Hazbin Hotel (Season 1)

Charlie Morningstar, daughter of the Lord of Hell himself, has a dream: to give the residents of Hell a chance at getting into Heaven by giving them a second chance to do some good.  With the help of her beloved girlfriend, Vaggie, Charlie opens the Hazbin Hotel, Hell’s premiere Rehabilitation Center.  Most in Hell see it as a joke.  And Heaven has some rather not so gentle plans for Hell itself.  It’s up to Charlie and her small collection of demented misfits to prove that even the worst of the worst deserve a shot at redemption.

Happy Halloween Dear Readers from the Gundam Anime Corner.  For this years terror-tastic offering, I’m trying something a bit different, a title I’ve looked forward to giving a full review on for months now.  Musicals and I have a bit of a complicated relationship.  They’re not my go to choice for entertainment but more often than not, I’ll end up liking them.  I guess it shouldn’t shock me then that one of the most talked about animated titles of the year ends up being one of these new hits I’ve come to adore.    The songs may have the tuneage and vibe of a classic like Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin and the lead heroine could be a secret Disney Princess.  But Hazbin Hotel is the ultimate showcase of Anti Disney entertainment. And holy crap, what entertainment it is.
 

T5W#481-Top 5 Otakon 2024 Cosplays

Previously on Top 5 Wednesday:

We kicked off our annual Cosplay Shoutouts for Halloween with a look at my Top 5 Katsucon 2024 Cosplays (you can check it out here if you missed it: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/t5w480-top-5-katsucon-2024-cosplays.html).
 
Today we’re taking a look back at this years big 30^th Anniversary for Otakon.  This was a tough year to draw candidates from.  Not like there wasn’t a lot of variety but everywhere you looked it seemed like Frieren and Hazbin Hotel were dominating the entire scene (not a bad thing by any means, a lot of them were good).  Still, everyone brought their A Game for this landmark year for Otakon and today we’re giving them proper attention with my picks for the Top 5 Otakon 2024 Cosplays.
 

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead-Part 4 Episodes 10-12

Akira’s homecoming gets some unwanted visitors when a disgruntled and broken Kanta Higurashi unleashes a horde of Zombies into the Village.  As Shizuka, Kencho and Beatrix battle to protect the people, Akira faces his dark reflection and finds his very beliefs challenged to their core.  Can Akira stay Akira despite the sacrifices that might have to happen and whose Bucket List of the Dead will win out in the end?

Someone broken by the end of the world brings death and destruction down upon a place undeserving of it.  If this were youre typical Walking Dead kind of storyline, there’d be a lot of death, blood, gore and a feeling of hopelessness despite the chance of victory.  However…THIS IS ZOM 100: BUCKET LIST OF THE DEAD and I’m happy to report that this finale isnt about wallowing in despair as paradise is under attack.  Despite some hiccups with last weeks set, this Finale (I hesitate to call it a Series Finale but more on that later), had Zom 100 stick to the guns it fired the series off with from the very beginning and told a tale of survival, hope and the indomitable spirit we need to see more of in stories like this.  Let’s breakdown why this three part epic had me simultaneously cheering and crying at once.
 

FIF#220-Suicide Squad Isekai

Harley Quinn.  Deadshot.  Peacemaker.  Clayface.  King Shark.  They are some of the deadliest villains on the planet.  And they’ve just been forcibly recruited for a special mission for the United States Government.  However, this isnt just any high end black ops assignment.  This time, the worst of the worst are being deployed…into another world.  In a place where Dragons sail the skies, bodies are buried under battlefields of steel and magic is for real, this could be a total nightmare or the greatest mission ever for this government assembled Suicide Squad

 
When it comes to DC and Anime, you’d think there be more offerings out there besides the Batman centric ones (DC still seems to think no one will be interested if it doesn’t involve him hence why we’re getting a Batman Ninja sequel but that’s neither here nor there).  The crazy and violent antics of the Suicide Squad make them prime candidates for a high octane action fest filled with blood, language and anything else too violent for the Justice League.  And while the idea of the gang being dropped into a fantasy world to have some fun sounds appealing, the first episode sadly has me doubting its full potential because of one crucial element: the star attraction…and no I’m not talking about the titular squad.
 

T5W#480-Top 5 Katsucon 2024 Cosplays

We’ve come to that time of the year again Dear Readers, when Halloween is just around the corner.  And, as is tradition here at the Gundam Anime Corner, it’s time to look at the hit cosplays to come out of two of my favorite conventions this year.  Sure I could always do this after the con itself but idk I this time of year is fun to talk about costumes for obvious reasons.  So let’s begin this pseudo two part Top 5 Wednesday my favorite cosplays from a semi cold winter convention earlier this year.  These are my Top 5 Katsucon 2024 Cosplays.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead-Part 3 Episodes 7-9

Akira, Shizuka and Kencho’s road trip hits a snag when Akira once again finds himself at the mercy of the man who tormented him for three years.  But Akira isnt the same man he was during that time and now he must face his past head on with the help of his friends…and some Zombies for good measure.  Once free, there’s sushi, hot springs and a gorgeous German Otaku girl waiting on the road to Gunma where Akria’s home awaits…along with a new threat more deadly than any Zombie walking the Earth.

This weeks Zom 100 episode set felt, for lack of a better term, a bit overstuffed.  But is that a good or a bad thing?  I guess it depends on the episode in question but each of these three episodes felt longer than their usual lengths and I sometimes wondered if these were all two parters merged into one.  This might have something to do with a production tidbit that has greater bearing on next weeks finale.  Sticking with these episodes for the time being though, Zom 100 continued it’s successful fun and genre defying streak though not without some downsides for once (no I’m not just talking about the episodes feeling a little overlong).  We got Sushi, Akira fulfilling more dreams and a gorgeous new lady joining the adventure as well.  Anyways, let’s get to it.
 

FIF#219-Zombie Land Saga

High School girl Sakura Minamoto’s dreams of becoming an Idol come to a crashing halt when she’s struck dead by a truck.  But Sakura quickly finds herself resurrected as a Zombie along with a select group of other zombified Idols from across history.  The mastermind behind this madness, Kotaro Tatsumi, has assembled this hand picked team to create the ultimate Idol group whose potential popularity can save the Saga Prefecture he resides in.  It’s the chance of a lifetime for Sakura, if she and her new friends can keep their secret lest the world try to destroy them.

 
Now this…is a combo I never really thought of.  Idols and Zombies.  One is one of Anime’s most popular sub genres that are the lifeblood of such classics as Love Live and Macross.  The other is a genre that is one of the most enduring in entertainment history (The Walking Dead is still going on even after its parent series has wrapped).  Put the two together? It’s as bizarre as it sounds but I’m not going to lie…I had to watch two episodes just to get my head around this properly and…I liked it?
 

T5W#479-Top 5 Ladies of Royalty in Gundam

Soooo this is a little random.  When I was setting up a new Lacus Clyne statue on my shelf, I posed the bikini clad, Haro holding beauty next to Mineva Zabi from Gundam Unicorn and it looked like she was introducing Lacus in epic fashion.  It made me think of a Princess introducing a Princess but funny thing, Lacus isnt a Princess.  For all her prominence in the Cosmic Era making her seem like it, Lacus isnt a daughter of Royalty.  Mineva however, very much is the heir to (and I believe current head of) Zeon.  It made me wonder about who else sits on her level in the Gundam Multiverse which brings us to todays Top 5 Wednesday, the Top 5 Ladies of Royalty in Gundam (and naturally, Mineva is on this list too).

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead-Part 2 Episodes 4-6

The Zombie Apocalypse is in full swing and Akira Tendo is living his best life.  Best part is: he’s no longer alone.  He’s managed to rescue his best friend, Kenchiro “Kencho”, and officially form an alliance with the beautiful Zombie survival strategist Shizuka.  As they narrowly dodge the Zombie carnage, eyes soon look past Tokyo as Akira decides to find his parents in Gunma.  But it’s anything but smooth sailing when Akira runs into the last person he wants to see on his little vacation: his work horse Ex Boss.  Suddenly, surviving the undead seems preferable to the terror Akira must now relive.

Welcome back to how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse with an unapologetic smile…or Zom 100.  After a pretty seamless, exciting and fun premiere, Zom 100’s sophomore outing dials up the creative possibilities, amps up the suspense and provides some major challenges Akira has to endure and not the ones he was hoping to ever face again.  It’s loud, it’s frantic and it’s still entertaining as hell, so much so it’s hard to think of anything to complain about but we’ll see how that sticks as I get into this weeks review.
 

FIF#218-Kaiju No.8

When Kaiju threaten the city, the Japansese Defense Force is there to save the day.  When the battle is won, that’s when Kafka Hibino comes in.  His job is to clean up after the Kaijju’s are dead and it’s not the most glamorous job.  Long dreaming of joining the ranks of those who kill the Monsters, Kafka finds an in when he accidentally injests a mysterious bug that transfroms him into a human sized Kaiju.  Forced to lead two different lives, Kafka puts his newfound powers to the test while trying to prove he’s worthy to stand alongside the best of the JDF, especially his childhood friend and the JDF’s best fighter, Mina Ashiro

 
When I think of Humans battling Kaiju, my first thoughts go right to Giant Robots as the most effective weapons against them.  After all, how else are you going to handle skyscraper sized monsters otherwise?  It looks like Kaiju No.8 is looking to answer that question and even expand upon aspect of the Kaiju fighting business that are seldom explored.  Add in a nice dose of humor and some gross out gore courtesy of Production IG and I can see why this has become a bit of a favorite in 2024.
 

T5W#478-Top 5 Hottest Alien Girls in Anime

It’s been a surprisingly good year for the Alien franchise.  Not only was it just announced the other day that we’re getting a sequel to the best Alien video game ever made, Alien: Isolation, but Alien: Romulus kicked all kinds of ass, becoming the financially and critically successful entry in the franchise in a really long time.  This was no doubt thanks to bringing Alien back to its basics and making the Xenomorphs just as scary as when they first appeared in 1979, along with a few new surprises that scared the mess out of me.  And while Cailee Spaeny didn’t take on an Alien Queen (sorry Spoilers), she does continue the trend of tough as nails bad ass ladies to battle the infamous monsters.  Which got me thinking: hot girls and Aliens in Anime…how have I not done that Top 5 yet?  Well truth be told, for all the scifi Anime I do watch, there’s hardly any of them.  Ask me to do a Top 5 Hottest Scifi Ladies in Anime (or another Gundam themed one), that I can do.  Alien Girls, man that’s a tough one.  I did manage to think of five and they’re defintiley worth fawning over and wooing more than the Queen B****, the Alien Queen herself.  Anyway, here are my picks for the Top 5 Hottest Alien Girls in Anime.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead-Part 1 Episodes 1-3

For three years, Akira Tendo has wasted away at his dead end job with few breaks and no future in sight.  So when he awakens one morning to find Tokyo infested with Zombies and he realizes that he wont have to go to work anymore, Akira celebrates his new found freedom by creating a list of things he’d like to do before he becomes one of the living dead.  Chill out around the apartment, do some day drinking, learn how to ride a motorcycle?  Nothing is off limits so long as you don’t get bit.  It’s the end of the world but for Akira Tendo, it’s the vacation he’s sorely needed for three years and he’s gonna live it up.

Welcome to another October here at the Gundam Anime Corner and this year we’re taking a look at a surprisingly refreshing twist on the Zombie genre.  Zom 100 made immediate waves when it debuted in 2023 and, having seen bits of the pilot at Otakon that year, I can see why.  This isnt being presented as your typical survival horror title.  Sure there are plenty of the genres tropes still present (it’s kind of tough to do a straight forward comedy of such a nightmarish event).  Zom 100 still wants to joke about those tropes while still being honest and presenting a more optimistic POV on a world overrun by Zombies.  It’s still scary at times, its still hard hitting.  But damn if this isnt set to be one of the best feel good Zombie tales ever told.  Let’s hop into it then.
 

FIF#217-The Ultraman

Earth, the 21^st Century, is under attack from monsters of unknown origin.  The Science Defense Squad fights a neverending battle against them.  But they’re not without help.  Unbeknownst to them, their newest recruit, Hikari Chouichirou, has bonded with an advanced Alien, an Ultra Person, called Ultraman Jonias.  Though this joining, Hikari is able to become Ultraman, the titanic guardian who has the power to fight the Monsters on their own terms. 

 
So this one came as a bit of a surprise for me (a friend stumbled across one of Shout Factory’s 24/7 series streams).  Of course I know of the current Ultraman Netflix CG Anime but I never knew that Ultraman had an Anime adaptation prior, especially one dating as far back as the late 70s.  This seems fitting considering the 70’s were all about Giant Mecha teams being used to fight against Kaiju and Aliens.  So why not one of Japan’s most iconic superheroic defenders? 
 

T5W#477-Top 5 Sexiest Assassin’s in Anime

Last week we got our first look at the long awaited spin off of the John Wick franchise, Ballerina.  I’ve been excited for this one for a while for a couple of reasons.  First, the John Wick movies are freaking awesome, with plenty of room for stories beyond our titular hitman.  The second is Ana de Armis.  If you haven’t seen her in movies like Blade Runner 2049 or Knives Out, you should cause she’s a fantastic actress.  More importantly to todays topic, in her criminally underutilized role in the James Bond film No Time to Die, Ana’s Paloma kicks a tremendous amount of ass in a sequence that is probably the reasons she landed the role of titular Ballerina Eve Maccaro.  Personally it’s also kind of obvious but she is as gorgeous as she is a talented actress.  Got me thinking about Anime femme fatales who have a penchant for taking on deadly jobs with the odds stacked against them and making good use of their arsenal of weapons and to die for good looks.  And today we’re giving these ladies a shoutout on Top 5 Wednesday with the Top 5 Sexiest Assassin’s in Anime.