periodic manga roundup: the counterforce

Yotsubato 63 - Don't really care how long this has been out, I can't keep track of when it comes out anyways. I kinda like it that way. It means that if, for whatever reason, I feel like reading Yotsuba, there's a new chapter. Awesome. Anyways, this chapter wasn't as "exciting", whatever that word means in this series, as other ones, but it really hits the nail as to what I think a chapter of this series should be. Childlike wonder, silliness, visual gags, slapstick, fun games, nice art. Azuma really has a good sense of what children are like. Wonderful. As always. 9/10

Beelzebub 48 - OK new arc, back to school, looks like it'll be pretty fun times. I like that he's not letting go of any characters, as I liked those old villains. Not sure how he's going to incorporate the demon world story back into this, but I don't really read this manga for the overall scope. I read it for the gags and fights. And this one had some of that. So it was good. 7/10

Bakuman 73 - Ah, fun times. Meeting the parents scene was as hilarious as expected ("I'm sorry!"), lots of good faces and such. I like the reminiscing plotlines and such too. I'm glad to see they're going along with the marriage plotline, that will definitely lead to some laughs. Not sure what I think about the whole Hattori and Niizuma being cold to them, though. It should be interesting yeah but subtle drama and characters feeling rejected makes me saaaaaaaad. 7/10

Bleach 392 - Hm! I am actually pretty impressed! Well, sort of. I should have known that this was the sort of twist we were getting, even Kubo is too good to make that last scene completely pointless, and I like this better than Aizen getting kind of hurt. I think it's interesting to contrast how Kubo and Kishimoto both address having characters with the ability to completely control other people's senses. And by that I mean they both use it in pretty lame ways, but Kubo does it less frequently so it's still sort of exciting. Anyways. Lots of posturing, Aizen still manages to be a pretty cool character, I admit, but nothing much happens. Dunno what to think. Whatever pretty good I guess, just for the big reveal. 6/10

Naruto 482 - UGH. These are just getting painful. Nothing really horribly bad here, but nothing good. At all. Well the scene of Madara standing in his little eye world thing was sorta neat I guess. 3/10

Fairy Tail 171 - Well the new arc is completely underway now, glad to see he got all the plot points sort of out in the open. Gotta say I think I'm confused right now. Alternate Natsu is missing but alternate Wendy is there. So it looks like it isn't going to be dragon-related? Or is it? Geez if it isn't I think he's missing out on some cool possibilities like Igneel being evil in this world or whatever. Anyways this is looking like it'll be a fairly long arc, but I think I'm OK with that. I like a lot of the new character designs and such. Generally feeling optimistic for it, I guess. 7/10

One Piece 574 - Obviously this was the big event this arc. What could I write about it that hasn't already been said? This whole arc was leading up to the idea that Whitebeard, symbol of the old age, was dying, and Ace, symbol of the new age, would live on in his place. But no, Ace dies. Oda really pulled the rug out from under us this time, and I have to say, it's as brilliant as it was touching. And it was really god damn touching. No lie, this chapter almost brought me to tears. The interspersed flashbacks, Ace's speech, Garp's line, Jimbei's stand, it was powerful, very, very powerful. But it represents so much, too! If Whitebeard had died, it would have been very symbolic, but for Ace to die really represents the overall focus of this arc so much more. Ace has always had the character of defiance, the first thing we see him do is skip out on a tab. He's a combination of rebellious spirits and strong loyalty. He, more than anything, represented the old age of pirates. And there's so many questions unanswered! Honestly, my head is just reeling at this point. I have no idea where the story is going from here. I feel like writing things about things I perceive as symbolic about Ace and his death or how I feel this arc relates to the possible coming ages, or how Oda is leading us to believe all these conflicting things about Roger that don't suggest retconning but an actually complex character that isn't just a one-dimensional invincible man or what I think of Akainu and how Oda's doing such a terrific job of making us hate him that I'm just sure we'll hear some back story for him that explains it and it will be so painful, and oh man, I just can't believe this. It's simply too good. It's just so powerful in imagery and dialogue. Oda, you magnificent bastard, how are you going to top this arc? 10/10