T5W#562-Top 5 Announcements from the Gundam 50th Anniversary Project

We’re three years out from it but come 2029, Mobile Suit Gundam turns the big 50.  Not bad for a franchise that began with a show that was cancelled before it’s intended ending.  Yet here it is, one of the mightiest Mecha franchises of all time proving its staying power and influence five decades later.  Seeing how big of a power it is in the world of Anime, looks like Sunrise is getting the ball rolling pretty early with a whole slew of announcements and plans for the 50^th.   There’s a lot going on but we’re here today to talk about five of the big ones on todays Top 5 Wednesday.  These are the Top 5 Announcements from the Gundam 50^th Anniversary Project.

Lazarus Part 3 Episodes 7-9

Team Lazarus splits up to investigate possible holdouts where Skinner could be hiding.  What should be simple recon turns deadly when Chris is captured by Russian operatives with ties to her past.  As if that weren’t enough, Lazarus’ mission to save their teammate adds to the collective collateral damage they’ve been racking up since they were first formed.  With only 10 days until the first Hapna user dies, is the team still capable of carrying out their main assignment?  Some think otherwise and are willing to go to great lengths to end the team by any means necessary.

My expectations for Lazarus have never been that high, even knowing well after its airing that the Director of Cowboy Bebop is at its helm.  And yet, episode after episode, I’m feeling mixed to mostly negative emotions and this weeks penultimate set of episodes did nothing to sway those emotions into the positive, well mostly.  One of my personal favorite characters got the spotlight (in more ways than one) and the show was nice enough to point out the flaws in not just the team, but the show as well?  Is Lazarus voicing my issues for me?  Again, giving the show too much credit.  How ‘bout I sum up the thoughts myself, may I?
 

T5W#561-Top 5 Mobile Suits Originally Meant to be (or refitted from) Gundams Designs

This Friday, the long wait for US Gundam fans comes to an end as Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe touches down in theaters.  I’m definitely aiming to check it out Friday and will have a review up at last on Memorial Day Monday.  It’s not often we get a Gundam movie in theaters so figured todays Top 5 Wednesday should be Gundam related.  One thing I’ve noticed in recent years despite being a Gundam fan for most of my life: there’s a bunch of Mobile Suits that were meant to be Gundam’s themselves.  And I’m not talking about Tallgeese being the Godfather of Gundams in Gundam Wing, no I mean in the long history (mostly of the Universal Century) there’re examples aplenty of suits that started development as new iterations of the Gundam but got changed for various yet similar reasons.  Most of these resulted in some cool and iconic designs for the franchise.  And today we’re paying homage to these (mostly) little known machines that may not be Gundams but are just as effective on the battlefield.  These are my Top 5 Mobile Suits Originally Meant to be (or refitted from) Gundams Designs.
 

Lazarus Part 2 Episodes 4-6

The search for Doctor Skinner leads Team Lazarus along various avenues of investigation.  From skeezy stock brokers to a mysterious cult that abhors technology, no clue is too small and no suspect unimportant if it gets the team to their target and the cure for the drug that is set to kill billions in less than 30 days.  Luckily, the team might have a way to lure out the illusive Hapna creator with the promise of a cure, but will it be enough or is Skinners reach far greater than they realize?

Last week’s premiere look at Lazarus left a bad taste in my mouth.  Maybe I was being a little too harsh but at the same time, there’s a lot of potential with a series with the premise that it has and yet it’s not doing what I feel is enough with the materials given.  That said, it’s sophomore outing does improve things if only a little by allowing the ensemble cast to step out of Axel’s overimportant shadow and show us a bit more of how the world is reacting to the Hapna Doomsday scenario that’s been thrust upon it.  It doesn’t make me like the series 100% but improvements are better than just staying stagnant…for the most part.
 

Mortal Kombat II

The time has come at last.  The fate of Earthrealm shall once again be decided in a tournament where death is the only means of victory.  Should Outworld be victorious, Shao Kahn claims dominion over our world.  Standing in his way: a rag tag group of fighters including a washed up action movie star and a beautiful Princess. Together, they must trust in their own abilities and fight like they never have before.  The fighters are gathered.  The stage is set.  The time has come again for MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot might not be as timeless as the first 1995 classic but it does still offer a more authentic MK experience for franchise fans thanks to its R Rating allowing for actual blood, gore and fun fatalities.  After five years and a stupid delay from its original October 2025 release window, Mortal Kombat II arrives to make good on the promises of the first film, mainly an actual Mortal Kombat tournament with more characters, more fatalities, more everything.  Those dreading this might end up being a case of history repeating itself with an overstuffed and poorly executed mess like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation rejoice: this isnt that movie.  Heck this may be the best Mortal Kombat movie ever brought to screen and is so good it makes you wonder if the 2021 movie was even necessary (I mean it’s still a fun watch, don’t get me wrong).