Manga: Veritas

[Munsu]

Well Veritas is my latest flavor of the month that I've been enjoying. It's a martial arts mahnwa centered on a school that's purpose is to study all the secret arts.

I really like the art and the fight scenes are well done. What I like most of all is the main character. Although not among the strongest, yet, he's a really kickass main character... and the way he goes about doing things make him a complete badass in my book.

I think it has a good enough plot, with tons of conspiracy and underground organization politics. So adding to some cool characters and some well drawn martial arts fights, this series is a complete win for me.

There are some super powers involved, mostly from the influence of Ki, which is also one of the main reason I like the main character so far because of his involvement with it. But I think there's a good balance between the superpowers and actual combat.

Kangryong is a high schooler unlike others. He has always had a dream of being the strongest. One day he meets Youcheon, who teaches him a powerful skill. One year later, people come to see him and announce that his "master" is dead. Because he was his only student, Kangryong has to follow them and go to a school where everybody has supernatural powers.

http://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=16971


16 chapters have been released so far by helz0ne:
http://www.helz0ne.zone-anime.com/

[Ryllharu]

I've been following this series, and I have to admit, I really have no idea how the dumbass will ever turn this around in order to defeat Vera and that other bitch.

He's got a good natural feel for fighting (I really enjoyed the chapters where he fought the backstabbing girlfriend, slowly luring her into her weaknesses) but the only people he has a chance of defeating are chump change. The primary characters are worlds above him.

His only hope is to follow his master's advice and start refining Ki. I really like the lore behind that concept. The overwhelming majority of shonen/seinen series are about having absurd levels of Ki, Chakra, Spirit energy, Furyoku, etc. Here, his master specifically mentioned it as being a disadvantage to have an absurd amount of Ki. It's "worthless."

It's still early, but Kangryong hasn't shown any aptitude for it.

[Munsu]

Yep, you nailed it in the head. It's one of the reasons why I enjoy a variety of the mahnwas I'm finding around. Although not always, they often have some sort of refreshing look to what is the shounen/seinen equivalent of mangas. Sometimes the shounen are a bit more seinen like. Sometimes the themes are more serious, and things like that.

[Munsu]

Here's chapter 17:
http://uploading.com/files/Y2JVI7G0/...%2017.rar.html

Looks like we're going to have a kickass fight in the coming chapter, though I was kinda hoping for Kangryong to kick his ass. You think he's going to increase his Ki?

[Ryllharu]

I hope not. I wonder how much of that is a trick or a bribe. Kangryong should know better, he just hasn't figured out the totality of the breathing techniques it seems. It certainly proves that Reunion truly doesn't know a great deal about EOTL. They want to steal it to add to their own fighting teaching methods, but it seems more like one of the arts they will pass onto Vera and other heads of the Academy rather than to everyone.

I'll be really disappointed if he breaks down and goes for the Ki injections or whatever we should call them.

[Ryllharu]

Bump for chapter 18:
http://uploading.com/files/462VC2WW/...as_18.rar.html

[chapter content]


Rud isn't all talk after all. Guhoo is strong, but of course he's the typical dumb character without a sense of his surroundings. Not a bad fight, but there have been much better ones already.


[chapter content]

[Munsu]

Nice, I didn't expect another chapter so soon. About the Ki, not sure if he'll take it... but considering that this Ki might be from another source, who knows what type of sideeffects it will have... so they can do some interesting stuff with it.

Rud was pretty good in this chapter... I'm never a fan of the "you can't hurt me" type of characters, but I thought it was a nice fight. But as you say there have been better ones.

[Ryllharu]

Apparently, releases are going crazy over at hellzone:
Veritas 19

[Munsu]

Hmm, damn cliffhanger...

Guhoo was badass in this one, Rud seems to be in deeph shit. With all the ruckus, I wonder if Kangryong will show up. I also like the back and forward between the chick and the short dude, forgot their names...

[Ryllharu]

Another fresh chapter, I wonder when they will catch up.
Veritas 20

EDIT:

Rud/Jahee (whoever it was) said it right. Shinra (formerly referred to as "that bitch") was very quiet about the whole thing, allowing it to go along, as long as she thought that Guhoo wouldn't lose. Rud and Jahee knew what they were doing from the first moment. They both knew Rud would win easily. Guhoo was too overconfident. Even though Rud slipped up and got hurt, they were carefully choosing a good target.

I don't know if I was just imagining things, but it seemed like Rud may have either an equivalent to, or has managed to refine some of his own Ki. If he's not actually refining it, he's certainly focusing all of it into his one style of attack.

At least Gangryong has decided that he shouldn't get an infusion, even if he's just going to take a look. The dumbass has a good point too. Flashy attacks are pretty cool, but if small precision strikes and subtle movements (like Rud used at the end) are all it takes, then flashy attacks just become telegraphed moves that are easier to dodge.

[shinta|hikari]

Not to mention you get to avoid paying the costs of the destruction DBZ battles would incur.

[Munsu]

And here's 21:
http://uploading.com/files/6Q6TFP9H/...%2021.rar.html

Two very good chapters in my opinion. Rud was completely badass with his move, and the latest chapter Vera-centric was quite good.

[Munsu]

Up to 24 at the moment:
http://helz0ne.zone-anime.com/index....81&board=134.0

He hasn't been injected with the fabricated Ki, but at the moment it seems that at least he has someone to teach him some stuff. Not sure if I like this since I kinda enjoyed him learning shit by himself.

[NeoCybercoin]

I liked the last pages most of this chapter. I never thought about it but it seems that his friend Honso Gu or whatever is name is was actually the third strongest guy of the entire school. And from the looks of the last page he restored his Ki or part of it anyway.

[Ryllharu]

NeoCybercoin forgot this:

Veritas 25

Really liked this chapter. Not only did I finally learn Gu Honse's name, Gangryong cemented his belief in his master's words that artificial ki is bullshit. It seems I can't say too many times how much I like his attitude. He knows he's going to get his ass kicked, repeatedly, and he intends to learn from those losses, all the way up to Vera if he has to. It's so different from the train in the mountains or in isolation, or in some secret spiritual training ground and then just suddenly know you are going to win by just a little bit that we see in so many other series. Gangryong intends to get slaughtered. No amount of solo training can ever compare to real combat.

It's funny that the very concept that so many other series go with is the one that the Reunion and Student Council group relies on.

[NeoCybercoin]

NeoCybercoin forgot this:

Veritas 25

Really liked this chapter. Not only did I finally learn Gu Honse's name, Gangryong cemented his belief in his master's words that artificial ki is bullshit. It seems I can't say too many times how much I like his attitude. He knows he's going to get his ass kicked, repeatedly, and he intends to learn from those losses, all the way up to Vera if he has to. It's so different from the train in the mountains or in isolation, or in some secret spiritual training ground and then just suddenly know you are going to win by just a little bit that we see in so many other series. Gangryong intends to get slaughtered. No amount of solo training can ever compare to real combat.

It's funny that the very concept that so many other series go with is the one that the Reunion and Student Council group relies on.

Heh thanks...I knew I forgot something.....

[Munsu]

Was it ever explained why Honso Gu lost his Ki? Because by the looks of it he did it to himself, so I wonder why... I don't remember if it has been explained.

Anyways, it seems like the group lost their translator damnit.

[Ryllharu]

Veritas 26

This was a strange chapter considering what's been going on lately, but it did serve to reinforce the revived Honse Gu's point. Resting and recuperating is an important part to training. Pushing yourself too hard to the point of injury is fundamentally moronic.

Lots of comedy, Honse's idiocy doesn't change after he's back into shape (a delightful surprise in series like this). Is this a romantic angle for Gangryong? I was half-expecting them to go the stereotyped route, with Vera fulfilling her crush on Gangryong's Master with Gangryong towards the end of the series, but Shee-yeon (Shion?) might be something else.

Still, they can't be too far from Reunion, so I don't know if we can be sure how normal Shion really is. She's certainly confident enough to hang out with some random idiot (Gangryong) on her own. If she is a part of Reunion, is she after a connection to him in order to get at the secret of EOTL? I suppose it's too soon to do anything but speculate wildly.

I'm hoping she someone completely normal for a change, but we just don't know enough at this point. Also...why is the title of this arc some other girl's name?

[Munsu]

Nice change of pace chapter. It was quite welcomed... I enjoy this dynamic duo quite a bit.

I bet next chapter they'll have their date, and towards the end some sort of situation will arise that will throw Gangryong in some sort of battle. I bet against some punks that bothering people or something.

[Munsu]

27:
http://mangahelpers.com/s/helz0ne/details/18525