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Jun 30, 2024
**I'm writing this in two parts: right now I'm just reviewing the Dragon Ball part (chapters 1-194), and once I finish Z (the rest) I'll edit this to include my thoughts on it.**
I'm not introducing Dragon Ball. If you're on this website, you know what it is. Odds are that this website would not exist without it. It's inspired the Big Three, hundreds of other manga, and thousands upon thousands of fans across the world. It's battle manga's Lord of the Rings, its Jaws, its mythology that everything to come after is built upon. And on top of all these platitudes and more that I
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could list, it is one simple word: Fun.
From the first page all the way through its last, Dragon Ball is fun. A simple story of collecting magical items and fighting people, it doesn't need more than that. Of course, anyone hoping for something deep with a multifaceted protagonist and thought-provoking scenes will leave sorely disappointed. Everyone in it is very simple, but that simplicity makes most of them endearing. Yamcha, Bulma, Krillin, and everyone else in the entourage has fun lines and action scenes at some point in the story. At the forefront of it all is Son Goku. His earnestness and innocent nature make him extremely likable and a great character to follow, even if the only thing to change about him is his power level.
The action is also really good, and Toriyama's skill is on full display in the amazing fight scenes. Each frame has a clear layout of what's going on, and the only times things look blurry or messy are to intentionally depict a fight happening faster than the eye can see. At one point, there is a genius panel drawn diagonally to fully show the force of the attack two fighters just felt. With that action comes some incredible humor. Whether it's sarcastic comments to someone else's words, over-the-top moments taken even more over-the-top, or one of a handful of "break pages" from the story, the only jokes that may not land for some are the pervy moments, almost always because of Master Roshi. Which is understandable, of course, but as far as perverted humor goes it's not that bad. At least compared to other stuff I've seen.
But easily the best part of reading this has been seeing where all of the well-known shounen tropes come from. Reading it feels like going through a history museum, seeing where everyone else was inspired. The sense of adventure, the character archetypes, the general plot structure and progression, everything felt as familiar as a favorite blanket. The number of times I saw something that made me think of One Piece or especially Naruto alone are too great to count. That's the main reason why I'm not that harsh on the simple story. It's the blueprints that others saw and made their own works off of. And even then, there are plenty of things Toriyama has over Oda, Kishimoto and the rest. As interesting as chakra is, and as amazing as Luffy's Gum-Gum attacks are, there is no topping the sheer might of someone launching a beam of energy from their hands with that iconic shout: "Ka. Me. Ha. Me. HA!!!"
The only critique I can think of for Dragon Ball--besides its sometimes over-simplicity--is that the story arcs really blur together. That's largely just a personal thing; I'm used to series that give their characters breaks between arcs. Whether it's having a celebratory feast and party, returning home for a brief period, or simply sitting down at a restaurant for a quick bite, most other series I've read have moments that feel like a pause for both the characters and readers. But Dragon Ball will typically wind down for eight pages, then someone (usually Roshi or another person of respect) will mention an impetus for the next arc, and then Goku and friends will set off to begin it. The one example I can think of is the start of the most serious arc in the story, where the impetus comes as a shocking event rather than the words of another character. Also, the ending is extremely abrupt. It's something that I've gotten used to with other shounen series, and I guess they picked it up from here.
This is absolutely a manga that anyone who enjoys adventure manga should read--or even just manga in general. It's like how any film buff needs to watch Citizen Kane and Seven Samurai, or any gamer needs to play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. You can feel the watershed nature of Dragon Ball in its very pages, and Toriyama's mark on history is here to stay.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 10, 2024
I'm gonna be honest with you: Part 5 is the whole reason why I decided to get into JoJo. Not because of the setting, or the character designs, or because I had heard it was peak. My reason is simple: "Il Vento D'Oro" slaps. Don't know why I read it instead of watching it though, guess I just wanted to enjoy it at my own pace instead of an episode's.
Unfortunately, the meat of Golden Wind does not quite match the beauty of the song it's known for. However, as I've learned, it's best to start with the positives. And yes, there are plenty of positives
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to be found in the fifth installment of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
For one, the setting of Italy makes the pages of Golden Wind stand out compared to its predecessors. The one exception would be the section in Part 2 where Joseph was training in Italy, but even then, that has more wide views of the seaside compared to the more metropolitan look of Part 5. That's one thing I enjoy about all of JoJo: the use of many different countries to truly make each adventure feel as unique as possible. While I can't comment on how well each culture is captured, since I am by no means a veteran anthropologist or anything of the sort, it's something I look forward to seeing carried on as I continue this bizarre series.
While it's become a staple of the series to just have a series of battles one after the other, the story of Golden Wind takes it up a notch by changing the basics of the premise. In Part 3, the heroes were racing against time to save Jotaro's mother; in part 4, everyone was just naturally drawn to each other, as Stand Users are. In Part 5, it becomes an escort mission as the main crew has to take Trish, the daughter of their mafioso boss, to meet said boss, then eventually try to uncover his identity. That lends itself nicely to "Fight 1 Parts 1-X," "Fight 2 Parts 1-Y," etc, as either rogue members of the mafia world chase down the heroes to hurt Trish or the boss’s loyalists hunt them down to keep his identity secret.
Thirdly, most of the characters and their Stands continue to stand out from one another. There are plenty of greatly unique Stands on display, even if their names aren't always the coolest (Zipper Man). And when it comes to the heroes, the supporting cast is maybe the best I've seen so far. Of the four main supporters, three are fantastic. Narancia as the annoying-yet-endearing kid of the group, Abbacchio as the stoic member who comes across like the adult, and Mista as Mista are all great additions to the cast. The only dud is Fugo, who only acts as the dud because he leaves the group suddenly (but with good reason) and never gets brought back into the story before it wraps up. And finally, I liked Trish quite a bit. She was cool, and I liked the little bit of growth she had going from the escortee to a part of the group by the end. It's just a shame that she wasn't included in the final image of the final chapter.
As for the negatives, the first thing that comes to mind... I'll get to in a bit. But first I'll talk about the biggest dud of a character: Giorno Giovanna. He's not bad by any means, he's just... there. Certainly my second least-favorite JoJo, above only Jonathan Joestar. The story starts out on a strong hook, with the reveal that Dio actually had a son, but after the mafia plotline kicks in that just never gets brought up again. Besides that, whenever the group is on the defensive from an enemy Stand, it's almost always Giorno who figures out the ability at play. Granted, the other characters tend to have their victories when it comes to the actual fight, but it just makes him a bit more boring, especially compared to the other JoJos. The only other one who showcased that type of quick thinking in battle was Joseph Joestar. But he was still fun to watch, and his moments of "Guys, this is what the enemy's doing!" were fewer mainly due to the much shorter length of Battle Tendency. Giorno is just somewhat relegated to the exposition-for-victory machine of the group, and usually the one to deal the final blow besides Bucciarati. (Bucciarati is also cool, and his Stand is awesome; I just didn't find him as enjoyable as the other cast members above.)
Another unfortunately boring character was Diavolo. I'll keep it brief, since he had a cool mystery built up around him that made him intriguing. I was just disappointed that he didn't seem to have any motivations beyond just keeping his identity secret and conglomerating power. The stuff with Doppio was interesting at least.
The character who disappoints me most however (and the thing I alluded to above) is Polnareff. I noticed that he was listed as a Part 5 character on MAL and got excited to see him again. But I was not entirely pleased with the way he was handled. He just got introduced with around 30 chapters left, had a pretty cool moment in the Colosseum against the boss, then died. Yes, his soul is in the Turtle Room for now, but his updated design for Part 5 was so cool. I was really looking forward to seeing one of the last Stardust Crusaders again, and the way he was handled here left me dissatisfied.
Finally, it's weird to me how distant this feels from the rest of the JoJo saga. Much like the plotline about Giorno, son of Dio, the series begins with Koichi being sent to Italy by Jotaro to investigate Giorno. And then he never gets brought back into the story. Feels like a massive loose end. I don't expect every JoJo story going forward to have the previous protagonist acting as a mentor to the new one, the way Joseph acted with Jotaro and he acted with Josuke, and I wouldn't even mind it much if this was only loosely connected to the rest of the series. But with such a strong connection at the start, I'm left wondering what Koichi ended up doing while Giorno was busy becoming the new Godfather.
In the end, I don't really regret reading Part 5. At the very least, I got a cool new character in Mista. However, I would probably recommend that my friends skip this part and go right to Stone Ocean. Maybe something will change in a future part, but until then: Arrivederci, Giorno.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 10, 2024
In the small town of Morioh, located in Japan, things are quaint. The people go to work, the children go to school, and life is normal. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. Nothing, that is, except for one person: a broadshouldered gigachad named Jotaro Kujo arrives. And from there, the town gets a little more... Bizarre.
The general plot structure of Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable follows the structure of Stardust Crusaders. Groups of chapters cover encounters with other Stand users. The thing that sets these encounters apart is that, instead of seeming like the minions of the main villain are hunting down the heroes, a
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bit of lore is added that Stand users are naturally drawn to each other. While it doesn't have the same urgency, the setting of a small town where these special people run into and conflict with each other still makes for fun and interesting battles. In addition, nearly all of the stands have new and unique abilities compared to the last part. The only Stand with any blatant similarity to a previous one is Shining Diamond, but even then its primary power is new.
One another positive is the cast of heroes present. As much as I like the Stardust Crusaders, the new group inarguably has more personality. Jotaro takes a backseat and lets Josuke Higashikata, his uncle, take over. Josuke's presence is quite a refresher in the series as, unlike his predecessors, he feels a lot more... I dunno, natural? He doesn't have the sheer badassery of Jotaro, but still has his moments of coolness; he has a way of living honorably like his great-grandfather Jonathan, but he's more lenient with it and still gets into mischief; and while he can butt heads and be a bit of a troublemaker like his father Joseph, he doesn't toe a line that makes him unlikeable. On top of that, his friends Koichi and Okuyasu are good foils to him as the nice guy to his delinquent and vice versa, respectively. All of the other new ally Stand Users also stand out in their own ways, but no one can top Rohan Kishibe. Every time this smug mangaka shows up, you're in for some quality entertainment, whether he's twisting Koichi's arm into accompanying him on some manga research or having a staredown with Josuke.
When the story reaches the halfway point, it seems like it's run out of steam. However, that's when the plot kicks back into gear with the introduction of a new villain who is just as intimidating as Dio. From then on, the goal of the crew is to stop them, and the hunt lends to quite a bit of tension as they look for clues. It becomes a bit of a murder mystery, except you know the secret and are waiting for the heroes to learn it, lending to some nice dramatic irony whenever they get close.
As much fun as this series is, there are some problems I have. The main one has to do with character deaths. There are a few times where someone will come close to dying, and while I wasn't rooting for it to happen I feel it would've been more emotional to lose them. On the contrary, there are some times where a new character gets introduced only to die soon after. This isn't to say that you shouldn't get attached to anyone, just that there's a chance you'll get sad. The other complaint I have is a romance that develops partway through not being the healthiest development. I'm just saying: if the genders were reversed, people would probably destroy Part 4 on Twitter.
Even with those problems (or ignoring them), Diamond is Unbreakable does a great job following up Stardust Crusaders. It does a great job keeping up the momentum of Part 3, which is important since it more than doubles the length of the Jojo Stand Saga. Highly recommend, especially if you like Persona 4. They have the same general vibes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 25, 2024
It's funny that the last part was called "Battle Tendency" when this part is nothing but battles.
Jojo Part 3: Stardust Crusaders is the point in the series that becomes recognizably Jojo. Not only are the iconic Stands introduced, replacing hamon, but this is the part with most of the memes that people know Jojo for. In between all the "ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA"s and "OH NOOOOOO"s, Jotaro Kujo and his grandfather, Part 2's protagonist Joseph Joestar, must race against time to defeat Dio. Along the way, they make a few friends and find themselves in many, many more fights. And that's the part that will make or break
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you on this entry: either you enjoy the nonstop fights against other Stand Users, or you get tired of them all. And personally, I greatly enjoyed each of the fights.
There is a great variation in the battles Jojo and friends face in Stardust Crusaders. Each of the stands has incredibly unique abilities, and even when some have similar attributes Stand Users' strategies still make each fight different. Likewise, each of the ways the characters defeat the respective antagonists vary. It's not always an "ORAORAORA" until victory. Sometimes the team even gets split up, and only half of them are there to face the foe.
While the constant battles leaves little room for characters to sit down and talk, there are still plenty of big moments for characters to grow, shine, and leave an impression on the reader. In particular, the goofy side character Polnareff has several moments that can endear him to the audience. However, my favorite of the group is easily the lead. Jotaro Kujo has earned a privilege that few characters have. Alongside Guts the Black Swordsman, Kenpachi Zaraki, and Sachiko Fujinuma (the mom from Erased), he has become an Anime Gigachad. The moments this man has that are just sheer badassery are perhaps too many to count, and my favorite endings to fights are always because of him. Best Jojo so far.
If I were to make any critiques, it would just be one and two tiny ones. One small is that there's a subplot that kind of just ends at a point. It's not a big part or anything, but it felt weird that there was quite a bit of attention to it and then the character in question just leaves. Tiny number two is that a particularly awesome fight would've been even better, but Joseph decides to not use an ability that he is known to have. I'm not even saying that it would've changed the overall flow, it's just that he uses a different tactic for effectively the same result. The last is that one of the conflicts gets a little uncomfortably weird. Not the fight itself--that was really tense, and it is another moment of Polnareff's that I like. Without putting it into spoilers, I'll just say that it's a fanservice-y scene that gets a bit weird.
Other than those, Stardust Crusaders is a blast. The fights come at you like punches from Star Platinum, and they never let up until the very end. I'm now looking forward a lot more to reading more of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. If you haven't gotten started and are considering skipping the first two parts, feel free. Most of the important details get covered by the usual Jojo exposition, so you can jump in at Jotaro's adventure and just hit the road from there.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Apr 17, 2024
If I could give a piece of advice to people going into this like I did, it would be this: don't expect Berserk. I hyped myself up into thinking that this would be another Berserk, only a lot tamer when it came to violence. That mainly comes from seeing members in the Death Battle community hope for a fight between Clare and Guts (and then being really disappointed when Guts fought Dimitri from Fire Emblem). It's not as good in my opinion, but by no means is Claymore bad.
For starters, and perhaps the largest reason why the Berserk connection was made: this art is PHENOMENAL.
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There is so much detail put into every panel. The landscapes, the character designs, the creature designs, all look amazing. There are few manga I can name with such amazing artwork. I haven't done so as of writing this review, but I plan on making a tab with some panels that I really like from the series (which will be kind of small, but only because there's a surprising amount of boobs in a series readily available on Shounen Jump). Easily the best part of this series is how freaking beautiful it looks, and that extends to the action.
A lot of the series, especially in the latter half, is fight scenes against creatures known as Yoma. With those plentiful fights come plentiful moments of great combat. Each monster has unique ways of attacking the Claymores, and each last for a fair amount of time. They rarely do the trope of nearing defeat before revealing a new form or attack; in fact, I think that only the final antagonist has some variation of it. On top of that, each of the Claymores have distinct face and hairstyles, making them easy to tell apart during the combat.
Finally, there are some really fun characters sprinkled throughout the story. My favorites were the Claymores Helen and Deneve, who have a friendship where they tend to butt heads a lot. I'm glad that the two of them were featured a lot as the series went on. There was one scene I enjoyed where Helen was getting drunk and argumentative, which led to quite a bit of humor.
Unfortunately, not all of the characters were that interesting. I said that the designs were unique, but not many of the personalities were. The premise is this that there are nearly 50 of these warriors, so of course not all of them are going to be featured, but so many names get thrown at you that they all end up blending together. And with that, many of their personalities get lost, especially when compared to other characters.
Also, Clare was pretty disappointing as a central protagonist. She has a good backstory, and a few character moments at the end were interesting, but otherwise she just fell flat. So many other members of the cast stood out over her, whether in personality or in arcs. Even her design was one of the more boring ones. There are several chunks throughout the story that take focus away from her that I found easier to get into because someone else was in the center.
Finally, the story didn't hook me as much as others. There are plenty of cool moments, and when I got to the last stretch it was quick to get through. But when I think of other series I've read, especially my favorites, I think of how gripping they were and how hard it was to set it aside to do something else, even important stuff like eating or sleep. I started Claymore at the end of last year, and there was a point where I put it down and didn't return to it for a couple months. I don't think I ended up forgetting something that is the major difference between liking and loving the series, but I still lost interest for a while and prioritized other stuff. It also doesn't help that Persona 3 Reload came out during this time, a story I ultimately enjoyed a lot more.
Claymore is a bit of a commitment. By no means is it as demanding as, say, One Piece, but if you want to finish it you have to dedicate some time. And there may be things you are dissatisfied with. I also thought that a major element of the world could have been explored some more, but it quickly became a footnote in what was going on. However, if you're a fan of beautiful art and action, and you can put in the time to see it through, then this is something I'd recommend. Especially if you're a fan of intricate monster designs.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 17, 2024
Sand Land is a story that moves very fast, touches on some stuff but never goes too deep, and is over almost as soon as it starts, but is ultimately a lot of fun and worth returning to on a rainy afternoon. And if you've heard the first three before, congratulations. You're more successful in life than 80% of the people on this website, including me.
The story is simple: two demons and a man travel across the desert to find water for a world that has become a desert while facing off against various challenges. With that simplicity comes a very clean artstyle that anyone
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would recognize as Akira Toriyama's. That clean style allows for easy-to-follow action and very distinct characters, especially the main protagonist Beelzebub.
While, as I said, there isn't to the story in terms of deep philosophical debates, there are some interesting character moments with the humans. Sheriff Rao in particular has a few secrets that he keeps to himself, making him my favorite of the main trio. But that isn't to say that Thief and Beelzebub are bad by any means. Each of them have moments of humor and heart that complement Rao's stoic nature. In addition, several side characters have moments that humanize them in one way or another--except for the main antagonists, whose motivations are extremely simple. That's not a complaint, though. Like I said, this single-volume adventure is a quick and easy trip that was a lot of fun.
If I were to nitpick or critique Sand Land, it would just be that Beelzebub doesn't do much in the fights besides punch and kick. His defining features came from his moments of character and his design, not any attacks. Again, just a nitpick. I wasn't expecting him to have anything as iconic as the Kamehameha.
As my first Toriyama story, I was greatly pleased with what I saw. If I wasn't already motivated to read Dragon Ball due to its influence on the Big Three, I certainly am now. Thank you for all you have provided to the world of imagination and entertainment.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Mar 2, 2024
I've been debating whether or not I want to write a review of Attack on Titan ever since reading the manga between The Final Season Parts 2 and 3. There is so much that I like about it, but then one giant flaw that has me scratching my head. I've been trying to find a way to put it for a while. Finally, I can make a comparison that I think will make sense after watching the movie Dune: Part II. With that said, there will be some general spoilers and speculation for Dune. I have not read the book as of writing this review,
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but I have seen the two movies, so if you want to go into those blind I recommend you click away. (I also recommend you go watch them, they're really good.)
Ultimately, Attack on Titan is a series that was shaping up to be amazing. After watching the anime over the years before reading it, I was amazed at the new context provided for so many moments. It absolutely feels like a lot of thought was put into it, from the first moments of Titan fighting to the final stages of global conflict and the threat of humanity's extinction. There were so many interesting characters and perspectives (in spite of some visuals that were maybe a but too heavy-handed) in play--hopeful, angry, just wanting to run away from it all--and many of the best scenes ended up just being characters talking about what they should or should not do. That includes the very end, which has two different meanings depending on how much you include. The initial ending is a sad one; the sight of future generations from the mainland deciding to annihilate the island of Paradis left me with a hollow feeling inside, depicting humanity as a species that always tears itself apart. Meanwhile the last bonus chapter--a miniseries in itself where the characters were placed in a high school setting--felt more hopeful, with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin discussing the end of the film (the ending chapter) they had seen. Here, Eren instead expresses hope for the future alongside his friends. Together, these feelings make the last stretch a bittersweet one, with both pessimism and optimism for the characters.
Where the series shoots itself in the foot is Eren. From the start of the timeskip to the final chapter, he seems to have gone from an edgy but determined hero to a villain with understandable yet reprehensible motivations. He also has plenty of moments in the final stretch that warrant sympathy, such as a scene apologizing to a child for the coming destruction, showing he's acting out of a feeling that he has to do this, rather than wanting to. It makes for a fascinating final antagonist to the series, one the other characters have known through thick and thin and one that the audience had, at one point, rooted for. Then he talks with Armin, and it all just... gets muddled and messy.
A hero vilifying themself and allowing their friends to carry on their noble mission is not new. Case in point: Paul Atreides from Dune. From what I've seen, between his visions in the first movie and his actions at the end of the second, he is also going to go on a tirade of conquest, destruction and death before dying at the hands of a loved one (Chani). The difference between the him and Eren, however, comes down to two factors: the character's previous actions and the timeline.
Eren, until the part that became the Final Season(s), was always extremely rash and acted before thinking. He was never stupid like Patrick Star, but he was never a genius who came up with plans for the far future. That came from everyone else: Erwin, Hange, Levi, Armin, Pyxis, Zeke, they and all the other characters were the planners. Meanwhile, Paul is much more level-headed. Even when moved by emotion, he never acts out. Even when he has so much going for him, including a streak of victories and the trust of the Fremen, he never lets it get to his head and tries to think things through. He may not be a super-genius, but he at least sees beyond the problem.
It also helps that the wording in Dune Part II makes it seem less like a predetermined path Paul must set out on. He says in the movie that there is a "narrow path" he needs to maneuver in order to achieve his goals, similar to the scene in Avengers: Infinity War with the 14 million possible futures. He still has agency in his decisions. The weight of the bloodshed, both already spilt and upcoming, is all on his hands. The timeline in Attack on Titan is described as much more concrete. I at first thought that the scene where Eren is the one who convinces Grisha to kill the royal family was a great moment, but after thinking about it the moment doesn't work as well, if only for making it all one set-in-stone path that the characters must follow. Because of that, Eren's path feels less like his decision, consequences be damned, and more like a child being led by a parent to a place they don't want to go, like church or school.
Of course, every published narrative is a set path, and the illusion of character choice is really the decisions of the author. Luffy sets out on his pirate adventure because Oda wants him to, Hamlet seeks vengeance because of Shakespeare's will, and Paul and Eren both act according to the stories Frank Herbert and Hajime Isayama want to tell. But within the story, Eren's decision to go on this path ends up losing much of the impact it could have had the moment Armin says "So it was all just part of your plan to save the world?" It doesn't help that Armin, who always tries to find a path with the least violence possible and deeply regrets it when he cannot find one without it, thanks Eren for his actions.
If it weren't for that giant flaw in Eren's motivation, this would be a series I'd place in my favorites. There are so many interesting characters, the conflicts are tense, and it's a full story that gets told in less than 150 chapters (ignoring the spin-off manga). I even think the art is great, matching the grittiness and roughness of the story. One thing can be said for certain though: Attack on Titan will be a story people discuss, argue over, and maybe even come to appreciate for many years to come.
Oh yeah--I also don't like Mikasa that much. She tied herself way too much to Eren, regardless of if the Ackerman thing was true or not, and the scene where she kisses his decapitated head is so out of left field it may have come from a different ballpark altogether. Sorry to her 54,651 fans, but I just don't see what you all see in her.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 18, 2023
As I'm writing this, it has been a year to the day of Berserk Volume 41's official international release, and roughly a year and a half since Kentarou Miura's passing. A lot of reviews have praised Berserk. Whether it's here on MAL, video essays on YouTube, or elsewhere, you won't lack when it comes to positive reviews for this series. And I'm no different. Even so, I felt like trying to express my own opinions on this influential story.
I first read Berserk after Miura's passing. Upon reading Volume 1, I was surprised by the very first panel. I knew the series' reputation as dark fantasy
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and expected to see a tall, brooding swordsman clad in black, but I didn't expect to see Guts come across almost as vicious as the monsters he faces. And immediately, every time you see him, he just seems... alone. Like he's by himself everywhere, no matter how many other people are in the room. It all acts as such a good hook, and the first antagonist hasn't even been introduced, nor do we know anything about Guts' past. He's just a lone wolf, wandering, looking for something.
It's been said once, and I'll repeat it here: the artwork is amazing. Every page, every panel, every detail is perfect. The only complaints that could be made are comparing the earlier volumes to the later ones, and even then they still hold up beautifully. The fact that the art just improves from Volume 1 is really saying something. My favorite panels are the ones where Guts is looking up at the sky. There's the iconic image of him leaning against a tree stump, staring towards the sun as well as one later where he's bandaged up and sitting in a window frame with the night sky behind him. I don't even have words to describe them; they just evoke a mix of emotions. I believe that there could be versions of the books released that remove the dialogue from the story, and the artwork would still convey everything that needs to be said.
But that would remove some of the beautiful conversations had between characters and many, many great quotes. Whether they be from Guts, Griffith, Casca, a demon, or someone else, there is a multitude of amazing lines that are just as effective as the art. So many lines hit, whether they be a threat in the midst of battle or a quiet moment of reflection.
Even with all the serious moments, there is plenty of humor as well. Described as "mercilessly funny" in the series description, the comedic bits land as hard as the profound moments. Typically delegated to Puck and Isidro, there are so many moments of one of the two doing something goofy. Puck's jokes especially land whenever he takes on the appearance of a wizened old master and scolds or offers advice to the young Isidro, sometimes even parodying Jedi Master Yoda in his speech. There are also plenty of reactions where the art gets just the tiniest bit simpler as someone gets embarrassed or irritated at a companion. But the funniest moment by far, one that made me burst out in laughter and nearly brought me to tears, was a scene where Guts makes a pun. That's right: Guts, the stoic wanderer with a constant scowl, makes a pun upon seeing a minor character return.
The thing that works best about the humor, though, is that it doesn't compromise all of the dark and serious moments. Guts and his companions all go through some of the most difficult trials anyone can face. They constantly face monsters, both human and demonic, get torn to pieces, rarely get a good moment of rest, and even after all of it still have plenty to deal with mentally. All of it can be pretty depressing, and I'm thankful that I read the series at a good time in my life. However, with all of that hardship comes an inner beauty. Because the protagonists are all survivors. They take the punches and get pushed down hard, yet they still get back up. The images of Guts resting don't just exude the feeling that he's reflecting on life, they feel like moments of triumph as he gets to stop and take a breath. And even then, he looks down the path he's been set upon and pushes onward. If you scroll through the comment section of any video of Guts' theme, you'll find people recounting how they were inspired by Berserk to continue forward. Berserk is a story about how insane and impossible to traverse to the world can be, yet the heroes still find a way, even if it's just by gritting their teeth and soldiering on. And in the later moments, when you see Guts finally open up to others after so long, it's one of the most satisfying experiences I've felt reading anything.
Of course, Berserk isn't for everyone. It more than earns the "Explicit Content" sticker with many, many, many images of blood, gore, and horror. One of its most iconic moments is a massacre with sexual violence involved, and the rest of the series doesn't tone it down in any way. Even those who might consider themselves "made of stronger stuff" will find moments of this series difficult. But if you are willing to endure it, you'll be met with a beautiful story of pain and perseverance. Berserk is a masterpiece, and Miura deserves to go down in history alongside the likes of both writers like Shakespeare and painters and illustrators like van Gogh and da Vinci.
I haven't been reading the newest chapters of Berserk as they've been published. While I enjoy the accessibility of digital manga and have read many series with it, I would prefer to experience this one completely in physical format. And honestly, I may just never finish it. I mean no disrespect to Miura's friend and team, and I believe they are truly continuing Berserk out of love and respect for him above anything else. But the way Volume 41 ends just feels right, somehow. There's an element of mystery and sadness in the way it finishes, yet it doesn't depress me knowing that it's technically the end. And if I do return to it, I think I might wait until the series is completely finished. In the same way that I was able to almost binge read 41 beautiful volumes without then going online and getting spoiled on what would come next, I want to experience the end as free of others' thoughts as possible and forge my own opinion on it.
Thank you for stopping to read my review. I hope that you can continue on in your struggles, traveler.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Sep 23, 2023
Sanji, the Straw Hat Pirate famous for cooking great food. Food Wars, the series famous for amazing food and very ecchi scenes of people eating it. Put the two together, and you have a great spin-off that fits well into the saga of One Piece.
The first thing to note is the quality of the art. I have only read the first three chapters of Food Wars as of writing this, but the art of this series is amazing. Shun Saeki does wonders drawing the characters of One Piece in their own style. Oda's characters are well-known for their eccentric designs, from Sanji's lankiness to Franky's
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huge frame and the comically unbalanced designs of the female characters. And while everyone is noticeably less exaggerated and a bit more same-y, they still have the traits that make them so recognizable.
Of course, the humans have nothing on the food. Every dish that Sanji cooks up looks spectacular. Each dish looks like it comes straight out of... well, Food Wars, with beautiful page-sized panels depicting every detail of the meat, fruit, or drink. Those levels of detail carry over to the reactions as people eat them and enter the states of bliss Food Wars is known for. However, while there is still a good deal of fan service, they don't go as overboard as one might expect. Sure, there are the metaphorical images of people losing their clothing, and plenty of emphasis on certain parts of the body, but it never goes overboard in the same way that Food Wars does. (I have seen the anime, and let me tell you, there is plenty of fan service to go around in that show.)
But the best thing about the series is Sanji's actions. Even though his dishes in this manga are almost always cooked for women, and even though he is a bit of a womanizer in the main series, Saeki and Tsukuda make it very clear that he's not doing this with an ulterior motive. He cooks out of passion for the craft, as seen in his motivations and reactions specifically in chapters five and three, respectively. He's not just a one-note perverted chef; he does care for his friends, for his customers, and for his food. And the final chapter of the manga shows that perfectly.
The only complaint I have is a weird choice in some of the chapters to cover some of the Straw Hats' faces. Specifically, Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy get their faces hidden by their dialogue bubbles in the second and third chapters. It's a weird choice, especially because the rest of the Straw Hats are in full view throughout and Usopp gets seen in the fifth chapter. Otherwise, this is a great series that, like many spin-offs, interpretations, and adaptations, shows the love many have for One Piece.
However, I DO NOT recommend reading this in full until after you're in the Wano arc. The chapters are spread out through the story's chronology. If you want to read them as supplements, they appear at these points in time:
Chapter 1 happens right before the Baratie arc.
Chapter 2 happens sometime after crossing the Grand Line.
Chapter 3 happens after the Alabasta arc.
Chapter 4 happens during the timeskip.
Chapter 5 happens during the Wano arc, but before the climax.
And Chapter 6, if you're too impatient to wait for Chapter 5, is best read after the Whole Cake Island arc.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Sep 23, 2023
*Disclaimer: this review mentions spoilers for the original series, so do not read if you have not finished Jigokuraku yet*
Taking place sometime after the events of Jigokuraku, this short story shows us how Gabimaru acclimates to life as a normal man outside of the Iwagakure clan. And while it isn't as action-packed as its parent series, the former Hollow still finds himself facing danger. However, instead of finding allies in powerful warriors, he now toils alongside children from a local village.
The best parts about this short series are the interactions Gabimaru has with the kids. At first, they view him as an outsider and even
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try to kill him, but over the course of the manga he earns their trust as he learns about normal life. The bonds between the ninja and his new neighbors is built up well, especially over the course of a montage halfway through.
The art is exquisite, just like the main series. When action does occur, the pictures are amazing and convey what is happening perfectly without becoming over-detailed.
Finally, the one-shot does a great job of throwing back to the main series without going, "Hey remember that thing?! Remember it?!" too much. Yes, there are references to the adventure on Jigokuraku, but they come about in a way that doesn't feel forced in there.
The only problem I have with this one-shot is the lack of Yui, Gabimaru's wife. I was hoping that it would show us the two of them living together in present time, unlike the flashbacks throughout the parent story. But she is not physically present at all here. She could have easily come in at the end, but instead it gives us a bit more of Gabimaru with the villagers--which does work, but I was left disappointed.
So yeah, go read it if you liked Jigokuraku. It's only seventy-ish pages, so it's not that long a commitment.
I don't know what else to say, one-shots are difficult to give in-depth reviews on.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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