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Yuru Yuri Season 2 Anime Review

Posted by :Joann On : January 27, 2014
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Yuru Yuri Season 2“The Radius”

Title: Yuru Yuri Premium Edition

U. S. Distributor: NIS America

U. S. Release Date: Sept. 3, 2013

Genre: Yuri, Slice of School Life  and Comedy

Length: 12 episodes, 288 minutes

Format: Blu-ray, 2 disc, Art Book and Box

Age Rating: Teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

At an all girls middle school, there is a group of friends who make up the Amusement Club. They are also friends with the girls from the student council. Together they go about their school lives, doing homework and finding fun things to do. It is everyday life filled with imagination and friendship, not to mention a few crushes on each other.

Synopsis:

I don’t know if you have seen the first season, but it isn’t really necessary. This is like a sitcom where basically the episodes can be watched in any order. The only exception is the character introductions at the beginning of the series but it would still be fun to watch starting at season 2.

Akari daydreams about being more popular, or rather, having people notice her at all. Chinatsu still has unusual hair and a more unusual art style, Kyoko is still self -absorbed, Yui is the sensible and reliable one and Chitose still the bloody nosed pervert.

The girls go on a school trip, but it is close to home, and they need to figure out how to make it different from just hanging out at the Amusement club. First it is ping pong, then the bath and spending the night.

Returning to school, things get back to normal, everyday stuff; classes, cleaning and dealing with a runny nose. The girls often get together to eat, play games, or talk at the tea house. There is plenty of schoolwork to do, or in Kyoko’s case,  to avoid it. She puts a lot of energy into doing anything else, including her manga. Sakurako is the same and makes studying for exams a little crazy.

Valentine’s Day brings the usual stress of the big chocolate give away. Do you make it, buy it, what ones, how fancy? Or do you make something totally different as a gift? And then you need to be brave enough to actually give it to someone.

Vacation gets them away from school. Even then, Kyoko is an expert at avoiding what she is supposed to be doing. During summer break, the girl’s visit each other’s  homes and we also get to meet their sisters, both older and younger.  A trip to the pool doesn’t go as planned, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun. At Christmas, it is a trip to Karaoke.

As they were preparing to clean, the girls discover what appears to be a time machine. Could this be what makes Akari’s dream come true?

During the school Festival, the girls put on a play that turns out to be an interesting version of Snow White.

 

Commentary:

Yuru Yuri is pretty much what it sounds like; a cute anime with yuri elements. Cute is definitely the overwhelming impression of the show, then friendship and finally, yuri fan service. The level of the fan service is probably considered mild; innuendoes, groping, crushes, etc.

As a series, Yuru Yuri, is mostly slapstick comedy with little depth and drenched in cuteness. It isn’t about anything in particular, nor is there much of a message. I can’t help but think of how Seinfeld was usually described; a show about nothing. It seems to be friends being friends in an everyday slice of middle school life, only it isn’t everyday life but a platform for random yuri humor. This brings up the biggest issue that I have with the series, it shouldn’t be about middle schoolers. It is rated for 13+, but I believe it should be higher. Even in the wildest stretch of imagination, if this is how middle schoolers acted, as an adult, I wouldn’t want to see them do so as entertainment. I would have a much better personal opinion of the series if they were high school aged. It’s may be a little issue of semantics to some, but for me, there is a sort of switch that would make it okay. Now, if I’m saying all of that, why give it a B+? Well, I was able to grade it for what I believe to be the target audience, and well, it is a cartoon. A live action Yuru Yuri would be atrocious.

Season Two has an easier stride since the introductions are all finished of the main characters in the first season. It was best when the girls were just hanging out at the teahouse doing nothing special. This season we did get to meet several of their sisters, bringing a whole new meaning to sisterly love (hint: custom body pillow).  This was so much farther out there, that it seems funnier as it embraced the social creepiness. Using the girls’ imaginations also pushed the action and the comedy to another level. The yuri elements were treated as neutral and everyday for the characters, perhaps to draw the audience in closer to the humor.

There were no guys around, except a few standing around in the background city scenes. This is all about girls and their relationships. Their friendships are well developed and with the added in crushes, it was difficult to keep up with who has a crush on who. Basically, I assumed everybody was hot for everyone. The characters generally overact in an environment that balances between a soft spoken realism, to an overdone, special effects event. The one character I still cannot stand is the bloody nosed girl. Even her notebook is blood stained. She is gross and creepy and that’s enough of her, it isn’t funny.

As an anime, the series is well done. It is very colorful as the cuteness is given great focus with the hair, faces and outfits. I really like the backgrounds. The everyday stuff for them, makes it fun and interesting for Japanese cultural fans in America. The sound support was really superior. The music, effects and voices all work seamlessly with the script and characters to created the whole feel of the show. It uses anime style exaggerations and over the top cutsey affection to superb effect. I have only one complaint here, and as often in anime, some of the feet animation is surprisingly weak.

My favorite episode when they found a time machine. There was actually a story about something that held my interest. It was rather thoughtful and sweet, although the ending did bring it back to a reality. The final episode followed this, and it was rather clever the way they used a play and it was an excellent way to end the season and the series if that is what it is meant to be.

For its intention, Yuru Yuri does a really well. 

Overall Personal Rating: B+  A very friendly group to spend 12 episodes of your time with.

Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians(anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 24, 2014
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Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians

review provided by TJ

Title: Ikki Tousen: Great Guardians(anime review)

Director: Koichi Ohata

Author: Yuji Shiozaki

U.S. Distributor: Funimation

Release Date: Dec 31, 2013

Format and Length: DVD; 300 min

Genre: action, ecchi, fantasy

Industry Age Rating: 17+

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series: Other series of Ikki Tousen; Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

Synopsis:

Each generation, great fighters from the past are reincarnated as new people.  These special few are each bound by destiny to fight in an attempt to settle the conflict that the original fighters failed to resolve. Sonsaku Hakufu and Shuuyu Koukin are both both present day fighters of the past. Hakufu is a high school girl who is the “leader” of Nanyo Academy. She lives with Koukin and has basically adopted him as her brother.

A wrench is thrown in to their daily lives when Chuubou Sonken shows up claiming to be Hakufu’s sister. It is accepted she is who she claims when Hakufu’s mother seems to be expecting her.

More questions arise when Ryomou Shimei, a student at Nanyo and friends with Hakufu and Koukin, discovers who she believes is Housen Ryofu passed out. Convinced that Ryofu is supposed to be dead, she takes her back to her apartment and waits until she wakes up. Once Ryofu is awake, it is revealed that she has no idea who she is and seems to have lost all her memory. When Hakufu finds out about this, she takes it upon herself to befriend the lost Ryofu and try to help her recover her memory.

However, all the good times get disrupted when another fighter, Genpou Saji, begins making trouble, both at Nanyo Academy and their rival school Seito Academy.

 

Commentary:

Ikki Tousen was almost good. It almost had a decent plot. Ikki Tousen is the series that was almost worth the time to watch it. After a few episodes, it gives the feeling that there might be some plot worth paying attention to amidst all the boob shots and panty shots. But after a few more episodes, the plot just gets convoluted and loses all coherence. It actually felt like the creator wanted to create a series that had a good, engaging plot, and lots of fanservice, but then just gave up on the plot half way through.

However the part that the creator did not give up, the fanservice, wasn’t terrible.  Ikki Tousen is still alongside all of the other anime that have no idea how physics actually works on boobs, but  Ikki Tousen probably got the closest for a ecchi series. And the obligatory beach episode was actually a lot of fun to watch. Bikini-clad girls beat up sharks. That’s not something you see everyday.  Ikki Tousen is also the only anime where a girl moons someone as an insult and not a seduction maneuver. So there is at least some originality with the fanservice.

If  Ikki Tousen did one thing right it was the character design. Each character looked unique and, even though they were always wearing school uniforms they had their own style about them.

 

Overall Grade: C

While the plot in Ikki Tousen was severely lacking, it knew what it was. It is an ecchi series, and sometimes has unique ways of pulling it off.

 

“In the Radius:”

Other similar titles to check out might be other series of Ikki Tousen or Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero

 

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan volume 19

Posted by :Patches On : January 22, 2014
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Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan volume 19Title: Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan volume 19

Creator: Hiroshi Shibashi

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media / Shonen Jump

U. S. Release Date: Feb. 4th, 2014

Format: Manga / Paper Back / 192 pages

Genre: Supernatural, Action, Shonen

Age Rating: T for Teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Rihan and Kurotabo join forces in decadent Edo Period Japan, forming an otherworldly bond in order to vanquish their enemy. Little do they know that the Hundred Stories clan and its leader – the dreadful, dismembered Sanmoto – are far from defeated! Back in the present, a yokai named Kudan is spreading rumors that Rikuo is bent on world destruction and must be stopped by any means!

Rikuo is now between a rock and a hard place and must decide to either save humans or save himself. At first his clan tries to stand in his way in order to protect his identity, but the real test comes when humans begin to die and he is faced with the ultimate decision. What will he do and will his clan be able to help save him from himself?

Commentary:

Again Nura proves to be a worthy read. The weaving of the past and the present is done very well. All to often these kind of arcs end up being lost in the minutia of the past, but in this case the past and what is told about it is very relevant and if anything there could have been a little more information provided. Hiroshi Shiibashi manages to keep this series very much alive and active. With the reemergence of the 100 stories clan the level of  action is really well developed and at the same time the story continues to move forward. In many of the other similar shonen series they tend to get bogged down on the battle itself and much of the action is lost in the details. In other words it is easy to get lost in what is really going on. Nura provides strong artwork and properly paced action to keep everything progressing and very clear for the reader to follow.

Volume 19 is setting us up for a final battle that will not only give us what we want but also prove to be something very special to read. We have 6 more volumes to the finally and I personally am very ready to get there. I think we are in for a great ride and feel as though volume 20 will prove to be critical for the series to be able to bring all the elements together.

Overall Grade: B+

I am very surprised that Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan hasn’t found itself standing next to other big shonen series like Bleach or Naruto. I find it to be a stronger story and that characters manage to be richer and better developed. I don’t feel like Rikuo is one dimensional like Ichigo or even Naruto and that many of the secondary characters come across as unique and worth learning more about. The Story itself is a nice supernatural tale of a yokai / human and how they both need each other to exist. Anyone looking for a great supernatural story should pick this one up. I know you will be glad you did.

OniAi (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 17, 2014
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OniAiTitle: OniAi 

Director: Keiichiro Kawaguichi

Studio: Silver Link

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Date: Dec. 31st, 2013

Format: Blu-ray / DVD / 12 episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Harem,  Fan Service, Romantic Comedy

Age Rating: TV MA

Overall Grade: C-

Synopsis:

When adorable teenager Akiko is reunited with her big brother, Akito, she’s determined to take her sisterly affection to the next level! But her brocon fantasies are dealt a cruel blow by the arrival of three colorful rivals. There’s a blonde heiress with a fetish for plushies, a boyish beauty who yearns to serve, and a ravishing redhead who’ll stop at nothing to get her man!

Every coy ploy Akiko dreams up is deviously derailed by robes that just happen to fall open, the flashing of “come hither” eyes, or scandalous splashing in the community bath! While Akiko has her hands full staying a step ahead of the competition, poor conflicted Akito can’t help but think: my little sister can’t be this… crazy?!

Commentary:

When it comes to harem anime it is never a good idea to make the younger sister the focal point of affection for the big brother. Please stick to the standards of having just a bunch on non-related women making this niave boy the object of their lust. In OniAi it becomes uncomfortable from the very beginning. As soon as Akiko makes it very clear that she wishes to bed her brother Akito the squeamish monster comes out. It may scream funny to some people, but to me it makes me want to scream “turn it off”. I admit that the way that Akito manages to play it all down is ok and the other girls are great in their equally unique ways, but for this to be a solid top line harem they should have made Akiko the a buffer rather than a vixen.

The production level and anime art styling of the series are slick and very much well developed for the series. The voice acting is solid and almost every bit of the rest of the series is good, but man I just can’t get past the ancestral fixation.

Overall Grade: C-

If this OniAi didn’t look so good and the other characters have such wonderfully rich characters I would have caned this series completely. I can see where there is a fan base for this and also know that many people will find that the brother sister incest think funny, but I just found it uncomfortable and hard to watch. There is plenty of good anime here and I think that it deserves it place on the selves of the harem fan service crowd so if you can get past the brother sister thing I think you will find it a fun and entertaining series.

Ooku: The Inner Chamber Volume 9 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 17, 2014
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ItemDescriptionOoku: The Inner Chamber Volume 9

Created by Fumi Yoshinaga

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: Jan. 21st, 2014

Format: Manga / Paperback / 224 pages

Genre: Historical Edo Period

Age Rating: M for mature Theme

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

Yoshimune brought many changes to the inner chambers in her time as shogun, and now even after death she brings another: the men of the Inner Chambers must study Western learning and discover a cure for the Redface Pox. For if Japan can’t increase the male population, it’s only a matter of time before a foreign power discovers their secret and invades!

Will they get past their distrust of westerners and their strange ways in order to discover new proceedures of keeping safe?

Synopsis:

As Ooku moves through its series I  am beginning to appreciate with a new reverence for the story telling and viewpoint of how history is made. For volume 9 I was very impressed with the simple way in which the depiction of how ska;l things can make a big difference in the daily lives of people. Throughout history it has been no secret that the Japanese are very nationalistic and have always protected their boarders from outsiders. This volume gives us a very up close and personal view of how a closed society,  such as Japan during the Edo period, deals with new foriegn ideas. The introduction of a blond haired northern European into the inner chambers to instruct the methods of western medicine creates some interesting side effects. Seeing how he is basically left alone and ignored by the rest of the members of the inner chambers is very much a close up of how all people react to someone with foreign looks and foreign ideas. Much has not changed even today in our so called enlightened world.

Of course the writing was still heavy handed with the much undeserved old english translation, but the point was still conveyed non the same. I did enjoy the artist quality of the drawings and layout of the pages. There was also a much smother transition and pacing that I had not felt in prior volumes. I see this as a hopeful sign as we move through the rest of the series. There was also a rather nice amount of friction being woven into this particular arc in the series. I see that there might be some power plays coming and not so much inside the inner chamber but rather in the government itself.

Overall Grade: B+

Ooku now has a solid tradition to play off of and it just might become the story of how soap changed Japan, at least in this series.  It is funny how we seldom think about the little things in life like soap and where it came from. I found that the introduction of this simple household item is playing a huge role in the development of a country trying to find its way into the next phase of life. Ooku is not a series for everyone, but I think those who like to small historical activist and movement this series would be a fun read. Even though Ooku has changed the gender roles it still follows a very normal and typical progression though time and it has now take on the role of teacher rather than just that of being a study of sociology in a fictional format.  I am looking forward to the next volume.

Nisekoi Volume 1 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : January 17, 2014
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Nisekoi 1Title: Nisekoi Volume 1

Author/Artist: Naoshi Komi

U.S. Distributor: Viz Media/Shonen Jump

Release Date: Jan. 7, 2014

Format and Length: Manga, 192 pages

Genre: High School Comedy/Romance

Industry Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

The series centers around Raku Ichijo, a boy in high school. His home life is quite unusual, his father is the boss of a gang (of rather goofy guys). They are his “family” and often interfere with his school life. An incident in his life that is very important to him happened when he was little. He had a good friend and they had promised to meet again and get married. She gave him a locket and she kept the key. Problem is, he can’t remember everything, including the little girl’s name. Still, it is sort of a romantic dream he never lets go. It would be so great if his current crush, Onodera, was the mystery girl.

There is a new transfer student, Chitoge Kirisake. She is half American and half Japanese. Raku’s first meeting with her was not good, and they  really dislike each other. Circumstances at school keep throwing them together and rumors start that they like each other.

Trouble has been escalating for the gang. In an effort to prevent an all out war, Raku’s father makes a deal with the leader of the rivals, telling all the guys that Raku is dating the daughter of the other gang’s boss, who just happens to be… Chitoge. They both try to resist the ruse because they hate each other, but their loyal gang families, in an attempt to protect them, threaten to solve the issue with violence. In a panic, Raku and Chitoge pretend they are really dating. The guys find it sweet and endearing, they can’t help following the kids to make sure they are okay. This leaves no relief for Raku and Chitoge, they have to keep faking it yet they can’t stop fighting. Their only chance for relief is to keep it secret from the kids at school…

Commentary:

It was fun to read a plain old comedy. I guess I can call it a Sitcom, because the situation was set up seemingly only to support the comedy. Sure, there is hints at romance, but it isn’t really happening at this point, and besides, there isn’t anything to dismiss about a romantic comedy. As I read, I assumed it was Shojo, but was happy to realize that it was Shonen Jump because I think this story is great for male or female. With the T rating, it can be enjoyed by a wider audience, an as an older adult, I still found it fun.

Visually, I like what is going on. The artwork is consistent and skillful, from the people to the use of special effect exaggerations. The awesome graphics really depict what is happening with a comedic edge. The images often focus on the faces, really asserting that this is a character driven manga.

I have seen plenty of anime/manga stories where there is a childhood promise or childhood sweetheart, but the family of gang members  is what sets it apart. The guys add a great element for the comedy, an endless source to provoke what is going wrong in Raku’s life.

Right away Raku is a likable character and it a great hook to pull the reader into the story, and it doesn’t disappoint. The story stays funny and interesting, making it a series to enjoy for a long time.

Overall Grade: B+

” In the Radius” 

 

Dragon Ball Z season on Blu-ray (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 13, 2014
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Dragon Ball Z Blu-rayTitle: Dragon Ball Z season on Blu-ray 

Director: Daisuke Nishio

Producer: Gen Fukunaga

Author: Akira Toriyama

U.S. Distributor: Funimation

Release Date: Dec 31, 2013

Format and Length: Blu-ray; 39 ep

Genre: action

Industry Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating: A-

Similar Series: Naruto; One Piece

Synopsis:

Five years have passed since the World Martial Arts Tournament that concluded the Dragon Ball series.  Goku has settled down to a quiet life with his wife Chi Chi and their son Gohan. While having a reunion up with his old friends Krillin, Bulma and Master Roshi, who he also has not seen in five years, a man calling himself Radditz shows up referring to Goku as “Kakarot” and saying that he should have destroyed Earth years ago.  Radditz explains that he is Goku’s older brother and that they are both of a race of people called the Saiyans from another planet. He then kidnaps Gohan saying that unless Goku decided to join him once again as a Sayain, he would never see his son again. The fight with Radditz ends up a draw, as Goku does defeat him but was himself mortally wounded in the fight. But before Radditz died, he revealed that two more Sayains would be headed for earth, both much more powerful than he and would arrive in just one year. With that information, Earth’s guardian Kami instructs Goku to seek training with King Kai in the afterlife and Piccolo takes Gohan to prepare him. Once they arrive, the Sayians, Nappa and Vegeta, will give Goku and his friends the most difficult challenge they have ever faced.

 

Commentary:

Well, what all is there to say? It is Dragon Ball Z.  It is a classic that has been released onto Blu-ray.  What more can be asked for?  Well, it turns out quite a bit actually. There were several noticeable animation errors that, when the series was originally released, would be understandable and could be overlooked.  But now, especially this being a Blu-ray release, those animation errors could have been easily fixed.  There was a point when Gohan’s hand was not even attached to his body and another point when Yaijirobe’s mouth was flashing over and over from how it should be to completely transparent.  Back when the series was originally released, such errors would have been forgivable. But such errors now could be so easily fixed even with a re-release, they should not have been there, or at least not been so obvious. Especially since the box it comes in advertises it as “…a frame-by-frame restoration process to remove any blemishes…”

The series itself though is exactly how you remember it. The classic series that still holds up, even 20 years later.  It was very enjoyable to re-watch season one of Dragon Ball Z, even if watching all 40 episodes took forever. There are still several episodes that are really unnecessary that Dragon Ball Z is often criticized for, however, it felt like those episodes were hardly noticeable especially if the series is marathoned in few sit-downs.

Overall Grade: A-

While the series itself is very good and still holds up to the quality it had when it originally was released, there were some blatant animation errors that just should not have been there.

 

Sakura Hime 12 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : January 10, 2014
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Sakura Hime 12Title: Sakura Hime 12 final volume

Author/Artist: Arina Tanemura

U.S. Distributor: Viz Media

Release Date: Feb. 4, 2014

Format and Length:  manga, 216 pages

Genre: Shojo Fantasy

Industry Age Rating: T

Overall Personal Rating: B++

Synopsis:

Sakura mourns Asigiri and the others that have died. Those left around her are at a loss as to what to do. Sakura seems to be preparing herself for the final act to protect everyone  else. Rurijo takes it upon herself to confront Enju. She hasn’t stopped loving him, but she is loyal to Sakura. She causes the Sword Chizakura to releases Princess Kaguya, the original founder of the country of the moon.

Now, the bonds of family are tested as the fight to save everyone and end the saga comes to a climax. Sakura is willing to sacrifice herself even if it means leaving Aoba behind.

Commentary:

Wow, there is a huge amount of events, twists and story elements . Most of it was unexpected. The final chapter was a nice touch to bring it all around to quite a satisfactory conclusion. But, I can’t really discuss anything specific, because anything is potentially a spoiler. That’s really why the synopsis had to be left so vague. I can say that there is plenty of action and relationship elements.

Sakura Hime has always been a visually beautiful manga and this volume even seems to go farther. I have always felt that this was its biggest strength. The images fill the pages to the edges. There is a rich use of tones and textures that I haven’t seen in other manga. It is difficult to describe how pretty this manga is. Since it doesn’t incorporate color, it relies heavily on incredible linear qualities and elegant, flowing lines and shapes.

As this is the final volume, there is a lot that needed to fit in which creates the most intense volume in the series with plenty of surprises and turns. This end seems well placed. The series could have stretch easily into one or two more books, but finishing now really keeps the pacing perfect, leaving the story strong, even though it’s a bit sad to come to the end.

Extras: Character and story information pages. Several author’s notes.

Overall Grade: B++

” In the Radius” If the look of the manga interests you, Tegami Bachi has a beautiful look along the design feeling, but the stories are very different.

 

Bleach vol. 59 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 10, 2014
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Bleach 59 Bleach vol. 59

Author: Tite Kubo

Distributor: Viz Media

American Release Date: Feb. 4th, 2014

Format: Traditional Manga

Genre: Supernatural, Action, Adventure, Drama

Publisher Age Rating: T (Fantasy Violence)

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

After Captain General Yamamoto’s death at the hands of the Vandenreich’s King, Ichigo travels to the palace of the Soul King in order to train. Meanwhile, Kenpachi undergoes his own training as he fights against Retsu. Can Kenpachi finally achieve Bankai?!

Ichigo and Renji find themselves getting a good rest in order to being put into a fight for the reconstruction of their Zanpaku-tos. Of course they are at a loss when they meet the one and only Oh-Etsu Nimana, the creator of the Zanpaku-to. He is willing to fix their weapon / partners but they must prove themselves worthy in battle. At the same time Kenpachi finally meets his Zanpaku-to and he too must prove himself worthy of obtaining Bankai.

Will these relentless warriors discover the true meaning of the Zanpaku-to they have been joined with for so long? Are these trials part of the task needed to save the Soul Society from the wrath of the Vandenreich?

Commentary:

I was wondering when we would get to the learning stage of this arc. Without fail Tite Kubo falls prey to his all too common plot devices. Rather than teaching us about the past and providing Ichigo with the understanding he needs to defeat the enemy we are treated to another period of training and education for the hero’s. This time it is not just Ichgo, but we also find Kenpachi in the mix. That added layer just might be the saving grace for this phase of the arc. It is clear that Ichigo must learn about his roots and is connection to the enemy, but to do it the way it is being done almost seems counter productive. On the other hand, it is about time that Kenpachi takes his place along side the other captains and obtains his Bankai by discovering the Zanpaku-to that he has been living with for so many years.

This volume does manage to get us to the next step, but in doing so it drags us into the slow muck that these training phases tend to be. I hope that Tite Kubo wraps this up quickly and gets the series back on track. At least it looks like the ending will be exciting and maybe even fulfilling.

Overall Grade: B

Bleach has been a truly entreating series and I am very excited about seeing it come to a conclusion. I find it unfortunate that we find ourselves trapped in another training period, but I guess it wouldn’t be bleach without this period of discovery. My only question at this time is whether or not Ichigo manages to find peace with who he is and eventually making his way in becoming the ultimate hero with a huge chip on his shoulders. There is plenty to like about Bleach volume 59 and I have a feeling that the hard core fans will be focused on the battle of Kenpachi and his Zanpaku-to. Out of all the captains Kenny manages to maintain a solid fan base that see him as the bad boy who doesn’t really care about all that other stuff that the other captains are wrapped up in. I think that Kenny will discover something very special and eventually be a vital part of the up coming battle. I am looking forward to the next volumes. So, come on lets do this!

Naruto volume 64 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : January 8, 2014
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Naruto 64Title: Naruto volume 64

Creator: Masashi Kishimoto

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Jan. 7th, 2014

Format: Manga / Paperback / 192 pages

Genre: Shonen, Action, Adventure, Supernatural

Age Rating: T for Teen

Overall Personal Rating: B+

Synopsis:

With Tobi’s identity finally revealed, Naruto will have to summon the strength from within to stand up to him. But as the Gedo statue is used to awaken the Ten-Tailed Beast, it’ll take the entire Allied Shinobi Forces working together to win this war! Naruto and Kakashi continue to battle against Obito and are discovering that his will is very strong. Naruto exhibits some of  Obito’s youthful idealism and he uses it against Naruto to try and break his will. Naruto almost sub comes to this strategy, but with the help of his friends and fellow ninja he just might be able to regain his focus.

The real question now is if Naruto and Bee can manage to take on the Ten Tails and defeat it before all is lost. They have a good idea of how to and the only question is if they can pull it off. Will the natural optimism that drives Naruto manage to give them the edge they need or is it possible that Obito and Madara have the power to destroy everything they love?

Commentary: 

As we near what appears to be the end of this battle some things are coming to the forefront that are helping maintain the narrative that this series has help too for a very long time. I still have to hand it to Kishimoto for creating such an optimistic series. There is plenty of loss and more than enough reasons for a young man to give up but at the core of this story there is the undying optimism that Naruto exudes that makes this sappy tale worth reading. I have always loved the way Naruto keeps fighting even when it looks like all is lost and in the end he proves that you never give up on the people you care for. This volume goes straight to the core of this sentiment and pushes his beliefs to the edge. I guess that is the best example of why this series is so popular and also why it is a great read for people of any age.

There really isn’t anything new about the way this volume is put together that sets it apart from any other volume and at the same time it doesn’t move the story much closer to it’s finally, but it does manage to reaffirm what Naruto is all about.

Overall Grade: B+

With everything that happens in this volume I think it managed to hold itself together rather well. I could see it becoming a little confusing but it pulled the reins back in and stayed on course. Naruto is a series that people either love or hate and over such a long time it has managed to become somewhat redundant, but Naruto volume 64 reminded of what it was that attracted me and many others to the series initially. I know I am ready to see the conclusion of this battle and eventually the series, but for now I am very content with the idea that Naruto really is a hero for all the right reasons even when it would be easy to be blinded by hatred and the blind delusions others maintain.

I have a feeling that Naruto volume 64 will be a big hit amongst the hard core fans and just might have a positive effect on the ones that are beginning to fade away.