Yu-gi-oh! Zexal chapters 36-45 review

Yu-gi-oh! Zexal chapters 36-45 Story by Kazuki Takahashi and Shin Yoshida, Art by Naoto Miyoshi Review

In this set of chapters, Zexal continues to raise the stakes and be absolutely ludicrous. The plot seems to be barreling towards a climax with nothing less than the fate of the world on the line. I could practically hear the violin playing in my head during the melodramatic reveals.

The series has entered the realm of “so bad it’s good” a feat not easily achieved. With over-the-top execution of the rather mundane concept of the previous incarnations that spun out of the original Yu-gi-oh!— Zexal is at the very least enjoyable each month. That being said the quality of the series has slipped from bad to downright awful. In conclusion this chunk of the series is enjoyably bad for those who enjoy such fare. Grab the popcorn and read the soapy goodness!

One-Punch Man Chapters 1-37 review

One-Punch Man Chapters 1-37 Story by One, Art by Yusuke Murata Review

From Viz Manga: “Nothing about Saitama passes the eyeball test when it comes to superheroes, from his lifeless expression to his bald head to his unimpressive physique. However, this average-looking guy has a not-so-average problem—he just can’t seem to find an opponent strong enough to take on! Every time a promising villain appears, he beats the snot out of ’em with one punch! Can Saitama finally find an opponent who can go toe-to-toe with him and give his life some meaning? Or is he doomed to a life of superpowered boredom?”

As far as superhero parodies go, One-Punch Man is well done. The artwork is well drawn and the comic is just genuinely funny. One problem I have with the series is its portrayal of gay men  though which is just downright offensive and uncomfortable. The action scenes are slick though with the series doing some interesting things with the comic medium.

Narrative wise there is little to say, the characters are not terribly well developed, often being rather one note, though this is a parody so I suppose that is to be expected. The series follows a formulaic structure with each clash being more escalated than the last. In conclusion, One-Punch Man is decent though flawed work. It has its moments of brilliance though and manages to be entertaining, so make of that what you will. 

Seraph of the End Chapters 1-24 review

Seraph of the End Chapters 1-24 Story of Takaya Kagami, Art by Yamato Yamamoto Review

From Viz Manga: “After trumpets of the apocalypse proclaim the fall of humanity, vampires arise from the shadows to rule the earth. Yuichiro wants just one thing—to get revenge by killing each and every vampire.”

Serialized in Jump Square in Japan and Weekly Shonen Jump in North America, Seraph is on the darker side of boys’ comics. The cast, even the antagonists, are at the very least compelling. The artwork is done well and the story flows quite nicely if a touch on the slow side. The world itself is compelling enough. The main source of tension, as well as what propels the comic forward, throughout the series thus far seems to be the relationship between Yuichiro and his childhood friend.

 That being said the title is largely forgettable. Yuichiro is a rather standard shonen comic lead, charging forward without thinking yet sticking to his morals. The villains are far more compelling though they are not scene for large swaths of pages. The supporting cast is likewise interesting though they take a bit of back seat in the series. In conclusion, the series is rather standard for boys’ comics if on one of the higher rungs on the ladder in terms of quality.

Blue Exorcist Chapters 1-59 review

Blue Exorcist Story & Art by Kazue Kato Chapters 1-59 Review

From Viz Manga: “Raised by Father Fujimoto, a famous exorcist, Rin Okumura never knew his real father. One day a fateful argument with Father Fujimoto forces Rin to face a terrible truth—the blood of the demon lord Satan runs in Rin’s veins! Rin swears to defeat Satan, but doing that means entering the mysterious True Cross Academy and becoming an exorcist himself. Can Rin fight demons and keep his infernal bloodline a secret? It won't be easy, especially when drawing his father’s sword releases the demonic power within him!”

Despite the rather standard set-up, Blue Exorcist is rather well crafted. It boasts gorgeous artwork leaps and bounds better than many of its peers. The world itself is rather neat and the majority of the core cast is sympathetic. That being the case, antagonists are often more cartoonish than threatening even considering the medium.

The majority of the cast has had a character arc thus far with bits of character development strewn throughout. Not mistakes should be made though: this is still very much a standard shonen action series. I have yet to watch the animated television adaption but as of writing have heard mixed reviews of it. In conclusion, Blue Exorcist is a fun if standard shonen fare, while there are better works in the field of Japanese comics this will hold one’s attention should they choose to read it. 

Nisekoi Chapters 1-133 review

Nisekoi Chapters 1-133 Story & Art by Naoshi Komi Review

From Viz Manga: “It was hate at first sight... rather a knee-to-the-head at first sight when Raku Ichijo meets Chitoge Kirisaki! Unfortunately, Raku’s gangster father arranges a false love match with their rival’s daughter, who just so happens to be Chitoge! However, Raku’s searching for his childhood sweetheart from ten years ago, with a pendant around his neck as a memento, and he can't even remember her name or face!”

                Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, Nisekoi is comedy wise a great series. The art is well done perhaps more than it has any right being. That being said, narrative wise it is (at least thus far) yet another in a very long line of harem manga. The only other notable aspect of the series is the absence of fan service in many chapters.

                Nisekoi especially in more recent chapters has cast aside things like plot in favour of mindless comedy. To be fair, said comedy is done rather effectively. Quality wise the episodic plots vary wildly. The characters are rather one note with the protagonist in particular being rather bland. In conclusion, Nisekoi is largely forgettable and at times uncomfortable. Skip it. 

Pac-man and the Ghostly Adventures Episode 7 review

Pac-man and the Ghostly Adventures Episode 7  Produced by 41 Entertainment, Arad Productions Inc. and Bandai Namco Games, Directed by Moto Sakakibara Review

Between saving the world and going to school Pac-man’s life is rather busy. One the day the worst tragedy to ever befall humankind strikes: Pac-man has a zit and picture day’s tomorrow! How will Pac-man ever survive this crisis!?

If this episode is representative of the show as a whole then god help us all. It’s bad enough that they took an iconic character and gave him one of the most generic shows to come out of the woodworks in years. The jokes fall flat 9 out of 10 times and the “villains” are so non-threatening they don’t even deserve the name (their big plot is to make Pac-man feel bad… how this benefits them in any way alludes me).

The show is devoid of any tension it’s trying so hard to be inoffensive. If I could say one positive the CG looks halfway decent at least. That being said content wise nothing sets it apart from any other kids’ show. In conclusion this episode of Pac-man and the Ghostly Adventures was just painful to watch, it certainly isn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen but goshdarnit if it doesn’t come close. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas review

The Nightmare Before Christmas Directed by Henry Selick, Produced by Skellington Productions Review

From IMDB: “Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept.”

                Quite possibly the darkest Christmas film I’ve come across to date, The Nightmare Before Christmas has many things going for it. Its protagonist is rather likeable in an odd way and it is rounded out by a colorful cast of characters. Animation wise it is nice to look at and it boasts fantastic musical numbers.

                The voice acting is quite well done as is the singing. Honestly, my only complaint is the portrayal of humanity who I believe we are meant to sympathize with.  Humanity in this film strikes me as awful as a collective and the viewer is given little time to see their perspective to gain a better understanding of why they do what they do in the film. That being said, this is more a nitpick than anything else. The film as a whole was very well done and well worth recommending!