MSR November 2022

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy this monthly blog, I also put out bi-weekly animated film reviews among other content. Check out my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/kyoukasuigetsu) and Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/kyoukasuigetsu) to support my endeavors. Any contribution is appreciated, even sharing to friends.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Scanlations and official sources both have a place in the community, but buy official manga volumes to support the author. If you can, also subscribe to Crunchyroll and/or Shonen Jump through Viz Media to read chapters nearly simultaneous with Japan. Most of the series covered can be found through legal means, so please encourage the industry that gives us what we love

3 new series come out this month and 1 debuts in December

 

The Ichinose Family’s Deadly Sins by Taizan 5 has a family all involved in an accident and suffering shared amnesia. The youngest, Shiori, is resistant, but Tsubasa, her older brother, thinks them being together as a family is more important than having their memories back immediately. After returning home, they unlock their rooms, which suggest something dark under the surface of what seems more like a happy family dynamic

 

 

 

Cipher Academy, written by Nisio Isin and art by Yuuji Iwasaki, is set in a school intended to train a new generation of code analyzers for a war that is fought more subtly. Our lead, Iroha, is one of the few boys, since the tendency historically was to recruit women. And he’s not confident, but with the help of a classmate, Kogoe, he manages to show a talent he didn’t realize, but is also potentially being used to serve Kogoe’s plans to find cryptocurrency in Cipher Academy itself.

 

Ichigoki’s Under Control by Seiji Hayashi, who previously did I’m From Japan, features a sci fi gag premise: our lead Ichigoki meets his childhood friend Misao after they drifted apart over the years. She’s shrunk herself and after he’s attacked and killed by a gorilla at the zoo (to find ingredients for Misao to restore her size), Misao reconfigures him as a cyborg that she controls. It’s awkward, but they agree that this way they can both go to school, since otherwise alone they couldn’t do so

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Trigger 227-228

 

Osamu discusses with Kodera’s squad about how the balanced numbers are meant to address an aspect in combat and how maintaining that advantage with strategy is key, since loss of numbers can lead to a complete loss. And the first round is especially important because the units can be cut down quickly if you aren’t careful, everyone comparing notes. And the biggest advantage Osamu’s group has is that there are 3 squad captains, so they can delegate responsibility to break the units up into more manageable groups to formulate effective strategies

 

 

 

Mizukami admits his deception to the squad about the battle sims, Teruya predictably upset, mostly because she thinks he should’ve talked to them about it. But Mizukami retorts that he knew there was a high likelihood the group would’ve objected, while they’re presently at a lead. He wants to get them the best score, since he doesn’t intend to go on the away team, only to show his skills and is confident they can learn the system for the next day’s battle sims

 

 

 

Tokyo Demon Bride Story 10-13

 

We see the girl from before is Tanukiyo, a brutish student that Manaka actually lost to in school, their generation seen as some of the most dangerous in recent history. She arrives at a festival, Manaka trying to beat her in a fight of some kind, even if it’s not physical. After an eating contest where Tanukiyo vomits, she reveals that she was sent to capture Manaka and Jinta. But she also explains that Jinta’s sacredblood has immense spirit energy potential and wants to have his child for the sake of her clan, Manaka getting her sword out to fight seriously

Manaka uses a modified version of the Phantom Changing Sword to age herself up to become stronger. She manages to land a hit on Tanukiyo’s gut and after Jinta blocks a punch meant for her, Manaka reveals that Tanukiyo is in danger of soiling herself, the tanuki giving up. She warns them others will come for Jinta and Manaka both, admitting she has a crush on Jinta due to his strength and leaves.

 

At the Hanafuda house, Jinta is told there’s an unopened basement area that might hold clues to Jinta’s grandfather, who was a blood relative, and could answer questions about sacredblood. They enter, the door reacting to Jinta’s spirit energy, and discover an area that suggests Jinta’s grandfather may have been involved with spirits himself. A mysterious girl (almost like a doll) gives Jinta a tape, the area collapsing, though she follows them out

 

We learn the girl is Immortal Kabane, a scientist, and that Jinta’s grandfather was a sacredblood as well, the cassette tape unfortunately not able to convey the full message before breaking. Her various spirit sorcery gadgets cause brief chaos and after heading out with Jinta and Manaka, Kabane takes out an attacker with ease. And we see what appears to be the leader saying they’ll find Jinta themselves

 

 

 

 

 

4 Knights of the Apocalypse 83-87

 

Percival’s group meets Meliodas, shocking Anne with his childish appearance and behavior, groping his wife Elizabeth. But things become serious as Percival is told by his friends they likely can’t stay with him, not even Holy Knights. Meliodas upends this by appointing the three as Holy Knights, saying that they must only say goodbye to normal life until the war with Camelot is done. 

 

The Percival Platoon is formed and we see the others, Gawain surprisingly still small, even more petite than before, but still having her power. We get the designations: Gawain is Famine, Lancelot is War, Tristan is Pestilince and Percival is Death. And while none of them want to destroy the world, Meliodas says it’s destroying Camelot, Arthur’s imaginary world. Thetis, Elizabeth’s personal magician, explains that Camelot as we know it is gone, Arthur having made a new dimension where his Camelot resides, which they must deal with

 

Thetis explains that Arthur creating things takes away parts of the old Camelot, Meliodas confirming this. His source was Percival’s grandfather, Varghese, who wanted to try and change Arthur’s mind. Meliodas even offered to take the child in, but Varghese wanted to raise him, given a medallion and his helmet marked by Meliodas. It turns out the war prisoner’s death cuts off potential to get into Camelot, since the Chaos Knights’s mark allows entry. And Meliodas, along with any pure blood Goddess, Demon, Giant or Fairy cannot enter Camelot, only the Apocalypse Knights able to ignore the rule in spite of Lancelot and Tristan both being half human. Percival suggests they journey to find new things and maybe discover a way to Camelot otherwise

 

Percival and Anne discuss how he needs to be more serious and not do inappropriate things to girls, though she also says if it’s her, he can do it occasionally. Nasiens sees this, while we also briefly see Donny meet with his grandparents. Isolde’s feelings for Tristan don’t seem to be getting through and Gawain isn’t helping with her involvement. And Guinivere meets up with Lancelot, the two going elsewhere as a mysterious figure follows them

 

Guinivere explains that she has a magic power that allows her to see the future precisely, exceptionally rare among the 9 types Lancelot lists, though she can only see around herself specifically. Her knowledge regarding Lancelot hasn’t been wrong yet, such as her being his lover eventually, and unfortunately that includes his death in the future. She wants to spend the time they have left (maybe 10 years?). Lancelot heads off, but the rain against a moon tells him the omen isn’t done yet

 

 

 

 

 

My Hero Academia 372-374

 

We see Koji and Shoji defeat their respective opponents, but Spinner still manages to recover from Shoji’s blow, calling the crowd to action and moving towards Shirakumo, where Present Mic is, both calling out to him in hopes he’ll heed them

 

 

 

Shoji’s words seem to have changed the crowd as a person argues they shouldn’t direct their anger like this. Meanwhile, Present Mic takes the opportunity to try and sway Shirakumo back, but Spinner, more desperate, pulls Kurogiri back, who moves to help Shigaraki

 

We shift to Dabi being teleported by Kurogiri seemingly to where Endeavor is fighting All For One. A warp gate also appears near Monoma, Eraserhead and Manual Hero, while the big development is not just Dabi, but Toga transformed into Twice with his blood, ready to get revenge for his death.

 

 

 

 

 

One Piece 1065-1067

 

The Straw Hats meet some of the other Vegapunks while we see the general interactions, York seemingly the one relegated for many physical tasks so the others can continue research. Shaka approaches them and explains how the tech they see that seems advanced yet ancient is indeed from 900 years ago, from the Void Century

 

 

 

We see a flashback explaining more of how Professor Clover was once a great pirate seeking out knowledge and eventually founded Ohara Island. Dragon and Vegapunk both know the professor, Vegapunk’s brain apparently so great it continued to grow in size, quite large when they were visiting Ohara’s grave. And the library of Ohara, managing to be saved by the scholars throwing them into an emptied lake as the island burned, was taken by giants to Elbaph (led by Saul, who Robin thought perished years ago), Vegapunk reading them and learning the truth of the Void Century, which the World Government seeks to keep hidden

 

Dr. Vegapunk explains that he has the Brain Brain Fruit, which allows his brain to grow near infinitely in scope and knowledge, spread between the other robot bodies and linked with a massive storage source he links to wirelessly. Vegapunk wants to link everyone’s brains to improve the world’s knowledge, apologetic for what he did to Kuma. He asks Luffy to take him off Egghead Island as we see CP 0 arrive, Shaka saying they’ll refuse entry to the World Government. Meanwhile, Kuma appears to be reactivated, possessing some shred of personality still, to Dragon and the others’ confusion

 

 

 

Black Clover 343-344

 

Asta faces Ichika, starting to get the hang of Zetten, though he still falls short. And after Ryuya stops their clash, we see that Lily, along with what appears to be Revchi and Heath as new Paladins, approach the Land of the Sun

 

 

 

We see Lucius restoring Morris, forcing him to use his magic for the Wizard Emperor’s “true peace”. Lily’s group meanwhile brings forth the 5 headed dragon Ichika spoke of relative to the Sukehiro clan, the Ryuzen Seven almost all gathered together to face it, while Asta faces off against the strongest in his Zetten training

 

 

 

MSR October 2022

 

 

 

 

If you enjoy this monthly blog, I also put out bi-weekly animated film reviews among other content. Check out my Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/kyoukasuigetsu) and Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/kyoukasuigetsu) to support my endeavors. Any contribution is appreciated, even sharing to friends.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: Scanlations and official sources both have a place in the community, but buy official manga volumes to support the author. If you can, also subscribe to Crunchyroll and/or Shonen Jump through Viz Media to read chapters nearly simultaneous with Japan. Most of the series covered can be found through legal means, so please encourage the industry that gives us what we love

Super Smartphone concluded at 23 chapters, so we’ll likely be getting a new series or 2, though with Hunter x Hunter returning to the magazine for a time, it may be only 1 depending on how many slots remain. But Super Smartphone will be getting more content in the graphic novel release, much like Build King did

 

 

 

 

And Aliens Area concluded the week after, also getting more graphic novel content as Super Smartphone is, but no new series appear to be announced for the magazine so far

 

 

 

 

World Trigger 226

 

In the off time between assignments, everyone prepares for the next day’s challenge, Mikumo’s entry to the away squad used as Katori’s benchmark for her date with Kyosuke. Since Osamu needs more data, Suwa tricks Kodera into allying with them to take down Murakami and Ninomiya’s squads in their excellent performance so far

 

 

 

Tokyo Demon Bride Story 5-9

 

Jinta and Manaka encounter a spirit that leaves handprints on buildings after practicing sumo. Manaka defeats the spirit easily and assures Jinta they must keep the city safe, having a strong sense of wanting to help others, which Jinta agrees with

 

 

Manaka is told about Downtown Red, a tokusatsu hero, by Tsumugi. Matsuri plays a prank, saying he saved the city once from a giant monster. The demon princess sees what appears to be a spirit with a guy in a Downtown Red mask playing the character in a public performance. But the spirit is Jinta in a costume and while Manaka feels down, she’s assured that she has a home with Jinta and the others, Jinta also seeing how important family is

 

While goby fishing, Jinta and the others find Keroru and Jinta remembers his past, grateful for his family in spite of the circumstances that led up to it. Manaka tells Jinta she will make him say he loves her and not just like a little sister. Afterwards, Keroru meets a catgirl spirit called Myaako who has her eye on Jinta

 

 

Manaka and Jinta are warned about Myaako by Keroru and encounter the catgirl after she drags Jinta with an army of cats to a shrine where she hangs out. The cat spirit appears to be down on her luck, wanting to use Jinta’s sacredblood to start over, but the cat army abandons her and she bemoans her bad luck. After she’s offered help by Jinta, she appears to want to live with him, Manaka still jealous

 

Myaako, Keroru and Manaka deal with a crab spirit that was after Jinta’s sacredblood, alluding to something more as he’s called a cursed child. Meanwhile, another classmate of Manaka’s, like Myaako, arrives in town.

 

 

 

 

Aliens Area 17-20 (END)

 

The mission begins with the teams assigned to different roles, Sharaku’s team 7 one of three going into the underground HQ of A3. Sharaku and Tatsumi encounter a member that disables their equipment, but the Twin Blade assassin is seemingly an ally of Foreign Affairs 5, his equipment still working

 

 

 

Twin Blade easily beats his opponent in spite of the Phantom equipment that almost seems to give him an advantage, while Sharaku and Tatsumi encounter Yutaka, who’s tied his equipment to the defense systems, meaning there’s little they can do, now trapped as Yutaka plans to burn everything with his Agni equipment

 

 

 

We learn about Yutaka’s background and how he feels betrayed not only by Foreign Affairs 5, but A3, since he learned after getting promoted that A3 also uses aliens, hypocrites in their anti alien stance, planning to burn everything down. But Sharaku has a plan to launch the building with his own equipment

 

The series concludes (rather early at 20 chapters, the magazine has been more lenient since 2021 or so with letting a story go on for at least 5-6 months in general) as Sharaku launches the building, Tatsumi and the others collaborating to stop Yutaka from trying to kill himself. He’s taken in and Sharaku tells Tatsumi that Foreign Affairs 5 has a new mission now, recognizing that victims of alien attacks aren’t to be ignored. More content will be in the graphic novel release and I’ll cover that, much like I did with Build King

 

 

 

 

 

4 Knights of the Apocalypse 80-82

 

Tristan tells Percival how Lancelot was spirited away from Benwick 6 years ago, returning 3 years later with immense power, previously an even match for Tristan. And Arthur knows that Lancelot’s major advantage is mind reading, but the Apocalypse Knight is unable to do so for the power of Chaos that attacks to defend Arthur. The Chaos Holy Knights of Camelot arrive, Arthur impaled by Lancelot as he gets more serious (not fighting with his dominant hand before), but the king disappears with the power of Chaos, declaring war on the 4 Knights of the Apocalypse and their allies

 

 

 

Percival’s group recovers, thinking about how Camelot and Arthur are still so mysterious and also the sheer strength of the other Apocalypse Knights. Meanwhile Lancelot is chastised by Thetis for letting Jericho kill the war prisoner they had, now having little info on Camelot or methods to get in. We see Guinevere again briefly, but Lancelot visits Percival’s group too late, already gone to bed for the night

 

The next day, Anne meets Isolde, the two bonding slightly over how Percival and Isolde are naïve about more adult manners (as we saw especially with Percival groping another girl in the lake early on). Hendricksen praises Nasiens’ talent, saying he might want to stay at the apothecary and train there. And Donny, leaving from his grandparents’ house, is accosted by Chion, who’s revealed to be Gilthunder’s son, the Holy Knight chastising Chion for overreacting again. Donny heads back to the capital, the others summoned as well by Meliodas for some purpose

 

 

 

My Hero Academia 368-370

 

Deku pushes Shigaraki back after All For One insists the boy is no longer there. But Mirio thinks it might not be a perfect melding, while Deku uses the second inheritor of One For All’s Quirk, Gear Shift, which enhances his speed to a significant degree, synergizing with how he uses One For All’s strength

With all of the Quirks enhanced with One For All, Deku lands a blow that seems to spell defeat for All For One, but he seems to still have plans that could turn the tide, such as Spinner and his own fight going on elsewhere

 

A mob has formed with Spinner at the center to take down a hospital where Black Mist is kept, Koda and Shoji fighting against those who are trying to start a revolution based on the persistent societal discrimination against heteromorphs like them. Shoji in particular demands to know why they’re doing this, his face revealed in the struggle

 

We learn how Shoji suffered heteromorph persecution that led to his facial scars, living in a more rural area, but he persisted and retains hope, while Spinner continues to focus only on his anger, All For One’s new Quirks twisting his body into a more monstrous form and degenerating his mental capacities (turning into a Nomu, most likely). Shoji even starts to embrace his form to fight with Koji’s help (targeting the leader that’s inciting the crowd) against Spinner to move forward and start changing things as his class wants to

 

 

 

 

 

One Piece 1062-1064

 

The Vegapunk that saved Franky’s group is indeed not the original doctor, but a satellite body, Punk 02 Lilith. Another body, Punk 01 Shaka, tells Lilith that the Straw Hats should not be underestimated and to let them enter the lab. Luffy learns from Bonney about Kuma, her father, and his being turned into an inhuman cyborg. They meet Punk Atlas, another of the satellite bodies, 6 in total, seeing more of the amazing technology Vegapunk has made. But CP0’s members Stussy, Lucci and Kaku are moving towards Egghead Island to take down Vegapunk under the World Government’s orders

 

 

 

Luffy’s group eats their fill, using the clothes synthesizer to get new outfits. But Bonney’s father wasn’t specified and the clash with the cyborg Kuma is what has her reveal who Kuma is to her. We shift to Law’s crew coming into contact with Blackbeard’s crew, the latter powered up from gaining new Devil Fruits and the captains both planning to take the others’ Road Poneglyphs

 

Law and Blackbeard’s fight continues, unclear who has the advantage, though Blackbeard’s crew suggests they retreat, since they all have Devil Fruits and thus vulnerability to the sea. Meanwhile, Luffy’s group is told more about Kuma’s backstory, Bonney frustrated at how he’s been treated for crimes in exchange for not being imprisoned, experimented on by Vegapunk. The rest of the Straw Hats arrive at the research lab and learn Vegapunk plans to talk to Dragon about something

 

 

 

 

Black Clover 339-342

 

Asta is told that he can get stronger, particularly through the use of Zetten, an application of ki the Ryuzen Seven use and changing the medium to his antimagic energy, the training starting in earnest

 

 

 

Zetten is such that it needs to be used with the moment of vulnerability from the opponent and while Asta in Devil Union can hold his own, he’s still no match for Ichika’s skill, only able to endure it before blacking out a few moments after.

 

Asta gets training in Zetten from other members of the Ryuzen Seven: spunky Komari, serious Jozo and imposing Daizaemon. Each has their own talents and Asta is still struggling, though he’s willing to keep working. Later that night, he talks to Ichika and she explains the reason for her hatred of Yami: that he killed their whole clan (though likely either a setup or a misunderstanding, ala Naruto with Sasuke and Itachi)

 

Yami’s clan was tasked with guarding an area said in legend to be near a gate to hell, but Yami’s father was abusive and seemed to desire more than the duties given to him. This may have led to the massacre Yami committed at 13, Ryuya’s goals of making the Land of the Sun more equal something he agreed with, though Ichika doesn’t believe that. Asta says he can’t accept that Yami killed for no reason, Ichika utilizing her scroll to form a suit of armor from the shadows to face Asta