Time once again to delve into this supernatural (?) mess. Speaking of time, we get to jump ahead four years from where we left off. The setting is an abandoned Shibuya with a lone figure standing amidst the eerie streets. Two guesses who it is. Yes, it's Sasuke 2.0, but while he's haunted by the memories of his escape, he has a calm look to his face tha-
"I live for nothing but revenge against those bloodsuckers!"
Facepalms
Four years, people. This is what four years of training with a army designed to face supernatural threats has done for our... hero (I feel dirty saying that). To further drive the point home, Yuichiro disregards his fellow soldiers and slices a monster called one of the Four Horsemen of John like it was butter. Okay, one, what the heck is a "Four Horsemen of John"? Is it a type of vampire? I mean, we only get two panels of the thing and I can't even figure out where its mouth and eyes are. There's also that name. Yes, you're using biblical etymology, congrats, you like everyone else in the modern world know about the Bible. What does that do for your story? Certainly nothing for this scene because the horseman isn't brought up again in this chapter and thus, I don't care.
Second, wow Yuichiro, wow, your military training must have sucked for you to disobeyed orders multiple times. I'm sorry, but isn't boot camp meant to either beat that disobedience crap out of you or at least hone it into a useable skill in the battlefield? Disregarding that, any military with half a brain cell would know that people need to work together. Its why boot camp is a living hell, so you know who you can count on. Yet, despite training he'd have to have gone through to ya know, cut down hulking monstrosities, Yuichiro is still the brat he was last chapter, only know he doesn't even have the excuse of being a half-pint.
What was the point of skipping ahead four years if the main character wasn't going to change at all? Was 12 too young of an age to start slashing down goals? Who cares? Its a manga, you can get away with stuff like a kid hacking and slashing his way through monsters.
Moving on, at least someone in command realizes (a little too late) the Yuichiro is impeding things and takes him off duty. We then cut to... Shibuya High School #2. What? No, I must have read that wrong. A high school would be so ludicrous in this setting there's no way...
Reads a few more pages
Are you real?! I can't believe we're doing this. There are vampires and, if what the last chapter ended and whats we get later in this chapter are to be believed, demons running amok. Revelations is in fully gear and high school still exists?! What the hell could they teach that would have use now? Unless this manga has the gall to say that enough of human society exists to function on its previous level, taking the piss right out of the setting if so. This isn't even a specially designed school that also instructs people for the demon hunting army or whatever stupid name the smug guy from last chapter calls it. There are regular student here talking about stuff like going to clubs and getting fricking ice cream. If the effects of the virus are genuinely what was described in the first chapter, all these kids parents should be dead, unstoppable beasts are out for their blood, and, yeah, the Apocalypse happened! Jesus, do you see how freaked out the world gets when bird flu is brought up? How about SARS, remember that? Countries went into lockdown from that. Yet, we have a virus that very likely killed every head of state in the world and yet, eight years later, high school.
It's such an unneeded element in a story that already had plenty to work with. Hell, I generally believe a school is one of the worst places to host a shonen manga, because what's the point? Guess what, my ability to slice demons is gonna keep me alive longer than learning integers.
Okay, we need to move on before I have an aneurism. Yuichiro is his normal pouty self, mouthing off to everything around him until bland chick behind him tells him to knock it off. No, I'm not gonna remember her name because she's that dull. She spells it out for him that he has to make friends or he and the reader will be trapped in this ridiculous high scho- sorry, need to stay focused.
Before we can get to finding out what friendship is all about, we get a flashback to the end of last chapter. Smug plot convenience guy explains that aside from the virus something called the Horn of the Apocalypse has sounded, summoning various monsters.
Pause time. What kind of armageddon are we dealing with here? First, we had the virus that decimated humanity. Then, we had vampires rising up like molepeople and enslaving what, one section of Tokyo? Now we also have this horn which sounds like a whole other mess. So, are we dealing with a religious end time, a scientific one, or just whatever the author feels like throwing at us?
Who cares, time to make friends. No, not comrades in arms, just friends. Like pansy guy. No, I can't remember his name either. The fact that he looks similar to Yuichiro just broadens my delight at his introduction. So after stereotypical bullying, pansy admits he wants to join the demon army too, but... failed the application test.
Why? Why is there an application test? Why would you not want every able bodied person in your army. I don't care if pansy is weak, when you are fighting a supernatural war, you get whoever you can in damn boots. Hell, pansy is actually a greater asset than Yuichiro simply by merit of listening to others. Doesn't matter that they're bullies, pansy is still given an order to get drinks and he gets drinks... wait a minute. I know they can't use the actual brands, but he's clearly carrying pocari sweat, seven up, and Dr. Pepper. Man, I'm sure glad that when Hell spills over, I'll be able to cool off with a refreshing soda.
But it looks like no one will be getting carbonated goodness today as a vampire escapes from a nearby lab and attacks the school... in the middle of the day, I think. Um, shouldn't it be well done by now? Yes, it has an anti-UV arm bracelet that got mentioned once before, but why would you keep that on? Just keep the bloodsucker in the dark and use non-uv lights when studying it or whatever you were doing. I'm sure they'll have regular bulbs down at the supermarket. Ya know, the one cerberus used that one time as a fire hydrant.
Oh and look, a bunch of students are now in immense danger. It sure was a smart idea to congregate what has to account for a large percent of the population together. Seriously, might as well have hung a neon sign under the school's name: Shibuya High School # 2 Buffet Opens at Sundown.
So with a vampire close, Yuichiro sports himself a nice hate boner and gets his weapons. Time for another dull fight with speed line limbs. I gotta love how the vampire is still condescending about everything despite wanting to avoid the vampire hunters. What's hilarious about this whole battle is that it goes the exact same way as the last fight. Yuichiro can't do crap on his own and its only through pansy's interference that he doesn't get utterly annihilated. Hell, he doesn't even land the finishing blow like last time.
Smug guy shows up and finishes the battle, all while pointing out that Yuichiro is an idiot. Yet, Yuichiro still says he can go toe to toe with vampires. Yeah, dude, you nearly got stabbed, would have lost had it not been for a complete wimp coming along, and you fell out fricking building, dislocating your shoulder. Again, you didn't even finish the fight and would have died had it not been for deus ex machine. Yeah, you're a real asset.
I at least get a line that pretty much sums up the chapter: "I have brats who don't know what teamwork means."
Oh thank everything holy, the chapter's almost over. Yuichiro wakes up in the hospital with bland girl and pansy at his side. So, apparently carrying some soda and acting like a jerk to pansy constitute him as a friend to bland girl. Bonus, bland girls is now a friend too. Hoo-fricking-ray.
Not that that changes anything. Yuichiro is still a one note bumbling mess of a character, so singleminded in his revenge that his survival over the past four years astounds me. He's arrogant, annoying, and unlikable. This could have easily been resolved by just letting someone else survive among the orphans, that at least would create a duality between protecting a loved one and pursuing vengeance. But no, revenge and only revenge.
So, that is Seraph so far. No, I'm only reading it as its officially released. However, I am open for other manga to read and review. Until then, see ya'll next time.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Back... with Seraph of the End
Okay, so I've kinda let the blog just sit around forever, but I just haven't read anything that truly annoyed me... until two weeks ago. Now, I really do like Shonen Jump. It's cheap for a year's worth of manga, plus you get a permanent collection of all the issues you've bought, but American readers are now also slightly more subject to the so-so and bad manga that occasionally dot the magazine.
See, in the printed days of Shonen Jump in the states, we pretty much got the cream of the crop: the big three of Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece and various manga that may have finished publication over a decade ago (hi DBZ and Yu-Yu Hakusho). At the time this was an very smart business move because, again, printed, which means it costs more. Even with the Viz going digital, it still takes a good amount of popularity for something to get a printed version (ex. Cross Manage).
But now things are different. The Western audience has access to the official magazine and thus factors into what passes and what doesn't, at least that's my understanding of it. Hopefully, we helped contribute to things like getting rid of Takamagahara and keeping stories like Cross Manage. How Yu-Gi-Oh Zexeal or whatever it's called stays around is beyond me.
Which brings us to today's fine little gem: Seraph of the End. Our story begins with a nice little blurb about how an unknown virus has decimated humanity and vampires have emerged to take over the world (of course!)
We then cut to said vampire's city, where we have two humans with one... reading a book on how to kill vampires. Um, why would vampires allow such a book to be readily available. Yeah, in the hands of a kid, the information is about as useful as the glaive would be in real life, but give that to an organized group bent on eradicating supernatural beings and you'd be pretty screwed. Bonus points for the book being an actual hardcover published tome and not just the writings of some crazy guy.
The kid reading the book is Yuichiro and the blond haired... boy? Geez, we're already hitting the bishonen line and not a single bloodsucker in sight yet. Anyone the other "boy" barely putting up with Yuichiro is Mikaela (oh come on).
Following a nice little blood "donation," the two go out and Yuichiro complains about vampires (get used to this folks). Mikaela, showing he has a brain, points out that maybe reading books about killing vampires and yelling about it, isn't the brightest idea in the middle of the damn vampire city. Well, Yuichiro seems pretty one note and annoying, so I'm gonna place bets that Mikaela is gonna be our protagonist while Yuichiro is confined to comedic relief. Ah, Captain Hindsight would be proud.
Oh wait, we've got our first non-mook vampire. Let's see, incredibly fancy clothes, long blond hair, effeminate enough to make me think he has a-cup angst... yep, we're going down the Twilight path here people, prepare for some dull fights. And again, Mikaela has enough sense to ya know, get on the monster's good side and get access to things like a map, a weapon, and... proper food? Wait wait, you're saying that humans in this city only get scraps? Okay, nitpick here, but that's stupid. If you're treating humans like livestock, wouldn't you want to get the maximum amount of nourishment out of them? Even without killing them (thankfully they're not that stupid), draining blood at regular intervals has an adverse effect on humans. Its why you get a cookie and some OJ after giving blood, it helps recuperate your body. Giving humans only scraps means that a. they can't produce as much blood b. they're far weaker and more likely to succumb to disease and die, detracting from your pool of food. That whole decimation thing isn't helping your either. This is pretty much the equivalent of not giving your crops enough water when a famine has run rampant.
But enough on agriculture, It's time for a flashback... from Yuichiro. Oh, no. We learn that Yuichiro first met Mikaela at an orphanage on Christmas, because why not. To our joy, we learn that Yuichiro was even before all hell broke loose, saying he doesn't need a family because his dad tried to kill him and his mom committed suicide after ranting he was demons spawn (sure that won't come back). It really is so refreshing to be told all this rather than shown it. I feel really connected to Yuichiro now.
Thankfully Mikaela is having none of this and swiftly introduces Yuichiro to the floor (again, really liking this character). Of course, then with a smile, he says how his parents abused him... followed by the rest of the orphans happily going on about how they've been abandoned, they're parents killed themselves, or they just never met them... I should note that Yuichiro and Mikaela are the oldest here at eight years old.
What sort of children talk this way (insert Mirai Nikki joke here)? At that age could you even comprehend abuse? Even if you could, I find no way you could ever smile about it or even loudly admit it. See, those sorts of things cause trauma and that is generally damaging to a young psyche and and does not prompt happiness. Eh, whatever dogpile Yuichiro, at least it'll shut him up.
Naturally, such bizarre enjoyment must come to an end in the most logical way possible: the apocalypse , complete with vampires in fricking helicopters announcing that humanity has royally screwed itself with the super virus. Gee, that's awfully convenient that it struck at night and you had this whole "parade though the carnage with helicopters" thing ready to go. I'd have loved to see the planning committee on this.
Ugh, can we just get on with this? Okay, back to the present, Mikaela shows orphans the stuff he's swiped, again proving that he's a much more competent hero than Yuichiro. Running through the corridors to escape they find they're path blocked by effeminate vampire. It's at this point with all the grand pillars and stairways, all in pristine condition, that I have to pause and wonder just how humanity missed these guys for so long. In Japan no less. You'd think that whole "deep need for arable land" would let someone stumble upon this incredibly vast and complex underground city. Eh, who cares, its time to go George R.R. Martin on the orphans. No! I was so attached to orphan b and e!
Mikaela faces off against the vampire with no other choice and you can guess how well that goes. Well, not really that gruesome since limbs and heads turn into speed lines when forcefully removed in this world. Heck, I didn't even notice at first that Mikaela got an arm torn off. But unfortunately Mr. Crepsly here forgot about that whole "there's two of them" thing and promptly gets a bullet to the head. Hey, genius, maybe Yuichiro would have ineffectively tried your heart if you didn't let him read that stupid book.
So with his last dying words (damn, damn, damn) Mikaela spurs Yuichiro away and into the world above... which is now sporting a nice shooting location for Life After People. What a twist, the vampires lied to you about that incredibly well-timed virus.
Speaking of well-timed, a trio of people in military attires shows up, having come there on a prophecy. What are the odds? Better, they get offer Yuichiro the chance to join them and kill some vampires. Naturally, he's just jumping at the opportunity to ride the revenge wagon.
Ugh. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it better have some accompaniments. Seeking retribution is a good motivation for a character, but they need other aspects to flesh them out. A character simply can't organically fit into a world if they just go on and on about getting revenge for fallen comrades or family. Hell, even Sasuke, the poster boy of "my family is dead so the world is dead to me too and everything else sucks" had interactions with characters that defined his personality... at least until part two where he went completely off his rocker. All Yuichiro has done is bemoan his current situation and get mad because of it. No, I'm not counting the one scene where he holds another orphan's hand because it is never followed up on. He always has his teeth grit and his eyes sharp. Mikaela was showing expressing fear, happiness, and sorrow. Its what draws readers to him rather than Yuichiro, who, for all his whining, reacts to events rather than start them. Both characters get the same call to action, but its Mikaela that actually manages to do something. Yuichiro just tags along and, much to my ire, is the one who survives the whole mess.
Sigh, I think this is enough for chapter 1. Stayed tuned for chapter 2: Schools and the Apocalypse don't mix.
See, in the printed days of Shonen Jump in the states, we pretty much got the cream of the crop: the big three of Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece and various manga that may have finished publication over a decade ago (hi DBZ and Yu-Yu Hakusho). At the time this was an very smart business move because, again, printed, which means it costs more. Even with the Viz going digital, it still takes a good amount of popularity for something to get a printed version (ex. Cross Manage).
But now things are different. The Western audience has access to the official magazine and thus factors into what passes and what doesn't, at least that's my understanding of it. Hopefully, we helped contribute to things like getting rid of Takamagahara and keeping stories like Cross Manage. How Yu-Gi-Oh Zexeal or whatever it's called stays around is beyond me.
Which brings us to today's fine little gem: Seraph of the End. Our story begins with a nice little blurb about how an unknown virus has decimated humanity and vampires have emerged to take over the world (of course!)
We then cut to said vampire's city, where we have two humans with one... reading a book on how to kill vampires. Um, why would vampires allow such a book to be readily available. Yeah, in the hands of a kid, the information is about as useful as the glaive would be in real life, but give that to an organized group bent on eradicating supernatural beings and you'd be pretty screwed. Bonus points for the book being an actual hardcover published tome and not just the writings of some crazy guy.
The kid reading the book is Yuichiro and the blond haired... boy? Geez, we're already hitting the bishonen line and not a single bloodsucker in sight yet. Anyone the other "boy" barely putting up with Yuichiro is Mikaela (oh come on).
Following a nice little blood "donation," the two go out and Yuichiro complains about vampires (get used to this folks). Mikaela, showing he has a brain, points out that maybe reading books about killing vampires and yelling about it, isn't the brightest idea in the middle of the damn vampire city. Well, Yuichiro seems pretty one note and annoying, so I'm gonna place bets that Mikaela is gonna be our protagonist while Yuichiro is confined to comedic relief. Ah, Captain Hindsight would be proud.
Oh wait, we've got our first non-mook vampire. Let's see, incredibly fancy clothes, long blond hair, effeminate enough to make me think he has a-cup angst... yep, we're going down the Twilight path here people, prepare for some dull fights. And again, Mikaela has enough sense to ya know, get on the monster's good side and get access to things like a map, a weapon, and... proper food? Wait wait, you're saying that humans in this city only get scraps? Okay, nitpick here, but that's stupid. If you're treating humans like livestock, wouldn't you want to get the maximum amount of nourishment out of them? Even without killing them (thankfully they're not that stupid), draining blood at regular intervals has an adverse effect on humans. Its why you get a cookie and some OJ after giving blood, it helps recuperate your body. Giving humans only scraps means that a. they can't produce as much blood b. they're far weaker and more likely to succumb to disease and die, detracting from your pool of food. That whole decimation thing isn't helping your either. This is pretty much the equivalent of not giving your crops enough water when a famine has run rampant.
But enough on agriculture, It's time for a flashback... from Yuichiro. Oh, no. We learn that Yuichiro first met Mikaela at an orphanage on Christmas, because why not. To our joy, we learn that Yuichiro was even before all hell broke loose, saying he doesn't need a family because his dad tried to kill him and his mom committed suicide after ranting he was demons spawn (sure that won't come back). It really is so refreshing to be told all this rather than shown it. I feel really connected to Yuichiro now.
Thankfully Mikaela is having none of this and swiftly introduces Yuichiro to the floor (again, really liking this character). Of course, then with a smile, he says how his parents abused him... followed by the rest of the orphans happily going on about how they've been abandoned, they're parents killed themselves, or they just never met them... I should note that Yuichiro and Mikaela are the oldest here at eight years old.
What sort of children talk this way (insert Mirai Nikki joke here)? At that age could you even comprehend abuse? Even if you could, I find no way you could ever smile about it or even loudly admit it. See, those sorts of things cause trauma and that is generally damaging to a young psyche and and does not prompt happiness. Eh, whatever dogpile Yuichiro, at least it'll shut him up.
Naturally, such bizarre enjoyment must come to an end in the most logical way possible: the apocalypse , complete with vampires in fricking helicopters announcing that humanity has royally screwed itself with the super virus. Gee, that's awfully convenient that it struck at night and you had this whole "parade though the carnage with helicopters" thing ready to go. I'd have loved to see the planning committee on this.
Ugh, can we just get on with this? Okay, back to the present, Mikaela shows orphans the stuff he's swiped, again proving that he's a much more competent hero than Yuichiro. Running through the corridors to escape they find they're path blocked by effeminate vampire. It's at this point with all the grand pillars and stairways, all in pristine condition, that I have to pause and wonder just how humanity missed these guys for so long. In Japan no less. You'd think that whole "deep need for arable land" would let someone stumble upon this incredibly vast and complex underground city. Eh, who cares, its time to go George R.R. Martin on the orphans. No! I was so attached to orphan b and e!
Mikaela faces off against the vampire with no other choice and you can guess how well that goes. Well, not really that gruesome since limbs and heads turn into speed lines when forcefully removed in this world. Heck, I didn't even notice at first that Mikaela got an arm torn off. But unfortunately Mr. Crepsly here forgot about that whole "there's two of them" thing and promptly gets a bullet to the head. Hey, genius, maybe Yuichiro would have ineffectively tried your heart if you didn't let him read that stupid book.
So with his last dying words (damn, damn, damn) Mikaela spurs Yuichiro away and into the world above... which is now sporting a nice shooting location for Life After People. What a twist, the vampires lied to you about that incredibly well-timed virus.
Speaking of well-timed, a trio of people in military attires shows up, having come there on a prophecy. What are the odds? Better, they get offer Yuichiro the chance to join them and kill some vampires. Naturally, he's just jumping at the opportunity to ride the revenge wagon.
Ugh. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but it better have some accompaniments. Seeking retribution is a good motivation for a character, but they need other aspects to flesh them out. A character simply can't organically fit into a world if they just go on and on about getting revenge for fallen comrades or family. Hell, even Sasuke, the poster boy of "my family is dead so the world is dead to me too and everything else sucks" had interactions with characters that defined his personality... at least until part two where he went completely off his rocker. All Yuichiro has done is bemoan his current situation and get mad because of it. No, I'm not counting the one scene where he holds another orphan's hand because it is never followed up on. He always has his teeth grit and his eyes sharp. Mikaela was showing expressing fear, happiness, and sorrow. Its what draws readers to him rather than Yuichiro, who, for all his whining, reacts to events rather than start them. Both characters get the same call to action, but its Mikaela that actually manages to do something. Yuichiro just tags along and, much to my ire, is the one who survives the whole mess.
Sigh, I think this is enough for chapter 1. Stayed tuned for chapter 2: Schools and the Apocalypse don't mix.
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