Somali and the Forest Spirit is a series that aired in the winter 2020 season about a golem father and their human daughter. A golem is an artificially created living creature that, in this universe, protects the forest. The nameless one found a human child, Somali, in shackles lost in the woods. After finding Somali,… Read More Newman’s Nook: Somali and the Imperfect Dad
Claymore was a manga (and later anime) series set in a medieval fantasy world filled with monsters called Yoma. To combat the monstrous Yoma, an unnamed organization establishes a warrior program. These warriors, colloquially called claymores (matching the massive swords they wield), go where needed to kill Yoma. The claymore warriors are all female. Through… Read More Newman’s Nook: Living Tools
Two Similar, but Dissimilar Men Barrage was a short lived manga series from 2012 written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The story is set in a futuristic, yet feudal world, and the first chapter introduces us to two different men of identical appearance. The first man is the titular Barrage, prince of the land and… Read More Newman’s Nook: Astro’s Family
So, there I was in early December, minding my own business, when an announcement that Boys Over Flowers Season 2 was coming to an end showed up on my Twitter feed. Right before Christmas, the last chapter of a series I grew fond of would drop. There I was minding my own business, when I… Read More Newman’s Nook: Every Story Has an End
My Hero Academia is a great series that, unlike everyone else out there, I only got into in October. A series about a world where superpowers (quirks) are widespread raises many questions, the greatest of which is “What is a hero?” To answer that, I want to talk about two heroes—All Might and Endeavor. Warning—Spoilers… Read More Newman’s Nook: The #1 Hero
Mission: Yozakura Family is a relatively new Shonen Jump manga series about painfully shy high school student, Taiyo Asano, as he enters the world of the Yozakura family. After his parents died, Taiyo chose to avoid close relationships, coming to the resolution that since intimacy with family and friends can be snatched at a moment’s… Read More Newman’s Nook: Yozakura and Church Family Ties
I recently began reading the My Hero Academia (MHA) manga. Yes, I recognize that the series is a good five years old. I even tweeted to that effect. Me: I just started reading the My Hero Academia manga. Them: That started over 5 years ago and we all recommended the series to you. Like a… Read More Newman’s Nook: Ignoring the Advice of Others
Stories of love and grace are timeless. From real stories of extraordinary forgiveness to fictional examples, these tales intrigue and inspire us. They serve as great reminders that as we falter and fail, there is someone greater who grants us grace. Boys Over Flowers and Boys Over Flowers Season 2 both introduce us to poor… Read More Newman’s Nook: Grace over Flowers
Content Warning—This article briefly discusses sexual assault as presented in both Boys Over Flowers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love a good redemption story. From the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker to the conversion of Saul, stories about redemption strike a nerve. These tales remind us that our humanity remains beneath our own… Read More Newman’s Nook: Redeeming Evil Flowers
I feel inadequate in so many ways. This feeling is on display each time I write, preach, teach in the church, or try to share the Gospel. While I have advanced degrees, none of them are for those actions, and I sometimes feel like these are irrelevant and insufficient when writing, preaching, or teaching. This… Read More Newman’s Nook: Inadequacy, Depression, and Shinji