An Ordinary Man

 

Paul Rusesabagina, a familiar name to those who’ve seen Hotel Rwanda, protected 1,268 Tutsi and Hutu refugees during the Rwandan Genocide. Rusesabagina made a defiant stand against the atrocities executed by several Rwandans. The genocide started early April 1994 and ended mid-July 1994. Scenes of death were present throughout the country with the death toll rising to almost one million lives.  Paul took part in developing the movie Hotel Rwanda in 2004 and he also worked with author Tom Zoellner in writing an autobiography entitled An Ordinary Man. I’ve just finished reading the book and this is what I have to say.

The main focus of the book is about Paul Rusesabagina himself and how he came to be in history. He talks about his childhood, how he became the hotel manager of the Mills Collines, and what happened during/after the genocide. His writing goes in chronological order with some breaks that may deter from the story. Those breaks are used to explain a certain situation that occurred in the story or some necessary side information. For example, when he talked about his childhood he mentioned a drink known to him as “banana beer.” He then writes another paragraph or two explaining what it is and the cultural meaning to it. He does the same thing whenever he mentions a specific person such as Georges Rutaganda or General Augustin Bizimugu.

Another focus of the story is about the Rwandan Genocide and how it came to be. He does make clear of how it came to be by the players and ideals contributing to the execution of the genocide. He talks about the efficiency of the propaganda spread by the RTLM radio station and the organization of extremist militias including the Interhamwe. Another example is he brings about the history of how Rwanda came to be, how the ethnic division was formed, and how oppositions between both sides were born. Of course careful and extra research is needed to confirm Rusesabagina’s statements. In my research and studies I believe most of the statements presented but he does present opinions on certain situations. Those opinions can be taken either way but the most obvious argument presented is that what was happening during the genocide was horrible and could have been prevented.

There were a couple themes presented in this novel that seem to coincide with my ideals. The most prevalent theme was individualism and taking a solo stand instead of the following the crowd. When Paul talked of those participating in the genocide he couldn’t believe that these people would just follow the crowd even if they were wrong. He truly thought that people were crazy to not oppose those who thought otherwise. Another theme was the power of words and how they can affect the outcome. He mentions that they are simple but can be very powerful that can bring peace or harm to others. He believed that the words of the ethnic division created the forefront of the genocide. Those words were then used through propaganda to prepare for starting the slaughters. Also most of his success was from the use of the right words and how he presented them to his opponents/allies. Using social skills, integrity, humility, and understanding he managed to get what was needed to shelter the refugees.

As a whole the book was a great read. I found it very clear, concise, and heartbreaking at the same time. Remember though that this is an AUTOBIOGRAPHY not an account of the genocide as a whole. Although the precursors to genocide are mentioned most of the writing is centered on him and his efforts during that time. Also take into account that there are breaks but they’re meant for explanatory purposes and not to drive away from the story. I did get lost at one point but after rereading those passages I got back on track and understood the point of that break. For those interested in the genocide only I recommend doing research on Rwanda itself and finding different written accounts aside from Paul Rusesabagina.

 

I give this book a rating of 4.0 to 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m sure fans of world history, humanitarian acts, and foreign policy would love this. I also hope that maybe this could be a start for those interested to take a stand and do something similar to others. By this I mean trying to take a stand on the right side and use it in defiance of those who don’t think so.    

RWBY

I’ll admit I’ve been a fan of Red VS. Blue and some of Roosterteeth’s work for a few years. During the release of Season 10 of Red VS. Blue, I noticed a trailer on the Roosterteeth website called RWBY. I watched the trailer and I saw a girl with a red hood killing wolves with a scythe/gun combo weapon. My first impression was, “a girl fighting wolves? What is this?!?!” I thought it was weird but then later there were more trailers being released, the white, black, and yellow trailers. My impression was more favorable toward RWBY after seeing the yellow trailer but I still didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t until July 18^th, 2013 that I watched the pilot episode and was speechless. I continued watching the show until the end of volume 1 and I have this to say.

Plot: The story centers on four girls that attend a prestigious academy where they learn to become warriors against the forces of darkness. These warriors are called hunters and huntresses and they defend the world of Remnant from monsters and evil doers. So far the girls have met each other at the academy, became members of the team RWBY, and began their studies. Aside from these girls there are several side characters that interact with the girls throughout the show. The series just goes on watching these characters develop and get ready for thier future. 

Characters:

·       Ruby Rose: Main hero and leader of Team RWBY. She’s kind of naïve, energetic, and a little ditzy.

·       Weiss Schnee: An heiress to a multibillion dollar corporation and a self-promoter. She looks down on others and thinks she’s better than most people.

·       Blake Belladonna: A quiet, aloof, and mysterious girl. Although she interacts with those around her she tries to avoid contact.  

·       Yang Xiao Long: Ruby’s older sister and kind of a party girl. She also gets a little hot headed sometimes but she does act rational sometimes.

·       Professor Ozpin: The head master of the school the girls are enrolled at. He’s very wise and seems to know what role each person has to play at the school.

·       Jaune Arc: The leader of Team JNPR. He’s klutzy but has big dreams for success. Also sees himself as quite the ladies’ man.

·       Roman Torchwick: One of the main villains in the story. His plans tend to go well until our heroes intervene causing him to fail.

There are several more characters aside from this list but for now these are the important ones.

Critique: One of my favorite things about stories is character development. There is plenty of it throughout the show and it can make a small impact on the simple things in life. Monty's theme for the entire story centers around growing up. Everyone is going to grow up and become something he or she desires to be. This whole series is basically watching these characters grow up and contribute to the story. There are other themes such as dealing with one's personal self and discrimination amongst a people. For spoiler purposes I won't get into the details but I urge you to take a look yourself. I also enjoyed the fight scenes which were full of action and there was great music that enhanced the feeling of those scenes. Speaking of the music, the theme song alone was mind blowing in my opinion. After watching this show I’m begging to see more of the story and what these characters are going to do. Another aspect is the references to video games, other animes, Roosterteeth's past works, etc. I find it funny to see how RWBY uses those references as a part of the show. 

Now there were a few things that did bug me just a little. The show is off to a good start but it does require some work. The show starts off on a high note but then seems to tone down as it gets towards the middle of the show. There were some different arcs in the story which hopefully will be cleaned up. My guess is that the setting/introduction is just being thrown in and light will be shed in the next volume. I also didn’t approve of the different lengths of each episode; it’s too similar to that of Red VS. Blue episode lengths. There are also certain scenes that can be a little cheesy or just feel plain weird. I guess it doesn't affect me because I've dealt with that before in video games, movies, etc. What really took the cake was that there was extra focus on the side characters such as Jaune instead of the main girls. Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy seeing his character development but I felt like more focus should have been on the girls. Regardless though it’s there and I now think that the development of the side characters may play an important role in the future. Below is a summary of my critique:

Pros:  

1.         Epic fight scenes between characters and monsters.

2.         Characters develop throughout the show.

3.         Amazing soundtrack that fits certain scenes of action, despair, and tension.

4.         Each episode leaves you wanting more.

5.         References to other animes, video games, etc., that add to the fun.

Cons:

1.         Episodes tend to be long or short. Some are over ten minutes and some are almost six minutes. On average episode length is seven minutes. (Unless you watch this on the dvd, the average length is almost eleven minutes per episode.)

2.         Too many side characters and less focus on the main characters for some episodes.

3.         Moments of cheesiness and poor dialogue.

4.         Seems to have different story arcs which may deter from the main story.

Overall Verdict: I give this show a positive review with a rating of about 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5. It’s a good show and has potential, but it does need a little more work. Hopefully we'll see those changes in Volume 2 this upcoming July. Kudos to Monty Oum, Miles Luna, Kerry Shawcross, Kara Eberle, Arryn Zech, Barbara Dunkleman, and the rest of the Roosterteeth Staff!   

Trailer for Volume 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsy7VJheMBI

Introduction

Hey guys welcome to the Reviewer's Domain! I hope you guys will find this as a resource when it comes to various subjects in the video game, movie, and web show genres! I like to start this blog with a few simple points and rules so we can make this a friendly environment for conversation and idea exchange.

1. All my posts, critiques, and reviews are based on what I see and opinion. Everything can be interpreted differently.
2. No mudslinging, insulting, bullying, or swearing will be permitted.
3. Every one's opinion or thought counts. This could lead us to a better understanding and interpretation of the subject.
4. Some of these reviews may be from material most people are unfamiliar with. I encourage checking it out yourself but I must say SPOILER ALERT!
5. Let's have a nice, clean discussion!

Here's my review scale:

• 5.0 stars = Excellant
• 4.0-4.9 stars = Good
• 3.0-3.9 stars = Ok
• 2.0- 2.9 stars = bad
• 0-1.9 stars= terrible and forget it

I plan on submitting my first review in the near future. Please don't hesitate to comment or express your thoughts. Happy reading everybody!