“Love Live!” Breaks the Formula in Latest “NijiGaku” Series
The “Love Live!” franchise has dominated the idol industry since its inception in 2013. Creating memorable characters and getting them to perform songs as a group turned out to be …
Reviews
Reviews that aren’t specifically Bellevue College related
Re:Zero: A Genre-Defining Fantasy Anime
Fantasy stories almost always reach the same inevitable conclusion of good triumphing over evil and bringing peace and prosperity to whatever world they reside in. It’s textbook escapism, which is …
“Ya Boy Kongming!” Blows Away Spring Anime Competition
It is hard to put into words just how stacked 2022 has been for anime. Fantastic shows are getting sequels like: · Kimetsu no Yaiba: Demon Slayer …
Weekly Reads Classics: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to …
Weekly Reads Classics: Fahrenheit 451
“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon.” — Ray Bradbury, “Fahrenheit 451” Most people read “Fahrenheit 451” in …
Anime Review: Love Live! Superstar!!
“Idols” function as the Japanese equivalent to pop stars or boy bands, scouted to sing and dance on stage and create parasocial relationships with their fans. They’ve been growing as …
Weekly Reads Classics: A Separate Peace
“But I was used to finding something deadly in things that attracted me; there was always something deadly lurking in anything I wanted, anything I loved. And if it wasn’t …
Musical Review: Sweat
After its original debut was sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the highly coveted, award-winning production “Sweat” premiered at Seattle’s A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) on April 29. Tickets are available …
Weekly Reads: Death in Disguise
“Maybe she had, Paniatowski agreed silently, though her gut was telling her that the killer — for reasons of his own that she couldn’t even begin to guess at yet …
Weekly Reads: Pillow Thoughts
“I know who you are, I love who you are…” — Courtney Peppernell, “Pillow Thoughts” “Pillow Thoughts” is a collection of heartfelt poetry by Courtney Peppernell. This collection is perfect …
Musical Review: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Good grief! Get ready to hit the high and low notes of childhood with the “Peanuts” gang throughout Issaquah Village Theater’s production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” The …
Weekly Reads: Alcatraz from Inside
“I believe that my life proves no man is beyond rehabilitation, regardless of how far he has fallen from respectability in the eyes of society.” — Jim Quillen, “Alcatraz from …
Digging Into Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder Trailer Release
The trailer for “Thor: Love and Thunder” was released on April 18, and boy does it make an impression. We’re going to jump straight into some analysis, so if you …
Weekly Reads Classics: The Stranger
“Mostly, I could tell, I made him feel uncomfortable. He didn’t understand me, and he was sort of holding it against me. I felt the urge to reassure him that …
Weekly Reads: Psychological Warfare
The book “Psychological Warfare: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Human Behavior, Brainwashing, Propaganda, Deception, Negotiation, Dark Psychology, and Manipulation” by Neil Morton is honestly one of the most eye-opening books …
Weekly Reads: A Mother’s Promise
“There were all kinds of promises in the world. Some were false. Some were made in earnest, but easily betrayed. Some were awkwardly, imperfectly fulfilled. But the promise made by …
Weekly Reads: Smoke and Mirrors
“Stories are in one way or another mirrors. We use them to explain to ourselves how the world works or how it doesn’t work. Like mirrors, stories prepare us for …
DC’s “Trial of the Amazons” Crossover Anticipation Rises with First Releases
Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, is a beloved Amazonian warrior princess created by DC Comics in 1939. Her homeland “Themyscira,” the fictional island of the Amazons, has been hidden from …
Movie Review: The Batman (2022)
Note that this review contains brief and limited spoilers for “The Batman” (2022). Who doesn’t know Batman’s origins at this point? As a child, Bruce Wayne’s parents are murdered, giving …
Video Game Review: Elden Ring
Initially announced at E3 2019, the wait for FromSoftware’s newest title, “Elden Ring,” has been far too long. Often described as “big ‘Dark Souls,’” it would attempt to take challenging …