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The Bird is the Word: Sophisticated Schoolyard Shenanigans

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Top 25 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes: Countdown #11-25

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By Leo Milmet, Buffy the Vampire Fanatic

Warning: There are spoilers for all 7 seasons of Buffy The Vampire Slayer in this post. Also, this post is designed for people who are very familiar with the series–there will be references to certain scenes, lines, etc. that simply may not make sense if you aren’t at least a casual fan of Buffy. That said, on with the post.

 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the most amazing television show ever to grace the small screen (and therefore, us) with its presence. In honor of its glory, and honestly just because I love it so so incredibly much, I wanted to list my top 25 favorite episodes. However, I have so much material here that I have decided to separate it into two posts. Here is #25-#11. Log in next week for the top ten Buffy episodes ever.

 

#25. “After Life” (Season 6, Episode 3) — This episode is both terrifying and emotional, fun and profound, bitter and sweet. And I always tear up a bit during Buffy’s conversation with Spike. That moment is perfection.

 

  1. “Selfless” (Season 7, Episode 5) — Anya is a great character, and her unique disconnection with humanity and traditional morality is showcased in “Selfless” more than in any other episode.

 

  1. “The Wish” (Season 3, Episode 10) — Cordelia (stereotypical popular girl)  has always been a hilarious character, but I think this might be one of her greatest moments. Her superficiality in wishing that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale is believable, and I love Vampire Willow and Vampire Xander. Points off for using the clichéd “be careful what you wish for” story technique, but it more than makes up for it with its unique dystopia and hilarity. Anya’s demon face still haunts my dreams.

 

  1. “Tabula Rasa” (Season 6, Episode 8) — GILES, GILES! The characters’ amnesia creates so many hilarious jokes; i.e. there’s a “loan shark” shark paid off with kittens. It’s wonderful seeing the characters act like I would (e.g. being terrified of and running away from the vampires) as opposed to their usual immense bravery and courage.

 

  1. “Dead Things” (Season 6, Episode 13) illustrates the horrible power of false guilt.

 

  1. “Band Candy” (Season 3, Episode 6) — This episode’s character-based zaniness is hilarious. I love how turning the adult characters into their teenage selves ties into the main plot of The Mayor’s attempt to take over Sunnydale. The incredible chemistry between Joyce and Giles is honestly the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in a ‘90s network TV show–except maybe the Buffy and Angel relationship in season two, or Xander and Faith in “The Zeppo.” But y’all get my point.

 

  1. “Villains” (Season 6, Episode 20) — This great episode, while by no means perfect, makes you think and ask yourself, “How far is too far?” “What actions are truly irredeemable?” and, “Is murderous revenge justifiable?” The episode does all of this while being one of the most action-packed episodes of the series, with a villain made only more terrifying as she morphs from soft-spoken nerd to vengeful grieving murderess.

 

  1. “The Replacement” (Season 5, Episode 3) — Xander is one of the most nuanced characters in the series. He is warm, funny, and humorous but with an awesome subtle-but-serious dark side, and this episode knows exactly how to deconstruct such a character. He is literally shown his potential as he gradually grows into a self-confident man in every sense of the word. That’s Xander’s arc throughout the series, growing up, and this episode shows that more than any other.

 

  1. “The Zeppo” (Season 3, Episode 13) — Another end of the world is gonna happen from some demon group or another. Excuse me while I channel Vampire Willow and say, “Bored now.” Oh, wait, even the writers know that, so they decided to make the “B” plot the “A” plot by focusing on Xander’s encounter with a group of undead psychos. And, I know it sounds lame, but anyone who’s seen it knows how awesome it is. And that ending? One of the best in the series.

 

  1. “Prophecy Girl” (Season 1, Episode 12) — I can’t imagine what people in 1997 thought of this episode. Just imagine this: you’re tuning into your favorite Monday-night schlock horror show, the ridiculously-titled (and, at the time, rather ridiculous) Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which has potential to become a really good series, but it never (yet) really gets there, and you kinda like its cheesy grade-B horror vibes. Then you see THIS EPISODE, and Buffy completely changes. Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the greatest actresses of the ‘90s. I see you all laughing at this statement as I write it, but, my God, it’s true. The rawness of her emotion when talking to Giles about her imminent death is priceless, and the use of the Buffy theme music just makes you wanna get up and scream: “HELL YEAH!”

 

  1.  “Storyteller” (Season 7, Episode 16) — The biggest issue with Season 7 is its unfocused-ness. The introduction of too many “Potentials” always rubbed me the wrong way. But, this episode shows that Buffy will always be able to do right by its most important and interesting characters. I mean, come on, this episode is just one long running joke about the ridiculousness of Andrew Wells’ character, and it works so well. It’s funny, charming, and in the end, deeply, deeply moving. It’s about redemption and faith and the influence of The Blair Witch Project on modern horror and love and sacrifice and the awesomeness (and not-so-awesomeness) of nerd-dom.

 

  1. “Grave” (Season 6, Episode 22) — I got two words for ya. Yellow. Crayon. This episode had me bawling the first couple times I watched it, and I rarely cry in movies or TV. Xander’s monologue is one of the greatest scenes ever to be shown on television. The way the writers have, from the first episode, built up to that one moment in both of these characters’ lives is truly epic. While the rest of the episode is great but not truly on the level of the others you’re about to see, the “yellow crayon” monologue is, for me, maybe the greatest moment in all of Buffy.

 

  1. “Normal Again” (Season 6, Episode 17) — This episode is freaky. Buffy is tempted with the chance to live in a fantasy that, compared to her real world, is a paradise. She is presented with the chance to NOT be the “chosen one.” This has been her biggest internal long-term goal since the first season. Though she obviously accepts her calling, she doesn’t truly want to give up her life for a cause that is bigger than her (she merely deems it a necessary sacrifice). And here, she may have a chance at being “Normal Again,” and it’s tempting. It really is. But this episode is about waking up, and facing the true trials, tribulations, and horrors of what the real world presents, refusing to live in a fantasy.

 

  1. “I Only Have Eyes For You” (Season 2, Episode 19) — First of all, a round of applause for the beginning of the career of the great John Hawkes. Second of all, James is one of the greatest one-off villains ever. There’s a James in all of us, even in those who hate him most. He wants to be loved and can’t find a way to properly and appropriately express his love, so that love turns to hate. What could be more tragically relatable? Also incredibly well-done is Giles’s totally illogical (and yet so fitting of a man in true love) desperation to believe that the spirit possessing the school is that of Jenny Calendar, his now-dead love interest. And that ending is so bittersweet and moving, simultaneously reminding us even more of the noble, tragically heroic Angel of the past and the stomach-churning new reign of Angelus, brought forth by none other than our heroine, Buffy Summers.

 

  1. “Chosen” (Season 7, Episode 22) — These characters have come so far and done so much over these crazy seven years. Only when one considers the Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles from “Welcome to the Hellmouth” and then considers the moment this same gang facing the literal Big Bad of all Big Bads (the First Evil) does one understand the epically rich characters of this series. This episode has some incredibly character-rich moments like the First Evil’s midnight taunting sessions, Xander’s great line “That’s my girl. Always making the stupid decision,’ and of course that little smile on Buffy’s face at the very end that indicates that Buffy finally is NOT the “chosen one,” the “one girl in all the world.” In “Chosen,” Buffy has gone from her “chosen one” status into one empowered woman, who can bring one glimmer of hope for the survival of humanity and its vanquish over evil. Her character arc is now complete, and in the end, just like in one of the fairy tales she’d probably (and rightfully so) call lame and sexist, this TV scream-princess finally gets what she wants (to regain a “normal life”). This, while imperfect, is an incredibly satisfying conclusion.

 

Stay tuned for the top ten Buffy episodes, which will be revealed soon in a future post!

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

Ode to “Bohemian Rhapsody”

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By Holden Hartle

 

Queen has been in the media a lot recently, largely due to the movie Bohemian Rhapsody that came out last month. Since the release of the movie, Queen seems to be all that most music critics are talking about–a bit of a blast from the past. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” is something where everyone goes, “Oh yeah, that’s a good song.” But, how did the song come to be?

The recent movie explains that after Queen released their first album, Freddie Mercury wanted to do something big and different, combining the vocal extremities of opera and the punchiness of rock n’ roll. And, after a long period of time composing in the country, the song was complete.

There was a lot of debate over whether or not “Bohemian Rhapsody” should be released as a single, as the song is almost six minutes in length. The record company was worried that the song was too long and that maybe it was a bit too avant garde. Needless to say, the song was released and was a huge hit. Its uniqueness is something that still strikes people today.

But what if the song was never released? Personally, I think the song is the work of a musical genius. This song fuses balladic lyrics with hard rock instruments, and operatic vocals. Yet, somehow, with all of these contrasting parts that dip into different genres, the song still remains coherent, and something that most people can immediately recognize from the piano introduction. But what if the song was never given the recognition? It is very possible that if Mercury wasn’t so adamant on the song being released as a single, it would have just been released as a part of the album and overlooked by a lot of people. Only the more hardcore fans would have listened to the song, because let’s be honest, even I only know Queen’s greatest hits.

It is kind of heartbreaking to think of a world without that song. Last year I went to a Green Day concert, and the introduction went like this. All the fans are talking to each other and suddenly, the lights go out. Then, in darkness, “Bohemian Rhapsody” plays before the band enters the stage. I was astonished as what seemed like every person in the stadium knew every word to the ballad. During the concert itself, Billie Joe Armstrong uses many of the crowd-hyping methods that Freddie Mercury did, i.e. the call and response method of singing a riff and having the crowd sing it back to you.

But now, back to the song at hand. Imagine creating a song with so much influence that a band from decades in the future will play your song in tribute, and that hundreds of thousands of people will be singing this ballad like it’s a hymn. But now imagine if that song was never released. Sure, life would go on, but only a select few would know of this fantastic song and its beauty.

The song deserves all of the media attention that it is currently receiving. The song has had several resurgences to the top of the charts, and, in my personal opinion, the song should remain on the charts for all time. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is so forward-thinking and is definitely unique from most other rock n’ roll ballads. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is truly beautiful.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Pizza: It’s A Superfood

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By Luke Langlois, Pizza Enthusiast

 

There are many things that people need to do to maintain the strength of their frail bodies. The most important, as well as difficult, aspect of everyone’s health is their diet. Today, I am offering up a quick strategy to overcome the challenge of consuming healthy meals. Just eat pizza!

According to most qualified people, healthy eating is defined as consuming a variety of foods with a variety of proteins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients with complicated names (calor-WHAT?). The same qualified people typically say that a healthy diet includes the following:  grains, fruits, vegetables, dairies, and meats. Pizza includes all of these things. Let us dive deeper.

The crust is the base of all pizza. Without crust, you have a gloomy, unstructured pile of cheese, sauce, and whatever else you decide to put on your pizza. Without crust, there is no pizza. Besides delivering the delectable tastes to our buds, the crust is a grain, one of the essential food groups. So it begins. Pizza includes one of the five essential food groups.

The tomato sauce is what separates breadsticks from pizza. Any real pizza connoisseur will tell you that the sauce makes or breaks a pizza. Without sauce, again, there is no pizza. Though, more importantly, the sauce is the source of the fruit group. Some people consider tomatoes a fruit, others a vegetable. Either way, it’s essential to your health. I personally recommend that you consider the tomato sauce a fruit. It is much more difficult to add an obscure fruit to your pizza than it is a small vegetable. Regardless, it is now evident that pizza includes THREE of the five essential food groups.

When people think of dairy, they think of cows. When they think of cows, they think of milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, or angry vegetarians. Now, here’s a challenge: which of these items is found on our pizza? It’s cheese. Cheese, the expensive fur coat of all pizzas, is another food that is proven to bring you to a state of well-being. It also brings us one group closer to the mythical promised land of five food groups.

Pizza sounds like a superfood already, but it gets better. There are a million different types of meat that can be put on a pizza. Typically, there’s pepperoni, sausage, or ham. But, you do not necessarily have to be typical. Who knows, maybe a nice filet mignon would be a fine pizza topping. Whatever meat you choose to top your pizza with, this final piece of the puzzle proves that pizza is indeed, a superfood.

Eating healthy may appear to be difficult, but the solution is simple. No longer will you have to endlessly browse superfluous social media accounts searching for an impossible meal plan. Just eat pizza. Your cells will thank you.

Editor: Leo Milmet

Review of Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I got completely new stuff for you! I am not recommending the overwhelmingly popular anime, but I am recommending some meaningful anime. Today, I am going to present a unique anime for you. When you take a look at this anime title, you might think something like, ”What is this about? Publishing a magazine every month?” Well, that would be quite boring, right? Although the title seems really confusing, the story is perfectly arranged. In addition, the rhythm of story always sticks with the plot. As you are watching it, it won’t be too hard to follow the storyline.

Monthly Girls’ was produced by Doga Kobo animation studio, which is a pretty famous company. Doga Kobo’s anime style can be described as “cute.” Among the realm of anime, Doga Kobo dominates in character design. The company is so specialized in designing the appearance of characters that Doga Koba’s works are very attractive to teenagers. Monthly Girls’ was published by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd, and Media factory, and they both are the brand company of Kadokawa Corporation.

In short, Monthly Girls’ is a romantic comedy. But, the events that happen in the story do not follow the normal routine of romantic comedy. There will actually be many “What the heck?” moments. The funny and surprising storyline goes on for 12 episodes; right after you finish one episode, you might want to move on to next one immediately.

 

In Monthly Girls’, Sakura Chiyo is a heroine who wants to express her love to the hero, the famous romance author Nozaki Umetarou. When she comes to Nozaki, she is feeling extremely nervous which makes her say the wrong words to Nozaki. “I am your fan!” When those words come out, Nozaki freezes. And all the sudden he replies, “You could come to my house tonight.” Then, the story begins . . . but not as you expect. Basically, to give you a sense of the setting of the story rather than spoiling it, I would say that’s the most intriguing part of Episode 1. Watch it; see what happens.

Before I decided to recommend this anime, I already knew that many people prefer action anime. On the other hand, I am saying that we could switch our taste of anime by seeing different anime styles. Moreover, Monthly Girls’ definitely will not disappoint.

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

我不喜欢这世界，我只喜欢你。–Jeremy Cheng on the memoir “I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you”

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Fashion & Food Critic and Blog Poet Jeremy Cheng reacts to the novel I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you, by QiaoYi, published by Hunan Children Publishing Company.

QiaoYi is not a proper writer but a recorder of normal life. She had a brother named Guanchao, a dog named Dollar, and a lover named Mr. F. She had the best girlfriend named Hao WuYi.

 

This book follows Yi and her lover from school uniforms to wedding dresses. Although the writing technique used is not a traditional Chinese writing technique, she uses many Chinese characters and makes them into elegant words to narrate her story.

 

I like this book because of its graceful writing, which not only shows a desirable life but also shows the style of writing and intoxicating vignettes.

Why QiaoYi wanted to publish her story

Microblog, a Chinese Twitter, had posted the question, “How do you define your relationship with your boyfriend?” QiaoYi provided an answer which attracted many readers. People wanted to learn about her story.

Many readers went to her Microblog and found out she recorded fragments of her life with a Mr. F. Many people said that her life was so sweet and adorable but the articles were too short. In that period, she only wrote three pages of her life.

The day after the influencer re-posted, her post was mentioned by many other influencers. More and more people said, “Please don’t stop posting about your lovely life. It is so sweet.”

See, I wasn’t alone. I was so moved by the pursuit of pure, warm, loving and beautiful love. In this chaotic and complicated world, how precious it is to get a simple and deep feeling of I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you. This is the warmest and most adorable love story I’ve ever seen.

I don’t have a crush on the world, only on you is a loving memoir of a couple, which records the warm and budding love story between two lovers. In a light-hearted and humorous style, the author truly records all the problems a girl encounters in her youth, gradually becoming strong, and independent. From the naive times of students to the sweet and interesting things after marriage, it is ordinary but not plain. It draws the love and vitality from the drip of life, and makes the readers smile. It is understood that love can be really sweet and life can be really warm.

Warm! Adorable! Sweet! Almost every paragraph can make readers laugh, but there are also tears.

Some people wonder that why QiaoYi called his lover Mr. F. QiaoYi said F is instead of Fu Jun which is a more endearing way to say “husband.”

Elegant Sentences

*When Mr. F was young, he asked his father where he came from. His father was different from other fathers who said kids were picked up from the rubbish dump. His father said,

     “You are the angel from heaven. The God thinks your mom is the most beautiful woman in this world; therefore, God sends you to protect her.”  

     “What about you?” Mr. F asked.

     “When you grow up, you will leave her. So I will stay with your mom until we get old.” -Mr. F

*He said that he stands in front of the emergency room, and thinks really hard. If I had gone, he will change his name to mine and continue to live for me. -GuanChao.

*Life is too long, so we need to stay with an interesting person.–QiaoYi

*The most regrettable part of growing up is that we always meet the best person in the most naive years, but we don’t know it. –QiaoYi

*In front of me, you do not need to be strong. –QiaoYi

*Some people are full of anger and malice because they have never been treated with gentleness. I believe I can always be gentle because I met a good person when I was young. –QiaoYi

 

Editor: Holden Hartle

horror movies you should’ve seen

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By Makena Behnke, Horror Movie Expert and Enthusiast

 

since halloween is over, here are some horror movies that you should’ve watched

  • Halloween. a classic. seriously, everyone needs to see this. no questions.
  • The Hills Have Eyes. it’s not as scary as it is creepy. the storyline could be clearer and the acting could definitely be better, but what can you do? it’s from 1977; give it a break.
  • A Nightmare on Elm Street. one of my favorite movies ever. you have 1) young Johnny Depp, 2) a crazy dream murderer guy, and 3) the iconic orange and green sweater. the storyline is interesting, but your understanding of the movie isn’t dependent on being super focused throughout the entire movie. (if you get up and get a snack, you won’t feel like you missed too much).
  • Friday the 13th. there is an entire series of Friday the 13th’s, any one of those movies will be just fine. the first movie does not have good acting and the overall theme of the movie reeks of  “classic horror.” if you’re in the mood for mindless killing, check this out.
  • Jigsaw. yikes, this was weird. the killer basically lets his victims go through an obstacle course of death. it’s gross and gory, but sometimes that’s what you’re looking for in a horror movie.
  • The New Daughter. this  has a really good story and it’s super interesting to watch. it’s not as scary as you would expect it to be, just creepy and interesting.
  • Hush. this has such an original story, and i really haven’t found another movie like it before. the killer and victim relationship is really unique, and there’s really nothing like it. there’s also some gory parts, so it automatically improves the horror aspect of the movie.
  • Scream. i love this movie so much. it’s just really good, and i don’t know how else to explain it. good watch.
  • The Amityville Horror. specifically, the 1979 one. there’s lots of slow parts in this movie so just be aware of that. the acting isn’t good, but it’s a must watch movie. plus, the dad reminds me of a werewolf, so that’s cool.

Editor: Leo Milmet

What is a Shared Economy?

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By Jeremy Cheng, World Traveler

 

A Shared Economy is sharing your resources that you don’t need immediately and improving the resource utilization rate and getting a return.

 

The advantages of a Shared Economy are that it is low in cost, it builds up a good business relationship, and it is considered a sustainable development. Let’s look at China’s Shared Economy.

 

Firstly,

in China, there is an app called DiDi which is essentially the same as Uber in the sense that you are able to call a car in order to travel somewhere. Like Uber, they don’t provide cars for the drivers. Drivers are expected to use their own car to pick up and drop off passengers. Therefore, there are no parking lot fees, and it reduces the expense one would have to pay if one were to drive one’s own car. Drivers are required to sign a contract with the DiDi company that ensures the safety of the passenger. Calling DiDi is superior to calling a taxi because with taxis there are more expenses for both the company and the passenger (taxi companies need to buy cars for their drivers and also take parking fees into account). DiDi’s passengers can pay a lower price, and this attracts many users in China.

 

Secondly,

DiDi builds up a good business relationship. For instance, for those who may travel alone, drivers are able to provide conversation with their passengers. It is another way to make new friends and acquaintances. Drivers and passengers are able to talk about the books they read, the places they have been, and the hobbies they like. The possibilities are endless. Airbnb conducted research that showed that people like their drivers to share the same or similar hobbies.

 

Finally,

Shared Economy encourages sustainable development.

China is universally acknowledged for having the largest world population. Unfortunately, the population is becoming too large for the amount of land that the country owns. Shenzhen, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai are some of the biggest, most overpopulated cities in China. With a larger population comes more people who want to own their own car, and usually each person’s car only has one to two people, which dramatically inflates the amount of traffic on the streets. In each car, there are multiple seats available that aren’t being used. This is a waste of a great carpooling opportunity. If people start to use those seats, commuters can have more methods to get to and from work, and the numbers of the cars on the road will decrease. This is a way that recycles resources without opening new land in order to make and sell more cars.

 

Here are few examples of the Shared Economy in China.

 

  1. DiDi offers a more convenient travel mode for everyone whether they’re just getting off work, school, or just living their normal lives.

2. LaiDian PowerBank is a power station for your phone. When your phone doesn’t have battery, users are able to rent one and charge their “dead” phone.

3. OFO Bicycle, another sustainable company,  provides bikes for people who only want to travel a short distance or don’t own a car.

 

Editor: Bella Bier

Top 5 Most Extreme Powerful Anime Heroes of All Time

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By James Zheng

Hey guys, today I bring you all a different sort of post. I‘ve made a character review/ranking based on my own opinion, and maybe it’s not what you may have expected, but there are still some great new characters to become acquainted with. For all of you guys who like or are interested in these anime figures, make sure to check them out after you read my review!   

 

No. 5 Sakamaki Izayoi, from “Problem Children are Coming from Another World, aren’t they?”(Mondaiji Tachi Ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu Yo?) Produced by Diamedea.

Izayoi was invited to Another World (a fanciful world that is trapped in a parallel universe) by a secret letter. Said letter was sent to a select few individuals who harbor unmatched psychological powers (Izayoi included). In this world, these powers are referred to as “gifts.” From the time he got there, his gift was so powerful he could not even be identified as a human being (his gift is classified as “Unknown”). Not only is he physically strong, but he is also incredibly knowledgeable.

 

No. 4 Touya Mochizuki, from “In Another World With My Smartphone” (Isekai wa Sumātofon to Tomo ni) Produced by Production Reed.

Touya’s experience sounds quite ridiculous to anyone first hearing about it. To be honest, one would never imagine how a single smartphone could be used to dominate an entire world. Since he was accidentally eliminated by God while living on Earth, as an apology he was given immense strength and sent to another world. He then goes on to become an extremely powerful fighter and conjurer of all kinds of magic. The only equipment that he relies on is… his smartphone.

 

No. 3  Kirigaya Kazuto, usually known as Kirito, from “Sword Art Online” produced by A-1 Pictures.

Sword Art Online is about a new and popular virtual reality (VR) game. However, during the game launch, it turns into a much more “real” situation. Very quickly, players begin to realize that the “logout” button has disappeared, and there is no way to leave the game. On top of that, if a player dies in-game, the VR headset sends out shocks of electricity and fries the player’s brain. The game is set inside of a tower with 100 floors, and to get to the next floor, player’s must defeat the “main boss” of that level. In order to survive and leave the game, one must either reach the top of the tower or defeat the game’s creator. It becomes an arena of death in which if you don’t fight and get your level up, you will be stuck on floor one forever.

As one of the victims, Kirito has to survive in this game. He was known as a “beta tester” (known later to other players as a “beater”: beta + cheater), a player who had played the game since the early access phase. Therefore, in the game, he starts at an insanely high level. He can easily beat up a ”main boss” which would usually require at least 20 players to defeat. He even obtains one of the most powerful special abilities to which only he has access.   

 

Note: “Sword Art Online” is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

No. 2 Diablo/Takuma Sakamoto, from “How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord” (Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu) produced  by Ajia-do Animation Works.

Takuma is a master at playing RPG games (Role Playing Game) as an undeniably powerful Demon Lord. Takuma never imagined that he would be summoned into the RPG world by two mages. He is confused and questioning until he realizes that he has become his character (Demon Lord) in this world. Before he figures out how to get back, he uses Diablo as his new name and learns everything there is to know about this new world. Shockingly, his level is… MAXED OUT! He specializes in casting any kind of magic, which means he could easily obliterate a medium-sized city-state (which is like an independent country). He also has the ability to rebound any kinds of magic. He is able to defeat any monsters or even a a city-state’s Lord without harm to himself. His powers are so strong that he himself can be referred to as a large army!

 

Note: “How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord” is recommended for those who are sixteen or older.

 

HERE COMES NO. 1! Saitama, usually known as Saitama Sensei (means master or teacher) from “One-Punch Man” produced by MADHOUSE.

Saitama used to be a vagrant who had lost everything. Despairingly, he was forced to live in an area full of monsters (nobody wants to live there, so it’s very cheap…. aka, it’s free). He almost got killed by one of the monsters, and, on the edge of death, he recalled his childhood dream to become a hero. He hated being weak and useless. After fighting and defeating the monster, he became determined to train himself into a hero. By exercising in an “insane” (according to him it’s insane. He should not have become as powerful as he did by just exercising) way; he did 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 miles of running everyday. He persists in this crazy exercise for 3 years. Finally, he becomes a… bald superhero (he became so powerful that he lost his hair). Ahem… actually, I mean: He became a superhero who has immeasurable power above all else…. even if he is bald.

Here is a little about his ability. Try not to be too shocked while reading this part! Saitama usually remains in a “normal” state, and when he becomes irritated or focused, he enters his “serious” state. Saitama can make an ENORMOUS hole in the middle of a mountain without even touching it! To be more specific, when he punches in front of a mountain, the wind from his punch is so powerful that it can create a hole of considerable size. If he actually touches it with his powerful fist, the mountain would be devastated to dust. His physical structure is so far beyond the limits of any normal human that there is literally nothing that could ever damage him.

Unfortunately, as a result of being invincible, he never has any challenges, and thus, he’s always terribly bored. He does not fear anything anymore, and doesn’t need to take any fight seriously. He lost his passion for fighting because he only needs one punch to win any fight.

Note: “One-Punch Man” is recommended for those who are sixteen or older.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading my character reviews!! You may think, “Hey, I’ve seen some of those guys before,” but you may not know all of them! And, if any of them catch you eye, you’ve got to check them out!

 

Editor: Bella Bier

The Diversity of Food in China: Hong Kong Early Tea

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By Jeremy Cheng, Food and Fashion Critic

 

If you like to eat delicious food, you may like to follow some creators who introduce foods of various flavors from different areas.

 

Hong Kong Early Tea usually starts at 5-6 a.m and goes to 11 a.m every morning which is a traditional custom. Some restaurants will serve it during lunch. Hong Kong Early Tea is mainly made up of Chinese dim sum and tea. In Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, people have the habit of having Early Tea; therefore, Hong Kong Early Tea was born, which is the same as the Guangdong Early Tea.

 

The top ranking Dim Sum in Hong Kong style Early Tea

 

Due to the exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong, Hong Kong-style Early Tea has begun to develop in the mainland. After the return of Hong Kong to mainland China, Hong Kong-style Early Tea sprung up like mushrooms in the mainland.

 

Most of the restaurants use a big round table. Customers are able to sit together even though they don’t know each other at all. This is called the “Combine table” 搭台(Da Tai). Then, there will be a waiter/waitress who will ask you what tea you would like to drink. The common teas are TieGuanYin (one of the oolong teas), Pu‘er, scented tea, Chrysanthemum tea, etc.

Chao Mein

 

The server needs to pour half a cup of tea for the customers before the customers drink it. Customers can use this water to wash their bowl, spoon, and chopsticks. Nowadays, because of the cleaning measures being promoted, fewer people wash their dishes with tea before eating. Early tea is supposed to come out of a “dim sum” cart with a white towel on the server’s shoulder and the server shouts out the different dim sum types as they move. Every customer has a dim sum card which is divided into “small, medium, large, super large, and ultra large.” The server would put a sticker on the card depending on what you are ordering.

 

Steam Pork Ribs

 

Scallop Juice Small Steamed Bun

 

King Crab Shumai is the most popular dim sum among Hong Kong citizens. The outside of the Shumai is made of  flour, and the inside of the Shumai has a huge amount of juicy pork.

King Crab Shumai

 

Editor: Luke Langlois

Review of the Anime Steins;Gate

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By James Zheng, Anime Reviewer

Today I have a new type of anime for you guys. Steins;Gate is a slow rhythm anime, an anime with a story that moves step by step. But, don’t be disappointed immediately, as this anime achieves an outstanding rating–about 9 out of 10 or even higher on the majority of websites, and it definitely deserves that reputation. Regardless of the rating, it has a really logical storyline even if some of the elements of Steins;Gate are fantastical.

Steins;Gate is an anime that was adapted from a visual novel game of the same name that was developed by 5pb and Nitroplus (a visual novel game is a type of computer game that has a story that is told to you in the form of a graphic novel, but it is online, and you can make decisions within the novel, which is more like a video game; therefore, it is a visual novel game) . The game had overwhelmingly positive reviews. Then, the anime adaptation of the visual novel game was produced by Mika Nomura and Yoshinao Doi while White Fox, an animation company, was working on the anime’s various episodes. Finally, Steins;Gate was released in 2011; it was distributed by Frontier Works.  

In the crazy world of anime, there is so much content released that is absolutely terrible. In fact, we are totally inundated with anime that is god-awful. Unfortunately, there’s so much anime out there, bad and good, that eventually, even really incredible animes can become “old” and lose their influence on the anime community after three to four years. But that is not always the case, and I’m happy to say that Steins;Gate is an exception to the rule. So, how can an anime that was published a full 7 years ago still influence plenty of animes nowadays? If I could only explain one reason as to why this is an exception to the rule, I would say that it is because most science fiction anime is absolutely ridiculous, and this one is absolutely plausible. Honestly, there is much more ridiculous and implausible science fiction anime than there is good anime. Usually, when you are watching a science-fiction anime, most of its content is ridiculous and only very little of its content seems to be plausible. Again, that is not the case with Steins;Gate. Anime is not reality; however, it could fill with realistic matters, and when you are trying to add something realistic in anime in science-fiction, it becomes so boring. Well, Steins;Gate avoids that completely so that the story is fused with science-fiction and reality, and it also keeps balance in both so as not to ruin this anime.

As I mentioned earlier, Steins;Gate has a logical storyline. And before I get into that, there is one thing important I need to tell you: Steins;Gate has twenty-five episodes in total, but the real story begins at the thirteenth episode. The previous twelve episodes set the stage for the main plot ahead, but that plot only really begins to show its true colors in episode thirteen. You might think it is meaningless to watch twelve episodes and wait for the “real show” to start, but I don’t suggest that you skip those 12 episodes since all of the plot threads introduced in the first twelve episodes are later paid off in the last thirteen episodes, making for a much richer experience. So, fair warning: you might be totally confused at the beginning, but, wait; everything will make sense after the thirteenth episode.

The story is set in Akihabara, Tokyo. In it, Okabe Rintarou, a college student who believes so strongly in himself as to believe he is the best scientist in the world, dreams of building a time machine. He sets up a lab, calling it the “Future Gadget Laboratory,” to conduct research that is necessary in order to achieve his seemingly impossible goal of time travel. One day, by pure accident, he takes a huge leap forward towards his goal, and eventually even builds the time machine. When built, the time machine causes many miserable tragedies that would have otherwise been avoided.

What makes Steins;Gate brilliant is how the plot logically turns around and how the main story at the end links with the first twelve episodes in an unexpected way. For anyone interested in anime, it will be very astonishing to watch!

 

Note: Steins;Gate is recommended for those who are fifteen or older.

 

Editor: Leo Milmet