ANIME REVIEW: STAR BLAZERS: SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO 2199 - THE COMPLETE SERIES

Star Blazers Space Battleship Yamato 2199 - The Complete Series
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 300 mins
Release Date: 29/6/2020
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

We're used to watching two alien races pose a threat to the human race, but it's rare that Earth has an alien race willing to help them fight against the threat.

ANIME PREVIEW: ID: INVADED

Anime Preview: ID: Invaded

Previewed by: Sandra Scholes

When I last saw such anime as Psycho-Pass, I didn't think there were that many futuristic crime thrillers around, but thankfully I was wrong. There is another one; ID: Invaded.

ANIME REVIEW: FRUITS BASKET SEASON 1 PART 2

Fruits Basket Season 1 Part 2
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 280 mins
Release Date: 2/3/2020
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Feel-good anime series is pretty hard to find, though this shojo series is popular for several reasons; the way its heroine, Tohru is portrayed, the way she helps the Sohma family cope with their turbulent life and how we get to really know each character.

SCI-FI BOOK REVIEW: THE BREACH BY M T HILL

The Breach
Author: MT Hill
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 384
ISBN:9781789090031
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes


Zero Bomb was MT Hills first novel for Titan Books, and when you think that the previous one was innovative and interesting enough, along comes The Breach.

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW: ANNA GAIN AND THE SAME SIXTY SECONDS BY GUY BASS

Anna Gain and the Same Sixty Seconds
Author: Guy Bass
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Pages: 66
ISBN:978-1-78112-916-6
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes


Laura Border: Sheriff of Butts Canyon was one of my fave YA books of 2019, so imagine my delight that Barrington Stoke author, Guy Bass had released another title along the lines of popular 90s movie, Groundhog Day.

ANIME REVIEW: I WANT TO EAT YOUR PANCREAS

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: PG
Running Time: 108 mins
Release Date: 24/2/2020
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

There are several ways a high-school kid can get with a girl, but finding one is the main problem they face in most anime. When he finds a book called "Living with Dying," it is a journal kept by Sakura Yamauchi, the sort of girl who wouldn't have looked at him once, let alone twice, but she has a nice personality and one problem. She has a pancreatic illness and only has so long to live.

ANIME REVIEW: SAMURAI JACK THE COMPLETE SERIES (SEASONS 1-5)

Samurai Jack The Complete Series
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 1374 mins
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

There are some series you can get into and enjoy while there are others that due to their animation style take a bit of getting used to. Samurai Jack might be one where the style may detract from how good the story is.

ANIME REVIEW: SOUL EATER THE COMPLETE SERIES BOX SET

Soul Eater The Complete Series Box Set - (Eps 1-51)
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 1119 mins
Release Date: Out Now!
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

At the Grim Reaper's Death Weapon Meister Academy. a student can grow to become the best they can, developing their powers to protect the world from evil, but evil comes in all forms and can deceive.

BLU-RAY ANIME REVIEW: BORUTO NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS SET 2

Boruto Naruto Next Generations Set 2
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 370 mins
Release Date: 9/12/2019
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

It's the end of one story and the beginning of another with Boruto beating Nue and Sumire being taken and possibly sent away from the academy for further questioning, though her former classmates are confused and wish her no ill will, she could be punished for what she has done.

ANIMATION REVIEW: BOJACK HORSEMAN SEASON ONE

Bojack Horseman Season One
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 15
Running Time: 305 mins
Release Date: 28/10/2019
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes


Imagine if TVs favourite Mr Ed had an animated series about his life and exploits, but for an older audience? I could imagine it would be a good way to view an anthropomorphised character as we can make them seem more human in many ways, though this is more about a character who is more man than animal who makes the same life choices and mistakes as most of us.

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW: TIN BOY BY STEVE COLE

Tin Boy
Author: Steve Cole
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Pages: 115
ISBN: 978-1-78112-872-5
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Tono mines tin deep in the trenches, risking life and limb even though he is only very young. He wishes he didn't have to do this, but with his father long since dead, and his uncle unable to work, he is the only one who his family rely on to make enough money to keep them fed and clothed.

ANIME PREVIEW: ADVENTURE TIME THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

Adventure Time The Complete First Season

What time is it? It’s time for the ADVENTURE TIME THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON DVD. The Cartoon Network Emmy-nominated series that centers on the post apocalyptic adventures of Finn, a human boy with a funny hat, and his friend Jake, a magic and mischievous dog.

ANIME PREVIEW: OKKO'S INN

Okko's Inn 

After losing her parents in a car accident, Okko goes to live in the countryside with her grandmother, who runs a traditional Japanese inn built on top of an ancient spring said to have healing waters. While she goes about her chores and prepares to become the inn’s next caretaker, Okko discovers there are spirits who live there that only she can see – not scary ones, but welcoming ghosts who keep her company, play games and help her navigate her new environment.

ANIME REVIEW: BLACK CLOVER SEASON 1 PART 4 BLU-RAY/DVD

Black Clover Season 1 Part 4 Blu-ray/DVD
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 225 mins
Release Date: 19/872019
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Like reading the back cover blurb or a book that is supposed to give the reader an idea of what to expect from the story, I saw the outline of this , the last part of season 1 that has Asta and friends on their holidays when magic snow lures the children into a cruel trap.

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW: THE DISCONNECT BY KEREN DAVID

The Disconnect 
Author: Keren David
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
ISBN: 978-1-78112-855-8

Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

In a digital age, people often ask if we could survive a day without our mobile phones; an eccentric entrepreneur challenges a school's year group to do without their smartphones for six weeks in an experiment that could be worth £1,000.

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW: MCTAVISH TAKES THE BISCUIT BY MEG ROSOFF

McTavish Takes the Biscuit
Author: Meg Rosoff
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Pages: 104
ISBN:978-1-78112-864-0.
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

If you are on a diet this book will drive you crazy. Mc Tavish the rescue dog hopes Pa Peachy is doing the right thing when he decides to cook for the Peachy family after moaning about Betty buying a loaf of bread from a supermarket rather than baking it herself.

CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW: THE GHOST TOWER BY GILLIAN CROSS

The Ghost Tower
Author: Gillian Cross
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Pages: 65
ISBN: 978-1-78112-837-4
Reviewed by Sandra Scholes

This is an early Halloween novel with a nice twist. On Halloween night Ryan and Dot plan to go out dressed up like ghosts for trick or treat, but what their parents don't know is they want to know what's inside the ghost tower they have in their town.

FANTASY BOOK REVIEW: FEAR THE STARS: BOOK FOUR OF THE CHAOS QUEEN QUINTET BY CHRISTOPHER HUSBERG

Fear the Stars: Book Four of the Chaos Queen Quintet
Author: Christopher Husberg
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN: 9780802775887
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

With the ending of Game of Thrones we would have thought everyone would have had their fill of fantasy series or novels set in a world that sets out to subjugate its people, but as Husberg already has a significant readership from his previous three books, the need for fantasy novel series has never been more in demand.

ANIME REVIEW: BLACK CLOVER SERIES 1 PART 2

Black Clover Series 1 Part 2
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: 12
Running Time: 225 mins
Release Date: 27/5/2019
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

Asta proves in this second part that he has really grown from being that abandoned young boy back in Hage, with the vision and need to become the Wizard King, but his problem is he has no magical ability. His only bonus is his drive to succeed even if he has no powers. Though if he trains his mind and body to accept new powers, there is every chance they might come.

ANIME REVIEW: POKEMON - PARTNER UP WITH PIKACHU

Pokemon - Partner up with Pikachu
Released By: Manga Entertainment
Rating: U
Running Time: 85 mins
Due Out: 15/4/2019
Reviewed By: Sandra Scholes

We have been treated to the movies from this particular franchise, now this is the series of episodes which show how the bond between Ash and Pikachu has developed.