Hey everybody! It's been a while since I did a review about anything. I missed manga/comic week which I will make up to you guys later. Right now I want to talk about one of my fav shows, HETALIA!
Synopsis
Axis Powers Hetalia is about countries from WW1 and WW2 personified by handsome men. lol. The thing that makes this show really a comedy is that they make fun of the other countries. Sure there is offensive banter however some of the banter has a reason behind it. I will explain why.
Hetalia gives us facts about the countries and other fun facts during WW1 and WW2. Thats why the jokes are so funny. Now I hear people out there say that the show is racist. Not true. The creator of Hetalia wasn't trying to be racist. Here is what I found out while reading the Hetalia manga:
"....One of my original ideas for this manga was to create a story about really useless, uncool heroes with New York as a setting. While I was researching different personalities for the countries, I found a website with a bunch of ethnic jokes. Throughout my research, I kept seeing jokes about Italy's military like: "Do we have enough white flags?" or "While everyone else is fighting, Italy was busy retreating." Seeing silly little tidbits like this got me interested in the Italian military and ended up forming the foundation of the manga." " ...... Hetalia Axis Powers was intended to be a one-shot story...."
Well thats the origin and the synopsis.
Grade A+
I give this an A+. The facts and comedy is spot on and everyone has there own opinion about this show. I still love it no matter what. Lets all "MAKE PASTA NOT WAR! Anime Rules!!!!!!
His Music. His Moves. Your Experience. Michael Jackson The Experience has been released on the Wii. The game is consist of 26 songs from The King Of Pop himself. Players will part take in Michael's choreography. Is this worth putting on the glove? Or should you moonwalk away from this?
Story - Sadly there is no story mode in this game. I would've really like to had a career mode in this. A career mode would have been great. I would like to see me as an aspiring dancer who main goal is to join Michael on his concert tour. Sadly we don't see anything. It's a miss opportunity.
Gameplay - The game only comes with two modes. Dance and Dance School. Dance School is just filled with tutorials on how to perform the moves. However you have to unlock these tutorials by going to Dance mode. This didn't really make any sense to me. How am I suppose to learn the moves, if you're going to throw me in the lions den first? Besides that minor complaint. The game is beyond amazing. This is the dance game for the ages. Almost every song has it's original choreography. The key in this game is precision. Players will have to be precise if they want to get a good rating. The game consists of 26 songs which will be listed below. Depending on the song you can choose to follow Michael or the back up dancer. Each song is rated from Easy, Medium, Hard or Inhuman (for Thriller). The dance moves are very difficult to pull off, if you don't know what your doing. Trust me Dance School is going to become your best friend. The game also features a 4 player multiplayer and that's where the fun really comes. The joy of trying to be in sync with your friends, while trying to get the highest score is a blast. Memorization is the key to the game, it will take a lot of time and dedication to become a master. For that reason this is why the gameplay is so addictive, you are not going to settle for anything less than a five. The controls work smoothly for the most part. The Wii Mote is responsive 95% of the time. However there were sometimes where the Wii didn't recognize my moves. You have to be precise to win this game. Sadly there is no online play. Also beware though this game is a workout!
List Of Songs • Bad • Beat It • Billie Jean • Black or White • Dirty Diana • Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough • Earth Song • Ghosts • Heal the World • In The Closet • Leave Me Alone • Money • Remember the Time • Rock with You • Smooth Criminal • Speed Demon • Streetwalker • Sunset Driver • The Girl Is Mine • The Way You Make Me Feel • They Don’t Care About Us • Thriller • Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ • Who Is It • Will You Be There • Workin' Day and Night
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics are pretty good. The environments are nostalgia of Michael's videos. "Thriller" is taken place in a graveyard. "They Don't Care About Us" is taking place in a prison. You have CGI Michael and his backup dancers guiding you as the dance moves are taking place. The graphics are colorful and no framerate issues. It's nice graphics for a dance game.
Sound - All 26 songs are some of Michael's best. Sadly a few songs I would've like to see such as "Off The Wall", "Get On The Floor" and "Blood On The Dance Floor." However the songs that are chosen are some of the King Of Pop's best. The dance coaches also deliver and you really feel like you are being trained for a show.
Replay Value - There is tons of replay value. Players are always going to want to improve their score. Bring a friend and double the competition and passion to become the best. In time trust me you will be like Mike or as good as his backup dancers.
Final Grade A-/9.0 - The game is amazing. Learning Michael's move is a challenge and it will take a lot of time. Great tracks, great moves and good graphics. This is truly an experience for any dance fan or Michael Jackson fan. The final grade is A-/9.0.
$39.99 Fable III(360) Halo: Reach(360) Fallout New Vegas
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$9.99 Fallout 3 Tekken 6 Metal Gear Solid 4(ps3) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Ultimate Sith Edition(ps3)
GameStop Buy 2, Get 1 Free on all pre-owned games and accessories -Buy 160 GB PS3 for $299.99 and get God of War Collection and God of War 3 for free Infamous, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, Uncharted 1 $14.99
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Band Hero Game Bundle for $75.00 Ghost Recon 2 for $10.00 Halo Reach for $35.00 Madden 11 for $29.99 Medal Of Honor for $29.99 Modern Warfare 2 for $29.99 NBA 2K11 for $29.99 Prototype for $10.00 Red Dead Redemption for $29.99 Star Wars The Force Unleashed for $10.00 Tetris Evolution for $10.00 Tomb Raider for $7.00 Transformers for $10.00
PS3:
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"I don't care if I live or if I die. I don't mind if I fall or if I fly." That is the theme song for the new James Bond game Bloodstone. In this game James Bond returns to third person genre. Unlike many Bond games this is an original story. Should you take up the new mission? Or don't you care whether you buy or not?
Story - An international conspiracy has placed the UK's most secretive bio-chemical project into deadly hands, and only Her Majesty's most lethal agent, James Bond, can unravel the mystery. To navigate through layers of corruption. Bond will embark on global chase that will have him battling on land, sea, and air through Athens, Istanbul, Monaco, and Bangkok. Nothing is what it seems as each adventure reveals a deeper and more sinister conspiracy. The story is intriguing and will keep you entertain till the end. I used the synopsis this time because I don't want to spoil anything. The story is good enough for a Bond game, however some villains are not developed enough. Regardless of that I enjoyed the story right to the cliffhanger ending.
Gameplay - The game is in the third person shooter genre. The gameplay doesn't really add anything new to the third person shooter genre. However don't let that stop you. This is game is fun! Activision really captures Daniel Craig's Bond. This game is what some was hoping Quantum Of Solace would be. What really makes this a Daniel Craig's Bond game, is his aggressiveness.The gameplay introduces a mechanic called Focus Aim. In Focus Aim the action slows down, to give Bond a clear headshot at the enemies. This is a great tool to use for faraway enemies. The Focus Aim can replenished only by doing melee attacks or stealth takedowns. Don't think that it will be a cakewalk to replenish the Focus Aim. There are tons of enemies to face and they are smart to an extent. Enemies would sneak up behind you and melee attack you. They also somehow dodge your bullets. The problem I had with the gun fights were sometimes it felt unrealistic. I would be shooting an MP5 at the guys chest and he didn't go down for a while. This happen with soldiers and guys with heavy armor. The game is easy overall and that's thanks to the cover system and regeneration health. I think a game like this needs health packs. The regeneration takes a lot away from the challenge of this game. James Bond is also know for his gadgets. However in Daniel Craig's Bond, realism is the key in the game. The only gadget Bond has is his smartphone. Trust me Bond has the smartest smartphone in the world. His smartphone can hack into doors, relay satellite images and even have a sonar effect so he can see detect enemies. It's a great tool, but really doesn't add too much to the game, minor a few doors and engines needing to be turn on.
However besides the shooting, their are some nice driving missions which really steals the show. Almost every level has Bond in some vehicle. Bond will be driving a boat, a car and even a truck in his missions. The driving missions are the highlight of the game. It's tons of fun tearing up Bangkok, or driving in the Arctic and having the ice break. You will fail the missions a couple of times though, but it takes a little memorization to know what lane to stay in. The single campaign should take about 7 to 8 hours to beat. The multiplayer is beyond disappointing. It only has three game modes, Team Deathmatch, Objective and Last Man Standing. Players will be able to choose from spies and mercenaries. I experience a little bit of lagging on my playthrough, but it's nothing new under the sun. The maps weren't that great and the weapon you start with you will re-spawn with. Also good luck with melee kills. Overall the single campaign is a blast and the multiplayer is a drag.
Gameplay Video
Graphics - The graphics is amazing. This game is very detail when it comes to capturing the environment. I love the way Bangkok looks in this game. It really felt like I was in China, the details on the streets, lights and Chinese ad's were all put into great care. However I did see some hiccups on driving levels like see through walls and blend issues. Otherwise than those complaints this really captures the world of Bond.
Sound - Richard Jacques has brought a great soundtrack that not only compliments Bond, but really makes the action more intense. Joss Stone delivers an amazing opening song "I'll Take It All." The voice acting is one of the best this year, with A-List actors Daniel Craig and Judi Dench reprising their roles. Joss Stone also lends her voice to the game as the Bond girl "Nicole." She does a great job for the time that she is in the game. The sound is not an issue in this game.
Replay Value - The single campaign is a blast to play through. Since you get Trophies/Achievements for playing it on 007 level you will play through it a second time. There are also intelligence Intel to gather for collectors out there. You can try to average multiplayer if you like as well. It has enough to keep you playing.
Final Grade B-/8.0 - The game is a worthy edition to the James Bond library. Its has a decent story minus the plot holes missing, it set ups for a sequel. The sound is epic and Joss Stone really brings her talents to this game. The gameplay is what you wanted from Daniel Craig's Bond. It's aggressive and straight to the point. The multiplayer is a disappointment and doesn't provide much fun. Regardless of it's flaw this is a game all Bond fans and gamers should at least check out. Final Grade is B-/8.0.
It's Music Monday. This time we play some of our favorite tracks from the Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (The Game OST). It's an amazing album you can buy it on Amazon or I-tunes. It's some of the best Videogame music to come out this year.
Call us late to the party. But I came across this while I was searching for what new Japanese horror to watch. Apparently they made a Sailor Moon live action TV show. The show follows the same storyline and everything. It looks a little cheesy, but it seem like it would fun to watch. What do you think? Is this an epic win or epic fail?
Title: Tron The Betrayal Author: Jai Nitz Illustrator: Andie Tong Number Of Volumes: 2 Pages - 117 Pages
Story: With Tron Legacy less than a month away. Disney and Marvel have release the comic book, which ties into what happens between Tron and Tron Legacy. The story takes place in 1983 and Tron and Flynn have escaped from the Gridbugs. After their escape Flynn returns to the real world, to take care of his pregnant wife Jordan Canas. While Flynn is stuck between his duties as husband, and a worker at ENCOM. Things are not going so well at The Grid. Flynn's created program Clu 2 is obsessed with creating the perfect system. This obsession because more in depth when the grid starts making it's own programs. The program names it's self Ophelia. Flynn says that she is an isomorphic program or ISO for short and feels they should be free to create. This causes a riff between Clu and Flynn. The story will lead you directly into what will soon be Tron Legacy.
Throughout these two volumes you will see Clu 2 ambitions getting the best of him. Since Clu 2 is made out of Flynn image, I found it interesting to see him have human emotions. The story shows you what Flynn has been up too after the original movie. The only problem I have with the story is, if you never watch Tron you will be lost. You get a mention of who everyone is, but unless you watch the movie you won't really know them. I do like how the tie in works well with the upcoming Tron Legacy. In this book you will see the birth of Sam Flynn, the protagonist of Tron Legacy. You will see how Kevin Flynn is slowly losing himself in both worlds. I really like the slow fall that Kevin has. He is conflicted between Tron's world and his real world. Choices that are made will decide the outcome for both worlds. The plot is a decent tie in but I was expecting to learn more. However what we do get is a nice quick ride in the grid that will have you waiting for Tron Legacy.
Art:
The artwork is a hit or miss. The character designs look good. However it's very difficult to really capture the world of Tron on paper. The environments look uninspired. There are only a few shots of the city that look great. It's not the artist fault. Tron world is really hard to capture on paper. However the Light Cycles do look pretty cool. However the actions don't look great at all. It doesn't that feel you like. Overall the artwork is average at best.
Final Grade C-/7.0: The story is decent enough, but the artwork is a hit or miss in certain areas. If your a fan of Tron this is a cool read and enough to get you by before the sequel. However if you never seen or know any knowledge of Tron. I suggest you watch the movie before picking up the book, because you will be lost.
You know growing up I've always heard people say "Comic Books and Manga are not literature." Even in my years of college in my English courses, people would debate about this. It's was really funny to hear the ignorance to their claims. "Comic books have pictures in it, so how can that be literature." Or my favorite "If it has pictures in it, the book is more of an art book." Really do people even know what the word "Literature" means. Let's look up the word shall we.
Literature 1. - The body of written works of a language, period, or culture.
Literature 2. - Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value.
Literature 3. - The art or occupation of a literary writer.
As you can see from these definitions, most written work can be considered literature. But let's get really into writing 101 here. What does a story need to be consider literature. Well a story needs a plot, theme, climax, characters, settings etc. I believe comic books all of these essentials. But yet comics are still look down upon, as one of the lowest forms of literature. Why is that I wonder? Is it really because it has pictures? Or is it the audience that comic books have? Most comic readers are ranging from kids to young adults and even middle age and elderly. Are you trying to tell these people that what they read isn't literature? Most comic books which some people don't consider literature, are now being adapted into other forms of art. Comic books characters and their stories, are now the driving force of summer blockbusters, videogames and even hit songs. Let's take a look at some comics and I'll explain why it is a great read.
The Watchmen by Alan Moore - If you want talk about comic books being literature. Look not further than The Watchmen by Alan Moore. This is probably one of the best graphic novels of all time. I'm not going to give you a book report. But The Watchmen consists of a complex plot, with complex characters and questions the nature of humanity. The book has so much social commentary and makes you really think about the characters when it's over. Yes it has pictures but it only helps you visualize the world more.
Spiderman created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby - Spiderman is one of the greatest character ever created. Why is Spiderman so loved in the comic world? One thing is that teens relate to him. They relate to his struggles, his love life and his family life. Spiderman has a wonderful theme of "With great power comes great responsibility." It's a theme that Spiderman has to live with over and over again. A man blessed with a gift that tends to be a curse for his personal life. He's a hero who sometimes wish he wasn't the hero. That set up alone makes for good literature. Read Spiderman Issue #35 the 9/11 Dedication book and tell me that's not literature.
Batman created by Bob Kane - Batman is my favorite hero and I love reading his books. Why Batman is considered one of the greatest of them all? Batman is a tortured soul. Here is a man who saw his parents getting killed in front of him. The effect leaves him psychological complex and we get to explore the struggle of his duality. Here you have Bruce Wayne the playboy and Batman The Dark Knight. Great books to check out are "Batman Year One", "The Killing Joke", "The Long Halloween" and "The Dark Knight Returns." Read those and you'll see writing at it's finest.
To conclude this what are you views on comic books? Do you think it's literature or not? Tell us your views on the comment section. To my Otakus and Geeks if they say what you read isn't literature, tell them why it is or show them this article.
Today I was walking around Manhattan and I saw two things that caught my eye. A skinny Santa Claus was filming a video and this Joker Fan Art. My friend Chris said he's seen this picture all over Manhattan. I don't know what it means, but it's nice to see some nice geeky art around the city.
One day after I review the comic book that inspires the film. We have the trailer for the upcoming film. I think looks okay, since I didn't like the comic book I will be skipping this. Also where are the Native Americans?
Well Comic fans the wait is over. The Green Lantern trailer is online. Now that I see the suit in action, it looks too CGI for me. But I'm going to see it anyway since I'm a big Ryan Reynolds fan! What do you think of it?
Hey guys and gals since this is Comic/Manga week. I thought I share with you some cool Superhero gear/accessories I found at Etsy.com. Etsy.com seems to be geeky heaven for gear. Check out some of the stuff I found at their site. I really like the Batman earrings and the Superman love earrings are cute.
Title: Cowboys & Aliens Author: Andrew Foley Illustrator: Dennis Calero Number Of Volumes: 1 Pages - 105 Pages
Story: In the Old West, settlers and Native Americans wage a bloody battle for control of the land. But when the Earth is threatened by conquerors from the stars, these sworn enemies must work together to save all humanity. The story follow Zeke Jackson a Cowboy who is on a mission, when he is capture by the Natives the Apaches. As Zeke is probably about to meet his end, and alien ship crashes in the area. Zeke escapes and the aliens killed the remaining Apaches in the area. The alien main leader Commander Dar sees that earth is not protected by any of the rival planets or races. Commander Dar then takes it upon himself to claim ruler of earth. Thus the battle begins for the land between the aliens and cowboys. The problem with the story and the characters is it's not developed enough. You have no idea on the history of the Zeke on who he is, why he does what he does. You don't really know him at all. Commander Dar as the villain is bland and generic. His motives are to conquer and use resources, but why does he do it. What drives him to be that way? The only character who really is developed with good reasons for their action is the alien girl Kai. Kai people were enslaved by Commander Dar and when she breaks free to help Zeke, you understand her motives.
The story felt rushed and with a little more time this could have been a classic. Instead the main focus was action with no substance. It's really disappointing because the beginning started with social commentary on imperialism. It shows examples of Kai's people getting conquered, and the fall of the Native Americans. I was disappointed that this wasn't heavily explored, since this is the theme of the story. The concept of the story is a great idea, but this doesn't deliver. On the plus side, the story brings plenty of action and it's a fun ride. Finally if you're going to add love interest in a story, make sure the characters relationship is developed enough.
Art: I love the art work in this book. We really get the feel of the old west. The atmosphere, detail to the aliens is beautiful to look out. Dennis Calero has created an environment to please both Sci-Fi and Western fans. I love Kai's design and Commander Dar does look threaten, but some aliens are very cliche. Here is a picture from the book below.
Final Grade C-/7.0: Nice concept but poorly executed. The characters have no backstory so you really can't connect with them. The art is good, but some aliens are very cliche and unoriginal. The supporting cast are just there to but you don't know who they are. The theme is not explored as the first few pages started it off as. However it's a fun action pack read but no substance. Final Grade is C-/7.0.
Title: Metro Survive Author: Yuki Fujisawa Number Of Volumes: 2 Pages - 204 For Both Volumes
Story - The story follows Shogo Mishima a pushover, who really doesn't know how to stand up for himself. Shogo makes a promise to his wife to be home on time for his son birthday. However at his job all the night shift workers have called out. His boss pressures him to take the night shift with his best friend. When the shift is over, morning has arrived and he has missed his son birthday. He gets on the train to try to make it home before he wakes up. As he is on the train an level 7 earthquake hits, trapping him and others with no need to escape. Together Shogo and others will have to band together to survive. However not everyone is very cooperative.
Yuki Fujisawa has written a Manga that is intense, psychological and manages to make the characters believable, without being over the top. The characters all have an insecurity or a problem that they have to face. What really makes this a worthy Manga to read, is when the psychological aspects takes place. When despair, hunger and sexual frustration takes over, all hell breaks loose. Friends will betray friends, murders start to happen and tears will flow. As great the characters are I did find just a little flaws in characterization. For the antagonists we really don't get a back story of who they are. It's like they were just thrown in there to add tension to the story. The antagonists are very evil and you will pray for a crimson fate. The story makes you wonder what would you do in a similar situation. The theme of survival, facing your problems head on is analysis and explore in a way, you could probably write an essay on this. Every decision has a huge impact on the characters. When Shogo is appointed leader he not only have to conquer his demons, but help others do the same. It's a character story that you will re-read again.
Art - I love the Artwork in this Manga. Yuki has added much detail from, facial expressions, environments and wording use. I did however find some the of the character ugly to look at. However there is not much complaint on the art at all. Here is sample below.
Final Grade A-/9.0: This a wonderful manga to read. With over 400 pages to read, the story doesn't get dry. In fact it's intense right down to the final act. Some characters will have you disgusted at the nature of some humans. While other character will make you proud and give you faith that there is still good in this world. The art work is great, but some characters designs will make you say eww. Regardless of a few flaws this a must read.
If you call yourself an Otaku and don't Osmau Tezuka, you should be ashamed of yourself. This is the man who really fathered Manga and brought so much to what we known and love. I found a presentation on Youtube that really shows the world, work and who Osamu Tezuka is. Check it out.
Hey everybody! It's been a while since I did a review about anything. I missed manga/comic week which I will make up to you guys later. Right now I want to talk about one of my fav shows, HETALIA! 
