Book Review: Prey by Michael Crichton

Prey by Michael Crichton
My rating: 5 of 10 stars

It was an interesting read about something that goes beyond my capacity. The all idea of Artificial Intelligence plus nanoparticles made by cells, bacteria and such are completely unknown to me. Of course I can get the grasp of it BUT the idea behind is really strange.

The book itself is very fast paced which made me read in only one week BUT at times it was a bit boring and predictable. What I don't enjoy in most "normal" books is that it ends always with a good note... it seems the writers (specially Crichton) can't envision a loose end.

Basically the story is this. A man (Computer kind of guy) is unemployed and keeps at the house taking care of 3 children. Meanwhile is wife works at the company where they are making a breakthrough. In 6 days (that's the length of the time-frame of the novel) the wife becomes more and more stuck at work, begins to be a bad wife and mother. After getting an accident (the wife), the man is hired as off-guy to try to help where the wife works. He then discovers they were doing some high-tech stuff that went out of the window and they created a IA life micro-organism that moves like a swarm using some software the man created some months, years before.

There were some fighting and very informative ideas thrown around and the man and newfound woman (a ex-college) find out that IA as evolved so far that had taken control of several people (including his wife and one of his best friends - to whom his wife was cheating with (I don't know if this phrase is written in the correct form...)

In the end the man and the new-found woman defeated the IA and return home.

Well, while I appreciate and enjoy the pace of the novel (I even learn some things) I couldn't care less for the end of the novel. The depiction of the wife; the treason and then the happy ending.

In 6 days the man has to endure his wife new "way"; learns that his wife is cheating on him; he saves the world, gets the new girl and their children are happy because their mother is gone... not hurting or anything like that (she was working hard and had less time to be at home... - that's a new reality guys Mr Author) - this last part is not told but the way the book ends really sure looks like it...

I don't like characters that are either "LIGHT" or "DARK". There is no grey... Most people are Grey. Very few are Light or Dark. In novels, strangely in thrillers, there are a lof of "perfect" characters where they sick my heart out. I would enjoy more if the characters weren't made so "perfect". That's why I like Walking Dead or Warhammer 40K novels.

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Ramble Thoughts - Anime Studios - What to watch - Tendencies...

There are a lot of anime studios out there. Some produce one or two animes per season, others are more contained... Several studios focus on several Series and release season after season of it -One particular thing that I've detected is that most Studios focus on one or two genres... I think that works out. Why change something that works?

Some studios I enjoy...

A-1 Pictures: I've watched/watching 8 animes: Favorites:  Hai to Gensou no Grimgar; Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi (Eraser) or Demi-chan wa Kataritai. The only one I am not enjoying that much is Granblue Fantasy.

Bones: I've watched/watching 3 animes: All of them good. Mob Psycho and Boku no Hero Academia.

J.C.Staff - I've watched/watching 6 animes: Is it wrong to try to Pick up Girls in a Dungeon, Ano Natsu de Matteru and most of all Saiki Kusuo no ?-nan (TV). The only one I am not enjoying is Alice to Zouroku. Urara Meirochou was also meh...

Kyoto Animation - Only one watch and pretty good Hyouka.

Madhouse - I've watched/watching 4 animes: All of them pretty good. Overlord, Nejimaki Seirei Senki: Tenkyou no Alderamin or even ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka (All Out!!! is a colaboration but it's also very good.

Mappa  - I've watched/watching 3 animes: Ushio and Tora is probably one of my favourite animes so far but it was a colaboration with Studio Voln. Days was a interesting football focus anime.

NUT - I've watched/watching 1 animes: Youjo Senki and it's probably my favourite anime of all times. They only released that one so...

Studio Deen - I've watched/watching 8 animes: Must say it's pretty irregular. Konosuba (AWESOME). Then Giant Killing also good. Then we have Ao Oni: The Animation; Kabukibu or Sankarea in the other end... 

TMS Entertainment - All Out as previously mentioned; ReLIFE, Amaama to Inazuma; Nobunaga no Shinobi  are all strong animes. Nothing that puts them on the top but good. 

Wit Studio - Attack on Titan, Seraph of the End and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress are all strong animes.

There are a lot of other Studios out there like Sunrise, Shaft, Gainax or even Doga Kobo. My goal is trying to watch some more good animes from these most famous animes while season by season try as many as possible ... 

After writing this, maybe I shouldn't care less about the studio and watch what a heck I want... ? 

Anime Review: One Room (Winter 2017)

One Room is a very bad anime in my humble opinion. You see what's happening through the eyes of 3 girls. Each episode is 5/6 minutes long and so there isn't much place to develop. Either the characters or the plot. Which I don't even know what it was. Basically the interaction of three girls to a guy.  I am sorry but I can't say much more. Cliches girls... The only redeeming fact is the art and animation. The rest is rather weak...

Story (Plot) 2
World Bulding 1
Character Bulding 1
Art / Animation 4
Sound 3
Enjoyment 2
Score Overall 2

Anime Review: Piace: Watashi no Italian (Winter 2017)

Another small anime (with a small review) about Italian food and how he is perceived in Japan. Nothing good  came from this anime. No matter what I try to remember it's too weak. The main character is quite interesting (well it's the only one ) because the rest is bland. In terms of comedy it was good. Besides there is no point of redemption. Don't watch it. You will lose your mind...


Story (Plot) 2
World Bulding 2
Character Bulding 2
Art / Animation 2
Sound 3
Enjoyment 2
Score Overall 2

TV SERIES: WALKING DEAD SEASON 5

In some ways Walking Dead Fifth Season is probably one of the weakest. Well, it started just after the fourth (after arriving at Terminus). They were arrested and all the gang was together. Afterwards they were save by Carol. There was a heartful reunion between the gang and Tyresse, Judith and Carol. We also have some glimpses of Morgan.

Then they meet another character called Father Gabriel. They are reunited with the rest of Terminus residents that turn out to be cannibals. They capture Bob and eat his leg. Bob laughs at it because he had been bitten that day and so it contaminated them.

There is  brief confrontation and Rick and the Gang kill all the cannibals. In the end Tyresse still ridden with sadness because of the girls mercy Bob.

The third episode focus on Beth and a new location in Atalanta. It seems a hospital is running by Officer Dawn Lerner and Dr Steven. They save people and in return that person must pay their "debts" working. They weren't that awful people but a bit misguided. 

Meanwhile the rest of the gang divides. Part of the gang goes to Washighton (because of Eugene plan to save the world which turns out to be a lie). Daryl later saves Noah and Carol is "saved" by the hospital. As they try to make an enchange (Rick had capture some men from the Hospital) Beth does something really really stupid and Dawn accidently kills Beth. Dismayed and horrified Daryl killes Dawn. We later see the rest of the gang really sad around Beth's body (her sister included). 

Intermission
At this point I was very upset at the writters killing Beth. She was beginning to be one of my favourite characters and they killed her. Daryl changed from this moment on. And I didn't understand her sister decision of going to washighton while her sister was lost. Why did she go? It made no purpose whatsoever.

The next episode (ninth) we see the gang trying to gather themselves and this episode was very sad one as Tyresse dies after being bitten by a zombie and having hallucinations with several other characters that had died before. Very dark and gloomy episode.

The rest of the season is a bit boring in my opinion. The rest of the gang is trying to cope with the losses of Tyresse & Beth. Maggie, Sasha and Daryl mainly. They meet Aaron who leads them to Alexandria, one safe haven since the start. They need the gang because they have outfield experience.

But things don't go the way the expect - The safe haven exist BUT there is some conflict of ideals.  In the end Rick's methods are deem to extreme to the population while dealing with a case of wife-beating. The last scene is the trial of Rick and the wife-beater appears and slashes Reg killing him. Deanna (his wife) who was very keen not to enforce a death penalty concedes to Rick and says kills it. Without hesitation he kills Pete. Morgan then appears.

Morgan, who had saved Daryl and Aaron from a band of walkers. This part is a critique of his actions. He had previous found two guys who wanted to rob and kill him BUT he only beaten them not killing them. Later on those two guys made a trap to kill Aaron and Daryl and later on kill another survivor who Daryl and Aaron was looking for.

Afterthoughts:
Let us see what season 6 brings us... This season was hard to watch because of Beth and Tyresse deaths. They were two of my favourite characters. Daryl and Sasha are heartbroken and may be two very important characters in season 6. Rick's ideals are also being put in question. Another interesting stuff is Carol who has been turning into a psychopath....

Book Review: Zombieslayer (2012)

Zombieslayer by Nathan Long
My rating: 7 of 10 stars

This was the last book written by Nathan Long in the Chronological saga. There were four other books written by two writers that don't follow the story set in Zombieslayer and basically they are set in the 20ish years gap that exist between William King and Nathan Long novels.

For what I know Kinslayer (End of Times) is the sequel to Zombieslyer.

What did I like about it? Well Nathan Long is not William King and althought I didn't enjoy this novel as much as other from Nathan Long I was not disappointing. I read it in a week which is a good thing to me. The last one hundred pages were read in one night.

Basically this story follows Shamanslayer as they escape the undead horde to a keep where they must hold until reinforcements arrive. The story is not that special, there are a lot of characters, a lot of mystery, a lot of action and some parts were really tense. In the end nothing happens.... Kemmler is defeated and Krell is killed.

We also dwell a bit more about the Slayers grudge and doom. Gotrek is keen to make Snorri remember the reason he is seeking his doom. He shows, great friendship towards him and at times even putting his own doom on hold. This is very strange and I am eagerly waiting on why.... Maybe Kinslayer will dwell more on it.

We also learn more Gotrek and Felix "symbiosis". Max contemplate that several times they should have been killed (Gotrek should have died when he was cut by Krell's weapon) but didn't died. In the end Kat (the girl from the previous book) was rescued by the gang but she is on the brink of dying BUT if Gotrek's magic works on Felix it should work on her as well.

Again, good reading material but not on part of Daemonslayer and Beastslayer, both are two of my favorite books of all times...


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Book Review: Shamanslayer (2012)

Shamanslayer by Nathan Long
My rating: 7 of 10 stars

Another great novel by Nathan Long.

When William King left Gotrek and Felix many people that this couldn't be it to this duo. A lot of years had passed and Black Library made them start again. This time by the hands of Nathan Long. Unfortunately or he got sick of writing about Gotrek and Felix OR BL and GW said that he should stop. What happened I do not know. He started writing the Ulrika Trilogy.

Meanwhile, some other writers wrote Gotrek novels but they are not a continuation of the story made by William King & Nathan Long. Supposedly these tales are set inbetween other novels and mainly on that 20 years hiatus that Gotrek and Felix went missing...

I haven't read it, will read it in a couple of months...

Nathan Long is not William King. I loved William King Gotrek novels and way of writing but I also like Nathan Long. In my opinion William King is better. Daemonslayer and Beastlsayer are two of my favorite novels of all time. Well and they have Thanquol which helps a lot.

In this novel they've come back to the Old Worlde after dealing with the Dark Elves just to be sent to the woods fighting a massive horde of Gor and Ungors and the like. Supposedly a Shaman had the power to turn humans into beasts.

There are some subplots like Felix and Kat relation (a girl he had save 20 years previously) and we also learn more about the Slayers world. Snorri appears as well and it seems the 20 years he had spending afterward killing that Vampire he is now crazy as a bat and have forgotten the first reason to become a slayer. That shame and that's a crime to the slayers... If he is killed before finding it out he will not go to Grimgir halls...

Well, there is massive battles (mainly the last 50 pages).

This ends in a cliffhanger so beware reading..

This tale also ends with Snorri losing his foot and a new threat appears just before the novel ending... And we are dealing with Zombies (after all the next book is Zombieslayer).

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Anime Review: Now and Then, Here and There (Fall 1999)

Now and then, Here and There is another "transported to another world" kind of anime. Probably one of the first to be made. Whereas the ones I've see have some comic relief, others have some challenges but nothing is very hard or difficult... am I making myself clear? Hmm I think the word I am trying to say is that most of all have not a dark theme. This one does... and does it a lot.

I am very torn of what to make of this... 
Did I enjoy it? Yes. 
Do I think the main character and all other characters are one dimensional? Again, yes.
Did I cry? Yes
Etc...

This show is one you watch and then you wanna curl up in your room and stare at the blank wall mumbling and cursing everything and everyone.

This show is dark that I can't even recommend it to anyone NEVERTHELESS is one I want to say It's my favorite. It's dark and gloomy and should not be watch to the faint of heart or people that are easily upset with the dark side of humanity.

You've got your main character Shu which is not an hero like most other "transported to another world" kind of guys. He wasn't given any super good weapon, intelligence or wits. No he is the same guy.

He is transported to another world after trying to save a your girl. From this moment on we realize he is not the "Hero" you expect. He is very happy, easy-going kind of guy who jumps immediatly into danger without thinking twice.

He is gone to another world and becomes another victim of a world gone mad and througouht the series he is almost broken several times (beaten physically and beaten psychologically) but due to his almost stubborness he refuses to fall to a state of hopelessness that much of the other characters are.

Each episode he is stairway into misery and anguish. From the first episode you know no-one is safe and by episode 3 I was cursing and cursing the evil guys. That's a new to me. Usually I preffer the evil guys instead of the good guys (mainly because the good guys are always the same white knight and the bad guys are more diverse and they are given a backstory to why they are evil...) 

In this Anime I must say I preffered Shu. He sees the glass always half-full instead of empty or broken for that matter. 

This is very hard to watch. We see children suffer and die. We see them fall into despair. We see them giving up hope and do evil things. 

Besides the atrocitous the main characters suffer, there are other characters who suffer as well. Rape, Starvation, Hummilation, murder, kidnapping, child labour and war-children... This is a soul-draining anime. This is anti-war anime. After watching this I must say I cried.

But not everything is good in this anime. The characters are one-dimensional (no-one "grows") with the experience. And Lord Hamdo? He is bat-shit crazy. I mean crazy as wacko. Sometimes he is talking with his swift voice of command but most of the times he is falling to despair screaming with everything and everyone.

You've also got Lala-Ru (the girl who can make water with her pendant but she is so distant that rarely you've watch her speak). She changes a bit mainly because of Shu personality but she is thousand years old and most of the time because of her power people abuse her.

You've got Sara that is a innocent girl that is also kidnap from "our" earth because she is very alike Lala-Ru. She loses her innocence both literal and metaphorical sense. Throughout the series she cannot cope with Shu unwavering resolve attacking his beliefs losing hope througouht the way. In the end we learn that she is pregnant (because of a rape) and she tries to commit suicide Again Shu comes out and says her word... Everything will be alright. Sometimes I want to spank him myself.

Then you've got Nabuca and Boo, two war-childs who kill and do awful things with the prospect of returning home someday. Throughout the series they often thing but rarely do the right thing. In the end Boo is killed protecting Nabuca (boo is around 5/6) and Nabuca afterwards is also killed doing the right thing... He is around 13 (?).

Then we've got Abelia. We never see her going against Hamdo's choices but she doesn't approve some of them. In the end after Hamdo is killed Abelia transports Shu back. We never learn about her fate. One thing that I did not enjoy was Why did she put with him? She could have killed him and probably the troopers would follow her instead. 

In terms of music, it's very dark ambient and througouht melancholic tunes.

In terms of art, well it was made in 1999 so it's very old from today standards but in my opinion no more worse than Captain Tsubasa or Dragon Ball. 

My thoughts

Story (Plot) 10/10
World Building 8/10
Character Building 4/10
Art/Animation 8/10
Sound 10/10
Enjoyment 10/10 (not that kind of enjoyment you are thinking)
Score Overall 10/10

Why give 10 stars when I didn't enjoy character building? Because it torn my heart out. It made me think, it made me suffer, it made me upset and sad. It made me realize how lucky my life is. It made me realize we are blessed with our lives (well at least I am). I always have been a optimistic guy but sometimes I fall... This anime made me feel like few have made me feel. It will always be a favorite...



I cannot in good faith recommend this anime to anyone. This is dark. Truly dark. Some people I know would break watching this even if they are "only" anime characters.

If you are ignoring me and going to watch it. Well good luck with that and I bet you will grow a bit. You will learn that humanity is capable of horrible things if they need or want to do it. 

In times, we were like this. Even now, there are people and countries who are almost savages, where the rule of the strong prevails. I cannot phantom other realities because this is my reality. I can read and learn but it's not the same you know? 

Watch it if you want. But you've been warned.

TV SERIES: WALKING DEAD SEASON 4

Welcome to another review of Walking Dead - This time is season 4. 
I must say, overall, this season was one of the best. The first couple of seasons, it focus a lot on the survivors as a whole (mostly on Rick of course). The third season focus on the Prison survivors BUT also there were some episodes that focused on Michonne & Andrea. One on Merle and that's it.

On the fourth season we also see Rick but most episodes are focused on everyone else. The last 8 episodes we almost see no Rick. I think that was epic in stature. I learn and care a lot more about everyone else...

But lets start again.. The first three episodes is focused on the survivors trying to deal with post-governor and at the same time deal with a epidemic. A lot of people (non-important people) died.

The fifth to sixth episodes are mainly focused on the Governor. We almost feel pity for him and start realizing that he isn't that bad - there is a part of me that believes that responsibility led him to do that. Then he found a family and try to make them safe. But circumstances made him into another group where he rapidly takes charge. He later on reveals himself as the Governor we once knew... He attacks the prison with a tank and unfortunally on episode 8, Hershell is killed. The Governor is also killed by the same family he swore to protect. Most of the prison attackers are killed with Tara being the exception...  The group, due to the attack also splits up.. 

Episode 9 - Focus on Carl and Michonne as Rick is bed-ridden. Carl finds out that he doesn't hate his father and that is not able to take care of himself like he thinks he is.

Episode 10 - Beth & Daryl in one group. Another group is Tyresse, Lizzie and Mika (both children) and Judith Grimes.  We saw Maggie, Sasha & Bob. We follow Glenn back in the prison and he saves Tara and they met some strangers. Carol saves Lizzie and Mika and Tyresse hugs her (he still doesn't know Carol killed his lover).

Episode 11 & 12 - Glenn and Tara meets some army guys who are going to Washington to save the world (they have a cure). Finally Michonne confides in someone about her past life.

She kills her don't you worry... Heartbreaking...

Episode 13 - It focus on Maggie on one hand with Sasha and Bob. In the other hand it focus on Beth and Daryl that after an incident they separate..

Group 1 - Daryl (another new group of Claimers)
Group 2 - Beth (unknown)
Group 3 - Tyresse, Lizzie, Mika, Judith Grimes and Carol
Group 4 - Michonne, Rick and Carl
Group 5 - Glenn & Tara plus Abraham, Rosita and Eugene 
Group 6 - Maggie, Sasha & Bob

Episode 14 Damn this episode was hard to watch...

The girls are completly messed up... One can't kill a walker and the other won't kill people. After an incident Lizzie kills Mika so she could turn into a zombie to make a point that zombies are that bad...  Tyresse learns that it was Lizzie that killed the rats and fed into the zombies... Later Carol leads Lizzie away and asks her to Look at the Flowers and shots her... They realized that she would not be able to integrate any group after all she is psychopath...

Episode 15
Group 1 - Daryl (another new group called the Claimers)
Group 2 - Beth (unknown)
Group 3 - Tyresse, Judith Grimes and Carol
Group 4 - Michonne, Rick and Carl
Group 5 - Glenn & Tara plus Abraham, Rosita and Eugene plus Maggie, Sasha & Bob

Claimers led by Joe with Tony, Lou, Len, Harley, Dan and Billy. Len was killed because of lying. 

Welcome to Terminus!

Episode 16


The Claimers meet Rick's Group and when they are about to kill them Rick bites Joe's neck killing.. that was AWESOME! Then that new group meets Group 5 after they have been arrested. They are almost all together... Now there are only three groups

Group 1 - Daryl, Michonne, Rick, Carl, Glenn & Tara plus Abraham, Rosita and Eugene plus Maggie, Sasha & Bob
Group 2 - Tyresse, Judith Grimes and Carol
Group 3 - Beth (unknown)

If I had to wait 6 months it would kill me...

There were some very heartbreaking moments.. First Hershell is killed. Then Beth disapears and the incident involving  Lizzie and Mika..

Monthly Update -April 2017 - Movies, Series and Animes

Well well well... Another month has passed. 
Lets get to the point. It was a good way. With a ratio of 7 episodes per day what can I say unless I say it was a great month?

Well, in terms of anime I've watched 176 episodes. 28 episodes of TV Series and 7 movies. Which gives us 211. Which ties best with December of 2016 which I also watch 211 episodes BUT December has 31 days and April has 30 so...

In terms of watching time this was the best ever... 6670 minutes (give it or take)....

In terms of finished animes I only finish 3.
Sankarea: The Undying Love; Hyouka and Sengoku Choujou Giga. Why do you ask. Well mainly because I've watching Spring animes and they are around 30 or so. I must say that in the Summer animes I am going to change a bit because this doesn't give much space to watch other things. I am going to choose what to watch.

In terms of TV Series I start and finish Inside Nº9 - a TV black-comedy TV Series and Started and ended Walking Dead Season 3. I am now watching Season 4.

In terms of movies I hated watching Attack on Titan (Live Action movie) since I love the anime but they screw up. I am going to make a review in the near future. Also watched Emergo; Arrival; Pandorica; Passengers & Reclusion. Really enjoy Passengers and Arrival.

I also watched some anime mini-series & movies from the 80's and 90's. Most of them very violent and not advisable to much people. Violence Jack (3 Eps) & Devilman (3Eps) are quite nasty. Particular Devilman... very hard to watch...

Also watch Gunn (Battle Angel Alita). Very sad anime. James Cameron has the rights to do a movie BUT I don't know how he will do it without the gore but that would be something to watch. Also watch Jin-Roh: the Wolf Brigade another sad anime and Hoshi no Koe - another (as all of this I mention) very sad anime... The 80's/90's really made some sad animes. If you ended any of this animes with a smile you are probably very disturbed.