Welcome to another installment of SJ Weekly Roundup, a weekly post where I discuss Shonen Jump Magazine's latest and greatest chapters of manga! Well... the chapters I have read at least. Check out the list below to see what I'm reading/almost caught up on, those series will be added to the roundup rotation soon; I will mainly be sticking to my personal tastes for now, but I would like to expand future posts to include as many currently running series as possible. Please understand that I do not possess superhuman manga-reading abilities, and I am not caught up on every series in Jump. If time allows, I will try to catch up on everything that I can, so I can provide a more thorough roundup for the readers here on my blog (you guys!) As usual, Shonen Jump offers the oldest and newest 3 chapters of each series on their website completely free of charge, If you would like to read along with me. Without further ado, let's get in to this week's chapters!
CURRENTLY READING:
Dr. Stone (Ch. 94/120)
Mission: Yozukura Family (NEW SERIES!)
By Hitsuji Gondaira
Chapter 3
Synopsis: Taiyo feels useless in this family of super-spies, so he seeks out help from Futaba, one of Mutsumi's relatives. Futaba agrees to help, under one condition - Taiyo must live in the Yozakura family household for a month before his training begins. Piece of cake, huh? With trapdoors, infrared sensors, and a bathroom with an absurdly difficult vault-like lock, Taiyo may have gotten more than he bargained for... Will he last the entire month, or even just a day?
My Thoughts: This chapter has been my personal favorite of Yozakura Family so far, mainly due to its balance of differing elements working in wonderful tandem. It has the relaxing nature of a slice-of-life series, with plenty of gags, and by the end of it we see Taiyo go from almost quitting the family to being master of his domain! One of my favorite traps in the house was the exploding alarm clock featured in the panel above. I could honestly use one of these in my own home, considering how much of a night owl I am. I mean, I'm writing this article at 11 at night on a Thursday 😆 I digress; This chapter was super fun and I can only imagine how enjoyable this series will be when Taiyo's REAL training begins!
Mitama Security: Spirit Busters (NEW SERIES!)
Story & Art by Tsurun Hatomune
Chapter 2
Synopsis: There's a rumor floating around Rena's school of a 7-foot-tall basketball spirit haunting the gym, and of course Joh Mitama breaks an enters into her school to try and save the day! Mr. Mitama sends an orb-shaped blast of light at the spirit in an attempt to subdue him, only for the spirit to catch the orb and start dribbling it! An intense basketball match ensues, until Mitama slam-dunks the spirit straight into the basketball hoop, defeating him!
My Thoughts: Slam Dunk, anyone? 🏀 The basketball spirit and the match that ensued between him and Mitama was equal parts awesome and hilarious! There wasn't much story progress this chapter, but that's to be expected for a gag manga. Speaking of gags, there was plenty this this time around and I was personally pretty tickled by this chapter. You already know I was laughing my ass off when Mitama slam-dunked the spirit into the hoop! Rena also seems to be warming up to Mitama, as he's been the only person so far to thank her for her spirit sense. Overall this chapter was good fun to read, although I am curious to see the story develop more and to learn more about Mitama's job as a SecuREIty professional. I hope this series continues to expand on its ideas, and I hope it finds an audience.
Tokyo Shinobi Squad
Story by Yuki Tanaka, Art by Kento Matsuura
Chapter 14
Synopsis: Narumi-Kai's next mission begins at the Hopeland Hotel, a trustworthy hub for shinobi... or so they thought. While trying to log on to a computer to do some research, our team finds out that the computer was hacked, and someone inside the building is responsible! The floor beneath their feet opens up, revealing that the assistant manager is pulling some strings; once they hit the bottom, they're encountered by some Hopeland Hotel goons and are forced to fight. Kenryu, who does not possess ninpo abilities, shows his worth through his total mastery of martial arts and shinobi tools! After all, "Successful men are always ready to defend themselves!"
My Thoughts: Kenryu was the star of the show this time around! From the very first page, we get to learn more about his rough upbringing and his yearning for love. We also learn that he can't use ninpo abilities like Jin and the rest of Narumi-Kai, however, he makes up for it by being a weapon-wielding, martial artist badass! Seeing him blast goons away with his sword/whip hybrid "Starving Alligator" was a genuine spectacle, and I'm thrilled to see what Kenryu and the team have in store for next week's chapter! While I moderately enjoyed the warehouse mission, this mission is shaping up to be loads more interesting and expansive! I hope Tokyo Shinobi Squad can keep this momentum up further into the story arc.
Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru
Story by Masashi Kishimoto, Art by Akira Okubo
Chapter 17
Synopsis: After saving his home planet, Hachimaru has used a massive amount of energy, leaving his body frail and skinny. Amidst the search for the remaining keys to Pandora's box, Hachimaru has a lot of questions, which his master is more than happy to answer as well as school the readers on. Landing in a nearby city, they gather some funds and necessities for their trip... Only to find that master Daruma's turtle key holder has been broken into by two unknown samurai!
My Thoughts: This chapter was the beginning of what seems to be a slower pace after the previous action-packed battle with Ata, however, the slower pace allowed me to gain insight into the inner workings of Kishimoto-sensei's samurai world through master Daruma's teachings. I am curious to see if these two unknown robbers/samurai end up being important later on. Ryu in particular seems like he could be a potential threat.
If any of the series mentioned in this post caught your interest, Shonen Jump offers the first and last 3 chapters of each series on their website, completely free of charge.
-- Keep it locked here at the Jo's Tomorrow blog for future manga roundups and all things Shonen Jump; Happy Reading!--
(DISCLAIMER: This roundup only includes series that I am caught up on, meaning some weekly chapters from the magazine may be omitted. My weekly chapter roundups do not currently include monthly or bi-monthly releases. I will not be covering every currently running series, but I will do my best to keep you up to date with my personal favorites at the very least!)
