Sometimes, you cant help but watch an Anime with friends
and point out all of the absurd things that go on. It’s even ok to make fun of the good
decisions characters make or the epic awesomness of an action scene (oh I cant
wait til someone does a GATE Abridged series).
Over the last few years, Abridging has become almost a genre unto it’s
own. It’s looking at a loved show, or sometimes
not so loved, and giving it a big dose of comic relief. These five series below all feature great
laughs, a lot of heart and some of the best takes on these series I have ever
seen.
#5 -Yu Gi Oh
Abridged
The one that started it all (I think). If you ever made fun of the original 4Kids
Studios dub of this series, then this series is the one for you. Joey’s Brooklyn accent, Pegasus’s over
sexualized speaking tone and Tristan’s lovable goofiness are matched only by
Yami Yugi’s “Im the best around” attitude and Kaiba’s ability to create
internet memes with a single breath (SCREW THE RULES I HAVE MONEY, 1 Smile =
1,000 dead puppies). I’ve seen series
creator Little Kuriboh several times at Otakon and have had the pleasure of
speaking to him very briefly two or three times. He’s a charming man with a great sense of
humor and fully intends to see this project to the last Yu Gi Oh episode. If anyone was to pioneer this new frontier of
internet parody, im glad he’s still at the forefront.
#4-Mobile Suit
Gundam Abridged
Once I started watching this one, I couldn’t stop. To
call this series from Gutted Wren Studios funny just doesn’t do it justice. From Char’s always drunken Lieutenant to a
funny take on Bright and Amuro’s father/son like relationship (my own hit never
fathered me like that), the laughs just keep rolling. Sad to say, an accident with lost footage
resulted in the untimely cancellation of this project with no signs of
resurrection (unless I missed something).
Still this is the only project on this list to get a proper finale and
if it is to be the final word on this list, it does so with a great deal of
sadness but no loss on the comedy that made it work in the first place.
#3-CodeMENT
Abridged
Possibly the most bizzare entry on this list, this
abridged series of Code Geass is sometimes too funny it’s almost scary. Turning Lelouch into an off his meds maniac
is a stroke of genius. Making Suzaku is
incredibly retarded counterpart is equally entertaining. Both leads are on hand with some hilarious
dialogue. PurpleEyesWTF even managed to
pull a crossover with his other series, the One Piece Parody, NonePeice for one
of the best fan fiction crossovers ever.
It makes no sense but I love it nonetheless.
#2-Dragon Ball Z
Abridged
If Yu Gi Oh Abridged got the ball rolling on Abridging,
then Dragon Ball Z Abridged took the ball and threw it into a fighter Jet and
unleashed it fully. This isn’t just a
parody of a beloved Anime, it’s the ultimate fan loving project. Not only are the jokes funny, but they make
you think about the decisions and characterizations we watched for years with
this series: is Goku the best dad on the planet, oh heck no. It’s an honest look at Dragon Ball Z and it
never lays down any hate, it’s all out of love and respect for this great
show. Plus we’ve got the best version of
Vegeta ever, as well as lovable takes on Piccolo, Gohan and even Nappa gets an
extended, hilarious update. This is what
abridging as all about: love, respect and laughter.
#1-Hellsing
Ultimate Abridged
I thought it wasn’t possible for TeamFourStar to top
their own genre defining series. But low
and behold, Hellsing Ultimate Abridged does just that. Alucard is a happy go lucky smart ass, his
boss Interga is always agitated by the amount of collateral he collects and
Seras is still a shy, sexy British police girl with a nice chest. Every bit of comedy you can mine from this
dark and gritty action/horror Anime is pulled to the front, with Alucard
getting some of the most hilarious lines ever including the eternal fan
favorite, “Bitches love cannons.” TFS
has been keen to release a new episode once a year, debuting it at the convention
where they all met, Youmacon. This makes
the wait for new episodes well worth it when this reimagined crew of monster
slayers graces our screens again.
No comments:
Post a Comment