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Book reviews
JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken Part 7: Steel Ball Run
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu review
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
Apr 15, 2021
Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu review
Re zero is the one isekai that can truely be considered a masterpiece. This is a review of the Web Novel and not the Light novel.

Story 10
The story is about a shut in otaku named Natsuki Subaru who gets sent to another world which goes the way no other isekai goes from his experiences with manga, anime and video games he has experienced. The first two arcs of Re zero are slow there is no denying that and that would be a reason some people may drop it before getting to the best moments and arcs. The story at the moment is nothing like I have ever experienced before, the main villain? we may of seen them once or many times, the story? it keeps expanding as we go, there are some clear goals and motives to keep the characters moving from arc to arc, something may get told to us in a early arc and won't get explained or revealed to 5 arcs in the future, this is proof that the author Tappei Nagatsukii has a clear goal and doesn't make it up as he goes along. To me this is one of two (the other being Shingeki no Kyojin) in which the story has been masterfully crafted throughout the start to the current arc 7. Arc 3-6 phenomenal and I can't wait to see the final 5 arcs and the conclusion to re zero.

Art 10
I will be talking about the LN illustrations in this case and they are phenomenal, well detailed and at times brutal to the point of feeling the despair of the main character. It also helps visualize how some of the characters look like if the detailed explanations don't help. Not much to say on this category.

Characters 10
There are so many characters in Re zero but I will focus on my favorite protagonist of all time Natsuki Subaru. A character who's only strong point is return by death. He constantly has to rely on the help around him, which is really fresh in the stale OP isekai genre. At first he is a selfish character doing things for his own benefit and to make Emilia fall for him but that changes in arc 3. He tries his best to save everyone even going so far to reset and try again. Even the decision of killing himself is made into this decision which causes inner conflict on whether he should do it or not. The mental suffering and loss of empathy when people die is done so well. It is simply painful to read but beautiful character development. Not to shine a light off the other characters, every other single character has a backstory, they might not be explored straight away but they will be eventually no matter how long it is into the story. Villains aren't made into good people all the time and are evil without it being generic, it's really good to see a villain who doesn't have a good reason for the stuff they do. There are also villains who do have a good motive which makes them morally grey which is also great, a good mixture of good and bad is a fresh feeling.

Enjoyment 10
Watching people die over and over again in the most painful ways may make me sound insane, but re zero has set its self up perfectly in a way where the readers want to see what can be worst than this death or that death. If you want detailed deaths that will make you feel disturbed or weak in the stomach you will get it. A thing which is never really explored majorly in the anime (not sure about LN) is the lore, the lore in this world is so deep you may be able to make an 1000 page book just on the lore explored so far, with arc 7 in a different country I am sure the lore will get even deeper, deeper than anything I have seen before. Also the way Subaru finds a way to get himself and others to the next save point is amazing, after every chapter you will be thinking what he must do which creates great conversation amongst readers.

Overall 10
If you want something that isn't your typical isekai or something on par with dark storytelling like berserk you have your answer. Fantastic characters lore and arcs that get better, give this a try although you have to get past the first two arcs to see why re zero is a masterpiece.
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B Group no Shounen X
B Group no Shounen X
B Group no Shounen X
B Group no Shounen X review
B Group no Shounen X
Apr 10, 2021
B Group no Shounen X review
One of the most generic, wish fulfilling and self inserting designed manga I've read. It follows mountains of cliches that are laughable when unironically used. Things such as some how glasses turns a super hot guy into an incredibly mediocre looking guy. MC being a secret OP monster who is somehow skilled in every art / sport possible. Completely unbeatable in all forms of competition, always has the moral high ground and is loved by all women. Is somehow mysterious and unknown and is pretty much omnipotent as well as omniscient.

If the summary wasn't enough of a redflag, hopefully this review will be. This manga can't pick a genre, setting or story. The summary for the manga only really lasts a chapter, then on occasion he tries to get his literal superhuman acts to quietly disappear. One chapter it may feel like being some vomit inducing poorly formulated love comedy. Next it tries to be some superhuman battle shounen every other chapter having the MC fight 10 guys or destroying steel doors while doing backflips on a unicycle while filing his taxes and solving the 7 wonders of the world. Then perhaps a drama mystery in which a secret hero saved a woman years ago (wonder who the fuck that was eh?) but now dark tidings are happens and the villain is poor school girl with tragic past that the author doesn't wanna spell out for fear of getting age gated and thus dances around the topic like a drunk chimp with no feet.
Basically, the genres that this series picks for each chapter is kinda like playing Russian Roulette where each genre is a different bullet, FMJ, Hollow Point, Armor Piercing, and no bullet for a good chapter that fits in with what the series originally set out to be, except you're playing with glock.

He somehow starts surrounded with a harem and with the 'Madonna' as his girlfriend with very little explanation. He conveniently is somehow related to every minor or major character / event present in the story. Usually to the effect of being the savior / superior type of thing. If you wanna know how any event in the story is going to turn out, just think of the most generic and cliche manga occurrences possible, and you'll hit the nail on the head. He is always on the moral high ground, is never wrong, never loses, is always ready for any development and probably knows the cure to cancer but doesn't have enough time to write it down between beating up delinquents and saving princesses.

If you want a TL;DR just imagine what a superficial nerd in highschool world fantasize about being, and you'll probably end up with something like this manga.
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Metsuko ni Yoroshiku
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari review
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari
Apr 07, 2021
Kimi koso Boku no Koimonogatari review
3/10 stars

There's a way to make short stories wonderful, sweet magical- but there's also a way to make them rushed, cringe, and unsatisfactory. Kimi Koso is the latter.

This one-volume manga is comprised of three short stories: the first is about a woman trying to convince a popular romance author to start writing again; the second is about a woman falling for her boss; and I genuinely can't remember what the third one is about. That's how unimpressive it was.

But because I have nothing better to do with my time, let's break these stories down.

The first:
The 3 stars I have generously given to this manga is for this short story only- well, really for its last scene.

Unlike the rest, the pacing of the story wasn't that bad, not was the plot itself. An editor trying to get an author who disappeared from the scene back into the writing game could have been an amazing permise! But it was just very meh. Nothing special, nothing that really made me smile. Even the "nice girl and mean guy" trope that was used didn't gage any positive reaction- it was only the very last couple of pages that I actually enjoyed.

The second:
It goes without saying that the stories progressively get worse.

Whether it's the way the story is rushed or the shitty writing, this one is about a woman who tries on tights for a living? She's like a PR agent? And her legs have to be skinny? But she also works in an office with a horrible boss who likes her for some reason? I mean, the woman and her love interest never talk, like ever.

And don't get me wrong- I'm a sucker for a mean love interest, but I do like to draw the line between mean and sexual harassment- a line which is very much crossed in this story. Other lines that are crossed are ones surround body-shaming, women in the workplace, and anything else of the misogynistic nature. I know that manga- shoujo especially- has a problem with this but it's very difficult to overlook when there's absolutely nothing else to enjoy.

The third:
I'm not joking- I genuinely can't remember.
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KOUYA NO KOI
KOUYA NO KOI
KOUYA NO KOI
KOUYA NO KOI review
KOUYA NO KOI
Apr 06, 2021
KOUYA NO KOI review
With romance being always in demand in the recommendations section this oughtta have more reviews. As for me, I think it’s one of the better examples of shoujo romance, and I say that as not a big fan of the genre.

The whole story has a novel (book) feel to it, both in terms of overcomplicated circumstances of the heroes and in quality of writing. Also in sense of meta-reflection – the father of the main heroine is a romance writer and tries to live romance. But you’ll know more of his "writing", when you read this yourself. As for the writing in the manga - it is good: well-paced, clever, full of references and with occasional bouts of fresh air, which is something for a genre milked for so long.

The story is about coming of age. I avoid the term buildungsroman, cause the focus is on the maturing of a woman – the changes in body, first interest in sex, understanding of female role in relationships. We meet the protagonist, when she is 12, completely innocent, shy, but with conflicted impression on love because of her family. She is a good company for a reader – sweet, but not too saccharine, intelligent, curious in her own way and introspective. Her love interest is also a pretty interesting boy – wildish and intelligent, although I feel that it would've been better to know more of him.

The art is very pretty and it supports the story well. There’re moments of sheer brilliance in the “wilderness” frames (one of them you see on the cover). I don’t say much here, but it’s really good, albeit very shoujo – airy backgrounds, pretty and delicate features, huge eyes.

The biggest warning I may give to people is the message for the girls this work carries. I am not sure it won’t rile up the more emancipated western readers (I was bothered in some moments, to be honest). The other slight problem is the ending – the composition of the last volume is, maybe, not ideal.

But these are very high-level problems, as you see. They are standing problems, of course, since the better the work, the higher the standard. Yet this is undoubtedly head above most of the romance crap we’re being thrown anyway. Read it and analyze for yourself – at least there are things to analyze, I tell’ya.
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Semelparous
Arigatou
Arigatou
Arigatou
Arigatou review
Arigatou
Apr 05, 2021
Arigatou review
Pre-adult years take the pliability of the adolescent brain to form a cast iron organ that is efficient in carrying out repeated tasks, but ineffectual in navigating untrained ones. This reference is not so much a commentary on Takako and Akiko’s maturation — although, it could be interpreted as such — but on Ichirou’s rigid demeanor and unruly temperament.

Hardened by a demanding work schedule and what the reader can only imagine as a stringent upbringing, Ichirou is an exemplar of the common idiom, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Hence, his transference of corporate incentivization techniques does not coalesce with the sensibilities of the female cohort in the house. Yet this does not deter him from prodding into his daughters’ affairs to the point of imperiousness; causing Takako, the youngest daughter, to resent her father via verbal antagonism. And it is the catalyst of the tyrannical father — combined with the absent father/mother — that served as the impetus for all of the abhorrence that took place in this dysfunctional, family tale.

The downward spiral begins with Akikio, the eldest sister, being drugged and raped by an assemblage of various misfits and outcasts. The vile, self-anointed leader of this gang, Kakuma, not only violates the two sisters ad nauseam, but uses one of his cronies, Imada, to take numerous pictures for the purposes of blackmail. Naoki Yamamoto, the mangaka of Arigatou, did not write the character of Kakuma with the intention of having the reader empathize with him; to the contrary, Kakuma is a rotten individual that is loathsome and disgusting in every respect; however he, much like the other characters in Arigatou, is the product of two derelict parents who failed in providing a nurturing influence and a disciplinary regimen to prevent such abhorrent behavior. Of course, an over-abundance of discipline can lead to the Suzuki family state of affairs: where the eldest daughter becomes a paranoid shut-in, and the youngest daughter runs away from home. Despite the manifold of ongoing psychological disturbances, however, Arigatou is largely a character driven comedy via the ridiculous, carte blanche antics of Ichirou, as he desperately attempts to pull his ever diverging family back together.

Interestingly enough, the amalgamation of wacky comedy with intense psycho-social issues is largely a success. Primarily because the disturbing tone of the initial chapters makes the reader appalled — and even nauseated — from the abject depravity each page brings, but when the tone suddenly shifts (seemingly, from nowhere), it comes as such a shock that the viewer has no choice but to burst out of their silence with a hearty chortle. But what began as a clever ploy to subvert the reader’s expectations and to keep them off kilter, quickly became derivative humor that was redundant on more than one occasion. In its totality, though, the comedy was a nice addition that seamlessly added layers of depth to the Suzuki family that made them feel all the more relatable.

Much like the comedy, when the plot hit its high-water mark (in the early to middle chapters), it was absolute brilliance, but the nadir left the reader yearning for something more substantial. Also, the subtle clues of someone potentially dying, and the drastic shift in tone in the final chapters made the ending quizzically inexplicable. It is not as though “happy endings” should be shunned, but the “spirit” of the story was melancholic through and through; featuring detestable acts that ranged from forced-sex to crooked cults, and even an incident where a dude got his dick cut off. So, to have such a peaceful resolution to all the tumultuous behavior, evaded the dysphoric ending that many readers were expecting.

Despite the relatively harsh criticisms this review levied, Arigatou is an essential read that contains a handful of truly great moments that will knock your socks off (possibly the rest of your clothes, too). But a few glaring issues — especially the subpar-to-average art style — left Arigatou unworthy of attaining the status of “great.” Despite this, the impression it leaves on the psyche is quite profound and will make the reader reconsider their own interpersonal relationships with their own family.

And for that: thank you, Mr. Yamamoto!
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Kanojo wa Rokurokubi
Kanojo wa Rokurokubi
Kanojo wa Rokurokubi
Kanojo wa Rokurokubi review
Kanojo wa Rokurokubi
Apr 05, 2021
Kanojo wa Rokurokubi review
*Disclaimer*
Just personal scratch.
Advised, possible spoilers.
Opinion & Informal

Art: 6/10 Quite nice looking. It's sorta unique, sorta sorta. Character proportions were good. Character designs were acceptable. Girls were fairly cute. Main guy looked pretty good.

Panel Progression: 5/10 Nothing really fancy done in terms of panel progression and panel layout. Simple flow and nothing too confusing. There were some parts that could have used some extra panels for more clarification or flow. No two-page spreads or impact-panels which is a minus for this manga.

Characters: 6/10 Sorta likable. Main guy was boring and uninteresting. The main guy was just there to be there to make it a romance. He didn't contribute much at all. His back story was introduced but never really and truly explored or concluded well. Girls were alright. Some were kinda cute, kinda. They were all sorta bland. That includes the MC girl too. The main girl was sorta bland too. Sorta cute. No real antagonists in this story besides the main guy's mom, but she was sorta just left in the background.

Plot: 5/10 Average romance. Tries its hand at being a SOL but never really takes off. The SOL parts were kind of bland and unamusing. The romance parts weren't really satisfying either. A lot of it was beating around the bush with not enough impact to make the steamy moments exciting or satisfying.

Development: 7/10 I personally liked the little twist where you find out about the whole two cities separated by a bridge, separating the Youkais and Humans. Also the little twist that the main guy has actually been living in the youkai side of the bridge. The little information that we're given and the mysteriousness behind the nature of the youkai/human separation and how everything is revealed around this plot point was done well enough in my opinion. This was honestly the biggest part of what kept me reading because the romance aspects and SOL aspects were unappealing and uninteresting enough to keep me turning pages.

Conclusion: 6/10 Sort of abrupt and not exactly an open-ended ending. It still is sort of open-ended. The extra omake chapter wraps the whole story up in a way that doesn't leave me mad or satisfied. Honestly the whole conclusion was weak. If not for the omake chapter the conclusion would have been a letdown and a mood killer. The final chapter's conclusion is just an abrupt ending with no clear direction or I would say meaningful ending. Another way I guess I would put it is that there are some trivial yet concerning questions that have yet to be answered as well as ones that arise all because of the conclusion that this manga decided to take. The omake chapter's conclusion doesn't do the story much justice and sort of feels like it's half-assed.

Overall: 5/10 The romance doesn't really feel as fleshed out as it should have been. 22 chapters is enough to get a good romance narrative in, but I feel that this manga wasted a lot of time with pointless chapters and tried too hard to incorporate slice of life aspects. It's fine to include SOL aspects and some funny chapters, but it should be supporting the romance. The comic relief of this manga seemed way too forced as well. Overall this manga tried too hard with its comic relief and SOL attempts that it detracted from the romance and ended up making any serious attempt at romance, steamy moments or meaningful character development fall short.
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Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime
Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime
Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime
Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime review
Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime
Apr 05, 2021
Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime review
Do you like pirate stories? Then find yourself another manga, because this one hardly touches the subject. But give a chance to Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime. You could still appreciate it, as this manga is very pleasant to read.

It tells the story of a princess, Matsurika, who's kidnapped by a pirate named Raju to be sacrificed on a divine altar. There are various misadventures and altercations with other characters, including the heroines suspicious fiance . Also, there's obviously a romance between the princess and the pirate. It's a shoujo, after all. There are also a good number of plot twists, some more obvious than others. The scenario may seem somewhat basic at first. However, it quickly becomes more exciting when you discover his unique universe, and that from the first pages.

The chara-design is very pretty, whether it's about male or female characters. Each character has an appearance that is unique to them, so they are all different and easily discernible. Their clothes are also very aesthetic, especially Matsurika princess outfits. As for Raju, he has the typical chara-design of a pirate with his eye patch. But this is not a problem in this universe that purposely looks like a fairy tale. But if I must also quibble, I will say that there may be a little too much white backgrounds and not enough real decors.

In addition to their chara-design, the characters may seem a little cliche: the princess who is constantly the damsel in distress, the rude but mysterious pirate, the rich fiancé who turns out to be a bastard ... Also, some websites include this manga in the harem genre: don't listen to them. Despite the fact that the protagonist is surrounded by several male characters, her interactions other than with the main guy are limited, and there is no trace of romance with the other boys.

The secondary characters are also relatively undeveloped. They are only there to bring some lines of dialogue into the romance between Matsurika and Raju. For example, the tattooed boy has almost no importance throughout the story. It's only at the end that he does something rather important, but it's brought suddenly and without any preparation. What he does is quickly swept away and his past is only evoked for only one case. This is also the case for the other members of the crew: their past is almost unknown and their dialogues are limited. It's a shame, because they're endearing characters: they deserved to be more present.

Another negative point is that the end seemed somewhat brutal. In addition, there are still outstanding issues, such as the images that Matsurika saw at the altar. It's easy to find the answer, but a real conclusion would have been more than welcome. The link between Raju and the knights is also vaguely evoked, while it should have been better developed. How? Why? There are too many unanswered questions. A few more chapters could have fixed that.

If I had to rate Aoki Umi no Toraware Hime only according to the enjoyment I had while reading it, I will give it at least 8. Because I really appreciate it, whether for its interesting characters or its captivating universe. But all his little flaws force me to lower its note. This is nonetheless a very good manga with a very interesting setting. With its fairy-tale like Pirates of the Caribbean tunes, I'm sure that a movie adaptation, animated or with real actors, would suit it very well.

07/10 for this manga that deserves much more.
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