Tag: Reviews

Posted on

I Am a Hero Manga Review (edited, from 2013)

I Am a Hero manga review

Al Barcenas of Deremoe posted this I Am a Hero manga review from 2013, says it has one of the best story-telling in the industry.

I Am a Hero manga review

The Deremoe Archive exists on this website to give tribute to the brand which led me to get deep into the anime community – and along the way, get introduced to the events industry, which is where I’m working now.

On this post, I am sharing a Deremoe review of “I Am a Hero” by Kengo Hanzawa. This zombie manga will then be adapted into a movie released commercially in 2016. This review is done by my good friend Al who at that time leads the tech side of Deremoe while I act as its frontrunner.

A lot of time has passed, and lessons are learned along the way, but this manga review alone is quoted by distributor Dark Horse in its press release for the manga. Without further ado, here is the review, which I have edited now, keeping in mind the thought Al put for this.

Ok… where do I start? Imagine The Walking Dead is set in Japan, and has a fat dude with a shotgun surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, with the melodrama toned down. That’s what I Am a Hero is in a nutshell: A story of a guy surviving the zombie apocalypse together with the people around him.

While High School of the Dead also delves into the same genre as this series, this one is more down to earth, and has a meticulously crafted plot to make it endearing. It is also nominated for the Manga Taisho in 2011 and 2012; and is published on Big Comic Spirits, which published works for the adult audience. Another series in Big Comic Spirits I find notable is Rainbow, which I talked about 3 years ago.

I Am a Hero shows a 180-degree turn of once-peaceful life

The story focuses on the adventures of Hideo Suzuki, who happens to be at the right place at the right time. The Manga starts with our main character going through his normal life as your average mangaka, having a well-off career with a girlfriend and hobbies.

While the story is focused mainly on the mundane life of our main character, the author also painted the backdrop for the impending apocalypse behind him.

While the series’ charm is the Zombie Apocalypse like The Walking Dead, the focus is mainly about the ordinary characters, adapting to the 180-degree turn of their once-peaceful life.

Much of the happenings that surrounds the outbreak are entirely brushed in passing – just as what you would be expecting if you are pulled into the scenario, trying to survive while piecing together what happened to the world in general.

Much of the series during the first moments of the outbreak are about our character trying to escape the city. It also shows no stops to its characters. It kills characters without you expecting, just like in real-life – or like (the U.S. TV series) Dexter, characters can die for the sake of the story.

Accepting their new lives

Once the outbreak passes, survivors come to meet the terms of their new life. The story now shifts on the adventures of our main character and whoever companions and pals he meets.

The series also takes a break and shifts to other characters in the story. One arc is focused on Taiwan in the first moments of the outbreak. The recent chapter breaks to a shut-in finding the society that shunned him disappearing, akin to having a clean blank slate. The author clearly knows what he is doing. Managing the expectations of the reader is something that you don’t easily achieve.

Another remarkable thing about the series is the level of detail in just about everything. The title above best describes it. It is one of the best-drawn manga out there. It has a complex perspective that you wouldn’t normally see, even in Anime. Those scenes are also used in a way that made a drastic impact on the story.

There is a scene where the main character shoots zombies, and we are pushed into a first-person perspective. Not only that, he is also wearing a mask. You can see the details of the mask.

You literally see how hindered the Main Character is with a mask on his face as zombies try to eat him. The scene is designed to heighten the tension of that plot. The author pushed the limits of the medium in so many levels. I can’t believe he can keep up on a weekly publication.

I Am a Hero’s story-telling: One of the best

Finally, if you love zombie apocalypse, or simply a fan of The Walking Dead who is also an anime enthusiast, I Am a Hero is a must read. It’s shocking that an Anime adaptation hasn’t been green-lit yet. The level of story-telling put here is one of the best in the industry, well-done and just far ahead from the rest.

Congratulations for reaching the end of this I Am a Hero manga review. You can find the book on Amazon.

Truth be told, I still have an archive of text content from the old Deremoe website, so if there’s something nostalgic and relevant at the same time, I may be able to post it again on this space.

Preview images taken from Dark Horse manga website

Posted on

Kurocon / Anime Expo Lite / Aniplex Online Fest 2021

Anime Cons 2021 - Kurocon vol 3, Aniplex Online Fest, Anime Expo Lite

The 4th of July is a tradition among all Americans, but for anime fans stuck at home like me, there’s another tradition for such.

It’s already a year since, and nothing has changed so far: I’m still watching online conventions, just like then. Well, there are things that have changed: For one, I don’t stay awake just because I want to see an anime con online. This time, I’m also doing it to sniff out what news is going to pop – or in my case, what feature story can my colleagues write about.

Anime Cons 2021 - Kurocon vol 3, Aniplex Online Fest, Anime Expo Lite

But since this is keepsakes., and this is where I share my thoughts on things on a personal level, I’m going to share more about my experiences with this year’s set of events.

Anime Expo Lite 2021

This year’s AX Lite is held inside Tixr, a new online event platform. The design is sleek, and I’m ok with it since I already signed up to see VODs from Anime Next, most of which I have yet to finish watching.

As with Anime Next, AX Lite is for charity. This time, proceeds go to the Hate is a Virus Campaign. Having been immersed into events which share part of its proceeds to charity, this is a good move, no-brainer. As I pay my ticket for the online event, I have good faith that it will reach out to anyone affected by the stigma that this pandemic has brought.

I will not elaborate about that further, because I will focus on sharing my two cents in the platform as well as the activities. I love that AX Live has chock-full of video-on-demand content, but getting to it on time got difficult. The good thing so far is that the videos on demand won’t expire fast – they’re there up to two weeks. If in case I need to get back on something, I can still get to it by that time. The delay still left a bitter aftertaste for me.

Backtracking from the actual live dates, I don’t know with Anime Expo, but why use Twitch chat in a custom platform that also uses a competing service. I just can’t figure that out. There’s also a report that one attendee got his access revoked, but that’s for another story.

Aniplex Online Fest 2021

Now this event favors our time, so just like AX Lite, they have the full event on demand for a limited time, let’s say, July 11 at 7:59 am PDT (11:59 pm JST). The program puts three major titles in a deeper perspective: Madoka Magica, Sword Art Online and Demon Slayer.

Having watched the SAO panel in part, and Madoka Magica panel in full, I am satisfied to know the series behind the scenes, as described by the people who have worked on it. Most especially, the voices behind the characters themselves.

I have yet to watch the SAO panel in full, but it’s already full of promise.

Kurocon 2021

Just like in the last two iterations, Kurocon volume 3 is held live on Twitch and Discord.

The reason for my attendance there is still the same: It’s relevant for me. Panels which talk about VTubers, panels which talk about alcoholic drinks, panels which talk about experiences in Japan, tips, et cetera. Not to mention, the DJs who play banger tracks one after another.

By the next volume, I expect to hold another panel again. Who knows, I may actually talk about VTubers there.

Conclusion

Monitoring three events over the weekend is no joke at all. In my timezone, I am monitoring these in such an ungodly time. Nevertheless, if they still provide videos on demand, there should be no problems.

…Wait, what do you mean there’s another online con happening next week? Ah, okay.

Posted on

DigiKomi is a different beast

You’ve seen me visit virtual Japan, virtual USA and virtual Indonesia – now I’m going to share my experiences in virtual Germany, where DigiKomi, the online edition of the annual Dokomi convention is.

Aside from Discord and Twitch, DigiKomi has its own virtual platform provided by MixUp. Imagine this: You are a rounded square. All of you inside the virtual convention floor are rounded squares. If the camera’s on, we can see you. This is a perfect opportunity for VTubers to introduce themselves.

Heck, this con, I believe, is made for VTubers.

Difference between DigiKomi and other virtual events

At DigiKomi’s MixUp, you have the option to open your camera and mic to join discussion floors in select booths. For example, I spent the most of the con sitting at one of the roundtables in the Hololive and VShojo booths. I get to meet KFP slaves volunteers employees who joined in for their boss Kiara Takanashi, who is one of the guests.

The employees are so wild upon Kiara’s invitation to join her at the virtual space, it crashed the server.

At DigiKomi, I was able to listen to VTubers based in Germany, including a goblin, and a programmer who serves small businesses. The conversations I had are interesting. Aside from this, I virtually met Denchi from DenchiSoft (VTube Studio) and Iron Vertex. Denchi is among the personalities I recommend to you if you want to know more about VTubers.

Unlike in Discord where you are in a voice chat, the virtual space MixUp made for DigiKomi is a much more awesome feat. While there are technical issues, either browser crashes or server limits, I’d still believe that we are getting closer to a physical-like virtual atmosphere. I get to talk to VTubers, people!

Conclusion

To conclude, visiting DigiKomi and meeting fellow fans hits close to home. I miss going outside to visit events, meeting people and taking photos. Provided that MixUp will address the issues they had with their platform, I’m pretty sure that this will help merge virtual and physical words – at least, in a browser.

Congratulations to the Dokomi Team for a successful DigiKomi. Looking forward to more of these soon.

Posted on

Recap: 6 Days of Otakufest 2021 online

Six days of Otakufest 2021 have passed. One of Cebu’s annual otaku events just went virtual last week, and here’s a recap of what has happened.

Workshops

Even during these times, I’m happy that Otakufest is still able to hold workshops. Afternoons of hands-on tutorials are done by SFX Makeup Artist Chey Adamson and Team Class S’ Seigfred Enero.

If I were to ask which moments I remember the most, I’ll share one for each workshop:

  • Chey’s step-by-step, hands-on makeup workshop is fantastic. You can see the progress on how to make fake wounds, or fake skin peels. It is indeed a meticulous process.
  • Seigfred’s workshop stressed the purpose of forward and backward stances especially in a stage performance.

Contests / Performances

I’ve observed quite a lot of events during the six days of Otakufest 2021, and overall, I am happy with the performances too.

The intermissions during the livestreams of the contest feature powerful performances from the community.

Community

Speaking of community, the Discord activity’s pretty much active. There’s discussions on food, art and memes (especially memes).

While I can’t show the full activity here, what I remember the most is the last few minutes before the event actually ends – I’m still by-standing at the voice chat even past 10pm, which is the set curfew time.

This brings back memories of me still inside the hall when the event has ended. Too bad I can’t eat with friends physically. The true convention is the friends we make along the way.

List of Contest Winners

To recap, here are the Champions of various contests held at Otakufest 2021:

Contest Champion
Original Character Design Cai Siegfried, the Overlord’s Jester
One-shot Manga The World of Sameness (Law Cafe)
Japanese Singing Yumichii
Asian Pop Dance Elisha Nicole
Valorant Tournament Elite Valiant
Cosplay Showcase Resu S Cathz
Otakufest Throwback Dukhneeka, Dave Tinoy
Champions announced during the Otakufest 2021 awarding ceremonies streamed live on Facebook

In conclusion

I miss going to Cebu. I really do. For now, Otakufest 2021 committed to being there for us, wherever we are.

As the event goes virtual, the spread of the events throughout six days is well-planned, considering that the team also have commitments outside of the event.

Should they hold another virtual Otakufest, I look forward to having more activities for another 6 days. I left the virtual venue happy and satisfied. I am able to catch up with friends and I’m happy to see Cebu’s otaku community, at least online.

I pray that this pandemic ends so we can meet again. Really can’t wait to be back in Cebu soon.

Once again, we would like to thank the Otakufest 2021 team for having keepsakes. as one of its official media partners. keepsakes. is a media partner since 2018, and we’ll make this a tradition.

Posted on

Review: Mari Okada’s “From Truant to Anime Screenwriter”

I had time to read in full a memoir I purchased three years ago. It’s Mari Okada’s From Truant to Anime Screenwriter: My Path to “Anohana” and “The Anthem of the Heart”, set in rural Chichibu in Saitama Prefecture.

I’m glad that I am able to read this in full, as it talks about her experience growing up. On this book, she opens up about her truancy in her high school days, her mother, and her work experience.



I’m here to talk about my view on the story, so I don’t think this can be referred to as a proper “review.”

If there are few things I can relate well as I read through the whole memoir, it’s the fact that we don’t have happy experiences in high school. In my case, it can go as far as late elementary. The way I see it, I’m an outcast.

It’s just in college where I felt I can be respected as I am, and I can respect myself. College has been good to me overall.

I recall the time where I go to the nearby internet cafe after school to browse the internet, kill time, watch some anime, post blogs or even upload my podcast episodes on Archive.org. I’ve been doing it for quite a long time; I started creating stuff online around Grade 6.

Actually, I’ve been making stuff even before I went online – it’s just that most of the stuff aren’t laid out to the public.

Like Mari Okada, you get to meet people who have given you their trust – whether you met them online or in person. We all have people like that – I do.

Aside from inspirations like Geek Nights, Anime Pulse and Leo Laporte, Al got me to develop my skills during our time in Deremoe, most of which I use for my day job nowadays.

Among all of Mari Okada’s works, Her Blue Sky, Koufuku Graffiti, Sakurasou, Black Rock Shooter, and the WIXOSS TV series are the ones that I’ve finished in full. It may be a few but these are all memorable.

Upon her prime time as a playwright for anime series, she still experience problems and the anxiety that’s carried along with it, but she still had the balls to open up about it. I don’t feel I can open up about my anxieties in public.

You got to read the memoir form the start until the epilogue, keep reading until you finish it, and have a sense of enlightenment that is brought by the feeling of relatedness that is Mari Okada’s experience.

★★★★

This is by far the second book that I’ve reviewed for this blog, the first one was Chutzpah & Chutzpah, which is about Saatchi & Saatchi in the eyes of the people who were part of it.