T5W#455-Top 5 Stories from Star Wars Visions 2

Jedi, Sith, Smugglers, Pilots and Bounty Hunters.  May the 4^th is almost upon us once again, the time when the world comes together to celebrate another anniversary for one of the greatest scifi sagas of all time: Star Wars.  Whether you love it to your core or feel like it’s lost its way in recent years, Star Wars is still a cornerstone of scifi storytelling and is still used by pretty much everyone for inspiration in various way.  Back in 2021, the Anime Community got to unleash its inner Jedi with Star Wars Vison.  Last year, a second volume of 9 Animated Shorts was released with the rest of the animation world getting in on the action.  It somehow blew away Volume One with its incredible imagination and willingness to look beyond the Jedi vs. Sith conflict, so much so it found a spot onto my list of the Best Titles I Reviewed in 2023.  Well since I did a best of list for Volume One, for this forthcoming May the 4^th it’s only right that todays Top 5 Wednesday looks at the Top 5 Stories from Star Wars Visions 2

 

FLCL Shoekaze

It’s been ten years since an event gave Masaki Ofuji the ability to see creatures from another reality.  When an unpredictable girl named Harumi Oraisho drags him to the top of a mysterious tower, Masaki’s life gets a lot more complicated than he wished.  Now Masaki finds himself with an entire worlds power at his fingertips.  One girl wants him to unleash it.  Another with a history with this kind of crazy wants to save the world.  Which destiny will Masaki choose and what new wonders or disasters will it bring?

FLCL Grunge might not have been the prettiest bulb in the FLCL collection nor did it have a complete story by the end.  But its still miles better than the three episode slough I just had to go through called FLCL Shoekaze.  Even if the season does give us a fully fresh new OST from The Pillows and returns the visuals to their proper 2D state, everything else about Shoekaze is boring from the get go, gets irritating the more it goes on and by the end, when the near end of the world apocalypse is on screen, I wont lie, I was looking up videos I’ve watched on YouTube dozens of times to make myself feel better.  This ones bad, even by bad sequel/prequel standards (yes this is another prequel to the first series). 
 

T5W#454-Top 5 Suletta Mercury Moments from The Witch from Mercury

Part of the reason Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury has struck such a cord with non Mecha fans along with longtime Gundam mainstays is its main characters: Suletta Mercury and Mirorine Renbram.  And while Miroine deserves a list of her own, today we’re here to talk about G Witch’s adorable Tanuki Girl.  Suletta has arguably one of the most dramatic, tragic and full of jaw dropping moments of any Gundam pilot in the entire franchise, and that’s saying a lot when she stands alongside child soldiers, assassins and a bevy of youth with emotional issues.  She’s had a lot of highs and lows and most of them worthy of mention and honoring.  So as we close out my month long contribution to Gundam’s 45^th Anniversary (ignoring we’re spending the last two weeks with FLCL sequels), today’s Top 5 Wendesday goes out to my Top 5 Suletta Mercury Moments from The Witch from Mercury.

FLCL Grunge

In the town of Okura, a sea of trash drowns the hopes of tomorrow for the youth of today.  For three friends, hope is a distant illusion.  Until one day when a beautiful wild girl named Haruko Haruhara bursts into their lives.  Suddenly, chaos envelops their lives and one by one, Shin, Shonari and Orinoko begin to discover hope amongst the ruins.  Here’s hoping their newfound happiness isnt trampled in Haruko’s neverending quest to attain the power of the being known as Atamusk.

Do we need a sequel to FLCL?  No.  No we do not.  I knew this the moment the original series ended and I have never once wanted to know what came next, what came before or anything in between.  To me, FLCL is perfect.  It’s everything Anime does best and then some and has long been my all time favorite Anime.  So, does it need a sequel?  No.  Sadly, we’ve gotten a few haven’t we.  And despite my more generous reviews of them back in 2018, I hated FLCL Progressive and FLCL Alternative, maybe the latter more than the former.  Neither had any of the spontaneity, soul or whimsical magic of the original, instead opting for more serious character studies that didn’t work or came up short.  That was the concenus amongst many fans of the original but it looks like Adult Swim cant just leave well enough alone.  Hence we in 2023 we got not only one but TWO back to back prequels (I think), which we’ll be looking at over the next two weeks here at the Anime Corner.  First up is FLCL Grunge. 
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 6 Episodes 21-24

The full scope of Prospera’s Quiet Zero Initiative is revealed and all of mankind is at risk just to satisfy her revenge.  Determined to stop her mother and save her friends, Suletta boards an experimental Gundam and heads into battle.  Suletta and Miroine must confront the sins of their families past and find a way to heal the wounds without losing anyone.  But can Suletta break free from her mothers control and can she bring herself to do battle with the Mobile Suit that is actually her long lost sister, Eri?

One of the reasons I held off on reviewing G Witch for so long (besides the obvious April being Gundam’s birthday), was because I wasn’t sure how long the series was going to be.  Sure all of the Build Fighters and Build Divers series have been 26 episodes but those are spin offs aimed at a different audience.  Typical/traditional Gundam series tend to clock in between 43-50 episodes (and no Reconguista in G isnt an exception, it’s an abomination).  So I wasn’t sure that the end of Season Two of G Witch would be the end, even if things seemed to be heading in that direction. Was 24 episodes adequate time to pull off a complete story when most Gundam entries need (and sometimes benefit from) double the time?  Turns out that’s a bit of a double edged sword.  The Series Finale is fine if a bit rushed and leaves a lot of areas for expansion untouched.  It also decides to wrap itself up surprisingly nicely, so much so it leaves me a little irked.  What do I mean by that?  Let’s break it all down.
 

T5W#453-Top 5 TM Revolution Songs from Gundam Seed

Whether you love it or hate it (personally I love it), JPop was a huge part of Gundam entrance into the new millennium with Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny.  Plenty would accuse the series of focusing more on promoting musical artists more than making a good series but many more adore the incredibly catchy opening and ending themes and insert songs from Lacus Clyne and Meer Campbell.  One important artist closely associated with this era of Gundam is Takanori Ishikawa, better known by his stage name T.M. Revolution.  TM’s voice is the first everyone heard when Seed debuted in 2002 and beyond theme music, he also leant his voice to a couple of characters in both Seed and Seed Destiny.  In this weeks Top 5 Wednesday, we’re continuing our Gundam Anniversary Month with a selection of the best tracks this awesome dude contributed to the long and illustrious line of Gundam Opening and Ending Themes (Inserts too).  There are my Top 5 TM Revolution Songs from Gundam Seed.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 5 Episodes 17-20

A series of heartbreaking betrayals leaves Suletta without a Gundam and without Miorine.  All of this plays right into the hands of her mother, Prosepera, who travels to Earth with the Aerial to begin the Quiet Zero initiative. With the world on fire and space about to become even more dangerous, Miroine struggles to repair the damage while Suletta confronts her own identity and everything she’s lost in order to move forward, with or without Aerial.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for the cast of G Witch, along comes this penultimate set of episodes to say “yeah hold my beer”.  It wasn’t even the fact that Suletta found herself at rock bottom.  As the series heads into its finale, the stakes have never felt higher and all the plans within plans against double crosses, betrayals and secret agendas are building towards a need for some serious payback for all the death and damage left in their wake.  Several moments in this set were hard to watch.  But then again that’s what Gundam does best: showing that war is Hell and the thirst for power within always leads to tragedy…and how those who stand against such ambitions give us the most hope.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 4 Episodes 13-16

Two weeks after the Plant Quetta incident, much has changed.  With her father incapacitated, Miorine struggles to run the Benerit Group in his absence. On Earth, Guel seeks atonement for an unforgivable sin amongst the ruins.  Meanwhile, Suletta continues to rack up victories with a new and improved Aerial and ponders why Miorine is keeping her.  But uncertainty becomes chaos when the Witches from Earth infiltrate Astacassia.  In a place where matters are settled by duels, the students of this peaceful school are about to be exposed to the horrors of war first hand

Well after that huge stinger of a cliffhanger, G Witch isnt wasting anytime is it? Practically striking while the iron is hot, the start of the shows Second Season upped the ante on all fronts from the intensity of the battles to the weight of the latest round of gut wrenching revelations. It doesn’t land wins on every front but that isnt stopping The Witch from Mercury from continuing to etch its place into Gundam history.  Let’s get into it, shall we?
 

T5W#452-Top 5 Alternate Universe Gundam Sequels I’d Like to See

This past weekend the Gundam World got a major announcement for the 45^th anniversary of the franchise.  Not only did we get official word of a brand new entry in the Mobile Fighter G Gundam universe, there was also added news that new projects were in the works for Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and After War Gundam X.  Needless to say, this is kind of a big deal.  After all, it was 30 years ago that G Gundam took Gundam into the realm of the Multiverse beyond the Universal Century.  It’s only right that with Gundam SEED and Gundam 00 getting sequels that these titans of the franchise from the 90s get the same kind of love.  Since we only have an announcement and no titles or ideas (save for one I’ll talk about), today’s Gundam Centric Top 5 Wednesday will be looking at my choices for the Top 5 Alternate Universe Gundam Sequels I’d Like to See. 

 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 3 Episodes 9-12

While things seem to be going well for Suletta and Miorine’s Gund-Arm Company, the Benerit Group’s warring factions begin to grow weary of Delling Renbram’s tyrannical and seek to eliminate him.  Everything comes to a head at Plant Quetta, where Suletta is given the controls of an improved Gundam Aerial.    Plant Quetta is where history will change for the better…and the worse for all present. It is here where she will cross swords with the bloodthirsty “Witches from Earth” and make a split second decision that could destroy her growing romance with Miorine forever.

Holy crap I cant believe what I just watched.  Few moments in Gundam have made me virtually gasp so hard I stopped breathing.  But whoa, I mean WHOA!!!! That just freaking happened.  It’s such a moment that it casts a moon sized shadow over everything else that went down in this mid series set, save maybe for one very tender moment between Suletta and Miorine, if only because of how big of an impact THAT moment had on it afterwards.  Still, overall this is a set of episodes that elevates The Witch from Mercury to the upper echelon ranks of the franchise.  It’s too early to say whether or not it’ll match the greats like 0079, 0080 or 08^th MS Team but still, this show has already had my interest, now it’s captured it and isnt letting it go until the end.  Alright, enough being vague, let’s get into what went down and how it blew my mind.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 2 Episodes 5-8

Suletta has certainly made a splash in her short time at Astacassia.  She is in possession of a forbidden Mobile Suit, the Gundam Aeriel.  And she’s become the intended Groom for the beautiful Miorine Rembran.  All eyes fall on this shy and timid girl from Mercury and her powerful Mobile Suit and some are determined to get their hands on both, by any means necessary.  To protect her Groom to be, Miroine takes a gamble on a bold declaration to her father and the rest of the Benerit Group.  Meanwhile, Suletta’s mother, Prospera Mercury, watches with great interest as her own plans begin to fall into place.

Even though it’s straying away from its more traditional storytelling structure, I’ve gotta give it to The Witch from Mercury, it’s fascinating as Hell.  Sure it has the cute leads and the kick ass Mobile Suit battles and they work as well as ever for Gundam.  However, much of the best moments and world building occurred off the battlefield, or rather they took place on a far different battlefield than the one Gundam is used to showing.  It’s all shaping up to make this one of the best Alternate Universe Gundam series in a good while.  Let’s get into the shows sophomore set of episodes.
 

T5W#451-Top 5 Moments from Mobile Suit Gundam

This Saturday marks the official 45^th birthday of the Anime that changed Mecha Anime forever.  First aired on April 6, 1979, the Mobile Suit Gundam series became revolutionary for being the first Anime to feature Giant Robots used not to defend Earth from an Alien invasion but instead in a bloody civil war between the Earth and Human Space Colonies.  While not a mega hit when it first aired, subsequent reruns bolstered its popularity and ensured Gundam wasn’t just a one off.  For all the successes that have followed from Zeta Gundam to Gundam Wing to The Witch from Mercury, none of this would be possible without the wins scored by the title that started it all.  Seeing as how we’ve finally kicked off reviews of The Witch from Mercury, we’re paying homage to Yoshiyuki Tomino’s legendary epic on Top 5 Wednesday today with my Top 5 Moments from Mobile Suit Gundam

 

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury Part 1 Episodes 0-4

It is the year 122 of the Ad Stella Calendar.  A young girl from the planet Mercury, Suletta, has come to the Astacassia School of Technology to begin her education in Mobile Suit Piloting.  Here, she meets Miorine Rembran, an heiress determined to travel to the Earth.  Mirone becomes Suletta’s guide to the cutthroat and dangerous world of Astacassia, where the offspring of leaders of Megacorporations fight to uphold the legacies of their families and their own honor.  In a world where only the strong survive, the seemingly meek Suletta brings with her the Aeriel, a Mobile Suit whose power quickly catches the eye of everyone in and outside of Astacassia.  For this Mobile Suit bears a resemblance to a weapon long ago banned and outlawed, a Mobile Suit called “Gundam”.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is a big deal for the Gundam franchise for a number of reasons.  For one, this is the first true to form original Gundam series (not a Compilation Series or Build Divers sequel) since 2015’s Iron Blooded Orphans.  It’s also the first ever story to have a female lead character at the forefront.  As we’ll get into, there’s more to the uniqueness of G Witch but those first two aspects are definite cause for piquing interest, more so when it comes to Suletta and her being positioned with a beautiful love interest in Miorine.  Heck, I’ve been excited to get to this one for a while myself.  I had originally planned to look at G Witch first in November 2023 after it had finished its original airing, then moved it to January 2024 before finally settling on now because it’s April, Gundam’s Birthday, and it’s the 45^th Anniversary of the entire franchsie.  So, enough gabbing.  It’s finally time for the Gundam Anime Corner to tackle as Peter Cullen said about Gundam Wing on Toonami, “a new chapter in one of greatest Anime sagas of all time,” Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.
 

Spirited Away (Live on Stage)

While on her way to a new home with her family, Chihiro Ogino stumbles into a bathhouse meant for spirits from folklore and legend.  With the lives of her parents hanging in the balance, Chihiro must overcome her own insecurities and find the bravery within her heart.  As she faces off against Gods, Witches, vengeful Spirits and other wonders, Chihiro finds herself on the most incredible journey of all as she is spirited away to a world of danger, magic and wonder.

To many, myself included, Spirited Away is a rare example of a perfect Anime.  Hayao Miyazaki took full advantage of his mastery of the medium to deliver one of the most expansive and well explored worlds ever put to animation.  It did its job so well that it became the first ever Anime to with an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (apparently only Miyazaki can do this since The Boy and Heron is the only other film to accomplish this feat).  So when the discussion turns to turning Spirited Away into a stage play, the question isnt “Why?”, it’s “How?”  Well getting the director of Les Miserables onboard is a good start but thankfully, this is one creative gamble that pays off in more ways than one.  The impossible has happened here: an Anime given the live action treatment and coming out as an equally entertaining triumph.
 

The Gundam Anime Corner 10th Anniversary

March 2014. I was feeling a lull in short story writing and wanted to find a way to keep myself writing more frequently when that well ran dry for a little bit.  Then it somehow hit me: I want to do something with Anime and Reviews.  A few days before the end of the month, I decided to greenlight the Anime Corner on another platform and on March 31, 2014, I posted my first review of the first 7 episodes of Eden of the East.  About a year later, I decided to switch platforms to the one I’ve been using ever since and I rebranded the blog the Gundam Anime Corner.  Since then, my little corner of the universe has grown to encompass over 900 reviews of TV Series, Movies, OVA, and even Live Action Adaptations.  Each year I try to find new ways to broaden content, from the long running Top 5 Wednesdays to the recurring First Impression Fridays and occasional looks at the histories of some of my favorite Anime and Video Game franchises.  It’s challenging to say the least, but rewarding.
 

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

Deep within the unexplored regions of Hallow Earth, a signal is being sent to the surface.  Something is calling for help and with it heralds the return of a long dormant evil that has been trying to reconquer the world as it did before.  Here, the mighty Kong finds his origins and perhaps his destiny.  But to defeat this seemingly undefeatable foe, he must once again call upon the King of the Monsters.  The world barely survived one showdown between Godzilla and Kong.  Can it survive another as well as the terrifying might of the Scar King?

It’s been 10 years since the Monsterverse was unleashed with 2014’s Godzilla.  Since then, we’ve seen the shared universe grow around the adventures of Godzilla and Kong across four films, the last one being arguably the best with their decades in the waiting rematch in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.  You’d think that epic clash would be saved for an anniversary special.  Instead we get the follow up, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.  I had my doubts going in from Godzilla’s nuclear color change to how unintimidating the Scar King looked to seeing Godzilla running into battle alongside Kong.  As a friend of mine put it, “They’re going full Showa Era.  You never go full Showa Era.”  Well, as it turns out this new Monsterverse outing does go bonkers with its action but it feels very fun and enjoyable, even if there’s admittedly a lack of balance between the two titular Kaiju.
 

FIF#212-Delicious in Dungeon

Welcome to a world where Dungeon Raids are a daily occurrence.  Many risk all for treasure or the fame of conquering the terrors within.  Others seek a greater prize: the ultimate monster dish.  For Laois the Swordsman, nothing sates the appetite more than cooking the most dangerous of Dungeon creatures.  Together with Elven Spellcaster Marcille, Locksmith Chilchuck and the Dwarf Warrior Senshi, Laios embarks on a quest to rescue his sister from the stomach of a Red Dragon.  But if theyre gonna succeed, they’ll need to make sure they’re eating the right food for the right occasion.  In the world of Dungeon Food, it’s either eat or be eaten.

 
Typically I’m instantly worried when an Anime is announced with the “Netflix Original Anime” stamp on it.  However, when they aren’t busy trying to still make 3DCG Anime a thing, Netflix can sometimes make good decisions about Anime to license, especially if it comes from an Anime Studio that’s provided them with one of their biggest hits in the past.  Which brings us to todays FIF offering and the latest work from everyones favorite Anime studio, Studio Trigger.  An Anime that focuses on cooking up a storm in a Dungeon seems right up their bizarre alley.  So how is the first episode as an appetizer?
 

King Kong vs. Godzilla

When a TV Station is in dire need of ratings, two men are sent to the mysterious island where they discover a guardian King known as Kong.  Meanwhile, Godzilla escapes from his icy prison to begin his reign of terror once again.  Two Kings of Kaiju meet for the first time with the entirety of Japan caught in the middle of their showdown.  But only one of these Monsters can truly be crowned “King.” 

When King Kong vs. Godzilla arrived in 1962, it had been 29 years since Kong’s first appearance and 8 since Godzilla’s.  The arrival of these two on the big screen revolutionized and changed the way films were made forever when it came to visual effects work.  Bringing them together for one titanic showdown is a bit of a no brainer and one of the first instances of two franchises crossing over for such an event.  And while the titular brawl does deliver, this is still an early Showa Era Godzilla film, chalk full of all the qualities that make that era tough to sit through but sometimes fun to laugh at.
 

Ranking Gundam Part 4

At last, we’ve come to the cream of the crop, the top of the mountain, the Antena on a Gundam’s head. These are the titles that have scored a 9/10 or higher.  Funny enough and Spoiler Alert: There are no 10/10 title winners, weird.  It’s not that I don’t think Gundam is capable of it, there just always seems to be one slight thing off that keeps me from giving them a perfect score.  These though, there as close to near perfect Gundam experiences as you can get.  Let’s close out this month long special with my highest ranked Gundam features in the past 10 years at the Gundam Anime Corner.

 

T5W#450-Top 5 Best Titles Ive Reviewed in 2014

I’ll be honest with everyone, I wrote this Top 5 list a lonnnnnng long time ago.  Everytime I think I’ve found a good place to slot it in, it gets bumped for some reason or another. However, this is scratching two big milestone events at the Gundam Anime Corner, so this long awaited lists time has come.  As some of you may know, while articles on this blog date back to 2015, the Gundam Anime Corner began life quietly on another platform back in 2014.  That was back before I was doing Top 5 Wednesdays so, ergo, I never did a Top 5 list for my very first year of titles I looked at.  Well with the 10^th Anniversary only a couple of days away, there’s not better way for T5W to commemorate the event with a look back to the beginnings of this blog.  Dear Readers, I present to you my 450^th Top 5 Wednesday, the Top 5 Best Titles Ive Reviewed in 2014.

Macross Zero

One year before the launching of the legendary Space Fortress, the world is still locked in conflict.  UN Spacey Pilot Shin Kudo crashlands on an island whose inhabitants have formed a religion around a mysterious entity that came to Earth before the dawn of man.  The power of this hidden treasure promises so much power than both UN and Anti UN forces are desperate to gain it.  At the same time, a new breed of fighter jet is about to be unleashed, one that will change the stage of war forever. 

Released in 2002, just in time for the franchises’ 20^th Anniversary, a Macross Prequel holds a ton of possibilities.  After all, there was a world war esque conflict that resulted from the Macross’ crash landing and many of the original series’ main cast were part of it in some fashion.  The promise of seeing the Variable Fighters in their first sorties and in modern day animation is pretty enticing too.  The ingredients are there for something fans have wondered about since they first met the Space Fortress and her crew back in 1982.  However, Macross Zero goes in a very different direction.  It has all of the same hallmarks of past Macross entries but tries for a new kind of story, one that both isnt the one we want to see and also one that goes against the Macross grain so much it doesn’t feel like true Macross.
 

FIF#211-Hazbin Hotel

Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel.  In a land packed to the brim with the damned and cast out, this quaint little hotel in Hell is the place to come to get rehabilitation and a possible shot at getting into Heaven.  Eternally chipper Charlie Morningstar, daughter of Lucifer himself, believes in second chances and believes her hotel can deliver on its promise.  But Hell thinks it’s a joke and Heaven has their own apocalyptic plans for the souls Charlie wants to save.  The odds may be stacked against her, but Charlie will be damned if she doesn’t try to fulfill her greatest dream.

 
While it might not have been the most heavily cosplayed, the one title no one and I mean NO ONE could stop talking about at this past Katsucon was Hazbin Hotel.  Like a lot of titles in the past, the only reason I knew of this shows existence was because of the main character popping up at various cosplays (and Charlie has a very cute look to her too).  I had no idea what Hazbin Hotel even was or what it was about until I got a bit of intel from my fellow Otaku who have come to love this not quite Anime cartoon that’s not Avatar: The Last Airbender or the OG Teen Titans.  With that kind of a rep, I had to seek out the new Amazon series.  And boy oh boy, if I do decide to maybe do a review down the line, I’m in for, for lack of a better term, one helluva ride.
 

Ranking Gundam Part 3

Well we’ve poured through the worst and steadily worked our way into slight better and even decent territory.  Today on Ranking Gundam, we’re getting into the truly good stuff from fan favorites to genuine legends of the franchise (and yes one fan favorite is a bit high because of nostalgia, you know the one, but it’s not #1 so no need to riot).  Let’s roll into the penultimate chapter of Ranking Gundam.
 

T5W#449-Top 5 Macross Titles Coming to Disney+

Earlier this week Mecha Anime fans got quite the bombshell surprise when it was announced that FINALLY, the Macross Franchise is headed for US shores…and it’s gonna run on Disney+?.  Ok I’ll admit that’s a very strange choice of platform to stream one of the most legendary and long sought after Anime in history but it’s a major grab nonetheless (maybe Disney is trying to push into the Anime streaming business but that’s a discussion for another time).  Despite it’s longevity, Macross’ presence in the US has been pretty distant compared to Gundam.  Heck, it’s intro to the west was through Robotech with scant releases of the original series and a couple of OVAs here and there.  Well while Disney+ might not be getting said original series, nor the franchises first movie, “Do You Remember Love?”, it still intends to release a crap ton of Macross across the 2024 year…when that starts IDK but let’s just be grateful for what we’re getting.  Speaking of, let’s take a look at some of those treasures coming our way with the Top 5 Macross Titles Coming to Disney+.  I’m going to be focusing on the titles that have not have a US release yet.  So as much as I’m looking forward to watching Macross Plus this year, it wont be included on this, along with Macross II. 

 

Doomed Megalopolis

1908AD.  As Tokyo begins to progress into a sprawling metropolis, one man seeks to bring it all crashing down.  His name is Kato Yasunori and he seeks to awaken a Guardian Deity who’s fury over a past grievance could bring about not just the downfall of Tokyo but all of Japan.  Standing in Kato’s way is a collection of Sorcerer’s, Exorcists, Scientists and Architects.  And at the heart of it all if the Tatsumiya family, who’s own dark history and latent abilities make them the perfect prey for Kato’s plan to bring about a Doomed Megalopolis.

I can still remember walking down the Anime isle of my local Blockbuster and seeing all of the mature Anime titles with that “Not for Kids” sticker plastered over them.  Sitting alongside the likes of Akira and the Devilman OVA was Doomed Megalopolis.  All I ever knew was a title and the cover featuring a man with a devilish smile giving what looked like a “thumbs up” looking over a burning city.  Well it’s only taken forever but I finally got a chance to sit down and watch this long lost Anime Horror classic and I have to say, my expectations were high…so about midway through the second of this four episode OVA, I realized either my expectations were too high or this Anime just wasn’t good.  I guess it’s a bit of both but overall, this was a pretty big let down I wont lie.
 

FIF#210-Gamera Rebirth

It’s the summer of 1989 and three friends are looking forward to their last summer together before school begins.  Little do they know, theyre about to have the greatest summer vacation of all time.  When a collection of giant monsters straight out of myth appear and begin wrecking havoc across the country, these three kids find themselves right at the center of the chaos.  Soon they become key to helping prevent the ultimate apocalypse and also find themselves inexplicably tied to a giant turtle who has come to aid them and Humanity, a Giant Turtle known as Gamera.

 
Much like his Kaiju cousin, Godzilla, Gamera is a legend who has been long deserving of his own Anime adaptation.  While I’m not as well versed in Gamera as Godzilla, I have seen a few of his films, including the critically acclaimed Gamera Hesei Trilogy.  Which brings us to our First Impression of the day, Gamera Rebirth, the first appearance to the giant turtle Kaiju since 2006’s Gamera the Brave.  At first glance, it’s got all the things I usually gripe/hate about an Anime produced by Netflix.  The question, as always, is, can I look past those pesky flaws Netflix still thinks can work and find some solid Kaiju action that’s at least better than Godzilla: Singular Point?
 

Ranking Gundam Part 2

Welcome back to Ranking Gundam, our month long revisit of all the Gundam titles that have been covered over the last ten years over at the Gundam Anime Corner.  We started at the bottom of the pyramid with the titles that should be buried deep within.  If we’re continuing with the metaphor, this next set is a bit stronger than the last, at least it starts that way before moving into considerably much better status (for the most part anyway.)  Suit up Dear Readers and lets get back into it.

 

T5W#448-Top 5 Personal Dragon Ball Z Moments (Part 2)

When we lose Legends in the Anime Industry, the whole world feels it.  Last week, we all gasped at the sudden passing of Akira Toriyama.  This is the man whose works introduced many of us to Anime in the first place and even some video games thanks to his work on Dragon Quest and Chrono Cross.  But there’s one title that will always be associated with this man taken from us way too soon, three words that get us all continually hyped and ready for ass kicking adventures: Dragon…Ball…Z.  Yes it’s only a single chapter in a long running franchise but it’s the title we all still think of when Toriyama’s name crops up and we will always be thankful to him for gifting us this action masterpiece.  To pay my respects to this great man, todays Top 5 Wednesday will be dedicated to my Top 5 Personal Dragon Ball Z Moments.  Although I just realized while I was starting to type this that such a list already exists from a few years back (check it out here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/t5w180-top-5-personal-dragon-ball-z.html) So…I guess I’ll have to come up with five more then for my Top 5 Personal Dragon Ball Z Moments (Part 2),  RIP Toriyama-San, this is one title that isnt leaving the Anime world in the dust any time soon.

 

The Boy and the Heron

Two years after losing his mother in a fire, young Mahito is brought to the countryside where his father is to remarry.  When his future mother in law goes missing, Mahito tracks her to a mysterious tower, only to be invited in by a talking Heron.  What follows is a journey through a fantastical world filled with wonders and terrors.  All the while, Mahito must grapple with his own emotions and his mother death to save his future as well as his families. 

When The Wind Rises debuted in 2013, it garnered worldwide attention as it was touted as Hayao Miyazaki’s final film as Director.  As we know by now, he wasn’t done quite yet.  Which brings us to The Boy and the Heron.  Being in the works for close to a decade by a Director who at one point was done with Anime, there’s a lot of anticipation behind this film, in no small part due to it simply being a brand new film by Hayao Miyazaki, arguably the most famous and well renowned Anime Director of all time.  Apparently, there was very little done to promote the film in Japan leading up to its release.  It’s a crazy tactic but all it needed was the Directors name and it would have everyone talking about it.  This actually works in its favor because despite it being a return to the more fantastical storytelling we’re used to with Miyazaki after the Anime Bio-Pic that was The Wind Rises, The Boy and the Heron is a film that is deep, complex, at times a bit unfocused, but nonetheless stands as Miyazaki’s darkest and most personal film to date. 
 

FIF#209-Blue Seed

Momiji Fujimiya seems like your typical High School girl.  One day, she’s attacked by a mysterious young man with cat eyes and blue beads before being saved by a pair of Government Agents of the Terrestrial Administration Center.  Momiji learns that she is the last surviving Kushinada, the only one capable of stopping a reawakened group of powerful Monsters called Aragami.  Unable to escape her duties, Momiji joins the wily but determined roster of TAC Agents to wage war of the Aragami.  Can Momiji master her latent powers?  And what of this cat eyed assassin, Mamoru, will he succeed in killing Momiji or join the TACs struggle to protect her?

 
We’re looking at the first episode of another mid 90’s Anime today and it’s one I’ve had fleeting experience with.  Blue Seed used to air on one of the major movie networks as part of their late night Anime marathons (Friday nights on Encore I think).  Anytime I ever caught any of it, the show was either well into its run or almost done but the title always stood out, even if I had no idea what to think of when it came to mind.  So my expectations are minimal.  Sitting down to watch Blue Seeds first episode however…I feel like this could be a similar case to Silent Mobius: I’ve seen the previews, recognize the theme song and would love to check it out…only for the show to ultimately be a letdown.
 

Ranking Gundam Part 1

Welcome Dear Readers to a brand new special feature event.  There’s no reason to once again go over just how important the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is to me.  Short version: it changed the way I looked at Anime forever and is still doing so 24 years after I first saw Gundam Wing on Toonami back in 2000.  With the franchise turning 45 in April and my blog hitting it’s landmark 10^th Anniversary on March 31, I’ve decided to look back at ALL of the Gundam titles I’ve reviewed since 2014 and rank them from Worst to Best based on the scores I gave them.  And while this is meant to be a celebration, we’re not celebrating much about this opening salvo of titles today.  We’re starting at the bottom of the barrel, the lowest of the low, right at 0/10 believe it or not.

 

T5W#447-Top 5 Himouto’s In Anime

Little sisters.  Love em or hate em, theyre an important part of all of our lives.  I sit firmly in the former category: my little sis drives me crazy but no one gets me better and I love her all the more for it.  When it comes to little sisters in Anime, they can be the best backup or your worst nightmare, sometimes both at once.  As a little belated birthday gift to my sis, whose birthday was last weekend, todays Top 5 Wednesday is highlighting some of the most adorable hellions in Anime, from adorable bad asses to terrifying demons from Hell. These are my picks for the Top 5 Himouto’s In Anime.

 

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024 Live Action TV Series)

Water.  Earth.  Fire.  Air.  Long ago, the four nations of the world lived together in peace.  But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.  Only one force could stand against them: The Avatar, master of all four elements.  But when the world needed him most, he vanished.  100 years later, the new Avatar, a boy named Aang, is freed by a pair of siblings.  Together, this trio must embark on a journey to reignite hope in the war against the Fire Nation and bring peace to the world once again.  All hopes rest on Aang who isnt only the Avatar but also the Last of the Airbenders.

Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered far and wide to be one of the best series ever made, animated or otherwise. I’m among those who give this series nothing but praise and it’s as close to perfect as you can get with fun action, thoroughly loveable characters and a powerful story that strikes all the right emotional highs and soul crushing lows without losing its sense of hope or fun.  Fans have already had the good name of this beloved series tarnished by M. Night Shyamalan’s disastrous 2010’s adaptation.  So when Netflix threw its name into the ring to take on that challenge, one can understand the hesitation and concern.  Still, the trailers looked promising and at least seemed to indicate it wasn’t going to be as soulless and insulting as the movie.  Plus, thanks to their runaway success with One Piece, Netflix’s confidence with Live Action takes on popular Anime and Animated Series has to be at an all time high right now.  Is that confidence misplaced with Avatar: The Last Airbender? 
 

FIF#208-Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024 TV Series)

Long ago, the four nations of the world, each tied to its own Element, lived in peace.  All of that changed when the Fire Nation launched a massive campaign to conquer the other nations, leaving destruction and devastation in their wake.  The only hope of stopping them lay within the Avatar: the one who could master all four elements of Water, Earth, Fire and Air.  But when the world needed him most, he vanished.  Now, he has been found and awakened.  Saddled with a responsibility he never asked for, a young boy named Aang, must set out to complete his training and embrace his destiny as not only the Avatar, but as the Last of the Airbenders.

 
Well we’ve been here before haven’t we Dear Readers?  For many, Avatar: The Last Airbender is considered one of the greatest animated series of all time.  So when M. Night Shyamalan almost single handidly tarnished it’s perfect reputation with that horendeous 2010 Film Adaptation, the fanbase virtually rioted.  Because of that, it’s easy to be both cautious and a bit optimistic about Netflix’s TV Adaptation.  After all, the trailers looked promising. The costumes, visuals and even correct name pronunciations were there.  And yet I hardly heard anything good when it dropped last weekend on Netflix.  No one was saying it’s as bad as the Shamylan disaster but it’s not getting the warm welcome I’m sure the project was hoping for.  Well as a fan of Avatar myself (and of it’s follow up series The Legend of Korra), I decided to check out the Premiere to throw my hat into the ring…and oh man, for everything it does get right, it’s also doing a lot wrong…and its cringy…very cringy.
 

The March to Year 11

February and Katsucon have come and gone and now we’re in the home stretch to the Gundam Anime Corner’s 10^th Anniversary.  And once that’s done, Year 11 kicks off on April 1.  Since this is huge, momentous occasion I’ve been planning some equally big things for the month of March. As has become customary it seems, I’m here to give you a breakdown of the goodies coming in the next couple of weeks and we celebrate my blogs 10^th Birthday.

 

T5W#446-Top 5 Hottest Female Fighters in Tekken 8

On a whim, I got Tekken 8 during its launch weekend back in January.  I haven’t played Tekken in ages but am well aware of its popularity and its rich cast of bad ass fighters from around the world.  Not to mention, Tekken has had its share of appearances here at the Gundam Anime Corner in both Anime and Live Action features.  I’ve been having a blast with Tekken 8 with the combat, post game content and all the customization and I wanted to talk a bit about it today.  Specifically I wanted to focus on the nice collection of femme fatales to grace this title and whose beauty and figures give the girls of Dead or Alive a run for their money.  So to close out the month of Love and Romance, aka February, I’m showing my appreciation for the Top 5 Hottest Female Fighters in Tekken 8 on todays Top 5 Wednesday.

 

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII

Five years after the disaster at Nibelheim, two survivors, both members of SOLDIER escape captivity.  Now wanted fugitives and sought after by both the Military and Shinra’s elite Turks unit, Zack Fair and Cloud Strife are in for the fight of their lives.  Meanwhile, Turk leader Tseng reflects on the Nibelheim incident, where one of SOLDIERs best, Sephiroth, turned his back on Humanity and slaughtered a village.  It was a nightmare that no one could predict and one that is still shaping the future.  Nibelheim was only just the beginning.  The battle for the Planet is about to begin…and one brave soul will not be there to see it.

Last Order: Final Fantasy VII was a released as part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII media project in the mid 2000s, alongside Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and video games Dirge of Cerberus, Before Crisis and Crisis Core.  Despite its brevity and oddly structured story, this is actually a very entertaining outing for a Final Fantasy Anime, you know from other reviews they don’t have the best track record in my eyes.  In fact, probably the most disappointing aspect of this OVA is that it has so much promise that could be seen in full with a complete Final Fantasy VII TV Anime or OVA.  Still, what we have is what we have.  So let’s take a quick look.
 

FIF#207-Tokyo Vice (Season 2)

Three months after his crusade to take down the Tozawa Syndicate was crushed, Jake Adelstein continues his work for the Tokyo Meicho as a Crime Reporter.  Trying to steer away from Yakuza activity, Jake begins investigating other crimes in the city of Tokyo.  But while he and Detective Katagiri recover from their soul crushing defeat, their enemies are regrouping and new threats are emerging within the still present gangs looking to push tensions to all out war.  If they are to be stopped, Jake and Katagiri will have to bide their time and investigate every angle to assure no one escapes justice once again.

 
It's been two long years since that moment where a beaten, battered and repentant Jake showed up at an equally defeated Katagiri’s doorstep, looking to reignite their partnership to take down Tozawa.  I just rewatched Tokyo Vice’s fantastic First Season with a friend and damn I forgot how awesome and captivating this show was.  The tremendous talent of the cast, the sharpness of the writing and the generally attention seizing intrigue of the early 2000’s Tokyo setting all added up to one of my new favorite shows to watch.  Now, at long last, Season Two is upon us and my expectations are high as heck.  So it’s a good thing two years hasn’t dulled the shows luster or any of those aforementioned elements that made the First Season a must watch, so much so I did a First Impression on it back in 2022 (which you can check out here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2022/04/fif156-tokyo-vice.html)
 

Beyond the Boundary: I’ll Be Here (Past & Future)

Mirai Kuriyama and Akihito Kanbara, two cursed souls who should never have met.  Together, these two defied the odds and stopped one of the most powerful entities on the planet…but not without cost.  Mirai has lost her memories and Akihito is desperate to keep his distance to make sure she isn’t consumed by her own cursed powers.  That might prove difficult when a new yet familiar evil appears and starts tearing its way through Spirit World Warriors, searching for Mirai.  For more than the world and for the woman he loves, Akihito must head into battle once again and this time he’s going to bring Mirai back home for good

Beyond the Boundary was such a huge letdown for me from a studio I adore tremendously.  Sure it has a good core romance and some decent action but overall, the show felt lacking in world building, storytelling and, most of all, it had one of the most unlikeable supporting casts I’ve ever seen.  Given my disappointment with the series, I wasn’t sure the films would do much to improve that opinion.  And…well I wasn’t entirely wrong.  The I’ll Be Here double feature certainly maintains a lot of what made Beyond the Boundary an at times infuriating watch to sit through.  However, that core romance is still a good one and it comes together big time in the final act of Future.  Does it save the entire story?  No, but I will give Beyond the Boundary credit where it is do and admit I was moved at a couple of parts. 
 

GBT#20-XVX-016RN Gundam Aerial Rebuild

It shouldn’t surprise me that given the popularity of The Witch from Mercury that its Gunpla are some of the most easy to find and readily available of the entire Gunpla catalogue.  It’s funny because back in early 2023, I remember being determined to find the Aerial at Katsucon and it was gone from every vendor in less than a day.  I guess Bandai got the message cause it was pretty easy to spot G Witch models on the shelf and I nabbed two for my birthday last year.  The one I’m focusing on today is the Aerial’s retrofitted form, the Aerial Rebuild. Does it surpass it’s predecessor’s Gunpla build that we looked at last year?

 

T5W#445-Top 5 Katsucon 2024 Moments

Another Katsucon has come and gone and like many before it, it was an absolute blast.  There’s just something special about being back in the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center that just makes me feel so at peace and at home.  And there’s so much to see and do in such a small space (compared to other larger places to host a con) that it does live up to its rep as a 3-4 long day party (even longer since I know some extend their stays to the day after Katsu ends, something I might aim to do next year).  Plus all the fun I had this year came with the reminder that next year, 2025, will mark the 10^th Anniversary of my very first Katsucon.  So anything that happened this year, I cant wait to see how much bigger and eventful it can get for next years landmark.  Anyway, enough about the future.  We’re here to talk about the Top 5 Katsucon 2024 Moments aka my traditional post con report here at the Gundam Anime Corner.

 

T5W#444-Top 5 Photoshoot Spots at Katsucon

Katsucon is coming…tomorrow actually.  I’ve gotta tell ya, after being away from it for three years due to the Pandemic, it was one of the best feelings of 2023 to get back to the Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center and breathe in that con air life again.  For me, Katsucon, like Otakon, is a home away from home for celebrating being an Anime fan with like minded Anime fans.  For a lot of people, however, it’s one of the biggest Cosplay celebrations on the East Coast.  Thousands of Otaku flock to National Harbor every February, bringing cosplays old and new to show off and have photos taken throughout the majestic Gaylord itself.  And who can blame them?  The Gaylord was built for photography.  So to celebrate tomorrows epic return to one of my favorite conventions, todays Top 5 Wednesday will be looking at the Top 5 Photoshoot Spots at Katsucon. 

Beyond the Boundary Part 3 Episodes 9-12

Two outcasts born with two very different curses-Mirai Kuriyama and Akihito Kanbara.  Fate turns out to be their shared curse as the Youmu within Akihito is revealed to be one of the most dangerous in all of existence…and it’s Mirai’s assignment to eliminate it.  Faced with an unthinkable task, Mirai risks everything to protect the young man she’s come to adore.  In equal measure, Akihito risks the wrath and fate of the world to make sure Mirai comes back to the family she’s gained.  As manipulators play their final hands, a love between two cursed souls dares to break free of destiny and see what is Beyond the Boundary.

Throughout my watch of Beyond the Boundary, I’ve been getting very unpleasant (shout out to Mirai’s catchphrase there) feelings of déjà vu.  It was October one year ago I covered a series that played out similarly to this one, except on a much more violent level.  Blood-C had potential with a cute female lead and some good animation from Production I.G. but came up woefully short delivering on the promise of its mystery, resulting in an infuriating finale that made the entire series feel like a waste of time.  Even without knowing there’s two feature films coming up, I still feel like Beyond the Boundary itself wasted a lot of its time with pointless cryptic musings and a world that hardly felt explored or properly defined.  A lot of that blame falls to the supporting cast for just being unbearably boring, with many just existing to look cool and pretty and act like their upper echelon tier awesome when theyre anything but…mostly looking at the Nase family in that regard.  Huh, feels like I’m starting my final thoughts at the beginning of the review, rather than the end.  Let’s backtrack and go over what I figured out, what still needs explaining, and whether or not this show was or wasn’t a waste of time in the end.
 

Beyond the Boundary Part 2 Episodes 5-8

One of the most dangerous Youmu in existence has been vanquished by two societal outcasts.  The victory opens new doors for Mirai Kuriyama and Akihito Kanbara.  Still see as dangerous individuals, they begin to develop genuine friendships, especially Mirai.  However, this newfound happiness can only last for so long.  A Youmu more powerful than the Hollow Shadow is closing in, one with the power to bring even Youmu to their knees.  As Mirai seeks to settle a personal matter from her past, Akihito finds his future in jeopardy from unseen forces that threaten to unleash his inner Youmu once again.

Sitting through this second set of episodes for Beyond the Boundary, something kept bothering me for a good chunk of the first half.  When these concerns lessened in the second half, I realized why the feelings I was experiencing were so familiar.  Beyond the Boundary is trying to blend together a couple of popular genres, one of which is more Kyoto Animations bread and butter than the other.  Typically, KyoAni is renowned for its slice of life/school life Anime like Free, K-On and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.  The far latter of those examples has a lot of what Beyond the Boundary has, a supernatural element that was blended into the school theme dynamic.  I bring this up because while Haruhi Suzumiya struck a decent balance between classroom humor and scifi/supernatural mysteries, Beyond the Boundary isn’t blending quite as well.  Part of this comes from the lowbrow and sometimes downright cringy humor.  Another part is the bulk of the cast isn’t that compelling.  For the most part though, the drama works far better, even if that is marred by an overabundance of crypticness that annoys the hell out of me.  With all that said, does this mean I like or disliked Beyond the Boundaries second act?
 

FIF#206-Saiyuki

The land of Shangri-La is in turmoil.  A dark force spreads all over, turning peaceful Demons into ravaneous beasts, unleashing their fury upon Humans.  As the Demons begin gathering under the banner of the Demon God Gyumao, the powers that be assign a unlikely team to stop them.  One is a bitter Priest with a ton of attitude.  His three Companions are three Humanoid Demons with immense power and combat skills.  Together, they venture to a distant land in the West.  The Mission:  Save the World…if they don’t tear each other apart first.

 
Dragon Ball may be one of, if not the, biggest name in Anime.  But most tend to ignore or forget the fact that it was inspired by a Chinese Novel called “Journey to the West”.  A lot of Dragon Ball elements stem from this classic from the character of Goku, to the Nimbus Cloud he rides and the Power Pole he wields in the original series…plus the whole grand adventure/quest.  While Dragon Ball tends to be a straight forward adventure romp for all ages, there is another Journey to the West inspired Anime…probably a few but we’re talking about the one here today on First Impression Friday.  Enter Saiyuki: The edgier cousin of Dragon Ball in the Journey to the West adaptation family.