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.