Oh wow, it has been a hot minute since the last issue of Weekly Shonen Hop, the lack of chapters for a week really threw me off but we’re finally back with another edition! As always, we’ll be judging based on enjoyability, comparison to the other weeklies, and progression through the story arc.
Black Clover 189: 7/10
With Gauche returning to normal, the Black Bulls are finally reunited and we can enjoy this feel-good moment before the next big battle. The author wants us to empathize with the elves a little when they show how corrupt the humans of the past are, but it doesn’t feel like we’ve had enough time to become emotionally attached to them. The best moments of Black Clover are the stupid antics that occur so I don’t think the series does serious well. But dang that gap
Haikyuu!! 334: 8/10
Bokuto’s that happy-go-lucky guy that you can’t help but root for. This chapter we watch our birdbrained (and owl-haired) ace show why he deserves that title. Everything’s coming up Bokuto!
My Hero Academia 213: 8.5/10
I want to punch Monoma every time I see his smug face, but God is he an amazing antagonist for this arc. I’m still not a huge fan of Deku as a main character but maybe the past users will ‘black whip’ some personality into him. The development this chapter is really interesting and a smart choice for the series, if not a little overpowered. A definite bonus to this tournament arc is seeing the growth of Class A’s quirks, but I’m ready for Mineta to disappear. I’m h
One Piece 930: 7.5/10
It’s heartwarming to see this poverty-stricken village celebrate and strive on, with the added bonus of a Zoro smile too. But what is with Kaido’s gang of dinosaurs? The guy is seriously obsessed. Big Mom’s crew is coming in hot so let’s see how well these beasts deal with a sugar rush. There’s so much happening in Wano right now that the usual Oda-style split story is not working for me. I’d like to see the Strawhats reunite so we can have less jumping around from person to person and get more of the storyline each week.
Seven Deadly Sins 295&296: 6/10
The Sins and the Commandments are all converging onto one location as the birth of Meliodas as the demon king is right around the corner. Everyone is so strong it’s difficult to actually tell at what power level all of these fighters are; you’re just kind of waiting to see what “twist” will turn the tides of
Solo Leveling 52&53: 9/10
Kim Chul returns to the low-ranking members and gets his just desserts; if he wasn’t such a prick then maybe things would have gone better for him and his team. The elves being able to communicate and watching the leader glitch out was really cool. Also the fact that they all look like Gin (from Bleach) makes it even better. Our emotionless necromancer MC gets to test out his new army of teddy bears but they aren’t faring too well. Solo Leveling takes such a simple formula but executes it so well every time that I’m never disappointed reading a chapter. If there is any series you decide to read from this list, make it this one.
Overall
The high of the week is Solo Leveling, given a slight edge due to its exciting double chapter happenings; and once again Seven Deadly Sins gets the low rating due to its bland execution. Our first week of a Shonen Hop scoring and next week brings promises of excitement from My Hero Academia.
