Medaka Box [Manga]

[Napoleon's Hat]

Originally Posted by stuopidget

I see where you're coming from, but only thing I can say is take a break from it (like I did for Kimi no Iru Machi!!). You can always come back from time to time to check spoilers though and maybe it might improve (in your opinion) later on .

I will be one sad panda if Medaka Box steps over Neko Wappa's fallen corpse to stay alive.

The thing is I actually like Medaka herself. She's a cool character. Her being an over-the-top superpowerful Mary Sue worked when this was an episodic comedy. She was supposed to be aloof and quirky and out of touch. Her abilities were treated very tongue-in-cheek, and her best friend provided a voice of reason that made her endearing to the reader. Now it's just another FIGHTAN manga, and the over-the-top fights are played straight and humourless, so Medaka's powers and her friends performing impossible feats are just boring. We aren't supposed to acknowledge that this is ridiculous, were supposed to marvel at how badass they are and it just doesn't work at that level.

[Westlo]

Originally Posted by stuopidget

I will be one sad panda if Medaka Box steps over Neko Wappa's fallen corpse to stay alive.

Next cut is more than likely going to be one of Rilienthal, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami and Neko Wappa for sure.

[Xion Valkyrie]

Originally Posted by Napoleon's Hat

The thing is I actually like Medaka herself. She's a cool character. Her being an over-the-top superpowerful Mary Sue worked when this was an episodic comedy. She was supposed to be aloof and quirky and out of touch. Her abilities were treated very tongue-in-cheek, and her best friend provided a voice of reason that made her endearing to the reader. Now it's just another FIGHTAN manga, and the over-the-top fights are played straight and humourless, so Medaka's powers and her friends performing impossible feats are just boring. We aren't supposed to acknowledge that this is ridiculous, were supposed to marvel at how badass they are and it just doesn't work at that level.

This is pretty much what I feel about this manga. It's pretty much lost all it's charm and is now just another generic FIGHTAN manga, and the fights aren't even that good. It does have good art though.

[Kunagisa]

Originally Posted by Xion Valkyrie

This is pretty much what I feel about this manga. It's pretty much lost all it's charm and is now just another generic FIGHTAN manga, and the fights aren't even that good. It does have good art though.

What's wrong with generic =(? Generic is not overrated sometimes!!

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Xion Valkyrie

This is pretty much what I feel about this manga. It's pretty much lost all it's charm and is now just another generic FIGHTAN manga, and the fights aren't even that good. It does have good art though.

And, on the upside, she's not completely dominating things anymore with other abnormals there. Or, for that matter, with Zenkichi showing how he managed to survive years being her minion/playmate.

On the downside, the fight scenes are on the mediocre side and I'd like to see more plot between battles. That, or more Medaka fanservice which doesn't involve her getting her ribs stove in.

[Rejuvenation]

I recall complaints about this series even back when it was lacked a plot and did not focus so heavily on battles. Actually, people have complained ever since Akune was introduced back in the end of chapter 4. Clearly everyone can't be pleased in the situation we have here. All things considered, I'm fine with how things have been developing and the story as a whole has only gotten better since Unzen first arrived imo.

The strong point to me has always been the over the top characters followed by the art. Now currently the plot joins the former two because I like what Nishio is exploring with abnormals/geniuses and the idea of making every person into one.

Originally Posted by Napoleon's Hat

It could just be that they don't completely understand Medaka's worldview, or that this is the first time they've heard her and Zen's full history, or that this is the first time she's spoken specifically about one person instead of humanity in general. I still don't but that Medaka is the sort of person who can be "in love" with someone.

That said, this was another boring fighting chapter that used plot holes and inconsistant power levels to show what a badass Zen is. I miss the quirky school comedy it used to be. I hope this manga gets a mercy killing soon.

Kikaijima I could buy but definitely not Akune. He has known both of them since middle school which is a couple of years now at this point. No way he doesn't have a firm enough grasp on what Medaka is about and how her and Zenkichi have always been together.

The bold is what I believe would make the most sense if it turns out she doesn't mean this in a romantic way.

I wouldn't count on a mercy killing since it just got a color page, is approaching a year anniversary, and is apparently getting a vomic as well. It seems to me that this series is going to be staying a while.

Originally Posted by DJ Trouble

He wants it to end. >_>

Little does he know, in a year or so this will be in the Big 3 instead of Bleach. <_<

I'd love this because it would piss people off and simultaneously remove Bleach from a position it hasn't deserved in years. Although I believe Toriko or Mago are more likely to boot it compared to Medaka.

Originally Posted by stuopidget

I will be one sad panda if Medaka Box steps over Neko Wappa's fallen corpse to stay alive.

I'd start bracing for impact then. Neko Wappa hasn't even shown anything to say it will live over the other bottom dwellers, let alone Medaka Box.

Originally Posted by Westlo

If they were going to cut Medaka Box they would've cut it by now, not after it sells over 100,000 copies for both volumes, shows a small image of Medaka on the cover of Akamaru Jump Winter 2010 and gets a color page. Color pages = the series WSJ wants to pimp/promote and/or reward for sales or milestones.

Medaka Box 3 will probably sell over 70,000 copies in its first week...

Spoiler:

Medaka Box is surviving by stepping over the bodies of fallen manga like Ane Doki, Wajimania, Kagijin and Akaboshi. Stuff like Rilienthal, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami, Neko Wappa and Kanata Seven Change aren't doing too flash in the rankings either.. and I doubt they sell anywhere near as good as Medaka Box.

Unless you're a smash hit out the gate (like Beezlebub) that's how you generally survive in WSJ unless WSJ pimp/promote your series as much as they did Kuroko. (nearly as much color as Bleach last year).

Completely agree with your post. Bakuman already covered the bit about pulling other manga down in order to stay afloat and live long enough to get recognition. WSJ has been like this for years now.

Also vol.3 is the best volume cover yet. I'll be placing my order the 1st week it comes out. ^___^

Originally Posted by Westlo

Next cut is more than likely going to be one of Rilienthal, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami and Neko Wappa for sure.

One if the first two may survive a bit longer. Rilienthal being my guess. Neko Wappa has tanked ever since it started ranking and has not improved so far. I think it is most likely dead at this point. Which I am happy with since it means Medaka lives even longer. And pisses more people off.

[Napoleon's Hat]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

And, on the upside, she's not completely dominating things anymore with other abnormals there. Or, for that matter, with Zenkichi showing how he managed to survive years being her minion/playmate.

Part of the original charm was that medaka was such a unique, outrageous person. Zen was the normal person that allowed the reader to relate to her and the events around her. Now they're just superpowerd badasses who fight other superpowered people, and Zen isn't even relatable anymore since he got the power-up. Now instead of being fun and quirky they just shout and pose.

[KLGChaos]

Actually, I prefer it the way it's going now than how it was before. It was really plotless, random and shallow when it was just a school comedy. Medaka was overportrayed, taking up way too much of the manga, and you just can't relate to her. Zenkichi was supposed to be our connection to the world, but his role was minimized for quite a long time until the fighting actually started. He felt more like a side character instead of a main character because there was so much focus on Medaka.

I also didn't find her over-the-top abilities that amusing. Why? Because they weren't used properly, in my opinion. They were supposed to be funny, and the only time it actually made me laugh was when she was in the dog suit. Her powers were instead used to solve all the problems and it made things boring.

Due to this focus on Medaka and her abilities to the exclusion of all else, there was also no real relationships between the characters. No one cared about Akune or Kikaijima at first because they got one intro chapter after joining the council and then vanished for a while. Zen became less and less of a character and more like Medaka's lackey than a friend.

Say what you will about the fighting, at least it's brought a somewhat interesting story to the mix and the character interactions are getting much better because the focus isn't solely on Medaka anymore.

[ShiroiRyu]

Originally Posted by Napoleon's Hat

I want it to get cut because there's no longer any trace of what made it appealing in the first place. It went from being a fun, quirky school comedy to a poor man's Tengou Tenje. The episodic formula was much more appealing then a series of pointless fights.

Hey that look like Reborn when you thought about that !

6 volumes of pure Comedy and after, fighting shonen !
Want the translation of 35. ^^

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Napoleon's Hat

Part of the original charm was that medaka was such a unique, outrageous person. Zen was the normal person that allowed the reader to relate to her and the events around her. Now they're just superpowerd badasses who fight other superpowered people, and Zen isn't even relatable anymore since he got the power-up. Now instead of being fun and quirky they just shout and pose.

That schtick got a bit tiresome after a while - having someone so uniquely powerful and out of step of the world's something that has been done before, and somewhat poorly at that (To-Love RU springs to mind, with Lala taking that role), so having her randomly beat on judo clubs, scare dogs, and so forth was getting a bit long in the tooth. There was already one series where there was a main character who was the focus of the whole story, which revolved around her and her invincible nature where she dragged the other people around her into whacky adventures. It's been all the rage lately, and I'm sure you've heard about it. It's called "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi".

The swim meet arc is where things started changing, if only to show she wasn't the absolute best at everything; especially given how the judo team won by not forgetting the goal, which is what sunk both the student council and the swim team's chances.

Now we've moved a lot in the other direction, where plot's been somewhat scarce and we've gotten two or three chapters per battle... and while it may have boosted WSJ survivability, is steering back into the 'tiresome' area again.

Beyond that, Zenkichi may have been 'normal' and semi-relatable... except for the fact he was around Medaka, had been around her since childhood, that she had a serious crush on him for the whole time, managed to excel with any club he joined before leaving them, and he managed to win the judo match with a 'Special' all because SHE ASKED HIM TO. Yes, that's perfectly normal.

Not.

[ZODDGUTS]

Issue 8 Full Rankings:

Psyren (Lead Color)
One Piece
Naruto
Gintama
Bleach
Nurarihyon no Mago (Color & Cover)
Toriko
Kochi Kame
Beelzebub (Color)
Reborn
Kuroko no Basket
Inumaru
Sket Dance
Medaka Box (Color)
Hunter x Hunter
Kanata Seven Change
Hetappi Manga
Bakuman
Rilienthal
Hokenshitsu
Neko Wappa
Jaguar

Issue 9 Bottom 5

HunterxHunter
Kuroko
Hokenshitsu
Medaka
Neko Wappa

http://mangahelpers.com/forums/showp...&postcount=585

Neko Wappa next to go?

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by ZODDGUTS

Issue 8 Full Rankings:


Issue 9 Bottom 5


Neko Wappa next to go?

Issue 8 had it clinging just above the bottom 7, and now it's on the bottom 5? Damn, talk about unstable. Or maybe it's just the way the story's going. Or not going.

[Iggy_Pop]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

Issue 8 had it clinging just above the bottom 7, and now it's on the bottom 5? Damn, talk about unstable. Or maybe it's just the way the story's going. Or not going.

Issue 8 Medaka got color, so it's unranked.

[Kunagisa]

Originally Posted by ZODDGUTS

Neko Wappa next to go?

Me=QQ

Probably not enough fanservice, has better action than Medaka tbh. Though most might consider the art pretty bland, but oh well. I can probably find a replacement like I did with Musunde Hiraite (MINASE Mayu) for Anedoki. One more to add to my completed list then.

Originally Posted by Haesslich

Issue 8 had it clinging just above the bottom 7, and now it's on the bottom 5? Damn, talk about unstable. Or maybe it's just the way the story's going. Or not going.

At this point, I don't even care for Medaka's ranking now, because I don't think it's going to get cut. I highly doubt it will suffer the same fate as Busou Renkin since Nisio's name is just carrying the manga so awesomely.

[Bonta Kun]

I just read the translation for 35 and I couldn't stop ROFL when I read the lines at the start about Zenkichi and guns
Completely and utterly ridiculous yet still fascinating(Senjougahara Fascination?)

[DJ Trouble]

Finally. D= That was fun. So, Medaka likes Zen, and poor Zen probably won't find out for a long time. xD Akune seemed thoroughly defeated in that small panel though. xD

The chapter is definitely different once you actually know what's going on.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by DJ Trouble

Finally. D= That was fun. So, Medaka likes Zen, and poor Zen probably won't find out for a long time. xD Akune seemed thoroughly defeated in that small panel though. xD

The chapter is definitely different once you actually know what's going on.

Oh, Zen found out ages back. The problem is that she insists she loves everyone... which means he doesn't feel it's all that special, despite how he feels about her. Remember, she used the moe face on him and 'If you leave, I'll cry' bit to make him beat Akune at judo.

[DJ Trouble]

There's a difference between "I like Zen" and "I love everyone", "I'll cry if you leave" and anything else that isn't "I like Zen". >_> I wish people would stop bringing up that damn moe face like it matters.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by DJ Trouble

There's a difference between "I like Zen" and "I love everyone", "I'll cry if you leave" and anything else that isn't "I like Zen". >_> I wish people would stop bringing up that damn moe face like it matters.

Well, that was Zen's motivation - he likes her, can't resist her commands because he wants to make her happy, yet at the same time can't believe that she REALLY likes him any more than she loves anyone else. She keeps telling him she wants him there, no matter how much he was protesting he should leave earlier - and he stuck around after she went into Perses mode, with Akune and Kikaijima.

Knowing someone likes you, and really KNOWING they like you deep down in your heart, are two different matters. One he can acknowledge intellectually, but the other has to be acknowledged deep inside himself.. and I don't think he really believes she finds him that special. Not compared to anyone else, anyways.

[Napoleon's Hat]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

That schtick got a bit tiresome after a while - having someone so uniquely powerful and out of step of the world's something that has been done before, and somewhat poorly at that (To-Love RU springs to mind, with Lala taking that role), so having her randomly beat on judo clubs, scare dogs, and so forth was getting a bit long in the tooth. There was already one series where there was a main character who was the focus of the whole story, which revolved around her and her invincible nature where she dragged the other people around her into whacky adventures. It's been all the rage lately, and I'm sure you've heard about it. It's called "The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi".

The swim meet arc is where things started changing, if only to show she wasn't the absolute best at everything; especially given how the judo team won by not forgetting the goal, which is what sunk both the student council and the swim team's chances.

Now we've moved a lot in the other direction, where plot's been somewhat scarce and we've gotten two or three chapters per battle... and while it may have boosted WSJ survivability, is steering back into the 'tiresome' area again.

Beyond that, Zenkichi may have been 'normal' and semi-relatable... except for the fact he was around Medaka, had been around her since childhood, that she had a serious crush on him for the whole time, managed to excel with any club he joined before leaving them, and he managed to win the judo match with a 'Special' all because SHE ASKED HIM TO. Yes, that's perfectly normal.

Not.

It's funny you mentioned Haruhi, because I always thought the early chapters of Medaka were Haruhi done right. Probably because Medaka is a much more likeable character than Haruhi (positive and quirky vs. bossy and snobby), and I thought the stories were much better written. Seeing her being so good at everything that it worked against her was entertaining. Infact, you could argue that she won during the swim meet because the judo club was one of her pet projects, and she was trying to help Kikaijima. Her plans are so perfect that they don't make sense. She's not brilliant bordering on crazy, she's crazy because she's so brilliant.

I also believe the characters interacted with each other better when this was a comedy.

Zen worked as a character because he was self-aware, and know how ridiculous everything was. That's how the character related to him. He was like a more proactive Kyon.

As for Medaka liking Zen, I still think the only reason she said that is because she had just finished reflecting on what a good friend Zen had been to her. She relied on him to keep her grounded. She may not be able to fall in love doesn't mean she can't appreciate people. Akune and Kikaijima's reactions probably have to do with how passionate Medaka is about such things. Remember, she kissed Kikaijima before.

I think the shipper mentality makes people see things that aren't there.