Anime Review: Shiki Megumi Shimizu hates living in an isolated mountain town in the middle of nowhere. She wants to move to the big city with its bright lights and fashion centers. So she dresses like a fashion model and yearns for the hot big city boy who moved in last year. She feels unappreciated… Continue reading Anime Review: Shiki
Tag: Japan
Anime Review: Muromi-san
Anime Review: Muromi-san Takurou “Takkun” Mukoujima is a quiet lad who enjoys fishing off a lonely pier. (Apparently the fishing is normally terrible, since we never see any other fishermen there.) One day he catches a green-haired mermaid named Muromi. She quickly takes a liking to Takkun, though he’s not as impressed with her, and… Continue reading Anime Review: Muromi-san
Manga Review: Triage X
Manga Review: Triage X by Shouji Sato This is an entry in the ever popular “vigilante justice” sub-genre. Mochizuki General Hospital is the secret headquarters of Black Label, a small group of assassins that target “seats of disease” that spread the cancer of crime. All but one of the field agents are well-endowed young women,… Continue reading Manga Review: Triage X
Book Review: The 47 Ronin
The 47 Ronin by A.B. Mitford This is an abridged and dolled-up reprint of A.B. Mitford’s Tales of Old Japan with lots of color illustrations. Tales was originally published in 1871, as Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, a member of the British legation in Tokyo, witnessed the rapid modernization of Japan. He decided to set down some traditional stories… Continue reading Book Review: The 47 Ronin
Comic Book Review: Bully Eater
Comic Book Review: Bully Eater by Raymond Brown Disclosure: I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway on the premise that I would review it. Isao Akio has been bullied most of his life. Deciding enough was enough, he went out and got himself some martial arts training. This helped until he transferred to Longwei… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Bully Eater
Manga Review: Ayako
Manga Review: Ayako by Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka is best known in the United States for his early children’s manga and their subsequent animated adaptations like “Astro Boy” and “Kimba the White Lion.” But later in his prolific career, he also produced quite a few works for more mature readers, such as “MW” and “Ode… Continue reading Manga Review: Ayako
Manga Review: A*Tomcat
Manga Review: A*Tomcat by Osamu Tezuka A perennial comic book idea is animal versions of previously created superheroes, such as Hoppy, the Marvel Bunny for Captain Marvel. It turns out that manga creators can do it too. Back in the 1950s, Osamu Tezuka created Tetsuwan Atom (“Mighty Atom”), the story of a super-powered robot that looked… Continue reading Manga Review: A*Tomcat
Book Review: Shanghai 1937
Book Review: Shanghai 1937 by Peter Harmsen Disclaimer: I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This is my 25th win! This is the first English-language book specifically about the battle for Shanghai in 1937, which is considered by some to be the start of the Asian… Continue reading Book Review: Shanghai 1937
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1
Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1 by Takehiko Inoue Miyamoto Musashi, author of A Book of Five Rings, was one of the greatest swordsmen of his time (the 1600s) and something of a warrior-philosopher. He’s become a legendary figure, and there have been many fictional accounts of his life in Japanese media. The most influential of these… Continue reading Manga Review: Vagabond Volume 1
Movie Review: Hissatsu (Sure Death)
Movie Review: Hissatsu (Sure Death) A group of seemingly ordinary Edo citizens, mostly of the merchant class, are in fact a loose team of assassins. But fear not, they’re good guy assassins who only take money to kill people who really deserve it. Problem! There’s a new assassin in town, who’s exclusively targeting the local… Continue reading Movie Review: Hissatsu (Sure Death)