Stealth Symphony Chapter 5 review

Stealth Symphony Chapter 5 Story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Yoichi Amano Review

                Stealth Symphony seems to follow a pattern a chapter of showcasing a quirky character followed by another which spews exposition. As we are on an odd number the latter is the case for this chapter. To the series credit it has a legitimately interesting cast. That being said it goes up and down like a yo-yo when pacing is involved ranging from slow to glacial every other chapter.

                The art is well done and the twist at chapter 5’s end hopefully shakes up what is quickly becoming a tedious pattern. The rocky note the series is starting on is also bringing into question how long it will last in a magazine that cancels series quite frequently. Again to the Stealth Symphony’s credit the characters profiled are legitimately intriguing and the direction the series will go in the future is a mystery but whether the latter is due to great writing or the author themselves not knowing is up in the air. 

Stealth Symphony Chapter 4 review

Stealth Symphony Chapter 4 Story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Yoichi Amano Review

               

As of chapter 4 the series continues to falter in everything but the artwork. The plot is moving at a glacial pace and the series as a whole feels more and more awkward with each passing chapter. The promise at the end of a chapter of what I presume to be a cat girl leaves me less optimistic about future chapters.  The series also has one other major problem: it’s heavy on exposition.

                 Instead of actually having the artwork show the world we get very text heavy pages which disrupt the flow. This is a shame because it seems to be an interesting enough world to explore. Again, to the series’ credit the characters other than the protagonist are intriguing but the series has some serious ironing out to do if it wishes to live up to its potential.

Rating: 4/10

Stealth Symphony is available from Viz Media.

Stealth Symphony chapters 2 & 3 review

Stealth Symphony chapters 2 & 3 Story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Yoichi Amano Review

                Chapters  2 and 3 of Stealth Symphony are different as night and day in terms of quality. While chapter 2 is bogged down by swathes of exposition chapter 3 focuses on the infinitely more interesting supporting cast and has a bit of action. That being said, at this point the series is still mostly relying on what it could potentially become. It sort of feels like the series is meandering a bit by the third chapter and that’s does not often bode well for a series.

                The promise of new characters in the third chapter’s final moments potentially stirring things up could stir up what has been by and large a stale series thus far and the glint of action is enough for the time being at least. The series shows more promise in its third chapter than it did in its first two. That being said, it has been kind of a mixed bag. All there is to do now is wait and hope it further improves.

Rating: 6/10

Stealth Symphony is available from Viz Media. 

Suzuka Episodes 1-5 review

Suzuka Episodes 1-5  Directed Hiroshi Fukutomi, Produced by Studio Comet Review

When Yamato moves to Tokyo he finds himself living in his aunt’s apartment complex. He soon meets a girl named Suzuka and a girl he met once as a child named Honoka. Naturally romance is in the air!

Suzuka is if nothing else a decent romance thus far that being said it has little else going for it. The voice acting is subpar especially for the male lead at least in the English dub. Most of the series problems stem from the main character, Yamato, who just really does little more than serve as the audience`s insert character. To be fair at least a few member of the rest of the cast are far more interesting.

Outside of the ending credits there`s really nothing interesting going on visually. The lack of fan service for the most part is certainly a plus though. The series other main problem aside from the male lead is that it seems to squarely focus on the romance which would be fine except Yamato has the personality of a wall and thus the romance alone cannot carry the series. In conclusion, Suzuka is very much a middle of the road type of show. If pure romances with Gary-Stu self-insert characters is your cup of tea this might be the series for you. If not, you might want to search elsewhere for your entertainment.

Rating: 5/10

Suzuka is streaming and is available on home video from Funimation. 

ADVENTURE AWAITS WITH VIZ MEDIA’S FALL 2014 MANGA ACQUISITIONS FROM THE SHONEN JUMP AND VIZ SIGNATURE IMPRINTS

ADVENTURE AWAITS WITH VIZ MEDIA’S

FALL 2014 MANGA ACQUISITIONS FROM THE SHONEN JUMP AND VIZ SIGNATURE IMPRINTS

Upcoming Releases Include Debuts Of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, RESIDENT EVIL And ONE PIECE BOX SET 2

San Francisco, CA, March 4, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the acquisition of several thrilling new manga (graphic novel) titles that are scheduled for release beginning in Fall 2014 from the company’s popular Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints.

Fans will want to catch the manga volumes collected in ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 in November, followed by the launch of the alien-in-the-homeroom action comedy ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM in December. Manga master Akira Toriyama, widely known for creating DRAGON BALL, will have the North American release of his newest work, JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, in January 2015. The VIZ Signature imprint will also thrill gaming and horror fans with the launch in November of a tie-in manga series taking place in the world of the smash hit RESIDENT EVIL video game.

“Manga fans will have an action-packed array of new titles from our Shonen Jump and VIZ Signature imprints to look forward to this winter,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “There will be plenty to captivate readers, from the crazy carnival ride of ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, to the debut of Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL tie-in JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN, to high-seas adventure in the new ONE PIECE BOX SET 2 and zombie attacks in RESIDENT EVIL.”

ASSASINATION CLASSROOM and JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN will debut in print and also digitally on VIZManga.com and the VIZ MANGA App for the Apple iPad^®, iPhone^® and iPod^® touch, Android-powered smart phones. They will also be available on the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo ereaders, as well as in the iBooks and GooglePlay Stores

New Shonen Jump Manga Titles

ONE PIECE BOX SET 2: SKYPEIA AND WATER 7 · Rated ‘T’ For Teens ·

MSRP: $185.99 U.S. / $185.99 CAN · Available November 2014

Catch all the high seas pirate adventure in the second premium manga box set of ONE PIECE, one of the most beloved and bestselling manga series of all time! The new set includes Volumes 24-46, which comprise the third and fourth story arcs of the series, Skypiea and Water Seven. Also included are the "Strong World" mini-comic and a full-color double-sided poster.

ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM · Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Print & Digital Available December 2014

A humorous and action-packed story about a class of misfits who are trying to kill their new teacher – an alien octopus with bizarre powers and super strength! The teacher has just destroyed the moon and is threatening to destroy the earth – unless his students can destroy him first. What makes things more complicated is that he's the best teacher they've ever had! The bimonthly ongoing series will also be available digitally.

JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN · Rated ‘T+’ For Older Teens ·

MSRP: $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN · Print & Digital Available January 2015

Akira Toriyama, manga legend and creator of DRAGON BALL and DRAGON BALL Z, is back with the quirky comedy JACO THE GALACTIC PATROLMAN! Retired scientist Omori lives alone on a deserted island while continuing his research into time-travel. His quiet life is interrupted when galactic patrolman Jaco crash-lands and decided to move in with him. Can Jaco get along with the old man long enough to save the earth from a dangerous threat? The debut volume features new, bonus DRAGON BALL Z content related to the parents of Goku, the hero of the best-selling manga.

New VIZ Signature Manga Titles

RESIDENT EVIL · Rated ‘M’ For Mature Audiences ·

MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN · Available in Print November 2014

The highly virulent C-virus became a global disaster, but where did the outbreak start? In this five-volume manga prequel to the hit Resident Evil 6 game with story and art by Naoki Serizawa, the terrifying origins are revealed. At the prestigious and elite Marhawa High School in Singapore, a female student suffers a horrifying transformation. Called in to investigate, Professor Doug Wright and his nephew Ricky find themselves caught up in a deadly and growing tragedy. As things get rapidly out of hand, Chris Redfield and his team from the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance arrive on the scene, while behind it all a mysterious figure looms.

For more information on these or other manga titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.

Stealth Symphony chapter 1 review

Stealth Symphony story by Ryohgo Narita, Art by Yoichi Amano Chapter 1 Review

Jig has had a difficult life: shunned by the other villagers due to a potentially dangerous “curse” inside him and living as an orphan. Jig decides to go to the big city in search of a cure for his curse. He soon meets an invisible floating mask. But has danger followed him to the city?

Serialized in the  Weekly Shonen Jump comic anthology in both Japan and overseas, Stealth Symphony starts its first chapter strong but rapidly deteriorates as the chapter goes on. The main character is about as interesting as watching paint dry naturally being a martyr with zero common sense. To be fair, the supporting cast seems to be interesting thus far. However, there’s also this series gimmick to hamper any enjoyment there might have been: dragons.

The invisible masked man admitting he’s a dragon at chapter’s end and Jig discovering he was part of a dragon experiment or something. The plot is also horribly convoluted from the get-go and that never is a good sign. Dragons are not a terribly novel concept at this point having been done to death in popular culture. The protagonist’s back story is also identical in concept to the popular franchise Naruto’s titular character.

There is some decent world building and I suppose there is plenty of room for it to grow. Given its pedigree Stealth Symphony has potential. I enjoyed the concept of an invisible masked man as a bodyguard from the people around Jig. That being said, I repeatedly looked to see how much more I had left to read. In conclusion Stealth Symphony’s first chapter is a dull start to a series that could easily improve but I don’t hold out much hope it will last long enough too.

Rating: 5/10

Stealth Symphony is available digitally in North America in Weekly Shonen Jump.

VIZ MEDIA PARTNERS WITH LEADING ANIME/MANGA RETAILER RIGHT STUF TO OFFER WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ANNUAL MAGAZINE MEMBERSHIPS

VIZ MEDIA PARTNERS WITH LEADING ANIME/MANGA RETAILER RIGHT STUF TO OFFER WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ANNUAL MAGAZINE MEMBERSHIPS

Prominent North American Online Retailer Offers Annual Subscriptions And Got Anime Memberships Bundle To Explore The World’s Most Popular Weekly Digital Manga Anthology

San Francisco, CA, February 20, 2014 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga, graphic novels and anime in North America, has announced a partnership with leading online anime retailer and video publisher Right Stuf, Inc. Right Stuf will offer annual subscriptions to the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP digital manga magazine, bundled with their Got Anime membership, offering exclusive product discounts and other offers.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is VIZ Media’s renowned weekly digital serial anthology that features the synchronized latest chapters of a variety of popular manga series debuting on the same day as the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump magazine counterpart. Right Stuf is a prominent independent video publisher that specializes in packaging and distributing a variety of Japanese animation (anime), foreign live-action content, manga graphic novels and other products.

Right Stuf will offer WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP annual 12-month memberships to North American readers for the regular price of $25.99 (USD) at RightStuf.com. Fans signing up for an annual subscription will also receive a free 12-month membership to Right Stuf’s Got Anime Club, which offers exclusive product discounts and other premium offers. If a buyer is renewing, the new 12-month WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP membership will commence at the end of their current subscription, but the Got Anime Club membership will begin immediately.

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is the world’s most popular digital weekly manga magazine and features the latest chapters of many of the world’s most popular series such as BLEACH, ONE PIECE, NARUTO, NISEKOI, TORIKO, and WORLD TRIGGER. Monthly series such as BLUE EXORCIST and YU-GI-OH! ZEXAL debut on the closest Monday after the Japanese release. Also serialized in the anthology are ONE-PUNCH MAN, a new color version of DRAGON BALL and the most recent addition to the magazine SERAPH OF THE END. Annual memberships also give fans a variety of fun bonus premiums including 4 special YU-GI-OH! collectible trading cards throughout the year. Members can also access additional magazine content including creator interviews and insightful promotional videos. More information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP is available at: http://shonenjump.viz.com.

“Right Stuf is one of the most popular online destinations for fans to purchase the hottest selection of anime, manga and other unique Japanese collectibles and they will be a great partner for WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP,” says Andy Nakatani, Editor-in-Chief of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP. “Right Stuf offers two ways for fans to dive into all the fun with WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP, either with an annual subscription that delivers 48 issues throughout the year jam-packed with the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series, or with the WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Jump Pack that gives fans a 3-month digital subscription and a cool YU-GI-OH! collectable card bonus. Don’t miss your chance to explore WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP with these special new offers!”

Right Stuf will also offer the new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Jump Pack. Manga fans can get up-to-date on all series currently featured in the world’s most popular weekly manga magazine before diving into the latest issue. The Jump Pack is available from Right Stuf, rated ‘T’ for Teens, and carries an MSRP of $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN. The first print edition notably features a YU-GI-OH! “Archfiend Commander” Card along with a chance to win an extra “Slifer: The Sky Dragon” card.

For more information on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit shonenjump.viz.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.