[Manga Chat]

[dr. b 490]

I cannot stand Zensho. But I also loved that he could not help but vote for Maikeru. Props to him for being honest with the art. Also good on the author for swerving like that. It would have been so easy to take it the other direction and make Zensho a cookie-cutter villain. That would have been a bit spicier at first, but ultimately more dull and predictable. 
 

Part of me just keeps waiting for Akane to fall flat on her face. I am dreading it but thankfully it hasn’t happened. Y’know, not that it’s been easy for her all the way, but often in these kinds of stories the main character has to endure more hardships and dramatic failures before really succeeding. I hope she slays in her next performance! Keep the good vibes rolling. I’m also hyped to see the boss show what he’s got. 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Been trying to plow through Elusive Samurai, but I was more behind than I thought.  I was back in chapters released in March  I just finished 156 and have about 11-12 more chapters to go

 

[dr. b 490]

 

 

I won’t spoil any of the stuff coming up in Elusive Samurai. Lots happens. 
 

Did you read the latest Kaiju No. 8 chapter from a few days ago? That was a long gap between chapters! 

I’m still not convinced they’ve got No. 9 beat, but I am cautiously optimistic!

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Been listening to heavy music all day today, so I took a detour to catch up on Kaiju No. 8. Man, this series still has some of the best action art and monster/character design of anything going right now. They also do a good job of making the back and forth twists and turns feel epic and well-timed:

 

Spoiler

If this doesn't destroy No. 9 or at least force him to retreat, I'm gonna be a bit upset.  This feels like a peak of power that Kafka and the squad shouldn't be able to push past with some other surprise appearance or technique yet. As is, those, this whole battle has been so epic, and this last stretch with Kafka and Ashiro teaming up has felt like such a great payoff for the character development up to this point.

 

On 7/2/2024 at 11:59 AM, dr. b said:

I’m all caught up on Undead Unluck now. I really enjoyed the most recent arcs. The Unchaste (Kururu) chapters with Fuuko’s parents making an appearance was very nice. They nearly have the full squad assembled now!

 

Next up on the reading list is Kaiju No. 8. The anime was solid but I like the manga more. Wish I hadn’t slept on it this long. I love the style. It’s relatively simple. Very clean and easy to read, easy to follow the action. I really like the character designs. I also appreciate that the dialog is more concise. E.g. compared to Undead Unluck which I just binged. Some pages in that one can feel more like a novel, with so many rules and things needing to be explained in depth. 

Just kind of reading back on some of the posts I ignored for potential spoilers, and it's interesting to see my gut feel on the anime for Kaiju No. 8 resonates. I haven't watched it yet, but the previews just made it feel somewhat less engaging than the way it's presented in the manga.  Would you say it's still worth giving a shot, or have you been convinced of just following the manga rather than the anime?

[dr. b 490]

I liked the anime well enough. I watched it with my 13-year-old, so I guess taking in the episodes together with her added a little something extra. The comedic elements of Kaiju No. 8 come across very nicely in the anime. And the action and voice acting were solid. But, I dunno, the anime failed to capture _something_ that came across better in the manga. I'll continue watching the anime if there's another season, since it's always fun to see big fights animated. I'm not sure they can do anything in the anime to one-up the manga though. The manga is just so good.

 

Yesterday's batch of new chapters in Jump had so much good stuff going on  

 

Spy x Family #103

This felt like a bit of a return to form. Prior to the flashback chapters about Henry and Martha, I was beginning to lose interest just a bit. Not entirely sure why. This chapter seems to have resonated more with me.

 

Elusive Samurai #168

Legit thought Takauji might be going down for a nano second. Then I realized that it's too early to end, even though it feels like they are on the way to a big finish before too much longer. Akiie

 

 

Sakamoto Days #178

Kinda funny how easily they got Kindaka on board, but I suppose that was to be expected. I'm not sure I'm super hyped to see Sakamoto fight The Order as his training. There should be some fun moments, but I don't want these chapters to go on for too long before we get back to the good stuff.

 

Akane-banashi #122

An excellent performance! I'm so happy  The last panel was very cool and I'm stoked to see Master Shiguma's performance.

 

[dr. b 490]

I started reading the OG Dragon Ball manga the other night. Man it’s been a long time. I’m only like 12 chapters in but I’m absolutely loving it. The simple beginnings of the whole DB story. Obviously I love much of everything that came after in DBZ and DB Super, but I have a strong appreciation for — and feel very nostalgic for — these early chapters. 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

I think it's still arguable that the initial DB run before it introduced the Z era is better than Z. I'd say it's all consistently amazing up through the Cell Saga, but there's a certain depth to the combat and conflicts that isn't always there with Z fights.

 

I actually have never read the manga other than select random chapters that I bought individual comics of or I read at a friend's house as a kid, so I've been wanting to actually start from the beginning now that Toriyama passed.  I wanna go back and enjoy HIS full artistic vision.  Plus I know he's legendary for his action page layouts.

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

-----------

I've got up through Ch. 163 with Elusive Samurai. This war with Moronao has been great. Loved how it started with pure chaos with both sides countering rapid advantages.

Spoiler

The moment when Moronao got surrounded by the double Akiie trap felt so big. These battles have been giving me Dynasty Warriors vibes with the big swing war tactics. I also absolutely loved this page:

 

 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

And now I'm all caught up

 

Spoiler

God, I want Moronao to die so bad and I'll be pretty upset if he doesn't die from his wounds.

 

Also, Jesus, Ch. 165 and some of those panels where Takauji was just slaughtering through the army intense. Stoked that through it all, Tokiyuki was able to turn it around and force Takauji to retreat. That was an awesome moment. But it's going to be sad no longer having Akiie and Nanbu.

 

I suspect the next chapter is gonna be a heartbreaker.

 

[dr. b 490]

9 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

I think it's still arguable that the initial DB run before it introduced the Z era is better than Z. I'd say it's all consistently amazing up through the Cell Saga, but there's a certain depth to the combat and conflicts that isn't always there with Z fights.

 

I actually have never read the manga other than select random chapters that I bought individual comics of or I read at a friend's house as a kid, so I've been wanting to actually start from the beginning now that Toriyama passed.  I wanna go back and enjoy HIS full artistic vision.  Plus I know he's legendary for his action page layouts.

I definitely endorse reading the manga. It’s great. 
 

It makes me feel like a tiny bit of a hipster, essentially like a hardcore music fan saying “They’re early albums were better!”, but I am totally on board the “Dragon Ball was better than DBZ” bandwagon. Not that I dislike DBZ. I just really really like the early parts of the story better. The Saiyan Saga that DBZ begins with is arguably my next favourite arc. I think most cite either the Frieza or Cell sagas as the best of the best… but the Saiyan saga was really special IMHO. 
 

 

 

5 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

And now I'm all caught up

 

  Hide contents

God, I want Moronao to die so bad and I'll be pretty upset if he doesn't die from his wounds.

 

Also, Jesus, Ch. 165 and some of those panels where Takauji was just slaughtering through the army intense. Stoked that through it all, Tokiyuki was able to turn it around and force Takauji to retreat. That was an awesome moment. But it's going to be sad no longer having Akiie and Nanbu.

 

I suspect the next chapter is gonna be a heartbreaker.

 

Yeah man some of these moments have been brutal  

 

I also think the next chapter (or couple of chapters if the moment gets stretched out) could be a tearjerker. I’m still bummed about Akiie. Too soon. But these moments have made me more willing to believe that Tokiyuki will ultimately win. I’ve been worried for a while that it may be a bad ending. I’m still scared to read the real history online since these characters are based on Japanese historical figures  But after all this hardship , Tokiyuki has got to come out on top right???
 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Akane-banashi 122

Spoiler

It's kinda nice to just see her have a great performance without much tension or extravagant fanfare where she just looks like a high level performer. Definitely got me hyped for Shiguma's performance even more.

 

Spy x Family 103

Spoiler

Agreed on the return to form. It felt like Spy x Family was so good at having all these little slice of life moments that also felt impactful from a character development perspective. I think part of the issue is the last few times they did these kind of chapters, they were the really short in-between chapters that only last a few pages so you can't get absorbed in it.  While this didn't feel like a HUGE impact character development wise, it just...felt right?

 

Gonna read all of this week's chapters of the series I've been caught up on, catch up on Beat & Motion and Show-ha Shote , and then I think I'm gonna finally tackle catching up with Shoji Null and Wild Strawberry.

 

There's also a lot of other new series from the last couple months I want to give a shot.

 

Did Jiangshi X end up getting cut? It didn't grab me too much so I dropped it early.

[dr. b 490]

Agreed on all points re: Akane-banashi and Spy x Family!  

 

You will like what’s going on in Beat and Motion. Guaranteed. That reminds me, there is a new chapter of it today. Yay! New Shojo Null today too. It’s only got a couple chapters left. It’s been an interesting and sometimes weird series. I have enjoyed it overall, but I’m also glad that it’s not running much longer. It seems like the author has the ending planned out fairly well. 

 

I never picked up Jiangshi X. I can’t recall seeing it updated anytime recently. Guess it got cancelled a while back. 
 

I haven’t really touched any of the most recent new series. I am curious about a couple. I’ll wait for Shojo Null to finish in a few weeks before adding another to my reading list. Let me know which new ones you think are good!

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Just finished chapter 218 of Undead Unluck.

 

She said the thing!!!

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Caught up on Beat & Motion

 

Spoiler

Catching up on Beat & Motion, and man, Chapter 32 got my eyes feeling a little wobbly.

 

I said this, and the next couple chapters didn't get any better. I don't know what it is, but this has been one of the most touching love stories I've ever read. I love that it hones in on both protagonists making each other believe in their dreams stronger and how that translates into people that truly care deeply about the other. I think maybe it just also hits home as a creative and feeling a lot of things that Tatsuhiko has felt about his art. I don't know how far this manga intends to go, but it feels like the next chapter might actually have a confession in it, and I can not fucking wait.

 

[dr. b 490]

On 8/23/2024 at 4:21 PM, Psycho666Soldier said:

Just finished chapter 218 of Undead Unluck.

 

She said the thing!!!

Just a couple of hours until the next chapter drops!!!

 

 

.

6 hours ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

Caught up on Beat & Motion

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Catching up on Beat & Motion, and man, Chapter 32 got my eyes feeling a little wobbly.

 

I said this, and the next couple chapters didn't get any better. I don't know what it is, but this has been one of the most touching love stories I've ever read. I love that it hones in on both protagonists making each other believe in their dreams stronger and how that translates into people that truly care deeply about the other. I think maybe it just also hits home as a creative and feeling a lot of things that Tatsuhiko has felt about his art. I don't know how far this manga intends to go, but it feels like the next chapter might actually have a confession in it, and I can not fucking wait.

 

Yeah, this has been a really special story for sure. The characters are all so likable and relatable in their own ways. Feels good to read it.

[dr. b 490]

Today's chapters!

 

Jujutsu Kaisen #267

5 chapters left! The Culling Game has been dragging on and on. Recent chapters, the final showdown with Sukuna, have admittedly been very solid... but overall this arc has not been amazing. I am happy to see the end in sight. Also the end of this chapter had a very exciting re-appearance by a certain fan favourite character  

Despite being down on The Culling Game arc on the whole, I still look forward to seeing it animated eventually. I wonder if it will come across better animated. The Chimera Ant arc in HxH was not exactly a fan favourite originally, but it was incredibly well done in the HxH 2011 anime and I think that changed a lot of people's minds about it. Maybe the same will happen with The Culling Game in JJK.

 

Undead Unluck #219

 

Heeeeeee's baaaaaaack!!! Should be a good showdown with Unruin. I think things are going to get really hectic with the Master Rules now free to cause trouble.

When do they use Remember, I wonder? That's the card that was jammed into Undead's forehead in the previous loop... right? Does Fuuko jam it back in there, or does it get used differently this time around?

 

 

The Elusive Samurai #169

 

Akiie    

Feels like we're on a crash course now with Takauji and ultimately the end of the story.

The "Intermission" chapters were chapters #111 to 114. I figured that was the mid-point in the story. Not sure if that's the case, but if my assumption was right then there are still quite a few chapters left for the author to play with before bringing the story to its conclusion. 

As they are fleeing now with Akiie going down, it feels like the next few chapters will show the team getting to safety, re-grouping, planning for their final attack. I dunno. Maybe there's more to it than that. I hope so! I'm still loving this story.

 

Akane-banashi #123

 

There were some really well drawn panels in this one. What a treat. When Shiguma gets serious, it's clearly very badass! I guess his rakugo "superpower" is to be such a captivating storyteller that he practically hypnotizes the audience. I wish I was in the audience, man.

 

Sakamoto Days #179

 

Sakamoto straight up got wrecked by... Scruffy? Didn't catch his name yet anywhere  Time to get back to your true form, dude. Running the store is fun and all, but right now you gotta get strong to save yer family.

Handheld sandblasters as weapons is a bit ridiculous, but I like the author's big imagination even if it's probably not the best idea ever. Don't think anybody else has come up with that before!  
 

 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

I think the true strength of Sakamoto Days' action is the over-the-top aspects that they try to somehow ground with whatever logic, because nonsensical or not, it almost always pays off satisfyingly for the action. I feel the same way with the sand-blasting.

 

Great round of chapters this week.  Very excited to see what comes next for everything.

[dr. b 490]

Thought there was going to be a new chapter of Chainsaw Man yesterday but apparently it doesn't actually come out until next Tuesday. Thanks for nothin' VIZ  Are you caught up on Chainsaw Man? It hit a low point for me a couple months back, but the more recent chapters have been more compelling so I'm kind of back on the bandwagon. 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Chainsaw Man is also on the docket.  It is one of the ones I was pretty far behind on, but not quite as bad as some.  I'm working on Show-ha Shoten first and then Chainsaw Man will probably follow

 

[dr. b 490]

 

With Show-ha Shoten!, all the goings-on in this big competition have been fun to follow. I still struggle to make sense of the comedy that these kids are doing. But that's a cultural difference that I assume is not easy to explain. The translators would have to add so many little notes under the panels, it wouldn't work  But outside of not really finding their comedy funny, there are a lot of likeable characters, and the interpersonal relationships between the different comedy groups are interesting. I like a lot of the characters so I don't even know who I want to win anymore. Can't they just all win!?!  

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

New Kaiju No. 8 today!

 

Spoiler

Looks like the battle is won and we're getting some deep lore tease that's really got me intrigued. But perhaps the victory came at a price?

 

I'm guessing Kafka isn't dead, but maybe the old being in him is being awakened by No. 9 and he's gonna start going crazy? Or at least they're gonna be hinting at that.  Either way, consider me intrigued.

 

[dr. b 490]

16 minutes ago, Psycho666Soldier said:

New Kaiju No. 8 today!

 

  Hide contents

Looks like the battle is won and we're getting some deep lore tease that's really got me intrigued. But perhaps the victory came at a price?

 

I'm guessing Kafka isn't dead, but maybe the old being in him is being awakened by No. 9 and he's gonna start going crazy? Or at least they're gonna be hinting at that.  Either way, consider me intrigued.

 

 

The battle is won… or is it?  All those kaiju that seem to be pouring out of No. 9 are concerning! Maybe it’s not actually over yet.

Kafka can’t possibly be dead unless this story is ending really soon. I’m curious to see how he comes back from this. Will he be stuck in his kaiju form or will he still be able to turn human? Maybe he runs wild and they have to subdue him. Gotta figure that Mina would ultimately be the one to bring him back to reality if that happens. 

[dr. b 490]

Only one chapter left for Shojo Null. This weeks chapter had a lot packed into like 16 pages. It seems there is a time skip now, then the final chapter somehow will resolve everything..? Or it will be a more open-ended type of ending. I dunno. I’m curious to see how it wraps up. 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Caught up on Show-ha Shoten

Spoiler

I feel like the facial expressions and the way the antics are drawn makes it feel at least funny in a way where you can see why it's funny to other people. But then I think of some recent gag mangas I liked where a lot of the humor is dialogue based and it usually lands as a bit funnier so *shrug*

 

But yeah, the characters really make the story. I know Rising were never really bad guys per se, but getting their backstory really made you into their routine. I also am stoked that Sprech took the lead, and low-key would like to see them win, but there's fierce competition lined up after them.

 

And Chainsaw Man too!

Spoiler

Wow. They actually went there with Denji ejaculating. It's weird how much it works for this manga. Honestly, most of what I caught up on(basically everything after Nayuta was initially captured) was more engaging than the last few chapters I remember, but it also might have helped that I was binging them. Either way, there is some page-framing gold in a lot of these chapters, and the most recent one that was all silent because mouths had been erased was awesome.

 

[dr. b 490]

So tempted to use the jizz smiley to react to that one   

 

It's a fun coincidence that you mention facial expressions in Show-ha! Shoten before also commenting on Chainsaw Man. I love the many weird, sad, dejected, wacky, awkward, and just plain messed up faces that Denji makes. That guy wear's his heart (and his stupidity) on his sleeve  Just one glance at a panel and you know exactly what is (or isn't) going through his mind. 

 

I totally agree that the-thing-that-happened-with-Asa is so perfect for Chainsaw Man. It would be cringey or feel forced almost anywhere else. Not in Chainsaw Man! 

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

3 hours ago, dr. b said:

So tempted to use the jizz smiley to react to that one   

 

It's a fun coincidence that you mention facial expressions in Show-ha! Shoten before also commenting on Chainsaw Man. I love the many weird, sad, dejected, wacky, awkward, and just plain messed up faces that Denji makes. That guy wear's his heart (and his stupidity) on his sleeve  Just one glance at a panel and you know exactly what is (or isn't) going through his mind. 

 

I totally agree that the-thing-that-happened-with-Asa is so perfect for Chainsaw Man. It would be cringey or feel forced almost anywhere else. Not in Chainsaw Man! 

The irony is that when you see Denji going through issues like "I always think with my dick," you know it's like an actual existential crisis for him, not just him being silly.  You can tell Fujimoto likes trying to get to the bottom of his characters' true feelings 

[dr. b 490]

Spy x Family #104 was a fun little adventure with Damian and his buddies. I like his butler. 
 

Akane-banashi #124 - Master Shiguma’s performance continues to be great. I’m really curious to see how his story ends!

 

Kagurabachi #47 - You might want to check this one out if you haven’t yet. It seems to have some staying power. They’re embarking on what feels like a rather big new arc in this chapter. Sweet colour title pages this week too. 

[dr. b 490]

Shojo Null #33 (final chapter) - There were some beautifully drawn panels in this chapter. I was satisfied with the ending. Not too many loose ends.

 

Chainsaw Man #176

 

The series is starting to get exciting again..! Asa is getting serious. I'm super curious to see where it goes next chapter.

 

Choujin X #55 - This series has been consistently really good (IMHO) for quite a while now. There is so much detail in the story and I love the style. The current arc feels like it will ultimately be the last, but it's going to be pretty long and drawn out. 

 

Beat & Motion #39   

 

 at Nico getting frustrated with Tasuhiko 

I was fuckin' beaming by the last page of this chapter. I love these characters and it's such a feel-good love story.

 

Got the new Show-ha Shoten! queued up for later today to read.

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

I'm caught up on all the Sunday manga, though don't have any specific comments that don't just amount to "Yeah, this is still good" for pretty much all of them, so will hold off until at least next Sunday.

 

Gotta read the most recent of the ones you just mentioned, but that's on hold because I've been binging Dragon Ball the last week and am now 14 chapters away from finishing that.

[dr. b 490]

Dang that’s fast. I started reading Dragon Ball a couple weeks ago but haven’t had much time to really binge it. I’m ~30 chapters in. It’s awesome. I love how short-but-not-short the chapters are. Toriyama could pack a lot into 13 pages!

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

I had a day where I said fuck work and was reading at my desk, and then I literally just spent the rest of the evening at home reading. I think I started that day halfway through the first tournament and just found myself wanting to blitz through the Red Ribbon arc. The time flew.  Like you said, even though a lot of the chapters are only 13 pages, between the dialogue and how drawn in to the individual panels I am, it feels like a lot is going on.

 

It's pretty awesome to see how great at depicting motion in his art, and I just don't think you can fully appreciate that watching the anime, so I'm glad I went this route.

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

I did end up reading Beat & Motion:

 

Spoiler

THEY FUCKING DID IT! It was actually pretty great seeing Nico's frustration at not being confessed to yet and the way it finally did come out. So touching. And god, so many emotions implied with every still panel of their faces. Not sure how much more they continue now that they've kissed, because I feel like these kind of manga tend to end around the time the love becomes official, but it would be cool to see this go on a bit longer exploring what their love looks like as their careers advance.

 

Holy shit, and Chainsaw Man:

Spoiler

My eyes widened and I mentally gasped when Famine mentioned the Gun devil as her child. I don't remember if she revealed that before? But holy shit did it pop me.

 

[dr. b 490]

The Elusive Samurai #171

 

That was unexpected! It was an interesting character reveal of Emperor Go-Daigo. He'd been faceless and basically personality-less for all this time. I really enjoyed the peak behind the curtain in this chapter. I legit felt proud of Tokiyuki for figuring out the solution.

 

Akane-banashi #125 -- No spoilers, but Master Shiguma is an absolute boss

 

Sakamoto Days #181

 

I think this jail arc is going to be a fun one. I was not expecting the JAA's fortune teller to be a princess, that feels a bit cliche, but oh well. Shin is the prince so it's all good!

 

Undead Unluck #221

 

I wonder how long the "final fight" is going to last??? I have always appreciated this series for the quick pace. Nothing ever gets stagnant. But if we're closing in on the final showdown then I won't mind if they drag it out juuuuuuuust a bit.

[Psycho666Soldier 279]

Finally ready the most recent Elusive Samurai:

Spoiler

I agree, the reveal was kinda shocking. I didn't expect him to look so welcoming and cordial after all that time they personified him with the glowing eyes behind the shade. Really shows the complexity of the characters in the series. And yeah, it was a great moment for Tokiyuki where he was finally acknowledged by the Mikado and basically told "Do whatever the hell you want." Great stuff.