J.R. Waugh

I mean with Adebayo talking about the deceptive fantasy in Earth-2 of a better life for Chris, the chatter is definitely pointing toward the hard-hitting twist of it being that his dad is just as much of a POS as he was in the original story, but just celebrated like a hero this time. Judomaster is taking an unnecessary amount of L's yet again, though

Given the uneven output and how difficult it already is to adapt Miura's dark fantasy masterpiece, what would your choice be? Would it be anything from the above choices, or other studios yet to be mentioned?

This isn't me attempting to flame Solo Leveling fans. A-1 Pictures has done a fine job with the urban fantasy action premise, and it's a gorgeous sight to behold, whether in anime form, its gorgeous manhwa courtesy of studio REDICE, or even its original novel format. The series is fine. But it should be considered the gateway, and this is where its staunchest fans seem to completely stop themselves from pushing further. Seriously, Solo Leveling is an engaging premise, but it's also familiar, and the protagonist at its heart, Sung Jinwoo, isn't even the best protagonist you can get in a power fantasy like this. He is the quintessential one we all know, but that is not a defense; if anything, it's an indictment of the power fantasy and urban fantasy manhwa genre in that it lets cardboard cutouts stand as the poster boys for their product. Dokja from Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, Seo Joo-Heon from Tomb Raider King, hell, even Suho from Solo Leveling Ragnarok have greater depth to their personalities. Solo Leveling executed its premise excellently. The Jeju Island arc is certainly the greatest "hype" moment of the series, but even afterward, it's quite interesting to read. But Jinwoo, as a character, should be your gateway to better manhwa heroes. This doesn't even limit itself to urban power fantasy, either. Kim Suho/Lloyd Frontera is a perfect example of a dynamic personality, if not absolutely unhinged, and it enhances the premise. Jinwoo's problem is that he starts as the generic meek shonen protagonist, and while that formula is also incredibly tired, the substitute should never be something more bland. Kim Dokja from Omniscient Reader is another case, where you have a character fully presented with the opportunity to break the "system" much like Jinwoo has, but still involves his companions in meaningful ways and is a genuinely likeable dork of a character. There's nothing wrong with enjoying Jinwoo for what he is, but claiming that what he is is actually better than what the genre provides is egregiously false. Even urban fantasy series like Jungle Juice, with its more X-Men-like concepts of mutant abilities based largely on insects, features characters who struggle more believably with the consequences of the abilities given to them, allowing them to be vulnerable yet giving them a chance to grow. That's what those "wimpy" shonen protagonists do, after all. Inept ninjas like Naruto grow believably to become Hokage. Pirates who can't even swim have a chance to look up to a savior like Luffy, but should also never trust him to cook for them. A boy born without magic, like Asta, can disrupt the magic-oriented society when his talent negates that entirely. This goes without even diving into the vast ocean of manhwa stories beyond Solo Leveling. On Webtoon alone, there is a legion of options you can check out that'll tickle your fancy, before even considering Tapas, TappyToon, or, of course, the wild west of the pirated scene (but pretend I didn't say that). It's entirely fine to enjoy Solo Leveling, but there are so many more engaging stories out there for you to dig into, with Jungle Juice belonging to the manhwa equivalent of the MCU, so there's no shortage of depth or engrossing content. It's nuts, so don't ever limit yourself, whether it's checking out Return of the Blossoming Blade or diving into the intriguing world of seinen manga and anime, and becoming an incorrigible video essayist with at least one Berserk video under your belt. But also, if you haven't, read Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint and Jungle Juice. Whether or not they're the next big thing anime-wise is hardly an argument we can make for now. But you can definitely appreciate their stories and understand just how engrossing the medium is for it. Anyway, I'm going to go enjoy Dogsred because I'm Canadian, so of course I love the funny hockey manga by Golden Kamuy's creator. Life is simpler and more fun when anime hype doesn't sweep you up into the latest craze.

I'd say Dragon Ball Z did exactly those to varying degrees earlier as well, JJK is just getting its current moment. But they just don't make them like they used to, in terms of lasting legacy.

Given that this is likely the most consequential fight to the overarching plot, and that we'll see Odin in action as he fights Sakata Kintoki, I personally suspect that they'll keep the plot suspended a bit longer by giving Odin the W, especially since Göll is AWOL and there's an unnamed valkyrie still in play before Brunhilde joins the fight herself. Odin is far too clearly the big bad of the series, and it'd feel weird to make him kick the bucket in a fight (however I do love a chaotic twist). Kintoki serves the plot far more effectively earlier on by seeking out Siegfried, who surely comes into play after the events of the tournament, whichever direction that winds up going. It also frees up room for Round 13, where I personally suspect Nostradamus to correctly predict Ragnarok going south with humanity losing the tournament despite their current 6-5 lead (at least after Round 11), partially because I can't in good faith want good boi Anubis to lose, but also because Nostradamus is probably the weirdest fight imaginable to see unfold. This is all to say I'm enjoying the ride so far, and I could reasonably suspect Brunhilde to want to actually, personally fight Odin herself. Whether that devolves into a second Gigantomachy, like alluded to in the story, but with humans and valkyries fighting the gods, remains to be seen, but Siegfried, and Gaia whose fate remains unconfirmed, are the two big factors I'd like to see more of, especially after the Loki flashbacks.

I've been reading Record of Ragnarok's manga for years at this point, eagerly following each development (even if the trajectory is predictable) because I think, deep down, my battle shonen-loving heart craves tournament arcs stretched into an entire seinen series. Azychika's coordinated team effort to convey an incredible array of dynamic and wonderfully weird renditions of mythological gods and historical heroes, warriors, soldiers, and more. It's a series I happily devour every month, each time Monthly Comic Zenon blesses up, especially with the latest conclusion of Round 11. It feels like just yesterday it was still Round 10 and I was cheering for Soji Okita, but here we are. The anime is a pretty egregious disappointment, especially Season 1. The animation is subpar, especially when seeing the potential from Graphinica and Yumeta Company on stuff like the Muv-Luv Alternative anime. I even held out hope that their collaboration would especially pay off with Season 3, given Nikola Tesla's the closest the series has come to a mecha fighter, but now it's Yumeta Company and Maru Animation, with what looks like a CG Tesla. I know I'm not alone in loving this series, though. At Anime Expo's Netflix showcase, I may have been the lone person in the hall (seriously) to cheer for Round 8's contestants to be revealed, but when I later showed up to WB Japan's Record of Ragnarok reveals? The whole room erupted at the same moment. All I'm saying is, give the manga a chance. It's beautifully drawn, and each battle goes on just long enough without overstaying its welcome (except maybe Round 5). It's led me to embrace other tournament and death game manga, especially RoR's sister series, War of Greedy Witches, also produced in Monthly Comic Zenon. It's a bit weird that Ragnarok is localized by Viz while Witches is sold by Yen Press, but I'll happily buy both. Who is your favorite fighter in the series, and for Rounds 12 and 13, who would you like to win? And where does Siegfried factor into all of this? Do you think Sakata Kintoki has what it takes to tackle the greatest of primordial gods?

Even a few months ago I'd have disagreed with this, but due to their drastically improved production quality they're clearly taking more breaks with the odd filler episodes every few weeks. It's weirdly more annoying than just having filler arcs, so I'd love to see Wit Piece in action too. But I'm here for the ride either way lol

For me as a kid, Dragon Ball Z was basically the water cooler show people would discuss without even using the term "anime" as they weren't aware the cultural differences. Even though Pokemon was similarly huge, people had weird assumptions about it (my favorite instance of this being how somebody said Pokémon was French because the term uses an accent aigut over the e 🤣) This is to say, it was a foundational introduction to anime for millions, but I think it didn't have people curious about the medium in the same way as later waves hit Toonami or other channels, drumming up anime curiosity. It is the quintessential anime for people our age (alongside probably One Piece, Sailor Moon, or others like Saint Seiya), but Gen Z is pushing that in other directions now, growing up on Naruto, getting hyped for Jujutsu Kaisen, or getting into other genres offered by shojo, josei, or seinen gems.