Reading Manga: Playing With My Emotions

 I am conflicted. There are so many things that I want to talk about, but I can't really nail them all down. I want to talk about the heights of One Piece and Akane-banashi that ravish my emotional state. And I also want to talk about how other series like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen are failing at it. Yet, I hate talking about the negatives of something. It just doesn't feel right to look at these things on the same level. However, I feel that it is important to combine my thoughts on these subjects and how they are all handling the extremely important junctures of their stories. 

To kick it off, I want to speak on the current state of One Piece. To put it bluntly, One Piece is operating at an all-time high on Egghead. The formal introduction and background of Dr. Vegapunk has been a phenomenal ride. And it isn't even close to being over. I personally thought that this would be more like Zou. A small but effective arc that transitions the story into something bigger. But instead I am being bombarded with the biggest event in One Piece's world. 

There are so many twists and turns that I am constantly on the edge of my seat. Listening to every word, trying to pick up on small details. Whether it be a small remark or subtle imagery that is being presented. The train just isn't stopping, and that makes me extremely excited for the present and future of One Piece. I could never imagine that Egghead would be the place where Bartholomew Kuma would become a top character in the series. While he is already fascinating in the moments that we see him, it's the person that Kuma is made out to be that elevates him.

I never would have guessed that this would be the case when he was lurking at Thriller Bark or causing havoc on the Sabaody Archipelago. And that is just what makes Eiichiro Oda such a fascinating writer. He can craft the most heartbreaking story for someone and then do it again and again. To outsiders, it might seem like me and others are exaggerating, but it is simply that. I don't know what depression mine that Oda went to. Yet, it seems like the supply is endless. It has never mattered who, each story is unique and just as depressing as the last. I can only hope to be as soul-crushing as him. 

And I think this is also elevated in the One Piece anime. The emotional moments are heightened with the use of the mediums ability to incorporate so many different aspects. Whether that be music, performance, expression. The cylinders are firing and the machine is pumping out that premium gas. A really solid companion piece to an unforgettable story. So, I think that I have spoken on One Piece enough. And now it is time to dig into more Akane-banashi.

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time I talk about Akane-banshi here. It is simply too good to ignore in any capacity. And since the last time I spoke on it, the story has only gotten better. But, the aspect that I want to talk about the most is the heart. This series has a lot of it and I can't get enough.

The heart is an aspect that I think it shares with One Piece quite a bit. It's clear and you can see how much this story means to the team of Yuki Suenaga (Story) and Takamasa Moue (Artist). I have definitely praised them in a similar facet before, but I just can't stop. Every conversation that Akane has with her Dad, Tohru, means the world to me. Knowing that he will always support and believe in her makes me emotional. Just thinking about it is enough for me.

And I think that is all achieved because that is what they set out to do. To get the audience to truly care about this disappearing art of Rakugo and the people that dedicate themselves to it is truly remarkable. Feels like they are trying to replant trees in a forest that has been decimated. And it is being built off the success of a story that doesn't cut corners. I feel that this is especially true with the current event involving Maikeru, Akane's older brother in the Shiguma School. 

A character that is bent on conquering a test that killed Shinta Arakawa and birthed Tohru Osaki. Like, I am so damn excited to see the conclusion. I want Maikeru to succeed, but trying to win over Issho seems Herculean. And getting anything from that fuck Zensho is impossible as we have already seen. So, I implore you once again to jump on the train. It is so good, I actually can't believe it. But the same cannot be said about the other two series on the table. 

First, I would just like to state that I have been reading both of these series before they got anime adaptations. Second, I used to fuck with both of them in a similar vein to something like Akane-banashi. Yet, I think the drift became more apparent when the gas ran out. So, to waste less time, I'll start with My Hero Academia.

Not so much a slog, but a big stinking pile of shit. It is actually unbelievable that an editor looked at the slop coming out and approved it. I guess when the series is making hand-over fist dollars you can eat a little shit. And I think that the series becomes a little more palatable when you don't read superhero comics or have media literacy. 

There are so many underlying issues that came to the forefront when it was apparent that Kohei Horikoshi was just an amazing artist. He reminds me so much of Masashi Kishimoto, creator of Naruto, that the green Naruto meme is pretty damn relevant. Like, why are the women so lackluster in this series. They feel like they hold no relevance outside of helping the men look cool. Even with a character like Mirko, it doesn't matter. She's barely in it and doesn't brawl with a main villain. Even Best Jeanist got more relevancy. And don't even get me started on Stars and Stripes. 

There really is no rhyme or reason as to why the pacing of this story is so bad, and why the generational fight is overshadowing the new generation after passing the torch. All Might literally says, "It's your turn.", to Midoriya. Did that mean nothing or did you just want to see something cool on the page? All that moment tells me now is that All Might and All for One should have died that day. Maybe then the audience could have been saved. But how will we sell All Might merch if he's dead? They still sell Ace merch, and it has been over ten years. Like, come on. 

So, all this rambling has effectively led into my main remark on this series. There is no heart anymore. All of that emotional appeal is superficial. A sloppy ending feels like a transition into more slop. The corporate greed knows no bounds and the pigs will keep their heads down in the slop without knowing what the stars look like as they are led to the slaughter. An embarrassment to superheroes and what makes them work. Midoriya ain't Batman, he's just a cheap copy. 

And I'll be honest, I don't have the same vitriol for Jujutsu Kaisen. It's not offensive, but I feel that it needs to be here. Not because I think that it ever peaked with the writing at all. But because the charm of Gege Akutami's storytelling lies in the fist. The need to be Yoshihiro Togashi of Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter fame without having the same skill for writing is bold. And I say this because it certainly looks like Akutami is a huge fan. The complex battle system and untold horrors and chaoticness on the page feel familiar. 

I would be genuinely shocked if Togashi didn't influence Akutami. It just seems like a match. And to me, the strength of JJK has always been in the fights. They read well and the conversations had through these intense fights is really good. I love that aspect and I really wish he would lean on it more. Or even lean into the comedic fights. That is where JJK is at its best. Not with Gojo or Sukuna, but with characters like Fumihiko Takaba. His comedy troupe routine with Kenjaku is one of the best fights in the series because it is very Akutami. 

That genuine, goofy charm hits so well. It makes me miss Mahito's silly man schtick that can morph into unforeseen horrors. But, it hasn't been horrible. It has just been whatever for the most part. You can only have so many domain expansions before I start asking for a regular punch. Just beat the shit out of each other. I don't need to see Malevolent Shrine anymore. It stopped being cool after the third time in the same fight. More like the Raid and less like Hunter x Hunter is all I have to say.

But what do I know? I'm reading every week, and so are a bunch of other people. The criticism should be taken with a grain of salt. Except for My Hero Academia, that one is deserved. Me reading the free chapter feels like I am still losing money. But I'm not going to lose too much sleep, I read enough things that are great or passable. One kernel of trash isn't going to affect the vibes.

That vibe is me crying because Akane talked to her Dad on the phone, or because Kuma was the best Father that Bonney could have asked for. Those moments are the testament of what it means to play with the audiences' heartstrings. Something that is never really matched or accomplished in the same way in MHA or JJK. Yet, I wish they had. Alas, I cannot change the past or give notes to these highly successful authors. I can just offer my perspective. 

Happy Pride Month and Free Palestine.