Manga Mondays #1: Weekly Jump Pics

Hey hi hello friends, and welcome back to my blog!

This is the start of a brand new series on my channel, Manga Mondays! Basically I'm reading a lot of manga nowadays and decided that I need another outlet to talk about it other than Angela (because I bombard her enough with just my My Hero Academia theories, she doesn't need me rambling about every single manga I'm reading).

So, anyway, welcome to my very first Manga Monday!

I thought for today I would just describe briefly all the manga I'm currently reading, which is quite a bit so hold onto your hats:

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My Hero Academia

In case y'all don't follow me on twitter, MHA was the anime/manga that really got me back into the genre and got me excited about manga again. One day I'll make a video talking about how I got into manga and anime in the first place, but for now, MHA is my favorite manga/anime that is ongoing. I'm completely caught up with both the anime and the manga, so every week I watch and read the newest chapters. I tend to do chapter discussions on my tumblr (seijoh-soul if you're interested) and honestly at this point I'm just along for the ride. Season four of the anime is currently running as well, and the English sub is on Hulu updated weekly if you're also a fan!

My Hero Academia follows a high school student, Midoriya Izuku, as he goes through harsh training to become the world's greatest hero, in a world where superpowers are the norm. Born "quirkless," Midoriya catches the eye of the Symbol of Peace, All Might, who decides to take the young man under his wing and teach him to become his successor. 

Haikyuu!!

Like MHA, Haikyuu!! is another that I am completely caught up on. Season four of the anime is currently running (I watch via Crunchyroll), after three years of inactivity. When I tell you I screamed at the first trailer, I'm not lying. Furudate, the creator, is on the final manga arc at the moment and I've already cried like three times reading this arc, so I know that I'll be an absolute wreck once it's officially over. Even though I've only been reading/watching Haikyuu!! for a year, I honestly feel like I've grown up with these characters. I don't know how a story about a high school volleyball club can make me so emotional, but it wasn't hard.

Haikyuu!! follows the story of high school freshman Hinata Shoyou as he joins Karasuno High School's volleyball club and tries to live up to the name "Tiny Giant." Karasuno's ultimate goal is to make it back to Nationals and win on the orange court in Tokyo. Can they make it there with Hinata on their team?

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

This became such a fast favorite for me. In a weird way it reminds me of Haikyuu!! which is something you wouldn't normally think of, especially since that manga follows modern-day volleyball players and KNY follows an elite force of swordsmen in the Taisho period whose sole duty is to slay man-eating demons that haunt the world. So, not really similar. But the way each demon is not only humanized but how the main character, Kamado Tanjiro, is able to empathize with them resonates so deeply inside it reminds me of how Haikyuu!! gives us the perspective of everyone, even the opposing teams. Of course, KNY is a bit more high-stakes, so it makes me even more emotional. Once again, I am completely caught up with this series. There is only one season of the anime out so far (on Hulu), and I'm reading chapter-to-chapter of the manga.

After his family is slaughtered by a demon and his younger sister is turned into the very thing that killed them, Kamado Tanjiro resigns himself to join the Demon Slayer corps, vowing to track down and destroy the father of all demons himself. Along the way he meets a number of eccentric characters, and tries to find the secret of demon creation itself--a way to turn his sister Nezuko back into a human.

The Promised Neverland

Can you tell I have a thing for demons? I was sent the first volume of this manga by an anonymous donor, so thank you, whoever you are! I had been hearing non-stop how creepy this manga was and it did not disappoint. Also, season one of the anime ran last year, and is on Hulu if you're interested in watching it yourself. Once again I'm completely caught up on the manga, and now waiting for the weekly jump updates. I don't know if I really like the way this manga is going, but the art style and the characters are just so amazing that I'm staying hooked for them. 

Grace Field house is a seemingly perfect paradise. Our main characters--Emma, Ray, and Norman--live peacefully with Mom and their younger siblings, training their brains and playing to their heart's content. But Grace Field has a very, very dark secret. And once Emma and the others discover what it is, there is only a matter of time before they befall a terrible fate. 

Assassination Classroom

Alright, we've finally reached the manga that I am just beginning! I started reading Assassination Classroom last night and wow, I was laughing out loud. Despite me always complaining about being emotional over anime, it actually takes a lot to get a physical reaction out of me when I'm reading, whether its manga or novels. But this manga has me cackling. I haven't yet started the anime, as I'm only one volume into the manga, but believe me I'll be watching it soon. 

Assassination Classroom: aka, Class 3-E. The worst of the worst. The problem children, the ones who are helpless when it comes to academics. They're students, but they are also protege assassins. And their target--their homeroom teacher. He's an octopus-humanoid who intends on destroying the earth and all of humanity with it the day after the students' graduation. The students are charged with killing him before that happens. Will they manage it?

Hikaru no Go

This is a much older manga, but a brand new discovery for me! Also, a complete turnaround of what I usually read. The reason I decided to thumb through it was simple; I'm rather fascinated with the game of Go. It's similar to Shogi (Japanese chess) and Othello, where the goal of the player is to capture the most territory on the board with their stones, either black or white. Also, ghosts. Need I say more, really? The style definitely is a little juvenile for my tastes, but I know that the characters age throughout the manga, so I'm not too worried. Again, I'm only a few chapters into this and I haven't watched the anime yet, but I'm definitely enjoying myself so far.

When Hikaru Shindo unearths his grandfather's old Go board, the spirit of an ancient Go player attaches to his soul and teaches him the game, determined to one day play out "The Divine Move."

Guardian of the Witch

A brand new discovery, and a brand new series! There is only two chapters out so far, but to me they show an awful lot of promise. Since this is a brand new manga I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but it reminds me vaguely of Attack on Titan, in case that is relevant to any of you. 

A world where Evils roam the land, hoping to destroy the human race. The only beings powerful enough to fight against the Evils are Witches, a volatile race of women who have the ability to use magic. The highest honor for the guardsmen of the cities is to be the Guardian of the Witch. A secret, devious plot, a hidden world, a chance at a new life. What will the Witch and her Guardian choose?

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Okay, I know those descriptions are rather awful, but aside from the first few I don't know the manga all that well, so I'm winging it a little bit. But, these are all the manga that I am currently in the middle of reading! And by this, I mean actively reading. I have other manga series on my shelves and peaking my interest, but these are the ones I'm either waiting each week for the Jump, or I'm going through so I can reach that point. I know it might seem like a lot, but manga is such a huge part of my life now that I don't really know how to pace myself, ha. 

If you have any recommendations for me, either comment below or send me a message on twitter (SeijohSoul) or tumblr!

Until next time!