[Manga Chat]

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I just need to read the last 4 chapters of Wild Strawberry and then I'll be caught up on all the current stuff I care to be caught up on, so I'll be blitzing some JoJo's soon.  I expect you to finish before I even come close, though.

[dr. b 492]

 

[dr. b 492]

So many new chapters today!!

 

Fabricant 100

 

It was pretty clear from the title page that this thing was over, and I immediately felt a bit relieved. This series has been decent but I wouldn't really mind if it went away. It was quite a good final chapter though, some really good panels with No. 100, and then I was a bit sad when I got to the last page. 

No. 100    

 

 

Tenmaku Cinema

 

Please say her mum likes the movie

 

Gokurakugai

 

I love the new guy   

 

Everything else was solid, just don't really have anything specific to comment on them...

 

[dr. b 492]

Polished off Diamond is Unbreakable today. Very solid overall. I enjoyed it. I guess it still more or less follows the "and here's another stand user!" formula that I didn't like at times in Stardust Crusaders... I just tended to like the new characters and stands in Diamond is Unbreakable better than the ones in Stardust Crusaders. Now I'll give JJBA a little break, but I do look forward to starting on Golden Wind eventually.

 

I'll take my first look at Martial Master Asumi tonight as my bed-time story  

[dr. b 492]

I zipped through all the available chapters of Martial Master Asumi last night. I like it a lot! I will definitely keep reading it every week  I like Nito, great main characters. Also, I totally would have picked the girl with the glasses too   This reminds of lots of the things I liked in Neru: Way of the Martial Artist. Hopefully Asumi sticks around longer. It's an interesting contrast having just read a ton of JoJo. They're both shonen, and they boil down to dudes fighting other dudes (and dudettes!), but in JoJo you have stands and supernatural powers, special abilities with sometimes complex rules and all that stuff that you have to remember, whereas in MMA you've just got people fighting the old fashioned way. Makes me appreciate the simplicity of more realistic shonen, even though I do still love the more fantastical shonen series too (HxH being one of my all-time favourites, Nen is cool as anything... but also rather complicated!)

[dr. b 492]

 

Tenmaku Cinema

A very solid ending, I liked it. I am left wanting more, but I'd rather that than to have something drag on too long and tire of it.

 

Elusive Samurai #125

I totally forgot about her... Kind of a random appearance, but the squad really needed the help!

 

Shojo Null went to a bi-weekly schedule. The mini-chapter to announce that was cute.

 

Akane-banashi #77

I really liked this chapter. Everybody's fired up to get better! Makes me feel a bit more ambitious just reading it.

 

Asumi #12

Glad they skipped ahead to this tournament without wasting much time on the prep for it, getting permission, etc. I am excited to see the next fight!

 

New series MamaYuyu: I didn't exactly love it, but there were some really interesting pages with good art and nifty panel layout ideas. I'll give it a few more chapters to see if it hooks me.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Still gotta catch up on some of the rest from both this and last week, but I really liked Tenmaku Cinema:

Spoiler

It's hard to tell whether it ended short because a lack of success or if it was always intended to be this short.  I had been thinking once this movie is made, there's not as much mileage on them making movies after being accepted.  So as a short story, I really enjoyed it.  I feel like it could make a good film/OVA, so I hope the short run was intended.

 

[dr. b 492]

3 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

Still gotta catch up on some of the rest from both this and last week, but I really liked Tenmaku Cinema:

  Reveal hidden contents

It's hard to tell whether it ended short because a lack of success or if it was always intended to be this short.  I had been thinking once this movie is made, there's not as much mileage on them making movies after being accepted.  So as a short story, I really enjoyed it.  I feel like it could make a good film/OVA, so I hope the short run was intended.

 

I was very satisfied with the ending, and that made it feel to me like it was planned that way. Didn't feel like it was cancelled/ended on short notice. Or, if the author had hoped for this to run longer, then they at least had a back-up plan in mind to make it a shorter story if needed. In any case, yeah, it was executed really nicely as a short story. I'd love to see this animated as a movie or a short two- or three-part OVA. 

I agree that once they had the first film in the bag, there wasn't much left to do. I suppose it could have continued and the characters could go on to a bigger film project, and encounter newer and bigger challenges, sort of like part story and part edutainment about filmmaking. But that feels a bit too niche to me. Having said that, PPPPPP went 70 chapters and Akane-banashi is closing in on 80 chapters and still seems to be going strong, and manga about aspiring pianists and rakugoka is probably just as niche as manga about aspiring filmmakers... Who knows.

[dr. b 492]

Chainsaw Man #142

Another 14-pager... boo. But only seven days 'til the next one drops, and it looks like the sparks are really gonna fly in the next week. Time for Chainsaw Man to get his groove back!

Also, I can't tell if this chick is just messing with Denji, but if she was being sincere then the whole "I'm a Denji fan" thing was very sweet.

Also also, it's crude and very basic humour but the wiener talk always gets a giggle out of me  

.

 

In other news, I guess I lied about putting JoJo on the backburner for a while. I haven't been getting good sleeps for over a week because I'm trying to save money by cutting back on booze. I have had some rather boring sober evenings (into nights) where I can't get to sleep, so I start reading manga. My early review on Golden Wind (only 20-something chapters in) is that it's not as good as Diamond is Unbreakable. Not bad, but clearly not as good so far. Hopefully it gets better. 

[dr. b 492]

YuYu Hakusho just hit the vault in the Jump app!

 

 

Commence binge reading in 3, 2, 1...!

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I saw that and considered doing the same because I never finished the anime proper.

 

Akane-banashi #76 and 77

Spoiler

A pretty lovely pair of chapters that really brought this whole festival arc around.  It was nice to see some emotion and development from the other apprentices removed from Akane.  And you can still feel how heartbroken Akane is, but she's got her spark back and it's got me excited for whatever comes next.

 

[dr. b 492]

I read about 10 chapters of YuYu Hakusho last night. Feels good man. I love the anime too. It's a shame that Togashi can't finish things properly, but the not-so-great ending doesn't ruin the rest of it for me. Such a great story.

 

Also, totes agree re: Akane-banashi  

[Revolver 27]

I was looking for it just a little bit ago and was disappointed I couldn’t find it on the app and didn’t want to buy it. Looks like I know what I’ll be reading now!

[dr. b 492]

You guys check out the new series this week? (Kagurabachi)

 

I thought the first chapter was pretty rad.

[dr. b 492]

 

@Psycho666Soldier are you still keeping up with all the good stuff in Jump?

 

I have kept up-to-date with everything. Don't really have any specific comments about anything except that JJK continues to be a weird mix of good (at times) but also confusing AF. Just make the Culling Game arc end already  Overall, I am enjoying everything I'm following right now. Some of the new titles especially.

 

I'm about 105 chapters into YuYu Hakusho, nearing the end of the Dark Tournament arc. God damn I love this story. Togashi, please return with more H×H chapters whenever you're able  

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Been pretty busy the last few weeks so most of my spare time has gone to either doing those things or playing Legend of Legaia, but I've been trying to read what I can.  I saw Fabricant 100 ended and I've been very behind on that, so I wanna try and burn through that at some point.  

 

I've kept up with Beat & Motion(beyond the recent chapter), Akane-banashi(really like the current direction), Undead Unluck, and Ichinose(which feels like it's finding it's direction again even though it's still kinda obscure), and Kaiju No. 8.  I'm also more caught up on Sakamoto than others, and I get the feeling we're gearing up for an ending within the next 10-30 chapters.  Unless they're gonna pull a Chainsaw Man and start a whole new chapter in the protagonist's life.  But I struggle to see them finding a new peak to achieve once this arc ends.

[dr. b 492]

I was expecting more fireworks in the last couple chapters of Chainsaw Man... it's still interesting but kind of a letdown. Gimme more action. (Looks like that's where the next chapter is heading!)

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Just caught up on Sakamoto Days

Spoiler

I really enjoyed the Heisuke/Kamihate fight.  I think there's something poetic about the ending.  Part of Heisuke's block was that he couldn't commit to a kill shot, which held him back from committing to any meaningful shot.  But if he did commit, he'd live with the guilt of having killed someone.  He didn't physically win this fight, but he philosophically won by exposing Kamihate's face which is their personal loss as a sniper.  At the same time, he committed to the shot, and fate rewarded him with a victory that didn't require him to have blood on his hands.  And now he can move past the mental block and be the best sniper he's meant to be.

 

[Anelle 792]

I have read so. much. manga. lately. I'd love (but also be scared to see) a report on how much time I've spent on MangaDex and the couple of official apps I use!

 

Been keeping up with the usual favs on Jump, One Piece, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Family, Akane-banashi, Chainsaw Man

 

I finally gave the Ichinose Family a go and binged that and have been keeping current with it!

 

I fell behind on Sakamoto Days around this time last year, so I need to catch up on a year's worth of that.  I got a few chapters of Gokurakugai and Wild Strawberry to read as well. I never finished chapter 1 of Shojo Null so I'll just start that back over and see how I like it. Been reading Kagurabachi as it comes out, other than that I don't think there's anything on there I'm actively wanting to keep up with atm! I'm just now realizing that I never finished PPPPPP and I got like 13 chapters of that left, so I guess I'll round that out too even though it clearly lost me pretty hard there.

 

I think the big thing I'm wanting to tackle Jump-wise is to finally start Kaiju No 8! I've been interested for ages but it seems like every time I remembered that I need to start it up I was in the middle of something else I'd started to read.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

21 minutes ago, Anelle said:

I have read so. much. manga. lately. I'd love (but also be scared to see) a report on how much time I've spent on MangaDex and the couple of official apps I use!

 

Been keeping up with the usual favs on Jump, One Piece, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Family, Akane-banashi, Chainsaw Man

 

I finally gave the Ichinose Family a go and binged that and have been keeping current with it!

 

I fell behind on Sakamoto Days around this time last year, so I need to catch up on a year's worth of that.  I got a few chapters of Gokurakugai and Wild Strawberry to read as well. I never finished chapter 1 of Shojo Null so I'll just start that back over and see how I like it. Been reading Kagurabachi as it comes out, other than that I don't think there's anything on there I'm actively wanting to keep up with atm! I'm just now realizing that I never finished PPPPPP and I got like 13 chapters of that left, so I guess I'll round that out too even though it clearly lost me pretty hard there.

 

I think the big thing I'm wanting to tackle Jump-wise is to finally start Kaiju No 8! I've been interested for ages but it seems like every time I remembered that I need to start it up I was in the middle of something else I'd started to read.

I highly recommend Kaiju No. 8! It's a bit of an unsung juggernaut right now.

[dr. b 492]

23 hours ago, Anelle said:

Jujuts?u Kaisen

I keep reading every week but I'm not sure I even know what's happening anymore  

 

On 10/16/2023 at 7:59 AM, Psycho666Soldier said:

Just caught up on Sakamoto Days

  Reveal hidden contents

I really enjoyed the Heisuke/Kamihate fight.  I think there's something poetic about the ending.  Part of Heisuke's block was that he couldn't commit to a kill shot, which held him back from committing to any meaningful shot.  But if he did commit, he'd live with the guilt of having killed someone.  He didn't physically win this fight, but he philosophically won by exposing Kamihate's face which is their personal loss as a sniper.  At the same time, he committed to the shot, and fate rewarded him with a victory that didn't require him to have blood on his hands.  And now he can move past the mental block and be the best sniper he's meant to be.

 

I really enjoyed these chapters too  

 

22 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

I highly recommend Kaiju No. 8! It's a bit of an unsung juggernaut right now.

I keep saying I'm going to check it out but I never quite get to it  I've got less than 20 chapters left in my binge read of YuYu Hakusho, and then I'm going to pick JJBA: Golden Wind up again (about 1/3 through). Maybe then I will finally scope out Kaiju No. 8.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Akane-banashi 81 & 82

Spoiler

Still a lot of setting the stage for a new arc, which is totally fine because we just finished a pretty big arc.  Really enjoyed the way they characterized Chocho's rakugo, and love the concept of him teaching Akane and the long-faced, thin-eyed dude.  Think you can feel the Nin match.  It really fits with Akane's explosive style.  Should be a fun training arc.

 

Also, I'm consistently impressed by the art.  It's like...it's not like there's a lot of cool dynamics or page layouts(there are,) but there's something about the simple way they're able to show so much emotion in the way they draw faces and body language.  There was a shot of Akane's face that wasn't even like a big focus of the page, but it just struck me how gorgeous it was.

 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Ichinose Family #43-45

Spoiler

Yeah, I think this manga got off pace for a bit, but we're getting back to some good stuff.  It seemed to lose focus a few chapters after getting out of the dream, and then the reunion with Sota ended up being good but felt really forced and awkward to get there.  But the complex emotional web that is a family is really getting explored now.  I loved that Sota - the person who symbolically helped Tsubasa out of the dream - ended up being sucked in to the saccharine promise of a blank slate start.  Particularly the way they got there by showing him the fantasy of a world where his mom actually listened to him.  Ignoring that he has to bury all the reality of the trauma she caused to just accept it like nothing was wrong here.  And the way it flipped Tsubasa into the only person not buying into the fantasy anymore.  I also like the implication that everyone now knows the truth but is running from it.

 

Also, man, the complexity of having natural jealousy over your son whom you father has higher expectations of, despite the fact that your father is also being too harsh on your son.  And now seemingly he's the one purposely keeping everyone asleep due to his own inadequacy.  Not sure if this gets to the root of how the initial accident happened yet, but they have me reeled back in.

 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Chainsaw Man 143-146

Spoiler

I didn't mind the slower pace as much as you, bomb. Like we haven't got into full action, but the tension has been rising and I like the snippets of action we've been getting.  Also didn't expect to see the Katana Devil again! Definitely seems like we're gearing up for some heavy level action, so hopefully we get some balls out chapters for a few weeks.

 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Man, I almost wonder if I need to just reread Elusive Samurai.  Pretty much everything since the big plot shift has included a lot of characters I either barely remember or legit have no clue who they are.  There are so many characters introduced up to this point that you sometimes only see in one or two chapters at the time or didn't do much of significance, and some of the moments where the cast seems to strongly remember someone is at odds with me completely not remembering them.  It doesn't help that there are also characters like the Hisashiban who were all introduced at once and then mostly dead within a span of like 10 chapters.  It's killed some of the narrative tension for me.

[dr. b 492]

On 10/19/2023 at 10:10 AM, Psycho666Soldier said:

Chainsaw Man 143-146

  Reveal hidden contents

I didn't mind the slower pace as much as you, bomb. Like we haven't got into full action, but the tension has been rising and I like the snippets of action we've been getting.  Also didn't expect to see the Katana Devil again! Definitely seems like we're gearing up for some heavy level action, so hopefully we get some balls out chapters for a few weeks.

 

Yeah, they've still been good chapters, I'm probably being a bit too critical in my comments about the recent chapters... but I still do want more action and crazy shit to start happening  

re: Elusive Samurai: I think it's been easier to keep track of who's who by staying current with new chapters every week. If I let it simmer for a few weeks and then tried to catch up, I'd probably feel a bit lost too. There is a lot going on. But I think a good chunk of these newly introduced characters (sometimes killed off shortly thereafter!) aren't super duper important anyhow  

 

I also agree re: Ichinose Family. It's getting back into a better groove again IMO.

 

I finished my re-read of YuYu Hakusho yesterday. Those last few chapters are bittersweet. Togashi really seemed to struggle with finding a good way to end it. The final arc is a bit of a mess, and the last 2-3 chapters are quite the hodge podge. But I still loved it. I kind of want to go back to chapter #1 and re-read it all over again  This one is on my personal Mt. Rushmore of manga. Truly one of my favs.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins finished! Overall, I'm hoping Taizan5 gets more greenlights to make works for SJ because I enjoy what he does.  I think this series wasn't quite as tight as Takopi's Original Sin(which I highly recommend, especially you @Anelle), but it had enough going for it that I wanted to see it through to the end.  It started with a great concept, lost some of the execution in the middle, and then ended pretty nicely, if not a little messy, at the end. Feels like one of those series that could actually use another read now with all the pieces understood.

Spoiler

I do think the message of the ending is a little messy?  I dunno, maybe this is a personal thing because I have enough people close to me that have had some fucked up families.  So when a story tries to showcase a toxic family and how they learn to love each other, I think it can send the wrong message to people who should genuinely just cut family members off.  But I do think it's nice that everyone did genuinely want to change and treat each other better, and while they can be more open with their flawed behavior, they want to make it work.  So yeah, I think it works ok for the context, it's just a little iffy.  Especially with the way Kakeru and the Grandpa tried to handle things by permanently drugging everyone lol.

 

I also caught up on weeks of Martial Master Asumi and I'm still in love.  I've never given a fuck about MMA, but there's something about the way the fights are choreographed that has almost a JoJo-like quality in how Asumi analyzes and adapts during fights.  And the art continues to be stellar.

[dr. b 492]

Yeah, I was honestly relieved to see Ichinose end. A few too many random-feeling twists and turns in this story to keep me interested. There were of course good parts too. That's kind of how I'm feeling about JJK right now too. If next week was the final chapter, I'd be like THANK YOU   

 

I totally agree on Asumi. I am so into this series. The last couple chapters have been stellar.

 

Sakamoto Days and Elusive Samurai got some pretty sharp looking colour cover pages this week. 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I realized I've been behind like 4 chapters for Show-ha Shoten!, so I fixed that over the last couple days.  And damn, what a worthy catch up.

Spoiler

The chapters about Broken Glass Slipper were great.  The way they framed them breaking through the grass ceiling really made this seem like a moment where someone is revealing their true power level. Such good narrative framing with some awesome art to go with it.  Saeda's facial expressions are incredible.  And this was one of the routines that actually felt pretty funny.  Seeing them break the mold with almost universal 90 scores was such a great moment that makes the performance feel special, even if they're gonna lose(they almost certainly will).

 

Speaking of expressions, this manga does such a good job with drawing unique faces and silhouettes for each character.  The art is actually really slick and sells so much of what's going on.

 

[dr. b 492]

I found myself cheering so hard for Broken Glass Slipper to win this competition  

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I was legit torn because I'm like, "I want the boys to win finally!" but goddamn did they make me just buy all the way into Broken Glass Slipper.

[dr. b 492]

Totally. Of course I'll be thrilled if the boys win out in the end, but after all of that "You can never win if you're the opener" stuff, I am 100% on board with Broken Glass Slipper doing what nobody else has done before and winning despite going first!

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Just read the Dr. Stone special, and it looks like we're getting a continuation!

Spoiler

I know we talked about to when it originally ended, how maybe time travel is pushing the series over the shark.  But honestly...it feels kind of right now.  With time away from the series, it feels like the author spent time trying to make it make sense from a scientific perspective, and the carrot on the stick that is Byakuya sending the message makes a hook that is similar to trying to find out who Why-man is.  It's a question that makes everyone, but characters and readers, ask how while making you intrigued to find out the rest.  Not sure if they'll be doing a full series return or if we're going to get a few big chapters like this, but I'm curious to see what comes next.

 

I do feel a bit like Chrome and Ruri's wedding was rushed/thrown in, but I'm glad it happened all the same.

 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Martial Master Asumi #21

Spoiler

Great ending to the fight.  Also puts a lot of context in the choice to tap out, because in most cases, it's better to eat your pride and live to fight another day so to speak.  I also liked that we got a proper glimpse of his relationship with his dad, too, which I think also shows him growing to accept his Grandpa's teaching as a part of him rather than something he wants to distance from.

 

Loved the color spread for Akane-banashi #86

Spoiler

Also liked getting to see this characterization for Kogura, with him uncovering an old rakugo story and taking the spotlight in that way.  Was not ready for this chapter end lol.

 

Really enjoyed the Spy x Family chapter too.

[dr. b 492]

MMA #21

SHIT YEAH Nito wins! I legit did a fist pump when I got to the last page where Taiga tapped out. I also liked the glimpse into the family history with his dad. Also also the panel where his asshole brother is all, "That's it Nito, you've got him...!" etc. felt good. Fucking right. We're all cheering for him. This is low-key my favourite thing in a while. I'd love to see it animated someday.

Did you ever read/watch Hajime no Ippo? I find boxing equally as uninteresting as MMA but I got super into it too. Characters like Ippo or Nito, you simply can't not cheer for them.

 

Spy x Family #90 was a very sweet chapter. I hope they old folks become recurring characters. Kinda made me miss my grandparents  

 

Elusive Samurai #133 was also a very sweet and touching chapter. Shizuku and Ayako are tied for being the best  

 

Sakamoto Days #143

Wow the chairman is a colossal d-bag. Making it very easy to root for the bad guys

 

 

Akane-banashi #86

Yeah, agreed, the colour pages were great. And I loved seeing the depth of Koguma's character. I dig the angle of resurrecting rakugo stories that have fallen "out of rotation" for other rakugoka. He's like a DJ playing the deep cuts on the radio instead of the usual hits.

 

Karurabachi #9

I honestly don't remember all the details from the first few chapters, but I am still enjoying the premise. Action has been good and this concept of enchanted swords is rad. I am enjoying it.

 

I didn't get to reading the new Dr. Stone thing yet, but it's on my list.

 

There is also a new title on the Jump app, Dogsred, about hockey. As a good ol' Canadian boy, I feel it is my duty to read it. If it's sort of an "edutainment" manga then I kind of have to fact-check it a bit. I love a good sports manga/anime, so hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

[dr. b 492]

On 11/11/2023 at 12:41 PM, Psycho666Soldier said:

Just read the Dr. Stone special, and it looks like we're getting a continuation!

  Reveal hidden contents

I know we talked about to when it originally ended, how maybe time travel is pushing the series over the shark.  But honestly...it feels kind of right now.  With time away from the series, it feels like the author spent time trying to make it make sense from a scientific perspective, and the carrot on the stick that is Byakuya sending the message makes a hook that is similar to trying to find out who Why-man is.  It's a question that makes everyone, but characters and readers, ask how while making you intrigued to find out the rest.  Not sure if they'll be doing a full series return or if we're going to get a few big chapters like this, but I'm curious to see what comes next.

 

I do feel a bit like Chrome and Ruri's wedding was rushed/thrown in, but I'm glad it happened all the same.

 

Yeah man, I did not think I needed more Dr. Stone in my life... but this chapter pulled me back in. I am very curious to see what comes next. 

 

I loved the thing with Chrome and Ruri getting thrown in there  

 

Also probably the highlight of this chapter for me was actually the nod to Short Circuit (Johnny 7 -- Robots Acquired!!). Man that made me smile.

[dr. b 492]

Chainsaw Man is starting to lose me just a little bit. I'm sure I'll figure out what's going on again soon enough though!

 

I really really enjoyed this week's chapter of Beat & Motion (#20)

The clearing-of-the-air between Nico and Miyu was good stuff, good character development for both of them I think. The little twist at the end that Nico's mum is this singer that Miyu obsessed over was interesting too, if perhaps feeling a bit unnecessary. In any case, I am enjoying this and want to see where it goes next.

 

The latest Wild Strawberry (#11) was pretty good stuff too. Did you give it a try yet?

 

In other news, I am about 25 chapters off from finishing JJBA Part 5: Golden Wind. It was a bit of a tough slog at first because I didn't immediately take to the new cast of characters. And the new JoJo's (err, GioGio) stand, Golden Wind, takes a bit of getting used to before you realized how interesting it can be... but eventually it won me over and really hit a good stride around the halfway point. It doesn't match up to Diamond is Unbreakable (my favourite part thus far) or Stardust Crusaders, but Golden Wind is still pretty solid.

[dr. b 492]

I blitzed through the hockey manga (Dogsred) last night. It is a hit in my books! It's honestly been a long time since I considered myself a hockey fan, but I still have a soft spot for it at times. This is perfect. Outside of the hockey stuff, you can kind of sum it up as a fish-out-of-water story (at least to begin with). The main character is a talented figure skater who, for {reasons} finds himself up in Hokkaido, estranged from figure skating (but still loves skating) and then all the sudden he gets roped into playing a game of hockey. It really takes off quick. I didn't want to put it down. And the "edutainment" portion of it about hockey and skating in general seems pretty on point so far. I like it  

 

I also finished off JJBA Part 5: Golden Wind yesterday. It had a very strong finish and might have jumped up to #2 in my rankings of the JJBA I've read so far (with Diamond is Unbreakable as the clear #1). The final showdown with the bad guy gets confusing at times because of the crazy stand abilities involved, but the author takes care to remind pretty frequently exactly what's what. My one complaint about Golden Wind is probably the awkward stand names in the version of the manga serialized in Jump, but I'm assuming that's like a copyright/legal problem and not a bad localization. Most of the stands are named after bands and they were probably going to have issues with those bands (or their management, record companies, etc). But when you know what the name is supposed to be (e.g. Sex Pistols) and then they keep calling it something else (in this case, Six Bullets) it just hits a bit different. A few of the "other" names work well though (e.g. King Crimson was a great name choice, but Emperor Crimson is a pretty cool alternative).

 

Part 6: Stone Ocean is still being serialized in Jump... looks like they're about 2/3 of the way through. So I will start reading that soon and eventually get current on it. I am looking forward to the change of scenery away from Italy in Stone Ocean, and to the return of Jotaro in some capacity.

[dr. b 492]

Wild action in this week’s Sakamoto (#144)! Awesome stuff. 
 

I also really liked Elusive Samurai (#134)

That seemed a very fitting send-off for Tokiyuki’s uncle. That was a very sweet moment. 

Now we got some ridiculous new bad dudes to take care of next! Curious to see how the next battle plays out.

[dr. b 492]

Chainsaw Boy #150

 

FINALLY

 

Bummer about the pets—that dude is cruel, whoever he is (I am really struggling with who’s who in this arc)—but I really want to see Denji running wild as Chainsaw Man again. 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

3 hours ago, dr. b said:

Chainsaw Boy #150

 

  Hide contents

 

FINALLY

 

Bummer about the pets—that dude is cruel, whoever he is (I am really struggling with who’s who in this arc)—but I really want to see Denji running wild as Chainsaw Man again. 

 

It definitely feels like a cork is gonna pop soon with a bunch of gore to follow

 

Spoiler

Also, that dude is the man who runs the Chainsaw Man Church that tried to get him to do the Chainsaw Man marriage pact thing.  He's the reason a bunch of people turned into Chainsaw people.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

A little bit of catch-up

 

In short, I love the direction Martial Master Asumi is going and I'm hyped for the upcoming fight.  Should be heartbreaking.  And Akane-banashi is still great stuff too.  The tease at the end of the last chapter has me really curious.

 

Beat & Motion

Spoiler

God I love this series.  I love the way we're exploring this friendship and the pains they went through, and finding out Nico's mom was this famous singer that Miu loved adds a very vulnerable layer to all of it.  Great art and panel layout as usual.

 

Show-ha Shoten!

Spoiler

I didn't think I needed another reason to hate Passionate Sandbag but goddamn are they fucking scummy.

 

Sakamoto Days

Spoiler

The Mafuyu/Order Chick fight was awesome, brief as it was.  I love how the art has sort of a simplistic, sketchy style, but when the fights break out, the details go over the rails.  Gotta say, Mafuyu's motivation was pretty short sighted, but it makes sense coming from a kid's perspective lol.

 

[dr. b 492]

Yeah, Beat and Motion is very very good. I love it  

I saw that Blue Box got an anime announced recently, so I’ve been thinking about picking it up. I’m assuming it’s fairly light-hearted. Could be fun. High school romance stuff with a sports theme. 

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

Martial Master Asumi #25 was such a good in between chapter.  Asumi getting over mental boundaries, Nao giving us her backstory, and the intrigue/setup for their next fights. I feel this gonna be one of those manga where you fall in love with the entire character roster.

 

The most recent Sakamoto and Akane-banashi were also enjoyable as always, but less to talk about lol

 

[dr. b 492]

Yeah man I am hyped for the next bouts in MMA! Really pulling for Nao to win. 
 

I am also hyped for what’s next in Akane-banashi. 
 

Elusive Samurai set up a new showdown between Tokiyuki and bug-eye. I’m very curious to see how that goes down. 
 

The latest Spy x Family was really good too  

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I can't believe I forgot Spy x Family.  That was also good. It's interesting to see that even some of the basic everyday people in this world don't exactly see their political leaders as good/great, with getting a glimpse into Millie's past.  Good stuff.

 

4-D Science was good. I liked the cliffhanger.

Spoiler

Ryusui called it when he said it felt like things were going too well.  I'm curious what it means for Why-Man and the Byakuya voice.

 

Akane-Banashi #91

Spoiler

Ya girl's about to become a Futatsume, y'all 

 

I fucking love the action shots in Martial Master Asumi.  The art is so damn good.

 

Also, that final page in Sakamoto Days #148 was so awesome.

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

I also finally caught up on Elusive Samurai.  I don't know why I was having trouble before.  I read the exact same chapters and didn't feel nearly as lost.  It's all been good stuff, though.  Enjoying the setup for the rematch with Sadamune.  Here's hoping this is the day Tokiyuki actually kills his ass.

[dr. b 492]

On 12/18/2023 at 7:52 AM, Psycho666Soldier said:

Also?, that fina?l page in Sakamoto Days #148 was so ?awesom?e.

 Sakamoto is the best

 

 

20 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

I also finally caught up on Elusive Samurai.  I don't know why I was having trouble before??.  I read the exact same chapters and didn't feel nearly as lost????.  It's all been good stuff, though.  Enjoying the setup for the rematch with Sadamune.  Here's hoping this is the day Tokiyuki actually kills his ass.

Yeah I have pretty high hopes for this fight. I really enjoyed this week’s chapter. Tokiyuki is learning on the fly. Really want to see him apply what he’s picking up from Sadamune to take him out. On top of that, there is Kojiro’s fight, and what Nitta is doing. These kids are tough!

 

 

On 12/18/2023 at 7:52 AM, Psycho666Soldier said:

I? fucking?? lo?v?e the ?ac?tion ?sh?ots in Martial Master Asumi.  The art is so damn good??.

Agreed! But I am going to be supremely bummed out if Nao doesn’t win

[Psycho666Soldier 283]

21 hours ago, dr. b said:

 

On 12/18/2023 at 6:52 AM, Psycho666Soldier said:

I? fucking?? lo?v?e the ?ac?tion ?sh?ots in Martial Master Asumi.  The art is so damn good??.?

Agreed! But I am going to be supremely bummed ou?t if Nao doesn’t win

They honestly did a good job of making feel bad either way with the way they characterized her opponent's backstory.

[dr. b 492]

Yeah, it’s nice that the opponent isn’t just a punching bag. There is a bit more depth to it. 

Here are my top 5 most-read titles this year according to Jump:

 

 

Should be a few more tied with Sakamoto and Akane, the other stuff I follow weekly, but it cuts off at 5 in the email they send out.