Slayers: The Motion Picture (Special Fifth Year Anniversary Review)

While traveling the countryside, dreaded sorceress Lina Inverse and her on/off again nemesis Naga the Serpent win a trip to the fog shrouded island of Mipross.  Between bewitched hotsprings and non stop powerful warriors with prices on their heads, it looks like a genuine vacation for these two magnets of trouble.  However, Lina’s been having dreams of a life not her own, the tragic love story of an elf and a young man, whose lives and home were torn apart by a powerful demon.  Now the great sage Rowdy has reached out to Lina to put an end to the demon who has ruined Mipross, Joyrock, and restore the island to its former glory.  The price of victory: access to a hotspring that could solve Linas endowment issues.  If there’s demons to slay, wizards to bust up and food to be had, The Slayers are on the case.

Watch enough Anime series and youre bound to stumble across a movie version of it eventually.  Even shows that run really short lengths are bound to have a theatrical release out there, especially if theyre popular.  Well you better believe Slayers was popular enough to merit a slew of movies.  And today for the 5^th Anniversary of the Gundam Anime Corner (plus since we’re spending so much time with them this year in general), I’m tackling the first of these theatrical features (the only one I own and have seen).  So, how is Lina Inverse’s first foray into movie stardom?  Does it match the heights of the first two seasons we’ve covered so far?

 

Like the other films and OVAs that follow, the events of Slayers: The Motion Picture act as a prequel to the TV Series.  As such, the only regular character starring here from the show is Lina herself (makes sense, it is her show after all).  So anyone expecting to see Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia and Xellos popping up might be a little let down.  However, The Motion Picture makes up for this greatly by doing the reverse, introducing a character who doesn’t appear in the TV Series.  Naga the Serpent is a perfect foil for Lina.  She’s busty, taller, more theatrical in her mannerisms and she’s got plenty of sex appeal to get anyones attention.  The two characters play off each other quite well, both as temporary adversaries and as friends (textbook frenemies really).  Naga can go over the top, especially with her trademark laugh, but she never feels like she doesn’t belong here, even stealing the show in certain scenes.  Which makes it strange that Naga is all but absent from the big climax of the movie.

 

Slayers: The Motion Picture bears the look of a theatrical film with all the right elements in place.  The animation looks touched up from the TV Series, surpassing the improved quality of Slayers Next.  There is a good amount of equal parts action and humor present, it feels like a Slayers story, albeit it takes a serious turn in the second half.  Though in terms of structure, the film is very uneven.  The first half sees Lina and Naga basically cleaning house with various powerhouses on the island, warriors and wizards, before Lina has a continuing dream about a young romance that isn’t her own.  This repeats itself at least three times before the halfway mark hits and we get to the “true” story…at which point there’s only half an hour left in the film.  While the action does look good, and the spell work looks sooo much better than the TV series, especially any of Naga’s more elegant spells and Lina’s always awesome Dragon Slave, the second act moves super fast, as if trying to quickly wrap things up just as theyre getting started.  In the process it leaves a few questions unanswered while not allowing adequate time to explore other possibilities.  We get time travel, a character who has a tenuous possible connection to a series favorite, and a tragic history all fighting for equal amounts screentime before the movie is over.  I feel like this movie could have been an extra 15 minutes long to fix all of this.  Also, in the end, while the final battle feels epic enough, especially with the time travel factor included, the movie never rises above a standard Slayers TV episode, it even has the makings of a small island arc if you were to have Lina and Naga take on their many opponents one at a time per episode.  Some moments feel big thanks to the animation and genuine sense of excitement, I just know some episodes of the first two seasons did the same thing and with more room to breathe with their storytelling.

When “Midnight Blue”, the end theme song of the movie starts playing, I should have felt like an hour of my life had been wasted because Slayers: The Motion Picture does feel a bit rushed and incomplete.  If anything, the theme song is one of the best parts of the film because it sounds awesome and yet it leaves me wanting more.  If anything, I can actually give the movie points for that.  Were this my entry to Slayers, it would make me want to seek out the series, the other movies or the OVA to watch more Lina Inverse action (though id likely be disappointed Naga isn’t around in the show…yet anyway).  Slayers: The Motion Picture feels like a solid arc of the Slayers TV Series rushed into a one hour feature.  There’s good ideas, fun action and the fantastic comradery shared between Lina and Naga.  In the end, I don’t hate the movie, in fact it could almost be a guilty pleasure.  As a movie, it stops its run just as it gets good and rushes to an ending.  As a time killer, it isn’t bad and will at least get your interest piqued, a great gateway to one of the now underrated Anime Classics of all time.  It could have been better and ive seen better by this point.  Maybe I will seek out the rest of the films one day.  And I should probably wrap this review up with a score.

 

Slayers: The Motion Picture gets…a 6/10-Good Animation and a fun pairing of zany characters can only do so much when the movie takes its time in the beginning then rushes the end, though there is some fun to be had along the way.

Lina Inverse and her normal crew of misfits will return to the Gundam Anime Corner at the end of April with Slayers Try.  And keep an eye out for my back to back coverage of the 4^th and 5^th Seasons, Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution-R, coming later this year.  And thank you dear reader for checking out my blog and celebrating my fifth year of typing all of these reviews.  I’m hoping Year 6 is the best one yet…and many more to come.

The Gundam Anime Corner 5th Anniversary

On March 31, 2014, I sat down to write my first review for what I would begin as simply the “Anime Corner”.  However, when I finally decided to make a proper blog for my collection of reviews, I renamed it “The Gundam Anime Corner,” and ive stuck with that name ever since.  Since I go by when I wrote my first review (Eden of the East) and not the actual 2015 date when I started posting here, that’s generally how ive judged the birthday of this little project.  Though I guess I shouldn’t call it “little” anymore lol.  5 years is a long time to be covering all kind of Anime, live action features, conventions, cosplay, yeesh ive written a ton now that I think about it.  That said, i have so much love for this blog.  It’s been my go to place to share my thoughts on Anime both classic and new and a place I can come to in order to vent or get away from some very bad days.  Whether or not you’ve followed me from the beginning, are only now just discovering my little corner of the universe, or just stopping in for a quick peek, I just want to say Thank You to everyone, one and all.  I hope that some random review, Top 5, First Impression or even a photo of a cosplay or convention moment has made you smile in some way.  Rest assured this blog isn’t going to halt anytime soon.  There’s a ton of Anime out there I could review…and kind of have to look out there cause ive just about covered all the titles I have on my shelf lol. 

Speaking of, how about a sneak peak of things to come in the first few months of Year 6 at the Gundam Anime Corner.

April

Right after my blog celebrates it’s 5th birthday, Year 6 kicks off with another celebration, the birthday of this blogs namesake.  And to commemorate a monumental 40 years in the world of Anime, im going back to the very beginning of the Gundam franchise.  Yep, starting April 1st im heading right into MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM!!!  That’s right, ill be covering all 42 episodes of the original series, plus the three compilation films: The Movie, Soldiers of Sorrow and Encounters in Space.  That’s not all though.  I guess we could call April Gundam Month Mark III cause I’m going all out again on Gundam features.  Top 5 Wednesday will feature all exclusive Gundam topics.  And as a special bonus feature, im dedicating Fridays to my own recounting of the last 40 years of Gundam with “The History of Gundam”, a 4 part special.  Oh and since Gundam 0079 is kind of on the long side, expect series reviews to pop up twice a week: one on the normal day, Monday, and the second on Friday. 

May

As soon as Mobile Suit Gundam wraps up, the Year of the Slayers continues.  Lina Inverse, Goury Gabbriev and their allies are back for a third round of fun with the epic third season of Slayers, Slayers Try.  The world has literally opened up for everyones merry demon slaying, treasure hunting band of misfits.  Will Try match the overwhelming success of Slayers Next?  We’ll find out in the month of May.  Oh and keep an eye out for a review involving a certain “KING OF THE MONSTERS” towards the end of the month too.

June

Shoutout to the Baltimore Anime Denizens, because their amazing panel at Katsucon is what inspired me to select June’s title.  Anime doesn’t always have to be about epic fantasy or fast paced scifi (shocking I know).  Sometimes I can just be about five girls chilling out in a club room at school who just so happen to practice rock music.  Yep, im dusting off my Season 1 DVD and covering the debut episodes of the moe J-Rock hit, K-On.  Cant make any immediate promises on when/if ill get to the shows second season since I don’t have it.  But I remember the first season very fondly and cant wait to reunite with Yui, Ritsu, Mio, Mugi and Azuya.

July

Normally I try to do a special 4th of July review for the holiday.  I’m still doing that (I’ll keep it a surprise) but it’ll be coming closer to the end of June instead.  As per the norm, in the countdown to Otakon I usually review a series that is far longer than my normal 13-26 titles, and space them out in a way that the last review goes on the blog the day before Otakon.  This year, that begins right at the start of July with another Gundam celebrating a milestone.  Mobile Suit Gundam is celebrating 40 as a whole, but it’s 20th Anniversary title is turning 20 this year.  So with that in mind, this year Summer Extended Series is Turn A Gundam.  All 50 episodes plus the two compilation films, Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly, will be covered (those last two are just kind of there cause I ended up having one free day after I did my initial review outlines).  After that it’s off to Otakon before I return for the start of whatever I decide to review in August.

And there you have it, the start of Year 6 with a few interesting titles to explore, many ive wanted to do for a long time.  I hope youre all excited to follow along with me.  I’m so happy to have made it this far with the blog and am looking forward to watching it grow more as 2019 continues.

Thanks again everyone, I’ll see you guys around over at…the Gundam Anime Corner.

Halo: The Fall of Reach

In the far future, Humanity has encountered a foe that seeks its utter destruction: The Covenant.  Conventional weapons are useless against the might of this Alien conglomerate and it seems Humanities end is inevitable.  One lone scientist, Doctor Catherine Halsey, has been preparing for this possible threat.  Gathering a group of children, Halsey begins readying these youth for all combat imaginable.  Changing them, molding them, Halsey creates the perfect soldier: the Spartans.  One of these Spartans will find his name placed firmly in the pages of history.  This is the story of the beginning of the Spartan known as John 117…better known as “The Master Chief”.

Halo: The Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund is one of my favorite Halo novels of all time.  Every page is epic and it felt like a great origin story for the Chief.  By the time I finished the book, I wanted to play the actual Battle of Reach in a video game one day (a wish mostly granted in 2010 with Halo Reach).  Still, a Fall of Reach movie isn’t a possibility I would rule out, it wouldn’t be a bad way to show off all of the novels awesome imagery and epic majesty.  The actual film we got…is pretty far from that.

It’s hard to pick where to start with this one but I guess it all blends together in the end.  First off, the title is misleading.  This isn’t “The Fall of Reach” rather it’s the “Origin of the Master Chief”, which is basically the first half of the novel.  The film covers the conscription of the Spartan II’s and ends just after their first mission against the Covenant in their new Mjolnir Spartan Armor.  I remember looking at the films timeline and briefly praised it for cramming in so much in such a short amount of time…only to realize that we weren’t going to get the whole package before the movie was over.  Why bother titling the movie after the novel that inspired it when you aren’t going to commit to telling the whole story?  There isn’t even a “Part 1” added to the title, so I guess this is all the filmmakers were ever going to tell and that’s all.  That’s pretty upsetting if you ask me, especially if you’ve waited forever to see the Chief and his old team square off with the Covenant as their home burns around them.

The theres the animation.  Yeeesh this is just cringe worthy.  When the Spartans are in their armor and moving around, it isn’t too bad.  But every human model looks like a soulless mannequin with very few facial expressions that match the rather decent vocal performances being matched to them.  I wonder if this artstyle could have worked if this was a motion comic instead of a movie.  For the actual film, it’s a definite turn off.  That’s a shame because the voice acting in The Fall of Reach is actually pretty good.  The main cast really sells the bonds of family built between John and the original Spartan Blue Team and you feel for them when they lose friends along the way.  We also get some nice universal connective tissue bringing in Jen Taylor to reprise the role of Catherine Halsey from the video games, as well as a small cameo by the present day Master Chief, voiced by his OG actor Steve Downes.  So I guess it’s good the production got one half of the character work right.  It’s just a shame the actors had to do all of the hard work getting you to feel for these character designs when the animators did such a poor job giving these models a soul.

Halo: The Fall of Reach is a film I think only die hard fans of the series might have to see.  The sad thing is, if this had a different title and much, much better animation, it could stand alongside other Halo features like Halo Legends and Halo 4: Forward Until Dawn (in the end, the voice acting and the music are the movies only saving graces).  As it is though, The Fall of Reach only does partial justice to the story that inspired it and I think the staff should have committed to telling the full origin in its entirety rather than throwing in the towel midway through and leaving one of Halo’s greatest stories left unfinished. 

3/10

FIF#84-Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu

1863 AD.  While warring Pro and Anti Shogunate factions clash for the future of Japan, a secret war is raging right underneath it.  Demons belonging to the otherworldly Time Retrograde Army have begun to secretly invade the time period, looking for ways to alter Japans history and, in effect, that of the entire world.  Standing in their way are two Sword Warriors, brought to life by the powerful Saniwa: long time veteran Kanesada and new recruit Kunihiro.  Both serve the same master, both have very different mindsets about their mission.  But if history is to be preserved, they and their other Saniwa blessed allies will have to put their blades to the ultimate test and fight for the future.  The ultimate battle has begun.

What drew me to the title “Touken Ranbu” was the fact that several good friends of mine enjoy cosplaying its cast of characters.  That and the fact that the series latest Anime incarnation (I think this is the third in a franchise I never knew about) is being done by Studio Ufotable.  You know what that means: movie level animation for a TV series and action scenes that are a fever dream of fun.  Based on the first episode, I think im going to get plenty of that while also being given a bizarre but really intriguing set up.

You know you’ve started things off right when you start your series with a rain filled horse and cart chase while some Shinsengumi dressed Samurai decapitates skeletal demons in beautifully flashy fashion.  That’s the first five minutes of Katsugeki.  After that, you’re thrown a curve ball with a talking teeny dog/fox spirit who can connect to the internet in Feudal Japan and all of a sudden you learn that the two warriors were following are part of a time traveling band of heroes battling demons sent to mess with history…it makes you want to go “wait what?” while also embracing the zaniness of such a premise.  It pretty much taps into the absurdity of one of my favorite superhero shows “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” except with more samurai demon slaying and less time traveling across multiple eras.  Still it presents the right questions to keep you hooked: what is the “Time Retrograde Army” that Kanesada and Kunihiro are trying to stop?  Are these two part of a far larger organization that polices time?  Why is the TRA focused on important moments in Japanese history specifically?  Why are the TRA mostly scary demons?  Just how long has this conflict been going on for? (the answer to that last question is probably a while given a chat that the more seasoned Kanesada has with Kunihiro about the dos and don’ts of trying to save everyone when history can be altered by the ever slightest change).  And then there’s Ufotables nigh unbeatable animation and fight choreography.  This series and The Garden of Sinners are proof that the Fate/Stay Night franchise is not their one trick pony.  Kanesada is a brilliant swordsman and it looks like his fellow teammates, who we see at the end of the first episode, aren’t slouches either.  And the art speaks for itself.  The action is chaotically awesome but the quieter moments are so serene, so calming to look at.  I think Ufotable could rival Kyoto Animation for making everyday life look like the most beautiful thing ever in Anime.

Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu is so bonkers and so exciting that it would feel wrong not to see it through to the end.  Im anxious to see what the other warriors bring to the table and just what the heck is going on in general in this battle across time and Japan.  And again, Ufotable.  If you loved how gorgeous Unlimited Blade Works looks, this could be a good follow up to check out.  Being a samurai warrior hasn’t looked this cool in a very long time…special thanks to Vivian, Xin and Christine for pointing me in the direction of this one.  At the very least, Ill finish this for you guys.

And that closes out First Impression Fridays winter/early spring season.  With the Blogs Fifth Birthday right around the corner and a boat load of new reviews and other features ahead, FIF will be taking a breather for the next couple of months.  My plan is to bring it back maybe after Otakon (it definitely wont be happening while im reviewing Turn A Gundam prior to that) and have it run for the rest of the year but that depends on how many first episodes of other shows I can check out.  Until then, thanks for checking out the start of the latest season of First Impression Friday and ill see ya back on this little feature soon.

T5W#189-Top 5 Anime That Need Sequels

In a couple of weeks, we’ll finally see the return of everyones favorite devil may care but so carefree superhero Saitama with One Punch Man Season 2.  The only thing I can think of (besides having not watched the trailer yet but hearing not so great things) is…it’s about freaking time.  Seriously, some Anime are so good you beg for a sequel, even when what you’ve gotten is good enough.  Im sure many of us felt that way watching Toonami back in the day and seeing the ends of Ronin Warriors or Tenchi Muyo.  Every now and then, our favorite shows conclude and leaving wanting so much more.  With that in mind, todays Top 5 Wednesday centers around my choices for TV Series and Movies that need continuations, some that are lonnnng overdue.  These are my Top 5 Anime That Need Sequels.

#5-Outlaw Star

This one you think would have been prime sequel bait.  After all, what happens after you find one treasure and save the universe? You go looking for the next big treasure and maybe save the universe again.  Hell, One Piece has been at it for 20 years, how come Outlaw Star couldn’t ever do the same?  Ive thought of Gene Starwind and his crew as the sort of Guardians of the Galaxy of Anime and think theyd do good to get a second lease on life.  Just imagine Gene, Jim, Melfina, Suzkua and Aisha heading off to another part of the galaxy, encountering new and more powerful enemies and making some serious upgrades to the Outlaw Star itself with more weapons and options.  This sequel should have happened years ago and im sure im not the only one who hopes the chances of a continuation haven’t full faded into the ages.

#4-Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy

In my review of this movie, I thought that Eternal Fantasy was a step up from the overall disappointment that was Adieu Galaxy Express 999.  There was one nagging problem though: the movie ends at what would be considered the halfway mark and a huge plot development happens off screen, ending the movie on a massive cliffhanger.  So…why hasn’t this been resolved yet?  I know the Leiji Matsumoto universe isn’t as popular as it once was but that’s no excuse to leave the saga of Tetsuro and Maetel unfinished.  I’ve heard some of this films events are alluded to in other Matsumoto works like The Galaxy Railways.  Personally, I just want the second half of what was shaping up to be a pretty decent sequel to one of my all time favorite Anime titles. 

#3-Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory

Until I get an official wording that this is happening, it is staying right here on this list.  Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory was one of my favorite Anime of 2018, bringing back Full Metal Panic bigger, darker and better than ever.  After almost two decades of waiting, plot lines were coming full circle, the overall story took big risks that paid off (including that damn cliffhanger) and Full Metal Panic was allowed to shed the comedy that didn’t work so well in favor of an all out action packed thrill ride.  So when are we getting an announcement about Season 5?  Could we please not have to wait 13 years until we finally see Sousuke and Mithril kick Leonard Testarossa’s ass and save Kaname?

#2-Martian Successor Nadesico

It hurts to remember that when Nadesico concluded it’s final episode, one of the final lines was Ruri hypothesizing that any unanswered questions would be followed up on in an “inevitable sequel”.  Well…we got a sequel in The Prince of Darkness and it’s a sequel many of us want to forget.  We don’t want Akito to lose everything that made him so loveable.  We don’t want Ruri saddled with a forgettable new crew.  No, we want Yurika Misamaru helming a new Nadesico with all the familiar maniacs at their stations and ready to save the world…or mess it up in the process, it’s bound to happen.  Hell, Nadesico 2 could just forget that The Prince of Darkness ever happened, lots of Hollywood sequels like Superman Returns try to do just that in the wake of terrible predecessors.  We need more Nadesico, we were kind of promised more Nadesico…so yeah give us more Nadesico pleeeease?

#1-Spriggan

I am so glad a new adaptation has been announced for this one.  I first learned of Spriggan when I saw the Anime film, partly worked on by Katsuhiro Otomo, was back in the early 2000’s.  The plot had potential that was totally squandered but the action felt about as close to an all out Metal Gear Solid Anime was we’ve ever gotten.  The idea of specially armed secret agents defending artifacts and sacred sites across the globe is ripe with storytelling potential.  And if what we saw in the movie is any indication, then we need more Yu Ominae’s running up snow hills carrying a 50 caliber machine fun like dragging a tree branch.  Fun fact: I wrote a very short story outline for what I thought a Spriggan sequel could be…which turned out to be a poor Hollywood retread of the first one…so maybe best leave it to the professionals (who knows they might try the same thing but I digress).

Arcadia Of My Youth

In the distant future, Earth has lost a war to the Illumidus Empire and humanity now cowers under their rule.  One soldier has refused to give up the fight to free his homeworld.  That man is Captain Harlock.  Once a man on the losing end of a desperate struggle, Harlock soon finds his way into the company of likeminded friends: tech genius Tochiro, the beautiful pirate Emeralds, and the alien sympathizer La Mime.  Together, these four wayward souls are all that stand between a desperate people and the wrath of the Illumidus.  This is where one of the galaxies greatest legends begins: the legend of the man who will always fight for his Arcadia…Space Pirate Captain Harlock.

The universe of Leiji Matsumoto is one I feel I never spent enough time in when I was starting to get into Anime (probably because I never knew it existed until much later).  The works of the scifi storyteller (including Space Battleship Yamato, Galaxy Express 999 and Space Pirate Captain Harlock) all feel like quintessential Anime tales, tales of an era of Anime long ago that are still fondly remembered today.  Captain Harlock’s name may not mean that much in the present (at least right now) but im still glad that even years after this film was released, I was able to check out the origin story of one of Animes greatest legends.  While it might not be as perfect as Galaxy Express 999, Arcadia of My Youth is a very close equal in many regards.

Origin stories can be tricky.  Harlock’s appearance in Galaxy Express 999 and its subsequent sequels never really instilled a need for one in my opinion.  He was cool, he was commanding and definitely not to be messed with.  I’m sure there was more to Harlock but could a starting point match the legendary status he had become?  As it turns out, yeah it can.  Arcadia of My Youth takes all of those already established qualtities of Harlock and shows us he’s always had them and that’s what makes him so likeable.  Harlock is a man of honor and carries himself calmly with little emotion, though he isn’t immune to a chuckle or a cry of agony.  But most of all, Harlock has a heart that will not quit even when the odds are stacked against him.  Its all of this and more that makes Harlock a sort of center of gravity that pulls in both friends and foes alike.  Many familiar faces associated with Harlock are present for this film, including his best friend Tochiro (with whom we learn Harlock has more of a history than we thought) and Emeraldas, another of Matsumoto’s many beautiful bad ass ladies.  While the focus of the film is on how Harlock met these two for the first time, it’s also notable that Harlock has a rather nice report with villains who earn his respect and vice versa.  Just goes to show that Harlock might be the most loveable guy in the universe…if you don’t piss him off, then he’ll just tear you to pieces in awesome fashion.

If Harlock hadn’t been written so well, this movie would’ve flopped very early on.  But Arcadia of My Youth carries itself with more than just a strong leading man.  The movie is an gem of beautiful animation, not quite Galaxy Express 999 level but still of that charming late 70’s/early 80’s style that shows a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into each handdrawn frame, especially during the launch of the Arcadia.  The soundtrack is able to switch back and forth between exciting, tragic, haunting and wondrous all at the drop of a hat pretty flawlessly.  And the story?  Well it can hit pretty hard.  Occupational rule on Earth is never a fun subject matter when you see how bad humanity has it.  That’s, however, almost the least of the more tragic tales in Arcadia of My Youth.  This movie doesn’t hold back on some of its subject matter and you feel for pretty much any character fighting for the side of good or an innocent caught in the crossfire who gets killed.  Themes of freedom, sacrifice, love and determination are everywhere and always invoke a strong emotional response.

So yes, Arcadia of My Youth is a great movie but it isn’t totally perfect…close but not quite (and I kind of hate to say that I have a couple of problems with the movie).  The first is a couple of flashback scenes that detail the generational history between Harlock and his eternal best friend Tochiro.  They are important to the tale as a whole, sure.  I just think that the big WWII flashback where their ancestors first meet could have been shortened a little bit.  It is a good scene, it just goes on a bit long when I feel we should have been further along in this movie that clocks in just over two hours.  The second is Harlock’s doomed romance with Maya, a girl he left behind on Earth who voices a radio broadcast of hope for the humans.  We don’t really get to see much of Harlock and Maya together and they don’t even get a flashback of their time together.  In a way, while Maya should be the second most important person to Harlock in this movie, after Tochiro, we see Harlock’s friendships with Emeraldas, La Mime and friend turned ally Zoll a lot more fleshed out.  Maya is supposed to be critical to Harlock’s development and she is.  I just feel like we didn’t see enough of it ourselves.  Lastly, the English Dub of this film isn’t bad, all of the actors give good performances.  However, this sounds very much like a dub that came out right after the film was released in Japan in the early 80’s.  So the sound quality is going to vary and it doesn’t sound like its been cleaned up completely since then.  It’s a good dub but it could sound better.

You know, even with that paragraph above, I still think the Pros outweigh the Cons on this one.  Arcadia of My Youth is a great scifi Anime flick that should be just as fondly remembered as Galaxy Express 999.  Harlock is a character that will live forever, even if his name isn’t spoken of as much in Anime circles today.  The story is both swashbuckling space adventure and tragic tale of war and the search for hope in despair.  The animation, music and action are all on point and, some minor pacing bumps aside, all still hold up very well today as a full package of classic Anime.  Much like the Yamato and Three Nine, the Arcadia and her Captain were pioneers of 70’s scifi Anime and it feels right that they got a great origin to match their unforgettable legend.  It really does make me want to dive more into the Matsumotoverse, which im sure I said after finishing Galaxy Express 999.  Fly on Harlock, may you find your Arcadia and I hope to see more of your adventures down the line.

9/10

FIF#83-Tiger and Bunny

 

It is the year NC 1978.  45 years have passed since the emergence of superpowered individuals known as Noted Entities with eXtraordinary Talents, or NEXT.  The most popular heroes of the city work with sponsor companies to bolster their image and seek the crown title of “King of Heroes” in a popular live televised event known as Hero TV.  This season, one company is trying something new: a team up.  Long time hero Kotetsu T. Kaburai aka Wild Tiger is being paired up with a new rookie, Barnaby Brooks Jr., a hero with no name.  Both come from very different ages of heroes so theyre bound to butt heads.  But with state of the art new gear and the will to do what’s best for the people, these two might end up being the best thing to ever happen to one another.  It’s going to be an exciting season of Hero TV that’s for sure.

When you hear a title like “Tiger and Bunny” is the first thing that comes to your mind a series about superheroes competing for ratings, adoration of fans and the overall spotlight?  If your answer is “no”, im not shocked.  It wasnt until I was maybe towards the end of the first episode when I saw this at Katsucon that I realized, “Oh this is Tiger and Bunny isn’t it?”  That’s partly my fault for coming in late (and not seeing an intro sequence) and partly the con not having the Sunday screening schedule up.  In any case, this was a surprise to check out and in a world where superhero Anime are proving to be better superhero stories than anything we churn out stateside, why has Tiger and Bunny fallen by the wayside when it seems to have basically paved the way for My Hero Academia and One Punch Man?

The first couple of episodes of TnB are a really fun ride all throughout.  The dynamic between idealistic veteran Tiger and the up and coming, by the books Bunny (who only gets that nickname because of the ears on his suits helmet), is classic buddy cop.  In fact the tag line from Lethal Weapon applies right here, “If these two can stand each other, the bad guys don’t stand a chance.”  Kotetsu is easily my favorite of the two heroes because he isn’t as much of a tight ass as Barnaby and I like that he still believes in what it means to be a hero beyond the glory that comes with it.  In fact, Kotetsu’s actions throughout might make him seem like a bit of a goofball.  But we do get some background as to why he does what he does, equal parts inspiration and tragedy. He could very well be what Deku ends up being at some point in Hero Aca…just not as clumsy and wayyyy more powerful.  The points and ratings system is fascinating.  A hero can gain or lose points (or opportunities to gain them) at various stages of fighting crime, from saving lives to last second interventions, and of course the ultimate criminal capture.  There’s also a small number of heroes fighting for the crown of Top Hero and all of them are likeable, with their own quirks and unique personalities and abiltiies.  That and they all seem to get along quite well despite competing constantly with one another.  My favorite stand out is the incredibly cute Blue Rose, who’s basically a female Captain Cold with way more powerful freeze guns.  Should also point out the animation style.  There’s a lot of 3D CG effects in this series, especially when it comes to Tiger and Bunny’s mecha uniforms they receive right after they team up.  I have to say, the combo of 2D and 3D animation isn’t as bad as other shows ive seen in recent years.  Wont say it’s flawless but I don’t have anything negative to say about its presentation either.

As far as intro episodes go, Tiger and Bunny is exciting, funny and just as inspiring as My Hero Academia and One Punch Man, which again is interesting since this came out a few years before either appeared.  I guess it just wasn’t at the right time when we really needed a huge dose of heroic inspiration in Anime?  Whatever the case, I think I could continue on with Tiger and Bunny to enjoy a trifecta of really good hero themed Anime, again a genre Japan seems to excel at more than America sometimes.  The dynamic between Kotetsu and Barnaby is entertaining without feeling cliché, the cast is diverse and likeable, the action is flashy and a ton of fun, and there’s just as much good dramatic timing as laugh out loud humor.  I really need to finish this one so I can see why it isn’t on a lot of radars like it’s fellow Heroic Anime brethren.

T5W#188-Top 5 Anime You’ll Like if you Like Game of Thrones

Winter has come and it’s gonna be a cold one.  April 14^th marks the beginning of the end for the HBO mega hit series Game of Thrones.  Based on the “Song of Fire and Ice” series by George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones is the 21^st century answer to The Lord of the Rings, combining equal parts high adventure with political intrigue and supernatural horror.  The show has definitely inspired a lot since it was created and its hard not to watch some Anime titles and feel like they have that same Game of Thrones vibe to them, this goes for both classic and modern day Anime.  So when Winter (and the series itself) conclude, what’s next?  Well I have five titles from the world of Anime that could sate your Game of Thrones thirst.  These are my Top 5 Anime You’ll Like if you Like Game of Thrones.

#5-Record of Lodoss War

The quintessential Fantasy Anime, Lodoss War remains a classic kind of lost to time.  For an early 90’s OVA it still looks amazing with beautifully animated landscapes and still images that can blow your mind.  Also you get a crap ton of Dragon action, beautiful Elvish warriors and epic clashes of good vs evil.  If you ever wanted to see a Dungeons and Dragons campaign in Anime form, look no further than Record of Lodoss War.

#4-Legend of the Galactic Heroes

Game of Thrones contains plenty of scenes of tactical planning and strategizing, going hand in hand with some of the most epic clashes in TV history.  Now imagine having two warring space factions, each with their own Tyrion Lannister, matching wits and tactics against each other from the bridge of a ship amongst hundreds of thousands of battlecruisers…that’s Legend of the Galactic Heroes aka one of the greatest space operas of all time.  I’d recommend the original series over the Die Nue These series since the latter is far from finished and the former is still one of the best looking OVA series of all time, which is good considering it took nearly 10 years to see the 110 episode epic to completion.

#3-Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Magical mind altering abilties, a battle for the freedom of an entire nation and would be mad man saviors with daddy issues…Game of Thrones actually has all of these things.  Code Geass just adds the giant robots and one of the coolest and most complex anti heroes in Anime history in the form of Lelouch Vi Britannia aka Zero.  The first season of Code Geass still stands as one of the best seasons of Anime ever for me, filled with plenty of twists and turns and one of the best cliffhangers this side of The Best of Both Worlds Part 1 (that’s a Star Trek reference).  If you can stomach the minor dip in quality at the beginning of Season Two, the show still finishes as strong as it began.  Here’s hoping Game of Thrones can do the same.

#2-Berserk

If there’s one thing Game of Thrones is best known for it’s how much hell the main characters get put through, especially if you’re a good guy.  Those of kind hearts rarely win and the bad guys revel in their suffering.  Plus the ultra violence.  Berserk is one of the darkest fantasy tales in history, never mind Anime.  Not only do Guts and his allies get put through the ringer across multiple wars and political manipulations…they get put through one of the most horrendous and nightmare inducing sequences in Anime, one that even I have refused to truly watch for fear of never being able to sleep again.  And that’s all before the nightmare fueling bad CG of the follow up series.

#1-Fate/Zero

At the end of my Fate/Zero review I flat out called it the “Game of Thrones of Anime” and I still stand by that.  A cast of characters so complex you’ll have a hard time finding someone good to root for (unless bad boys are your thing); duels and action sequences that defy anything Dragon Ball Z could ever do; and a game of wits, ruthlessness and soul sacrifice all in the name of possessing one all powerful maguffin.  Yeah that sounds like Game of Thrones to a T.  Iron Throne or Holy Grail, both feature a lot of bad things happening to good people while the soulless bastards leech off their suffering and servants clash in the streets to the most epic of music and visual brilliance.  You know what, as soon as Game of Thrones wraps, just start Fate/Zero and think of it s a bonus season.  You wont be sorry you did.

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

For years, the terrorist organization Shadaloo has stood unopposed.  In order to cement this fact, it’s maniacal leader M. Bison has begun to abduct power Street Fighters from across the globe and turn them into his personal, unstoppable army.  Two unlikely allies: US Air pilot Captain Guile and Interpol Agent Chun Li team up to investigate these disappearances with the hopes of taking Bison down together.  They’ll have to move quickly as M. Bison has his sights set on one particular fighter: Shotokan Martial Arts Master Ryu, one of the most powerful warriors on the planet.  Fists will fly and spirits will be tested as the ultimate battle on a world stage begins. 

Back in the 90’s Street Fighter was the only game out there that could rival Mortal Kombat for popularity in the arcade arena.  Lighting fast combos and memorable, colorful characters from across the globe gave the game a very unique style.  It pretty much screamed to be made into an Anime at some point.  While there were several projects, from an Anime TV series to several OVAs, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie stands as one of the most remembered of these Anime outings.  Does it live up to that legend or is it just as bad as the live action Street Fighter movie with Jean Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia? (or at the very least passable like the first Mortal Kombat movie?)

Well if you’re looking for a dumb, 90 minute action fest where you can turn your brain off, SF2TAM is the flick for you.  Pretty much every character from the Street Fighter II roster is here from series mainstays like Ryu, Ken and Chun Li to eternal fan favs like E.Honda, Blanka and Sagat.  Of course, you can guess the problem with this.  Of the near dozen or so characters around, only five of them matter to the overall plot: Ryu, Ken, Guile, Chun Li and M.Bison.  Everyone else is either window dressing or gone before you even realize they were around (poor Cammy is reduced to a barely minute long cameo).  Everyone does get a moment to shine but it both feels all too brief and too much like an unnecessary distraction from the “main plot”.

Speaking of main plot, the overcrowded cast list also highlights the bigger problem that the story doesn’t really bring the two central journeys together all that well.  On the one hand, you have Ryu traveling the countryside, getting into side quests and fights.  Then you have Guile and Chun Li doing the major lifting looking for Bison and his men.  The latter of these two tales could have made the whole movie as it feels way more focused and Guile and Chun Li are great together.  Chun Li, more so, steals the show in every scene she’s in with her bubbly attitude, dead on to the game good looks and killer fight moves.  In fact, I dare say Chun Li at least gets one of the best fights in the movie before getting sidelined for the rest of it.  Poor Guile fares worse as he doesn’t get the proper conclusion to his tale he’d worked hard toward.  Yep, at the end of the day, it was all building to Ryu and Ken fighting M.Bison because they’re the only ones who truly matter to the Street Fighter Legacy…cause why not.  It left things a bit hollow from a storytelling POV.

So the story is a bit of a mess.  And it shows when everything else about the movie looks great.  The action scenes, of which the film can be summed up as one fight after another with a couple of short dialogue driven scenes in between, feel like they’ve been extensively research and crafted.  Everything is as fast as lighting and full of color and signature attacks and everything you can get by playing the Street Fighter II arcade game.  That’s not a strike against the movie either.  On the contrary, it’s a sign that the animators have enough good sense to stay true to the source and never stray too far from pushing the fights into Dragon Ball Z levels of over the top.  And it looks great too.  From the straight from the game costumes of all the characters (Chun Li in particular looks great) to the execution of the “Hadoken” and other special moves, the Street Fighter II movie is a staple of 90s Japanese Animation and it’s easy to see why its gained such a following besides just coasting on the Street Fighter label alone.  I already mentioned the Chun Li vs Vega fight as a personal fav of mine (helped by the 90s rock soundtrack provided in the English Dub) but the final showdown between Ryu and Ken vs. M.Bison was worth the missteps the film took to get there.  Fights in 90s films don’t get much better than this…fist fights that is, you want bloodier ones, there are other options but that’s neither here nor there.

Had the story been given a tighter focus…and a lot more attention, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie would be rated a little higher in my eyes.  The film looks really good for a feature film Anime from the 90s and there’s plenty of energy borrowed from the video games, along with a huge roster of characters that youre favorite will do something memorable before they vanish.  However, I cant ignore said large cast and the story feeling so uneven.  It is a fun time and a good 90s nostalgia trip…and yes it is much, MUCH better than the Live Action film.  So in the end, that in and of itself is a win.  If you ever wanted to get into Street Fighter and never, for whatever reason, played the games…id say yeah it’s a good entry point for ya…or you could just play the game then see the movie, that makes much more sense im my opinion.

7.5/10

Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel II-Lost Butterfly

The next Holy Grail War has only just begun and yet it is a far different battle than any before it.  As a dark shadow intervenes and tears apart Servant and Master alike, the remaining players are desperate for answers.  As new alliances form and new revelations are discovered, the fate of everything rests in the hearts of two young mages: Shiro Emiya, who wishes to become a hero of justice; and Sakura Matou, the girl who longs to be Shiros one and only love.  As a new wave of death and despair tears its way through Fuyuki City, Shiro and Sakura will have to accept their destinies: who will save the world and who will destroy it?

The premiere chapter of the Heaven’s Feel Trilogy, Presage Flower, still stands as my absolute favorite entry in the Fate/Stay Night franchise.  It took chances I hadn’t seen yet in any other route and had enough shock and wow factor to keep me invested.  Plus, it did some serious amendmants to many characters I found irritable and troublesome in the past.  Needless to say, the hype level was raised and Lost Butterfly had a lot to prove, especially that Presage Flower wasn’t a fluke.  Well, it wasn’t a fluke at all.  Lost Butterfly capitalizes on Presage Flower’s triumphs and adds a few more of its own.  The end result is me cheerfully saying: This is Fate/Stay Night done right.

 

I don’t even know where I should begin with this one after that much praise in the intro.  Let’s start with Sakura.  For ages id hoped we’d finally see the story laid out for her in Fate/Zero play itself out properly.  Heaven’s Feel has fulfilled those wishes…and partly makes me wish I didn’t know the full extent because to say Sakura’s had it rough is a serious understatement.  No one child in the Fate franchise has had the perfect childhood but Sakura takes the cake when it comes to darkest upbringings and Lost Butterfly dives deeper into that than ever before.  If there are some sensitive subjects that make you uncomfortable, be warned, Lost Butterfly tackles them all.  The silver lining is Sakura continues to grow and her story remains the beating heart of this dark tale.  She is the victim of fate and a girl you want to see the best happen too, and by best I mean all possible good.  We see both Sakura’s agony in her life situation and the darkness brimming within her…cause of course the hell she’s been through would do that.  The end result is a hard watch but a rewarding one if only to see one of Fate/Stay Night’s most underutilized leads given her proper due.

 

Sakura’s story also benefits a few characters I’ve had problems with in other Fate stories, namely Shiro and Illya. Well actually, for the Illya part the improvements come from the fact that Heaven’s Feel actually acknowledges and doesn’t just skim or ignore Fate/Zero.  Everyone true lineage is revealed and we get time to see people, especially Shiro, take in these reveals and let them sink in.  In the 2006 Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero’s events are acknowledged but brushed over instantly.  Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works should have done more but didn’t.  So Illya does get a beefed up role and is so far removed from the spoiled, vengeful brat she’s been in the past.  And Shiro, wow I never thought the day would come when I’d be alright with Shiro Emiya from the get go and still be in his corner 2/3s of the way through this new story.  Sure he still wants to be a hero but has a much more narrowed focus scope for that dream: protect Sakura.  There’s always the risk that his desire might try to extend higher but for now, the woman he loves is first and foremost on his list of people to protect.  It makes Shiro stronger than ever and actively makes me root for him and Sakura all the way (sadly putting the kabosh on any Shiro/Rin romances, though they do address that too).

 

The characters are always the central focus of any Fate story.  However, if you know the franchise for its stellar action scenes, holy crap you’ve seen nothing yet.  It’s like every bit of swordplay and mage warfare Ufotable has done since Fate/Zero has been building to Heaven’s Feel.  And the studio tops itself once again with what’s probably the big action centerpiece of the film: Saber Alter vs. Berserker.  If you saw this in a movie theater with the right sound system, everything is thundering, everything is shaking and everything is going BUDABUDABOOOOOOM!!!!.  This battle is easily one of the most brutal and intense, Dark Saber is definitely not holding back cutting up Berserker and there’s plenty of shots of mutilated Berserker corpses to prove it.  That’s not to say the other battles aren’t as impressive.  Archer’s battle with both The Shadow and Rider are both exceptional as well.  There’s also a smaller battle involving a character who is usually reserved for more grand scale fight scenes.  In a way, it was kind of disappointing to see a character who’s bitten the dust in other entries go out so quietly…but the circumstances only make the stakes of the entire tale more dire, so I give it a pass.  While there is actually only a handful of fight scenes, Ufotable has already made Heaven’s Feel stand at the top of the Fate/Stay Night Action Hill Top with two movies alone.

 

My miniscule nitpicks around a certain characters fate (pun intended) aside, my only other nitpick for Lost Butterfly is that it doesn’t exactly know when it wants to end.  There were at least five different spots that would’ve made for a good “to be continued” save point.  But each time I was fooled and the movie carried on.  Im of two minds here.  It does sound annoying but I was so invested in the film, it didn’t matter when it cut off (it had too eventually cause we’ve still got Part 3 to watch).  And when the movie did end, it ended on the best “holy s***” moment that will definitely keep viewers hanging on to see the conclusion of the trilogy in 2020.  And again, subject matter involving sexual violations and self worth are heavy and not for the faint of heart.  Heaven’s Feel should be approached with caution in that regard, this is hardly the “feel good” saga of the Fate/Stay Night franchise. 

 

Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel II-Lost Butterfly took the spark ignited by Presage Flower and set off an inferno of excellence.  The characters continue to grow and become the best versions of themselves in Anime yet.  The action is legendary, more legendary than anything we’ve seen yet.  The story is darker, riskier (and more risqué), and unrelenting when tackling the toughest subject matters in life.  In short: like Presage Flower, this is the Fate/Stay Night I wanted to see when Fate/Zero concluded.  Legacy is acknowledged, everyones got an important part to play and the twists and turns make take hold of the eyes and keep them glued to the screen more than the beauty of Rin, Sakura and Alter Saber combined.  If you’re a Fate fan, this trilogy is a dream come true…or hopefully it is if Part 3 can end this saga with a bang.  For now, Lost Butterfly stands on equal ground with its predecessor…and it is gonna be a really long and unbearable wait for Spring Song in Spring 2020.

9/10