Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly (2016) by various creators. It’s the fourth anniversary of this blog (where does the time go!?) and thus my annual review of the online edition of Weekly Shounen Jump, Japan’s best-selling manga anthology. The 2016 reaper has been busy here as elsewhere, with several long-running series ending: Bleach, Nisekoi, Toriko… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly (2016)
Tag: Japan
Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences
Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences by Pere Romanillos “Serendipity” is the good fortune that comes when you discover something useful or interesting while you were looking for something else. Knowing how to grasp the opportunity offered by serendipity is one of those skills that every scientist and artist should have at their disposal. This book, originally… Continue reading Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences
Manga Review: Doraemon, Vol. 1
Manga Review: Doraemon, Vol. 1 by Fujiko F. Fujio It’s not often that someone is so big of a loser that his descendant feels the need to travel through time to fix it. But Nobita Nobi has managed it. Nobita’s a wimp, as well as not very bright and so lazy that he doesn’t even… Continue reading Manga Review: Doraemon, Vol. 1
Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59
Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap: When teen genius detective Shin’ichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the American edition) is targeted by a mysterious criminal organization, the experimental poison used shrinks him to child size rather than killing him. Assuming the identity of Conan Edogawa, the pint-sized sleuth moves in with… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vol. 59
Book Review: Rad Women Worldwide
Book Review: Rad Women Worldwide by Kate Schatz Right up front, I have to say that the title is the most annoying thing about this book. Did anyone ever use “rad” as an adjective unironically? That said, “radical” is not an unfair term to apply to many of the women whose short biographies are… Continue reading Book Review: Rad Women Worldwide
Manga Review: Nichijou: My Ordinary Life (1)
Manga Review: Nichijou: My Ordinary Life (1) by Keiichi Arawa The ordinary lives that all of us lead every day might perhaps be a succession of miracles. This is the story of four ordinary high school girls living their ordinary everyday lives. Yukko, cheerful but not very bright; Mio, who’s of average intellect and has… Continue reading Manga Review: Nichijou: My Ordinary Life (1)
Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3
Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3 by Naoko Takeuchi Usagi Tsukino doesn’t look much like hero material at first glance. She’s clumsy, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and a bit of a crybaby. But Usagi has a secret heritage, and when talking cat Luna seeks her out, Usagi becomes the bishoujo senshi (“pretty… Continue reading Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3
Manga Review: Vampire Princess Miyu Volume Two: Encounters
Manga Review: Vampire Princess Miyu Volume Two: Encounters by Toshiki Hirano & Narumi Kakinouchi The Shinma (“god-demons”) are supernatural creatures that come from a place known as the Darkness, which many of them have escaped from to the bright and warm Earth. It is the fate of Miyu, born of the union of a vampiric… Continue reading Manga Review: Vampire Princess Miyu Volume Two: Encounters
Anime Review: InuYasha Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island
Anime Review: InuYasha Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island Once upon a time, Horai Island was a peaceful land where humans and youkai (Japanese monsters, called “demons” in the dub) lived in harmony. To protect themselves and their hanyou (“half-demon”) children from less tolerant mainlanders, the people of Horai erected a magical barrier that made the… Continue reading Anime Review: InuYasha Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island
Anime Review: Battle Athletes: On Your Mark
Anime Review: Battle Athletes: On Your Mark In the far future year of 2015, World War Three is interrupted when Earth’s magnetic poles shift drastically, causing global disaster. The silver lining is that the survivors united to form a peaceful culture that then rapidly advanced. However, by the 31st Century, humanity was again at war,… Continue reading Anime Review: Battle Athletes: On Your Mark