Manga Review: Case Closed, Vols. 89 & 90

Manga Review: Case Closed, Vols. 89 & 90 by Gosho Aoyama Quick recap: Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub) is a genius teen detective who is shrunk into a preteen by an experimental poison administered by agents of the Black Organization. (So called because they all wear black.) Taking the psuedonym Conan Edogawa, Shinichi… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed, Vols. 89 & 90

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82

Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82 by Gosho Aoyama It’s time once again to catch up on the adventures of Conan Edogawa, boy detective, who is secretly Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub), teen detective who was shrunk by an experimental poison. See my many prior reviews of this series, titled Meitantei Conan (“Detective… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Vols. 80-82

Movie Review: Fist of Fury (1972)

Chen faces off against the karate school.

Movie Review: Fist of Fury (1972) directed by Wei Lo; aka “The Chinese Connection” It is the 1930s, and Imperial Japan is on the rise. In Shanghai, they hold great power, especially in the International Settlement, and the native Chinese are treated as second-class citizens in their own country. Martial artist Chen Zhen (Bruce Lee) has… Continue reading Movie Review: Fist of Fury (1972)

Anime Review: Kodocha Volume 6: Sana’s Bombshell

Sana considers leaving her job.

Anime Review: Kodocha Volume 6: Sana’s Bombshell Sana Kurata is not your average sixth-grader. She lives in a mansion with her prize-winning author adoptive mother, and is an accomplished child actress, regularly appearing on the show “Zenjiro’s Kodomo no Omocha.” Pretty glamorous stuff. But sixth grade is not going well because the boys are acting… Continue reading Anime Review: Kodocha Volume 6: Sana’s Bombshell

Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73

Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73 by Gosho Aoyama Recap: Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the dub) is a teen genius detective who has been shrunk by a poison and now poses as grade-schooler Conan Edogawa, but still solves crimes. Thus the Japanese title that translates as “Detective Conan.” See my earlier reviews. This volume… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed, Vol. 73

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: The Bamboo Bloodbath

Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath by Piers Anthony and Roberto Fuentes I’ve mentioned before that one of my guilty pleasures is the “men’s adventure” paperback series of the 1970s. Violence, sex, drugs and the particular cultural trends of the Seventies mixed with a macho writing style and pulpish sensibility. In the case of the Jason… Continue reading Book Review: The Bamboo Bloodbath