Archive
Weekly Power Rankings – 6/6 – 6/12
Beelzebub 65
[chapter link]
This is only day 2 of practice? I hope we don’t stay like this for too long. This is a comedy/fighting series, not a volleyball series.
The entirety of page 3 is fantastic.
P4 / cover page: … okay, actually, if this is the kind of volleyball we’ll be playing, we can stay in this story arc a little longer. I don’t mind.
A demon lurking in the school would be an excellent way to spice things up. As enjoyable as the school arcs are, the Demon World arc was cut far too short. The major hindrance Beelzebub has before it can be considered a major series alongside its shonen counterparts is that it’s yet to attempt a long, comparatively serious arc. The Demon World teased such an arc, but wasn’t nearly enough.
P7, center-left panel: Priceless reaction.
Thankfully, Oga shares my disinterest in volleyball, and still only cares about fighting. Also, tandem tantrums are cute, Baby Beel.
I have no idea which P13 panel I prefer. What a page.
P14, bottom-left panel: Interesting choice of humor. It’s a funny gag, but it does somewhat take away what menace Miki had left after being emasculated by Izuma.
P18, bottom-right panel: Damn right, Baby Beel! Get on with the action already.
No. Instead, continuation of the Oga/Miki flashback. Hopefully this time we’ll get the full story.
Final Flash: Fairly protracted setup chapter. Some good comedy, but it seems Tamura can’t quite decide where to focus.
Bakuman 90
[chapter link]
P2, top-left panel: I don’t recall Hattori ever being audibly shocked like that. Good sign.
Didn’t expect to see Nakai again. He really disgraced himself when last we saw him. If he’s going to rejoin the main cast, he needs to make up for his mistakes.
Seems like Takagi is still stuck in a Tanto mindset. That’s not entirely bad, in a way. Perfect Crime Club (or whatever it shall soon be named) needs to be drastically different, but Takagi still needs to incorporate what he’s learned from Tanto.
Meeting new assistants is exciting. Really solidifies the sense of publication.
Mashiro has evolved so much as a character. It’s great to see him taking charge of the assistants.
P13, bottom panel: Fantastic! Comical, but also a great example of a confident Mashiro.
P15, second panel: Interestingly drawn panel. The angle, light source, shadow, and facial expression are rather rare for Obata.
Excellent concept for the characters’ names. Pity roman lettering doesn’t lend itself to interesting nuances like that.
… oh dear. PCP. Perfect Crime Party is actually a clever, great name, but… PCP. It’s unfortunate no one at (real-life) Shueisha caught and corrected this, because that’s an instant punchline every time someone new from the Western world reads the series.
P19, top-right panel: Not sure I’ve ever seen speed lines for characters bending over a table. Well, in an all-ages series, at least.
Final Flash: Great chapter. Fun new assistants, a peek into the life of an old character, and some solid development for Ashirogi’s new series.
Psyren 123
[chapter link]
Surprising choice of cover page. As far as I’m aware, Psyren isn’t typically recognized for its women; perhaps Iwashiro wants something done about that. Frederica certainly wants some attention, the way she’s lifting her own dress.
Very organic feel to the way the Tavoo have been drawn in the first couple pages.
P6, bottom panel: Rather difficult to follow exactly what’s going on. I’m aware that an attack is happening, but the massive white beams and sound effects clutter the action.
Disappointing resolution to the Kyle/Delboro fight.
Frederica’s overwhelming strength constantly surprises me. It’s no fault of Iwashiro; it’s more shonen stereotypes playing with my mind.
I’ve never liked when the enemy takes pity on the protagonist to set up a future arc. It demystifies the enemy, weakens the image of the protagonist, and needlessly teases the audience.
Great to see Hiryu rejoin the group. He’s even not one of my preferred characters, but the story has shifted away from the original group considerably. This is a welcome return.
As expected, Elmore may not make it out of this arc alive. While this is important, I hope it doesn’t detract too much from what should be an engaging rescue arc.
Final Flash: Decent chapter and promising outlook, but an unfortunate conclusion to this part of the story. Some major fights were left unresolved.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 294
[chapter link]
Unsettling cover page, given what happened at the end of last chapter.
Tsuna, having just turned down the inheritance despite not wanting his friends to be hurt, is being confronted with a situation where he’ll likely be convinced to accept the inheritance because his friends have been hurt. This storyline is a sensible way to move the plot forward, but it certainly won’t be winning any praise for complexity.
P6, center panel: Surprisingly grim artwork for this series. Even in the future arc, there was still a sense that these were just kids caught up in something serious. This is far from seinen, but it’s hardly a childish scene.
Reborn fluctuates too much between passive guardian and active member of the group. I don’t mind either role for him, but it would be nice for him to stick to one of them.
Someone had time to write a message in blood? Mizuno stupidly left a calling card, or Yamamoto somehow had enough energy left? Either way, that’s fairly silly.
That little vial the ninth was carrying turns out to be Vongola’s Sin. This is going to involve even more connections to the original Vongola. The connections that have already been drawn are tiresome, so hopefully this will involve more history and fewer contrived parallels between Tsuna’s group and the original guardians.
Sure enough, Tsuna steps up when he’s needed. So long as he’s reluctant and doesn’t turn back into the suave and collected pretty-boy from the insipid future arc, I’ll be curious to see how this develops.
Final Flash: Decent chapter, but the series has lost a step with the straightforward revelation that the Shimon family isn’t as friendly as we were supposed to expect.
Bleach 408
[chapter link]
Comedy right now is a little more acceptable than during a major face-off against an overwhelming enemy, but it still feels out of place.
Bear with him, Isshin. Your son is useless.
You can tell it’s a flashback because all the backgrounds are pure black instead of pure white.
Do we really need more than one panel to explain the Bleach ripoff of the hyperbolic time chamber? Certainly, we don’t need three pages and a diagram.
Six pages to explain a flashback that didn’t actually have to be a flashback because it just happened.
Why is this still within the “Deicide” chapter labels? That arc is over.
P13: Hey, wait a minute, I know that guy! He’s one of those guys from back when the series was tolerable!
This is far from an excellent time for a traditional shonen “our hero will save the day because that’s who he is” speech. Right now, our hero inspires absolutely no confidence and has shown absolutely no skill. Proper shonen storytelling involves convincing the audience of a character’s skill and/or strength through actual events, not through rhetoric.
Final Flash: My relief at being finished with the previous arc has already faded.
Naruto 499
[chapter link]
Nice to see Naruto becoming calm as he advances towards mastery of the power available to him, rather than becoming a berserker type. Also, his positivity here is a huge plus. This series got too bogged down in angst and negativity. Hopefully Naruto will soon be strong enough to back up his convictions and return the series to its enjoyable roots.
Assuming Naruto can use Rasengan Barrage outside of his own body, he’s becoming a far more formidable fighter already, even before the upcoming upgrade.
P8: Excellent art, and such ridiculous strength.
P12: What a moment. It’s going to be interesting to see exactly what Naruto will be capable of henceforth. Also, stand by for imminent Naruto re-tiering in our Great Shonen Tier List project.
Cracks are beginning to appear in Kyuubi’s strong facade. For his importance to the story, he’s barely been developed. Naruto’s reassuring statement to him seems to hint at a possible development in both Kyuubi as a character and the symbiosis between the two.
Kushina being the previous Jinchuuriki may not be hugely surprising, but it’s great that we’ll tackle the entirety of the past of Kushina, Minato, and Naruto within this arc. Also, a truth-unveiling flashback is a fitting time for the series to hit chapter 500.
Final Flash: Naruto is firmly back in the echelon of good shonen. Pleased by this chapter and excited for the next.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 386
[chapter link]
Naturally, the “decisive battle” features Touchuumaru. He’s top tier, after all.
P2, top-left panel: For the first time, I find Matsuena’s art a bit off. Apachai’s posture looks rather awkward to me.
An uncharacteristic admittance of weakness from Niijima.
P5, top-left panel: Whoa, again. Maybe the screentone of Miu’s shirt is throwing me off, but her posture seems strange. I’d also say Miu’s chest looks ridiculously torpedo-esque, but I can hardly claim that’s a new transgression.
P6: Wow. Thoroughly impressive spread.
P7: Wow. Thoroughly impressive… yeah. Hello, ladies.
P11: Absolutely fantastic drawing of Shigure. Maybe my favorite page of the whole series. Excellent.
A gratuitous pole-dancing scene mid-fight. Matsuena must have a clear understanding of his fan base.
P15: Yet another excellent shot of Shigure. Not as great as p12, but still great. For the record, I’m judging this on serious artistic merit, nothing else. Honestly.
Final Flash: Promising setup for the main battles of the arc, and some wonderful Shigure action. Great chapter.
GE ~ Good Ending 38
[chapter link]
Shonen mothers are so eager – whether intentionally or unwittingly – to stay out of the way when their idiot sons finally land a girl.
P2, center panel: Weekly Shonen Magazine again pushes the boundaries of the shonen demographic. Between this and Bloody Monday, the defining line isn’t nearly as clear as it used to be.
What a lovely outfit Yuki is wearing. Sasuga has a good sense of fashion.
If shonen is any indication, Japanese boys should deliberately remain terrible at math. Evidently, it directly leads to intimate situations with beautiful girls.
Utsumi is chasing her? Requisite fall-on-top-her moment in 2 or fewer pages…
P10, top-right panel: Amusing expressions, and good use of speed lines.
Seamless transition from enjoyable (if a little stereotypical) romantic comedy to some serious character introspection. The romantic comedy / harem / ecchi genre is often labeled as all fanservice and no story, which is a fair criticism for many series, but the best series of the genre go beyond scantily-clad women to develop some motivation and purpose in their male protagonists. I’m pleased to see this series is hinting at that, and I hope to see further development.
… of course, right after a serious moment comes pornography and groping.
Final Flash: Good chapter. It would have been easy to keep to overused scenarios, but the author has inserted a moment of real promise in between the ecchi fare.
Fairy Tail 188
[chapter link]
At least this chapter doesn’t claim to be the climax.
As usual, Lucy is useless. Screaming at inanimate objects tends not to solve problems, dear.
In the long run, the disappointment of Gazille’s fight being cut short could pave the way for more focus on him in the future. Hopefully, the fact that he (presumably) will have a cat companion means that he will begin to matter as much as the main group.
That said, I find myself depressed at the prospect of a character being legitimized thanks only to a cat.
“I don’t need infinite magic. I want an infinite smile!!” is a horrible line. This girl is approaching cat-city levels of terrible.
Mashima has no capacity for dramatic scenes. “Even if it splinters my body, I’ll just stop it with my soul!” Really? That’s the best you could do? Terribly cheesy.
I take it back. This cat-city focus is too much. Can we go back to the little girl now?
There’s no sense of shock in revealing a “major” secret about a character we’ve never met. Also, lone-wing character design is stale.
The lack of character establishment leading to this moment would likely have prevented me from enjoying these scenes regardless, but it’s absolutely impossible to take it seriously because they’re cats.
Final Flash: At least the cats are approaching the climax of their storyline. Anything to be done with them.
Beelzebub 64
[chapter link]
Baby Beel has a Push-Pop! I want a Push-Pop.
Only Furuichi could focus exclusively on panties in those circumstances.
Very happy to see Kunieda’s role and importance increasing within the group. I realize this is for a silly volleyball match, but surely their bonds are growing stronger overall and not only within the context of sport.
MK5? That was a little unexpected. Cannon fodder to prove the main group is ready, perhaps.
“Lose in one page” is fantastic. That’s the first time I can recall Beelzebub explicitly breaking the fourth wall.
Miki training can only bode well. This little volleyball arc is amusing, but I don’t want this series to go the way of Prince of Tennis before it and take away from the intensity of its main storyline with too many nonsensical side stories.
Final Flash: Good comedy, but I’m most excited about the “Next issue, Oga vs Miki again!?” teaser at the end of the chapter.
Lock On! 16
[chapter link]
P2, main panel: I found one! That’s a background! Right there!
“Why is he so stupid when it comes to relationships?” Because he’s a shonen protagonist.
The box punchline is rather good.
Cherish this moment, Matsuri. Everyone remembers their first time [sitting on a box].
Oh, come on. The immediate reaction would be childhood friend, not pedophile.
This flashback is actually incredibly touching. It’s not just good by Lock On! standards, either.
Disappointing to find a teaser for sexual harassment at the end of a notable chapter.
Final Flash: Good by any measure, and fantastic when compared to the rest of the series.
Kimi no Iru Machi 93
[chapter link]
Always nice when magazines remind us how super popular a series is.
Amusing first two pages. That’s the kind of small touch this series has missed.
So, if Haruto freaks out Eba, Mishima is going to beat him with a bat? Brutal. Actually, that’s excellent.
Kazama certainly isn’t helping his own cause. It seems as though he’s trying to set Haruto and Eba up again, knowing he’ll soon be gone.
Beef stroganoff? It’s a bit odd to hear that used in the context of haute cuisine. Perhaps Chef Boyardee has tarnished the name of good food.
He’s actually going to make it. Our protagonist, ladies and gentlemen.
Final Flash: Unsettling turn of events. It’s nice that Haruto is being persistent, but it will feel like a shallow victory for Haruto (not to mention a colossal waste of time for the series) if Kazama continues to practically hand over the girl he’s supposed to be fighting for.
Psyren 122
[chapter link]
Asuka seems to have a superior version of Melchsee’s Door.
Nevermind, he’s going Super Saiyan! Or turning into Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)! Or Akuma (Street Fighter series)! Or… generally looking out of place.
He must be doing this at some great cost to himself. He’s just too strong.
Vigo’s still alive! Looking like Elmore might sacrifice herself to save Van and/or Marie.
P16, bottom-center panel: Translators, there is a considerable difference between “kukuku” (evil laughter) and “kkk” (racist organization).
Ahh! Natural sunlight! Actually, I have no idea what happened at the end of the chapter.
Final Flash: Some nice action, and at least one major long-term development (Marie’s kidnapping). It sure feels like a training arc is right around the corner, after this beam of light and before rescuing Marie.
Bakuman 89
[chapter link]
This is interesting insight into the dynamism of a mangaka duo. I wonder if Obata prefers to receive names or manuscripts.
P2, bottom panel: Kaya has been written as such a good character that even tiny, seemingly-throwaway scenes of her like this are enjoyable.
Same goes for page 3. Ashirogi Muto wouldn’t be nearly as strong a team without Kaya as support.
P4, center panel: Kaya with adorable-lazy-Obata face!
I can see some serious lesson-learning coming for Miura in the near future. Just picking up the manuscript can’t be enough in a working relationship like this.
Eiji, still fantastic. He’s an unusual cross between a rival and a mentor figure, at times. (Well, he’s always unusual.) It’s going to be fun to see if Miura can actually contribute anything, or if he’ll just be swept away by Eiji’s pace and brilliance. With Perfect Crime Club poised to succeed, I look forward to little more than Eiji having to get serious.
P7, top-right: Eiji gets the Obata-face this time!
“He’s probably psychic” is a great line when delivered as deadpan as Hattori intends it.
P10, right panel: Great facial expression on Mashiro. Obata doesn’t draw faces like that often.
There’s already a movie by that name? What a nice, odd touch.
A couple great series being referenced on page 12, though I find Slam Dunk to be considerably more excellent.
As expected, Iwase is now a handful. She’s already fantastic in this role. That said, she’s not wrong; Miura should be providing more insight for his authors. He’s going to find it tough to again follow Hattori.
Of course Hiramaru carries around an Otters 11 figure in his jacket. I would, too, if I had one. (Hey, Shueisha…) Also, how can Aoki not be impressed by that Otters 11 figure? I just don’t understand women sometimes.
Mashiro’s solution for the main character seems rather reminiscent of Sket Dance: Completely ordinary kid with exceedingly ordinary “power-up.” Still, considering the main character of Perfect Crime Club needs to be ordinary for the story to work, this has potential.
Final Flash: Engaging developmental chapter. The series will need to move soon from the preparatory stages of Perfect Crime Club to actual publishing and competition with Eiji.
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