Saturday is Horror Day #229 - Bring Her Back

 Bring Her Back

Andy (Billy Barratt) and his stepsister Piper (Sora Wong) are devastated by the unexpected death of their father. Andy is very protective of Piper, who is almost completely blind, and the siblings can't bear the idea of being separated by the foster system. Andy is only a few months away from being old enough to apply for guardianship. But luckily a foster parent is found who is willing to take them both.

Laura (Sally Hawkins) welcomes Andy and Piper with open arms. But from the beginning, she gives off 

strange vibes. Perhaps it's because she is still mourning the death of her daughter, Cathy. Laura has another foster child, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips). Ollie is mute, but Laura says it's psychological, there is no physical reason for his silence.

Ollie is - to put it lightly - odd. Not to mention, he has some unusual dietary  habits. Laura becomes very close to Piper, but for some reason never warms up to Andy. He is made to feel like the odd man out. He becomes suspicious of Laura and her motives. Things are definitely not what they seem.

Bring Her Back, directed by Danny and Michelle Phillipou, is a film that is pretty on the outside but hollow inside. The acting is fine, the cinematography appropriately creepy. But it lacks both substance and originality. The basic premise seems obvious from the outset. Actually, Laura Hawkins' performance is a bit over the top. And the storyline made no sense to me. Even at the end of the film, I had questions. While I'll admit that I've seen worse, I don't exactly consider that a glowing recommendation. I know most of the reviews I saw were far more favorable, but this is just my opinion, of course. It wasn't a waste of time, but I honestly don't recommend it. I'll give this film 3 Stars.

Book Review: I Got Reincarnated inn a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs, Vol 2

I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs, Vol 2    

Author: Tsukiji Nao 

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

American release date: September 3, 2024

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Yaoi Manga//256 pages 

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★ 

 As Otogawa continues his journey through the BL world he has been reincarnated into, he receives a warning from Takanashi, who tells him that Onizuka has baggage! Not a good sign in BL terms! He is dismayed that not only is Sakura a fujoshi, but she writes and posts fanfic! Just then Onizuka comes along and insists on *taking* Otogawa to the infirmary – but no one is there! Oh no, another trope triggered! To his surprise, Onizuka tells him not to bother with him anymore, he isn’t worth it! Wth?

 Otogawa decides he needs to act immediately and make a confession to Sakura. But somehow something always seems to get in the way. Otogawa cries, “ Did I reincarnate into the world of Donky Kong?” Oh no, thanks to his actions, Otogawa may have made him and Onizuka official as a couple? Really? Seems like he just can’t win for losing!

 Now it’s time for the school festival, and Otogawa has a horrible memory of his stint as a colon-flower in the school festival when he was a young otaku. But now he’s been selected to play Momotaro, the main character in the school production! Oddly, the rest of the cast consists of stereotypical hunks, including Onizuka. As if that isn’t bad enough, something unexpected happens during the play, leaving Otogawa wondering about a lot of things. 

Wow, so much going on in this volume as Otogawa gets deeper and deeper into the BL world. The more he fights against what is happening, the more he learns about himself, and his true feelings. All the boys seem to be after Otogawa – naturally. Are these feelings becoming too much for him to resist? In this volume, we learn about Onizuka’s backstory. Will that create a barrier between them or endear Onizuka to him more? Only time will tell. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find where there is a next volume, so all we can do is watch and wait. Don’t leave us hanging, bro! Even so, well worth reading.

Book Review: I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Books, Vol 1 by Tsukiji Nao

 

I Got Reincarnated in a (BL) World of Big (Man) Boobs, Vol 1    

Author: Tsukiji Nao

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

American release date: March 26, 2024

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Yaoi Manga//256 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Nagare Otokawa is a gloomy otaku whose life is cut short, his dying wish being that he had been able to squeeze some big boobs. Otokawa unexpectedly finds himself reincarnated as a good-looking young man – but there’s a catch. He has been brought back in a BL (Boys Love) world, and the boobs he craves belong to men? Something is definitely wrong here. Even more so when he realizes he’s supposed to be the uke! He spots a young lady with large bosoms and he’s in heaven! He is about to make his move when an accident begins to occur right before his eyes, and it’s Otokawa to the rescue! Only he hasn’t fallen into the arms of the girl of his dreams – he’s nestled in the man boobs of a guy named Ryuji Onizuka! Otokawa knows he’s just tripped a flag in the BL world. But wait, it gets worse! When he gets to class, he has to take a seat – beside Onizuka! And, to his surprise, Otokawa learns that Onizuka is the uke! Who saw that coming?

Every time Otokawa finds himself in a position to make his otaku dreams come true, he ends up with another point for BL! Even Sakura, his dream girl, turns out to be a fujoshi! Seems like Otokawa’s new looks are like catnip to the lovely boys of the school… and he can’t deny how attractive they are. Damn the title god for making the situation increasingly difficult to avoid! Otokawa finds himself being held hostage on the roof by some delinquents, including their leader, Ginga Yubuki, and his right-hand man, Sacchio Takanashi.  And when Otokawa goes to Onizuka’s home, he meets his little brother, Yuto, who is very cute – and very aggressive. He wants Otokawa too!

This book is seriously funny, I love it to death! If you enjoy yaoi, you will love this, as Otokawa keeps getting tripped by all the flags the Title God is throwing. He will have to acknowledge at some point that he does like guys, and I can only hope he’ll choose Onizuka. I made the mistake of reading this at work and the scenes with the Hammochin just cracked me up! This volume actually contains the first two books of the series, although it’s just labeled as Volume 1. I’m looking forward to the next book to see what will happen.  I highly recommend this book!