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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.
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.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 304
[scanlation by Binktopia]
I’m reading a series with an armored kangaroo. Sometimes, this whole manga-reading business is embarrassing.
Ryohei donning Kangaryuu’s armor pieces makes him look a bit like a Saint Seiya character. I wonder if that’s at all an intentional homage.
Saint Seiya doesn't have kangaroos, though
The future arc was ridiculous enough, but the way its existence has been handled since is even more preposterous. How are more and more characters aware of what happened (happens?) in the future?
I have absolutely no idea what Aoba’s powerup is. Once again, Amano has tried to add too much detail, and has instead made her art completely illegible.
Jumbled and confused
Obviously, Ryohei has to wait a certain amount of time and/or take a certain amount of damage before revealing his full power. That works in video games, but it alone doesn’t generate interesting fights in manga.
Final Flash: In stark contrast to Naruto, the speed lines and detail of Reborn! just muddle and ruin the art.
Naruto 508
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Bizarrely noble cover page.
Typically, I am against speed lines, but Kishimoto has used them well within the first several pages of this chapter. Instead of making them the focal point (or the entirety of the background, in some cases), he has used them to complement the action without overpowering the detail in the art. Sometimes, they’re even used as a style of shading, actually embedded in the rest of the art. Very nicely done.
Itachi signals a major test: Is the recently-improved Naruto still tolerable with the presence of one of the Uchiha brothers?
Interesting conversation between Itachi and Kisame. There are a couple of odd moments, but overall, it’s a nice look at what was hinted at being a curious relationship.
Very good, Itachi
Kisame ends up killing himself with his own sharks, and the title of the chapter ends up completely suitable. What a great way for him to go.
It seems Killer Bee will get Samehada after all. The only worry there is the prospect of an increased role for Killer Bee, who has been enjoyable only as a support character.
Nice closing words from Guy, but in this shot he looks remarkably like Catherine from Gintama.
Unusually reminiscent
Kisame having one last trick up his sleeve is completely appropriate, given the recent emphasis placed on his control over information. This is an acceptable compromise between an outright Guy victory and a Kisame escape.
Stunning last page. Madara faces off with Konan, but calls her Nagato? I’d be very happy to see Konan in action, as she was one of the more interesting Akatsuki members, but I worry this may further cheapen Nagato and Konan by using them as fodder for the decidedly uninteresting Madara.
Final Flash: An appropriately strong end to Kisame’s active role in the series.
Bleach 418
[scanlation by Binktopia]
It’s not like I could take Ichigo seriously before, but his new hair gets me laughing every time I see it. Well, that, and his sad expression.
Cheer up, emo shonen protagonist
Aizen certainly is long-winded this week. As this is Bleach, I assume he will continue assuming things about Ichigo’s powerup until Ichigo makes his move, proving Aizen wrong.
... what?
Ichigo is able to stop Aizen’s sword. To be fair, Ichigo has yet to respond to Aizen’s theory that Ichigo used all his reiatsu to reinforce his strength, so Ichigo could still have some hidden capability that would make this less ridiculous. That said, if Ichigo is only using pure strength, this is unimaginably awful writing. With the Hougyoku, Aizen has the ability to rewrite the plot of his own series; there’s absolutely no excuse for him being overpowered.
Resorting to Kidou is the Bleach equivalent of raising the white flag… or triggering your own death flag.
Background of the week
All this Ichigo dominance bears no credibility whatsoever, but at least the protagonist is doing something for once.
Twist of the week
Final Flash: If it makes people this strong, maybe I should grow a mullet.
Shonen Shikku Canceled; Enigma to Debut
Issue #40 of Weekly Shonen Jump marks the 15th and final chapter of Shonen Shikku, the first major work by newcomer Tsukuda Yuuto. Since becoming eligible for fan ranking, Shonen Shikku has never managed to escape the bottom 5 of the table of contents, even placing dead last five times. Its early cancellation is yet another in a string of poor performances from new Shonen Jump series, as has been evidenced by the similarly early ends to Lock On! and Kiben Gakuha, Yotsuya-senpai no Kaidan, and as it seems will further be proven with another cancellation expected next week.
The space left by Shonen Shikku will be filled starting next week by Enigma, a new series by Sakaki Kenji, a former assistant to Amano Akira (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!). An early preview picture is available:
(Click for full size)
Source: News-Paradise
Beelzebub Anime in January 2011
Beelzebub is set to receive an anime adaptation this coming January. The first major work by Tamura Ryuuhei, it has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump since February 2009. Beelzebub is a fusion between fierce action and excellent comedy, along with notable supernatural elements, as the story follows Oga Tatsumi, a renowned delinquent who is saddled with the task of looking after Baby Beel, the son of the demon king. The series features a diverse cast of characters, including the loyal servants of Baby Beel, Oga’s rival delinquents, and one of the absolute best comedic straight men in all of manga.
The announcement of an upcoming anime for Beelzebub is both exciting and surprising. While the most recent manga arc has been a minor disappointment, the rest of the series has been a fantastic weekly read, and welcome diversity in the pages of Shonen Jump. However, as of this writing, the series only has 74 chapters, meaning this seems to be rather soon for an adaptation. Four months give more than enough time for the current manga arc to finish, but even with those extra chapters, the worry is that the anime studio would not have enough source material, leading either to questionable pacing or filler episodes. Another Shonen Jump series, Nurarihyon no Mago, had a similar number of chapters when its anime adaptation was announced, and that anime (which is currently airing) has yet to show signs of having insufficient source material; on the other hand, the Nurarihyon no Mago universe has more intricate detail that can be explored by its anime studio, meaning that the current quality of that adaptation may not equate to similar success for Beelzebub.
Regardless of speculation, news of a good manga series receiving an anime is always positive, and a Beelzebub anime should be well worth watching.
Source: News-Paradise
Toriko 107
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
A little too matter-of-fact about it
The interaction with the Ozone Herb is a great sign for Komatsu’s development and growing importance, while Toriko’s reaction as an observer to Komatsu’s growth is unusually detached and almost melancholy. There’s pride in his internal monologue, but there seems to be a sense of comparative inadequacy, too. Strange.
They are going through Ozone Herbs pretty damn quickly.
Trial and error: The hidden environmental threat
Komatsu managed to figure out the method to open the Ozone Herb leaves. Great chapter for him. Toriko’s response, though, is again a little reclusive and dependent. Perhaps it’s a necessary part of his own character evolution to realize that he can’t face the gourmet world alone, but he’s being uncharacteristically reserved about it.
The footprint was a hint of ominous things to come, after all.
Final Flash: Good Komatsu progress, but a fairly straightforward chapter overall.
Beelzebub 74
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Kiriya’s plan is to get Oga expelled through violence. I suppose that’s fitting for this series and these characters.
It’s quite surprising that Oga hasn’t immediately disregarded the consequences and struck back at Kiriya.
Miki steps in to retaliate on behalf of Oga. It’s looking like the Oga/Miki conflict is behind us, and that Kiriya will force a reconciliation.
Well, you were a little slow in realizing what Oga did for you, Miki (… years slow, in fact), but at least you’ve finally come around.
Menacing Oga returns! Excellent panel and following page.
You've been missed, demon
Great way to end the chapter, with Oga recognizing Miki by name.
Final Flash: The first completely volleyball-free Beelzebub chapter since the sports festival began is a clear step back in the right direction.
Bakuman 98
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Good Jump cover, but an even better chapter color cover. Fantastic color spread.
Do want
Interesting timing for a Takagi/Iwase flashback. Also, as well as Iwase has been developed into a rival character, it’s still nice to see the old love-struck Iwase.
Refreshing
It’s always amusing to see Crow’s editor excited over its position, as though it should still be surprising. That said, what placed first? Unless I’ve missed a major plot point, it’s odd that some series can do so well and yet remain anonymous.
Those are pretty… specific bet conditions from Iwase.
Has she been giving this some prior thought?
A rival character, being written by a character with a rivalry, who is written by an author drawing from personal experience (and therefore, who likely has a rivalry). Takagi’s decision to turn Akechi into a rival character is yet another amusing exercise in meta.
Great PCP scene, good decision not to have Akechi turn around, and I love that we actually got full pages of PCP within the Bakuman chapter. That’s something I hope we see more often.
I will admit to thinking the chapter was over when I saw the usual Jump chapter-ending logo on the last PCP page.
What a cliffhanger. Next week can’t come quickly enough.
Final Flash: Diverse and engaging chapter, with a properly infuriating cliffhanger.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 303
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
Even if Tsuna’s new Hot Topic-inspired, jewelry-laden gloves look tacky as hell, that’s still a pretty nice color cover page.
They’re fighting for pride. That’s as high as they’re aiming here. Pride. Let’s get this over with, then.
I have lost any respect I had left for Amano Akira thanks to Adelheid’s chest. How completely ridiculous.
I miss when Lambo was an important character. When he was one of the main focuses of the series, the series was so much more fun.
Horribly underutilized
Ryohei’s opponent can manipulate plants, and yet they’re going to have a boxing match. I mean, if you’re going to take the time to come up with new abilities for your characters, you might as well have the characters use them.
Final Flash: Dull, uninspired, aimless… and this is just the beginning of the fights in this arc. Oh boy.
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.
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