Currently Running Manga Discussion

[LumRanmaYasha]

This was a really strong week overall.

Bleach chapter 586 - Ichigo is shocked that Uryu is on Juha Bach's side and yells out his name a lot. And Orihime and Chad return from Hueco Mundo. Remember them? Well, they're back to be completely useless again! Yay! But since they're here, I guess Urahara will come to, and he'll probably bring Grimmjow with him, so maybe that'll finally happen next week.

Hunter X Hunter chapter 345 - I already posted my thoughts on this chapter in the post above, so I won't go over that again. Looks like there's going to be a break next week, but the series will be back the week after. I doubt that Togashi would go on another hiatus without making enough chapters for a volume, so I think we won't to worry about that for a bit. In any case, I'm curious as to what the "special project" that will be announced when the series comes back will be.

Magi chapter 230 - I shared my thoughts on this one earlier this week as well. Basically, I find David's previous actions and his ones in this chapter disjointed and I'm not sure why he did what he did in order to achieve his goal, which is simply to become one with the god of Alma Thorran. In any case, I'm at least glad this stuff was finally resolved and we can move on to how Solomon's empire rises and falls apart, which really is what I've wanted to see this whole time.

Naruto chapter 682 - If Kaguya can transport them to other dimensions, why doesn't she just put them into space or something? And why send Sasuke off alone to some desert place when he can go through dimensions, while Naruto cannot. Really, nothing about this battle makes sense because in all respects Kaguya should be leagues above their level and be capable of so many different ways to kill them and end the battle easily. I'm not sure how to feel about Naruto using the Sexy Jutsu to catch Kaguya off guard. On one level, it's funny and sorta nice to see a long-time joke like that actually prove useful. On the other hand, though, it's pretty fucking stupid and this series has taken itself way too seriously lately for this to work. Not to mention the technique had no effect on Kaguya ultimately so it was actually kind of pointless. So, yeah, another shitty chapter.

One Piece chapter 751 - I actually enjoyed the battle between Sabo and Fujitora and the comedy in this chapter was pretty good too. I'm surprised Doflamingo has lured them into a trap and confronted them this early, since I think there'd be a while before they came face to face with him again. With Law still in sea stone handcuffs it looks like they are pretty screwed, unless Robin can get the key to them in time. I'm still confused as to when we are going to learn Law's backstory, because I thought that was being setup two chapters ago. I guess it'll happen eventually.

Peephole chapter 29 - Miyachi just punching Fujiora every time she tried to talk was gloriously hilarious. It looks like she wants Kurosou to do the honors and kill her. Will he cross that line? I wish the chapter wasn't so short so I could find out, but I suppose I can wait until next week to see.

The Seven Deadly Sins chapters 81.5-83 - In chapter 81.5 we learn that Arthur originally had just the ambition of becoming a Holy Knight, but the King of Liones saw his potential early on in a chance encounter, and told him he was destined to become a king and took him under his wing. This is Arthur's motivation for coming to Liones now to help save the King. In chapter 82 we learn that all this time all of Gilthunder's actions were being monitored by a chimera demon under Hendrickson's command, and he was forced to go along with his schemes to protect Margaret's life. Meliodas learned this long ago in their first re-encounter, deciphering a special phrase Gilthunder said that was significant to the bond between them, and this is how Meliodas knew Gilthunder was in trouble and what to do in order to help him out. With the chimera destroyed, Gilthunder let loose all his built up rage against Hendrickson, brutally impaling him, ending the battle. The group, now united, heads to rescue Elizabeth, but the mysterious witch allied with Hendrickson tries to stop them through teleportation magic. However, to everyone's shock, she is out-done by this very spell cast in rapid succession by the mysterious cloaked magician that was accompanying Arthur. And of course, who should it be but the Crimson Pig of the Seven Deadly Sins, Merlin herself. Called it! I mean, it wasn't hard. What is a King Arthur without a Merlin and whatnot. Admittedly there were times I thought the masked magician was going to be Merlin instead, so I'll give Suzuki credit for having me going for a while there. Anyway, the King says he predicted that a crimson pig would rescue him, and it's clear he's really referring to Merlin, so that'll happen. I still doubt Hendrickson's scheme has been foiled yet, or that he's out of the fight. He's been the big bad this whole time so while it was satisfying seeing Gilthunder fuck him up it would be odd for his scheme to fall apart before it's truly begun. Hopefully we'll have a better idea of the direction where this is going next week.

Shokugeki no Soma chapter 75 - Hayama's burger was carefully crafted to elicit the strongest sense of aroma and flavor from the meat, and as a result, his burger was a far more pleasurable, and addicting experience than Arata's lovely but comparatively tame turtle burger. As Hayama states, it was only natural for the one aiming to be number one to outdo someone content to be second best. I wonder if this experience will make Arata want to step out from Erina's shadow and evolve her skills to a level rivaling hers. In any case, Hayama's sense of flavor is formidable and no doubt Soma will have difficulty rivaling it in their inevitable rematch. First this round must end, though, and Takumi has to take on the suspicious Mimasaka. I don't know why he's decided to insult Takumi's brother in front of him. Perhaps getting him riled up will cause him to bring out his full potential, and thus ensure a more exciting match? Mimasaka came out of nowhere, and the narrative odds are that he'll likely defeat Takumi and move on. However, this match could go either way and it'll be interesting to see which that is next week.

Silver Spoon chapter 103 - Hachiken and Okawa decide to take the first steps in getting their company running themselves, self-investing in their company with their own money. They'll get their business moving thanks to Okawa's reputation that he left thanks to his part-time work and get some sales moving. Once they've established a strong sales base they'll take their business card, product, and sales record to Hachiken's father, and earn his investment having proved to him he's become a productive, legitimate member of society. Damn, Okawa has some great ideas sometimes! Hachiken isn't going to have it any easier now that he has to raise money himself with part time-jobs, but given how dedicated he is, he'll pull it off. The second half of this chapter was even more wonderful. Komaba's mother has become a staff member of the Dairy Farm Helper Association, and now can start earning money herself again. Komaba, or course, still thinks that he needs to work full-time in order to help them out of debt, but his mother rightly states that he needs to stop being so full of himself and work towards his dream. And Komaba, finally, has decided to do what he really wants to do, and the first step is to finally see "what's over the mountain." And that baseball game, seeing Uryu pull out all the stops, no doubt determined to avenge his mistake from last year that caused Komaba to have to leave the team and school, damn did it leave a feeling of passion and hope for Komaba's future. Will he be able to find a way to achieve his dream and get his own farm? As this series has established, it's a harsh world out there, but I have a feeling he can pull it off.

Stealth Symphony chapter 17 - Dragons come from the moon and are preparing to invade the earth and Jig is still insane. Also, it looks like Troma's dedication to professionalism will cost him when Slice goes to kill Alice and he inevitably re-encounters Jig. The series is playing out all of it's cards so quickly, that I kind of feel it has to be ending. But the Weekly Manga Recap guys said that it's cancellation is not a sure bet at this point, so I have no clue how much can be left or where the story could go from this point. Certainly, though, these rapid plot developments are very interesting, and whatever happens it's sure to be bat-shit insane, so that'll be fun.

Toriko chapter 282 - Toriko and co. team up with the three beast warriors plus Mappy to search for Air. Zebra and Buranchi have to brave a terrain pelted by Meteor Rain, Sunny and Nosh have to deal with Laser Rain, Coco and Dinner seem to have it easiest with Poison Rain, and Toriko, Komatsu, and Mappy have to deal with the most dangerous, terrifying terrain of the lot - the nest of the Horse King Heracles. In order to travel through anywhere in the Gourmet World one must ask the permission of the continent's ruler first. Mappy is prepared to give his life in order to make this happen, but will it be enough? In addition to being kickass this chapter was full of hilarious parts and is through and through classic Toriko insanity. But I expect no less every week. I can't wait until the next.

Rankings:

1. Silver Spoon - 10/10
2. Toriko - 9/10
3. The Seven Deadly Sins - 9/10
4. Hunter X Hunter - 9/10
5. Shokugeki no Soma - 9/10
6. Peephole - 9/10
7. One Piece - 8/10
8. Magi - 7/10
9. Stealth Symphony - 7/10
10. Bleach - 5/10
11. Naruto - 1/10

Some really great chapters this week. Shit is going down in Seven Deadly Sins and Toriko, and great developments have happened in Silver Spoon and HXH. Exciting highly entertaining reading that really made my week, and I hope next week can be just as strong.

[Nel_Annette]

I know I'm late to the party, but I forget that we have a manga board separate from the anime board.

I fucking hate what they've done with Naruto. I know most people declared it shit weeeellllll over a year ago, but I was still an avid reader. My suspension of disbelief only goes so far though. I tried to be open minded. I can accept Obito as the main villain, I can accept Kabuto being the co-Big Bad, I can accept Madara using some bullshit gambit to come back to life, because hey, I actually quite like him as a villain. He's an asshole that's fun to watch.

But Kaguya? Ugh. Fuck Kaguya. Constantly going "but wait, here's the real bad guy!" gets real old real quick. There was not enough build-up to her and her stupid white Zetsu army plan for me. At this point, both of the dudes who initiated this big-ass battle are on the good guys' side now. Fucking ridiculous. I am sincerely hoping that Madara fights his way out of that thing, or Orochimaru does some bullshit to take this thing by the reigns, because this was such a terrible, unceremonious killing of a major villain, and an awful trade for a new villain as well. Not to mention all this reincarnation bullshit and Black Zetsu shaping everything. This soured everything for me.

(And I just don't like when arcs are dragged out this long. I get that this is the final battle, but come on, Kishi. Let's end this already.)

[LumRanmaYasha]

Y'know, I was excited for the Assassination Classroom anime...until I found out who was working on it.

Why can't good WSJ manga get good anime adaptions these days, seriously. 

[LumRanmaYasha]

This was a really good week!

Assassination Classroom chapter 92 - Class E's tactics have been able to deter off the superior strength of Class A by using their versatility and exploiting the details of the rules of the game to their advantage. Much like the baseball game, they are overcoming a situation where they can't win in a straightforward fashion by using their skill set and the element of surprise to the best of their capabilities, and it's working well for them and entertaining to watch. And it seems that they are winning over their peers in other classes through their perseverance. Perhaps Class E won't be the black sheep for much longer. Of course, this game isn't over yet, and knowing Asano, he probably has other tricks up their sleeve.

Bleach chapter 587 - Comedy relief chapter. Really? C'mon, they really should be taking the fact Uryu has joined the Vanderich more seriously. Mohawk dude is pissed at Renji now I guess and has attacked him with some flame sword thing, and Juha Bach and Uryu have arrived at the Soul King's Palace. I guess that means Squad Zero will actually fight them? Probably, and they'll likely get curbstomped so Ichigo can bail them out or something. I guess we'll see how this goes next week.

Detective Conan chapter 900 - Chapter 900! Only a 100 chapters away from 1000, and this series is sure to reach that point. This chapter wasn't very eventful for a milestone like this, but it was solidly entertaining with good humor and entertaining mystery solving, and that's all I expect from the series. It seems that Conan has uncovered where Yumi is, but it's in a very dangerous place. I'm curious to see exactly where that is.

Kuroko no Basket chapter 267 - Akashi has returned to his old self and plays (gasp) as a actual team player? Who wudda thunk it? And by doing so, he's able to give his fellow Rakuzan players self-confidence again, and return momentum to Rakuzan's side. Ultimately, this has the effect of getting every player on the Rakuzan team into the zone. With only three minutes left and down by a five point lead, it seems like Seirin is totally screwed. This was a pretty decent chapter. I don't feel the tension in this match at all, but this is a solid story development. Of course, the series can fuck this up and make me hate the match again depending on how they have Seirin respond to this, but for now I think I can say I liked this chapter.

Magi: Adventure of Sinbad chapter 28 - 9 pages? C'mon, this was too short. Anyway, Sinbad uses Valefor's power for the first time, the members of the organization Jafar belongs to retreats when Hinahoho's father and the other Imuchuk warriors appear and drive them out, and it seems Drakon isn't willing yet to join Sinbad's group. Understandable, since though his brother tried to kill him and everything, his priority is clearly going to be trying to rescue the princess from him. I wish there was more content in this update, but this was some good stuff and I'll be interested in knowing where the story will be heading from this point.

Naruto chapter 683 - Naruto brought Obito back to life. HE BROUGHT SOMEONE BACK TO LIFE. Goddamit Kishimoto, this messianic crap has gone too far. Anyway, the Hokages are probably going to re-joining the battle soon since they've summoned the Sage of Six Paths from the lower half of Madara's carcass (somehow), and Obito plans to sacrifice his life in order to help take down Kaguya. It's his fucking fault this is even happening Naruto, you dipshit, don't freaking thank him! God, reading this series has become almost a surreal experience just because of how bizarre and unnatural the story developments have turned out. If the end wasn't nigh you can bet I would have quit this series for good like Fairy Tail, which, by the way, I've skimmed the latest chapters, and is stupider than ever, so I made a good call there.

One Piece chapter 752 - So...the whole stuff with Doflamingo in the beginning was kinda pointless. A bunch of other stuff is shown happening but none of it is particularly interesting and then the chapter ends with Dolfamingo reflecting on the first time he met Law. Finally, his backstory! Law's effort to take down Dolfamingo has been one of the more entertaining elements of this arc, so his backstory interests me. Hopefully it won't disappoint.

One-Punch Man chapter 48 - Oh shit, this was awesome. I love it when Murata does entire chapters that are like keys in an animation. And Saitama's "Super Serious Serious Strike" did not disappoint. Boros sure ain't walking that one off! Excellent OPM goodness.

Peephole chapter 30 - Miyachi's crazy rant is glorious as it is creepy. But what did Kurosu want? He must have wanted her to die, he must have thought about killing her, but of course, when he is given the opportunity, he can't do it himself, so was the point of bringing her to Miyachi's apartment done on the subconcious expectation that she'd take care of his problem for him by killing her? Looks like Miyachi's influence is rubbing off on Kurosu more than he would like. Moreover, the policewoman has arrived and has arrested Fujiura. But Miyachi wants to kill Fujiura! Will she just kill the policewoman to get to her prey, or will she let this one go? Whatever happens, one thing's for sure. Kurosu is pretty dang screwed.

The Seven Deadly Sins chapter 84 - Merlin easily destroying Vivian's barrier with a negation spell as she opened the door to the King's Chamber was hilarious. It's game over for Dreyfus, now that everyone knows he was behind the death of Zaratras,  framed the Sins, and took over the kingdom. Now he's lost everything, except, to his tearful joy, his son, who is still alive (though who knows where). It seems all's well that ends well, but as I suspected, Hendrickson is not down for the count, and now he's got a radical new look out of nowhere! What could this mean? I'm pretty excited to find out. This was a great, well-paced chapter, and I'm looking forward to seeing the next stage of this arc now that Hendrickson's gearing up for a party of hell. 

Shokugeki no Soma chapter 76 - Takumi has challenged Mimasaka to a shokugeki in their match. On the line, the Aldini brothers' precious mezzaluna knife. Mimasaka is a cook only concerned about beating other with his skills. He has won 99 shokugeki's, taking away the most precious utensils from his opponents as his prize while laughing them right in their faces as he's doing so. Now, obviously, genre cliches kind of make it obvious that Mimasaka won't likely win this match, but this tension makes this match more interesting. The theme of their match is a lemon-based desert, and I dunno about Takumi, but his skillset seems to shine mostly in italian cuisine, but Mimasaka has no specialties, and that versatility will likely help him make a great dish out of the ingredients. Of course, Takumi is skilled, and I'm interested in seeing what kind of dish he'll think up.

Shonan Seven chapter 1 - A new manga by Tohru Fujisawa that isn't a lame GTO spinoff? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE. Anyway, this first chapter didn't do anything that notable, but it shows promise and the series' premise question of "what does it mean to be a badass" could make for an interesting story if executed right. At any rate I already like it more than GTO: Paradise Lost, so it's got that going for it.

Silver Spoon chapter 104 - Oh man, that free-range pig farm looks delightful, but I can see how troublesome it would be to maintain, considering you have to change the terrain every so often. That's something Hachiken and Okawa haven't thought about. They don't want to render the Mikage farm's land a heap of dirt, after all. But it seems Hachiken has finally decided what he wants to do with the pork - make pizza. We don't get more details outside of that, but he's got a plan and I'm sure we'll see it soon enough. In the meantime, we see the seasons change as life moves forward and everyone makes a little bit of progress in their goals, and ultimately the chapter ends with Hachiken and Okawa's pig giving birth to a litter of piglets. Also, Hachiken's father reflects on how hard Hachiken must be working in order to self-finance his company and, GASP, smiles. IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD RUN FOR YOUR LIVES WAHHHHHHH...no, but, seriously, it's a pretty big deal that Hachiken's father is finally impressed by something his son is doing. Now, unlike others, I don't fear the manga is ending anytime soon. I think there is way too much story and opportunities to take this story for that to happen in the next year. But certainly, a new chapter in Hachiken's life is about to open, one that I am highly excited to see unfold.

Stealth Symphony chapter 18 - Oh god, Jig has fucked Troma up. Last chapter wasn't kidding when it said he was going to pay the price for his neutrality. And with him in that state Alice is vulnerable to Slice's revenge. And the dragons are coming, so the city is pretty screwed as well. This was a pretty cool chapter overall, and since it's pretty obvious the series will be ending soon enough, I wonder where this will inevitably lead.

Toriko chapter 283 - Mappy has prepared to give up his life in order to become fertilizer for the Air trees. The Horse King Heracles does not need to eat, it only needs to breathe, and can survive on a single breath for an entire year. But one breath for it takes the same amount of air that can be found in the pacific ocean, and when it's about to give birth, it needs much more air than that in order to give birth to a strong, healthy foal. That air can be provided from the fruit of the great air tree, but the Nitro have stolen the capabilities to harvest them, leaving not only Heracles, but other Phantom Beast Heracs unable to get the air they need to grow to their full capabilities. Komatsu seems to have heard the voice of Heracles' air tree, though, and might be able to remedy the problem somehow. However, Heracles seems none too pleased at the sight of Komatsu's knife, which was made from the bone of another great beast. All in all, just another really awesome chapter of Toriko.

Rankings:

1. One-Punch Man - 10/10
2. Silver Spoon - 10/10
3. Toriko - 10/10
4. The Seven Deadly Sins - 9/10
5. Peephole - 9/10
6. Shokugeki no Soma - 8/10
7. Detective Conan - 8/10
8. Assassination Classroom - 8/10
9. Kuroko no Basket - 8/10
10. Magi: Adventure of Sinbad - 8/10
11. Stealth Symphony - 8/10
12. Shonan Seven - 7/10
13. One Piece - 6/10
14. Bleach - 3/10
15. Naruto - 1/10

Lots of chapters to read this week, but nearly all of them were enjoyable, and I'm happy about that. Lots of things to look forward to next week as well, so hopefully that'll be just as good a week as well.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Kodansha is holding a contest for Vinland Saga, the winners of which will win a piece of original artwork signed by Yukimura himself!

[LumRanmaYasha]

I caught up with a few more currently-running manga this week: A Silent Voice, A Bride's Story, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, and Orange. The first two are excellent, while Arslan and Orange are just decent, but I will talk about new chapters for all of them from now on as well.

A Bride's Story chapter 39 - Love at first sight? Lol, probably not, but Anis really seems smitten with Sirin just a bit too much. It's nice that's she's made a friend, though, especially one that's more down to earth and can probably teach her more about the world around her, which, being as sheltered as she is, would be helpful to her. But it seems her husband is getting a bit worried about her frequent visits to the public baths, and might forbid her to go anymore at some point. I wonder how Smith and Abli will factor into this story. They were mostly in the background during the twins arc, but Smith seems to be developing a friendship with Anis' husband and so he might have a much bigger role in this arc. In any case, it's clear this arc is about loneliness and friendship, two themes that haven't been explored yet in this travelogue. Wherever this arc is going should be more apparent next chapter, but not knowing where one of the bride's stories is going is one of Bride's Story's best qualities, and I look forward to seeing how this one ties into the narrative as a whole.

A Silent Voice chapter 44 - Holy fucking shit. This chapter was...wow. Right off this was incredibly potent and emotional stuff when Mrs. Nishimiya bows down to apologize to Shoya's mom for what happened to him. The look on her face pretty much says it all at just how ashamed and guilty she feels that he got hurt trying to save her daughter from committing suicide. God, this has got to be the most vulnerable she's ever been at this point, and it really shows. Moving on, Yuzuru bumping into Sahara and Nagatsuka, who've come to see Shoya, was a short, but nice scene. Shoya thought that he had lost his friends for good, but it's clear to see that these two still care a lot about him and, while they still are uncomfortable about what happened before, they are still there for him at this critical time. And then we get to Ueno and Shoko....holy shit is Ueno a fucking horrible person. She doesn't give a damn about what Shoko might be feeling right now, or how she's ever felt, being a deaf girl trying to fit in and constantly bullied. She beats her up, pulls her hair, and mocks the heartfelt letter she wrote to her where she explains just why she acts the way she does and that she does it for her sister's sake...right in front of Yuzuru, who must feel incredibly guilty about everything going on right now as well. And Shoko just takes the beatings and insults. Hell, she probably feels she deserves it. It's all so goddamn sad. So when Mrs. Nishimiya slaps Ueno right at the end of the chapter it was incredibly satisfying. Mrs. Nishimiya, to this point, has tried to protect her daughter by letting her fight her own battles and moving her from place to place when things don't work out. For her to lose her cool and slap a teenager is an incredibly aggressive and violent action from her (though it's more than justified...I mean, Ueno was beating Shoko half to death...). This chapter was just excellent on so many emotional levels. I've already re-read this one about 5 times already now because it's really that strong of stuff. I'm glad I finally tried and caught up with this series. I look forward to how this situation develops in the next chapter. I really want to see Shoko come to grips with what's happened especially. If there's one thing Ueno said that was true, it's that the poor girl needs to realize there are people who truly care about her and want her around.

Attack on Titan chapter 59 - Why did they make guns to use with the 3D maneuver gear, when it would be useless on Titans, but effective for killing other survey corps member? Exactly what is the point of making weapons to kill people on your side? That's definitely a mystery that I'm curious to find out. Armin feeling disturbed at having killed another human being was actually pretty well-done. The main focus of this chapter seemed to be on Jean figuring out his own way of doing what he believes is right, while accepting Levi's own strategies as well. It's felt a bit easy that those two Interior Brigade members went to their side, but it's not an implausible development and it was a good moment for Jean in any case. Frankly, I keep forgetting who Jean is most of the time so this chapter actually helped make his character more understandable and memorable to me. It looks like Levi's group is now prepared to rescue Eren and Historia, but of course there was that whole twist with Historia's father apologizing to her a chapter or two ago, so maybe they aren't in need of rescue or there's something bigger going on with this Reiss family conspiracy deal. Next chapter should be interesting, to say the least.

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall chapter 7 - This chapter was mostly Kyukuro and company running away and trying to combat the titans...which is something I've seen plenty enough of in the main series proper and thus was not really interested in reading. And that's really all there is to this chapter, running and fighting. It's a decent read, but this spinoff's strength is more in it's character development rather than it's action. I think next chapter, when Kyukuro probably defeats a titan and gains the trust and respect of the Survey Corp, will be more interesting. As it is, though, this wasn't a bad chapter.

Bleach chapter 588 - I still don't remember any of the Squad Zero members' names, but half this chapter is basically ducktail guy attacking Juha Bach. Yeah...I'm pretty sure that basically all of Squad Zero is going to fight and lose to Juha Bach, Uryu, and Haschwald before Ichigo arrives/intervenes, a la basically what happened to all the Soul Reapers in the Aizen fight. That just seems like a Kubo thing to do. Speaking of Kubo things to do, he pulls a twist out of nowhere by having Zombie Girl turn out to actually be a BOY!....for no reason. Also, how can Yumichika "smell the semen" on him? What does that even mean? But weird non-sensical dialogue is a pretty Kubo thing to do, so I shouldn't be surprised. I mean, earlier in the chapter Juha Bach did berate Haschwald for "showing emotion" after all. Anyway, Bambietta's back and a zombie now, so at least we finally know what the Sternritter quartet did with her. I thought for sure that was going to be a "two hanging corpses in Hueco Mundo" kind of deal. Actually, I kinda guessed it the minute Zombie Girl showed off her ability. It seemed obvious in the same way Uryu siding with the Quincies was earlier in the arc. So I guess Ikkaku and Yumichika are going to be fighting them now...which I of course don't care about but I do sorta of like Ikkaku and Yumichika for shallow reasons so at least this will be more entertaining to me than, say, a Histsugaya or Renji fight. "More entertaining" being a strictly relative term, of course. It still won't be actually entertaining.

GTO: Paradise Lost chapter 7 - Not only has Crunchyroll announced that they will be streaming the GTO anime, but they've picked up Paradise Lost for their manga section and will be simulpublishing new chapters! Ya....oh wait I forgot for a sec Paradise Lost has thus far been incredibly lame. This chapter is a good example of how this series is just going through the motions of the GTO formula, but completely lacking in the heart or comic energy of the original series. I'm going to wait out this first arc at least before I decide to drop it, but right now, this continues to be another thoroughly uninspired GTO spinoff.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapter 13 - This series has been hit and miss for me so far. I am genuinely interested in a couple of the characters, like Narsus and Gieve in particular, but much of the story has a whole has had it's dull stretches and catching up to this was a bit more tedious than I hoped. However, this chapter moved pretty quickly and a lot happened, from Pharangese and Gieve joining Arslan's group to Arslan and Daryoon finally confronting Kharlan in what should be a entertaining battle in the next chapter. I'd like to think that with Arslan's band now rounded out and the traitor finally being confronted the series will get more interesting and fun to read in the future, so I hope that'll prove to be true.

Hunter X Hunter chapter 346 - Thanks to Kurapika's efforts Pariston's scheme to get his assassins to infiltrate the Hunter's Association through the Hunter Exam failed. And we learn more about what kinds of Hunters the Zodiacs are and what their roles will be during the expedition. Ging has also won over Beyond's group in a month's time, and even Pariston sticks up for him when his assassins try to get Ging to leave the group. Honestly, this was kind of another expository chapter, and it didn't feel like too much of importance happened. These assassin guys are not really important and while a fight between them and Ging and Pariston might be cool I don't think it's really necessary. To this point quite a bit has actually happened in just six chapters since the series has come back, but I'd like for them to start the voyage to the Dark Continent sometime soon and get the story rolling., at least by the end of the summer, at least.

Kuroko no Basket chapters 268-269 - I finished reading Slam Dunk last week. I had already been spoiled at what the outcome of the match between Shohoku and Sannoh would be and the ending of the series, but that did not in any way lessen the sheer excitement and intensity of that match for me. I was on the edge of my seat for every play during that match and thoroughly invested in everything the characters were going through. I felt the tension, I got worried for Shohoku, forgetting that I knew they would win in the end, and felt elation when they things looked bright for them. From beginning to end it was an enthralling match and culminated in a glorious, satisfying, and emotionally rewarding payoff.

It might be unfair to compare this match in Kuroko to that, but really, this match should be KnB's version of that legendary match in terms of it's raw intensity, as it is the climactic match that has been built up for ages now and what the series has been working toward all this time. But while the last few chapters have been decent reads, as a whole, this match has been tedious, unfocused, and downright obnoxious at several points, and worse still, completely lacking emotionally. There was so much going on in that final match in SD as far as each player's character arc as well as their evolution as a team, and this match should be just as strong, since there were several components set up for this. Yet, for a match where it should feel that Seirin is giving their all and have a lot riding on it, all that has been swept under the rug to focus on unimportant aspects, only occasionally seeping through to wind down without satisfactory payoff. This doesn't feel like a big, climactic showdown. It feels like yet another match of the series, but completely tension less. So I read this chapter, see Seirin is desperate because EVERY PLAYER ON THE RAKUZAN TEAM IS IN THE ZONE (well, they try to mitigate this by saying they are only "half-in the zone"...which is a shitty explanation), and there are only two minutes left, and they are all completely, utterly exhausted...and then I feel I should care...but I can't bring myself too. And then in the next chapter, Kuroko's old childhood friend arrives and cheers him on, and then every other team Seirin has played against start doing the same and the entire stadium is filled with supportive cheers for Seirin and this should be a moment of hope and appeal to my emotional connection to their plight...but I still can't care.

Worse, the solution presented at the end of the chapter is for Kagami to try and active the second level of the zone. This damn thing really is a power-up, and sorry to say, but I feel this series really is basically a superpower sports manga at this point. It might not be a Prince of Tennis' level of absurdity yet, but once this second door thing happens, and no doubt it will happen, there's no turning back from that path. But the real problem here is that I should be feeling what I felt when I was reading the Shohoku vs. Sannoh match. This match should have been satisfying on many levels and I should have felt worried for Seirin when they were at their low points and gleeful at their highs. Chapter 269 should have been a very powerful, emotionally fulfilling event. But, all this time I've just found this tedious and almost every emotion has rung hollow to me. There were some bright spots here and there, but in comparison to just about any match in Slam Dunk and even early in this series it's been a joke. It is, easily, the worst match thus far in the series and not even Akashi dropping his asshole personality in the recent chapters can change my stance on that. And after seeing how great that final match in SD was, and how that series never, ever resorted to the kinds of gimmicks KnB uses in order to raise tension, I've come to dislike this match even more. As chapters, these two weren't by any means bad, but this match as a whole still is, and I can't help but be disappointed by that.

Magi chapter 231 - I don't really have much I feel like talking about in this chapter, but I quite liked it. Probably what's going to happen is that Il Illah will bestow upon Solomon some grand powers, and then Ugo, Sheba, and Arba will become the first three Magi.

Naruto chapter 684 - So Kaguya wasn't fighting with the intent to kill Naruto this whole time? That at least explains why she hasn't been able to crush him and Sasuke easily, since with her power they shouldn't even be a match for her. It's pretty obvious she didn't kill the original Naruto. The shadow clones still being in effect is proof enough of that. It seems the original is not in Kaguya's dimension, so it seems Obito and Sakura are planning to do something while Kaguya and Zetsu are taken aback by the fact the shadow clones are still there. Well, whatever they do it better work, but this is Sakura we're talking about...

Peephole chapter 31 - Well, it looks like Kurosu sure dodged a bullet there. Miyachi's boxing explanation for why Fujiura was so beat up was hilarious. It seems like Miyachi really wanted Kurosu to kill Fujiura, as some sort of weird development for their relationship. They've sure got one heck of a messed up romance. But wow, who the hell brutally murdered Fujiura like that when she should have been in Detective Schneider's custody? Could it have been a rival killer? But if so, how did he/she break into the Police Station and commit such a bloody deed so quickly and without notice. Hmm...

The Seven Deadly Sins chapter 85 - It looks like Merlin won't be rejoining the Sins after all, but she and Arthur will surely return later on in the story. They probably shouldn't have left so quickly, though, since Hendrickson is ready for round 2 and has caused a reaction in the demon blood in the new generation Holy Knights, which looks like some fatal news for Geera and Jericho. An interesting development, and one I wonder how the Sins will be able to resolve. Hendrickson just might accomplish his goal and revive the demon clan if these demon-transformed humans aren't stopped/saved in time. You know, perhaps he's been a demon all along. Sure would explain a few things.

Shokugeki no Soma chapter 77 - So Mimasaka is a copy-cat chef. He thoroughly researches his opponents and their dishes beforehand and how they make their dishes, and goes one step beyond, improving upon their dishes and out-performing them. Every step and ingredient Takumi's planned to use has been predicted by Mimasaka, leaving Takumi in a tight spot. However, Takumi is pretty ingenuity, and even though time is short, he should be able to tweek his dish in a way Mimasaka couldn't expect, and I'll be interested in seeing exactly how next chapter.

Stealth Symphony chapter 19 - It looks like this series will end next week. It's a shame, since this really did have a lot of potential in it's premise, but it's been ranking in the bottom of Jump ranking every week so it was only a matter of time. There's really not too much I want to say about this chapter myself. Toroma has suffered the consequences of his neutrality with both personal damage and losing a friend's life, that being Jig's, who has been mercilessly killed off in a pretty shocking fashion. There's only one chapter left, and with Jig dead, most of the plot points have been (albeit hastily) resolved. It's a pretty dark resolution, but probably the best Narita could do on short notice, and I get that. Well, I guess he'll be sticking with making light novels and not more manga anytime soon. A shame, really.

Toriko chapter 284 - Komatsu has heard the voice of "Air," and might be able to prepare it! However, the Horse King Heracles will not let anyone anyone touch "Air," and sure is hell won't permit anyone cross his continent without making a sacrifice first. But Komatsu needs Mappy and Kareru in order to get to "Air," and Toriko sure isn't willing to die yet. But his opponent this time is one of the Eight Beast Kings, the strongest creatures in the Gourmet World. Toriko doesn't even think he could last even five minutes, and that's a generous estimate at best. But it's sure to make for one hell of a battle to come next week, and I, for one, can't wait to read it.

Vinland Saga chapter 105 - Thorfinn's peaceful, non-violent approach to things makes him a different man from most other Vikings in that he has a different outlook on things and different values as well. Certainly Haalfdan didn't expect anyone would so easily, and unhesitatingly agree to lick his boots just for supplies. But for Thorfinn such pride is a frivolous thing and he has priorities he's cares far more about; as he says, licking a few boots or eating horse shit is a cheap price to pay if they can get what they need to colonize Vinland. It seems that Haalfdan is testing Thorfinn with the Narwhal horns. It's apparently not easy to hunt Narhwals, but he could make could good money off them, enough to help get the supplies they need. I'm sure Thorfinn is up to the challenge, and I look forward to seeing just how hard the job will be come next chapter.

Rankings:

1. A Silent Voice - 10/10
2. A Bride's Story - 9/10
3. Vinland Saga - 9/10
4. Toriko - 9/10
5. The Seven Deadly Sins - 9/10
6. Attack on Titan - 8/10
7. Shokugeki no Soma - 8/10
8. Peephole - 8/10
9. Hunter X Hunter - 8/10
10. Magi - 8/10
11. Kuroko no Basket - 7/10
12. Stealth Symphony - 7/10
13. The Heroic Legend of Arslan - 7/10
14. Attack on Titan: Before the Fall - 7/10
15. Bleach - 5/10
16. GTO: Paradise Lost - 4/10
17. Naruto - 3/10

Most of the chapters this week were quite good, with the top 5 being really, really good. I was harsh on Kuroko in my overview because of how bad this match as a whole has been, but the recent  chapters themselves were decent for what could be done at this point and I did honestly enjoy them more than a few other new chapters which I wouldn't give below a "7," so by default I had to give it a "7" this week as well. I really am thoroughly disappointed with the series at this point, though. Oh well.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I still haven't caught up with Kuroko (I'm just waiting for the series to finish at this point, or at least the match itself, before I read it), but from what I've seen, your opinion isn't alone. I've seen others compare it to the final match of Slam Dunk, and say that it's laughably bad in comparison. What worked in SD's final match is that you really grew to care about the characters and their own individual story arcs so much by that point in time. Their match with Sannoh was so intense because you really wanted to see them pull through, and when Sannoh had over a 20 point lead on them, you couldn't help but feel hopeless for a bit, yet the way Shouhoku turned it around by the end was both captivating and actually even believable. They earned their cheers from the crowd by the end of it. The characters might be simplistic, but Inoue Takehiko is a mangaka who knows people, and knows how to make his characters endearing people that you care about (something that he brought to a whole new level in REAL). Even when Kuroko no Basket was on its good games, I never really felt that connection to the characters like I did with Slam Dunk, which is why, even if it had stayed consistent in quality, it would never be a favorite of mine.

Also, that last shot was excellent. No dialogue or anything. Just pure intensity and heart. That last scene with Rukawa passing the ball to Sakuragi will forever be remembered as a classic. The 2 guys who couldn't stand each other the most finally acknowledged each other as teammates, and Rukawa finally trusted Sakuragi as a player, not with just any shot, but the most important shot of the match. It's a scene that worked so well because of all of the shaky history established between the two characters over the course of the entire series. Kuroko, IMO, doesn't have anything like that, and thus relies on power-up techniques to make matches and scenes interesting. Were this a manga that didn't take itself completely seriously like Eyeshield 21, that could actually work. But, unlike that much better series, it does take itself as seriously as Slam Dunk, so it just becomes an utter joke of itself without even realizing it.

All this talk reminds me that I really need to pick up Vagabond again. I never got far in it, so I'll just start it from scratch, but it's very possible that Takehiko may just be one of my favorite mangaka ever.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Yeah, I loved that last shot as well for the same reasons. It was the culmination of a rivalry that had lasted the entire series, resolved in a single moment of unwavering trust and respect. It's easy to see why that match is considered "legendary" and one of the most iconic moments in manga period. It easily became one of my top favorite scenes in manga.

And yeah, Kuroko has yet to make me invested in the characters as strongly, much less pull of an emotionally-charged moment nearly as well as SD. Even though I felt Miyagi and Rukawa didn't have enough character development at times, I still cared a lot about them in the games, which is more than I can say for any other characters at this point in KnB. And I actually wouldn't really call SD a "top favorite" of mine, but I really was invested in it's characters and story considerably and the final game was genuinely a page-turning and captivating experience for me.  KnB has yet to impress or endear me as strongly as SD did, and while I really did enjoy up until the rematch with To'oh, I can't say I'd consider myself a "fan" of it anymore, given how the series has been this match, and really, ever since the rematch with To'oh.

Whoever said Kuroko was the best currently running series in Jump is just flat-out wrong, sorry.

Anyway, Takehiko Inoue really is a great mangaka. I need to read and catch up to Vagabond sometime soon.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Desensitized, you just got your ass dissed.

To be fair, I did like the re-match with Kaijou (where they didn't use any of that "Zone BS at all"), and the flash-back arc was OK, but the bottom line is that, even at its best, I was never in love with the series. I think it's a good manga in its own right (keep in mind that I still haven't read up to date yet), but comes off as just an OK one when compared to the best sports manga out there.

For some reason, though, this is currently more popular than SD with American fans, but that may only be because it's still a currently running series. I think people will kind of forget about it a few years after it finally wraps up.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Yeah, there are quite a few people I've seen who genuinely prefer Kuroko to Slam Dunk. There are also a lot of people who have read Kuroko but not Slam Dunk, because Kuroko is a newer and much-talked about series. I'd say the series will be remembered about as much as Prince of Tennis is when it ends, expect maybe a fair more favorably.

[Spark Of Spirit]

My first Monster Perfect Edition is shipping tomorrow. Can't wait for a re-read of that.

Desensitized, you just got your ass dissed.

Wouldn't be the first time, especially from Cartoon X. I haven't read the manga since the last match began so I have no comment on it.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I just found out that A Silent Voice is actually supposed to end soon. I mean, considering recent developments in the story, I shouldn't be surprised, but since I only just read and caught up to it last week, I'm rather sad to see it will be ending shortly. Of course, the plus side to this is that now I'm sure the series will have told a concise, well-told and quality story beginning to end. I definitely wish I could enjoy it just a bit longer, but the author had a purpose in creating this story and is choosing to end it in the way she thinks is best, despite it's popularity, and I totally respect that. And of course, there's still probably around 15 or so chapters left, so I'll still be able to look forward to new chapters for at least another three months. Hopefully they'll all be great chapters, and this series ends as strong as I'm hoping.

[LumRanmaYasha]

So...DCTP received a cease and desist letter from Viz, and so they will no longer be translating the latest Detective Conan chapters. While I fully respect Viz and their commitment to releasing the series stateside, this news does sadden me, because the english releases of the manga are over 30 volumes behind where the series is at in Japan, and at the rate the series is being released, we're not likely to get caught up anytime soon. I'm bummed that it'll take a long, long time before I'm able to read more of the story, but it can't be helped unless another scanalation group picks up the series. I guess I can still watch the anime though, which, speaking of, I'd really like to watch legally too (make it happen, Crunchyroll!)

Anyway, manga:

A Silent Voice chapter 45 - Oh wow, Ueno actually felt guilt and regret for her actions. Not only that, but Sahara is still her friend after all of this. I feel that Ueno, selfish and despicable as she can be, does truly want to become a better person, but she's quick to anger and hurting others to relieve her own pain. I hope we see her change her ways before the series is over. But damn, the second half of this chapter, Yuzuru and Mrs. Nishimiya taking down the pictures...reflecting on all that's happened, what they did do, what could have been done, and Shoko coming in and the whole family bursting out in tears...that was a really powerful moment. It seems Shoko now has conviction in her eyes. She's done feeling sorry for herself, and thinking she's a burden. She's going to make things right again. I can't wait to see how.

Assassination Classroom chapter 93 - Heh heh, Class E's unconventional tactics and teamwork seem to be finally frustrating Asano. Not only that, but they seem to be doing a good job at riling them up and goading them into doing exactly what they want as well. Leaving only two people to guard the pole is risky, but they wouldn't do it, much less provoke the Class A members trapped under it into resuming their attack, if they didn't have some scheme in mind. It'll be fun to see exactly what that is in the next chapter.

Black Butler chapter 95 - Lately, I've been thinking over this series and it's storyline, and I actually think that I don't give it enough credit. This chapter, which explores Ciel's character in a pretty revelatory, effective way that made me reconsider his character arc thus far. Not only that, it feels like a true turning point for him as well, as perhaps he will drop his cold, harsh personality and adopt a personality truer to himself. What's more, the relationship between him and Sebastian seems to be something much more invested than the two forming a pact out of mutual, selfish aims. There's still a lot about them that I don't care for, but now I feel they are much better, and more interesting characters than I've given them credit for a good while now. As far as the plot goes, it seems that the Queen wants to meet with the Green Witch. Hmm, well she is up to a bunch of shady business what with her zombie army and all, so maybe this has something to do with that. I have to wonder if she's in league with Undertaker at this point, too. I guess I'll see where this goes, but at least Ciel's character development already makes this arc not pointless so I'm satisfied about that.

Bleach chapter 589 - I'm honestly surprised Kubo remembered Yoruichi existed. Her entrance was weird...was she hiding in Orihime's boobs or something? I mean, she stuck her hands from out of there so it kinda looked like it. Urahara recreated the Shiba family cannon which will get Ichigo back to the Soul King's palace. God, what's the point of having the guy go back and forth like this Kubo? And speaking of Shiba's, when the hell are Ganju and the Fullbringers going to show up? Anyway, it looks like Mayuri is going to be fighting Sternritter Z and Zombietta instead of Ikkaku and Yumichika...because Kubo got bored of the set-up, I'm guessing. This was just an annoying chapter, especially the lame-attempts at comedy in the first half of it, and I honestly don't care about Mayuri taking over the fight with Sternritter Z. It's hard for me to think of things to say about Bleach these days, especially with chapters as dull as these, and trying to write about it is making me lose enthusiasm in writing this post, so let's just move on now.

Fairy Tail: Ice Trail and Fairy Tail: Zero chapter 1 - Now, I know what you're thinking: "why is he going over a chapter of a Fairy Tail spinoff when he hates the series?" I couldn't help the curiosity. Mashima is writing and drawing two spinoffs for his series for monthly releases, and I couldn't help but see what their first chapters were like. Of course, both were meh. Ice Trail is apparently going to be about Gray's life after the death of Ur and before he joined Fairy Tail, and basically it looks to be a generic shonen story typical in every way imaginable. Zero is much, much more interesting, in that it's about Mavis and how the Fairy Tail guild was formed, but despite the promising premise the pilot chapter suffers from the same kind of terrible writing that I've come to associate with FT. Yeah...didn't expect much, didn't get much. I might check out a few more chapters of Zero, but yeah, so far these chapters were just more FT badness. Fuck 'em.

GTO: Paradise Lost chapter 8 - Onizuka rescues female teacher from female student bullies blah blah...Onizuka is being targeted by the angry fans of that idol kid he threw frogs on blah blah...geez, how this series manages to take the fun out of GTO is beyond me. Unless it gets better fast I'll likely drop it after this arc.

Hunter X Hunter chapter 347 - Heh, I should've known Pariston was using the Assassins to try and discover what Ging's power was. I love how Ging already knew that and just trolled him by using a power he's already seen before. It's interesting that Ging can use nen powers he's come into contact with. I wonder what other abilities he's got up his sleeve. Certainly, though, he's skilled in getting people on his side since he convinced Muhel to accept him as no. 2 of the group. I've been loving the tension between Ging and Pariston ever since the manga has come back, and can't wait to see how that dynamic will play out once the Dark Continent expedition get underway.

Kuroko's Basketball chapter 270 - So...only half the chapter has been scanned, for some reason, but basically Kagami activates the second door of the zone...which is called Synchro...because the entire team becomes "in sync"...YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH NO. Goddamit, Kuroko really has become a goddamn superpower sports series now like Prince of Tennis, and I really, really do not care for that, especially since the series has lost it's ability to pull off any weight or impact to anything that goes on anymore. Sigh. At least this match will be over soon...

Magi: Adventure of Sinbad chapter 29 - And thus the birth of the Sindria trading company! Sinbad's economic plan is interesting and it's cool to see the initial foundation,  ideology, and alliance his country would become based upon. I'm looking forward to seeing where the exploits of Sinbad's trading business leads him.

Naruto chapter 685 - Basically Sakura acted as a chakra battery as Obito located Sasuke and brought him back to where they are in Kaguya's dimension. Wow, Sakura sure developed into a capable and useful character, huh? Truly she is the epitome of a well-written and strong female character that all shonen manga should look to an emulate. I see you taking notes Mashima, what with Wendy cutting her hair in a manner similar to what Sakura did early on in the series except in your case it made zero sense to do and means little but THAT'S OKAY! The important thing is that Sakura's character arc evolved from having a crush on Sasuke and being useless to having a crush on Sasuke and being a power-up/healing tool for the boyz to use in battle when needed! Kishimoto truly is a genius character writer.

Seriously, fuck this chapter. I mean, why can't Kaguya just send Sasuke off somewhere again? There is frankly nothing, NOTHING that would stop her from doing that, and what, you'll do this again even though you just exhausted yourselves? This is a stupid ass plan. Honestly, this whole sending Sasuke off somewhere basically filler-y bullshit in a already dragged out and boring battle. I really hope this battle starts to wrap up soon...

One Piece chapter 753 - Lots of neat moments in this chapter, from Bellamy's confrontation with Doflamingo, to the enslaved Tontatta rebelling, to all of Luffy's tournament allies effectively organized against Doflamingo's forces in order to pave a patch for Luffy and co. to break through Doflamingo's castle. Admittedly a bit too much going on, but it was an entertaining chapter all the same.

One-Punch Man chapter 49 - Heh, Boros and his forces have finally all been destroyed. And it turns out Saitama still wasn't being serious in his fight with him. Of course he didn't.  All in all a satisfying end to this arc.

The Seven Deadly Sins chapter 86 - Ouch. The Sins got totally screwed over here. Hendricksen is half-demon like Meliodas after all and curbstomped the lot in his new demonic form...and he's also basically turned Helbram's corpse into a zombie puppet...goddamn. Elizabeth is willing to go with Hendricksen in order to save the Sins' life...but it seems Ban has entered the picture now. Is he going to betray Meliodas and try to kill him in order to ressurect Elaine, or will he help his friends take down Hendricksen? It could honestly go either way, and I can't wait to find our.

Shokugeki no Soma chapter 78 - Man, I died when Mimasaka's semifredo turned that one judge tsundere!  It looks like Aldini has used Olive Oil in a last minute attempt to touch up his semifredo, somehow. I gotta wonder how that one ingredient can so dramatically improve his dish? Hmm...

Stealth Symphony chapter 20 - The last chapter! All in all, while the resolution was typical, it was also satisfying and did a good job at leaving the series on a high note. It's a shame this series didn't do well, since it really did have potential, and Toroma and Slice were great characters I would have liked to see more of, but alas it wasn't meant to be. Hopefully Narita has better luck with his next manga. Until then, I guess I'll just go back to waiting for Durarara season 2.

Toriko chapter 285 - HOLY. SHIT. Wow, I mean, I wasn't expecting the fight between Toriko and Heracles to last long or anything...but I didn't expect there not to even be a fight in the first place. Heracles didn't need to do anything. All he did was exhale. Not even a lot, just a whiff. And the sheer force of the air pressure CUT TORIKO IN HALF AND DUG A FUCKING CRATER NEXT TO HIM. Goddamn. Toriko's going to live though this, that's a given, but I really wanna see how, and dangit, Mappy might really need to make that sacrifice at this rate. Excellent chapter, as usual.

Rankings:

1. A Silent Voice - 10/10
2. Toriko - 9/10
3. The Seven Deadly Sins - 9/10
4. One-Punch Man - 9/10
5. Hunter X Hunter - 8.5/10
6. Magi: Adventure of Sinbad - 8.5/10
7. Shokugeki no Soma - 8.5/10
8. Assassination Classroom - 8/10
9. Black Butler - 8/10
10. Stealth Symphony - 8/10
11. One Piece - 8/10
12. Kuroko no Basket - 5/10
13. GTO: Paradise Lost - 5/10
14. Bleach - 5/10
15. Fairy Tail Zero - 5/10
16. Fairy Tail: Ice Trail - 5/10
17. Naruto - 1/10

Overall a pretty good week. I'm really looking forward to next week's Silent Voice, Toriko, Sins, and Soma!

[LumRanmaYasha]

Viz's Shonen Jump to publish a one-shot by Psyren's author in the next issue.

The premise of this one-shot doesn't seem anything special, but this is nice to see nonetheless. I wonder if Iwashiro will come out with a new series in Jump sometime soon. Also, I need to finish Psyren sometime. I only ever read, like, a fourth of it. 

[Spark Of Spirit]

That's a series that I bet would have done REALLY well internationally if it was made an anime. I just get that impression from it.

The man does have potential, though, so I am certainly interested in what he does next.