Thoughts on current Manga (I would say rather spoiler-free):
One Piece
It seems that the Fishman Island Arc is wrapping up. Secrets are revealed regarding the Poneglyphs and the Ancient Weapons. Also "Wet-Hair" Caribou shows up again, having disappeared for the greater portion of the arc, making also a swift exeunt. Making her debut is one the Four Great Emperors of the New World, Big Mom! CONFLICT! OVER CANDY!
Hunter X Hunter I am surprised (and delighted) that it has not yet gone back on hiatus, but how long will it last? I am also surprised that Togashi did not end the series with the Chimera Ant Saga, but the transition into Hunter Chairman elections and the "secret" Zoldyck family member continue to intrigue and delight; the arc's end may be drawing closer though. One of the reasons that I enjoy Togashi's work with Hunter are his technical explanations, whether it be a system of super powers, tips for antiquing or holding elections. I prefer these details explained.
Also, curiously, they re-booted the Hunter anime? Why? They already completed the series through the Greed Island Arc (while producing good work and staying true to the manga), so why start from scratch again? I haven't seen it yet.
Naruto Great Shinobi War still in progress. Naruto makes an unlikely acquaintance of another of the Tailed Beasts in the midst of battle.
Bleach Fullbring arc seems to be wrapping up. Also surprised that Tite did not end the series after the Hueco Mundo / Arrancar / Whatever Arc, but I keep reading. So much drawn-out fighting...
D. Gray Man
So this series is on monthly publication now? To be honest, this currently part of the story lends itself to a slower pace after the craziness with the third-generation exorcists and Alan currently going rogue. No complaints.
NEW (to me) TITLES:
Blue Exorcist (Ao no Exorcist)
PREMISE: The devil conceives a human child in a mortal woman to create a vessel in which he can inhabit the human world. This child rejects this destiny and vows to become an exorcist to defeat the Devil himself. Ergo, with his super-demonic powers, he is given a chance to enroll at the exorcist academy along with his super talented genious twin brother.
This series was marked as popular, so, based on the mysterious title, I decided to give it a read. The artwork is top-notch. I also enjoy the character development in the core group of protagonists. The series started off fan-service-free, which I liked, until the appearance of a Shura (whom I like neither in design nor personality). RECOMMENDED
Soul Eater
PREMISE: The DWMA (Death Weapon Meister Academy, "Shibusen") trains "weapons" (people who transform into weapons) and "meisters" (people who wield these "weapons") to hunt down the most dangerous criminals in the world, consuming only the souls of the wicked to gain power. In order to become a "death scythe", a weapon must consume 99 souls followed by the soul of a witch, the natural enemies of the DWMA. Themes include friendship, loyalty and MADNESS.
The spin-off series Soul Eater NOT (also from Yen Press, I believe?) offers plenty of context for the Soul Eater universe (turns out the DWMA is in Nevada); even though this spin-off series is still ongoing, it offers a good starting point for new readers to Soul Eater.
The bold title and unique artwork had me flipping through it earlier, but the high level of fan-service was a big detractor. On a whim, I decided to check out one of the more recent chapters and mah mind was a-blown. The character designs are intriguing and [mostly] original. I also like the strong character development. If you can get through the heavy-handed fan-service of the first volume (originally written as three independent one-shots), you should be fine for the rest of the series. My only initial complaint is that the characters, locations and events feel disconnected from the greater "universe" in which the story takes place; many events take place in locales void of people where there should be; this resolves itself eventually.
(If you do not mind fan-service early on) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Toriko
PREMISE: This action title is a little unorthodox, perhaps a bit hard to swallow? (THAT WAS A PUN FIND OUT WHY). Essentially, the protagonist, Toriko, has super-human powers and, joined by his timid yet enthusiastic chef "side-kick" Komatsu, he hunts down the most high-quality and exclusive ingredients to compose "the menu of his life".
This series crossed my path when WSJ published a One Piece / Toriko crossover one-shot chapter. A somewhat irritating thing about this series is that fact that the entire universe revolves around everything "gourmet" (gourmet organizations, gourmet armies, gourmet police, gourmet cities, gourmet gourmet, etc.). Nevertheless, the manga-ka has created a world inhabited by invented creatures and locales, mixing some real-life information and trivia tidbits in to create interesting results. So, points for imagination. However, the characters seem to fall a bit flat and predictable in personality:
- Toriko: Enthusiastic, Intense
- Komatsu: Enthusiastic, Distressed
- Rin: Lovestruck, Clutsy
- Sunny: Egotistical, Disgusted
- Coco: Perhaps the exception (Calm, Calculated, Concerned, Confident)
- Bishoku-kai ("Beautiful Food Organization", The Bad Guys): Greedy, Evil
I'm still halfway through this (based on the current chapter count), and the explanation of Toriko's "super powers" has added some interest to the series and the introduction of all the Bisokukai's members has also been interesting. Overall, the imaginative nature of the creatures, food and locations has been interesting, though the characters and plot do not strike me as super exciting, at least not at this point, but we shall see as I continue reading!
IT MAY OR MAY NOT INTEREST YOU.
FINISHED READING:
Shaman King
I was dumbstruck when Viz went with the original 32 volume run, leaving the series without a conclusion; granted this was how Takei abruptly ended the series in 2004, but since then he finished the series. I have heard no news as to whether Viz will publish the true series finale. The original ending did not anger me, so much as left me mystified.
Now having read the true finale, it fits nicely. I did not know, however, that the North American version of "Joco McDonnel" has been edited from the original "Chocolove McDonnel", though I do not complain about the change. I HOPE VIZ DECIDES TO PUBLISH THE TRUE ENDING.
Black Cat
Overall, it's not a bad series, but it feels borrowed from other series (Outlaw Star, Hunter X Hunter, etc.): bounty hunting, tao/chi-based super powers, nano-tech super powers, world domination, etc. MEH. OKAY, I GUESS.
CHALLENGE QUESTION!
Joy Boy, Jokey Boy, Jerry Boy! From which current WSJ titles do these entities originate!?
AND WHAT ARE THEY?
NO ONE READS MAH BLOG.
