2011-A Year to Remember

The past year for me has been eventful, I will admit. Even though I haven't had this blog for a year, 2011, however is drawing to a close. Over the past  year, I feel like I have accomplished a lot, though it has not been without its pitfalls.

This past year has come many successes, such as graduating high school, and starting college. It might be a community college, but college none the less, and the next chapter in my life. Though both might seem like an easy feet, the stress that went with both was quite frankly horrendous, though I am glad I have done both. Though I treasure my time in high school, I am excited about completing my first semester at college. College is a new experience for me, due to the fact that everyone is more relaxed somewhat, and there is none of the high school drama, though it does have its own bit of drama. It's also a more diverse group of people in college, anyone from just out of high school people like me, to working adults, to even ex-military people. 

First of all, I would like to thank the wonderful people I have met in 2011. One of my best friends I actually met this year in high school, and he is amazingly kind to me, despite some rough patches. He was the one that introduced me to Team Fortress 2, and other computer games, because before I will honestly say I saw computer games as a waste of space on the computer's hard drive. He has also been there for me when I needed him, and we have really fun memories together.

Along with my best friend, I also met some wonderful people in my English class. These people were the party in my life, and even though they are quite insane, I still treasure that class dearly. Everyday was like a riot, a good riot though, due to the fact we would kind of pick on each other, though some of us got picked on more than others. (я ниет лоли). Besides the folks in my English class, my math class buddies were also amazingly nice. They knew how to joke around, and most of them were new to college, like me, and we had a rough time at first adjusting to the class, and some of us, like my self, had to drop the class. 

Also, this year, I have gotten into more American movies, and gotten more into different types of movies. Before I met my best friend, and also one of my friends on my English class, I usually stuck to anime, and I still tend to, though I am becoming more acquainted with American movies. (If you have any movies that you want me to see or review, email me). Also, I have come to appreciate torrenting a lot more for american movies, and not just downloading three hundred plus gigabytes of anime. 

In 2011, I started this blog. Taking inspiration from one of my friends and fellow blog writer, I have started my own blog. I realized that I could actually write(not that well) about movies, life, and anime. Although it's just a beginning blog, I hope to make this blog my own sort of ramblings about anime and movies, with a few game reviews in between(when I have time to play them...seriously). And even though I cannot write particularly well, this blog is a fun experience to try and become better at writing. 

This year, however, has not been with out its problems. Between my computer crashing, and huge amounts of stress and boredom, it probably has made me a stronger person (also taught me to back up my data regularly.) Along with my computer crashing, I am currently still working on building a computer (like built from scratch) and that has come with its problem; for example, it now lacks the BIOS systems, making it virtually living, but a vegetable. (Thank you infinite loops, you murderous killers). 

But as I look towards 2012, I actually do have a couple goals in mind, most of these revolving around my life and my future. One such goal is to go into the air force, though I doubt it will happen in 2012, though I want to talk to the recruiter. Also, I wanna complete my second semester at college, and do some summer classes so I can hurry up and graduate and go into the air force, due to the fact a college degree will make it easier to join. Along with getting on board with the military, I want to at least learn a language and become decently fluent in it, probably become more fluent in Japanese and Spanish, and maybe pick up the romance languages in my mind: German and Russian. (French is ugly thank you)

Overall, this year has been an excellent year, many mile stones I have gotten passed, and I have met many, many people over the past year. I can honestly say that I hope 2012 is as good, if not better than 2011, and I look forward on keeping the reader(s) posted on the movies I have seen. If you have any anime, movie, game, books, and any other stuff that you may want me to review, or even questions or comments,although I will ask you to make the subject of the email about the blog. (I don't read spam).

I'd Like to thank those who have stumbled across this blog, and hope to see some of you return. Until next year (or a few hours) have fun!

Sherlock Holmes-A Game of Shadows

When one says mysteries and detectives, one name usually comes to mind, and that name is Sherlock Holmes. He has wit, skill, and that just right stroke of luck. He has bizarre methods, some of which you may not think would work, but they also seem to pull through regardless. Watson, his side kick and the fellow doctor doesn't have that same streak of luck, though he is a vital part to the movie. In the second Sherlock Holmes movie, Sherlock has to battle the mysterious person who was pulling the strings in the first movie, and defeating this person, and even though his methods are a bit bizzarre, I have to admit, he really is the best detective the world has ever seen.

The movie starts off like the first one, in a mess of random events that seem to never correlate, though they do provide some laughs. After the death of Irene Adler, the possible love interest of Holmes, Sherlock looks into who did it, and he finds that his adversary this time is Professor Moriarty. Through the movie, Sherlock Holmes is probably faced with his greatest mystery yet, and while solving the mystery, he has to stop an international crisis from arising.

First off, in some ways, this is a direct sequel to the first movie. Some jokes, and even the bad guy, are brought over from the first movie. Although it may be advertised as something such as a Bond movie, it really is not. The first movie will explain a lot to you, and it is a good watch in my personal opinion

I will admit, I especially liked the comedic bits, because Sherlock is never serious. He is like Captain Jack Sparrow when it comes to his methods of going through with some stuff. Also, some of the stuff he does may not make sense at first, though you might have just have to roll with it, because everything will make sense by the end of the movie. Even though his plans may not make sense at first, you just have to trust that everything will make sense by the end, just like any good mystery movie.

Also, the weapons aspect of it was very good. Although I am no gun nut, I went with a friend who was and he could explain some of the weapons. At one point, the bad guy was shooting at Watson with a sniper rifles, though Watson quickly finds the Howitzer, which is basically a canon, and fires it at the sniper. The sniper's last words, sadly, were "This isn't fair." Now, for some reason that made me laugh, along with Sherlock's attempts to use a semi-auto gun.

This movie is the perfect combination of mystery, action, and even a bit of comedy, and in my opinion, well worth the movie tickets. They say that sequels are never as good as the originals, but in the case of this movie, I digress: it is on par, and somewhat better than the first. So, if you're in the mood for a mystery, and semi-action film, then go see Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, now playing in a theater near you!

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

Along with Tintin, I also had the pleasure of seeing one of the greatest movies I have ever seen this week. This movie had style, humor, mystery, and even some other dark elements that will take you by surprise. The movie, of course, was the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, based off the acclaimed books by Stieg Larsson. The movie had me hooked on the mystery that was involved, and had me guessing until the final clue was revealed.

The story followed Michael Blomkvist, a journalist who recently got busted for libel against Wennerström, a wealthy business man. However he then gets hired by Henrik Vanger, a wealthy man who hires Blomkvist to do his memoirs, though the ultimate task is to try and figure out the forty year old mystery of who killed his niece, Harriet Vanger. Along the line of solving this mystery, Blomkvist encounters the punk hacker, Elisabeth Salander. Together, they solve the mystery of who murdered Vanger's beloved niece.

As the original novel and story was set in Sweden, I am pleased to say that the American movie adaptation was also set in Sweden, which I'll give them credit for not trying to Americanize it. They also kept to Elisabeth's punk appearance, and some of her outfits were nothing short of amazing.

In the begining of the movie, the story seems to be split in two parts: Michael's story and his struggle of trying to get reliability back, and Elisabeth, or Lisabeth trying to make ends meet financially. Blomkvist's part of the story might seem boring at first, such as him just wandering around Sweden Some parts with Lisabeth made me highly uncomfortable, such as her doing sexual favors for the person that she was getting money from, and her revenge on the guy was making her do such favors was a bit cringe worthy, even among the guys in the audience.

The one thing that made this film highly enjoyable, and probably one of the best films I have ever watched, was  the fact even though the beginning was slow, it had an an excellent pace, humor at just the right places, and the serious parts where they counted. The msytery had me gripped, my mind frantically working out the case before the cast did, and it turned out, at every twist and turn, there was something new to consider. Overall, the atmosphere was amazing, and well planned out.

The acting was superb in the anime. First, you have one of my all time favorite actors, Daniel Craig, playing Michael Blomkvist. Mara Roony was Lisabth Salander, and she did an excellent job portraying the character of a top notch hacker, and the rest of the supporting cast did well. The only complaint I honest have with the cast is that the Vangers seemed to blend together, and everyone else seemed not important or got caught up in the mix.

If you're looking for a mystery, with some romance, and even some some humor here and there, then I say go see this movie. The movie will keep you on the edge of your seats, and leave you wanting more of the characters. 

C³~CubeXCursedXCurious~

It is a given that every season needs an anime with a loli in it. It is almost undeniable fact. In the Winter 2011, it was the loli, Fear, who brought love to our hearts. Her story is unusual, for being a type of yandere loli, as well as a bit of tsundere. Her past is dark and bloody, and her friends' pasts seem to be equally so. C³ is a tale of despair, curses, magic, and perhaps some blood shed.

The story starts out with Yachi Haruaki, your normal teenage boy, living at home (because kids seem to do that a lot in Japan now a days), just living the normal life. One day, a package arrives from his father, a cube of some sort. He puts the cube in his house, only the next morning to discover a naked girl has now taken the cube's place. She seems to know nothing of how the world works, though she is trying her best to learn the ways of the world, even if it leads to her destroying the house in the process. One of Haruaki's friends, Muramasa Konoha discovers the girl, and rivalries ensue, of course in a harem like fashion. As it turns out, along with Konoha and Fear, it seems that sometimes curses take human form. It is revealed that Konoha can transform into a sword and is able to be used by Haruaki in order to defeat the bad guys, and Fear is the human form of the Black Cube, a torture device, and her weapon is the cube of which she is named. She can use over twenty different torture devices, but wishes to be rid of the curse. The anime follows Fear, Haruaki, Konoha, and later Ueno Kirika, the mysterious class president, in their adventure of cursed objects, and protecting, and hoping ridding the objects of the curse.

The art in C³ is actually rather quirky, but in a good way. Sometimes, the color shades will change on you, just like in a SHAFT production or like Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu. With that, the art work also tends to shift to what they are talking about, like when Fear mentions the fact Konoha has bigger boobs than her, they show her boobs in a way that is sort of mocking. Also, they tend to handle the serious situations with serious art work, and the light hearted ones with lighthearted artwork, such as flowers and over expressionate faces.  The art work, with the mood and quirkiness, is very consistent and fluid.

As basically a harem anime, each girl sort of fell into a stereo-type. Haruaki is one of these male leads that had some unknown power that seems to draw the girls in, and looks like just like every other male lead in existances: Brown hair and brown eyes. Konoha takes the role of the child hood friends, and also the sort of the main girl that Haruaki would pursue. Kirika is the definite tsundere, being that some of the stuff that Haruaki does kind of turns her on, but it comes out as fustration. Fear is definite tsundere, but she is a loli tsundere, meaning that, like Kirika, she get turned on in the same way, but she is too adorable about it. Also, she is sort of a yangire, due to her dark past and the fact she is a torture device.

The characters I think could have done with a bit more development. For example, I want to know more back story on Fear, and i thought I could see some more, besides the fact she was a machine used for killing and torture, but they kept adding new characters, like Sovereignty and Shiraho. It seemed as with the case with Sovereignty, even though her arc was done, I still felt incomplete with her character, and the characters that were introduced at the end hardly had any development. For a character cast like this, they probably needed to extend the anime to twenty-four episodes, or perhaps a second season. But as the loli of the series, Fear was very funny, where as the other characters were amusing, but didn't have me laughing like Fear did.

On the musical side of things, the first opening theme was amazing. The way Fear sort of danced at the beginning was super cute, and well coordinated. The same goes for the second opening, though with Kirika was more elegate than cute, but all the same, well coordinated. The songs for both will most likely end up on my iPod due the cuteness of the first, and the darkness of the second. Also, the voice acting was well done, especially Fear's "I'll curse you!" is super cute.

Overall, it is an excellent watch, despite what people might say. Lolis, cursed objects, and some what of a harem make this an excellent anime, though thankfully they don't concentrate too much on the harem aspect, just mostly the cursed object. Also, a word of advice when watching this anime: Watch until after the credits, some hilarious stuff happens then.

The Adventures of Tintin

We have all wanted to go on a grand a grand adventure in our lives, whether it be to the jungle, or perhaps a trip on the high seas. Sometimes, we take these trips willingly, with lots and lots of planning, or we take them as due to circumstances. Tintin, a boy and grad adventurer embarks on a journey, a journey of epic proportions.

Tintin is a reporter in Great Britain, and his dog Snowy, embark on a grand adventure after Tintin buys a model boat of the Unicorn, a legendary ship that sunk mysteriously. After he buys it, people are drawn to the ship, offering him double what he paid for originally or naming his own price. He refuses offer takes home, and while Snowy was chasing a stray cat, the ship topples over, breaking the middle mast. After he and Snowy return from another errand, the ship goes missing. Snowy points out a silver tube that had fallen behind the dresser when the ship broke, and in the tube was a piece of paper. A little while later, he goes to see the old abandoned manor, where he sees the ship that had broken, though this ship seemed to be in one piece. It is deduced that the Captain Francis Haddock, the original captain of the ship made three copies of the ship. In his quest to find the treasure rumored to be with the ship, he recruits the help of Captain Francis Haddock's descendant, Captain Haddock,in order to solve the mystery behind the ships and to find the treasure!

The first thing I must say about this movie is that you must go see it in Imax 3D. I had the pleasure of doing so, and the effects in the movie were amazing. At some points, I felt as though I was there, even though it was an animated movie. the dust particles moving around in front of me, the waves almost being able to reach me, and the sand could have been played in if i took a few steps towards the screen, were all thrills of the movie. The layer sof the scenes was also very well done, like Tintin was distinct from the surroundings, and everything was layered properly. Although usually I do not watch 3D, this movie was well worth it to go see it in 3D.

The story of Tintin in my mind could be divided into two parts: The main course which was Tintin and Haddock's adventure for the ships, but also about the local pickpocket. The main story was interesting, due to the fact that they keep going after these clues to the treasure. It had wit, action,and even a few jokes and sayings, such as "It only took a day in the Sahara to make you sober," or "I'm not optimist, I'm a realist," made me laugh and realize that the latter was an application to some of my views in life. The second, and perhaps sort of side story, was the two policemen, Thomson and Thompson, trying to catch a local pickpocket, who had been stealing everyone's wallets. The two police men are actually the source of comic relief in the movie when Captain Haddock's drinking problem fails.

The voice acting was superb in the movie. Captain Haddock's voice fit his character very well, as well as Tintin's. Their adversary, Sakharine, was voiced by the one and only James Bond,Daniel Craig, though I had a hard time recognizing the voice at first. But for the other characters, the voice acting was also superb.

As for the art of the movie, sometimes I started to question if was animated or not. The eyes for the characters were very well detailed, and the people looked natural, save for the noses. Those noses were unnatural, and kind of hideous if you ask me. But the sceneries and the effects in the animation was superb, especially in 3D as I have said before.

The movie was an excellent watch, and well worth the money to see in Imax 3D. If you can and are able to watch 3D, I recommend it highly, and it is a good family film. 

Un-Go-The Tales of the Defeated Detective

In a world ravages by war and terrorism, and the crimes that may arise from such destruction, only one duo can solve them. One man, one boy, out to solve all the crimes, using wit, flair, and perhaps a bit of supernatural abilities. Yuuki Shinjuurou, and his mysterious partner, Inga, are out to solve all the msyteries that arise, and perhaps learn a little about the world around them in the mean time.

Un-Go is a n anime original anime produce by Bones, as you may know, also produced anime such as Gosick and Darker than Black. As usual, my interest perked when I found out that who it was animated by, and thought that perhaps that this would be a good one, though I was a bit hesitant at first, due to mystery anime not being in my particular favorite genre. Little did I know, I made the right choice in picking up this anime.

At first, the anime is episodic in nature, in the means that it is one mystery for each episode. Yuuki Shinjuurou is a detective, though no ones knows about him due to the fact Kaishou Rinroku has been taking all the credit. His mysterious partner, Inga, can force the truth out of anyone for one question, and they cannot lie when they answer her. Together, they solve the mysteries, piece by piece, though the pieces do add up eventually.

For me, this anime was enjoyable in characters department. Inga and Kazamori are by far the most interesting of the cast. Kazamori is a Robot Artifial Intelligence, or R.A.I for short. These two are the most crucial part in helping Shinjuurou solve his cases. Inga can force the truth out of anyone, and whether or not they want to tell the truth, they will tell her the truth. At other times, when she isn't in the "final" form of "Give me the truth," she takes the form of a child, though whether or not it is a boy or girl we are not sure, though I'm betting its a tomboyish girl. Kazamori can hack into any computer systems and can send data over any electronic device. It usually takes one out of two forms: a small stitched up doll that travels around in Shunjuurou's pocket or a loli girl, because all anime has to have fanservice somewhere.



The story is alright, though at the beginning, everything did not flow together that well. But if you think you can skip episodes, you are actually quite wrong, because all the episodes add a bit of character depth to the cast, as well characters to the already extensive cast. Each episode has twists and turns that you would not expect, keeping on me on edge about what was going to happen next. Although episodic in nature, all the points do flow together eventually.

The art UN-GO is fluid, though I will admit it is a bit odd in a way I cannot explain. Shinjuurou's hair is one thing that is kind odd to me, for being in sharp, unnatural edges, and even in a mullet like style. The place where they really excelled in the art was the child form of Inga, basically wanting to make me give her a hug. Her hat thing, where she usually keeps her hands, is also adorable, and also made me wonder for a brief period of that was attached to her hands. Kazamori's loli form is very, well, loli-ish and probably will appeal to those loli fans out there.

Overall, this is a good detective story, and must watch for all mystery fans. At every twist and turn, this anime will grip your attention with it clever plot. Also, a must watch for any Bones fans, and just the general anime audience. 

Inheritance: A Review

Last month, the final book of the Inheritance Cycle, or the fourth ook to Eragon, had finally been released. Though I have had the pleasure of reading this book, the book is far from perfect. The conclusion to the Inheritance cycle is an epic battle of bravery, strength, and bravery.

As you may already know, the story is about a boy named Eragon who finds a dragon egg, and his adventures with the dragon that later hatches from the egg, Saphira. He then flees his hometown of Carvahall, and adventures with an old Dragon rider named Brom. Along the line, he goes to the home of the Elves, where he then receives training from the elf, and Dragon Rider, Oromis, and his dragon Glaedr. in order to become stronger in magic, with the hopes of overthrowing the tyrant king, Galabortrix. Also, you start to get the story on Roran, Eragon's cousin and native to Carvahall, and his adventures of Roran vs. The Empire. The story follows Eragon's and Saphira's growth as Rider and Dragon, along with the people around them. With the book Inheritance, the saga is brought to a close

I will start with the good of the book, due to it being an enjoyable read. The story was well written, with a few surprises here and there. Eragon made considerable progress, both in morals and strength in the final book. Roran and Katrina were important though the book, though they knew when to take the side lines. Nasuada was important enough, but sometimes, I felt like the author tried to include her excessively. Also, there was a few surprises that really added flavor to the story.

Though with the good, there must come the bad. The ending was was admittedly rushed, though rushed to a point that it was practically a bad end. I felt like he was basically saying by the end "Ok, I'm done, I'm going to bullshit my ending." Along with it being bullshitted, I was basically expecting every thing; it was so predictable to the point at every page turn, "Knew it. Kind of Guess it." I think i was expecting better plot twist, though I guess it was a bit late in the series for the plot to actually twist and turn like I would have liked it to. With out giving away, the "climax" was also anti-climatic, due it just being kind of off the wall weird.

Overall, despite all faults, this book was an interesting conclusion to the epic saga. If you loved the first three books, the book are still written with the same flair as the first three, and to be honest, was written maybe a bit better, though rushed. When you get the time, and money, don't be afraid to indulge your self in this wonderful fantasy book.

Magikano

In anime, you sometimes have to learn how to deal with the randomness of it. In anime where random is the plot, they usually turn out to be the best thing you have ever seen, such as The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi or Seto no Hanayome, or they turn into obscure anime that no one has heard of. Magikano is the latter example, due its randomness and lack of plot and really basic art style. Though it started off a bit odd, I will admit, this anime slowly grew on me.

The story is about a young boy named Yoshikawa Haruo and his sisters. His sisters, Maika, Chiaki, and Fuyuno, all can use magic, though they refuse to let him know about. They even go as far to knock him out with a memory erasing hammer to keep the existence a secret. Haruo eventually meets Mamiya Ayumi, a girl who has been cursed to loose her magical power, and she believes that Haruo can save her from the curse, due to the fact that she saw him in a mirror when she got cursed. Along the way, he meets other girls and the anime follows his adventures with the girls.

The first impressions I had of this anime were not good, and I even considered dropping it, due to the lack luster art style and randomness. It literally made no sense in the first episode, and usually anime make sense by the first episode, and then become episodic in the later episodes. I will admit though, the point at the beginning is not well explained, though it is later in the series.

As a harem anime, I expected just about every stereo-type in the book. The tsundere, the loli/little kid, the class representative, and the overly caring one. Only in this case, the overly caring one is his sister, Maika. That right, his sister is basically included in his harem, due to the fact she has a brother complex. In fact she even tried to mind wash him into being with her for life. Even the younger sisters, Chiaki and Fuyuno are kind of a part of his harem, though not excessively so like Maika.

The comedy style in this anime relies mainly on slap stick style humor, including Maika and her sisters whipping out a hammer and making the guys who are not supposed to know about magic forget about it. Also, they also rely a lot on ecchi as a comedy source, such as one episode revolves totally around a pair of possessed panties that only the guy Ayumi loves can take them off. Though some of the comedy style is not unique to me, it still made me smile, especially when the characters went into dark mode when they were plotting on destroying the other girls in the harem.

The anime is very episodic in nature, such as one adventure per episode, with a two episode finale. Their adventures could vary from trying to feed him a school lunch to celebrating Christmas with friends. Most of these adventure really don't have a point other than fan service and to show off the girls. Most anime like this is actually enjoyable because there is really no true cohesive plot, though just a pinch of plot would have been nice here, such as instead of waiting for the big twist, at least somewhat hint at it.

I will admit, the end disappointed me. I will not spoil it, though I will admit it was such a troll ending, and I think they could have pulled off the big twist, and the last two episodes way better than they did. The finale was weak, as in bringing in Ayumi's little sister, who doesn't even look like her little sister, and also the mysterious woman who seems to watching from the shadows. Quite literally, it was a big can of What the Hell. Also, though most anime ends badly, I think this was one of the worst endings I have ever seen.

This anime is worth the watch if you're looking for something to watch just for fun. Don;t be fooled by art style, and don't be disappointed when it doesn't live up to anime like Seto no Hanayome in comedy, due to the fact it is a harem, and harems are usually a hit or miss. If you want magic, girls, comedy, and a harem, then this is the anime for you. 

Flight From Fame

Traveling can be stressful for a lot of people. Everyday people, hoping aboard a plane, the people you have to deal with, the stress of not being bored to death while traveling are all essential, but stressful things that most people have to deal with. Even celeberties aren't exempt from this process. Although they are treated like royalty when they travel, it seems that they feel they are exempt from normal regulations, and throw a fit when they actually have to follow regulations that are for the plane's safety, not because they want them to be bored out of their mind. Alec Baldwin is most recent example of a celeberty going off because he was forced to do something that was necessary for the planes safety, and then caused an uproar over it.

In the case of Alec Baldwin, he was forced to get off a plane when a flight attendant asked him to put away his iPad because the plane was taking off. Alec, who was busy playing a game on the iPad, refused to put the device up, though it is not clear why the flight attendants kicked him off the flight, though some passengers on the flight claim that he was being rather rude to the attendants.Baldwin later took the scandal to Twitter, stating that the flight attendants were basically 1950's Catholic school teachers that had started working in the air line industry, and that he would never fly the airline again.

I think the problem here is that the Baldwin took the problem too far. He basically refused to comply with airline regulations that are in place to protect the flight, the passengers, and radar safety, due to the wireless interactions of the devices actually interfering with functions. Also, now a days, if stuff goes to Twitter, then it's "serious business," though I think he is over reacting to the whole thing. Just because he is a celeberty doesn't mean he is exempt from flight rules. If someone asks him to put up the device for safety reasons, then he should have put it up, not take it to the world for everyone to read.

What worse in my mind is the media attention that this has received. I'm pretty sure people get kicked off flights all the time for not complying, and yet you never hear about them. Only in extreme cases does the average person getting kicked off the flight gain media attention, and even then, it isn't as instantaneous as celeberty cases.  If the average person posted on Twitter about getting kicked off, I think that it would have to gain such an outrage or make people double take on what they said, or press a law suit. Alec Baldwin posted about it, and even though it is sort of outrageous, if said by any regular Average Joe, I don't think that it would have garnered so much attention.

But this whole case kind of ourages me. Who is he to throw a temper tantrum over having to put up a game? A little kid I could understand. A grown man who people supposedly like, not a chance. People need to grow up and learn they have to do stuff they don't like. Just because a flight attendant asks you to put up a game or device because it might cause issues doesn't mean they are trying to be mean, they just want you to arrive there safely.

KissxSis OVA: A Tale of Two Sisters

In anime, it seems they are always trying to invent new ways to show a relationship. Notorious examples include Teacher and Student, Brother and Sister, and other odd examples. But what happens if they are step brother, and there are twin sisters? Does that make the love legitimate? Or is it because they grew up together make the relationship invalid because they grew up as brother and sister? KissxSis breaks the boundaries of a normal relationship and question the reality of a step brother and step-sister relation ships.

Suminoe Riko and Suninoe Ako, twin sisters, and very competetive with each other over various thigns, such as who weighs the least, and who is more sexually pleasing. They both harbor a crush on their step-brother Suminoe Keita, who is in his last year of middle school, and deciding on a high school that he wants to got to. The sisters however, are perverted as perverted can be, and they usually take out their horniness on their brother, such as sleeping with on his arms, and when he can't move, they then proceed in turn, with Ako being first, to kiss him passionately. After Ako leaves, the insanity ensues even futher with Riko. She proceeds to mess with his morning wood, stimulated by Ako's kiss.

The thing that shocks me about this anime is not the fact that there is a step-sibling love, and possible three way, it's the fact that the parents actually endorse the relationship. Also, it seems that everyone else is making bets of which Keita will choose, due the fact both girls confessed their love to him at the same time.

The twins are what really drive the show humor wise. Their tactics of trying to get together with their brother end in hilarity, or at least awkwardness for Keita. In one scene, he accidentally ends up with his hands near a weird place on both the girls.( Where I won't say because you're just gonna have to find that out for your self). Ako is the innocent one, just doing enough fan service to the audience so they be pleasured, but not overly done so. She is the intelligent one, and the student council president, and the happier one. Riko is the darker one, and more open about her desires. She is the one that's not afraid to express herself sexually, and intentionally tries to provoke Keita's perverted side. Both together, you have guaranteed fan service of extreme proportions, and there is a bit for everyone.

Keita is a typical "harem" lead, though here I use the term here loosely since it is not technically a harem. He not interested at first in the sisters, though later on her gradually gains interest in them, even to the point of smashing his hand to clear thoughts about them. He is the victim of circumstance, always being in the most awkward positions at the worst times, but it adds to the humor.

The art is very fluid, though they are not afraid to show certain stuff, like the spit linking together after a long french kiss. Also, they are not afraid to break boundaries of actually showing what happens to a woman after she is sexually stimulated. Along with that, they show the morning wood in Keita's underpants, a feat that would be censored in TV anime. Although they thankfully do not show nipples or private parts, they do come dangerously close to revealing some of the secret areas of a woman.

KissXSis has fan service for just about every guy around. From the sisters basically begging for sex from their beloved step brother, to Keita's rampant imagination, this anime is sure not to dissappoint those hard-core ecchi fans. I highly recommend this to anime who is looking for a good ecchi with a little spice of something different, or just to those perverts out there.

The Kardashians: Why Do We Care?

If you have turned on the TV or the Radio in the past month, you have probably heard the name "Kim Kardashian" or just the Kardashian name in general. The world seems obsessed with them for some reason, though if you're like me, you just have to wonder one word: Why? Why is the world obsessed with them? Why does anyone care? Why are they famous? In my search for answers, I found out a possible reasons, but none of them stand to justice as to make people who did nothing.


Fist, I would like to look at their family back ground. many claim that their father, Robert Kardashian, who was part of the team that got OJ Simpson the "not guilty" verdict. However, he passed away, and their mother married an Olympic Decathlon person. This leave us with the question: Why are the girls so famous? Their parents and step-dad are famous. What does that have to do with the girls, because the last time I checked, they weren't doing anything spectacular.

The Kardashian that you may be most familiar with is Kim Kardashian, is famous for two reasons: Being best friends with Paris Hilton (another person famous for no good reason) and a sex tape. Yep, you heard right: America basically worships a porn star. Though most of her fame comes from the TV show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," the root will probably always be her sex tape. Also, another reason why her name is coming up so much in the news is the fact that she recently got married to Kris Humphries, and the marriage only lasted seventy-two days. The marriage ceremony was video tapes and glorified for their TV show, and the break up was overly dramatic.

Kourtney, another one of the Kardashians, has been in the news in recent times for having her second child. Seriously America, people have babies all the time. she and her sister Khloe got their own spin off show called "Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami," in which they are the stars, and not their more popular sister, Kim. Also, she is cticized for an out of wedlock child, though for some reason of another, America seems to love her.

The Kardashians seem to be famous for being famous. That's actually a bout it: They do nothing, and yet they get a reality show. At least Kate Gosslin pushed six babies out of her at once, and combined with a set of twins, she had eight kids. The Kardashians, they're famous for just being, well being famous. The only people who watch their show is middle age house wives, and the others have no life.

In fact, other people feel that the Kardashian's fame is so uncalled for that they have enven started a boycott petition against them. The petition that was launched according to the Washington Post, wants E! Entertainment, the network that has the audacity to air the Kardashian show, to pull it from the air, because it promotes the wrong stuff, such as over-consumption and greed. They also don't want people to buy the Kardashian line of products, such as Kim's Perfume. Also, they don't want people to shop at stores she endorses.

The fact still remains: Have they done ANYTHING worth TV stardom, fame and fortune? In my eyes, no they haven't. They don't sing, act, or model.They don't do good deeds to help people out, they do much of...nothing, except create drama. So, my fellow readers, please don't give the Kardashians anymore fame than they already have, because they don't deserve it. Once they do something note worthy, then praise them al you want. Until then, don't: you're only stoking their ego.

Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch

As you may know I really love the Little Mermaid. When I heard that there was anime about it, at first I was rather skeptical due the fact that its Japan for one, and two they added a magical girl component to it. Though I was skeptical at first, I will say I was thoroughly impressed with the Japanese anime version of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid, though its not quite that.

The story follows Nanami Lucia, the Pink Mermais Princess and Princess of the North Pacific Ocean, has come to land to look for her pearl that would officially make her a princess at the coming of age ceremony. Without it, she can't sing that well, and she isn't a princess. She gave it to a boy that she saved from a ship (Hey sound familiar). The boy, Doumotou Kaito, has some how saved the pearl all this time, and Lucia gets it back.

Later, she is joined by Hanon, the Blue Pearl Princess and Princess of the South Atlantic Ocean, and Rina( sometimes written Lina), The Green Pearl Princess and the Princess of the South Atlantic to help defend land and ocean against the evil Gaito. Their weapon? Their voices that can (temporarily) vanquish the minions sent by Gaito.

There is one thing I will not hesitate to comaplin about this anime and that is the transformation sequences from human to Idol or from mermaid to idol. Like most Mahou Shoujo, or magical girl anime, they take way to freaking long! After they finally transformed, it was sort of what was the point? Also, about mid point in the series, they gained an extended transformation sequence. Basically, it took about five minutes out of a twenty-three minute episode, and I don't mind its sometimes, but they somewhat recycled animation for transformation sequences.

Like every other Mahou Shoujo anime, it follows a basic plot line and very episodic. It would be like bad guys appear, girls transform, sing, and then bad guys are vanquished for the time being. At least unlike Tokyo Mew Mew, it doesnt get repetitive every episode but the plot develops over the course of the anime, where as Tokyo Mew Mew, the plot is at the beginning and the end, with maybe a bit in the middle, but nothing too important. The songs sung during the time they are vanquishing the bad guys actually grew on me as the series went on. I'm still now singing them under my breath, and the rhythms for the songs are very catchy.

But here's the thing about fighting and singing I don't understand: Who says that one type of music is "good" while the other is "evil?" When you meet the Black Beauty Sisters, they also use song as their attacks. While their songs are ruled as evil, I still found their songs to be catchy. Also, it seems that the Black Beauty Sisters' songs could vanquish the Princess to the Depths of the Ocean, though as many times as the Princesses have sung, why didn't they banish Gaito's minions? Are they "too good" and they can't permanently vanquish them?

Now, don't get me wrong, I really do love this anime, but the physical inconsistencies of it make go Wait, what? For example, the Princesses turn into mermaids when they are splashed with water or get wet, but if that were true, the how come they can go out int he rain just fine, but be scared of a boy with a water gun? Also, in one episode, Lucia is buried in about six inches of snow, she still stays in human form, even though snow is very cold and solid water, and not to even mention that it would melt once it touches Lucia's skin, unless mermaids run at a freezing temperature.

The other mermaid, I'm sad to say, do not get much screen time what so ever. The Yellow Pearl Princess, Coco, and the Indigo Pearl Princess, Noelle are captured in Gaito's Castle (which moves) and they don't come in untul the very end. The Purple Pearl Princess, Karen, pops in and out, but when she sings with the three main Princesses, Lucia, Rina, and Hanon, she seems like a side character. That's the other thing that slightly annoyed me was the Lucia, Hanon and Rina took up most if not all the screen time while singing. The other princesses are never shown, and never heard. I know that they were singing together, but when they got close to each princess, her voice slightly stood out. With the later princesses, I could no longer tell this distinction.

Character development had to last through fifty-two episodes, so it was slow at times. It wasn't Tokyo Mew Mew slow, due to the fact that each episode it seemed something actually happened and it wasn't some episodic plot line that got repetitve. Although it might have seemed episodic at points, the points eventually add up to a master point, like Hanon's crush Mitsuki Tarou.

The art of the anime was fluffy, like any mahou shoujo anime should be. It is fluid and well made for its time, since the anime came out in 2002. The one thing that irked me about the art was the fact Lucia has huge boobs and such a narrow waist.  The transformation scenes were fluid, and even though they took up too much time out of the anime, they were necessary in order to beat the bad guys. I just wish they could have abridged the  extended version.

Overall, even though I might complain a lot about the anime, it was a truly good watch. If you're looking for mermaids, music, and a memorable anime, then Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch is the one for you!

The Muppet's Movie

It seems lately in the movie industry that they have been making seemingly kids movies, but the undertones are aimed directly at adults, or at least teenagers, The Muppet's Movie is no exception to this trend. Even though the Muppet's is a childhood classic for those kids like me, there are some obvious adult undertones to the movie, those that provided laughs, and some made me go What were the creators on?

The movie starts out with Gary and his muppet "brother" Walter growing up. While Walter stays the same height, Gary grows taller, though they are still close as, well, brothers. Now, this sadly bothers me a bit. Gary still is attached to his muppet, even when he is about thirty or forty, and this relationship kind of continues through out the movie.

After the growing up preview, we are then brought to modern day California, with Gary, now a teacher of an overly studious group of kids, and his girlfriend, Mary, also a teacher, are planning on going to Los Angeles for their anniversary. Gary invites his brother without his girl friends approval first, because Gary thinks that they could go see the Muppet's set, because like me and a lot of other kids, he grew up on the Muppets. After a musical number, ending hilariously in "They're finally gone" from the other people involved in the number, they board the bus to Los Angeles.

When they get there, they go directly to the Muppet studio, much to Mary's disdain. But instead of it being glamorous and shiny like it was on the tapes Walter had watched, it was abandoned and run down. On the tour, Walter strays from the group and goes into Kermit's office, where a guy named Richman and his goonies  are talking with the two old men about selling the set because they claim they want to make a musem, and that if the Muppets wanted to stop them, then they would have to raise 10 million dollars. Now, the two old men plow straight through the fourth wall, or they reference the audience directly, by implying they not only ruined plot for the audience, but also implying that half the audience is dead.

When the two old men walk away, Richman reveals that there is oil under the set, and that he wants to demolish it, and the only way the Muppets can stop him is if they buy the property back. luckily, Walter was there to overhear the plan to demolish the building. He then goes to his brother, who is currently more hung up on this astonishing plot point than the subplot of his girlfriend. yes, this is a "kids" movie, so of course the girlfriend takes back seat. While they go to find Kermit, who is hiding in plain sight, with the gates even having pictures of him and Mrs. Piggy, Kermit actually comes up behind them when they are at his house. They actually make him look like a God to Walter, which prompts typical fan-boy like reaction, and he faints, just to wake up in Kermit's house.

After telling Kermit the antagonist's plan, they decide to recruit the crew, starting with Ozzy, the joke-ster Muppet, who is singing at a club with imitations of the Muppets, the Moopets. Originality in naming, perhaps not, but these things scream evil, especially the Pig. next they recruit Gonzo, the hooked nose, pink spandex wearing Muppet, who has successfully started his plumbing company, though he nukes the company and strips out of his formal attire to the Pink spandex super hero uniform. They recruit the gang through a montage, and whats even funnier is that they even say the quickest way to do it is through a montage. After they have gotten everyone except Mrs. piggy, they decide to "travel by map" to Paris. I will admit, the idea is ingenious, due the the fact that when most most movies they usually abridge travel time to, well, a map.

When they find Mrs. Piggy, she refuses to join them, because she is happy with her life in Paris. Though the first attempt fails, she eventually decides to join them. When she does join them, she finds that they had gotten a stand in for her, and Mrs. Piggy then proceeds to fight the fake one.

When they finally get around to raising the money for the set, they have to jump through hoops trying to get a network deal, due the fact they aren't that popular anymore. Actually, I think this sort of reflects on real life, due the fact that if I went up to a kid, and said who is your favorite Muppet, they would probably give me a strange look and ask me who are the Muppets. This point is further exaggerated by the chart of the in group, and that the Muppets are way out there in never ever land, where no one knows them. They do manage to score a deal, and then the insanity ensues. What type of insanity, you're going to have to go see this movie, because it is worth every penny of a movie ticket

This movie I will praise for the comedic genius and musical numbers. The music was very Mary Poppins like, though I thoroughly enjoyed it because the music touched on everything from going on a vacation, to being all alone on your anniversary. They were catchy, and one of them had a hilarious end. The comedy had me laughing, like for example when they steam rolled through the fourth wall, and also they implied that tying up people for money is alright. (Which it is).

This weekend, or sometime while it's still in theaters, I highly recommend that you take you and your family to see this masterpiece of a movie, because you will not be disappointed, and it will be every penny well spent.

Kohls: Black Friday Advert

Today, I saw one of the scariest things I have ever seen: A song that is so horrible, that it made me want to tear my ears off, has been made into an advertisement. That's right, Friday, most disliked song on the planet, as voted on Youtube, has been made into a Black Friday advertisement. While the song might not be the best written song (in facts it's one of the worse) in the world, why Kohls had to use this song for their advertisement, I will never understand. Also, along with the ear raping melody and lyrics, the visuals in the commercial are disturbing to me.

First the commercial starts of with a typical young blonde waking up while its still dark out, like with any other black Friday ad, except she then starts singing in a horribly familiar tune. She then complains about wanting a coffee, which then prompts the next event that I find the most controversial part of the add: Though I think she was referencing the coffee when she said "Not today," but when she said that line, she pushed an old lady out of the way. Now, I know that Black Friday is a mad house, no matter the store you go to. But in this advertisement, it's like they are promoting  pushing people in lines at Black Friday Madness, and thus prompting violence at the events. I think Kohls has missed all the people getting trampled in recents years, due to the storming of the stores for the great black Friday deals. The Commercial then proceeds to got on the musical number, like any other (horribly) written commercial.

The other problem with this commercial I have is, of course, the song its self. They managed to not make it as whiney pitched as the original, due to its a woman in her twenties singing, and not some talent-less thirteen year old girl singing it. But, non the less, why the had to rip off that mess of a song, I have to wonder. Why are they trying to give her more fame than she already does not deserve. It's an annoying song, and come this holiday season, I will most likely hear the song over and over again, loosing a tiny bit more to my soul each time.

All I have to say to shoppers this holiday season is be careful, don't get trampled, don't trample, and avoid Rebecca Black's song at all costs. It tortures bloggers everywhere, and not just bloggers, everyone is tortured by it, due to the awful auto-tune and horrible lyrics.

Fall 2011 Anime Season:Impressions

Every new season of anime brings forth for me joy and excitement. It allows me to kick back, enjoy some cartoons that aren't meant for children, and provide me with entertainment when I can't sleep. Though the season is only half over, I feel it necessary to review some of the series that are airing because honestly, some of them are actually pretty good this year. True, there is ecchi, which is anime soft core porn, and maybe a bit of mystery, they bring me entertainment none the less. 


(Note: Done Alphabetically) 


Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai 

I'll admit, the first thing that attracted me to this anime was not only the theme, which is something kind of close to me, but also the moe-like art. It follows a boy named Hasegawa Kodoka, a half-British transfer student who makes all the wrong impressions due to his hair color and expressions, thought the thing he really wants is friends. Mikazuki Yozora is in a similar boat, though she is not misinterpreted as molesting the female student body, though she has an imaginary friend to compensate for lack of friends. Kashiwazaki Sena is the girl who appears popular, but has no true friends. The anime revolves around Kodaka joining the club Yozora created in order to help people make friends.  Along the way, genius, perverted girl Siguma Rika, and girly-boy Kusonuki Yukimura join, all in order to try and make friends. They all get along pretty well,though Sena and Yozora have a love/hate relationship, tending more to the hate, I think deep down they're very good friends. 
With this anime, I'm impressed I'll have to admit. The art style is fluid and happy. The comedy is funny, like Sena's idea of making friends is making friends with the virtual girls in games. (Hey, Kami nomi anyone?) Also, Yozora constantly calling Sena "meat," referring to her noticeably larger chest size, is also funny. For any one that wants to kick backa nd watch an anime bout how friendship works, and for a bit of moe and comedy, I highly recommend this one. 


C³ 
Who doesn't love a loli? A loli with a history of torturing people, just turning up on your doorstep, mailed from your dad? Well, thats what happened to Yachi Haruaki, average boy, suddenly thrown into a world of cursed object because a cursed cube that can take human form named Fear showed up on his door step. Now, at first Fear seems normal, barely managing house chores while Haruaki is at school, though when angered she can use her cube to use about thirty different torture devices. Muramasa Konoha, a girl who can change into a sword, and Ueno Kirika join the cast and form, you guessed it, a harem. 
With this anime, I honestly don't know whether or not to be impressed. The art style and story presentation is very similar to that of SHAFT, basically a mind fuck/trip. The story is progressing a bit too slowly as well, but since there is a loli, i think I can manage. Also, I want to know why the objects are cursed. Over all, a good watch (for the loli).


Chihayafuru
Karuta, the game of one hundred poems. This anime follows the story of a girl trying to become the world master at karuta, because quite frankly, no one outside of Japan played the game. She makes a club for it, and it trying to get people to join it, though its a rough journey. Her goal is to play with a boy named Arata, the boy that taught her how to play. The story has not progressed a lot, though it is holding my interest.
What attracted me to this was the art. It's very shoujou, and very happy. Also, the prospect about learning about a new game also enthralled me. However, I will complain that most of the stuff in the anime makes no sense to me, though I think that the Japanese are considering that Americans are watching the anime, because bit by bit, the game is being explained. But, the thing I'm wondering is how exactly  do you play? They have been shown throwing cards around, and all. Seriously, how the hell do you play this game?


Maji de Watashi ni Koi ni Shinasai
Two words are sufficient enough to describe this anime: Mind Fuck. Yep, that's what this anime is. It starts off serious, but then degrades to penis jokes. In fact, the "synopsis" is very misleading. It should be shortened to "We start off serious but don't worry boys, you will get your fan service plus a bunch of penis jokes." But otherwise, the art style is good. You have some girls with big boobs,a nd some with out the boobs. Also, the personalities of the girls are well diversed, from the quiet one, to the one that likes to beat people up. The main guy, Yamato, is a laugh. At one point, he basically whips it out, and makes a girl faint. He is actually thr source of the humor for me, not the girls( for once).




Maken-ki

If Maji de was Mind Fuck, then Maken-ki is mind rape.It's about this boy who get into a school for basically magic users, except he can't use it. (Maburaho anyone?) The girls all kick ass, and he is the defenseless one, except the girls need protecting against his perverted-ness. They fight with these things called "Maken" which I have no idea what the hell they are. Are they a spirit, or they a part of the soul? Also, what are the different classes that they keep mentioning? Also, it's another case of the females falling head over heels for the male lead for no apparent reason, even though he has zero personality, besides being a pervert. 
Character wise, I actually like none of them. Takeru is a pervert, and an ugly one at that. Seriously, who designs characters like that? Inaho, the big boobed fiancee that pops up at the beginning is annoying. Yes, I like kitty mouth face, but her face seems to be stuck in one. its ugly, and old. Himegami has the most personality in my mind, in fact she kind of has none. She's not fighting directly for the guy, but she is still part of his harem. Basically, she's the tsundere of the harem. Haruko is the child friend essentially, so I think she will automatically win. To be honest, the design of the characters is ugly, because in my mind, the girls have too much curves and boobs. Here's the rule for anime: If it looks like a D, it's an A. 


Mashiro-iro Symphony: Color of Lovers
A guy at an all girls school that recently went co-ed. Could this produce laughter, seriousness, or could it produce a train wreck of a mess? Honestly, even at the mid-way point of the season, I still don't know what to think about this anime. Since it's an eroge adaption, I was expecting basically a flop due to those types of anime being usually a flop. But, with this one, I'm not sure. The art work is fluid, but the story is sort of not there. True, it's a slice of life where the male lead is trying to win the hearts of the of the girls, or more or less make the girls accept him, due Shingo being male. But, it seems that is lost somewhere along the line,. 
Honestly, for this anime, I was praying it would be funny co-ed, like Seitokai Yakuindomo, though I am sort of disappointed at the humor. It has its cutesy moments, though it it just mainly just the journeys of the cast and their interactions with the main characters. To be honest, it's just another anime, though its just a good way to kill time.  


Shinraku?! Ika Musume

She back, and invading land for those stupid humans polluting her waters! That's right! Ika Musume is back, and still hell bent on invading land. The squid girl never succeeds in any of her plans, but it's still fun to watch her try. In the second season, we follow more of her daily journeys. True, while she doesn't succeed in invading land properly, she does end up learning about humans, and what we do. True, everyone finds her adorable, but warning: shes still out to invade land.
The art style is that of the first season, so not much change. The humor, though sometimes is lost on me. Some episodes make me laugh, while others were like, ok whats the point. The opening theme actually grew on me a bit. At first, I was opposed to it, as a lover of the original opening, but then I recognized that the second one is just as catchy.   


UN-GO

In recent times, I have actually enjoyed detective anime. They provide thriler, suspense, and usually very good art. seeing the newest series coming from Bones, I got really excited due the fact that that it was produced by them, and their previous detective anime, Gosick, was epic. I will admit, the story is odd in Un-Go, for its about the "Defeated Dective," due the fact that the the head detective guy, Kaishou Rinroko, is credited with solving all the cases. Shinjuurou Yuuki, and his assistant, Inga, go about solving the cases in unusual ways, due the fact Inga can force the truth for one question out of one person. However, Kaishou recieves all the credit.
This anime to me is basically a modern version of Kuroshitsuji. Where as Kuroshitsuji is set in Victorian Era, UN-GO is set in modern times. Also, UN-GO so far is very strange because right now, I want to know where Inga comes from, and why can't she stay loli? 


Working'!!

Most of us who are old enough to work have jobs that are arduous, and that grind our nerves. Those annoying co-workers, the stuff that doesn't go right, the horrible and rude customers, those all components of a job. However in Working'!!, the co-workers seems to all get along, and there aren't any rude customers, and while not everything goes right, it seems moat thing do go right. In the second season of Working!!, it follows the same slice of life/comedy as the first season. Inami Ahiru is still scared of men, Takanashi is still fond of cute things,and only pays attention to only loli, and none to the girl that has affections for him, Kyouko still doesn't do anything except eat through the restaurants food stock; Souma is still in everyone's business, and  Satou is still torturing the underlings. 
The comedy style is much like the first season, though I wish they would get on with it. Seriously, hurry up Takanashi and realize that Inami likes you. Hopefully this can provide me with more laughs in the future and get on with it. The one other thing I will praise Working'!! on besides the humor, is the opening song. The song from the first season was catchy, and they somehow mangaed to make it catchier in the second. 

Pirates Of THe Carrabean IV-On Stranger Tides

Pirates series has to be among the darkest things Disney has produced. Although, over the years, we have come to love Jack Sparrow for his crazy antics, verging on the line of insane and brilliant. We have watched him battle various enemies, such as Captain Barbossa, and other crazy villains. The sheer insanity of it (and perhaps a few Johnny Depp fan-girls) has brought the series billions of dollars, and it has won the hearts of people everywhere. The fourth installment of the pirates movies is no different from the other three, bringing about insanity, super-natural beings, comedy,pirates and improv schemes that always seem to according to plan.

In beginning of the movie, Captain Jack Sparrow is supposed to be going up on trail for crimes of piracy, where in turn, Gibbs is actually taken in for Jack Sparrow. The judge then proceeds to convict him, but you can notice it is Jack Sparrow. Gibbs is then taken out, and you see the Jack had tied up the real judge and stolen his wig. Also, Jack joins Gibbs in the carriage, believing that they are going to a get away location, though as it turns out, the driver is a traitor, because they are then surrounded by the British Troops.

They bring Jack Sparrow to the hall of a great important British official, where you also find out that Captain Barbossa is now playing for the British. They offer him a great deal: a ship and crew, though at the expense that he would not be able to captain the ship. Jack then escapes, though not forgetting of the delicious cake things (Too be honest, it looked like a macaroon though I'm not sure). I will give Jack Sparrow credit where it's due: He can get him self out of any situation with pure luck and maybe a bit of genius.

Along the way, he meets up with a woman that he had some previous engagement as, though posing as him to get crew for her ship. The woman is Angelica, who is Black Beard's daughter. She wants to team up with him in order to find the fountain of youth, as you may know, grants the user eternal youth. The only twist is that you must gain the years of life from another person with the exchange of the water in the goblets, one with a mermaid tear, and the one without.

Jack Sparrow gets captured and he is then thrust upon Black Beard's ship. Also on the ship, it a captive mersonary named Phillip Swift. Now, I'll be honest, they treat him like shit through out the entire movie. You first meet him tied up on the mast of Black Beard's ship. He gets stabbed a few times, and just when you think he should be dead, he is alive again. Black Beard and his crew want to capture a mermaid, for the tear is essential for granting the eternal youth. They send a crew out to see on a little life boat, and then shine man made light on them, because apparently mermaids are attracted to man made light. In about an hour, and the mermaids are at the boat.  They try to lure the men to their deaths, because they will take a man to the deepest part of the ocean and then eat his soul. The original plan fails, though one mermaid is trapped in the rubble. She is then captured and then lugged around in a case of water, because they want a fresh mermiad tear.

As paths are crossed, and alliances are made, the movie provides an interesting watch. I'll even admit to it being on par with the first movie, and the third movie. It provided entertainment, and for once, I didn't have to deal with the romance between Will and Elizabeth, because their arc is over, because this movie is more or less a spin off, and centers around Jack Sparrow. It provided many laughs and the plot schemes are amazing, and I think that it is worth the buy.

One of the few complaints I had about the movie was that the whole fountain of youth thing. It's just bizarre, and then when they finally find it, the Spanish, who have been searching for it the entire time like they were in real history, show up. They are shown a few times through out the movie, though they just kind of show up, and go away. Along with the Spanish, the method of the gaining the youth. I thought that it was supposed to be that you take a few sips, and done. I guess this is just an interesting spin on the myth, though it seems stupid.

The other thing I didn't like about the Movie was that they kept trying to kill Phillip Swift. He gets stabbed repeatedly, and should have been dead from the start. Also, the romance between him and the mermaid, who he eventually dubbed Syrena, was sort of ok, but it felt rushed. I say more mermaid time, and less time on Phillip Swift getting stabbed, and moaning in pain.

Overall, this movie is a must buy/download. (Yes, for a pirate movie I highly recommend pirating)  It is probably one of the best pirates movies, even though there is only if there is only four of them. There is a possibility of a sequel, thought the end sort of completes it, even though it leaves a few open ends in regards to Phillip. I say go for it, because if you're a pirates fan and crave more Jack Sparrow, you will not regret sitting down and watching it.

E-Readers: Ruining the Reading Experience

Everyone enjoys a good book. The turning of the pages, the new book smell, the printed ink; all componets of a good read. But it seems now, with the technology of the Kindle, the Nook, and other E-Readers like it now threaten the traditional reading experience. They make even reading go digital. Though going digital maybe cheaper, and the new trened now, I believe that reading should be kept to the pages of a book, and not the digital pages of a Kindle.
For me personally, I feel like I cannot connect with the digital pages of a Kindle. They seem so cold, uninviting, and heartless, while the pages of a real book are warm, tender, and caring. Reading on a Kindle makes me no be able to connect with the book, no matter how good the book may be. The turning of the page keeps me on edge, like what will happen next, while clicking the heartless buttons on a Kindle.

I'll be the first to admit, the technology of the Kindle is pretty awesome. Some models show each page in a non harsh way that is easy on your eyes, due to no back lights, or the thing that makes screens glow. The glow of a computer screen makes it hard for me to read manga online for hours at at a time, though the Kindle screen is easy for my eyes. Although no backlighting is great, I am sometimes left in the dark about what I'm supposed to use at night in order to read the Kindle. For a book, the answer is simple, just use a flash light, or a screen with back lighting, or in extreme cases, candle light. But for a Kindle, the question arises: Can I use a flashlight to read it, or will it act weird, like using a flashlight to see on an LCD screen?

Along with the fact of I cannot connect with the book, I like the feeling of being able to mark my place in a book by dog earing the pages. Even though it's a great debate among readers whether you should dog ear or not, I believe in it. However, with a Kindle, you have to rely on the fact that it will keep your place for you, and that someone will not mess up your spot. True, people can do that with real books, but you can always tell the last place it was marked because of the way the page was bent. With digital marking, there is no way to trace the last page you were on.

One of the reasons I am encouraged to get a Kindle (Which I won't) is due to the fact books take up space. Let's face it: People who love to read usually have book cases filled with books. (In my case manga) I like the feeling of having those books over run my house because I know I can lend them out to people, and usually get them back in prime condition. With a Kindle, you can't lend those books out without lending out the whole system, and if you do that, you're out of books to read. Although there is a chance someone would steal your books, I believe the chance with a Kindle is higher because it is a more expensive, newer piece of technology, and electronic.

Also, my biggest complaint about the Kindle (unless they have upgrades this with newer models) is that it can't   read manga, or Japanese comic books. As an otaku, I'll admit to the fact I have more manga books than real books on my book case, they over run my house, and I read them constantly. With the original Kindle, you can't load manga to it, and I think that it would be slightly awkward to read it. Would you press the buttons to the right to go "forward" in the book, or to the left to keep with traditional page turning? Also, since the Kindle does not display color, the color pages which I love so dearly would probably not be able to be shown.

Albeit all my complaints about the Kindle, and E-Readers, I will give them one positive thing: They make books affordable because you don't have to pay for the ink, the paper, the publisher, and other stuff required in making the book. The digitalization of the book makes it cheaper, and usually a book will cost about three or four dollars, a good idea for any of us going through hard economic times, which it feels like all of us are.

The Kindle is a revolutionary idea of taking books, and making them digital, but in that movement, i feel like some of the meaning behind reading is lost. You can read how ever you want though, whether is be a book or a Kindle, as long as you read, then you are just making your self better, though I prefer books.

Tower Heist

In recent times, it seems that money scams are more and more common. They're juicy, press filled, and have to deal with the financial woes of those that they hurt, much like today's world. Along with scams, are people wanting to get even with those scammers, even if it isn't exactly legal. Tower Heist is a movie about a rich person profiting by scamming his "servants" and profiting from it, and the "servants" wanting to get even.

The movie starts off with Arthur Shaw, a wealthy business man,playing against one of his hotel staff, Josh Kovacs, in a game of online chess. As Kovacs arrives at work, he meets up with Shaw, who then tells him check mate, referring to the game.When Kovacs enters the hotel, you meet the other members of the cast, such as Lester, the doorman, Odessa, the maid from Jamaica, Enrique, the new guy at the hotel, Mr. Fitzhugh, the resident evictee, and Charlie, the guy that doesn't know anything about the people he serves. The job of Kovacs and the staff is to make sure the residents are happy, by complimenting them, bring them food, and cleaning their rooms and such.
Along the line, the FBI comes in and bust Shaw for stealing money, and for investment scams. Lester, along with many of the other employees, had invested all of their money with Shaw, with the promise of tripling their funds, has just lost everything. Lester actually tried to commit suicide, which prompted Kovacs to do something about the lost money. He then goes up into Shaw's apartment and proceeds to beat the crap out of the car, before getting him let go from the staff.
Kovacs thhen gathers a gang of people to break into Shaws penthouse apartment, which at this point in the movie, Shaw has returned to under house arrest. Along with Shaw being in the apartment, it is now guarded by two FBI agents, and video cameras. Kovacs enlists the help of Fitzhugh, the evictee and also a genius mathematician, Enrique, the new hired person,Charlie, the guy along for the ride, and Slide, the crook from the same neighborhood as Kovacs. They first start off by showing Slide that they can steal, so Slide challenges them to steal $50 worth of stuff from the mall.
Along the way, Kovacs meets up with the FBI agent in charge of the case, Agent Denham. She provides Kovacs with footage of him beating the car that was in Shaw's living room, but before that they go out and get some drinks. She tells him that the court date for Shaw had been changed to the same day as the Macy's Parade.
Before breaking into the pent house, they recruited Odessa, who can break into just about any safe, which they suspect there being a safe in the pent house with the money in it. They go in the hotel during the parade, while the whole staff is admiring the Snoopy Float, because they're infatuated with the beloved Peanuts character.
After they break into the Penthouse, the rest is for you to watch, because I will not spoil a majority of the good part of the movie.
All in all, it was a good movie, though I will admit that there were a few too many sex jokes. Also, since Eddie Murphy is in it,I guess I expected something funnier, but it was funny non the less. Also, the ending made me derp a bit, just because its like, wait, what? In the movie, some of the stuff that was pulled off was probably improbable, but I guess since this is Hollywood, physics, timing, planning and those things don't have to make since, as long as it sells. But, I will give you a hint, the ending is happy.