Book Review: Skip Beat! Vol 17 by Yoshiki Nakamura

 

Skip Beat! Vol 17     

Author: Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  March 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/shojo manga/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Vie Ghoul’s Reino stalks Kyoko to Ren’s hotel room, but she informs him that she has no fear of him as she has God’s favorite as an ally (she means Ren). She also has an amulet of protection she wears on a chain. Afterward, she falls asleep in Ren’s room and he doesn’t have the heart to wake her. The next day, Vie Ghoul and Sho are at it again. But there seems to be dissonance among the members of Vie Ghoul as well.

Mr. Yoshiro continues to encourage Ren to openly declare himself to Kyoko, but so far his words are falling on deaf ears. But Ren’s manager can tell that he likes Kyoko, whether he’s willing to admit it or not.  Just imagine if he knew about their past history!

It’s the last day of shooting and back to Tokyo, but Kyoko wants to thank Director Ogata before she leaves. On the way to the lobby, she runs into Sho’s manager, who thanks her for the change in Sho. Kyoko protests that she’s done nothing, but the manager insists that she helped Sho get over his music problems. Like Kyoko cares?

Oh dear, will he never learn? Reino catches Kyoko alone and continues to bully her, telling her to get rid of the amulet. But when he starts to get physical, help arrives in the form of Ren Tsuruga! Reino looks at Ren oddly before asking who he is, then accuses him of using a false name. Ren isn’t put off. Of course he has a stage name. Somehow Reino doesn’t  seem to accept that response. Afterward, Kyoko is reluctant to discuss the amulet with Ren, and tries to explain something about Corn, unaware that Ren is Corn.

Ratings for Dark Moon are fantastic. Kyoko is happy that people hate her character, because it means she did a good job playing her. Meanwhile, Ren has been tapped for a new film. The catch is that he won’t be revealed as part of the cast, in order to surprise moviegoers, and neither will his name appear in the final credits. Mr. Yoshiro is far from happy about that, but Ren doesn’t mind. Kyoko receives a call from the studio. They want her to drop by the next day about some job offers. Kyoko is excited!  Unfortunately, the roles all seem to be similar to Mio, and she is disappointed. She knows she can do more than that!  She whines to Moko, who is in the midst of giving her advice when Lory shows up with a job – with the LoveMe Section? What the heck?

Back to Tokyo and back to other things. Hopefully, Kyoko won’t have to endure Sho or Reino anymore. I have a feeling Ren will continue to look out for her. Her new LoveME assignment is the actor who played Ren’s role in the earlier version. He’s back in Japan and Lory has assigned Kyoko to him as a member of the LoveMe Section. Lory tells Ren that Koo is in town and tries to set up a meeting, but Ren isn’t interested. At least not until he learns that Kyoko is actually with him!

I love how Ren is wrestling with his feelings for Kyoko. He has just barely begun to admit them to himself, much less to his manager. If he doesn’t know how to deal with them, it’s because he’s never really felt this way about anyone before. And he undoubtedly carries a torch for her from long ago. Hopefully, he’ll get over this reluctance in time and actually court her. Of course, there is still the whole Corn hurdle to get over. I just know Kyoko will not take that lightly when she learns the truth.

Can’t wait to see how Kyoko deals with Koo in the next volume, and what will Ren do?

 

Saturday is Horror Day #112 - The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, Final Destination 5

 The Lost Skeleton Returns Again

Jerranium 90 - the little rock that everyone wants, but can only be found buried in the heart of the Amazon. What lengths will evil people, as well as good people, go to in order to locate this rock? As luck would have it, Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) is actually in the Amazon, has been for two years. His wife Betty (Fay Masterson) isn't concerned, even thought she hasn't heard from him in two years, not since the telegram he sent upon his arrival. Reet Pappin (Frank Dietz) is a government agent assigned to located the elusive element. He goes to the home of the scientist, only to learn that he is missing. He announces his intention to go to the Amazon to find Paul, and Betty insists on coming with.

Dr. Roger Fleming, evil scientist, is dead, but his twin brother Peter (Brian Howe), a TV repairman, lives. 

He has his brother's personal effects, including a creepy skull. Peter's wife Sandra (Christine Romeo) finds it abhorrent and is in favor of getting rid of it. But the skull begins to talk to Peter, and he finds himself under its control. He must go to the Amazon to seek out an idol called the Dalp of Anacrab, in order to restore its body. So off to the Amazon Peter goes, to the confusion of his wife who wonders why, since he's a TV repairman.

Handscombe Draile (Robert Deveau) is also after the elusive element and teams up with a cheap hood named Carl Traeger (Kevin Quinn) and it's off to the Amazon for these two as well. Meanwhile, our favorite alien couple, Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell) are back on earth in their new ride, having gotten the impression that their friends the Armstrongs are in trouble. They too head off to the Amazon, which is rapidly becoming everyone's favorite destination.

If you enjoyed The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, you will certainly enjoy The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, with pretty much the same cast, most of whom are wearing their original costumes. Goofy plot, goofy monsters, and general all-round silliness sets the tone for this sequel. And don't worry, Animala (Jennifer Blaire) is back, and we have a new evil scientist villain in the form of Dr. Ellamy Royne (Trish Geiger), and we have Chinfa, Queen of the Cantaloupe people (Alison Martin)

And let's not forget the titular character, the Lost Skeleton itself, now reduced to a mere skull, But that doesn't stop him from planning and dreaming, and using humans for his own evil purposes! Quite the adventure and lots of fun! I'll give this film 4.5 Stars.

Final Destination 5

Sam (Nicholas D'Agosto) and a number of his co-workers are headed by bus on a business trip. Sam is down in the dumps because his girlfriend Molly (Emma Bell) has dumped him. How awkward is it that she works for the same company and is on the bus as well? But he's determined to win her back, if he can figure out what the problem is. However, as the bus is about to cross over a bridge, where construction is going on, Sam has a... wait for it... premonition in which he sees a whole lotta death when the bridge collapses. Naturally he wants off the bus, and some of his co-workers end up getting off as well. Just in time, too, as the bridge proceeds to self-destruct.

The fortunate survivors are both grateful and shaken, and naturally they want to know how Sam knew 

what was going to happen. But Sam has no idea. And that is what he keeps telling the suspicious FBI Agent Block (Courtney B. Vance), who is sure Sam had foreknowledge due to some sort of complicity on his part. But then the survivors also begin to die, and they begin to wonder if there is some order to this madness. Or is it at the ME Bludworth (Tony Todd) told them, that Death can't be cheated.

Here we go again... and if you've seen the first four films, you pretty well know what to expect. Survivors of a near-catastrophe who begin to die in gruesome ways. In fact, the best thing about most of the films is watching the unique forms of death. But the fifth film is actually better, and obviously had a bigger budget because we're getting stars of the caliber of Nicholas D'Agosto and Courtney Vance, plus some pretty cool special effects.

The other thing that lifts this film above the others is that there is a twist...a very cool, very unexpected twist. And no, that would be a spoiler if I told, you have to see it for yourself. But it is worth it. I think this is my favorite film in the series (I think there is a sixth film planned but it's just in pre-production now, according to IMDb). At any rate, if you've made it this far, you have to watch this one too. You'll be glad you did. I'll give this film 4 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #72 (15.2)

 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.

The evil actress has been taken away and the tire crisis has been taking care of, but that doesn't mean the problem is over as Vinnie and Ethan determine to figure out what is actually going on. See what's happening in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #72 (15.2)

By general consensus, it was decided that tomorrow was another day, and we didn’t want to test the limits of Southern hospitality by being obnoxious guests. As Ethan wisely pointed out, certain people would hardly have access to their email while incarcerated. Besides, if we waited, maybe the mystery “director” would come out of the woodwork to find out what had gone done. Assuming he didn’t already know, of course. But how could he, unless he were there in person. Not like there’d been a press release or anything.

Good thing Ethan and I always carried a laptop with us. Never knew when you would need it, and today we definitely needed it. Maureen made extra for breakfast, insisting on feeding the agents outside. Ethan and I volunteered to deliver their food, giving us the opportunity to touch base with them. Carlos and the others were grateful, happy to have something other than fast food. I could understand that feeling.

We did a quick perimeter check to reassure ourselves that all was well, before we put our plan into motion. Ethan’s dad was headed to the church and graciously offered us the use of his office. I couldn’t help but wonder if he were planning to replace Heather with a new assistant or do all the work himself, whatever that might entail. But, naturally, I didn’t ask. Basically because I didn’t think it was any of my business. Benny opted for another cup of coffee and headed into the kitchen to visit with his sister. Joey was nowhere to be seen.

We set up our laptop on a small table in the office, rather than try to move the minister’s desktop. Once it was open, Troy sat in front of it, while Ethan, Brendan and I hovered around him.

“Does this mean she’s been in touch with the outside world while she’s been locked up in loony bin?” I asked.

“Mental health facility,” Troy automatically corrected before giving me an amused grin. “It’s not a prison, Vinnie. And even if it was, don’t prisoners get access to email these days?”

I supposed that was true, although I didn’t particularly want to test that theory.

We watched as he accessed her email account with a few quick strokes.

“Good thing she never changes her pass,” Brendan commented.

“Yeah, she doesn’t like change. Doesn’t want to remember a new password.”

That made me laugh. “Doesn’t she have to memorize scripts?”

Troy snorted. “You’d be surprised what you can get away with these days.” He turned his attention back to the screen. “Oh lordy, look at all of this email. Her fans have certainly not forgotten her.”

We glanced at the screen. There appeared to be hundreds of unread emails. Maybe thousands. Did she ignore her fans on purpose or what? The sheer number was daunting. It would take forever to go through all of those. I couldn’t restrain a frustrated groan at the task before us. Ethan squeezed my hand in sympathy.

“Too bad there isn’t some way of dividing this up,” Brendan said. “I would love to help.”

“I appreciate that.” Troy pulled Brendan down for a quick kiss. “But I don’t quite see how.

 

“I have an idea,” Ethan said.

That’s my boy. 

to be continued

Now don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them!

Cia Nordwell

Book Review: Spy x Family, Vol 9 by Tatsuya Endo

 

Spy x Family, Vol 9   

Author: Tatsuya Endo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 21, 2023

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Back to the cruise… Yor is fighting (undercover, of course) spies who are threatening to blow up the ship and kidnap the woman and child she is protecting. Loyd overhears that there is a bomb, but what to do with Anya? Anya supplies the solution herself, able to overhear her father’s dilemma, suggesting she go to the childcare area to play. But of course she has no intention of staying there, not when her family is in imminent danger!

The situation comes to a successful conclusion, with Loyd and Yor blissfully unaware of the part the other has played. But as Loyd goes to get Anya, he is worried that in doing his job, he’s abandoned his family again. Wait… since when does he actually consider Yor and Anya his family? Things are getting complicated.

Back at school after the break is over, Anya thinks to impress her schoolmates with her tale of having been on a huge ocean liner, but they don’t seem to care very much (they’re rich, you know, so used to such things), so she embellishes the truth a bit, including the arrival of pirates as well as the octopeople (total lies, of course). Back at home, she confesses to her family about what happened and doesn’t exactly get a lot of sympathy for having lied. Yor’s brother shows up, delighted to see his sister, though still not a fan of Loyd. He also denounces those who lie, which Anya finds hypocritical on all their parts, considering the secrets they all keep and the lies they tell on a regular basis.

Loyd is determined to retrain Bond, but Franky wants to know why does he have to be the one to play suspect? Loyd takes Bond for a walk, determined to break him of some of his bad habits, unaware that the dog can see the future. When they come upon a dangerous situation, they learn how to work together.

Taking inspiration from her beloved TV romances, Anya’s friend Becky is determined to come out in the open with her love for Loyd, so they can be together. Anya is appalled at first, when she realizes Becky’s intentions… until she begins to see that the idea could have some merit. But what would happen to Mama then?

Nightfall approaches Loyd, saying she needs to find someone who can forge a document. Loyd knows just the person! He sets up a meeting for her with Franky, who takes her undercover with him.

Mistress Donna Schlag of the Disciplinary Committee has decided to make an unexpected appearance at the school…and she’s determined to give out as many tonitrus bolts as she can! Oh dear, will Anya survive this? And what about Desmond, aka Sy-on boy?

I enjoyed the cruise arc, but it’s back to business and the main plot of the Strix Operation. It seems like Anya gets closer and closer to revealing her true nature, which in turn would probably lead to everyone’s secrets being revealed.  I know the series is based on no one knowing about one another, other than Anya, but I believe at some point this will change, and they will all begin to function knowingly with one another. I think that will just take everything to a whole new level, and I, for one, am all for it!

I love this series, so much, and look forward to it being around for a long time! Another great volume, looking forward to the next one, which should come out in October.

Saturday is Horror Day #111 - The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, It Comes at Night

 The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) is a man of science. He and his wife Betty (Fay Masterson) are seeking a meteor which has fallen to earth, in search of the rare element atmosphereum.  He must study it, so he can do science.  Another couple, Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell) are new on the planet earth, having come from outer space. Their space ship is broken, and in order to fix it, they require atmosphereum. Also, it seems as though their pet Mutant (Darrin Reed) has escape and is on the loose somewhere. Dr. Roger Fleming (Brian Howe) , unlike Dr. Armstrong, is an evil scientist who is seeking the legendary lost skeleton of Cadavra. And when he finds it, the skeleton instructs him to find atmosphereum for him. He follows the lost aliens and observes them as they find their way to a cabin in the middle of the woods, where the Armstrongs have gone. Following the aliens' lead, Fleming makes himself a companion from a few woodland creatures, a woman he names Animala (Jennifer Blaire). And then there is Ranger Brad (Dan Conroy), who simply wants to help someone.

If this plot sounds a bit far-fetched, believe me, it's meant to. This film is actually a cleverly made B 

movie where the actors are so intentionally bad they are good. Borrowing on elements of sci-fi films of the 50s and 60s, Larry Blamire has created quite a little gem here, up to and including the skeleton. (Look carefully when the skeleton is climbing down the rock face and you'll see the wires). 

The scene where they share a meal is hysterical, as is the way the alien couple tries to behave like regular human-type Earth people. Unfortunately, they chose to copy the wrong "person" at the dinner table! I love to hear Paul Armstrong talk about how he loves to do science. And his wife is the quintessential housewife!

This film is very low budget and yet in a creative way. The skeleton was actually bought off of Ebay.  If you get the chance, I recommend watching the special features which includes a Q&A and bloopers. This film was hilarious, and I loved it. I'll give it 4.5 Stars

It Comes at Night

A mysterious illness is consuming the world. Paul (Joel Edgerton) takes his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo), his son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr) and Sarah's father Bud (David Pendleton) to a remote location, far from everyone. But tragedy strikes when Bud dies.

The family have isolated themselves, far from everyone. Therefore, the knock on their door is 

unexpected. Will (Christopher Abbott) approaches them for help. They are reluctant, but he is begging, saying he has a family. They put him to the test before admitting him into their home, along with his wife Kim (Riley Keough) and young son Andrew (Griffin Robert Faulkner).

Everything seems fine at first, but Travis begins to have terrible dreams. And he sees and hears things. His father is fearful that the newcomers have brought the sickness with them. What should they do?

It Comes at Night is more psychological thriller than traditional horror film. The monsters aren't 

immediately visible, but they are there, the products of paranoia and fear. The viewer is kept wondering what is real and what is imagined, and what would I do in this situation when the slightest mistake could mean death for my family.  The pace is slow, but deliberately so, even as the tension builds to an unforgettable climax. Well done and well acted, it will make you examine yourself and wonder what would you do. I give this film 4 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #70 (15.1)

 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.

Well, the crazy actress is back in custody, all's well that ends well, right? Maybe not. Vinnie isn't so sure, and Ethan doesn't seem to be either. Her story of an unknown film director and an audition is a definite red flag. See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #70 (15.1)

Hours later we were back at Ethan’s parents’ house. The agents were back in position, and all the tires had been taken care of, courtesy of the US government. We’d had a long discussion with Anderson while we waited. He wasn’t entirely convinced the threat was over, but for now it was under control. He told us to lay low for a couple more days, if Ethan’s parents were agreeable, and then take Benny to Atlanta. Once he testified, Anderson had a feeling this nonsense would be over.

To my surprise, the minister was not only amenable to the idea of our staying, but said he hoped we would.  Ethan’s mother was delighted, of course, to spend more time with her brother and her son. Sarah chose to return to Mercy’s house, but they weren’t all that far away, so I suspected we would see them again before we left. I saw no sign of Joe Jr, and I didn’t really care.

I expected Troy and Brendan would head back to Roanoke, now that Anderson had essentially given the all clear, but Troy surprised me by saying they wanted to stick close at hand until they knew Ethan and I were out of danger, despite the fact that we had trained agents keeping eyes on us. I was very touched by their declaration, and I’m sure Ethan was as well. Maureen told them they were welcome to stay at the house as well, and not to worry about a thing.

“We don’t want to impose on your hospitality, ma’am,” Troy said, echoed by Brendan. But she was having none of that. The way she was glowing, I could tell she looked as though she had acquired two more sons.

Ethan’s mother is the best, no two ways about it.

Joey, of course, took advantage of the change in the situation to immediately call dibs on the spare bedroom. If he thought he was breaking our hearts, he was sadly mistaken. Ethan and I would much rather share the living room with Uncle Benny, Troy, and Brendan minus his presence than inflict him on them.

It was evening before we got everything squared away. Where had the time gone? Ethan and I volunteered to make dinner for everyone. Well, I was more of a sous chef than a chef, but I don’t think even I could screw up making spaghetti. We added a large salad as well as cheesy garlic bread, and everyone declared it all delicious. Ice cream for dessert was the perfect way to end the meal.

After dinner, Ethan’s dad retired to his study, while his mom shooed us out of the kitchen and suggested we enjoy the pleasant evening while we could. We retired to the porch, grouping ourselves on the wide steps. Ethan’s brother chose to remain inside, thank goodness. I’d noticed a few daffodils had begun to make their appearance in Maureen’s garden, a sure sign that spring was on its way. A gentle breeze was blowing, and occasionally a bird song broke the silence.

“Do you think that woman had something to do with the Atlanta threats?” Benny asked.

Good question. One I had been wrestling with myself, to be honest.

“How would she even know about that?” Troy asked.

“How did she know anything?” I countered.

“And who is this mysterious director she kept referring to. The one she was supposedly auditioning for,” Ethan said.

“You don’t think it’s that Daimler guy, do you?” I asked. Gordon Daimler had not only been the actress’ boyfriend but her director as well, including the Civil War pic where all Hell broke loose during shooting.

Troy shook his head. “No, I’m sure it’s not him. She would know who he was, first off, and she didn’t seem to know who this director was, judging by the way she was talking. Secondly, from what I’ve heard, he wouldn’t hire her if she were the last actress left in Hollywood. I heard his next film has an all-male cast.”

We all laughed at that, and joked with Troy that he should be in that one for sure, before the conversation turned serious once more.

“Surely there’s a way of figuring out who she was talking to,” Brendan said.

“Maybe there is,” Troy said thoughtfully.

“How so?” Ethan asked.

“Maybe by looking through her emails. I know all her passwords. If she corresponded with this mystery man, surely the evidence would still be there.”

That was a start, anyway.

to be continued

Now visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them!

Cia Nordwell

 

Saturday is Horror Day #110 - Final Destination 4

 Final Destination 4

Nick (Bobby Campo) and his friends go to spend some time at the racetrack. The young people have different motives, whether it's spending time with friends or wanting to see an accident. But Nick has a disturbing premonition of a horrific accident. Upset, he wants to leave, and causes an uproar, during which he and his friends and some of the people around them end up leaving the stadium, as well as the security guard George (Mykelti Williamson) ...just before a terrible accident occurs.

Nick and the others are understandably upset by what almost happened to them and would love nothing 

more to forget all about their close brush with Death. But Nick has another vision, and then one of the survivors of the raceway accident dies, and Nick begins to wonder if they have actually cheated Death at all, or will they all die as they were meant to.

Same movie, new title, new cast, same basic plot. Let's cheat death and come up with some cool and innovative ways to "accidentally" die. If you're looking for something scary, this really isn't it because you know people are going to die. I will give them this. They do tease you a bit with what you think will be someone's death, only to pull back and say gotcha! only to kill the character right afterward.

We still don't know why these premonitions happen, or why certain people are chosen to have them. This film also feeds into the idea that if your number's up, it's up and you can't change that. My best advice is to simply watch it for the deaths and don't worry about the plot. Also, don't get too attached to any of the characters. Just not worth it. As for what I said about this one wrapping the series up, I was wrong. There is a FD 5, and allegedly the sixth installment could be coming out next year. I've requested the fifth one, so we'll see. I'll give this film 3 Stars. Just not memorable, but some decent ways to die.