Suzume

When Suzume Iwato discovers a mysterious door in the middle of a ruined town, she inadvertently unlocks a threat that could consume the world.  Accompanying a handsome traveler and guided by a devious feline, Suzume treks across the whole of Japan, tracking down similar doors that must be closed or doom will befall millions.  As she meets new friends and discovers her own hidden strength, Suzume learns that in order to save the world, she must reconcile a tragedy from her past or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Ever since hitting it big with Your Name, Makoto Shinkai has to be under a tremendous amount of pressure to keep delivering hit after hit.  Weathering with You was a worthy follow up even if it didn’t quite measure up to Your Name.  Like those two movies before it, Suzume arrives with a ton of hype and a huge amount of praise and box office dominance from Japan.  If you think the pressure is finally getting to Shinkai, it never shows in Suzume.  Nope, this is a film that, for me, comes close to matching the brilliance of Your Name.  It follows a similar story structure to Shinkai’s other works but Suzume also mixes things up a little and delivers an emotionally resonating experience that really struck a cord with me, so much that I was in tears well after the credits rolled. 
 

GBT#4-Gundam NT-1 Alex

There are a number of Gundams one could call the most iconic in the franchise: The OG RX-78-2, the Unicorn, the Freedom from Gundam Seed, or Wing Zero Custom from Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz.  And that’s perfectly fine.  All of those examples and more are remembered for a reason, more so because their looks are timeless and eternal.  In the entire pantheon of Gundam Mobile Suits, however, one of my personal favs always feels underrated and deserving of more recognition.  That Gundam is the NT-1 Alex from Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket.  Cool design, excellent weaponry, and maybe the biggest sell for me, a cute female pilot managed to wreck Zeon with it and this suit was meant to be given to Amuro Ray before it got destroyed in battle.  It’s like Asemu Asuno from Gundam AGE being a total bad ass when he didn’t have the enhanced abilities of his father or his son.  Needless to say, I love this Gundam and hoped that this build would go better than last weeks Full Burnen.

 

T5W#402-Top 5 Favorite Moments from Sailor Moon R

It’s weird.  While this isn’t the first time I’ve done a year long look at a particular franchise (See Full Metal Panic in 2017 and Slayers in 2019), Sailor Moon is easily my biggest endevour to date, though I think I’ve spaced it out pretty comfortably.  It’s been a few months since we last checked in with Usagi Tsukino and company, not since February actually with the Sailor Moon R Movie.  Since I did a look back at the First (and Sub Letter-less) Season of the show before heading into Sailor Moon R, I figure I might as well make this a nice little primer for the year before heading into a new chapter.  With Sailor Moon S set to start next week to kick off Summer, let’s jet back a page to look at the highs of an equally fun second outing for Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi.  These are my Top 5 Favorite Moments from Sailor Moon R.

 

Belle

Suzu is a young girl struggling with depression following the death of her mother.  Her best friend introduces her to the online world of U, where she helps Suzu develop a new persona, Belle.  Belle becomes a singing sensation overnight, boosting Suzu’s confidence.  But then she encounters a rogue known simply as “The Beast.”  Feeling a strange kinship with this outcast, Suzu seeks him out, hoping to discover more about him and in the process, discover the strength to confront her own personal demons as well.

While he may have directed my all time favorite Anime film, Summer Wars, I actually haven’t seen any other movie from Director Mamoru Hosada, save for I guess the second Digimon Movie that was molded into the US Digimon Movie that was a compilation of 3 different movies but that’s not here or there.  I’ve heard good things but I haven’t seen The Boy and the Beast, Wolf Children or The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.  After watching Belle, however, I might need to correct this because despite some reservations going in, I found myself moved to the point of tears, something that occasionally happens with some Anime films.  I personally think Summer Wars is still my favorite but Belle certainly is a good rival for its throne and I’m surprised once again that the Oscars overlooks an Anime this good that apparently got a 14 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival…how often does that happen for an Anime feature film?
 

Power Rangers: Once and Always

It’s one of the darkest days in Ranger history when one of its greatest heroes, Trini Kwan, falls to protect her best friend, Billy Cranston.  One Year Later, the original Rangers reunite only to find a familiar menace waiting for them: a reborn Rita Repulsa.  With Rangers around the world being captured as part of Rita’s new evil plan, Billy must gather who he can for a counterattack.  Among those chosen few is Trini’s daughter, Minh, who’s desire for revenge outweighs the need for justice.  Generations old and new unite for a new battle.  Once more, It’s Morphin Time.

The 30^th Anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise is upon us and there’s been a lot of hype around the return of legendary favorites who will eventually cross paths with the current generation of Rangers in the forthcoming Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury.  Once and Always acts as both a slight Prelude to that season but more so functions as its own celebration of the past.  It’s a chance to see much missed familiar faces triumphantly return, a chance to see some classic (if still a bit cheesy) Ranger action, and probably most important, a chance to honor those no longer with us.  The end result is an emotionally charged if not still uneven special episode.  It works for sure but yeah…it could be better.
 

The Big O II Part 3 Episodes 22-26

Paradigm City is about to become a battleground as two warring factions clash over who will control the city and the Memories buried deep within.  Against a vengeful army and a Man who thinks himself a God, Roger Smith has never faced such insurmountable odds.  As all out war breaks out in the streets of Paradigm, Roger and The Big O will have to run a gauntlet of the most powerful foes they’ve ever faced.  To save the future of Paradigm City and it’s citizens, Roger must dare to confront the Memories from 40 years ago, sealed away to protect them from a potential apocalypse.  The final battle for the Past, Present and Future of Paradigm City has begun.

Going into The Big O II, something was always on my mind: just how much of this second half was scripted before the show was cancelled in Japan?  How much of The Big O II was written after the fact and in response to the positive reception of the First Season in the US?  For once, I actually decided to look into this and found an interesting factoid that kind of ties everything together and makes this bonkers finale make some kind of sense.  While both The Big O and The Big O II both had the same writers, neither had intended to reveal the mystery of 40 years ago, instead wishing just to tell an anthology of tales in this universe.  THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE!!!  I always said that part of The Big O Season One’s appeal was it’s accessibility and combined elements of scifi, mystery and noir detective stories.  This explains why The Big O II as felt like a totally different and less unique series.  It has been an interesting and fun ride but now we’ve gotten to the one impossible point: the Finale, where everything had to be wrapped up and explained when it was never really meant to. It goes down about as well as you’d think and I can see why no one was satisfied with this Series Finale.  Let’s delve into why that is.
 

GBT#3-Gundam GP01Fb Zephyranthes Full Burnern

I have mixed feelings about Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.  From a production and animation standpoint, it’s one of the best looking entries in the entire Gundam franchise.  The mechas look incredible and the action is on a scale that feels even bigger than Char’s Counterattack.  When it comes to the characters bogging down the story, that’s where the Anime really stumbles and falls on its face.  BUT we’re not here to talk about that (you can check out my reviews from 2017 if you’re curious).  We’re here to talk Gunpla Builds and today we’re looking at one of my all time favs.  While the base model of the GP01 looks ok but is otherwise, eh, the Full Burnen upgrade is the Gundam I most associate with Gundam 0083.  Those boosters alone give a real fighter jet vibe keeping with the Top Gun inspired aesthetic of the OVA.  Naturally, the Gundams I love the most are the Gunpla I’m most excited to build.  So how did it go crafting the legend with my own two hands?

 

T5W#401-Top 5 Biggest Moments from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

Today Netflix begins the countdown to the historic 30^th Anniversary of Power Rangers with the release of “Once and Always”.  Serving as a stand alone special and prequel to the forthcoming Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, Once and Always features the return of many of the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, some of whom haven’t appeared in the franchise since its earliest days.  Seeing as how I promised to do some Top 5 lists dedicated to the franchise as my way of celebrating…and I’ve only done one so far…it’s time I made good on that goal.  So to honor the return of the first group of Power Rangers I ever saw in action, I’m looking back at my fondest memories from the very first series to pick out my Top 5 Biggest Moments from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The Big O II Part 2 Episodes 18-21

More and more, the long forgotten past from 40 years ago continues to push its way into the present.  A mysterious faction from outside Paradigm City arrives to challenge Alex Rosewater’s vision of the future.  In the middle of this secret war, Roger Smith finds himself facing his own reality, both as an amnesiac citizen of Paradigm City and as the Dominus of The Big O.  When the fight begins to threaten and harm those closest to him, Roger steels his resolve for the epic battle to come, especially after Alex unveils his own Megadeus, the Big O’s long lost third Big sibling: The Big Faux.

I don’t envy the task set before The Big O II.  It has to follow up a great First Season that worked in spite of a lack of proper resolution.  But damn if it isn’t try and damn if it hasn’t been surprisingly fun to watch.  Personally, I think a more central story focus is taking away from the series accessibility compared to the more isolated stories of Season One.  And yet The Big O II is continuing to expand on the characters that make this show work, even making marked improvements to weaker ones from Season One.  I have no clue where the overall finale is heading on Friday, heck a lot of what went down in this set makes it feel like there’s only one or two episodes left instead of five.  For now though, I both see why The Big O II is and isn’t seen as a strong continuation from its debut season, but we’ll get to that later.
 

The Big O II Part 1 Episodes 14-17

When a trio of Foreign Megadeus’ rise from the Ocean outside of Paradigm City, it heralds the coming of something truly terrifying: the truth of what happened 40 years ago.  It also brings with them a slew of new threats to Paradigm City.  Something is stirring within the city and only a handful of rare individuals know the full scope of what is coming, including the man who sits at the top of Paradigm, Alex Rosewater.  The pressure is mounting against Roger Smith and his allies but nevertheless, he continues to hold back the coming tides of the past with his Megadeus, the Big O.

When The Big O first aired in Japan in 1999, it was a ratings flop and the series was cancelled after only 13 episodes.  When those episodes were shown in the US on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block in 2001, it became a huge hit overnight thanks to the brilliant marketing push tactic, “What if Batman had a Giant Robot?”  Despite the cliffhanger that came with it, The Big O ended up being such a success on Toonami that two years, Cartoon Network partnered with Sunrise and Bandai to continue the series with a 13 episode Second Season, dubbed The Big O II in Japan.  It was one of the first major instances of an Anime being so popular in the West, Japan found it necessary to continue it, if only for another audience.  Personally, I found Big O’s Season One cliffhanger to be a good one but the rest of the season was so well done, I was just fine without an sort of follow up.  But, literally by popular demand, we got it and right off the heels of finishing Season One, the Gundam Anime Corner is delving into The Big O II to see if it can somehow fulfill its unenviable mission: finish the story of Roger Smith and Paradigm City on a satisfying note while not tarnishing the legacy of an incredible First Season.
 

Gunpla Builder Thursday #2-Gundam Mk.II (Titans and AEUG)

In today’s second episode of Gunpla Builder Thursday, I’ve got a special treat for you Dear Readers: Two Gunpla in the same episode.  The Gundam Mark II from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the first official follow up model to the original RX-78-2 Gundam, though it isn’t quite as well remembered as the Zeta or ZZ, at least I don’t think its nearly as talked about.  While checking out models to purchase, I got curious about building both the Titans and AEUG variants together and seeing if I preferred one over the other or if they’d just look super cool together.  And yeah, seeing as how these are the same suit with different paint jobs, why not look at them both together?

 

T5W#400-Top 5 Inspirations The Big O Takes from Batman: The Animated Series

Way back when The Big O was first airing on Toonami, Cartoon Network had the brilliant idea to market how similar the adventures of Roger Smith and his trusty Giant Robot were to a certain costumed crimefighter, whose legendary 90s animated series was also airing on Toonami.  And you know what? Cartoon Network was dead on with the analogy.  It actually helps make The Big O’s First Season that more of a fascinating watch. Just how much inspiration did The Big O writers take from Bruce Timm’s iteration of The Dark Knight to craft Paradigm City and its suave defender?  Oh I can think of a few things and the timing couldn’t be better.  Not only did I want to hold off on writing this Top 5 until I’d finished reviewing Season One on the blog, but today marks my 400^th Top 5 Wednesday.  So let’s celebrate this major Gundam Anime Corner Milestone by looking at the Top 5 Inspirations The Big O Takes from Batman: The Animated Series.

 

The Big O Part 3 Episodes 9-13

For as long as he can remember, Roger Smith has been fighting a never ending battle against the ghosts of Paradigm City, a 40 year mystery that no one can solve.  But that hasn’t stopped some from trying and now clues have begun to appear that point to a catastrophic event that resulted in city wide amnesia.  The more Roger and those curious about the past dig, the greater the threat to Paradigm City becomes.  Now Roger faces his most challenging opponents and even with the Big O, it may be a fight even he might not be able to win.

During it’s initial run in Japan, The Big O was not a huge ratings hit and was cancelled after 13 episodes, leaving the series on a massive cliffhanger.  The only other Anime I think I’ve seen that ended just as abruptly was Pilot Candidate.  Whereas that Anime left me furious with its terrible story, characters and inability to tap into it’s potential, The Big O’s First Season is the exact opposite, so much so that when I first saw the cliffhanger on Toonami, it confused me but not enough to make me dislike the show.  In a way, despite the fact that we’re going into Season Two starting Friday, I think the First Seasons unfinished story works just fine and part of me didn’t really care if we got answers to the mountain of questions still pilling up.  Yet here we are.  I’ll talk more about the road to Season Two on Friday but for now, let’s take a look at how this incredibly unique and special Mecha Anime wrapped up a very well done first half.
 

The Big O Part 2 Episodes 5-8

Paradigm City’s top Negotiator, Roger Smith, has found his simple life becoming a little more complicated.  A beautiful Android, R. Dorothy Wayneright, has come to stay in his home, owing him a life debt.  While Roger isn’t keen on the idea, he continues his quest to serve and protect Paradigm City from thugs, psychopaths, even ghosts, each with their powerful Megadeus at their beck and call.  But Roger isn’t without his tricks for dealing with such threats.  With the Big O and Dorothy at his side, the fight against the forces of the past just got a lot more interesting.

The pulp detective narrative approach to The Big O has kept things very fun and interesting despite only gaining nuggets of new intel regarding the mysterious event from 40 years ago that left Paradigm City with amnesia.  And while that’s a very important mystery that needs to be solved, todays set of episodes were all well told, well narrarated and action heavy mini mysteries that proved so effective, I was just content to enjoy how each tale unfolds.  It reminds me of when I used to watch The Big O on Toonami and how inspite of that epic “To Be Continued” we’ll get to on Monday, this series still really works on its own terms.  It’s not in a hurry to arrive at its destination and, pairing that with the unique setting and nature of the show, makes The Big O all the better for it right now.
 

Gunpla Builder Thursday #1-Sinanju Stein (Narrative Version)

Welcome, Dear Readers, to the first episode of a feature lonnnng overdue for a blog named after my favorite Anime Franchise.  As I’ve said in multiple posts before, I haven’t really been into Gunpla the way I should be and since Summer 2022, I’ve been working to rectify that.  As of now, I’ve built at least a couple dozen models from various series and various styles.  When I found myself mentally taking notes about one particular build, it got me thinking that maybe I should talk about my own Gunpla making experiences here at the Anime Corner.  This is what’s going to be filling out the week while First Impression Friday takes a breather.  Not sure how long this series will run but I’ve got plenty of Gunpla to talk about for days on end.  So let’s kick off the very first Gunpla Builder Thursday…with a Gunpla that isn’t a Gundam at all, but instead the build that inspired this idea in the first place.

 

T5W#399-Top 5 Conflicts in Gundam’s Universal Century

“War, war never changes.”  While Ron Pearlman definitely said it best in Fallout, it’s Mobile Suit Gundam that has been teaching that life lesson for almost 44 years.  Conflict has been at the heart of this franchise since the beginning and no matter what timeline you cross into, there’s always some kind of squabble going on that escalates into something big.  Nowhere is this more evident than in Gundams original timeline, the Universal Century: where peace never seems to last more than a few short years it seems.  To celebrate the franchise turning 44 on Friday (perfect timing for The Witch from Mercury to finally kick off its highly anticipated Second Season), Top 5 Wednesday will be counting down the Top 5 Conflicts in Gundam’s Universal Century.  Quick note: Only wars with definitive conclusions featured on screen will be included on this list.  So if you’re a fan of Hathaway’s little rebellion in Gundam Hathaway or, less likely, a fan of the Crossbone Vanguard Incursion in Gundam F91, sorry neither of those have had official recorded conclusions (actually I’m not sure if the Crossbone Gundam Manga counts as an official Gundam F91 continuation…still it wont be on this list).

The Big O Part 1 Episodes 1-4

Welcome to Paradigm City.  40 years ago, an event occurred that wiped the memories of every citizen.  The only tepid connections are a series of Giant Robots known as Megadeus’ that rise to terrorize Paradigm City.  Only one force for good stands in their way.  His name is Roger Smith, the Negotiator.  But unknown to the people of Paradigm, when negotiating fails, Roger has a secret weapon up his sleeve, an unstoppable Megadeus at his command.  Can Roger Smith and the Big O protect the city and uncover the mystery of its long forgotten past?

 
Welcome Dear Readers to the beginning of YEAR 10 of the Gundam Anime Corner.  And today, we’re kicking off this historic year of Anime Reviews with one simple question: What if Bruce Wayne had a Giant Robot instead of being Batman?  The answer is, you get THE BIG O!!!!  Yep for the next few weeks were going to be look at this Toonami/Adult Swim legend that did something few Anime had managed to do back in the early 2000s: get revived from cancellation in Japan due to its overwhelming popularity in the US.  But I’ll talk more about that the further we get in.  For now, how does this Mecha Classic get started and what is it doing differently compared to most other titles in the Mecha Genre?  The answer to the latter is, a lot and it’s so good for it already.