Book Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo      

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Washington Square Press

American release date: May 29, 2018

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/LGBTQ Romance/400 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Monique Grant had high hopes when she accepted the position of staff writer at Vivant magazine, thinking this would be her springboard to writing fame. But so far, she hasn’t exactly been overwhelmed with great opportunities for thoughtful articles. Still reeling from her husband David’s departure and divorce, she is surprised to be called into her boss Franky’s office one day to receive a new assignment. Turns out that well-known actress Evelyn Hugo, who has been around forever and is still a very beautiful woman,  is donating some of her gowns for a charity auction and is willing to be interviewed regarding the donation. What is surprising about this is that Ms. Hugo has been reclusive for a very long time. Infamous as much for having been married seven times as for her acting career, talking to her would be a feather in any journalist’s cap. So why is she telling Vivant she wants to talk to Monique Grant and only Monique Grant? Monique is completely baffled herself, as she has no ties with the actress, has never met her. The only answer she can get is that the actress read her article about the right-to-die and was impressed. Her employer tried to replace her with someone else, but Hugo was adamant – Monique or no one. So Monique goes off to meet the woman and see what she can find out, although what is there to say about some dresses?

But not everything is as it appears to be. In fact, quite the contrary. At their first meeting, Evelyn discloses that this has nothing to do with dresses or the auction, but that she wants Monique to write her biography. Not ghost write it, to have Evelyn Hugo’s name slapped on it, but actually write it. Furthermore, Monique is going to sell it to the highest bidder (and there will be many of those, Evelyn assures her), because Evelyn won’t be around for much longer, and Monique is to keep all the royalties for herself. ALL THE ROYALTIES FOR HERSELF!

What’s the catch?

Monique is in disbelief, but Evelyn is adamant. She won’t tell Monique why, at least right now, but she assures her that she will find out the truth when the time is right… and she will hate Evelyn for it. How can a girl say no to such an offer? But she can’t let Vivant know what is going on, she has to string them along thinking she’s doing the piece about the dresses, because a girl has to eat, right? While in reality Evelyn is telling her life story, about each and every husband and her meteoric career, while also answering the question – who was her greatest love? This book could set Monique up for life easily.

At first I thought this was just about a Elizabeth Taylor-like actress who bagged and tagged multiple husbands while living the grand life. But I realized early on that it was so much more.  It’s an amazing story of an amazing woman and her journey through life – her loves, her husbands, her career. Certainly not perfect, she made mistakes and she did what she had to. But it’s an epic tale. It’s also Monique’s tale, her desire to hear and tell this story. And to learn its relevance to herself, even as she battles her own self-doubts and problems. I was so sorry to see this story end, but in a very satisfying way. Evelyn Hugo wasn’t free to love as she wished, born into an era which would never allow that to happen. How different things would have been if she’d come along now.

I will definitely have to look for more books by this author.

Wednesday Briefs: Rose and Thorne 6 #22 (5.1)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts. 

Just when the fire turns out to be a false alarm, the boys get a call of a prowler at their house? And Sarah and baby Alex are there alone? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Rose and Thorne 6. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Rose and Thorne 6 #22 (5.1)

Everything else took second place in that moment. Returning to our home and seeing to the welfare of Sarah and Alex had just become priority number one. Of course we weren’t about to leave Benny alone at the hotel, especially under the circumstances. He seemed as anxious as we were to find out what was going on, not surprising considering his niece and great-nephew were involved.

This would have been a good time to have one of those flashing lights to slap on the top of our car, the kind you see the police use in lots of movies and TV shows. Being undercover, we’d never really had a need for those before. Technically, this didn’t qualify as a police emergency either, and we probably could have got into trouble for using them anyway.  I’m amazed we weren’t pulled over considering how fast Ethan was driving. Luck was on our side, and we reached our house in record time. Ethan pulled into the drive and just barely threw the car into park before jumping out and heading inside. Benny and I were right behind him.

Ethan yanked open the front door and burst inside. The living room was empty. “Sarah? Sarah!” he cried out. Hearing no immediate reply, he pulled his weapon and waved me toward the kitchen while he moved toward the back of the house, down the hallway. I motioned to Benny to wait where he was.

I could easily follow Ethan’s thoughts processes. Secure his sister and nephew before we searched outside for the prowler, although anyone with any sense should have fled the moment we arrived. Still, there were people for whom common sense was a foreign language.

The kitchen was clear, not a perp in sight, so I followed in Ethan’s footsteps. The hallway was empty. Ethan was just coming out of our bedroom. Obviously no one there. Ditto with the bathroom. The door to the spare bedroom, the one where Sarah and Alex were sleeping, was closed. Ethan and I exchanged glances just before he reached for the doorknob.

At that moment, the door opened, and Sarah appeared in the doorway. She slid out and quickly closed the door behind her. She seemed puzzled as she looked between us.

“What’s up, guys? I thought you were at the hotel, guarding Uncle Benny?” Then she looked past us, exclaiming. “Benny!” Apparently he was standing just inside the living room. Hoorah for family reunions!

“One of the neighbors reported a prowler, that’s what we’re doing here,” Ethan said tensely. “Are you and Alex all right? Is anyone here? Did anyone try to break in?”

I wasn’t sure why Ethan was questioning her so closely. I mean she was standing right there, clearly unharmed. What did he suspect? That there was intruder hiding in her bedroom? Maybe using little Alex as a hostage to keep her from revealing his presence? She did seem somewhat tense herself, all things considered.

“Everything’s fine, Ethan,” she assured him. “Go on, take Benny back to the hotel before you get in trouble.”

Strangely, she made no move to otherwise greet or embrace her long lost uncle, hovering protectively by the bedroom door. My suspicions were growing stronger, and I suspect Ethan’s were as well.

“We can catch up later,” she added, almost as an afterthought before yawning very widely. A fake yawn if I ever saw one. What the hell was she playing at?

Just then I heard Alex squeal from behind the closed door, followed by a peal of laughter.

“Step away from the door, Sarah,” Ethan said calmly.

Sarah gave a nervous laugh. “You are being so melodramatic! Isn’t he, Vinnie?” She appealed to me, as if for support, and much as I loved her as Ethan’s sister, I couldn’t offer that support right this moment. I was more than a little suspicious myself.

When Ethan tried to reach behind her, Sarah yelped. “So help me, Ethan, don’t do it,” she warned him. “Please, please just trust me here. Okay?”

I could tell Ethan was not going to be swayed by her words. I was afraid I was about to witness a sibling fight such as I’d never seen between them before, and I felt helpless to stop whatever was about to happen. I laid my hand on Ethan’s arm. At the same time, I could feel Benny drawing closer.

But before anything untoward could happen, the door opened. Standing inside the doorway was a man I’d never seen before, little Alex in his arms. My blood ran cold at the sight of the intruder. My gun was in my hand, but I certainly couldn’t shoot and take a chance on hitting Alex. What sort of stand-off were we in the midst of?

And then I heard Ethan’s next words and suddenly I understood.

“James.” Ethan’s voice sounded unnaturally cold. “What the hell are you doing here?”

 to be continued

 Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

Book Review: Bleach, Vol 59 by Tite Kubo

 

Bleach, Vol 59       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: April 2, 2013

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Step One in the healing process sees Ichigo and Renji arrive at the Bowing Pig Palace where their only job is to eat and get full! Ichigo digs right in, and although Renji has reservations about some of the things they are eating, that doesn’t stop him from stuffing himself also. Kirio Hikifune, whose palace they are enjoying the hospitality of, is the soul reaper who created the temporary soul and the ability to insert it into a body. She warns them that the guy in the next palace, though, is unpredictable. He is Oh-etsu Nimaiya, of the Phoenix Palace. He created the zanpaku-to.

Ichigo and Renji find Oh-etsu just a little offputting, as well as his bevy of big-busted beauties. But then he isn’t exactly impressed with them, saying they are heartless jerks who allowed their zankpaku-to be be damaged.  Can he fix them? That depends on them. He explains to them what Asauchi are, and how Soul Reapers imprint their soul upon one of them through long and difficult training.

Meanwhile, in the underground great prison, Zaraki and Unohana are about to square off in an epic battle, one Shunsui could not forestall. One in which only one Captain will survive… Each has made such farewells as they care to make, for the outcome of this battle is uncertain.

At the Phoenix Palace, Oh-etsu announces that Renji has passed, but Ichigo has failed, which means he has to go home. Ichigo doesn’t accept that, but Oh-etsu tells him that doesn’t mean it’s over, just that before he can move forward he has to go back to his roots. Back home, Ichigo can’t face Isshin and runs away. He takes refuge at his boss’ house, but Isshin finds him anyway. Isshin takes him home… and tells him the truth about his mother. Finally.

Omigosh, this volume is chock full of valuable information, stuff I’ve been wondering about for some time and stuff I should have been wondering about.  For example, who did Kenpachi beat to become Captain? Well now I know, and man, I never realized just how scary she is. This is a whole other side of her. Also, we learn more about Ichigo’s mother than we’ve ever learned before in a flashback to the past. Holy cow, she’s a Quincy? And she was raised in the Ishida household? Mindblowing stuff! Also, Isshin was a captain himself? And his name isn’t Kurosaki, it’s Shiba? Kurosaki is Masaki’s name.  Seeing past incarnations of Aizen and Gin gave me chills, too, since this is all pre-the bad times.

So, once he learns he is part Quincy, where will Ichigo’s loyalties lie? And when will Uryu make an appearance, which I’m convinced he must at some point. Can’t wait to see what the next volume brings!

 

Saturday is Horror Day #60 - The Funhouse, Human Centipede III: The Final Sequence

 The Funhouse

Amy Harper (Elizabeth Berridge) doesn't get out much, under the watchful eye of her parents, but when the opportunity arises to go on a double date with her friend Liz (Largo Woodruff), she takes it. Amy's date is hunky Buzz Dawson (Cooper Huckabee) and Liz's date is the more nerdy Richie Atterbury (Miles Chapin). Amy tells her dad the two couples are going to the movies, instead of their original plans of going to the carnival, as her dad had told her not to go. But they end up there anyway. On a whim, they decide to spend the night in the Funhouse, and Amy tells her parents she is spending the night at Liz's house.

Amy's little brother Joey (Shawn Carson) has been a pain in the butt, but he loves horror movies, and he knows where his sister is going, so he sneaks out of the house and heads toward the carnival.  The two couples hide inside the Funhouse, and after hours, they're making out when they hear a noise. They are able to see a room below them, where the drunken fortune teller, Madame Zena (Sylvia Miles) is talking to the man with the Frankenstein's monster's mask, who was operating the Funhouse. They make a transaction for money but when things don't turn out to the man's satisfaction, he wants his money back. Although technically he doesn't say that since he seems to be only capable of grunts. When Madame Zena refuses, he flies into a rage and strangles.

Now the couples want nothing more than to get away from this place. But that seems less and less likely, and the creature knows they're there and is after them. Turns out he's dealt with this sort of problem before. Can the teens make it out of the Funhouse alive?

This film has something of a pedigree, with director Tobe Hooper, who you may recall from such films as Poltergeist and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And writer Lawrence Block. Their combined work adds some quality to what is otherwise a forgettable film. It's not so much that it's bad, but I think the "freak" who is the oddball in the film and prone to violence if not handled correctly has been a bit overdone. There is no explanation of what is wrong with him, and how he came to be the way he is.

All in all, not a bad film and worth checking out. I'll give it 3.5 Stars, mostly because I like Tobe Hooper

Human Centipede III (The Final Sequence)

To be honest, I wasn't going to touch on this despite watching it today, but I'll give it a brief mention anyway. First, you need to watch the first two, just because. They're not exactly sequels but they also are. In the second one, we saw the first one as a film on DVD, and now in the third one, the first two are films on DVD. The doctor from the first film, Dieter Laser, is back as Bill Boss, the sadistic tyrant of a prison warden. Laurence R. Harvey, who was in the second film, is back as Boss' accountant, Dwight Butler. Boss is beyond bad and terrorizes everyone, including his secretary Daisy (Bree Olson) and makes inappropriate sexual demands on her (not that there are appropriate sexual demands, just saying). 

Butler is obsessed with the Human Centipede films and makes Boss watch them, but he isn't impressed. Neither is he impressed with the idea of making a human centipede at the prison, although Butler argues it will solve a lot of problems, including morale, discipline, and budgetary issues. The prison doctor, Dr. Jones (Clayton Rohner) is also a fan of the films and claims he can make it happen. Together, he and Butler think they have even improved the original techniques. Btw, Dr Jones is lucky to be able to work there, as Boss reminds him, because he has no medical license, so can't be employed anywhere else. Boss changes his mind when the plan meets with the approval of Governor Hughes (Eric Roberts), although the governor doesn't really realize what they intend to do.

Well, there is the basic premise. Let me just say it's the weakest entry of the three, and most of the film consists of Boss's ranting and raving and sadistic treatment of everyone inside that prison. Of course it's gory, it's a Human Centipede. Is there an actual 500 man centipede? Yes, but not until almost the very end. If you just want to finish the series, go ahead and watch it. If you want the same experience as the first two, do yourself a favor and skip it.

Well, I guess that wasn't really brief, was it? Look for Tom Six playing himself. And you might remember one of the prisoners as playing the president in The Fifth Element. Anyway,  I'll just give it 2 Stars and will not rewatch.

Wednesday Briefs: Rose and Thorne 6 #21 (5.0)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts. 

 It was bad enough to be dragged out of the hotel in the middle of the night, in the rain, but now someone is shooting at them? What is going on? See what's happening in this week's chapter of Rose and Thorne 6. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Rose and Thorne 6 #21 (5.0)

What the hell’s going on?

If the first shot had given cause for concern, the second one induced a full-blown panic attack on the part of the hotel guests. Probably the staff too. Screams punctuated by assorted expletives filled the air. I glanced up cautiously from my position shielding Benny. The fire department had their hands full preventing a stampede back into the hotel, aided in their efforts by Roanoke’s finest. Good thing they’d already been on the scene. No need to call 9-1-1.

Ethan had abandoned his quest to speak to the manager and beelined back to us, his weapon drawn, his eyes darting about the crowd, no doubt searching for the shooter. “Got him! Stay with Benny!” he yelled at me before taking off like a bat out of hell. Although I wanted to follow my lover, I remained where I was, protecting Benny. I knew Ethan could handle himself. Didn’t mean I wasn’t concerned for his welfare.

I waited anxiously for the sound of more gun shots over the cries of the panicked guests but, to my relief, none were forthcoming. Within mere minutes, a disappointed Ethan had returned to us, holstering his weapon. “Someone must have been waiting for him. He jumped into a car and disappeared before I could catch up or even get a good look at him. There was nothing I could do. Couldn’t even make out the license, damn the luck.”

I was carefully picking myself off the wet sidewalk as Ethan approached, Benny doing the same.

“Are you guys all right?” Ethan’s worried glanced scanned each of us in turn. We assured him we were fine.

“You have quick reflexes,” Benny complimented me. He patted my arm approvingly. I was amazed at how calm he was under the circumstances. Another way in which uncle and nephew were alike.

“Vinnie’s the best,” Ethan said warmly. I couldn’t help but glow at his words, whether I entirely believed them or not. He was more than a little biased when it came to me. Time to change the subject.

“So there’s at least two of them,” I speculated. “But what were they trying to accomplish?” We both glanced at Benny. A small frown now creased his forehead.

“Your ex is in custody, isn’t he?” Ethan asked. “No, scratch that, I know he is. If something had changed in that regard, Anderson would have let us know. I know better than that.”

I did too. Didn’t mean he didn’t know people on the outside who would be willing to help him get rid of Benny, though. Money talks.

As we stood there contemplating our next move, the hotel staff began to wave everybody back inside, as apparently the fire department had verified that it was safe to do so. I heard disgruntled comments of “It’s about time” and “Took them long enough” as the various groups turned toward the hotel. But the police department took control at this point. A couple of policemen were going around, collecting names and room numbers, asking what they’d seen and heard, before allowing anyone to re-enter the hotel.

I briefly considered requesting the department send us any information they collected, but I suspected no one really saw anything that would be of any use to us. Not like we didn’t have a good idea who was behind this. But the big question in my mind was how did someone find us here at the hotel?

Ethan and I exchanged uneasy glances. What if the fire had been a diversion to drive us outside? Maybe someone knew we were at the hotel, but not which room? What better way to smoke us out than by a false fire alarm?

“Maybe we shouldn’t stay here tonight after all,” Ethan suggested.

“Good thinking, but where should we go?”

As we were debating our options, we were approached by a young policeman. He gave us a warm smile as he opened his phone. “Good evening, detectives,” he greeted us. “Nasty night, eh?”

Momentarily baffled, I quickly realized we’d seen him at the station before. One of the newer recruits, he might have been just a little younger than we were. I could tell Ethan recognized him too.

“Officer Wainwright, isn’t it?” Ethan asked. I could tell the young man was pleased at having been remembered.

“Yes it is.” He nodded at Benny, who returned the gesture.

“So, was there actually a fire?” I asked. “Or was this someone’s idea of a joke?”

“Not really much of a fire,” Wainwright admitted. “More like a malfunctioning microwave. But better safe than sorry. That’s why we’re taking everyone’s information. Just to be safe.”

“Understandable,” Ethan said. He gave the young officer our names and phone numbers but deliberately made no reference to Benny and he didn’t ask.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” He slid his phone into his pocket. “See you at the station sometime.” He briefly touched his hand to his hat before moving on. Obviously we were free to go. But where?

Before we’d had a chance to debate the question, Ethan’s phone began to ring. That was concerning. Who would be calling him at this time of night?

Ethan glanced at the caller ID before answering. “Hello?” He listened intently while I fretted beside him. This could only be bad news, right?

“Thanks for calling, Laverne. We’ll head straight there.” He hung up and turned to me. “We’ve got to go home right now, Vin. One of our neighbors called in a report on a prowler outside our house. They’re responding now, but we should go too.”

Oh damn. Sarah and Alex were there alone. There was no time to waste.

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

Saturday is Horror Day #59 - Ju-on, The Forgotten

 Ju-on

Rika Nishina (Megumi Okina) works as a volunteer for a senior health center. She is dismayed to find herself being sent alone to a client's home, believing she is not ready to go alone. But she ends up going anyway. The house is a mess, and the woman she was sent to care for seems to be nonverbal.  While cleaning up, Rika hears a noise upstairs and goes to investigate. She finds a strange little boy, who says his name is Toshio. Wait, did he just turn into a cat?

Kazumi (Shuri Matsuda) comes home to find a messy house. She is annoyed because her husband's sister, Hitomi (Misaki Ito) is coming for dinner. Kazumi's husband Katsuya (Kanji Tsuda) is acting strangely, and he's being no help. When Hitomi arrives, she can't find anyone, and her brother's mother-in-law is non-communicative. When she does find her brother, he is acting strangely and practically pushes her out the door.

Something strange is happening at Hitomi's work, and it's unnerving her. Late at night, most people gone for the day, she encounters a ghostly figure in the ladies room and hurries to tell security. The guard assures her he will check it out and to wait there. She watches in horror at what she sees on the cctv.

A young girl, Izumi (Misa Uehara) is walking home from school with her friends when she becomes frightened of a poster of three missing young girls. She hides away in her room, and tapes her window and draws the curtains, claiming that all three of them watch her! Turns out she knows more about the disappearance of her three friends then she lets on.

Ju-on is the original Japanese film that The Grudge was made from.  As the story unfolds, we see the story of this house from several different viewpoints until we get all the way back to where the grudge began. I think it's more well-made than the Grudge, to be honest, and has a higher creepiness factor.  I plan to watch the sequels of each and will keep you posted. I'll give this one 4 Stars.

The Forgotten

Although it's been fourteen months since his death, Telly (Julianne Moore) just can't let go. Every day, she goes to his room and looks at the things he left behind, looks through his photos and watches videos of him. But then one day, the pictures are gone, and the video has been erased.  She confronts her husband Jim (Anthony Edwards), who  refers her to her therapist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise). They both tell her that there is no child, she miscarried her pregnancy and what she thinks she knows are false memories.

Telly encounters Ash (Dominic West) in the park where her son Sam and his daughter Lauren once 

played together. Lauren was also on the plane crash that killed Sam, but Ash claims he has no daughter. A baffled Telly goes to his apartment, and uncovers evidence of Lauren. Suddenly he remembers.

Telly and Ash find themselves on the wrong side of the law. They try to convince Detective Pope (Alfre Woodard) that they aren't crazy. When she goes to investigate, two men from the NSA try to take her case but she isn't having that. What has the NSA to do with anything? Nothing federal here.

A strange man seems to be everywhere they are, and he tries to take them in, but they manage to escape. Telly and Sam come to the conclusion that no one would go to such lengths concerning dead children, so their kids must be alive. What is going on though?

For having such a good cast, and an interesting premise, this film simply falls flat. It isn't bad, per se, but it really isn't particularly good either. I believe these stars have given better performances, so I have to wonder what drew them to this script to begin with,. because it isn't very good. Let's look at this in some context. In 2004, Anthony Edwards was still starring in ER, so perhaps he was already anticipating his move to the big screen and didn't care how he got there.  Julianne Moore had already done Hannibal by that point, as well as The Hours, so she shouldn't have been exactly desperate for work. Maybe Gary Sinise wasn't in big demand back then and thought why not?

I did watch the extended version with the alternate ending, which I have to believe is better than the theatrical. Still, the premise is somewhat predictable and yet leaves questions. Mainly exactly who and why. Unless you're just a fan of these particular actors, I wouldn't rush to watch this. I'll give it 3 Stars because I do like Julianne Moore.

Book Review: Skip Beat! Vol 10 by Yoshiki Nakamura

 

Skip Beat! Vol 10       

Author: Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: September 4, 2007

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Shojo Manga//216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

The remake of Tsukigomori is getting a lot of attention. Kyoko is worried about the director. He seems so frail, as if the weight of producing a better film than the original is getting to him already… and they haven’t even begun shooting! Kyoko makes the mistake of asking Ren if he is nervous, and he gets irate with her. She is reluctant to admit that one reason she took the role was for a chance to act with him and watch him act. At a press conference for the film, a reporter asks the director why he changed his name and he passes out!

Kyoko shows up on the set on her first day as Mio, having already been transformed for the role, complete with scar. Her make-up is so realistic, she frightens some of the actresses playing school girls! Mr Yoshiro praises her for acting so scary only to discover she was being herself. Ren wonders when she changed, and speculates that it’s all Sho’s fault. The actress who played Mio originally, Miss Iizuka, who is playing her mother in the remake, arrives on the set, and she is clearly angry with their choice of Mio. She thinks Kyoko is a no-one and doesn’t deserve to play Mio. She decides she needs to test Kyoko on the role, and if she doesn’t perform to her satisfaction, Kyoko will have to step down! Meanwhile, Sho’s agent is trying to keep Sho from learning that Kyoko has landed a role in Dark Moon. Luckily, he is often oblivious to his surroundings. The trouble is they are headed to the very station that is producing Dark Moon!

Kyoko has a sudden inspiration and tells Mr Yoshiro she’ll be back soon, dashing away. He chases after her but to no avail. This sudden departure just feeds into Miss Iizuka’s prediction of failure if they continue with Kyoko as Mio. But Ren is confident that she will return, he has faith in her. The director prays that he is right. Three hours pass before Kyoko returns – with dyed hair and a new haircut! One that exposes Mio’s scar! What can she be thinking? Will the old battleaxe get her way and have Kyoko removed from the cast?

I love to watch Kyoko grow as an actress. She is so intent and so serious, and determined to give everything her best. It was hilarious when Mr. Yoshiro told Kyoko that Ren loves her but she wasn’t even listening! Watching the director of the film grow a backbone and tell that old witch he’s in charge was great! Kyoko’s interpretation of Mio is going to put her on everyone’s radar, I’m sure! I’m curious to see what Sho’s reaction will be, now that he’s seen the Dark Moon poster. Will he want what he can’t have? He did say that he considers Kyoko his!  Looking forward to the next volume!

-