Welcome back to Tidbits, a new feature for shorter reviews! This time I take a look at three continuing series from VIZ's Shonen Jump imprint. First up, it's volumes 28-31 of One Piece, followed by volumes 9-12 of Slam Dunk and a single volume (the third) of the aesthetically pleasing Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee. One Piece 28-31 by Eiichiro Oda: B+ Volumes 28-30 consist almost … [Read more...] about Tidbits: Shonen Jumping for Joy
Shounen
Bakuman。 2 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata: B+
From the back cover: Average student Moritaka Mashiro enjoys drawing for fun. When his classmate and aspiring writer Akito Takagi discovers his talent, he begs Moritaka to team up with him as a manga-creating duo. But what exactly does it take to make it in the manga-publishing world? After Moritaka and Akito collaborate on a manga together, they venture to publishing house … [Read more...] about Bakuman。 2 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata: B+
Eyeshield 21 1-3 by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata: B
Though I've long professed an ardent love for sports manga, I did secretly wonder if my enthusiasm would wane when the featured sport is one in which I have zero interest, like, say, football. Would the inherent charms of sports manga be able to compensate for my real-world disinterest? Eyeshield 21 has proven to me that the answer to this question is “yes.” Sena Kobayakawa … [Read more...] about Eyeshield 21 1-3 by Riichiro Inagaki and Yusuke Murata: B
Bakuman。1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata: B+
Moritaka Mashiro is bored. For his fourteen years of life he’s merely gone along with the flow, a path which is destined to end with him becoming a normal white-collar worker. He doesn’t want this, but sees no alternative until Akito Takagi, the top student in class, notices Moritaka’s artistic skills and proposes that the two team up to create a manga. Moritaka is resistant at … [Read more...] about Bakuman。1 by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata: B+
One Piece 25-27 by Eiichiro Oda: B
I've heard a lot about the Skypiea arc of One Piece, though I actually knew zero specifics about what Luffy and his crew would encounter once they reached the legendary island in the sky. More, I seemed to absorb the general idea that this arc is really awesome and everyone loves it. Alas, I don't love it yet, but there are some things I do really like about how the story is … [Read more...] about One Piece 25-27 by Eiichiro Oda: B