Manga Review: 'Bleach' Volume 1

Quick Info

Author: Tite Kubo
Publisher: Viz Media
Published: May 19, 2004
Page Count: 200 pages
Availability: Buy on Amazon, Rightstuf, and wherever books are sold, read on the Shonen Jump app

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Story Summary

Bleach is a popular Shonen manga about a high school student, Ichigo “Strawberry” Kurosaki. He seems like an average kid, but he has a special gift; he’s always been able to see ghosts and spirits. One night, he sees a mysterious woman in his room. She explains to him that she’s a Soul Reaper, someone who fights even spirits called Hollows and helps bring souls to the afterlife in the Soul Society. She loses her powers during a fight because she’s wounded by a Hollow and gives them to Ichigo, who must be a Soul Reaper until she can get her powers back.

The Popularity of Bleach

This manga is ridiculously popular, all over the world, but very much in the US. The anime is still running on Adult Swim’s Toonami block on Saturdays. The story is interesting and easily accessible to a wide audience. Bleach was one of the first anime I ever watched. I do enjoy the story and the characters, and the writing is good.

I do think that the beginning of the story is very good. But this was before Tite Kubo started dragging the story out too long with excessive plots and arcs, when many readers felt it should have ended. I'm very far behind in the manga, but I do enjoy "The Substitute" arc of Bleach, which is an interesting start to the story.

The Art

Tite Kubo’s art is pretty nice, but you can tell this is an early effort, as it looks pretty good, but his newer art is much nicer. The fight scenes are fun, though.

The character designs are all interesting and unique, and that's good because the pictures are in black and white, so the character designs have to stand out so we can distinguish all the various characters from each other.

I also like how the characters each have a unique feature that makes them memorable: Ichigo's red hair, Chad's tall and muscular, Uriyu wears glasses (We'll see him in a later volume).

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The Humor

Bleach has good, humorous bits, and it relieves some of the tension because the story and plot have a serious tone, so the art gags are amusing.

There are also humorous characters in the story (we'll meet them later) that bring comic relief to the story. In Volume 1, the humor comes from Ichigo's father, Isshin Kurosaki. I enjoy the humor, and if you like funny characters and gags, you'll enjoy Bleach.

Parental Advisory

This manga is recommended for ages 13 and up for language, violence, fanservice and tobacco use.

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The Cliches Are Here

Bleach is standard Shonen (manga and anime aimed at teenage boys), and it does have a lot of Shonen cliches: the hotheaded, extremely powerful hero, the ditzy girl, the mentor, and a monster of the week formula.

You'll recognize a lot of these tropes if you've read or watched a lot of Shonen, but it's still an enjoyable read, and it's excellent for people who've never read a manga before and want to get into it, the fact that it uses a lot of standard tropes in its story may turn off other manga fans.

Overall Thoughts

I recommend Bleach if you’re new to manga and want to get into the Shonen genre. It’s fun and enjoyable, it is pretty popular, so I don’t have to buy the manga because I can find it at my local library for free, and I’d recommend borrowing before deciding if you want to buy it for your own manga collection. It’s worth a read, but not necessarily your money.

Quick Thoughts:

What Works:	What Doesn't Work:
Good story, plot, and characters	There's a lot of Shonen Cliches
Artwork is decent, but it doesn't look as good as future volumes

Overall Grade: B+

Bleach is a really great read, and the story, characters, and art are very good. It's an easy read with a plot that's a great starting point for anyone looking to get into manga. It's got action, adventure, and comedy. It's worth your time to read, and if you want to buy it, I'd recommend it

Bleach is good, but there are a lot of typical Shonen tropes and cliches in the story, but it's well worth the time to read it. If you really enjoy the story, I'd recommend that you buy it. But if you buy it, you should prepare to get a bigger bookshelf, because this is a long-running Shonen, and that means there will be a lot of volumes to buy.

Still, I'd recommend borrowing it from your local library; it's popular enough that a lot of libraries carry the manga, so you can check it out if you ask them if they have it.

© 2015 ReViewMeMedia

Video Game Review: Banished

 

Quick Info

Developer: Shining Rock Software
Released: February 18, 2014
Platform: Windows PC, Steam, GOG.com. If you buy from their website, you will get a Steam Key if you buy it there, too.

What is "Banished"?

Banished is a city-building game set in the Medieval period. On the surface, it appears to be just your average city-building game. You build resource buildings, keep your citizens happy, and trade goods your citizens create. But Banished is different from other city-building games because of a few major differences; you do not have to worry about money in this game. Instead, this city-building game does what others haven’t: it kills your population, your citizens arrive in the city, work, get married, have kids, grow old, and die.

It is very fun and challenging to play on hard mode.

Gameplay

Gameplay involves the settlers gathering up different materials to build buildings, such as wood chopping, forestry, fishing, blacksmiths, mines, quarries, hunting lodges, and herbal medicine to help keep your village up and running.

You can also build trading posts, hospitals, and a town hall to bring more villagers and trade with other villages for items you don't have at the start of the village.

The difficulty is the amount of materials you start with; depending on your settings, you'll start with more or fewer materials at the beginning of the game. The game never "ends" unless all your villagers die off.

This game is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy city-building games. It doesn’t have a lot of depth, but if you know how to play city-building games, this will be a challenge.

The gameplay is complex when it comes to managing everything, but the game has really good tutorials, and it shows you how to play the game. The tutorial is easy to understand and explains almost everything very well.

Graphics

The graphics look nice; it’s not outstanding, but that’s not the point of the game. It does look very good, though. It’s fun to watch people go throughout your town as they go to work and live life in your village.

It doesn't look like the most amazing game graphically, but it has a nice art style that I really like, and it looks good, but not mind-blowing or cutting-edge like a game from a triple-A publisher.

The UI

The user interface is really easy to use, and you can customize it so you can choose what you want to see. You can see everything, but it has the bare minimum and it's very convenient to keep track of everything going on in your village.

Strategy is the Key

The key to surviving in Banished is the strategy, and that's what makes the game so much fun. Do I focus on food, or do I need to get the houses up as fast as possible? What about firewood?

Trying to think of the best strategy so that people don't die during the winter is a fun challenge, and why I play this game for hours and hours.

You'll have to choose between the blacksmith shop, because you need tools, or if you want to build a tailor shop. Every decision counts, and that's why I love this game!

Soundtrack

The music for the game’s soundtrack is also very well done, and it sounds very nice. The soundtrack has very pleasant music, and it's very soothing. And I like the music, but it does get a little repetitive, but it's all very pleasant to listen to.

You'll Feel Great When You Succeed

You'll feel a huge sense of accomplishment if you can take your small group of survivors and turn your tiny village into a large, bustling city. I think that it's really neat that you can make it happen, and since there's an added element of having your people build your buildings, it just becomes more challenging since you can't just click on a spot and then a building appears.

There's also a resource management element to the game that makes it challenging, but if you can get enough resources, you can survive; you just have to have a good strategy to do it.

The AI Is Weird

The major flaw of the game is that when you’re trying to select things to trade, the arrow sliders are very small on the trade menu, and I keep choosing the wrong item. Also, some people have had problems trying to get the game to start after buying it on Steam. Check the Steam community forums for help.

The AI will also let your villagers starve to death sometimes, even when you have plenty of food nearby. It can become frustrating when villagers take too long to go get food and die for no reason at all.

Final Thoughts

I highly recommend this game; it’s not perfect, but for being developed by one person, it’s excellent. It’s not the greatest-looking city-building game, but it’s challenging and fun. I’ve played for hours, and I’ve really enjoyed it. If you don’t like slow-paced games, this isn’t for you, but if city-building games are your thing, check it out. It’s not too expensive, and it’s a lot of fun.

Overall Grade: A-

Banished is a lot of fun and provides hours and hours of fun and challenging city-building and management. It looks nice and has a great soundtrack and decent AI. The gameplay is fun, but the AI will sometimes do some weird things. The game is still a lot of fun.

I really loved this game, and I will definitely recommend it to anyone who loves city-building games. You'll enjoy playing this game, but it can be repetitive if you play it a lot.

Website Review: eBay.com

 

Website: eBay.com

eBay.com is a website that lets users buy and sell items on the internet. Users can either buy auction style, where they bid for the item, and the user who has the highest bid wins the item. You can also buy items for a set price with the “buy it now” option. The buyer has to pay for the item using PayPal or their credit card.

Selling  on eBay

Selling on eBay is a tricky thing. You might not get the price that you actually want for your item because either other listings are less expensive, or no one is interested in your item. If your item has a lot of listings, the best plan of action is to list your item at the lowest price you are willing to take for your item.

If your listed item sells, try to get it out to your buyer as quickly as possible. Also, communicate with them if you’re not able to get it to them if you’re gone on vacation while it's sold. Communicate with your buyer when necessary, as it helps strengthen your relationship with them. They may continue to buy from you if you provide them with good service. Ship your package in a good, strong envelope if it’s small or in a box if it’s bigger.

Buying and selling on eBay can be a great way for you to find a great deal or sell some unwanted items for extra money. If you are careful in choosing good sellers and give buyers a good experience, you won’t have any problems on eBay. Be cautious of scammers and verify the user’s feedback score. It’s a great website for buying and selling, so use eBay if you want to sell your items, or if you’re looking for a really good online deal.

Buying on eBay

Buying on eBay is an interesting experience; you can either bid or buy the item at a set price. Sometimes you’ll win items and sometimes you won’t. It depends on the item you’re bidding for. Sometimes the buyer will pay shipping, sometimes the shipping is free.

Ask the Sellers Questions Before Buying

In order not to be scammed by a buyer or a seller, you should look at their feedback from other eBay users to see if they’re a trustworthy buyer or seller. I have never had any problems buying or selling on eBay, and if you want to have a good experience, it is recommended to only buy from sellers who have at least 99% feedback. The best way to have a good experience on eBay is to go with sellers who have 100% feedback on eBay.

Make sure you ask the seller any important questions before purchasing an item; that way, they can answer any questions you need answered before you pay them money.

Also, contact them if you need to return an item to get a refund.

Returning an Item to eBay

I have had to return two items to eBay sellers, one was a pair of shoes that I had placed the wrong order for when I bought them for someone else. The other one was a Star Wars book with a misprint; the seller gave me a refund and let me keep the book.

Even though I haven't had to return items to eBay often, the sellers have been willing to refund my money. When my Star Wars Prequel Trilogy book arrived with missing pages, a massive misprint on the part of Random House, the eBay seller refunded my purchase and let me keep the defective book.

eBay Bucks Help You Pay For Items

Every time you spend money on eBay, eBay will give you a discount in "eBay Bucks' which lets you save a little extra on your purchases. Unfortunately, they don't stack, and they have an expiration date.

eBay does have gift cards that can stack, and they don't expire, but they do have a limit on how many gift cards you can use on an item.

Should You Buy or Sell on eBay?

Should you buy and sell on eBay? I'd say you should, but always take a look at seller feedback before you purchase from them. And make sure to communicate with them if you have questions, so they can help you solve any problems you have with your purchase.

If you're selling on eBay, just make sure to pack your packages very well and send them away as soon as you can. That way, you can get a positive rating with the buyer.

© 2014 ReViewMeMedia

TV Show: Arrow Season 1

Quick Info:

Directors: Various

Studio: Warner Brothers Television Release Date: February 4th, 2014 Runtime: 989 minutes
Availability: on DVD and Blu-ray

Story Summary

Billionaire Oliver Queen was stranded on an island after his father’s boat, the Queen’s Gambit sinks in the ocean. He is rescued and returns to Starling City, and takes up the vigilante identity known as “The Hood” and dedicates himself to righting his family’s wrongs using a mysterious list of names. Aiding him is Diggle, a retired military veteran, as they stop crime throughout the city.

 

My Thoughts on the Plot

I wasn’t initially sure if I’d like this TV show. I have always loved DC Comics, but I’m an avid Batman fan, not really a Green Arrow fan, but I gave this show a shot, and I love it. The story is interesting, the characters have a lot of development over the season, and the acting and action are very well done.

This show had a lot to live up to because, with the resurgence of superhero movies, TV shows have to be just as entertaining as the movies. I also liked how they had both "island" flashbacks and a plot in the present day.

 

This show is definitely fun and entertaining. I enjoy the story, and it's a very good show to watch, but I have so many other shows I'm watching that I don't have time to watch the second and third seasons of Arrow.

 

The Cinematography Is Good

I really like the camera work on this TV show. They have excellent cinematography and they keep it exciting. The fight choreography is pretty good, and the action scenes look really cool, not quite the same as a Hollywood movie, but it's still exciting to watch.

The show has a nice presentation, which makes you want to come back and watch the next episode to see what is going to happen.

 

The Actors Are Great!

Stephen Amell was fantastic as Oliver Queen. He is an excellent actor, and he gets this character. I really enjoyed him as Ollie Queen.

Katie Cassidy is wonderful as Dinah “Laurel” Lance, and she did a fantastic job, too.

David Ramsey plays Diggle, Oliver’s bodyguard and partner. He’s really great, and his character is one of my favorites in the show. His character is not based on an existing character from the comics, but was brought into them because of the TV show.

Emily Bett Rickards plays Felicity Smoak, and I love her; she’s funny and interesting, and I think she’s great. Felicity Smoak is an original character created for the TV series and was later introduced into the DC Comics canon.

Mannu Bennett is a terrific actor, and he did a great job as Slade Wilson. Slade is not Australian. If only they hadn’t changed his character as much as they did, I still loved him, though.

 

I Enjoyed The Soundtrack

I enjoy the music soundtrack by Blake Neely. It fits the show's mood and is very well done. The music sounds good and very exciting when it needs to be, and moody when it's supposed to be.

The music complements the show, and you'll enjoy the soundtrack for the TV show.

 

The Show Uses Too Many “Batman” Villains

I highly recommend watching Arrow if you enjoy comic book-based media. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a great series. Its major flaw is that Green Arrow has a unique rogues gallery, and all we see is mainly Batman supporting characters

and adaptations of Batman villains. I find that to be very annoying when I want to see Green Arrow villains and not Batman villains. Green Arrow may share Batman villains in the comics, but it seems they're only using them because people remember the Batman villains.

 

You Should Watch this Show

It’s worth it for me to watch on Netflix, but I won’t be picking this up on Blu-Ray disc; it is well worth my time to watch it. Pick it up if you have to have it on Blu-Ray or DVD. Worth your time but not necessarily your money.

The characters are great and go through a lot of development, and there are a lot of plot twists that keep you guessing what will happen next.

 

Quick Summary

 

What Does Work:	What Doesn't Work:
Great Action, Story, and Plot	Too many Batman villains
Fun entertaining characters

My Grade: A-

Arrow is an exciting TV show that is an excellent superhero show with a fantastic story, writing, and characters. The visual effects are very well done, and the actors play their roles very well. I enjoyed watching them.

The main flaw with Arrow is that DC pulls from Batman lore for Arrow's villains, and I feel that they shouldn't because Green Arrow has his own villains in comics, but I suppose they know that audiences will recognize Batman villains more than Green Arrow villains. Green Arrow has interesting villains in his own comics, and they didn't use them because they weren't famous comic book villains, and that's a shame.

I enjoyed this TV show a lot, and I watched it on Netflix. It was an enjoyable show to watch. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves superhero shows.

© 2014 ReViewMeMedia

Movie Review: Dredd (2012)

 

Quick Info

Director: Pete Travis
Studio: Lionsgate
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Release Date: Jan 8, 2013
Availability: on DVD and Blu-Ray, at stores or online

Is The New Reboot Worth It?

Dredd is a movie adaptation of the Judge Dredd Comics. In this particular story, we follow a new Judge named Cassandra Anderson, a psychic who failed the aptitude tests to become a Judge. They have to take down a drug dealer named Ma-Ma after she locks down the Peach Tress block, leaving them trapped inside with her entire gang after them. They have to take out Ma-Ma and get out alive.

I’ve never read the Judge Dredd comics, but I really enjoyed this movie. It was that kind of mindless popcorn flick fun that I enjoy. The story was interesting, and even though there wasn’t too much character development for Dredd as a character, Cassandra Anderson was an interesting character; there was enough that I thought it was an interesting movie.

Trailer

I Like the Relationship Between Cassandra and Dredd 

I really liked the relationship between Cassandra and Dredd. I liked how the hardened veteran taught the newcomer how to enforce justice, and that they have to rely on each other to survive and stop criminals.

It was a very interesting relationship, and it's a shame they'll never have a sequel because I would have liked to see them continue developing as characters.

The Visual Effects

One interesting visual style of the movie was the use of slow motion, because the drugs being sold cause people to see things in slow motion, so it was a cheap gimmick that other movies use. It made the movie different from other comic book movies that throw it in for no apparent reason.

The action was exciting and over the top, and it was very intense, and I wanted to see what would happen next. I enjoyed Dredd as a comic book adaptation, although I can’t say how faithful it is to the source material since I’ve never read the Judge Dredd comics.

The Acting Was Okay

The actors are pretty good, with Karl Urban surprising me as Dredd; he did a very good job, and I didn’t even know it was him under there. I liked his performance.

Olivia Thirlby is also good as Cassandra Anderson, portraying her as a novice wanting to pass her assessment, and I liked her character a lot; she was the most interesting of the cast, and I do hope there will be a sequel.

Lena Headey was really good as Ma-Ma (Madeline Madrigal), the main villain, and she was interesting, although very evil and creepy. Her demise at the end of the movie is very enjoyable because she's a good villain.

The Film's Soundtrack

Paul Leonard-Morgan composed the film’s soundtrack, and it is pretty good, but not particularly memorable. It’s decent, but it’s not something I’ll want to buy on iTunes, and it fits the movie; it just doesn’t have any outstanding pieces in it.

A Box Office Disappointment

It’s a very interesting film and visually unique, although it is bogged down by a lack of character development for one of the leads. It is well worth your time to watch it. If you’re looking to buy it, then pick it up online; it’s very inexpensive. It’s also available online on Netflix streaming if you want to watch it to see if it’s something you like.

A Warning to Parents

This is an R-rated movie and is not for kids because of strong profanity, graphic violence, and some sexual content and drug use. This is for adults and shouldn’t be shown to kids just because this is a comic book movie.

It Was An Entertaining Adult Superhero Movie

I found Dredd to be a fun and entertaining superhero movie. It was adult because it dealt with an adult premise and a mature setting. It also had adult content that pushed it into the R-rating, and although I don't watch R-rated movies, I wanted to see this one because I love superhero films.

It was a shame that it didn't do well at the box office, but Dredd isn't really a mainstream comic book character like Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, or Captain America. It didn't really catch on with mainstream superhero movie fans, so it didn't make a lot of money.

My Rating: B

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys comic book movies. If you’re someone who likes mature comic books, then this is something you’ll want to see. It’s a fun popcorn flick and if you like action, you’ll enjoy it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite good enough for me to buy, even though I did enjoy the movie. It didn't really reach the level of being a must-have, must-own superhero movie, even if it was fun.

I won’t be buying this but it was worth it for me to borrow it from my local library, stream it on Netflix or get it from Red Box, it’s fun, but if you want to support it for a sequel, buy it because it made less than its budget at the box office only getting $36.5 million way below its $45 million budget, which is disappointing to me because I feel it deserved to earn more money than it did. It’s worth your time if you like action movies, worth your money if you like Judge Dredd. I do hope they will make a sequel one day.

I definitely know that the actors enjoyed their roles because they always talk about it if Dredd comes up, and it's nice to see that this wasn't just about the money for them.

© 2013 ReViewMeMedia

Website Review: Tumblr.com

Website Review: Tumblr.com

Graphic Novel Review: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

Graphic Novel Review: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore