media. Perfect in every way, even if the authors constantly doubt their craft (they comment a lot about messing up in omakes, humble mfs).
