By Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt Published Kodansha International

                                            

You’d be forgiven for thinking ‘Random cash-in book’ following the Devilry that was Pokemon and it’s clones, but you would be very wrong.

This useful book has a excellent comprehensive list of the most famous (but not always) Japanese monsters. It is littered with modern illustrations by Tatsuya Morino and classic woodblock prints of the artist Sekien Toriyama

Sidenote: The word ‘Yoaki’ is used to represent demons and the such like, but not always as this book shows.

EVERY entry in this has proper pronunciations of names in phonetics (someone will pick me up on this) and very useful information about locals and what to do when they attack.
As an Anime fan this makes a lot of the gribleys I see on screen understandable, as a DM this provides a source of potential encounters (especially the Kuchisake Onna) in an oriental campaign as someone who knows those who dabble in Asian Extreme Cinema I can be a knowledgeable sod.
Also anyone doing a University Paper on Japanese Culture should consider picking this up too.

What I learned from this book:
* Quite what Tanuki can use their testiculars for.
* Why not to annoy Tengus (of any sort)
* If my cat starts talking be wary.
* If on a boat why I should have a pole and holey bucket.
* What the name of that one legged umbrella thing from ‘Super Mario Land 2’ was (a Kara-Kasa by the way).
Overall: A lovely book of great legends and stories (even if they do seem a bit mad in places, seriously a hand washing giant).

After last weeks slightly lackluster episode I was not expecting to much from this one. I decided to watch it as I was getting ready to go out on the town to "throw some shapes in the church of dance" (yeah I nicked that line from spaced). Big mistake. I got totally ingrossed in it again and was late getting to the pub because of it.

So the episode started as usual with John Hurts voice over. There is a slow reveal of a young women in a cave molding a piece of clay whilst saying a magic spell.  She is played by the beautiful Micheal Ryan, best known here for her role as Zoe Slater but you guys may know her has the Bionic Women and is obviously up to no good. She places the clay module in to the river running through the underground system leading to Camelot.

People start falling dead in the city of a mysterious disease. As Gaius and Merlin take one of the bodies back to the good doctors room to find out what the cause of death was, they bump into Gwen who gives Merlin a single flower from a bunch she has picked for the Lady Morgana. Gaius fears the disease comes from magic but doesn't know where to start but deducts that it may be in the water, as  rich and poor were dieing without prejudice and water would be the only thing they share. After Gaius tells King Uther that he suspects sorcery. The King starts to panic as for this very reason he band magic in the first place and orders Arthur to search ever part of Camelot for the culprit.

We see Uther making some hard decisions to protect the population at large by possibly sacrificing the few which Arthur disagrees with. Showing both Uther's and Arthur's compassion for the people and doing what they think is right but in different ways.

Meanwhile Gwen's father fulls ill with the disease. Merlin wrestles with the idea of using magic to save him but is warned by Gauis not to  for if he gets caught he still face death. In the end Merlin decides to go ahead with the idea and places a magic enchantment under Gwens father pillow.

While Arthur and his men are searching Gaius's quarters they he goes' into Merlins' room where he  left his magical spell book on the floor. Arthur calls for Merlin telling him he has found something, Merlin is expecting Arthur has found the book but he just teasing him for having a messy room by telling him he has found a cupboard for Merlin to put stuff in. Merlin quickly uses his Jedi powers to cover the book with a sheet. I can't believe Arthur doesn't see the book as it's right in the middle of the room but there is a scene later that makes me suspect that he did but because he trusts Merlin nothing is said.

Arthur finds the enchantment in Gwens house after her father makes a miraculous recovery. He takes her to the King for using magic to which the King sentences her to death. Morgana and Arthur try and protest her innocents but when magic is involved Uther sees just evil , which Arthur thinks is not just and the punishment does not fit the crime.

Merlin turns himself in but no one believes him after Arthur and Gauis convinces the King that he is just a simple servant boy in love with Gwen. Gauis and Merlin find the source of the diseases in a clay monster that can only be created by a powerful sorcerer.

So young wizard goes to consult the Great Dragon who tells him that he can't do it alone and that he is one side of a coin, Arthur being the other side and to trust in the elements. Gauis explains that clay is made by water and earth, two of the 4 base element so maybe wind and fire, the remaining two, will destroy it.


Arthur, Merlin and Morgana venture in to the water caves beneath Camelot where they are attacked by the clay Monster. After a bit of a scuffle between Arthur and the monster, Merlin tell him to use the torch to attack it. While the Prince is fighting the beast Merlin casts a spell out of ear shot of the others that blows wind onto the flame and kills it. At the end of the episode Gauis tells the King that he believes Nimueh was behind the whole thing to which the King is obviously scared, angry, and distressed and worryingly tells  him that "will he never be free of her". Morgana tells Merlin that she knows that he has a secret and that it is he's in love with Gwen. I think Gwen at least fancies Merlin but I believe he just thinks of her as a good friend.

This episode was a vast improvement on the previous one. We see the start of a bigger story ark with Nimueh and her history with Uther. Some great moments between Arthur and Merlin that doesn't reduce the tension of the story. The acting, as usual is excellent and Arthur is becoming a great character. A good solid story made this an enjoyable and hope they keep it up.

I would give this episode 3 and a half out of 5 Excaliburs.

If you live in Plymouth or the area you should check out the Chestnut Tree Cafe's cult movie and TV society.

In their words "We meet every Wednesday to show movies & TV episodes from various cult genres ranging from Sci Fi & horror to Spaghetti Westerns, gangsters, German Expressionism, comedy, old movies, general weirdness and themes based on specific directors or actors.

This week Danny and Prest take a look at the latest news and Peter Kay's new one off show.

| Download | Duration: 00:19:16

Don't forget to check out our subsidairy show Casters' Kitchen, online Sunday or Mondays and our main show ever other Thursday.

Please email us or leave a comment about this episode or anything in general at contact@cornishscifisupplement.com. we would love to hear from you.

                                                

By Brendan Vaughan Published by Hudson Street Press

A fun lil tome I received for my Birthday this year from a Great friend of mine.

Looking into the concept of ‘Macguyverisms’ and ‘to MacGyver’ (named after the 80’s TV hero MacGuyver played by the Legend Richard Dean Anderson of Stargate fame). These are real life stories of people who have pulled off great feats of improvisation. From homemade Vermouth, Coffee granule coagulant and life saving Improv Asthma inhaler.

This is an ideal ‘bathroom’ book for casual reading or a book to read out to friends with a drink in hand in salute to those who made something out of a paperclip, super whip and a shoe!

Overall: A highly enjoyable book with great re-reading value. Leave in the smallest room

If you live in Plymouth or the area you should check out the Chestnut Tree Cafe's cult movie and TV society.

In their words "We meet every Wednesday to show movies & TV episodes from various cult genres ranging from Sci Fi & horror to Spaghetti Westerns, gangsters, German Expressionism, comedy, old movies, general weirdness and themes based on specific directors or actors.

This week Dan joins us and we take a look at the first episode of the new season of Heroes and some more questions.

| Download | Duration: 00:45:13

Don't forget to check out our subsidairy show Casters' Kitchen, online Sunday or Mondays and our 'Just the News' show ever other Thursday.

Please email us or leave a comment about this episode or anything in general at contact@cornishscifisupplement.com. we would love to hear from you.

Over the next couple of we will be reloading all the podcasts from episode one as we have realised the files are huge and have now compressed them to save space.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

This week with a new guest Gray, Manga review and the cast discuss a Sony cockup of epic proportions and a chat with Sam. We apologise for one line, you'll know when.

| Download | Duration: 00:52:14

Dont Forget to check out our main show. Online thursdays or Fridays. No main show this week though folks!

Please email us or leave a comment about this episode or anything in general at contact@cornishscifisupplement.com. We would love to hear from you.

The episode starts once again with some narration from the Great Dragon (John Hurt) about the destiny of a great kingdom lying in the hands of a young man, Merlin. We then see a knight, who we will find out is Valiant, walking through a market and approaches a trader from whom he wishes to buy a shield with 3 snakes decorating it. The street trader shows him that it is in fact a magic shield that by the command of the owner releases the snakes to do his bidding which Valiant immediately uses to kill the trader. The CGI snakes are good, far better than the daft one we saw in 'Bone Collectors.'

The King has organised  the annual tournament, which Valiant enters much like the fashion of 'A Knights Tale'. Merlin is struggling to get to grips with his new duties as Prince Arthur's servant and bumblingly helps the Prince with his training in a funny scene. Gaius mends his bruises while Merlin complains that its not fare that he has a large list of duties to which Gauis tells him that Arthur has his own duties and that people some times expect a lot from him.

Uther opens the tournament which is being held in the large courtyard that is no where near the scale of that in A knights Tale. At the end of the first day  Arthur gives Merlin a large list of things to do including cleaning his armour. We then see Merlin lying in bed with Arthur's armour being cleaned floating around him in a great nod to Fantasia to which Gaius remarks about Merlin using Magic all the time. By the end of second round Valiant has nearly lost but secretly uses the magic snakes to defeat Ewan. Gauis see's to the poisoned knights ailments and notices that there are snakes bites on the knights neck. Merlin finds this suspitous that it happened during a fight,  follows Valiant he see's him feeding the magic snakes. He informs Gauis but Gauis warns him that with out proof nothing can be done as its a Knights word against a lowly servant. They decide together that if an antidote can made from the snakes to cure Knight Ewan then he could testify against the conniving Valiant.

Merlin sneaks into Valiants room and cuts the head from one of the snakes and escapes just before being spotted by Valiant. Gauis uses it to make a cure for Ewan. Merlin then tells Arthur what he has seen and we see the trust between them grow. 

Another snake bites Ewan and kills him while the King holds court against Valiant but with out the word of another knight there is no proof and Arthur is made to look a fool. Valiant convinces Uther that it was just an excuse for Arthur not have to fight him in the final. Arthur tells Merlin that he trusted him and made him look weak in front of his father and the other knights so fires him from his duties. Merlin pleads with Arthur not to fight Valiant in the final as he will use the magic shield to kill him. Arthur explains that he must fight him as its his duty and that people will not follow him into battle if they think he is a coward.

Merlin goes to see the Great Dragon who tells him again that the young warlock and the Prince's futures are in-twined and that its just the beginning, which seems pointless and shoe horned in just to have the dragon in the episode. So he decides to use magic to make the snakes appear to everyone and struggles all night trying the spell out on a statue of a dog.

Arthur and Valiant start their fight in the final which sees Arthur winning. Merlin finally cracks the spell and rushes to the tournament just in time and casts the spell secretly and the snakes come to life for everyone to see. Arthur defeats Valiant with a little help from Morgana and is crowned champion.

At the feast Arthur thanks Merlin for all his help, off course he still doesn't know Merlin used magic, Merlin tells him that there is no need but he could buy him a drink to which Arthur exclaims that he cannot be seen buying drinks for his servant as he is rehiring him. This is the point where we first really see the companionship between them really start and a mutual friendship for Arthur then reels off another list of things to for Merlin to do and then smiles.

Overall this episode had some good moments mainly between Merlin and Arthur but suffers from the same thing 'The Loin, the witch and the wardrobe' suffers from. When you have seen the Battle of Palinar Field at the end of the Return of the King no other battle can live up to it. When you have seen the creaking tournaments in 'A Knights Tale' with its rocking sound track this seems a little bland. But to give them their due they try and give some scope to the fights but fall slightly short. The episode never really achieved the levels of excitement of the first and I hope this episodic "Merlin learns a  new spell each week" doesn't become the norm.

The stand out actor as before is Will Mellor (Merlin) but we do see the character of Arthur grow in this episode from the cardboard cut out to a humorous and brave man we know he should be. There was nothing majorly wrong with the episode it's just a bit "seen it done better".

Over all I will give this episode 2 and a half Excaliburs.