Zahard's data said it the best. Baam is much like a newborn baby who is always growing and adapting to his surrounding environment. It remains unclear how exactly he is able to perform his feats, but they are nevertheless a spectacle of the highest caliber. SIU effectively manipulated this battle from the outset in order to tip the scales in Baam's favour. Initially, there appeared to be a slim if any chance that he might be able to defeat data Zahard. Now it feels as if Baam has reached the standard of Zahard during his time on the Hell Train, and therein lies the heart of the matter. Irregulars are considered to be some of the most powerful beings within the Tower as each appears to possess levels of strength and skill far beyond those of denizens. At long last Baam has begun to embody the traditional form of an Irregular, and it makes for an impressive shift in the status quo.
Over the course of this fight SIU has joined lofty ideals with raw combat. To a degree, SIU continues to hold to his initial desire to expand upon the ideologies that both characters embody. Data Zahard is decidedly dictatorial in his methods, while Baam advocates for a conjunctive voice and discussion between rulers and their peoples. Both inhabit two very different sides of the same coin, but the right and wrong of their methodologies appear to have equal merit. It is an interesting conflict to observe behind the mask of fighting that so often makes manhwas popular. In effect, the ideals help to heighten the tension and give reason for this conflict to come to ahead while still maintaining the nature of action manhwas. Against the backdrop of Baam's successes against Zahard's data, Rachel has finally proven herself to be capable in her own way. It continues to astonish me that her actions seem to be forever bereft of consequences as she murders and maims her way to the top. Much like BERSERK's Griffith, Rachel's penchant for betrayal has long hounded the central protagonists of TOWER OF GOD, and none more than Baam have suffered significantly for her actions. Although this may prove to be the death of his data alone, Aguero now stands on the precipice between life and death because of yet another machination driven by Rachel. Can this character get any more unlikable? It is certainly to SIU's credit that he continues to develop and expand her character despite the intensity of hatred she inspires in his readers. In its own way, her attack on Aguero during this most opportune moment comes across as a response to fans who frequently claim that she can do nothing for herself. Amidst all of the violence and betrayal experienced thus far, there appears to be little time left for our protagonists. With the mirror now on the verge of shattering, data Zahard's hidden scheme, and Aguero's life now in jeopardy, there appears to be an unspecified time limit being imposed upon current events. In response to this SIU has powered up Baam yet again, and with the strength of an administrator supposedly at his disposal, he may now be strong enough to overpower Zahard's data. What is interesting about this most recent increase, however, stems from the catalyst that allowed Baam to rise to his current level of strength. Namely, Enryu's thorn. The fact that the thorn remains, as of yet, incomplete paired with Baam's ability to ignite the weapon regardless speak volumes about how insanely powerful Enryu himself must be. Though he remains unseen, his legacy continues to hold fast and aid Baam as he continues to ascend the Tower. TOWER OF GOD continues to have jaw dropping, awe inspiring chapters with each passing week. SIU's sense for clever writing, light comedy, and glorious combat have been put to the test as he attempts to top each successive week. As we have progressed, this part of the Hell Train arc feels more and more like the lead up to a season finale. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but in the event that it IS a season finale, we can expect that SIU has something exceptional planned as per usual. With Aguero's life hanging in the balance, Baam will need to pull out all the stops in order to defeat data Zahard, but with his enemy still hiding his true form the order might be to tall for him to overcome without a helping hand or two. How SIU intends to address all of this is going to make for an interesting time in the coming chapters of TOWER OF GOD. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
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This past weeks chapter of ONE PIECE brought together a bunch of plot related tangents, and began building up new expectations for Reverie going forward. Where the two chapters prior to CH.905 placed a strong focus on both the Strawhats and Revolutionary Army, this chapter sees the World Government take the spotlight in full form. Eiichiro Oda's world is one that has been lauded for its many mysteries, diverse characters, and eclectic styles. It should come as no surprise that his World Government pulls together these elements to create a smorgasbord of wildly comical characters as his leaders of state. Through much fanfare and celebration, the prelude to Reverie now seems to be coming to a close as officials from across the Blues make their way up to the Holy Land of Mariejois.
As was hotly anticipated by many readers, Oda has begun to elaborate heavily upon the world inhabited by our main characters. He continues heavily draw inspiration from real world countries that he then transposes and tweaks in order to fit the world that he is creating. In true ONE PIECE form all of the arriving officials are disproportionately drawn, and the severity of the more serious characters is made with an air of whimsical fancy. We are going to a meeting heavy with political intrigue that is made lighter by the weird forms of the delegates. In the cases of some more explicit references - Matryoshka Princesses, King Tacos, and Ballywood Kingdom - Oda interprets fun representations of Russian, Mexican/Brazilian, and Indian identities. In light of the more fun aspects of this chapter, there are still many more hard topics touched upon over the course of this chapter. This is particularly evidenced by King Sterry who, by virtue of deceit and trickery, has been able to rise to his current position as ruler of Goa Kingdom. The rampant racism and xenophobia of his character mirrors similar beliefs held by colonial Europeans as they conquered much of the known world. Garp's interaction with him, and the hilarity of his character design play a role in downplaying his off-putting character while simultaneously building up the idea of acceptance for other peoples, places, and cultures. We know that as of yet the Revolutionary Army hasn't fully elaborated on their plans for this summit. What we do know is that they have managed to successfully infiltrate the proceedings, with both Karasu and Sabo disguised amongst the crowds of arriving guests. As opposed to how they'll go about it, it might be more important to consider WHEN the Revolutionary Army intends show their hand. After all, announcing a war against the forces of the Celestial Dragon is not something to be taken lightly. In truth the Revolutionaries could stop Reverie from the outset should they manage to make land on the Red Line. Alternatively, during or at the end of the summit may yield the necessary momentum for Oda to buoy us back to Luffy and friends as they make their way to Wano country. All the elements that make ONE PIECE the exceptional work of fiction that it is have coalesced in this last chapter. The comedy, drama, and intrigue of Eiichiro Oda's imagined World Government is shaping itself up to be one of the most interesting plots unleashed upon readers across more than twenty years of serialization. With Revolutionaries, World Government, and pirate supporting countries coming together, an overwhelming feeling of "anything can happen" has begun to permeate the literature. There are certainly outstanding questions that many of us are desperate to have answered, but the anticipation of seeing Mariejois in all of her splendor is one particular mystery that is sure to entrance in the upcoming chapter. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH Every week I stress that Kim Se-hun of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is an author who values uniqueness. While each manhwa artist certainly possesses their individual style when it comes to writing, drawing, and conceptualizing there are only a handful that embrace this quality so completely. SIU's TOWER OF GOD, and SAKK's HELLPER are two series that manage their unique nature to powerful effect, and Se-hun has drawn on a similar energy with his work. The recently translated double chapter of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is a testament to his specific brand of flexibility, humor, and mastery.
Se-hun has been introducing us to a wide range of concepts that populate the world of Lucid Adventure. In traditional RPG format there are a range of classes for PCs to undertake at their leisure, but each class is enhanced by a personal attribute that is locked into place upon character creation. The concept of classes and attributes is not a new one, but in Se-hun's hands they become something all together fantastical in nature. The very idea of personalized attributes is an intoxicating one as it allows for an infinitesimal combination of character abilities and skills regardless of class. Making these inherent abilities still more complex, Se-hun has personal attributes sealed for each character until they have completed an unspecified task or action. This generally makes figuring out one's personal attribute a significant hassle for new players, and in some cases proves itself to be a formidable obstacle for any user attempting to rise up in the rankings. While this certainly sounds good on paper, the real world implications of having so much variability are difficult if not impossible to process by current technological standards. Even if contemporary technology did allow for this level of customization at a root level, players would still be baffled and frustrated by the inability to easily acquire their attribute. Fortunately, Se-hun thinks of these exact same issues, and so there are characters whose special attribute revolves around helping others acquire their special attribute! Simple, but ingenious. Beyond variation, Se-hun's take on class and attributes serves a secondary purpose as it brings together otherwise unrelated elements of the story. Dark and Pooh Upooh share the Dark Mage class, Sora and Lila are both Fighters, and Armes and the heterochromia touched belle are both Explorers. Ironic how Se-hun is exploring his way into webtoons and the leader of the guild that inspired HLW to good deeds is lead by a explorer. These shared classifications have allowed for the current main cast of characters to expand their range of capability by learning from their contemporaries. These secondary characters that share classes with the central protagonists have subsequently become critical players in aiding HLW, and thus driving the plot. How this will factor into the newly minted heterochromia character remains to be seen as HLW and friends sort out Pooh Upooh's quest. The twists and turns of HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR don't stop with fresh concepts. Sad Smile has proven himself to be a crafty villain, and his role in bringing about the end of Zara Guild is an awe-inspiring accolade. It comes as no surprise then that he has no intention of being content with his position as lord of Cobalt Castle. Proving that greed has no limits, Sad Smile's machinations slowly begin to overlap with those of the mystery woman that murdered HLW during the very first chapter. He reveals his design in taking a cursed weapon crafted from Lazie's horn - a horn that the mystery woman had cut from Lazie herself in order to obtain the ire of a devil. From his discussion with Little Beard we know that he intends to face his former allies, Giga, but to what ends and with what aid is something that has yet to be made known to us. It is, however, glaringly apparent that the weapons crafted from Lazie's horns are powerful items with an unspecified set bonus. Upon receiving the sister weapon crafted from these devil horns Dark's powers increase significantly in addition to nullifying the curse of the lake. Though Se-hun has yet to touch on how skill levels and leveling in general operates within Lucid Adventure, it can be assumed from Dark's battle against Axe Beard that they dictate the speed at which skills can be employed. This method of increasing character capability is yet another callback to traditional RPG paradigms as items play a crucial role in dictating the overall capabilities of a single user. Se-hun's use of items as an augmentative force additionally allows Dark to grow without having to throw the protagonists into a variety of missions to achieve the same effect via leveling. Kim Se-hun clearly has an overwhelming passion for game design, and his concepts feel incredibly fleshed out. HARDCORE LEVELING WARRIOR is really what it says on the tin even if you remove the titular protagonist because leveling up is one of the most commonplace aspects of RPGs. Really any hardworking character striving to become a legend in Lucid Adventure could have been made to hold the unofficial title of Hardcore Leveling Warrior. Instead of doing this, Se-hun place a strong emphasis on having a character named HLW perhaps because it speaks to his own personal creed. Only hard work is rewarded. There are many times when people struggle to hold to this belief, but Se-hun's story battles against this ideology. Even in the most adverse of circumstances we must get up and do what we can. Whether the results are desirable or not we have to move forward and keep trying is what Se-hun appears to be getting at as he explores HLW in the boundaries of his manhwa. How will things develop from this stage? Where is the leader of the Beard Gang? Perhaps we'll find out next chapter! Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
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