It was maybe nine years ago when I first watched Seven Deadly Sins; I was still an undergrad in college, and this pretty interesting show came out. It was really pervy, as lot of anime is, but had an interesting storyline behind it. Now, I finally got around to finishing it: 5 seasons of the main show, an OVA, 4 movies, and 2 seasons of a spin off, I think; there was a lot going on. This show once again takes what you’ve been expecting and turns it on it’s head several times over. A master piece on could say even though you will need a guide to watch it all in order. Now, while the original show was very good, the spin off was very lacking. I will admit that the unfinished animation style was getting to me to most; however, everything just felt slow. Everything didn’t feel like intense animated action that we got from the previous show; just lots of awkward conversations and interactions that made no sense. In my opinion, stop with the completed show, and ignore the insane cliff hander that was the spinoff unless you are going to read it. It will probably end up better that was anyways.
Tag: family
Along That Yellow Brick Road Pt 13
On the second to last book within the land of Oz by Baum, we are now asked what to give the most powerful woman in the land. While the answer is of course something magical, it gets interesting when trying to keep said information away from said powerful woman. Everyone must figure out how to solve the problem on there own. Of course, a little bit of mischief from everyone favorite gnome king also helps. How he keeps regaining his memories is a question for another day. Also, the hijinks were amusing and par for the course of this journey down the brick road. Another adorable read about this fairytale world.
How Does It Hold Up: The Hardy Boys
Another one of my literary goals is the read all of the Hardy Boys. Now that I’ve read all of my libraries collection, I’ve figured that I write a review. Also, since this is after my reading the collection of Nancy Drew, I can somewhat compare the two since they are so similar. Unlike the straight forward mysteries that encompass Nancy Drew novels, The Hardy Boys novels are more along the lines of thrillers as there are not the typically who-dun-it scenarios. Instead of the usual mysteries, we are diving into solving heists, dangerous espionage, and environmental dangers. The dangers to these two teenagers is much more real that those to Drew at times. While Drew’s boyfriend is often around to magically save her, the Hardy’s sometimes have their dad to save them, but it does feel really close when that does happen. It is a more heart-racing experience when having to follow these two boys around. They are quick and simply adventure reads with a couple of mystery components thrown in, including the best friend that magically happens to have some hobby that will magically solve the entire case. While the language is somewhat outdated, it is still a fun adventure from setup to wrap-up with all of the interesting locations they end up going to and interesting people met.
Childish Insight
It’s not too often that I enjoy that I enjoy a show where the central character is a child just living their everyday life. Usually, I get so bored without some given conflict or some other thing going on. Instead, I was sucked into the world of Kotoru Lives Alone. Kotoru’s monotone and bleak understanding of the world is somewhat wholesome, until I remember that I’m adult watching the show. Instead of lighthearted and cute, the world takes a much darker tone that I ever imagined. This darker tone was what kept me engaged. It wasn’t anything that was necessarily happening on screen but the implications that drew me in episode after episode. This isn’t a fell good story, but a very memorable one.
Travel to Now
In a world full of time travel books, it is not often that time travel happens in today’s day and age. Usually, it is a historical drama set in the past or a Sci-Fi epic taking place in a distant future. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley explores the premise of those from the past being transported to today. The premise was really good, and I enjoyed it, but the book was a bit of a drag in some areas. While everything wraps up clearly in the end and you get the idea of why things were included, there were moments that just moved too slowly. It was an interesting way to explore the changing times and societal expectations; however, the exploration wasn’t as in-depth as I was expecting. Can I also just be sad that my ship didn’t sail, because my ship didn’t sail. Personally, I thought it would have been a more compelling story, but the author probably felt differently, even though it was set up so beautifully. Slow but an interesting way to incorporate a modern exploration of time travel.
Worst Girl Next Door
In a probable English town in the supposed countryside, probably, lives probably the worst child I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. So bad, I would probably put her on par with Caillou. This girl is known as Pippi Longstocking from Astrid Lindgren’s books. While I know this is a beloved classic, Pippi is one of the most annoying children I’ve ever heard of. She is probably a child’s dream of never going to school, never learning to read, and never having to go to sleep at a reasonable time. In other words, a parent’s worst nightmare. I mean, what child wouldn’t enjoy living with a monkey and having more money than one could think of doing with? From an adult standpoint, I hated this and would probably never let a child hear or read this story until they were old enough to distinguish right from wrong and reason from unreasonable. It might give children the wrong idea, and I would have to pray for that poor adult’s soul.
New to Education
In my, albeit, short time in education and teaching, I’ve learned that the things I know and what I think others should not can be wildly varying. An example of this in action is Educated by Tara West, a memoir following the life of a girl from a fundamentalist Mormon sect. It was fascinating to me that what people know and don’t know is sometimes a matter of luck. Whether they are homeschooled or in the public school system. Even outside the context of this memoir, I have noticed a substantial difference in students’ knowledge. I will admit that when I was younger, I genuinely thought it was a lack of caring or a want of incompetence. Over my time, I’ve come to realize it isn’t that, just a lack of teaching that occurs, whether willingly or not. Either way, this was a fascinating read about an aspect that is not discussed outside of sensational reality shows.
Building a Family Pt 1
Not all families start the same way. Sometimes they are built to a much bigger game: the spy game. That is where we are in Spy x Family. It is a cute little anime about a fake family living out their completely fake lives where everything is definitely normal, except for the fact that a war is on the brink of starting. Absolutely nothing to worry about except school grades, hiding all kinds of secrets from everyone, going on missions around the country, and living as a happy family. It’s all in a day’s work with our cute little trio of miscreants, though how they are not getting caught is getting more and more ridiculous. I’ve heard whispers from my friends that the story is probably going to heat up soon, with more drama and intrigue, and I cannot wait.
What a Bizarre Adventure Pt 4
I’m back after a long while from reading a part of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure with Diamond is Unbreakable. It continues with the concept of stands and introduces a lot more of them. Sometimes they evolve. Sometimes they test the limits of time. Either way, it was very interesting to continue along the adventure. One thing I did not like much about this arc was that there was no buildup to anything. It was very episodic. While it did leave some clues I suspect to be answered in the upcoming arc, it was a little disappointing that they were not resolved in the here and now. I really wanted the exploration to lead to something, but it seems there was just too much about the world we needed to learn first.
First in Class
What is even more horrifying than boarding school? A bunch of children with supernatural powers at said boarding school. That is the basis of the story of Gakuen Alice by Tachibana Higuchi. After her best friend Hotaru is basically kidnapped, Mikan runs away to follow her to a super-secret school, which turns out to be full of people with powers. At times, it is a really sweet story featuring self-discovery. At other times, it is a jaw-dropping story to learn more about the situation that is behind the scenes.
Overall, it is a very cute story. If you love shoujos, you will love this. There is a dash of slice-of-life, romance, and mystery. Although we are ignoring the thing that occurred in volume 2, if you know, you know. The mangaka says it was an accident, and I’m choosing to believe her. It was the only thing like that, so I’m staying in my obliviousness; no one try to take off my rose-colored glasses.
