M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 18

Book Review: Demon Slayer Volume 22 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Spoiler Free Summary: Demon Slayer Volume 22 by Koyoharu Gotouge is the twenty-second and penultimate volume in the Demon Slayer manga. Everyone who has an ounce of energy is doing their all against Muzan Kibutsuji, but many have already died, and most of the rest are inches from death. Tanjiro is somehow still standing, and a connection to his ancestor may provide the key to finding some way to win.

Character: The pace of the last three manga make this a hard thing to evaluate. I don’t know that the characters evolve so much as fill their potential. It’s satisfying to see everyone come into their own, but here at the climax, the focus is on winning the fight. There is development, but it’s more relevant in a different section.

Exposition: This volume follows the same pattern as the issue before (and the one that follows). Everything has come to a head. We might get a pice of information here or there to set a bit of context, but that’s it. When evaluating exposition, the best way to do it is to ask yourself if the story is moving or if you’re getting an information dump. Another way to evaluate it (especially as a reader) is to see if you’re turning the pages quickly or slowly. Slow page turning usually means focused reading. These pages flew by.

Worldbuilding: This is where the pieces of Tanjiro’s ancestry come together. The complete picture isn’t as satisfying as say, the plot reveal in a great mystery, but it still establishes how things have been building and what they’ve been building to. So while it’s not the most satisfying revelation, it’s still a cool connection of the plot elements we’ve seen for the last eight or so issues.

Dialogue: This falls back to the more normal style Gotouge uses. There’s a lot of, “Why aren’t you dead! I’ll kill you all!” If one were to say it was the weakest area of the story, I wouldn’t argue, but I also wouldn’t really care.

Description: The best storytellers create the illusion of failure. Most stories have the happy ending. Most stories have everything work out. Readers (and viewers) expect this, so it’s extremely hard to get the reader to think, “Wait, are they going to lose?” This volume leaves one more with a feeling of “Holy crap! They’re going to lose!” Maybe they do; you’ll have to read to find out. The point isn’t whether they win or lose; it’s making the reader wonder. Creating doubt in the reader is essential, and it’s that much more critical in anime. These comments are appropriate in this section because we see how the fight is going. The art shows just how bad things are. Everyone is holding on by a threat. Tanjiro himself already looks like a dead man walking. These fight sequences and the brief glimpses we have of the currently surviving cast members all create a heart-wrenching tension, and that’s what makes this particular manga stand out.

Overall: If I were teaching a class on plot progression, conflict, and making readers worry for the main characters, this volume would be a critical case study. Everything in this volume is critically balanced on a precipice between victory and defeat. It’s truly compelling. I’m honestly sad that the review for the last volume is next week. This is the volume that I had to wait for, and I had to wait a whole month for the next volume. It was torture! Don’t do it to yourself. Just grab the last ten volumes, sit down, and enjoy!

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The 2021 M.L.S. Weech August Book Cover of the Month Poll is Live! The September Polls Have Begun

Greetings all,

We have our four book covers for August! That means you’ll be able to vote for the 2021 M.L.S. Weech Book Cover of the Month right here!

So that obviously means we have a winner from last week, and that winner is …

The Fire People by Hatsharmaveth Bheeka was a lovely use of color and unique artistic style.

I hope you’ll take a few moments to vote using the link above for the August winner, but I also want you all to know that September is off and running. We have seven new covers for you to look at and vote for using this link right here.

As always, I’d appreciate it if you all took a moment to pop on over to my YouTube channel where I actually look at all seven book covers and talk about why I like them and how they might be even better. This is just another (free) way to support me and my work, so please consider watching.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Visits From A Man Named Nobody 43

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Jordan shrugged and started making his way to a table. As they walked, Paul’s eyes were drawn to a woman.

Woman was an understatement. Her name was Stacy Ailman, and she was beautiful. She had long blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes. Paul’s eyes drifted down to the pale-white halter top she wore, and the secrets the criss cross of cloth barely contained. 

Then he stepped right into one of the cafeteria’s support beams. His tray of food slammed into his body. His head bounced off the cement pillar. His pride was crushed under a mountain that had somehow fallen onto him.

His vision flickered for a moment before he realized he’d fallen on his butt, covered in food. His stomach growled as if reprimanding him for wasting the meal he’d just finished preparing. 

“Are you ok?” Jordan had set his food down and rushed to help Paul up. 

Stacy was laughing with a group of other women at the idiot who’d just embarrassed himself. 

Paul tried to fling what he could off his shirt. “I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Jordan followed Paul’s eyes to Stacy. “Ooooh.”  He chuckled for a moment before he managed to cover his mouth with his hands. “Sorry dude, but that’s funny.”

Paul couldn’t blame his best friend for laughing. He honestly couldn’t focus long enough to be angry about it. Stacy was still staring. Well, I have her attention.

He took a deep breath and made his way over to her table. Jordan started whispering at him. His friend seemed to get louder as Paul got closer. 

The look Stacy gave Paul when she realized he was heading her was wasn’t the most encouraging. It felt like she was investigating an ugly dog that was cute to look at, but not worthy of petting. 

“So I’m going to need about $40,” Paul said. He had no idea what he was doing, but he was determined to use this opportunity to talk to her no matter how horrible it was. 

“What?” Stacy asked.

“To replace my shirt,” Paul explained. “It’s your fault.”

“My fault?” Stacy looked at the women to her left and right as if they could offer insight to the situation.

“Yeah,” Paul said. “You’re so beautiful I can’t look away.”

Her jaw dropped as the women around Stacy started chuckling.

“Seriously,” Paul said. “You should have some sort of warning sign that you ware. Danger, looking at me may cause loss of attention and possible collisions with stationary objects.”

The women kept laughing, but Paul couldn’t shut himself up.

“Not that the stupid sign would do any good. I couldn’t look away from you for a second to avoid a pillar, so looking away for a sign wouldn’t really have happened, but it might have given you some sort of legal loophole to work around.”

Paul wasn’t sure laughter was the reaction he was supposed to go for, but Stacy wasn’t laughing like her friends. In fact, she started to look a little angry.

“So you’re a pervert, staring at me, and that’s my fault?” she finally asked.

“I’m pretty sure Van Gough wasn’t angry people looked at his paintings when he hung them up,” Paul said. “Besides, I’d sooner avoid looking at the sun on a nice day than look away from you. In fact, it is a nice day. The sun is out. I still can’t take my eyes off you.”

The peanut gallery gave another round of chuckles. 

“So I’m not pervert for having eyes,” Paul said.

“But it’s my fault you can’t control them?” Stacy asked.

“Yeah,” Paul said. “I mean I suppose on a genetic level you could blame your parents, but Zeus and Persephone would probably just shrug as if it couldn’t be helped.”

The giggles from the ladies grew into outright laughter. 

“Who are you?” Stacy asked. Is it just me, or is she honestly a little amused? Paul thought she was fighting a smile. He honestly had no idea what he was saying. 

“You can link your PID to my account, Paul Autumn. I’m usually in the science building, so you can drop off cash if you prefer.”

“That explains the smell,” one of the girls around Stacy muttered. 

Right. He’d been working more than a day straight. 

“Standing by Stacy, a flower would smell like crap,” Paul said.

Stacy jerked back at the sound of her name. Ooops.

“So you’re a pervert and a stalker?” she said.

“You’re head of the cheerleading squad, class representative, and we have the same biology class. I’m not a stalker,” Paul replied. “You, however, could probably do with a bit of courtesy in learning the names of people you’ve literally had study group with.”

Her eyes dropped for a second, and Paul felt jealous of the white floor tiles. Why should they get her attention? 

“Ohhh,” Paul said. “Surprised to realize that you might be a little oblivious?”

She looked up at him, but he cut her off. “I can’t blame you. It’s not like the sun can really notice how many retinas it burns because people stare at it, and you’re much more beautiful than some stupid ball of gas.”

The girls around her giggled again.

This wasn’t exactly how he thought getting to know a woman should go. In fact, Paul was pretty sure conversations should involve more than passing insults, but it’s what he had to go with. 

“Anyway, Let’s make the balance due sixty, because you also made me drop my food. I’m going to go eat now. You can bring payment whenever you have the money available.”

Paul walked away. He was about to get another tray of food when he saw a cafeteria worker cleaning up the mess he made. Paul changed direction and started helping.

The worker smiled at him as they swooped up the food with a large, white towel. Paul smiled back when the work was done. 

“Thank you!” the worker said. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Paul replied. “You shouldn’t have to clean up other peoples’ messes.” 

Paul finally collected another tray of food and made it back to Jordan. Paul barely set his tray down when Jordan started laughing.

“What was that?” he asked between guffaws. “Are you some sort of poet or a comedian?”

“Hey, I talked to her,” Paul said in his own defense.

“Well, you insulted her a lot, but in a strangely romantic way,” Jordan admitted.

“Yeah, that probably could have gone better,” Paul said finally digging in to the food.

He’d shoved everything he could into his mouth when he noticed a shadow. He looked up to find Stacy standing in front of him. 

“You helped him,” she said. 

“Who?” Bits of food flew out of Paul’s mouth as he asked the question. Smooth guy. Real smooth. 

Her eyes glanced at expelled debris and back to him. Paul tried to swallow the rest and promptly started to choke. The coughing that followed was a disgusting mess that made Paul wonder if he should consider avoiding women for the rest of his life. Jordan, thankfully, handed Paul a napkin that he used to avoid more gross embarrassment than he’d already earned.

“The custodian,” Stacy said. “You cleaned up with him.”

Paul got himself together and tried to wipe himself up to at least appear human. “Well, I mean he didn’t make the mess.”

“Oh,” she said. “I remember. That was my fault.”

She smiled, and Paul suddenly forgot where he was. She had to use some sort of special tooth paste or something. Teeth just weren’t that white. 

Paul shrugged, trying to regain the momentum he’d had. “That’s my view of the situation.”

“Fine.” Stacy held up a folded piece of paper and set it on what might be the only clean spot of the table left. “Clean yourself up. You look horrible.”

She walked away before Paul could respond. It was probably fair. He’d done the same thing. Paul looked down at the paper. 

He reached out and picked it up. It was a building and a time. Apparently there was a sorority party scheduled for that evening. Did he just earn a date? Did that actually work? 

“Huh,” Paul said. 

“That was so weird,” Jordan said. 

“I’ll admit it,” Paul said, “but at least it worked.”

… To be continued …

Character Study: Adolin Kholin, The Cosmere’s Most Underrated Hero

Greetings all,

It’s been a while since I’ve done a character study, and since I’m currently through my fifth read through of Oathbringer, I’ve been thinking about Adolin.

I’ve had the chance to speak with the author, Brandon Sanderson, who is my favorite in the business right now, and people were talking about Kal and Shallan. I couldn’t help but say, “The only thing wrong with Adolin is that he isn’t Kal.”

Fanboy moment: Mr. Sanderson felt that was a good point.

You see, if Stormlight doesn’t have Kaladin, I affirm that Adolin would be the main character. In fact, Adolin would be a fine main character in pretty much any other fantasy story that doesn’t have Kaladin in it. And yet, poor Adolin is stuck behind this generation’s greatest hero. Kaladin is the greatest main character since Rand al’Thor, and Adolin can’t help but get lost in that shadow. (I’ll probably do a character study on Kaladin later, but I’m still a bit perturbed by his character given what happens in Oathbringer.)

Even in writing a blog praising Adolin, I can’t help but acknowledge why he isn’t the main character, but he is possibly one of the greatest secondary characters ever (I’d put him behind Perrin myself, but Adolin is up there).

So why not take a look at Adolin and try to understand why he’s so compelling.

The simple answer is his sympathy aspect. Adolin is loyal. He’s the picture of a good son and a model of a great big brother. He’s charming. He’s earnest. The most fascinating part of all that is how he sees himself: Not good enough.

Like his father, Adolin is his harshest critic. He’s an acclaimed duelist. He’s the planet’s most eligible bachelor, but he sees in himself flaws that don’t even exist. The flaws that do exist in him are mountains that rest on his shoulders. This leads him to do something beautiful: He tries. He tries so hard to be the sort of man he thinks everyone thinks he should be, and he’s unable to see he’s already so much more. This is what makes Adolin stand out.

When I was first reading Oathbringer, I was afraid Adolin would turn against the team. A part of me still is. How long can a man be just short of good enough before that yearning to be recognized becomes bitter? It would make for a great fall-from-grace arc, but I sure hope it doesn’t happen. I still think it might, and that has me rooting for Adolin all the more.

This is why some of the events of The Rhythm of War made me so happy, which brings me to the other point I wanted to make about this character.

Adolin does all the “hero arc” things others do in a completely original way, and when you compare his arc to Kal’s you can see the parallel. To be honest, Adolin does it all the hard way.

The trade off is Adolin’s suffering (the tool most authors use to build sympathy) isn’t as obvious as someone like Kal. This is probably one reason why I don’t hear people talk about him. Honestly, I hear more people talk about Renarin.

This image by Exmakina was taken from The Coppermind for review purposes. Please don’t sue me.

I think the fact that Adolin doesn’t suffer physically or by the loss of others is the the key, and that makes me sad. Adolin is sort of a caricature for an average person in today’s world, and we do the same thing to him that real people do to others.

We look at him and think, “Well it’s not like he’s been imprisoned or hurt, betrayed or forced to experience loss. What’s he got to complain about?”

Think about it. He’s wealthy, charming, and handsome. He must be fine right?

Except he’s not. He’s fighting every bit to be seen as his own man, a man a father and brother can be proud of, a man a woman can love, as Kaladin fights to protect those around him, but because he’s never been poor or enslaved, people just don’t appreciate him, and that’s tragic. It’s a depressing view of how people treat each other.

Yet he fights on, not so much with his awesome swordsmanship or his spren, who he’s helping to find herself. Instead, he fights on by being a kind, loyal man who does all he can.

That, dear readers, is a character worth putting on t-shirts. That, dear readers, is a main character trapped in a more-compelling main character’s arc.

So the next time you’re reading a Stormlight book, take a moment to give Adolin a bit of love.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Book Review: Demon Slayer Volume 21 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Spoiler Free Summary: Demon Slayer Volume 21 by Koyoharu Gotouge is the twenty-first volume in the Demon Slayer manga. The battle with Kokushibo, the number one upper rank demon, is over, but what was the cost? As Tanjiro and his friends finally reach Muzan, they’ve already lost so many of their number. How will th final battle go?

Character: This is less about characters developing than it is about character sympathy (which is important). These victories are tallying casualties at an alarming rate, and then Muzan steps onto the stage. This is the devastation that that hides the sun behind the clouds, and some of the losses are heartbreaking, even if those losses relate to side characters.

Exposition: There’s not much in the way of Exposition here. This volume is honestly more like a series of punches to the gut that make you wonder if you’re ever going to breathe again. Sure, there’s probably an explanatory box here or there, but most of what’s going in is related to the oncoming climax.

Worldbuilding: A common theme in anime is that one must establish power levels. We do that by letting characters fight. This guy beats one guy, but then loses to another, creating an unofficial tier system. We’ve seen the upper ranks and how hard they are to beat. Muzan’s entrance to the battle shows just how far he was above the upper twelve. This aspect of the worldbuilding provides a brutal blow to the heroes’ hopes of victory.

Dialogue: Where most of the dialogue for the series is cartoonish in a charming way, this dialogue is both more heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Gotouge is a master guitarist, plucking the strings of your heart, and where dialogue is usually his weakest area, here it is the hammer he uses to crush your spirits.

Description: Just as the winners and losers of fights in a manga establish a power hierarchy, the artistic rendering of those battles (or massacres) is devastatingly beautiful. These images are par for the course of Gotouge’s work, which is to say they’re miles above the rest of the mangas out there today. True, there’s a certain amount of expected gore, but this isn’t the only tool Gotouge relies on. Instead, his style is just as visual for the details of a face or look as it is for the gruesome reality of war.

Overall: So I’ve been saying for a while that one should just read volumes eighteen to the end all the way through, and I hope you heeded that advice. However, if you haven’t yet done so, I caution you not to read Volume 21 without volumes 22 and 23 handy. From a literary perspective, one could say 21 and 22 are cliffhangers that would drive anyone nuts waiting a month to have. This isn’t the volume that one finishes and finds closure in. This is the volume that takes your hopes for the series and stomps on them for forty pages. Read with caution, or have the other volumes ready so you don’t have suddenly buy them when you finish reading this one.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Announcing the Week 3 August M.L.S. Weech July Book Cover of the Week! Vote for Week 4

Greetings all,

Another week has passed, which means we have a new winner to announce and a new poll to start.

Without any delay, the winner of Week 3 of August is …

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan was an amazing cover. It immediately stood out when I was looking at covers, and I think it stood out against six other great covers.

Week 4 is live now, and you can vote for your favorite right here.

Sun will go on to face this week’s winner, Follow the Hummingbird, and Of Glass and Ashes in the 2021 August Book Cover of the Month.

I’d be grateful if you took a moment to hop on over to my YouTube channel and subscribe. It’s just another way you can support your friendly neighborhood Weech.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Visits From A Man Named Nobody 42

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Thirteen

Oct. 14, 2032, 2:31 p.m. 

16 Years, 89 Days Ago

“Why are you so excited about this?” Jordan asked.

They were walking across the square at Carnegie from the lab to the cafeteria for some food. The sun was starting to hide behind some of the large, square buildings, proving that they skipped lunch.

“Because it means we’re close!” Paul said. There was no containing his excitement.

“Let me get this straight,” Jordan said. “We create a spatial vacuum. That pressure causes the water in the air to collect into a puddle, and that somehow means we’re close.”

“Yes,” Paul said confidently. Of course, he had seen that effect.

Each time Nobody had visited, there was always an inexplicable bit of water. Their experiments over the years had produced the same effect. Paul’s theory of teleportation involved creating a vacuum between where the person is and where he needed to be. That vacuum caused the very moisture in the air to condense. 

“I’m glad one of us is excited,” Jordan muttered.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Paul asked. 

The cafeteria came into view, and they each increased their pace without saying anything. Paul’s stomach rumbled. Had they skipped breakfast? 

“Paul, we created a true vacuum, which isn’t even anything new,” Jordan said. “We’ve been working for years, and all we’ve done is create a different shape of a vacuum tube.”

Paul snatched the handle of the cafeteria’s door and cocked an eyebrow at his friend. “You’re strangely sullen.”

“I’m just hungry,” Jordan said.

“Now I know you’re upset,” Paul said. “You lie about what you’re mad about, and I start wondering if it’s the end times.”

Jordan looked away in shame. “I just don’t know how we’re going to create a pocket vacuum that spans the planet without, well, destroying it.”

Ok, so that was an actual issue. Creating a vacuum between one area and another would make movement between the two much easier, but that vacuum would require the obliteration of everything in the vacuum. 

“We’ll figure it out.” Paul followed his friend inside. 

A data monitor on the wall drew Paul’s attention. Oh, Paul thought. So we skipped a few meals.  

The screen showed the date as Oct. 14, 2032. They’d apparently worked through dinner last night. They’d also missed breakfast and lunch. 

“And you’re strangely optimistic,” Jordan grumbled. “I just don’t get why you’re so excited by this when it looks so much like a dead end.”

They practically flew around the buffet line, snatching whatever they could get their hands on. Each time Paul saw a different piece of food, his stomach seemed to demand more and more. 

“I told you where the idea came from right?” Paul whispered. 

His friend and mother were the only two people who had any idea. They knew Paul had seen someone teleport, but they didn’t know anything else about Nobody. They certainly didn’t know how often and for how long the stranger had been visiting Paul.

Jordan nodded as he dumped half a tin of mixed vegetables onto his plate.

Paul took the other half. “Well, when I saw it … “ Paul emphasized the word it to ensure his friend knew what he was talking about. “ … there was a puddle.”

Jordan’s face screwed into a look of bewilderment. “But how? How did he travel from one end of the vacuum to the other without, well, destroying the planet?”

Paul shrugged. They made their way to the cashier to pay for their food. “What if we don’t create one vacuum?”

Jordan looked away long enough to pay for his food. “What good would that do?”

Paul stepped up in line and held out his PID.  He passed his wrist over a scanner, and the device instantly connected the cafeteria’s account to Paul’s, transferring the necessary funds. 

“What if the trick is creating two vacuums, one at location X and the other at location Y, and then connecting those two vacuums … somehow.” Paul was thinking out loud more than explaining anything. 

… To be continued …

A Step Too Far: Why I Stopped Watching Supernatural

Greetings all,

I’m moving in a different direction this week. This may be seen as a rant. In a way I suppose everything is a rant. But I hope that rather than see it that way, we can look at how life, art, and entertainment mix and how sometimes they don’t mix.

It’s common knowledge that I am Christian. In fact, if I’m known for anything, I’d hope to be know in that light first.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this in this blog before or not, but I do indeed love Supernatural. But there were some caveats to that. Years back, I finished Season 5 of that show and thought it was a fantastic ending to a beautifully done plot line that has many themes.

So let’s start there. I’m not sure what year it was for me. It may have been when the episode aired. The point is, I watched it and loved it. I thought the series was among the better shows I’ve seen. But something strange happened. It didn’t end.

Far be it from me to deny actors and producers and others affiliated with a show to stop earning a living, but I had known that the original creators had walked away saying the story they intended to tell was over.

Being a fan of the show, I watched.

Season 6 was a big bomb for me. It felt lost. It seemed random. I didn’t like the direction they took the characters. So I stepped away.

The thing with me though is I’m stubborn. Even if I’m reading a terrible book (I’ve read many), I feel compelled to finish it. It’s a failure of mine. So some time a few years back (though less than when I’d turned away from the show), I sat down determined to see what happened.

Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. First off, when the villain you face is literally the devil, where do you go from there? Some of the later seasons weren’t that bad. In fact, the ark with The Darkness at least felt like it was moving in a direction that reminded me of the first five seasons.

So I sort of plodded along just seeing where the story would go, and indeed I saw a few things that I like. I was actually interested in Jack as a character. I like redemption stories. I like stories where the one who is supposed to be the bad guy genuinely wants to be good.

So here’s where my faith comes in. It’s my personal opinion (and you’re welcome to disagree; this just happens to be my blog) that any Christian should at least be very discerning and careful when they choose where to go for entertainment.

Does this mean Christians shouldn’t be watching science fiction, paranormal, supernatural or even horror shows? I hope not; I write that stuff.

I have precedent. C.S. Lewis is a renown Christian who wrote fantasy. Who was it who shared the gospel with him that ultimately turned him to Christianity? None other than J.R.R. Tolkien. Both write with either allegorical or at least relatable material, but I don’t feel it’s inherently sinful to enjoy these genres. Again, I understand if some disagree.

The point I’m coming to though is that every person should have a line they do not cross. I experienced something similar with Walking Dead. They just went one step too far, so I stopped watching, but that’s a tangent.

While a few episode or story arcs in later seasons of Supernatural pricked my conscience (and I’ll confess I probably should have listened), I kept going. It was sort of like being in a relationship (not a marriage) after the magic had gone, but you didn’t want to end it.

Then I saw the final episode of the penultimate season (or so I think).

For me, the line too far was an episode that showed they were actually going to make their character of god (and that does create several potential areas of discussion in itself) the villain.

Here we go back to the first five seasons. Indeed everyone thought god (the character) was “gone.” But, as shown, he hadn’t gone. Sure, there were several things that one might debate about that aspect alone, but I had some sort of leg to stand on (even IF I wasn’t supposed to).

But I saw those final minutes and honestly felt my heart break. Here’s a show I once loved with characters I didn’t want to let go of even if I hadn’t honestly enjoyed a season in forever. Then the show takes this sort of direction?

I couldn’t do it.

I can’t help but feel if I try to explain this more, I’ll only fire up those who still love the show and were perfectly happy with that arc and many others. I have no intention of starting a huge argument.

I say again; you have a right to your own opinion.

While I am indeed pointing to this one moment in this one show, my ultimate point (again) is that everyone needs to decide where they draw their line. For some it’s nudity. For others it’s blood. Some people don’t watch anything rated higher than PG. Heck, I’ve seen some who even lose their cool over PG.

If I’m going to ask people to respect my right to my opinion, I must, therefore, respect their right to theirs.

But each of us as viewers has to decide, “Hey, that’s just too far.”

Well, I supposed there are those who have no line whatsoever, but even that is a choice about where their line is.

Maybe the story goes in a different direction. Perhaps there was more to it. Again, that episode really rubbed me the wrong way.

This isn’t me telling YOU not to watch it. I have absolutely no authority over you, nor do I have any right to tell you what to do.

I still love those first five seasons. I think it’s beautiful storytelling and a fantastic arc. I still market Bob Drifter as “Dead Like Me Meets Supernatural.” That’s the regard I have for that story. I’m also not going to pretend I don’t like it. Maybe as I grow and change, my opinion will change, but this is where I am today.

I referenced Walking Dead. That show and one other, Family Guy, all went a step too far for me for different reasons, and I found myself conflicted until I realized something that led to this blog.

It’s ok to have enough. You don’t have to push through that book you bought just because you bought it. You don’t have to stay in that movie you’re not enjoying.

I’m still pretty stubborn. I don’t see myself stopping just because I’m not enjoying something. I’ll probably write a blog about that later on. However, the actual message this is leading to is actually, “If you stop liking something, it’s ok to stop watching, reading, or listening to it.” Sure, others may disagree, but that’s ok, too.

People can discuss what they think without anger or malice. They can find common ground and agree to disagree. That’s actually a big learning moment for me. I’ve often felt like I have to justify when I stop watching something (or whatever). That’s just not the case.

Oddly, here I am explaining why I stopped watching something, but not to defend the stopping. Instead, I hope this encourages you.

Even if it’s this blog, you don’t have to read it.

I hope this doesn’t end up in thousands of super fans seeking my head on a platter. It could happen. People are passionate. Instead I hope this is like a group of friends at a restaurant, and one guy goes, “Wow, this meal’s turned out to be too spicy for me to handle.” That was the intent.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Book Review: Demon Slayer Volume 20 by Koyoharu Gotouge

Spoiler Free Summary: Demon Slayer Volume 20 by Koyoharu Gotouge is the twentieth volume in the Demon Slayer manga. The battle with Kokushibo, the number one upper rank demon, has left Tokito and Genya critically injured, Himejima and Sanemi have shown up to help with the fight, but even then, Kokushibo seems too strong. Can one of the Hashira unlock a power capable of snatching victory from the claws of defeat?

Character: We do get to learn more about the Hashira in their battle. The growth is nice amid the action sequences. We don’t get overly deep, but we still clearly see their motivating moments. The way Gotogue weaves content and character into fights without dragging a story down is masterful, and this volume probably best illustration of that mastery.

Exposition: Similar to the last volume (and the remaining three), the bulk of the exposition is provided via dialogue. That’s still dialogue (if half-hidden). However, this technique reduces drag that might otherwise be caused by flashbacks or dialogue panels.

Worldbuilding: There’s not much in the way of wolrdbuilding here. There are a few tidbits that cause the typical power increase that comes whenever characters reveal new abilities, but that’s something one should expect (if not anticipate). Still, this volumes are more about action sequences than story content.

Dialogue: There’s a touching moment here delivered by dialogue that really makes this volume powerful. The majority of it is the same as always. I just want to be clear, these few lines of dialect are some of the most powerful in the whole series, and it connects two lesser characters in a powerful way.

Description: This fight is really just more artistic awesomeness at heart. The artwork really brings out the beauty of the fight scenes, and I can’t wait to see it animated.

Overall: This volume is a better blend of action and character growth, and that makes it one of the better volumes in the series (which is saying something). This fight started out as something that frustrated me. To think the number one upper rank demon is an undercard is discouraging, but then I saw the fight play out and I realize it sets the stage for the bigger fight to come.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

Announcing the 2021 M.L.S. Weech July Book Cover of the Month! Vote for the best cover of Week 3 of August

Greetings all,

Another month of the 2021 M.L.S. Weech Book Cover of the Year is in the books. We have a winner for July. We have a winner for Week 2 of August, and Week 3 is underway. So let’s make the announcements!

The 2021 July M.L.S. Weech Book Cover of the Month Week is…

A Desert Torn Asunder by Bradleuy P. Beaulieu took the title for July and is now in the poll for the 2021 M.L.S. Weech Book Cover of the Year award.

Things move pretty quick around this time, so we have a few winners to announce. The winner for Week 2 of the 2021 M.L.S. Weech August Book Cover of the Month is …

Follow the Hummingbird by Elena Carter has wonderful color and detail. I love the variety of the color, too. I’m glad to see it move on in the competition.

Hummingbird joins Of Glass and Ashes in the August competition, which will kick off after we pick two more covers. You can vote for August’s Week 3 cover right here.

I’d be much obliged if you’d check out my YouTube channel, where I talk about these covers and what I like about them. It’d mean a lot if you subscribed and clicked that bell notification. It’s a free way to support me.

Thanks for reading,

Matt