Fokis tävling
Special A - Volume 1
Only in Japan can there exist a school where the top 7 students are allowed to do what they want, after all; they are the Special A. The top 2 are Kei Takashima and Hikari Hanazono, and Hikari’s only goal is to beat Kei! But after years of trying she still hasn’t won a single time, but she’s not giving up! This is the story of their endless battles and the people around them!
The first volume of S.A give us the introduction of the main characters Kei and Hikari, and we get to know them and their history. We get to see glimpses of their friends’ personalities, but not more. But in the four chapters we get to know a lot about the two, the group and how the school works. And most important; we get to know of Hikari’s density. Overall, it’s a short introduction and while the characters are really intriguing, the story still has some things that need to be worked on.
This is Maki Minami’s first manga, and I would have never been able to tell. The art in the beginning is okay but as the chapter goes on the art really develops and reaches its own unique distinctive style. I love how the expressions get clearer and I’m able to like the characters (I’m really picky with the art).
I’m really looking forward to the second one as the first one really just is an introduction, so I’m wondering what Minami-sensei will cook up next! And as I’m a totally pure shoujo girl I’m wondering what kind of romances lays in store…
Special A. - Vol. 1 -
Breaking Bad - Season 1
The time has finally come. Time for me to see what all fuzz about BB is about!
Desperate times creates desperate attempts to create a better life. When Walter White is diagnosed with cancer his path in life takes a sudden turn. With a pregnant wife, he feels helpless towards his family and destiny, so he makes a choice. He will use his skills in chemistry to make money. He will become a cook. A creator or metamphine.
Breaking Bad has an interesting plot filled with rich characters and their personal dilemmas. They struggle with the moral of right and wrong throughout the season, where does the line go between crime and innocence? How far can one go without losing himself? In this season we can see the beginning of these questions, and even though it's only seven episodes you can clearly see Walter White's development from an obedient husband, a rightful citizen, to someone who stands up for himself and start making his own choices, even if the choices are outside the law. Bryan Cranston is glowing and he deserved the Emmy he won for this outstanding performance of emotions and wonder.
But Walter White aren't the only one with problems. His partner Jesse also has his demons and we get to see a glimpse of why he has chosen this path. All characters are very interesting, with the exception of Walter’s wife sister Marie. We don't really care about her problems, and her subplot only seems to be stealing time from the real story. He character is well portrayed, she just doesn't need a story of her own.
Breaking Bad is a psychological drama that deals with many questions about life itself and also human life. Even though the story itself is intriguing, its strong point is the characters and the development throughout the show. One can only imagine where Walt and his partner Jesse will end up on this dark path of life they has chosen. And enough with imagining, begin the second season now!
The Soloist
There are 90,000 homeless people in the Ground Los Angeles Area, but how many of them are schizophrenic? We get to follow a true story about a genius who developed schizophrenia and later become homeless.
In the streets of Los Angeles Steve Lopez search for the next story to write about. By coincidence he meets Nathaniel, a deranged homeless man who plays the violin beautifully. There is something about Nathaniel that Lopez can’t shake off, and he decides to look into his story.
“The Soloist” is off to a great start. The characters introduction is brief and interesting, but it doesn’t get further than that. The story loses its touch somewhere in the middle and it just drags on. The extra spice to take it to another level isn’t present. It’s just bland. Neither boring nor interesting. The ending is predictable and the in-between as well. Robert Downey Jr. plays his usual neurotic character and Jamie Foxx is spectacular as Nathaniel.
The streets of Los Angeles is full with homeless people, and in this movie we get to see a side of them you usually don’t get to see, the mental picture. So many homeless people ends up as Nathaniel, they live a normal life until they develop a mental illness. It’s just brief, but these encounters lets the viewer take a closer look how problematic it is today with all the diagnoses and medicine people presumes is going to cure someone. It isn’t that easy, and “The Soloist” shows us that.
It feels like it should be something more. Something awaiting around the corner that will blow my mind away. But there’s not. It’s just the regular walk outside without something spectacular. That is the feeling “The Soloist” will give you. Quite nice, but were expecting more.
The Soloist -
1001! Number 4 - Mr. Nobody
Every path we choose is the right path.
The year is 2092. Nemo Nobody is the only mortal left alive, and his days are soon over. But there is no records of Nemo’s past. So he begin to tell his story; his marriage with Elise, Jean, his search for Anna and the travels to Mars. How the different choices he made in life had different outcomes. Which life is the one he really lived?
“Mr. Nobody” is a masterpiece created by Jaco Van Dormael. Not only is the story itself a masterpiece, but the cinematography exceeds by far. It’s just a joy to the eyes to watch all of its wonders. First it’s the eyes that screams with joy, then the ears bleed sugarcanes while listening to Pierre Van Dormael’s magnificent soundtrack. And then as deeper into the story we gets, it gets more intriguing and you are hooked. Because it peels of layer after layer until it reaches the core, and makes your body shiver with excitement.
The story of making impossible choices, or what consequences one choice can have really makes you think. What interest me the most is how different Nemo is depending on the choices he makes. Even though he is himself, Nemo, in every life his characteristics are so different. Is one person really that dependent on other people to shape one’s personality? It seems like so many choices made Nemo unhappy, and he can’t create his own happiness but is letting the people around him shape who he is. Do we humans really have that little force to change ourselves?
But the movie doesn’t say that there is a right or a wrong answer. It encourages people to live their life despite the choices they make, because every path we chose is the right one. Jared Leto as Nemo covers all of the feelings one can get from a choice – pleasure, pain, heartbreak, desperation, indifference and so many more. Although he only plays Nemo, he plays so many different aspects of Nemo, one can’t help but wonder over his beautiful performance.
This is a movie you can enjoy no matter how many times you watch it, because every time you watch it you realize something that you missed the last time, a clue to a story. “Mr. Nobody” is a masterpiece for ears, eyes, and your mind.
Mr. Nobody -
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Arrow - Season 1
It took me some time, but I have finally finished watching Arrow season 1! Before I start ranting about certain events in the show, I will give you my overall opinion of the show.
Superheroes are awesome. But is the vigilante, the hood or commonly known as Green Arrow in the comics really a hero? This question follows through the show and is a dilemma Oliver Queen struggles with. It’s interesting to see him change his way of thought, constantly overweighing what he believes to be right and wrong. But… even though it’s interesting, it’s also a bit confusing. I still haven’t made up my mind about what he is; a hero, or a murderer.
The title of the show is Arrow, but the focus is on Oliver Queen and his peers, and not his alter-ego. That’s a good thing, because all the people around Oliver grew on you as the episodes went forward. They all have characteristics that are unique to their individual’s personality and as the story goes on, as their life and personalities.
Stephen Amell and David Ramsey are portraying some of the best bromance tv has ever seen as Queen and Diggle. Emily Bett Rickards is quite quirky as Felicity, but sometimes it feels like a bad rip-off of Felicia Day’s character Charlie in Supernatural. Thea is just there and annoying in the beginning but she becomes more likeable as the show progress. And then we have Tommy, the best friend, the person who grew on me the most. Tommy is ordinary with real-life problems one could relate to. Oh, there’s also Katie Cassidy’s Laurel, but we hate her. I don’t know why because I loved her as Ruby on Supernatural (yay for Supernatural references!), but the chemistry between her and Stephen Amell is below zero and I pray to the almighty tv-people that he will get another love interest!
The show’s biggest letdown was the lack of main villains, or villains you actually cared about. The closest we got was the huntress and she went down another path than Mr. Queen had planned so, we don’t know what is going to happen to her. She disappeared too quickly. The lack of villains and short-plots episodes made that some episodes felt repeating. And, when you figure out who the villain is or how he is doing it before the main characters, it’s a proof that someone got lazy and a bad episode is ahead of you.
Even though it has it’s up and downs, Arrow is a stable show and gives the feeling it has a lot more to give. There are still many mysteries unanswered, new lovers to be found and then the continuation from all the angst in the season finale, because boy oh boy, that season finale! One of the best I’ve seen. I’m pumped for season two which I hope will be deeper and improve the things I wrote about!
Ds. Tv.com have the best and funniest reviews about Arrow. Did you know that Mr. Amell’s abs was voted as one of the best new characters?
Arrow -
The Mortal Instruments - City of Bones
City of Bones -
2012 - ett Filmäventyr - Nr. 10
År 2012 var ett år med många bra filmer,och The Hunger Games var en av dem. Jag, Erika och Jocke försökte äta upp en stor popcorn, misslyckades. Utan någon direkt koppling till böckerna så gick jag och såg denna på bio och jag gillade verkligen den! Många jämförde den med Battle Royal, vilket jag kan förstå, men själv ser jag bara liknelser och inte samma histora. Det politiska och de olika människoklasserna gör att denna film blir en av sitt slag. Det är historien som fångar, att försöka göra det omöjliga. Även om Jennifer Lawrence spelar Katniss bra så blev jag lite besviken, efter jag läst böckerna. Där är hon en sådan känslomässig människa, och jag tycker det går lite förlorat. Men bra film, som bör ses, igen. Varför gillade jag den då? Karaktärerna, miljön och historien fångade en helt enkelt!
It goes on and on and on and on...
A helicopter. How hard can it be?
*shakes fist*
Comic-Con 2013
Under året blev den bara större och större och igår så var det äntligen dags, försäljningens portar öppnade sig. Efter mycket research så insåg jag att få en badge, är skitsvårt. Men i början av veckan så hittade jag en hundralapp i snön - a sign of my luck! Det kunde inte gå fel! Med fyra datorer så klickade vi alla klockan 18.00 på den lysande gröna knappen. En fick server error, tre blev vita i jämna mellanrum. Efter ett antal minuter så kom den första in, plats nummer 26000någonting. Efter det kom den andra in, plats nummer 18000! Efter en halvtimme så var jag inne i the epic buying room and vips! Jag hade två badges med 4-days and preview night! HELT OTROLIGT! Nu är flygbiljetter och boende fixat i San Diego, och nu är det bara att planera LA! :D
WALL -E
I en framtid då jorden är täckt av sopor så finns det en liten hjälte som städar upp jorden, dag efter dag – Wall-E. Wall-E är en robot vars syfte är att städa upp jorden, alla andra robotar har slutat fungera och synen till mänskligt liv syns inte till. En dag så landar en rymdfärja på planeten och Wall-E träffar roboten Eve. Tillsammans med Eve så åker Wall-E ut på ett riktigt äventyr som kommer skrivas ned i historieböckerna!
Wall-E toppar IMDBs lista på animerade filmer och jag har svårt att förstå varför. Ja, den var mysig och trevlig – utomordentligt animerad – men speciell? Jag skulle säga nej. I ett försök att visa hur mänskligheten kan komma att se ut om vi fortsätter konsumera och blir allt mindre mänskliga så tycker jag inte att den håller. Det fanns allt för många lösa trådar som fick en att fundera. De var inte vana vid berörning – men barn fanns som de brydde sig om på ett kärleksfullt sätt? De gick aldrig – men de kan om de vill! Det är en fin historia, ja, men alltför många löshål för att den ska fungera.
Det som gör Wall-E så mysig är Eve och Wall-E, två mycket annorlunda robotar som tillsammans hjälper varandra och blir till bättre robotar. Att hitta en vänskap fastän de båda två är så annorlunda, och en förståelse för varandra, det är vad filmen är för mig. Inte något dolt budskap om jordens undergång eller människors fördärv. Då det är alldeles för mycket sådant här så får filmen en trevlig trea av mig i betyg!