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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.
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.
Toriko 106
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
It seems the Skypiea comparisons aren’t going anywhere for a little while longer.
Komatsu is old! This isn’t really being explained, either.
What a bizarre joke
Good explanation of the formation of the land via volcanic ash.
The vegetable garden in the sky is Toriko at its best: Mouth-watering. What an unbelievable field of food.
It seems this is entirely an “eating” chapter, which is fine by me. The reactions from both Toriko and Komatsu as they eat are excellent.
Broccotree! It’s filled with Thousand Island dressing, no less. Fantastic reader submission.
But is it marketed by Broccoman?
A bit of comedy and an ominous footprint to close out the chapter. The introduction of another form of life in Vegetable Sky would be appreciated.
Final Flash: Great “eating” chapter, and an interesting setup for next chapter.
Toriko 105
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
The Oxygen Leaf mask is yet another fantastic concept.
The size of the hail is crazy. I didn’t even recognize it as hail at first; I thought it was a soccer ball.
Hyuuga, Tiger Shot!
The art is excellent over this sequence of pages. Shimabukuro has done a great job illustrating how chaotic the inside of the cloud is.
Spurred on by his lov– uh, his concern for Komatsu, Toriko turns back into the badass we know and love, and teaches himself to only exhale carbon dioxide. That’s a very interesting kind of ability.
Vegetable Sky! While Toriko could stand to separate itself a little from comparisons to the Skypiea arc in One Piece, this arc seems promising.
Final Flash: Good chapter, though the cloud monster cliffhanger from last chapter didn’t turn out to be as exciting as it seemed it would be.
Beelzebub 72
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Just because Lock On! has been canceled doesn’t mean Beelzebub needs to compensate for Jump’s sudden lack of speed lines.
More Furuichi is always a positive
A bit of an awkward conversation between Hilda and Kunieda. Kunieda’s feelings for Oga are still cute, but the real thing to take away from this exchange is how focused Hilda is on finding this demon.
Surprisingly touching thought from Kunieda. Beelzebub has yet to really attempt even slightly emotional scenes, likely with good reason, but this one isn’t bad.
Perfect amount of starkness in this panel
Kunieda’s return to the court sparks a comeback from the Ishiyama team. The team rallying together (“Hell yeah!”) and Oga’s spike are both cool moments, and seeing the crowd slowly change allegiance is nice, but all only within the context of this arc. This entire volleyball tangent is still taking entirely too long.
The mystery character knows Oga. Is he someone from Oga’s past, or is he the “demon” Hilda has been searching for? I’m hoping strongly for the latter.
Final Flash: Good volleyball arc chapter, which equates only to a decent Beelzebub chapter.
Bakuman 96
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Mashiro may be right in saying that the tactic of having Crow in +Natural isn’t unfair, but Takagi is entirely justified in feeling upset. This has seriously muddled the rivalry.
This is a ton of dialogue. When the artist has to use character icons this often to help the flow of speech, perhaps a more concise rewrite of the script is in order.
Maybe Miura hasn’t learned and evolved as much as we previously thought. Here he is getting ahead of himself again.
I've got it! I'll crystallize my hair!
This is quite an unusual and excessive amount of time being spent discussing the difference between places in the table of contents. As could be reasonably assumed given that I run this kind of website, I’m a fan of such detailed nerdery, but I’m aware that I’m decisively in the minority. Discussion over which votes to aim for is a little esoteric for a shonen audience. This could be done with deliberate irony, contrasting PCP’s dilemma with the real-life trouble faced by a series as alternative as Bakuman, but it’s still a bit lengthy and awkward. Focusing on specific storyline elements to use in PCP would be easier to understand.
There’s further irony to be found in how dialogue-heavy this chapter continues to be, as the characters are discussing… the acceptability of dialogue-heavy shonen.
"Dialogue-heavy" doesn't begin to cover it
A decently long arc by chapter 25 seems almost mandatory. I can’t imagine being engaged by a series of that length that hasn’t attempted at least one full-length arc.
Hattori’s speech about Ashirogi “surpassing their editor” is yet another sign of the series being closer to its end than its beginning. Certainly, it won’t be wrapping up immediately, or even within a few months, but clearing this hurdle eliminates a major obstacle between now and the end of Bakuman.
Final Flash: Enjoyable chapter, but the sheer volume of dialogue prevents it from being as interesting or impactful as previous chapters.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 301
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
These new and improved Vongola rings are now all sorts of accessories emblazoned with each character’s box animal. Tsuna’s ring even has a fashionable chain.
Hot Topic would be proud
I have officially lost all interest in Vongola history and backstory. It’s been an endless string of minor variations on the same warring mafia theme since the tone of the series became serious.
Tsuna just isn’t the kind of character to be able to sincerely pull off the willpower-fueled hero archetype. It may become tiresome and downright irritating in Fairy Tail for Natsu to constantly win battles through sheer willpower alone, but his character suits the plot device; Tsuna should still be the nervous kid dragged against his will into a world much bigger than him. Instead, he wants to fight alone.
Reborn (the character) being ordered to go with Tsuna’s group, yet specifically ordered not to attack, indicates that he may finally have some horribly overdue plot development. Maybe he’s Vongola Primo.
You damn well better bring Lambo with you. He’s the only reason to read the series anymore, and even then his role has been marginalized.
Speaking of marginalized characters, there’s Kyoko, who is downright useless. Her occasional appearances serve no purpose. Tsuna isn’t the same awkward kid anymore, so why should we be forcibly reminded of his one-sided love? At least complete Tsuna’s transformation into this ridiculous battle-hardened veteran, and make him disinterested in Kyoko.
Shouichi and Spanner are still around, providing Tsuna with more overcomplicated weaponry. If Amano put half the effort into writing the narrative that she does into creating silly, easily marketable technical designs, the plot might go somewhere interesting.
Final Flash: Completely dull and unremarkable chapter. Last chapter was too brief; this one was too long. Last week’s ring power-up should have extended into this chapter, while all the “saying goodbye” nonsense from this chapter should have been dropped entirely.
One Piece 595
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Absolutely fantastic color page. I anxiously await a poster version.
Law using Bepo as a pillow is adorable.
Looks comfortable
More importantly, the exact phrasing of the Binktopia translation is interesting. Law says, “I’ll be sure… to steal the proper throne!!!” Now, “proper throne” could still very well be referring to the title of Pirate King, but that’s a peculiar phrase to use in reference to such a position. It seems to me that Law could be referring to something else.
X Drake is alive, well, and terrorizing some poor unsuspecting underling of the highly-anticipated Kaidou.
Still the coolest Zoan
Scratchmen Apoo is fine, too, leaving Jewelry Bonney as the Supernova taken down by Blackbeard.
There she is, no less. She might not have been the least likely target of the 11 (I’d give that title to Apoo), but I’m still fairly surprised to see the sole female put in this position. I’m certainly not calling Oda sexist, but this is an unusual move, especially considering how she’s hinted at having a worthwhile subplot.
Akainu is speaking to Bonney in a very familiar manner. He could just be familiar with her, but his relief at finding her is interesting. Could he be something more than an acquaintance?
I am your father?
Confirmation that Moria survived. That’s good news to me. He may not deserve to be a major recurring villain, but he’s more than worth keeping active in the background. Also of note in this scene, Doflamingo continues to emphasize his independence, and the person he’s talking to is unusually kept out of focus. As with all minor details in One Piece, this could end up meaning nothing, or this hat-wearing government official could later reappear as a hugely important character.
Maybe I was wrong about the whole “coolest Zoan” thing.
Unbearably cute
Hilarious moment as Chopper unintentionally thinks the more offensive part of his thoughts out loud.
To close the chapter, both Chopper and Sanji have finally had their direct power-up routes revealed. Chopper seems to be aiming to further alter his own body, while Sanji is seeking to learn Attack Cuisine, which presumably would support the entire crew. The former is an obvious and highly necessary power-up, but the latter is a little worrying. With every passing arc, Sanji seems to fade further away from being the third component of the “Monster Trio,” instead developing into a behind-the-scenes roleplayer. Attack Cuisine could be used very well, and I’ll certainly trust Oda, but I don’t want Sanji’s role reduced.
Final Flash: Another intriguing chapter that presents several new long-term plot possibilities.
Naruto 505
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Holy hell what a jarring cover page. I was not ready for that.
Understatement (noun) def. 1: See above picture
Guy is not just on the cover page, but he’s actually here in the story. What a pleasant surprise. It’s about time to see some of the side characters reintroduced into the main plot.
When we first saw Naruto’s new chakra diagram, it seemed to me to be a visual representation of the change inside of him. Instead, it’s actually an outwardly-visible change in his appearance. I have to say, I don’t particularly care for the design. The head is okay, but the bits that look like the inner workings of a car aren’t so great.
But is he four-wheel drive?
The effect Naruto’s new chakra has on the environment around him is a telling sign of just how powerful he’s becoming.
Of course, sensing Kisame inside of Samehada and using his father’s teleportation technique are an even stronger sign.
Guy is back for mere moments before providing a moment of comedy. That’s entirely befitting of his character, I suppose.
While I’m excited to see Guy and Kisame set to fight, I’m worried that this could again not be the final conflict between the two. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see Zetsu come and rescue him, or some similar fight-postponing plot device used.
Final Flash: Hugely promising increase in power from Naruto, and much-appreciated plot progression. Good chapter.
Bleach 415
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Oh good. A flashback.
Aizen, despite the fact that his chest has been exploded, still has enough about him to strike at Gin. It seems as though broken Aizen will carry on being broken.
This is not art
A huge scream and a pillar of light. Does this mean last week’s potential outcome #2 has been chosen? Gin dies in a few chapters for no productive reason?
Background of the week
Aizen is a butterfly. If this series didn’t kill any emotion I have every time I read it, I’d be laughing uncontrollably for the next several hours. Our unstoppable antagonist is a butterfly. Also, how horrendous is that close-up of his face?
Within the last couple months, both One Piece and Naruto have had chapters with exemplary demonstrations of textless storytelling. Someone at Shueisha should really encourage Kubo to attempt to emulate other aspects of those two series, such as character development, setting, story, pacing, backgrounds, abilities…
Gin has eyes. That’s the most interesting thing to happen in Bleach this week. Well, I suppose confirmation that Gin has been attempting to play the hero all along is worth a mention.
Twist of the week
Final Flash: Bleach is ranked eighth in this week’s Shonen Jump table of contents. Just thought you might want to know that.
Toriko 104
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
To the sky!
The Pseudo-Rubanda certainly does look ferocious, even if it is harmless.
Even this narrow sky-vine is a grand setting. Toriko does settings and environments so well. The view from the vine alone is yet another reason why this series deserves (and will most likely get) a full anime adaptation.
Some great focus on Komatsu’s development. Komatsu needs to adapt to this kind of locale to be able to keep up with his soon-to-be combo partner, while Toriko’s concern over Komatsu’s condition in this setting does well to reinforce the relationship.
The Wicked Beanstalk is one of my favorite reader submissions.
Very creative and fun concept
Great frantic action as Toriko maneuvers around the narrow vine while fighting both the Sky Gorillas and Wicked Beanstalks.
Not only does Toriko fall, then unveil a flying squirrel suit, but he must avoid the onslaught of Drill Birds! This chapter is action-packed and correspondingly enjoyable.
A cloud monster. What an ominous next obstacle/opponent.
That's a proper cliffhanger
Final Flash: Great chapter. Lots of action and good progression of the Toriko/Komatsu coupl– er, combo.
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