Updates on Light Chaser Animation’s Next Film, Curious Tales of a Temple or should that be Strange Tales?

Whatever title Light Chaser Animation’s Curious Tales of a Temple uses for this year’s release, let’s hope this anthology of shorts will be just as scary too!

Curious Tales of a Temple Teaser PosterRelease Date:
July 12, 2025

Light Chaser Animation might want to stick to one name for their next film rather than come up with variants. When I was checking in to see if there’s any new content for Curious Tales of a Temple, I found Strange Tales: Lan Ruo Temple too! That’s mostly because this studio is using both and listed the latter as an alternate title. I suspect that a different translator is figuring it out every time a new video is offered.

I prefer the original, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (which was used in the announcement trailer) from which this latest is taking ideas from.

When there are over 100 short stories contained within, to decide on which tale to adapt may well be with less than six pieces–or they’ll come fast and furious, told during one summer’s night over a campfire. Whatever the case, I’m excited about this take and hope there are plans for an international release. The last two films got a very limited run; even though I had to wait, I finally saw Chang’n and White Snake: Afloat. When I checked in on who is distributing, it seems to be some from a Chinese company rather than Well Go USA.

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Bowling With Corpses Is A Whole Lotta Fun and Fairytale Packed In A Big Book!

Fans of Mike Mignola’s work should really check out Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown. It’s a wonderful collection of short stories set in a brand new universe he and his frequent collaborators are making!

Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales TPDark Horse Comics

Mike Mignola’s Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown is getting a second printing! Considering the rather macabre sport, I suspect no board game or role-playing system is in the works. Here, the title offers an idea which I consider is nothing like the games we know, like bunnock. Their bones are representations of soldiers or something else.

With this book, the influences are very central European. I often cite Brothers Grimm as a primary influence and here, the tale is no holds barred. The first chapter introduces Yeb the Spoon leaving home to seek his fortune, and who he meets to earn his first coin are three animated corpses! Whether or not they are meant to represent the Fates, my guess is yes! His challenge is to roll a skull at a bunch of bones and make most of them fall.

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Do You Know What Lurks Within The Shadows Of Kyoto? It’s Sure to Scare!

If you’re visiting Japan this winter to experience the various delights this country has, you might think twice after reading the manga, Shadows of Kyoto! This work brings to life various local legends, and they’re frightening!

Shadows of Kyoto Manga Cover
Available to Purchase on Amazon USA

Titan Manga

When one of the best lines from the manga Shadows of Kyoto is “Shall I show you the real Kyoto? (裏京都)” It’s a very chilling hello when the protagonists from each tale meet Kotone, a mysterious woman who appears in each story. That quote is going to be as famous as “They’re coming to get you, Barbara” (from Night of the Living Dead) should a movie producer want to adapt this debut manga by Yumeya.

Although not a lot of information is available online about this talented storyteller, maybe it’s because this artist is relatively new. According to the Anime News Network, Yumeya debuted the manga on the Comic Tatan website in August 2020 and ended it that November. The single compiled book volume shipped in Japan in December 2020. And when Titan Manga published their version with a volume label, this misleading information will have some readers wondering.

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Where Does The Legend of Lara Croft Fit In if “Tomb Raider” is Just a Title?

Although the wait to see The Legend of Lara Croft in action in her classic form was long, the buildup to that moment where she finds herself using two guns (than bows and arrows) is well worth it.

The Legend of Lara Croft Promotional PosterAlthough I have not played the latest video games in the Tomb Raider series, the animated adaptation certainly helps get me up to speed with how this IP has changed over time. I find that The Legend of Lara Croft is good at rekindling my interest and although part of the backstory (she originally had daddy issues) has changed, there’s just enough of what made those classic games memorable surface once again. And I’m not talking about her sex appeal. When I love Indiana Jones style adventures, the concern here is if it’s a modern style tale or something pulpy?

Although Crystal Dynamics’ take on this IP doesn’t have the same oomph as the past games from Edios/ Square*Enix, at least there are other publishers who can use their creative license to expand the universe, and say what is truly inspired from legends and lore versus beating other tomb raiders to the treasure. While the emphasis on the folklore is lighter in these later products, I’m thankful the animated take doesn’t forget about what made this series appealing. Although those elements didn’t get heavy until the finale, the wait is at least worthwhile. Continue reading “Where Does The Legend of Lara Croft Fit In if “Tomb Raider” is Just a Title?”

When Fern Flowers Bloom Only One Day of the Year, It’s Not Just at the Victoria Fringe Festival!

In order to appreciate The Lighter Touch Art Collective’s play, When Fern Flowers Bloom, this primer will serve as a guide and be a review on what’s beautiful about this tragic tale of love, loss and life.

When Fern Flowers Bloom Publicity StillThe Lighter Touch Art Collective

Audiences wanting to see When Fern Flowers Bloom is best advised to know some aspects of Latvia folklore to fully appreciate every element this play offers. Otherwise, the symbolic elements may seem foreign. After seeing this show at the Victoria Fringe Festival, I want to dive even deeper into the lore because I suspect this tale also explores why the seasons change.

Just how this story begins had me vibing with “Here Comes The Sun,” by The Beatles but by the finale, I was thinking “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” by CCR. When the knowledge that Death is one of the characters, what’s presented addresses the traditions and rituals leading to Summer Solstice. Every culture celebrates it differently. Here, Jāņis (Erik Karklins) is a living incarnation of this season, and when this lady of the night can deliver more than a smile to his face every day, I fear for him!

Although Nāve’s (Sarah Ivanco) innocent side is that of a beautiful young woman in search of the rare Fern flower, there is more to her than meets the eye.

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Just What’s Lurking in Borealis Will Be Sure to Fright in this True-Crime Comic Book!

Welcome to the isolated Qinu, Alaska a place where the Auora Borealis is sure to shimmer every day, but what else is hiding behind that veil?

Borealis #1 Comic Book CoverDark Horse Comics
Now Available
Potential Spoiler Alert

On the eve of Winter Solstice, reading Mark Verheiden and Aaron Douglas‘ supernatural themed true-crime comic book Borealis just feels right. The former wrote many Aliens vs Predator comics I loved collecting, and the latter starred in the Battlestar Galactica reboot. Also, this work features the artistic stylings of Cliff Richards and colourist Guy Major. In what this team crafted for issue #1 certainly gave me the chills as they reveal various types of dangers plaguing Alaska.

The love I have for this state’s many strange mysteries isn’t limited. There are other legends too! And not all of them concern Bigfoot or UFOs. And as for what the Taqriaqsuit and Piinilaak are, I’ll just have to keep on reading. All I know is that they hail from Inuit folklore–and perhaps more!

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