Monthly Round-up: January

First up I have an apology to make for the severe lack of posts this month. There's little good excuse and I've certainly failed hardcore at the "Blog more" resolution I made. 

Initially I had planned to do a weekly round-up of what I've been watching and reading, but thanks to my (possibly unhealthy) addiction to Skyrim, before I knew it I'd already missed the first two weeks. So, I decided to do a monthly one instead. At the moment I'm not entirely sure how these posts will go, and they may well morph into something completely different, but we'll see how it goes. I'm also hoping that by keeping a record of what I've watched/read this year, my next 12 Days of Christmas post may be a little easier, since last year I forgot what I'd seen in 2011 and what I'd watched before!

Anime I've Watched:

• Arrietty - I've barely watched any anime this month, but it felt quite fitting that my first of the year was a Ghibli film, and the latest one at that! Thoroughly enjoyed it, though wasn't quite as blown away as I had expected to be. Still loved it nonetheless.
• Morita-san wa Mukuchi 2 - I finally finished off the last episode of this, and while it's harmless enough, I'm kind of glad it's over. I was definitely getting more and more bored throughout the series' run.

Ongoing Anime I've Watched

• Chibi Devi

Manga I've Read:

• Vinland Saga - From starting at volume four, I've now managed to get up to date on this, and damn it's good! It's definitely very tough going to reading it as it's scanlated.
• Black Paradox - The final two chapters of this were finally scanlated, so I managed to finish it off, and even by Junji Ito's standards, it's bloody weird!Definitely not my favourite of his works so far, but it won't put me off reading any more.
• Faster Than A Kiss - Another of the 25 Days manga that I wanted to get up to date on. Quite enjoy it, though at one point I found it a bit repetitive. It definitely got more interesting when it started delving into Kazuma's past and his relationship with his family.
• Black Bird - Again, a 25 Days request that I wanted to get up to date on. Still really enjoying this one, especially since while it has all the shoujo romance, it also has a fair bit about the politics of the youkai clans, which for me gives this series an extra edge.
• All Rounder Meguru - Now up to date on this 25 Days manga. Still enjoying this one. I must say I remain surprised at how much I've enjoyed the mixed martial arts manga I've read. I assumed my love for HSDK was mainly due to the humour of the Masters (which it is) but I think there's also some inherent part of me that enjoys the combat side.
• Nichijou - Started and read all that's translated of this. I've certainly gained more of a fondness for Nichijou than when I first started the anime. No longer bored by it and find it quite amusing.
• Hanamaru Youchien - Another series I picked up and have read all that has been translated. Just as cute as the anime, shame that not more of it is available to read.

Ongoing Manga I've Read:

• Bleach
• Naruto
• One Piece
• Beelzebub
• Bakuman
• Fairy Tail
• Ao no Exorcist
• Mononoke
• Kill Me Baby
• Otoyomegatari
• History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi (Resolution Manga - currently 262 chapters to go til up to date)

 As you can see from the above list, I've been shockingly poor with anime this month - something that I'm working on this month as I still haven't finished most of the Fall season, and I owe a post on my final thoughts, with luck that should be coming soon, alongside a post on whatever Winter titles I eventually pick up.

25 Days of Manga: December 16th - 20th

December 16th
All Rounder Meguru (7+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 2 Volumes

Impressions: Another day, nother mixed martial arts manga. When I started reading this, I couldn't help but compare it to Teppuu since I'd not long read that. Generally I think I'm enjoying this a little more than the aforementioned series, largely because Meguru is a far more amiable protagonist than Natsuo. All Rounder Meguru is an easy read, and there are already the signs that he has some kind of inherently amazing ability despite his seeming lack of talent. I can't necessarily see this becoming one of my all-time favourites, but it's certainly a decent read and worth continuing with.

Rating: 3.5/5


December 17th
Omoide Emanon (1 Vol Complete)
Status: Read

Impressions: I had absolutely zero idea what to expect with this manga and I was quite pleased with what I found. The basic premise is that a student meets a mysterious girl on a boat trip back home and she reveals that she has an inherited memory that's passed down her bloodline, meaning that she can remember everything that has ever happened since the beginning of the world. Omoide Emanon makes you question the merits and pitfalls of having a three billion year old memory and it's that ability to make you think that I liked the most about it. As much as I likea nice easy read that I can simply sit back and enjoy, when I encounter manga that can provide more mental stimulation, I can't help but appreciate it.

Rating: 4/5


December 18th
Dengeki Daisy (9+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 1 Volume

Impressions: Another decent dose of shoujo that's just as detached from reality as so many others I've encountered. A girl's brother dies leaving her with no family and only a cellphone connected to the mysterious "Daisy" who will always be there to help her out. Now, I'm sorry but in that situation I'm buggered if I'd trust some complete stranger who only communicates through text messages. But of course our naive protagonist, Teru, not only trusts this guy implicitly but has seemingly fallen in love with him. Naturally, Dengeki Daisy is infused with the standard sorts of shoujo humour and a good old hate becoming love relationship between Teru and cranky janitor Tasuku who just so happens to be the illusive Daisy. But you know what, I kind of don't care that it's unrealistic because I enjoy reading it, and really, that's what manga is all about.

Rating: 4/5


December 19th
Tough (31+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Stalled at 1 Volume

Impressions: I seem to have had a fair number of manga requests that are based around mixed martial arts and considering that my only experience of this type of manga so far has bee History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi, it's been a bit of an eye-opener. So far, this is definitely the most brutal of the MMA manga I've experienced, and surprisingly, I'm rather enjoying it. Certainly, 25 Days has opened my eyes to genres that I'd not normally have bothered with, and its definitely teaching me more about my tastes in manga.

Rating: 3.5/5


Bonus: Kokou Tekken-den Tough (42 Vols Complete)
Status: Stalled at 1 Volume

Impressions: Since I had the requet for Tough, I thought I may as well fill in the rest of the franchise. This part is actually the prequel and focuses on Kiichi when he was younger, and boy, is the tone different. Granted I'm not too far in, but where Tough is darker and all together more serious, Kokou Tekken-den Tough has more humour, and crude humour at that. The fights still have the same sort of vibe, though so far they're not as brutal.I'm intrigued to read on a little more, but this part of the franchise seems to have less direction than its successor.

Rating: 3/5


Bonus: Oton (2+ Vols Ongoing)

Status: Stalled at 1 Volume

Impressions: This is possibly the most bizarre of the Tough franchise. This part focuses on Kiichi's father and is an episodic (or chaptersodic) manga that follows the day-to-day life of Seiko as he uses his immense strength to help people. It's kind of ridiculous to be honest and at times stupidly far-fetched. In chapter one the guy not only trains himself to pluck a speeding bullet out of thin air, but he also cures a paralysed man through a hand massage. Seriously. Since there are currently only two volumes I will likely read the other one, and decide what to do after that. I oddly like it's outlandish stories, but the sensible part of me thinks I should quit while I'm ahead.

Rating: 3.5/5


December 20th
Dorohedoro (15+ Vols Ongoing)
Status: Reading at 1 Volume

Impressions: I was a litle anxious starting this one as I wasn't sure it was going to be my cup of tea, but I can say with certainty that I like Doroheodoro. It's got fantasy, magic, curses, and a guy with a lizard's head. But it's not a fluffy sort of series by any stretch of the imagination, in fact it's pretty damn dark. Humans live in a shithole city and are live experiments for wizards who do all sorts of messed up crap to people, such as completely disfiguing their faces, turning them into insects and all sorts. Plus there's a fair amount of brutality. The main character has to bit the heads of magicians to find the one who cursed him, and if they're not the one he kills them in some pretty vicious ways. Mixed in with this is the odd little bit of humour that makes the whole thing go down smoothly. Definitely looking forward to continuing this one.

Rating: 4/5