T5W#181-Top 5 First Impression Thoughts on Kingdom Hearts III

January 29, 2019, a day we thought would never come.  It only took 14 years of waiting, waiting, waiting and a bunch of other games that didn’t include a “III” attached to it.  But Kingdom Hearts III is finally here and I garuntee anyone who hasn’t finished it yet will be glued to it for the rest of the week.  I got mine at Gamestop the night of release and after a few hours with it, I think for this weeks Top 5 I could share my initial thoughts, My Top 5 First Impression Thoughts on Kingdom Hearts III…man it still feels weird to know that game is actually here.  Let’s get to it shall we?

 

#5-I wanna duel wield Keyblades

This is probably asking too much from the get go…but I want two Keyblades at the same time.  Ever since the secret ending movie from the first Kingdom Hearts, “Another Side, Another Story,” where we saw Roxas slicing his way through legions of Heartless solo, I wanted to do the same thing.  We eventually could do this in Kingdom Hearts II, in the same setting too except with Sora.  I just hope we don’t get 3/4^ths of the way into KHIII before I can get to my favorite kind of combat style.

 

#4-Familiar territory with new fun

One of the biggest draws of any new Kingdom Hearts game is getting the chance to visit new worlds based on the vast Disney pantheon.  I am psyched to visit the worlds of Big Hero 6, Toy Story and Frozen.  Buuuuut I don’t think I’ll be getting to those right away like I hoped.  We start the game off with a couple of familiar worlds (wont spoil where and ill do my best to keep beginning spoilers minimal).  Thankfully, we get to explore new aspects of said worlds and its allowed for some great action packed moments and just plain moments of chill, a chance to get reaquinted with this multiverse after a long time between sequels (numbered sequels that is).

 

#3-The Cutscenes are GORGEOUS

If nothing else, the long wait for KHIII shows in the stellar graphics.  Every tiny bit of animation feels like the Kingdom Hearts we know but KHIII is graphically lightyears ahead of its predecessors.  The cutscenes alone feel top notch and the transitions from full motion video into combat is seamless.  Oh and the ability to summon Disney rides like the Pirate Ship and the Tea Cups, my jaw always drops whenever I can do that.  Suddenly, waiting 14 years feels worth it just to witness how good this game looks.

 

#2-The Soundtrack is Amazing

I need this OST.  Nevermind the beautiful new intros from the singing voice of Kingdom Hearts, Hikaru Utada, Yoko Shimomura (Final Fantasy XV) has delivered possibly her crowning achievement in the series to date.  The new themes are great but its revisiting those old worlds and hearing the updates of new themes that really strikes a chord.  I haven’t played a Kingdom Hearts game in a really long time, not since KHII maybe 10 years ago.  So hearing the old themes new and improved felt like a great homecoming gift.  You can get excited to this soundtrack or fall asleep to it like a lullaby. 

 

#1-Lost on the Story but still having fun

I really should have done my homework going in so this is partly…or mostly on me.  So like I said above, in the 14 year lull between main numbered games there have been other Kingdom Hearts games, both prequels and continuations.  So the story has built up from Kingdom Hearts II across multiple games, multiple systems.  I never had a chance to play Birth By Sleep, 358/2 Days, Coded or Dream Drop Distance…so im definitely still lost as the game goes on and im introduced to new characters and plot developments (at Kingdom Hearts II only had one preceeding game, Chain of Memories, and that was easy to explain).  It feels like im complaining and I am a little, I don’t like being lost.  However, I have some good memories trudging through the story of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II with Sora, Donald and Goofy, whether its seeing a Disney world on the Playstation or kicking the crap out an impossible to beat Boss fight.  Those same feelings are still present early on in the game.  And while I don’t know everything leading to this point, I definitely cant wait to see how this all comes to a head. 

Slayers Next Part 4 Episodes 14-18

With Seyruun safe and Prince Phil’s rule secure, Lina and her friends hit the road again.  There’s a powerful Dragon Lord intent on adding Lina’s powers to his own and only one thing can stop him: The Claire Bible.  Lina had a copy in her hands before but it was lost in battle.  Now The Slayers need to find another one quickly.  You’d think they’d get a break after all their hard work recently.  Well tell that to the legions of bounty hunters, monsters and various roadblocks popping up left and right.  Whether there’s money or food in their future, it’s time for Lina and friends to cut loose and enjoy some lighter fare before things get serious again.

At some point during this set of episodes I had to feel for Zelgadis, or at least agree with him.  While there were plenty of incredibly fun stand alone adventures to be had this week, at some point we needed to get to the freaking Claire Bible already and get this story moving towards its final act.  In a way, I wish we didn’t end on such a dour note of an episode (it wasn’t bad don’t get me wrong), cause Slayers was back to being all about the fun travels and wacky escapades.  Though I suppose we had to get serious again eventually, more on those mixed feelings in a bit.

This weeks set of episodes had something for everyone in the comedy department.  In the span of four episodes we got to see Lina and Amelia perform a cute Jpop number, watch Zelgadis dress up in a cute bunny costume (Zelgabunny as Lina dubbed him) AND as a girl, and witness the evolution of Lina and Maritna’s rivalry through a round of magic tennis.  Like many episodes before, the stories as a whole were hit or miss but there was always one thing to enjoy about all of them.  My pick for favorite of these four episodes goes to the Tennis Match episode.  Not only did Lina and Martina both look cute in their sports uniforms but Martina showcased again why she’s one of Lina’s best adversaries yet.  After all, Lina wasn’t going to partake in the match until Martina made that crack about her small bust.  Lina and Edward Elric should get drinks sometime, considering they both have an image inferiority complex.  For a time, Slayers was back to what made it great to begin with: excellent taste in humor and great chemistry amongst its leads.  Even Martina and Xellos seem to have found a more or less permanent spot on the team now, which is a long time coming, even if theyre not being helpful.

Thankfully, however, we got to the Claire Bible at last…sealed away in a desert dimension containing millions of monoliths guarded by an adorable old woman.  Considering the contents of the Bible counldt simply be recopied, this kind of worked as a reveal for me.  But we got a lot more.  We got some nice bonding between Lina and the Bible guardian, Auntie Aqua, along with an innocent enough declaration from Gourry: that he’d protect Lina for the rest of his life.  Annnnnd then we got to watch Lina have a nightmarish vision of screwing up a Giga Slave and killing everyone in the process.  That is going to make you breathe really hard watching The Slayers die in such terrible fashion (not Berserk levels but still).  It’s effective enough, if a little disturbing, as it highlights the stakes have never been higher.  If Lina uses the Giga Slave, she destroys all of existence and loses the ones she loves most. 

So it’s fitting that we end a week of fun with a dash of gut punch revelations with the arrival of Gaav, the Demon Dragon King.  And he looks ready to rumble.  I really hope he lives up to the hype.  There’s eight more episodes for him to do some damage and try to match Rezo for threat level.  Personally though, whatever happens, please don’t show me Lina and the gang dying again.  My mind might not be able to handle the sleepless night it will bring.  See ya next week.

FIF#76-That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

37 year old Minami Satoru was enjoying life at his age.  However, his calm and laid back existence came to a tragic end when he sacrificed his life to save a friend from a man with a knife.  Dying, Minami finds his existence somehow prolonged when he winds up in the body of a tiny Slime creature.  Not only that, he’s in a mysterious new world where he can absorb materials and learn new abilities thanks to a digitized guide in his head.  What is this new world and how did Minami get there…and get reincarnated as a Slime?  Somehow, Minami is getting a second chance at life.  And from small beginnings come the greatest of legends.

It’s an Anime with a long title but it’s quickly become one that’s near and dear to many an Otaku’s hearts.  That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is a strange way to keep things fresh in the Issekai genre but it’s a good kind of fresh.  The first episode shows how unique this is going to be and, I wont lie, im perfectly ok with the adorable little slime trying to find his way around the new world with all his cute mannerisms and chibi-fied voice.

There is still plenty that confuses me, however.  How is Satoru pulled into this new world so close to death?  Is it a virtual video game type a la Sword Art Online, or something more akin to Escaflowne, or both?  How does he have the ability to have a voice in his head that gathers data for him and makes him practically invincible?  What the heck was up with the very first scene of a Japanese village being carpet bombed before a little girl I swept up by flames, is she like Minami in that she was brought to the fantasy realm at the brink of death?  What was on Minami’s computer that required it be doused in water and deleted as his dying wish?

Those are right questions to ask and while some stuff does get explained, the second Minami appears as a Slime, you kind of just suspend the need for answers and instead just kick back and watch the little guy do his thing.  Something about this whole premise just feels like new life has been breathed into a genre that has continuously tried to mimic Sword Art Online or Re: Zero for the better part of the decade.  Minami’s conversations digitized video game guide, as well as his chat with a FREAKING DRAGON, are some of the best dialogue in any recent Anime.  Minami is an Otaku, that’s pretty clear.  So yeah, he’s freaking out that he’s not only alive (kind of?) but also a Slime in a fantasy world…and yet it feels like either the ideal life or just a casual acceptance.  Im sure there are plenty of us who could dive right into their fantasy quest and roll with it rather than hide in a corner.  It helps that Minami is a pretty chill and selfless dude before his untimely death.

As far as beginnings go, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has a ton of questions right out of the gate but also has a very rare and engaging entertainment factor that keeps these at the back of your mind while a great adventure gets ready to begin.  Im sure Minami will get a human form at some point (his own original body maybe?) but im actually just fine with him keeping his squeeky voice and adorable Slime form for the duration of this series (who knows he might even have both).  The series takes a premise done to death and infuses it with sharp humor and writing and an unexpected twist that works and should make for a fun watch.  Yeah, might have to continue with this one for a bit just to see where things go from here.  I do want answers to the aforementioned questions…but who knows, maybe ill forget I even have them while watching this surprise gem of an Anime.

T5W#180-Top 5 Personal Dragon Ball Z Moments

Dragon Ball fever has retaken the US once again.  Just last week, Dragon Ball Super: The Movie-Brolly finally arrived stateside.  On it’s first day it was the highest grossing movie in America and by the end of the weekend it ranked #3 on the Top 10 charts.  Holy freaking crap could you believe it?  Dragon Ball has always been a runaway hit in the US when it comes to televised Anime, or at least Dragon Ball Z specifically.  From it’s low key but momentum building run in syndication to it’s legendary run on Toonami, it’s hard to imagine a time when Dragon Ball hasn’t been part of an Anime fans life.  I know personally though I have stronger feelings for other Anime franchises like Gundam and Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball Z is still the show that really got me interesting in Anime.  So to celebrate that, today im doing something similar to what I did for Sailor Moon a while back (You can check out that Top 5 right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/t5w75-top-5-personal-sailor-moon-life.html ) and thinking back on my Top 5 Personal Dragon Ball Z Moments, the definitive 5 memories that will always pop to mind when I think of that title and (mostly) that title alone.

#5-My First Japanese DBZ Episode

While I was stuck with the same 26 episodes of Dragon Ball Z across multiple Saturday mornings, it wasn’t the only way to watch the series.  The now defunct International Channel was running the series in full order on Sunday nights and they were far past the bookmarked point of the US broadcast.  These episodes were in their original Japanese broadcast format, no subtitles at all.  Not that it was hard to keep up with what was going on: it was where Frieza in his final form pummeled the bejezzus out of Vegeta.  Still, this was Dragon Ball Z in its purest form: the action, the music (including the Japanese theme that is so freaking legendary), the sense of fun that could only come from this show.  I only got to watch one episode this way because my parents room was the only one with cable and they were really into X-Files at the time.  Still, im glad I got to experience classic Z in this manner.  I should really go back and rewatch this series in Japanese one day…after I get the entire series which is long overdue in my book.

#4-Super Saiyan Goku…SOLD OUT

When the Frieza Saga was allowed to continue with Funimation at the helm of a new Dub, it was now time to wait for the moment everyone wanted to see since Vegeta dropped the name ages ago: Super Saiyan Goku.  The VHS tapes were pushed out once or twice a month but when the time came to reveal Goku’s transformation, an unprecedented 3 tape release was ordered.  It was around my birthday so I was excited to go to Suncoast and nab that volume…and it wasn’t there.  The other two prior volumes were still fully on the shelf but the volume entitled Super Saiyan Goku was completely sold out, both edited and unedited formats.  It was a gut punch and though I was ok getting a copy of the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z, I was still bummed I’d have to wait a lot longer to see Goku finally achieve a state that had long since become legend in my circles.

#3-The Picture and Info Book Crusade

One past time that came from getting into DBZ was downloading and printing out pictures from the internet.  Art came in all kinds from intense drawings to episode screencaps to scans from the manga itself.  It always excited my to collect a small haul on Friday nights and bring it into school the next week.  But me and my friends wanted to know more since Z was stuck in the same spot in the states for a long time.  So I got it in my head to research the series hard, gathering character and stat guides, episode summaries and full blown series and movie outlines.  This was how I learned what I did about not just Dragon Ball Z but prequel series Dragon Ball and the future Dragon Ball GT.  It only fueled everyones desire to try and find ways to watch it all (though boy were we in for a disappointment with GT).  I still have those books which serve as kind of an origin story to my entrance to Anime fandom.

#2-Z Day Announcement

As happy as I was to see Dragon Ball Z on Saturday mornings, there was a small problem.  The available episodes at the time only ran to about the first third of the Frieza Saga before things reset at the beginning.  Enduring this for over a year and a half (give or take) was hard.  Even when Dragon Ball Z arrived on Toonami and I got to see the very beginning of the show, the same reset point was there.  And then, one afternoon, a 30 second commercial played familiar audio from past episodes…and then ripped right into new footage of King Vegeta, the return of Piccolo, Frieza in battle, Goku battling the Ginyus.  This more so than the actual Z Day Event impacted me the most.  The wait was over and new Dragon Ball Z was coming…it was time to get hyped again.

#1-Watching Vegeta go Super Saiyan at a Suncoast

I often cite The Androids Saga as the high point of DBZ’s initial popularity and that was made pretty clear when it came out on VHS.  The four volume saga was up for grabs and drew a lot of attention from fans looking to see more post Frieza era DBZ and see the moments we’d long wanted to see from Japan.  Low and behold, one afternoon I was at my local Suncoast to find it packed.  The screens that often played family friendly movies were showing the mid point of the saga, the actual battle against the Androids.  Everyone was psyched and got even more psyched when Vegeta arrived and promptly powered up to Super Sayian.  The crowd went wild I was sure everyone on the other side of the mall could hear it.  It felt like the perfect time to be a fan of Dragon Ball Z cause moments like that didn’t really come around that often afterwards.

Dragon Ball Super: The Movie-Broly

On a distant, arid world, a young Saiyan named Broly has lived with his father, Paragus, in exile.  Discovered by a resurrected Lord Frieza, Broly and Paragus are brought to Earth to deal with Frieza’s eternal rivals: Goku and Vegeta.  On a world where the most prized possession in the galaxy is the seven Dragon Balls, three Saiyans and one tyrants battle will shake the planet to its core.  Unbeknownst to all, Broly’s power runs deeper than any Saiyan warrior and is more than a match for even the strongest Super Saiyan levels Goku and Vegeta can achieve.  If Broly truly gets out of control, there may not be anyone in the universe who can stop his rampage.

As we enter 2019, the Dragon Ball franchise as a whole turns 33 years old.  Dragon Ball Z itself is turning 30 as well.  Akira Toriyama’s take on the classic “Journey to the West” legend has continued to thrive both in Japan and in the United States.  It’s popularity in Japan is understandable but it’s staying power in the US is undeniable.  Everytime a new Dragon Ball project is announced, fans on both sides of the pond go crazy.  It’s the reason why Dragon Ball Super, the latest entry to the long running franchise, has prospered so well even after its very healthy 131 episode run ended last year.  So it kind of makes sense that Super’s first film carries some heavy expectations.  These expectations only grow higher with the reveal that long time DBZ Movie villain Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, would be joining the central Dragon Ball canon and squaring off with Goku, Vegeta and Frieza.  These expectations…are more than met and offer a fresh take on a classic foe while delivering a heavy dose of nostalgia for anyone who grew up watching Goku and Vegeta brawl with everyone and themselves for over 30 years.

The very first thing that stands out about Broly is Toriyama’s decision to play with a few origin details.  The beginnings of Goku and Vegeta are pretty well established but Broly gives them a few retcons that don’t change their overall arcs but does give Broly his own entry point and even allows for a much more satisfying beginning than the villain ever got in his own movie.  Some people might scoff at these changes but they also produce the beginnings of actual emotion that run throughout the film.  Normally Dragon Ball movies are pretty straightforward: bad guys show up to conquer Earth or get the Dragon Balls or both; Goku must fight them; rinse and repeat.  Theyre dumb escape action movies and Broly isn’t any different, especially in the second half.  But you still feel a great deal for Broly with his new origins as well as the friendships he develops with series newcomers Cheelai and Lemo (the former of whom is very cute and I assume has the bod she has just for a lot of fanservice shots).  Whodve thought id actually feel a bit bad once the fists started to fly.

But when the fists fly its some of the most epic battles in all of Dragon Ball yet.  Broly gets equal amounts combat time with Goku and Vegeta and less than you’d expect with Frieza.  But it’s still hella entertaining and a special kind of epic you could only see in a Dragon Ball movie on the big screen (speaking of, if you haven’t seen this movie yet do yourself a favor and do so ASAP, there are a ton of showtimes at your local theater im sure).  Some of the animation does trail into Dragon Ball FighterZ territory, resulting in some awkward CG (some of which was there in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods).  The animation actually is a bit jumpy throughout the film and it nags you at the back of your head.  Meanwhile, you’re eyes are taking in all the epicness and forgetting these fights have problems.  Like I said, the new layers of emotional interest in Broly’s new life give this chaotic clash of the titans more depth than any Dragon Ball fight in a really long time.  Plus you’re just waiting for Broly to cross the threshold and become the classic Legendary Super Saiyan we remember, through it is amazing he can go toe to toe with Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms.

Do I have complaints about the movie besides the awkward animation transitions?  Some, sure.  The soundtrack usually relies on the same piece of what I assume is “Broly’s Theme” a bit too often to set up the next emotional mood swing Broly has before powering up again.  Not that Dragon Ball isn’t guilty of reusing music all the time, it was just a bit more pronounced this time around.  Following the opening segments on Planet Vegeta, the film does lag a bit before getting to the good stuff.  Some of this comes from Frieza’s true intentions for coming for the Dragon Balls again.  Just when you think he’s gotten wiser, turns out Broly’s jettisoned terrible original goals vibe had to go somewhere and it went to Frieza.  I know Dragon Ball Super has tried for a more comedy/action fusion that Dragon Ball GT failed to do.  But even with Toriyama at the helm, some of the comedy is hit and miss, especially when I just want to watch Goku and Vegeta fight each other and then other opponents.  Besides that…nope nothing else really comes to mind.  The movie might be a little long but I suppose we’re well past the points of 45-50 minute battle movies with Cooler and Bojack.

If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, especially of Z, you’re going to really like Dragon Ball Super: The Movie-Broly.  From the opening moments on Planet Vegeta, filled with familiar faces and surprising new ones, to Goku sparing with his eternal fremeny Vegeta, to Brolys continuous screaming as he powers up (cudos to Vic Minogna, I hope that didn’t destroy his vocal cords), this film is the love letter to the franchise near the dawn of it’s 30^th birthday.  And it’s a movie that shows growth and is willing to commit to sympathetic villains as well as continuing the evolution of heroes and villains turned good guys.  Even with the problems I had watching it, I was back in 5^th grade, watching the reason I got into Anime in the first place.  I know I cite Gundam Wing as the big show that got me to stick with Anime for the long haul.  But my gateway title was Dragon Ball Z.  And Broly is the long awaited return of that old friend ready to tell me the lessons its learned over the years.  I get the feeling Dragon Ball is here to stay.  At the very least in an Anime world still dominated by Naruto and One Piece…never count out the power of Dragon Ball.

8.5/10

Slayers Next Part 3 Episodes 10-13

A twist and turns filled plot to assassinate the ruler of Seyruun, Prince Phil, has left Lina Inverse without her magical powers.  With powerful monsters looming to aid whoever wishes to possess Seyruuns throne, Lina must join forces with some untrustworthy allies to find a way to get her magic back.  After all, Lina’s the star of the show and you cant keep the Dragon Slayer herself down.  And when the dust settles from the whole affair, what will be gained, what will be lost and will The Slayers survive it all in one piece (probably but hey who knows).

Monsters, unexpected team ups, new powers, romance, hidden agendas.  The midpoint of Slayers Next certainly was busy.  It didn’t all completely work but Slayers Next is also continuing to one up its predecessor in many areas.

 

I’ve gotta say, the assassination plot against Prince Phil has been one of the weakest story arcs thus far.  Even if you can guess the twists and turns coming a mile away, there just didn’t seem to be enough to justify this retread into familiar territory (as I talked about last week).  What’s more, the villains of the arc ended up being the true weak link in this arc armor.  Slayers has been trying to find its next Rezo and that figure has yet to reveal himself.  Instead we got a Prince with lackluster vision and Monsters who thought they were all that but were boring as all get out.  The only bit of good the bad guys brought to the table was the revelation that their master, Dragon Lord Garv, wants Lina to join his dark forces.  That will be a pretty interesting tidbit to chew on going forward.  Also, while he was pretty dull, cudos to the monster design department for the awesome Final Form they gave to Kanzel.

 

What thankfully kept this whole new story run from collapsing in on itself were The Slayers themselves and their allies.  While she was rendered powerless for most of the arc, Lina didn’t give up and cry.  What’s more, she was paired up with Xellos and Martina on the quest to restore her magic.  Lina and Martina play off each other better than last time, especially when Martina continuously tries to get Lina killed (her slow motion failing to push Lina off of a cliff was a major highlight this week). The quest also FINALLY gave us a glimpse into Xellos’ true nature.  Wickedly he destroyed demons who seemed to recognize him and to see his eyes open as he coldly proclaimed his catchphrase (It’s a Secret) was a pretty chilling image. 

 

Sadly, Martina and Xellos got shuffled to the side when it was time for Lina and her team to get busy.  But that was not entirely a bad thing.  That’s because we got some of the best action of the series yet as Lina, Gourry, Zel and Amelia faced off against Kanzel and Magenta on a floating island.  The animation in Slayers Next soared above Season One in the first episode alone but the three part battle took it up an extra notch.  Spells and rapid looked more fluid and you could tell the animators were having a blast (no pun intended) make them look so good.  But it wasn’t just flashy spells…well not entirely as we did get to see Lina unleash a new spell once her magic was back (learned from a Claire Bible copy mind you before Xellos burned it). The Ragna Blade looked awesome and I doubt we’ve seen its true potential, despite its ability to slice through demons and dimensional barriers.  But yeah, it wasn’t just that.  For a moment, it looked like Lina might’ve bitten the dust…and then came Gourry’s shock.  I guess they’ve been building to this for a bit but finally we got confirmation that Gourry has feelings for Lina.  I liked his calling Lina out on faking her power status and possible death to lure Kanzel into a false sense of security, saying she could consider his feelings.  True, Gourry seemed to forget what he said right afterward but the moment was there and I don’t think it will be fully ignored continuing onward.

 

“Eat, drink and enjoy the journey.”  That’s the Lina Inverse mantra and could be the quote that best sums up the series as a whole.  I can say that despite the apparent flaws in the main journey and the villains, I am definitely enjoying Slayers Next.  The Slayers themselves are as fun as ever and their newest cast members are making themselves feel right at home, though I wish that Martina would become a more permanent team member already.  And now there’s a new threat looming on the horizon.  Here’s hoping Gaav is more menacing than his two flunkies and would be Seyruun usurpers.  See ya next week as the journey continues…onward to adventure and good food with the best company.

FIF#75-Thunderbolt Fantasy

In an ancient land, two siblings are pursued by a sinister clan, hellbent on obtaining a sword the pair have been tasked with protecting.  When her brother falls to protect her, Dan Fei finds her way into the life of a wandering swordsman named Shang and a mysterious wiseman named Lin.  Little do these two mismatched men realize, their lives are about to become far more complicated as their journey to protect Fei and the sword her brother died to secure begins.

So…I just watched that right?  I wasn’t hallucinating that I was watching an Anime style live action series…made entirely with Japanese puppets?  Well I wasn’t hallucinating and yes this show is real and after the first episode I can say it is surprisingly as epic and gratifying as any Anime I have ever seen in my life. 

Thunderbolt Fantasy comes from the mind of one of Anime’s most beloved modern day writers, Gen Urobuchi, the man behind Psycho Pass (Season 1, cant stress that enough cause Season 2 was so bad), Fate/Zero and Madoka Magica.  So we know the guy knows how to write good Anime (he also wrote that God awful Godzilla Anime Trilogy and Aldnoah Zero but we’ll look past that here).  And im sure Urobuchi could even translate that into a live action film as well.  So making an Anime style action show with puppets as the main draw is…odd but it still pays off more than you’d expect.  Yes, they’re puppets and yes there are echoes of Thunderbirds or Team America: World Police.  Only Thunderbolt Fantasy looks like it can be taken both seriously and with a bit of levity.  There’s both a potentially good story here (albeit starting in typical unexpected chosen one rescuing a maiden destined for greater things territory) and youre jaw can drop watching these character hack off limbs or dismember foes like you were watching something like Ninja Scroll. 

It’s funny, this kind of staging isn’t a newfound practice.  Back in olden day Japan there used to be Puppet Plays as popular as those with Kabuki actors.  I wonder what those performers would think if they could watch the first episode of Thunderbolt Fantasy themselves.  While there’s a definite air of CG added to pull off some of the more elaborate moves, most of what we’re watching is all pupperteer work (and kind of gives me hope for the upcoming Dark Crystal prequel Netflix is working on).  Not saying it’s flawless stuff but it’s enough to make you go “whoa” and “DAMN” all at once depending on what’s happening.

Whether or not you take this seriously or as a joke of an action title, that’s entirely up to you.  Me? This is very, very entertaining stuff that’s also quite curious.  If Thunderbolt Fantasy can pull off amazing action sequences in a way ive seen before but in a different, refreshing style, just imagine what else might be waiting further down the line in later episodes.  Plus, come on…it’s basically Ninja Scroll with puppets and it works better than you think.  How can you not be tempted to get in on one of the most unique tv series ever produced just from that alone? 

T5W#179-Top 5 Reasons the Godzilla Anime Trilogy Fails

This was a freaking nightmare to endure.  Over the course of a year, I watched and reviewed a trilogy that should have been a sure fire hit.  I mean come on, how hard is it to mess up a Godzilla mov…wait let me stop right there cause there’s the 1998 movie to think about and (in some fashion) the 2014 (I know I know people like that one much better but come on, they forgot to put Godzilla in a movie called GODZILLA).  The three part Godzilla Anime Trilogy consisted of Planet of the Monsters, City on the Edge of Battle and The Planet Eater and each one got consistently worse and worse and worse to the point where the only inevitable score I could give the final film was a 0/10.  Looking back on them all, there are a multitude of reasons why these movies didnt come close to succeeding and im gonna try and choose 5 of them.  So on todays Top 5 Wednesday, we covering my Top 5 Reasons the Godzilla Anime Trilogy Fails…brace yourself for a hopefully very entertaining rant.

#5-The Animation and Writing

CG Anime have never quite hit it off as much as everyone would like.  In all honesty, some of the Vulture Mech stuff in City on the Edge of Battle did look pretty cool.  However, the entire trilogy is done in a very messy artstyle that’s both boring and hard to look at cause…well its not pretty.  Most of the characters look virtually identical and all contain the same lifeless model design with very few facial expressions.  Traditional animation should have been the way to go on this Godzilla project and mayyyybe add in some CG for the monsters…if you wanted to make them actually do something but we’ll get to that in a little bit.  Ive also gotta squeeze in complaints about the fact that this is a Gen Urobuchi written project.  The man who gave us some of the most brilliant Anime of the last decade like Madoka Magica, Psycho Pass (Season One, cant ever stress that enough) and Fate/Zero instead gave us an Aldnoah Zero train wreck where action is second to character arcs that go nowhere and metaphysical debates that drag on and on and on and onnnnnn.  Come to think of it, maybe Urobuchi only wrote a draft and it got reworked and he just said whatever and let it be without touching it again.  Seriously, Urobuchi and Godzilla should make an awesome team, they deserved better.

#4-The Godzilla Matrix Reloaded

When you go see a Godzilla movie, what’s the one thing you expect to see no matter what?  If youre answer for some reason was a deep philosophical introspection of the human soul and the heart of darkness…well that’s good for you for wanting to talk about that but that’s not why we’re here.  Instead of giving us some awesome all out monster brawls on a grand stage, about 7/8ths of the Godzilla Trilogy is just people hashing out what they believe is the meaning of life.  Mostly, it just adds to the snoozefest but other times it becomes infuriating when characters decide to get into these debates in the middle of what little action there is.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s room for philosophy in a Godzilla movie.  The original Gojira film is one of the greatest Japanese/Monster films ever made not just for its incredible model work but also for its deep look at the horrors of nuclear disasters, with the monster itself as the walking metaphor of destruction.  It did so with horrifying and powerful imagery.  The Anime Trilogy just shoves angry faces at us to hammer in that humans might be the greater monster.  Couldn’t we just let what Ken Watanabe proclaimed actually happen without the Ethics 101 lecture, “Let them fight”.

#3-Godzilla Himself

So remember when I ranted above that Godzilla 2014 kind of forgot that Godzilla was part of the movie?  Well in about 4.5 hours of Anime, Godzilla accounts for maybe half an hour to forty five minutes.  And even when he’s finally on screen, his actual presence is as minimal as his movement.  In all fairness, the towering mountain design is pretty cool, it’s a very scary Godzilla (Not as scary as Shin Godzilla though).  Only problem…well there are a few.  One, he basically moves one step an hour, which takes Godzilla forever to get from Point A to Point B.  Two, he’s so massive it takes him about five minutes to turn or move his hand.  Most of his final battle with Ghidorah is comprised of slow turns and Godzilla lucking into hitting anything.  Every time he produced the legendary roar, I just groaned, it’s never earned and I think Haruo does more screaming than Godzilla.  In the end, Godzilla is around, he just doesn’t give a care about anything going on around him and is as content to sleep off this saga just like the rest of us.  At least the 2014 Godzilla got to do something cool.

#2-Planet of the Monsters…WHERE ARE THE MONSTERS!!!???

The initial premise of the Godzilla Anime Trilogy is a good one, very unique.  Humanity is driven off Earth by Godzilla and an army of monsters that appear all across the planet.  Years later, with resources low and recolonization basically impossible, humanity returns home with its Alien allies to face the King of the Monsters and anything else waiting for them.  Except the “Planet of the Monsters” is completely empty.  There is no sign of any of the other supposed monsters and zero sight of any of Toho’s classic gallery of Kaiju like Rhodan, Angulus or Gigan.  Mothra is supposedly around but only in a shadowy cameo.  The most “monsters” we see are the occasional skeletal Dragon like beast that roams the skies and even then they don’t do much or show up to cause much hassle after their first appearance in the first film.  Godzilla (and it’s random identical offspring?) is the only monster we see in this trilogy until Shenron Ghidorah shows up in Part 3.  There is a huge tease for MechaGodzilla in the second film…but that ends up being just that, a tease.  Nope, no MechaGodzilla, not other Kaiju, just boring old statue Godzilla.  Premise wasted and we barely made it thirty minutes into the first film…WTF?!

#1-Haruo (Eren Jaeger’s long lost cousin)

This list could be a lot longer and I could rag on every element from the animation to the lack of monsters and battles to the look alike cast to the fact that Gen Urobuchi somehow wrote this mess of a film.  But the one thing that always drove me to new levels of rage was the “hero” of the trilogy, Haruo.  From the moment he first appears, Haruo is basically presented as the equally pissed off cousin of Attack on Titan’s Eren Jaeger.  Same motivation (monsters killed his fam), same insta set offs (spot Godzilla/Titan=RAGE!!!).  Except where I guess Eren has some redeeming values (or doesn’t, idk I didn’t get that far in Attack on Titan), Haruo just keeps doing all of the wrong things all of the time and thinks he’s right even when the deaths of dozens are on his hands.  Hell there’s a moment in Part 2 where Haruo tells his crew they can go back to the ship but at the end of that speech says, “Yeah you’re all staying anyway to help me kill Godzilla cause life goals”.  Even when he suddenly realizes towards the end, “I’m not a good person”, he’s still acting like a rage filled brat who wants his Sempai to notice him…which makes Godzilla Sempai in this example I guess.  I feel bad for both of his voice actors really.  The amount of rage in Haruo’s voice clearly has to be the frustrations of both actors having to deal with a character who never learns and is more the monster of the trilogy than Godzilla itself.  News Flash: The film should be about Godzilla destroying things, not Haruo puffing his chest to feel like a man while everyone accepts him as a giant Christ metaphor which lands him blind adoration and girls begging to sleep with him…Godzilla is the King and the Anime should have remembered that…ok rant over.  

Godzilla: The Planet Eater

With the fall of MechaGodzilla City, the last of humanities weapons has been spent.  Broken from the loss of the woman who loved him and countless others, Haruno’s doubts begin to mount as does the pressure he faces from his superiors in space.  As desperation and paranoia sink in, the true enemy of humanity makes its move.  There is a threat to the universe even greater than Godzilla himself and he has just been summoned to Earth.  Haruno will have to find a new spark of hope to save the planet and the rest of those he holds dear.  As he faces his destiny, Godzilla faces his greatest foe, the golden God of destruction known only as…Ghidorah.

Probably the most praise I can give Godzilla: The Planet Eater is that once it’s done THAT’S IT.  This horrible, boring, full of wasted potential trilogy is finally in the books as one of the worst outings ever to feature Godzilla…and just like the last two movies Godzilla is barely a footnote.  Oh and that wasted potential is arguably at it’s pique here as we’re finally promised a true showdown of epic Kaiju proportions with The King of the Monsters squaring off with his greatest nemesis…should it come as any surprise that The Planet Eater manages to botch that too?  Jeez…ok let’s start at the beginning and get this over with. 

There has been so much going on in these three films and yet there’s a lot that feels…uncessecary or just plain ignorable.  From the characters to the philosophical debates to the immense letdown of a Kaiju showdown, if you thought The Planet Eater was going to somehow redeem anything about this trainwreck of a trilogy, I suggest tempering your expectations going in.  By this point, I had no reason to give a single care about any character, not that I can tell anyone apart because of the terrible character designs.  And main character Haruno, to quote Supernatural: The Abridged Anime, “It’s amazing I’ve hated you since we met and youre STILL losing points” (feel like ive said that about a few characters…maybe that’s a future Top 5 Wednesday list?).  I don’t care that he’s hurting over what he’s lost or his inability to kill a mountain sized behemoth.  That’s because it’s hard to sympathize with someone who has led men into a losing battle with bad speeches and nothing but rage in every word out of his mouth.  Only this time he is given the Messiah label and is getting it on with questionably aged girls (seriously how old were those Mothra psychic twins?  Something is very wrong there).  Watching Haruno’s “journey” has been the worst chore about this whole trilogy and that’s saying a lot.  And just when you think the guys learned his lesson…no, he doesn’t and it goes about as well as you’d expect.  The rest of the cast, well by this point everyone is pretty much getting what’s been coming to them.  It’s hard to care about character outcomes when you want the movie to be over barely a minute in.

But surely a new legendary duel between Godzilla and King Ghidorah can save this fledgling trilogy, right?  Are you kidding?  Once again, Godzilla does little more than take five minutes to turn his head and that’s all.  A Godzilla that moves this slow isn’t going to do squat against anything it doesn’t luck into hitting (good thing he’s still durable).  As for Ghidorah, well he’s more like a Golden Shenron from Dragon Ball Z rather than a traditional Ghidorah.  We do get glimpses of his classic monster design in the form of mind shillouettes but otherwise, he looks like he is taking forever to be summoned once all the Dragon Balls have been collected.  Much like Godzilla, the new Ghidorah design is interesting but nothing is done with it.  And for a second, it looks like we might have a true battle.  The moments where Godzilla and Ghidorah move to face each other does feel like a big deal…and then you remember it’s the Anime trilogy and nothing is going to happen because we have to watch Haruno fall into The Matrix and converse with the Space Elf Architect rather than watch the monsters fight…ugh, my head hurts thinking about it.

I hate to say it, though it’s true, but I felt depressed watching this movie.  Godzilla films are supposed to be fun, containing a smart(ish) scifi story that’s just an excuse to watch two monsters beat the crap out of each other.  There’s a human story thrown in just cause but at least the action is always memorable (and the occasional hilarious English dub line too).  Godzilla: The Planet Eater feels like it wants to end things on a more optimistic note than the previous two films but ends up just repeating the same dialogue with a new pair of characters and drags on and on and on and on.  What’s worse, the human characters once again take all potential fun and excitement out of the Godzilla showdown cause someone thought theyre the real reason we watch these movies.  This cast is infuriating and not even the monster fight can top them because we’ve got the most boring match up between age old rivals ever made.  It must be said, even the 1998 Godzilla film with Matthew Broderick had more entertainment value…and a lot of fish (shoot me now I just quoted that, damn you Planet Eater).

The Godzilla Anime Trilogy should have been one of the best things to happen to the Godzilla franchise since Shin Godzilla.  You had the perfect platform to tell your story (Anime) and the backing of one of Anime’s best writers (Gen Urobuchi) and a great potential of a premise.  What we got, shown more so than ever in the grand finale, was a CG Anime abomination that has only gotten worse with each subsequent chapter, a story that was more Aldnoah Zero than Madoka Magica, and the best thing about any Godzilla movie turned into a long, tiring waiting game.  Godzilla: The Planet Eater finishes the trilogy on the worst possible note and I knew that was going to be the case.  But there’s knowing it will be bad and then actually watching it, it’s hard to tell which hurts more. 

So yeah, the pressure is on for Godzilla: King of the Monsters now.  Not only does it need to redeem the since of 2014 Godzilla (aka give us more Godzilla and less pointless human family drama) but it also needs to knock it out of the park to make us forget that Godzilla’s first true Anime outing was a massive disaster.  I knew what the final rating was going in…and Godzilla: The Planet Eater now joins a very small but distinct club here on the Gundam Anime Corner as it is a recipient of a very much deserved…

0/10

Slayers Next Part 2 Episodes 6-9

Lina Inverse and The Slayers.  Wherever they go, trouble always seems one step behind them.  And in the search for the legendary Claire Bible, the dangers have never been greater.  At least things are never boring with a vengeful princess and the promise of the ultimate dish of dragons.  And then it’s off to Seyruun, Amelia’s home kingdom.  But the worst trouble is waiting for them there: an assassination, a threat of civil war and a demon contingent content on taking advantage of it all.  Hope Seyruun has its check book handy…this wont be the cheapest job Lina Inverse has ever taken.

So last week I mentioned and highlighted the decidedly darker tone of the battle against Halciform and his quest for immortality.  Slayers took a chance on a story and more or less succeeded (the villain was utterly forgettable though).  I wondered if this was the new status quo we were sticking to for this season.  I was wrong (at least I think).  The bulk of this weeks episodes were back to the old business of prioritizing fun and hilarious stand alone quests in lew of a grimmer approach.  True we may not have made any progress on the Claire Bible front and Xellos basically had nothing to do in the meantime, but you know what, I was fine with that.  Cause, mostly, fun was the order of business this week and it was great.

The two stand alone adventures were a couple of Slayers best yet.  First we had the return of Martina, who was introduced in the premiere and found her kingdom (and wicked plot) destroyed by Lina.  She was back for revenge and man is this girl great.  Martina is as theatrical and over the top as Zangulus from Season One and filled with much more energy and personality than lackluster Season One villainess Eris (with a better costume too).  Be it her voodoo curse on Lina, her temporary crush on Gourry (until he needed to be told what a fiancée was) or her obsession with her own make believe God, Martina is a very welcome addition to this loveable cast.  Then we had Lina teaming up with a wild west chef (just run with it) to slay a water dragon for the ultimate meal.  The humor all around great (especially with poor Zel being used as an anchor) and the payoff was classic and excellent.  Not only did Lina and company have to hold off on that legendary dish due to the time it would take to cook it but it turns out the “sob story” Lina and crew thought the old man was telling them was actually true…he just happens to have a photo of his family and they all look exactly like Lina, Gourry, Zel and Amelia.  But then again, any tale that kicks off with Lina grabbing a waiter and saying darkly, “Take me to your Chef”, is bound to be brilliant on that alone.

The back half of this weeks set tried to return to the more serious stuff and didn’t quite succeed.  This is partly because there was no way Prince Phil would just be killed off screen.  Yeah, it was good to see Lina play the supportive big sister to Amelia but you just knew Phil probably wasn’t dead…and we were right.  Which led to a hugely entertaining proper return of Amelia’s pacifistic fist daddy.  Dressed like a mix of Racer X from Speed Racer and Schwartz Bruder from G Gundam, Phil was just as gullible and lovable as ever, kicking ass while still being perfect Dad of the Year material.  Buuuut then you had to remember that, once again, Phil is in the middle of another family squabble to steal his throne…which is the exact same plot that introduced him and Amelia in Season One.  This time though, it feels less played for laughs but isn’t that engaging either.  The only bit that was worth all of watching it was the cliffhanger: Lina being robbed of her magic by a monster and left helpless and powerless…holy crap that is scary and kind of interesting.  How long will Lina be without her magic and can she still be Lina without them?  Usually the best superheroine stories come from heroines being placed in such desperate but learnable situations a la Supergirl.

As I said above, as fun as this weeks set was, the brakes were put on the Claire Bible quest and I wonder if the show can afford to do that for a few episodes, especially since the mid point is in sight.  And then there’s the creepy smiling and finger waving Xellos…who kind of did just that in very brief spurts across four episodes, kind of a far cry from the shocking impression he made during last weeks premiere.  I guess I can just hope we get a swift resolution to Phil’s family civil war so we can get back to the main quest.  Lina without her powers though…im both curious how it will play out and also hoping it doesn’t take so long for her to get her magic restored as well.  It could teach her some humility…but it is Lina Inverse we’re talking about after all.  Return her magic to her and im sure she’ll be back to her normal lovable, greedy self in no time.

See ya next week everyone.

FIF#74-Sirius the Jaeger

Unbeknownst to normal eyes, there is a secret war ragging in the darkness.  Vampires seek to assert their power and dominance, killing anyone to slate their thirst.  The only thing standing in their way: a small company of hunters known to most as the V Shipping Company.  But their true title is Jaeger.  Among this talented troupe is Yuliy, a deadly warrior known as a Sirius.  He is one of the last of an ancient bloodline with ties to a powerful relic that could grant unlimited power to the monsters that prey on the night.  But Yuliy has his own reasons for fighting this war and he wont stop until every Vampire is dead, here’s hoping the rest of his team can keep up.

Well, it’s not the most original piece ive seen in recent years.  But the first episode of Sirius the Jaeger is still a nice bit of fun thanks to some good artwork and some top notch action.  It’s hard not to get a familiar vibe off of the aesthetic.  1930’s setting; Vampires who morph into batlike monsters; a rag tag team of egocentric goofs who are good at killing.  If I didn’t know any better id say I was watching a mish mash of Fullmetal Alchemist, Blood: The Last Vampire and The Seven Deadly Sins or Akame Ga Kill.

For me, the action was the real selling point of Sirius’ debut episode.  While it didn’t play out in exactly this style, I was almost imagining things were going to kick off a lot like the first Blade movie: with the heroes infiltrating a Vampire feast about to commence and mowing down everything that has fangs.  It’s enough to excite ya if you really like that movie.  And while I feel a bit cheated that we only got to see Yuliy in action for less than a minute before jumping to right where the action is done, I think that Yuliys rapid fire despatching of Vamps is a good audition for the audience.  Now whether or not he actually needs the rest of his cohorts is beyond me.  Everyone did stand out, just most of them not in the best light.  The little blonde violinist was super annoying and the large Irishman (I think) felt like a knock off of Rider from Fate/Zero.  There is some added sexy factor with the sole female member of the crew but I don’t think she did anything of true note besides aid the aged leader of the Jaegers.  Thankfully, Yuliy got to shine in some fun action sequences in the latter half of the episode but it only raises the question of why he needs a team when he can do what they cant in amazing fashion and with a split chain staff weapon too.  Plus, does being a Sirius mean Yuliy’s a Vampire too or something else (maybe a Daywalker lol).

There’s an obvious big bad who looks like Dracula and a small team of secondary foes, one of whom is a beautiful temptress who spars pretty well with Yuliy.  As to what his endgame is, nothing is revealed other than that the Jaegers have been after him for a long time and havent been able to catch him (hmmm…that plus the fact that we find out he’s in Moscow at the end sort of gives me more Blade nostalgia).  I know I mentioned an artifact in the show synopsis but none of that is covered in Episode One.  There is a slight promise of globe hopping as we start of in China then jump to Japan and then the aforementioned Russia.  It’ll definitley spice things up, especially if the artwork continues as strong as it did in the premiere. 

At first glance, Sirius the Jaeger isnt the worst Anime on Netflix but it’s still just “ok”.  The action is strong and the show does look pretty.  But this cast needs to justify its existence when one super powered Jaeger can do what 5 seem incapable of (reminds me of Silent Mobius actually).  It would also be nice to learn more about the big bads motivations too.  Though if you’re just bored and looking for a very gory Vampire action show, Sirius could be the answer.  Might continue on with this one for a couple more episodes.  My gripes aside, like I said, it looks like fun.