Dogsred vol. 1 started with a rampage and that kind of chaotic energy continues with vol. 2. We've got the two different kinds of disasters as described in the blurb: one high school sports dynasty falls, while the new defending champ's season gets rocked with a natural disaster (based in reality). We had the start of Rou's journey in the last volume; this time around we get some insight into Rou's reasoning for why he chose such a dramatic exit to figure skating. As if that was not action packed enough, Rou joins his high school's hockey team and they start a very unconventional dryland training regimen in the "experimental forest" behind the school. But wait, is that a bear claw? I guess I would have to stick around for the next volume.

About thirty-five years ago, a young mangaka from Kagoshima took Japan by storm with a little story about a relatively obscure sport—basketball. Fast-forward to today, it's pretty safe to say that this artist's love letter to shooting hoops became something of a Slam Dunk with its readers. While reading through the first volume of Satoru Noda's Dogsred, I couldn't help but feel a similar passion for hockey dripping from every page. Those feelings only intensified when I discovered that hockey is currently a niche sport on the rise in Japan, like basketball once was. Following the wild success of Golden Kamuy, it seems that Noda was able to convince his editors to get Dogsred (a reimagining of his 2011 series, Supinamarada!) out onto the ice.

On the topic of throwing weight around, the series' opening chapter hits readers hard and fast with a heartbreaking, dramatic hook. We're introduced to Rou as he's about to perform in a competition that could make or break his Olympic aspirations as a figure skater. Despite the presence of his adoring fans, Rou's simmering in grief after the very recent death of his mother, who also served as his coach. Channeling that anguish, the young skater nails the final routine she had devised for him and wows the judges in the process. But as he's about to take the top prize, Rou has an intense public meltdown that results in chucked chairs, slashed stages, fierce fisticuffs, and an indefinite ban from competition.

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If I had read this before I knew anything about hockey I might have really enjoyed the explanation of hockey terms that are peppered throughout the story. However, since I spend an unhealthy amount of time dealing with hockey and a hockey player, I found that they took me out of the story. Obviously that is a me problem and not a story problem. My biggest issue is that the relationship between Rou and Keiichi still feels very much like a typical BL enemies-to-lovers trope and it's not and it makes me sad. Actually, my biggest issue with this volume might be Coach Nihei. Rou and Keiichi have entered Oino-kami High and are trying out for the hockey team. Coach Nihei is an dick. He literally waterboards students. I don't care how good of a coach you are, or how many titles your school has won in a row (19 in this case but they lost the last one so ha!), being an abusive POS is not cool, even in manga. Also, I still don't love the art style. That being said, I'll probably continue to read the series.

This was a great manga and I still don’t know anything about hockey but I am enjoying the story and I am figuring out the game as I read. It continues the story with Rou choosing to chase hockey instead of going back to figure skating since he didn’t really have a passion for it and he was mostly doing it to fulfill his moms dreams and going all in at his new school to make the team. I can’t wait to read to next one and see how he does when he knows all the rules of how to actually play hockey.
Thanks to Viz media and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.