Current Reads OCT-DEC (Part 2)
Claymore
The oldest out of the few, but rarely do I hear anyone’s opinions on Claymore. I was first introduced to Claymore via the anime and loved it.
Unfortunately, the show never reached the intended ending (a tale as old as time), and I never read the manga to find out how it ended. That’s how it stayed for a decade, until November of 2021. The manga was on the Shonen Jump app, and I immediately knew this would be my first read on the app.
I wasn’t disappointed, and it turned out I was missing out. The anime adapted up to volume 11, and as the manga continued, shit hit the fan. More characters I grew to love were introduced, I got to see hauntingly beautiful drawings, and monstrous creatures I never could have imagined appeared.
I loved every part of this manga. My emotions were a rollercoaster from despair to hopeful constantly. Claymore has officially become one of my favorite manga/anime of all time.
Blue Box
Okay let’s address the elephant in the room, why is a story about sports and romance called Blue Box??? Was the title a mistranslation? Okay, I’m done.
Weird title aside, this manga was a pleasant surprise. It’s both a romance and sports narrative. Taiki is on the boy’s badminton team (something I don’t see too often) and falls for basketball player Chinatsu. Taiki was content just practicing near her each day, keeping his crush a secret. That is until Chinatsu begins living with their family. He thinks now, he might have a chance with her.
This is more of a romance than a sport-focused story so just keep that in mind. If that doesn’t bother you, then you’’ be in for some cute shit.
Kaiju NO.8
This is Pacific Rim, if it was good. And I love that movie, but compared to Kaiju No.8 there’s no contest.
In this manga, Kaiju attacking cities has become a norm. Dedicated military groups and special forces are quick and precise to handle any kaiju that comes their way. 32-year-old Kafka is part of the clean-up crew responsible for the aftermath of the destruction, the dirty work. Cleans up and corpses essentially.
He settles for this line of work after failing the aptitude test for the defense force. But a meeting with a new coworker with dreams of his own reignites Kafka’s drive to fight Kaiju.
There’s more to the synopsis but I’d like to leave it at that. Just with the synopsis alone, I get excited about this story. Not to mention the action, artistry, and lovable characters you’ll get to meet. I’m so excited to see more!
They just began printing the series into volumes, right now it’s at three so get it while it’s still fresh!
I am officially a fan of everything Kaito creates. From the same writer as Blue Flag.
Cross Manage is about former soccer player, Sakurai. He gave up his love of soccer and sports after a serious injury. But he’s sucked back into sports thanks to lacrosse player Toyoguchi.
Although she has no skill for the game Sakurai manages to help her improve when no one else could before. Determined to play lacrosse with her rag-tag team she insists that Sakurai manage their club. She believes in his potential so much that even he starts to believe her.
It’s a touching and comedic story about the beauty of sports. Despite how crappy you are at a sport the true reward is being able to improve and show personal growth.
I love it.
