Well now I can’t say I saw Monta throwing away his prized possession (Honjou’s glove) into the ocean coming. Honestly though it’s all for the best and I’m glad his moody period didn’t last long. Still, if what Taka has shown so far in word and in movement Monta still has a long way to go before he can put up a decent fight in the Christmas Bowl. That said I really loved seeing the gloves Sena collected from all the other receivers Monta went up against in the past. Personally I think that those are worth much more than that baseball glove ever did.

One Piece 498

My, my! This chapter introduces us to a lot of new characters. All of these new characters happen to be pirate captains with bounties that exceed 100 million. Damn, I never thought about there being that many more pirates which extremely high bounties. It’s going to be very interesting to see how they interact with Luffy and the crew in future chapters. I’m especially curious and interested in Jewelry Bonney for quite obvious reasons. Kid seems to be extremely badass and has a bounty that’s higher than Luffy’s (only by 15 million though). Still, his bounty is only so high because he’s also done things to civilians and not just the Marines. I can hardly wait for the next chapter to see if Luffy ends up meeting any of those Captains and the engineer who is supposedly stronger than all of the Captains, including Luffy.

REBORN 190-191

So the main attraction here is the Ryohei/Gokudera vs. Gamma fight. Meanwhile Tsuna is about to start his training to perfect the X-Burner. I’m not really that psyched about the current fight but I do want to see Gamma beaten for the last time. So far he’s gloated about being so many levels stronger than the last time he fought but Gokudera has also been training. This fight will most likely show us the results of all his training. I especially want to see what that cat of his can do.

Psyren 20

Gah! This is a setup chapter that ended on a cliffhanger. I had thought that we’d at least see the very start of the fight but it was good anyway. Amamiya showed a few cute parts of herself after worrying about the safety and well-being of Yoshina and Asaga. I don’t know if their plan is going to work but I’m looking forward to see how it all turns out. Asaga is obviously going to try and save Tatsuo and I’d like to see if it’s possible to save someone who was turned into a Tavoo.

Mx0 97

Oh? What’s this? It seems like things have just gotten tons more interesting with what seems to be the start of a new story arc. It seems like the alumni Taki has come specifically to give Taiga a real magic plate instead of MO. Still I can’t help but feel that things won’t go so smoothly especially with the chapter title “Farewell Seinagi”. What does that mean? Is it a literal farewell or the farewell of the Taiga that used M0? It’s hard to think that he’ll just give up his M0 after all the hard work he put into upgrading it to a black plate and such (not to mention the series itself is entitled Mx0). I’m really excited to see where this arc takes us. ^^

The storm is over and morning has come!

This chapter was great. The amazing color pages aside, the damn level 4 Akuma is dead. I really hated that thing so I’m glad it’s finally gone. We’re pretty much shown the aftermath and that everyone is pretty much okay…except for a few. Miranda is fine, Tiedoll is as well, and others such as Reever and Bak are a little banged up but otherwise will live. Allen seems to be pretty weakened if his appearance in this chapter is any indication. He didn’t even know that Lenalee had already gone up to the others when he was talking. Speaking of Lenalee, her Innocence is still a bit of a mystery since it’s difficult to tell whether it is really a full parasite-type. Cross is actually speaking with Malcom about putting their differences aside for now. That was surprising but I have a feeling Cross is only playing him so that he can rearrange his cards.

Bleach -105

It was pretty surprising seeing Byakuya at such a young age. He turned out to be totally different than he was in the past. Still, it was pretty funny seeing him get so pissed so easily because of Yoruichi. Moving along, Urahara’s plans can be classified as insane but I think this chapter suggests a little that he was planning to pass along his Captain’s seat after completing whatever it is he had to (most likely the creation of ‘that’, eh?). I don’t know what to say about Gin though. I never really liked the guy and he looked like a total runt in this chapter. Something about him is just evil and although I’ve yet to see him fight seriously, I hope whoever fights him in the war owns him up nicely.

FAIRY TAIL 83

It’s good to see that at least one of Erza’s old friends isn’t a total dumbass. Shimon had been playing long with Gerard’s plans all along and was the only one who believed in Erza since the beginning. People like that are always good to have close by as a friend. I’m curious about the beginning of the chapter where Seig says “We only need one more” and then Gerard says “One more, eh?” (those are paraphrases by the way). Does Gerard have some sort of link to Seig or was that just a coincidence? Natsu and Worly are going to fight since I don’t think Erza and the others are going to make it in time for them to stop it from happening. I’m just wondering how he’s going to pull it off with that cat head on his shoulders lol.

One Piece 497

This chapter is a prime example as to why I love One Piece! We get to see more of the dancing bubble island which I just find to be totally breathtaking. This is one of the best locations I’ve ever seen in One Piece and I must applaud Oda for his awesome imagination. The main deal here is that we finally get to see the Tenryuubito. I had wondered why they were so important and it so happens to be that they are descendants of the creators of the World Government. As expected they are repulsive in behavior and the treatment of others and seem to remove themselves as being “human” to some other higher life-form. The funny thing about them is that they wear masks/bubbles on their heads to avoid breathing the same air as common people. My question is: Will there be anyone that is likable from the Tenryuubito? Chances are we’ll be introduced to someone who isn’t a total arrogant prick but that remains to be seen for now. Right now though, I want to see what Luffy and the others will do if (or rather when) they encounter those or other Tenryuubito in future chapters.

Wow that was an amazing chapter. I wasn’t expecting Taka to be Honjou’s son. This is going to be quite a huge obstacle for Monta in the future. The same can be said for Sena since Yamato is obviously 100%+ in all of his abilities. I’m also looking forward to seeing how Karen will destroy Hiruma’s tricks and plays. She’s quickly became a favorite character of mine and I’d love to see her skills, especially those that’ll even spin Hiruma’s head around at the speed of light.

Even with Kantou’s best all lined up to help Deimon train to take on Teikoku…I still think their chances are slim to none at winning. Or maybe that’s just my inner self really wanting to see Karen kick ass against Deimon?

FAIRTY TAIL 82

So it seems like the flashbacks are over now that we know what and how Jeral/Gerard (which one is his name?) became the person that he is now. Based on what Erza saw when she found him, I think it’s safe to say that he’s been possessed by Zeref or at the very least his mind was altered to serve him. I think it has to be one of the two since I don’t think you can go from sane to totally psycho in a few hours, especially when a “god” as ugly as Zeref shows up. I’m interested now to see how this fight will turn out between Erza and Jeral/Gerard. It’s obvious that she considers him a dear friend from her tears at the end but I don’t see this ending well for either of them (mostly Jeral/Gerard). Nothing will probably happen to her other friends but that’s assuming that Natsu and the others are the ones who beat the hell out of them.

PSYREN 18

Ah! Cliffhanger ending. The most important thing in this chapter is that the trigger happy Tatsuo has finally recharged his gun but Amamiya rushes at him before he can shoot off any shots at the group. She also shows off her powers and reveals a new one called Rise. It seems to involve ones reflexes since she leapt pretty damn high into the air. It looks like we’ll know for sure who this mysterious guy is once Amamiya reads his mind.

Bleach -106

I don’t really know what to think after reading this chapter. I am sure about one thing though: The plot is definitely getting better and better. That said, Urahara was a pretty busy guy when he was in the Gotei 13. I wouldn’t have thought that he was in charge of such an odd prison that held people who didn’t do anything wrong but rather have the potential to do so. From what I saw they all looked a bit mental, especially that one that one that tried to attack Hiyori. The shocker came in the form of the only prisoner behind bars being Mayuri. When I think about it now, it’s not entirely odd that he was one of the inmates given his personality and behavior.

I’m seriously intrigued with the direction Bleach is going in with these flashback revelations and I can hardly wait for more. It’s just a feeling but it’s possible that this meeting may show the beginning of what lead to Urahara, Yoruichi, Shinji, and others leaving Soul Society.

REBORN 189

Geez man. Irie’s box is the whole friggin’ base? That’s just insane. It seems like there will be a lot of shuffling around if he keeps on using it the way he did in this chapter though. Yamamoto and Lal were separated from Gokudera and Ryohei and they in turn encountered that one guy who Hibari pretty much owned previously. Things look to be picking up yet again and I can’t wait until the next chapter to see what goes down.

Naruto 397

Haha. Oh man. I really don’t know what to say about this chapter other than “what a load of total bullshit”. How can anyone NOT see the transfer of Itachi’s mangekyou sharingan and eye techniques to Sasuke with a single tap to the forehead as bullshit? If this thing isn’t temporary then I’m going to laugh at how ridiculous it all is. Maybe I’ll have some time to save up those giggles since Naruto is taking a week off. I think Kishimoto needs this break to re-evaluate what the hell he’s doing.

One Piece 496

I’m so glad that little arc is done and now we’re moving on to more interesting and exciting things. The crew has to stop at some islands to get a special coating for their ship which they need to travel underwater. I have to say Oda has one of the best imaginations I’ve ever encountered after seeing yet again another wondrous ‘island’. It looks like things will be picking up even more if the end of the chapter is any indication. Hachi seems to be really afraid of these “World Nobles”, going as far as warning the Straw Hats that they shouldn’t defy them even if someone is killed right in front of them. I can only wonder now why they seem to be so feared. Though if anyone knows Luffy, he’s going to disregard everything he heard anyways and kick some ass.

Mx0 95

This chapter was all about breasts. Seriously. The focus was on breasts. Somehow the girls were having a marathon run and felt that their chests were too heavy and thus a burden to them. So they used some magic that made their breasts a sixth of normal gravity. You can pretty much guess that that led to a lot of giggling and bouncing. You really don’t see many chapters like this these days. Good times.

PSYREN just keeps on getting better and better. Not only did we get a two-page color spread but we’re told who the mystery guy is. Apparently Asaga knew him as a kid and that was he a pretty sickly guy. However, the current Tatsuo is flying all over the place and Bursting people to death. Hell, he scared off that huge worm and even shot at Yoshina, Amamiya and the others! His reasons for doing what he does is unclear but at the moment he’s recharging his Psi to start shooting again. The next chapter can’t come soon enough for me to see how Yoshina, Amamiya, Asaga, and the other two guys manage to get to the gate all while avoiding Tatsou and that huge worm.

BLEACH -107

Yes! More past stuff! Man, seeing Urahara as such a newbie feels awkward but I think that he’ll be showing some of his current self in the next chapter even if it’s a tiny bit. As for other stuff in the chapter, we got to see Yoruichi as the Second Division Captain and of course she was as hot as ever. Another surprise that hit me was finding out that Urahara came from the Second Division and was the third seat. I knew that Urahara and Yoruichi had to know each other in some form in the past but I didn’t expect that.

Meanwhile, Aizen is being as odd as ever and utterly failed in his attempt to secretly listen to Urahara and Shinji’s conversation. What was up with that? Anyway, the next chapter will focus on Urahara and Hiyori going to the Maggot’s Nest. What exactly is that place and what importance will it have on the story? I can’t wait to find out.

NARUTO 396

Heeeh? So Kakashi knows that there’s another Uchiha about. It’s not surprising he doesn’t know who it is though. About Tobi/Madara…the dude can officially move “at the speed of light”. That just adds to his overall invincibility. He can cause anything to pass through his body or any body part AND teleport? Things aren’t looking good for anyone on the protagonist side anymore. I was surprised that he actually took off his mask to reveal a part of his face as well. I’m guessing we’ll see the rest of it in the next chapter when he tells Sasuke about “the truth” about Uchiha Itachi. Whatever the hell that means.

D.Gray-man 155

Oh man I really hope that girly-Level 4 is dead now. After getting what has to be an asskicking out of this world from Allen, Lenalee, Cross, and the other generals sans Tiedoll (who is still alive since Garden of Eden is still activated), there’s no way that thing can still be alive. I think its death is further evidenced in it bragging about how many people it killed. I gotta say, I laughed hard at Cross’ comedy mixed with badass-tude when he stepped up to the Level 4. Seriously, getting pissed because it messed up his clothes? LOL! That’s priceless man. Also, Hoshino is apparently taking a break for a bit. I’m hearing that it’ll be a 5-week break but I didn’t see anything official backing it up.

FAIRTY TAIL 81

Hmm. So if I’m following this correctly, Jeral is most likely the way he is right now because he was possessed by this “god” called Zeref. That’s a reasonable explanation from what I observed. I’d like to see what took place after he appeared to Jeral and not just showing him already changed by the time Erza and the others get to him. On another note, Erza’s magic awakening was unexpected since it wasn’t an issue I thought about in the previous chapter. Still, it’s interesting to see that she possessed it at such a young age and I await to see what will happen once she meets up with Jeral in the next chapter or two.

Eyeshield 21 246

So Yamato is the real Eyeshield 21. Oh man, even though we only got a glimpse of his abilities I can tell his skill is beyond comprehension. Teikoku overall is an amazing team and I honestly don’t see how they can possibly lose to Sena and the others. I was hoping to see some of Karen’s skills in this chapter but it seems like we won’t be able to see it either until the next chapter or two or until the big match. That other guy, Taka, seems to be a rather awesome player as well. It’s hinted at that he’s going to be Monta’s rival in the match and his catching ability is obviously A++ at the moment.

Seriously, can anyone else see Deimon beating Teikoku without it being a pure miracle?

REBORN 188

Yet another amazing chapter from Reborn. Like I said before I’m really liking this fight and find it awesome that Ryohei is kicking so much ass. It doesn’t even seem like he’s using all of his power at the moment. Unless Baishana has another secret up his sleeves (which doesn’t seem so after calling for backup) he’s as good as dead. HOpefully this fight finishes up next chapter so that Yamamoto can get some action soon!

One Piece 495

While the enemies are rather underwhelming this little arc is still entertaining. I think the most hilarious moment in this chapter is when the Gaon Cannon is revealed. Luffy totally freaked out and he had a good reason to do so. The damage the Sunny’s Gaon Cannon did was TOO AWESOME. I can’t see this arc continuing on for much longer so I’m thinking that Sanji’s attacks will pretty much put an end to that Poster-face guy and then we’ll go back to the main goal of goign to Merman Island.

Mx0 94

Why am I not surprised that the Black M0 even has it’s specific restrictions? On top of it only being able to output the magic Taiga remembers at 1/10 of its original power, if the original M0 power is used then the magic stored will be erased without him even using it. Well, I suppose there should be some early limits so that we can see him work towards having a stronger plate which would pay off more in the long-run giving him more experience. Hopefully a big arc starts soon that’ll force him to have to level up his new Black M0 plate.

Nothing much happened in this chapter but we did get more background information from Erza on the Tower and Jeral. I have to say though, Erza and the other people there really carried a lot of beatings during their time in that place. Though, it really takes a certain kind of low-life to abuse children that way if you ask me. I think they all got what they deserved in the end but it seems as if it was too late for Jeral. Still, it isn’t clear as to why he turned out evil. Sure he got a beating of a lifetime but is that really enough to change someone into an “evil” bastard? Hopefully Erza clears up the situation in the next chapter.

Eyeshield 21 275

The biggest shock in this chapter is that Teikoku’s quarterback is a girl. Not just any girl mind you, she is hot and doesn’t possess an air of tomboyishness. I think it goes without saying that she must be a really skilled. I wonder though, is she really as meek and shy on the field as she is off the field? Even if she is I’m quite sure she must be a monster when it comes to passing the ball. I can hardly wait to see what she can do.

Seriously though, at this point I honestly don’t see Deimon winning against The Empire. At least, I don’t see them winning without using the “win against all the insane odds” angle, especially since Hiruma most likely won’t be 100% by the time the match begins.

One Piece 484

LOL. What the hell was this chapter? I had thought that the masked person was someone from the past but it turns out to be a guy who looks exactly like Sanji’s sketched wanted poster! I guess in a way you have to sort of feel sorry for the guy since he did suffer because of Sanji’s wanted poster but it’s not like Sanji himself is directly responsible. Other than that I really don’t know what else to say about this chapter, especially since it seems like Sanji already defeated the guy.

REBORN 186-187

I’m really enjoying this current fight between Ryohei and Baishana. I didn’t see Ryohei’s box weapon coming at all though when I think about it, a kangaroo does make tons of sense. Boxing and kangaroos go hand-in-hand after all. Also I’d like to know the properties of touching his fists though since it apparently overrides that of the snake’s degeneration ability. Additionally, what’s up with that guy wanting to help Tsuna? He’s supposed to be the enemy and yet he wants to help him complete the X-Burner…? Odd dude is ODD.

[ Episode 339: One Phenomenon After Another! Disembarking at Thriller Bark ]

Ah! It’s nice to finally since the Thriller Bark arc finally get underway. I’m going to enjoy seeing everything from the manga animated and of course any additions from the anime team. As always with OP this episode had me rolling with laughter. It especially helps that I forgot some details of this arc such as Brooke (for those out of the loop Brooke is a new character who has a lot of potential to be the next new crew member, especially since he is a musician, a position Luffy has wanted fulfilled since the start of the adventure) running on the water. I could barely recover from the laughter at such a sight lol. Then there’s the scene with Nami, Usopp, and Chopper running from a pretty messed up looking Cerberus which actually consists of two dogs and a fox! Hearing the ‘Wan! Wan! Kon!’ really made that scene funnier than it was in the manga.

Things will get more interesting when Luffy and the others land on the island though since the first party isn’t exactly the most dependable or the strongest of our dearest Strawhats.