S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 51

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 9

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

Attendance was very important at the Spartan dining messes.

In fact, only two excuses were acceptable for absentees:

Hunting trip
Requirement to perform religious sacrifice

I wasn’t able to find out what happened to those who didn’t have a valid excuse, but knowing the Spartans, the punishment was probably severe.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 8

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

After graduating from the Agoge, a boy had to get elected to a common mess.

Military ability wasn’t enough to ensure citizenship; a boy had to prove himself socially as well by securing a place in a common mess. These dining messes were more than just a place to eat. They were more like fraternities or clubs. Some were more exclusive and desirable than others, and the most exclusive were the ones where the Kings dined. If a youth failed to get elected to a common mess by the time he reached twenty, he would lose his citizenship.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!

Light Novel Review: Spice and Wolf Vol. #11

Spice and Wolf is a wildly popular light novel series that has spawned off an anime, an Internet radio show, and a manga series. While its European medieval setting is typical of high fantasy, this series has a unique bent. Rather than swordfights and magic, the plot focuses on economics, trade, and peddling in a way that skillfully blends adventure and romance.

Yen Press has recently released the eleventh volume of this series, and you can read on for the review. (You can also click here for my reviews of previous Spice and Wolf releases).

Back Cover Blurb

As with the first Side Colors volume, Side Colors II departs once more from Lawrence and Holo’s travels north, taking the reader off the beaten path to explore three exquisite side stories. Remember, it’s not so much about the destination, as it is the journey…

The Review

Like the first Side Colors volume, Spice and Wolf Volume 11: Side Colors II is a collection of short stories set in the Spice and Wolf world: The Wolf and the Golden Promise, The Wolf and the Verdant Detour, and The Black Wolf’s Cradle.

Those who prefer Holo and Lawrence’s interactions without to the presence of the youngster Col will likely enjoy the first two stories. Hasekura-sensei doesn’t specify when The Wolf and the Golden Promise takes place, but it is during the period when they are still using Lawrence’s horse and cart. While traveling through a remote area, Lawrence and Holo stumble upon Jisahz, a colony village with fat chickens, tasty ale, and no means of getting their goods to market. It’s a golden opportunity for a traveling merchant, thus the business bent in this story is Lawrence’s efforts to establish a new trade relationship. At first, he manages handily on his own, quickly gaining respect by settling a long-time dispute between two colonists. This rather irritates Holo, but I was glad to see it. Holo so often goes on and on about Lawrence’s inexperience and foolishness it’s nice to see him do well on his own once in a while. However, being a Spice and Wolf story, another problem arises, which only Holo’s wisdom can resolve. While I can’t say Holo’s solution made much sense to me, it works for the village settlers, turning this into yet another instance where Lawrence’s and Holo’s combined efforts result in profit.

The Wolf and the Verdant Detour is a much shorter work. The 17-page story is little more than banter between Lawrence and Holo as Lawrence takes a detour that makes him look like the stereotypical lost male who refuses to ask for directions. To me, it feels more like a fanfiction than a full-fledged story.

The third, longest, and most interesting story, The Black Wolf’s Cradle, doesn’t feature Holo at all. Instead, it tells of Eve’s initiation into trade. Eve, whom I consider more of a fox than a black wolf, isn’t a character I’m fond of, but the story does offer insight into how a sentimental girl of noble birth turns into a woman bold enough to sink a ship to frustrate her competition. The text does drag in places where it emphasizes Eve’s ignorance a bit overmuch, and when she signs her first contract, a seemingly no-risk deal with a perfect gentleman, you know it’s too good to be true. However, the story’s final conclusion was a complete surprise. I still don’t like Eve much, but I understand her more now.

This light novel includes the title page, four illustrations, and the table of contents printed in color as well as eight black-and-white illustrations. I should note that two of the black-and-white illustrations are placed within the wrong stories.

In Summary

Hasekura-sensei presents an interesting variety in Side Stories II. The Wolf and the Golden Promise offers a compressed version of Holo and Lawrence’s usual business ventures. The Wolf and the Verdant Detour lacks an economics bent and seems aimed towards those who enjoy Holo and Lawrence’s travel banter. As for The Black Wolf’s Cradle, that story delves into the ill-fated deal that turns Fleur Bolan into the resolute and ruthless Eve. In his closing notes, Hasekura-sensei mentions writing a side story on Norah, and considering how well he executed Eve’s story, I look forward to what he does with the shy shepherdess.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 7

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

If a boy failed to graduate from the Agoge, he lost his citizenship.

The purpose of the Agoge was to prepare boys for the Spartan army. If he couldn’t handle the training, he couldn’t be a soldier, and that meant he couldn’t be a citizen either.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!

Manga Review: Are You Alice? Vol. 4

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has inspired all sorts of spinoff works, from visual art to movies to manga. However, Ai Ninomiya may have conjured up the most unusual Alice yet.  Are You Alice?, which originally began as a CD series, features a gun-toting male as its Alice! Yen Press has recently released the fourth volume, and you can read on for the review. (If you’re interested in my reviews for previous volumes, click here.)

Back Cover Blurb

When the Wimpy Book of Caterpillar Alley’s One Hundred Stories loses its plot (literally), Alice finds himself all alone, faced with questions he can’t answer. Is the sister in his dreams the real Alice? And did he really commit such an atrocity against her? As Alice tries to puzzle out his own story from the few memories he has, the Hatter and the Caterpillar try to figure out how the tale went to horribly wrong…

The Review

This volume is a difficult read. In addition to the nonsensical nature of the Wonderland setting and inhabitants, there are a number of flashbacks and dreams sequences which, while they do provide new insights, raise more questions than they answer. With so many twists and turns and breaks from the main flow of the story, it’s easy to forget what Alice’s current goal is (i.e. kill the White Rabbit).

One point the story is clear on is that this Alice is unlike any before him. The Caterpillar’s Wimpy Book is supposedly an easy path used by previous Alices to the Dormouse, but it soon becomes apparent something is tampering with Caterpillar’s library. That mysterious interference thrusts Alice onto a much darker route, although it does eventually get him to the Dormouse.

As for the Dormouse, he provides the information Alice seeks and more. Much, much more. Their barroom conversation is an information dump on additional rules of Wonderland and the motivation of those “contracted” with the White Rabbit. By the end of their talk, I shared Alice’s sentiment that the game to kill the White Rabbit is “super-ridiculously complicated.” But despite the lengthy lecture, I still couldn’t follow Hatter’s actions in the final pages even with Dormouse quotations liberally sprinkled throughout the panels.

Manga extras include a six-page short, a mini manga about the third limited-edition drama CD, translation notes, and the title page and table of contents printed in color.

In Summary

The mystery of the 89th Alice’s past is still intriguing, especially with a tantalizing hint to his true connection to Alice in Wonderland. However, these chapters also bring the introduction of a lot more rules concerning the game to kill the White Rabbit. Between this information and new light on the motives of the Wonderland inhabitants, the Are You Alice? plot is getting a bit unwieldy and difficult to follow.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 6

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

Spartan boys were required to go barefoot.

They were also only given one cloak per year (but no tunic), and kept their hair short. In addition, students slept on river reeds which they cut with their bare hands. I imagine these boys spent their miserable winters huddled up together.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!

Manga Review: Sword Art Online: Aincrad

Sword Art Online was undoubtedly one of the most popular anime of 2012. Based upon a series of light novels by Reki Kawahara, SAO’s near-future characters, gorgeous fantasy setting, and life-or-death stakes drew an enthusiastic fan following. For those still wanting another dose of Aincrad, Asuna, and Kirito,  Yen Press has recently released the SAO manga adaption, and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

In the year 2022, gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online – a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other – debuts, allowing players to take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear, a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in a wholly realistic gaming experience. But when the game goes live, the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that, for all its amazing features, SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG – a log-out button. Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad, their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world, users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one hundred floors of Aincrad to regain your freedom. But in the warped world of SAO, “game over” means certain death – both virtual and real…

The Review

Sword Art Online: Aincrad is more expensive than your typical manga, but the price is justified. The 375 page book contains the entire series, all twelve chapters, and includes three Asuna/Kirito illustrations in color, making it worth the $20 cover price.

Those familiar with the SAO anime will recognize the character outfits and weapons right away. However, Nakamura-sensei adds her own style to the artwork. Kirito and Asuna have the same details as their anime counterparts, but their eyes and heads are bigger, which make them look a couple years younger. Nakamura-sensei’s use of screentones is sparse so drawings tend to have a flat look, and though plenty of speed lines are to be had, it’s difficult to discern what movements are taking place in the fight scenes. The manga narrative does provide more information about weapon attack patterns than the anime, but you can’t really tell what motions characterize a “Double Circular” or “Star Splash” attack.

Although the manga is inferior in the action department, it delivers a tighter, more cohesive story than the TV series. The first two chapters introduce the world of Aincrad and how its creator Kayaba traps ten thousand unsuspecting players on launch day. Parts of these initial chapters are text-heavy and a bit of a data dump. However, they do provide a glimpse of the initial chaos in Aincrad and how the first two thousand players died, which wasn’t included in the anime.

Then from Chapter 3 onward, the story focuses on Asuna and Kirito, starting with an S-ranked ragout rabbit dinner that leads to a romance between the lone dual sword wielder and the beautiful Knights of the Blood vice commander. Several minor storylines from the anime don’t take place in the manga. The anime characters Silica and Lisbeth aren’t included at all, and although Sachi of the Moonlit Black Cats plays a significant role, she only shows up in a flashback during a vulnerable moment between Asuna and Kirito. Personally, I prefer the manga version without the extra girls because those characters give the story a harem feel. With Kirito’s interactions with the opposite sex limited to Asuna, it makes the strength of their bond and “adoption” of Yui more believable.

While they don’t get nearly the attention lavished upon our lead couple, the other characters included in the manga have more personality than they do in the anime. For instance, burly Agil turns out to be one of those guys-using-female-characters-for-their-SAO-full-dive, and we get to see how he runs his business. The manga certainly provides a better understanding of Heathcliff and his duel with Kirito. When Kirito finally figures out the truth behind Heathcliff’s “Holy Protection,” you can easily follow the logic behind his reasoning.

In Summary

If you’ve seen the SAO anime, the SAO manga won’t deliver any major surprises, but the book’s not a storyboard of the TV series. The manga adds details and rearranges events such that the struggle to defeat the game remains a major component, but the relationship between Kirito and Asuna is what drives everything forward. If you’ve seen the anime and wanted more Kirito/Asuna or Kirito/Asuna/Yui fluffiness, you might want to consider the manga. For those unfamiliar with SAO, you can certainly enjoy the manga without having seen the anime, but action fans should be warned that in addition to swords and battles come a healthy dose of SAO’s two best fighters playing house.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 5

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

Agoge training was notoriously brutal.

Probably the most famous story connected to the Agoge was that of the Spartan boy who stole a fox. The Agoge had a policy of underfeeding students to encourage them to steal (thus teaching them to be cunning). Of course, the students got punished severely if caught. In the case of the boy and the fox, an instructor showed up so the boy hid the animal beneath his clothes. Unfortunately, the panicked fox fought to escape, and the boy, rather than admit to his instructor that he was hiding him, let the animal claw him and wound up dying from his injuries.

While some scholars question the veracity of this story (because a fox isn’t exactly something you can steal), the Agoge’s policy of underfeeding to encourage stealing is well recorded.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!

Japanese Live Action DVD Review: Godzilla on Monster Island

Japan’s most famous monster is back on the big screen in Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla. What better time to revisit some of the original movies starring the giant lizard?

Kraken Releasing has just released the Toho 1972 film Godzilla on Monster Island!: Godzilla Versus Gigan on DVD, and you can read on for the review.

Back Cover Blurb

When alien invaders, plans for a children’s theme park and four giant monsters with six heads between them all collide, the result is the inevitable battle for the fate of the Earth. At least, that’s how it is for Godzilla, who teams up with his former spiky foe Anguirus for a tag team match against two of his greatest adversaries: the legendary three headed King Ghidorah and Gigan, the cyborg hench-monster for insidious insect aliens whose plot to wipe out all human life is cleverly disguised as plans for the construction of a new children’s theme park.

Unfortunately for the bug’s diabolical designs, their secret monster control codes are accidentally discovered by comic book artist Gengo Kotaka, who broadcasts the master tape and brings Team Godzilla into play. It’s not going to be an easy fight, though, as the odds are four heads to two, and King Ghidorah’s one of Godzilla’s toughest opponents. With his cybernetic weaponry Gigan is equally ruthless, and his alien masters are as hard to kill as the cockroaches they resemble. Will Earth’s biggest defenders finally fall? Or will Godzilla, and insecticide, triumph over all? Find out in GODZILLA VS. GIGAN!

Audio:

The audio options are English mono and Japanese mono with English subtitles. I noted no issues with the film audio or subtitles.

Video:

The DVD is presented in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The video quality varies from satisfactory to different levels of graininess, sometimes with white spotting.

Packaging:

The front cover features a promotional poster for the original film, featuring the monsters Godzilla, Gigan, King Ghidorah, and Anguirus along with the human cast. On the back are a few screen shots and a movie summary. No inserts are included inside the case.

Menu:

Various stills from the film are used for the DVD menu backgrounds. There aren’t many options, so it’s easy to navigate.

Extras:

The only extra included with the DVD is the original Japanese film trailer.

Content

It’s called Godzilla on Monster Island, but the film doesn’t have much to do with Monster Island at all. Only a couple brief scenes take place on Monster Island, which serve mainly as cameos for random Toho monsters that don’t otherwise play any role. The impetus for the plot actually has extraterrestrial origins, and the action, for the most part, takes place in Japan’s Tokyo region (of course).

The story begins with Gengo, an unemployed artist who finally lands a job at World Children’s Land, a theme park in the final stages of construction. However, the World Children’s Land Committee is a rather fishy group. For one, its chairman is a teenage kid who can do extremely complicated math. For another, the Committee’s supposed goal is “perfect peace,” but the main attraction of the park is a monster museum in a thirteen-story tower shaped like Godzilla. So when Gengo encounters Machiko, a young woman who claims her brother’s been kidnapped by the Committee, Gengo helps her investigate, and they soon discover that the Committee’s idea of perfect peace involves using space monsters to destroy mankind.

The plot does capture interest from the onset as our heroes search for Machiko’s missing brother and investigate the true purpose of World Children’s Land. However, the story’s not without its weaknesses. Gengo’s a little too quick to believe Machiko’s story and help her (especially since he already has a girlfriend–one with a black belt in karate), and Machiko’s tape player must have an astounding range for the monsters way out on Monster Island to hear it. But then the giant beasties make their entrance, which is probably what most viewers are after anyway.

It starts off with a kind of false start. Godzilla designates Anguirus as his errand boy to investigate the sounds from Machiko’s tape. So Anguirus swims all the way to Japan only to be repulsed by the SDF. The video alternates between actual footage of men in military vehicles and close-ups of miniatures. The models wouldn’t fool anyone, but they do make you wish you had your own tanks to play with.

Then things really get going when the bad guys summon the space monsters Gigan and King Ghidorah. The screen abounds with 1970s pyrotechnics and smashed model buildings as the two destroy Tokyo. However, the segment does get repetitive with the same flying sequences of King Ghidorah as well as the close-up on Gigan’s belly saw blade. There are also a few scenes that are so cheap they are funny. In one, the monsters demolish a room whose “human” occupants are clearly a pair of cheap children’s dolls.

Of course, it’s up to Godzilla to save the day, and he does so, swimming to Japan to do battle with Anguirus in tow. This fight is more graphic than others in the Godzilla series. During the battle at the World Children’s Land construction site, Gigan wounds Godzilla and Anguirus, splattering their blood everywhere. But even with four monsters crashing about the set, certain shots get recycled over and over, and when Godzilla finally takes King Ghidorah down, viewers must sit through the same body slam three times.

As an aside, Godzilla on Monster Island, like Godzilla Versus the Smog Monster, does carry a message of saving the environment. In fact, some of the water pollution footage in Godzilla Versus the Smog Monster gets recycled in Godzilla on Monster Island. However, the message is much more understated in Godzilla on Monster Island than in its predecessor, and this film definitely does a better job achieving its primary goal: entertainment.

In Summary

If you’re looking for a classic sci-fi movie, Godzilla on Monster Island would definitely fit the bill. With its body snatching aliens, gargantuan reptiles, and miniature sets getting knocked to smithereens, it’s got all the elements of a traditional giant monster flick. There are plot holes, to be sure, but between laser wielding aliens in their 13-story Godzilla Tower and a two-on-two battle of Godzilla and Anguirus versus Gigan and King Ghidorah, Godzilla on Monster Island provides plenty of model-smashing entertainment.

First published at The Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: The Spartan Citizenry, Part 4

As noted in my May 2, 2014 post, Spartan warriors were an interesting bunch, and I’m continuing my series on them with today’s fact:

Boys left their homes for military training at seven.

This training took place at Sparta’s military training school, the Agoge. The boys were arranged in “packs” and lived in barracks. This training lasted until they were eighteen.

Tune in next week for more about the Spartans!