It's back in the ring for young fighter Kiichi as he continues to learn the lessons of the deadly Nanshin Shadow Style against all comers in the second release of SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN. If you haven't checked out the first round, go do so now (review here), then join us as the bell rings for round two of Kiichi's battle for honor, glory and his very life!

At a crowded press conference, wrestling champion Iron Kiba announces his 'retirement' from the squared circle. He has done this to better concentrate his efforts on finally crushing Oton's Nanshin Shadow Style and avenging his defeat (and loss of an eye) at Oton's hands years ago. Meanwhile, Oton's son Kiichi prepares for a match against Iron Kiba's latest protege Mikinino, a knife-wielding psychopath. But before that match can occur, Kiichi stumbles across a rumble in the park between Mikinino and a stranger known only as Man-Eater. Despite being stabbed by Mikinino, Man-Eater crushes his opponent to near death. Kiichi steps in and challenges the Man-Eater, who relishes the idea of being the one to bring down the apex of Nanshin Shadow Style. They start an impromptu battle; however, the wound from his previous encounter inhibits Man-Eater, so he pulls the knife out of his side. Kiichi calls an ambulance as the resulting fountain of blood forces Man-Eater into unconsciousness.

Iron Kiba keeps up the pressure to destroy the Nanshin Shadow Style. He agrees to face Man-Eater if he defeats Kiichi, and recruits a master of the dread Jujitsu style Shingu Aoi as backup if the Man-Eater fails again. In the hospital Man-Eater is absolutely ungrateful for Kiichi's help. His sister Akemi arrives, and chastises her older brother - Kiichi not only called for help, but also donated blood needed for Yoshiki's (Man-Eater's real name) surgery. Heck the two of them are so alike they should be friends! Yoshiki begrudgingly agrees, but still wants to prove himself against Kiichi. They meet again to fight an honorable duel between pals. This time, their battle is interrupted by Shingu, who claims he can 'read' his opponent's moves before he makes them! To prove his point, the Jujitsu master breaks Yoshiki's arm in less than a minute! Shingu issues a formal challenge to fight Kiichi in one week. Armed with pre-cognition, will Iron Kiba's latest assassin succeed in bringing down Kiichi and the Nanshin Shadow Style this time? How can Kiichi hope to defeat an opponent who knows his every move before he makes them? For honor, for glory, for his very life, Kiichi must find a way!

Continuing from Round One, Round Two of SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN hits the ground running and doesn't let up. You really do need to see the first DVD to know what's going on; there is no re-cap for first-time viewers. This volume, like many that are part two of a trilogy, focuses a lot on setting up the grand finale, but still gives the viewer lots of blood 'n' guts action. Kiichi finds new friends in his opposition of Iron Kiba, and learns valuable lessons from his father Oton about how to fight with honor - and what the cost of being a master of Nanshin Shadow Style demands! It's a testament to good writing the progression of Kiichi's character, and even the new faces like Yoshiki and Shingu are given depth and backstory -they're not just stereotyped into roles. The animation is nothing spectacular, but doesn't need to be - the focus on character and action is paramount in this type of series, so it works very well in that context- and they sure know how to stage a fight scene with maximum impact The picture quality is fine - colors are vivid, especially if you like red. Audio is fine as well, and the dubbing is appropriate for the characters (no nasally weasel voiced geeks - these guys are all manly men!).

There are not many extras included in Round Two of SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN. There are trailers for all three volumes of the series, and an art gallery, plus previews of other CMP titles. I still would've liked character profiles, and maybe just a little featurette on the making of the show. Maybe they're waiting for Round Three...

After the fast and furious opening round of SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN, Round Two has a more restrained pace, but doesn't skimp on the violence. Kiichi finds new allies against Iron Kiba, but faces his most brutal challenge from the obsessed madman. The players are in position - now it's time for Round Three. Is Kiichi destined for glory, or the grave?