Alright, Issue 18 thoughts!
Witch Watch: This was the strangest amalgamation of a confusingly awkward chapter and a uniquely wholesome one. Unsure how I feel, but I’m almost a little surprised there was no emphasis made on Keigo and Nemu’s interaction (though I guess the fact she texted him first was evidence of that).
Ichi the Witch: I had almost forgotten how affected the princess of all people was by Bakugami. I’m kind of surprised the lack of regard she pays for the fact that he’s a wanted criminal who’s meant to be executed (perhaps due to her negative emotions being consumed). But this was a fun update chapter as well for where Ichi stands in his own personal development.
One Piece: Well I was right about Oda fully ignoring Loki after that cliffhanger last chapter. But wow, talk about timeline powerscaling. As if Vegapunk chilling with 900 yo tech last arc wasn’t enough, Vegapunk now gets to hang out with 3000 year old tech? I’m eager to see if stuff like this means we’ll actually be seeing more of the pre-void century world (particularly the “first world” in this case, most likely). But it seems like we’re at the point where some actual battles might start ramping up, whether that be before or after we pan back to Loki. Also, both Scopper and Collun have mobilized! Makes you wonder if we’re gonna see any father-son interaction amidst the heat of the conflict, or if that’ll be reserved for post-conflict partying.
Blue Box: That was… kind of an esoteric experience. I had to go back and re-read some stuff to get a good grasp on the fact that the first 2/3 of the chapter was a what-if, which seemed like it led to the whole chapter just being a grand statement on “you make your own fate”, and then cut to something totally different (I suppose it was also a scene of someone trying to make his own fate… fair enough?) But yeah, very philosophical chapter.
Kagurabachi: Dang, that’s just… that hurts. The fact that he’s visualizing that happening to her even though he doesn’t have eyes, and him being so pressured as to have to sever himself from her for fear of that happening even if he knows she doesn’t want to leave him really sucks. It might be recency but the way their relationship feels reminds me a lot of Kuma and Bonney in One Piece, which adds to the heartstring-tugging. I really hope they can reunite at least once and make up, even if it’s only for a final moment.
The Elusive Samurai: Yeah. That was just straight fire. Nothing more to say. RIP to a real one, you truly were the hungriest of hippos.
Sakamoto Days: Dang, seeing that really got to bro huh? I was almost a bit recoiled by Yotsumura’s zoomer talk, which I have to wonder how that was rendered in the original, but I wasn’t aware he talked with that kind of lingo (perhaps due to just forgetting like I usually do with these things). But, with that conflict narrowly avoided (and Aoi/Lu safe, to no one’s surprise), this fully kicks off the final big arc. Will Sakamoto ever be fat again? Tune in next time to find out!
Shinobi Undercover: Very quaint but true content. Was honestly a pretty good chapter for something so simple, and I’m surprised by Suzume’s lack of awareness with regard to a typical gift. This is also kind of a rare chapter where we see Aoi showing some different emotional colors than just being airheaded and straightforward, which I think worked really well for it.
Akane-banashi: The powerscaling was real with this one. Bro is so good he knows how to bend the audience into the perfect expectations of big or small. I’m guessing then that the reason he can’t teach Akane is because it’s something he’s just not capable of and it would be a waste to teach Akane in whatever 100% replicated way he might know it when what she’s pursuing is ideologically the inverse of what he’s spent his life doing.
Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi: This was a good backstory, but something about watching it all happen in 1 chapter just reminds me of how this series feels like a sort of testament to the compression of content size over time: in an older series this arc would’ve been either the final battle or a mega-arc closer, and this fight probably would’ve been at least 3 chapters, but nowadays that whole experience is baked into a single chapter. I’m unsure how to feel about that, honestly.
Hima-Ten!: Y’know, I was fully expecting them to do the thing where the train covers up what he says and she doesn’t catch it, but it seems like she did! Good on you for not falling into the classic misunderstanding trope Ono! Although I imagine drama will be high the next few chapters; I imagine it couldn’t go too poorly if Iemori’s straightforward and just says “yeah she invited me already, I can ask her about a group thing” but given their teenage emotions I can’t imagine it going anywhere as smoothly as that, someone’s gonna have their feelings hurt in some way.
Kill Blue: Yeah, bro needs to try a different club. Or start his own? But I cannot fathom how this is ever going to end with Juzo eeking out a win. Very funny though, and a good way to get back into the swing of some shenanigans.
Me & Roboco: Wait, Mockus called his date “Linlin”… does that mean he’s dating Big Mom from One Piece?!?! We’re dealing with a Yonko-level threat here… I didn’t know Mockus had that kind of power in him.
Star of Beethoven: Wow, introducing another notable female with a complex past connection with Yaso? An interesting play to be making… not that this is a romance story, of course. I am a lot more pleased with how she’s designed compared to where this series started with either uninteresting or proportionally confusing designs, so the author clearly knows how to draw girls well; it’s just a matter of having a specific idea that’s not in his comfort zone with the other girl, and having to figure out how exactly to depict that. In terms of tone shifts though, this chapter opened the gate a little more on the mystery of last chapter; and while I don’t dislike it, I have to wonder if this will do good or bad for the series performance-wise, since I haven’t heard great things about the survivability of series already on the edge like this that decide to shift the tone of the main story after the first initial arc. Also, Yaso pulled out a star-looking thing… could it be… the Star of Beethoven..? Roll Credits!
Syd Craft: I kinda liked this chapter, even if it didn’t put too much new on the plate. It didn’t really rely at all on the initial hook that Lulu and Syd have shared reading interests, and it gave some nice characterization to one of the main girls that at this point was starting to lose out in the race. I also almost expected the orphanage lady to be a killer when she showed up since that’s happened to so many ladies thus far, but thankfully she has been spared.
Embers: Yeah, I know for a fact this man Haitani is about to do something wrong since he probably has the wrong idea about how he’s “the key to the offense”. I assume that’ll get hashed out in this match and more forwardly addressed afterwards. I’m a bit intrigued by the apathetic Kurobayashi dude, and the Big Iba Seiryu guy is, in fact, big. Some good detailed funny faces in this chapter too.
Astro Royale: That really just turned into normal fisticuffs at the end, huh? I also am surprised at how quickly Shikaba switched up from silly grin guy to taking it very seriously and angrily… like a normal fighter would. Of course that’s not all though; and quite frankly, I’m beginning to question how Hibaru’s going to get out of this since he threw his big punch already, unless Shikaba jumps in to help him out (or maybe even the other arena fighters).
Super Psychic Policeman Chojo: This kind of read more like a Roboco chapter in some ways with Chojo taking the helm of Roboco… unsure if that works in it’s favor or not, but I still had a fun ride. The shift from food reviewer Keinain to officer Keinain was pretty funny.
Nue’s Exorcist: I… guess having someone try to SA you is a way to power up too??? I also completely forget sometimes that they operate in a functioning school, since so often it feels like they spend all their time at the school when no one else is there. Very curious chapter, and I wonder if he’s already decided on a girl and is waiting to say it? (I guess technically only one girl has confessed to him, though clearly through implication there’s been more than one). While I don’t want to see Shitotsu confess to him for obvious reasons, I feel like it might still be prudent to have a moment with her to bolster another kind of desire to protect in him over his loved ones, even in a non-romantic avenue.
Overall, surprisingly good week! I am well pleased.
