Anime Corner Spring 2017 Preview

Hey guys,

It’s hard to tell if Winter is coming or going cause of all the warm temps we’ve been getting on the East Coast (who thought Katsucon could ever be some comfy outside and you didn’t have to wear a Kiggu?).  But im not here to talk about the weather, I’m here to talk about what’s ahead for the Gundam Anime Corner.  In the wake of new purchases from Katsu and meeting some cool new friends, I’ve decided to shift up my schedule a bit.  Peacemaker Kurogane (my big Samurai series to review this year) is getting pushed to the near end of summer to accommodate three new arrivals to the schedule, sorry if anyone was looking forward to it (I announced it right?)  Well, here’s a rundown of what’s going to be popping up in March once I finish Full Metal Panic Season 1.

 

Ghost in the Shell and Third Year Anniversary Review

Not just the first film, not just the second film…I’m going the distance baby.  Turns out the only three mediums of Ghost in the Shell I haven’t reviewed yet are the two Oshii movies and the upcoming live action film (the latter for obvious reasons aka it’s not even out yet).  So to countdown to the film that will make or break everyones faith in Live Action Anime adaptations, I’ll be reviewing Mamoru Oshii’s two groundbreaking features: Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.  I just got Innocence on Blu Ray and while I haven’t watched it all, it looks better than ever in HD.  Also, the 2017 Ghost in the Shell movies release date is March 31, the same day I wrote my first review of Eden of the East three years ago.  So it’s only fitting such a momentous movie get the Anime Corner birthday celebration spot.

 

Gundam Month 2

April marks the 38^th Birthday of the Mobile Suit Gundam Franchise.  I was already thinking about adding these two, relatively short OVA’s to the schedule but aimed them for later in the year.  Thanks to those awesome Gundam panels I attended at Katsucon, my mind has changed.  So the month of April and the beginning of May will fall to two Gundam classics: Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket and Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory.  I might shuffle Gundam 0080 into one week but I might split it into two…idk still gotta think about summer and reviewing Fate/Zero (especially if Otakon might be an idea shapping in my head).  But yes, a double dose of Gundam awaits the blog named after it.  It only seems right.

 

Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040

A good friend of mine was telling me about this series and, wouldn’t you know it, I found it on Netflix right afterwards.  I always promised myself that if I ever got the chance, I’d find a way to get a copy of this series and give it a review.  Four women in a Blade Runner inspired future battle rampant, mutant androids in the sexiest battle armor ever designed by man.  How could this series not get my attention on that premise alone? 

 That will take us into Summer 2017, where the second season of Full Metal Panic-Full Metal Panic Fumofuu and Fate/Zero + Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works both await me.  All in all, I’m pretty excited about the reviews to come, even if some shows had to get pushed back a ways (don’t worked Peacemaker, you’ll be next on the docket once UBW is done). 

At some point I need to post a list of the shows and movies still in my collection I could review (since it is the premise of this whole blog project).  Actually…here you go everyone, for your eyes only:

Complete Series:

Death Note

Eureka Seven
Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood
Getbackers
Legendary Armor Samurai Troopers
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Season 1
Mobile Suit Gundam
Ouran High School Host Club
Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt
Pilot Candidate
Robotech-The Macross Saga (The First Robotech War)
Robotech-The Masters Saga (The Second Robotech War)
Robotech-The New Generation (The Third Robotech War)
Samurai Champloo
Silent Mobius
The Slayers
Slayers Next
Slayers Try
Slayers Revolution
Slayers Evolution R
Street Fighter II V
Supernatural: The Anime Series
Vandread

 

Movies:

Akira

The Animatrix

Appleseed

Appleseed Ex Machina
Appleseed Alpha
Armitage: Dual Matrix
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher
Bleach: The Movie-Memories of Nobody
Bleach: The Movie 2-The Diamond Dust Rebellion
Bleach: The Movie 3-Fade to Black
Bleach: The Movie 4-Hell Verse
Blood: The Last Vampire
Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God
Death Note Relight 2: L’s Successors
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Dragon Ball: The Movie-Curse of the Blood Rubies
Dragon Ball: The Movie-Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle
Dragon Ball: The Movie-Mystical Adventure
Dragon Ball: The Movie-Path to Power
Dragon Ball Z-Bardock: The Father of Goku
Dragon Ball Z-The History of Trunks
Evangelion 1.11-You Are (Not) Alone
Evangelion 2.22-You Can (Not) Advance
Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie-Conqueror of Shamballa
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
Halo Legends
Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
Iron Man: Rise of Technovore
Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Mass Effect: Paragon Lost
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie 2-Soldiers of Sorrow
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie 3-Encounters in Space
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Empty Battlefield
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Far Away Dawn
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: The Rumbling Universe
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation-Heirs to the Stars
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II-Lovers
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation III-Love is the Pulse of the Stars
Ninja Scroll
Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror
Resident Evil: Degeneration
Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin): The Movie
Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin): Trust and Betrayal
Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin): Reflection
Silent Mobius: The Motion Picture
Silent Mobius 2: The Motion Picture
Slayers-The Motion Picture
Spriggan
Steamboy
Tekken: Blood Vengeance
Tenchi Muyo: The Movie-Tenchi Muyo in Love
Tenchi Muyo: The Movie 2-The Daughter of Darkness

Which of these shows or flicks should I try to add in before the end of 2017?  Feel free to sound off in the comments below and I’ll see you guys tomorrow with a new Top 5 Wednesday.

 

Full Metal Panic Part 3-Episodes 13-18

With Kaname safe, for now, Sousuke is allowed to enjoy some time as a normal kid for a change…for all of five minutes.  A sighting of an old enemy sends Sousuke on a special mission to one of his former, war torn stomping grounds.  Time may have passed but the land of Halmajestan still retains the ghosts from his past.  Things get worse when Sousuke and his temporary team are horribly outmatched in combat and one of their enemies is a former ally of Sousuke’s.  When the dust settles from this tragic mission, Sousuke may realize that the girl he has been tasked to protect may be the one person he needs more than anything in the world.

When you’re trying to combine two genres as different as Mecha and High School Comedy, balance is essential to keeping things straight and consistent.  As of right now, Full Metal Panic is having a very iffy time with that.  When it gets things right, it gets them right, particularly in the action department.  When it comes to the comedy, there’s a lot that could turn off viewers depending on the scenario.

This week, we got another even split down the line with both comedy and action storylines.  Like before, the comedy was more sidestory for the first couple of episodes.  Between the two, I liked the Mecha Festival Competition more.  For starters, it gave side character Shinji a decent tale as we saw him and his equally mecha obsessed dad team up to lead the charge against their rivals.  It also reminded me a lot of Martian Successor Nadesico with it’s execution: I could easily see Yurika ropping Akito and his team into ping pong competitions with their Aestevalis units.  Also, there’s something funny about Sousuke trying to disguise himself in a paper made mecha suit to try and slip into the competition to help Shinji.  On the opposite end, Tessa trying to one up Mao in a one on one AS duel was less successful.  This is mostly cause…I just don’t like Tessa.  I get that theyre trying to go against some more familiar attributes youd find with a typical captain and theyre trying to toughen her up or show some hidden special qualities.  But Tessa is more annoying than endearing.  Both Kaname and Melissa question how a girl who trips over her own two feet can be the commander of one of the most powerful pieces of hardware in the sea and it’s hard not to argue with their doing so.  I would not follow this girl into battle or hell even if she has the shortest skirt in the world.  Now Kaname or Melissa, hands down full speed ahead.  Kaname’s proven herself resourceful and Melissa is an excellent leader, if a bit unorthodox.  Tessa’s definitely going to be tested more than ever if the show is headed where I think it’s heading for it’s supposed final act.  Let’s just say I’m not holding out much hope for her handling an encounter with Gauron.

The real meat of this week came from Sousuke’s return to his Middle Eastern homeland to track down the terrorist who just wont die.  I feel like I should save a lot of the rant I want to give Gauron for next week…so I’ll do that and focus more on Sousuke.  The three part mission to the Middle East was super effective and a far cry from any serious moments this show has had so far.  Sousuke was both in his element and full of difficult memories the more time he spent here, showing us that all of his battle hardened mindsets aren’t just for show, theyre real after effects of one of the toughest periods of his life.  The desert warfare was so intense that I feared for every single person on the battlefield, even Sousuke.  This is notable in that, except for the lovely and accepting Grey, I didn’t like a single person on Sousuke’s temporary squad.  The cockiness I get, it needed to be established before Gauron and his men massacared them.  But questioning Sousuke after ignoring his suggestions and letting everything go to hell?  I wasn’t going to miss a single person who got taken out, again save for Grey, who I think could have made a good new addition to Sousuke’s team if she had survived.  My distaste for Sousuke’s comrades didn’t stop me from feeling the intensity of the battle.  This could have been a pretty bad Kobayashi Maru (the no win scenario from Star Trek) for Sousuke.  If one area could have used a bit more improvement, it would be the appearance of Sousuke’s childhood friend, Zaied.  Sure they had an intense duel and the story did a good job of establishing their friendship through a few flashbacks.  I guess I just wanted a little more, especially a face to face encounter.  What I did like the most was cutting back and forth between Sousuke’s doomed mission and the lonely, wandering Kaname. You’ve never seen these two so vulnerable and unsure in both situations before.  Seeing their reunion at the end was more somber than heartwarming but after what Sousuke went through, I know it will make him appreciate what he has with Kaname more than ever, bumps, bruises and all.

The desert setting did offer some good old fashioned mecha action for the most part.  Seeing Sousuke wipe out AS units from the sandstorm he whips up adds further comparisons to Solid Snake from Metal Gear.  I think  I liked everything best when it was just down to old fashioned guns and ground tactics.  When Gauron gets involved with his super powered, magical tech, that’s when I start getting a little disappointed with things.  I don’t mind an enemy that cant be defeated so easily.  If they’re cunning and skilled, kind of like Char Aznable and Anavel Gato from the Gundam Franchise, then they’re likeable.  When they have a God Mode Cheat plugged in: like Gauron or Naraku from Inuyasha or Aizen from Bleach, they become less threatening and more annoying, like theyre so drunk on their own BS abilities that they don’t think  they can ever go down.  It makes their appearance on the battlefield more “Ugh why don’t you ever die” rather than shaking in your shoes terrifying.  Huh, guess I did get a Gauron rant in there after all.

And it looks like the terrorist who might as well be immortal is heading into a final showdown with Sousuke, Kaname and Mithril.  Full Metal Panic pulled off an emotional and heavy handed win in the story department this week, even managing a win or two with the comedy.  Can it combo for an effective win in the series (or season I should say) finale next week?  You’ll know when I do after I write the review.  Catch ya next week everyone.

T5W#80-Top 5 Katsucon 2017 Moments

It came with a lot of nervousness, it continued with a lot of excitement, it ended with a great sense of fulfillment and sadness.  Katsucon 2017 was more anticipated by me than other cons of the past, if only cause I had hoped it would be better than 2016.  And while there were some dampers (some panels didn’t really happen and a couple of friends couldn’t attend for several reasons), Katsucon 2017 ended up becoming the sequel I had hoped 2016 would have been.  Unlike last year, I can actually choose 5 moments that belong here on this weeks list of my Top 5 Katsucon 2017 Moments.

 

#5-Game Room Reunion

I always make it a priority to visit the game room on Saturday night.  It can either start the night off right or end it in amazing fashion.  This year it was the former and a big surprise was waiting for me.  Last year, I met a trio of gamers around a curious game called Flash Beat and a nice bond formed between us as we played a few hours straight.  Sure they all kicked my ass but I was never bitter towards them.  They were good people and I was glad to have met them.  So how shocked was I when they were all back around the same game on the same night once again?  While we didn’t hang around the game all night, I did get to hang with them again and secure a victory in Flash Beat, even if I was teamed up with a partner it still counts.  You never know the surprises waiting for you at a convention and this was a very special and very welcome one.

 

#4-Overwatch Photoshoot

  

Katsucon greatly underestimated the number of Overwatch cosplayers by a very long shot.  The Fountain was too small to have cosplayers and photographers as it seemed they rivaled each other in number.  Though some proposed we move it outside (more on the weather in a bit), the MCs of the Photoshoot tried something else.  The cosplayers were all moved behind the fountain and were sent down group by group.  This ended up being smart and actually decently run.  The main problems came with the more popular characters like D.Va, Tracer and Mercy.  D.Va had the largest group by far and it was almost impossible to get a full group shot.  Mercy didn’t have as many but the wing span of her costume meant the same deal.  But im surprised how well the MCs handled the event.  It could have gotten bad but they pulled through, a sign of growth for sure.  It was fun and I dare say it rivaled the amazing Sailor Moon Photoshoot from Katsucon 2015 that I hold so near to my heart.

 

#3-Gundam Panels

 

I didn’t really know of a lot of panels I wanted to attend this year.  I did wander into two of them.  They were both Gundam themed and hosted by the same people: Gundam duo Lauren Orsini and John Bowers.  Both are huge Gundam nerds who put me to shame (and I say that knowing I name my blog after Gundam lol).  Their knowledge of Gundam and Gunpla was amazing and their 37 year retrospect feature was very informative.  Their Char Aznable dedication panel was even better, showing off the greatest hits of the Red Comet, his influence across the Gundam multiverse and his impact on real life as well (RED PRIUS!!!!).  I got a chance to talk a little with both panelists after both panels.  Lauren writes for Anime News Network and I think could provide key insight into me wanted to write Anime reviews professionally.  John and I had a fun chat about Anavel Gato from Gundam 0083 and whether or not he could be considered a Char type.  If it’s one thing I took away from my encounters with these two, it’s that I now have a dream to sit on a Gundam panel with both of them.  Their level of Gundam love is the new squad goal for me…that doesn’t make sense but I stand by it haha.

 

#2-Cosplayers of Legend

 

In 2015, I met MangoSirene and Dejavudea at the same time in a resturaunt in the Gaylord.  It was an event that blew me away and set Katsucon on a pretty high pedestal.  While Dejavudea was sadly not able to attend this year, I was able to meet MangoSirene again, who, bless her heart, still remembers me and my Doctor Who scarf.  Before I could ask her for a photo, I spotted several other cosplayers I knew right next to her.  So instead of asking for a photo from Mango, she was happy to ask the other cosplayers to come together for a nice group pic.  So yeah…I got MangoSirene, Megan Starbuxx, Vikki Kaffei and Shiro Cosplay all in the same pic together…mind blown.  All four are amazing cosplayers, each with their own particular winning looks.  And I made sure to tell them how amazing they all were and thank them for being in such a definitive pic for me.  I also got to meet the incredibly beautiful Bendo Ghek (get her name right too, YES!!!) and get a photo with this legendary Cindy (from Final Fantasy XV cosplayer). This is why I love Katsu, you never know what famous cosplayers will be around or if they’ll ever cross paths in front of you.  I just hope I left a positive impression on all of them.

 

#1-Overall, it was just better

 

 

 

By the time Thursday night was rolling around, I could feel there was a different energy to Katsucon 2017 than Katsucon 2016.  Maybe it was getting there earlier in the day and watching the con come to life.  Maybe it was rooming with good friends from Otakon.  Maybe it was being shocked by how much of an impact Overwatch and Voltron Legendary Defender had on the cosplay community.  Maybe it was meeting all the kick ass professional cosplayers.  You know what, maybe it was a mix of all of that and more.  My expectations were shattered and forgotten as the weekend went by.  This was a convention I enjoyed to the fullest and was never bored, never saddened, never let down in any single way.  Some cons go up and down in quality year after year, Katsu has been no exception.  But this year was a good win and while ill have to temper my expectations if I decide to go back in 2018, nothing can stop this con from being one of the best ive ever been too.

So yes, next week’s Top 5 will be dedicated to just that: my Top 5 Best Conventions I’ve ever attended.  How many Otakon’s will be on there?  Or Katsu?  Or even Baltimore Comic Con maybe?  Idk but you’ll have to check back next week to find out.

Anyone else have some fond memories from Katsucon?  Sound off in the comments below. 

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends

Kenshin’s first battle with Shishio ended in defeat.  Now, with Kaoru missing and presumed dead, Kenshin is dead set on revenge.  To attain it, he returns to his former master, Hiko Seijiro, to learn the final technique of his sword style.  As Shishio closes in to finish his campaign, he strong arms to government into hunting down Kenshin for him.  If it wasn’t bad enough, a former shinobi master is determined to bring glory to his clan by claiming Kenshin’s head.  If Kenshin can survive his toughest opponents yet, at the end lies Shishio, his successor and the man crazy enough to set the world on fire.  This is where the legend of Kenshin Himura reaches it’s climax and only one Manslayer will walk away alive.

The Rurouni Kenshin Trilogy finishes as strong as it began.  And while a couple of problems I had with Kyoto Inferno do carry over, I cant ignore the fact that I have watched greatness unfold in these three movies.  Films that could have just been second rate adaptations have been given the utmost care and The Legend Ends reflects that care.

It’s kind of sad to know, once the credits begin to roll, that there are no plans to adapt the final arc of the Rurouni Kenshin Manga, the Jinchu Arc.  At the same time, it’s a bit clear what kind of story the filmmakers wanted to tell and with that in mind, events are carefully merged with the Manga storyline to get nods in to events we may not bear witness to on the big screen (unless something changes).  The film gives you a second to breathe in the beginning as we watch Kenshin reunite with his master, Hiko Sejiro, the man who saved him at the end of the last film.  But after that, it is full speed ahead.  It’s a breathless pace that somehow manages to keep you nice and comfy running along with it.

My thoughts on Aoshi from the last film still hold true in The Legend Ends.  His story would have been a bit more fulfilling had it begun in the first film rather than the second, to better give him a connective arc to Kenshin.  However, where Aoshi kind of failed to live up to my expectations in that department, he continues to excel on the action side of things.  His forest duel with Kenshin is one of the best fights in the trilogy and shows that the fight choreography isn’t slacking this close to the finish line, more on that in a moment though.  Just like Aoshi though, the introduction of Shishio’s much beloved Jupongatana, the Ten Swords, also doesn’t deliver as they are relegated to guys just waiting to be ended in battle.  Unsui, the blind assassin, at least gets a brief but very cool action bit with Saito, just like in the Manga.  Still, this was one case where too many characters being in the film was going to mean some got overshadowed or even forgotten entirely.  Thankfully, Hiko Seijiro is given better care, especially for being an almost last minute addition.  His humor is dialed way back, as it has been with many of these films in the humor department.  But Hiko is still the wise man he’s always been and I could feel the bond he shared with his student in their rather short amount of screen time together.

But let’s cut to the chase.  How was the final battle between Kenshin and Shishio?  Well we got a nice lead up to it with a beach war, and good duels for Kenshin, Sanosuke and Saito…oh but those were nothing compared to the epic four vs one throwdown the trailers all promised.  When Kenshin, Sano, Saito and Aoshi all square off against Shishio at the same time, it’s one of the most epic battles of all time.  Shishio is having a blast being top dog, even in his burned condition and you’ve got a feeling he could kill all four of these guys if he wanted to.  I cant praise the fight choreographers more than I already have.  What more can I say about how bad ass and amazing they have been making all of these fights look incredible, believeable and worthy of watching hundreds of times over?  Each warrior gets his equal amount of time in this battle and is never overshadowed by another combatant.  When the dust settles, Kenshin and Shishio’s mano a mano battle is everything you’d want it to be: bloody, a ton of growls and a rivalry that has set the standard for most Anime rivalries to day. 

Coming to the end of this wild ride, it seemed weird that the movie just kind of…ends.  I feel like there’s room for a potential sequel (JINCHU ARC PLEASE!!!), but the films ends on a moment that I wonder if it could have been explored a teeny bit more or if that was always the intended final moment.  Either way, it’s hard to end things right after the glorious onslaught of action that proceeds it.  Maybe just a simple breath of air was all we needed.  Either or, time to close it out.

The action was incredible, the acting was on point, the nods to the source material were nice touches.  If this is where “The Legend Ends”, it got one helluva send off here.  I had waited for this film, and Kyoto Inferno, for over four years and, gripes aside, I was left incredibly satisfied.  Listening to ONE OK ROCK’s final song for the trilogy, Heartache, I wanted to tear up.  One of my all time favorite Manga had been brought to life in a way I never expected and I enjoyed each entry as much as the previous.  Very few trilogies have managed to have that effect on me, just like the original Star Wars Trilogy.  If people are to go forward adapting more Anime into Live Action features, they now have Rurouni Kenshin, in addition to Death Note, to use as a template.  Now…if only we could get a live action Mobile Suit Gundam to match the glory this trilogy attained. 

These films are my hero…and The Legend Ends solidifies that.

9/10

See you in a couple of weeks for the return of Full Metal Panic.  And if you’re going to Katsucon, I’ll see you there.

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno

Makoto Shishio, it is the name of a former manslayer who is dead set on bringing the Meiji Government crumbling to the ground.  Desperate to stop him, the government turns to the one man who can match his skill: Shishio’s Manslayer predecessor Kenshin Himura.  However, this is no simple fight Kenshin is walking into.  Shishio and his men are beyond ruthless and are not above slaughtering civilians to realize their dream of conquest.  The city of Kyoto is where the battle for the fate of the nation will begin.  Even with a slew of new allies and trusted friends at his side, can Kenshin win this battle without returning to his Manslayer ways?

It’s been a long time since I was this pumped to see a movie.  Though I had plenty of reason for this one.  Seeing Rurouni Kenshin at Otakon 2013 was one of the best movie going experiences of my life and, each year following, I hoped I could see the sequels at a convention.  Well it only took four years but I finally managed to feast my eyes on this heavily anticipated continuation.  And while I don’t think it’s as good as it’s predecessor, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is still an incredibly strong continuation of one of the greatest live action Anime adaptations ever made.

As the title implies, Kyoto Inferno covers the first half of the Kyoto Arc of the Rurouni Kenshin Manga and Anime.  This is the arc that everyone associates the most with Kenshin for it’s action, story and villains.  At the head of this is the latest baddy, one of the greatest Anime baddies of all time, Makoto Shishio.  Cudos to the make up department for being able to bring this madman to life.  All the burns and bandages could not have been an easy feat to accomplish but they pulled it off.  Shishio looks as ferocious as he ever did.  Plus, he’s got the acting talent to match.  Frequent live action Anime star Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note, Battle Royale) looks like he’s having an absolute blast playing the villain.  His pretty boy looks of Light Yagami may be absent, save for one flashback, but that’s still Fujiwara bringing has A game to the project and he doesn’t disappoint.

There’s a definite air of added darkness to Kyoto Inferno, it is a rule of the sequels after all.  Viewers can sense the hoplessness and despair that Shishio will being with every single scene of intense fire or it’s ashy aftermath.  Even the humor is dialed down quite a bit, more so than the last film, to give the film an added sense of seriousness.  “This is war”, Saito says at one point. It’s hard to argue that when you see all the chaos going on.  Naturally, this tests Kenshin’s Rurouni code to the limit.  Will he need to become Battosai once again to take Shishio down?  With villains as deadly as Shishio, Hoji, Sojiro and Sword Hunter Cho, it would be hard to blame him for doing so.

Not only is the film darker but it’s more action packed than the first film.  Even harder to believe is that they manage to match, if not surpass, many of the fights we’ve seen already.  Rurouni Kenshin has been hailed as having some of the best action scenes in Japanese Cinema and I have to agree wholeheartedly.  Watching Kenshin effortlessly beat down thirty men in under two minutes left my jaw on the ground, there was no playtime here folks.  And then there’s my favorite fight of the film.  Much like it’s Anime/Manga counterparts, Kenshin’s duel with Swordhunter Cho is a desperate, fast and furious rush and the fight choreography matches it blow for blow.  You can feel yourself getting pumped watching the swords fly so fast and you can hear your heart pounding by the time Kenshin stops to prepare one of his Hiten Mitsurigi quick draw attacks.  This is the stuff action legends are made of.  There are numerous other action scenes, including an all out war scene at the films climax in the streets of Kyoto.  The action keeps getting better and better and I love these films all the more for them.

The film does have a couple of drawbacks and, in this case, they fall mostly upon something that was absent from the first film that I was really looking forward to in this film: Aoshi Shinamori.  The young, deadly and confident head of the Oniwanbashu finally debuts and he’s a bit of a mixed bag.  Not sure how to explain or sound mean in the process.  His actor looks a bit older than I imagined, and his costume and look are a lot grimier than I would normally associate with Aoshi.  Also, his backstory and motivations are changed slightly to match his only appearing now but I don’t see how he couldn’t have been added into the previous film (since he was originally part of that arc in the Anime/Manga and gave Kenshin one of his best fights).  I feel like this all could have been handled differently.  Like Aoshi could have been one of Shishio’s men going into the film, much like he was briefly in the original story, using Shishio to get to Kenshin to kill him by himself.  The actor definitely has the action part of Aoshi down, his fight with Okina is brutal.  As far as misteps go, I think a lot were taken with Aoshi.  They don’t hamper the film too much but I wish they had done better in this regard as Aoshi is one of my favorite characters from the story.

As you may know, Kyoto Inferno is the first of two parts covering the Kyoto Arc, so the film ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.  However, unlike the similarly released Matrix sequels, Kyoto Inferno hits it out of the park with added quality in characters, design and action that the first one perfected and this film runs with in bold, new directions.  When the film ended, I was ready to jump into Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, without fear of it sucking.  The people behind this production know what theyre doing with Kenshin and his world.  They know what the fans want to see but also what to bring in an average movie goer and keep them engaged.  Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno isn’t without some flaws.  But at the end of it all, it’s still a solid second entry in one of the greatest Live Action Anime adaptations of all time…yes just as good as Death Note (who would’ve thought that would come to pass?).

8.5/10

Check back tomorrow as I leave you with one parting gift before I head for Katsucon…my review of the dramatic conclusion: Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends.

T5W#79-Top 5 Observations from the Second Ghost in the Shell Trailer

The second (and I guess final since we’re about a month and a half out) trailer for Ghost in the Shell dropped the other day.  Seeing as how I’ve done more articles on this than anything else in the last few months, sharing thoughts and theories as to what might happen, why not continue it here?  This is as close to current coverage of an Anime title that I think ive ever done for this blog…which is kind of cool really.  Anyway, onto my Top 5 Observations from Ghost in the Shell Trailer 2

 

#5-Togusa

As far as I can recall, this is our first real good look at Togusa, played by Chin Han from The Dark Knight.  In the series, Togusa is the only member of the field team who is not an all out Cyborg (Aramaki is human too but he’s the chief).  He enables a very “human” element to flow into the team and help them react to situations a bit differently.  As Motoko put it in the original movie, “Overspecialize and you breed in weakness, it’s slow death.”  We only see him in this little bit of the trailer but Togusa has always been the third big team member besides Motoko and Batou.  I’m hoping he’ll play a sizeable role and maybe even get to roll with Motoko and Batou as a trusted partner.  Though it wouldn’t shock me if we might see early days Togusa still trying to adjust.  He’s still rocking a tie too.

 

 

#4-Kuze

Well he looks…interesting.  This guy is pretty much being held together by glue by the looks of him.  And judging from the way he moves around, I doubt he’s a very physical character.  Still, this is the first really good look we’ve gotten of Kuze, not posturing like a model shrouded in shadow.  A lot of his dialogue in the trailer suggests that theyre going the “Kuze and Motoko knew each other before they were cyberized route”.  But were they closer than friends?  Judging from the glance they exchange at the end of the trailer (granted those could be two different scenes edited together), the connection we see them remember at the end of 2^nd Gig might pop up as well.  Also he says Motoko had a family?  Hmmm, how much is bull and how much is the truth?

 

 

#3-A Tank

 

Not just any tank.  This looks just like the tank that Motoko squares off with at the end of the first Ghost in the Shell movie.  I’m not surprised.  Every iteration (except maybe Innocence) has The Major squaring off solo against a tank in some way.  They even joke about it all across Ghost in the Shell Arise.  Why break tradition now?  Im not ragging on it, it looks awesome and another good piece of connective tissue the fans will appreciate.

 

 

#2-Take Her Out

I was a little worried when this little plot element peaked in.  It seems a bit cliché to have a cop discover something theyre not supposed to and they find themselves the target of an epic manhunt.  But then I thought about it…this happens to Motoko all the damn time haha.  She was marked for death by Section 6 in the first movie, pretty much went rogue after that and stayed hidden in Innocence, and she was basically hunted by everyone EXCEPT Section 9 in Arise.  In this movie, it looks like Motoko was supposed to have her memory erased or something along those lines and now must be terminated.  It’s a bit cliché but here’s hoping the movie keeps it interesting.  It’s familiar for Ghost in the Shell if you think about it…so my fears are a little alleviated.

 

#1-Getting Hacked is Scary S***

 

Yeah think I summed that up well.  It’s almost like poor Michael Wincott (the actor in this shot) is getting his soul sucked right out of his body.  Definitley has a lot more “feeling” to it than I suspected it could have watching it in the Anime.  Normally someone just shuts down or stumbles suddenly…or a guy just spasms out as he tries to fight Motoko’s hack.  WHATEVER THE CASE (ceasing ramble), this looks like the last thing I’d want to happen to me in this world, especially if it’s hentai like getting my brain sucked out by a robot Geisha.  Adds a bit of a horror feel to the film really.  Curious choice.

 And I’ll end it on this awesome shot of Aramaki cause damn…that’s a boss.

Ghost in the Shell hits theaters on March 31…and you better believe it will be reviewed here on the Gundam Anime Corner.

 

Rurouni Kenshin

10 years ago, Battosai the Manslayer, a man feared throughout all of Japan, disappeared after bringing about the new age of the Meiji.  Few know he has been wandering the country as a Rurouni named Kenshin Himura.  Finding his way to Tokyo, the seemingly bumbling and harmless swordsman becomes enveloped in a plot involving a Kendo Dojo, a woman trying to escape her sins and a swordsman from the revolution claiming to be Battosai the Manslayer.  For the first time in 10 years, Kenshin will draw his sword, not to end lives but to save them.  In a battle this intense, can a man who has sworn never to kill again keep his vow intact?

Whenever I think about this movie, I think back to the first time I saw it at Otakon 2013.  The main theater was packed, the anticipation was high and something big was about to happen.  A good friend I met during that screening likened her anticipation to the first time she saw The Avengers for the first time.  Barely 15 minutes into the movie, I could see why she thought that.  Rurouni Kenshin is probably the first live action anime adaptation I have really enjoyed since Death Note.  It gets so much right that even a couple of nitpicks can bring it down from the legendary pedestal I hold it on.

The film covers roughly the entire first arc of the manga and surprisingly does a great job cramming several volumes into a two hour film (something most Anime compilation films are terrible at).  There are some liberties taken with the appearance of certain characters and one notable presence in the final battle is absent (HOWEVER this certain character does appear in the follow up sequels).  But the liberties are done in a way that is very respectful and true in spirit to the original material.  And, of course, this is an adaptation so it can't be fully blow for blow.  The film flows at a perfect pace.  Characters are introduced quickly but given enough time to shine and get their stories out of the way before the plot continues and it's done very respectfully.  Once characters are introduced, they are not shunned for most of the film, sharing almost as much screen time as Kenshin which is a rare thing to see in a film like this.

The cast is perfect.  I never thought I would see the day when Kenshin, Kaoru, Saito, Sanosuke and Yahiko were on the big screen as real human beings, but low and behold that day has come and it was glorious.  The actor playing Kenshin was spot on, perfectly balancing his ruthless dark side and his charming and lovable good natured persona (his delivery of Kenshin's trademark "Oro?" was dead on how I always imagined it would be).  And while the actors bring their A-Game to these characters, the costume and set designs do their own wonders as well bringing them to life.  Kenshin, Sanosuke and Saito in particular look like they were ripped directly from the Anime and plopped right into the film and it always felt like I was watching a legitimate old school Japan on screen as they walked about and fought.  It just felt so real and believable.

But I'm sure if you know Kenshin, you're very curious about the action.  WOW HOLY CRAP WTF THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!  Ahem, excuse me for that.  But if there is one way to experience this movie properly, it is in a crowded room of Anime fans who know the story and go totally nuts when something cool happens…which in the case of this film is every five to ten minutes, especially in the action department.  While there are some visual touch ups and a little bit of wire work, you're so caught up in how fast and furious Kenshin is moving in battle to care.  And when super speed isn't being used and the battles are more personal, i.e. Kenshin vs. Saito (while not as intense as it's manga version is still a sight to behold), the choreography and the sense that every sword clash or fist thrown and connecting is personal is down right beautiful.  Also, these allow for some bad ass trailer shots such as Kenshin and Sano walking like bad asses up the Kanryu's front door after mowing down an army of his guards.  Speaking of Sano, I keep bragging about this because it is true but he steals the show several times just showing up on screen and his big fight scene towards the end of the movie is hands down the best scene of the film, it's freaking hilarious. 

Were there some downsides?  Honestly, they're just tiny nitpicks.  Like I said there was one character absent from the film who was in this story arc that I was really looking forward to.  But his role was gracefully given to another villain and, again, he does appear in the sequels, Kyoto Inferno and The Legend Ends.  Also, and again this is just a nitpick, I don't think there was enough "Oro?"…I know that sounds weird but I feel like they got all of that out early on and I rarely heard it afterwards.

So all in all, this is only the first chapter of a franchise but it has done far more than any other adaptation has come before it, even the Death Note films which I love to death.  It's faithful, it's heartfelt, it's action packed and it's full of cheer worthy moments.  Rurouni Kenshin is hands down my favorite Live Action Anime adaptation of all time and it’s a film I wouldn’t just recommend to Anime fans but fans of action films in general.  This is something that should be experienced by everyone.

10/10

So I guess you all know what’s coming next right?  Tomorrow, Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno followed by Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends on Thursday before I head off for Katsucon.  These reviews have waited long enough.  Hope you all enjoy them.