Beelzebub 71
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Nice Jump cover, and good coloring of the chapter cover page.
More volleyball. Let’s hope for some outstanding comedy to make up for the disappointment of not being in a fighting arc.
Great facial expressions
This is a fantastic chapter for facial expressions, so far. Both the above picture and the group shot at the bottom of page 7 are very funny.
Baby Beel being used as a decoy is good stuff, but it’s his expression that makes the scene amazing.
Silent understanding between men
Some silly but amusing moments featuring Baby Beel, but this still doesn’t have the engaging quality of earlier, action-packed chapters.
Izuma starts to get serious just in time for the chapter to end.
Final Flash: More enjoyable than the last couple chapters, but still lacking.
Kimi no Iru Machi 99
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
Amusing scene with Haruto choosing pork.
Kiyomi has ended up adding great chemistry to the cast. She’s a good love interest for Kazama, she’s a great rival for Eba, and her own sharp personality is cute.
Great conversation in the kitchen between Haruto and Eba. This is so much better than the bitter, awkward angst the series had fallen into for a while.
Eba has lost herself in the moment and gotten close to Haruto again. That’s an important moment.
Key sign of Eba's true feelings
Wow, Kazama is pretty thick not to notice Kiyomi’s obvious feelings at this point.
… well, Kiyomi has certainly taken care of that. Great declaration from her.
Kazama is trying to hook up Haruto with Kiyomi? That’s actually pretty disappointing. The rivalry between Haruto and Kazama has thus far been fairly respectful and honorable; this feels a little underhanded.
Time for Kazama to undergo surgery. It seems obvious that things will proceed smoothly enough, but Seo could throw a major twist into the story within the next few chapters.
Final Flash: Overall good chapter with a minor note of disappointment. Major plot advancement should be forthcoming.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 300
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
300 chapters of Reborn!, which seems to be about 100 chapters too long.
Bored, if I'm honest
“I can’t believe this rival mafia family with exactly the same number of members as our group, all of which had skills and personalities that perfectly matched up with our own, turned out to be the antagonists.” Right.
More nonsense involving the “souls” of the rings. Nothing to see here.
There’s a chance Nuts could die! … I apologize, that’s supposed to be a bad thing. I misplaced my somber tone.
The ring upgrade took one chapter. It’s not like I wanted to read a long training arc, but one chapter? That’s so short it feels completely meaningless. If the Vongola family is now able to stand up to Shimon after such a brief upgrade, it’ll further cheapen the entire arc.
Final Flash: What an uneventful way to celebrate a publishing milestone.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 392
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
The cover page is promising. The weeks of fanservice and disappointment will become an unfortunate but distant memory if this and the Apachai fight are good.
Frankly, I don’t care at all about Niijima right now. Enough with the idiocy.
Evidently Matsuena feels we need even more Niijima, instead of a serious fight. This entire arc has been one big tease.
Not only does a blackout interrupt the start of the fight, but Kenichi’s cell phone is ringing? This is painful.
No fighting, inane Niijima moments, and Matsuena reminding us what apparently matters most in Kenichi these days:
Hint: It isn't the dialogue
A brief moment of action from Miu, but it feels more like an excuse to show off her body rather than show the audience some martial arts.
Final Flash: Complete waste of a chapter. These upcoming fights better be excellent to compensate for the low quality of the last several weeks.
Bleach 414
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Both One Piece and Naruto have been sensational this week. I wonder how Bleach compares.
Have to say, the cover page isn’t nearly as blindingly awful as the last several Bleach color pages. Comparatively well done, then.
Last week’s twist was the explicit fourth wall-breaking teaser text saying that there’s tension between Gin and Aizen. Of course, this wasn’t actually shown in any capacity by the narrative itself, but this is as close to storytelling as Bleach gets, so bear with it. Described tension, Gin cover page, “Deicide” chapter naming scheme…
Gin is clearly lying to Aizen about having killed Matsumoto.
Boy, Kubo certainly is making this pretty obvious, isn’t he?
No prizes for having figured it out
The royal key! Why, that’s a reference to the next arc! We’re finally going somewhere.
Yes, do that. More quickly.
Page 12 is a shining example of unintentional hilarity. I use the word “shining” intentionally. “Blinding” would also be suitable.
Background of the week. Oh, wait, that's Gin.
No! 13km was a lie? How dare you, Kubo?!
Twist of the week
In all seriousness, Gin’s “true” bankai (who knows if this is the actual, final truth) is even more ridiculous now than ever before. It doesn’t merely extend and contract, but instead it dissolves into dust, while simultaneously the interior of the blade secretes a cell-destroying poison. That’s a crazy amount of abilities from one zanpakutou.
Now, that said, while this combination of abilities makes Gin rather overpowered in the Bleach universe, the primary complaint I have isn’t with his bankai at all, but with Ichigo. These kinds of bizarre abilities are exactly what shonen characters should have. By comparison, Ichigo and his one attack look more pathetic than ever.
Still, I’m deliberately trying to find positives to provide some decent analysis of a thoroughly insulting chapter. No, this chapter doesn’t carry the same disgraceful impact as chapter 396 (the “everything was according to Aizen’s plan” chapter), but in terms of putting up the middle finger to long-term fans, this takes the cake. Bleach fans, Kubo would like you to know that the last three years have been completely worthless. Assuming Aizen dies here, the last three years of plot maneuvers have been shunned in favor of establishing a new arch-villain who is weaker than the last one. Of course, there is always the possibility that Aizen’s reality-altering hougyoku will shamelessly save him once again, but then that merely introduces a brand new slap in the face, which is killing off Gin out of nowhere within a couple chapters, all for the sake of yet another uninteresting “twist.” Either way, this is drivel.
Final Flash: A tutorial on how not to write a story.
Naruto 504
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Heartfelt dialogue between Minato and Kushina. This is as emotionally engaging as Naruto has ever been.
The Third Hokage watches on as someone uses the Dead Demon Seal from within the confines of a barrier. Interesting parallel, there.
Incredible piece of action as the Kyuubi pierces both Minato and Kushina, but is stopped just short of Naruto.
Maybe Naruto is a little lucky after all
Unbelievably powerful parting moment between Naruto and his dying parents. Kushina’s motherly speech and Minato’s typically concise reply are perfect complements to each other and to the gravity of the scene. I readily admit to tearing up a little.
True tragedy
Back in pseudo-present time, Naruto thanks his parents and Kushina fades away. Fantastic emotion.
Final Flash: This flashback has been without question some of the very best shonen of the year. This chapter was a suitably magnificent conclusion.
One Piece 594
[scanlation by Binktopia]
Right from the start, we see the Gorousei. This surely will be an important chapter.
Huge news. Blackbeard has already taken out one of the Supernovas.
But which?
Garp and Sengoku both being forced out of their positions brings about a notable change in the World Government, specifically relating to where it stands in the moral gray area in One Piece. Garp and Sengoku have both been portrayed as “good” characters, even if they have opposed some protagonists. The rest of the upper echelons of the World Government are painted as a more traditional antagonizing force. This should prove pivotal going forward.
Aokiji as the next fleet admiral would be the most appropriate of the choices we’ve seen so far.
Smoker is still working behind the scenes to chase after Luffy. I hope for him to feature prominently at some point soon. He’s too good of a character not to.
There’s the long-awaited news: Luffy rang a bell at Marineford 16 times, as a memorial and/or a declaration of war. Stunning.
Furthermore, he got a tattoo! Great touch from Oda.
Focusing on Kid is both appropriate (given the tone of the manga right now) and exciting. He’s positioned to become a fantastic rival to Luffy.
Some kind of force is sucking everything into the air. Assuming this has nothing to do with Blackbeard’s ability, the New World is already a terrifying place.
... what?
Luffy is sending a direct message. His involvement with Rayleigh in doing so makes me wonder if he’s reaching out to more than just his crew, since it seems like there would have been simpler ways to reach only them.
I may never have laughed as loudly at a manga panel as I just have upon seeing Franky.
Super.
No! Basil, don’t kill Brownbeard! His legend must live on!
The end of the chapter shows an island in the New World overflowing with lightning. Very creative design.
Final Flash: Reestablishment of several hugely important characters, introduction to the true terror of the New World, excellent subterfuge within the World Government, and a truly powerful moment from Luffy. Wonderful chapter.
Fairy Tail 194
[scanlation by Binktopia]
The first page is colored strangely. It doesn’t feel nearly organic enough. Looks like plastic.
As usual, a Fairy Tail cover page is used to show off a female character’s assets. It’s not enticing if you lay it out there for everyone to see all the time.
The king’s mech is embarrassingly ugly and not particularly menacing.
The Super Soaker of mechs
All three Dragonslayers decide to fire their beams in one direction, yet don’t consider the possibility of their target moving out of the way. No, heroes, I don’t find it unreasonable that a mech can jump.
Our heroes are down and out. Cue Natsu’s willpower reserves in 3, 2…
Right on time.
The combination final attack is actually pretty well-designed. It’s just a pity that these characters can’t act before a generic show of willpower.
Final Flash: Dull chapter, but it signals the end of this arc is forthcoming.
Beamcast – July 26
[download link – 138min, 60mb]
In this week’s show:
News
OneManga closing
Yen Press+ launching as online magazine
Marvel anime to run on G4 in 2011
Bakuman spin-off in upcoming Jump double issue
Weekly Oricon rankings (7/12 – 7/18)
Licensing announcements
Seven Seas: To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
Yen Press: Highschool of the Dead
Viz: Genkaku Picasso, Death Note Black Edition
New releases
[anime]
Dragon Ball Season 5 Uncut (DVD) $49.98
Love Hina – Complete Series (DVD) $39.98
Soul Eater: Part 4 (DVD) $59.98
[manga]
Black Jack (vol. 12) $16.95
Cirque du Freak (vol. 6) $10.99
Code:Breaker (vol. 1) $10.99
Negima! (vol. 27) $10.99
Oh My Goddess (vol. 15) $10.99
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (vol. 7) $10.99
School Rumble (vol. 14) $19.99
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle (vol. 27) $10.99
Current/Classic Reviews
Toriko
Devilman
The Great Shonen Tier List
Introduced this week:
Jiraiya (Naruto)
Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece)
Ichimaru Gin (Bleach)
Devilman (Devilman)
Coco (Toriko)
Minami “Ikki” Itsuki (Air Gear)
Anime Discussion
Highschool of the Dead (ep. 3)
Seitokai Yakuindomo (ep. 4)
Legend of the Legendary Heroes (ep. 4)
Nurarihyon no Mago (ep.3)
This Week in Manga
1:06:47 – Naruto 503
1:12:12 – Bleach 413
1:17:02 – One Piece 593
1:26:43 – Bakuman 95
1:32:01 – Beelzebub 70
1:35:26 – Fairy Tail 193
1:38:21 – Hayate no Gotoku! 281
1:39:58 – Kekkaishi 314
1:42:08 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 391
1:47:11 – Toriko 103
1:50:55 – The World God Only Knows 107
1:52:52 – Mahou Sensei Negima! 296
1:55:24 – Psyren 128
1:58:56 – Zettai Karen Children 224
2:00:32 – Hajime no Ippo 901
2:02:47 – AR∀GO 28
2:04:56 – GE ~ Good Ending 43
2:06:57 – SWOT 3-4
2:11:17 – D.Gray-man 196
2:12:43 – Gintama 316
2:13:37 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 299
2:14:37 – Kimi no Iru Machi 98
2:15:45 – Nurarihyon no Mago 114
Chapters of the Week
Final Flash
Comments / questions / additions? Email the show.
Want to share with friends? How kind. Have a shortlink: http://wp.me/pJOZe-wj
Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
Toriko 103
[scanlation by Hi Wa Mata Noboru]
Two pages into the chapter and I’m already hungry. Curse you, Toriko.
What are those?
I’m relieved to find out that Komatsu is coming. He needs to capitalize on his recent character development, and continue progressing into an equal partner for Toriko.
It seems Toriko is wasting no time on that front, either. His (admittedly somewhat awkward) proposal is only interrupted by the arrival of a Sealion Bird, which may very well be the creepiest-looking animal to date.
There’s nothing quite like a vine in the sky to create a great sense of anticipation.
Final Flash: It’s great that Komatsu is here for the trip, but what about Terry? And what happened to Komatsu needing a bodyguard, who should rightfully be Rin?
Beelzebub 70
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
A cat. There’s a cat.
The sub-conversation between Izuma and Kunieda is very amusing.
Don't you dare take Beel out of the picture
A little spotlight for Kunieda! Good.
Oga going up for the overhead kick is pretty funny. While surely purely used for comedy, this move could also be referencing a real sport, sepak takraw, which is essentially volleyball played with the feet.
Final Flash: A couple good moments in this chapter, but this volleyball business is still in the way of interesting plot.
Weekly Power Rankings: 7/11 – 7/17
GE ~ Good Ending 43
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
Who cares if the text is long? Just send it! Be done with this.
He calls instead, and the issue is circumvented. That’s not a good sign.
No matter whether Shou should be in the harem again, it’s still sad to see her this distraught over the situation.
Yuki being so perceptive of Shou’s troubles is both a kind character trait and slightly worrisome. It’s great that she’s such a good friend, but I worry that she might use her guilt as yet another self-imposed obstacle in the way of her feelings for Seiji.
Shou is certainly a fan of ice cream.
This is an awkward flashback. It’s a little late to be seeing Shou in such a positive light. I don’t want to be rooting for her anymore; she had her chance already. That’s not to say I dislike her character, but the story needs to progress without her in the spotlight as much.
It seems Yuki is conflicted after all. I can only hope she doesn’t ask Seiji to resume morning practice.
Final Flash: The potential displayed at the end of last chapter hasn’t been realized at all.
Psyren 128
[scanlation by QandA]
Amamiya’s Nova becoming intertwined with her sword could make for good attacking variety, setting her apart from the other protagonists.
A little Hiryu action, for once. It’s a shame he’s fallen so far out of the spotlight for so long.
Lavos needs a hug
Frederica complements Kyle’s fighting style nicely. It seems Iwashiro is in a rush to show as much plot development as possible in a short time, so these fights are more concentrated. We get to see the large attacks, but not very much in between.
Ridiculous power from Frederica.
Grana saves Uranus at the last minute, though who knows what kind of fighting condition he’ll be in for the remainder of the arc. Time to switch fights, and perhaps switch focus as well, hopefully to Shao and Kabuto.
Final Flash: Good, straightforward action chapter.
History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 391
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
Finally, Sakaki. By default, this should be an improvement from last chapter.
Truly impressive display from a brand new character. Sakaki might not be in a tight spot, but he isn’t winning handily, either.
Sakaki is just the type to allow himself to be hit in order to strike the decisive blow… although his method here is a little ridiculous, frankly.
Next time, pull both your legs into your rib cage
Final Flash: Good short fight. Nice to have another quick chapter, paving the way for the main event beginning next week.
Shonen Beam Social Network
Shonen Beam 