Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger Review: It Seems Weird To Put Two Colons

The first review is for Hajime No Ippo: New Challenger.

Yepp, the anime. I mentioned before that for manga such as HNI, the anime would be more ideal. The fast action is just too boring too read on paper. You immediately get a feel of how different it is after you've watched the first match in the anime!

Let's skip the details here, talk more about the storyline. Well, the storyline is the same as the manga, so it's more or less congruent in details.

But I must say, the anime was awesome. The part which touched me the most was Takamura's world title match against Bryan Hawk. The mangaka put one badass against another and the battle was amazing. What was more amazing was the emotional aspect of the battle. Bryan Hawk did all he could to punk Takamura before the title match, punching Takamura's aged coach and insulting Japanese pride (which, from what we saw in WWII, isn't something to really joke about).

I almost cried when I saw Takamura's fellow boxers all cheering him on. Even the Japanese champions from every weight class came to support him because Hawk was such a bastard. Shit, I don't want to say this, but that was camaraderie.

If you've read the manga, I really recommend that you watch New Challenger as well. It might seem like DJV, but I guarantee the feel is absolutely different.
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Kino No Tabi Review: Deep Shit

Kino No Tabi (Kino's Journey) is an anime I recently finished watching. This anime makes David Hume's works seem like a kindergarten colouring book. (Either that or I'm reading too much into the anime)

Kino No Tabi is an anime brought over from several volumes of light novels, regarding a female child traveller by the name of Kino riding her talking motorcycle Hermes around the world to different countries. (Holy cow, that's a long sentence!)

These different countries have very different cultures and traditions, mostly weird, but also very disturbing because these traditions seem so logical but yet neglect the personal needs of the human conscience.

For example, in one country which was constantly in war with its neighbour found the perfect solution to their 50 year conflict- instead of killing each other, they would hold military events to see who can kill the most village people near their borders. On first sight, this seems ridiculous to the max. On second thought, this is simply a "rather them than us" situation. It seems so logical, yet so inhumane.

This anime, with merely 13 episodes, is rather short. But how it can be so thought provoking is a wonder. The stories provided are very true and applicable to our lives in ways we never thought it would. This is the one anime which hopes to directly affect our lives in a thought provoking manner.

And it has.
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Freezing Review: As Craig Ferguson Puts It..

"A good movie has to have a good script, a good actor and boobies.... Okay maybe the first two aren't necessary."

Same goes for manga. To a certain extent, at least.

You know those manga which jump at every opportunity to do an upskirt/feeling of boobies/ripping of dresses?

Yepp, Freezing's one of them now.

Freezing is about an academy of females known as Pandoras who are in charge of killing Novas, demon-like stuff. Reminds me of Claymore, though.

These Pandoras have sidekicks who are mostly(or all, I'm not sure) male. These males have the power to Freeze and Unfreeze. Novas have the ability to freeze everything around them, and therefore Pandoras require these sidekicks to dispel such effects.

The concept of specialized weapons appearing out of nowhere and activating some special kick ass mode has been used time and over. That being said, no one will complain if it's used in an elegant manner.

So what sets one combat manga apart from another?

Its characters' skill sets, that's what. The battles have to flow, they have to make sense. Tactics must be used. Reasons for winning/losing must be given.

And Freezing somehow fulfils this requirement. The plot might be a little draggy and (I can't believe I'm going to say this) the boobies a little unnecessary, but the battles are definitely not sleep inducing. I mean, that's the most important factor right?

I must say, despite being a manga fan, watch the anime for battle manga is better than reading. Especially for Hajime No Ippo. You won't get it till you read HNI. Hoo boy, the boxing matches last for chapters on end and all you see are two men beating each other up to a pulp. (And you won't like it, of course, unless you're a sadistic gay pervert)

HOWEVER, for Freezing, I'd say I prefer the manga to the anime, even though the latter is non existant. But I'm sure I'd prefer the manga because the battles are fast paced enough to keep you occupied but not so fast it ends before you get your kick. The pace is the most amazing thing Freezing has to offer.

Onemanga currently has 25 chapters up.

Read it!
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Hey.

Blogging from my Blackberry.

Sorry for the lack of updates, too many things happened at the same time.

I'll be doing a couple of short reviews for the manga I read recently!

Gon:

People who know manga know that Gon is ranked within one of the top few shounen manga in Japan. But few should have read it, considering how the publishers of Gon made a copyrights call and banned it from Onemanga. I chanced upon the manga in a bookstore in Malaysia, so I bought Volume 1 and 2.

Gon is a manga with not a single letter in it. No one talks. After all, dinosaurs and animals don't talk. Gon is about this tiny but tough dinosaur known as Gon, who seeks to conquer our present animal kingdom. He goes on adventure after adventure with much zest.

The experience of reading Gon is unlike any other. The fact that there aren't any words ought to be a handicap, but is transformed into an advantage with the artist's genius visual storytelling.

Dance In The Vampire Bund:

A story about vampires. You've heard plenty- from Twilight to Shiki.

But in DITVB, guess what?

Vampires are VAMPIRES. REAL VAMPIRES. They suck blood. They kill. They have kick ass super vampire strength. They have a queen. They have sexual connotations. They die when they have a stake driven into their hearts. They burn when they go under the sun. (Take THAT, Edward Cullen)

Using the classic vampire as the basis for the vampires in DITVB, the mangaka builds a storyline using vampires with the same characteristics in the present world.

The concept of the queen building an entire Bund to house the world's vampires is awesome. FYI, the queen is the good gal here. She wishes to allow vampires to coexist with humans. The bad guys are naturally those who oppose her, vampires and humans alike.

That's not all. Even the bad guys are awesome. The Vampire Queen might be the one with the greatest authority, but behind her are three of her retainers, the last three male vampires with noble blood. Politics follow. These three vampires are nobility from all over the world. You see the classic vampire on one page and the Chinese hopping vampire with a silly talisman stuck on his forehead on another.

Things get messier when the queen's bodyguard is a werewolf, who's actually the protagonist of the story I almost forgot to mention. The battles in the manga are made more interesting with his presence.

Read it!

Soul Eater:

I can't believe I haven't noticed this manga for such a long time!

This is what I call the Classic Shounen Manga. It consists of awesome fighting scenes and ranks. It speaks of Soul Technicians using their Souls to do battle Witches. It's a little like a modern Shaman King. Technicians can transform their Souls into weapons to fight. The story is about three such young Technicians in the Soul Academy having to battle on the frontlines against an ancient witch. (Now that I write it out, I realise it actually resembles Harry Potter.)

Many things happen and the kids grow stronger, faster, better, acquiring new skills while the power of darkness relentlessly beckons them to join the dark side.

The bad thing about Soul Eater is how the battle routines get boring after awhile. These battles are too common, and the kids always have to get beaten half dead before winning. I know child abuse is fun to watch (I'm not going to get sued for saying this right? I'm, uh, joking) but putting one video on replay makes it bland.

That being said. People who follow any of the Big Three ought to give Soul Eater a go!

There you go. Three reviews at once. That (kinda) makes up for three weeks.

Hope I can be on time for the next update!
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Mission 5061: Japan

Got back from Japan early morning yesterday!

Anyone can tell, even if you haven’t been there before, that Japan is a country like no other. Its people are so damn distinguishable even from their fellow fair skinned Asians.

On second thought, I’m not going to blog about my experience in Japan here. Many of my exploits there are too personal to mention here. I wanted to write about the country’s culture and interesting sights. But I doubt it would appeal to many of the readers here, so I’ll skip it.

Oh alright alright. I’m only mentioning this Japan trip to ask for your forgiveness for not blogging for the past week. More likely than not, I won’t be blogging for the next 2 weeks or so either.

Just gimme a month’s break, will ya? I’m off to China, Yun Nan next week and Malaysia, Genting a day after I return.

Who knows whether I might even come back here to blog? *shrugs*

But keep checking this space! Pleeeeease?

Hey guys!

I finished the Tuesday Review but my laptop can't seem to hook itself onto a decent wireless network. Ugh.

Will keep trying!

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It's a good day!

No post today.

Just testing to see if I can write reviews on my Blackberry. :)
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AFA ‘09: Post Post

See my pun? Post Post? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Okay enough with the lame puns.

So, how was AFA ‘09, you ask?

See, I’m not an otaku. I may sound like one, but no, I’m not. I’m too manly to hug a K-ON pillow or wipe myself dry with a Lucky Star towel after a bath. Can’t guarantee for Pokemon, though.

The following will be written in the perspective of one who has not been to AFA before and is not extremely fond of being a sissy fanboy otaku.

For starters, there were definitely many, many people. Enough to make me surprised. I never knew there were so many crazed anime fans out there who bothered leaving their house for such an event. Multiple Ichigo, Sasuke and other anime character cosplayers were walking around as well. Well, it doesn’t really take that much courage to walk around in a costume when a couple dozens of other people are doing so as well. Try walking into APEC with a kimono. I’ll give you ten bucks for that.

Now, the convention itself was really nothing out of the ordinary. Anime goods like manga, figurines, models and the like were being sold and put on display. I went with a friend who has only watched/read 4-5 anime/manga. None of the merchandise really caught our fancy there- it seemed to us that these merchandise catered to the most hardcore of fans and general otaku. After all, Lucky Star and K-ON aren’t really the masterpieces of manga, they’re just the ones which have garnered the greatest fanbases through the use of comedy and cutesies. I don’t know how men bring themselves to like these. Are we headed for extinction?

But that’s not the point. AFA isn’t the sort of convention which caters to my grandmother. However, it was somewhat amusing to see the cosplayers and people queuing up to buy seemingly useless merchandise. I personally bought a dagger of sorts which I regret very much now. The blade is coated with a thick layer of crusty, white dirt-fungus thing. Yes. Disgusting to the max. I think I’m throwing it away first thing tomorrow.

My friend and I did have fun looking around, though. The verdict? It is worth going to AFA once in your entire life, just to take a look and have a laugh. Unless you’re an otaku of sorts, you won’t really be considering going next time round unless you have a lot of time on your hands.

Oh, those people who wanted my autograph?

 

Just kidding. It was no one, actually.

Cheers!

Year ‘09 Week 47 Manga Update

Lost+Brain Chapter 13:

This chapter exists just to tell us that Ren’s ass is going to get kicked real bad. And that will be something to look forward to. You don’t like a villain succeeding all the time. Oh yes, I checked Wikipedia for Lost+Brain. I quote, “When this manga was first serialized, it was criticized by many readers as the series was similar to another manga, Death Note.” WHO BLOODY CARES IF IT’S LIKE DEATH NOTE? IT'S AWESOME.

Psyren Chapter 91 – 95:

I literally scoffed at the sight of the little girl’s powers- how unoriginal can that get? (Yes, I know. I’m creepy for scoffing at the computer screen. Sue me.) However, good news- WARNING: EPIC FIGHT AHEAD.

Toriko Chapter 73:

Ah, yes. The insect guy still creeps me out as hell. But I am very amused by both the chapter title and Zonge. Yeah, I know. The jokes are colder than Ice Hell. (If you don’t know what Ice Hell is, you haven’t read Toriko)

Nurarihyon No Mago Chapter 83:

I love to see the different Youkai coming together- the interaction between them is very dynamic. Moreover, an epic fight seems to be coming. We are reminded that these Youkai have braved more fights than we have seen, having followed the previous Youkai Supreme Commander in battle. Amazing.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 267:

Not too bad a chapter. At least it’s not as boring as the previous one. The appearance of the Varia definitely helped in making the dull atmosphere more interesting. Nobody hates a group of anti heroes.

Beelzebub Chapter 38:

This is “one of those chapters” where the characters do nothing but party and show that they’re fun loving. Nothing much to be said about it. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next arc, though.

Bakuman Chapter 63:

Yet another chapter giving in depth information as to what kinds of manga actually more prone to succeeding and which are epic fails. I think a mangaka needs a lot of courage to write a manga about manga.

Naruto Chapter 472:

I just realized the reason as to why I’m not fond of Naruto. The fighting is rather brainless. And there’s not much comedy. This chapter says it all. The fighting sure looks epic, but there seems to be this air of dullness hanging around the characters. Bah.

Detective Conan Chapter 714:

I have mixed feelings about Conan waking up. On one hand, I can’t wait to see what he’s realized. On the other, I’d much rather the Detective Boys try hard in solving this one case themselves. So?

One Piece Chapter 564:

Let me just put it this way, when the previous ten chapters of your manga have been epic, it’s really difficult to bring out the epic-ness of it all when you really need to. I think this chapter is such a case.

Hajime No Ippo Chapter 874:

It really gets boring when characters say “He’s difficult to beat” and the likes. If the mangaka keeps them quiet, at least the readers can hope that the character has some ultra awesome plan up his sleeve.

Say Hello To Black Jack Chapter 18:

The artwork for this chapter seems a little overboard, too exaggerated. Yes, we know the young doctor is upset, but don’t give us so many wrinkles and sweat on the poor guy’s face.

Akumetsu Chapter 147 – 148:

Utterly ridiculous. But this is what makes Akumetsu awesome. I mean, putting up a COMMERCIAL to advertise about the terrorist act you’re going to carry out a couple of days later?! Aw damn.

Fairy Tail Chapter 160:

The Obligatory Passing By. You know, the one where the good guy and bad guy reach the final showdown and they use their ultimate attack and SHING! Somehow, they’ll pass by each other. And more awesomely, they have the ability to end the chapter, resulting in a cliffhanger.

Gamaran Chapter 25:

I couldn’t get enough of Gamaran. It was almost everything I could wish for in a martial arts manga. Then came Ninjutsu?!

Shibatora Chapter 24:

Aw come on. I thought the teacher did something worse. Writing their secrets on the whiteboard? I know that’s bad, but not that bad.

AFA ‘09

I’ve got my new computer and I’m ready to go!

Yepp, it’s the Anime Festival Asia 2009 here in Singapore this Saturday and Sunday!

So what’s so awesome about this event?

Seriously, I don’t know.

BUT! Everyone’s going “Whee! Awesome!” So I shall too.

Whee! Awesome!

 

To be absolutely honest. I have no idea what half of the programmes mentioned above are about.

Whee! Awesome!

You can’t blame me, can you? I’m a manga reviewer, not an otaku.

However, I will be there on Saturday to take a look. My first time at this annual event. I wanted to go last year as well, but I had to go overseas.

So my hardcore blog fans, if you want my autograph, you know where to find me! (Not like you would know it’s me even if I looked you in the face and started stabbing you with a knife)

I think that does it for the Thursday Random Post! I know I kinda missed the Tuesday Manga Review this week, but who cares?

Whee! Awesome!

Year ‘09 Week 46 manga update

A couple of nice updates this week!

The ones to really watch out for are:

Defense Devil Chapter 26-27:

What can beat the main character cupping his hands over the boobs of a fighter for justice? Apart from that, the plot hasn’t moved much. I liked better the format of the previous chapters where the main character simply went around helping people one by one. Some of them were seriously touching. But since then the story has evolved into something more complex and sophisticated. However, the mangaka is turning the entire manga into a lump of goo. Characters are flying all about and appearing and disappearing for the most ridiculous of reasons just so that the story continues. We need to see more than just the main character.

Nurarihyon No Mago Chapter 82:

An interesting chapter. Everyone welcomes the appearance of a wise, all-powerful ancient priest. Or maybe that’s just me. But undoubtedly, this manga has shown potential to rise to the top with interesting characters and a variety of skill sets. The idea of a set number of “higher demons” leading their weaker counterparts to attack the human world and disrupt peace is perhaps the most traditional format for good-evil shounen manga. But the mangaka in Nurarihyon No Mago is working it just fine, as can be seen from this chapter.

Liar Game Chapter 90-91:

This one is a toughie. I don’t know whether I should say this is cliché. In Liar Game, you expect the unexpected to happen. You expect the main characters to think of things in a way only a genius would. 9 out of 10 times, you wouldn’t expect what is to come, although you know it’s coming. This has gone on for 91 chapters, I don’t know how long it can last until the last of its readers gets so bored he quits reading it. That being said, we all know full well that no one is going to stop reading it. The puzzles and mind games played in Liar Game is simply too addictive. The latest one’s no exception. I’m just wondering how this round is gonna be played out although I know I’ll never figure it out.

New Prince Of Tennis Chapter Jitaku 1-2:

Give me back my storyline and stop giving me Jitaku. (Although I must admit they are funny) I want to know what happens next, not a series of ridiculous comedy episodes. Seriously.

Bakuman Chapter 62:

An uninteresting series of events. This chapter is mainly used to introduce the new (or old, if you wish) character Iwase. There’s not much to be said about the plot here, although I do have a feeling that the manga is going to delve into the love life of the duo. If you know me, you will know I don’t like love stories. But this could be different. Bakuman has proven time and again that the most ordinary of stories work well if told in the right manner. I hope it proves me wrong.

Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Chapter 266:

I’m unsure if I’m the only person here who is unexcited about the appearance of a fiery crossbow. But yes, I am unimpressed. The story is appearing to turn out to be what it was in past events- the members of the good guy mafia fighting with guys from the bad guy mafia in one to one fights. Yes, boring.

Toriko Chapter 72:

Yet again, crude artwork but awesome fighting. The comic relief is sufficient and the appearance of villains is just right. Does anyone else seriously not like the fact of that insect guy? I find it totally fugly.

Dragon Ball Chapter 59 – 64:

I remember reading this before. A good 5 chapters out at once. Yet again, Dragon Ball is a manga which successfully merges comedy and battle into one, making it interesting to watch and interesting to laugh at. No one really cares if Goku finds the dragonballs or not, really.

Detective Conan Chapter 713:

Like Liar Game, this is one manga which format hasn’t changed throughout its freaking 713 chapters. However, this one chapter brings about a little freshness. Conan is out cold and its up to his peeps to solve it. Interesting enough a change for me. I’m just hoping its doesn’t deviate too much from its usual format- I think Conan is good where it is.

Bleach Chapter 382:

Reeking of Kenpachi/Byakuya awesomeness and a little sampling of what the 4th Division captain is truly capable of. To showcase Ichigo as THE ray of hope is cliché, but can’t be helped. I’m not going to blame Tite Kubo when he comes up with such an awesome idea what Ichigo is the only person who hasn’t seen Aizen’s Shikai.

Beelzebub Chapter 37:

This chapter ends the scuffle. And it’s a nice end. I think the plot is gonna take off now, like how Reborn! and Defense Devil did, hopefully it doesn’t die in the process. Up to now? Liking the cute baby and the awesome fighting.

Naruto Chapter 471:

I’m truthfully not very fond of Naruto. But it does have an interesting premise going on here. I’m actually hoping the eight tailed beast escapes. Well, that just goes to show how much I anticipate the future of Naruto. A nice storyline going there with so many things going on. I want to see how the cooperation of the Kage turns out.

Veritas Chapter 58:

Fight, fight and more fight. Just what I love about Veritas. You are allowed to have high hopes for Veritas, considering that it’s the only manhwa I read. The Northern Broad Strike and stuff reminds of age old martial art films. Which I welcome. Who wouldn’t?

Otaku No Musume-San Chapter 29:

The oddest one out. Another chapter of comedy. I welcome comedy. in face, it’s the only reason why I’m reading such an ecchi manga. I’m not a 2D sexual deviant you know. (I can’t guarantee about 3D, though) So there you go. Funny chapter. Read it.

Fairy Tail Chapter 159:

I seriously had no idea what to type initially here. But then I realize that there’s something to say about having nothing to type. So then I have something to type. Fairy Tail isn’t going to change after a million years. Its storyline has been somewhat constant and unchanging throughout. I need to see creativity of some sort if you want me to write something substantial about it. There you go. See what I just did? I just totally avoided the review for this chapter.

Gamaran Chapter 24:

Gamaran is a manga I have very high hopes for. Not to become one of the top three, but to blossom into something which I would look forward to reading everyday. Its variety of skill sets and different kinds of fighting moves is what is so amazing. It has potential to be 2nd to Rurouni Kenshin. NOTHING BEATS RUROUNI KENSHIN I TELL YOU.

Hajime No Ippo Chapter 873:

Ah well. Ippo’s getting owned~ That only means he’ll turn out victorious. It’s always like that. Bah. But yes. Interesting opponent here. I wouldn’t want to fight a monkey myself.

Akumetsu Chapter 145 – 146:

Yet another blossoming manga. The roots behind Akumetsu and the cloning stuff is being revealed. This means a major shift in storyline. And I think it’s high time this is being done. People do get sick of seeing politicians being hacked/slashed/burned/operated on amongst other terrorist acts you know. I wish this manga best of luck. I have absolutely no idea how it’s heading out, but I should think the mangaka will find a way somehow.

Liar Game - Roots Of A Chapter 1 – 6:

I have no idea at all how this has anything to do with Liar Game. Yes, I mean it does have to do with the GUY in Liar Game, but don’t name your manga after one of your previous manga just because you’re talking about a character who was in it before. But apart from that, very nice idea. I actually already managed to make the criminal profile of the sender of the note after I read it. No kidding. You see, I’m actually rather adept in the study of psychology. But not like you, the reader, would know anyway. Yes, nice concept. Good idea. Touching story.

That’s all for the week, guys/gals!

I’m kind of trying my best to stick to the schedule. And I’m making it in good time. It’s 11 PM here in Singapore now so theoretically I HAVE miraculously managed to do the obligatory Saturday post on a Saturday. :)

I received an email asking about why I mentioned reading Fullmetal Alchemist before but yet haven’t done any reviews on it. That’s because I’m actually avoiding reading it on the internet. You see, I’m collecting the books, and if I read ahead, I won’t want to collect it anymore. So there goes your answer, extremely-hardcore-fullmetalalchemist fan!

Time to get back to my life!

Cheers!

A Minor Update.

I’ll be doing a re-review for my Bleach and Ouran posts because I realized how crappy they are.

I’ve decided to make a fixed schedule for my reviews after I get a new laptop as well so I have something to stick to. (And thus, have no excuse to laze around)

Saturdays will be recent manga updates day. To give a short one to two sentence review on the chapters of the manga of the week.

Tuesdays will be manga review day, where I’ll review one selected manga.

Thursdays is the more flexible day. I may or may not post a review something unrelated to manga but somehow still quite connected.

There goes the schedule. Pray I’ll stick to it.

Want me to do a review?

I’m currently busy with mastering Go.

The game above is sucky, I know. Oh, I’m white btw.

Let me beat a pro or two, then I’ll come back. (That hints never)

Since I’m on a roll here…

Now you know what “fail” means?

Oh, there’s more.

This one’s dedicated to my dear friend Stefan.

Got to love translator humour.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

Or not.

Di(e)ce Review: Dead Upon Arrival

My O levels are ending soon.

So more reviews coming up!

Today,

Di(e)ce.

To be absolutely honest, this sort of manga will never get into the Big Three, no matter how hard the mangaka tries.

Why?

Because shounen manga readers are twits yearning for impossible superpowers, brainless fights and pointless chivalry.

That’s why.

Di(e)ce speaks of a group of students who are the “chosen ones”, having to fight in “games” where other students in the school are “zombified”.

Hmmm… Now this seems very familiar…

Oh, and did I mention two “brothers”  having to kill each other?

Indeed, Di(e)ce is a manga which has elements from various other manga. Not that we ought to blame them? Just how many ideas are there out there left for us to think of when so many manga have already been established.

I’m not one to complain about stealing ideas.

I’m here to complain about how the mangaka of Di(e)ce sucks at putting these ideas together.

In Di(e)ce so far, no effort has been made to give characters any distinct personality or character traits. This manga consists of nothing but cardboards. The storyline is extremely flimsy, where no head or tail can be made after reading each chapter. Attempts made by the mangaka to make the plot heart racing and exciting through quick movements are visible, but miserable- this only serves to make Di(e)ce more pathetic than it already is.

I did some research on Di(e)ce, and found that the author and cartoonist isn’t the same person. It was written by Saki Oto of Naked Ape, the duo behind Switch.

So naturally, I read Switch. I found its premise to be believable and interesting, much unlike Di(e)ce. I’m hoping that Di(e)ce was either a one time mistake or Saki Oto was intoxicated when he was writing Di(e)ce.

In other words, don’t read Di(e)ce.

Shaman King- Flowers

This page alone makes the entire chapter worth reading.

Tao Men must be the most awesome character.

Yepp! The sequel to Shaman King is born! (Just like I predicted)

AND OH. MY. GOD.

THE. FREAKING. COOL. SHAMAN. KING.

Oh, wait a minute. Wrong picture.

There you go. How awesome is THAT.

Okay. So that’s it for the pictures. Review.

Nothing much can be said about the very first chapter of this sequel. From the looks of it, both main characters, Hana and Tao Men are rather hot headed. I’m quite expecting a more cool headed kid to enter the scenes and level the playing field a bit. What originally set Shaman King apart from the rest of the manga was its set of unique characters with interesting personalities. Oh, and who can forget the awesome Over Souls and the unbeatable Spirit of Fire?

Slight reminder of how the Spirit of Fire looks like. Butt ugly. But kick ass.

So yes, no interesting personalities have been spotted in Shaman King Sequel. Also, I’m not personally fond of the fact the Amidamaru is back as Hana’s sidekick. I mean, is it really that hard to create a new spirit for Hana? It’s ridiculous that he has to use the same old spirit as his father.

However, honestly speaking, for manga such as Shaman King, the possibilities are limitless. Come on, you have a freaking fictional spirit world. You can have all the adventures you want! But if this sequel wants to make magic happen like its predecessor, it will need more than ordinary fighting scenes and a fresh bunch of skill sets, heroes and villains. In other words, a not-so-extreme makeover.

Hope to see more!

The November Post

Not going to write much. As usual.

Today, it's the Anime Cynic.

Rurouni Kenshin. Which manga/anime/Japan loving person hasn't heard of this?

The adventures of this wandering samurai would definitely be one of those at the top of my revolutionary manga/anime list.

I am re-watching the Rurouni Kenshin episodes, currently at episode 32.

The magic of Rurouni Kenshin is aplenty.

First, the action. Fighting styles of this manga doesn't involve shooting thunderbolts out of sword tips or summoning giants from nowhere. However, it doesn't fail to awe and make small kids imitate the actions of the samurai in the manga using anything they can get their hands on- bamboo sticks, their mothers' canes, toy lightsabers and many more. I must admit I was one of these innocent children, trying especially hard to imitate Saitō Hajime's Gotatsu. Every trademark move has its defining trademark stance which sets it apart from the rest, giving the viewers a sense of familiarity when seeing a certain swordsman attack.

Second, the morals. Let's face it. If Aesop Fables was converted to a manga word for word. It would suck really badly. It's difficult for manga and anime to impart life lessons without sounding corny. Rurouni Kenshin does just fine. I always believe that if you let children read/watch/learn smart things, they will be smart. Rurouni Kenshin doesn't have characters going "Today, I've learnt violence can't solve problems," at the end of episodes. The lessons are reflected upon the actions of characters and decisions they make. In other words, they don't make their viewers look like idiots.

Third, the love. No sappy love stories. Only subtle hints here and there. Which is good. Come on, people who watch Rurouni Kenshin are looking for slice and dice, not hugs and kisses. So Kaoru can continue being the maiden in distress but never gets to be the bride. Isn't that just lovely?

Fourth, the laughs. Many a times, various manga start off well with comedy before losing it as it goes on to the more serious stuff. One example would be Hitman Reborn. What the people behind these sort of manga/anime don't realise is how important it is not to put too much pressure on its audience. Rurouni Kenshin has over 90 episodes. Each lasting over 20 minutes. Do you think one can endure over 30 hours of anime if there aren't any comedic moments? Rurouni Kenshin has vibrant characters who can pull off comedy scenes well. Very nice.

Last, the plot. I personally like how many of the episodes don't link. Each has a story of its own. Only a hint and reference here and there to make a full linkage between all the episodes to make one running storyline. Extra care is taken to ensure not one character is under developed, with entire episodes devoted to a single character.

So, there really isn't any doubt as to why I regard this as my favourite anime of all time.

Cheers.

Since it’s 4 hours before my examination

Let me do a short post to catch up on all the manga updates I’ve missed. Especially the top few Shounen ones.

First, the BIG THREE!

Bleach: What I thought to be a pointless display of Shikais and Bankais seems to have bloomed beautifully in a well-defined scene of the fights in the Human World and Hueco Mundo. The beauty of Bleach lies in its characters, not the characters’ ability. The captains are especially awesome. And when hot blooded Kenpachi and pretty boy Byakuya gangs up, you know you have a masterpiece.

One Piece: This one is still maintaining at its level of impressiveness. But it’s not enough. It’s been 5 chapters now and the action is not peaking. However, I do like how events have unfolded, with Buggy the Clown appearing on national TV (Something you only see in Hollywood movies) and Whitebeard being stabbed. Hopefully we get to see more fights and less dialogue.

Naruto: The sudden appearance of a couple of characters makes a climax killer. Peaking fights drop to nothing. We need more. It’s becoming the weakest of the Big Three. No one really cares if you get the widest readership, you know.

Next, THE EXTRAS!

Kekkaishi: Still unimpressive. The fight almost got my interest. But yet again like how it always happens in Kekkaishi, some new super strong character appears and kills all the climax. Politics, man. Politics. Are you even listening? Of course you’re not.

Vinland Saga: Getting me pumped up. i want to see Thorfinn in action NOW.

Fairy Tail: Nowwhatisthiscrap?!

Wildlife: It’s not supposed to be awesome. Just interesting. And it’s fulfilling its purpose rather well. Very nice.

Gamaran: Epic fight over. Need some dialogue. And *Swish* is not dialogue. Neither is *Bish*. I know you’re a combat manga and all, but please. Your characters aren’t mute.

Defense Devil: Flashback is working. Not too well. But yes, working. Come back down to Earth please. Pun intended.

Hajime no Ippo: Now THIS. THIS. You think you only see this certain enemy with all your past enemies’ abilities combined in Mecha manga? You thought wrong. Seems it’s possible in boxing as well. NICE.

I think that’s all. Got to go. Hungry.

Kinnikuman

Yeah. I’m reading that.

Short review.

If you like classic humourless humour.

If you don’t mind lousy old school drawing styles.

If you don’t mind looking like an idiot.

Read Kinnikiman.

Haven’t been around for very long…

It’ll all be over by 10th November.

Then I’ll be back with a vengeance.

Apologies….

I haven’t been around for quite a long time, won’t be either for the next couple of weeks. I’m on this intensive training program to harness my Reiatsu and Chakra. I’ll merge the two and call it Chatsu. Whatever.

Anyway, I have the bloody O levels to sit for.

Wish me luck.

I just finished reading…

Juushin Enbu (The same artist as FMA. Nice concept of “stars”)

Lost+Brain (Amazing psychological manga)

Gamaran (Very detailed, varied and well planned fighting manga)

Piano no Mori (Touches you as Music genre manga should)

Black God (Which has an interesting concept on doppelgangers)

Knights (Neither artwork nor plot is interesting. But has good chars)

Baka To Test To Shoukanjuu (Not the most interesting of manga)

Buster Keel (I welcome clichés but this is ridiculous! –.-)

Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin (Very interesting basis!)

Oh well, might put up a couple of reviews soon. Maybe twice a week. :)

I’m currently reading Samurai Deeper Kyo which is quite cool so far.

Won’t be posting reviews

Although…

Because I’m bored AND lazy.

Ao no Exorcist: Structural Basis

Some of you may have already seen on Facebook where I constantly speak of how awesome Ao no Exorcist is- because it IS awesome.

Ao no Exorcist speaks of two brothers, one of whom is the protagonist. It so happens that both brothers were adopted by an exorcist, who raised them to become fine children. One day, the protagonist finds out that he’s the son of Satan as Satan kills the exorcist who raised him. Then he goes on to find out that his brother is already a full fledged exorcist, and he goes to exorcist school to be one in order to kill his very own father- Satan.

You must realize that I have not much interest in the plot. This is because there is a similarity amongst the top manga- what I call the structural basis of the manga. For example, you don’t read Bleach because you want to know what happens next to Ichigo, you just want to see Captains use Bankai and Espadas release their hollow form and Aizen owning everyone’s asses. You don’t read Naruto because you’re worried for Sasuke, you just want to see the Akatsuki kill people, the nine tailed fox rampaging around the Ninja world and cooler techniques to be shown. Similarly, you don’t read One Piece because you LIKE Luffy and gang, you just want to see the face off between pirates and the cool variety of Fruit Users.

My point is, what attracts Shounen readers isn’t so much about how the plot develops, but this structural basis running underneath all those storylines which gives the manga their potential to branch out to a thousand and one possibilities. For Bleach, this structure would be how the Soul Society is nicely split into different categories with different levels and ranks and how Shinigami in general can use Shikai and Bankai.

Structural Basis is what Ao no Exorcist is brimming with. Six friggin’ chapters into the manga, and the mangaka is still building a rich Structural Basis. He introduces the different types of exorcists (to the extent of what Maplestory is much like) and shows how the different exorcists complement each other to form a “party” (TOO Maplestory). However, it gives Ao no Exorcist a very, very rich Structural Basis to work on. Imagine the possibilities! Endless!

Still don’t get what I mean by Structural Basis?

Okay, in simple terms, imagine Bleach and take out Ichigo. Imagine Naruto and take out well, Naruto. Imagine One Piece and take out Luffy and gang. Whatever is left is the structural basis.

Cross Hogwarts, Maplestory and… I don’t know. Bleach? and you get Ao no Exorcist! However, there’s still a downside for Ao no Exorcist. It doesn’t make a good “first manga” due to it’s complexity. Most people who want to start off with a nice Shounen Manga, I always recommend Bleach, for it’s easier to grasp the concepts behind it and the first dozen chapters are simply Hollow-killing but still interesting. Ao no Exorcist, on the other hand, should only appeal more to readers who are already exposed to Shounen battle manga such as Bleach and Naruto who have already gotten used to that basic structure.

Oh, and I simply love the artwork. The manga’s characters have their distinct look which ensures you definitely won’t be confused between one character and the other (much unlike 07 Ghost). I like how the artwork seems extremely simple and childlike during simple comedic scenes such as pointless conversations between characters which gives a certain dreamy feel, but suddenly becomes more defined and complex when battle scenes come about. It brings about a very excellent contrast which doubtlessly gives the readers the false sense of heroism and excitement required for battle manga.

I shan’t put up any battle scene pictures to force you to read it. I just realized that many strangers who have added me on Facebook are readers of this blog. If so, please add a note when adding me, wouldn’t want misunderstandings (AKA me roasting you on the internet) to happen.

This blog is…

Bah. Lazy to post the Ao no Exorcist review.

Enjoy a girl getting struck by a huge ass arrow from a huge ass crossbow.

I’m amused,

I saw a couple of people arguing on a certain… Uh…. Forum. (Let’s just call this that for now, I’ll tell you at the end of this post) About the all time favourite topic of gender discrimination.

I won’t be delving into whether this discrimination is necessary or uncalled for, that would be wrong. ;)

But, come on. This shit is not worth arguing over.

“Oh, this woman/man won me in an online debate and therefore I should, must and will change my view points on gender discrimination.” Yeah, sure.

The truth is, almost no one will be won over by these arguments no matter how strong a case you present. Theoretically, men who do not discriminate against women are:

1. Aware and respectful of the strengths of women in today’s society. (As brought up by advocates of gender equality)

2. Supportive of the view that gender should not be a measure of one’s capability and instead ought to be individualistic.

3. Gay.

4. Not bothered.

I’m case number 4. I could kick the asses of some feminists in a debate but will they follow me home and join my harem? I don’t think so. I could literally kick the asses of some feminists but then I wouldn’t want them to join my harem anymore. Hey, wait, I wasn’t intending to talk about asses….

Oh YES, not bothered. I’m not bothered. Why? Gender discrimination is a human created factor which, in my opinion, has neither philosophical nor social value. You may argue that this discrimination may cause women/men to lose out in their jobs and careers, and employers would not be able to recruit the people with the maximum talent and thus the workforce will not be as effective as can be… For example… Yadayadayada… I DON’T CARE. And I’ve had enough of Social Studies format essays.

Rather than argue and fight for one’s rights in a virtual environment which would bring upon no impact to others, thus neither bringing pride nor benefit into the picture, why not just work your ass off and prove to people that you, as an individual, are capable enough to remove your shackles of discrimination?

After you’ve succeeded, you can say you’ve been working your ass off, you can say you’re representing your gender in proving that you all really aren’t weaker, you can say you want to join my harem. YET AGAIN, I DON’T CARE. Not because it won’t affect the outcome of people’s perceptions on your gender/personality/desperation-to-join-my-harem, but JUST THE OPPOSITE. As long as you’re successful, it’s a given that people will believe you. As long as you can kick ass in your field, it’s a given that people will listen to you. As long as you hold power, it’s a given people will start to see your cause. You WILL be able to change people’s views so long you’re successful. You notice I mention the word people a lot here. Because this is all about other people.

Open your minds a bit more.

Delve deeper into your hearts a bit more.

Use your common sense a bit more.

Stop posting arguments on racial discrimination under the Comments section of a Mulan Music Video. Yeah, can you believe it?

On the lighter note, I still love I Will Make a Man Out of You from the Disney movie Mulan. :)

Won’t be updating for awhile.

Meanwhile, enjoy the reason why I love bears.

And enjoy a Youtube video which (hopefully) has no relevance to bears which my friend posted on Facebook.

kthanksbye!

Shiki Review: Screw Twilight already

I’ve been rather busy these few days and I’m predicting this would be my last post for the coming week.

For today, Shiki!

Well, a little background information about this obscure manga…

This series is about village with a population of about 1300 people, and during one fiercely hot summer, many mysterious incidents happened one after another...

There you go! Ripped right from the Onemanga page! To be honest, don’t expect this manga to be one with tale after tale of supernatural happenings, it’s a continuous manga with one sole storyline running. To cut it short, this manga is about vampires. Yeah, I know, a bloody cliché.

But what I like about Shiki is it’s execution. Instead of presenting itself as the usual vampire invasion, it follows more of a mystery format, where you follow the main characters (the village doctor, the village priest and a teenager who just moved into the village) as they unveil one thing after another about the vampires. They go by trial and error to see which of the myths about vampires hold true, like how they tried driving a stake through a vampire’s heart as an experiment. (In case you’re wondering, that one worked)

However, this manga has a serious downside to it- because of its mystery-like premise, the manga moves really slowly. After all, if you’re Shiki’s mangaka, there’s really not much you can hide from the readers when it’s just about vampires going around sucking people’s blood. To make up for this, the mangaka makes the plot move at a snail’s pace, which is good/bad depending on how you see things.

The starting phase of the manga was, to me, the most exciting. Especially since the manga doesn’t explicitly tell you it’s vampires at work, you start to speculate exactly what is going on in the village, where villagers present initial symptoms of lethargy, before slipping into Anaemia then sudden death. It was amazing really. I mean, how many manga can scare the shit out of you?!

This one surely did.

If you’re weak hearted/minded, and manga like Detective Conan somehow scares you, please read this. I take great pleasure in imagining people squirm in their beds at night.

PS: Oh, I just realized I have a draft of a review for Ao no Exorcist. I have to add a couple of pictures to that one before posting it. Looks like this won’t be the last post of the coming week after all~!

Manga I’ve read up to now…

 

The list isn’t exhaustive, and I didn’t include those which I just read for the first few chapters and decided it was trash.

Naruto

Bleach

One Piece

Fairy Tail

Full Metal Alchemist

Eyeshield 21

Hajime no Ippo

Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Shaman King

Claymore

Detective Conan

Ouran High School Host Club

Rave

AIKI

Bakuman

Beelzebub

Dragon Ball

Ai Kora

Veritas

Zatch Bell

New Prince of Tennis

Death Note

Absolute Boyfriend

Liar Game

Fruits Basket

666 Satan

Mirai Nikki

Psyren

Special A

Kampfer

Defense Devil

Zero no Tsukaima

Rosario+Vampire

Prince of Tennis

Nurarihyon no Mago

Akumetsu

Ga-Rei

Black Cat

K-ON!

Nodame Cantabile

Addicted to Curry

Ao no Exorcist

Rurouni Kenshin

Team Medical Dragon

Yakitate!! Japan

Pokemon Special

Toriko

Deadman Wonderland

Vinland Saga

ULTIMO

Gintama

Gantz

Tenjou Tenge

Otaku no Musume-san

Psycho Buster

Fate/Stay Night

Zombie Powder

Tegami Bachi

Fairy Cube

MAR

Doubt

Hakoiri Devil Princess

Sket Dance

Chrno Crusade

Yaiba

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

MAR Omega

REC

Doraemon

Bartender

Shakugan no Shana

Camelot Garden

Tantei Gakuen Q

Bowling King

Magic Ban Removal!! Hyde and Closer

M.C. Law

Q.E.D.

Glass Mask 

I painstakingly copied and pasted the links in order of popularity on the OneManga website (apart from Glass Mask, which can’t be found on OM). I noticed how some really good manga are actually right at the bottom of the popularity list, like how Sket Dance is ranked 500! This ought to give you a hint that ranking isn’t everything. ;)

Oh, and I’ll be on a short hiatus from now due to exams and a certain hobby I’ve taken up, so do visit the above links and see which of the Manga I’ve read are the ones you like!

But for now,

I will give you a…

If you tell me Manga sucks.

Sometimes I read crappy manga and I go…

A little dirty joke never hurts

Bakuman Review: Vague

If you haven’t heard about this manga before, quit coming to my blog, tell your parents you let them down, and shoot yourself in the foot, stomach and brains. (Not necessarily in that order)

This manga is the second brainchild of writer Tsugumi Ohba and artist Takeshi Obata. You ought to have heard of them before, especially when they are the ones behind your Death Note.

However, this manga is nothing like Death Note, and hopefully will remain that way.

It’s about two aspiring teenagers who wish to become mangaka and actually succeed. I’ll be vague here because I’m lazy.

Apart from the usual “I’ll meet you, my love, once I have completed my life goal.” and the “We are real men. We will do whatever it takes!” this manga really doesn’t have much depth to it. But that’s what fascinates me! It might be superficial, but it covers a lot of ground in terms of introducing manga terms to you, how mangaka live and so on.

It’s amazing how the mangaka of Bakuman actually manage to draw the line between “We just have to show you the pride of us mangaka by throwing all sorts of complicated manga terms at you and putting up a false front to how hardworking all mangaka are” and “We will give you the truth, and throw in a bit of a plot”. If you don’t get my point, great. Because I’m being vague here. And you’re plain dumb.

I’ve read a couple of reviews (manga reviews are really, really scarce) of Bakuman when it first came out and almost none of them said anything positive- for good reason. At the beginning, it seemed as if Bakuman didn’t hold any ground at all. It had no foundation and its reasons for reaching a point of climax seemed exaggerated and nothing to be excited about.

HOWEVER.

If one were to have the foresight (like myself) to actually persist and read on, he/she would realize that what the mangaka has delivered is but the plain truth of the difficulties one would face if he chose to become a mangaka in high school. Slowly but surely, Bakuman captivates its readers with nothing but raw truth and a bit of humour. I would have been satisfied with that, but recently in the latest few chapters, Bakuman has simply outdone itself. It has managed to create a definitely unexpected network between all the mangaka within the manga and possessing this interesting potential to rise from the dead in terms of plot with so many factors. I cannot imagine how the mangaka of Bakuman actually came up with such a dynamic plot, where multiple unrelated things happen at the same time, which is life, but never happens in most manga.

To end off, I remembered this quote by Alfred Hitchcock- “Drama is life with the boring bits cut out.” Then I say manga is life too, but please, leave some boring parts for us. While a play cannot afford a minute of irrelevant ramblings, Manga can afford a page which absolutely has nothing to do with the plot. Please, bore us sometimes.

Gintama is hilarious

Nurarihyon no Mago Review: An amazing find

I haven’t blogged much lately because I’m getting increasingly busy. To make it all up to all of you, I’m sharing with you an awesome manga I’ve stumbled upon yet again- Nurarihyon no Mago.

Aye, an amazing manga indeed. The story centres around Rikuo Nura who happens to be the grandson of one of the greatest Youkai (Japanese for Demon) ever- the Supreme Commander of the Nura Clan.

However, this guy is only one quarter Youkai blood. Yepp, you heard me. Not the everyday half-blood-something you see in books and other manga, he’s just a QUARTER blood Youkai. His Grandfather married a mortal and so did his father, which is quite cool. Thus, his true demon self can only be released for a quarter of a day, only in darkness. As can bee seen from the above, both his Youkai form and his human form looks quite cool.

Why I find this manga so impressive and attractive is due to various aspects:

1. Politics

I have been harping time and again that Kekkaishi isn’t fully utilising the politics possible from all the clans and stuff. NnM, on the other hand, makes full use of this politics, devoting chapters to how Rikuo wins the trust of the sub-clan leaders one by one under the great Nura Clan. It really is amazing. The strategies used by both the Human Rikuo and the Youkai Rikuo are distinctly different in aim and method, but both as awesome indeed.

2. Concept

The idea of a sole leader leading so many demons is not unheard of, and is actually quite common. But not when your main character is this person. Not to mention that the mangaka makes full use of the various demons in Japanese folklore to showcase their abilities and powers.

3. Artwork

By artwork I don’t mean some kind of Mona Lisa or anything. Just the sheer number of demons to be drawn is amazing. For example:

This happens to be my desktop wallpaper. One of those awesome battle scenes where Rikuo leads the Nura clan. What I liked especially about this scene is how the mangaka actually zooms in to how each demon on one side fights another instead of the common 100 v 100 clash scene.

The above three points ought to be enough to want to make you read this manga. Or I’d have failed. Somehow.

I haven’t finished all 70+ chapters yet so I can’t say if it’ll suck later. But I may assure you that I loved every page up to Chapter 48 Pg 07.

Just another post

I’ve been rather busy lately, so I’m just going to tell you which chapters are worth reading.

1. One Piece Chapter 554 [HOLY COW!!]

2. Bleach Chapter 370 [Yeah, awesome only because of… Something.]

3. Ai Kora Chapter 93 [Hilarious as usual]

4. Hajime no Ippo Chapter 864 [It’s got my blood pumping too!]

Yep, seriously, that’s all! But these good ones are really good. So go check it out! Not in any order of awesomeness, though.

The Slice of Life and Comedy Genre

Is getting to me.

I, the renowned Shounen Manga lover, am falling in love with these genres because of a couple of manga I’ve read:

1. Otaku No Musume-San

A manga about a young adult man who’s an otaku. A 9 year-old girl comes knocking on his door one day claiming to be his daughter. If you’re reading this blog you ought to know what Otaku means. If you don’t, it’s alright. I’ll be writing a post about Otakus soon.

2. K-On

Something many people have read. Now I’m one of them. The thing about manga like these is they’re really easy to read and requires no responsibility or obligation to be held by the reader to read the next chapter. But somehow, you’re just simply attracted to it. (Heck, no wonder males like reading this genre so much, if you get my drift.)

I’m now on to another manga- REC.

Hopefully it’ll be entertaining!

Manga Updates are here again~

Veritas Chapter 47

Was actually not too bad. At least it was readable. Hopefully we can see more action soon. I mean, that’s what you read Veritas for, right?

Kekkaishi Chapter 271

Wasn’t particularly impressive. I still cannot help but cringe when I see how the mangaka is still indulging and not making full use of the politics of the Urakai. Hopefully we can see some cunning and less fighting. Because let’s face it, the fighting scenes in Kekkaishi aren’t the best we’ve witnessed.

Ao no Exorcist Chapter 5

This chapter has made my day. I’ve been waiting for the next chapter to be released for weeks, and it’s finally here! Amazingly it doesn’t disappoint, making me feel it’s worth the long wait! New ideas have been introduced in Ao no Exorcist and I like how there are different “job types” for exorcists, even if it seems too Maplestory-ish. The summoning of Familiars remind me of Zero no Tsukaima, but better. Much better. Heck, this could be the Update of the Month!

Dragon Ball Chapter 45

Is still awesome. Now I know why so many people were so crazy about it back then. Consistency in style is Dragon Ball’s selling point.

 

I know there’re many more I’ve missed due to the long break on manga updates. But I’ve decided to start from today’s updates again. I’ll make updates whenever I’m free. Look forward to more reviews instead of updates.

Cheers

Your favourite manga cynic

Land Ahoy!

Finally. A blog specially for manga updates and reviews!

Check this blog for manga stuff, and my personal blog for my boring life!

I have a sneaky suspicion the contents of the other blog will spill over here.

But I’ll try to keep disciplined.

Cheers,

Your favourite manga cynic.

Ga-Rei Review: In midst of business

Manga review for today?

Your extremely stereotypical Shounen Manga, Ga-Rei!

Majority of Shounen manga cannot do without:

1. Spirits

2. Magic

3. Beast Tamers

4. An ordinary male protagonist

5. A cute girl with strong powers to lead the protagonist along

Ga-Rei is no exception!

However, how you link the above five together is the answer to whether such a manga is successful. Obviously, I find that Hajime Segawa has managed to concoct a winning formula for the demanding readers.

The main character Nimura, isn’t really your average teenage Shounen manga protagonist in terms of how he actually doesn’t possess any real “talent” to start with apart from being able to see ghosts. He only gains his powers through training and weapons bestowed upon him, which is actually quite a tedious process to narrate for the mangaka. But it is worth it, especially when you, the reader, compare Nimura at the beginning and at the end.

The “cute girl with strong powers to lead the protagonist along” this time would have to be Kagura. However, I’d have to say that there’s nothing really exceptional about her character. Her weapon, though, is something you wouldn’t want for a pet.

Behold, a killer ginormous dragon appearing from a girl’s back

So, you see, you really don’t wanna mess with her.

Anyway, these spirit beasts are summoned by exclusive people and passed down generation after generation. There are some cooler one than that big thing up there. But I figured she ought to get priority for the fact that she’s the main female lead.

So anyway, the two main characters work for a secret government organisation to kill evil spirits and the likes. Not really original, but when you see the entire organisation move out to battle the opposing evil factions, you know you chose the right manga to read.

Will do the rating later. Busy~

EDIT:

Oh, and the extremely cute Tanuki from Ga-Rei hopes you can read it

Vinland Saga Review: An indiscriminate review

I just came to know about this manga when I was bored and browsing the Onemanga “Recent Updates'” page. Chapter 56 was up and I decided to start from chapter 1.

And I’m glad I did.

Vinland Saga is about Vikings. Yeah, what the hell does a Japanese know of Vikings? There’s a review up on Stefan’s blog about Northlanders, a comic about Vikings too. And yes, that seems awesome too. I mean, what is with Vikings?!

Reeking of kick-ass, awesomeness and animal abuse.\

The storyline works in the form of flashbacks in the beginning, so I’ll spare you the whole lot of time travelling and tell you what happens in chronological order.

The protagonist of Vinland Saga is a boy named Thorfinn, son of Thors (Shit, even his name kicks ass. As if Thors is not a name cool enough, they just had to add a fish body part.) His life as a Viking is seriously cool. Thorfinn is working for the man who killed his father, Askeladd, who ambushed his father in a supposedly fair duel. So he works for Askeladd in return for duels with him, of which he has not won a single one.

I don’t mean to be really really spoiler-ish.

But bah.

My blog.

Hah.

Askeladd ends up dying so that he can groom a next person to be king. I really respect this Askeladd character. Go read Vinland Saga to find out the kind of person he is.

The most attractive thing about Vinland Saga is that freshness that it offers. Seldom do Japanese Mangaka write other non-Japanese stuff, especially when it comes to historical content. It must actually take quite a lot of confidence for Makoto Yukimura to write this manga. The artwork is quite apt, too.

I repeat. Kick ass.

There are more kick ass scenes, of course.

It’s interesting to see how the entire Viking world is portrayed and how the different factions clash. There are lots of politics involved as well. That’s what makes it so different from the normal Mafia manga or Yakuza manga where “We shall fight for our honour and kill whoever gets in our way and get ourselves killed int he end anyway.” It’s more of “We will have the shit beaten out of us if we fight them now. Let’s use underhanded means to ambush them and then run for our lives” in Vinland Saga. Which is really what people do to preserve their lives. So good job there.

Well, i could say more but I’m a lazy pig so I’ll stop here.

Plot – 24/30

Drawing – 25/30

Characters – 17/20

Feel – 16/20

Total – 82/100, really awesome.