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The World is Still Beautiful: Episode 02-04 Review

I am utterly enthralled by The World is Still Beautiful. Princess Nike as a character is shaping up to be one of my favorite characters this season, and there’s no doubt why. She is the epitome of what all girls see in a princess, but she is also tough, brave, and intelligent. Although this sounds like a recipe for a Mary Sue, a character of complete perfection, there are flaws in her character that fit to the setting she’s placed in.

Mushi-shi Season 2: Episode 02-04 Review

With the release of episode four, Mushi-shi is now a quarter of the way through its second season and while the tone of the stories has changed, the method and pacing remains the same as the first season. The first four episodes cover darker stories, all relating to the death of a person close to the featured characters.

The World is Still Beautiful

Princess Nike meets King Livius I and is surprised to find that he is younger than her. King Livius I demands to see Nike’s rain summoning and Nike refuses, saying that he needs to show her how beautiful his world is for her to perform the ritual. After a few attempts on Livius’ life, and at one point Nike’s saving him with her rain and taking an arrow for him, Nike begins to soften towards the king and care more about him. She starts to have a desire to protect him, and he her. In a country strife with inner political conspiracies as well as racial/class tension, Nike must now learn how to win the court’s and the nation’s affections to truly belong in Livius’ world.

Sakura-Con 2014 by Katie Cunico

Sakuracon has a lot going for it; it’s in the spring in Seattle, which even when it rains, as it did part of this year, is always nice and mild. It’s very suitable for any type of convention activity, whether it be lugging purchases around or costumes of any type. The neighborhood the convention center and surrounding hotels are in is a fantastic one – I’ve mentioned the Gameworks across the street before, and it remains a favorite after-con activity for many congoers, especially on Thursday night – and there’s no shortage of food or shopping or entertainment.

Paradise Kiss: Modeling Agency

Yukari’s success is due to her initiative, yes, but she is helped along amply by those around her, with no real obstacles other than her mother’s obstinacy. While this is preferable to a salacious soap opera where she is exploited at every turn, it all just seems a bit too glossed over. There is, on the other hand, a distinct advantage. Yazawa’s version of the fashion world is one dominated by women, allowing Yukari to meet and be mentored by accomplished women in her field.

Cosplayer Spotlight #21: Teca

Hello! My name is Mandi, or Teca, if you like cosplay names. I’m twenty-eight and I live in Denver, Colorado! I’m about as stereo-typically extroverted as you can get. I love meeting new people and talking for hours and hours.

Ressha Sentai ToQger: Episode 02-07 Review

As you all know, over the past few weeks I have been following the latest Super Sentai series coming out of Japan, Ressha Sentai ToQger. After seeing the first episode, I was really excited to see where things went from there. Episode 2 picks up directly where Episode 1 ends….

The Irregular at Magic High School: Episode 01 Review

The Spring 2014 Anime Season is upon us, and I have decided to investigate one of Aniplex of America’s new acquisitions, The Irregular at Magic High School. After reading a synopsis online, this anime sounded interesting. Since it took place at a magical high school I hoped to have something in the same vein as Little Witch Academia, but I was sorely mistaken. To be bluntly honest, this anime bored me within the first five minutes.

Paradise Kiss: Girls, Interrupted

While Yukari’s story is a wonderful coming age story of a girl learning not to be defined by those around her, the female secondary characters, Miwako and Isabella, are not so lucky. Although they too are coming of age in their own right, their storylines are severely lacking compared to Yukari’s.

An Insider’s Look at Japan: Driving in Japan

As an American, my biggest living-abroad concern was learning to drive in Japan. While Americans drive on the right side of the road, Japanese drive on the left. As my company reminded everyone in a one-hour PowerPoint presentation, forgetting this fact is a great way to get into an accident.