Sterfish's Place

1000

2009-10-23T02:52:00.000-05:00

This post is the 1000th post since I started Sterfish's Place nearly six years ago.

1000.

It's such a large number for me that it's hard to process. It doesn't seem like I've written that many posts over the years. My output for this blog, my original blog, has slowed down considerably in the past couple of years. It's gone through many failed experiments, vows to “post more,” and other lofty goals I didn't make. I've gone from very actively trying to promote it to sometimes making it no more than a repository of my reviews for other sites. Still, it's quite a milestone for me.

A lot has changed across 1000 posts. This blog used to be as much about my life as much as it is about reviews. That's not so much the case anymore, perhaps for the better. Even as what I post changes, there is one thing that hasn't: my love of writing and blogging.

Here's to the next 1000 posts. May they be just as fun to write as the first 1000.

DVD Review: Big Windup! – Part One (Episodes 1-13)

2009-10-08T01:47:00.001-05:00

The new anime series Big Windup! is one of the select few sports-related anime series to ever get released in America. Based on the manga by Asa Higuchi, the show is now available on DVD in a Part One set collecting the first 13 episodes. This drama about a fledgling high school baseball team is filled with appealing characters, good sports action, and strong character development. Whether you're an anime fan, a sports fan, or neither, Big Windup! certainly entertains.

The story begins with Ren Mihashi, a student who has transferred from the private Mihoshi Academy (which his grandfather owns) to the public Nishiura High School. As the ace pitcher for Mihoshi's baseball team in middle school, he was blamed by the team for their losing record. Many felt that nepotism was the only reason Mihashi was the ace in the first place.

Mihashi is a character you will either feel sorry for or hate with a passion. He's a bit of a mess who startles easily, acts awkward around others, and is prone to crying. When he's recruited for Nishiura's new baseball team, he's paired with the team's catcher, Takaya Abe. Abe is pretty much the complete opposite of Mihashi. An intelligent, confident player, Abe is easily annoyed by Mihashi's quirks. However, he's also the one who realizes the true extent of Mihashi's talent.

One of the major strengths of Big Windup! is the way it handles its characters. The first major arc of the series, where the team takes on Mihashi's former teammates at Mihoshi Academy in a practice game, is a good example of this. The show doesn't take the easy way out and completely vilify the Mihoshi team. Instead, it shows things from both teams' perspectives. It lets us get inside the characters' heads and find out their thoughts. As a result, the arc's ending has a bit more resonance than just simply a win or a loss.

Fortunately, the show is not too serious for its own good. There is a good amount of humor, much of it coming from the awkward relationship between Mihashi and Abe. They clash, as one character notes, “like an old married couple.” There are also some homoerotic undertones that produce both intentional and unintentional laughs. Things don't get too silly as to disrupt the drama, though.

This DVD set contains both English and Japanese language tracks (with available English subtitles). The English dub is quite good and the voice actors are well cast in their roles. Listening to the show in English makes some of the more technical scenes easier to digest. The extras on the set are few, consisting only of textless versions of the opening and ending along with some trailers.

Watching Big Windup! makes you wonder why more sports-themed anime aren't brought over. It makes the sport of baseball appealing in a way that's not unrealistic or over-the-top. It also gives non-fans and casual fans a good idea of how much effort really goes into the game. This Part One set definitely leaves you wanting more and with the Part Two set also available, you don't have to wait long.

If you're interested in checking out the show without buying the DVD set, the first four episodes of the show are available to view on a number of sites including Hulu, YouTube, Anime News Network, and Funimation.com.

[Note: Look for the review of the Part Two DVD set to appear on Blogcritics very soon.]

Movie Review: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

2009-09-24T17:06:00.001-05:00

Based on the children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs gleefully takes the simple idea of food raining from the sky to ridiculous, over-the-top proportions. What could've been a flashy but uninteresting movie is instead filled with humor, heart, and action. An amazing voice cast, wonderful animation, and a nice 3D presentation all help make this movie a lot of fun.

The story revolves around Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader), an inventor whose creations always seem to wreak havoc in his hometown of Swallow Falls. The town, housed on a small island “under the 'A' in the Atlantic” Ocean, has fallen on hard times. The town's sardine canning plant has closed down and now the residents live only on the leftover sardines.

Hoping to save the town, Flint invents a machine that turns water into food. In an attempt to get the machine working, he launches it into the stratosphere. This destroys the theme park the town banked on to draw tourists. Suddenly, cheeseburgers rain from the sky and everything changes. No one has to eat sardines any longer and the town has something to put it on the map. However, when the machine starts to get overworked, even stranger things start to happen.

When a movie features the credit “A Film By A Lot of People,” you know that it doesn't take itself seriously. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs has a hip, fresh feel without seeming forced or edgy. There are a lot of great gags throughout the film, including many background gags that callback to things seen earlier in the movie. The movie also pokes fun at Jerry Bruckheimer-esque blockbusters, especially in its action scenes.

The proceedings are also helped by an all-star cast of supporting characters. Anna Faris voices the female lead, Sam Sparks. She is an intern at Weather News Network who gets her big chance covering the food weather of Swallow Falls. There is more to Sam than meets the eye as she and Flint have more in common than you'd expect.

James Caan voices Flint's father Tim, a gruff widower who doesn't really know how to communicate with his son. Mr. T voices the energetic and ultra-athletic cop Earl and Bill Hader's SNL castmate Andy Samberg voices Brent, the town's local celebrity. Other voices include Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Bruce Campbell, Will Forte, Lauren Graham, and Benjamin Bratt, who is hilarious (and unrecognizable) in his small role.

The animation in this film is top-notch. The movie has a cartoony style that fits the material. The animators do a great job with everything thrown at them whether it's a tornado made of spaghetti or a flying car evading slices of pizza. The digital 3D presentation is very nice as well. The whole “objects flying out the screen” cliché is thankfully not overused. The 3D isn't a must but it certainly makes the movie a little more fun to watch.

First-time feature directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (best known for the animated series Clone High) have crafted a really fun and delightful film in Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. They packed a lot into the movie's short running time but it all works. This is another winner for Sony Pictures Animation after the supremely underrated Surf's Up. More movies like this and they'll provide some real competition for the Disney/Pixar, Dreamworks, and Blue Sky trifecta.

CD Review: The Ecstatic by Mos Def

2009-08-22T03:53:00.001-05:00

In recent years, Mos Def has become more well-known for his acting than his music. His latest album suggests that it should be the other way around. With a unique sound all its own, The Ecstatic is one of the more intriguing hip-hop albums released so far this year. While its quirks take some getting used to, this album is certainly worth your time.

The feel of this album is quite different from a lot of hip-hop efforts. Most of the tracks on the album (nine out of sixteen) are less than three minutes long. Three of those tracks are less than two minutes long.

However, don't let the length of the tracks fool you. None of them are pointless interludes or skits. Every track actually feels like a song. “Priority,” with its deceptively simple beat courtesy of producer Preservation, is both a highlight of the album and its shortest track.

Working with a variety of producers, Mos Def has created some interesting sounds for The Ecstatic. One thing that stands out is the use of Eastern music samples. “Supermagic,” gets the album off to a rousing start with passionate sampled vocals and some funky guitar. The stellar “Auditorium” glides over some beautiful strings with a Bollywood feel. The Madlib-produced track is aided by the appearance of hip-hop legend Slick Rick.

“The Embassy” starts off as a skit taking place on an airplane and becomes something else entirely. A smooth beat is interchanged with a jangling, Eastern music sample. Other tracks on the album sound closer to what many would expect of Mos Def. He reunites with Black Star colleague Talib Kweli on “History,”and teams with Georgia Anne Muldrow on the R & B-tinged “Roses.” The album's closer, “Casa Bey,” has him riding a jazzy track.

The Ecstatic is a solid album from start to finish. The production is top-notch and its sound makes it stand out from a lot of other hip-hop albums. Mos Def thankfully spends more time rapping than singing as well. The only thing about this album is that it can take some time to get into. Traditional song structures are thrown to the wind on some of the tracks here and that can be jarring.

However, this is an album that gets better with each listen as you begin to appreciate what Mos Def is doing. If you are a Mos Def fan or someone looking for hip-hop that's a bit more artistic, you should check out this album.

The New TV

2009-08-01T04:23:00.001-05:00

A little while back, I blogged about my experience with TV's and how my sister's TV made me want to get a new one for the first time. Well, I took the plunge and bought my first-ever brand-new TV. Of course, I didn't decide to get a new TV just on a whim. I had an "excuse."

The TV in our basement, where my sister and I have set up our Wii, essentially went haywire. It suddenly would cut itself on and off and go to full volume (without letting you turn it down). The interesting thing about this is that this TV was one of the newest in the house. It was barely three years old and until my sister got her TV, it was the only TV in the house with a digital tuner.

I guess it was a case of "you get what you pay for" as not only did the TV come from Wal-Mart but it was also less than $150. Still, considering that it wasn't used all that much compared to the other TV's in the house, it didn't last as long as I thought it would.

Anyway, with that TV out of commission, it meant that there was no TV to use for the Wii. The basement is the only logical place to put the Wii because it's the largest area in our house and the only one where multiple people could play without hitting something. This made me decide to buy a new TV so I could take my previous TV (which still works) downstairs for us to play Wii on.

I narrowed down my choices to two TV's. One was exactly like my sister's and the other was larger, and slightly more expensive. I decided to splurge on the larger one. It's a 26" Insignia HDTV and I've been enjoying it quite a bit in the few days I've had it. I have an HD DVR (just like my sister) and I've been watching random stuff I normally wouldn't watch just to see it in HD.

Insignia is one of Best Buy's private brands and although my previous experiences with Best Buy store brands have been hit-or-miss (computer mouse--good, portable CD player--bad), I'm kind of glad I got this TV. For one thing, it came with a component video cord and a VGA cord. It also came with a remote control holder.

One side note: How come animation looks so much better in HD than live action? Many of the Disney Channel's animated shows are done in HD and they look spectacular. Even a show like The Replacements just pops.

Lately, I had been spending more time at the computer than watching TV in my room. Now with my new TV, the reverse is true.

10 Years Is A Long Time

2009-07-28T02:30:00.000-05:00

The other day at work, I saw someone I went to high school with. I had not seen that guy since I graduated. When I saw him, it dawned upon me how much time has passed. It's been 10 years since I graduated high school.

I don't associate with any of the people I went to high school with now. There are a few reasons for that. For one thing, I didn't have any good friends in high school. I knew and connected with a decent amount of people (especially considering that in general, I'm shy) but I never hung out with them after school or over the summer. I saw them at school, talked with them, and that was it.

Also, I graduated in the days before social networks. Hell, I didn't own a real computer of my own until I went to college. It's a lot easier to keep in touch with people now if you want to.

Frankly, I didn't really like high school that much. I went to a small Catholic school from K-8 and it was a jarring experience for me to go to a large public high school. I got picked on somewhat throughout my time there and many people made assumptions about me.

The guy who I saw at work was actually one of the people who did pick on me a bit. In hindsight, nothing he did was really that bad. However, considering that I was quite unhappy in high school and that I had no real friends, it was really annoying at the time.

Whenever you see movies with high school reunions, the general rule seems to be that the nerdy guys change for the better and the douchebags remain douchebags. The guy I saw at work was surprisingly easygoing towards me compared to the way he was in high school. People can and do change. Ten years is a long time.

Tales From The Workplace: The Most Annoying Customer Ever

2009-07-23T22:36:00.002-05:00

Today's installment of the new Tales From The Workplace series involves the most annoying, nerve-wrecking customer I have ever dealt with. This story involves everything from general douchebaggery to essentially sexual harassment. And, once again, it's all true.

My encounters with this customer took place a couple of years ago, when I was an associate working on the sales floor. The customer in question was a married man, likely in his 30's. When I first met him, he came to the store looking for bikes for himself and his wife. I talked to him and showed him the various bikes we had.

He found one bike he liked and that's when things started to get weird. This guy is one of those people who chats up everyone he meets but instead of coming off as a nice guy, he comes off as a little creepy. He found one bike he liked and started riding it in the store (a big no-no). He liked the bike so much, he felt the need to go up to every other customer who came into the area. He didn't just tell them about the bike, he essentially made them get on the bike to try it for themselves.

He did this to two people. The first person was an attractive woman. He charmed her and had her get on the bike (which was way too big for her). It seemed like the guy was just a natural flirt and certainly enjoyed helping this woman without his wife around.

The second person he did this to, however, was quite different. A young, muscular white guy in a sleeveless shirt and shorts came by the department. The man chatted him up too, asking about his football team (the guy had on a high school tee), his workout regime, and happily commenting on how buff he was. He then also asked this guy to ride the bike too. It wasn't exactly the same as the incident with the woman as he was less touchy feely. However, it still felt a bit odd.

The man would come back a couple more times to the store and most of the associates on the floor did not want to deal with him. Hell, even the store manager at the time didn't want to deal with him. Trying to sell to him was like trying to sell to an uncontrollable pixie. At times, it felt like he had adult ADD.

However, the final incident with him was the last straw for me. The man, his wife, and his kid all came to the store as he finally decided to buy bikes for himself and his wife. I was at the register with him and he saw one of the female cashiers. She was black and had what another associate called a "stupid big booty." He quietly started making lewd comments to me about her. He then looked down at my crotch and told me that it looked like I was reacting to her too.

While I was uncomfortable, I didn't let it faze me and just ignored his comment. His wife noticed my discomfort, though, and it led to something even more bizarre. I left the register area to continue working when his wife caught me. She asked me what her husband told me and I didn't really say anything. Then she dropped this bombshell: "I'm asking because I want to know if I have a gay husband."

I told her exactly what he said and she then apologized for him. When he saw me after the conversation with his wife, he shrugged it off saying that "women don't understand how men talk."

I've helped plenty of customers who were annoying but none of them can top the married man with the douchebag personality who flirts with anything that walks, makes secret lewd comments to me about my co-workers, and managed to make his wife ask me if he was gay.

Tales From The Workplace

2009-07-20T03:50:00.000-05:00

I have a notorious history of starting up series of posts on this blog then letting them die. This time, though, I might have one that will stick.

Introducing the first installment of Tales From The Workplace. These are true stories from my job as a cashier at a sporting goods store. Obviously, I'm not going to name any names but I also will not embellish these stories. The truth is usually far more interesting than anything I could come up with.

Today's story involves an older Italian-American mother and her adult son. One of my fellow co-workers was helping the mother as her son (who had to be at least in his late 20's or early 30's) hung around the register. He was looking at the gum we sell by the piece on the counter. I rung him up for a piece and he started chewing (and enjoying) it.

We also sell the gum in bags and he put a couple of bags on the counter next to the stuff he was getting. The mother comes back with some clothes and sees the gum. She turns around to her son and tells him how the sugared gum is bad for him. She says "Fuhgettaboutit" and puts the bags of gum back.

The mother goes back to look for more clothes and the son, who was sitting in a chair by the register, approaches the counter. He picks up the bag of gum his mother put back and proceeds to get a couple more. He tells me to ring him up and motions for me to do it quickly.

He takes the bags of gum and hides them in the box of one of the pairs of shoes he's getting. The son says to me "Don't tell my mom I bought these."

Let me restate this. A grown man asked me to hide his purchase of some gum from his mother. Now, I've seen husbands tell me that they're defying their wives by buying some golf clubs or kids pestering their mother or father for some candy. But in the four years I've been at my job, that is the first time I've ever seen a grown man try to hid any purchase from his mother.

I didn't say a word about the gum to his mother when she came back to buy her and her son's stuff. I even opted not to open the box of shoes where the man hid the gum. I aided and abetted the man's sugary gum sneakery.

I have to wonder. If that man is so afraid of his mother that he'd hide a purchase of some gum, what would've happened to me if I made a mistake while ringing her up?

CD Review: We Are To Answer by Ancient Astronauts

2009-07-16T05:26:00.000-05:00

After spending years remixing for others, German duo Ancient Astronauts have dropped their debut album We Are To Answer. Featuring hip-hop tracks alongside songs from other genres, this album has a surprising amount of variety that will appeal to hip-hop and non-hip-hop fans alike.

A mix of vocal tracks and instrumentals make up the 13 tracks of We Are To Answer. "I Came Running" is the first real song on the album and it's a dark, somewhat enigmatic instrumental. Moody vocal samples and keyboards help set the tone. While it is a very good song in its own right, it also feels like it could be the perfect backdrop for the right rapper.

"Everybody," another instrumental that appears later on the album, is almost the complete opposite of "I Came Running." It's an upbeat and funky crowd-pleaser. The drums are quite forceful here and the use of other types of percussion liven things up. The pace is quicker and less deliberate. The song floats by so quickly, you'll be surprised when it ends.

The first vocal track on We Are To Answer is "Classic" and this song very nearly lives up to its title. Imani and Bootie Brown of legendary hip-hop group The Pharcyde appear on the track, which is one of the best moments on the album. A great beat and well-timed scratches courtesy of DJ Icewater make this song instantly appealing, especially to fans of the earlier days of hip-hop. Raashan Ahmad of Crown City Rockers appears on the album's other standout vocal hip-hop track, "Risin High." The rather low-key beat lets Ahmad's lyrical gifts shine easily.

There is more than hip-hop to be found on We Are To Answer as Ancient Astronauts dabble in other genres. The instrumental "Dark Green Rod" is a drum and bass song benefited by Ulf Stricker's live drums. Two vocal tracks feature reggae sounds. The better of the two is "All of The Things You Do," featuring Tippa Irie. It's a fun, catchy track with a deeper message than you expect. Another instrumental track, "Lost in Marrakesh," has a smooth world music sound reminiscent of Thievery Corporation.

Kabanjak and Dogu, the members of Ancient Astronauts, have created something that will appeal to hip-hop fans and beyond in We Are To Answer. The duo's ease in shifting from hip-hop to reggae to electronic music in the short span of this album is quite remarkable. Works like this can often have a disjointed feel that can frustrate listeners. Even with a couple of missteps, that feeling is nowhere to be found here. We Are To Answer is an immensely enjoyable album and further proof of hip-hop's global reach.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

The King of Pop has passed away. He was a phenomenal artist and a polarizing figure in the later years of his life. I feel for his family and his three children. I don't know what's worse...people who hated him suddenly saying that he was a great person or the inevitable deluge of nastiness that will surround his death. Larry King said it best when he talked about his death. "He gave us his talent. Let's celebrate that."

When Is Diet Soda Not Diet?

2009-06-11T14:35:00.004-05:00

When you hear the term "Diet" in regards to beverages, you assume the drink is going to be sugar free. That is the case for virtually every Diet drink from Diet Pepsi to Diet Green Tea. However, I found out recently that some companies (or at least the Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group) have been using the word "Diet" to simply mean "lower-calorie."

My sister purchased some Diet Crush Orange the other day for our mom. Our mother is a Type I diabetic and she likes orange pop, so it seemed like a no-brainer. Then, when I tried a can of it, I looked at the nutrition facts and discovered that this drink wasn't sugarfree. The second ingredient after carbonated water is the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup.

One can of "Diet" Orange Crush has 25 calories and six grams of carbohydrates. To be fair, this is a lot lower than regular Crush but it is certainly misleading. Why? Well, maybe because nearly every other Diet beverage has 5 calories or less and almost all of them do not have or sugar in them.

A big trend in drinks is to mix regular and sugarfree sweeteners. However, most companies do not call drinks with this mix "Diet." Vitamin Water has been touting its Vitamin Water 10 as having 10 calories per serving. It mixes crystalline fructose with the new natural sugar-free sweetener Truvia. However, nowhere in its advertising does the word "diet" appear.

The same can also be said for Propel, which mixes HCFS, simple syrup (sucrose syrup) and artificial sweeteners. A bottle of Propel usually has about 30 calories but, again, it is never described as "diet."

If any word is used to describe the mix of regular and sugarfree sweeteners it is "Light." That's what Minute Maid uses to describe its Lemonade with fewer calories. Again, the word "diet" isn't used.

The use of the word "Diet" on Diet Crush Orange may not seem like a big thing, but it's troubling for those who want (or need) to avoid sugar/HFCS-sweetened products. The Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group should seriously consider either changing the name of their product to remove "Diet" or making it clear on their packaging that this product is not sugarfree.

The TV, The TV

2009-05-27T00:38:00.003-05:00

After really watching HD, I think I want a new TV. Although I don't really watch TV in my room, I probably would if I had a nice, mid-size HDTV.

My history with TVs in my bedroom is surprisingly lame.

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I got my first TV in my bedroom. I want to say I was maybe 12 years old or something like that. My first TV was a 20-inch Zenith with a dial for VHF and a dial for UHF. It became my TV when we got a new TV for our living room. The TV that was in that room became mine.

That TV was not cable ready and it was so old that you needed a special attachment in order to hook cable to it (the antenna connection involved screws). I have fond memories of staying up late on Friday nights (the only weeknight I could stay up) and watching The Tonight Show on that TV.

When that TV konked out, the next TV I got was the first (of two) that would come courtesy of one of my grandmother's friends. It was the first cable ready TV I had and the first TV with a remote. It was brown and the channel number was visible on a red LED display on the right side of the TV. The one main thing I remember about that TV was how I had to push the buttons really hard in order to go to a channel.

When that TV stopped working, I got my current TV. It also came from my grandmother's friend and it's notable for being the first TV with inputs on it (mono though...it's not stereo). It's not really a bad TV. The picture is just a little too dark. I never really noticed it until my family had to use it as our living room TV while I was at school. Watching stuff on that TV looked a lot darker than on any other TV in the house.

Even though I've had it for at least seven or eight years, it hasn't stopped working yet. It illustrates one thing about me...I'm reluctant to spend a lot of money at once. I could afford a new TV right now but I can't just drop $300 without doing some research. I buy a lot of stuff I don't really need (DVDs and CDs especially) but I rationalize it because it's in small doses. Spending $20 five separate times doesn't seem as bad as spending $100 at once.

A new TV is one of a list of things I should buy in the near future like a new bed, new bedroom furniture, and a new computer. I'm going to get one and I deserve to buy myself the first brand-new TV I've ever owned. It's going to just take time, I guess.

Updating

2009-05-27T00:06:00.003-05:00

-Yeah, so no full-on Star Trek review. I really wanted to do one but I had trouble with it. It annoys me quite a bit when I can't write the type of review I want to write. I can't bring myself to write something short and post in anywhere other than here. It's basically like if I'm going to post it some place where a lot of people could read it, I want it to be the best thing I can do. The only time I ever write a review even when it isn't the way I want it is when I have to do it (assigned review).

-I want to review the last two CD's I've bought, Divided by Night by The Crystal Method and Blackout! 2 by Method Man and Redman. My early opinion on Divided by Night is that it's kind of meh. My early opinion on Blackout! 2 is that it's quite enjoyable. Of course, the more I listen to these albums, the more that opinion could potentially change.

-Since my review copy never came, I bought the second (and final) season of Freakazoid! recently. I intend to review it. As I watch it, I'm still struck by how much it may have influenced later animated comedies. There was a gag in an episode, for example, that purposely went on for far too long. It was really reminiscent of how some Family Guy gags go on for a lot longer than they should. I can't be sure that the writers of Family Guy watched Freakazoid but it certainly caught my eye.

-I'll probably do an anime thoughts post soon but I will tell you that this season I've watched Cross Game, Eden of The East, 07-Ghost, Hanasakeru Seishounen, K-On, and Sengoku Basara.

Quick Thoughts on Star Trek

2009-05-09T03:16:00.002-05:00

I saw Star Trek on Friday morning and overall, I enjoyed it. It's a lot of fun to watch and it's a great way to introduce/reintroduce the characters of this new Star Trek universe. I want to do a full review of the film for Blogcritics but I'm not sure if I will. If I don't do that full review, I'll post a lighter one here.

DVD Review: Death Note - Volume 2 Box Set

2009-05-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

The anime version of the popular Death Note manga concludes in the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set. The series comes to an end but not before a flurry of new characters, twists, and shocking character deaths.

[Note: If you are not familiar with Death Note, you should probably check out the review of the Volume 1 Box Set first to learn about the characters and premise.]

When we last left the characters of Death Note, Light had relinquished ownership of his notebook in order to lose all his memories of it. He did this in order to gain L's trust and eliminate suspicion that he was Kira. He even arranged it so that another person, an exec at a large corporation, could continue killing as Kira in his absence. The episodes on the Death Note Volume 2 Box Set begin with L and Light working together to find the current Kira.

The current Kira is caught in dramatic fashion but when Light touches the man's notebook, all his memories involving the notebook return (as well as his evil personality). Light kills the current Kira and resumes his plans to stop L from within his organization. L and the task force also learn of the existence of shinigami, the gods of death that normally use Death Notes.

Much happens over the course of the episodes on this set. Light triumphs against one foe only to gain a brand new one just as suspicion of him grows in the Japanese anti-Kira group. He grows colder and more sinister in his attempts to keep enemies off his trail and further his goals for a new world. He manipulates a shinigami's feelings to make it do his dirty work. He exploits the affections and admirations of two different women to get them to kill as Kira. He considers killing his own sister when her kidnapping threatens his plans. He even uses his own father to attempt to kill one of his enemies. The scene with Kira in the hospital with his father shows how evil Light has truly become.

These episodes also give us a look at how the world has reacted in the years since Light first used the Death Note. Tasteless TV producers make programs appealing directly to Kira and his fans. One man even claims to be Kira's official “spokesperson” and organizes a riot against the headquarters of the new group going after Kira. People's names make them vulnerable as criminals refuse to reveal their names and kids threaten bullies with the promise of putting their names on the Internet. Even whole countries aren't immune to Kira. The President of the United States receives a call from Kira and gives in to his demands.

There are many interesting themes and questions within Death Note. However, the simplest one is that absolute power corrupts absolutely. At the beginning of the series, Light is a brilliant young man with a bright future. By the end of the series, he is a shell of his former self. He has become a sociopath with a God complex who is hellbent on ruling a new world with only those he judges worthy. The contrast between the the young man he was and the man he has become are what make the final sequences of the series so haunting.

The five-disc Death Note Volume 2 Box Set is packaged in a handsome digipack with a slipcover that mirrors the Death Note Volume 1 Box Set. Inside, you will also again find representations of the instruction pages of the Death Note (the text is different this time around). The first four discs of the set contain the episodes. The fifth disc is a brand-new bonus disc exclusive to this set.

The excellent presentation from the last set is carried over to this one with little to complain about transfer-wise. The episodes are available with both Japanese and English audio with available English subtitles. Unfortunately, the ridiculously long sequence before the main menu remains on these discs. However, the sequence is also skippable like the previous set.

There are a nice amount of extras on this set. The first four discs each feature a behind-the-scenes featurette with voice actors for the English dub of the show, audio commentary on one episode each with people involved with the English dub, and production art. The first disc also has the clean version of the show's second opening and ending.

The extras on the fifth bonus disc revolve around the original Japanese version of the show. There is a behind-the-scenes featurette with the Japanese voice actors along with an interview with the the show's animation director and character designer. There are also conversations with the Japanese cast and crew as well as the original Japanese interstitials and a larger gallery of artwork.

If you enjoyed the first Death Note anime box set, then you will likely enjoy this one too. These episodes leave you at the edge of your seat until the very end. Although things get a little confusing at times, the journey to the show's conclusion is often exciting. While this is the end of the anime series, there is plenty more Death Note out there including three Japanese live-action films, a companion novel, the original manga series, and a Hollywood remake potentially on the horizon. This is likely not the last time you'll ever hear of Death Note.

Blogcritics Redesign

2009-05-01T01:40:00.003-05:00

Blogcritics recently got a nice new redesign/relaunch. The new look takes a little getting used to but I like seeing more images and the new logo. Although I haven't written a new article since the redesign, I did update my writer page with a new (terrible) bio and a twist on the picture I've used to represent myself on this blog for the past five years.

Although the look is different, all the great writers are still there. I'm looking forward to posting my first article for the new BC, my review of the second Death Note anime box set, very soon.

Brief Thoughts on Dragonball Evolution

2009-04-26T03:03:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, my sister and I went to see Dragonball Evolution. This movie was about 10 years too late to be a success but I enjoyed it. There were some changes to the original story (the word "saiyan" is never uttered once, for example) but a lot of things were kept in. I really thought they were going to change Bulma's last name but, no, they didn't. It was funny to hear Emmy Rossum introduce herself as Bulma Briefs.

The fight sequences were pretty decent. I enjoyed the opening "fight" between Goku and Grandpa Gohan. There's also a nice one which consists entirely of Goku avoiding attacks by a group of bullies. Also, the fight between Piccolo and Goku featured DBZ's trademark "punching at high speed at close range."

Overall, it's a nice PG-rated action flick that took me back to the days when I was a DBZ fan.

A New Mog

2009-04-15T22:16:00.002-05:00

Here's a quick little post. MOG has a brand new redesign that's nice and clean. Check it out by visiting my MOG. Blogcritics Magazine is also set for a new redesign soon and I'll let you know when that happens.

CD Review: Junior by Röyksopp

2009-04-08T20:40:00.001-05:00

After a long hiatus, Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp return with their third release Junior. Teaming up with a variety of intriguing female vocalists, they have created an album of wonderful, immersive electropop. Whether you are an electronic music fan or more of a casual listener, this album offers up some great music.

The album begins with “Happy Up Here,” a wonderful, upbeat track that recalls the breezier portions of Röyksopp's debut, Melody A.M. combined with a little bit of the moodier elements of their last album, The Understanding. The result is light but also intoxicating. The song itself is as fleeting as the feelings it brings as it is less than three minutes long.

It is followed up by “The Girl And The Robot,” a decidedly darker track. Sweden's Robyn provides the vocals as she pines for her workaholic “robot” to be with her. This track pairs a pulsing beat with dark atmospherics such as strings and haunting background vocals to make it one of the album's highlights. It's a bit over-the-top but also so enjoyable that you'll want to sing along with the chorus: “In the night I call you up and / Wanna know when you're coming home / Don't deny me / Call me back / I'm so alone.” Indie darling Lykke Li brings her unique vocals to “Miss It So Much,” a lovely little track. The music's bubbly synths and heavy bass pair up well with Li's understated performance.

Anneli Drecker, who previously worked with Röyksopp on their first album, appears on three tracks. “Vision One” is an excellent reworking of the bassline of Stevie Wonder's “Too High.” Drecker's vocals keeps things steady as the melody goes off into bleepier directions. However, her best vocal performance is on “You Don't Have A Clue,” a mellow treat with a dark undertone. The somewhat dreamy quality of her vocals is put to good use and her refrain of “You're hiding from yourself / Yes you are / Yes you are” resonates. The one misstep is “True To Life,” but that's not her fault. That song is a bit clunky compared to the rest of the album.

Another previous Röyksopp collaborator featured on Junior is Karin Dreijer-Andersson of The Knife. Previously appearing on “What Else Is There?” from The Understanding, she is featured on two tracks. Both tracks use her abilities in different ways. “This Must Be It,” has more of an upbeat, celebratory feel. “Tricky Tricky,” on the other hand, is a lot angrier. There is a purposely cold feel to the music here and it's a credit to Andersson that she could sing the following line without making you want to laugh: “Is six afraid of seven cause seven ate nine? / I'm about to lose it a second time.”

Each Röyksopp album has had an epic instrumental and the one on Junior is one of their best. “Röyksopp Forever” is sort of a mini-journey through their career. The song starts off with a more minimal, relaxed feel (it samples Skylark's “Suites For My Lady”) and things steadily get more grandiose. At its high point, the song has a triumphant feel with insistent strings, ethereal background vocals, and a nice bassline hidden under everything else.

When Röyksopp released The Understanding, it was a dramatic departure from Melody A.M. Junior is not so much a departure from The Understanding as a melding of its sensibilities with that of Melody A.M. The result is an album that definitely deserves to be in their company. Röyksopp have crafted a great album of electropop that not only pleases fan but also manages to be accessible to nonfans. With rumors of a companion album called Senior, we may get to hear more from the duo soon. Even if we don't, whatever comes next will likely be worth the wait.

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Let's Take It Back To The Early 00's

2009-04-05T21:10:00.002-05:00

Borders is currently in the midst of a CD/DVD clearance where most of their stock is 40% off. I took this as an opportunity to buy a couple of CDs I liked that I never bought.

The first one is the first Gorillaz album. I liked the singles they came out with but I didn't hear the album until my college roommate Paul bought it. I never actually bought a copy of my own and I wouldn't actually buy a Gorillaz album until Demon Days, which I enjoyed a lot as well.

In listening to the first Gorillaz album, I forgot how long it was. It also made me realize how catchy it is. It's hip-hop infused (thanks to Dan The Automator) but it's not really hip-hop. This album and Demon Days are different but enjoyable animals.

The other CD I picked up is The White Stripes' Elephant. This is the first White Stripes album I heard in its entirety and I enjoyed it quite a bit. For some reason, though, it took all the way until Icky Thump before I actually bought one of their albums. I've wanted to pick up this album for a while but I never did. Now, I finally have it and I remember why I liked it so much. I just love hearing Jack White play the guitar.

Sometimes You Gotta Spoil Yourself

2009-04-05T18:47:00.001-05:00

My dad, my sister, and I went to the Chicago Bulls game versus New Jersey yesterday afternoon. We had been trying to get to a Bulls game this season for a while (we went to Bulls games in 2006 and 2007 but didn't go last year). When my sister came home from school for the weekend, she suggested we go to a Bulls game since both me and Dad were off work. Usually, I work on the weekends (the perils of retail) but I actually had Friday and Saturday off this time.

What made this game a little more special than the other ones we've gone to was the section we were sitting in. The United Center has three levels of seating: 100 level (on the same level as the court), 200 level (the club level) and 300 level (nosebleed seats). For the other games we went to we were in 300 level seating. This time around, we were able to get (and afford) 200 level seating. Now I see why those seats always sell out.

The United Center has pretty good sightlines all the way around, but our seats were great. There aren't as many rows in the 200 level as there are in the other sections, which means that you're not as far back. Two things tipped me off immediately that this level was meant for at least semi-high rollers. First, Lexus sponsored the entire level. Every section number sign had the Lexus logo below it and there was a Lexus on display on the level. The other thing that tipped me off was the presence of a coat check. A coat check? At a basketball game? Damn.

However, the piece de resistance had to be what happened once we sat down in our seats. A United Center employee started chatting with us (we were there over an hour early) about sports and stuff. Then, he revealed that he was the attendant/waiter for our section. The waiter. There were menus attached to our seats. If we wanted anything from the concession stands all we had to do was place an order with him and the food would be delivered to us. The prices were exactly the same as at the concession stand.

We definitely took advantage of this. It was quite amazing. The only time I left my seat during the game was to go to the bathroom at halftime. The concession prices were both steep ($5.50 for a 20 oz. bottle of pop?) and not as bad as you'd think ($4.75 for a huge bucket of popcorn which would probably cost at least a dollar more at the movies). My sister summed it up best regarding our experience on the 200 level: "I can't go back [to the 300 level]."

If there is one negative about being on that level it is that the people who sit there are quieter. The three of us had a great time yelling, clapping, and booing at the game. However, the people in the row in front of us sat perfectly quiet the entire game. We were probably the loudest people in our section. The people on the 300 level were quite loud the entire game. Some Chicago Bulls boosters went through the various sections and pumped up the people to cheer. Their roars resonated through the stadium.

Finally, let me talk a bit about the United Center crowd as a whole. It's already well-known among Chicago Bulls fans about how the stadium gets really loud whenever the Bulls get 100 points (because if they get 100 points and win, everyone in the stadium gets a free Big Mac). What I don't think is as known is how loud the crowd gets during the Dunkin Donuts race. The Dunkin Donuts race is a little contest played during a timeout in the game where a bagel, a cup of coffee, and a donut race against each other in an animated video. Everyone in the stadium has a card with one of those three items on it. If the item on your card matches the item that "wins" the race, then you can take your card to Dunkin Donuts and get the item free.

During the entire game, the crowd never got louder than it did during the Dunkin Donuts race. When the coffee won, you'd swear Ben Gordon had hit the game-winning three. What can you say about a crowd that gets livelier when they get a free Big Mac or a free coffee than when their team actually wins a game?

Goings On

2009-04-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

Well, I got my copies of Jonny Quest and Royksopp's Junior the other day and am enjoying both of them. I will probably write a review of the Royksopp album (and I actually mean it this time). I'm not sure if I'll review the Jonny Quest set.

I saw Monsters vs. Aliens last weekend and liked it. It's simply a light action comedy romp with some sci-fi and pop culture references scattered around. I worked on a review of the movie but I couldn't write a version I was happy with, so it hasn't been posted.

After seeing two animated films at the theater in a row, the next movie I'll likely see is Dragonball. I used to watch the anime back in the day when it aired on Toonami, although I wasn't the biggest of fans (i.e. I didn't watch the Japanese version). This movie will probably be what I dub an "awesome failure" as in it will be bad but immensely enjoyable in spite of itself. This is the same thing I expected when I saw Speed Racer, although that movie ended up being something a lot more special than that. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

The Perils of Being A Physical Media Fan

2009-03-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

With Circuit City and most traditional record stores gone, there are fewer and fewer brick and mortar places to buy CDs and DVDs. I've seen the effects of this lately in my quest to buy a CD and a DVD I want.

There are two main places I go to buy CDs and DVDs: Best Buy and Borders. Borders is conveniently located right next to where I work and if I have a coupon, I can usually get a good deal. There are about three Best Buys I can get to easily but I usually go to the one nearest my job.

The DVD in question I'm looking for is Season 1, Volume 1 of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. It's one of my favorite animated shows and I've been looking for it on DVD. Since it came out a few weeks ago, I've only been able to find a copy of it at Target. However, Target wanted $10 more than any other place, so I decided not to get it.

Unfortunately, neither the usual Best Buy or Borders has the Jonny Quest DVD available. Borders' website states that it's available from their online store only while I'd have to go to one of the other Best Buys around me to get the Jonny Quest DVD.

The CD in question is Royksopp's newest release Junior. I love the album and I want to buy it but in this case, both Borders and Best Buy state that the album is available from their websites only. This CD just came out on Tuesday.

The reason this kind of annoys me isn't because I don't like online shopping. I do it quite frequently. What annoys me is that I like actually buying a product from a store and bringing it home to enjoy immediately.

Your enjoyment of online shopping is entirely dependent on the quality of the delivery of the product. While our mailman is great, UPS just sucks. The UPS drivers in our area will frequently drop a package on the doorstep, ring the doorbell, and leave, even if it requires a signature. I've come home to see packages out there on the front porch ready for anyone to steal. I like FedEx, but they're often a bit too expensive.

To give you an idea of how much things have changed even in the past couple of months, I was able to walk into Borders on the day Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion came out and buy it. It was readily available in the new release section. With the way things are now (and rumors of Borders getting out of the CD/DVD business entirely), if that album came out next week, I bet I'd have to order it online too.

I guess what it boils down to is that the days of me trying to buy anything non-mainstream in a store are probably over. My main reasoning for buying stuff online used to be for the price. Now, it's going to be because I won't be able to get stuff any other way.

A Kinda Sorta Review

2009-03-20T23:46:00.002-05:00

I've put up an impromptu review of Isbjerg's Dilla tribute Danish Donuts up on my MOG. What do I mean by "impromptu review"? Well, I was just planning to write a simple post about it but the more I wrote, the more it actually sounded like a simple review instead. It was completely unintentional. It's like my subconscious really wanted me to write a music review.

As a side note, I'm probably picking up Royksopp's new album this Tuesday. I like the first single, "Happy Up Here." It reminds me a bit of the stuff from their first album.

A Short Review of Coraline

2009-03-13T00:19:00.002-05:00

I saw Coraline last Sunday with my sister. Although it wasn't the best animated film, I really enjoyed it. The artistry on display in this film is amazing. There are some really beautiful and creepy sequences. The climactic sequence with the villainess is just amazing to look at.

Although this movie is PG-rated, it's not a film I'd take a little kid to see. However, I think older kids would enjoy it. I saw the movie in 2D and I can imagine that this movie is fantastic in 3D.

I definitely recommend checking this movie out before it leaves theaters.