One Piece 702 was a bit confusing in the middle, where it seemed it would follow Zoro but instead followed Luffy and Franky, and it seems a tournament arc may be about to start, but things have still moved neatly to a place where I’m interested to see what will happen. A decent transition chapter, and the old man (presumably another of Doflamingo’s kin) is certainly a very interesting little enigma.

Naruto 624: I have been very down on this flashback arc, and the way it was shoehorned into the story, but I’ve finally warmed to it – just as it ends. It brought nothing new to the story, and feels less like a clever statement on history always repeating itself than just an author with only one idea he keeps rehashing, ultimately giving the impression that the whole of the main story could have been condensed to the handful of chapters this arc has been afforded. But there’s a glimmer here of what used to make the series something special. And it’s a basic affection for characters with simple, childish attitudes that may seem naïve but actually just have a much clearer view of right and wrong than those around them.