Reviews

I was invited to watch DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island earlier, and I figured I write a short review of it here and now. I was already encouraged to watch the movie weeks prior. I watched the movie with friends (the one who invited me is a newfound friend who made her vacation here from the US). The animated film is currently 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (Certified Fresh) as of the time I wrote this, with a star-studded cast featuring the voices of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dolly De Leon and Lea Salonga. ...

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. 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. ...

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. ...

For the final podcast for 2020, I talked about “Saekano the Movie: Finale” with Anime Corner’s Marlo Barcellano. Marlo, who has seen the movie already way ahead of us, joins me for a brief discussion on what makes Saekano special, including our best moments from the movie. ...

As we feature Chamoji’s Murasaki7 mobile puzzle game, I have invited my friend who plays games better than me, Reikisha, to review this game for keepsakes. He’ll take it from here – please enjoy reading his review. - Jay There are an estimated 20 new mobile games released on Google Play and App Store, based on the QooApps charts. Some of these games are developed by popular game companies with a good track record of keeping the player base active through generous in-game rewards during special events. ...

I finally finished reading a physical book after a long time. “Chutzpah & Chutzpah: Saatchi & Saatchi - The Insiders’ Stories” by the trio of Saatchi employees Simon Goode, Richard Myers, Nick Darke takes you into a behind-the-scenes account inside the company established in 1970— Wait, they’re turning 50 years old? How time flies. You must have seen how I got the book at the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale just before we enter the quarantine period, and while I should not be amazed by how ad agencies work, the stories here still amaze me. ...

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” but “The end doesn’t justify the means” Last night, I was at the Shang Cineplex for Eiga Sai: The Japanese Film Festival. This year has to be the most jam-packed yet (To which I say, “Congratulations!”) — I was supposed to watch “Flying Colors,” but the line’s so long that I fell in the next scheduled screening, which is Kami no Tsuki (Pale Moon, 2014). ...