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ducko's reviews
19 reviews
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
dark
mysterious
sad
4.25
My first Junji Ito read, and what a ride it was. Amazing art coupled with a compelling anthology-esce narrative made for an engaging read in my eyes. The characters leave a lot to be desired however, feeling more like plot devices than actual people, and this extends to our lead. She's a fine character, but her "relationship" with her boyfriend is super 1 dimensional, which is a shame because proper characterization could've made this story even more engaging. And I'm only so confident in saying this because of that final 19th chapter, where we get a touching moment between them and it's everything I could've wanted from an ending. I just wish they were like that for the rest of the manga, but otherwise I have no complaints. Thrilling, creative, and utterly terrifying. Fans of H.P Lovecraft will get a kick out of this, I'll be sure to read more of Ito's work sometime.
Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys, Vol. 22: The Beginning of Justice by Naoki Urasawa
4.0
(Review for the entire 20th Century Boys manga as well as the 21st Century Boy sequel)
What a goddamn ride man. There's so so much to say on this, but to get the positives out of the way: this is probably some of the best mystery writing I've seen in manga. I was constantly hooked and tense, and the characters were great leads to follow along and watch twists unfold. But wow it's a lot to keep track of. Characters impersonating characters with constant turns in how we understand this world, there's a supernatural element thrown in the mix, it can get confusing.
To be blunt, 21st shouldn't be its own manga, those last two volumes should've been the last volume of 20th, because the actual ending was unsatisfying in my opinion. 21st tries to alleviate this, and it does succeed, but that supernatural element comes back and acts as a huge cop out to otherwise tense moments, and the true reveal of Friend in the perfect edition is just so confusing. Definitely gonna need to think/read on it all more to fully understand it, but on a first read I can safely say that I enjoyed this wild ride. If that ending was more satisfying I'd be more than willing to rate this higher
What a goddamn ride man. There's so so much to say on this, but to get the positives out of the way: this is probably some of the best mystery writing I've seen in manga. I was constantly hooked and tense, and the characters were great leads to follow along and watch twists unfold. But wow it's a lot to keep track of. Characters impersonating characters with constant turns in how we understand this world, there's a supernatural element thrown in the mix, it can get confusing.
To be blunt, 21st shouldn't be its own manga, those last two volumes should've been the last volume of 20th, because the actual ending was unsatisfying in my opinion. 21st tries to alleviate this, and it does succeed, but that supernatural element comes back and acts as a huge cop out to otherwise tense moments, and the true reveal of Friend in the perfect edition is just so confusing. Definitely gonna need to think/read on it all more to fully understand it, but on a first read I can safely say that I enjoyed this wild ride. If that ending was more satisfying I'd be more than willing to rate this higher
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, Vol. 24 by Hirohiko Araki
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
(Log for the entire Steel Ball Run manga)
I've been going through JJBA for a bit now, and I've loved it so far, it's genuinely a new favorite series of mine, and SBR is an easy top 3 part. I loved so much about this, Johnny and Gyro are great, Valentine is a top tier JoeFoe, the stand fights are all fun and unique with plenty of tense moments, there's a lot to love here.
I've been going through JJBA for a bit now, and I've loved it so far, it's genuinely a new favorite series of mine, and SBR is an easy top 3 part. I loved so much about this, Johnny and Gyro are great, Valentine is a top tier JoeFoe, the stand fights are all fun and unique with plenty of tense moments, there's a lot to love here.
My Hero Academia Vol 38 by Kōhei Horikoshi
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
(Review for the entire My Hero Academia manga)
Finished this not too long ago and I forgot to log. My Hero was a genuinely really fun time, a likable cast, solid villains, a great protagonist, and some of if not the best art of a "new gen" manga you'll find weekly. The art is my biggest praise, genuinely jaw dropping stuff. The ending is what sours the experience, as it's really unsatisfying, and while the final arc overall was good some character moments felt weak to me. Definitely enjoyed this a ton though
Finished this not too long ago and I forgot to log. My Hero was a genuinely really fun time, a likable cast, solid villains, a great protagonist, and some of if not the best art of a "new gen" manga you'll find weekly. The art is my biggest praise, genuinely jaw dropping stuff. The ending is what sours the experience, as it's really unsatisfying, and while the final arc overall was good some character moments felt weak to me. Definitely enjoyed this a ton though
The Book of Bill by Alex Hirsch
4.0
I like many others am a huge fan of Gravity Falls, and Bill Cipher played a huge role in that as one of my favorite cartoon villains. So I was insanely hyped when this book was announced, and it certainly lived up to the hype. Really funny with great new lore insights on the world of Gravity Falls, while also enriching the character of Bill Cipher. The ARG elements were an awesome suprise and the reveals were great.
You can't keep a good man down as they say, so I doubt that Bill will be gone for long (especially with what the ARG teases us) but for now, I'm satisfied with this return to Oregon
You can't keep a good man down as they say, so I doubt that Bill will be gone for long (especially with what the ARG teases us) but for now, I'm satisfied with this return to Oregon
Claymore, Vol. 27 by Norihiro Yagi
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
(Review of the entire Claymore manga)
After finishing and loving Berserk, Claymore seemed right up by alley and I'm glad I got to read it. It's a great story with many satisfying moments and reveals, especially towards the end. While this can have the early chapters feel slow in comparison, it's all worth it when you get to that wonderful final act.
After finishing and loving Berserk, Claymore seemed right up by alley and I'm glad I got to read it. It's a great story with many satisfying moments and reveals, especially towards the end. While this can have the early chapters feel slow in comparison, it's all worth it when you get to that wonderful final act.
Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 22 by Gege Akutami
3.5
(Review for the entire JJK manga up to chapter 262)
In terms of "new gen" manga, it isn't as emotionally engaging with its plot or characters as something like Chainsaw Man, but JJK still manages to be a fun time with a likable cast, interesting villains, and a really great power system that leads to some of the best art you'll find delivered weekly.
In terms of "new gen" manga, it isn't as emotionally engaging with its plot or characters as something like Chainsaw Man, but JJK still manages to be a fun time with a likable cast, interesting villains, and a really great power system that leads to some of the best art you'll find delivered weekly.
Dragon Ball, Vol. 16 by Akira Toriyama
4.25
(Log for the entire Dragon Ball manga)
The last time I fully experienced og Dragon Ball was as a child, and I'm glad to say that I regret not revisiting it sooner. Akira Toriyama was a master at balancing fun action and battles with humorous moments that left every chapter feeling fun and fresh. While I found the beginning arcs to be the weakest, and typical Roshi humor was usually a miss, that hardly distracted from what otherwise was a phenomenal series.
The last time I fully experienced og Dragon Ball was as a child, and I'm glad to say that I regret not revisiting it sooner. Akira Toriyama was a master at balancing fun action and battles with humorous moments that left every chapter feeling fun and fresh. While I found the beginning arcs to be the weakest, and typical Roshi humor was usually a miss, that hardly distracted from what otherwise was a phenomenal series.
Berserk, Vol. 42 by Kentaro Miura
4.75
(Log for the entire Berserk manga up to chapter 376)
Took me about a month of on and off reading before powering through over 100 chapters in the past few days but I finally caught up to Berserk, and it's as wonderful as everyone says it is. Godlike art, fantastic characters, a plot that's engaging and a villain that's so hateable I had to pause at certain moments because of the rage I was feeling.
The use of SA in early arcs is something that got obnoxious, and this is something that the author reportedly regretted. You can tell, as once Berserk started refining itself it only gets better.
Took me about a month of on and off reading before powering through over 100 chapters in the past few days but I finally caught up to Berserk, and it's as wonderful as everyone says it is. Godlike art, fantastic characters, a plot that's engaging and a villain that's so hateable I had to pause at certain moments because of the rage I was feeling.
The use of SA in early arcs is something that got obnoxious, and this is something that the author reportedly regretted. You can tell, as once Berserk started refining itself it only gets better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, and Blood
Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 15: Moro, Consumer of Worlds by Akira Toriyama, Toyotarou
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
(Galactic Patrol Prisoner saga review)
Pretty good all things considered but doesn't really reach the peaks it establishes early on. Moro has such a cool design and has a great aura to him but every form he takes past his initial goat form looks worse and worse. This arc isn't really character focused which is a shame, but Vegeta gets some great moments and Goku's rise to UI is awesome as ever. We get a new character here, Merus, who made a great first impression though. Overall, solid arc that I enjoyed
Pretty good all things considered but doesn't really reach the peaks it establishes early on. Moro has such a cool design and has a great aura to him but every form he takes past his initial goat form looks worse and worse. This arc isn't really character focused which is a shame, but Vegeta gets some great moments and Goku's rise to UI is awesome as ever. We get a new character here, Merus, who made a great first impression though. Overall, solid arc that I enjoyed