Top 10 Movies of 2010

Making a “top 10 movies of the year” list is kind of difficult.  First, you have to remember all the movies that you have watched for the year.  Movies you watched at the latter part of year would be recalled easily.  Recalling movies you watched at the early part of the year needs more effort.  Second, you have to weigh each movie with each other on which one you like better.  Again, this is easier to movies you have watched recently than those you watched in February or March.  You have to really concentrate so you can recall how much you liked (or hated) that movie.  After all of this, picking the ten is easier.

There are some worthwhile 2010 movies, like “Tangled” and “Tron: Legacy”, that were released in December and I wasn’t able to watch yet.  So, even if, later on, I would like them after watching them, I can’t put them in this list anymore since I was not able to watch them during the year they were released.

 

Before I enumerate the top 10, let me acknowledge some other significant 2010 films…

I was able to watch “Sherlock Holmes” in January, but this movie is technically a 2009 film, thus it is disqualified from making the list.  If I have to put it in the top 10 somewhere, it would make top 5 or 4. 

Saw 1 to 4 were great, but it started getting weak on the 5^th movie.  “Saw 3d” – the 7^th film in the franchise – was kind of disappointing.  It still retains the “Saw” charm, but it is far inferior if you compare it to the early Saw movies. 

“Step Up 3d” had a better story than its predecessors, and the best dance scenes I have seen in a “Step Up” movie.  The final showdown between the House of Samurai and the House of Pirates was epic.

I enjoyed the action of “Resident Evil 4”, but I have some complains.  It started with promise with the opening sequence, but it gets disappointing after that.  Alice losing her clones and her powers early on set the tone of disappointment for the rest of the movie.  It destroyed the hype and excitement brought by the cliffhanger ending of the 3^rd movie.  This one also had a cliffhanger ending, but it also destroyed the ending I wanted: Alice and friends turning the ship “Arcadia” into a real refuge from the undead.  Let’s hope “Resident Evil 5” would do better. 

Many said that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” was the best HP movie so far.  I disagree.  I still think the best HP film is the 3^rd, the 4^th, or the 5^th movie (I can’t make up my mind which). 

“The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader” was okay.  I watched it in 3d.  I already wrote about my sentiments regarding this movie (and the 3d experience). 

As for other movies that nearly made the top 10… let’s be fast, this post is long already and we haven’t mentioned a single one of the top 10… Ok, here goes…

The sequel to “Wall Street” was awesome (there seems to be a third movie coming up); the Gecko character comes strong and interesting. 

I thought “Kick Ass” was going to be cheesy, but it was unexpectedly good. 

I was really excited to watch “Alice in Wonderland”, and it was good, like other Tim Burton films, but once you get used to Burton’s style, it seemed to come out a little bit bland already. 

“The Other Guys” had me cracking up from opening to close (what you expect from a Will Ferrell film).   

“Shrek 4” has a good story, but not as hilarious as the previous Shrek films.           

“Splice” was a refreshing sci-fi tale that really bites the audience.
“The Social Network” was a yarn take on the story of the creation of Facebook.

In “After.Life”, Cristina Ricci shows nudity… again (rolls eyes).  It seems that she only chooses roles that require her to show her breast.  Nonetheless, it was a gripping, eerie, and interesting story.

If there is going to be a number 11, “The Ghost Writer” will take that place.  This or the all-star fun movie “The Expendables.”

Now, to the top 10…       

10.) SALT

The best thing about it is the movie poster.  Just look at it.  That is the most “badass and sexy” photo of Angelina Jolie ever. 

The movie started strong and ended strong.  The Evelyn Salt character easily captivates.  She is badass, versatile, and enigmatic; up there with the ranks of the elite of spy fiction like James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Ryan.  Throughout most of the movie, we expected her to do the unexpected.      

The thrill and action brought by the movie was very Jason Bourne-esque.  In fact, critics said it was just a rip-off of the Bourne movies, only with a female lead instead.  They might be right, but Salt looks to be a promising movie series like Bourne. 

 

9.) RED

Red was a lot of fun.   This movie, which was loosely-based on a comic book, was about a group of retired (i.e. old), but still dangerous, agents who are being hunted by the CIA due to being framed by a corrupt and treacherous politician.  Full of hilarity and badass action as the group try to uncover the “whys” on the plot to kill them while the CIA was hot on their heels. 

Frank Moses (Bruce Willis’ character), Joe Matheson (Morgan Freeman’s), and Victoria (Helen Mirren) were all interesting characters.  But, hands down, the best character in the group is the conspiracy theorist, Marvin Boggs (played by John Malkovich).   His antics cracked me all throughout the movie.

This movie was a first-class action-comedy, never uninteresting, and delivered what I expected from it – and more – from start to finish. 

8.) DESPICABLE ME

Epic.  To be honest, I did not expect it to be special.  But it was.  One of the best animated movies I ever watched.  A good story, good graphics, a family-oriented charm, and several hilarious scenes and lines… it has all the formulas for a winning 3d movie.   Several scenes had cracked me up real good, from Gru’s lines and reactions (“Wow, this is garbage.  You actually like this?” while reading the “3 Little Kittens” book), to wacky scenes (Gru destroying a shooting gallery using his blaster gun to win a unicorn stuffed toy for Amber), to one-second shots (“Bank of Evil: Formerly Known as Lehman Brothers.” This made me laugh so hard), and to almost every scene these guys were present…

Gru’s Minions are very much like Toy Story’s LGMs, only clumsier and funnier.  They are a major factor why this movie was very funny.

I heard that “Megamind” was also a good movie.  I haven’t watched it yet so I can’t compare which is better.

 

7.) PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME

I know the premise and the general plot of the game, and I know that if I am not aware of the time travel concept of the game, I would had enjoyed the movie more since the “time travel for a few seconds” function of the prince’s dagger would come as an enjoyable surprise.  “Prince of Persia” has the swashbuckling fun that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” has.  The fight and acrobatic scenes were both graceful and badass.  The story was, yup, almost cliché for an adventure film, but it was still exciting. 

And I really liked the relationship of the Prince with his father and brothers.  He was really a part of the family even if he was only adopted.  At first, it was as if it was a brother of the Prince was the one that framed him (in the murder of his father).  But it turned out, that the initial subtle hints (like traces of jealousy) of his brothers’ treachery were just mere red herring of the plot.  They were not the villains.  In truth, their bond as brothers was strong.   I love how it all went.

Aside from what I have already mentioned, the audience was also charmed by the lead characters – or rather the actors.  Girls fell in love with Jake Gyllenhaal’s abs, and guys got bedazzled by Gemma Arterton’s sex appeal.  This scene shows what I mean:

I'm expecting there will be sequels…

6.) MONSTERS

A sci-fi drama that contains a very valuable underlying theme.   The movie might be uneventful in some parts, but it is only when you finished the movie that you realize the movie had a beautiful story and a deep message.   The scenario of the movie was when a NASA probe crash lands on north Mexico, cthulu-like alien creatures started appearing in the USA-Mexico border.    This area became known as an “infected zone” as military from both countries work to keep them at bay (though the aliens were still able to move towards urban areas).  The story was about a photojournalist who agreed to escort his employer’s daughter from Mexico to USA through the “infected zone”.  They would encounter danger in their journey which would culminate when they had a clear and up-close view of the aliens for the first time (also the first time for the audience).  It would end with the two admitting their love to each other and leaving us with the questions: “What makes them monsters?  Just by being different from us?  But who are really behaving as monsters?  Us or them?”

     

5.) IRON MAN 2

This was the only Marvel movie of 2010.  But, I dare say, it successfully filled the hunger for the annual dose of Marvel Superhero movies.  It was better in everything than the first movie.   It joins the ranks of “Spider-Man 2” and “The Dark Knight” – comic book movie sequels that were better than their respective first movies.  All the major scenes were awesome; they were funny or action-packed or both.  Scenes and cameos meant as appetizers of incoming “Avengers” and Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films were also scattered across the movie.       

Robert Downey, Jr. was – again – brilliant in this movie.   He played Tony Stark in a way I haven’t seen the Tony Stark character.  He was more suave, more fun, more charismatic, and more lovable.               

Moreover, in this movie, we got…

Rrrrrr.

Hope Part 3 will not disappoint (now that the director, Jon Favreau, is not on board for the third movie). 

4.) EXAM

Technically, this movie was a 2009 movie.  But I have my reasons for treating it as a 2010 movie.  First, when it was shown in 2009, it was mostly limited to film festivals.  Second, this movie was released in UK theaters in early 2010 and was never released in the US.  Instead, it was released in DVD in 2010 for US.  So I’ll treat it as a 2010 movie since it was more widely circulated in 2010. 

The movie’s story was centered on eight applicants for a vacancy in a high-status, powerful, but enigmatic corporation.  They were put inside a closed room, with one guard with them.  A piece of paper and pencil were in front of each of them.    They were instructed that in 80 minutes they should be able to give one answer to one simple question.  They were left with three rules by their proctor: "If you try to communicate with myself or the guard... If you spoil your paper intentionally or accidentally... if you choose to leave this room for any reason… you will be disqualified."  He left and the clock started ticking.  The candidates turned over his or her respective paper and found a blank page.  That was when the fun started, as candidates attempted to find loopholes and clues in the three rules and to discover what was the question (so they can answer).  One by one, the candidates got eliminated, by trickeries of their co-candidates, by choice, or by accidentally breaking a rule.  In the end, a sole applicant remained non-eliminated after 80 minutes.  The remaining applicant was also able to successfully uncover what the question was and was able to deliver the correct answer.

This movie’s main appeal was the plentiful twists.  The final twist – the real score of the corporation – was kind of weak, though, compared to the twists of the body.  Nonetheless, this was an exciting movie that would keep you guessing until the end.        

3.) SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

This is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made.  “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” was adorably wacky and creatively done.  I love the concept.  It was kind of cartoony but still interesting and not cheesy.  It has the “feel” of my generation.  Moreover, I was really impressed by the fight scenes.  Michael Cera’s appearance looks weak and clumsy, but when he did his fight choreographies, it was executed crisply and excellently.  The story was kind of slow at the early part of the movie, but it picks up as soon as the first evil ex-boyfriend appears.  From there, it becomes fast-paced and grows exciting and action-packed by the second.  In summary, Kevin Smith put it perfectly, “I would be hard pressed to say, 'he's bringing a comic book to life!' but he is bringing a comic book to life.”    

  

2.) INCEPTION

“Inception” will go down in history as one of the greatest movies ever made.  In fact, it ranks number 2, so far, in the Internet Movie Database’s all-time list in ratings.    I don’t have to say anything more about “Inception”.  Really.  If you haven’t watched it yet, it’s a pity.  Go watch it and understand why it’s awesome.  I won’t spoil it for you.  But if you already did, then you already know why it’s awesome.  And you’re also probably wondering why it only made the number 2 spot when it’s a hands-down number 1 choice to all of you. 

Well, it’s because…    

1.) TOY STORY 3

“Toy Story 3” was also released this year.  That’s why “Inception” did not get the top spot.  I believe that “Toy Story 3” is the best movie this year.  Well, at least to someone like me who really loves the pop culture of his childhood, in which “Toy Story” was one of the best things about it.  This movie was something I had been waiting for for a long time.  And my wait was not disappointed. 

In my article a few months ago titled “Movies I Like Hollywood to Make, Keep on Making, or Start Making Again”, I wrote this about the movie:

“I had always been a lover of toys.   I was a toy lover since, and still a toy lover now.  Thus, you see how much I love the Toy Story movies.  I had waited for the sequel for Toy Story 2 for more than ten years and it was just recently that the 3^rd installment came out.  I was about ten when Toy Story 2 came out at the theaters, and I’m now 21 when I watched Toy Story 3.  Thus, in some ways, I had been able to relate to Andy growing older and about to go to college.  Though, of course, as for me, I, instead, had just graduated from college.  But allegorically speaking, there are parallels.  Andy grew older, I grew older (We were both kids by the time of Toy Story 2).  Andy’s steppingstone change in life was going to college, mine was finishing college.  Andy has to let go of his toys, a symbolism of letting go of important things of the past and comfort zones so we can grow up.   There, Toy Story 3 made me sentimental.  Made me reminisce my past and provoked pondering of my future.”

Not only was “Toy Story 3” funny, entertaining, and heartwarming but it had a theme I can relate to and a familiar recipe that I really love.  It is the movie that made the most impact to me this 2010, and that’s why it’s the best movie of 2010.

Now done with 2010 movies, it’s time for 2011 to showcase its offering…    

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Top 10 Twists in BLEACH

One of the hot mangas/anime I am into is “Bleach”.  Bleach easily became popular for having badass fight scenes, a vast collection of interesting characters, and entertaining storylines.  One of the reasons why the storylines of Bleach are highly interesting is its incredible twists that were used as “what the -!” moments, plot augmentation, or/and just for the sake of good old fun.  Among these, here is my top 10 take.  

10.) Tōsen’s Defeat

Kaname Tōsen is the blind Gotei 13 captain, who aside from Gin Ichimaru, joined Sosuke Aizen and betrayed the Gotei 13.  In the battle in the Fake Karakura Town, Tōsen fought using his newly acquired Hollow powers from Aizen for the first time.  After equipping his Hollow mask, Tōsen would take on his former lieutenant, Shūhei Hisagi, and his former bestfriend, the Shinigami captain, Sajin Komamura.  In his Hollowified form, Tōsen was able to hold his own against Hisagi and Komamura, and then being able to get rid of Hisagi (temporarily, as we’ll see later on) and getting the upper hand against Komamura.    

Tōsen then released his Resurrección, transforming himself into a giant cricket-like creature.   He started opening his eyes, and was rapturous when he was able to see (we can conclude that that was the first time he ever used his Resurrección) for the first time in his life.    As he was about to deliver the finishing blow to Komamura, this happened…

It was a big surprise for me.  Just like that, Tōsen, who is clearly stronger than an Espada, in his Resurrección form, got blind-sided (no pun) by Hisagi, who is still not powerful enough to have a Bankai, to impale him with a mere Shikai.  No one saw that coming. 

9.) Yoruichi is a Woman

We first saw Yoruichi Shihōin like this…

A black cat with a male voice.  

“He” was the one who trained Ichigo’s friends and the one who guided Ichigo and his friends on their trip to Soul Society to rescue Rukia.  And everybody – audience and characters alike – at that point believed that Yoruichi is a man.  And “he” never gave any reaction to make us think otherwise.  “He” never corrected the assumption that “he” was actually a she.

Then after rescuing a wounded Ichigo (which he got from his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki), Yoruichi finally revealed “his” true form to him. 

And I was as shocked as Ichigo to discover that Yoruichi was really a woman.  In her own words, she loves transforming to her true form to surprise people, who always assume – because of the male voice in her cat form – that she was a male. 

Being in cat form, not only did we assume she was a male, but because of appearing in such “cute, harmless” form, we really did not take the character seriously.  Oh, we assumed the character might be strong, but not that awesome as revealed later on.   After the surprise we got from discovering she was a female, more revelations came that made us learn that she is one of the most badass characters in Bleach.  Princess of the Tenshiheisōban… former captain of the 2^nd Division of the Gotei 13 and former commander of the Onmitsukidō… former Corps Commander of the Corrections Corps and of the Executive Militia… considered the greatest “flash step” (high speed movement) master that she earned the nickname “Goddess of Flash”… what a resume.  Makes me feel silly for initially supposing that she was a one-dimensional, boring character.

8.) Hollow Ichigo

In his training to regain his Shinigami powers (after Byakuya destroyed its source), so he can rescue Rukia, Ichigo had undergone training under Kisuke Uruhara.   One of the processes (to regain his powers) is to cut his “Chain of Fate”, the chain that attaches the soul to its body.  When cut, the chain would corrode towards the chest, and when it reaches it, a hole would open that would transform the person into a Hollow.  Eventually, just as the chain’s corrosion completely made a hole on Ichigo’s chest and started turning him into a Hallow, he was finally able to tap into his Shinigami powers.

I (and Ichigo) never thought that Ichigo’s experience of nearly becoming a Hallow would have a consequence in the future.  Later on (during the mission to rescue Rukia), we got clues about this impending development when Hallow masks kept on appearing on places in his body where there would be normally fatal wounds.   Finally, in a fight with Kenpachi Zaraki, Ichigo encountered his Hallow alter-ego in his inner world.

I find this Hollow alter-ego of Ichigo an exciting surprise, especially when he took over Ichigo’s body when Ichigo was losing his battle against Byakuya.  The Hollow Ichigo would then proceed to get the upper hand, until Ichigo took back the control of his body from his Hollow self. 

From then on, several times, we would see times when Ichigo was on the ropes in a fight, a pissed Hollow Ichigo takes over Ichigo’s body to fight. 

As his Hallow split-personality’s control grows stronger, Ichigo sought the help of the Visoreds to allow him control of his Hallow self (and powers).      

After finally becoming a Visored, Ichigo finally was able to manifest the strengths (though probably not all) of his Hollow alter-ego without losing control.  Though, in his fight with Ulquiorra, a more powerful, more badass, and more violent Hollow Ichigo would appear.  

Ichigo, as of the present, has lost his Shinigami powers – and presumptively, his Hollow powers as well – after learning the Final Getsuga Tensho from the Zangetsu-Hollow Ichigo amalgam.  I am excited for further developments, especially on how Hollow Ichigo would manifest himself again when Ichigo regains his powers.   

7.) Wonderweiss

Wonderweiss’ first appearance was during his transformation to an Arrancar by Aizen.  Several Espada were present during this.  By then, I never ever thought there was something special about him.  I thought his “birth” was shown for mere demonstration on how Hollows become Arrancars.  At most, I thought he was a Fracción – a subordinate of an Espada, especially when he accompanied Yammy in the Arrancars’ third visit to Karakura Town. 

Later on, Wonderweiss was with Aizen, Tōsen, Ichimaru, and high-ranking Espada (with their Fracción) during their battle against Gotei 13 in the Fake Karakura Town.  He arrived with Fūrā – the biggest Hollow that appeared in Bleach so far (it is so big that it has masks of Gillian-class Menos for fingernails) in the middle of the battle.  At this point, I thought of Wonderweiss as nothing more of a “keeper” for this giant Hollow.   Then he did this:

By taking out Jūshirō Ukitake – one of the two strongest Gotei 13 captains who are not Commander Yamamoto – I finally realized that Wonderweiss is just no ordinary Arrancar… that he could even be somebody higher in rank than the elite Espada, and that his number 77 ranking was just a ruse.       

It is revealed that Wonderweiss is a “modified” Arrancar, and has the same spiritual energy of an Espada.  All forms of rationality, memory, retention, speech, and intelligence were removed to give more concentration on power instead.  He was designed by Aizen to nullify the abilities of Yamamoto’s Zanpakutō.  Though he would still lose in the end against Yamamoto, going head to head with Gotei 13’s legendary commander was badass enough. 

It’s a pretty good twist when a character we presumed to be weak was actually badass.              

6.) Bankai

The most constant developmental twist in the Bleach concept is the Bankai – the Zanpakutō’s second form.  What make this weapon so interesting are the various forms of Bankai shown.  

Some of these forms are: 

an exhibition that pink is badass…

a portable nuke launcher…

an abominable fetus from hell…

and, my personal favorite, a gundam swordsman…

There are still several characters that haven’t revealed their Bankais yet.   There’s no captain-level Visored that revealed his Bankai yet.  Ichigo’s father, Isshin Kurosaki, hasn’t revealed his.  Neither Aizen nor Uruhara revealed theirs.  And the Bankais of several captains – including Commander Yamamoto – haven’t been revealed yet.

Bankais are full of surprises.  A Bleach fan will always get excited whenever the words “Bankai” is spoken, especially if the shinigami would reveal his or hers for the first time. 

5.) Aizen is the Main Villain

If I had made this list years ago, this would be number one.  It was a real shocker back then when Sōsuke Aizen was revealed to be the main villain of the story – a first rate “what the hell was that!” moment. 

Initially, Aizen was shown as the nicest and most mild-mannered of the Gotei 13 captains, with those harmless kind eyes.  I mean look at him…

Then sometime when Ichigo and the other Ryokas was in Seireitei (to rescue Rukia), Aizen appeared to had been murdered. 

Suddenly, there was a mystery among Gotei 13.  Who could have killed Aizen?  Only a captain-level Shinigami could have done it.  Thus, there was a traitor among them.  And the prime suspect was Gin Ichimaru. 

Ichimaru proved to be a red herring, a mere minion, since the true mastermind was Aizen himself and the “Aizen” corpse was a mere illusion.  After obtaining the Hōgyoku from Rukia (which was hidden by Uruhara within Rukia’s soul), Aizen would leave for Hueco Mundo with his subordinates, Ichimaru and Tōsen.  In that epic scene, as Negacióncarried them away, Aizen, while removing his glasses and combing his hair by hand to change the hairstyle that changed his appearance from mild-mannered and kind changed to a cold and menacing, announced his intention of becoming a “god”.  Very dramatic.  He would proceed to rule in Hueco Mundo and build an Arrancar army.  

                                     

Eventually, during his forces’ encounter with Ichigo and his allies, he and his Espada would be defeated.  But since he’s immortal, he can’t be killed, thus he was sentenced to be imprisoned for 20,000 years.

I don’t think we’ll see the last of Aizen.  Heck, as I mentioned before, he has yet to reveal his Bankai.  I think he will still be a major player in a future story arc in Bleach.

4.) Ichigo’s Dad Turned Out to be a Shinigami

In the early parts of Bleach, Isshin, Ichigo’s goofy doctor dad, was more of a comic relief.  Nobody was expecting that he was far more badass than that.  However, he was actually a captain-level Shinigami.  The revelation of Isshin being a former Shinigami answered the question why Ichigo has hidden Shinigami powers.  But it raises some more questions as well.  What was his division and why did he leave the Gotei 13?  How and why did he lose his powers?

It is first revealed that he was a Shinigami, when he took on Grand Fisher – an imperfect Arrancar.  Later on, it is also shown that he was acquainted – even friends – with Ryūken Ishida, Uryu’s father (who is also a Quincy), and Kisuke Urahara.   .

Ichigo would only become aware that his father was a badass Shinigami when the latter pitched in in the fight against Aizen in the Fake Karakura Town.  Aizen would also show that he knew Isshin.   Later on, Isshin was instrumental on teaching Ichigo the “final” Getsuga Tenshō that helped in the defeat of Aizen.

There are still a lot of questions unanswered regarding Isshin, and fans are excited for further developments.

3.) The Eleventh Division is More Badass Than It Appears to Be

The 11^th division are composed of Shinigamis who only concentrate on melee combat and do not concern themselves with other Shinigami skills.  Their philosophy is to live for fighting – that if they are going to die anyway, they will go down fighting gloriously.   

      

We know how badass this division is because it’s a reflection of its captain, Kenpachi Zaraki.  Zaraki is one of the toughest and most powerful captains in the Gotei 13 even though he does not have a Bankai nor know the name of his Zanpakutō (thus, not being able to tap its full potential).  The lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi, is a mere child but she possesses immense spiritual pressure.  And two other lieutenants in other divisions, Renji Abarai and Tetsuzaemon Iba, were formerly from the 11^th. 

But what makes this division more badass than it appears to be is because of Yumichika Ayasegawa and Ikkaku Madarame. 

In the first time we saw Yumichika fought, he was beaten by Ganju.  Ganju is not one of the elite characters in Bleach, so Ayasegawa (5^th seat in the division) must be weak, right?  No.  Ayasegawa was not really at top form when he fought Ganju.  Not even close.  At one time, he beat Hisagi by finally showing his Shikai’s true power.  Yumichika’s Zanpakutō is as vain as its owner.  “Fuji Kujaku”, the nickname Yumichika uses on it, greatly annoys the Zanpakutō that whenever Yumichika uses that nickname, it would not appear in its true form, but instead transform to a (weaker) melee-type released form:

But when it is called by its true name, “Ruri’iro Kujaku”, it goes full power:

Yumichika is actually as strong as the strongest lieutenants of Gotei 13.  But he wouldn’t fight with his Shikai’s true form if anybody in the 11^th would know (especially Ikkaku) about it, since the true form of his Shikai is kidō-type.  That would be disgraceful in their division because the division’s unofficial rule is that members should only have melee-type Zanpakutō.  He would only use its full potential when his fights are hidden from spectators.  If not, he won’t use it and would even risk getting defeated by an opponent just to protect this secret. 

Like Yumichika, Ikkaku was defeated in the first battle we saw him fought (against Ichigo), thus since Ichigo was still weak at that time, we assumed that Ikkaku was insignificant.  Ikkaku (3^rd seat) is the same as Yumichika, he would even risk defeat just to hide a secret… that he had already achieved Bankai (making him the only non-Captain, aside from Renji, that knows Bankai).  

He’s also has the same fighting philosophy as with his captain, Kenpachi.  He would handicap himself (not using Bankai) just to make a fight more “enjoyable”.  Another reason he hides his Bankai from others is for the fear of being promoted, since he is satisfied as 3^rd seat serving under Kenpachi Zaraki. 

  

At first, I never really thought of them as someone special, I thought of them as mere “stepping-stones” for Ichigo in the Soul Society Arc.   I never thought they will be noteworthy after their initial fight.  I was wrong.   They turned out to be the proof that the 11^th division is the most badass in Gotei 13…

2.) Espada Ranks

The Espada were the top ten most powerful Arrancars.  Their power greatly outdistanced every other Arrancars (the Numeros).   Normal Arrancars are ranked depending on the order of their becoming an Arrancar, but the Espada are ranked depending on their power, with the highest number the weakest and the lowest number the strongest. 

The rankings of the Espada have some twists in it, though. 

First, it was revealed that Nel, the sniveling brat Arrancar that Ichigo had befriended…

…turned out to be a former Espada, with the number 3 rank. 

Second, I (as well as others) guessed the rank of the most prominent Espada rival of Ichigo (aside from Grimmjow), Ulquiorra Cifer, as, at least, in the top 3 of the Espada.  However, his actual number was 4, implying that there are at least three more powerful Espada than him.   But there was a “double twist”.  It seemed that assuming initially that he was a top 3 Espada was right after all when he revealed that he was the only Arrancar that was able to obtain a second release form of Resurrección (Resurrección: Segunda Etapa).  Aizen hasn’t seen him in this form, and Ulquiorra might have been ranked higher – even maybe number 1 – if the former did.      

Third, and most mind-blowing of all, the ranking of Espada was not at all from 10 to 1, but from 9 to 0.  Yammy Llargo was originally number 10, and was thought to be the weakest of the Espada.  It turns out he is the strongest as the “1” was removed from 10, leaving “0”, when he finally released his true power.  Among the three, this was the most surprising.

1.) Gin Ichimaru betrayed Aizen

This was the latest among the twists here.  And so far, in my opinion, the best, most dramatic, most surprising development ever.

Throughout the show, I have a gut feeling that there is more to Gin ichimaru.  The character is just so awesome and charismatic.  No way is he just a mere lackey.  Maybe he has his own agenda and is only using Aizen.  Those were my thoughts then.

In a way, I was right.  It turned out Gin indeed has his secret reasons for joining Aizen.  Just a few moments after Aizen and Ichimaru left the Fake Karakura Town to enter Karakura Town… 

The reason?  Revenge.  To avenge what Aizen did to Rangiku.  He waited for many decades to learn the vulnerability of Aizen, and then struck when the time was ripe.

Of course, Gin failed to kill Aizen, but nonetheless, what he did was still awesomely unexpected.  Though I was a bit expecting that Ichimaru would somehow betray Aizen, it still blew my mind when and why (which I was not able to deduce) and how he did it.  Just for the sake of avenging the honor of Rangiku Matsumoto, the only person he really cared for, he was willing to do a “sleeper agent” routine.  Serving under his target and enemy; the burden of the thought that Rangiku, the person he was doing it all for, was feeling disappointed (because he betrayed the Gotei 13 and “joined” Aizen) and thinking of him as an enemy; the pressure of observing and planning; and the many years it had to take… all the emotional and mental baggage these brought did not hinder Gin.  Such amazing patience and resolve.

Gin Ichimaru’s current status is unknown.  I would be disappointed if he’s now dead, considering the awesomeness of the character and the potential of being an invaluable ally to the main character, Ichigo Kurosaki.   

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Joy Church 23rd Anniversary

Here are the videos of the praise and worship and the dance number of the senior young people of Bicol Presbyterian Joy Church during its 23rd Anniversary service.

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"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader": My First Movie Experience With 3D

Bichara, a cinema theater here (where I live), just recently made the 3d-viewing experience available in the city.  Upon learning, I was curious since it’s the first time that this technology became available in the locality, and I had never experienced watching a movie in 3-d before.  Two factors made me to finally decide trying it.   Firstly, the ticket price cost 250php only, cheaper compared to the ticket prices in other places.  Secondly, the movie was “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader”.   Its release date (US) was going to be December 10, but it was released December 3 in the Philippines.  Pretty cool, huh? 

So, I dragged my family to watch it (it was December 9, which was my mother’s birthday)  We bought our tickets for the last full show, waited at least one hour before being able to enter, took some pictures when we got in, got surprised that the theatre was nearly empty (as my mother puts it, it was as if we rented the place for private viewing), stood when the national anthem was played… and then the movie rolled.  And our eyes’ had a ball!

If it’s one’s first time to watch 3d, of course, he will like it.  But get him to watch 3d again for a few more times and he’ll realize that 3d is overrated and unnecessary.  At least, the method used on the Narnia movie.

There are two methods in using the 3d technology in movies.  First, is shooting it by using 3d or “two-eyed” cameras.  This device films a scene in a way that is similar to how the human eyes perceive depth.  The result?  “Avatar”.  I haven’t watched “Avatar” in 3d, but I watched it in a big screen and found the visuals awesome.  What more if it’s in 3d then?  Even those critics who hated the story of “Avatar” (for the record, as a serious sci-fi fan, I found the story of “Avatar” beautiful.  Maybe it was not very unique, but it was beautiful) gave high praises to the movie’s visuals.

However, shooting a film with the use of “two-eyed” cameras is very expensive.  The second way to 3d a movie is cheaper.  Thus, it is inferior.  Significantly inferior.  In the second process, the film is shot by the use of normal “one-eyed” cameras, which is the usual way of shooting films (the non-3d kind).   Afterwards, the filmmakers have engineers “cut out” the characters or foregrounds to create an illusion of layer or depth.  Result?  It comes out like a pop-out book.                         

The 3d method used in “Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader” was the second method.  The cheaper, more inferior method.  Ok, don’t get me wrong.  Again, since it was my first time, I liked the experience.  There are scenes in the movie which the “cut out” illusion had made pretty solid.  There were times I feel I could grasp the foreground.  There were times I have to instinctively flinch as water splashed or flakes of fire flew.  But there were “cut-out” scenes that were just plain silly.  And sometimes even messy, especially when the camera moves fast.

3d technology should be used as a tool to enhance the story of the movie or the viewing experience.  I would have liked “The Dawn Treader” as much in 2d as with in 3d.  Makes no difference between the two at all as far as impact brought by the movie is concerned.  In my opinion, I think filmmakers should stop making 3d movies using the second method.   You pay a higher ticket price and you get a “pop-out book” experience in the end.  Just stick to 2d if it will not really enhance the experience significantly at all.  If they will make a movie 3d, they should do it the right way: shoot it with 3d cameras.  It might be an expensive process, but that’ll make the viewing experience a jaw-dropping, heart pounding, mind-blowing one.

How about my thoughts on the movie itself?  I liked it, but I think it was the weakest among the three Narnia movies (with the first movie still being the best one).  However, I love how the epic Christian allegorical dialogues remained intact.   Hearing those lines made the ticket price worth it.  Especially the lines of Aslan, voiced perfectly by Liam Neeson.  Aslan’s voice (and roar) makes my skin crawl in a good way. 

"But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."  When Aslan said that line, it was as if God was also speaking to me, that even through the fiction and pop culture I am fond of, which He allows me to enjoy, I should be able to learn something about God through them, which, ultimately, should help me know Him more in reality.

Good movie viewing experience.  Totally worth it.                  

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Floodgates at the "One Heart" Concert

Ten bands in our province - which includes the band I belong in (Floodgates) - performed in the "One Heart" concert held at Bicol College Gymnasium last December 10.  We did three songs, and here is a rough video of the first two.  The third song was not recorded because the digital camera used lacked the card (memory) space.  I might get a better footage from the concert's organizers since they were also recording the concert.  But until then, this will do for now.

     

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A Poem To Summarize Who I Am

(This is a simple poem I made and used to have as content in the "personal bio" part of my social network accounts.)

The boy, though with a knight’s heart, is a gunslinger
Beyond the laughter, not many can see the cold eyes
A six-shooter or a six-string, it does not matter
Both are weapons, as well as the pen of a writer
On knock downs, he'll hear invisible cheers then he'll rise
Never governed by the Laws of Odds, he rolls the dice

The boy, calm and cool as ice, patiently makes his stand
Life is Mexican stand-offs and showdowns and marvels
He aims well and true; a blur when he draws with his hand
Long adventures through the worlds of Oz and Wonderland
His destination is Home; with a smile, he travels
Should he be tempted by the diamonds and jewels?

The boy knows that guns are stronger than the world's magic
The blessing of always having an ace in his cards
The best combo is imagination and logic
Against the Dark - the theoretically tragic
Haunted by the ghosts brought by songs and tales of the bards
With silver bullets, he makes his stand in the graveyards

The boy only lifts his hat and bows down to Big Boss
And he has no fear even of his journeys at night
He’d been personally handpicked by the King for His Great Cause
There is no greater power he knows than of the Cross
Never can the Gates of Hell prevail over the Light
This world calls him a fool, but he'll soon reach that high height

My name is Bernel, of Legazpi, Son of Efren
Soon the day will come when I’ll ride towards the sunset
I will survive the stand-offs, oh, I am sure I can
At Home, I will see the fields of red roses by then
The Ultimate Joy and Pleasure shall be fully met
The music never stops; immortality, not death

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Top 10 Fictional Detectives

Mystery is one of the earliest genres of fiction that I grew to love (The first, aside from comic book or cartoon themes, would be fantasy.  Then again, fantasy also has elements of mystery).  I would grow to love most genres, but the mystery genre is special.  There is always something exciting and thrilling from the suspense brought by the unknown.

The mystery genre heavily romanticized the detective character.  Their observational, deductive, and analytical skills seemed to be superhuman. They made the solution to a difficult problem that baffled us – the audience – seemed so obvious and logical that it made us slap our foreheads and say, “Why did I not think of that?”  Moreover, we envy them for the adventures and excitement they enjoyed on their cases.

I have some favorites from these bunch of romanticized detectives.  As I’ve said, I love the mystery genre, thus, I am exposed to many of these characters in pop culture.  However, there are a lot of them, thus, I am also unexposed to heaps more of them.  Many say that Monk (from the TV show of the same name) is one of the best, but I can’t tell since I wasn’t able to watch him in action.  Same goes with a boy named Encyclopedia Brown.  I was not able to read his books.

Nevertheless, from the collection of fictional detectives that I am familiar with, I pick a ten.  Here you go:

10.) NANCY DREW

Even if I have more “Hardy Boys” books than “Nancy Drew” ones, even if I’m a boy, and even if I enjoyed the stories about the Hardies than Nancy, I pick Nancy over the Hardy Boys.  No, it’s not because this list is made up of almost entirely of male characters and I have to add at least one female. No, not that reason.   Why then?  Well, I find that the Hardy Boys have the advantage of being able to work on a case together.  And two heads are better than one.  Still, Nancy had her successes with no partner at all.  So one way we can interpret this is that Nancy’s smart enough for two Hardy Boys.  It is also advantageous to face the danger when there are two of you, and Nancy – a girl at most – faces it alone.  Nothing against girls, but boys are physically (and, often, psychologically) stronger and more durable.  So it is impressive that even if she is limited by her sex (physically), she boldly jumps at mystery and danger. 

Not convinced?  Well, okay, I admit.  I added Nancy Drew because this list needs at least one girl.  The 10th spot can go either way, to the Hardy Boys or to Nancy.  But, I still think Nancy has an edge.  By a hair (and a pretty reddish-blonde hair at that).

9.) THE 3 INVESTIGATORS

Yes, I have read more “Nancy Drew” and “Hardy Boys” books than “3 Investigators” books, but I think that the 3 Investigators – made up of Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw, and Bob Andrews – are better detectives than the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew… put together.  Really.   

Usually, I find that Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys solve their cases more by the help of lucky coincidences rather than awesome detective skills.  Sure, Nancy and the Hardies are cool with all that sleuthing, but I see them lacking in analytical skills.  3 Investigators, however, have the combination of energy for sleuthing and rad analytical skills.  Or at least Jupiter Jones.  Jupe is actually the one among the three that has the admirable detective mental talents.  He’s smart; has great stock knowledge and observational and logical talents.  The other two – Pete and Bob – are more of “enablers” when Jupe is thinking, the muscles when the going gets tough (mostly Pete), the cheerers, or data gatherers (Jupe, then, would analyze the data).  Nonetheless, they are a great team and deserve my number nine spot in this list.

8.) DR. HALEDJIAN

I was not able to read even at least one of Donald J. Sobol’s award-winning “Encyclopedia Brown” books, but I did read his “Two-Minute Mysteries” books, in which a case follows the same format of an Encyclopedia Brown case but shorter (can be read in two minutes) and are more for teens and grownups (as Encyclopedia Brown was for kids.)  The hero of these two-minute mysteries is the famous Dr. Haledjian, a brilliant criminologist.  He is smart and sharp, who has an amazing talent for noticing the details and has knowledge on many facts.

7.) SHAWN SPENCER

The main protagonist of Psych is a unique detective (at least, the first I encountered in fiction).  As a child, his father – a cop – trained him extensively on observation, memory, and deduction.  Thus, he grew up to have genius-level detective skills: great observation skills, an eidetic memory (which revealed later on as something he inherited from his mother, and not really from the exercises), and deductive skills.  He is able to quickly logically interpret what the data he got from his observation mean (like being able to describe a person or past event accurately).  With these skills present, he often made tips to the police hotline, until the police started being suspicious, thinking that the information he gave at one time is so clear that they presume he was an inside source.  To avoid getting himself into police custody, he pretended that he was a psychic.  This would ultimately lead Shawn – with his bestfriend Burton Guster – to form a psychic detective agency called “Psych” (for the kicks of the adventures it can bring).  From then on, police regularly ask “Psych” as consultant in some of their cases. 

Shawn is always wacky and joking around, and seems to be solely motivated by the fun a case or activity can bring.  However, this actually helps him think and helps get rid of the pressure (as shown in the first “Mr. Yin/Yang” episode).  Moreover, as one character implied, Shawn is ashamed of the great intelligence he has and that’s why he acts juvenile.    

Intelligent but tinges of childishness, irresponsibility, clumsiness and immaturity.  This is the most interesting thing about Shawn.

6.) SHINICHIRO KUDO a.k.a. CONAN EDOGAWA

Shinichi Kudo is a 17-year old high school student and a famous amateur detective.  He was able to solve difficult cases that even professionals were not able to solve.   Then at one time, while he was on an investigation, he was assaulted and was forced to swallow a pill that turned him back to a child.  Being transformed into a child, he took the name Conan Edogawa (combination of two detective writers’ names) on himself.  He now lives with Ran Mori (Kudo’s love interest and friend), who has a private detective as a father.  Her father, Kogoru Mori, is greatly incompetent in deduction.  However, as Conan tags along with his cases, Conan would solve the cases behind the scenes and then he would give the credit of the solved cases to Mori.    

Personally, I find the show’s theme of “hero being turned into a child” completely unnecessary.  Why not just make an outright detective anime?  Something without ridiculous “pills-that-can-make-one-a-child-again” elements. Make the hero either a teenage detective or child detective and not a teenage detective turned child.  However, the Japanese anime “Detective Conan” is one the most entertaining animes ever created since the cases are interesting and it is fun to watch Conan in his investigations.

5.) C. AUGUSTE DUPIN

He would have ranked higher in this list if he appeared in more than just three short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.  Dupin is definitely one of the models from where Sherlock Holmes is conceptualized (by Conan Doyle) from.  He is not a full-time detective, but rather just tackled cases that caught his fancy (i.e. why there are only three stories).  Moreover, the word “detective” was not yet coined when Poe wrote about him.  

He is extremely smart; can absorb and retain data extremely well and has good analytical skills.  In fact, he even “read minds”, just by observing behavior (pretty much like Sherlock Holmes) to the astonishment of the one being observed. 

His detective method is by logical science and creative imagination.  A sort of combination of the objective and the speculative type of reasoning.  An illustration of this creative imagination is when he put himself in the mind of the criminal.  Like Sherlock Holmes, Dupin is portrayed as an ultimate logical and analytical thinking machine that is devoid of any emotion.

4.) HERCULE POIROT

I have yet to read an Agatha Christie mystery that involved Miss Marple – the legendary elderly spinster turned amateur detective.  All the Christie books I read involved the equally legendary Hercule Poirot.  Poirot is smart and sharp (yeah, yeah, this description is getting clichéd since all of these detectives in this list are).  He works efficiently with logic, piecing together all available information and turning it to a coherent solution.  This would involve analyzing all the suspects and possibilities.  Instead of directly accusing the culprit of the crime, he would, one by one, using a logical-type of reasoning, make the case for the suspects. He would enumerate the logical arguments that presume a suspect is guilty, and then make the counter-arguments against it.  It was as if he is the affirmative and negative sides of a debate rolled into one.  He would analyze the culprit for last. 

Poirot establishes himself as a psychological detective, as he deals more with the people – the suspects and witnesses – rather than the hard evidences (i.e. crime scene).  He is a master manipulator, and often would find a way to make people talk.  To get himself underestimated or to gain these people’s confidences, he would resort to different methods like portraying himself as a sympathetic confidant or telling them lies.   Aside from his detective skills, this ability for grifting or fraud is his greatest asset.

3.) ELIJAH BALEY

Elijah Baley is the agoraphobic hero of three of the four “Robot” novels (which, though it has several underlying themes, at the core, is a mystery novel in a sci-fi setting) written by Isaac Asimov.  He is a plainclothesman (homicide detective) and was paired with a “humaniform” robot (a robot with human  appearance) named R. Daneel Olivaw (who was first of his kind) to solve a murder.  Being an Earthman, Baley is prejudiced against robots.  However, he had made a strong lifelong friendship with Daneel. 

Baley is an excellent detective.  His methods are very much the same as Hercule Poirot: the use of psychology and logic. He analyzes and discusses all the points of the case – from different perspectives, presenting both arguments and counter-arguments for the guilt of a suspect – in an efficient logical manner.  

Yes, he makes mistakes in his conclusions sometimes.   But the train of logic to that conclusion never breaks.  His arguments are always valid – in a logical sense (since in logic, valid and true does not need to be the same).  In one instance, Baley built a perfect argument against Daneel’s claim that he is a robot.  Since Daneel is the first of his kind, Baley found it hard to believe that such human-like robot is a robot.  Based on a previous experience and other facts as premises, Baley deduced, in a perfect logical context, that Daneel is a human, and what the latter said about being robot was a lie.  Baley was only convinced fully when Daneel finally revealed his interior that proved that he is a machine.

2.) BATMAN

Batman is more known as a badass superhero/vigilante, but he operates in a detective manner.  That’s why one of his comic books is named “Detective Comics” and one of his nicknames is “The World’s Greatest Detective”. As a detective, Batman has proven to be an outstanding observer, proficient investigator and cold, logical thinking machine.         

I already wrote about his character in the previous top 10 list (on comicbook characters), where he was also number two.

1.) SHERLOCK HOLMES

No surprise.   Sherlock Holmes gets the first spot on this list.  A long time ago, he became my most favorite fictional character as soon as I read his stories (written by Dr. Watson/Conan Doyle).  His powers of logic, observation, and deduction amazed me.

Holmes considers himself a “consulting detective”, the person Scotland Yard detectives ask for advice when they are stumped by a case.  And, usually, Holmes let the police detective who asked him for advice to have the credit for the solving of the case if it is too easy for his standards (though the detectives who consulted him find it very difficult).  These puzzling mysteries are “elementary” to him.  He also accepts cases from the public, as long as it's unusual and challenging enough to catch his interest.   

Holmes is a better version of C. Auguste Dupin as a dehumanized logical thinking machine.  He strongly scorns emotion, since it can cloud sound judgment.   He gives more importance to the deductive or analytical reasoning, since he claims that deduction is more difficult than induction (but he’s great at both types).  Holmes possesses great observational skills, attention to details, and quick analytical skills to create a train of logical reasoning which arrives at a solution or conclusion.  His most famous analytical dictum is “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”, which I find a very effective advise in elimination of factors.

  

Aside from his detective skills, he is very versatile and multi-talented.  He is a skilled combatant; an expert in fencing, boxing and baritsu (bartitsu).   He’s a great actor and master of disguise.  He’s an expert in forensic science and chemistry.  He is multi-lingual.   He’s a competent cryptanalyst.  He has a wide scope of interests and knowledge on different subjects.  He loves art and literature (particularly, of the sensational genre, though he also referred to works like the Bible and Shakespeare).  He loves music, and can play the violin.  He also has authorship of several monographs on different subjects.   

His great intellect and versatility makes him a very interesting character and, hands down, the best detective in fiction.

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