I continue to vacillate between feelings of hope and despair for humanity, and I really hope the former wins out. I’ve come to realize that many human beings have to touch the stove to learn their lesson, and I get the sense that a lot of people have put their hands on the flames at this point. I just wish it didn’t cost so many lives in the process. Innocent people are caught in the imperialist games of the world, and they should not be the ones to bear the cost.
Shout-out to my Patreon members, and a big, big thanks to the following:
Lots of tweets leading up to the live drawing event that took place on February 21.
Closing
I actually happened to be in Japan for part of February! I plan on having lots of blog posts based on my experiences and (delightfully tariff-free) purchases.
While I don’t have a set schedule for what I will post and when, I hope you’ll enjoy the fruits of my travels.
Kio will be going analog (physical media + projector!) for his live drawing session this month with Minoda Kaidou. He plans to draw a Spotted Flower character.
Because Kio has felt his concentration decline recently, he decided to draw outside. He’s not sure how well it worked, despite being more productive overall.
Having decided to write out the plot in the morning for something in Spotted Flower, Kio went and finished the written storyboard. He had thought about how it should go for a while, so the drawing went pretty smoothly.
Additional advertisement for the live drawing event. Kio mentions you can get a photo copy of the drawings! He also reconfirms that it’ll be streamed using a projector.
When asked about what they’re hoping for at the live drawing event, Minoda said her answer was a difficult one—she wants to see people to react to their drawings by going, “What the heck is this?!” This makes Kio look forward to being there.
Kio thanks Minoda for her congratulatory message on 50 chapters of Spotted Flower. Minoda also drew characters from Kio’s previous manga Jigopuri. Minoda also mentions the live drawings will be bunny girls.
Mabataki Yori Hayaku, the sport karate manga by Funatsu Kazuki, finished in 2025 after 12 volumes. It’s a series that I had been enjoying a great deal thanks to its ensemble of characters at varying skill levels and each with a unique relationship to karate, as well as the solid artwork that communicates the action and intensity of a match on both a physical and a psychological level. While MYH was clearly forced to end a little abruptly, I still think it’s a fun read overall and concludes in a satisfying way.
Kohanai Himari, a clumsy girl who gets inspired to learn karate after being saved by an upperclassman, is the main character of the story. Despite a case of mistaken identity where she confuses two twin sisters raised on karate (one enthusiastic about it and the other cold), Himari joins the school club, which is small and lacking in members. And while she seems ill-suited for any sort of athletics, the more practiced hands realize that she has unusually sharp and perceptive eyes. Soon, she’s practicing daily, growing alongside her teammates, and even gaining a few rivals, all while she and the other characters navigate the various forms of karate-centered drama.
Up until the end, the MYH is very consistent in terms of its sports manga appeal, and everything I wrote about it before still holds true. Seeing Himari come into her own as a competitor is wonderful, and learning the truth about the rift between the twins is satisfying. In the final volume, however, the story suddenly moves at a breakneck pace in order to wrap up everything and move all the characters into their intended positions. The climax of the series happens at a big karate tournament (naturally), and the results are satisfying in terms of the girls’ character arcs. The epilogue then puts them many years into the future to answer the question of “Where are they now?” I really do wish I could have seen the series get there at its normal pace.
Kio Shimoku, author of Genshiken and Spotted Flower, is having a live drawing session in Tokyo! The event will also include another manga artist, Minoda Kaidou; both have had series in Rakuen: Le Paradis.
I linked to this previously in my January Twitter roundup, but thought it was important enough to dedicate a separate post.
The live drawing will take place at Tonarimachi Cafe in Shinagawa, Tokyo on Saturday February 21 from 6pm to 8pm JST. Both in-person tickets and streaming tickets are available (either one is 3,000 yen), and can be found after the “get tickets” button on the website.
There’s something I find really funny about the current state of shounen anime and manga fandom.
On the one hand, you have an online fandom that loves battles and action scenes. “Who comes out on top in a 1v1?” is a perennially popular question, and I understand the appeal. You have all these powerful warriors around, be they awe-inspiring heroes or dreadful villains or something in between, and you want to either support your favorites or genuinely think through the question of who’s superior. Beyond the immediate domain of Shounen battle manga, there’s an entire cottage nerd industry built around exploring this idea: Who would win a Death Battle?
On the one hand, a lot of the big series in recent years, particularly the ones that have been finishing up, have emphasized themes surrounding group effort. While “the power of friendship and teamwork” is a longstanding staple of shounen anime and manga, titles like Demon Slayerand My Hero Academiafeel more about collective action and understanding that even if you’re not the strongest, your contributions matter. What makes someone the greatest isn’t how hard they hit or how many foes they can take down single-handedly, but conviction and a desire to help.
You end up having this combination of fans who care a lot about who’s the biggest badass around trying to mine stories where that’s of diminished importance. It would sometimes make more sense to ask who wins in a 1v1 between romance manga heroines. Certainly not all shounen fans think this way, and even those who love the big fights aren’t necessarily obsessed with ranking characters in a tier list. But just the fact that these two aspects exist, and they are almost in direct conflict with each other, both amuses and frustrates me.
PS: Who wins in a fight between Sawako from Kimi ni Todoke and Hachi from Nana?
I feel like all my hobbies have been very enjoyable lately. Great shows are airing, cool streams are happening, and creativity in all its forms needs to be cherished and fostered. At the same time, I feel like the world is falling apart, or at the very least revealed to be a house of cards encouraged to collapse at the whims and mania of the powerful. I think I have to remember that the arts alone do not change the world, but they can empower and inspire people to imagine a better world that we can all strive towards.
I feel incredibly proud of all the regular people who refuse to be bullied by people with the frailest egos imaginable.
On to the blog-specific things!
Thank you to my Patreon members, and a particularly big thanks to the folks below:
Kio responding to a person who considers Haraguchi from Genshiken their “#1 oshi,” and asks whether the character has a full name. Kio’s answer: He never came up with one.
Shounen series are often built on their appealing characters. Many feature a large cast so that each fan can find their favorites, with each character having a different aesthetic, personality, and power set. But some titles will subordinate other aspects of storytelling to prioritize “rule of cool” above all else: If something serves to make a work more awesome and thrill fans, logic and consistency can take a backseat.
One title that immediately comes to mind is Bleach, while the biggest example in recent memory has to be Jujutsu Kaisen.
The ridiculous popularity of Jujutsu Kaisen is undeniable. Putting aside the 11 wins last year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, it both sells well and occupies a huge chunk of the current fandom mindshare. It also attracts fans of all genders, ages, and walks of life. When I look at the characters, it feels like each one is meant to be the coolest person in the world to a specific type of audience. This isn’t inherently bad, but it’s such a major aspect of JJK that I think it can detract from the series.
Examples:
Gojo Satoru is like half the characters in Naruto because he has special eyes. In many ways, he’s Hatake Kakashi x2: Gojo doesn’t just cover one eye but both. His power set is based on infinity and negative infinity or something, and it’s appealing to people who want a guy who can have his hands in his pockets while warping reality and minds. Combine that with his svelte figure, pale complexion, and of course beautiful eyes, and you have someone who is effortlessly stylish.
Fushiguro Toji takes a different angle. Rather than have the biggest, baddest power, he’s basically an amoral, barrel-chested Occult Batman with the demonic equivalent of a utility belt. For those who value being the supposed underdog and winning through sheer hard work and tactical prowess, Toji is the epitome of a character they can get behind.
Nanami Kento is a straitlaced guy in a business suit who looks like an office worker—because that’s what he used to be. He’s stoic but kind, and his powers invoke the concept of overtime to power him up while also using math ratios to create weak points. For those who see a caring and reliable individual as the truest example of greatness, Nanami fits the bill to a tee.
Okkotsu Yuta is basically Ikari Shinji from Evangelion if he became strong and determined (and is literally voiced by Ogata Megumi).
In these cases and more, nearly every character in Jujutsu Kaisen feels like what you get if you asked 100 people to each write their own power fantasy + ideal partner. There’s a real thrill to it all, but I think it can come at the expense of a coherent narrative, often feeling like too many things are tacked onto each character without any sense of moderation.
I often see people praising different aspects of Jujutsu Kaisen. They’ll talk up the action. They’ll praise the characters. But I almost never see anyone praise the plot or the storytelling. “Rule of cool” turns into “ruled by cool,” as if the series is a highlight reel. That’s sometimes all it takes for a shounen series to succeed, but I do end up wanting more.
The new year is upon us, and one of the most stacked anime seasons in recent memory is upon us, particularly when it comes to sequels. I’m still trying to catch up on shows from 2025, so I hope I can keep up with everything.
Speaking of being behind on things to watch, I’m going to finally watch KPop Demon Hunters. I literally saw kids dressed up as the characters for Halloween, not to mention knowing more than a few who adore the film. Will I be drawn into the Kpop vortex as well?
And once again, a huge shout-out to my patreon members, especially the names below. I hope the new year has good things in store for you.
I would dedicate a post just to my entry, Lamprey Man, but there are rules against posting it elsewhere, so all you’re getting is a link.
Long-time readers of the blog might recall that I’ve long been a huge Mega Man fan, and even posted some Robot Master art/designs in the past. Even if I don’t get picked, just getting to enter is reward enough.
OGIUE MANIAX 