Welcome to This Week in Shonen Jump, our weekly check in on Viz’s various Shonen Jump series. Viz has recently changed their release format, but our format will mostly remain the same. We will still review the newest chapters of two titles a week, now with even more options at our disposal. The big change for our readers is that, even without a Shonen Jump subscription, you can read these most recent chapters for free at Viz.com or using their app.
This week, Kerry and Rowan check in with “Dragon Ball Super” and “Tokyo Shinobi Squad.” If you have thoughts on these or any other current Shonen Jump titles, please let us know in the comments!
Tokyo Shinobi Squad Chapter 20
Written by Yuki Tanaka
Illustrated by Kento Matsuura
Reviewed by Rowan Grover
The latest chapter of “Tokyo Shinobi Squad” opens with the usual amount of absurdly fun fanfare as we see one of the Shinobis come flying out of the gate with high octane action and grandeur. The character in question shows off Tanaka’s talent for clever superhuman powers, as he has Lady Deathstike-esque claws due to his ability to “rapidly kill off-and harden-keratinized cells”. What makes them fully formed and endearing, however, is that they have personality traits that define them even more than these powers do: he’s obsessed with precision, idols and looking cool. This is one of the most fun and memorable scenes in the book, and Tanaka does well to start it off like this.
We get some more solid characterization through our protagonist, Jin, as he hunts down the cardinal. Tanaka infuses a huge amount of genuine passion in his voice as he looks down one of the bucket hat-bearing criminals down, saying “Today, I saw children explode right in front of my eyes… I’ll never forgive you bastards”. Tanaka stacks even more development on top of this, using the classic Shonen technique of having a supporting character describe how dedicated and great our protagonist is. Having En, the innocent-yet-mature kid of the group, talk about how absolute Jin’s resolve is through an almost frightened tone, is truly affecting. Moving on from this, Tanaka gives En a good moment to shine as he uses his draining psychic abilities to create tension but solve the mystery of the Cardinal’s identity, which leaves the issue hanging on a palpable cliffhanger.
Matsuura delivers a great balance of fast-paced Shinobi action and emotional character acting in this chapter. The scene of the Shinobi using his nail-powers in the opening of the chapter is a lot of fun and a great example of the former idea. The shot moves from the character staunched with claws spread menacingly before he instantly shoots into combat, flashing from enemy to enemy in the same panel as they all recoil, damaged. Later, we get more of that flashy ninja action in a longer sequence, with Jin and his associate chasing down the Cardinal’s goons. Matsuura goes wild with creativity here, having the Shinobi leap from building to building over a busy Tokyo street, giving us the action scene format we never realized we needed: ninja car chase. The shot of Jin finally jumping from afar and landing on top of the goon’s car is so well-paced that it ends with a satisfying “whamp” that makes the action pop so much more.
One of the biggest aspects of this series is that it’s set in the real world: heck, it even has Tokyo in the name. Matsuura works well in fleshing out the environments to feel as wild and exciting and lived in as the real-life city does. The opening shot takes place on a rooftop amidst crowded high-rising buildings, that have sterile and clean tiled surfaces. The streets that Jin chases the Cardinal’s goons through is spotted with neat little cultural references. In one panel, we get lots of flashy store signs, a few balconies, and spiraling staircases, boarded up doors and even clothes being hung out to dry on higher buildings. It’s a small but nice touch that makes the world feel realistic and interesting with each extra piece of detailing added.
“Tokyo Shinobi Squad” continues to be one of the more stylish, interesting and well-grounded titles in the Shonen Jump lineup. Tanaka has some awesome character moments in this issue, supported by Matsuura’s exquisite action and urban worldbuilding. This is a series worth checking out!
Continued belowFinal Score: 8.5 – A emotional yet intriguing addition to the expanding story of “Tokyo Shinobi Squad”.
Dragon Ball Super – Ch. 53
Written by Akira Toriyama
Illustrated by Toyotarou
Reviewed by Kerry Erlanger
The difficulty in reviewing a series are prolific as the Dragon Ball franchise is there’s likely not much left to say that hasn’t already been said. It is arguably one of the most enduring and well-known series of all time, having birthed an entire generation of anime and manga fans, myself included, who rushed home from school every day to watch what Goku and friends were up to this time. And after decades of being entrenched in the franchise, one of my enduring criticisms has always been that it’s gotten a bit too formulaic — indeed, there are a plethora of memes that I’m sure we’re all familiar with that reinforce this very idea.
Still, there’s something about this series that continues to capture your attention. Is it the characters who, after knowing them for the bulk of a lifetime, you’ve come to just generally care for in a way that makes you invested in their lives? Is it the tension of the always looming alien threat just beyond the horizon? The fights? Or maybe it’s the serious, dire moments that are juxtaposed with humor, which I’d argue is something “Dragon Ball Super” does particularly well. Maybe it’s all of the above.
Whatever it is, I find myself never really disappointed after reading “Dragon Ball Super,” and chapter 53 is no different. It has all the usual elements — fighting, humor, exposition, goofy enemies mixed with scarily strong ones, imminent death followed by last minute rescue, Gohan as savior in place of his dad, Bulma demonstrating a level of decisiveness that never seems to be matched by the dudes with muscles. The latest baddie, OG73-1, better known as Seven-Three, has a unique ability to copy the moves of his opponents by absorbing it through choke hold (for those of you who’ve planned Super Smash Bros, think Kirby with a slightly more BDSM bent). The stolen powers only last for 30 minutes, but it’s enough to put Piccolo in imminent danger. And of course in classic Dragon Ball style, Vegeta and Goku are off world engaging in their favorite activity ever, training, so it’s gonna be up to Gohan to deal with Seven-Three. You know he’s up to the task, because he dons his serious face and takes off his glasses; he’s still wearing his vest, though, which seems a strange choice of fighting garb. Maybe dear old dad will have to eventually step in after all. That is, if they can call him back from wherever in the galaxy he is currently.
The art is great as always, Toyotarou’s strength lying in the action sequences. I am always impressed with his facial expressions, though, particularly in the moments meant to convey some subtle humor. Jaco has a lot of these moments in this chapter, knowing, and fearing, Seven-Three prior to his arrival, and trying to jump planet before his arrival. I was also a fan of the weird alien inhabitants of the planet that Seven-Three and his two cronies meet during a pit stop for food. They kind of looked like if a saiyan and porcupine had a child, which initially struck me as lazy design, but they were also weirdly adorable enough that I was into it by the end of the scene. Again, Toyotarou’s facial expressions really helped to humanize them, which in turn helped me to hate Seven-Three and his detached inhumanity. It’s nice when an artist can serve the story line in that way, showing not telling..
Final Verdict: 7.0 — A classic “Dragon Ball Super” chapter; nothing more, nothing less.
