One Piece 694: The Straw Hats and their temporary allies escape their prison, and Trafalgar Law’s cruel trick has its consequences. I’m actually very interested now in how Franky’s fight will develop, and of course DoFlamingo is on his way much sooner than anticipated. As usual, Oda keeps things exciting!

Naruto 614 was an underwhelming follow up to what was after all a less than impressive death chapter. A bit of a speech, a bit of romance and everything is pretty much back to normal- and no explanation as to why the bad guys don't just keep doing that devastating attack over and over again.

One Piece 693: Looks like the arc is going to end with the fireworks of a big explosion and a narrow escape. Most of the chapter was simply getting everyone together, but Franky’s bit was amusing and typical Oda silliness that only he can pull off while still being in an overall serious storytelling mode. That’s his true talent, that ability to mix so well.

Naruto 614: Well, of the characters to choose, I suppose he made sense, though the fan who was watching the anime of this series back in 2003 would have liked him to have gone out in much more of a blaze of glory than jumping in front of some lame pointy sticks coming from the finger of a lame giant monster. Oh well, more proof we’re nearing the end. Phew!

Fairy Tail 302-304 – the tournament is unexpectedly being played out to the very end, but the last part is a dramatic and interesting battle royale with unexpected heroes, while the main characters take part in a covert rescue, so it’s all quite neatly done. Neat, but not all that interesting, I’m afraid. 

One Piece 692 was fun – nice to see Usopp in charge, and I’m glad Frankie’s going to get some action, even if the new fruit users look very silly indeed. I wonder if this time, Luffy’s irresponsibility will have more severe consequences.

Naruto 613 slapped the previous chapter in the face by just saying all that concrete rubbish was useless anyway and hadn’t done what it was meant to – but at least backed that up with a better chapter. Some real consequences to this war, at least seemingly, and that sad moment of resignation and dignity accepting inevitable death. But the big stompy monster remains stupid – Kishimoto made designs that worked for his first huge monsters, so why are his more recent ones so crappy?

My Little Pony – Friendship is Magic chapter 2 continued the very different mood of the comics, and did very well for it. The background humour remains much geekier and presented in a very different way – prominent yet as a background detail. For example, we got further Bowie references to complement the Diamond Dogs, and some meta humour with the ponies treated as dolls by a troll who acted like a very stupid collector of 80s toys, and also had Optimus Prime, a Slinky and a Rubik’s Cube. There were also big spiders who came with Toy Story references and mostly served to get some butt-whuppin’ in and a great final part where changelings imitated each of the ponies to turn them against each other, which was done much better than similar scenarios in the series and involved some of the best reactions we’ve yet seen. 

HunterxHunter Special 02 – well, Kurapika was shown to have cheated, but at a test which was unfair anyway, and inadvertently anyway. He thought he failed but his little friend Pyro/Pylo/Pairo had helped him out. It was cute, seeing this flashback, but the previous chapter was much more remarkable for its brief character sketches than this one, which was much more typical than the average Togashi – at least until the harrowing final pages about the Ryodan’s executions, that is. 

One Piece 691 couldn’t maintain the same level of brilliance of the previous chapter, but with a rousing speech from Usopp, it was still a satisfying and impressive one!

Naruto 612: The idea of concrete wasn’t a bad one, but everyone standing around marvelling at how a few groups of guys could be coordinated to take things in turns was daft, and the chapter itself was over in a flash. Still sub-par!

HunterXHunter 340 special was a treat for fans – not only the first chapter in many months, but a flashback to tie in with the upcoming movie that showed Kurapika’s headstrong personality as a child and even his parents. Great stuff!

One Piece 690: after a few slow chapters, this one was absolutely awesome, unexpectedly because it swung back to Vergo, Smoker and Trafalgar Law – Smoker got to make an awesome gesture and Law just got the arc’s best moment. Now Oda just needs to maintain this level of brilliance and a troubled story arc will become an awesome one.

Naruto 611 carried on the mess of the last few chapters, but then made some story progress at least by having the cavalry arrive. So I suppose the war is no longer absurd, but what happened to the others keeping this lot at bay?

Half Prince 58: I believe Meatbun-bun can deal with the baguette – now there’s some dramatic dialogue! It was all a bit random, but the end of the chapter, with Prince urged on alone, was nice, and the art was very clean and crisp. Nice!

My Little Pony: Friendship is magic comic #1

So it’s looking very likely indeed that the top-selling comic of the year will not be anything Avengers-related, nor X-men. Not movie-boosted Batman or Spiderman. But the comics for My Little Pony. I’m not sure how I feel about this beyond amused. It’s at once very sad and also brilliant.

Issue one was a good one – I liked how it was very different in tone from the cartoon, yet not out there in the bizarre further reaches of fandom. It was clearly aware of fan fixations and even went further than the cartoon in acknowledging them – witness Derpy led to her capture by a line of muffins, or the character fans have named ‘Doctor Whooves’ glancing at a watch – but it was not at all defined by trying to be like the source or please its fans. It was rather more boyish than even the most action-packed episodes: the nasty creatures from the season 2 finale kidnap the CMC and replace much of Ponyville with clones or zombified mind-controlled versions of the populace, and only our main heroes can rescue them all with some fisticuffs. Stupid faces, fast pacing and vicious punches ensue, all of which is very comic-books-for-boys.

‘It’s clobbering time’, says Rainbow Dash at one point, a nice nod to comic legends. The artist is also very keen on visual references, developing the little Big Lebowski cameos of the series – we see Blues Brothers ponies and a Magnum P.I. pony, for example. It all feels more free-wheeling and random than the TV show, and that’s refreshing. It probably won’t have as big an emotional impact on me as some of the fandom’s best comics have, especially long-running ones like Ask-TheCrusaders or Jappleack (much as I still dislike the .mov series), but honestly, they’re judged by very different standards and these official comics have to be much broader in their appeal, which they have managed.

It’s still ponies. It’s still girly and simplistic and no, it doesn’t deserve to outsell the best of Marvel and DC. But there’s a phenomenon going on and it’s a fun one to watch – and I for one am enjoying it immensely. 

One Piece 689: I kinda feel like this whole chapter could’ve been done in a couple of pages. Ah well.

Naruto 610: Teleporting giant tentacled bulls to sent energy balls at huge eyeball monsters. Naruto is really, really stupid now. 

One Piece 688 had a big bold sacrifice and a good cliffhanger – but I’m hoping for the pace to pick up.

Naruto 608-609 More daftness from this big old fight. Obito sends his torso into other dimensions and Kakashi punches the bits and pieces that appear. And that’s supposed to be impressive?

Yotsubato! 81.5 – ahhh, I don’t know what it is about Miura that’s so endlessly cute, but there’s definitely something. Bless her little socks! The chapter was a funny one, too – more of this camping story will be very welcome.

One Piece 687 was the best chapter in a while. I had forgotten Tashigi looked like the girl from Zoro’s flashback. This chapter basically revolved around Zoro being an overwhelming badass – while also not quite being able to be too monstrous. Great stuff, and great for his character. 

X-Force 026. Ffffffff did they just………with Kurt? Well, there were signs, I suppose, but this somewhat annoys me. That was nowhere near enough after everything. Still, the Second Coming storyline remains fascinating and the art in X-Force is mighty impressive. Especially compared with the crap in Uncanny X-men.

X-Men: Second Coming – up to X-Men Legacy 235. I really hated the artificial juxtaposition of pacifism and justified killing at war being summed up by Logan killing an enemy begging for his life for no good reason. It was just too far into cold-bloodedness and seemed jarring and artificial. I understand it’s meant to be divisive, but that way of presenting a dilemma was too far to the extreme – even in real wars, plenty of prisoners are taken. Warlock’s decision was a little more believable – and of course, I always love anything with Doug and Warlock – but it’s still all much too superficial. Still, the actual storyline is a compelling chase, the different art styles between the different titles are interesting and there have been chances for unlikely characters – including Archangel, Cannonball and Warlock – to look cool. 

Naruto 607 brought the flashback to an end with a whimper. At least it can get somewhere now.

One Piece 686 wasn’t amazing, but had some really fun moments, especially when Zoro and Sanji were reunited.  

...and comics

XMen Second Coming 01: I go through Marvel continuities in fits and starts, but I have a general idea of what’s going on with Hope. I must say, I like her more as of this issue than I did her in Cable’s future, though possibly that’s partly the art. It’s quite jarring seeing the X-men indiscriminately slaughtering humans – apparently part of an X-Force arc – but the story is getting interesting. A few faces here I just don’t recognise, though. Where on earth did Pixie come from? She seems like an intrusion from a different genre. And is Warlock (Douglock?) back with the New Mutants?

This week’s Naruto and One Piece sadly didn’t have very much to say. Ah well. 

Wakfu ‘Manga’ chapter 5 + Extras. High drama, which the dodgy art just about managed to get through without undermining. Unfortunately, what it all boiled down to was a collection quest for what is essentially a goddess – and no explanation why she can’t go and do the quest herself instead of having Yugo and pals do it.

The extras are largely sketches that just make me think ‘That isn’t the Yugo I know!’ Still, interesting to see he’s 14 now. 

One Piece 684: mostly exposition, setting up all the action coming to a head in one room, and showing our bad guy really is bad, nonetheless the cliffhanger was one of the odder ones in One Piece. Just what is that little Chinese dragon?

Naruto 605: despite ‘bloody mist’ making me read a minor character’s dialogue in an amusing cockney accent, this chapter was interesting, taking a decidedly seinen turn with its extreme gore. There’s a modicum of braveness in Naruto yet – even if honestly it’s still pretty juvenile and it doesn’t go anywhere HunterXHunter didn’t seven years ago. 

One Piece 683: An all-too-short chapter that didn’t really have any big laughs (even with Luffy being dumb), nor great developments, but was still fun to read and promises an interesting showdown or two. Those drug-addict kids are unpleasant…

Naruto 604: Well…it was slow to make its point, but it certainly made it, and I have to say for the first time I’m interested in what will happen next in this flashback.

Yotsubato! 81: awwwww!! This chapter had a lot of the things I love about Yotsubato! all together – reactions to Jumbo, Miura being utterly adorable both when being stubborn and when being a lil’ wuss about insects, Grumpy Yotsuba, Yanda’s deadpan humour and Yotsuba being adorably useless for one of those uniquely Kiyohiko Azuma-flavoured endings. Love it!

Naruto 603: yep, this flashback is going to drag on a bit yet. But at least Zetsu and, surprisingly enough, Tobi are going to get fleshed out – and we see that the ‘good boy’ persona was not just a weird act put on by a powerful villain, which is quite a relief. Not nearly as bad a chapter as I expected – but that comes from good scenes within a bad scenario.

Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth 17: Hurrrr cameo. This stupid chapter showed just why the manga’s humour is better – even with a bit of a dud of an idea, it just builds dumb gag upon dumb gag until you can’t help but enjoy it. There’s definitely something impressive about that. 

Wakfu ‘Manga’ ch4: Tot and co have proved again and again they can do inventive action scenes, and that’s what we saw here. It was pretty awesome, in fact! But this is a new development with Yugo’s powers. I wonder how they’ll get out of this. And now the antagonist has a clear past and a clear goal – but what is her motive? I’d love to see this animated. 

Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth 16: This time, the silly chapter revolved around the Akatsuki. Nothing new, but it made me smile throughout, and that’s what you want from a stupid gag manga, after all!

Rozen Maiden II 39: so it looks like Megu really has fallen in league with someone else, though apparently not Kirakishou. A slow chapter, but I’m still interested – and would love a Rozen Maiden revival!

Soul Eater 101: here’s another I’d like to see animated. The witches came to save the day, and with them comes a chance for everyone to really shine again. I just want to see Crona again, sooner rather than later!

One Piece 682 was slightly confusing towards the end – a lot of loose ends to tie up now – but the glimpse into Doflamingo’s world, the exchange between Brook and the samurai were funny, and it sounds like we’re finding out what happened to his kid!

Naruto 602: Yes, yes, we really are having a flashback. And a creepy, rather boring one. Ah well. It doesn’t look like it’ll take too long. Just a bit about Rin, I’m sure. Then again, what was in this chapter was about two pages’ worth of material, so maybe it’ll be strung out a long time yet.

Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth 15: another amusing chapter from this silly series – this time with Temari and co. They should’ve waited until there was a bit more to adapt before they introduced the anime. 

Fairy Tail 295: Very, very shounen, this random powering-up, but fun to read too. I was also entertained by the random little cart to put Gajeel in. Natsu’s gonna look very silly if he loses now. I hope we get to see a conclusion, and it doesn’t just get interrupted by the larger plot – which is quite the reversal of my previous stance! Still, the little flashback makes me pretty certain these other dragon slayers are going to be allies soon, even guild members. We’ll see. They’ve still got the apparent sin of killing their dragon ‘parents’ to deal with. 

Fairy Tail 295: Very, very shounen, this random powering-up, but fun to read too. I was also entertained by the random little cart to put Gajeel in. Natsu’s gonna look very silly if he loses now. I hope we get to see a conclusion, and it doesn’t just get interrupted by the larger plot – which is quite the reversal of my previous stance! Still, the little flashback makes me pretty certain these other dragon slayers are going to be allies soon, even guild members. We’ll see. They’ve still got the apparent sin of killing their dragon ‘parents’ to deal with. 

Fairy Tail 293-294. Well, Ichiya’s true power always had to come out sometime, and probably better it come out in a silly low-stakes tournament than somewhere genuinely influencing the overall plot. As it was, it was funny and stupid. Poor Quattro Puppy! As for 294, well, things are escalating in the usual shounen fashion, though Natsu and Gajeel got to look pretty cool. Having cutesy cat mascots for each Dragon Slayer was a stroke of brilliance, too. A great way to make me care more about the other guild’s slayers than I would have otherwise.  

Fairy Tail 292 shows an obvious awareness that the arc needs to be moved on, which is good. Fairy Tail’s team has been condensed, and the arc is clearly nearing its climax. Good good!

Naruto 601. Oh guhhhhhhhh really?! We have to sit through a flashback now? Really not needed…

One Piece 681. Not a funny chapter – nor an awesome one. But it moved the plot on. It seems like Smoker will have to intervene in Sanji’s fight…but I hope both get their individual glory. Sanji in particular doesn’t seem to have been very formidable of late…

Wakfu Tome 1 Chapter 1: French-written and in a decidedly French style, this publication nonetheless advertises itself as manga, so thoughts on my manga blog will make sense. A sweet little continuation of the anime’s story on a small scale, it was a bit of fun – but showed how difficult drawing Yugo is to get right. With his face too angular and a rictus grin making him look cocky, his character seemed wrong through the whole chapter. A shame!

D. Gray-man 216. NOOOOOOOOOO TIMCANPYYYYYYYYYY!!!! Another messy chapter from this faded series, but...well, the Earl appearing on the scene was pretty awesome and…and, well, I thought Timcanpy had immune mascot status!

Fairy Tail 283-285. Erza’s pure awesomeness made this arc. Even the ‘banal’ follow-up had a great moment. Natsu’s very Luffy-ish display of anger at Sabretooth disrespecting their own nakama was also pretty great. But there’s going to have to be a change in direction after those moments now, or else everything will likely seem anticlimactic. 

Naruto 600. The momentous 600^th chapter, and what does Kishimoto fill it with? Flashbacks. Guh. At least the cliffhanger was a pretty good one, and ought to lead to the series finally ending before too long. All that’s left is the two main characters’ final confrontation…right? Right?

One Piece 680. A bit of an uneventful chapter in comparison with other recent efforts, but the hilarious moment with that silly old-fashioned patronising Sanji made it more than worthwhile. And things are really heating up!

Fairy Tail 275-282. With Volume 33, I’m getting a little closer to catching up with this weekly title that’s slipped away from me. I enjoy it, but it’s clear why it’s always on the back burner – it still just feels too derivative and too by-the-numbers, especially with this tournament being played out in full, with the big game-changer being made so explicit there’s no chance of a twist when it appears. Still, the cat mascots get cuter and cuter, Elfman’s performance against Bacchus was a highlight of the series – never mind the arc – and there were some laugh-out-loud moments. Also some cool new female characters, even if just like Oda, Hiro suffers from making his girls all look too alike. The fanservice also goes a bit far, though the subversion in the omake with Blue Pegasus’ male members was absolutely hilarious. They’re probably the funniest thing in the manga and I’m happy they keep on coming back. 

Fairy Tail 267-274: this Fairy Tail volume saw the tournament starting, and I’m quite enjoying it. It’s a cliché in shounen, aye, but done well it can still make for some excellent storytelling and bring out its characters. I also like how Fairy Tail have been made the underdogs. 

D.Gray-Man 215 was, at least in the part about the 14^th, largely confusing. Still, the chapter was worth it for the incredibly weird image of Timcampy starting to cry. Whut? Still, I’m glad Johnny’s okay, and the cliffhanger was a good one.

Fairy Tail 261-266: I’m well behind in Fairy Tail now – but a few chapters closer to catching up! After some silly preparatory chapters – which might have had what was probably the intended One Piece-style celebratory effect at the end of an arc, but didn’t quite work aside from as a gag at the beginning – the guild are off to take part in the tournament. It’s probably going to be an underwhelming by-the-numbers arc, but Gerard’s presence hints at something more. We’ll see. 

One Piece 679 was a functional chapter, but for one signature Oda piece of absolute silliness somehow managing to be incredibly emotional – I won’t spoil it, but it involved a thumbs-up as a very moving gesture. How does he do it time and time again? This arc is getting progressively better…

Naruto 599 – yes, yes, Kishimoto really did it. He devoted a whole chapter to the ‘reveal’ of Tobi’s actual identity, which has been clear to readers for a long, long time. It was in doubt when it looked like Danzou might be the older Obito, and again when it seemed to be revealed that Tobi was Uchiha Madara, but as soon as both possibilities were eliminated, that left only one possibility. I am genuinely stunned that there are still people out there who were surprised by this over-the-top reveal. On the other hand, the chapter had some fun fanservice with younger versions of the characters – although echoes the big problem with Naruto’s age group, in that it seems to imply all of Kakashi’s generation of ninja were in the very same class, the very same year. Just like apart from Lee, Tenten and Gai, ALL the strong ninja of the younger generation were in the same year in ninja school and apparently all their parents decided to have kids at exactly the same time. Whereas all the other years have apparently produced next to no ninja of any note at all. Whut?  

Ah well, at least I can stop moaning about the Tobi situation every week now.

Rozen Maiden II 37-38. Wow, I certainly didn’t expect that from Megu. The dolls taking action made me sit up and pay attention, though. I feel like I’m the only person left reading Rozen Maiden, though…but still love it. I hope II gets animated!

Naruto 598 is another eye-rolling baby-step towards the big Tobi reveal that ought to surprise exactly nobody. It was also absurdly easy to trick him – once upon a time Naruto’s lifeblood was underpowered fighters doing something genuinely clever and inventive to win a fight. Not any more.

One Piece 677 has a great little glimpse of some other Supernovas, and a very easy way out for the prisoners. Sanji's absurd 'power up' also had me chuckling away in public. Quite brilliant - and it feels like a build-up to the kind of overblown ass-whuppin' One Piece does best. The two large panels with awesome moments for the two unlikely team-ups were awesome, too.

Naruto movie special: for a lead-in chapter to one of the tie-in movies, this one certainly felt slapdash and strange. The idea was that Naruto’s innermost desire – not to be alone – was revealed, but it happened through a weird story about bathhouses and being caught peeping, very different from the Jiraiya introduction. It all felt more Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth than Naruto post-timeskip. But oh well. I will still give the movie a fair chance. 

One Piece 676 was not a very eventful chapter, but it marked the transition from a silly blob thing to a huge cloud of gas – which means the worst thing about this arc has probably gone away permanently. That’s good! And I ought to get a new chapter to read tomorrow, too – so the fact it’s a lead-in to something more interesting is no bad thing.

Naruto 596-597 has Kakashi finally figuring out who Obito is – or so it seems (though it looks like Kishimoto is holding onto the reveal for another chapter to give the very slow in his audience a shock). Unfortunately, it’s all a bit contrived that he has this weakness – but hey, it’s not as though he could go completely undefeated until the end. 

Yotsuba&! 80: Yotsuba is a pumpkin! That’s pretty much enough for a chapter, methinks. 

One Piece 675: I’m not sure whether it was just the translation, but this chapter was very confusing. Hopefully another will be released so I can see. Ah, wait, Mangastream have one. Yes, that made more sense. Not a great chapter, though.

Naruto 595 was basically a few seconds of action, but with Naruto how it is just now, that’s welcome and looked pretty cool. It’s especially nice to see Gai treated very seriously. 

Soul Eater 99-100: surprisingly, the momentous 100^th chapter wasn’t a very interesting one. Still, these two chapters had a funny scene with Noah and Gopher, Death the Kid looking cute, Black Star being amusingly over-the-top and finally another glimpse of Crona, who frankly is the main reason I keep coming back. More Crona please!!

Naruto 594 switched to its protagonist again, who is at least having an interesting face-off with the character posited as the main villain - at least of the arc. A moment between him and Kakashi made it far more likely he is Obito after all, as I've said from the start even when I thought my theory had been shot down in flames. I really can't see where Naruto can go where it won't be underwhelming, though, and good build-up though this chapter has been, the pay-off hasn't been there for many years.

Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth 12 (only 12!) reminded me just how much funnier the gag manga is than its anime counterpart. Another simple idea - Naruto and Lee get their minds swapped into one another's bodies - works really well to build up silly gags and misunderstandings. It's really the timing that just works so much better, though. Panel flow is truly an art, and this silly spin-off does it better than almost any title I can think of.

One Piece 674 was mostly concerned with Nami and Usopp with the kids, which isn’t the most interesting part of the arc by any means, so it was a little dry. There was some interest with the other big supernova showing up in the shadows for the cliffhanger, but otherwise it wasn’t the most interesting bit of One Piece ever – and there’s no chapter next week!

Naruto 593 was a little out-of-nowhere, but at least it solved the problem of feeling like the series’ major villain was dispatched much too easily. I hope I wrote at the time that it clearly wasn’t enough and that he’d be back!

Yotsubato! 79.5 was an amazing chapter. It made me feel warm and fuzzy and had some big laughs too, especially in the bike shop. It was longer than most chapters and so utterly adorable.

Sword Art Online 1. I’m really loving the anime, but this manga adaptation (of the original novels) seems rushed, ugly and lacklustre. I’ll stick with the animated version. 

One Piece 673 was a bit of a slow chapter compared with many recent ones – not a lot happened, and too much space was given over to that silly slime that’s still the most annoying part of this arc. There was a small laugh with Usopp forgetting he had Nami with him rather than Sanji, and the throwaway ‘Yarisugi’ character was amusing, but the joke with a hamburger sounded too much like it was just covering up a drawing error to be funny (though the amount of drafts manga gets makes that very unlikely). I’m glad we’ve had an interesting twist at the end with who’s involved, though!

Naruto 592 comes with an intriguing implication at its end – which I’m not sure can be pulled off the way it’s hinted it will. I had almost forgotten Tobi was involved, too…and he’s battling the main character as well! It was a short, mostly throwaway chapter, but it was actually an interesting development, and thus the best Naruto chapter in some weeks. 

D.Gray-Man 213-214. It seems like a very long time since I last read D.Gray, and I suppose that since there was a month’s break, it has been a quarter of a year. It’s finally picking up, though – and I’m keen to know what’ll happen to Allen. 

One Piece 672 saw the arc actually pick up, and was the first really enjoyable chapter in a while. A new greater antagonist was introduced with law (what’s Chopper up to?), Luffy’s in a position he hasn’t been in since the time skip and more importantly, the Zoro/Sanji/Brook story really got more interesting with the samurai – who has the look of a new crew member to him, though possibly there isn’t room for him as well as Zoro.

Naruto 591 was heading towards being another poor chapter, with the sentimental part with Dan, redeemed only in part by some good art. But the final twist at least mitigates how utterly terrible what seemed to be the resolution to this arc was. It’s still very weak, mind you – just slightly less abhorrent. 

Naruto 590: a fairly nice, if uninformative scene between the two brothers can’t make up for how annoyingly simple it was to make the entire war collapse. I really expected better from this arc – though I’m not sure why. 

One Piece 671 was a much better chapter than the last few, though I’m still not impressed by this big poison glob. It’s clear Master is only the mid-boss of the piece, though proving more formidable than it at first seemed, but who is the figure in the cliffhanger? I wanna know – but sadly, no new One Piece next week. 

One Piece 670 was again a bit inconsequential, without any great moments. While this silly blob slime looks unlikely to make for a very interesting plot diversion, Luffy’s reaction to Smoker and his typical headstrong action at the end were fun.

Naruto 589, if it really does herald the end of an entire war with a few hand seals, was the crappest chapter ever. Better be a twist next time. And mention the mountain-cutting monster that makes Dragonball Z look sensible? Bad, bad shounen.  

Soul Eater 98: awww, where on earth is Crona? I’m not so interested in the other characters. The humour was also pretty awkward in this chapter – especially when it came to Kim fanservice. That said, the show trial was funny. More Crona soon plz!

Naruto 588: action-wise, not a bad chapter. I hope there’s still more of interest to come from Kabuto, though. At least we know he can’t just dispel his silly zombie jutsu. The kages got to look kinda cool, though. 

One Piece 669: Not that exciting a chapter this week, and a bit of a cop-out with Zoro and co. Still, a good cliffhanger that left me wanting more.  

One Piece 668 was awesome. There were more laughs to be had when bodies were returned to normal, the moment with Chopper and Trafalgar Law’s hat was utterly priceless (as was its aftermath), and this arc continues to get more complicated and amusing. Really enjoying how it’s going 

Soul Eater 95 was the first chapter in the series I’ve enjoyed for quite a while. I’m glad there are another two chapters to read tomorrow. Kid got a chance to look cool, Gopher and Noah actually got some endearing dialogue, and of course, the main point of interest for me – the return of Crona…though of course it doesn’t look like it will go well for Maka…

Soul Eater 96 – I just had to read on, especially since I was relocated and needed to get back into writing. Crona of course isn’t cooperating, but I don’t know where the character’s story is leading and it will be interesting to see it join the subplot on the moon. I expected a little more from Justin, but I suppose that’s an adequate story arc for him.

Soul Eater 97 – some great poses and moments of self-sacrifice being shown, but I wished this last chapter for the day could have moved things along a little faster.

One Piece 667: well well! Interesting things afoot with Trafalgar Law. Franky’s abuse of Chopper’s power was also both hilarious and awesome, something Oda always seems to pull off with ease. Also interesting to see Luffy can deal with that version without too much difficulty now.

Naruto 586: eh. While the premise of getting stuck in a recursive loop is a good one, this is a very poor way to dispatch your most formidable villain, with a technique that came out of nowhere. I remember when the battles in Naruto actually used to involve inventive ideas and clever deception. Now it’s all ‘aha! Something I just made up!’

One Piece 666: Another reason to wish that the anime had the little chapter title pages included – confirmation Bon-chan made it through alive! Hoorah. Otherwise, this demonically-numbered chapter was a fun diversion and a bit of intrigue about the arc’s antagonists. I loved the silly centaur guy trying to be mysterious and pretend the Yeti Cool Brothers were so mysterious while rattling off facts about them.

Naruto 585: The best chapter in quite a while, mainly because it was chiefly about how the stupider parts of this fight are no longer of much use. Kabuto actually looked quite cool, we got some familiar old faces and things are moving on.

Half Prince 56: with these characters vanishing, it’s becoming obvious that the end of the series is starting to approach. On the other hand, while noble sacrifice is of course a staple of these fantasy stories and the dynamic is changed by the fact that they’re not actually real people, I’m a little uncomfortable at how the series seems to be glorifying suicide bombing…

Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth 10 and 11: It’s quite impressive that this series already has its anime, when it’s after all only been serialised monthly for under a year – though of course it came with an existing fanbase. The chapters are getting repetitive now, but there’s at least two or three genuinely funny gags each time, so I have no complaints. 

One Piece 665: again, I’m impressed how deftly Oda can work humour into even a serious chapter about children being the subject of inhumane experiments and lied to. Just Robin’s reactions to Chopper’s body pulling Franky’s expressions…haha. 

Yotsubato! 79, Yotsuba & V: While in principle I think this is a nice, neat idea for a chapter, and it was pretty cute, I have to say after the long waits for each new slice of adorable Yotsuba comedy, I wanted a fair bit more. It will be nice to look back on as part of a larger work, but here and now I was disappointed.  

Naruto 584: The trouble with these lengthy flashbacks is that their purpose ought either to be to get the audience sympathising with a villain and see their nobility, or to ease tension because it makes it very likely that once their story is told, the hero will kill them. Neither is a good thing for Naruto to be doing this late in the arc. It’s just not easy to care. 

Rozen Maiden II – 36: a comedy chapter for the first time in a while. Which was welcome. Suiseiseki going to school and having all her fantasise so nearly come true, only to be so rudely dashed away, was brilliant. It’s also interesting to see where this arc with Jun and Megu is going…I really want to see all of it animated. The success of the anime is still reflected by other series (like Ore no Imouto and Gosick), so I’m sure I wouldn’t be a big risk to have more. 

One Piece 664 was a talkie chapter, but it introduced what looks to be the arc’s major antagonist and managed to be very interesting. The classic humour of the main characters in switched bodies is still fun (especially Frankie in Chopper’s body and Chopper in Sanji’s), and I’m glad Smoker’s faction are going to play their part.

Naruto 583 – oh hey, Kabuto’s contrived backstory. I give it a 5/10. Now back to the proper plot, please. 

Bakuman 175: this should have been an uplifting, fun chapter, but it just felt flat and empty. None of the characters’ achievements mean anything – they just happen. Oh well. I’ll still read to the end to see how it goes. 

One Piece 663 had some very funny moments, but – probably mostly because of a bad translation I was reading – was a little confusing. I didn’t realise until the end what had happened to Smoker and I’m sure some of the jokes with the body-switched Straw Hats got lost in translation.

Naruto 582: please let that be the beginning and end of flashbacks to Kabuto’s childhood. 

Bakuman 174 still felt like the authors having a fantasy about what they were not allowed to do when they were writing Death Note. I don’t know for sure, but that’s certainly the impression it gives me.

                        

Rock Lee’s Springtime of Youth 09: as if to prove itself against the anime adaptation, this was another great chapter. The jokes about the Hyuuga looking the same, Neji as master of tsukkomi (even against clothing), Hinata’s way of running off and the bizarre sight Naruto came across all made me chuckle. The only thing that was a bit weird was Akamaru’s…yeah.

Naruto 581 had some of the nicer art in Naruto for a while – but it ended on some ridiculous new power pulled out of nowhere (guh) and a whole lot of people coming to realisations that should have been obvious and just make these great ninja geniuses sound really slow. And I don’t know how Kishimoto will get out of this without Sasuke either giving up on his goals (which will cost the title its big showdown) or just totally, wilfully misunderstanding his brother. 

Bakuman 173 is back into treading-water mode too. Never the world’s most interesting title, it’s now trying to inject a bit of tension by forcing the mangaka duo to extend their manga beyond when it ought to have ended. Which will be interesting only in that it’s hard to know if the Death Note creators think continuing after L’s story arc in that manga ended was a good idea or not. 

One Piece 662: A great action chapter, with Smoker going up against the newly incredibly high-powered Trafalgar Law. The way the two of them clashed was very interesting, though the conclusion is making me wonder what will come from it. And Luffy of course blundering onto the scene – I’m enjoying this intriguing new arc, though I wonder where it will go.

Naruto 580 had some decent ideas, but the execution was off. The use of a scene in flashback with a boar was confusingly-done and awkward and this is just going to turn into more and more random abilities popping out.

Bakuman 172: Can’t deny that there’s a certain feel-good impression after a triumphant chapter like that, but it still all felt like artificial drama. With this, bar some silly disaster, it feels like the title ought to be quickly coming to an end now.

Naruto 579: I indeed didn’t see the little twist about Karin, but I’ve never gave the slightest damn about her anyway, so it’s not something I felt was revelatory. Or worth making her look like Ronald McDonald all the time for.

One Piece 661: I’d have liked this chapter to be longer, but it was a fun one. Law’s abilities are insane and it will be fun to see the mixed-up Straw Hats. Brook’s little moment to shine was also awesome. Overall, this is shaping to be the best arc since the awesome whitebeard battle.

Bakuman 167-170: I’m finding this whole arc somewhat far-fetched and cheesy, really. The way public opinion shifts based on what look like engineered publicity stunts is too far-fetched and it keeps swinging between presenting online fandom as a tiny, easily-manipulated niche to a great force of popular opinion. And it just isn’t very exciting. It’s going to be the core of Bakuman for a while, but I’m looking forward to it progressing to something else.

HunterXHunter 340: Nooooo! Not again! Togashi has gone on another break, just when it felt like he’d keep HunterXHunter rolling long-term again. So that’s probably the last we’ll see of it until mid-year…or possibly longer. Bah. Still, the new arc he’s cooking up looks quite interesting, and he’s just shown us a cast of colourful new characters. I just want more Kurapika and more Ryodan, though.

Naruto 578: Apart from Madara’s absurd tsundere moment (I-…it was five against one after all! Baka! Mouuu~!), one of the better chapters lately. The interaction between the Uchiha brothers didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but at least the result is interesting and may lead to an interesting chapter or two to come.

One Piece 660 is the only manga chapter I’m enjoying today, but it was a corker! Trafalgar Law first put on the spot and then showing his considerable powers, funny moments between Chopper, Nami and Franky, and one great moment where the Marines try to take in all the nonsense they’re seeing. And for once I just don’t know where the arc is going to go. Love it!

Bakuman 167-168: I’m a little behind with this series, but there’s only time to read a couple of chapters today. The mangaka are doing a good job of wringing out a bit more interpersonal relationship drama over the issue of seiyuu fans wanting their idols to be pure, untouched and available, but just like most of the other Jump titles, it feels like the steam is running out and it ought not to be too much longer before this series wraps up. Preferably with the dream at the centre of the piece fulfilled. We shall see – but it could be done in just a couple of months if that were what the creators wanted.

HunterXHunter 337-339: 337 was a return to the bad old days of scribbles, to the extent that until the last part with Gon, I thought it was actually just an old standalone chapter Togashi had drawn a while ago but never thought was good enough to publish, then with a deadline looming decided to push out. Sadly, though, I don’t think that’s an excuse, and it was just a bad, ugly rushed draft put into Jump. 338 and 339 didn’t have the problem with art, though some panels were sloppy, and the immense ‘world tree’ with the silly birds at the top was very Togashi, but the narrative went a bit wild. Gon and Gin’s talk was very vague, and though the little scenes that made up most of 339 were mostly quite lovely – with really beautiful drawings of Kurapika evidently about to begin a new phase of his life – it felt like Togashi was trying to convince us that everything that has happened since the Ant Arc was really just a kind of epilogue. Oh well, if it leads us into a stunning new arc next chapter, I’m certainly not going to complain about it!

Naruto 575-577: I actually do care a little bit about Tsunade still, so these chapters weren’t painful. Sasuke’s little chat was daft, though – and it really doesn’t feel like the decisive final battle is about to start. Oh well – I’m sure both Naruto and Bleach will wrap up before too much longer, leaving One Piece to reign supreme.

One Piece 658-659: Ohoh! This arc is getting going now. Very interesting it is, too – giant children trapped against their will, the mysterious centaur boss, the weird guy divided into three parts, Smoker and co…and now the dramatic appearance of a supernova-turned-shichibukai. I love how the weird setting is the result of the battle between two of the generals, and as usual there was some good humour – I loved the kids’ reaction to Frankie. I’m thinking Punk Hazard will be a good arc.

Yotsubato! 77: It feels like so long since the last Yotsubato! came out, but it’s worth waiting. This was a great mood-lifter, even if it was a short chapter and ended on a big smile rather than a big laugh.

Eureka 7: Astral Ocean 02: I’m sorry, but unless there’s some revision of the story that Eureka came floating out of the sky and gave birth to Ao before disappearing off again soon after, I’m going to have trouble taking this sequel seriously.

Rozen Maiden 79 AHHHH OMFG NEW ROZEN MAIDEN and suchlike noise. With lots of lovely Boku Boku Boku (aka Souseiseki) interacting with Suigintou and the strange new boy getting interested in the dolls. I really love this manga and would really be happy seeing these scenes animated – but until that happens I’m quite happy just reading these chapters.

I should really make the effort to find and read the newer chapters in Japanese…

HunterXHunter 336: odd chapter clearing up a little how Killua managed his brother’s powers and split personality. Started rather dull with Illumi’s deductions, but the final part was interesting. Where will HxH go now?

One Piece 657 explained the weirdness of the last chapter and gave us a glimpse of a new baddie, but was a bit dull.

Naruto 574 brings with it the return of Sasuke and co to centre-stage. They are not welcome at all. And Zetsu sucks.

Bakuman 166 gives a creepy vibe, based as it is on the really unhealthy obsessions Japanese fanboys get on seiyuu, but at least it’s providing some really good, solid plot action, which this series has been needing for quite a while.

Deadman Wonderland 50-51: I’m slightly sad to say this, but I’m getting bored of DW now. After the last big fight – which wasn’t very interesting – the characters are now recovering, and Ganta has had a big exposition injection directly into his brain. The human interactions were limited to Ganta and Crow flattering each other…and it’s just hard to care any more.

Eureka 7 Astral Ocean 01: a manga chapter ahead of the release of this sequel to the classic anime, it tells the story of a kid who looks remarkably like the offspring of Renton and Eureka, and is as generic as they come. Poor orphan child accidentally comes across an artefact that allows for a giant mecha to be used. Still, I’ll definitely watch the new series.

HunterXHunter 334, though in many ways anticlimactic, put a big smile on my face. It was great – the masterful way Pariston manipulated events based on only a few nuggets of information, the way Leorio reacted, the suspension of our understanding of what happened with Killua, and of course the cliffhanger centred on a plot strand that’s lasted over a decade – what will happen when Gon finally meets his father. I want more!

One Piece 655 was great too, and it looks like the new arc will not be about Mama yet, but a side quest on a strange island with a burning hot side and a freezing cold side. It seems the theme will be Japanese, but with dragons. Intriguing!

Oh, and Luffy was frickin’ hilarious with his terrible detective skills and insight.

Bakuman 164 had its characters in paroxysms of happiness – and I didn’t care. I’m not empathising with them any more, and that’s a big problem for this sort of title. It also seemed to me that Niizuma’s reaction was obvious, and the Jump staff should have known he’d react that way and aimed for it.

Naruto 572 featured a chibi kyuubi crying, more goofy tailed beasts and the groundwork for an incredibly lame powerup. It’s about time to get to the final confrontation with Sasuke and end this series.

One Piece 654 featured nothing very much happening – the ship got into a bit of trouble with an underwater maelstrom, then reached the surface with the help of some whales – and yet it was one of the best chapters in a while, with the perfect balance of great humour and touching sentiment. This is the kind of thing only One Piece can do, and does very well.

Naruto 571 remains pretty terrible, and this is al going to look worse, animated. Gai says that it looks like a scene from a Godzilla film, and while I’m sure TVTropes would delight in that bit of lampshading, it’s both an annoying reference to the real world in a fantasy and makes the ridiculousness of the scene more apparent.

Fairy Tail 260: catching up a little bit after not having read FT in a while. A tournament, eh? That most overused of shounen ideas. Well, I have a feeling it won’t stay in the predictable format for long.

Bakuman 161-162 quite frankly were pretty boring. The trouble with Bakuman, as I’m sure I’ll lay out in more detail at some point, is that the main characters just aren’t that interesting, so particularly ‘breather’ chapters get dull.

One Piece 653 was really a full chapter for the purpose of setting up the last few panels – the Straw Hats finally facing the enormity of reaching the ocean where all the strongest pirates are. After so many years! So it wasn’t a very interesting chapter overall, but there’s much to look forward to.

Naruto 570: really? Really? I mean, it was obviously coming, but I didn’t think Kishimoto would so blatantly turn his huge, endlessly destructive and sinister demon fox into a tsundere. The worst decision of many bad decisions lately.

HunterXHunter 332: ahhh, cliffhanger! I want more! I loved Leorio’s speech, a great mix of seriousness and comedy.

Soul Eater 92-93: fights I don’t care about and dumb fanservice. Pick up soon, please, Soul Eater!

D.Gray-man 210-211: I’d already seen a spoiler image, but Allen doing his clown performance has probably made me smile more than anything else in D.Gray-Man for months. I would have rather it took longer to find him, really, but I suppose this arc is now going to take another direction, which ought to be interesting.

New manga from Jump came out today on Mangastream, after a break over the holiday period.

One Piece 652 came back with a chapter that wasn’t spectacular, but a neat one for transitioning the arcs. Smoker and Tashigi are very welcome returnees, and I’ll bet they’ll end up allies in the fight against Big Mama. Where does Luffy go after taking on an Emperor, though? It feels like the beginning of the end.

HunterXHunter 331 set the scene for an explosive action only Gin has foreseen – and while it’s a shame he’s not the incredibly cool, powerful guy it seemed he would be for much of the title’s run, it feels like Togashi has actually thought this through well. It will be interesting to see what Pariston has planned, and what Leorio will do!

Naruto 569 came with the message that for Naruto to succeed here, he basically has to do what he’s always done. That is, never give up, never accept he’s too weak, and believe in himself. It was as cheesy as it sounded – and nothing much actually happened. Oh well. It wasn’t an especially painful chapter.

Half Prince 54-55. Back to this, my favourite Manhua from the country of my Grandparents (their residence, at least) – indeed, the only one I read. The Dictator for Life is finally revealed, and much more interesting and sympathetic than expected. This arc, based on the self-aware NPCs, has the feel of a last one, especially since the Dictator for Life has been shown to be following Prince’s progress all along. I imagine the final twist will be that the other being he sensed is someone close to Prince, and I hope that will wrap things up, rather than evolving into another arc. The humour has faded from the title now.

D. Gray-Man 209 continues to follow Johnny. I quite like that he has become the protagonist, but I can’t help but feel that now that Allen is too strong and competent, the mangaka needs someone else to fill the role of cute, hapless boy who ends up taking a beating I enjoyed his little escapade on the train, though – and his new travel companion.