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Naruto 507
[scanlation by Binktopia]
“The long grudge match enters its final chapter!” It seems this will be the true conclusion of the Guy/Kisame rivalry. This will be good timing for it.
As with so many recent Naruto chapters, the grand scale of the artwork is excellently pulled off by Kishimoto.
Excellent massive attacks
It’s so completely satisfying to see Guy standing over Kisame like this, and it’s even better to see him taking absolutely no nonsense from Kisame, either.
What an amusingly direct visual metaphor for mind-reading.
Not exactly subtle
A Kisame flashback likely means that this truly is his last stand.
Morino Ibiki is in Kisame’s flashback. It’s a little puzzling that we haven’t had more exposition of Morino, since the more we learn about the inner workings of Naruto, the more relevant he seems to be.
While I still strongly dislike the Uchiha Madara character, it’s interesting to learn specifics about where he’s been behind the scenes. Seeing him in control of the Mizukage helps to develop his credibility.
If Kisame had the proper awareness and energy to bite his own tongue, why wouldn’t he have done so before leaking as much information as he already has? The flashback establishes him as a character whose priority is the protection of information, and yet he lets so much slip before dramatically cutting the link right as Madara is about to reveal himself. That’s a little too Hollywood to feel consistent with his character.
Final Flash: Good, interesting chapter, and a great fight in full.
One Piece 597
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Now that is a manly cover page.
Zoro is asking Mihawk to teach him? “Asking” might not be strong enough, even; Zoro is “begging” Mihawk, the man he intends to defeat, to teach him. I’m thoroughly disappointed. Yes, it shows that Zoro is mature enough to put aside his own ego for the sake of his crew, but what now of his fierce ambition to become the world’s greatest swordsman? Zoro has always shown maturity when necessary (such as his stance on Usopp as they arrived at Water 7), so this doesn’t introduce any new positive side of his personality, but instead waters down his character.
An unfortunate sight
As if the impending four-week break wasn’t enough, the revelation of Luffy’s tattoo confirms a timeskip, and it’s more major than anticipated: Two years. I trust Oda to exceed my expectations more than I trust any other mangaka, but I’ve also never seen a shonen timeskip that didn’t seem like the gratuitous and easy alternative to proper storytelling.
Jinbei provides yet another reminder that Fishman Island is coming up soon, just as it has been for years. I’ve long been excited to get there, but after this long of a wait, some of the novelty has worn off. Still, if it’s the next major arc, I’ll be pleased.
Hancock remains completely adorable. Switching from love-clouded to furious only accentuates how fun she is to read when she’s fawning over Luffy.
Too cute
Luffy will be training his Haki directly under the tutelage of Rayleigh. Not a bad teacher, the right-hand man of the Pirate King. That said, I hope Oda does justice to his own characters; as Rayleigh explains the Haki with the “color of observation,” I shudder at the prospect of Luffy knowing Mantra, as that just wouldn’t suit him. Obviously, Luffy must learn the “color of armaments” Haki, since it seems that the entire point of introducing Haki was to find a way for Luffy to be able to harm Logia users. Hopefully, Luffy learning Haki won’t terribly devalue past characters like CP9, since one of the major strengths of One Piece has always been a lack of clear, linear progression in enemy strength. If ultimately we’re able to explain away enemy strength differences based on increasing Haki ability, I’ll be disappointed.
Fortunately, Rayleigh suggests that Haki users gravitate towards one “color,” meaning that Luffy could still end up reasonable after all this training.
Final Flash: In four weeks, we’ll have spent two years. The interim will be both frustrating and exciting.
Bleach 417
[scanlation by Binktopia]
I am ready and willing to classify Ichigo’s new hairstyle as a mullet. His new transformation/powerup/whatever makes him a bit taller, rips off one of his sleeves, and gives him a mullet.
Cue uncontrollable laughter
A moment of uncharacteristic suaveness followed by another moment of completely out of place humor. Kubo has the uncanny ability not only to write drivel, but to write drivel that actively upsets the audience.
Ichigo’s new power hides all his reiatsu. Boring. That’s typically Bleach, too, in that it is a natural setup for a twist.
How expansive of you, Gin, to pass the torch to Ichigo like that. Lovely. Surely that cements you as a legitimate “good” character.
Twist of the week
Even more laughable than Ichigo’s new mullet is the fact that suddenly he’s able to manhandle Aizen. Ichigo has done absolutely nothing credible as a hero for at least 250 chapters (and that’s being generous), and now he can overpower someone who literally has the ability to write the plot? Pathetic. Kubo could stand to return to Shonen 101, because even linear power levels are more acceptable than this.
Background of the week
Final Flash: It’s been a while since the last laughably bad Bleach chapter. The recent terrible Bleach chapters (read: all of them) have been more of the draining or insulting variety.
Fairy Tail 197
[scanlation by Binktopia]
“Bye Bye Fairy Tail” is a misleading and cruel title.
In case it wasn't already obvious
Natsu combining the fight with the Fairy Tail farewell ceremony is a pretty good touch, but I have absolutely no emotional connection to the scene, because it involves Gérard. Why couldn’t Mystogan just have been a completely original character?
The Moria-lookalike cat is unnecessarily creepy.
Also, that hand gesture...
It seems Gazille will get Pantherlily as his cat after all. Unfortunately, it also seems like all the other cats are coming back to the real world.
Final Flash: This miserable arc is finally over.
Weekly Power Rankings: 8/8 – 8/14
GE ~ Good Ending 47
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
Excellent color pages. The swimsuits are not overly gratuitous, and the coloring is fantastic.
The exchange between Oonuma and Izumi is some excellent humor.
It's okay, being short builds character
Seiji is actually confronting Yuki about trying to set him up with Shou. Good. Stand up for yourself, Seiji, and maybe she’ll follow suit.
Eri has cemented herself as my favorite character in the series. She’s funny, straightforward, reliable, and a great friend… so of course, she isn’t a love interest.
Excellent observation by Izumi. This is a great chapter for him, out of nowhere.
"Perhaps"?
Even Eri’s reactions are excellent.
How to explain this to the doctor...
Finally, a moment alone for Yuki and Seiji. It seems she took care of him, too. Excellent ending to a much improved chapter… even if Seiji looks thoroughly ridiculous on the last page.
Which is worse: His face or his arm?
Final Flash: It doesn’t make up for recent developments, but this chapter was just enjoyable, which is a welcome and overdue relief.
Kimi no Iru Machi 101
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scans]
Haruto and Eba back-to-back on the cover. Prepare for more awkwardness.
That’s pretty direct from Eba. Anyone could have delivered Kazama’s helmet to Haruto.
As usual, Haruto is saying and doing all the right things, and Eba is putting him through hell. It’s almost like this series is the antithesis of GE ~ Good Ending. If we could have the love interests (and the awkwardness-relieving humor) from Good Ending, only with Haruto from Kimi no Iru Machi instead of worthless Seiji, we’d have a hell of a series.
What an unusually pleasant outing for these two. The funeral for his rival in love / her boyfriend was yesterday, and she’s leading him to a sightseeing spot? I know Seo well enough to know this isn’t ending well.
There it is, a string of words no person ever wants to hear. “Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore.”
There is no appropriate response
Final Flash: Sad chapter, but this was to be expected. Whether or not it’s easy to read, this is ultimately the plot direction that best allows for Eba’s character integrity. It would have cheapened the entire series if she started focusing on Haruto so soon after Kazama’s death. It looks like Seo is going to put us through hell before we arrive at any kind of resolution.
Beelzebub 73
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
The first page says “Climax!!” Unlike Fairy Tail, I’m choosing to believe Beelzebub.
The volleyball match is over in the first two pages. Perhaps Tamura has realized that a return to action is long overdue. Regardless, this is extremely pleasing.
Bizarre sportsmanship between Ishiyama and the Horsemen. The new afro character is sure to play an important role, but the Horsemen shouldn’t just be brushed aside.
For the time being, at least, it seems the afro has the floor, and it’s Kiriya! (For those who don’t recall, he’s the baddie from Miki’s flashback, the guy with the bizarre claw-like nails.) He’s “here to destroy everything about [Oga’s] life.” He’s certainly leaving no questions to be asked on where he stands, at least.
At least Oga is taking him seriously
A traditional Oga ego-crushing retort (complete with priceless Baby Beel facial expression), and the chapter is over. Oga’s derisive attitude towards Kiriya is amusing, but I’m not entirely sure how well it will work with the serious undertones of this arc, given the legitimate tension between the Horsemen and the Ishiyama students. These are both plot lines that I want to see resolved properly, but I’m not convinced that can happen simultaneously.
Final Flash: Funny chapter, and a welcome end to the volleyball.
Bakuman 97
[scanlation by SleepyFans]
What a typically “shonen” scenario being developed by Takagi. The introduction of a rival character is so often the first step towards serious plot in shonen series.
Has Bakuman ever been more reminiscent of Death Note than on page 4 of this chapter? The “if it happens again while he’s watched” concept is lifted straight from the psychological war between Light and L.
Hello, Yagami
Comparisons to Death Note aside (not that such comparisons are bad), these are some interesting ideas Takagi has come up with for PCP. I find it interesting and all too familiar to see he and Mashiro struggling to forcibly think of creative ideas. The best art is often created by chance rather than deliberate planning, and this chapter has expressed that well.
Disappointingly accurate
Very amusing email from Azuki. What a cute and entirely inane message.
Takagi’s idea of a wordplay code is so good that I find myself wishing real-life Jump had an alternative/mystery series. It’s fun to be engaged with online communities who discuss theories and possible future twists of weekly series. If such communities can thrive for primarily action-oriented series like One Piece, imagine how exciting it would be to exchange ideas over series with plot points that are designed to be solved.
Final Flash: Great chapter with plenty of creative and interesting ideas that finally help PCP stand out. The future looks more promising than ever for Ashirogi.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 394
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Yes, yes. Ni hao, fanservice cover girl.
Wait a minute, I’m confused. This looks like fighting, but it can’t possibly be fighting. This isn’t a fighting series anymore. Where are the stupidly-proportioned ladies with skin-tight suits or no clothes at all?
In all seriousness, we’ve finally arrived at some real action. It’s still too bad that both fights are happening simultaneously, though.
I can think of few things more painful
A flashback? What’s wrong with just showing the fight, already? Any flashbacks should have been shown weeks ago.
Agaard used to look after Apachai. Okay, point taken. Back to the action, please.
Instead, the rest of the chapter is more of the flashback. It’s a tremendous improvement over the last several chapters, and the part about the “cat” was particularly funny, but this still isn’t up to the existing standard of the series. How much longer must we wait before Apachai/Agaard gets the same treatment and spotlight that all the other notable Kenichi fights did?
Final Flash: Calling this chapter “better than the last few weeks” isn’t much of a compliment, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 302
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Enjoy an active lifestyle. Sail.
As if the constant comparisons being drawn between Tsuna and Vongola Primo weren’t already enough, evidently they look exactly the same. This is beyond ridiculous. For a protagonist to have one or two similarities to a canonically strong historical figure is fine; for every single aspect of the protagonist and his group to be identical to said figure is horrible writing.
Has Amano mentioned Vongola Primo yet?
The Ninth’s subordinates don’t want Tsuna and his group to fight against Shimon alone, because Shimon demolished them mere chapters ago, but the Ninth holds firm because he “knew it in his heart.” I’m sorry, I must be confusing this with a series about the mafia.
The next time I want to hide something, I’m covering it in papier-mâché pictures of the surroundings. What a brilliant plan.
Are you kidding me with Adelheid’s breasts here? That’s Eiken-level insulting. Pathetic.
I’m pretty certain that Vongola and Shimon were going to fight already. I fail to see the necessity of Vindice showing up to spur them on to fight.
Final Flash: The boredom is compounded by the week. I miss old Reborn!.
Naruto 506
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Perfect, Guy. It’s a blowfish. You’re absolutely right.
I did not expect a scenario where Killer Bee is the voice of reason.
… nevermind, he’s been outsmarted by a sword.
Excellent observation
The Leaf Whirlwind is a sight for sore eyes. It’s been too long since either a Guy or a Lee fight.
No time wasted opening up the gates. Whether or not this will be the decisive fight we’ve been hoping for, it should at least be an exciting one.
Guy is thrown across the island and summons a giant turtle for use as a launching pad. This is great stuff.
A waterfall made of sharks! I’m reminded of a particular YTMND. Nonsense aside, this fight has an appropriately huge scale.
A testament to how awesome the side characters are
Finally, a traditional shonen all-or-nothing face-off between Guy and Kisame. What an action-packed chapter.
Final Flash: Great chapter. Also, it seems this must be the final battle between these two. I can’t see either of them pulling out much better techniques than this, unless Guy opens one too many gates.
One Piece 596
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Great cover page. Importantly, that’s a grown-up Sabo there, with his gaze averted away from the “camera,” deliberately setting up some suspense as to what he would look like now. Surely, we must meet him at some point.
Nami is following the same pattern as Sanji and Chopper, by forgoing a return to the prearranged meeting point in favor of improving herself. Power-ups for all the crew members are all well and good, but couldn’t we have assumed that they’d be getting one? I’m becoming a little tired of how long it’s taking for the crew to reassemble, and for the plot to progress.
It seems Nami’s upgrade will either be a further improved Clima Tact, or a completely new weather-controlling weapon. Nothing surprising there, but it should be interesting to see the Weather Ball in use.
Now, it’s Brook’s turn for a moment of introspection. This one feels worst of all, since he’s the newest crew member; I don’t need a flashback to remember how/why he joined, no matter how short it is.
Funny regardless of circumstance
Will Brook’s power-up be a new musical ability? That’s the only thing I can assume, given his current predicament. Perhaps the next time we see Brook, he’ll be out of the cage and running away from a group of collapsed onlookers.
Robin’s up next, and her scenario is by far the most interesting and potentially world-shaking. She is set to be the direct link between Luffy and Dragon, which could either force a monumental reunion or simply make huge waves through indirect affiliation.
Franky being mistaken for a gorilla is both apropos and quite funny.
While not quite as huge as Robin’s impending connection to Dragon, Franky’s continued study of Vegapunk is potentially fascinating. Of course, the feeling of importance is tempered slightly by mandatory Franky comedy (which is still hilarious and well worth it, mind you).
Classic Franky
Last up on this week’s whirlwind tour of the crew is Usopp, who is still fat and now learning about Pop Greens, which (from the little information we have on them) seem to fit Usopp’s arsenal nicely.
Final Flash: Only a decent chapter. The comedy was funny, but the perils of having so many main characters have never been more obvious; giving everyone equal exposition simply takes too long.
Bleach 416
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Why bother giving Bleach the cover if Kubo is always going to make such half-hearted attempts? I can’t recall the last imaginative Bleach cover.
Matsumoto is fine, so Gin gets to be the fallen hero after all. For the record, this kind of plot device works much better when the audience has recognized a character as “good” for more than, say, two chapters.
Also, I’m noticing something wrong with the way Matsumoto has been drawn. I realize that Kubo has designed this character to be a pretty face and cleavage, and nothing more, but a little anatomical consistency would make sense. I believe the human head generally rests on the neck, not directly on top of the shoulder.
Injured more seriously than expected
So… the Hougyoku is just a Philosopher’s Stone, then?
Ed, can you transmute this into something less boring?
When the audience has any difficulty at all telling the sky apart from debris clouds, the art is a serious problem.
Background of the week
We even get treated to a little flashback with poor little nice-guy Gin, sacrificing himself for Matsumoto. Don’t over-sell this or anything, Kubo.
Oh good, it’s Ichigo, and he has another slight costume redesign. Remember when Kane still had the mask on but his costume kept losing little bits and pieces, as his character became more “human” (and infinitely less interesting)? … actually, no, of course you don’t, because you don’t watch wrestling. Anyway, this feels similar; Kubo is grasping at straws, trying little tweaks, hoping something good will come out of it. It hasn’t.
Twist of the week
Final Flash: Matsumoto knew Gin’s plan all along, yet she was shocked (or “feigned surprise,” if you buy that) when he joined Aizen. If she really cared about him, maybe she could have stopped him long before that… like, in the flashback scene we just saw in this chapter. No, instead she lets him run off and then chases after him. Stay classy.
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