The story follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack — both portrayed by Michael B. Jordan — as they work to open a new juke joint during the Jim Crow era in Mississippi. With the musical talents of their younger cousin and his guitar, they expect an unforgettable night. But when their gathering draws the attention of supernatural forces, the celebration quickly turns into a bloodbath.

Sinners has been blowing up this past week, and for good reason — it’s a masterclass in writing, directing, and cinematography. Coogler weaves together powerful themes like ancestry, community, trauma, culture, and identity, all wrapped in a horrifying package.

And don’t even get me started on the acting! The entire cast delivers outstanding performances, with a special shoutout to Miles Caron, who makes a jaw-dropping acting debut. Killer work all around.

Let’s be clear: Sinners is not a family movie. Leave the kiddos at home — this one is gory, mature, and, quite frankly, sexy as hell.

More than anything, Sinners is a testament (pun intended) to how rich, intricate, and captivating Black stories and folklore can be when the history is thoughtfully researched and respectfully portrayed. With its layered storytelling and subtle, nuanced messages, this is a film you’ll want (and need) to watch more than once.

But enough from me — what did you think of Sinners? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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The show offers a fresh take on Peter Parker’s origin story and his early days as a crime-fighter, introducing creative changes that keep things feeling new. Whether you’re a long-time Spider-Man fan or just hopping on the web-slinger bandwagon, there’s a lot to unpack here.

Nostalgic Aesthetic with a Modern Twist

The series kicks off by retelling Peter Parker’s origin story — how he got his powers and began his career as Spider-Man. What sets Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man apart is its clear inspiration from the aesthetic of the early Spider-Man comics, blended seamlessly with a modern-day setting.

From the character designs to the costumes and even the subtle Easter eggs, the show feels like it pulled elements straight from the pages of the comics. The creative team clearly aimed to capture the classic Spider-Man vibe while still making it fresh for a new generation of viewers.

The Animation Style

I’ll be honest — the animation style was a hard sell for me initially. I’m a huge fan of traditional 2D animation like we saw in Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994) or The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008). So adjusting to this new, more modern style took some time.

But that hurdle didn’t last long. As the episodes progressed, the animation style started to grow on me. It’s well-suited for the fast-paced action scenes and has quite a bit of charm to it after a while. If you were hesitant about the animation like I was, give it a few episodes — you might be surprised.

A Different Take on Familiar Characters

One of the most notable changes in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is the creative liberties taken with character backgrounds and ethnicities. For example, Norman and Harry Osborn are depicted as African American in this version, which immediately stood out.

This kind of change often sparks the “race-swapping” conversation. Is it unnecessary “Black-washing,” or does it add something meaningful to the story? In this case, I think it works. The design choices and character dynamics felt natural, not forced. It also opened the door to fresh storytelling opportunities.

But I’m curious — how did you feel about these changes? Did it enhance the story for you, or did it feel out of place?

Storytelling and Creative Twists (Light Spoilers Ahead)

The heart of any Spider-Man story is, of course, the plot. The writers took some bold creative liberties with familiar Spider-Man lore — and I’m here for it.

For example, Norman Osborn (aka the Green Goblin) has taken on a mentor role to Peter in this series. It immediately reminded me of the Tony Stark/Peter Parker dynamic from the MCU. It adds an interesting layer to their relationship. There are hints that Norman may eventually take a darker turn — but we’ll have to wait and see.

Another interesting change was exposure to unfamiliar characters – like Peter’s friendship with Nico Minoru, a lesser-known Marvel character from Runaways. Introducing her into the Spider-Man universe is really cool to see. The show hints at a mysterious magical backstory for her, which I’m hoping gets explored more in season 2.

The series also sets up several plotlines for future seasons. One of the most intriguing is the transformation of Lonnie Lincoln into Tombstone –  at the end of the season, he is poised to become the head of the 110th Street Gang. Given how close Peter and Lonnie became this season, it’s safe to assume their friendship will face major challenges if and when Lonnie steps into his villain role.

Season 1 Overall Thoughts

Overall, season 1 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was memorable and a ton of fun! The characters felt fresh, well-developed, and full of potential for future storylines. The creative team behind the series, led by Jeffrey Trammell (best known for Craig of the Creek), clearly put a lot of thought into making this show stand out — and it shows.

As a lifelong Spider-Man fan, it’s always exciting to see a new and thoughtful take on the character’s story. And despite my initial hesitation about the animation style and character changes, I walked away genuinely impressed.

What Did You Think?

But that’s just my take — what about you? Did you enjoy season 1 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man? How do you feel about the character redesigns and the creative liberties taken with the story? And most importantly — are you hyped for season 2?

Drop your thoughts in the comments! I’d love to hear what you think.

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Episode 1 excels in introducing the new antagonist and laying out his scheme. Without giving too much away, I have to highlight how cleverly they recapped the Buu Saga. Gomah and Degesu use magic to watch a play-by-play of the key events, giving the audience a nostalgic glimpse at some iconic scenes from Dragon Ball Z, beautifully reanimated. And let me tell you—it looked fantastic!

As I mentioned in our previous coverage of Dragon Ball Daima, this plot feels reminiscent of the start of Dragon Ball GT. However, the tone here seems more playful, without the edgy feel of GT. I’m also curious how this storyline will fit canonically within the Dragon Ball series, as it seems to take place between DBZ and Dragon Ball Super. Since Akira Toriyama played such a big role in developing this series, it’s definitely possible we’ll see some connections revealed later on. Could this be another retcon for the series!? We’ll just have to wait and see!

Overall, the episode did a solid job introducing new characters, setting up the plot, and building intrigue around the motivations of our latest antagonist. With this being the last series straight from the mind of Akira Toriyama, I’m definitely locked in for this adventure! The series is now streaming on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and coming to Netflix on October 18th. But what did you think of Episode 1? Let us know in the comments below!

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Without diving into too many spoilers, I can say this episode did not disappoint. The action-packed episode delivers stunning animation, courtesy of Studio Pierrot, and concludes with a nail-biting showdown featuring some of the most powerful Shinigami we’ve ever seen—complete with their god-tier Bankai. Ichibei’s ability, “BLACK,” which was revealed last season to erase the name of anything it covers and Senjumaru’s Bankai which creates a pocket dimension that can be used to engulf her victims in a mystical tapestry trapping them. Just when it seemed like things were tipping in favor of our heroes, Yhwach pulls another trick out of his sleeve, completely shifting the tide of the battle.

Let’s just say Yhwach’s newly revealed power is OP as hell and will be a tough one to beat.

At this point, the stakes have never been higher. We’re all on edge, waiting to see what Ichigo and his friends will need to do to turn things around and save the day.

While a good portion of the episode rehashed the previous season finale, it still delivered incredible action and set the stage for some intriguing power dynamics. Plus, it teased the return of another big bad from the series!

What did you all think of the season premiere? Are you hyped for the rest of the season? Let us know in the comments below!

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So much has gone into this series over the past decade, and today, I’d like to discuss its conclusion and share final thoughts on the series as a whole. **SPOILERS AHEAD FOR MY HERO ACADEMIA CHAPTER 430**

The beginning and the end

The chapter starts with a familiar narration from Deku as he reflects on the events that happened years ago.  It is revealed that as time passed after the war, as the students and society slowly began to settle and the terror that Shigaraki and All for One faded so did the embers of All for One.  The power passed down from wielder to wielder had finally fulfilled its purpose and in a sense was no longer needed.

We then cut to 8 years later with a class of underclassmen discussing their career goals as they prepare to begin high school.  It’s clear how much has changed since years prior as more and more students are choosing to pursue careers outside of becoming pro heroes.

After the events of the war, the number of villains and occurrences of violent crimes had dwindled to the point that the need for heroes had waned as well. Reducing the need for heroes and making the path to becoming a pro hero stricter.

In this class of budding young people a familiar character is seen. Dai, the young boy from chapter 258,  who was entering as a first year is now getting ready for high school.  He is mocked and ridiculed, similar to the reaction Deku got when it’s revealed that he wishes to pursue the pro hero route.

From there we get to see more of the fates of the students of 1-A, notably the community efforts sparked by Tentacole for the heteromorphs. Also Uravity an

d her initiative to increase available quirk counseling, no doubt to avoid cases like Toga that could have been avoided if given more support.

Deku, now quirkless once again, has become a teacher at UA, sharing his vast knowledge and experience with the next generation.

Izawa enters to share the recent hero polls as unsurprisingly Bakugo has been dropping in popularity due to his temper.  Shoto, on the other hand, has really come into his own and is even poised to hit top rank in no time – finally escaping the shadow of Endeavor. Aizawa can see Deku is happy for his friends but wonders if he misses being in the action.

As Deku is making his way to campus he encounters young Dai at the spot where the bronze statue of All Might stands.  Dai, struggling with self-doubt, is amazed to see the hero who saved the world.  This scene mirrors the events of Chapter 1 where Deku asks All Might if he could ever be a hero.

In true Deku fashion, he begins to analyze Dai’s quirk muttering to himself aloud freaking out the people around him as usual.  Bluntly telling Dai that you are on the right track and as long as you are always willing to lend a helping hand you too can be a hero.  Words of encouragement just like what he received all those years ago.

Deku narrates that although he can’t experience a life of heroism and adventure with his friends this story is still ending with all of them attaining their goal of becoming real heroes.

All Might cuts in abruptly stopping Deku in his tracks to present him with a gift.  Spearhead by Bakugo and all of his classmates was a suit specially made for him – All Might exclaiming that “you’ve earned this power fair and square”

Cutting to a truly powerful panel of Bakugo holding out his hand to Deku. Showing how much their relationship has developed throughout this series.

We finally get to see a full panel spread of class 1-A all grown up and jumping into the fray once again together.

This closing scene was definitely a tear-jerker.  After all, Deku has gone through to grow and develop into a great hero having him receive a suit that would allow him to to continue being a hero felt right to me.  It didn’t trounce on the poetic full circle moment of Deku ending up quirkless, just as he started.

What’s next

The movie My Hero Academia “You’re Next” has hit Japan and is scheduled to release worldwide in October, which seems to be dropping on the heels of the ending of season 7.  Fans of the series are eating while they mourn the end of the series.

There has been speculation of a spin-off series or maybe even an anime adaptation of one of the many, already serialized, series.  But we wait with bated breath to see what Horikoshi will do next.

Final thoughts from the fans

“With the end of this series, we have some staff and Mangaka alike within Saturday AM wanting to share their final goodbyes to the series:

I stayed with My Hero Academia until the end. Ever since the “beginning of the end” scene, I thought that the series would ramp up into a better major problem, but I would say that the last 20 or so chapters were a sped up slope to the end.

As a fellow artist trying to make a manga myself, I understand forming a story is difficult, and endings seem to ask for major attention. I seemed like Class 1A as a whole was treated as one character at the end, and individuality was very brief. I had expected more chapters showing many more scenes of the class at battle with All for One the quirk before Deku hits Shigaraki.”

– Frank Simmonds

“I’ve been following the series since 2014. It’s a unique feeling to watch a series I’ve followed from the beginning come to an end. I hope that Horikoshi-sensei gets plenty of rest after working on the series weekly for 10 years, because he deserves it.”

– Erick Pedrucci

“(Honestly, I wish I could fully celebrate the ending of MHA along with everybody else, but I’m kinda gutted for what happend to Whyt rn. I’m just hoping he doesn’t lose all his work ) Congrats to Hirokoshi though. Hats off to the man and to his assistants who created an amazing series. Will always be a favorite of mine.”

– Jackie Star

“MHA is one of the few series that I followed from beginning to end. Happy to see how this series turned out and I’m happy Horikoshi can get some rest.”

– Goeffrey Jean-Louis

Closing words

With a ten year adventure coming to a close and fans feeling that familiar empty void for when a beloved series leaves its final mark.  We can sit and appreciate this series for what it was, flaws in all. And we thank you Horikoshi for sharing this incredible story and these quirky characters that you’ve drawn that have really taken a life of their own.  You’re OUR HERO Kohei Horikoshi and we can’t wait to see what you do next.

With the final conclusion of the series realized, what did you all think? Or what was your favorite moment from the series? Let us know in the comments below!

Still, need your Shonen fix!? Check out our line of Manga from Saturday AM. HIT THAT LINK BELOW!

The post A Decade Ends: My Hero Academia Chapter 430 Review appeared first on Saturday AM.

Three years ago, the sudden appearance of a massive alien mothership caused widespread unease. Unsure of what these mysterious beings’ arrival means, the citizens have no choice but to continue their daily lives. Koyama and her best friend Ontan are preparing for graduation and planning their futures. Koyama has decided to forgo college and enter the workforce instead. Dealing with her father’s disappearance and her hypochondriac mother, she feels responsible for supporting her family.

Koyama seems to have adopted a pessimistic demeanor about her future. One thing she is passionate about, though, is video games and her favorite manga, Isobeyan. One scene involves Koyama speaking with her homeroom teacher, who is concerned about her nonchalant attitude toward her studies and grades. She bluntly states she isn’t going to attend college, so her grades don’t matter. She remains unmoved by the teacher’s insistence on the importance of her future. However, when the teacher notices her Isobeyan backpack, her passion ignites as she excitedly shares details about the character.

This scene stood out to me because it revealed Koyama’s hidden excitement. Although she tries to come across as a realist and feigns happiness, this moment feels authentic. It shows that she still holds a spark of enthusiasm within her. This could be tied to nostalgia, as she is seen holding the same Isobeyan plushie she had as a young girl.

The episode’s final scene shows one of the mysterious spaceships crash-landing in a dimly lit neighborhood, revealing its passengers as unidentified humanoid creatures. Their bodies appear battered and bruised, possibly not just from the crash.

This series seems poised to delve deep into character relationships, dealing with trauma, growing up, and maturing, all against the backdrop of a mysterious alien invasion. The grounded story of adolescence combined with the unfolding mystery of the alien presence has me intrigued. With what seems to be impending doom literally hanging over everyone’s heads who could feel optimistic in that situation? But what did you think? Will you return for the second episode? Let us know in the comments below.

In the meantime scratch that dystopian itch with Oblivion Rouge. Vol. 1 & 2 AVAILABLE NOW!

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Sony Pictures Animation has partnered with the Kevin Love Fund to digitally release this animated short, which serves as part of the fund’s new mental health-focused curriculum, “The Hero Within.” This initiative aims to promote mental health awareness among students through an interactive lesson plan, including engaging activities like creative storyboard exercises.

Loved jumping back into the Spiderverse for fresh content. The animation quality did not disappoint, delivering a really impactful message. It was evident how overwhelming Miles had become, gradually succumbing to the mounting pressure. One standout moment depicted this brilliantly: his delayed spidersense reaction when startled by his dad.

The portrayal of the shadow creature during Miles’ sleep paralysis was genuinely chilling, akin to scenes from a horror film. This short honestly could have premiered in October HAHA. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the short’s portrayal of stress and its effects, offering a remarkably humanized perspective on the Miles.

Saturday AM is a big proponent of mental health, particularly within the entertainment industry. Our creators pour their hearts into sharing their stories and visions with our audience, acknowledging the rewarding yet demanding nature of creating manga. It’s all about finding that delicate balance.

Have you had a chance to watch THE SPIDER WITHIN short yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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What is Gear 5?

It is the awakened form of Gomu Gomu no Mi: It blesses its user with unparalleled strength and agility, morphing them into the legendary “Warrior of Liberation.” This isn’t just any power; it’s hailed as one of the world’s most wondrous forces, epitomizing true freedom and joy. And when Luffy harnesses this mesmerizing energy, his heartbeat dances to the captivating beat known as the “Drums of Liberation,” a title coined by Zunesha. Witness Luffy’s appearance dramatically changes – his hair and attire (save for his iconic hat, belt, and sandals) radiate a pristine white, his eyes sparkle with enigmatic red ringed pupils, and mystical white clouds gracefully encircle his neck.

Oda has mentioned that Gear 5 allowed him to reconnect with his foundational mangaka spirit, infusing the fight with a level of playfulness and freedom he believes the series has missed lately. As the series has taken a more serious direction to captivate fans, he sees this as an opportunity to reintroduce some lightheartedness. He was quoted as saying: “Think of it as I suddenly drew ‘Tom and Jerry’“

The Fans Reactions

The anticipation for Luffy’s Fifth Gear form reveal was palpable! However, opinions varied on the presentation, touching upon sound effects, animation choices, and the repetition of certain visuals in the scene.

This is what our staff at Saturday AM had to say:

“It was amazing. I loved the music with it and cant wait for more! Ive watched it at least 20 times easily!”

“Thought it was good! Can’t imagine what it was like for anime-only fans though. The loony toons sound effects were appropriate and great, but the way they were used was borderline memory though haha”

“I thought it was cool, there were some parts of the animation that were hard to comprehend due to the camera movement and stuff, but that’s also what made it look cool.”

“Sorry, too weird for me. There are way better fights in OP than this.”

“Loved it love it and loved it more. Been a manga fan of One Piece since like 16. So this one hit home for me. So many dope scenes, animations, and just mind boggling. Felt like a fever dream.”

“Animation was good. Music was fitting. I honestly love the power. Toon force or toon physics is cool as hell. But honestly, there was something lacking for me? I didn’t feel like this “LET’S GO” hype feeling with it.”

 

How did you Like it? Are you excited for the next episode? Let us know below!

Till next time folks!

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This narrative puts the spotlight on Minato, father of Naruto, as he relentlessly works on crafting and refining a new jutsu, intended to serve as a shield for both his village and his beloved. Concurrently, we get a glimpse into the life of Kushina, the former vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox, who had to be sealed away to keep the powerful creature at bay. This one-shot profoundly underscores the blooming romance between the future parents of our favorite, knuckle-headed ninja, Naruto.

Our team loved this fresh take, relishing the opportunity to peek into the lesser-explored younger years of these pivotal characters. Here are some thoughts and reactions from our staff about the one-shot.

“Yessir i loved it”

“I thought it was great!”

“Nostagia for days!”

“I read it. Thought it was great. Love getting to see the background to key relationships. Also, you know my boy is the RIZZLER. Boy was developing the Rizzengan all chapter.”

 

Where Can You Read the One-shot?

good question the official translation is up on Shonen Jump and Manga Plus. Go check em out!

Oh and if you’re looking for more content to get your shonen manga fix check out our incredible line of Graphic Novels right HERE! 

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