The March to Year 8

Another month of March has come and you know what that means?  We’re approaching the Birthday of the Gundam Anime Corner, March 31^st.  I normally don’t try to plan anything really big around the occasion and just go about picking random titles to fill out the schedule (I guess I worry more about the Anniversary Title in question and what I’ll open the following year with).  But with the new two review a week format going on, it opens up some extra slots to slip in some more titles.  So, how about a little rundown of what lies ahead for the month of March.

Bubblegum Crisis & Bubblegum Crash (March 1-15, 2021)

The legendary Cyberpunk action classic comes to the Anime Corner (starting today actually).  This isn’t the first time the Knight Sabers have graced the blog as we looked at their more modern (at the time) iteration with Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040.  How will this original classic fair against it?  Considering it also has four incredibly beautiful women fighting cyber mutants in the future, does any of that matter?  We’ll also be looking at the direct follow up to Bubblegum Crisis, Bubblegum Crash.

 

Appleseed (1988 OVA) (March 19, 2021)

When one hears the title “Appleseed”, their first thought is probably “oh that other work from the guy who created Ghost in the Shell?”  Their second is, “You mean those random CG Anime movies or that eventual TV Series?”  What if I told you there was an Appleseed OVA before all of that…and there’s a reason people don’t really talk about it?  Check out the review to find out why.

 

Highlander: The Search for Vengeance (March 22, 2021)

For decades, we’ve been told “there can be only one.”  And in the cast of Highlander…that’s usually true.  Every sequel to the original 80s fantasy classic has sucked (The TV Series was solid though).  SO can an Anime original tale directed by the guy who gave us Ninja Scroll break the Highlander Sequel curse?  It’s a freaking Highlander Anime, win or lose it’s gotta be worth something right?

 

Spriggan (March 26, 2021)

From the mind of Katsuhiro Otomo, the Director of Akira, comes an all out action spectacle featuring super soldiers, cyborgs, Esper children with a God Complex and the battle for one of the most biblical artifacts of all time: Noah’s Ark.  If that all sounds like your cup of tea or just wonder what would happen if you crossed Metal Gear Solid with Indiana Jones, then this is your flick.

 

Code Geass: Akito the Exiled (March 29, 2021)

Been holding back on watching this and reviewing it, for personal reasons.  But I’ve finally checked out the first spin off of the Code Geass saga and I’m ready to share my thoughts.  Considering Sunrise basically wants Code Geass to be the next Mobile Suit Gundam and carry on another decade or so, is Akito the Exiled a step in the right direction?

 

March 31, 2021-Special Seventh Anniversary Review

For a long time, I was hoping that the title to fill this important day would be the epic conclusion to the Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel trilogy, Spring Song, and had every intention of catching a theatrical screening and having the review prep months in advance…but we all know what went down in 2020 and that kind of put a damper on those plans.  I know Spring Song did eventually get that limited release but I’m not risking going to a theater right now, no matter how “Safe” it may be.  So I did some looking around and came across a particular title that could definitely qualify as “Anniversary level “.  This year I’ll be reviewing Weathering With You, Makoto Shinkai’s directorial follow up to Your Name.  Will this match or even surpass what has steadily become one of the greatest Anime ever made?  Honestly, I have no clue but it’s gotta be far better than some of the bad titles I’ve reviewed at Anniversary time (though sometimes those are intentional a la G-Saviour).

Yeah, once again I’ve kind of grab bagged a lot of these titles and I might just try to make that a thing going forward towards Anniversaries.  Anyway, that’s the March line up.  I’ll talk more about what’s coming in April and the first few months of Year 8 on the actual birthday of the Gundam Anime Corner, March 31, 2021.  See ya then and enjoy what’s coming next.