MSR January 2023

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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New series added to Shonen Jump vault, from Shonen Jump +, Jiangshi X by Norihiko Kurazono, features Daoshi, who face Jiangshi, monsters created by ancient lost arts. In a nod to Naruto, our three leads are tricked into actually showing their morals instead of leaving one of their number to die from a poisonous wound (actually a numbing poison, the whole thing orchestrated). The Jiangshi have levels of power up to 8 and the lore has me interested, given it has more Chinese folk medicine aspects to it, but not sure how popular it’ll be or if it’ll eventually go on hiatus like Ghost Reaper Girl still is since sometime mid 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Trigger 229-230

 

Osamu’s plan involves trying to get images of the questions for the video problems, so the team can then look at it as a group to maximize getting the correct answers and thus get more points. They even share it with Wakamura’s squad at Yoko’s suggestion. They even learn that Yoko’s Omni Penchant skill has more applications than thought. We see that Rokuta is worried about dragging down the squad, having difficulty with parallel processing, but her squad mate let the captain know ahead of time and they offer assistance.

 

 

 

The battle sims start, the final grouping overall, and Osamu’s squad pulls out a draw and a loss, Kitazoe’s squad using a tactic Hana suggested that devastated them. But Katori is only more encouraged, saying they can’t give up yet, Osamu agreeing

 

 

Fabricant 100 5-7

 

Ashibi and No. 100 are taken to the headquarters of Mort-safe, Ashibi overhearing Luka discuss with No. 100 how the real source of the issue is No. 1, the doctor’s assistant who facilitates the other Fabricants to get more human body parts and stitch them together. And No. 100 clearly states she wants No. 1’s help to get Ashibi’s parts, which suggests the deal is more to her advantage. Ashibi agrees to join Mort-safe, but asks they allow No. 100 in as well, to learn more about her

 

 

 

The leader of Mortsafe agrees to let No. 100 in, but only if Ashibi and her take on a mission to kill Roxy, a Fabricant who uses a beautiful voice to lure people in and kill them at a theater

 

Ashibi and No. 100 investigate the singer and disappearances of people who’ve seen her perform. Sneaking into the performance by infiltrating as an actor, they discover Roxy isn’t the Fabricant, but a young boy, who she has an agreement with so they can perform with the specialized voice, Roxy agreeing to give her body to the Fabricant

 

 

 

Tokyo Demon Bride Story 18-20

 

After learning more about the Homuru Nagi, able to seal spirits in a ball (the mummy in the underground area likely affected too), the group heads out to a ramen place with a bizarre name. The owner, equally odd in his signature ramen dish, his late wife’s recipe, is revealed to have sinister intent, drugging the dish, only Keroru not affected and left alone to fight

 

 

 

Keroru fights back, managing to deal lethal damage, but the ramen shop owner is able to regenerate. Thankfully, Kaido, a classmate of Manaka’s, arrives and seemingly kills the “immortal” spirit. She explains about the organization, Saishiren, that she’s a part of (and Jinta’s grandfather was also in), guarding the border of the spirit and human world. But Jinta refuses her offer and she kisses him (likely to force his hand?), which clearly shakes Manaka

 

We learn Kaido is actually an amalgamation of spirits, assigning them a saishi mission, which they manage to clear, defeating a group of fishmen planning to attack humans. Kaido gives them a badge to recognize them as part of the organization and reveals to Manaka the same person who hired the Usakawa Sisters hired Tanukiyo, a mysterious person whose name is left unknown for now

 

 

 

4 Knights of the Apocalypse 90-92

 

Guinivere arrives at Camelot, telling Ironside of his final moments, which convinces him to leave her to her own devices. She manages to sneak into an area, seeing Arthur talking with Merlin about something. Meanwhile, Ironside meets with his son (another one?), Diodra, who’s sickly, but maintains some health in Camelot, promising he will defeat the Apocalypse Knights

 

 

 

We see some flashbacks of Ironside, his wife perishing as he took her and Diodra to Camelot, the knight heading out on another mission. Meanwhile, Guinivere continues to tease Arthur, even warning him that if he tries to go against the fate she tells him of Lancelot and the others in Wallnack’s festival coming up soon, something terrible may occur. But the king, destroying an illusion of Merlin (a glamer over a fairy corpse), sends his forces to the inn she tells him about, only wanting to exploit her Kaleidoscope magic

 

 

 

 

 

The group arrives at Wallnack, getting the arrangement Guinivere explained, the 3 girls together, while the boys do rock-paper-scissors to decide the remaining arrangements for 3 rooms left, 2 for 3 people and 1 person left alone. Lancelot was originally intended, but a rematch leads Tristan to be the one left with someone else, a buxom woman coming onto him. Also, two Camelot knights are nearby, planning to take out our heroes.

 

 

 

My Hero Academia 377-379

 

Skeptic has hacked the systems keeping the island afloat and Kurogiri bringing in Toga has rendered Erasure ineffective on Shigaraki, who’s gained control back from All For One. But while things seem bad, La Brava offers her support in facing down Skeptic’s hacking with her own skills 

 

 

 

La Brava occupies Skeptic, but the island continues to plummet while he escapes, found by other Heroes, including the Shiketsu students. It’s Gentle who comes in to save the day, his Quirk able to stop the giant mass with an elastic cushion of air. And Lady Nagant blasts off Shigaraki’s hand so it doesn’t make contact with the ground, Tsukauchi telling his allies they need to recognize the humanity of even Villains

 

Nagant fires another round, seemingly on her last legs, but wanting to help Deku after he placed his trust in her as a Hero. We see that Shigaraki actually was being crafty in hiding himself deep in All For One, taking back control from his master, in spite of that dual identity he still has, as Tenko Shimura before and Shigaraki Tomura now. He and Deku square off as the island is still in mid crash

 

 

One Piece 1071-1073

 

As Kuma continues towards wherever he’s heading (possibly to help Vegapunk?), we see CP0 trying to get to Vegapunk as well, Lucci not caring about Luffy’s status as an Emperor. Vegapunk requests to go on the Straw Hat’s ship with all 6 of the Satellites. CP0 manages to get in when the Frontier Dome briefly deactivates (outside interference?), Kaku fighting Zoro, while we see Bonney still trying to get Vegapunk to help Kuma, which he refuses. Meanwhile, we see Kidd is heading to Elbaph and Garp has moved independently to rescue Koby from Blackbeard

 

 

 

Kuma continues to travel towards presumably Egghead Island as we see Bonney interrogate Vegapunk, de-aged with her Devil Fruit’s powers. Kuma’s memories are in a room, Bonney knowing it’s not pain like Vegapunk tells her. The Seraphim attack the lab along with CP0, Zoro facing Kaku. But Stussy, revealed to be a clone of a Rocks pirate crew member, sedates Kaku, planning to do so to Lucci as well

 

 

 

Stussy knocks Lucci unconscious as well, revealed as a spy for Vegapunk. The Seraphim are stopped by Edison, the group moving to head out. Meanwhile, Weevil stops the World Government from abusing its power on the people of Sphinx Village, where Whitebeard supposedly hid treasure. But he’s captured by Ryokugyu offscreen, and Weevil’s mother, the original Buckingham Stussy, of the Rocks Pirates, begs Marco to help, while Kizaru talks with Jerrygarcia Saturn of the Five Elders

 

 

 

Black Clover 347-349

 

Lily and Heath combine their magic to deal a solid blow to the Ryuzen Seven, though Ichika is especially affected by an illusionary magic. And when it shows that she may have been the one to slaughter the Sukehiro clan instead of Yami himself, she freezes, only saved when Asta arrives

 

 

 

Asta defeats the illusion created by Yrul, having found his motivation to continue on, to get stronger to protect others. And because he doesn’t have the talent others do, that reinforces his need to persist in the face of trouble. He defeats Yrul, noted to have used a Zetten that has the advantage of antimagic, able to counter any spell as long as he sees when it’s cast

 

 

 

Sister Lily attacks, trying to kill Asta while insisting she meant to kill him before. But it becomes clear Lucius’ brainwashing is primarily repressing her true feelings and care for Asta. He deals a solid blow to her, hoping it’ll break the hypnosis