Ore to Kawazu-san no Isekai Hourouki - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

So this chapter starts immediately after the first ended. Tarou and the old wizard (now the old frog) are arguing about his new body. There's a bit of funny back-and-forth banter (I'm starting to see that this will be one of the key elements in this series' "comedy"). The artwork is still on the simple side - there's not really any backgrounds in this chapter, just foreground with the characters.

Artwork
 As I said, the artwork still quite simple. There's next to no detail - heck, Tarou doesn't have a nose 99.99999% of the time. I know it's just a personal gripe, but it's still a bit annoying. But, the story does make up for it (at least so far).

Simple and no detail, unfortunately.

Tarou
 Tarou is still being himself. He wants to get home, wants nothing to do with the magic (or so he gives the initial impression), and is has constant conflicts with Old Frog. No real new developments, except we do get to see a taste of Tarou's super-mega-ultra-uber power in this chapter. Two tastes, actually. One - bringing Old Frog back from the dead, and two - blowing a hole through a mountain on accident. He does have neat looking robes now, though.

Old Frog/Other Characters
 Old Wizard is now an Old Frog, but that's about all we get from this chapter. We don't see him use any magic (except to "correct" his translation magic that allows Tarou and him to communicate). There's more back-and-forth banter between him and Tarou - some of it leading to violence - but nothing really new.

Story
This chapter begins with Tarou and the Old Frog arguing about the new body Tarou gave him. After a bit of wrestling, they decide to act like men, shake hands, and put it behind them.From there, Tarou immediately wants to put this new magical ability behind him and return to his old life. To be honest, I never understood that attitude, and I'm not sure if that's the stance that someone would take in that sort of situation in reality. I mean, who could pass up near god-like power just to spend some time in your old life where your life will consist of going to school, then work, eating, and sleeping. It's boring and depressing in comparison. Yeah, leaving family behind is tough, but it'll happen at some-point (everyone dies). But perhaps that's just me.

About the Old Frog - in this chapter Tarou and the Old Frog formally introduce themselves. Yet, when the Old Frog says his name - surprise, surprise - it's censored.

 Excuse me while I go rage. 

Apparently, the issue is that the magic translation that the Old Frog originally used was flawed and names aren't translated, so the first attempt for them to hear each others name is just garbled. After a quick fix, the Old Frog can hear Tarou's name (Kouno Tarou, by the way). BUT Tarou still can't understand the Old Frog's name. This seems like a flawed plot point, as I feel like this will just get annoying if other characters are introduced in later chapter - I just don't get why the mangaka doesn't want to give Old Frog a name. However, he (or rather Tarou) does give Old Frog a nickname - Kawazu (Frog). This causes the Old Frog to become a bit annoyed - and me too. I'm just going to keep calling him Old Frog.

The next panel shows both Tarou and Old Frog noticeably bruised and hurt.

After they, once again, decide to put things behind them like real men, they sit down for some tea and discuss what they should do from here. Old Frog is quick to suggest seeing the king - he seems a bit hard for the king to be honest. But Tarou immediately rejects it due to the possibility that he'll be put in a situation - as an almost infinitely powerful wizard - where he might be put in danger by fighting monsters or demons and whatnot.

 After obliterating the Old Frogs house (and half the forest, plus a huge chunk of a mountain) in an attempt to throw off anyone who may pursue the Old Frog (and Tarou), they head off in search for more magical training for Tarou. Personally, I don't see a point to it. I feel like the Mangaka just wanted an excuse to show off Tarou's uber-power. I mean, who cares if someone happens by the Old Frogs house in the woods? And how would they be able to use that to find wherever the Old Frog and Tarou went?

Right after that is where the chapter ends. 


Conclusion
Ore to Kawazu-san is shaping up into something quite interesting. The comedy seems to be in good taste and doesn't interfere with the story telling. Hopefully it stays that way. No improvements in the art, unfortunately. We do get to see a bit of just how powerful Tarou is. With just one of the seven spells left to him by the Old Frog, we find that he can do almost any kind of magic he can imagine. I'm definitely hooked and look forward to reading a lot more of this series.

Ore to Kawazu-san no Isekai Hourouki - Chapter 1 (New series!)

Just noticed this manga popping up. There's not much chatter about it (from what I can tell), so I'm guessing not many people have read it yet. Looks pretty interesting - has a fantasy feeling to it. Anyways, here's the description;

Tarou was an ordinary universary student until a strange old magician summoned him to another world, upon learning that his magical power is 8 million, he uses that abnormally powerful magic to revive the old man that caused all this... In the form of a frog. Thus begin the strange adventures of a boy with ridiculous magical power and Kawazu, the former strongest magician, now revived as a frog.

Chapter 1 Review

The Artwork
Right off the bat, you can see that the artwork in this manga will be simple. I'm not really surprised, as most comedy mangas don't focus much on the quality of the art. The laughs make up for it, I guess. What annoys me about it, though, is we're lucky to get one character with any sort of detail in a panel - everything else is as simple as can be. I know a lot of the background stuff isn't "important" to the story, but if I just wanted story I would be reading a book.

The Protagonist
I got the impression that Tarou is your average, ever-day slacked college student, just barely getting by in his studies. At this point, I could be wrong. Anyways, apparently Tarou is the best possible successor to the old wizards magic. Not for any particular reason - he just is. He's quicky resistent to the old mans tale - immediately asking to go back, shrugging of whatever he says. This is kinda annoying - I mean, if he acts like that in what he thinks is a dream, how is he in real life? Of course, we find that out later on in the chapter.

Well, despite being a degenerate, Tarou seems to be taking his new role as super-wizard extraordinaire in stride. That's one plus for him, I suppose - he hasn't lost his head in a crisis.  Oh, and he's apparently eight-million times stronger (in terms of magic) than the old wizard.


Other Characters

Other than Tarou, the old wizard is the only other character in this chapter. The old wizard, who comes back as a frog-man, has about the same personality as Tarou. Because of this, they have a lot of back-and-forth banter. It's a bit funny, but it only got a few chuckles from me.

Story
First off, I have a basic complaint. I find it really annoying how often "a certain" is used in manga/anime. "A certain" kingdom, "A certain" person, etc... I know the "a certain" part is a product of translation, but the concept is brought over from the original. I hate how often that is used as an excuse to be lazy with certain plot elements. Especially in this manga where we'll end up (at least I'm guessing) running into that "a certain" kingdom and get to know it by name.

ANYWAYS!

The story is pretty simple yet interesting. An old, powerful, 500 year old magician casts a final spell that allows him to pull the person within the multi-verse with the most magical potential into his world. This happens to be Tarou, our protagonist (whom you are familiar with). The first chapter is used to explain the basics of this worlds magic system, as well as the seven starting spells that Tarou is given from the old man. Speaking of that, we aren't given the old mans name in the first chapter. I'm not sure why, but then again I guess it isn't important - I think the author wanted us to feel like it was a throw-away character, but then again it could just be that he was to lazy to write it in. Or maybe he/she thought the manga would become to serious if he gave much detail in a single chapter? Dunno.

As the tags/labels suggest, this is a combination comedy/mystery/supernatural manga. So there is a lot of small gags. Nothing big - it's definitely not a gag manga. It's a nice balance (at least so far) of humor and seriousness. But, like I said, most of the jokes only got a few chuckles out of me.

The chapter ends with Tarou using his super-mega-uber-powerful magic to bring the old wizard back to life - with a unique vessel. There's a conversation where Tarou explains how he could do something that requires so much power such as reviving someone. The wizard insinuates that doing such a feat would require a ton of sacrifices. I found that a bit funny but, again, not so much. The last panel of the chapter shows the old wizard looking into a mirror and being shocked by his new frog-man body.


Conclusion
I find the concept of Ore to Kawazu-san (don't want to type out the whole thing... you know what I'm talking about by now) quite interesting. It's kind of in the same boat as The Gamer and World Customize Creator - normal people being thrown into a situation where they're given interesting powers. Though I suppose it's closer to World Customize Creator (god-like powers, thrown into a different universe/world). The art was simple to the point that I was slightly annoyed, but it wasn't enough to keep me from enjoying the manga. Tarou and the old wizards (he still needs a name) personalities make for some fun back-and-forth banter, too. Overall, this first chapter was nice and I look forward to continuing the series.

Shintetsu no Agartha - Chapter 1

Usually, if I see something interesting (and I check almost every day), I read it immediately. Yet, somehow Shintetsu No Agartha got passed by. Even though it's been getting monthly updates since April, I somehow never saw it. Or, if I did, I decided to pass it up for some reason. Which I can understand, as the description did put me off a bit - it gave the impression that I would be coming into the story with the "group" already being established and the main character already being powerful. I much prefer a story where I progress along with the protagonist - that is, he starts normal and then gains power or whatnot as the story comes along.

I probably would have passed it up once again if I hadn't been bored. It's another sleepless night (going on 7am now), and I needed something to pass the time. So I decided to give Shintestu No Agartha a go.


Chapter 1 review

The Artwork
It's nice, but not quite detailed. Seems kinda simple. I would have liked more detail and some better shading, but meh. It's good enough that I can deal with and can even be pleasing at some points. But it does give the impression that the Mangaka is probably working solo on the art. Especially if he/she is using the quality that they are for this first chapter - most of the time, the artwork peaks at the first chapter, when the mangaka is trying to grab your attention so you'll want to continue reading. I really hope that isn't the case here, because if it gets any worse from this point, I'll just drop it. Personally, I'm hoping that the mangaka will be able to invest into some better art if this series becomes popular enough - though I know it's not very likely.

Not much in the way of shadowing, and the background is pretty vague as well.

The Protagonist
Trying to figure out who the protagonist was was a bit fuzzy in the beginning. At first you think it'll be Alma, like the description suggests. However, you're introduced to Tenkou pretty early on. I want to say that it'll be a dual-protagonist story, with a group of strong supporting characters, but I'm thinking the story will learn a lot more heavily on Tenkou. I mean, he's the vehicle we're learning about this world through, right? We're being introduced to the harsh reality of this plague and the horrible world it's created through him.

Tenkou himself is portrayed as a very caring person. Heck, he broke rules and traveled in this harsh world just to save a few of his fellow villagers from another disease. And, to pound in how much of a risk this was, he witnesses the slaughter of a whole village because of it. He even willing accepts his exile without any fuss, because he knows that it's for the best. And, despite those villagers who he was trying to save having already died, he still wants to give them the medicine he got from the slaughtered village. Tenkou is a cool guy, yeah.



Other Characters
Besides Alma, none of the other members of Shintetsu stand out. Dio is the only memorable one, but that's only because the name is used more frequently than the others. I know the author wants us to care about these characters, but we've yet to have a reason to do so. They're all strangers at this point. The only one that actually gets any real attention is Alma (at least in this first chapter).

Alma (check out the screen cap under "The Artwork" to see how he looks from a distance) is a pretty odd guy. But it's understandable. Right off the bat, he's seen doing a mercy killing of an infected person, and that sets his personality for the rest of the chapter (and perhaps the story) - someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of the Megane, even if it means slaughtering villages. It actually feels odd that Alma did what he did for Tenkou. I had the initial impression that he wouldn't take chances, no matter if Tenkou was having a "slow progression" of the disease. But that's probably due to me not knowing all the "rules" of this Megane plague.


Of yeah, he rocks some headphones as well. Or maybe they're ear muffs? Either way, they seem highly out of place with the setting of the manga (At least so far). I mean, it's kind of hinted that some previous civilization (perhaps ours?) fell because of the Megane plague, so maybe it's a relic from that. But when you're introduced to Tenkou's village with its ancient tree, it just seems even more wrong. It seems like the mangaka designed Alma with them just so he could be stylish. That's just personal opinion, I guess.

The Story
The story revolves around the "Megane" - humans who succumb to some sort of disease that turns them into "Corroding black iron" monster that live to consume humans. This is what made me think the story was interesting. It's an not a concept overly used and it's something that has to be a bit on the mature side. And honestly, I wasn't far off on that assumption, as right away you're introduced to a "Harsh Reality" type setting where people are dying in horrible ways.

Thankfully, the description was as misleading as I hoped it would be. Sure, the story does introduce you to Alma and his group of super-powered friends who are seemingly the only ones who can stand up to the horrid Megane. But, within the first 10 pages you are introduced to someone who is infected with the Megane curse, yet lives. Tenkou is the saving grace of this manga that allows us to grow with the story, by growing with him as he finds himself in group called "Agartha of Shintetsu."

Like I said, this is definitely a mature story. I'm wondering if this tone will stay with the whole series, or is just being pushed for this first chapter to set the mood. To early to tell for sure. But you are slammed with harsh reality left-and-right. Tenkou is the only survivor of the Megane invasion of the village - the rest being slaughtered by Alma and his buds.

From the start, Tenkou rejects the idea of having to be a part of Alma's group. So, instead of arguing the issue, Alma lets him return to his village - even accompanies him. However, this isn't as benevolent as it seems - Alma knows how Tenkou's fellow villagers will react. I've got to say that this bit seemed a bit forced. Instead of welcoming him back and celebrating those that fight the Megane, they treat them as diseased and threaten them.

It's around that time that Tenkou manifests his power, given to him by surviving the Megane plague. As you might expect, being a male protagonist, his power is OP and has to do with dragons. He "sees" a red dragon of flame. And, surprise surprise, the "Kouen" (Red Flame) are a well known thing and, judging by the sweat drops on the others faces, you can tell that it's some uber powerful thing that means Tenkou will end up kicking ass. It's at this point that I begin to realize just how much the mangaka loves foreshadowing in this manga. He's not really subtle about it, though. Just a few mumblings and ellipsis.

Towards the end of the chapter (And, like most first chapters, it's a long one with 40+ pages), the one who exiled Tenkou turns around and sacrifices himself. So, you get the sense that even though he exiled Tenkou, he really did it for the "greater good" and not to save his own skin or something cold hearted like you originally get the impression of. The last page is pretty ominious and is a pretty big cliffhanger. We're left with Alma musing, while holding an unconscious Tenkou, how they might have "finally found it" with "it" being the "Rajan" (or king), a guardian of the "Five Elements." So it seems my initial impression that Tenkou would be super powerful dude was right. Turns out he's the avatar - or so I think. Wont know until I read further.



Conclusion
First, I want to say that I was really surprised by the genre of the manga - Josei. Basically the female-equivalent of seinen. That is, mature content meant for older women. So I'm worried that the story will get into some boy-on-boy action. But, after reading some other user reviews, it seems like there's nothing to deep - definitely no sex or whatnot, just some boys getting close and some hinting. It's not that I'm against homosexual relationships - I just don't swing that way so it's kind of hard for me to relate, though not impossible.

The story itself is promising. I'm quite glad that my initial impression from reading the description was wrong. I do hope the artwork improves, although I wont stop reading if it doesn't. There are a few weak plot points, and some stuff seems forced. I mean, the mangaka could be a bit more subtle with foreshadowing and what not - I like to think when reading a manga. But all-in-all, it was interesting and I look forward to reading chapter 2.

Koe No Kitachi Chapter 043

Koe No Kitachi is one of my all-time favorite mangas. It's relatively new compared to some of my other favorites, but I've been in love with it since I read the original one-shot the series is based off of. I wont go into much more detail than that, but I definitely recommend it to anyone. It's not a fantasy manga or anything. It's about a deaf girl and her bully and how they grow up, to put it simply.


Anyways, onto the chapter itself! HOLY FUCKING SHIT. It's been a long time since a manga has made me feel this way. I was literally lost in the moment and even though a part of my knew the author wouldn't do that (or at least I hoped >.>) I was still holding my breath and frantically flipping to the next pages to see the outcome. This is something I definitely do not want to spoil for people as it's a major (no, massive!) plot point. Needless to say, this was one of the best chapters in the series and also one of the biggest cliffhanger (or should I say balconyhanger...?)

Next chapter I will put more detail into the post and discuss the story itself. But I just can't bring myself to discuss it anymore as I definitely do not want to spoil this for anyone, even by accident.