Rurouni Kenshin Anime and Manga Differences + Opinion - Tokyo Arc

Sooo.. let's do something a little different this month! Since I've been watching and reading Rurouni Kenshin, I thought I might as well note down the differences that I noticed and thought were important to me. It would be useful for the future me and maybe some others if they want to know what these differences may be so here they are~

P.S There are differences I skipped because there's just quite a bit that the anime added as well so I skipped some hahaha since I didn't think they were important enough to warrant a note of it.

Ayame and Suzume

I was actually surprised that Ayame and Suzume didn't appear in the manga because I actually thought they were quite cute albeit random in the anime haha. Gensai exists as a doctor that takes care of Megumi but doesn't appear all that much in contrast to the anime where he is like a part of the everyday life in Tokyo.


Hiruma Gohei/Fake Battousai

The removal of Hiruma Kihei in the anime isn't a very big difference I guess but nevertheless a difference. He is after all Gohei's older brother and more of the mastermind since Gohei was mostly just a brute in the manga that pretended to be the battousai. He was also Kaoru's housekeeper(?) after her father died and thus someone she trusted in for a period of time when all he really wanted was to sell her dojo's land. But basically, most of the things Gohei did in the anime (besides the fighting part since Kihei can't fight) was actually done by Kihei, such as hiring Sanosuke and attempting to shoot Kenshin with a gun after the fight with Sanosuke.

Yahiko

Rather brief but in the anime, Kaoru first goes to save Yahiko from the yakuza that he owed money to and tries to gamble and win his freedom (and fights a bit) but is outnumbered and then Kenshin appears like the hero he is. Whereas, in the manga, Kaoru didn't go at all and Kenshin was the one who went to save him.

Sagara Souzo

Sagara Souzo's death was also quite different in that, in the manga all Sanosuke experienced was the Captain telling him that he'd go talk to the officials and that he'd definitely be back. However, what awaited Sanosuke was the severed head of Captain Sagara denounced as a liar and running a fake group that pretended to be listening to the government. In the anime, Captain Sagara protected Sanosuke in the forest and died in front of his eyes, so really, they're both very saddening. I'd say the anime might be a bit more saddening just because of the soundtrack that plays and the much more thorough exploration of what Captain Sagara desired through the Sekihoutai; which was the dream of a new peaceful era whereas the manga was more compact and straightforward so it didn't tug at my heartstrings as much even though it still did.


Jin-e

I don't remember too many differences between the anime and manga so they're probably mostly the same. Jin-e is very memorable though, I've never been able to forget him ever since I first encountered his character as a kid. His existence reflects the present and past conflicts with Kenshin himself and this era very well. The only difference I know would be that Sanosuke and Yahiko didn't appear to try and save Kaoru and Kenshin from Jin-e and instead were implicitly told what happened the next day. The extra humour in the anime is rather enjoyable though.


Oniwaban

In terms of the Oniwaban group's entrance, a difference would be that Kaoru didn't actually go with Kenshin and them to save Megumi and was actually at home cooking and waiting for them to come back.

Aoshi's legs didn't get hurt by the gatling gun because he pushed Hannya out of the way but because he got caught off guard and was injured. Guess the anime wanted it to be more dramatic. Also, when the Oniwaban sacrificed their lives to protect Aoshi, in the anime Kanryuu couldn't fire his gatling gun anymore because Beshimi's poison dart was stuck between the bullets, whereas in the manga Kanryuu stopped because he ran out of bullets. They're both rather saddening but I guess I do like the anime version because it makes their deaths seem more "worth it" but really, all they wanted was to keep Aoshi safe anyway so really, the two accomplish that feeling of loyalty quite well. But I do like the manga version a bit more just because it shows that Kanryuu's an idiot lol.

Another difference would be that instead of Aoshi deciding by himself after the deaths of the members of the Oniwabanshu to defeat Kenshin and highlight their graves with the name of the strongest, in the manga Kenshin himself tells Aoshi to come back again and fight him for this title because he understands that no words of sympathy or comfort would be able to soothe Aoshi's heart and so he instead gives Aoshi a reason to live. I don't mind both but I do enjoy Kenshin telling Aoshi this because it's nice to know that Kenshin understood Aoshi's pain enough that he didn't mind motivating Aoshi to kill him as a reason to live.

P.S I forgot about Megumi! LOL It's okay, I probably didn't mention anything because it was mostly the same and didn't have enough differences for me to notice hahaha.


Tsubame

Yahiko didn't have any romantic tying shoe thing with Tsubame as their first meeting and Yahiko falling in love but they met because Yahiko went to work at the Akabeko and she then came along and worked there too. Not very important but I don't remember much of Yahiko going to work at the Akabeko in the anime. In the manga, Yahiko worked there to train himself before Tsubame came along and even after that little arc he is seen to be still working at the Akabeko carrying their supplies etc.

Episodes 13-18 + 22 + 25-27 and 63+ episodes are anime fillers

I won't say much besides that the Tokyo arc fillers are OK but can be a bit draggy. However, it does set the foundation of the characters' personalities and the world that they live in quite nicely.


Rajiuuta

Personally, I prefer Raijuuta's motives in the manga a lot more, in the anime it felt like he was just an utter villain who wanted to destroy the Meiji government itself and thus banded with other swordsmen who could not adapt to this era to create a kingdom where he is the king that controls everything. Whereas, I think the manga version of him goes along with the inherent idea of the Tokyo arc much more where he is dissatisfied with how kenjutsu is 'evolving' in the Meiji era; which is that the shinai (bamboo sword) is predominantly taught and that it is viewed as a weak weapon in comparison to a real sword. Basically, Rajiuuta in the anime felt like just another guy who couldn't adapt and thus gathered more of them to fight against the Meiji government, whereas in the manga, Rajiuuta went around crushing dojos that taught this weak kenjutsu with a shinai because he rejected the idea of kenjutsu becoming something weak.

Kenshin's words in the manga also really bring out why kenjustu developing in such a way has to occur despite the sadness of having to have the old style kenjutsu slowly dissipate; since teaching kenjutsu as a sword to kill is exactly what the future doesn't need and shouldn't need for peace to be brought about and I think that highlights the theme of Kenshin much more. Although rebelling swordsmen forming a kingdom also works too I guess hahaha.

However, his character remains despicable towards Yutarou. Kinda sad they removed the dad in the anime since really, the dad reflected an important idea which was that after the Meiji era came in, samurai had to find a different means to secure money in order to live and Yutarou's dad flourished in selling swords and bowing to others like a supposed weakling. He succeeded but he lost his pride and way of life to the security he wanted to bring for his family and thus wanted his son Yutarou to at least grow up strong and fight for his beliefs, something the dad could not do. I really admired the dad tbh.

 Another difference was that in the manga, the police never became involved with this Rajiuuta incident and you barely see anyone else besides Rajiuuta, so really, he was the only one Kenshin actually fought against in this arc instead of those random lackeys he and Sano fought against at the mansion in the anime.


Tsukioka Tsunan/Katsuhiro

The Shindou part framing the Sekihoutai (by leaving behind Sagara Souzo's portrait at the scenes) for murder to advance his position in the government was not in the manga but nevertheless a part in the anime that made my anger boil because tarnishing Captain Sagara even after his death was just absolutely despicable!

When Sanosuke was having that last party before he goes with Tsunan/Katsu to attack the government building, Megumi wasn't there but instead Katsu participated and it was actually a reunion party.

At the government building when Katsu and Sano were going to invade, Kenshin and Sano didn't have any dramatic fight like they did in the anime, instead, when Kenshin appeared and stopped Katsu's bombs, Sano punched Katsu's gut causing him to fall unconscious. When Katsu woke up, Sano's words explaining Kenshin's thoughts and stating that they shouldn't sink to the government's level of doing things felt more powerful and heart resonating than in the anime where everything is more essentially solved by Kenshin. I mean, this is Sano's time to shine so don't steal it Kenshin! Nevertheless, both versions are fine since in the anime you can't help but admire Sano's idiotic camaraderie, whereas in the manga Sano is seen to be much more logical and understanding of what needs to be done to stop Katsu and to change this era for the better instead.


Saito Hajime

I can't think of anything drastically different tbh besides the use of flashbacks again and again and before Kenshin started to fight Saito, Kaoru didn't have the chance to grab Kenshin's clothes to express her worries as she did in the anime. She only had a bad feeling about it and wanted to grab him but couldn't. Oh and Kenshin's hair tie never broke making him look like a wild animal LOL. But I guess they just wanted it to be a bit more dramatic which I'm totally OK with b/c the fight was still as cool as ever. They didn't show Tsubame getting hit on her side by the carriage (that Okubo was in) to show how much of a hurry he was in as well but that's not important hahaha.

When Saito killed Akamatsu and the other guy though, I think the manga portrayed it better but that might be a problem with the translations/subs rather than the anime itself since translations back in the day were iffy here and there. Oh and the lopping of Akamatsu's head was soo much cooler in the manga, censorship problems I guess loll.


Kenshin's farewell to Kaoru

Oh and where Kenshin said farewell to Kaoru, it wasn't anywhere romantic with fireflies, it was just the front door of the dojo lmao. He still hugged her though of course <3 I know it's less romantic but I personally enjoyed the manga version where it was just the front door because essentially, that's where they both belong and so him saying goodbye there made a bigger effect on me there since their home and reasons to exist are there. But I guess the anime wanted something more romantic which I didn't mind since this is probably the decisive moment when we can finally confirm that Kenshin likes Kaoru the same way she does for him so it warranted the dramatic scene.

But I have to admit that hearing their voices and having such a good soundtrack makes everything so worth it to watch instead of read sometimes. I always feel so sad for Megumi that she never got to go to Kyoto but I really admired the fact that she stayed because she's right that saving her patients and atoning for her sins is what her job is and what Kenshin taught her to live her life for and so it's meaningless for her to go along despite her feelings for Kenshin. It was very emotional when Kaoru and her displayed their different perspectives, it's really hard to say what's worse since having someone so definitively say goodbye to you is hard but so is not even receiving that goodbye.

Yayy donee! I might have missed some stuff in Jin-e's arc, I'm not really sure but I cbb going back to check hahaha! I guess it doesn't matter that much though, because I know that I'll watch Rurouni Kenshin again and again anyway! XD

January Manga of the Month (MOTM)

 

Wanko/Inugamihime ni Kuchizuke by Miyata Kouji

Genre: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Romance, Seinen, Supernatural

Status: Complete, 24 Chapters scanlated

 Just a heads up, although it's considered ecchi, it's nothing crazy like those panty flashing in the regular shounen but instead this tag is mainly because of the sensual kisses that our main couple share. I gotta say, I totally dig it and I absolutely loved it because it was sweet and sensual but cute at the same time. Nothing OTT. As someone had commented before, it is steamy without being lewd and that's the best way to describe the romantic scenes.

Anyway, the story revolves around Kazura (girl above) who essentially changes places with the dog spirit that resides within her whenever she kisses her boss (guy above) in order to exorcise evil spirits and demons creating havoc in this world. Since it takes more of a comedic take, there's nothing too serious about the capturing of demons (besides the ending) but they are all quite emotional.

It's always fun to see how the main couple interact especially when the dog spirit takes over and then she wakes up and realises that she's licking her boss' face lmao. The side characters are also very enjoyable since although their personalities are cliche, they are fun and helpful to advancing our couple's expression of love to each other. The pacing of the story and the conflicts that led up to the ultimate one they needed to solve was done really well. It's a very short manga but a very enjoyable one nevertheless.

Since it involves exorcism, there is some good action here and there and I love how well the mangaka balances the action, romance and comedy because a little dose of everything each chapter made it interesting and lovely at the same time. I thought Kazura embarrassed by what Bentengou (the dog spirit) does every time with her body to be so funny most of the time hahaha.

It's saddening that Miyata Kouji had passed away in 2015 but I really enjoyed this series and I'm very glad to have been able to read it.

January Anime of the Month (AOTM)

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Genre: Action, Military, Adventure, Drama, Magic, Fantasy, Shounen

Episodes: 64 (Finished airing)

Well, well, this is a hard one to not know, though I have to be honest that I have never watched this until last year haha. I did watch most of the 2003 version though as a kid though so that was what made me like Fullmetal Alchemist in the first place. So, even though it may not have followed the manga faithfully to the end (since they caught up to the manga and made up the rest), I still enjoyed the 2003 version very much.

Fullmetal Alchemist follows the Elric brothers Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric who are searching for the Philosopher's stone to recover their original bodies. Due to an irreversible decision (forbidden act of alchemy) they made as children, Edward's leg and Al's whole body was sacrificed in the name of equivalent exchange for what they tried to use alchemy to create. In order to at least get Al's soul back, Ed lost his arm and transmuted Al's soul to a piece of armour. As they search for it, they discover that the war between Amestrians and Ishvalans, the Philosopher's stone and the military are connected intricately making things very difficult to handle.

There's a nice bit of comedy here and there but doesn't detract from the story which makes it very nice. The Ishvalan war was probably the event that engaged me most because of the scar it left in all the characters that participated and didn't participate. It was a huge event that drives a lot of the story and quite possibly the motivation of our adult characters as well. The homunculus weren't the most amusing but I did enjoy that despite all the things they did, they all had very simple wishes that spiralled into this destruction.

To be honest, although FMA is ranked #3 in MyAnimeList, content-wise I have to admit that it wasn't the most interesting, but that is my preference simply because I personally wasn't very engaged in the whole Philosopher's stone plot itself. However, I did very much enjoy the characters, the fight scenes and the emotions that were shown. It's hard to pick favourite characters since they were all developed very well and portrayed very relatably. If I had to choose though, Mustang and Scar would be the most meaningful characters in that Scar's revenge and story was cliche but done very well and Mustang was someone you can't help but not love since you can see how much he cares for his subordinates. He's a wonderful leader.

Shao May (the tiny panda) was soo adorable though. Oh, and May Chang and Ling Yao are my favourite side characters (because they're cool, funny, cute and I like their growth and conviction towards protecting their respective clans) besides Winry. Winry has always been one of my top favourite female main characters in Shounen after all so it's really hard to not like her, especially since she dedicates her life to making and repairing Ed's and others' automail and she always has the hard job of always waiting for the Elric brothers to come back, not knowing if they're safe or not. Ed's proposal to her was the cutest thing everrr! Hahaha!

Anywho, I do recommend this and love it even though it's not the most interesting (for me), I really enjoyed the motivations of our characters and how everything aligned together so well to create the bonds that they had and have. Ending was cliche but enjoyable as well. The emotions of each and every character, even the villains were portrayed very well. It's a simple story executed very well and I guess that's what I loved about it. Van Hohenheim's story was a good one too, especially with Trisha's last words to him. I still feel so sad over Hughes though sigh.

I didn't mention anything about the Elric brothers! Hahaha. Well, they're good characters but they don't stand out for me even though I do like them. Although I did keep thinking about Oosaki Nana in NANA from Ed's voice though haha. They're classic shounen characters with Ed carrying a heavy burden on wanting to restore his brother's physical body no matter what since he was the one who suggested that forbidden act so it was really touching when Ed wanted to ask Al if he hated him for it but wasn't able to because he was scared. It made me tear T_T The emotions run quite real in this story and I probably enjoyed that the most alongside the well executed story.

2016 Favourite Manga/Anime

So, I'll limit myself and choose my favourite manga and anime this year. This is different from a manga/anime of the month because I didn't necessarily read/watch the whole thing in one month but it's definitely something I'd say that I enjoyed the most in the year of 2016. It's hard to find translated manga that came out in 2016 besides the really popular ones, so I'll just pick whatever I loved the most this year. Still okay though, since Kingdom is ongoing so, it counts hahaha.

As for anime, I'll choose one that came out this year :D


Kingdom by Hara Yasuhisa
Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical, Martial Arts, Seinen, Fantasy, Tragedy, Comedy, Drama
Status: Ongoing, 499 chapters scanlated

Wow! Kingdom nearly has 500 chapters! So excited! I have to say, Kingdom by far had the most interesting development this year. The great big war is breaking out and we have so many great generals in the lead that I'm just soo hyped with what's about to happen! Oh, and Shin holding Ouki's glaive makes me so happy and proud at the same time, he's grown so much throughout these chapters, it's amazing. With the addition of members into Shin's army and the reaffirming of Sei's resolve as a king to unite the whole land, the journey for Shin in becoming a great general is one that can only continue to be even better. I love seeing Shin mature along with his comrades but retaining his own principles in a world wrought with war and chaos, he can get a bit OTT sometimes but I love how Sei and his relationship make them try their best to improve themselves so that they can all achieve a unified China.

The story follows our protagonist Shin who is aiming to become a great general in Qin. It is a story revolving around the events in history with Qin Shi Huang unifying China. Naturally, it is a fictional historical manga and thus there will be things here and there that are exaggerated or made up to make it entertaining and interesting and I love it. I also love how the manga puts its own interpretations of historical events but retains the general timeline of events and important happenings of historical figures etc. Shin apparently is a historical figure with a lack of info on and thus allowing the mangaka to expand his own freedom on what type of person he is and that's good! The interpretation of Sei (future Qin Shi Huang) is also very enamouring and interesting considering his predominately 'good' nature.

All in all, besides the lovely grand swings that can fall tens of enemies in one fell swoop, there are also very interesting war tactics, interesting generals on our protagonist's side and the enemies' sides that make this a very compelling story that depicts a time of bloodshed and turmoil as they all fight for a better future that each individual believes in. It isn't only a great battle manga! There is some nudity and blood though so heads up on that!

I would recommend the anime as well, but I really hate the 3D animation that makes it pretty bad lol. Gonna say this again and again lol, the manga is so much better!

Yuri!! on Ice

Genre: Comedy, Sports

Episodes: 12

When I first saw Yuri!! On Ice in the season chart, I was so excited because I have always loved watching figure skating ever since I watched Ginban Kaleidoscope. The best thing about this one though is that it's very much focused on figure skating with proper soundtracks, costumes and skating programs for the individual skaters. The animation is top notch most of the time and the selection of music and costumes are so beautiful, I loved the whole anime from beginning to end. The opening and ending theme songs are so great and captivating as well omgg. The soundtrack Yuri on Ice that our protagonist Katsuki Yuri dances to is so dazzling and enchanting that I just can't help but love listening to it every time it plays! 

The story revolves around Yuri who suffers a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix Final and returns to his hometown wondering whether he should continue skating or not. After a series of events, the figure skating champion Victor comes along and says that he'll be Yuri's coach and that begins their gruelling training and lovely journey growing as skaters and individuals. What I love about this anime is that not only are the skating programs wonderful to the eyes, the characters are also very dynamic and constantly growing. Victor and Yuri (and the other Yuri too, which is his rival) all have their flaws but they learn from each other and inspire each other to reach new heights and break through their respective barriers that limit their growth. It was because of this experience as coach and student that they were both able to teach each other things they would not have picked up alone and I loved that.

Note though that Victor and Yuri do essentially become a couple so that might not be to your tastes but I think their relationship is so much more than a mere romantic relationship. They love each other as individuals and merely cherish each other as the one they would like to stay together with, although I guess there is some fanservice here and there hahaha. But overall, the anime focuses on individual challenges and growth in characters rather than romance. It was wonderfully played out as an anime and I would encourage anyone to watch this! Our Yuri may be a bit meek but very relatable and he gets stronger emotionally through the episodes and I really liked that!

His rival Yuri (same name) is a bit arrogant and prideful but most definitely an exceptional guy. I loved his skating programs, they were so enjoyable! Especially his costume, omggg, it was so cool! He's a bit cute when he's not that angry hahaha. Phichit the Thai skater is my favourite though, he's so sweet and cute, I love him! Definitely a short but enjoyable anime.

P.S Hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy new year! <3 See you all in January! :)

December Manga of the Month (MOTM)

Only one this month! Since Christmas is coming soon and my sister is coming back from Japan for a bit so gonna be busyy~ Oh and I'm gonna do a 2016 Favourites kinda thing so yeah~~ But I guess if there was a theme for this month, it would be to learn to love yourself because our heroine in this manga is a great example of that.

Pochamani by Hirama Kaname

Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo

Status: Ongoing, 21 chapters scanlated

I probably say this all the time but I was thinking this was going to be another typical shoujo and it's not incorrect to think of it as quite a typical shoujo except with a chubby girl. However, what makes this one good has to be the heroine. The guy is okay. What I like about our heroine is how mature she is when she handles her problems and how she handles herself. Alike many other people, she has insecurities since she is chubby and others are skinny but what I like about her is that she accepts herself for who she is and has learned to love herself without needing someone else to love her. When she said "I'm glad that I'm fat. I like my fat self." because if she wasn't chubby, she wouldn't have met the main male character and she wouldn't have found her good friends. I really respect her outlook towards her life and her surroundings and I think she is a great heroine to look up to compared to a lot of other questionable ones, to say the least.

My negative impression for this is probably because of how the synopsis describes this manga; romantic comedy with a chubby high school student and her handsome boyfriend who is a chubby maniac LOL. Great, absolutely great. It's not wrong but it's definitely much more than that, especially seeing the progress between the two's relationship is really nice. They both have flaws but they both do their best to work it out in their own way and bring each other up. I think this is a really nice relationship. They both have their problems but deal with it maturely and try their best to work out the best outcome themselves and with their friends etc.

I also like that they clarify with the main male that although he is a chubby maniac, the reason she is special and not the other chubby girls is because of the way our heroine carries herself as a person. Albeit a bit insecure when she compares herself with others considering how handsome her boyfriend is, she nevertheless understands that she should at least love herself even if other people won't because she is chubby. She cherishes herself for who she is and I like her and that's why the guy likes her too hahaha. I guess I just really like the positive message that it sends out; that we should learn to love ourselves.

November Anime of the Month (AOTM)

Ranma 1/2

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Slice of Life

Episodes: 161 (Finished airing)

One of the most nostalgic classics from the '90s would have to be Ranma 1/2. I never realised it was once cancelled for poor ratings in the beginning, since I absolutely loved it as a kid, but I watched this in the Cantonese dub. I've never watched it in Japanese just because I'm so used to watching it in Chinese, just like Rurouni Kenshin hahaha.

Anyway, the story follows our main character Ranma who went to some cursed springs in China with his father for some martial arts training and ended up falling into one of them that turned him into a girl! From then on, whenever he is splashed with cold water, he turns into a girl but he changes back into a boy by splashing himself with hot water. As he returns to Japan, he starts to live with the Tendou family as a fiance of Akane's although they are both rather reluctant to be tied for marriage. And that's all you really need to know about this anime hahaha. It's a comedy so there's not much actual plot besides the budding romance with Akane and the other girls/fiancee candidates that chase after Ranma as he tries to find a way to change himself back to being a guy completely. Many people love Ukyo and Shampoo but I've always loved Ranma and Akane because of how annoying they can be as well as how sweet they can be.

I love the tie-in of martial arts in Ranma 1/2 because it makes everything very entertaining. Many things are done in jest obviously so it's really a bundle of fun with martial arts. The martial arts to keep ramen noodles safe and figure skating martial arts etc are just a few of the crazy techniques and arts that the people they meet use and it's absolutely hilarious. This anime has a special place in my heart and Ranma and Akane's relationship is what makes my heart warm and happy all the time. They're both very stubborn and probably tsundere but I love it when they show affection and care towards each other.

One of the most memorable scenes in Ranma 1/2 for me was the ice skating episodes where Ranma declared to everyone that Akane is his fiancee and that he won't allow anyone to hurt her. It was so sweet! And when they were spinning and Akane told him to let go so that he won't get hurt by continuing to hold on to her, I think the ice skating arc really showed how much Akane and Ranma care for each other in their own respective ways. She was also so cute when she made him cookies and was so determined to get him to eat it though hahaha.

But of course, the show runs mostly on the comedy factor and it never fails to make me laugh although some characters can get quite annoying loll. I remember there was an episode where Akane went to hospital and the other fiancee candidates gave her presents and Kodachi gave her a bomb that exploded and then a tape recording her laugh 'ohohoho' plays LMAO. That was so hilarious omg.  Ryoga is also a good character that is always lost (just like Zoro in OP), it's crazy where he ends up hahahaha but I still love him. Everyone seems to love Shampoo the most though and I guess she is rather entertaining in how hard she tries to win Ranma's affections.

Nevertheless, this is a great classic comedy that can get repetitive after 100+ episodes but still really good and funny. I mean Genma and Soun are such hilariously stupid fathers that I absolutely love and Happosai can be so annoying but stupidly funny when he gets weak due to not being close to his favourite lingerie or girls lmao. Needless to say, I love Ranma but I always question how they always have the money to fix the buildings and the house that Ranma and gang break every single episode LOL. It's definitely something I would rewatch again and again. It does have a rather abrupt ending though so I think if you want a conclusive ending, you'll have to read the manga.

November Manga of the Month (MOTM)

This month we have two rather unique manga that are similar to each other in essence but the main characters are entertaining for different reasons. It's hard to find such perfect protagonists that are flawlessly cool and calm and they're so natural about it, that it's ridiculous! But that is exactly the point of these manga, that it's ridiculously perfect but amazing at the same time, Gotta say, I enjoyed these ones very much.


Sakamoto desu ga? (Haven't you heard? I'm Sakamoto!) by Sano Nami
Genre: Comedy, School Life, Seinen, Slice of Life
Status: Complete, 24 chapters scanlated

Many of you may already know this one since the anime finished not too long ago with quite positive reviews. Personally, I like the manga more since I feel that Sakamoto has more of that natural poise and elegance with still images but that's me hahaha. Basically, it revolves around how our hero Sakamoto manages his everyday average life with average people in an extraordinarily cool but natural way. It's like, everything he does is supposed to be ridiculous but when he does it, you can't help but think that he's cool instead hahaha! It's such an amusing and different manga. The comments on Batoto are gold as well, they've labelled him Swagamoto LOL.

It's definitely unique though since it's not exactly a manga that everyone will appreciate but if you read it and it's your thing, you'll definitely love the whole of it. Also, it only has 4 volumes so it doesn't downspiral into a repetitive manga but instead something we can appreciate ending on its own volition and exiting in its own cool status.

Gotta love Hayabusa-senpai the most hahaha, chapter 11 is my favourite with the hand-push sumo thing like omg. The taxi and everything, it was done so well, I was so damn impressed and absolutely loved it. I guess the great thing about this manga also is that every character finds a way to relish and revere in Sakamoto's greatness and everything is like so weird but the best at the same time LOL. It's just so crazily cool hahaha! Definitely a unique manga.


Machida-kun no Sekai by Ando Yuki
Genre: Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Status: Ongoing, 7 chapters scanlated

This is like the epitome of a feel good manga (without the need of babies in manga healing you LOL). He's just like Sakamoto in that he's perfect as well but in a completely different way. Sakamoto would be perfect in every way but on the other hand, Machida is probably socially perfect even if he isn't perfect at cooking and other things like grades haha. The common thing between them would be their natural poise in executing their actions and in this manga, Machida would be on the same level as Sakamoto in that he's so natural about helping people. This one's got a bit of romance in it but it's the best fluffy kind <3

He also doesn't think that he's a cool person or that he's doing anything particularly exceptional or out-of-this-world kind of actions when he extends his help to others which really makes the reader feel like they could be like Machida and help and love people as much as he does. Also, he tries very hard to do everything even if he's not good at it and he's such a natural at making the people around him happy even if he doesn't notice it. He's such a sweetie.

My favourite chapter has got to be chapter 5 because of Kazumi-chan. I love how naturally appreciative he was of his Aunt's existence when she was feeling down about whether she really was of much help at all since her husband didn't understand how big of an impact her presence there could be for when Machida's mother is giving birth. It was such a good chapter, I teared. Definitely an awesome feel good manga that makes you wanna be a better person as well and help others around you. If only I was a natural like Machida! But I guess I gotta start off being as nice and kind as him first!