Back to hamliet's Profile hamliet's Profile

Hunter x Hunter is probably one of my very favorite stories of all time. Excellently written, it's a deconstruction of typical shonen tropes. Every arc and character has a purpose in the overall story, and it is one of the few stories where the protagonists and antagonists are equally compelling. The main narrative six characters (Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Hisoka, Illumi, and Chrollo) all foil each other in very interesting ways, and the story can veer from lighthearted adventure to dark ponderings on the evil humanity is capable of without even feeling uneven. The framing is excellent and the story's themes are powerful.

It has great ... female characters (my only complaint about HxH is that there were no female characters until Yorknew Arc, but after that, they're there and they're awesome and thematically relevant with powerful arcs--especially Palm, Neon, Oito, Komugi, and Alluka). Speaking of Alluka, she is great trans representation. In general, the side characters are highly compelling.

I don't even know where to begin with Monster. It’s beautiful in its themes and character development, it’s literary in value, and it’s powerful. The very first chapter gripped me with its clear presentation of the story's main theme: what is the value of a human life? and the story never let me go. It takes an honest look at its question, wrestling with it in each of its characters and unafraid to get gritty and uncomfortable. It looks at the tendency in society to other-ize people via racism, hostility towards immigrants, and a tendency to overlook children when they usually wind up suffering ... the most for adult squabbling. The main character and main villain are perfect in mirroring the strengths and weaknesses of the other one, and Nina and Eva are fantastic female characters. By the time the story arrives at its conclusion (and it never drags; the suspense hits every single chapter), it has truly earned the answer it offers--nothing about its conclusions feel cheap in any way. It is a story that, ironically because of its title, really depicts what it means to be human in all its ugliness and beauty.

A really interesting deconstruction of Faust (a favorite story of mine), which essentially asks: yes, Faust sold his soul, but what if he sold it not because "uwu power" but because he was a traumatized child desperate to escape? Every arc deconstructs a well-known historical event, work of literature, or movie by putting a spin on it, usually to a greatly satisfying result. The story varies quite sharply sometimes in terms of lighthearted humor with a sweet and meaningful message to dark and not out of place in Game of Thrones level grittiness, and yet it doesn't feel uneven in terms of tone. The pacing ... can be uneven though, but the characters are fun and always deeper than they initially appear to be--it just requires patience to get there.

I loved this story. At first I thought it was fun but fanservice-y, and never in a million years expected it to go as deep as it did. It satirizes and beautifully points out the dangers of evaluating people by what they can do, and despite the name, gives a lovely message on love and friendship. The characters you think are there just for fanservice turn out to get incredible arcs. I highly recommend it; as a former teacher myself, it meant a lot to me as a story in terms of its commentary on education. Really it's an 8.5/10.

Through around chapter 60, TG:re is a solid 10 in every single aspect. It's beautiful with great characters and expands the world of Tokyo Ghoul while still keeping us tied to the themes and characters introduced in the first part. It's a masterpiece.

However, post chapter 60, little cracks start to show, and the issues in storytelling explode in the final arc, causing the story to cave in on itself. The main theme is truncated. The story relies on build up towards a thematic ending; however, all the build up goes nowhere in a clumsy rush towards an unsatisfying finish. Essentially, TG:re could be used ... in a creative writing class as a perfect example of what not to do in writing, and how to ruin a story's themes in a rush to end it.

Noragami has a melancholy, lonely feel to it, but that’s because the beauty of Noragami (aka “Stray God”) is in its theme of human connection. It points out the importance of connection for life, and is gorgeous in how it unfolds and gives deep readings into each of its characters. Nora is the best written female antagonist I've ever read, Hiyori is a complex character who does more than just introduce us to the world, and the main villain is excellently written in that he's not the sort you sympathize with, and even if his ideas are perhaps actually correct, his methods are inexcusable. ... The framing, pacing, and writing is all tight and well-done.

An excellent story with powerful themes and gripping characters, it really drives home its main theme of "the world is cruel, but the world is also very beautiful." Eren is a very unique main character, and his journey is compelling. The female characters are just as human as the male characters with arcs and goals and flaws that render them excellent characters, which really stands out.

The main issue holding it back in terms of writing is the pacing, which can be very poor, and a monthly release doesn't help. Character arcs and themes are generally satisfyingly portrayed; however, the way in which they are ... portrayed thanks to the pacing is a bit frustrating at times, especially reading on a monthly basis.

A really fun, straightforward, joyful shonen with all the stereotypical expecations of the genre, yet executed in such a way that it's hard not to enjoy it. The MC is quite generic and not necessarily the most compelling character, though that is very much the point of his character--he works very well within the story introduce us to the world. That said, my main critique of BNHA is that I would like to see him exhibit flaws more and that I wish the female characters were better written. However, the other characters, particularly Bakugou and Todoroki, as well as Shigaraki and Dabi as villains and ... All Might as a mentor figure, really shine. Their flaws are well written and realistic, their journeys compelling, and most arcs feel very satisfying in their conclusions. The more background characters also get moments to shine, and are compelling in their own right. The art is fantastic, and the creativity of the world building really stands out--a superhero power with earphone jacks? It's very unique.

A really well written and well structured tragedy, with perhaps the best female characters in any manga I've read. Kaneki is a relatable and likeable, yet very flawed, MC, and he works as a deconstruction of a heroic sacrificial character. Amon, Suzuya, and Touka also have fantastic arcs, and the paralleling and foiling is top-notch. The story is disturbing and dark, but the darkness makes the beauty in it shine all the brighter. The last arc is absolutely gut-wrenching, and very cathartic despite being tragic.

The art steadily improves, and the writing quality never drops. The only thing that holds it back is that it ... very much feels like an incomplete story--which it's supposed to, as :re continues the saga.