MSR April 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

Black Clover will be on a break for the next 3 months and the final arc will be starting when it returns

 

 

World Trigger 221-222

 

Kitora talks to Azuma about how she feels her answer was lacking, but he points out she and Ema, who actually answered the question instead of him, are likely being challenged as the younger generation to improve themselves and not be overly critical of themselves, playing to their strengths. Taichi, meanwhile, is despondent, since he’s not doing well in the battle sim and feels he can’t help in the special assignments either, while Kageura and Inukai bicker about how to address these decisions. Kakizaki says he chose the members for more than just the battle phase. And Mizukami is told by Fumika that they need to consider why their team is doing so much better in the simulation battles.

 

 

 

Mizukami’s behavior is suspicious to Fumika and he’s pulled aside by Yuka, thinking that he needs to be upfront if he’s hiding something from the squad. He insists that they’re getting results and that’s more important, the issue left to him as captain anyway, Yuka and Arafune potentially taking over if need be. Meanwhile, Fumika is assured that her reliance on proverbs might be limiting, but that she should trust her judgment in this unfamiliar situation. Yuba is dealing with his own insecurities, just wanting everyone to pull their own weight and not get special treatment. And Osamu discusses Mizukami’s performance, Oki speculating that Mizukami may be doing the battle sims solo

 

 

Doron Dororon c17-20

 

We see that the strategy involves Touma tanking hits while Dora and Kusanagi “merge” to increase their supernatural energy and strength. It’s difficult, even second stage pushing Dora’s body, and Touma is defeated, but they reach third stage and defeat Tameemon with a powerful slash.

 

Meanwhile, Heisuke is cornered by Kanbeh, Hidehisa and Yoshihime, but their overconfidence is their undoing in part, only Kanbeh left as the other two are killed by Heisuke’s supernatural blade, the mononoke unleashing a powerful technique seemingly intended to take out the samurai officer

 

Ujii collapses, barely surviving Kanbeh's suicide attack, but he recalls seeing him before, theorizing clone abilities. Dora is seen in a new light with Kusanagi's help and we see Kanbeh has survived, a mole in the Samurai officers working for him, and Dora having a secret admirer in the corps

 

Dora is requested to go on patrol with Naotora Kamiizumi, who Kusanagi deduces after a time has a crush on Dora. She’s encouraged by Dora to not be so shy and hang out with them, since she was inspired by his persistence and returned to duty after failing on a mission.  But when an aquatic mononoke attacks, she reveals she’s actually incredibly strong, one of the samurai officers, same as Heisuke

 

 

 

Ayashimon 18-21

 

Kotton explains how Kioh wanted to unite all the youkai and ayashimon in Japan under an organization, to make things better. But Doppo somehow manipulated the will to have him be the successor and his plans continued to this day. The next logical person to recruit, Rokurogi of Ayakashi B Stars, is unfortunately killed by one of Doppo’s associates, Club Undine. 

 

Elsewhere, Kotton takes Maruo to get training from Ozunu, who says that Maruo can’t hit Doppo as he is, because he’s only hitting the superficial body, but needs to hit the more subtle body, referencing a Dharmic concept of Three Bodies. Maruo isn’t making progress, but after realizing he needs to visualize the problem better, he manages to get the hang of it when saving a boy from a burning building.

 

Urara, Ten and Wakku infiltrate Undine Club, learning that Doppo has initiated a hostile takeover. Unfortunately Wakku and some other Todoroki members are killed, Kori Hotels approaching Kotton to arrange a meeting 

 

 

 

Kotton goes to meet with Tamagawa of Kori Hotels with Urara and Ten. But Tamagawa’s offer is simply for Todoroki Alliance to leave Kanto entirely while Kori Hotels will become legitimate after severing ties with the Enma Syndicate. Urara refuses and Tamagawa has human exorcists start a ritual to seal them. And unfortunately, the nature of the hotel building is revealed as well, Gyobu Danuki’s scrotum transformed so they can’t escape. Maruo and Oboro are approached by Inari of Kori Hotels, exposing her kitsune disguise with Urara’s telepathic communication, heading off to save their friends

 

 

 

4 Knights of the Apocalypse 56-59

 

Tristan heals Anne and the others, finding Chion’s injury isn’t affected by his Goddess clan powers. But Percival manages to restore the withered arm, Tristan confused about Chion and Isolde’s behavior in regards to why they attacked Percival to begin with. But we learn Tristan is in fact an Apocalypse Knight as well as Lancelot. However, the final candidate that Tristan brought back has run away for some reason

The 4th knight, Gawain, is simply described by Tristan as wearing white armor with gold trim, never having taken it off during the journey. Percival notes he blacked out during his transformation and use of demonic powers, brought back by his friends. Anne claims that Chion was lying, aware that Percival was one of the 4 Knights. And while everyone heads out to try to find Gawain, Bartra conveys a new prophecy, saying that while the knights will come together, a traitor in the kingdom and an assassin of Arthur’s kingdom will throw things into disarray again.

 

We see Chion, as hinted before, is the traitor, attacking Gawain, while a mysterious person is challenged by Pelio, a Ruby Holy Knight, the seemingly brawny fighter having some magic that takes Pelio offguard. And Lancelot is approached by a mysterious black haired girl, seemingly related to the vision he had on the mountain, the maiden claiming to be his lover.

 

Lancelot is still confused about how the girl knows so much, since she doesn’t have the power of reading minds, but claims to have asked him before, yet this is supposedly the first time they’ve met (and she’s rapidly aging?). She reveals her name is Guinivere as she leaves him with Gawain’s location. But it turns out the person in armor captured by Chion is a trainee who found the armor abandoned, while the true Gawain is seemingly the brawler before. And Percival’s group finds him, shocked to learn he’s actually Pellegarde (an alias for Gawain or a misdirect?)

 

 

 

My Hero Academia 350-351

 

We see that Dabi was brought back to life, but was severely weakened. When he saw how his family had moved on, that anger and hatred kept him alive even as his body was slowly dying over the years, his power growing but likely never getting to where it was before and burning his own flesh. Dabi plans to kill everything Endeavor loves to make a mark on the world, his body now immolated nearly with the immense heat he produces for his Flashfire Fist

 

 

Dabi and Shoto’s clash has the older brother berating shoto’s weakness, too dependent on others, which contrasts with Dabi using others to motivate him, particularly Endeavor, but also Shoto in pushing himself to his utmost limits. But Shoto has developed a countermove, Phosphor Flashfire Fist, seemingly to take down Dabi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Piece 1045-1047

 

Luffy’s power is showcased, but it still seems like he has an upper limit that Kaido notes. In spite of this, Luffy unleashes his power for one last ditch effort and appears to defeat Kaido finally

 

 

Kaido is still standing, Luffy reading another attack (a lightning bolt) as the flames spread, Jinbe trying to extinguish them by combining efforts with Raizo’s ninjutsu to form a mass of water and his Fishman Jiujutsu throwing it.

 

Momonosuke, inspired by remembering how difficult it was for his mother to send him and others into the future, pushes to try and stop Onigashima from falling on the Flower Capital. Luffy continues fighting Kaidou, who says that the reliance on abilities ignores how Roger conquered the seas without abilities, merely his Haki (ambition). The samurai are willing to die if it means Kaidou is beaten by Luffy and Orochi is looming on Hiyori, the seaprism nail knocked loose. Luffy has formed a massive fist to defeat Kaidou (finally?), but tells Momonosuke to move Onigashima or he’ll smash right through it

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Clover 328-331

 

Lucifero tries attacking Asta, but as we see Licita telling Liebe how she still loves her son she had to give up for his own safety, Asta, enraged as the Devil King calls his mother worthless, cuts him down in a few strikes, seemingly defeating him. 

 

 

Asta and Liebe are pressed down, Lucifero’s fury unleashing his gravity magic, even starting to regenerate in spite of only being at half power by his own admission. But Nacht and Yami appear, supporting Asta, Yuno also offering help for his rival to strike down Lucifero as Adrammelech congratulates them on their victory.

 

Lucifero’s heart is torn out by Adrammelech as he flees. And it seems Yami and Nacht are near death, but thanks to Charmy's arrival with Vanessa and Rouge's help, Mimosa is able to heal them, Yami giving Asta his new katana

While Yuno discovers his mother is alive and says he may return to the Spade Kingdom, both he and Asta vow to become the Wizard King. But Damnatio happens upon a major reveal with Julius, actually Lucius Zogratis, the 4th sibling of the family that took over Spade Kingdom, and seemingly linked not only to Astaroth the Time Devil, but also Adrammelech as well, the devil arriving.