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
Like December, 1 week less of chapters, but things should return to standard by February
World Trigger is on break this month
Doron Dororon c5-8
Ginchiyo invites Dora and Kusanagi to her house, trying to gain more trust, the initiates agreeing to help because they always intended to make the world safer. Kusanagi even explains how he had no choice but to fight mononoke, not really listening to reason. They head off on a mission, teaming up to defeat a mononoke who appears to be working with another to capture humans
While we see Ginchiyo talking with one of the lab techs (who seems obsessed with her and not subtle about her lesbian attraction), Dora and Kusanagi stop a Koma Nezumi from harming a civilian. But it was intending to sacrifice it to Hanya Gyuuki, the master that’s been collaborating with other mononoke and seemingly the one that killed Dora’s mother, enraging him.
Dora tries to fight Hanya Gyuuki, still in a rage as it reminds him about his mother’s death implicitly. Kusanagi can’t cut it and Dora is stabbed with a paralyzing needle, narrowly avoiding death with the mononoke’s help as Hanya Gyuuki slaps him away. It takes Kusanagi expressing how he wants to keep Dora safe especially to rein his temper in, remembering how his mother wanted him to live a long life and the two ready themselves to fight again.
Ginchiyo meets up with Dora and she agrees to support him, since she still is wounded. She draws Hanya Gyuuki’s attention and Dora slashes his stinger area with Kusanagi, supposedly more vulnerable after shooting the needles. They persist when it only cuts in slightly, the pair’s bond letting them push further, seemingly dealing great damage
Ayashimon 7-10
The war that Enma Syndicate started is spreading throughout Kabukicho and while it seems Urara’s group is safe, Doppo confronts them directly. With Hashihime being threatened, Urara can’t play innocent, but Maruo attacks Doppo, who blocks easily and moves to kill Maruo, who’s excited for a real fight
Doppo’s attacks drain heat, able to even create ice and he beats Maruo down mercilessly, trying to get Urara to remember the fear he inflicted by torturing her subordinate. But before she can utilize a dagger that has her sealed power in it, Doppo recognizes she’s Kioh’s daughter, telling his men to shoot her. Maruo intervenes, saying this is the best fight he’s had and he won’t give up just yet.
Maruo is beaten senseless by Doppo, not wanting to give up, truly emulating shounen manga protagonists. Ten manages to grab the knife storing Urara’s power and unsheathes it, showing her true form as she plans to retreat with them and get Hashihime as well.
Doppo moves to kill Urara, not caring if he draws the Onmyou Bureau’s attention. Hashihime holds him off, insisting Urara leave. She remembers when Kioh’s assistant told her how important she was as his sole daughter, explaining why he never saw her as a security measure. And Hashihime is killed, disappearing into money, as Urara gets away, her guardian standing to the last moment
4 Knights of the Apocalypse 45-48
Anne and Donny face off against Burgie and Doronach respectively, though Doronach’s Impact magic has a larger range than Donny’s Float. Sin suggests Anne take out Burgie’s staff of Four Elements, but even when she does that (thanks to Donny provoking Doronach’s Impact that sends Anne crashing into Burgie), the Mirage magic seems to turn things in Burgie’s favor. However, Anne’s ability to discern truth lets her easily see the true Burgie and defeat her in one stroke
Donny seems to have an advantage, his knife techniques slowly wearing Doronach down, but his Impact pushes Donny back again. Sin advises Donny to view his magic more broadly and the Float turns out to be Telekinesis, throwing Doronach into a tree. But even that doesn’t beat him and Fiddich appears, having grabbed the piece of the Coffin of Darkness at some point, ready to finish off everyone
Fiddich wounds Donny, realizing he has to see what he moves with Telekinesis and then heals the other Dark Talismans, including Elgin with an incantation orb. And Percival manages to encourage everyone to not give up, his magic empowered enough to fight back. But when the group splits up, the Dark Talismans all target Sin, seen as the commander by Fiddich. ‘
It seems like Sin accepts his fate, but when he’s attacked by Fiddich, he speedily takes out Elgin, Burgie and Doronach, the last beaten with sheer hand to hand combat prowess rather than precise arrows (the same that took out a familiar many chapters ago). And we see that it was merely a disguise, his true form and identity Lancelot, the child of Ban and Elaine.
Dr. Stone 224-227
Senkuu is given some time to reminisce, awakening earlier than Stanley or Kohaku, Xeno understanding that Senkuu might want to savor getting to space like his father had before. The other two are depetrified soon after, enjoying space ramen and then moving to combine the parts for the advanced spacecraft for their eventual moon mission
Things go sideways as a petrified hair from Yoh that got into the circuitry makes navigating for the docking process near impossible. Thankfully there’s only a few parts left and Ryusui, who somehow snuck into the lunar lander portion, guides it into place by using himself as a sort of gyroscope to pilot it
Ryusui gives the replacement part, having apparently seen this eventuality as possible, the group arriving at the moon, where Senkuu walks first, Ryusui staying behind as captain
The group moves towards the dark spot on the moon, but Kohaku accidentally opens the capsule with the Medusa, a fake transmission sounding like Senkuu tricking her. The Medusa then activates, but Ryusui and others seem to have pieced together who Why Man is
My Hero Academia 339-341
It seems like Hatsume isn’t even aware of things, but she reveals her focus has been on improving the evacuation mechanisms that have been installed, offering her assistance to repair Deku and Iida’s equipment as best she can. While Deku and Class 1-A start a search party, over in Kansai, All Might and other Heroes discuss info for a separate battle that could change the course of the overall war
We learn that the core goal is keeping Shigaraki and All For One’s bodies apart (not aware that they’re melding, dramatic irony!), as well as take out the other collaborators, like Dabi and Himiko. Elsewhere, Aoyama, also part of the plan to deal with All For One, is told by Aizawa that they will technically use him, but unlike All For One, will guarantee his safety. And Shinsou is also likely to be tasked with a mission in this final battle.
Himiko and Dabi stop by her childhood home, Dabi wondering if she really will stick with the League of Villains’ goals as they are. And the promise of being able to use Twice’s blood tells us that, like with Ochako’s Quirk, she can use Twice’s Double because of their deep bond. And elsewhere, Shigaraki is still recovering, Spinner told by All For One to utilize the influence he has on the common people to push Mutant types to start a new revolution against society
Fire Force 296-299
Shinra endures the attacks of Haumea, saying hope is stronger than despair. Any attempts to sway him don’t work, Haumea eventually merging with the Evangelist to become her own new form to emphasize humanity’s consensus of despair will win out, especially with the devastation of Adolla around them
Even with Haumea trying to attack with black flames and make Shinra surrender to despair, he overpowers her, manifesting fire flowers, even the whale from Vulcan’s workshop that was a reflection of his desire to bring back extinct wildlife. And after a massive blast is fired by Haumea, Shinra blocks it and the resulting explosion after tossing the ball of energy creates an atmosphere, dispersing the black flames
The earth is beginning to become blue again, but Haumea lashes out, claiming Shinra is a devil and that he doesn’t understand how weak people have to struggle with despair, while he’s strong and managed to push past it (accused of killing his family). But moreso than that, she says he is a god, being able to reform the world as he sees fit, but doesn’t see how this is not solving the despair itself
Shinra still persists and recreates the entire world and everyone, even those who were dead for a time, like Benimaru’s father and the nuns who died in the fire, even the first Infernal we saw, reunited with his daughter along with his wife who became an Infernal as well.
One Piece 1036-1038
We see Zoro is victorious, while the others struggle to stop Onigashima from crashing into the capital or exploding in midair. Usopp can’t take the Wano culture seriously with their fixation on death as honorable for pursuit of a greater purpose, assisted by Izo. Yamato bursts into the storage area to try and get the gunpowder away, while Cipher Pol 0 is taking out opponents it can to try and let Kaido and Big Mom win. But Luffy’s fight with Kaidou is reaching a peak, uncertain who could win at the moment.
Luffy and Kaidou continue trading blows, Kaidou getting drunk actually a boon to his strength, but Luffy still managing to match him well. And the Five Elders of the World Government are planning to use the fight in Wano to eliminate anything inconvenient to their plot.
Izo briefly runs into CP0, who says they’ll let them go for now, focusing on the Straw Hats. Zolo is near death, seeing a vision of the Grim Reaper due to the backlash from Chopper’s revival medicine.. And Law, along with Kid, both persist in spite of Big Mom’s power, to stop her from getting to the roof, while we see Yamato desperately trying to stop the fire from getting to the explosives.
Black Clover 318-321
Asta tries to attack Lucifero, but all he manages to do is slightly cut the supreme devil’s finger. Lucifero punches Asta away and he can barely stand back up, but Mereoleona, Fuegoleon, Roselei, Rill, Nozel, Jack and Dorothy all stand alongside him, inspired by his endurance and persistence
Lucifero’s power is overwhelming and he’s disgusted at the attempts to even fight someone of his strength. But they persist and Asta moves to attack the Devil King from behind
Asta manages to slash off a horn, infuriating Lucifero, who not only beats him senseless, but defeats the other Magic Knight captains easily. But before he can finish off Asta, Yuno saves him, Mimosa healing him in the meantime as the Spade Kingdom prince prepares to fight
While Yuno fights Lucifero, unable to pierce his armor like skin, Mereoleona comes back to assist. Mimosa continues to heal Asta, but he gets up, still determined to fight, while Sekke realizes how far Asta’s come and that he should’ve followed his example