Animation Revelation's Animation Blog

Sorry for posting this so late, but ho boy, this was a monster to write up. There were eleven series in this issue, and I had to balance writing this while also doing a bunch of Clusterfuck reviews AND finish all of the far more important schoolwork I needed to get done. So, forgive me if I keep the introduction short this time and we just dive right into things, okay? Besides, if you want to know my thoughts on all the Jump anime adaptions that came out this season, the Clusterfuck should be out soon enough, and I’ll probably talk a lot about the MHA anime in particular on the next episode of my Manga Mavericks podcast.

Anyways, in this week’s issue, Jack gets smacked, Yaoyorozu talks economics, and Korosensei lucks out at the races. Also, gasp, could it be? Osamu was actually useful in a fight? Huzzah! Oh, what a joyous day to be a member of the Unofficial Osamu Fanclub! All this and more, After the Jump!

Weekly Shonen Jump: 2016, Issue No. 18

One Piece chapter #821 – “Understood”

While taking Jack out so unceremoniously feels like it should be labeled an anti-climax, it’s just so surprising that it turns around and becomes awesome. This guy has been built up throughout this entire arc and has dealt massive damage to Zou and it’s people. It’s only fitting, then, that Zou itself is the one to take him out. It’s such sweet karma, and the irony of a mammoth-man being swatted aside by an elephant only adds to how satisfyingly appropriate it is. I’m really glad Oda went this route. For one thing, it allows us to learn more about Zou, or rather Zunesha, and learn a little about its past. Who Zunesha really is, and what crime it committed, are intriguing mysteries that will no doubt tie into the greater lore about the Void Century, the ponyglyphs, and the One Piece. It also spares us the arc from digressing into another “Straw Hats saves town from pirates” story, allowing the series to continue its forward momentum and dive into the more interesting and pressing conflicts with Kaido and Big Mom.

If you didn’t think Momonosuke was going to be a big deal before, he’s most certainly confirmed to be now. He has a power even Luffy doesn’t have – the ability to respond to beings like Zunesha and give them orders. Luffy being able to hear Zunesha but unable to talk to it is similar to how he could hear the Sea Kings back in the Fishman Island arc but wasn’t able to communicate with them. In fact, Mononosuke is very similar to Shirahoshi in that regard, in both have this unique ability to communicate and control legendary creatures. We know why Shirahoshi has her power; she’s the ancient weapon, Poseidon. So could this mean that Mononosuke is the last remaining ancient weapon, Uranus? Perhaps, but I have to wonder why Oda would make two of the ancient weapons human beings. After all, Pluton is a ship, so I feel that Uranus should similarly be something different in form than the other ancient weapons. Considering Mononosuke’s line about traveling with Roger, I have a feeling that there’s more to the guy than we’ve been led to know, and he’s something even more important than even the ancient weapons. Regardless, this chapter pretty emphatically declares “HOLY SHIT MOMONOSUKE IS A BIG DEAL YOU GUYS” in big, flashing neon letters, and it’s going to be both interesting and frustrating trying to figure out exactly what his deal is.

But the surprises don’t stop there. Damn, that last panel! Even on a Den-Den Mushi, I’d recognize those keyboard teeth and his signature “Appa pa pa” laugh anywhere. Yes, it looks like Scratchman Apoo is alive and well and in league with Kaido. Considering the last time we saw him he and his fellow Supernova partners Kid and Hawkins were staring the man down, I think it’s safe to assume they’ve allied with Kaido as well. With Jack supposedly taken out, will Apoo now go after the Straw Hats for revenge on Kaido’s behalf? Looks like both halves of the crew are going to have to deal with Supernovas in addition to Yonkou, and those are some pretty exciting circumstances. Every chapter Oda has just been raising the stakes and making things crazier and crazier, and every new development has just been golden. Now, let’s have Luffy make good on his word and take off to Big Mom’s, eh? Seriously, considering this is supposed to be the “year of Sanji,” there’s been surprisingly been little Sanji in it so far, and while I’ve been loving all the world-building and changes in the status quo, I think it’s time to start focusing on the guy, y’know?

 My Hero Academia chapter #85 – “Nothing but Fools”

Public opinion of heroes has become more negative in light of the villain attacks. It’s gotten to the point where Midoriya’s mom questions whether Midoriya should even be going to U.A. anymore. But it makes sense why people feel that way. The recent villain attack was the third time students from U.A. got tangled up in a life-or-death with villains. One time was already too much, but there’s something clearly wrong with U.A.’s security and safe-guards if they’ve run into this problem three times, and Bakugo’s kidnapping was a major disaster that doesn’t speak well of their ability to protect their students. Of course, we know that U.A. is doing the best they can but there are things out of their control, but any public or government institution would be criticized and doubted after experiencing the same problem and scandal several times. The lack of faith in U.A. is going to cause public inquiry into their practices, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the government begins an investigation on them and starts monitoring their activities more closely.

But a hero fights for what he believes is right no matter what the public thinks of him. Midoriya doesn’t mind how dangerous things get, because in receiving All Might’s power he was given the ability and the responsibility to fight for what’s right and for the sake of others. Uraraka has the wrong idea when she decries the rescue team’s efforts because Bakugo wouldn’t want them to. If they can help Bakugo, they have to, no matter what he wants or thinks, because that’s simply what heroes do. That might be selfish, but it’s a selfishness born of selflessness. There’s a difference between heroism and self-righteousness. Heroism is altruistic, born of a desire to help others in danger and in need. The rescue team isn’t out for revenge or to fight the League of Villains, but to stealthily and covertly retrieve him from under their noses. While there are some hot-headed members in the party, and things will inevitably go wrong, the presence of Ida and Yaoyorozu gives the group tactical and level-headed perspectives to keep the group in line and focused on their goals. They do not care about satisfying some shattered pride or avenging a defeat, but only in rescuing their friend from a dangerous situation.

Contrast with the League of Villains, whose members are all driven by their selfish wants or ideals. Shigaraki prattles on about how the public sucks for criticizing heroes even though they’re just doing their job, and Spinner condemns heroes for fighting for glory and money instead of altruism. Both claim to want to make the world a better place, but what they really want is a world that conforms to their worldview, and gratifies their perspective. Shigaraki says it himself – “he loves to win.” He’s trying to undermine the system he feels has oppressed him, and drag everyone down with him in a spiral of mistrust and violence. But unlike Spinner, who at least is on a pretentious moral crusade, he doesn’t have any grand, worldly intentions. As Bakugo puts it, all he wants to do is “cause trouble” for the sake of satisfying his own butthurt ego.

So where does Bakugo fit into all this? Well, he sure as hell isn’t going to side with these posers. Bakugo hasn’t just always wanted to be a hero, he wants to be THE hero. Like Midoriya, he wants to be just like All Might. In fact, the excited way he sways back and forth watching All Might as a child mirrors what Midoriya was seen doing in the first chapter/episode. For different reasons, mind you. Midoriya admires how All Might pushes himself to protect people in need, but Bakugo admires how he keeps fighting in the face of adversity and despite impossible odds.  The reason Bakugo is so often frustrated with Midoriya is because he wants to be the hero, the best hero, but Midoriya has consistently taken attention away from him with his triumphs.

In this way, he is similar to Shigaraki, in that he does want the attention and glory that comes from being a hero more than he cares about helping people. But at the same time, he would never stoop so low as Shigaraki to get that attention. For one thing, Bakugo does care about other people’s safety, as shown when he dissuaded Midoriya from going after him after seeing what condition he was in, so he isn’t completely selfish. But moreover, what Bakugo loves most is facing impossible odds. He literally smiles in the face of adversity. His idea of being a hero is overcoming impossible odds in a flashy, triumphant way. There’s no glory in being a villain. Bakugo isn’t out for blood, nor is he hungry to fight, but he does wants people to recognize his capabilities and praise his accomplishments. He’s very direct about what he wants, and lets his actions speak louder than words. Shigaraki’s crusade has nothing to offer him because he doesn’t feel oppressed by the hero system. Rather, the fact he has to work harder to get recognized just motivates him and makes him appreciate those like All Might all the more.

Things in MHA just keep getting more intense, but this chapter also offered some enjoyable comedy to balance out the seriousness of the rest of the chapter. Some strong character development was presented for Bakugo here that contrasts him with Midoriya in interesting ways, and the reveal that Shigaraki is his father adds another layer of intrigue and tension to the circumstances. After this chapter, it’s clear Bakugo isn’t going to turn traitor, leaving it all the more curious as to what the villains plan to do with him now. The danger has only increased for him and the rescue team, and it’ll be interesting to see how all of this will blow up as the arc progresses.

 Food Wars! chapter #161 – “Dueling Performance”

I said last week that the conflict between Soma and Azami wasn’t particular compelling because of how generally indifferent the former has been towards the latter’s machinations. While he won’t stand for Central threatening his friends and home, he holds no grudge and has no reason to actively oppose their plans. He doesn’t approve and isn’t pleased with their methods, sure, but he accepts it all the same. Soma isn’t willing to align with the system, but he doesn’t mind working within it either. Compared to Alice, who has an emotional incentive and drive in seeing Azami and Central fall, Soma seems less like an active rebel and more like someone unwittingly a part of a crusade he holds no investment in.

Since Alice and Erina have more of a personal stake in seeing Azami and Central fall from a character and thematic standpoint, Soma really needs a different rival to spur him into action against Central’s regime. Tsukasa seems to be the perfect characters for the job. Not only does his shaky lack of confidence contrast with Soma’s self-assured bluntness, but they both mutually respect each other, and Tsukasa holds a title Soma aims to claim. There’s more to connect these characters together as rivals than there is between Soma and Azami. Considering Soma’s character is driven by his desire to become a better chef, and the frustration he felt after his loss to Hayama, Soma becoming a target or losing a match to Tsukasa would give him more drive to challenge the Council and Elite Ten then anything Azami could do.

This chapter addresses a criticism I’ve had of Soma’s stake in the arc and shifts his role into a more effective direction. Plus, it opens up new avenues in which to explore Tsukasa’s character. Since he’s the first seat, we know his skills must be on another level than the other student chefs at Totsuki, and while we’ve seen him at work, we may now see how that translates in a more competitive setting. Moreover, it still remains a mystery as to why Tsukasa allied with Azami and what his goals are. If the series contrasts differing philosophies on cooking between Soma and Tsukasa, it can also create more tangible thematic stakes to accentuate the storyline. Really, there’s a lot of potential with this development and where it may go, and no matter what Soma’s response to Tsukasa prompt is, it’ll should no doubt prove eventful.

Blue Exorcist chapter #78 – “It’s All Right if I Don’t Go Back”

 

Shura has always been an enigmatic character, but has put up a front of maturity and confidence. But as this arc has shown, Shura is in fact very emotionally underdeveloped, and unsure of herself and her purpose in life. We’ve always known she had a connection with Fujimoto, but these last few chapters have shown that more than a teacher he was really a father figure to her, and without out she would’ve never had the life, opportunities, or friendships she now has. Shura believes that she needs to live for a purpose, but when she’s about to die, she’s reminded of what Fujimoto once told her, and ponders if she can live for the sake of living. Shura has always lived for the sake of serving others, but now she’s starting to realize she can live for herself, and her own happiness.

Shura’s daughterly relationship with Fujimoto also characterizes her relationships with Rin and Yukio as sisterly, which has been reflected in their various character interactions throughout the series. But it also makes it more than fitting that they are the ones who will help Shura and set her free from the fate imposed on her. All three owe a great debt to their “father,” Fujimoto, and are bonded in their connection and relationship with him. In a way, all three of them are family, and just as Shura can rely on her memories of Fujimoto to give her strength and the will to live, she can count of Rin and Yukio to help her no matter how far they must push themselves to do so.

This chapter provided an excellent exploration of Shura as a character and provided her meaningful development, but it also boasts some great action in the fight with Hachiro, as well as some humorous comedic bits involving Rin repeatedly falling prey to Hachiro’s hypnosis. Moreover, the arrival of Shima is suspicious, considering his ambiguous loyalties. Did Mephisto really send him as backup, or does he have other intentions in mind? This arc is heating up even as it approaches it’s climax, and next month’s chapter should prove both emotionally satisfying and intriguingly plotted.

Toriko chapter #365 – “The Wolf Child!!”

 

This chapter can be summed up in four simple words: Jiro is a badass. He stomps through his fight with the Nitro in this chapter, knocking back everything they throw at him. The man is more of a monster than the actual monsters, and know we finally know why. It turns out not only has Jiro had a history of hunting Nitro, but he was originally raised by the Wolf King Guiness. This explains just where Jiro’s vast reserves of strength come from, and why he was always so at home in the Gourmet World. And much like other old, powerful characters in manga, Jiro’s strongest form is him at the peak of his health and youth.

It’s astonishing to see a young Jiro at the end of the chapter, but it’s clear that this form is different than when we’ve seen him in his younger days. His skin tone is darker, his hair is silkier, and he has cold, black eyes with white pupils. It’s a menacing, ominous appearance, one that feels more suited for a villain than a protagonist. Then again, the same can be said of Setsuno, who looks absolutely ghastly when we see her using her full power in this chapter. In the Toriko world, the more powerful you are the scarier you look, regardless of whether or not you’re good or bad.

While not providing a lot to analyze, this chapter provides the visceral action and intense visual that set Toriko fights apart from other contemporary Shonen Jump series. It’s an exciting and jaw-dropping fight to read from beginning to end, the reveals accentuating the visual spectacle on display. With Jiro now ready to go all out, and the Nitro pushed to use their last resort, no doubt some real shit’s going to go down next week, and I for one can’t wait to see what mayhem unfolds.

Bleach chapter #668 – “Bigger, Faster, Stronger”

 

Kubo pleasantly subverted my expectations by not taking Kenpachi out of the fight, but using his mistakes against Gerard to segue into further character development. Gerard is actually a pretty suitable opponent for Kenpachi. They are both simple-minded and battle-happy, getting immersed in the thrill of the fight and refusing anyone who dares interfere. With the added complication of having to avoid damaging Gerard’s sword, this is a fight that deigns to push an already exhausted Kenpachi to his mental and physical limits, and the fact he instinctively ditches his eyepatch soon after it heats up is proof of that.

The most important moment in the chapter is the ending reveal. Yachiru has been conspicuously absent from the series ever since the fight with Gremmy. In fact, the minute Kenpachi activated his shikai was the moment she disappeared. The chapter’s ending reveal finally explains why, implying that Yachiryu is in fact Kenpachi’s zanpakuto sword spirit. Not, this naturally brings forth many questions, such as why other people can see Yachiru, how she could physically hurt and fight people, and all the various details about how she and Kenpachi first met and her backstory. I don’t remember everything there is to know about Yachiru, so I’m not sure if this twist makes narrative sense or not.

Still, from a character standpoint, this is a pretty big deal for Kenpachi’s development. Yachiru has been the one person who Kenpachi consistently shows concern and affection for, and she in turn has been his biggest supporter and the one who understands him best. Previously, Kenpachi couldn’t activate his shikai because he didn’t take the time to bond with his sword, but that changed after his death match with Unohana pushed him to his limits and helped him forge a deeper connection with it. Now, the fight with Gerard has once again pushed Kenpachi to his limits, and because of the circumstances, his zanpakuto has seen it fight to let him activate bankai. Yachiru being revealed as his zanpakuto spirit adds the subtext that his zanpakuto had always believed in his abilities and cared about him, but he wasn’t able to use its full potential because he had only ever believed in his own strength. Now, he values and respects how important his zanpakuto is to him and that they are equal partners, so it’s appropriate that it turns out that the person who’s always been closest to him and his zanpakuto were always one and the same, but he was so self-centered that he never realized it.

I have no idea if Kubo intended this twist to carry that subtext or he just pulled it out of his ass because he thought it was cool, but it works in this case. Moreover, it’s refreshing to see Kenpachi not be victimized to build up how powerful a villain is, but genuinely grow as a character through the fight itself. Now, it’d be even better if the fight with Gerard had some actual tension or suspense, but at least the stakes are palpable. Ultimately, the chapter provides genuinely meaningful commentary on Kenpachi’s character development, and it should be satisfying to finally see his long-awaited bankai come next week.

Nisekoi chapter #212 – “Bye-Bye”

 

I was disappointed that the series didn’t create a rift between Chitoge and Onodera like I thought it would, but Chitoge learning that Onodera loved Raku still lead to some heartbreaking and meaningful development for her. Chitoge loves both Raku and Onodera equally, so her confusion and distress on what she should do is palpable, and Komi illustrates her emotions in this chapter really well. I particularly love how several times throughout the chapter Komi shows Chitoge’s emotional volatility by simply changing the contour of her mouth between two successive panels. Even without seeing her face, just this minute change in how her mouth is drawn lends how devastated Chitoge is to the imagination, and the blank panels showing nothing but her inner thoughts are a good reflection of the dark place she’s in. Eventually, these pitch black panels are infected by white, and becomes completely white when she finally comes to terms with the fact that Raku and Onodera are both in love with each other, and she needs to get out of the way. Her final, melancholy smile after she tells Raku to treat Onodera well is incredibly pitiable, betraying her sadness, but also affirming her resolve to run away. Both these depictions of her mouth and these monochrome monologue panels compliment the frustration and confusion Chitoge feels, showing her emotional vulnerability, as well as effectively describing how her feelings change from the beginning to end.

There’s a lot of other great artistic and character moments to pick out in this chapter that really sell Chitoge’s emotional distress and arc. I don’t have time to thoroughly did into them here, but the panel showing Chitoge’s reaction to learning Raku is in love with Onodera has a brilliantly warped fish-eye perspective on the background. It’s a great visual illustration to show how Chitoge’s mind and world has been warped and confused, depicting the stress and adrenaline she’s feeling and what causes her to flee from the scene. Moreover, I love the way the lines on the floor all direct towards Chitoge, placing her at the center of attention, yet her size in the panel also shows how small she’s feeling at the moment. Komi’s art in this chapter just adds so much character and emotional heft to Chitoge’s plight, doing a remarkable job describing her feelings visually and not simply through words.

The treatment of Chitoge’s reaction and decision in this chapter makes it simultaneously satisfying and heartbreaking. Satisfying because this is such a big emotional moment that the series has been building up for most of it’s run, but heartbreaking because you can’t help but sympathize and pity Chitoge’s circumstances. Of course, Chitoge never learned that Raku also liked her, so there is an element of misunderstanding that can be so often frustrating in romance series, but here it’s employed well and has an immutable influence on a character arc. What happened to Chitoge, and where she went after saying goodbye to Raku, is anyone’s guess. But considering the set-up here, I have to imagine that Raku will eventually go after her and she will be the one he chooses in the end. Which is predictable, but then again, it always is with a romance series. It’s not about who Raku ends up with, it’s about the character development that drives the romance. After the way Chitoge’s feelings and character arc were depicted here, one can only hope Raku and Onodera will get similarly strong and fitting character development and emotional resolution as the series enters its endgame.

World Trigger chapter #138 – “Tamakoma-2: Part 9”

 

Osamu’s and Chika’s training have paid off. Through successfully employing the spider and shooting lead bullets in tandem, Tamakoma-2 has seriously crippled Katori squad. They’ve learned from their defeat, and now know that they’re at their best when working as a team, and that means complimenting each other’s strengths. Yuma is still their ace, employing high-speed and high-power attacks. Osamu’s spider provides defense and an obstacle for their opponents, while also giving Yuma a shield and foothold for his attacks. Chika also takes advantage of the confusion of the spider to snipe at opponents and bag them down with the lead bullets, which limits their range of emotion by weighing them down or making whatever body part she shoots unmovable. Tamakoma-2 has thusly created an effective strategy to trap and knock off their opponents, and while they weren’t able to score off any points in their scuffle with Katori squad, they’ve cemented themselves as a formidable threat that their opponents have to stray on their guard against.

While Tamakoma-2 is more functional as a team than ever, Katori squad is quickly falling apart. Katori’s plan to take out Yuma failed, and jumping headfirst into the spider cost her teammate’s arm. Now the team is riled up and at each other’s throats, and with their firepower reduced, it’s going to be an uphill battle for them. Meanwhile, Kakizaki squad has made use of the battle between Tamakoma-2 and Katori to regroup, and have likely prepared a plan of action to exploit the weaknesses of both their opponents. Even though Tamakoma-2 has improved, they’ve lost the element of surprise by revealing their new techniques in the scuffle with Katori, and neither of their opponents are going to fall for the same tricks twice. While I don’t expect Tamakoma-2 to lose here, it’s still going to be a hard-fought battle to the last, and I’m excited to see how it’ll unfold.

Assassination Classroom: Side Story chapter #1 – “Time to Come Home”

 

Ass Class is back for a four-chapter side-story about what kind of shenanigans Korosensei was up to when he wasn’t teaching class. While nothing new is necessarily revealed about his character here, outside of superficial things like where he lived and what his living conditions were like, it’s refreshing to see humor characterize the character and series again after the heavy and tear-jerking affair of it’s final arc. And while inconsequential to the main story, this chapter was an absolute delight. There are some great gags involving Korosensei’s squalid living conditions, money-grubbing schemes, and unabashed perversion, and as always, any visual gags involving the character are effortlessly hilarious. The framing device of a group of assassins discussing Korosensei’s home life and becoming increasingly exasperated by his non-threatening and pathetic lifestyle has a great payoff at the chapter’s end, showing that as far as goofballs go, Korosensei is truly in a league of his own.  All in all, a hilarious chapter start to finish. While I’m more keen on seeing what Matsui’s next work will be like, this side-story looks like a pleasant experience for fans of the series, and I’m grateful for one last adventure with Korosensei before we have to wave goodbye to him for good.

Black Clover chapter #56 – “Three-Leaf Salute”

 

Black Clover really surprised me this week in how it handled the fallout of this traitor subplot. Fist, the Purple Pumpkin commander wasn’t just a red herring, but actually did aid the Midnight Sun by kidnapping and selling the country’s barrier mages to them, which is how they were able to invade the capital a while ago. But even more importantly, one of the knights present has been impersonated by a member of the Midnight Sun this whole time, meaning there was certainly foul play afoot to turn suspicion away from the real traitor in their midst, which I’m still fully convinced is Vangeance. If I had to guess, it was probably the Wizard King’s assistant Marx, since he was the one who performed the memory interrogation magic and as a member of the Midnight Sun would already know of the Purple Pumpkin commander’s shady dealings with their group. Still, his copy power adds a complication and adds a rift of mistrust between the group. Anyone of them could be impersonated by him at any time, and they’d be none the wiser. There are more enemies within the capitol than the protagonists are aware, and that’s no doubt going to lead to some dangerous business down the line.

Julius knows this, which is why he entrusts the job of recovering the remaining magic stones to the Black Bulls. More than anyone, he knows that he can trust Yami because of their history together. The relationship between Yami and Julius is really fascinating and reveals more layers to both their characters. We’ve seen Yami extend his hands out to outcasts like Luck and Gauche in flashbacks before, and now we know what inspires him to do this. Julius was the only one who ever saw potential in Yami and didn’t treat him like an outcast because of his race and strange abilities. He trusted him and was interested in him as a person when no one else did.

Now, Yami has seen fit to reach out to others who’ve been abandoned like he once was, because he knows they have potential to do great things as well. He wants to prove that Julius’s generosity and trust in him wasn’t unfounded and wants to use his power to do right by him, which makes him perhaps the most loyal retainer Julius has. Furthermore, the parallels drawn between Yami and Julius and Asta and Yami are really sweet. Yami inducted Asta into the Black Bulls because he believed in his potential the same way Julius once believed in him. While he never betrays his emotions, you can see the determination in Yami’s eyes when he takes up Julius’ request and feel that he truly believes in what he says to Asta, making him know that there’s more than one person who believes and expects great things from him, reinforcing his role as his mentor. These are some great character moments from Yami, adding new layers to his character that should prove fascinating to explore in the series going forward.

But Yami isn’t the only one who gets some great character development in this chapter. While Gauche still clings to his stubborn pride, he thanks the Sister for looking out for Marie, and admits he’s glad that she’s alive, showing he’s finally willing to open up to people besides Marie and Yami. In more comedic affairs, Rebecca decides to step up her game in her efforts to seduce Asta, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she at some point joins the Magic Knights to be able to fight along Asta and compete with Noelle. Whatever he role, though, it leads to a pretty funny gag at the end of the chapter involving Gauche getting ready to kill Asta after Marie expresses an interest in kissing him as well, which was a fun note to end the chapter on. I gotta say, I’m really looking forward to the quest for these magic stones. These should prove to be classic adventure and dungeon-exploring arcs that we haven’t seen in the series for a good while, and it’ll be fun to see how the series handles it’s water dungeon in particular. Black Clover‘s moving in a very promising direction and I’m keen on how the adventure unfolds next.

Seraph of the End chapter #44 – “A Drive Along Death’s Shoreline”

You know, I had written a bunch about this month’s Seraph of the End, but my computer crashed and I lost all I wrote and I can’t be damned to write all of it back up again. So here’s the most important takeaways from the chapter. Ferid and Crowley have an interesting relationship. They put up a pretense of being friends, but it’s clear there’s still an underlying antagonism in their character interactions. The cause of which is probably the fact that Ferid was the one who turned Crowley into a vampire and killed all of his friends 800 years ago. Now, however, they hang out a bunch and are partners in crime. I’m curious to delve deeper in their history with one another and how they supposedly went from enemies to tolerating each others existence.

At the same time, I buy their friendship way more than I do the main characters’. Though they spout friendship speeches so often that even Fairy Tail would tell them to shut up, none of the characters have any particular chemistry or a compelling co-dependence on one another, with the exception of Yu and Mika. So when they say they can get through anything because they’re friends or some shit, it feels like a cliche used without justification, and grates on my nerves.

Speaking of grating, Yu. I don’t know how he keeps getting stupider every chapter, but he does. I get that he’s an optimist, but his total obliviousness and dismissal of the consequences of turning into a demon because it’ll make him more like Mika, or believing that Guren is still a good person because he cried once, is incredibly frustrating. If the characters don’t feel pressured by what’s at stake, why should the reader? But I will give the series credit for having him actually think about the connections between Guren, Ferid, and the Seraph project instead of just dismissing the possibility of foul play for bullshit emotional reasons, and decide it would be best to question Ferid to learn the truth. While it’s still annoying that he doesn’t feel as emotionally frustrated as he ought to be considering the circumstances, it’s appreciable that he actually addresses the problem and comes up with a reasonable and logical solution.

Anyway, the chapter ends with Crowley cutting up Mitsuba, who I don’t care about because she hasn’t done anything notable recently and has a generic tsundere personality. It would be amusing that after their big speech about how they’re friendship will help them pull through a bunch of them getting wiped out by Crowley, but that’s probably too ironic and mean-spirited for Seraph of the End. A shame. Anyways, I’m actually interested in next month’s chapter if only because I like Crowley and I’m looking forward to him putting the beat-down on Yu and pals. That’s going to be sooooo cathartic~!

Final Thoughts:

You know what, I’m tried, and I wrote a lot about anime and manga this week, so I’ll have to keep this short too. But seriously, really great issue. Pretty much every series moved their stories forward with intriguing new plot or character developments. If there was a unifying theme to the character development, I’d say it’s maturity. Several characters showed physical or emotional growth in these chapters, from Bakugo denouncing Shigaraki’s hypocrisy and affirming his belief in heroism, Shura realizing she needs to start living for herself instead or other people, Kenpachi being able to use Banaki after forging a more intimate and personal relationship with his zanpakuto, Chitoge coming to terms that her best friends are in love with each other and respectfully bowing out for the sake of their happiness, Osamu and Chika improving as combatants thanks to their training, Yami’s behavior has being informed by Julius’s influence and mentorship, etc. Really, a very strong issue in terms of characterization and character moments, which made it hard to pick who my MVP for this week would be. Easily one of the best issues of the year so far, and bodes well for these series for the rest of April and beyond.

Best Manga of the Week:

1. My Hero Academia – Great character moments for several characters, fun humor, intriguing development for the public’s growing mistrust of U.A., and of course, Bakugo calling out Shigaraki for his shit, affirming that he’s is and always will be a hero at heart, and the reveal that Shigaraki is his father. A dense chapter with so much to unpack and comment on, and definitely my favorite of this week’s offerings.

2. One Piece – A thoroughly satisfying chapter that poses big questions about Zunesha’s past and Momonosuke’s extraordinary powers. Not to mention the stinger implying an alliance between the Kid-Hawkins-Apoo alliance and Kaido, which can only adds another exciting and dangerous complication to the Straw Hats’ conflict with the Yonkou.

3. Nisekoi – I actually didn’t rank this on the survey after I first read the issue, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the way Komi’s artwork in this chapter accentuates and describes so much of Chitoge’s emotions and her character arc. It’s a really tragic and heartbreaking chapter for her character, and even though the story beats suggest that Raku will go after her and get with her in the end, it’s still a very emotionally satisfying chapter and a strong direction to take the series’ final arc in.

4. Blue Exorcist – I don’t think my review for this month’s chapter described just how strongly written I felt this chapter was. It provided great character development for Shura, as well as commenting on her relationship with Fujimoto and Rin and Yukio in an interesting familial light. Not to mention the artwork was incredibly strong, with the way Hachiro’s true form is rendered a real sight to behold. It’s also packed with great humor, and the intervention of Shima adds another unexpected element to the fight that will no doubt tie back into the larger conflict with the Illuminati. Really great chapter from the series this month and I’m excited to see how this arc will resolve come the next.

Character(s) of the Week:

There were SO many characters who had great showings this week that it took me a while to decide on who I’d go with. Ultimately, I went with a character who I’ve generally not been keen on, but who really impressed me and I found interesting to analyze this week, and that character is none other than…

For the longest time, I felt Bakugo fit into that angry brash rival stereotype that I generally didn’t care for. But this chapter finally made what underlines his behavior and personality really click with me, and in a way that now makes him genuinely fascinating to me. In many ways, Bakugo wants to be a hero for the wrong reasons; for the fame and the glory. But he’s not simple-minded, and is self-aware about what he wants and why he wants to achieve these goals. He was inspired to be a hero because he admired how All Might would fight against impossible odds, and the thrill of that excites him. He doesn’t smile during fights because he enjoys battle, but as a physical representation of how he wants to smile in the face of adversity. Which doesn’t mean he’s overconfident or cocky. Just look at the image above. Despite what he’s saying, and the big grin on his face, a single sweat drop betrays the pressure and nervousness he feels in this situation. Bakugo is a more emotionally complex and volatile character than he appears on the surface, and his actions in this chapter reveal much about why he behaves and thinks the way he does.

Line(s) of the Week:

“B-but that would be against the rules! If I used my quirk willy-nilly like that, then the circulation of goods would…right! One citizen shouldn’t abuse their power to affect…the economy!”
– Momo Yaoyorozu (My Hero Academia)

Panel(s) of the Week:

Page(s) of the Week:

Well, that does it for this issue! Until next time, enjoy the Spring anime season, get hyped for Hunter X Hunter’s Toonami debut, and refrain from using your powers to affect the economy, and I’ll see you again After the Jump!