Currently Running Manga Discussion

[LumRanmaYasha]

Hmm, I just found out that History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi ended this week. I've never read it, don't really plan to, but I know Spark and E-K have mentioned it before and hate it, so I felt that was worth mentioning.

Claymore is ending next month as well. It's interesting that quite a few long-running shonen titles are starting to end around the same time.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I heard about that a while ago. I used to keep up with that series because when it started out, it was a generic but still amusing shounen series. Then after the D of D arc it just went from kind of decent to absolutely shit, and stayed that way until I finally dropped it. From what I've heard from people who kept with it, the manga just stayed shitty until the very end. Perhaps one day I will write an article about it in terms of how NOT to write a good shounen manga. It's the perfect template for everything wrong with modern long-running shounen manga, in general.

[Avaitor]

Now I'm reminded that I haven't read Claymore in years.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Tired, so these will all be pretty brief comments. But, I have to say that this was a pretty enjoyable week for me:

A Silent Voice chapter 52 - Oh man, this was a powerful chapter. Completely wordless until the end, as Shoko runs towards the balcony where she almost tried to commit suicide and reflects on everything that's happened, and then runs to the bridge where she and Shoya used to meet, and then breaks down in tears. And then, at the same time she does, Shoya finally rewakens in the hospital. Moving stuff. I can't wait to see their reunion next week.

Attack on Titan chapter 61 - Hoo-wee, looks like Erwin's gambit paid off! The Police Corps are now aware of the government's corruption and selfish nature, and has turned on it in a military coup. This means that Levi and co. are no longer wanted criminals, and they can focus on rescuing Eren and Historia much easier. Speaking of which, it seems that they've been caught up in some kind of weird ritual. Wonder what's up with that.

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall chapter 9 - Aw man, Kyukuro's gambit failed. It was a good effort though. The action scenes in this chapter were phenomenal. It looks like Kyukuro is going to join up with the Survey Corps starting in the next chapter. It'll be interesting to see how his experiences with the Titans from this point on will lead him to create the 3-D maneuver gear.

Bleach chapter 596 - So, Kensei and Rose are actually dead then? I mean, they were dead to begin with, what with them being Soul Reapers and all, but then they died again, so are they the living un-dead dead now, or something? And Mayuri is just going to be controlling them like puppets from now on? Will Hitsugaya be like that now too? Geez, that's kinda sad. I dunno who gave a shit about those guys, but it's kinda callous to just make them brainless puppets for their own team so unceremoniously. And they are immune to Pepe's power because, being Mayuri's zombies, they are incapable of love. That...that's actually kind of amusing. Pepe's reaction did kind of sell that for me there. So, this guy's done now. What's her name Sternritter will probably off him. At least we're plowing through these guys fast now. Way better than when we had to spend three months to see Kenpachi take out fucking Gremmy.

Detective Conan chapters 905-906 - Grrr...I wish Conan could have met Sera's sister in this case so we could keep up the plot development. Oh well, it seems this new case might reveal some info on Rum. I mean, I doubt any of these suspects are actually Rum him/herself, but perhaps one of them or the victim had a connection to him/her or something. On the whole, a solid conclusion chapter for a case and a solid opening chapter for a case. An extra half-point for the Urusei Yatsura reference.

Fairy Tail Zero chapter 3 - I'm liking Mavis as a protagonist. She's smart and witty with a good sense of humor. Also she's not bland like the stereotypical shonen protagonist these days *cough* like Natsu *cough*, which helps things. I love how she outwitted that guy in the truth and lie game. So it looks like she's going to be joining up with the Treasure Hunters to get back the Tenrou Jade. This could prove fun. Then again, this is Fairy Tail, so I'm ready to bail the second it turns to shit, but it has been surprisingly enjoyable so far. I'm willing to see where it goes.

Fuuka chapter 30 - Yeah, this is totally the beginning of a friendly rivalry. Now that Fuuka and Koyuki have attracted the attention of Shelley Hornet, the #1 american singer, they are sure to get a boost of popularity and get pushed further along in the music industry. It'll be interested to see what develops from this encounter.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapter 15 - Arslan's got him a crew and Kharlan and his men are dead, but they are still outmatch by Lord Silver Mask's forces by a good 50,000 men to 1 ratio. And it seems the Masked Man is being manipulated by a mysterious sorcerer. Hmm. Wonder what's up with him.

Kyou Kara Yonshimai chapter 6-7 - I recently discovered this series. Just yesterday, in fact. It's a pretty interesting story about a transexual man, Kashiwa, and how his family takes the news of him wanting to become a woman, and her efforts to try and help out her struggling family while trying to get them to come to terms with his decision while trying to save up enough money to get a sex-change operation. These latest chapters were interesting since we are introduced to her girlfriend, and we learn how they met, and how intimate their relationship becomes, even though there are complications since Kashiwa is ashamed of her male body, which makes becoming sexually intimate with each other a difficult subject for them. Very well-done handling of the subject matter, and a genuinely sweet relationship between Kashiwa and her girlfriend that transcends their sexes, and instead is rooted in how much they love each other as people. This series has definitely caught my attention, and I look forward to keeping up with it from now on.

Magi chapter 238 - So Aladdin wants the Empires to form a treaty in order to combat Al Tharmen. Of course, that is easier said than done, since neither of them trust one another, and both Sinbad and Kouen are sure to have their own ambitions they'd rather pursue. I could definitely see them forming one, but going behind each other's backs and forming secret deals to further their own interests.  Like E-K, I want to see what Alibaba is going to do now, and whether he will accept Kouen's offer. I hope to see what he ultimately chooses soon.

Murcielago chapters 10-11 - Hmm, not sure what to make of this new story arc. Is Koumori related to the panty-thief after all, or is she just trolling for kicks? Or maybe there's a deeper case at work here (I mean, there is a new murderer that they want Koumori to track down). Still, Hinako's antics were pretty funny and amusing stuff, so I suppose it really doesn't matter.

Naruto chapter 692 - I was wondering how we'd transition to Naruto vs. Sasuke. Him being a murderous dick works as well as anything else, I guess. I'm sure this battle will end with some redemption bullshit for his character, so the cycle of hatred between the brothers finally ends and yadda yadda yadda. But hey, finally, it's the final battle of the series. Hopefully it doesn't last too long, and after it's done, the series will be over. So I don't care how this fight goes, so long as after it's done, I can finally leave this series behind me. I can taste the end. It's so, so close now....

One Piece chapter 760 - I always like a good ol' believe in Luffy moment, especially when it's on the part of a neutral/enemy character like Fujitora. It's nice to finally know Doflamingo's intentions after all this time, though perhaps this would have been a case where a one-chapter flashback would have worked. Can't really say much about the action in this chapter. It's fun seeing Doflamingo so pissed off, though, I suppose. Kind of a step down from the last two, but still, decent stuff.

One-Punch Man chapter 53 - Yup, so Genos is taking on the metal man in King's stead. Though it looks like it's a bit of a toughie for him to handle. I gotta wonder how King is gonna end up taking the credit for this guy's defeat. He's like the Mr. Satan of One-Punch Man, and I love him just as much. And as usual, amazing fight scenes in this chapter. Murata, you are the man..gaka that draws the best action sequences in the medium, showing off great stuff even in average, ordinary chapters like this. I salute you, sir.

The Seven Deadly Sins chapter 92 - Haha, wow. Last week I thought the Sins were gonna have a hard time fighting Hendricksen, but NOPE. They were just kicking his ass throughout this chapter. Looks like the oaf's demonic power ain't gonna do him any good against experienced fighters like the Sins after all. I loved the part where Ban was just slapping him, literally slapping him, around silly at the end of this chapter. Ho, boy. It looks like the demon he's been hoarding has been unearthed by Ban, now. Maybe it'll give him a power-up, or join the fight itself. And if Ban finds out it's the demon that killed Elaine, I gotta wonder just how pissed off he's gonna be, and if he'll go berserk or something. Now that I really want to see.

Shokugeki no Soma chapters 85-85.2 - Nice, this is taking a turn I didn't expect. We don't have to wait to see what Soma's got cooking, nope. He's done something pretty simple to help his stew be less tender - cooking beef tail meat. Since it's more gelatinous, he'll be adding viscosity to the stew, which will add depth to it without destroying it's mild flavor. But that snake Mimasaka totally predicted he would do that! Uh, oh, oh no! And what is that meat he's adding to the stew to go one step beyond Soma's dish? Oh man, I wanna find that out fast. My guess as to how this'll go is that Mimasaka will overdo the dish, ruining the balance of it compared to Soma's, which will make him lose. It'll be interesting to see if I'm right about that.

Toriko chapter 292 - This....this page image, man:

Spoiler

[close]

Man, Teppei is such a...HEART BREAKER!!! XD

God, how I love Toriko. First we go from an interesting insight into how the people of the Bewitched Food World came to be (turns out they're mutants, whudda guessed?), and then we've got NEO coming out of nowhere to ambush the gang, and Teppei literally rips Komatsu's heart right out of Komatsu's body, and CRUSHES IT WITH HIS BARE HANDS. That's just such an awesome moment to me that it doesn't ever matter that NEO's arrival wasn't really set-up nor will Komatsu die from this (he's got Gourmet Cells, he can regenerate anything), but geez, does this series know how to entertain. Once again, thank you, Toriko, thank you.

Rankings:

1. A Silent Voice - 10/10
2. Kyou Kara Yonshimai - 10/10
3. Attack on Titan - 10/10
4. Attack on Titan: Before the Fall - 10/10
5. Toriko - 10/10
6. Shokugeki no Soma - 10/10
7. The Seven Deadly Sins - 9/10
8. Detective Conan - 8.5/10
9. Fairy Tail Zero - 8.5/10
10. Magi - 8.5/10
11. One-Punch Man - 8.5/10
12. One Piece - 8.5/10
13. The Heroic Legend of Arslan - 8/10
14. Fuuka - 8/10
15. Murcielago - 8/10
16. Naruto - 2/10
17. Bleach - 1/10

Damn excellent week. 15 good chapters. 6 really great chapters. Yes. If only these kind of weeks would happen more often. Ah, but whatever. Just reflecting on this stuff has left me in a good mood.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Now I'm reminded that I haven't read Claymore in years.

I've been meaning to check it out for a long time, but I've heard mixed things. Most people seem to agree that it had a good start, though. Did you think it was a good series and just fell out of it at some point, or did it turn bad further on into it, which is why you stopped reading it?

[Avaitor]

Now I'm reminded that I haven't read Claymore in years.

I've been meaning to check it out for a long time, but I've heard mixed things. Most people seem to agree that it had a good start, though. Did you think it was a good series and just fell out of it at some point, or did it turn bad further on into it, which is why you stopped reading it?

I think that I fell out due to a combination of the series repeating itself, and I was just losing the time to keep up with manga. I would say that it's worth looking into the series from what the anime covered and a little bit beyond it, though.

But keep in mind that I'm very rusty on Claymore. There's a local bookstore here with the 4th through 7th or 8th volumes for pretty cheap, and I sometimes think about collecting those to refresh myself on it. Those are around the peak of the series too, if memory serves me correctly. Maybe next time I'm in town, I will to see if I still enjoy the series.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Hmm, I see. I'll still check it out one day, though probably not anytime too soon, since I have a ton of other series on my backlog I need to get to first.

[Avaitor]

I remember liking the large amount of butt-kicking ladies, while Riful ranked among my favorite villains. I just haven't got around to it in a while.

[LumRanmaYasha]

A new trailer for The Seven Deadly Sins anime is out, featuring some animation and voice-acting from the first episode.

Eh...gotta say, not a fan of Meliodas' voice. Kind of sounds forced too deep, to me. Dunno what to make of the animation yet. There are a few good dynamic sequences in there, but at this point it's hard to say if this will be Magi-level quality or not. Still, it definitely looks better than Fairy Tail has ever did, so that's good at least.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, now that Kuroko no Basket is done, I have a free spot for another Jump sports manga, so I figure I'll start following Haikyuu since I don't have that much catching up to do and the first season is ending with the next episode.

As for my backlog series (as in, the ones where I'm way behind on them and have to marathon them whenever I have enough free-time), I'm still sticking with the 3 that I've been following over the past month, which are Berserk, JoJo, and Vagabond. So, it'll be a whole before I can free up a space for Vinland Saga, but most likely I'll catch up to Vagabond before the others.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I finally managed to catch up to Haikyuu!!, which as it turns out isn't really that far ahead of where the first season of the anime is going to end. It's surprising how quickly some series get adaptations these days, although the series is clearly insanely popular in Japan right now.

Overall, the quality of the series is about on par with what Kuroko no Basket was before it got incredibly stupid and over the top with insane techniques. My only major gripe is that it plays it too safe, and I can't help but feel that I can predict what's going to happen right now. Karasuno is going to pull through their current match, and Seijoh is going to beat Datekou, and then they'll square off against Karasuno for a re-match, which Karasuno will most likely win because it's their "revenge" match after losing the last time. After that point, they'll go up against Shiratorizawa in the local representative finals, and to be fair, I can't predict whether they'll win that one or not just her, but the chances are in their favor for plot convenience, since this is the last time that the 3rd years can play before having to leave the team for good, and they have a goal of playing against Nekoma in the nationals.

Of course, that's all just predictions on my part, but I'm virtually certain that's how it's going to play out, and I really hope that it doesn't, because then it really is just another cliche sports manga. Granted that, I do still obviously find it enjoyable enough to keep sticking with it, but I can see myself being burned out in it before long. What would really be interesting is if Datekou won the match against Seijoh and went on to face Karasuno for THEIR "revenge" match. It'd defy expectations and show that just because the main characters have their own goals, it won't always play out how they predict. Datekou is a team that they previously beat, so it only goes without saying that they would want a re-match with Karasuno and much as Karasuno wants a re-match with Seijoh, and considering that every team trained super hard since the last competition, they could conceivably be an entirely different team, and good enough to take on a team that even managed to defeat Karasuno. Still, the most likely outcome is going to be Karasuno vs. Seijoh, which is basically the exact same thing as the Seirin vs. To-oh rematch from KnB, except with volleyball instead of basketball.

[LumRanmaYasha]

I want to get caught up on Haikyuu!!, but I fell out of the anime around the second or third episode and haven't been motivated enough to pick it back up since. Still, I want to be caught up on all the major currently running Shonen Jump series by the end of the year (well, except maybe Gintama...since I doubt that I'm going to be able to finish reading it by the end of the year considering how many chapters there are and how dense it is...), so I will get around to it again before too long. For now, I'm just going to hit up World Trigger since it's shorter, the Weekly Manga Recap guys keep raving about it, and the anime is coming out in October, so I'd like to have an opinion on the series formed before that comes out. After that, I'll get back on Haikyuu!! and finish catching up on Nisekoi, and then I'll only have Gintama left and just take my time with that one.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Not the most exciting of weeks, and there was a lot of mediocre stuff, but there was a lot of good stuff too that I ended up re-reading a few times, so that was nice.

A Silent Voice chapter 53 - I honestly was expecting the reunion of Shoya and Shoko to be a bit more dramatic, but as it is it made for a sweet scene where they realize the other is okay and become elated. I also enjoyed the sequence at the beginning of the chapter where Shoya has a "what-if" dream, mirroring that of Shoko's last week. Both of them regret the way things turned out back then, and no doubt they would have been different if Shoko wasn't deaf and Shoya hadn't been desperate for attention. Of course, those past mistakes have made them close to each other in the present, and luckily, that bond prevented either one of them from doing harm to themselves. Of course Shoya was injured trying to stop Shoko from committing suicide, but he's alright now, and now that they both have in each other somebody willing to go to any lengths to protect/help each other, they can start leaving behind their regrets and self-depreciating thoughts and start moving forward and living happier lives. Since the plan was to make the movie in order to support Shoya's recovery, I wonder how that will change now that he is out of his coma? Certainly, there are still amends and loose ends that need to be tied up, and I'm sure the project will still move forward, with Shoya's involvement now that he's recovered. Since the series is ending onf November 12th, there should still be around 7 or so chapters of the series left at this point, so I'm eager to see how everything will be resolved from this point in that remaining time. 

Black Butler chapter 97 - Um, so, this took a turn I didn't expect. The werewolves aren't actually werewolves. They were just guys in costumes. And the Werewolves lair was just a disguised factory. And the witch isn't really a witch...or maybe she is, I dunno, but she didn't make a potion like she thought she did, but instead unknowingly made a poisonous gas. So, they crippled her just for the sake of an elaborate farce and to keep up the lie until she created the poison? Why did they need to do that? And why the hell did they need a child to make a poisonous gas for them again? I'm very confused at this development. I guess I do feel bad for Sullivan, since she's likable and keeps getting screwed over and stuff. Hopefully she gets vindicated when Ciel and Sebastian brutally murder these assholes (assuming they will, since this is BB after all).

Bleach chapter 597 - Lillioto has eaten Pepe. Alright, hey, that's at least one less annoying Quincy to deal with. Still, it's rather bizarre that all these minor antagonists have been wiped out so relatively quickly compared to before when we spent months on a single fight. Of course, this chapter has introduced yet another new antagonist in the form of Sternritter W, whose addition is pointless considering that not only do we not need to see Squad 0 waste their time dealing with one of Ywach's lackeys, but also because Ywach makes it clear in this chapter that he is on a whole other level in terms of power, and likely, would be able to wipe the floor with every member of Squad 0 a la how Aizen was able to outmatch all the Soul Reaper Captains and Vizards back in the Arrancar arc. Since Ichigo and co. are finally going back to the Soul King's Palace, then at least they'll be a part of the story again, and hopefully the final conflicts will not take an absurd amount of time.

Fuuka chapter 31 - It seems that the band, now dubbed Full Moon thanks to Fuuka accidentally giving the english translation of her own name to Shelly when she asked what the band's name was, will most certainly increase in popularity and notoriety and get a foothold in the industry. Interestingly enough, Koyuki's confession that she will continue to love Yuu even if he doesn't feel the same way has drawn an objection from Fuuka. Perhaps she will admit that she also has feelings for him, or maybe she'll try and argue that both of them should have an open, public relationship, since she knows they both do care about each other, though Yuu may also have feelings for Fuuka as well. Fuuka is a fairly selfless person, but she's also blunt, so I wouldn't be surprised if she issues some sort of a challenge to Koyuki over Yuu, though that's kind would be kind of awkward to do in Yuu's presence. As far as Yuu goes, he most certainly wants to be around Fuuka and stay in the band, but he's definitely not self-aware enough to know yet which of the two girls he would want to start a relationship with. Regardless of the romantic issues, I do think that, like I've been saying for the last few weeks, that Fuuka and Koyuki are going to become rivals in the music industry, and perhaps the next chapter will be their official declaration of such.

Kyou Kara Yonshimai chapters 8-10 - It was nice seeing some chapters devoted to Momiji, and her understanding of what's going on with the rest of her family, and he attempts to develop a better social life. That made for some cute moments with that boy who has a crush on her (whose name I can't remember right now), as well as some good development for her character. The big development that came from these chapters is the revelation that Botan is sleeping around with married men, and the rest of the family finding this out, and deciding to confront her about it while she's still at the love hotel. Considering her line about how she's had enough of her own family, I feel it's clear that Botan is having these relationships has a means of relieving the stress and anxieties she's had from having to raise her younger siblings on her own in her parents' stead and her desire to have somebody she can depend on, a strong male figure in her life, which she's lacking. But it's clear she doesn't want to have a steady relationship with any men, which is why she spurs and laughs off the though of having one with Hatori or the other man, and is instead looking for easy comfort, and an escape from her daily life. Whatever the case, this development will surely cause a rift in the family, and perhaps that of her coworker's as well, and the fallout should be interesting to see.

Magi chapter 239 - It doesn't look like a treaty between Kou and Sindria will happen, but Kouen does seem like he's planning to oust Gyokouen and Al Tharmen from his country. Judar's arrival to the summit interests me, since it seems he wants to ally with Aladdin's cause, which makes sense since he isn't really loyal to Al Tharmen but more so his own ambitions of power. Of course, he's sure to have some conditions or something of the sort that will agitate the others and reject whatever he offers, so what his true aim is feels uncertain, but perhaps he just want to stir the pot and cause greater tensions between the groups to sabotage their chances of working together. And of course, if Judar is here, where is Hakuryu? Perhaps a reunion between him and Aladdin in co. is not too far off.

Magi: Adventure of Sinbad chapter 34-35 - It seems they just skipped chapter 33, for some reason. In any case, this was more of a wrap up of events for the Sindria trading company's establishment in Reim, while the other chapter showed Ja'far activate his metal vessel powers for the first time, and it seems Drakon has returned to Partevia, which will probably be the catalyst for the next arc. Overall not very memorable chapters, but served their role of transitions/set-up into a new arc well enough.

One Piece chapter 761 - Meh, for a chapter that reveled as much as it did, it came off completely boring and underwhelming. It was nice to finally know why Doflamingo still holds power with the World Government, the reason why Doflamingo coveted Law's power, and the beginnings of the flashback showing how Law joined Doflamingo's crew and met Corazon. But, the combination of messy artwork, poor transitions, and wordiness made all of this less interesting than it should be, and the chapter was a tedious read. Though I've been wondering when we would get Law's flashback, I didn't expect the transition to it would have been so sloppy and out of place, especially since they just started the fucking battle with Doflamingo and stuff and I'd rather see that instead at this point. Just a pretty bad chapter, overall.

Peephole chapters 38-39 - Uh oh, looks like the Yakuza have come to kidnap Yawagiwa or something. Is this part of Miyachi's plan? Kind of doesn't feel like it, since she prefers to do killings herself and all. As for Kurosu, just when it seems he's going to do the right thing and confess to Yawagiwa that Miyachi killed her brother, the circumstances have put him peril once again, and he'll no doubt be relying on Miyachi again to get him out of this jam. The guy just sinks deeper and deeper into a whole lot of shit, and I have a feeling, after this arc, he isn't going to be able to wash himself clean of it.

The Seven Deadly Sins chapter 93 - I don't know why I forgot that Ban had already killed the red demon in his flashback last week. But the moment where he punched the gloating Hendricksen into the ground after informing him that he had already defeated it years ago was priceless. I forgot Hendricksen was keeping that other demon around too, and with this new power-up, he will likely be a lot harder for the Sins to deal with. I'm still thinking that he'll overpower the Sins so much Meliodas will have to use his demonic powers again, but I guess we'll see about that.

Shokugeki no Soma chapter 86 - Bacon garnish on a beef stew! Mimasaka, you magnificent, evil bastard! A creepy one, too, since it seems he discovered the trick to Soma's dish by literally hiding under Mitsunari's desk and reading his pre-written report on Soma by hacking his PC beforehand. Yeah, you did fuck up Mitsunari. But Soma didn't reveal all his tricks, because he's brought out a slew of different beef parts and is cooking them simultaneously, promising the judges he will show them a "beef amusement park." I dunno what the hell that is, but I do know finding out will indeed be amusing.

Space Brothers chapter 236 - Last time I said I wanted Carlos to somehow return to the team...but really, what I wanted was Carlos to be of use to the team somehow even though he still wouldn't go into space. He fucked up, after all, and so he should have been left with the consequences but still be able to support his friends through some way and make up for that. But nope, that's not the direction we're going. We're just going to have Mosh break his arm leg in a stupid, contrived accident. Y'know, Mosh never got to be developed as a character, but he should have, and the team should have come around to accepting him as part of the group. Instead, he's just being written out pretty coldly, and clumsily, just so that Carlos can return to the group and things can be how they used to. This was just really poorly done as a whole. I suppose though, since I do like Carlos, I can get past this if the series can pick up the pace and get back on track with some better done material again.

Starbiter Satsuki - I figured I might as well read this. I don't tend to expect much out of one-shot, especially so from one done by Hiro Mashima, but likewise, since it is a Mashima work I knew it had to at least have some decent gags. And I suppose there were a few comedic moments that were humorous enough. The core story of it wasn't anything that innovative; just your typical collect-them-all kind of story. Of course, another reason I read this is because I noticed that the main character was female, which is uncommon in shonen, and I did find her character enjoyable to the extent I would try out a regular serialization of this premise for at least a few chapters. I also appreciated that the fan-service was tame, especially considering Mashima's track record. It wasn't anything special, but I'd say it could have potential as a series since, at the very least, the main lead is far more interesting than Natsu ever has been. So as far as one-shots go, it did do it's job decently enough, but it's a generic shonen beginning chapter that just plays as a wash to me, so I'm pretty meh on it overall.

Toriko chapter 293 - Quick-paced, action-packed, gloriously violent...damn, do I love Toriko. They wasted no time engaging with the NEO members and dealing with helping reawaken the fallen townspeople and start trying to save Komatsu's life. And Toriko is super fucking pissed off. Like, I haven't seen him this pissed off in a long, long, long time. And he massacres the lot of the NEO members, fucking blowing two of them right in half, and even landing a critical punch on Shigematsu, who used to be the #2 in the IGO before he defected. I'm not sure that he's defeated for sure, I mean, he was the second most important person in the IGO after Ichiryu at one point, so he had to be pretty powerful, but there is always the possibility that what's happening now is some sort of illusion manufactured by Teppei or Shigematsu's Beast, and I wouldn't be surprised if that really is the case. In any case, though, Toriko beginning a fight with Teppei and the entire line "AS FOR YOOOOUUU!!! I won't forgive you, Teppei!" was badass as fuck and made me so pumped to see more...until I realized that was the last page of the chapter and got bummed. But, super excited for next week, since Toriko vs. Teppei should should be a damn interesting, intense fight, though perhaps not too long since I don't think it's yet time for Teppei to return to his senses and defect from NEO, nor do I think, even in his rage, Toriko could justify killing someone who used to be a good friend of his, especially since Teppei's been brainwashed and stuff so he's not really in control of his own actions. In any case, this is is exciting stuff, and I can't wait to see more.

Rankings:

1. Kyou Kara Yonshimai - 10/10
2. Toriko - 9.5/10
3. A Silent Voice - 9/10
4. Shokugeki no Soma - 9/10
5. The Seven Deadly Sins - 8.5/10
6. Magi - 8.5/10
7. Peephole - 8.5/10
8. Fuuka - 8/10
9. Magi: Adventure of Sinbad - 8/10
10. Black Butler - 6.5/10
11. Space Brothers - 6.5/10
12. Starbiter Satsuki - 6.5/10
13. One Piece - 6/10
14. Bleach - 3/10

[LumRanmaYasha]

While we're on the subject of good currently running manga, right now, I'd say my Top Ten Favorite Currently Running Manga are:

1. Princess Jellyfish [josei/slice-of-life]
2. Silver Spoon [shonen/slice-of-life]
3. REAL [seinin/sports]
4. A Silent Voice [shonen/slice-of-life]
5. Vinland Saga [seinin/action]
6. Kakukaku Shikajika [josei/slice-of-life]
7. A Bride's Story [seinin/slice-of-life]
8. Space Brothers [seinin/slice-of-life]
9. Yotsuba&! [shonen/slice-of-life]
10. Detective Conan [shonen/mystery]

I feel like I should explain why I like these...but I'm kinda tired and have to deal with other stuff at the moment, so I'll have to beget that for now. But as you can see, most of my favorites seem to fall under the "slice of life" category, which is honestly pretty broad since none of those series are anything alike, except that they focus on more "ordinary people" and their problems and/or experiences as they try to find their way in life (hey, maybe that's why they are so good!).

BTW, I left off Berserk, One Piece, and Hunter X Hunter because it's hard for me to really rank them on a "how good they are now" basis. OP isn't as good as it once was, HXH keeps going on hiatus and the current arc hasn't become all that great yet, and Berserk has both those problems. All three are still good series overall, just not good enough in new chapters to properly stack them against more consistent series. I'm also not caught up with Billy Bat or Gintama so I kinda had to leave those two off too. Admittedly, there's also a few chunks of DC I've still never read (basically around volumes 30-40 & 50-70), but I've been keeping up with the new chapters for three years and I've still read most of it so I'd say my opinion on it is pretty set, though I as an aside I actually like the anime for DC better and it ranks significantly higher as a favorite on my anime list.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

REAL is my personal favorite, but honestly I'm not keeping up with that many manga due to time restraints and a huge back-log. I'm still trying to catch up with Vagabond, as it is. I also still need to play catch up with Space Brothers, which I'm still fairly far behind on.