TV, Manga, Blu-ray, Statistics
Guess which pair goes together? We’ll let you off the hook- this pair of geeky pursuits is split into Chuck, new on Blu-ray, and the No Starch Press Manga Guide to Statistics. Entertain, or educate- or both!
The No Starch Press Manga Guide to Statistics looks and feels Japanese- which makes sense, as it is written by Shin Takahashi, and is a (very good) translation. At first, the style and subject matter make for an odd combination, and take some getting used to. The book moves at an odd pace and can be frustrating in the things it moves between, skips over, or slows down to handle- but it’s hard to please everyone! The examples, art, and tone win you over pretty quickly though, and it’s a bit easier to remember things with something quirky connected.
It even has a plot, of sorts, mixed in among real-world examples. There’s also an appendix showing how to work things out in Excel. It might not be the best manga, or the best book on statistics, but it’s certainly the best combination of them both!
In much the same way, Chuck is one of the best combinations of geekiness and television. Recently released on DVD and Blu-ray, we’d recommend the Blu-ray version if you have the ability. It almost goes without saying, but the picture quality is superior, and mostly worth the difference in price (about $10, around $35 for high-definition and $25 for standard). It isn’t the best Blu-ray disk that we’ve seen, far from it as it is actually a bit grainy. The show itself though is great and the second season is mostly living up to the standards established in the first (fairly short) season.
For those who haven’t tuned in, it’s definitely a show with an audience in mind- older folks and teens or younger kids will miss some of the jokes even if they can easily enjoy the characters and the action/romance. Combining elements of serials and sitcoms, and with a diverse cast, strongly nerd-focused humor, Chuck consistently entertains. Watch it on NBC on Monday evenings, but check out the Blu-ray version of Season One if you need to catch up to Chuck’s ongoing CIA meet Buy More capers.
