One of my favorite emerging genres in anime is Cute Boys Doing Stupid Things, so you can imagine my delight when I came across this commercial:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPPAyNY0DeA&w=560&h=315]
At this point, despite an uncharacteristically serious ending, Ouran High School Host Club is my gold standard for this genre, as it was not only entertaining but a truly intelligent play on the conventions of the genre (that is, an unexpectedly adroit combination of smart and ridiculous).
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is no Ouran, but it is a short, sweet confection that has the added appeal of being a glorious, glittery train wreck.
The show’s setup is a strange combination of ideas we’ve already seen and weird twists on those ideas. First, it fills all the bishounen slots – Yumoto Hakone is the cute little one with a big brother, Ryuu Zaou is the ladies’ man, En Yufuin is the handsome slacker, Io Naruko is rich and financially-obsessed, and I’m not sure what slot Atsushi Kinugawa is meant to fill except maybe the average guy with glasses.
The show’s “cute mascot” is actually an absurd pink alien wombat with a heart-shaped cutie mark who blends in by posing as the pet of the reanimated corpse of a teacher he accidentally killed. Also he has come to earth to protect it and fill it with love. Since the boys are already members of the “Earth Defense Club (lol)”—a.k.a. their BSed name for a BSed school club—he figures they fit the bill. And so, color-coded magical boys happen, complete with the best transformation sequence ever (or worst, depending upon how much pandering you can take).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2sk-XfiyOc&w=560&h=315]
Also Yumoto’s family owns a bathhouse, so literally every episode is a hot springs episode.
By this point, you already know if you’re part of the audience for this show.
As pure ridiculous fun, Cute High succeeds, primarily when it makes fun of itself. Episode 1 of the show clearly establishes that most of the group is not into this magical boy thing AT ALL, least of all because they transform into froofy costumes, shout “Love Making!” before each transformation, and as a group are known as the Battle Lovers. Yumoto becomes the leader by default since he’s the only one remotely excited about the power, and the others go along with him against the episode’s monster not out of a sense of love and duty, but because they literally just want to get it over with and get out of costume.
Each episode’s monster is amusing, too, if not very complex. Each is a student with some negative trait amplified by the series’ antagonists, the all-powerful student council (a.k.a. Earth Conquest Club), led by Lord Zundar, a green alien hedgehog from Planet Evil who seeks to conquer earth. Often the traits translate in ridiculous ways—a shut-in turns into a giant kotatsu, a rejected ballerino turns into a giant swan with the ability to shoot love feathers, etc.
Underneath the flashy absurdities, though, the series is a little lackluster. Each episode is basically a Monster of the Week story and the climaxes generally follow the exact same formula—The whole group transforms to fight; only Yumoto actually does anything; the monster is hit with a Love Attack and Love Shower and all is solved without any real meaning at all. The characters also have only one defining trait each, and though they play off of each other well, this only works for one particular character, whose personality is literally a joke making fun of one-dimensional characters. Unfortunately, in a show full of one-dimensional characters, the joke doesn’t play as well as it could, and though some do gain some complexity later on, it’s not even enough to round them up to two complete dimensions.
It’s good that this show was only twelve episodes long because I didn’t think it could have sustained anything longer. (Yet somehow it got a second season, so maybe I missed something?)
Really, the only thing this show does better than Ouran is its ending, which is much more tonally appropriate. Its twist—yes, there’s a twist—comes totally out of left field, but really this whole show comes out of left field, so that’s not out of place. And while I wouldn’t call it a completely satisfactory ending, it definitely takes the series to new heights. The last three episodes are easily the most fun in the series, though ultimately I can’t think of an episode I didn’t like.
All this said, if you enjoy colorful, flamboyant, absolutely absurd anime, Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! is a fun watch. It’s nothing more than that, but really, it isn’t meant to be.
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 3
Welcome to the last entry in The Wizard’s Way Playlist series!
If you’re late to the party, you can find Part 1 and Part 2 here, and, of course, the YouTube playlist below.
Now, without further ado, read on for Part 3!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqPPaxDp0Wc?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 3: Ambristar
“Booty Swing”
by Parov Stelar (The Paris Swing Box)
When Milon Artur’s not being a whimsical sociopath, he’s actually a pretty fun guy who, I imagine, would listen to a lot of electro swing in his hot air balloon. So, Milon’s theme in Chapter 26. xP
“You’ll be Back”
by Jonathan Groff (Hamilton)
The lyrics have little to do with anything in Chapter 26, but the spirit of the song is definitely in keeping with how Milon handles diplomatic relations – or at least his negotiations with Chaucey in this scene. xD
“Discombobulate”
by Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes)
If a whole street of inventors is going to equip for a disaster (in Chapter 28), this is the kind of music it does so to.
“Jim Saves the Crew”
by James Newton Howard (Treasure Planet)
Or rather, “Chaucey Tries to Save Everything But Ends Up Crashing Spectacularly Again,” as he does in Chapter 29.
“Song of Elune”
by Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft)
The grace and ethereal wonder of this song provided perfect inspiration for for scenes in Chapters 29-30 where the characters are exploring the mysterious Ambrist.
“Lights (Remix)”
by Ellie Goulding and Bassnectar (Divergent Spectrum)
I have no idea why this song lodged itself in my head as the “craziness is happening on Ambrist” theme for Chapter 31, but there it is.
“Collapse and Rescue”
by Steve Jablonsky (Steamboy)
If “Lights” is the “Ambrist is Sorta Awesome” theme, this is the “Ambrist Sucks and We’re All Going to Die” theme for Chapters 32-33.
“Manners Maketh Man”
by Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Also, pug. Pentalion’s theme, for reasons I assume are obvious if you’ve seen Kingsman: The Secret Service and read Chapter 33.
“Many Mothers”
by Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road)
For Chapter 35. No mothers involved, but the funereal sound and raw emotion is perfect for a chapter titled One and a Half Funerals.
“Little Lion Man”
by Mumford & Sons (Sigh No More)
Basically, Chaucey’s theme song for the series as a whole. While not all of the lyrics suit him, most of them highlight the themes and struggles that follow him through The Wizard’s Quartet. Plus there’s the lion motif. (BTW, though I think the original version’s more relevant to the character, I’ve included the clean version on the YouTube list so you can listen without getting a scandalized glare from your mom.)
That’s all for this list! 😀
As a parting question, what music did you imagine when you read The Wizard’s Way?
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 2
Welcome back for Part 2 of The Wizard’s Way Playlist series!
Here’s Part 1 if you missed it (or if you have no idea what you’ve just stumbled upon), and the YouTube playlist if you’d like to listen:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IpLV7PB5aY?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 2: Wizard
“The Gravel Road”
by James Newton Howard (The Village)
The “Chaucey is Sad, but also Analyzing and Overanalyzing Things” theme for Chapters 11-12. After all, how else is one to handle murders and shop fires and general wizard stress?
“Tightrope”
by Janelle Monae (The ArchAndroid)
While it’s not specifically relevant to her appearance Chapter 13, the ideas and enthusiasm of the song match Elsa well, so it seemed appropriate for her general theme.
“The Goose and the Abbot”
by Bruno Coulais (Brendan et le Secret de Kells)
Many of the scenes in the High Districts and Underoaks were written to the lovely music from The Secret of Kells, and this track in particular had a curious, investigative sound appropriate for Chaucey and Pentalion’s activities in Chapters 15- 16. Also, in my repeated listens, the quirky tune around the 2 minute mark slowly became Farwude’s theme.
“Milo’s Turned Down”
by James Newton Howard (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
This one’s frequent switching between disappointment and determined jauntiness made it perfect for the investigation that goes on in Chapters 17-18.
“What Are You Doing in My Forest?”
by Bruno Coulais (Brendan et le Secret de Kells)
INVESTIGATION INTENSIFIES (in Chapter 19).
“Dragonborn”
by Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
While it wasn’t the inspiration for Chapter 20‘s Brunl Library, I can’t listen to this song without thinking of the bearmen.
“Bay Side Slider”
by Try Force (Heat Guy J: Burn)
The “Lysa Kicks Butt” theme, especially for Chapter 21.
“Bedding Down”
by James Newton Howard (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
Eew, not like that. xP Still, it’s appropriate mood music for what happens between Chaucey and Elsa in Chapter 22.
“Prologue”
by David Newman (Anastasia)
Inspiration for the Arling Ball in Chapter 23. Before it goes all crazy, anyway.
“Didn’t Your Mother Tell You Not to Play With Your Food”
by Hans Zimmer (The Lion King: The Legacy Collection)
Theme for when the Arling Ball goes all crazy. The ominous whimsy suits antagonist Milon Artur to a T, so naturally it’s his entrance music for Chapter 23.
“Nui Harime’s Theme”
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The glassy-sounding menace in this theme makes it an excellent match for a certain spoilery reveal and associated battle in Chapters 24-25.
“Satsuki Kiryuin’s Theme”
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The Steelgore’s theme. Any time the Steelgore does its fiery thing – but particularly at the end of Chapter 25 – it’s to this.
Part 3 coming soon!
Until then, what music do you like to read to?
The Wizard’s Way Playlist – Part 1
Music is as essential to my writing process as coffee and procrastination. While Jacob generally writes to the sound of earplugs, I have playlist upon playlist of carefully curated songs that evoke the perfect soundtrack to my novels and their characters.
So, for the similarly inclined, here’s my playlist for The Wizard’s Way! For those who haven’t read the novel, I’ve written the descriptions to be spoiler-free. On the other hand, if you’re bewildered by said descriptions, here’s your reason to read the book! 😀
Here’s the list on YouTube if you’d like to listen while you read:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqPPaxDp0Wc?list=PLo3lKhIPo_aTUVVxNmjCM-KIROSf5dYqt&w=560&h=315]
Part 1: Calderling
Overture
by George Bruns (The Jungle Book)
For the Prologue. It doesn’t necessarily scream “Ellid wrestling a dragon,” but it does establish the sultry, mysterious jungles of the island of Leray.
Anniversary Medley
by Koji Kondo (The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony)
I wrote much of Chapters 1-3 to this, particularly the first 4ish minutes, because of its fun sense of derring-do. This was a mood I hoped to capture in those chapters and in the novel as a whole.
Gerudo Valley
by Koji Kondo (The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony)
Epic music for an epic glider crash in Chapter 4.
Off to the Races
by Lana Del Rey (Born to Die)
The lyrics don’t suit them exactly, but when I listened to it ironically, the decadent, dangerous relationship in the song matched Chapter 5‘s Cider and Lysa well. After all, they are quite an ironic pairing (though not romantic at all).
Also, in my head, Lysa speaks with Lana Del Rey’s voice, so I wrote a lot of her scenes to said artist’s music.
What Are You Asking Me?
by James Newton Howard (The Village)
I also write to a lot of James Newton Howard, as he’s my favorite composer. This track in particular quickly became the “Chaucey is Sad” theme for Chapters 6-7. The juxtaposition of hyperactive violin over otherwise soothing music makes for a good representation of what’s going on inside Chaucey’s head in these scenes (and really, at any given time).
Manchester 1866
by Steve Jablonsky (Steamboy)
The Inventors’ Way theme for Chapters 8-9. It expresses the industrious and dangerous mischief that’s characteristic of a whole street full of inventors. For similar reasons, it was also the music for Elsa and Ellid’s hijinks in Chapters 13-14.
Ryuko Matoi’s Theme
by Hiroyuki Sawano (Kill la Kill)
The “Yer a Wizard, Chaucey” theme for Chapter 10. Truly, I wrote most of the book to Kill la Kill, even when the scenes didn’t suit it, simply because the bombast of the whole soundtrack complements the book so well. (Basically every chapter not specified in this list = written to Kill la Kill).
Part 2 to follow soon!
In the meantime, what music inspires you to write? 😀
Harmonia – Book Review
From book cover: At the heart of the city-state of Harmonia lies the castle for which the city was named. It is the fabled home of the four goddesses who formed the world of Elan and then guided its people to enlightenment. For centuries, the castle has been a landmark and tourist attraction, drawing in citizens from the neighboring countries daily. Most consider it a tourist attraction, doubting the legend of its divine origin, though a few still see it as place of holy significance.
It has been a time of peace and prosperity for the city and its people.
That time is over. The castle is no longer empty. The goddesses have returned.
And they are not alone.
Mixing epic fantasy, fable, and a bit of esoteric anachronism, Harmonia challenges the concepts of gods, religion, faith, society, life, good, evil, and humanity in a fast-paced and fun adventure, with a hint of darkness.
Brett Brooks’ Harmonia (The Champions of Elan #1) is one of the more interesting books I’ve read this year, but its appeal to other readers will be determined by whether that reader is a member of a very specific niche audience.
Though the description doesn’t immediately suggest it, Harmonia is definitely a title for the furry crowd. Though many of its main characters are human, its most iconic characters are an anthropomorphic fox, snake, eagle, and bear, and though these character types usually bring to mind children’s tales, this tale is anything but. Not that this is a surprise—the back of the book plainly declares “Parental guidance is advised”—but even this is a bit misleading. “Parental guidance advised” suggests that the ideal reader for this book still looks to parents for input on what they read.
There’s a hot lesbian sex scene between a fox woman and a snake woman in the first chapter of this book, y’all.
I do not recommend it for middle schoolers.
However, older readers who enjoy unique fantasies and furry fandom will find a lot to enjoy in it.
Harmonia has a fascinating world setup. When the goddesses return, the people are naturally surprised by it (being unbelievers), but I was interested to find that the goddesses’ representatives—the aforementioned anthropomorphic animals—are just as surprised. They know as little about their representative goddesses as the people. They know very little about the people, too, and a large part of their conflict is simply figuring out this new world and convincing people that, despite all appearances, they’re not dangerous. Granted, this means that the first half of the book is basically the people and the champions being all “Well now what?” but the unique world-building keeps it from being slow. There are also some truly amusing scenes within, the most notable being one in which Renarde (the fox woman) discovers whiskey for the first time and ends up leading half the city on a drunken chase through the streets.
The true conflict of the story doesn’t emerge until the last third of the book, but when it does, it comes from a truly unexpected place, and it dashes along at a slam-bang pace with plenty of twists and a truly cool villain.
The characters are what drive the story, more so than a particular problem. The champions’ personalities are quite opposite, but play well off each other. Some are stereotyped—I kept picturing Altair as Sam Eagle without much effort, and Renarde is as mischievous and sexy as one might expect a fox-based character to be—but others were pleasant surprises. Rather than being the brash tank that I expected, Porter the bear is shy and socially awkward, and the snake woman Thibann, rather than the slippery deceiver, is the regal voice of reason for the four. Each is also well-characterized through dialogue, with each having a notable verbal quirk or habit. Some flow more naturally than others—Altair’s clipped syllables felt a bit awkward at first, and Renarde’s nonstop giggly babble can become grating at times—but all provide a vivid picture of what the characters sound like, which is something I enjoyed. (After all, how often do authors evoke specific voices in readers’ heads?)
Also, though not a champion character, High Priestess Vera Foiya was one of my favorites, for reasons I’ll leave you to discover for yourself.
Finally, one perpetual concern with indie books is production quality; outside of some (albeit prominent) interior layout quirks, Harmonia ranks among the better-looking self-published books that I’ve seen.
The cover in particular is lovely to look at and can hold its own against other graphical covers of its type. The interior suffers a bit, with enough typos to notice, but few grammatical and punctuation errors. Most noticeably, the paragraphs are inexplicably un-indented, which was slightly distracting for me, but the text itself is easy to read and I really liked the bold design of the chapter-starter pages.
Overall, Harmonia’s not a read for everyone, but if you’re in the furry fandom, or if you enjoy quirky, original fantasy, it’s definitely worth a try. And if you enjoy it, there’s a sequel, Child of Shadows!
***
Disclosure: Holo Writing may be compensated for sales of products linked in this review.
$.99 eBook Deal – Time Reavers
Hey, everyone!
Just in time for the holidays, we’re running an eBook deal on Time Reavers!
Now through Wednesday, December 28th, you can download Time Reavers for just $.99 on Amazon, so if you’ve been pondering dipping your toe into our weird, weird world of super-powered teens and giant time-ripping robot insects, now’s the perfect chance. 😀
Happy Holidays!
Charlotte – Anime Review
Jacob and I reached a point last month where we couldn’t take Crunchyroll‘s repetitive commercials anymore, so we sprung for a Premium membership. Since then, I’ve been using that as an excuse to fall asleep to the sweet, sweet sounds of anime.
My most recent binge has been Charlotte, which I watched primarily because I was curious what the title had to do with its premise of “teens with superpowers at a superpower school.”
In the series, Yu Otosaka has the ability to take over other people’s consciousnesses. The catch? He can only do it for a few seconds at a time, and his own body loses consciousness while he’s out of it. Even so, it’s useful for things like cheating on tests and rising through the ranks of his school…which catches the attention of Nao Tomori. She’s the student council president of a school for students with similar abilities, and if he doesn’t come with her, there’s a significant chance he might be captured by another organization that has plans for people with superpowers – and they’re not good ones. With a threat like that – and a little sister to take care of – how could Otosaka turn her down?
The unique twist in the series’ premise is that all the teens’ powers will disappear after adolescence, and as powerful as they are, all their powers come with some pretty significant drawbacks. One character can turn invisible, but only to one person at a time; another can move at super fast speeds, but can’t control his stops – all of which, in a way, make the characters’ situations more unfortunate, not because of the inconvenience, but because people with torturous intents are hunting them for abilities that won’t even last.
That said, if you’re into superpowers and uncontrollable crying, Charlotte is a show for you.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB5qUxR6ch4&w=560&h=315]
As evidenced by the opening titles alone, the production value of the series is quite high. The studios that collaborated on it – Key, P.A. Works, and Aniplex – were also responsible for Angel Beats, which was gorgeous to watch, if a bit boring in spots. The animation and music are on par with that (even if the accent on the English singing is a little heavy), and are so infectious to experience that I’d have probably finished the series even if it was otherwise mediocre. Fortunately, it’s not.
Charlotte is a more character-driven show than one might expect, with the superpowers being a vehicle for a surprisingly emotional story. All the main characters are complex and flawed: Yu loves his little sis but isn’t very grateful for her own expressions of love; Nao is clever and determined to save teens like her, but also comes across as self-centered and self-righteous to the point where some other students beat her up for it. The first several episodes are fairly light, even goofy examinations of these relationships as these characters seek out a superpower-of-the-episode. Then comes Episode 6, where the plot takes an almost Madoka Magica-like turn, rips your heart out, and then sends it careening through the next seven episodes to the end. I was in no hurry to watch the first half of the series, but the last half I finished in a single, voracious sitting.
Strong characterizations aside, Charlotte‘s greatest strength is its sheer unpredictability. Sometimes this results in weird tonal conflicts: It’s hard to believe that the first episodes and intense last episodes are even part of the same series. Some of the humor even in the early part comes across as over the top, and some episodes (8 and 9 in particular) rely on an enormously convenient coincidence. However, the good parts are structured so well that those don’t diminish the entertainment value.
The only exception to this is the very end, which is so stupid that I sincerely wish I’d skipped the last episode. SPOILER ALERT: Without giving too much away, the characters decide that the best way to prevent anti-powers atrocities from happening is to remove superpowers from every teen in the world indiscriminately, which is an enormous waste of a rare and awesome resource – not to mention hugely unethical. Despite his righteous intent, one main character becomes famous in the international powered community as a power-stealing terror – and yet is still depicted as a good guy, complete with uplifting inspirational music and his own happy(ish) ending. I understand what the story was going for; after all, a lot of the kids were genuinely suffering because of their powers, often imprisoned in labs or camps specifically intended to exploit those powers. But when he took healing powers from an un-oppressed girl in a rural village – without her consent, all for the sake of completeness – the story lost its credibility.
TL;DR: You will do yourself a huge favor by ignoring the last episode entirely. The main arc wraps up in the previous episode, anyway, so you’ll literally miss nothing.
Final episode aside, Charlotte‘s still a pretty entertaining show. It’s not the best series I’ve watched this year, but it definitely deserves a watch if you enjoy both emotions and superpowers in your anime. Just skip the end – I mean it – unless you want to exercise your eye-rolling muscles.
H.P. at YALLfest 2016!
Every November, I make my annual pilgrimage* to Charleston, S.C. for YALLFest, a YA reading festival organized by indie bookshop Blue Bicycle Books.
*not as an author. Just as a fangirl.
“YA reading festival” does not do this event justice, though. In actuality, it is a 2-day-long flurry of panels and signings and general book nerd mayhem revolving around the 80+ bestselling YA authors and thousands of fans that somehow manage to pack onto a few streets in Historic Charleston. It is NUTS, but it is the best kind of nuts.
The one downside to the event is that, between all the panels and signings, there’s no hope of being able to do even half of everything, even if you skip lunch. Or even if you just eat macaroons all day, like I did.
(BTW, if you go to Charleston and don’t go to Macaroon Boutique, you have wasted your trip.)
Usually I focus on panels, but this year a bunch of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE IN THE WORLD EVER authors were in the lineup, and like heck was I not going to get some books signed.
First in the day was Jason Reynolds, who has the distinction of being one of the few non-fantasy authors that I enjoy. When I Was the Greatest and The Boy in the Black Suit rank among my favorite books, and if you haven’t read them, you’re missing two quite affecting pieces of literature. Plus the author makes faces like this:
Next in the list of great faces is Cinda Williams Chima, who looks like she knows she just murdered a character I liked.
The Grey Wolf Throne was my weekend read, and if you’re into well-designed high fantasy with wizards and Kick-Butt Independent Princesses Who Don’t Need No Men (but like them anyway), her Seven Realms series is a treat. (Currently I’m trying to plow my way to the end because she just started a new series called Shattered Realms, so you know some wild stuff had to go down between these two, and I don’t want to be spoiled. 😛 )
Then came the Adrenaline Rush Authors.
See, in previous years, YALLFest was a pretty chill event for me. But then, in previous years, I didn’t have my own book. And in previous years, the authors who influenced my writing were generally not present.
This year, however, included Eoin Colfer and Maggie Stiefvater.
A much younger me read Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl series around the same time that I was beginning to feel my way around writing. As a result, it had a pivotal effect. I often credit Terry Pratchett (Rest in Peace) with inspiring the comedic fantasy style of my present writing, but in truth it was Eoin Colfer who lit the initial spark. All the fantasy, comedy, action, and sass in The Wizard’s Way – even the novel’s fascination with language – all comes back to seeds that were planted by Artemis Fowl.
Maggie Stiefvater is a more recent influence. Though I was initially put off by Shiver (I’m not a fan of romance, werewolves, or romantic werewolves), both The Raven Cycle and The Scorpio Races struck me in a profound place. They’re all artfully written pieces of literature that, despite being ultimately paranormal, are also very human – and, beyond that, beautiful to read. Whenever I encountered a rough spot when writing or just needed a little bit of inspiration, I’d play the audiobook versions of any of these; the cadence of her writing would drift and weave into my brain, and somehow in the rhythm of her words, my words would find their way out.
It’s safe to say that The Wizard’s Way wouldn’t exist without the influence of either of these writers.
Which is why Last Weekend H.P. had the brilliant idea to show them some fruit of their inspiration.
Have you ever tried to 1) write a letter to one of your favorite authors on 2) the front page of a book that you wrote, knowing that they may very well read the book and hate it OR not read the book at all OR just think you’re weird OR OR OR…? D: D: D:
It turns out that you can absolutely get an adrenaline rush from signing a book.
You can also walk around in a state of half-panic-attack while waiting to deliver it.
But now two of my favorite authors have copies of The Wizard’s Way, so that is kind of exciting.
In the end, I was so nervous that I didn’t snap any Maggie Stiefvater photos, but I did get to take a photo with Eoin Colfer! 😀 😀 😀
Speaking of whom, his was the first panel that I was able to sit in on. While much of the time was devoted to his latest release, Iron Man: The Gauntlet (Also, how cool is it that Marvel’s seeking out YA authors to expand its universe? 😀 ), he spent a surprising length of the program talking about his failures as a writer.
The discussion stemmed from a question about what projects he most regrets taking or wishes he could revisit. I was fascinated (though not entirely surprised) to learn that his biggest regret was his contribution to the Doctor Who short story collection 11 Doctors, 11 Stories, primarily because he’d written it without any real knowledge of the show or the then-rabid enthusiasm of its fandom. It was also intriguing to learn that he hadn’t wanted to write …And Another Thing, the coldly-received closer to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series – because really, how can any writer hope to compare to Douglas Adams? – but accepted the offer when Adams’ widow asked him to – because, really, how can you turn down a compliment like that?
Now that I have such context, it actually makes me curious to give …And Another Thing a try.
The discussion was an unexpectedly inspiring one. It’s not common for authors of Colfer’s caliber to talk so candidly about failed pieces of published writing, except perhaps in panels specifically devoted to them, and so to hear him speak about it in such detail – to hear that even your bestselling inspirations have recent works they regret – was strangely uplifting.
I also made it to the wonderfully titled “SPAAAAACE” panel, wherein the authors Veronica Roth, Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Nnedi Okorafor, and S. J. Kincaid discussed – you guessed it – outer space in YA books.
I’d initially come to the panel for Nnedi Okorafor (my fangirlery for whom is well-documented), but once the group as a whole started weaving an impromptu epic about stale donuts in space, I was pretty sure I’d found some awesome new authors to add to my reading list.
Overall, though I spent more time in signing lines than panels, it was still a fun festival – I was able to meet many of my favorite authors, make new nerd friends while waiting in line, and buy more new books than I probably should have. 😀 And ultimately, for a reader, there are few things more fun than being caught in a press of thousands of other people who are just as nerdy as you. YALLfest has been one of my favorite festivals since its beginning, and it will continue to be so.
Berserk (2016, S1) – Anime Review
Sometimes you just want to watch a grimdark drama where everything is a disaster and you can’t do anything about it so why bother? This year’s election coverage should sate that thirst.
But if it doesn’t, there’s Berserk.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAkl2uJEuA4&w=560&h=315]
Note: I’m about to spoil a whole TV series and three movies and several volumes of the Berserk manga, so if you haven’t experienced any of these yet, consider this your SPOILER WARNING. Also might as well throw in every TRIGGER WARNING ever because if Berserk hasn’t made it to one yet, chances are it will eventually.
Berserk is basically “Everything sucks and then you die” given anime form. The series’ Golden Age arc, covered in a 1997 TV series, the 2012-2013 movies, and the manga (duh) is a medieval epic of warring nations, charismatic mercenary leaders, and badass swordsmen (and one swordswoman), but it ends with the infamous Eclipse Ceremony, wherein said leader sacrifices his whole mercenary band to become a god and everyone is eaten by grotesque hellish demons – except the main character, who loses one arm and one eye and has to use the other to watch his former-BFF-now-hella-enemy rape his girl until she literally goes insane.
Welcome to the Conviction Arc.
This year’s bright and cheery series picks up where the Golden Age arc left off (*in the anime. In the manga, the Black Swordsman arc bridges the two). Protagonist Guts has left former-awesome-woman-soldier-now-witless-girlfriend Casca under the watch of the blacksmith Godo and is off to find and kill the Apostles of the evil God Hand. (Also Griffith because there’s no way a man can watch another man do that do his woman and not kill the heck out of him). Before he can accomplish this, though, he has to chop through all the evil spirits attracted by the cursed brand on his neck – and on Casca’s, once she inadvertently escapes from the safety of an enchanted cave. His search for her leads him to a refugee settlement surrounding the Tower of Conviction, where he is frequently thwarted by Mozgus, the Chief Inquisitor of the Holy See, and not really thwarted by Farnese de Vandimion of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, though she tries, bless her heart.
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Berserk is absolutely an adult anime. There’s blood and gore galore, grotesque and disturbing situations, and thoroughly creepy character designs, though the much-needed comic relief of the fairy Puck serves to alleviate some of this.
However, it’s also a fantastic medieval horror fantasy based upon what is possibly the best dark fantasy manga out there, and the strength of its characters and story is what keeps it from descending into torture porn.
Content aside, the first thing you should know about this Berserk series is that it seems to be made for existing Berserk fans, more so than newbies. Though the plot will make sense with minimal context, you absolutely need to have read the Golden Age arc in the manga or watched the 1997 TV series to appreciate the emotional baggage behind what goes on, especially regarding former-bro-now-evil-god Griffith, who is a likable, even admirable character in the Golden Age (until he’s not), and Casca, who is one of the best female characters in anime (until she loses her mind). I leave the movies out because, though they cover the same material, and though they’re entertaining, they aren’t so good at establishing the necessary emotional connections.
Once you know what you’re starting, you’re in for a pretty solid series. The pacing is good, and though some features of the story are exaggerated – pretty much every scene with Guts and that person-sized metal bludgeon he calls a sword; Mozgus; the horror elements in general – the story itself stays grounded with relatable side characters, in particular a group of prostitutes who take in the lost Casca:
Luca is a motherly figure who just wants to keep her girls safe; Nina is well-meaning but also abundantly terrified by their situation, enough that she frequently flip-flops between loyalty to her friends and a sense of sheer panicked self-preservation (so, the most realistic character in this series). Outside of that group, Farnese is a flagellant who punishes herself for not living up to her position as leader of the Holy Iron Chain Knights, even as she struggles with the perceived rightness of the Holy See’s actions; and Jerome is a soldier who’s just tired of this sh*t but can’t say anything because really who’s going to challenge this guy?
Still, if there weren’t characters like Guts to make this face back at Mozgus every once in a while, Berserk wouldn’t have a story – just pages and pages of carnage:
Arguably, Guts is the weakest character in terms of development. He literally has about three expressions, which are angry, Resting Badass Face, and the iconic Berserk Grin above. It’s not that he isn’t a complex character. He is. It’s just that all his development happened in the previous arc, and with that out of the way – not to mention all the trauma he met at the hands of Griffith – all his personality has room to do is care for Casca and kill demons.
Likewise, the series’ antagonist is not very complex, either. Mozgus thinks he’s a good guy but he also keeps a lavish, bloody torture chamber and carries portable breaking wheels on his carriage in case he has to whip them out on the road. (You never know when you’ll have to do an impromptu holy scourging!) There are moments where he seems merciful, but nah, it’s a trap.
Nothing in this series is good without 1) being a trap or 2) dying fast.
So far so good, but if anything in this series has been a point of contention for fans, it’s the animation. The movies’ blend of 2D and cel-shaded 3D was controversial when they released, and this series’ blend was no less so, largely because Berserk has a rough art style that suits its content, and you can’t achieve the same effect with CG (or at least the movies didn’t). Though the CG in the movies wasn’t necessarily bad, it was still robotic and clean enough to be distracting.
This is still true of the 2016 series. However, it’s not quite as bad here, the reasons being that the series does a vastly better job of capturing the roughness of the manga’s art, and also that most of the series is CG, as opposed to the movies, which were roughly equal parts both. In fact, in this case, the hand drawn parts are the ones that stand out as inconsistent and strange.
Could the animation have been better? Yes. I’d have loved to see a fully hand-drawn Berserk series rendered with today’s animation technology. But given the complexity of the armor designs and the comparatively narrower audience to which a series as mature as Berserk appeals, hand drawn – i.e. more expensive – animation would likely not have been an economical choice.
Plus, the animation in the original Berserk anime was awful and it still made fans of us.
At this point we anime fans have just grown spoiled on a glut of really awesome animation, and frankly I’m so glad that the series even exists that the animation is only a minor bummer for me.
All in all, this year’s Berserk series is worthy of fans’ anticipation. If you can get past the animation (for fans), know the preceding story, and if you can stomach all the grotesquerie (for new watchers), it’s twelve episodes of time well spent.
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Pokemon Go: Halloween Event – Game Review
I’ve been a Pokemon Go player since day one, but when I first learned of this past weekend’s Halloween event, I was only cautiously excited. After all, for everything Pokemon Go does right, there are ten other features that amount to “could have been awesome but were ruined by stupid problems.”
It was a pleasant surprise, then, when the event turned out to be a rousing amount of fun – with very few problems to speak of! 😀
For the uninitiated, Pokemon Go’s Halloween event ran from Wednesday, October 26th through Monday, November 1st.
During it, players could earn twice as much candy for basically everything – catching Pokemon (which earned 6 candies vs. the normal 3), trading Pokemon (2 vs. 1), hatching eggs (variable numbers depending upon the egg distance), etc.
Buddy Pokemon also yielded candy 4x faster than usual, with 1km buddies finding candy at .25km, 3km at .75km, and 5km at 1.25km.
And of course, select Pokemon fitting the Halloween theme appeared in greater numbers.
Oddly, though I imagine the increased Pokemon sightings were meant to be the big draw for the event, they were the least exciting part for me. Plus, I’m not sure why anyone at Niantic looked at Pokemon Go and said, “You know what this game needs? MORE ZUBATS.” 😐 Frankly, it’s not like any of the Pokemon featured were especially rare to begin with, but I went from having one wimpy Gastly and Meowth before the event to a whole army of Haunters and Persians during, so I can’t complain too much.
The real success of the Pokemon offerings was not in the Pokemon featured, but the sheer number of sightings in general. In my neighborhood and favorite haunts (pun intended), I’m lucky to occasionally see a Pidgey. Heck, it is exciting to see a Pidgey. But for those few days, all those areas had Meowths and Drowzees and Cubones and Gastlies galore, such that I was actually able to play without making a special trip, which is what I usually have to do (a perk of being your own boss: scheduling dedicated Pokemon Go days). That said, thanks, Niantic, for making your game playable in suburbia, if only for a week.
As fun as that was, though, the best part of the event was its candy-related perks.
Due to the aforementioned suburban lack of Pokemon, I use Pokemon Go as a glorified walking app, more than a game:
Each day I assign myself an egg or a certain number of candies and walk the distance necessary to hatch/find them. I’ve really enjoyed the introduction of the Buddy Pokemon system because it tricks me into walking more. After I hatch a 2km egg, I’ll usually see that I have 1km left to go on a Buddy candy; so I start a new egg, find a candy, see that I now have 1km on my new egg, etc… It is a vicious cycle that has resulted in some sweet leg muscles. Anyway, given the way Pokemon Go updates distances (in .2km-ish chunks rather than by step), the diminished distances introduced in this event led to A LOT of “Oh, just .1km to go” loops and resultant candies. Hooray for app-assisted health!
The candy perks had high strategic value, too (if the word “strategy” can be applied to a game like Pokemon Go). Prior to the Halloween event, I had several uncommon Pokemon that were within 10 or so candies of evolution – not a huge number, but no small amount of walking, either, given that most were egg-hatched Pokemon not common in my geographic area (and that I thus couldn’t evolve with candy from wild Pokemon). After a Halloween of plugging those Pokemon into the Buddy system, though, I evolved nearly all of them on walking alone! Combine those with all the Meowths and Zubats and Cubones and Gastlies (SO MANY GASTLIES) that I was able to evolve from catches, and this event made for an XPpalooza!
I can almost literally say that there was nothing wrong with this event.
Almost. It wouldn’t be Pokemon Go without a random problem.
Early in the week, I encountered a glitch that kept my distances walked from updating, but that was fixed within a day with a quick patch. More significantly, one of Pokemon Go’s new features/issues is that it dampens the sounds of programs running in the background of a device. Which, I guess, is cool if you need the extra quiet to concentrate on flicking Pokeballs at cute little monsters. Not so much if you want to listen to music while you play – or, as I do, listen to audiobooks while you walk. With Pokemon Go’s new sound settings, I have to turn my iPhone’s volume all the way up to even begin to hear my book. (I don’t run with headphones in for safety reasons, so the book has to compete with environmental noise.) It’s not a problem worthy of nerdrage, but it would be nice to have the option to turn it off.
But really, that was the biggest problem I had with this event. Overall, though Pokemon Go’s persistent general problems have gone unaddressed (WHERE IS TRACKING? TRADING? BATTLING YOUR FRIENDS?), the Halloween event was a huge step in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing what other seasonal events Niantic has up its sleeve.
Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Vol. 1 – Book Review
After months of curiosity, I finally decided to dip my toe into the light novel waters with Fujino Omori’s Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume 1. In the end, it didn’t make a fan of me, but it still made for some fun before-sleep reading.
Much of my reaction was due to the quality of the writing (or perhaps the translation). It’s full of awkward exposition dumps, dialogue with minimal transitions, and even dialogue that consists solely of punctuation. It all gets the meaning across, so it’s not that it’s hard to understand, but the former English teacher in me wonders how an editor even let that slide into publication. Even the title is clunky, though I do admit it does a better job of drawing attention than any possible abbreviation could have.
Once you get used to its general clunkiness, tough, it’s a cute little read. In it, Bell Cranell is a new adventurer who, well, wants to pick up girls in a dungeon. In the meantime, he must also work to support himself and his patron goddess, Hestia. In the world of Orario, gods live among mortals, with a few mortal limitations, though they are able to grant boons to members of their Familia so these people can literally level up in various skills. (The world is not subtle with its RPG inspirations.)
Despite the epic potential of the setting, it’s not an epic story at all. Mostly it consists of Bell being awkward around girls and looking at jiggly boobs – but he’s far from am oogler or peeping tom, which is what keeps the story palatable. In fact, beneath all his awkwardness and hormones, Bell is quite likable – courageous, well-meaning, and not nearly as stupid as protagonists of these kinds of stories can be. And let’s face it, he’s only 14 years old; most 14-year-old boys are going to be at least marginally fascinated by boobs, and it was refreshing to read about one who’s at least subtle and shy about his love of the ladies. Given the nature of the series’ premise, we could have been stuck with someone much worse.
That doesn’t make it a feminist work by any means, though. xP Nearly all of the girls in the series are things for Bell to have crushes on, and all fill some anime girl stereotype – the distant, aloof tsundere; the cute moe girl; the girl who greets other girls by honking their boobs 😐 , etc. Sitting down to write this review, I literally can’t remember much more about each one than that, but Bell’s interactions with them are still endearingly sweet, and the way he uses his various crushes to motivate himself to level up and be a more capable person (as opposed to a chick magnet) is refreshing. Plus, the monster fights are fun.
It’s not a complicated read at all (I mean, it is a light novel), and I imagine the best audience for the book is young teen boys who like to imagine themselves in situations like Bell’s (so, not me). It did make me curious to try the anime, just for comparison – and because the story wants so hard to be an anime – but it didn’t leave me wanting more.
H.P. at the Pugs & Pals Picnic 2016!
I’ve wanted to go to the Pugs & Pals Picnic in Stokesdale, NC for YEARS but never could for various reasons. This year, I finally had my chance, and since I’d written a book starring a pug, I figured why not do a book signing, too?
Thus began the day’s adventure.
The Pugs & Pals Picnic is a fundraiser and adoption event held by Pug Rescue of North Carolina Inc., wherein visitors can meet all the pugs up for adoption, bring their own pugs for some play time (Pug Rule #1: All time is play time), and generally revel in the delights of all things pug.
Let’s be real: Faced with all that furry cuteness, I spent about 2% of the time actually signing and the rest of it meeting ALL MY NEW ANIMAL FRIENDS.
One was Papa Pug, mascot and spokespug for Compassionate Pug Rescue in Florida. He lost one eye when he was hit by a car, but that hasn’t stopped him from strolling about in his luxurious pram or pausing for photo ops with the little people. (Dude has like 6000 followers on Facebook!)
I also met Chopper as he made his rounds. He’s a senior pug whose aging legs couldn’t contain the weight of his own awesomeness, so he either has to use a doggie wheelchair or just sit in someone’s lap all day. I was happy to oblige.
As of this post, he’s available for adoption! I couldn’t adopt him (see: sis above. Also I travel too much to give a pug the necessary attention), but if you want to adopt him in my stead, have at it! Pug Rescue’s application form is here (scroll down once you click).
Finally, Chewie already has a person, but I guess he could sense my desire to PET ALL THE THINGS, as he camped out by my chair for a while and gave plenty of pug kisses.
I met several other adoptable pugs, too, but was unable to snap good pics of them. Still, Simon is a cutie (just wook at that widdle tongue!) and Emma is a sweetheart who perked up every time someone visited her pen. Somehow I missed Sid, the remaining dog on the adoption page, but his adoption is already pending anyway, so hooray for him. 🙂
Finally, I totally missed her while I was there (see: PETTING ALL THE THINGS), but there was another pug author at the event, too!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9sM3GAiLv8&w=560&h=315]
Rhys Ella is the author of the pug-centric Kato and the Fountain of Wrinkles and My Human Survived Kindergarten, so if you’re into cute books about animal mischief, give them a look! I haven’t read them yet myself, but they’ve definitely been added to my ever-growing to-read list.
The next Pugs & Pals Picnic is scheduled for October 21, 2017, and I’ll probably be there again! 😀