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The demonic setting of Phantom Seer reminds one of many previous Shounen hits like Bleach, Demon Slayer or Jujutsu Kaisen, so maybe its not extremely original in this aspect. The story is quite decent but nothing overwhelming. That shouldnt stop you from reading this series because while it has some story weaknesses it still strongly supported by the humour of the characters and their interactions.

Iori the main protagonist is interesting in that sense that hes not quite motivated in being the hero, more the opposite at the beginning while other Shounen heroes are unrealisticly over enthusiastic everytime. Thats what I found relatable in him that ... he can be lazy sometimes like everyone of us. What I also like about him is that hes powerful at the start but not overpowered so he learned everything beforehand. His abilities that connect with phantoms and shadows and how he uses them is well executed in my opinion.

Aibetsu the other main character seemed one dimensional at the start but got more fleshed out as the time went on with some dark revelations concerning her powers. She doesnt have to be saved everytime and learns to fight for herself.
Also Yayoi, Ioris sister is an even stronger female character at the top of this world and thats what we need more of in the Jump magazine.

The art is beautifully made and it was a pleasure every time to look at while reading. Theres something in the way the lines are swung that fit so perfectly and I cant really describe it. The main villain design draws heavy inspiration from the spiderdemon from Demon Slayer which you will notice when you see it, but isnt a cheap knock off, he has different abilities.

Another really important aspect is the horror element with the horrifyingly drawn demons and faces which captures the atmosphere very well. There are also some quite disturbing scenes later that add to this shock factor.

Overall after reading its first 18 chapters I recommend this series, also because i forgot to mention, the worldbuilding was also not bad with the whole different shaman organisations and Ioris and his sisters backstory not fully uncovered there is quite some room to explore in the future.

If Saitama and Harry Potter had a swole baby it would be Mash Vandead the protagonist of this work. The story setting reminds one of Hogwarts and some characters resemble some that we know from the movies and books. One may note that there are quite a few differences of how the world there works. There is no Muggle world like in Harry Potter where most people can not use magic, here its the opposite, all are born with magical abilities except Mash.

That though doesnt really hinders him in the slightest cause he is the most physically overpowered being in the manga, maybe only the ... principal is stronger. He is so ridiculously strong that people mistake his powers for magic and the strength of this story are the fights that he has that take unforeseen turns in his favour. Its also not the same as the Potter series in that some characters dont really resemble any known one before and complement each other with their quirks like all parts of a fully fleshed out main character.

The bureau of magic, the political institution of this world adds also a fresh spin to the world building in that they have to earn their place to get a seat there.
You shouldnt take the story too seriously, though it can become dark at some times. The fresh humour in a familiar setting is what sets apart this series. The art it dont know why but reminds me of the earlier style of One Piece and a little sprinkle of Dragon Ball, but at times the author uses a copy of the same picture for the next panel which could seem a bit lazy.

Sorry, but now I have to keep baking cream puffs for Mash, cause I knocked one out his hand. If I dont he said he would cream my puffs, whatever that means. Not interested to find out, especially after he turned my friend into a living cream puff doing the same to him. How can he find a girlfriend now that hes so creamy inside?

Without really knowing much about Bakuman, which is of course the more popular series, I think it has some similarities setting-wise with Time Paradox Ghost Writer that it tells a story about how the manga industry works and how to become a mangaka in the first place. So in that it sets itself up from most of the other Shounen publications that it features no superpowers or actionopacked fights which is a nice variation from fighting mangas that could feel repetitive in the long run. Its interesting to see how metaphysical the series is in talking what makes a manga worth reading while being a ... good manga itself so the author maybe could self reflect in this moments and learn even more about himself how to make his series even better. The science-fiction element is quite unusual with the time travel depicted but creates mystery about the origin of this incident and could give some room for funny predictions of Shonen Jumps future that could partially come true.
The art is not much to write home about but sufficient enough and compensated by the orginal idea.
The both main characters are linked in an uncommon way to drive the story forward but thats what I like, so the development seems unpredictive. Sasaki, the guy, is written relatable with his past and especially inner recent conflicting struggles. The girl is rounding up the main protagonist to say the least. And the editors deciding which manga is going to be realeased are portraied in different facades, what I found good, so not all are the same grumpy logical thinkers.
Overall it is a good manga series about manga and is approved by me for publication(if I were a Jump editor of course) but that already happened before. So read it if you like to learn more about the manga business.

From the story and setting the series has similarities both from Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer, but finds some ways to deliver different ingredients to the mix. First of all what comes to mind is the great female character variety with the witches at the center of this world when in other shows you see an overrepresented cast of males to females ratio wise.
Some of the typical Shonen tropes are also put on its head when you consider that Manfasa the witch is more powerful than her guardian and can stand her own ground and only sometimes needs assistance. Some of her mannerism ... remind more of a man, so she doesnt act like a typical girl and bosses around her guard often.
Fafner the guardian has a unique fighting style with his sword and sheath, but seems a little overpowered at times. He goes through much change at the start and gets some fascinating philosphical ideas about how the safety system of the world should be. Natha the maid is also a good addition to the team with her knowledge of the world which translated into a convincing world building til now. Its also interesting that not much was revealed how Manfasas magic works only the dark story of how it came to be, so I see some potential in there which also says something about that the pace is right.
The artstyle is not bad, but not the best either but some of the villains look good I guess. The goal is set clear at the start without dragging on to much and you can see from there what to expect. Some elements from JRPGS could be found in here, but it doesnt have to be a bad thing.
The shady government is also part of the intrigue what opens up many possible conspiracies.

In comparison to other popular manga this has a different setting. Its not set in a world of super heroes even though the people there also have super powers, nor is it in the dark ages with fantasy elements. The story plays in the present and revolves around life and death which are also linked to the powers of the duo Fuuko and Andy. Most heroes have the goal to be the strongest but thats not their wish. They have rather very personal goals that only benefit themselves and sound rather bizarre but this wacky style is what drives the series.
The art is fantastic ... and draws parallels to Hunter X Hunter´s Phantom Troupe Phinks for Andy at least. This really rough looking face. Fuuko is meant to display a tomboyish girl and has an interesting fresh look with her jacket and cap without showing too much skin like other shows.
The characters are really the backbone of this manga. Especially Andy has such a good and edgy humour and sometimes says whats been on the minds of the readers and you think, did he just really said that?. Fuuko, the girl, also is a relatable person with the problems of many teenagers and her ability gives this dynamic between them both an original spin and incredible chemistry. The enemies are also not all one dimensional and go through some development even in this early stage.

Overall a surprising execution of a premise that first sounded to be not long lasting but proved me wrong with the world building and combat that has more depth to it than expected.

After reading the second manga chapter I must say its not just a cheap copy of My Hero Academia, that first impression someone could get first seeing pictures of this series without context.
With the setting about super heroes it has similarities with My Academia and some elements from Full Metal Alchemist, without saying too much about the plot, but they are mixed in a distinct way. Whats more interesting is that the heroes themselves arent the focus but the machines in their own right.

The author Shibata is or was to my knowledge the assistant of the creator of MHA, so thats where the influence ... of the artstyle comes from. The biggest stength this series has are the distinct robot designs and the interesting concept behind it. I especially like it that the mechas arent to big like in other shows and have a more humanlike size. With that Shibata found a way to separate himself from his inspirational source.

The characters are good designed but dont have much depth e.g. the strong stupid brother and genius brother dualism, but are none the less quite enjoyable written with the humorous parts. The only good parts for me are the triangular relationship with the girl and the mysterious villain whose motivations arent fully known yet. Could also be that the series is just in the beginning and the character development could change.

Overall I would recommend this series if you like good action and recognizable artstyle, but also if you dont have too high demands for character depth. The story and idea behind it are still well written with suspense and I hope the next chapters follow this path like the last and the series wont meet the same fate as the last serializations on Weekly Jump and gets cancelled too early, Shibata deserves more recognition.