CAA: Christian Anime Alliance

WorldsTraveler wrote:I have no doubt that the plot is going in amazing directions. It is a beautiful manga and the mangaka is certainly talented. I wish I was enjoying the ride as much as the author intended. But I have to accept that not every manga is a cup of tea I want to curl up with every day. Some I just want to taste and move on. This is one of those.

So, for those reasons, I’m signing off in the middle of volume 6. It is with some regret, but I am glad I gave it a chance.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! =) And, yeah, it is probably best to stop reading if the profanity is bothering you at this point, because it gets worse as it goes along - especially after Tsuyukusa becomes a main character.

I have been keeping up with Magi (which I absolutely love) and its spinoff Sinbad no Bouken, the latter of which came as a pleasant surprise. Sinbad is a character I honestly wasn't hugely fond of in the main series, so I wasn't sure what to think going into this, but it is a lot of fun. It is what I expected the main Magi manga would be when I first started reading it - a cheerful adventure series with a fun protagonist and a diverse and quirky side cast, filled with lots of classic shounen themes - dreams and friendship and determination and fun. Underneath it all, there are definitely some darker tones more akin to the main Magi manga, though, and I am very interested to find out how the cheerful and plucky young boy that is the protagonist of Sinbad no Bouken became the manipulative king in Magi. I would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy the main Magi manga - it builds a lot on the setting and world already established - but as a standalone it doesn't work super well. It has been a delight to read, especially since Magi has definitely taken a turn for the dark and violent in the most recent chapters. Sinbad no Bouken is refreshing and fun.

Also, Ja'far is hilarious. Chapter 46 was a gift.

MangaRocks wrote:So, yeah, it wasn't a *great* series in the end, but it was a good one.

I recently finished Otomen as well and felt the same way about the series. It had its moments, but wasn't super amazing. The art was great, though - Kanno sensei is a talented and surprisingly versatile artist, and that was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the series.

Fairy Tail ch 414
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: IGNEEL! OH MAN! That really sucks!

Magi ch 251-251.1

Nanatsu no Taizai ch 109

Just received volume 9 of Loveless as a late Christmas gift so I'll be re-reading vls.1-8 before tackling it.

Kamisama Hajimemashita 118-122

Noragami 49-50

Shingeki no Kyojin 65

Pandora Hearts 99-101

Things are getting intense in all of these!

Oh wow, I need to catch up on Pandora Hearts...

Nanatsu no Taizai 110
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: DIANEEEE! She remembered the memories that King "wiped"!! I'm glad she did but seriously, KING! COME BACK!

Fairy Tail 415
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Well that's depressing! They're already dead! D8 Just hit the characters and readers with feels.

Fairy Tail 414 & 415: OH MAN, THE FEELS!

I hope that this doesn't mean an E.N.D. to the light-hearted feel of the series, although I will be looking forward to the day when Natsu can make good on his promise...

I got Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer 1-2 for Christmas. Good action, I like the sense of humor it has. And the characters are ... I don't know solid somehow. Can't really describe it but I like it.

Bit of fanservice here and there(it's of the 'look panties'! variety rather than the improbable figure in the impossible outfit sort of thing you usually get.). CR's got the first chapter up free, go have a look.

I went to the library today, sooo...
Bakuman vol. 1
Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLES omnibus 2
Lucky Star vol. 1
Fullmetal Alchemist vol. 2, 3
Gate 7 vol. 3

Superior Cross vv. 1-6 (complete) is the sequel to Superior. It is so badly-written (incoherent and uneven pacing, completely unbelievable characterization, etc.) that I had a hard time forcing myself to read the last half dozen chapters or so and am now wondering why I even read the original series. The art and character design, which are at least reasonably good, are the bright spot, I suppose.

Imuri vv. 4-5

There are currently 16 volumes out, and the manga is still ongoing, so I am not very far into the story, but so far this manga is incredibly intense, excellently paced, has great world-building, and has fantastically good psychological realism in its characters.

In many ways the story feels like a political thriller because there is just so much going on in these volumes with the turmoil between the two main political groups. But it's also a SF story with its own kind of special ability, sort of like a magical/psychic ability but with a concept and mechanism that are unique to this author rather than just being stereotypical magic. And in addition to all of the political and military things going on in the plot, there is also a great deal that is being gradually revealed to the reader about this special ability, and the way that different people groups have different techniques that they use, and also about the society and the world of the story in general. But this information is revealed in a very natural way, usually as the main character discovers and learns things, so it never seems like the author is just dumping information on us, but it is integrated very smoothly and skillfully into the story.

I also want to touch on the characterization because it's fantastic. This manga successfully does something that I feel like almost every manga tries to do but fails--and that is to make the reader sympathize (and even empathize) with a villain. Now, there are two groups of people that have power in this manga, and both of them mostly have leaders that use extremely unsavory tactics and are really Not Nice People, so one can't say there is a good side and a bad side, but I am designating this character as a villain because he is on the opposite side of the conflict from the protagonist. He, like almost everyone else in power on either side, is a rather bad person and uses a lot of dirty tactics, and one really cannot like him. But the mangaka does an extremely skillful job of showing the reader some of the things that he sees and experiences in a way that makes you feel sympathetic pain and anger for the evil that is done to him, and there's also a portion of the story where you see what is going on from his perspective and see the way that as he decisively tries to take actions to save himself and his men his every step is thwarted and he is headed off by the enemy, and mangaka's techniques very effectively make that reader experience his feelings of desperation and frustration. One also sees and comes to appreciate his ability as a military commander. But none of that makes you like him as a person--he is still a vain, short-tempered, nasty person, and none of those faults are glossed over. So unlike every other manga, where the trend is to portray a villain as being a horrible, unsympathetic person, then show the reader that they have some awful sob story of a background, then pretend that all their faults and the wrongs they have done don't exist and they're a nice person now, this manga actually makes you see things from the villain's perspective and feel the things that he feels as he is experiencing the events of the story, but it does not in the least gloss over the flawed and evil aspects of him as a person. I was extremely impressed by how well that was handled.

The other characters are also handled very realistically, though I won't dwell on them at length; we see a wide range of reactions to some extreme circumstances, but each character responds in a way that is very realistic and believable based on who they are and what their background is. I should also put in a few words about the visual aspect of the story, because things like facial expressions, line of vision (both the reader's and sometimes the characters'), and visual pacing are used sometimes to great effect.

The ending of v. 5 was truly powerful, and I will just leave it at that, because it's impossible to say much of anything about what is going on in the story without spoilers. But this is a manga that is almost impossible to put down, it is just that good, and someone needs to translate it already so the non-Japanese-speaking world can appreciate it for the exceptionally well-crafted piece of work that it (so far) is.

Caught up on Ajin, Arslan Senki, Assassination Classroom, Attack on Titan, Orange, Spirit Circle and The Voynich Hotel SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I just knew Alice's sister would use her "extra" time to go see Alice.
Putting off reading the latest Haikyuu!! chapters because of irrational silliness about having no more chapters to read after that for a while.

Nozaki-kun ch 59: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Mikorin and Mayu texting each other, each thinking the other is a girl, was friggin' priceless.

Also nearing the end of the Parasyte manga.

hmmm kenshin i'm at vol9 then prince of tennis vol5 gunslinger girl vol2 trigun vol14

I've been reading a LOT of manga lately!

Ouran Host Club volumes 1-7. I had read the first few volumes years ago, but now I'm barreling through the series. I like it, but I realize that I need to stop and take a break from it now and then. I've seen the anime, which I think I prefer, but I like the manga a lot more on this read than the first time I tried it. I think I just wasn't used to manga then.

Noragami Vol. 3. This is just good stuff. I gushed about the anime last year, and the manga is just as good or better. One geeky thing: I really like the translator's notes in this edition. They not only tell you about cultural references, but the notes take the time to really unpack some of the double-meanings and word play going on. I haven't yet encountered another series with notes that go into so much detail.

Until Death Do Us Part Vol. 7-8. Okay, I'm not the target demographic here. I like the series despite the heavy action focus. I generally read it and find myself wishing we could spend more time on character development and less time discussing fighting tactics. What I liked from Vol. 8 was the special episode that showed a little bit more of Haruka's perspective. Apart from that . . . I'm not sure what I think about the series going crossover.

Reading a few Free! doujin as of late, most stuff straight from the Winter Comiket. One expands the first season's ED with the Arabian theme and is weirdly interesting. There's a whole fandom spinoff in which Rin is some kind of Arabian king and this doujin takes the premise and runs with it. Now I'll have to get the second volume.
Another has Haruka visiting Rin in Australia and is very funny, in-character and with surprisingly well handled character development. In yet another Rin and his entire team have to crossdress as maids for the culture festival and it only gets funnier when the Iwatobi gang drops by. There's one in which Haruka gets a chance of changing the past by going back in time to when he had that fateful race with Rin as kids; despite sounding weird it works very well and the ending was absolutely perfect.

Trying to read more of the new translated Sailor Moon.

Recently read up to the current chapter of "Inside Mari" on Crunchyroll. OH. WOW. Avoid this people. Avoid it like it will give you a horrific curse. I was asking myself, "How are they getting away with putting this on this site?" as I viewed some of the pages. Lots of messed up "Wow, they really went there" moments.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan chapters 16-19

I LOVE THIS MANGA SO MUCH AND IT NEEDS TO GET UPDATED MORE OFTEN Love the detail, love the intensity, love the action. I want Arakawa-san to draw all the manga. All of it.

Zetman 207-209
At this point I'm just seeing how this manga ends. It's mind bending sometimes since it takes a while to update plus with all the stuff going on X-X SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Kouga is so demented now. Privileged rich boy with a savior complex has done on the deep end of super strict "justice" Doesn't help he's being controlled/basically numb and feeling really super charged. Man Hanako got the short end of the stick, though really the anime spoiled the fact she was a Player even though it ended differently/sooner with some change in events. Well guess Konoha has better chance getting together with Jin now! I freaking knew Kouga would shoot his own mom.

Bleach 613
YEAH FINALLY GETTING BACK TO ICHIGO. Also: 13 years of Bleach!!

Lucky Star vol. 2

And yet again I waited way too long to post this, LOL... Please pardon the length...



Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun chapter 60: The Kashima x Hori was (so delightfully! <3 ) strong with this one. And that cute (and rather surprising) little admission of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Nozaki's + Sakura's priceless delayed reaction!



The Heroic Legend Of Arslan chapters 9-19: I finally got a *full* (instead of just anime ) subscription to Crunchy now (...although it turns out I needn't have bothered, LOL, because they gave full manga access to the anime-only subscribers literally right afterwards, but oh well ), so I was finally able to get caught up with this series. And ah-- so SPOILER: Highlight text to read: the masked guy is against both sides, then? That makes more sense, although he's definitely *not* a good guy, either. In fact, pretty much the only likeable characters in the story are Arslan/Daryun/Narsus <3 -- seriously, Narsus is awesome! /Elam/ SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Lady Farangis; as for everyone else, (most of) the invaders are horrifyingly backward and cruel, the invaded are (or, rather, were) thoroughly decadent and corrupt, the thief dude is just in it for himself (and money and girls, apparently... ), and the masked guy is completely uncaring of who gets killed (by his own hands or others') so long as his 'plan' goes well. As you can imagine, that doesn't make for very... nice reading at times (particularly earlier on) , but that doesn't mean it isn't good-- indeed, it *is* good, and not only is it still keeping me interested in reading more despite the occasional unpleasantness, it's getting more and more interesting as it goes on. (And with the reveal of SPOILER: Highlight text to read: who the masked guy really is in the most recent chapter, things make a lot more sense, too. ) Also: The smaller-force-using-strategy/tactics-to-beat-a-larger-one seems to be a bit of a trademark of the original author (Yoshiki Tanaka, of LOGH fame), and what there has been of that element here so far has been as interesting as expected; and I really like the way that the characters around Arslan are constantly both evaluating his worth and teaching him all at the same time, as well. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to the next chapter.



Hibi Chouchou chapters 55-56: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: GAHHHHH!!! And he was really going to do it, too... That said, though, it was good that Suiren got out all that other stuff. And Kawasumi did think about what she said, and it seems that they're both going to try to do better. Still, though...



Kamisama Hajimemashita, a.k.a. Kamisama Kiss, chapters 123-125: Holy crap, this was emotional. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I guess Yatori was not exaggerating how short Nanami's remaining time is ATM... I have to believe that this will somehow have a happy ending, since most shoujo do (though, granted, there are some that do not, and there is certainly a possibility that this could end up being one of the bittersweet ones); but even with that hope/belief, the first of these chapters still made me tear up. (Those tengu, though... <3 ) Also, whoa-- did Yatori just say 'Kuromaro'? As in, the fallen god from that mountain that did the whole curse thing with Tomoe, and who everyone assumed was dead? Now *that's* a twist...



One Week Friends, a.k.a. Isshuukan Friends., chapters 25-26: This is all new to me now (this part wasn't adapted in the anime). And ahhh, all the Shougo (and Shougo x Saki!) in the first chapter...! <3 <3 SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Oh wow, though-- the depression at the end of the second chapter...



Pandora Hearts chapters 100-101: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: Whoa-- the Core's new form was creepy as heck. And oh my gosh, Leo... and Oz... and then the bit with Oswald and Lacie... and Leo and Oz again... Gah, my heart...! <3 Plus, it all coming back around full-circle with the seal on Oz' chest ending up being the key to getting to where they need to be-- see, this mangaka really does think of everything!



Spirit Circle chapter 32: Oh my gosh, what even... (This mangaka is just the best, LOL. ) *Ahem*-- seriously, though, it's truly amazing that despite how outright bonkers this chapter was, it still totally worked. SPOILER: Highlight text to read: First: LOL, now that's a gender-swap done right! (I'm serious-- I think this might be the first time I have actually wholeheartedly loved how characters were portrayed as/when gender-swapped. ) And second: That sci-fi madness! I mean, there's been plenty of sci-fi in this series already-- the 'roof' over the mountain and the time-traveling robot were par for the course-- but the rest of it was completely unexpected. (ROTFL at Fortuna calling this one 'dull,' 'unremarkable,' and 'uneventful'... and then SUDDENLY ALIENS! {...Who happened to know all about Fortuna's 'evil plan' + tried to take steps to prevent it, besides... }) Really, Fuuta's reaction to what he'd just seen at the very end was *perfect,* LOL. I can't wait to see how all of that eventually meshes with the rest of the story (and I have no doubt that it will do so, and do so brilliantly, given the author); and, until then, I'll just enjoy how hilariously, awesomely nuts it was.



Taiyou no Ie chapter 49: AHAHA, YES!! Oh man, this chapter *more* than made up for that just-plain-cruel cliffhanger in + wait after the previous chapter! SPOILER: Highlight text to read: ROTFL at Daiki's face when he saw Hiro asleep on the couch, and also at the writing on Hiro's forehead... Also, LOL at both Mao's reaction to Hiro's text and her step-mom's expression when peeking in, bwahaha. Then, on the actual date-day: I loved how it lampooned the previous interruptions! And Mao's reactions to the ice skating and the Christmas lights (and Hiro's own reactions to hers) were perfect, too, bwaha. Finally: Ahhh, yes, Hiro finally said it! <3 <3 And then the cute banter for a minute, and then it being all romantic again, with them both finally letting their feelings out openly (and kissing multiple times!)... <3 So yeah, this chapter was *great.* Now, according to what I've heard, the series is actually going to officially end within the next chapter or so (with some extra/side-story chapters set to be released afterwards); and while admittedly I was kinda hoping that the series would last a little while beyond this point (y'know, into their actual-couple phase), I don't think it's actually necessary (since we pretty much already know what they'll be like as a couple anyway, LOL ), so it should be fine to end it around here.



And Dengeki Daisy vol. 15: SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The way they tricked Kono, LOL... Anyway, this was as great as expected, from the aforementioned trick, to Teru's logic and resolve (multiple times!), to the way she and Kurosaki reunited (and the way they trust and rely on one another), to some more heavy stuff with Akira (and Teru's whole scene stopping him), and finally to that cliffhanger (...because even though you know that they *did* manage to escape, obviously, it's the *how* that provides the cliffhanger this time. Between what Kurosaki said and the little bits of text from that electronic diary that were shown, there was a 'cheat'-- an escape-- built into the system; finding out what exactly that 'cheat' was should be interesting).

Pandora Hearts chapters 98-101

I'm...hmm....I'm not really sure what to say at this point. I feel very sad and melancholy and altogether confused about how I should feel at this point. It's...sad, really.
SPOILER: Highlight text to read: The story hasn't lost any of its quality or amazingness, but I've found myself completely incapable of caring about really much of anything after Break's death. Like...nothing is really touching or sweet or wonderful or scary or sad or anything at this point. I feel very blah about Pandora Hearts now, which saddens me because it's not any less fantastic.
I will say, I'm curious to see how things turned out with Barma. They sort of left us hanging with that.

Bleach ch 614

Noragami 51
Man what a close call I wasn't sure what to expect.

I finished up _Ouran High School Host Club_, all 18 volumes. It was good. Was it just me, or was the second half of the manga much better than the first half? It's in the second half that we really start seeing a lot of character development and continued plot tension. The first half has some really funny moments, but the second half was where I felt like I HAD to keep reading to see how problems resolved. And when the tension DID relax, the funny bits at the end seemed like a reward for all the heavier going we'd just had. (Not that this story was ever terribly dark or depressing!)

I have to take back my earlier statement that I still prefer the anime. The manga ended more strongly than the anime . . . and I really liked the depth of the last several volumes.

I have only one real complaint, but it's a significant one. I loved the development of the twins, Tamaki, and Kyoya . . . but I didn't find Haruhi's development to be as plausible. The blushing Haruhi at the end seems very different from the "apathetic" snarky Haruhi of the beginning. I like that the sarcastic side of her character still comes now and then even at the end, but I'm not convinced that the shy, blushing side that emerges in the last third of the series is really consistent with her earlier character. It's as if she turned into a typical heroine, despite the series so often parodying shojo manga. (Speaking of which, I DID love the part where Haruhi starts reading shojo manga!)

That aside, I really liked this series. I wish some studio would pick up the second half and turn it into an anime. A second season of Ouran Host Club anime would be a lot of fun. This late in the game, though, I guess that's unlikely to happen. Too bad!

Nanatsu no Taizai ch 111-113
Officially want to punch Growther. Given his "sin" represention though I'm not surprised.

Shingeki no Kyojin 66
GO HISTORIA!

K. Up to volume 18 of Rurouni Kenshin (Very good), Pandora Hearts Chapter 101 (Amazing!), Tsubasa World Chronicle Chapter 5 (Fun and interesting as always), Shuriken to Pleats Chapter 2 (Very interesting), and Mahou Tsukai no Yome Chapter 14(Pretty good and very intriguing).

Just rereading the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords+ manga for the bajllionth time, yo.

Magi - Sinbad no Bouken 50

Recently finished a re-read of Hoshi no Samidare aka The Lucifer and Biscuit Hammer, which remains amazing. Everyone read this manga. If you've got a Crunchyroll subscription the entire series is up on their site. If you have an anime-only subscription you now also have access to their whole manga catalogue. And if you don't have a Crunchyroll subscription, PM me for a guest pass. XD In case you're worried, despite the title it's got nothing to do with Lucifer/Satan/demons.

Also reading a bit more of GTO and started Mahoutsukai no Yome/The Ancient Magus' Bride and Oresama Teacher.

Bleach 615

Okay am I the only one who's not concerned because literally someone has the power to fix this? SPOILER: Highlight text to read: I'm going to freaking scream if they totally disregard Orihime's powers. She can restore body parts with "complete healing" and she even can bring someone back from the dead as long as she has enough to work with (one of the female Arrancars a long time ago). Ichigo needs to give her space so she can heal the Soul King while drawing away the villain's power. THANK YOU YORUCHI FOR THINKING OF THIS. TOO BAD IT APPARENTLY DOESN'T WORK. FINE, KUBO YOU'VE TRUMPED ME. Then again why not have a new Soul King? I'm going to flip if a certain someone becomes the New Soul King.

artisticDreamer wrote:Just rereading the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords+ manga for the bajllionth time, yo.

This is a regular re-read for me too. It’s so much fun!


In other news, I have finally started reading Pandora Hearts! I like it so far. It’s artistic, whimsical, deep, and cunning. I’m having a blast reading into the foreshadowing and guessing at the upcoming plot twists.

Also, I recently read Olimpos. It was indeed as philosophical and beautiful as everyone says. Now I want to read more of Aki’s work. (After the next 90 chapters of PH. ^_^)