Promo ad for Jane by Design

Jane by Design, an ABC Family original television show, caught my attention back in November. I was excited to see a debut date, Tuesday, January 3rd, over the break and I made sure to record it. In a nutshell, the story had depth and yet the characters were shallow, the plot was predictable and yet the actors were not. Over all, though, Jane and her friends did not impress me with anything out of the ordinary.

Jane, a relatively shy and unpopular high school girl, finds herself in a fashion company’s lobby applying for an internship after she finds her family experiencing financial problems. In an obvious twist, her application is mistaken for that of another Jane applying for a job as an executive assistant. And thus begins the antics of mixing high school and high fashion.

Her best friend, Billy, helps her coordinate between her two very different lives, while he has his own storyline going on. He is secretly involved with the most popular girl in school, Lulu.  Jane’s brother Ben is looking for work, and also has his own completely different story. While I appreciate various parts of the show, too many ideas can be distracting.

While ABC Family has a pretty good record with their original TV shows, Jane by Design may have disappointed me a bit. I’ve already made room for other ABC Family series like Switched at Birth and Make it or Break it, in addition to a myriad of other programs I try to keep track of over the week, so I am very pressed for time as far as TV is concerned. And, in reality, that is what it comes down to. Is this new show good enough that I would choose it over a show to which I am already dedicated? While the concept is imaginative, the execution of said concept is not. Competing with several other shows for my limited attention, Jane by Design is not a show that would beat those other ones out of my mind, and so, with a heavy heart, I denounce Jane and her shenanigans as something I simply  cannot fit into my schedule. A mediocre cast in a mediocre show with a mediocre plot is not something I would recommend, even though it managed to impress my twelve-year-old sister.

A mediocre game for a mediocre time.

Spiral Knights, the latest dungeon crawler MMORPG by Three Rings Design and SEGA, is a free-to-play, browser-based java game which has been open to the public since April 4, 2011.  Spiral Knights is a real-time, action-adventure game which plays like a modern mix of the Legend of Zelda series and Diablo, with a cutesy visual style.

Unlike most free-to-play games, Spiral Knights’ most prominent feature is that it is absolutely free to play.   Players can pump money into the game, although it will only get them a commodity called “energy,” which all players generate.  The game comes across as extremely fair, because there is no buyable premium content – players must depend on their skill rather than wallets.

Unfortunately, that is about as good as the game gets.  The game lacks any real substance.  There is no plot, and the premise is so simple that it almost doesn’t exist.  There is no real reason to defeat the bosses – there is nothing in need of saving, and the stakes are relatively low.

As a result, Spiral Knights is a hack-and-slash game in the most basic form.  The only objective in the game is really to run through levels while using swords, guns, or bombs to attack monsters.  Although a redeeming quality may be PVP modes, Spiral Knights only offers two, and they depend more on luck than actual skill.

In addition, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of content which needs to be understood in order to play the game – the selection of gear, interactions with other characters, the strengths and weakness of the monsters, and even the level-system of the game.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the game is the amount of game play.  The game’s designers tout that due to the unique shifting of levels, every trip is unique.  Unfortunately, it is true only to a certain extent – and that extends to about the first 24 hours of game play.  After that, the playing the same levels over and over again only grows more and more repetitive, dull, boring, laborious, monotonous.

The lack of plot leaves players doing the same tasks over and over again, with no real room for variation.   It is not an open game world, and even players’ movements within a level are restricted, forcing a player to move in only one general direction.

Spiral Knights is a quaint novelty, but lasts only for about 150 hours of game play before a player is worn down enough to call it quits.  A good try by SEGA and Three Rings, but Spiral Knights is only as good as the two and a half stars out of five that it gets.

White Collar is back!

One of USA Network’s most anticipated series returns; White Collar finally began Season 3 on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012. After having been left with the major cliff-hanger of the kidnapping of FBI Agent Peter Burke’s wife, Elizabeth, White Collar fans released a long-held gasp with the opening scenes of the new episode.

Overcome with emotions, the newly impulsive Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) allows a new side of him to see the light. The usually mild-mannered Federal Agent develops into an impulsive husband filled with rage. And to top it all off, Burke’s wrath is aimed directly at Conman-turned-FBI-Consultant Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer). All the while, Caffrey must somehow convince best friend Mozzie (Willie Garson) to lend a helping hand after an eventful falling-out last season. Together, these three men set aside their conflicts and differences in order to fight the common enemy, Matthew Keller (Ross McCall).

From the very first scene, the audience is launched on an emotional rollercoaster (along with the other characters) for an entire hour: loving, hating, and loving again the charming, blue-eyed Neal Caffrey (a favorite of the ladies). We are constantly left asking, “What side is Neal Caffrey on?” Feeling betrayed by Caffrey, we still can’t help but root for him in the old-school duel with Keller, reacting to each painful punch Caffrey absorbs.

Peter Burke’s wife, the kidnapped Elizabeth Burke (Tiffani Thiessen), is finally given a chance to prove her strength as an independent woman. Putting her FBI knowledge to the test, Elizabeth must find a way to escape the captivity of her kidnapper…or die.

The iconic “good prevails over evil” idea leads to ending the episode with the typical White Collar cliff-hanger: will Neal Caffrey become a free man?

Boiling Point is a Taiwanese hot pot restaurant located on Culver Dr. in Irvine. This restaurant doesn’t just offer a large pot to share with everyone in your party, but serves individual hot pots to everyone.  With the choice from seven different hot pots, filled with different types of vegetables, seafood, and meats, customizing didn’t seem like a problem.

Just recently, I dined at Casa Inka with a party of friends to celebrate the coming of my birthday.  This offered quite a unique dining experience, and the staff was very accommodating of our plans.

The restaurant was very open and spacious, allowing us plenty of room to seat our rather large party of seven comfortably.  Our server was extremely welcoming and helpful, not only providing excellent service, but also engaging in our friendly bantering when one of my friends could not pronounce one of the items on the menu.

Casa Inka definitely lived up to its claim that its chefs had mastered the art of Peruvian cuisine.  The Paella was definitely the restaurant’s best dish, being absolutely delicious – rich with just the perfect degree of creamy; the rice and seafood was all brought together in a heavenly mix of herbs and spices.

Made with just as high standards, the Cau Cau de Mariscos was a beautiful blend of seafood and potatoes served warmly atop white rice.  The Calamari and tartar sauce serves as a great starter or even as a good meal for someone who might not eat as much.  The Saltados demonstrated the fusion of both worlds – traditional Peruvian cuisine served with rice and French fries, a combination which worked surprisingly well.

The one fallback of Casa Inka is the tipping policy.  For parties of six or more, a steep 18% gratuity is automatically added to the bill, and for even larger parties, a 20% gratuity, instead of allowing patrons to tip traditionally in accordance to the quality of their service.

Casa Inka is located at 8610 Warner Avenue, near the intersection of Newland and Warner.  Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m, and Sundays, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.  For more info, call: 714-847-7555.

Pesto Linguini

Seafood Saltados

Calamari

Cau Cau de Mariscos

Paella

Lomo Saltados

Come down to Buca di Beppo for delicious food and a great environment!

Buca di Beppo is a fabulous group-oriented restaurant aimed at bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the table.   Located across the street from Century Theater in Huntington Beach’s Bella Terra, Buca di Beppo is a lively two-story catering to groups of all ages.

My Saturday-night dining experience was an extremely pleasant one.  My party of four was seated soon after our arrival, but not before we were allowed a quick walk-through of the kitchen, which turned out to be a pleasant deviation from the norm of dining experiences.

The restaurant staff was extremely friendly, chatting up patrons and greeting all as they passed by.  It was perhaps one of the friendliest dining atmospheres which I have been a part of.  Our server was especially friendly, answering all of our questions with a smile and as constantly checking to make sure that we were satisfied with our meal, and even whether I wanted to have some fresh coffee, without prompting.

Although the prices may seem a bit high at first, the arrival of the dishes quickly remedies that – ranging from $13 to about $25, each family-style dish serves anywhere from 4 to 8 people.  The downside to this is that there is less variety at the table, due to the decreased need of needing to order more dishes.

The Linguine Frutti di Mare was a delicious seafood pasta, made with succulent mussels, shrimp, clams, and calamari.  The dish was perfectly made, with the wonderful seafood flavor bursting in your mouth with a slight kick from the spicy clam sauce.

The Baked Ziti was well-made, mixing four cheeses with imported Italian ziti, fresh marinara sauce, and creamy Alfredo.  The Mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, and ricotta blended to form a rich, cheesey flavor, nicely topping the ziti.

For dessert was the house special, the Colossal Brownie Sundae, a dessert worthy of its name: 6 cool, sweet scoops of vanilla ice cream covered in caramel and chocolate sauces, sprinkles, and whipped cream, topping 12 warm, deliciously chocolate brownies.

Buca di Beppo is located at 7979 Center Avenue in Huntington Beach just off the 405 freeway at Beach Boulevard.  Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.  Info: 714-891-4666.

Abby Lee Miller as the head instructor for Dance Moms.

Last night, on Lifetime network, Dance Moms, the television equivalent of a Charlie Sheen meltdown returned with new drama, new dancers, and new performances. Throughout the entire first season, viewers were treated to a nearly continuous stream of the bickering mothers of an over privileged, confused, and very talented girls’ dance troupe.   While watching this slow-motion train wreck, I couldn’t help but think, “I should not be watching this because this is a terrible show but I can’t take my eyes off the screen”. And, despite my moral conscious telling me otherwise, I managed to tune in consistently for each episode, earning the most despicable and detestable show on television its right to a second season. And… I am loving it.

The first episode of the second season refreshed my memories about last season’s antics through a careful flashback montage, but not for long. Ever onward seems to be the motto of this show. One thing we can really applaud the producer’s for is never replaying content too many times. They definitely respect the intelligence of their audience.  Oh wait! “This is the ultimate competition for these girls,” says Abby Lee Miller somewhere between four and six times during the episode. I spoke too soon.

Coming into this, my mind needs a quick refresh course on each of the girls. Firstly, we have the smallest of the group: Mackenzie. Sister of Maddie, Mackenzie gets to actually dance with the older girls for the first time. I’m sensing some contract negotiations went on for the six-year-old during the show’s hiatus. Next up is Maddie, always the star of the show (and the one who says she would kill herself if she couldn’t dance, as many have seen in that well-publicized clip). Mackenzie and Maddie are Melissa’s daughters. Easy enough to remember, the three “M”s.

Christi’s daughter Chloe, always second-best, follows having just earned herself the spot as the winner of the music video contest at the end of the first season. Kelly’s kids Brooke and Paige are not prominently featured in this episode, but we have a new dancer among us, Kendal (mother: Jill). Despite all her mom has hyped her dancing up to be, she is nowhere near as good as even Mackenzie. I don’t understand why they needed another girl. But on to other things…

In between the fighting and posturing of the moms, there was some actual dancing. The performances this week did not impress me at all, however. First off, Maddie’s solo, in an all-new age category, featured her in a musical theater piece, and, not surprisingly, it turned out a first place win (despite not showing any actual emotion during the performance). Chloe performed next and also earned first place in her own category, but with a distinctly better routine and performance. Nia followed and, even without her mom in attendance to support her, won the fourth place prize, which is distinctly better than she’s done in the past. The last soloist was Kendal, whose number did little to impress me. Her body seemed to have good technique, but her face was stoic (she clearly suffered from anxiety during the performance, considering she was not only being critiqued by the panel of judges in front of her but by the whole of America watching this atrocious episode). I would have rather seen Mackenzie hop around the stage in a cute costume or Brooke perform a contortionist “acrobatic” routine than watch Kendal’s meh attitude and mechanical dance steps. The group number entitled “Sassy Girl” featured the girls dressed up in plastic-looking and skimpy Barbie costumes and dancing to the phrase “I’m a sexy girl.” Per Abby, none of them were sexy during the performance and they’re all (including six-year-old Mackenzie) too old to be sweet.

Let’s get down to the meat of the show.  You may be wondering what went on between the moms this week. Well, Kelly called Abby an offensive name, Christi and Kelly teamed up against Melissa, and Holly was once again unable to make time for her daughter. Sound familiar? That’s what makes this show so amazing! What will these women put themselves through to be on television? The answer: a lot. New mom Jill debuts as the confident elitist dance mom who wants to be friends while maintaining her unattainable level of moral integrity. Good luck with that one, sister! Melissa vows to defend Jill if any of the other moms gang up on her (I’m sure that this is another incredibly meaningful promise from Melissa). Abby refuses to speak to Holly when Holly has to work instead of attending a competition in North Carolina. Jill gives Abby Chanel perfume in front of everybody. We should all be gasping by now. Roll credits.

Dance Moms returned as a rousing success with many episodes to come, promising all the drama and even less actual dancing. Bring it on!

Are you starving for the Hunger Games?

Suzanne Collins’ series about a dystopian world filled with war and corrupt government has taken both the teenage and adult literary worlds by storm. The trilogy has sold over one million copies, and is to become a major motion picture in just a couple short months. As a devout Hunger Games fan, I can honestly say I have no desire to see the movie besides to see how utterly horrific it is going to be.

Let’s start off with the casting. When I first heard that my new favorite books were going to be movies, I was really concerned about the casting, because it’s one of the first and most important things Hollywood can severely ruin. I was praying to the mighty God of literature that He should take mercy on us, and cast the main characters at the appropriate age. Obviously, I must have sinned or something down the line, because my prayers were not answered.

Jennifer Lawrence, a 22 year old mature looking woman, was chosen to depict the scrawny, 15 year old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Yes, I am aware Hollywood love to do this for TV shows and movies, but this particularly bothers me because one of the main themes of the books is to show how war and violence affects the youth of our nation- how corrupting and utterly horrifying it can be at such an early age.

Not only is age a factor, but race. Katniss was always described as “dark-haired and olive skinned.” Of course, that is a broad description of race, but I think it can be concluded that it Katniss was not supposed to be Caucasian. Taking this into consideration, the casting directors called for the palest, blondest actress in the country. I find this unacceptable.

In a media dominated by white-culture, I was happy to read Collins’ books that tastefully included race in her story while not making it an issue or a plotline. I was really disappointed to see Katniss and Gale (another dark-skinned protagonist) played by Caucasian people. Most theorized them to be either Latino, African American, or of some mixed heritage.

Lastly, I am troubled by the possibility that instead of showing the terrors or war and corruption, the films will glorify the violence. It is possible, as it has happened in so many other movies, that the direction of the characters and scenes may look mindless fighting attractive and desirable, as opposed to horrifying, as the books presented it. It is very easy to let this happeall it takes is some special effects and some misinterpretation of the book on a producer’s part. It could even happen as a result of an audience’s bloodthirsty and craving to see violence.

Admittedly, I will be seeing “The Hunger Games” when it comes out in late March, but I want people to understand that the books are definitely worth reading. It’s a fast, somewhat easy read with many interesting themes and plot twists. Trust me when I say that seeing the film will not truly satisfy your hunger for “The Hunger Games.”

Musical Comedy Murderz of 1940

The best performance I’ve ever seen by the FVHS Theatre Department, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 is a pure joy to see. Intricate and detailed set designs provide a certain authenticity in the play, while the secret passageways and trap doors keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The sound effects paired with the radio set only enhanced the production even more! Beautifully crafted costumes established the time period and developed the individual personalities of each character.

Each and every actor provided a top-tier performance. Catie Beck, as Helsa Wenzel and Katerina, amuses the audience with a consistent German accent and expressive gestures, while Robyn Couch truly embodied the nervous socialite that is Elsa von Grossenkneuten. Michael Peters donned a heavy accent as a New York cop in his first-ever theatre performance, and Michael Rowe adopted various accents and personas, adding to the comical confusion and surprise of the plot.

The developing love story between Nikki Crandall (Chelsea Harvey) and Eddie McCuen (Michael Flores) warmed the hearts of all and gained many laughs. Sam Cummings as the arrogant director Ken De La Maize and Sarah Shamaa as an overly dramatic producer characterized the stereotypical personalities of those behind-the-scenes on Broadway and in Hollywood.  Zack Billetter and Julie Ruck, the Hopewell and Roth composer and lyricist team, add the final, crucial components of a Broadway musical, with their zany, off-beat personalities and habits. All in all, The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 was a production not to be missed, filled with murder and mayhem—guaranteed to keep you laughing the whole way through.

For information about upcoming Theatre productions, visit www.fvhstheatre.com; Almost, Maine is the next show this season, a guaranteed winner!

Ajisen Ramen not only serves mouthwatering ramen, but other awesome dishes as well. This Japanese restaurant located at Diamond Jamboree in Irvine really packs a punch with flavor in many of their dishes. It’s not like the regular ramen restaurants that only have ramen to offer. Ajisen Ramen’s menu offers authentic Japanese dishes with a modern spin to them.

Their portions may seem a bit big, but I can assure you that you will want your own bowl of ramen. A perfect dish to share while everyone has their own order of ramen would be the Ajisen Spicy Pork Fried Rice; intensely spicy fried rice with carrots, cucumber, egg, peas, corn, and their spicy marinated pork, presented in a perfect dome ready to be devoured. The fried rice also comes with a side of refreshing pickled cucumbers and miso soup. There are so many flavors and combinations of ramen it might get hard to choose. For spice lovers, the best choice would be the Ajisen Spicy Pork ramen; a spicy miso soup based ramen with tender pork rounds, spicy ground pork, half a hard-boiled egg, seaweed, cabbage, and green onions. For those that enjoy an abundance of vegetables, the Assorted Vegetable Ramen would be great; a mild, but savory soup base with Enokitake and Shitake mushrooms, corn, carrots, lettuce, and seaweed. Also, for those who are in the middle, the Ajisen ramen is just for you; a mild version of the Spicy Pork ramen without the ground pork, but delectable all the same.

Their dishes are so flavorful and satisfying; you can tell they are made to order every time. They never disappoint. Ajisen Ramen’s goal is to spread the joy of their popular and traditional straight, thin ramen with their secret recipe tonkotsu soup base all the way from Kyushu, Japan. I rate Ajisen ramen a 4 out of 5 stars. Pleasant eating!

2700 Alton Pkwy
Ste 145
Irvine, CA 92606