Dr. STONE

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Dr. STONE

Dr. STONE is quickly becoming one of my favorites in Weekly Shonen Jump. I’m still amazed Boichi is able to draw both this and ORIGIN in Young Magazine at the same time. Inagaki is so great at making the process of acquiring new technology into engaging storylines, just like when he did Eyeshield 21.

It’s kinda sad to say but this series got WAAAAAAY better after they ditched the original protagonist Taiju and focused solely on Senkuu. He’s basically the same character as Himura from Eyeshield 21 and an evil genius who works for the good guys.

~dakazu

Freesia

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Freesia

Jiro Matsumoto’s tale of alternative history Japan where Retaliatory killings are legal law.

We talked about the series on a previous podcast but I reread this reprinted “Love” version. Matsumoto’s writing style is a no-holes-barred look at a almost dystopian society. He creates vile characters and doesn’t shy away from drawing brutal misogyny and excessive violence. There’s a strange appeal to his very adult stories but you have to be willing to stomach a lot of gross things on the way. This series may turn some away but I’m fascinated with the dream-like reality main character Hiroshi lives in. Read it for yourself to decide.

~dakazu

Tokyo Kariniku Teppoutai

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Tokyo Kariniku Teppoutai

Single volume manga chronicling manga artist Kazutomo Korekawa’s experience hunting.

Korekawa’s art is way better than Sanzoku Diary’s Kentarou Okamoto but doesn’t get to cover a much because of it’s short length. I liked how Korekawa had to get approval from his wife to buy any hunting equipment. A fun read that did a great job explaining the basics of hunting.

~dakazu

Mad Chimera World

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Mad Chimera World

Another manga by the lesser known Kishimoto. A post apocalyptic world filled with chimera monsters where females view males as objects of reproduction and food.

I thought Seishi Kishimoto’s 666 Satan was a decent Naruto clone but all his other manga have been pretty bad. Sukedachi 9 was a watered down version of Jiro Matsumoto’s Freesia and this one isn’t very good either. Filled with cheap fan service and grotesque creatures, I wasn’t a fan. 

Don’t recommend it.

~dakazu

Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid

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Shinigami Bocchan to Kuro Maid

Manga about a young aristocrat who is cursed to kill anything he touches. He lives in exile in a large mansion and is constantly teased and sexually harassed by his buxom maid.

I genuinely got wrapped up in the romance between the master who wants to love his maid but can’t because of his curse and the maid who loves to tease him but is secretly in love with him. I’m kind of a sucker for these bittersweet romances and even though there’s plenty of fan service it didn’t distract from the comedy and the thoughtful sad moments. The cute design of the characters help sell the tale. I hope the characters have a happy ending!

~dakazu

188 – Manga in Motion 28 – Pom Poko

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188 – Manga in Motion 28 – Pom Poko

On this episode we watch Pom Poko in honor of the late Isao Takahata!

Continue reading →

Are You Lost?

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Are You Lost?

Manga about 4 high school girls stranded on an island having to survive.

Despite the potentially dangerous situation this is a comedy series written by Sanzoku Diary’s Kentarou Okamoto. 1 of the girls is a survival expert and gets the other 3 normal girl to survive(usually by making them eat gross things).

This manga feels like it was created by an editor who thought combining survival with panty shots would make for a popular manga. The amount of fan service is pretty gross but I thought the jokes were alright. I recommend Sanzoku Diary over this but I’m sure there are a lot of people who would prefer this as well.

~dakazu

DAYS

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DAYS

Soccer manga by Over Drive manga artist Tsuyoshi Yasuda.

Maybe the most feel good sports manga I’ve read in a long while. Main character Tsukushi is the weakest of weak protagonists with an endless determination to keep trying. A 100% feel-good manga. It’s a little generic but I think DAYS is the best current serialized shonen sports manga right now. There was an anime a couple years ago which was also great.

Available from Kodansha Comics.

~dakazu

Antique Bakery

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Antique Bakery

Found this older manga by Fumi Yoshinaga. I really enjoy her work and this is no exception. This one follows a bakery run by a genius playboy pastry chef, his high school crush with a dark past, and the former boxer who is his disciple.

While Yoshinaga often writes yaoi/BL manga, I appreciate that she doesn’t focus on sex but instead focuses on relationships and the emotional weight they carry. I want to track down the anime version and watch it as well.

~dakazu