Sano Manjiro Defender

From reading the title I knew this chapter was going to hit right where it hurts😭it is my favorite so far (I say this every week but fr this story just keeps getting better and better, I'm hooked! + I am starting to get attached to the characters, so I think I will love it like I loved tr)

Botan🥹he is so beautiful and kind, another favorite older brother added to the list, and of course he is dead before the story even begins😭I hope to see more of him in future chapters through flashbacks (and maybe it gets suddenly revealed that he plays a big role like Shinichiro i would not complain) I just want him to appear more, he is too pretty to not be in the story🙏🏻

I love them sm 🥹Kou deserves the world, I hope him and Kuran can heal and be close again. I know there's only a year difference between Kou and Kuran based on the classes they're in, but it really feels like Kou is their baby, and I know Kuran will keep looking after him, for Botan, and for Kou🫶🏻

they really had me all in my feels this chapter made me so sad, Wakui does it again and only from chapter 6😭I wonder what's more to come. They are so precious it hurts, why did Botan have to die..I hope Kuran finds his smile again without the help of the astro and can be genuinely happy. and Kou my baby..he broke my heart, he really is just a heartbroken boy manifesting his grief in rage and hatred, I need to protect him :( he just could not accept losing everything, the person who meant everything to him and Kuran who lost himself in the process

"take care of Kou for me"🥹🥹 this part …poor Kuran, I hope he can heal and take care of himself too, i will never be free from Wakui's angst i fear, the way he's holding his hand I'm sobbing

Kuran is now officially my favorite nna character, I'm getting attached to him, and I am pleasantly surprised to see how his character turned out! I expected someone mean spirited from how he was presented, but the real reason to his cold appearance was not what I expected at all, baby was so silly and grief rendered him cold, unable to find his smile again to the point that his deepest wish was just to be silly again pls, this is so precious and sad😭

I love them so so much I already feel like I am getting attached to these two, I hope they find solace in each other

I know this is just Kuran using his astro to impersonate Botan, but whenever Wakui draws the ghost of the dead loved one guiding the character, it hurts, but it is beautiful 🫶🏻

On a lighter note, please Hibaru, not the time lmao, I love his responses and energy sm😭

“And I’ll still see it

Until I die

sounds fair enough

My favorite chapter so far..this story just keeps getting better and better! Wakui's style always captivates me and moves me, especially when he starts adding backstories and angst I knew it was coming tangled between fights, to add more to the drama🙏🏻

Starting with Kou, I found him a little irritating during his first appearance, but I still liked him a bit, now I think he might be my favorite after Hibaru and Terasu. I love complex characters sm, also, this panel goes hard ngl his astro is one of the coolest so far, I love allusions, especially religion and mythology ones

noodle arms is so funny😭

as I'm reading some people's thoughts about him, many found him annoying and disliked him in the previous chapters, but the more I get to see him the more I realize he is deeply wounded. It does not excuse his actions of betraying his brother who looked after him, but I think he just never properly handled his grief and emotions. Like in this scene, him being reminded of Botan's ideals, and his coping mechanism is rejecting and hating it. I don't think he truly hates Hibaru, but he feels like he despises him because of his personality, the same personality that led to Botan's death

Hibaru's selflessness and dedication reminded him of what he lost, since Botan shared similar ideals and died protecting someone else. So whenever he sees Hibaru being like this, Kou probably remembers Botan, and their dad, and he is just reflecting a lot of pent up rage and grief that he never processed properly. People deal with grief differently, and he seems to "hate" his brother for dying that way but of course it's not hate, he is heartbroken to lose him and does not know how to cope, so his grief manifests as rage and hostility. He most likely also feels abandoned by his brother, as some people deal with grief through linking it to betrayal. (All this abandonment issues and resentment and hatred is reminding me so much of my beloved Izana...🥹)

sidenote: Botan is gorgeous..why is it always the kind and beautiful older brother who is dead before the story even begins, Wakui?😭

I need more lore on this..need to see more of Kuran and Botan + Kou and the whole story, but especially Kuran and Botan, I need tragic best friends written by Wakui in my life again 🙏🏻

war flashbacks: take care of Mikey for me

this hurt me..😭

I thought he was going to be mean, but he's actually way sweeter than I expected🥹He must feel responsible for keeping Kou safe all the time, maybe he lost to him on purpose because he can't bring himself to fight (just an idea, he said that the astro was too powerful for him to face so he lost, and we still don't know his astro or if he's just strong enough without one, but idk, maybe he's just too protective of Kou to keep his promise) anyway, I know Wakui's hobby is writing angst so if anything happens to Kou and Kuran has to witness it without being able to protect him and carry on Botan's dying wish, I will be in Wakui's walls…

so much drama and it's only chapter 5, I’m here for it

the fighting scenes were incredible, sure missed seeing those!!

this part was so funny, poor Terasu is always so done 😭 but also I wonder if Kou wants to take Terasu because he feels empty and wants Hibaru to feel empty too..

this one made me laugh😭and Terasu's face, he is much more than just a super strong arm ok😔

Hibaru the man that you are!! Every chapter I adore him more (he gave me Tanjiro vibes in this scene but more sassy)🫶🏻

Super late but I still wanted to write something for this chapter like the other 3 to try to be active on here again 🥲 I have been enjoying this story so much so far, Ken Wakui has again managed to get me hooked. Even though I don’t have much to say about this chapter, it is my favorite so far. I loved to see a glimpse of the fighting, something I enjoy a lot in Wakui’s style, and also learned more about the siblings dynamics and some of the powers. It seems it will only get worse from here (better plot wise worse for the relationships between Hibaru and the siblings😭)

Kuran was my favorite part of the chapter. I honestly expected him to be way meaner so I am pleasantly surprised (still, it is only a first proper appearance so who knows how he really is). Hibaru respects him a lot and is determined to get him to his side, so this shows they don’t have a hostile relationship, and most likely Kuran does not mean him any harm. But I wonder what happened between him and Kou, they were always shown together as a pair so I expected them to be working together/have a close bond, not for Kou to overthrow him😭 but again everything happened behind the scenes so the details are foggy, and I will need to see more of each sibling to form a proper opinion, but I am definitely enjoying his personality and character + his design is amazing, I love the eyeliner

Something about him reminds me of Baji, especially in these panels where he turns around this way, a mix of his face and his vibes

Kou..intriguing character. I would love to know what led him here and made him want to fight his siblings. From how he speaks it seems everyone treated him poorly, like crap as he put it, and I am always here for “the world turned its back on me so I will turn my back on the world” kind of character who is mistreated/wronged and suddenly gains power. Always interesting to see how they use this power. Hibaru also called him the weakest, and Hibaru is such a sweet guy so maybe the other siblings are even more hostile towards him😭 but his cool doctor octopus kind of power makes him damn strong now apparently if he defeated kuran, i am loving this, each one of them wanting power for themselves, cant wait to see what the others want and desire

The pointing though lmao, he can do the “who got six thumbs and … this guy!” joke

But yeah i saw many people not liking him alrea but tbh i like him so far

This part was adorable 😭 Terasu is like an angry cat, it’s funny because so many people call him “pookie” “bean” “baby” and i call him my son, he would hate that, he is a little munchkin…

I really love their dynamic😭 reminds me a lot of Takemichi and Chifuyu, Terasu always looks like he does not wanna be there and is done with everything, but no matter how much he acts embarrassed by hinaru or playfully insults and judges him i know he would die for him without hesitation, and their brotherhood is so precious I know I will cry cause of them one day, nothing hurts me and heals my heart more than how Wakui writes sibling bonds: shinnie and mikey + the whole izana plotline + yuzuha and hakkai and mitsuya and the little girls, everything Wakui writes moves me

we are only four chapters in but i already feel myself getting more and more attached to Hibaru, he is so silly and precious, I love a good-hearted kind mc who is also brave and sassy. I love how he's always ready to pick a fight

but overall, he is a good person with a heart of gold, Wakui please don't traumatize him..

Another banger by Wakui. I'm enjoying this story and its characters a lot so far! Wakui always knows how to move me with his complex family plotlines and drama🥹Excited to see what's to come, and also afraid for the siblings and the angst that I'm certain Wakui is cooking, I mean we already saw a glimpse of it. It was resolved quickly though, yay (for now)

The family all look so tiny and cute aw🥰I really want to see more of their past before the rebellion started, them growing up together, bonding, just soft moments..I feel like Wakui will bring these forward during fights or deaths..we saw him do that a lot in Tokyo Revengers, to pour salt on the wound 😭 Anyway, we have the number of most of the siblings so far except the 4th, 6th and 7th adopted, and as far as we know they are 12, I believe one was shown this chapter but not given a number yet, and it is 12 adopted siblings and Hibaru if I am not wrong, I have a feeling the cute girl from the promo pictures is not related to them, but to the astro power. I would like to meet some characters outside the family, I love the concept a lot as someone who has enjoyed such stories, but I wanna see some friendships etc. like in TR, Wakui knows how to write such bonds so well🥹

+ Still no news of her..no name, no info, Wakui please..🙏🏻😔

He's like the little "I choose violence" “peace was never an option” duck meme😭 but damn, seeing a different side to Terasu this chapter sure was interesting..he can be pretty cold-hearted, unlike his angel of a brother..but they complement each other, as one of the TR quotes that I love dearly: "he compensates for what he's lacking."

While I stand with Hibaru on this, I need to know more about Terasu and his relationship with the siblings aside Hibaru because he does not seem to have any bit of a soft spot for them, and I wonder why. I mean, he went to the extreme immediately, but we also saw that Shio wants them dead, and who knows what else he witnessed the siblings do when Hibaru was in his coma. He definitely just wants to protect himself and Hibaru from Shio and the rest who wish them harm or want them eliminated out of the picture, but I did not like the "we're not blood related we might as well be strangers"..I understand his frustration, but adopted family is a family, and found family is a family..reminds me of the conversation between Shinichiro and Izana, when Izana insisted that blood means everything, and Shinichiro said blood does not matter, they are still family, be it adopted, or the family you choose..but also if your family wants you dead, it is a complicated situation in a dog eat dog world, as Terasu said, it's kill or be killed. I wonder what Hibaru will do when forced to face such a situation, cause surely the power of love and friendship wont stop Shio and the rest

Hibaru and Terasu's fight was fun to read;not fun emotionally was gonna cry if they did not resolve it but like, seeing Wakui's fight scenes again, I love it + I knew Terasu's astro power is a shield, I mean it was quite obvious since he survived a whole building crashing on him, but nice to see it confirmed lol. + so they are shield and strength, interesting dynamic.

Angel mc with a heart of gold🩷every chapter I love him more and more, I'll give him the world and keep him in my pocket🥹 I am afraid of him though, "never be so kind you forget to be clever", I hope he knows the limits of love to give those who wish him harm. but it warms my heart, how he says he loves Shio and everyone..my sweet boy, please don't hurt him Wakui..i hope some of the siblings will be on his side. I also love how his purity and kind soul reflected on Terasu and were able to turn things around and end the fight. I'm starting to doubt that Terasu would betray him (mentioning this cause I wrote before some hints that he could be a Judas kind of character later) I love angst, but I hope to not see them fight again. Also the way he sobs and calls him "jerkface" because he was so hurt that the family was called strangers..adorable precious sweet boy🫶🏻

Angry kitty😠

Hibaru is so cute and Terasu is like "free me I don't wanna be here"😭

grandpa is so funny the way he's here for the tea and encouraging the fight , I hope to keep seeing more of him

I finally know pretty boy's name! Shikaba! and the other brother is Taira, interesting to see they are presented together in both their appearances. they don't seem too mean like the other brothers. Taira so far seems like a Hanma type of character who comments about everything and enjoys the vibes lol. As for Shikaba, interesting to see his eyes are still closed 🤔

aaand him, Kuran, he sure is intriguing, as Hibaru referred to him as "a real man among men", and it shows he truly admires him and his strength. he's been quiet so far in all his appearances, but does not seem too friendly, we shall see

My baby Hibaru! He was the star of the chapter. Anyway, all in all, it was a solid chapter, showing more of Hibaru's power and strength while setting out the family fight, showing who the main threat to Hibaru is. I wish it was longer though, but I am used to Wakui's short chapters from Tokyo Revengers + it is weekly, and he needs rest, so no complaining here, hopefully next chapter we get to see more about the remaining siblings and their powers.

His duality lol, he's such a sweet little cinnamon roll, I love him so much. I admire his bravery, and how he stands up for the weak and doesn't allow injustice. His bond with that grandpa is precious

Like, so cute! Hibaru I hope you will be beloved by all. A sweet mc who helps the helpless always steals my heart. (Terasu's "Ah geez" though, he's so silly)

I knew he was going to be the main antagonist, he definitely gave many signs in the previous chapter. "And the gods chose me" ok, Taiju Shiba much? Yet another evil older sibling hm..I hope Hibaru will have another older sibling (Terasu aside) who is like Shinichiro and Mitsuya, who would protect him and be by his side. (He is highkey fine tho)

So their plan is to tell everyone else the one chosen for succession died, of course, this would cause some family drama, and "who will be the next king" arguments..

I believe some of the siblings want power for themselves definitely, while others would side with Shio, and I do hope some of them would take Hibaru's side once he is back. I don't want every single one to be against him.

+ Shio's power..gravity manipulation hm. I wonder if the shape of the rocks being an infinity sign holds any significance here.

This sibling is definitely a sneak lol. I am almost certain he is going to betray Shio, his "you're the king" with that sinister expression, it's giving Kisaki..on the outside, he will be by Shio's side, but he will definitely have some other ideas in the shadows. Looking forward to see more of this.

The brotherhood between Hibaru and Terasu is so precious to me Wakui PLEASE do not separate..I loved how Terasu looked after him all the time while he slept, the bond between them is sweet and I hope it stays that way, free of angst..But i can't help wondering if Terasu would betray him

I love his spirit, he woke up from his very long nap and is not taking Shio's sh*t, nothing scares off my mc, that's my son right there!!

+ some random things:

He is always so adorable and flabbergasted, he reminds me sm of Chifuyu with his style, personality and expressions

angy kitties

I wish we got to see these two this chapter :( they are the two I am most interested in (yes, because of their pretty designs) and I just want to know their name alreadyy

I am late, in 3 days we will have chapter two, life has been too busy but I planned to share my thoughts on every chapter as the manga goes, so i will write them down here anyway

I have not read chapter 2 leaks nor do i plan to so these are all based on whatever info we got from chapter 1

Overall, Wakui never fails to intrigue me with his concepts. A lot of people online who enjoy hating on his works just because they didn’t like Tokyo Revengers and wanted to board the hate train kept calling it tr 2.0, but to me, it is a unique concept, the only thing it shares with tr is its art style (obviously, both are drawn by Wakui, he was not going to magically change his art just because it is a new work, besides, his art is precious and comforting to see, why would we want it to change?) + the concept of gangs and brotherhood which are prevalent in Tokyo Revengers. Other than that, this story is set out to be different. I love space, supernatural elements, family stories, angst and drama, and this story seems to blend all together. With a family of adopted siblings and a biological son, it makes me wonder, do any of the adopted ones harbor any hatred in their hearts for Hibaru? Who is close to whom? Who hates whom? There seems to be a lot of tension, like royal family children fighting for the throne, they would fight for succeeding their father.

Starting with Shio, could he be the main antagonist of the story? The panels seemed to focus on him whenever they were mentioning the succession. It seemed he had his eye on it, considering he is the first adopted son, he most likely expected he would be the next leader. In the second panel, his rage is apparent when Hibaru announced that Terasu was chosen. Perhaps he would try to “dethrone” the two, to speak in kingdom terms. Also, Kou did tell them to stay out of Shio’s way, it seems to me each siblings will have their own squad, and it will be a family feud. I am expecting lots of battle, and knowing Wakui, angst and bloodshed.

Hibaru my beloved! I am so attached to him already. Wholesome mc with a brave heart, count me in! Like Takemichi, he is dedicated to his goal, and to looking after his loved ones, as it was his will to save Terasu that gave him strength (+ the memory of his Father guiding him) I can’t say much about him, but he seems to be a golden retriever type of boy, with a pure soul and a strong will, and he most likely does not want the family to fight, as he does his best to avoid that. (but he also does not take sh*t from anyone, as he almost attacked Kou and had the cutest little angry face) Hibaru was always shown to be excited when his father brought new siblings home, and I do not think he dislikes any of them. But anyway, I will support my son’s rights and wrongs.

And these two seem to be the gossipers of the family who attend to talk sh*t about everyone else lol. The pretty boy with the colored hair gives me Hanma vibes, he seems to be quite chill, just wanting to see how it all goes down (or not, just an impression based on his vibe, but either way, I love his energy.) as for blondie with the scar, he caught my attention the most out of all the siblings, aside being beautiful design wise and looking like Kokonui, his sarcastic personality and just overall aura definitely interested me. He also never opened his eyes once during the whole chapter, and his scar goes through his eyes, could he be blind? I need to know more about him and his backstory, how he got this scar..and can he see..perhaps, his new power could make him see? (If he is blind)

What made me love Tokyo Revengers so much was not its plot (yes, Wakui cooked, he is a good author, Tenjiku arc’s plot was phenomenal and one of the most memorable in all works of fiction Ive read), but what engraved tr into my heart, making it something so dear to me, a story I’m way too attached to, is the bond between its characters, and the relationships between them, whether i saw it in a platonic or romantic sense, and all the various sibling relations, how Shinichiro changed the course of destiny itself for his brother, how Mitsuya raised two little sisters on his own and protected them, how Naoto loved his sister so much he meddled in time for her, how Yuzuha put her own safety on the line and endured endless abuse for her brother, etc. Wakui writes all types of relationships so beautifully it moved me to tears so many times, and that is why the sibling bond between Terasu and Hibaru is so dear to me.

Like?? Absolutely precious. Their love for each other is already so evident only from one chapter. Cant wait to see more of them and hopefully it stays pure and untainted…(Wakui im looking at you.)

However..I can't help but think of this. Terasu's parents were defeated (k*lled) by Hibaru's dad, and Wakui never adds details for no reason. Everything in tr was carefully planned since day one even if it was rushed at the end, so, could this turn into a "Judas" sort of situation, where Terasu is faced with a difficult choice to make? Could he betray Hibaru? They are so dear to me, I would hope not, but also...angst...

Random thought: Code Geass is my all time favorite anime, and this part reminded me of the very first episode of Code Geass, where CC speaks to Lelouch, giving him the power of Geass, which brings me to..her

Again, i have not seen leaks, idk if it is revealed who she is in chapter two, but we have not seen her yet in chapter one..is she part of the family, or could she be similar to CC in a way, related to the "astro" power? I am keen to know more about her

Another random thought: I am obsessed with her and I don't even know her name yet, but she is gorgeous. All the girls Wakui drew in tr are stunning but she just..stands out, her design is unique to all ladies Wakui drew before, she reminds me of a femme Manjiro mixed with Koko, and Betty Boop