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.