Movie Review: Ring of Curse / Gomennasai (2001)

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Ring of Curse / Gomennasai

Japanese with English subtitles

This Japanese movie follows a girl named Yuka who, along with other girls in class, starts to bully a strange girl in their class named Kurohane. Yuki didn’t feel bad since she was jealous of Kurohane’s writing skills and wanted to beat her in a contest for the drama. To find out, Kurohane didn’t write a screen play, but actually a novel that left the girl who stole and read it dead. More deaths happen after people read her notebook and Yuka figures out that Kurohane is behind it. Kurohane explains why she started killing people and why she is learning how to curse write. The rest of the movie deals with the curse and how Yuka must stop it

The story also goes into Kurohane’s past even more and tells what she wrote in her diary. I found it to be kind of strange that she told part of the story, then we hear the rest through the diary.

Plot-wise, I found this story be quite fascinating. A girl can write curses and whoever reads them will die. Based on an mobile story years before, I think that it was great that the pop group Buono! wanted to create it in a film because it spoke to them so much. It is one of those horror movies that makes you kind of nervous and glad you can’t read Japanese because you don’t want to be cursed too (though I wonder if Buono! made it into a movie as well so they didn’t get cursed). It was more about plot than it was about special effects.

This movie was rather creepy in the concept, but the sound and video lens were lacking. Although I really don’t care about special effects that much, the lighting, sound, and film angles did bother me as they didn’t make it feel like a horror movie. If they invested in it a little more, I think this could have been a lot scarier. The creepiest part was when Kurohane tells her story, as the lighting changed and was the only time they used it to their advantage (not sure if it was on purpose though). And they really needed to get rid of the high-pitch sound, it was really annoying.

The acting was okay. Some actresses could have been a little better at acting, but for the most part they were pretty good.

I give the movie a 3.5/5. The plot was good and creepy in concept, but the filming and sound could have been better to make it a lot more scary.

P.S., if you are a person who gets chain letters and is paranoid the chain letter will curse them if they don’t forward the letter, probably shouldn’t watch this movie…

Dani

Movie Review: Iron Sky (Director Cut)

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I have to be honest, this is one of my favorite movies. It is a great parody directed by Timo Vuorensola. There are so many little jokes that they will leave you laughing (like when the main character James Washington pointed at one of the Nazis and said ‘who are you supposed to be, Prince Harry?’). The movie was originally made released in Finland, then actually released through Walt Disney in the States (of which I did not know until now).

They did a great job researching Nazi culture, predicting what the future would be like if they went to the moon, and what Earth would be like in the future if they had to face this problem. I did, however, want to learn more about what they ate and such, how they were able to travel to the moon without anyone noticing, but it’s not relevant to the story as it is a parody.

The plot itself was pretty believable, as the President of the United States has sent people to the moon to help her ratings in the next election and once they are there, they find the Nazi moon camp as they are mining Helium-3. James Washington gets captured and has to take them to the Earth for another phone computer to power their large space ship, that is after they turn him into an Aryan. Meanwhile Renate is an Earth specialist who sneaks aboard to see the Earth she thinks she knows so much about.

On Earth they find that things have changed a lot.

They kidnap the President’s assistant, Vivian, so that they can talk to her and declare war (or, as Renate thinks, bring peace and kindness as she has been brainwashed on the moon). Vivian takes them to the President, making them appear as campaign troop leaders and use Renate’s brainwashed message about peace. They use the same ideas for their campaign. Meanwhile the Nazis on the moon are preparing for war.

When they get the computer back to the moon, the Nazis declare attack on the Earth and every country is trying to figure out whose ships they are. They each act like they don’t have their own militarized spaceships but actually all space craft revolving the Earth has been militarized. An all-out war breaks out between the Earth and moon.

This movie is very well done and actually is in German when on the moon and English when they are in America (I loved that!). It’s refreshing to have a movie that tries to keep the language true to who is talking.

BTW, the fact that they had Vivian reenact the Hitler youtube video parody that has been subtitled so many times was amazing. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go here)

One of the problems I did have in this movie was that they had sound in space. Pet peeve, really… That’s why Firefly was amazing! But other than that, I enjoy this movie very much! 5/5!

Also, there is a sequel being made, check it out here!

Until next time!

Dani Hoots

Anime Review: Vampire Knight (Season 1 and 2(Guilty)

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Vampire Knight follows a young girl by the name of Yuki Cross who is guardian between the Day Class and Night Class at Cross Academy. What the Day Class doesn’t know is that the Night Class is full of vampires who want to bring peace between the humans and vampires. However, Yuki can’t remember anything before ten years ago and the first memory she has is being attacked by a vampire, and saved by the vampire Kaname. She struggles to find out her past, meanwhile the present peaceful times are being disrupted by vampires, humans, and hunters alike. Little does Yuki know that things that happened in the past may want to stay forgotten.

I love this show, as I have binge watched it many times… The artwork, although sometimes not as smooth as it could be, is very beautiful. The voice actors did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life, and I especially like the voice for Kaname (Yes I am team Kaname, get over it).

The story itself is very similar to the manga (which I will be reviewing later) and I’m very thankful for that (unlike Black Butler…) and I really wished they kept this series going. There is still a lot that isn’t answered, and from reading the manga (almost done) the history of the vampires is a lot deeper than they provided in the show.

The story itself, I wish we got to see more interaction with the Headmaster, as he reminds me of Vash the Stampede, with being rather crazy then all of a sudden serious. I also wish Yuki was a little less naive at times, although it made sense given her actual past (I won’t give spoilers).

All in all, if you haven’t seen this series and love vampires and romance, this is for you! 5/5!

Dani Hoots

Release Announcement #22: Professional Secret

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HootsProfessionalSecret2

The third short story of My Broken Heart Series, Professional Secret, is now available on Kindle and Nook!

It was good news to Heinrich when he found out he was getting promoted to assistant manager at his office, but when he found out he would be going on a business trip with his boss Christoph, he knew he had to try his best to not let his true feelings towards his boss show. But after a couple of drinks on the business trip, can he keep those feelings to himself? And what if the impossible happened and Christoph had those same feelings as well?

All the My Broken Heart short stories are independent and don’t need to be read in order.

Pick up your copy today!

Kindle: click here!

Nook: click here!

Manga Review: Soul Eater

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Soul Eater by Atsushi Ōkubo

Hi all!

I finally finished this manga (all 25 books!) It was a lot to read, especially since I read most of it this summer (I think I had five done before that).

Soul Eater follows young kids as they are learning to be Meisters and Death Weapons to keep the world safe under the Shinigami. They go to school at DWMA where they learn from crazy teachers, such as Dr. Franken Stein. But when all seems fine, the Kishin is resurrected by the witch Medusa and they must put a stop to the madness that is spreading.

Anyway, I loved this manga! Ōkubo did a great job tying the plot together throughout the ten years that this manga went on. Although some people think that there are different arcs, really it is one large arc with many smaller arcs. That is definitely hard to do on such a long time frame, by Ōkubo nailed it!

As for the characters, I think they are all very well rounded, some of them developing throughout the manga because of the events unfolding and others not so much as developing, but are minor characters who have already become the person they are meant to be (if that makes sense). I will go into more detail below, but it will be under the *spoilers* section.

The art is good, it isn’t my type of art, but it is consistent and very well done. It definitely goes with the theme throughout the manga, so the style didn’t bother me that much even though it wasn’t something I would normally look for. That is just a personal preference, so it’s nothing I would mark the series down for.

All in all, I loved this manga and give it five stars—a must read for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy manga. But have to warn, there are a lot of Fan Service moments…

And now, for the spoiler section.

*SPOILERS*

So I had to add my thoughts of the end. First off, I want the whole ‘madness of boobs’ explained. Seriously, that needs to be figured out. It’s funny, but I need to know…

As for character arcs, everything that had to do with shinigami was fantastic. I wanted to punch Excalibur at the end, but it was fantastic. Having the Kishin be Kid’s brother really brought things to a close, and I felt teary-eyed when Death died.

Maka and Soul had an awesome development throughout, getting through the fears and what they have faced in the past, and what they face in the present. They became strong together and they learned to fight like two badass people. I really liked when Maka fought with her father, because the connection of family, while facing Crona, bringing that development within Crona out in the open.

As for Black Star, at first I really didn’t like him, but after the mini arc of him wanting to become stronger, I really started to appreciate the character. He grew up and learned what it meant to be truly a warrior.

And last but not least, I really really enjoyed Stein’s progress throughout the story. He was the one most susceptible to the madness at DWMA and even though he was losing himself to the madness, his friends always stayed by his side. They never left him, even when he was young and mad, wanting to dissect everything. His friends were true, and I think that was the greatest strength that Stein had. And in the end, he was able to control his madness and use it to his advantage. Just in time too, because now he has to give up cigarettes for his new little monster.

So let me know if you read it, want to read it, or have any other comments.

Thanks!

Dani

Release Announcement #21: A World of Vampires Volume 2

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The second paperback collection of A World of Vampires is now available!

Vampires around the world are coming forth to remind humans they are not romantic fantasies to be sought, nor are they souls that can be redeemed. These are the stories they must tell.

This is the collection of novellas 5-8 of A World of Vampires Series: Asanbosam, Lilith, Peuchen, and Aufhocker.

Asanbosam: It’s the 1930s and Maryanne is accompanying her Oxford research professor to the Akan Empire to do anthropology field research, but little did she know the consequences of stepping into the jungle at night.

Lilith: Robin Bennet has joined the King’s Crusade to reclaim the Holy Land in 1191 and forget his past, that is until he runs into an old legend from the dawn of time, a legend filled with more darkness than he could ever imagine.

Peuchen: Apachita was once a powerful machi in the 1500s, that was until the strangers crossed the ocean and came into her land and she must decide at what lengths she will go to save her people.

Aufhocker: The Berlin Wall is up and Ade must choose between staying in East Berlin in 1965 with his mother, or taking a position with Herr Schmidt, an old family friend, as an apprentice tailor in order to be able to support his family. However, he finds that maybe this opportunity was just a little too good to be true.

Available on Antik Comics (signed), Amazon, and Barnes&Noble

Music Review ~ Ghost of the Robot’s Bourgeois Faux Pas

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Bourgeois Faux Pas by Ghost of the Robot

Available on iTunes, Amazon, and Ghost of the Robot website

Ghost of the Robot takes us back to the soft rock of the 90s, with what feels like a mix of Sugar Ray and their original sound in Mad Brilliant. From the moment I hit play and the first song Hello (Album) started playing, I felt as if I had been drifted away to paradise, sipping drinks on the beach, with not a worry nor a cloud in the sky (but the fact is I live in the North West and there are a lot of clouds in the sky…). This is the type of music I used the play when I was younger, locking myself in my room to create stories and dream of the future (of which is still do actually). I am glad I saw it on James Marsters’ Facebook and decided to download it. It was not a purchase that I regretted.

There are 11 tracks on the album and I loved every single one (which is rare for me, except for the artists Memphis May Fire, Oomph!, and Ghost of the Robot)

  1. Hello (Album) – a great start to the album, a nice solid beat and lyrics that you can just dream about driving to the beach to.
  2. Back to Act Two – a little bit reminiscent of their album Murphy’s Law, kind of a slower beat, getting you into the rest of their album.
  3. Three – a sweet slow song that seems like a mix of Valerie (Single) and Good Night Sweet Girl from their album of Mad Brilliant. Here I thought they couldn’t write another song as great as those two, but I was proven wrong!
  4. Mother of Peril – getting back to a bit of a faster pace, this song mixes a bit of fast beat with still the same sweet voice of both the second and third songs.
  5. Bad – my favorite song of the album, a nice fast pace song that I think defines Ghost of the Robot’s sound. A great little love story tied into beautiful vocal and instrumental performance of the band. Definitely a new fav of Ghost of the Robot!
  6. All That She Wanted – another lovely romance song that will bring tears to your eyes. Up beat, but passionate.
  7. Why Do We Love? – another slower song with a great melody, bringing the sound that defines the album Murphy’s Law.
  8. Katie – coming back to what I feel sounds like 90s soft rock, something I miss tremendously if you can’t tell, this song ties into the beginning of the album as it is coming to a close.
  9. The Weight – another fast pace song that brings out the indie that is Ghost of the Robot. It is the type of music that defines them, I think, and separates them from a lot of different artists.
  10. Fall Away – another slower paced song, bringing the album to a close, a little reminiscent of Murphy’s Law.
  11. Dark Matter – closing the album, a soft sweet song to leave you to finish off your day a little more pleasant.

All in all, I loved Ghost of the Robot’s new album and hope there is more to come! It definitely had a good mix of different types of music, soft and faster paced, and even though I tend to love faster paced music, I still enjoyed it a lot. So check it out if you have a chance.

~Dani Hoots

Release Announcement #20: Aufhocker

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The eight novella of A World of Vampires is now available!

Ade had to choose between staying in East Berlin with his mother, or taking a position with Herr Schmidt, an old family friend, as an apprentice tailor in order to be able to support his family. Being the year 1965, he choose the latter, but of course he would jump the wall any chance got in order to see him other and sister. However, what if the opportunity was just a little too good to be true and Ade finds out the true reason he is wanted as an apprentice?

All A World of Vampires novellas are independent and can be read in any order.

Available on Kindle and Nook

About: Ribbon

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Hello! I’m Ribbon of “Kingdom of Ribbon”. I’m a writer, cosplayer, gamer, and dessert enthusiast.

I grew up with a wild imagination and had to opportunity to watched plenty of amazing shows such as Sailor Moon and the X-Men ’92 cartoon series. When I discovered manga and comics were a thing I read whatever I could get my hands on at the library.

As I grew older, comics my geeky interests delved into film as X-Men came out, Hellboy was released soon after, and I found myself still falling in love with so many different stories and characters.

I’ve always stuck true to my interests and turned them into hobbies. Currently I play video games in my spare time, and I plan to create Let’s Play and review them both here on the site and on my YouTube channel.

I also recently started cosplaying and it is such a blast to recreate the characters that I love with attention and detail. My goal is to spread positivity with cosplay, and to see the smile on other’s faces when they see their favorite characters come to life.

Check out my YouTube Channel here (currently under construction)!

Check out my cosplay page, Kingdom of Ribbon Cosplay, here!