Anime Review: Zenshu

Natsuko cleans up nicely for the festival.

Anime Review: Zenshu Natsuko Hirose is an anime director, and something of a young prodigy. She worked her way up from the bottom in record time, and has now been placed in charge of an actual upcoming movie, a romantic comedy entitled First Love. Problem is, Natsuko’s been so focused on becoming an animator since… Continue reading Anime Review: Zenshu

Book Review: Way of a Buccaneer

Book Review: Way of a Buccaneer by Davenport Steward It is 1663, and young Wayne Thorp, late of Cambridge University, is assisting his father Captain Thomas Thorpe in a smuggling voyage to Spanish-controlled Panama. Unfortunately, their trading partner, Irish-Spanish minor government official Don Timóteo O’Bannion y Salazar, has decided he can make even more money… Continue reading Book Review: Way of a Buccaneer

Manga Review: Popcorn Romance

That's Zenta on the cover.

Manga Review: Popcorn Romance by Tomoko Taniguchi Ryouta and Zenta Yamazaki were orphaned a few years ago, but have stayed in Tokyo to finish high school and pursue their dream of being professional musicians. However Zenta, always a frail lad, is dying in the big city. He needs fresh air and honest work, so the… Continue reading Manga Review: Popcorn Romance

Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue

Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue edited by John P. Gunnison Much like the pulp magazines it reprints, HIgh Adventure is at last coming to the end of its publication history. But a 200 issue run over 33 years (starting as Pulp Review) is pretty darn impressive. And to celebrate the occasion, this… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #200: Special Last Issue

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9

Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9 by Yoshiki Nakamura Note: This review contains spoilers for previous volumes. If you are unfamiliar with the series, you may want to read earlier reviews instead. Quick recap:  Kyoko Mogami dropped out of school and moved to Tokyo to support her beloved Sho as he tried to break into show… Continue reading Manga Review: Skip-Beat! Volumes 7-8-9

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024

Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024 by various creators It’s the twelfth anniversary of my blog, so time once again to look at Japan’s best-selling manga magazine, or at least the online version of it. 2024 has been another turbulent year for Jump, with both My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen ending. (I did a… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump Weekly 2024

Book Review: The Lad and the Lion

Book Review: The Lad and the Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs A certain kingdom in Europe is experiencing unrest. The people are chafing under the absolute monarchy, wanting to switch to a constitutional republic. The current king is actually pretty good as monarchs go, but firmly believes that those who have been born and trained… Continue reading Book Review: The Lad and the Lion

Movie Review: Maniac (1963)

Annette, Eve and Jeff discuss the escape plan.

Movie Review: Maniac (1963) directed by Michael Carreras (aka “The Maniac”) Four years ago, French schoolgirl Annette Beynat (Liliane Brousse) was raped by a neighbor. That man was caught in the act by her father Georges, who decided not to turn him over to the police, but instead use an acetylene torch to murder him in… Continue reading Movie Review: Maniac (1963)

Comic Book Review: Pivot

Comic Book Review: Pivot by Jaime Dear In softball, second base and shortstop need to be in synch. Knowing who’s going after which ball, making sure the bases are covered, and preferably not running into each other. But shortstop Luciana Herrera and second base player Ella Xie are dealing with huge crushes on each other… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Pivot

Movie Review: Angel and the Badman (1947)

Quirt's had better days.

Movie Review: Angel and the Badman (1947) directed by James Edward Grant Quirt Evans (John Wayne) may be a top hand with a gun, but he’s got his limits, and this time he was severely outnumbered, so rode away. Badly wounded, he collapses in front of Quaker woman Penelope Worth (Gail Russell) and her father Thomas… Continue reading Movie Review: Angel and the Badman (1947)