WELCOME TO THE VOID
It’s been a little over 26 years since Kishimoto Masashi’s Naruto manga debuted its first chapter in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Three years later, the anime began in 2002. Alongside One Piece and Bleach, it earned its place among the Shōnen Big Three. I didn’t start reading the manga until 2005, two years VIZ Media began translating it into English. It took me years to fully catch up with Naruto, but I’m glad it did. Naruto drew me back into anime and manga in a major way in 2016, and a huge part of that was due to Jiraiya. Naruto fans either love or hate Jiraiya. There is rarely an in-between. He is a world-renowned lecher and peeping tom, focusing on one thing: catching a scandalous sneak peek at the ladies. The fact that Kishimoto sensei even has Naruto calling Jiraiya out for being a “pervy sage” (エロ仙人– erro-sennin in Japanese) says volumes. But there is far more to Jiraiya than his perverse proclivities, and I will die on this hill defending him from anyone who says otherwise!
I have been slow-reading my way through Hyūga Natsu’s The Apothecary Diaries light novels for a while. When I say slow-reading, I mean I’ve been reading them at the rate molasses drips in winter. That isn’t because I’m not enjoying them. I actually love them every bit as much as I love the anime and manga, possibly even more. The real reason I seem to be reading more slowly is because I just want to melt into the book and disappear. I want to make each and every one of them last as long as possible. That’s actually a rare thing for me. Since I already know the story through Vol. 4, thanks to the anime, I should be flying through them. And while there is a part of me eager to get to Vol. 5, I am enjoying denying myself just a little. I can’t wait to see where the story goes, of course, but getting there through the anime alone just isn’t going to satisfy me. So, following The Apothecary Diaries Volume 1, diving straight into Volume 2 was the only way to go.
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo seems very Yuka-heavy in the first couple chapters. It’s almost as if this is going to be her story, and maybe, in some ways, it is. As the manga progresses, we meet Tsurugi and achieve more balance between the Okkotsu siblings time in the spotlight. Juggling dual protagonists can be a challenge. That being said, I think Akutami-Sensei juggles Yuka and Tsurugi well. With the sorcerer’s first major battle comes to a close, Maru’s wounded and Cross is less friendly than ever. Tsurugi and Maru seem to have bonded on th is mission, with the elder Okkotsu having a brief confrontation about neighbors with Cross. Chapter 7, “The Robbed”, then shifts focus to Yuka and Cross in the aftermath. There are some pretty heavy drops in this chapter, including a clearer picture of the bitterness driving Cross.
I am a sucker for a good dating sim. From Samurai Love Ballad PARTY! to Love in Deep Space, I am not afraid to break a few imaginary hearts. Last March, while interviewing voice actor Abby Trott, she gave me a look at her future. Along with DAN DA DAN Season 2 and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, she also mentioned contributing her voice talent to Date Everything! When Date Everything! came out back in June, I didn’t have a chance to pick it up. I nabbed it for the Switch 2 the other day. I’ve been playing it when I’m not playing Ghost of Yotei or Silksong (reviews coming soon). Being the first game from Sassy Chap Games, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be my typical dating sim. And I was not disappointed.
This post contains spoilers for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, currently available for U.S. readers from VIZ Media Six chapters in, and Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo is pulling out all the stops to remind fans why JJK is one of the most successful manga of the last five years. Continuing the traditon of the original series, Modulo puts our emotions
