| If I actually did full reviews for every single one of my recommended manga, I'll probably fill up this whole thread, so instead, I'll just do a quick and condensed review and recommendations of my favorites. Act-Age Act-Age, even though it was cut short due to unfortunate events, is still a masterpiece of a manga. It depicts the story of Yonagi Kei, a novice actress with an overwhelming amount of talent and potential, with her ability to "become" any character she acts, also known as method acting. The manga follows her growth as an actress and as a person, as she dons a number of masks in her performances. However, these masks become more than mere masks, and become integrated into a part of herself as a result of her method of acting. This story will have your heart pumping, your body shaking, and leave you thirsty for the next chapter (once again, unfortunately). Act-Age can be called the king of shounen, acting within and polishing the shounen tropes and elements to an incredibly high degree. I highly recommend this manga to any fan of shounen, or anyone who likes to see moments with high-octane tension and excitement. Kaguya-sama I'm sure I'm beating a dead horse by saying this, but Kaguya-sama is an excellent manga. It's currently one of the most popular manga in Japan and the world, and it's quality can be shown in the currently two animated seasons. However, at the moment, the manga is my preferred version between the two. Even between the beautiful animation and the amazing music of the two seasons, the manga still holds more value. Aka Akasaka's use of shadows greatly accentuates every emotional moment, and his character drawings are full of expression. Kaguya-sama is a comedy manga in disguise. Yes, it's comedy elements are quite great, and are often new and fresh. However, it's true highlights are it's dives into human relations and emotion. Aka truly allows the reader to empathize with the characters, and tackles many real-world conflicts and issues. The farther the manga gets, the more of these it tackles, and the anime has just begun dipping its toes into these more interesting arcs with the Ishigami Sports Festival Arc. However, in the end, the comedy remains excellent among these scenes full of fervor and emotion. Recommended to fans of romance, human relations (both platonic and romantic), and comedy. Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna What can I say about Spiral. An absolute classic, released in 1999. Now, the art style may look off-putting, but I highly recommend anyone to read this. This manga is about the story of Ayumu Narumi, a genius that has been constantly overshadowed by his brother. If Ayumu was a genius, then his brother was a god. Ayumu then gets involved with the mysterious “Blade Children”, which his brother also seems to be involved in. The rest of the manga entails Ayumu’s dive into this mysterious and twisted world of “Blade Children”, tackling immense challenges along the way. Kyou Shirodaira manages to weave together intrigue, mystery, tension, conflict, and raw emotion masterfully in his writing, doing what he does best. The mental battles in the manga are intense and intriguing, drawing the reader in and capturing their complete attention. This manga pulls you in with it’s interesting world and mystery, and leaves you gasping for air, trying to fill your chest with something, anything in place of what it ripped out. Recommended for fans of Death Note, Bloody Monday, or any mind-game manga. Also for fans of other Kyou Shirodaira works, like Kyokou Suiri or Zetsuen no Tempest. Tonikaku Kawaii I’ve been talking about pretty emotional manga so far, so let’s talk about something sweet and adorable. Tonikaku Kawaii follows our main character, Nasa, spelled Hoshizora. Nasa is a genius, and the top of his school. One day, he gets into an accident and gets hit by a truck. However, a beautiful girl saves him from death, taking the brunt of the impact. Nasa, shocked, falls in love at first sight, asks her out. The mysterious girl replies, “I’ll go out with you if you marry me.”. He says yes, and passes out. A few years later, the mysterious girl appears at his doorstep, and asks to get married. What follows is an adorable romp of two characters adjusting to their married lifestyle, and having to cope with a sudden deep relationship. The interactions between all the characters in this manga are excellent, and the romance is great. Kenjirou Hata’s art is also adorable and great as usual. There’s also a secret lurking between the cutesy romance and fun comedy, what is it~? Recommended to fans of romance, comedy. If you liked the more romantic moments of Hayate no Gotoku, this is for you. If you don’t want to read the manga, I highly recommend the upcoming anime season. Medaka Box Everyone should read Medaka Box. A great shounen, a great story. What more can I really say. Well, I will say more right now. Medaka Box has a cast of interesting and multifaceted characters, a world full of potential, and an excellent writer to boot in NISIOISIN. The power system is cool, with the Abnormals, Minus, and Not Equals. The manga does an excellent job in balancing shounen battle moments with character interaction and emotional moments. This manga is truly made by its characters, and is honestly carried by characters like Kumagawa, Shiranui, Medaka, Zenkichi, Anshin’in san, and more. I can’t really hook anyone on this manga by description alone, but I highly recommend this series to any shounen fan or NISIOISIN fan. Ookami Shounen wa Kyou mo Uso wo Kasaneru This manga follows our main character, who attempts to ask a girl out. She rejects him, telling him his existence itself was a problem. He then becomes depressed, believing that the girl rejected him due to the natural glare in his eyes, which he has a complex about. Then, his older sibling hears about this, and dresses him up like a girl, turning him into a trap. He then meets the girl he asked out on the street, but she does not recognize him. The girl then asks the crossdressed boy to help her get over her fear of men, as the “she” has man-like mannerisms. What then occurs is a romance manga full of deception and conflict, of misunderstandings, lies, and truth. The web of relationship weaves between the characters are complex, and causes many moments full of joy and sorrow. This manga honestly made my cry. Recommended to fans of romance with human conflict, maybe like Koi to Uso. Grand Blue Grand Blue is the funniest comedy manga I’ve ever read. And I’ve read my fair bit of comedy manga. The jokes are incredibly hard hitting, and the illustration just serves to heighten the hilarity. I can’t say I’m an authority on comedy, but this manga is the peak of comedy. The anime does attempt to translate its comedy, but in my opinion, it is at its best in manga form. What’s more, even between it’s absolutely perfect comedy, the manga has a number of heartfelt moments. The times where Iori realizes his love for diving, the moments where the characters feel love and connection, those moments are absolutely amazing and super high quality, unexpectedly, even though they are in a comedy manga. Recommended to fans of Kaguya-sama and the like. ib: instant bullet Aka Akasaka’s earlier work before Kaguya-sama. I can’t really say much about this manga, or it’ll spoil quite a bit. What I can tell you is that the manga follows the story of Kuro Fukase, who is in a depressive state. He believes that the world is rotten, and wishes to die and/or for the world to die. He then realizes he possesses supernatural abilities, and then happens to meet a group of people that tell him he’s a part of the twenty “Instant Bullets”, who all have the capability to destroy the world. With all of the instant bullets with different beliefs and values, they all work towards different goals and conflict ensues. ib manages to master and polish a certain style of anime/manga storytelling I like to call “confusing and foggy but also not”, that many series attempt and fail at, like Mekakucity Actors. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Aka, or any fans of human drama manga. Horimiya Horimiya. Horimiya. So good. The story follows two characters. Izumi “Miya”mura, and Kyouko “Hori”. Miyamura is your typical gloomy high school boy, with long hair covering his face, and always wearing long sleeved clothes, even in the summer. Hori is a popular and capable high school girl, with a little secret: she takes care of her little brother, since her parents are rarely home. One day, Hori’s brother encounters a person on the streets with crazy piercings and tattoos. Eventually, Hori meets and realizes that it is Miyamura, and their relationship of secrets begins. What ensues is an adorable, romantic, and dorky story with Hori and Miyamura at its center, with other interesting characters around them. The manga tells the themes of family, relationship, and love in such a heartfelt and warm way, that you can’t help but melt while reading it. The art is also top-class. Recommended to fans of slice of life, slow romance, and relations between people. Reversible! Reversible! is a manga that follows Shuu Kaidou, as he is sent to a special boy’s school for the kids of rich and influential families. There, students are required to crossdress for half of the time they are there. This is a short manga that explores the themes of identity and acceptance, and something I believe to be a masterpiece. Not much I can say about it without spoiling the plot, because it is only 15 chapters. Basically, read this manga. I get it, it’s all about traps, not a lot of people are into that. However, if you get past that mindset, you’ll have a great time with this manga. Reversible! really expresses a lot of emotion in those 15 chapters, and I highly recommend it. |
ActronavAug 31, 2020 1:35 PM
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| Manga Recommendation: Sousou no Frieren I recently stumbled upon a manga worth reading, which is pretty rare, so I decided to share it here. Sousou no Frieren can be described, as another reviewer called it, a manga about the "happily ever after". This manga parodies the classic isekai fantasy party structure and quest line. Our main character is an elf girl named Frieren, who is part of the hero's party on a quest to defeat the demon lord. If you've read or watched isekai fantasy before, this should sound very familiar. A party composed of a brave, sword wielding hero, a holy priest, a fighting dwarf, and an elf girl. However, this manga, instead of showing us the journey to defeat the demon lord, show us the party after their journey has completed. At the end of the journey, all the characters separate, and we follow Frieren on her journies. During this time, it is made clear that she, as an elf, sees the world completely differently from us humans. Due to her long lifespan, she sees many things as trivial and short, not even forming bonds and connections with people. When she returns to the original country, she finds that all of her companions were aged and wizened. In the end, this is a manga that explores a unique perspective on life, that forces the reader to reflect on their own existence, time, and mortality. It brings you along for a journey that is both long and short. We follow Frieren, and see how she grows from an elf that flows along with time to one that understands time and sees the people around her. Even though there are only 16 chapters out at the moment, I can guarantee this is a worth read and one with much potential. 7/10, with a possibility of getting higher |
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| Manga Recommendation: Hoshi no Samidare/Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer Basically, it was pretty good. Can’t be assed to write an actual review, but I’m bored and I don’t want to go to sleep. This manga explores the themes of adulthood, joy, growth, love, and despair. Doesn’t execute it the best, but not badly either. It has manly action elements, with sides of mystery and drama. Recommended for fans of Spirit Circle. Who knows, I might do an actual review later. Solid High 7/10 |
ActronavSep 3, 2020 10:01 AM
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| “Read Umineko!” These words have been uttered by yours truly a countless number of times. I’ve also utilized bribery and deceit in order to, as the phrase suggests, convince people to read the eight episodes of the manga Umineko When They Cry. Needless to say, there’s reason behind these actions. Umineko is by far my favorite piece of fictional work, a claim that I’ll stand by for a good while. Essentially, Umineko takes the bare bone plot from the mystery novel And Then There Were None—the island, the epitaph, the murders—and transforms it into something so much greater. Adding elements of romance and the supernatural, Umineko tackles ideas that I thought would never be possible in such a mystery novel. The mixture of these genres makes Umineko already stand out from most other mysteries. But what really makes Umineko so incredible is the way the mystery is done. It takes more of a metaphorical approach, allowing the author to directly challenge the reader. That’s about all I can say about the manga, as it’s better to go into a mystery knowing as little as possible. Instead, I’ll talk more about how Umineko’s impacted me, in hopes that it’ll convince someone else to try it out as well. Umineko was able to get me to read And Then There Were None. This, of course, is an absolute shocker to anyone who knows me. I don’t particularly fancy reading—the last time I read a book for fun was back in middle school. Reading Umineko has also convinced me to try out other mystery novels, starting from Agatha Christie’s works. No way a Japanese picture book makes me want to genuinely read more? Along with this, I’ve had to change my entire ranking system. Madoka Magica simply doesn’t stand to the Umineko episodes that I gave a 10/10. The same goes for the Death Note and Death Parade to the 9/10s of Umineko. As such, I ended up shifting my anime scores downwards, changing my mean score by 0.4. The last episode of Umineko made me tear up. Some scenes are emotionally gripping. Honestly, how the manga manages to both its mystery and drama aspects so well amazes me. And the best girls! Shannon and Jessica Ushiromiya? Too epic. Please read Umineko !!!!!!!!! Score: High 9-10/10 Recommend to fans of mysteries, something unique, Madoka Magica |
NahLogicJan 1, 2021 9:43 PM
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| I’ve been reading quite a bit of manga recently. As such, I want to share my thoughts on the ones that particularly stuck out to me. Believers: “Believers” is by far the strangest manga I’ve run into so far. Two men and a woman from a cult are thrown onto an island in order to purify themselves of their human desires. However, as they’re only human, things...happen. The manga does a deep dive into the psyche of these three characters and explores ideas such as herd mentality and lust. If you’re looking for a good psychological manga, this is definitely one to give a try. 8/10 (Currently in my favorites) Sabishisugite Lesbian Fuuzoku ni Ikimashita Report: This is a really hard manga to talk about. All I can say is that this “My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness” hits hard, despite its short length of 6 chapters. Out of all of these manga, this would be the one I’d most recommend. 9/10 (Currently in my favorites) Mamono-tachi wa Katazukerarenai: Look, the plot doesn’t seem all too enticing—a girl cleaning a dragon’s lair before she’s to be eaten? But this manga ended up a surprisingly wholesome read. It teaches the reader on different ways to clean, which ended up being educational and enjoyable. While the premise of the manga is absurd, it still ends up being a nice read. 6/10 Uzumaki: Spirals. Spirals everywhere. I’m actually going to have nightmares about this manga. The first half of Uzumaki genuinely scared me, and so, is what I would consider perfect horror. 8/10 (Currently in my favorites) Dragon Ball: I’ve never been a fan of the battle shounen genre. However, Dragon Ball is a brainless shounen done right. The power scaling is over-the-top, the characters are one-dimensional and unrelatable, and the plot is nonsensical. Despite all this, I can’t help but enjoy myself, seeing Goku reach higher and higher levels of power in order to crush his opponents, all while being good-hearted. The comedy is decent as well. In particular, the fight with the “Invisible Man” got me to chuckle, which most comedy anime and manga can’t get me to do. If you want to experience one of the classic shounen but don’t want to sit through hours of filler, then reading the manga seems to be a viable option. 6/10 (Subject to change) I’ll probably continue to read manga. Umineko and the manga I’ve talked about here, among others, has convinced me that reading is actually worth it. I’m excited to see what else the medium has in store for me. |
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| Yesterday, I was in a call with Alex, when he said something quite idiotic: “You should write a review on every manga you’ve read!” As per usual, I informed Alex that he was the dumbest man alive. But since it’s a Saturday and I have nothing to do, I might as well waste my time. Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (9/10) YKK is easily the best SoL I’ve experienced. It utilizes the strengths of manga, balancing its dialogue and art to create a genuinely tranquilizing work. GTO (9/10) I didn’t think I’d like GTO so much. But it’s comedy and drama really, really stuck with me. It’s a bit wordy, the drama comes off as too much sometimes, and the formula GTO sticks with gets slightly repetitive. In the end, though, GTO is about a 22-year old man who wants to be the best teacher in Japan by giving his students an experience like no other. And that’s pretty great. Kasutoro Shiki (9/10) Devin described this manga as the “most disturbing manga [he has] read.” Interested in this sizable claim, I decided to check it out for myself. This manga is the funniest and most creative one I have read. Let me preface this first by saying that this manga is not for everyone. Some panels are pretty disturbing, to say the least. However, the incredibly dark humor and the author’s paneling that this manga has is super interesting. Again, if you have a weak stomach (scratch that, even a normal stomach), don’t read this. But if you’re a fan of good gore and wack-comedy like I am, then this is the perfect manga for you. Solanin (8/10) Life is life. Admittedly, a lot of Asano’s works have similar themes, with the only major difference in his manga being the execution. And Solanin is executed just right. New York New York (8/10) This is probably the best yaoi manga I’ll run into in a good while. New York New York deals with a lot of themes such as prejudice, rape, cheating, abuse, etc. It does come off as a bit overdramatic, but the ideas that the manga encompasses are many and well-done. Just a bit of warning before you read this one: the scans for the first chapter are really, really bad. But the scans are polished up later on, so just bear through it. I promise it’s worth it. Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou (8/10) “Read GLT!” - Devin “Read GLT!” - Justin “Read GLT!” - Devin ok shut up i’ll read glt good lord ...it’s pretty good. It’s a well-done SoL with a unique artstyle and relatable characters. There’s not much I honestly have to say about GLT, but it’s definitely worth a read. Ookami Shounen wa Kyou mo Uso wo Kasaneru (8/10) A simple, feels good romance trap manga. This manga doesn’t do more than it needs to, making it a nice read. Yagate Kimi ni Naru (8/10) Bloom Into You is a yuri manga that focuses particularly on the issue of identity. It focuses on this theme a little too much, but my **** was talking, so 8/10 it is! Gogo Monster (7/10) The biggest strength of this manga is its themes, without a doubt. It shows the perspective of children who stray from the group mindset taught in school and instead retreat to their world of imagination. It’s definitely more of an abstract work, so not everyone will like this (*cough* *cough*, Alex, *cough*), but as it’s only 5 chapters, I would still recommend everyone check it out. Subarashii Sekai (7/10) I remember literally nothing about this manga xd. But it’s Asano, so it’s probably pretty good. Serial Experiments Lain: The Nightmare of Fabrication (7/10) This is a nice one-shot that gives some more context on the anime Serial Experiments Lain. Not much that I can say about it, since it’s so short. Basically, if you’ve watched and liked SEL, this is worth a read. About Death (7/10) The manga paints God as some hip, chill dude who gives people what they deserve. It’s a fun read, and that’s about it. All You Need Is Kill (7/10) This is a time loop manga that manages to be distinct enough from the others to be good. Everything about it—the characters, themes, art—are all nicely done. (I can already hear Devin complaining about this review can so easily apply to any other manga gg) Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko (7/10) Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko tells a story about a college woman going through some difficult times, through the eyes of the cat. It’s unique, and the ending is fulfilling. It’s definitely worth a read. Star Strings yori (7/10) Literally just worse MIA ig idk xd. Yasashii Hikari (7/10) This is a pretty good SoL. But to be honest, it’s practically watered-down Barakamon. Just watch or read Barakamon instead. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica: Majuu-hen (7/10) This story takes place between the events of Madoka Magica (the show) and Madoka Magica Movie 3. It’s honestly only worth reading if you’re a big fan of the series like I am. Gekijouban Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica: Shinpen - Hangyaku no Monogatari (7/10) Basically the story of Madoka Magica Movie 3. Just watch the anime. Studio Shaft elevates this story to the next level. Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica (6/10) Just watch the anime. Plus the manga detracts from one of the major themes of the work, which I’m unable to explain here. Nijigahara Holograph (6/10) This manga is really confusing. I didn’t get it, and I doubt anyone else will. But I’m sure if someone could explain everything to me that I could appreciate this work more. But I got literally nothing out of the manga myself, hence my score. Liar Game (6/10) There’s a lot that this manga does right, and a lot that it doesn’t. I don’t really feel like writing out paragraphs for this manga, so I’ll instead present them to you in a list format. +Interesting mind games +Nice utilization of game theory -Repetitive theming -Poor characters -Really terrible ending If you care more about exciting mind games and whatnot than characters or themes, then this is worth a read. Tsumi to Batsu (6/10) Crime and Punishment turned into a manga. While it’s a fun read, a lot of the ideas presented in the original work simply don’t work in this medium, as it would be too wordy. Omoide Emanon (6/10) The manga focuses on what immortality would actually mean to someone. While it’s an interesting read, I got literally nothing out of it. Half & Half (6/10) Half & Half is a decent romance. The plot is pretty predictable, but it’s a nice read nonetheless. Gakkougurashi! (6/10) I have no idea how to feel about this manga. It’s a mixture of SoL, drama, and horror, which is a strange combination of genres. It didn’t really work for me, but it’s definitely not bad. ib: Instant Bullet (6/10) “It is very epic and you are stupid as shit for not ranking it 10/10” was Alex’s reponse to me asking him what I should write about this manga. As per usual, he is a very dumb idiot. It’s an interesting drama/action manga with its good moments. But honestly, this definitely wasn’t for me. It felt too edgy at times and a bit rushed. However, I can definitely see why Alex likes this. Kimi no Na wa. (6/10) Just watch the anime. The movie isn’t carried by its plot or characters, but rather by its art and music. Honestly, the only reason why I gave this a 6/10 was because I was listening to one of Will Stetson’s playlists, and his cover of Zen Zen Zense came up at just the right time, which ended up hitting differently. Bocchi Hakase to Robot Shoujo no Zetsubouteki Utopia (6/10) Literally worse GLT xd? A SoL post-apocalyptic setting? I mean, it’s still pretty wholesome, so give it a shot anyway. Bastard (6/10) Never have I read someone with such a weak plot with surprisingly decent characters. The drama and psychological elements don’t make any sense when you put any thought into them. But the characters are well-done. As such, I’m pretty divided on this manga, which is why I gave it a 6/10. Miageru to Kimi wa (6/10) The first half of the romance is pretty good. A nice premise executed well. Then the author goes, “Okay I literally have nothing else to elaborate on” and throws his story down the drain. It’s still initially a nice read, but the work does get worse in the latter chapters and especially the ending. Kataude no Amy (6/10) A nice one-shot. I literally can’t say anything about it since it’s so short, but I would recommend it. Bad Company (5/10) A GTO prequel, minus the interesting characters, funny comedy, and gripping drama. There’s no reason to read this, other than to get some backstory to Onizuka’s character. Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna (5/10) Never have I ever felt so damn bored reading a manga. There’s no moment that sticks out to me. I can’t remember a single character. I don’t see the appeal in this manga. Mikai no Hoshi (5/10) It’s weird. I barely remember anything about this manga, just that there was good number of sex scenes. Love Letter (5/10) This manga is essentially just three short stories, one of those being Half & Half. I literally remember nothing about the other two stories, which should explain to you my low rating. L∞p (5/10) An extremely basic time loop manga. Not worth reading. Umibe no Onnanoko (5/10) Middle-school kids using sex as a means of escapism. Thank you Asano. Reversible! (5/10) A trap manga with interesting ideas but felt unfortunately rushed. I probably would’ve liked this a lot more if the ideas were more explored. Then again, this was (unfortunately) one of the first manga I read, so this opinion may be pretty outdated. Criminale! (5/10) A mixture of comedy and drama. There’s nothing too special about the manga, and some of the jokes felt super off-putting. However, I can see how other people may like this one. Ayane Ojousama wa Sanoba Bocchi ni Araserareru (5/10) This is a wholesome read about a girl who has fun with her life, despite being a loner. The formula that this manga uses gets extremely repetitive after the first couple of chapters. Sutema! (5/10) A comedy manga based off of the characters from Madoka Magica. There’s one joke in here that gave me a good laugh, but everything else about the manga wasn’t really worth the time. Bitter Virgin (4/10) The biggest flaw that I had with Bitter Virgin was how overdramatic it is. The antagonists in the story only exist to create conflict, which really sucks. This work had the potential to really stand out though, with its ideas on abortion and rape, something I haven’t really seen before. It may still be worth a read simply for that reason. Heaven's Door (4/10) I don’t get it. Ne Ne Ne (4/10) This is a really typical romance anime with a nonexistent ending. There’s no reason to read this. Blue Phobia (4/10) Another very typical drama. It throws way too many ideas at the reader, just to end in a cliche manner. A Good Day to Be a Dog (4/10) This is literally just a typical kdrama. I honestly couldn’t care less for it. Himari no Mawari (4/10) Some guy’s sister has some trouble socializing, so it’s up to their friends to help her out. It’s honestly not a bad premise, but the manga executes it in a boring manner, and ends at a weird note. Black City (3/10) I don’t remember any of the four distinct stories in this manga. They’re all so forgettable. Isekai Onsen ni Tensei shita Ore no Kounou ga Tondemosugiru (3/10) A guy reincarnates as an onsen. A lot of ecchi, a lot of unfunny jokes, and a lot of stupid. Dr. Rurru (2/10) Um. Don’t read this one. Basically some airhead goes down to help treat some guy with some disease and there’s ecchi, and the plot is stupid, and I don’t know honestly. I don’t know why I bothered reading this. Wendy (2/10) Unlike the Wendy’s that exists in real life, this Wendy sucks. It thinks it’s soooo smart with it, with its allusions to Peter Pan and it's ONE major theme of escapism, when that’s all it has going for it. To the people that think I’m a fan of all things psychological, I’d point to this disgrace. Koi Lemon (2/10) Just read the synopsis. You’ll immediately see why I gave the manga this score. Akachan Ryuu no Osewagakari ni Ninmei saremashita (2/10) Thank you Alex for the recommendation! (I saw this manga on his MAL) There’s no reason to read this. It’s genuinely just a waste of time. Tokyo Akazukin (1/10) If you’ve managed to come this far, you may be asking how this is the only 1/10 on my list. I mean, with the way I’ve described some of these other works, no way Tokyo Akazukin is at least a tier below everything? Ok. Let me ask you this question. What factors would a manga need to have for YOU to consider it a 1/10? Disgusting gore? A nonsensical story with terrible characters? LOLI AND FURRY RAPE??? Well, let me introduce you to Tokyo Akazukin, which somehow manages to contain all of these elements. This work is so unbelievably atrocious that it manages to gross ME out, which is saying quite a lot. There’s literally no reason to read this. Literally nothing. There’s not a single redeeming factor about this manga. Which is funny, since I made a deal with Devin to read this in exchange that I read Slam Dunk. This is the least the man gets for buffing his manga days so that I can’t catch up to him. It’s Sunday now. How many hours did I spend on this stupid project? (4 hours) |
ActronavFeb 27, 2021 9:45 PM
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| Oreimo Review Spoilers ahead. Don’t read unless you’ve experienced the anime or manga. I honestly didn’t think that I’d ever write a review on Oreimo. After all, it's the series that everyone seems to point to when showing off the terrible incest garbage that anime and manga seem to constantly pump out. This work especially stands out since the brother and sister are actually related by blood, rather than other shows, where the siblings are instead stepsiblings. As a result, I was a bit wary when approaching Oreimo. But what absolutely shocked me was how aware the author was. Rather than acting like the whole incest thing is alright, he instead makes clear that incest is a disgusting and filty act. This is shown through the eyes of the two MC characters. Kyousuke gets revolted by playing the eroge games that his sister shoves onto him, as they show other little sisters in lewd positions. Kirino constantly refers to her brother as a siscon, definitely in a joking manner. The author even admits that what he’s writing about isn’t particularly acceptable. One of the side characters, Kuroneko, says this when presenting her game idea, “Pandering to the masses? Or masturbatory self-fulfillment? I’m just gonna say it... doujin is where I find fulfillment, and It’s where I get it all out of me. So, if you’re gonna say that my masturbatory work is boring, then all I can respond is...I’m going to show you masturbation like you’ve never seen before!” Okay, the quote is a bit questionable. But it highlights the author’s perspective on creating works—that he wants to create something that he genuinely wants to. It definitely explains why the author creates works like Eromanga Sensei: he genuinely enjoys creating them. I won’t say that incest anime/manga is in anyway acceptable, but I do greatly respect the mindset the writer has about creating something that is meaningful to oneself. With that rant over, I can start talking about the work itself. ...Screw the characters. Especially the main two characters. Kyousuke is your typical harem protagonist; that is to say, he’s a character with a peanut for a brain, but somehow manages to say the right things when the situation calls for it. Kirino is the basic tsundere, minus the dere. She’s a toxic and inflexible loser that relies on her brother like I rely on Umineko to continue a conversation. The childhood friend, Ayase, and Saori are all one-dimensional side characters that merely serve to advance the plot. But then there’s Kuroneko. But more about her later. The art is acceptable. There’s not much to say about it. The plot is your typical drama comedy romance thing. It’s a bit annoying how literally every girl seems to fall for the MC when he’s the absolute dolt he is, but since that is the basic idea of a harem in the first place, it’s probably not a valid complaint. And the ending… I’ll clarify this here. The manga ending is drastically different from the anime. From what I know, the anime has some wedding, and the siblings kiss? I watched the clip on YouTube, and it was pretty disgusting. As for the manga, the scenario pretty much goes with the brother saying “I like you, sister. Just kidding!” to resolve some conflict (for some bizarre reason) and the sister saying the same thing back to him in the succeeding chapter. I literally had to make sure that, yes, chapter 26 is indeed the last chapter of Oreimo and that I wasn’t missing anything. That’s how much of a “non-ending” the ending was. At least the manga ending wasn’t the anime ending. In the end, I gave the original manga a 4/10. However, I still decided to read Oreimo: Kuroneko, which essentially has Kirino go to America for some time, allowing development between the main character and Kuroneko. Oreimo (the original) barely had any Kuroneko, and I wanted to see why practically everyone considers her best girl. Good lord, what a drastic difference in quality. Out of the whole series, I only like the character of Kuroneko. Her extensively worded dialogue is genuinely fun, and she (strangely enough) gets the most character development out of any of the others. I also personally liked the look of her more in the manga than in the anime. As such, I preferred this sequel much more than the original, seeing the relationship develop between this interesting girl and the braindead monkey that I consider a disgrace to the human population. As you can probably tell, I hate the main character. When Kuroneko gains the courage to ask him out, the nincompoop really says “Give me some time to think about it.” Then he proceeds to say yes the next day, most likely having not put any thought into the matter. Why make her wait? Kyousuke also has pictures of his sister in summer attire on his phone, which is pretty disgusting. Many more crimes were committed by this sub-human, which I wish to discuss no further. Anywho, I can somewhat forgive the man due to two of his actions. The first was when he accepted Kuroneko’s feelings, rather than going the siscon route that the anime supposedly does. The second’s when he sees the main conflict between Kuroneko and his sister. Kuroneko, being the angel she is, understands that Kirino doesn’t want his brother to be dating and thus tries to break up with him. Kiniro, the greedy Scrooge, wishes for Kyousuke to stay by her side. And so Kyousuke makes a respectable decision here: that while he cannot see Kuroneko for now, that he’ll one day come back for her. Personally, I don’t think that Kirino even deserved that kind of mutual agreement. But good on Kyousuke for objectively making the right choice in that situation. I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would. Essentially, I can respect the author’s mindset when it comes to writing works and Kuroneko as a character. I couldn’t really stand anything else. Oreimo: 4/10 Oreimo: Kuroneko: 6/10 |
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| Umineko no Naku Koro Ni Review by Unbiased Third Party This isn't gonna be a long review for several reasons. 1. Steven and Devin have already talked about this to death, mostly Steven. 2. I'm at work lmao 3. A lot of the discussion points for Umineko are fucking spoilers gg Umineko no Naku Koro Ni, or Umineko, is a manga worth reading. It may be 8 Episodes and quite a bit of longer-than-average chapters, but it is worth the time (waste) sink. At the core of Umineko lies in its deconstruction and analysis of mystery, as well as its central theme. Umineko isn't a story of a detective that solves a murder mystery, but of many mental battles of intellect and ideology. Umineko captures both the heart and mind of the mystery genre and lays its guts out for the reader to see. The mind portion is kind of boring tho with it being a bunch of mental puzzles which are gross and boring and where is the story please. There is value in the puzzles themselves, especially the back and forth between the blades of and . The things that are really interesting are the overarching mysteries that exist across the story at the macro level, and not the how dunnit ones at the micro level. Except one of them was cool, which was the final solution to the . There was very big brain word play at work there and I enjoyed it throughly. The only micro level mystery that wasn't even really a mystery that I enjoyed. Where the appeal of Umineko lies, at least for me, is the heart. Which does make sense, as the central theme of Umineko emphasizes the value of it. Much of the emotional progression and techniques that Ryukishi uses aren't very uhhh unique or creative. He just executes them very well with effective buildup in the already unique world and setting that he has created. Umineko has many exciting fighting moments, like v , and vs the , or vs . It can really be seen as "casually epic". There are also high tension moments of raw emotion that I really enjoyed, like when does to and when yeah you get the point. Umineko I think really excels in moments of bone chilling absolute psychopathy, which is exactly what people who like this manga are (who said that?) Speaking of moments of psychopathy, the drawing of facial expressions is really nice in this manga, especially in Episodes 4 and 5 and a certain person in a certain moment that I can't get out of my head in Episode 8 because it is too funny. Umineko can be gripping, hype, mysterious, romantic, heartwarming, exciting, intriguing, and thought-provoking. The story itself seems endless in its effort to create as much as possible from those two fictional nights of October 1986. Umineko is an ambitious works that tries many things, and I have to admit, very big brain. It isn't flawless, it isn't wholly unique or original, but what accomplishes is something to be admired. The myriad of mysteries and stories interwoven in these eight Episodes come together to create a fully formed story. The characters pop and are intriguing. Even when Umineko borrows from other works, it is in inspiration and always adds to it. This really isn't a series that can be fully encompassed without spoiling literally everything. So, basically, in the end all I have to say is Read Umineko! (also I wrote this during work so I technically got paid to write this :sunglasses:) |
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