#glüna

[shysheeperz]

[xtremersadiqart]

They're gonna school ya

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

[felixcloud6288]

Shueisha is a company that will throw out platinum ore while mining for gold ingots.

[roydeezed]

Weekly Shonen Jump Manga Round-Up(2023-03-20)

It’s the first weekly manga review! Where I’ll talk about any thoughts I’ve had on manga that were released this sunday. The ones which I care about and have extensive thoughts on will get their own sections while the others will be packaged into one paragraph at the end. 

Spy x Family(Chapter 77)

This chapter sees Loid help the resident tutor get over his trauma. We find out that he’s been using the busjacking as an excuse and his real trauma comes from his wife. And Loid being Loid, not only does he deduce that, but he uses basically every resource he can to confirm it and help the man. As we saw from his backstory, Loid’s always been a good person and I think that ever since getting his current assignment, he’s used it as an excuse to help people as much as he can. He literally used government agents for this and justified it as helping him get closer to students and alumni, my man is so deep in denial. This chapter also highlights what a great relationship Yor and Loid have. A fun detour after the bus jacking incident!

Tokyo Demon Bride Story(Chapter 27)

Picking up from what I talked about from last week's release, it unfortunately did turn out to be a fake-out. It was actually a test to measure Jinta’s loyalty to Manaka, Though it didn’t lose the dramatic tension as much as it punted it down the field for future chapters. Which this manga has been guilty of doing in small doses for a while. I did like that they still kept Manaka’s aunt’s lethality and the whole moment with the blade cutting off the fingers was really cool! The crumbling mirage effect totally worked. Though I can feel the cancellation bells ringing over it as the last panel felt like a preamble to a finale. I still really want to see its full potential.

Ginka and Gluna(Chapter 26)

Ginka and Gluna is very quickly raising the stakes, while focusing on what’s important. I hope it chugs along strong because it has legs. By not detailing how Magaraka escaped, the story kept all of its drastic weight and momentum into the reveal that Gluna forgot Ginka in his entirety. It’s an absolute tragic turn and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. I’m not sure if the power-up itself is temporary, but if it isn't, the dynamic of an amnesiac student stronger than her master will also be really interesting to see. The way Gluna’s spells corresponded with the memories she was giving up, was absolutely heartbreaking. It’s also heartbreaking knowing that all the chapters we’ve seen were so beautifully drawn and even those memories are lost to her. Gluna had a really strong personality from when she first arrived onto the page so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of personality is built up and how Ginka reacts to it.

Cipher Academy(Chapter 16)

This chapter concludes the murder mystery game and establishes Iroha’s skill and prowess over the rest of his team, gaining their support. Almost each page is filled with a crazy amount of information so it’s sometimes a little hard to parse but the best I could understand, mst of the messages were part of a progress report that the victim, as a spy was sending out. The five-star clue turned out to be that there was one more spy, and that was the deceased. So while the initial assumption was that this was so gamefied that the clues were all dying messages, the twist built upon the assumption by having the messages be true but not be dying messages. In fact only one of them was. And each player had their own objective, meaning that while you could solve the mystery, it usually wasn’t everyone’s top priority. So, after finding out everyone’s unique win conditions we discover what this game really is, and that’s a charisma based game much like mafia and wereworld where knowing the truth heps, but isn’t the end all be all. In fact, not knowing the true killer actually helped as it cast doubt on who it was. This was a game all about withholding and releasing information strategically and the way it was revealed and played out was masterful storytelling. One thing I’m curious about is the line when it started that the game held more truths then were outright apparent about some of the players. So I wonder if we’ll get a payoff about that anytime in the future. At the end of the chapter, Iroha meets up with his friends and gets introduced to Anonymity Requested who basically turns out to be a cheater. Let’s call them Anon from now on. Anon also seems to be the most outright evil character right now, being able to judge really well when to put in effort, when to not, and when to cheat. Also could be they’re just lazy. This was a really dense set of chapters so I can understand people who don’t stick with it, but if you’re reading this, I urge you to give it a shot because I don’t fully delve into all the puzzle elements but I have found a lot of enjoyment in it from just the dramatic beats. And the character progression is great too. It’s a lot faster than most manga as we’ve seen Iroha’s meteoric growth since the beginning and even more since chapter 11. I am really digging this series so far and can’t wait to see what Anon is gonna get up to.

Witch Watch(Chapter 101)

Last week, I didn’t give Witch Watch the kudo’s it deserved so I wanna pile a heaping helping now. Witch Watch has so many great things going for it, from it’s adorable art and romance to its hilarious comedy to its surprisingly engaging underlying plot. But what makes all of that work, including this week’s chapter, is how great the character’s are. They all fit within their tropes, sure, the stoic in Moi and the comic relief in Kanshi among others, but it’s the little quirks, twists, and evolutions of those tropes that fully flesh them out. Moi, despite being stoic, is always passionate about the things he cares about and thus gets into weird and super niche hobbies. Kanshi is callous and loves instant gratification and thus is a bad gambler. Each of their characters are built upon the core of their trope and archetype, helping to make sure their portrayal is always consistent. And because they’re so consistent, when they’re taken to the logical extreme it can be played extremely seriously and be that much funnier for it. In this week's chapter we start with Moi and Miharu getting into an argument over streaming service passwords. Moi, because he’s stoic and passionate, wants to set rules. But Miharu, who is kind of a little trickster, tries to talk him out of it. Nico, trying to remedy the situation, turns them into super fluffy versions of themselves, hoping they won’t be as direct and mean, but we get a hilarious and somewhat sinister body horror exchange where Moi gets brained and his memories stolen, which then turns into a battle shonen over the stolen memories. Because Witch Watch has such solid characters and is just that confident in it’s characters, storytelling, and comedy, it pulls off this gag so well. Also Nico turning the characters soft, softened their words, but because the characters are so strong, their personalities still shone through, and because such cutesy things were said with the edge of begrudging adults, it all took a hilariously sinister turn as well.

Undead Unluck(Chapter 151)

Undead Unluck continues it’s streak of great chapters with this week’s where Fuuko tries to get Billy to their side. Undead Unluck has such solid characterisation in it that, once you figure out a character’s motives, you can trace that as a thorough line through all of their actions. Billy’s always been consistent, shouldering as much suffering as he could manage so other’s didn’t have to. And negator ability of Unfair ties directly to his desire for that. He doesn’t want an unfair world, one where the weak should have to fight. Fuuko’s always been a direct opposition to that as she was one of the weak. Nut because she was allowed to fight and grow, she got stronger. From the moment she met Andy, to before the reset, and to now, Fuuko has had tangible and experience driven growth, learning from every battle she fought and every tragedy she witnessed. Bor both Fukko and the reader, things like the battle with God will forever be etched into their brains. And speaking of that whole battle, since I wasn’t doing this back then, can I just freak out about how great that was? It established such a strong foe and let us know what we would need in order to beat it while also making it clear that it would be nigh impossible even with that. But getting back to characterisation and motives. Billy is only the most recent example. You can chart almost every character's actions in that way once they’ve solidified their resolve, it’s seriously great storytelling and attention to detail. 

The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins(Chapter 17)

The rabbit hole keeps getting deeper and deeper with this manga. Taizan5 brought back Takopi to it’s origin with the name so I am really curious about what the sins are going to be. Because right now, the family just seems to be a victim. The mother disappears and after being confronted, Sota tells them they’ll understand once they figure out everything. Then they act like a family to try and figure it out and go to a baseball stadium where Tsubasa remembers getting his picture taken by what appears to be Sota. Sota seems to be a tragic figure and can’t tell them why they’re looping for some reason. But the sadness behind his eyes is evident. If the Grandpa has looped 2000 times without finding an answer, what hope do they have? This manga also reminds me a lot about Spirit Circle, where with each successive reincarnation, the bad guy became more and more obfuscated. It seems to me, the more and more we learn, the less sure we’re gonna be about everything, at least until the end. The panel at the end where Sota tells Tsubasa that he was in a coma for 4 years, is that before the time loop or during? Could it mean this is like a matrix type situation where they’re being put in this loop to be a better family?

Akane-Banashi(Chapter 54)

This chapter sets the stage for the upcoming competition and in the optimistic way it sets up Akane, I echo the character’s sentiments, it feels ominous. With the organizer being the guy that Akane humiliated, I can’t help but feel she will get some sort of payback in this competition. We also get introductions to competitors and further development to some side characters. Although there wasn’t much to talk about in this weeks chapter, it was still fantastic in it’s ability to set the tone going forward.

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations(Chapter 79)

Although this chapter had some crazy sci-fi twists, I loved it so much. Honestly, at this point I see Boruto as being kind of an alternate universe and it makes the experience so much more enjoyable. The stakes were raised so high with this chapter as Boruto and Kawaki literally switched circumstances. Only a few people know but this sets up even more tragedy as the title character is on the backfoot for real for the first time. Not only is Naruto gone but Sasuke and the entire village are all now enemies of Boruto. Boruto has always been kind of spoiled and counted on the fact that others would save him. With this, he has no choice but to actually grow and learn on his own. I love the new landscape this sets up and can’t wait to follow it as it develops. 

Dragon Ball Super(Chapter 91)

I love the slice of life style storytelling in this arc. It harkens back to the original dragon ball’s storytelling and updates the humour. It’s also absolutely adorable as we Piccolo once again pick up the mantle of best dad as he trains and looks after Pan, who is also adorable in her own right. As Videl runs a dojo and Gohan researches for his presentation, Piccolo sees his son (Gohan) go down the same deadbeatedness of his actual father, Goku. Obviously, he’s mortified, as are we. He also says that Pan could one day be stronger than Goku and Gohan. But it’s all in good fun as they are basically one happy family nowadays. On the other side we have stakes beginning to rise as Dr.Hedo is recruited by the Red Ribbon Army. While the Red Ribbon Army is definitely evil, Dr.Hedo honestly seems pretty cool and would make a great friend to Trunks and Goten. Hopefully by the end of this arc he does. Also can we talk about how Videl and Gohan give Piccolo plushies as thanks for looking after Pan, it’s just doubly adorable. I never thought the day would come when Dragon Ball would be the cutest manga on Shonen Jump. But all in all, it was another fun chapter, I love these Red Ribbon Dorks.

THE LEFTOVERS

For the first manga of the leftover we have, Mission: Yozakura Family(Chapter 170) where the main characters get a five year training timeskip where they train and get stronger. I understand it was supposed to be played for laughs but it wasn’t really funny, just weirdly perverted. Though I did audibly gasp at the last panel where Taiyo and Mutsumi have two children. If anything, the cutesy moments between those two and kids are always the strong points of the manga so hopefully this time skip helps its quality. In Me & Roboco(Chapter 129) we get a fun detour into one of the side characters' lives, Gaku Serizawa. Playing it completely straight made it absolutely hysterical, I love when the authour does the hyper detailed and chiseled faces, it’s stupid but it’s my kryptonite. Jiangshi X(Chapter 9) had some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it characters come back to tee up for what feels like a tragic end to this little arc. The art was gorgeous as always. And I do get a certain Shaman King-esque vibe from it sometimes, though that might just be because Lee Pyron was a Jiangshi. Ichigoki’s Under Control!!(Chapter 15) had a another hilarious chapter, and this time with memory loss shenanigans. Oddly this was just one of many manga in Jump this week that played with memory. Anyways, I love the fake memories gag, it was done so well in the show Community that I still think about it. I almost had enough to talk about in Fabricant 100(Chapter 14) but I think I can squeeze most of my sentiments in a few sentences. This manga is slowly turning into a real battle shonen so I’m glad they’re solidifying the rules a bit more like with the badges and the blood. Also I like how the author sticks to the motifs they’re developing, like the sanctity of life and the fear of death, portraying both with beauty and reverence. In Blue Box(Chapter 93) we get a glimpse at Hina and go back to Yumeka again as Chinatsu’s basketball game fast approaches. We get a sweet moment between Yumeka and her boyfriend where he agrees to delay their date so she can go to the game and it does a lot to humanize Yumeka. It also shows how much she cares about basketball as it’s something she talked about with her boyfriend enough that he knows how important it is to her. It seemed like it was something she dropped cold turkey but obviously it’s not. We get another manga talking about giving up memories in Mashle: Magic and Muscles(Chapter 148) where in the afterlife Mashle will be allowed to come back if he gives up his memories in a sequence that parodies Fullmetal Alchemist's Gate of truth. Again, not a huge fan of Mashle so I can’t find much positive about it other than the fact that the art was great. Black Clover(Chapter 354) looks to be setting up the final battle and arc. In this weeks Sakamoto Days(Chapter 111) I’m pretty sure we see Sakamoto actually kill someone for the first time on the page, since this is the past. It’s adorable to watch the four of them bicker and their dynamic plays off really well together, I’m looking forward to what the pay-off of these two girls being inside the decoy is going to lead to. In Jujutsu Kaisen(Chapter 217) Sukuna faces off against Megumi's older sister who is a special kind of twisted and we get some really cool action scenes. Finally in The Elusive Samurai(Chapter 102) we see Tokiyuki for the first time being able to enjoy family outings. It’s pretty tragic as he doesn’t want to go back to war but he’s being forced too. His childhood his been ripped away from him by the war and he can’t do anything but bear with it.

[bookishnewt]

I didn’t think this manga was gonna hit me with this

[sappyburnttoast]

Ginka flipping off shonen jump

[miminmimikyu]

RIP Ginka & Glüna, can't say I was very surprised that it ended so quickly, but the last few chapters were good! All in all I think it had a very hit or miss run: the first 2 chapters had a lot of potential but it lost me through the middle. For me, it started hitting its stride in the final arc, but by then it was pretty clear the writing was on the wall already.

I liked the weird otherworldliness of the first chapters and I think if it had doubled down on that and the eldritch horrors of magic in their world it could have been something really special. Especially with characters like Ginka and Glüna as protagonists: with Ginka always being hinted at as a dangerous dark magician (who's potentally done a lot of bad stuff) and Glüna bein so single-mindedly and stupidly optimistic while also being weirdly callous and non-empathetic I was so sure that Glüna would end up doing something REALLY fucked up in a sincere attempt to help people. (I do wonder if that was something that was supposed to happen eventually or if I was reading too much into Glüna's weird characterization)

I'm glad at the end we got some chapters from Ginka's point of view, even if we only scratched the surface of what Ginka was like at the height of his powers.

[xtremersadiq]

[therealsoulking]

WELCOME BACK TO THE REAL SOUL KINGS SHONEN JUMP ROUNDUP

Last week saw High School family bite the dust and Ichigoki approaching a finale, and Jujutsu Kaisen is coming back! RuriDragon’s still on hiatus, as far as I know, but every other regular series is out for this issue. It may be midterm season, but Jump only rests for Golden Week and the New Year, so here we go. Hope you enjoy!

[oratokyosaigunda]

Ginka to Gluna series banner

[shysheeperz]

[monmonmonika]

Every time I start a new manga I always remember Gina and Gluna, it sadly got axed at its 29th chapter but to this day I have never seen such a story where the characters, power system, locations and art style were so good I became attached instantly

I cannot lie if this manga had the opportunity to fully flesh out and finish its story from start to end I generally think I would love this more than One Piece

[aspiring-holistic-otaku]

[roydeezed]

Weekly Shonen Jump Manga Round-Up(2023-04-10)

It’s time for another weekly manga review! Where I’ll talk about any thoughts I’ve had on manga that were released this sunday. The ones which I care about and have extensive thoughts on will get their own sections while the others will be packaged into one paragraph at the end. I also packaged the one Naruto spin-off chapter that dropped earlier this week into this post. We get the end of a manga I was really rooting for and the start of another one that I can see myself falling in love with. You can read my thoughts on all the series below past the “Keep reading”! See ya down there!

Ginka and Gluna(Chapter 29)

So it happened… Ginka and Gluna is over. I can’t help be reminded of The Hunters Guild: Red Hood with this ending. Both are these existential musings on what it was like to exist in Jump. But Ginka and Gluna’s ending breaks my heart. With the revelation that he lied at the beginning of the series that magic can do anything, Ginka acts as a surrogate for the authour that tells us that sometimes we just fail. And there’s not much we can do beyond that. I don’t know how many people read it and how many people identified the raw emotions in this chapter but I wanted to say that I get it Shinpei Watanabe. You tried. And it was great. The ritual to help Gluna failing mirrors the feeling of this manga getting axed. But the authour doesn’t let it end there. With the kernel of hope that this may not have succeeded but it wasn’t a failure. Ginka may not have been able to restore all of her memories but he got one back. And that’s not a failure. This manga might have gotten canceled but it was published in Jump. That’s not a failure. They’re both successes and next time it will be better. I know it’s a weird thing to say about a shounen series but I think things like this are why art exists. Because I can feel the pain behind this. And I feel like the authour got out a lot of their ain on the page with this chapter. And not just their pain but their hopes too. I’ll look forward to the next work by Shinpei Watanabe.

Cipher Academy(Chapter 19)

Cipher Academy continues it’s game of leaky poker and spends most of this chapter strengthening the view we have of our four main characters. Yosaimura continues being the absolute coolest by resetting the game in Iroha’s favour as she views him as having earned the number one spot. I really love her dedication to fairness but I can't help but think that she’s being built up to fail. “All’s fair in love and war” is such a cliched quote but it keeps ringing in my ear everytime Yosaimura does something noble. I think she might one day be used to brutally and violently set the stakes. If this is that kind of manga. But her making it fair is also a selfish and egotistical move which I also love because it colours her character in such a unique way. Yosaimura absolutely knows how good she is and the fact that she believes she hasn’t had the chance to prove it should be scary for the others. Toshusai on the other hand busts on to the scene in this chapter and proves why she is as prominent as she is. She’s figured out the game before any others. But in doing so she also take Yosaimura’s bait. The way I see it so far is that Iroha figures out people more than anything. And Toshusai figures out the game. I think Ano figures out the system underlying all of that and is waiting for the right time to move. She’s always been characterized as patient and waiting for the right time to move. Though by going first Toshusai may have taken Yosaimura’s bait, she’s still a formidable opponent. I think by the end of this game we’ll see Yosaimura’s overwhelming abilities and charisma.

Blue Box(Chapter 96)

This chapter was adorable. While most of it was a lot of empty space, I really appreciated that as it built a wonderful sense of ambience. One that’s beautifully reminiscent of how warm and close christmas time during school actually used to feel. And then the moments between Taiki and Natsu are so gosh darn sweet. Natsu learnt how much he did for her and even then the was insistent on not taking credit. For a moment there when he said he was just returning the favour, I thought it would be an excuse to reset the status quo but I’m glad they progressed the relationship between the two. While in the early days of this manga it used to move somewhat stilted, recently the chemistry between the two has become smooth, all quite naturally. These two are just so cute. The above panel says everything it needs to.

Akane-Banashi(Chapter 57)

Karashi remarking that Hikaru caught the bug is one of the realest and most relatable moments in this manga. Anyone who’s gotten interested in a hobby or a sport has had that exact moment. Where they catch the bug and doing the hobby become synonymous with breathing, an exhale of relief each time you get to exercise that muscle. Akane-Banashi is genius because it makes you understand how that could happen to someone. It shows the passion behind Rakugo full well knowing that it’s readers are the farthest things from actual Rakugo performers. It’s a skill so rare as a storyteller but it’s one nearly unnoticeable. To make the reader fall in love with the subject matter as much as the force behind it has. It’s something that’s most apparent in Speilberg films. This charisma from the work itself that charms you. That drive of Hikaru to prove to Akane, one of the people who got her into the art, that she’s capable, is fueled by passion and rivalry, but also a deep respect, a need to be acknowledged by one you consider superior. Sometimes it’s about the other person too. I’m really liking the idea of Hikaru as a rival to Akane because a lot of the punch that Akane had was that she was a woman in a male dominated art and now having someone at her level who can do things she can’t produces a really interesting dynamic. The story is also a parallel of their relationship. Chasing a hobby is like chasing a high and that’s what Hikaru is doing. But knowingly or not, she’s just given Akane that same high. Akane is a competitor. When people call themselves competitive they mean they’re someone like Akane, and a competitor will never turn down a good rival. Having someone to chase after as well as race alongside is something that no competitor worth their salt will ever turn down. Being at the top is great but not if no one’s challenging you for it. It’s the struggle that makes it all worth it.

Tenmaku Cinema(Chapter 1)

I was one of the weird little freaks that was really into Food Wars because of its story and romance plot. There was a panel of Soma and Erina on a train and looking up at a starry sky that still sticks with me. So when I read this was from the same team I was really intrigued. Starting off the manga with a few panels of the main character taking away a miniscule amountof points from a film for the smallest details really worried me because I am very wary about those types of people. The ones that rank and rate films. Mainly because I used to be one of those insufferable my-opinion-is-gospel types. And I kind of still am but I have a little bit more self awareness. But, to get back to the manga, I was hesitant. But seeing the main character be a complete film dork while in a story reminiscent of Hiakru No Go gives me so much hope. I vibe so much with Hajime. Him being perceived as a Chunni is also hilarious. A ghost promising to be good while begging to possess your arm is also comedy gold and its something that didn’t have a chance to prop itself up in Food Wars, as comedy didn’t really get a main seat in that series. Really nothing did other than the fan service. So I’m glad these comedy chops are on display here cause they are excellent. Ryu Shirakawa being the director who’s praised by Speilberg and Lucas must mean he’s an analogue for Akira Kurasawa. He’s even wearing his hat. And the movies must be a reference to Seven Samurai, Rashoman, and Ran. Oh no, I’m going to really love this manga aren’t I? A director, a screenwriter and an actress! We have all the parts of a movie! Just a camera, audio equipment, crew and locations to get. All in the middle of a busy school year. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.

THE LEFTOVERS

In Sasuke’s Story-The Uchiha and the Heavenly Stardust(Chapter 9) we get the climax of the story with Zansul being defeated and us finding out about Jiji’s backstory and him getting an off screened redemption/reward. There was also a goodbye to Meno. Most of this series has been rough but in this chapter I saw a little glimpse of the classic Kishimoto heart. It’s probably for the best it ends next week though. Me & Roboco(Chapter 132) actually had a great horror themed chapter this week. Akane picks up a diary from an antiques dealer and it predicts the day ahead before suddenly predicting her death in a Needful Things-esque chapter. I sincerely hope the authour goes into horror manga after their run on Roboco is done because they’ve got the chops for it. It’s something that I love about gag manga that isn’t taken advantage of enough, and that’s the ability to dip into a thousand different genres and come out the other side unscathed because it’s a gag manga. The art for the horror was also done extremely well. Ichigoki’s Under Control!!(Chapter 18) continued what seems to be the wrap-up to the series in another serviceable chapter. It’s really insightful to contrast it with Me & Roboco because it shows where Roboco succeeds as while both are gag manga, Roboco understands a baseline of believability needs to be established.

I feel like while Fabricant 100(Chapter 17) improves with each chapter it also loses a lot of it’s unique spark as it becomes a more traditional shounen series. Which is ironic because the power system they’ve developed is known as spark, letting each combatant get enhanced powers through a part of their body. It looks like there’s a lot of room for innovation and creativity with this power system and the authour is solid enough that I’ll look forward to how it devlops. More than the power system, I’m fascinated with the character this chapter introduces, Ayako, and the background dealings being established. Ayako is fascinating in her doublespeak and highlights the prominent series theme of perception versus presentation versus reality. Though this shounen-ification is necessary to keep going, I hope Fabricant 100 keeps its unique spark going forward. In Mission: Yozakura Family(Chapter 173) Taiyo saves his kids and we get some cute moments and some background information before setting up for the next step in the story. Mashle: Magic and Muscles(Chapter 151) gives us a rare emotional moment as the supporting cast get their due and put their life on the line for Mashle, a man that has definitely helped them in life in ways they would not have been able to do on their own. Okay, that might be a little sarcastic but the desire to play board games with his friends again was a pretty earnest plea that resonated. 

Sometimes with Witch Watch(Chapter 104) it’s hard to say anything substantive other than it’s damn funny. The dramatic irony of Witch Watch is always top tier and the writing is always just perfect. But it looks like this chapter took one more step towards Nico telling Moi about her true feelings. Though I do forget what the exact conditions of the curse Moi is under, I might have to reread that part again, I think it was something like he’s bound to feel protective towards her? The main thing that always turned me off The Elusive Samurai(Chapter 105) was that it was hard to pin down what kind of antagonist Ashikaga Takauji was, especially as the main antagonist. But learning that it was intentional is certainly interesting. I really loved Assasination Classroom and I’m an advocate of series running long enough to find their footing or for readers to find something in the series so I am definitely down to give this manga more of a chance going forward.

The Ichinose Family's Deadly Sins(Chapter 20) follows Tsubasa as he tries to pretend he didn’t learn the truth but with persistence from his grandfather confronts it. Tsubasa’s grandfather is gruff but has a sweet side and it also shows that his time before the coma wasn’t all negative, though they did all struggle to connect. It does make me wonder if the grandfather in his dreams is the real grandfather or one he made up. Once again the situation resets to Tsubasa asking Sota and it makes me wonder if resetting these situations is a part of the overall structure of the manga. I feel like serialized manga, especially in Jump, is a panster’s game but Taizan5 feels way more like a plotter, so I wonder how far ahead they have it planned out. I’m really digging the dynamics in Sakamoto Days(Chapter 114). It’s fast and bouncy and plays well off of each character. While I worry a flash back to the present won’t hold the same amount of enjoyment, I’m along for the ride for now. Since Sakamoto has been kind of an omniscient presence in the present day, it’s always been hard to see what makes him unique. Being able to go back to the past and break down his abilities in the context of equally skilled fighters is a really great by-product of this arc. I haven’t really paid much attention to the way the organization works and how characters relate to each other as I only recently began to really get into Sakamoto Days, but this heel turn from Uzuki, it makes me want to go back and reread it.

Nico becoming Fuuko’s closest confidant in Undead Unluck(Chapter 154) in Andy’s absence really highlights the strength of this new arc. As a leader and someone not relying on Andy, Fuuko has not only learned to be able to direct people, but also take feedback and trust in her most capable and relevant companions. And Nico is both in this case. Sukuna’s fight concludes in Jujutsu Kaisen(Chapter 219) while we get a little bit of a backstory. We also see a sphere attack that took me straight back to a manga called Psyren for a bit there before ending with a glimpse at Megumi. 

[betweenthegutters]

source: Ginka & Glüna. Watanabe Shinpei. "Chapter 23: Ginka vs. Nosferatu"