Book Review: Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 6

Review:  #675
Title:  Neon Genesis Evangelion Volume 6
Series:  Neon Genesis Evangelion - 6th volume
Author:  Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Read Before:  no
Comments:  Volume 6 continues providing readers with more intriguing tidbits about the universe and the nature of Evas and Angels.  You’re provided a bit of a surprise when the fourth child, i.e. the fourth pilot, was revealed since that character was the last person you’d expected.  The drastic change to the character as a result of this, as they realize the heavy consequences, fleshed out the character a lot more instead of being just comedic relief like they had been before.  It crafts a sad story around the fourth child so that by the end of the volume, the events that happen impact you heavily.  As more of Nerv’s secrets are revealed, readers are left hungering for more and this is what makes the series so addictive.

Rating:  7/10

Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia is in a world where animals have evolved to create their own civilisation and living in gigantic sprawling cities.  Early on, it derives its humor from parallels to the human society we all know from the real world, and how it is adapted with animals instead.  It works well and makes you want more.  Zootopia surprisingly ends up turning into a detective story about the first ever bunny cop on a missing person's case.  Teaming up with a stereotypical sly and cunning fox as her partner, Officer Hopps and small-time con artist Nick end up uncovering a darker plot.  It takes midway through the film before the plot picks up as up until that point, it was more Hopps trying to adjust to the big city life and the humorous events that arises.  It is after Zootopia gets serious about its mysteries when it truly grips you until the end.  While the villains were predictable if you've watched enough movies, it didn't dilute its impact.  Zootopia packs enough charm to make it a fun and enjoyable film for all ages.

Toy Review: Transformers Masterpiece MPM-3 Bumblebee

Review:  #390
Name:  Bumblebee
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Autobot
Line:  Masterpiece
Year of Release:  2017
Size Class:  Masterpiece (MPM-3)
Mold Status:  new

PACKAGING:

Like the normal Masterpiece figures, MPM-3 Bumblebee (he is already third since TakaraTomy released two redecoes as MPM-1 Starscream and MPM-2 Bumblebee a few years ago) comes in a black box, although unlike the mainline releases, the box is glossed and lacks the premium feel.

The stock photos on the back is also notably limited as it only shows off the two modes and some gimmicks.  Opening him up also reveals only the figure in vehicle mode and the stinger blaster.

VEHICLE:

Designed as the ultimate rendition of Bumblebee from the film series, in particularly, his first movie form, boy, does it deliver.

Bumblebee transforms into a Chevrolet Camaro, the production version which has some minor differences to the onscreen concept version (such as the antenna).

This is seriously the best alternate mode we've had for Bumblebee and fully deserves the Masterpiece name.  The amount of painted detailing is staggering.

While the yellow plastic isn't painted (which can be a good thing since paint chips easily) he has painted headlights, tail lights, indicators, license plate, wheel rims, door handles and the badges.

He simply looks amazing here, the only negative is the mismatch of yellow of the rear section since it is yellow paint on clear plastic, which is always a nightmare to match to the plastic.

Bumblebee is approximately Voyager sized, and above is a comparison against Movie the Best Human Alliance Soundwave to get an idea of the size.

Undocumented in the instructions, the stinger blaster (robot mode weapon) can store on the buttom.  You can also see the whole vehicle mode is packed.  The only play value here is the rolling wheels, the doors can't open (at least not naturally) due to transformation.

A stunning vehicle mode that has minimal flaws.

TRANSFORMATION:

Once again, the figure lives up to the Masterpiece name.  While not super complex to the point of frustration, there are a lot of neat tricks that are very clever.  The windshield and roof assembly collapses and neatly folds into the torso, then purely for aesthetics purposes to make the robot mode looks look from the sides, there are small pieces of plastic that covers up the gap.  The legs are also interesting and completely different to any Bumblebee toys we've had in the past and allows the rear of the vehicle to sit flush against the legs.  The only "conventional" elements of the transformation is how the warped vehicle chest, and the arms form.

ROBOT MODE:

The designation of the ultimate rendition of Bumblebee is even more true in robot mode.  He is so accurate to the character model that is is crazy and you cannot believe that the engineers have managed to achieve something like this.

The impressive thing is that Bumblebee doesn't have any kibble.  Every unnecessary piece is tucked away (mostly into his torso), so he looks equally great from the back.

The headsculpt is great, right down to the screwholes and lightpiped eyes.  Notice that Bumblebee also has the "collar" around his head, that's attention to detail right there.

The figure has die-cast in various spots, most of it in his legs (some painted, some unpainted) to stabilitize him since the legs are somewhat hollow after transformation.  The other major piece of die-cast is a transformation strut that ends up in his torso.

They've managed to mimic the warped vehicle chest to great effect here as well as the forearm guards.

Bumblebee is very streamlined in robot mode and is still around the height of a Voyager.

With a comparison against a traditional Masterpiece, above is against Tigertrack, of whom Bumblebee is slightly taller against.

Finally, a comparison with the first Bumblebee Deluxe figure on the left, and the previous "ultimate" Bumblebee, Battle Blades Bumblebee on the right.  This Masterpiece version is far superior to both of them.

As touted on the back of the packaging, Bumblebee has articulated hands.  His thumb has two joints, his index has two joints, and the rest of his fingers are molded as one with two joints.  This is in addition to his wrist swivel.

While he has "inward facing" elbows, his wrist swivels allow him to hold more natural poses.

Poseability is excellent as you'd expect.  His feet has limited ankle movement although on the whole, he can keel over backwards due to how the transformation joints are placed.  It's not a major issue though.

He not only has his signature door-wings, but also the little winglets, although they're not angled properly which is a shame.

Bumblebee features his flip-down battle mask which is deployed by lifting his crest, then folding the mask over his heads and pegging the mask back down.

The mask is great and once again in robot mode, he features a load of paint applications to highlight the intricate sculpting.

Unfortunately, Bumblebee doesn't have an integrated arm blaster, but he has the next best thing which is a removable once.

You need to flip a hand back and then peg the blaster on (which holds it very securely).

When not in use, it can peg onto a place onto his back, out of the way.

A few pieces are adjustable to your liking, such as the door-wings and wheels, his shoulder pieces and the thigh pieces.

An amazing robot mode that does the character justice and pretty much, we have no need of any future Bumblebee toys for this particular rendition...

OVERALL:

This is truly the Masterpiece Bumblebee that renders all previous versions, and probably most future versions, obsolete.  He has two stunning modes but it is the robot mode that will cause your jaw to drop.  Bumblebee is so accurate that you cannot believe that he can transform.  While he is a bit pricey (even compared to the recent Masterpiece Autobot Cars), MPM-3 Bumblebee is highly recommended as he is a perfect figure.

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Also below are the remaining pictures not used in the main body of the review.

Book Review: American Monsters

Review:  #674
Title:  American Monsters
Series:  The Demon Road Trilogy - 3rd and final book
Author:  Derek Landy
Read Before:  no
Comments:  Serving as the conclusion to The Demon Road Trilogy, American Monsters follows Amber as she finds a way to not only kill both her parents but also backstab the Shining Demon Astaroth in her bid for freedom.  It makes for a blast to read but despite that, American Monsters feels unguided for a large portion of the novel.  A lot of the events that happen feels tacked onto the last without some sort of clear objection like the original book so readers can be left wondering how is what is currently happening relevant.  From the demon representation from Demoriel chasing down Amber and Milo that appears and disappears frequently to Amber and Milo getting onto a detour to stop an undead clown to meeting a random girl at a motel, while fun to read and learn about, doesn’t feel essential to what is effectively a simple revenge plot.  Nevertheless, the anticipation is high once you get to the climax and Amber plays her hand to finally resolve everything.  The revelation works perfectly although the ending feels a bit forced in how Astaroth was finally defeated, and also a bit of a shame on what happened to the characters.  There are several minor unresolved plot points, including a few introduced in this novel alone, it felt that the author had run out of amazing ideas and settled for just your good ones instead.  Overall, American Monsters is a satisfying conclusion to the series but doesn’t quite live up to the original Demon Road.

Rating:  7/10

The World Ends with You (DS)

The World Ends with You is an action RPG set in the Shibuya district of Tokyo.  Initially released exclusively for the Nintendo DS, it later received a port to mobile devices with a revamped battle system.  This is because the game heavily uses the features unique to the DS, namely, the two screens.  The game has a heavily stylized art direction that's very distinct and holds up really well to this day.  It features 2D graphics and even with the lower resolution of the DS screen, it looks fantastic.  The unique battle system is probably what would make people either hate or love the game.  It's called the Stride Cross Battle System, in which you control two characters independently on two screens at once.  Monsters appear on both the top screen and the bottom screen.  However, each monster pairing on the two screens share the same HP bar, so if you damage the top, you're reducing the same HP bar as if you're damaging the bottom.  This is likewise with your characters, you only lose the game when the whole HP bar is completely depleted as once the HP of one of your characters depletes, any further damage will deplete the other character's.

The confusing part occurs that there are different battle inputs for the top and bottom screen.  The top character attacks via button inputs to create combos.  It has a pattern gimmick minigame, whereby once you match enough you can execute a powerful fusion attack.  The bottom character, which is always the protagonist, Neku, requires the use of the stylus.  Dragging the stylus will move Neku around or dash.  Different attacks will require different types of touch input such as dragging, swiping or tapping.  Attacks take on the form of Pins, thereby allowing you to heavily customize your fighting style.  You can collect Pins (and thus expand your arsenal of attacks) via progressing through the story, defeating enemies or purchasing them from shops.  Neku can initially only equip two pins at once but can eventually up it to six.  It is a confusing battle system for sure at first since it is really difficult to manage two characters at once.  With enough practice though, it is manageable and a lot of fun.  It is challenging and to ease you into it, the top screen's character has an "auto" function where if you leave the character idle, the computer automatically takes over to assist.  It is not recommended though since you can definitely deal a lot more damage if you control it yourself, even if you resort to mashing the button and only paying attention to Neku on the bottom screen.

There are three different characters to pair up with, each with their slight differences in how the combo minigame works.  There are various toggles in the main menu to influence the game.  The player has the option to decrease their character's levels, lowering it will make the game harder but will also increase the drop rate of items from enemies.  You can also change difficulty at any time and once you're far enough into the game, losing a battle means you can retry instantly . One of the neat things is that random encounters don't exist in the game.  The player presses a button to "scan" the area and then tap enemies to engage them.  The game is set in Shibuya with stylized versions of real buildings and landmarks.  It can get confusing at first but is fairly large to explore.  You can buy clothes and food to increase your character's stats, as well as a typical level up system.  As the game plays primarily with the touchscreen, including movement on the field, it is best to play with the DS resting on a desk otherwise you'll probably get hand cramps.  The game is balanced well in terms of difficult.  There were only a few boss battles where it feels cheaty since the bosses like to teleport to different sides of the screen.

With bosses that do like to teleport frequently, it makes focusing on screens at once even harder since they warp too quickly for you to adapt your attacks.  It feels unfair and the final boss battle can be obtuse when it's not too obvious at first glance what you are supposed to do, resulting in it regenerating its health at a faster rate than you can reduce it.  If you're stuck in any battle, most of the time changing your Pins or even lowering the difficulty will allow you to progress.  The story starts off so so in the early beginnings but soon after, gets very interesting.  You quickly develop a bond with Neku and Shiki, and as things are revealed over the game, it just gets better.  Neku wakes up with no memory and is thrust into a game taking place at Shibuya.  He meets and makes a pact with Shiki and together, they must survive 7 days otherwise they will be permanently erased.  They have to participate and complete missions given to them by Reapers, who are also around to erase the Players.  Monsters called Noise roam around to attack Players.  There is one major minigame called Ten Pin Slammer.  It is a ring out game which isn't that fun to play, thankfully you're only forced to play it for the story in a few spots.

After completing the game, you can select any day to replay but keep all your items and stats.  You can also unlock an additional chapter called Another Day, which takes place in a parallel universe.  This chapter mostly involve the minigame and also a boss rush.  Playing through the chapters again completing specific objectives will unlock "Secret Reports" which provide a lot more background to the game, going much deeper into the lore than the game had done so far.  The game spans over three in-game weeks, each with 7 days.  It depends whether know where to go but it can take around 10-20 hours to complete the story.  As you progress through the plot, you can see the character development within Neku, from a reclusive unlikable character when he was first introduced to a loyal, caring, yet still cool, person.  The ending was a bit confusing at first but was good in the end.  There were a few revelations and the slow unraveling of Neku's death was handled really well.  You'll grow to like all the characters and it has some pretty big emotional impacts.  Overall, The World Ends with You is an absolutely stellar game.  It has a unique and fun battle system that doesn't get boring even after you finish the game.  The story told is much more nuanced and detailed than you'd expect.  It is definitely a game that should not be missed if you have a DS.

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Marvel's Daredevil - Season 1 (2015)

Marvel's Daredevil is based upon the comic book character of the same name.  Also set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), this is a mostly self-contained story set in the neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen.  There are thirteen roughly 50 mins episodes which is comprised of one singular story arc.  Daredevil cuts to the chase.  It has a brief beginning to show how the protagonist, Matthew Murdock, was blinded as a kid via chemicals splashing into his eyes.  It then skips to the present day, after the Battle of New York from The Avengers, where Murdock and his best friend and partner, Foggy, have just opened up a defence attorney firm.  While it doesn't directly tie into other series of the MCU, there are small references to other Marvel superheroes which are amusing.

For those unfamiliar with the character, Murdock has another persona, a vigilante.  The thing that makes him unique is that in addition to being very adept at martial arts, he is also blind.  Therefore, many scenes plays into the blind aspect such as the beating of hearts when determining whether someone is lying, and using audio cues to preempt attacks by enemies (e.g. dodging bullets or chains).  Thanks to the chemicals, while Murdock lost his sight, all his other senses are heightened and it is great during fight scenes showing how he relies on these other senses to realize what his attack is going to do.  This is also his weakness since some enemies can distract him via loud noises to mask what they are doing.

There are a lot of fight scenes, all of which are well planned out and don't repeat the same motions again and again.  Towards the middle of the season, Daredevil starts to have gory-ish scenes.  It's mostly just cold-blooded murder or brutal surprise deaths.  A lot of the scenes take place at night, so it is harder to make out details at times.  Murdock can seem overpowered, to the point where you expect him to easily get out of any scenario he finds himself in.  However, on the flip side, he does get hurt quite often; requiring patch-ups and this even affects his fighting prowess at times.  The plot is a slow build up, since Murdock spends the vast majority of the season in a black shirt and mask.  The viewer is kept waiting for a long time until he gets his iconic red armor/costume.

Since the season is one big story arc, there is one main antagonist.  We only get to see his lackey early on while the real mastermind is kept in the shadows.  You'll be kept wondering how it all ties together as all the crimes that Murdock encounters seems connected.  There is a tense moment from episode five, where the plot threads start to entwine together and we can finally start seeing the bigger picture.  The antagonist has substantial character development.  He isn't evil just because we were told so.  He has a surprisingly softer side and an odd relationship to his helper.  However, he is also mentally unstable, thanks to a troubled childhood.  He is petty, with the way he kills being brutal and unfair.  You can't wait until Murdock takes justice.

Later episodes reveal more of the background and how Murdock and Foggy met, partnered and created their law firm.  It forms part of a typical plot twist where Murdock reveals his true identity and has to live with how his friends sees him, and whether they accept that.  With that said, there are a lot of characters introduced who doesn't have happy endings, which kind of sucks.  The deaths of some of the minor villains are also unsatisfactory.  One of the more unbelievable parts is how the police force is heavily infiltrated and corrupted.  It is to the point where it seems like the whole force is under the antagonist's control and they can do anything they want.

Yet Daredevil has an anticlimactic end.  You want the antagonist to be hurt really badly and suffer for all the things that he's done but it feels like he is let off quite easily.  It feels that his whole operation was flimsy and brought down too easily.  You would have expected that someone like him, would have layers and layers of backup plans, such that no one can have enough evidence or testify against him.  Overall, Marvel's Daredevil is much more low key and grounded than the Marvel movie counterparts.  There are very little supernatural or extraordinary powers.  This results in a more realistic atmosphere and tone, plus being darker, more gory and less reliance on light humor.  The slower pace with the buildup leaves some to be desired, and some people would have preferred the faster pacing of the movies, but Marvel's Daredevil is a solid series.

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Toy Review: Transformers The Last Knight Premier Edition Barricade

Review:  #389
Name:  Barricade
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Decepticons
Line:  The Last Knight
Year of Release:  2017
Size Class:  Deluxe (Wave 1)
Mold Status:  new

VEHICLE MODE:

Barricade, despite apparently being killed in Dark of the Moon, returns for The Last Knight, complete with a new figure.  He transforms into a Saleen Mustang 302 police cruiser this time.

This is a really good vehicle mode with clear plastic for all windows and both windshields, and also painted tail lights.

Barricade is a Deluxe sized figure and he's about on par with other figures this size (above is a comparison against DOTM Jolt).  Note though that the back half is gappy so he doesn't feel as substantial in hand.

Barricade retains the awesome theme of a Decepticon disguised as a police vehicle, and has his infamous slogan of "to punish and enslave" above the rear wheel on each side.

While he may look completely black, he is actually comprised of dark blue and black.  It can be hard to tell the two different colors at first glance.

The robot weapon can peg onto the back as a sort of gun attachment.  The paint used on the clear plastic matches the unpainted plastic really well.

An awesome vehicle mode, Barricade returns as the police vehicle we all know and love.

TRANSFORMATION:

A bit simple but that works to the figure's playability.  The only tricky part at first, and this is because the instructions omitted it, is that the shoulders are on hinges that can click up which would help tuck his arms away in vehicle mode.  Otherwise, basically most of the car folds onto the robot's back which can't be helped considering the character model is complex and lacks big pieces of vehicle kibble in robot mode.

ROBOT MODE:

Barricade's robot mode is a tad bit inaccurate to the character model but ignoring that, he looks great, wearing the vehicle hood as his chest.

He is very kibble wearing the roof of the vehicle, complete with the windshield and windows, on his back in a giant piece.  The whole thing is transparent plastic, even the hinges, so one must take care especially if you wanted to remove it and unofficially use it as a riot shield.

The headsculpt is great, and you can make out the four individual eyes.

Barricade is shorter than your typical Deluxes, which isn't helped when he has a hunching stocky build.

In another neat attention to detail, his knuckles contain mirrored wording of "SERVE" and "PROTECT".

Barricade has a lot of poseability and while his feet lacks proper solid heelspurs, he's stable with what he has.

A slight negative is how "thin" the legs are, they could have used the extra space in vehicle mode to bulk it up a bit and make him more imposing.

Surprisingly, Barricade comes with a bunch of weapons, including a pistol, a nightstick and a multi-barrelled gun.

The multi-barrelled gun just wraps around his hand.  It's hard to tell whether it is supposed to be a projectile weapon or something like a knuckle-duster.

When not in use, you can store it on his back, the same placement in vehicle mode.

The gun can be held in either hand, and a neat thing is that his hips have holsters/pegs for the weapons to store, you don't even have to remove them for transformation.

There are a variety of different ways for Barricade to wield his weapons, which is the best part about the figure, he's flexible.

Surprisingly, Barricade also has wrist articulation.

A strong robot mode that has heaps of sculpted detailing.

OVERALL:

While Barricade is a tad bit simple, he is a fun figure brimming with personality.  With a big role in the movie and multiple accessories to arm him with, Barricade might very well be the best Deluxe figure in the The Last Knight's offerings.

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