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Happy Marriage ?! Volume 3 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : December 12, 2013
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Happy Marriage?! 3“The Radius”

Title: Happy Marriage 3

Writer/ Artist: Maki Enjoji

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: December 3, 2013

Format: Shojo Manga

Genre: Romance

Age Rating: M

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

Chiwa didn’t marry for love, but rather it was an arranged marriage to Hokuto, of the Mamiya Company, in order to pay off her father’s debt.  It is a marriage of convenience not of love. They are more roommates than spouses.

Although Chiwa is 23, she never had a boyfriend and suddenly she’s living with a man she barely knew. Even so, she couldn’t help falling for him and wished he could love her back.

In volume 3, Hokuto is sick and Chiwa takes care of him. They both begin to realize how little they know about each other, after all, they are married. Even as they try, it doesn’t go smoothly but at least they are talking more to each other.

It’s December and the difficulties of Christmas and present giving complicate things. New Year’s with Hokuto’s extended family are even worse as he is not well received by his cousins.

 

Commentary:

This is a rather sweet love story, although a bit more on one side than the other. Chiwa is a simple yet pleasant character who has a sweet and innocent hear. I can’t help but like her. Hokuto seems a bit of the strong, upwardly mobile loner. And, of course, they make a great romance couple.

Jumping in at volume 3, I don’t see why this has a M rating. There isn’t any images or language that seems past teen. Now, there are situations that arise between a married couple, but nothing happens. Demon Love Spell pushes things much further and that is 16+. Perhaps it is another volume in the series that needs the rating. I found that to be the case in the series Emma, that not all the volumes needed a higher age rating, but there were points in that did.

Both Chiwa and Hokuto have revealed more about themselves, their lives and even, in at least one case, their feelings. Some of it was intentional, some by accident. However long they live together, and for whatever reasons, they are really starting to make the best of it.

The story elements seem like ones I’ve heard before, but it is still well done and makes for a light and enjoyable series. There isn’t anything too complex and there isn’t any life lessons. Still, it does what it is supposed to. A love story that leaves the readers feeling good at the end.

Overall Grade: B+ A fun manga to enjoy.

“In the Radius”: Stepping on Roses is a similar series where the husband is wealthy compared to the wife and marriage is initially more of a business deal.

 

 

Glove (Live Action Film Review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 11, 2013
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GloveGlove (Live Action Film)

Director: Kang Woo-suk

Actors: Jung Jae-young and Yoo Sun

U. S. Distributor: 5 Points Pictures, Right Stuf, C J Entertainment

U. S. Release date: July 23rd, 2013

Format: DVD / Feature Film / 144 minutes

Genre: Sports Drama, Slice of Life, Romance

Age Rating: 13+

Overal Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

Kim Sang-nam (Jung Jae-young, Moss and By The Book) is a hero on the pitcher’s mound, but thanks to his drunk and disorderly behavior off the field he now faces the prospect of a lifetime expulsion from Korea’s pro-baseball league. Desperate to salvage his public image, Sang-nam’s manager hauls him to the countryside to serve as the guest coach for the baseball team at a school for the hearing impaired.

Just 10 players, Chungju Sacred Heart’s team has challenges other high school baseball teams don’t. They can’t hear the crack of the bat, so it’s harder to follow the ball. Their ability to communicate on the field is limited, making teamwork more difficult. And they have to fight against others’ pity and perceptions just to be seen as competitors.

The students and their advisers are enthusiastic about entering their first national tournament, but Sang-nam is cynical about the team’s chances – until he sees glimpses of his younger self reflected in the boys as they play. Their shared love for the game may be enough to change the course of their lives…

Commentary:

Glove is based on a true story about a deaf high school who has a base ball team and they have plenty of difficulties even pulling a simple team together. This is truly and underdog story that even in the end you fell great with hopes for the future. The down and out ball player trying to get back in the limelight is a little tiring but Jung Jae-young does a very good job at playing the part. He manage to slide into being the caring coach easily even if it felt a little detached from time to time.

The basic bones of this film are very stereotypical and some what redundant. The key to this film is not the story on its own, but rather the acting that these boys provide. The entire group do a great job of giving us a taste of what these guys really go through to just feel like a normal group of high school boys. There is one problem they just aren’t normal boys and they all know it. On the surface the story of the star player rediscovering what it is that made the game great for him stands out, but in the end it is just window dressing for the discovery of desire and realization with the reality of defeat mixed in.

There were several times I wanted to cry for these boys and other times I wanted to slap the coach. I guess that the fact that those emotions came forward say a lot for any film and it is a reminder of how strong film making in Korea really is. Glove stands out for many reasons and most of all it is a reminder of how good Asian film making is and highlights their ability to get to the heart of the matter without it feeling heavy handed.

 

Overall Grade: B+

Even though I felt as though the story itself was very heartwarming there are plenty of sports films that use the serious underdog to give credence to the film. Glove uses those plot devices but somehow manages to add something a little more special by reminding us of our humanity. I almost wish the coach wasn’t a burned out superstar who need a reminder of his love of the game. I feel as though it just got in the way. With that said, I have to say that the acting, directing and production was top notch. Glove is a keeper and I hope that people get a chance to see this heart warming film. Just remember Love is in Base Ball (G LOVE).

Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakened (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 10, 2013
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Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakenedreview provided by TJ

Pokemon: the Movie – Genesect and the Legend Awakened

Story and Art: Momota Inoue

Original Concept: Satoshi Tajiri

U.S. Distributor: Viz Media

Release Date: Dec 3, 2013

Format and Length: manga; 190 pgs

Genre: fantasy

Industry Age Rating: A for All Ages

Overall Personal Rating: C

Similar Series: other titles in the Pokemon universe

Synopsis:

 

The ancient and extinct Pokemon Genesect has been revived and is now on a mission to return to the home they once knew. However, to do that, they decide that everything else is their enemy and attack other pokemon in order to get what they want. Mewtwo, who has taken it upon himself to be the protector of all Pokemon, stands in their path.

 

In New Tork City, Ash, Cilan and Iris have just arrived at the Pokemon park known as Pokemon Hills.  Pokemon Hills is a haven where many Pokemon gather  and it has several different areas, each replicating the natural habitat of various Pokemon.  While exploring, Ash comes across a lone Genesect that seems to have been separated from the rest of the Genesect.  After discovering that it can talk, Ash learns that it just wants to go home. But the rest of the Genesect appear and attack Ash and his friends.  At the last second, Mewtwo appears to save them. After explaining the situation to Ash and company, Mewtwo goes to confront the Genesect at Pokemon Hills, where the Genesect have decided to build a new nest. A large fight ensues between the group of Genesect and the Pokemon of Pokemon Hills. As the battle climaxes, Mewtwo takes Genesect high above the earth and explains that much has changed, and that while their old home may no longer be there, there is no reason that they cannot easily find a new home without having to harm anything else. Genesect agrees and, once back on the ground, follows Ash to a place that is perfect for the Genesect to start anew.

 

Commentary:

 

Genesect and the Legend Awakened was almost good.  But there were just too many problems in it to call it good.  There were many plotholes and glaring inconsistencies in the story that it just took away from what otherwise would have been a pleasant, lighthearted read.

 

The Genesect Pokemon were supposed to have been ancient extinct Pokemon that were revived from fossils. But why were they revived? Who revived them? There is no explanation given at all for where they suddenly came from. And Mewtwo even admits that he was also a Pokemon created by humans and, if the events from Pokemon the First Movie are already known, then it is known how and why Mewtwo came to be; but there is no mention of anything like that, even in Mewtwo’s flashbacks. In fact, Ash and Mewtwo both act as if they have never even seen each other before, much less had a huge conflict that involved Ash temporarily dying.  Another thing that was never made clear is just what exactly Pokemon Hills is. The name makes it sound like a Pokemon retirement home. But it looks like it could be a Pokemon adoption center. Or maybe a Pokemon theme park. Or even a Pokemon hotel. Or and place that wild Pokemon come to just chill. It is unclear just what purpose this establishment serves.

 

There is one last real problem that I have with Genesect and the Legend Awakened. Team Rocket is in it. Normally, I like Team Rocket, they provide comic relief and are, sometimes, an interesting antagonist.  But they appear only on one page, just five panels. Then they are never seen again in the entire story. There is no reason for them to have appeared at all as they never played any role at all in the story. They’re five panels do not even have any real comic relief elements. They should have just been left out of the story altogether.

 

However, while all I have done is point out how Genesect and the Legend Awakened fell short of where it could have been, it was not all bad. While reading, I did feel that enjoyment that I felt as a kid watching the Pokemon cartoon on TV. It was a welcome respite from real life. Momota Inoue has a cute art style that fits Pokemon perfectly and the story, while not written well, was very nicely illustrated and brought to life in this manga adaptation of the movie

 

Overall Grade: C

 

There is just much obviously inconsistent in Genesect and the Legend Awakened for me to have enjoyed it as much as I would have liked. It was a nice escape, back into what I enjoyed as a kid, but that was about it.

Aquarion EVOL Part 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 8, 2013
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Category: Reviews

Aquarion EVOL Part 1

review provided by TJ

Aquarion EVOL Part 1 (anime review)

Director:Mamoru Hatakeyama

Author: Mitsuru Hattori

U.S. Distributor: Funimation

Release Date: Dec 3, 2013

Format and Length: DVD/Blu-ray; 13 ep

Genre: action, sci-fi, romance

Industry Age Rating: 14+

Overall Personal Rating: A+

Similar Series: Aquarion; Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Synopsis:

 

Amata Sora is a boy who has always been fascinated by a movie called “Skies of Aquaria.” So much so that he landed himself with a job at the last theater that will still show the film. It is after a showing of the film while he is cleaning up the theater that he meets Mikono Suzushiro, a girl also intrigued by the movie. While they are chatting about the movie, giant inter-dimensional mechs that have been dubbed “Abductors” attack the city. The only weapon mankind has developed that is capable of stopping the Abductors is a mech called the “Aquaria.” Completely against his will, Amata ends up accidentally hijacking one of the Aquaria.

The Aquaria have an interesting ability to merge to become more powerful and it has been a longstanding rule and tradition that male Aquaria pilots and female Aquaria pilots shall not merge their mechs. However, as soon as Amata enters the cockpit, he feels as though he knows exactly what to do. Turning years of tradition on its head, he initiates a merge between his mech, another male pilot’s mech, and a female pilots mech and shouts out the name “Aquarion,” the name of an extremely powerful deity and a name which had not been spoken aloud in quite a long time. The speaking of the name apparently unlocked the hidden power of the Aquarion and turned it into “Aquarion EVOL.”

Now Amata must take on his new position as an Aquarion pilot and, by unlocking new and more powerful abilities of Aquarion, defend mankind from the Abductors and stop whoever is commanding them.

 

Commentary:

It’s almost cliché to say and sounds like something that came straight out of an anime, but the first two lines of the opening song and I knew this would be a good series. I still cannot get over just how good the opening song is. I found myself singing along to those first two lines when each episode started. But even so, the opening song did not prepare me for just how good this series would be. The action scenes were intense and always fun to watch. Each fight was different and each conflict brought new and interesting ways to use each character, not just the main protagonist. At the beginning of each fight was something that I was not sure how I felt about at first but grew to really enjoy watching: the merge sequence the mechs went through was essentially a magical girl’s transformation sequence.

The characters were all likeable and all for their own separate reasons and each character developed in a meaningful way throughout the series, even characters that were only around for two or three episodes. Sure, the main focus was on the relationship between Amata and Mikono, but there was quite a bit of time given to the development of the other characters and the relationships between them as well.

There is one more thing that must be commented on, it is neither good nor bad, merely an observation. Aquarion EVOL has many similarities to Gurren Lagann. In both, the operations of the mechs are influenced by the emotional state of the pilot. The mechs can all merge and they can do things that should not be physically possible given the space on the mech, although Aquarion does a better job of hiding that than Gurren Lagann does. And both series have horribly obvious sexual undertones. Again, these similarities are neither good nor bad, merely something worth mentioning.

 

Overall Grade: A+

It is not very often that a series comes along that I enjoy this much. I cannot find anything that I did not like about Aquarion EVOL

 

“In the Radius:”

 

Other titles similar to Aquarion EVOL might be Aquarion, or Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.

 

Aria The Animation Season 1 (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 8, 2013
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Category: Reviews

Aria the Animation season 1Aria The Animation Season 1

Director: Jun’ichi Sato

Studio: Hal Film Maker

U. S. Distributor: Nozumi / Right Stuf

U. S. Re-Release Date: Oct 1st, 2013

Format: DVD / 13 Episode / 325 Minutes

Genre: Slice of Life, Sci Fi

Age Rating: 13+

Overall Personal Rating B+

 

Synopsis:

Akari Mizunashi, at the age of 15, has left everything behind to travel to a sparkling planet covered in water, Aqua. More than anything, Akari wants to be an “undine” – a female gondolier who navigates the canals of the Aquan city of Neo-Venezia. As she begins her training with the prestigious Aria Company, will she be up to the challenges that await her on the path to achieve her dream?

Along the way Akari manages to make some life long friendships and discover the importance of understanding the world she is becoming a part of. With the tutelage Alicia the world will unfold for Akari in ways she will never expect. The real key to her growth and development are her friends Aika and Alice who are also in training but with other companies. The three of them also resemble the beginnings of the famed Three Water Fairies of Neo-Venezia who are also their trainers and mentors. Will the bonds that these three form help them see their way to the dreams that each one has for their futures and will getting there be the real adventure?

Commentary:

If you are looking for a easy going, simple, and loving slice of life then Aria is something made for you. I personally enjoy these quiet, calm and caring anime that are all about those coming of age years when friends and your future are the only things important to you. Aria does a wonderful job of putting Akari’s life in perspective and at the same time provide a little magic to keep her moving forward. I also like the way they make these young ladies friends rather than utter rivals. They are all in the same position and with this in mind they bond together rather than compete against each other. It is a rather eastern way of looking at things but it comes across rather well in this quiet anime.

With this anime originally airing in 2005 in Japan the animation is rather slick for a TV series. The overall production level is very high for a longer running series and for it to be aimed at the younger teen girl demographic it comes across as a series that had some serious funding. Of course it is a wonderful series for showing how to navigate the day to day problems we come across and at the same time place you in a world that doesn’t appear to have the dark troubles that our world has.

Overall Grade: B+

The idealism of the series is the weakest part of the narrative. I felt as though from time to time things were over simplified and some of the other trials we go through were overlooked. These types of series typically don’t try to drag in all of the trials and tribulations that we all suffer with, but Aria manages to side step some of them completely and this makes the series just a little too simplistic. This simple approach may let it down from time to time, but it also this very simplistic viewpoint that helps prop up the series. These girls and their mentors all have the kindness of heart that is the single redeeming quality of humanity that keeps us alive and striving to be better.

Aria is not for everyone, but if you like simple caring slice of life stories and are looking for something to give you a warm glow when things are quiet then you should reach for Aria. I highly recommend it for young ladies who are looking for a series that is not burdened with dating struggles but rather just wish to see how friends get along and enjoy their journey to adulthood.

Demon Love Spell 5 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : December 7, 2013
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Demon Love Spell 5“The Radius”

Title: Demon Love Spell 5

Writer/ Artist: Mayu Shinjo

U. S. Distributor: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: December 3, 2013

Format: Manga

Genre:   Supernatural Romance

Age Rating: T+

Overall Personal Rating: B+

 

Synopsis:

Miko, the daughter of a priest,  lives at a shrine and is in training. It is questionable if she really has any supernatural ability. Unintentionally, she sealed an incubus demon named Kagura. He now lives at the shrine with her and her family, transforming between a small chibi form and sexy man who is always trying to get Miko to “go all the way”.

Now, they both have admitted they love each other, Miko and Kagura want to move out on their own. Her father surprisingly agrees but insists on talking to Kagura alone first. Oddly, Kagura can’t remember what happened. Nevertheless, they leave and the only apartment they can afford is haunted. In order to confront the demons, Kagura uses up his power and Miko does what she can to help him recharge.

Miko takes on jobs to earn money while Kagura gets stuck in chibi form due to lack of strength. A co-worker, Kanzaki, makes a pass at Miko. Kagura sees this and get jealous, while he is basically passed out on the sidewalk, a woman picks him up thinking he is a doll. When she and her sexy co-workers from a production company start to poke him, he perks up.

The company hires him and he quickly gains popularity. Everyone finds him extremely sexy. Things soon start to go wrong. Miku sees him with the other women and now that he is in the public eye, other people will realize he is a demon.

 

Commentary:

This is a fun manga for the shojo reader, I guess I specifically mean for women. In my opinion it is a lot more fun than a Harlequin Romance. True, I’ve only read one or two actual ones, but I have read one of the ones made into a manga. What makes Demon Love Spell  better is they don’t have to follow the rules of real life. When you have a priestess and an incubus demon, well, the set up is better for situations and some comedy. I prefer to call this a romance series, but it also has plenty of fan service as well (directed towards the female reader).

The story has a bit of repetition as Kagura tries to get Miko to have sex and there is always something stopping them before they can go all the way. What is moving forward is their relationship. Since they had already gotten past admitting they love each other, now the focus is on being a couple and making their way together in the world and all they mistakes that come with it.

I have differing views on the art work. Overall, I like the look, they way it is drawn strong and confident. What bothers me is when some of the body proportions were way off, some of it the elongated shojo guy look which I’ve seen in other manga, but sometimes it is random body parts. I do recommend paying attention to the back grounds, not because they are detailed, but more because they are stylized to support the characters and their emotions; subtle and well done.

 

 Extras: 

A comedy sketch on what Kagura does in Miko’s dreams.

 

Overall Grade: B+

“In the Radius”:  Other titles by the author include Ai Ore! and Sensual Phrase.

 

 

Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess Anime Movie Review

Posted by :Joann On : December 4, 2013
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Fairy Tail Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess (Movie)

U. S. Distributor:FUNimation

U. S. Release Dates: Dec. 10th, 2013

Format: DVD/Blu-ray Combo, 85 minutes

Genre:  Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Shonen

Age Rating: TV14

Overall Personal Rating:B

Synopsis:

The movie opens during a mystical ceremony. Suddenly, it is interrupted by an army, causing a young lady, Eclair,  to escape with a small magical stone and go into hiding. When she first encounters people from the Fairy Tail Guild, she doesn’t remember who she is, but thinks the stone might hold a clue. As Lucy offers friendship, Eclair responds snippy and distant.

The Fairy Tail core group heads off to solve the mystery as fend off those hunting down Eclair.  They end up in the small land of Veronica where the leader, who has the other piece of the stone, intends to offer a human sacrifice in his quest for immortality. But evil is never that easy, there is trouble on the inside and the Fairy Tail members are prepared to fight to the end. If the stones are united, the risen Phoenix will terrorize the world in a fiery rampage.

 

Commentary:

Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess was a fun anime break for my week.  The movie opens in a way that instantly piqued my interest, diving right into the story and drama. It is later in the series, so doesn’t exactly stand on its own, but still is a self contained story that I think can be enjoyed by someone who hasn’t seen any of the series. I do wish there was some sort of lead in so that there was an introduction to the world and the characters. I have seen up to part five and this seems to take place even later than this.

There is many strong points that Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess possesses, just like the series. I enjoy the style of animation, a lot of attention is paid to the colors and environment. The movie is woven with comedic and dramatic moments and spiced up with very creative and well done battle scenes. I can’t forget the really awesome visual effects (especially related to the magic) and great support by the musical soundtrack.

As they traveled, there was a strange bit of some giant monsters for no apparent reason. It doesn’t work into the story and there is no explanation. It seems they were going to make a bit of comedic bonding for the group but ran out of time so they couldn’t finish it but thought it too cool just to edit the whole thing out, or maybe they needed it to make the movie last long enough.

Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess has costuming and cosplay opportunities for the viewers. I sure hope to see some of it in the 2014 convention season (although I suspect Sword Art Online  and Attack on Titan may be the new trend in costuming).  I can’t mention costumes without commenting on Lucy and her outfit. First, her new outfit is more revealing. Then add to that, her bosom had grown to a distracting size. Finally, there is a shower scene and an unfortunate incident where she spends a fair amount of time running around  in a towel while fighting off the bad guys. The towel must have been a bit magical as it stayed on through incredible and bouncy moves only to have it fall off in front of Natsu and Gray. They get a full frontal view while the viewer gets a robust look at her backside. Did they really need to take it to this level? No. In fact it is a disappointing veer from the Fairy Tail saga that we are used to. Lucy seems to have lost serious value and become a comedic distraction. Hopefully this is all limited to the movie and will not infiltrate the series.

The story had an underlying thread of the value of friendship made clear with the selfish “bad guys” who were all alone in comparison with the Fairy Tail Guild. They were always there for each other and Eclair, as well as their talking animal companions (Happy is not the only one). The ending seemed a bit unique for the series, as it was more heart touching and a little more surprising.

Overall Grade: B

Fairy Tail Phoenix Priestess has all the stuff that makes the series so good with the benefits of a complete story in 85 minutes with a slight foray into the fan service genre.

 

Toriko Volume 19 (manga review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 3, 2013
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Torkio volume 19Toriko Volume 19

Artist and Author: Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro

U. S. Distributor and Publisher: Viz Media

U. S. Release Date: Dec. 3rd, 2013

Format: Manga / paper back /  200 pages

Genre: shonen, action, adventure, comedy

Publisher Age Rating: T

Overall Personal Rating: B

 Synopsis: 

Toriko is set in a world in which food is highly prized. In this world,  Gourmet Hunters are a special breed of mercenary treasure hunters dedicated to scouring the Earth for rare delicacies and strange delicious animals. The IGO (International Gourmet Organization), a group organizing these brave explorers, even gives special capture difficulties to these various creatures and foodstuffs, from bizarre things like beer mammoths to building sized “BB corn”. Toriko, a legendary gourmet hunter (and exceedingly buff guy) goes on various quests to search for the ingredients for his perfect full course meal, along with friends like successful chef Komatsu and his genetically modified bio-wolf Terry Cloth. He is also allies with various other powerful Gourmet Hunters, such as the Four Legendary Kings.

Toriko and friends face off against the gruesome head chef of the Underground Cooking World, Livebearer, who wants nothing more than to eat their memories of food. In order to keep the contents of their brains from being scarfed down, Toriko will have to eat the grossest, squirmiest, biggest and most explosive foods ever to win a high-stakes game of “Gourmet Tasting”!
Commentary:
Now that they are facing off against a true cheater they know that they have to be at their best and of course they are. The way that Coco pulls off his magic and understands exactly how to take the head chef on it ends up being a rather entertaining game of cat and mouse. Shimabukuro does a fine job of bringing this along with explaining some of Coco’s choices, but not everything. There is also the way that Toriko manages to eat everything even when it looks like it should kill him. It also manages to showcase Komatsu’s talent as a chef. Even though Toriko is a rather odd story it is put together extremely well. There are moments when it comes across with a rather simplistic view point, but when you stop and think about the audience it seems to fit.
Much of this volume is set during the big battle and it play out rather easily. I still get the feeling that there is something missing. Maybe with the action being so subdued it just fell a little flat. For a series that sets up a rather strange premiss it does a fine job of delivering an entertaining product.  The art style fit well also. It runs with the best in shonen artistic handling of the subject matter. The writing stays imaginative and snappy. This keeps everything moving and maybe that might be a little out of the ordinary for some shonen, because we don’t get bogged down in a endless fight that comes to a lack luster conclusion. One thing that Toriko does do that is typical and that is make it a little too easy for the antagonist to switch sides. I guess there is still a solid grounding in my western ideals that the bad guys can’t switch side with a drop of a hat.
Overall Grade: B
Toriko is a fun series that has plenty to offer and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a strange action series. I would not jump in at volume 19 but rather start at the begining. The real winner behind Toriko is that it is for all ages even though it has a T for teen rating. I have a feeling that plenty of boys and girls under 10 enjoy this series just the way they enjoy Dragon Ball Z. The bottom line is that Toriko is a winner and that it should make it on all action adventure readers list if it is not already there. Toriko does prove that not every series has to be about fighting for fightings sake. Have fun and don’t be afraid of the food it could kill you but probably won’t.

One Piece Season Five Voyage Four (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : December 2, 2013
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One Piece season 5 part 4One Piece Season Five Voyage Four

Director: Hiroaki Miyamoto

Original Creator: Eiichiro Oda

U. S. Distributor: FUNimation

U. S. Release Dates: Dec. 3rd, 2013

Format: DVD / 12 Episodes / 300 minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Shonen

Age Rating: TV14

Overall Personal Rating: B-

Synopsis:

Luffy pours his heart and soul into the battle to keep his nakama together!

The assault on Enies Lobby reaches a boiling point as Spandam drags Robin towards the towering Gates of Justice! Zoro’s demonic nine-sword fighting style sets the stage for a blistering barrage of heroic attacks as the Straw Hats inch ever closer to a joyous reunion with their captured crewmate. The showdown between Luffy and Lucci rages out of control against a backdrop of devastating destruction thanks to Spandam’s Buster Call.

While the rubber-man trades blows with the most powerful assassin of CP9, his mates need help from below to avoid a watery grave. Explosions rock the horizon, Luffy’s giant attack sends him down for the count, and the unexpected return of an old friend represents the last glimmer of hope for our heroes!

Commentary:

As with most of these series that just go on forever it is sometimes hard to move the story forward when they get stuck in battles that are bogged down in the battle of the best. With Luffy and Lucci stuck in a battle that doesn’t look like either one can win the episodes feel like they are just beginning to sink in the mud of overwriting the series. Oda does manage to save this volume by getting them out of this dilemma. The only problem is that with the story taking so long to save Robin it becomes way to easy to toss in a large amount of irrelevant  stuff that not only drags the series down but also makes it hard to stick with.

The one saving grace about this group is that Luffy is indestructible and he proves it here. The battles are a lot of fun and when Usopp steps in to save the day for Robin it is wonderful to hear is goofy announcer voice come to life. There are also plenty of other fine moments in these 12 episodes that will keep you laughing and watching with amazement as this strangely addictive series moves thought its paces.

Overall Grade: B-

The thing about One Piece and voyage four is that it provides some movement and does so without too much of the dreaded flashbacks. I often feel like the one great failure in these long series is that they feel like they need to regurgitate the past for every major and minor character that we come in contact with and One Piece is not afraid to hold back in that area. Some times it is great to understand what someones motivations are but all to often these flashbacks are just filler and real waist of time. Ok, now we are on the final tread of this arc and maybe just maybe voyage 5 will bring it home.

Skip Beat 32 Manga Review

Posted by :Joann On : November 30, 2013
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Skip Beat 32Title: Skip Beat 32

Author: Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher: Viz Media/ Shojo Beat

American Release Date: December 3, 2013

Format:  Manga

Genre: Shojo, Drama

Publisher Age Rating: 13+

Personal Review Rating:B+

 

Can we choose our own personality to live the life we need?

Synopsis:

Sho has become preoccupied with Kyoko, his manager wishes they would just get together so that things smooth out. But that’s not going to happen anytime soon, especially the way he goes about things. Sho waited outside of  Kyoko’s school, and with Mimori helping, he basically kidnaps her into his limo so that they can talk, although it is more of a confrontation with plenty of yelling. Sho is still employing his old tactics of degrading Kyoko to manipulate her.

After Ren sees them in the car together, Kyoko is worried that he will react angrily.  She can’t stop thinking about him and he isn’t responding to her messages. Finally, she goes to the apartment in the character of Setsu to find him.

 

Commentary:

The story and the character development is the real stars of the series. Things have changed so much from the beginning. Kyoko may have some typical characteristics for a shojo protagonist, but is what she has done in her circumstances that makes her different. Skip Beat is a series that appeals to a wider audience demographic than most drama shojo. I’ve met people from teens to forties, male and female who keep up with the series.

Something that really stood out in this volume was that the many personas between Kyoko and Ren are starting to seem like separate individuals. Even the characters notice it, as they wonder which one they are speaking today. I feel like we know the real Kyoko, but I’m not so sure about Ren. With his past, I’m not sure he knows either.

The art style is a bold style and often dynamic, but it lacks consistency. Ren almost looks like someone else, and I don’t mean it in the way he changes personas. It is more when the artist is using a adventurous angle    or something. There are times when the guys have the elongated shojo look (which I don’t really like) and at other times, they have realistic proportions. To me, this is the weakest link.

This volume is quick reading, like many of the others. I don’t know why it seems to go by so quickly. But I don’t mean that the pacing was off, in the past, I remember a volume which was all Valentine’s Day  and it seemed so slow, now it’s more that it all flows very well. It leaves the reader waiting for the next volume.

Overall Grade: B+