Akira

2019 AD.  Thirty One Years after WWIII, Neo Tokyo stands just beyond the ruins of the old world.  On a seemingly average night, a team of bikers encoutners a young boy who looks like an old man.  When one of their most reckless member, Tetsuo, is injured by the boy, a chain of events is set into motion that threatens to turn Neo Tokyo into a crater just like its predecessor.  As psychic powers long dormant within him awaken, Tetsuo becomes a walking weapon of mass destruction tearing down the world that has shunned and belittled him all of his life.  But power like this cant be simply controlled.  And if he is not stopped, the fall of Neo Tokyo could only be the beginning.

Akira.  For a long, long time, you couldn’t talk about Anime without bringing this title up.  Released back in 1988, Akira came along at a time when the world wasn’t taking Anime seriously and when Disney ruled the animation kingdom.  Akira did away with the notion that “cartoons are just for kids” and introduced the world to a hard hitting, almost unforgiving and unapologetic look at hard animation for a scifi audience.  It’s acclaim was instantaneous and for a long time, the title was considered the King of Anime.  But does it really live up to all that acclaim and all that hype?

Yes, yes it does.  For a film released in the late 80’s Akira holds up surprisingly well.  The first five minutes alone are a perfect set up for the ride you’re about to have: Tokyo explodes, the foreboading drum beats of the main theme, the ridiculously cool biker battle, all of it combines to let you know that this movie is the reason Anime is on the map today.  People may be talking about other popular modern titles now.  But if Akira hadn’t broken ground when it came out, we wouldn’t have those titles to discuss.

Akira is often hailed as, if nothing else, one of the greatest animated movies of all time.  Yeah it’s definitely that.  All of the detail in each shot of this movie is worthy of pause and analysis.  Not saying it has the “real world” aesthetic that Jin Roh had but for a scifi film, Akira nails the dystopian landscape like no other…animation wise anyway.  Even the characters themselves benefit from a drawing style that few Anime today still have.  Those moving mouths are voicing dialogue like an actual person, astounding stuff.  Of course, there’s the violence which makes me go “Owwww” every time someone gets mushed or loses a limb.  Akira has oodles of blood and gore.  I dare someone who thinks Anime is a kids past time to still say that if they ever watch Akira.

The story and screenplay are written by Katsuhiro Otomo, author of the original Akira manga.  What’s interesting is that the manga was not finished when this film came out (it wouldn’t be for another year or so I think).  So it’s fun to see Otomo play around with events and even give fans a small glimpse at what the “true” conclusion would be to his manga.  On it’s own, Akira still manages to tell a tightknit story filled with action, philosophical and ethical debates and even some political intrigue.  The political elements kind of get jettisoned in favor of an action heavy third acts and I don’t think they ever got a full resolution.  Which is a bit of a shame because the social commentary on how a city should be run in the wake of an event as devastating as a World War was actually pretty fascinating (something I hardly ever say since im not the most politically savvy person in the world).  However, by that point, this has become Tetsuo’s show and he still remains one of the most compelling characters in all of Anime.  He’s a kid who’s had a crappy existence and feels like the world has never been on his side.  Even his friendship with his “best friend”, Kaneda, is pretty strained, to the point where Tetsuo’s inferiority complex has become immense.  So when he gets crazy psychic powers, yeah you can bet he’s gonna do some damage in excessive (and yet kind of cool) over the top ways.  And yet, Tetsuo still maintains a very sympathetic vibe that I couldn’t help but admire…even at his most crazy.  He’s by far the most interesting character in the film.  The second most would be The Colonel (who has a name, it’s just never spoken in the movie).  He’s probably the most heroic character in the movie, even more so that the 80’s action type that is Kaneda.  The Colonel sees the true nature of Neo Tokyo and knows it’s only getting worse by the day.  Yet he still strives to save it, no matter the cost and he isn’t afraid to get his own hands dirty, especially in the films epic final scene.

It wouldn’t be a full review if I didn’t mention the musical score of Akira.  Before we had the uniqueness of Cowboy Bebop by Yoko Kanno or FLCL by The Pillows, we had Akira by  Geinō Yamashirogumi.  For a film set in a neon lit futuristic city, the music of Akira doesn’t have a very futuristic sound, not totally anyway.  It feels like there are almost dozens of instruments at work during each number.  Both Kaneda and Tetsuo’s themes steal the show.  Kaneda’s Theme plays during the opening fight sequence and helps sell the majesty and awesomness of this film in a nutshell, a true adrenaline pumping track.  Tetsuo’s theme is the stuff of nightmares, a theme the devil himself would use as an entrance.  It’s a stark contrast to Kaneda’s theme, maleficent, demonic and terrifying.  There were a couple of times when even a small portion of the chanting played on screen and I felt goosebumps.

 

While the story might lose a couple of plot points in the shuffle to get to the action heavy sequences, Akira never loses its confidence nor feels like it isn’t up to the task of being an engaging, challenging and fun Anime film.  It’s one of those movies that, by credits end, proves that it deserves to be remembered so long as the Anime medium exists.  This isn’t googly eyed chibi characters in a Looney Tunes short.  This is a dark, gritty and very mature tale that dares to break boundaries and push Anime to its limits.  Many films have followed Akira that can easily be placed on a Top 10 Best Anime of All Time list.  Few can match its overall power and effect on the world at large, especially since it hasn’t just inspired other Anime but also live action filmmaking like The Matrix and Dark City.

When I first got into Anime, Akira was a title spoken of as a legend…and a legend is what this film will always remain to me.

9.5/10

Hope you all enjoyed this last minute review and I’ll see you all in 2018…which kicks off tomorrow with the start of ONE PUNCH MAN, right here on the Gundam Anime Corner.

FIF#47-Turn A Gundam

The year is Correct Century 2345.  After a near two millenia exile off world, the Moonrace, a long forgotten group of humans, makes plans to return to the surface.  Loran Cehak is a Moonrace agent sent to recon the planet before the rest of the Moonrace is set to follow.  Loran finds a beautiful world of wonder upon arrival, as well as two beautiful sisters who take him into their home.  One year later, the Moonrace finally returns…bringing fire and conquest along with them.  With the technology of the Earth based humans unable to withstand the advanced war machines of the Moonrace, it falls to Loran to protect the new home he has come to love.  His weapon is a buried relic from the past, a Mobile Suit whose resurrection awakens a dark chapter from humanities history…destined to repeat itself once again.

Turn A Gundam is a landmark title for the Gundam Franchise.  It was released in 1999, marking the 20^th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam.  It also featured an amazing production staff.  Gundam’s Godfather, Yoshiyuki Tomino, returned to direct after a six year absence following Victory Gundam.  Legendary composer, Yoko Kanno, fresh off Cowboy Bebop and Escaflowne, was tapped for the musical score.  And famous American scifi designer, Syd Mead, was tasked with giving the world a new kind of Gundam for this special series.  The sum of all these parts and more has led many to call Turn A Gundam the best Gundam series of all time. 

After watching the first episode, even without seeing a sign of the titular Turn A yet, I can say that so far the series is living up to its epic hype.  For starters, this is definitely the best looking Gundam series ive ever seen.  Even more modern day entries like Iron Blooded Orphans or Gundam: The Origin look as good as Turn A Gundam does, which is saying something about a show that is almost itself 20 years old.  The animation is breathtaking and near movie level quality.  Kind of makes sense.  Unlike the almost half hearted animation attempts with Gundam X, Turn A came out during a historical moment for Gundam, this show had to look its best and it does.

The story, once again, does a pretty good job of roping me in, even without the presence of a Gundam.  Loran’s wide eyed fascination with the Earth is a welcome approach.  While I know that the Moonrace is destined to start conflict when it arrives, you wouldn’t think they were capable of such violence if you were to judge them based on Loran.  Sure he may look like a girl (some jerk even keeps calling him Laura for a better part of the episode), but Loran’s got a heart that feels very different from any Gundam pilot before him.  Some of this has to do with how old school the Earth looks compared to what the Moonrace has at the moment.  The Victorian style dressing of the town Loran lives in gives Turn A almost an Escaflowne style vibe, like a small part of a fantasy kingdom.  The shots of the bi-planes in flight is awesome and I cant wait to see this kind of technology square off with Mobile Suits from the Moon (though im sure it will be one sided as heck).

By the end of the first episode of Turn A Gundam, I was sad I didn’t have access to more episodes.  Just like Gundam X, Turn A grabbed me with a unique take on a Gundam tale and leaves me wanting more.  Unlike X, however, Turn A’s pedigree of impressive artists, composers and writers, helps it shine brighter and I can see why this is held in high regard as the best Gundam since the original.  In many ways, it already feels like a Gundam series Tomino had long wanted to do but was unable to, due to creative differences with the studios (which led to the disastrous productions of both Gundam F91 and Victory Gundam).  Turn A Gundam feels instantly different.  The first episode feels confident without the need of a Gundam to bolster its appeal, no easy feat, and the series seems willing to let the set up, the scenery and the main character carry the weight of getting things off the ground.  That being said, more than anything, I want to see the Turn A in battle.  With animation this good, I cant wait to see how the action plays out.  I’ll have to track this one down in full sometime, it might be worth splitting things up for a full series review (we’ll see in 2018).

And that concludes First Impression Friday: GundamCember.  This is, sadly, also going to be the last First Impression Friday for the foreseeable future.  Once again, time is not something I have a ton of and sometimes its all I can do to get main reviews on Mondays written.  If more time frees up for me, I might be able to do some more articles for this feature.  For now, I hope everyone enjoyed the return of these snippets.  I promise FIF will return sometime in 2018.  Thank you so much for stopping through to check these out and I hope ive piqued some interest in these choice Gundam series ive shared thoughts on over the last month. 

I’ll see everyone in 2018.

 

T5W#124-Top 5 Favorite Titles Ive Reviewed in 2017 (That Aren’t Your Name)

2017’s last day is Sunday.  Thank freaking God.  If I could sum up this year as a whole, it would be 2016 Part 2, the continuation of a bad year that somehow managed to get worse in many respects.  I sometimes fear some of that life stress did bleed into my Anime Corner content, with some reviews or articles not being as well written as they could be.  On the whole, 2017 was a good year for my page.  I enjoyed (most) of the titles I chose to review and while the reviews weren’t as numerous as previous years (longer shows and less stand alone titles), I think I knew when I gave a title my all.  Those titles are getting the spotlight this week, the last week of 2017.  And for fairness sake, im going to omit Your Name from this list because, well that movie is a tier all of it’s own and it wouldn’t be fair giving it the top spot when there were so many other titles I also enjoyed this year.  So as the title says above, these are my Top 5 Best Titles Ive Reviewed in 2017 (That Aren’t Your Name)

 

#5-Silent Mobius: The Series

Wait a second Gundam, I thought you said “favorite titles”.  You hated reviewing Silent Mobius, right?  Correct but you know what, it’s been a long time since ive been able to cut loose and put a bad series through its paces on this blog.  Rewatches of titles like Escaflowne and Love Hina have shown my opinion of both shows isn’t what it was when I saw them both back in college.  In the case of Silent Mobius, it wasn’t for the better.  Silent Mobius’ TV adaptation was one of the most horrible shows ive ever reviewed her.  Subpar animation, lackluster characters (mostly, I did love Kiddy and Katsumi), a premise with squandered potential.  Every week turned into a whole new rant…and I was having so much fun doing that.  I like to praise the shows I watch when I can but in Silent Mobius’ case, its flaws were begging to be torn apart by me.  So yeah, it nets a spot in my Top 5 Best of 2017 titles cause it was bad and I was loving going crazy by how worse it was getting week after week.

#4-Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

The title that officially kicked off Year 4 of the Anime Corner, Gundam 0080 has so much going for it and manages to get everything right.  A nice side story slipped into the main Gundam narrative featuring a cast you love, no matter the side their on, high quality animation and some of the most heartbreaking moments in all of Gundam, War in the Pocket is a near perfect OVA and entry in the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise.  It was an easy binge and an even easier pair of reviews to write.  Unlike Silent Mobius above, 0080 was a show I had to praise from beginning to end and while one of the villains is lacking, that’s a minor quibble that kept it from getting a straight 10/10. This is one Gundam story that shouldn’t be forgotten in the sea of titles.

 

 

#3-Full Metal Panic: Fumofuu/Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid

This year I tried a bit of an experiment.  I took one series with three seperatley connected seasons and decided to review them all throughout the year.  The series I selected was Full Metal Panic.  While the first season was pretty shakey, trying to balance intense military action with high school antics, the second and third seasons each split the formula in half, ran with them and produced far better results.  Fumoffu was just a lot of fun.  The jokes worked, the chemistry between Sousuke and Kaname played for laughs and good character building that carried over into Season 3 and, of course, BONTA KUN!!!  It was so good I was nervous going into The Second Raid when things got back to serious business again.  But the writers had learned from their Season 1 mistakes and after an “eh” first set of episodes, Season 3 ran off like Barry Allen in the Speed Force.  The drama was enthralling, the action was better, the villains were better, Sousuke and Kaname were perfect, Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid knoked it out of the park.  I suppose if I were forced to pick between the two, id probably choose TSR over Fumoffu.  But for this list, they share the #3 spot, simply because for a series that started as roughly as the first season did, the later seasons somehow fixed its mistakes and only got better as time went on.  I cant wait to see if Season 4-Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory, can carry on the momentum.

 

#2-Mobile Suit Gundam Wing

One of the unfortunate casualties from the crappy year I had was the Fate/Stay Night franchise.  After reviewing the Studio Deen series at the end of last year, I was pumped to review Fate/Zero and Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works as my summer series special leading to Otakon 2017.  But Otakon never happened and I got depressed.  I needed to change my mindset and review something that I could have an easier time watching and enjoy.  As luck would have it, Crunchyroll added Mobile Suit Gundam Wing to their roster, in HD no less to heighten anticipation for the long awaited arrival of the series to Blu-Ray.  While the site didn’t have the famous English Dub, getting to watch Gundam Wing in HD and in Japanese was something else, like watching the show for the first time all over again.  This was my first time watching Wing in a long time and it gave me new perspective.  As a nostalgia title it is near and dear to me, hell like many it’s what got me into Gundam to begin with.  The show, much like Escaflowne or Love Hina, isn’t without its retrospective flaws and I had to point them out.  Not everyone agrees but I cant call Gundam Wing a flawless masterpiece.  It is, however, a title I will always hold near and dear to my heart and am glad it was there for me when I really needed something to lift my spirits this year.  Plus I really like the “Final Thoughts” I wrote for the show, probably the most honest and still care ive given to a show yet.

So with all that said, why is Gundam Wing not #1?  Well that’s because…

#1-Blade Runner/Blade Runner 2049

It’s hard to think of Anime and not somehow think of Ridley Scott’s 1982 scifi/noir masterwork Blade Runner.  The influences from that film can be felt in Anime across the board from the 80’s to 90’s to 00’s to now.  With the announcement of a sequel, one that (at the time) I was terrified of seeing as how Blade Runner is my favorite movie of all time, I decided Blade Runner would be a natural title to review on my blog.  I had to hold back my fanboy a little bit as I could talk about how perfect that movie is til the end of days.  And yet, I was surprised when not only did I enjoy Blade Runner 2049, seeing it as a film that was more than capable of standing alongside its predecessor, but when BR2049 became my most read review on this blog EVER!!!  I guess people resonate with the connection between Blade Runner and Anime like I do.  That or people who know how much I love BR were really looking forward to my thoughts.  Still, as far as live action features go on this blog page, im glad I got to give Blade Runner some time to shine and I am more than happy the sequel got things so, so right.  Without Blade Runner, scifi Anime like Ghost in the Shell, Akira, and Bubblegum Crisis might not even exist and through the existence of those titles and more, the legacy of Blade Runner will be eternal.

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt Part 4 Episode 11-13

It seemed impossible but they finally did it…well Stocking did anyway.  That’s right, the sweet toothed Anarchy Sister has made her way back into Heaven, leaving a jealous Panty behind.  Scanty and Kneesocks launch a new, brutal attack, leaving Panty without her weapons and Brief in serious trouble.  As the end of days comes to Daten City, can a powerless Panty stand up to the might of the Demon Sisters and their boss?  Or is it the end for the party loving Fallen Angel?  Oh and be sure to stay til the end of the credits…cause you’ll never see one incredibly WTF twist coming.

For a series so hellbent on being as rude, lewd and crude as could possibly be, im surprised PSG decided to make an attempt to be semi-serious (as much as this show could be) and try to tie everything together at the finish line.  The series finale still gave it a shot while still remaining the same kind of ridiculous and insane kind of fun it has always been.

I’ve got to give this show a ton of credit.  Bringing a ton of threads together across the whole 13 episode run, with everything having such a sporadic connection, is a tall order.  Still, I have to say that this doesn’t really hurt anything that’s come before it.  A lot of Panty and Stocking can be watched with enjoyment without a lot of prior knowledge from episode to episode.  And yet this sudden “everything is connected” twist will definitely make further rewatches a bit more fun because, if you think about it, the bread crumbs leading to this point were everywhere, even in plain sight (everything except a certain twist ill get to towards the end).

Even before we got to the epic two part (which I guess makes it 4 parts since each episode is 2 15 minute tales), we still got one last bit of stand along romping out of the way.  I never thought 15 minutes of Panty and Stocking just chilling in one place, shooting the breeze, could be so entertaining.  This is helped by the fact that theyre actually asking questions ive wondered about since the series beginning.  Panty and Stocking are the exact opposite of Angels.  They’re selfish, borderline heartless and swear every other word on a regular basis.  Why the heck would they ever want to go back to Heaven, a place where their vices would never be allowed?  Funny they would bring this up right before the finale, almost as if the writers needed to ask a logical question at some point and try to acknowledge that somewhere in the back of their out of mind heads they were thinking about this too.  We also got a fun backstory for Garterbelt, watching his rise to Kingpin before his death and subsequent reset at the dawn of time.  Seeing him interact with most of the Old Testament’s biggest events like Adam and Eve and Noah’s Ark was gut bustingly hilarious.

And then it was time to start the march to the end.  It actually makes sense that, between the two vice loving siblings, Stocking would be the one to make it back into Heaven.  Don’t get me wrong, she’s a selfish chick but Panty is a whole level above her, a gun toting sex addict who refuses to help even her own sister hunt down ghosts if the right man catches her eye.  In that regard, I would say it was fitting Panty got put through her paces…because she deserves it.  But depowering Panty and leaving her almost at the mercy of Scanty and Kneesocks was surprisingly effective storytelling.  Factor in Brief getting a sudden reveal as being a handsome rich kid and you’ve got a Panty never before seen: turned back into a virgin and needing to accept certain things to get back to Angel status. 

This all lead to one amazing final showdown as only Studio Gainax could provide.  The visuals went beyond insane, the humor was dialed up to maximum, the banter between Panty and Stocking was at its peak.  I wont say it was a perfect ending but it delivered on the same levels of fun we’ve gotten so far and I loved it for it.  Like I said, it wasn’t perfect.  Corset, the big bad who’s been in the shadows since the mid point of the series, proved to be less of a “big bad” and more of a standard villain of the week for the girls, just another demon or ghost that needed to be expunged without much thought.  Granted the WAY that Corset was taken out was probably the most bizzare thing ive ever seen in an Anime, or it’s pretty up there.  Still, he was way less memorable than Scanty and Kneesocks, who could have been better served by becoming the true main enemies through some random power up to close the series out.

In short (and without even trying to describe just how it all went down…im an English major and I couldn’t even come up with the proper words for it), the day ended up being saved BUT…then we got that sudden freaking twist post credits scene that calls into question EVERYTHING that’s come before.  There’s no build up, there’s not even a hinting of it as the show has gone on.  Nope it just happens and what makes it all the more unbearable, there is no Season 2…yet anyway.  Yes we end Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt on a massive cliffhanger that needs to be resolved eventually.  I would say it should hamper my final rating but, in another way, this feels like a move Panty and Stocking would pull at the finish line.  After all, this isn’t about meeting expectations.  This is about a studio doing whatever the heck it wants (you’re welcome?).

To say that reviewing Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt on this blog has been a challenge is a massive understatement.  In very short words, this show is great and a lot of fun.  Describing why that is, well that requires a lot of detail that’s definitely NSFW.  The grossness, the sex jokes, the imagery straight out of the sickness of many minds, I really wish I could attempt to describe it all...though id probably risk making a lot of people queasy.  At the core though, this is the kind of show to pull up when you’ve had a bad day.  Panty, Stocking, and even Garterbelt, are the inner non Angel in all of us who need to vent at the world in some way.  In that regard, man I cant imagine how much fun the voice actresses are having speaking all of these lines uncut and without restrictions.  The animation was stellar, from the standard to the special episode animations like the Chuck to the Future Trilogy or the hassled Office Worker episode.  The humor never let up, never apologized for being disgusting and stayed true from beginning to end.  Besides one or two tales that even I found tough to watch cause some fetishes are best kept hidden, as well as an underused final villain and (slightly) the surprise extra ending, I’d recommend giving Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt a watch.  It lets the Anime genre of it’s leash and has it go nuts for 13 no holds barred episodes.  You’ll either come out the other side feeling unclean or realizing you’ve had one of the greatest blasts every watching an Anime…or both.  I leave that final call up to you.

I close out Panty and Stocking with Gartbelt with a very solid and strong 9/10.

And yeah.  Baring any unexpected extra surprises, that’s it.  The Gundam Anime Corner reviews for 2017 are officially wrapped up.  Check back Wednesday for my Top 5 Best Reviewed Titles of 2017 followed by the close out of First Impression Fridays on…well Friday.  And be sure to swing by New Years Day as I kick off 2018 with the start of our first series…ONE PUNCH MAN (I’ll have a more extended announcement of the start of 2018 as well at the start of the year).

Thanks for sticking around everyone.  See ya in 2018.

 

FIF#46-After War Gundam X

After War 0015.  The Earth is now a barren wasteland in the wake of a war that destroyed 99% of the human race.  What’s left of Earth’s population survives any way they can.  Scavengers prowl the Earth surface in search of supplies, weapons and even Newtypes left over from the war’s aftermath.  Garrod Ran is a child born in the war’s aftermath.  When he discovers a beautiful Newtype girl named Tiffa Adill as well as the lost mobile suit Gundam X, Garrod finds himself thrust into the ranks of the scavenger group Vulture.  The goal of Vulture is simple: prevent the destruction of Earth from ever happening again.

 

After War Gundam X is an interesting entry in the Gundam Franchise in that it shares a few historical similarities with the original Mobile Suit Gundam Series.  X was the show that aired in the wake of Gundam Wing and was planned for a more traditional (at the time) 50 some odd episode run.  However, ratings were never nearly as strong as they were with Wing or it’s other predecessor, G Gundam, and after flopping back and forth between bad time slots, Gundam X was cancelled after 39 episodes, a similar fate which befell Mobile Suit Gundam which ended its run at 43 episodes, 7 short of its intended run.  For all the ratings drama, the question stands: did Gundam X deserve its fate and does its cancellation mean it’s a bad show?  After checking out the first couple of episodes I can say, in my opinion, that Gundam X holds a lot of promise when it comes to its story.  I think it could definitely keep me invested, even if the animation leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Gundam X is the first of the Alternate Universe Gundam shows (after G and Wing) to ask a very important “What If?”:  What if the One Year War had gone totally FUBAR and Zeon had carried out more colony attacks?  With a question like that, it’s easy to see why X and the original 1979 series have more similarities besides their abrupt endings.  Several images invoke the early episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam, from the colony drops to Garrod’s first ride in the titular Gundam X.  Thankfully, these omages don’t overshadow X’s potential in its story.  The Earth show in After War 0015 is as close to the end of days as you can get.  Often times I was thinking it reminded me of Mad Max, other times Trigun (though those two kind of go hand in hand don’t they?)  With the world on the brink of collapse around him, where scavengers are fighting each other to the death for the next big score, it’s amazing Garrod Ran is such a bright eyed optimist.  The kid seems a fan of “everything will work out” given he was born into this imperfect world right after it went to Hell.  And then there’s Tiffa.  Clearly, she’s this shows version of a Newtype, with precognitive abilities and some sort of spiritual connection to the Gundam.  The look of horror on her face after the X fired its big gun and left a field of glass, where there was once a forest, says it all.  She’s got the power but I doubt she knows how that power works or just how destructive it can be.  Garrod might not be an Amuro Ray but Tiffa definitely gives of vibes of an early Lalah Sune, without proper mastery of her abilities.  These two will clearly drive this show and I want to see where their journey takes them.

 

The animation department is where I can see the main problems I had with these intro episodes.  Gundam X looks a heckuva lot like Wing…sometimes.  Then there are moments where the pretty boy pilots Roybea and Witz look like they were plucked from Escaflowne, while Garrod’s Looney Tunes facial experession and hyperactivity remind me of Trigun again.  Then, of course, there are the aforementioned omages to the original Gundam series, which feel like reskins of familiar events (right down to the rise of the X and it’s initial glowing of the eyes upon activation) though they do have their differences.  Gundam has always been a long time title of Studio Sunrise.  So it’s kind of strange that X would look so inconsistent when it comes to finding its animation voice.  Gundam Wings animation might’ve gone all over the map, especially in the second half, but you could always tell it was trying to be serious and consistent.  Im hoping it will get better but like I said, the story seems to make up for this big shortcoming…for now anyway.

 

Upon initial watch, I can see why Gundam X is considered an overlooked title in the Gundam mythos.  It’s cancellation when it aired might raise a stink but, much like Joss Whedon’s Firefly, that doesn’t mean the show was bad enough to deserve it.  The What If scenario is fascinating and the setting you get from it is much bleaker than most Gundam shows, even the original series.  A pair of promising leads propel the story along a path that I hope doesn’t get to rough or even predictable.  I’m sure more original series nods will pop up but I cant see them overshadowing the here and now with Gundam X’s storyline (definitely now how they did for Gundam Seed).  I’ll have to look into checking this series out in full somehow.  Cause if im right, maybe this is the series Toonami should have gone with once Gundam Wing wrapped up it’s run (though G Gundam wasn’t a bad choice but that was two years after Wing aired…and a whole other discussion for another time).

 

See you next Friday for the conclusion of GundamCember, as well as the last First Impression Friday for a little while.

T5W#123-Top 5 Reasons I Think the Live Action Battle Angel Alita is a Bad Idea

I probably should have done this last week when this trailer dropped (But last week was Star Wars and Star Wars trumps everything else-Last Jedi ROCKED BTW).  Last week though, we got the first trailer for the long in development Battle Angel Alita live action movie.  For the longest time, since before man first learned to walk, director James Cameron (Aliens, Titanic, Avatar) had long sought to bring this classic Anime title to the big screen.  Now that he’s firmly entrenched in his Avatar universe, he’s handed the directorial reigns to Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sharkboy and Lava Girl).  And the initial reactions have been…well…mixed, lets say mixed.  A friend of mind sent the trailer my way as I had no clue this movie was still happening and as I kept watching the 2min trailer, one thing became clear to me: This movie is a bad idea.  And today on T5W, im going to explain why I think that is.  These are my Top 5 Reasons I Think the Live Action Battle Angel Alita is a Bad Idea.  Special shoutout to my good friend, Vivian, who sent me the trailer link and was kind enough to share some of her own thoughts to help me write this since she knows more about Alita than I do.  Thanks Viv *hugs*

 

#5-Storyline (Vivian Option)

As one might expect, cramming mass volumes of a manga or 26 odd episodes of an Anime into on 2 or so hour film is going to be impossible.  I suspect that this Alita movie will be trying to set up a film series of its own and stick to a bare bones origin tale.  That being said, Viv has her own concerns about how the characters will be portrayed (especially when it comes to Alita but we’ll get there in due time) and further doubts they’ll be true to their original source characters.  Likewise, Viv also let me know that the Alita story itself gets a little complicated at times.  Complicated doesn’t work unless youre doing a multiple part adaptation and Alita really cant take that kind of risk if it wants to somehow work.  It has to be a film that somehow stands on its own while honoring its source story rather than just trying to look cool.

 

#4-Relevance of the Title

Battle Angel Alita came out in the early 90’s.  While it was a popular title in circles for a while, I haven’t heard it spoken of as much as other titles from the decade, like Ghost in the Shell.  Lack of relevance in the last decade could hurt the chances of Alita making an impact, especially if it’s a US produced feature (more on that later).  The title could generate buzz from die hard fans and I could imagine some kind of Anime tie in happening to promote the movie.  But I feel like this is a film that (much like Ghost in the Shell in a way) should have been attempted in the 90’s when their original Anime productions came out.  Nowadays, fans are talking about dreams of My Hero Academia or (even still) Neon Genesis Evangelion, more than they are Battle Angel Alita.  It makes me feel so sad for it.

 

#3-Watering Down to a PG13

From what Viv told me, Alita is a pretty violent Anime title.  This makes sense given that it’s set in a post apocalyptic future where Cyborgs fighting each other to the death is just another day.  I’m imagining sort of Ghost in the Shell or Armitage meets Ninja Scroll style action.  So why, after seeing the first trailer, am I expecting this movie isn’t going to get the R-Rating it probably needs?  Not that I think the visuals are anything to write home about at the moment, I think they look average tbh.  But come on, Alita’s level of cyborg on cyborg violence feels like something James Cameron could do in his sleep, you know having done Terminator and all.  But to get more of an audience appeal, Im expecting a lot of watering down to the title.

 

#2-The Current State of Live Action Anime 

Let’s face it, 2016 was a pretty bad year for Live Action Anime films.  While Japan did give us a (supposedly good) Gintama movie, we got so-so responses or worse from the Fullmetal Alchemist and JoJo’s Bizzare Adventure films.  Lest we forget, the US had an even worse year.  Ghost in the Shell and Death Note might’ve gotten so-so reviews from my end but I cannot ignore the “KILL EM WITH FIRE” reception the anime community gave them and im not gonna argue.  We had two chances to make films based on two special titles (one of which is very near and dear to my heart).  Instead, we got movies that join Dragonball: Evolution as evidence that Live Action Anime (good ones and bad) should be handled by Japan and Japan alone.  At least they know the sum of the parts of the manga/anime that make those stories work…rather than rushing out a pointless cash grab.

 

#1-Those eyes…those horrifying eyes (Vivian thoughts included) 

I felt so bad for actress Rosa Salazar.  The whole of my first viewing I was really wondering if those were her natural eyes and that is a horrible thing to think.  Im sure she could act the hell out of this part but…why try to make her eyes look the way they do?  Was this a Cameron choice or a Rodriguez choice?  Does this make her character seem more Anime?  Why not just have her look like Rosa Salazar does in real life, with some cybernetic augmentations obviously?  These eyes are just…something isn’t right about this approach.  Vivian shared similar concerns with me about Alita’s overall design.  I didn’t notice it until she pointed it out how “Avatar” Alita looks in the trailer.  It wows me because aside from the obvious CG cosmetics she look real.  Is she being mocapped by Rosa Salazar?  Again, why go this route when basic practical effects could have done a better and more convincing job.  Honestly, it feels more like a bad joke than anything else and do we really need another joke of a live action Anime feature? 

 

(BTW note: I totally see now that Rosa Salazar plays Brenda in the Maze Runner movies.  She’s hot and she can act, a force of nature those movies don’t deserve.  That just makes the anime googly eyes even more insulting.) 

Guess we’ll find out if we’re all right or wrong on this one when Alita: Battle Angel arrives next summer…the same summer as Avengers: Infinity War…wow this film might be more screwed than I think.

 

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt Part 3 Episodes 7-10

Daten City, where the lowest of the low come to live out their afterlife in torment.  This includes Panty and Stocking, two fallen Angels who cant seem to catch a break.  Between the Zombie Apocalypse, love sick ghosts, the search for decent paying jobs, an ancient war between transforming robots, oh and those pesky demon sisters stiring up all kinds of crap, it’s enough to make any pissed off ex-Angel crack.  And what’s this?  There’s even time for a kick ass music video and a series of bizzare short focused on the girls ever faithful punching bag, Chuck.  Cause in Daten City, things may look crappy, but theyre hardly ever boring.

Holy freaking crap.  If you were going to tell me that at some point watching Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt I’d be watching a full on Transformers parody AND id think it was far superior to any of the Michael Bay films…id don’t know if id call you crazy or not cause anything is better than those boredom fest films.  I could spend this entire review set talking about this episode alone.  The character models (especially the faces, Stocking is just channeling straight up Generation 1 Megatron), the action, the references to Generation 1 and even the Michael Bay films, the narrarator that sounds exactly like the OG narrarator from the 1984 Transformers cartoon…and it still has all of the Panty and Stocking humor you’d come to expect.  After all, this isn’t your daddys war between Optimus Prime and the Autobots against Megatron and the Decepticons.  No, this is Rottenass Panty and the Pantybots vs Gothitron Stocking and the Stockingcons…and it is hands down easily the one episode of this show I have laughed the hardest watching.  I got in 15 short and sweet minutes what 5 live action films have yet to achieve in more than 12 hours of combined runtime…good Transformers fun (granted in the most unexpected way).

And that was just the beginning.  The third week of Panty and Stocking seemed to want to go all out all over the place.  We got a volleyball beach showdown, a love story, a Zombie Apocalypse, a music video and all the sexy and oh so wrong Panty and Stocking charm that came with each new premise.  Not everything was a total hit but I cant deny I was having so much fun enjoying these four episodes it was hard for me to think of any downsides.  We even got multiple welcome and never worn out returns from the sexy demon sisters Scanty and Kneesocks.  Man.  I know I kicked things off with a love letter to the Transformers episode but otherwise, where do I begin with this weeks highlights?

I’ll talk about my personal favs first.  The Zombie apocalypse with Panty and Stocking was about what one could expect from such a premise: the two Angels and Garterbelt have to resort of an arsenal of sex toys to stave off the undead and defeat Scanty and Kneesocks with hilarious, and surprisingly unexpected, results.  The Chuck to the Future Trilogy was a nice break from the usual sex and language filled antics (mostly) in favor of a more bizzare and art film house approach.  It started nice enough with Chuck battling his rival, Fastener, then quickly grew darker and darker, ending with a David Lynch style finale that left my head spinning, it actually reminded me a lot of one of the many Black Lodge sequences from Twin Peaks: The Return.  The strangeness of Chuck to the Future Part 3 made the awesome D City Rock music video that followed all the more welcome.  Getting to see Panty, Stocking, Garter and Chuck in a band, displaying nods to rock bands across the ages like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Gorillaz made me appreciate just how much thought goes into each of these episodes.  The art staff know what they like and what inspired them and theyre ready to give proper shoutouts whenever possible.  Also, the D City Rock track performed here, which has played in earlier episodes, is an awesome song.  I guess it’s worth noting the soundtrack at this point.  Techno and party filled beats have been ringing in the world of Daten City since the get go and it’s starting to rank up there with Cowboy Bebop and FLCL as one of my favorite Anime Soundtracks yet.

I was actually more surprised than anything this week with an story that felt a little serious compared to everything thus far.  Stocking falling in love with a ghost, a disgusting one at that, was unexpected and while played for laughs, there’s something deeper at play with how the story plays itself out.  You get to see surprisingly loving sides from both Anarchy Sisters: Stocking with how she wants to share the truth about her being an Angel with her love and be with him forever; and Panty, being the older sister, trying to keep Stocking from making what she feels is a bad choice.  It kind of brings into the question all of the unconnected and yet totally connected elements of the shows progression thus far.  You could say that Panty and Stocking have been pretty consistent characters all throughout.  But developments like these, and how the situation resolves itself, I wonder if it will carry on through the rest of the series…probably not but it was nice to see the sisters showing cares for more than their personal vices for once.

As I mentioned, Scanty and Kneesocks made it clear they were not one off villainesses for Panty and Stocking to ignore.  We got multiple doses of my favorite demon siblings and their rival filled banter with the Anarchy Sisters never bored me or got old for a second.  Even their tiny servant, Fastener, got to play around a bit with Chuck during the Chuck to the Future Trilogy, while also asking some bizzare questions about the inner minds of both characters (Chuck’s a dude and Fastener’s a girl and their inner selves both want each other...ok?).  As fun as it’s been watching Panty and Stocking not give a care about everything and anyone, I wouldn’t mind at all if we got a Scanty and Kneesocks spin off at some point.  Theyre just way to over the top screen chewers not to give it a try with…and personally I do think sometimes they even outshine the titular duo in terms of comedy and sex appeal, just check out the beach episode and I think some might agree with me.

Don’t get me wrong, this week was win all across the board for every episode.  I did say that I liked some more than others though.  The casino episode and the death game show both kind of ran their bits too long.  It didn’t help that both followed up the Transformers and the Zombie shootout respectively and those two tales set the bar pretty high.  Still they had their moments, like having Scanty and Kneesocks as the main antagonists for both and the fact that we got to see a failed marriage between ghosts who were modeled after Ren and Stimpy.  We also got a lawyer monkey who eventually went the Phoenix Wright route with his case delivery and I’m always ready for that kind of a reference.

Yeah, even if some episodes did falter a teeny, tiny bit, this was a great week for Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt.  Each story was as, if not more, unique than the one that preceded it.  The amount of imagination that was being thrown out was incredible.  This show is an example of a studio throwing out the word “restraint” and just going for an all out fun ride that has been…well something (but in a mostly good way)…to watch from the beginning.  Also, feel like while this week still had a lot of gross, uncomfortable moments, there were less than previous weeks so I could go into a bit more detail than before, which is awesome. 

It does suck to say that this also means that next week we reach the end of the road for the Anarchy Sisters and their afro sporting guardian.  Will we get more random tales of awesome and disgusting greatness or will we get a last minute yarn that skillfully ties everything together?  If nothing else, I want one more all out throwdown between Panty and Stocking and Scanty and Kneesocks…though their volleyball match was certainly a good continuation of their school duel. 

It’s Christmas next week and the Angels are bringing the presents.  See ya next week for the series finale review of Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt.

FIF#45-Mobile Fighter G Gundam

Future Century 60.  Every four years, the nations of the world, now housed in orbiting space colonies around the planet, send a specialized mobile fighter, a Gundam, to Earth.  The representative pilots from each nation engage in combat across the war torn planet for the prize of giving power to their nation to rule the planet for one year.  This year, however, the game is different for Japan’s Gundam Pilot Domon Kasshu.  This year, not only is he fighting to give power to Japan, but also to avenge the slaughter of his family at the hands of the ferocious Devil Gundam and it’s pilot…Kyoji, Domon’s brother.

Every Gundam was KUNG FU FIGHTING (dunnunnunnunununun…ok I don’t know if that’s all the beats but hey you try trying to type that all out).

So what happens when you take the original Gundam formula, including the Universal Century, Newtypes, The Earth Federation, Zeon and all out war?  Youre basically left with a boy and his giant robot.  Ok, what happens when you take that basic element and decide to do something radically different, anything at all, no matter how out there?  Well you do what any sane person who loves giant robots would do…you give them the moves of Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter and have them kick the crap out of each other.

In fact, that’s the best way to set up the premise of Mobile Fighter G Gundam-it’s Gundam meets Street Fighter.  One man and his various rivals travel the world, testing their strength for various goals with an overaching endgame drawing them all together.  This was the series that started the “Alternate Universe” Gundam trend that has continued til this very day.  It’s as far removed from a “traditional” Gundam as you could ever get.  Or is it?  Looking at the first episode, while there is plenty of Gundam throwdowns, there’s a few elements of classic Gundam storytelling that seep through.  This is mostly in regards to the status of the Earth.  It’s in pretty bad shape and the general concensus it that it’s from all of the Gundam Fight Tournaments from the last few decades.  With most of humanity moved into space, it’s all the remaining Earthdwellers can do to just survive, especially the kids that Domon and Rain encounter.  This series may be about Gundams trying to do a “Spinning Bird Kick” but it’s clearly not above showing that this fun and epic sport isn’t above reminding us of the horrors it can bring to the people of Earth.

 

Still, this is clearly a Shonen Tournament Style Anime.  That means despite the worlds concerns about the tournament itself, this show is going to be about Gundams beating the mess out of each other for 50 some episodes and the first episodes prove youre in for a treat there.  Each Earth nation has a Mobile Fighter to partake in this tournament.  This means that were gonna get to see a more diverse array of suits than before, and theyre all Gundams.  I will say that the bar is set pretty high by Domon Kasshu’s Shining Gundam, which looks pretty sweet and very Samurai, makes sense given it’s Neo Japan’s Gundam entry.  Said Gundam has been entrusted to the aforementioned Domon Kasshu, a man of few words unless in involves asking about “The Man in the Photo” or screaming his head off fighting in his Gundam.  The other main character introduced in the beginning is Rain, Domon’s sole support crew.  She’s incredibly cute with a pretty face and legs for days…and she probably hardly registers on Domons radar cause she’s a hot girl and not a Gundam whose ass needs to be kicked (come on guys, if you have a hot girl willing to travel the world with you and patch up your wounds, give her the recognition she deserves).  One thing that doesn’t make a ton of sense: why do the Gundam Fighters need to be dressed down in super tight latex to make their Mobile Trace Systems work and are we really going to get a Joel Schumacher style shot of Domon’s ass everytime he suits up?  It seems weird (and with the Schumacher reference, yes it does feel a bit Batman and Robin).

 

All in all, my first check out of G Gundam was interesting and fun, despite my distaste for main character.  This is a true “Rock Em Sock Em” Robots kind of Anime that Gundams seem to fit very well into.  The world is a playground (though not so much for the survivors living on war torn earth) and the opponents are numerous.  Traveling the globe looking for Gundams to punch and defeat while inching closer to a shadowy final boss?  Yep this is as close to a Street Fighter Mecha brawl as were probably going to get with this franchise.  It seems bizzare but sometimes Gundam needs to take a breath and relax for once.  I’m not saying it’s anti war message isn’t important (and isn’t absent from this entry either) but sometimes…you just gotta go have fun for fun sake.  G Gundam feels like that, if nothing else.  And if you need more convincing, just listen to the blood pumping opening theme “Fly the Sky” a couple of times.  Now that’s a Rocky Style theme you could get a good work out from.