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.