The bell's about to ring for the final round of the uber-violent SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN. Yes campers, it's the third go-round for Kiichi, Oton and their friends against the maniacal Iron Kiba and his wrestling goons in a no-holds barred fight to the death! For honor! For glory! For God's sake let's get on with it!

Even though Oton has an upcoming rematch against Kiba (remember, in their first fight, he took out Kiba's eye), he focuses on training Kiichi instead. Oton has invented a new system to increase Kiichi's power - a sadistic restraint device that forces the boy to extremes not yet before seen. Obviously a devotee of "dynamo tension" *, Oton's contraption keeps slamming Kiichi back into the wall. But the youth refuses to let the system beat him, even as he tears his body beyond all reason. As much as he suffers, Kiichi's friends tell him to trust his dad's methods and take the abuse - then the power will be his. Meanwhile, Kiba trains hard as well; revenge will be his! Kiichi tries to quit, but Oton reminds him of the family's honor; 'what would you (Kiichi) do if I (Oton) die'? Kiichi realizes the abuse of training is part of his destiny.

Now we all know what a bitch destiny can be. In a horrific moment, Oton is rendered incapable of honoring his commitment to the match. Impulsively, Kiichi tells Kiba he will take his father's place. And so the stage is set; even with the spectre of death looming over him, Kiichi stands in the ring supported by all his friends and family ready for the final showdown with Kiba. Only one will leave the squared circle alive...

Now if you've been following SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN, you know what to expect in this final round. The climatic battle between Kiba and Kiichi is one of the most brutally savage altercations you'll ever find in anime. Yet, the show is not just an excuse for blood and gore. There is a real attempt to make the characters more than stereotype thugs. The ideas of honor and glory, as well as redemption, are explored, but don't fear action fans; SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN is still a lean mean fighting machine. The animation is nothing spectacular, but then again, the story and action are what drives this show...and the bloody fighting, of course. Sound is nice and clear to hear every bone breaking. The dub job is good. Overall, SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN is one heck of an intense series, a rampaging rhino that take hold and doesn't let up. Kinda like Oton's diabolical training devices...

CMP has released this final volume of SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN with the same type of extras found in the earlier volumes - trailers, art gallery and previews. It would have been nice to have a background feature about the series on at least one of the volumes, and maybe a set of character profiles. Oh well...

Violence is an unfortunate reality of life. Those who live by violence inevitably die that way. But honor and glory are the reward for those who can rise above the bestial impulses and understand the reasons behind the fighting. SHOOTFIGHTER TEKKEN is a brutal, brutal series, but Kiichi shows us that even the most base of men can rise above. For honor. For glory. For family.

* - "muscle working against muscle" - watch Monty Python, kids