Gundam Build Fighters Try (Complete Series Review)

*Special Note: This was originally written as a Rant back in 2016.  I’ve decided to go back and…refine it a little and turn this into my official review of the series so I can cross it off my list of Gundam titles to look at.  Please enjoy*

It’s been seven years since Sei Iori and Reiji’s victory at the 7^th Gunpla World Tournament.  Gunpla Battles have changed.  Tournaments now focus on 3 man cell battles comprised of fighters and builders.  One such enthusiast, Fumina Hoshino, wishes to form a team to compete in the Japanese National Tournament, the first step to the world championship.  She finds additional teammembers in her childhood friend, Yuuma Kousaka, brother of China Kousaka, and Sekai Kamiki, a martial arts prodigy who bears a strange resemblance to another mysterious Gunpla Fighter. Together, under the guidance of legend Ramba Ral, they form Team Try Fighters.  But there’s plenty holding this crew back from being a top notch team and their opponents are some of the most vicious Gunpla Fighters to step into the ring.

Well this was…disappointing to say the least.  After the finale of Gundam Build Fighters I was pumped.  Sure there wasn’t a lot explained as to Reiji’s other worldly origins, how the technology came from the to here to make Gunpla Battles possible or if Reiji and Aila would ever return to Sei and China after their sad departure…but I was still satisfied and eager for more.  I don’t know if it was my high holdings of the first series that may have proved to be too much for Gundam Build Fighters Try to live up to.  But turns out a number of things would hold it way, WAY back from being anywhere near as good as it’s predecessor. 

Fate/Apocrypha Part 6 Episodes 21-25

In the clouds above, the final battle of the Holy Grail War rages on.  Desperate to stop Shirou Tokisada Amakusa from enacting his insane plan for Humanity’s salvation, Sieg, Jeanne, Astolfo and their allies collide with a nigh unstoppable force of Heroic Spirits.  Now is the time to settle old scores and find the answers to long held questions.  Will Sieg’s faith in humans give him the strength to face a nearly invincible enemy?  Will Jeanne discover that her feelings for Sieg are not the weakness she and others deem them to be?  Is Shirou truly the one to win the War while others sacrifice their lives to see his dream to completion?  Kings, Saviors, Witches, Mentors and Mages clash one final time…but who will the Holy Grail shower with victory in the end?

As I sit down to write this review, im in a very odd and rare state.  Ive watched several Fate stories before and usually I have some grief with them heading into their final acts, be it the confusing world of Fate/Extra: Last Encore or Shiro Emiya literally arguing with himself in Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works.  Even Fate/Zero’s final moments hindered it from true greatness as it felt the need to set up Fate/Stay Night rather than end its own story without true connective tissue to stand alone (and even that’s a bit of a nitpick).  Fate/Apocrypha, however, has defied the odds.  Despite some interesting choices in animation and the true power of one particular Servant, I don’t have any real issues with these final five episodes, in fact I enjoyed them a lot.

From Losers to Glory-A Gundam Wing Special-Part 14

Previously

Trowa got his memory back without the help of a super computer and Relena nearly shot Dorothy cause her buttons got pushed.  There’s a little more and if you haven’t had a chance to look, Part 13 is up right here (http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/from-losers-to-glory-gundam-wing_26.html). Once you’re caught up, you can jump back to this page for the final volume of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-Glory of the Losers.

From Losers to Glory-A Gundam Wing Special-Part 13

Previously:

Trowa showed back up again, just as amnesia ridden as he was in the show.  But he got to ride his Heavyarms one more time and give it a legit reason to be given the redesign it’s deserved…Sandrock got the same but Trowa’s battle was more important.  But now that Heero, Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei are all gathered, the band is back together.  Now comes the calm before the storm in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-Glory of the Losers.  Let’s see what other tweeks lie in store.

T5W#254-Top 5 Code Geass Moments

Next week for the 4^th of July holiday, we’ll be taking a look at the Code Geass Compilation Film Trilogy.  Despite my stance on Compilation Films and this blog, I seem to find reasons to review them a lot.  With Mobile Suit Gundam, it was because the Compilation Films helped pave the way for Gundam’s rise to popularity in the 80s.  For the Turn A Gundam Movies…I had an extra day to fill in the Extended Series Review so why not.  For Code Geass, however, apparently these new movies change some things around and play a role in setting up the sequel: Code Geass-Lelouch of the Re;surrection.  Before we delve into those, how about we take a look at the five best moments of Code Geass and Code Geass R2 and reflect on why this Anime was so big when it arrived and why it still resonates with fans today.  These are my Top 5 Code Geass Moments.

Fate/Apocrypha Part 5 Episodes 17-20

Shirou, revealed to be a surviving Servant from the last Holy Grail War in Fuyuki 60 years ago, announces his plans to the Servants of Red in order to fully gain their trust.  Meanwhile, the Yggdmillenia alliance moves to deal with another lingering threat: the Assassin of Black, Jack the Ripper.  In the town of Trifas, three souls encounter the monstrous killer and find their pasts and their resolves tested in a nightmarish trail.  In the end, this battle is merely the prelude to a larger one as the Servants of Red ready the Hanging Gardens for one final showdown.  But is anyone, Master or Heroic Spirit, ready for the carnage that comes next as the final act of the Holy Grail War approaches?

In the past, there have been Anime I have covered with characters I have hardly ever cared for during the bulk of their run.  This tends to last right until the very end of their time on the show.  However, there are occasions where one episode can bring about a whole seasons worth of redemption for a lackluster character arc.  My prime example is Anew Returner in Gundam 00.  From the minute she was introduced, I knew her character was bound to turn on the Gundam Meisters at any given moment and yet one episode gave her a very fitting and emotional send off I didn’t expect.  I bring this up because I think it’s well known by now that I have never really cared for Jack the Ripper on Fate/Apocrypha.  Besides being given a disturbingly cute character design and an outfit no child of any age should be wearing, her presence up until now has added nothing to the plot or the Holy Grail War at large. Her only role has been that she’s the missing Servant who was supposed to be aligned with Yggdmillenia.  Til now, she’s been giggling her way through legions of dead bodies while getting cozy with her “Mommy” who we knew just as little about.  Well, much of that changed in the opening half of this set of episodes that finally drew the curtain on Jack the Ripper and set up some exciting rivalries and motivations to take us into the home stretch.

From Losers to Glory-A Gundam Wing Special-Part 12

Previously:
The nameless White Fang arrived and tried to convince Duo and Wufei to join their team.  But Zechs was more than happy to join after wandering the Earth and looking at ruined battlefields.  The Romafeller Foundation is out of the picture and the Barton Foundation is never going to show up like I’d hoped.  And the battlefield is shifting to space for the final battle to come.  Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-Glory of the Losers still has a couple of minor details to sort out before the all out brawl at Libra.

T5W#253-Top 5 Anime Compilation Films

When the subject of “Compilation Films” gets brought up, the first question I usually think of is…”why?”  Why do we need a feature length recap of something that was already pretty much perfect in it’s TV Series or OVA form?  Arent they just several episodes spliced together in some random marathon format?  It’s one of the reasons ive tried not to review them here at the Gundam Anime Corner because, in the end, what more can they offer that their respective shows already have?  Sometimes they just don’t work, like the two part Turn A Gundam Compilation Films: Earth Light and Moonlight Butterfly.  But every once in a while, a Compilation Film comes along that not only tells the story meant to be retold, it surpasses or does the recapping of the subject matter proper justice.  Well, since we’ll be covering a the Code Geass Compilation Film Trilogy in a couple of weeks, heading into the review of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection, I’m gonna pick out my Top 5 Anime Compilation Films and explain why they stand tall along side, or sometimes, surpass the original series they cover.

Fate/Apocrypha Part 4 Episodes 13-16

The Battle of Yggdmillenia Castle has ended and the war between the forces of Red and Black Factions has ceased in an unexpected outcome.  Shiro Kotomine seizes control of almost all of the Red Factions servants, though Mordred continues to resist, putting him in the ultimate position to complete a 60 year old plan.  Meanwhile, with their leader dead and most of their servants either betraying them or destroyed, the remaining Yggdmillenia members find themselves forming an alliance with the last person they ever expected.  The game has changed but the goal of attaining the Holy Grail remains the same.  Will it go to the last Servant of another war, one of the survivor of the present conflict, or a young Homunculus looking to liberate his people?

I’m happy to report that my concerns over whether or not Fate/Apocrypha could sustain its amazing momentum and story beats have been both surpassed and justified.  While we did get some nice clean up on the midseason cliffhangers and changed the status quo a bit for the team dynamics, one particular storyline is still failing to justify its existence and Im wondering why it wasn’t handled much sooner than now (and even then it’s still not wrapped up).  Overall though, the second half of Fate/Apocrypha got off to a pretty solid start considering just how much hype it has to meet now.

From Losers to Glory-A Gundam Wing Special-Part 11

Previously:
Despite bringing a souped up, Angel Wing sporting Wing Zero, Zechs found himself lost in a Zero System vision of the future and a battle with Heero in Gundam Epyon.  The Sanc Kingdom fell, Relena surrendered herself to the enemy and Duo and Wufei decided to make an unscheduled pass at an unfinished Battleship Libra which never happened in the Anime.  Oh and Quatre has his Sandrock back…but it isn’t in its Endless Waltz form yet…bummer.  Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-Glory for the Losers is heading into its final stretch.  Let’s see what other changes await.

T5W#252-Top 5 Best Way to Host an At Home Anime Convention

I hate bringing up the current state of the world right now, in general it just sucks.  And yeah, part of that includes the fact that all of the big summer conventions (Anime or otherwise) have been cancelled.  Anime Expo, San Diego Comic Con and yes Otakon, all of them wont be happening until 2021.  But, one advantage to living in the digital era, as opposed to if this were happening 50 years ago, we can all still stay connected via video chats across multiple social media sites and preloaded communication software.  My point is, just because we cant have our normal conventions, doesn’t mean we can have them in another way.  So on Today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m letting you in on the Top 5 Best Way to Host an At Home Anime Convention.  A lot of these are probably common sense if you really think about it…but it’s been weighing on my mind anyway so I’m gonna talk about it.

Fate/Apocrypha Part 3 Episodes 9-12

From the blood stained fields outside of Castle Yggdmillenia to the skies above in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Mage Factions of Black and Red have begun their final battle.  In the middle of the chaos, Sieg begins his own desperate mission to free those like himself from imprisonment, and perhaps discovers the wish he is also seeking.  Meanwhile, Ruler sprints across the battlefield, heading directly for someone whos powers far exceed their intended role in this war.  The Holy Grail emerges and old scores and new rivalries head towards their violent conclusions.  At the end of it all, is Yggdmillenia the true threat, or has someone else been pulling the strings all along?

So there’s a lot, aloooooooooot to unpack with this midseason set of episodes.  We got some important character revelations, a couple of surprise twists, and the mountains of action that ended last weeks set of episodes proved to be just an appetizer for the all out carnage of these four episodes.  If I could boil it down simply: we definitely got what Fate/Apocrypha advertised with a feature length fight sequence that rarely let up.  In a way, im glad we’re not done with this series yet but after everything that’s happened, how the hell is this gonna get topped.

From Losers to Glory-A Gundam Wing Special-Part 10

Previously:

Duo kicked Zech’s ass with the help of his new friend (who is a girl) Hilde and Treize got a new girl protegee of his own in Dorothy Catalonia.  Oh and Heero also was gifted the eternally cool Gundam Epyon…and now in the next volume of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz-Glory of the Losers.

Fate/Apocrypha Part 2 Episodes 5-8

As the Servants of the Yggdmillienia family and Mages Association inch ever closer to all out war, two individuals have appeared who could turn the tide of the conflict for either side: Jeanne D’Arc, a Ruler Class Servant, meant to act as Overseer for the Holy Grail War; and Sieg, a Homunculus who was meant to be used as a source of power for the Mages of Yggdmillienia.  As the Mages and Servants of Yggdmillenia and the Mages Association and their respective Armies meet at the doorstep of Castle Yggdmillenia, Jeanne and Sieg discover their true callings and the roles theyre meant to play in the battles to come.  Under a beautiful moonlit sky, the ultimate battle for the Holy Grail truly begins.

Well then, we wanted a Team Deathmatch Holy Grail War and surprisingly, Fate/Apocrypha delivered big in only its second set of episodes.  That didn’t mean the series skimped on some important character development or quieter, contemplative moments.  But if it action you seek from a Fate series, well…todays set of episodes mustve been Christmas.

T5W#251-Top 5 Anime Films for a Summer Blockbuster Season

As far back as I can remember, I have always been excited for movies in the summer.  This is when the big guns come out, the mega hit movies that are exciting and demand to be seen more than once.  We…are not getting that this year, not in a traditional sense.  However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t movies out there that can fill that void, especially when it comes to Anime.  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m digging into one of the biggest libraries of movies on the planet and selecting my Top 5 Anime Films for a Summer Blockbuster Season.  All classics, all fit the bill of movies that would be the ultimate summer Anime movie marathon. 

Fate/Apocrypha Part 1 Episodes 1-4

Near the end of World War II, a legendary mystical conflict known as the Holy Grail War, raged in Fuyuki City.  The final battle ended with the Grail being stolen by the head of the Yggdmillennia family, and has been in their hands for decades.  Now, in the present, the Yggdmillennia, have defected from the Mages Association and declared their independence.  With seven summoned Servants on their side, the Yggdmillennia seems invincible.  But the Mage Association isn’t letting this slide by a long shot and have summoned a force of seven Mages with their own separate Servants for battle.  The Holy Grail War begins once again, this time on the grandest scale ever conceived.

With all three routes of the original Fate/Stay Night story (Fate, Unlimited Blade Works & Heaven’s Feel) all adapted at last, what’s next for the Fate franchise?  Well spin offs of course.  The Fate Universe seems endless with countless heroes from history to choose from to give to all manner of skilled or messed up mages to battle for the Holy Grail for all eternity.  We’ve seen a Holy Grail War in The Matrix (Fate/Extra: Last Encore); a Holy Grail War with an army of Cardcaptor Sakura’s (Fate/Kalied Liner Prisma Illya); and even an equally neverending Holy Grail War on mobile devices (Fate/Grand Order).  So how about a Holy Grail Team Deathmatch?  That’s generally what the setup is for Fate/Apocrypha, which does away with most of what we know from the standard Holy Grail War premise in favor of an all out throwdown that might be on the more quantity over quality side but it’s still too early to tell.  Still, for an opening set, Apocrypha isn’t off to a bad start.