Reviews May Be Slowing Down For A Bit...

As Convention season is approaching, I may be a bit busier with Anime/Manga catching up of my own. Everything done so far will be posted, and if I have time, there will be more written up as well. Just no promises. Currently working on My Hero Academia V.03 review. School Judgment's Final Volume, Magi V.18, and Black Clover V.01 all come out in June. These will all be reviewed, as well as My Hero Academia V.04. There are also the first two Fruits Basket Volumes being released as well this month. I really want to review these, but they might go into a backlog depending on how much I get done.

Review: Magi V.17

Title: Magi - The Labyrinth of Magic
Volume: 17 (of 27+)
Creator: Shinobu Ohtaka
Format: Right-to-Left
Original Publisher: SHOGAKUKAN
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 4/12/16
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421577933
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Sunday
Rated: T (Teens)

Description: Deep within the desert lie the mysterious Dungeons, vast stores of riches there for the taking by anyone lucky enough to find them and brave enough to venture into the depths from where few have ever returned. Plucky young adventurer Aladdin means to find the Dungeons and their riches, but Aladdin may be just as mysterious as the treasures he seeks.

Aladdin continues his training in Magnoshutatt, but the situation there is difficult. Magomett’s goal is the creation of a country of magicians free of interference from normal humans. Aladdin and his friend Titus are against this, but there is little they can do. When war breaks out between Magnoshutatt and Leam, Aladdin and Titus must choose a side to fight on, and the choice won’t be an easy one.

Contains Nights 159-168:

• Night 159: The Loneliness of Magicians
• Night 160: The Land of Magicians
• Night 161: Change
• Night 162: The Truth About Magomett
• Night 163: Seminars
• Night 164: The Truth About Titus
• Night 165: Genesis
• Night 166: Before Hostilities
• Night 167: Battle Cry
• Night 168: Gods of Defense

Review:

Cover: The cover for this volume features Aladdin, Marga, Titus, and Sphintus all standing around a table covered in food. The series title is across the top in bright blue letters. The volume number is on the bottom, followed by the mangaka.

The spine from top to bottom has the Shonen Sunday brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangaka, an image of Titus and Marga from the front cover, a magic lamp, and the VIZ company logo.

The back cover features an image of Morigana and other members from her clan (none of them in this volume. The series title and volume number are on the right side of the image. The bottom half of the cover contains the volume summary.

I really love how the front cover is presented. This volume deals a lot with a kind of a family feel which we will get into later, so the front cover I can really appreciate after finishing this volume. As for the back cover however, it is kind of a letdown seeing characters who have absolutely nothing to do with the volume being represented. Alibaba would have been a better choice here as he is shown briefly, but as for Morgiana we have not seen her for several volumes.

Artwork: I don't really know how I feel about the artwork for this volume. At certain times it is pretty good and up to par with previous volumes of the series, but other times it seems a bit rushed and sloppy. There is not a lot of scene change moments that go from drama to comedy, its either drama or action, so the art doesn't change a huge a lot, just seems a bit rushed at times.

Translation: Character names, locations, and cultural references are all intact. Sound Effects have been changed as usual, like most all of VIZ's volume releases.

Extras: There is a two page bonus manga that doesn't really give anything to advance the story along, it is also not the best art presented in any volumes of this series.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The truth about the Magician Empire is finally revealed to Aladdin and the others and why the Mages treat the humans as they do. I won't get into the details as it is a very rich backstory with lots of tragedy that I feel everyone should read on their own.

After all is revealed, Titus still wants to save Marga from the lower levels of Magnoshutatt. Mogamett agrees to let Titus save the girl but he must be able to raise and take care of her as best as possible.

Here we learn that Titus is actually a creation by the Leam Empress, Scheherzade. and he only has so long to live. He goes to Mogamett to try and help him become human, but when the Wizard King trys to get involved with freeing Titus from his abnormality, Scheherzade reveals shes been watching the entire time and threatens she will go to war with Magnoshutatt.

As the war begins, we learn that Alibaba is helping on the side of the Leam empire. When Leam attacks, they don't realize that Magnoshutatt is known for its high defense magic.

I did not want to get a lot into the story of this volume, that was the basics. I was very happy with what was presented here. The story has become a bit heavy on prejudice and racist kind of elements. We see how much the humans and magicians really don't like each other, and Aladdin is trying to unify the two (hopefully with Alibaba's help since we now know he is part of this huge war.

I really loved the backstory with Mogamett. It was great to see how this whole hate towards the humans came to manifest. There really was not anything that I disliked in this volume, and with the impending war coming in the next volume, things are sure to heat up a lot more!

Objectionable Content:

• Language: No
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: No
• Sexual Situations: No

Score:

• Cover: 6/10
• Artwork: 5/10
• Translation: 7/10
• Extras: 1/10
• Story: 10/10

Overall Rating: 6/10

Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/31/16

Chapter Review: Naruto - The Path Lit by the Full Moon

It begins with Orochimaru waking up a child who looks to be one of his current experiments. He gives the boy some medicine and tells Suigetsu when the child recovers to bring him to his room. The child doesn't know who he is or where he came from. His goal is to find these answers. As he asks questions to Suigetsu, he begins to remember stuff and attacks Suigetsu. Suigetsu easily manages to restrain the boy and is glad he remembers that he is a ninja. They eventually go to meet up with Orochimaru. The boys name is Mitsuki, and Orochimaru is raising him to be his heir. Orochimaru tells Mitsuki about a deadly ninja named Log, and that they must go and kill him before he causes more trouble for Orochimaru.

The two embark on a journey to Log's whereabouts, and when they reach him a long drawn out battle ensues. We learn however that Log is actually another version of Mitsuki. So now we know that Mitsuki is a clone and all the previous versions were failures. Log was one of them and before Orochimaru could get rid of him, he managed to escape and go into hiding. This triggers Mitsuki to go into Sage mode, which the last person able to go into this form was Naruto. It eventually is revealed that it was all a test to get Mitsuki to achieve this. All of the previous Mitsuki's that Orochimaru created had always chose one path, while the new Mitsuki chose his own. And thus we now know the true origin of Team Boruto's last member.

I really enjoyed this chapter a lot. It was an interesting set-up with a nice twist that I haven't seen from the Naruto series in quite some time. Not having the series focus around the main character is nice as well. We got to see a softer side to Orochimaru as he's trying to become a father like figure as well to this boy, and it will be really interesting to see how this plays out in the Boruto manga too. This really is a definite read before starting the next chapter in the Naruto legacy.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 24 - Attack - Black Lady

The adult Chibiusa reveals to the Sailor Senshi that she is Black Lady, the Queen of Nemesis. Sailor Moon tries to talk sense into her, but it doesn't work. Luna P even tries to wake her from her dark heart, and she just kicks it aside. Black Lady calls forth Prince Demande and Saphire to help battle the Sailor Senshi. They manage to hold off everyone but Sailor Moon. Black Lady reveals the second Black Malefic Crystal was her doing, and that the Earth will soon be destroyed from its power. Black Lady reveals that Tuxedo Mask is also under her control; she uses him to attack Sailor Moon. Tuxedo Mask strikes Sailor Moon with the Moon Rod. Sailor Moon apologizes to Black Lady, trying to break her free and return her back to Chibiusa. Black Lady still doesn't care and summons another Malefic Black Crystal. She tosses it into the Moon to make the Moon get swallowed by the darkness even faster. The power is so strong even Sailor Pluto can feel it from behind the Time Door. Sailor Moon uses the Legendary Silver Crystal to power up the Palace, which is made out of the Silver Crystal, hoping to stop the  destruction of the Moon. Prince Demande reveals he isn't under the control of Wise Man. Black Lady tells Saphire to fight his brother to the death. Demande uses his third eye and kills Saphire. He then attacks Wise Man and we learn that he is just a doll. Black Lady calls forth for the real Wise Man to show himself, so he descends from the sky.

Back at the Time Door, the storm has died down and Sailor Pluto wonders if everything has returned to normal. She wants to help but she can not move from her post. We then learn about the rules in a flashback with Neo Queen Serenity on the things she can not do.

The true Wise Man descends from the sky. it is Planet Nemesis itself. He reveals that the body that Demande destroyed was him from the past and he has merged with the Planet Nemesis himself. Wise Man begins to drain everyone of their energy. Sailor Moon promises to stop it at any cost, so she releases the power of the Legendary Silver Crystal again, illuminating the palace behind her even brighter. Wise Man attacks the palace itself to prevent Sailor Moon from succeeding.

Diana goes to Sailor Pluto and tries to get help. Sailor Pluto wants to help but can't. Diana says she will guard the door so Sailor Pluto can help the others.

Sailor Moon can't use her power much more, so she tells Black Lady to take the crystal, as long as she turns back into Chibiusa. Black Lady sends out Tuxedo Mask to take the crystal from her. Sailor Moon turns back into Usagi. Black Lady now has both the Silver Crystals of the Past and Future, until Demande steps in and takes them from her. Demande then wants to use both crystals together at the same time, be begins to place them together and end the entire universe.

It was great to see things progress the way they did in this episode. Wise Man's true self has been finally revealed so everything is finally set up for the final acts. There was a bit of development from Pluto, seeing as why she has to stay at the Time Door and can't move. This episode was full of lots of intense action though with lots of sudden twists and turns which is something I really enjoy from this series. It followed the mangas chapter as well completely, which is amazing as we wind down now with the end of this arc and we can actually see it played out entirely they way Sailor Moon was intended.

Rating: 8/10

Throw-Back Thursday Review: .hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet V.02

Title: .hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet
Volume: 2 (of 3)
Creator: Tatsuya Hamazaki & Rei Izumi
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: KADOKAWA SHOTEN
US Publisher: Tokyopop
Release Date: 12/9/03
Pages: 172
ISBN: 159182415
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Fantasy
Rated: T (Teen Age 13+)

Description: What do you do when a game starts playing by its own rules?

Shugo and Reina only recently started playing The World, the most advanced online game ever created, but they are already well on their way to becoming heroes. They've got a great party of friends, cool new items, and now they've been joined by Zefie, a Vagrant AI who acts outside the rules of the game. As intelligent as Zefie may be, the CC Corporation isn't about to let an unstable element run free in The World -- not after what happened four years ago. So with the notorious debugging team, The Cobalt Knights, on the prowl, Shugo and company had better watch out!

Contains Logins 7-12:

• Login 7: A Passing Shower
• Login 8: A New Resolve
• Login 9: On/Off Coin
• Login 10: The Players Are Thinking
• Login 11: 4 Years Ago
• Login 12: Cheating

Review:

Cover: The cover somewhat is closely like the cover of the first volume in the .hack manga series. Volume 2 however has the female main character, Rena, on it. The background is black, with the Series Title, .hack//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT, in big while letters on the top. Both sides of the front have a green strip, but the right side has the Tokyopop logo on it. We also get the same hexagon design as the last volume, but this time they are pink in color, with the usual character pictures in a few of them. The top Hexagon has a number 2 in it, referring to the Volume Number. The bottom of the cover has the Mangakas, which is kind of hard to recognize.

The Spine was nicely done as well. We get from top to bottom the Tokyopop Logo, the Series Title, the Mangakas, the same picture of Rena from the cover, and the Volume Number.

The back kind of feels a little cluttered in my opinion. We have the 2 green stripes on each side, like the front. We have the Series Title on the top, followed by a very detailed summary of the Volume, which takes up most of the back cover. To the left of the summary we have the 100% Authentic Manga Stamp. Also there are more hexagons, which make the cover even more cluttered.

So far this has to be one of thee worst back covers I have reviewed. Too much info and design. Tokyopop could have used a smaller print if they wanted to include such a long summary.

Artwork: The Artwork of .hack//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT is rather nice. The only problem I has is the consistency. There is a lot of serious scenes in the manga, and with the quick and sudden change of mood as the characters go into Chibi form and begin to whine and cry, just does not fit it. I like consistency in artwork. However, if a joke was made by a character in regular form, then they shift into Chibi style, it would be a whole different story.

Translation: More original goodness. All of the manga has been translated entirely correctly. Every scene was left intact. Plus, sound effects were left unchanged. That’s what I like to see in a manga.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): The second Volume of the .hack manga series goes much more in depth then just dungeon exploring and leveling up like the first Volume had. Actually, it seems several weeks, maybe months have passed since the last chapters took place.

Our first story involves a side quest that out heroes decide to go and explore. As our heroes enter the dungeon, they are attacked by quite a few monsters. Rena is eventually captured by one of them, and if it was not for Shugo, she would have gotten a Game Over. Shugo easily handles the enemy, and it is then seen that Shugo has grown tremendously since he first started the game. At the end of the first chapter, we have the appearance of a mysterious girl named Zefie, who has a strange resemblance to Aura, the NPC who gave Shugo the Twilight Bracelet in Volume 1.

The main story in Volume 2 centers on Zefie. Our heroes try to find out where she came from or how she came to find them. Apparently she is Aura’s daughter, so Shugo feels obligated to find Aura and return Zefie to her. In the meantime, Rena is beginning to get jealous of all the attention that Shugo is giving to Zefie and not to her (quick change around from Volume 1 if you ask me).

Mireille decides to visit Wiseman and find out some clues pertaining to Zefie and Aura. Wiseman tells Mireille the story of 4 years ago, about Kite and BlackRose the Legendary .hackers.

While all this is happening, Balmung decides to resign his position as an administrator. With Balmung out of the way, Kamui is now able to act on her own, so her first task is the delete the .hackers skins from the World.

At the end of Volume 2, we are left with Kamui finding Mireille’s Secret Hideout and arresting all of our heroes. She tells them she will let them go soon, but Shugo and Rena’s characters will both be terminated. What will happen in the final Volume of the .hack//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT Series?

As for the manga, I like it a lot. It is totally different then the Anime version of the same name. Plus, a lot of characters are not present in the Anime that are included in the Manga and vice-versa. .hack//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT is a worthwhile read for fans of the .hack series.

Objectionable Content:

Language: No
Violence: Yes
Nudity: No
Sexual Situation: No

Overall Rating: 4/5

Where Purchased: Waldenbooks
Original Review Date: 12/12/03

Review: School Judgement - Gakkyu Hotei V.02

Title: School Judgement - Gakkyu Hotei
Volume: 2 (of 3)
Creator: Nobuaki Enoki & Takeshi Obata
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 4/5/16
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421585677
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (For Teen)

Description: In order to curb the crime running rampant in the elementary school system, a new solution has been enacted in the form of the School Judgment System. Now the young students themselves will be responsible for solving the issues that befall them. But are they up for the task?

A Masked Dude has been distributing a magical powder to the children of class 6-3 to put on their boring food. The powder makes regular food so addictive that the children who are hooked get sick if they don’t eat it. Pine finds Reiko Shiratori, the school’s Madonna, at the Masked Dude’s hideout and accuses her of distributing the powder. Can Abaku argue Reiko out of this not-so-sweet situation?

Contains Chapters 8-16:

• Chapter 8: Beware of the Magical Powder (2)
• Chapter 9: Beware of the Magical Powder (3)
• Chapter 10: The Inu-Saru Reunion
• Chapter 11: Civil Trial Arc (1): The Investigation
• Chapter 12: Civil Trial Arc (2): The Courtroom
• Chapter 13: Civil Trial Arc (3): The Staircase of Truth
• Chapter 14: Evil Spirit 5-Meters Deep (1)
• Chapter 15: Evil Spirit 5-Meters Deep (2)
• Chapter 16: Evil Spirit 5-Meters Deep (3)

Review:

Cover Art: This cover features many characters this time around. We have our main protagonist, Abaku Inugami, front and center. Behind him is the class president, Shuichi Higashide, and his childhood friend, Kotaro Sarutobi. There is a pair of scales on the upper left corner. This is all on a black background that fades to white towards the bottom. The series title is towards the bottom, followed by the volume number. There is also a tiny blurb towards the top that lets readers know that this series was created by one of the creators of Death Note.

The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangakas, and the VIZ company logo.

The back cover has the volume summary on the top half of the cover. The bottom half is a collage of many of the characters who have huge roles in this volume.

This cover I enjoyed more then the last; the character poses and colors used really stand out a lot better. The imaging used on the back was also very intense seeing all these characters looking menacing as they were in the volume as well. My only complaint, which isn't probably that big of a deal, is I wish there was some kind of imaging on the spine. Most the shonen Jump mangas have some kind of image, so it is still a bit sad to see nothing on this series; to me it makes a cover stand out on bookstore shelves with some kind of imaging.

Artwork: I love the artwork from this series! Since the artist is the same guy who did Death Note, it has similar distinctions to his other works. Because of the type of manga this is however, it looks a bit more along the lines of manga like Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V and Pokemon Adventures. The art is also very consistent as well; not much change from scene to scene, which is a huge plus when everything runs fluidly.

Translation: The translation for the most part is completely accurate. Character names, places, and cases are all left intact. Things that were changed were pretty much the sound effects, which is common for most of VIZ's mangas.

Extras: After every chapter is some sort of translation notes and character files related to each case. There is also an afterword and a glossary section. Stuff like this really makes me happy in terms of extras, especially when the writer goes into detail more into their work.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): This volume continues with the case that was started in the previous volume. I will do my best as well to not give away the outcomes to not spoil directly how the cases all end. Abaki goes to court finally to figure out who was selling that highly addictive Magical "Sugar" Powder to students around the school. It's eventually revealed that the masked man has a dog allergy and is colored blind and Abaku easily finishes the case. We also learn that the Magical Powder isn't actually addicting at all so the masked man gets a sentence not as severe as he should have.

The next case introduces Sarutobi, a friend of Abaku's from his previous school. He is also a classroom lawyer. The next case turns out to be a Civil Case so it ends up being Sarutobi and Abaku each taking on their own clients to prove who was right and who was wrong. This case deals with Plagiarism; two students who both supposedly created the same work of art for their art class but only one of them is the real artist, or maybe it is someone else (hint, hint). What really makes this case stand out is Sarutobi's introduction. We begin to learn a bit more about the Bloody Classroom Session Tragedy that left Abaku, Sarutobi, and another student the only kids left alive in their classroom. The three were all blamed with the murders of their entire class and were forced to go through a correctional facility school till they were rehabilitated. To this day no one still knows what happens as the three students pushed the memories far back into their heads so they couldn't remember. Maybe by the final volume we will meet the final child and they might have the answers.

The last story deals with Abaku's other rival, Pine, about to change schools as she will be moving soon. There is a new mystery that needs a case to be solved about a ghost that lives in the deep end of the school pool. Pine's dad shows up at the school and decides he will be the one to go up against Abaku to solve who actually is causing the mysteries at the deep end of the pool. When Abaku finds out that Pine's dad is taking her out of the school, he proposes if he wins, Pine gets to stay; if Abaku loses however, he must stop being a lawyer entirely.

The volume pretty much concludes the case, but no spoilers from me. The stories are rich and compelling, which I absolutely love. Abaku's past is also very intriguing to me and the story within the story is what really draws me into this title more. I really want to see how this Classroom Murder really happened, and I really think it has to do something with the third student who we have not seen yet. I really recommend this series so far. There is a ton of content compared to other Shonen Jump titles like Naruto and Bleach. It's rich with mystery and humor; its just an all around fun title.

Objectionable Content:

• Language: No
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: No
• Sexual Situations: Yes

Score:

• Cover: 8/10
• Artwork: 10/10
• Translation: 8/10
• Extras: 10/10
• Story: 8/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/24/16

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 23 - Covert Maneuvers - Wiseman

The female apparition appears to Tuxedo Mask. He thinks its Usagi and goes with her.

The real Sailor Moon and Sailor Guardians tell Sailor Pluto they are going to go into the time stream after Tuxedo Mask. Sailor Pluto agrees to help them. As they begin to trek through the time stream, they can't find anything at all. They believe though that Tuxedo Mask did fine Chibiusa and that they are safe. They eventually find Chibiusa's Luna P ball. Sailor Pluto tells them they need to go back; it's too dangerous to continue on. Sailor Moon passes out.

Prince Demande and Saphir wake up inside of the Dark Chamber. The female apparition appears in full form to them. She tells them the entire planet Nemesis is on fire all due to the Reactor exploding. Prince Demande notices the black moon symbol on her head, but she refuses to tell them who she is and takes them to Wiseman's castle. Prince Demande thinks the girl looks like Queen Serenity. When they reach Wiseman's palace, he reveals that the girl is Chibiusa grown up. When Saphir asks about Rubeus, Chibiusa reveals that Wiseman killed her. When Prince Demande demands to know what Wiseman really wants, he puts Prince Demande and Saphir under a trance. Wiseman also has Chibiusa's Silver Crystal. There is no power however since Neo Queen Serenity or Sailor Moon are the only two who can use them. He hands the Silver Crystal back to Chibiusa and tells her to get Sailor Moon's as well. She plans to launch another Malefic Black Crystal into the Earth. It is also revealed that Tuxedo Mask is under Chibiusa's spell and she will use him as well to get the crystal.

Usagi wakes up from a dream with Chibiusa as an adult and Mamoru walking away from her. She wakes up back in her room with all of her friends. They went back to Earth so Usagi could recover. Usagi is happy to be home but she still needs to find Chibiusa and Mamoru for her to truly be happy. Her friends agree to help her continue to look. Her friends leave for the night. A Space Time Key falls from the sky in front of Usagi. As she reaches for it time begins to react. All of her friends feel it as well and head back to her house. They agree to go back to the 30th Century, transforming and then teleporting.

They reach the Time Gate, Pluto opens the door for them and they see another Malefic Black Crystal in place. Chibiusa visits her mother's tomb in the palace, when King Endymion interrupts her visit. She reveals she is Chibiusa all grown up. When Sailor Moon and the others arrive, she realizes that the woman is Chibiusa right away. Chibiusa gets kicked out of the palace as she tries to attack Sailor Moon and take her crystal. Chibiusa gives up her name and tells them all she is now Black Lady, Queen of Darkness, Queen of Nemesis.

This episode wasn't the best as it did kind of waiver back to almost boring in terms of content from the previous episode. It did follow the manga's chapter accurately however. It wasn't due to there being no action that made this episode not as great as previous ones, it was the fact that all of our characters seemed to be walking in circles the entire time. We got quite a bit of time with the Black Moon however which was a plus, but it still wasn't enough to really save this episode.

Rating: 3/10

Back On Track...

I was worried there for a bit with my reading and review plans. When I get big Omnibus Volumes to read it can either go very fast, or very slow. Unfortunately this time getting through Fairy Tail Master Edition V.02, it went pretty damn slow (Two Weeks to finish). Now that I have FINALLY finished, I have to start playing a bit of catch up.

No need to worry yet though, everything that is posted up on the side bar is already finished! I just get a bit nervous and stressed when I have nothing I can currently work on for review. So now that that is out of the way, One-Punch Man V.06 is on the read pile! Still working my way through the third Naruto Hiden novel as well.

Since that is really all I had planned to review, and since we have a few weeks left of May, I will be going through backlog stuff and catch up on My Hero Academia (Reviews coming!), as well as the Final Fantasy Type-0 Spin-Off (Also Reviews coming!) and lets see if it is as bad as the one shot Prequel story.

Time to get to reading!

Throw-Back Thursday Review - Battle Royale V.04

Title: Battle Royale
Volume: 4 (of 15)
Creator: Koushun Takami & Masayuki Taguchi
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: Young Champion Comics
US Publisher: Tokyopop
Release Date: 12/9/03
Pages: 216
ISBN: 159182317
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Rated: M (Mature Ages 18+)

Description: Soccer player, Kazushi Niida gets a kick out of 'the program' when he decides to think of it as an exhibition game. How many goals will this all-star player make before his time on the field runs out? When Takako Chigusa's leg is on the receiving end of his bow-gun, Kazushi may experience a permanent time-out from Sugimura. Only 25 students remaining!


Contains Chapters 25-32:

• Chapter 25: Honor
• Chapter 26: Bond
• Chapter 27: Respect and Affection
• Chapter 28: Insanity
• Chapter 29: The Right Answer
• Chapter 30: Persuasion
• Chapter 31: Everybody’s Thoughts
• Chapter 32: Secret Weapon

Review:

Cover: The covers in the Battle Royale series line continue to stun me, especially with the release of Volume 4. The cover stays with a nice black background. In the center is a nice fading shot of Shuuya, Noriko, and Kawada. They made the shot with red ink, which makes it look even more gruesome as it is the color of blood. Underneath the pic is a Parental Advisory stamp (yes people, there are mangas that they can card you for buying. This is one of them as I was carded when the first Volume came out). On the top we have the Battle Royale Logo (which I highly respect the look), followed by the Volume Number. Underneath that we have the Mangakas. On the right side we have the usual Tokyopop strip that graces all of their covers (it fits rather nicely though as it looks to be dried up blood).

The Spine is rather nice as well. The color is the same as the strip on the front. From top to bottom we have the Tokyopop Logo, the Series Title (the Original Series Title), The Mangakas, and the Volume Number on a pic of a bullet.

The back is very well done as well. The left side we have the continued dry blood, Tokyopop strip. The main part of the back cover uses a black background. The Series title is on the top, Mangakas underneath. Then we have a nice quote from Entertainment Weekly, followed by the Manga Volume Summary. To the left of the summary we have the 100% Authentic Manga Stamp (and it does live up to its name).

Altogether the cover looks really nice and has a somewhat dark feel to it, just like the content insider of the manga.

Artwork: I know this might sound morbid, but the Artwork in the Battle Royale series continues to dazzle me. Everything looks so nicely done in this volume and well thought up. The scenes run smoothly. All the shots have a lot of detail into them. It’s well worth the time just to look through the manga.

Translation: Translation is very accurate. We have all the characters names intact. None of the plot line changed. And what really pleases me, Untranslated Sound Effects. Who could want anything more?

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): As I have said in the past, Battle Royale is not for children, nor is it for the likes of anyone who can not bare to see some graphic pictures. As for how this Volume begins with the continuing fight of Chigusa and Niida, which end much bloodier and with more emotion then what was shown on the movie. We also have quite a bit more back-story between the characters Sugimura and Chigusa, with a nice flashback scene between the intense struggle of survival between Chigusa and Niida. In the end, of this 2 Chapter struggle, we end up with Chigusa gouging out one of Niida’s eyes with her thumb, and then she gets an arrow and plunges it into his delicate neck, which punctures all the way into his tongue (yes, this volume is very graphic as it starts out). As Chigusa finally realizes that she has beaten Niida and assured her survival, Mitsuko has witnessed the whole event, and fires a shot to Chigusa’s chest with her gun. Chigusa is left for dead, but she hangs on to her life until she is reunited with Sugimura. Chigusa says her final goodbyes to Sugimura, and then she dies in his arms.

Our story then changes course and returns back to Noriko, Shuuya, and Kawada. As our team looks for a stable place to rest for awhile, Noriko falls ill. Kawada then decides to go find the hospital, so he leaves Noriko and Shuuya alone. Shuuya thinks it is no good to stay put in one position for long, so he decides to find a better area to take Noriko to, so she would be more comfortable in her sick state. In the process, Shuuya has a run in with two female students, Minami and Shimizu, who are firing shots at each other. Shuuya gets in the middle of the two and says that they should stop fighting and be friends. The girls begin to think it over. Shimizu then agrees with Shimizu and puts her gun down. Minami begins to go a little crazy and her lighter with a picture of a pop star on it begins to tell her what she should do. Minami takes fire at Shimizu and hits her. Shimizu manages to get away. Minami then targets Shuuya and raises her gun to his head. Not knowing what to do, Shuuya stays as still as possible and tries to calm her down. Kawada then arrives and gives a devastating shotgun blast to her face, killing Minami instantly. Kawada then takes Shuuya and Noriko to the hospital where Noriko could now get proper treatment.

The final chapter of the manga has a little more back-story on Mimura’s past. He reveals the story of his uncle and how he was involved in some terrorist acts against the Japanese Government. When his Uncle died, he left Mimura with a bomb trigger. Mimura has his own plan, blow up the school and hack into the school’s system to release the collars from there neck. Will he be able to succeed? Only future Volumes of Battle Royale shall we learn the truth (I know the answers though).

As far as this Volume goes, it was well worth the buy, and next to Volume 2 it stands as one of my favorite Manga Volumes of the series. If you are at least 17, I recommend checking out Battle Royale. It is a great series and it has strong themes and lessons in it. So go buy Volume 1 before the series gets too many volumes to keep up with.

Objectionable Content:

• Language: Yes
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: No
• Sexual Situations: Yes

Overall Rating: 5/5

Where Purchased: Walden Books
Original Review Date: 12/11/03

Review: My Hero Academia V.01

Title: My Hero Academia
Volume: 1 (of 8+)
Creator: Kohei Horikoshi
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA
US Publisher: VIZ
Release Date: 8/4/15
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1421582694
MSRP: $9.99
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T (For Teen)

Description: What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age four? 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?

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…

Contains Numbers 1-7:

• No.1: Izuku Midoriya: Origin
• No.2: Roaring Muscles
• No.3: Entrance Exam
• No.4: Starting Line
• No.5: Smashing The Academia
• No.6: What I Can Do For Now
• No.7: Costume Change?

Review:

Cover: The cover for this volume features Midoriya walking towards the reader, with All Might standing behind him with his hands on his hips. There is also many other heroes behind them done in red and black coloring. The background is yellow so it helps the colors pop a lot more. The series title is on the top, with a rectangular shape that has an image of Midoriya, followed by Shonen Jump Comics and the volume number (it looks like a comic book cover basically). The mangaka is on the lower left corner.

The spine from top to bottom contains the Shonen Jump brand logo, the series title, the volume number, the mangaka, the image of Midoriya from the rectangular logo on the front cover, and the VIZ company logo.

The back cover has the same yellow background, but it has panels and spalsh marks like a typical comic book page would have. The volume summary is on the left side, overlapping the background and a star splash bubble. An image of Midoriya from the front cover is used on a lower left panel. The right side of the cover features one of the heroines from this volume, Mt. Lady, in an ad for Lady Hair, probably an endorsement deal she is using to make some money on the side of her saving the world.

I really love this cover. The comic book theme goes really well with what the series is about. The vibrant colors, character poses, and whole design are just really impressive all around and I look forward to every upcoming volume cover from the high standards this one has shown me.

Artwork: My Hero Academia is a shonen manga so expect there to be plenty of action sequences. It is hard to really say any other series art style is actually similar to this series. which is a good thing as I don't like always reading a manga series by a creator who has the same style as another artist. The character designs are cartoonish, but they have a real super hero appeal, especially the characters hero poses. The art doesn't change much as well when it comes to dramatic, action, or comedy moments; its very seamless which I absolutely love.

Translation: Characters, places, attacks, and cultural references are left intact. Sound Effects changed to English, which I absolutely don't understand since in Shonen Jump magazine they are left in the original Japanese Hiragana/Katakana.

Extras: After every chapter is a Character sheet with tons of info about the character in the manga, as well as how they were supposed to originally be. There is also an afterword, which I always love in mangas.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): My Hero Academia is a series which I feel is eventually going to be one of the greatest Shonen mangas of this generation. Out story begins with a boy named Izuku Midoriya. He's born into a world where their are heroes eveywhere. Pretty much everyone is born with this hidden ability called a Quirk that usually manifests by the time a child reaches the age of 4. For Midoriya though, it never did and everyone basically thinks he's a loser. As he is about to graduate Junior High and move on to High School, he really wants to attend an Academy for heroes, UA Academy.

One day as he's walking home from school after being bullied by a childhood friend of his, Katsuki Bakugo, he is attacked by a villain who is basically fluid that devours people and takes them over. He is saved by his favorite hero, All Might, who traps the villain in an empty soda bottle. As All Might leaves the scene to bring the villain into custody, Midoriya hitches a ride on him as he flies away, in the process he drops the bottle with the villain in it. The villain ends up breaking out and tries to possess the body of Bakugo somewhere in the city away from where All Might decides to drop of Midoriya. Midoriya just wants to know if someone without a Quirk can still be a hero. All Might is about to answer when he changes into a shrimpy man. All Might explains that he was injured in a fight years ago that caused him to only be able to be in his super hero form for a maximum of three hours at a time before he has to recharge. He doesn't get to answer Midoriya's question cause an explosion is in the distance and he needs to go see if he can help. Midoriya also heads to the scene.

The liquid monster, now possessing Bakugo begins to attack and no hero around can really do much. All Might is basically in the crowd of onlookers as he can't really do much himself cause he needs to recharge. Midoriya's body begins to propel him forward to try and help his friend, it is his courage that makes him receive his answer, anyone can be a hero, All Might eventually charges back up and saves the day seeing Midoriya's bravery, and that's just the first chapter.

Midoriya eventually gains powers from All Might, as All Might inherited his powers from someone else. The power is called "One For All" and Midoriya must eat a piece of All Might's hair to gain it. He goes through a grueling training session that lasts for several months, all to prep for the UA Academy entrance exams, which he manages to pass by once again showing his heroism over saving others over trying to see how many enemies a hero can take out at a time.

When he finally gets in he meets the other students and teachers (All Might is also teaching at UA Academy) who all have different Quirks. The teachers put them to a test their quirks. Midoriya's teacher, Shota Aizawa (Eraser), tells them one person who scores the lowest won't be continuing their education at the school. Midoriya fears it will be him but with the power of "One For All" manages to pass one event with flying colors. Eraser eventually tells them he just told them that to make them work harder and no one ended up getting sent home.

The volume ends with our students deciding on hero names, Midoriya goes with Deku, a name he was called by Bakugo. It was used as a put down, but Midoriya decided he will use it for encouragement from that day forward. No one else's names are revealed yet, but we do get to see our heroes at the very end in costume, except for Midoriya who will have his debut in V.02.

I really enjoyed this volume. It is a real underdog story and brings back old memories of how good series like Naruto used to be. It has the right blend of comedy, drama, and action that really got to me to the point where at times I found myself pumped with excitement, laughing out loud, and on the verge of emotional tears. The characters are fun and unique; Midoriya and Bakugo have a rivalry that I can't wait to see how it develops. The teachers and the other students are very entertaining too (loved Ida and Uraraka, which I will get to in future volumes of the series). This volume was amazing on all aspects, and I seriously can't wait to see what other adventures Midoriya and the rest of this cast will be doing soon!

Objectionable Content:

• Language: No
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: No
• Sexual Situations: No

Score:

• Cover: 10/10
• Artwork: 8/10
• Translation: 8/10
• Extras: 10/10
• Story: 10/10

Overall Rating: 9/10

Where Purchased: Anime Expo 2015 (VIZ Booth)
Original Review Date: 5/17/16

Sailor Moon Crystal!!!!

I have finished typing the last of the Dark Moon Arc, so no worries on releasing of these! Keep a look out every Sunday till the final Act is posted! I will be taking a little break before I work on Season 3's reviews... Also of note, the Sailor Moon Crystal Season 1 Box Set is now up for Pre-Order, which I may review it as well, since I Pre-Ordered it already!

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 22 - Hidden Agenda - Nemesis

Wise Man captures Chibiusa, and Pluto senses it when the Time Key she dropped begins to react. There is a reaction to Queen Serenity, King Endymion and Tuxedo Mask rush to see if everything is alright with Sailor Pluto, while Sailor Venus, Artemis, and Luna try to gather more information on the Death Phantom and Nemesis. King Endymion and Tuxedo Mask arrive at the Time Door, where Pluto is laying on the ground. She tells them that Chibiusa is lost somewhere in space and time. Tuxedo Mask chases after her without a Time Key.

Back on Nemesis, Usagi continues to look for her friends in the Black Moon's Palace. She stumbles upon a room where Rubeus and Saphir are discussing about the other Sailor Senshi in the Dark Chamber and that they should just dispose of them now. Usagi passes out and Prince Demande retrieves her and brings her back to his room. As he tries to have her way with her again, she wakes up and runs away continuing to look for her friends. Usagi stumbles upon Saphir who is making more Drones for their army. The room is the Malefic Black Crystal Reactor room. The only person who knows how to control it is Saphir, and if it goes out of control, its energy would destroy the entire planet. Saphir tells the origin of how Wise Man and his brother, Demande met and how their goal is to destroy the Legendary Silver Crystal. The Malefic Black Crystal has Demande entirely under his control, Saphir wants to break the control from him by killing Usagi. As Saphir is about to plunge a Black Crystal into Usagi, the Silver Crystal reacts making her unable to be killed.

The light from the Silver Moon Crystal is able to be seen by Wise Man and Tuxedo Mask, who are even at a far distance from Nemesis.

The Silver Crystal blows Saphir away. Usagi feels overpowered from the crystal and transforms into Sailor Moon. She is able to sense her friends and calls out to them through telepathy. They wake up in the Dark Chamber and they all transform. Venus is also able to sense that her friends are alright as well. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury end up getting out of the room and into the Black Crystal Reactor. Demande and Wise Man join Saphir. Sailor Moon gets posessed by Neo Queen Serenity and she tells him the Malefic Black Crystal is dangerous. Demande thinks peace and harmony is an illusion and as long as it exists, the universe will be forever doomed. Sailor Moon and the others attack Demande, but he has a barrier around him. He uses his third eye causing them to not be able to move. The Reactor begins to melt down due to the Silver Crystal being so close to it. Rubeus tries to run away, but a mysterious apparition behind Wise Man calls him out as a coward, Wise Man kills Rubeus, the Black Moon Palace begins to crumble. Sailor Moon manages to strike Demande, breaking them free from his Third Eye. The Sailor Guardians with the help of Sailor Pluto manage to escape the palace and get back to Earth. Saphir and Demande flee.

Tuxedo Mask is still looking for Chibiusa, when the mysterious apparition from behind Wise Man appears to him. He thinks its Usagi, as she lures him away.

Sailor Moon and the others are reunited with Sailor Pluto and Venus. Pluto and Endymion explains Tuxedo Mask went to go look for Chibiusa, both of them without Time Keys.

This episode has finally began to push this story arc to its finale. We don't have a whole lot of back story as it was pretty much covered entirely with the past few episodes. The episode also follows the mangas plot 100% accurately. It's good to finally have the whole team almost all back together as well now, minus Tuxedo Mask. With this story arc also close to finishing it was nice to get a bit more development with Saphir and Demande as well. One of the things I don't really like about this version of the Sailor Moon franchise (manga included) is how we don't really get much development from Rubeus. He was mainly used as a guy who sent out boot camp wannabe drones to try and find Chibiusa and when they were all eliminated, they kind of just kill him off in a very anticlimactic way. This episode was a very fun episode, can't wait to see next weeks when Black Lady officially debuts.

Rating: 7/10

Review: Inuyashiki V.03

Title: Inuyashiki
Volume: 3 (of 6+)
Creator: Hiroya Oku
Format: Right-to-Left
Original Publisher: Kodansha
US Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: 2/23/16
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1632362058
MSRP: $12.99
Genre: Seinen
Rated: OT (Ages 16+)

Summary: A LIGHT IN THE DARK

With his new found powers, Inuyashiki has taken a new lease on life and has decided to help as many people as he can. But as day turns to night, the seedy underbelly of society comes out, and a depraved Yakuza member by the name of Samejima preys on an innocent woman. Inuyashiki must save this woman from a grim fate, but will he be able to take on a small army of gang members and rid the streets of Samejima's darkness?

Contains Chapters 18-26:

• Chapter 18: Normal Happiness
• Chapter 19: Assault
• Chapter 20: Mine
• Chapter 21: Despair
• Chapter 22: Unforgivable
• Chapter 23: Help
• Chapter 24: Declaration of War
• Chapter 25: What Are You?
• Chapter 26: Divine Punishment

Review:

Cover: The cover for this volume features Ichiro. Basically its just his head, upside down, and opened up showing all of the inner circuitry that the aliens put into him. The color scheme for this volume is purple, and uses the circuitry scheme that previous volumes have used. Series title is along the right side, with the volume number across the bottom.

The spine from top to bottom contains the Kodansha company logo, series title, volume number, and mangaka.

The back cover has the volume summary on the left side of the cover. the right side has the same background scheme used in the front of circuitry with the purple color.

The simplistic style of these covers is what really draws my eye to them, Volume 3 is no exception. The character image and the background style and coloring really go well together. It would have been nice to have something more on the back, since it is a bit bare minimum, but sometimes less is more.

Artwork: The art style for this volume continues the same path as the previous volumes. Using a Shonen/Seinen Style, it has a very dark and gruesome style that puts will appeal to a lot of fans if they are into that style of art. It isn't as graphic as Hiroya's previous work, GantZ, but it still has tons of blood and this volume has an extensive amount of sexual content as well. The art style is very consistent as well; it doesn't change much at all over the course of the volume, but this volume's tone pretty much stays consistent as well.

Translation: Character names, sound effects, places, plot, and cultural references are all left intact. This series is probably one of the better titles that stays truly faithful from cover to cover.

Extras: There are two pages of translation notes.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): With the battle between Inuyashiki and Shishigami over from the last volume, and Inuyashiki swearing he will stop Shishigami from harming anymore people as well in the last volume, one would expect that we would continue on with the same story arc since it didn't seem that our last events actually concluded. This volume however goes on an entirely different road as we are introduced to brand new characters in almost what feels like a small side-story to let the creator think of ways that our two alien created monsters will eventually clash again.

This volume begins with a couple who will soon be married. One day a leader of the Yakuza, Samejima, sees the wife and decides to stalk her until he eventually kidnaps, drugs, and then rapes her. She puts up a fight as well, managing to escape and using one of his samurai swords severly cutting Samejima's wrist.

The other members of the Yakuza take it into their hands by then going after the husband, trying to extort him for money and find out the location of where he lives. They eventually get to his home and with Samejima with them, end up strangling him to death. Inuyashiki hears the pain and the violence that is going on, so he rushes to the scene but it is too late. The Yakuza members pummel Inuyashiki with bullets, knocking him out but leaving him uninjured.

When Inuyashiki wakes up, he sees the husband dead and he tries with all of his powers to bring him back to life. After several attempts, he is revived, and Inuyashiki then heads to the Yakuza's base of operations.

On his arrival, he is greeted by Samejima himself, who pulls a gun on him and fires it right at Inuyashiki's head. Inuyashiki with one punch manages to knock Samejima on his ass. As he asks him where the wife was, the other Yakuza members enter the room and begin to open fire on Inuyashiki. Inuyashiki's defense weapon system kicks in and kills every single person in the room.

The volume ends with the husband looking down an empty street hoping for the return of his wife.

This volume as a whole wasn't my favorite read from the series so far; I found it to be a bit convoluted. We have two new characters, not sure if they will be in any of the upcoming volumes yet, but they have no real development. As a reader you do show some sympathy for them due to the ordeals they go through, but as of right now we don't have a real clue who these people are. Samejima seemed like he could have been a much cooler villain as well if they would have drawn his story out a bit more too. If Hiroya would have taken the time to just draw this story out a bit more, it would have probably been a much more enjoyable read when it came to the overall story presented in this volume.

Objectionable Content:

• Language: Yes
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: Yes
• Sexual Situations: Yes

Score:

• Cover: 8/10
• Artwork: 8/10
• Translation: 10/10
• Extras: 1/10
• Story: 4/10

Overall Rating: 6/10

Where Purchased: Barnes and Nobles
Original Review Date: 5/10/16

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 21 - Complication - Nemesis

Prince Demande takes Sailor Moon back to Nemesis. As they are teleported away she drops the Moon Rod,

Usagi begins to have a dream of Mamoru being taken away by an adult Chibiusa. She wakes up in a white dress on a bed, her brooch by her side. She notices a holographic image of Neo Queen Serenity in the middle of the room. Prince Demande enters the room and tells her to relax in his room, using a bit of force. Usagi asks why he attacked the future Tokyo, He wanted to prove that the Silver Crystal was not the only source of power. Wise Man showed him the way by him going to the Planet Nemesis and finding the Malefic Black Crystal. His grand plan is to rewrite history. By changing the past he will be able to make the future the way he wants it. The one thing however that is preventing him from fulfilling his plan is Usagi. In the future, she prevented him from getting what he wanted, thus why Neo Queen Serenity is now encased in a giant Silver Crystal in the future. As Demande goes in for a forced kiss, Usagi pushes him away and tries to transform. Her power is nullified however as the entire palace is made out of the Malefic Black Crystal.

Back on the future Moon, Tuxedo Mask and Venus try to devise a plan to get back Usagi and the rest of their friends. They think maybe Chibiusa can help since she has the blood of the Moon Kingdom, but she has no power. She is 900 years old and hasn't aged since she got to the age of 7. King Endymion believes one day she will get her own powers, but as of now she has none. King Endymion then tells them the story of Phantom and the Black Moon.

Back on Nemesis, Usagi begins to feel hopeless, until she has a vision of Queen Serenity and her friends and how they need her. She swore to protect her friends, so she gains the courage to reach out for her friends who are somewhere in the palace that she is being held captive.

In the lower dungeons, Ami, Rei, and Makoto wake up from a deep sleep. None of them know what happened or where they are. They all heard Usagi's voice in their heads is why they all woke up at the same time. They try to transform, but they can't. Their life begins to be sucked out of them from Wise Man.

Chibiusa begins to wonder if Sailor Moon can actually help her. She has a flashback with her and her father walking through a park, He tells her Sailor Moon has the power to defeat any evil. She was just like her mom growing up, that's why she was named Chibiusa. It was because she was picked on in school that she stole the Silver Crystal to try and see if she had the same powers as her mom. This is what caused the chain of events that destroyed the future Moon Kingdom. Chibiusa's Luna P ball reacts to her crying, and she remembers the first time she met Sailor Pluto. Sailor Pluto cheered her up and showed her a magic trick using the words "Abra Kadabra." Chibiusa thinks maybe if she goes to visit Sailor Pluto she will feel better like when she first met her. When she arrives at the Time Gate, she is being visited by King Endymion who asks her to help Sailor Venus and Tuxedo Mask in their search. This upsets Chibiusa as she thinks she isn't special to Sailor Pluto anymore either. Chibiusa drops her Time Key going through the Space Time Portal. Wise Man catches up to her and opens up her true feelings. She goes with Wise Man, as she wants someone who truly needs her.

This was another episode with tons of informative stuff. Lots more background information on the Black Moon, Wise Man (Doom Phantom), and how this whole catastrophe that destroyed the future Neo Tokyo really happened. This episode also showcased one of my favorite images that I really remember when reading The Black Moon arc in the manga as well; when Usagi gazes at the holographic image of herself that Prince Demande has in his room. It really shows just how much of a creep this guy really is. He is so infatuated with her that he doesn't just want to kill her, but he wants to take away her purity before he even does it.

Moving on from that, for the action fans, there wasn't any at all in this episode. It was pretty much just a bunch of backstory, told from several different sides and point of views. The good thing is that it moved at a good pace that it wasn't extremely boring for the viewer. This is pretty much the end of these narrative episodes though, which is a good thing since now we will begin to see everything unfold and everything set to how it is supposed to be in the coming episodes that follow.

Rating: 5/10

Chapter Review: Assassination Classroom Side-Story 3 - Time To Reveal Identities

The assassins go after Azuza and the manager of the bar who kidnapped her. Azuza's daughter wants to go and help her mom, but Korosensei thinks its not a great idea, so they follow the assassins closely behind. The manager of the bar wants Azuza to sell her body for money in order to help pay the bills to keep the bar opened. The assassins arrive by kicking the door down and make quick work of all of the managers goons. When it comes to defeating the manager, Futoshi (one of the assassins) defeats him and rescues Azuza easily by placing a booger on the managers forehead which causes him to pass out. With Azuza now safe, she passes out in the hallway of the managers office building. Korosensei agrees to take her back to the bar and when everyone agrees and leaves we learn that Azuza was faking the whole thing in an attempt to assassinate Korosensei herself. A bomb goes off and we don't know what happened to either of them.

This chapter actually picked up quite a bit when it came to actual content. Still not really much of a motive from our characters, no any backstory 3 chapters in of this 4 chapter Side-Story, which is still quite a bit disappointing. With one chapter left, I am really hoping there is a conclusion that makes this side-story actually worth reading, cause as of now this is a very poor story for such an amazing series this far.

Rating: 5/10

Quick Update

Sorry for the posts being sporadic lately and not keeping up with the current plan. As I stated before, I had another surgical procedure about two weeks ago, so that is part of the reason the updates have not all been as originally planned.

I am currently a bit backlogged on stuff to review as well! Everything that you see posted on the right bar is pretty much already done or still being worked on. I am currently in the process of typing up the review for My Hero Academia V.02. After that will be One-Punch Man V.06 (I know you all love that series). I am also working on the Side-Story chapter reviews for Assassination Classroom; there are still two left for me to review, and they will be posted as soon as they are done being typed up. Sailor Moon Crystal Season 2 is almost done as well (currently working on Act 24-26). Once that is done there will be a short break before I get to Season 3s reviews; yes it is my favorite part of the manga, but I want to enjoy it fully before I actually sit down and rewatch the entire series in review mode. I plan on reviewing another series soon to follow though!

As you all can see as well, I am currently reading the 3rd Naruto Hiden Novel, Sakura's Story. That will also be reviewed as soon as I am done reading it, with no release window. Once it is done, it will be posted.

Please stay tuned for more!

Throw-Back Thursday Review - Rurouni Kenshin V.02

Title: Rurouni Kenshin
Volume: 2 (of 28)
Creator: Nobuhiro Watsuki
Format: Unflipped
Original Publisher: SHUEISHA Inc.
US Publisher: Viz
Release Date: 11/1/03
Pages: 200
ISBN: 1591162491
MSRP: $7.95
Genre: Shonen Jump
Rated: T+ (For Older Teens)

Description: THE TWO HITOKIRI - Things are settling down at the Kamiya dojo. Former "fight merchant" Sanosuke has come to grips with his past, realizing perhaps that things aren't quite so black and white as he may once have thought, that good men may serve bad causes, and vice-versa. Yahiko, the angry-fisted young man, is learning to relax. And Kenshin is enjoying Kaoru's cooking (as much as he can, anyway). But even in these confused, ambiguous, early days of modern Japan, there is such a thing as pure evil - Udo Jin-e, black-hatted, crazy-eyed former assassin, still is chasing the scent of blood, his mad thirst for vengeance felling the innocent and guilty alike. If a man kills too many, too long, as Kenshin says, he loses his original purpose, and has his heart stolen by the color and smell of blood. Hitokiri vs. hitokiri...can Kenshin withstand the strange, hypnotic effect of Jin-e...?

Contains Chapters 7-15:

• Act 7: Mark of Evil
• Act 8: And Then, Another
• Act 9: Kurogasa
• Act 10: One Side of the Soul
• Act 11: The Ribbon that Binds
• Act 12: The Two Hitokiri
• Act 13: The Meaning of the Name
• Act 14: End Beneath the Moon
• Act 15: Beauty on the Run

Review:

Cover: The Covers of Rurouni Kenshin continue to surprise me. Volume 2 is very close to the original design. First up on the left side, we have a tan, flowery background pattern. A nice profile pic of Kenshin is to the right of that, with the Series Title towards the bottom of Kenshin’s Profile. To the right of Kenshin we have a box with a blue background. In the box is Sanosuke, who is one of the newer characters, who was established as a fiend, in the later part of Volume 1. The bottom of the cover has the Mangaka and the Volume Number in Red.

The Spine is the same as the rest of the Shonen Jump Mangas. From top to bottom we have, the Shonen Jump Logo (in red), the Series Title (in red), the Volume Number (in red), the Mangaka, and a sliced pic of the Profile of Kenshin from the front cover. Quite nice but too much red.

The back cover I found quite attractive as well. The top border is the same tan, flowery pattern they used on the front page. On the pattern we have the Shonen Jump Logo and the Series Title. On the white part of the background we get the Manga Volume Title (The Two Hitokiri), a summary of the Volume, and the Volume Number. To the right of the summary there is a nice action pose of Kaoru, which is a nice touch.

All in all, this cover was better then the last. Hopefully it will continue to be that way as future Volumes of the series are released.

Artwork: The Artwork in Kenshin still makes me drool. Nice clean edges and fantastic battle scenes. It’s just like I am watching the TV-Series, but in a book form. All of the images run smooth as well; no dark contrast pages like some Shonen Jump series tend to have.

Translation: The translation was somewhat accurate. All the names were correctly translated, as well as the plot line. The only draw back is the sound effects being translated. Kenshin is one of my favorite Manga Series and seeing the translated sound effects really does hurt.

Content (Warning: May Contain Spoilers): As Rurouni Kenshin Volume 2 begins; we have the Kenshin vs. Sanosuke fight that is continued from the last Volume. The fight only lasts for the first 2 chapters and then breaks off into the next big Arc. BTW, if you did not know, Sanosuke is a main character of the series and he joins Kenshin, Yahiko, and Kaoru.

The main ARC of Volume 2 deals with another Hitokiri Battosai. The second Hitokiri, Kurogasa, wants revenge on Kenshin (this is normal throughout the first few volumes of Kenshin). A few lives are shed in these Chapters, and towards the end we have a confrontation between the two Battosais. The battle is fierce, but in the end it ends in a somewhat draw. Both Battosais are evenly matched in strength. Kurogasa decides to kill himself since there was no other way he could ever win against Kenshin.

The next ARC begins in the last chapter of the manga. A damsel in distress is running away from a group of gangsters. She runs into Kenshin and Sanosuke. The only problem is when they stop some of the gangsters, some opium packets fall out of her pocket. Is this girl really in distress, or is there some other unknown force involved?

The Manga Volume ends with a nice cliffhanger. Like most mangas that end with cliffhangers, it leaves the reader at a spot where they want to read more. So far Kenshin has kept my interest and I will continue to buy the mangas as they are released, and I do hope if you readers have not yet picked up the first Kenshin Volume, do so. They are a very reasonable and affordable price, plus Kenshin has a little something for everyone.

Objectionable Content:

• Language: No
• Violence: Yes
• Nudity: No
• Sexual Situation: No

Where Purchased: Walden Books
Overall Rating: 5 (Out of 5)

Original Review Date: 12/10/03

Review: Sailor Moon Crystal Act 20 - Crystal Tokyo - King Endymion

The Tuxedo Mask from the future reveals himself to Sailor Moon and the guardians. It is revealed that he is Chibiusa's father. He is also just a spirit of his former self; when Chibiusa went to hug him she went right through his body. The king welcomes them to the 30th century. He tells them his physical body is laying to rest in another room and he is just a projection. He reveals he is King Endymion, Chibiusa gives her introductions, from a suggestion her father says, and we learn she is also the daughter of Usagi. Luna asks what made everything happened the way it did in the future. The King doesn't know what actually happened. One day Chibiusa ran out of the palace when a huge explosion took the city. The Black Moon then showed up and took down everyone accept for Chibiusa and Diana. This is why Chibiusa went to the past to seek help. Diana stayed by her parents, Luna and Artemis's side. We also learn that when members of the Silver Millennium family reach the adulthood they don't get any older and their lifespan is 1000s of years. The kingdom lived in peace for a long time until one day the black monolith crystal appeared and began to kill all life. Venus asks if he knows who the Black Moon really are.

Endymion brings them to a large computer where he explains of an evil planet called Nemesis which the Black Moon hijacked. Their goal is to over throw the Silver Moon and take it over. Nemesis is completely made out of the Black Monolith Crystals. Sailor Moon begins to start disappearing, if she is close to her future body for much longer, she could cause terrible damage to the future timeline. Sailor Moon and the others must hurry and return to their own timeline, along with Chibiusa. Venus asks why Sailor Pluto can't join them as well. Pluto is blessed by the god Chronos and she can not leave the door ever. 

Sailor Moon and the others are brought back to the Time Door by King Endymion. Sailor Moon is given a time key by Sailor Pluto before they are all returned back to their own timeline. Sailor Moon runs off crying as she begins to get tired of Tuxedo Mask always wanting to protect Chibiusa. Sailor Moon just feels like she is being left out and not being included in the protection of their future daughter.

The next day Mamoru wakes up at his apartment, Chibiusa is gone. She has went back to the Time Door to try and save her Mom and Dad alone. Sailor Pluto tells her she should ask Sailor Moon and the others for their help and protection, but she refuses. Chibiusa goes back to the palace and visits her parents bodies laying in their tombs, crying and still wondering why they won't open their eyes.

At the Black Moon headquarters, Esmeraude begs King Demande to let her finish off Sailor Moon and Venus. 

Back in the future, Chibiusa is wandering around outside the palace, when Esmeraude attacks her. Sailor Moon, Venus, and Tuxedo Mask arrive with the Time Key and try to protect Chibiusa from Esmeraude. Sailor Moon's Moon Rod won't work in the future time line. Our heroes all get tied up by Esmeraude's powers, but King Endymion uses his powers and helps Tuxedo Mask kill her with one attack from his Smoking Bomber, Prince Demande and Wise Man appear in front of our heroes. Sailor Moon demands to know why they are doing what they are doing. Demande sees the future queen in Sailor Moon. With his third eye ability he paralyzes Sailor Moon and takes her with him back to the Black Moon.

As this season begins to hit its climax, a lot of information begins to be revealed to the viewers. This episode is probably not one of the best episodes when it comes to what Sailor Moon is all about, but it still is a very important part to this story arc. We learn pretty much everything about Chibiusa; why she went back to the past as well as she is the love child of Usagi and Mamoru. We also learn what actually happened to the future Moon Kingdom, as well as the over all goal that the Black Moon is trying to fulfill. The action is very minimal, as well as the drama. It is more of a 30 minute informative piece as to what the overall goals are for the rest of this story. From the manga's standpoint for this episode, I feel it was dragged out a bit more with the anime then needed to be. Esmeraude had a bit more of a presence I felt in the manga version as well. I realize that the anime is trying to do each episode like each chapter, but some stuff could have been condensed a bit more down and other parts could have been a bit more drawn out.

Rating: 4/10