May 23, 2022

Opinion

What would happen if you put a western and some zombies in a blender and hit puree? You get Min-Woo Hyung's "Priest". Good story, great art equal excellent manga.

The tale of a sorcerer who must tranform his lover from a dragon back into a woman before she is slain to stop her rampaging, Orphen has a few things going for it - interesting characters, intriguing story, decent pacing. But sloppy details in character names, animation and subtitles prevent this series from getting a higher grade.

Visually stunning, wonderful characters, and great samurai action, this historical action drama earns high marks.

Famed anime director Katsuhiro Otomo spent eight years working on this film, and the animation is gorgeous. But despite some visual appeal and an all-star voice cast, this tale of ninteenth-century, steam-powered technical espionage finds itself in desperate need of a plot mechanic to give it an overhaul.

Gorgeous animation, fascinating plot. You would think this sci-fi adventure would be a winner.

I expected starry-eyed romantic fluff, and I was not disappointed. However, Gravitation has a dark side that I didn't anticipate, and this, along with the endearing characters, really won me over.

If you must choose between this and a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, you will need the following information to make an informed choice.

A popular online comic, MegaTokyo's silly gags and flawed but fascinating characters hold up even in print.

Mel Trent reviews "Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa" and gives this anime feature a thumbs up.

Mel Trent reviews anime "Howl's Moving Castle" from director Hayao Miyazaki. "Pretty animation and great characters ... " says Trent, " you could do a lot worse than this one."

Mel Trent Reviews "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children", finding it visually extraordinary, even for those who have not played the video game.

Short

Sometimes there is no following when they leave.

As we grow older, we lose the power of our imagination and aspirations. Mel Trent reviews "Boogiepop Phantom" and finds that it takes that idea and twists it into twelve episodes of angst, love gone sinister, and a man-eating monster.

They sent him to a shrink to try to make him "normal," but Mad Jack Runner knows it will never work, and has a plan to keep the Agency from picking up his brain waves. Maybe it would have worked, if it wasn't for the incident with the ghost-pirate ...

The voices are always there. Jack has tried to drown them out with medication and mutilation, but they call to him, and sometimes, he can't resist going to see if he can help them ...

The Agency wants to investigate Lucy Jade, because everyone knows that it's just not right for a young girl to see ghosts. And her parents want Lucy investigated too, because they know that seeing ghosts is not normal. "Cure her," they say, "and stop her from writing those awful stories." Can they be both wrong and right?

Lucy Jade has a gift that is also a curse ... maybe because everyone wants to think it's a curse and no one wants to train her talent into a gift. Jack knows how a kid has to travel that road and wants to change the direction for someone else. There's got to be a way to make a difference, but finding the way is like flying too close to the sun.

Prologue: A Brief History of Angel City and the Collapse of the Shaman Rail Line

2000 years ago, the Four Great Ships Salvation, Absolution, Redemption and Phoenix, crossed the edge of a dying universe and entered another to start life anew. Aboard Salvation were three psychics, Talon Konstantine, his daughter, Regan, and Daigoro. Each of them possessed the powers of the three star angels, Shaman, Firefly and Yuusei, who were created when the universe was born to protect the creatures of the universe from threats like the Void that had consumed the one from which they had so recently fled. The chronicles written at that time claim the existence of a fourth star angel psychic, called Samurai, who stayed behind to seal the Void. There is no evidence today of this mysterious fourth psychic except that the Void has not encroached this universe.

Kaine and Jynx are kind of cute, kind of annoying, and very mysterious. The bounty hunter Kumiko isn't entirely sure she wants to be around them, but it seems their paths are intertwined ...

One is Firefly and one is Shaman. One is called Jynx and one is called Kaine. They seem exactly alike to Kuroda Kumiko: good looking, annoying, and deadly. Can someone really be a bounty hunter and an angel as well? There are mysteries on the planet of Phoenix, where the leylines of the world are dying, and even angels can have enemies out to kill them. A pale traveler, hard to see, is stalking the Seraphim Twins, and their time is running out.

The town is called "Dust," and there is nothing left of anyone, not even the crumbled molecules that could call the town their namesake. The Seraphim Twins and Kuroda Kumiko know the reason for the destruction, and who they have to find to put an end to it -- but is this mission worth what it will do to Kaine?

Kaine has amazing powers of recovery, but there is only so much strength left in him, especially when the visions that engulf him are so painful that his heart can hardly bear them. And there's no time to stop and ponder them with the Pale Traveler still out there somewhere, hungry for his life ...

Crossing the deserts of Phoenix, the keening wind is the only constant. It shifts the sands and changes the landmarks; it swallows whole towns and uncovers things that should never have come to light. The heat of the day makes traveling nearly impossible, but now something stange, something unnatural, walks out of the night ...

The deserts of Phoenix have become a nightmare of monsters, and death seems to wait around every corner, and on every horizon.

Death and pain have followed the Seraphim Twins for so long that there is nothing else for them to remember. They can only have faith that they know how to defeat the demon sent to kill them, but the price of victory may cost them more than they possess ...

Jack Runner hates Valentine's Day with a passion. Even more so this year, when he finds someone who has a passion for him.

The Seraphim Twins, Kaine and Jynx, have been joined by Iai, who has professed his mission to protect Kaine. But the danger is growing, and Kaine is less worried about himself than about his twin and the girl Kumiko ...

Everyone knew there was something different about Jack Runner. He had too many 'imaginary playmates' that he talked to, and he knew too much about things that he shouldn't. And he did things no boy his age ought to do -- like befriending a monster ...Originally appeared 2007-02-12.

Unexpectedly, McBride is the next best hope for the injured Kaine and Iai. McBride knows that Iai has the power to heal himself, but what about Kaine, who was never expected to survive his own birth? But it is an odd fact that power comes when you're willing to take it ...

Unexpectedly, McBride is the next best hope for the injured Kaine and Iai. McBride knows that Iai has the power to heal himself, but what about Kaine, who was never expected to survive his own birth? But it is an odd fact that power comes when you're willing to take it ...

Raven is accused of stealing the Moon and the Sun. No one believes the trickster, of course, so the only solution is that he is going to have to find the culprit himself!

Raven has no choice but to visit the scene of the crime, and finds not only a witness and a helper, but the inspiration to sell Girl Scout cookies.

The sun and the moon are found, but how will Raven steal them and put them back in the sky?

Evil and mystery have haunted the desert nights of the planet Phoenix, but the creature of malice and cruelty, Suada Zacharias, strides confidently under the blazing sun, dining on the pain of others, and quenching her thirst ... with death.

Iai, Kaine, Jynx, and Kumiko have something in common on the harsh desert planet of Phoenix. It's not their courage, or their battles -- it's that for their own reasons, their hearts are all breaking ...

Kaine is dying; he has nothing left to help him heal. The time has come for Iai to remember who and what he is, and what he must do ...

Death walks the streets of Angel City, shouting words the people hear as prophecy, meting out pain and loss. Death stalks the streets of Angel City, years later, hiding from sight, knowing what truth is to come ...

Hizashi and Getsuei fire, but it is not enough. The Immortal Guns will pass on, but will they ever be able to defeat the Death that walks the ruins of Angel City?

Three star demons are waiting; they know that their time has come, that their strength in combination can destroy the angel-fool who will try to stop them, alone, to try to save the ones he loves...

People go to memorial sites to remember the past, but for a secret psychic like Jack Runner, the past is quite visible and overwhelmingly present.

Battered and blood-soaked, mortally weary and nearly dead, Jynx, Kaine, Kumiko, and Iai struggle to regain their strength, for in spite of the defeat of the Star-Demons, the battle for the Leylines of Phoenix is still looming over them like an evil shadow filling the sky ...

Battered and blood-soaked, mortally weary and nearly dead, Jynx, Kaine, Kumiko, and Iai struggle to regain their strength, for in spite of the defeat of the Star-Demons, the battle for the Leylines of Phoenix is still looming over them like an evil shadow filling the sky ...

Can you bring yourself to believe that the Universe is a place with order and purpose? That what seems cruel or unfair may be part of a greater plan? That misfortune and desperation may even be what draw you along to be where you actually need to be?

It was too late. No matter what he did or where he tried to hide, Jack Runner had been infected with cooties. The three girls who had cornered him giggled and jeered, sing-songing, "You go - ott cooties!" over and over. Jack was horrified.

Who is that on the street corner? Is it someone we know? Is it someone w're going to meet? Oh, yes, we know that stranger. And soon, Death will be a stranger no longer ...

Plague is walking infection, working for the ones who bring misery to the human race. Is his love for his sister enough to turn him from the path to Hell?

Plague is still not comfortable with his change from despairing suicide to the side of the angels. While we are ready to forgive others their mistakes and failings, our own haunt us like whispers of Hell...

Plague waits, injured and doubting, while the angels meet to decide his fate. How could he possibly think he can help in the battle to come?

One is always provided with what one needs to get by ... that is, if one is willing to trust... and know that "getting by" might not be easy ...

There is no forcing a spirit to cooperate; the choice must come from within. The spirit must want some kind of Salvation enough to ask for it -- and then accept what that might mean.

They came to Mars from Gurstock as the latter planet disintegrated in waves of nuclear blasts. The Gurstockians didn't seem to mind ... they had a goal ...

Someone has to do something to keep the Gurstockians from destroying Mars, but Snake Theriot's heart is torn with grief and sadness ...

Complacency is so easy to foster ... it often takes sacrifice to make people aware of how tenuous life can be.

How we protect the rights to wage warfare! Laws surround it to make sure it does well; if warfare is treated with no respect, we grimace and protest and beat our breasts with grief! Is it any wonder War comes to us, begging for sustenance and seeking our attention ...

The Boss is hunting Plague -- Plague, who triumphed over his despair and turned to the side of Good. Relentless, the Boss either wants Plague back or to drive him to despair again ...

Time is running out: evil is on the hunt with blood lust and purpose. The shock of knowing his true nature may slow Plague down a second too long ...

Jack Runner has been given an ultimatum: he must quit his caffeine habit. He hates the idea, but it seems better than giving up the whiskey or the cigarettes ... for a while.

The end has come, and Plague's destiny is about to overtake him.

Poor Jack Runner. Mel Trent has chronicled his troubles before, but this time, she chooses an alternative reality for his story ...

Jack Runner has a talent that the government wants hidden. The drugs he must take and the computer inside his head pretty much take care of that. But he has another talent, too ... but no government can stop him from finding trouble.

Pale is the city with no hope, but is it possible to listen to your muse and try to create a haven in such a place?

There's an emptiness in Jack Runner that nothing can fill. What was taken away from him can never return, but that doesn't stop it from haunting him every day of his life. The only one who understands that is about to die ... (Originally appeared 2007-04-23)

From the time he was a little boy, was there ever anything that could keep Jack Runner from flying too close to the sun?..

All his life Jack has seen this particular vision, glowing, steadily getting closer ...

A trickle of memories is the only help that Jack has, but it's not enough. Somewhere there have to be more ...

The answer lies below in the darkness, pulsing with power and a grotesque secret. The only light Jack can take with him is the one he's seen all his life ...

Pale is a city of everlasting rain, a city of tragedy, a city groaning under the weight of its own curse. Jordan Mars is about to find yet another level of pain paving Pale's streets.

A wish has been granted, but as with all wishes made in rage, things have gone horribly wrong.

Having paid Charon his price for crossing the River Styx, Jordan must now find Eliot -- in all the dark nothingness of Hades ...

Love doesn't just show up and suddenly everything is Happily Ever After. There's always one more quest, one more question, one more challenge ... does that mean that in the end, Love isn't worth it?

How Crow and Raven learned the difference between black and white...

Poem

Mel Trent explores in poetry the heart of All.

Poetry by Mel Trent.

Originally appeared 2005-10-10

Poetry by Mel Trent questions thoughts in the darkness.

In a surprising coincidence, Mel Trent's poem is a written illustration to accompany this week's cover story ...

Winter vista of distant hope.

Poem, unrhymed, about the ungentle weather that results from passion.

Green and orange, crimson prisms ... a poem about waking.

Poetry, unrhymed, by Mel Trent.

Mel Trent presents a poem about that evergreen quest.

Poem, unrhymed, heartsick.

Unrhymed poetry from Mel Trent

After a while, you start to realize a change is inevitable ...

When the scales are set on the table, how much weight does pain carry?

Unrhymed poetry from Mel Trent.

Unrhymed poetry for a chilled heart.

...extracting the oil that smoothes my journey through this iced ether of communication ...

...the sun silvered through ... a veil of cool clouds

... I turn every page/ looking for something to admire/ I can't turn these symbols into words/ the conceit of art is gone ...

...pretend for a moment ... that I am gifted with eloquence ...

... bury the blurry ruby ...

"... open your mind to what no one else hears ..."

"how many words exist ... for me to say ..."

...words are not flowing, their endless rain has dried up ...

"...I will look into your inner world, take the language of your art and translate ..."

"...as if when you threw/ yourself to the sea you/ threw your pages out ahead..."

Comics

Tulips at the Governor's Mansion.

Dogwood blossom, Moore Square, downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.

Art outside of Exploris Museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.

Purple berries contrast with the green of leaves.

The face of a gargoyle.

Fall colors in North Carolina.

A close up reveals the beauty of a natural process.

Pyracantha berries brighten winter foliage.

A rain shower moves past at sunset.

Beautiful results of an ice storm.

Mel Trent gives us an eerie, multileveled view of her subject.

A flickering flame of candlelight.

Dogwood blossoms against the sky.

Play of light with a red stone and a flashlight.

One last swallow, thrown away.

A mockingbird is ruffled by the wind.

And orange mushroom radiates color.

Statuary in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Canna lilies illuminated by the sun.

Autumn mushrooms in North Carolina.

Magnolia seeds light up a winter tree.

A wintry sky and shivering trees.

Grafitti hands!

Delicate green flowers announce the season.

Mel Trent gives us a peek into the amazing art of Mirazozo.

Storm clouds showcase the tumult to come.

Toe of the stature of Gandhi outside the Marbles kid's museum.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Balsam Mountains, North Carolina, USA

Milkweed seeds nestle in their down.

Late season morning glories prepare to bloom.

A beautiful red flower, great photography from Mel Trent.

Mel Trent reveals the beauty of everyday technology.

Color study on a fall leaf.

A brilliant slice of citrus.

Sunset clouds in a picturesque tumble.

A close shot reveals the beauty of wood.

Butterflies at Tom Branch Falls, North Carolina, USA.

A curious ant makes its way into view.

Two views of an adult male poyphemus moth.

Sunset courtesy of approaching Hurricane Irene. North Carolina, USA.

Start the new year with an urban sunrise ...

A monster's shell inhabits a woody cave!

A study in contrasts of light and shadow on cemetery statuary.

The intricate tapestry of a caterpillar pest.

Moonrise in Savannah, Georgia, USA.

Votive candles flicker in a quiet cathedral in Savannah, Georgia, USA.

Nearly camouflaged, a pigeon ripples water in a street-puddle.

A winter sky is framed by snowflake-like seeds.

Delicate art captured in nature's presentation of winter.

The brilliant light of a canna lily.

Forest ferns through a fish-eye ...

Making the prosaic disappear into beauty -- a Mel Trent specialty.

Close up of a Spring beauty: dicentra.

A delectable view into the heart of a lily.

Capturing the art of the spider, and the spider itself as art.

Heuchera -- coral bells -- at JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina.

A lens from the lighthouse at Cape Charles, Virginia, from the collection at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News.

Hands in stone reach for the world of the living in a cemetery in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.

Autumn colors reflected on water, and a single swimmer...

A mosaic of autumn colors!

Essay

Mel Trent offers the sound of her heart's passion -- the telling of stories.