FIF#259-Daemons of the Shadow Realm

The peaceful life of young villager Yuru is shattered when a special ops unit from another time storms his home and slaughters the inhabitants.  Rescued by unknown forces, Yuru learns the life he’s been living is a lie and this his village is hidden behind a sheild that hides it from the modern day.  Thrust into a new world, Yuru begins a quest to find his long lost sister, Asa, discover the secrets behind his lifelong deception, and learn to master the power of otherworldly beings known as Daemons.

 
Daemons of the Shadow Realm probably didn’t show up to the Anime scene looking to answer a particular question but it did anyway: What if M. Night Shamylan’s The Village was actually good and delivered on that infamous twist ending (and maybe added a pinch of Rahxephon for good measure)?  The answer is one of the best debut episodes of an Anime in recent memory thanks to an explosive opening that raises so many questions, makes you squirm at the carnage and keeps your eyes open to spot which character design from a certain beloved Anime classic you might spot next.
 

T5W#575-Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates

Disney’s D23 event took place this past weekend and brought some major announcements and previews for upcoming…well everything from the announcement of the cast for the MCU X-Men movie to the first trailers for Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 and Frozen III.  However, I doubt anyone expected Kingdom Hearts IV to get such a substantial amount of attention.  Director Tetsuya Nomura and several key developers and voice actors, including Haley Joel Osment (Sora) and David Gallagher (Riku) took to the stage to drop some new updates for the highly anticipated sequel.  Though my relationship with Kingdom Hearts is kinda strained after KHIII, I’m willing to eventually dive back in and get caught up much like I have with Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth (finally finished the latter btw, what a game).  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’ll be sharing my Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates. 
 
Before we get started though, I’d like to dedicate today’s Top 5 Wednesday to the memory of actress Hayden Panittiere, who sadly passed away last weekend.  Whether you knew her from Heroes, Nashville or Kingdom Hearts’ Kairi, hers is a talent that will be forever missed.  We raise our Keyblade high in her memory.

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms

Furious over Outworld’s loss in Mortal Kombat, Emperor Shao Kahn declares war on Earthrealm.  The only way to stop the invasion will see Liu Kang and his allies travel to Outworld itself for a new Mortal Kombat.  Here, they face enemies far more dangerous and bloodthirsty than before in a land soaked in death and chaos.  Should they fail, Earthrealm will fall and Shao Kahn will be unstoppable.  Once again, the fate of all existence shall be decided as it always has been…in MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!

When any movie project becomes a hit, it can be easy to jump the gun on the sequel and include everything and anything it wants because it feels it can do no wrong.  That’s how we ended up with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and, ironically, that’s the same feeling I get with Battle of the Realms.  As a direct sequel to the pretty awesome Scorpion’s Revenge, Realms decides to ratchet up everything from characters to plots to scope to violence to just about everything.  The end result is an absolute mess of a feature that, unlike Annihilation, isn’t without its strong points.  But woof, this is when you think fan service and overabundance will save the day and it does not here.
 

FIF#258-Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers

It’s been decades since five young warriors dawned magical Samurai Armor and stopped a demonic invasion of the Human World.  Now Tokyo waits with baited breath, training new generations of Samurai Troopers for the day when the evil would return, and this time, they’d be ready.  But they aren’t ready enough.  When demons begin pouring into the streets and the chosen team fails horribly, the true successors to the Samurai Armor must unite and stand on the frontlines of a new war against insurmountable odds just like the warriors of old.

 
When I heard that there was a new Ronin Warriors series on the way late last year, I was hesitant but still a bit excited.  The original series still stands as one of the seminal titles that got me into Anime.  Hell I still remember watching it in a rare syndication run years before the show arrives on Toonami in the late 90s/early 2000s.  So what was the new project going to be I wonder: a remake with new animation?  Given the new lease on life classic titles have gotten like Rurouni Kenshin, that’d be cool.  Oh wait…it’s a sequel?  Well that could be…oh wait…no.  After the first episode I have some serious doubts about this one, very serious doubts.
 

T5W#574-Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell

Major Motoko Kusinagi.  She is a pinnacle of the entire Cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction and one of the most iconic heroines in all of Anime.  How could you not love her?  She’s the total package: drop dead gorgeous, a dedicated military woman, second to none hacker and an expert on all things guns and martial arts.  While we’re getting a new, more playful side to the legendary Major in The Ghost in the Shell, when pushed too far in any series, Motoko wont just throw down, she will wreck you so badly you’ll need a new body as a result.  Today on Top 5 Wednesday we look at those hella intense moments aka the Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell.