February 25th, 2018 
AstroNerdBoy Kumeta-sensei’s Proxy Broadside at Akamatsu-sensei and “UQ Holder”
Hey gang. Back at the end of 2013, when UQ Holder first started, I reported on how KUMETA Kouji-sensei, probably best known as the manga-ka of the popular series Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei, slammed Akamatsu-sensei and UQ Holder in Kumeta-sensei’s then new manga series, Sekkachi Hakushaku to Jikan Dorobou. As part of his mostly one-sided feud with Akamatsu-sensei, Kumeta-sensei accused Akamatsu-sensei of being a “time thief” with UQ Holder. Two chapters later (chapter 4), Kumeta-sensei went so far as to kill the parody version of Touta he had in his manga. Now, Kumeta-sensei is back with his latest attack.
Hata-sensei’s “Tonikaku Kawaii” and Kumeta-sensei
For those who don’t know, HATA Kenjiro-sensei, best known for his long running series Hayate the Combat Butler, is back with a new manga series. Instead of resuming Ad Astra Per Aspera, Hata-sensei has started a new called Tonikaku Kawaii: Fly Me to the Moon (“Tonikaku Kawaii” could be called “Anyway Cute” or “Generally Cute” in English). To celebrate the launch of this new manga, Kumeta-sensei was commissioned to do a chapter about the new manga series. Why was Kumeta-sensei chosen? Well, Hata-sensei used to be Kumeta-sensei’s assistant.
Kumeta-sensei uses his chapter to poke some fun at Hata-sensei’s premise for Tonikaku Kawaii. I’ll talk about this more in a future post, but basically, the lead male has been saved from death by the hot female lead. Though critically injured, the MC manages to propose, but the female MC disappears. A few years later, the female shows up at his door, apparently accepting his marriage proposal. I guess the manga will be about the two being married, which Kumeta-sensei has fun with.
The “UQ Holder” Proxy Slam
Under the guise of continued poking fun at Hata-sensei, Kumeta-sensei actually fires a broadside at Akamatsu-sensei and UQ Holder. Specifically, Kumeta-sensei covertly mocks UQ Holder‘s new name of UQ Holder! Mahou Sensei Negima 2. Check it out for yourself.
As you see, Kumeta-sensei throws some bombs at other manga titles, but the broadside is reserved for Akamatsu-sensei. Considering Kumeta-sensei’s complaints about UQ Holder are ones I’ve heard from Negima fans, that made it funnier to me.
So what did you all think of this? Let me know in the comments.
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That’s some real quality art, characters, and background there. Was his art always so hideous?
If you use your manga as a platform to diss other writers, you’re probably a hack.
Kumeta-sensei has had a pretty successful career. But he is reportedly jealous of Akamatsu-sensei, and he does have a rep for hammering others.
Seemingly. Admittedly I haven’t read any of his works but they never appealed to me. All the characters look the same (I know Akamatsu is just as guilty), and those backgrounds are Bleach tier. Ughhh.
Haha. I’ve never read Kumeta-sensei’s stuff either as it never appealed to me. Well, outside the few chapters where I know Akamatsu-sensei is being slammed.
Kumeta’s works don’t need elaborate backgrounds. His manga are dialogue-heavy ‘talking heads’ social comment stuff, they aren’t supposed to gravitate around action pieces or anything like that.
That’s like complaining on a sitcom not having grandiose set pieces.
Fair enough but there’s like nothing there. Are they in a rift between dimensions?
Akamatsu deserves it.
Zetsubou-sensei was never translated into my language so I bought the English ones. Kodansha US dropped it after 14 volumes. FML
Read the rest online. The last volume was a sight to see. And the anime seasons are just great.
I think Zetsubou-sensei is his best known work, though he’s done quite a few manga series.
π
Joshiraku was also pretty good. The anime had a really good OP and ED, too. The manga was never fully scanlated, though.
I tried reading Katteni Kaizo, but it was just too weird for me. Not a lot of scanlations for that, too.
Really, most of Kumeta’s work has no available translations. Kumeta’s type of humor doesn’t have a lot of international appeal, I guess. The tons of references to Japanese events, news, and celebrities sure doesn’t help.
Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard about Kumeta-sensei.
“Fair enough but thereβs like nothing there. Are they in a rift between dimensions?”
It’s like Peanuts or Garfield. We don’t really need anything but a little bit of grass and Snoopy’s copypasted doghouse, or Jon Arbuckle’s table, to set the scene, and if you look at the strip the rest of the stage is bare.
I dunno, I just feel like I expect more out of a professional mangaka. I haven’t read every single manga out there but even the less talented ones generally put something there instead of some weird polka dots or just nothing.
And I mean, using Jim Davis or Charles Schulz as examples isn’t really a good thing for a guy who’s probably trying to make money. It seriously looks like a newspaper strip. Maybe that’s what he’s going for? I don’t know if Japan even has those.
… you’re aware Davis and Schulz have made way more money than the average mangaka, right?
And yes, Japan does have newspaper strips, or 4-koma. IIRC the super successful Sazae-san started as one of those, and I think also My Neighbors the Yamadas (who had even an anime adaptation by Studio Ghibli).
Polka dots in backgrounds are nothing new, really, Takeuchi ‘Sailor Moon’ Naoko did it all the time too.
Yes I’m well aware the creators of two of the most famous western cartoon strips make a ton of money and as I understand that was part of the reason they did it. My point is they’re not really known for quality either.
Anyway I think I’d take this more seriously if it was an Oda or a Kubo or a Kashima.
Davis I’ll give you, but Schulz’s work has been critically acclaimed all over the world, at least when he was at his creative peak. Just being a daily strip doesn’t make your work automatically inferior, this is starting to strike me as akin to the prejudice many outsiders to manga have to manga in general.
I consider Kajishima (I think that’s his actual name) and Kubo to be far less impressive and more pandering and overrated than either Akamatsu or Kumeta (both of those Jump authors only follow token shounen cliches to the letter without supplying anything interesting or worthwhile for thought), but I’ll admit Oda is good at what he does.
But did he lie?
Hahaha! Perhaps not. π