Gintama (2017 Live Action)

In a world where Aliens walk alongside Samurai in Edo, Japan, Gintoki is a former war hero turned jack of all trades.  Together with his companions, Shinpachi and Kagura, Gintoki takes any job he can find so long as it pays the bills.  But his latest task may bring him and his friends more than he bargained for.  A desperate swordsmith begs Gintoki to retrieve his greatest creation: a AI infused sword that can learn from any battle.  And it might’ve just fallen into the hands of a serial killer who’s in league with a group of anti Shogunate renegades led by Gintoki’s former best friend.  This isn’t the job Gintoki signed up for when he woke up this morning.  But with honor, friends and food on the line, its time for Gintoki Sakata, the White Demon, to settle the score once and for all.

 

2017 was a dark year for Live Action Anime Films.  In the States we got two back to back bombs in Netflix’s Death Note and Ghost in the Shell.  Even Japan wasn’t immune as Fullmetal Alchemist crashed and burned in the most boring fashion possible.  All in all, it was a year that told us in no small way that maybe man should stop trying to adapt a medium that is able to do all of the things Live Action Films cannot.  And then I found Gintama.  I had never seen the Anime before and only knew of the name alone.  Yet I was hearing that in a year of whitewashing and soul lacking classic characters, this was the film that beat the odds and won.  And for the most part, yeah it did just that.

 

A word of warning to those going in: if you aren’t familiar with the world of Gintama, like I was, you aren’t going to be any more enlightened about how the world works than you were going in (they even joke about it in the films opening sequence).  You could scratch your head about why aliens with big heads and those who look like Giant cartoon birds are walking around an Edo period market place with the Shinsengumi chasing bandits in the streets…but honestly, if you’re really, really, really into the movie you’re not going to care.  Gintama can be about explanations but it isnt about world building, it goal at the end of the day is to have as much fun as possible with the elements presented and, in that regard, it pulls off a big win.

 

Much of that success comes from the overall energy brought to the table.  Gintama is the most Anime like Live Action Film ive ever seen.  From the cast reactions to the over the top sound effects of shouts and slaps to the rapid fire close ups, this movie is trying to be Anime all the time and its kind of refreshing.  Best of all, it is really, really funny.  Even if some of the jokes fly over your head, die hard Anime fans and even casual ones will get a chuckle at all of the in joke Anime and Manga references which include Dragon Ball, Gundam and One Piece to name a few.  Kind of like Deadpool, Gintama isn’t afraid to break the fourth wall and let the viewer know, “yes, you’re seeing this reference and we know what it is…and you’re glad its here too”.  And while he shares a few similarities with Deadpool (so many Anime and Manga references), film lead and series protagonist Gintoki is more relatable to Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin…except he’s lazy and plenty rude. Still his heart is always in the right place and he seeks to find a way to protect those around him with a sword rather than flat out kill.  And he’s got a great supporting cast to bounce off of too.  His verbal spars with this worlds version of the Shinsengumi are priceless, especially with Kondo, who gets some of the films biggest laughs.  Special recognition should also go to the pretty but femme Gintoki like Kagura and her rivalry with sexy film henchwoman, the gun totting Makoto Kijima…and the commentary provided on it by the Lolita loving Takechi.

The action isn’t quite up to the spellbinding, genre defining standards of Rurouni Kenshin but there’s still plenty of fun to be hand in the sword slashing showdowns.  I will say the action scenes are sort of few and far between and a lot of it is saved for the ending but, when it’s on screen it does it’s job admirably.  For the most part, this is definitely an action comedy with an emphasis on the comedy…for the first two thirds of the film.  I thought a lot about the films pacing and, a lot of the time, it didn’t bother me because I was loving the humor and the characters (even if some jokes went on a bit longer than they should have).  But when the final battle begins, the pacing and storytelling flaws cant be ignored.  The tone of the film changes so…dramatically as if Gintama is trying to be something super serious when it was doing just fine balancing laughter even in the face of darkness.  Trouble also comes from trying to balance two stories.  You have the revenge plot of Gintoki’s old comrade, Takasugi, which is positioned to be the overarching plot across multiple films (should more be made).  And then you have the “Possessed Sword” storyline which is the kind of tale you’d expect from a stand alone film in an Anime series.  There’s a sudden need to deepen both storylines, wrap one up and bookmark the other in the span of 30 minutes that tends to drag out longer than it should and it brings things down quite a bit.  What action that does pop up is great but the switch in gears was unnecessary…I don’t know, maybe if I knew the show better I might get it.  Either way, Gintama should have stuck to one story rather than two because it was on a good roll until it was time to cross both paths and push them towards a mutual conclusion.

 

Gintama was the underdog Live Action Anime film of 2017.  While clearly not without flaws, it goes for broke entertainment wise.  The comedy is gold and the cast is having an absolute blast (seriously there had to be a ton of takes because I doubt anyone could keep a straight face the whole time).  The references range from chuckle to laugh out loud brilliance and you wont believe the titles (and even a couple of icons) they bring up throughout.  I’m not sure watching this movie would make me want to commit to watching 300+ episodes of the Anime series but I would like to see more of this films universe.  I don’t need anything explained, I don’t even need deep philosophy (thought what was presented wasn’t bad).  I just need Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura running around Edo getting into trouble with Aliens, swordsman and…any random person really.  Gintama is the renewed faith in Live Action Anime we’ve sorely needed since Rurouni Kenshin.  It had a great start and I hope it gets better in future installments.

 

7.5/10

T5W#146-Top 5 Moments from My Hero Academia Season 3 (so far)

My Hero Academia.  Anyone who talks about Anime these days will bring it up at least once and now, it has become the title that you must be caught up with…otherwise any Anime conversation is basically dead.  “Are you caught up on Hero Aca?  Did you see last weeks episode?”  And the best part?  The hype of this show is real.  My Hero Academia has set a new standard for Shonen Anime that is slowly eclipsing the big three of Shonen Jump (Bleach, One Piece and Naruto) and is becoming a force to be loved and reckoned with.  And if you thought Season Two set a high bar to be surpassed, Season Three has crushed that bar and set a new one much higher.  Considering there are pretty lengthy breaks in between seasons now, it’s a testament to Hero Aca’s brilliant writing and heartfilled cast and exciting AF action sequences that maintain its staying power in Anime culture.  Well im totally caught up and I think its time to highlight how much good has happened so far.  So consider this an official SPOILER ALERT (unless someones spoiled them for you already) as this weeks Top 5 Wednesday is all about the Top 5 Moments from My Hero Academia Season 3 (so far).

 

#5-Kota’s Storyline

This little ones storyline is (right now) very brief but very well done.  Kota is introduced as most would be brats usually are…punching Deku in the nuts when the hero in training tries to introduce himself.  We later learn that Kota hates heroes because his parents, combined known as Water Hose, were killed in action and their loss rightfully left their young son devastated.  Kota doesn’t want to believe in the concept of heroes when theyre going to die and leave him sadder than he already is.  Leave it to Deku to risk his life anyway to save Kota, nearly dying in the process (we’ll come back to that).  But Deku’s heroic nature inspires Kota to access is own quirk, water much like his parents, in a vain but incredibly brave attempt to save Deku in turn.  Im not sure how much more of Kota we’re gonna see in Season 3 but I wont lie, im gonna miss the kid and normally I cant stand brats like him in most Anime.

 

#4-UA Undercover Swag

With Bakugo in the hands of the enemy, Deku and his classmates are crushed in their first real defeat.  Although the teachers forbid them from taking any action, Deku, Todoroki Kirishima, Yaoyorozu and Tenya decide to try and rescue Bakugo while the heroes deal with the villians.  But to make sure the enemy, and their own teachers, cant spot them, the quintet stops off at a clothing store and emerge in crazy outfits that definitely disguise them…but their attempts to act are the true entertainment.  My favorite is Deku dressed like a would be Yakuza bodyguard trying to sound crude and vile.

 

#3-Tetsutetsu and Kendo defeat Mustard

Believe it or not, there are other classes at UA besides Deku’s.  During the Training Camp Arc, Class 1B accompanies 1A.  When the villains attack, everyone is separated and we get different groups battling different foes.  Two of 1B’s more prominent characters, cute Class Rep Kendo and Kirishima’s 1B counterpart, Tetsutetsu, battle Mustard, a cruel and rotten high school student who can create a debilitating mist.  Like many of the villains in this Arc, he is a pain to battle and when he pulls out a gun to fire at Tetsutetsu, you really want his ass to get kicked for being so cowardly.  Thankfully, Tetsutetsu’s steels skin holds out long enough for Kendo to clear the mist and beat the mess out of Mustard with Tetsutetsu’s help, a definite F Yeah moment.  BTW is it just me or do Kendo and Tetsutetsu look totally “shippable”?

 

#2-Deku vs. Muscular

I’ll say this for the bad guys of My Hero Academia, they are scary.  Everytime the UA students have faced these guys, they’ve always been gigantic, titanic in strength and you get worried really, really quick.  The Vanguard Action Squad of The League of Villains had a plethora of these guys but none were scarier than Muscular.  Armored by his own muscle fibers beneath his skin, this guy was an impenetrable wall that even Deku’s most powerful attacks couldn’t break.  Seeing him thrash Deku was heart crushing and, for a moment, I didn’t think Deku was going to make it.  That’s where Kota’s shinning moment came in (the one I mentioned above about him using his Quirk to get Muscular’s attention).  That gave Deku the strength to go PLUS ULTRA like never before and beat the leaving crap out of Muscular in a single blow that would make Saitama from One Punch Man proud…also Deku saves Kota from falling off of a cliff using his teeth because his arms are too messed up during the fight…that was priceless too.

 

#1-“GET BACK ON THE BUS!!!”

One of the funniest moments I have ever seen in any Anime ever.  On their way to their summer training camp, Class 1A makes a pitstop to stretch their legs.  Quickly, theyre met by their Summer Training Camp hosts, The Wild Wild Pussycats.  When they point out that their training facility is on the other side of a nearby forest, each member of Class 1A begins to have the same realization.  It’s slow, it builds one student after another until they all realize in horror…this isn’t a pitstop.  As that sadist Aizawa declares, “TRAINING CAMP BEGINS NOW!!!” every student runs for dear life, trying to get back to the bus only for everyone to be thrown into the forest below and told to reach the facility by noon if they want lunch.  Considering how dark and serious things got afterwards, this moment of brilliant hilarity and levity was more than welcome.

 

Bleach: The Movie 4-Hell Verse

In Hell, a group of disgraced warriors known as The Sinners have discovered the key to escaping eternal torment: Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki.  A surprise attack from The Sinners results in the capture of Ichigo’s sister, Yuzu.  Aided by a shady ally, Ichigo and his friends descend into Hell itself, a realm even Soul Reapers are unable to enter.  Ichigo is in for the battle of his life as he takes on powerful new opponents as well as his own dark inner abilities: those same abilities that The Sinners could use to escape and bring Hell to Earth.

Bleach: The Movie 4-Hell Verse marks the 10^th Anniversary of the Bleach Franchise, from where the manga began in 2001. With that kind of milestone in mind, you know you have to go a bit beyond what’s come before and deliver on some high expectations.  And while I do think it is a mixed bag, Hell Verse does manage to look back at the previous three films and correct a lot of the missteps they took. 

 

It’s actually a little strange Bleach never sent Ichigo into Hell itself by this point.  I guess places like Hueco Mundo, where Ichigo and friends spent entire arcs battling the same foes, was more of a Purgatory.  At first Hell seems a lot less fire and brimstone and more like a digital foundation for a video game.  When you get deeper in, that’s then the more recognizable concepts come into play.  I did get a strange feeling of “Berserk” at various points of Hell Verse with the level of intensity and despair inflicted on Ichigo and his comrades but it never gets that bad…if anything the uneasiness I felt served to enhance that this was probably the most dire battle ever waged by the Substitute Soul Reaper.  Darker might not always equal better but it gave Hell Verse the urgency needed to be an event level feature.

 

(Brief side note: In college, I watched  a film called “Accepted” with my dormmates and they tried to make a drinking game out of it by taking a shot every time the word “College” was spoken…they stopped in the first few minutes when in one scene alone “college” was said like 15 times in 20 seconds.  A word of warning DON’T TRY THIS WITH HELL VERSE!!! Seriously, I get that Hell is the setting and the main subject but how many times can you say it before someone makes a youtube video counting how many times everyone says it?)

 

Ok back to the review, this is probably the second best of the Bleach feature films.  The action feels more cinematic than ever before, especially during Ichigo’s clash with the second to last boss and the opening prologue highlighting one of Bleach’s most infamous and intense battles.  What’s more, many of my complaints from previous films have been heard.  For once, the movie sticks to a select group of characters getting involved in events.  In this case, it’s kind of back to basics focusing on Ichigo’s starting lineup of warrior allies: Rukia, Urryu, Renji, Orhimie…and even useless Chad (I don’t like Chad).  It was a huge breath of fresh air to keep the action mostly on them and not call upon an army of reinforcements to win the day.  Sure The Soul Reapers do show up and that does lead to a very touching scene between Ichigo and Byakuya (if you know where they started in the series you’d know why this was a good scene).  But the final battle is mano y mano without the need to have everyone show off their special attacks or get their 10 seconds of screen time.  And that’s absolutely for the best since Hell Verse is all about Ichigo saving his younger sister from the clutches of Hell.  How far will he go and how deep will he need to tap into his inner demon powers?  Will he destroy Hell itself and make things worse?  Ichigo is struggling and Johnny Yong Bosch gives his best performance emphasizing this in the English Dub.  Even if the villains, again, never become important parts of the Bleach pantheon, the characters giving their all to stop them is worthy of note.

 

Bleach: The Movie 4-Hell Verse does everything a movie should with a long running Shonen Anime franchise: the stakes are higher than before, the story feels darker and more urgent, the characters are put through their paces-battling themselves as well as their enemies, and the art department is giving their all to the presentation and coming out on top…naturally the action soars as well.  I probably like Move 2 a bit better because I like Toshiro a little more than Ichigo but I didn’t expect Hell Verse to have a chance at matching it at all after the stumble that was Fade to Black.  The darker descent into Hell might not have been an ideal approach but Hell Verse did succeed in it too.  For what seems to be the last film of the Bleach Film Franchise (at least in Anime form) this wasn’t a bad note to go out on.

 

8/10

 

With that, a month of Bleach films comes to an end.  Next week it’s back to school to deal with another God like entity…a High School Girl who will get you to do whatever she wants whether it’s illegal or not.  Yep, SHE has finally come to the Gundam Anime Corner.  The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya begins next Monday.  See ya then.

Ranma ½: The Movie-Big Trouble In Nekonron, China

For Ranma Satome, the young warrior cursed to turn into a girl if he’s hit with cold water, the day started pretty average: dealing with a perverted martial arts master and avoiding death at the hands of his fiancée Akane.  But suddenly a Chinese girl named Lychee arrives on her giant elephant and the day gets bizarre.  Through pure misunderstanding, Akane finds herself abducted by Kirin, head of the 7 Lucky Gods.  He intends to marry her and defeats Ranma to prove his superiority.  But Ranma’s having none of it and soon he and his friends are off to Nekoron, China, home of the 7 Lucky Gods, to confront these new foes and save Akane. 

 

Ranma ½ feels like a legendary title seemingly lost to time.  I remember seeing the trailer for this movie tacked onto the end of a Pokemon VHS tape and was instantly curious (mostly thanks to the films kick ass theme song).  I cant recall how long ago it was that I saw it but that was definitely back when Ranma was a heavy weight title in the Anime community, one whos popularity seemed to equal Dragon Ball Z in die hard Anime circles.  So, years later, I finally got to see Ranma 1/2: The Movie at a special screening.  How did it go and did it work for me as a guy who has heard of Ranma ½  but has never seen it?

 

Im pleased to report that, all in all, I liked the film quite a bit.  It isn’t without flaws but Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (Hm why does that name sound a little familiar) was still a very enjoyable flick that is a decent intro to the world of Ranma.  The movie works a lot like most Shonen Action flics: you don’t get a lot of backstory for the world and just get thrown right into the mix.  In that regard, I was lucky to know the basic premise of the Ranma series, or at least why Ranma is suddenly changing sexes for whatever reason.  But even without it, The Movie is still something you can just run with because, at the end of the day for me, the characters made this movie work the most.  In that way, it’s both a positive and a negative.  I enjoyed Ranma and Akane’s back and forth bickering (very familiar since Ranma ½ author Rumiko Takahasi also did Inuyasha) and I did like how Ranma interacted with the large supporting cast, especially Ryoga and Tatewaki.  That said, the supporting cast does very little after the adventure to Nekoron gets going.  Everyone is defeated rather easily and as impressed as I was by their powers, especially Mouuse and his many weapons in his sleeves, it seemed like they didn’t matter a lot to the plot after the first act since it really just boils down to Ranma, Akane, Kirin and Lychee for most of the film.  Also, I didn’t know the bulk of the cast had transformations too besides Ranma and his father, so that kind of threw me off a little.

 

And yet I was never really holding the films neglegance of its cast against it.  The humor that Ranma ½ is best known for is on full display, balancing out the lack of action in the middle section quite well.  I was legitimately laughing at little things that had a lot of heart to their humor: like Akane trying to make a home cooked meal secretly in captivity or the fact that Kirin cant survive a meal that doesn’t have rice and pickles in it.  The banter was rapid fire amongst all character and the timing of the jokes was spot on.  I’m surprised I wasn’t as jarred by Ranma’s many transformations as I thought I would be, the guy bounced back between boy and girl so well that it’s kind of hard for me to make a call on which side I like better.  Not to mention I had to laugh at Ranma’s signature attack being named after the lyrics of a Christmas Carol.  Ranma’s hotheaded personality definitely matches his spiritual cousin, Inuyasha, but I did like his drive and his brilliance at fighting when he had to really test his resolve against Kirin.

 

The downsides to the film are about what you’d expect in a standard action flick.  I’ve mentioned the near useless inclusion of the supporting cast after the first act.  The action does take a while to kick in after Kirin’s first appearance and Akane’s abduction.  What little there is present isn’t bad but the film definitely emphasizes the comedy more than the action, not the best balance.  Also, a big pet peeve of mine with movie adaptations of a tv series: if the animation looks just like the TV series, it’s not going to work at 100% for me.  Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa and Cowboy Bebop: The Movie are perfect examples of movie level animation quality while still maintaining the aesthetic of their TV origins.  Ranma ½: The Movie looks kind of like the TV series snippets ive seen and sometimes it tries to break that mold and try something different.  It made for some inconsistencies I couldn’t ignore.

 

I will say this about Ranma 1/2: The Movie-Big Trouble in Nekonron, China, it does make me want to go seek out more of the series.  I feel like this is a title I missed out on growing up and probably would have enjoyed back then and still could today.  The Movie is pure 80’s classical fun, up there with some of the more decent Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z films.  The cast is great (if mostly underutilized), the comedy is gold and always used at the right time, and Ranma and Akane are a cute bickering couple to route for.  It’s ironic that the short trailer at the end of that Pokemon VHS tape would be my first reveal of this Anime classic…and now the film is my first true viewing of this forgotten gem and I want to see more soon.

 

7.5/10

FIF#52-Persona 5: The Animation

Ren Amamiya has just transferred into a new High School after committing a heinous crime that has netted him a criminal record.  The school knows this and isn’t going to make moving in easier.  But, turns out, having a shady past is the least of Ren’s worries.  On his first day of school, a mysterious app appears on his phone, one that draws him through a portal into a world where the darker side of humanity reigns supreme and has some influence on the real world.  Gaining the power of a “persona” named Arsene and stalked by the mysterious Igor, Ren must find a way to fight the evils of this underworld and maybe save some lives in the process.

 

Persona 5: The Animation comes with a lot of hype behind it.  The video game was one of the biggest hits of 2017, a title with characters and gameplay that really made me want to get a PS4.  Not to mention when it comes to Video Game Anime Adaptations, the Persona games have gotten really good treatments (especially Persona 4).  That brings us to Persona 5.  So how is it?

 

I wonder if you have to be a fan of the game to really appretiate it and I know there are die hards out there who have been begging for this since the game dropped last year.  It did take me a second to realize that most of what we are seeing is a flashback to prior events as the show opens with Ren getting arrested in costume.  Did the game start out like this, I wonder?  The world beneath the world isn’t anything new but it was taking me time to wrap my head around how the system of how Ren and allies get there works.  Granted this is early on so I doubt everything is going to be laid out so simply.  These nitpicks aside, P5 The Animation has a very Durarara feel to its first couple of episodes.  The world looks ordinary but theres extraordinary hidden literally underneath it.  There’s also a ton of demented danger and im kind of upset the lecherous, violent gym teacher hasn’t been dealt with yet, especially after it’s hinted that he might be doing naughty/illegal things to one of the main characters.  No Ann in a sexy bikini doesn’t make me forget that the Gym Teacher is a sleeze and needs to get his ass kicked and arrested ASAP!!!

 

I do like the action of the show as I feel that it might be how things play out in the game, with turn style attacks from each Phantom Thief striking an opponent with a flashy finishing move to top it all off.  There’s already a very Anime style vibe to the game itself so it re-translates to Anime with ease, from the world aesthetic to the character designs.  I also cant help but wonder: if Persona 5 ends up being a beat for beat retread of its source material, why would I enjoy it but not the Ace Attorney Anime from a couple of years ago?  Maybe it’s because ive never played Persona 5 at all whereas I played the first couple of cases in Ace Attorney and the Animes first couple of episodes played out exactly the same as in the game.  Maybe I have more of an interest in Persona than the adventures of Phoenix Wright?  Maybe im just ready to see Ann Takamaki kick some serious ass in her red Panther costume?  I’ll lean more towards that last one.

 

All in all, I might keep up with this a couple more weeks and then just wait to binge it all (kind of what I might end up doing with My Hero Academia this season).  Persona 5: The Animation looks great and is off to a decent start thanks to some good production values from Studio Cloverworks (though I wonder why Production I.G., which did the Anime cutscenes for the video game, didn’t take on the project, they’ve got energy to spare) an intriguing premise and some fun action.  Maybe by the time the show is over, ill have saved up for a Playstation 4 so I can play the sensation everyones been talking about endlessly.  For now, the Animation will do just fine.

T5W#145-Top 5 Favorite Spring 2018 Anime Titles

Its hard to believe that there was a time when we weren’t watching Anime in the same time frame that it aired in Japan.  Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, Tenchi, Pokemon, all of the most popular shows we were watching in the early 2000’s on Toonami had long finished their runs in the mid to late 90’s.  But thanks to improvements in streaming and high demand, we’re able to check out brand new Anime same day as Japan and even some movies are making landfall here subbed to spearhead interest before their get an official English Dub (if they do at all).  A goal I set for myself this year, very recently while working on new First Impression Fridays, has been to keep up with a few new shows coming out of Japan during the Spring 2018 seaosn.  And I found them, not one, not two, but five that I am adamantly invested in and cant wait to check out week after week.  So for this weeks Top 5, im naming my Top 5 Favorite Spring 2018 Anime Titles.  Some of these will be brief since they have their own lengthy First Impression Articles coming in later weeks.  But these are all of the shows ive committed to checking out at the end of every week when theyre all updated, old school Toonami style.  And if this list looks familiar…that’s because they are all the same ones I announced to check out when I made that Custom Toonami Block announcement (so yes it’s a big success and you should be checking out all of these shows).

 

#5-Gundam Build Divers

The Build Fighters franchise gets back to its roots with this new entry.  Gone are the days of gloom and doom of Team Try Fighters.  Taking its place is a massive virtual playground that Gunpla nuts can run around in to their hearts content.  From an endless amount of mecha (Gundam or otherwise) to cameos from every Gundam character in the stratosphere, to the sheer sense of big dumb fun, this is the sequel Gundam Build Fighters always deserved.  Now I just hope that somehow Sei and Reiji can team up with Riku and Yuki.  Oh the fun these four would have playing Gunpla together.

 

#4-Aggretsuko

I was a little hesitant about this one.  I know its supposed to be a real world allegory but sometimes it’s a bit too real world.  Still, the series has grown on me…if only for Retsuko’s boss DEATH METAL BALLADS!!!  Keep an eye out for a more expansive First Impression Article in the coming weeks of First Impression Friday.

 

#3-Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These

Much like Aggretsuko above, this one ill be diving deeper into later on First Impression Friday.  Still, the previous OVA series that this show is based on set the gold standard for epic scifi storytelling.  And it looks like Production I.G. is up to the task of taking that standard one step further.  Not only is Die Neue These (or The New Thesis) gorgeous as all get out, it is one of the most chill but exciting space operas out there.  And that theme song is just plain beautiful, invoking a sense of nostalgia for old school space operas like Yamato or Macross.

 

#2-Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory

IT’S BACK, IT’S BACK, IT’S BAAAAAAACK!!!!!  Damn guys, if you’ve been into Full Metal Panic from the beginning, Invisible Victory has been, so far, a love letter to you, the fans.  The game has changed for Sousuke, Kaname and Mithril and it has me on the edge of my seat.  Saturday nights when I pull up Crunchyroll to check out my new titles, there is only one other title that surpasses how excited I am to watch Anime right now and that’s…

 

#1-My Hero Academia Season 3

They say it couldn’t be done.  No way could the magic and awesomness of Season 2 ever be topped.  Well sit down, shut up and make sure you have a friend to hug and freak out with.  Deku, Bakugo and the rest of Class 1-A are back and are in the biggest trial of their lives (yes bigger than exams and a tournament arc).  Every episode so far has left me wanting more and shouting F*** YEAH at least once per episode.  Yep, I am fully on the Hero Aca band wagon and I think…I might have to do a Top 5 next week dedicated to this seasons awesomeness…frak I haven’t had this fun watching an Anime like this since Code Geass.  If you’ve found your love of Anime beginning to dwindle, start on this show right away.  If you can make it through the “decent” first season, Season Two and onward will make you glad you love this genre all over again.

Bleach: The Movie 3-Fade to Black

Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki arrives in the Soul Society only to find it in ruins after a sudden attack.  Ichigo is immedietly attacked by friends who don’t remember him and what’s worse, Rukia is also missing, seemingly erased from existence.  In a world turned upside down, Ichigo is forced to fight a familiar battle against the entirety of the Soul Society to find and save one of his dearest friends.  If the Soul Society’s most powerful warriors don’t kill him first, whoever is determined to keep Rukia for themselves will.

 

The Diamond Dust Rebellion was a Bleach movie that got a lot of things right.  It centered on a popular character, produced a very emotional and intimate tale, and still maintained all of the fun and excitement Bleach was once known for bringing to the masses.   In many ways, it felt like lightning had finally struck where Bleach was good.  Fade to Black tries to replicate the successes of The Diamond Dust Rebellion but ultimately doesn’t even come close for various reasons.

Erasing Rukia from the memories of the cast is a big deal and a smart way to start a story off.  Rukia is an essential part of Bleach, without whom much of the main story would not happen.  Ichigo, Renji and Byakuya would all not be the heroes they’ve become without this one girl in their lives.  Taking her out of the equation is a big shake up.  But the initial shock gets kind of lost when Bleach tries to retread old ground as the story goes on.  Many fans, like myself, came into Bleach during the second and third seasons when Ichigo was fighting every Soul Reaper on the map.  It made sense in a TV series where every battle was properly paced and given the right amount of emotional depth with each duel.  Here in Fade to Black it just feels like a cheap attempt to grab attention when there should have been more focus on making Rukia’s long lost wards more interesting characters.  The only time Ichigo’s fights with the epic Soul Reaper cast kind of payoff is when he faces Renji and Byakuya but that’s because those two are the other closest people to Rukia’s existence, her best friend and brother respectively.  Heck, Byakuya doesn’t even fight Ichigo.  He hears him out and actually helps him without drawing his sword, another reason why Byakuya Kuchiki kicks ass while everyone else is too proud and stagnant to be that great a character.

Much like The Diamond Dust Rebellion, Fade to Black tries to liven things up by exploring Rukia’s past and an event that we had no knowledge of.  In the end, while we do get some good emotional moments from Rukia, it doesn’t feel like much has been gained exploring the memory loss angle.  Her captors and the villains of the movie feel more like truly lost souls trying to be bad guys just to give Ichigo an enemy to swing his sword at.  Even for all of his lack of depth and uniqueness, The Diamond Dust Rebellion’s Kusaka had a tragic backstory tied directly to Toshiro.  There’s less of a sense of overall urgency in Fade to Black because of the failure to make the main villains interesting.  And of course trying to bring in every Bleach character under the sun to get involved doesn’t help matters either, especially in a, once again, overblown finale.  It would have been better had the final battle been cut by about 10-15mins and focused exclisivley on the very well done duel between Ichigo and a possessed Rukia.  The action is fast paced and the duel is well choreographed and executed while everyone else fights a giant tentacle monster shooting out those weird snake thingys from Prometheus so everyone can spam special attacks.  I keep thinking Fade to Black is “trying” to repeat the things that worked about Movie 2…but in the end sometimes it just feels lazy.

Bleach: The Movie 3-Fade to Black has a good setup is squandered by the fact that everyone needs to be involved, old stories need to be retold and the main antagonists aren’t very memorable.  Had we kept things relegated to Rukia’s importance to Ichigo, Byakuya and Renji and not focused on some cataclysmic event befalling the Soul Society (again) this could have been better than Movie 2.  While there are a couple of good character moments to enjoy and one of the best duels in Bleach PERIOD, Fade to Black will fade from memory not long after seeing it.  Come on Bleach, you can do better than this.

5/10

And with that, next week Bleach goes to Hell…no literally the actual story takes place partly in Hell.  Anyway we finish off a month of Bleach movies next Monday with Bleach: The Movie 4-Hell Verse.  See ya then.

FIF#51-Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory

At the gravesite of their parents, siblings Tessa and Leonard Testarossa meet.  Leonard warns his sister: Almagam is done with Mithrils constant victories against them.  The gloves have come off and now Alagam is pulling out all the stops to eliminate the mercenary group and captured the Whispered for themselves.  This puts Sousuke Sagara and his charge, Kaname Chidori directly in Leonard’s crosshairs.  As Mithril finds itself attacked on all sides, Sousuke must stand alone to protect Kaname, the girl who has become his closest friend and more.  When the dust settles from this terrible new battle, will their be a future left for the Serious Sergant and the Beautiful Class Rep?

 

Ohhhhhh boy.  This is both terrifying and exciting.  In short, this is going to be a damn good season and ive only watched one episode.  Believe it or not, it’s been 13 years since Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid aired in Japan.  The fact that we’re actually getting a fourth season of Full Metal Panic is nothing short of miraculous but I also think it’ll be well worth the wait.

 

It looks like the time of fun and games at school is over.  While I don’t think Jin Dai High will be completely taken out of the picture, it might be a while before we return to its halls again.  Kaname and Sousuke are in for the fight of their lives in a couple of ways.  Not only is Amalgam upping the ante on a worldwide scale but there’s also those pesky teenage romance feelings to contend with.  It might not seem like much but seeing Kaname and Sousuke holding hands during a walk home was a big deal to me.  The end of The Second Raid left their relationship at a crossroads.  It seems theyre closer than ever but could that be their downfall too?  What’s even more surprising are the insights of the much welcome returned Hayashimizu from Full Metal Panic Fumofuu.  His sharpness has pieced together Sousuke’s true occupation (more or less) and even he has to offer advice on how Sousuke and Kaname can carry on if things get rough in the future.  I really, really hope that this isn’t just a one off cameo we get from the now former Council President.  All the same, I have invested a lot of interest in Kaname and Sousuke’s developing romance and would hate to see it torn apart so soon after they tried to get their stuff together during The Second Raid.

 

Bonus points should be given to Leonard Testarossa.  One of The Second Raids few flaws was how small of a role Tessa’s brother had to play and it became clear he was just there to setup future conflicts.  Well that future conflict has arrived and man is Leo a scary guy.  There’s a different air to him, much like with the rest of this new season, that makes everything Leo says the more terrifyingly convincing.  Sure there’s some new guy he’s talking to that is likened to Gates or Gaurron.  But I think Leo is set to be the ultimate big bad of this season and, I wont lie, I hope he gets what’s coming to him.  Four seasons in and I think its time for Mithril to finally deal a fatal blow to their mortal enemies.

 

Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory feels like the game changer The Second Raid was building towards.  Long gone are the days of the awkward classroom comedy antics of Season One and Fumofuu.  Not saying their couldn’t be any levity as we did get a classic moment when Kurtz got decked by Mao for checking her out in her new skirted outfit…not that I can blame him, damn Melissa Mao ive missed you and your sexy badassery.  But the game has changed for Full Metal Panic and things look set to get more intense than ever before.  I just hope that everyone makes it out alive, even Tessa.  Gripping story, fast paced intensity and some new animation from yet another studio change over (I am gonna miss Kyoto Animation’s touch though), this could be the ultimate season of Full Metal Panic…yeah I might have to cover this as a whole in the fall after show finishes up mid summer (I think it’s 12 or 13 episodes total).  Having spent all of last year reviewing every season of FMP til now, it only feels right I might add Invisible Victory to the roster.  I’ll keep everyone posted…man am I excited for this one.

 

T5W#144-Top 5 Tears of Joy Moments in Anime

When life throws you a curveball you never see coming, it can leave you in the dark, sad and unsure.  I learned that last week dealing with some sad news…and then I went to see My Neighbor Totoro right after and at one point, I just started tearing up.  Sure I was dealing with bad news but also, I was reminded of just how much Anime can touch the heart and be that big warm hug you need in the darkest of times (a feeling that also translates beautifully to conventions).  So for this weeks Top 5, im giving you five of those special kinds of moments, one that will make you tear up but that also overwhelm your heart with feelings of hope and joy.  These are my Top 5 Tears of Joy Moments in Anime.

#5-Making the Trees Grow (My Neighbor Totoro)

The moment that kicked off the idea for this list.  This scene, where Totoro and his comrades, along with sisters Satsuki and Mei, birth a majestic garden in the girls backyard is the ultimate feel good moment.  There’s something about seeing this mythical plushie prance around with an umbrella and a goofy smile making the impossible possible.  The addition of Satsuki and Mei’s wide eyed looks of wonder, the music and the fluid animation make a perfect blend.  And when theyre flying with Totoro?  You’ll feel like you can fly too and you’ll cry in the process. 

#4-Final Relay (Free)

For 13 episodes I watched the resurrection of the Iwatobi Swim Club and the trials and tribulations of Haru and Rin with much investment.  Seeing Rin finally hit his low point during a critical race was heartbreaking but it was what came next that made all the grief worth it.  Haru, Rin, Mako and Nagisa risk it all, from championships to their positions on their respective teams to swim together one more time, just like in the old days.  Sure they are forced to disqualify cause what they did was against the rules, but still seeing the OG 4 friends win their race as friends and brothers squeezes the heart with the right kind of grip.  These are the kind of family bonds Anime does best.

#3-The Final Walk (Dragon Ball GT)

Let me make it clear: Dragon Ball GT is a terrible show, it’s just horrible.  But damn if the last few minutes don’t instill the ultimate nostalgia trip.  Seeing as how this was the end of Dragon Ball, until Super came around almost two decades later, GT decided to get one thing right and present us with a montage of every major moment from Dragon Ball thru Dragon Ball Z and (sadly also) Dragon Ball GT.  If you were a long time fan of this franchise and even bore the terribleness of GT, theres something to be said about watching all of this history pass by to the awesome GT theme “Dan Dan”.  In a way, it’s a fond farewell to an old friend with a lot of fond memories…but also a hint of a promise that as long as we remember it, Dragon Ball isn’t going anywhere.

#2-“I Love You” (Your Name)

By the time you get to the big climax of Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name”, you’ve gotta be feeling some kind of emotion.  If not, then your heart gets racing proper when Mitsuha and Taki lose their twilight connection and Mitsuha is in a race against time to save her towns population form annihilation.  But when Mitsuha trips, collapses and has to face the reality that she’s losing her memories of Taki, it feels like history wont be averted…and then she remembers “Lets write our names down so we don’t forget”.  Mitsuha didn’t get to write her name on Taki’s hand before Twilight ended…but Taki wrote something, three simple, little words, “I love you.”……AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE FEELS ARE REEEEEEALLLLLL!!!!!!!  Seriously, see this movie if you haven’t already.

#1-150 Million Wishes (Summer Wars)

This one gets me every single time.  It looks like Natsuki and the Jinouchis are going to lose the battle for the fate of the world when they have insufficient funds to continue Honofuda against the AI Love Machine.  But then, the low counter adds an additional account…and we see in the distance a tiny little avatar who asks Natsuki to take his account and use it for a wager.  He’s then followed by millions of other OZ accounts as the world unites to save itself and place its fate in Natsuki’s hands.  The pacing and build up to this moment and beyond is beautiful.  Whenever that choir starts singing when this scene begins I always start crying.  If only there were more moments like this in life in general.  It’s one of the reasons Summer Wars is still my all time favorite Anime Film of all time.

Bleach: The Movie 2-The Diamond Dust Rebellion

Following a devastating attack on a convoy, Soul Reaper Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya vanishes without a trace.  When its confirmed his Zanpakuto, Hyonimaru, was used in the attack, Head Captain Yamamoto orders Toshiro’s capture and execution.  Now on the run from his allies, as well as his past, Toshiro crosses paths with Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki, who vows to fight for him.  Why are there 2 Hyonimaru Zanpakuto and what horrific moment from Toshiro’s past has come back to destroy his future and the Soul Society along with it?

 

It’s rare that a Shonen Action movie based on a popular manga title actually decides to break some norms.  In this case, Bleach 2 decides to take much of the focus away from it’s main character and give someone else a chance to shine.  This sad tale for one of Bleach’s most popular characters, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya, is a much better attempt at an event level film than Memories of Nobody, even if the last third just decides to say screw it and go back to those norms once again, kind of a stumbling block really.

 

One of Bleach’s double edged Zanpakuto…er swords, is its ginormous cast.  After introducing Ichigo, Rukia and a few other characters in its first season, the second season and beyond exploded with an abundance of new characters courtesy of its expansion into the Soul Society.  True, Renji, Byakuya, Kenpachi and Soi Fon, to name a few, had their followers.  But Toshiro’s popularity, at the time, was beyond theirs and The Diamond Dust Rebellion’s story celebrates that popularity and giving the character more depth than he ever really needed.  Ichigo and the others may be around but this is definitely Toshiro’s movie.  On his own, wounded and hunted by everyone he called an ally, the Soul Reaper Captain still shines through his stubborn conviction and one very tragic incident from his past.  His rival/former friend Kusaka has plenty of reason to be angry but he seems more interesting in the past than in the present, where he’s your stereotypical “Destroy the World” villain of the week.  Thankfully, Toshiro provides enough dramatic weight for both characters.  Even without saying much, Toshiro conveys emotions he’d rarely show in the TV Series and its worth a head nod to the animation department for being able to do all of this with a few glances and the simple look in Toshiro’s eyes. 

 

Of course, Bleach is naturally Ichigo’s starring vehicle but he doesn’t really overshadow Toshiro’s presence.  The movie seems quite content with him being the passenger this time around and even manages to tie the stories of the two characters together in nice ways.  Ichigo can relate and sympathize with pretty much everyone he comes into contact with.  It feels more personal with Toshiro because of all they’ve been through together.  Heck it feels more personal for just about everyone who has a main part in the film.  Rangiku, Toshiro’s Lieutenant, especially feels the absence of her commander and friend and you know there are plenty of other Soul Reapers who want to help.  Probably the only character who annoys me in this regard is Head Captain Yamamoto, who, much like every other time in the series, seems willing to jump right to the death penalty without hearing all the facts or assessing the situation beyond “he sneezed therefore he must die”.  Even in the flashbacks you can see how the totally messed up laws of the Soul Society lead to the tragedy of Toshiro and Kusaka.  I’d sympathize more with Kusaka if he were a better executed character but, again, Toshiro’s drama carries the weight to highlight just how stupid the Soul Society’s main powers can be sometimes (more like all the time but that’s a discussion for another time).

 

The much better story and pacing help The Diamond Dust Rebellion soar above Memories of Nobody in no time at all.  That plus the better animation and the emphasis on a beloved characters plight make the first two thirds of this movie a good watch.  That’s not to say the last act is bad…it just falls back into the “hey let’s get everyone involved in the final battle again, even if it’s just a quick second cameo for some.”  Had it just been Toshiro, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji and Rangiku going after Kusaka it would have been alright because they were all involved in the films plot plenty.  Adding in extra characters to pad out the runtime and deliver more action just feels like a misstep when the movie had been more of a personal battle revolving around one character.  Another big misstep The Diamond Dust Rebellion encounters is making several references to ongoing arcs from the TV Show.  Mentions of Arrancar, Momo Hinamori and Gin Ichimaru will definitely make ones head scratch if they don’t know who or what those characters are.  Granted some of the Dragon Ball Z movies did reference events from the show but did them in smart ways, even integrating them into the main plot (i.e. Cooler’s flashback of Frieza blowing up Planet Vegeta at the beginning of the film).  Here it just feels like theyre really trying to fit The Diamond Dust Rebellion into official cannon.  An approach like that works for something like say Inuyasha 3, which focused on an important part of Inuyasha and Sheshomaru’s history, as Inuyasha’s story is so big and sprawling and with decent gaps between arcs where that could fit.  Bleach’s main story is pretty tight in continuity, so The Diamond Dust Rebellion has a harder time trying to pull this off.

Despite a flawed final act, Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion is a much better entry in the film series.  Giving the spotlight to someone other than Ichigo was a welcome change.  The animation, while not perfect, was a great improvement over Memories of Nobody.  The action was great and there was a weight to the story that made it feel important.  Had the finale been trimmed of its fat and Kusaka made a bit more sympathetic in the present, I might say this movie was a home run.  Still, it isn’t bad at all and is a film I would definitely recommend to fans of the series…especially fans of the white haired tiny bad ass that is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya.

8/10

Two down, two to go.  Let’s hope that the other films are just as good here.  Now…who’s ready to watch Ichigo fight the whole Soul Society again?  Oh…I said again?  Uh oh.  See ya next week for my review of Bleach: The Movie 3-Fade to Black.