Travel Diary: Asia Pop Comic Con & Hong Kong Part 1

It's been awhile... Too much work and real life priorities. I won't do an anime review for now. So I'll just rant on about what me, my girlfriend and my family did during a recent long weekend.

The Asia Pop Comic Con. Organized by Universal Events & Entertainment, this annual event which started last year was held in Metro Manila, Philippines. Last year's location was the World Trade Center and this year was at the SMX Convention Hall at SM Mall of Asia. The convention lasts for three days, in this case last August 26-28, 2016. Personally, me and my girlfriend were planning to attend the 2nd day, since the 2nd and 3rd day have much more sights. But due to unseen circumstances, mainly my mother and my lil bro's bday in the con dates themselves, we had to adjust. With no choice, we attended only the first day.

We arrived at Mall of Asia around after lunch. There is one hall above the main hall dedicated for ticket buying. That's a good idea to be honest; given the guests and shows to be presented, crowd control is a must. Heck, there is a separate line for Hall M ticket buyers. What is Hall M? The first-of-its-kind showcase of Marvel content in the fields of gaming, television and movies in Asia. Simply put, attendees will see never before seen footage of all things Marvel outside of famous cons like San Diego Comic Con. That is something big... I heard that it went very well.

Posted above are some of the Western exhibits. Marvel, DC, Star Wars and even famous pop culture figure displays are scattered all over the hall. There is even a section for fan made commissions and art.

Of course, Japanese figures and stalls aren't far behind. Gundams, idols, pirates and many more. Even merchandise, food stalls, specialty booths and promos booths are abound. Heck there is even a wrestling ring and an online tournament for League of Legends.

What is even more exciting are the celebrity guests, cosplayers, and comic book legends that arrived during the weekend: Nicholas Hoult, Millie Bobbie Brown, Claire Holt, Joe Dempsie, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Myrtle Sarrosa, Whilce Portacio and many more.

Too bad we couldn't get to see them because we have to pack up for our flight the next day. Which will covered in the next post... I'm getting dizzy looking at screens. And I'm posting this during overtime...

Until then, have fun everyone!

Movie Review: Suicide Squad

Ok... Why am I doing this? Cuz I am an otaku and a geek, thought in a casual sense not in a hardcore kind(i.e, I don't read light novels, manga or comics unless I am motivated to do so) but I do love Japanese and Western stuff. And I thought I try my hand in this soooo...

This is based on my personal opinion. Everyone has their own opinion and they can either agree with me or not. It's a free world after all.

ALL RIGHTS GO TO THEIR RESPECTIVE CREATORS/STUDIOS. THIS REVIEW ASSUMES THAT YOU ALREADY WATCHED THE MOVIE. If not, use your common sense.

Suicide Squad is an action film based from the DC comic series of the same name and is produced/distributed by Warner Bros., DC Entertainment and RatPac-Dune Entertainment. The film stars Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Cara Delevingne, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and many more.

Just like in the comics, the origin of the Suicide Squad is the same as in the movie, albeit in a different circumstance within the DC Extended Universe. Amidst the death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday on the previous film, Amanda Waller(Viola Davis) assembles Task Force X led by Rick Flag(Joel Kinnaman). The film starts as a flashback of sorts to the introduction of the members, compromised of Deadshot(Will Smith), Harley Quinn(Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang(Jai Courtney), Killer Croc(Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), El Diablo(Jay Hernandez) and Enchantress(Cara Delevinge). When Enchantress goes rogue by summoning her brother Incubus, Task Force X is under forced orders to extract a high value asset in Midway City and realize they are doing something way above from what they are supposed to do.

I just gave a bit of an overview about it and now I'm gonna say my piece. The moment the movie was out in the US, lots of bad reviews came in. I myself wonder on why another DC movie has been given another thumbs down from critics and I like comic book movies so I had to watch it. Let me mention some things though after watching the movie...

The only people that stand out to me within the cast are Deadshot and Harley Quinn. The former due to the actor's signature tone, humor and attitude which is Will Smith's trademark and the fact that Deadshot loves his daughter which makes him more human than the rest of the squad. Margot's Harley Quinn however, dear Lord... Seriously, if Tara Strong, the original voice actress for Harley Quinn ever needed a substitute, Margot Robbie is good enough as she nailed it. Impressive, I should say.

Everyone expects Jared Leto's Joker to be top notch and should be Mark Hamill/Heath Ledger worthy... But, many bubbles were bursts the moment they saw the film. I don't blame them but what they didn't know that the Joker being a side character for this film is necessary: This movie is about Harley's involvement in the Squad and not the Joker since he isn't part of it. What's more, the Joker will only be at his best when he is personally up against Batman. The car chase between them at the beginning isn't much but Jared's Joker will have to wait. He got his girl back and we will be seeing him soon. This Joker has potential, if Warner will not screw up the editing process of future films...

Katana(Karen Fukuhara) is the only non criminal/hero in the squad and yet her appearance is like a sudden mushroom with sudden backstory. Same with the rest of the squad; Killer Croc need more screen time and plot. Story is... Predictable at times. The visual effects of Enchantress is way too dark and her impact is weak. The final fight is too flashy! Can't tell which is which. Still, this gives comic book fans and casual fans happiness. It's not too good, but not too bad... I'd say... 6.5 out of 10? Well, people have their own opinions.

I pity the DC movies; comic book fans love them, but the general public and critics do not. I heard there are many cuts in this movie either by director's hand or Warner itself. If there will be a Blu-Ray version of this, I'll watch it again to see if there are changes. This movie sets up the events that will lead up to Justice League; Flash made his cameo fighting Captain Boomerang and Bruce Wayne is looking for "friends".

And so my piece ends... Comments and opinions are welcome... See you guys soon! Time for an anime review next.

Anime Review: Mob Psycho 100

Hello world! Real life sucks... Haven't posted anything last week due overtime work and stuff. Well, that's life for you. Moving on...

For this week, I'll be reviewing Mob Psycho 100. If the art and manga looks familiar, it's actually written by ONE, the same guy who made One Punch Man. This adaptation however is not the same is One Punch Man, since the art of the former is made by Yusuke Murata. This manga is true to its source, hence the weird animations. Don't drop it because of that, it's actually fun and the opening animation is kinda trippy since BONES is handling the animation. The opening is called "99" sung by Mob Choir and the ending, "Refrain Boy" is sung by ALL OFF.

Kageyama Shigeo is a bland looking, emotionless 8th grade middle school student who is physically weak and doesn't stand out much in the crowd earning him the nickname "Mob". Despite his blank face and helmet hairstyle, he is a very powerful esper/psychic capable of taking out malevolent and evil spirits in one strike. This power makes him dangerous and he realizes that this kind of power isn't needed much, so he tries to live a normal life while experiencing an emotional shackle. Helping him with his training is a self-proclaimed "psychic" Reigen Arataka, a quick witted con man. Reigen may be a fraud but he teaches Mob important suggestions and life lessons and takes care of him, despite paying him 300 yen per hour for his help in the business (that is about approximately PHP150 peso per hour if converted here)...

When Mob's emotions reach 100%, he overloads and beats the crap out of spirits. If Saitama is the physical type, Mob is the mental type. Heck, when Mob's emotions overload, he gets serious. He nearly shares the same look as Saitama when he is about to throw down!

Mob may be a powerful esper but he is teenager, and teenagers go through puberty and adolescence. Love, youth, studies, hobbies, doing nothing... That kind stuff we adults already experienced and wished would happen again. Story is kinda slow, but it is part "Slice of Life"; Mob wants to be popular in school. I sort of relate to him to a certain extent; a nobody wanting to become somebody, becoming physically fit, getting the girl of my dreams, that sorta crap. I'm kinda curious how far Mob's character will evolve in just 12ish episodes and he gets his crush to notice him, that would be cool.

Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo is voiced by newbie voice actor Setsuo Ito and Reigen Arataka is voiced by Takahiro Sakurai. Yup, Cloud Strife is a con man. And so is Megaman X... Ok, moving on. More voice actors include Akio Otsuka (Rider/Alexander the Great, Fate/Zero), Miyu Irino (Yuichiro Hyakuya, Seraph of the End) and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Yukihira Soma and Kirito, Shokugeki no Soma and Sword Art Online). Kinda big line-up with a newbie on the lead role. This is one promising series. If you like One Punch Man, you will definitely like this as well. Happy watching to all hoomans!!

Anime Review: Thunderbolt Fantasy

So... A friend of mine asked me to review this. Honestly, when I read the synopsis from the released anime lineup for this season, it didn't click with me.

But I got curious by his admiration for it so I decided to check...

Lo and behold:

I never expected this kind of animation and it blew me away! Puppets moving fast and with great timing, animation and sequences flowing smoothly, and epic voice acting makes me think that this is almost like a 3D game! With impressive musically score to boot, I can see that this is a must watch.

Thunderbold Fantasy is an Japanese-Taiwanese animation that uses glove puppets with the story centering on Eastern legends, so expect Chinese terms and names popping up now and then. It is a collaboration between Nitroplus, Good Smile Company and Pili International Multimedia. Currently, it is showing in three languages; Min-Nan, Mandarin and Japanese. The opening is called "Raimei" sung by T.M. Revolution. Anyone familiar with the Rurouni Kenshin/Samurai X anime will be familiar with the artist.

The story goes like this: Dān Fěi(Tan Hi), a member of the Tiān Xíng Jiàn, guardians of a sacred sword is being pursued by the evil Xuán Guǐ Zōng clan led by Miè Tiān Hái(Betsu Ten Gai). After escaping, she was rescued and taken care of by a wandering swordsman named Shāng Bù Huàn(Shō Fu Ka) and the mysterious Lǐn Xuě Yā(Rin Setsu A). They now protect her from the evil clan from trying to get the sword that will change the world.

Since this series has 3 languages, I'll be listing the Japanese ones. Dān Fěi(Tan Hi) is voiced by Mai Nakahara, Shāng Bù Huàn(Shō Fu Ka) is voiced by Junichi Suwabe, Lǐn Xuě Yā(Rin Setsu A) is voiced by Kousuke Toriumi and Miè Tiān Hái(Betsu Ten Gai) is voiced by Tomukazu Seki. So... Going by anime roles, Nagisa Furukawa is being protected by Archer (EMIYA) and Archer (Robin Hood) from Gilgamesh. That sounds about right... And awesome!

This is series is unique and rare, plus the story kinda epic now for me. Right now, it has 2 episodes so the Eastern tale is still taking its shape. Have fun watching!!

Anime Review: Taboo Tattoo

After life threw me with so many distractions.. Finally!! I get to make this review. Took me some time.

*DISCLAIMER*
I'm gonna to try to review the new anime for this season as I go within the coming days. As such, reviews and expectations may change depending on how far the series progresses. Take note that I usually NEVER read manga or light novels of the original series so cut me some slack... That is why this is blog is called "CASUAL" otageek. These are personal reviews only and not made to mock the series themselves. All rights go to creators of the series/anime.


Taboo Tattoo is an ongoing manga series published by Media Factory. The anime production is spear headed by J.C. Staff., the studio that brought Shakugan no Shana (a classic, but personally disliked the 3rd season) and Shokugeki no Soma (review may come up soon).
The opening "Belief" is sung by May'n. Many of her songs are used in Accel World, Hidan no Aria and Macross Frontier.

Story centers on a young middle school student, Justice "Seigi" Akatsuka, whom after saving a homeless man from thugs, receives a mysterious tattoo.

The next day, he gets attacked by by a young girl named Izzy. After the fight, he gets involved in a power struggle involving tattoos that grant mysterious and dangerous powers to its wielders that will forever change his life.

Seigi Akatsuka is voiced by Makoto Furukawa. Haikyu fans might recognize him as Yutaro Kindaichi and everyone loves Saitama for obvious reasons. Izzy or Bluesy Fluesy is voiced by Mikako Komatsu, known for her roles as Asako of Ushio to Tora and Seishiro Tsugumi of Nisekoi.
Hmmm... Saitama and Tsumugi... Oh well...

The short synopsis above is what first episode is about in a nutshell. That and he suddenly has tattoo power that doesn't require a trigger to activate it. Could this mean the hero is OP at first? Well, he is well versed in martial arts. Not sure if this is harem or not but I like the animation of this anime. Characters are well drawn, action is fast paced, and I'm expecting good things from Seigi's character development who is weak at first but gets stronger as the series progresses.

I would recommend this shounen anime to you guys. Action at the start with good animation. Pacing is a bit fast for the first episode to be honest but this series is still starting so who knows what happen...

And of course it has this...

Have fun watching! Next review soon!!

This blog is still work in progress, so I welcome comments and suggestions! Please make them below. :)