What Are You Reading?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Sakuragi losing his father due to being surrounded by a group of gang members wanting payback is pretty sad, but also pretty true to his character.

And it also feels like something that would have happened to Kuwabara.

That part always gets me. It comes out of nowhere in an otherwise straightforward sports series to suddenly have a heavy dramatic moment like that, but it's very indicative of the kind of character writing that Inoue would perfect in his later work.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Because of a Barnes & Noble buy 2 get 1 free deal, I have volumes 1 and 2 of My Hero Academia on the way!!!!

I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been this hyped to read/watch something since Magi. And that's one of my favorite anime/manga of all time. So, I'm excited. I just feel like I'm gonna love it and I really hope I do.

And hopefully Toonami will air it soon.

Hope you like it! In my opinion, the first four volumes are good, but the series hits its stride in volume 5 and has been great ever since.

The first season of the anime covers the first two and a half volumes, in case you're curious.

[Avaitor]

Sakuragi losing his father due to being surrounded by a group of gang members wanting payback is pretty sad, but also pretty true to his character.

And it also feels like something that would have happened to Kuwabara.

That part always gets me. It comes out of nowhere in an otherwise straightforward sports series to suddenly have a heavy dramatic moment like that, but it's very indicative of the kind of character writing that Inoue would perfect in his later work.

It's surprising, but a great moment. Inoue hints at deeper character moments throughout the series with Akagi and Mitsui, but this was a bit more direct, and it works well.

If Real and Vagabond have more stuff like this, I'm definitely excited to get to them when I'm done with Slam Dunk. And I'll probably try to use the B&N sale to get more SD and Parasyte volumes (I have the first coming elsewhere), but I need to save a little money up first.

[Dreamer2]

If Real and Vagabond have more stuff like this, I'm definitely excited to get to them when I'm done with Slam Dunk. And I'll probably try to use the B&N sale to get more SD and Parasyte volumes (I have the first coming elsewhere), but I need to save a little money up first.

Just so you know, you wouldn't be able to get Parasyte under the buy 2 get 1 free thing because its only for Viz manga. Of course B&N does stuff like this all the time, so they may have one with all manga some other time soon.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's surprising, but a great moment. Inoue hints at deeper character moments throughout the series with Akagi and Mitsui, but this was a bit more direct, and it works well.

If Real and Vagabond have more stuff like this, I'm definitely excited to get to them when I'm done with Slam Dunk. And I'll probably try to use the B&N sale to get more SD and Parasyte volumes (I have the first coming elsewhere), but I need to save a little money up first.

With Slam Dunk I feel as though Inoue, while clearly talented at writing great characters, was still finding his footing somewhat as an author. However I also read a very insightful interview in which he elaborated on how much his philosophy had changed between Slam Dunk and REAL, in which he had a mentality on the importance of winning and triumph when he wrote SD, whereas these days he feels that you should always strive for the best while still acknowledging that it's more important how you choose to live despite your circumstances and whether or not you manage to accomplish your goals.

[Dreamer2]

My Hero Avademia volumes 1+2 ( plus some other stuff) arrived yesterday and tonight I read volume 1. Yeah, I think I just found a series I'm gonna follow. This was a whole lot of fun, even if a majority of it was relatively predictable. But, it was a volume 1 and a good chunk of the time volume 1s and first episodes can be pretty predictable.

But, I just wanted something to enjoy and I got exactly that. Fun, interesting characters in an interesting world. I can already tell Deku is my type of protagonist and I look forward to seeing his adventures.

I was also happy that a character (Aizawa) who I felt like was going to annoy me throughout the upcoming volumes and stuff, became likeable in one panel, just by smiling at Deku. I thought they were gonna run with the antagonistic teacher, who tries to get the lowly student to quit or expelled. So, that was nice.

Overall, this was a great read and I'm really happy I have volume 2 sitting over there. I usually don't get more than one volume at a time to start off a series, just in case I don't like it. But, I just felt like I would like it a lot and so far so good. I'll probably get to it sometime next week.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Glad to see that you enjoy it. The first few volumes are fun. The Stain arc (which starts in either volume 5 or 6) is where the series gets great, IMO.

The anime is also a really well-done adaptation, so it would be a great fit for Toonami, IMO.

[Avaitor]

I just finished the Shohoku vs Ryonan match, which, as per the rest of the series thus far, was fantastic. My favorite moment came at the end, when Taoka admits that underestimated Sakuragi and Kogure's talents, which cost him the game. Kogure's three-pointer is another favorite moment, and one that honest to god made me cheer as I was reading. He's one of my favorite characters, so seeing him help the team out like that really excited me.

This just shows the brilliance of this series, that it makes someone like me, who isn't really into sports at all, as nervous and excited to read it as I am. I think that's just a mark of the best sports series, that no matter your stance, if the characters and pacing are strong and believable enough, it's all the easier to become engaged.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Shohoku Vs. Ryonan is my favorite match of the Summer Inter-High Qualifiers saga. I just love great comeback matches, and this is one of my favorites. In particular, I really like how high the stakes are, as this match is Shohoku's last chance at qualifying for the official Inter-High tournament. On top of that, this is the ultimate underdog scenario, as not only did they lose to Ryonan in their previous practice match, but they also suffered a crushing defeat to Kainan earlier on as well, and worst of all was the huge blow to Sakuragi's confidence. To see him and the rest of the team come back from all of that is extremely rewarding.

There are surprising amount of great sports manga and anime, and much like you, Slam Dunk was my gateway into this genre (and still one of my favorites). Granted, I had also read Hikaru no Go several years prior (which is also great), but that's a bit different since it's technically not an athletic sport and also involves a supernatural twist.

While Slam Dunk and Ashita no Joe are among my absolute favorites in the genre, there have been some other great ones that I've gotten into as well, such as Eyeshield 21, Hajime no Ippo, and Baby Steps.

As for me I recently picked up Young Justice Vol. 1 and have been re-reading some of the early stories (I did read the first few issues of YJ several years ago). These are pretty fun, light-hearted stories that are easy to enjoy, but admittedly I was also tempted to delve back into it because my fandom of My Hero Academia has gotten me into the mood for teenage superhero stories, and more than anything it's really interesting to see how the West portrays their teenage archetypes compared to the East, and what similarities and differences they have between each other.

[Avaitor]

I've been meaning to get to the series you mentioned, along with Haikyu!!, and of course REAL, at some point. I have a friend who really likes Eyeshield 21 who keeps trying to sell it to me, and while it sounds good, I have a lot of other things I'm catching up with now, so I plan to save that for later.

I also hear that a lot of the scans aren't that great, so like Slam Dunk, I might need to consider buying the volumes themselves.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

As far as Haikyuu! goes, if you have a CR subscription, then I strongly recommend watching the anime over reading the manga. It is superior to its source material in every conceivable way.

I rarely ever go with scans now, myself, unless it's a series that just isn't available in English in any official capacity like Ashita no Joe or Hajime no Ippo.

[Avaitor]

As far as Haikyuu! goes, if you have a CR subscription, then I strongly recommend watching the anime over reading the manga. It is superior to its source material in every conceivable way.

Alright, I'll keep that in mind!

Also, what is the better method for HnI, the manga or anime? I was thinking of watching it, but if the manga is superior, I'll get to that instead.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The anime is directed by Satoshi Nishimura. He did Trigun and Ushio & Tora.

It's well worth seeing if you can find it.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

The anime is definitely the way to go for HnI. Unfortunately, the old DVDs from Geneon are long out of print, and there's no legal way to stream the first two seasons (but for some reason CR has the third season). Of course, the manga isn't available in English (officially), either, but just keep in mind that you may have to stream the series online like I did (I watched the whole thing on YouTube, but it has probably been taken down since then).

Anyways, the first two seasons (along with the TV movie and OVA), cover all of the best material from the manga anyways, IMO. With the former concluding with Ippo's JFC title match, and the latter concluding with the Takamura Vs. Bryan Hawk match, both of which make up the two best fights in the entire series (and arguably rank among the best of all time in either the sports or battle genres).

Anything after that is fine to check out if you're interested, but IMO the first two seasons covered the manga at its absolute peak. The rest is generally good, but can't quite measure up, IMO.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Here's hoping Discotek picks it up sooner than later. They scoop up a lot of old licenses, but there are some great ones still floating around without a home for little reason. HnI is definitely one of them.