When Beel finally wakes up from the coma he and Oga were in, Hilda, Furuichi, Alaindellon, and Lamia are horrified to discover that Oga and Beel have switched bodies. Oga now finds himself trapped in Beel's body, while Beel is stuck in Oga's. This leads to Beel, who isn't used to wearing clothes, trying to remove the most offensive of clothing items, pants. Hilda and Oga try to stop him, but are walked in on my Oga's family, in what is one of the funniest jokes in the episode.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 50 - Today I'm Different on the Inside
When Beel finally wakes up from the coma he and Oga were in, Hilda, Furuichi, Alaindellon, and Lamia are horrified to discover that Oga and Beel have switched bodies. Oga now finds himself trapped in Beel's body, while Beel is stuck in Oga's. This leads to Beel, who isn't used to wearing clothes, trying to remove the most offensive of clothing items, pants. Hilda and Oga try to stop him, but are walked in on my Oga's family, in what is one of the funniest jokes in the episode.
The Massively Monstrous Manga Review Rhapsody
So, I've decided I'm a pretty terrible manga reviewer. And for good reason, manga is a lot harder (in my opinion) to review than anime. There's a lot more material to cover in one volume than any given episode of any anime. And yet I have a pile of unreviewed anime to get through, as well as all the manga I want to review, because I really want to be a manga reviewer.
So, in order to force myself to review everything I own, and curb my manga spending habits while I work my way towards paying off a few bills I owe on, I've decided to start a new blogging effort.
I swear that I will not buy another volume of manga unless I have reviewed all the prior volumes.
For some series this won't be too hard. Either I've reviewed all the volumes I own, or I'm only a volume or two off from being caught up. So I'll probably be able to buy new Blue Exorcist, or Bakuman, or Toriko, or Fullmetal Alchemist volumes soon.
On the other hand I think it's time to bid a tearful farewell to ever buying another volume of One Piece again.
Now the only question is, do I start with the small fish, and work my way up to reviewing all the major ones? Or do I start on the large series and hope that I somehow make my way through them? The answer will have to wait for now, since I'm in the middle of spending six hours a day training for my new job, and doing school work. The bonus is that once I finally finish training I'll have plenty of downtime on the job. I'll be working evening shift in a call center, where I've been told there is plenty of downtime between calls. And I've been told that they don't care what you do in between calls, as long as you are focused during the calls themselves.
So I'll have that time, except I intend to use that time to catch up on schoolwork I got behind on during these two weeks of training. I've long since learned that I'm a terrible procrastinator, and the longer I put doing this off the less chance there is of me actually doing it. But I can also see myself flopping off if I try to start it now. As it is, I have other responsibilities to take care of, and I'm so close to graduation that I think a massive manga review catch up can wait for a few months. I only have spring term left, but I'll only be taking one class then, and in between doing that and working I'll be able to get plenty of blogging done.
What I am going to do now is finally catch up on my anime reviews. Watching an episode a day, and writing about it is a bit less time consuming than reading a volume of manga and writing about it. So in order to emulate my insane friend, I'm going to be reviewing an episode a day, maybe even more if I have the time, of all the anime I'm behind on.
Keep in mind that I haven't reviewed Fairy Tail in months. And there are series I haven't even started reviewing that I want to review. So this just might kill me.
Also, along with all that, I've started writing for the Manga Bookshelf in the hopes that coat-tailing more experienced bloggers will give me some more internet notoriety. The weekly column I'm writing is called Combat Commentary. Every week I go through a fight scene from any manga, shounen or otherwise, and analyze how the fights work, and whether they work at all. Since most of the anime I watch and the manga I read is shounen, and generally has fight scenes, I decided that if there was something I was qualified (?) to talk about on a weekly basis, it was this. So I hope you enjoy it, though I get the feeling that I'm getting more readers from the links I post there, as opposed to readers that will be finding my column through this blog.
I'll post links to every new column when they come out (on Tuesdays), in case there are any of you that happen to read my blog and want to keep up to date on what I think of shounen manga (and more) fight scenes.
So, in order to force myself to review everything I own, and curb my manga spending habits while I work my way towards paying off a few bills I owe on, I've decided to start a new blogging effort.
I swear that I will not buy another volume of manga unless I have reviewed all the prior volumes.
For some series this won't be too hard. Either I've reviewed all the volumes I own, or I'm only a volume or two off from being caught up. So I'll probably be able to buy new Blue Exorcist, or Bakuman, or Toriko, or Fullmetal Alchemist volumes soon.
On the other hand I think it's time to bid a tearful farewell to ever buying another volume of One Piece again.
Now the only question is, do I start with the small fish, and work my way up to reviewing all the major ones? Or do I start on the large series and hope that I somehow make my way through them? The answer will have to wait for now, since I'm in the middle of spending six hours a day training for my new job, and doing school work. The bonus is that once I finally finish training I'll have plenty of downtime on the job. I'll be working evening shift in a call center, where I've been told there is plenty of downtime between calls. And I've been told that they don't care what you do in between calls, as long as you are focused during the calls themselves.
So I'll have that time, except I intend to use that time to catch up on schoolwork I got behind on during these two weeks of training. I've long since learned that I'm a terrible procrastinator, and the longer I put doing this off the less chance there is of me actually doing it. But I can also see myself flopping off if I try to start it now. As it is, I have other responsibilities to take care of, and I'm so close to graduation that I think a massive manga review catch up can wait for a few months. I only have spring term left, but I'll only be taking one class then, and in between doing that and working I'll be able to get plenty of blogging done.
What I am going to do now is finally catch up on my anime reviews. Watching an episode a day, and writing about it is a bit less time consuming than reading a volume of manga and writing about it. So in order to emulate my insane friend, I'm going to be reviewing an episode a day, maybe even more if I have the time, of all the anime I'm behind on.
Keep in mind that I haven't reviewed Fairy Tail in months. And there are series I haven't even started reviewing that I want to review. So this just might kill me.
Also, along with all that, I've started writing for the Manga Bookshelf in the hopes that coat-tailing more experienced bloggers will give me some more internet notoriety. The weekly column I'm writing is called Combat Commentary. Every week I go through a fight scene from any manga, shounen or otherwise, and analyze how the fights work, and whether they work at all. Since most of the anime I watch and the manga I read is shounen, and generally has fight scenes, I decided that if there was something I was qualified (?) to talk about on a weekly basis, it was this. So I hope you enjoy it, though I get the feeling that I'm getting more readers from the links I post there, as opposed to readers that will be finding my column through this blog.
I'll post links to every new column when they come out (on Tuesdays), in case there are any of you that happen to read my blog and want to keep up to date on what I think of shounen manga (and more) fight scenes.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Links: Mandarin Rice Pudding
For those that don't know, I cook. I have a very lonely, short blog devoted to it. Sometimes I just feel the need to cook, and by which I mean throw random crap in a pan and see what happens. Sometimes what comes out isn't what I intended to make in the first place. Like this creamy, delicious Mandarin Rice Pudding.
Also, I have friends who blog. Some of them blog about video games. Nathan is one of those. He writes a blog where he reviews at least one game a day, often two, until he's reviewed every game he's ever played. Here it is!
Also, I have friends who blog. Some of them blog about video games. Nathan is one of those. He writes a blog where he reviews at least one game a day, often two, until he's reviewed every game he's ever played. Here it is!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 49 - Beelbeel Journey to the West
Plot Summary
The show opens with a new year's greeting from the cast, and goes into a brand new opening song. After the opening, Oga, Aoi, Beel, and Furuichi are walking through the desert. Furuichi wonders how they got there, after everything that had happened in the last arc. Oga explains to him that you just gotta have a new year's special.
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| PS: He's talking about Alaindellon, and I fully agree. |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Stop SOPA
Today thousands of websites are shutting down to protests SOPA. Unfortunately, since I am a tech neanderthal, I don't know how to take my blog offline for the day. So to show my support of the anti-SOPA movement, and join in on the spirit of the day, pretend that my blog doesn't exist right now.
Just imagine you get a page explaining about how SOPA is bad, and that's why you can't get to my blog.
Just imagine you get a page explaining about how SOPA is bad, and that's why you can't get to my blog.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 48 - I Am the Parent!
Plot Summary
Saotome explains to Oga that the more he is in sync with Beel, the closer he is to becoming a demon himself. The seal technique he wants to teach him should prevent that from happening.
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| Good work. |
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 47 - Sorry to Keep You Waiting
Plot Summary
The three demons that attacked Oga and Hilda are shown to be imprisoned for their failure, but they are freed to finish the job. En refuses to admit defeat and keeps challenging the Ishiyama students to rematches. When Furuichi realizes that En has a thing for Lamia, he sends a message pretending to be her. This gets a response, but he blows it when he sends a message as himself asking where En is.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 46 - Super Burning Combination
Plot Summary
The episode opens with a distinct sci-fi feel, before moving into the game, where the Ishiyama group are in the middle of getting their asses handed to them. They are unable to do anything against the tank. Then Yuka shows up, driving a giant robot called the Crazy Frog. She crushes the tank, and proceeds to kick and tap dance all over the other vehicles. Up until she steps on a mine and loses the tank.
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 45 - Play Games at Most One Hour
Plot Summary
Furuichi's group go to Himekawa's home, to start searching for En in online games. When they arrive they find the place is a giant skyscraper building, with several rooms dedicated to gaming. Most of the group have never played games, except for Chiaki, who immediately proceeds to find En in an online fighting game. Furuichi tries to get him to tell them where he is, and when he finally answers he tells them they have to beat him in a game before he tells them.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Anime Reviews: Beelzebub Episode 44 - I Must Become Stronger
Oga and Teimou's Shadow Group's training starts at a waterfall. They assume that they have to sit under the waterfall, but Aoi's grandfather tells them all to go gather stones. After their gathering devolves into a competition, with Oga picking the biggest rock (read: boulder), they are told they have to split the rocks in half. None of them believe it possible, until Aoi demonstrates the technique.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Class Notes: Lord of the Rings
I've been seeing a lot of blogs focused around picking apart the Twilight Saga chapter by chapter. I would be lying that I haven't considered doing the same thing, but for multiple reasons I probably won't ever actually do so. Chief of all being that it would mean reading the series again, but also because badmouthing another author is not the smartest thing aspiring authors could do.
Instead I have decided to do something a little different. For my last semester of college, I am taking a class on Tolkien and Lewis. Specifically focusing on the influence medieval literature had on their styles. One of the requirements is to read through the entirety of The Lord of the Rings over the course of the semester. Along with a variety of other class readings. By Friday I will have to have read the first five chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Unfortunately, despite being an English major, I am not the best at doing class readings. Even when it's something I am genuinely interested in. However, because I am more than "genuinely interested in" The Lord of the Rings, and it's been a few years since I last read it, I have every intention of actually finishing this. Granted, I know the story well enough that I could get by in the class by doing none of the reading, but that just feels like cheating.
So, in order to keep myself honest, I've decided to imitate the Twi-haters and regularly post my thoughts on my readings of The Lord of the Rings. Granted, it would make sense for the blog to go through it chapter by chapter, but considering how much I need to get through I can't take the time to write up each individual chapter. So, instead you will be getting my opinion on the chunks that I have to read for each class period.
Expect new posts ever Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will hold off on posting the posts until after my class, so I can add in what we went over during class. This helps to ensure that I not only get the reading done, but I also pay attention in class. I'm...not a very good student. But hopefully this will help be get better, and allow me to have some regular content on this blog again.
Hope you enjoy it, and who knows, there might be those of you that get interested in The Lord of the Rings thanks to these posts. Once I would have assumed that everyone has already read the books, but my recent sojourns into Youtube comment territory has shaken that belief. So to those of you that haven't read the books yet, the movies are great, but go read a book you damn kids!
Instead I have decided to do something a little different. For my last semester of college, I am taking a class on Tolkien and Lewis. Specifically focusing on the influence medieval literature had on their styles. One of the requirements is to read through the entirety of The Lord of the Rings over the course of the semester. Along with a variety of other class readings. By Friday I will have to have read the first five chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring.
Unfortunately, despite being an English major, I am not the best at doing class readings. Even when it's something I am genuinely interested in. However, because I am more than "genuinely interested in" The Lord of the Rings, and it's been a few years since I last read it, I have every intention of actually finishing this. Granted, I know the story well enough that I could get by in the class by doing none of the reading, but that just feels like cheating.
So, in order to keep myself honest, I've decided to imitate the Twi-haters and regularly post my thoughts on my readings of The Lord of the Rings. Granted, it would make sense for the blog to go through it chapter by chapter, but considering how much I need to get through I can't take the time to write up each individual chapter. So, instead you will be getting my opinion on the chunks that I have to read for each class period.
Expect new posts ever Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will hold off on posting the posts until after my class, so I can add in what we went over during class. This helps to ensure that I not only get the reading done, but I also pay attention in class. I'm...not a very good student. But hopefully this will help be get better, and allow me to have some regular content on this blog again.
Hope you enjoy it, and who knows, there might be those of you that get interested in The Lord of the Rings thanks to these posts. Once I would have assumed that everyone has already read the books, but my recent sojourns into Youtube comment territory has shaken that belief. So to those of you that haven't read the books yet, the movies are great, but go read a book you damn kids!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Links 1/3/12
I figure a good way to get some more traffic to my blog, as well as help out friends, I should start imitating other bloggers and regularly post links to posts that I've read. I've been linked a few times, and figure I should return the favor and link more often. All part of being part of the blogging community and all that fun stuff. Please keep in mind that since this is the first time I try this, I'll be borrowing formatting and such things from other bloggers, until I figure out what works for me.
I also have a few posts that will be coming up shortly. I should also have more links on Friday, I'll try to make a habit of posting them all then.
I also have a few posts that will be coming up shortly. I should also have more links on Friday, I'll try to make a habit of posting them all then.
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