The art feels kinda "retro". This specific transformation reminds me of Dodoa's Mockle Armor from Otr.
One Piece wins "backshadowing"
In series like this or Kagurabachi, where powers can be passed on, it's always nice to see older wielders.
Sakamoto Days wins "best line"
Ice cold.
Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo wins "best backstory"
I'm sad about the ways this will inevitably fail, but I liked this little look into Rumelian (and alien in general) culture. I wonder how their society views cursed energy...
Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi wins "best chat"
I like this dynamic. Shishido's a cool dude.
Shinobi Undercover wins "best gag"
This series genuinely never fucking misses.
Akane-Banashi wins the Tokiro Award for polyamory
They want to fuck her so bad it makes them look stupid
The Elusive Samurai wins "best attack"
This series is wrapping up, but it's doing it very well.
Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2026, Issue #13: Intoxication Week
19. Gonron Egg ch.16 (+2, Disliked): With Gonron and Kagami serving as a distraction, the HLA commanders successfully reach Reigoku to challenge him to battle
Okay...enough is enough...I wanted to be lenient because of the circumstances, I wanted to wait until something made me actively angry, but this chapter has finally made me realize exactly what the Disliked rating in my system means - I see *nothing* of value in this chapter. It's not *irredeemable*, but it also doesn't have any redeeming qualities to speak of either. If it made me angry, that would be Hated, and if I could see what others might like when I simply don't, that would be Unappreciated, but if anyone is able to enjoy this chapter, I have *no idea* how. We've ostensibly entered the final battle, but Gonron is deliberately being sidelined, for what? To raise tension? Believability? Your pacing is already ruined, why are you wasting time with buildup *now*?? If you're not going to focus on maximizing your protagonist's development, the *least* you could do is show us what we'll be missing from the supporting cast by letting them do something interesting!
18. JJK Modulo ch.23 (+1, Unappreciated): Yuji explains that Cursed Energy exists in trace amounts throughout the world, so Cursed Spirits would still manifest even without the high concentration in Japan. Realizing that Kalyans don't attack Simurians because they have the same color souls, Maru suggests altering the appearance of human souls to have a similar effect with Cursed Spirits and reduce Cursed Energy. Dabura retrieves the Black Rope and frees his sister from the Deskunte. Maru, Cross, Tsurugi and Yuka perform the Harmony Ritual
...I missed something. I know I did. Did Dabura beat Mahoraga offscreen? Are Yuka and Tsurugi dead? Is this whole thing taking place in the afterlife? I don't get it and it's making me feel stupid. I don't get Maru's plan, I don't understand this whole "soul nexus" location thing or how souls passing through it can be used to change their color or how doing that reduces Cursed Energy. Is Ogre really so stupid that he can't understand the themes that make JJK Modulo a fitting sequel to a modern classic? I feel like if I could at least wrap my head around it, I'd enjoy it, and I bet plenty of fans thought this was cool as hell, but I'm incredibly lost
17. Nue's Exorcist ch.134 (+3, Unappreciated): As Soranaki awakens, Natsuki fuses with Gakuro's Hollow Weapon, giving him the power to deal irreparable damage to Soranaki
Huh...I thought it'd be harder to summarize it than that, but no, that's...kind of all that happened. Not that I buy that Gakuro has actually won the fight so easily, and in fact I'll be pretty miffed if that's all it took after all of the buildup that Soranaki got; it really doesn't live up to its own hype nor compare to the weight of the Suzaku battle. I kind of like that Gakuro actually incorporated Natsuki's ability into his weapon, but I also don't really get why she needed to literally become it for that to happen if she can just unilaterally affect matter
16. Hima-Ten ch.79 (-3, Unappreciated): Tenichi comes to check on Himari after their photo got leaked, but Himari notes that there are no negative comments, so she's happy to let people think that they're a couple. Himari's manager, Tsubone, gives her blessing to their relationship thanks to the image boost Tenichi is giving Himari
...*No* negative comments?? Not *one*??? Now that's hooey! It's otherwise a nice moment, but it feels too convenient, like it's become a Sword of Damocles waiting to drop
15. Sakamoto Days ch.249 (+2, Neutral): Excited by how tough Shishiba and Osaragi are proving to be, Gozu uses his electricity to overclock his body's abilities
Some decent action, but nothing I was really able to connect to - no particularly meaningful dialogue, and not as visually creative choreography as I've come to expect
14. Mage Next Door ch.15 (-2, Appreciated): Osoegawa forces an excess of magical power into Hidaka's body to interrupt his magic flow with Magic Intoxication. After a speech from Osoegawa about how children should be able to enjoy their childhoods, Hidaka informs him that he works for a mage named Ine, so Osoegawa transports everyone the Mage World to consult with the Divine Magus about how to deal with Doroi next
I rather liked the message of the chapter, but the logical flow to meeting with the Divine Magus felt like a bit of a jump, and it honestly makes me worried about where we're heading considering the low ToC placement as of late
13. Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi ch.81 (-6, Liked): Shishido arrives at Bobo's castle to find Bub on the ropes, and realizes that Bobo's attacks are too much even for his Jaws to absorb; meanwhile, while Tosaka is worn out from defeating Neko, Bobo's righthand man, Karuba, arrives to assassinate Kiyoshi, only for Kiyoshi to wake up back in fighting condition
I feel kind of bad for Karuba, getting hyped up so much only to be immediately jobbed, but at the same time, I don't exactly hope that he'll get more of a fight next week when I'm way more invested in the Helze family drama going on with the implications that the problems stem from the loss of their matriarch
12. Alien Headbutt ch.3 (-6, Liked): After seeing Shirokiba's parasite-enhanced strength, Haruya tells him where to find some of the kidnapped civilians, including his older brother/Shirokiba's childhood friend, Tatsumi. When they arrive, though, they find that the aliens are already dead...because there's an even bigger one eating them!
Oh, phew, we got another alien design already, good good good... The fact that this new one is eating the others has some interesting implications, that either they're related and their hierarchy allows for this kind of slaughter, OR they're unrelated and fighting over resources. I think we could have gotten a little more invested in Tatsumi with a flashback longer than one panel, but we're moving in the right direction, and I'm definitely on board
11. Someone Hertz ch.22 (-1, Liked): While the rest of the meet-up focuses on Kurage, Mimei slips out to refill some of the refreshments and runs into Hateful Eight, a comedian with an unlucky streak. Hateful Eight plans to stop submitting to Mon-Mid, but seeing himself in Mimei, asks him to make it to the next Listener Koshien in his stead
I'm pretty curious what Hateful Eight actually meant about not being funny - was it just a lack of confidence on his part, or does he just mean that he isn't naturally funny? Maybe it's the kind of thing that would be more clear if we actually saw one of his comedy shows, which I hope we'll get to down the line to better understand his character. It's also nice to see Mimei interacting with a cast member outside of Kurage, cus while I definitely could read a few hundred chapters of just the two of them, expanding the cast beyond just them really helps flesh out their characterization and arcs
10. Witch Watch ch.237 (+6, Liked): As Miharu's team prepares to slip booze to Kiriko, Miharu introspects on the ethics of opposing someone else's dreams and concludes that their actions will only be considered just if they win - hence why they must. Meanwhile, Slump tries to use his Maverick disguise to find Agro's bone fragment, but inadvertently pisses him off and starts a fight. After successfully knocking out Kiriko, Momochi warps to Kanshi, only for her radar to go off too late to warn him that Dorey isn't the Warlock...his manager is
Oh damn! Okay, you got me, Shinohara, here I was thinking that Dorey was putting off becoming a Warlock for some complex hidden reason, but nope, he was actually covering for his so-called manager, if that's even her real profession. Who knows who was abusing who here, if it all wasn't just an act. With everything coming to a boiling point on all sides, I can confidently say I'm invested now
9. Under Doctor ch.5 (+6, Liked): As Haiji and the mute boy, Shuli, fight, we learn of Shuli's childhood as the apprentice of the Grim Reaper, a retired prolific assassin, who taught Shuli sign language and made him promise never to take a life. Against Haiji, though, Shuli cannot hold back, but accidentally gives him an opening to strike - a strike that restores Shuli's ability to speak!
I've seen a lot of complaints about how Haiji didn't ask Shuli's consent to heal him, but like...kid was trying to *murder* him??? Who cares in that context??? Also, it's *fiction*! The point was to demonstrate that this was something that Haiji can do, like Kenshiro in ch.1 of Fist of the North Star doing the same thing for Lin. My bigger issue is that it means Shuli isn't going to be mute representation, which I was a lot more interested in - given the situation, though, I'm hoping that he won't instantly be able to speak properly and instead will basically be going through rehab as a representation of whatever his character arc will be, since it seems fairly likely that he'll be a major recurring character
8. Kagurabachi ch.112.5 (-5, Liked): From the rubble of the Rakuzaichi, Soya emerges with amnesia. Through context clues, he immediately realizes that he's from the Sazanami clan, but is haunted by the voice of his "loved one," so he spends what little pocket change he has on a fortune teller...who sees him for the abusive trash he is and tells him to piss off. Taking out his frustrations on garbage, Soya remembers the joy of hurting others, only to pass out in the middle of the street from hunger as he chases a pigeon in his delusions
This guy again??? I don't want a SoYA sidestory, I want more SoJO!!! That said, it is fun watching this guy falling down the stairs, so as long as that keeps happening, I'll allow it. I assume the idea is that he'll make his way back into the main story sooner or later, though in what capacity I have no idea
7. Kinato's Magic ch.4 (+1, Liked): While Kaminagi tests him, Kinato notices that she isn't drawing her sword because her ice magic is impacting her circulation and magic wavelength resonance, so he uses his seitai to help her warm up and save a child from a horde of slimes
This was a pretty nice sampling of how the magic system works and the core premise of Kinato acting as a support unit, I hope we continue on this trajectory going forward. While it was a tad horny, I did enjoy the visual metaphor of thawing both Kaminagi's frozen body and heart by healing her and showing that even a colorless-ranked adventurer can have the spirit to overcome the challenges presented to them. I do think I would have liked if the issue of Kaminagi having trouble drawing her sword has been slightly better communicated, but with the number of available pages, I think it did a decent enough job
6. Akane-banashi ch.195 (+8, Loved): With what she learned from Rokuro's performance, Akane's God of Death earns Shomei's approval. Rokuro discusses Akane's growth with Maikeru, who we learn asked Rokuro to help guide her. After Akane passes Shiguma's home and prays that he watch as she earns the next piece of Shiguma's Art, we cut to the day of the event and the launching of the Isshokai ship
Huh, wasn't expecting the Isshokai to be a boat, but with that name, I guess it makes sense! I feel like nothing much really happened during this chapter, and yet it all felt really impactful! That quick little review of what all of the recent events have meant for Akane really helps to focus their weight into one spot, helping to raise the tension and anticipation for what we're about to see
5. Hero Girl and Demon Lord ch.14 (+13, Loved): When the Demon Lord suddenly reverts to human form, he finds himself overwhelmed by the return of his metabolic processes, so Asuka takes him home to rest. Afraid of what might happen when he next wakes up, DL asks Asuka to strike him down, but she cuddles up close to him and promises to be with him however he ends up. When Asuka regains consciousness, she finds that DL is back to his old self
I'll admit I'm somewhat worried about how quickly we've jumped to seeing how the goal could be achieved, presumably by forcing DL to expend all of his magic power, but that doesn't *necessarily* mean it's been axed...Even if it does, though, I thought this chapter was really cute! I liked that Arthur refused to hurt DL in human form, I liked that DL was so vulnerable, and I liked seeing Asuka being so intimate with him. For lack of a better word, it was humanizing, and it felt a lot more worthwhile than last week's chapter
4. Me & Roboco ch.270 (+7, Loved): When Roboco's request for a series pitch to Jump is denied because of her constant ripoffs, Bondo suggests consulting with currently serialized author Kirara Kirara, who tells her that her work should be based on something she wants to share with the world, not a shallow bid for validation. Roboco knuckles down and earns a pitch meeting for her first truly original story - Me & Roboco
What the hell, that's actually really sweet?? Of course that's where this running gag was leading to, I can't believe I never saw that coming! I do have to wonder though, with two consecutive changes to the status quo, is this the beginning of a new era for this story, or the beginning of the end? It's been about six years now and a decently successful run, so I wouldn't be surprised if Miyazaki felt it was time to move on to greener pastures. If this is the kind of note he plans to leave us on, I think I'll be able to walk away satisfied myself
3. Shinobi Undercover ch.70 (+1, Loved): As Mugimaki refuses to be interrogated by Umineko, Suzume bursts in, drunk off of her opponent Atori's Kekkai. Meanwhile, Yodaka finds that the Netherhold isn't nearly as bad as he expected, until he runs into its sole prisoner - Yoichi, the supposedly dead heir to the Uzen clan. Convinced that Yodaka isn't trying to undermine the Uzen, Yoichi agrees to help Yodaka in exchange for "freeing" him, but if he learns the truth, Yodaka will learn what happened to everyone else who disappeared in the Underhold firsthand
Yoichi's such a little weirdo, I'm so immediately invested in him. I love the quirk of carrying around his locked cell door because it won't mean anything to break *himself* out of prison compared to being freed by someone else. The dynamic between him and his clan wherein he still wants to protect them from enemies despite being their prisoner is interesting, and I can't wait to see how all of this blows up
2. Blue Box ch.231 (+7, Loved): As Ayame notices that Kyo isn't treating her the way all of her other boyfriends have, she realizes that she doesn't have to wait for him to confess and can do it herself. Just as she tries to do so, Kyo interrupts her to take her to a more scenic location so he can more romantically confess himself, and the two officially become a couple
Ggguuuggghhh!!! Cute!!! I don't remember Ayame's backstory too well, but as I recall, she's never confessed to anyone herself, right? It's crazy that Miura found a way to have her cake and eat it too, having Ayame be proactive enough to confess only to have Kyo counter-confess, successfully letting both of them get the catharsis for their respective character arcs. I'm so proud of them
1. Ichi the Witch ch.71 (=, Loved): Having exceeded the natural limits of their abilities, Chrono's body begins to fade, and uses the last few moments of their life to apologize to Kizashi for not being a friend to them and to assure them that it is okay to befriend the weak. Minerva uses a mirror to call Chro, but they cannot respond, and Minerva begs for just a few more seconds...which are granted by the magic of the baby inside her
AHA! I told you the baby would rewind time!! I was just...wrong about when, that's all! It's very interesting that we're learning what it takes to kill a Magik, as that gives an alternative to acquiring them and possibly a workaround to Mirsam's prophecy that Ichi will die to "acquire" the World Hater, but it also brings up the question of who else this will apply to. Regardless of whether or not Chro was rewound enough to survive or just delay their passing, Kizashi and Hitsugi are still around, and with how high-level they both are, I think there's a very good chance that one of them is getting completely erased to avoid acquisition. My immediate guess is that Kizashi will actually get erased *by* Hitsugi because of their perceived betrayal to the World Hater OR Hitsugi will erase themself when it looks like Desscaras is about to pass their trial
Like I said at the beginning, now that I've broken the seal and allowed a Disliked to exist, let's go over the rating system one more time just to be clear the vibe I'm going for here:
Loved: "Seconds, please!"
Liked: "Oh, they cooked with this"
Appreciated: "Okay, I smell what they're cooking"
Neutral: "Not very filling..."
Unappreciated: "They cooked, but it just ain't for me..."
Disliked: "It's raaaw!"
Hated: "IT'S ROTTEEEN!!!"
Hope that makes it clear
I don't remember if I've ever explicitly asked what y'all think of the rating system. I don't think I'd change it either way, but I'm curious if anyone has found this system useful for themselves or if they have their own system that works for them!
"GONRON EGG" manga series by Shuhei Tanizaki started in Weeky Shonen Jump issue 48/2025
Battle Action set in a post-apocalyptic world invaded by vile creatures. The few suriving humans are enslaved and terrorized. One such boy who lost his parents to these monsters is unyielding despite the daily torment until one day he picks up a mysterious speaking egg. He is determined to protect the egg until it hatches to change the world for the better and help him find his missing sister.
