How to Train Your Dragon (movie) Review

Title: How to Train Your Dragon

Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance, Mythology

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

General Set-up: Hiccup is a viking, rather on the small side, who wishes to prove that he is just as useful as everyone else. In an attempt to prove this, he builds a contraption to help him catch a dragon, so that he can gain status in his village. But nothing goes according to plan.

Characters: Hiccup is a rather interesting character. Not a child, nor an adult, he seems to be in his early teen years. He is notably smaller than the vikings that surround him, and less blood-thirsty, but perhaps remarkably smarter. His desire to prove his self-worth resounds in the hearts of the audience. What, in my opinion, makes Hiccup so endearing was his sense of humor. Sarcasm abounds in this movies, mostly in Hiccup’s lines. As is seen in the very first lines of the movie, Hiccup will be the one to guide us through this story. Right away, we are introduced to another major character: Stoic the Vast, Hiccup’s father. He is the rather stubborn leader of Berk. At times relatable, frustrating, and heart-warming, the father-son relationship is explored through fantastic storytelling. The other two characters of note are Gobber (the Blech--if you read the novels) and Astrid (who, to the best of my knowledge, is an original character). Gobber is Stoic’s friend, the local supplier of dragon-fighting tools, and also the person who teaches dragon fighting. Astrid is the local dragon prodigy and Hiccup’s crush.  

Much to my disappointment, very few other character were fleshed out. Now, I believe that was mostly due to time constraints, but I am glad that we got to see more of them in How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Dragons: Race to the Edge. Because of the unique setting, storytelling, and animation, more is always a good thing.

Plot: What makes this movie go from mediocre to great lies in the way the story is told. The plot is clear and concise, but the dialogue is a thing of beauty. From the opening line describing where Berk is located, to comments (from Hiccup) about Berk, the laughs keep coming. Perhaps because it is both a underdog story and a coming-of-age story, you cannot help but cheer on Hiccup in his sometimes ridiculous endeavors. The plot gets rolling, and never stops. It can go from tugging on your heart strings, to having stitches in your side from laughing so hard. The plot never seems slow, nor does any of the dialogue seem to be wasted. From the first line to the final line, this is storytelling done right!

Ending: The ending does have a conclusion to the current problem that Hiccup faces. It ends on a bittersweet note that leaves the audience satisfied, but leaves the option for sequels. As we all now know, How to Train Your Dragon did get a sequel, along with several animated series.

  

Sound/Music: John Powell! Do I need to say any more? For those of you who don’t know, John Powell is one of my favorite composers ever. His resume includes titles such as Prince of Egypt (song: Playing with the Big Boys), Kung Fu Panda 1 and 2, Shrek, and Rio. And what do all of these titles have in common? Amazing choice in music, of course! What I love about John Powell’s work, mostly in animated films, is that he chooses a few lines that become the “theme” of the soundtrack. Then, he works those notes into every song, ‘uniting’ the whole soundtrack. And when you hear those notes, instantly, you think of the film. His music turns mediocre films like Rio into decent movies. Thus it stands to reason that in How to Train Your Dragon, his music turns the film from a work of art into a masterpiece! Between his work on How to Train your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda, I have a hard time choosing a winner.

Animation: In (now) typical Dreamworks fashion, this film is animated with 3D animation. For the time that it came out, the animation was spectacular. Yes, when you compare the animation of the original to its sequel, it seems dated. But the film is always smooth, rather detailed, and uses a variety of colors. The biggest difference in the animation between the two films is that the newer film chooses a light color pallet and has more detailed facial expressions and clothes.

Even so, the animation is still breath-taking to this day. The characters are uniquely designed, and the dragons are different, yet each is interesting. Unlike many stories with dragons, the animators chose not to “cut and paste” a dragon, but each dragon had a unique, not traditional design.  

Things to watch out for: N/A

Other media: How to Train Your Dragon is actually based off a book series by the same name written by Cressida Cowell. While some things remain the same, the book series has a different tone. Many of the characters overlap including Hiccup (Horrendous Haddock III), the dragon Toothless, Fishlegs, Stoick the Vast, Snotlout, and Gobber (the Belch). However, other than a common setting and characters, many of the similarities end. The How to Train Your Dragon book series is like a set of short stories and is geared to younger audiences. Rather than relying on sarcasm as the main source of humor, Cowell tends to use situation that are ludicrous and many “3rd grade boys” joke. After all, they live on the isle of Berk (British slang for fart) next to Meathead island. The books are written at about a third grade reading level, and the content reflects that age group.

There is also the sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2, with How to Train Your Dragon 3 in the works.

 I thought that I would also mention the animated series that can be found on Netflix. The only one that I have personally watched is Dragons: Race to the Edge. This series has a feel far more similar to the book in both the way it is presented, and the simplicity of the plot. Nonetheless, it is still worth the watch. Netflix also has How to Train your Dragon: Legends, which focus on Gobber, and Dragons: Dawn of the Dragon Racers, a short about how the game seen in the first scene of How to Train your Dragon 2 is played.

Cosplay and Christianity

     Note: This post is addressing the topic of cosplay and Christianity, but it is also written by a Christian, to Christians as a whole. 

     Believe it or not, this is a topic that is met with a fair amount of controversy in religious circles. If one were to google “should Christians cosplay” (as I did recently - because I was bored and curious) they would be met with a wide variety of responses, ranging in emotional temperature from calm and cool to BOILING HOT! Today I am going to give my own opinion on the topic. I do not expect everyone to agree with me, in fact I know that that is not the case, but I hope you will hear me out.

     Cosplay, like practically everything else that has existed ever, is NOT inherently evil. However, this does not mean that it is not without it’s dangers. I think it is perfectly okay for Christians to cosplay. In fact, several evangelism ministries have been founded around the premise of cosplay (Note: As a rule I am not big on tracts to evangelize, but that is a discussion for another time). Christians are called to ‘be in the world, but not of it.’ Some would take this to mean that Christians have to live on earth (until Christ comes back), but they should be separated from the world in terms of lifestyle and values. I would agree with that, but I would also like to add that Christians should not seclude themselves from their unbelieving neighbors. Christ did not call us to remain isolated. Instead, we should be actively involved in the lives of non-believers. It is because of this that I see nothing wrong with engaging in activities that non-believers also enjoy.

     Okay, you may be asking, we’ve established that it is okay for Christians to participate in cosplay, but are there any exemptions to that rule? Sort of. Because we are involved in the world to reveal Christ’s love and his saving grace (this is what true Christians should be doing. I would like to personally apologize to all of you who have had a bad experience with someone who called themselves a Christian, but didn’t act like it) we must remember that we have a reputation to uphold. 

     So, for you Christian cosplayers out there: I think what you are doing is awesome! Rock on! But, you have to remember: people are watching! Let me repeat that: PEOPLE ARE WATCHING!!! Okay, that sounded a little strange. Let me back up a bit. I’m not trying to insinuate that big brother is watching, but merely remind you that Christians are Christ’s representatives on earth. When people wonder what this whole ‘Christianity’ thing is, they look to Christians around them to show them who Christ is. Be aware of your behavior and make sure you are acting in a way that is honorable and wholesome.

     Also, please walk the walk just like you talk the talk - don’t be a hypocrite! If you go to a convention with non-Christian friends who know you are a Christian and you act in way that is inappropriate and contradictory to what the Bible says (ex. revealing outfit, costume from a dirty genre, bad language, acting like a general jerk, ect.) then you are not only ruining your witness to your friends, but you are tainting their view of Christianity in general by acting in an un-Christ-like manner. Regardless if you are a Christian or not, you shouldn’t act like a jerk.

     In conclusion, there is nothing that should keep a Christian from cosplaying. In essence, cosplaying is simply putting on a costume--imagine the riots that would happen if Christianity outlawed “dress-up” for little kids! That being said, that does not mean that it is ok to act in a way contradictory to Christ while cosplaying. It’s not a pass to dress however you want, or treat people in a way that demeans them. Creativity is celebrated within Christianity, so have fun with it, just remember to treat people with respect and kindness.

Book Review: Poppy

It's our first book review guys!

Book: Poppy by Avi

Genre: Children’s novel

Rating: This book is the essence of my childhood, so I cannot in good faith come up with a numbered rating for this book without being biased. Feel free to read the rest of my review and judge for yourself.

General Setup: This book starts out with a description of the villain. Now, this guy is bad to the bone. He is evil, he is despicable, and he kills without mercy. One night he is looking for his next mark and he spots a couple on a top of a hill: a skater dude and his home-schooled girlfriend. The villain strikes, killing the skater instantly and grazing the girl.

That is pretty much how this book starts out, except I have omitted one detail: All the characters are animals!

Characters: The villain I mentioned before is an owl named Mr. Ocax who rules over an area called Dimwood Forest. He keeps his subjects in line by requiring them to ask permission before leaving their immediate territory. In exchange for this he promises to protect them from the menacing porcupine. Enter Ereth the porcupine, a crotchety, foul-mouthed and generally grumpy sweetheart. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the biology of porcupines, they are herbivores. So the fact that Mr. Ocax promises to protect the mice from porcupines is somewhat ridiculous (something I missed out on when I first read this book in second grade). Something else I didn’t pick up on right away is that Ereth’s full name (Erethizon Dorsatum) is actually the Latin name for porcupines -> fun fact! And finally, we get to Poppy, our main character! Throughout the book she grows past her timidness and benefits from venturing beyond her home. We get to see her grow as a character and join her in her first adventure!

Plot: To be honest, this book is only 160 pages. And it is aimed for an elementary-aged audience (kids 8 -12 to be exact). Those two factors could potentially lead to the plot being watered down, but that did not happen. Granted, the plot is not as intricate and complex as other books that are aimed for older audiences. However, Avi did really well with this book in that the characters drive the plot and the plot doesn’t drive the characters. What I am trying to say is that the plot advances because of decisions made by characters and how those decisions affect other characters, not because things happen for the benefit of things happening. Also, the little details that Avi inserts into the story really help it to come alive. Like, the side characters have personality! And Avi carefully chooses his words to present the best image with his words.

Ending: On one hand, I feel like Avi could have ended the book at the end of the second to last chapter. Like, Poppy is back home, Ereth has been reunited with the love of his life, and the conflict is resolved. However, the last chapter (which is all of six paragraphs) ends the book on a nice note and not Poppy’s father awkwardly jumping on the bandwagon at the last second.

Things to Watch For: Some characters die, but it isn’t really graphic. I read this in 2nd grade, okay?

Sights: Since this was a book you weren’t expecting to see this section, were you? Well, Poppy includes illustrations scattered throughout the pages by Brian Floca. They really add to the experience of the book, so I’m just gonna take a minute to talk about them.

First of all, the illustrations did not inhibit my ability to enjoy the book as a work. While reading the book I was able to form my own mind pictures that were independent from what the illustrations looked like. Also, the illustrations and the text really blended well together. This includes not only how the pictures illustrate the text, but how they were placed on the page.

Secondly, Brian Floca is a very talented illustrator. He has a large body of work varying in style and genre. For the illustrations in Poppy he works in graphite, and let me tell you they are beautiful in their attention to detail and composition!

Other media: I’ve gotten this mixed up before, but technically Poppy is the second book in a six-book series, even if it was written first chronologically.

First Impression: Tsukigakirei

For a video version of this first impression visit our YouTube channel.

     The first thing I noticed about this show is the animation. It caught my eye because I couldn't figure out if they were using 2D or 3D animation. I think it is a blend, but it is hard to tell even when they are using 2D animation because of this thing that they do when the characters and standing in the sunlight. They use a very distinct white hi-light  on the characters that almost acts as an outline, and mimics the look of 3D animation.

Comments on the theme song:
    If I could describe the theme song in one sentence, it would be: Cherry blossom petals raining from the sky! Almost all of the theme song is seen through this veil of cherry blossom petals. The background hi-lights  scenes and settings that are important to the story (at least I'm assuming they are important). A fun touch they added at the end were scenes that preview what is going to happen in the upcoming episode.
     Some of the theme song includes live-action film, except it is slightly blurred and distorted. I didn't like it as much and thought that it felt a bit out of place.

First Episode Info:
     Your two main characters, a guy and a girl, are entering their third year of middle school. The guy's name is Kotaro and the girl's name is Akane. Something I noticed was that Akane seems to struggle with some form of anxiety. She has a little stress ball that she carries around and relies on to help calm her nerves. Despite that, she is outgoing and is a valuable member of the track team. Kotaro, on the other hand, spends his club time in an independent writing club.
     After school one day Akane's family decides to go out for supper. Interestingly, they end up sitting in a booth across from Kotaro's family. Maybe it's just me, but in middle school, when I would see someone I don't know particularly well in public it was kind of awkward. Akane and Kotaro both notice and recognize the other person. To make matters worse, their parents find out they know each other and introduce themselves. As they are leaving the restaurant after supper, Akane asks Kotaro if he wouldn't mention to anyone at school that they met. Kotaro is a bit confused, but agrees.
     Later that week both Kotaro and Akane get put on the equipment team to prepare for the school sports festival (aka field day). To keep up to date about the upcoming event, they share their LINE contact information. This we assume, is the start of what will become a romantic relationship between the two.

Other Stuff:

LINE - LINE is a type of social media that is popular in Asia. One of the reasons this anime caught my eye was because, I have LINE myself. It allows for free texting with internet and lets me keep my phone bill down. I think it will be interesting to see how the two character's relationship grows through their use of LINE, but also if that becomes a hinderance to them interacting in real life.

Angst Levels? - Both middle school/high school settings (especially in the shojo genre) seem to generate a lot of drama and angst. We'll have to wait and see how much of a factor this becomes.

Music! - I have noted before that I don't really tend to pay attention to music in a show. This time, it actually stuck out to me, so I am looking forward to see how music is used through the rest of the show.

Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror) Review

Title: Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror) aka When anime goes too far...

Genre: Thriller, Psychological, Crime, Terrorism

Overall Rating: 1 star out of 5

Note: I am going to do something a little different for this anime. Because I gave Terror in Resonance such a low rating, I will break up this review in two major sections: the good and the bad.

Overview: The modern city of Tokyo is rocked by terror attacks in which no one dies. It is then revealed (to the audience) that the terrorists behind these attack are your main characters. Twelve and Nine are two mysterious high school-aged teens behind these attacks. In a new attack on the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, one of Nine and Twelve’s classmates, Lisa, inadvertently gets caught in their plain and is given a choice: become an accomplice or be killed.

THE GOOD

Animation: With a producer such as Watanabe, near perfection is what was expected for the animation. Let me say, they delivered. The animation, with the exclusion of the people (i.e. eye size, body proportions), was drawn in the most realistic way possible. The animation is always fluid and detailed. It is breath-taking and a joy in itself to watch.

Music: Per usual, Yoko Kanno blew the music out of the water. She added an undertone of Icelandic vocals, something different than her previous work. Also the theme song “VON” was beautiful, and haunting at the same time. While there is a wide range of music throughout the show, the entire soundtrack gives off this haunting vibe. Unlike her world for Cowboy Bebop, this soundtrack seemed more like one very long song. If you do nothing else with this show, at least listen to the soundtrack.

Entertainment value: Despite the low rating I have given this show, it was still enjoyable to watch. And I watched every single episode. But because I write analytical reviews, I must maintain the low rating for Terror in Resonance. Though entertaining, Terror in Resonance lacks substance.

THE BAD:

The so-called plot: The greatest failure in this series is the plot, or lack thereof. The characters constantly contradict themselves. For example, in the first episode, the main characters (Nine and Twelve) wonder if they should kill Lisa. Yet, even in the first episode, Nine and Twelve risk their lives and freedom for complete strangers and acquaintances alike. To me that was the first red flag that something was up. Other than the fact that the sequence of the first terror attack was almost identical to 9/11. But that’s my next point.

Terrorism as entertainment: Before we talk about my problems with terrorism used as entertainment, let us define terrorism. Terrorism is the destruction of property or loss of life intended to strike fear/terror in the target(s) that were unprovoked. Unprovoked is the key reason that I believe terrorism should not be used for entertainment. The reason that I have a problem with terrorism being used and not war, is that in war two sides are attacking one another. Although, sadly many civilians do get caught up and killed in war, in terrorism, it is almost ONLY civilians who are killed. And that is where my problem lies. I do not find the taking of innocent lives entertaining. I see it similar to the Holocaust. The Holocaust is not simply something for entertainment. Schindler’s List is not a movie made simply for entertainment, but an acknowledgement of the terrors that happened in WWII. The movie also causes the audience to mourn what happened, and join together to never let it happen again. Terror in Resonance does not do this. It does not acknowledge the horrors that occurred, nor even justify them. It does not deal with real ways to combat terrorism. It simply was meant to entertain.What an opportunity missed! Terror in Resonance tries to bypass the horrors of terrorism by causing no loss of life. This does not negate terrorism. Their attack realistically would cause some loss of life, and millions of dollars worth of damage. It would also affect the well-being of the citizens of Tokyo.

It does not follow the psychology of terrorism: The main thing that separates terrorism from the actions of the mentally ill (such as the Sandy Hook school shooting), is a real cause behind their attacks. Environmental terrorist fight companies who damage the earth. Groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda attack countries that oppose their ideals. And so on. But Twelve and Nine in Terror in Resonance do not have a “reason” behind their attacks--at least one not revealed to the audience nor the police nor the city of Tokyo. When terrorists attack, they make sure that people know why. But Twelve and Nine never put forth much effort into helping anyone understand why, even Lisa, who becomes their accomplice. It fails to follow logic. In fact, Twelve and Nine have more in common with BTK (serial killer in Wichita, Kansas) than they do with any terror group I know. Rather than having a reason for what they do, they do it out of some twisted sense of “revenge.” They find joy in taunting the police and FBI. Much like BTK, Nine and Twelve enjoy sending cryptic and taunting messages to both the police and media. And like BTK, they feel no regret for what they have done. At least, none that is expressed to the audience.

     According to psychology, Nine and Twelve are not terrorist, but mentally ill. Which makes a lot more sense in hindsight. And you'll know what I mean if you choose to read the rest of the review.

From this point on, this review contains SPOILERS.

I repeat, this is your final SPOILER ALERT!

The Police are either corrupt or incompetent (or both): After the first terror attack, Nine and Twelve (collectively called Sphinx) release a video to the police about their next attack. In the video, it hinted that the police (or at least someone within the government) knew the reason behind the attack. The police force, however, did not know what Sphinx was talking about and enlisted the help of a disgraced cop that was moved from active duty to the archives. I personally didn’t find the “riddles” too complex, but apparently no one in the police department is not intelligent enough, or not motivated enough to solve these. And when I say I didn't find the riddles difficult, I mean I solved it before the next episode began. And I watched this show after it finished airing (I watched it in one week). And that brings us to the next character, the deus ex machina detective. He is the only one who can solve these riddles, and really the only character that seems determined to get to the bottom of all this mess. Just because we needed someone to do that.

The FBI’s attitude (in the show): After several terrorist attacks,the FBI gets involved with the investigation. This, in itself, is not surprising. After all, the U.S. and Japan are allies, and Japan houses many U.S. military bases. However, the way the FBI was portrayed was…incorrect?...offensive?...wrong? While I am not well-versed in how the FBI operates, I am sure that they would not place bombs in areas with many civilians (regardless if they were Japanese civilians or American civilians) for the slight possibly that the terrorist would be caught in the explosion. I’m not saying that the FBI hasn’t makes some questionable or even just plain wrong calls in the past, but if a child can explain the flaw in the plan, an entire bureau should know the flaws in this plan. The plan itself is just one big flaw! "Let's just bomb the **** out of civilians and see of the terrorist stop attacking, then we can assume they died!" Imagine if this was done with the case of BTK. A bomb is dropped over Wichita (a city of about half a million) and the FBI is like, "BTK is dead!" Yeah, BTK is dead, but so are thousands of people. More people died in that attack than would have been killed by BTK. I just can't get over how stupid the plan is. But I digress. Yes, I have simplified what role the FBI has in the show, but as an American, I still have a problem with it. Not to mention, that no one who voiced any of the FBI characters in the show was a native speaker of English. I sounded (literally) like the writers of the show simply put Japanese through Google translate. (But that is a whole topic of its own!)

9/11: Perhaps the biggest and most unforgivable flaw in this show is the references to 9/11. The creators of the show claim that it is not based off of any real persons or events. I think that is a bunch of crap. Do the creators think that I am stupid? I’ve heard a rumor that the main character’s names were going to be Nine and Eleven (subtle, I know), and were changed to Nine and Twelve (the day that it would have been in Japan when the news broke). Ok, so your main characters, terrorist, are named after the worst terror attack in America’s history. How is that not supposed to be offensive?

Now, let’s talk about the first terror attack in the show. I happened at a building called the Tokyo Metropolitan Building. Now, for those of you who don’t know, that is a real building in Japan. I’ve been to that building, I have a picture of me in front of the building--bottom line, it is a real place. When I first saw the building in Tokyo, I, like many Americans, thought of the World Trade Center. Even at my college, were we have two dorm towers that are 7 stories high, many people on campus are reminded of the World Trade Center. That act of terrorism is burned onto the minds of many Americans.

I was left questioning why the creators of Terror in Resonance chose this specific building. When most people think of Tokyo, structures like Rainbow bridge, Tokyo Tower, and Skytree come to mind--far more popular destinations for school trips too. Why not attack one of those places? The sole goal of the first attack was to simply announce their presence in Tokyo. Wouldn't attacking Tokyo Tower have had a much bigger effect? Why the one building in Tokyo that looks like the World Trade Center?Another issue that I had was the way the attack was carried out. It just so happened that one tower blew up and then the other, like 9/11. It just so happened that one tower collapsed and then the other, like 9/11. It just so happened, that despite the differences in construction between the two buildings, it fell the same ways as the World Trade Center did. Really!?

I remember watching the newscasts, trembling, the images forever burned into my mind. To use that simply for the sake of making a few bucks is disgusting. I remember not being able to sleep, just crying until I slept simply from being exhausted. Several years after, I remember a girl in my class bringing several items on 9/11: a urn with ashes from the World Trade Center and a folded flag. She told us that her father worked on the floor that was the epicenter to the first plane crash. That as soon as her mother turned on the news, she knew her father was dead. They didn’t even get a body, just some shrapnel put into an urn.

I remember seeing (on the news) the subway walls plastered with thousands of “Missing Persons” posters. I knew, even then, that most (if not all) of these people were dead that that their bodies would never be recovered. That their families could never have anything but an empty coffin at the funerals.  

One of my co-worker's nephew was killed in the attack. He was only eight. He, his twin sister, and father were fleeing the area when the first tower collapsed. He was hit in the neck with a piece of metal and died in the arms of his sister and father.

Excuse me if I have lost my taste for terrorism. I fail to find 9/11 anything other than one of the worst things perpetrated throughout history.  To use the Holocaust for simply entertainment is disgusting. And in the same way, to use 9/11 for entertainment and shock value to make a few more dollars is disheartening.

Manga Review: Wild Ones

Note for a video version of this review visit our YouTube channel!

Manga: Wild Ones/Arakure
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Shojo, romance, comedy, drama

General Set-up: After 15 year old Sachi Wakamura is orphaned her grandfather offers to take care of her. Not only is she surprised to discover that her grandfather is alive, but he is also a yakuza boss. Add in a cute body guard and you have a recipe for a standard shojo anime, with a twist.

Characters: Sachie wasn't anything spectacular as a character. I felt like she was a standard shojo heroine with few outstanding qualities that made her unique. Then again, the world has enough pink-haired flamboyant anime characters, so having one that stayed within the lines might be nice for a change. I did like how Sachie is very good at intimidating people and puts on her 'yakuza face' when she is mad. Just being honest here, Rakuto reminds me of Yuki from Fruits Basket. For one thing, he is the most popular guy of the school, as well as the student council president. Also, his personality is a bit similar to Yuki's at the end of the manga - like he will smile while saying something threatening.

Plot: I enjoyed reading this manga, I really did. It's just that a lot of it seemed like things I had read before - a lot of the plot events seemed cliche, like stuff that you would expect to find (and have found) in every highschool-based shojo manga. Like the love triangle, Valentines Day, and the school festival. Thankfully, the yakuza element felt fresh and original, and it added a welcome twist.

Ending: I think this manga ended the way we all expected it to from page one. Yup, no surprises here. That being said, I would have liked to have had a few more details regarding the future of the characters, but we can't all have our cake and eat it too, I suppose.

Things to Watch Out For: As you have probably figured out by now, there is gang-related material in this manga. It never gets violent, but it is something you should know. Also, there are a few instances where characters are shown in states of undress for humor. Nothing crude is shown, but it might lead to an awkward conversation if someone looks over your shoulder while you are reading the particular panel. Incase you were wondering, the rating for this manga is T for ages 13 and up.

Humor: This is going to be a small side note, but most of the humor is based off of Japanese culture/yakuza traditions. I really enjoyed that aspect of the manga, but it can be a little confusing if you don't know the background information necessary to get the jokes. So, if you have little to no knowledge of either subject I would suggest you refer to the back of the volume for the handy-dandy cultural side-notes. I even learned some things!

Visuals: Maybe it's just Rakuto, but the artist's art style did remind me of Fruits Basket. Also, another of the characters looks significantly like Shigure. I enjoyed the way the mangaka portrayed the yakuza members. They look sufficiently frightening and simultaneously endearing.

Assorted notes: Wild Ones is a completed manga containing 10 volumes. Also, it is licensed in English, so look for it at your local libraries and bookstores!

Update: Sweetness and Lightning Review Video

      There is another video up on the YouTube channel so go check it out!

   
     I'd apologize for the weird lighting in this video (my hair looks green) but it was totally out of my control. Still, I hope you enjoy the video!