Back to ScalchopWarrior's Profile ScalchopWarrior's Profile

Countless new manga have come from Shounen Jump’s weekly magazine, of which an equal many number have met an unfortunate and swift end from falling sales. Of these series, many can see the common signs; often they have traditional shounen tropes, potentially interesting settings, or otherwise impressive art. One genre that has been somewhat universally known as usually less-than-stellar though comes in the form of comedic manga. Comedy as an art form is hard enough, and when one tries to manage all the secondary aspects that comes with making a manga that already difficult task becomes split even further. Thus, it’s not too terribly shocking ... the hear that completely comedy-focused manga aren’t terribly common, often being mixed with other genres as a supplement. So, when a fully-focused gag manga rears its head and appears on the scene, it’s usually at least worth noting. Such was the case with Ichigoki’s Under Control, a fun comedic series appearing in November of 2022 that sought to fill the otherwise rarely touched seat of a gag manga in the Weekly Shounen Jump. With all the aforementioned baggage on its plate, just how did Ichigoki do? Well, based on its history, one can likely extrapolate just how it ended.

[Writing]
As a gag comedy, Ichigoki is rather light on otherwise important aspects for a manga like an overarching story or particularly deep themes, but what it does have remains nothing much to scoff at either. Though rather simple, its narrative is fun and absurd to properly justify the ridiculous gags throughout. Similarly, while they don’t provide much in terms of deep characterization or nuanced motivations, all the characters are completely out there, enabling much in terms of comedic potential. The pacing is another point of serious contention, given that sometimes years pass in a matter of a single chapter, though this is always done for a gag more than anything else, and does end up tying rather well into the eventual final closing of the story. Overall, though just about everything is completely absurd and nonsensical, it hits those ideas rather well, tying into an at least decently told story of enjoying life.
[Grade - B]

[Presentation]
Regarding presentation, Ichigoki once again falls into being neither horrendous nor outstanding. The art has an appealing style with good paneling even if it’s nothing extraordinary and the world, though initially the run-of-a-mill high school, also branches out to zany and crazy locations that, while not too visually jaw-dropping still offer some nice variety. It comes together to make the manga generally passable in quality, as an aspect that doesn’t really stick out one way or another.
[Grade - B-]

[Fun Value]
By far the most enjoyable aspect of Ichigoki is the sheer fun value that comes from reading it; the story is simply filled with such absurdity and randomness that it’s a thrill going through. Caring not for the further implications of its ideas or world, the manga just throws everything at you depending on the scenario to find the funniest thing possible. While it doesn’t make it much in terms of actual story or writing quality, it makes the moment-to-moment highly enjoyable.
[Grade - A-]

In all, though Ichigoki’s Under Control doesn’t particularly shine in any areas of its writing or art or anything like that, it’s generally quite the fun experience. The plot and characters are serviceable to the vibe it’s attempting to capture, with some legitimately feel-good-ness thrown in as well. Its art and paneling also don’t offer much that is unique or stunning, but are passable enough to not distract. It’s overall a nice-feeling time with amusing gags and absurd comedy that, while it won’t leave a terribly long overall impression, is fun to read in the moment.
[Grade - B]

When one wants to discuss the many, many axed manga that populate the Shounen Jump catalog, often there’s a lot to say. With so many varied stories and authors, many of the canceled remain old favorites of readers who found something special and memorable in them to recall back to and discuss from time to time. Yet, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, as is the case in the case of Tokyo Demon Bride Story, there isn’t much at all of particularly unique note to discuss…and perhaps that’s exactly why it found itself canceled to begin with. Yet, despite that…something about this quirky, fun, comedic ... slice-of-life story spoke to me and made me saddened to see its departure. Just what that was is something I’m not all too fully certain of myself.

[Writing]
In regards to its writing, Tokyo Demon Bride Story isn’t anything special to speak of, but nor is it anything bad either. The manga is a comfy narrative with goofy characters and fun antics, the kind that’s just enjoyable to read through and take a break from the oftentimes broadly distressing world of media. As a slice-of-life-styled product, the pacing is rightfully pretty slow, but it’s set well with the enjoyable dynamics going on in each chapter. Overall, though nothing exceptionally unique, it serves well for what it tries to be.
[Grade - B+]

[Presentation]
The presentation of the manga is equally of the same mind as the writing; that is, neither being particularly horrendous nor excellent beyond satisfaction. The art is good, with enjoyable paneling, good designs, and easy-to-follow movement and action, though doesn’t do much to defy expectations or otherwise push the line. The world is distinct enough to stand up on its own and look good, but isn’t particularly fleshed out or unique on its own. As a whole, while it’s fine enough, it doesn’t excel much either.
[Grade - B]

[Fun]
Even with the middlingly average areas that Tokyo Demon Bride Story otherwise has, this much is certainly true; that reading it is just plain fun. The characters are goofy and have lovable little quirks, the gags are absurd but always got a chuckle from me, and the action or narrative is easy to follow. None of these are particularly outstanding accolades, but the manga just has such a strong element of joy throughout it that it makes it hard to not have a good time while reading. Even if that can’t make up for more objective faults, it certainly helps make the experience better overall.
[Grade - A]

Overall, Tokyo Demon Bride Story, while nothing too exceptional, remains a good fun story overall. Sporting a comfy story with enjoyable characters, some fine art with a distinct style, and an overall lovable and charming tone, the story excels in what it intends to be; a cute and goofy comedic story that also has its moments of action and heart within. And, insofar as much, I can’t truly say it fails in any regard. Objectively there are perhaps less than ideal choices made, but in all, it succeeds in at least giving me comfort to have read it at the moment.

Grade - B+

Often when a manga is canceled (or “axed,” as it's put), there’s a sort of retrospective readers go through. Many look back through its early history, citing all the potential it had or where there were early signs of mistakes or missteps. Sometimes there’s even bemoaning, regretting the end it got by looking at all the enjoyment found early on. In most recent memory, there’s not a manga that fits this retroactive look better than Earthchild, a manga with a whirlwind of a story behind it. For such a unique case as this, I feel I can’t review it how I traditionally do; rather, ... I’m going to get into a bit of a story that is this tale to fully appreciate just what an odd series of events it is.

To take you back to the beginning, it all started in February 2022, when, suddenly appearing on the Shounen Jump app, Earthchild made itself known to the world. And, initially, reception was quite positive, and for good reason. Telling a sweet but sad simple story, the very first chapter featured quality art, some wonderful characters entangled in a adorable romance, and a tragic end that promised a future of hopeful but difficult times ahead. In all, it was immediately great, and excitement for where the series would keep going was high.

Unfortunately, the future did not quite live up to the excitement created. Not even a single chapter later everything that made the first chapter so phenomenal seemed to slowly but steadily begin fading away. The art remained quality enough, but the writing became…shaky to say the least and, very quickly, the story felt as though it didn’t know where it wanted to go. A goal or obstacle would be set, only to be subverted or entirely avoided within a matter of moments, then repeated the next time. To many, including myself, it was immensely disappointing after the promise the first chapter had shown.

Normally, this on its own wouldn’t be all to surprising for many series on Jump, unfortunately enough. Series often appeared and just as often would bomb, so early promise not living up was hardly anything new. And, as the weeks ticked on, Earthchild continued to unravel at its seams as it rapidly fell on popularity charts and found its plots speeding toward an obvious conclusion for the series that would make the manga a disappointing mess, but a fondly recalled one for its early success.

Instead, though, just as the end seemed inevitable, Earthchild simply…didn’t end. It just kept going on, most definitively disliking it, yet the manga kept trudging along anyway. And, oddly enough, after entirely slaughtering their plot for a conclusion that didn’t even end anything, this next period of the story hit a dramatic turn of quality; suddenly, so much of the original magic had returned alongside some actually decent writing.

It was certainly nowhere near the quality of the very first chapter, but to many, it seemed curious that the sudden quality rise occurred at all. Some even theorized that, perhaps unlike originally believed, Earthchild might actually not be prepared for the end, and that the prior events had only been the prequel to the actual story. At the time, it was really treated more as a jest than anything, yet the idea couldn’t escape the realm of possibility all the same…

Ultimately, the original conclusion proved inescapable; after middling along for several more confusing, oddly paced, and inconclusive chapters, the manga did eventually come to its final end. By the time it happened, most seemed as if they weren’t even able to really feel angered or sad…or anything about it anymore. By that point the manga had run for around seven months and people just couldn’t find it in themselves to care at all anymore.

In all, Earthchild has one of the most fascinating stories of any axed manga; from a spectacularly strong beginning to a quickly middling center to a seemingly defiant sudden resurgent that all the same ended quite in the same way it was leading to (some may even say worse). It’s altogether a hard story to judge; on one hand, objective critique can certainly be leveled at its writing, characters, or spectacularly strange pacing, but, at the same time, there is a wonder of how much could be said to be meddling and cancellation threats from above. No one can truly know for sure, but it was certainly a most interesting ride while it lasted.
[Grade - C]

In terms of general pitches I’ve received, “deadbeat idol strikes up a partnership with a ghost idol who helps him awaken his love of his work”, is certainly not the most expected story, though I suppose neither is it the oddest. Either way, it was enough to thoroughly grasp my attention on sheer randomness and absurdity alone. Is that really enough to claim any legitimate quality though? Well…

[Writing]
To begin, the general concept of Kami Kuzu Idol is certainly out-there and pretty original all things considered; and it doesn’t attempt to be too much more than what it sets out to, that being a light-hearted, comedic, ... slice of life-ish romp with fun gags and characters. The characters are definitely a stand-out, with distinct and fun personalities backed by wonderful performances from the VAs that got plenty of laughs out of me. Add that to some truly enjoyable gags and I was consistently enjoying my time with the show. I don’t consider it anything exceptional, but it’s serviceable as a means for the comedy, and that’s really enough to be entertaining.
[Grade - B+]

[Presentation]
In terms of its visuals, Kami Kuzu Idol really doesn’t have much of note; its animation is certainly passable enough on average, but nothing too impressive or distinct of an animation style or aesthetic that makes it stand out from an average anime. For better or worse, the most distinct animation definitely comes in the performances, where traditional animation is forgone in favor of using CGI models that look…passable, to say the least. However, the music is quite nice, particularly the performance songs, which makes said events more enjoyable than the visuals alone would otherwise make them.
[Grade - B]

[Fun value]
The anime is definitely a very fun time overall, and as a comedic series, much of its mileage certainly does depend on if the general vibe of the show is a hit or miss with you. Myself, I found it a fun and absurd show that constantly entertained, while offering the occasional hit of seriousness to balance the experience out. Therefore, I feel this aspect is definitely its strongest.
[Grade - A-]

In all, Kami Kuzu Idol is an entirely absurd story, but sufficiently tells its story for the intended purposes of comedy and character interactions. With some enjoyable characters, great VA performances, and fun gags, it’s a good time to watch, even if the visuals sometimes leave much to be desired. If you expect something deep or meaningful, while it has some interesting themes of enjoyment from work and the idol industry, you’ll likely still end up disappointed, but if one comes in expecting the light-hearted, fun romp that it is, then there’s some good times to be had.

[Grade - B+]

(With part 2 just coming out this seemed like the perfect time! It’s definitely not that my backlog is simply too quick for me…)
The Spring 2022 anime season carried lots of bangers, between the (vastly underrated) Summertime Rendering, the third coming of Kaguya-sama, and the awaited second season of Shield Hero. Even with those titles floating around though, the standout series everyone was most excited for was none other than Spy x Family, the anime adaptation of the much beloved (and still running) manga from 2019. With the project being headed by not one but two standout studios in WIT (AoT, Vinland Saga) and CloverWorks ... (Promised Neverland, Dress-Up Darling) the hype was at an all time high. Such stories have happened before, so did Spy x Family defy the odds and end up living up to the expectations many set onto it? Quite frankly; yes

Beginning with what first drew my attention to the anime (and manga) is the main premise. Centering around a very literal found family, Spy x Family focuses on the Forger family and their mixed lives as both a completely average family as well as truly extraordinary individuals in their own right as a spy, assassin, and telepath. A completely hilarious-sounding synopsis, the plot framing of the show itself is just as bombastically fun as the three main characters are thrown into the countless scenarios that come their way to maintain their illusions both to the outside world and one another.

As one can glean from the description, the three main characters are of key focus, the titular family of Loid, Yor, and Anya Forger. Already humorous fake last name aside, each of the three is important to forming the full family dynamic by which the show operates. Between Loid’s absurd overplanning, Yor’s tendency to solve her problems with murder, and Anya’s optimistic outlook for just about everything, including her parents’ double lives, they make a fine group. Helping them along is the performances provided by the voice actors, who do absolutely splendid work in making these characters come to life. Other side and supporting characters make their appearance and are certainly enjoyable in their own right as well, even if the brunt of the show’s enjoyment lies on how attached you grow to the Forger family.

As might be expected from such renowned studios heading the project, the animation and style of Spy x Family are nothing short of spectacular. For a slice-of-life comedy show, the occasional fight scenes are remarkably among the best I’ve seen, not to mention the consistently charming art style which remains always adorable to watch. Compared to more action-orientated shows it’s not quite as much of a primary feature, but more simply just an impressive standard to hold when they could realistically put less time in without anyone truly minding.

As a (part) comedy, Spy x Family’s primary (or at least half) focus is obviously on its comedic elements, and I, for one, found them entirely enjoyable and hilarious. The characters bounce off one another in very humorous and apt ways, forming a fun dynamic that makes any other character introduced inherently able to find comedy with at least one of the three leads. The voice actors help this area quite a bit as well, with fast-paced and passionate deliveries that make jokes that otherwise might not land as much really find their stride. The show really knows its own brand of jokes, and quickly settles into it for consistent enjoyable times each episode.

Above all, Spy x Family is really just a lot of wholesome, easy fun to watch without much need for extreme deep thought or theorizing. Not to say those things are bad in the slightest, but sometimes it’s quite nice to have something pretty simple and heartfelt that you can just put on and know you’ll enjoy yourself through. And for that, Spy x Family definitely knows the area it fills, which I can full acknowledge in how it structures itself to be small individual snippets to be enjoyed rather than some larger overarching narrative that might be harder to get into.

That very aspect might be one area that people can have fault with Spy x Family though. It is, inherently, a slice-of-life show, meaning that the pacing and overarching plot development are basically a snail’s pace if at all present beyond the first few episodes. Like before, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just really depends on the kind of media you enjoy consuming; if you’re searching for a grand adventure and an overarching tale, this show is not really what you’re trying to find, a perfectly fine thing.

In all, Spy x Family is a wonderfully charming show with a nice premise, enjoyable characters, unexpectedly stunning visuals, hilarious comedy, and an overall nice vibe to watch. The slice-of-life pacing might make some find less enjoyment in it, but to those who are searching for such an experience it can’t be missed. If you have a love for good comedy and feels good times, this one is absolutely for you.

Grade - A+

After their smash hit Dragon Ball Super: Broly in 2018, a follow-up was eagerly expected, if not downright begged for by the Dragon Ball community. Eager to see how the main trio of Goku, Vegeta, and Broly’s stories might continue, a sequel in either movie or show form seemed inevitable. However, come 2021 when details for the film began to be released, it seemed not to be quite what the community expected. Rather than continue Broly’s story of its three protagonists, Super Hero was primed to seemingly focus on a small-scale matter in an entirely CGI animated film, lacking the fan-loved animation and story of ... Broly. As such, expectations were certainly mixed, but as more press material was released, I personally grew more and more excited. Couple that with some spoilers I heard, and my expectations were pretty high to at least enjoy the movie when it came out. With all that in mind, did it manage to live up to the hype? In my opinion, yes.

To begin with an area of immense discourse; the animation. CGI in anime is certainly an…unpopular method, but the methods and utility definitely show their worth even still, making it a general (if reluctant) mainstay of the genre to be used. However, Super Hero is entirely animated in CGI, being quite a different experience than the brief and often jarring cuts of it, being something finely honed instead. As such, the final product of Super Hero looks quite phenomenal, with clean models and fast-paced, enjoyable action that makes most other anime’s attempts at CGI look laughable in comparison.

Something I frequently find myself forgetting but being reminded of every time I see a Dragon Ball piece of media is just how enjoyable the franchise's cast is. With great designs and wonderful personalities set after decades of growth, it’s a blast to catch up with everyone again and see how they interact with the new characters and experiences thrown their way.

Equally linked is the film's comedy; as with Broly, Super Hero has both its serious moments and is generally light-hearted with many moments of comedy throughout that lighten up the action. It’s highly enjoyable and really makes the experience better than any fully serious and dull action could ever do for the film.

Really that was what I found most appealing about Super Hero more than anything; just how fun it was. Throughout I had a big smile plastered on my face, I had moments of hype, moments of laughter, and just generally had an awesome time seeing it. It’s Dragon Ball at its best (in my opinion) when separate from any other factors; watching it just makes you enjoy yourself and get caught up in the flow of the moment.

Unfortunately, Super Hero isn’t all pleasant times, and there are certainly a few issues to be had, even with its mindless fun. For one, particularly compared to Broly, the main story just isn’t quite as compelling or finely crafted. It isn’t abhorrent by any means, but it’s clearly nothing more than a device to pit characters against one another rather than having a greater idea to tell on its own. Again, not particularly terrible by any means, just not quite as notable as its predecessor.

Another issue I found was in the movie’s pacing, which notably stumbled a bit, mostly early on. The movie has no qualms about starting slow and getting fast once it does, which is perfectly valid. However, near the beginning, it seems to both want to go and wait at once, with multiple odd surges of action that die down into more subdued times, as well as odd diversions to other locations or goals that feel rather out of place to throw where they were placed. Once it gets going later, the pacing is quite good, but early on it's notably odd and jolting.

With all I’ve said about it, I feel that Super Hero warrants a proper comparison to Broly, to weigh exactly how they stand. While there are many points that can be compared or contrasted that go to one film or the other, I feel it's more useful to actually observe what both movies are trying to do, as I find them quite different experiences that aim to be exactly that. Broly was certainly more dramatic with a superior plot and higher-feeling stakes, but that’s not entirely to Super Hero’s discredit. Super Hero felt clearly poised to be exactly the light-hearted, character-driven, humorous down-to-earth action film it ended up being, and for that, I can’t really fault it much.

In summation, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was quite a wonderful experience, bringing the kind of fun and bombastic experience to the table that we expected with some truly phenomenal animation and hilarity throughout. While it was perhaps lacking in some plot and had some odd pacing choices, I think the movie didn’t really aim to be that dramatic and climactic experience, wanting to be a more down-to-earth and light-hearted experience, and in that, I found it utterly succeeded in a dominant fashion.

Grade - A

The tale as old as time; a Shounen Jump ax that relentlessly strikes down any work that fails to reach its standards. Most of the time, this seems to occur for an author’s first attempt, giving them experience to then try once more, often with far more success. However, the case of Ayashimon is somewhat different, as it was hardly mangaka Yuuji Kaku’s first work, also author of the well-received Hell's Paradise. And, while it showed initial hope, Ayashimon eventually found itself receiving the ax as well. As with any Jump series that ends to this fate, the question begs itself; did Ayashimon deserve this ... fate? Well, at least in my opinion, not in the slightest bit.

To begin, Ayashimon has one of the more interesting premises I’ve seen from a new shounen in quite some time; filled with both a wacky world and fun characters, it promised to be a good time tackling the varied and many of the titular creatures. The few instances we did get time to witness of this worldbuilding going wild were fantastical and intriguing, pulling from Japanese folklore, common phobias, and other interesting ideas to form a truly varied and crazy world that felt like it had so much more to give than what we got.

And, as mentioned, a large part of the charm in Ayashimon comes from the characters that the story follows. As a protagonist, Maruo is somehow simultaneously extremely generic yet also unbelievably different, with Urara complimenting him with her own charm and great design. These two form the backbone of the characters in this series, further complimented by the numerous supporting characters that pop up around them. All around, it’s a colorful cast full of great designs, personalities, and interesting powers to toy with, one I’m sad didn’t get more time.

And, if there was one area Ayashimon excelled in, I would say it was the fights. Maruo being a straight-up brawler doesn’t really lend itself to all that interesting of fights on its own, but the art and paneling still gave his blows a feeling of power that made it satisfying nonetheless. Further intrigue came more from his opponents and allies, the yokai who all wielded odd and interesting sets of powers. They made for pretty exciting and fun battles that were a joy to read through.

Unfortunately, Ayashimon’s main flaw comes in part due to its cancellation. Simply cutting off the story at 25 chapters means that any promise the story and characters held for continual development or growth is regretfully stilted as the story has to be either rushed for an unearned finale or cut off short entirely; and it is this latter one that Ayashimon chooses to do. For what it had, it was fine enough, but only really made me wish there was more to be had.

In all, Ayashimon was certainly not a perfect series, and its early cancellation left much to be desired, but with a compelling main cast, interesting world and plot along with killer action, I believe there was definitely the makings of something greater here, something we’ll unfortunately never get the chance to see. Yet for what we still got…I think it was quite good.

Grade - B

In 2019, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba took the world by storm when its anime was released. In 2020, it happened again with the release of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train, which quickly became the best selling anime movie of all time, surpassing even the untouchable Spirited Away. To some, it seemed unlikely to happen again, but, regardless of the odds, in 2021, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc came to the small screens, and, once again, become a sensation. As with any large successful franchise, this quickly brought rise to questions of if Demon Slayer truly deserved such ... success, or if it was simply by some chance of fate that made it the hit it became. A question that I believe has one simple answer; it does.

To begin, the Entertainment District Arc of Demon Slayer is easily one of the greatest in the series. Filled with tons of character, mystery, and fights to be had, it’s the series at its best, exhibiting peak performance without fail. What begins as an ordinary mission quickly becomes something else entirely, and the evolution and turns the narrative takes in this arc are about as good as they get.

Our main characters remain just as fun, lovable and full of personality as ever, and the characters newly introduced and given focus show their stuff as well. With the distinctive art style of Demon Slayer, every design is wonderful and fantastic-looking, making every character feel quite memorable in their appearance. As always, the show strikes a good balance of the over-the-top insane comedic moments and the more low-key and sweet, giving us a well balanced experience.

And, regarding the art, the animation remains just as crisp and fantastic as always, giving us action-packed, smooth, kinetic battling animations to absolutely lose one’s mind over. The Breathing Styles wielded by our protagonists remain as beautiful a sight to behold as ever, and ufotable certainly held nothing back this season in terms of the off-the-walls lighting and effects tying it all together. It’s a jaw-dropping experience that still feels as if it shouldn’t even exist.

Coming off of ufotable’s success, this season of Demon Slayer again brings a wonderful soundtrack in both its boppin opening and ending, as well as the music that fills each episode, both ambient and high-octane. The notable Classical Japanese motif returns in full force and, combined with the use of some musical leitmotifs at key pieces, makes this season’s OST a fantastic one as well.

And mostly overall I think I would simply say that it’s a fantastically fun time, filled with laughs, action, and epicness aplenty. Getting each new episode each week was a wonderful experience as the story crept onwards in ways I didn’t expect. It truly made for a really good time I felt, and that’s not to be undersold.
-
While I don’t find them major deal breakers, it isn’t to say that this season of Demon Slayer is perfect either. For one, at least compared to the first season, the world evolution here is comparatively little, adding only a bit more to the existing features and not widening the scope much. This point isn’t entirely bad, as that wider scale world growth clearly isn’t the intent for this arc, but it remains a factor nonetheless if one is interested in that part of shows.

An issue of more notable extent though is that of the season’s pacing. While the later sections of the season have a consistent and fast pace, the early sections of the arc notably drag somewhat. That’s not to say the content in those episodes are unimportant, but simply that they feel notably slower and hold less momentum than the later parts.

As briefly mentioned before, I believe this season is (currently for the animated content at least) Demon Slayer at its absolutely best. The season makes the most of season 1 and the movie’s set up to allow its compelling plot to flow seamlessly forward while continuing the growth of our characters from those stories. As such, I hardly think it’s an exaggeration to say that this culmination of what Demon Slayer has done so far holds quality equal to what that title might bring one to expect.

In conclusion, the second season of Demon Slayer proves an even greater continuation of the franchise, carrying with it all the greatness therein pertained. With a great and interesting plot, fantastic characters new and old, gorgeous and smooth animation, and a wonderful soundtrack, it all forms a great fun time, even if it suffers from some limited pacing issues and doesn’t do much to expand the world. I’d certainly consider it Demon Slayer at its best and absolutely worth the hype.

Grade - A

Martial arts are really a genre of amazement, far beyond the hand-to-hand combat displayed in most kung-fu flicks. Disciplines like sojutsu (spears), kyudo (archery), or bojutsu (staffs) are just some few examples of techniques that, while acknowledged, most would not often consider a martial art. Even within the vast realm of anime and manga, with fighting-based series like Dragon Ball, media that represents the vast quantity of martial arts are rare to come by. So, when a new manga series that promised a deep dive into the more intricate and varied styles appeared on the block, I found myself certainly interested. Yet, despite early promise, ... Neru: Bugei Dogyou [Neri: Way of the Martial Artist] ultimately fell short of its mark…in no small part due to the one and only Shounen Jump axe.

To begin with is something perhaps expected of a series so focused upon various martial arts, being that the art and choreography is absolutely spectacular. Flowing and downright animated despite the static medium, every fight and exchange of blows in the manga is incredible to read through. Adding to that enjoyment is the very real and grounded philosophy by which many of the fights and their “powers” operate, finding their origin in actually martial arts practices, making these evolutions of strength also feel informative at the same time.

A definitive other important factor in making those fights fun is the characters engaged in them. While I wouldn’t consider any to be a breakthrough in character writing or anything along that sort, but they all have distinct personalities with their own quirks that make for entertaining interactions both in and out of the action. Perhaps a bit tropey, but it makes for an engaging enough cast to keep an interest across the story’s run.

Above all else, even through the lower points of the story and its admitted tropeyness, what really kept it afloat for me was just how fun it was. And it’s certainly not ashamed to know the kind of story it is; everything from the manga’s bombastic fights to its over-the-top moments and explanations leans right into that exaggerated insanity that the premise of a martial arts school has. The medium knowing its own draw is a pretty valuable part of the experience for me, and Neru certainly knows its.

In conclusion, Neru is an…interesting specimen to examine for sure. Within its short (just 18 chapters!) run, I can’t say much I felt the manga truly did wrong or especially badly. On the contrary, I found it a highly entertaining story that boasted incredible paneling for its action, entertaining characters, and showed much promise for the future. Yet, despite this all, the Shounen Jump ax fell all the same, indiscriminately ending the story before it could really find its ground. It’s a sad series of events, yet one we’ve gotten all too used to enduring…

Grade - B-

Little Red Riding Hood, a fairy tale as old as time, one that every kid knows in and out. And that’s just one of many stories within the ever famous Grimms’ Fairy Tales, also containing famous narratives like Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, and Cinderella among many others. Remixing these tales into a new kind of story is certainly not a brand new idea; movies like Disney’s famous adaptations of some tales or Hoodwinked certainly show that. However, these adaptations are most often just that; adapting the source material in often more child friendly or optimistic ways, or else using them as parody for another kind ... of story entirely. Red Hood does something else entirely, which we see as we delve in this strange, twisted world of fairy tales.

Perhaps fitting a story based on classic tales, the story of Red Hood is one of its stronger points. Without explicit spoilers, it takes what would otherwise be a dull and repetitive shounen manga story and twists it, much like it does to the stories of its origin. By the end, the story isn’t at all like what one would have believed it to be like at the start, and it gets there by means of a gripping, interesting, if sometimes cliche, narrative that keeps you invested.

By far one of Red Hood’s greatest strengths though, is its world. Pulling from the Grimm tales, the world is all at once familiar and completely new, taking these familiar tales of old and putting them through a new take that drastically changes how we view them. Stories like Cinderella and Red Riding Hood are seemingly warped and changed, forming a world of fairy tales unlike I’ve seen before. It’s truly remarkable, and something I wish could have been explored more than it was.

That lack of exploration is regretfully one of Red Hood’s primary flaws, and it really rears its head regarding the characters. While most are fine and a few even interesting, the little we got of them was simply not sufficient to make most fully fleshed characters in their own right, feel like little more than caricatures in a fairy tale novel. The beginnings of something were evident, and many have compelling character with which showed easy promise to grow, but the time was simply not given, leaving the cast feeling rather paper thin.

Lack of time leads to another of Red Hood’s issues, being its pacing. While the story runs itself fairly regularly at a decent pace at the start, the further we go into the manga’s run, the quicker and less reasonable its pacing becomes, up until the end begins to move at an absolutely breakneck speed that the limited setup it has simply cannot support. It’s an understandable issue for some unfortunate real life complications, yet one of the most notable to exist.

Red Hood’s themes are by far its most interesting aspect of the manga, mostly in how they seem to evolve in response to real life occurrences. The Shonen Jump ax is an all-too familiar fact of manga nowadays, where any series can and will be cut off at the whim of Jump, forced to rush an ending in a few chapters. For most series this is rather indicative in the reading, mostly in a sudden rushed pacing and raised stakes that clearly heads straight for the story’s endgame. And, while Red Hood is similar in that manner, there is also something else of note, that being how its themes changed to handle this sudden shift.

To say the themes completely changed wouldn’t be completely accurate; the makings of the story’s final message were certainly always present even if not always emphasized. But what I find truly remarkable is how Red Hood used its real life impending cancellation to better push its own theme, the rushed pacing and sudden conclusion almost add to the impact its message creates. It’s not something I want to spoil, as the manga is short enough to be a quick read for one to experience it themselves, but it managed to stick with me in a way no other canceled manga did.

In conclusion, Red Hood is a prime example of the unfortunate circumstances behind Shonen Jump’s trigger happy axing of manga. The series had a strong narrative and world with slightly lacking character and pacing that nevertheless had much promise, along with its interesting themes, but was cut short and thus never achieved the heights it displayed the capability to achieve.

Grade - B-