Remembering 2016: Best of Anime

There has been a strewth of new and returning anime shows throughout the year 2016. From ice skating, to idols, to the edge of tomorrow, to video game-based animes, you name it, you tell them how good  (or bad) this year's anime offerings are and regardless on which way you're watching those shows, you are glad that you are a fan on those anime shows offered in 2016.

In this final part of this yearender, time to jot down the best 16 anime shows of 2016.

1) KONOSUBA - The hilarious adventures of teenager Kazuma Sato and would-be goddess Aqua are highlighted in this anime series where the unlikely duo embarked on a quest to a mysterious world overrun by the powerful demon king.

2) Bakuon! - Targeting bike enthusiasts who love to hit the open road with their fast bikes, this anime centers on the life and times of Sakura Hane, a schoolgirl who became part of her school's bike club and then set off on an epic road trip across Japan with their motorcycles.

3) Mahou Shoujo Nante Mouiidesukara - This bizarrely fun anime series is about an average girl named Yuzuka Hanami who encountered a mysterious creature named Miton and told Yuzuka that she has the makings of a magical girl. Sadly, when Yuzuka transforms, her costume's only a swimsuit.

4) Aikatsu Stars - Served as the successor of the Aikatsu franchise, this new series ventures on the life and times of Yume Nijino, a young girl whose dream is to follow the footsteps of her idol, Hime Shiratori, who was part of the Four Star Academy's elite group of students known as the S4.

5) High School Fleet - A certain someone believe that the main reason why she likes this anime so much is because TrySail did the songs on this naval anime series about a young girls named Akeno on her journey to become one with the Blue Mermaids. This anime is set in a near future when tectonic plates shifted, causing Japan to lost almost all of its land due to submergence, prompting the rise of coastal and marine cities.

6) Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World - This hit anime series of 2016 is about an average schoolboy named Subaru, who ended up on another world and encountered a mysterious girl he rescued. To repay the debt, Subaru is on an adventure to help the mysterious girl find something she's looking for, and that meant he's pushing himself to the edge of tomorrow.

7) Love Live! Sunshine!! - The Love Live Sunshine TV show aired from July to September of 2016 and it centers on the origins of Uranohoshi Girls High's school idol group, Aqours, comprising of Chika Takami, You Watanabe, Riko Sakurauchi, Ruby Kurosawa, Yoshiko Tsushima, Hanamaru Kunikida, Dia Kurosawa, Kanan Matsuura, and Mari Ohara, and how this school idol unit was formed in the hopes of picking up where the famed school idol unit μ's left. There has been some joy, sadness, disgust, anger, and fear felt throughout the show and regardless of the emotions, fans worldwide finally understand who the Aqours really are.

8) New Game! - This slice-of-life anime series centers on the life and times of Aoba Suzukaze, a high-school graduate who enters her life as part of the game company that created her favorite game and working for their upcoming sequel.

9) Mob Psycho 100 - From the creator of One Punch Man, this explosive anime series is about a young man who didn't realize that he has psychic powers and tries to hide his powers from the world until chaos ensues and made him the marked man because of his psychic powers.

10) 91 Days - This suspenseful crime drama anime centers on an town made infamous for the black market sales of illicitly brewed liquor and highlights on the 91-day chronology of the two ill-fated men named Avilio and Nero.

11) Girlish Number - This anime is about Chitose Karasuma, who begins her life anew as a seiyuu filled with dreams, hope, and ambition, although unaware of the harsh reality awaits her voice acting career. With friends and rivals, Chitose's seiyuu life is one heck of a ride for her and this anime is very relative for the voice actors and voice actresses of today.

12) Magical Girl Raising Project - The anime series centers on the life and times of Koyuki Himekawa, a huge fan of magical girls, who was chosen to become the new Magical Girl Snow White of the popular social game until the game has turned into a deathmatch where 16 magical girls are battling themselves until the winner is named.

13) Sound! Euphonium 2 - Sequel to last year's anime series, this anime continues the life and times of Kumiko and her brass band colleagues continue their journey following their win at a certain band competition in Kyoto, facing old pasts and new challenges Kumiko may come across.

14) Pokemon Sun & Moon - A day before the launch of the Sun and Moon games, an anime adaptation of the newest installments was aired on TV Tokyo. In this new series, Ash and his longtime Pokemon Pikachu are venturing through the Alola Region as...yes, a student of the Pokemon School. Throughout this journey, Ash must take on a new kind of challenges throughout the Alola Region while meeting new friends, enemies, and Pokemon.

15) Touken Ranbu Hanamaru - The first of the anime projects based on the popular browser game franchise, this series is about the stories of the Hanamaru days of a certain group of Sword Warriors in a certain citadel. Set in a distant future, it centers on the life and times of men who are forged from swords doing their usual stuff before dispatched through history to stop the History Retrograde Army from altering history. You heard that?

16) Yuri!!! On Ice - Considered as one of the best animes of 2016, this inspirational sports anime is about a Japanese figure skater named Yuri Katsuki, whose life changed forever when a veteran Russian skater Victor Nikiforov became his coach and...um...well, long story short but everyone in the world got hooked on this breakout sports anime show with some "boys love" stuff aboard.

...and there you have it. After all, with so many stuff happened in the year 2016, good or bad, I'm very glad that this year has finally came to an end and turning the page to the year 2017 with new hopes, new challenges, new troubles, new crises, and endless possibilities that will keep the world loud enough to be heard. After all, it's a loud, loud, loud, loud world after all. Everything is possible but if you believe in your faith, your destiny, your luck, and yourselves, here's hoping we can survive the year 2017 unscathed and overcome all our fears here, now, and for many years to come.

Until then...HAPPY NEW YEAR 2017!!!

Remembering 2016: Best of Video Games

You are right and I was wrong. I once believe that the year 2016 would be a great year ever for video games and it can't possibly get better than this but then it did. From a remake of a classic horror shooter, a futuristic battle of the heroes, a band of brotherhood tagging along on an epic road trip of a lifetime, an interstellar warfare of infinite proportions, and new ways to catch and befriend monsters on the go, this year brought us the best and worst in gaming.

So, let's jot down the 16 best games of 2016.

1)  Biohazard 0 HD Remaster - Remastered version of the 2002 prequel chapter of the Biohazard (Resident Evil) saga, fans of the hit survival horror franchise return to the untold chapter that is set before the first one as players take the role of STARS Bravo Team member Rebecca Chambers and escaped convict Billy Coen, taking advantage of their abilities while surviving through the nightmare that uncovers the hidden truth behind the beginning.

2) Quantum Break - By the creators of Alan Wake, Quantum Break offers a unique blend of third-person shooting, decision making, and a live-action drama that pushes the boundaries of time and space for storytelling games available for Windows PC and XBOX One,

3) Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - The long-awaited fourth installment of the ever-popular Uncharted action games developed by the same folks that brought you the popular Crash Bandicoot games sees a much darker turn for treasure hunter Nathan Drake. Sam, his brother, re-emerges and asked Drake to save his life and offer him a quest he wouldn't resist. That meant he's on the search for the long lost treasure of Captain Henry Avery and with his brother, they'll venture through different parts of the globe to search for the legendary treasure.

4) DOOM - The first-person shooter legend is back and for 2016, the legendary FPS game Doom gets a whole new modern twist to this one helluva shooter game that caused a stir on millions of gamers since the original Doom went out on the PC in the mid-90's. Now made for PC and new-generation gaming consoles such as the PS4 and XBOX One, the new Doom is going to be the bloodiest offerings in the summer. Apart from the new storyline as well as multiplayer madness, the new Doom is now more fun than ever thanks to the brand new DOOM SnapMap feature, where players can create maps and objectives, and then share it to the world for them.

5) Overwatch - Blizzard's latest offering is a first-person multiplayer game that is becoming one the most popular games ever launched. In this game, players can choose as one of the heroes while teaming up with other players in series of multiplayer missions that will test their skills and their cooperation against rival teams.

6) THE IDOLM@STER Platinum Stars - While this is mainly a sacrilege for purists everywhere, this PS4-exclusive game marks the new beginning for Bandai Namco's decade-long franchise about raising idols to become superstars. Platinum Stars sees a bold new turn for the 765PRO ALL-STARS as they're undergoing a training camp and you're in charge of nurturing all 13 idols to its true potential. Just like One For All two years ago, Platinum Stars allows players to raise their favorite idols such as Haruka Amami, Yayoi Takatsuki, Makoto Kikuchi, Chihaya Kisaragi, Ritsuko Akizuki, Azusa Miura, Yukiho Hagiwara, Iori Minase, Ami and Mami Futami, Miki Hoshii, Takane Shijou, and Hibiki Ganaha. How you'll live it up to your favorites' expectations is all up to you.

7) Tales of Berseria - The latest mothership title of the two-decade-long Namco Tales franchise, Tales of Berseria, breaks the tradition of past Tales titles because for the first time in Tales history, a heroine will be the star of the new game, under the name of Velvet, a young woman who has a thirst for vengeance following a string of tragic events. Exclusively for the Playstation consoles, PS4 and PS3, this new installment is a Tales game unlike any other, giving a fresh new spin to the two-decade-old franchise that wowed millions of fans, new and veterans alike.

8) Pokemon Go - Since its announcement last year, Pokemon GO is one of the most anticipated smartphone app games the world has ever faced and even though this is one of the many ways to honor Pokemon's 20th anniversary, Pokemon GO gives millions of Pokemon fans from across the globe the chance they've been waiting for; capture Pokemon in the real world just as what they did on video games. As of right now, Pokemon GO offers over a hundred Pokemon as seen on the Red/Green/Blue/Yellow games or as I like to call it, Pokemon that came from the Kanto region. You start off with one of the three starter Pokemons; Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle, and then set off to catch and train Pokemon. As you catch more and more Pokemon, you can level up your trainer and as your trainer level goes high, you can gain access to more powerful items that will be a great use on your journey. Because of such popularity and criticism, we can expect more to come in the Pokemon Go app and in due course, more Pokemon to catch in the real world.

9) Forza Horizon 3 - The Horizon Festival goes Down Under in this latest installment of the Forza Horizon series and unlike any other Horizon Festivals you've been through since the first one, Forza Horizon 3 puts you in charge of Horizon Australia as your goal is to make this Horizon Festival a success while driving a roster of fast cars on Australian roads, a dream come true for the discerning petrolheads living the life of the location ubiquitous for shooting promo videos and commercials on new cars.

10) Assetto Corsa - Following the success of the PC version, Kunos Simulazioni were pleased to bring the popular racing simulator game to PS4 and XBOX One consoles. Following the release of the console versions, the developers behind it announced that they will be bringing Porsches in-game via DLC. Of course, all versions will get these DLC packs based on Stuttgart's finest but the PC versions get them first, followed by PS4, and then (uncertainly) for the XBOX One.

11) Titanfall 2 - Sequel to the 2014 hit game, the latest chapter is offered not just on the XBOX One, but for the first time (and to the annoyance of many Titanfall fans) on the PlayStation4. From its dramatic solo-player storyline and its high-octane multiplayer gameplay, it takes guts to master their pilot and titan skills to overcome this new kind of battlefield.

12) Battlefield 1 - Not to be confused to the original Battlefield Bad Company game, Battlefield 1 aims players a shot through time to relive the First World War in many ways to enjoy this game while blending historic fact and surreal fiction in the most spectacular way while delivering the same Battlefield thrills as the other installments.

13) Call of Duty Infinite Warfare - The classic Call of Duty action as experienced in most games boldly goes where no warfare has gone before as Infinite Warfare brings the surreal warfare action into the solar system. With the intense solo-player campaign, enjoyable multiplayer, and the Zombies game most fans loved, this franchise has already evolved to the maximum level.

14) Pokemon Sun & Moon - This is the biggest birthday gift to honor 20 years of Pokemon. In this new installment, players emerge through the tropical Alola region where they can catch, trade, and battle new Pokémon around the region, pass through trials, avert a major threat, and become the island challenge champion.

15) FINAL FANTASY XV - The long-awaited installment from the hit JRPG franchise gives a new start for new and returning fans many. Because of the extensive advertising used to promote this game, it even features two prologues to up the ante such as the KINGSGLAIVE FINAL FANTASY XV film and the BROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV anime series. As Prince Noctis and his friends, he's on an epic grand tour in the world of Eos in search of many secrets while racing against time to save the Kingdom of Lucis from the uprising that marked him dead alongside his father, King Regis.

16) Yokai Watch 3 Sushi/Tempura/Sukiyaki - The latest installment of Level 5's hit video game franchise marks the game's debut of new American Yokais such as USAPyon, Tomnyan, K. Koma, K. Jiro, and many other new Yokais, including King Enma and Nurarihyon. In these new installments, Keita Amano (Nate Adams) and Jibanyan are going to the USA while Inaho and USAPyon stay in Japan in search for more yokais doing annoying habits. With two worlds, two heroes, new yokais, one story, what could possibly go wrong?

There are many good games ever launched in 2016, but let's leave it here.

Remembering 2016: Best of Sports

Last minute failures, last minute successes, historic wins, historic firsts, scandals, retirements, returns those are the many things that changed sports in the year 2016 and it has been one heck of a ride for athletes from all corners of the world.

So, what are the 16 best of sports in the year 2016?

1) The 50th Super Bowl match is by no means the most historic of all the past Super Bowl matches since the first Super Bowl occurred in the 60's and with the match between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers, this was one heck of a match that, of course, will be written in the American football history books. At the score of 24-10, the Denver Broncos won the historic match against the Carolina Panthers, all thanks to their questionable but rough offensive and defensive strategies pulled by the Broncos' finest players. The Panthers did well but they were lacking much effort, even for the star player Cam Newton himself.

2) Having returning from the 0-3 deadlock against the Alaska Aces, the San Miguel Beermen shows that it ain't over until they snagged the 2016 PBA Philippine Cup title. At the seventh and the final game, the San Miguel Beermen made a historic comeback from a 0-3 hole to win the best-of-seven title series. Thanks to the efforts of the team's finest including Chris Ross, Arwind Santos, and June Mar Fajardo, their latest win marks the 22nd in the franchise history. The team now scored three of the last four championships in the PBA.

3) After a 13 year drought, the England Rugby team won the Grand Slam title at the 2016 RBS 6 Nations championship.

4) In what was supposed to be his final battle before he supposedly retire from position to pursue his senatorial status, Manny Pacquiao's third and final match against Tim Bradley truly is his final battle before his inevitable retirement from his career. The two boxing adversaries faced each other twice and they did it for the last time as these primed fighters thrown everything they got to ensure that this trilogy reached its climax. At the end of this 12-round battle to what is known to be Pacquiao's last fight of his career, the fighting pride of the Philippines won the match against Bradley...twice via unanimous decision.

5) The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters triumphed the PBA Commissioner's Cup championship after Game 6 victory against the Alaska Aces at the score of 109-92 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Apart from the team's unorthodox win, Elasto Painters' Paul Lee was named as MVP for his four 3-point shots and finished with 20 points scored.

6) Farewell to The Greatest. Muhammad Ali, an Black American boxer who was legendary for his unbiased fighting style that defeated some of the most mightiest boxers in his career, passed away at the age of 74. Born as Cassius Marcellus Clay in January 17, 1942, Ali is a native in Louisville, Kentucky and he began his boxing career at the age of 12. The reason why he changed his name to Muhammad Ali is because he joined the Black Muslims. Ali became a legend ever since he defeated some of the most mightiest boxers in his career such as Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, but all the endless fights he endured cost him his life and suffered some head injuries. Because of his "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" fighting style, his career record consists of 56 wins, five losses, and 37 knockouts.

7) The rematch between the two teams at the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, became one heck of a catch up to the seven-game fight for the title. We all thought that it would be the Warriors' time to shine to score another win but following the 3-1 deficit, looks like the Cavaliers are fighting back to score enough wins to take on the seventh and the final game of the 2016 NBA Finals. Had Lebron James, the Cavs' ace in the hole, didn't sacrifice himself by slight injuries to trigger a foul, the Warriors would have given the edge to prevent them from scoring its historic win. Well, because of LeBron James, the Cavs scored their first major championship for the city of Cleveland since the Browns in 1964.

8) The doping scandal has been the main topic on the year 2016 and it hit the Russian athletes very hard, thanks to the World Anti-Doping Agency's revelations that state-run doping in Russia is the main reason why Russian athletes kept winning so many games than any other countries.  Despite the lack of evidence, the publication led on the ban on Russian athletes from taking part in international competitions including the Rio 2016 Olympics and a ban on all Russian Paralympic Team from participating in the major sports event of 2016.

9) While the Rio 2016 Olympics is floured in an endless wave of controversies, it became one of the biggest events occurred in the South American country. After two weeks of all the joy, sadness, disgust, anger, and fear everyone around the world felt upon witnessing the Rio 2016 Olympics, Team USA scored the most medals than China, UK, and controversially, Russia, therefore they are the proud winners of the Rio 2016 Olympics. Believe it or not, Hidilyn Diaz from the Philippines won the silver medal on weightlifting.

10) For the first time since 1908, the Chicago Cubs scored their very first World Series win against the Cleveland Indians despite the opponents' 3-to-1 lead. At the score of 8-7, the Cubs made history.

11) "Prince" Albert Pagara faced his first career loss after being KO-ed by Mexican Cesar Juarez at the eighth round of the "Fists of the Future" match

12) Six out of seven games, more than enough to put the epic close battle between the two PBA teams; the Barangay Ginebra and the Meralco Bolts, to a conclusion and with a very close score of 91 to 88, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team made a saved-by-the-bell victory to clinch the Governor's Cup title. One of the most epic parts in the final moments of this game is when the clock is nearing zero while both of the teams scored 88 points each, a miraculous last-second three-point shot from BGSM's number 32, import player Justin Brownlee, made the final seconds of the game into a historic achievement for BGSM after a close match against the Bolts.

13) Everyone thought that after defeating Timothy Bradley a couple of months ago for the third and final time, we might imagine that this is really the end for Manny Pacquiao's boxing career now that he's spending his life as a politician in the Philippine Senate, but seeing him defeating Jessie Vargas, a world welterweight champion, proved us wrong. Very wrong.  Pacquiao tries to prove that the legend still lives in a 12-round fight held at the Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada, and by winning via unanimous decision, this is a definite proof that the legendary Manny Pacquiao still lives, even though he's on a very different position for himself.

14) It was the 13th of April, 2016, when LA Lakers' Kobe Bryant played his last game against the Utah Jazz with them until his retirement. Fans of the legendary Black Mamba are savoring the best for last and Kobe's 60-point finale, that propelled the Lakers to a win against the Jazz, made his name consigned to the basketball history books. He will be remembered by fans as one of the all-time legends in the history of NBA.

15) The 79th season of the UAAP sees the La Salle Green Archers' rise to dominance from their first loss in 17 games. With the powerhouse of Ben Mbala, Aljun Melecio, and MVP Jeron Teng, the Archers' win against the long-time rival Ateneo Blue Eagles shows that they're still the kings of the UAAP.

16) Following last year's loss, the San Beda Red Lions are roaring back in the 2016 National Collegiate Athletic Association championship and after their victory against the Arellano University Chiefs via an 83-73 win in Game 2 at the MOA Arena, the Red Lions achieved the redemption they truly deserved to get back the NCAA crown.

Of course, there are many great sports stuff ever happened in the 2016, but let's leave it here.

Remembering 2016: Best Movies?

From superhero rivalries, love stories, sci-fi stories, real-world stories, any story you've been through, the year 2016 has been a great year for movies, no matter how good or bad they are, as long as they catered to specific kind of audiences, be it fantasy, drama, horror, comedy, kids, or any other genre they know.

So, let's list down the best movies of 2016...

1) Deadpool - Deadpool told me that his dream of having his own movie just like any other superheroes he know has came true, all courtesy of his new best friends, Ryan Reynolds, who played as Deadpool in this film, and director Tim Miller. Life couldn't get even more exciting than this action comedy flick that packs more chimichangas than any other superhero flick Deadpool hates, except his own. 

2) Zootopia - In the world of Zootopia, animals are behaving just like us, doing their hectic lifestyles, and enjoy whatever on their hearts' content. In this mammal metropolis, everything is possible. The film centers on two protagonists; Nick Wilde, your basic city fox (who turns out to be a scam artist, by the way), and Officer Judy Hoops, a female cadet police officer who strives to fit in with her larger colleagues, and together, they can get through all sorts of Zootopia, knowing what is like to be wild in the urban jungle they're stepping on.

3) Batman v. Superman - The Dark Knight clashes against the Man of Steel in one of the most anticipated films of 2016 and with the surprise appearance of Wonder Woman, this epic showdown never felt so alive until the very end.

4) Captain America: CIVIL WAR - Another movie about superhero rivalry, this time from the world of Marvel superheroes. In this film, following the most tragic incident that spiraled the fate of the Marvel Superheroes, the US Congress passed a bill that require all superheroes to unmask their true identities before the public. Iron Man supports the idea but for Captain America, he condemns this ideology. Because of such disagreements, they will decide that they will battle against each other in order to decide the fate of the heroes. However, for each side, they're not alone.

5) Train to Busan - Even South Koreans are not safe in the zombie apocalypse and one of the most frightening films ever made by the Koreans is the latest example of why this kind of genre remained popular among horror fans. It all started as a quiet train ride to the city of Busan until a zombie pandemic turned it into an inescapable death trap and only a handful of survivors trying to get them out of the zombie train alive.

6) Finding Dory - Sequel to 2003's Finding Nemo, it brings the aquatic tale we all love when you and I are young to a new direction and promises the same comic dialogue we all love. Of course, TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres reprises her role as, hers truly, Dory as well as Albert Brooks as Marlin from the first flick. Unknown to her bittersweet past, Dory sets on an adventure to reunite with her parents after a terrible incident separated them years ago, and that meant she ends up on another side of the ocean. With the help of old pals Marlin and Nemo as well as new allies such as the octopus Hank, whale shark Destiny, and beluga whale Bailey, Dory will have to keep swimming to reunite with her long lost family, no matter the odds.

7) Imagine You and Me - Becuase 2016 marks the 1st anniversary of AlDub, the love team that made famous for their Kalyeserye antics, all their hard work from their TV appearances finally got what they deserved; their own movie titled Imagine You and Me. This film is considered to be the perfect present for AlDub's 1st Anniversary. In fact, because this film is so romantic for the AlDub nations too many, this film was shot entirely from Italy.

8) Pokemon The Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel - 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon franchise and to honor such a glorious occasion, the third and final film based on the Pokemon XYZ saga features two brand new Pokemon that can be obtainable on their games. In this 19th Pokemon film, Ash, Pikachu, and friends, made a fateful encounter with Volcanion, a mythical Pokemon who has strong disdain on human beings, and then the unlikely alliance puts them on a quest to save the Artificial Pokemon Magearna from a corrupt minister trying to take advantage of its Soul-Heart for a hostile takeover.

9) your name. - Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece has became the talk of the town and became one of the best movies in Japan. It was named as one of the highest grossing film of 2016 in Japan, earning over 21.3 billion yen and sold 16.4 million tickets. It centers on the theme of miracles and love and it centers on the love story of Mitsuha, a high school girl from a rural village, and Taki, a schoolboy from Tokyo.

10) Star Trek Beyond - The Star Trek franchise reaches its 50th anniversary this year and over the past five decades, Trekkies have been part of the 24th-century space exploration and heroism that dates back from the original, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise. From the Federation, Vulcan, KCA, Augments, the infamous Klingons, the Romulans, and many other factions fans encountered, the 50-year timeline of the Star Trek franchise never felt so unique, so unique, fans live up to Spock's "Live Long and Prosper" tagline. As Trekkies live long and prosper to the next five decades, the big 50th anniversary birthday present has arrived and it's none other than the third installment of the Star Trek movie series. Star Trek Beyond features the most dramatic storyline ever told in the history of Star Trek and in this third installment, disaster struck at the USS Enterprise crew on an unknown planet, spiraling them out of control and survival is at stake for the whole crew. This film brings back and introduces a vivid cast of characters from Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Karl Urban as Dr. Bones McCoy, Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, including Zoe Saldana as Uhura, John Cho as the fan-favorite Mr. Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, and many others, especially the late Anton Yelchin as Chekov. (Rest in Peace, Yelchin)

11) Moana -  The folks that brought us Thanksgiving hits like Frozen and Zootopia gave us this year's latest Thanksgiving weekend treat called Moana just to delight everyone who has a heart on all things Disney with spectacular visuals, storyline, and the characters that will become highly recognizable for future generations to come. It's about a young girl named Moana (played by Auli'i Cravalho) who sets off to an unforgettable adventure to save her people. From there, she teams up with a once powerful demigod named Maui (played by action star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) and then voyage across the seas right up to the moment where Moana discovers her true self that was carried over by her ancestors. Nothing says its going to be easy but for an odd couple like a young free-spirited girl and a powerful being, anything is possible.

12) Enteng Kabisote 10 and the Abangers - Comedian and TV presenter Vic Sotto reprises his role as the loveable yet wisecracking warrior who comes out from his retirement and save the day once again in this latest installment of the Enteng Kabisote films based from the classic Okay Ka Fairy Ko sitcom. This is the first time this film couldn't make it to the list of film festival entries of this year alongside Mano Po, which sounds sacrilegious by some but no matter what, it still delivers some jokes, some drama, and some family values this latest installment is.

13) Yokai Watch Soratobu Kujira to Double Sekai no Daibouken da Nyan! - The third Yokai Watch film based on the hit TV series sees a mix of anime and live action elements, giving viewers a more intriguing but enjoyable feast for the holiday season while introducing new Yokais on the film, including the brand new Koalanyan, which is playable on the Yokai Watch 3 games. The live action parts of this latest Yokai Watch film stars Ryouka Minamide as Keita (Nate), Kento Yamazaki as King Enma, Takumi Saito as Nurarihyon, Minami Hamabe as Kanami Minami, Yuina Kuroshima as Emi-chan (Amy), Yuu Sawabe as Kuma (Bear), Kenichi Endo as Jinmenken (Manjimutt) and many others.

14) Rogue One - While Star Wars fans got some hangovers from 2015's The Force Awakens and waiting for the sequel to arrive in the end of 2017, this spin-off prequel film, Rogue One, which is the first of the Star Wars anthology films, awakes fans into the hidden truth behind the war between the rebels and the empire. It centers on the unsung band of rebels trying to steal the plans of the Death Star, making it the turning point of the legendary warfare throughout the galaxy far far away.

15) Die Beautiful - Both this film and Eat Bulaga presenter Paolo Ballesteros, who starred on it, won the 2016 Tokyo International Film Festival for best film and best actor. In this film, Paolo plays the role of a transgender who dies in a beauty pageant and her final wish is to "die beautiful" and become a celebrity for every evening of her wake.

16) Sunday Beauty Queen - Shown at this year's Busan International Film Festival, it was the only documentary flick that made it to the top eight of the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival. It highlights the life and times of Filipina OFWs doing everyday jobs and then became free to do whatever they like on Sundays, mostly taking on a beauty pageant or something.

There are so many great films shown this year but let's leave it there and keep going with this yearender before 2016 ends and 2017 begins with more and exciting movies in store for the moviegoers.

Remembering 2016: 16 motoring bits

Continuing on this 2016 year in review, focus is now drawn in the world of cars. Throughout the course of this year, the world of motoring continues to change; from new models, concepts, tech, laws, even motoring shows on TV as well. Some have changed, some have left, and some stayed the same.

Time to jot down the 16 motoring-related tidbits that changed the world in 2016...

1) Bugatti unveiled the much-awaited successor of the legendary Veyron hypercar, called the Chiron at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The newest Bugatti comes with an all-new W16 engine producing over 1,500HP of power and 1,180lb-ft of torque. Equipped with the most modern technology made for this new car as well as the improved 7-speed gearbox from the Veyron, the top speed is limited to around 261mph. Apart from that, the Chiron comes with a new bodywork that delivers a drag coefficient of just 0.35 in Top Speed mode.

2) The 2016 Formula 1 season has been one heck of a battle between the two Mercedes-AMG drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. From Melbourne to Abu Dhabi, every moment has been one heck of a battle between them and in the end, Hamilton's title as the world champion has been snagged by Rosberg but following his championship win, Nico Rosberg made a shocking announcement that he will be retiring from Formula 1 racing.

3) Tesla made some headlines with their high-tech Autopilot feature that features autonomous driving tech following strings of accidents involving Tesla drivers engaging this feature. Following the flawed tech, Tesla worked so hard to improve the Autopilot feature until they're ready for primetime on newer Tesla models like the upcoming Model 3 saloon and the facelifted Model S, now with the more powerful P100D variant with 762HP of power and 0-60mph time is two and a half seconds.

4) Lamborghini honors the 100th birthday of its founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, by launching a special machine called the Centenario. Sold out before its announcement at the Geneva Motor Show, the Centenario is the most powerful Lamborghini ever made with 760HP of power and 349kph of top speed. It got featured in the Forza Horizon 3 game as well.

5) The 2016 Super GT season has faced a new turn in events following the Kumamoto quakes in April that cancelled their third round that supposed to held at the Autopolis. Therefore, the final round, which was held at the Twin Ring Motegi, is a two-parter, but still, the champions of the Autobacs Super GT 2016 Series go to the #39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD RC F, driven by Heikki Kovalainen and Kohei Hirate, for the GT500 class and the #25 VivaC 86 MC, driven by Takeshi Tsuchiya and Takamitsu Matsui, for the GT300 class.

6) It all started as a motoring show run by former Top Gear presenters Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler-Henderson, among many others, that was aired on Channel 5 from 2002 and transferred to Discovery Channel UK from 2012 to 2014, and History Channel UK since last year, but now, according to Tiff's twitter message, Fifth Gear is officially finished after its 14-year run.

7) Top Gear has returned in BBC Two last May 2016...with disastrous results all thanks to radio DJ Chris Evans doing his first and only job as the new presenter of BBC's hit TV series alongside Friends actor Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reid, motoring journalist Chris Harris, racing driver Sabine Schmitz, and Eddie Jordan. After the show's unsuccessful revamp, Evans decided to quit his presenter job and let LeBlanc, Reid, and Harris, among many others to continue this show without him.

8) The 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans has became one of the most desperate motorsport events of 2016 and just as we thought that Toyota's going to win the match, mechanical failures ruined their chances of winning, giving Porsche a chance to win this year's premier endurance match in France.

9) By winning the 2017 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, Jimmie Johnson scored his 7th championship win, joining the ranks of other veterans like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

10) Mitsubishi got embroiled in a fuel consumption scandal when Nissan found out the dirty secret behind the kei cars they made for both of them, therefore forcing them to suspend sales of these affected kei cars. Soon after, Mitsubishi has been hit hard from the scandal and therefore sealed its fate with the Renault-Nissan alliance.

11) The 2016 DTM Championship has been one heck of a ride for German's finest. With Marco Wittman and his BMW won the driver's championship this season, Eduardo Mortara and his Audi propelled their way to manufacturer title win.

12)  The two-part London finale at the 2015-2016 season of the FIA Formula E Championship really ends this season with a major twist unheard of in the world of motorsports as Sebastien Buemi and Lucas di Grassi ended up not finishing the last race but thanks to the "fastest lap" tiebreaker, Buemi wins and he is named as the FIA Formula E 2015-2016 champion. For the 2016-2017 season, big changes have occured.

13) Following the ongoing dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen announced that it will withdraw from its successful World Rally Championship career while Audi, after their long successful career, has ended their Le Mans journey as well as its World Endurance Championship activities.

14) As the countdown to the end of Australian car production looms, Ford Australia ended their Australian car production as the last Ford Falcon rolled off the assembly line. The Falcon in question is a blue XR6 saloon, which rolled off the line at its Broadmeadows plant in Melbourne since early October, three months after the last Falcon Ute rolled off the line, signalling the end of its 9-decade history of Australian production for Ford.

15) The first Ford GT has finally rolled of the production line in the Markham plant in Ontario, signalling the start of its new chapter. Following its historic class win at Le Mans, the production of the new Ford GT is more than just a Christmas miracle for the Blue Oval fans worldwide.

16) Former Top Gear hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May finally returned on the airwaves on Amazon's original car show, The Grand Tour. Although the new show may have the same Top Gear chemistry like the good old days, The Grand Tour puts more emphasis on the hosts themselves aside from driving fast cars, crude humor, and celebrity casualties aside.

There are many motoring-related tidbits that changed the world in 2016 but let's leave it here and move on to the next topic later on.

Remembering 2016: Best of TV

2016 has been a great year for TV shows from across the globe. From dramas, actions, fantasies, cartoons, anything you mention about TV show is what made 2016 a great year. Packed with joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear, couch potatoes from all corners of the world express their feelings every time they talk about their favorite TV shows, especially their new favorites.

So, as we are nearing the year's end to give way to the year 2017, what are the 16 best bits from TV that made this year great, I presume?! Oh, and I do have to warn you that there are spoilers everywhere so READ AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE!!!

1) While they were waiting for the next season of BBC's Sherlock to arrive until January 1st, 2017, fans got themselves an even better treat during the waiting game; a TV special titled The Abominable Bride. In this special, the story they all new are reverted straight to its roots and while it has the proper, historical, setting that most Sherlock Holmes know-alls know about, the recipe remains the same and actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman really do adapt to their roles of Holmes and Watson in the old age London, England.

2) The first half of the On The Wings of Love finale sees Leah (Nadine Lustre) and Clark (James Reid) getting married...finally, while on the second half of the finale sees the newlyweds performed live onstage! This is the first time a TV drama like this pulled off the best sendoff to one of the Philippines' hit love teams like JaDine.

3) In the finale of GMA's rather controversial, yet compelling, drama series about a transgender named Destiny Rose, moments after Destiny (Ken Chan) was pushed by Jasmine and suffered from a comatose, he survived and now he's reunited with his mother Daisy and sister April. However, Jasmine still has other plans now that Destiny's returned. Jasmine plots to kill Destiny until Destiny's dad, Lito, popped up to stop Jasmine and save Destiny, despite his hatred to his transgender son. Now that the threat to Destiny's life is finally over, the family finally reconcile with peace, although his father Lito is still unknown after he saved his life. Minutes later, Gabriel (Fabio Ide), the love of Destiny's life, admitted his true feelings to Destiny and he loves Destiny for who he is.

4) The 2016 reboot of The Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network shows that the return of a childhood classic isn't just more stylish than ever, it's just been refined, recharged, and reloaded to the highest POW factor. With new adventures, new and returning villains, and a new school life, this new PPG never felt so alive.

5) The Weirdmageddon finale of Disney's hit TV show Gravity Falls sees the end of the Pines twins' paranormal adventures through this mysterious town in Oregon where stranger things happening every day. It was very sad to see the end of the Pines' hilarious but thrilling adventures but fans will have this show a longing place to their hearts forever. Nothing says that this is already an instant classic 'till the very end.

6) The fourth season of Orphan Black sees Sarah Manning and the Clone Club uncover the Neolution conspiracy, even with disastrous results. From unlikely alliances, betrayals, suspense, every episode in the fourth season is explosive in every way and we can expect how it ends when the fifth and final season is coming next year. Get ready to say farewell with the Clone Club, ladies, and gents.

7) Nickelodeon's new cartoon show, The Loud House, centers on the hilarious misfits of Lincoln Loud, who lives in a household packed with ten sisters, four pets, and an endless mess of chaos one after another. Be it a power outage, Luan's pranks, sneaking on a live concert, a ride on a limo, having a crush on a tutor, or even saving Christmas, every moment is a mess out there but for Lincoln, how hard can it be?!

8) There are 100 Disney Channel Original Movies aired on TV and the 100th DCOM is Adventures of Babysitting, starring Descendants' Sofia Carson and Girl Meets World's Sabrina Carpenter in a hilarious adventure round the city, causing one heck of a ruckus with the kids until it gets sorted out without having the parents knowing it.

9) There's a new addition to the long line of Disney princesses and I'm referring to Elena of Avalor. As a spin-off from the hit TV series Sofia the First, the Crown Princess of Avalor, that is Elena, embarks on an adventure to meet new friends, explore hidden worlds, and restore the glory of her home kingdom. There's even a special episode where two iconic Disney princesses on TV, Sofia and Elena, come together as well.

10) One year has passed since AlDub became a household name in every Filipinos around the world and even though they've celebrated their very milestone with their "Imagine You and Me" film, there's still more unfinished businesses with their Kalyeserye segment on Eat Bulaga until the great moment arrived where they got married and gave birth to their twins Charmaine Nidora and Richard Nidoro.

11) The 2016 rebirth of GMA's hit fantaserye, Encantadia, is more than just a rebirth, it's the continuation that picks up where the original saga left. By witnessing the longstanding battle of the four kingdoms and the sangres that guard the four elemental jewels, the 2016 Encantadia has became one of the must-watched shows not just in the Philippines but also worldwide via GMA Pinoy TV.

12) Who says men make the most fun on their late night shows? For Samantha Bee, she broke barriers by hosting her new late night show titled Full Frontal, showing that even women can make the most fun on it.

13) The new Netflix original series Stranger Things is one heck of a scarefest for bingewatchers as bizarre-looking children became the center of this new series when people in a small town of Hawkins went missing.

14) From the world of Doctor Who comes a new spin-off show called Class. It's about the life and times of Coal Hill students trying to deal with their daily lives until they can take care with series of catastrophes they can brace themselves. War, fear, invasion, it's just another day at Coal Hill in a new Doctor Who spin-off that has more sex appeal than the other spin-off series, Torchwood.

15) The Heroes vs. Aliens crossover event of four DC comics shows is one on the many ways they can't get enough of craving with Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. On this four-day epic crossover event, heroes from different sides of the universe band together to stop an imminent alien threat one after another until it was averted.

16) While Whovians are waiting for the new season of Doctor Who, the 2016 Christmas special, titled The Return of Doctor Mysterio, is a definitive proof that The Doctor is back. With special guests Justin Chatwin from Orphan Black, Matt Lucas, and Charity Wakefield, The Doctor made a fateful encounter with a masked superhero while dealing with a earth-threatening conspiracy.

There are so many great TV stuff happened in 2016 but let's leave it here and move on to the next topic on this yearender.

Remembering 2016: 16 things that shook the world

The year 2016 has drawn to a complete closure and it made so much headlines than any other year I can remember for, from continuous terrorist attacks, rise of authoritarianism, human rights, any other headline I can think of that made the world a much louder place to live.

So, as we are nearing the year's end to give way to the year 2017, what are the 16 things that shook the world news by storm?

1) Tsai ing-wen - Tsai Ing-wen, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, emerged as the winner of the Taiwanese presidential elections last January, defeating Nationalist Party candidate Eric Chu. By winning the election, Tsai became the first female leader of Taiwan and the Democratic Progressive Party will return to power after an eight-year opposition.

2) North Korea's two nuclear tests - The Korean Peninsula conducted not just one but for the first time since 10 years of their first test in 2006, two nuclear tests; One by January of this year and the latest since September. Following those tests, the international community are still dealing with further sanctions to be implemented against North Korea, which continues its further provocations against them by test firing missiles and continuous development at their nuclear facilities.

3) The Brussels terror attack - Following last week's Paris attacks that placed the entire European Union on full alert, the capital city of Belgium, that is Brussels, faced a deadly series of attacks; one at Brussels' Zaventem airport and another at the Maelbeek metro station. About 34 people were killed and the Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attacks.

4) Kumamoto quakes - It was the middle of April 2016 when series of powerful quakes struck the Kumamoto prefecture of Japan. About 46 people are died and over ten thousands of people were dislocated from their homes. Given to the extent of this damage, this prefecture became eligible for state-run repairs.

5) Ecuador quake - Over 600 people were reportedly died in one of the most powerful quakes that struck the South American country days following series of Kumamoto quakes in Japan. According to the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the quake, which is the strongest in history, occurred near Ecuador's northern coast at 2359 hours UTC and its focus was about 10km deep. A tsunami warning as high as one meter could hit the coast but three hours later, the warning was lifted.

6) Rodrigo Roa Duterte - Once as the infamous Davao City Mayor who was allegedly killed dozens of criminals during his over two decade rule and allegedly involved with the Davao Death Squad, he rose to power as the 16th President of the Philippines who won the May 2016 elections by a landslide. Duterte was feared and respected by the international community, political oppositions, and his supporters for his infamous law and order approach and his bloody war on drugs. He was nicknamed as the "Trump of the East" due to his harsh rhetorics similar to Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

7) Extrajudicial killings - Ever since Duterte became the 16th President of the Philippines, his bloody war on drugs has commenced and a series of extrajudicial killings plagued through the nation, with over 5,000 drug suspects killed by either the law enforcement or vigilantes similar to the infamous Davao Death Squad, causing massive attention to the international public, especially US President Barack Obama.

8) Brexit - June 24, 2016, a day after people of the United Kingdom rushed to their nearest polling station to decide the fate of the nation in the European Union. Even though experts believed that it could be a close match between the REMAIN side and LEAVE side, it's official that 51.9% of the voters voted LEAVE while 48.1% of the voters voted REMAIN. This result will change the course of the history as Great Britain will be remembered as the first European nation in the union to leave via referendum and as what UKIP leader Nigel Farage, one of the spearheaders of the LEAVE campaign, said, it will be remembered as "Independence Day".

9) Theresa May - In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, British Prime Minister David Cameron resigned from his position and in his place, he named UK Home Secretary Theresa May as his successor. In her first day, May has appointed pro-,anti-Brexit campaigners to key Cabinet posts, in an apparent bid to seek domestic reconciliation, including former London city mayor and key Brexit person Boris Johnson as the nation's new foreign minister.

10) Turkey's failed coup plot - A faction of the Turkish military attempted to over the government after dark, deploying tanks and attack helicopters at both capital city Ankara and the largest city Istanbul. Some soldiers temporarily seized the offices of the state-run media where they forced an announcer to read out a statement declaring they have seized power as well as curfew declaration. Even the Turkish branch of CNN were unsafe from this short-lived uprising as well. Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on his supporters to take on the streets on Istanbul, where they overpowered the coup soldiers, even they're trying to called on everyone to stay indoors. As dawn approaches, the coup plotting to overthrow the government came to a premature end and the Turkish leader announced that the coup is over, but fighting in the capital city is still going on. Based on the reports, over 1,500 were arrested, over 90 were killed, and 1,150 injured in the failed coup attempt.

11) The Bastille Day incident - It was nighttime in Nice, France, during the Bastille Day celebration, when a truck driver rammed them through the streets. The Islamic State militants claimed responsibility from the recent terror attack in Nice, France that left 84 dead and more than 200 wounded. The assailant identified to be Tunisian and he was once arrested for violence but unclear of his terrorist links.

12) The Dilma Rousseff impeachment case - Days before the Rio 2016 Olympics began, a majority of the Senate voted in favor of ousting the suspended President Dilma Rousseff accused of breaking fiscal laws and mishandling the country's budget. Rousseff, age 68, was Brazil's first female president when she took office five years ago and won her second term two years ago with a majority of over 54 million votes. She is a former guerrilla fighter who was jailed and tortured during the country's dictatorship in the 1970s, and drew a connection between her past and the current situation. Following her removal from office, Vice President Michel Temer was named as the country's acting president.

13) Aleppo - As the civil wars in Syria continue to ravage, the city of Aleppo draws one of the most noteworthy attention in the international press, especially when netizens react to a photo of a seriously wounded child who were one of the survivors in the war-torn city of Aleppo. As of right now, rebel forces announced that they are withdrawing from Aleppo.

14) Donald J. Trump - A business tycoon that made famous for presenting a hit reality TV show franchise, The Apprentice, he became a surprise winner against former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, although she won the popular vote. This is the fifth time a president who lost the popular vote won the election by electoral vote since George W. Bush defeated Al Gore by a similar matter. Trump's infamous rhetorics attacked a majority of Mexican immigrants, Muslims, PWDs, war veterans, even women, among many others. He once called global warming a hoax invented by the Chinese and therefore threatening to withdraw USA's participation to the Paris treaty. Assuming to replace Obama next month, Trump's goals in his first four years involve restoring America's economy, military, and political power, all in the name of his "Make America Great Again" slogan. There were reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated the hacks on the American elections to give Trump a fighting chance, not to mention Clinton's controversial e-mails that rattled her successful campaign.

15) Marcos burial - In mid-November, 2016, the remains of the late Filipino dictator, Ferdinand E. Marcos, were buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in a "surprise" ceremony despite petitions rooting against the decision to bury the late dictator to the said cemetery following his crimes in human rights.  The sudden burial comes following the Supreme Court decision dismissing petitions asking for it to be blocked for being illegal and for being an insult to the victims of human rights abuses during the Marcos administration. Today's Philippine President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte vowed during the election campaign that he would have Marcos buried at the military cemetery and that decision to bury Marcos did not violate international laws or go beyond his authority by ordering the burial. Following the "sudden" burial of Ferdinand E. Marcos, most Filipinos have condemned the surprise burial at the LNMB, in fact they are so disgusted from what happened today, although there are a few people who believed that the Marcos burial is the only way to unify the deeply divided country or so they thought.

16) Negotiations for a nuclear ban treaty in 2017 - It was the late of October 2016 when the UN General Assembly committee has approved a resolution calling for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Japan was among the countries that opposed it along with nuclear powers including the United States.  The resolution was adopted on Thursday by a majority vote at the General Assembly's First Committee on Disarmament. 123 countries voted in favor while 38 voted against. Meanwhile in December during the Christmas season, following reports that President-elect Trump said he will expand his nation's nuclear arsenal and collaborate with Russia's Vladimir Putin for an unprecedented scale of arms race a few days ago, the UN General Assembly approved a historic resolution to launch negotiations in March 2017 on a treaty that will ban nuclear weapons once and for all. 113 countries supported it while 35 have opposed it and 13 are abstaining it. The majority of the support for a nuclear ban comes from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.