This chapter introduces a new character: effectively an exorcist whose purpose is to mostly poke fun at Shonen Jump tropes. He fits in well with the universe and it was fun seeing a different take and a foil for the other characters to bounce off of. Magu-chan is a god of destruction so I liked that the series finally addressed this point with some actual tension even if it’s diffused by the end of the chapter. If you want something that riffs at Shonen Jump conventions read this chapter.

Magu-chan and his human overlord go to a summer festival together. It was a fun more nostalgic chapter than the more wacky slapstick chapters the series has focused on thus far. I liked seeing the dynamic between Magu-chan and the girl it was nice seeing them actually bonding for once instead of zany antics. If you need something to brighten up your week in these stressful times i recommend giving this a read!

Time Paradox Ghost Writer focuses on a young empty shell of a comic creator as he pursues his dreams of becoming a creator in the top grossing Weekly Shonen Jump anthology in Japan. I enjoy the corny science fiction plot to it without spoiling anything. It’s fascinating seeing the protagonist interplay against Itsuki Aino as a rival in an unusual scenario for a mystery.

These chapters of Bone collection saw a fight against monkey puppets and the start of a wedding so the series isn’t exactly taking itself all that seriously. Too be truthful despite having read the entire series to date I have no clue what exactly is happening it’s all rather messily laid out and difficult to keep track of. That said, I enjoy turning my brain off to read it every once in a while. Bone collection is a rather silly series for people who just want some leisure reading.

Vampire Knight was one of the first manga I read so revisiting it, it has held up surprisingly well in the beginning. Yuki and Zero have a nice dynamic to their relationship in the beginning that makes them fun characters to read about. I’m not a huge fan of Kaname so far. I’m excited to revisit a classic vampire romance.

The first Neko Panchi manga finally launched on Manga Planet this past week. It follows a young man working at a cafe with a cat. The stories were soft and gentle as they followed foreigners who spent time with cats. A family from overseas visits Japan, a boy who is new to the country wants to meet friends heartwarming stories such as that. I liked the contrast from Neko Neko Yokoucho which tends to focus more on stories grounded in reality. More fantastical stories about cats were a breath of fresh air. I truly cannot wait to see how the story develops.

These chapters of My First Cat focus on Eiko as she continues adjusting to having a furry companion in her life. I like that Eiko struggles adjusting from being rather straight-laced to more nurturing when it comes to her new kitten. The narrative focuses on this quite a bit and doesn’t shy away from how difficult adjusting to a drastic change in routine can be. It makes for an interesting dramatic tension as Eiko re-adjusts, rather than something fluffy or dreary we get a narrative that playfully bounces between the two tones sometimes blending them together.

It was fun seeing the characters bounce off each other. While this has been a little underwhelming compared to some of Precure’s recent outings it is enjoyable to watch each week. I never miss an episode and keep up with the series on a weekly basis. This is by far Crunchyroll’s best current simulcast offering at the moment. The formulaic nature this season means little remembering is required. It makes for perfectly fine viewing for magical girl monster-of-the-week style fans. The mascots are adorable and the show has a lively energy too it.

 

For casual viewers and newcomers to the franchise, I’d say wait for Crunchyroll to add the earlier episodes in the season before starting as the extremely lengthy wait continues or dip in with the next season next year assuming that one is licensed. It’s easy enough to follow if you just want to dive in with the current episodes though. There’s plenty of action, excitement, and monster mashing to be had with this one.

Baby Zoccha is a whimsical as always. An entire chapter is dedicated to cats just looking at a mirror and being confused. With the current state the world is in it’s nice seeing stories about cats just being cats.  The story follows a mother cat as she raises her baby kittens and how they go about their daily lives together. One chapter focuses on the kittens bickering among each other about who is the mother cat’s favorite which has a heart-warming resolution.

It’s just such a refreshing change of pace seeing a story focus on adorable cat interactions rather than some world ending conflict. This isn’t one of the many cat essay manga that Manga Planet has licensed. Instead, Baby Zoccha chooses to concentrate on the interpersonal cat interactions in fictionalized scenarios. I cannot recommend this enough and look forward to seeing how the chapters develops.

So once again I played through Harvest Moon 64’s Spring to Fall seasons. There’s something charming about this game I’m struggling to articulate in this blog post. The graphics are so simple, the music is so soothing. The characters and they’re interactions make for a fun in-game daily. The loop is mesmerizing with so many different activities to keep the player invested.