Anime Review: Sword Art Online (ep. 1 - 14) Video

With the new season coming out I thought I should get this up sooner rather than later. I feel like it has been a while since I have been able to post, but that might just be me. Part of that is because we've been having some technical difficulty issues. But hopefully we are past that and back in the running for the long haul! Time for me to start working through my backlog!

Magic: How Christians Should View It's Use in Literature

Join us as we talk about magic, Harry Potter, and knowing what your boundaries are with various controversial issues!

FI: Voltron (Legendary Defenders): The Start of Something Good

First Impression: Voltron (Legendary Defenders)

I've been putting off watching Voltron for years now. With Dreamworks and some of the directors of Avatar: The Last Airbender being involved, along with Netflix's "hands off" approach to content, many saw it as being an automatic slam dunk.

But if I learned anything from Legend of Korra, just because you have good animation, directors, and crew doesn't mean a consistently good show. The reason I felt that Korra just let down The Last Airbender was its ability to just be fun. The Last Airbender was simply friends telling a story; Korra was people with something out to prove. And what I really love in any genre is for them not to care about the trends or hot topics of the time, and simply tell me a story. And that is what Voltron has done in many ways. While it is constrained in some ways by its predecessor, you have the feel of friend simply telling an amazing story. It can go from zaney to serious, from epic or simple, and never takes itself too seriously. 

As you may know this is not the first Voltron, as an original series aired in the 80's. What I remember vaguely from the original series is, well, really nothing (aside from all the Voltron action figures). It was quite forgettable, not because the plot or villains were bad (simply mediocre) , but because we never got to really know the characters. It suffered from the "Power Ranger Problem"--that is you never really knew the characters any more than their colors. You could say, for example, I like the red one, but that's was about the extent.

But not so in this Voltron reboot. Each character looks similar to their 80's persona, but with a very detailed and modern vibe. From simply the first two episodes, they already have so much personality. And I start to get that sense of adventure that I haven't had since I watched The Last Airbender. See, going into Voltron, we already know that they will defend the universe and defeat the Galra, much like we knew Aang was going to defeat the Fire Lord. But don't know what the adventure will entail--and that is what makes it such an amazing watch.

Characters: In the first three episodes, while I don't know the characters very well yet, each seems to have their own fleshed out personalities. They are not stereotyped, despite being very heavily based off of the 80's cast.
Keith is still in his red, but modernized and, as the show puts it, "emo." While brooding, and by far the moodiest of the bunch, it never distracts from the plot or feel too cheesy. Although, as a side note, I love that they kept the mullet from the 80's version (don't worry, it's not too bad).
Lance is the craziest one of the bunch, and at first I thought the main character (but this show doesn't really have a 'main' main character). While the first episode focuses heavily on him, he doesn't steel the spotlight from any of the other characters. In this version he is more of a flirt rather than a womanizer who feels entitled to women. Always a plus! In many ways he is the sarcastic comic relief, but I am already getting to see a deeper side to the character.
Pidge seems to be the stereotypical nerd that he is in the 80's version, but things dramatically change (can't tell you 'cause spoilers!). Yes, Pidge is smart and loves technology, but Pidge also cares for the others that make up Voltron. There is a depth to the character.
Hunk is the most changed. In the original, he was the brunt of many fat jokes, something that is definitely a product of its time and did not age well. But so far he seems kind and courageous, although not in the traditional way. And while his is the butt of many jokes, he is always a good sport about it.
Shiro really stumped me at first. I couldn't remember him at all, so I thought he was a new character. Turns out he is Sven in the original, but his Japanese name was Shiro (I don't really get it either). Believe it or not, he's my favorite character so far. He is mature, but not a stick-in-the-mud, kind, but not sappy, a leader, but not a dictator.
Allura, I can't really say much about her yet, but at least she isn't the Zelda rip-off she used to be.

Animation: The animation is amazing. Like, seriously go watch it. And I really appreciate how they try to mix up the space battles. I mean, in most shows (I'm looking at you Star Trek) if you've seen one space battle, you've seen them all. The animators of Voltron play with angles and so on, and really focus on dialogue. The only complaint is the recycled animation--that's one trend that should have stayed in the 80's and 90's--but it isn't too overbearing.

Update: Kashka Book Review Video

     Part 2!

     This book is the prequel to "Taash and the Jesters," but it was written after the fact. Also, I may or may not have filmed this review several months in advance. How's that for a confusing timeline?

Update: Taash and the Jesters Book Review Video

     Part 1!

   
     Hello all! I'm super excited for this upcoming set of videos! Not only do I get to talk about some great reading material, but in the third installment Kay and I will be talking about a somewhat controversial issue in today's society. Stay tuned for more!

Book Review: Dead Men Don't Crochet

Book: Dead Men Don’t Crochet
Author: Betty Hechtman
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 278 pages

General Setup: Molly Pink works at a bookstore as the event curator and is involved in a local crochet guild. When a member of the guild becomes a suspect for the murder of a local business owner Molly jumps in to solve the crime.

Characters: This book has a large cast of characters - too large, in fact. As I was reading through I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight. Some seem to be holdovers from the prequel, but there were too many and I thought some of their roles could be combined to lighten the cast. Molly is unique, if not particularly memorable. She seems to be a middle aged housewife with mad cooking skills who is not afraid to ask strangers investigative questions or follow them on the way home. I did like how the author made her very real and down to earth in her snooping tactics - no James Bond hijinks for Molly Pink!

Plot: For this being a mystery novel, I was surprised at how slow the plot proceeded. Days didn’t have clear definitions, so I’m not entirely certain how many in-book days it took for Molly to find out ‘who dun it’. What kept me reading were the crochet references, some interesting subplots, and a morbid curiosity of, what social construct will Molly break next?

Ending: I am happy to say that I did not expect ‘who dun it’ and was surprised to discover the identity of the culprit. On the upside, everything came together and made sense. However, this isn’t a mystery that the reader could solve on their own because all of the clues didn’t come in until the very end. This doesn’t necessarily detract from the story, so I wouldn’t pay it too much mind.

Things to Watch For: Some adult themes are referenced.

Other Media: Betty Hechtman has written several other mysteries involving yarn and needle arts, including an ongoing series with Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers. As of this writing, Dead Men Don’t Crochet is the 2nd of 12.

Reader's Rambling: Why I Read Eragon

It's the beginning of a long and enduring saga of love for books!

Update: Yona of the Dawn Review

First Impression: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club Season 3

A Chat about Representation

Representation is something that is finally becoming more common place (about time). Growing up I didn't know that many characters like me. In the rush to have a more and more diverse cast in books, movies, and TV shows, we often forget that diversity also includes disability.

And the when disability is shown, it is often done incorrectly. We either make it about how they overcome their disability or are cured, as if disability is just something to be rid of. Or it is ignored completely. Or is the only thing that describes the character.

But disability is much more diverse. It can't always be cured, and is not always something "wrong" with that person. Disabled characters can be just as different and diverse as normal characters. They can be strong and be loved. And above all they are more than their disability.

Disability may describe us, but it does not define us.

Check out what I wrote about dyslexia, ADHD and the Percy Jackson series along with talking about Dr. Reid's eccentric behavior from Criminal Minds on my personal blog: Just Like Me: The Importance of Representation

First Impression: Record of Grancrest War (video)

Anime Review: Restaurant to Another World

Anime: Restaurant to Another World
Genre: Slice of Life

General Setup: Once a week, on Saturday, portals appear, connecting another dimension with ours. All of these portals have a common end goal: The Western Restaurant Nekoya!

Characters: This show has a large cast of characters. At first, the cast expands each episode, as new characters are featured. However, before the expansion gets too top-heavy it slows down. I appreciated this deceleration because it kept the addition of new characters from being overwhelming and gave the chance for older characters to come back into the story. While the cast is wide and varied, little character development goes on. The only thing I can think of to label as development would be how shared experiences at the restaurant bring people of different backgrounds together and let down barriers.

Plot: The plot for this anime is very episodic. Each episode is generally divided into two parts, each part featuring a certain character and their favorite dish/how they came to know about the restaurant. Some of the characters recur, but many are just there for their segment and then gone. Instead of focusing on character development or plot, this anime focuses on the ability of food to bring people together and just be an enjoyable part of life.

Ending: The last episode continues in a similar vein to most of the others, but it reveals the connection between the two dimensions. Things come full circle, you could say.

Things to Watch For: I half-way expected some of the characters to have over-the-top reactions to the food, like in Food Wars. However, that did not happen. The only thing I would be on the look out for, are a few instances of revealing costumes in character design.

Sights and Sounds: Both the animation and the soundtrack are bright and whimsical.

Other Media: This anime is based on an ongoing light novel series . There is also a manga adaptation.

Fillers: N/A

Length: There are 12 episodes in this series.

Where to Watch: Crunchyroll

Update: Dragonhaven Book Review

Book Review: Kashka by Ellen Kindt McKenzie

Book: Kashka by Ellen Kindt McKenzie
Genre: Fantasy, adventure
Rating: Old family favorite

Other Media: Starting a review with a category out of order? Unheard of! Kashka is actually a prequel to a book we previously reviewed - Taash and the Jesters. With that in mind, I will be doing some comparisons between the two. That isn’t to say that the books aren’t strong enough to stand by themselves. Each is able to stand independent of the other. However, as a set I would recommend reading Taash first because even though it comes later chronologically, things are revealed in Kashka that would spoil certain plot points for the reader.

General Set up: That being said, I’m not going to go too much into the basis for this book. It is set in the same world as Taash and the Jesters and essentially tells the story of the two jesters, Piff and Kashka, in their youth and ‘how it all began.’

Plot: The pacing for this book is slightly different than it’s sequel. The pace is still overall sprightly enough to keep your attention, but there are a couple time skips and the events themselves are spread out over a longer period of time. Also, the author occasionally leaves details that need to be inferred in order for the reader to 100% understand what is going on.

Characters: One of the things I appreciated about this book was the way the author handled the characters of Piff and Kashka. In some cases, as the series goes on and characters grow their personalities tend to warp and they don’t seem to be the same characters you fell in love with in the original. In Kashka the author does a good job of keeping the essence of the characters the same. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the minor characters from Taash better and seeing little Easter eggs from the story to come. The author bounces back and forth from different character’s perspectives to tell the story, but is still able to keep the flow of the story and keep it a continuous whole.

Ending: Obviously, the end of the book is just the beginning of a whole other story. However, despite the daunting task ahead of them, the books ends on a light note with the two main characters seemingly ready to take on the world.

Things to Watch For: I mentioned this in my other review for this series. This book contains elements of witchcraft. Compared with Taash, Kashka has a darker feel to it, overall. Again, I won’t be taking time at the moment to discuss in depth the topic of witchcraft in literature, I just want to let you know that it is present.

Book Commercial: Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

First Impression--Yuri!!! on ICE

First Impression--Yuri!!! On ICE

When I heard that there was going to be a figure skating anime, I was quite apprehensive. The reason? I used to watch competitive figure skating on TV. Simply put, I was cursed by knowing too much! What I mean is I could tell if they cut corners on the animation, especially in the physics behind the movements. Some (not all) sports anime suffer from the problem of forgetting that physics are real. I mean, most if the skating in anime I’ve seen in the past wasn’t physically possible. And I think about shows such as Haikyu!! (What is with all these exclamation points? Seriously! It seems like every sports anime has exclamation points.) While the show was entertaining, the physics was not there.

But my fears were baseless! As soon as the theme (History Maker) began to play, I knew that they had at least done some homework.

The Opening: What can you even say about the opening? It was done masterfully. I think that the choice of “History Maker” was a good one, as it set the tone of the show: light-hearted, yet striving to greatness. The animation opens with some technical aspects often found in figure skating, and I was amazed at the detail and style put into it. The camera angles are something that I want to talk about specifically. When figure skating is filmed, the problem that you run into is that no cameras can be in the actual ice rink, leaving the view to be wide and sweeping. The easiest thing would be to have the anime do the same. However, we are treated to various angles not found in television for these events. Not only that, but the animators maintain the physical mechanics of movement! I also thought that it was interesting that it was only the dance aspects and not the jumps that were focused on for the opening. I greatly respect that, as it is often forgotten that rhythm and style can be just as hard as jumps. The only complaint that I have is that the pronunciation gets a little lost in translation (as usual for Japanese), but the song was still strong and solid.

Plot: As far as I can tell, the main plot advances (or doesn’t advance) as Yuri Katsuki’s figure skating career advances. I was excited to realize that you would see figure skating from more than the three protagonist, but also concerned that they would be cookie-cutter performances, simply animated to fill time. However that is not the case, as for the most part each skater I have seen so far has had a unique style.

Characters: The biggest fear I have when an anime has international implication is the fear of stereotyping other countries. Among various types of media, anime and manga seem to be one of the worst offenders of negatively stereotyping its characters. While I was impressed at the mature handling of the international characters, I was less impressed with the characters themselves.

It seems clear that your two main protagonist are based off of real figure skaters: American Olympic skater Johnny Weir and Japanese Olympic skater Yuzuru Hanyu. From similarities in background and personality traits to nearly identical costumes it seems like Yuri and Victor are based off of the real-life Olympians. Feel free to read up on these skaters and tell me if you agree. (https://www.inverse.com/article/24660-yuri-on-ice-figure-skating-johnny-weir )



That being said, for basically being a fan fiction, Yuri!!! on ICE is (thus far) good and fairly original.

Book Review: Taash and the Jesters by Ellen Kindt McKenzie (Fixed)

Book: Taash and the Jesters by Ellen Kindt McKenzie

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure

Status: Old family favorite -> first printed in 1968

Length: 245 pages

Genera Set-up: Taash is an orphan who knows nothing of his origins. He inadvertently stumbles upon an attempt to overthrow the Kingdom using the young Prince. After rescuing him, Taash must keep the prince's identity safe and discover his own!

Characters: Even through Taash is only 12 or so, I feel like he is still a relatable character to an almost-adult like me. Part of this might be that he is mature for his age, but I think also that the author did a good job writing him. I also enjoyed the contrast to the two jesters Piff and Kashka.

Plot: The pacing of the plot is well done. It is quick and varied enough to keep the reader interested. the only thing I have to complain about is sometimes the author requires the reader to infer certain things in order to fully comprehend some developments. These inferences are a little vague, so younger readers might have difficulty understanding these passages. -> I certainly did!

Ending: The ending is resolved while not cutting off the possibility of future additions to the story (though, at this point that may be doubtful). As a kind I was oblivious to the book's foreshadowing, so the ending was a complete surprise when I first read it. However, looking back I realize how much the ending was hinted at. So maybe I was just a tad bit boneheaded as a child.

Things to Watch For: There is witchcraft in the book--one of the main villains is a witch. This goes along with on of the book's themes of good vs. evil. However, I am not going to delve into the debate of how Christians should view magic and witchcraft right now (that is another topic for another time), so just know that it is there.

Other Media: Ellen Kindt McKenzie has written several other books, including a prequel to this book, titled Kashka.

Anime Review: Granblue Fantasy the Animation (Video)

     I am now working through my back-log of pre-filmed videos, so hopefully production will be expedited. In the meantime, enjoy!

     A written version of this review is also available.

Genre Recommendation Video Part 2

     Finally, here is part 2!

Genre Recommendation Video part 1

    So many options to choose from!

    Hopefully, this will help give you an idea of where to start.

TV Show Review: Miraculous Ladybug (video)

     Updates have been a little slow recently, and unfortunately that is probably going to continue. In the meantime, here is the video review for Miraculous Ladybug! We also have a written version here on the blog. Enjoy!

Book Review: Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Book: “Just Ella” by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Fairy tale retelling with a little romance, action, and plenty of sass thrown in there for good measure
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Times I have read this: At least 6

General Setup: A retelling, of sorts, of Cinderella - except this story begins after the ‘happily ever after’ starts. And it isn’t quite as happy as they said.

Characters: I really enjoyed Ella as a character. She had a lot of spunk that brought the story to life and made it unique. Haddix does a great job with the other characters as well. The only character that seemed flat was the prince, but I think that was the point.

Plot: Even though “Just Ella” is based off of a pre-existing storyline, it has enough original elements that it becomes its own story. For example, there is a war going on. These new elements add to the story and shape it so that is can stand alone from the original material. Another thing I enjoyed were the use of flashbacks. Often, flashbacks can be annoying and interrupt the natural flow of the story. However, with “Just Ella,” Haddix places the flashbacks well so that they add important information and do not interrupt the flow of the narrative.

Ending: With the addition of unique plot elements, this story heads in an entirely different direction. The book certainly ends differently than the fairytale. However, I still liked the ending. It gave a good sense of resolution and really showed how much Ella had grown as a character.

Other media: Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many other books, including a two companion volumes to “Just Ella.” These are “Palace of Mirrors,” and “Palace of Lies.” Together the three books make up the Palace Chronicles series.

Ideal audience: I would recommend this book for readers middle school age and up. Some adult themes are touched on lightly.

New Picture: Silver Spoon!

     This was one that I have been on the look out for for a long time! I hope you like it!

     If you want to read the review for the anime, go here.

Guest Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Thanks to "L" for writing this review!

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Genre: Historical Fiction
Length: 552 pages (the pages are not very long)

General setup: Death has a story to tell. It’s about Liesel Meminger, a German book thief living in Nazi Germany during one of the busiest times for Death: World War II. In Death’s words: “It’s just a small story really, about, among other things:

• A girl 
• Some words 
• An accordionist 
• Some fanatical Germans 
• A Jewish fist fighter 
• And quite a lot of thievery” (Zusak 5) 

Characters: Death is the narrator of The Book Thief, and I feel that I got to know Death because of little passages he would insert about himself. In The Book Thief, Death is not the traditional idea of the Grim Reaper but is more human like.
     Liesel, the main character is a girl given up for adoption along with her brother who dies on the way to their adoptive parents’ house. Shortly thereafter, Liesel steals a book called “ The Gravedigger’s Handbook”. I would say that Liesel is a dynamic character because she becomes stronger in the face of difficulties and begins learning the power of words when she learns to read.
     Hans Hubermann a.k.a. Papa is the adoptive father of Liesel. He mostly is a static character, but he provides much needed support.
     Rosa Hubermann a.k.a. Mama is the adoptive mother of Liesel. She is a strict, foul-mouthed woman, but she is also a round character and shows a loving side.
     Rudy is the love interest and best friend of Liesel. He is a very lovable and fun character.
     Max is the Jew that the Hubermanns decide to hide. He has many physical and emotional struggles. He is a companion to and changes Liesel.

Plot: This story is not a suspense or quest sort of story, but it is a recounting of events. The author will focus on a specific event and then skip several months. This didn’t bother me because it is how someone telling their own story would write: important events are recounted and many daily activities are skipped. Also, I could tolerate the time skips because they happened constantly. The plot revolves around Liesel surviving and finding meaning in life in Nazi Germany. Another big part is Liesel discovering the power of words beginning with learning to read. Although not particularly suspenseful, I still found myself reading The Book Thief at an alarming rate.

Ending:The ending did not come as a surprise because Death had forewarned the readers several times. However, I still had my heart ripped in shreds and cried for a while when I read the ending. While the ending is not a surprise, it is still just as, or even more, effective than if it was a surprise. In summary: “I laughed, I cried. It moved me, Bob.”

Other media: There is a movie. It is rather good for a movie adaptation, but I think that the book is better.

Things to watch out for: There are quite a few curse words used throughout the book, but I felt like swearing was not overused and fit the characters. This book takes place in Nazi Germany, so there is also the cold realities of life. Some of the material might be disturbing, but I would argue it is necessary to remember the atrocities committed to prevent repeating them.

Who should read: Many of my friends, my dad, and I have all read this book and loved it. Anyone high school age or older should read this book, regardless of whether they are an avid reader or not.

Book Commercial: The Woodcutter Sister series