Manga Review: Mao Volumes 16-18 by Rumiko Takahashi Note: This review contains SPOILERS for the first 15 volumes, so you might want to go back to earlier entries if you’ve missed one or more. Quick recap: Nanoka is a 21st century girl who was cursed by the cat ayakashi Byoki. She discovered that a certain… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 16-18
Tag: curses
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural edited by Nicola Cuti As I’ve mentioned before, Superman’s impressive array of powers at the top of the super-scale make him a hard character to write challenges for. This led to the invention of Kryptonite and its subsequent overuse as a plot device.… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of DC #38: Superman Vs. the Supernatural
Book Review: Strange Scottish Stories
Book Review: Strange Scottish Stories by William Owen Like many another country, Scotland has a bloody history of dark deeds done and tales of the supernatural to be told during long cold winter nights. This 1981 anthology features some of those stories as retold and illustrated by William Owen. Most of the stories are from… Continue reading Book Review: Strange Scottish Stories
Book Review: Wicked West
Book Review: Wicked West edited by Abigail Linhardt and J.H. Fleming The combination of Western and horror genres is a popular one; those wide open spaces in which people and entire towns can just disappear make for a setting that allows a lot of spookiness. This bespoke anthology has eleven stories in this subcategory. “The… Continue reading Book Review: Wicked West
Book Review: Nettle & Bone
Book Review: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher We open in media res as Marra, age thirty, tries to make a dog from bones and wire in a cursed land inhabited by cannibals. Some of whom are quite nice, really–just don’t eat anything they offer you. It’s damaging her hands something fierce, but then impossible… Continue reading Book Review: Nettle & Bone
Manga Review: Mao Volumes 14 & 15
Manga Review: Mao Volumes 14 & 15 by Rumiko Takahashi Recap: Nanoka Kiba is a modern girl who was cursed by the cat ayakashi (monstrous spirit) Byoki. Among the results is that she can travel between the 21st Century (it’s currently 2020) and the Taisho Era of Japan. In that 1920s setting, she became involved… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 14 & 15
Book Review: The Game Master’s Book of Random Encounters
Book Review: The Game Master’s Book of Random Encounters by Jeff Ashworth I’ve been a fan of the various iterations of Dungeons and Dragons since 1979, when I first encountered people who played the game. While my involvement has waxed and waned over the years, I still enjoy reading the game products. One of the… Continue reading Book Review: The Game Master’s Book of Random Encounters
Anime Review: Onmyoji (2023)
Anime Review: Onmyoji (2023) Abe no Seimei was a documented historical person who lived during the Heian Era of Japan. He was an onmyoji, a practitioner of onmyudo, an art that combined study of astrology, the traditional Chinese elements and other natural philosophy to make predictions and influence events. Indeed, he was considered the pre-eminent… Continue reading Anime Review: Onmyoji (2023)
Manga Review: Mao, Volumes 11-13
Manga Review: Mao, Volumes 11-13 by Rumiko Takashashi Quick recap: Nanoka Kiba is by this point not at all an ordinary Japanese schoolgirl. Years ago she was transported to the Taisho Era (the 1920s) and “cursed” by the cat spirit Byoki. When she reached puberty, Nanoka became able to pass between the 21st Century and… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao, Volumes 11-13
Manga Review: Mao Volumes 8-10
Manga Review: Mao Volumes 8-10 by Rumiko Takahashi Note: The following review has SPOILERS for previous volumes. Check out my earlier posts. Quick recap: Nanoka Kiba’s parents were killed in a bizarre car crash when she was little. When she’s a teenager, Nanoka learns that a local shopping arcade functions as a portal between the… Continue reading Manga Review: Mao Volumes 8-10