Manga Review: Uchi No Musume Ni Te O Dasu Na

There are two words that come to mind when I look at this series; hidden depths. First impression wise I just figure this manga as a quirky little piece that combines two things that I like: superheroes and cheesecake. But just like Last Action Hero, there is more to this manga than meets the eye.

It is a surprisingly heartwarming tale about a mother and a daughter trying to make it as superheroes and the manga does a good job in letting you feel for the two characters.

It also plays a nifty little commentary on the hentai genre. The manga looks, walks, and acts like something you'd see straight out of a hentai but it is a complete satire of the genre that not only plays it straight but also points out the common cliches in hentai. For instance, there is a character that actually uses fanservice as a weapon. That is how self-aware this manga is. But it's not all smut for the sake of smut as it manages to have some world building and a variety of characters with their own unique personalities.

The manga isn't without flaws. There are some parts of the manga that made me uncomfortable; underage fanservice, nothing explicit but still I do not want to see close up shots of a little girl's ass. And when Athena, the mother and one of the main characters, was brainwashed and turned into a sex slave. I've seen Jessica Jones and every cult documentary and I find mind control more creepy than tantalizing. And just about every male character, sans one, is a jerkass horndog. It made me question if there is any decent male character in the series?

Overall I give the manga a solid B+. If I had to think of another word to describe the series then it would be, inspiring. This manga is one of those adult mangas that would have made a good series if you take away the hentai elements and just make it a heartwarming story about a mother/daughter superhero duo saving the world together. And the manga gets points for having a female big bad. More points for making me wonder where will they go next?

I just wouldn't go into this manga expecting it to resemble One Punch Man. It really is not. But it's good on its own.

Why Princess Leia Is One of My Favorite Star Wars Characters And Why She Should Be Respected

Princess Leia to me has got to be not just one of the best characters in Star Wars canon but also one of the most well-written female characters. To explain why I'm going to go back during the original trilogy.

Imagine Princess Leia having to be forced to grow up pretty quickly. Especially with the Empire hunting her and placing the responsibility of the Rebel Alliance on her shoulders. Luke Skywalker at least had the privilege of having a decent childhood but, taking the insanity of the Empire into consideration, you have to wonder if Leia had the chance to live a life a regular little girl in that universe would live?

Then let's look at the first movie. In an impressive showcase of her genre savvy she not only sends the droids to Tatooine to deliver Obi-Wan a distress signal but take note of how calm and collected she was when she did that. Just think if she didn't set everything in motion by sending the droids to Tatooine then the events of the trilogy might not happen and Luke might not achieve his destiny. So either intentional or unintentional Leia was quite the magnificent bastard.

There is also the things she had to endure while under Vader's custody. Being tortured and watching her home planet get blown up and probably more tortures. Yet she still kept her strong resolve. Vader could have forced her to watch The Ridiculous 6 and she still wouldn't crack. And that is just the tip of the trauma induced iceberg.

She had to watch Han Solo be frozen and deal with the failure of not rescuing him. And lets get into Return of The Jedi. Oh boy Return of The Jedi.

Yeah seeing Princess Leia in the infamous slave bikini brought many fond memories but look at it in a Fridge Horror perspective in her POV. Being constantly molested by Jabba and being forced to endure God knows what degrading acts that Jabba put her through before Luke arrived. There have been stories both in novelization and in fanfic that expand on the horrors Leia endured when being enslaved by Jabba. In one of the stories from Legends: Jabba gave Leia to Boba Fett for a night as a reward for good work. The only reason she wasn't brutally raped is because Boba is disgusted by taking someone against their will. Had it been almost any other of Jabba's minions and she wouldn't have been so lucky. Not to mention the sheer horror of being at the mercy of the bounty hunter who took away the man you love and gave him to Jabba in the first place.

But she bid her time and built up all that inner rage until she finally manage to get her revenge on Jabba. It was glorious. Did that experience darkened her? No. She still kept her resolve to help her friends overthrow the galactic empire. Anyone in her position would have went rogue right then and there. Yet there is something inspiring about Leia still maintaining her humanity after all the shit that she went through.

Princess Leia is also the deconstruction of the Damsel Princess Syndrome that you'd usually see in other works of fiction. Because Princess Leia refuses to be a victim. Princess Leia is a survivor.

Thor: Ragnarok And When To Use Humor Properly

Apparently, there has been a divide in Thor: Ragnarok. You have one side that are loyal to the movie no matter what but you have the other side that would rather avoid it because the Thor films appear to be the black sheep of the MCU. I mean think about it? The majority of the other MCU films have been a critical darling but when anyone ask about the Thor films the one positive aspect would be that Loki is the only well-written villain character there is.

It's safe to say that Thor: Ragnarok has more to prove than the other MCU movies. Thor: The Dark World didn't quite provide a good impression and I don't blame anyone for being cautious to this movie. Especially after reading reports relating to it. Lets just say I'm not looking forward to Odin's fate.

Another pause for concern is that it's adding The Hulk. Remember the complaints surrounding Dawn of Justice on how WB is adding a lot of characters in the movie instead of the character that should have mattered the most? Also remember when there were complaints on Batman being included in the movie at all instead of doing another Superman movie because WB doesn't have faith in Superman doing well on his own? So apparently Marvel decides to use The Hulk because  he could put butts in seats and because Marvel is afraid of a potential Dark World situation. But I think the problem with Dark World was it's improper use of humor.

For example. Thor's mother died but the movie wasted no time in being comical again. Same when Loki allegedly "died". The movie's humor was the equivalent of someone dangling keys in front of you.

I know the first movie had a lot of flack but I'd still defend it as a decent movie because, for one thing, the first movie manages to balance humor and drama pretty well. Especially the interactions involving the Warriors Three & Sif. The early dialogue between Thor and Sif I find pretty funny. But the humor worked because it fit the characters. Especially with this scene.

That worked because it was perfectly within Thor's character and Jane reacted, in the same manner,  how any normal person would. If that scene were mimicked today Jane would smash a drink with Thor because.....Just because. Also, Jane was the straight man. She had her adorkable moments but still the straight man.

The more I look at the Thor movies the more I feel they're like this stand up comedian who keeps telling bad jokes. He's unaware that they're bad but he keeps telling them anyway because he's desperate to get a laugh. Oh he will. But more in a comically sad kind of way. With me, it's just plain sad how Thor is reduced to this when the franchise could have been so much better.

Superman: American Alien

Written by Max Landis, the dude from Chronicle and soon to be Power Rangers reboot.

Now this comic, this comic's more like it! Don't let the image poster fool you because there is more to the story than what the pic presents. This is actually the one story that depicts a modern comic variation of Superman that actually worked. 

This comic showcases Superman in his most flawed but actually bothers to do what the New 52 failed to do. Make him likable. Max Landis not only manages to make Superman relevant but he also manages to have him actually enjoy being Superman. And that he actually thinks while fighting, remember that he's not just about punching things. He can be pretty smart too.

I love how he pretended to be Bruce Wayne, which was a direct shout out to old Superman stories where he did pose as Bruce. Oh yeah. Spoilers.

The cameos of the other DC characters were top notch too. Especially one from Mr,Myxykplk. It was only for a panel but the fact that Max introduced him at all was a surprise and a pretty solid cameo.

And he's not above having a sense of humor. The way that he trolled Lex was enough to make Aizen applaud that epic trolling. Trust me, Lex deserved it.

But the final issue. OMG the final issue!!! I was smiling from ear to ear. I'm not going to spoil it but lets just say Max not only gets Superman but also a certain underrated DC character whom has never gotten the respect he deserves.

Overall the comic gets an A+. Superman: American Alien is up there with All-Star Superman and it's the modern Superman that we deserve.

Holy Throwback, Batman!!!

I just couldn't watch the whole teaser. That microwave death trap had me rolling in laughter. And it's a good kind of laughter. And I get it.

I guess DC needs a movie that is an apology for giving us a Bruce Timm wet dream that we don't want. And not just any movie. A movie that puts Batman back to his roots. I suppose Adam West would be that. Hell, if there is anybody that could make Batman likable again it would be Adam West. And it's nice to finally see a DC Animated movie that featured Batman & The Real Robin teaming up again.

But is it too late? Has the damage already been done? Is Adam West's Batman the Batman that we deserve?

The Killing Joke(The Lucid Version)

After I've calmed down a bit I've taken another examination of the animated adaptation of The Killing Joke. I still believe in what I've said about the film earlier. It was a blatant Batman/Batgirl fan fic. It looked and was written as something you could see on Fan Fiction.Net and I find it rather surprising that this was made by the same guy who but DC Animated Films and Batman on the map. Yes, long before Nolan gave Batman a much-needed resurgence on the big screen, it was Bruce Timm that made the fans like Batman again. In fact when people think of Batman there are two people come to mind: Keaton and Conroy's Batman. I also would say Mark Hamil's Joker provided the character more layers than the comics would ever provide.

I'd love to know what was going through Bruce Timm's head when he was oking the....questionable decisions that resulted in this fallout. Cause from what I've looked in the interviews it sounded that he was fully aware of the stir it would cause.

He mentioned that he wanted to make Batgirl a more empowering character. There are ways to do that. For starters make The Killing Joke based on her POV. And if you really want to go there, The Joker's POV. Make Barbara sympathetic by giving her motivations that we can get behind. Make her make us understand why she became Batgirl. Showcase The Joker as this sick, psychotic, asshole. Take The Joker into Henry:Portrait of A Serial Killer levels of fucked up if you want to earn that R-Rating. The movie should make you not only hate The Joker but root for Barbara's survival. And I couldn't stress this enough. No Batsex.

People complained how MOS ruined Superman. Pfft. The way I look at it, this movie did more damage to Batman than what All Star Batman & Robin did. If Bruce Timm's career isn't ruined by this then the next time he wants to do Batman/Batgirl fan fiction then at least bother providing a convincing story.

Overall I give the movie an F +. If you really want to see Bruce Timm handle Batman right then do yourselves a favor and go locate then watch Mask of The Phantasm instead. That movie will make you appreciate what he did for the character.

The Price of The Popularity of Superhero Movies

I remember a time when we'd be lucky to even have a superhero movie. The idea of having one superhero movie and another the year after was unheard of.. The only superhero void we had at the time were in animated products like the Timmverse, X-Men: The Animated Series, Spider-Man: The Animated series, etc. If you'd ask me in the late 90's if superhero films were going to boom as it has been I'd say you're crazy. But boy has it ever.

Superhero films today have become so popular that even Japan has jumped on the bandwagon with One Punch Man and My Hero Academy. Yet, as the old saying goes, fame comes with a price.

You'd think with superhero movies being as popular as they are it should make the superhero fandom happy about it. Yet scaringly enough it just ends up dividing the fanbase even more. Granted the Marvel and DC fandom has always had a rivalry but there was a sense of unification back when superhero films were so scarce. But its now the equivalent of an ugly family squabble. And you're like that little kid who just want the fighting to stop.

I remember someone, not mentioning names, got so fed up with the ordeal that it ruined their enjoyment for anything superhero related. Then you have others who wished superhero films didn't become as popular as it has.

Personally speaking, despite my own personal grievances, I like that the superhero movies are where it's at. Yet I feel it could be more than what it is. I wouldn't mind a director taking a superhero movie into a fresh direction. Like how Deadpool is doing. We are even seeing original superhero material from All Superheroes Must Die and I'd hope that more original superhero material gets put out. The superhero genre shouldn't just be about capes and costumes or superpowers. It should be about taking your imagination and shape it into something greater than you've expected. It doesn't have to copy the Marvel/DC formula. That's the kind of freedom a filmmaker's creative imagination should have.

And on a fan perspective. If you like the movie, that's fine, if you hate it, that's fine. While someone doesn't share the same view it's not worth getting riled up cause at the end of the day, it is just a franchise. And you should continue to show appreciation to the franchise that you love, regardless of whomever says different.

Star Trek Beyond: A Return To Form For The New Trek Films

I think the best way to describe the New Trek Films is the Star Trek movie franchise going through a midlife crisis. They tried to recapture their youth in Into The Darkness but it's like seeing an old man trying to be young and hip to a younger crowd. It's embarrassing to watch. Star Trek Beyond is the film series taking a metaphorical self-examination and sets itself to get its life back on track. And boy did it ever did!

I actually have a good time with this movie. Everything about this movie was enjoyable. From the fight scenes to the story and to the characters. When a movie didn't have one character that took me out of the movie or pissed me off then the film did something right.

I thought this movie played up the character interactions pretty well. Since it is directed by the same guy who did the Furious Films, who seriously should direct more movies, expect some good characterization with witty dialogue.

The MCU should take notes from this film when it comes to using humor in a serious situation. I never once ask myself if the joke was necessary nor did the humor irritated me. The characters involved played the witty parts pretty well and in a less embarrassing manner. I thought Bones and Spock had the best chemistry.

Lets talk about new characters. Jayla was a fun character. To properly describe her she's Gamora done right. She's a badass female character who can carry her own and doesn't have to play the damsel in distress card. And there was a believable ship tease with Scotty. Which I can honestly get behind more than say.....Natasha/Bruce Banner. Sigh. And they didn't do a forced romantic hook up either. It was a gradual build that could lead to something serious in the next film. But it never devalued Jayla in any way.

Oh and the movie was written by Simon Pegg. Talk about the man of many talents!

I thought the film's villain was a huge improvement but I was a little disappointed that he didn't survive to the point that he could pop up in the next movie. Then again, with Trek's rich history, it's one of the few franchises that doesn't need a recurring villain.

I also like James T. Kirk in this. This movie made the new version of Kirk more humanized rather than trying to have him imitate the original Kirk. After two films this one managed to make Kirk likable. Good job.

I should warn those considering seeing this. The tribute to Leonard Nimoy could tug the heart strings.

Overall I give Star Trek Beyond an A. This was a good booster after the mess that was The Killing Joke and it renewed my faith in Science Fiction movies. It harkened back to the Star Trek themes that we love while including some new elements in it. If this is the new direction it's going to take then continue following that path.