Category Archives: Reviews

Book Review: Spy x Family, Vol 10 by Tatsuya Endo

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Spy x Family, Vol 9     

Author: Tatsuya Endo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: March 21, 2023

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Back to the cruise… Yor is fighting (undercover, of course) spies who are threatening to blow up the ship and kidnap the woman and child she is protecting. Loyd overhears that there is a bomb, but what to do with Anya? Anya supplies the solution herself, able to overhear her father’s dilemma, suggesting she go to the childcare area to play. But of course she has no intention of staying there, not when her family is in imminent danger!

The situation comes to a successful conclusion, with Loyd and Yor blissfully unaware of the part the other has played. But as Loyd goes to get Anya, he is worried that in doing his job, he’s abandoned his family again. Wait… since when does he actually consider Yor and Anya his family? Things are getting complicated.

Back at school after the break is over, Anya thinks to impress her schoolmates with her tale of having been on a huge ocean liner, but they don’t seem to care very much (they’re rich, you know, so used to such things), so she embellishes the truth a bit, including the arrival of pirates as well as the octopeople (total lies, of course). Back at home, she confesses to her family about what happened and doesn’t exactly get a lot of sympathy for having lied. Yor’s brother shows up, delighted to see his sister, though still not a fan of Loyd. He also denounces those who lie, which Anya finds hypocritical on all their parts, considering the secrets they all keep and the lies they tell on a regular basis.

Loyd is determined to retrain Bond, but Franky wants to know why does he have to be the one to play suspect? Loyd takes Bond for a walk, determined to break him of some of his bad habits, unaware that the dog can see the future. When they come upon a dangerous situation, they learn how to work together.

Taking inspiration from her beloved TV romances, Anya’s friend Becky is determined to come out in the open with her love for Loyd, so they can be together. Anya is appalled at first, when she realizes Becky’s intentions… until she begins to see that the idea could have some merit. But what would happen to Mama then?

Nightfall approaches Loyd, saying she needs to find someone who can forge a document. Loyd knows just the person! He sets up a meeting for her with Franky, who takes her undercover with him.

Mistress Donna Schlag of the Disciplinary Committee has decided to make an unexpected appearance at the school…and she’s determined to give out as many tonitrus bolts as she can! Oh dear, will Anya survive this? And what about Desmond, aka Sy-on boy?

I enjoyed the cruise arc, but it’s back to business and the main plot of the Strix Operation. It seems like Anya gets closer and closer to revealing her true nature, which in turn would probably lead to everyone’s secrets being revealed.  I know the series is based on no one knowing about one another, other than Anya, but I believe at some point this will change, and they will all begin to function knowingly with one another. I think that will just take everything to a whole new level, and I, for one, am all for it!

I love this series, so much, and look forward to it being around for a long time! Another great volume, looking forward to the next one, which should come out in October.

Book Review: Overlord, Vol 5: The Men of the Kingdom, Part I by Kugane Maruyama

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Overlord, Vol 5                     

Author: Kugane Maruyama

Publisher: Yen On

American release date:  September 19, 2017

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Fantasy Adventure /272 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Brain Unglaus is but a shell of his former self. A one-time equal of the hero Gazef Stronoff, his encounter with Shalltear has broken him. Gazef is appalled at the change he sees in Brain and wants to help him. Meanwhile, a certain butler is going about his master’s business, and three masked women are determined to rid the kingdom of the horrible affliction which threatens its very integrity – namely, the drug business conducted by the Eight Fingers.  And a young boy named Climb is determined to be the very best that he can be, in order to serve the beautiful princess who commands his heart.

Leaving the wizard’s guild – a place where he is highly thought of and admired for his elegance – Sebas proceeds to continue with his mission of mapping out the geography of Re-Estize. Which means going to areas he’s never seen before, some of which might be less than safe. But Sebas is secure in the knowledge that he can handle himself. As he walks through a particularly seedy part of town, he runs across a situation he cannot have anticipated, and finds himself saving the life of a young woman who has been terribly abused and may have been about to face even worse. He intervenes and, after defeating her captors, whisks her back to the house where he and Solution are staying. But has he produced a problem for himself, and by extension, for his master?

Solution is perturbed at Sebas’ actions, especially when it leads other people coming to the house to question him. He takes care of the situation, but she is uneasy. Perhaps she should let their lord know something of what is going on that he may determine whether the butler’s actions were correct or not.

Sebas leaves the house again, and as he walks along, he realizes he is being followed by several people. Some of them have bad intentions, but two he thinks do not. The two are Brain and Climb, and having taken care of the others, Sebas decides to talk with them. Sebas tells them about the young girl whose life he saved, and what he intends to do. Brain and Climb are indignant that such a thing should happen… and they are in.

The fifth volume of Overlord is the first part of The Men of the Kingdom. Now we are seeing what have become familiar faces to us, that is Brain and Climb, as well as Gazef, and we meet some new characters. Sebas is a very interesting character. I love how the various NPCs from Nazarick have been named by their gamer/creators according to their own whims and fancies. Sebas’ last name is Tian. SebasTian – clearly named after the beloved butler from Black Butler. Still, it tickles me. Not that he looks like Sebastian. But to be honest, Sebastian doesn’t look like himself either, as he is a demon and took a form in order to pass among the humans. Sebas Tian is an elegant gentleman, with a kind heart, which may prove to be his undoing, although I hope not. I hope Ainz will be amenable to what he has done, but that remains to be seen.

Ainz is only seen in the intermission in this volume, but that’s okay too. The world continues to be a fascinating place. I admit I held a contemptuous opinion of Brain from before, but I am glad to say that is changing. I’ve always liked Climb, but I am also afraid for him. Something I read has me wondering what is going on here, and is there some deception at play? Only time will tell.

The volume ends on a cliffhanger. Can’t wait to see what happens in Volume 6. Love this series so much!

Film Review: RRR

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

RRR

1920 India. The British are very much in control and freedom is but a dream for most people. During the arrival of the newly appointed Governor Buxton (Ray Stevenson), he and his wife are serenaded by a young Gond girl, Malli (Twinkle Sharma). When the governor’s wife (Alison Doody) tosses the girl’s mother a couple of coins, she naively thinks it is for the song, but the real reason is far more sinister as Malli is taken away.

In Delhi, a situation has arisen, in which the government is being threated. One man is targeted as the ringleader and the soldiers are ordered to arrest him. But they seem rather helpless against the hordes that threaten to break through the fencing surrounding the building. One man, Ram Charan (Ram Charan Teja) does not hesitate to do what is necessary. He launches himself into the crowd, kicking ass and taking numbers.

A rumor quickly arises that someone is coming to rescue the young girl who was taken by the governor

and his wife. Without hesitation, Ram asks if he should be taken dead or alive. Catherine Buxton replies that if he is brought in alive, Ram will be promoted to Special Officer. The problem is that there are no clues to this person’s identity whatsoever. How are they to look for him? In the course of his investigation, Ram is at the scene of a freak accident that has left a little boy in a perilous position in the river. Time is of the essence. Catching the eye of a man on the shore, Ram and the stranger coordinate the rescue of the child. And that is how Ram and Bheem (NT Rama Rao Jr) meet, quickly becoming best friends.

Little do they know…

RRR is the fictional story of two legendary heroes and their fight for Indian freedom from their English oppressors during the time of the Raj. Seeming opposite, they are more alike than they realize, and their bromance is a joy to behold. Each man as seeming super powers that put him above the rest, so it is only fitting and natural that they become best friends.

This film is wonderful, filled with energy. I laughed, I cried, I sat on the edge of my seat and wondered how anything could possibly be resolved in a good way, and I cheered for these two men. The musical number is a sheer delight as they put the puny British officer in his place. The budding romance between Bheem and Jenny, despite the language barrier, is soooooo cute. The plight of Malli is heartbreaking. Although the movie is 3 hours long, it doesn’t feel that way. I don’t know what else you could ask for in a film, RRR has it all. I would gladly watch it again. I’ll give this film 5 Stars. I highly recommend it. Right now, it is streaming on Netflix.

Film Review: Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Master Z: The Ip Man Legacy

Having been defeated behind closed doors by Ip Man, Cheung Tin Chi (Jin Zhang) leaves the martial arts world behind for a simpler life. He ekes out a living in his small grocery and takes care of his son Fung (Henry Zhang). Fate throws him into the path of two young women in trouble. Nana (Chrissie Chau) is a drug addict who is trying to quit but owes her dealer, and Julia (Yan Liu) is her best friend, who is also engaged to her brother.  When the dealer has Nana beat up for non-payment, Julia defends her, but they are badly outnumbered until they literally run into Cheung, who comes to the rescue. The drug dealer, Tso Sai Kit (Kevin Cheng) is very upset at what has happened, and he has his men set fire to Cheung’s store, intending to kill him. But Cheung manages to escape with his son.

They run into Julia, who offers to take them in, and takes them to her brother Chiu Kam Fu (Xing Yu),

who owns the Gold Bar. Julia gives them a place to live and Fu gives him a job. When Tin Chi earns some money, he treats his new friends to a birthday dinner for Fung at a local steakhouse owned by American businessman Davidson (Dave Bautista). Meanwhile, Kit’s sister Tso Ngan Kwan (Michelle Yeoh) as head of her family business, decides they need to go legitimate. Kit is none too pleased at this news. And he is also determined to kill Cheung.

Going straight is not as easy as it sounds. Hong Kong is still under British rule, and the local police are corrupt, working hand in hand with the drug dealers. Innocent people don’t stand a chance.  But there comes a time when you can’t pretend you don’t see, and you have to stand up for what is right.

Master Z is part of the Ip Man series, continuing from the third movie, after Cheung’s defeat by Ip Man.  However, as all good movies do, Cheung’s character grows from his adversities, and is a very fitting protagonist for this film. Dave Bautista is great as the villain, and I have to say I think he was a good choice for this, a better choice than Mike Tyson was. There is a lot of action and fighting in this film, and everything is beautifully choreographed, including Michelle Yeoh’s scenes. She was a great character, caught between her love for her wayward brother and her desire to run a business untainted by illegalities.

I enjoyed this film very much, and found it to be a fitting entry in the Ip Man series. I read there may be a sequel. I would love to see that. I’ll give this film 4 Stars

Book Review: The Way of the Househusband, Vol 10 by Kousuke Oono

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The Way of the Househusband, Vol 9 

Author: Kousuke Oono

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: February 21, 2023

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Comedy/168 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Tatsu is in the neighborhood and decides to drop by Masa’s place for a surprise inspection! Deciding that the apartment smells like death, Tatsu decides to educate Masa about herbs and what they can do for you.

Tatsu becomes interested in needle felting and goes to the craft store, where he runs into Ms. Torii, who has developed the same interest. They both decide to make the same cute cat. Ms.Torii taunts Tatsu in to teaching her what to do, so now it’s on. Who can make the best-looking cat?

With temperatures spiking, the local patrol find themselves sweltering in their suits. But what can they do, they have an image to maintain! Luckily, they run into Tatsu and he has some great tips for staying cool!

Tatsu, Miku, and Masa are sitting around, telling ghost stories. Whose story will be the scariest?

Tatsu has a new assignment – to get the five-year-old daughter of a friend to eat her vegetables! But the usual hiding tricks won’t work on this girl, she’s far too smart for that. Has Tatsu met his match?

When Tatsu finds his landlord struggling to get rid of some troublesome weeds that have popped up, he calls in some back-up to help him tackle the unwanted invaders!

Two young boys are arguing over the respective merits of a stag beetle vs a rhinoceros beetle in a fight. Tatsu and Torajiro step in, each championing his favorite. The fight is on!

Shopping malls are taking customers who used to go to small stores, who are suffering as a result. Tatsu to the rescue! He has some suggestions to get the crowds to come back! But will his ideas work?

Tatsu and his boss spend some time at a café in order to see what young people are in to these days. Can they apply the same methods to their café?

Another great volume of Tatsu. I think I recognized some of the stories from the anime, which is great! I love them both. The bonus stories are great too. I hope Kousuke Oono keeps writing this series for a long time to come. Looking forward to the next volume!

Book Review: Overlord, Vol 4 by Kugane Maruyama

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Overlord, Vol 4     

Author: Kugane Maruyama

Publisher: Yen On

American release date:  May 23, 2017

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Fantasy Adventure /304 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

The day begins much like any other for the lizardmen. Until the ominous black cloud appears out of nowhere with a warning – The Great One is coming in eight days, with a great army, and you will be destroyed. Naturally, the members of the lizardman tribe are alarmed. Who wouldn’t be? Zaryusu is a member of the village, a traveler who happens to be in the village when the message arrives. He goes to see his brother Shasuryu, who is head of the village. A meeting is called to decide what to do. According to the messenger, they will be the second lizardman village to be destroyed. So there must be others who have survived. What to do?

After much discussion, they decide that Zaryusu will travel to the other villages and attempt to arrange an alliance with them. Surely, they will be stronger together than separately against this unknown menace. The first village he visits is the Red Eye village, where he seeks an audience with their leader, who turns out to be an albino female lizardman named Crusch Lulu… and Zaryusu finds himself instantly attracted to her. She seems amenable to his suggestions and determines that she will go with him to talk to the other villages. In the Dragon Tusk village, he encounters a big guy named Zembel, who challenges him to a fight.

But when the time comes for the promised army to return, the sheer numbers alone are daunting, and it will take everything the lizardmen have to defeat this unknown enemy… who is actually none other than Ainz Ooal Gown and his followers from the Tomb of Nazarick.

This volume of Overlord is a definite departure from the first three in that we are introduced to and get to know the intended targets, the lizardmen. And that makes a great deal of difference. I have supported and applauded Ainz in everything he did previously, but here I found myself hoping he didn’t really mean to attack them, and that he certainly wouldn’t hurt them, as I came to know and like these lizardmen. I know that Ainz’s guild was known as PK, which means they would fight other players. I tend to avoid those fights myself, whether in D2 or WoW. But until now, I’ve never really thought about what that means in these books, and I have to admit to finding myself a little disturbed at the attitude that is taken toward these lizardmen who have done nothing to warrant being attacked simply as a matter of subjugation. I hope Ainz reconsiders his strategy and chooses a path of peace and prosperity rather than war. I understand he doesn’t know exactly who or what he is up against. And I have to wonder if there are other actual players out there doing the same thing he is. Definitely opens up some moral issues, which I expect will be addressed in future volumes.

I have been getting each volume from the library until now, but I love these books so much that I have decided to purchase them. I already have volume 5 and look forward to reading it.

Book Review: Skip Beat! Vol 16 by Yoshiki Nakamura

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Skip Beat! Vol 16       

Author: Yoshiki Nakamura

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  January 6, 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/shojo manga/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Following her unfortunate encounter with Reino, Kyoko is able to find safety, thanks to Ren’s agent, with Ren. But who could imagine that Sho would end up knocking on the door, looking for her? Seriously? But oh dear, Kyoko wanted to explain the circumstances of how she was rescued and bring up Sho’s name herself. Now the cat is out of the bag and she is sure Ren is furious with her, smiling his “gentlemanly” smile. This is just getting worse and worse!

Meanwhile, Reino is in a snit because of what happened, and because it involved Sho. My goodness, this web is becoming more and more tangled! The next day, Ren takes a walk through the woods to clear his mind. Kyoko wanders off herself, despite what happened the day before, because she is…well, she’s Kyoko and her mind tends to drift a lot. She remembers how things used to be when she was younger, but she knows she won’t be able to come to a certain area and find Corn there. To her amazement, though, she manages to discover Ren, on his walk. (Funny, innit? Will she ever make the connection?)

While Kyoko is convinced Ren is furious with her, he is doing his best not to do something that will probably label him as a pervert, holding back his feelings for her. Sho is tired of Reino and his group stealing his songs, so he lays a trap for them, and to discover who is selling him out. And then Ren and Kyoko have a tender moment.

I love how Mr. Yashiro tries to play matchmaker to these two, but they are both so stubborn and naïve that they never seem to catch on. I think he’s being too subtle! They need an awakening. Of course, Ren needs to come clean to Kyoko.  When Kyoko finds out he is Corn… well, that won’t be pretty. It’s amusing that now he can’t have her, Sho wants Kyoko back. And Reino is after her too!

Another great volume, looking forward to more!

Film Review: Jab We Met

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Jab We Met

Aditya Kashyap (Shahid Kapoor) is at the end of his rope. His father’s death has left him in charge of his very successful business, but there is the matter of his mother, who was also a part of the business but left the family to run off with another man. Feeling stressed, Aditya simply runs and finds himself on a train going who knows where. But his life is about to change when he encounters a very talkative young woman named Geet (Kareena Kapoor), who first chases him out of her seat on the train and then won’t stop talking.

When the train stops, Aditya gets off. Geet notices him walking along the platform as the train begins to pull away. Frantic, she calls him but he does not respond, so she jumps off the train to get him back on. Unfortunately, her Good Samaritan intentions cause her to miss the train herself, to her dismay. She berates him for what she sees as his fault, and tells him he has to make sure she gets home. She has a fiancè, even if her family doesn’t approve. Well, they don’t even really know yet. But she knows they won’t approve, so he has to take her there, no mater what he says.

And so their journey begins….

Jab We Met is a fabulous Bollywood rom-com that I watched for the second time, and I still cried, even though I knew what would happen. It is funny and romantic (as a good rom-com should be!), but throw in some great music and dancing, and you have a very wonderful film. The main characters have wonderful chemistry, and watching the evolution of their relationship from complete strangers to two people in love is wonderful. Bollywood musicals are so upbeat, I love them! Geet’s family are wonderful and very colorful. But of course there has to be a complication, both with her family and with the man she thinks she loves!

This is a wonderful film, and I highly recommend it!  I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars!

Book Review: Demon Slayer, Vol 7 by Koyoharu Gotouge

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Demon Slayer, Vol 21     

Author: Koyoharu Gotouge

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: April 6, 2021

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

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

The Number 1 demon has been defeated, but at what price? Now, it’s on to settle this once and for all by getting rid of Muzan. Sanemi is devastated, but Gyomei reminds him they must continue until the job is done. Tanjiro is heartbroken at how many of them are dying, but his determination never wavers. They come across Muzan at last, only to find that he has killed Tomayo, sneering at her that her medicine to turn demons human has failed. When the Demon Slayers arrive, he is determined to kill them all and devour them as snacks.

Tanjiro is determined to eradicate the evil that is Muzan Kibutsuji. But can he and the others do that, do they have the skill to defeat him… or at least hold out until the remaining Hashira arrive? Things seem to have taken a terrible turn. Tanjiro has been wounded, perhaps fatally, and his life flashes before his eyes… Correction, this is someone else’s life. An ancestor, perhaps? Meanwhile, Nezuko has received the news that her brother needs her…and nothing will stop her, not walls or people or anything else!

We’re almost down to the wire now. Only Muzan is left, and two volumes of the series to go. Demons and Demon Slayers alike being slaughtered. How will this end? Hopefully with good defeating Evil. Only time will tell.

Film Review: Ip Man 4: The Finale

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Ip Man 4: The Finale

Ip Man (Donnie Yen) is having troubles with his moody son Ching (He Ye). He doesn’t want to do anything his father tells him and gets into fights at school. Ip decides to travel to San Francisco, to see about getting his son into a school there. Time is of the essence, as he has just been diagnosed with cancer. A former student, Bruce Lee (Danny Kwok-Kwan Chan) invites Ip to witness a martial arts demonstration when he is there.  In order to get his son into the school, Ip needs a letter of recommendation from the Chinese Benevolent Assocation, located in Chinatown. However, the head of the association, Wan Zong Hua (Yue Wu) is dismissive of Bruce Lee’s desire to teach Chinese martial arts to other people, and refuses to give Ip the letter.

Ip receives a letter from another source and takes it to the school, but he is told he still needs the letter

from the CBA. While there, he witnesses a Chinese girl being bullied by a jealous classmate, and leaps to her defense. She turns out to be the daughter of Mr. Wan. However, when Ip returns Yonah (Vanda Margraf) to her home, her father is still not impressed. To complicate matters, Yonah’s bully is the daughter of a racist Marine who advocates karate and has no use for kung fu or Chinese people. He is determined to close down the CBA and teach the Chinese their place. Something  has to give!

 

Sorry to say this is the last film in the series, and we have to say good-bye to Mr. Ip, but this film does not disappoint. The racist sergeant will make your blood boil, and I am angry that his bully daughter never faces any real consequences. The actor playing Bruce Lee did a good job, and all the fight scenes are well choreographed and very interesting. Although this is the last Ip Man, I plan to watch more Donnie Yen films. I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars.