Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, in which a rotating duo of Multiversity staffers take a look at two stories contained in each installment of Viz Media’s Weekly Shonen Jump. For the uninitiated, Weekly Shonen Jump is an anthology that delivers more than 200 pages of manga of all varieties. We hope that you’ll join us in exploring the world of Weekly Shonen Jump each week. If you are unfamiliar, you can read sample chapters and subscribe at Viz.com.
This week, Robbie and Ken check in with “Kimi Wo Shinryakuseyo” and “Blue Exorcist.” If you have any thoughts on these titles, or “My Hero Academia,” “We Never Learn,” “The Promised Neverland,” “Robot X Laserbeam,” “Boruto,” “Food Wars,” “Dr. Stone,” “One Piece,” or “Black Clover,” let us know in the comments!
Blue Exorcist Chapter 100
Written & Illustrated by Kazue Kato
Reviewed by Ken Godberson III
Another Shonen Jump staple hits a milestone as “Blue Exorcist” Chapter 100 arrives with a special double-sized chapter. A lot has happened in the life of Rin Okumura and for this arc, it’s not going to get easier for him as Mephisto brings him to the past to start unraveling the secrets behind Rin and Yukio’s birth. It’s fitting that Kato spares down the cast for this story. The over expansive setting at True Cross is brought down to a much more low-key set that focuses around Rin, a young, bitter man that would become Father Shiro Fujimoto, and a little girl named Yuri Egin.
The story takes place forty years in the past and deals with the upbringing of Yuri, the mother of Rin and Yukio. She was an orphan, living in the cold slums of the Northern True Cross Academy town of its time. Despite her circumstances, she tries to make the best of it, being raised by other homeless people in the area to the best degree they can. Conversely, young Fujimoto, infamously known as the “Yukitoko” is someone quite the opposite. He’s crude and cold but with a fiery temper. He’s a far different person from the warm man who would raise Rin and Yukio. With that said, while this chapter did a good job of showcasing and introducing us to these two, that does take up the majority of the chapter, with the ending revealing that Yuri can see demons, something that the Exorcists that capture Fujimoto are quick to note and serve as a dreading cliffhanger.
Kato’s artwork is a delight. Despite the double-size, there is nary a dip in quality. Rin’s white hair serves as a great detail, because it makes him feel more ethereal, someone looking into to something without drawing unnecessary attention towards himself. The child Yuri is drawn as an adorable cherub, ranging from cute to hilarious to sad and Kato nailing it each time. Likewise, Fujimoto may be very different from the man he’d become, but one can see the traits of that man in him, from hairstyle to facial cues (funny enough, they’re not too dissimilar to Rin’s, which is a nice touch).
“Blue Exorcist” Chapter 100 isn’t a “Slam! Bam!” Wham Episode like “One Piece” Chapter 900 was, but a much quieter, tighter focused beginning to a story that is clearly going to have a major impact on both the present Rin and absent Yukio. Despite the double size, it does feel a bit breezy in terms of content, but the content we do get provides just enough introduction to make us want to follow up.
Final Verdict: 7.3- “Blue Exorcist”’s centennial is spent setting up what looks to be a major story with a look back into the roots of Rin Okumura.
Kimi Wo Shinryakuseyo Ch. 3
Written and illustrated by Kazusa Inaoka
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
Another Jump Start series at its end, leaving its fate in the air. So how does this story of an alien in disguise and the girl determined to find his secret go? All in all… it’s fine.
This chapter introduces a key new character: student council president Kasei Jui. Oh, and she’s also protagonist Hajime’s childhood friend. Yes, that’s right, two common anime character archetypes combined into one! So naturally she has a crush on Hajime that’s obvious to everyone except him.
Continued belowHowever, I will give it credit for handling it at least a little differently than the more common and cliche method. Sure, it starts with the usual misunderstanding, wherein it’s assumed that the Hajime is dating Aiba, and the concerned childhood friend/strict student council president wants to figure out what’s going on. But after clearing up the misunderstanding, Kasei actually decides to take the initiative and is clearly about to confess. Compared to the slow march of “We Never Learn” and its characters incapable of properly expressing their feelings, seeing a character actually want to express her feelings without hesitation is a damn refreshing sight.
The confession still gets interrupted multiple times, of course, but at least we have a character actually willing to try. Kazusa Inaoka does a good job making Kasei particularly expressive, with excited highs and cold stern lows, and the energetic artwork matches nicely. Her character design is nice as well, with a solid style that suits her character whether she’s in “childhood friend” mode or “student council president” mode.
There’s a very light quality to the artwork throughout the manga. Inaoka-sensei’s designs are distinct, solid, and expressive, and have a general cute quality about it. There’s an energy brought into the comedic scenes, and everything is paced well throughout.
While the designs are strong, it’s Inaoka-sensei’s work with the character reactions and expressions that works best. Kasei’s constantly changing expressions are absolutely the strongest part of the issue, but everyone gets a good moment here and there, and it adds to each character’s voice.
It’s because of the overall lighthearted or even pure feel to the manga that the fanservice in previous chapters just didn’t work; it was trying to add sexy onto cute, but in a way that didn’t blend. Fortunately, this chapter is free of that, and instead focuses more on the characters themselves.
Given the main focus of the chapter is introducing Kasei to the readers and integrating her to the cast, there isn’t too much focus on the other characters. We learn a little more about Hajime’s youth and use of his powers, and get another ill-conceived attempt to reveal his secret from Aiba, but not much aside from that. With that said, I did chuckle at the plan’s execution, and how Aiba attempted a second take at it without even acknowledging it already failed. It’s a little touch to her character that makes her more endearing.
In the end, though, this chapter of “Kimi Wo Shinryakuseyo: brings in a new character and sets up the dynamic properly. However, I have to wonder: where will it go from here? Hajime can only keep his secret from Aiba for so long before it grows old. Kasei can only get interrupted while trying to confess to Hajime so many times. I like what they’re doing so far, but this is a status quo that must change sooner or later, and where does it go from there?
I suppose we’ll learn if this series makes it past the Jump Start stage. I can’t say this manga has me clamoring for more, but I enjoy it enough to get a chuckle and enjoy the characters.
And it’s a hell of a lot better than “We Never Learn.”
Final Verdict: 6.7 – A well-paced, moderately amusing chapter that introduces and integrates a new character, plays with tropes, and has some excellent expressions.
