I’ve been working away at reading older titles. The Drifting Classroom from the 70’s was so good I plan on reading some more 1970s titles.
Next I caught up to the current chapter of One Piece. I really get why it is considered the GOAT for many fans. While I wouldn’t put it as GOAT, it would be on my S tier list for sure. I need to read Hunter X Hunter and Slam Dunk again to see where I would rank it amongst them. The best thing about One Piece is the art work. The detail in background faces and expressions are great. You do a disservice not really analyzing each panel as there is so much extra sauce. On the negative I felt each arc could have wrapped up faster. I get why they slog it out for the sales but I couldn’t help feeling I just wanted the arc to be over to get on with the story. The arcs I liked the best are the Water 7 Arc, Thriller Bark Arc, Amazon Lily Arc and the Impel Down Arc.
I read Bleach to the end of the Soul Society Arc many moons ago. I couldn’t remember why I didn’t keep reading it. So I recently started binging Bleach the anime. I got to the Bount Arc and it all came back. It’s not bad but just not engaging. I have kept trying to watch and will finish but I’m just not super hyped. I love the characters, I love how they don’t feel cartoonish (except Kon) and I especially love the background music. They have an edgy intense music that plays when shit hits the fan and it really builds the mood. Bleach will always be a low A tier but it had the potential for S tier.
I started to read Yu Yu Haksho after the announcement of the Netflix adaption. I had watched the anime but honestly forgot so much other than the tournament arc. The manga has a great start. Nothing beats a character that you hate at the start but they write it so well you end up loving them…Kuwabara! Actually I think Togashi excels in making every side character as interesting as the protagonist and that is what makes a manga S tier. It has dropped off a bit as I’m getting really deep in the story. I have read how he struggled towards the end and you can see it in the flow of story and artwork consistency but it’s still great.
As for the Netflix adaption, I’m really worried. The teenagers look like adults in wigs. Kuwabara doesn’t have the iconic Yankee red hair which I feel is a big mistake. Kurama looks like the cheapest cosplay wig of Ebay and Hiei is the worst representation of them all. When reading the manga Hiei would rank #1 fan favorite character polls and my old dinosaur self was perplexed. Then I started to think about how Hiei is tiny and small compared to the rest of the crew but still bad ass. Maybe young Jump readers who were small, dorky and felt left out at school had a character they could aspire to be. The Netflix Hiei looks like he is 30 years old. Why can’t they cast a 13 year old? At least he would look the part.
Next manga to read will be: Hunter X Hunter, Gintama and Full Metal Alchemist. I have watched the anime for all three but never read the mangas.
INJIGO 