Monthly Archives: March 2025

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 20: Time to Graduate by Yusei Matsui

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Assassination Classroom, Vol 20     

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Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 6, 2018

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Despite all the best efforts of the students, the inevitable end for Koro Sensei has arrived. A giant laser has been put into place, aimed at the teacher in a trap he cannot escape, set to deploy just before dawn. The students urge their teacher to take them hostage and flee, but that isn’t really an option. So what else is there to do but celebrate Koro Sensei’s birthday!

Then, just when they thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, it does – in the form of Yanagisawa and his other creation, the Grim Reaper who took Koro Sensei’s place and who is destined to be the next Koro Sensei! The mad scientist claims that his second monster is twice as powerful as his first. He ridicules the students for bothering to show up to what he sees as a hopeless situation and doesn’t hesitate to threaten them in order to see if Koro Sensei will protect them or himself.

And now the final battle begins….

While there is another volume of the series, to all intents and purposes, this is the last one, at least as far as Koro Sensei’s story is concerned. Not like we didn’t know it was coming, we did, from the very beginning. Doesn’t make it any easier to take or accept.  I’ll admit that I cried, even though I’ve read the books before.  RIP Koro Sensei.

Book Review: Spy x Family, Vol 12 by Tatsuya Endo

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Spy x Family, Vol 12       

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Author: Aya Yajima

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: August 6, 2024

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Comedy manga/208 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Anya is on top of the world! Having finally achieved the receipt of a Stella Star, she refers to herself as Starlight Anya! As Loid drives her to school, Anya thinks about Sy-on Boy and his family, but he mistakes her comments as criticism of his parenting and worries that the mission will be jeopardized because of him. Anya determines to be even nicer to Sy-on Boy, but once she gets to school and receives the accolades of her peers, her intentions go horribly awry.

Thomas Austin, the tutor-in-residence, has had nightmares ever since the school bus hijacking, so the headmaster suggests a good psychiatrist – none other than Loid Forger! Will Loid be able to help him, or will he discover that the root cause of the man’s troubles isn’t what he thinks it is?

Sylvia Sherwood is Loid’s handler, but she isn’t exactly the most tidy of persons or the most organized. Dried pasta on her clothes and files left at home are only the tip of the iceberg.  She’s been living alone for so long that she has really stopped caring. When she goes to meet Twilight for a scheduled briefing, she is dismayed to find Anya there, as well as their dog Bond. Loid apologizes but it couldn’t be helped. Will Anya’s presence be a hindrance to the business at hand?

Yor finds herself drawing closer to her co-workers and actually having conversations with them. But she starts to worry that she isn’t presenting her marriage as a typical marriage, according to what they say to her. So she decides to fabricate details in order to fit in. But will that plan backfire on her? Could it affect her relationship with Loid?

The next day, Yor wonders if she was… inappropriate… with Loid, but she can’t remember. Anya is off to the zoo with Becky but before Yor can say anything to Loid, her brother Yuri pops in and immediately thinks Loid is doing something hurtful to his sister. Loid becomes paranoid, wondering if Yuri knows about his secret identity, while Yor is determined to convince her brother that she and Loid are a normal married couple, complete with arguments!

It was inevitable that a situation might arise in which Loid would find himself pitted against his brother-in-law Yuri, who is a member of the SSS. Will Yuri learn that Loid is the mysterious Twilight he has been so desperately seeking? What if Loid finds himself in a position where he has to kill Yuri? That might make things awkward in the Forger household!

Another great volume of Spy x Family. I love how the author incorporates more than just the main characters, fleshing them all out as well as he does the Forgers. While I want to see Operation Strix succeed, I am hopeful the story will continue afterward. I think the Forgers will become an actual family. I believe Loid and Yor already have feelings for one another. Think of the possibilities of the family as a team! This volume has come cute bonus stories as well.

Saturday is Horror Day #207 – Mind Body Spirit

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Mind Body Spirit


Anya (Sarah J. Bartholomew)  has moved away from home, into the house left to her by a Russian grandmother she was never able to meet. Her mother Lenka (Anna Knigge) thinks this is a bad idea and urges Anya to return home. But the aspiring yoga influencer sees the move as a way to make her mark, assert her independence, and maybe learn something about her roots.

 

 

Anya discovers a secret door that leads up to an attic filled with strange things. But there she finds an old journal that was written by her grandmother Verasha – and it says it is for Anya. Anya is thrilled and begins to read, although only about half of it is in English, the rest in Russian. She realizes that if she follows the steps as outlined by her grandmother, she will find unity and enlightenment within herself.

 

Anya’s childhood friend Kenzi (Madi Bready) is also a fitness influencer, although Anya is just starting out. Kenzi agrees to mentor Anya, and they shoot some guest appearances together, although Anya doesn’t post them right away. But then strange things begin to happen, and Anya begins to question what her grandmother’s journal really says.

 

This found footage film isn’t exactly horrifying, and it’s certainly not gory, but there is something disturbing about it nonetheless. Especially with Anya’s naivete through the whole film. I figured out what was going on pretty early and kept shaking my head at her questionable choices. Even so, there is an unease and uncertainty as to how events will play out, laced with the occasional jump scare. I think the cast did a great job of portraying their characters, and the story was solid. Definitely worth the watch, and only about 70 minutes long. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.