Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 20: Time to Graduate by Yusei Matsui

 

Assassination Classroom, Vol 20       

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 6, 2018

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga//192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Despite all the best efforts of the students, the inevitable end for Koro Sensei has arrived. A giant laser has been put into place, aimed at the teacher in a trap he cannot escape, set to deploy just before dawn. The students urge their teacher to take them hostage and flee, but that isn’t really an option. So what else is there to do but celebrate Koro Sensei’s birthday!

Then, just when they thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, it does – in the form of Yanagisawa and his other creation, the Grim Reaper who took Koro Sensei’s place and who is destined to be the next Koro Sensei! The mad scientist claims that his second monster is twice as powerful as his first. He ridicules the students for bothering to show up to what he sees as a hopeless situation and doesn’t hesitate to threaten them in order to see if Koro Sensei will protect them or himself.

And now the final battle begins….

While there is another volume of the series, to all intents and purposes, this is the last one, at least as far as Koro Sensei’s story is concerned. Not like we didn’t know it was coming, we did, from the very beginning. Doesn’t make it any easier to take or accept.  I’ll admit that I cried, even though I’ve read the books before.  RIP Koro Sensei.

Breaking up with Vampire Diaries is hard to do

Have you ever heard the term hate watching? I first heard it from my daughter Sarah. She was watching Restaurant Stakeout and Mystery Diners on Food Network, shows I cannot stand and which I know she doesn't like either. So why, I asked, are you watching them? "Hate watching", she said, and followed that up with, "Don't hate me, bro."

Hate watching. Finding yourself watching something because you can't help yourself not to do it, even though you ate it. What an excellent term, and how very descriptive of what I've been doing with Vampire Diaries for a while now.














When Vampire Diaries first began, I wasn't interested in watching, but a former friend convinced me

to give it a try, and there just happened to be a marathon going on, so I did just that - and immediately fell in love with Damon Salvatore.

















He's handsome and sexy, and he has the most incredible blue eyes. And he's a vampire! What's not to love! I had already started to read the books, which I liked, and I realized immediately that major changes had been mind. Why, I don't know. Because the writers could? I've never understood why you like something, but feel the need to change the source material to something unrecognizable. That generally doesn't end well. It might work for a while, but sooner or later it fails. Look at True Blood and Dexter.

Let me state categorically that I have never liked Nina Dobrev as Elena, and she is a far cry from what the character was meant to be. Having said that, I preferred her to be with Stefan, and far away from Damon. I was not pleased when she left Stefan for Damon. I liked the unencumbered, bad boy, not the love-struck idiot he sometimes was.

One of my favorite scenes shows Damon doing a solo dance which was incredibly sex - right before he killed Vicki. I didn't care for her. Her brother Matt was a better character.

Over the few years I've been watching Vampire Diaries, it has decidedly gone downhill. Elena morphs from dead to vampire to alive in the blink of an eye. Stefan's stint as a Ripper - their term for a homicidal vampire who lives to kill - was ridiculous. What they did with Alaric, and the arc with his wife, was horrible. And Jeremy - I just wanted to kill him most of the time, especially doing his poor poor pitiful me periods. Bonnie.... not the same lovely girl as in the book, and often she was too judgmental for my taste, and although I like Caroline better, she had her moments. I liked when she slept with Klaus, whom I used to hate, but he grew on me. In fact, I like The Originals better than I do Vampire Diaries now. How sad is that?

The whole story arc with that ridiculous Kai (sp?) made me want to throw things at the TV, him and his awful family. And Alaric lost another girlfriend, this one pregnant. Tyler became a hybrid, and then not. Asshole and then... still asshole. Matt the asshole. Jeremy the asshole...

Where will it stop? Good grief. One day, I came to the realization, with the help of Sarah, that my continued watching of this show is ridiculous. After the end of the last season, where Elena goes into a deep slumber for maybe 60 years (although we know that won't happen, somehow she'll be brought back from that), I realized the next season will be filled with self-pitying Damon, and other stupid stuff.

The thought of watching that... well, I just can't do it.

So, although I love you, I'm letting you go. Be happy, Damon. The rest of you, I don't care what happens to you....

Rest in peace, Damon.

The End of a Journey - Bidding Farewell to Queer as Folk

Today I finished watching the final episode of Queer as Folk. All that I have left are the bonus features, which I shall get through.  ****SPOILERS*****  It's been a wonderful journey, one I've truly enjoyed, and I'm disappointed that it didn't last forever, because I think I could have watched these characters forever. They became such a big part of my life and thought processes. I came to care about them, to worry about them, and I watched with great interest their daily struggles, their lives and loves - and yes, their luscious  nakedness. And now it's done.

Did it turn out as I expected? Yes and no. Some things were serendipitous, some a little disappointing. I would have had Debbie marry her policeman, for one thing. I mean it's all well and good to say you won't marry until your son has the right to do so  himself, but honestly, I don't think that sort of personal decision affects anyone but yourself. And any children you might have. Be that as it may, I'm glad they ended up together, they're a good couple. I was disappointed that Emmett lost Drew to the needs of his virgin homosexual ego, but he made up for that in the last episode. Too bad we didn't get to see more of his old fantasy/new lover from back home. Ted found Mr. Wrong in Tad - there was something more than a little creepy about that guy. But at least he made up for it by finding his way back to Blake. Karma. Whodathunkit? Not me. I had Blake pegged as bad news from the beginning. But people change. And so did he, and Ted.

Hunter came back, which was wonderful for Mike and Ben; they decided to adopt him and he agreed. They've all three come a long way. I'm glad Mike and Dr. David didn't work out, Ben is much better for him. I'm also glad Lindsay and Melanie got back together again, although I think the decision to move to Canada was rash. Better to stay and fight than run, especially considering they left the fathers of their kids behind.

Brian and Justin - what can I say? I was so excited when Brian admitted he loved him, and then he bought the  large Tudor house and proposed (I would love to live in that house, seriously). But I had a bad feeling when Lindsay started talking about what Justin was giving up to be with Brian and sure enough my worst fears were realized - Justin went to New York. They promised they'd stay in touch and see each other frequently, but that's where it was left, so we can only hope that's what happened.

Brian wasn't going to re-open Babylon after the bomb, but Michael talked him into it, and that's where the last  scene took place. It was only fitting that Brian and Michael had the last dance - they are the glue which holds everything together, the principle relationship.






A lot of laughs, a lot of thrills, heartaches and triumphs. Tears of joy, tears of sorrow. But underlying it all was love. An immense love which transcends gender, race, religion and everything else. The lesson of QAF, what you are meant to take away with you, is that it's important that you do love. Not who you love, but that you love.

I'll miss the show greatly, and I'll always love it. What do I now? Well, I can always watch the British version, the one by Russell T. Davies of Dr. Who fame, which began it all. And I can always do what I do best - I can write about it. In other words - fanfiction!

Thank you for five wonderful seasons. I'll always treasure the memories.

Goodbye Brian, Michael, Justin, Ben, Emmett, Ted, Lindsay, Melanie, Debbie, Carl, Hunter.... and everyone else.