This edition of K-ON!! presents the female presentation on how hair is critical to appearance. Honestly, I thought Yui’s cut was cute and it gave her a refreshing young look, just as the girls said themselves. However, given the option, I would’ve preferred Yui not cut it and actually just leave it out, maybe make it longer, or have it brushed to give her the mature style from “Listen!!” This was just another step in the road to womanhood for Yui and that’s another obstacle tackled. Other highlights of the episode were Ui’s looking like Yui again (Maybe Yui should put her hair up like Ui’s?), the photo session in the light music clubroom, the return of Ritsu bangs, and Yui’s dislike for bare foreheads (sorry, Ritsu). Though Yui actually didn’t look half bad with the Ritsu look. You think maybe the girls would consider changing hairdos more often? Mio’s always had that princess cut sort of hair, so I think switching to something such as parting the hair to one side would be pretty hot.

I know this is coming off of 4koma and all, but the subplot of some of the girls’ application stuff was kinda just there to fill in for the rest of the time. It just seemed to me like the girls were just gonna forget what university is good as long as they’re together. I was a bit surprised that even Mio decide to turn down her recommendation. I suppose Azusa and her colleagues will follow. Not a spectacular episode, but it was simply charming, and it was great to see the more feminine side of the girls aside from the elegance of eating cake and drinking tea.

Naruto – Ch. 507

Leon: Was I the only one who laughed at Guy screaming “ROAR, YOUTH!!!”? I refuse to believe so. It goes without saying that the opening pages were pretty epic and I’m happy that Guy overcame Kisame’s massive chakra. I guess that’s one big victory for youthful taijutsu over an abundance of ninjutsu. That green aura/sweat thing was pretty damn hilarious too. I’m sure it doesn’t smell pleasant at all. Anyway, Kisame is captured and as a result gets drilled for information. Of course the most important part of the information, that is Madara’s face, is cut before we get to see it. What is up with all the secrecy of his face? Is he seriously someone we’ve seen before? I guess that will have to wait yet again while Kisame makes one last attempt to fight or escape. I’m sure he’s going to die though.

Youko: Kisame’s huge chakra doesn’t lie. He’s been around for so long up until this battle, where he might have to finally say goodbye. It’s really good that there’s now more of his background. That test Kisame took where he had to kill his comrades? This goes back to the Mist’s sick and twisted ninja shit, and is exactly or similar to the test Zabuza took, where he also had to kill his friends. Hidden Village of the Bloody Mist, indeed. What’s more surprising is that the Third Mizukage was controlled by Madara, perhaps this whole time? What the heck? Well it makes sense that Madara would be able to, but how he got a hold of the Mizukage is another story. Something tells Madara also played a plan in getting a hold of the Third Kazekage as well (or maybe it was just Sasori).

Bleach – Ch. 417

Leon: Ichigo returns with an epic mullet and a chain around his right arm. Oh snap! Not only that but he’s super calm. What can this mean? Of course this means he has achieved the next level of super saiyan. Wait that’s wrong. He’s achieved the next level beyond shinigami and hollow. Whatever that is. Apparently he’s not putting out any sort of reiatsu reading either so that is pretty weird. I was honestly laughing at how he pretty much gave Aizen FIVE fingers to the face and slammed him into the ground. It looks like serious business is about to go down finally with Ichigo vs. Aizen. Has Aizen finally run out of ‘keikaku doori/just as planned’?

Youko: Well, Leon got it just right. Ichigo has attained his “Super Saiyan” state as his normal form. Just like in Dragon Ball, Goku and Gohan train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to sustain their SSJ forms in a normal matter. Now Ichigo has done the same as he keeps his reiatsu non-existent. What does the scouter say about his power level?! Anyway, Ichigo says he’ll finish this in an instant? Like, in five chapters of an instant? Well, whatever it is, he better finish Aizen off already because then this training would be for naught.

One Piece – Ch. 597

Leon: Zoro was the last of the crew members to be shown declaring “getting stronger”. It looks like he’s going to be getting some pretty awesome skills now that he’s training with Hawkeye. Luffy will be training with Rayleigh and learning all about Haki. It’s about time he started to be trained in it and I can barely imagine how strong he’ll be once he can control all three forms. The biggest shock in the chapter though was easily the revelation of the two year time skip. Oda you sly dog! I can’t begin to imagine how much everyone is going to grow in that amount of time. I’m also looking forward to seeing their older versions. The only bad thing about this is that the manga is going on a four week hiatus. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Katekyou Hitman Reborn! – Ch. 303

Leon: Ugh. I should have figured that something along the lines of “travel the island and fight us one-on-one” was going to take place. I guess it’s the only way for Tsuna and the others to have a fighting chance since they can’t use Yamamoto, Chrome, and even Lambo at the moment. If it remains that way then that means someone will have to fight at least twice. Even so I’m still holding out for Yamamato showing up at the last second to fight the bastard that took advantage of their friendship.

Bakuman – Ch. 98

Youko: What an immensely awesome chapter. It’s so awesome I accidentally skipped the previous chapter and read this one first! But anyway, stealing the Jump cover and have color pages made this one really fun. I loved how everyone was cosplaying as characters from their respective manga. I had no idea they all fit in so well too. I know I’ve said before that Iwase was kinda “meh” but after her flashback and her interaction with Shujin I’ve grown to like her more. Those expressions on her face were just so melting. This whole rivalry thing has become a major element in this manga, but having strong competition is what drives everyone to make the best manga. It was great to see the end of the PCP’s current story arc. I think PCP’s going to do fine until they notice something off. Lastly, happy 2nd anniversary for Bakuman.!

Leon: I’ve got to agree with Youko about the color cover. It was pretty awesome seeing each mangaka cosplay the characters of their respective series. It was a great lead-in to the color page with Iwase. It’s no secret that I’ve always liked her and it’s great to see her level up even more now that she and Shuujin have reconfirmed their rivalry. Thanks to that he was able to come up with a different ending to the PCP story arc that reinforces the idea of rivalry. There’s nothing better than strong competition after all because that’s what drives people to do their absolute best in whatever they do. Also I had no idea it’s already been two years since Bakuman started. Time sure does fly so congrats Obata and Ohba!

Beelzebub – Ch. 74

Leon: Okay, I’m just getting annoyed by these Teimou morons now. It’s pretty obvious that they don’t have a chance if Oga and all the other Ishiyama crew including the Six Horsemen were to fight them. Of course, the only reason they can stink up the place is because of the whole expulsion thing looming over their heads. Thankfully it looks as if Oga has had enough of their crap now that they’ve decided to try and attack Miki. Speaking of which, we get to finally see why Oga did what he did to Miki in the past: to save him from being tormented by Kiriya because they were moving to the same area. The power of friendship succeeds again!

Medaka Box – Ch. 56-57

Leon: I’m so confused. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. It doesn’t help things either than pretty much 90% of the things Kumagawa says makes no sense. Even so the only thing that matters from all the garbage he was spouting is that he wants to destroy all of the elites/abnormals so that the world can be “equal”. That sure does make a lot of sense! His abnormality, whatever it may be, is pretty crazy too. He pierces people with huge screws and yet is also capable of healing them. Well whatever. It seems a new class “Minus 13″ is being created and he and Shiranui are going to be apart of it. Huh, I never figured she’d throw herself headfirst onto the antagonist side. Now I just have to wait and see what Medaka and the others will do about the latest developments. Lastly, happy one year anniversary Medaka Box!

Hajime no Ippo – Ch. 903-905

Gene: This fight so far has been following Morikawa’s usual formula: one guy gets an obvious edge first which is completely overturned later. But nonetheless this pretty entertaining especially for an Itagaki match. Plus it’s been a while since I’ve seen a match that wasn’t fucking retarded. There are a few pretty interesting ideas that have been presented such as Karasawa’s slow-down plan and him putting his pride at the side for the sake of victory. But the point that caught me the most was Karasawa’s comment on Itagaki’s smugness. I actually do agree with him on that as it was already portrayed in this match, but oh boy I would have loved to seen his reaction up against Woli. Now that is one smug motherfucker you just want to beat down. Also holy crap, I know this is a speed battle, but around 5 chapters for a single round?

Leon: If there is one thing that stuck out for me during these three chapters is that Itagaki could use a blow to his ego. Karasawa noticed that he was being smug and was too concerned about the passage of time. Of course he promptly shifted gears which, surprisingly, meant he slowed down and from there only sped up his punches when he needed to hit Itagaki. Pretty tricky stuff. The end result is that Itagaki now has a possibly broken fist and has failed in beating Ippo’s time versus Karasawa. I have no idea what he’s going to do next with the messed up position he’s in now.

FAIRY TAIL – Ch. 197

Leon: The brief fight between Natsu and Mystgun was mostly hilarious but it was quickly turned into a somewhat tearful goodbye. The entire chapter really was a mass goodbye from everyone from Earth and even the Eksheed because the reverse anima pretty much kicked them out since they contain magic within them. It’s sad stuff that they’ll never be able to see each other again but they (Earthlings) can at least be rest assured that Mystgun will lead the people to greatness.

Kimi no Iru Machi – Ch. 102

Gene: Now this is a pleasant surprise. Mishima goes out and declares that she likes Haruto out of the blue. Well she tried to confuse him with that “in a lot of ways” line, but Haruto isn’t that dense. Well he probably is, but still it was a nice scene. I wasn’t expecting this moment yet given how tsundere Mishima is, but I suppose biker bro’s death had an impact on people in more ways than one. Another thing I’m pleased with in this chapter is that Haruto has given up on Eba for the time being (because we all know he hasn’t actually given up yet). This leaves way for possible pairings that won’t make people rage. For now. Becuase I know Eba is going to come back and shit will hit the drama fan again. And I’ll try to enjoy this manga to the fullest before then.

Leon: I believe that with this chapter my enjoyment of the series will be picking up. Why is that? Well it seems that we’re finally being given a chance to see someone other than Yuzuki take up the love interest mantle. Asuka surprised me by telling Haruto “I like you” with an added “in a lot of ways”. Awesome. Like Gene mentioned, she’s always been pretty tsundere but I figured it was only a matter of time before her “dere” spilled out. Apparently Kazama’s passing and Yuzuki’s absence helped a lot with that since the two of them have been together a lot as of a late. I’m pretty sure I once said that these two would make an interesting couple and I hope that they do get together. Though I also know better than to think Yuzuki won’t be showing up again…

Cage of Eden – Ch. 46

Gene: I’d lick her cunt if you know what I mean. And with this chapter we’re brought back to the initial teaser for this arc. Akira is pretty fucked thanks to Kotomi completely losing it and I have no clue what’s going to happen from here since regrouping will prove a difficult task given the condition and circumstances he’s in. If there’s one positive thing that’s come from all of this, it’s that Kotomi is nearby, naked, and eager to fuck. When I put it that way, the situation sounds pretty good actually.

Leon: Hahaha. Kotomi has totally flipped her lid. Seeing that her “queen” status has been ruined in her mind she tried to get Akira to have sex with her and of course he refuses. Bad move on his part because now both of them have fallen into some small valley thanks to her freaking out. With this development though we know now how Akira ends up face to face with the alpha wolf. What will happen between the two? Also, what is Kotomi’s deal? Lastly, it seems like Rion did hear Akira’s “SHE’S MY WOMAN” declaration.

Naruto – Ch. 506

Leon: So the destined rivals clash once again! After some hilarious interactions of course. Both Guy and Kisame unleashed some their most powerful techniques that are absolutely crazy. These two were obviously meant to fight each other. We even get to see the Seventh Gate of Wonder in this battle! Of course that means there is only one gate left but I’m sure we won’t get to see it in this fight or ever. After all, Kishimoto wouldn’t kill off someone as awesome as Guy. Right?

Youko: So far this fight hasn’t disappointed me. Kisame has crazy chakra and Guy is just awesome as always. This third clash between the two means they’ll be showing off their best moves this time around. After the Morning Peacock, Guy shows off the 7th Gate, along with Afternoon Tiger. This can only mean that he’ll open the 8th gate and then unleash his last attack that will have “evening” and some animal in it. Despite how epic it’s looking right now, I can’t help but think that Guy will lose… or worse.

Bleach – Ch. 416

Leon: Even amongst all the recent trolling much congrats are due to Kubo for the 10 years of Bleach. As such he has stopped the trolling too! Even so I still don’t quite understand why Gin did what he did. Apparently he did it to protect Rangiku and if I’m reading it correctly then she was one of the people that Aizen used his hougyoku on in the past? Well that doesn’t matter much now since he’s pretty much dead and Ichigo has arrived to save the day. It looks like he’s going to win this one too. Why? He’s got dat mullet, yo.

Youko: Wow, 10 years of Bleach. Congrats, Kubo. But wait, we’re still dealing with Aizen? Uhmmmm… Gotta say though, the colored chapter cover looks awesome. Now from what I understand, Gin went over to Aizen’s side long ago to protect Rangiku? I’m not sure I’m following this right anymore, but that clearly doesn’t matter because Ichigo came in to save the day again. Now that he’s returned from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, I guess it’s time now for the Aizen Games arc or something.

One Piece – Ch. 596

Leon: This chapter covers Nami, Robin, Brook, Franky and Ussop. Just like Sanji they all have decided to get stronger before they meet up with Luffy again. Out of the crew members here I’m particularly looking forward to seeing how Nami and Robin will improve and what new strengths they’ll develop. I’m puzzled at how Brook will grow and the same goes for Ussop. As for Franky I’m sure he’s going to invent and build some crazy stuff. The only person left to cover is Zoro.

Katekyou Hitman Reborn! – Ch. 301-302

Leon: Looks like Vongola vs. Shimon is going to happen faster than I thought. Even so it seems as if Shimon has the advantage in numbers with Yamamoto and Chrome out of the picture at the moment. Lambo is always a wild card so I have no idea what to say regarding him. Hibari is a loner but it goes without saying that he’ll definitely be fighting (most likely Adelheid). The freaky thing about all of this though is that Vindice is present. Those guys have always been mysterious and it seems like they’re the most powerful beings in the Reborn universe. They’ve come to arrest the loser of this battle “forever”. That’s some pretty deep stuff man.

PSYREN – Ch. 131

Leon: Things have gotten even crazier with this chapter. Misura has revealed herself as being “not human”. This could mean that she’s far stronger than even Miroku at this point since she seems to have kept her true self a secret from everyone. The big question is then: Who or what exactly is she? I’m really interested in her now aside from her beauty. It looks as if we’re going to see Ageha and Amamiya show off their new powers as soon as the next chapter too.

Bakuman – Ch. 97

Youko: Now things are getting interesting. Planning out the five-chapter story arc for PCP is one thing, but the process of developing a good story wrapped up in a number of chapters is really something. Obviously to any author, the best results come from starting with the ending and working backwards. I thought this chapter actually moved pretty fast, but I didn’t mind the pace as I was more focused on Shujin’s sheer genius and inspiration to creating the password and setup for PCP. I guess you gotta give Azuki some credit too. Her quirk just happened to spark an idea in Shujin’s mind. Funny how the little things can have the most inspiration on something. Noticeably, this arc that Ashirogi is working on for PCP is very similar to Light’s plan in Death Note, what with the codes in the messages and all this “just as planned” business. Things are certainly going well for now.

Beelzebub – Ch. 73

Leon: The hell? So this Kiriya loser is the same guy that Oga owned in the past? I didn’t realize it at all for some reason. Oh well. It seems that he’s brought a ton of guys with him to take on Oga but it looks as if he’s still a failure. He must be after Baby Beel kicked him in the head and made him a laughing stock. What I don’t understand though is why Izuma didn’t block his blow with the mic or just super punched him.

Medaka Box – Ch. 53-55

Leon: Medaka Box continues to amaze me. While I was reading these three chapters it felt as if I was reading at least six. I don’t know if it was because of the crazy explanations or the crazy fights but it seemed as if I was lost in a void for a bit. That’s not really a bad thing but I’m left wondering “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?”. Oudo has been defeated by Medaka who has basically become a god and now everyone has become the best of friends. BUT WAIT! Suddenly there’s a new evil that appears and apparently his weapon of choice is…a screw. Apparently it’s the guy she met once in the past. Why the hell did he appear out of nowhere?

By far the best episode out of this season and for a number of reasons. About 89% of the entire episode was devoted to HTT’s on-stage performance and MCs (courtesy of Yui). After Mio’s cute palm-gobble, it was time to see what I’ve been anticipating for so long: a performance with animation on the instruments, no PV a la “Fuwafuwa Time.” Little did I know that HTT was performing two new songs alongside “Fuwafuwa Time” and animating both segments to my satisfaction. It also sounded like a live concert, but maybe it’s the acoustics?

Now aside from the “OMG KyoAni actually showed them playing the instruments” bit, it was a blast how it felt like the girls were at their own live concert. Sawa-chan did a great job with the tees. Making enough to give to the audience to wear while HTT perform? That’s genius and dedicated work on her part, and this is coming from a teacher who makes her students cosplay. I wouldn’t mind having a shirt like that either just because it’s HTT. Another really cool part of the performance was when these guys were holding up their cell phones as glow sticks and waving them back and forth (they had better be on Manner Mode because otherwise that would be just rude). Yui’s MCs may have felt a little draggy, but that’s what MCs are for, and it’s a great thing to do to lighten up the mood and feel comfortable with the crowd. Besides, this is HTT’s last performance together so I say they should take advantage of their timeslot however they want. In the end, we got to see two really great performances.

“Gohan wa Okazu” was a nice song (RIP Bice) and I was very glad they actually used this song after the other girls rejected Yui’s lyrics. “Ichi, ni, san, shi, GO-HA-N!” I also like the part of the lyrics that mention Kansai people. Some good humor in the song. “U&I” was another Yui song and this one I felt was a stronger song mostly because the lyrics were sweet and felt very genuine (though Pure Pure Heart was like that too and I enjoyed that), coming from Yui and all. Yes, it was about for Ui but it’s one of those songs that everyone can enjoy. No strange lyrics (not bashing Mio’s interesting lyrics) but being simple is nice. I dunno, maybe HTT should have more songs about food?

After the performance it became just a tearjerker moment when the girls started to cry, for better or for worse. Mugi was particularly adorable here. It was their last performance together and they did a great job. The days are just gonna fly by fast, but for the moment, these girls are all companions and hopefully after the four seniors graduate they can continue playing as a band with Azusa. Incidentally, Azusa remained to be the only one to keep her composure, though that’s kinda obvious since she’s not the one who will be leaving soon. In any case, I enjoyed this sentimental moment.

Ah, Romeo and Juliet. This play has been done to death in all shows that it’s become a cliché. K-ON!! does the same thing with an obvious twist in that the school is all-girls and it’s Mio and Ritsu who are playing the roles. By this point anyone should realize this isn’t gonna be an episode about practicing and whatnot. No, this is purely a school play. That being said, it wasn’t that bad of an episode, but the play did speed up a bit quickly. I didn’t mind since I’m here mainly to see the girls play songs, but for those Mitsu fans they got served a lot. So just how many fics transpired after this happened? Anyway, I felt it was unnecessary that they just happened to have forgotten about Juliet’s tombstone, and the girls had to go borrow the one from the occult club. It was for about three minutes and it was resolved so there was no real point in putting that in except to extend time. Admittedly though, I loved seeing Yui play a tree and a bush. I was bored so I made a Gaijin 4koma outta this.

I did enjoy what very little was shown of the school grounds at night. Normally, a festival like this is seen only during certain traditional festivals in the summer like Obon, but seeing a school festival during the night was a little special. Needless to say, next episode is full of massive wonders.

I’ve always wanted to talk about the manga I read that’s outside the blog’s weekly Jump and Magazine entries, but I didn’t really want to commit to taking random manga on or just jumbling them all up into one post. And I thought it would be a good change of pace to talk about something other than shounen shit for once. And so this is the best solution that I came up with. In this 3-part post, I’m going to go down my reading list and talk about the manga I read and why I read them. I’m mostly a shounenfag (like 70% of the stuff I read is shounen), but I don’t restrict myself to that alone of course. There’s seinen, shoujo, yaoi, and all sorts of good stuff out there. This post also includes the series I already cover in KzI’s weekly manga entries so you’ll see all the familiar titles if you follow those. Also note I don’t read Bleach or Naruto so don’t ask. You can pretty much guess on anybody’s comments towards those anyway.

Amanchu! by Amano Kozue Serialized in Comic Blade | Chapters: 18+ Genres: Slice of life, comedy From the creator of Aria, Amano’s latest work is Amanchu and this is an easy recommend if you are a fan of Aria. Everything is here from the subtle dialogue, the vivid scenery, the warm characters, and yes, the muppet faces. This time around though, instead of gondolas we’ve got scuba diving in a realistic modern setting. Yes, on Earth. If you’re not an Aria fan, then this definitely isn’t for you as it’s basically more of the same. However, if you’re new to Amano’s works, I think you should give this one a try. You may start to see things in life a bit differently then how you used to. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Bakuman by Ohba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi Serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump | Chapters: 98+ Genres: Slice of life, comedy A manga about making manga. Well it had to happen eventually. And while I can’t say anything about its realism, Bakuman does a damn good job of pulling its readers in. The manga is pretty dialogue heavy for a shounen manga, but that isn’t a turnoff in any way because the dialogue is genuinely pretty interesting and it’s what moves the characters and plot along. There’s usually a sense of satisfaction I feel after reading a Bakuman chapter because it takes longer to get through than the regular Jump chapter. But it never feels too long and will usually have me wanting more. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Beelzebub by Tamura Ryuuhei Serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump | Chapters: 74+ Genres: Action, comedy Beelzebub was something I picked on a whim with Medaka Box when looking to expand our weekly Jump entries. And after a chapter or two I was instantly hooked. While the manga is battle-oriented, Beelzebub’s best charm is its humor. I’ve had a lot of laugh out loud moments with the manga, and the character interactions are one of the funniest I’ve seen in Jump. The baby demon premise is bizarre and works well with the delinquent setting, making Yu Yu Hakusho fans feel right at home. The manga doesn’t do anything new or amazing, but it’s definitely a fun read. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Berserk by Miura Kentarou Serialized in Young Animal | Chapters: 315+ Genres: Action, fantasy, horror Berserk is one of my earlier entries into seinen manga and it’s still probably one of my best that I’ve read. The manga is set in a very gruesome dark fantasy world (almost medieval-ish) and accompanied by incredibly detailed artwork (one of the best I’ve seen in manga) and well-crafted storytelling and characters, Berserk is an obvious staple to mature manga fans. The only fault is the constant hiatuses. It’s partly due to how consistent the art is despite its high quality. The other part can be blamed on the author’s addiction to iDOLM@STER. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Black Lagoon by Hiroe Rei Serialized in Sunday GX | Chapters: 81+ Genres: Action, adventure I first got into Black Lagoon through the anime. The crazy action, the mature themes, the ENGRISH. Needless to say I had a blast watching through both seasons and wanted more. One of the things I love about the series is how gritty it is not only when it comes to action, but to human nature as well. The corrupt is the norm in this setting and it’s just so refreshing. While I do love the series for all that it is, I feel that the dialogue and plot can be overly convoluted at times. But overall, it’s a highly entertaining series that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

The Breaker by Jin-Hwan Park Serialized in Young Daiwon | Chapters: 66+ Genres: Action, martial arts If you’re a long time follower of KzI, you may remember that I did a “first impressions” post for The Breaker on the old site. My praise for the series is more of less the same from back then, but I’ll reiterate. The manwha has fantastic artwork, fast-paced exciting action, and a solid cast. The story feels pretty old school even with the modern setting, but it’ll keep you interested nonetheless. While nothing extraordinary, The Breaker is a great martial arts manwha and an easy recommend to people looking into that genre. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Cage of Eden by Keiyou Yamada Serialized in Weekly Shounen Magazine | Chapters: 45+ Genres: Adventure, fantasy, suspense For me, Cage of Eden is a pretty unique manga. It’s one of my first (if not the first) survival manga and so I’m always looking forward to the next chapter as there’s nothing else like it that I’ve read. A lot of people say its Jurassic Park and Lost packed into one and that’s definitely on the mark. But more than that, there are also Lord of the Flies vibes. I love the way the author plays with the darkness of human nature which make for some brutal and dark moments. However, it also has a lighter side to it which is balanced well to keep the suspense in and out. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Claymore by Yagi Norihiro Serialized in Jump Square | Chapters: 106+ Genres: Action, fantasy, supernatural I have a weird relationship with Claymore. While I do enjoy the brutality that is reminiscent to Berserk for me, most of the fights are influenced via powerlevels and tranformations. That’s not considerably a bad thing as it was pretty awesome at first (read: SUPERB). But it becomes tiresome eventually; and because everybody can pretty much regenerate, the violence isn’t as fun. The plot feels unfocused at times and for me lately just plain uninteresting. While Claymore has a mature look, it has grown to be shallow on the inside. Does Gene Recommend It?: No

D.Gray-man by Hoshino Katsura Serialized in Jump Square | Chapters: 197+ Genres: Action, fantasy D.Gray-man was one of the better Weekly Jump titles running at the time in my opinion. It had good, detailed artwork, a decent plot, and semi-interesting characters. It’s good as far as standard shounen goes so it’s already a winner as far as Jump series goes. The only thing negative thing I have to say is that Hoshino does not have a clue on how to draw fight scenes half of the time. The fights themselves are cool, but it would be even cooler if I could tell what exactly was happening. Overall, D.Gray-man is more of the usual, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Does Gene Recommend It?: Yes

Deadman Wonderland by Kataoka Jinsei and Kondou Kazuma Serialized in Shounen Ace | Chapters: 37+ Genres: Action, science fiction From the writer and illustrator that brought us the Eureka 7, here’s Deadman Wonderland. Nice title, right? Deadman Wonderland is a superpower-infested battle manga at its core. And it’s pretty standard at that which is unfortunate given the intriguing setting and high quality illustrations. While the manga starts off strong showing off its twisted nature, it quickly rescinds into the usual shounen fare. Deadman Wonderland has nothing to offer but maybe a few hours to pass the time away. It could have been so much more and that’s the real shame. Does Gene Recommend It?: No

Freezing by Dall-Young Lim and Kim Kwang Hyun Serialized in Comic Valkyrie | Chapters: 33+ Genres: Action, fantasy I picked up Freezing for two reasons. One, I like the illustrator’s artwork who I’m familiar with through another of his works (Unbalance x Unbalance). Two, I was bored. With that said, I don’t think Freezing is a terrible series at all. I enjoyed reading through it despite its shallow plotline and characters. As a battle manga the combat system is rather unrefined, but makes for some flashy and fun fights. If I had to describe Freezing in a tl;dr statement it would be that it’s average. Incredibly average. But it’s the kind of average I don’t mind wasting my time with if that makes any sense. Does Gene Recommend It?: No

As a wise butler once said, “DFC > all.”

This had to be the most pointless episode so far. That’s not to say that I didn’t have a few laughs here and there, but you would think that by the latter half of the show the writers would try to make the best of the limited amount of time they have left. Previous episodes, while low on substance, tried to at least flesh out minor characters or have some sort of foreshadowing to the rape plot. The humor was decent at least which prevented the episode from being a total bore albeit the insert movie trailer and numerous J.C. Staff anime cameos came off forced. Also, the lack of Majo-san, one of the best girls in this show, is disappointing. I sorta understand that she’s probably a low priority for marriage candidates, but a missed opportunity nonetheless considering she hasn’t had much screentime yet. But yeah, not much to say when nothing really happened.

And with this the obligatory Ringo episode has been fulfilled. While at the bare minimum, this episode gave her background, a (somewhat) sad past, and introduced a few minor characters, in terms of substance this was about the same as episode 8. Actually, I’m just realizing now that most of the episodes follow the same pattern, but even then this felt pretty weak for a Ringo episode who’s main lead-ish.The pool fanservice seemed like it was thrown in there just for the heck of it, but it was more of a plot device than anything for the reconciliation at the end. And well I did enjoy seeing all the females (and finally Ryouko) in swimsuits so I won’t complain too much. The most interesting part of the episode for me was the whole three wishes deal with the Chairman and it makes me wonder if it’ll come into play again with any of the other Otogi Bank members. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the last mention I’ll ever hear of it. Anyway, with three episodes left I’m hoping the ball gets rolling again for the plot line involving Shirou and Ryouko.

Mahou Sensei Negima! – Ch. 299

Gene: I’ve always wondered if the next step for the Negima world would be the Demon world after all this Fate business and I think it’s great how we’re getting a glimpse of that side right now. Lower class demons have been portrayed a few times already, but there wasn’t anything noteworthy about them. However, I think this fight between Demon Mana and Poyo-san will demonstrate how monstrous Demonfolk can be. No doubt this fight will be nothing short of awesome.

Leon: Oh my GOODNESS. Ever since the start of Negima I have always been a Mana fanboy. As such I always wanted her to have more panel time and as a result more involvement story-wise. That said it seems as if Ken has answered most of those wishes and then some with this latest revelation: Mana is half demonfolk! Mana has always been one of the more mysterious students because of her job, her previously unexplained strength, and the fact that we still don’t know who she’s contracted to. Anyway, that has to be one of the most genuine surprises I’ve come across all year and especially in Negima. Poyo (and by proxy Zazie) being a demonfolk was already brow-raising stuff but then this happened…oh man I really hope that Ken doesn’t cheat me out of this awesome fight. You better not skip this fight Ken!

Kimi no Iru Machi – Ch. 101

Gene: You know this was starting out to be a decent chapter. Haruto helped Eba get over biker bro a bit and they got to spend some long awaited time together. But leave it to Seo to fuck everything up once again. Honestly, I’m not sure what he’s trying to do with Eba’s character or the current plot at this point. Haven’t we had enough drama already? Seriously those two should just fuck already because this is just getting ridiculous.

Leon: I’m not at all sure what the point of this chapter is. Haruto is still down in the dumps. Same with Yuzuki. Hell it’s only been one day since the funeral. I’m inclined to believe that the purpose of this chapter is to really make us realize that everything Haruto has done up to now was pointless. I say that because, being the kind of guy that he is, Haruto isn’t exactly going to start wooing Yuzuki any time soon right after Kazuma’s death. To do the opposite would be not so classy at all. Well, whatever I guess.

Oh and here is my initial reaction to Yuzuki’s “Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore” line:

Gamaran – Ch. 60

Leon: Hollyyy crap. I already figured that Iori would slaughter those guys but I didn’t expect him to literally cut one in half. The nunchuck guy was really lucky he was wearing chainmail (why the hell was he wearing it to begin with) otherwise he would have met the same fate. It looks as if the metal knuckles guy is the strongest of the three since he has earned a seven out of ten from Iori. Still I doubt that he’s going to give Iori much trouble, especially since he seems determined to go and help out Gama and Zenmaru.

~Good Ending~ – Ch. 47

Gene: Seeing Kurokawa and Eri in bikinis was simply magnificent. I enjoyed the chapter quite a bit from that alone. Aside from the fanservice going on, there was Risa trying (and failing) to get Utsumi’s attention and Utsumi trying to settle things with Kurokawa (and succeeding thankfully). Despite the latter, there will probably be a bit more of Shou drama in the near future but at least things progressed a bit for now. And now Utsumi gets to have some sexy pool fun with Kurokawa. \o/

Leon: Fanservice galore all over this chapter with the leading ladies Risa, Yuki, and Eri at the forefront. It’s a pity that Shou wasn’t present but at least we got to see her in the cover page. There were some antics about such as Eri smothering Utsumi between her boobs and Risa unintentionally knocking him out cold with her awesome bum. Pretty much lots of laughs to go about. The main point of the chapter though was for Utsumi and Yuki to yet again “make up” or something along those lines. It seems to have succeeded but I doubt they’ll be dating just yet. I doubt the issue with Shou is dead yet since I’m certain some feelings still remain with Utsumi for her and, of course, Risa hasn’t admitted defeat yet.

Cage of Eden – Ch. 45

Gene: Nice move Akira did there with the rock. What’s more surprising however is that the wolves were able to learn and copy this attack method after only seeing it once. They’re clearly a smart bunch, especially the boss wolf himself. With the wolves having the current advantage, now’s a good as time as ever for the gang to escape. Though all of a sudden somebody throws a rock at Kotomi’s head injuring her pretty badly. This was definitely the most random event of the chapter and apparently it’s a foreboding for even worse stuff to come. But seriously, lol wut somebody threw a rock at her?

Leon: As usual Akira got himself in really deep but someone managed to clock that monster bear right in the nose with a rock. SCORE ya?! It’s a good thing he did that though because now the wolves are focusing on the noses of all of the monster bears present. Awesome. Even so, something not so awesome happened out of nowhere to Kotomi which has left her bleeding. Seriously, what the hell happened? A random rock just came out of nowhere and smacked her in the face? Weird stuff be happening, yo.

FAIRY TAIL – Ch. 196

Leon: Well now this chapter was unexpectedly hilarious. While Mystgun/Gerard and Panther-Lily were busy talking about who would play hero and villain Natsu, Wendy, and Gazille took it upon themselves to tear up the place and play the villains instead. Awesome. It looks like Mystgun/Gerard will be able to be the next king after all if all goes well. I’m also curious as to what that longcat meant when he said to Panther-Lily that he and the other Exsceed should brace themselves. What’s going to happen to them?

Gamaran – Ch. 57-59

Leon: Hah. So Banri didn’t plan on fighting all along. He (and Ranmaru) was actually apart of a bigger scheme involving some school of guys that Jinsuke sent to “secure” Naoyoshi and “test” Gama and the others. Of course Gama and company weren’t playing according to their rules and now an all-out brawl is going down. I’m not sure how Shin, Gama, and Zenmaru will do against their opponents but I’m certain Iori is going to murder those three that surrounded him. Next chapter please!

~Good Ending~ – Ch. 46

Gene: This manga seems to be getting more predictable with each chapter. Utsumi gets cockblocked and Shou plays it off as something trivial and to forget about it. Though to me it seems Utsumi only took that extra step because the vision of Shou getting “tainted” by her ex came to mind. The culmination of anxiety, irritation, and of course teenage pheromones could have gotten him laid that moment especially with Shou on board also. Oh well, I don’t expect anybody to get laid in this manga anyway. Rape on the other hand… Incoming pool arc and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing my two favorite lovely ladies (Kurokawa and Eri) in bathing suits. Risa not so much. I just hope she doesn’t whore it up in the next couple of chapters.

Leon: What the hell! I should have known better than to expect Utsumi and Shou to go any further but the phone ringing is so lame. I’m pretty sure it could have stopped some other way because honestly if I were in the same situation I doubt my phone would deter me (hell I doubt I’d even hear it). Anyway, things got pretty awkward between them afterward so I’m really looking forward to seeing how they’ll interact with each other in future chapters. Meanwhile it looks like everyone (sans Shou) will be going to the pool for the next chapter or two. The best news about that is Risa will be going along! I think it goes without saying that she’s going to look the hottest among the three girls attending (though Eri might surprise me…). I can’t wait to see what happens during this pool arc.

Cage of Eden – Ch. 42-44

Gene: Bandage bro isn’t the one who’s suspicious. It’s that girlfriend of his, Kotomi, as I noticed she let slip a bit of her other personality there. Too bad since she looks cute. Right now Akira and the gang are caught up a war between a pack of wolves and bear monsters and it’s not looking good. Especially since one guy in the group is out to rape Rion. She can always count on Akira though and he made it loud and clear what kind of relationship he has with her. Pretty awesome moment there and it’s obvious Rion wasn’t exactly unconscious at the time.

Leon: Like Gene mentioned, Kotomi isn’t what she appears to be. She obviously knows how to get what she wants and control who she wants as evidenced by her interactions with Akira and Zaji. Who knows, she might even be yandere. I’d like to hear what Bandage bro has to say about it all. Speaking of him, he seems to be a pretty good guy as evidenced by him helping out Akira. The overall situation isn’t looking too good though with those monster bears pretty much having the advantage over both Akira and co. and the wolves. Not only did Akira have to deal with that but he also had to put that disgusting guy in his place when he caught him trying to rape Rion. I thought his declaration of “THIS IS MY WOMAN!” was pretty damn BOSS though. It’s a pity that Rion wasn’t awake to hear it.