OFF BLXXK EPISODE 2

Our Staff

Issue #2 Writers

Issue #2 Editors

What is OFF BLXXK?

OFF BLXXK is the goal is to create a welcoming environment for all of us to be seen in the interests that we’ve carried in our hearts for years. The idea for this magazine first arose when we looked around and saw that, although, many of the sources we used for ongoing anime/manga news are well made and accurate there weren’t many people behind the articles, social media pages, and videos that looked like us. As the world has grown these niche interests no longer became niche, but it felt like our opinions were still not being considered. With this in mind, the next thought was “How do we bridge the gap?”. How do we find a way to make our voices not only heard but recognized and respected?

When talking about their journeys as fans each at different times of their life they felt “at odds” for having these interests in one way or another. A disconnect between their close friends, family members not understanding the appeal, or peers looking down on them for liking something “different” the story can be told multiple different ways but always ends the same. The feeling of being “OFF”. That feeling is something we all share at OFF BLXXK and is precisely how the name came to be.

It took time, effort, and sometimes venturing out of your comfort zone to find the community that you now feel found in. This community of “OFF” people that feel perfectly balanced when put together.

The found community of OFF BLXXK uses their unique perspectives to create engaging and interesting articles that touch every fandom. Our focus is set on anime/manga, but we do not allow that to limit us. Articles will span from stories on CoryxKenshin to discussions on which anime season is king. The limit for what we want to write about doesn’t exist so why should we create one? The feeling that brought us all together hasn’t dissipated but grown stronger. The world has shown that it is accepting and in turn we’ve decided to give it every piece of our passion.

The doors are always open for newcomers, and we welcome a challenge. We thank you for choosing to give OFF BLXXK a chance and hopefully you can also be a member of this found community.

Looking Back

At Anime in 2022

By: Ashanti Huland-El

Happy New Year! We’ve finally made it to the end of 2022. The world is still coming to terms with the COVID crisis, controversy with FIFA (Salt Bae’s licking of the World Cup Trophy), and just the general chaos that comes every day. However, if you are an anime fan then this year was filled with groundbreaking anime, from “Attack on Titan Final Season Part 3” to “Bleach’s” long-awaited return. “Chainsaw Man” fans were vindicated with the success of their anime adaptation. “Fire Force” fans saw the exciting end of their manga and just so many any other exciting developments in the anime world.

Conversely, the anime space did see its own share of controversy. Anime fans were busy with binging but with ready access to fewer anime services after the recent merging of streaming giants Crunchyroll and Funimation. Disney Plus decided to join the foray of anime streaming services by grabbing up the localization of anime such as “Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War”, “Summertime Rendering”, “Tatami Time Machine Blues” ¸ and more. Crunchyroll ran into unionization issues with the voice actor for Mob in “Mob Psycho 100” and that’s just the tip of the titan sized iceberg. So, let’s go ahead and review this year in anime, from its highest highs to its lowest lows.

Highest Highs

If this year for anime was anything it was amazing for anime fans of all tastes. Each season gave fans something to look forward to and cheer on. In winter, the return of “Attack on Titan: The Finale Season Part 2” surprised fans with a plot turn for Eren Yeager's protagonist journey. Fans were told of a forthcoming Part 3 set to release next year, along with intense promo art featuring Eren in his Attack Titan form. The anime was also one of many huge series to be animated by studio MAPPA within the year.

Spring sprang a similar tune with “Spy X Family's” premiere, catching many hearts as undercover spy Twilight creates a fake family with an assassin wife and adorable telepath daughter. Continuing the case of cute children, “Kotaro Lives Alone” also left fans in a tizzy, following the tragic story of 5year-old Kotaro, who lives alone in an apartment building. The series touched on childhood trauma and proved why it truly takes a village to raise a child.

The power of friendship was also evident in new series like “Komi Can't Communicate”, “Tomodachi Game”, and “Summertime Rendering”, but redefined with unique storytelling. “Tomodachi Game” tested the strength of friendships in a psychological thriller filled with betrayal, high stakes, and twists and turns at every corner. “Komi Can't Communicate” allowed us to experience a story about Komi a high school girl with a dream to make 100 friends and overcome her communication disorder, which is mistaken for a stoic nature by her adoring peers and friends. It left fans with the message that with determination, motivation, and friendship anyone can strive to make friends regardless of having a communication disorder.

Summer kept the ball running with surprise returns of fan favorite anime that we’ve been hopelessly waiting for new seasons of. “Classroom of the Elite” returned after five years since season one. Season two brought the fire, continuing the story of our scheming genius Ayanokoji and his school built upon Darwinian principles. Popular isekai series “Overlord” returned with season 4, after years ago at a 2019 panel, creators Kugane Maruyama and illustrator So-Bin, along with anime scriptwriter Yukie Sugawara, revealed the new anime season was coming soon. The season met fan expectations and left them wanting even more. Continuing the cycle of revivals, the buzz around “The Devil is a Part Timer's” obvious animation changes still brought an enjoyable watch befitting of its original first season.

The series touched on childhood trauma and proved why it truly takes a village to raise a child.

The season met fan expectations and left them wanting even more.

As for new original seasonal anime, “Call of the Night” and “Lycoris Recoil” sparked a unique flare to the summer lineup. “Call of the Night” reminded fans of their love for vampires and why Ken Kaneki deserved better. Manga fans lauded the adaptation and were pushing for it to be the anime of the season.

Phenomenal anime studio, A1 Pictures, hit it out the park with their original anime, “Lycoris Recoil”. One of the two original anime they dropped in the Summer, it Introduced us two a covert operation of killer gunslinging girls whose goal is to keep Japan safe from terrorism. Paired with fun action scenes, crisp animation, and hilarious character interactions between main characters, Chisato and Takina, it certainly made this summer season one for the books.

The highly anticipated fall season was packed with hot new series like “Chainsaw Man”, following Denji as a transformed devil/human hybrid after forming a contract with his pet chainsaw devil, Pochita. Of course, the return of heavy hitters “My Hero Academia Season 6”, “Bleach Thousand Year Blood War”, and “Mob Psycho 100 Season 3” were also welcomed without a hitch by die-hard fans. “My Hero Academia” heated things up with a brand-new arc that put Deku and the pro heroes to work against Shiguraki and his League of Villains. “Bleach's” return was the most sought-after by fans who've waited nearly a decade since the season finale in 2013.

An official announcement was made back in 2019 on the return of Bleach along with the new title, "Thousand Year Blood War". It was also announced that creator Tite Kubo would be working closely with Studio Perriot on production, along with adding brand-new scenes and fights to the anime's new arc.

“Blue Lock” put a new spin on the sports anime genre with a “Hunger Games-esque” soccer training camp with extremely talented and charismatic characters. “Bocchi The Rock!” lets fans relax in a platter cleanser series following the unorthodox mind of Hitori Bocchi Gotou and her dreams of becoming a rock star with her new bandmates. An anime reminiscent of the musical girl series K-On! and the nostalgic feel of “FLCL” and “Robot Chicken”. This is not to mention the reboot of 90's anime “Urusei Yatsura”, created by Rumiko Takahashi, known for familiar works like “Inuyasha” and “Ranma ½”.

Lowest Lows

With the merging of Crunchyroll and Funimation, concerns of the lack of competition in the anime streaming world began to arise. Along with Sony, Crunchyroll now owned most of the catalogue for anime that is streamed in the US and abroad. Disney must have heard our pleas and wrongfully assumed that we wanted them to become our champion. In 2021, Disney released a slate of anime to be released worldwide in the following year. Only problem is they didn’t follow through. Anime such as “Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall” and “Summertime Rendering” would premiere on Disney + (Asia) but so far is unavailable to everyone else. Much like Netflix Jail, it seems Mickey Mouse was holding the keys to us seeing these and potentially future anime in the West.

They held these keys tightly to their chest as rumors swirled leading up to the release of “Bleach Thousand Year Blood War” that Disney had acquired localization. To this day there are no mentions of the “Bleach” adaptation on Disney Plus’s social media and only one post on Hulu’s two days before the release of the first episode. Hopefully, this doesn’t become a trend since Disney expanded their deal with Kodansha in November 2022 to begin producing and localizing original anime in the coming years. The first victim of this deal will be “Tokyo Revengers Christmas Showdown Arc” which launches exclusively on Disney Plus in January 2023.

Netflix Jail made sure that Disney wasn’t the only one holding series hostage with their release schedule for “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6”. After premiering on the streaming platform back in 2021, fans were unfortunately left to wait a year until the series' conclusion. Thus, dying down the hype of the anticipated anime starring the series' first-ever women lead protagonist, Jolyne Cujoh, daughter of Jotaro Kujo. This change in release segments by Netflix goes against the anime's usual weekly release in previous parts and made fans unhappy with the binge cour season of Part 6.

This isn’t a new problem for Netflix as the animators for the “Cuphead Show” spoke out about the streaming service purposefully splitting seasons up to keep production costs low. You might have seen this concern along with others in the #NewDeal4Animation that was trending early 2022. Animators claimed that the Season 2 that was renewed for the Cuphead Show are just batched episodes that were already made and animated in the first order for the show.

Crunchyroll was under fire before the awaited Fall 2022 season after refusing to recast some the original voice actors for Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 including Mob's original English voice actor Kyle McCarley. Without speaking to the voice actors, Crunchyroll decided to move back to all in-person recording at their Dallas studio. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most voice actors were allowed to do their dub recording at home. McCarley wanted to return to the role but after the new guidelines were released, he tried to reconcile with Crunchyroll but ultimately decided to refuse the role since they wouldn’t agree to his union SAG-AFTRA contract. The contract funds a health plan and retirement plan for participating members.

The first episode of “Mob Psycho 100 Season 3” premiered with no cast list for their dub actors which drew even more ire for Crunchyroll’s treatment of their voice actors. Crunchyroll in recent news has been criticized for their poor treatment and bad working conditions for the voice actors that worked for them. Mob’s new voice actor was later revealed to be Ernesto Jason Liebrecht who is mostly known for his roles as Zeke Yeager (“Attack on Titan”), Dabi (“My Hero Academia”), and Yato (“Noragami”).

What to Expect in Anime in 2023

No matter the season, 2022 pegged an amazing year for anime, this doesn’t even include anime series films like “Jujutsu Kaisen 0”, “Dragon Ball Super: Superhero”, “One Piece Film: Red” and original films like “Bubble”, “Inu-oh”, “Drifting Home”, and many others. “The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1” premiered on Netflix toward the end of the year with an original story by creator Nakaba Suzuki. Following the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth, Tristan learns to control both his Goddess and devil powers. The movie is set to return with Part 2 in August 2023, and a brand-new sequel series titled, “The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of Apocalypse”, is currently in development. There are also a host of underrated gems that dropped throughout the year that I could talk about endlessly.

Each big anime convention gave us new anime to look forward to in 2023. Announcements for continuing series next year, included “Jujutsu Kaisen season 2”, “Vinland Saga season 2”, Bungou Stray Dogs season 4”, “Tokyo Revengers Season 2”, “Demon Slayer Season 3”, just to name a few and new original anime like “Kaiju No. 8” and “Mashle”. Many fans extoled that Fall 2022 was the “best season of anime ever” it seems that we may have some contenders for the title in 2023. It doesn’t matter when you decide to watch anime next year there will be something new and exciting to watch that will no doubt catch your attention.

2022 was a year the true anime streamer wars were declared. Netflix threw their hat in the ring with dropping multiple bingeworthy anime to their growing repertoire of anime projects like “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners”, “Tekken: Bloodline”, “Spriggan”, “Kotaro Lives Alone”, “Lookism”, and “Romantic Killer”. Many fans expect to see “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners” to make its appearance at the 2022 Anime Awards and wouldn’t be surprised if “Lookism” was there too. We’ve also learned of most of their slate for 2023 which includes the return of “Kengan Ashura”. Disney Plus joined the battle with controversy and fans are still cautiously tip toeing around the streaming giant. The only anime they dropped on streaming that was promised early in the year was “Tatami Time Machine Blues”.

This hesitance from the community hasn’t stopped Disney Plus from growing their engagement with anime seeing as they still have more anime next year, they plan on dropping that we don’t know about yet. Seeing as they have a virtual monopoly on the anime localization game, Crunchyroll, still has a hold on most anime we will see next year. This doesn’t even include HiDive, who grabbed some lucrative anime in 2022, and HBO Max, who we have no idea how they’re going to handle their animation sector in 2023. Seems like this year will be a year for seeing which streamer can gain ground in this growing battle for anime streaming dominance.

However, we choose to look on the positive and believe that 2023 bodes well for itself, with a grand spanking lineup surely to give 2022 a run for its money. At least anime fans will have a lot to watch as the year goes on. Hopefully, these are the lowest lows we will ever meet but every year is ripe with its own surprises so, who really knows? Only time can tell, but one thing's true, anime fans will eat well, and that may be all that matters.

By: Tiana Dowell

CoryxKen shin: Exposing the Algorithm

As we know with any industry, being BIPOC comes with its own set of challenges. We are expected to be 10x as good as our peers or we will be met with stifling criticism. This practice extends to the content creation world as well. Regardless, we have those who have beat the odds and are currently exceling in this rigged game we call life. CoryxKenshin has defied odds with weekly trending videos, amassed over 15 Million fans/subscribers, and countless brand deals/recognition. Though with these feats, Cory has decided to plead his notices of unfair treatment within the digital content creation world.

“YouTube, you guys either play favorites, you are racists, or … it’s a mix of the two. These are the three options.”

In the age of digital creation, for people of color their seems to be multiple obstacles standing in our way. The two that seem to rear their head most often are unfair policy enforcement and bias algorithms. As consumers of digital media, we are at the will of algorithms. Algorithms are used to categorize the content and then distributed to those who may be interested in being a part of viewership. This can be exciting as relevancy can catapult you to an audience you weren’t even aware existed. But what if these algorithms are trained without integrity, or spotlights certain individual characteristics?

Algorithm: a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problemsolving operations, especially by a computer.

Although all algorithms share the same basic principle in their creation, in CoryxKenshin’s case he is going up against the YouTube algorithm. YouTube’s algorithm has two primary goals: to suggest videos to suit viewers and to keep viewers watching more videos This makes growing and flourishing on YouTube a much more difficult task then just posting a video and moving on. Most popular youtubers would suggest that new creators should create a “content strategy” aka a way to make YouTube’s algorithm work for you. However, for BIPOC there can be more impediments on the road to YouTube stardom that a strategy can’t outmaneuver. As algorithms have become more commonplace in social media and other uses many BIPOC within the Ai/Computer science who have exposed the nitty gritty of how biases, prejudice and racism are embedded within algorithms across industries.

As Joy Buolamwini discusses in her 2016 Ted Talk on racial bias in facial analysis software, the algorithmic bias that she met in the US during her undergrad studies followed her all the way to Hong Kong. Algorithmic biases are not isolated events but a widespread problem that crosses international borders. BIPOC live this problem daily. Studies such as Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classification have shown how facial recognition software consistently had the most inaccuracies for black people and darker skinned women. Now how does this relate to YouTube and CoryxKenshin’s statements?

It is safe to assume that since code is regularly shared by computer engineers and scientists around the world that many of the algorithms, we use from facial recognition to what pops up in your twitter feed could have a bias to it. For example, let’s take a system like YouTube, where a lot of the users show their face in their videos and for many your personality is the main pull for your channel. If code in the algorithm has any bias within it, then it could easily hinder creators of color from growing on the platform. In Cory’s video he describes his experience with YouTube as being “pushed down.” Once exposure hits a certain high, here comes censorship and shadow banning. He states he’s trending for a few days then YouTube comes to nitpick and find some arbitrary reasoning to incriminate or flag him for one reason or another.

Towards the midpoint of his video Cory asks the question: “Why is my channel so scrutinized?” He stares into the camera beckoning for an answer we as viewers know he will most likely never receive. Along with possible issues due to racial bias in YouTube’s algorithms, Cory has been abused by the policies that YouTube enforces. His decision to make this video came after years of staying silent through the arbitrary rulings that have been made against him. The straw that would break the camel’s back is when his video on popular video game, The Mortuary’s Assistant, got age restricted. One of the many ways that YouTube enforces their policies on their creators.

A video getting age restricted means that that it is not viewable to users who are under 18 years of age. Now from a first glance this policy seems to hold no malice and in some situations is completely necessary. The issue with age restrictions is that it can then reduce and possibly remove all monetization from a creator’s video. So, if a creator’s video is falsely age restricted then that could cause serious problems for their revenue and engagement which in turn could repress their growth as a creator. In Cory’s case his video had the possibility of being age restrictions due to the nature of the game, however, his video got age restricted when other big Youtuber, Markiplier, did not. Markiplier showed the game with the same scenes yet wasn’t given the same scrutinization.

This isn’t an isolated issue for Cory or many other youtubers. Cory posted a video over a year ago speaking about a copyright strike he received for a video that had content other big Youtubers had on their channels as well. The process of him receiving an age restriction, getting the age restriction removed due to YouTube using Markiplier’s video as proof to finally, both accounts receiving age restriction was ridiculous and proved Cory’s point perfectly. YouTube either pushes favorites or could have a race problem. Cory mentioned he doesn’t feel like he should be absolved of disciplinary actions but that those rules, regulations and consequence should be fairly executed across the board. In the last five minutes of his video, he discusses the extent of how he feels about YouTube’s treatment of himself and other youtubers of color.

He discusses the annoyance he had with getting his 10M followers’ plaque and how every growth milestone has been met with adversity from YouTube. Finally, he lands on #YoutbeBlack aka the YouTube Black Voices Fund, an initiative started by YouTube in 2020 for what they describe as a “global, multi-year commitment to center and grow Black creators and artists on our platform, as well as to produce and acquire new YouTube Original programs, focused on racial justice and Black experiences.” Cory describes the initiative as “pandering” and crumb feeding. It highlights black creators, but Cory questioned its authenticity and necessity. “You know how condescending and patronizing that is… oh let’s give a spotlight to the black creators because we’re all about diversity… FAKEEEE! ITS FAKE,” Cory shouts.

The video ends with Cory saying “As one of the biggest black creators on the platform, I want you to hear it from my mouth. There is some shady business going on behind the scenes at YouTube.” In response to CoryxKenshin’s video, Markiplier and other big youtubers such as Jacksepticeye made their own responses calling out YouTube for their possible favoritism and racism. Markiplier went as far to creating a YouTube video trying his hardest to get age restricted and twelve hours later the video was still up. Does this validate Cory’s concerns? What are the next steps for BIPOC creators to do in the future to curb these issues? There’s a lot of questions with very little answers. Nonetheless, challenges of discrimination is not something we aren’t accustomed to, let’s use this fuel to create change and overcome all the barriers presented before us.

Fall 2022: The Best Season For Anime?

By: Steve McGee

If you’re an avid anime fan then you’ve undoubtedly become familiar with the seasonal anime structure. Contrary to how western media releases their television programming, new and returning anime series come to us every three to four months in huge batch packages and invite the discussion of will this anime season be “worth it”. Similar to how sports fans judge their teams by their “strength of schedule”, anime fans judge a season by how “strong” it will possibly be. However, what is that strength judged on? The answer could vary from fan to fan but through 2022 there was one season that everyone had their eyes on, Fall 2022. Now that we have crossed over into 2023 and the assertions that the Fall 2022 season will be the “best anime season ever” have sizzled down let’s look back and see if this was in fact the “best ever”.

The idea of anime seasons is a relatively new concept in the west. If you are a newer anime fan then you’ve definitely heard the story of how more seasoned anime fans struggled to watch anime in the nineties and early 2000s. Luckily, times have changed and now anime is more readily available than ever before. This availability has also increased the amount of new and exciting stories that have been in production. One big name that came in the anime season format was “Attack on Titan” in 2013. Releasing two cours (two parts) of the anime over the time-period of April 7th to September 29th it would slowly take the world over by storm but wouldn’t return until four years later in the Spring 2017 season.

Even though “Attack on Titan” returned to monumental praise and acclaim its season, Spring 2017, doesn’t share any of that love. So, what is the difference between a season like Spring 2017 and Fall 2022? This could be the fault of many factors, but we can boil it down to three main factors: hype, diversity, and follow through. Hype refers to how excitement is built by the community before the debut of an anime. In Fall 2022, “Chainsaw Man” was the most hyped anime by far. “Chainsaw Man’s” first trailer on MAPPA’s YouTube page garnered over 16 million views which puts it above “Attack on Titans Final Season”, “Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO” , and “Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Arc” official trailers by over nearly 10 million views. “Chainsaw Man” may well have been the most hyped anime in history.

Yet hype alone can’t carry an anime season. “Chainsaw Man” was definitely the most looked forward to anime of 2022 but it’s not for everybody. For an anime season to be looked at as better than average it must appease fans of all tastes. There must be the big shonen action pieces, the shoujo love stories, the peaceful slices of life, maybe a big sports series, and possibly even a little yuri or yaoi to balance it all out. Although we are missing the yuri or yaoi, Fall 2022 met and delivered on the promise of a diverse anime season. The slate showed us that we would be receiving anime that could possibly meet the taste of nearly every anime fan who watched.

“Blue Lock” gave us a different take on the sports genre with throwing away the essence of teamwork for individuality. “Bocchi the Rock” was the cute, musical slice of life with stellar animation that entranced fans and reminded them of fan favorite anime “K-on”. “Bibliophile Princess” took us back to the tale of classic shoujo love stories with tropes that we’ve loved and missed from the genre. This is only the start to a season that gave us more different and good series then we thought possible. Many of these series even managed to meet the third condition, follow through. Even with “Chainsaw Man’s” hype and the promise of a diverse season, Fall 2022 could’ve easily flopped. It doesn’t take much for the anime community to flip on a season and with one or two expectations not met the conversations would’ve quickly turned sour.

By week three of the Fall 2022 season, the community seemed to agree that this season was one for the books. “Chainsaw Man’s” anime met and exceeded expectations with the animation and how it followed the manga, Blue Lock was the brutally individualistic battlefield we wanted it to be, and the talk of underrated gems was discussed daily. By all means, the Fall 2022 season wasn’t just a good season it was a GREAT season, and that was something no one could deny. On the merits of these factors then the argument for “best season” could very well go to Fall 2022. Nevertheless, there are two more important factors that I believe are integral to judging an anime season: impact and preference. Adding in these two factors I would like to wager that the Summer 2019 season is better than Fall 2022.

This availability has also increased the amount of new and exciting stories that have been in production.

Summer 2019 handily met all the previously stated requirements for a good season of anime. Although the hype was concentrated mainly to one anime like in Fall 2022, there were three anime that had the whole community excited: “Fire Force”, “Vinland Saga”, and “Dr. Stone”. From the mind of “Soul Eater”, Atsushi Ohkubo, “Fire Force” would make its anime debut. The popularity of “Soul Eater” carried over to “Fire Force” as its fans waited on fated breath to see what the creator was bringing to them next. Manga fans carried the hype for “Vinland Saga” and “Dr. Stone”, promising anime only watchers that both shows were well worth the hype. Each brought something new to the plate that pulled watchers into its clutches.

This season met the diversity quota by giving us gems such as “Astra Lost in Space”, which was a sci-fi, mystery that is praised by all who’ve watched it. A story that encompassed one season of anime that had the perfect amount of twists to keep its watchers eager to see the next episode. “O Maidens in your Savage Season” was the romance, slice of life that took you through the journey of five high school girls learning to figure out life. “Given” took us through a whirlwind romance coupled with enchanting musical numbers and very spicy drama. These along with other anime would make sure to follow through with amazing episodes that kept us excited to watch every week.

Summer 2019 would give us a moment that could arguably be a turning point for anime. “Demon Slayer” episode 19 would change the game for anime for the rest of the year. By the end of 2019, the “Demon Slayer” manga would become the top selling series eclipsing One Piece. Its impact would carry into the new year, in December of 2020 there would be 150 million copies of the manga in circulation. Whether you liked the anime or not its impact is undeniable and continues to this day. For Fall 2022, it is still too early to determine if its impact will eclipse that of “Demon Slayer” but as of now there’s no anime that has garnered the impact that “Demon Slayer” has.

The last criteria an anime season must meet is preference. After all it is you the watcher whose opinions and feelings judge the quality of an anime season. For many Fall 2022 is the best anime season ever but for others such as myself there are other seasons that are better. What do you believe makes an anime season good?

Do you think Fall 2022 is the best season ever? And what anime season do you think is number one? There can only be one season that tops them all so which one should it be?

Three Must Read Manga I Found in 2022

By: Brenda Enfua

As we enter the new year, it is only right that we reflect on the most enjoyable moments of 2022. The year was filled with new anime, amazing movies, and unforgettable conventions. I was able dive into new hobbies and rediscover my love for old ones, but what I am most proud of is how much my manga collection has grown. I began reading Manga back in 2021 and have built somewhat of a mini collection with over 100 volumes as I close out the year. While I continue looking for new and exciting manga to add to the collection, there are a few that deserve shout outs.

I am an individual who can enjoy a story filled with crazy amounts of action, death, and chaos. I am also someone who loves a heartbreaking story or the cheesiest romance imaginable. This can make it hard to decide on which Manga to purchase when walking into a store like Barnes and Noble or BookOff. This year I was fortunate enough to stumble across several amazing manga that have made it into my mini collection; however, my top three remain “Given”, “Undead Unluck”, and “Kaiju No. 8”.

Given

“Given” was one of my first reads of the year and I honestly consider it one of my favorite Manga. The story centers around a group of young musicians attempting to make a name for themselves while also navigating through difficult and personal experiences. It does a wonderful job of introducing readers to each character and providing insight on each individual’s unique personality. It is filled with love, grief, stress, depression, and the everyday struggles many can relate to. The Manga was first released in 2013 and is ongoing with the English volume 7 expected to release January of 2023. There is also an anime adaptation, released in 2019, for those who want to experience this beautiful story in another format. If you need something to pull on your heart strings while sparking inspiration, this is the perfect Manga for your collection.

Undead Unluck

“Undead Unluck” was my most unexpected find of the year. After reading something as touching as “Given”, I wanted more of those same emotions. It was not until a friend shoved the book into my hands while browsing through the aisles of Barnes and Noble, that it even crossed my radar. I decided to give it a try and the rest is history. Within 24 hours of reading volume one, I was online ordering the next few volumes. The story is so different than anything I have ever read. It focuses on two individuals who meet by fate and end up realizing how much they need one another for very different reasons. I instantly fell in love with the two main characters and was swept away by how much chemistry they have. The manga was released in 2020 with 9 volumes available in English and the 10th expected to release in January of 2023. It was actually announced that the manga will be adapted into an anime series, so if you are one who prefers to read a manga before the anime, now is your chance.

Kaiju No. 8

“Kaiju No. 8” was one that came highly recommended from several popular blog sites. It is the perfect read to follow “Undead Unluck”, as it instantly throws its readers right into the action. The story focuses on a world in which large and destructive monsters known as “Kaiju” wreak havoc at random with the only source of protection being provided by a unit known as the Defense Force. I was instantly drawn to the main character “Kafka” and was rooting for him by the end of the first volume. I caught myself laughing pretty much the entire time while reading this book and it is definitely a must read for new manga readers. The series was released in 2020 and is ongoing with 4 volumes available in English and the 5th expected to release in January of 2023. It will be adapted into an anime series, which is more reason to dive into this action packed read.

The year was filled with new anime, amazing movies, and unforgettable conventions. I was able dive into new hobbies and rediscover my love for old ones, but what I am most proud of is how much my manga collection has grown.

2022 was an amazing year for anime and manga fans everywhere. The number of manga to choose from continued to grow with genres catering to every type of fan. I was fortunate enough to find some amazing reads and will continue to build my mini collection in the new year.

Anime Remakes and Continuations

By: Tiamen Montgomery

Over the years the requests for remakes and continuations of beloved anime series have grown. With new animation technologies and techniques, we are all hoping that our favorite series from the nineties and early 2000’s gets brought back with a new coat of paint. In the past, it seemed like these demands were met with very little action, however recently there’s been a change in the wind. 2022 marked a year where we got remakes and continuations for big shows and cult classics alike. Something that used to be an occasional splattering got consolidated into a whole year of new anime.

Anime has never been a stranger to remaking a series or continuing a series seemingly indefinitely. For reference look no further than “Dragonball”, “One Piece”, “Naruto”, or the many other series that have been running for over a decade. In fact, you could call it a staple for the industry just like it is for Hollywood. Yet, with the growth of seasonal schedules and streaming services it feels like we’ve been relentlessly pummeled with new one season anime that never get the time they need to mature. This is a new problem that has arisen with simulcasting.

Prior to the world of scheduled seasons, if you wanted to watch anime in the West you had to wait to see if the series would get exported at all. So, there were many series that had spinoffs, extra seasons, and movies that just wouldn’t be able to be seen widely in the West. Although these problems have been effectively phased out, it didn’t make every series easier to watch for new fans or old. Reboots have helped in bridging old fans with new and giving the authors the ability to release their projects in a better state. Most recently, we had “Fruits Basket” and

“Spriggan” get the reboot treatment. Luckily times have changed, and it seems like 2022 could be a turning point in pushing more continuations and remakes for long-awaited and loved anime.

2022

“The Devil is a Part-Timer” and “Classroom of the Elite” both received their second seasons after making us wait nine years and five years, respectively. Just like several other fans, I never believed that we would get to see the continuations of these stories in anime. Both shows score above a 7.5 on MyAnimeList and are in the one-hundred fifty most popular. “The Devil is a Part-Timer’s” popularity puts it above “Overlord”, “Fate/Zero”, and “Mob Psycho 100 II” all of which have either had multiple seasons or spinoffs. What’s more, the wait time between new seasons or spinoffs were much longer for “Part-Timer” and “Classroom of the Elite” then for their less popular counterparts. “Yowamushi Pedal” also aired its fifth season, “Limit Break,” after four years. Despite cutting out some of the manga, the new season is just as entertaining as the previous ones.

The year’s continuation highlight was definitely “Bleach Thousand Year Blood War Arc.” After ten years in manga form, it was finally brought to life on screen on October 10th. The first few episodes of the “Bleach” continuation brought death and destruction to Soul Society with the arrival of the soul reaper’s longtime enemy, the Quincies. The animation is crisp compared to where it left off in 2014, and each episode ends with a cliffhanger, which left the audience impatiently waiting for the following week. Epic battles, such as the one between Captain Yamamoto and Yhwach, leave chills down spines with their slightly disturbing graphics. Despite the Disney acquisition, in which fans feared the show would be censored due to its family-friendly branding, the anime is as bloody and tragic as reflected in the manga.

“Tokyo Mew Mew” had a new adaptation for the manga’s 20th anniversary. The five main characters formed an idol group, Smewthie, in 2021 that gives off a classical J-pop vibe. The new animation gives off the same magical girl component as the original show, the only difference being the crystal-clear display and voice cast. The drastic change in animation quality and/or familiar voice casting for the anime will draw in new fans of the series while simultaneously entertaining the older ones. As long as the show sticks to its roots, whether from the manga or light novel, it’s more likely to be well-received compared to those who don’t. Although some series stray from the written form, the bond between character and audience is difficult to break.

“The Prince of Tennis”, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021, debuted an addition to the series with “The New Prince of Tennis U-17 World Cup”. While the story lacked a bit, it was refreshing and comforting for fans to see their favorite athletes animated after ten years. After 27 years of the end of the original anime series, “Slam Dunk” received a new anime film, “The First Slam Dunk”, that aired at the beginning of December. While the movie hasn’t made its way over to the US, the audience can expect unique and dramatic CG film featuring a new voicing cast starring Subaru Kimura (Todo, “Jujutsu Kaisen”, and Tendo, “Haikyu!”), Kenta Miyake (All Might, “My Hero Academia”), and Maaya Sakamoto (Haruhi, “Ouran High School Host Club”).

Yoshihiro Togashi, the author of “Hunter X Hunter”, even joined in on the host of new continuations by posting on his new Twitter account that the anticipated series will continue after a nearly four-year hiatus. Voice actresses Mariya Ise and Megumi Han, as well as other eager fans, expressed joy at the return on Twitter in May. This news brought out rumors and discussions on the return of the anime even though none were confirmed. All this news of returning anime and manga had the community in a frenzy eager to hear what cherished series would be brought back from the grave next.

2023

Throughout 2022, we learned of even more planned remakes and continuations that were in the works for the next year.

“Rurouni Kenshin”, written by Nobuhiro Watsuki, is receiving a remake of the 1996 series. Watsuki was charged with possession of child pornography in 2017 but only received a fine of 200,000 yen (currently approximately $1,500). Despite its iconic status as a show, “Rurouni Kenshin” fans and new anime watchers will have to make the difficult decision to support or not support the new adaptation. So far, the new voice cast consists of Soma Saito as Himura Kenshin and Rie Takahashi as Kamiya Kaoru.

Studio Orange let us know that they will be doing a reboot for “

Trigun” dubbed “Trigun Stampede” in the Winter 2023 season. This remake looks like it will be an entirely new spin on our space outlaw with some more sci-fi powers and a whole new 3DCG world. Producers for the anime, Kiyotaka Waki and PR Yoshihiro shared in an interview with Honey’s Anime, that “Trigun Stampede” has been their most difficult anime to make yet. They’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the manga and modernized a lot of the designs for the characters. “Trigun Stampede” is shaping up to be a whole new experience that should bridge fans of the original and new fans of the reboot.

2022 showed us that the remake and/or continuation that you’re hoping for just might still happen. Unlike past years we got more diverse anime being brought back for second seasons and whole new reinventions that could bode well for the community. 2023 looks to be following the trend with new reboots, remakes, and long-awaited continuations being announced by the week. Hopefully, next time an anime gets a new season we won’t have to wait almost a decade for it.

OFF BLXXK’s Favorite Anime of 2022

Compiled by: Aran Lee

As the old year passes on, we usually find ourselves looking back on the memories it gave us. For some that means posting their yearly Instagram wrap-up but for us it’s taking the time to figure out our favorite anime of the year. 2022 was filled to the brim with exciting action-packed and heartfelt anime that carried over from season to season. Whether it be because of the phenomenal originals like “SpyxFamily” and “Chainsaw Man” or the unexpected comebacks for anime favorites such as “Bleach” and “Urusai Yatsura” there was no end to the exceptional shows you could watch. However, only one can reign supreme and luckily for us, that one can be subjective. The only thing that matters about your favorite anime is that it’s YOUR favorite anime. So, here at OFF BLXXK we decided to give you our favorite anime of 2022 and maybe we have some in common.

Ashanti Huland El – Writer

Favorite 2022 Anime: Bocchi the Rock

Instagram: @Spicyladyentertainment, Twitter: @spicyladyent, YouTube: @SpicyLadyTalks

The 2022 anime year was action packed with many new series which made it hard to choose an absolute favorite; however, my favorite anime of the year must go to “Bocchi the Rock!”. This adorable anime captivated my heart with the quirky animation reminiscent of FLCL and Robot Chicken. The slice of life series follows the socially awkward and talented guitarist, Gotou Hitori, who dreams of becoming a rock star. “Bocchi the Rock!” is a unique anime because of how it’s constantly changing the animation style to better emphasize the creative, yet sometimes overwhelming imagination of Hitori, a gift and a curse that many prodigy musicians have. Hitori learns how to channel that creativity outwards by trusting in herself and her new friends/bandmates. If you’re in need of a hilarious palette cleanser or simply love anime girls rocking out, then you’ll enjoy this diamond-in-the-rough anime.

My vote for anime of the year has to go to “Spy X Family”. I’m a sucker for the espionage genre, but add in an assassin, a telepath, and a dog that can see the future? Ten out of ten. I loved the manga, and the anime adaptation of the series did not disappoint one bit. It’s quirky, it’s heartwarming, and it makes you question whether the secret to life really is allencompassed in a little girl’s favorite fictional spy show. I definitely recommend “Spy X Family” if you’re looking for the perfect action-comedy meets slice-of-life marriage.

Aries Jones – Editor

Favorite 2022 Anime: SpyxFamily

Instagram: @ariespwrites

Chiamaka Onuoha – Editor

Favorite 2022 Anime: Bleach Thousand Year Blood War

My favorite Anime of 2022 is “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War”. From the moment it was announced that they would be bringing us the final arc, I had been sitting on the edge of my seat and I am happy to report, so far, I have not been disappointed. To prepare, I rewatched and caught up on previous episodes and begged my sibling for their Hulu (without ads) subscription. October would not catch me slipping. This Bleach Arc may not be the best storyline, but it holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. Bleach was one of the first Anime I ever watched when I moved to America, back when Anime lovers were ostracized by our peers. Anime was a safe place for me because I was bullied as an immigrant so being able to watch its final arc from a much better place invokes so much nostalgia. I am reminded of the solace I found amidst depression and heartbreak, grateful I lived to see much better times, and glad I can enjoy this, not as a form of escapism, but with pure delight and with the world (because Anime is cool now). I also feel satisfied that Bleach, the Anime series, is getting a fitting ending. The episode “Changing History, Unchanging Heart” in season 16 seemed too abrupt and didn’t really seal everything up for me. Since I don’t currently read Manga, I didn’t know there was more to be expected. I like shows to end without unanswered questions and in a manner that matches the same quality we got in previous episodes, which I feel Bleach: TYBW will do. So, catch me in 2023 with more tears of joy and more yells of “no” and “what the heck” as I get closer to ending a bittersweet chapter in my life.

My favorite anime of the year is parts two-three of “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean”. Inherently, I have been a big fan of the JoJo’s franchise since my daughter introduced me in 2020. I propose this being my favorite anime of 2022 due to the captivity and edge-of-your-seat, tug-and-pull of the plot. “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean” gives us comedic relief via Anasui and his love for Jolyne, sinister, heart throbbing chills from the Father Pucci, and pure rebel girl power from the talented women of the season (Jolyne, F.F., Ermes). A fine rationality that I admire of Araki, creator of the JoJo’s franchise, is his willingness to kill off key characters. The only surviving member of the show was a little boy named Emporio. Though he “brought back” our beloved characters via alternate reality influence, we still received the tear jerk of losing our best pals. I enjoyed this anime and felt a sense of freedom as I experienced this masterpiece in its entirety.

Tiana Dowell – Writer (Spoiler Warning!)

Favorite 2022 Anime: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 6

Instagram/Twitter: @Lavathesaint

JoJo’s Stone Ocean Part 3 Best Moments - https://youtu.be/qmFz5X5rphM

Tiamen Montgomery – Writer

Favorite 2022 Anime: SpyxFamily

My favorite anime of 2022 is definitely Spy x Family. I know that’s probably a basic answer given the hype around it, but there’s a reason why it was so popular. The family dynamic is hilarious, Yor, in particular, makes me laugh to no end. The voice casting was top tier as Saori Hayami (Yor Forger), Takuya Eguchi (Loid Forger), Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya Forger) and Kensho Ono (Yuri Briar) did an excellent job. It was a nice change from watching magic system based shonen to something cute, funny, and suspenseful to an extent. It’s not something I’m used to watching which made it even more enjoyable!

Aran Lee – Editor-in-Chief

Favorite 2022 Anime: Kaguya-Sama Love is War ~Ultra-Romantic~

Instagram/Twitter: @OFFBLXXK

2022 was a phenomenal year for anime. Every season gave us at least two to three anime that we could really sink our teeth into. There was just enough diversity to make every season feel unique and fresh. Although I believe there is no wrong answer to this question, my pick has to be KaguyaSama Love is War -Ultra-Romantic-. Lord knows I tried to fight it, but I’m a sucker for everything comedy, romance, and good character development. All of these and more made this season of Kaguya-Sama a must watch and left me more in love with this show than I already was.

© 2023 OFF BLXXK Magazine