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Lock On! 13
[chapter link]
Last chapter was surprisingly good. Well, good for Lock On!, anyway. Let’s hope the author builds on that.
A rival club? It has potential, I suppose. Arata (the cocky underclassman) could serve as a decent comic foil to Utsuru.
P4, bottom-left panel: See, this kind of stark panel would work excellently if Lock On! regularly had competent backgrounds.
Lots of festival/competition types of storylines in shonen manga right now. It’s almost as though that’s what’s happening in Japanese schools right now.
Yuki is a little too gullible, even for her role as the gullible kindhearted friend.
P16, bottom-right panel: Sadly, what’s clearly supposed to be a touching moment is ruined by the art style. This looks like My First Manga. Take off the training wheels already, Tsuchida.
Rival status confirmed.
Final Flash: I still feel Arata has some potential, but that’s not saying much in a series that began like a sinking ship. That potential needs to be realized quickly.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 289
[chapter link]
Poor Ako. A dream like this must be torture.
Good to see Ako isn’t a pushover. It’s not like I’m expecting stunning female characterization in a series like this, but I appreciate a little backbone.
Pactio! It’s been a little while.
Is this a special occasion or something? Eva’s wearing clothes. I’m confused.
Another pactio! It’s been… well, never mind.
Why not: pactio #3! Makes sense to get them all in now.
The translation I’m reading has been a little shaky, so perhaps this could be an issue of word choice, but Negi saying “You’re great” to Makie after their pactio seems awkward.
Final Flash: A setup chapter that had to happen.
Beamcast – May 24
[download link – 79min, 40mb]
In this week’s show:
News
Next Full Metal Panic! novel to be released this July
“Cool Japan” survey
Weekly Oricon rankings
New releases
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood part 1 (Bluray / DVD) Bluray: $54.98 / DVD: $49.98
Hell Girl – Two Mirrors Collection 1 (Sub.DVD 1 of 2) $49.98
Hell Girl Complete First Season S.A.V.E. Edition (Hybrid DVD) $29.98
Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Wolf (DVD 1) $21.99
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 1 Complete Set (DVD 1) $59.98
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 2 Part 2 (DVD) $49.98
Current/Classic Reviews
Mahou Sensei Negima!
Dragon Ball
This Week in Manga
0:39:52 – One Piece 585
0:43:54 – Naruto 495
0:46:51 – Bleach 404
0:52:02 – Bakuman 86
0:56:03 – Beelzebub 60
1:01:26 – Fairy Tail 184
1:05:20 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 382
1:07:42 – Hayate no Gotoku! 272
1:09:39 – Psyren 119
1:11:16 – Lock On! 12
1:12:53 – AR∀GO 19
1:14:00 – Toriko 94
1:15:56 – GE – Good Ending 34
1:16:25 – Hunter x Hunter 309
1:17:36 – Kimi no Iru Machi 90
1:17:38 – Nurarihyon no Mago 105
Chapters of the Week
Final Flash
Comments / questions / additions? Email the show.
Want to share with friends? How kind. Have a shortlink: http://wp.me/pJOZe-hx
Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
Beelzebub 61
[chapter link]
Really like the shot of all of them lined up, with Furuichi cowering.
Furuichi is the leader!
Sports festival? Not sure I like how we’re continuing to take the focus away from the fights that were started.
The clause that the captains will be stripped of their status if they lose makes me curious about how long the setting will be this school. We still have the Demon World to return to.
Izuma was in on the whole thing. I’m glad he’s developing into a serious villain.
Hildegarde! We haven’t seen her nearly enough recently.
Final Flash: Not an awful setup chapter, but still a considerable letdown from the fighting. Hilda’s arrival creates interesting theories about her role in the upcoming fig– er, I mean, sports festival.
Bakuman 86
[chapter link]
This is it.
Positive reactions right off the bat. Hoping not to be swerved.
P3, bottom-right panel: Priceless expression.
Ooh, that cake is appetizing.
Whoa, Azuki can bake! Crafty little move there by Kaya.
That is such an amazing gift idea. How sweet.
It’s rather amusing to see a legal notice about a Wham/George Michael song in manga.
And there’s the swerve. I’m not at all surprised to see that it’s not being voted in unanimously, but for it to have to be judged as superior to Crow and Natural at the meeting is harsh.
Of course it came down to chief. Another cliffhanger.
Final Flash: I enjoyed the heartwarming Mashiro/Azuki stuff, but at the same time, I really want to find out if Perfect Crime Club gets in. Having to wait at least one more week hurts.
Hunter x Hunter 309
[chapter link]
Pouf may have unknowingly triggered some more memories in the King.
Regarding the entire concept of Pouf trying to hide the girl: I’m expecting the King to find her, obviously, and I’m slightly worried that this storyline could be Togashi’s way out of the corner he’s in right now, with the King overwhelmingly more powerful than everyone else. If he finds the girl and decides he shouldn’t fight, or becomes weak, or anything of that nature, I’ll be disappointed.
This game is just another way to stretch for time, which is completely unwanted right now. Let’s get the King fighting someone already.
Too much internal monologue from Palm. This isn’t Death Note.
Ikarugo and Werefin end the chapter? Does Togashi hate his own main characters or something?
Final Flash: Dull, wordy, and a general waste of time.
Naruto 495
[chapter link]
Naruto rapping on the cover page does not fill me with confidence.
P3, top-right panel: This panel is to be saved for posterity.
The entire discourse between Naruto and Dark Naruto is poor. No specifics to comment about. Just poor.
Those guys were just sitting there watching him? That’s… bizarre.
We’re done with the pre-training arc stuff. Now, to the actual training arc. I’m a little depressed to say that.
Final Flash: Not a good chapter, and very little to talk about, but at least we’re moving forward.
One Piece 585
[chapter link]
I suppose Magellan and Hannyabal don’t have any other friends.
Despite not being a huge fan of flashbacks, and despite wanting to move forward with the present-time storyline, I’m enjoying this flashback now. It’s fun to see kid Luffy devising attacks but not yet being able to pull them off.
Oda seems to be having fun writing this, too. One Piece rarely features so many narrative boxes.
Sabo is the son of a noble, and he’s passionate about becoming a free pirate. Sorry, kid, but your fate is sealed.
Several pages of bittersweet scenes of three brothers. This would feel completely different if it had been before Ace’s death. Sorry for doubting you, Oda.
Sabo’s father in cahoots with Bluejam. Next chapter should be the climax of the flashback.
Final Flash: A very different kind of One Piece chapter. More narrative, extended stretches of allowing the art to speak without dialogue. Reminds me of some old Calvin & Hobbes Sunday strips. Very much a “feel” chapter, and a good one.
Bleach 404
[chapter link]
Sadly, our wish of “Bleach 404” being a missing chapter error message did not come true.
Well, five pages in, and it feels like the chapter’s missing. Nothing happening. Just staring.
Unnecessary and ill-timed comic relief between Yoruichi and Kisuke.
Tired of seeing extreme close-ups of these three. If you’re going to kill someone off, hurry the hell up and do it. It’s not like there’s going to be any impact anyway; might as well get it over with.
Oh, right, Ichigo’s here.
Again, Gin is spot on in his remarks about Ichigo. Gin is easily the only tolerable character left in this series.
P16, middle panel: I’m sorry, is that supposed to be an attack? Is that art supposed to convey anything?
Ichigo, already useless, resorts to Hollow mode. Great.
There’s Matsumoto again. Do something this time.
Final Flash: Typical putrid Bleach.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 382
[chapter link]
P1, top panel: Okay, I understand Kenichi‘s propensity for fanservice, but Miu’s chest is pretty ridiculous.
Excellent cover page.
P4, bottom-left panel: Excuse me, sir; your neck seems to be trying to devour your face.
“I would even beat up the President, but don’t make me get on a plane!” Great line.
Matsuena seems to use progressively more cutesy characters in lighthearted/comedy scenes these days. Not exactly chibi, but slightly deformed.
Some menacing scenes of the Setting Sun of Eternity, then a rather abrupt ending. Almost feels like a page is missing.
Final Flash: It’ll take a couple more chapters to properly set up the main fights, but this was enjoyable enough.
Fairy Tail 184
[chapter link]
Cover page says “Climax of the Edolas Arc.” I am holding you to this, chapter.
Taurus: Useless, as always.
Virgo, now. Proving Lucy’s powerlessness before she reveals a new summon, maybe? I don’t know. There’s no sense of purpose to this fight.
I am entirely unsurprised that Mashima is having a cute girl fighting a baddie with tentacles.
You can’t use a “protect your friends” speech when the character is trying to save a stranger. This is a basic storytelling principle.
Yep, Lucy proved to be unnecessary. Natsu would have come through that wall and saved the day whether or not the octopus guy was tied up. Chalking this up to fanservice.
Two mid-bosses were defeated, and that’s the “climax of the Edolas arc”? Gray hasn’t even fought, Erza is still fighting herself somewhere, the old man has yet to reveal his power, and there are surely at least two more “shocking” developments in this cheap Enies Lobby ripoff.
Final Flash: Chapter, that’s unacceptable false advertising. I demand to see your supervisor, chapter.
Beelzebub 60
[chapter link]
Color page: Colors are pretty good, but this isn’t the most flattering example of this mangaka’s art. Too many of Oga and Toujou’s features look similar.
Page 5, top-left panel: Oga’s willing to fight! Excellent.
So Izuma not only dodges Toujou, but somehow hits his arm in such a way that it’s smoking? Scary.
Not sure how I feel about Toujou shrugging off Miki’s attack. It’s a cool scene, but I thought we’d already established that Oga was above Toujou.
Deathmatch. Yeah, Izuma is scary.
Furuichi! Back to chasing girls, too. Can’t go wrong, here.
Expulsion? That can’t actually happen, can it?
Final Flash: Some cool moments, but it’s very disappointing not to see any of the fights resolved.
Toriko 94
[chapter link]
Well, that’s one way to start a chapter. Bare ass. Full color, too.
Color spread: So much pink! The large character behind Toriko looks a lot like Blackbeard from One Piece, too.
“And my completely dead three subordinates” is an amusing line. They’re not just dead. They’re completely dead.
Page 5, third row, right panel: Toriko is uncharacteristically adorable here.
Butterfly Therapies… yet more interesting ideas used only in passing. Great touch.
As expected, Setsuna foreshadows an interesting development with the wall penguin child.
Nice to see Toriko walking around casually without an arm. I expect him to get his arm back soon, but in the meantime, this is good.
Onsen Sharks! Creative.
The first person in our world to successfully genetically engineer Diet Fish will make a fortune.
Love that Sani was so focused on himself that he didn’t notice Toriko’s missing arm.
… whoa. I was more right with that Blackbeard comment than I expected. Yosaku is practically the spitting image of Teach. Weird.
Final Flash: Fun transitional chapter with many great new species.
Weekly Power Rankings – 5/9 – 5/15
Beamcast – May 17
[download link – 86min, 43mb]
In this week’s show:
News
34th Kodansha Manga Awards (Inazuma Eleven, Ace of the Diamond, Kuragehime, Giant Killing)
4Kids reports $3.5 million loss in Q1 2010
Buronson, Hiroyuki Nishimori each launch new manga in Monthly Shonen Sunday
One Piece vol. 57 is best-selling book since 2008
Moyashimon beer!
Weekly Oricon rankings
Licensing announcements
Rosario + Vampire
Chaos:HEAd
Chrome Shelled Regios
Rideback
Sora no Otoshimono
GUNxSWORD
Current/Classic Reviews
Naruto
Death Note
This Week in Manga
0:40:03 – Bleach 403
0:45:31 – One Piece 584
0:48:44 – Naruto 494
0:51:46 – Bakuman 85
0:54:35 – Beelzebub 59
0:59:39 – Fairy Tail 183
1:02:21 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 381
1:04:44 – Hayate no Gotoku! 271
1:06:36 – Mahou Sensei Negima! 288
1:08:08 – Psyren 118
1:10:58 – Hajime no Ippo 893-894
1:17:46 – Zettai Karen Children 215-216
1:19:32 – Lock On! 11
1:20:45 – D.Gray-man 194
1:21:56 – Fullmetal Alchemist 107
1:23:16 – Hunter x Hunter 308
1:23:50 – Kimi no Iru Machi 89
1:24:37 – Nurarihyon no Mago 104
Chapters of the Week
Final Flash
Comments / questions / additions? Email the show.
Want to share with friends? How kind. Have a shortlink: http://wp.me/pJOZe-gM
Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
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