A Little Something for Your Ears: Piece By Piece Cover by KHS
↧
↧
Pan (2015)
~~ THIS REVIEW DOES HAVE SPOILERS ~~ Eeeeeeehhhhhh…..overall, it was okay. It had a special-effects-glaze, I like to say, which most of the time in a lot of well-budgeted films, can weaken the story greatly. In this case for me, it didn’t so much weaken so much as the dialogue and most of the charactersRead more
↧
1. A book recommended by a librarian – Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson
Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson Read: 1/21/2017 – 1/22/2017 #withaudiobook A wonderful adventure to read on the weekend. 🙂 I love the beautiful cover! The writing was wonderful, I love Tabitha’s way of thinking, the narrator’s voice from the audio was lovely, the ending was sweet and I wish so dearly that Inspector PercivalRead more
↧
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
~~ THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ~~ “Tale as old as time…” Walking out of the theater, I was just… To start off, I think this is the best Disney remake yet, it keeps the heart and best moments of the original while improving the story, developing the characters even more and making it its ownRead more
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 1
Story Time: I’ve already seen the anime in full. Unfortunately, it was never finished so the only way to find out the ending is to read the rest of the manga. So I do know what happens up to a certain point and in starting the manga, it’s been pretty faithful to the anime soRead more
↧
↧
Tangled the Series: Season 1, Episode 18: Not in the Mood
Writer: Kelly Hannon | Director: Stephen Sandoval The style of this show still amazes me, look at all the beautiful color in this opening shot of the castle: Sure, you could say it’s just sunset but the music cues that we’re about to enter something serious… and shocking – the king belligerently declares war to a mysteriousRead more
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 2
Episode 4: The Wind Tribe Manga Chapters: The first minute before the theme break covers the rest of chapter 5 to the end of chapter 7. Su-won is certainly interesting and calculative, I’m not sure if he knows his actions are wrong in his approach to becoming king but he also thinks its great thatRead more
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 3
Episode 7: Destiny Manga Chapters: 12 – 13 (the first 19 pages) So we have our first breather episode after the intensity of the 6th and we have a prophecy involving classic Chinese dragon lore. Yona is scolded by Yun, affirming to her how rude and naive she’s been about her own country and as his guest while Hak heals from his injuries. Ik-su tries persuading Yun to let up on Yona considering her circumstances while Yona starts ruminating on her behavior as of late. So Yona goes back to Yun and thanks him for taking care of Hak and asks to learn more about the oracles of the kingdom. Yun gives some backstory about how powerful of an authority the oracles used to have before the royal council had to kick them out for fear of being usurped. He also hints at how Ik-su’s need to help people through his fortune telling is almost of an obsessive nature if he’s not with him to knock Ik-su down in case he flies too high. In the evening, Yona wakes to find Hak is gone and runs to look for him, fearing he’s injured himself further then yells at him for not telling her where he went. With this scene, you could say she’s being a crybaby because her protector isn’t next to her but I think it’s more about familiarity and stability in an overwhelming situation. Hak has been with her since they were both children, through losing her father and her home, she’s alone in the world without him and she’s realizing just how much she has to learn about her kingdom to take it back, she’s not a great fighter but she wants to be and she needs her only friend to get through it. While Hak lets his feelings for Yona seep through a little but Yona is still naive to the fact and we have some more comedic subversion. Then a sweet moment with Hak apologizing for her hair and Yona remarks about how much lighter she feels now. It’s a subtle but very organic emotional beat for her. As Ik-su tells Yona of her destiny and the legend of the dragons, this is where the journey really begins. This is also how much better (in my opinion) the anime is to the manga because, in the opening of the anime, we already know that Yona will succeed in finding the dragons, the question is how? and watching the characters grow and change in their quest, it’s tastefully done foreshadowing. In the manga, we don’t have a strong enough character set-up to care early on and the prophecy is supposed to come off as this great important calling when it’s actually pretty weak and predictable so there’s no mystery or suspense of if they will succeed or fail but the structure of the anime makes it so it doesn’t really matter. The focus is kept on the characters which help the story flow better. So Yona solidifies her choice in gaining strength and determinedly asks Hak to train her. I just love this sweet baby bird. :3 Episode 8: The Chosen Door Manga Chapters: (the rest of) 13 – 14 There’s a small anime-only scene of Yoon asking Hak how he can stay with Yona, being as weak as she is and unable to protect him if he needed it. Hak insinuates to him how you always want to protect the people you love, despite their annoyances, implying how deep the connection of family can be. In case anyone missed it, Yoon is actually added in alongside Yona and Hak in the opening! Little details like that are my favorite. :3 An episode where our two main leads, for the most part, take a back seat for us to learn more about Ik-soo and Yoon. Ik-soo asks Yona and Hak to take Yoon along with them on their journey, thinking his bumbling nature hinders his potential. Their relationship is the most endearing inspiration for anyone who’s had an older sibling. Yoon was always on his own and yearning for something until Ik-soo came into his life. With oracles being banished from the capital, Ik-soo spent his days traveling to continue to spread the word of the gods to the people, encouraging compassion towards others. Dumbfounded by Ik-soo’s kind-hearted composure as he tried to rob him for money, a young and guarded Yoon decides to treat his head wound he caused from throwing a rock at his head to knock him out. In exchange, Ik-soo teaches Yoon how to make sandals and promises to return from his travels with books for him to read. Right from their first interaction, it’s evident they would make a fine pair of brothers. Yoon starts to trade more from selling the sandals he makes while waiting for him to come back, realizing how lonely he was. Ik-soo returns in tatters from being robbed of all the gifts he was bringing to Yoon; thinking it’s best to stay away from people for a while due to their greediness, he says goodbye to him. But noting how clumsy he is, that he can learn all he needs from him, and ultimately that he doesn’t want to be left alone anymore, Yoon begs Ik-soo to stay with him. Then we have a gorgeous farewell scene. In such a short amount of time, they had impacted each other’s lives so much, Yoon knows he’s right but is still torn about leaving him on his own. Ik-soo comes to bring him new sandals he had made for the journey, Yoon retorts how his aren’t much better and makes him a new pair as well. Skipping with joy, Ik-soo trips yet again but doesn’t fall this time, showing Yoon he can stand on his own two feet just fine. Both of them crying over Yoon having to leave this time and how lonely Ik-soo will be. It’s a cute reversal. So Hak, Yona, and Yoon say their farewells, with Yoon taking up the helm and Ik-soo smiling softly watching them leave. Now we’re off to find some dragons! “I had such fun making sandals.” Episode 9: Shaking Resolve Manga Chapters: 15 – 16 (first 8 pages) A detour is taken between them discussing the village they need to travel to find the first dragon and Yona asking Hak to finally teach her how to defend herself, to restock supplies and Hak goes to buy more weapons. Soo-won is back! As he is making plans to reform the country, Kye-Sook meets him in his office to confirm his suspicions of the tax fraud crimes currently going on in the kingdom, they have detained the suspect but warns him of how much leeway the growing amount of corruption had been going on during King il’s rule. Soo-won retorts of King il’s kindness during his reign and while not a bad characteristic to have as a ruler, surmises that his choices are how he came to be labeled a “weak” king which allowed the corruption to take hold. Kye-Sook remarks of a book he has that was formally forbidden on his desk, containing the legend of the dragons that supposedly formed the kingdom. With having been told the story of the dragon just in the previous episode, I suspected that Soo-won might be on to Yona and Hak but then he said no child’s fairytale is coming to rebuild the kingdom, the people will. And I can’t say I disagree with him, he’s very logical in his beliefs in his own people but you can hear how much disdain he has for the way his uncle ruled. Meanwhile, the trio was given a map by Ik-soo before they left to locate the first dragon and word is starting to spread of the new young king’s plans, causing Yona to be tossed into a sack and carried by Hak to avoid being seen by any soldiers. Hearing the villagers talk about Soo-won causes Yona to have a panic attack and after almost having a run in with some soldiers, they continue on their journey. In a beautifully instrumented montage, we see glimpses of Yona starting to think about how inactive she’s been and seeks to change her weak tendencies by relaying to Hak again that she asked to teach her how to defend herself. Hak tries to give her some perspective on the seriousness of her request by asking her if she’s capable of killing someone, as well as what she wants is going against what her father believed. I love how this is addressed, not many other shows focus on this being an important lesson as the hero learns to fight but it is a very real issue. Sometimes the heroes do kill people, this show doesn’t shine a happy spotlight on the simple fact that they’ve won and Yona is shaking now but she’s not giving up. Yoon also restates how there’s more weigh in carrying a weapon than just it’s size, it’s a tool to defend yourself with, meaning it’s important to be aware that with that tool you may have to take someone else’s life. This is a physical as much as an emotional struggle for Yona, feeling she may be betraying her father in taking up a weapon. Hak sees this in her hesitation while trying to shoot a small boar and decides to test her training thus far. When he sees she’s not resilience enough, he gives her a little incentive… Yona reassures him of her confidence in fighting if he’s ever in danger, which Hak brushes off as nothing of importance since he’s her bodyguard. He’s going to protect her, not the other way around. (It’s not so much a sexist attitude as much as Hak may feel he’s not fulfilling the role the king had given him otherwise.) A fog appears in their path, they find Yoon has disappeared, and are suddenly surrounded by a group of white-haired archers. Yona says the oracle sent them and noticing Yona’s crimson hair, the elder reveals themselves to be the guardians of the White Dragon. So in agreement to take her to the dragon’s village, we end on a bit of a cliffhanger with a glimpse of the white dragon himself. Look at this girl putting in that work! Episode 10: Anticipation Manga Chapters: (the rest of) 16 – 17 Time to meet the White Dragon, the one with the claw that can tear through anything. (who has also been added to the intro! 🙂 Believing the descendant of the crimson dragon king has finally come for their white dragon as prophecied, the villagers enthusiastically welcome Yona and Hak, while Yoon had been captured and caged as the beautiful savage that he is. As the whole village is a collective descendant of the original white dragon, only one is blessed to carry the bloodline through each generation, while the rest are completely dedicated to protecting and serving the one chosen until the king returns for him. Being pampered and sheltered from the rest of the world due to his scared dragons blood, he feels restless and impatient having to wait for this mysterious king to come while if he is the one with the ability, shouldn’t he be the one protecting his beloved villagers? His grandmother tries to reassure him they are happily dutybound to be raising him in preparation and not to worry in the slightest. Feeling at a chance to be purposeful at the news of intruders in his village, the white dragon rushes to confront them. As they finally meet, the white dragon is suddenly overwhelmed by the dragon god within, relaying to him of his destiny to assist the crimson king in some really wonderful animation… and faints. The white dragon has a memory of his father, telling him of his destiny by his right hand, explaining how his blood will cry out for its master and it is his soul bound duty to protect the king when the time...
↧
Unicorn Readathon: My TBR
Since one of my new year’s resolutions for 2018 is to start reading again, I figured I’d start with a readathon. January was prep, this month is go-time! This is my first readathon (ever) so I wanted to start off small. Really small with still having to keep up with other content on here and such. Luckily, this readathon is a lenient one. For those who don’t know: The Unicorn Readathon is a readathon in celebration of National Unicorn Day. This month is round 2 and will start on the 4th of February. The readathon lasts the whole week and the only guideline is to read a book (or multiple books) having to do with magical creatures, meaning any and every magical creature, not just limited to unicorns. A magical creature can be within any context from the main character having a pet dragon to someone wearing a phoenix necklace on the cover, it’s completely up to you. Here is the creator’s, Roya from Unicorn Hunter Books, announcement video: What I’m Reading I was originally going to re-read Vols. 1 – 5 of Phoebe and Her Unicorn by Dana Simpson since the 6th volume just came out but I moved it down the list for this big beauty: I figured with a theme of mythical creatures, a textbook by a magizoologist covered all the bases. I also own a copy of the original green hardback but what I’m most excited to start is the audiobook: Six new beasts, Eddie Redmayne in character as Newt narrating, and there’s also the movie screenplay! Needless to say, I’m super excited for tomorrow! But knowing how busy I can make myself, I may just be listening to the audiobook but still, it’s better than nothing. What do you plan to read this week? Comment below or head over to my twitter and let me know! ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 28 total views, no views today
↧
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 1
Story Time: I’ve already seen the anime in full. Unfortunately, it was never finished so the only way to find out the ending is to read the rest of the manga. So I know what happens up to a certain point and in starting the manga, it’s been faithful to the anime so far (a few moments were switched around but it doesn’t affect the story greatly), there’s not much to compare so I will be just going to review the anime then I’ll transition over to reviewing manga in more of a book review format once I reach the cut-off point. If there are any differences down the road, I’ll put them before the episode review. In this Korean/Chinese culturally-influenced world, Princess Yona of the Kingdom of Kouka has lived a peaceful and luxurious life, completely sheltered from violence and poverty as ordained by her gentle father, the Emperor il, for the outlaw of war and a kingdom of weapons to be forbidden. But Yona suffers a devastating transpiration on her 16th birthday as her father is murdered by her cousin Su-won. Suddenly having to flee her home and livelihood with her childhood friend and bodyguard, General Hak, she discovers her beloved kingdom isn’t what it seems to be. With corruption running rampant and Su-won plotting to become king however necessary, Yona and Hak must venture for help to reclaim the throne. If there be war, so be it. Manga Volumes: {Currently} 24 Anime Episodes: 24 Rating: PG-13 (for graphic fight scenes with blood) Episode 1: The Princess Yona Manga Chapters: 1 – 2 (first half- 22pgs.) All right, there is one difference and that’s the very beginning. Story-wise, it doesn’t make much of a difference but nonetheless. The anime decided to introduce us to Yona all ready about to confront an army that, assumingly, was sent by Su-won to start a war with a neighboring country with her comrades in tow after having to flee but they’re all in shadow since we’ve yet to meet them or know of what importance they bring. Then flashback and Yona narrating her past. Now, this isn’t much of a problem for me, being thrown into the chaos alongside these, for now, mysterious characters is intriguing enough to want to know all the more about them. So I think for an anime, a young girl who’s a princess in hiding about to take on an entire army while hearing her tell us how her life came to be what it is, being the first thing we see before the opening is a great hook. This first opening is wonderful. The instrumental music is a bold choice, uniquely epic and very grounded in its historical influences and setting, I love the erhu (Chinese instrument, sounds like a violin) especially but I love violin music regardless. The visuals are no slouch either. The silhouettes fading between each other, Yona’s beautiful Diyi and Fengguan, we got our classic personality character profiles, some traditional Chinese dragon lore is in connection, this adorable squirrel, then we see meet the antagonist, and a closing montage of which I am not a well-suited enough analyst yet to break down, I just think it’s awesome. Maybe go ask Mother’s Basement, he’s better at it. Sooo yeah, this first episode has a slow start, the majority of it is just pre-hardcore Yona being a whiny, immature brat. Which hinders the tone a bit but it’s mostly played up for the comedic moments. You can tell it’s gonna be one of those anime that flip between serious and comical at the flick of a coin, which is also faithful to the manga. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and when it does have to be serious it goes all the way and stays focused, and then gives us a laugh to break the tension. It’s well balanced, there’s some political talk, some worldbuilding, of course, character introductions as well as some backstory, and that’s all you can expect from a pilot episode. When it picks up towards the end, it’s amazing, I was just as shocked as Yona when she opens that door, (which is also why I didn’t include the trailer in the calendar post) Hak’s fighting skills are awesome, and no time is wasted on establishing Su-won as the bad guy and the beginning of Yona’s mental shutdown as a result. Episode 2: Torn Bonds Manga Chapters: The first 8 minutes does a small recap and covers pgs. 11-21 of chapter 1 then continues into chapter 2 (second half – 18pgs.) This is one of my favorite episodes, mostly for the bookending of returning to fierce Yona taking down the army and points to Monica for her incredible voice acting. She distinguishes her voice well enough to sound more confident in contrast to her naive higher-pitched (Mira Jane) voice. Ugh! It’s just so exciting! Hak is a wonderful character, I love how chill he is yet when it’s time to get down to business, he’s scary-serious. So we have some awesome fight scenes and all while Yona is still in shock, they manage an escape. Also, a moment of silence for the MVP of this episode: Min-Soo. Episode 3: The Distant Sky Manga Chapters: The first 10 minutes cover the entirety of chapter 3 then continues up to pg. 27 of chapter 5. Mostly a flashback/backstory episode. We see an inkling of a more confident Yona. How Hak came to be Yona’s bodyguard. As much as he tries to cover up his feelings, he does care about her and he’ll always be there if she’s in danger. Su-won, Yona, and Hak as children growing up together, seeing their friendship and how different each of their parental relationships are and how that affects them (and changes them when they grow up), especially Yona’s. We also see Hak’s anger to Su-won’s betrayal and for how much it’s affecting Yona. For having such a close friendship when they were kids, Hak’s anger and Yona’s mental shutdown is understandable. I don’t hate Su-won yet, I’m just curious about his plan… “It’s gone. The sky we watched together that day. I’ll never see it again.” To Be Continued… ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 21 total views, no views today
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 3
Episode 7: Destiny Manga Chapters: 12 – 13 (the first 19 pages) So we have our first breather episode after the intensity of the 6th and a prophecy involving classic Chinese dragon lore. Yona is scolded by Yun, affirming to her how rude and naive she’s been about her own country and as his guest while Hak heals from his injuries. Ik-su tries persuading Yun to let up on Yona considering her circumstances while Yona ruminates on her behavior as of late. So Yona goes back to Yun and thanks him for taking care of Hak and asks to learn more about the oracles of the kingdom. Yun gives a bit of backstory about how powerful of an authority the oracles used to have before the royal council had to kick them out fearing they’d be usurped. He also hints at how Ik-su’s need to help people through his fortune telling is almost obsessive if he’s not with him to knock Ik-su down if he flies too high. In the evening, Yona wakes to find Hak is gone and runs to look for him, fearing he’s injured himself further then yells at him for not telling her where he went. With this scene, you could say she’s being a crybaby because her protector isn’t next to her but I think it’s more about familiarity and stability in an overwhelming situation. Hak has been with her since they were both children, through losing her father and her home, she’s alone in the world without him and she’s realizing just how much she has to learn about her kingdom to take it back, she’s not a great fighter but she wants to be and she needs her only friend to get through it. While Hak lets his feelings for Yona seep through a bit but Yona is still naive to the fact and we have more comedic subversion. Then a sweet moment with Hak apologizing for her hair and Yona remarks about how much lighter she feels now. It’s a subtle but organic emotional beat for her. As Ik-su tells Yona of her destiny and the legend of the dragons, this is where the journey kicks off. This is also how much better (in my opinion) the anime is to the manga because, in the opening of the anime, we already know that Yona will find the dragons, the question is how? and watching the characters grow and change in their quest, it’s tastefully done foreshadowing. In the manga, we don’t have a strong enough character set-up to care early on and the prophecy is supposed to come off as this great important calling when it’s really just weak and predictable so there’s no mystery or suspense of if they will succeed or fail but the structure of the anime makes it so it doesn’t really matter. The focus is kept on the characters which help the story flow better. So Yona solidifies her choice in gaining strength and determinedly asks Hak to train her. I just love this sweet baby bird. :3 Episode 8: The Chosen Door Manga Chapters: (the rest of) 13 – 14 There’s a small anime-only scene of Yoon asking Hak how he can stay with Yona, being as weak as she is and unable to protect him if he needed it. Hak insinuates to him how you always want to protect the people you love, despite their annoyances, implying how deep the connection of family can be. In case anyone missed it, Yoon is actually added in alongside Yona and Hak in the opening! Little details like that are my favorite. :3 An episode where our two main leads, for the most part, take a back seat for us to learn more about Ik-soo and Yoon. Ik-soo asks Yona and Hak to take Yoon with them on their journey, thinking his bumbling nature hinders his potential. Their relationship is the most endearing inspiration for anyone who’s had an older sibling. Yoon was always on his own and yearning for something until Ik-soo came into his life. With oracles being banished from the capital, Ik-soo spent his days traveling to continue to spread the word of the gods to the people, encouraging compassion towards others. Dumbfounded by Ik-soo’s kind-hearted composure as he tried to rob him for money, a young and guarded Yoon treats the head wound he caused from throwing a rock at his head. In exchange, Ik-soo teaches Yoon how to make sandals and promises to return from his travels with books for him to read. Right from their first interaction, it’s evident they would make a fine pair of brothers. Yoon starts to trade more from selling the sandals he makes while waiting for him to come back, realizing how lonely he was. Ik-soo returns in tatters from being robbed of all the gifts he was bringing to Yoon; thinking it’s best to stay away from people for a while due to their greediness, he says goodbye to him. But noting how clumsy he is, that he can learn all he needs from him, and ultimately that he doesn’t want to be left alone anymore, Yoon begs Ik-soo to stay with him. Then we have a gorgeous farewell scene. In such a short amount of time, they had impacted each other’s lives so much, Yoon knows he’s right but is still torn about leaving him on his own. Ik-soo comes to bring him new sandals he had made for the journey, Yoon retorts how his aren’t much better and makes him a new pair as well. Skipping with joy, Ik-soo trips yet again but doesn’t fall this time, showing Yoon he can stand on his own two feet just fine. Both of them crying over Yoon having to leave this time and how lonely Ik-soo will be. It’s a cute reversal. So Hak, Yona, and Yoon say their farewells, with Yoon taking up the helm and Ik-soo smiling softly watching them leave. Now we’re off to find some dragons! “I had such fun making sandals.” Episode 9: Shaking Resolve Manga Chapters: 15 – 16 (first 8 pages) A detour is taken between them discussing the village they need to travel to find the first dragon and Yona asking Hak to finally teach her how to defend herself, to restock supplies and Hak goes to buy more weapons. Soo-won is back! As he is planning to reform the country, Kye-Sook meets him in his office to confirm his suspicions of the tax fraud crimes going on in the kingdom, they have detained the suspect but warns him of how much leeway the growing corruption had been going on during King il’s rule. Soo-won retorts of King il’s kindness during his reign and while not a bad characteristic to have as a ruler, surmises that his choices are how he came to be labeled a “weak” king which allowed the corruption to take hold. Kye-Sook remarks of a book he has that was formally forbidden on his desk, containing the legend of the dragons that supposedly formed the kingdom. With having been told the story of the dragon just in the previous episode, I suspected that Soo-won might be on to Yona and Hak but then he said no child’s fairytale is coming to rebuild the kingdom, the people will. And I can’t say I disagree with him, he’s very logical in his beliefs in his own people but you can hear how much disdain he has for the way his uncle ruled. Meanwhile, the trio was given a map by Ik-soo before they left to locate the first dragon and word is spreading of the new young king’s plans, causing Yona to be tossed into a sack and carried by Hak to avoid being seen by any soldiers. Hearing the villagers talk about Soo-won causes Yona to have a panic attack and after almost having a run in with some soldiers, they continue on their journey. In a beautifully instrumented montage, we see glimpses of Yona thinking about how inactive she’s been and seeks to change her weak tendencies by relaying to Hak again that she asked to teach her how to defend herself. Hak tries to give her some perspective on the seriousness of her request by asking her if she’s capable of killing someone, and that what she wants is going against what her father believed. I love how this is addressed, few shows focus on this being an important lesson as the hero learns to fight but it is a very real issue. Sometimes the heroes do kill people, this show shines no happy spotlight on the simple fact that they’ve won and Yona is shaking now but she’s not giving up. Yoon also restates how there’s more weigh in carrying a weapon than just it’s size, it’s a tool to defend yourself with, meaning it’s important to know that with that tool you may have to take someone else’s life. This is a physical as much as an emotional struggle for Yona, feeling she may be betraying her father in taking up a weapon. Hak sees this in her hesitation while trying to shoot a small boar and wants to test her training thus far. When he sees she’s not resilience enough, he gives her a little incentive… Yona reassures him of her confidence in fighting if he’s ever in danger, which Hak brushes off as nothing of importance since he’s her bodyguard. He’s going to protect her, not the other way around. (It’s not so much a sexist attitude as much as Hak may feel he’s not fulfilling the role the king had given him otherwise.) A fog appears in their path, they find Yoon has disappeared, and are suddenly surrounded by a group of white-haired archers. Yona says the oracle sent them and noticing Yona’s crimson hair, the elder reveals themselves to be the guardians of the White Dragon. So in agreement to take her to the dragon’s village, we end on a cliffhanger with a glimpse of the white dragon himself. Look at this girl putting in that work! Episode 10: Anticipation Manga Chapters: (the rest of) 16 – 17 Time to meet the White Dragon, the one with the claw that can tear through anything. (who has also been added to the intro! 🙂 Believing the descendant of the crimson dragon king has finally come for their white dragon as prophecied, the villagers enthusiastically welcome Yona and Hak, while Yoon had been captured and caged as the beautiful savage that he is. As the whole village is a collective descendant of the original white dragon, only one is blessed to carry the bloodline through each generation, while the rest are dedicated to protecting and serving the one chosen until the king returns for him. Being pampered and sheltered from the rest of the world due to his scared dragons blood, he feels restless and impatient having to wait for this mysterious king to come while if he is the one with the ability, shouldn’t he be the one protecting his beloved villagers? His grandmother tries to reassure him they are happily dutybound to be raising him in preparation and not to worry in the slightest. Seeing an opportunity at the news of intruders in his village, the white dragon rushes to confront them. As they finally meet, the white dragon is suddenly overwhelmed by the dragon god within, relaying to him of his destiny to assist the crimson king in some wonderful animation… and faints. The white dragon has a memory of his father, telling him of his destiny by his right hand, explaining how his blood will cry out for its master and it is his soul bound duty to protect the king when the time is right. He awakens to his dragon hand burning and thanks his father and the previous generations for giving him the honor to meet their master in his lifetime. Yona is intrigued by his almost ethereal appearance, and tells...
↧
Yona of the Dawn, Part 4
Creator: yona-of-the-dawn (via tumblr.com) Episode 11: The Dragon’s Claw Manga Chapters: 18 – 19 (pg 62) We’re well on our way to meeting the blue dragon! This episode was chock full of comedic moments, at the expense of Giya adjusting to camp-life. But him and Hak bicker like budding brothers and the full extent of the white dragon’s claw is showcased as bandits ambush the group. Even Yona takes a shot during the action, putting her archery training to use instead of listening to Hak and hiding, with Yun’s help. While Giya struggles with all these new confusing feelings coming about him, Yona is consistently caring and becomes more of an inspiration for him as he watches her train relentlessly, much to Hak’s disdain, realizing how much strife Yona has gone through in becoming stronger to protect her loved ones. Yeah, I don’t like strange bugs either, buddy. (His screams in the dub are so hilarious in this scene!) Episode 12: The Masked Dragon Manga Chapters: 19 (pg 63) – 21 Holy squirrel was this one intense! A little suspenseful and suspicious undertones with a heart-wrenching back-story to boot for the blue dragon. This show is beautifully intriguing, discovering how each dragon warrior’s upbringing is contrasted. Meeting the blue dragon after Giya, a dragon who was worshipped for his powerful hand to one completely shunned by his people deeming the eyes of a dragon to be a curse because it goes against their customs in a sense, I’m excited to see how they interact. I didn’t enjoy the VA chosen to voice (the blue dragon’s…father?) his performance felt very sloppy and loud for the most part but he’s a one-off character, I’m not going to nitpick much. (But fun fact: means blue in Japanese!) Yona, sweetie, your next lesson is to not accept a stranger’s hand, okay? Okay. Moving on, this was such a sad episode, watching this innocent boy be left to darkness just because his eyes were different than anyone else’s leading to ridiculous rumors, don’t let yourselves be bullied, kids. But despite that, he still yearned to protect his people, that might’ve been his dragon’s blood but it’s still honorable. Who knew such a simple trinket as a string of bells can have so much meaning? Whoever in the translation team decided to put this in, I love you. Episode 13: The Rippling Fear Manga Chapters: 22 – 23 This was a wonderful episode. Yona firmly holds her ground against Hak, refusing to stay behind and wait while going to search for the blue dragon in the dark caves. In meeting the blue dragon, I love how level-headed Yona is, she doesn’t force him to join their group, she leaves that decision completely up to him, as shaken and scared as he is. She’s always on the same ground as her dragon protectors, her first question to him is what his real name is, similar to Giya. When an earthquake separates them, Hak actually gets the weakening moment here, clawing at the rock wall, begging King Il not to take her from him just yet, if that’s not the most genuine confirmation of his feelings for her, I don’t know what would be. I’m not saying Yona is Fairy-Tail-Mira-Jane-She-Demon levels of fierce just because she’s learning archery, she admits she’s weak and doesn’t like that she feels she needs to reply on Hak all the time and I think there’s a strength to that. But while Yona feels she shouldn’t want to rely on Hak’s physical strength to get through their hardships, it’s evident in this episode that they both rely on each other for a different reason. They’re better together than apart, that’s a good staple of an OTP for me. The fact of Yona being the calmest person in the room during all of the panic and hostility the villagers have towards the blue dragon, immediately blaming him for the earthquake, shows so much of her father’s gentle nature in her, it’s a sweet subtlety that I really enjoy watching as she grows into a stronger person. She has a wonderful humility about her, again there isn’t an almighty dragon in front of her, all she feels is she’s with a kind, sorrowful boy who can’t see himself as something spectacular. This episode ends with a bit of a cliffhanger so there isn’t much to conclude, we’ll have to wait for Part 5. To Be Continued… ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 48 total views, no views today
↧
A Random Poem for your Pleasure: Love.
18 total views, no views today
↧
↧
Star vs the Forces of Evil: Season 3, Episode 17 – Is Another Mystery/Marco Jr.
Creator: Daren Nefcy | Director: Brett Varon Title prediction: no idea but its mysterious. Basically: Buff-frog goes missing. Dang, this one got surprisingly sad. While for what the subject of this episode was, Tom was a good choice to go with star cause he does have an understanding of their hardships, unlike Marco but I still wish he went along. Tom still has some of his temperamental issues, which I’m thinking is what’s going to break them up again. Considering Tom kept asking if he did things better than Marco if he was a better partner-in-crime/boyfriend for tar, he is low-key jealous and I hope he doesn’t let that get to him too much. I hope they break it off mutually like Marco and Jackie did, cause I love Tom as a character and just more of a friend to Star. Also, Tom saying if he and star can make it work, him being a monster and her being a mewman, really stuck out to me, I’m curious if that’s going to come back around if they start having problems again and if star is going to feel obligated to stay with him since that’s what her goal as a princess and as a ruler is. Sad to see Buff-frog and Katrina and the other buff babies go but hopefully they’ll come back soon! Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Creator: Daren Nefcy | Director: Brett Varon Title prediction: Alright, I can’t remember if one of the laser-eye puppies is called macro jr or not but then I saw the thumbnail for this episode and it’s something TOTALLY different than what I was thinking so…here we go. Basically: There’s a baby shower… Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Baby boy in fact! My gosh, this episode was fun! AND WE HAVE A BABY COMING! 😀 Together, this was a great episode, they were excellent parallels to each other in relation to our main characters. Episode A was about how well Macro knows Star (more indirectly through comparison of how Tom interacts with her but still) and how she can get when she worries, not that Tom did horribly, but Macro definitely would’ve helped investigate more alongside star. Tom, for the most part, looked bored through most of it and was focused on distracting her from all political side of their lives and just hang out with Star more than help her. Because that’s what he likes to do but he doesn’t understand that she has a bigger responsibility on her shoulders on her journey to becoming Queen that she can’t just ignore. Episode B was more direct with showcasing how well Star knows Macro with a literal test but it was a fun one! With some wonderful story development, Angie is pregnant with a little boy, that’s so exciting! I really missed earth and I hope we get more episodes of macro visiting. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 46 total views, no views today
↧
When Calls the Heart: Season 1, Episode 1 – Lost and Found
{Watch on Netflix} I absolutely adore this series! It’s a big plate of sappy syrup-drenched pancakes with sweet strawberries but I love it anyway. A wonderfully relaxing show to watch on a lazy Sunday so I thought I’d start my Hufflepuff Hygge series with reviewing the show. I also need to rewatch it, I’ve only gotten about halfway through season 2, I believe. But now it’s on Netflix, yay! Elizabeth Thatcher, a high society woman in the early 1900s, receives her first teaching job in the small, mining town of Coal Valley. With the new constable, Jack Thornton, and confection-loving widow, Abigail Stanton, she works hard to earn her place amongst the begrudged community after an explosion takes away more than a dozen of their miners with her optimism, kindness, and unwavering determination. Season 1, Episode 1: Lost and Found Basically: standard pilot episode – introducing characters, the main character settling into her new home, etc. Our first mystery being who stole one of the miners last words written on a plank of wood found in the rubble of the exploded mine shafts. It’s Hallmark so rightfully expected, there is much of the cheesy (almost cringey) dialogue, some melodramatic acting, and the diabetic overtones of cheery for most of its duration, no one is without at least one smile by the end but what really hooked this one for me was the charming chemistry between the two leads. Erin Krakow and Daniel Lissing are the most entertaining part, along with the character of Elizabeth, she’s a sweetheart and it’s such a joy and a laugh watching her try her best in understanding her students and adjusting to country life. Sure, there’s a lot of sap but we all need a few trees in our yard, we wouldn’t be able to breathe otherwise, the world and life are tough enough as it is. It’s nice to lay back and have some sugar on the brain for a short time. ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 14 total views, 2 views today
↧
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic – Season 8, Episode 1-2 – School Daze
Basically: A direct correlation of the movie, the Mane 6 return to Ponyville to find the cutie map has expanded. Enlighted by their adventures beyond Equestria and the creatures dwelling there, Twilight decides to open a school of friendship for everyone to attend! In one word: Fresh Having watched this right after the movie, seeing all the new characters migrated over and a possible hint of seeing Tempest (in the show’s animation) is exciting. New Pony Positions for the mane 6+ are teachers! It feels like a natural transition and the song is enjoyable. More worldbuilding with the introduction of the Equestria Education Association, coming to find that even Princess Celestia has her limits as a ruler. I enjoyed the “charter school” defense against the EEA’s bureaucracy and retribution for their casual racism toward non-pony folk immensely. Friendship – contiguously, emotional intelligence – should be a mandatory subject taught in school, not an elective, i.e. home economics and cursive writing. This is a great reflection of our own human educational system, more and more kids are being plagued by test anxiety and fear of failure because of so much focused pressure is put on passing the next test instead of just learning about how the world works, not to mention bullying (although, it’s done in a playful, good-natured manner here in the beginning) and the general intimating structure of a militaristic “one size fits all” classroom. (I could rant forever about all the ways schools could be better but I’ll save that for another day…) Chancellor Neighsay could be the season finale’s villain. I have an inkling they’re easing into this new “mane 6” for gen 5 with a mixed species friendship, which will be interesting to see how they’ll grow together. That being said, for me, ever since the writers decided to start reforming their villains (with our first pony villain having a weak backstory for such powerful feats of magic) and, a real subdued season 7 opener, we’ve really moved on from the epic adventures of the first few seasons and to be honest, I kinda miss it. A friendship school is a nice concept and I am genuinely intrigued to see how it develops but it does feel a little lackluster, more slice of life than fantastical adventure. Not bad, just a little dull in comparison. The Tirek/Twilight showdown will always be the best part of the whole show for me, but let’s see where this new direction takes us. Ocellus – she is the sweetest and cutest changeling I’ve seen yet, I absolutely love her color scheme, she’s such a shy little ladybug. Basically the young 6’s Fluttershy, which makes me even more excited to see how much she’ll grow and become more confident. The song and its reprise was wonderful, gave me a lot of season 4 feels 🙂 As soon as I saw the movie teaser and Cantorlot’s new throne room for the princesses (Luna finally has a place next to her sister!), I hoped they would bring that into the show with this season and they did! That’s one check off my Season 8 wishlist. (I could only find Silverstream so far but…) Seeing the hippogriffs in the regular show’s animation was a delight – they’re sleek, elegantly lined, and so colorful! And they can transform back into seaponies in a snap, I’m interested in seeing how that works without the pearl, and Silverstream herself was really adorkable, hello to young 6’s pinkie pie. I love that Starlight wasn’t left out, she’s the guidance counselor! She’s grown so much. c: Neighsay’s portal magic was just cool, that’s it. 41 total views, 4 views today
↧
#booktalk
2 total views, no views today
↧
↧
✨Entwined by Heather Dixon
Available on Overdrive: Ebook | Audiobook This fairy tale retelling of The 12 Dancing Princesses is fantastically brilliant. Commonly classified as Y, it could, by all means, be YA, considering the age of the eldest sister, Azalea, at 16. She and her sisters are adorable, all alphabetically named after flowers. Even though told through Azalea’s perspective, each of her sister’s personalities has a moment to shine, along with discovering how deep their sisterly bond is. Mostly following the original German fairy tale, the twelve princesses find a mysterious passage in their bedroom that leads them to a silvery forest where they can dance to their heart’s content, while having to mourn their mother’s passing for a year, with the addition of the mysterious Keeper. “The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.” Full of magic, mystery, a few sweet, subtle romance(s) and strong female characters. The audiobook is wonderful as well, Mandy Williams’ Australian accent suits Azalea perfectly and really adds to the fantasy setting. A lot of the writing, some descriptions and such, are vague for imaginative purposes, which is one of the things I love about the book, some YA authors rely heavily on character or setting description to get you into the story, which can make the story drag a bit. But the writing here is very smooth and open to interpretation, which I feel is the whole reason for books! Everyone reads it but it’s different in your mind than I would be in mine, then discussion ensues! You can watch the book trailer here, the author made it herself (having been a previous storyboard artist at Disney certainly helped): and a Q&A she did, explaining some of the research she did for the dances. } Filed Under: Y. Dixon ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 10 total views, no views today
↧
👻 Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Available on Overdrive: Ebook | Audiobook From the author of the Delirium series and Before I Fall comes a very beautiful, lovingly whimsical, and most importantly, ineffable tale to read. Finding out how each strand of a character’s story get weaved together and connecting all the way to The End was magical. We follow a lot of different characters over the course of this journey but mostly Liesl, her only ghost of a friend, Po with his pet Bundle, who may or may not have been a cat or dog in his past life, and Will, an alchemist’s apprentice. After Will mistakenly switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world, he sets off a wild chain of events involving a warm-hearted guard with a name as slow as molasses, the very materialistic Lady Premiere, and the greedy Alchemist, whose hunger for glory. Dotted with penciled illustrations and Jim Dale’s voice will never fail in giving you some Harry Potter nostalgia. Official Book Trailer: Filed Under: Y. Oliver ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 10 total views, 6 views today
↧
🔍 Nooks & Crannies by Jessica Lawson
Available on Overdrive: Ebook | Audiobook This middle-grade Clue meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory mystery is a wonderful adventure to read, Tabitha Crum is a smart girl with a big imagination and a love for mystery novels, especially the very Sherlock Holmes-esque, Inspector Percival Pensive. When she receives an invitation to the country estate of the wealthy but reclusive Countess of Windermere, whose mansion is rumored to be haunted, along with 5 other unique children, a secret that will change their lives forever and put Tabitha’s investigative skills to the test. The narrator’s voice from the audiobook was lovely and perfectly captures Tabitha’s personality. Filed Under: J. Lawson ~As always, stay positive and visit your local library~ 30 total views, 10 views today
↧
More Pages to Explore .....
