Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness

2006.  Eight years after the disaster of Raccoon City, Secret Service Agent Leon S. Kennedy and TerraSave Representative Claire Redfield reunite when a zombie outbreak in the White House puts the leadership of the US on high alert.  While Claire begins an investigation of her own, Leon joins a special team for a mission to Shanghai.  Little do these two Raccoon City survivors realize is that a whole new breed of evil is about to be unleashed, the kind that can start a world war.  How far will Leon and Claire go to ensure the same nightmare as Raccoon City is never repeated?

Back in March, the 8^th official game in the Resident Evil franchise, Resident Evil: Village, was released.  It’s a fun game to play but the story’s kind of weak as is the main protagonist, Ethan Winters, he’s a character no one will miss (spoiler alert).  So at first, it feels like we’re right at home with Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, the latest in a long line of Resident Evil CG Anime.  From the trailers, visually and tonally it looked like it would be going for more of a classic Resident Evil feel than the most recent games and even featured the return of two popular legacy characters: Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield from Resident Evil 2 (the English Dub even has Nick Apostolides and Stephanie Panisello reprising their respective roles from Resident Evil 2 Remake).  So…why does Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness still suck in spite of all of this?

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 9)

Previously:

Shinji took an introspective trip down memory lane in his own Eva while Kaji made sure the two main ladies in his life we’re ready to give up on Shinji before he got offed by an assassin that could’ve been Gendo (IMHO).  Rei also scoffed at Gendo not caring about Shinji and Ritsuko’s jealousy almost resulted in a deadly case of déjà vu for Rei.  How’s the rest of the week gonna treat the NERV crew?  Final Impact is back to answer that question.
 

FIF#142-High School of the Dead

It was just another day.  High School.  Romance issues.  Rowdy friends…and then it all came to a halt when a lone creature appeared at the school gates.  For Takashi Komuro and Rei Miyamoto, this was when the world the grew up in ended.  Their High School becomes overrun with legions of Undead and their numbers rapidly grow as more students are slain in the chaos.  Together with four other student survivors, Takashi and Rei must somehow escape from their High School and find sanctuary.  But as the city burns beyond, is anywhere safe from the Zombie outbreak?
 
This is a title that’s been on my radar for a long time.  Long before The Walking Dead came along and progressively sucked the life out of the genre (apologies to anyone who still watches the show and enjoys it), High School of the Dead was the cool kid on campus and it’s easy to see why.  It looks gorgeous, more like an OVA than a TV Series; has stylish, gore filled action; and yes…sexy schoolgirls smashing their way through the Zombie apocalypse and looking good doing so.  The previews show promise, what about the first episode?
 

T5W#324-Top 5 Castlevania Episodes

With Castlevania in the books and done, I can finally talk a bit about specific episodes and why I think they really helped propel this series to near Avatar: The Last Airbender levels of perfection for an Anime inspired Animated Series.  Castlevania delivered all the bloody mayhem one would expect from the popular video game franchise but also gave brilliant character arcs and equally amazing dialogue, courtesy of a Grade A voice cast.  Pacing was perfect and all of the emotional highs and lows were ones you’ll never forget.  I guess I’m probably just repeating my Final Series Thoughts at this point and you can revisit any of that here: https://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/castlevania-part-4-episodes-23-32.html Right now, let’s talk about the episodes that made this series a proper Dracula legend.  These are my Top 5 Castlevania Episodes.

Castlevania Part 4 Episodes 23-32

There’s a rumor going around, a rumor that the last of Dracula’s dwindling forces may have found a way to bring the Dark Lord back from Hell.  Though weary from their recent trials, Trevor, Sypha and Alucard must rediscover their separate sparks that gave them hope in the fight against the Darkness.  Meanwhile, as Isaac closes in on his vengeance against Carmilla, Hector plots his own escape and is willing to use the uncertainty of the Vampires who enslaved him to his advantage.  From the snow covered mountains of Straya to the site of Dracula’s first major conquest, Targoviste, all roads enter their final stretch and return to the source of all evil, where the final battle will be fought…Dracula’s Castle.

I know I said I would wait to give Castlevania a final score once I ran through each season.  But if I were grading these seasons individually, then Season 4 would be a well deserved 10/10.  This was it, this is where everything came together in a perfect package that closed out everything.  No lingering plot threads, every character arc wrapped up in a satisfying manner, the biggest, boldest and most epic action saved for last, this was Castlevania at its finest and at the height of its excellence.  You couldn’t ask for a more perfect ending that made you go “WHAAAAAA?” before making you cry at one of the most beautiful endings to any series, Animated or otherwise.  Let’s get into it.

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 8)

Previously:

Kaji got a back story and Shinji almost punched his Dad before his Eva went next level Berserk, ate an Angel and sent Shinji to another plane of existence…so not the best day ever.  And as we pick up with Final Impact: An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special, we see that Shinji’s not the only one having the first of many bad days to come.
 

FIF#141-Pacific Rim: The Black

Five years ago, the continent of Australia fell to a host of giant monsters known as Kaiju.  Among the survivors of the devastation are Taylor and Hayley Travis, the children of two Jaeger pilots who risked their lives to save their home.  Kaiju still roam the land and there’s little hope of ever taking Australia back from them.  That is, until one day when the now grown Taylor and Hayley discover a training Jaeger, Atlas Destroyer, and activate it.  Now armed with the only weapon that can kill Kaiju, Taylor and Hayley begin a long journey to Sydney, where they hopefully can stop the invasion and find their long lost parents in the process.

For a while, Pacific Rim was the closest we ever got to a legitimate Live Action Giant Robot Anime (Transfomers doesn’t count for numerous reasons, mostly cause theyre terrible).  And it wasn’t even based on any pre existing Anime.  Guillermo Del Toro crafted a beautiful love letter to that genre and the Giant Monster/Godzilla genres that is still a kick ass movie years later.  Let’s put an emphasis on the “years later” part there.  Since it’s release in 2013, Pacific Rim has had one very crummy sequel (I reviewed it ages ago) and a slew of other media but never an Anime.  Yet, Netflix has taken up the task of correcting this…so of course it means using the one animation style I despise the most in Anime and giving Pacific Rim an Anime series that might’ve come too late to matter in a franchise that really was just a one and done special movie.

T5W#323-Top 5 Otakon 2021 Cosplays

While I could always do this as a follow up list to my Top 5 Convention Moments whenever they come around, I like to hold off on talking about cosplay at conventions until October for the most obvious reason: Halloween.  For Cosplayers, Halloween is a year round event with all the new cosplays they churn out every few weeks to months depending on the build.  While we’re not quite back to normal with the convention scene, Conventions have begun to resurface and with that, the many cosplayer playground to show off their stuff have returned.  And I’ve been waiting for a while to talk about some of the best ones I saw at my home convention.  Sorry to have kept ya waiting on this one, these are my Top 5 Otakon 2021 Cosplays.

 

Castlevania Part 3 Episodes 13-22

Dracula is dead.  And yet there is no time for celebration.  Trevor and Sypha find a town in desperate need of help from a new breed of Monster.  Alucard, lonely with their absence, takes on two apprentices.  Across the land, Carmilla returns home to Styria with Hector in tow, looking to rebuild her armies for a renewed conquest.  And far off in the desert, Isaac is on his way to Stryria as well…creating an army of reanimated undead for revenge.  Dracula may be gone but the dark mark he left on the land has not dissipated and everyone shall be tested like never before…and this time those trials might break everyone beyond saving.

The big question left at the end of Castlevania Season 2 was: If Dracula’s gone, what do you do next?  Luckily, Season Three was more than willing to give it a shot and gave us a dark and twisted tale of the darkness of the human soul and how it is even more terrifying than the monsters our heroes face in the night.  We also got a slew of new characters, new stories, more clever writing and more of the insanely awesome action that’s come before, except its better.  Short version: Season Three of Castlevania might’ve just blown Season 1&2 out of the water in just about every way.

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 7)

Previously:

Toji Suzuhara’s tenure as an Eva Pilot came to a tragic end as Gendo put Shinji’s Eva on Berserk Auto Pilot and Shinji could only watch as his Eva tore Toji’s Angel infected Eva to pieces, killing poor Toji.  So will Shinji finally punch Gendo?  Final Impact might have some answers and some new developments in the ever changing Manga plotline.  Let’s get to it.
 

FIF#140-Alice in Borderland

Ryohei Arisu has been a slacker his entire life, but he’s always a whiz when it comes to video games.  A fun afternoon with his two best friends, Karube and Chota, turns into something bizarre when they are suddenly transported to a seemingly empty and deserted Tokyo.  But this has been done for a reason.  Now the three friends are about to enter a tournament where their friendship will be put to the ultimate test.  In this world, the only thing that matters is how badly you want to win the game, how quickly you can solve it and how much you’ll sacrifice to survive.  Just because he’s good at owning noobs in the digital world doesn’t mean Ryohei is ready for the tumultuous trials that lie ahead for him and those others unlucky enough to be brought to this hell.

 
Netflix was throwing out a lot of recently acquired Japanese Dramas in 2020 and near the top of that list was Alice in Borderland.  Wasn’t sure what to really make of it from the trailers though I equated it to Kaiji meets I Am Legend.  Now I have never seen Kaiji before but I know the basic premise about the titular heroes quest to survive an onslaught of gambling games.  Man…I don’t think he’s ever had it as rough as our heroes do in Alice in Borderland.
 

T5W#322-Top 5 Final Fantasy Games I’ve Played (So Far)

Final Fantasy, the Video Game franchise that’s as close to playing a 25-50 episode TV Anime as youre gonna get…besides Chrono Trigger…and Persona…and Metal Gear Solid, ok, its an example.  It’s also a franchise that I’ve had very little experience with.  Even back when I was doing my Final Fantasy Retrospective back in 2020, I’d only played a couple of titles (and only finished one or two of them).  I’ve always admired Final Fantasy for its worlds, scope, characters and visual brilliance.  So, towards the end of 2020, I took advantage of an Xbox Live Square Enix Sale and got my hands on a bunch of cross ported Final Fantasy Games from the Playstation and Xbox 360 eras.  I’ve been burning through them slowly but surely and I’ve played enough to warrant an official Top 5 list for today.  So, these are the Top 5 Final Fantasy Games I’ve Played (So Far).  Quick note: I’m only including games I have played from beginning to end.  So while I do have Final Fantasy VII, X and Type-0, I haven’t touched VII cause it’s the one im most familiar with; I’m almost done playing X and hope it sticks the landing on an uneven but decent experience; and I put Type-0 down and haven’t thought of going back for a while…maybe I’ll get to it after I beat X-2 and XII.

 

Castlevania Part 2 Episodes 5-12

United by an impossible common goal, a disillusioned Monster Hunter, a spirited Speaker and the Son of Dracula set off in search of a treasure trove with the means to carry out their mission.  Meanwhile, Dracula’s War Council grows restless as their Masters plans and resolve seems to be wavering.  Amidst plots of treason and betrayal and newfound resolves being discovered, several interwoven destines converge on Draculas Castle for the final showdown.  In the end, no matter what challenges lay before them, Trevor, Sypha and Alucard must still confront the greatest evil in history…and hope that their combined strength will be enough to win.

After the brilliant but brief test run that was Season One, Season Two of Castlevania expands the scope of the story with bigger battles, bigger stakes and doubling down on the great character dialogue and exploration, basically improving just about everything in Season One…mostly.  I wont say it’s perfect because there are some parts i didn’t enjoy or thought weren’t given enough of their due.  But as far as sequels or continuations go, Season Two has enough goodness to warrant Castlevania becoming the best Video Game adaptation of any kind, Film or Anime.

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 6)

Previously:

Shinji and company only had one Angel to fight which left plenty of time for talking, attempted make outs and a chance for Shinji to see the giant not Stay Puff Marshmellow Man in a Mask being kept in the basement of his Dad’s job.  And if Shinji thought that last detail threw a wrench in his new Tokyo-3 life…today’s Final Impact is about to shatter that fragile peace and there’s no going back
 

FIF#139-Megalobox

In the future, the rich thrive in a sprawling city while the poor eek out a living on the edge of nowhere.  The world has become enamoured with a new generation of boxing where two fighters clash with mechanized support systems: known as Megalo Boxing.  JD is a fighter with potential trying to survive in the wasteland by being forced to throw fight after fight.  However, a chance encounter with world renowned Megalo Box fighter Yuri changes JD’s world forever.  Now he’s dead set on getting out of the slums and battling his way to Megolonia: a tournament that will pit him against the greatest Megalo Fighters in the world…including Yuri.  It’s a dangerous gamble but JD might have the guts and brawn to pull off the biggest victory of all time.

 
Everyone loves the story of the underdog: the hero who starts with so little but overcomes the odds to make it and/or break it.  When it comes to Sports, stories like Rocky are legendary.  Whether Megalobox is gonna end up rising to similar ranks remains to be seen.  But a fun mix of future tech and old school knock em, sock em action could make this one of the more memorable Anime from the last decade.
 

T5W#321- Top 5 Extremely Violent Anime from the Late 80’s-Mid 90’s

Anime has gone through a bit of an identity shift in the last couple of decades.  Today it feels more accessible than ever thanks to new gateway titles, like My Hero Academia or Weathering with You, that appeal to virtually all ages and all walks of life.  Thirty years ago, it was another story.  Sure you had family friendly titles on the market like Pokemon.  But Anime was known for more…adult tastes.  In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Anime was your go to genre for everything you loved about the 1981 American Animated Cult Classic Heavy Metal: lots of graphic violence, lots of gore, lots of nudity and very explicit sex scenes and, if it was dubbed in English, swearing galore (cause you know you had to sound so cooool with all the carnage going on).  Having revisited some of this era at Otakon with a screening of Doomed Megalopolis, I’m gonna take a look back at this, the era of Anime I first came into growing up and share my picks for the Top 5 Extremely Violent Anime from the Late 80’s-Mid 90’s.

Castlevania Part 1 Episodes 1-4

Though impossible, the King of the Vampires, Count Vlad Dracula Tepes of Wallachia, found a measure of peace with a beautiful human wife.  But then she was burned at the stake for heresy against the church.  On that day, peace became a fleeting memory and now Dracula had bided his time and sits prepared to unleash the hordes of Hell upon all of Wallachia.  As beasts from the darkest depths rise and tear a swath of blood and carnage across the land, a lone Vampire Hunter, Trevor Belmont, finds himself enlisted to save a land that has doomed itself to it’s fate.  But even a legendary Belmont wont be enough for this fight.  He'll need the help of a beautiful and spirited Speaker…and a long dormant warrior who is the ultimate rival to Dracula himself…his Half Vampire/Half Human son, Alucard.

Based on the popular video game franchise from Konami, Castlevania is perfect material for an Anime series that harkens back to the days of hyper ultra violent Anime.  You’ve got Dracula, Demonic hordes, oceans of blood (sometimes raining from the skies), a crew of bad asses who can give as good as the Monsters (if not even better), plus all the sex, violence and swearing you can shake a wooden stake or cross at.  As it is for the month of October, I like to go with a more supernatural/horror title for the season of scares.  Originally it was going to be Blood-C…but then Castlevania wrapped earlier this year, for which I gave myself the green light to do a full series review (Blood-C is coming…you’ll just have to wait a year, good not to waste already written reviews).  So welcome, Dear Readers, to what I hope to be the best Dracula story ever told.  This…is Castlevania.

Final Impact-An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special (Part 5)

Previously:

Asuka Langley Soryu stormed into Shinji’s life and the pair had to learn to work together to pull off the greatest dance routine of all time to defeat another Angel.  Now with Team Eva at full strength in the Manga, they’ve got a whole laundry list of Angels to go through…maybe.  You thought Volume 4 shook things up with changes, wait til you see what next on Final Impact: An Evangelion Gundam Anime Corner Special.
 

FIF#138-Jujutsu Kaisen

Yuki Itadori is a young man blessed with unnatural strength and agility, to the point where he doesn’t want to join any sports clubs so that he wont stand out.  When his grandfather passes away, he leaves Yuji with one final request, “Always help people and die surrounded by people”.  Yuji never imagined those words would play into him battling demonic curses with the help of his own inherited curse.  Now, Yuji is enrolled at Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High, where he hopes he’ll get his new situation under control.  But the road to that solution wont be easy and there will be plenty of demons and mortals looking to take him down.

 
While 2020 was a slow time for the entertainment industry around the world, Japan still kept up pretty well with its many Anime productions.  And while we’d have to wait a bit longer for new seasons of My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer (though the movie still arrived and ended up becoming one of the highest grossing films of 2020, no joke), there was one other series waiting in the winds to fill the void they’ve left vacant.  That show is Jujutsu Kaisen.  But based on the first episode, is this really a contender for THE next big thing in Anime since the aforementioned Demon Slayer or Hero Aca?