Supernatural: The Anime Series Part 6 Episodes 21-22

While taking a breather with Dean, Sam is abducted.  All signs point to the Yellow Eye Demon and he’s ready to implement his endgame.  With Sam trapped in a deadly free for all, it’s up to Dean and Bobby to save him.  However, when an unexpected tragedy strikes, Sam and Dean will be forced to pull out all the stops to end the existence of a demon who has plagued their family all their lives.  And even if they can avenge their parents and save the world…what’s next for the Winchesters?  Does the hunt ever end?

 

Happy Halloween everyone and welcome to the conclusion of Supernatural: The Anime Series.  Everything since Episode 1 had been building to this two part scare and gorefest and…it was ok.  Some things felt rushed or not taken full advantage of.  But overall it wasn’t a bad way to close out this series.  

 

At long last, Jensen Ackles finally took his place behind the mike alongside his onscreen bro Jared Padelecki.  Now again, Andrew Farrar has not done a bad job as Dean, in fact id say he’s been absolutely great.  However, hearing Sam and Dean together with both of their original actors is a whole other kind of feeling, a good one and one that will definitely make some fans wonder why they didn’t hold off on dubbing this project until both leads were available.  In a way, Sam handled a lot of the physical aspects of the finale while Dean got the brunt of the emotional and there’s always a certain way that Jensen brings out the deeper side of Dean, particularly when he’s mourning Sams (albeit temporary) death.

 

Speaking of that temporary death, Sam got plunged right into what should have been an all out brawl between would be X-Men.  However, Sam being Sam, he attempted to persuade Jake and the other chosen children to work together for most of the first part.  It is what Sam would do, but it also meant a trade off in that only the last few minutes of Part 1 had any real action.  Here’s also where doing Supernatural as an Anime went a long way.  The visuals of “All Hell Breaks Loose” feel like the culmination of all the action horror filled imagery seen throughout these 22 episodes.  From Sam’s psychedelic chat with Yellow Eyes to Jake’s Hulk like appearance when he goes all out, this was the most Anime inspired stuff yet in the art department.  It also meant that we got to see Sam get a hole literally punched through his chest by Jake…ouch, yeah that was one of the bloodiest kills of the series.

 

But no, Sam didn’t stay dead for long, though the sight of his dead body on a table was pretty chilling.  Much like the TV Series, Dean made a deal to bring Sam back…but now he only has a year to live and if you know the TV Series, that leads to a whole other can of worms but we’ll talk about that later.  As for the final showdown, it was pretty big, just like its live action counterpart.  Sam and Jakes rematch and Dean’s showdown with Yellow Eyes against the backdrop of the Gates of Hell opening up delivered.  It was also good to see John Winchester make one more critical appearance to help his sons destroy their enemy once and for all.  It was also good to see Bobby and Missouri lend a hand, no matter how tiny.

 

However, this is where the “rushed” mention comes in.  There’s barely any time to decompress and deal with Dean’s deal or Sam’s ruthless takedown of Jake or the fact that Hell’s gates were opened and things definitely escaped.  One could blame this on the episode being half the length of your normal Supernatural.  You could also say that, since there isn’t another season of the Anime, it doesn’t matter.  And in a way, that’s kind of a shame.  Supernatural was a good fit for an Anime project and if it did the first two seasons well enough, imagine what it could do with Seasons 3-5.  For those who don’t know, not only do we deal with Dean’s deal in Season 3, but we eventually move into war with both Angels and Demons and the Apocalypse itself.  Just imagine an OP psychically charged Sam going all Dragon Ball Z on Angels and Demons, or what fan favorite Castiel would be capable of unleashing all out Angel bad assery.  Sadly, we’ll never know because, as of now anyway, there are no plans for a continuation of this Anime.  I don’t know how well this project did to somehow merit another Anime season but I think we should just be grateful we got this little endeavor anyway.  Like I said though, it’s a shame we may not see more.  HOWEVER, one thing I find inexcusable in this finale is the lack of a full season recap aka “The Road So Far”.  This is practically a staple of the Supernatural series, a recurring feature used in Season Finales since the second season.  Personally, even if I haven’t been keeping up with the TV Series, I always tune into the start of the Season Finales so I can see these recaps and listen to “Carry On My Wayward Son” in the process…why couldn’t the Anime give me this goodness?  

 

So final thoughts then I guess?  Supernatural: The Anime Series was a fun and unique take on the vast lore of the Supernatural franchise.  The adaptations of TV Series episodes were faithful but with their own fun twists.  The original episodes were probably some of my favorites as they allowed to expand the history of the Winchesters and even give some time to side characters who would play greater roles down the line.  Taking a hard edged Anime approach also allowed for the use of more scary visuals and lots more gore than you’d see in the series (and it can be gory at times too).  A couple of episodes didn’t really succeed on a couple of levels, the final two episodes were adequate but rushed and the lack of a few key original actors hindered a couple of roles (this mostly goes to Bobby but I wonder if even Jim Beaver said no after he saw how weird his character looked in the Anime).  But when this Anime worked, it worked.  If you’re a fan of the series, this is worth a look.  If you’re looking for a decent horror Anime, it’s not a bad choice.  If anything, the Anime might get you to check out the TV Series.  Cause if you like what you see here, you aint seen nothing yet.  There’s a reason Supernatural is still chugging along today.  Go check it out and discover why for yourself.

 

Supernatural: The Anime Series gets…an 8/10.

 

Next week we leave the ghouls and monsters behind and prepare for the long awaited return of some old favorites.  That’s right boys and girls, Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori are back…and to quote Sousuke’s obvious father Solid Snake, “Kept you waiting huh?”  Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory, starts next week right here on the Gundam Anime Corner.  I hope you’re as ready as I am.

 

T5W#168-Top 5 Otakon 2018 Cosplays

Happy Halloween everyone…though for Cosplayers it might as well be a Tuesday lol.  Joking aside, cosplayers are some of the hardest working individuals I have ever met.  They spend hours of their lives (and who knows how much money) bringing to life their favorite characters from Anime, comic books, video games, etc.  And they have to have a ton of patience to be stopped dozens of times for photos at conventions.  I personally don’t have that kind of patience but man do I respect the people who do.  Their work pays off in spades and every photo request brings a smile to their face cause people love their work.  And this year I got to attend two big conventions to see more of this stellar work.  And hell, it’s Halloween, dressing up is a must.  Let’s dive into this weeks Halloween event T5W, my Top 5 Otakon 2018 Cosplays (and if you missed Part 1 of this little special, my Top 5 Katsucon 2018 Cosplays list can be found right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/t5w167-top-5-katsucon-2018-cosplays.html

 

#5-Lancer (Fate/Stay Night UBW) (zitchy14)

Of all the Fate cosplayers I saw at the FSN photoshoot, whenever this guy walked into a group shot, he always stood out.  From the actual lance to the hair to the dead on detailed body suit, it was as if the actual servant walked right out of a battle in Fate/Stay Night to grace us with his presence at a photoshoot.  That’s not to say that there weren’t a lot of great Fate/Stay Night cosplays at Otakon, there were tons (some worn by good friends of mine).  This Lancer just rocked, plain and simple.

Check out more of zitchy's work right here:
https://www.instagram.com/zitchy14/

 

#4-Genderbend Princess Mononoke (Laurence)

My good friend Laurence has been cosplaying for a long time and this latest project of his took a while for him to pull off.  I’d seen the progress pics as they came along but to see it in person, damn brother.  Special praise should go to the San mask he made in addition to everything else.  The detail is precise and looks very tribal warrior, just like San is in the actual movie.  Im sure this was a dream project for Laurence and im so happy it paid off in spades as he got stopped constantly for a photo, right on dude.

You can follow Laurence’s Cosplay and general wacky adventures here:

https://www.instagram.com/bishounen.balisong/

 

#3-Moana (Vixie Belle)

Another good friend lands a spot on my Top 5 (feel like this is all long overdue for the amazing people I travel with during these events).  VixieBelle is a huge Disney fan, hell she practically is a RL Disney Princess.  For this Otakon, she debuted her finished cosplay of Moana of Matanui and…let me tell ya the second we linked up in the Dealers Room on Saturday all I could do was say “wow” as silently as I could.  Vixie could not have looked more beautiful and perfect as the water master of Disney.  Fun fact: she kind of does costume work for a living and im glad she finds time to put her profession into her awesome hobby (cosplay I mean lol).

Check out Vixie’s Cosplay and Costume design adventures right here: 

https://www.instagram.com/vixiebelle/

 

#2-Sailor Neptune (Rizuki)

Rizuki the Senshi Master strikes again.  Not only was she hosting one of the official Sailor Moon photoshoots at Otakon 2018, she was also bringing her updated Sailor Neptune cosplay along with her.  The updates and hard work put into them all were worth the hype: darker colors didn’t sacrifice the brightness of the character and it just felt more confident like ever before.  I told Rizuki that if I had to make a list of cosplayers id slot into a Sailor Senshi shoot…she’d be Venus cause she’s her main HOWEVER the new Neptune makes a compelling argument to change that decision lol. 

You can check out more of Rizuki’s cosplays here:

https://www.facebook.com/rizukicosplay/

https://www.instagram.com/rizuki/

https://twitter.com/rizukiann

 

#1-Momma Midoriya and Baby Deku

Just look at how unfreakingbelievably adorable this is?  It isn’t uncommon to see some parents dress up their babies and infants when they bring along for the ride at conventions.  Often, they steal the show (case in point the couple of tiny Princesses and Senshi at the Disney and Sailor Moon photoshoots).  This, however, made everyone stop in their tracks.  Yes, yes, the BNHA group as a whole was pretty legit.  Baby Deku in the wagon (in costume and with a little Greymon too ahhhhh) being watched over by Mama Midoriya, God you couldn’t ask for a more perfect family moment at a convention, ever.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Part 5 Episodes 17-20

With their father dead and The Colt missing, Sam and Dean are on the warpath.  With the Yellow Eye Demon still at large, no one is safe, especially those with powers similar to Sam’s precognitive abilities.  But no matter the danger or the monster, the boys press on to continue their fathers legacy.  But is this all there is to their lives now?  Or is there more to life than just hunting all the evil on Earth?  The answers to these questions might change Sam and Deans lives forever…or cost them their souls.

As we head into the final stretch of Supernatural: The Anime Series, im happy to see that the series isn’t just brushing over the big loss the brothers endured last week.  This week, Sam and Dean dealt with the fallout of their fathers sacrifice while speeding headfirst into their final battle with Yellow Eyes.  All the feels were here, some a little out of order but I’ll talk about that in a second.  By the end of this set though, there was plenty of reason to cry a little.

Once again, I have to give a lot of credit to the Anime Original stories of this series.  They not only opened the doors to missed storytelling opportunities but also manage to expand them and even go a little crazy for crazy’s sake.  Example: A flashback to Sam and Dean’s childhood involving a woman who was almost a surrogate mother to Sam was very well done.  It gave us a chance to see adorable little Sam and even give one last little hurrah for John Winchester, sewing the seeds of the sacrifices he’d make to ensure Sam and Dean would always be ok.  And then you got Dean and John vs a Giant Robot Junkyard Monster created by would be Demon Mom…it’s farfetched but when youre telling this through an Anime medium, you can give it a pass cause you’d never see a creation like that on the TV Series.  We also got an Anime exclusive backstory to Jake, a character who will play a big role in the Anime series finale.  Just goes to show that, even if they do feature heavily, the focus doesn’t have to be exclusively on Sam and Dean for Supernatural to work, particularly when Jake’s story is compelling and has one helluva sad conclusion.

Dean was the one you felt the most for during these episodes.  After realizing his Dad made a deal to save his life, he was nothing but tormented.  In fact, the other two episodes in this set dealt specifically with Dean’s emotional state, from lashing out at Sam to seeing what life could be if he had never hunted.  Deans smooth talking negotiation with the Crossroads Demon was very effective at breaking Dean’s shell open, even when he was trying to save a mans life in the process.  Yeah, Dean managed to keep an innocent soul from being devoured by Hellhounds.  But the Crossroads Demon still got in a win by poking Dean’s shattered spirit, having lost his father to preserve his life.  Nothing, however, compared to the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” tale that saw Dean living in a perfect world.  He was married (to a woman we never knew but I guess it couldn’t be helped since Dean hadn’t connected with any other woman in this series so you’d have to make one up); Sam was engaged to Jessica and his mom was still alive (John not so much so what’s up with that?).  Seeing Dean slowly come to accept this reality was something but seeing him deny it to escape and save his life from the Djinn draining his life was one of the most powerful and emotional moments of this entire series.  After all he’s lost and suffered, how does Dean not deserve a happy ending?  Same could be said for Sam but his and Dean’s roles seemed to switch this time around, with Sam needing to be the voice of reason and the shoulder his brother needed.  

One thing that did bug me this week was the placement of the first two episodes.  I feel like Dean’s trip to see the seer Missouri, which is where the flashback episode took place, should have come after Dean’s encounter with the Crossroads Demon.  Dean was a wreck at the beginning of that story and, on screen, it came after he seemed to finally begin reconciling his fathers death and strengthen his resolve to protect Sam even though his Dad told him he might have to cause of his powers.  When he visits Missouri, Dean has finally broken and is sobbing into his friends shoulder.  Idk one story definitely should have come after another in this case for better character flow.

Well I hope you got all the crying out of the way cause Wednesday is Halloween and it’s time for the Winchester boys to put their game faces on.  Check back Wednesday for the special two part Series Finale Review of Supernatural: The Anime Series as, as the episode title implies, All Hell Breaks Loose.  See ya then.

FIF#66-The Seven Deadly Sins

In the Kingdom of Leones, legend tells of the Seven Deadly Sins, elite warriors amongst the Holy Knights who betrayed their order.  Now wanted criminals, these seven souls have scattered across the land, never to be seen again…until now.  A desperate Princess, Elizabeth, needs their help save her Kingdom from a terrifying plot by the very Knights who are supposed to protect the Kingdom.  Her search leads her to the tavern of a bartender named Meliodas…who just so happens to be one of the famed Seven Deadly Sins himself.  Moved by Elizabeth’s pleas (and her beautiful figure), Meliodas and his talking pig companion, Hawk, embark on a quest to find Meliodas’s former comrades…before the Holy Knights or their powerful leaders find them first.

The Seven Deadly Sins is a title that’s been floating around Netflix for a long time now, I think it was one of the first to be released under their “Netflix Original” stamp.  I don’t know what I never checked it out sooner but I know this show has a pretty decent fanbase by this point.  After checking out the first couple of episodes, I can see why it has its fans.  Im just not sure if ill ever end up being one of them.

For one thing, I wasn’t grabbed by the story, the quest, or the tease of how good the Seven Deadly Sins themselves are.  It feels a lot like a case of “been there, done that” to me, so I don’t know if im just not interested or burned out a little (could be a bit of both really).  There’s also the characters that aren’t really catching my interest.  Meliodas does have his moments of badassery.  But I never found anything else to like about him.  He’s wise but could care less about much.  He’s a kind heart but he’s also a serious pervert.  He’s just…boring.  Same could kind of be said of Elizabeth too and not even a cute figure can help her out there.  The only character introduced thus far who made me smile was Hawk, the talking pig who gets the best lines and even some of the best action in the first two episodes.  Besides that, there’s nothing about Seven Deadly Sins I haven’t glimpsed at before, or seen done better even across multiple titles.  I often kept thinking of Fairy Tail and how roped in I was by the second or third episode thanks to Natsu, Happy and a better paced storyline.  Granted Seven Deadly Sins isn’t as boring or guilty of stealing from every single Shonen Anime like Black Clover (and im sure that even took a bit from Seven Deadly Sins now that I think about it).  Still, nothing was ensnaring my attention in the first two episodes, honestly it was hard to see what all the fuss is about.

Like I said, I know Seven Deadly Sins has some very committed fans and im sure this show has plenty of reason to be as beloved as it is by the community.  It’s colorful, the cast is going to appeal to a lot of people (especially the cosplay community with the outfits for Meliodas and Elizabeth), and there is some good action.  But there are a ton of other Anime I need to either check out or get ready to review and im probably excited for more of those than I am for more Seven Deadly Sins.  Maybe I’ll come back to this one later…but Im not holding my breath on it.  Sorry, this one just isn’t for me everyone.

T5W#167-Top 5 Katsucon 2018 Cosplays

As we’re getting close to the end of October, and therefore Halloween, I usually take this time to pay tribute to some of the amazing cosplay ive seen throughout the year.  For the first time in two years, I was able to go to both Katsucon and Otakon and gaze upon hundreds of amazing and talented cosplayers who bring hundreds of characters to life.  So I guess this is Part 1 of 2 in a way for Top 5 Wednesday.  Today ill be covering my Top 5 Katsucon 2018 cosplays.  Check back next week for Part 2, my Top 5 Otakon 2018 Cosplays. For now, onto the winter con that felt more like summer but still gave us some very cool times overall (Katsu 2018 def stands in my Top 5 Conventions now…might have to do a REDUX of that list soon).

#5-Punk Sailor Star (Rizuki)

Rizuki debuted this newest addition to her impressive Sailor Senshi lineup during the best Sailor Moon photoshoot ive been to since my first Katsucon back in 2015.  I haven’t glimpsed much of the Sailor Stars themselves due to the fact that we’ve never had their season officially released here in the US (what’s the hold up Viz?).  Still, if theyre any bit as cool as Rizuki’s custom Sailor Star look here, I know im going to enjoy them kicking ass alongside my favorite Senshi.  Rizuki put in a lot of hard work on this one and im honored I was among the many who got to see it revealed in person at this con, she’s awesome.

You can check out more of Rizuki’s cosplays here:

https://www.facebook.com/rizukicosplay/

https://www.instagram.com/rizuki/

https://twitter.com/rizukiann

#4-Ms Marvel (Ms. Rae Cosplay)

By now we all know that we’re (finally) getting a Captain Marvel movie in 2019 (just a month before Avengers 4 actually).  While the first official unveiling of Brie Larson as the legendary Marvel beauty only came out a couple months back (and im confident she’ll do the role justice), seeing Ms Rae Cospaly in Carol Danvers’ classic Ms. Marvel costume is also a jaw dropper.  Im sure I wasn’t the only one wondering if she should be in the movie instead.  Wishful thinking (but still wishing all the luck in the world to Brie Larson), but still, this is the costume that made me fall for the character in the first place and man did Ms Rae rock it perfectly.

You can check out more of Ms Rae’s cosplays here:

https://www.facebook.com/msraecosplay/

https://www.instagram.com/msraecosplay/

https://twitter.com/MsRaeCosplay

#3-Goddess Hades (Kayley Marie Cosplay)

I’m always up for new and fun spins on classic characters.  You’d have to be a fool not to spot this particular spin and not want to get a photo.  I love how this look for Hades turned out and often think it should somehow find its way into the Disney cannon (Hell if Hades looked this cool and cute in Once Upon a Time it could have saved that poor show).  This was my first introduction to Kayley Marie Cosplay and her particular brand of awesome.  I can confidently say that this wont be the last time she appears on a Top 5 Cosplay list on my blog, no sir. 

You can check out more of Kayley Marie Cosplays work here:

https://www.facebook.com/kayleymariecosplay/

https://www.instagram.com/kayleymariecosplay/

https://twitter.com/KayleyMarieCos

#2-Will Smith Clone

Was the Fresh Prince truly among us this weekend?  Obvious answer is no but ill be honest, you’d have to really spot the difference big time.  Not sure the name of this guy but he brought two of Will Smiths roles to Katsucon (Agent J from Men in Black and Daryl Ward from Bright…btw his friend who cosplayed Daryls Orc partner from that movie deserves equal cudos cause his makeup was on point).  He was swarmed a lot by fans and photographers (me too obvs) but he was never a jerk and always super kind and friendly…are we sure he wasn’t the real Will Smith?

#1-Anastasia (Fawnina)

Fawnina (formerly MangoSirine) is an amazing cosplay talent and every Katsucon she always debuts something new and incredible.  This year, I think she topped herself.  The second I spotted her in the beautiful and iconic golden ballroom dress from Anastasia, it was like the character had stepped right from the movie and into the hallowed halls of the Gaylord Hotel.  The amount of time this mustve taken Fawnina shows in every little detail.  Equal shoutouts go to her girlfriend, who was the perfect Dimitri to match.  Im lucky and so happy I was able to get a shot of this cosplay as well as a selfie and a hug from this wonderful person who is so pro at this whole scene.

 

You can check out more of Fawnina’s cosplays here:

https://www.facebook.com/Fawnina/

https://www.instagram.com/fawnina/

https://twitter.com/fawnina

Illang: The Wolf Brigade

2029 AD.  The dream of a unified Korea is becoming a reality…or for some a nightmare.  A war erupts between an anti-reunification group called The Sect and an elite unit of the Public Security Force, The Special Unit.  In the middle of it are two people, Lee Yoon-hee and Lim Joong-kyung, are drawn together by tragedies that define their pasts, challenge their presents and threaten their futures.  Amidst a bloody city and a secret war within the Public Security Force, Lim and Lee’s bond will be tested and soon, they’ll come face to face with a secret group determined to keep the Special Unit alive at any cost: the unit codenamed Illang: The Wolf Brigade.

Originally, Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade was to be the final, live action entry of Mamoru Oshii’s Panzer Kerberos Trilogy (following The Red Spectacles and Stray Dog).  However, at the time, Oshii was tapped to direct Ghost in the Shell instead and Jin Roh would eventually find its way to completion as an Anime feature film instead.  So it feels a little poetic that the final chapter of the Panzer Kerberos Saga would find its way to live action cinema, albeit made in South Korea instead of Japan and with a few significant alterations to the original story.  No matter what the case, I was always excited to check this one out when I had the chance.  Jin Roh is one of my favorite Anime films and the previews looked like they might do a good job of bringing it back to the sagas live action roots.  Was it a success and how does this film rank up to other live action Anime adaptations of the last couple of years?

It’s interesting that Illang goes for a total change of scenery while still managing to retain a lot of Jin Roh’s original feel.  The setting is now ten years in the future rather than post WWII and the nation in civil unrest is South Korea rather than Japan.  It feels smart to update it like this and handle a very prevalent possibility that the real world is focusing on.  Meanwhile, most of the original Jin Roh slips in seamlessly, from the dialogue to scenes adapted straight from the Anime, particularly in the beginning and the end.  One could do a side by side, frame by frame analysis of several key scenes just to see how much time has been taken to recreate them almost precisely.  Does it rob Illang of it’s identity or mask the stench of unoriginality like 2017’s Ghost in the Shell?  No and…yeah not really actually.

The heart of Illang is still the same as Jin Roh, a forbidden romance blooming amidst the backdrop of society in turmoil and political intrigue.  Gang Dong-won and Han Hyo-joo give both similar and different takes as Lim and Lee, the characters inspired by Fuse and Kei from the original Anime.  Dong-won adds an added layer of complexity to Lim.  He’s still the silent terminator in the Keberos armor but also hides a pain deeper than that found in the original Anime (mostly thanks to a new plot point introduced for the live action version).  Meanwhile, Hyo-joo plays Lee with a bit more emotion than Kei had in the Anime.  She doesn’t feel as creepily morbid as Kei and her emotional breakdowns were well done also.  And yes, the Red Riding Hood motif from the Anime is ever present but not as shoved in your face this time (thankfully).  Sure, Lim is a beast (especially in the action scenes when he’s the South Korean John Wick Terminator) and Lee rocks the red jacket.  But we aren’t getting passages from the book thrown at us every 15 minutes.  And actually, the one portion where the story itself is told is done through a beautifully animated segment…complete with the original Jin Roh End Theme playing against it (one of at least two tracks I caught from memory), that made me smile.

While I did mention the political intrigue that made the Anime so fascinating is still around, Illang does take a more straight up action film direction during the second half of the feature.  New ones are added for this version (including the ambush Lim and Lee must fight their way through in a skyscraper exhibit hall and a new fight scene for the finale).  And as cool as many of them are, ill admit, they tended to pad the running time more than I would have wanted.  At a little over an hour and a half, the Jin Roh anime expertly balanced emotional storytelling and intense action (of which there was very little but done just as effectively).  Illang goes loud but just as brutal and a lot longer than any fight scene from the Anime.  As mentioned earlier, some of these are shot for shot homages to the original.  Others, however, feel like they could’ve been a lot shorter or omitted altogether without much being lost.  I know the Anime had a few complaints about the slow pacing (which makes sense, it was an Oshii scripted story so it’s bound to be slow with reason).  But sometimes adding in too much can hamper the final product.  That being said, watching Lim mow down cannon fodder in the sewers in his Keberos Armor will never, ever get old.

The new additions to the story deserve some further note because they are a mixed bag.  I did enjoy the new event that established why the Special Unit wears their signature red eyed masks and how it shaped the futures of both Lim and Han (this films version of Henmi from the Anime).  It also gives reason why the Special Unit is in further hot water during their war with the Sect.  It deepens the friendship and inevitable conflict between Lim and Han nicely.  And then there’s the final act.  There’s more to the film beyond the climactic (and excellent) showdown in the sewers that im sure will cause some level of controversy amongst fans of the Anime.  For sake of not spoiling anything, ill just say the finale drags things out into a different direction and I wondered if it justified stretching the film to two hours and fifteen minutes.  Still, Illang does all this and more than this to stand out from its Anime inspiration.  Whether it was all worth it will be up to viewers themselves.  Personally, I thought the finale was a bit unnecessary.

Illang: The Wolf Brigade is an admirable and pretty entertaining adaptation of Jin Roh.  The change of scenery worked (even if the overall effect of such a game changing event wasn’t explored as much as it could have been) and the updates to all of the central players was very welcome.  The action taken from the Anime was excellently transplanted to live action.  However, a few extra fight scenes could have been trimmed or omitted to end things on a much smoother note.  Still, Illang isn’t nearly the worst live action adaptation that ive seen in recent years.  It might be one of the better ones but still nowhere near as good as Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade.  At least it entertained me more than Ghost in the Shell.  Still, I’ll always kind of wonder what a Mamoru Oshii directed Jin Roh would look like.  Would it be similar to this?  Who knows.

7/10

Supernatural: The Anime Series Part 4 Episodes 13-16

At long last, John Winchester finally emerges from the shadows and reunites with his sons, Sam and Dean.  He comes bearing a gift: The Colt-a gun that can kill just about anything…including the Yellow Eye Demon who killed Mary Winchester.  In a battle decades in the making, the Winchesters square off with their lifelong enemy.  Facing a foe unlike anything they’ve ever faced before pushes Sam and Dean past their limits.  One thing is sadly certain, one Winchester will not walk away from this battle alive.

This week the Supernatural Anime took a look at one of the most important events of the TV Series, the Season 1 finale and the Season 2 premiere.  Here the series finally brought some pieces together and managed to deliver a battle that actually managed to improve on its TV Series counterpart in terms of scope while not sacrificing the emotion, cause there was still plenty of that to go around.

As expected, when the two generations of Winchester finally got together, stuff finally hit the fan.  It was a good primer to see Sam, Dean and John Winchester team up to take down a small batch of Lost Boys style Vampires (ok they weren’t bad boy bikers but they did give off that party hardy vibe).  John was in top form managing to take down most of them on his own.  This story even brought back Gayle and Ryan, the vampire father and son duo from earlier in the season.  At first I wondered why this was even necessary until it was revealed how Yellow Eyes had come into their lives…and that ended up setting up a very important plot point for later on.

And then it was time for the showdown and it felt appropriately big.  This is a good example of where having Supernatural as an Anime pays off.  The Season One finale kept things pretty contained to a cabin in the woods while the Anime goes for a larger stage, with the brothers battling Yellow Eyes and his servants in a New York building under construction.  It allowed for more visual flair with powers being used and everyone generally getting way more messed up.  But we never skimped on the human heart of the cast as Dean was forced to use a round from The Colt to kill Yellow Eyes’ servant in order to save Sam.  The animators did a good job showing the guilt running through the elder Winchesters eyes having taken out an innocent, albeit possessed, girl to save his younger brother.  But as Sam points out, the old Dean might not have shed that much of a tear over it, at least not in the open like that.  Both brothers have changed and it even impressed their father.

AND THEN the boys and their dad and the Impala got flung off the road and into a crumpled up pile.  While I did like the big battle in New York, it was the final chapter of this three part story that was my favorite.  Most of this fell to John Winchester, who was given an amazing send off.  He played the gruff façade that Sam and Dean both loved and disliked growing up but it was all leading to something, ever the planner that John Winchester.  John’s final farewell with the boys had a lot of heart and emotion to it.  Even if you didn’t know how this played out in the TV Series, you knew he had done something to seal his fate in order to save Dean from a Grim Reaper.  It’ll be interesting seeing where Sam and Dean go from here now that they’ve lost their father and the only weapon that can kill Yellow Eyes.  But still, no moment of Supernatural: The Anime Series hit the heart more heavily than John walking into a church, telling Yellow Eyes to “do it” and then cutting to a black screen with text indicating he had died along with the sound of a flatline…damn that was effective.

I would say this was cause to say it was a near perfect week…but it wasn’t totally.  The Monster in the Water story was a very boring pitstop before the big reunion of the Winchester clan.  Had this story been played for laughs like the Bad Luck Spirit, it could have been better.  Come on, how could Dean not laugh at the concept of hunting the Lockness Monster in rural America?  Unfortunately, things were made way more serious than needed to be and the story ended up as one of the more duller filler episodes you’d find in later seasons of the TV Series.  Also, it’s sad to see Gale get taken down by John but what about his son?  Do Sam and Dean just leave him be and hope for the best?  I get that this show moves fast with episodes being half and hour instead of an hour but it’s done a decent job of keeping things mostly tidy with its storytelling.

A trip down dullsville filler aside, this weeks Supernatural: The Anime Series delivered on what had been promised since the beginning.  We got a showdown of epic proportions and John Winchester going out not in a blaze of glory taking down his arch nemesis but instead sacrificing his life for what matters most: family.  Round 2 is going to be a big one, that’s for sure.  But we’ll get there in due time…maybe sooner than you think.  Carry on my Wayward Readers and I’ll see you all next week.

FIF#65-Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199

The year is 2199.  Humanity is fighting a losing war against an alien race known as the Gamilas.  With the Earth suffering heavy bombardment, the days are numbered for the human race.  However, in their greatest hour of need, Humanity receives a message from the stars, an offering of a weapon that could restore the planet and end the war once and for all.  There’s only one problem: the weapon far across the galaxy on the planet Iscandar.  With only one year before the Earth becomes fully uninhabitable, Earth’s military pulls all of its remaining resources into one vessel to endure the journey to Iscandar.  Packed with advanced weapons and a crew of veterans and hot blooded young pilots, the Space Battleship Yamato takes to the stars for the greatest mission of all: save the Earth.

 

When I think about it, like really think about it, the oldest Anime I think ive ever seen are the bits of Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28-Go (aka Gigantor).  Next to that, I think it might be either Naussica (from 1975) or Mobile Suit Gundam or Galaxy Express 999 (from 1979).  Point is, I feel like ive short changed myself my Anime watching experience by not checking out titles older than the 80’s.  I say all of this because Yamato 2199 feels like a proper nod to a classic series that is well regarded as an early gateway Anime title.  And if it was anything as magical as the opening episode of this updated retelling, I really have missed out and need to change that.

Besides the updated animation, it feels like there might be very little the production crew will be doing to spiff up the old Yamato and, really there isn’t any reason to do so.  The character designs, the music (especially the classic Yamato theme) and even the proto Macross style action resemble the 70’s style of Anime brilliantly and hold up very well against modern Anime techniques.  This kind of aesthetic that helps invoke that feeling of nostalgia for epic space operas courtesy of Leiji Matsumoto (who created the original Space Battleship Yamato series as well was Galaxy Express 999) and subsequently Shoji Kawamori (the Macross saga).  This show really is Yamato HD and I do wonder if anything will be changed or updated with this adaptation in the story department.  Since Ive never seen the original series I cant be the expert who points out what’s different from what.  Still, the first episode left a good impression, from the opening clash of battleships (though maybe not quite as good as the beyond epic scale opening battle from Legend of the Galactic Heroes) to Kodai discovering the ruins of the Yamato (cue the theme song). 

If anything, watching the first episode of Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 made me want to track down the original SBY series from the 70’s and check it out.  I wonder if I should do that before continuing on with this one.  I don’t want to be the guy who says it’s ok to watch this and not the OG…mostly cause I feel I’d get a lot of verbal and physical abuse for making such a claim.  Still, there’s something strangely special to this updated version, right down to the fact that they included the classic name of the US release of Yamato in the new title (when it arrived here in the States it was redubbed Star Blazers, even changed the theme song to match).  So I’ll say it’s a 50/50 chance ill continue on with this one. 

T5W#166-Top 5 Hellsing Ultimate Abridged Episodes

In their latest update on their YouTube page, Team Four Star, the creators of Dragon Ball Z Abridged, announced that this fall, at Youmacon, they’ll be debuting their newest episode of Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, which will also serve as the series finale.  For the last few years, TFS has put out one Hellsing episode every Halloween and why not.  Hellsing is one of the ultimate horror action Anime out there, Ultimate more so than the original that I reviewed here on the Anime Corner a couple of years back.  And much like DBZA, Team Four Star has done a brilliant job giving a heavy dose of humor to a series that they clearly appreciate quite a bit.  So, in the spirit of Hellsing and Halloween, this weeks Top 5 is being dedicated to my Top 5 Hellsing Ultimate Abridged Episodes.  This wasn’t an easy one as TFS’ team of writers have somehow managed to outdo themselves episode after episode.  These were the stand outs.

#5-Episode 1

The one that started it all (no pun intended).  What’s funny (besides the episode as a whole) is that HSA’s debut episode feels both like a pilot and a one off special.  And if it was the latter, that would be just fine.  From the Archer inspired Alucard to the wacky Boondock Saints quoting Alexander Anderson, Episode 1 is a blast to watch from beginning to end and still quotable as hell.  But, naturally, something this amazing couldn’t just be one entry.  Whether it was always the plan to do it all from the get go or not, Hellsing Ultimate Abridged made a lasting impression as powerful as any full season of Dragon Ball Z Abridged.

#4-Episode 6

Cudos to HAS for having such a great cast that’s given as much love as the writers do for Dragon Ball Z Abridged.  Episodes 5-7 have the distinct challenge of being episodes with the least amount of Alucard.  As awesome and bad ass as the Carmen Sandiego King of the Night is, this isn’t a bad thing.  Episode 6 stands out for giving Seras and the Wild Geese a chance to shine.  The innuendo heavy banter between Seras and Mercenary commander Pip Bernedante is the highlight and always produces a ton of laughs.  It was actually a good primer for the next entry on this list.

#3-Episode 7

For all the violence and dark humor, HSA is still based on a very, very dark series.  Much like Dragon Ball Z Abriged, Team Four Star isn’t afraid to let the drama seep in because it is an important part of the source material.  Seras and the Wild Geese get utterly destroyed in this episode and a couple of characters bite the dust big time.  Add in Seras’ horrific backstory and you’ll see this is as dark as HSA has gone in its run.  No matter the bleakness, HSA still has its humor and epic bad ass moments and nothing was more satisfying than watching Seras attain full Vampire status and tear Zorin Blitz to pieces, while darkly declaring,  “You aint the Queen Vampire Bitch here, I AM.  And you know what we Brits always say…God…Save…The Queen”.

#2-Episode 2

The Valentine Brothers have always been some of the best and most fun villains in Hellsing in general.  What definitely helps elevate them in Episode 2 is the unshackled and uneditied voice of GanXinba (who voices Tien on Dragon Ball Z Abridged) as Jan Valentine.  Jeez is he having a blast getting to say whatever the hell he wants without restraint.  It’s both hilarious and true to the vulgar character from the source.  But you’ve also got great moments from Walter, Seras and definitely Alucard facing down Luke cause his 70’ Plasma TV with Adventure Time got blown up…God I love how that scene kicks off.  I could watch this episode on loop for hours.

#1-Episode 8

It took us years to get to this point and it was worth the entire wait.  The return of Alucard, Restraint Level 0, Alucard vs. Anderson and probably the most interesting/entertaining and hilarious conversation anyone has ever had with God and Satan at the same time, there wasn’t a single second of Episode 8 that wasn’t pure gold.  And how many people added Ready to Die by Andrew W.K. to their mix lists as Alucard entered the battlefield blasting it over the PA of a massive boat.  I hate to say it…but the bar has been rained thanks to this penultimate and I hope the Series Finale can match it.  Given Team Four Stars track record with this series though, im confident they wont just match Episode 8, they’ll surpass it.

Supernatural: The Anime Series Part 3 Episodes 9-12

Sam and Dean Winchester cant seem to catch a break.  Sam finds love with a terrified woman only to find she is the target of a powerful werewolf.  Dean feels like he’s found his luck in Vegas only to learn that his “lucky coin” could spell his doom.  All the while, the brothers continue to search for their father, John Winchester.  And what of the Winchester Patriarch?  Well he’s on a quest of his own: to find a gun that can kill any demon with one shot.  Will completing his mission lead John back to his sons or will they get lucky and find him first?

Supernatural is a dark show and im not just talking from an artistic perspective.  This week delved heavily into the real meat of the central story and it isn’t a time at the beach for The Winchesters or anyone they come into contact with.  From cursed lives from birth to abusive parents, once again we got to see that sometimes the monsters from the storybooks can just as easily be real humans.  Though the puppet master behind all of these events is just as scary too.

The second half of this weeks set deals with the aforementioned central story of the series in a couple of unique ways.  First, there was the story of Max, a child with an abusive father and a stepmother who did nothing to stop his pain.  With a homelife like that, it’s no wonder that once he found out he had telekinetic powers that Max would have some issues to work out in a violent way.  Actually, in a way, the theme of neglectful/fearful parents run across three characters this week.  Lily, the girl with the dark touch, was abandoned by her father out of fear.  Max’s dad abused him for the same reason (the alcoholism didn’t help matters either).  And Sam’s dad…well if it’s anything like the series he just doesn’t like the fact that Sam doesn’t want to hunt.  It was fascinating to explore all three parental perspectives and the effect they had on their kids and it could be argued that they had a worse impact than the powers Yellow Eyes has bestowed upon these unlucky kids.  Still, strides were made to make things better…and didn’t turn out that way for anyone.  Max and Lily’s dad sacrificed themselves to protect their families but it remains to be seen if either act was in vein.

Which brings us to Sam and his own developing psychic visions and telekinesis.  After seeing the rampage Max caused with his powers, he does have a bit of a right to be scared out of his mind as to what he could do with his own abilities.  However, something none of the other kids have that Sam does is Dean.  This week we got to see Dean be the voice of reason and the goofball we all know and love, all in an effort to make life a little easier for his little brother.  Sometimes that means making hard calls like breaking the news to Sam that a potential (and sexy, man this show knows how to draw beautiful women) love interest is a Werewolf that cant be saved.  Other times it’s a matter of repeatedly telling Sam that by using his gifts to try and save people, he’s making better strides no matter how small.  We got debates over who can and cant be saved from the darkness and entertaining sibling banter in equal doses, just another reason why the Winchester Boys are so beloved across multiple fandoms.

This week also did a couple of different things storywise.  We got a rare moment of levity with Dean being the victim of a Bad Luck Spirit inhabiting a cursed coin.  The design of the spirit was adorable and I never got tired of his chuckling…or the unfortunate spell of bad luck that fell over Dean.  Episodes from the live action series where the creators could take a break from the darkness and have some fun with this world have been some of the best and Dean’s Vegas disaster certainly ranks up there with them.  We also got an episode to focus soley on John Winchester, Sam and Dean’s dad.  We never got to see too much of his solo activities in the TV Series and, if im honest, I feel like John got a bit of an upgrade.  At the very least we got to see him in full on bad ass hunter mode, complete with his own version of parental counseling of Lily’s dad.  This is certainly a Winchester not to be messed with and I can only imagine how much action is going to unfold when he does (eventually) meet up with the boys.

I cant think of anything to complain about with this weeks episodes.  All of them continued the strong streak of giving Supernatural an Anime shot in the arms.  The visuals were haunting and nightmare inducing (especially Madison’s Werewolf design and anytime we got a look at Yellow Eyes’…well Yellow Eyes). The stories were all well handled as were the tales of all three Winchester Men.  Plus we got some movement made on the central story of Yellow Eyes and his little league of would be X Men that he’s been setting up for a while now.  With this much momentum building up, I’m thinking next week will finally be the week we see a big family reunion and a showdown with the demon that tore them apart.  I hope you’re ready.  See ya next week.