March 24, 2004 | Page 15 Manga Review Saiyuki >> Kazuya Minekura Saiyuki is a rough and tumble tale of demons, murders, intrigue, espionage, questing and bishonen. Lots and lots of bishes: All the main characters are cute boys. Basically, Saiyuki is an adventure / quest manga that is loosely based on the tale of the monkey king (as is Dragonball). It has all the elements of a great shonen manga sprinkled in - blood, violence, seduction & sex, insults, crude humor and boobies! As the plot goes, our main characters must travel west to India to stop an evil plan to bring a terrible demon back to life using a combination of human science and demon magic. The result of this meddling is that a ‘minus wave’ has spread throughout the land, turning all the members of a magical race of beings called Yokai into horrible murder- ing monsters. The plot may not be that original and fairly episodic (travel to anew place, kill yokai, teach townspeople a lesson about something, move on), but the incredible art is what makes this manga succeed. As mentioned, all the main characters are bishonen, but Minekura’s character designs make each one a uniquely individual looking person. Unlike pretty boys in other manga, that have a tendency to all look alike (Yuu Watase, I'm talking about you) in Saiyuki, each character is rendered unique by the fact that each is designed to stand out and look different from the rest. Each character has their own kind of eyes - Sanzo has sad downward drooping eyes, and Gojyo has dark upturned eyes with stylized markings. Even the attention to detail in costuming is incredible; costumes range from the traditional Chinese wear you expect to see in a Monkey King type of tale, to completely modern (jeans, t- shirts, denim jackets) and all sorts of odd combinations in between. Overall: A generic but fairly interesting story, plenty of action and incredible art make Saiyuki worth picking up. Grade: B+ - Kathleen Psychic Academy >> Katsu Aki >> Tokyopop 2004 Hey everybody, and thank you for tuning in once again to our fun manga review column! This issue we have an interesting manga selection for your reading enjoyment. Psychic Academy, one of this year’s new offerings from Tokyopop, is an.energetic romp through a world that had just recently escaped annihilation. The Dark Overlord of Terror had threatened the Earth with his ter- rifying powers of evil darkness, but was stopped by Zerodaimu Kyupura Pa Azaraku Vairu Rua Darogu, a teacher at the Psychic Academy with a penchant for really horrible ties. Of course, Zero was not a teacher when he defeated the enemy of humanity, but that is not the point. The point is now, Zero’s younger brother, Ai Shiomi, has finally shown psychic potential, and has been trans- ferred to the Psychic Academy to begin his aura training. Ai is not nearly as excited as everyone else seems to be. Ai thinks that he has no aura powers to speak of, so he believes that he does not really belong at the school. Psychic Academy is a beautifully drawn book, with intense attention paid to ‘ character designs and costumes. Sure the storyline is lacking in anything that really requires brain power to follow, but it is amusing nonetheless. The story is humorous at times, and there are enough gratuitous panty-shots and acciden- tal boob grabs to keep most filthy lech happy for a time. In all, this book is fun and pretty, and the perfect escape from the upcoming pressures of finals. It is very silly, however, so if you don’t like silly things, you should not look at this one. >> Dana Universidad Politecnica De Madrid - Spain eCérdoba eoevilla wi bs Cadiz © @Hablas EspaOol? Have you ever wanted to learn Spanish, or perhaps improve your existing Spanish language abilities? Well, Spain is a pretty good place to learn the basics of one of the most popular languages in the world. UNBC students now have the opportunity to study at the Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Politecnica de Madrid - UPM) since the signing of a formal exchange agreement in 2003. UPM o> @ Granada The historical roots of UPM date back to the 18th century, when architectural engi- neering and religious orders directed techni- cal schools in Spain. By 1971 various techni- cal schools joined to form Univerisidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain's leading insti- tution of science and technology. Today UPM offers a variety of technical programs including Agronomic Science, Telecommunications Engineering, Topographical Engineering and Architectureal Enginnering. Currently, over 47,000 students are enrolled in one of the many technical pro- grams offered at UPM. Students at UPM have organized themselves into a delegation (DelecaciUn de Alumnos - DA), which acts as student representation in university affairs and student information centre. Like many other cosmopolitan - universities, UPM’s campus is spread throughout the beautiful captial city of Madrid, giving stu- dents plenty of opportunities to enjoy pael- ‘la, vino and cafE in one of the world’s most " romantic cities. MADRID With over 3 million people living in Madrid, there is hardly a dull moment, especially in the evenings. A mere 646 metres above sea level, the capital is head- quarters to Spain’s public administration, government and Royal Family; banks and industry also play an important role in Madrid. Baroque and neoclassical struc- tures of the 17th and 18th centuries are con- stant reminders a past filled with conquest and opulence. Nessled in the centre of the Castilian plain Madrid’s mid-winter daytime temper- atures average 7ooC. The summer season is so hot that MadrileOos (locals) escape to the coast or one of the five major mountain ranges to stay cool. The perpetual move- ment of people in the capital acts as the heartbeat of a vibrant nation. ESPA-A Second only to Switzerland, Spain is the highest country in Europe with an average altitude of 650m. Travelers will find deserts in Andalucia, wetlands in Galicia, snowcaps in Pyrenees, and thongs in Ibiza. If mild climes are what your looking for, then the land-of flamenco, Segovia, Goya and Don Quixote is just the place for you Besides tapas, paella and gazpacho, gas- tronomists will find plenty of regional dish- es born from the Mediterranean. Spaniards filt themselves: during lunch between 1pm and 4pm with enough room for 4 light meal later at 10pm. Any €xcess body mass can easily be controlled with some flamenco stamping, bull running or garden roaming. Ié you are familiar with Latin America, then you will recognize many place names throughout Spain; here is where the fate of a continent began. Once one of the greatest empires in the world, Spain remains an important nation that offers students an opportunity to explore and learn its rich his- tory and simpatico culture. If you would like to know more about Spain visit www-.tourspain.es; to study in Spain drop by the UNBC International Centre and °hablanos! °Nos vemos pronto! Sources: Lonely Planet Guide - http:/ / www.lonelyplanet.com / destina- tions/ europe /spain/ Universidad Politecnica de Madrid - http: / /www.upm.es/ser- vicios/ extension /htdocs/presentacionin.html CIA Fact Book - http:/ / www.odci.gov/cia/ publications / fact- book/ geos/sp.htm! Let’s Go Travel Guide - Discover-2 http:/ / www.letsgo.com /SPAM/00-