Manga Review: Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, Volume 2, by Akira Akatsuki, Nisioisin, and Hikaru Nakamura

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Shonen Jump (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2018

Volumes: 4.

Spoilers?: Some.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Twelve fighters enter, one fighter leaves—who will win the 12th Zodiac War?

Every 12 years, 12 fighters take the form of the Chinese zodiac and engage in a battle royale. With their strength and mysterious powers, they fight to the death and the sole survivor is granted the ultimate prize—any wish.

With several of the fighters already dead, the Zodiac War is in full swing! The biggest danger the remaining fighters face is Usagi, the fighter of the Rabbit. He has the unique ability to control the dead bodies of those he’s slain, putting his opponents at a huge disadvantage! While Usagi and his undead army rampage in the streets above, Chicken and Rat lay low underground with Monkey, who is determined to settle the battle with as few deaths as possible.

Review:

I think, once I knew more what to expect of this series, I had a much better time of it. I was so caught off guard by all the violence, I hadn't realized I was going into a battle royale type of situation when I started the first volume. Now I do, though.

This volume kills off a few more characters. The chicken, which is too bad, and a few others, though some of them unsurprising. We get to see what the drunken tiger has in store, which is interesting. There are a few characters that are clear front runners, but I think they're going to throw in a surprise at some point. I'm curious to see which character is the biggest surprise, or who wins this whole thing.

This series is a mess. It's a bloody, violent, cruel mess. I wasn't into it when I started the first one, but now I really want to know who survives this thing. 

 A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Fire Punch, Volume 2, by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: April 2018

Volumes: 8.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a frozen dystopia where inhabitants eat flesh to survive, can the destructive powers of fire bring salvation?

In the not-too-distant past, the Ice Witch blankets the world in snow, starvation, and madness, leading the inhabitants to seek their salvation in fire. With that, an unusual destiny unfolds for two young orphans, Agni and Luna, blessed with the ability to regenerate. But will this ability prove to be more of a curse than a blessing?

Following the fight with his longtime enemy Doma, Agni is beheaded, and it’s decided that his head is to be taken to the sea. However, during the journey, a mysterious person named Togata appears, and their madness-tainted filming begins!

Review:

I missed the first volume of this, but it looks like the plot moves pretty quickly. From what happened in this volume, and what was mentioned to have already happened, it seems like a lot probably already happened.

From the first half of this volume, I was kind of hating it. There were several moments where I just did not want to read more. There's a rape scene that's kind of stopped, and then we meet an even worse character than the rapists, and then almost everyone we've met is killed.

It was a very graphic first half. And it was extremely disturbing.

Then we move onto the second half, where Togata is determined to help Agni get stronger to get his revenge, but really he's intent on filming all of it. Togata is a disturbing character, and he might even be my main distaste for this series. I've met messed up, realistic characters like this before (Mars, E.S.?, Golden Kamuy), and it just turns my stomach. This might even be the worse I've read to this point.

But then again, the filming parts in the middle are kind of interesting. And I liked Neneto, the camera-girl, and how she follows along with it. There were some sad topics surrounding her, like how she wasn't surprised about what almost happened to her, and how a lot of the men around her before this thought so little of women. There was also a surprising mix of characters surrounding Togata, like a gay couple. These aren't things we see much unless the whole story is about them, so it was odd—and kind of nice?--to have it just be another mention.

Togata gives a not-really-surprising twist at the end of the volume, right after we get to see what is really happening in Behemdorg. It's possibly even more disturbing, what they're doing to Blessed people under the city.

It all turns my stomach.

I kind of hate what I read so far, and yet I have another volume to read waiting. I'm offset and disturbed. This series is graphic and gross and awful. I'm almost glad that I didn't go looking for it when it was first released, as I didn't realize it would be this awful. But there were a few elements of this volume that intrigued me, or that I appreciated.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 10, by Sui Ishida

Rating (Out of 5): ~4-4.5

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: December 2016

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 9. 11.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh.

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way—except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

While Kaneki and his friends tangle with Ghouls from the Aogiri Tree organization, the Commission of Counter Ghoul’s ongoing investigations bring them dangerously close to discovering Kaneki’s secret.

Review:

Violence. This series is so very violent.

Ken is making progress with his search; he's finding out who might have been in charge of what happened to him, and where to find him. But, at the same time as he discovers the doctor's possible location—so do the ghoul hunters.

There's three teams here. Ken's group, who are helping Ken and trying to find out what happened to Rize and why this happened to him. There are the other ghouls, who contain Naki and Shachi, who are pretty much after Ken, it seems. It also seems they're trying to beat Ken to his goal, though I'm unsure whether they're working with the other bad ghouls or not. Then there are the ghoul hunters—Amon and Mado, and the insane Juzo. I actually rather like Amon and Shinohara, and am intrigued by Mado. I think that Ken could work with them, if possible. 

A lot of fighting happens between these three--a lot of brutality and blood and awfulness.

Near the end of the volume, we finally get to see the fourth group, who are possibly part of Aogiri's team. It's hard to tell who's part of what at this point—because so many different people only know pieces. Ken even gets an interesting clue here, and I'm very intrigued. Then there was that surprising cliffhanger.

This is such an interesting series. I will be reading the next one very soon.

Manga Review: Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 8, by Sui Ishida

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 2016

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 7. 9.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way-except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

The newly awakened Kaneki unleashes his monstrous strength to protect his friend Touka and finds himself irrevocably changed. Kaneki sets out on his own, determined to find out the truth behind what's happening to him--and what the Aogiri Tree organization actually is.

Review:

Touka and Ayato's childhood is shown for the first time. We see what happened to their mother and father, how they ended up on their own, what kind of parenting they experienced. How they kind of stuck together when they could, and yet how they separated on such bad terms. Throughout this, we see Ayato beating Touka horribly in the present.

Ugh, it's awful to watch.

We actually see less of Kaneki for most of this volume, until he steps in and fights Ayato. And Kaneki is badass now. That torture has changed him completely, and it's rather fascinating. He separates from everyone at the end of the volume, and I'm interested to see where he's planning to go next. It's a sad parting with Touka, though.

This series is really hard to take at times, it is so violent; and yet I just can't stop.

Manga Review: Tokyo Ghoul, Volume 7, by Sui Ishida

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Signature (VIZ Media)

Release Date: June 2016

Volumes: 14.

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 6. 8.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way-except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive Ghoul turf wars, learn more about Ghoul society and master his new powers.

Kaneki is captured and then tortured by Yamori, one of Aogiri Tree organization's most sadistic members. To survive the interrogation, Kaneki will have to finally surrender to the Ghoul inside him, but if he does, it will change him permanently and push him even further away from being human.

Review:

It had been so long since I'd read the last volume, that I forgot what was happening in the series. And then I started the volume and immediately remembered.

God, this series is horrifying.

Kaneki is still held captive, and he's being tortured horribly, endlessly, by Yamori. None of the group back home has any idea what has happened to him, but they know where he is, and have decided to go on a mission to save him.

The things that Kaneki goes through in this volume... And the ways his mind twists and breaks and how he comes out... It's horrifying and so harshly done. It's uneasy to watch, all of it.

Meanwhile, Juzo is running around killing people and ghouls and having a fun time of it. Juzo is a terrifying character all on his own.

This series is so very graphic and violent and awful. I'd forgotten how bad it was, and it's really only getting worse the further it goes. I'm really intrigued to read the next one and get caught up with it. I can't wait to see how this changes Kaneki in the long run.

Manga Review: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 2—Battle Tendency, Volume 2, by Hirohiko Araki

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: VIZ Media

Release Date: February 2016

Volumes: 7.

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository.

Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The battle against evil takes a diabolical twist as more Pillar Men awaken! Now it is up to Joseph Joestar and his new ally Caesar Zeppeli to try and stop their nefarious plan! But these are creatures of unimaginable power, and JoJo and Caesar will have to get a lot stronger to even stand a chance!

Review:

I haven’t read or seen any of this series, so I had very little idea of what I was getting into. And this is definitely a unique series.

The artwork is very detailed, and there are a lot of very muscled characters, particularly males. Lots of big males. And a lot of fighting between them.

We meet a female trainer in this volume, and she whips JoJo into fighting shape with a lot of brutal, unapologetic work. It’s tough. And it works, especially since JoJo is so arrogant and believes he’s the best when he’s not quite there yet.

And all this leads up to them fighting a team of ancient gods who are searching for something, and JoJo’s team is keeping them from it. I didn’t quite expect so much brutal violence, or the bloody deaths.

This was an intriguing, unique volume. I didn’t expect this, and while it’s not really my type of series, I didn’t mind it, I can see the appeal.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, for an honest review. Thank you so, so much!

Manga Review: Vinland Saga, Book 2, by Makoto Yukimura

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: 2014
Volumes: 17+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 3.

Goodreads Synopsis:

ENGLAND AT WAR

The foolish King Ethelred has fled, and Askeladd's band is one of hundreds plundering the English countryside. Yet victory brings no peace to the elderly Danish King Sweyn, who worries that his untested, sensitive son Canute will never be ready to take the throne. The king's attempt to force his son to become a man places the young prince within the grasp of the gleeful killer Thorkell! Whoever holds Canute holds the key to the thrones of England and Denmark – and Askeladd has his own reasons for joining the fray!

"With its rich visual details, emotional pull and strong characters, this historical epic is an instant winner." - Anime News Network

Winner of the Japan Media Arts Awards Grand Prize for Manga and the Kodansha Manga Award

From the acclaimed author of Planetes

Review:

I must say that it has taken me way too long to get around to reading this series. It’s definitely worth picking up, for sure, and I need to hurry that up.
Askeladd is leading his band of Vikings around, invading territory and killing people and stealing. They’re all very unashamed of it all, and quite terrible, too. Askeladd knows what he’s doing, though, and is smart about it. It doesn’t shy from how terrible they are, though, and what they do to the people in the villages that they take.
Thorfinn is tagging along with him, having made a deal. Thorfinn is a good fighter, but he’s simply waiting till he’s better, getting stronger until he can beat Askeladd. I do think that Thorfinn needs to work on the smarts, though, as he’s not that good at tactics yet.
We meet a few new characters, but I’m not sure who’s going to be sticking around. I do want to see more of Ylva, though, because she’s a great character.
I’m hoping to pick up the next one soon. I really need to catch up with this series.

Manga Review: Attack on Titan, Volume 18, by Hajime Isayama

Rating (Out of 5): ~4
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Volumes: 19+
Spoilers?: No.
Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
Volume: 1. 17. 19.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Brand new anime episode on DVD: "Attack on Titan: No Regrets" – the backstory of Captain Levi!
Special variant dust jacket by comics artist Cameron Stewart (Batgirl, Catwoman)!

AVE MARIA
The Survey Corps has overthrown the Royal Government and swept away the tyranny of the king. The next step: Move to retake Wall Maria, with the helpf of a newly-discovered metallic ore and Eren's miraculous Titan hardening powers. But as humanity pulls together, its enemies also unite beyond the Walls... now that the Beast Titan has joined Reiner and Bertolt, what havoc will they wreak?

Review:

We’re getting real answer about Eren’s father now.
We get a backstory from an observer of where his father came from and how he acted, and what happened when Eren was taken in the forest and blacked out, and then when his mother was killed. It’s a bit weirder than I expected, but it does make some sense.
The group then moves forward with taking back their land, and going to Eren’s old house to see what is in the basement that his father left behind. Their march forward goes well, but it’s when they find Reiner and Bertolt and their gang of rebels that they run into real trouble. Armin has to think outside the box, but they find them, and then they’re ganged up on fast. This fight starts the cliffhanger, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes forward next. It’ll be bad, I’m sure.
This series is good, for sure. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens next, how the fight goes and then what they discover about Eren’s past. It’ll be good.

Manga Review: Noragami: Stray God, Volume 12, by Adachitoka

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Release Date: March 22, 2016

Volumes: 16+

Spoilers?: Some.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells. RightStuf.

Volume: 1. 11. 13.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Noragami: Stray God volume 12 features story and art by Adachitoka.
Furious that Yato has released her, the stray plots revenge against her rival. While Kōto has Yato distracted, she confronts Yukiné and lets him know that the gods have a secret…and it’s one Yato will do anything to keep. Hiyori is curious about this secret, too, but keeping Yukiné’s past a secret may be the key to protecting him.

Review:

We get a couple of revelations in this volume. One of them being what the gods’ secret really is, but also relating to that, we get to see Yato’s past.

The gods’ secret at first just seems very sad for both parties, but the reveal at the end is horrible and not quite what I expected. Yato’s past is just horrible and sad and I hate his father. When he was a kid he was taught horrible things, because he was made to be a certain type of god that he’s rebelling against now. Seeing a kid killing people will always be a terrible image, especially when done gleefully, ugh. Horrifying. Even worse when you already love the character.

Seeing him start to learn that other people don't find killing good, and when he wants so bad to make people happy, is so sweet though.

I don’t see how his father is ever going to be seen as a good character in any way, and I really hope that doesn’t happen. What he did to Yato, and how he treated Hiiro as well. There’s no coming back from that.

I’ve said this before, but I love how this series can have such serious moments, but so smoothly mix in some humor to lighten it up. Like when Yato finds out that Hiyori and his father know each other, and went to the amusement park together? Hilarious.

This series is just excellent, and I’m kind of obsessed with it at this point. I can’t wait for the next one.