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What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)
What have you been watching and reading this week? You don't need to give us a whole essay if you don't want to, but please write something! Feel free to talk about something you saw that was cool, something that was bad, ask for recommendations, or anything else you can think of.
If you want to, feel free to find the thing you're talking about and link to its pages on Anilist, MAL, or any other database you use!
Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain - the film is a good continuation of the 2010 series. However, it's a little bit different when it comes to narration - some of the mood known from the TV series has disappeared. I don't know how to describe it exactly. The action is much faster, the camerawork is more dynamic, and we are constantly switching perspectives looking at the events through the eyes of various different characters other than our medicine peddler. It also seems like he is a little different character from the one we know from the series. The film certainly stands out with its much improved visuals, which are simply amazing. On top of that, it has an all-star cast and a great soundtrack. Overall it's a worthy continuation and I'm looking forward the next movie. 8/10
The Colors Within - I like Yamada's films a lot, and in this one you can sense the style known from her previous works. However, this is not a movie in which we are dealing with some heavy subject as it was the case in A Silent Voice. It's a warm, enjoyable film without any great stakes. It is a great film for those looking for beautiful animation with excellent cinematography, combined with beautiful music, telling a story about growing up, friendship, expressing oneself in music, shedding the mask and coming to terms with showing others one's true self. Definitely worth watching. 9/10
Suzume - I've watched a few Shinkai movies before and it seems Suzume reuses very similar patterns I've already seen in them. There's some self-discovery, some romance, some trauma, but none of these are explored deep enough to deliver a proper emotional payoff in the end. The main characters are likeable but the male protagonist is quite bland and uninteresting. Side characters don't bring much to the story either. Overall the plot is pretty average.
As for the technical aspects, the visuals are beaufitul, as always in Shinkai movies, the animation is fluid, voice acting is good, and sountrack is great. Great production doesn't make a good story though. I expected more. 7/10
I bought the subscription for the Shounen Jump app so my wife could catch up on Dandadan, and I decided I'd try to check out a lot of other recent Shounen Jump series for myself. Here's what I've read so far:
Ichi the Witch
Premise - In this world, people can become witches and learn spells by conquering the trials of magical monsters - but only women can become witches. At least, until one young boy miraculously is able to become a witch too! Now, he applies his skills as a hunter to conquer the trials of magical monsters who threaten innocent lives.
My Thoughts - The characters are the absolute best part of this series. Ichi is an extremely fun and compelling protagonist, with a unique perspective and outlook on life that makes following his adventures endlessly fascinating. Desscaras is one of my favorite characters of all-time, already - her self-aggrandizing and attitude are hilarious and constantly entertaining, but she's also a badass with the skill and prowess necessary to back it all up. This is not to say that the rest of the series isn't great too. The art's fantastic, the worldbuilding intriguing, the action is excellent, the humor on-point... it's a fantastic start to a series, and I hope to see it maintain this quality and see its story through. This is my #1 favorite new manga at the moment.
Bug Ego
Premise - Two young high school boys investigate 'reality hacks' - glitches in the laws of physics and rules of causality, with strange, surreal effects. Equipped with a mysterious notebook that details many of these reality hacks, they at first have fun trying them out, before they are forced to seek to understand them in order to avoid their dangerous consequences...
My Thoughts - The latest manga from ONE, with art by Kiyoto Shitara. Bug Ego is a comedy horror, rather than comedy action like One Punch Man or Mob Psycho 100. I'm an absolute sucker for surreal urban fantasy horror like this, ever since I watched The Lost Room as a kid, and it's been wonderful seeing this blossom into a larger genre, with media such as Control. The premise is escalated very well in this series - it starts off as surreal comedy with a touch of horror, but with each adventure, the stakes grow higher, the implications more eerie, and the actual 'reality hacks' more dangerous or terrifying. It reminds me a lot of the pacing of Steins;Gate, for example. I'm very excited to see where this story goes. In addition to the excellent plotting by ONE, I have been astounded by the quality of the art, too.
Kagurabachi -
Premise - A legendary swordsmith forged six enchanted blades, which were used to end a calamitous war eighteen years ago. Three years ago, he was murdered, the swords stolen - but his son survived. Now, he's on a quest not just for vengeance, but to collect the swords and ensure they don't end up in the hands of evil.
My Thoughts - I'd seen the memes about the series when it was first announced a few years ago, and the premise and previews did seem pretty edgy and derivative. However, the actual series has surprised me, surpassing my expectations again and again. The action choreography, art style, paneling, and writing come together in a way that reminds me of a hard-boiled action noir, in the vein of John Wick, or John Woo films. The series wears its inspirations on its sleeve - Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more - but the author, Takeru Hokazono, shows they have the chops and passion to create plenty that is original, refreshingly so, even. Chihiro presents a facade of being cold and reckless in his quest for vengeance, but it's quickly shown that he remains heroic at his heart, and his intelligence allows him to take risks without being stupidly reckless like many other shounen protagonists. The series also quickly introduces many other characters that help balance Chihiro's hard-boiled demeanor with levity.
The antagonists of each arc have been incredibly well-written as well. The first arc's antagonist was insane in a fun way, but every antagonist in the arcs since has been a compelling, interesting villain, challenging Chihiro in new ways each time, forcing Chihiro to develop and change in order to best them. It is a testament to the series skill that I think my favorite chapter involves Chihiro confronting a villain without a single blow being exchanged - instead, it is a battle of wills, trading words and threats. Yet, it made the villain one of the most memorable ones I've ever seen in a manga. This is a series that is capable of fantastic, jaw-dropping action, but also has the intelligence and discipline to balance it out with tension, suspense, drama, intrigue, and more.
The author, Takeru Hokazono, is only 24, as well. If they're putting out this level of quality, weekly, right now, I'm very excited to see how they continue to grow and develop as an author and artist in the years to come!
Syd Craft: Love is a Mystery
Premise - The famous detective Syd Craft is a prodigal genius, able to crack the toughest cases, and solve mysteries in record time. However, he has some big secrets - he can't stand the sight of blood, hates crime scenes, and wants nothing more than to be in a storybook romance! Can he juggle his duties as a detective saving lives, with his efforts to salvage for himself a love life?
My Thoughts - I'm a sucker for a good mystery, and the premise of this sounded cute. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure at the moment. I don't normally feel guilty about any of my pleasures, but boy, this manga is ecchi. It's a harem manga, with lots of cute ladies interested in Syd, though he remains oblivious to them all. I don't normally go for harem stories, but Syd Craft is a very charming protagonist, which helps a lot. He genuinely wants true love, is a consummate gentleman, and his obliviousness is due to his unique upbringing training him to be a detective, and the distractions caused by his heavy burdens as a detective. Likewise, the love interests are all charming in their own way, especially what I'd consider the main interest, Inspector Souffle Flamberry, who is a capable police officer and detective in her own right, who strives to be a rival to Syd Craft.
What really excites me about the series, though, is that it's filled with actually competent, interesting mysteries! Most of the chapters so far each feature a case that is written quite well, with plenty of clues sprinkled throughout the scenario for readers to pick up on to solve the case themselves in advance. I worry that the mysteries themselves might begin to ebb in prominence as the harem-aspects pick up, and a couple chapters have had slightly weaker mysteries... but overall, the author has earned my faith so far, showing some impressive chops in writing clever mysteries to crack. I still wouldn't rate this as highly as the others I've been reading lately, but it's cute, funny, and charming enough!