Been almost two years since I have posted... since then I have moved, started a new job, made new friends, and there has been plenty of new and different anime and manga circulating the world. Some very interesting which I would love to cover. In the meantime, while I figure out where to start, the reviews I have not posted will be posted to keep content still a bit fresh...
Monday, May 6, 2019
Long Hiatus
I know I have been gone for quite a long time, but life uprooted me for a while, but I want to get back into the swing of things here. I have a few Reviews I have not posted yet... I will semi make a Review Schedule but I probably won't be doing consecutive volumes for most series due to the time constraints that I have.
Review: The Legend of Zelda - Legendary Edition V.01
Title: The Legend of Zelda - Legendary Edition
Volume: 1 (of 5) - Ocarina of Time
Creator: Akira Himekawa
Format: Right-to-Left
Original Publisher: SHOGAKUKAN
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 11/1/16
Pages: 378
ISBN: 1421589591
MSRP: $17.99
Genre: Shonen
Rated: A (All Ages)
Description: A young boy named Link must defeat evil at every turn on his long, perilous quest to find the Triforce and deliver it to Princess Zelda!
The Legend of Zelda: Legendary Edition contains two volumes of the beloved The Legend of Zelda manga series, presented in a deluxe format featuring new covers and color art pieces by Akira Himekawa. The battle for Hyrule and the Sacred Realm has begun! A young boy named Link must defeat evil on his long, perilous quest to find the spiritual stones that hold the key to the Triforce, and deliver them to Zelda, princess of the land of Hyrule.
Young Link embarks on a perilous quest to find three spiritual stones that hold the key to the Triforce, the wielder of which will rule the world! Link's plan is to deliver the stones to the Princess of the mystical land of Hyrule, Zelda. But obstacles abound and his long journey has only just begun!
Contains the Complete Ocarina of Time:
- Ocarina of Time
- Chapter 1: The Great Deku Tree Incident
- Chapter 2: Link's Journey Begins
- Chapter 3: The Mystery of the Triforce
- Chapter 4: The Search for the Spiritual Stone of Fire!
- Chapter 5: Inside Jabu-Jabu's Belly
- Chapter 6: The Hero of Time is Born
- Bonus Chapter 1: The Skull Kid and the Mask (Part 1)
- Bonus Chapter 2: The Skull Kid and the Mask (Part 2)
- Hero of Time
- Chapter 1: Sword of Legend: The Master Sword
- Chapter 2: The Sage of the Forest: Saria
- Chapter 3: An Old and Beloved Friend
- Chapter 4: Link vs. Link
- Chapter 5: Shadow Guide: Sheik
- Chapter 6: The Haunted Wasteland
- Chapter 7: A Fated Reunion
- Chapter 8: Ganondorf Defeated!
- Chapter 9: A New Journey Begins
- Bonus Chapter 1: Rouru of the Watarara
Review:
Cover: The cover features the series title in gold text across the top in gold, with the volume title under it. There's an image of Adult Link from Ocarina of Time in the center, with the Triforce and the Legendary Edition imprint below it. The background is green like Link's tunic, with a golden Triforce border.
The spine from top to bottom contains the series title, the volume title, the Triforce, the Legendary Edition brand, the mangaka, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover uses the same background and border theme. We have an adult Zelda on the top half of the cover, followed by the volumes summary.
I love the simplicity of the cover; I really have no complaints for the overall design. Colors work well, the imaging placement is great. Enough said.
Artwork: This is a Shonen series, but not a typical style like most the Shonen Jump titles are. If i could place it anywhere, it is similar to other works like Pokemon Adventures and Monster Hunter Flash Hunter. It has a very childish feel, but then again the story is meant for kids in a sense. It's not a bad either. The detail is great and the action segments have a great focus on the action. But overall it still lacks to me that umph that other Shonen titles have. I think it might be due to how it switches from a light hearted story to dark moments with no real transition.
Translation: Basing this on the original game; Characters, places, weapons, references are all intact. Sound Effects have changed.
Extras: We have almost a full chapter completely in color. There is also 3 bonus chapters. One of these isn't really worth the time, but there is a two-part story that deals with the Skull Kid and his origin, which was actually a great read since we don't have much info on the Skull Kid even from the original game.
Last is an Afterword section that gives a lot of background info on this volumes content.
Great set of Extras, but that should be said due to this being the Legendary Edition.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): This volume is essentially two separate volumes, but it tells one complete story. We have Link during his childhood years that takes place in the beginning of the Ocarina of Time video game and we have his Adult years which is the climax of the story. Does it hold up to the masterpiece of the original is really what this is about.
Our story starts with Link waking up in a forest. The Great Deku tree that the people of the forest basically worship is infected by an evil spirit and Link draws his sword and kills the monster inhabiting it. The evil however is too much for the Great Deku tree who withers and dies, leaving behind a sacred stone which sets Link up on a course to change his destiny and save Hyrule.
Over the course of the remaining child years, Link visits the Princess, obtains two more stones from the Zora and the Goron, and meet his future horse Epona. All this happens within the first half of the volume, with each instance taking up pretty much a single chapter.
Eventually Link returns to the castle to watch as Zelda is kidnapped by the evil Ganondorf, as he wants the sacred power of the Triforce that she contains a piece of. Link then enters the Temple of Time and removes the Legendary Master Sword, causing him to go into a deep slumber for several years.
When Link awakes, Hyrule is in turmoil as Ganondorf is now in control of the entire world. Link must then go on another quest to find and awaken the Sages to help stop Ganondorf once and for all.
Over the course of the remaining chapters, he does so and manages to defeat Ganon and restore balance to the kingdom. He must however put the Master Sword back and return to his child form in case the world will one day need a new hero to wield it.
For the most part this reminded me of a Best Of type of story. If the reader has not played the game, it might be a bit hard to follow as there really isn't much info on what is actually going on. It does however give a lot of new narrative to the original story, since the original did not have as much of a grand plan as the manga actually shows. Overall though, this isn't something I would recommend for all readers. Even with a title as Legendary, it still falls short unless you are a gamer or know the basics of the Zelda franchise.
Objectionable Content:
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/6/19
Cover: The cover features the series title in gold text across the top in gold, with the volume title under it. There's an image of Adult Link from Ocarina of Time in the center, with the Triforce and the Legendary Edition imprint below it. The background is green like Link's tunic, with a golden Triforce border.
The spine from top to bottom contains the series title, the volume title, the Triforce, the Legendary Edition brand, the mangaka, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover uses the same background and border theme. We have an adult Zelda on the top half of the cover, followed by the volumes summary.
I love the simplicity of the cover; I really have no complaints for the overall design. Colors work well, the imaging placement is great. Enough said.
Artwork: This is a Shonen series, but not a typical style like most the Shonen Jump titles are. If i could place it anywhere, it is similar to other works like Pokemon Adventures and Monster Hunter Flash Hunter. It has a very childish feel, but then again the story is meant for kids in a sense. It's not a bad either. The detail is great and the action segments have a great focus on the action. But overall it still lacks to me that umph that other Shonen titles have. I think it might be due to how it switches from a light hearted story to dark moments with no real transition.
Translation: Basing this on the original game; Characters, places, weapons, references are all intact. Sound Effects have changed.
Extras: We have almost a full chapter completely in color. There is also 3 bonus chapters. One of these isn't really worth the time, but there is a two-part story that deals with the Skull Kid and his origin, which was actually a great read since we don't have much info on the Skull Kid even from the original game.
Last is an Afterword section that gives a lot of background info on this volumes content.
Great set of Extras, but that should be said due to this being the Legendary Edition.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): This volume is essentially two separate volumes, but it tells one complete story. We have Link during his childhood years that takes place in the beginning of the Ocarina of Time video game and we have his Adult years which is the climax of the story. Does it hold up to the masterpiece of the original is really what this is about.
Our story starts with Link waking up in a forest. The Great Deku tree that the people of the forest basically worship is infected by an evil spirit and Link draws his sword and kills the monster inhabiting it. The evil however is too much for the Great Deku tree who withers and dies, leaving behind a sacred stone which sets Link up on a course to change his destiny and save Hyrule.
Over the course of the remaining child years, Link visits the Princess, obtains two more stones from the Zora and the Goron, and meet his future horse Epona. All this happens within the first half of the volume, with each instance taking up pretty much a single chapter.
Eventually Link returns to the castle to watch as Zelda is kidnapped by the evil Ganondorf, as he wants the sacred power of the Triforce that she contains a piece of. Link then enters the Temple of Time and removes the Legendary Master Sword, causing him to go into a deep slumber for several years.
When Link awakes, Hyrule is in turmoil as Ganondorf is now in control of the entire world. Link must then go on another quest to find and awaken the Sages to help stop Ganondorf once and for all.
Over the course of the remaining chapters, he does so and manages to defeat Ganon and restore balance to the kingdom. He must however put the Master Sword back and return to his child form in case the world will one day need a new hero to wield it.
For the most part this reminded me of a Best Of type of story. If the reader has not played the game, it might be a bit hard to follow as there really isn't much info on what is actually going on. It does however give a lot of new narrative to the original story, since the original did not have as much of a grand plan as the manga actually shows. Overall though, this isn't something I would recommend for all readers. Even with a title as Legendary, it still falls short unless you are a gamer or know the basics of the Zelda franchise.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: No
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: No
- Cover: 10/10
- Artwork: 6/10
- Translation: 7/10
- Extras: 10/10
- Story: 4/10
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/6/19
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Review: Dragon Ball Super V.01
Title: Dragon Ball Super
Volume: 1 (of 3+)
Creator: Akira Toriyama & Toyotarou
Format: Right-to-Left
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 5/2/17
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421592541
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (for Teens)
Description: Goku’s adventure from the best-selling classic manga Dragon Ball continues in this new series written by Akira Toriyama himself!
Ever since Goku became Earth’s greatest hero and gathered the seven Dragon Balls to defeat the evil Boo, his life on Earth has grown a little dull. But new threats loom overhead, and Goku and his friends will have to defend the planet once again in this continuation of Akira Toriyama’s best-selling series, Dragon Ball!
Having defeated Boo, Goku is starting to get bored with his life on Earth. His wife, Chi-chi, wants him to get a job, but all he wants to do is train and fight stronger enemies. Elsewhere in the universe, the God of Destruction, Beerus, and his attendant Whis are traveling from planet to planet in search of food and entertainment. After blowing up some hapless victims, Beerus is reminded of a man from his dreams with the moniker “Super Saiyan God,” or something like that... The God of Destruction sets his sights on Earth to track down this mysterious man! Maybe this will give Goku something to do?
Contains Chapters 01-09:
- Chapter 01: God of Destruction's Premonition
- Chapter 02: Goku Defeated
- Chapter 03: The Rage of Beerus
- Chapter 04: Battle of the Gods
- Chapter 05: Beerus and Champa
- Chapter 06: Tournament Preparation
- Chapter 07: Warriors from Universe 6
- Chapter 08: The Battle Begins!
- Chapter 09: Goku vs. Botamo
Review:
Cover Art: The cover for this volume features Goku in his God of Destruction Gi, riding on Shenron. The series title is across the top. The volume number is in the lower right corner.
The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangakas, a partial image of Chibi Goku and a Dragon Ball, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover features the series title on the top. The top half of the cover contains the volume's summary and an image of Super Saiyan Blue Goku on the right side. Under that we have a picture of our new God's of Universes 6 and 7, along with their companion helpers.
So this is the first new Dragon Ball series in over a couple decades. This series is also being handled by a different mangaka, with the original master, Akira Toriyama, supervising the series. With that being said, I absolutely LOVE this cover. It is reminiscent to the very first Dragon Ball cover which featured young Goku riding on Shenron. Another aspect I love is that we have the spine art doing what the original series did as well, these covers will be connecting to create a big picture so try not to miss a volume or it will hurt the overall image. Overall, its amazing that they decided to used almost a layout identical to the original series and it works very well!
Artwork: This is classic shonen style artwork, not to mention the new mangaka captures the essence of Toriyama perfectly. I honestly can't tell much of a difference and that is great since if your a new time reader to this series and want to start at the beginning, you really won't be turned away by this art style. Toriyama definitely picked an amazing person to continue his beloved franchise!
Translation: Character names, attacks, and locations are all left intact. Sound effects have been changed to English.
Extras: We have inbetween scenes following pretty much every chapter. There's also an interview with both creators. And a mini comic. Overall it's a nice set of extras. Hopefully this will continue with subsequent volumes of the series.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): This is a weird volume to review. Dragon Ball Super started first as an anime, and then received a manga adaption. Not that this is bad, since the series had two movies to adapt the first two story arcs after, but because its hard to really see where the manga was going to stand alone on its own. Anyways let's start.
The volume covers two story arcs of the anime and goes into the third. We begin with Goku being at a time of peace and what we think is a peaceful time really doesn't last long when a new God arrives on Earth, known as Beerus, who is looking for a Super Saiyan God. If none shows themselves, Beerus would destroy the planet. None of the Saiyans really know what that is, so it takes the use of the Dragon Balls to find a way to make a Super Saiyan God. Apparently there needs to be 6 Saiyans to make one, which reveals that Videl is pregnant with a Saiyan Child.
Goku becomes this God Super Saiyan and he manages to have a good fight with Beerus, which he decides to leave Earth around (its mainly because the taste of the Earth food is good).
Here is where we would have the Ressurection 'F' arc, but it is pretty much skipped over, yet still referred to that it happened.
The manga ends with the start of the 3rd story arc. There is another god, Champa, who is also Beerus' brother. They each rule a different Universe. Beerus Universe 7 and Champa Universe 6. We learn that there is a new set of Dragon Balls, called the Super Dragon Balls. These are the size of planets. Champa has already collected 6 and they are only scattered among the two universes. Champa and Beerus decide to have a tournament among the two universes to see who has the strongest warriors. Only one universe will win and gain the power to use the new Super Dragon Balls.
There is quite a bit of content in this one volume and at times it is very hard to focus. Like I mentioned above too, its very hard as well to say what is the actual source material. Battle of the Gods and Resurrection 'F' have been done over and over, the story to me was just the same in the manga form. The third arc though differs slightly from the anime, which I really enjoyed. Buu doesn't even make it past a qualifier round that was not even in the anime. It was cool to see some new stuff that made the manga a bit fresh, to me so far this series is almost a best of type manga that focuses more on the important parts of the anime to make something that can continue the original series. I really hope that is not the case and we get some new stuff in volume 2.
The volume covers two story arcs of the anime and goes into the third. We begin with Goku being at a time of peace and what we think is a peaceful time really doesn't last long when a new God arrives on Earth, known as Beerus, who is looking for a Super Saiyan God. If none shows themselves, Beerus would destroy the planet. None of the Saiyans really know what that is, so it takes the use of the Dragon Balls to find a way to make a Super Saiyan God. Apparently there needs to be 6 Saiyans to make one, which reveals that Videl is pregnant with a Saiyan Child.
Goku becomes this God Super Saiyan and he manages to have a good fight with Beerus, which he decides to leave Earth around (its mainly because the taste of the Earth food is good).
Here is where we would have the Ressurection 'F' arc, but it is pretty much skipped over, yet still referred to that it happened.
The manga ends with the start of the 3rd story arc. There is another god, Champa, who is also Beerus' brother. They each rule a different Universe. Beerus Universe 7 and Champa Universe 6. We learn that there is a new set of Dragon Balls, called the Super Dragon Balls. These are the size of planets. Champa has already collected 6 and they are only scattered among the two universes. Champa and Beerus decide to have a tournament among the two universes to see who has the strongest warriors. Only one universe will win and gain the power to use the new Super Dragon Balls.
There is quite a bit of content in this one volume and at times it is very hard to focus. Like I mentioned above too, its very hard as well to say what is the actual source material. Battle of the Gods and Resurrection 'F' have been done over and over, the story to me was just the same in the manga form. The third arc though differs slightly from the anime, which I really enjoyed. Buu doesn't even make it past a qualifier round that was not even in the anime. It was cool to see some new stuff that made the manga a bit fresh, to me so far this series is almost a best of type manga that focuses more on the important parts of the anime to make something that can continue the original series. I really hope that is not the case and we get some new stuff in volume 2.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: Yes
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: Yes
Score:
- Cover: 10/10
- Artwork: 10/10
- Translation: 8/10
- Extras: 8/10
- Story: 4/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 6/20/17
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Review: One-Punch Man V.09
Title: One-Punch Man
Volume: 09 (of 12+)
Creator: ONE and Yusuke Murata
Format: Right-to-Left
Original Publisher: Shueisha
US Publisher: Viz
Release Date: 11/1/16
Pages: 216
ISBN: 1421586576
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (Teens)
Summary: What happens when a superhero can beat the snot out of every villain with just one punch? Can he find an opponent to give his life meaning, or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?
Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on!
Time bomb Garo, a monster admirer, finally explodes, attacking the Hero Association! Meanwhile, Miss Blizzard visits Saitama at his apartment. Because of his lower rank, she plans to make him one of her subordinates, but…
Contains Punch 41-47:
- Punch 41: The Man Who Wanted to Be a Villain
- Punch 42: The Blizzard Bunch
- Punch 43: Don't Dis Heroes!
- Punch 44: Accelerate
- Punch 45: Hero Name
- Punch 46: Hero Hunting
- Punch 47: Technique
Review:
Cover: This cover features the Class B hero, Hellish Blizzard. She is stepping out of the car wearing a green dress. The series title is across the top in the same color as her dress. The volume number is in the lower right corner.
The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangakas, an image of Hellish Blizzards backside, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover features another image of Hellish Blizzard. Chibi versions of Saitama, Genos, and Hellish Blizzard are also fighting in the background with silverware being tossed around too. The volume summary is across the bottom third of the cover.
One thing that I really do love is the amount of artwork on the cover, and none of it is repeated. Every image of Hellish Blizzard is different. The color scheme used was also a great choice; it doesn't really clash with anything and it just looks great! My only real drawback is the actual front cover. I don't like the image used. Yes it does make sense with the cover art and the content of the actual manga in this volume, but to me it doesn't fit the overall series tone. I really wish we had some sort of action pose or something.
The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangakas, an image of Hellish Blizzards backside, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover features another image of Hellish Blizzard. Chibi versions of Saitama, Genos, and Hellish Blizzard are also fighting in the background with silverware being tossed around too. The volume summary is across the bottom third of the cover.
One thing that I really do love is the amount of artwork on the cover, and none of it is repeated. Every image of Hellish Blizzard is different. The color scheme used was also a great choice; it doesn't really clash with anything and it just looks great! My only real drawback is the actual front cover. I don't like the image used. Yes it does make sense with the cover art and the content of the actual manga in this volume, but to me it doesn't fit the overall series tone. I really wish we had some sort of action pose or something.
Artwork: Tons of action sequences grace this volume again. One thing about this series is you can really see its a shonen series on every single page. Yes the action is crazy and all, but the detail in the artwork is amazing! By far when it comes to this series I honestly can't wait for the next chapter or tankouban to be released just for the art! This volume delivers greatly still and we are already nine volumes in.
Translation: Character names, hero names, cultural references, places, attacks, and the overall story left intact. Sound effects and honorifics have been changed and removed.
Extras: There is a small bonus manga dealing with Hellish Blizzard and her entourage. It really doesn't do anything to add to any part of the story either. It's mainly used for comic relief.
There's also a small translation page.
There's also a small translation page.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The onslaught of Garo begins in this volume when he takes out everyone who comes in his way, proving there are actual Villains that Saitama might have to really finally try to fight soon. But let's skip that since this really isn't what this volume is really about.
The female villain, Hellish Blizzard seeks out Saitama to join her for her little team of B Rank Heroes, since Saitama has begun to make a name for himself among the Hero Association. Hellish Blizzard also has a warning, he must join her because he won't be moving up to Rank A anytime soon. A battle begins that pretty much gets interrupted by Sonic as he enters the fray once again in hopes of beating Saitama. Genos intervenes as well and they all team up and take down Sonic again.
Hellish Blizzard agrees to let Saitama just work along side her as she knows she won't be able to tame Saitama.
Going back to Garo, he continues his quest to kill all heroes in his path, including the entire Tank Top team and the Mugen Rider. Garo begins to show how much of a monster he truly is.
I know things are building with this story, but by far this has probably been the worst volume of the series so far. Garo however is probably the best part since he is a very intriguing new character and I really want to see where this series is going. The majority of the rest of this volume with the Hellish Blizzard story arc was a bit boring. She really doesn't have anything interesting about her and I feel she was more used to build on a certain S Rank Hero's character more then her herself. Hopefully this story will begin to get a bit better with Garo's killing spree continuing and his obvious eventual confrontation with our main hero.
The female villain, Hellish Blizzard seeks out Saitama to join her for her little team of B Rank Heroes, since Saitama has begun to make a name for himself among the Hero Association. Hellish Blizzard also has a warning, he must join her because he won't be moving up to Rank A anytime soon. A battle begins that pretty much gets interrupted by Sonic as he enters the fray once again in hopes of beating Saitama. Genos intervenes as well and they all team up and take down Sonic again.
Hellish Blizzard agrees to let Saitama just work along side her as she knows she won't be able to tame Saitama.
Going back to Garo, he continues his quest to kill all heroes in his path, including the entire Tank Top team and the Mugen Rider. Garo begins to show how much of a monster he truly is.
I know things are building with this story, but by far this has probably been the worst volume of the series so far. Garo however is probably the best part since he is a very intriguing new character and I really want to see where this series is going. The majority of the rest of this volume with the Hellish Blizzard story arc was a bit boring. She really doesn't have anything interesting about her and I feel she was more used to build on a certain S Rank Hero's character more then her herself. Hopefully this story will begin to get a bit better with Garo's killing spree continuing and his obvious eventual confrontation with our main hero.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: No
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: No
Score:
- Cover: 7/10
- Artwork: 10/10
- Translation: 7/10
- Extras: 5/10
- Story: 3/10
Overall Rating: 6/10
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 6/6/17
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Review: My Hero Academia V.06
Title: My Hero AcademiaVolume: 6 (of 10+)
Creator: Kohei Horikoshi
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 11/1/16
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421588668
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (For Teen)
Description: Izuku Midoriya is the inheritor of the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but the mantle of greatness won’t come easy, and even superheroes have to go to school!
What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?
In the aftermath of the sports festival, the Class 1-A students begin their internships. Midoriya goes to study under Gran Torino, who was once All Might’s mentor. Gran Torino appears to be a washed-up nutjob, but the old hero still has more moves than a football team, and Midoriya has a lot to learn! Elsewhere, the League of Villains enacts another sinister plot and unleashes a terrifying new enemy!
Contains Numbers 45-53:
- No. 45: Time to Pick Some Names
- No. 46: Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears
- No. 47: Struggling
- No. 48: Getting the Knack
- No. 49: Midoriya and Shigaraki
- No. 50: Kill 'Em Dead
- No. 51: No, Knock It Off, Ida
- No. 52: Hero Killer Stain vs. U.A. Students
- No. 53: From Todoroki to Ida
Review:
Cover: The cover for this volume features Ida and Midoriya standing back to back in their hero costumes, with a very vicious Stain in the background with his tongue sticking out. The series title is across the top, with the volume number to the left of it, this time featuring Todoroki.
The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangaka, an image of Todoroki, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover has a maroon colored background across the left. The volume summary is listed on the top half, with Midoriya on the bottom. The right half of the cover features Gran Torino sitting on a microwave.
Love the front covers layout a lot! Probably the best looking cover so far in terms of style. It shows what this volume really is about and the comic book layout still continues to blow me away. It's the back cover that I could do without. The colors used for the text and the balloon bubbles where the summary are is kind of repulsive. I wished they used another pic instead of the rehashed Midoriya one we got. The only thing great here is the right side with Gran Torino.
Artwork: Lots of detailed work in this volume as the action is consistent for practically the entire thing. Whether it be the huge training montages or the epic fight with Stain, it's very detailed and has lots of greatness within the pages. My only problem is towards the end with the Stain fight. There are a lot of darker scenes that are a bit annoying to look at, but it could be just where the fight takes place.
Translation: Character names, places, attacks, and cultural references all remain intact. Sound Effects have been changed as usual, and no honorifics.
Extras: Character pages and mech stuff based on hero suits. There's also an afterword and a mangaka assistant page. I really love these extras and I wished a lot of other shonen mangas included extras like these.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The sports festival is now behind us, and we head into the next story arc. But before that we have a few chapters that we need to go through before we jump right back into the overall action.
Class is back in session and our soon to be heroes must now decide on hero names. To help them is Midnight. This is only for one chapter though so we don't need to be fully bored as we go back and forth seeing if our characters hero names are appropriate or not.
We then move on to all our heroes going their separate ways to meet the heroes who will be training them to become the heroes they are meant to be. Midoriya meets his new master, Gran Torino, who has a very similar personality as Master Roshi from Dragon Ball. Midoriya first must win him over before he actually begins the real training.
While all this is going on, Stain is on the move for his next targets, but our villain from the USJ Arc, Shigarki, comes back as well and tries to recruit Stain for his own motives. Stain doesn't really believe in his cause, he's a lone villain and begins to prove it by causing havoc after their encounter.
Ida and Midoriya become the first involved with Stain, and Todoroki eventually joins the fray as well. This is one villain that it seems might be very hard for our heroes to possibly defeat as he slowly makes work of them with his ability of paralysis. The battle is fierce and we don't have a resolution unfortunately within this volume.
The series still continues to amaze me. Yeah I know it still seems like another type of series like Naruto and One Piece, but My Hero to me feels like it has much more feeling. We do have underdogs in all of the Shonen Jump series, which is what makes them so great and easy to relate to, but with Midoriya, he really speaks to the readers and in a sense we have a bit more of a connection with him. The volume does begin a bit slow, which is understandable coming right out of an action packed fighting tournament type arc, but it picks up fast and we hit the ground running even harder then ever before. The pacing is getting a bit better to from the beginning of the series as the battles are feeling much more life threatening and drawn out. As I have said previously, this is one series manga fans definitely need to check out, especially moving into this story arc.
Objectionable Content:
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 6/1/17
Cover: The cover for this volume features Ida and Midoriya standing back to back in their hero costumes, with a very vicious Stain in the background with his tongue sticking out. The series title is across the top, with the volume number to the left of it, this time featuring Todoroki.
The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangaka, an image of Todoroki, and the VIZ company logo.
The back cover has a maroon colored background across the left. The volume summary is listed on the top half, with Midoriya on the bottom. The right half of the cover features Gran Torino sitting on a microwave.
Love the front covers layout a lot! Probably the best looking cover so far in terms of style. It shows what this volume really is about and the comic book layout still continues to blow me away. It's the back cover that I could do without. The colors used for the text and the balloon bubbles where the summary are is kind of repulsive. I wished they used another pic instead of the rehashed Midoriya one we got. The only thing great here is the right side with Gran Torino.
Artwork: Lots of detailed work in this volume as the action is consistent for practically the entire thing. Whether it be the huge training montages or the epic fight with Stain, it's very detailed and has lots of greatness within the pages. My only problem is towards the end with the Stain fight. There are a lot of darker scenes that are a bit annoying to look at, but it could be just where the fight takes place.
Translation: Character names, places, attacks, and cultural references all remain intact. Sound Effects have been changed as usual, and no honorifics.
Extras: Character pages and mech stuff based on hero suits. There's also an afterword and a mangaka assistant page. I really love these extras and I wished a lot of other shonen mangas included extras like these.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The sports festival is now behind us, and we head into the next story arc. But before that we have a few chapters that we need to go through before we jump right back into the overall action.
Class is back in session and our soon to be heroes must now decide on hero names. To help them is Midnight. This is only for one chapter though so we don't need to be fully bored as we go back and forth seeing if our characters hero names are appropriate or not.
We then move on to all our heroes going their separate ways to meet the heroes who will be training them to become the heroes they are meant to be. Midoriya meets his new master, Gran Torino, who has a very similar personality as Master Roshi from Dragon Ball. Midoriya first must win him over before he actually begins the real training.
While all this is going on, Stain is on the move for his next targets, but our villain from the USJ Arc, Shigarki, comes back as well and tries to recruit Stain for his own motives. Stain doesn't really believe in his cause, he's a lone villain and begins to prove it by causing havoc after their encounter.
Ida and Midoriya become the first involved with Stain, and Todoroki eventually joins the fray as well. This is one villain that it seems might be very hard for our heroes to possibly defeat as he slowly makes work of them with his ability of paralysis. The battle is fierce and we don't have a resolution unfortunately within this volume.
The series still continues to amaze me. Yeah I know it still seems like another type of series like Naruto and One Piece, but My Hero to me feels like it has much more feeling. We do have underdogs in all of the Shonen Jump series, which is what makes them so great and easy to relate to, but with Midoriya, he really speaks to the readers and in a sense we have a bit more of a connection with him. The volume does begin a bit slow, which is understandable coming right out of an action packed fighting tournament type arc, but it picks up fast and we hit the ground running even harder then ever before. The pacing is getting a bit better to from the beginning of the series as the battles are feeling much more life threatening and drawn out. As I have said previously, this is one series manga fans definitely need to check out, especially moving into this story arc.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: No
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: No
- Cover: 7/10
- Artwork: 7/10
- Translation: 3/10
- Extras: 10/10
- Story: 8/10
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 6/1/17
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Weird Schedule...
I will be out of town this week, so I posted the review for the week early. Trying to somewhat keep a schedule. Everything so far on the review plate is done, and is just awaiting to be posted. The first week of July might not have a review though, due to Anime Expo. Also I am in the process of moving, so sometimes reviews might be a bit off in terms of posting. I am sorry, but I'll do my best to keep you all updated.
Review: Fruits Basket CE V.06
Title: Fruits Basket
Volume: 6 (of 12)
Creator: Natsuki Takaya
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: HAKUSENSHA
US Publisher: Yen Press
Release Date: 10/25/16
Pages: 384
ISBN: 0316360716
MSRP: $20.00
Genre: Shoujo/Comedy
Rated: Teen
Description: Tohru should be having the time of her life during summer break at the Sohmas' vacation home...but ever since Akito appeared, Yuki and the others go off every day to meet with the zodiac leader. On top of that, Yuki is acting weird...! And when Tohru encounters the Horse of the zodiac, does that leave Akito as the Rooster?! Later, as the next school term begins, the new student council assembles at last!! While Yuki and those around him are occupied, Tohru secretly visits Kazuma. She wishes to free everyone in the Sohma family from their "curse" and looks to him for a clue...Unexpectedly, however, Rin is poised to hinder Tohru's efforts...!!
- Chapter 60
- Chapter 61
- Chapter 62
- Chapter 63
- Chapter 64
- Chapter 65
- Chapter 66
- Chapter 67
- Chapter 68
- Chapter 69
- Chapter 70
- Chapter 71
Cover: The cover for this volume features two of the cutest members of the Zodiac. The front features Kisa, looking innocent in her lilac school uniform. The series title is on the top left corner, with the volume number underneath. The background is white, with the text being a mustard yellow color.
The spine from top to bottom contains the volume number, the series title, an image of Kisa and Hiro taken from the front and back cover, the mangaka, and the Yen Press Company logo.
The back cover features Hiro standing in a black suit.
As a whole the characters used are two of my favorites of the series, but being that they are the youngest of the zodiac, they don't take up much space at all over the whole visual cover. There is a lot of white background. And the yellow text also doesn't do well in terms of being able to read it that well. Overall, I have to say this is the worst cover design so far. Kind of makes me a bit sad at how amazing these covers have been so far and then a simple cover like this kind of killed the trend.
Artwork: The artwork for this volume kind of flipped back to some of the original design of the first couple of volumes. We have the awesome simple beauty that we all have come to love with this shoujo series, but we have the weird comedic moments again where it seems the mangaka became a little lazy and went with the stick figure method at times too. I don't mind it, but it at times can become a bit weird when a whole scene carries out with different art forms.
Translation: Translation is 100% accurate. Character names, sound effects, honorifics, cultural references, pretty much everything about this edition is left intact.
Extras: We have several color pages and an afterword by the mangaka. Still wish the original mangaka notes with each chapter were included with this edition, but the mangaka removed them because she felt they were irrelevant.
Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The very long vacation story arc that started last volume finally concludes in this volume, but it still drags on quite a bit before we move on to the next part of the series, which isn't really a bad thing either.
Akito continues to try and torment Tohru from afar by inviting all of the members of the Zodiac to visit him and leave Tohru alone and possibly miserable. This isn't the case though as it just gives Tohru time to think more about what the family is really all about and a way to possibly free the members from Akito. Akito finally invites Tohru herself to see him, thinking that maybe if they met face to face he could crush all of Tohru's dreams entirely. As Tohru thinks Akito is actually the last member of the Zodiac, the rooster, Akito shares the news that he is not, but Kureno is. Akito is actually the 14th person in the story, God himself. His job is to control all of the Zodiac until the day they all die. Tohru then decides to figure out a way to break the family curse, but before the end of this trip, Akito becomes a bit violent with Tohru, scaring her face a bit. Kureno steps in and stops Akito from doing more harm. Akito returns to the Sohma house and Tohru returns to the summer house to finish her vacation with the other Zodiac members.
Moving onto the remainder of this volume, we have quite a few lack luster side chapters, but the real story begins to unfold as we head into the second half of this series. Tohru begins to ask the other members of the zodiac, as well as close friends how to possibly break the curse for good, leading her to now find ways that the zodiac members must stand up for themselves against Akito in order to break the curse from them.
All in all, the story is becoming much deeper with this volume. We are moving out of the more light hearted tales and getting into a much more spiraling tale of angst now knowing what Akito is and how much pain these people will be going through in order to stand up for themselves and truly be independent. Tohru herself is a very kind hearted person, so it will be a challenge for her to get through this as well. I haven't read this far in the series before, but from knowledge and how I see the road paved as of now, its going to be a great struggle for everyone with lots of heartache as well which I may not enjoy getting through, but I will have to to see the happy ending these characters truly deserve.
Objectionable Content:
- Language: No
- Violence: Yes
- Nudity: No
- Sexual Situations: No
- Cover: 4/10
- Artwork: 7/10
- Translation: 10/10
- Extras: 3/10
- Story: 8/10
Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/20/17
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