Sota’s Knife

I’m currently reading Sota’s Knife (Souta no Houchou).  I discovered this manga by accident.  Last year Uniqlo released a special UT Collection of Shonen magazine featuring Shota no Sushi (Shōta no Sushi).  I’ll admit it I didn’t know what Shota no Sushi was, but I was intrigued because the shirts featured illustrated sushi on the front and back.  I bought a couple of shirts and when I went home I tried researching Shota no Sushi, so I could read it myself.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find an English version of Shota no Sushi, however I did find Sota’s Knife.  Initially I assumed they were the same manga (they had similar names, and were about sushi), but as I researched more I realized they weren’t the same.  Regardless of that, I decided to read Sota’s Knife anyway.

Sota’s Knife was created by Yuichiro Sueda, and illustrated by Kei Honjo.  It’s based on Sota Kitaoka, a young kitchen hand or dishwasher who works in a sushi restaurant. The story focuses on the day to day routines of working in a sushi restaurant.  There’s no mystery to solve, no super powers to obtain and no city to save; it’s literally a story about working in a sushi restaurant.  While that might seem boring to most, I found it fascinating because it’s such a relaxing story to read.  Sota is a noble character and put’s his entire heart and energy into everything he does, and that for me is inspiring.  His tenacity is constantly put to the test because the sushi restaurant demands that he be flawless, knowledgeable and always learning (suddenly his life isn’t so boring and monotonous).

Besides Sota, what I loved the most of this manga are the illustrations.  Kei Honjo is a master.  He adds so much detail to the drawings, especially of food that it makes you hungry (if you love Japanese food than this is the manga for you).  I have literally spent time starring at some pages in awe and wondering why he went into so much detail; he spoils us.  I honestly have even printed out some pages and framed them because they’re so beautiful; I would buy original copies if I knew where he sold them.  I can’t recommend this manga enough.  If you’re interested in reading it you can find copies on Amazon; they’re translated into English and are easy to follow.

Sota’s Knife: https://www.comixology.com/SOTAS-KNIFE/comics-series/108485?ref=Y29taWMvdmlldy9kZXNrdG9wL2JyZWFkY3J1bWJz

Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America

Title: Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America

Author: Jeff Ryan

I hesitated on reading this book at first because I thought it was an updated version of another Nintendo book I had read years ago called, Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World.  Game Over is an amazing book that provides a comprehensive history of Nintendo’s rise and success.  Game Over is probably the best book written about Nintendo because it’s very detailed and it extensively profiles the people that were involved in the company.  It doesn’t just tell you what they did, but also who they were and where they came from.

The only drawback of Game Over is that it was first published in 1993, i.e. before the N64, the DS, and the numerous other systems and games that have released since then.  Thankfully the book has had updated versions throughout the years (up until 1999).  So when I first saw Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, I assumed that it was just another update of Game Over.  However I was wrong because it’s written by a different author, Jeff Ryan a self described lifelong gamer.

100 Things Blue Jays Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

 

Title: 100 Things Blue Jays Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

Author: Steve Clarke

Publisher: Triumph Books

I was saving this book for when my baseball hibernation break was over; around Spring Training when I usually get excited about another season, however I couldn’t resist and finished reading it this winter.  I can’t really blame myself for finishing it because most chapters or rather stories are no more than a few paragraphs in length making them perfect for short reads when you’re bored.  While a majority of the stories are pretty common, it’s always nice to read about them again (can never get bored of those World Series Champions days) and to know that a younger generation of Jr. Jays can learn about them as well.
The other stories that were unknown to me were pretty interesting and insightful, especially the ones from the late 70’s early 80’s.  Regardless of whether or not you are familiar with most of the stories, I recommend that you read this book with a computer/ipad at your side so that you are able to search for videos or pictures of the stories it referrers to.  Being able to watch videos or pictures of those memorable moments just adds so much more substance to each story.  Informative books like this help strengthen the proud history of Toronto Blue Jays baseball and I recommend it to the rest of you who are awakening from your baseball slumber.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Things-Blue-Jays-Should-Before/dp/1600787746/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History

Title: The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History

Author: John Ortved

Publisher: Faber & Faber

It happens to me every year; I decide to watch a new Simpson’s episode on Sunday night hoping the show has finally turned a tide towards what it used to be.  Sadly it never happens, and I’m left distraught over the fall from glory this series has had.  What’s amazing is that there are now more terrible seasons than actual good ones.  An outsider might question why I’m still a fan despite so many terrible seasons, but the reason is those early episodes were so well made that I became a fan for life.

To help me better understand the creation of the show and why its quality has gone awry, I decided to read The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History.  The book was written by John Ortved, a long time Simpsons fan.  In writing the book, Ortved interviewed many people who worked on the show and also did extensive research.  The interesting thing is the main creator’s of the show refused to be interviewed by him, though admittedly I didn’t see it as much of a problem.

Console Wars

Title: Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation
Author: Blake J Harris

Over the last few years I’ve come to appreciate the video gaming generation I grew up on; late 80’s to late 90’s.  The amazing thing is; I’m not the only one.  Many people who were gamers during those years also appreciate the quality and memories that those games have.  A lot of this renewed enthusiasm in those older games is a result of social media websites such as youtube, blogs, and eBay.  These sites help us relive our past and remind us that it was those classic games that shaped the passions and hobbies we have today.  In recognizing this, I now like to watch and read any material that provides a greater understanding into my gaming past.

Radioactive Man

Title: Radioactive Man: Radioactive Repository Volume One

Author: Matt Groening

Publisher: Harper Design
Despite being a Simpsons fan I have never really consistently read any of the Bongo comic books.  In the past I had only read the Free Comic Book Day versions and the occasional comics my friends would lend me.  Keep in mind the first time I read it was back in high school in the 90’s and I laughed at my friend for being too old for comics.  Back then I would have laughed at anyone that collected comics, toys, sneakers, and liked to write.  It goes to show you, you never know what you’ll like in the future.  Anyway, over time as I would read the occasional Simpsons comic, the humour would be a hundred times better than in the real show (after the 2005’s).  Yet I still never picked a comic book up to read fully.

So as luck would have it one day I noticed that my library had a copy of Radioactive Man in a hard cover.  This version is perfect for anyone that is first a Radioactive Man fan, would like to know his story, or would like to read a boat load of stories collected in a easy to carry book.  Although the book is rather large, it’s better than having to carry over 30 comics at once, and the paper quality is really high grade.  As for the actual story, I would say I didn’t find it very entertaining.  Some stories were great, but the majority seemed like I was swimming through quicksand with how boring they were.  It felt like the writers were just writing stuff to fill up the pages, while others felt hurried and rushed in order to finish the story.  While the stories weren’t as enjoyable as I hoped they would be, I still recommend this book because it’s still better than the actual current show, lol.

Bongo Comics:

www.bongocomics.com

The Simpsons:

www.thesimpsons.com

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Man-Repository-Volume-One/dp/0062089927/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Writing a book

Been busy lately trying to write a book.  Hopefully nothing will distract me from finishing...

The Collector

Title: The Collector

Author: John Fowles

Publisher: Back Bay Books
The Collector is a really disturbing book about a man (Fred Clegg) who kidnaps a woman he is obsessed with.  He recently won the lottery and as a result is able to buy a small cottage and keep the woman hostage.  His interests include collecting insects, such as butterflies.  He is a collector and somehow comes to view the woman the same way he views his butterflies, as objects that are best enjoyed captive.

While I do consider Fred’s actions irreprehensible, I read the book with a fair amount of sympathy towards him.  I think this is necessary when reading any book, regardless if the main character is good or bad you need to be able to relate to them.  From this point of view I was able to see how unfair life can be in matters of love and the characteristics we are born with.  Fred had a terrible life growing up which I think was the reason for his low self-esteem and his nonchalance towards life.  Then one day he meets the girl of his dreams, but is disappointed in recognizing that no matter what he does a girl like that would never love him.  To remedy this acknowledgement, Fred creates a world (thanks mostly to his money) where reality can no longer divide him from his obsessions.  He is now in full control. 

The dangers of isolating one’s self from a reality one is disappointed with, is a very common motive for reckless actions from criminals.  Many people who seem to think they are failures in life, will either go out into the world and harm others or will hurt themselves.  The Collector takes a look at the ones that harm others.  I think this book serves as a way to understand why certain people commit crimes against others, their motives and their illusions.  This is a very intriguing book that I first heard about on a show based on real crimes.  The real crime was about two men who after reading this book, actually started to kidnap women and hold them hostage as sex slaves.  I don’t think the book actually made them go out and commit crimes, but it did give them ideas.

The second half of this book takes the point of view from the girl who was kidnapped by Fred Clegg.  If the first part was about understanding the predator’s perspective, the second half was a sober second thought on the crime.  It serves to put humanity back into the crime. The victim was somebody who had family and friends, who loved life and wasn’t just an object to be contained.  This is the part of the book where you start to hate Fred for what he is doing, because he has gone beyond anything that he is entitled to in life.  While life did suck for him, he had no right to take his pain out on others like a coward.  Instead he should have looked for treatment for his depression elsewhere.  I really enjoyed this book because it showed that love must be mutual, and if it’s not you must not destroy it for others.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Collector-Back-Bay-Books/dp/0316290238/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331674528&sr=1-1

Paul Moves Out

Title: Paul Moves Out

Writer: Michel Rabagliati

Artwork: Michel Rabagliati

Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly

For me there is an allure towards Canadian graphic novels.  There’s something in seeing and reading about content that only growing up in Canada you would know about, that I find alluring.  Seeing Toronto, or Queen Street, or Montreal in a book is so comforting.  I also like seeing brands like Tim Hortons, Molson, or Humpty Dumpty chips.  There’s this sense of sharing a common voice when you read a book that features those things.  So whenever I spot a book in the library that was made in Canada, I pick it up to read.  Paul Moves Out has exactly all the Canadian content that I like in a book.

The book is about a young man named Paul from Montreal who meets a girl named Lucie.  Eventually they develop a relationship and move in together.  That’s basically the story of the book, however it’s the small things that I find appealing in this book.  Not all relationships are as suspenseful as they show in Hollywood movies.  Most of the time, romance is as simple as staying home at night and sharing a wonderful dinner together.  This is what Paul Moves Out is all about, finding romance in the most basic parts of a relationship.  Once you find that special person in your life, the most meaningful parts will be how wonderful it was to have shared those moments together.

Drawn and Quarterly:

http://www.drawnandquarterly.com

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Moves-Out-Michel-Rabagliati/dp/1896597874/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331656735&sr=8-1

Ready Player One

Title: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Publisher: Crown

Ready Player One is the first science fiction novel I have ever read.  I love sci-fi movies like super hero films, and anything from the future or in space, but I have always stayed away from reading books on the same subject.  I guess I thought they were super geeky, boring and a waste of time.  Then one day I was on Amazon and noticed that Ready Player One was a recommended read.  I started to read the book description and felt that it was a super geeky book, but to my amazement it drew my attention because it was about the things that I love.  It had stuff about video games, the future, 80s nostalgia, and pop culture.

Unlike most reviews that I do, I wanted to start off with the bad parts of the book first.  In a way, it’s not meant to bash the book so that no else reads it, but rather it’s almost putting it up on a pedestal in admiration and nit-picking because I am a fan.  It’s because we love a movie or book, that we fan-boys can have multiple arguments about everything we love or hate.  If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t even mention it; like those long forgotten films of Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, and Street Fighter.

So my first complaint about RP1 is that it’s described as an 80’s pop culture genre film, yet I felt like it was centered mostly on late 70’s to early 80’s culture.  Most of the video games systems the main character plays (Wade Watts) are from that time, and weren’t games that I was familiar with.  While I did own an Atari when I was a kid, I don’t have fond memories of it because I was too young.  I would have preferred Wade to have played games on the NES, like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man.  The book also emphasises music from the 70’s such as Rush’s “2112” album.

I’m not saying that this is a drawback for the book, or that it’s not 80’s pop culture but that it’s not the 80’s pop culture I am more familiar with.  I would rather say that someone born in the early 70’s would enjoy it more than someone born in the early 80’s.  For me 80’s pop culture was about the NES, Who`s the Boss, Miami Vice, Transformers, GI Joe, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Rambo and many more.  Ernest Cline does make a lot of references that were 80`s related and the one`s I liked were about Star Wars, John Hughes, Back to the Future, and Pizza Parlor places that had video games.

My second complaint about the book is that it all center`s around a virtual world called the OASIS, that is still influenced by monetary differences.  While Wade in real life is an orphan pauper, in the OASIS he still is disadvantaged by his poor social status.  This means that he is unable to transport to different worlds, own a space vehicle, or upgrade on outfits.  In my opinion if an OASIS were to ever exist, it should include a few luxuries from the start like the ability to change your clothing, be able to fly or drive a sports car.  I know I like to use game cheats in games like GTA because it’s a lot more fun being rich and having infinite health, than trying to earn money for missions that take forever to complete (but I digress).  My point of the OASIS being influenced by monetary status is that Wade is trying to battle the IOI (the evil empire who wants to control power for the elites only), when the power is already in the hands of the wealthy elites.

Despite these two complaints I thought this book was one of the best books I have ever read.  Ernest Cline has the ability to create detailed environments from the words that he writes.  I especially loved reading through the description of the stacks, the place where Wade lives in real life.  I was amazed at how Cline was able to write about Wade entering the OASIS then entering a video game, then entering a chatroom, and then playing another video game and still not losing me with his descriptions.  Not only was Cline able to create worlds, but I also loved how he created unique characters that were interesting and diverse.  Each character was distinct and I felt an attachment to them.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that also loves sci-fi genre movies.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say anyone can read this book and enjoy it.  I think you need to know a few things about the genre for you to even understand it.  For example it would help if you have played Secondlife before, used youtube and chatrooms, played video games, and have lived in the 80’s.  Other helpful hints while reading this book would be to watch movies like War Games, Blade Runner, and also have a computer or ipad near-by to do a quick search in case you’re unfamiliar with a reference.  Once you start this book it will take you on a journey that will be highly addictive, enjoyable and influential.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/030788743X/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_2

Tokyo Days, Bangkok Nights

Title: Tokyo Days, Bangkok Nights

Writer: Jonathan Vankin

Artwork: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Seth Fisher and Shawn Martinbrough

Publisher: Vertigo

Tokyo Days, Bangkok Nights features two stories in one graphic novel.  They are both excellent stories, yet are both different in subject matter.  What ties them together is that the main characters are Americans who travel to Asia and get into trouble.  I’ll start with Tokyo Days first.  It’s about a guy named Steve who is obsessed with technology and decides to travel to Japan to buy the coolest gadgets he can find.  Along the way, trouble finds him; gangsters, the police, flamboyant rock star, and a jailbait school girl.  The artwork is very bright and colourful and it makes the story line seem like everything is fun and exciting.  It is a story that is meant to entertain rather then instil a serious message about the world.  Despite all the dangers Steve gets into, it made me want to travel to Tokyo and have the same adventure.

Bangkok Nights does a 180 degree turn on the first story by having a more serious and problematic storyline.  This time the main characters are two Americans (Tuesday and Marz) who travel to Bangkok and they’re the ones who initiate trouble.  Tuesday optimistically believes she can help change a world that is filled with vice and crime.  Unfortunately in the end, she find out that outside of the West, changing the world is greater than what one person is capable of.  The message from this story for me applies to many other places in the world; in order to help change problematic places, more than just rights and values are needed, but a viable alternative to live a decent life must exist first.  Without it, people will do whatever it takes to survive.  I highly recommend reading this graphic novel.

Vertigo:

http://www.vertigocomics.com

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Vertigo-Pop-Tokyo-Bangkok-Nights/dp/1401221890/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_8

Disappearance Diary

Title: Disappearance Diary

Writer: Hideo Azuma

Art Work: Hideo Azuma

Publisher: Ponent Mon

I wasn’t too excited about reading this manga when I first picked it up.  The drawings were very basic, and almost childish.  But then I started reading it and I soon developed a different opinion of the book.  It wasn’t a book for children, but a book about dealing with depression.  As the back cover says’ it is a book that takes a positive outlook on life.  This is why the artist, Hideo Azuma decided to draw in this cartoonish style.  He wanted to tell his story (the years he spent dealing with depression), in a way that wouldn’t scare away potential readers.

I find that when we focus on the bad things in life, we can potentially ruin our future.  Thinking about those bad experiences can prevent us from going out into the world and trying to grow as persons.  For Azuma, Disappearance Diary must have been a liberating experience.  To let go of the past, and also tell it in a way that isn’t as harmful.  Once you are fully entrenched in the book, you will soon love his artwork as well.  It just seems to express his emotions and experiences clearly.  The book is divided into three parts, each representing different years in his life, from living on the streets to being locked up in an alcoholic ward.  My favourite part though, would have to be the first part called ‘walking at night’.  Just based on this first part, I highly recommend this book.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Disappearance-Diary-Hideo-Azuma/dp/8496427420/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331652203&sr=8-1

Fast Food Nation

Title: Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Author: Eric Schlosser

Publisher: Mariner Books

During high school I suffered from insomnia.  This was before the age of the internet, cell phones and even the luxury of a TV in my room.  So what you may ask did I do late at night to keep me entertained?  Well I listened to the radio.  At that time radio was fascinating and very entertaining.  There were shows about almost every subject imaginable, especially call-in shows.  But my favourite or the one’s I was dedicated to, were about relationships, wrestling (it used to be interesting), and conspiracy theories.  Conspiracy theories shows would blow my mind every time, because it made me feel like; ‘wow now I know the truth and everyone is just a sheep’.  Later on I grew bored of these shows because they didn’t let me enjoy life because I assumed I had to be secluded from the media in order not become a corporation drone.

As the years passed I took on the philosophy of living my life in the middle.  This meant that I would avoid anything in excess, and also anything that was very minimal.  This has made me a much happier person because I get to enjoy a little bit of everything in life.  So while I avoid the conspiracy theories, I still like to learn about the facts and history of our society.  One book that I recently read that revealed many hidden facts about the food industry is Fast Food Nation.  To me it reminded me of the first time I read the Wall Street Journal, and how it showed me how the financial world can effect so many other industries that I assumed were never connected.  The author of the book, Eric Schlosser is able to connect the fast food industry to corruption of politicians, the monopoly of American agriculture, lax safety regulations, obesity, and the proliferation of poverty in America (by creating a system of transient workers, that are underpaid and never taught skills in order to attain upward mobility).

I found the book to be an enjoyable read because Schlosser was able to produce a clear picture of the industry.  He described everything from the history of the industry, to how they are today, and even how it can be improved.  I also appreciated how he even travelled to places he made connections to (potato farms, slaughter houses, fast food restaurants, and New Jersey’s flavour corridors that are responsible for creating artificial flavours).  I wouldn’t say Schlosser gave an unbiased investigation of the industry, although he did try to meet with everyone involved in it (from company presidents to general labourers); but it just seems impossible to look at the facts and not see that there’s something wrong with the industry.  What I come away with after reading this book is that people are suffering because we as a society keep wanting the cheapest, fastest and most isolated form of human contact in order to buy our goods and services.  While I could drag on about what has to change, I would rather just say what I am doing to change things.  Change for me comes from just becoming a more concerned human being. From supporting political parties that protect employee rights, to recycling my garbage, and even being friendlier to people around me (kind and courteous).  It’s these small little details that make the world a better place.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/dp/0547750331/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331673208&sr=8-3

Portus

Title: Portus

Writer: Jun Abe

Art Work: Jun Abe

Publisher: VIZ Media LLC

Portus is a horror graphic novel that involves a mysterious video game that kills people.  The reason I first picked it up was because of the front cover, it had all the elements of a scary movie with a floating eye, torn paper, and blood.  I was very interested in reading it because I had never read horror manga, and was curious to see how it would be.  I’ll be the first to admit it I love graphic violent scenes that the Japanese love to create.  Another thing I like to do when picking up a manga novel is to look at the back (or in this case the front), and checking to see if the story ends in this book.  Luckily this story did end in this book.

The story revolves around Asami Kawakami (an art student), Keigo Sawa (her teacher), and Mayumi Yamashita (another teacher).  In the beginning Asamai is worried about her friend Chiharu, who’s been ditching school for a few days because she’s been playing a video game called Portus.  Later on, Chiharu commits suicide and Asamai starts to question the motives for her suicide.  She then decides to play the game Portus to see what could have caused her friend’s death.  Along the way Keigo and Mayumi also try to figure out why this game is so deadly.  What they discover is a danger that must be stopped in order to save the life of Asamai.

This graphic novel is rated mature, and is justified in doing so because it contains many violent scenes in it.  The characters are very much a cookie-cutter pattern of what is popular in manga; high school students, and trendy teachers (Keigo smokes in class).  Regardless of this, it’s used because it’s a working formula that can get into a storyline without having to explain each and every character’s individuality.  As for the story, I found it to be exciting at first and then it just moved over to a more horror story that became less realistic for me.  I guess I should have expected this from a horror genre because it asks you to suspend your disbelief, and I suck at that.  Either way anyone that loves horror and especially appreciates it’s unrealistic ideas will like this novel.

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Portus-Jun-Abe/dp/1421513838/ref=pd_sim_b_20

The Story of Nike

Title: The Story of Nike (Spirit of Success)

Author: Scott Hays

Publisher: Creative Education

This is a children’s book that comes in a hard cover that I really liked because it is very easy to read and it gives a real quick overview story of how Nike was started.  What I really liked the most about this book was most of the photographs it has from Nike. Some of my favorites include pictures of Steve Prefontaine running for Oregon (in Nikes), Michael Jordan in the early days, Phil Knight in his office, Phil with his wife (Penny), and an over head view of Nike headquarters in Beaverton.

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Story-Nike-Spirit-Success/dp/1583400060/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1