Archive
Mahou Sensei Negima! 309
[scanlation by Animum Mutare]
Negi is still completely out of the action for now, so much so that he’s a hindrance to their plan. They’re going to have to get him capable of moving, or else even when they succeed, they’d have to drag him out of the place. The plot lends itself to some good comedy, and it’s nice to see Chamo still carrying the ranking list of who likes Negi the most. I’d like to point out that if girls who like Negi would help the healing, literally having all of the class excepting two or three girls would definitely speed things up.
That list grows exponentially
Yue has learned quite a lot during her stay in the magical world, and she’s become fairly capable. Her idea makes a lot of sense and is pretty creative, while solving what did seem like a major problem. That aside, I’m still not sure how I feel about the plan as a whole. Fate doesn’t seem like the kind of enemy that you can just sneak past, and that anti-magical field seems like it should extend more than far enough for him to have a healthy amount of time to trash everyone in the party. That is assuming, of course, that Negi stays comatose, which he won’t.
I’m not sure I like the idea of the whole “no one dies” thing. Sure, it is Negima, so I’m not expecting Fate to off a bunch of cute girls from the class. Do we need to be explicitly told that no one will die, they’ll just be sent to dream world? I don’t think so. It somewhat subtracts from the gravity of the situation. I guess it is enough to know that if they fail and are sent to the dream world, the erase of the magical world would be pretty much guaranteed, which means the failure of Negi’s plan, whatever it may have been.
Fate being literally face to face with the group is a very intense moment. True to his character, he must have sensed that something was up, because he randomly attacks the area our heroes are on. The frantic escape resulting from the attack, and the scale of the destruction caused by an offhand attack at nothing but a feeling, do a great job of showing off what a villain Fate is. There’s a very good reason all the battle-capable party members don’t just team up and fight him, and that reason is that they would very likely just be annihilated. Natsumi’s hat flying off her head as she collapses, and the resulting desperate grab by Kotarou, are just more examples of how well the tension of the moment is being done.
Tastes like haute couture
Natsumi’s resolve as she walks straight towards Fate is perhaps the best moment of courage we’ve seen in a while. For a series like Negima, which has so many super-powered fighters, it sure is ironic how the most heroic moments often result from the most normal characters. Nodoka, who was an introverted bookworm, stealing the staff of the lifemaker and using it against Dynamis. Chisame, a normal girl with no battle potential, being the driving force behind the magical hurricane of destruction that is Negi these days. Now Natsumi, who has no real way of protecting herself, leading the entire group directly into the reaches of the most powerful enemy they’ve faced. These “normal girls” are anything but, and the series would sorely miss them if they left.
Next week is the grand finale of the plan. How will it work for the main party? Hopefully we get the action-packed climax that we’ve been looking forward to for so many chapters.
Final Flash: A good chapter, but it still basically felt like setup. Hopefully we’ve gotten all the preparation out of the way, and next chapter can go straight into the meat of the climax.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 308
[scanlation by Animum Mutare]
Negi is still out, but the girls have a plan. I have to say I like that this is being followed through, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the girls handle the fact that they’ve basically lost the core of their plans. That said, it’s almost sure that Negi will need to come back to fight with Fate. The fight has been hyped too much at this point, and the arc conclusion just wouldn’t feel right if Negi was left out of it.
This chapter is basically going to work like a little summary of events so far, and the current statuses of enemies and allies alike, framed by the characters using the exposition to fill each other in, of course. It is a little helpful at this point, admittedly. With as many girls as Negima brings into this, we need reminders of who is still fighting, and the two enemies left by Fate’s side.
Diagrams - Deceiving Evil 101
Plan B is being laid out by the remainder of the force with Negi, and it isn’t unacceptable. The girls know they can’t go head-to-head with Fate without Negi there, so they opt for a stealth route to just snatch both the key and Asuna and run away. Sadly, the plan feels like it’s doomed to fail from the very beginning, just from the virtue of knowing that in a series like Negima, this kind of thing isn’t going to be pulled off. After all, that would mean there’s no fight with Fate, which by now is a certainty.
Everyone has their own clearly defined roles for this, further enforcing the idea this is some kind of carefully formed RPG-style party. There’s the steal group to sneak in and grab Asuna, the long range tactical group to grab the key from a distance, and the decoy/battle group to draw attention away from the others. It’s well thought out, and an indication that all of these girls had a place in the group since before they were given Pactios.
Doomsday Device calibration is a must
We’re left with a single page of Fate, and a very cryptic comment. Exactly who are they planning to resurrect? My only guess would be the Mage of the Beginning, who Nagi Springfield defeated back in his confrontation with this group.
Final Flash: Decent setup chapter, but solely setup with a little bit of summary.
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
Mahou Sensei Negima! 307
[scanlation by Animum Mutare]
This is a strikingly effective opening page. If your mouth was left open after this, I’m sure you aren’t the only one. Shiori looks gone, and Dynamis is declaring the victory of their faction. Negi is going out of control, and the girls can barely do anything to stop him.
Surely not the first time Negi was covered in high school girls
Chisame is an incredibly strong character, and this is in stark contrast to having basically zero combat potential. It’s a testament to how well written she is, both that she can stand out among 30 other girls, and that she can remain vitally important to the plot despite not fighting directly.
Shiori barely escaped the fatal blow, and Negi has ceased his advance into being a creature of darkness. I don’t know how I feel about the former. A straight-out death isn’t something expected in Negima, but it might not have been a terrible development. Negi is rendered useless for the foreseeable future; he’s a shell of his former self.
Shiori’s speech cements her as a mainstay of the already gigantic cast of females who have gathered around Negi. In another series with this many characters, it may be seen as too much. In Negima, though, adding another girl seems more like a “why not?” sort of decision.
She has a pretty good point
Negi is out of it, but the girls realize the finality of the situation and decide to press on. I wonder how they’re going to manage without Negi, who according to Dynamis is the only one who could possibly take on Fate.
Final Flash: A climactic buildup to a moment that dodges a climax. Nevertheless, some brilliant characterization.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 306
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
The effects of Magia Erebea are kicking in, and Negi is obviously not himself. The art of the swirling energy is well done every time Magia Erebea appears, even if the art isn’t something I normally notice in Negima. The jagged edges and inverted colors Negi’s appearance takes on help the effect being created.
Excellently appropriate, and not a bad tribal tattoo
A big fight is about to happen. The attacks taking place are of an appropriately large scale, and they’re getting bigger as the fight goes on. A bit of a mini-revelation, for Dynamis to tell us that Magia Erebea is a technique of his master. We know that Negi learned from Evangeline; does that make her Dynamis’s teacher? I doubt it, which means we’re being foreshadowed for a little more story on one of the mages we saw Nagi fighting in his flashback.
Negi is shrugging off no small number of completely devastating attacks, while tossing attacks back that match the output from Dynamis. The return of the lightning spear, but black lightning this time. Maybe Akamatsu Ken is taking some sort of signal from Kishimoto on this being the time to illustrate huge scale attacks. In defense of Negima, it has been doing this sort of thing for a long time now.
While I don’t exactly want to see Negi only win this by being overcome with this sort of dark magic, I much prefer an evil-powered smackdown to the incredibly played out trope of restraining himself before the fight is settled in his favor for some reason like “not wanting to win that way”. All of the girls are trying to stop him, but the one who throws herself in his way is… our newcomer? This is going to be interesting.
This is how to establish a new character
Final Flash: Excellent action, some intense fights, and nothing but more of the same on the horizon.
Series Roundup: 10/10 – 10/16
Mini-reviews for all the series without full individual posts.
Gamaran 66
[scanlation by helz0ne]
If there’s anything worse for Gama than being demolished by his opponent, it’s being allowed to live “because that is Jinsuke-san’s will.”
The compassion shown by Zenmaru’s brother contradicts the rest of his character… until he then offers to “let him off” with only one arm lost. That’s reassuring in the worst way.
Naoyoshi may not be right about everything because his fault, but he is right to finally act.
It’s shocking enough that Naoyoshi’s mother was waiting for him at the castle, but her revelation that Naoyoshi is to become the next Daimyo is a complete surprise. It’s a great one, though, and one that helps the series transition from the previous long-term plot (Grand Tournament of Unabara) to new material.
Hayate no Gotoku! 292
[scanlation by [C]hán]
Six years is an impressive milestone. It’s been a quality journey throughout.
The concept of Nagi doing image training for a doujinshi convention is hilarious, and the Kamen Rider 555 reference is even funnier. Great comedy chapter thus far.
Housen has some kind of connection to the picture Hayate found of “the 28th.” We seem to be in store for some serious plot, which makes the backdrop of the doujinshi convention even more striking.
The gym teacher punchline (and subsequent “introduction”) is absolutely priceless. What a great choice.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 310
[scanlation by Binktopia]
I don’t recall Lambo being shown naked before. Has Amano taken influence from Baby Beel?
Of course the geological structure is exactly the same as where Vongola Primo did something. All this series cares about is what Vongola Primo did, probably because Tsuna is Vongola Primo in some stupidly convoluted time loop.
For as terrible as this series is, it’s still fun to see Lambo strut around confidently. Remember these few pages of comedy, as they’ll probably be the last bit of enjoyment to be derived for the next 50 chapters.
Obviously, it would have been too creative and fun to have young Lambo somehow stumble his way to a victory, so as always, here comes 10-years-older Lambo to save the day. Will that be enough, or are we in for 20- or even 30-years-older Lambo? Frankly, I don’t care, and it takes effort by Amano to make me stop caring about Lambo.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 304-305
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
(304) … why is Dynamis getting naked?
Excellent action scenes throughout this chapter. This is a case where manga action may actually trump what an anime adaptation would produce, since each scene would be focused on longer and lose the frenetic pace.
Ako’s 1.8cm syringe artifact presents a rather comedic (if awkward) scenario, yet also produces some impressive results.
(305) It’s no surprise that Asuna has been taken away, given both that Fate was here and that such an act is par for the course for such a fantasy storyline.
Kaede is as impressive as always. Her fighting is such a joy to watch.
Great reaction from Negi not to become intangible, but it was a bit naive of him not to take Dynamis seriously.
Nurarihyon no Mago 126-127
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
(126) The more we learn about Rikuo’s father, the better. The lack of information regarding him has effectively built up tension for any plot involving him.
The past between Hagoromo Gitsune and Rikuo’s father is being made deliberately unclear. Rikuo claims she killed him, but the small flashback vision she sees could indicate a misunderstanding.
Kurotabou’s plan hints at a mid-fight development of Rikuo’s powers of some kind. Meanwhile, is the Nue hatching already?
(127) The colors on the cover page are nice, but I would appreciated a scene even moderately related to the current action.
Finally, some concrete information regarding Nura’s father. His name was Rihan, and he invented Matoi. Those tidbits are nice, but the most exciting knowledge is that Matoi is a technique specifically designed for youkai-human hybrids. Considering Rihan’s implied strength and the fact that he was only half human, Rikuo stands to be established rightfully as even more powerful, considering he is three quarters human. This is a great way to explain the strength of the protagonist.
Amid the excellent action, Rikuo poses a fascinating question to Hagoromo Gitsune. If she is indeed partly human, it would prove an interesting twist in the story.
The Supreme Commander’s words and Gyuuki’s presence indicate some ominous and fun plot ahead. The Supreme Commander’s face at the bottom of page 18 is particularly well drawn, too.
If that huge eyeball-having youkai is indeed the character pulling the strings, I give tremendous credit to Shiibashi for setting him up properly. His lunge at the elder Nurarihyon when Hagoromo Gitsune was close to giving birth was an action befitting of an underling, so I never gave this character second thought. Well done.
Psyren 138-139
[scanlation by Muda Scantrad]
(138) Wonderful little scene with Marco, especially with the proud parent boasting afterward.
Miroku’s final intended action is impressive, and the facial expression Mithra gives in reaction is haunting. She may have been introduced far too late in the game to be a great character, but judging each scene on its own merits, that is a great shot.
So… this is just Chrono Trigger now? Time travel and Lavos? I know Iwashiro is probably trying to wrap things up far earlier than he intended, but this is a considerable reach. Knowing this and Mithra’s relation to Quat Nevas is also hugely disappointing in terms of missed opportunities: In Chrono Trigger, Lavos was just a huge alien being. Introducing Mithra as a speaker and representative of such an alien being could be fantastic, but she would have had to have been introduced much, much sooner. In fact, if this Quat Nevas business was a legitimate storyline option before a couple months ago, the groundwork should have been laid far earlier. It’s a shame.
(139) I can’t say I found the death of Kusakabe moving whatsoever. He’s never been any more than a completely minor character.
Old enemies are now allies by way of a common enemy! Well, they’re not all old; some just met for the first time mere chapters ago. Old and new enemies are now allies. Sort of.
The world is practically ending, and Nemesis Q appears, making a pseudo-closing statement. Are we in line for a “bad end,” with the world being consumed and destroyed? I can’t say I’d find that horribly out of place, frankly. It would still be jarring, considering we only just met Quat Nevas, but it would be a creative approach.
SWOT 12
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
What old TV theme song will make SWOT tolerable this week? Let’s try Starsky & Hutch.
This new bad guy is wearing his pants way, way too low. At least quit freeballing there, Murderface.
Sophomores! Run away!
… seriously though, of course the next class up is the next level of strength. It’s SWOT. Everything is predictable and bad.
The big guy can do E. Honda’s attack from Street Fighter II. If you’re going to rip off video game attacks, couldn’t you at least pick something interesting?
Wait, if his head is impervious to damage, how is he defeated after landing on it? It doesn’t matter if he fell from higher; the tiny establishment we got of this character was that he can’t be hurt on his head. This is idiotic.
Frankly, the delayed Resolve slash idea is actually pretty cool, but it’s being wasted on a dull character in a horrible series.
Oh good, it’s Yamikura. That’s all we needed: Bleach-style fight interruptions. Putrid.
—
Feel that one or more of these series should be getting full-review treatment each week? Show your support by participating in chapter discussion in comments. Actively-discussed series will be considered for full reviews.
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.
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Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
Series Roundup: 9/19 – 9/25
Mini-reviews for all the series without full individual posts.
Air Gear 288
[scanlation by SSA Scanlations]
I would like to casually remind you that the girl you see on the first couple pages with practically nothing on is, in fact, body-swapped President Obama.
The color cover page is another example of fine artwork (despite some fanservice) from Oh!Great.
Am I the only one who finds absolutely zero interest in anything involving Onigiri?
Sarome not being a Gravity Child isn’t much of a revelation, considering how new of a character she is.
Rika at risk of being brainwashed into becoming the Thorn Queen is a much better and more urgent reason for Kogarasumaru to rescue her than a simple kidnapping.
Defense Devil 65
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
I suppose it’s been a little while since the last blatantly fanservicing cover page. Acceptable.
Kucabara’s plan may be working, but it’s not doing much to promote him as a credible hero. It’s fine to rely on intelligence, but a protagonist in this style of series really needs to support that with at least a small display of power.
This is a decent time for Y to reveal her true motive, but it’s not at all a good time to reveal her troubled past, much less through a flashback.
Kucabara, suffering greatly from poison, still manages to save Y. This is far too straightforward.
Enigma 2
[scanlation by CXC Scans]
Our group of protagonists has cleared the first suspense/thriller hurdle, at least: Don’t split up. Never split up.
Poor Shigeru. Even when faced with only one female adversary, Sumio’s attention doesn’t fall on her.
In such a completely modern trap, a typewriter-lock on the door is a nice anachronism.
The secret “emergency evacuation” broadcast code is an excellent and realistic touch.
Matsurigi is the first casualty of the shadow. (Lower case, mind you. I don’t see Interceptor anywhere… yet.) The art depicting the abduction is effectively scary.
The focus of Sumio’s Dream Diary is obviously the prediction it generates, but the accompanying artwork is amusing.
We’re set to see a new power, as Hasekura apparently must “erase” the person in the photo blocking the necessary name tag. Without yet knowing the exact nature of this power, the initial concept is already suitably interesting. Good chapter and a good sense of intrigue heading into the next one.
Gamaran 63
[scanlation by helz0ne]
Funny exchange between Gama and Zenmaru, and great artwork of their faces.
What an incredible difference in power between Gama and Ranmaru. I could have expected Gama to be at a disadvantage because of his recent fight, but this sheer gap in class is surprising.
Jinsuke already had much to live up to, but our anticipation is made to increase even further with the news that he is behind literally everything that has happened to Gama recently. With this much riding on his shoulders, let’s hope Jinsuke’s introduction lives up to the hype.
Zenmaru’s reunion with his older brother is both suspenseful and shockingly informative, with the news that the grand tournament of Unabara has ended.
This underling of Jinsuke looks as close to Two-Face as a samurai-era character could reasonably get.
Finally, Jinsuke himself. Not much in the way of plot-related introduction, but his appearance alone is monumental. Nakamaru has done a good job of drawing him to look similar to Gama.
GE ~ Good Ending 51
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
It was about baseball.
… seriously, if the author can’t be bothered to write a chapter that has any relevance to the plot, then I can’t be bothered to review it.
Hayate no Gotoku! 289
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
The summary of Important Detective is riotously funny.
Ayumu’s ignorance regarding manga is proving useful for multiple solid punchlines.
Plenty of meta mangaka humor here. It’s like if Bakuman tried pure, nonsensical comedy.
Hilarious face-off between Ayumu and Azumamiya.
Amazing realization by Nagi on the last page. It takes a seriously excellent moment to overshadow such a strong comedy chapter, but this is worth the praise.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! 307
[scanlation by Binktopia]
P3, top-right panel: Pitiful art. I can see he’s against the spiked barrier, and that he’s bleeding, but what the hell is that black mass by his waist supposed to be?
Ryohei needs to charge up to full power to defeat him? No kidding. Thanks for pointing out the obvious flaw with your ridiculous power: Every fight of yours from now on will be an endurance test until you’re fully charged.
Speed lines around the characters, in the projectiles, and in the physical attacks themselves. I derive more enjoyment from looking at graph paper.
He’s fully charged. Yawn.
Kekkaishi 321-322
[scanlation by A-Team]
(321) Interesting and pleasantly brief exposition on Shiromi’s family life. That, combined with the knowledge that he has two powers, could set him up to be an interesting character.
Bizarrely direct conversation between Masamori and Hazama, consider their complete lack of any relationship.
Tokine! Finally.
(322) Yoshimori’s dad is… unique.
Wow, Tokine is flooding Yoshimori’s thoughts. This series hasn’t handled their relationship too much until now; this is a pleasant change.
Tokine’s job as a diplomat is perfectly suited to her. She’s strong enough to support herself, yet not quite strong enough to take on a role akin to Yoshimori. This is an effective differentiation between the two main characters.
The embrace between the two is just what anyone could have hoped for. It provides just the right amount of connection between the two, without over-developing their relationship at this stage.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 303
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
It would have been amusing if Koutarou had just taken out Fate here.
This “meeting” is really just Akamatsu’s roundabout way of cementing Fate as a colossally strong character. I’m not entirely convinced Fate didn’t notice and ignore Koutarou’s group, either.
Setsuna’s fights are always a good source of action. The art complements the action nicely, too; speed lines are used in such a way as not to overpower the characters or attacks, and the most important scenes have no speed lines at all.
That teacher in Setsuna’s flashback seems far too similar to Tsuruko Aoyama, Motoko’s older sister in Love Hina, just to be a coincidence.
Tsukuyomi wielding a cursed sword is a minor disappointment. I’m frustrated at the ever-growing trend of evil characters having a particular reason why they are so evil, therefore redeeming them. Why can’t evil characters just be evil sometimes?
Psyren 135
[scanlation by Muda Scantrad]
It makes sense for Vigo to be killed off, considering Vigo has had his moment of spotlight, but it’s unfortunate that he’s being replaced by someone as unknown as Mithra.
No, Marie! You’re able to contact Shao, so get out of there! Don’t sit around with dying Vigo! Don’t pull a Vivi!
Mithra’s flashback regarding Miroku is decent enough, but the wolf/sheep metaphors make no sense whatsoever.
Some nonsensical turns of events later, Ageha arrives, right behind Miroku and poised to attack with Melchsee’s Door. It’s a pity that the preceding backstory made such little impact, but I’m ready for what could be the series’ climactic final fight.
SWOT 10
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
It’s confirmed, then: This is no longer a terrible delinquent series. It’s now a terrible supernatural delinquent series.
Manabizaki has a “99.9% chance of losing.” Could this series try any harder to be generic?
Reverse resolve. In one chapter, our semi-realistic protagonist learned a perfect counter to a newly-introduced supernatural element. Absolutely pathetic. This series has managed to evoke the same feelings that I typically reserve exclusively for Bleach, except that SWOT has managed the feat about 200 chapters sooner. What a thoroughly putrid series. Nothing deserves cancellation more than SWOT right now, Bleach included. That statement isn’t even exclusive to Jump, either; I’d cancel SWOT sooner than MiXiM☆11, too.
The World God Only Knows 113-114
[scanlation by Red Hawk Scanlations]
(113) Keima’s attempts at building his own perfect human are amusing but obviously futile. This seems hopeless.
What a strange series of panels, featuring awkward, pseudo-philosophical dialogue. I’m not exactly sure what the author was trying to achieve, but unless the goal was to alienate me, I think the objective wasn’t quite met. I don’t see how any of the points raised in these pages couldn’t have been better addressed through ordinary storytelling. There’s no need to over-complicate the narrative.
Keima was unable to win from the very beginning. This teacher is rather interesting, but she needs to proceed with whatever she’s planning. This is the second time she’s been teased as a major behind-the-scenes character; best to capitalize on the existing anticipation before it’s lost.
(114) Not only is Kanon back, but she has a goddess! This is a refreshing change, particularly after the previous chapter.
Apollo is certainly less reliable than Diana, but that better suits Kanon.
Fairly sad last couple pages focusing on the distance between Keima and Kanon.
Zettai Karen Children 231
[scanlation by JS Scans]
The brief comedy of Kaoru holding a cherished maid cafe ticket is considerably more interesting than anything the preceding or following pages have to offer.
The maid cafe mixup is amusing.
Thanks, Shiina, but I haven’t forgotten that Kaoru is in love with Minamoto.
Good dialogue in the last panel. The wordplay works well with Hyoubu’s current double-natured character.
—
Feel that one or more of these series should be getting full-review treatment each week? Show your support by participating in chapter discussion in comments. Actively-discussed series will be considered for full reviews.
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
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Credit: AnimeNewsNetwork
Series Roundup: 9/12 – 9/18
Mini-reviews for all the series without full individual posts.
Air Gear 287
[scanlation by SSA Scanlations]
Beautiful color page. This is a perfect example of quality art and a tiny bit of fanservice easily trumping over-the-top gratuitous fanservice.
Ringo has every reason to feel like she’s at fault about this. Regardless of where the blame lies, though, Ikki’s Regalia must be repaired quickly, or else not only will he be unable to win his fight, but also the plot will be unable to progress.
This is mostly setup after setup for each fight. I suppose it’s acceptable as a way to refresh the audience’s memory, after six weeks of no Air Gear.
Ikki demonstrates some strong leadership qualities by getting everyone back on track. Between the Regalia hunt and the various battles, the next few chapters should be exciting.
AR∀GO 35
[scanlation by Trinity BAKumA]
Cute cover page.
Interesting nod by Arai towards boxers, and lightweight boxers specifically. It’s true that this training should help Arago’s evasiveness.
I’ve finally figured out the secret behind the worst arc of Hajime no Ippo: Woli had Brionac.
The reactions from Rio, Coco, and Seth to Arago’s request are as funny as they are vastly different.
Captain Tsubasa now? This is an oddly sports-themed chapter.
Arago’s idea of a duel (and the werewolf’s immediate acceptance) is fascinating. The two-page spread of them exchanging blows is great, as well.
Code:Breaker 104
[scanlation by ShinraTensei]
Not that I could put a face to the name, but Dekasugi going missing right after Yuuki drops the hint points to Code:Revenger having been closely watching everything all along.
Ogami’s new flame is incredibly powerful and far more versatile than the first flame. It’s also more bizarrely supernatural, perhaps even spiritual.
Once again, Ogami’s unique sense of justice, where he continues to quietly burden himself with others’ problems, is enjoyable to read.
Yuuki is obviously torn over having to fight Ogami, but chooses to turn to his trump card, in the form of some pills in his collar. I hope Yuuki doesn’t die in all of this action.
Defense Devil 64
[scanlation by I Eat Manga]
Kucabara’s focus on pacifism is a bit out of place. He has been established as a “good” character, but this feels more like time-wasting than personality establishment.
Several pages later, and Kucabara has exactly the same stance. It’s taking far too long for anything to happen.
His brilliant plan was to shoot out the lights? That’s a bit childish.
The naive devils throw the “soccer” field into chaos, and Kucabara drops in like Batman to save Idamaria. Sadly, the spurt of action at the end of the chapter doesn’t redeem the time wasted at the beginning.
Enigma 1
[scanlation by CXC Scans]
Love to see a brand new series get scanned right away. I hope CXC will keep up with this one.
The main character has a “Dream Diary” that predicts the future. A future diary. In Japanese, one would call that a Mirai Nikki.
Sumio’s flirting is a decently enjoyable character trait, but not one that stands out too greatly.
The skull with the reversed jawbone is an appropriately scary symbol. Good design.
The way Sumio’s mother panics provides some intrigue as to exactly why Sumio saw the symbol.
Sumio’s larger panel poses are too generic.
Sumio and six others wake up in a gymnasium, unable to exit or contact the outside world. Then, the Enigme symbol appears on a screen and gives them an objective. So, this series isn’t just Mirai Nikki; it’s also Gantz. Wonderful.
Based on only one chapter, this series has far more potential than recent Jump newcomers (Lock On!, Yotsuya, SWOT, etc.), but its success will depend entirely on the execution of the premise introduced in this chapter. Sadly, the two major concepts the series is built on are far too derivative of other, existing series.
GE ~ Good Ending 50
[scanlation by iMangaScans]
Yuki’s farewell smile to her mother and attendant is creepy as hell.
Evidently Yuki’s family is aware of whatever horrible business went down between Yuki and Touru. I appreciate him being unwelcome there; I don’t appreciate the focus being on him running around trying to find her. This series needs less drama.
This bald guy being on a Koushien-bound baseball team comes out of nowhere. How odd.
Oonuma finally snapped at Seiji! That’s exactly what needed to happen. Finally, a little positive progress.
Never mind. It’s all undone by some ludicrous fireworks and a statement that reflects just how right Oonuma was about Seiji’s superficial kindness. Seriously though, fireworks?! Fireworks.
… fireworks.
Kure-nai 34
[scanlation by JAC Scans]
It’s finally sinking in to Shinkurou that Kirihiko is an assassin. To be fair, she’s right in pointing out that she said that when they first met.
She stabbed him, with no effect. Is she taking it easy on him, or is has his Houdzuki training again rendered him impervious to blade attacks?
Interesting competition proposed by Kirihiko. It’ll be good to see how Shinkurou reacts to her when she’s in a killing mindset.
I can’t accept Yuuno’s explanation of the manner in which Kirihiko cut Shinkurou. A time-delayed cut? This makes absolutely no sense.
Strangely comedic ending. Saving someone from suicide does not tend to immediately lead into a job offer.
Hayate no Gotoku! 288
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
Nagi’s “plans” are hilarious. Her obliviousness is always great, but she’s so certain here that she can succeed.
Excellent meta comedy! The Jump joke is apt, and the Sunday praise is fun.
Ashibashi-sensei may have been a completely minor character, but he was very funny in his limited role as the author of the successful series “This or That Depresses Me,” which clearly does not parody any real life series whatsoever. He should provide great interaction with aspiring mangaka Nagi.
Brilliant punchline from Ashibashi, and an even better reaction from Hayate and the girls. What a funny chapter.
I love that Ayumu had no idea how successful Ashibashi was.
Mahou Sensei Negima! 302
[scanlation by reddevilshn]
Excellent detail in Akamatsu’s drawing of the various magic attacks.
Negi is trying to be everywhere at once. He should rely on the girls more. He’s obviously far more powerful than any of them, but they’re far from incompetent.
Dragonfolk? I thought it was Demonfolk. The Dragonzord joke is catching on… sadly.
Nodoka is ridiculous. Time manipulation is one of the most potentially broken powers in any setting, and she just crashes into the user. Wasn’t she supposed to be the shy one?
Very nice affirmation of the girls’ abilities over the final pages.
Nurarihyon no Mago 122
[scanlation by ShinraTensei]
Multiple ways to perform Matoi should eventually both solidify Rikuo as a seriously strong protagonist, and also keep the more prominent members of the Hyakki Yakou involved in the main plot. This technique is a fantastic idea.
Kidoumaru is a legitimately strong enemy with some good techniques of his own. Ouka is impressive.
Kurotabou’s pride is nice to see. Rikuo really has grown considerably since the beginning of the series.
Beautiful full-page art of Rikuo using the new variation of Matoi.
Rikuo is wearing Kurotabou in a far more literal sense than his previous uses of Matoi. Does this mean Rikuo will become the type of character who routinely uses other characters’ powers? While this version of Matoi is interesting, I hope Rikuo doesn’t rely on it too much. Members of the Hyakki Yakou need to stand out on their own, rather than be relegated to pure supporting roles for Rikuo.
Psyren 134
[scanlation by Keishou Scans]
“Now, the battle between Matsuri and Grana–!!” … and two pages later, we switch focus to Kagetora. Amusing.
Kagetora has always been fun to watch fight, but he’s even more interesting here in the future, surrounded by those with flashier abilities.
Back to Matsuri/Grana, and this fight is far more of an exchange of psychic abilities. Grana’s admittance that Matsuri has more battle sense is what keeps this fight balanced and interesting.
Ageha and Amamiya chase after Miroku, and the chapter ends. Some fun fighting, but not too much plot progression.
Zettai Karen Children 230
[scanlation by JS Scans]
Great omake page. Of course Hanzo is a Naruto fan. … oh, pardon me. Maruto.
Kiritsubo’s overprotective nature has grown tiresome.
Hanzo’s Naruto fandom extends within the chapter! He even has the Mangekyou Sharingan. Good comedy.
I’m pretty sure the shirt worn by the character on the last page is intended to represent a browser’s Refresh function. The shirt says “F5” (the keyboard shortcut for Refresh), and has circular arrows above and below the lettering. Amusing. That said, the comedy of this chapter far outweighs the attempt at engaging serious plot.
—
Feel that one or more of these series should be getting full-review treatment each week? Show your support by participating in chapter discussion in comments. Actively-discussed series will be considered for full reviews.
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