Vandread Part 2 Episodes 5-8

For the crew of the Nirvana, the long journey home has only just begun.  But it’s not exactly a smooth ride.  Forget the army of mysterious Machines dogging them, this is a ship crewed by Men and Women: who have been at war for decades.  Hibiki Tokai becomes the center of everyones obsession thanks to his Vanguards ability to combine with three different Dreads to form an unstoppable fighting machine.  Love and hormones are running rampant between him and the Alien obsessed Dita, the stoic Meia and the gorgeous Jura.  Maybe the Aliens wont have to do much to destroy the Nirvana, not when the many problems these Men and Women still need to solve might do the job for them.

When it comes to the works of Studio Gonzo, they can be a mixed bag for me.  Last years Basilisk might’ve been the first project from them that I found very little wrong with, both in story and animation.  Normally, I feel theyre less than stellar, or don’t really work to their fullest potential.  X-1999: The Series, Peacemaker Kurogane and Hellsing can all attest to that.  When it comes to Vandread thus far, im reminded of the first season of Full Metal Panic.  The show wanted to be half high school comedy and half serious Metal Gear Solid level military drama.  It worked better in one department compared to the other (and it wasn’t the humor).  FMP would later find success in choosing one lane rather than trying to straddle both (Fumoffu was a nearly flawless comedy and The Second Raid and Invisible Victory dialed up the drama to 11…granted all three of those were done by other Anime Studios).  Why bring this up now?  Because Monday’s opening set of Vandread episodes didn’t have the best take off but todays set decides to set aside the awkward War of the Sexes premise in favor of spending some quality time with some of our main characters.  The result is Vandread showing its potential and what it could be when it isn’t Hibiki trying to be an annoying Space Naruto or Dita trying to watch him do Number Two.  In short: this set of episodes was much, much better.

T5W#285-Top 5 Favorite Most Successful Anime Films Released in the US

We really are blessed to be living in this age of Otakudom.  When it comes to feature length Anime films, we used to have to wait a really long time to see them on VHS (yes that was a thing) or DVD for numerous reasons.  Now, depending on the popularity of the title, we’re getting new releases within weeks to about a month after their big Japan debuts.  Heck, even Gundam OVA series like Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn had new episodes with English Dubs the day they came out in Japan.  But we’re not here to talk about that.  Last year, the Demon Slayer movie, Mugen Train, was one of the few Anime films unimpeded by the global pandemic and went on to become, I kid you not, one of the Highest Grossing Movies of 2020.  That is insane, an Anime film hitting those heights.  Well with Mugen Train about to arrive stateside, I decided to do some digging and look up a list of Anime Films, released in the US, that did rather well, and choose my favs for this weeks Top 5 Wednesday.  So, I present to you my list of my Top 5 Favorite Most Successful Anime Films Released in the US.

Vandread Part 1 Episodes 1-4

In a distant part of the universe, open war exists between the Men of the Planet Taraak and the Women of the Planet Mejere.  During the unveiling of a newly restored Taraak battleship, the Pirates of Mjere strike, hoping to steal the vessel for themselves.  What they get is something more than they bargained for. Suddenly, they and three male prisoners are flung to another corner of the galaxy and find themselves pursued by a ruthless enemy of unknown origin.  Without many options, the two sexes must put aside generations of distrust in order to survive…easier said than done I’m afraid.

Once upon a time when I was just starting out being an Otaku, I often found myself watching the preview sections of Anime DVDs continuously, getting my first glimpse of various shows id hoped to see one day.  One of those was a Pioneer preview of Vandread.  With a cool theme song and some cool looking mecha designs, I didn’t know what the show was about but I was definitely looking forward to discovering it one day.  Well that day has come.  Vandread is here to be covered at last and…well it could be off to a better start but it shows a lot of promise in several areas…just not some of the very important ones.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 7 Episodes 31-36

Two years have passed and a tenuous peace has been forged between Humans and Zentradi.  The former crewmates of the Macross have gone their separate ways but are still on the lookout for the next possible threat.  That threat might be the disgraced, rogue Zentradi Commander Kamjin Kravshera, who is determined to crush the humans at any cost.  Meanwhile, Hikaru continues to wrestle with his feelings for the two most important women in his life.  In the end, as the final battle begins, will Hikaru choose Misa Hayase, his beautiful Captain; or Lynn Minmay, the unattainable idol?  The story of the Macross ends here.  The legacy…lives forever.

You know, it knew it was eventually going to come to this.  But I was optimistic about it.  Guess I should be more specific.  While the final episode itself is one of the best in the series, the lead up to the grand finale of Super Dimension Fortress Macross is incredibly frustrating and occasionally even infuriating.  Rather than expand more on the post war problems of Zentradi integration into human society, Macross doubles down on one of its key elements that should have been put to rest long ago.  The legendary Love Triangle between Hikaru Ichijo, Misa Hayase and Lynn Minmay finally took it’s toll with me.  Again, everything does wrap up just as fine, if not better than in Episode 27.  Getting there, man this series might lose points off its final score for prolonging the inevitable.

T5W#284-Top 5 Things I Want to See from Evangelion 3.0+1.0-Thrice Upon a Time

Somehow, I knew this would happen.  With the resurgence of pandemic cases in Japan, it was announced last week that the grand finale to the Rebuild of Evangelion saga: Evangelion 3.0 +1.0-Thrice Upon A Time, was once again being postponed until an unspecified time in the future.  Does this mean we might still see it in 2021?  At this point who knows.  The film has more or less been completed by now.  However, f you checked out my Evangelion Retrospective back at Christmas (and if not, im pretty proud of it and you can check it out right here:  http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/neon-genesis-evangelion-retrospective.html) you’d know that even without a pandemic ripping across the planet, the final chapter of Rebuild of Evangelion has taken a long time to get to anything close to completion.  From the tumultuous production hassles of Evangelion 3.33 to the break Hideaki Anno took to direct Shin Godzilla and recharge his batteries, Thrice Upon a Time is building to become one of the most epically anticipated Anime of all time.  Today, I ask myself, I’ve been watching these movies since the beginning.  What do I want to see accomplished in the grand finale?  What are the Top 5 Things I Want to See from Evangelion 3.0+1.0-Thrice Upon a Time?  Well, thank God for Top 5 Wednesdays amirite? 

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 6 Episodes 26-30

After a year of continuous fighting, it looks like there are those on both sides of this long war calling for peace.  While some Zentradi find a strange tranquility in Minmay’s music, others see it as the ultimate weapon that could destroy them forever.  One lone Zentradi commander brings the full might of his people upon the planet Earth, setting the stage for a final showdown.  As a fire rages across the stars, Hikaru races to find Misa and tell her how he feels.  Heroes will live, worlds might die, and the crew of the Macross will never be the same again.

Well…all of that definitely just happened.  Our second to last collection of Macross episodes saw the end of one epic chapter and the surprisingly well done beginning of another.  I was nervous going into this set because I knew I’d be covering the epic showdown between Humans and Zentradi and the two year time jump that occurred right afterward.  I’ve always been skeptical about Macross’ strange 36 episode run time and wonder if it was meant to be longer, like a sort of 2 section deal totaling at around 52 or so episodes.  Now I think I’m gonna wish that was the case because much to my shock and happy surprise, Macross still has a lot of story to tell despite the outcome of everything that it’s been building towards.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 5 Episodes 21-25

The Macross is forced to leave the Earth to give the UN Spacey time to come up with a strategy against the Zentradi.  Despite the loss of his brother, Roy Focker, and his loyal subordinate, Kakizaki, Hikaru presses on, returning to battle.  While the gap between him and Minmay continues to grow, Hikaru finds a new bond with Misa Hayase and the experiences they’ve shared so far.  But a possible romance isn’t just in the books for them.  Zentradi Ace Milia volunteers for micronization, to infiltrate the Macross and kill the warrior who has continued to best her in battle: Maximillian Jenius.

While not as gut wrenching as the last set, todays collection of Macross episodes had some major developments on pretty much every front of the series.  I was actually a little worried about how things would play out in the wake of the loss of two major characters and the Macross’ exile from Earth.  But my concerns about this being an oddly numbered 36 episode series were put to wrest a bit.  Battle lines were crossed and redrawn, some romances continued to grow and evolve while other floundered about.  All in all, Macross today was about making major advancement while setting the stage for a major showdown when we return next week. 

T5W#283-Top 5 Reasons Misa Hayase is better for Hikaru Ichigo than Lynn Minmay

The original Super Dimension Fortress Macross was the most innovative Mecha Anime of it’s time, doing for giant robots what Mobile Suit Gundam did in the late 1970’s.  But arguably it’s most defining attribute isn’t the kick ass, transforming fighter planes, it’s the love triangle between hotshot pilot Hikaru Ichigo, Macross bridge commander Misa Hayase and up and coming idol Lynn Minmay.  Hikaru’s internal tug of war between these two beauties defines him more than the war with the Zentradi.  And now that we’re in the thick of this battle of hearts with our reviews, it’s time to take a closer look at where I stand on this matter.  Spoiler Alert if the title didn’t give it away: It’s Misa, Misa Hayase all the way.  These are my Top 5 Reasons Misa Hayase is better for Hikaru Ichigo than Lynn Minmay 

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 4 Episodes 16-20

Despite finally returning to Earth, the Macross continues to be detained by the UN Spacey, which is determined to keep the existence of the Zentradi a secret from the planets populace.  Unrest grows amongst the Macross civilians aching to set foot on Earth again.  The Zentradi attack regardless and the constant fighting lands Hikaru in the hospital.  What’s worse, he’s about to learn the cost of war with a pair of tragic losses that will change his life as a soldier forever.  The war has come to Earth and even the Macross might no longer be welcome there any longer.

Generally, most people hate Monday.  It’s the beginning of the week and depending on how your weekend has gone, it can just be a drag to go back to work.  Macross probably hates Mondays more than anyone right now because holy crap…it was not a good Monday at all.  Akira level explosions, new arrivals stirring up all kinds of annoying feelings, and Hikaru being forced to say goodbye to not one but two important figures in his life.  The only upside is that Hikaru might be letting go of some unnecessary baggage that hasn’t been doing him good for a long time.  Anyway, onto the long list of sadness for this set of Macross episodes.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 3 Episodes 11-15

When a recon mission goes wrong, Hikaru Ichijo, Misa Hayase and the rest of Hikaru’s squad find themselves in the hands of the Zentradi themselves.  It’s a First Contact unlike any anticipated and the culture clash could provide some of the most useful intel on the Aliens yet.  As the dire situation brings Hikaru closer to Misa, the Macross closes in on home after a months long journey.  Captain Gloval is determined to get his crew and the civilians back to their homeland at any cost.  But what kind of homecoming awaits the long lost battle fortress upon its return to Earth?

Today’s Macross found our heroes in one of science fictions most exciting yet terrifying scenarios: First Contact…which would prove to be kind of awkward for both sides.  Some unintentionally or even intentionally funny moments aside, the Macross fought its way back home in this set but it looks like their real fight for survival is only just getting started.

T5W#282-Top 5 Worst Titles I Reviewed in 2020

As we hopefully look forward to a more optimistic and hopeful new year, 2020 isnt too far behind us just yet that we cant mock, hate and generally just look upon with disdain.  And while I did review some really good titles in that disastrous year, 2020 also saw some of the absolute worst titles I’ve reviewed in all most seven years cross my path.  I think I delivered the most 0/10’s in the same year (a grand total of 4).  So it’s rare I get a chance to select 5 titles that are generally the terrible and should be avoided…so let’s open the first T5W of 2021 with the Top 5 Worst Titles I Reviewed in 2020.  Ok? Ok. 

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 2 Episodes 6-10

Following a surprise attack from the war like Zentradi, the Macross and her crew find themselves stranded at the far end of the solar system with over 50,000 civilians in tow.  The journey to return home begins, as does the reconstruction of the city brought with them from Earth.  Hikaru Ichijo joins the military as their latest Valkyrie recruit and his star begins to rise, not just with his fellow pilots but also with the girl of his dreams, Lynn Minmay.  But the Zentradi are far from through with the Macross and will stop at nothing to take their lost battle fortress back from the humans.

Macross returns with its second set of episodes and I’m thrilled to report it’s momentum is still keeping strong.  The action sequences keep getting better and better and this weeks first set of stories even works on expanding the newly built world within the Macross itself.  Overall, if last Friday was our grand introduction, today we did and even deeper dive into what’s growing out of that intro…besides more kick ass action sequences.

Super Dimension Fortress Macross Part 1 Episodes 1-5

In 1999, an alien spacecraft crash landed on South Ataria Island.  Ten years later, the spaceship has been resurrected as the Super Dimension Fortress Macross, mankinds newest defender.  Her time with this title comes sooner than expected when a space fairing race of warriors, the Zentradi, appear above the Earth looking for their lost battle fortress.  It is the dawn of a new age of warfare as pilots in next generation fighters battle fierce foes the size of giants.  One hot shot pilot, an aspiring musical artist and a by the books military officer find themselves at the center of the conflict that will change their lives and the course of history forever.

Hello and Welcome Dear Readers to a special New Years Day Premiere review.  For a long time now, I’ve debated reviewing the US Adapted Anime Anthology (is that even the correct term for it?) Robotech and spacing it out over the course of a year like ive done with Slayers and Full Metal Panic.  A few months back, a good friend of mine suggested I review the shows themselves that form the basis of Robotech.  If I’m absolutely honest, like most Robotech fans im not too big on Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross or Genesis Climber Mospeda…if you need further proof of that you can check out the First Impressions I did of both shows way back when (ill link them at the end of the review).  However, I was willing to accept part of my friends request and review on series that I’ve really wanted to for some time.  And honestly, I cant think of a better title to open 2021 with or start this new review schedule off with.  Welcome, Dear Readers, to the legendary…Super Dimension Fortress MACROSS!!!

Welcome to the Gundam Anime Corner 2021

Anime.  One of the greatest artistic mediums in all of existence.  For me, it’s a home away from home, a safe haven of magic and wonderment to distract me from the real world.  When it came to our previous year…it mattered more than ever.  This blog mattered more than ever.  2020 was the worst year for a lot of obvious reasons and while those reasons mounted, I made it my mission to keep the Gundam Anime Corner updated as much as possible.  I wanted this place to be the one brief bit of levity for anyones newsfeed filled to the brim with grimness.  I like to think I succeeded and even when the year got bad for me, especially towards the end, I had this blog and it’s growth to occupy my mind.  And through it all, I did a lot of thinking as to how 2021 was going to look.  And trust me, this year is going to be the biggest year for the Gundam Anime Corner so far.