Archive
Beamcast – November 8
[download link – 140min, 60mb]
In this week’s show:
News
Viz sells downloadable manga via iPad app
Viz announces online Shonen Jump supplement
Viz confirms Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, Psyren licenses
Leiji Matsumoto, Shigeru Mizuki earn government honors
New releases
[anime]
Tsubasa, RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE – Season 2 Viridian Collection (DVD) $49.98
[manga]
Inuyasha (vol. 54) $9.99
Inuyasha – VIZBIG (vol. 5) $17.99
Maoh: Juvenile Remix (vol. 3) $9.99
Discussion / Weekly Poll
Last week’s results:
Which sport do you prefer seeing depicted in anime/manga?
1. Basketball (29%)
2. Boxing (24%)
3. Football / soccer (20%)
4. Baseball (16%)
5. Tennis (11%)
This week:
Which of these partially-scanlated series would you most like to see caught up?
(Cage of Eden, GTO: Shonan 14 Days, Hajimete no Aku, Kuroko no Basket, Onidere, Sket Dance, Yankee-kun to Megane-chan)
The Great Shonen Tier List
Characters added:
Perona (One Piece)
Kaguya Kimimaro (Naruto)
Lambo (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
Sakuragi Hanamichi (Slam Dunk)
Nagase Kaede (Mahou Sensei Negima!)
Jonathan Joestar (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
This Week in Manga
0:25:38 – Sankarea 11
0:28:33 – Bleach 425
0:38:55 – One Piece 603
0:50:15 – Naruto 515
1:02:29 – Bakuman 108
1:06:30 – Beelzebub 83
1:12:58 – Fairy Tail 210
1:16:37 – Hayate no Gotoku! 295
1:20:40 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 405
1:26:41 – AR∀GO 42
1:33:45 – The World God Only Knows 120
1:40:12 – Defense Devil 71
1:43:22 – Psyren 141-142
1:49:07 – Nurarihyon no Mago 129
1:53:37 – GE ~ Good Ending 57-58
1:57:56 – Kimi no Iru Machi 111
2:00:34 – SWOT 15
2:06:44 – Enigma 8
2:14:00 – Code:Breaker 110
2:16:04 – D.Gray-man 200
2:17:47 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 313
Chapters of the Week
Final Flash
Comments / questions / additions? Email the show.
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Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
AR∀GO 42
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
Joe’s fury is palpable. Arai’s art style may be alternative, and could well be an acquired taste, but it conveys character emotion excellently.
Coco was bright enough to detach the ‘D’ and ‘R’ keys from her laptop keyboard, which surely is intended to be a hint that “Dr.” Cloteaux is the perpetrator. Sadly, while such a clue is blatantly obvious to the audience, we have to wait for such a realization to strike the characters. I appreciate Coco’s intelligence and quick actions being discreetly praised, but it’s unfortunate that Arago isn’t quite sharp enough to catch on right away.
Poor Colo. Violence towards animals, especially towards animals that have been established as “good,” is an easy (if slightly cheap) way of establishing the antagonist responsible as malevolent.
Cloteaux is playing this entire scenario by the book. Disguise as a friendly, win trust, learn about the hero, kidnap the girl, lie in wait with a sinister plan. Not only is this entirely too straightforward, but Cloteaux is also showing his hand far too soon. I was ready for a year’s worth of chapters with Cloteaux deeply embedded as a friendly, establishing bonds of trust with the main cast and slowly manipulating his surroundings in his favor. Instead, he acts now, barely after having been introduced, and much too early for the main cast to feel any sense of betrayal. I’m immensely disappointed at such missed opportunities.
Arago not realizing Coco’s message is bad enough, but Joe doesn’t see the obvious clue either?
Joe does ultimately hit upon the correct answer, even if by whimsical chance. I really had higher expectations for his powers of deduction.
Arago being saddled with Joe at his side may prevent him from using Brionac, but it does allow for more dynamic character interaction. Of course, there is always the possibility (or perhaps eventuality) that Joe will discover Arago’s ability.
Cloteaux’s newest golem is a particularly horrifying creation, and one that surely must require the use of Brionac for Arago and Joe even to stay alive. If that ends up being the case, I think this will be too soon, as well. Unless Arai is being pressured into certain plot choices from his publisher, I find this pacing rushed and these developments unfortunate.
Of the possible options stemming from a kidnapping storyline, Coco being fused with a golem might be the best available one, but that still doesn’t redeem this arc. Coco hasn’t had nearly enough time as an independent character to make this scene carry a strong impact. Instead, any potential character development is thus far being eschewed in favor of the cheap thrill of a damsel-in-distress plot.
Final Flash: A saddening display of authorial mediocrity. Arai, you’re better than this.
Weekly Power Rankings: 10/17 – 10/23
Rank |
Change |
Series |
Chapter |
Score |
1 | — | Beelzebub | 81 | 80.00% |
2 | — | Hayate no Gotoku! | 293 | 75.41% |
3 | +5 | Enigma | 6 | 72.82% |
4 | +2 | Nurarihyon no Mago | 127 | 72.67% |
5 | — | AR∀GO | 41 | 72.29% |
6 | -2 | Toriko | 115 | 71.92% |
7 | +5 | Gintama | 327 | 70.29% |
8 | +2 | Kekkaishi | 326 | 69.13% |
9 | +5 | Code:Breaker | 109 | 67.52% |
10 | +3 | Gamaran | 69 | 66.54% |
11 | +5 | Fairy Tail | 205 | 65.39% |
12 | -1 | History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi | 403 | 64.91% |
13 | +7 | One Piece | 600 | 64.56% |
14 | -5 | Psyren | 139 | 64.24% |
15 | +3 | The World God Only Knows | 118 | 63.77% |
16 | -9 | Bakuman | 105 | 63.09% |
17 | — | Mahou Sensei Negima! | 306 | 62.82% |
18 | -15 | Kimi no Iru Machi | — | 61.25% |
19 | -4 | Air Gear | 292 | 60.85% |
20 | -1 | Defense Devil | 70 | 58.08% |
21 | — | Naruto | 513 | 56.25% |
22 | — | Kyoukai no Rin-ne | 70 | 48.31% |
23 | — | GE ~ Good Ending | 56 | 47.33% |
24 | — | Zettai Karen Children | 235 | 38.18% |
25 | +2 | Katekyo Hitman Reborn! | 310 | 24.97% |
26 | — | MiXiM☆11 | 116 | 24.09% |
Absent: SWOT
Hiatus: Bleach
AR∀GO 41
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
Even if Arago is right to claim to be in trouble, the fact that his regeneration has kept him alive through this barrage is hugely impressive.
Arago’s insistence on staying out of the line of fire despite his Brionac powers is a comforting sentiment. This series would suffer immensely if Brionac evolved to the point where Arago could eschew clever tactics and trickery in favor of brute force. Some series work well with conventional shonen stereotypes, but AR∀GO would not be one of them.
The scene played out over only a half a page, but Arago refusing to fire Brionac in a manner that would kill a human has the potential to be a series-defining moment. Arago has always intended to protect humans, but this fact was never highlighted as intensely as this moment. Another more directly threatening moment could force Arago to reassert his refusal to use Brionac on humans, which would inevitably draw comparisons to pacifist protagonists such as Vash the Stampede and Kenshin, not that such comparisons necessarily would be unwelcome.
In stark contrast to the earlier reassurance provided by the explicit limitation of the regeneration ability of Brionac, the ability to fire beams is disappointing. The strength of this series lies in its exploration and adaptation of various myths and legends. This alternative feel has been complemented by the low-key Brionac power, which has somewhat resembled a Stand from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, in that it’s been shown as a limited power used in situational and insightful ways, rather than as a linearly-upgraded, Dragon Ball-style power. If Brionac continues to evolve down such a path, I can’t help but worry that Brionac would be overpowered for the subtleties of the legends AR∀GO explores, which could lead to Arai seeking balance by changing the overall feel of the series to a more traditional shonen style. Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but I admit to being wary.
The next day, Cloteaux is noticeably absent from the investigation proceedings, and Coco is unreachable. After the disappointment of Brionac-beams, this is a pivotal moment. If Coco has been kidnapped for the purposes of a straightforward “damsel in distress” plot line, this series will have made major strides in an unwanted direction. On the other hand, if Arai defies expectations and uses Coco’s disappearance as an opportunity to establish her as a self-sufficient character, or at least varies a kidnapping scenario by having Coco actually suffer in some capacity at the hands of Cloteaux, then AR∀GO will still retain its unique feel compared to its shonen contemporaries.
Final Flash: Still an enjoyable chapter, but one that presents far too many unpleasant possibilities for the future.
Weekly Power Rankings: 10/10 – 10/16
Rank |
Change |
Series |
Chapter |
Score |
1 | — | Beelzebub | 80 | 80.00% |
2 | — | Hayate no Gotoku! | 292 | 77.82% |
3 | +6 | Kimi no Iru Machi | 109 | 72.82% |
4 | +1 | Toriko | 114 | 72.18% |
5 | +2 | AR∀GO | 40 | 71.11% |
6 | +2 | Nurarihyon no Mago | 126 | 70.00% |
7 | -1 | Bakuman | 104 | 68.02% |
8 | +7 | Enigma | 5 | 67.13% |
9 | +2 | Psyren | 138 | 66.61% |
10 | +2 | Kekkaishi | 325 | 65.95% |
11 | -8 | History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi | 402 | 64.96% |
12 | -8 | Gintama | — | 64.94% |
13 | — | Gamaran | 68 | 64.59% |
14 | — | Code:Breaker | 108 | 64.22% |
15 | +3 | Air Gear | 291 | 61.24% |
16 | -6 | Fairy Tail | 204 | 61.08% |
17 | -1 | Mahou Sensei Negima! | 305 | 60.96% |
18 | -1 | The World God Only Knows | 117 | 59.63% |
19 | — | Defense Devil | 69 | 56.28% |
20 | +1 | One Piece | 599 | 55.89% |
21 | -1 | Naruto | 512 | 55.09% |
22 | — | Kyoukai no Rin-ne | 69 | 48.08% |
23 | — | GE ~ Good Ending | 55 | 46.91% |
24 | — | Zettai Karen Children | 234 | 37.59% |
25 | — | Bleach | 423 | 29.36% |
26 | — | MiXiM☆11 | 115 | 26.39% |
27 | — | Katekyo Hitman Reborn! | 309 | 19.52% |
Absent: SWOT
AR∀GO 40
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
I’m still thrilled at the prospect of Cloteaux, the Black Horseman, being embedded within the group of perceived friendlies.
The exchange between Arago and Cloteaux doesn’t seem to have alerted Arago, who could stand to be a bit more discerning about who to trust.
Cloteaux staring intently at Coco potentially indicates a motive of his involving her. Kidnapping is the obvious choice, as it’s someone close enough to Arago that Cloteaux could threaten to bring Brionac closer, but it’s also such an obvious choice that it would be a little unimaginative of an otherwise creative author to rely on such a crutch.
Hello there, shonen hero. You’re looking dangerously like Tsuna in this shot, complete with Dying Will Flame. Cut back on that a little, would you?
Seth’s explanation, understanding, and coaching of the Brionac power makes me think Arago is going to be considerably stronger not too long from now. That’s exciting news for those of you who follow The Great Shonen Tier List, but it’s also somewhat worrisome, as much of the charm of Arago’s battles comes from the clever application of the limited Brionac ability. AR∀GO is not at all a generic shonen battle series, and the writing could suffer greatly if Arago becomes too much like a stereotypical overpowered shonen hero.
For being coy about his motives and his status in relation to Arago, Seth sure is proactively analytical about Arago. Granted, this is giving him an opportunity to learn about the power he’s chasing after, but it’s still amusing to see a character as intentionally distant as Seth drawing up detailed diagrams.
Arago is getting a named finishing move? What is this, Gintama?
Cloteaux’s new golem is appropriately fearsome, and it certainly makes an instant impact, ripping Arago to shreds. This will surely be a test of the regeneration ability of Brionac, and it’s enough of a dire and urgent situation to put Brionac to the ultimate test, especially considering how worn out Arago is from training.
Final Flash: Interesting insight on Brionac, great Seth moments, and a good villain, but a little too close to formulaic shonen for this series.
Beamcast – October 18
[download link – 124min, 55mb]
In this week’s show:
News
Level E to be adapted into anime by Studio Pierrot
Saijou no Meii live action adaptation
Weekly Oricon rankings (10/4 – 10/10)
New releases
[anime]
Hayate the Combat Butler (Sub.DVD 7) $39.98
Naruto Shippuden (DVD box 4) $49.98
Naruto Shippuden Special Edition (DVD box 4) $69.98
[manga]
Rin-ne (vol. 5) $9.99
[non-shonen]
20th Century Boys (vol. 11) $12.99
Vagabond (vol. 33) $9.95
Vagabond – VIZBIG Edition (vol. 9) $19.99
Discussion / Weekly Poll
Last week’s results:
Which of these Fall 2010 shonen anime are you watching?
1. Bakuman (50%)
2. The World God Only Knows (25%)
3. To Aru Majutsu no Index II (15%)
4. Shinryaku! Ika Musume (10%)
This week:
Which among the Jump “Super Legends” is your favorite author?
(Akimoto Osamu, Kishimoto Masashi, Konomi Takeshi, Sorachi Hideaki, Toriyama Akira, Usuta Kyousuke)
The Great Shonen Tier List
Characters re-tiered:
Kurosaki Ichigo (Bleach)
Yoshina Ageha (Psyren)
Characters added:
Magellan (One Piece)
Hyuuga Neji (Naruto)
Black Star & Tsubaki (Soul Eater)
Sannomiya Shiho (Zettai Karen Children)
Senji “Crow” Kiyomasa (Deadman Wonderland)
Yamamoto Takeshi (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
Anime Discussion
Nurarihyon no Mago (ep. 15)
Shinryaku! Ika Musume (ep. 2)
To Aru Majutsu no Index II (ep. 2)
The World God Only Knows (ep. 2)
Bakuman (ep. 2)
This Week in Manga
0:41:20 – Soul Eater 79
0:46:30 – One Piece 600
0:57:27 – Naruto 513
1:03:44 – Bakuman 105
1:09:31 – Fairy Tail 205
1:13:41 – Hayate no Gotoku! 292
1:18:18 – Kekkaishi 325
1:20:45 – AR∀GO 39
1:24:11 – Toriko 114
1:27:33 – The World God Only Knows 117
1:30:36 – Defense Devil 69
1:32:29 – Mahou Sensei Negima! 304-305
1:37:32 – Psyren 139
1:40:51 – Nurarihyon no Mago 126-127
1:46:35 – Zettai Karen Children 234
1:49:30 – Kimi no Iru Machi 109
1:52:08 – SWOT 12
1:54:52 – Enigma 5
1:59:07 – Air Gear 291
2:00:41 – Bloody Monday: Season 2 – 43
2:01:18 – Gintama 326-327
2:02:27 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 310
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-Nk
Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
AR∀GO 36
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
This is a vastly different style of fight than Arago has had in the past. It’s no Ippo, but the focus on speed and precision provides interesting contrast to simple reliance on the Brionac power.
Arago bore the brunt of the werewolf’s finishing blow? This is some supreme confidence he’s showing in his regenerative abilities.
… and evidently, given that he just regenerated his entire left arm from bone and limp flesh, he was right in doing so. Whether the power itself has improved or Arago is simply more adept at using it, Brionac is more impressive now than it ever has been.
Underneath the pelt was “just some normal old guy.” On one hand, I appreciate that the focus remained on the pelt, since that myth has proven extremely interesting. On the other hand, it’s a slight disappointment that this plot is entirely self-contained, rather than linking to any larger premise, whether or not that would involve Patchman.
So, according to Seth and what little I know of nutritional science, Brionac and the wolf pelt are similar because they’re both like supernatural caffeine?
Final Flash: Ultimately, this arc (and particularly this chapter) served to provide some insight into the nature of Arago as a character, but little else. It was enjoyable, but the conclusion of this mini-arc feels strongly of missed opportunities.
Beamcast – September 20
[download link – 125min, 56mb]
In this week’s show:
News
Fairy Tail anime second season confirmed
Shonen Jump running one-shots by six legendary mangaka
Imamura Norio fined 500k yen
City Hunter receives live action Korean TV series
Weekly Oricon rankings (9/6 – 9/12)
New releases
[anime]
Bleach (DVD 32) $24.92
[manga]
Black Jack (vol. 13) $16.95
Discussion / Weekly Poll
Last week’s results:
Multiple choice – Which of these shonen genres do you enjoy?
1. Action (32%) | 2. Comedy / Mystery (tie) (22% each) | 4. Sports (13%) | 5. Romance (11%)
This week:
How do you prefer to read manga?
(Localized volume releases, online scanlations, original raws)
The Great Shonen Tier List
Characters added:
Boa Hancock (One Piece)
Konan (Naruto)
Kagura (Gintama)
Ogami Rei (Code:Breaker)
Sano Seiichirou (The Law of Ueki)
Mikura “Kazu” Kazuma (Air Gear)
Anime Discussion
Highschool of the Dead (ep. 11)
Seitokai Yakuindomo (ep. 11)
Legend of the Legendary Heroes (ep. 12)
Nurarihyon no Mago (ep. 11)
This Week in Manga
0:41:07 – Kure-nai 34
0:45:41 – Naruto 510
0:49:35 – Bleach 420
0:55:58 – Bakuman 101
1:01:20 – Beelzebub 77
1:05:24 – Fairy Tail 200-201
1:11:29 – Hayate no Gotoku! 288
1:15:12 – History’s Strongest Disciple Kenichi 398-399
1:20:40 – AR∀GO 35
1:24:12 – Toriko 110
1:29:05 – Mahou Sensei Negima! 302
1:31:39 – Psyren 134
1:34:05 – Nurarihyon no Mago 122
1:38:52 – Zettai Karen Children 230
1:43:42 – GE ~ Good Ending 50
1:46:44 – Kimi no Iru Machi 105
1:49:46 – Enigma 1
1:58:48 – Deadman Wonderland 38
1:59:38 – Air Gear 287
2:00:13 – Code:Breaker 104
2:01:02 – Defense Devil 64
2:01:44 – Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 306
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-Ju