Early Reviews of March

I'm early, this is because of Animeland Wasabi...I will be reviewing the convention and also putting in some photos for my loyal readers to see. See you at Wasabi!

Books:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Seth Grahame-Smith
*****
Whose life is more interesting yet mysterious, that would be Abraham Lincoln, from the time he was young to his adult years, there is a lot that people don't know. In fact it wouldn't be surprising he was a vampire hunter in his spare time. At least that was the story implies of our president. He seems haunted by tragedy, and yet here he is, hunting vampires and running for president?

OK, first off the story was actually a surprise, I'm not a huge fan of Seth's work, but this story was actually really quite funny and yet felt almost true. He made a fictionalized story about a president who died so tragically enough at Ford's Theater and made the book almost strangely a work of art. It earns its five stars so quietly and gracefully for a book!

Video for the book: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X58RPS665V0

Movies:
Inception
****

What happens when you sleep? What kind of information can you give away in your dreams? A young man is able to jump into your dreams and find out secrets from your own life. His own life is a rather mystery and he’s a falling apart person trying to find where he mixes in life.

The story is fast paced and amazing, but it falls short in some places it is almost like Dark City in some cases where it becomes a blur between reality and dream world. Whether intended or not, it was confusing to me and also my fiancé who was sitting watching it with me.

Anime:
Yozakura Quartet
****

This series revolves around Sakura-shin, a small town where Youkai and Humans live peacefully, it is maintained by Hiizumi Life Council, a group of young people who strive to make lives better for the Youkai residents. Hiizumi Akina who is the head, his life can’t be any harder with a mayor like Hime who is on guard to protect the people who come here. Their life long friend, Gin is possessed by an evil Youkai, Enjin who wants to destroy the village and force a barrier between the humans and youkai. Many of these creatures want nothing more to live their everyday lives in peace, and Enjin is just out to ruin it for them all.

The series in itself is actually quite action packed with characters like Akina and Hime who are trying to stop the evil forces. They want to help their friend and also keep the human world out of trying to ruining the youkai’s rights to live freely.

The story is good, though there are points that you have to take a double take and that kind of makes it hard to the watcher. I suppose the manga would give better insight than the anime does, it gives character development there, in the anime is there no development. So the four stars sort of falls short of expect and truly the series should only get 3 stars. The fourth star is for the artwork in general which is rather nice and rather cool with great cast of characters and the fact that Seki from Weiss Kreuz is among the cast of Voice Actors, makes it at least worth while…

Manga:
Not Until After Animeland Wasabi!

(Follow me to Animeland Wasabi this year)

January Reviews

Anime

Soul Eater
****
Maka and Soul are on the journey to become Lord Death's Scythe, and also attend school at Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA) founded by Lord Death himself. The school is chuck full of crazy students, including the self centered Black Star and his partner Tsubaki, Lord Death's OCD son, Death the Kid with his two partners, Patty and Liz. A mad scientist of a teacher, Maka's loving father who is now going through the divorce and also an evil witch named Medusa.

Aside from the artwork which I had trouble with, this series and story is amazing, the characters are full of life and crazy as hell. There is so much fun watching and also the story is simply out of this world. I recommend it and give it the tradition 4 star rating.

Manga
(none for January)

Books
Eldest
By Christopher Paolini
*****
Eragon has gone through a lot and fighting the shade is only part of the quest. He soon finds himself sent toward the Elves to start his Rider training with an elder Rider who has been hiding among the elves for centuries. Many of the problems that are starting to show with his cousin's return to the home village to find his father dead, his cousin, Eragon missing, and enemies closing in.

This series is a cliff hanger of a book, completing it can be a chore, but the story is still amazing and fun to read. The writing is still a challenge for those who never were able to read British styled English and also the language creation, but in all, it is still a great book and I would recommend it to anyone.

Movies
(None Till February)

November Books

Manga

Sunshine Sketch
Ume Aoki
****

Yuno is a new student at one of the most prestegious art schools in Japan. In fact she feels almost honored to make it. She goes to live at the dorms or rather the school run apartments and finds out that there are stranger things other than her classes, its her classmates. She learns that they are creative, silly and friendly.

I liked this series simply for the reminder that friends can show in the strangest of places including dorms and also in school.

Anime

Ghost Stories
***

Satsuki and her brother move to her mother's home town and finds out more than it appears. Her father appears to be attentive and works hard, not to mention he doesn't appear to know much about the mother either. They move in also next door to Hajime whose best friend is interested in ghosts. Soon they find out that ghosts follow Satsuki's family all over the place. So with their plotting demon possessed cat they are out to trap demons and get rid of the evils of the world.

This series is CRACK! Okay, it isn't just the fact that if you do watch it, please watch it in Japanese with English subs, if you watch it in English, you are in for a comedy of a life time. I do enjoy it, but again, its the fact I do like some comedy anime with a lot more to it.

Shiki
*****

Sotobamura is a small village out in the middle of no where and it is becoming a ghost town, in fact it is hidden and almost completely isolated. Not to mention people are dying of a strange plague that came in the middle of the day when three members of a family are found completely dead and drained of blood. Then Megumi a hyper girl who loves gazing at a European style house on the hill goes missing.

I enjoyed this series it is rather scary and dark, I feel it should deserving of vampire movies and also has a classic feel to it.


Books

Monster High
Lisa Harrison
*****

Frankie Stien is new to the world, she is in fact only 15 days old, in fact she should be 15 years old. She meets Melody who is a new girl in town who has a new face and new life in their sleepy little town of Salem Oregon where monsters will walk freely among everyone. There is Lala, Cleo, Claudeen, and also a few others who are the same way.

The story is great and its fine and fun romp, wouldn't you want to be a monster too?

Movies

How to Train your Dragon
*****

Hiccup lives in a village that is plagued with a rather HUGE problem, and that problem DRAGONS! He finds that he wants to kill a dragon, but when he wounds one, he discovers what he was raised with may not even be true.

Okay, I thought, great another kids movie, but sitting there, and I saw humor that was unlike the normal and I started to think that somehow with my love the scaly things, it deserves it place. I love this movie.