San Andreas (2015)

                    About:


                               When the San Andreas fault triggers a magnitude 9 earthquake, a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) must navigate the destruction from Los Angeles to San Francisco to save his daughter.













My Review:






                To be honest I felt a little nervous seeing this movie. It is not normally my type of movie but the trailer really made it look good and there was a bunch of actors that I liked in it so I put on my big girl panties and stepped into the theater. I liked San Andreas a lot more than I thought I would. Usually my mind wanders when I'm watching a movie. Even if I love it. It's a little problem I have but I was focused on the movie the entire two hours. My mind didn't even wander once. Also the special effects was amazing. I mean it looked really cool with how they made the ground look when the earthquake hit. The 3D wasn't the greatest but the special effects really make up for it.

                  This movie is about the whole San Andreas fault line going off leaving Ray's daughter in trouble. Ray and his wife defy odds while trying to find their daughter Blake. Meanwhile Blake and two brothers, Ben and Ollie, try to find high ground so Blake's parents could find them also defying odds along the way.

                   Ray was an awesome character. He really cared about his daughter and did his best to get to her while battling the guilt and failing to save his other daughter prior to the earthquakes. He was a strong character which I liked. Emma helped him a lot in finding their daughter an d I loved her attitude. She helped Ray deal and admit his feeling while being that mamma bear. I mean the message she left Daniel made me laugh. Their personalities really fit each others. They could rely on each others' strength. Blake was awesome. She was so kickass and not helpless at all. Though that is mostly because her dad worked for rescue so she knew more than the average person. She was really hopeful and nice, but she also had her weaknesses. She was so determined though. Ben was so awesome. I loved him so much. He was such a cute bumbling idiot when he first met Blake. He was was so brave. I mean he had a moment of weakness but he did his best to protect Blake and his little brother Ollie.I have to say I so ship him and Blake. I know it's typical to have a romance in a movie like this but they are just so cute with each other! I can't help myself. Oh my god I loved Ollie. He was so funny and adorable. He really gave the movie some light hearted aspects. I wish he was my little brother. He was definitely one of my favorite characters. Daniel was such a jerk. Of course he is another cliche in these types of movies but it's a necessary one. There are people like that in the world who would do the things that he did. It's so sad to think about. I loved all the characters. They felt so real to me. The writers did amazing jobs with all the characters. 

                      I love Dwayne Johnson. He is really good at what he does. I've loved him in the Fast and Furious movies and a few others. He's one of the reasons why I decided to see this movie in the first place. He was really good in this movie. This role seemed like it was made for him. I mean he did amazing with this role. He seemed like he really cared for Blake and Emma. He had some good facial expressions as well. Carla Gugino was absolutely phenomenal in her role as Emma. It's hard to put into words how great she was. Her facial expressions were so amazing. In this one scene where she is sad and she just utters that one line only two words and I wanted to cry just seeing her expression. Actually I did tear up a little. I've always liked her in movies but I thought this was her best performance. These two were amazing in their performances so you won't be disappointed in them.

                      Alexandra Daddario was also amazing in her role as Blake. I've seen her in the Percy Jackson movies and the show White Collar and she was great in those but I loved her in this movie. This is my favorite of her work. I liked her expressions and she really brought the character of Blake alive. I mean she she really got me into the movie. Hugo Johnstone-Burt was absolutely amazing as Ben. He really seemed so cute when he was trying to talk to Blake. He did a great job of plying the cute bumbling brave dork. I mean he was really perfect for the role. I couldn't imagine anyone else to play Ben. Art Parkinson was absolutely fantastic as Ollie. I mean he was so adorable. I couldn't get enough of him. He was perfect in playing the role of embarrassing little brother. I mean he did so well. I haven't seen him in anything else but I'm definitely going to look for his other works.

                      Overall, I really loved watching this movie. Yeah there were some parts that were a little cliche but the cast, characters, and special effects more than made up for it. I mean they casted really well for this movie. The actors really brought their characters alive and I loved that. I absolutely highly recommend this movie. If you haven't seen the movie already then go see it. You won't regret it. I truthfully wish it was out on dvd already so I can go watch it again. I really can't stop thinking about it. It's really that good.










Stars:                                            5/5

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

                 About:


                           The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out.  But somehow even when nothing is going on, somethingis happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship. 

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

My Review:

                   This book was so different from other books I have read.  I mean there were fourteen different point of views but none of them were the love interests. I mean how cool and weird is that? Also two of the point of views were from a squirrel and a bench....a freaking bench. How different is that? I mean this book was so interesting and different. The way it's written is enough to keep you interested. Usually we only see the main character's point of view and maybe some of their love interest's never the whole cast of characters minus the main characters. You can tell I am really excited to talk about this book right? Well besides the cool new interesting style of writing I loved the characters. They were all developed so well and I just enjoyed being with all of them. If you like something different or love romance then this is the book for you.

                   In this book we have really really shy Gabe who has a chip on his shoulder and Lea who is so sweet but a little aloof as the description says. From the point of view of all their friends and family we see how much Lea and Gabe really like each other but Gabe's issues get in the way along with other people(don't worry sounds like a lot of drama but really isn't) and just them two falling in love. 

                   Lea was so cute. I liked how nice she was but still had a backbone. She may not have had the whole story but she didn't make excuses for Gabe and told him off when he was acting like a jerk. I still wonder what her thoughts were. I like Gabe a lot. He was so adorable and shy. I felt so bad for him when it came to trying to ask out Lea. I also was sad about his past. It still didn't excuse for some of his behavior but I liked him a lot. I like those two together a lot. I mean they seem so good for each other(yes I realize the author made them that way but still). One of the discussion questions in the back of the book asked the question, Do you would have seen Lea and Gabe differently if you had been inside their heads? I don't really know the answer to this question but I'm thinking probably since all we know is what the other characters see and know. It's an interesting question to reflect on though. I loved the point of view of the squirrel. It was so cute and adorable. I love how it liked Lea a lot but never seemed to have the mindset of a human. The bench was pretty funny too always talking about its favorite butt and how it hates when people talk while sitting on it because it ruins the mood. Priceless right? Inga is also an awesome character. She's Gabe and Lea's English Lit professor who loves matchmaking her students. She is just so funny. You can feel her excitement through the pages and her frustration as well at the slow rate. Victor was an interesting character. I mean he was so angry the whole time and he hated everyone, especially Lea and Gabe. I truthfully didn't understand his role in the book. I guess I can she one reason but I feel like the book didn't need his character like it needed the others. There are a bunch more characters to talk about but I figured I would leave them for you to meet(also because I don't want to spend the next hour writing about them all). 

               I really liked the idea of this book a lot. I mean it was a typical love story but it was done so differently. I think I would have liked the plot to be a little less cliche but that might have been hard with so many point of views. It also kind of became sluggish a few times. The only reason I wasn't entirely bored was because I wanted to know what the characters were going to witness between the two love interests. This book was good in theory but the book wasn't really different besides the writing structure.

               Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. Sandy Hall is a genius for being able to write a coherent story with so many different point of views. If this book sounds remotely interesting to you then you should definitely read it. You will enjoy this book. I definitely recommend this book to those you love romance but are looking to read it in a new way or for those who are looking for something unusual. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to read more of Sandy Hall's work.








Stars:                                      4/5

Love Control volume 1 by Ai Hasukawa

                   About:


                            When Takashi Okumura hired Kei Yamashior, an interior designer, to fix up his place, he never expected to pick up a lover at the same time! But the two have pretty strong personalities and both are intent on taking the lead and setting the pace of their relationship. Will Okumura's sweet talk or Yamazhiro's pride win out in the end?














My Review:






                     It has been really hard trying to find a good yaoi manga since reading the Yellow series. This wasn't as good as Yellow but pretty damn close. I mean it wasn't the same genre beside romance but it was interesting and kept me interested. There has been manga yaoi mangas that were interesting but became boring. This was not the case with Love Control. I liked the story line a lot and the characters were amazing. I really wasn't expecting much with this manga but it was a lot better than I expected.  It has been one bad yaoi after another so it was a relief coming across Love Control.

                    In this volume, Kei Yamashiro, a very talented interior designer, is hired by Takashi Okumura to redecorate his home. While Yamashiro is trying to do his job Okumura keeps trying to flirt with him! Yamashiro hates the little game that Okumura is playing so he decides to dig in his heels and try and make Okumura to fall in love with him to teach Okumura a lesson. The problem is-it backfires leaving Yamashiro struggling to keep hold the remaining shreds of his pride. 

                    Yamashiro is a very very very stubborn man who can get a bit prickly at times. He doesn't like getting teased at all which is what mainly makes him want to push Okumura far away. And I mean far away. Yamashiro seemed like a very stubborn and not mean but maybe a little angry character so I was wondering how the author was going to smoothly make him fall in love with Okumura. I didn't really expect the relationship to go smoothly. I mean I knew there was going to be one but I didn't think I would like the relationship. It was a lot smoother than I expected. I mean it was still a little rocky but not bad. Okumura was a huge control freak. He did everything in his own time and was very particular of some things. He also loved to tease Yamashiro a lot which probably wasn't a good thing. I did like the two characters for each other despite the huge clash in very manly personalities. I actually kind of like that. Usually there is a girly or less manly personality in the relationship but I like the two dominate personalities. The problem with those two though was that they are both so dominate that they didn't know how to communicate with each other so it led to very frustrating developments which made me think they were stupid. The only other character that left an impression was Okumura's nephew. He didn't do much but he was always there for his uncle when he felt insecure about his relationship with Yamashiro and he even helped out Yamashiro with his insecurities. 

                    I loved the art so much. I mean it is not the prettiest but I don't know it just speaks out to me. The art is kind of similar to that of the Yellow manga(there I go again making those comparisons) which I like a lot. I loved how Yamashiro was drawn. I mean he was so handsome/beautiful. I loved looking at his character. I mean I liked Okumura as well but Yamashiro just looked so much better. Though I also loved Okumura's hairstyle. I mean it looks so cool and fancy like the rich man he is. I liked the plot a lot. I mean yeas the way the author made their relationship was sometimes frustrating but I liked it.

                     Overall, I really loved reading this manga. It is one of the good yaoi mangas out there. If you love yaoi especially one with some good smut and men with dominate personalities then this is the manga for you. I really recommend Love Control to yaoi lovers. I loved the art and semi liked the relationship between the main characters. I also liked the plot and the characters. I actually look forward to seeing more of them in the next volume. 








Stars:                                              4/5

Spotlight Monday: Born at Midnight book 1 by C.C. Hunter

                 About:


                            One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Buy Links:

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/Born-Midnight-Shadow-Falls-Novel/dp/0312624670

Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/born-at-midnight-c-c-hunter/1100354530?ean=9780312624675

Katy Budget Books:   http://www.katybooks.com/book/9780312624675

If you love the supernatural then you will love this book. I have re-read it a bunch of times. This book is one of the best supernatural books I have ever read. It's full of mystery, action, romance, some drama if you like that, and surprises. If you are looking for a good suspenseful read then this is the book for you.

**If there is a book, anime, movie, manga, etc. that you love and want to shout out to the world about then comment about it below and it will appear in the next Spotlight Monday**

Tomorrowland (2015)

                About:


                          Bound by a shared destiny, a teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor embark on a mission to unearth the secrets of a place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory.














My Review:






                    At first I wasn't really interested in seeing this movie. I mean it looked cool and interesting but it also looked boring. I stumbled across the book Before Tomorrowland which took place in 1939 which was pretty good. It made me interested enough to see the movie. This movie turned out to be good. I liked it a lot but with the whole two hour and twenty-five minute length of it it still didn't satisfy me. Do you know that feeling? You know when you really like this movie and you say mostly good things about it but you feel like something is missing with it? That's how I kind of feel. It was god but it was missing something.

                   In Tomorrowland, we see Casey Newton who is a very smart and optimistic girl blowing out the circuits of these cranes to stop the destruction of this building. Of course, she gets caught. Upon bail she discovers a mysterious pin that every time she touches it she's seeing another world. Along with her two friends Athena and Frank she has to use her brain to get to Tomorrow land and save the Earth from world destruction. 

                   Casey is a really smart girl who was easily amazed by Tomorrowland. I mean who wouldn't be with all the cool technology like jet packs. I liked her character a lot. She was so optimistic and wasn't ready to accept the future of destruction that was presented to her. She was ready to fix it. She was a dreamer through and through who didn't give up. I also liked how fearless she was. I mean she was scared but when she needed to do something she let nothing stop her. I liked her a lot as the main character. Frank was the necessary pessimistic. We always have to have one of those in a movie right? I liked his character a lot. Even though he was doubtful that Casey could fix everything he still did everything he could to get her to Tomorrowland. I really liked how his character clashed with Casey. It wasn't too much and it was pretty funny. Athena was an interesting character. I won't spoil too much about her. I liked how she pushed the characters to be the best they could be. She pushed Frank to help Casey and she pushed Casey to Tomorrow land so she could save it. Athena believed in both of them. She was a very important character.. Nix was an okay character. I felt like he wasn't developed enough. It was like he was just slapped with a cliche bad guy role and just left it at that. They didn't really tweek the roll or change it in any way. It was kind of disappointing. They could have done so much better with Nix. I know they really had so much time to develop him but the movie would have been so much better with a better villain. The character weren't bad other than Nix. I enjoyed watching them.

                  I love Britt Robertson as Casey Newton. I mean she played that role so well. I have never disliked any of Britt's acting and I wasn't disappointed with this performance either. I mean her facial expressions were divine. She literally looked so amazed when looking at Tomorrowland when she was really looking at a green screen. She had really outdone herself with this role. I really liked Raffey Cassidy as Athena. I haven't seen any of her previous work before so I was really interested in her. I think she was great in portraying her type of character. She did well in her expressions and tone. These two ladies were amazing in their roles.

                 George Clooney was perfect for the role of Frank. He really did that role well. I loved how he acted out Frank's frustration and anger at Athena and the people of Tomorrowland. I have seen a bunch of the movies he has done and this was one of the good ones. If you love George Clooney then you should watch this movie. I absolutely love Hugh Laurie. I especially love him as Dr. House in the hit tv show House. So I was very excited to see him in this movie. It's actually part of the reason why I saw Tomorrowland. I think if Nix's character was more developed then he would have been better in this movie. I mean he wasn't bad at acting at all in this movie. He just really didn't have enough to work with. He could have been so much better but because of Nix's character Hugh Laurie wasn't really great either. So if you love the show House and Hugh Laurie, you might not want to see this movie and be disappointed in this role.

                  Overall, the movie was really good. There was so much action and adventure. I loved the plot so much. This movie I highly recommend if you love science fiction and action. This is a really enjoyable movie. The only problem is with Nix's character. Otherwise I really have no complaints. The special effects were really good, the acting was great, and the characters(other than Nix) were absolutely amazing. If you're unsure I think you should still go see it. You never know if you'll like it or not until you go see it.








Stars:                                   4/5

St. Dragon Girl volume 1 by Natsumi Matsumoto

              About:


                         Momoka Sendou (nicknamed "Dragon Girl") and Ryuga Kou are childhood friends. Momoka is a martial artist, and Ryuga is a Chinese magic master who banishes demons. In order to increase his power, Ryuga calls on the spirit of a dragon to possess him, but the spirit enters Momoka instead. Now the two must unite forces and fight demons together!

                           A demon serpent king who appears once every hundred years to select a bride has abducted Momoka's friend Shunran. Will Momoka and Ryuga be able to defeat the demon before Shunran is lost forever?










My Review:








                 I liked this manga a lot. I found out about it in another manga through the advertisement. St. Dragon Girl is definitely a cute action manga. If you liked any of Arina Tanemura's work then you would love this manga. It's full of cute action and we get our wonderful teasing/fights between the two protagonists. I had fun reading this and was disappointed when it was over. I wanted to see more of the characters which were the greatest. They were all fun and descriptive.

                In this volume, Momoka goes to help her friend Ryuga capture the demon serpent king but when she sees her friend Ryuga summoning a dragon spirit she interrupts which leads to the dragon spirit entering her body instead of Ryuga's. There is also a creature putting the girls in Momoka's school under his spell, two kitties up to no good, and a relative of Ryuga's who wants Momoka! This manga so has no opportunity for boring in its pages.

                Momoka is so adorable and feisty. She can be a little childish at times but she is a kid. I mean I'm in high school but come on, we all have our childish moments once in a while. She is really strong too which I like and not just physically. While she can definitely hold her own in a fight she is emotionally strong too. I liked watching her character a lot. I especially loved watching her interact with Ryuga. They always tease each other...well Ryuga does most of the teasing which results with Momoka being pissed off. Ryuga is a close childhood friend of Momoka and uses her help to fight of evil spirits and demons. He is also kind of cocky as well. Which makes and interesting combination with Momoka's personality. I don't know if I ship them together yet. I mean it's only the first volume. It's already the obvious ship but you never know what could happen if another love interest steps in or not. Shunran is a good friend to Momoka. She's also a very sweet characters. I liked her a lot as a supporting character. I hope to see more of her in the future and that she wasn't a one volume character. 

               I like the plot. I mean I know it's a tiny bit cliche but it has its unique differences. It is an enjoyable plot if you enjoy this kind of thing. The art is gorgeous. Again if you like Arina Tanemura's work then you will also love Natsumi Matsumoto. I really liked the eyes of the characters. Especially on the cover. I mean they're so pretty. I also like how both Momoka and Ryuga were drawn. They look so good. Momoka looking absolutely adorable and Ryuga looking incredibly handsome. If you like pretty art then you should definitely check out some of Natsumi's work.

              Overall, I loved this manga a lot. I highly recommend it to people who love action, fantasy, magic, romance and comedy. This manga had great characters that work well together and keep you interested and also amazing art. It was never boring either which I liked a lot since I've read a ton of other manga like this one. I am excited to read the next volume.








Stars:                                      5/5

Spotlight Monday: Ano Natsu de Matteru

                About:


                          When a group of friends decide to make a movie over a long summer holiday, they end up learning a little about filmmaking and a lot more about each other and themselves. What begins as a simple way to avoid the summer doldrums quickly turns into something much more complex, intimate and revealing, as the maturing relationships between the members of the young cast take on new, and sometimes very unexpected, turns. 










Links To Watch:


Crunchyroll:   http://www.crunchyroll.com/ano-natsu-de-matteru/episode-1-i-cant-senpai-590014

Soul Anime:   http://www.soulanime.co/watch/ano-natsu-de-matteru-episode-1/

Anime Flavor:   http://www.animeflavor.com/node/26541



Links To Buy:   


Shop Anime Dvd:   http://www.shopanimedvd.com/product_info.php?products_id=780378

Fun Animation:   http://fun-animation.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=131





This is a really great anime to watch on a day off. It's really cute, funny, and just an overall good anime. It's one of my favorites. I've re-watched this anime a bunch of times. I highly recommend this to people who like comedy, romance, action, animes about friendship, and surprises.





**If you found a movie, anime, manga, book, etc that you really love and want to shout out to the world about then post in the comments below and I'll put in in next week's Spotlight Monday**

Sorry

Hi Everyone,

I am so so so sorry about not posting all last week. Regents and Finals are coming up so I have been doing review classes, I had my induction to National Honors Society and my spring chorus concert last week as well. I'm still going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks but I will try to post more often. Once school is over and so are regents I will go back to posting everyday.

So again SO SORRY!




Thanks so much for looking at my blog and I hope you will continue to do so!




-Samantha

Spotlight Monday: The Princess Bride (1987)

                     About:


                                

1. A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other. Based on the William Goldman novel "The Princess Bride" which earned its own loyal audience.

Links to watch:

Putlocker:   http://putlocker.is/watch-the-princess-bride-online-free-putlocker.html

Twomovies.us:   http://twomovies.us/watch_movie/The_Princess_Bride

Links to buy:

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/The-Princess-Bride-Cary-Elwes/dp/B00003CXC3

Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dvd-the-princess-bride-cary-elwes/3624137?ean=27616806420

Walmart:   http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Princess-Bride-25th-Anniversary-Edition-Blu-ray-DVD-Exclusive-Widescreen/21318400

This movie is such a good classic. Yeah the acting isn't the greatest and the lines kind of suck but it's just so good. It's so cheesy. I love it. I know it's an old movie and that kind of turns people off but you should really give this movie a try.

**If there is a movie, book, anime, etc. that you would love to shout to the world to try then post it in the comments below and it will appear in the next Spotlight Monday**

Sweet Rein volume 1 by Sakura Tsukuba

                  About:


                            A magical romance from the creator of Land of the Blindfolded

Sad at the thought of spending Christmas alone, Kurumi Sagara goes out for a walk. While she’s crossing the street, a boy bumps into her, and a rein suddenly appears that binds them together. The overjoyed boy tells her she’s his master and that she’s a Santa Claus. Kurumi dismisses him as a crazy person, but then he transforms into a reindeer?!

My Review:





                   I saw this in an ad in the back of another manga and I though it looked so cute and interesting. I mean isn't this a unique plot? I sure thought so and even though it's spring time I didn't mind the way early Christmas cheer this manga brought. This volume was light and cheery, perfect for my heavy day. It's also really funny with its comedic moments but it also has some hidden depths and mysterious making it more than just fluff. Yeah there is a tiny bit of romance in it...well I wouldn't call it romance since it's just crushes and it doesn't develop much but there is a lot of potential for one. The manga is actually as interesting as the bio so this volume won't disappoint you one bit.

                   In this volume, Kurumi is depressed at spending another Christmas alone so to try to clear her head of depressing thoughts, she goes out for a walk. While on said walk she ends up bumping into a boy causing a rein to appear and next thing you know he's calling her master and turning into a reindeer. Kurumi decides to embrace her fate as Santa and does her best to bring presents to children in her region in the globe along with a few other things. 

                     Kurumi is such a cute character. She has a nice innocence about her. She's also not so sweet where she's the cliche girl. She carries a heaviness around on her shoulders. I like how she's tough on the outside but so nice and warm on the outside. She also has a lot on empathy and compassion which I like a lot as well. I love how she acts with Kaito. She tries to push him away and be kind of mean to him because she's scared but she helps him out all the time when needed. Kaito is such a sweetheart. I love him so much. He's just so cute and adorable. he always wants to hug Kurumi but she won't let him. I alo love that he gets lost all the time. It's so cute. They are so funny and cute together. They bring up the whole manga with their awesome personalities. I kind of ship them but I love their relationship the way it is now(but they would be so great together). I love Kaito's family as well. They are so nice and happy. I enjoy the moments they're in in this volume. I hope to see more of them later on. Kaito's grandfather is very weird. It's hard to tell if he really cares for Kaito or not. He definitely doesn't approve of his feelings. I'm curious to his role later on. I loved all the characters even though there isn't many of them. I can't wait to see them all in the next volume.

                 The plot is so cool and interesting. I haven't read or seen anything like it so it really got me excited and made my like it instantly. It also isn't really predictable so I'm so curious onto what is going to happen. The art is really good too. I love Kaito's eyes. They are so gorgeous and cool looking. I love how he looks overall. I think Kurumi looks cute and tomboyish as well which I like a lot. I love the cover as well. I think a lot of you would really enjoy the art. It's nor overly gorgeous or anything but it has a certain charm to it.

                  Overall, I highly enjoyed this manga. It's cute, funny, unique and has a Christmas theme. I mean who doesn't like Christmas? I loved the characters as well. They were so fun and amazing. I highly recommend this manga as a fun escape from reality or if you want to save it for around Christmas, that's cool too. If you love comedy, fun characters, Christmas(or at least the idea of it if you don't celebrate it), and unique plots then this is the manga for you. I so can't wait to read the next volume.






Stars:                                   5/5

                  

Hawaii Five-0 season 1

                     About:


                               Steve McGarrett returns home to Oahu, in order to find his father's killer. The governor offers him the chance to run his own task force (Five-0). Steve's team is joined by Chin Ho Kelly, Danny "Danno" Williams, and Kono Kalakaua.













My Review:






                This show wasn't great at first. I only watched it to pass the time but it grew on me. It grew on me a lot. It's now one of my favorite shows. I love cop shows a lot but Law & Order has gotten a little stale for me so I'm constantly looking for shows like this to change things up. It was a little hard to get into at first but now I can't stop watching this show. I love the idea of a special task force with immunity but also solve a wide variety of crimes. The characters are great too. I have much to talk about about Steve and Danny as partners. No, this is not a ship but their personalities work so well together. If you love cop shows then you will definitely enjoy this one. Especially if you're looking to branch out of Law & Order. Though this show is nowhere near as good as Criminal Minds, it is pretty close. 

               In this season, we see the making of the task force Five-0 which is lead by Steve whose father was murdered while investigating a special case. Along with his partner Danny, he and the rest of his team solve various crimes such as human trafficking, kidnapping, and a bunch of other interesting cases. 

               I absolutely loved Steve he was blunt, impulsive, a tiny bit hot-headed and got what he wanted no matter what crazy action he had to do. I loved that about him so much. He is not someone who's bad side you want to be on. Steve may have been the head guy but he wasn't the only one who shined. Danny was awesome as Steve's partner. He kept Steve in line....sort of. I love how they bicker all the time. It's so funny and it shows how strong their friendship is. Danny also has a daughter named Grace(who is adorable by the way) and I just have to say he is an amazing father. I love his one on one moments with Grace. They are so cute and heart warming. I love their relationship so much. I love Kono so much. She is so kick-ass. She smart, funny, and can kick ass like there's no tomorrow. I kind of liked that she was the only woman on the team. I mean it just I don't know brought out her character more? Again I don't know but I hope there aren't more women added to the team later on. Chin Ho Kelly was also an awesome character. I didn't think much of him in the beginning but he grew on me a lot. He is Kono's cousin. He has old ties with Steve and they're really good friends. I like their relationship a lot. I like all the characters a lot. They would do anything for each other be it lying stealing, killing, and so on. I know that made it seem like they're bad people but they are not. I look forward to seeing more of them in the next season.

                      Alex O'Loughlin is absolutely amazing as Steve McGarrett. It's like the role was made for him. I can not imagine anyone better for the role. He has a good air about him throughout the show and he does a great job with his character. He does great acting like an insane deadly person. I enjoy his acting very much. Scott Caan is also very good in his role of Danny. He is great at acting frustrated especially when it's directed at Alex's character Steve. He and Alex seem to work well together and do great in getting their characters to seem like a good fit. I also loved his facial expressions when his character is mad or frustrated at Steve. I can't wait to see them in the next season.

                       Grace Park is so amazing as Kono. I mean she does great in her facial expressions and tone. I can't get enough of her. I haven't seen anything else that she's been in but I plan on looking for more of her work in the future. She made Kono real for me. Daniel Dae Kim is great as Chin Ho Kelly. I think he does a great job with his character. He really made me feel for Chin Ho Kelly a lot. I enjoyed all the actors and hope they are as good or better in the next season.

                       Overall, I loved this show so much. The characters were amazing and interesting. The plot was great as well. I loved all the different kinds of cases. The variety was great. I also liked the actors as well. The finale was such a huge cliffhanger as well that will keep you on your toes. I highly recommend this show if you love cop shows like Criminal Minds, White Collar, and Law & Order. You will definitely enjoy this show.







Stars:                              4.5/5