yaksha's reminiscence

As I've mentioned in previous entries, I took the time to read everything I had in my physical manga backlog, as well as continuing other series I keep up with.

Blue Lock by Muneyuki Kaneshiro & Yusuke Nomura (Chapter 299)

The inevitable happened... This was a tough chapter to read, lol. I don't think Ego was completely wrong —Nagi's skills had been lacking since the beginning of the arc, and the Manshine vs BM match had always been a bad omen to me—, but it really is hard to believe Nagi being condemned this much when there's so many characters that surpassed him without doing anything significant. I said the same thing last week, but it's still true... They won't boot him off the manga because Nagi's the favorite character of the author, but I wonder what'll become of him...

Medalist by Tsurumaikada (Chapter 52)

And with that, Hikaru's program is finished! Man, all the programs in this series always leave me at the edge of my seat, but this one was specially shocking. What was equally shocking was Yodaka leaving Hikaru — I think it was bound to happen, eventually, but how will he show in the story, then, if he has no other direct connection to any of the characters?

NANA by Ai Yazawa (Chapters 1-8; Volumes 1-3)

I bought the newest edition of the manga in Spain, which comes in 3-in-1 volumes and is a bit more affordable and buying the individual tankobon. It surprises me how close the anime came to portray the original manga's artstyle, honestly, and I think it made more sense to put their backstories first and foremost instead of how the anime did it, which dragged the beginning of it a little. I think that I'll keep up with this edition.

Replay by Saki Tsukahara (Single volume)

I picked this up at a manga store because I was intrigued by the summary, but I ended up not liking it much. It was just a regular story to me, and nothing particularly stood out, so I'm a little disappointed. Again, nothing much to say....

Revolutionary Girl Utena by Chiho Saito (All manga volumes + movie extras)

I've had the Spanish edition from 2023 of the manga since its release, but I'd never actually read it until now... And it was sure an experience! At it's core, it was the same story with the same characters (well, Nanami and Shiori were missing, which took a lot from some character backstories, mostly Juri's), but there were so many changes it felt like a different story at times. I don't blame the mangaka because I knew why this happened, but it's a little uncanny, lol. But again, that's Utena for you! The art was fantastic, though, and I still enjoyed it.

Yona of the Dawn by Mizuho Kusanagi (Chapters 45-71)

Back with Yona! I haven't read as much as I would have liked to this week, but the plot is progressing nicely. I didn't really care about that one general guy that was obsessed with Yona, but he turned out to be a pretty nice guy, so I've made peace with him. I really like the character development in this series in general, so I wonder why is it that Suwon took the throne... like that...

A few things out of the usual four today, but nothing much. However, I do have to say I'm very excited for the new Haikyuu movie and OVA!! Yay!!

BanG Dream: Ave Mujica (Episode 9)

About time they showed more of Uika! The scene in which she had intrusive thoughts about pushing Mutsumi down the stairs was absolutely terrifying —I thought she'd done that for real!— but also very realistic; I understand her. The episode ended on another scary spot, too... I didn't think the 10 girls (11, with Mortis) would reunite all of a sudden, but it's about time they talk out some things. That being said, I somehow wish Ave Mujica wasn't already established in the franchise, because the suspense about whether they'd be reuniting or left disbanded would be bigger, but that's multimedia franchises for you. Either way, I'm really liking it.

Girls Band Cry (Re-watch of Episodes 3-5)

My partner and I finally had some time to watch this together a few times, so we've almost gotten halfway through the story. I forgot how good the Shin Kawasaki songs were, and how hard-hitting Nina's flashbacks are, though we haven't reached the worst yet, I think... Now it's time for Tomo and Rupa to join the band! Yay!

Medalist (Episode 9)

Finally, Inori and Ema's performances! I really liked the scenes in the manga, so I was very eager to see how they would adapt them, and while they felt super short (which is understandable, considering they're supposed to be shorter routines), I liked them! I know most people would complain about the CGI, but it wasn't that bad. What matters the most is that their emotions were conveyed throughout the episode.

Nana (Episodes 33-34)

I continue with this anime, slowly but surely... And these episodes were heartbreaking, Jesus. I knew the strawberry glasses would break eventually because I'd already gotten spoilered online, but I didn't expect all that symbolism behind... I didn't think Nana would get that upset, considering Hachi had already fooled around a lot trying to cope herself and Nana hadn't had that much of a reaction, but it's still understandable. I really hope they can stay together, even after all of this... I also wonder what's up with Reira, but probably nothing good.

Promise of Wizard (Episode 8)

As a Central Revolution fan, this was one of the scenes I wanted to see animated the most, and it did not disappoint! It might seem a bit stupid, but back in my day we didn't even know for sure if the painting in the Granvelle Castle background was Alec or not, so getting direct confirmation was reassuring, lol. I also like how much of the dialogue is kept as it was in game — it brings up so many memories! I hope they don't rush things too much, though, considering there are not many episodes left in the season...

The Apothecary Diaries S2 (Episode 8)

Okay, I know it's sort of supposed to be a two-part episode, judging by the title shown in the preview of episode 9, but I really need more explanations after all that lore and backstory of the Imperial palace, lol. My refresher with the manga was really useful, because I think some characters I'd initially forgotten about were brought up again, yay! I fear for what will happen next week...