#IReadsYou Review: JUJUTSU KAISEN: Volume 2

JUJUTSU KAISEN, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: Gege Akutami
TRANSLATION: Stefan Koza
LETTERS: Snir Aharon
EDITORS: John Bae
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1003-4; paperback (February 2020); Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Jujutsu Kaisen is a horror-action manga written and illustrated by Gege Akutami.  It has been serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, since March 2018.  VIZ Media is publishing an English-language edition of the manga as a series of graphic novels under its “Shonen Jump” imprint, beginning in December 2019.

Yuji Itadori is a first year high school student in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.  Especially fast and strong, Itadori is athletically gifted, but does not care about school.  One day, to protect his school from a Curse, Itadori swallows the severed finger of the legendary and feared demon, “Ryomen Sukuna.”  Now, Itadori houses the soul of Sukuna, and his fate is sealed with a death sentence.  The only way he can save himself is to enter the world of the Jujutsu Sorcerers and also to collect and consume the remaining pieces of Sukuna.

As Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 2 (Chapter 8 to 16; “Fearsome Womb”) opens, Itadori and a few other first year students from Jutusu High were dispatched by their teachers to handle a situation involving a “cursed womb.”  However, the curse they encounter is far more powerful than they expected, and now, Itadori is the only one who can save his classmates.  But it might cost him his life.

Meanwhile, a group of powerful Curses plot against special-grade Jujutsu Sorcerer, Gojo Satoru.  Satoru himself sees this plot against him as a chance to give Itadori some extra-special training.

[This volume includes bonus manga, “Extra.”]

THE LOWDOWN:  The Jujutsu Kaisen manga seems like it would be perfect for me, dear readers.  I enjoy manga that pit a secret society of warriors and demon fighters against man-eating demons, curses, and cursed objects.

Jujutsu Kaisen Graphic Novel Volume 2 begins to peel away the layers of the series' internal mythology.  Vol. 1 rushed readers into its world of Jujutsu Sorcerers and “special-grade cursed objects.”  Now, creator Gege Akutami focuses on introducing a band of adversarial monsters and demons (Curses) and reveals the internal politics in the world of Jujutsu Sorcerers.  Akutami is also showcasing the characters he thinks will be stars or at least the ones he wants to be stars.

With his English translation, Stefan Koza captures Jujutsu Kaisen's odd mixture of teen comedy and gruesome horror.  Letterer Snir Aharon captures the series' loudness; this series seems awfully noisy.  I am still not sure how exceptional Jujutsu Kaisen will be, if for no other reason than that Gege Akutami seems to be holding something back.  Still, I would like to read another volume.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Fans of demon-fighting shonen manga will want to try the Shonen Jump title, Jujutsu Kaisen.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.



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#IReadsYou Review: JUJUTSU KAISEN: Volume 1

JUJUTSU KAISEN, VOL. 1
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

MANGAKA: Gege Akutami
TRANSLATION: Stefan Koza
LETTERS: Snir Aharon
EDITOR: John Bae
ISBN: 978-1-9747-1002-7; paperback (December 2019); Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”
192pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £6.99 U.K.

Jujutsu Kaisen is the debut ongoing manga series from Gege Akutami.  It has been serialized in the Japanese manga magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump, since March 2018.  VIZ Media is publishing the series in English as a series of graphic novels under its “Shonen Jump” imprint.

Jujutsu Kaisen, Vol. 1 (“Ryomen Sukuna”; Chapter 1 to 7) introduces Yuji Itadori, a first year student at Sugisawa Municipal High School in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture.  Especially fast and strong, Yuji should be an athlete, perhaps a member of  the school's track-and-field team.  However, Yuji chooses to be a member of the Occult Research Club.

He and the other two members, Sasaki and Iguchi, have gotten their hands on a “sealed cursed object.”  They don't know it, but their lives are in danger.  And Yuji is about to be introduced into the world of “Jujutsu Sorcerers” and a conspiracy involving a legendary and feared demon, “Ryomen Sukura.”

[This volume includes bonus manga.]

The Jujutsu Kaisen manga is perfect for me.  Demons, man-eating demons, demon fighters, curses, cursed objects, and secret societies of warriors:  it is all right up my reading alley.  Plus, I recently had to say goodbye to the excellent but short (five-volume) series, Black Torch, from creator Tsuyoshi Takaki.  So I need a new source of hot demon action.

Jujutsu Kaisen Graphic Novel Volume 1 rushes the reader into it world of Jujutsu Sorcerers and “special-grade cursed objects.”  Vol. 1 seems to offer two volumes worth of characters, plots, settings, and internal mythology, and creator Gege Akutami makes it all of it so exciting.  Jujutsu Kaisen is like a combination battle manga and horror comic book.  The comic book offers gruesome monsters and plucky monster-fighters, featuring a goofy, but charming young hero.

Stefan Koza captures the battles and the horror and transforms them into a seamless whole with his English translation.  Letterer Snir Aharon highlights the series' surprising sense of humor without denying the edgy action and drama.  I have to recommend Jujutsu Kaisen; I think the series has only scratched the surface of what it can offer, so it should be a fun reading journey.

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2019 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: DRAGON BALL: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha

DRAGON BALL: THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS YAMCHA
VIZ MEDIA – @VIZMedia

MANGAKA: dragongarow LEE
TRANSLATION: Stefan Koza
LETTERS: Annaliese Christman
EDITOR: Marlene First
ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5; paperback (November 2018); Rated “T” for “Teen”
144pp, B&W, $9.99 US, $12.99 CAN, £6.99 UK

Based on Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball was a long-running Japanese manga written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.  It was originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995 and was comprised of 519 individual chapters.  The hero of Dragon Ball was Son Goku, and the series began with the story of his childhood.

Since its ending, there have been spin-offs and crossovers of the Dragon Ball manga.  Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha was originally published in the digital manga magazine, Shonen Jump+, beginning in 2016.  VIZ Media is releasing an English language edition as a stand-alone graphic novel.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha (Chapters 1 to 3) introduces an unnamed young man who is a fan of all things Dragon Ball.  He and a friend are heading for a Dragon Ball event when he is seemingly killed in an accident.  The high school student wakes up in the body of Yamcha, an ally of Dragon Ball hero, Son Goku, and Dragon Ball heroine, Bulma.

As a fan who is familiar with the Dragon Ball's continuity, the fanboy knows that Yamcha was eventually killed.  So the reincarnated Yamcha sets about making himself strong enough to survive, but will the Dragon Ball characters eventually catch on to the fact that there is something odd about Yamcha?

[This manga includes bonus content, “Extra Story” and “The Reincarnated One's Secret Plan!”]

I am only an occasional reader of the Dragon Ball manga, mainly because of copies-for-review that I get from my VIZ Media rep.  I have found some of these titles to be quite entertaining and worth the read.

Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha is one of those good reads.  There is something oddly alluring about this single-volume manga.  I read most of it in one sitting, and I can't quite say why I found it amusing, even fun to read.  The truth is that I would like to see more of this story line, and I think Dragon Ball manga fans will agree.  Readers looking for more Dragon Ball manga will want to try the Shonen Jump title, Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint syndication rights and fees.

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