Anime Review: Tsukigakirei

Watch the video version!

I also did a first impression for this anime, so I would like to respond briefly to some of the comments I made for that impression.

I didn’t notice the music as much as I was hoping I would. That does not mean that the music was bad, it just blended in with the animation and storytelling to the point that unless, I concentrated on it, it was an indistinguishable part from the whole.

Thankfully, there was not as much angst in this anime as I thought there might be (ex. Kimi ni Todoke season 2). Playing into that, I really enjoyed the way that they used LINE. The characters did have to struggle a little to get used to interacting in the real world, but the app did not become a crutch for their relationship.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let's get down to business!

Anime: Tsukigakirei

Genre: Shoujo, romance, drama

General Set-up: Kotaro and Akane are entering their third year of junior high. They become acquainted through an awkward meeting at a family restaurant and being on the same committee for the sports festival. They exchange LINE information and Kotaro soon asks Akane to go out with him. She agrees.

Characters: Both Kotaro and Akane were balanced characters. Often, one character is stronger than the other, but I felt like Kotaro and Akane balanced each other’s strengths and weaknesses out nicely. Both of them grow throughout the course of the show. Akane comes to be more confident and Kotaro learns to be more independent. I liked how Kotaro would play boxing matches with the hanging string for his bedroom light fixture. It felt like something I would do.

Supporting characters play their roles well. They influence the main characters and the main plot and complete and fleshed out. The only side character that I felt could have used some work was Hira.

Plot: This anime is different from others in its genre, in that the two main love interests acknowledge their mutual attraction and become a couple within the first few episodes. This causes the pacing of the anime to change a little. Instead of leading up to the point where they become a couple, Kotaro and Akane have learn HOW to act like a couple.

Ending: The ending for this anime was interesting. It had a few twists that I was not expecting, but it was very good - especially the end credits. They gave a level of resolution that you can only wish and hope for! I was so overcome by the feels that I cried. It was very sweet.

Things to Watch For: For the most part, this anime is pretty clean. There were one or two minor incurrences, but in the interest of not being a nitpicker I won’t talk about them now. Instead, I would like to take this time to talk about the age range of the characters. Unlike most romance anime, this one is set in junior high, not high school. Middle school is around the age where boys are starting to notice girls and girls are starting to notice boys. I had my share of crushes in middle school and some of my friends even had ‘boyfriends.’ I would like to think of myself as wise for my age because even in my early teen years I realized that dating in middle school is not always the best idea. You are still growing, physically and mentally. Also, it doesn’t always work out that you go to the same high school, or even college afterwards, so keeping in touch beyond three short years is difficult, especially at such a young age. However, while I would not necessarily recommend dating in middle school, I don’t think it is a glaring issue that needs to be redressed.

Sights and Sounds: Tsukigakirei is interesting because it contains a mixture of both 2D and 3D animation. 3D animation is used for transition sequences and smaller actions. Most of the animation is done in 2D. Even in 2D the characters often have a white outline that mimics 3D animation. I think this was done in an attempt to blend the two styles together. The mixture of 3D animation may bother some people, but I got used to it farily quickly, so I’m not going to call any attention to it.

For the most part I didn’t notice the sound track much. This is partly my own fault, but I don’t think it reflects badly upon the anime. Often soundtracks can painfully stick out for all the wrong reasons. The music and sound effects for Tsukigakirei blended together into a cohesive whole, helping to tell the story. The music ebbed and flowed to where some scenes had no music at all. This allowed the music to have a greater impact when it came in, instead of being a constant drone in the background.

Other Media: Tsukigakirei is an original anime series.

Fillers: After the first 6 episodes, there is one recap episode.

Length: Tsukigakirei contains 12 episodes.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Interesting Language tidbit: The meaning of the title!

Literally translated into English Tsukigakirei means “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”. However, it is also a way to say ‘I love you’ in Japanese.

Update: Legend of Zelda Boxed Set Manga Review video

    In case you missed it, here it is!

Book Commercial: Jesus Without Borders by Chad Gibbs

Mini Manga Review! - Twilight Princess

     As mentioned, in the Summer 2017 Book Haul video I am now the proud owner of the first two volumes of the Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess manga. As this take on Legend of Zelda is a bit different from the ones found in the boxed set (feel free to read our review of that manga here) I decided to do a short video about it. Enjoy!

Update: Fall Fun!

     We probably won't be posting as much due to the fall semester going on. So, as a change of pace, here is a fun little video about some of the books I bought over the summer. Enjoy!

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) Season 1 Review

Title: My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia)  Season 1

Genres: Shounen, Superhero, Action, Adventure

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Set-up: Izuku Midoriya is a student hoping to get into the prestigious U.A. High School (a school for heroes in training), but there is one small problem. Izuku doesn’t have any powers, or “quirks” as they are called in the show. His whole life, Midoriya idolized the powerful All-Might, who was said to be the greatest hero ever. However, despite being “quirkless,” he is determined to become a hero one way or another. And his luck is about to change.

Characters: The most interesting part of the show isn’t the setting, it’s the characters! Izuku is the ultimate underdog, powerless in a world of superheroes. However his perseverance is enduring, and you find yourself rooting for him. Likewise, All-Might is very different from the typical hero. In his own way he is enduring. Like Midoriya, he struggles in his own way within the society.

Another character of note is Katsuki Bakugo (or Ka-chan). He is Izuku’s childhood friend and is comparable to Sasuke from Naruto. He is used to being the best at everything he does, and becomes upset when someone threatens to upset that balance, especially when that person is weaker than him.

Plot: Much to my surprise (and delight) the plot is coherent. Many Shonen or Superhero shows are extremely episodic and repetitive--and that makes them boring. Not so with My Hero Academia! While there are several arcs in this first season, the overall plot holds together. Generally, the plot does not drag on needlessly or go too fast. That alone speaks volumes.  

Ending: The arc concludes, but the plot continues in the second season of My Hero Academia (now being released).

Things to watch out for: Other than a little gore and language, this anime is clean.

Animation: My Hero Academia was animated by Studio Bones, so naturally, the animation was flawless. Many of the costumes are based off of Marvel and D.C. characters, with the colors to match. For example, All-Might is “American,” making his costume red, white, and blue. Each character has their own costume design that is unique, but drawn artfully. The action, for the most part, is fluid.

A little more about the costumes because the show focus on them so much. All-Might is clearly based off of American superheros such as Superman, but other characters are much more unique. Some of the costumes have that well-know tights and cape look, while others are more unique. While, as an American, I wouldn’t say that they look American, they do look less Japanese than shows such as Naruto.

Sound: The soundtrack is what saved this show for me. I was very skeptical at first. Although the show seemed interesting, I knew that historically, Japan doesn’t do very will with the more “Western” animes. I started the first episode not really thinking that I would watch the second. But I have to say the composer Yuki Hayashi (composer for Death Parade) really did a good job. The music is loud and bombastic, shounding right at place in the newest Marvel movie. This is one of the times that music adds to the show. Without the music, the show is still good. But the music used within the show takes it to the next level. Honestly, I would have never progressed past the first episode without the music. I think it is important the mention that the "English" used in the dub is not great. But what did we expect? Since when have Japanese animation studios proofread the English? The voices (at least in the sub seemed to fit, but nothing other than the poor English stood out.

Other Media: My Hero Academia is also a manga of the same title.  

Fillers: N/A

Final Thoughts: If you are a fan of comics like Marvel or D.C.'s comics, or like the series Naruto, you will like My Hero Academia. Even if you are not into superheros, the story of an underdog is always an enduring one.

It is interesting to see that My Hero Academia may become the next long running shounen. Although, thankfully, it seems that Studio Bones is going to let the manga get ahead, then adapt the source material.  

Anime Review: Alderamin on the Sky

Anime: Alderamin on the Sky

Genre: Shounen, fantasy, strategy,

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

General Setup: After being shipwrecked on enemy territory and making it back across the border in one piece, with the crown princess in tow, a band of teenagers is enlisted into the army, much to their leader’s regret.

Characters: Ikta Solork, your main character, is best described as a combination between two characters from the Naruto franchise: Shikamaru and Jiraya. While extremely skilled at strategy and war tactics, Ikta is generally lazy and apathetic about life (especially anything to do with the military). Yatorishino Igsem is Ikta’s closest friend and a member of a key family of nobility. While we are comparing characters from other shows, she reminded me a bit of Erza from Fairy Tail, but with just two swords. Along with Ikta’s band of friends from the ‘shipwreck incident’ there are several minor characters. All of the characters grow throughout the show as they experience conflicts and controversy.

Plot: It takes a little bit for the action in Alderamin to truly get started, but when it does you won’t be able to stop watching! Like Shikamaru, Itka’s military prowess allows him and his friends to obtain victory, most of the time. I enjoyed the tactical aspect of this anime and thought it helped to move the pace along.

Throughout the course of the show Alderamin takes on several topics, such as the ethics of war and the dynamics between religion and science.

Ending: The show ended in a good place, given the amount of story shown previously. While far from over, the viewer is given a glimpse of what the future may hold.

Things to Watch For: Some of the character’s casual clothes are a bit revealing. Also, Ikta is a bit of a pervert, which taints some of the better aspects of this show.

Sights and Sounds: The animation for Alderamin is consistent and easy to watch. There is a balance of light and dark colors, although some of the darker scenes (color-wise) are a bit muted. The only thing that bothered me in terms of color was that all of the main characters had really bright colored hair, thus reinforcing the anime main character stereotype. I really liked the opening theme. It was catchy, but also showcased the show itself well. The soundtrack, as a whole, is balanced and instrumental.  

Other Media: Alderamin is based off of a light novel series. There is also a manga adaptation.

Fillers: There are no fillers.

Length: There are 13 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch this show on Crunchyroll.

Check it Out! - Review of Radical by David Platt

    As mentioned in our book review preview video Kay is breaking down the book "Radical" by David Platt chapter by chapter.

     To find out more about the book and read her reviews visit her blog: If To Live is Christ

     I may be biased, but I really enjoyed her most recent post, titled "The Radical Experiment." It was really good! Go read it!

Update: Reimei no Arcana video

     Happy Sunday everybody (and an early happy Labor Day too)!

     After putting off certain obligations for half of a month I am finally starting to get back on track and the fruits to that effort are showing themselves.

     If you remember, last year I wrote a review on the manga Reimei no Arcana. Well, I am proud to say that it is now available in video form! So go watch it! Yeah!

Check It Out! - How Disabilities and Diversity are Handled in the Anime GANGSTA.

     Kay takes a look at how characters with disabilities are portrayed in modern media, specifically in the anime GANGSTA. She also talks about how the anime handles diversity, in the context of Japanese culture. For more information, and a bit of a review, read her article!

Anime Review: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation

Anime: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation

Genre: Adventure, fantasy, action, shounen

Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars

General Set-up: Lyria is a test-subject of the Empire and Katalina is helping her escape. Just as the Empire is catching up to them, the two run into Gran, a boy who is talented with the sword. Gran decides to help, but is fatally injured. In order to save him, Lyria shares her life-force with him. Gran decides to leave the island and travel with Katalina and Lyria to the edge of the earth and the island of the Astrals, where his father awaits him.

Characters: Gran’s dream is to become a skyfarer like his father. He is friendly and compassionate towards those in need. Before escaping with Lyria, Katalina was a lieutenant in the Empire’s army. She is a strong sword fighter. Lyria has the power to talk to and understand Primal Beasts, a power the Empire wants to use for themselves. She doesn’t know where she came from. Vyrn is a flying lizard who accompanies Gran and reminds me a bit too much of another high-pitched flying companion. The focus for character growth is mainly on Gran and Lyria, which makes sense, but it would be nice to see the other main characters have their chance to shine as well.

Plot: Sad to say, but the plot for Granblue Fantasy is pretty standard (which I guess shouldn’t be surprising, considering it’s based off of a video game). It follows the basic outline for quest narratives: The main characters meet and set out on their quest. They arrive in a new location. Something happens. They meet someone. Stuff keeps happening until they solve whatever problem the people in the area are facing and the person they met decides to join their adventure. The depart for a new location and the same thing happens again.

Ending: Considering the last episode is a filler, I’ll be referring to the second-to-last episode for the ending. Things seem to be happening too fast. The plot is accelerating at an unaccustomed pace with little to no explanation. Also, in the last showdown, multiple random new characters pop up to join in on the action. This seems a last-minute attempt to get characters from the original material screen time. What is more, they seem fairly overpowered, which just adds to the confusion. I did appreciate the development of Lyria’s character, but the ending seemed to open up more issues than it resolved.

Things to Watch For: There is fanservice in this show. Thankfully, it’s somewhat toned down and not blatantly obvious, but as you get closer to the end more of it pops up - especially with the explosion of characters in the “last” episode. Most of them were girls and almost all of them had less clothing than would be deemed reasonable in a combat situation. The filler ‘swimsuit episode’ certainly didn’t help.

Sights and Sounds: The soundtrack for Granblue Fantasy goes from slow and whimsical to march-like and adventurous. I really enjoyed the opening theme. The color palette for the show is vibrant, with an emphasis on blues and greens. I also enjoyed the design for the world and characters in the show! It is a fantasy world, with a bit of a modern and steampunk twist. For example, the main characters travel on an airship and Gran wears a hoodie!

Other Media: Granblue Fantasy: The Animation is based off of an RPG game. There is also a series of light novels that have been adapted.

Fillers: There is one filler, at the end of this show.

Length:This anime is 13 episodes long.

Where to Watch: You can watch it on Crunchyroll.

Final Thoughts: Granblue Fantasy has a lot of potential and there are a lot of things it does really well. It just tries to be too many things. It could be a war-strategy battle of empires show. Or it could be a show about a group of friends going on a quest. Or about an escaped test-subject hiding from the law. Or it could be about a boy’s search for his absent father. It could be all these things. The problem is, Granblue Fantasy tries to be all of these things at once and ends up having to sacrifice too much. It burns brightly, but soon fizzles out. It’s not that Granblue Fantasy: The Animation is bad, it’s just not as good as it could be.

Book Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Book: Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Genre: Teen fiction, action, adventure, romance, Indian mythology

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Times I have read this: 1st time

General Set-up: Kelsey has just graduated from high school. Eager to earn some money to help pay for college she hires on as a temporary worker for a travelling circus stopping by. Among her duties at the circus, she assists the animal handler in taking care of the star of the show; a white Bengal tiger. Kelsey becomes fascinated with the tiger and spends her free time in his presence, often reading to him. When her time at the circus is almost up a man approaches the circus master about buying the tiger and returning him to a reserve in India. He finds out that Kelsey has become accustomed to the tiger and invites her to travel with them to India to ensure that the tiger has a good transition. Kelsey has become attached to the tiger and wants to spend some more time with him before leaving, plus being paid to travel to a foreign country for a few weeks is a deal she can’t pass up.

Characters: Kelsey may have just graduated from high school, but she has also been orphaned recently. Her parents were killed in a car accident a few years previous. Because of this she pushes her emotions deep inside and hasn’t had the chance to truly grieve for her parents’ death. Currently, she lives with a foster family who cares for her. Ren (short for Dhiren) is a centuries old Indian prince who suffers from a curse (think Beauty and the Beast with a twist). To be honest, I didn’t connect with the main characters that well.  

Plot: The plot for Tiger’s Curse takes a little while to get going. This is both a good and a bad thing. The bad thing is that the reader has to progress 80+ pages into the book before getting introduced to the main conflict. The good thing is that this allows for a smooth transition from ‘student looking for a summer job’ to something I would expect to find in an Indian version of the Percy Jackson series. Once things got going, the action and tension continue to build until the end. I would say that the author leans too heavily on romantic tension in the last ⅓ of the book, but maybe that’s just me getting disillusioned by teen fiction.

Ending: To be honest I was somewhat frustrated with the ending of the book. Part of this was due to the romantic tension going on and wanting to hit the main character over the head with the book. However, aside from this, the ending is well done. The pacing slows to an acceptable halt at an appropriate place. Even if I did not completely agree with the main character’s decisions, resolution is given and some potential threads are hinted at to set up for the sequel.

Things to Watch For: This book deals with Indian mythology and presents a different religion with various deities. Also, some of the scenes between Kelsey and Ren get a little steamy.

Other media: Tiger’s Curse is the first in a currently on-going series. The author, Colleen Houck, has also published several other books of similar genres.

Length: 400 pages (about)

Eragon (book) Review

Title: Eragon (Book 1 of the Inheritance series)

Author: Christopher Paolini

Genre: Fantasy, action, adventure, magic

Length: 500 pages
3.5 out of 5 stars

Notes: Eragon is the first book of four in the Inheritance series. It is also the first book that I read over 150 pages. It introduced me to the world of reading: a journey I have never looked back on. Eragon is the first book that showed me all that books can be. Because of this, I recommend that everyone read Eragon. Like thousands of readers, this book shows us that reading is an adventure.

General Setup: While hunting, Eragon finds a strange polished stone. It is soon revealed that the stone is actually a dragon egg. He is faced with two choices: join the empire he hates, or become like the dragon riders of old, risking his life. Eragon is thrust into a world with new rules he doesn’t understand.

Characters: Although I feel like I say this a lot, characters are very often what makes or breaks a book. The evolution of Eragon throughout the book is drastic at times and non-existent at others. At first, he appears to be nothing more than the stereotypical fantasy character. As the book Eragon progresses, he slowly changes, his emotions, beliefs, and convictions change as matures. Eragon is a coming of age story, and we quickly see Eragon go from a naive country boy to a battle-hardened warrior.  

The other character of consequence is Brom. Admittedly, I was rather disappointed when he was introduced. Of course the young protagonist has a wise, old mentor! But much like Eragon himself, Brom’s character evolved in the story. He began as a simply story-teller, but was really so much more. On the surface, Brom appears to be an Obi-Wan-like character, Eragon being very similar to Luke Skywalker. But as the story progresses, each character has their own presence that stands apart from the works they were based on.

Plot: What can I say about the plot? From the get-go it seems obvious that Paolini takes his cues from books in the same genre. Orcs--I mean Urgals (how could I ever mix those up?) are introduced in the first pages. Many of the different races bear uncanny similarities to much of Tolkien's work. Not that imitating Lord of the Rings is bad, but Eragon lacked originality in the beginning. But much like the character development, the further you read in Eragon, the more original the story becomes. And considering that Eragon is not only Paolini’s first work, but also how young he was when it was written, I can hardly find this a fault. I know of authors far more experienced that are far less original than Eragon! While ignoring the similarities to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, the plot itself is sound.

The writing style itself is something that takes some getting used to. At times the writing is very flowery, and rather pretentious. This can make it difficult to understand for younger (and even older) readers. One of the most unique characteristics to Paolini’s writing is the many tangents that the books explore. Some see this as a flaw, but I see it as a strength. It retains a life-like quality. Many conversations with people are random, much like Paolini’s writing tangents. It gives the book a feel of a conversation, something I greatly enjoyed. But be warned, just because something comes up in conversation doesn’t mean that it will be talked about later on in the book.   

Ending: As I mentioned before, Eragon is the first book of four. The actual ending for Eragon is not a cliffhanger. It brings to an end most of the conflicts built within the book, but not anything like the end for the series. Many things are left undone, and the King still sits on his his throne.

Other media: Eragon was adapted into a movie, but we all try to forget that it happened. Think worse than the adaption of Dragon Ball Z and the Hollywood version of Ghost in the Shell combined. Or even worse. Seriously, that is two hours of my life that I will never get back.  

Things to watch out for: There is some brief language in the book, and some of the battles are gory.
The other topic I wish to address is the magic within the book. Some Christians believe that if any book has magic it is "witchcraft" and should not be read. (Although that logic breaks down when you realize the most read Christian fiction books are The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, both of which have magic.) I believe there is a difference in a book having magic as a plot device and a book promoting the use of witchcraft. Eragon falls into the previous category, as magic is used as a tool within the series. I believe that Paolini is not encouraging anyone to try and curse anyone else. Magic is simply part of the world of Alagaesia, not evil nor good. Magic is an amoral force.

TV series review: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (season 1)

TV show: Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (season 1)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre: Superhero, comedy, drama

General Setup: Two teenagers try to overcome high school life and trials while simultaneously working undercover as superheros trying to save Paris. The catch? They don’t know it, but they know each other in real life. To make things more complicated each has a crush on the other’s alter ego, but they don’t know each other’s secret identity.

Characters: Marinette is the star of the show. As a superhero she is known as “Ladybug.” She is only a sophomore in highschool, but she aspires to become a famous fashion designer (and she could probably do it). Her parents own a bakery and she is very close with them. Adrien (or Cat Noir) has a strained relationship with his father, at best. His Mom is dead, or at the very least missing (she is barely mentioned). Adrien’s father is a well known fashion designer and Adrien works part time as a model showcasing his father’s creations.

Plot: Miraculous has little solid plot development. Each episode has a similar structure, but a different villain for the heroes to face off with. Sort of. All these villain actually stem from one main villain, Hawkmoth, who feeds off the negative emotions of the citizens of Paris. He has the ability to give them superpowers of their own to use in their revenge in exchange for their help to gain Ladybug and Cat Noir’s powers. So each episode Hawkmoth makes yet another attempt and each episode he fails. It gets a little repetitive. This isn’t to say that the show was boring. Each episode was entertaining is some way, even though it stuck to the same formula. Thankfully, towards the end of the first season the plot starts to pick up with the main character’s origin story and the introduction of some pivotal characters.

Ending: You could say that the show ended with a cliffhanger. Like I mentioned previously, the plot was finally starting to move forward in the last few episodes. It was a bit frustrating that just when the show was getting good the season ended.

Things to Watch For: This show seems to be aimed at a younger adolescent audience (my guess was ages 10-13). That being said, the show is pretty clean. There are some selfish people and the characters sometimes are mean to each other, but unfortunately that’s nothing that doesn’t happen in real life.

Sights and Sounds: The theme song is catchy (I dare you to NOT get it stuck in your head for a week!) and the animation for Miraculous is brightly colored and flows smoothly. Lots of beautiful 3D CGI! The only thing that bugged me was the frequently animation sequences for things like character transformations.

Other media: A second season is in the works. Also, there was a Christmas special that came out in 2016.

Fillers: None

Length: 26 episodes

Where to Watch: Miraculous is currently streaming on Netflix. It is also available through Nickelodeon and the Disney channel, though showing times are subject to change.

Update: New Video!

     It's a Reader's Rambling! Listen to me talk all about the villains in the Dimwood Forest series!

Book Review: Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley

Book Review: Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Times I have read this: 3+

General Setup: Jake Mendoza isn’t your average 15 year old. For one thing, his dad is the head director at Smokehill National Park, a wildlife reserve for dragons. Dragons are a slowly disappearing species and it is a federal offense to kill one. Ironically, it is an even bigger crime to aid in saving a dragon’s life. But when Jake stumbles upon a dying mother dragon he doesn’t hesitate to rescue the last of her just-born brood. Not only is this action loaded with political implications, but it marks a turning point in human-dragon relations.

Characters: Dragonhaven is written from the perspective of Jake, after the events have taken place. This means that we see everything through Jake’s eyes. So, things can be kind of limited to what Jake experienced, as opposed to what else is going on that he is unaware of. However, hindsight allows for clarification. Because of this Jake’s voice comes through the pages quite clearly. He has his own peculiar way of describing events and people around him. His use of metaphors and similes can be quite amusing. Throughout the book you can definitely see Jake’s character change. Having grown up on Smokehill his childhood differs vastly from most kids. What is more, the death of his mother and dog at a young age affects him deeply. Also, I thought that the dragons (yes, there are dragons) were well-written in this book. They are sufficiently alien, while retaining some human qualities.

Plot: There’s a lot of stuff in Dragonhaven, a lot of words, a lot of stories, and a lot of worldbuilding. Sometimes it just bogs you down. Plus, Jake likes to talk a lot. However, his rambles and rants are fairly well interspersed between bits of action and more interesting parts of narrative.

Ending: The ending is a bit drawn out. For example, the epilogue is roughly 50 pages long. That’s a long epilogue! On the bright side, most of the threads are pretty well tied up, but it’s still pretty long. Of course, at that point you’re pretty well invested in the book, so it's more of a blessing than a burden.

Things to Watch For: Mild profanity.

Other media: Dragonhaven is a stand-alone book, but Robin McKinley has written a lot of other fantasy-genre books.

Length: 342 pages

Update: Book Reviews to Come!

     Here's a look at some of the book reviews we hope to be doing in the future! Get excited!

Anime Review: WWW.WAGNARIA!!!

     First of all, I would like to make something clear: This review is NOT covering the series called Wagnaria!! that was released in 2010 - 2015. I am doing a review of the show released in fall of 2016 titled WWW.Wagnaria!! As far as I am concerned, the two shows have nothing in common other than a shared setting (the restaurant chain) and a tiny Easter egg scene at the beginning of the first episode of WWW.Wagnaria!!

Anime: WWW.WAGNARIA!!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Genre: Comedy, drama

General Setup: As previously mentioned, this anime is mostly set at a restaurant by the name of Wagnaria where the main character gets a part-time job. Daisuke Higashida is forced to do this when his father’s business goes bankrupt and his father has to cut expenses. If Higashida wants to be able to pay for his phone, bus ticket, or have any pocket money he needs to get a job.

Characters: Higashida starts out as your average guy. He isn’t really excited to have a part time job, but is a hard worker. However, after going through a traumatic experience, his personality gets slightly warped. He becomes more apathetic about life and can be slightly harsh to his co-workers, especially Hana Miyakoshi. Miyakoshi is a high school student, like Higashida, but she also acts as the floor chief at the restaurant. She does her job with competence and good customer service, however outside of work she is somewhat mediocre. She doesn’t have any outstanding life skills, has poor grades, and is horrible at cooking.
     In his days at Wagnaria Higashida meets many different coworkers and customers. Together they form a varied and quirky cast. What is more, the characters of the show really change and grow. This is one of the best things about the show, in my opinion.

Plot: When I first watched this show (could include link for fi) I said that this show was a slice of life. I would like to retract that a bit now. The show mostly focuses on the adventures and shenanigans of the crew at Wagnaria. It’s main focus is on the relationships between the characters. This can make the show seem somewhat like a slice of life (the fact that it’s a comedy tends to add to this impression), however, the episodes of the show are not just randomly assorted happenings. Each episode builds on the last and weaves together to create a somewhat ridiculous but heartwarming story.

Ending: The ending really made this show for me. In fact, without the show’s ending being what it was, my rating for the show would have probably dropped at least half a point. The last episode of this show is like the epilogue you always wish for but don’t always get after finishing a series. It highlights how much the characters have grown and gives the viewer a wonderful resolution.

Things to Watch Out For: So, there is some sexual innuendo (for lack of a better term) in this anime. Now that I’ve said that, let me go back and explain what I mean by that so I don’t give the wrong impression.This show is a comedy and a lot of the humor in this show comes from how the characters respond to each other. Most of the humor is clean, but there are a few ‘dirty jokes’ that usually arise from misunderstandings between the characters. Nothing indecent ever happens, but it is something to be aware of.

Sights and Sounds: The art style of this anime is bright and colorful. The opening theme song is ridiculous and random. Things start to make a bit more sense after watching the show, but if you like being slightly confused and thoroughly entertained, I would encourage you to watch the theme song.

Other media: WWW.Wagnaria!! is based off of a webcomic by Karino Takatsu. This webcomic is surprisingly the predecessor of the original materials for Wagnaria!!, even though the anime version was released before WWW.Wagnaria!!.

Fillers: There are no fillers in this anime, as far as I’m aware.

Length: WWW.Wagnaria!! has 13 episodes.

Where to Watch: You can watch this anime on Crunchyroll.

Recommendations:
- The Devil is a Part-timer
- Kaichou wa Maid-sama