Archive
Series Roundup: 9/5 – 9/11
Mini-reviews for all the series without full individual posts.
AR∀GO 34
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
Great action in the fight between Arago and the werewolf. Arai’s art style makes even speed lines feel new and interesting.
The werewolf has regeneration similar to Arago’s Brionac and unbelievable speed and strength. Arago defeat is unsurprising, but the process reveals two interesting notes: the seam in the werewolf’s fur, and the fact that the werewolf didn’t kill Arago.
Joe reveals a variation on the now commonly-accepted werewolf legend, and his version is absolutely fascinating. This is a brilliant writing choice.
Code:Breaker 103
[scanlation by ShinraTensei]
This is becoming bizarrely metaphysical. Granted, this series isn’t restricted by any sense of realism, but Ogami entering “the hell of darkness within [his] heart” is still jarring.
The physical incarnation of the Emperor is disappointing. Even if this form is supposed to be a weaker, limited version of the character, this character type is overdone.
After a rather cliché test, Ogami is granted the second of seven flames. Suddenly, Flame of Recca comparisons are completely appropriate. Ogami’s use of Belphegor of the Dark is interesting and well-drawn, though.
Gamaran 62
[scanlation by helz0ne]
Iori seeming like he’s in control of his situation while at a numerical disadvantage makes some sense, as he’s been established as an incredibly strong swordsman, but seeing the same poise from Ranmaru is unusual.
Wow. Ranmaru’s killing blow this time is at least as brutal as his last one. Jinno serving as the setup for it is a little disappointing, because it does little to explain Ranmaru’s confidence, but the scene is still strong.
If the teaser is true, Gama vs. Ranmaru should be thrilling.
Hayate no Gotoku! 287
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
Hugging someone of the opposite sex is the universal symbol for “I’m here to rent a room.”
Why does “Gundam” need to be censored in text bubbles if the word is left intact on the box?
After a series of individually amusing jokes, “She was quickly kicked out” is a great punchline.
The mystery girl was behind the fireworks incident after all, but the name Housen Yozora doesn’t ring a bell, and her motives aren’t yet obvious. Interesting.
Kekkaishi 319-320
[scanlation by A-Team]
(319) Lovely atmosphere as Masamori is led towards the castle.
Hazama certainly is demanding, but his sudden meeting with Masamori finally helps to tie his actions directly to Yoshimori’s. Also, it’s interesting to see Masamori simultaneously shot down in comparison to Yoshimori, yet also reinforced as important because of his own particular skills and connections.
(320) A little too much time is spent on Shichiro remarking on events. If so many interesting things are happening, the author would be better served just showings those events directly.
Raijin may have ended up being introduced as a seemingly devious woman, but she has both the power to legitimize herself and superior connections than Masamori, considering her ability to bring Nura into the fold. Also, her claim that Masamori is to defeat the founder is an intriguing one.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 300-301
[scanlations by reddevilshn: 300 | 301]
(300) After so much preparation and so many chapters of diversion and side characters, it’s fun to see Negi himself firing off some of his devastating magic.
No matter how impressed Anya is by Negi’s display of power, I can’t accept her statement that he could be as strong as his father.
Haunting panel at the bottom of page 13. The stark lack of background combines well with Negi chasing after his barely-visible father.
Unusual timing for Asuna to be so moved by Negi’s determination. Nothing has been accomplished yet.
(301) It’s difficult to reconcile the serious side of Dynamis with the one that jokes with his young female subordinates.
Very little to comment on, as this chapter is mostly setup for the next fight for Negi’s group. The bit with Koutarou’s covert group is amusing, at least.
Nurarihyon no Mago 121
[scanlation by ShinraTensei]
Rikuo’s reasoning is perfectly befitting of someone in his leadership role. Great speech, and an excellent full page pose.
Beautiful art as Kidoumaru invokes Rajoumon.
Kidoumaru being able to prevent Tsurara and Rikuo using Matoi presents interesting complications for that ability in the future. Even if Rikuo presumably wins this fight, he’ll certainly fight tougher opponents in the future. Rikuo could stand to adapt a new way to use Matoi, such as perhaps being able to use the fear from his Hyakki Yakou through the markings on his back, rather than needing his followers to physically cast their fear on him in person.
Kurotabou and Kubinashi are a welcome sight. They should provide some interesting complexity to the fight next week.
SWOT 9
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
The fighting maniac’s special move is called “Chaos.” Was he not generically counter-culture enough already?
“Pray that Manabizaki will defeat this monster” is the kind of senseless, idealistic comment from an onlooker that I would expect from someone watching Ichigo fighting in Bleach. That scenario is already bad enough, but at least Bleach has the publishing length to back up such a statement. Why should the audience be invested in the fate of a one-dimensional protagonist in a series that hasn’t yet reached double digit chapters?
Manabizaki’s opponent suddenly has glowing hands. I wasn’t aware it was possible for a series to “jump the shark” within 9 chapters, but I am ready to declare that SWOT has not only done so, but that it also holds absolutely no reading value.
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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.
Naruto 509
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Naruto is “light personified”? That’s taking an interesting character and boiling him down into something decidedly less interesting.
Madara being behind Yahiko’s creation of Akatsuki is such a cliché. Not only that, but Madara also apparently gave Nagato the Rinnegan. Just because a series has a supremely powerful villain does not mean that said villain should be involved with every last plot detail. It seems that while Naruto has improved immensely over the last several weeks, Madara hasn’t.
His eye is too talkative
Aside from how generally disappointing it would be for Konan to be offed here, it would also specifically be unfortunate because it would eliminate the possibility of seeing more of these beautifully-drawn paper-based attacks.
Odd timing for a flashback with these characters. The excellent recent action has provided a launching point from which the series could have continued to progress current plot; to instead feature a flashback of out-of-focus characters seems to be counterproductive.
Madara took some serious damage from Konan’s attack. That’s both gratifying (because Konan is an interesting character who shouldn’t become villain fodder) and unnerving (because it likely means she doesn’t have much left to offer). Still, for Kishimoto to allow his ultimate villain to suffer such damage is a huge positive, as it helps to build Madara’s credibility.
A sign of a confident author
Yet another excellent large-scale attack, as Konan swallows up Madara within an ocean of paper. Great artwork by Kishimoto.
Final Flash: Not a bad chapter, but an unusual choice of direction after the past couple arcs.
Bleach 419
[scanlation by Binktopia]
So much unnecessary dialogue. Tension is important during a fight, but that doesn’t mean the pacing of the fight should be interrupted (or, in this case, completely overwhelmed) by text.
Background of the week
It’s not just “Deicide” anymore; there’s a subtitle? Even Kubo is bored with this.
Aizen transforms into some unspeakable creature. First, how ugly. I’m sure that’s somewhat the point, of course. Secondly, and most importantly, this signals a continuation of a worrying trend: The Hougyoku being treated like a linear power-up rather than the plot-altering device it’s been shown to be. It’s certainly not as though the Hougyoku should be able to rewrite the plot according to Aizen’s desires, but for it to quietly be demoted to something as simple as this is a critical consistency error.
Go get him, Venom
Once again, Aizen proceeds to deliver a long-winded monologue, and as with last week’s chapter, Ichigo counters with a trite, throwaway line. Also, Ichigo’s new hairstyle should not make his entire self look older. If Kubo wanted an older, more “badass” character, he should have written Ichigo as such to begin with.
Twist of the week
Next week will be the unveiling of the “Final Getsuga Tenshou.” Maybe that will equate to some decently-paced action, instead of one-off twists and incessant dialogue.
Final Flash: A letdown even by already poor Bleach standards. Kubo has written himself into a corner with his treatment of the Hougyoku.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 397
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Tirawit taunting Kenichi is great, because Kenichi breaking out of his shell and going fully on the offensive is exactly what this fight needs.
Agaard’s observations on Kenichi are setting up the fight extremely well. It’s such a pity that the preceding fights and flashback have put such a gap between Kenichi’s “death” and this fight. The impact of Kenichi’s mindset and Agaard’s understanding of it is slightly lessened because those events aren’t fresh in the memory anymore.
Regardless of the placement of the Apachai/Agaard flashback, the benefit is being felt now, particularly in the scene where Agaard thanks Kenichi.
Good mid-fight moment
The two-page spread of all four fighters is nice, but the time for posing and talking is long over. This fight needs the technical precision and insight that made Kenichi what it is.
A little more talking and a few moves from each side, but ultimately the chapter ends without serious martial arts exchanges.
Final Flash: Drastic improvement over the last several chapters, but still not up to the level that a main event fight warrants. Hopefully, next week (Sunday cover page) and the following two weeks (color pages each week) will live up to expectations.
Fairy Tail 199
[scanlation by Binktopia]
It’s the “real” Lisanna! That bodes well for this arc right away.
Natsu’s initial incredulous reaction to Lisanna’s reappearance is far better than his later, typically-Natsu excitement. It’s a pity Mashima didn’t choose to explore a new side to Natsu’s character.
Can't find his reaction too surprising
Lisanna’s story is convincingly sad. It isn’t so weak that it can be overlooked, nor is it so overly dramatic as to be ridiculous, and it even manages to make decent use of the setting created by the disappointing Edolas arc.
The graveyard scene is fairly touching, but it’s a scene that could have been saved to carry more impact after at least a few chapters have been spent establishing Lisanna further.
As heartwarming as one-chapter resolution can be
While this is certainly one of the best Fairy Tail chapters of the year, it’s slightly unfortunate that the entirety of the chapter was devoted to explanation and reunion. These are positive moments, but they don’t provide much to drive the story forward into the next chapter, meaning the new plot and conflict will have to be developed from scratch next week. Again, it’s a comparatively strong chapter, but it isn’t without missed opportunities.
Final Flash: Don’t misinterpret the brevity of this review; there just simply aren’t many individual moments to comment on. Overall, a good, encouraging chapter.
Toriko 109
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
Immediate confirmation that the GT Robo-lookalike is in fact a living thing.
The beast brings a sense of unease and curiosity to Vegetable Sky, and an overall sense that despite their progress, Toriko and Komatsu (Torikomatsu?) have far to go before being established in the Gourmet World.
Toriko’s observations on the beast are fascinating, as well. For the beast not only to be strong and quick enough to bite the Ozone Herb twice within a split-second, but also intelligent enough to study the actions of humans, is excellent foreshadowing for just how terrifying the beasts to come are.
The design of IGO Headquarters is brilliant. What a perfect piece of design for the Toriko world.
Toriko again impresses with its creativity
What a proud parent Ichiryuu must be, to approve of his surrogate son’s new long-term relationship like this.
Tons of great news all in a row: Several new ingredient requests for Toriko/Komatsu, Sani and Coco are presently training, and finally, another mention of Zebra (Zebura?)!
Ichiryuu, nonchalantly performing the same technique as the beast from Vegetable Sky, alludes to some serious future plot.
Final Flash: A hugely intriguing setup chapter. The future of Toriko looks extremely promising.
Weekly Power Rankings: 8/22 – 8/28
Kimi no Iru Machi 103
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
Another fan-colored page. Disappointing.
Kiyomi is back! I’d be very happy if she helped form a new love triangle with Haruto and Mishima. Kiyomi is too interesting of a character to leave out of the picture. (I still wish Nagoshi was involved somehow, though.)
Kiyomi is even intervening on behalf of Mishima. What a great addition to the cast she’s been.
Amazing character evolution shown by Haruto. His serious and mature explanation of his feelings for Eba is an unexpected positive, and a huge one at that.
Fantastic growth
Two fan-colored pages in a row, for the same scene. Red Hawk, this is embarrassing. Leave this stuff in your forums.
Haruto invites Mishima back to his town… but had already asked Kiyomi. Good mix of emotion and comedy.
Final Flash: Superb chapter. This feels much more like the Kimi no Iru Machi of old, before the overwhelming drama.
Beelzebub 75
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
In case the news article and the mention in Beamcast wasn’t enough: Very excited about the Beelzebub anime, coming this January.
Excellent color cover page. The poses and positioning are good, and the colors are expertly chosen.
Miki wants Oga to call him by his first name? That is creepy.
Even Beel is appropriately creeped out
I like that the girls have been stopped from interfering with the fight, because I want to see Oga (and to a lesser extent, Miki) in action, but I still feel awkward about the sudden civility between Ishiyama and the Horsemen.
Oga stopping the big guy’s “Death Trailer” attack with one hand and delivering a menacing look is great. Oga retaliating with a newly-renamed finishing attack (and taking out two people with it) is immensely gratifying. This, not volleyball, is why the series became so good.
Good to see Miki not being undervalued here. He gets a full page to show off his major attack, and yet another Teimou delinquent is out.
Even Furuichi is in form!
Furuichi reactions should be mandatory
Oga is using the full Zebub power! What a return to form this chapter is. No regard for consequences, no unnecessary drama, no deviation from the action. Just Oga being the evil delinquent that brought Beel to him in the first place.
Final Flash: Fantastic chapter. The relationship between the Horsemen and Ishiyama is still awkward, but Oga being Oga more than makes up for that.
Extra chapter mini-review:
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Refreshing to see everyone back home. It’s been a while since we’ve been in this kind of a relaxing setting.
Beel vs. cats! Unlike the Edolas arc in Fairy Tail, the cats here are being used exclusively for comedy, and only in a special extra chapter, so they’re acceptable.
The pinnacle of manliness
Excellent punchline at the very end. Poorly-cooked croquettes are disgusting.
Final Flash: Cute chapter, and an amusing diversion from the main story action.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 396
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Even more flashback. Granted, we haven’t had the requisite “heel turn” from Agaard yet, but this is taking forever.
Happy-go-lucky Apachai is still amusing, but I still can’t bring myself to enjoy any of this, knowing what I should be reading instead.
The friendliest Muay Thai killing machine
Agaard is back, and suddenly, he’s killing people. So, he’s evil now, but why?
Evidently, it’s because he found Yami. That’s disappointingly straightforward, to the point where this flashback is not only out of place, it’s also completely unnecessary.
Agaard invades the underground Muay Thai headquarters, and Apachai goes off to… be a good guy.
Finally, the flashback is over. Unfortunately, Apachai’s statement about Kenichi being his strength seems like it will need to be explained, which would mean even more time-wasting before the fight resumes.
Final Flash: Another wasted chapter, and one that cements my disdain for the last two.
GE ~ Good Ending 49
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
Actually, Seiji, “Please don’t meet with Touru” is exactly the worst possible thing you could say.
Eri’s crudely-drawn map would have been much funnier without her facial expression and self-deprecating gesture. Your audience isn’t stupid, Sasuga; we get that the map is bad.
The first people that Seiji finds who know Yuki immediately launch into a lengthy flashback about Touru. That’s both depressing and unrealistic. I understand cultural differences between societies, but is it at all realistic for complete strangers to go into lengthy detail about a common friend’s personal life?
Yuki’s mom is certainly excited to see her daughter’s friends. She seems not to have much contact with Yuki.
Were the speed lines necessary?
A heartwarming reunion between Seiji and Yuki (and friends) is overshadowed by the arrival of Touru. Worse still, his friend reveals that Touru attends school in the same city where everyone lives. So much for positive, uplifting progress; surely, drama is imminent.
Final Flash: The brevity of the trip to Yuki’s house is appreciated, but this chapter had both too much angst and too much setup for future angst.
Toriko 108
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
The Ozone Herb looks unmistakably like a huge tongue.
Toriko and Komatsu, having had to eat a tongue simultaneously, embrace each other immediately afterward. For anyone wondering where the boys-love hints are in this series, look no further.
Those Gourmet Cells certainly needed the Ozone Herb. What an intense and sudden reaction.
Toriko popped the question! (Okay, sorry.) The top-half two-page spread is angled from a great perspective that captures the importance of the moment.
Komatsu’s reaction is a bit over the top. Quite a bit. Also, even more BL hints.
... if you can still call them "hints."
The suspected GT Robo arrives, and Toriko realizes it isn’t a GT Robo. Is it another type of robotic enemy, or could it perhaps be the creature that GT Robos are based on?
Final Flash: Important chapter, but the Toriko/Komatsu combo was already a given, so while the affirmation of that combo was important, it doesn’t carry as much as impact as it intends.
Bakuman 99
[scanlation by Binktopia]
What a great start to the chapter. It might have been necessary and expected for PCP to pass at least one series, but it’s still an exciting moment. They were only 2 votes away from Crow, no less.
Continuing that great start, direct acceptance from the editor-in-chief is a huge moment in the series.
Appropriate reaction
+Natural placing sixth elicits mixed feelings from me. It’s a creative touch not to have PCP outrank +Natural by one place, but it diminishes the impact of PCP’s success somewhat to have it achieve the goal through the poor performance of one of the two target series.
The couple pages spent looking at other series are well spent, particularly the peek at Fukuda panicking about Road Racer Giri.
Iwase crying alone at the restaurant booth is truly difficult to read. She’s been chasing after Takagi’s natural success for so long, and after only a short period of success, she’s once again been bested by him. Worse still, +Natural is underperforming as a direct result of her idea to include the character Crow. Tragic moment for her.
PCP is being adapted to a drama CD! Things are progressing very quickly. At this point, it feels like the series could end within a handful of chapters if Ohba and Obata wished it.
Mashiro could not be cuter as he frantically requests Azuki as the voice actress for Mai.
Slightly excitable
I’ve been very pleased with Binktopia scanlations to date. However, to the immature idiot who thought it would be hilarious to subtly write “Boobies \o/” over Kaya’s chest: You are ruining artistic integrity. There is no place in your scanlations for a 12 year old’s pitiful attempt at humor. No one reads manga because of you. Never alter someone else’s work.
That unnecessary idiocy aside, it’s nothing new for Kaya to react in a cute fashion to Mashiro and Azuki’s relationship, and this is no exception.
Azuki tearing up at the prospect of voicing Mai in the PCP drama CD is another fantastic moment. This chapter is really pulling out all the stops.
The editor-in-chief has offers for a PCP anime! Maybe we’re even closer to the end of the series than I’ve expected.
Final Flash: Hugely impactful chapter, with great moments on practically every page.
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