Reading Report: 04 August 2024

３月のライオン

This week I read a variety of manga, finished 3月のライオン (March Comes in Like a Lion) and started on 機動戦士ガンダムSEED DESTINY.

違国日記

It's been a minor theme throughout the series but in the last few volumes I've enjoyed the theme of 朝 learning new words through her interactions with 槙生. An example that marked the start of a compelling story thread was the word 空虚 (Emptiness/Void/Hollowness). After 槙生 uses that word to describe a man on a drama on the tv, 朝 starts to wonder about her father who she never really knew. She starts to wonder if her father ever really loved her, and because he's now gone she relies on others to try to obtain that reassurance. It's a really simple problem but the story is told very subtly and really left an impact on me.

少年のアビス

This volume was pretty good. Perhaps 少年のアビス is just good again! There were sort of three big moments, but the most noteworthy was getting to know more about the backstory of ナギ (the idol). In her flashback there is a fun bit of expression where her real childhood name is scrubbed out or obscured. After a disaster kills her parents she is "protected" by a male relative who comes to take her in but ends up causing a lot of grief for her. It was interesting to see the way her abuse traits were very similar to the ones used in 血の轍 (stuttering, difficulty breathing, difficulty thinking, etc.).

チェンソーマン

Just like ダンダダン this series proves its quality every time a new volume comes out. Reading it was super smooth and enjoyable from cover to cover. Actual progress with the story felt a little bit slow with this one so there isn't too much to comment on. There was a funny exchange about where to put a precious body part when rearranging a body.

３月のライオン

I feel a bit bad because season 2 of this show was just okay. I think my expectations were hugely inflated by the first season (and especially the first few episodes). While there were some good moments I ultimately felt a bit checked out during the last few Shogi games. Funnily enough the very last chapter of the series where Hina gets a haircut pulled my attention back in. It felt very relatable, funny, and cute.

機動戦士ガンダムSEED DESTINY

Really just getting a start with this series. It's had a pretty fast start, though I feel like the introduction of Zaku model MS is kind of laughably dumb. A cold open with a family dying is very on-brand for SEED so I basically know what to expect going forward.

新機動戦記ガンダムW Endless Waltz

I'm glad I waited a while to watch this because I definitely felt refreshed by the characters, designs, and art direction of this movie. I didn't really care for the main villain or her motivations. It felt a bit like a step back from the end of the series. Similarly the direction some of the Operation Meteo boys went in felt a bit like a regression of their characters.