I’m still not quite caught up on Kagurabachi, though I’m on chapter 50 as I write this so expect to see it in next week’s discussion. Spy x Family is off again next week so I think I’ll take that time to discuss my thoughts on that series as a whole since I haven’t done that yet. In general, I might reserve a bit of time when each of these series is on break to discuss my overall thoughts on them, though Blue Box has already gotten that treatment in a standalone post, and One Piece might need several such posts to fully do it justice. The same could be said for Hunter x Hunter, but maybe I’ll try with each of them anyway as a teaser if nothing else.
So I made a few incorrect predictions last week. It’s still not entirely clear what was going on in the diorama and I think, based on the greater-than-usual size difference between the Straw Hats and their giant captor, that their size has been reduced somehow. I'm no longer sure that was the false sun god’s doing, nor that a devil fruit was the mechanism. There’s also some uncertainty as to whether they really are on Elbaph. I’m still not convinced they are but with this proving to be a less-than-worthy opponent for more than a few chapters, I’m much less confident than I was last week.
I have less to say about 1129 than I did 1128 because, while many of my predictions last week were incorrect, 1129 did little to change my thoughts on Elbaph as a whole and I’ll have to wait for another few chapters before I expect any great changes in that.
Togashi came out of the gate swinging with his first two chapters back, like he wanted to remind us what a great storyteller he is after so long away. In chapter 401 he adds character drama and new uses of Nen with one of the biggest twists in the series to remind us of those elements of his repertoire, in chapter 402 he shows us his dense political worldbuilding and scheming that have been the cornerstones of this arc so far. The main thing these two chapters have emphasized (not for the first time) is the way those two strengths of his writing have the potential to dovetail and create the most interesting and ambitious arc the series has seen. Beyond’s Nen curse obviously has massive political implications, and that’s only given what little we already know about it. Which prince(s) is he targeting? What are his goals? Does this element of his plan involve his designs on the dark continent and could that potentially draw the ongoing conflict into that new arena? If you’ve read the last two chapters you know I could go on. My point, if I have one, is a reaffirmation of an opinion I’ve held for the last few years. The Succession War arc is not currently the best arc of it has real potential to get there. Hunter x Hunter, that still pretty easily goes to the Chimera Ant arc, but The most impressive thing about these last two chapters is that Togashi has flexed this hard without invoking any fan-favorite characters. We’ve seen a bit of Kurapika but only as a receiver of information, with barely any space to react on the page. We’ve seen nothing of the Phantom Troupe or Hisoka, we’ve had a hint of Tserreidnich, but he hasn’t been the focus. I say all this not as a criticism, but to emphasize that Togashi is cooking this hard with characters I still barely know. If he can develop new characters or bring back old ones to have a fraction of the emotional weight we saw with Gon, Meruem, Killua, or Komugi in the Chimera Ant arc, we're looking at an all-timer manga story in the making.
I don’t know why I’m surprised but I am. It could very well be recency bias but this feels like the strongest introduction to who will almost inevitably be the newest addition to the family so far. We’ve only just met Kouki Yukishiro and I’m already fully invested in her finding acceptance in the series’ core band of misfits away from her numerously awful life circumstances, and I’m just as invested in learning more about what brought her to this point. For the strength of that introduction alone, this chapter earns praise, but I think it’s also emblematic of a core strength of Dandadan as a whole. This series so seamlessly blends the mind-bending unreality of its supernatural elements with equally compelling slice-of-life storytelling in a way that I have never seen a manga or any story accomplish. I think the art in this chapter is emblematic of that as the characters rush through the halls of their high school in pursuit of a mysterious classmate with supernatural abilities.
The introduction of another new character so soon after Unji does raise one concern for me, however. The parallels between Dandadan and One Piece are well established
—though I might discuss them further at some point anyway—and one common criticism of modern One Piece is that, given the size of its core cast, it’s often unable to devote ample attention to each member of the Straw Hats. Well, even discounting this new addition and Unji, 170 chapters deep, Dandadan’s family is already at least eight members strong, and could balloon to ten if you include Turbo Granny and the Evil Eye (separately from Jiji). I worry that this rate of new character introduction will inevitably take the focus away from the core cast and weaken the heart of the series as a result. Of course, it’s possible that Tatsu has never planned the same depth of characterization for someone like Kinta or Rin beyond their introductory arc, and letting them remain well-fleshed-out background characters who occasionally get more attention when the story allows is probably the best direction things can go, but it’s a concern worth noting if the cast continues to balloon without setting aside sufficient time to develop the likes of Jiji or Vamola, especially given how fast-paced Dandadan can be relative to a series like One Piece.
This chapter spent half its time further handling the romantic tension between Kyo and Ayame while the other half veered into territory I wasn’t expecting. Chinatsu’s other admirers being jealous of Taiki and even trying to sabotage him isn’t exactly new but the coordinated effort they present against him in 168 presents a potential crossroads. I think the unlikeliest possibility is that they will be used to present a genuine challenge to the central relationship. I hesitated to even bring this up because I think it would be nonsensical and inconsistent with the plot and tone of the story thus far, it is by far the worst of the options I can think of and I mention it only because it is one of the ways I can imagine this story genuinely getting bad, though I will stress I don’t think that’s what’s happening. The most likely possibility is that this is just another one-off set of chapters where someone gets in Taiki’s way cause he has it too good. I don’t mind that being an occasional refrain but I also don’t see much point in repeating it after last time. The last option is that this is setting up a recurring comedic element. With the chief dramatic tension coming from side characters’ relationships it’s possible that challenges to Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship will take on a more comedic tone going forward. I think that, if done well, this could be pretty cool and I’d be interested to see how it’s handled.
It’s honestly hilarious that this is the first chapter of Spy x Family to be released since I started doing this. There is a lot to talk about here despite the incredibly sparse text but none of it is particularly new. Damian’s tense relationship with his family is well established at this point and Melinda’s distance from her husband is similarly trodden ground, so while the scene at the dinner table, particularly this panel,
was captivating, I didn’t feel like it moved our understanding of the characters and story forward much. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it can be valuable to sit with familiar emotions and dynamics, especially when they are as plot-central as Damian’s angst surrounding his family, but I think the effect of such marinating time is better discussed in the context of a complete story, when the value of the time we spend considering those feelings can be fully contextualized in what it helped accomplish on a grand scale.
Thanks for reading Used Chicken! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
