Tag: Japan

Manga Review: Devilman G Vol. 1

Manga Review: Devilman G Vol. 1 story by Go Nagai, art by Rui Takato Dateline: Tokyo, in the present day. Or rather, the present night. Three strangers who met on the internet get together for a night of drinking. Susumu, Sacchan and Deathmask. Deathmask heads out alone, and Susumu manages to convince the heavily drunk… Continue reading Manga Review: Devilman G Vol. 1

Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters edited by Tim Marquitz & N.X. Sharps Like many a Godzilla fan, I have a fondness for movies where gigantic monsters rampage across the landscape. The fandom has more or less adopted the Japanese term for such monsters, kaiju. While the big critters have been a staples of… Continue reading Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Manga Review: Phantom Tales of the Night 4

Manga Review: Phantom Tales of the Night 4 by Matsuri Butterfly runs a noodle stand as a front for his real job, greeting guests for the Owner of Murakumo Inn. It’s not your standard inn, welcoming both human and non-human guests. There is a price for staying, however…your darkest secrets. A frequent visitor to the… Continue reading Manga Review: Phantom Tales of the Night 4

Anime Review: Baki (2018)

From left to right: Retsu Kaioh, Kaoru Hanayama, Mitsunari Tokugawa, Baki Hanma, Doppo Orochi and Gouki Shibukawa. Or as Kaoru likes to call them, "Idiots from Planet Strong."

Anime Review: Baki (2018) Baki Hanma is not your average high school student. He may look normal if a teensy bulky and with a dull expression on his face with his school uniform on, but once he doffs his outer clothing, it’s clear that he’s possessed of superior musculature and covered in scars. For in… Continue reading Anime Review: Baki (2018)

Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post

This cover is by Stevan Dohanos, who often did covers for the Post, and illustrates a conversation he had with a mailman. Note the two red stars on the sleeve for twenty years' service.

Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post edited by Ben Hibbs For many years, the Saturday Evening Post was one of America’s most popular magazines. Every week, it would show fascinating photographs, interesting non-fiction articles and a selection of short stories and serialized fiction. With more than 200 short stories being printed in… Continue reading Book Review: Great Stories from the Saturday Evening Post

Anime Review: Ultraman (2019)

Anime Review: Ultraman (2019) Decades ago, Shin Hayata, a member of the Science Special Search Party (SSSP), almost died due to a collision with an alien. To save his life, the alien merged with Shin and they became the superhero Ultraman, who protected Earth from monsters and alien invasion. Eventually the alien threat ended, and… Continue reading Anime Review: Ultraman (2019)

Manga Review: Deadman Wonderland #2

Manga Review: Deadman Wonderland #2 by Jinsei Kataoka &Kazuma Kondou Ganta Igarashi’s life sucks. First, his entire junior high classroom is murdered by a being called “Red Man”, then Ganta as the sole survivor is framed for the crime. He’s sentenced to life imprisonment in Deadman Wonderland, a for-profit prison built on the ruins of… Continue reading Manga Review: Deadman Wonderland #2

Anime Review: In/Spectre

Kurou and Iwanaga work together to grasp a better future.

Anime Review: In/Spectre Kotoko Iwanaga is the Goddess of Wisdom. She’s not literally a god, that’s just the title the youkai gave her when she agreed to be their mediator to settle disputes between Japanese spirits and monsters. Iwanaga (she doesn’t like her personal name) gained certain abilities in exchange for her right eye and… Continue reading Anime Review: In/Spectre

Movie Review: Zebraman

Sometimes Zebraman is caught shorthanded and needs a little help from Zebranurse.

Movie Review: Zebraman (2009) directed by Takashi Miike Strange things are afoot in Yokohama, possibly involving aliens. Defense Agency workers Oikawa (Atsuro Watabe) and Segawa (Koen Kondo) are assigned to go undercover and investigate. But they aren’t the protagonists of this story. Instead, the focus is on third-grade teacher Shin’ichi Ichikawa (Sho Aikawa), who is not… Continue reading Movie Review: Zebraman

Manga Review: Cromartie High School, Vol. 3

Manga Review: Cromartie High School, Vol. 3 by Eiji Nonaka Takashi Kamiyama is a mild-mannered fellow who wants to be a good student. But for…reasons, he finds himself enrolled at Cromartie High School, a den of delinquents and ne’er-do-wells. The other students certainly look like a tough bunch, and it’s hard to believe most of… Continue reading Manga Review: Cromartie High School, Vol. 3