WSJ Releases: Naruto 570, One Piece 653, and Hunter X Hunter 332

Another round of WSJ online English scanlations was recently released. Bleach was absent, because of a 3-week break - too bad, I was waiting for a new storyline development to make up for the XCution arc (which felt like the anime-only Bounto arc in its lameness, it might even have been worse!). Despite the absence of this new arc opener chapter for Bleach however, it would appear all three legendary titles of WSJ released chapters that were “transitions” in nature.

In Naruto chapter 570, entitled “Kurama,” the nine-tailed demon fox finally accepts Naruto as an ally, and Naruto fully opens the gates that hold off the fox’s powers. Meanwhile, though Naruto did manage to get rid of the rampaging Son Goku – and in the process gained the tailed beast’s trust – the rest of Tobi’s pets went full power, much to the (assumed) chagrin of Gai and Kakashi. The new Naruto-Kurama team up is needed now more than ever.


Though the meat of the chapter was only several pages, the fight panels went smoothly albeit there weren’t much fighting shown at all. I particularly liked how Naruto thought back to Iruka’s words (what, like a decade ago?) and repeated them to Kurama when they finally teamed up. It was queer seeing Kurama bump fists with Naruto for some reason, perhaps I was half expecting him to burst out rapping like Killer Bee. Overall, this chapter was one of most significant “transition” chapters in the entire manga – something that had to happen somehow, sometime, and it was only a matter of how.


In One Piece chapter 653, entitled “A Hero’s Hat,” the Mugiwara crew said their farewells to Fishman Island and its inhabitants and finally went on to new adventures in the New World. Literally a transition chapter that marks the end of the first half of the Grand Line (and of the series), the chapter got off a few comic moments while capitalizing on the momentous event of departure (from Fishman Island) and arrival (into the New World) to depict the Mugiwara crew in the light with which people they helped always saw them: heroes.


All throughout 653 chapters, the Mugiwara crew’s adventures have always led them into unenviable dilemmas where they end up prevailing (most of the time – until Ace died) and becoming unsung heroes. Even before Luffy reached the Red Line and Reverse Mountain he already amassed a willing army of allies in East Blue, and went on to claim more allies as he journeyed across the first half of the Grand Line. It won’t be farfetched for Luffy to gain Yonkou status (albeit perhaps unofficial) as soon as he beats Big Mom, 'coz, let’s face it, from the East Blue to the Grand Line, from the Kingdom of Allabasta to Fishman Island, Luffy has allies all over the place. He takes well after his father.

But what comes before that is equally interesting – a pending match-up between now Vice Admiral Smoker’s G5 forces and the new and improved, kick-ass Mugiwara crew. I don’t expect any conflict to last long or the fights to be epic (I think Smoker’s gonna get his ass handed to him), but I also don’t expect Smoker’s grand efforts to chase Luffy across all of the Grand Line to end when they meet in the New World. Forgive the analogy, but Lupin wouldn’t be as fun without Zenigata, would he?


In Hunter X Hunter 332, entitled “Applause,” Pariston’s plans as predicted by Ging went to pieces after Cheadle informed all her supporters to vote for Leorio. Leorio’s speech about helping Gon afterward – though less than fluent and definitely not for the mild-mannered – gained a standing ovation. Meanwhile, Alluka wakes up and Killua simply asks her to turn into Nanika to heal Gon – to which Nanika replies with an effortless “’Kay.”


Mangaka Togashi Yashihiro is milking the transition to Gon’s recovery for all its worth – and that’s fine with me. The psychological battles in Hunter X Hunter are just as refined and exhilarating as the martial arts and Nen-based combat that it makes me wonder how Yashihiro ever got away with the relatively simpler mechanics of YuYu Hakusho. Aside from Gon’s recovery, however, this chapter was also the transition from a controlled Hunter chairman elections to one where even Pariston had little to smile about. It would be interesting to see what Pariston says or does to extend the voting further. Leorio’s pure, straightforward candidness might just have thrown the perfect wrench into Pariston’s plans – though of course we have Ging to thank for that. He also probably calculated that Cheadle will approach him out of character and so he can say what he needs to say to make her try whatever was necessary to mess up Pariston’s plans. This vagrant is one tough nut.

So far, though mostly cliff-hangers, the recent WSJ big title chapters were in no way bummers. Here’s to hoping they keep it up.



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