Bleach: Fade to Black

By: Robert Murphy

As Mayuri Kurotsuchi is hard at work in the twelfth squad laboratories, he is mysteriously attack by two shadowy figures leaving his memory erased and his project in the hands of two unknown enemies. We then come upon Rukia Kuchiki who is also attacked and has her memories erased just like Mayuri, she then wakes up to two characters who seem to know her so well and act as though they are her best friends. Ichigo, who all a sudden has a horrible feeling about Rukia goes to the Soul Society to investigate things only to find that nobody knows who he is or has any memory of Rukia what so ever. What’s happened to everyone’s memories and who are these two mysterious new characters? We find out in Bleach: Fade to Black.

I had love for this movie right from the get go as it was such an enjoyable premise and seeing Ichigo fight some of the Soul Society’s most powerful shinigami again is always something of a fan favorite for people and myself. Obviously Ichigo is a little apprehensive about the whole thing but we once again see a return to the old ways of the Soul Society where if anything that isn’t supposed to be there gets killed or removed, no questions asked. This also comes up as a point during the movie where Urahara points out how much the Soul Society has changed, thanks to Ichigo, he has changed a 100 years if Soul Society rules and doctrine and even swayed the Captain Commander in his old ways. This was something I enjoyed because it showed how far we’ve come in the series, all the change and progress that all the characters in the show have gone through and just how much Bleach has done in it span.

The story all over is very enjoyable, it doesn’t waste any time to link storylines, we are given a story about some of the shows more solid characters and that’s exactly what we want. We get to dig into the past of Rukia, who has always had a complicated life and someone who always makes an interesting story to tell because of it. Then we throw Ichigo into the mix, fighting his way to protect Rukia once again and we have a solid movie to watch. The “bad guys” in the movie aren’t really that, they are those enemies in movies who aren’t meaning to do anything wrong but end up doing wrong anyway because they care about Rukia and would do anything to have her back. This leads to trouble as it always does in these sorts of situations but then again if it didn’t it wouldn’t be very entertaining and Ichigo wouldn’t be able to throw out a couple Getsuga Tensho.

To wrap things up, Bleach: Fade to Black is more than worth the watch for any Bleach fan and not so complex that anybody just starting out will be lost with it. The story and concept are overall solid and get stronger as the movie goes on and focuses around some of the show’s more favorable characters. We also get to see a good deal of action from them all and using there impressive techniques in a final battle and with Bleach this is always enjoyable because the show never fails to put on a good fight scene. So in conclusion we can find nothing but a slam dunk here with this third Bleach movie and definitely on par with others like Diamond Dust Rebellion. 

Good:

- Great story, delving into Rukia's enjoyable back story

- Solid action that we expect of Bleach

- Doesn't get muddled down in connecting story arcs and focuses on what fans love about the show

Bad:

- A so-so bad guy

Scully Rating: 8.5 out of 10 

Attack on Titan

Zach Goodier

Premise:

Attack on Titan is a show that has humanity struggling to survive against their ultimate predators, the titans.  Titans are giant humanoids that devour humans without exception.  To protect what was left of humanity, the survivors built 3 walls to protect themselves, and have lived in relative peace for a century.  However, that all changes when a colossal titan appears and destroys part of the outer wall, allowing the titans to attack once more.  Eren Yeager, a young boy living within the outer wall, witnesses the death of his mother at the hands of a titan, and vows to exterminate them all.  But in a world where humans are on the brink of extinction, and with endless hordes of monsters that we have never beaten, can Eren make a difference?  And what is the origin of these new titans, who have evolved beyond the capabilities of normal titans?

While this titan may have had more Wheaties than the rest, this still gives you an idea how small we are next to these monsters.

From the start, there are a lot of unanswered questions, but this is part of the reason to keep with it.  The titans themselves are strangely human, but some of the most alien creatures to appear on-screen.  From the start, you know nothing about them, but neither do the survivors, so it all helps add mystery to what these beings are, a mystery that only gets more complicated later on in the series.

Eren, our not-so-noble hero of the series.

Characters:

Eren Yeager has help from a couple of his friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert.  While Eren is a young man with the heart and the will, Mikasa is a young lady who is always composed and strong, and is the most skilled natural fighter of the trio, while Armin is a timid young man who is the brains of the group, and is always quick to come up with a plan in a tight spot.  This trio is pretty formulaic on the surface,  but their stories work well to explain their nature, and why they are who they are.  There are a list of other characters who are important in the story, but these three are the main crew you follow throughout the series.

Mikasa's beauty is only matched by her skill and composure in combat.

Many of the side characters each bring something forward, whether they face issues of courage, commitment, loyalty, etc.  However, you realize very quickly going into the middle part of the series that these characters aren't off-limits for a quick and decisive demise.  While I like the idea that nobody is exempt from death on a chaotic battlefield full of monsters, you quickly realize that it's mostly half-hearted, and key characters have the traditional plot-armor you expect in most series. 

A more detailed look at the sizes of titans in relation to humans and buildings.

Story:

Where this show really hits its' stride is in the themes.  While the titans aren't anything complicated in terms of themes or story, it's the struggles of the survivors that makes the whole story more enticing.  Everyone wants to survive, but it's how they survive that makes the show compelling.  Some believe they should hide, find posts far behind the walls so they never have to face the titans, others feel that they should push forward, find ways to defeat the titans so that they can reclaim their world and live completely free of titans.  However, this is only the basic struggle.  Throughout the series, characters are challenged to make difficult decisions between duty, friendship, trust, and simple survival.  The twist is that you frequently find that there is no "right" answer to these dilemmas, they are moral issues that all the characters struggle with in the hopes that they can save themselves and humanity.  There are also several twists and turns along the way to keep things exciting.

Later on in the series you get to see some titan vs titan action.

Action:

This is mainly an action series, with the military using "3-demensional maneuvering gear" to fight the titans.  This gear uses compressed air and a pair of cables to propel the soldiers through the air so that they can strike at the oversized titans' weak points in combat with their swords with replaceable blades.  The action uses a lot of martial arts-style action mixed with swords and an epic scale.  Overall, the action is very well done, and never feels too over-the-top or overplayed. 

These guys will all carry out most of the ass-kicking in the show.

Animation:

The animation style feels a lot darker than normal shows, but this is a darker story.  Character outlines and shading sometimes feeling a little heavy-handed, but it all fits the overall style.  There is a great deal of blood and violence, so this isn't much of a kids series.  The eyes on these characters are a major strong point to the animation, with some of the most life-like eyes I have ever seen on animated characters.

Overall:

This series is a must-watch for 2013, without a doubt.  The action is great, the plot has lots of excellent themes and twists along the way.  The tension mounts as threats both external and internal start to reveal themselves, and the characters face difficult moral dilemmas that have no right answer.  This series doesn't try to tell you what's right, it only shows that sometimes what seems right can still end very badly.  Just think of all the times you watch or read a story and the hero only wins because of sheer dumb luck; while these characters have a lot of luck, that doesn't mean that they aren't forced to sacrifice along the way to accomplish their goals.  Wars involve casualties, sacrifice, and generally the only "heroes" are the ones who avoided death long enough to make it back home.  These characters are not out to be heroes, but in the process they will do things that few heroes would be willing to live with.  So in short, this is a show with depth, but still has the action to keep you involved throughout. 

The Good:

-Action, action, action... On a large scale.

-Some of the greatest facial and eye animations I've seen this year in anime.

-Great character development

-Themes that feel more grounded in reality and less in idealism, giving the show a much more gritty and realistic feel than others.

The Bad:

-Tries for that GoT angle where anyone can die, but the half-hearted approach means that you notice a lot of the characters that die were only fodder in the first place.  Meanwhile, the main cast has some good ol' fashioned plot armor, made of unobtainium and titan tears.

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Preview for this Week

This week, we have a few reviews upcoming for you guys, here's a quick list of what's coming up:

-Attack on Titan
-State of Decay
-Neverwinter
-Kill la Kill
-Cards Against Humanity


We have a double-header of both anime and games for the week, since we've been behind on posts for a while.  We hope this helps make up for our extended absence from reviews lately, and this should get the ball rolling again.  So stay tuned, and we'll have more coming at ya.

Bleach 563: Superstar Never Die

Zach Gooder

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/563

Well, looks like the Superstar hasn't quite finished yet, and he's determined to defeat Renji with everything he has.  Also, James the little sidekick isn't dead yet, either, and he turns into a whole crowd to power up their superstar.  So, looks like it's still on, but Renji hasn't given it all he has, either, so it will be interesting to see Renji's new powers.

One things that's getting on my nerves a little bit is how none of these Quincy ever seem to just die like they should.  While I understand it keeps the action going, I expected Renji to dispatch this guy quickly, then have to draw out his full power against a stronger enemy.  This just seems a little ridiculous, I mean, these guys are technically human, just with special abilities, so how is it that they can just regenerate, and even then not until someone cheers for them?  I can follow that they all inherited their powers from the king, but I still can't get passed a person who gets a power boost/healed by a person cheering for them, it seems to completely overlooks the logic of the series.  

Powers are based on spirit energy, but this guy gets a boost based on... "cheers from the crowd?"  This is a power that currently has no valid basis in the reality the series takes place in.  I can understand cheers making a person more confident and willing, but this character seems to practically get a shot of reishi-roids every time someone says his name.  Unless his powers are somehow naturally limited, and he needs the cheers to bring them out, it really doesn't make sense.  But even then, how is he limited, and why?  It's situations like this that make the plot and characters start to unravel, and that's where you wonder what the writer(s) are thinking.  Renji, on the other hand, has a power boost that we can at least quantify, given his training at the soul palace.  So that actually fits right into the series.  I just hope we finish this fight soon because Kubo is losing the momentum again, and these fights are once again starting to drag out longer than they should in my opinion.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from ScullyNerdReviews

Naruto 660: Hidden heart

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everybody, hope you all are enjoying a great Christmas, if you go for that sort of thing. I managed to slip away long enough to write a manga update for the latest chapter of Naruto for all of you to enjoy, this week's chapter is entitled "Hidden heart" and Madara is continuing his front against the recently freed tailed beasts. We've seen more of why Madara is revered as such a legendary ninja as he summons the Gedo Statue to once again seal away all nine of the tailed beast and complete his plans. This chapter takes a little bit of a back seat though and delves into the past of another Jinchuuriki, other than Naruto, this is going into the past of Gaara and Shukaku (one tails).  Last time we saw the two side by side but does it mean they can work together like Naruto and Kurama or not? The battle rages on against a powerful Madara and who knows what will happen if he gains power like Obito did, hop on in and enjoy another week of Naruto, I've got some more holiday joy to deal with. Murphy out. 

Super Mario 3D Land

By: Robert Murphy

As I said before, I recently purchased a 3DS for the enjoyment of playing the new Pokémon game but that can only get me so for and I was in need of some more games and have now picked up Super Mario 3D Land. The game obviously offers to bring Mario into the 3D experience, but will it be any good? The answer is a definitive yes. Super Mario 3D Land brings a completely immersive three dimensional experience and takes you into newly design Mushroom Kingdom levels, power ups and new challenges, that bring back new life to an old favorite.

I truly must applaud the level of work that has been done in this 3D experience, each world is completely takes advantage of the functionality of the 3DS and creates worlds that are engaging and fun. Super Mario 3D Land takes the handheld versions of this side scrolling game and brings it to a new dimension, quite literally, whether it’s clever level design or puzzles that use the third dimension to mess with your perception of what you are able to jump on, almost ever feature of the game has been heightened in this new addition to the Mario universe.

We are welcomed with the usual standard of eight worlds to play through in order to once again rescue Princess Peach from the evil Bowser with some levels paying homage to some old favorites and some new ones as well. While the levels themselves shouldn’t be anything too problematic for players, they are none the less enjoyable and fun to play through. We still see hidden collectable coins to be found throughout the levels, along with our favorite power ups like the Flame flower and Raccoon suit, with the addition of some others like the Boomerang suit (lets you throw a boomerang like the boomerang koopa) and the Statue Suit (turns you into a stone statue when attempting a ground stomp). But for the Mario player looking for a bit more of a challenge, we see the addition of eight more special worlds that can be played once you beat Bowser in the first world. These special levels are much like the ones you could play in Super Mario World; they provide a much more challenging experience and are a flip flop of the original eight worlds you play through. And there are eight whole worlds worth…..EIGHT! This made for hours of more fun and challenge for me, even as a seasoned player of the Mario games.

Now a gripe, as some of you may or may have not seen in my last review of New Super Mario Bros. 2 was the Tanooki Suit and how it turns you into an unstoppable juggernaut, well it returns this time around too but I found it to be less of a cheat to the game. Not only does it not come as easy as it did in New Super Mario Bros. 2, it can now only be accessed in the first eight worlds, if you even need it. In the harder eight worlds you aren’t given the Tanooki Suit so you are made to play through the challenge and so you can learn to play the tough stuff.

All the levels together are memorable gems that make me yearn for the old days, especially since they were snuck into this new adaptation of Mario. Super Mario 3D Land has brought new life and innovation to the games with well crafted levels, loads of content and hours of enjoyment to be had. The game also gives me the first immersive 3D experience on my 3DS that I have and I’m glad that a Mario game was the game to do it.

Good:

- The gameplay is solid on every level

- An amazing 3D experience and world

- A mix of old classic gems and the establishment of new ones

- Not only are there the standard eight worlds to enjoy but eight more challenging worlds to work through

Bad:

- Nothing, I absolutely loved this game

Scully Rating: 9.5 out of 10 

RWBY

By: Robert Murphy

As some of you may or may not remember, awhile back I posted an update to the site about a new show that I thought looked quite incredible and was being made by my favorite online production and multi community channel Roosterteeth.com and that show was RWBY (Pronounced Ruby). Not too long ago the first season of the show concluded, the show mainly follows four young girls who have all been selected to join the prestigious Beacon Academy which teaches exceptional young men and woman how to be Huntresses and Huntsmen. Once they do so they will be able to fight shadow like creatures that take on various forms and are known as “The Creatures of Grimm” and prior to these events these creatures fought against humanity and sought to destroy it. With the discovery of a magical element known as Dust however, humanity managed to push back the Grimm creatures and restore order and peace.

Ruby and her teammates, Yang, Wise and Blake, form team RWBY and together go to classes at Beacon to become future Huntresses and all of them have amazing abilities and strengths. One thing you should all know about the weapons of RWBY is that they all look like one thing but can be something else entirely, like a giant war hammer having shotgun shell device at the end for high powered impact attacks, weapons go from looking like melee weapons to being high tech pieces of equipment. Ruby for example wields a giant scythe that she can skillfully handle and use but it also doubles as a high powered sniper rifle and she uses the momentum it creates when fired to do some amazing things. Almost all weapons in the world RWBY have this attribute to them or the ability to use the magic of Dust to augment the user’s abilities, the result makes for some crazy and spectacular fights much like the style of Final Fantasy. The action itself was just incredible but the weapons and unique concepts of them made the fights even better, each weapon works almost as a part of the user and their individual fighting style.

RWBY is not all about non stop action though; the show also has a lot of characters, story and development to it. All the character of RWBY have a unique look or style to them, some little quirk to them that makes each character as memorable as the next even if they’re on screen for a moment. Ruby for instance is a fun loving, spunky girl who has a little red riding hood look to her but she isn’t all sweet and innocent once she gets her scythe in hand and flies through the air, cutting down Grimm creatures ten times her size. Then there are other minor characters such as the professors at the school but they have funny attributes such as a massive caffeine high that makes them go speeding across the room in seconds. But if one thing could be said overall is that the story feels like a setup for things to come, there are a few developments that are interesting but nothing substantial. As the show goes on you feel things are developing more and more and that RWBY has much more to come later and this is good, we are left with a great setup for the future with great and engaging characters and I know that I for one am excited for what is about to come from later seasons.

In conclusion, I look forward to what the future brings for RWBY because what we have right now is already something truly addictive and impressive. Each character is as unique as the next and are each engaging in there own way, whether their cocky mannerisms or their incredible fighting skills. Also the unique weapons and abilities shown throughout the series are just simply amazing; they’re sleek and enjoyable just for how over the top they are. Although a portion of what I have seen seems to be a setup for the future of the show, this makes me excited for the next season and I hope it does for you  all too.

Good:

- Over the top fights and action

- The incredibly bizarre and fantastic weapons are something you have to see to believe

- Engaging characters, all with their own style and look to them

Bad:

- Animations a little rough around the edges

- A lot of setup and hinting for the goodies yet to come

Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10 

New Super Mario Bros. 2

By: Robert Murphy

In an effort to make my purchase of a 3DS more worth my while I have started playing more handheld games and ever since I was a kid I have loved the Mario games and so I picked up New Super Mario Bros. 2. The little Italian plumber is still hopping his way through big platform levels, all in an effort to save Princess Peach from Bowser and his evil spawn. As many of you already know there have been a large number of changes to the game and this new addition to the series brings a few more to enjoy, along with new levels and new challenges.

The classic appeal of jumping through levels as one of my favorite childhood icons returns as levels continue to be evenly balanced and enjoyable to jump your way through for the surprisingly acrobatic yet pudgy Italian plumber. Levels in the Mushroom Kingdom are colorful and comical as always and classic enemies return to the screen such as koopas and grumpy goombas, who dance along to the catchy tunes accompanying the game play. Also the return of classic Mario power ups are back to help you along the way such as the flame flower, red mushroom and raccoon feather, along with newer power ups like the mini and mega mushrooms. World progression is also a similar setup to what we’ve seen in the past where each world has a final castle along with a smaller castle or a ghost house which come with a large amount of secrets and different passageways to trip you up. Then there’s also the different hidden ways to complete levels that open up different paths in certain levels, leading to other levels to play through, leaving all the things we loved from the past Mario games and the new ones as well.    

My initial excitement to buy a new Mario game to play eventually was dashed though much to my surprise, I didn’t get the old tingly feeling I use to get when playing a Mario game. New Super Mario Bros. 2 seemed to detract focus from playing the game in favor of collecting the iconic golden coins we’ve seen throughout the series. It’s not so much a bad thing but the game seems like it desperately wants you to collect all the coins you can but yet I still didn’t find it all that important. Also riddling levels with a ridiculous amount of ways to collect coins gives players an almost infinite amount of lives and removes a level of challenge to the game. Players now are also given the ability to turn blocks into golden coins through the golden flower power up which allows you to turn most anything into gold to the point where you could dive into a pile of them like Scrooge McDuck. Mario players are also accustomed to the brown blocks that can be hit multiple times to earn coins, well now if hit these blocks with good precision, the block turns gold and can be worn by Mario earning a golden stream of coins as you progress through the level for a short time. And finally we have the appearance of golden rings which unlike the red rings that spawn red coins, the golden rings turn enemies gold and earn you even more coins. So yeah, coins, REALLY big deal this time around.

Another unfortunate aspect to the game is the difficulty of the game itself, Mario has always been an enjoyable kid’s game and over the years the difficulty has been lowered and lowered and this time around that fact is even more present. It is doubtful that you’ll ever run out of lives in New Super Mario Bros. 2 in failing levels but what makes things worse is that if you do manage to fail a level a few times you are rewarded rather than punished. Failing a level a couple of times will get you the white Tanooki Suit which basically turns Mario into an invincible white raccoon that can not only not be hurt by anything in his path but can also fly a lot easier and can build it up a lot quicker too. The only thing that can stop you in the Tanooki Suit is falling in lava, falling in the purple acid and just plain falling in a hole. Even bosses can’t hurt you when you’re in this form, in a test to see just how powerful it was I failed the Bowser castle a few times and tested it out, Bowser was beat just by touching him in the Tanooki Suit which was just sad.

 As for other features there is co-op multiplayer which is fun, but is not anything new either for the game, it basically lets you play with friends or online through levels in the game together much like on the Wii and Wii U. And then we have Coin Rush Mode has a which can be played alone or against players online and is a competitive mode where you challenge one another across three randomly selected levels to see who can collect the most coins. This adds a little bit more of a lasting appeal to the game but not much and also adds a little bit of a challenging element for players as well.

In short, all the major appeals of a Mario game are here still in New Super Mario Bros. 2 but as far as a challenging game goes, you may want to try somewhere else. The game will barely take you a few hours to get through and a few more to find the hidden routes and the three large golden coins hidden throughout each level. Also with the massive amount of coins and the ability to get the Tanooki Suit for each level makes any semblance of a challenge disappears. But as I said before, all the appeal of the Mario universe is still here for players to enjoy and it is a fun game while it lasts, I just wish it lasted longer.

Good:

- Still a charming and enjoyable game and addition to the Mario series

- Levels are still evenly made and in the world of platformers there aren’t many better

- Coin Rush Mode adds a few more hours of fun and some replay value to the game

Bad:

- The Tanooki Suit isn’t a good addition to the game and removes any challenge you may find in playing the game

- The game is overall very short and won’t take more than a day

- The focus on coin collecting was overall irrelevant and hurts the game rather than adding to it

Scully Rating: 7.0 out of 10

√Bestamvsofalltime ▪ Animegraphy 2013 AMV

Zach Goodier

Hey, SNR viewers, we apologize for the lack of new material, save for the manga updates.  Things have been a little busy, and there are currently only 2 of us able to work on material at all, and school/work commitments interfering.  Since we do this as a hobby, it really isn't our primary bread-winning method, so this is usually one of the first things to get shuffled out of focus.  I figured that following the Hobbit review, I would provide a weak follow-up with an AMV off of Youtube, this year's animegraphy, so just relax and enjoy a condensed look at this past year in new anime.

That being said, I should have more time now, and I will try to keep the site updated as regularly as possible, so thank you for your patience and continued interest in the site.  Hopefully, I can reward you with some fresh, home-grown, all-natural material at some point, so please bear with us, and stay nerdy.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Well, Peter Jackson's latest installment in the Hobbit trilogy is out, and it picks up right where the last movie left off (so re-watch it if you want, couldn't hurt before jumping into this one).  Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield's group continue their quest to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim the lost Dwarven kingdom.  However, the story soon becomes more complex.  There is a darkness creeping across the land, and while Smaug the Terrible is a source of darkness sitting on a trove of gold and jewels, this is something even more terrible than one dragon.  What is this threat, and will the group still be able to succeed in their quest? Well if you read the book, then you already know, and just want to know if this is a solid adaptation, so let's dive right into it.

Thorin's quest continues, but even as the dangers outside the group grow, you start to see a danger rise from within.

The story is more of what we saw in the last film.  The core material is taken right from Tolkiens The Hobbit, and it also adds more material outside of the original work.  This time, however, Legolas makes an appearance.  This is something we already saw in the previews, but he really plays a significant role beyond a simple cameo appearance.  While he is a character I could hardly dislike from The Lord of the Rings, he really is a different type of character this time around.  Part of the reason is that he is part of the Wood Elves, who are less civil than the elves we have come to know.  But this really is a different Legolas: less aloof and more jealousy.  While there are some other, more clever references to Lord of the Rings, Legolas is part of another side plot introduced during this film.

Bard the Boatman provides a very compelling voice of reason along the way against the quest for the Lonely Mountain, but he'll be even more important in the next film.

Another big issue, as mentioned, is the rise of this new threat.  It was hinted at in the first movie, with the "Necromancer" subplot, but this time it is delved into in more detail, and it provides one of the major plot twists of the film that ties into the original movies.  While the Necromancer was in the original film, it was only mentioned as the reason for Gandalf's departure, so the detail were not in the original book.  This also ties into the Pale Orc subplot, helping bring these characters and story elements together.

Stephen Fry adds a great deal of comedy in his role as the Master of Laketown

Now to the main plot.  It tries to seamless meld the original story with the additions, but obviously if you have read the book, there's no overlooking what isn't supposed to be there, but that doesn't mean it's bad; on the contrary, it's very well-done, and if you haven't read the book, you really wouldn't be able to tell the difference, anyways.  However, some of it does feel like a desperate attempt to draw out the story, since they are making another film out of it.  And that does make for some disappointment as somebody who wants to simply see a movie adaptation of the book itself, which should have only taken up one or two films.

Nice to see some Tolkien vets return to do these films.  A cameo would have felt more appropriate, but Legolas is here to kick some orcish, and possibly dwarfish, ass.

As for the characters, Bilbo and Thorin are both very well portrayed, just like the previous film, and Gandalf is Gandalf, so there should really be no doubts there.  The new central characters, King Thranduil of the wood elves, Tauriel (another add-on), and Smaug himself.  Thranduil provides an interesting conflict with Thorin, who still recalls when Thranduil betrayed the dwarves in their time of need.  Tauriel has a little romance throughout the film with Kili, which adds some humor initially, but evolves into something more serious.  This pits Kili against Legolas, who has his own sights set on Tauriel, so there is some additional conflict there.  Bard, who is important in the 3rd act of the story, is introduced, and has a very level-headed presence in the film, just like in the book.  He fears the dwarves' quest will anger Smaug, which could lead to dire consequences for Laketown, despite everyone believing the dwarves will bring riches to share with the town, saving it from poverty.

Tauriel is an add-on to the story, but she has a lot to bring forward.

Now for Smaug. Anyone who has read the book knows just how big (pun intended) this character is in the climax of the film, and the short but sweet back-and-forth with Bilbo provides some of the greatest tension between this halfling and the towering monster that destroyed a kingdom.  Smaug (along with "The Necromancer") is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Khan in the latest Star Trek film.  His voice acting is incredible, making Smaug into a dark, yet intelligent and charismatic character on-screen.  The detail that went into animating this dragon shows, and his every movement looks as life-like as a towering mythical beast can look.

Nice dragon...... NIIIIIICE dragon.

The only major detractor from the film is the ending, which I saw coming.  As I stated before, the book didn't really fit into a trilogy of films, and one of those reasons is there is no good place in the source material to break the story up at this point.  From the time that the group reaches the Lonely Mountain, it becomes a straight dash to the finish, so no matter how it ended, it didn't provide any sense of closure; and while cliffhangers aren't bad, this wasn't so much of a cliffhanger as it was a mandatory cut-off, which hurts the film as a whole. 

It's for visuals like this that we want to see epics like The Hobbit  and Lord of the Rings turned into film, and this film brilliantly executes the beauty and scale of the world, along with the depth and dimension of the story and characters.

Overall, this is a great film.  Despite the awkward timing of the ending, which honestly couldn't have been avoided (unless the greedy studio could just leave it be and only do one or two films).  The characters from the book are all there, and well-adapted.  The story-crashers, as I like to call all the additional characters, are very well implemented into the film, but there is no mistaking one when you have read the book.  The story is more of what you expect from the first film, and the CGI looks a lot better this time around, for the most part.  Smaug is an amazing presence on screen, feeling just as imposing as a dragon should.  Should you see this film? Hell yes.  Is it beyond fault? obviously, no.  But still, this is a very enjoyable film, and I can't wait for the final installment in the trilogy.

The Good:

-More of The Hobbit, 'nuff said.

-"Smaug the Terrible?" More like "Smaug the Awesome."  Benedict Cumberbatch plays the role well, giving that same charismatic, yet sinister feeling that you saw in Into Darkness.

-Some nice cameos to the original Lord of the Rings films for long-time fans of Tolkien's work or Jackson's films.

-New characters from the book are all very well portrayed, and give some dimension to the story by challenging the nobility of the quest, warning of the consequences and dangers outside of just the protagonists.

The Bad:

-Ending is a little awkward and sudden, with some filler bits along the way, which was unavoidable unless you cut down on the number of films, which is what should have been done in the first place.

Scully Rating: 9.7 out of 10

Bleach 562: The Villain II

Zach Goodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/562

We're on a hot streak this week in Bleach, lot of action, lot of momentum, and you don't feel like the wheels are spinning uselessly.  Renji steps up to face the Superstar, who doesn't waste any time recovering and starting up his attack, but this is Renji 2.0 (or would it be more like 3.0?), and he is stronger than ever, effortlessly dodging and blocking the assault.  But his opponent can't be defeated by just dodging and blocking, read the chapter and see just what Renji is made of.

I feel like my patience with the series lately has been strained, but it's finally paying off.  Solid action, some action resolution in each chapter, and you don't feel like you're wasting your time checking to see the latest chapter.  I hope this means Tite Kubo has realized that many had issues with the pacing of his chapters.  While it's OK to make a fights take up 40-60 pages of material is that's the length of a chapter, it makes things almost painful when you have to sit and deal with one side-show fight for that length of time when there are bigger and better things you are waiting for.  Now, suspense is a great thing, and I'm more than happy to sit patiently and wait, but it gets frustrating when there are hardly any "appetizers" to tide you over until the main dish.  That's the trade-off with suspense and making the audience wait, it forces you to have to find ways to tide the audience over until that point, and I hope Kubo can keep this new pace up, because it's proving to be very entertaining to follow.

Naruto 659: Rinbo Hengoku

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everybody, looks like we've been graced with an early release of manga this week and that means more Naruto action for all of you readers out there. To recap everything that has been going on, Madara has played his hand at last now that Obito has been defeated and the tailed beasts have been removed from his body. Madara made a bold attack against them and looked to be pretty bloodied and beaten by the strength of all the tailed beast combined but we all know he won't be defeated so easily and that he wouldn't make this move without a reason. And we were finally left with White Zetsu returning Madara's original awakened Rinnegan eye, the other still laying with Obito and Black Zetsu who took control over his body. What power is going to come from Madara's eye being returned to him? Hop on in and find out in this weeks's chapter of Naruto. 

Bleach 561: The Villain

Zach Gooodier

http://www.mangapanda.com/bleach/561/1

Well, unfortunately "The Superstar" is still alive and kicking, but we did see a nice counterattack by Rose and Kensei, which showcased their awesome abilities that had previously been overlooked.  While they put up a good fight, and took down the little sidekick (which leads to Rose being called a "villain"), both eventually fell to his powers, and it is unknown if they will even recover, but just as Rose lay close to death, Renji arrives just in time to stop the final attack from finishing him off, and when asked who he is, he simply responds, "a villain."

It looks like we might finally be picking up the pace a bit, which I am extremely thankful for.  I expected this to turn into another 5 chapters of dragged out fight, and while the fight hasn't ended, it at least feels like things are moving along at a brisk pace, with Kensei and Rose getting a condensed, yet action-packed and entertaining fight to demonstrate what they are made off, and quickly moving things forward with a rapid transition into Renji taking on our villain.  I think Kubo should keep this kind of pace up, instead of making a single battle take 5 chapters like he's been doing.  I can see how it could help build suspense, but when your audience has to wait a week for the next chapter, it just makes it all seem that much longer.  I'm not saying that he needs to skip to the final fight, but if the narrative is stuck in one place for more than a couple weeks, it feels monotonous, like the story is essentially stalled.  I'm liking what story and conflict there is, I just hope we can move through it in a more condensed way, without spending half a chapter explaining a new power or ability and then seeing one or two attacks before calling it a week.  

That being said, I found this week to be a refreshing change of pace, and a lead-in to seeing Renji show off what he's been learning at the palace of the King of Souls.  So hopefully, we can keep things moving along, and see some more action-packed excitement next week.

Naruto 658: Biuu vs Madara

By: Robert Murphy

Link to manga here

Hey everybody, we’re back with another chapter of Naruto and the action continue to heats up more and more. The chapter is entitled “Bijuu vs Madara” and picks up as Madara stands before the tailed beasts as they have all been released from Obito. It seems Madara has every intention of going forward with his plans for the Infinite Tsukuyomi and recapture all of them to do so, pretty ballsy guy and God do I love it. But you know the tailed beasts won’t go out without a fight and a legendary fight is about to arise as the tailed beasts take on Madara, a man whose cheated death and has regained all his Uchiha power. Hop on in and find out just what’s going to happen in this week’s chapter of Naruto.