Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 10 Episodes 46-49

The Ultimate Gundam was envisioned as a tool for peace, a way to heal the Earth from the scars of the Gundam Fight Tournament.  But now it has become the Devil Gundam, a weapon that threatens all of Humanity on Earth and in Space.  With Rain captured and at its center, Domon must settle his own feelings for the woman who has been by his side all this time.  Together with Chibodee, Sai Saici, George and Argo, Domon and the God Gundam begin their final battle.  Only with Rain at his side will Domon be able to end the nightmare of the Devil Gundam once and for all.

Considering the emotional gut punch that was Mondays set of episodes, I was a little worried the final four episodes wouldn’t be able to deliver a truly good finale.  After all, Domon had basically settled all of his most personal accounts with Kyoji, Schwarz and Master Asia.  Even the Devil Gundam seemed down for the count (even though I knew it wasn’t).  So what was left to do?  Well if you can ignore the poor handling of introducing the final villains of the saga, G Gundam still managed to pull off a very entertaining and possibly most hopeful finale in the entire Gundam franchise.

T5W#298-Top 5 Modern Day Gundam Eras (2002-Present)

A couple of weeks back, I ranked the original five eras of the Gundam multiverse: The Universal Century, Future Century, After Colony, After War and Correct Century timelines.  All five world were unique in their own way despite sharing several integral Gundam qualities.  When it came time to enter the next century, Gundam decided to continue that trend (even though we have revisited the Universal Century from time to time).  So, just as I did for those Classic Gundam Era (list is right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/t5w296-top-5-classic-mobile-suit-gundam.html ) today I’m gonna look at the Top 5 Modern Day Gundam Eras (2002-Present) and see what these new worlds have brought to the table of Gundam. 

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 9 Episodes 41-45

Chaos and confusion envelop the Gundam Fight as the Battle Royale to decide the final outcome begins.  As Domon and his friends engage the monstrous denizens of the Devil Gundam and Master Asia himself, Rain learns the dark secret behind the Devil Gundams corruption.  The truth hits harder than any blow from a Gundam and even Rain herself will have to join in the battle with the fate of the planet now at stake.  At the heart of the inferno, Domon faces Master Asia one last time…and only one will be walking away as champion.

I think this set of episodes, more than any other, deserves a round of applause.  Questions were answered.  Rivalries were settled.  Sacrifices were made.  And in the end, we got one of the greatest battles in Gundam history thanks to one last showdown between Domon Kasshu and Master Asia, the Undefeated of the East.  G Gundam isn’t the most serious Gundam show out there.  But today it’s earned the right to stand on the shoulders of greats like the original series.  Honestly, were there not a couple of dangling threads needed to be tied off (including a probable THIRD round with the Devil Gundam), this could have been G Gundam’s series finale.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 8 Episodes 36-40

Domon Kasshu faces off with the remaining members of the Shuffle Alliance, putting skills and friendships to the ultimate test.  Should he succeed in defeating them, his greatest challenge awaits as both of his mentors: Master Asia and Schwarz Bruder, stand ready to face Domon.  Meanwhile, Rain’s loyalties are put to the test as Domon’s growing concern for Allenby pushes them apart.  Will Domon risk losing Rain and his friends to win the Gundam Fight Tournament for Neo Japan?  The final battles have begun and not everyone will make it out unscathed.

If you haven’t really come to the realization by now, I should remind you, Mobile Fighter G Gundam is not your average Gundam series.  Gundams can do Martial Arts, come in a variety of styles both wacky and stylistic, and the fate of the world is being decided in the most epic game of Rock Em, Sock Em Robots.  However, while not your typical Gundam foray, G Gundam is still managing to deliver a ton of drama and continuous twists and turns you’d find in any Universal Century story and this latest set of episodes definitely proves that.

Mortal Kombat (2021)

Mortal Kombat.  It is a tournament heard only in whispers, where a chosen few come together to defend the realm of Earth from the vicious warriors of Outworld.  The sorcerer Shang Tsung needs only one more tournament victory to allow Outworld to invade and cover the entire planet in darkness.  Only a rag tag team of brawlers, fighters and one very special individual, who’s bloodline can be traced back to a legendary ninja, stand in the way.  It is time to conquer fears, push aside doubts and choose your destiny…Mortal Kombat has begun.

Live Action Video Game adaptations have been on the upshot these last couple of years.  2019’s Detective Pikachu brought a whole world of Pokemon to life while 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog proved filmmakers were willing to listen to the fans to make their character better.  Now we’ve come to 2021 and hopes are pretty high for Mortal Kombat.  It’s been almost 25 years since Mortal Kombat: Annihilation put the nail in the coffin of a promising film franchise and this reboot looks to rectify its mistakes while paving the way for bigger, better fortunes, hopefully.

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

They thought they’d won.  They thought the threat to Outworld was over.  They were wrong.  The villainous Emperor Shao Kahn has broken the rules of Mortal Kombat and launched an all out invasion of Earthrealm.  With only seven days until the merging of two worlds, Liu Kang and his surviving allies begin a desperate quest to stop Shao Kahn once and for all.  Along the way they’ll meet powerful new allies and enemies more dangerous than any they’ve faced before.  Mortal Kombat was just the beginning.  Now, they face Annihilation.

Coming out just over two years after the previous film, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation wants to top its predecessor in just about every aspect: bigger action, higher stakes, more characters, more homages to the games.  It basically wants to follow every single rule about movie sequels but lacks anything that made the first film at least a semi capable action flick.  And let’s be clear, I like the first Mortal Kombat, I really do, it’s a staple of my childhood but it isn’t the best for a number of obvious reasons (PG-13, wincing dialogue, little story).  But at least Mortal Kombat is a movie.  I have no idea what the hell Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is and honestly…neither does the movie itself.

Mortal Kombat

For centuries, a secret tournament has been held once every generation.  The Earth’s greatest fighters battle the ruthless warriors of Outworld, a dark dimension hellbent on the conquest of Earth.  If Outworld wins one more tournament, Earth is theirs.  It now falls to three unlikely heroes to face their greatest fears and their deadliest enemies in order to save the world.  Kano, Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Scorpion, Sub Zero and Sonya Blade…they will all clash and blood will spill in the tournament called MORTAL KOMBAT.

In 2022, the world will celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of the fighting game that changed the Video Game landscape forever: Mortal Kombat.  11 mainline entries and countless spinoffs in, the series is still going strong and is arguably better than ever.  But let’s backtrack to 1995, three years after Mortal Kombat first hit the arcade.  It was already making waves both in gaming circles and in politics due to violent content the likes of which had never been seen in a Video Game.  Naturally, the mix of martial arts mayhem, bloody carnage and surprisingly deep mythology made Mortal Kombat ripe for a live action adaptation.  And how does the first attempt at a Mortal Kombat movie fare?  Is it as good as Sonic the Hedgehog or at least better than the Super Mario Bros movie?

T5W#297-Top 5 Fighting Video Game Franchises

In my humble opinion, everyone should have at least one fighting game in their video game library.  There’s nothing like the feeling of being a highly trained and super dangerous bad ass and being able to have a “friendly” sparring match with your closest friends or with players from around the world (if the game offers that kind of matchmaking).  Fighting games really hit it big when I was growing up in the 90s and haven’t really slowed down, if nothing else theyre stronger than ever (no pun intended).  On todays Top 5 Wednesday, to celebrate the release of the new Mortal Kombat movie coming this Friday (along with a review here at the Anime Corner), I’ll be counting down my Top 5 Fighting Video Game Franchises, long running series that have been making adults out of teens and enemies out of friends for decades. 

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 7 Episodes 31-35

The Gundam Fight Tournament Finals continue and nothing is going the way anyone could have imagined.  While the fights are fierce, there’s something ominuous lurking in the background.  As Domon and company face off against former opponents who shouldn’t be here, the masked fighter, Schwarz Bruder, finds something far more terrifying lurking in the heart of Neo Hong Kong.  The target of Domon’s main mission might be closer than he thinks…but first he can no longer avoid the inevitable.  Domon must now face his allies and friends: The Shuffle Alliance, in the Tournament Finals and no one is going to hold back.

This weeks next sets of G Gundam episodes seems to be bringing the two main plots of the series together at last.  The Final Battle continues to heat up but there’s also a familiar menace that looks poised to rear its ugly head again.  Honestly, does it surprise anyone that the Devil Gundam is coming back and its in the hands of egotistical maniacs like Minister Wong and Master Asia?  Then you’ve got tragic backstories, epic rematches and even the birth of a G Gundam Injustice League.  Let’s get to it, shall we?

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 6 Episodes 26-30

After weeks of battles across the Earth, the Final Battle of the 13^th Gundam Fight Tournament has begun.  Domon Kasshu just barely made it in time and stands ready with his fellow fighters: Chibodee Crockett, Sai Saici, George de Sand and Argo Gulski. Though friendships have formed, they’ll be put to the ultimate test as they face each other for the grand prize.  Shockingly, Master Asia and a slew of defeated opponents appear to take part in the epic bout.  How is this possible and what could the devious Master be planning?  And how will Rain react when Domon begins to form a bond with Neo Sweden’s beautiful Gundam Fighter Allenby Beardsly?

You know, I never knew how much I missed earlier elements of G Gundam until I got into this latest set of episodes.  With the Devil Gundam off the table (for now), it was time to kind of get back to basics while also advancing the plot and maintaining established character development.  Thankfully, save for a couple of small slip ups, G Gundam continued strong and showed that things weren’t going to be fully reset to factory settings like some long running mecha Anime like to do at the mid point *COUGH COUGH CODE GEASS COUGH*

T5W#296-Top 5 Classic Mobile Suit Gundam Eras (1979-2000)

One of the best aspects of the Gundam Franchise is the multiverse it’s created over the course of 40+ years.  At first, Gundam was contained to one universe, one timeline.  But as years passed and there was need to keep things fresh, new worlds were made with new ideas while still sticking to what makes Gundam, Gundam.  Each new setting is a prime starting point for any newcomer and some veterans might even find something to enjoy too (or not, purists will be purists and stubborn to a fault).  I’ll be looking at these varying eras of Gundam and ranking them in my own way over the next few weeks.  Today, we’re looking at the first half of Gundams lifespan, the first twenty years and the world they birthed along the way.  These are the Top 5 Classic Mobile Suit Gundam Eras (1979-2000). 

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 5 Episodes 21-25

Time is running out.  The Gundam Fighters still in the tournament have three days to reach Neo Hong Kong for the finals.  As Chibodee, Sai Saici, George and Argo make their way there, Domon completes his training under the mysterious Schwarz Bruder and goes to face Master Asia and the Devil Gundam once more.  But even with his new strength, victory might not be assured.  To make sure it is possible and Domon reaches the finals, Neo Japan releases its secret weapon, a new Mobile Fighter whose true potential only Domon can bring about: The God Gundam.

My God was that one of the most nail biting, intense and amazing action spectacles I’ve ever seen in a Gundam show…and it’s only the halfway mark.  Though not everything is wrapped up in a nice bow, (cause you know there’s still 20+ episodes left), the midseason finale of G Gundam brought everything to a boiling point and straight up delivered on all fronts.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 4 Episodes 16-20

Domon’s worst fear comes true: The Devil Gundam has been revived…not by his brother, Kyoji, but his former master, Master Asia.  With the combined might of the new minted Devil Army and Master Asia’s power, the Devil Gundam seems more unstoppable than ever.  Hope is not lost.  Domon and his fellow Gundam Fighters: Chibodee, Sai Saici, George and Argo, have all been named successors to the legendary Shuffle Alliance.  And from the shadows, a mysterious new Fighter appears with a single minded interest in making sure Domon is ready for the fight to come. 

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.  Considering how many times Domon has brought up the freaking thing, im amazed the Devil Gundam hasn’t shown up sooner.  Well it only took 16 episodes but the infamous Demonic Mobile Weapon appeared and no one was spared a truly traumatic and disheartening experience.   G Gundam had been building to this encounter and it did not disappoint, same goes for the aftermath.

T5W#295-Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 2)

For all my love of Gundam, there are certain things about it I just cannot stand…mostly in the character department.  Not every character in every Anime is going to be a hit but the act of watching certain characters in a Gundam series is a freaking chore.  Poor decisions, crappy attitudes or just plain annoying, sometimes the problem characters of Gundam will be lucky they don’t make or break a series.  I actually did a list like this a few years back (wow time flies) and I kept it to just the shows and movies I’ve covered here on this blog.  Well, since it has been years, and I have seen and reviewed a lot more Gundam since then, I think it’s time we added to that list of characters who just seem to bring Gundam down with every second of screentime they have.  I actually thought about doing an update of the previous list but realized…I have a whole new 5 I can talk (or rant) about.  So it’s sequel time on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, it’s the Top 5 Gundam Characters I Absolutely Hate (Part 2).  BTW if you want to know who the other five poor souls I despise are, the first list is right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2016/06/t5w46-top-5-gundam-characters-i.html. 

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 3 Episodes 11-15

Long before Domon Kasshu became the chosen fighter for Neo Japan, he was a student under one of the most powerful martial artists in the world: Master Asia.  Under the tutelage of this man who won the last Gundam Fight Tournament, Domon attained his amazing skills and the title of “King of Hearts”.  Now, fate has reunited Master and Student as the hunt for the Devil Gundam finally yields some surprising leads for Domon and Rain.  And it looks like Domon will need all the help he can get when Chibodee Crockett, Sai Saici, George de Sand and Argo Gulski all reappear and are infected by the Devil Gundams influence. 

Not that G Gundam has stopped being fun…but man is it continuing to get dark.  It looks like Domon’s fights across the world against awesome fighters of the week are coming to an abrupt ending as the main story caught up with us.  And while it seldom made an appearance outside of flashbacks, the Devil Gundams fingerprints were all over this recent chain of events…though it has a surprising new spokesperson now.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 2 Episodes 6-10

Since arriving on Earth, Neo Japan’s Gundam Fighter, Domon Kasshu, has found himself tested at every turn.  Even with his formidable fighting style and raw strength, this years assortment of fellow Gundam Fighters is equally fierce and determined to win the Gundam Fight.  But they aren’t the only ones Domon must contend with.  The reach of the terrifying Devil Gundam has begun to spread and is creating new weapons of its own all across the globe.  If Domon and Rain cant find Kyoji and stop this monstrosity, winning the Gundam Fight will be the least of everyones problems.

And we’re back and it looks like G Gundam wanted to show older fans that it can take itself kind of seriously in order to stand alongside its fellow Gundam brethren.  Doesn’t mean there wasn’t room for a little craziness, like a MUMMY GUNDAM!!!  But this second set of episodes definitely tapped into some far more dramatic territory than the opening premiere.  And while Domon still needs to do some growing (and maturing), the stories and fight he found himself in more than made up for his shortcomings.

Mobile Fighter G Gundam Part 1 Episodes 1-5

Future Century 60.  The time has come once again for the Gundam Fight Tournament: when the nations of the Earth, now situated in space, each send a specialized Gundam Mobile Fighter to Earth.  Here, the giant battle monsters clash across the world to determine who will control all of space for the next four years.  This time, however, things are a little different for the nation of Neo Japan.  Their representative, Domon Kasshu, has more at stake than just winning the tournament.  In addition, he must hunt down his older brother, Kyoji, who has stolen an experimental Gundam weapon, the Devil Gundam, for nefarious purposes.  The stages are set and the fighters are ready.  Let the new Gundam Fight commence.

And so the 8^th year of the Gundam Anime Corner begins and I think I’ve chosen a pretty exciting title to kick things off.  Ever wondered how a Gundam could fight if it moved like Ryu from Street Fighter and could master any advanced fighting style known to man?  Well this is your lucky month cause we have finally arrived at the first of several Gundam shows I intend to review in 2021.  Welcome to the first of the Alternate Universe Gundam shows…welcome to Mobile Fighter G Gundam.

Godzilla vs. Kong

An unprovoked attack by Godzilla has the world wondering if their former hero has turned its back on Humanity.  In a desperate bid to counter Godzilla’s power, a Monarch science team embarks on a mission to locate a power source tied to another Alpha Titan who hasn’t been seen in 50 years.  As a shadowy conspiracy begins to unfold, Godzilla and King Kong are brought together for a battle that has been destined for centuries.  With the worlds fate in the balance, only one titan can be crowned King.  Who will rise? And who will fall?

The Monsterverse created by Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years.  The Godzilla films are certainly better than the 1998 disaster but were hampered by a nice Transformers esque helping of focusing too much on the humans and not enough on the action.  Kong: Skull Island faired a bit better with the Kong origin story moved to the Vietnam War era and one of the strongest casts in the franchise.  Well after years of anticipation and numerous pandemic delays, the biggest match this universe has been building towards is here.  And honestly, this might be the strongest entry in the Monsterverse and if no other films are planned after this point, what a fight to end on.