tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post7448874176192897613..comments2024-03-29T09:07:36.608-05:00Comments on Warren Peace Sings the Blues: Shonen Jump: Not girly enoughAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13867868039166531163noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-53863778856004844352009-07-18T21:41:36.873-05:002009-07-18T21:41:36.873-05:00Thanks for the comments, Bahamut. I'm pretty ...Thanks for the comments, Bahamut. I'm pretty much coming into all these series cold, so it's nice to hear from somebody who has more experiences with them.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13867868039166531163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-65136505061243116712009-07-18T21:03:07.424-05:002009-07-18T21:03:07.424-05:00WaqWaq- Hoshin Engi is a much better introduction ...WaqWaq- Hoshin Engi is a much better introduction to Ryu Fujisaki, and probably my favorite manga (maybe tied with Bleach). Waq Waq is the kind of thing you read after you've become a fan of Fujisaki and you're desperate for more, no matter what it is. It is cool (mostly visually), but nowhere near as great as Hoshin Engi, which is epic. It was cancelled at 4 volumes; Japan's Shonen Jump is pretty ruthless when it comes to canceling series, but most of the time they kinda deserve it. More promising is his current series, Shiki, which is a horror/mystery thing.<br /><br />Naruto-I'm up to date with the US release, and while I've enjoyed it, I've never loved it. If the series weren't in the magazine, I would never go out of my way to buy it. I feel like one of the greatest hindrances to this series is the art. It's not bad by any means, just dull. There have been some really big story moments and fights built up for years that end up coming across as boring because of the way they were drawn. I couldn't help thinking "this would look better animated," or "this would look amazing if Kubo or Oda did it."<br /><br />Ultimo-The bus was my favorite part :)<br /><br />One Piece-It's an intimidating series for it's sheer length, but it's worth it. I'm a bit ashamed about it, but I read it through scanlations, and I'm constantly amazed by the plot, especially considering the length. Oda never forgets a character, and people you think would never appear again might reappear in surprising ways. He's a created a big world, and it's amazing that 10+ years later there are still plenty of surprises. I do think it is worth owning...but it's scary, especially considering that around the 50 volume mark, Oda said he was only halfway done with his story. But it definitely has its flaws, one being the occasional way-too-long-flashback, and the fact that pages often feel cluttered: either superfluous speech bubbles, too much detail within the panels, too much going on in the story itself, or all of these at once.<br /><br />Tegami Bachi-It's been enjoyable...but somehow the story hasn't lived up to the art. The prologue/first chapter was nice, but it's since been kinda slow. <br /><br />Bleach-Of all the shonen manga I've ever read, it's by far the best at portraying action. The story is good, though it can sometimes take a backseat to the action. I don't mind that, since the action is always so well drawn. But when he wants to, Kubo can definitely pack some emotion into the story.Bahamuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13952929787583198993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-41955372146757627042009-07-13T20:24:28.326-05:002009-07-13T20:24:28.326-05:00I've gotta say, I've been very hard on Nar...I've gotta say, I've been very hard on Naruto the past year, but now that the focus is back on Naruto and not Sasuke, I'm starting to enjoy it again. Not nearly as much I did back in Part 1, but enough. It's too fucking bad that Sasuke is coming back into the picture soon.<br /><br />Also I agree about Bleach, but I gotta say that Kubo is more of an artist than a writer. Everything from Hueco Mundo on has been a slow train wreck.Kilowoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02858466679676506678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-79873827361532974402009-07-13T13:08:49.920-05:002009-07-13T13:08:49.920-05:00One Piece is one of those series that truly amazes...One Piece is one of those series that truly amazes me. It goes from heartwarming and hilarious to bonecrushingly serious without ever resorting to many cliches.<br /><br />Als the writers of the world should look at the flashbacks in One Piece, now THAT is how you make a tragic backstory.Kilowoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02858466679676506678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-80607761789622345282009-07-10T09:18:29.704-05:002009-07-10T09:18:29.704-05:00David: Yeah, One Piece is one that I've though...David: Yeah, One Piece is one that I've thought about getting into, but it's hella intimidating thinking about those 40 or 50 volumes. What I've sampled is great though.<br /><br />Kenny: Thanks, as always. Yeah, Bleach and OP were definitely the ones I liked best. The early Image comparison is an interesting one, but Kubo and Oda seem much more accomplished in their craft, in terms of page layout, clear storytelling, character development, etc. Maybe I'm just not that into the Image guys, but I think they really suffer in comparison.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13867868039166531163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-3008662108983830632009-07-10T09:08:39.475-05:002009-07-10T09:08:39.475-05:00David, you are admirable to me. You like so much o...David, you are admirable to me. You like so much of what I like, but you also have a love of the current Marvel and DC product. I don't mean that as any sort of insult, it's just...I think it's cool you can expand your net *that* wide. <br /><br />Matt, I *love* Shonen Jump. I mostly buy it on and off because I prefer reading the little digests. The two series I'm currently addicted to are One Piece and Bleach. I can't imagine how overwhelming it would be to start each one from somewhere in the middle, because there are *so* many characters in each.<br /><br />An opinion I've formed about both One Piece and Bleach, and really this is especially true of Bleach, is they're really like the early Image comics in the manga world. Bleach in particular reminds me of Spawn. Both One Piece and Spawn emphasize design over story and are really rather flashy in character designs, stories, and the page layouts. Bleach *really* goes the flashy route. <br /><br />The difference of course is that Tite Kubo and Eiichiro Oda have a dedication to their craft most of the Image guys never had. Also, the stories themselves are a *lot* more dense and have much better developed characters. <br /><br />Anyway, same excellent reviews as always!kennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06649763676628428647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8882610517765002247.post-6102473197707517202009-07-10T00:09:57.279-05:002009-07-10T00:09:57.279-05:00It's awesome that you dig One Piece. It's ...It's awesome that you dig One Piece. It's one of my favorite anime/manga series. I blazed through the TV show, and you've got the Alabasta arc pretty much nailed. Your description makes it sound like it's toward the end of that story, which was a great fight.<br /><br />OP can take a while to get going into an arc, but once it gets going, it's a steamroller. Funny and action packed.david brothershttp://4thletter.netnoreply@blogger.com