Saraiya Goyou

Masanosuke Akitsu is having a hard time keeping his jobs because of his personality. Although he's a skilled swordsman, he freezes up in a crowd and cowers when everyone's attention is on him. The shy ronin meets his opposite while wandering around town. Yaichi, leader of the gang called Five Leaves, hires him as a bodyguard. He finds the gang's covert activities discouraging however and several times he tries to extricate himself from the group. However, the more he knew Yaichi, Take, Umezou, and Matsukichi, he becomes more attached to the gang. His fascination with Yaichi leads him to discoveries of the latter's past that strengthens his admiration for the gang leader.

The series has a very slow pace that matches the main character's personality. It takes a few episodes to establish the personality of each member as it is a character-driven story. There are also flashbacks in certain episodes that will only make sense as the story progresses. This is a different take of a typical "strong samurai". Masa doesn't flaunt his skills and he doesn't go looking for trouble. He's smart too. He uses his timid personality to accomplish his goals. The music and animation combine perfectly to create the intended mood in the series. I love the non-traditional animation. It adds to Masa's meek and harmless look.

From left: Matsu, Take, Masa, Yuichi, and Ume

I recommend this series to those who like stories of the samurai and are looking for something else besides action-packed series typical of this genre. The series might be short (12 episodes) but it's definitely worth watching.

I'm giving Saraiya Goyou a 10 out of 10 rating.

Folk-lore and Legends; German

Charles John Tibbits wrote a brief introduction of the origin of myths and legends. He traces it back to animism. He wrote that investing life in all things, living or inanimate, probably arose from the language used to describe or name things. Some words are expressive of gender and because the items have genders, there is a possibility that qualities were given to the object as time passed.

This a collection of 30 of those stories which originated from that concept. They are listed below:

Gaffer Death
The Legend of Paracelsus
Hans in Luck
The Grey Mare in the Garret
The Water Spirit
Peter Klaus
The Legend of Rheineck
The Cellar of the Old Knights in the Kyffhauser
The Fisherman and his Wife
The Mouse Tower
The Dancers
The Little Shroud
The Arch Rogue
Brother Merry
Fastrada
The Jew in the Bush
The Elves
The Conclave of Corpses
Legends of Rubezahl, or Number-Nip
The Hunter Hackelnberg and the Tut-Osel
The Alraun
The Goose-Girl
Hans Jagenteufel
The Waits of Bremen
The Flaming Castle
The Monks at the Ferry
Doctor All-Wise
The White Maiden
The Sturgeon
St. Andrew's Night

Tibbits gave a longer introduction about the book and the series of books about myths and folktales from different parts of the world than the previous book I reviewed (Folk-lore and Legends; Scandinavian). This is the first book in the said eight-book series. The translator also included his comments in the stories although he doesn't provide extensive analyses.

This book will be a great resource for anyone who's interested in mythology or folklore and legends. I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.

Folk-lore and Legends; Scandinavian

Edited and translated by Charles John Tibbits

This book is a collection of 29 stories, some of which are from the Edda. Readers will also find stories about the Norse gods although this book does not include the tales leading to Ragnarok. Included are a few stories about Thor and Loki.

The following are the myths and legends included in this volume:

The Wonderful Plough (Isle of Rugen)

How a Lad stole the Giant's Treasure (Sweden)

Tales of Cats (Denmark)

The Magician's Daughter (Sweden)

The Hill-man invited to the Christening (Denmark)

The Meal of Frothi (Norway)

The Lost Bell (Isle of Rugen)

Maiden Swanwhite and Maiden Foxtail (Sweden)

Tales of Treasure (Denmark)

Holger Danske (Denmark)

Tales from the Prose Edda

     The Gods and the Wolf

     The Strange Builder

     Thor's Journey to the Land of Giants

     How Thor Went a-Fishing

     The Death of Baldur

     The Punishment of Loki

The Origin of Tiis Lake (Denmark)

There are such Women (Norway)

Tales of the Nisses (Denmark)

The Dwarfs' Banquet (Norway)

The Icelandic Sorceresses (Eyrbiggia Saga)

The Three Dogs (Sweden)

The Legend of Thorguima (Eyrbiggia Saga)

The Little Glass Shoe (Isle of Rugen)

How Loki Wagered his Head (Edda Resenii)

The Adventures of John Dietrich (Isle of Rugen)

How Thorston Became Rich (Thorston's Saga)

Gudbrand of the Hillside (Norway)

The Dwarf-Sword Tirfing (Hervarar Saga)

Readers interested in mythology and folklore will find this invaluable. However, the translator did not include analyses of the stories.

I'm giving this book a 10 out of 10 rating.

Invasion by Dean Koontz

Don and his son Toby were out exploring the woods surrounding Timberlake farm. On their way back home, Toby found strange tracks on the snow. His father Don felt that the tracks were strange, but he dismissed them as footprints of some unknown animal. When he consulted his books and contacted his friend who said that the tracks aren't from any known animal in the vicinity, he became more suspicious. Toby had also sighted a strange creature with amber eyes peering at him at the windows. When they found one of their horses dead, Don knew his family, Toby, his son and Connie, his wife, is in danger.

This book, published by Dean Koontz under the pseudonym Aaron Wolfe is a recollection of the strange events at Timberlake farm from the point of view of Don. He found himself battling for his sanity against an unknown force. The unfolding of the events leading to a shocking revelation was expertly done, creating more tension and anticipation towards the ending. Although the book is short compared to Koontz's later works, he was able to introduce Don's past and weave it flawlessly with the events at the farm.

This book was reprinted and renamed as Winter Moon.* This is well-written and is as good as his later, more popular novels like Midnight and Phantoms.

I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.

*Thanks to K. Allen Wood for the info about the book!

Onimusha Essentials

Although this game was set in the age of the Warring States in Japan, it doesn't focus on the human conflicts. Instead the player goes on a quest to stop the resurrected Nobunaga and the Genma from taking over feudal Japan and later on, the rest of the modern world.

In the first game of the series, Onimusha: Warlords, Samanosuke Akechi received a letter from his cousin Princess Yuki asking him to rescue her from imminent danger. She observed that most of their servants are disappearing and strange events have been happening in the castle. Samanosuke was too late however. And what was supposedly a rescue mission turned out be a quest to rid the world of a much greater threat.

The objectives of the first game are quite easy to follow. The player also has to remember everything he sees in the castle (doors to be opened, puzzle boxes, etc.) as some of these will help unlock items needed in the game.

The boss fights aren't difficult as long as the player remembers the pattern of the enemy's attacks. Surviving the Dark Realm was much more challenging if you ask me, but I recommend the player to complete the Dark Realm levels because the prize will be pretty useful in the final boss fight.

Samanosuke will also meet other characters here, including a ninja, Kaede, who will help him find the princess.

I loved the puzzles. It's the thing I enjoyed most in this series. The only thing I didn't like in the first game was not being able to skip the cut-scenes.

In this game, Samanosuke doesn't get to fight Nobunaga yet.

Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny

This game is a continuation of the first but the player meets a new character.

Jubei Yagyu, leader of the Yagyu clan came home to find his people massacred by Nobunaga's army.  It was through this tragic event that he met his mother, the oni Takajo. Takajo compelled him to stop Nobunaga's plans. Being a part of the Oni clan, Jubei was given the power to absorb the souls of the Genma to help him in his quest.

One of the features I like in this game is gifting. Jubei will meet three heroes in Imasho, Ekei Ankokuji, Kotaro Fuma and Magoichi Saiga, whom he will befriend. Depending on the level of friendship, one of the characters will help Jubei in certain situations. Friendship can be improved by gifting and making sure the character is happy with the gift. I found Magoichi the hardest one to please.

From left to right: Magoichi, Ekei, Kotaro, and Oichi.

These characters will also determine the path of the scenario in the game. Another feature that wasn't in Warlords.

The player can also upgrade Jubei's armor. Conversations with other characters and bystanders is also important here. By talking to people, the player can get items or gold.

The Dark Realm has a bigger area than the first game and is slightly more difficult.

I enjoyed fighting with Gogandantess (before I acquired the flute) although it was quite obvious after a while that I can't defeat him yet.

The player will finally get to fight Nobunaga for the first time. The last boss fight was pretty awesome.

Onimusha 3: Demon Siege

You guessed right. Nobunaga didn't die yet. Well, he did but he was resurrected again by the Genma. In this game however, the stakes are higher and the enemy has found a way to travel through time.

In the second game, it was implied that Samanosuke has been missing for years ever since he defeated Fortinbras. The opening scene of this third installment however shows that he's been pursuing and trying to stop the Genma all along.

In the second game too the player is given a chance to play other characters but in this game, Jacques Blanc isn't just a supporting character. He was also granted the power of the Oni to stop the Genma from destroying the modern world. The player will have to juggle between two characters and different settings. Jacques had no choice but to cooperate to stop the demons from traveling through time and destroy his family and everyone around him.

Samanosuke and Jacques

Time travel is possible through a Tengu named Ako. She will also help in acquiring items. Her vests will also be of great use during combat. I recommend using the White vest in the Dark Realm. This will help conserve the medicines and herbs. The player will also get to fight machines made by Guildenstern, and the scientist himself, for the first time as well as fight alongside an army in the later part of the game.

The difficulty of the bosses are quite the same as the first two games but the player has to watch out for the three-headed guard dog. It was easy to defeat Nobunaga using the Bishamon sword acquired from the Dark Realm so I recommend them to go through that.

The puzzles are trickier, though I wish there were more of those puzzle boxes with patterns on them that you have to complete like in the first game.

***

Overall, it's a pretty good series. I've played all three games more than once, something I don't do in most games. Collecting the items, weapons, armor, and solving the puzzles were some of the things I really enjoyed in this game.

The story however does not differ from most games (save the world plot) and Nobunaga, as expected, is portrayed as a villain. But players who like fighting undead and monsters will like this game.

Oda Nobunaga

The combos are pretty easy to remember, just make sure to use the right weapon for different types of enemies. Samanosuke, Jubei, and Jacques also have different strengths and techniques so I don't think the player will get bored so easily. There are also different characters in the game with different weapons and fighting techniques.

The three main characters' physical appearances are based on real actors. Samanosuke was based on Takeshi Kaneshiro, Jubei on Yusaku Matsuda, and Jaqcues on Jean Reno.

I like the twists in the game and getting to fight the bosses more than once. Meeting them again and again created more tension and urgency in the story.

I recommend this game to those who like samurai, undead and monsters, and those who are interested in the Warring States period. I'm giving Onimusha Essentials a 10 out of 10 rating.

Kalam, Quick Ben, Fiddler and Hedge

The famous quartet from the Bridgeburners of the Malazan series. I tried to stick to the physical descriptions of the characters in the books.

Link: http://fav.me/d4salrp

Empress Laseen

Laseen from the Malazan series. Posted this on my deviantArt.

Link: http://fav.me/d4sal7b

Tim Duncan's Smile

Posted this on my deviantArt.

I remember the first Spurs game I watched. That was 10 years ago. The Lakers were about to knock out the Spurs from the playoffs. I was more impressed with the silent Duncan than with the flashy duo of Kobe and Shaq. They were defeated but I became a loyal fan since then.

Link: http://fav.me/d4sakh9

Soft Come the Dragons by Dean Koontz

This is a collection of eight of Dean Koontz's early science fiction short stories. Although this was compiled without a theme in mind, readers will notice that most of the stories focus on the emotional and psychological effects of new worlds and new discoveries on man. If the reader is looking for detailed descriptions of a new planet, species or breakthrough technology, this is not a book that I will recommend. The stories here are more than just that.

The ff. are the stories included in this volume:
Soft Come the Dragons - a man who was forced by circumstances to solve the mystery of the dragons' ability to kill people through eye contact has unravelled an equally mysterious answer.
A Third Hand - a mutant and reject tries to help his murdered friend and finds himself face to face with a formidable foe.
A Darkness in My Soul - a successful product of an experiment was asked to unlock the secrets of the mind of a super genius (I wrote a review on this. If you're interested, look for the title in the Archives).
The Twelfth Bed - a sad tale about elder citizens locked up in a nursing facility and a young man mistakenly brought in.
A Season For Freedom - a man and his team tried to stop killerbots from hurting people. He finds out that the killerbots are humans.
The Psychedelic Children - hallucino-children are hunted and persecuted. A couple tries to escape. The mutant, while trying to escape the authorities, unlocks the secrets to manipulating time.
Dragon in the Land - China was devasted by a plague and has asked for help from other countries. A team of researchers investigate the laboratory where it all started. The "virus" has no symptoms. They need to find a solution fast before they're all infected.
To Behold the Sun - an ambitious trek to the sun becomes dangerous when the crew is attacked by an unseen creature.

The stories can be improved but they're not bad at all. At the outset, Koontz already had the talent for writing. Fans might want to compare these stories to his later works. Reading the introduction to each story was fun too. It was like meeting the young and proud Koontz.

The Twelfth Bed for me is the best story in this volume. I like how it was written from the first person point of view. Everything in it was sad. The story, the setting, and the characters all made me feel miserable. I felt like I was trapped with them in that nursing home. The ending was sad too but it was also full of hope. I guess this is why some people insist that Koontz is a horror writer because he's good at writing dark and depressing stories (gothic would probably be a more suitable word than horror).

I'm giving this book a 10 out of 10 rating.

Legends of King Arthur and His Knights by James Knowles

This book is an attempt to combine all the stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table from various sources to make a cohesive, fluid story. It is made up of sixteen chapters beginning in the prophecy of Arthur's birth to his defeat by Sir Modred. From chapter five to thirteen, however, the focus shifted to his well-known knights.

There was very little attempt at characterization. Arthur and his knights were just as elusive and mysterious as they were before and after I read the book. There was no attempt to portray him as something else other than what the sources say. The book is just a narration of the events from his birth to his death and the things that happened in between. I cannot empathize with any of the characters even if some of them were portrayed as almost invincible, brave men and the best fighters in the world.

Despite that, I'd still recommend this book to those who are interested in the Arthurian legends, particularly to those who are still not familiar with the story. The stories about the Quest of the Sangreal, Tristram and Isault, Arthur's conquests, and Sir Lancelot's adventures are included here.

I'm giving this book a 6 out of 10 rating.

For readers who want to see a different kind of Arthur, I recommend the Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest.

British Goblins by Wirt Sikes

This book, composed of four major sections, does not only talk about the world of the faeries but also discussed the various customs and beliefs connected to them.

The first Book, The Realm of the Faerie succinctly detailed the qualities of the five classes of faeries of Wales. It also mentioned the four major classes in the  Scandinavian folklore and its differences with the former method. Theories of the origins of the faeries were also discussed. If the reader is using this book as a reference, I advise him to take notes. The author did a thorough job in researching incidents of fairy sightings and encounters so much so that more than half of the book is a recollection of the stories.

The ff. are the types of faeries discussed:
1. Ellyllon
2. Coblynau
3. Bwbachod
4. Gwragedd
5. Gwyllion

The same trend was applied in the second Book, The Spirit-World. Sikes also used a method of classification to delineate the differences between the incidents. The classification is based on the nature of the apparition or creature. The author cited several examples of each type.

The ff. are the types of spirits:
1. Departed mortals
2. Goblin animals
3. Spectres of natural objects
4. Grotesque ghosts
5. Familiar spirits
6. Death omens

Book three is about Quaint Old Customs. These are traditions practiced (some of which are still extant) in connection to certain days and seasons of the year, or events "relating to the most conspicuous events in the common human life". According to Sikes, there were three important events (sometimes four events) called Spirit Nights. These are: All Hallows, May-day, and Midsummer Eve (the fourth is Christmas night). Why these customs were included in a book about goblins wasn't clear at first. They were connected however to the festivals of the ancient Druids and are celebrated "to commemorate the powers of nature and love".

Book four is about Bells, wells, stones, and dragons. It discussed beliefs and superstitions connected with the said artifacts. The section about the dragons however was quite shorter than I expected.

This book was well-prepared was well-researched. The author was able to organize all the testimonies from various sources properly. The books has plenty of information the reader has to remember and understand but given all the examples, it wouldn't be such a hard task.

I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.