Movie Review: Tokyo Gore School Fujiwara leads a double life. He’s the leader of a gang of high school bullies, and also the teacher-trusted student president. He’s reasonably comfortable with this, having a binary view of life. There are winners and losers, and he’s determined to be a winner. Fujiwara is baffled, however, when… Continue reading Movie Review: Tokyo Gore School
Tag: bullying
Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2
Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2 by Kohei Horikoshi I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving, or at least a nice Thursday! In keeping with the holiday spirit, let’s have a second helping. Brief recap: Izuku Midoriya always wanted to be a superhero, but was born without a “quirk”, unlike 80% of the… Continue reading Manga Review: My Hero Academia, Vol. 2
Book Review: Jewish Noir
Book Review: Jewish Noir edited by Kenneth Wishnia Many of the themes of noir fiction, alienation, hostile society, darkness and bitter endings, resonate with the experience of Jewish people. So it’s not surprising that it was easy to find submissions for an anthology of thirty-plus noir stories with Jewish themes. (Not all of the authors are… Continue reading Book Review: Jewish Noir
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1 by Miki Yoshikawa Ryu Yamada is a delinquent. His time at Suzaku High School is marked by poor attendance, bad grades and getting into fights. His surly attitude is reflected by other students giving him a wide berth and teachers giving him hassle. One day, after being… Continue reading Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition edited by Judith Merrill This 1960 book features a selection of speculative fiction short stories published during the 1958-60 time period. Editor Judith Merrill provides an introduction about the concept of wonder, chatty introductions to each story (she doesn’t think much of Kingsley Amis as a… Continue reading Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Book Review: Fresh Fear
Book Review: Fresh Fear edited by William Cook Horror anthologies are like a box of chocolates. One story might be crunchy frog, another spring surprise, while a more disappointing one is just maple cream. (Seriously, maple cream?) This is because horror tends to be a balancing act between what the writer finds scary and what… Continue reading Book Review: Fresh Fear
Comic Book Review: Oddly Normal Book 1
Comic Book Review: Oddly Normal Book 1 by Otis Frampton Life is not good for Oddly Normal (who was named after her great-aunt.) As the product of a human/witch marriage, her green hair and pointed ears make her stand out in her small town elementary school. She’s constantly bullied and treated as a freak. Worse,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Oddly Normal Book 1
Book Review: 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories
Book Review: 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz, Robert Weinberg & Martin H. Greenberg This was my Halloween season read this year, an anthology commissioned for the Barnes & Noble stores in 1995. There are indeed one hundred stories in this hefty tome, averaging about six pages. They are not all about… Continue reading Book Review: 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories
Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3
Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3 by Yoshiki Nakamura Kyouko Mogami and Shoutaro “Shou” Fuwa grew up together after Kyouko’s mother largely abandoned her. The Fuwa family runs a chain of traditional Japanese inns, but Shou didn’t want to go into that business, partially because it is the proprietress that is the face of the inn,… Continue reading Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 1-2-3
Comic Book Review: SMASH: Trial by Fire
Comic Book Review: SMASH: Trial by Fire by Chris A. Bolton & Kyle Bolton Disclosure: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, on the premise that I would review it. Life is hard for Andrew Ryan, short, wimpy fifth-grader in the city of Seatown. Divorced parents, troubled older brother, bullies…and he has to settle… Continue reading Comic Book Review: SMASH: Trial by Fire