Fandom "Wikis" Part 2

Recently I discovered that some of my fandoms have whole online "wikipedias" created for them.

Archie Comics Wiki

Christmas Specials Wiki

Futurama Wiki

Emma, volume 1

If you're looking for something that isn't your average, frantic, over-the-top, cutesy shoujo read, this is it. This is the story of a maid named Emma and a man from a wealthy family named William, set in Victorian England. Though they come from vastly different worlds, and according to the culture they could never be together properly, still they find themselves developing feelings for each other in the first volume (William definitely so). Right away you can tell it will be a slow and steady romance that will take many volumes to reach its conclusion. Emma is very shy and demure, definitely not the perky, food obsessed main character you'd expect from a modern shoujo story. William is very head-strong who has no desire to marry somebody his parents choose or go to boring social events "just because." But he'll have to get in line to win her over, seeing as she gets love letters daily (but all of which she turns down). Luckily, his former governess, whom Emma now works for, is rooting for them.

It's a very good manga that portrays a quiet, sweet romance that I look forward to reading more of.

Alvin and the Chipmunks Holiday Set: Halloween

Paramount recently released a DVD set featuring Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas specials by Alvin and the Chipmunks. I shall review each disc as their respective holiday arrives.

Disc One: Trick or Treason

Alvin is most anxious to join the Monster Club, known for its many tricks and not so many treats (and stylish jacket), and his poor brothers are eventually pulled into the mess along with him. Nobody more so than Theodore, who befriends a lonely and misunderstood kid named Michael, whom the Monster Club cruelly dubbed "Pumpkinface" due to a birth defect. When Alvin is pressured into pulling a prank (or "mash") on him, he'll have to decide what's most important, and what to believe.

Also featured are 4 episodes from the 1980s TV series:

Babysitter Fright Night - When Dave leaves for the evening to work, he hires a babysitter who's more military sergeant than caretaker.

Theodore's Life as a Dog - Sick of Alvin's pranks, Theodore and Simon decide to give him a taste of his own medicine. Because Alvin tricked Theodore into eating a dog biscuit earlier, they'll now pretend the rotund sibling is actually turning into one as a result.

Nightmare on Seville Street - Disobeying Dave, the chipmunks sneak into a scary movie screening and can't sleep that night, thinking the main character will haunt their dreams.

No Chipmunk is an Island - The three brothers have had enough of living in the same room, so they branch out into other parts of the house. Dreaming of peaceful solitude that night in their sleep, they come to find out being alone may not be all that great.

If you're a huge fan and will buy anything Chipmunks, I don't think you could pass this up. If you're anxious to see episodes from the 80s TV series finally in DVD format, I would also suggest you not pass this up. It's a terrible shame that the whole TV series isn't out at this point, but maybe I can be hopeful and it'll someday happen. Overall, however, it's nothing to get too terribly excited over. Trick or Treason is rather dull and not very remarkable, so if you're indifferent/undecided about it, I'd check out something else instead to get your Halloween fix.

Ranma 1/2, volume 21

Ranma is back for his 21st round of adventures.

-After Happosai returns home one day, beaten and covered in ink, it's discovered that Pantyhose Taro has once again returned for revenge. This time he's brought water from "Spring of Pious Man" to do the trick - or so he thinks. It's actually from "Spring of Drowned Twins," and who could ever want two Happosais? One is more than enough! Ranma and the gang must make sure not a drop hits the little man's head.
-Ranma is thrust into a "Cinderella" story when a young man, searching for a pig-tailed girl who stepped on his head, holds a party in his castle to find her. Unlucky for Ranma he holds an uncanny resemblence to Yohyo's beloved, both in appearance and feet.
-At the same time Kasumi falls ill, Ranma's mother, Nodoka, comes for an unexpected visit. She offers to cook for them, and Akane wishes to help. But Akane's cooking can be downright toxic, so Ranma (in female form as his alterego, Ranko) joins in to make sure nothing goes wrong.
-Ryoga buys a "fishing pole of love," hoping to reel in Akane's love once and for all. But he accidentally catches Ranma, and then strange things start to happen. His sworn enemy begins cooking for him, doing his laundry, even asking if they could at least be friends. It's making Ryoga incredibly uncomfortable, and Akane is completely confused about the whole thing.
-Gosunkugi thinks he's finally found what he needs to defeat Ranma in mail-order armor. Little does he know it has one fatal flaw.

Sims 2 Halloween Photoshoot

From the Spears family, we have Corbin (Mickey Mouse), Knife (skeleton), Blade (Raggedy Ann), Fork (kid skeleton), Mike (Raggedy Andy), Wanda (Minnie Mouse), along with Ella Lly (Cinderella) and Tommy Rocket (as himself).

















In case you're wondering what they're eating, it's small cakes shaped like a ghost.

Halloween specials to check out

Over the years, many TV specials and movies have been created to celebrate this much loved and infamously scary holiday. These are just a few that have been done. Whether you like the ax murderer thriller, or cute kids getting candy, there will probably be something on this list that interests you.

1. Disney's Halloween Treat A Halloween themed clip show featuring Snow White's the Magic Mirror as narrator.

2. Hocus Pocus Disney film. It stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy (think Sister Act) as the Sanderson sisters, whom teen Max Dennison accidentally releases on Halloween night. Max, along with his sister and love interest, must stop them before they suck out the souls of all the children in Salem to gain immortality.

3. Garfield's Halloween Adventure Animated TV special. Garfield discovers the idea of free candy, and drags Odie along to get twice the bounty. But they decide to take a boat ride to find more houses, and end up on a mysterious island with an old man who claims pirate ghosts are coming to claim their treasure at midnight.

4. It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Animated TV special. Pretty much an American tradition to watch it.

5. Nightmare in Retroville Special episode of Jimmy Neutron. Jimmy invents a special monster making machine, which enables a person to become almost any creature of their choosing. Carl is a Vampire, Sheen is a Werewolf. Things are going fine until the two boys begin to really act like their new selves, such as Carl desiring blood and turning into a bat. Jimmy has to stop them before it turns into the worst Halloween ever!

6. Arnold's Halloween Special episode of Hey Arnold! in which Arnold and Gerald pull a prank on the boarders by rigging a radio and claiming that aliens have landed in the city. A media employee picks up on the radio frequencies and all hell breaks lose! Soon Arnold's friends, who've dressed up as aliens for Halloween, are being threatened and chased by an angry mob!

7. The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile Animated TV special. Stars dolls Raggedy Ann and Andy. Ann and her brother work together to bring a lonely boy who never gets to celebrate Halloween a special pumpkin.

8. Halloweentown Disney Channel Original movie. Marnie and her two siblings are thrown into the world of magic when their grandmother comes for her annual Halloween visit. It seems they have the power of the witch in their blood, something their mom has tried to hide all these years.

9. October 31st Special episode of Kim Possible. Kim bails on her parents and Ron in order to go to a Halloween party. But she gets nervous when she lies, and a special bracelet she got stuck on her wrist reacts to it, covering her body in special yet humiliating armor.

10. The Devil and Daniel Mouse - Two young mouse friends, Jan and Dan, have a dream of playing and singing to their heart's content. But what they do, just isn't popular anymore (the "in" thing being rock and disco), and money is running dangerously low. Depressed and desperate for stardom, Jan makes a deal with a shady character, who turns out to be the devil. She gets what she wants, but at the cost of her soul. When Dan finds out, he strikes a deal to save her, but it may not turn out for the best in the end.

The Wallflower, volume 17

-The "perfect four" come up with a new strategy to get Sunako to behave more like a real lady. It seems that she's willing to put up with hardship in order to get what she wants (like drinking something she hates just to get the prize that comes with it). So, they talk her into hanging out with Noi for the day, thinking if she witnesses the special treatment her pretty friend gets, she'll want it as well.
-Kyohei and Sunako are forced into taking up competitive ballroom dancing after accidentally injuring Mori High's top pairing during a typical scurmish. But Sunako is having the most difficulty - after all, she has to look the "creature of the light" directly in the eyes! Can the landlady's promise that they'll finally live rent free if Sunako wins be enough motivation?
-The landlady, fed up with Kyohei's "wasted gifts," makes him go through "gentleman training," hoping it'll knock some sense into him and make him worthy of Sunako (she has it in her head that Sunako is head-over-heels for Kyohei).
-The mansion is being remodeled, so everybody has been temporarily relocated to a luxury hotel. Sunako, however, hates it, and runs off to live on her own in a tiny, dirty apartment (just the way she likes it). Kyohei is sent to find her, but if he wants to come back, he has to share a suite with the gloomy girl (courtesy of her "Auntie"). Neither are willing to do that, and the alternative is only slightly better.