S.Q. Eries's Blog, page 71

Ancient Olympic Fun Fact 1

Happy new year! I'm a bit tardy in my new year's greetings, but 2011 closed with a time-consuming termite problem so I hope you'll accept that as an excuse. Anyway, 2012 is significant in that it is a presidential election year, a leap year, and a summer Olympic year! The modern Olympics, of course, were inspired by the ancient Greek Olympics, a subject I've been researching for my work in progress. So in these months leading up to the 2012 London Games, I'll be posting weekly tidbits about the original athletic festival that started it all.

So to start off, here's this week's fun fact:

The very first Olympiad consisted of one event.

The track at Olympia

Yup, one. In contrast to the seemingly endless list of sports in the modern-day Olympics, the first Games consisted of the stade-race, a 600-foot sprint. About a half century later, they added a second event (the two-stadia race), and as time went on (and the Games grew in popularity), other events were added and sometimes discontinued. But the men's stade-race was the only event featured in every single Olympiad. It had such significance that Olympiads were named after the winner of the event. So, for example, if Leonidas won the stade-race a certain year, that particular Olympiad would be referred to as the Olympiad of Leonidas.

How's that for motivation to win the race?

Tune in next week for more about the ancient Olympics!

Merry Christmas from us and … Milton

Our housemate CL gave me and my husband our Christmas present before leaving for the East Coast, and it was so unique I had to share it. This is Milton, a fully functional Muppet, handmade by CL.

CL has been, as my husband puts it, undergoing a personal renaissance. Earlier this year, he chanced across the Puppet School in the San Fernando Valley and instantly got sucked into Muppetry. The funny thing is, I don't think he's ever touched a needle before this, and now he meets with fellow Muppet enthusiasts for sewing sessions.

He's made so many Muppets I suspect they'll eventually take over his room. And he's spreading the wealth. In addition to Milton, he's got four Muppets packed in his luggage, one for each member of his family. (They're all adults and mostly medical doctors). My husband jokes that it'll make for an interesting dynamic at their dinner table this year.

And may your Christmas also be filled with joy, wonder, and fun (though not necessarily with Muppets). Merry Christmas and happy new year all!

Manga Review: Sakura Hime Vol. 5

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works currently being translated into English is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. Volume 5 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on Sakura, the granddaughter of the Moon princess Kaguya. As her descendent, Sakura wields the power to defeat Youko, monsters from the Moon, but Sakura's Moon heritage also means she's predisposed to becoming a Youko herself…

Back Cover Blurb

Aoba and the others storm Enju's hidden palace to rescue Sakura. Byakuya must defeat Maimai for the key to the tower where Sakura is being held. Maimai is a ruthless killer, but Byakuya is about to unleash her secret powers…

The RevieW

At the end of the previous volume, Byakuya looked like she was in deep trouble, but given her abilities and wisdom, you'd suspect she'd be able to get out of it on her own. And she does – in a manner that's surprising in more ways than one. Apparently, Sakura and Asagiri aren't the only ones capable of transformation, and Byakuya's triumph over Maimai unveils a previously unseen aspect that gives the hitherto mundane sage an air of mystery.

The story then moves on to the next fight between Kohaku and the deserter ninja Shuri. Those who are fans of the ninja characters will enjoy flashbacks of Kohaku, Shuri, and Hayate as children, but the focus is less on Enju's minion Shuri and more on Kohaku.

With this arc, it feels like Tanemura-sensei's trying to inject a bit of Naruto into the series with the ninja village and the child ninja who wants so badly to become the next leader. Kohaku, however, is not the underdog that Naruto is. As the current leader's daughter, she's hardly an outcast, and she's beloved by her peers. So she doesn't evoke the level of sympathy Naruto does and comes across instead as a klutzy crybaby, especially when she vows never to cry again and is bawling seven pages later. Given the mistakes Kohaku's made thus far in the series, seeing her holding her own against Shuri is a bit of a stretch. It's also rather strange that the Prince and the others don't just leave Kohaku to dispatch Shuri and go rescue Sakura. Instead, everyone takes a seat to watch the fight, as if it's a match in the ninja chunin exams, despite the fact that they're very much in enemy territory.

By the way, Volume 5 includes several extras including bonus funnies, bonus illustrations, and the 50-page one-shot White Rose Academy: Vampire Rose.

In Summary

The Maimai/Byakuya battle ends with a surprising revelation. The story then moves on to ninjas Kohaku and Shuri. Through a series of flashbacks, Tanemura-sensei casts an air of tragedy over the fight between former friends, but from a battle standpoint, her depiction of the duel feels flawed.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Maoh: Juvenile Remix Vol. #08 Review

I don't usually review a whole lot of shonen manga, and I review even fewer violent shonen titles. Somehow, though, I wound up with the Maoh series, which has murder and mayhem in spades.(My reviews of earlier Maoh: Juvenile Remix volumes can be found here.) However, it's more of a supernatural thriller than a gratuitous show of blood splattering and has some interesting heroes (if you can stomach all the casualties along the way).

The story takes place in Nekota City, which is not so much a dystopia as it is a community on the decline (think Gotham City from Batman). Inukai is the mysterious leader of a vigilante group called Grasshopper, which is at odds with the city's redevelopment plan. Inukai is hailed as a hero among the common folk of Nekota, but is he really all that he seems?

Back Cover Blurb

Still trying to recover from the shock of his brother's death, Junya decides to follow in Ando's footsteps. First on the agenda is revenge on the ones who caused his brother's death. Can Junya succeed where Ando failed…?

The Review

Having chosen to dive the underworld, Junya can't seem to take two steps without running into assassins. He starts off by arranging a showdown with the Duce bartender, but their confrontation gets abruptly cut off when the Pusher, the greatest killer in the business, interferes. (The images for this scene are pretty intense. You can practically feel the rumble of the truck as it crashes through.) The Pusher's meddling is a wholly unexpected twist and sends Junya on a journey that takes him to other supernaturally gifted individuals; a sadistic shadowy group known as Fraulein (you'll be gripping your fingernails after meeting them); and ultimately, Inukai.

As angry and vengeful as Junya is, he's still very much grieving for his brother. Every now and then, something triggers a memory, and he winds up in tears. It's proof of his affection for his brother, and with a bond so close, it makes absolute sense that Junya's the critical link to Ando's dramatic reappearance when Junya confronts Inukai.

In the meantime, reform in Nekota City isn't proceeding the way its good citizens would hope. The convenient demises of Grasshopper's opponents is weighing on the new mayor, forcing him into the very tricky position of striking a deal with unsavory characters to try to gain an upper hand on the underworld. Whatever's going to happen next, it feels like all involved are going to sink further into darkness.

In Summary

Junya's out for revenge, and not even the threat of death or violence can stop him. It's one gripping encounter after another as Junya gets to the bottom of what happened to his brother. He's gone through a dramatic transformation in the last few chapters, but that's nothing compared to what happens when he discovers the truth from Inukai himself!

This title is rated Older Teen for lotsa blood and violence and an intense plot.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy Vol. 7

Bad boy/good girl love stories are popular in shojo manga, and for those who enjoy a dash of cyber intrigue in their romances, Kyousuke Motomi's Dengeki Daisy is worth checking out. Volume 7 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on orphan Teru Kurebayashi, who, after the death of her beloved older brother, finds solace in the messages she exchanges with Daisy, an enigmatic figure who can only be reached through the cell phone her brother left her. One day, she accidentally breaks a window at school, and as  a result winds up becoming a servant for Kurosaki, the delinquent school custodian. Although brusque and rude, he somehow always shows up in her time of need, and Teru finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

Back Cover Blurb

Kurosaki decides that he needs to tell Teru the truth, but little does he know that an unsettling fellow called Akira has other ideas. What is Akira scheming, and how will his actions irrevocably affect Teru's relationship with Kurosaki?

The RevieW

The way Teru bumps into the weird hoodie guy in the last volume it's pretty much a given he's going to return, and he does, in a big way. The shadowy Akira adds on to the cast of bad guys, and though he's in cahoots with Mori, he is a bit of a loose cannon. He seems less interested in the intrigue surrounding Daisy and more interested in messing with Teru's mind, which he's quite effective at, especially since he physically resembles her brother. It's still not quite clear what he and Mori are after, but we do get more hints about Daisy's less than upstanding past.

At any rate, Akira's mischief does the trick of pushing Teru and Kurosaki's relationship along. When Teru gets her first kiss stolen, her reaction is standard shojo stuff. Kurosaki's, however, is adorably hilarious, and what follows is an entire chapter of Kurosaki agonizing over the convoluted situation between him and Teru. Despite all the guilt and angst Kurosaki struggles through, Motomi-sensei does a good job of injecting just enough humor so that the plot doesn't get completely bogged down.

Kurosaki's ultimate decision to confess to Teru will probably draw a collective "Finally!" from Motomi-sensei's readers. Of course, such confessions never go as planned, and it's little surprise when Akira and Mori show up to ruin things. It's almost too easy how Kurosaki takes down Mori, but with Teru in Akira's clutches at the end of the volume, the story seems headed toward another big rescue/confrontation in Volume 8.

In Summary

Teru and Kurosaki have been doing the dance of Kurosaki holding back and Teru pretending she doesn't know Kurosaki's secret for a while now, but the time has come for the truth to be revealed. As that moment approaches, there's more than enough emotional angst to satisfy the shojo reader as well as a helping of intrigue as Mori and her shadowy accomplice Akira seek to turn Kurosaki's confession into an opportunity for themselves.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Manga Review: Bakuman Vol. 8

Bakuman is the latest collaboration of Ohba and Obata, the creators of the wildly popular Death Note series. Unlike Death Note, Bakuman is more or less grounded in reality, but it is no less entertaining as it follows the ups and downs of a mangaka duo as they strive to make it big in the publishing world!

This series is a personal favorite of mine, and Viz Media has just released Volume 8. (My reviews of earlier Bakuman volumes can be found here.)

Back Cover Blurb

Drama swirls around the manga creators as they try to move forward after being canceled from Shonen Jump. Moritaka and Akito work hard on a new comedy story pitch while Aoki and Nakai struggle with some personal issues. But when Kaya uncovers Akito's meetings with Aoki and Iwase, things might never be the same.

The Review

Certain volumes of this series have really come across as battle manga – and this is not one of them. While Team Ashirogi is still struggling hard for a breakthrough that will allow them to return to the pages of Jump, the overall feel of Volume 8 is romantic dramedy. And it's not just the boys and their girlfriends. To varying degrees, Iwase, Aoki, Nakai, and the assistant Kato all wind up embroiled in affairs of the heart, and the situations that result have a very high school shojo feel to it. (Not that I'm complaining; I actually enjoy this sort of thing.)

In the midst of all this who's-attracted-to-whom turmoil, the female characters get a rare opportunity to take the spotlight. The cast is male-heavy to start off with, and with the exception of Miho's promise to Moritaka at the very beginning, the females haven't driven the story. In this volume, you really get a sense of their personalities as they react to what appears to be a case of two timing. Kaya, who is often the subject of boob remarks and panty shots, goes beyond simple comic relief. Meanwhile, Miho shows a tough side as she and Moritaka have their first major fight. And Aoki, who started off as a one-dimensional character, goes through a slew of emotions, ranging from embarrassment to anger to despair, that makes her much more relatable. She's definitely no longer the snob character she started as, but it's looking like that ice princess role will go to Iwase.

Regarding Iwase, I didn't think I'd see her again after Akito chose Kaya, but it looks like she's back for a long haul. The way she gets into the world of manga is a bit of a stretch; for Editor Hattori to use her to re-energize three mangaka he's not in charge of seems unrealistic. But with Iwase turning into a rival for Akito, things have the potential to get very interesting.

In Summary

Team Ashirogi hits more choppy waters – this time on the romantic front. Akito's innocent meetings lead to trouble with Kaya and ultimately results in a rift between Masahiro and Miho! The relationships in Bakuman take on a high school shojo feel as the boys struggle to win their girlfriends back and make their return to Jump!

This title is highly recommended for young teens and up.

First published at the Fandom Post.

New on the shelves: Bad Austen!

Writing is a long process. The time it takes for even a short story to go from first draft to final draft to querying to acceptance to publication takes months. Which is why it's important to celebrate with your fellow writers whenever a new work makes it into print. So for this post, I'd like to give it up to Riley Redgate for her first piece in Bad Austen, published this month!

Bad Austen, edited by Peter Archer and Jennifer Lawler, is a collection of short fiction which, as you might guess from the title, parodies the works of Jane Austen. So if you're the sort who gets a kick out of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (like my housemate) this might just be up your alley. Riley's contribution, by the way, is Black Ops Bennets.

 Bad Austen is available in paper and e-book formats at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And if you'll excuse me, I'm off to order a copy for my housemate for Christmas so he can add it to his stack of parodies.

Research Ramblings: Horse Breeding and High-Tech

My current work in progress involves chariot racing, and given its substantial equine components, I've recruited the aid of horse owners Julie and The Boyz' Mom to keep it real. (For more about them, read this post.) They love sharing about their horses, and I love learning from them, and hopefully you'll get some entertainment out of our exchanges.

So I was discussing equine social dynamics with Julie when, as often happens, we went off on a tangent about horsey personalities. And in the conversation, she mentioned something about Elle's surrogate mom. I instantly thought she meant an older mare that had taken a shine to Elle. That or Elle was orphaned a foal and another mare had "adopted" her. So when I asked Julie to clarify which she meant, I was in for a surprise.

By "surrogate mom," she meant the mare that had carried and birthed Elle but actually wasn't blood related to her at all.

Perhaps it's just me romanticizing, but when I think of horses and their people, my mind harkens to a simpler world where computers and phones are unheard of. But the equine world's very much kept up with technology and that includes the science of horse breeding.

Once upon a time, making a foal required both the stud and the dam to be in the same place and in the right mood. It was also a bit tricky in that horses can be rough with one another so there was also the risk of one or both getting injured. Now the two animals don't even have to be in the same state for them to get pregnant.

I was aware of the use of artificial insemination in animal husbandry, but to learn about equine in vitro fertilization really surprised me. The procedure for humans is generally expensive, and I assumed it would be cost prohibitive for horses. It's not. So, as Julie explained, if the dam you want is busy training or showing or whatever, assigning the task of carrying the little one to a mare that isn't quite so busy is commonplace. Convenient, isn't it?

That's not the only way technology figures into modern day horsebreeding. In another conversation, Julie mentioned how Elle towers over all the smaller, stockier Morgans in her class, and I asked if people ever wondered if she really is a Morgan.

Her reply:

It is funny that you ask about people wondering if she is really a Morgan.  Here's the thing with the breed – some breeders DID try to breed Morgan studs to saddlebred mares, which has led to the larger, lankier horses that we have today.  Guess what?  The Morgan association voted that to prevent the horse from becoming even more diluted, ALL registered Morgans are DNA tested BEFORE they are given their registration papers.

Apparently this is "a big, big deal" at the futurity shows with weanlings, and she told me how she once had to get a DNA sample from a weanling at the Michigan Futurity show.  Though she joked about being on "DNA Patrol," it's serious business because:

 People who are caught cheating now get banned from the sport – and I believe that it is for life. So no, people don't question that a 3 yr old Morgan is already 16+ hands tall.  They just say she's a freak.

Morgan enthusiasts aren't the only ones with strict standards. According to the Boyz' Mom:

All FHANA/FPS Friesians are micro-chipped, DNA tested and randomly hair and blood tested at Keurings. They are uber strict and seriously dedicated to each and every owner following the strictest breeding rules and regulations.

Keurings, by the way, is what they call the  inspections of Friesian horses.

Test-tube babies and DNA testing. Make no mistake, equine folks are definitely keeping up with tech's latest trends!

Manga Review: Sakura Hime Vol. 4

Arina Tanemura is a popular shojo mangaka, and one of her works currently being translated into English is Sakura Hime, a magical shojo story that puts a twist on a famous Japanese legend. Volume 4 has recently been released, and you can read on for the review. (Also, for those who are interested, you can click here for my reviews of earlier volumes).

The story centers on Sakura, the granddaughter of the Moon princess Kaguya. As her descendent, Sakura wields the power to defeat Youko, monsters from the Moon, but Sakura's Moon heritage also means she's predisposed to becoming a Youko herself…

Back Cover Blurb

Sakura is taken away by Enju to live in his hidden palace. Once there, Sakura comes face-to-face with a mononoke who looks and sounds exactly like her. Sakura has met her double, and her double wants her dead!

The Review

The story really picks up in Volume 4, mainly because of the introduction of Enju's minions. Though the Youko had given Sakura and company enemies to face against, the monsters weren't that interesting and didn't last that long. Team Enju, on the other hand, is not only comprised of a unique array of personalities, but two out of the four have some past relationship with Sakura's friends.

All of Enju's henchmen have had moon power bestowed upon them, and these chapters include lengthy flashbacks on the origins of Rurijo and Maimai. These detours don't detract from the story though; they actually make those individuals and their actions more compelling. The flashbacks also provide additional layers of depth to Enju's character.

As for Aoba and company, they aren't completely sidelined. With Sakura trapped in the enemy's lair, they of course must play hero, and their assault against Enju's fortress is where we get most of the action in this volume. Even so, it's the bad guys who steal the show, and the nice thing is that Enju lays out fairly clearly what he's after and why. After Aoba's earlier waffling between killing and loving Sakura, Enju's straightforwardness is rather refreshing.

By the way, Volume 4 includes several extras including a bonus story about Asagiri, comics created by Tanemura-sensei's assistants, and a special interview between Tanemura and one of her assistants.

In Summary

The plot gets vastly more interesting, thanks to the introduction of some fascinating characters on Enju's side. The battle aspect of this series continues with Aoba and company launching an assault on Enju's fortress, but as Tanemura-sensei mentions in her closing notes, the shonen story she originally aimed for has taken more of a shojo flavor with past histories and complicated relationships taking center stage.

First published at the Fandom Post.

Research Ramblings: Hoof Care — Keeping a Watchful Eye for Healthy Feet

My current work in progress involves chariot racing, and given its substantial equine components, I've recruited the aid of horse owners Julie and The Boyz' Mom to keep it real. (For more about them, read this post.) They love sharing about their horses, and I love learning from them, and hopefully you'll get some entertainment out of our exchanges.

When I write a stable scene, I automatically send it to my equine ladies for review. After all, I don't want to have the animals doing anything they wouldn't or couldn't. But a couple weeks ago, they called my attention to an inaccuracy  that wasn't so much about the horses as it was about the humans.

The line in question was my main character telling her grooms, "…clean out [the horses'] hooves and make sure to check for damage." I wrote this dialogue thinking it would reflect her conscientiousness as an owner, to show how particular she was about their care.

As it turned out, I wasn't particular enough. Julie responded:

I would change your one line to "check for cracks or bruises/sores."   Damage is too broad to me, and my group of horsey friends wouldn't use it in this case.  We would probably say bruising and for sure would say cracks – depending on how bad the crack is, the horse might not be able to perform.

The Boyz' Mom seconded the comment:

Yes, definitely… bruising, cracks…I'd also be looking for small stones to pick out…maybe an abscess…or signs of a chip that needs filing.

Was I in for an eye-opener! I knew horses could have hoof problems and get stones in their feet (I did read Black Beauty), but in the exchange that followed, I learned how ignorant I was to the array of foot maladies that can strike a horse. To the untrained eye (like mine!), a hoof might look like a big chunk at the end of a horse's leg, but it's made up of a lot of complicated subparts. And if those subparts aren't working together just right, then, as the Boyz' Mom says, "It is like dominoes. Everything would fall down."

As a result, horse people do a lot to maintain hooves. A LOT. The Boyz' Mom, who keeps her Boyz shoeless, files their hooves on a weekly basis. She also regularly applies a combination of olive oil and tea tree oil on their coronary bands and heel bulbs (areas right around the hoof) to moisturize and act as an antifungal. And in the winter, if they get ice balls and icicles in their feathers (the long hair around their ankles), she soaks their feet in a warm Epsom salt and tea tree oil bucket.

As much work as that sounds, it doesn't compare to getting one of the aforementioned nasties. For example, thrush is a yeast infection that can strike the sole of a horse's foot. Generally, it smells awful and can possibly lead to lameness. There are various cures available, but it takes effort to get the remedy into all the infected little crevices. When Kerrick had a bout of thrush, the Boyz' Mom had to pack his infected hoof every day with a commercial medicated poultice until the infection went away (which fortunately only took a week).

By and large, hoof problems means an unhappy horse and an unhappy owner dealing with an unhappy problem. And things get compounded further if you have huge stakes riding on the horse's performance (think the movie Secretariat when the big racehorse had his abscess). Little wonder equestrians are so particular when it comes to horse feet. Suffice to say, I came away with a better understanding of how my MC should think about her horses and actually reshaped that scene using the information I gained.

After all, little detail, spot on, goes a long way in making a narrative authentic.