Blog Archives
Tower Of God Episode #2 Anime Review
Hey guys, today were going to keep the review train going. This will be a follow up to our Tower Of God Episode #1 Anime Review found here. Make sure you’ve read that one first!
Alright let’s dive into it.
Plot Updated: I really don’t think there’s been any big reveals or revelations at this point. I’ll be honest. The show has begun explaining a new concept. Regulars vs irregulars. This part is new to me and went a little over my head a bit. The gist of it seems to be irregulars are people born outside the tower. I could be completely wrong there. Bam seems to say something about him and Rachel being the only ones born outside the tower. Again, I could be wrong there. One of the superiors also says “Bam is a monster” so there’s more to Bam than initially lead on.
Characters: Alright, so I would say we were introduced to at least five more characters! And two minor characters that will either develop into bigger characters or be comedy reliefs of sorts.
Khun- Khun is the most interesting character to dive into this episode but not the most mysterious. Due to Bam wielding the The Black March, Khun decides to follow him and figure out how Bam got the princess’s signature weapon. Bam has been warned to not trust Khun so we will see where that goes.
Rak Wraithraiser- Rak is pretty fun for a dumb brute. I think there’s a lot to like about the character. The tower has strict guidelines but Rak goes by his own code which might get him in trouble. This episode highlights him as a strong warrior and a joke at different times. He reminds me in a lot of ways to Drax the Destroyer from the Guardian of the Galaxy movies.
Anak and Hatsu- I really wish we could go more in depth here, but I’m not sure they talk too much. They are strong, silent, and clearly respect each others as rivals. For some reason, they gave me Yu Yu Hakusho vibes. Could just be me though. Either way, they are shaping up to be legitimate contenders here.
Lero-Ro So this guy is basically an instructor. He shows up and intimidates the contestants. Again, not too much is lead on about this guy. Much like Headron, I still felt like he was worth mentioning.
Princess Yuri and Rachel were both completely absent from this episode other then in mention.
The World/The Tower-
Lets dive into the floors.
Floor Two- Floor two’s style remained the same of course, a battle royale. However, the pacing slowed down as we focused on the above characters. This was enjoyable yet the combat was almost nonexistent in a weird way. Khun and Bam just evaded Rak until time ran out. Anak and Hatsu simply matched blows for blows. It all culminated into one final test on the floor. Of the 200, form a team of 3. Forming teams of 3 must be an anime trope or something. Either way, Rak, Khan and Bam form a team. Anak, Hatsu, and Purple Jumpsuit guy form their own team. With these out of the way, we meet our characters on Floor 3.
Floor Three- Okay, so I watched this episode a few days ago. The water concept is a little weird to me. Shinsu, or that weird water looking stuff, is apparently the tower source of power. Either way, being in its presence is very taxing on the body. Shinsu forms a wall that only the strongest can pass. Lero-Ro claims on the higher floors, the Shinsu will be almost unbearable. Either way, Bam is not pushed back by the giant tidal wave of Shinsu. He automatically passes. His teammates aren’t so lucky. Yet, Rak and Khun still pass through the Shinsu very easily. Well, Khun’s briefcase isnt as strong but it still gets through. Hatsu and Anak both move pass the wall with ease as well. Finally, after some lollygaggin around, Purple Jumpsuit Guy clears the wall and were onto the next floor.
So that’s really it for this one. There was major tonal shifts in this episode. Rachel is still the goal, but we focus on the challenges at hand more so in this one instead of fantasizing about the higher floors. As far as I am concerned, the momentum is still going strong. Two episodes in and it still has my approval. Go watch.
Thanks so much for reading guys. Have a good night guys!
A Destructive God Sits Next to Me Episode #1 Review
Alright, today we have a fun blog. Its a quick review for the anime A Destructive God Sits Next to Me. I say quick, because I watched this anime last Monday (Whenever I put up the Tokay Ghoul review) and the days have just kinda blurred and ran together. This blog was suppose to come out the day afterwards and here we are on a Saturday night. So, I cannot promise I’ll remember everything, but I do remember enjoying it. Since this is a weird one we may review it a little differently compared to other post.
The first thing that stood out to me was the fact the dialogue exchange is very hectic and all over the place. It is a mix of external conversations with internal monologue. In English, this wouldn’t be a problem. In Japanese, the words are laced on top and bottom of the screen and several characters are talking at the same. I figured I was in over my head trying to follow the plot as I was completely lost in the opening scene. However, the nonchalant humor really kept me engaged.
For a show whose main character is a destructive god of unspeakable power, the humor is all over the place and I love it. In a way, I got Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo vibes and that is always a great thing. Our main character Seri Koyuki has very little in the way of confidence and actually was relying more on slapstick humor than I was expecting. Honestly, this was a turn off and I didn’t care much for him. Yet, when he is paired with Kabuto Hanadori (The Destructive God) and fellow classmate Utsugi Tsukimiya, the chemistry really clicks and the group are very funny and enjoyable.
The plot goes something like this. Handadori is a destructive god (Yeah, no kidding). Whenever a student belittles him or insults him in any way, he resorts to lifting his eye patch to unleash his real power. Koyuki consistently has to calm him before he takes vengeance on his classmates.
My thoughts with this show were a roller coaster. I was looking for something funny, charming, and lighthearted. At first, this show seemed like a mess that didn’t know what it was trying to do. By the time the gang was playing “Animal Crossing” on the roofs, I was sold. I don’t know if I’m in love with this anime yet, but clocking in with just 12 episodes, I should be able to sit down and churn through this one and get a more accurate gauge at some point.
As of now, I am excited for episode #2! We will certainly be revisiting this one at a later date to see if that humor, chemistry, and all around wackiness remains as enduring as it has started! Thanks for reading guys. I hope you all enjoyed this and will give the show a chance on Crunchyroll. Have a great night everyone.
Continued Reading!
Tower Of God Episode #1 Anime Review
Tower Of God Episode #1 Anime Review
Tower of God is a new anime I just started watching last night. It is shaping up be either the most interesting anime I’ve ever seen or it will crash on its own momentum. The first episode sets up a fantasy setting, a strange objective, and a hole host of characters. What this means for the series as a whole is yet to be seen
Plot: The plot seems straightforward yet eerily mysterious. A tower stands tall tempting its challengers with a simple promise. All that you wish can be found at the top of the tower. Who is brave enough to accept the challenge and who is strong enough to complete the challenge? A better question may be why would someone challenge that. Well, we have the answer for the two main characters, Rachel and Bam.
Characters:
Rachel. Rachel is the presumed love interest of the story. The story comes right out and says this is her and Bam’s story, though I find it hard to call her the main character. She almost seems like an unrealistic goal or dream Bam aspires to reach. I call her the presumed love interest because I don’t think the show elaborates on what kind of love the two characters share and if that love is even mutual. She saves Bam earlier in their lives (how much earlier is not known to the viewer). However, she still chooses to abandon Bam to challenge the tower. Her quest is to see the stars, something she makes known the second they meet.
Bam. Bam is more inline with what I think of a main character. The scene is vague, but I feel led to believe he was trapped in a cave until Rachel finds him. In a way, she may very well be the only other person Bam knows which would explain the obsession with Rachel. Of course, he joins the tower challenge all to find Rachel and reunite with her. He seems very Jon Snow in that manner. He wants to do right by Rachel even though every other character in the show is in it for personal gain. This makes you like him and at times go “kids going to get himself killed.”
Headron- Headron introduces himself on the first level of the tower but his exact role still seems fuzzy to me. He is like a game show host in a way. He introduces the challenger to the floor and what task they will have to undertake. He seems to get a sick thrill from challengers dying or, at least being at a disadvantage. Despite us leaving him on floor 1, I doubt this will be the last time we see Headron.
Princess Yuri and Evan- Princess Yuri shows up to help Bam out in the first floor, and just in time I might add. With her comes a ton of mystery and allure. Her dialogue with Headron leads us to believe their is a royal family lurking around. What do they gain from the tower and the gauntlet the inhabitants undergo? I’m sure all this will be explored later. As for now, Yuri grants Bam access to her powerful sword which allows him to progress through the floors.
The World: The world actually seems terrible. Again, it is revealed Bam was trapped in a hole in a cave until Rachel finds him. Also, stars and the sky are all rumors. This implies people havent even seen beyond the cave ceilings. Such a wild thought. The tower itself is intriguing. The tower will ultimately be made up of several floors (I’m not sure how many floors there will be in total). The floors all range in difficulty, aesthetics, and challenges.
Floor One- Floor one appears straightforward yet is layered in complexity. Bam is also the only challenger on this floor. The room is almost a sewer or water chamber protected by a giant, majestic eel. The goal? Break a giant, black ball while not being ate by the eel.
Floor Two- Floor two is completely different. It is a wide open field where each contestant is tasked with killing the other. The round begins with 400 contestant and they are told to get that number down to 200. This is where the show turns into a Hunger Games or PUBG style elimination event. Honestly, I’m not crazy about the pacing here. People just die left and right. There’s a jump of adrenaline from characters getting absolutely swatted left and right. That jolt of suspense wears off when you realize you don’t know any of the characters and it is just mindless murdering. Still an exciting scene in the moment. I do hope it slows down a bit in the second episode.
Recap: This show has insane potential or could flop. I could completely see it going either way. Everyone was hating on the graphics. It was noticeable but it didn’t derail my enjoyment.
Action Each floor looks as if it will rely on action. I’m sure some floors will be more mentally taxing as we go, but that’s yet to be seen.
Romance Again, the plot seems to be a love story. How stable or romantic it is is to be determined.
Plot The plot isnt super interesting in and of itself. The plot is mostly used to justify the setting and Bam’s motivation.
Characters Bam is the only character we got some level of peek into. Here’s a funny thought. Bam rarely says a word that isnt more or less “I’m doing this for Rachel” yet he easily comes off as a main character. It’s a bullheaded, reckless abandonment, throw caution to the wind, that would get old or come off as stupid that I find compelling about Bam. But again, it is kind of stupid still.
The World World, meh. Tower, very captivating.
Humor laugh out loud moments were pretty sparse. It might have had moments that make you giggle but it wont make you fall out of your seat dying of laughter.
Verdict I cannot wait to see how this one unfolds. It will either lose steam or be amazing. Let’s keep an eye out on this one.
Score I’ll give it a solid 8 out of 10. We will see how this score changes as we go.
Bonus material
I watched episode one of this anime last night before bed. I was about to pass out and jotted down some notes so I could freshen up my memory. Check out my early thoughts below.
Love story in epic setting. Each floor has challenges. First one, survive and open ball. 2nd one, survive and eliminate other challengers.
Great plot and characters, animation quality dipped at certain times but was surprising charming and grew on me.
8.0 out of 10.
Manga Monday: Rave Master Volume #1
Rave Master was written and illustrated by Hiro Mashima. It was brought stateside by TokyoPop. Rave Master originally debuted in 1999.
Spoilers: Today, were only looking at the first volume, so spoilers will be very limited.
Plot: The story centers around future hero Haru Glory, a teenager raised by his sister, as he encounters the seemingly mythical creature dog-thing, Plue. The grander scale is that there is a war between light and dark. The light side use the Rave stones while the Demon Card organization harness the power of Dark Bring. Old man Shiba use to be the Rave Master but finds out the stones no longer respond to him. The stones have now chosen Haru to be the Rave Master. He wields the massive sword seen pictured on the cover which responds to his rave and takes on ten forms. The first being “Explosion”, the explosive sword. After defeating some small time thugs who are equipped with a Dark Bring, Haru decides to set off to save the world. You know typical teenage stuff.
Characters: We are introduced to a handful of characters right off the bat. From Haru to his sister Cattleya, we meet a nice group of people. The problem is that by the end of the volume, only Haru and Plue leave the island. Cattleya, Gemma, and I think even Shiba all still reside on Garage Island. I’m sure they will reoccur but for now, we will mostly focus on Haru while discussing the minor characters briefly.
Haru- I really like Haru. The teenage hero archetype has been beaten to death, even in 1999. I can’t really say Haru breaks the mold in anyway other than he feels more genuine then other characters. He is strong right out of the gates. Nothing new. However, Haru trains hard everyday so he can protect his sister since both of their parents are presumed dead. Also, early in the story the rave has already deemed him the new master which probably made him even stronger. So, yeah. I like him. I believe him when he speaks about getting strong to protect Cattleya.
Plue struck me as a mascot/comedy relief but he hasn’t really been used in that direction much. He actually holds great weight to the story since he is a protector of the raves (I think. Whether he is a rave or protects them is something I get mixed up). Regardless, he is very critical to the story.
As discussed Shiba, Gemma, and Cattleya are all still on the island. I assume they wont just be forgotten but time will tell i suppose.
Recap- This is almost a complete throw away section. The story takes place on Garage Island and by the end we have set sail for the mainland. How many more times will we even see Garage Island? I’m not sure. Either way, the island itself is still interesting. Supposedly, people on the island are not aware of all the Demon Card and Raves and such found on the mainland. Yet, Haru’s dad left the island in search of the raves. So, somehow daddy-o found about them so word travels. As more is revealed about the island we will touch on it in more detail.
As for the world itself, the mainland will most likely serve a huge role as the series continues.
Recap: This is an enjoyable, fun story right from the get go.
Action: Probably not as much as you’d expect, but it is definitely there.
Romance: I can honestly say this story does not even feature the slightest hint of romance. In fact, Hiro said late in the development of the story, Cattleya was actually Haru’s uncle, but he wasn’t happy that there weren’t female characters. So yeah, no romance.
Plot: Its very basic light vs dark, pretty boy teenager hero. However, the potential for a just enough fun and engaging plot exist.
Characters: Almost every character was quite enjoyable besides Feber (the low level thug for this volume). Certainly a highlight for the book.
The World: I feel like I sufficiently covered this topic in the above post. So I dont have much to add here. haha.
Humor: Not the funniest in the genre by far. It is lighthearted and a good time. Humor is sprinkled in just enough to keep you laughing.
Verdict: Compared to other action mangas of its time, I’m not sure where I think Rave Master stands. It definitely holds its own without surmounting the likes of One Piece or Dragon Ball. At no point did I ever think “Man, I could just be reading Naruto.”. With all that said, I am actually eager to check out volume 2 whenever I find it.
Score: 7.5 out of 10. I think this score might end up being a little low when it is all said and done, but it feels right for right now.
Thanks again for reading and have a great day everybody!
Continued Reading down below!
Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 1 Review!
Manga Monday: Clay Lord Master of Golems
The Mandalorian Review
Girlish Number- Random Wednesday Number 1
Life Update (May 6th 2020)
I really like doing these life updates. I like going back and reading them and seeing where I was at in one point of my life. So today, I’m sitting in a tire shops waiting room getting 3 tires replaced. Jessica and I have began full time babysitting her cousins since their school is closed. (We get them Sunday afternoon and they go Friday night. And this has been going on for a month now). I just finished one of the weirdest semesters I’ve ever had. Not the hardest by any means, but certainly weird.
All my classes moved to online due to the Coronavirus. That really threw off the whole groove of the semester being entirely online.
Earlier in the year, my passion for blogging was on fire. I had what I consider to be some of my greatest post to date. However, I tried to channel all that energy into both the Dahubbz YouTube channel and the Dahubbz blog post (the site you’re reading on right now.). Well, the candle burned on both ends burns out twice as fast or something like that.
So I decided to focus on the channel. I started streaming twice a week and they were successful for a channel my size. We streamed custom mods for A Hat in Time. All our viewers really enjoy them. Right now, due to us watching the kids nearly everyday, we havent been able to stream much. We have plans to restart soon.
Of course, most of my readers on here are here for the manga/anime reviews and the Pokemon content. Well, I fully plan to bring those back in strides now that school is over and I can’t really stream and record as much as years past.
Tomorrow or so, I’ll post a blog about some of the options we have available. Jessica and I each picked up about 3 mangas last week.
I dont have a detailed list of blog post I’m planning. I’m just going to kind of post what comes to my mind. In the mean time, if you enjoy our content and want more regular updates, go check out the Dahubbz youtube page (if I remember, I’ll add links later because I’m on mobile at the moment.)
I’m just happy to make post again. I’m always looking for more creative outlets. Here’s to finishing 2020 strong.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Manga Monday: Rebirth Vol 1 Review
Rebirth was written and illustrated by Woo. It was brought stateside by TokyoPop. Rebirth originally debuted in 1998.
Spoilers: Just ones covering this volume and not the series as a whole.
Plot: Over 300 hundred years ago a powerful vampire named Deshwitat loses a fight and is sealed away but not before his love, Lilith, dies. Flash forward to today (or well 1998, but you know what I mean) and we meet a handful of professors. Our main professor is named Shangho Do and him and his daughter, Remi Do, are visiting a few doctors. You can tell Woo loved some Resident Evil. The two doctors are named Dr. Chris Redfield and Dr. Leon Kennedy. I love it. Well, things go awry when these demonesque creatures emerge and start killing the doctors. Remi is innocent and when her blood spills on the demons it breaks the seal unleashing Deshwitat from his imprisonment.
This is when the drama begins. Let me introduce Millenear Shephield real quick. She is a pretty cool exorcist trying to help the doctors fight the demons. Okay, so Deshwitat is too weak to fight the demons since he has been in a suspended state for 300 years. Shangho actually sacrifices himself to Deshwitat to strengthen him. In return, Deshwitat kills all the demons and sets out for revenge against those who killed his beloved Lilith. However, he needs Millenear to teach him light magic. Remi, naturally so, wants revenge against Deshwitat for killing her dad. (Yes, her dad sacrificed himself to save all three of them, but oh well.) The catch is, Reni has to wait for Deshwitat to die or her dad will come back as an eternal vampire.
I don’t know if I did the best job explaining the plot, but it is really good for a story about vampires.
Characters:
Deshwitat- He is the main character and is a vampire endowed with dark magic. He is absent for most of the manga as he floats in limbo until the seal is broken. I’m led on to believe we get to know more about him in later volumes and that he will be quite interesting. As of right now, he is a cool, strong lead who seems to be morally gray. He is bent on defeating his enemies and avenging his love. Standard stuff, cool design.
Remi Do- You got to feel for her. She didnt want to take the trip with her dad. Then, monsters attack. Finally, her dad dies to said monsters. It is brutal world sometimes. She was pretty enjoyable and you relate for her at times. She is tagging along Deshwitat’s quest as she hopes to kill him in the end and save her father.
Millenear- Her character honestly seemed random. We are introduced to her as her car breaks down. Though she feels the evil appearing and makes quick haste on foot to the doctors. Her purpose is later revealed as the person who will train Deshwitat in the ways of light magic. She is devout and a strong believer in her faith. So far there isn’t too much more to add to her character at this point.
The World: This world is just like ours except with light and dark magic. Demons are real and attacking. Vampires are real as well. Again, think earth but with supernatural and hyper-realistic religious ideas.
Recap: It takes a little bit to get going but is never bad.
Action: Yes sir (or lady).
Romance: Well, Deshwitat had a wife but she is dead so… there’s that.
Plot: Seems pretty typical of the vampire genre, but it is enjoyable.
Characters: A nice bunch. I liked them when they were on the panels but time will tell how memorable they are.
The World: It is standard for books like this. We will see if they dive more into lore and such that could make it stand out.
Humor: While it had it’s moments, I don’t remember this being particularly funny. In a lot of ways this is a story about love and what lengths we would go to for revenge if we lost them.
Verdict: Again, nothing groundbreaking. It is more so just a solid story through the first volume. The characters are good, the dialogue is good, and the action is solid.
Score: 8 out of 10. It is definitely worth reading the first volume to see what you think.
Thanks again for reading and have a great day everybody!
Continued Reading down below!
Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 1 Review!
Manga Monday: Clay Lord Master of Golems
The Mandalorian Review
Girlish Number- Random Wednesday Number 1
Somali and the Forest Spirit Episode 1 Review!
Somali and the Forest Spirit is a brand new anime based off the manga of the same name. It is available on Crunchyroll.
.
(I do not own the rights to any pictures used in this blog. All rights reserved to their respective owner)
Spoilers: None really as this is the first episode.
Plot: Set in an alternative reality where humans are nearly instinct, the story picks up by introducing the forest spirit, Golem. While venturing in his forest, he stumbles across a human girl, Somali. Title sequence, fast forward, bam, the two have now formed a duo. Not much more information is given beyond that. However, Golem does reveal later on that they are on a quest for more humans. This quest is a little strange. For starters, a side characters comments something to the effect of, “I didnt think you spirits left your forest.”. Couple that with the fact Golem is void of emotions and always tries to think logically, it appears to be an uncharacteristic behavior. I wanted to set up the plot but I want to dive more into this during our “character” portion.
Characters: Lets focus on the primary two. We will start with Somali. Her name is listed first, but from the first episode I don’t see her has the main character, that would be Golem in my opinion so far. She is one of the last remaining humans. Golem finds her shackled in the woods for some reason. In the city they visit, characters made mention of keeping humans as pets, but the show never tells us why she is in the woods. Despite not knowing her parents and being held against her will, Somali is a very fun loving and free kind of person. She is often distracted by the pets, which by the way, animals are now humanoid and are the main inhabitants of the world. This offbeat, carelessness gets her in trouble. By the end of the episode, I cannot really say she’s undergone any form of change. She even utters the say line from one of the early scenes.
Golem, on the other hand, is very straightforward, logical, and systematic. Every move is very well thought out and often correct. There’s a lot to break down and love about his character. From the early scenes of the show, he is lead on to be a machine, basically. He is void of emotion. He is stubborn. He is unwavering in his decisions. I say all of this, and yet, he undergoes so much change in the first episode. I’m actually really impressed. For starters, Golem is untrusting of the species living in the village. He fears they want Somali (he is probably right, too). He clamps his hand over her mouth and tells her not to be loud as he listens to people walk by their room. Him having no emotions is brought back up and Somali says something along the lines of, “I could feel you shaking. You can’t fool me.”. I dont remember the exact quote but it basically was saying that when he thought Somali might be in danger, it caused him to have feelings.
Secondly, while walking around the market district, Golem noticed all the parents holding onto their kids. I really liked this scene. Initially, the scene looks like it is being experienced through Somali’s eyes. This made me feel sad for Somali on account of her not having parents. By the end of it, you realize Golem was actually paying attention to how the parents interacted with their kids. All this leads up to is them holding hands (um, fingers?), but it will be more powerful once you actually watch the episode. \
The World: Oh, boy. Considering I think the aspect of humans being nearly exist is kinda over done, this show reinvigorated the genre for me. The forest scenery is beautiful. The animals of the world are brand new species as it appears as if cross breeding has occurred. You’ll have cats with 5 tails, rabbits with antlers, a butterfly on two legs. Every character is a new species and that makes it fun getting introduced to new characters. So far, we’ve only seen one forest and one city.
Recap: 2020 anime is getting started on a good foot. This is a great anime to start your year off.
Action: So far, sparingly. Though, as they get deeper into their hunt for humans, I wouldn’t be surprised if action came up from time to time.
Romance: Our main characters are a forest spirit with no emotions and a child. In other words,
Plot: Didn’t overly care for it before. Now I am very interested in seeing where it goes.
Characters: For two characters that seem shallow up front, I think they are very good characters that will have surprising depth by the end.
The World: Cannot wait to see other places there are to explore.
The Humor: This show is about personal relationships and the journeys we take together, but it can be funny.
The Ending: Maybe one of the best endings to an episode one I’ve ever seen. It does more than make we say “I cannot wait for episode two.”. It also shows growth in our main character right from the start and makes this story that much more enjoyable.
Verdict: Obviously we cannot grade the entire season on one episode, but this is about a promising start as there is. I will be tuning in weekly to see this one develop.
Score: 9.75 out of 10. Remember I’m grading this based off of episode one. I’m not saying the season will remain this strong. I’m just saying that as an introduction, you’d be hard pressed to find one that does it better.
Let me know what guys thought of this one down below.
Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
Continued reading down below!
Dr. Stone Episode One Review!
The Mandalorian Review
Games that COULD come to the Nintendo Switch this year! (2020)
Girlish Number- Random Wednesday Number 1
Manga Monday: My Hero Academia Volume 2!
Today, we do a first here on Dahubbz. We return to a series for a follow up manga review. We will be looking at My Hero Academia Volume 2. So, if you haven’t read my review of volume 1, check that out here.
Spoilers: Spoilers for Volume 2 of course, but no major spoilers for the series itsef.
So what does Volume 2 do to improve upon the foundation of Volume 1? A lot, I would say.
The Plot: This is one area I would give a B for improvement. Honestly, Volume 1 kinda showed us what was up, so there didn’t need to be a lot revealed or added to the plot in this volume. The characters progress through their training protocols which include team battles and a planned rescue mission. The big addition here are the villains. Sometimes I struggle to fully grasp whats going on due to the nature of black and white art. That is true here. This means I’m not 100% sure what all the villains do, but they come off as being a threat we should take series.
Characters: Easily where the show improved the most. We got to meet or get a better understanding of soooo many characters it would be hard to keep track of everyone. Here we first meet the League of Villains (This name seems to imply, like with other examples in the first two volumes, that the series is heavily influenced by Western Comic Books.). Tomura Shigaraki stands out for design more than function, as I am not even entirely sure what he does.
(This picture does not even do him justice.)
But his associates more than make up for it with their quirks.
The gang literally takes on a giant shadow whose quirk is akin to opening portals.
As for heroes, so many were on display here. Tsuyu Asui, a frog lady. Momo Yaoyorozu who can create countless new creations just by knowing their chemical make up. Denki Kaminari, the power of electricity. We also explore Izuku, Bakugo, Iida, and Uraraka’s quirk a little more in depth. Shoto Todoroki is still kind of a mystery but I suspect he will be a big player in the future.
The World: You could argue this section actually took a hit. Instead of the whole world being a sandbox, we are now confound to the school of U.A. This isn’t completely bad due to the fact I’m pretty sure we will eventually graduate and move past the school, thus opening up the world. For the school itself it is really cool. The book shows there is more than just super heroes here which is neat. A plus for the world is we finally saw some upper tiered villains and that is exciting.
Recap
Action: This volume really steps up the action. If Volume 1 was lacking in that department to you, this volume makes up for it.
Romance– I stand by nothing major has happened. My money would still be on Izuku and Uraraka, but now Izuku and Tsuyu have teamed up I suppose that is always an option.
Plot– The plot has been progressed slightly through trials and villains emerging.
Characters: Gotta stand by A+. Honestly, I feel like this category improved the most despite already being an A+.
The World: The world still hasn’t been fleshed out, but the school has potential for the time being.
Humor: Again, this is something the book does very well.
Verdict: “A near perfect introduction Manga. It showcases the potential for interesting characters, sly humor, possible love subplots, and intense action scenes. It serves as a great origin manga” Me when discussing Volume 1.
Yeah, I just feel like this is a better Volume 1 and if I enjoyed Volume 1 a lot, I’m going to enjoy this volume as well.
Score: 9.2 out of 10. Again I feel like this a step in the right direction but I’m hesitant to give it a much higher score. We’ve moved past the grind/level up formula for now (No doubt it will return when a bigger threat arrives, I’m sure!). That time instead was invested in awesome fight scenes and character development. So far the show is smart with it’s situations, obstacles, and character creation making each new challenge a joy to see how the characters figure out a way to survive.
I’m getting early Naruto vibes, which to me is never a bad thing. For starters we finally got the heated rivalry battle of Izuku and Bakugo. It was satisfying for a round 1 duel when I know they will throw down again. Characters have teamed up for simulations just like Naruto’s Team 7. And we get a very early look at a potential world threat in Tomura Shigaraki whose similar in role to Orochimaru.
This is definitely a series we will be revisiting for Volume 3. So stayed tune!
Thank you for reading my review! Follow me here for more reviews. I also do other reviews such as Anime and Video games as well as Top 5’s and discussion post! You can also subscribe to my Youtube channel here and follow me on Twitter here
More reading here:
ReLife Volume 1 Review
Dr. Stone Episode 1 Review
A Hat in Time is apart of the Humble Monthly (3 games for $12)!
Been on the fence about A Hat in Time? For the next 17 days A Hat in Time will be included in the Humble Monthly. For $12 you will get A Hat in Time, Conan Exile, and the Escapist 2.
They are also running a deal called Pixel Perfect Platformer. Other games included in this sale are Yooka-Laylee, Rayman Origins, Limbo, and Cuphead.
Manga Monday: My Hero Academia Volume 1
Oh, boy. One of the mangas I was most hyped to get into and now it is here. Did it live up to my hype? Lets find out!
My Hero Academia was created by Kohei Horikoshi and distributed through Shonen Jump Comics.
Spoilers: Considering this is just Volume 1, not really.
Plot- In this version of the world, humans are born in a similar fashion to X-men. Kids have quirks which is the equivalent of super powers. Our main character, Izuku Midoriya, is quirkless. This obviously adds to his charm. He eventually inherits a very powerful quirk All For One (Which summons the dude in the cover. The one in the costume). From here, He joins the academy for super heroes.
Characters– Here’s the thing, I like all the characters. Its hard to go into depth since the manga introduces about 6 real players, but we do not dive into a lot of them. The two characters we delve into are Izuku Midoriya and Toshinori Yagi. Izuku is our main character (The other dude on the cover.). He has two defining moments. The first one is when he sacrifices time (to get points for his exam) to save Ochako Uraraka (another likable character). The other moment is when he stands up to Katsuki Bakugo (the school bully). These two scenes will make you root for Izuku throughout the manga. Toshinori on the other hand chooses to keep his identity relatively private. He is the former All Might (*reminder* that’s the name of the buff dude). He is reaching his limits as All-Might takes a toll on the body. He sees potential in Izuku and passes the All For One quirk down to Izuku.
The World– Again think X-men in Japan. It is a great idea. However, I don’t know how much of the world will be explored as the story centers around the academy. However, it definitely has potential with all the super heroes and villains running around.
Recap-
Action: You’d probably be surprised to find that there isn’t that much action. There are a few intense fightscenes, but right now it has been more of a “prove yourself” through trail-like events.
Romance– Izuku and Ochako have some potential flames, but nothing has really happened yet.
Plot- The plot has been engaging so far.
Characters– A+. All pretty good.
The World- Like a lot of Vol 1 reviews, it has not been flushed out yet.
Humor- Solid A.
Verdict– A near perfect introduction Manga. It showcases the potential for interesting characters, sly humor, possible love subplots, and intense action scenes. It serves as a great origin manga.
Score- 9 out of 10. Not too many bad things to say. It is not action in every panel, but it does offer a good bit of substance for a Shonen Jump. It does fall into the formulated “no one believes in you, grind, get stronger, become powerful” sequencing that has defined the genre since before I was born. If you can look past it being cliche at times, it is a great take on the genre and worth the read
Thank you for reading my review! Follow me here for more reviews as I will be reviewing Tokyo Ghoul soon and even revisiting Seven Deadly Sins with the second volume. I also do other reviews such as Anime and Video games as well as Top 5’s and discussion post! You can also subscribe to my Youtube channel here and follow me on Twitter here
More reading here:
ReLife Volume 1 Review
Games I want on the N64 Mini/Classic!
Da_Hubbz 