Book Review: Bleach, Vol 70 by Tite Kubo

 

Bleach, Vol 70       

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: July 4, 2017

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Bazz B has worked hard to get close to Yhwach in order to kill him. But he never expected Jugo to succeed where he himself failed. When Jugo tells Yhwach there must be a mistake, the Quincy tells him that he has seen Jugo’s power, which is the same as his own – the power to share power. And now, years later,  Jugo is trying to prevent Bazz from killing Yhwach, which was the goal all along. What’s up with that?

Grimmjow takes off after one of the Quincies, leaving Ichigo and the others behind, wondering where he went. But Grimmjow ends up poisoned for his troubles. Meanwhile, Kurotsuchi and Kenpachi find themselves face-to-face with an extremely weird Quincy (coming from Kurotsuchi, that’s saying something!). Kurotsuchi attempts to keep Kenpachi from being too impetuous, but that is easier said than done. While the two captains debate how to handle this fellow, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Nemu discuss just why they can’t interfere with their captains. Namely because they would be severely chewed out for doing so.  They seem uneasy at the idea that Kurotsuchi is about to release his rather poisonous bankai. The Quincy shows itself to be more than they realized… and so does Nemu.

Not a lot of Ichigo et al in this volume, but I suspect his time is coming soon. Only four more volumes to go! This one has more to do with Bazz B and Jugo, but mainly it’s the Kurotsuchi/Kenpachi show, which is well worth the price of admission! Watching the odd Captain of the 12^th Squad is fascinating, as he hasn’t been seen as much in these books as some of the others. But he is really brilliant, in his own quirky way, and it’s a pleasure to watch him in action… albeit, from a distance.

The volume ends on a cliffhanger, naturally. Can’t wait to see how that turns out in the next one!

 

Saturday is Horror Day #75 - Brightburn, The Belko Experiment

 Brightburn

Tori and Kyle Breyer (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) have struggled to conceived. They want a child more than anything. So when, out of the blue, some kind of alien spaceship crash lands in their backyard, its sole occupant a baby boy, their dreams seem to have come true. Or is it their nightmares?

The couple tell their friends and family that they have adopted, and they name the child Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) and raise him with much love on their farm located just outside the small town of Brightburn, Kansas. Kyle insists that Brandon stay out of the barn, because it's dangerous and not a place to play. But the truth is that the spaceship he arrived in is locked up beneath the barn.

Everything seems fine until about the time that Brandon reaches puberty. He seems drawn to the barn, and to whatever is hidden there, although he is discouraged from going there. When his dad gives him a little talk about puberty and some of his feelings, he misunderstands his words as having permission to do what he wants, and proceeds to terrorize a girl in his class that he finds attractive. He only succeeds in frightening her and the results during a class trust exercise are horrific.

Brandon is hearing voices from the spaceship, and he comes to understand that he is special... but not in a good way. His hidden drawings reveal his true nature, as well as his plans to take the world. The adults in his life begin to understand there is something terribly wrong with the boy, but it's too little too late as one by one they fall victim to his unusual powers...

This film was brought to us by the same guy who gave us Guardians of the Galaxy. But this superhero is not here for good. This is no Superman. This alien wants to rule the world. Creepy and effective, perhaps the message here is not to automatically believe that aliens from outer space are our friends and to be cautious at all times. I'll give this film 4 Stars.

The Belko Experiment

It's just another day at the office for the employees of the Belko Corporation as they arrive for work in their isolated high-rise corporate office building in Bogota, Columbia. But things seem a little off. There aren't as many of their co-workers as usual. And who are the strange security guards on the grounds, and what are they doing in that unused hangar? Perhaps things are not what they seem. A mysterious voice over the loudspeaker system announces that there are eighty employees in the building. They have two hours to reduce that number by thirty, and if they do not, then sixty employees will die. And to show they mean business, they kill a few for good measure.

The employees listen in stunned disbelief. Their first thought is to flee, but to their dismay the building has been shut off and escape is not possible. The head of the company, Barry Norris (Tony Goldwyn) is quick to decide they have to do as they are told and kill off thirty employees rather than lost sixty. His obnoxious crony Wendell Dukes (John C McGinley) aka the office pervert is quick to agree.  Mike Mitch (John Gallagher Jr) is one of those who disagree and say there must be a way. But it quickly becomes clear that some people think only of themselves and have no problem in committing murder.

And is there any guarantee that if they obey the rules, they will be allowed to live?

This film is about a horrendous social experiment involving human interactions under pressure while on the job. But this experiment comes with a high price, and these deaths are forever. Very interesting concept. Not surprising that the men at the top only think of themselves first but decide who will live and who will die. When the security guard refuses to give them the keys to the weapons area, they find a way around that and arm their most trusted people. You'll see some familiar faces, including Owain Yeoman, who played Benedict Arnold in Turn, Abraham Benrubi, who played Jerry on ER, and Michael Rooker of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Walking Death. John C McGinley plays an asshole well, and this is no exception. This time he's a perverted asshole. 

The ending implies that the story doesn't end there, but I see no evidence there will be a sequel. The action is fast-paced and horrifying, as co-workers are pitted against one another in a deadly game. I have to admit some of the deaths were satisfying. I give this film 4 Stars.

Book Review: Demon Slayer, Vol 17 by Koyoharu Gotouge

 

Demon Slayer, Vol 17      

Author: Koyoharu Gotouge

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: October 6, 2020

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

 

Shinobu and Tanjiro battle Doma, Upper Demon  #2, still reeling from the death of their kind-hearted master. Meanwhile, Zenitsu faces one who was once his senior, but now is a demon. And the new head of the Ubuyashiki family carries on as best he can, with the assistance of his younger sisters, even though he is only 8 years old!

Kaigaku taunts Zenitsu for his perceived weakness, despite not having seen him in some time. Zenitsu admits he can only do the first form, and that Kaigaku can do everything but that. Surprisingly, Zenitus doesn’t seem upset by anything this demon says or does. Perhaps he has changed in the course of his training? When Zenitsu uses a technique that Kaigaku doesn’t know, the demon is dismayed that he wasn’t taught this move, then shocked to learn it’s one that Zenitsu came up with himself! Urokodaki watches over Nezuko, waiting and hoping that she will be able to become human once again, both for her sake and to foil Muzan’s plans.

Tanjiro and Tomioka encounter Upper 3, Akaza, who is surprised to find Tanjiro still alive after their last encounter on the Mugen train. He and Tomioka are both impressed with Tanjiro’s technique development. But Akaza makes the mistake of denigrating Rengoku to Tanjiro, who remembers something that Inosuke taught him.

Tanjiro has come quite a long way since he first began his journey as a Demon Slayer! Where before he could barely face the lower demons, now he battles with the upper ones, well on his way to confront Muzan himself. Interesting back story in this volume, and I have to admit to being more impressed by Zenitsu than I was before (still like him asleep the best lol). How long before they come face to face with Muzan? Good volume, looking forward to the next one!

 

 

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #36 (7.4)

 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.

For such a short trip, this one feels like it's taking forever! The only benefit is spending time with Ethan's family. But Vinnie is still not sure they're not being stalked. 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 with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #36 (7.4)

We sat and rocked for a minute or two, each man lost in his own thoughts. I was trying to convince myself that Chip was not behind all our misfortunes and was halfway succeeding, when I felt Ethan’s hand on my knee. He’d slid his rocking chair next to mine, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t welcome the comfort of his touch. He didn’t say anything, but I understood everything he meant to convey through his warmth, and I appreciated that.

“So, Benny, have you given any thought about what you’re going to do once all of this is over?” Ethan asked his uncle. Benny didn’t answer right away. I glanced up to find him thoughtfully stroking his beard.

“I’ve thought of little else, to be honest,” he replied. “Before I ran into Connor, I was just basically wandering around, not putting down roots. Seeing the country, so to speak. But that shit gets old, trust me. And it’s a lonely life too.”

My heart went out to the man—he sounded so lost. When Ethan squeezed my hand, I knew he felt much the same way, which only served to reinforce how lucky we were to have each other.

“What’s your degree in?” I asked, hoping to find happier ground.

“Never actually got one,” Benny admitted with a rueful shake of his head. “Went to prison before I graduated. Not that it matters. My major back then was art history.” He snorted. “Wonder what I intended to do with that. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and I guess I had visions of curating the Met or something, but in all reality that degree and fifty cents will just barely get you a cup of coffee. And a not very good one at that.”

That was an incredibly honest observation.

“Luckily, I got the chance to do some studying while I was on the inside. I got smart and signed up for a computer program. Learned enough to keep me going when I got out, along with assorted odd jobs I picked up, depending on where I ended up at any given time. If I thought I could, I’d be more than happy to settle down and actually get a computer degree and do something worthwhile with my life.”

“So why can’t you?”

Ethan’s direct question took me by surprise. He was usually the polite one, while I was considered the mannerless lout in our relationship. But he had said just what I was thinking, before I could say it.

Benny shrugged, but made no immediate reply. A moment passed before he responded. “Maybe it’s not so much if I can do it or not, it’s just that I haven’t decided where I might want to put down roots, you know? I guess that would make a difference in what I decide to do. ”

Just then, Alex came charging around the corner with a happy whoop and a huge grin. He made a beeline for Benny, who pulled the child up onto his lap without hesitation. I glanced around nervously, but my fears were quickly allayed when Sarah herself came into view.

“Hey, I told you not to run,” she scolded her son, but she didn’t really sound angry. Probably an automatic Mom response. “Sorry, Uncle Benny,” she apologized, reaching for Alex, but Benny shook his head.

“He’s good here, it’s okay.”

Sarah bent down and kissed the top of Benny’s head, then Alex’s, before taking another rocking chair. She stretched out her legs with a loud sigh of satisfaction. “I’m not gonna argue.” She laughed.

“So, did I hear you say something about putting down roots?”  Turning serious, this question was clearly addressed to Benny. “What about Imperial? Ever think about going back? Or even Atlanta? It’s close enough to be doable.”

“I’m not sure that’s where I want to be,” Benny said frankly. He resettled himself in his chair. Alex adjusted himself accordingly. Taking the opportunity he saw, he reached for Benny’s red beard and tugged at it.

Too late, Sarah cried out, “Alex, no!”

“Doesn’t hurt,” Benny assured her. “This little fellow couldn’t hurt me if he tried, could you, Alex?”

“No,” Alex agreed, just before tugging at the hair again. I had to refrain from sniggering, and I could feel Ethan silently quivering beside me.

“Maybe someday you’ll have a beard of your own, little man,” Benny said, just before he gently removed Alex’s hand. “But that’s enough for right now, okay?”

Alex didn’t seem to mind. He turned to look at his mother as if to tell her he knew what he was doing. Benny handed him one of the brochures he must have picked up when we entered the building, and Alex seemed satisfied to examine that.

“What about you?” Ethan asked his sister. “You planning to stay with Mercy forever?”

“Of course not,” Sarah replied. I couldn’t help but notice she glanced away from him as she spoke.

“Don’t you have to get back to the museum at some point?” Ethan persisted.

“I don’t know,” Sarah waffled. Judging by her tone of voice, I could tell she wasn’t eager to pursue this particular topic of conversation. Ethan wisely let it go, even though I knew he wanted to find out what was troubling his twin. “Roanoke seems nice,” she unexpectedly added.

Was she suggesting what I thought she was? Ethan and I exchanged surprised glances.

 to be continued

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

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

Film Review: Detective Dee: Four Heavenly Kings

 Detective Dee: Four Heavenly Kings

Empress Wu (Carina Lau) has been mistrustful of Detective Dee (Mark Chao) ever since the emperor (Chien Sheng) bestowed the Dragon Mace upon the loyal detective. The empress approaches the head of her royal guard, Yuchi Zhenjin (Shaofeng Feng), relying on his loyalty despite knowing how close he is to Dee. She questions whether should she request him to take the Mace from Dee would he do it?  He replies that should he do that, Dee would be subject to execution, his family ruined. She swears she will protect them all.

The Empress lies...

Empress Wu has brought some newcomers to court to replace Dee, claiming they have greater powers. Huan Tian (Aoyue Zhang) and his group demonstrate their abilities before the royal couple. Wu sends them to retrieve the Mace, but that is easier said than done as Dee is wily and no man's fool. In the meantime, he has been sent on a fool's errands, but he sees through this and hurries back to the Bureau when someone trips the alarm.

Yuchi is torn between his loyalty to the empress and his friendship for Dee, but Dee's faith in his friend 

never wavers. It is imperative that he figure out what is going on before something terrible happens - namely, the destruction of the Tang dynasty! And what exactly is on the Empress's agenda?

This was a really good movie, action-packed and full of intrigue and mystery, as well as magic, and a little comedy. It's easy to accept how evil the Empress is from earlier acquaintance with her. She is a very power hungry woman. But she is also human and fallible, as we discover.  I liked the interplay between the female assassin (Sichuan Ma) and Dee's right hand man Shatuo Zhong (Kenny Lin). I have to admit I missed the doctor from the last installment, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of this film..

Ancient grudges, sinister magic, spirituality, intrigue... this film has it all and then some.  I'm sad that there are no more movies with this same cast, although there appear to be others utilizing the same character.  I think I'll give those a pass. Although there may be, if the glimpses in the ending credits are any indication. If you are interested, check out the Judge Dee stories, the original inspiration for Detective Dee. I reviewed the first book on this blog already.

I'll give this film a strong 4.5 Stars

Book Review: Alice in Borderland, Vol 1 by Haro Aso

 

Alice in Borderland, Vol 1     

Author: Haro Aso

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 15, 2022

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Dystopian/344 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Ryohei Arisu dreams of living a different life and doing it somewhere else. He feels as if he is an NPC in his own life, and his parents always hold him up for comparison to his accomplished brother. Ryo’s friend Chota has much the same attitude, his only concern being his obsession with girls – not that he’s ever had a girlfriend. Chota laughs almost constantly and has no serious goals in life, never taking things seriously.  Their friend Karube manages a bar, and lets Ryo and Chota have free drinks. He has ambitions. Someday he wants to own a ranch in Australia and chase sheep.

One night, Ryo wishes for a huge earthquake to happen or some event where people turn into zombies. Just something. Anything that isn’t what they have now. Feeling restless, he decides they should go somewhere else. Since the trains have stopped running, they’ll have to walk. After a while, too tired to take another step, they decide to rest in a train station. From somewhere nearby they spy fireworks someone is shooting off. At four in the morning? Why? But then there is a blinding flash of light…

When they wake, they find themselves covered in dust! Heading outside, they discover everything is not only deserted, but overgrown, abandoned even, and much of the food they can find is rotten. What is going on here? There is no sign of anyone anywhere. But rather than feeling alarmed, Ryo and Chota are elated! Perhaps this is the paradise they’ve dreamed of? No one to tell them what to do or when to do it. If they look carefully, they can find some edible food. That’s not too bad, right? But suddenly they hear something. Are there other people after all? Drawn to the sound, as they are standing there, looking confused, a girl walks out from the restroom, grumbling.  When she sees them, she sighs and says they are better than nothing, and she doesn’t have a lot of choice. What does that even mean? Pegging them as newcomers, she says something about an arena. Ryo and Chota decides this sounds dangerous and want to leave, but Karube has moved in the other direction. The girl warns him not to cross over the line, but it’s too late. She tells them they’re in the game now.

Apparently the guys have managed to land in a futuristic time when survival depends on playing certain games, which are strictly structured and timed, with varying degrees of difficulty as well as rewards. The first game they find themselves in has to do with drawing fortunes. How hard can that be? They are about to find out.

This is an interesting start to what I assume will be some kind of play on Alice in Wonderland. But here, the stakes are high, as in life or death high. Sometimes you have to cooperate to win, but sometimes it’s every man for himself. Ryo is definitely an anti-hero, not your usual protagonist. I have to believe that he and Chota and Kyube will undergo some life-altering situations that will make or break them. These games are not for fun. Perhaps they will awake at some point, as Alice did, to find it was all a dream. That remains to be seen. Look forward to volume two.

 

 

Saturday is Horror Day #74 - Trollhunter, The Grudge 4: The Untold Chapter

 Trollhunter

Johanna (Johanna Mørck) and Thomas (Glenn Erland Tusterud) are film students at a college in Norway. A series of unexplained mysterious bear killings leads to their discovery of a man they suspect is behind the deaths. But Hans (Otto Jespersen) is no ordinary hunter, and bears are not his game. It's his job to control the troll population of Norway and keep people safe from them. Looks like Johanna and Thomas are about to film the movie they never dreamed of...

I have to admit I was intrigued when I saw the trailer. Trolls are not your typical movie villains, although popular in Scandinavian culture. This is another found footage film. If you watch the movie, you'll see why. The special effects are pretty amazing. Sometimes it's hard to believe there aren't really such creatures roaming the planet. They looked pretty damn real.

The students are both dedicated and brave...braver than me. I'd have been gone after the first sighting, I 

have to admit. Those trolls are terrifying. The movie is fast paced and well filmed. I was curious to see what else the director has done. To my surprise, I found he directed The Autopsy of Jane Doe, with Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, which I saw and thoroughly enjoyed. I don't believe I reviewed it, so maybe I'll have to watch it again. I think I'll give Trollhunter 4 Stars.

The Grudge 4: The Untold Chapter

Fiona Landers (Tara Westwood) hurries home to the US from her job in Tokyo because her family needs her. Little does she know she's bringing a curse along with her.

Okay, that's the short version. This is how they continue the series, although the curse was already brought to Chicago in the film before this, but that isn't brought up. This film takes place over three different timelines, which eventually intersect, much like the original film. But if you don't know this, it makes it hard to follow. I finally just looked it up on Wikipedia so I'd know what was going on.

Despite some of the people involved, such as Demian Bechir, John Cho, and Lin Shaye, this film didn't cut it for me. I didn't find it scary, rather tedious. Makes you wonder why are you still making these films? It's only an hour and a half, feels longer. I'll give it a grudging 2 Stars, basically for Demian and John and Lin. Watch at your own peril.