Shonen Beam

[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.

[scanlation by QandA]

Finally, a major opponent for Frederica. She deserves someone strong enough to display her full power against.

Many large-scale attacks going on here. This would be fun to see animated.

Odd scenes of the Wise, particularly Misura. It’s unusual to see much (or any) face time for the Wise apart from general antagonism, given how little has been revealed about them personally.

It’s Kyle! The more these fights become intertwined, the more exciting the action should become.

Awesome has arrived

Absolutely fantastic panels on page 14.

Excellent fight design

Hey, it’s Hunter x Hunter!

Which one's Killua?

Shao and Kabuto should prove to have an interesting combination fighting style if they’re paired up similarly to Frederica and Kyle.

Final Flash: Good action chapter held back by some bizarre introspection from villains who usually stay quiet. Also, it must be said, the translation I used was vague and difficult to read.

[chapter link]

Let’s see what happens inside this hyperbolic time… area.

Unbelievably direct romantic interaction between Yoshina and Amamiya. This direct of an approach to their relationship, after so long without any mention of it, screams of an author working to tie up loose ends of the plot for fear of cancellation.

Evidently Yoshina and Amamiya are going to be conveniently late, as any good shonen protagonist(s) should.

Kabuto’s frantic behavior isn’t helping to set the tone for what should be a massive story arc.

Suddenly, after not much buildup, the rescue arc is set to begin.

Final Flash: Awkward chapter. Feels very much like Iwashiro is readying the series for an earlier-than-anticipated end.

[chapter link]

Glad to see Kabuto is coming. He’s an important character in the series.

I’d appreciate some progress in the relationship between Yoshina and Amamiya, but unfortunately, the story has deviated so far away from that plot thread that showing it now feels out of place.

I find it strange that Ageha is already training for a new power when we’ve yet to see Melchsee’s Door fully explored. I’m okay with the idea that Ageha isn’t strong enough, but I would have liked for that conclusion to be drawn after extensive use of his existing power.

Another current series with a time-warping training arc. This one may not be within the confines of a specific room, but the concept is still the same.

It may work in some series, but I don’t want to see the villains humanized in Psyren. Less of the girl hugging Junas, please.

Some more setup, and that’s it. Not the most exciting of chapters.

Final Flash: A couple decent moments, but mostly a letdown from the last few chapters.

[chapter link]

Psyren receiving a novelization is great news. Any adaptations are a relief for fans worried about the series’ propensity for finding itself in the bottom 5 of the Shonen Jump table of contents.

Elmore’s condition is already hitting Shao harder than most. It’s difficult to see a character second-guessing prior actions in a case as severe as this.

For Amagi Miroku to be the figure that Elmore sees would be unusually straightforward.

Strongest reaction scene of the chapter

It’s far from important in this scene, but Amamiya burying herself in Yoshina’s chest is a good sign for their relationship.

The more powers are revealed, the more these psychic abilities in Psyren feel like nen from Hunter x Hunter. For the record, this is not a complaint.

Unsurprisingly, Ageha wants to learn from his father. Perfect time for him to improve, too.

Final Flash: Sad chapter. Fortunately, it only took one chapter to set up the training arc. This good pacing should move us to the rescue arc fairly soon.

[chapter link]

Surprising choice of cover page. As far as I’m aware, Psyren isn’t typically recognized for its women; perhaps Iwashiro wants something done about that. Frederica certainly wants some attention, the way she’s lifting her own dress.

Very organic feel to the way the Tavoo have been drawn in the first couple pages.

P6, bottom panel: Rather difficult to follow exactly what’s going on. I’m aware that an attack is happening, but the massive white beams and sound effects clutter the action.

Disappointing resolution to the Kyle/Delboro fight.

Frederica’s overwhelming strength constantly surprises me. It’s no fault of Iwashiro; it’s more shonen stereotypes playing with my mind.

I’ve never liked when the enemy takes pity on the protagonist to set up a future arc. It demystifies the enemy, weakens the image of the protagonist, and needlessly teases the audience.

Great to see Hiryu rejoin the group. He’s even not one of my preferred characters, but the story has shifted away from the original group considerably. This is a welcome return.

As expected, Elmore may not make it out of this arc alive. While this is important, I hope it doesn’t detract too much from what should be an engaging rescue arc.

Final Flash: Decent chapter and promising outlook, but an unfortunate conclusion to this part of the story. Some major fights were left unresolved.

[chapter link]

Asuka seems to have a superior version of Melchsee’s Door.

Nevermind, he’s going Super Saiyan! Or turning into Hisoka (Hunter x Hunter)! Or Akuma (Street Fighter series)! Or… generally looking out of place.

He must be doing this at some great cost to himself. He’s just too strong.

Vigo’s still alive! Looking like Elmore might sacrifice herself to save Van and/or Marie.

P16, bottom-center panel: Translators, there is a considerable difference between “kukuku” (evil laughter) and “kkk” (racist organization).

Ahh! Natural sunlight! Actually, I have no idea what happened at the end of the chapter.

Final Flash: Some nice action, and at least one major long-term development (Marie’s kidnapping). It sure feels like a training arc is right around the corner, after this beam of light and before rescuing Marie.