The Matrix Resurrections

Thomas Anderson feels his life is moving in a loop: same city, same job, same amazing woman he meets at a coffee shop everyday.  What Thomas perceives as reality, however, is anything but.  As a group of familiar strangers burst into his life, Thomas begins to remember who he really is…or who he used to be.  Awoken to two new worlds, Thomas must relearn everything that made him “The One” if he is to brave a brand new Matrix to save the one thing that still matters the most: his lost love Trinity.

 
I reviewed the Matrix movies two years ago for the 20^th Anniversary of the first film (Jeez, 20 freaking years, I’m old).  To me, the original is still a high bar of action/scifi/cyberpunk storytelling that feels timeless, despite some storytelling flaws and some of its revolutionary visual effects showing their age.  The sequels diluted the near perfect formula of the first, devolving into Philosophy 101 classes with some occasional action peppered in to keep viewers awake.  By the end of The Matrix Revolutions, the story felt stretched beyond what it should have been.  In my mind, “Where we go from there…is a choice I leave to you,” is where The Matrix should have ended.  And yet, against all odds, The Matrix is back with a 4^th Chapter, 18 years after the conclusion of The Matrix Revolutions.  Can the lure of The Matrix still make me go “whoa”?  Or is this another case of too little, too late and why do anything else at all?
 

FIF#151-Komi Can’t Communicate

Komi Shouko is the most popular girl at Itan Private High School.  She’s beautiful, elegant, refined and stoic to a fault.  What many fail to notice is…Komi isn’t exactly good at talking to people.  The mere though of conversation freezes the popular beauty with fear and she can’t seem to find a way to get better.  Enter Tadano Hitohito, Komi’s classmate who has his own internal insecurities.  Yet, he takes notice of Komi’s plight and offers to help her talk and complete a lifelong dream of making 100 friends. 

I know I said last week was the FIF Season Finale…buuuuuut there was one more free Friday and this one’s been on my radar for a while since it popped up as a fresh, weekly aired title on Netflix.  The look on Komi’s face that’s both hilarious and very cute caught my attention, along with the title that I swear couldn’t be that obvious…but it was.  Honestly, if Komi Can’t Communicate’s first episode was just a 20 min short feature, I’d be ok with it.  As a first episode, its probably one of the best Anime debuts I’ve seen in a while.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 10 Episodes 43-47

Neo Zeon threatens to destroy itself as factions belonging to Haman Kahn and Glemy Toto clash.  It’s the opening Judau Ashta and his comrades have been waiting for.  Judau never imagined he would become the key player in the final battle of an interstellar war.  But his time has come and now he must face Haman, the Neo Zeon’s most powerful warrior, in a final showdown.  What kind of future is waiting for Judau, Haman and the rest of the Universal Century?  No matter the cost or outcome, the First Neo Zeon War ends here. 

Well, that’s all folks.  From ruined and horrible beginnings, Gundam ZZ somehow managed to pull off a pretty decent finale.  It doesn’t match the depressing and powerful finale of Zeta but in a way, I don’t think it’s supposed to.  ZZ was supposed to be a different show from Zeta altogether but started off in a less than ideal fashion.  It makes sense that the finale should reflect Tomino’s intentions to deliver a much more uplifting finale, which also planting the seeds of one more battle to come after this story ends.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 9 Episodes 38-42

Leaving Bright Noa and the Argama behind on Earth, Judau and his friends head back into space.  Here, theyre equipped with a brand new battleship, the Nael Argama, and prepare to continue the fight against Haman Kahn and Neo Zeon.  Waiting for them are some old enemies who have grown fiercer and much stronger.  But theyre not the only ones with a score to settle in space.  Behind enemy lines, Glemy Toto plots his own rebellion, leading to a potential civil war within Neo Zeon itself.

Gundam ZZ reaches its penultimate set of episodes today and…ugh, I guess it couldn’t help but return to some terrible old habits, if only for a little bit.  I feel like a lot of time in this set could’ve been dedicated to other storylines.  But we just had to have some more of that incredibly tiresome and troublesome humor pop in.  I’m not even going to try and defend it as the finale is gonna be just as serious as any normal Gundam finale, which it should be.  But, I’m only kind of gripping about one episode and a smidge of another.  Time wasting issues aside, some characters got some long overdue development and Judau found himself starting the final path towards his ultimate destiny.
 

T5W#333-Top 5 Best Titles I’ve Reviewed in 2021

2021 is almost over and it was quite a follow up to 2020, both the busiest and most productive year I’ve had on this blog.  With the world still in the state it’s in, I wanted to make it my mission to cheer everyone up with good reviews and entertaining rants if it came to that.  This year, I increased my review quota by posting two reviews a week, something I aim to continue in 2022.  Believe it or not, I’m not sure if that increased the number of titles I’ve looked at in anyway.  Still, from Macross to Bubblegum Crisis to a tour of the works Studio Trigger, I’ve kept busy and, as is tradition, it’s time to choose the Top 5 Best Titles I’ve Reviewed in 2021.  I hope you’ve enjoyed these selections too and I cant wait to see what 2022 brings us in a few days.  Til then, enjoy the last Top 5 Wednesday of 2021 Dear Readers.

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 8 Episodes 33-37

The threat of Haman Kahn and Neo Zeon has reached a critical state, so much that the Earth Federation seems desperate for forge a quick peace to avoid further conflict.  The AEUG knows a simple treaty wont stop Haman and continue to oppose her.  At last, in the city of Dublin, Haman shows her true ruthless nature and the extent of her resolve.  As the sky begins to fall around the city, Judau Ashta and the crew of the Argama, this is where everything changes.

Well…to quote Bad Boys 2, “S*** just got real”.  I mean that in both the deepest sense and also, s*** just got REALLY GOOD.  Seriously, I can only think of a minor quibble or two in this set of otherwise perfect episodes of Gundam ZZ…crap, I cant believe I just wrote that sentence.  The ante was upped to the nth degree, we got some unexpected but incredible reunions and even saw the loss of a couple of important cast members.  I can say now that Gundam ZZ is now acting like a proper successor to Zeta and Judau has now equally become the successor to Amuro Ray and Kamille Bidan.  There’s a lot to go over, so let’s break it down.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 7 Episodes 28-32

The Battle of Dakar ends with the AEUG and Karaba retaking the city but at a personal cost to Judau Ashta.  With his sister gone, the young Gundam pilot begins to shut out all around him.  Leina’s loss affects the rest of the team as well, causing a fracture at a critical point in the war.  Haman isn’t willing to let the loss of Dakar go unanswered and sends Glemy Toto to lead the counterstrike against the AEUG.  With his team splintered, Judau will have to find the strength to reunite his friends and keep fighting…unaware the Neo Zeon still has unexpected allies and deadlier tactics still up their sleeve.

 
While it couldn’t quite match the game changing goodness of the mid series premiere, Gundam ZZ still continued to show great improvements all across the board.  It did, unfortunately, fall back into some old habits with a couple of characters.  Plus, the bulk of this set felt like an unnecessary detour following the Battle of Dakar.  But I think there’s still plenty of positivity to keep my spirits up.  ZZ is doing much better, that I wont debate.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 6 Episodes 23-27

With Haman Kahn’s sights set on Earth, the Argama hurries to head off the Neo Zeon invasion fleet.  Too late, they discover that Haman has already captured the Federation capital of Dakar.  Now stranded in Africa, the Argama and it’s Gundam Team make their way to rendezvous with their terrestrial allies with the unpredictable Elpeo Puru in tow.  As the battlefield shifts and becomes more dangerous, Judau discovers the wonders of Earth and the still healing scars from the One Year War, scars that will only become worse if Haman isn’t stopped.

What the FRAK?!  Where the hell has this show been all this time?  I know people said that ZZ got better in the second half but this soon, this much?  The characters, the tone, the drama, the intensity, the action…it’s like I’m watching a brand new series.  A few days ago, I could care less if Judau, Beecha and their Brat Pack survived the First Neo Zeon War.  Now though, I’m invested, I’m interested and I’m a little worried for Judau’s little sister.  In short, THIS is the Gundam ZZ that should have followed Zeta from the get go. 
 

Happy Holidays from the Gundam Anime Corner

Hey Dear Readers, this is just a quick one.  Gundam ZZ resumes next week to close out Gundam Month Mark V-THE GAUNTLET PART II.  But for today, here’s some Holiday Cheer from some Anime Favorites.  Happy Holidays Everyone...and dont be naughty or Santa Bakugo will come for you muahahaha!!!!

See ya Monday everyone, have the best day :) 

FIF#150-The Rising of the Shield Hero

Japanese College Student and self proclaimed Otaku, Naofumi Iwatani, finds himself called upon to save another world alongside three others: The Four Chosen Heroes.  Each hero wields a mystical weapon: A Sword, Spear, Bow and Shield.  Naofumi receives the Shield, the weakest of the four weapons, but his bad luck doesn’t stop there.  An unexpected betrayal leaves Naofumi penniless and an outcast in a strange new world.  Starting from nothing and with no way back home, Naofumi must work to rank up his skills and his weapon if he is to save the world and get some payback against the ones who wronged him.  This is the journey of the rise of the Shield Hero.

Welcome, Dear Readers, to my 150^th First Impression Friday.  I was considering holding off on this until 2022 and stopping this current season back in November cause of Gundam Month Mark V.  But, so close to the 150^th mark, I decided to extend it and to commemorate the milestone, I’m once again visiting a highly requested Isekai series from another good friend of mine.  They weren’t the only one hyping this one up.  The Rising of the Shield Hero has become another one of those shows with a mega hit first season and is still waiting for its second (i.e. Attack on Titan, Yuri on Ice, One Punch Man, Re: Zero, you get the idea).  So, does Shield Hero grab my attention immediately, especially when it has twice the amount of time to do so with a double length premiere episode?

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 5 Episodes 19-22

Judau finds himself in a race against time to save his sister, Leina, when the Argama is ordered to attack Axis with its new Mega Particle Cannon.  Not only that, but the hyperactive Elpeo Puru stands in Judau’s way, desperate for his attention.  The theater of battle begins to change as loved ones are forced to turn spy for the enemy and Haman’s eyes drift towards Earth itself, ready to seize control of the defenseless planet in one fell swoop.  Decisions must be made and resolves must be strengthened if Judau and his friends want to survive the war that is finally getting underway.

 
Before we begin this review, we’re gonna talk about Dragon Ball GT.  Why?  Allow me to explain.  For those unaware, Dragon Ball GT was the successor to the mega hit Dragon Ball Z, airing in 1996 right after Z ended.  GT sought to return the Dragon Ball franchise to its more adventurous roots as seen in the original Dragon Ball series.  GT was also done without the involvement of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.  The end result was disastrous.  When the more lighthearted comedy adventure proved unpopular, the powers that be did a drastic 180 on GT and returned it to a more action oriented epic like Dragon Ball Z.  However, the damage had been done and Dragon Ball GT would end its series run in 1997 with an embarrassing 64 episodes, compared to Dragon Ball’s 153 or Z’s landmark 291 episode.  Eventually, Toriyama would return to the franchise in 2015 with Dragon Ball Super, which basically picked up directly where Z left off and erased GT from the official cannon.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 4 Episodes 15-18

With Leina still in enemy hands, Judau decides to undergo a dangerous solo mission to rescue his little sister.  His quest takes him right into the heart of enemy territory: the Zeon stronghold of Axis itself.  Here, Judau meets an eccentric young girl named Elpeo Puru, who may be the key to finding Leina.  But he also encounters the leader of Neo Zeon itself, Haman Kahn.  Now that he’s seen the face of his true enemy, how will Judau handle the pressure he feels from this encounter? 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ mustve had some really dumb luck to last this long and still have a full series run.  Up to this point, the show has been a mockery of Gundam with Judau and his band of braindead freeloaders treating war and the Argama like a game and a place to crash and the Neo Zeon’s being cartoon characters on par with that of constant, dramatic failures like Skeletor or Cobra Commander.  How the hell is it fair that ZZ will see its story through while Mobile Suit Gundam and After War Gundam X got cancelled (granted Gundam did have enough heads up to complete its tale)? 
 

T5W#332-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 3)

Scattered across the Gundam Multiverse are some of the greatest heroes in Anime, Men and Women and even a couple of kids who have risked everything to protect their teams, their crews, their families, their entire worlds from the bleakest futures.  However, lifes all about Balance.  And Gundam, whether intentional or not, knows all about balance when it comes to likeable heroes (and villains) and the other side of the equation: the characters who just straight piss me off.  This is actually a pretty quick turn around for Part 3 of this recurring feature as I just did the second part a few months back.  But we’ve covered a helluva lot of Gundam in the last few years (2020 and 2021 in particular), so it seems fair to update the list of Gundam leads that deserve no sympathy or fanbase.  Welcome, Dear Readers to Part 3 of the Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate.  And if you’ve forgotten who else has made this cut, no worries, you can get caught up now before you proceed:

 
T5W#46-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate
The Gundam Anime Corner: T5W#46-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com)
 
T5W#295-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 2)
The Gundam Anime Corner: T5W#295-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 2) (gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com)

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 3 Episodes 11-14

The Argama rendezvous’ with the La Vie En Rose supply ship.  Through it, they receive the powerful new Gundam model, the Double Zeta, and beautiful pilot Roux Louka, to bolster their fighting strength.  Still dogged by endless pursuit, the Argama’s new recruits begin to feel the strain of war but things get personal when Judau’s sister, Leina, falls into enemy hands.  And then there’s the mysterious colony Moon-Moon, which contains a long lost arm of humanity who could be the ultimate ally or ultimate destruction for both the Argama and their pursuers.

 
If my patience with Gundam ZZ is being tested at every turn, I can only imagine how fans in the 80s handled this train wreck of a series.  Frankly, it’s a miracle Gundam survived this colossal misstep and went on to become the legend that it is.  I’m not saying the franchise is full of winners (G-Saviour and Gundam Seed Destiny are proof of that).  But this is early days Gundam, when it was supposed to be setting a pretty high standard for mecha Anime.  I guess all of that glory went to Zeta Gundam because Gundam ZZ has shown it has learned nothing from its predecessor.  Are we even sure Tomino directed this one?  If it seems like I’m ranting pretty early that’s because there is only one thing that’s actually good about this short set of episodes (it’s only a minor mercy that I’ll have 4 episodes a set for a bit instead of 5 due to how theyre presented on DVD), and that’s the ZZ itself.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 2 Episodes 6-10

Hounded by continued attacks by Axis Zeon forces, the Argama decides to leave the Shangri-la colony.  With them go Judau Ashta and his band of scavengers, now officially members of the AEUG.  It is a time of uncertainty and growing pains as Judau and company struggle to adjust to life with the AEUG while continuing to battle the Axis Zeons who want to see the Argama taken down for good.  New faces appear and old friends bid farewell as a new conflict begins to brew in space.  The question is: how long until the Axis Zeons start getting serious about their plans for the Colonies and the Earth Sphere?

 
I cannot believe I miss the bleak drama of Zeta Gundam.  I cant believe I miss the menace of the Titans.  Yet here we are.  Ten episodes in and I would gladly sacrifice Judau and every single member of his crew if it meant we could have Kamille, Emma and most of the characters lost in Zeta Gundam back (Katz and Sarah can stay gone, no one wants them back).  Hell, when that actually goes for Scirocco, Bask Oum and Jamitov as well, holy crap, you want the mass murders back because theyre the better villains?  Things could not be that bad with Gundam ZZ…no…theyre worse.
 

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ Part 1 Episodes 1-5

Universal Century 0087.  The Titans have been defeated but at a bitter cost to the AEUG.  The dust has barely settled when Haman Kahn, regent of Zeon, declares the arrival of Neo Zeon and begins her own war against the Earth Sphere.  With the Federation and AEUG exhausted from war, neither is in a position to stop Haman’s attacks.  A glimmer of hope appears in the form of a bratty junk yard scavenger named Judau Ashta.  After saving the Argama from the vengeance of an old foe, Judau becomes the new pilot of the Zeta Gundam.  He and his friends are the only thing the AEUG has to stand against Haman Kahn as a new battle begins.

Is five episodes too soon to say that I hate a show already, much less one from the Gundam franchise?  Cause that’s kind of how I feel as I sit down to begin the second half of Gundam Month Mark V-THE GAUNTLET Part II.  Im going into Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ well aware of its pedigree and legacy as a series.  It’s the direct follow up to Zeta Gundam and…well it’s not well looked upon and now I see why and I really, really wish I didn’t.  I know this show is supposed to get much better down the line and who knows, maybe it’ll salvage something out of this.  As it stands here and now, all I can ask is: Mr. Tomino, What the actual HELL were you thinking picking up the story like this post Zeta?

FIF#149-Blade Runner: Black Lotus

2032 AD.  A young woman named Elle awakens on a transport in the desert, bound for Los Angeles.  She has no memory of her past and only a series of vague and violent images running through her head.  The only clue Elle has to unlocking her mind is a camera, itself locked by an unknown user.  But Elle’s got bigger problems than a case of amnesia.  Ella is a Replicant and her existence on Earth is illegal.  Not only must she evade the criminal underworld that might be trying to kill her, Elle must evade something worse: Cops specially trained to hunt down and “retire” Replicants like herself, Cops still known to as Blade Runners.

It goes without saying that a Blade Runner Anime is long overdue.  Anime owes much to Ridley Scott’s 1982 landmark scifi epic, with its influences felt in classics like Akira and Ghost in the Shell to modern masterpeices like Psycho Pass. While we did get the amazing Blade Runner: Blackout 2022, which served as a prequel to Blade Runner 2049, that was just a short film.  A TV Series has been a must forever.  Well it only took almost 40 years but the forces behind Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Appleseed have united to bring the dystopia of Cyberpunk LA to the Anime world.  Considering Blade Runner is still my favorite movie of all time, my expectations are pretty high.  So how do things get going?

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation III-Love is the Pulse of the Stars

Universal Century 0087.  The battle for peace has now become a three way struggle between the AEUG, the Titans and the recently returned remnants of Zeon.  With plots and betrayal threatening to tear everything they love apart, Kamille Bidan and Char Aznable must accept the new roles destiny has thrust upon them.  All will be decided at the Gryps 2 Colony Laser, where friends and lovers turned rivals and bitter enemies clash one last time with the fate of the entire Earth Sphere hanging in the balance.  If you think you know how the story of Zeta Gundam ends…you haven’t seen anything yet.

Hmmmm…how best to being this one?  Well, the subtitle, “A New Translation,” finally lived up to its namesake here.  The epic finale of the Zeta 20^th Anniversary project recaptured much of the powerful emotional impacts that came along with all the action.  In the process, it also delivered us an ending that could take a while to discuss cause it’s both the most memorable and questionable decision of the whole New Translation saga.  Guess I’ll cover everything else and work my way there.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation II-Lovers

Universal Century 0087.  Stranded on Earth, Kamille Bidan finds himself fighting alongside AEUG allies, the Karaba, and Amuro Ray.  In the city of New Hong Kong, Kamille meets Four Murasame, a beautiful girl who entrances the young Newtype with her own wit and abilities.  As the war between the AEUG and Titans reaches a fever pitch, is young love doomed to die in the heat of battle?  Powerful new foes and curious new allies join the fight and in the deepest reaches of space, a third faction lies in wait for the right time to step in and crush both sides.

We roll right along with Zeta’s “New Translation” trilogy and as the title suggests, there’s a lot of focus on one of the more pivotal aspects of Zeta: the doomed romance between Kamille Bidan and Four Murasame.  However, while I’m getting more used to the back and forth animation styles, this film is where things start to really deviate from the original source and the results are rushed and rocky.  For certain, this isn’t as strong a middle chapter as Soldiers of Sorrow was for the original series compilation trilogy.

T5W#331-Top 5 Versions of Blade Runner

This Friday on First Impression Fridays, I’ll be taking a look at the first two episodes of the long anticipated Blade Runner Anime-Blade Runner: Black Lotus.  While not the first Blade Runner Anime to ever exist (that honor goes to the short Blade Runner: Blackout 2022), Black Lotus is the first Anime TV Series to ever come out of this long standing inspiration of cyberpunk and Anime alike.  If you’re new here, 1982’s Blade Runner is my favorite movie of all time and I could talk about how awesome it is all day.  I’ve been digging deep into its mythology and behind the scenes production since I first saw the movie on SciFi Channel in 2000.  Most people might not realize that there are 5 Official Versions of Blade Runner in existence.  And today, I’m gonna rank them in a Top 5 list and whether or not theyre worth a watch: Spoiler Alert-Most of them are..  These are the Top 5 Versions of Blade Runner.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation-Heirs to the Stars

UC0087.  In the aftermath of the One Year War, the Earth Federation establishes The Titans to police space and suppress any potential Zeon like uprisings.  The Titans protection has become tyranny and they rule space with an iron fist.  Challenging them is the AEUG, a group comprised of former Federation and Zeon officers.  Among their ranks are the legendary Red Comet, Char Aznable and the first Gundam pilot, Amuro Ray.  But their greatest secret weapon is a young man with incredible Newtype potential, Kamille Bidan.  This is his story…but not quite the way you might remember it.

2005 marked the 20^th Anniversary of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.  In order to commemorate the landmark series, a trilogy of compilation films was commissioned with Yoshiyuki Tomino back at the helm.  Thus, we have the Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation Trilogy.  This isn’t like your average Gundam compilation feature.  Much like the compilations for the original Mobile Suit Gundam series, A New Translation seems to be Tomino’s readdressing of the original story, with tweaks to plot and characters and, most notably, new animation.  We’ll be looking at all three of these films over the next couple of days before moving onto Gundam ZZ.  I originally wanted to save this for post ZZ but figured I might as well tackle these movies now while Zeta is still fresh in my head.  So, how is the first part of this New Translation?

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 10 Episodes 46-50

Kamille Bidan has lost so much since entering the cockpit of the Gundam Mark II.  But nothing could ever prepare him for the end.  Friends and loved ones; rivals and bitter enemies; the Gryps Conflict will claim them all as a three way war rages between whats left of the AEUG, the Titans and the Axis Zeons.  Great sacrifice will be required and the final moments will change the Earth Sphere forever.  For as one war ends, little does anyone know, another long in the making is about to begin…

I always knew the end of Zeta Gundam was kind of bleak.  But man…now I know why Yoshiyuki Tomino has earned the nickname “Kill Em All Tomino” throughout his career.  While many of the problems of the last few episodes carried on into it, the final act of Zeta Gundam was a powerful exploration of the true power of the human heart and the dark forces it strives to shine brightly against, even if the cost was more than anyone could bear.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 9 Episodes 41-45

The long war between the AEUG and the Titans is coming to an end.  An exhausted Kamille is forced to fight old friends to stop them from committing heinous crimes against Humanity.  Meanwhile, Char makes one last attempt to reason with Haman and the Axis Zeons.  But the beautiful Zeon leader has her own hands full with assassination attempts on herself and Mineva Zabi, the last survivor of the Zabi family.  In a world turned upside down, only those with the greatest resolve will survive the chaos to come.

Up until now, even when it’s stumbled, Zeta Gundam has been a blast to watch.  However, as we begin the end of the series with this penultimate set of episodes, I cant help but feel really annoyed with half the cast.  Most want to save those who cant be saved.  Others are so blinded by manipulative devotions they cant see anything else.  The rest are doing their damdest to stay alive and in the fight, even if it means making deals they don’t agree with.  Everythings heating up, that I wont dispute.

FIF#148-Girls und Panzer

Tankery-the art of Tank Combat.  It’s also one of the most popular school sports for girls.  Miho Nishizumi is a veteran Tankery expert who seeks to leave that life behind by transferring to Ōarai Girls High School.  On her first day, the Student Council resurrects the dormant sport at Oarai and quickly pressures Miho into being one of their first recruits.  In spite of her past, Miho begins learning to love Tankery with a group of new friends.  But Tankery isn’t all glamour and big guns.  Soon Miho and her crew are competing with other school teams in intense showdowns.  The price of failure: closure of their entire school.

So this weeks First Impression Friday comes as a request from a good friend who’s kind of a military Otaku.  This is…and odd one.  I’ve seen High School slice of life Anime about Girls in a band; Girls in an idol group; Girls who are members of a paranormal investigation squad and the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.  Including that last title specifically, I can honestly say a High School slice of life Anime about High School Girls driving vintage Tanks is the last kind of concept I ever expected to see get a green light. 

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 8 Episodes 36-40

Kamille and Char return to Earth and reunite with Amuro Ray and Karaba for an all out assault on the Titans most important bases.  It is a time of great victories and bitter defeats as Char finally returns to the spotlight to expose the crimes of the Titans while Kamille suffers his most devastating loss to date.  It is also a time of deadly plots and shifting allegiances as former allies become enemies and vice versa.  The final battle between two desperate fight forces is slowly approaching…and no one is safe from its chaos.

Well, we had to come to this sooner or later.  The minute Kamille began a romance with unstable Cyber Newtype Four Murasame, history was bound to repeat itself…or echo I guess.  But believe it or not, Four’s death probably wasn’t the most major event of todays section of Zeta Gundam.  That’s not to downplay it either.  It’s just that save for one meadering storyline that probably wont go anywhere vital, things got real very fast.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 7 Episodes 31-35

From the deepest reaches of space, a long lost Zeon fortress has been inching its way back to the Earth Sphere.  Now it has arrived: The Asteroid Axis.  And with that comes a potentially powerful new ally that the AEUG and even the Titans cannot ignore.  As both sides race to court these new arrivals, Char confronts his past when he is reunited with Axis’ beautiful leading regent, Haman Kahn.  But are these Zeons the tipping point in the war between the AEUG and the Titans…or does Haman have plans of her own?

Zeon is back baby.  The next generation of Gundam’s first evil faction made their grand entrance into the story of Zeta Gundam and they did not disappoint.  As if the Titans weren’t enough of a problem, now a group of pissed off Spacenoids with eight years worth of pent up aggressions is now ready to challenge the AEUG…kind of. 

T5W#330-Top 5 Halo Games

Every once in a while, I like to talk about Video Games on my Anime Blog and one of my all time favorite video game franchise is Halo.  We’ve come a long way from the days of Spartan John 117, aka The Master Chief, facing off with The Covenant and The Flood on the surface of an intergalactic superweapon.  Now he’s shooting at Covenant splinter groups, ancient Foreunners, rogue AIs…and probably the Flood again soon enough, who knows really.  The fight returns today actually cause Halo: Infinite finally arrives after a six year long wait after Halo 5: Guardians in 2015 (it was supposed to come out last year as a launch title for the Xbox Series X…buuuuuut after a pretty dismal demo, more time was needed).  It’s kind of fitting the game arrives this year anyway since it’s 2021, 20 years after the debut of Halo: Combat Evolved on the original Xbox.  Today, in honor of the franchises 20^th Anniversary and the launch of Halo: Infinite, I’m counting down my Top 5 Halo Games (should probably also tie this into Anime somehow…maybe I’ll do a Top 5 Halo Legends Shorts list next week, we’ll see).

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 6 Episodes 26-30

The Titans and their leader, Jamitov, have been granted full authority over the Earth Federation military.  With two back to back failures in battles on the Moon, the Titans now seek swift retribution against an increasingly overpowered and outmanned AEUG.  Kamille finds himself in his more intense battle yet with his nemesis, Jerid, while Char returns to space with a heavy burden on his shoulders.  Meanwhile, AEUG spy Reccoa infiltrates the Jupitris and comes face to face with Paptimus Scirocco, who’s charms may be able to turn even the AEUG’s most loyal soldiers against them.

After some of the bigger bombshells we saw during the halfway mark of Zeta Gundam, you’d expect there’d be more immediate ramnifications.  While this set definitely had some shining moments, much of it was an unusual slow burn.  I say “unusual” because the pacing of this series has been incredible.  When a couple of episodes could have been fused together though, there might be something wrong…not terribly wrong but still, it sucks pointing out holes in this shows otherwise amazing armor.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 5 Episodes 21-25

Kamille returns to Space where he is reunited with the crew of the Argama and presented with the powerful new Zeta Gundam.  Meanwhile, Char returns to Earth in order to prevent a potentially disastrous power play by the Titans.  New enemies join the stage and new, unexpected roles are thrust upon Kamille and Char.  The action soon reaches the Moon where the AEUG must fight a desperate battle to stop the Titans from committing an atrocity far greater than Zeon during the One Year War: dropping a colony onto the Moon.

I cant remember the last time I watched a Gundam series where the titular suit takes half the series to come into picture (only other one I can think of is G Gundam).  But the wait is finally over.  Not only is Kamile back in space but he’s also got his brand spanking new Zeta Gundam at last.  And not a moment too soon as things got pretty hot on the Moon in todays set of episodes.  Plus, it’s the halfway point so that means there had to be some major shake ups as well.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 4 Episodes 16-20

Still stuck on Earth, Kamille finds himself fighting alongside One Year War legends Amuro Ray and Char Aznable.  In the midst of it all, Kamille meets Four Murasame, a beautiful girl who just so happens to be the pilot of a massive new Titans weapon: The Psycho Gundam.  While romance blooms between the two, time is running out to get Kamille and Char back into space.  In a race against time, will Four betray her duty to the Titans to save the man she loves? 

The Earth Chronicles of Zeta Gundam continued today and romance was in the air for both Kamille and Amuro…both with about equal varied degrees of success and tragedy.  Granted, this is Gundam, it’s rare that a love story ever goes well for the main characters.  Hopefully the new, lighter side of Kamille we saw opened up through all of this will stick around for a bit.

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 3 Episodes 11-15

The AEUG attempts a bold attack on the Earth Federations Headquarters, Jaburo.  But when it turns out to be a trap, Kamille and Quattro become stranded on Earth.  To stay alive and make it back to their allies in space, they’ll have to team up with the Earth Resistance Group Karaba, who’s members include several former crew members of the White Base.  At last, Kamille bears witness to history as the true identity of his mentor, Quattro, is revealed…in a face to face encounter with legendary Gundam pilot Amuro Ray himself.

Everything that’s been happening in Zeta Gundam has been building to this epic event and, for the most part, it didn’t disappoint.  This set of episodes was basically one big trip down memory lane with a return to a popular Gundam locale and a reunion tour with some very old friends…some who are doing better than others. Needless to say, these were some more excellently paced and overall very awesome episodes to watch.

FIF#147-Doctor Stone

A wave of green energy sweeps planet Earth.  Instantly, each and every Man, Woman and Child on the planet is turned to stone, no exceptions.  3700 years later, high school prodigy Senku Ishigami and his childhood friend Taiju Oki are released from their petrification and into a radically changed world.  With the mystery of how everyone became stone lingering, Senku puts his brilliant mind to use coming up with ways to survive the new world and possibly find a way to restore some of the old.  Good thing Senku is a genius who loves a good scientific challenge. 

See? Now unlike Kenichi: The Last Disciple or Eden’s Zero, THIS is a Shonen Anime Pilot I can get behind.  There’s no mission to become the ultimate figure of authority like many of the titles in that subgenre of Anime. No, the mission of Doctor Stone is simple: save the human race well after its been ruined in an incredibly horrific fashion…I mean, just save the world.  Doctor Stone might just have one of the most unique premiere episodes to come out of Anime in a long time…could it be enough to get me to continue on with it?

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 2 Episodes 6-10

Thrust into the middle of a brutal war between the Titans and the AEUG, Kamille Bidan has already lost more than he could have imagined.  To strengthen the young mans resolve, Quattro Bajina shows Kamille the true extent of the destructive powers of the Titans.  Elsewhere, two generations of heroes begin to meet on Earth and in Space as the Titans and AEUG prepare for their next rounds of engagement.  The battle for the future of the Earth Sphere is only just getting started.

The arguably darkest era of the Universal Century continues and, as a result, Zeta Gundam is only getting stronger. The sense of pacing and build up is incredible.  While we have to wait til tomorrow for the Battle of Jaburo, the way things are going, it’s shaping up to be something major, though I agree with Char that the AEUG is putting all their eggs in one basket on this operation.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s see what went down in todays set of episodes.

T5W#329-Top 5 Live Action Rurouni Kenshin Films

While 2021 would prove to be a bad year for the crew of the Bebop (save for Netflix making the Anime available for everyone to watch), it was the opposite for Kenshin Himura.  After a year long delay due to the Pandemic, the Live Action Rurouini Kenshin film series ended its run in a highly successful fashion, met with positive response by critics and fans alike.  The RuroKen movies have done the impossible and stood the test of a long running curse: Live Action Anime Movies suck.  Thanks to game changing fight choreography, stellar production design and an actual understanding of the source material, each chapter of Kenshin’s live action tale has done everything but suck, though some movies are better than others.  I probably should’ve done this list back in August when I reviewed The Final and The Beginning but as much as I wanted to rag on Cowboy Bebop’s failures some more…I’d rather talk about something more positive this week.  So, while not necisarrily saying this is from Worst to Best (wouldn’t call any of these movies bad in any sense), these are the Top 5 Live Action Rurouni Kenshin Films.

 

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam Part 1 Episodes 1-5

Universal Century 0087.  Seven years after the end of the One Year War, the landscape of Earth and Space has changed.  To prevent the rise of a future Zeon like threat, the Earth Federation establishes an elite taskforce known as the Titans.  Ruthless and without conscience, these soldiers deliver their brand of justice no matter who gets in the way.  Opposing this new regime is the AEUG (The Anti-Earth Union Group) and they might’ve just scored two key weapons that could give them the edge.  One is a young man with a temper and latent Newtype abilities named Kamille Bidan.  The other is a new model of one of the most legendary Mobile Suits in history: The Gundam Mark II. 

 
Considered to be the moment when Gundam really took off as a franchise, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is seen as one of the true Golden Boys of the franchise.  If Mobile Suit Gundam wrote the book on how to make a “Real Robot” series in the mecha genre, Zeta Gundam is apparently the “Hold my Beer” equivalent.  I’ve been waiting a really long time to get a shot at reviewing this and, Ladies and Gents, this holiday season, that time has come.  The Gauntlet is being thrown down once again.  Welcome to GUNDAM MONTH MARK V-THE GAUNTLET PART II.  But more importantly at the moment, welcome to Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam.  Let’s get to it.
 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

It is a time of great calamity.  An Azumi Priestess has a vision of the destruction of a city.  At the same time, Godzilla seemingly attacks his allies in brutal fashion.  A team of scientists and archeologists begin looking into the matter only to discover a new threat to the planet.  Godzilla himself finds his true equal in a robotic duplicate that might just surpass him in everyway.  Together with the Guaridan kaiju King Caeser, Godzilla must summon all of his powers and more to stop this mechanical terror before it destroys the world.

We come to the end of Godzilla Month with the debut of yet another of Godzilla’s most recognizable foes.  Yeah, it would seem kind of easy and obvious to do a robotic replica of the King of the Monsters (particularly when you think about how it would no doubt inspire Power Rangers down the road).  Thankfully, while most of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla still retains the usual negatives that drag down a Godzilla movie, the debut of Mechagodzilla himself isn’t one of them.  In fact he’s a highlight, along with another monster debut that sadly should have happened in its own film.
 

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 14)

Previously:

Just go read Part One right here: The Gundam Anime Corner: Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 13) (gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com)…oh ok fine, if you don’t want to: Shinji got back in the game and took on several Mass Produced Evas to protect Asuka but ended up being captured and used to kick off Third Impact anyway.  Meanwhile, Gendo thought he had won the day but a farewell bullet from Ritsuko and Rei seizing his Adam Embryo (wow that sounded grosser than I intended) and rising up to meet Shinji for the big end of the world event.  Final Impact has reached Third Impact and the final act of the Evangelion Manga.  Shall we?

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 13)

Previously:

NERV found itself under an attack it was doomed to fail against.  Gendo revealed his plans to become God to get revenge on God because he’s Gendo Ikari and surprising no one, he admitted he hates Shinji and always has.  Meanwhile, Asuka got back into the fight against crazed looking Eva’s and Misato saved Shinji’s life at the cost of her own, though she got some bad guys in the process.  Now Shinji stands ready to protect Asuka and fight some terrifying Mass Produced Evangelions.  It’s Part One of this double sized finale to Final Impact: An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special.  I’m ready, you ready?  Let’s roll.

FIF#146-Gundam: Reconguista in G

It is the year 1014 of the Reguild Century.  Over a millennia has passed since the close of the Universal Century.  Following centuries of turmoil and chaos, Humanity has finally found a measure of peace and prosperity in this new era.  Bellri Zenam emerges as one of its newest defenders, tasked with protecting an orbital elevator that the world relies on for energy.  During Bellri’s first sortie, the tower is attacked by Pirates with a mysterious Mobile Suit, the G-Self.  This is only the beginning of a strange journey for Bellri as he meets the beautiful pilot Aida Rayhunton and learns he is one of only a handful of people who can pilot the G-Self.  The eras may have changed, but once more a Gundam chooses a young man to protect the future.

I’ve always said that I feel it is my destiny, having a blog with the title “Gundam” in it, to review just about everything Gundam in existence and I’ve done a pretty good job over the last seven years I think.  There’s plenty still left to review, including what I have planned for December.  But come 2022, there are only a small batch of shows left in the Gundam franchise left for me to take a look at.  One of those is my First Impression today, Reconguista in G.  Now, this isn’t one of Gundam’s most beloved entries, in fact I hear it’s one of the worst.  Most of the complaints I’ve heard stem from G Reco being a confusing mess with little clarity.  And judging from the first episode…they may be right about that.

Cowboy Bebop (2021 Live Action TV Series)

2071 AD.  Mankind has colonized the Solar System thanks to warp gates across the cosmos.  With this expansion, crime runs rampant and even the Police are stretched thin.  Spike Spiegel, Jet Black and Faye Valentine are Bounty Hunters.  Their mission: track down the worst of the worst and get them of the streets in exchange for a tiny profit.  Each has their own baggage and hangups, some worse than others.  But with rival Bounty Hunters, even more dangerous Bounty Heads and the ruthless steel of the Syndicate all in their way, Spike, Jet and Faye will have to find a way to work together as a team to get rich…or risk getting dead themselves.

 
Live Action Adaptations of any kind are tricky, no matter the subject.  If you try to work too little into your project, it’ll show a lack of trust in the material.  You work in too much, you might run the risk of overcompensating for a lack of proper understanding of the material.  The latest Netflix attempt to bring Anime to life, Cowboy Bebop, comes with a lot of heavy expectation.  Cowboy Bebop is one of the most universally beloved titles in the genre, one that both casual and hardcore Anime fans alike can enjoy.  And despite it being an Anime, there are times where Cowboy Bebop transcended the genre and felt more like watching an action packed scifi movie week after week, hence it’s popularity beyond love of the medium.  The Netflix series has a wealth of material to work with but in the end has no idea what it wants to do so it just throws in everything it can to hopefully appease the fans.  Thus, it falls into that latter category I mentioned: doing too much and in doing so showing the people behind the scenes don’t know what makes Bebop, Bebop and instead hope all the Easter Eggs, replica costumes and familiar music will do the job for them.
 

T5W#328-Top 5 Anime/Video Game Influences in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

A couple of weeks ago, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings arrived on Disney+.  Getting a chance to watch it again for the first time since I saw it in theaters, I’ve gotta say, I freaking love this movie.  It stands as an excellent showcase of Asian culture and boasts some great action, energy and just a sense of fun that makes it one of the best movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Watching it this time, as well, I started to notice a couple of familiar elements peppered throughout the movie.  It’s kind of obvious in retrospect (I was enjoying the film too much to look too deeply I guess) but there are a ton of Anime and Video Game influences to spot and today I’m gonna shout out what I saw.  These are my Top 5 Anime/Video Game Influences in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.  Word of warning, I will be talking about some major plot points so if you haven’t seen the movie and still want to be surprised, go check out Shang Chi right away and enjoy the ride.