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One Piece 598
[scanlation by Binktopia]
It’s been too long, old friend.
Excellent Jump cover. Right away, we get to see one of the character redesigns, in the form of a huge scar on Luffy’s chest.
Beautiful color selections (as always) in the opening color pages. Particularly amusing is Luffy’s dismissal of Hancock’s marriage plans, and particularly notable is that Luffy mastered everything Rayleigh had to offer in half a year less time than needed.
The color cover page reveals all the redesigns, so let’s go over them:
Luffy: Aside from the scar, not much has changed. We can’t see if he still has the tattoo.
Zoro: I hope he’s closing his eye to accentuate the scar; one one-eyed character is enough in the crew. The slightly longer hair is a nice touch.
Nami: Long hair will take a while to get used to, honestly. It looks good, but short hair represented her character better. Perhaps she has matured.
Usopp: He’s thin again, and his hair is longer. Nothing unexpected.
Sanji: His hair is covering the other eye?! That’s priceless. I could live without the facial hair, though.
Chopper: Still adorable.
Robin: Her facial features are more defined, giving her even more striking looks compared to other One Piece women. Good choice.
Franky: … he’s huge. Where’s the hair?
Brook: 2 years turned him into a glam rocker, apparently. I’d say that’s weird, but it’s a talking skeleton with an afro. This is par for the course.
Of all the Supernovas, the narration specifically mentions Kid and Drake. Kid is understandable, but Drake wasn’t in focus nearly as much as Law. Whether or not it’s a deliberate hint, I think this is a further sign that Drake bears some serious importance to future plot.
Brook becoming a world-renowned rock star is a bit much. By design, Brook is more comic relief than serious crew member, but any extent to which his place in the crew (and in the series) has been legitimized is entirely because of his serious plot (Laboon). Pandering too much to his comic side makes him feel more out of place in the crew than ever.
I do want a Sharkuitar, though
So much for Sanji having a scar or facial deformity or any kind of unique feature on his left eye. Oda’s nonchalance in switching Sanji’s hair parting is the perfect kind of character redesign. Also, I’m glad Sanji’s taste for women hasn’t changed.
The new Fleet Admiral is already shaking things up, by switching the locations of G1 and Marine HQ. I wonder about the explanation, though; if the emphasis of moving the HQ was to put it closer to the Yonkou, that could have been done anytime. To our knowledge, there hasn’t been any plot point involving the Yonkou that would have triggered this move. Perhaps the barkeep is an unreliable narrator, and the move relates more to the pirates from the first half of the Grand Line. This could even be a reaction to Luffy’s actions at Marineford.
Please tell me the fake Straw Hat Pirates are in line for a cover story.
Not that she’s in any trouble here, obviously, but thinking back to Jaya, Nami has bad luck in bars.
Usopp’s brief demonstration of his Pop Greens is exciting. His fights have so much more potential for variety now. Meanwhile, his claim that he’s grown stronger and more confident is worrying. This could just be a lie, or it could be false bravado in the face of a weak opponent, but if Usopp really is brave, that would mean that the single most important change in his life happened off-screen, and that would be unacceptable.
Interesting "confirmation" there
Zoro was first to return? He better have had some help getting there. I don’t think I can accept Zoro having a sense of direction.
Not enough time to learn to wink?
Robin wouldn’t really feel right without someone chasing after her, would she?
Like Usopp, Chopper can’t tell the fake crew from his own nakama. He is too cute.
I, uh, have to point out that where and how fake-Robin is holding that cucumber looks a bit… well…
I agree with Chopper.
How incompetent are Robin’s potential captors that they could fall for these fakes? That’s laughable.
Luffy’s response to this “threat” in the next chapter will be a key sign of how his character has changed, if at all. Will he rampage like old, immature Luffy, or will he expand on the maturity and restraint he showed in the face of Bellamy’s men assaulting him at the aforementioned bar in Jaya?
Final Flash: Not much to go on. Some of the redesigns are good, some are great, and some are slightly disappointing. There wasn’t much plot, either. It’s fantastic to have One Piece back, but long hair and new clothes aren’t what we’ve waited a month for. Hopefully, the good stuff (reunion, finally heading to Fishman Island) starts next week.
Bakuman 102
[scanlation by SleepyFans]
“Awkward” doesn’t come close to describing Mashiro’s expressions and reactions. Clearly, he isn’t comfortable with Takagi branching out on his own yet, but Mashiro isn’t the type to speak up about it at all, much less in front of the involved parties themselves.
Eyes are not meant to look like that
At least Takagi is still thinking about improving for the sake of Ashirogi, instead of focusing on his own individual success. Still, something about this just doesn’t feel right. Perhaps it’s how abruptly we’re being pushed towards long-term plot involving a character as recently introduced as Shiratori?
Aoki Ko serving as the judge for Treasure is another subtle sign of the progression of time and the success of our core cast of characters.
Mashiro definitely has issues with this. The scenes of him watching the impromptu Rabuta & Peace meeting from afar add a tinge of sadness to the existing overwhelming awkwardness.
I want a PCP coffee mug.
This is quite a bit of exposition on Shiratori. I’m perfectly fine with him as a supporting character, but I have some serious reservations about his sudden rise to prominence in the plot. It’s rare that I question Ohba’s writing, but the pacing surrounding Shiratori is unusual at best, and jarring at worst.
The exchange between Hattori and Shiratori about Shiratori’s career desires is another example of the over-importance of Shiratori right now. Frankly, the more that’s being made of him, the less I find myself caring about him and plot related to him.
Sorry, I can't be forced to care about him
Rabuta & Peace is set to run in Jump, skipping over the possibility of Treasure or Next. Then, even more pages of convoluted Shiratori story, this time focusing more intently on his family drama. Really, this is getting ridiculous.
Leave it to Kaya to bring some sense to an otherwise increasingly alien chapter. Her take on Mashiro is absolutely spot-on, and Takagi needs to realize she’s right before the plot moves too far away from its original direction.
Where would the series be without her?
It has seemed for a while that Bakuman could be nearing its end relatively soon, and while I’d be happy with more chapters than expected of such a good series, a rift between Mashiro and Takagi seems more like a way to unnecessarily stretch out extra mileage from a series rather than contributing positively to the overall plot, particularly if said rift is caused by such an irrelevant character as Shiratori.
Final Flash: I have enough faith in Ohba to be optimistic and hope this is nothing more than a small stumble in the plot instead of a massive fall in quality.
Fairy Tail 202
[scanlation by Binktopia]
I hope the cover page’s claim of “The strongest cat in all of FT history!!” is intended to imply that Pantherlily is the strongest cat in the entire series universe, rather than simply the strongest one yet in the series timeline, or the strongest we’ve seen. Him being the strongest overall lessens the chance of future cat introductions.
Natsu choosing Happy as his partner is such a boring choice. This is a rare chance for Mashima to explore chemistry between characters who rarely interact, and instead we’re given the most obvious choice right from the start. Often, series with side characters more interesting than the protagonist translate to praise for the author, for creating such interesting diversions; in Fairy Tail, unfortunately, the side characters are more interesting than Natsu because Natsu is boring.
It may only be conjecture, but an explicit mention of Igneel after so long is pleasing.
Gray’s choice of Loke is an excellent one. That’s exactly the kind of surprise choice that I wanted from Natsu.
Lisanna pairing with Lluvia hopefully means that Lluvia will play a major role in this arc, considering how immediately relevant Lisanna is.
Elfman with Evergreen! Levy and Gazille! Mest and Wendy! With each choice, I’m more incredulous as to how Mashima can mess up Natsu so badly, given how well he’s pairing up everyone else.
Partner contrast is vital
Cana will obviously be integral to the upcoming plot. Whenever we finally do get to learn her backstory, I hope it’s convincingly sad. Natsu bears obvious rooting interest, whether relying on the crutch of being the protagonist or in hope that attaining S-Class really will facilitate a meeting with Igneel; others such as Lluvia are personal choices at best, with little established reason for success; Cana’s plot will need to be important enough to strongly rival Natsu meeting Igneel for the arc to carry real tension (again, as with last chapter, assuming that only one person will be promoted, which isn’t the kind of super-happy arc ending that Fairy Tail tends to provide).
Final Flash: Mostly exciting choices (save for Natsu), thus another promising chapter. That’s enough promise, though; it’s now time to start delivering.
Fairy Tail 201
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Hello again, fanservice. Invite yourself in, why don’t you?
It took six pages to get to a character wearing clothes. Maybe I shouldn’t have complained all those times Fairy Tail cover pages have been so shameless; Mashima is evidently deciding to move things around.
This kind of bustling activity within the guild is considerably more exciting than the usual incessant partying.
Charle’s power of precognition must be kept as explicitly limited as shown here for her character to fit it with the ensemble cast at all.
Lluvia deserves so much more involvement in the main plot. She’s such a fun character, and she isn’t lacking in ability.
More of her, please
The S-Class Wizard Promotion Trial is very promising. The strength of Fairy Tail has never been originality, but rather solid execution of classic shonen formulas. An exam- and/or tournament-style arc is the perfect way to get the series back on its feet.
Tenrou Island is designed interestingly enough. It should prove a good backdrop for the arc.
...
Most importantly for such an arc, the eight chosen participants provide great variety. Natsu and Gray are obvious choices, Lluvia and Elman are welcome surprises, Fried and Mest are the necessary unknown quantities, and Cana provides great plot tension in relation to the more “main” characters, given that only one entrant passes. (… that is, if we are to take this information as gospel; it’s entirely possible that some sort of crisis will befall the Trial and multiple wizards will display enough skill to warrant the promotion.)
Charle’s premonition is a worrying note amid an otherwise intriguing chapter. An exam among guild members is exactly the kind of positive change of pace the series needs right now; weighing the arc down with this sad-looking boy and whatever depressing plot he carries makes the arc lose its freshness. Mashima needs to learn that not every arc can be a climactic masterpiece. For an author who looks to One Piece so much, it’s a surprise that Mashima completely overlooks Oda’s “serious arc, fun arc” approach. Would Water 7 / Enies Lobby have felt nearly as powerful without the Davy Back Fight right before it, to relieve the tension built up over the course of Skypiea? Fairy Tail has a fun cast of characters with excellent comedic traits, but they (and, by proxy, we) are rarely given the chance to relax anymore.
Final Flash: Hugely promising setup with an undertone of worry. I wish I could trust Mashima more not to screw this up.
Kimi no Iru Machi 106
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
That cover page is… suggestive. Ahem.
It’s great that everyone is planning on heading back to Tokyo this soon, because that means we’re likely in for some immediate plot development, but this small town has easily been a better setting than the big city. Plot advancement would be welcome; a return to drama would not.
Haruto’s memories of Mishima are amusing. She has certainly stood out since her introduction.
Uh-oh. “We need to talk” is rarely a good sign.
Men, this is a red flag. Learn it well.
There goes another romance series love interest deciding things all on her own.
Fortunately, Mishima’s anxiety isn’t at all a lead-in to unwarranted drama. Seo has quite a gift for impactful panels.
Excellent scene
Fantastic last few pages. This is exactly the right step for the series to take.
Final Flash: Pleasantly nostalgic chapter with a wonderful ending.
Weekly Power Rankings: 9/12 – 9/18
Rank |
Change |
Series |
Chapter |
Score |
| 1 | +2 | Bakuman | 100 | 80.54% |
| 2 | +6 | Beelzebub | 76 | 73.24% |
| 3 | +1 | Kimi no Iru Machi | 105 | 72.86% |
| 4 | +3 | Code:Breaker | 104 | 72.06% |
| 5 | -3 | Naruto | 509 | 71.10% |
| 6 | -1 | AR∀GO | 36 | 70.79% |
| 7 | +6 | Hayate no Gotoku! | 288 | 69.21% |
| 8 | +1 | Psyren | 134 | 68.37% |
| 9 | -3 | Nurarihyon no Mago | 122 | 68.13% |
| 10 | +4 | Kekkaishi | 321 | 66.39% |
| 11 | — | Toriko | 110 | 64.08% |
| 12 | +3 | Mahou Sensei Negima! | 302 | 62.13% |
| 13 | -1 | Defense Devil | 65 | 61.85% |
| 14 | +5 | History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi | 398 | 54.51% |
| 15 | +3 | The World God Only Knows | 113 | 52.79% |
| 16 | — | Fairy Tail | 200 | 52.44% |
| 17 | -7 | Gintama | — | 49.42% |
| 18 | -1 | GE ~ Good Ending | 51 | 47.27% |
| 19 | +2 | Kyoukai no Rin-ne | 65 | 44.59% |
| 20 | — | Zettai Karen Children | 231 | 43.57% |
| 21 | Abs | Air Gear | 287 | 43.14% |
| 22 | +1 | MiXiM☆11 | 111 | 31.06% |
| 23 | +1 | Katekyo Hitman Reborn! | 305 | 24.97% |
| 24 | -2 | SWOT | 10 | 21.47% |
| 25 | — | Bleach | 419 | 13.38% |
Absent: Bloody Monday: Season 2, Gamaran, Hajime no Ippo
Hiatus: One Piece
Series Roundup: 9/19 – 9/25
Mini-reviews for all the series without full individual posts.
Air Gear 288
[scanlation by SSA Scanlations]
I would like to casually remind you that the girl you see on the first couple pages with practically nothing on is, in fact, body-swapped President Obama.
The color cover page is another example of fine artwork (despite some fanservice) from Oh!Great.
Am I the only one who finds absolutely zero interest in anything involving Onigiri?
Sarome not being a Gravity Child isn’t much of a revelation, considering how new of a character she is.
Rika at risk of being brainwashed into becoming the Thorn Queen is a much better and more urgent reason for Kogarasumaru to rescue her than a simple kidnapping.
Defense Devil 65
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
I suppose it’s been a little while since the last blatantly fanservicing cover page. Acceptable.
Kucabara’s plan may be working, but it’s not doing much to promote him as a credible hero. It’s fine to rely on intelligence, but a protagonist in this style of series really needs to support that with at least a small display of power.
This is a decent time for Y to reveal her true motive, but it’s not at all a good time to reveal her troubled past, much less through a flashback.
Kucabara, suffering greatly from poison, still manages to save Y. This is far too straightforward.
Enigma 2
[scanlation by CXC Scans]
Our group of protagonists has cleared the first suspense/thriller hurdle, at least: Don’t split up. Never split up.
Poor Shigeru. Even when faced with only one female adversary, Sumio’s attention doesn’t fall on her.
In such a completely modern trap, a typewriter-lock on the door is a nice anachronism.
The secret “emergency evacuation” broadcast code is an excellent and realistic touch.
Matsurigi is the first casualty of the shadow. (Lower case, mind you. I don’t see Interceptor anywhere… yet.) The art depicting the abduction is effectively scary.
The focus of Sumio’s Dream Diary is obviously the prediction it generates, but the accompanying artwork is amusing.
We’re set to see a new power, as Hasekura apparently must “erase” the person in the photo blocking the necessary name tag. Without yet knowing the exact nature of this power, the initial concept is already suitably interesting. Good chapter and a good sense of intrigue heading into the next one.
Gamaran 63
[scanlation by helz0ne]
Funny exchange between Gama and Zenmaru, and great artwork of their faces.
What an incredible difference in power between Gama and Ranmaru. I could have expected Gama to be at a disadvantage because of his recent fight, but this sheer gap in class is surprising.
Jinsuke already had much to live up to, but our anticipation is made to increase even further with the news that he is behind literally everything that has happened to Gama recently. With this much riding on his shoulders, let’s hope Jinsuke’s introduction lives up to the hype.
Zenmaru’s reunion with his older brother is both suspenseful and shockingly informative, with the news that the grand tournament of Unabara has ended.
This underling of Jinsuke looks as close to Two-Face as a samurai-era character could reasonably get.
Finally, Jinsuke himself. Not much in the way of plot-related introduction, but his appearance alone is monumental. Nakamaru has done a good job of drawing him to look similar to Gama.
GE ~ Good Ending 51
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
It was about baseball.
… seriously, if the author can’t be bothered to write a chapter that has any relevance to the plot, then I can’t be bothered to review it.
Hayate no Gotoku! 289
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
The summary of Important Detective is riotously funny.
Ayumu’s ignorance regarding manga is proving useful for multiple solid punchlines.
Plenty of meta mangaka humor here. It’s like if Bakuman tried pure, nonsensical comedy.
Hilarious face-off between Ayumu and Azumamiya.
Amazing realization by Nagi on the last page. It takes a seriously excellent moment to overshadow such a strong comedy chapter, but this is worth the praise.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 307
[scanlation by Binktopia]
P3, top-right panel: Pitiful art. I can see he’s against the spiked barrier, and that he’s bleeding, but what the hell is that black mass by his waist supposed to be?
Ryohei needs to charge up to full power to defeat him? No kidding. Thanks for pointing out the obvious flaw with your ridiculous power: Every fight of yours from now on will be an endurance test until you’re fully charged.
Speed lines around the characters, in the projectiles, and in the physical attacks themselves. I derive more enjoyment from looking at graph paper.
He’s fully charged. Yawn.
Kekkaishi 321-322
[scanlation by A-Team]
(321) Interesting and pleasantly brief exposition on Shiromi’s family life. That, combined with the knowledge that he has two powers, could set him up to be an interesting character.
Bizarrely direct conversation between Masamori and Hazama, consider their complete lack of any relationship.
Tokine! Finally.
(322) Yoshimori’s dad is… unique.
Wow, Tokine is flooding Yoshimori’s thoughts. This series hasn’t handled their relationship too much until now; this is a pleasant change.
Tokine’s job as a diplomat is perfectly suited to her. She’s strong enough to support herself, yet not quite strong enough to take on a role akin to Yoshimori. This is an effective differentiation between the two main characters.
The embrace between the two is just what anyone could have hoped for. It provides just the right amount of connection between the two, without over-developing their relationship at this stage.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 303
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
It would have been amusing if Koutarou had just taken out Fate here.
This “meeting” is really just Akamatsu’s roundabout way of cementing Fate as a colossally strong character. I’m not entirely convinced Fate didn’t notice and ignore Koutarou’s group, either.
Setsuna’s fights are always a good source of action. The art complements the action nicely, too; speed lines are used in such a way as not to overpower the characters or attacks, and the most important scenes have no speed lines at all.
That teacher in Setsuna’s flashback seems far too similar to Tsuruko Aoyama, Motoko’s older sister in Love Hina, just to be a coincidence.
Tsukuyomi wielding a cursed sword is a minor disappointment. I’m frustrated at the ever-growing trend of evil characters having a particular reason why they are so evil, therefore redeeming them. Why can’t evil characters just be evil sometimes?
Psyren 135
[scanlation by Muda Scantrad]
It makes sense for Vigo to be killed off, considering Vigo has had his moment of spotlight, but it’s unfortunate that he’s being replaced by someone as unknown as Mithra.
No, Marie! You’re able to contact Shao, so get out of there! Don’t sit around with dying Vigo! Don’t pull a Vivi!
Mithra’s flashback regarding Miroku is decent enough, but the wolf/sheep metaphors make no sense whatsoever.
Some nonsensical turns of events later, Ageha arrives, right behind Miroku and poised to attack with Melchsee’s Door. It’s a pity that the preceding backstory made such little impact, but I’m ready for what could be the series’ climactic final fight.
SWOT 10
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
It’s confirmed, then: This is no longer a terrible delinquent series. It’s now a terrible supernatural delinquent series.
Manabizaki has a “99.9% chance of losing.” Could this series try any harder to be generic?
Reverse resolve. In one chapter, our semi-realistic protagonist learned a perfect counter to a newly-introduced supernatural element. Absolutely pathetic. This series has managed to evoke the same feelings that I typically reserve exclusively for Bleach, except that SWOT has managed the feat about 200 chapters sooner. What a thoroughly putrid series. Nothing deserves cancellation more than SWOT right now, Bleach included. That statement isn’t even exclusive to Jump, either; I’d cancel SWOT sooner than MiXiM☆11, too.
The World God Only Knows 113-114
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
(113) Keima’s attempts at building his own perfect human are amusing but obviously futile. This seems hopeless.
What a strange series of panels, featuring awkward, pseudo-philosophical dialogue. I’m not exactly sure what the author was trying to achieve, but unless the goal was to alienate me, I think the objective wasn’t quite met. I don’t see how any of the points raised in these pages couldn’t have been better addressed through ordinary storytelling. There’s no need to over-complicate the narrative.
Keima was unable to win from the very beginning. This teacher is rather interesting, but she needs to proceed with whatever she’s planning. This is the second time she’s been teased as a major behind-the-scenes character; best to capitalize on the existing anticipation before it’s lost.
(114) Not only is Kanon back, but she has a goddess! This is a refreshing change, particularly after the previous chapter.
Apollo is certainly less reliable than Diana, but that better suits Kanon.
Fairly sad last couple pages focusing on the distance between Keima and Kanon.
Zettai Karen Children 231
[scanlation by JS Scans]
The brief comedy of Kaoru holding a cherished maid cafe ticket is considerably more interesting than anything the preceding or following pages have to offer.
The maid cafe mixup is amusing.
Thanks, Shiina, but I haven’t forgotten that Kaoru is in love with Minamoto.
Good dialogue in the last panel. The wordplay works well with Hyoubu’s current double-natured character.
—
Feel that one or more of these series should be getting full-review treatment each week? Show your support by participating in chapter discussion in comments. Actively-discussed series will be considered for full reviews.
Kimi no Iru Machi 105
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
Kanzaki finally makes her appearance, and it will be a vital one. She’s the defining line between harem and single-relationship focus.
More breast humor. Mishima is keeping things enjoyable and light.
Calvin would not be proud
Kanzaki is playing a sad role in her conversation with Haruto. She obviously still has some feelings for him, but she can tell that he is currently most comfortable around Mishima, whether or not he realizes his feelings for her.
I wonder if Haruto really is “too late” for Kanzaki. She wasn’t terribly convincing.
Uh, wow. More disregard for any form of censorship. I hate to make a fuss out of it, because I’m personally against censorship, but I’m surprised at just how blatant Magazine has been recently.
Final Flash: A pleasant but unremarkable chapter.
AR∀GO 36
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
This is a vastly different style of fight than Arago has had in the past. It’s no Ippo, but the focus on speed and precision provides interesting contrast to simple reliance on the Brionac power.
Arago bore the brunt of the werewolf’s finishing blow? This is some supreme confidence he’s showing in his regenerative abilities.
… and evidently, given that he just regenerated his entire left arm from bone and limp flesh, he was right in doing so. Whether the power itself has improved or Arago is simply more adept at using it, Brionac is more impressive now than it ever has been.
Notable sign of improvement
Underneath the pelt was “just some normal old guy.” On one hand, I appreciate that the focus remained on the pelt, since that myth has proven extremely interesting. On the other hand, it’s a slight disappointment that this plot is entirely self-contained, rather than linking to any larger premise, whether or not that would involve Patchman.
So, according to Seth and what little I know of nutritional science, Brionac and the wolf pelt are similar because they’re both like supernatural caffeine?
Final Flash: Ultimately, this arc (and particularly this chapter) served to provide some insight into the nature of Arago as a character, but little else. It was enjoyable, but the conclusion of this mini-arc feels strongly of missed opportunities.
Toriko 111
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
The phrase “starting with the legendary ingredient ‘God'” is intriguing. Does the list “start” with God because that’s the most important ingredient, or was that actually the first ingredient Acacia found?
Not to draw any parallels or accuse anyone of plagiarism, but the description of the outlandish Gourmet World has me similarly excited to my outlook on the upcoming New World in One Piece.
Mr. Hatch is being intentionally and curiously vague about this “certain Bishokuya” with whom he traveled.
Excellent pacing of the establishment of the Gourmet World as a feared place. Shimabukuro fit quite a bit of lore into three pages.
I could simply be forgetful of these details, but I find myself surprised at just how proportionally huge the Gourmet World is in comparison to the Human World. That’s quite the vast expanse of adventure waiting for Toriko.
100% promising
Clearly, the Poison Tide is the tailor-made Gourmet World entrance for Coco. Does that mean Sani eventually successfully enters through the sky?
“Someone famous” approaches! This is set up for a major introduction. Time to finally meet Zebura?
Wow. Toriko hasn’t even made it down the cliff and he’s already decimated.
That didn't take long
What an appropriately fearsome beast for Toriko’s first up-close encounter of the Gourmet World. Given his condition, it seems like he could use the help of the aforementioned “someone famous.”
Final Flash: With the last of the important setup now out of the way, this was a good introduction of just what Toriko is up against.
Beelzebub 77
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Baby Beel singing is the perfect way to start a chapter. How funny.
He has a fan club, too! This is great stuff. Also, Oga should really teach Beel the proper way to eat Pocky.
Just a little off with your aim, Beel
We’re right back in the comedic swing of things, with Kunieda’s followers just as harsh to Oga as they’ve ever been.
Miki is being unbelievably suggestive in his awkward approaches to Oga. Fortunately, Baby Beel has an appropriate reaction and facial expression for this, as well.
Mah.
Shizuka and Toujou clearly have some history together, given that she feels comfortable enough with him to call him by a nickname. Shizuka has potential to be a good character, but so far we’ve seen far too little of her.
A very exciting meeting between Oga, Toujou, and Izuma is interrupted by this ominous new character. The fact that he is strong enough to wipe them all out in a flash is promising, as this series has lacked a consistent mentor character. Someone authoritative who can keep these delinquents in check is a welcome addition. Plus, his tattoo means he may be able to serve as a mentor to Oga with regard to the demon storyline, which deserves a renewed focus.
Final Flash: Great comedy and good action are the foundation of any enjoyable Beelzebub chapter.
Naruto 511
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Fairly average Jump cover despite the celebration of the milestone. Despite already knowing when Naruto began, it’s still surprising to reflect on eleven years of the series.
Madara wastes no time in taking back the Rinnegan. Unfortunately, that isn’t a segue into plot progression in this chapter; instead, we’re being treated to a flashback to finally put this trio to rest. While I appreciate knowing that we’ll be finished with these three for good, I have to question just how much was left unanswered as of last chapter. I don’t particularly dislike any of these characters, but I don’t feel they’re worth a full chapter postmortem flashback.
Of course Jiraiya wore a toad suit and forced his three students to do the same. Why wouldn’t he?
It's impossible not to miss him
Great couple pages of silent storytelling. The last few panels of page 11 are an example of Kishimoto making good use of the imagery he created within this same chapter.
The remaining pages dealing with the Amegakure trio are somehow simultaneously touching and out of place. Again, the imagery used is evocative, but it still feels as though devoting an entire chapter to these characters at this point in the story is counterproductive. Yes, this is the last sensible chance Kishimoto will have to do so, but even now it feels too detached from the original plot involving these characters.
Madara’s new mask looks pretty good. It’s an appropriate evolution of his previous mask. Zetsu is still around, playing the information expert, but most importantly, Kabuto is back in the picture. It’s no understatement to say that the enjoyment and legitimacy of much of the remaining plot relies entirely on the way in which Kabuto is used.
Final Flash: A suitable end to a what felt like a diversion from the main plot. The last few chapters have been enjoyable as a standalone read, but have felt awkward in context.
Bleach 421
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Good to know that Ichigo’s new fabric-outfit wasn’t black, but rather blue. His skin looks sickeningly pallid, though.
Background of the week
Ichigo’s Shinigami abilities disappear after only one attack. I suppose that’s entirely fitting, given that Ichigo is only really predisposed to using one attack, but that still seems like something that will need to be addressed before the next major battle.
I cannot and will not accept that Urahara conveniently set a trap on Aizen when he “had [his] guard down the most.” The Hougyoku is, to some undetermined extent, a sentient being, with which Aizen has completely fused. (At least, they were completely “one” back when Kisuke hid this Kidou.) There is no excuse for Aizen having his guard down when he was able to supplement his own awareness with that of the Hougyoku.
Even worse than this leap of logic is the fact that this is such a cheap twist. Why does nearly every major fight in Bleach have to involve a sudden appearance? Why can’t characters — very specifically, our main character — do anything themselves? Ichigo just received a massive (and, for once, sensible) power-up, and he can’t even finish his own fight with it? One week after reestablishing our protagonist as someone useful, Kubo turns around and neuters him once more.
Twist of the week
The Hougyoku has finally deemed Aizen unworthy of its power. This has been a long time coming, so I can’t even muster the faintest hint of surprise.
We’re finally beginning to learn about our next primary antagonist (or at least a driving force behind upcoming plot), the Spirit King. Kisuke’s distant attitude on the matter is mildly interesting, but it also worryingly feels like a setup for a “fight the established order” storyline. That feeling is compounded by Kubo’s last-ditch attempt to redeem Aizen’s character as one who perhaps was not inherently evil, but rather one who sought to overthrow an unjust system. This kind of character alteration is perfectly acceptable when the character being amended has had sufficient development all along the way; for all the problems with the pacing and unnecessary drama in Naruto (particularly surrounding Sasuke), the final revelations about Itachi’s motives were not only interesting, but fit well with all of his actions leading up to that moment. With regard to Bleach, Aizen has committed far too many blatantly evil acts to be redeemed, and furthermore, he’s barely had any actual character development. His progress has been littered with power-ups and strength upgrades, not personality establishment and evolution. In short, then, I don’t appreciate Kubo trying to pull this off with Aizen, as it feels like an afterthought. Let an evil character be evil and move on.
Final Flash: A tremendous step back from the previous chapter.
Beamcast – September 20
[download link – 125min, 56mb]
In this week’s show:
News
Fairy Tail anime second season confirmed
Shonen Jump running one-shots by six legendary mangaka
Imamura Norio fined 500k yen
City Hunter receives live action Korean TV series
Weekly Oricon rankings (9/6 – 9/12)
New releases
[anime]
Bleach (DVD 32) $24.92
[manga]
Black Jack (vol. 13) $16.95
Discussion / Weekly Poll
Last week’s results:
Multiple choice – Which of these shonen genres do you enjoy?
1. Action (32%) | 2. Comedy / Mystery (tie) (22% each) | 4. Sports (13%) | 5. Romance (11%)
This week:
How do you prefer to read manga?
(Localized volume releases, online scanlations, original raws)
The Great Shonen Tier List
Characters added:
Boa Hancock (One Piece)
Konan (Naruto)
Kagura (Gintama)
Ogami Rei (Code:Breaker)
Sano Seiichirou (The Law of Ueki)
Mikura “Kazu” Kazuma (Air Gear)
Anime Discussion
Highschool of the Dead (ep. 11)
Seitokai Yakuindomo (ep. 11)
Legend of the Legendary Heroes (ep. 12)
Nurarihyon no Mago (ep. 11)
This Week in Manga
0:41:07 – Kure-nai 34
0:45:41 – Naruto 510
0:49:35 – Bleach 420
0:55:58 – Bakuman 101
1:01:20 – Beelzebub 77
1:05:24 – Fairy Tail 200-201
1:11:29 – Hayate no Gotoku! 288
1:15:12 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 398-399
1:20:40 – AR∀GO 35
1:24:12 – Toriko 110
1:29:05 – Mahou Sensei Negima! 302
1:31:39 – Psyren 134
1:34:05 – Nurarihyon no Mago 122
1:38:52 – Zettai Karen Children 230
1:43:42 – GE ~ Good Ending 50
1:46:44 – Kimi no Iru Machi 105
1:49:46 – Enigma 1
1:58:48 – Deadman Wonderland 38
1:59:38 – Air Gear 287
2:00:13 – Code:Breaker 104
2:01:02 – Defense Devil 64
2:01:44 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 306
Chapters of the Week
Final Flash
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