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ducko's reviews
14 reviews
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
4.5
(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: Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, Blood, and Body horror
Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 21 by Toyotarou, Akira Toriyama
3.0
(High School saga review)
It essentially acts as a mini arc for the Super Hero saga/movie. I didn't expect much and I didn't get much out of it. Kinda good but usually just "fine".
It essentially acts as a mini arc for the Super Hero saga/movie. I didn't expect much and I didn't get much out of it. Kinda good but usually just "fine".
Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 20: All-Out Bout by Toyotarou, Akira Toriyama
4.0
(Granolah the Survivor arc review)
Probably Super's best arc? Granolah is a really fun antagonist and the Heeter family was a great overarching villain. Both Vegeta and Goku get some solid character moments (although, for vegeta, it's nothing on the level of the Moro arc) and there's great action that's the usual for Dragon Ball
Probably Super's best arc? Granolah is a really fun antagonist and the Heeter family was a great overarching villain. Both Vegeta and Goku get some solid character moments (although, for vegeta, it's nothing on the level of the Moro arc) and there's great action that's the usual for Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Super, Vol. 15: Moro, Consumer of Worlds by Toyotarou, Akira Toriyama
- 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
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
For such a light read, especially compared to the first novel, Messiah is a wonderful expansion of the Dune universe, introducing new and weird concepts with characterization that's as brilliant as ever. By the time I finished this read, Paul has certainly gone down as a new favorite of mine.
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
(Note: I'll only be discussing the short story "I have no mouth and I must scream", not the other short stories. I'll also be factoring Harlan Ellisons audiobook into my raiting)
I have no mouth is something that's been recommended to me a ton in the past and I'm glad it did not disappoint. It does practically everything a short story has to do while the harrowing narration provided by Ellison wormed its horror into my eardrums. The madness, the terror, the hopelessness, the
....peace, it's all there and it's as good as everyone says.
I have no mouth is something that's been recommended to me a ton in the past and I'm glad it did not disappoint. It does practically everything a short story has to do while the harrowing narration provided by Ellison wormed its horror into my eardrums. The madness, the terror, the hopelessness, the
....peace, it's all there and it's as good as everyone says.
Attack on Titan, Volume 34 by Hajime Isayama
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
(Log for the entire Attack on Titan manga)
What a wild ride it's been, Attack on Titan was a fantastic read from beginning to end with a great plot and unforgettable characters. Eren Yeager may end up as one of my new favorite characters in all of fiction. As for the ending: I know it's controversial, but all things considered I liked it. Insanely satisfying and unsatisfactory at the same time, it's as big of a paradox as the main character himself. And I love it all
What a wild ride it's been, Attack on Titan was a fantastic read from beginning to end with a great plot and unforgettable characters. Eren Yeager may end up as one of my new favorite characters in all of fiction. As for the ending: I know it's controversial, but all things considered I liked it. Insanely satisfying and unsatisfactory at the same time, it's as big of a paradox as the main character himself. And I love it all
Soul Eater, Vol. 25 by Atsushi Ohkubo
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
(Log for the entire Soul Eater manga)
Soul Eater proves to be a great piece of manga.....if you give it time. Unfortunately, I found the first 40 or so chapters to be pretty slow, with Crona having to hard carry the story department. That could be forgivable, but the humor was a sour note as well, with typical tropes making each page feel predictable.
Beyond that point though, things get great. Crona is still the best character, but the rest of the cast is also super likable and interesting. The action is engaging and well drawn, the plot moves along and develops much better, and Crona and Maka are amazing. Their dynamic is beautifully written and their final moments together are heartbreakingly beautiful. So glad I got to revisit this one
Soul Eater proves to be a great piece of manga.....if you give it time. Unfortunately, I found the first 40 or so chapters to be pretty slow, with Crona having to hard carry the story department. That could be forgivable, but the humor was a sour note as well, with typical tropes making each page feel predictable.
Beyond that point though, things get great. Crona is still the best character, but the rest of the cast is also super likable and interesting. The action is engaging and well drawn, the plot moves along and develops much better, and Crona and Maka are amazing. Their dynamic is beautifully written and their final moments together are heartbreakingly beautiful. So glad I got to revisit this one
Watchmen by Alan Moore
dark
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What a complicated book watchmen was, I'm definitely going to need another read to fully grasp it all. But as is I really enjoyed my time with it. A great read filled with a wide cast of characters all varying levels of personalities. No one was rootable persay, but seeing Dr. Manhattan realizing the beauty of humanity was probably my favorite part. But seeing every single plot thread and moment unfurl in the villains plans, that was something breathtaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, and Addiction