T5W#372-Top 5 Anime Premieres in October 2022

Ever since…I wanna say Spring of this year, the month of October has been built up as arguably THE biggest month for Anime in 2022, if not the couple years of the new decade.  A couple of big premieres, some epic returns and brand new relaunches no one ever thought would see the light of day, October is going to be a freaking juggernaut of a time to be an Anime fan.  Since we’re only a few mere days from crossing over into this historic time period, I wanted to take today’s Top 5 Wednesday to go over and rank the biggest premires/returns/relaunches coming next month.  It’s my Top 5 Anime Premieres in October 2022. 

 

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Chapter-The Final Alchemy

The Promised Day, a time long spoken of in whispers.  To those plotting within the shadows, it is the culmination of a plan 300 years in the making.  To Edward and Alphonse Elric, it’s an apocalyptic threat that must be prevented at all costs.  With the fate of an entire nation on the line, the Elric Brothers begin a race that will take them from the tunnels under Central to the frozen tundra of the Fortress of Briggs.  Along they way, allies new and unfamiliar will stand with them against the power of the Homunculi and their Father.  It’s the beginning of the final battle and the last chance Ed and Al both have at keeping their promise: To return their bodies to normal.  At the Gate of Truth, The Final Alchemy Begins.

While The Revenge of Scar did have some improvements over the first Fullmetal Alchemist film, it’s hard for me not to sit through The Final Alchemy and with each passing minute think ,”Yep…yep…knew this was gonna happen.”  That’s not to say the stories predictable (unless you’ve read the Manga).  No actually, if you’ve read the Manga, you know just how much story and material this single 2.5 hour film still had to cover.  Sad to say, The Final Alchemy hardly feels up to the task of doing justice to one of the best stories in Anime and yet cant make up its mind if it wants to rush to the effects laden finale or stop the film entirely to dump out truck loads of exposition.  This “trilogy” needed to be a “Quadrilogy” to properly convey this 27 volume Manga epic and in the end, finishes just as dismally as it began. 
 

T5W#371-Top 5 High Grade Gundam Breaker Battlogue Gunpla I’d Like to Build

It’s very odd and slightly embarrassing to admit but being as big as Gundam fan as I am, I haven’t built a lot of Gunpla.  There was a brief time I tried it when Gundam Wing came state side but other than that, I mostly stuck to the action figures (and those I still have in various states of disrepair).  However, I met a new friend at Otakon who has expressed interest in getting into building Gunpla themselves.  It sparked something in me and I ended up buying a new SD Gundam Unicorn to build back home.  Surprisingly, Gunpla building is very therapeutic and I’m looking to make up for lost years of not building any of these cool models.  Target seems to have a bunch in good stock, all from the same series “Gundam Breaker Battlogue”, which is itself a Gunpla centered OVA in the vein of Gundam Build Fighters.  There’s a lot to collect and build and I have a list gathered of the 5 I’d like to get to first.  Behold, my Top 5 High Grade Gundam Breaker Battlogue Gunpla I’d Like to Build.

 

Fullmetal Alchemist: The Final Chapter-The Revenge of Scar

Word has spread of a serial killer targeting State Alchemists.  He is an Ishvalan, codenamed Scar, and not even the Elric Brothers are powerful enough to withstand his onslaught.  As a massive manhunt begins, Ed and Al’s journey to find the Philosopher’s Stone gets complicated with new players entering the fray, each with their own agendas and endgames for the stone.  All the while, the Brothers must stay one step ahead of Scar while also learning about how they figure into an apocalyptic plot by the Homunculi that could repeat a tragic disaster from the distant past.

  
I was very surprised to hear that the Live Action Fullmetal Alchemist from 2017 was getting not only one but two sequels.  From what I’ve heard, that movie didn’t receive a lot of cricital praise (I reviewed it for this blog’s Fourth Anniversary in 2018 and I was not a fan myself.  You can check out that review here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2018/03/fullmetal-alchemist-2017-special-fourth.html).  Given how poorly received it was, it never occurred to me that the Live Action Fullmetal Alchemist would continue, but here we are.  Not only did we get two sequels but the studio made the even more baffling call to try and wrap up the entire story in a combined four hour feature (give or take).  Considering how dense and rich the entire Fullmetal Alchemist series is, this was a bad call.  Maybe if you had three movies but two?  Well, to close out 2022, I’m taking a look at both films back to back, starting with The Revenge of Scar.  Is it as bad as the original or does it give me hope that this series can actually pull off a miracle and end on a decent note?
 

Gundam Anime Corner-Fall 2022 Events Update

Hey everyone.  To say it’s been a hectic year for me would be an understatement.  Between tight finances and the search for a new job after an extended period of time, I’m surprised sometimes I’ve been able to give this blog even a little bit of my all.  I had so many plans in mind for special events that just got kind of pushed to the wayside for now because the stress has been that immense.  BUT that doesn’t mean I don’t have ideas that are either almost ready to go or can be worked on at a later date in time for new launch dates.  So figured I’d drop a little breakdown of what’s coming between October and November beyond the usual batch of new reviews.

T5W#370-Top 5 Anime Heroines Who Would Make Good Bond Girls

One of the biggest announcements at this years Nintendo Direct Event (besides the sequel to Breath of the Wild getting an official title and release date) was something gaming fans have been waiting for years to hear.  One of the greatest First Person Shooters of all time is returning to gaming consoles, Goldeneye 007.  To be honest, I never played a lot of Goldeneye back in the day (because I never owned it), but I have been a lifelong James Bond fan thanks to my Dad and College.  Anyone who’s seen their share of Bond flicks knows what makes a Bond flick: Gadgets, cool cars, terrifying villains, lots of one liners and, most importantly, the hottest girls on the planet.  Eva Green, Halle Berry, Jane Seymour, Ana De Armis, the list is long and distinguished.  Which got me thinking (cause I wanted to tie this into Anime somehow), Anime is full of femme fatales, beautiful, dangerous and all capable of holding their own.  Who among them are the most eligible to fighting alongside, try to kill or even romance the legendary 007?  Why don’t I give this Top 5 a try.  These are my picks for the Top 5 Anime Heroines Who Would Makes Good Bond Girls.

Tenchi Universe Part 6 Episodes 22-26

Tenchi Masaki never thought the Carnival his life became would come to an end.  But when the greatest threat he’s ever faced injures his Grandfather and captures Ayeka, he’ll have to step up and accept the challenge before him.  The Armada of an entire planet stands in his way, along with the false Emperor Yosho and his most powerful warriors.  But Tenchi has Ryoko and the others watching his back, with a few extra allies coming in for back up.  The universe holds its breath as Tenchi races to his destiny.  But once the battle is over…is the carnival over as well, or is it just beginning?

We all knew it had to come to this eventually.  While it’s been fun hoping across the galaxy and getting into all sorts of crazy adventures, there was no way to avoid the finale and the drama that was gonna come with it.  And man did Tenchi Universe go all out, in its own way, to make sure its final episodes carried a good amount of tension and emotional weight.  This was the conclusion to an epic journey that began as light hearted fare on Earth and evolved into a trek across the stars to right a wrong.  It doesn’t deliver on all fronts and last minute add ons hamper a critical point.  But in the end, Tenchi Universe gets a pretty good finale overall.  Let’s break down the end of the second chapter of our Tenchi Toonami Saga.

T5W#369-Top 5 Dragons in Anime

It’s been a couple of weeks but I can say wholeheartedly, it is damn good to be back in the world of Westeros.  Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon is off to an excellent start and is recapturing all of the magic of the early seasons of Game of Thrones.  Set almost 200 years before the original series, House of the Dragon follows the chaotic reign of House Targaryan long before it heads into ruin.  As the title implies, we’re getting a lot more with Dragons this time around and that’s never a bad thing.  Dragons have always been a staple of fantasy epics, creatures we all wish we could see with our own eyes.  Anime sure has featured its fair share, of all shapes, sizes and terrifying features.  Kind of wild I haven’t used this for a Top 5 topic before but hey, happy almost 400 of these lists in and I can still come up with fresh ideas (pretty sure we’ll hit that big benchmark in 2023).  I know I’ll be omitting some popular choices here because I don’t watch some Shonen Anime but I think that will help make this list a bit more unique.  Anyway, come fly with me on Top 5 Wednesday as I count down my Top 5 Dragons in Anime
 

Tenchi Universe Part 5 Episodes 18-21

Wanted for treason by two intergalactic powers, Tenchi Masaki and his friends find themselves on the run across the galaxy.  Their mission: get to Planet Jurai and clear their names.  Their problem: besides the entire galaxy out to get them, there’s money problems, would be bandits, bounty hunters (especially Nagi) and the general inability to lay low and not draw attention.  At this rate, it’ll be a miracle if Tenchi can get to Jurai in one piece.  If the universe doesn’t destroy him, a ship full of volatile alien beauties just might.

I know I ended the last review on an uneven note, wondering if going back to classic comedy after such a big series shake up.  The more I think about it though, even though there is an ultimate destination and a villain to defeat, how many Anime have this same setup and still have some fun getting to the end?  Slayers immediately comes to mind.  Yeah Lina Inverse had big bad to topple and a world to save…doesn’t mean she and her friends cant stuff their mouths with good food and help out a town or two along the way.  That brings me back to Tenchi Universe.  Despite the urgency to get to Planet Jurai and clear their names, Team Tenchi found time for some lighthearted and sometimes rather touching fare during their trek through the sea of stars.
 

FIF#169-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (Prologue)

In the era of Ad Stella, Humanity has begun pushing into space, expanding its reach to the stars.  On her fourth birthday, Ericht Samaya watches her parents continue to work on a bold new Gundam that will open the doors to new possibilities for mankind.  However, Gundams are viewed as monsters for the effects they have on the humans piloting them.  A secret order is given the end Gundam development and a brutal purge begins.  Eri and her family are caught in the crossfire and during a desperate escape, young Eri doesn’t realize that the key to activating the true potential of her parents Gundam, lies in her own two hands.

 
This past summer I looked at the last two major TV entries: Reconguista in G and Iron Blooded Orphans and they couldn’t be more different from one another.  IBO ended up being ok, passable at best due to a shoddy second half while Reconguista in G did the impossible and dethroned Gundam Seed Destiny as my most loathed entry in the entire Gundam franchise.  From what couple of trailers of The Witch from Mercury I’ve glimpsed, I’ve had some doubts because I wasn’t too sold on the animation and it kind of felt like another Reconguista in G waiting to happen, centering on an academy for Mobile Suit pilots.  The last thing I wanted to see was another show about kids playing war without any real stakes or likeable characters.  Thankfully, With just a little over a month to go before the series officially begins, Sunrise has released a Prologue episode for the next chapter of the Gundam franchise-Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.  And if the series continues with this level of awesome intensity, I think it’ll be well worth the seven year wait since IBO for another proper Gundam TV Series.