Re-reading this after finishing the series is a bit weird, except where the games are actually interesting (like Shibuki's Two of Hearts game), since Re-reading this after finishing the series is a bit weird, except where the games are actually interesting (like Shibuki's Two of Hearts game), since knowing the reason for everything that happens changes your perspective on what's happening.
On the whole, I don't really like this part of the story. For one, it starts with the game where it felt like the story stopped being clever; Games 1 and 2 were (as is revealed later) simple enough for Arisu to clear,* but Game 3—"Hide and Seek"/Seven of Hearts—is purely psychological, and also just a mindfuck.** Firstly, they collectively figure out that (view spoiler)[the roles are backwards, that if the Wolf is the only one who will survive, why would the Wolf hunt the Sheep, and why would the Sheep want to hide (hide spoiler)]? Secondly, it feels like cruelty for the sake of cruelty, with the "ram meat" prize as a sort of lemon juice in the papercut. Thirdly, in the context of the true nature of Borderland (having re-read, as mentioned), it just really doesn't make sense. I suppose that's more Borderland as a whole than this specific game, though, but it still makes me sort of mad, mad enough that I'm giving this one re-read and donating the books to free libraries after reviewing them all.
The Beach is almost a neat twist, but I kind of hate how quickly it breaks down, even if there was no way it would keep a status quo except by going off onto tangental stories with minor characters, like with Four of Diamonds (but without The Beach characters). Also, the fact the volume ends with Usagi being sexually assaulted and no rescue in sight... *ugh*... Even though I know what happens later, I can't exactly enjoy the threat of rape in a story. I know it's naïve of me to think villains will never rape in fiction (much less in real life), but... consent is awesome, you know?
I also just prefer horror not to be sexual—when I do at all (which I've been into only recently because 1. I found specific "survival horror" games are interesting and 2. fictional horror gives me a viable point of control for all the latent bad vibes as of late, vs. things I can't control and therefore cannot resolve).
Anyway, a low point in the series. I vaguely recall it getting better, but maybe that was just me thinking some of the other games were pretty good? Hide and Seek was definitely the worst game.
Ironic that Usagi—meaning "rabbit"—is killing a rabbit, telling it, "Your death will help me survive." Well, sort of.
Also, a complaint: The footnote about Aconcagua is thin white text on a solid black background... UNREADABLE. >:(
*Yet had you put me in the same position, I would've died in probably every game, so... pretty sure Arisu is clever enough! Even if clever just means "can solve an easy problem under threat of death" here.
**I've been trying to avoid swearing here unless it's a direct quote, but... honestly, there's not really a better word than "mindfuck" for what that game was. Pure torment in the form of forcing a group of friends to choose which *one* of them will live....more
I originally started getting this series to support E.K. Weaver, who worked on the touch-up art and lettering, but it's such a roundabout way to offerI originally started getting this series to support E.K. Weaver, who worked on the touch-up art and lettering, but it's such a roundabout way to offer support when I can just buy direct, especially since this series feels so middling on the whole.
Like, this volume *approaches* being more like what I would expect from a Kirby-themed manga, but it still feels... off. I think it's mostly the fact Kirby still acts like a self-centered jerk to everyone around him, fixating on food (or, in the case of the "Rescue Team" story, rescuing people who don't need it) regardless of whatever damage it causes when he acts as impulsively as he does. Maybe that's funny to others?
I don't know. I like goofball characters, but not ones who are arguably as bad or worse than the villains! It also doesn't really help when the CREATOR admits to running out of ideas... like, I almost want to ask why you're even making it if you're scraping the bottom of the barrel, but it IS book 7, which is still a lot of work even if it's middling.
Probably fine for younger readers (more the target audience, anyway), but I couldn't really recommend it otherwise....more
There's an amount I look at the type of book I am keeping vs. donating to free libraries once done, especially as I reorganise my shelves, and MashimaThere's an amount I look at the type of book I am keeping vs. donating to free libraries once done, especially as I reorganise my shelves, and Mashima always looks next on the chopping block.
Then I read a book, and I put that chop on hold.
I think the big appeal to me, specifically, is the consistency of style, that after the [need to look up the approximate volume and insert here] volume of Fairy Tail, his art* became delightfully consistent, something I've come to appreciate after giving up on other titles because the artist's style changed to a significant enough degree I stopped liking it.
It's also just personally sort of funny to me thinking of, say, Shiki is Space Haru/Natsu, Rebecca is Space Elie/Lucy, Happy is... Happy (duh), etc. like the Mashima characters are cosplaying new characters who are still a very lot of the old characters. I mean, Mashima made Sieghart come back MULTIPLE TIMES, in the EXACT SAME DESIGN, so why not the others? I almost wish more creators did that—the next closest I can make even sort of the same joke with is Hiromu Arakawa, with a lot of new characters just being variants of Fullmetal Alchemist designs. (Then again, I don't follow a lot of creators who've managed to make multiple titles the way they have...) So I kind of keep Mashima around since he clearly likes the same joke I do!
I say all that, then there's another gratuitous bath scene where of COURSE the girls' being naked is a punchline. Because male gaze and target audience. Sigh.
That said, if I IGNORE that and look at the rest of the story, there are some rather nice loose ends tied up in this volume that I really like! In fact, if I didn't have FIVE MORE VOLUMES on my shelf that I haven't read yet because I couldn't find THIS one and didn't want to skip anything, if you were to tell me this was the last volume, I'd probably believe you AND be kind of okay with that! It wraps up in a sort of "soft reboot" but with a happy twist that's really nice. :D
(Of course, still have to take off the star for the bath scene... but I really should know what I'm getting into after all this time, given it's MASHIMA.)
So, feels like a series end but technically isn't, and it did take me a minute to at least fake remembering where the prior volume left off, but on the whole I like it. Definitely recommended for existing fans! Not for newcomers, for certain—you wouldn't appreciate the end like a long-time reader would.
*and his assistants', I'm not ignorant of the manga process...more
I went from being amused to horrified to vaguely relieved by this book, just from the fact it's primarily about abusive people (and getting revenge onI went from being amused to horrified to vaguely relieved by this book, just from the fact it's primarily about abusive people (and getting revenge on them), and the "twist" is predictable, if only because—when reading—you hope that's what it actually is, since that would kill two birds with one stone resolving that particular thread. The ending is perfect, though, and I expect that was the whole point, so I guess it averages out to pretty good so long as you can get through the awful parts with very literal child abuse; Trunchbull isn't legally allowed to whip children yet SOMEHOW can get away with swinging them around by their hair like a hammer or defenestrating them like... a small child being thrown THROUGH a window. Possibly the worst part is, okay, revenge for this is gotten, but it doesn't feel like enough, even though the ending is about the best (most nonviolent) res0lution there could be.
And now I will toss it.
Because the copy I have has extreme water damage, and I cannot in good conscience pass it along to another free library, nor do I want to keep it. Instead, I'm getting a replacement copy for the next free library (there are many! and I haven't exactly planned what to put in each one or anything, since it's arbitrary based on what I have and where I feel like going).
Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable...
Absolutely how the Overton window shifted RADICALLY within the last decade... yikes.
Edit: So the replacement copy I acquired is this one (but not Kindle; I don't feel like locating/creating the listing for that cover but paperback, and the ISBN is for some reason otherwise the same as a very large number of other editions), and it's basically identical internally except for a preview of The BFG at the end. Close enough for my donation purposes, anyway!...more
I had a mental note to self to continue this series if I found the rest of the books, but... I'm not sure why. My experience reading this volume isn'tI had a mental note to self to continue this series if I found the rest of the books, but... I'm not sure why. My experience reading this volume isn't remotely what I remember from reading the first book. In fact, I'm frankly irritated by Hyacinth ("Hyhy") in particular, as though Daneshvari specifically went out of the way to make a perfectly unlikeable character.
For one, her last name "Hicklebee-Riyatulle" isn't remotely an Indian name,* despite her being half-Indian, which takes me immediately out of the story since I work with Indians on the regular (and I do mean from India, to be clear). For another, her completely overbearing personality (stemming from her fear of being alone?) meaning she insists on giving herself and everyone else terrible nicknames that they Do Not Like (Mad Mad, Gar Gar, Thee Thee), flatly singing at random intervals, and being rather touchy-feely to the point of crushing Theo's hand and planning her marriage to... *somebody.*
I feel like the only way I finished this was out of spite, since there's NO WAY an author with the backing of a major publisher would just introduce a completely unredeemable main character, but it's overall just as slow as the first book with much less of the charm (the original four still have their fears, but they're only barely able to hide it). At least Mrs. Wellington FINALLY informs Theo that *constantly monitoring his family will not affect whether they are injured/ill/killed* but WILL waste his otherwise perfectly good life by spending it all on futilely monitoring his family. At least there's that.
I get fear, I really do. It's just exasperating reading about overcoming it in this (wholly unorthodox) manner.
Does Hyacinth get better? ...sort of. It's like Rufus of the Deponia games: He's an absolutely horrible person with no redeeming qualities, but at the VERY END of the game, he'll do something really good and noble that *almost* makes him likeable. (At least, until the next game, when he's IMMEDIATELY back to being terrible.) So, somewhat predictable ending, but any book worth getting picked up by a major publisher should at LEAST have that much.
Will I read the conclusion? ...probably not. I do find myself getting tired of a series as soon as I finish it as of late, but this one I very nearly felt done by the first few chapters.
*"Oh, and Punchalower IS a real name?" I ignore white people names, sorry. Not particularly concerned about their depiction, since white people STILL comprise like 90% of English-speaking media....more
Trying to remember what tags apply without necessarily looking at my prior review(s), but I'm certain I've forgotten a few.
This volume is curious, becTrying to remember what tags apply without necessarily looking at my prior review(s), but I'm certain I've forgotten a few.
This volume is curious, because—whether from my poor memory or it just having been so long since I read the prior book—it feels like I missed one, because I have a hard time piecing back together what happened then that I'm picking up again now. In retrospect, I guess I understand where I left off, but it honestly does feel like there's at least one fight scene I missed.
(I did mention my bad memory, though, so... that must be it.)
The main joke is STILL the absurdity of needing to fake a family to carry out some farfetched spy goal, and the ridiculous lengths ALL of the Forgers go through to accomplish this (with Yor only partly in the loop, because she believes that continuing to remain single at her age makes her suspicious, and she wants to keep HER hidden life... hidden). It's both funny how they do it and frustrating that they can keep the status quo, even with Yuri quite close to unmasking Loid as Twilight. The superhumanness of the characters is borderline frustrating, too, with the series threatening to become stock "shounen" fodder as a result, given the power creep that has to come by making it so the characters have to actually *struggle* a bit when fighting, since it's boring to read fights that are painfully one-sided.
I guess I'm mostly frustrated by Nightfall, I think, between her obsessiveness over Twilight and overeagerness to put Operation Play House at risk just because SHE wants the role of Wife instead. It's probably my least favourite way to add drama to a series, regardless of how otherwise good a character she is (which is pretty much only the first chapter in this book).
Like, the part about meeting the Authens is nice, actually, if predictable. That's a wholesome way to add drama to the series, by introducing grandparental figures (and ones who help Anya in a positive way!), and probably my favourite part of the series so far. The chapter with Damian trying to "pay back" Anya with a rare cake is also cute, although it felt maybe a little too forced for my taste. (Also, it makes me want cake, nnngh.) I get that these sorts of stories don't advance the overall plot that much, though.
I'm not sure I get the bonus comic about Anya's nameplate. Does Anya really not know how to spell her own name? Does Yor not know how to spell Anya's name, either? Is that the joke? Huh.
Overall, Okay but not Fabulous. I'll still follow the series, but it frustrates me enough that I actually think I'd hate watching the anime after the first episode made me not like watching it. So weird, huh? I'll read it but not watch it—I think this is the only series like this for me. Even horror stories, I'd actually watch the animated version of a book I read, just because I'm interested in how they adapted it. This series, I'm absolutely certain I'd get mad watching it. I can't explain it, maybe the pacing of the show, I don't know....more
I took off two stars because [!!HUGE SPOILER!!]*, which feels like a cheap play for extra drama in an already ridiculous shonen title.
The rest [image]
I took off two stars because [!!HUGE SPOILER!!]*, which feels like a cheap play for extra drama in an already ridiculous shonen title.
The rest of the book is pretty stock for kaiju battle sequences, and you can probably just read one of my other reviews of the series to get an idea of what it's like. Actually, no, my review of Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 11 covers all of it, I think. I don't even need to go back to the books I missed reviewing, that's basically my review of the entire series (other than the comedy that's been sorely lacking during this specific battle that's now spanned at least four volumes).
*(view spoiler)[It was Vice-Captain Hoshina's "death" that was revealed to be a hallucination when he passed out from the impact of the blow. CHEAP STUNT. (hide spoiler)]...more
I was thinking that this should probably wrap up the series, since it feels like it can't go for too much longer without getting old... and sure enougI was thinking that this should probably wrap up the series, since it feels like it can't go for too much longer without getting old... and sure enough, "Final Chapter!"
It sort of drags on all the same. It feels a bit... I don't know. I feel like it could have wrapped up sooner, but I couldn't tell you where it would need to be cut to accomplish that. The first two volumes did exactly the setup they needed, and this wraps up the whys and hows. I guess it felt too long because I was trying to squeeze in my reading for the day before dinner and ran a bit over what I'd intended. (Dinner ended up running late itself, which didn't help.)
The story as a whole is cute, and I would honestly love to see it made into an OVA, maybe. (Regular anime, I wouldn't mind, but I feel like they would have to stretch it out to get a full season's worth, and I'd rather it just be, say, four well-paced episodes instead.) Now that it's ended, though, I don't know if I'd hang onto it like I had been planning. Somehow, finishing the story made it less interesting.
I think it's the fact of the core plot is "a family gets books, books get stolen, head of family bans anyone outside the family from seeing the books and puts a curse on anyone who steals the books"—which isn't really a tale for the ages or anything, is it? Still, I do like it, and I don't regret reading it... even if the main character hated books, haha....more
I picked this up, because I'm familiar with Jason Waltrip's work on Fans!, so I of course was naturally curious.
My curiosity died when, lo and behold,I picked this up, because I'm familiar with Jason Waltrip's work on Fans!, so I of course was naturally curious.
My curiosity died when, lo and behold, the story is exactly what it says on the tin.
The problem is in the current age, moulded by anti-intellectualism, makes a very lot of Harold's antics not as funny as it "ought" to be, especially with the amount of collateral damage they cause simply from *existing* in some cases. I don't want to get into too much of a tangental rant here, but it's just not really a good time for this kind of "comedy" for me.
I would have only docked one star for the content (the sheer stupidity), since the art and actual writing (dialogue, humour) is pretty good. However, they feed Scruffy "liver and onion pie"—a STRONG DON'T. Like, even if you argue that they're too stupid to realise it's bad for the dog, "too stupid to know he's supposed to be sick from the onions" is not really a brand of humour I can remotely appreciate.
On the whole, probably okay, but not really my jam. Also apparently (or thankfully?) a one-off. Probably better off reading Fans! instead....more
I remember having read at least the beginning of this when I was a young reader, because I remember the bit about Stuart's family not wanting to exposI remember having read at least the beginning of this when I was a young reader, because I remember the bit about Stuart's family not wanting to expose him to references to mice, like in "Three Blind Mice" or 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (which they changed to "...not even a louse"). The rest is here and there, like the sort of episodic mini-adventures that Paddington gets into, so much that it strikes me as a genre: the "talking animal living like a person" *almost* but not quite slice-of-life story that follows a lot of the same playbook as any other of the same genre.
This one in specific isn't BAD, but I do feel like a lot of things weren't thoroughly thought out: e.g. when Stuart's mother drops her ring down the drain, and they send Stuart down on a string to retrieve the ring, and he wears it around his neck to keep from losing it again... that doesn't feel like the correct scale for drains, to me. Rather, ours have at minimum a partial grate keeping anything like a ring from going down in the first place, which a mouse would struggle to get through, and it always strikes me as silly to even have a drain WITHOUT such a guard to keep important things like rings from falling down there. Why set yourself up for failure by leaving such a place where it will be easy to lose something precious forever?
Now, it could be when this was written in a time when drains DIDN'T have the modern day precautions, which of course feels ridiculous with the power of hindsight, and losing rings down the drain was a common occurrence that people just got used to dealing with. Who knows? (besides anyone who lived in that era, I guess)
Also, just... the entirety of the thing with (view spoiler)[Harriet Ames (hide spoiler)]. Just, ALL OF IT. Why even include that? Stuart just setting himself up for failure and then dismissing it all when the tiniest* thing goes wrong (even if it's not a small deal to HIM). Furthermore, he doesn't even find (view spoiler)[Margalo (hide spoiler)] by the end of the book! It just ends on this "Well, he's STILL travelling" note that's, in retrospect, irritating enough for me to drop another star on my rating.
I guess the main thing to me is *as is*, the story as a whole feels slightly dated, involving problems that would not exist so much in the current day. Even taking the bus, Stuart would have to carry around a bus pass card vs. a dime (or several dollars, these days). Like, I don't know how far back it would have to count as "historical America"—the original text was 1945, which is "only" eighty years ago, but the story feels like it could easily be 1960s, possibly early 1980s when ignoring the prices of things. Yet it definitely feels just slightly older than modern, just enough to be not-quite-contemporary.
(I suppose some of the problem is the current day politics trying to regress America to the 1950s or earlier era. Hmm.)
I add the "science fiction" tag for Dr. Carey's mysterious miniature gasoline-powered automobile that turns invisible, which feels like a preposterous thing for a dentist to just *make as a hobby* in his free time. It feels wildly out of place in a story where the focus is on a human couple whose second baby is extremely mouse-like for no specified reason. (Somehow.) Also, just the wastefulness of making it need fuel that's dangerous to handle directly.
On the whole, not really recommended, especially since it ends on such a cliffhanger that OTHER PEOPLE had to make a sequel that wraps things up! (or so I assume, I only just now found out about it) Okay read but unsatisfying.
*haha, no pun intended
Edit to add: I should note that I haven't seen the movie to know how they handled the cliffhanger in specific (besides by making a SECOND movie), so I can't as such comment on that....more
This is the first Sarah's Scribbles book I ever got! Even though I'm pretty sure I was at least vaguely aware of the first one, somehow it never regisThis is the first Sarah's Scribbles book I ever got! Even though I'm pretty sure I was at least vaguely aware of the first one, somehow it never registered in my mind that it was out, so I didn't get it before.
This one has STICKERS THOUGH. STICKERSSSSSSS. Already worth the cost of entry!
The comics are in newspaper style, which means there's no as such "continuity" between comics beyond a general sense of status quo: Sarah has anxiety/OCD/ADHD (though I will not presume to armchair diagnose any of it) and is acting out accordingly, Sarah is kind to others but hard on herself, Sarah's cat is bad (actually, all of them are), and so on.
There are also a lot of rather specific jabs at certain types of people; for instance, the creative types who feel like failures for not having accomplished anything before their 30s. Like... life is pretty long, honestly! Unless you dream of—say—being an Olympic gold medal winner, it's not like being older STOPS you from being able to do the thing you want! (and even age isn't THAT much of a hinderance, for the Olympics)
I honestly could keep going, but I don't want to have spent longer writing the review than I spent reading the book, haha. (It's a quick read, and definitely worth it!)...more
I never know whether to tag general "superpowers" as "superhero" or not, since they aren't really... "heroes"? Especially not in THIS story! "Magic" dI never know whether to tag general "superpowers" as "superhero" or not, since they aren't really... "heroes"? Especially not in THIS story! "Magic" doesn't really seem like it, either, since their abilities are specific to individuals, where magic seems to be superpowers that anyone can tap into (provided study and ability).
So, "paranormal," though that USUALLY brings to mind things like ghosts and such. (I would bet one of them has a ghost-like ability somewhere, though?)
This is technically a re-read, since I got into the series well before starting on Goodreads, but I also got OUT of the series after so many seasons of the anime going ALL OVER THE PLACE, including turning F. Scott Fitzgerald into a money-grubbing playboy who TURNS MONEY into LITERAL STRENGTH, which seems... fundamentally terrible. On one hand, deflation! On the other... ...no, I can't think of a counterpoint.
Anyway, spoiler.
Probably the "draw" of the series was taking famousauthorsfromJapan (until the next arc, when overseasauthors come into play) and turning them into attractiveyoungpeople with supernatural powers (though your mileage may vary on that "attractive" assessment—it's how the bonus gag skit describes how the idea came about). Admittedly, it's fun for a bit, but after so long, it just feels like lazy character generation, like nobody would be as interested in the series without the name drops.
Four star rating, anyway, since I'm trying to recapture the original review. It starts out pretty okay, about the normal way shounen titles do, except that Dazai is terminally suicidal—I almost imagine that No Longer Allowed In Another World got started as, "I like Dazai, I want to make a whole series around him!" and turned the suicidal tendencies up to the max. (Dazai even asks an attractive lady to commit a lover's double-suicide with him, the way Sensei does.) This gets just a bit old down the road, though (in both series). Probably an okay read if you find a free copy like I did, since I wasn't excited about buying the books AGAIN and donated them long ago....more
This is a fun series in newspaper style storytelling format: lots of short stories covering a week at a time (unless the story carries over to a new wThis is a fun series in newspaper style storytelling format: lots of short stories covering a week at a time (unless the story carries over to a new week) and no single overarching story to the volume as a whole. Also, each strip ends on a punchline (or tries to do so; I make no comment about ones that make the attempt but fail in this respect).
Overall, the series is fairly all-ages, between the cute style and mostly wholesome shenanigans. However, this volume in specific gets into how the titular Lauren is in love with Princess Kat and writes "spicy" stories inserting herself into harems with the other characters (and charging more to NOT include herself, when commissioned for stories); there are several descriptions of extremely violent acts and one instance of actual gruesome violence (the aftermath of being stepped on by a giant person); there are some swears ("Hell"); and overall it sort of depends on whether you feel Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies were themselves "all ages" or not.
There are no depictions of sex or nudity, anyway! ...or, okay, not any more than animals are normally naked. (See again, Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.)
I do enjoy the series, but I recognise that it might be a problem just handing this to a younger reader based only on the art style. For one thing, the jokes are at least tween and up, including how "Epic Bob could even make *doing taxes* epic!" (...and you would be right to doubt that) Definitely things younger readers MIGHT be tenuously aware of but won't truly appreciate.
Not saying they CAN'T, just that I wouldn't expect a more nuanced understanding from them. Of course, I'm saying this as someone who read Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County before I could understand the nuances of the humour. Depends on your young reader, I suppose!...more
Constantly rethinking my decision to tag the animals used as caricature to represent the countries involved. Like, is anyone going to follow the "wolfConstantly rethinking my decision to tag the animals used as caricature to represent the countries involved. Like, is anyone going to follow the "wolf" tag and be disappointed that this turns up?
Anyway, I'm pretty sure here is where I started to question whether I was getting appropriate value from this series for the cost per book. I strongly disliked most of it, partly since a very lot of it was devoted to the guy who lost his arm to Tanya in the prior book, and he repeated what he had to say to "Mr. John" to his nephew, so that felt like wasted tine, but ALSO because so much of it was all, "Okay, let's end this war but not too quickly, since we might overlook something... nah, we checked everything, even that apparently clairvoyant Tanya wouldn't be able to think of anything we overlooked, we'll call it won without bothering to check with her, because what does a LITTLE GIRL know about war!"
(besides an apparently VERY LOT that even Colonel Lergen finds suspicious, to the point of having an idea of the man who was reincarnated into Tanya's body, but only that that man is a monster, rather than someone reborn with future knowledge of an alternate timeline eerily similar to their world's)
Anyway, thanks, I hate it. Absolutely feel Tanya's intense frustration that this series is still running, though I don't know why I still have one future volume other than I got it because I knew I hadn't read it despite my having forgotten LITERALLY ANYTHING I'd read of most of the series to date. Recommended for fans of alternate history, though! I'm sure you fans have better memories than I do to be able to keep track of all the mess that goes on in the series!
A cute story about a boy who keeps finding more and more exotic animals ((view spoiler)[in his dreams (hide spoiler)]) and asks his mother whether he A cute story about a boy who keeps finding more and more exotic animals ((view spoiler)[in his dreams (hide spoiler)]) and asks his mother whether he can keep them. There's a point where his mother realises the boy can't possibly be serious, so her answers—while perfectly reasonable for the dog and kitten—become sort of distracted after a time. ((view spoiler)[Her ONLY complaint about the bear is it would smell bad? (hide spoiler)])
Recommended for all ages! I don't know if it would help with young (or old!) readers who really really really want a pet, though. *looks sadly at pet-free house*...more
I tag "dragon" for Veldora, though he barely appears and is in his human form, but it feels dishonest NOT to tag him. Then again, I follow a web comicI tag "dragon" for Veldora, though he barely appears and is in his human form, but it feels dishonest NOT to tag him. Then again, I follow a web comic where the author tags characters whose elbow is slightly visible in one panel.
This is (to me) the highlight of the Founder's Day Festival that's already aired in the anime that I hadn't read prior to viewing,* but... honestly, the anime is better—and not just because the fight scenes and so on, but also for Shuna and Shion's musical duet/duel, which in manga format, you just have to take the characters' word for it that it's good.
Like, it's still fun in a "wholesome peace-loving world that sometimes has to stomp down some bad guys" way, but it also just doesn't feel like it's *going* anywhere anymore. Sure, there's the fact it's sort of at the equivalent of mid-game in SimCity, on the road to but not quite at Megalopolis stage, but... I guess what it feels like is a diminishing returns on interest, plot-wise. Most of the truly major obstacles have been removed, so it's now just cleaning things up and continuing the day-to-day stuff; nothing seems like it's on the horizon except civic progress.
That's fantastic in the real world. In fiction, it's... less exciting. It's one thing if it's like Restaurant to Another World, where "fantasy characters come eat at a literal otherworldly restaurant" is the norm. When major wars become a plot point, getting to a stage of complete peace is... boring. (And yet I'm stubbornly persisting with the middling Tanya the Evil just to see if it ever gets there! Figures.)
Four stars because it's a fun story, even if it's more fun animated. Absolutely not a good starting point for the series, though, especially since so much of this feels like the "reward" for certain characters' accomplishments, without newcomers having seen any of the accomplishments.
*Since I barely get to the "full-price" bookstore since... everything's full-price, so given that I'm currently reading for quantity a little more than quality, for "donate my discards to free libraries" reasons, I try to prioritise getting cheap/free books over any new series I follow. It's also, if I'm being honest, a series I'm not exactly excited about anymore, since it's sort of another "manga version of crossword puzzles": fun in the moment, but nothing TRULY memorable. Which makes my goal to "Review literally every book I've ever read (within reason)" annoying, since I've already donated and don't plan to re-buy most of this series, and I almost never find manga donations in little libraries unless I put them there....more
This is a bizarre book for a number of reasons: - It's about a school in the vein of Wayside School where the kids don't actually seem to learn practicThis is a bizarre book for a number of reasons: - It's about a school in the vein of Wayside School where the kids don't actually seem to learn practical skills but basically get to do *absolutely whatever* with almost no consequence (although the food is infinitely better in Jake's school), - a lot of Keith Knight's illustrations are tenuously related to the text (despite being hilarious), and - I apparently read this before! but somehow at the time thought it was book 3 and so wanted to "come back" to book 1—yet I only recognised it as the one I read before by the twist at the end. Huh. I don't know what that says about myself, particularly as a fan of Knight's work.
Anyway, this book is fun—if concerning, as far as potentially making younger readers want to do the same thing at THEIR schools. I mean, sure, "finding your goal(s) in life" is a good thing, but the process in THIS school is a bit removed from the norm. Unfortunately, as much fun as they might have, I can't see the students being able to adjust well once they get released into the Real World!
Tagged talking animals for the chapter bonus page featuring a dead gator hoping its companions escaped alive, for the record.
So I HAD to go back for aTagged talking animals for the chapter bonus page featuring a dead gator hoping its companions escaped alive, for the record.
So I HAD to go back for a re-read now that Season 4 of the anime is out!
It's... surprisingly lined up. Like, this volume starts where Season 4 starts! Convenient! The anime also follows the manga perfectly, like they just used the manga for a storyboard with some scenes stretched out for comedic effect *cough*KirisamewhenaskedaboutKinro*cough*
I also, surprisingly, don't have a lot to say about the story. Like, it's goofy science-based drama in the style of MacGyver, while being the slightest bit more dubious science than MacGyver. (Considering where the whole Medusa plotline is going, it's actually a LOT more dubious, but spoilers.) I definitely enjoy the series, but it's still shounen at its core—meaning some ridiculous fight/action scenes and Male Gaze* taking the forefront. But it's probably the only "based on real science" (or at least "real science as per Wikipedia") story that comes to mind, so I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.
*"But what about Kohaku and Kirisame? They're great fighters!" Yeah, but they ALSO have the same weird ultra-hourglass body type that ALL of Boichi's mid-teen-to-early-adult girls have (with sort of exception for Nikki but only in her face), and also the fighter girls are both outnumbered and overpowered by the fighter guys. According to the "Power" chart for one of the chapter break pages, Kohaku is the most agile fighter but has average destructive power, while Kirisame is the least destructive (but ties Hyoga for most range). Still an overwhelmingly male-centric story.
...actually, it's deliberately vague what gender Francois is, but that's a moot point since Francois is only the BEST CHEF IN THE WORLD. (Whether that subverts or reinforces the idea of "women belonging in the kitchen," who knows.)...more
This has the same cover as the hardcover, but with a Scholastic logo at the bottom.
I think this is every child's dream field trip: to an ice cream facThis has the same cover as the hardcover, but with a Scholastic logo at the bottom.
I think this is every child's dream field trip: to an ice cream factory! Of course, said factory doesn't pass OSHA standards, because Splat is able to yawn and ACCIDENTALLY press a button that FLOODS THE FACTORY WITH ICE CREAM, not ONLY a waste but a major safety hazard! The young kittens help clean the factory by eating (some of) the ice cream they clean up, only to not want ice cream EVER AGAIN (for now).
Good for showing how too much of a good thing, isn't. Well, it's maybe not THAT clear the kittens are sick of ice cream after eating so much of it, since it doesn't really show the eating until they're sick—at best, they try a taste of what they've been flooded with. I would also hope this instills some safety mindfulness in younger readers: Is it a GOOD idea to have a button in easy reach that will pour ALL of your food onto the floor?? Why would anyone do such a silly thing??
I mean, I'm not condemning the silliness of the book; sometimes, silly ideas HAVE to be explored, to show WHY they're silly! It's also simple enough to explain, "One scoop of ice cream costs $X. The factory was flooded with about ONE MILLION scoops! Can you imagine how much money did the factory lose?" A good lesson on protecting your assets, if nothing else!...more
This is one of the "calmer" Fairy Tail books, where they spend more time talking—and a RIDICULOUS amount of time in a bathhouse—than the usual "fight This is one of the "calmer" Fairy Tail books, where they spend more time talking—and a RIDICULOUS amount of time in a bathhouse—than the usual "fight literally anything that moves" sort of thing the guild usually gets into. The extensive bath scenes, of course, ruin my appetite for the story, regardless of how "important" what they do there is (it's not—it's an excuse for cheesecake, however equal opportunity, since they literally could have just talked in the guild hall like they do later).
There are some cute moments, too, so I don't HATE the series, much less this volume in specific. It's more that, okay, yes—this IS a Mashima title—I have to expect some gratuitous nudity and breast/butt shots, etc., but MOST of the time it's actually fun content, so I just roll my eyes and go with it. At least it's not slavery (or "slavery" in the guise of helping allies get better while still having a degree of control over them regardless of how trustworthy they are).
Cute: + Frosch (Gray thinks so, too!) + Frosch vs. Happy ((view spoiler)[I showed my spouse, who said, "GET WRECKED, HAPPY!" ...Touka really is the only one who unwaveringly adores Happy no matter what, huh (hide spoiler)]) + Gray realising what happened when (view spoiler)[he turned into Juvia, after Juvia mentions she turned into Gray (hide spoiler)] + (view spoiler)[Irene's resurrection into her (other world's) daughter's daughter (hide spoiler)] :D ...admittedly a bit weird, but even Ueda says at the end that it's lovely!
Less cute: - Ueda's afterword musing that proper "A.I. art" would be convenient to help get manga created faster, but (luckily) realises that if it's TOO good, Ueda will be out of a job.
On the whole, definitely feels like a "vintage" Fairy Tail title, but not one of my faves. Recommended for fans only; complete newcomers shouldn't even be thinking about coming in so far after the fact. (I mean, I've been following since original book 1, and even *I* get confused about what's happening.)...more
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