Reading Collective Reading of Samidare and the Biscuit Hammer by Satoshi Mizukami

[k-dom]

Collective Reading of Samidare and the Biscuit Hammer by Satoshi Mizukami ​

Hi

I already started a few volumes and proposed to make a collective reading of this manga. Ukimix is already interested so we start the thread. Everybody is very welcome to join us in the reading of this acclaimed shounen by the same author of Sengoku Youkou and Spirit Circle.

Resume
The world is in mortal peril. Sir Noi Crezant, the Lizard Knight, has been sent to gain the aid of the great warrior Amamiya Yuuhi in hopes of finding the Princess Samidare and protecting the planet from the incredible 'Biscuit Hammer' poised to crack the Earth in two. Unfortunately Yuuhi wants no part of it, and the Princess doesn't prove to be the shining 'hero of justice' role model that Noi had hoped for.



Rules for the collective reading

• All the usual rules of courtesy.

• The agreed pace is a volume per week; and we hope to end the manga in 10 weeks. Next, the dates for the cuts and also the specific chapters of each volume:

If everyone agree, we will start the reading next week (18th november), and the comment on the 25th

Some advices to keep in mind:

• The idea of the collective reading is to read together with other people; so to share your impressions and comment on other's impressions. Then try to post at least once a week (or more if you want to), with your impressions on the chapters of the respective week. (It could be a good idea to take notes of you impressions as your reading advances. A diary of you reading could be a nice tool and could also enrich your own experience of reading).

• We can change the agreed pace on the schedule if we fell we should read faster or lower. Everyone is free to post his/her thoughts about it and we will discuss it freely and open-mindedly.

• Since nobody wants his/her reading spoiled by a comment about a chapter or volume not read yet, comments on the respective chapter/volume will be allowed preferably in the week assigned in the agreed schedule. (If is about an ulterior chapter, please, take care to post it inside spoiler tags).

 

[SharkBait]

Shouldnt the dates be adjusted? Kind of fast to start reading on the 18th with no agreed upon pace yet?

 

[k-dom]

Hehe, I'm hasty because I already read the first volumes... But it's just a proposal and up to discussion. I think that 1 volume a week is quite reasonable and it's the standard pace we have taken so far. Also monday to start new discussion is quite practical.

 

[SharkBait]

Okay, I guess I will join in on this one too, hope its a good series.

 

[ukimix]

I'm in too. I'm reading Sengoku Youko, and I wouldn't hesitate a moment on read another manga of this author. I like very much his art, and specially he's a great storyteller, very skilful. Sure this is going to be really good reading.

I'm ok with the initial proposal, but I wouldn't mind to begin later. In either case, I'd join in this one.

@k-dom: the pic in the initial post is not working.

 

[k-dom]

Thanks for joining. And yes all other Mizukami works are recommendable. And coincidently, a new chapter of Spirit Circle just comes out this morning.

 

[ukimix]

As I expected, what a ffff....antastic story!!!! Now on chapter 4.

 

[SharkBait]

Oh yes I think I can finally start this tonight, it sounds exciting.

---------- Post added at 09:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------

Pretty slow start with much of volume one being quite boring. The redeeming aspects are the dark past portions of Yuuhi but resolving it so quickly was odd. I think it would have been a bit better to not have resolved it with his grandfather until much later. The hospital scene was litrally over in the blink of an eye even.

I did think the scene did work on emotions and still makes me care for yuuhi. Though does he truly hate the world?

Hangetsu second best character..

 

[ukimix]

What did captivate me? I like that the protagonist wants to destroy the world. I haven't read many mangas, but to me that's not common idea. In Sengoku Yokou, the author also has given the protagonists and his nemesis a very unique development, which makes me think this author likes to work on ideas different than usual cliches.

Also I like the character development, mainly of Yuhi.

This is interesting concept. Yuhi lost almost everything but his grandpa and the treatment grandpa gave to him. The chains are a manifestation of care and affection from a beloved relative; no matter how painful the chains could be. Given that he has no strength to live without his grandpa, Yuhi tried not to release himself from the chains but to change his grandpa. That explains also why he forgave him in the end, and why he spend his contract on healing his grandpa. The fact that the grandpa asked him for forgiveness, that fact means a ton to Yuhi.

That also explains why even after Samidare broke the chains, the chains still remained attached to Yuhi. It also explains why he was instantly attracted by Samidare’s proposal to belongs to her.

Now there is an outer Yuki and an inner Yuhi. The outer is loyal to Samidare. The inner was using his loyal service to Samidare to escape his real inner condition to be attached to grandpa’s chains. What a very well character design. Freud would be pleased to read it (lol).

Also I liked the delicate psychoanalytic treatment conceived by the author:

Even with so tragic past on Yuhi's side, the kiss and kick treatment it’s not farfetched given that we saw in the first chapters Yuki being attracted to women and wanting to spy them in the bedroom. If you want to look the moral, (not that it’s necessary to do it), the simple idea is that love healths you from the childhood traumas. That would be the deepest meaning of that kick.

In the world-building, the parallel worlds of the outer and the inner is also nice to see, given that the inner Yuhi and the inner Sami can communicate each other, which is a very creative and complex scenario for their relationship.

As for the art, I also like the simple lines and design of the characters. For instance the lines of the door in Yuhi's dreams are very simple; still the drawing is meaningful.

Pretty slow start with much of volume one being quite boring. The redeeming aspects are the dark past portions of Yuuhi but resolving it so quickly was odd. I think it would have been a bit better to not have resolved it with his grandfather until much later. The hospital scene was litrally over in the blink of an eye even.

Let me disagree on this. You could be right in that a story about Yuhi's childhood trauma could be good. But that's simply not the story written by the author; he wanted to write a different story, and having a partial solution of Yuhi's traumas that fast should have to be thought as some introduction for what it comes next. We will be able to judge if the author did a mistake given a fast solution to that trauma, only once we know the whole story. Because only that way you will be able to understand to what was, that fast solution, an introduction.

Questions remaining after vol 1:

• What's the meaning of Sami's purpose to destroy the world? We know why Yuhi wants it, but what about Sami?
• Why Yuhi's grandpa wanted Yuhi to keep away to friends and enemies? And where are Yuhi's mom? I guess Yuhi will know much more about his grandpa and relatives. Likely his grandpa knows about Yuhi's powers and natures and that could be explaining the unusual treatment he gave him in hi childhood.
• Why was Yuhi chosen to this mission to help Sami?
• Is the fast solution of Yuhi's trauma a good beginning for this story? (Taking account of Sharkbait's concern)

 

[k-dom]

Oh we start the comments already. I thought we only start next week but that is good to me. I made a quick reread this morning to be sure not to spoil.

Now there is an outer Yuki and an inner Yuhi. The outer is loyal to Samidare. The inner was using his loyal service to Samidare to escape his real inner condition to be attached to grandpa’s chains. What a very well character design. Freud would be pleased to read it (lol).

This inner characters are indeed intriguing. I wonder if they are real self or just a manifestation of their subconscious. When 'evil Samidare' speak she looks a lot like her inner self

Also I liked the delicate psychoanalytic treatment conceived by the author:

I like your analysis of this page :-)

As for me, I didn't find the pace slow or fast. The author is trying to start his manga from an anti-hero point of view. The first pages are extremely funny with all the cliché of the adventure manga and Yuhi don't giving a fuck. Poor Lezard knight, I also wonder how he ended up with Yuhi as partner, he certainly has not chosen. It is also hinted that it is not the first time he is with someone but he doesn't seem to have memory of it. Another mystery. Because if Mizukami develops well our two heroes, he is quite greedy on explanation about the enemies. Who are they, why do they want to destroy the Earth. What are those licorns and other yet to see beings ?

 

[conn-man]

I think I want to read Biscuit Hammer with you all. Its been one of my very favorites since it was being released.

Apparently everything Mizukami Satoshi makes is good. I followed a mention of Spirit Circle made by k-dom and I'm very happy with that one too. I'll add that Psycho Staff also passes the test and its only 7 chapters long.

Looks like everyone is already enjoying it just as much

 

[MPGHThunder]

I read it a few months back and I loved it. I'll re-read the series with you guys

 

[ukimix]

I see I misunderstood the schedule and began earlier than the initial proposal made by k-dom. So I'd like to be sure about the schedule. Since it's a volume per week, and the first volume has been reading between Nov 18th and 25th, I thought comments on the fist volume can be posted in those days. In other words, the schedule is schedule for the posts, so:

Volume -------to be commented between
Volume 1------> Nov 18 to 24
Volume 2------> Nov 25 to Dec 1
Volume 3------> Dec 2 to 8
Volume 4------> Dec 9 to 15
Volume 5------> Dec 16 to 22
Volume 6------> Dec 23 to 29
Volume 7------> Dec 30 to Jan 5
Volume 8------> Jan 6 to 12
Volume 9------> Jan 13 to 19
Volume 10-----> Jan 20 to 26

Do we agree on this schedule or do we delay it a week more (so beginning comments on Nov 25 and finishing the whole reading on Feb 2 (one week later than the schedule above)?

 

[SharkBait]

Schedule looks good and fittable into my free time, so it works for me.

 

[conn-man]

The schedule looks easy, the story reads pretty fast too, its hard not to read it fast even.

The thing I struggle with is posting in these collective readings. Its a whole nother ball game than posting about a chapter. I try not to be to broad as to sound like I'm just reviewing it rather than actually discussing it..But I also can never pick a topic to talk about since my post are usually shorter.

Anyway I just want to talk about Hangetsu for now. And Ludo. I'll wait till middle week to post that since hes all of vol 2.

 

[ukimix]

The schedule looks easy, the story reads pretty fast too, its hard not to read it fast even.

The thing I struggle with is posting in these collective readings. Its a whole nother ball game than posting about a chapter. I try not to be to broad as to sound like I'm just reviewing it rather than actually discussing it..But I also can never pick a topic to talk about since my post are usually shorter.

Anyway I just want to talk about Hangetsu for now. And Ludo. I'll wait till middle week to post that since hes all of vol 2.

Sure is another ball game. I always try to take notes when reading, and later I write my post out of those notes. But it could be even another different experience than that if you are rereading the story! The interesting point is that the others can see something you missed or something different than what you thought about the story. There the dialogue could be really something; it's like you are reading a manga and also what the people think about it.

 

[thatguy3331]

Reread of the first 8 chapters COMPLETE!

As much as i like this series I do remember thinking oddly at how the conflict with Yuuhei's Grandfather ended so quickly and while I still think it's a little bit rushed, I think it's still overall effective, especially with how Yuuhei kept using the chains as a means to be at ease with himself, knowing that it really does make certain scenes a bit better.

 

[k-dom]

So did you guys read volume 2. I guess you must have been quite shocked.
I don't want to spoil too much in case you didn't but one of the page of chapter 15 is one of my favourite so far. So much emotion on this panel.

 

[ukimix]

So did you guys read volume 2. I guess you must have been quite shocked.
I don't want to spoil too much in case you didn't but one of the page of chapter 15 is one of my favourite so far. So much emotion on this panel.

Don't worry about spoiling vol 2 because.... this is the week for discussion of vol 2; so it's ok to post about it.

I'm in chapter 13 now, likely I'll post tomorrow about the whole vol 2.

 

[SharkBait]

Oh I thought I was the last one reading on v2...

People need to tag series with character deaths or something, after getting excited by Hangetsu and all that he brought to the table with the Ally of Justice stuff to see him removed rather quickly (it all happened in litrally just two panels, could have been much longer than that), was a bit too much and rather unexpected. I was thinking he could at least get up and come up or something, not just be left, mountain crushed and then replaced by the phenomenal crow knight. Well the time for mourning was short as I was quickly laughing with the younger brothers introduction, second best character so far and hilarious smile and antics. This is really fun now.