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So, a very good question; what makes a good anime/manga? i actually didn’t bother thinking too much about this question before i decided to write this because i thought it was kind of obvious. But that was before i actually sat down to write and realized that that wasn’t the case. I intended to break the answer down into three main points namely:
1. The story- so this i thought would be the easiest to break down.Then i thought about it some more and realized that if i am dealing the story and asking what makes a good anime and manga, then the answer would be a good story, end of point. What else could be said about that? After all every one has their own unique tastes and interests and the reasons they might find one story interesting will vary from the reasons why another might find the same story interesting. My sister is a good example of this. When we talk about movies, i will ask a question along the lines of ‘Did you watch this or that?” and she will sometimes answer in the affirmative. But the explanations she gives as to why she either liked or hated it will perturb me, usually having nothing to do with the main points of the story but how this character looked and that other character dressed and how the mannerisms of that other fellow irritated her. Now clearly she is applying her own personal biases in forming an opinion of the movie. I on the other hand will be more interested in talking about the core points of the story. So with anime we all tend look at different elements to find entertainment, so i was a bit perturbed as i tried to narrow down what about a story makes a given anime or manga good, other than the fact that the story is good. so i guess the question is what makes a good story.
2. Art- this i concluded in the same manner as above. If you ask someone why they like one manga’s art they will answer that it is good art. Now some might break this down into finer details, but at the end of the day, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. I can’t tell you what good art is, you can’t tell me what i think good art is. It is my opinion, what i like, simple as that. An example, when i get bored, i find some good forums to read, and recently i was reading some comments regarding Mario, Kishimoto’s one shot and i was surprised to find a hostile comment aimed at the manga, not because the comment claimed not to like Mario but the reason why. Apparently he claimed that Mario must have been taking too much of Kishimoto’s time and was the reason why his recent art work in Naruto was “so shitty”.He then went on to say that he used to enjoy the sketchy look of the art in the first part of Naruto but that in the second part, the art had began to look a little to fine and clean and he hated that and that definitely Mario was to blame, because Kishimoto couldn’t focus.
Now i was perturbed; the reason i loved Veritas (manga) so much was because of how clean it was, because i loved that everything was so clear and easily noticeable. And i have come across some Naruto manga, mainly chapters behind the events occurring in the anime and i like the clean look. So i didn’t agree with this fellow. But that goes to show how tastes can vary in anime and manga and how people like different things. So their is no way to specify any qualities that make a manga good with regards to the art.
3. I had a point about the characters, but then it all revolved around how the otaku could best relate to them and how much of their story resonated with the reader and again, depended on what they liked and their individual biases. Same thing for the action.
So basically i was a bit unsure as to how to narrow down what made an anime and manga good and hence, what made it bad, which annoyed me. I considered dropping the topic. Instead i took a break, watched the Justified finale to relax, and then watched two episodes of Psycho pass. The purpose was to figure out why i liked the show and what endeared it to me yet something like “A rabbit has seven lives’ which i had tried to watch and failed not so long ago was, as far as i am concerned, pretty bad. After looking at Psycho pass as seriously as i could for an hour or so, i came up with a few ideas and narrowed down what i thought were the factors that were responsible for and where present in each and every manga (or anime) that any (most at least) otaku would refer to as good no matter there tastes.
So i will begin again:
1. The story. trying to break the idea of a story apart and figuring out what unique trait made a manga story good didn’t yield any result. You like what you like. There are certain genres people
Here is how i would explain it. Every show has a main character. The primary protagonist should be the main character, yet he or she shouldn’t be the
I would summarize it as this. Each series should or rather will have a hero, a villain and an objective. Or in the case of none battle related shows, a protagonist and antagonist. Both parties need to have a good dynamic with each other and their relationship should be interesting enough to keep the story interesting. Both should have specific objectives driving them. A bad show will fail to clearly pronounce the purposes of both sides and why they fight so hard to get what they want. Some series like to keep you guessing and live the conclusion of what either side wanted to you to guess. i don’t like it. What i like less though and what is less popular than an unclear motive is a flimsy one. many otaku are still complaining over SAO’s first part and how whatshisname’s claim to have forgotten why he did what he did. I didn’t really care but it is a good example of how a story fails to provide a clear reason behind a villain or hero doing what he is doing. It matters, otherwise there is no reason to cheer or hate them.
2. Art. It didn’t take me long to figure out what about art made one manga good and another manga bad. i was just being lazy before. All i had to do was stop and take a look at all the manga that i had ever come across, considered to be good and what i was reading at the present. I have mentioned before that many mangaka (if they think it) have got it wrong if they assume that the secret to a
So the art, just like the story, needs to be unique. And that i believe is the secret to a good and successful manga. When i am reading a manga, i am hoping to get a unique experience out of reading it. it is my hope that i leave satisfied and contented and only a unique art
I mentioned this in my criticism of the beautifully drawn Feng Shen ji. SO many manga are drawn rather plainly, as if the mangaka think that so long as everything is placed on the page as it should be and the point is made as clearly as possible, that is the end. But what successful mangaka do isn’t merely to draw an action, they try to find a way to draw an action in such a way that it has an impact, and it is unique.
Consider this. If i took a random page of a manga displaying two characters talking that you have never seen before; if i placed it in front of you chances are you would know immediately that it was bleach you were reading. or at least Tite Kubo’s work. Because bleach is uniquely drawn and Kubo takes time to make as much of what he draws ‘move’ in as unique a fashion as possible; the point is if you read bleach you will remember it. It stays with you. Kubo once said in an interview that he set out to make bleach a unique experience even more fun that watching an anime. Minus the anime part, he mostly did it. He got the point. So much manga that i read i will not remember after i put it down; or rather if i came upon work by the same artist, i wouldn’t recognize it because the manga has chosen to be generic. Good manga does not equal to good art. Good manga equals to unique art. It is that simple and the more mangaka that learn that fact, the better for us readers.
3. The action. This only applies to battle related manga. And i do not think it is as simple as a battle being good. I mean that might apply to anime; all you need are good graphics, effects,
4. The plot. so every good plot needs a good hook, something that keeps you coming back week after week. It all comes down to the purpose behind the plot; what does the series revolve around? Who is doing what and why and what do they have to accomplish for something life changing to happen? It doesn’t have to be something epic or fantastical like being a pirate king or Hokage.
This then all ties back into good characters because they make it possible for a great plot to evolve. And that is another thing that makes the plot of a good manga great, it should evolve. It doesn’t always have to, the manga can still be just as good. But it is fun to follow stories in which we start with one goal in mind and over time things get blurry, characters lose their way and in the end a new focus emerges that changes the entire shape of the series. if the change is handled well, we as readers will usually receive it well as it allows the story to move forward into a new chapter.
If it is handled badly, then it will change the story into something we as fans no longer recognize, wrecking the manga.
Okay, i can’t think of anything else so that must be it. if you are reading something that you believe is indeed a good manga or watching a good anime, then it will have good relatable, likable characters that are worth your support, a unique art style that allows you to experience something new when reading the manga, unique, inventive and engaging action and an intriguing plot that grips you hard and never lets go.
If all these are present in any manga that you are reading, then you are indeed reading a good manga. if not, then you are deceiving yourself into thinking it is a good manga. Or maybe it is average, bu not great. If you are looking for a good manga, then i suggest starting off by keeping these in mind during your search. Or i might be wrong (doubt it.)
Welcome everyone! I'm here to promote the Mushibugyo discussion thread.
After doing a mini marathon, Mushibugyo is generally a fun Shonen series that had a bad execution at the first episode. It reminds me of Rock Lee and his Ninja Pal series where most folks dropped it on episode 1. Then, both series gradually gets better after the first episode. The first episode has pacing problems. It rushes to cover how Jinbei got to Edo and to the introduction of the Mushibugyo group. I got this impression from manga fans. Two of the cons I have seen from fans about Mushibugyo's first episode is that how it had so much fan service and it has the whole damsel in distress trope. After episode 1, Mushibugyo jumps straight into the characters of the Mushibugyo team and covering their back stories.
Major Spoiler Warnings Below
Good
Jinbei is an easily lovable character who trains hard and befriends the Mushibugyo group. At first, the Mushibugyo group hated him, but they end up liking him. Like Kotori Matsunohara said, Jinbei is the glue that holds everyone together. For the rest of characters, they stand out especially their Crazy Anime Hair. You might have a favorite one. Hibachi is the explosives specialist, and like Jinbei, she looks up to Mugai and wants Mugai to recognize her. Shingiku Koikawa is like a drunk Kenpachi Zaraki (for those who watch Bleach). He is a laid back ex-convict who can slash rocks and objects with a polished edge. Tenma is defensive specialist who uses Shikigami. His back story is interesting because he is actually scared of insects especially centipedes and others that wriggle and squirm.
While the previous episodes 2-4 cover the other characters, episode 5 does focus on Mugai but does not reveal much. Mugai is a mysterious guy who used to be a part of the Mushikari. Though, it's interesting to note that Koikawa's mother was killed by the Mushikari. I wonder if Koikawa has any grudges against Mugai and his group. We have to wait and find in later episodes.
Bad
For those who hate fan service, this show is not for you. Haru and Hibachi are usually sources of fan service when their clothes get ripped off. There is a lot of Gainax Bounce for Haru. It does follow the Monster of the Day trope by introducing a new insect, but it does keep things interesting with the character back stories. Like I discussed earlier, the first episode can rub people off the wrong way by portraying Haru as a damsel in distress. Plus, the part where she gets kidnapped, the spiders just drip their white web stuff all over her.
I was expecting Nakama cliches for this anime, but it didn't. It's nice to see a Shonen anime without a whole friendship speech once in a while.
Mushibugyo is a Shonen series that you should not take seriously. It's a mindless shonen series that revolves around a group of samurai protecting Japan from insects. It's like Powerpuff Girls in a sense but with more fan service and blood. It's not a battle shonen manga series like Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece.
Hope you guys and gals enjoy Mushibugyo.
Hidden in the hills of West China, off the shore of the Yellow River, the Wing-Chun clan lived. Though most of their lives were lived in seclusion, there were select members of the clan who willingly chose exile to get the needs of the clan. These exiled few were known as the Bǎohù zhuāngzhì or protectors. These protectors traveled throughout China obtaining goods for their villages; in return these protectors were given a high ranking status outside the clan. The Clan were proficient fighters in what’s now known as “Wing-Chun” the protectors of the clan were forbidden to learn the techniques of Wing-Chun because of their relationship with the outside world. A “Protector” by the name of Shogun Chi became fueled by his lust for the highly acclaimed style that he began to plot against the villagers.
He met with the abbots of the temples and pleaded with them to teach the “protectors” Wing-Chun fearful that something may happen if they were “Followed” back to the village. He knew they would never allow it and his anger made him seek outside aid, Chi and the “Protectors” lead a raid on the Clan murdering them all save for a family of three.
The remaining survivors of the Clan fled, into Eastern China; escaping the long arm of the Overlord, Shogun Chi. the Ma family settled down in a vast forest; Xialong Ma instructed his daughter to use the Wing-Chun style, this was forbidden in the Clan, but being the only members left he saw it fit.
Shortly after her parents died, Lynn was recruited by a woman named, Victoria Vega to join a covert organization known as the Sigma Six. Vega had tried to recruit Lynn once before, but Lynn and her father disagreed. Now without guidance Lynn joined the Sigma’s without so much as a clue, as to what it was about.
She joined alongside the Sigma’s executed assassinations throughout the Asian countries for the benefit of the organization. Lynn later got a change of heart and opted to leave, this decision was upon noticing Tori’s infatuation with the killings.
Lynn escaped to Hong Kong, here she was confident that she could start a new life, by going under the name Lynn; a name she was given by Tori; because she couldn’t pronounce her first name. Xiahua)
She quickly turned her sights to taking down Shogun Chi, Lynn enlisted the help of the devil; but was ultimately lead astray, when the king of hell used her to attack Kita; The Queen of the Chaos Realm was able to snap Lynn from his grip, which prompted Lynn to aid Kita through the stages of hell.
Not long after Lynn became a police offer, she and her new friend Po Dorai were moving through the ranks quickly as officers. Another member of the force ratted Dorai out to the Triads, revealing him to be an agent of FABLE; in response to this Dorai was found brutally murdered in his home; with a message for fellow FABLE agent TAVI.
The triads launched an attack on Lynn’s precinct, where she found Tavi probing Dorai’s body for the message. After rescuing a doctor; Tavi instructed Lynn to leave Hong Kong; as she would never be safe again.
Not long after leaving Hong Kong, Lynn was asked by “Chinese” Customs agents to capture “Project Nova” apparently, it was a powerful program created by the Japanese to be a living weapon. Lynn confronted Project Nova, but was also met by the Black Samurai, Bishop.
Their goals were the same, both wanted Project Nova; knowing
this, the young little girl known as Ammy wouldn’t allow them to take her
easily. Both Surkit and Lynn were successful in subduing Nova, but stalemated
with each other. After awakening, they were told it was all a test to see if
they had what it takes.
Powers as Lynn
Wing –Chun
Wing Chun is a fighting style that emphasizes patience from its user as well as heightened senses. In the Snake-Crane Clan, everyone was forced to know the basics of Wing-Chun; however those that sought further enlightenment were considered “Dark Artist”. Xia can lift up to 5 tons.
Lightening kick
- Her most famous attack is the Hyakuretsukyaku (Hundred Rending
Leg, commonly known as the Lightning Kick), where she repeatedly kicks
her opponent from a tilted standing position with incredible speed. If backed by her Speed chun, her kicks are visible
“Wind-Chun”
Channeling her inner-chi, Xiahiua (Known simply as Shi), can protect herself with a wind veil, she can also use a powerful wind zephyr to destroy large areas of land.
“Speed-Chun”
Using her Chi to enhance her muscles, Xia can run across the earth and water at sound breaking speeds, this is useful in traveling from one place to another. In battle, she can vibrate fast enough to disappear and even move through walls.
Chun-Alchemy
Using the power of her Chi, Xia can expunge all the chi from her body to revive someone, or she can use a fraction of it to heal herself. Using all of her Chi in one setting is the most dangerous technique she can do.
Proto-Chun
Xia can protect her chin in energy form allowing her
to fire long range energy blast. (Kikosho short range, Kikoken long range, *Seku Zoedeia dark flame short or long range)
Power Fusion-Chun
Someone with a similar level of power and a similar goal can fuse with Xia, this will result in a temporary power increase for both parties.
Chi Focus Chun
- All of Xia’s base Chun strikes are enhanced by Chi focus.
Chi-Focus x2
– A thin layer of energy can be seen forming around Xia, her speed is enhanced to low level teleportation
Chi-Focus x3
a thick layer of energy is seen around Xia, the pressure from her power can cause the ground to shatter. In addition to her low level teleportation, Wind-Chun can now be used to cause multiple Zephrys.
Chi-FocusX4
this is the most powerful form of all the Chi-Arts, Xia can project her chi energy on a nuclear level. If Lynn does this while not powered by Chaos, she will die.World without Us
After waking up on a massive airship; Lynn, Nova and Bishop were told about a place known as Avalon, an alternate universe where the Nazi’s won World War II. A pink haired captain known as Emerald enlisted their help and (Saitre also in Avalon) to put an end to the Nazi’s.
Matters became worse when an artifact from the dark corners of the Multiverse came into the Universe; a stone known as the “Eye of Horus” had crash landed on Earth. Juni, Nova, Lynn and Bishop would be put to the test, as the Universe looks to refit itself to adjust to the Eye of Horus.
The Chaos Gem
Chaos is created from darkness; years ago a man and woman sinned against God; the power from Sin gave off a powerful chain reaction that created this energy called darkness. This darkness sits in the hearts of even the purest of people just waiting to be released. Once the heart is exposed to this dark energy; nothing will set it back to the way it used to be. Scars will always show of the darkness that once sat on someone's heart. This Darkness invaded the hearts of some many individuals causing worlds to end; most notably the planet of Talabath. For eons this darkness was only known to affect someone's heart, but recently it began to effect the minds of people resulting in it being able to take human form. Chaos Black was created from the hearts and Minds of people whom thought they' were ugly or imperfect, or accepted it willingly. In Avalon, a World Killer threatened Nova and Bishop to the point, where Lynn was offered darkness and she accepted it, this increased her powers significantly, but will not be without consequences.
Chaos Lynn
Once initially triggered Lynn becomes a “Chaos” version of herself, where as she can still use her chi based powers, however they all burn with a dark aura. She develops dark hair, and a thick West European accent. In this mode, Lynn’s seductiveness is increased; this is the cause of her provocative behavior.
Chaos Black (True Form)
Lynn’s features are completely eclipsed by the body of Chaos; she is NOT able to use any of her chi based powers nor can she remember anything about being Lynn. Chaos gets stronger the more enraged she gets, however the more elements the host has around them will cause her to ‘wear off.’
This is the original form of chaos, though she likes to stay in the last absorbed states. Chaos can Fly, Shoots Razor sharp bat boomerangs. She has dark and sharp tendrills that come from her back.
Powers as Chaos
Darkness Manipulation and Absorbtion- Chaos can absorb all forms of darkness and even manipulate it to her will. Through her dark portals she can appear at any time and place and also travel back and forth between the real world and the Negaverse.
Energy Projection – Chaos can shoot crimson energy from her hands, she is strong enough in her true form to produce enough energy to wipe out a whole city block.
Death Kiss- Chaos’s death kiss is an instant kill (Though it’s only for NPC purposes)
Sonic energy Projection – Chaos can projection sonic energy waves with her hand, or through a scream, if she lets loose a death wail; she can cause buildings to crumble.
Magnetism – Magnetism is Chaos’s ace in the hole; this is a power she controls on a celestial level, Chaos can ultimately destroy whole civilizations with her magnetism; however due to not being able to master is, it’s dormant in its states. (I won’t blow up any planets, at least not in the actual vice verse, maybe in Avalon lol)
Chaos Force – This allows chaos to get stronger, through fear, misery and torment; she can transform into Chaos Form 2, which is only allowed through the Nega-verse.
Form 2
Ziccarra Absorbed - Chaos (More than likely a plot device)
Chaos absorbed Ziccarra a long time ago, which allows her to take on the form of the Ninjan Queen Sha; though she doesn’t look as power as she does in True Form, Chaos gains a whole host of powers that make combating her in the Nega-verse near impossible
Light Projection and Manipulation
Gravity Control
Motion Ctron
Power to Induce Nightmares
Arc System Works presented the story, cast, and staff for BlazBlue Alter Memory, the upcoming anime of its fighting game franchise, at its Arc System Works Festival event in Yokohama on Sunday.
The story is set in December of 2199, when the streets are full of anticipation for the end of the year and the start of the new one. Amid the celebrations, word spreads that Ragna the Bloodedge, an SS-class rebel with the highest ever bounty on his head, has appeared in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi. The apparent aim of Ragna or the "Grim Reaper" is the destruction of the system controlling the world. To collect the bounty, a motley array of unrivaled fighters converge on Kagutsuchi.
Via ANN
Cast
The games' cast members reprise their roles in the anime:
- Tomokazu Sugita as Ragna the Bloodedge
- Kanako Kondou as Noel Vermillion
- Tetsuya Kakihara as Jin Kisaragi
- Kana Ueda as Rachel Alucard
- Yūichi Nakamura as Hazama
- Chiwa Saito as Taokaka
- Chiaki Takahashi as Litchi Faye-Ling
- Kenji Nomura as Iron Tager
- Asami Imai as Tsubaki Yayoi
- Chie Matsuura as Kokonoe
- Tomomi Isomura as Makoto Nanaya
Staff
- Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda (Atelier Musa)
- Color Key: Haruko Nobori (Hiwa)
- Director of Photography: Koujirou Hayashi (Graphinica)
- Editor: Masato Yoshitake (Graphinica)
- Sound Director: Masaki Tsuchiya
- Sound Production: Studio Mausu
- Music Production: Lantis
Source
FUNimation is releasing Guilty Crown in DVD/Blu-ray format on August 27, 2013.
Plot
After the spread of the "Apocalypse Virus" in Japan in the year 2029, the country has been placed in an emergency state. Since the spread of the virus, the Japanese government lost all of its foundations, and the reign of the international organization known as GHQ began ruling the country. Now Japan is in a state of martial law, which is enforced by the GHQ, and is considered a "quasi-independent" nation.
10 years pass, and we see the story through the eyes of Shu Ouma, an average 17-year-old teenager who lives a normal life. However, his normal life style is soon shattered after his chance encounter with Inori Yuzuriha, who eventually involves him with the anti-government group she is a part of, known as Funeral Parlor, or Undertaker.
By KuroNekoXIII
Cast
- Shu Ouma - Austin Tindle
- Gai Tsutsugami - Micah Solusod
- Makoto Waltz Segai - John Swasey
- Inori Yuzuriha - Alexis Tipton
- Ayase Shinomiya - Emily Neves
- Tsugumi - Monica Rial
- Yahiro Samukawa - David Trosko
- Souta Tamadate - Corey Cleary-Stoner
- Shuichiro Keido - Charlie Campbell
- Haruka Ouma - Martha Harms
- Hare Menjou - Tia Ballard
- Argo Tsukishima - Jarrod Greene
- Daryl Yan - Joel McDonald
- Arisa Kuhouin - Caitlin Glass
- Yu - Leah Clark
- Shibungi - J. Michael Tatum
- Mana Ouma - Alexis Tipton
- Kanon Kusama - Apphia Yu
The year is 2025. Earth is engulfed in the crossfire between massive warring alien life forms that leave annihilation in their wake. While searching for clues about his past, Ao is caught in an attack and forced to fly a giant humanoid fighter craft to save himself and his island. Fragments of the teenager's origin come to light when a hostile shape-shifter seeking revenge on Ao's missing mother—who vanished two years after his birth—targets him instead. Consumed with learning how his machine of war is connected to his mother and the monster that now pursues him, the young pilot will fly full throttle into combat zones without hesitation.
Dub Cast
- Ao - Micah Solusod
- Naru - Lindsay Seidel
- Fleur - Sainty Reid
- Elena - Jad Saxton
- Ivica - John Swasey
- Rebecka - Jamie Marchi
- Truth - Todd Haberkorn
- Gazelle - Brandon Potter
- Noa - Monica Rial
Funimation will release the series on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on October 15. BONES' television anime sequel to its first Eureka Seven anime series premiered in Japan in April 2012. The anime sequel features the return of the original anime's director Tomoki Kyoda, as well as several mechanical designers, art director, color stylist, visual effects director, and director of photography. The first anime's character designer Kenichi Yoshida and main mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori are also credited for "key character designs" and "Nirvash designs," respectively.
From ANN
The Story
Toriko and Komatsu go to get some special seaweed, called eco nori, a kind of seaweed found only in one special place. They travel to the lands of Aimaru and his Gourmet Knights, who then take them to Eco Village, where the seaweed turns out to be the out layer of a certain kind of tortoise. After Toriko charges all the solar batteries for the tortoises, they return to Monchi with the seaweed. He then creatures the fortune roll, by wrestling the ingredients into submission.
The Review
Toriko is one of those series where if you take a couple of week's off like I did you come back wondering what the heck you're watching. Thus it was for me, after a few weeks of not watching the anime, and reading the more series current storyline of the manga. Coming back to what is essentially a filler, yet not really since it was in the manga, is very odd. I find myself asking, "Did I really just see that?" more and more often.
 |
| My expression throughout most of this episode. |
This episode dragged on a lot longer than I thought it should have. Perhaps it's because there was not enough material left before the actual plot needs to move on, otherwise I imagine they would have made this another double story. The parts with the eco village were interesting, if some of the more ludicrous stuff I've gotten from the series.
I found, however, that this series' weakest point is the tropes that can be found in far too much anime. For example, Monchi and his brother are beyond irritating. The voices are bad enough, but the fact that their entire personality is based on a single phrase or word is frustrating as heck. I find this kind of thing works best in the manga, but when put into motion and voiced these character quirks get real old real fast. And the fact that the anime always spends more time focusing on them gets to me.
Ultimately I found this episode suffered most from my having been away from the series for so long. I found myself getting annoyed much faster at smaller things that I ignored up to this point. Toriko and Komatsu's vocalizations of wonder, also known as the "Ooooooooh!" get real annoying the further you get into the series. I think this is a weakness of anime in general, especially series produced by Toei. They just spend far too much time focusing on the most basic of tropes and characteristics. Which is a complaint I've heard from many friends that don't care for anime. I can't argue against that, because I find myself agreeing with it more and more.
Of course that has more to do with the types of shows that I watch, so expanding my horizons might not be a bad idea. I may need to get away from all this shonen, or at least watch more other shows on top of that. The comforting sense of familiarity is starting to wear thin where shonen series are concerned. One could say I've left the honeymoon stage and am now starting to notice some of the more irritating habits.
The Grade
2/5
Now it's part 3 of my favorite anime episodes
Dragonball Z Episode 254 Meet Vegito
I like this episode because it has Vegito
Bobobo-Bo Episode 59 Enemy Crusin’ for a Brusin? Then Just Try Fusion
I like this episode because
Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo Episode 51 The Art of Art and the Fist of All Fists!
One Piece Episode 288 Fukuro’s Miscalculation - My Cola is the Water of Life!
I like this episode because of the Franky vs Fukuro fight and the funny scene with Franky
Bleach Episode 219
Bleach 277
One Piece Episode 211 Round 2 Shoot It In The Groggy Ring!
I sat down to write about this week’s fairy tail chapter. This came out instead, probably because there is nothing worth talking about in this week’s fairy tail chapter; not that it was bad, or even good; there was simply nothing in it that happened that is worth writing about, besides the fan service. I expect things to pick up in the next chapter.
Anyway, Hungry Joker is finally over. Pitiful, i say. All that potential, wasted, which leaves me wondering if i should bother with any new manga releases from shonen jump; after all, hungry joker isn’t the only new manga that was highly acclaimed by fans on the internet but which simply didn’t make the cut. Several others have fallen, some before hungry joker, some shortly after, and some expected to follow soon.
Maybe i shouldn’t rush into manga anymore. I have this rule where by i don’t watch a new TV series until it is at least ten episodes into its season, unless it has only 13 episodes in which case i wait until its first season ends before i begin watching it. Because it is around that time (sometimes i will wait till the fifteenth episode) that it is announced whether or not the series will have a second season. If i hear news of cancellation, i don’t bother. Why get so caught up in a show when it is only going to get cancelled. Which is why i didn’t bother with last resort after watching only two episodes, because Alcatraz, while not having the best finale, had none the less intrigued me enough to want to watch more and they cancelled it. So why bother.
I am going to apply this to new manga. If i had waited a few months to hear of Hungry joker’s impending doom, i would have avoided this frustration. None the less since it is over, i thought i would review it as a whole series.
THE PLOT: in case you don’t know…
Haji is a a young genius, spending his days in the lab, assisted by the intern chitose as he delves into the world of the supernatural, in an attempt to discover the truth behind his hidden past, of which he only remembers standing in a field surrounded by shining corpses as a masked figure in black robes smiles. Events pick up when Haiji is called to a similar scene to the one in his memories, with a the body of murdered man found in a random alley way, shining.
With the discovery that there is more truth to his addled mind’s memories than he assumed and further exploration into the black apple, Haiji is thrown into a new world of gods and god like humans. Eureka, of which his apple is one, are powerful tools that, once used/consumed, reveal the truth of God by granting the user great knowledge. For those geniuses of old such as Einstein and Pascal, the Eureka only revealed to them great knowledge. For special humans like Haiji with special bodies, the Eureka grant them great power with which they can combat the Mavro, black gods that seek only to toy with humanity for their pleasure before destroying them over and over again. But the use of Eureka isn’t without consequences as the gallons of blood Haiji is seen to regurgitate each time he consumes more of the apple to gain more of its power prove. None the less he vows to push ahead no matter the consequences in search for the answers he seeks. Who is he and why does he exist?
MY REVIEW:
I am angry that this manga was treated as such. I love all sorts of manga but their is something about battle manga, that is mostly about heroes that fight again and again while getting stronger each time, that endears itself to me. it is the kind of entertainment that can pick me up no matter what my mood is because, even with complex stories, the purpose of each chapter is to entertain you as much as possible with mind blowing action, awesome power ups and insidious villains. I love shonen and specifically battle manga. But i have to wonder if it isn’t a dying breed of manga. When all the popular stuff ends what will come after.
I once spoke of what would replace the big three, but i never considered it seriously until now that there might be nothing to replace them. Maybe Japanese tastes are changing. Actually i will fault the Japanese for their shallow taste. I have come across some of the manga that was chosen over Hungry joker and while it wasn’t bad, a lot of it simply wasn’t on hungry joker’s level in terms of complexity.
What it did offer was very quick and immediate gratification, with instant revelations, power ups and fights. I have said it before that naruto and One peice would never have survived past ten chapters if they were released today. Like hungry joker these two series required a considerable amount of time to set up their worlds and rules before getting down to the point. New manga, most of what i have seen, doesn’t do that anymore because no one has the patience of that. Hungry joke felt rushed because it needed time to set up its world and to create new characters. That wasn’t acceptable i guess. Now i am getting a little irritated, probably because i have done this before, started a manga that i thought sounded interesting based on the synopsis and dropped it three chapters later because it was not gratifying me instantly.
So i guess the landscape of manga is changing . As otaku we are no longer patient, or willing to wait for a series to pick up to speed from a slow start. We want to be satiated instantly and that is leading us to miss out on some really good manga just because they like to take their time. Or maybe recent manga is very shallow, unwilling to create complexity because it doesn’t think we as otaku would stand by it. I get that it is shonen but it has been a while since mindlessly violent manga in which characters fought for the sake of fighting was popular.
Hungry joker is one casualty of this. I would rate the story with a perfect 5/5 not because of what it became but because of what it could have become. There was so much potential in the plot, so many places that Tabata could have gone, yet he was forced to make compromises and produce a shallow rushed story because of the fear of being cancelled. The world was interesting, with the Mavro who masqueraded as gods but whose story would have been an interesting one to explore. The characters were fun. Haiji was so clueless and stoic that everything that came out of his mouth was almost always funny depending who he was interacting with. He attracted people to himself the way Luffy does in one piece, collecting this conflicting and contrasting group of Eureka users each with their own failings beside which they were still willing to fight day in and day out to save humanity.
Each had a story that could have gone so far, possibly making them iconic characters in manga. But we will never see any of it, learn of Vivie’s life as the feared and loathed daughter of a rich family because of her eureka power, understand what Nils’ life was like in his former town and exactly who her grandmother was in the grand scheme of mavro Vs. humanity; then there is Haiji’s brother and the reason he did what he did to his sibling. We knew we would see Haiji change and become something other than what he was, and we see that at the end but again it doesn't make sense because we haven’t seen any of these so called bonds he speaks about.
I won’t even bother with the last chapter because it was so rushed. It irks me that we stopped after a one page time skip just as the invasion was about to begin; we didn’t even get to see the Mavro world. But tabata did his best to show us as much of his Hungry joker story as he could before time ran out. I can’t really complain. The first 15 chapters were all perfect, constantly building upon what they had created before and just entertaining the hell out of me.
Of course the action is one of the manga’s highlights, not only because of the unique nature of the powers but because of Tabata’s art. I found it nebulous and somewhat off the first time i read hungry joker. But five chapters in something changed. I began to see the uniqueness of each page, the idea of what Tabata was trying to do. Most mangaka might think that making a good manga comes down to the most detailed and impeccable art. i think it is all about bringing a new experience to the reader. Tabata did that. Every chapter detailed every battle as briefly as possible while keeping things fresh and eye catching. I will miss it.
Ultimately though, i might conclude that Tatabata might have been his own worst enemy. Sure he was being pressured with the idea of cancellation; but he was cancelled at chapter 24 not 2. Maybe if he had stuck to his guns and continued to write and draw the story exactly as he had planned it, with the exact kind of pacing he wished it to have, it would have thrived. Maybe it is because he rushed that he sealed his own fate. It might have been better to show us what he had in mind and hopefully some otaku out their might have been convinced that the series wasn’t the confused mess they believed it to be. Then again i might be saying that because i was just recently watching Bakuman and a similar situation happened in which mashiro and takagi had to choose between changing things up to hook readers and increase their rankings or sticking to their original pacing and seeing what happens.
I think Tabata made a mistake in letting the pressure get to him. But i might be wrong.
I am not sure who to blame, the readers or shonen jump? I will choose to blame the readers because shonen jump is a business that exists to make money. They had to make decisions based on what will increase profits, not to take leaps of faith. I will also blame Tabata for giving into pressure and messing up his own story. I can’t say i am optimistic about the future of manga. I am all for intricately plotted series with mature themes, but i love my battle manga. I want to be stunned by a cool move or have my jaw dropped by an unexpected defeat or victory. I love the excitement of a good battle manga as much as i love being blown away by a great story. Sometimes i can get both. Either way, this is the end and i am disappointed.
Story: 3/5, my rating after I managed to clear my mind of bias for a few seconds
Art: 5/5
characters: 5/5
Action: 4/5
Overall: 4/5
Here's part 2 of my favorite anime episodes
Durarara Episode 25 World At Peace
FMA Brotherhood Episode 15 Envoy of The East
Sengoku Basara Episode 2 Shocking! Encounter at Okehazama
Naruto Episode 101 Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi-Sensei’s True Face!
Shin Chan Episode Episode 27 Shin Wars
Dragonball Z Episode 272 The Incredible Fighting Candy
Bleach Episode 217
One Piece Episode 289 Zoro’s New Technique Explodes! The Katana’s Name is Sogeking
Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo Episode 72
Not seen much mentioned of this here so thought would pass along some info.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rrpgt/robotech-rpg-tacticstm
also
has some more info an they are haveing a rpg sale atmfor robotech rpg.
So I'm gonna make fanart about all kinds of anime series and games. What animes/games fanart do you want to see ?
I make anything you want ! (I can draw even your fursona if you want to)
My Deviantart DA is : http://jakatchu.deviantart.com/
My steam name is 'Jakachu' also. Add me if you want to :'3
Here's Part 1 of My Favorite Anime episodes :D
Digimon Tamers episode 36 Battle Within
Bleach 166
One Piece Episode 299 The Drawn Sword’s Fierce Attack! Zoro vs. Kaku Powerful Slash Showdown
Bobobo-Bo Bo-Bobo Episode 50
Soul Eater Episode 13 Man With Demon Eyes
What's your MO?
Revenge alone doesn't quite take the cake, it doesn't really separate a "good" villain from the average street thug, or a vigilante in some regards; You're MO can be something simple; like wanting to be the owner of all dairy products to wanting to be the Queen of the Chaos Realm. Whatever your character's motivation for doing bad things, make it creative. While I'm on the subject of Kita (Who is the Ruler of the Chaos Realm), just because you're a villain does not mean you can only chastise heroes. A lot of villians, believe they are better than the next guy, so if you believe yourself to be a better Chicken than Nerx, by all means go for it. When Villains compete heroes usually suffer, (Which can make for a better story IMO) A hero would have the ardous task of stopping TWO villains from beating the crap out of each other, All the while saving the town, city, planet, universe at the same damn time BUT
Not every Villain he/she is a villain, some Villains will murder and steal just for the simple fact that, in their minds...they're RIGHT! Lex Luthor, Vegeta, Team Aqua and Magma are probably very good examples of this. What in society is flawed, is it politics, business, religion? Ultimately, what is the reason your character murders, plots, and steals.
Goals
Know what you want: Take my character for example, Y intercept. She has chased the CV, LW and now AV versions of Maya Lopez and Sha all over the internet; just trying to kill them. Know what you need to make your character achieve his or her goals. If you want to complete Kingdom Hearts, to maybe possibly plunge the world in everlasting darkness; you probably would need to know what Kingdom Hearts is, How to obtain it, and who can possibly get in your way. (His name is Samjaz BTW). You don't want to be trying to complete Kingdom Hearts, while learning how to speak Spanish, while at the same time; trying to take out Sailor Moon. Your goal needs to be the focus of that particular story.Revenge
"Wait...but didn't you say" I know what I said, but It's a huge staple of what a Villain really is (besides I said revenge "Alone"), to legitimize a villain using revenge as a stance isn't a quick thing either. (Unless you're able to kill said, subject early, but then it's not really revenge more like vengeance). Revenge between a hero and Villain, or even a villain and villain could make for some epic stories; but like I stated this is usually no one time deal, which usually results in it getting stale quick (Hence why I said, revenge alone) there must be a significant amount of hatred between you to dedicate time and resources to. When done between two characters, Revenge could be encompassing pretty much a whole city, to kill one person. O.OJust Watching The World Burn and Making a Statement
This is a Type of MO which usually makes it hard for a hero, when presented with a foe, that doesn't give a damn about society; and murders just for his/her own personal pleasure. There are some villains that would just as easy sit down in broad day light with a rocket launcher and eff stuff up, go to jail, get out and do it again. If this is your type of villainy, you hold the distinct advantage of being the wild-card. When you are a wildcard villain, that means you are a threat to any OTHER villainy in your vicinity. They are more likely to team up with the heroes to take you out, then joining up with you. Got tons more stuff to write about but, it'll have to wait until next weekend.
Hi everyone, I'm Takashichea (Taka for short). This blog is about me trying recommendations from the Anime Vice community. This is continuing off from the Summer Experiences where I venture into new genres of the animanga world thanks to my friends in this community. I was more of a Shonen fan and started reading manga that my little sister brought from the library. Most of them were Shonen titles.
Here are my first and final impressions of you guys and gals' recommendations. Don't worry, I don't put any spoilers.
Accel World
Recommended by Supreme Marvel
In 2046, people can access a virtual network known as the Neurolinker via their cellphone terminals. A perpetual victim of bullying, middle school student Haruyuki spends his time absorbed in games in a corner of his local network. One day he is approached by the most famous girl in his school, Kuroyukihime (Black Snow Princess). She gives him a strange program called Brain Burst that has the power to "accelerate the world."
After Sword Art Online was finished, I was curious about Reki Kawahara's work, Accel World. is my pal who was watching Sword Art Online at the time recommended to me to watch the anime. Upon looking at Accel World's cover, I saw a pink pig with beautiful girl in the ebony dress. Damn, that is a weird relationship. As I watched it, I found it It's about a video game just like SAO but more fan service, the loli kind. The uniqueness in this anime was the main character is not your average guy. Haruyuki is chubby and short and gets bullied by punks.
For the characters, I pretty much enjoyed everyone, but Haruyuki gets to me sometimes. It was weird that Haruyuki is voiced by Yuki Kaji who voiced Shu Ouma in Guilty Crown. Somehow, Haruyuki and Shu Ouma have this crybaby thing. I just want to punch them and tell them to be a man. Accel World was fun to watch until the last arc where it derailed. It's like SAO where the bad guy takes your precious girl and abuse her.
Angel Beats
Recommended by Sotyfan16
In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the otherhand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers.
In January 2013, I finally had a chance to try Angel Beats on Netflix (Oddly enough, I didn't know it was on Crunchyroll). recommended the anime along with Infinite Stratos and Dream Eater Merry via Twitter after he and I talked about Astarotte's Toy. At first, I thought it was a cheesy Moe, Shojo anime with a Haruhi look-alike, and I expected to hate the anime. However, I was wrong. Angel Beats blew my mind. It's a beautiful yet bipolar anime because it made me laugh and cry within the same damn episode. I love the characters and their chemistry. While Hinata and the rest of the guys were barrels of laughter, this other group, Yuri, Otonashi, and Angel, provided a lot of drama, tension, and tears. It was a dangerous blend. The problems with the anime I have is that it's too short. A few characters have their back stories revealed. I was curious about the whole gang. How did they died? I made up some crazy theories with my little sister who was watching the anime with me. Plus, the anime crammed too much genre elements: drama, tragedy, romance, and comedy. The romance element was unexpected because the build up wasn't intense.
The music in Angel Beats is unforgettable. Every time I hear that opening or a song from Girls Dead Monster, flashbacks of this anime are vivid as day. I still have some withdrawals from this anime. It is a funny but sad anime.
Overall, Angel Beats joined my list of best anime series. I definitely recommend the anime to anyone.
Off-tangent
Regarding Netflix, I tried the one month free trial to see the anime selection they had. It was so small. Then, I came across Angel Beats and remembered Sotyfan16's recommendation. I watched it with my little sister that night. We finished in a 6 hours marathon. We couldn't put it down. After that, there was not much good anime series on Netflix for me to watch.
Black Lagoon (Manga)
Recommended by Sonata, FoxxFireArt, and Sotyfan16
Okajima Rokuro is a Japanese businessman…in a town full of Japanese businessmen. His normal day consists of social drinking with clients and being kicked around by his bosses. He finally gets a break though, as he’s sent by his company to the tropical seas of Eastern China to deliver a disc…only his boat gets hijacked by a band of mercenaries that were hired to steal it. “Rock” (as he is newly dubbed by his captors) catches the interest of the only female merc “Revy” as she thinks he’s worth a ransom, taking him hostage. However, the disc turns out to be more trouble than its worth, and complicates things both for Rock, and the mercenaries known as Black Lagoon.
Black Lagoon was the big thing in Anime Vice just like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. After I read the Beginner's Guide to Black Lagoon that was written by Sotyfan16, I was curious about this franchise. From what FoxxFireArt said, it was about Rock who picked what kind of bad guy he wanted to be (if I remember correctly). Black Lagoon was one hell of a roller coaster. It was funny and action packed, but the ugly scars popped up from the rotten underbelly. I stopped reading the manga after the Yakuza arc in Japan. The brutal ending just made it hard for me to stomach.
Black Lagoon is definitely a great recommendation for fans who aren't queasy with blood. Revy and the gang provide lots of entertainment with lots of profanity.
Durarara!!
Recommended by Wales
Ryūgamine Mikado is a boy who longs for the exciting life of the big city. At the invitation of his childhood friend Masaomi, he transfers to a school in Ikebukuro. Masaomi has warned him about people he doesn't want to cross in the city: a champion fighter, an informant, and a mysterious gang called "Dollars." Nervous from Masaomi's stories, Mikado witnesses an urban legend on his first day in the city, the Headless Rider astride a black motorcycle. From then on, the existence of supernatural cases and a gang called the Yellow Scarves will rise to the surface, and Ikebukuro will pushed to the breaking point.
Wales recommended me back then. I watched the first half back in 2011 then I resumed and finished it in December 2012. Durarara!! was great, but it was very slow at the beginning. Mikado was boring to tell you the truth. Only Celty and Shizuo were the reasons I continued to watch the series. The anime spends time building the world for you and revealing all the key players in this wacked out chess game. It immerses you in the urban myth.The latter half of the series was better. You had three friends who harbored secrets that forced them to collide eventually.
Durarara!! is a good anime for those who love the mystery themed shows.
Pet Girl of Sakurasou
Recommended by Daniel Newton
Sorata is kicked out of his high-school dorms for keeping a cat, and moves into a small dorm called Sakurasō. It turns out that all the residents, in addition to being uncontrollable and weird, are outstanding in some way: a well-known animator, a scriptwriter, a programmer. A beautiful girl called Mashiro moves in who is an internationally known painter but is so devoted to art that she can't even dress herself, and Sorata is given the job of looking after her. Through her and the other residents, he learns who he is and what he wants to do.
During the fall semester of 2012, Daniel and I were making discussion threads to get folks watching and discussing the new anime series that season. Daniel told me about Pet Girl of Sakurasou and how it was up my alley. Plus, he needed me to be on his team to tackle the wiki project if I get into it. Within the first 3 episodes, I got hooked on it. Sorata is the tsukkomi living in a hall of gifted but weird folks. The characters grew on me. All of their struggles with relationships and making their dreams come true is one hell of a ride.
Usually, I'm not into slice of life show, but I got into the genre back in the summer with Tari Tari. I would not say Sket Dance was my first slice of life show because it was more comedic than slice of life. Tari Tari was my first traditional slice of life. For Pet Girl of Sakurasou, it was a romantic slice of life anime series that wowed me. It's character driven with all the drama and emotions you see from high school students.
I recommend this anime to romance and slice of life fans.
Thank you for reading. Feel free to make recommendations to your friends here and outside of the community.
You can also make some recommendations for me, too. You can do it here in the comments or comment here at my list: Anime Vice Members' Little Anime/Manga Recommendations.
Hey everyone, since I've started RPing on the Vice, I've had this... want, to do something for my fellow Vicers. Over on Comic Vine we had something we called 'Comic Vine Cards'. Basically they were cards that would information of our RP characters, and looked pretty damn awesome. I wasn't the one who began it over there but it exploded upon arrival to the vine! I noticed that there were no Anime Vice Cards, so I figured I would... attempt to bring them over here.
Basically here's what I got so far
If the layout seems oddly familiar to you, it's because I'm attempting to use the same layout they used on the Vine cards. Now the reason I put 'hopefully' soon was because, well.. I don't have photoshop, or anything fancy like that on my laptop, so I'm basically just using an online photo editor site to make this. It's not as easy as I thought it was going to be, but it is something that I can do!
The purple/pink I chose because of the Vice colors, and the random blue you see is what I'm going to use for 'hero' characters. So if you're a villain you'll get red, and if you're neutral then you get grey. As you can see there will be spots for character information and the 'notes' area will basically be a small (407 character long) bio or whatever other info you want about your character on the card.
Then if you look at the bottom of the card you'll see a 'Did you know?' area, this will be where you will put whatever random fact about your character at like... 'Did you know?: Feral Nova has a huge crush on Surkit' or whatever you want.
Then the random black spot on the right hand side of the card next to 'identity' and 'base of operations' will be where your character symbol will go.
There will also be a 'Power Grid' where... I'm going to have to talk to Sonata and maybe a couple of other Vicers about how strong each level is going to be.
This wont be out for at least another week, maybe even a little longer. I'm busy with school, work and other responsibilities and I've actually been working on this for the past three days on my down time.
Anyways, I wanted to generally see what you guys thought about this idea? Would it be something you would be interested in? Or do you think it's just a waist of time? Do you have an idea for the card that you think would be cool to have? Do you see something on the card that you think it could do without? I just want your opinions. But don't give any crazy ideas :P keep them simple please! lol
I am ambivalent over this manhwa. I caught up with all 43 available chapters within two days of last week, so there is no denying the entertainment value. Clearly it had the entertainment quality to keep me hooked to my computer. Yet that doesn’t change at all the fact that it is colored with quite a few faults that i can’t help but notice. The best manga and manhwa are the ones that will present me with clear failures during their endless chapters but which i will either ignore or fail to notice, because everything else is that good as compared to the faults. As such i will say right now that i do not hold the same attitude as numerous otaku out their that this is the best manhwa out their. But before that;
THE PLOT:>
The manhwa takes place in a time when the power of the gods acts prominently in the lives of humanity. Acting under the leadership of the mighty power of Tian (not sure if its the humongous dragon or the man himself or a place even) the numerous divisions of deities, distinguished by their various attributes serve under their separate masters in enslaving humanity and seeing their will done. The mighty Shang dynasty is one such empire, that has for years done the bidding of the high ones, trusting multitudes of its people to slavery in the mines, unearthing a mysterious mineral that the gods so desire.
But the Shang dynasty now serves under a new ruler, one that will not stand for the impudence and superiority of the gods in subjugating its people, and it is this leader, in declaring war against these heavenly forces, that sets off a spark of rebellion; humanity will no longer be enslaved to the gods, they will no longer be murdered and manipulated and forced to continue in misery so long as they will to exist outside the god’s influence; humanity will now fight back.
Wu geng, prince of a once mighty empire fights to lead this charge, as a promised one, a future savior, born of god and human, and prophesied to bring about the end of the gods. But is this truly a path that humanity seeks? To see the gods fall? For before the gods, before their glorious power, existed a darkness that once eclipsed all light in the land, a darkness that, with great sacrifices from the elder gods of whom only one, Tian, still lives, were vanquished; and a darkness that has fostered its hate in the underworld and which plots its return. it is this enemy that lurks in the shadows, behind wu geng and the fallen gods attempts to bring about justice and fairness. Before long, he will have to question his resolve and determine if vengeance for all that has befallen him under the gods is worth it, for the price to be paid.
MY REVIEW:>
The positives: there isn’t an otaku alive that has come across this manga, who hasn’t been awed by its existence. It is a truly beautiful creation. Of course i am talking about the art. This manga stands at the head of my list of greatest drawn manga and manhwa and it indeed deserves that position. I don’t know how much work goes into making this manhwa or how much time, clearly more than a week, but it deserves a large portion of the praise it attracts. The art is superb; unlike so many manga series
that i come across, every character, young and old, male and female, is distinct in their look and nature, where as with most series it is necessary to bring up a name, style of fighting or object such as a weapon they always carry to link them to, in order to jog the memory of the reader. And the human beings always look like human beings; i say this because every manga and manhwa that i have read will have those awkward shots and panels where, maybe it was an exceptionally difficult angel to draw or the situation and surroundings complicated things, but the characters look a bit off, maybe too big or a little twisted. It’s rarely that big of a deal, yet i noticed in this manhwa that all that was absent. It’s like someone takes the time to look at every image within a panel, be it a cup in the distance or a fly hanging in an awkward way, and ensures that everything is perfect.
Maybe its a korean thing. The backgrounds are as they should be, backgrounds that actually create an understanding of one’s environment and clearly convey the idea of movement and change, that the characters in question have changed locations and the each location has enough distinct features to enable one to at the very least attempt to recognize a location if they had ever seen it before. This is why i always said claymore had the best art i had ever seen. No matter how much detail was provided in any manhwa and manga i read, the backgrounds were all too static and generic; feng shen ji avoids this and brings the world around a character to life, be it in a calm situation or within chaos; no matter the occurrence, it is reflected in the world around.
The color is beautiful. I have come across colored manga and manhwa, though maybe manhwa only, the most recent being noblese and god of high school. But here is the thing, both of those have always seemed to me to be of average to low quality. This is manga. it is always black and white so a little color goes a long way to making these two series look astounding. But none the less, neither of them is particularly impressive color wise. Feng shen ji is an exquisite production; the colors are rich and fluid and detailed so as to enhance the purpose of each panel. I haven’t read a series quite as good looking as this one. This kind of material is visually on par with a comic book and those guys put quite some effort, money and man power into making their books.
I can’t heap enough praise to elucidate on just how magnificently drawn this book is. especially the great battles. Sure i love seeing the lush open fields and luxuriant lands, but the battles take it to another level. The powers are displayed in mouth watering detail, you just want to reach out and touch them. The explosions, earth shattering summons, mighty weapons, weather manipulating powers, eccentric moves, they are all a marvelous wonder. This manhwa is simply that good to look at. You just want to drink it in.
The characters: are an eccentric bunch, Wu geng is fun to watch from his ignorant beginnings and the life changing journey he undergoes to become the man he is now. You might hate him at the
start but he becomes a character worthy of your respect and support. You want to see him rise higher, challenge his difficulties and become a better man, meeting the expectations of those that follow him. The gods are…intriguing. There is an attempt to play most of them off as simply arrogant and egotistical but many are downright evil and worthy of contempt. Some play the good guy, claim to feel remorse for their actions and even criticize their own kind’s evils, before doing exactly the same soon after. Basically all talk and no action, and thus evil.
It is clear they want to be understood but betray their own selves. The clearly evil gods are fun to behold; they revel in their vileness against humanity and rather than challenge you to like them, will endear themselves to you more easily that the ‘attempting to be good but not really trying' kind. You might route for them during impending danger, to see them put up a greater fight so that their defeat can be that much more sound and satisfying. There is no doubt however that they are all doomed; i expect they will all die cruel deaths, but not before showing us their divine powers. These can sometimes be the most gratifying events to watch, seeing a god unleash his unique ability and unleashing untold devastation. It is worth any chapter just to see this. I think my favorite divine power so far as monochrome, as was performed originally in the first chapters. Then there is wu geng’s uncle’s sword smelting aura technique; marvelous to watch.
The good guys are, well, good. I kind of expected them to exist in more of a grey area considering the kind of cruel world they live in. None the less it is nice to watch them sort of fight to keep their dreams alive by rejecting their former glory and struggling down here with mere mortals. They are just as vicious as impressive as the villains and equally determined to free humanity as the gods are to subjugate them. Wu geng leads the pack; as the protagonist his story and progression will keep you hooked to the pages, especially in the beginning where you are more interested in seeing him become a better human being rather than simply being powerful.
of course within each simple story is a conspiracy. These are the gods after all and, light or dark, they will use every pawn in their arsenal, be it human or fellow god; most operate under a specific philosophy while a few harbor greed and human like lusts that they will kill and betray god and man alike to see fulfilled.
The concept, while not particularly new or unique, is a fascinating one, and possesses a lot of potential. Achieving greatness will lie in Jien He’s ability to tap into this potential and lay it bare. Gods and humans fighting isn’t new. We have seen the whole ‘human rises to fight the gods’ story before, the terrible wrath of the titans being the most recent example. This story focuses on the intricate details involved in the conflict between these two parties, why they are fighting, why neither is willing to yield and why the eventual war will change the face of the land. The story isn’t that clear cut.
The negatives:
When i really like a manga/anime and i am hooked by the story, it pains me to point out its criticisms. For instance i am not keen to point out how appalling i found the fourth great shinobi war to be in Naruto so far. It is a disgrace that the fillers were the best parts i have seen so far in this war besides the asuma business. I am yet to watch any Naruto beyond the Naruto Tsunade raikage contention but i have been assured that the war gets better. I only hope that isn’t a lie. But that aside, that failing is something i will struggle to see and even when i finally accept its existence, i will find a way to enervate the level at lousiness presented.
With Feng shen ji i have no problem with blurting out what exactly the faults are because they are simply so egregious that i can’t ignore them. First;
1. The story- It took me a while to determine the word or statement that i wanted to use in referring to the story in this manhwa. At first i considered the fact that their is really no story, or rather no
worth while plot to sink your teeth in. But i decided that that wasn’t the case. There is indeed a story, with gods fighting humans and humans trying to oppose the mighty force.There is a hook as well, to see how far into the realm of the gods Wu geng can reach. I thought i could call it mindless because to a point it is, and that is the first criticism. I finally figured out what my qualms with the story was. It is too shallow.
Remember what i said up their in the positive section. I didn’t say that the series had a good story. I said the story had the potential to be great. It isn’t a unique concept but it is well executed; yet the author fails to fully explore the concepts he introduces in the chapters. He will frequently introduce very vague ideas and plots which, instead of elucidating upon in the future, simply brushes them aside and glazes over, assuming that since this fellow knows that fellow and that fellow hates that other guy for that reason and he has told you that in a few statements, his part is done; now they can all fight again and again and again now that we know. That is why i say that this manhwa is actually mindless. There is a lack of focus on the story. Relationships are simply swept aside with brief introductions. Reasons, objectives and intentions are given scanty attention.
Sure i wanted to see Wu geng finally make it back to see Bai cai, but even if he didn’t make it back, i couldn’t have cared less; and that’s because their relationship doesn’t matte than much 43 chapters in. So what if Wu geng is willing to do anything, go to impossible lengths to rescue his grandfather? I don’t care much because i personally haven’t seen the relationship between them blossom in such a way that i could understand his dedication. Think about God of high school and Jin mori’s relationship with his grandfather.
How many times do you hear Jin mori speak about his grandfather? Not that many times. And even when he talks about rescuing him, their is no weeping or passionate discourse about how he will not stop till he rescues his only family. But even in the few words he uses, you can understand the passion he displays and the lengths he will go to to see the mission completed. And the old man, in one hundred something chapters, gets less screen time or about as much as the old priest does in 43 chapters. And anyone who has read G.O.H knows that it’s story could never be described as deep. Yet there is enough material to realize that the story drives the action and the action wouldn't matter much without the story.
Every opponent Jin mori faces enters the ring against an opponent they cannot beat to achieve a dream and in a few pages of a flashback you understand their souls and what drives them. Feng shen ji fails to do this. The action takes precedence over the story. In fact the story doesn’t matter whatsoever. So long as you know what the good guys want and the bad guys stand for, with this series you are set. And that isn’t enough. I am not asking for endless ridiculously complicated drama. I am asking for a story that matters. If you woke up tomorrow and wu geng had been transformed into wizard that sold insurance while protecting farmer's’ crops from pests, it wouldn’t make one bit of difference so long as the level of art and action scenes stayed the same. IN a series like breaker:new waves, it would make all the difference in the world because the story drives the battles; there are certain factors that make Shion’s victories and losses impact hard, and if those factors where absent, then the fights wouldn’t matter as much.
Things weren’t so bad in the beginning. I was hooked with the first chapter and the rebellion that followed within. And the mine arc was pretty well paced and intriguing in following Wu geng’s growth
. Everything after that was just a mess. First of all the arc that followed was paced badly. Too many unnecessary scenes were shown while a number that should have appeared didn’t. By the time Wu geng was calling his new residence home, i was struggling to believe him, because according to him, we had witnessed a considerable amount of months pass during which he had bonded with his new comrades. To me it seemed like two days. Most well executed series don’t have to tell us that two weeks or two months have gone by. Sure it has to be confirmed but in a period of a few chapters we are usually able to tell using events happening that time is passing. Feng shen ji couldn't do that and as such Wu geng’s so called growth was simply not believable to me. IN fact at one point it seemed a little too out of the blue and sudden, yet if you considered the time that had passed it was fairly logical. I don’t like being told that something happened, especially if it affects every facet of a story. I like to be shown. This series fails miserably at that.
I won’t spoil it in my effort to prove how shallow the story is. But even the betrayals that happen are simply ridiculous and unbelievable. Jien simply paces the story horribly. Someone was recently craving for some more Feng shen ji and didn’t care if they were raws with no english translations because according to them, they didn’t matter. I thought they were crazy. One, who read a manga without proper translations and whose story didn’t matter? What was the point? Secondly after reading ten chapters i was certain that there were events that needed to be explained for the chapters to make some sense. 43 chapters later i am shocked to discover that they were right. The words don’t matter. You can read most of the series easily with minimal explanation over what is happening. This is what i did. For most of the last ten chapters i was flipping through pages without paying attention to the words in the page (which i noticed were banal and uninteresting and either badly written or badly translated; either way the dialogue and basic narration is boring as hell) and i still had a basic idea of what was happening.
I don’t know if the author is responsible for both the art and the story but either he needs to get himself a writer and give up on involving himself with the story telling or he should rethink his relationship with this writer. if i compare this series with G.O.H, then i would say that the GOH author is a brilliant artist and storyteller; the feng shen ji author on the other hand is simply a genius artist. The story is the one failing that unfortunately heavily weighs down on the series. He needs to do something about it.
I ranted on far too long about this point. Let me break it down like this. I don’t choose my manga based on how they look. I like a good looking manga/manhwa but so long as the art is bearable and i can follow each the story from panel to panel i am good so long as the story hooks me. If feng shen ji keeps sacrificing a good story for the visuals, i will keep reading it for however many hundred chapters it goes on, but i will seize to respect it.
2. The action: It might be strange and even controversial that i would fault the fault the action of feng shen ji and i wouldn't say that i fault it exactly; with the manhwa so beautifully colored, you could say that there are some failings that are more easily noticeable than they would be if the manhwa was colorless. When it comes to the story it will be hard to find someone that denies its shaloow nature. But with the action, it’s probably more subjective, in that i doubt anyone will share the view.
Either way, in comparing the manhwa with other series i have come across, i find that when it comes to the action scenes, i am not blown away as most people claim to be. The art makes every action seem that much more mind blowing, but here is the thing. I have inferred above that i think Feng shen ji is inferior to the breaker and G.O.H; what i will state unequivocally is that i think Feng shen Ji is far far inferior to those two titles. The reason is partly due to the superior stories of the two series. The other reason is the actions scenes. Both manage to present a totally unique experience with regards to visuals relating to battle.
The battles in Feng shen ji aren’t badly drawn or anything. if i am to try and express my criticism, i would say that they are ordinary and unoriginal. when i come across a battle related series that is said to be spectacular, i look at what new experience it brings to the table. With G.O.H i am yet to read a series that creates images so swift and fluid as those presented in this series. There is a celerity and pliability to even the most ordinary move executed in each page. And with G.O.H we are talking about a series more grounded in reality than Feng shen ji The series will for the most part make use your average martial arts styles found in Asia but with a twist. But the way the author displays the fights, the angles he chooses to attack a panel from and the positions that he displays a character executing a simple kick from are unique in style and execution. it isn’t something you see everyday and each fight seems as fast paced and dynamic as it would be in an anime.
With breaker, you can expect highly destructive battles that affect everything within the panel; the artist displays each shot in such a way that it displays the impact of each action as if you were there and experiencing it first hand. Besides that, both G.O.H and breaker bring a fresh breath of air to two or more opponents duking it out, with a unique means with which each strike and special move looks and is executed. Just like with bleach, both authors want you to get a different experience when witnessing a character unleash a destructive punch from what you would experience from reading other manga. And they all pull it off perfectly. The way Sado unleashes an ordinary attack isn’t the same way Shion would do it; same for the speed effects and all that.
Feng shen ji is ordinary in the way it executes battles. It is a unique manhwa so of course you can expect specifically crafted powers and techniques. But the way they are displayed seems so ordinary and average. I don’t think i can really explain it. it’s probably something that i just happen to see. I mean, all the summoned weapons, monsters and attacks are cool, especially when unleashed, but average blow by blow battle is disappointingly ordinary. Maybe i have been biased by previous series that i have come across. The last series i read before feng shen ji was witch hunter, and watching Tasha dispatch a couple of ordinary goons was as fun to read as it was to watch Xing take on the main villain Lee.
In manga there shouldn’t be such a thing as filler fights, to pass the time, just because someone has to fight the goons. It is the author’s job to keep things as interesting as possible no matter what is happening. While the fights were not boring, they simply didn’t reach the apex of what they could have been, or maybe i shouldn’t be comparing some of these series.
RATING:
Story- 1.5/5; should have been better
art - 10/5 mind blowing times a thousand
characters – 3/5; managed to shine despite the story but could have been better with a good story; otherwise some of them where way too vapid and generic for my taste
action -5/5 or 2/5; i actually can’t decide; on the one hand, they are mind blowing; on the other hand, he could do more with them.
Overall rating – 3/5
Verdict: This is a manhwa that every otaku must read. I recommend it for its purely entertainment value. Once you start, you might not stop. I will however say that, unlike many that have said it, Feng shen ji is nowhere near the best manhwa. It is a good manhwa.
Welcome everyone to the 37th Kodansha Manga Award ceremony! Here are your winners for this year.
Best Children's Manga
Animal Land
- Written and illustrated by Makoto Raiku
- Serialized in Besatsu Shonen Magazine
- Alias: Dobutsu no Kuni
Plot
It takes place in a world with no humans that abides by the law of the jungle. The tanuki Monoko suddenly stumbles across a human baby and decides to raise it as her own.
Best Shonen Manga
April is Your Lie
- Written and illustrated by Naoshi Arakawa
- Serialized in Monthly Shonen Magazine
- Alias: Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Plot
The youth story revolves around a male middle school student who is also a genius pianist with rare ability, and a female violinist. Together the two help each other to cultivate each other's talents.
Best Shojo Manga
Ore Monogatari!!
- Written by Kazune Kawahara and illustrated by Aruko
Ore Monogatari - Serialized in Betsuma
Plot
The romantic comedy manga revolves around the love triangle between the unattractive and stern-faced Takeo Gouda, his cool and attractive childhood friend Sunagawa, and the pure Yamato, whose specialty is making sweets.
Best General Manga
It's a tie!
Gurazeni
- Written by Yuji Moritaka and illustrated by Keiji Adachi
- Serialized in Morning
The sports manga focuses on a baseball team that operates as a highly-stratified society and where the player's performance determines his annual salary. The story follows an eight-year relief pitcher with an odd left-handed side-arm throw as he fights to survive under the team's strict system.
Prison School
- Written and illustrated by Akira Hiramoto
- Serialized in Young Magazine
- Alias: Kangoku Gakuen
The comedy manga takes place at a prestigious all-girls high school with a student body of 1,000. The school decides to allow boys to attend, and five boys enter the school dreaming of a harem life, but end up instead forced to live almost as prisoners within the school.
Sources
- Anime News Network
- Crunchyroll
- Comic Natalie (Japanese)
Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine listed the sequel to A-1 Pictures' Magi television anime as "opening" this fall, as opposed to "airing." "Opening" is the term normally used for film releases. The final episode of the Magi television anime series aired in March with the announcement that a sequel was green-lit, but did not indicate how the sequel will be released. The story's setting will take place in Magnostadt.
Sources
