Yu Yu Hakusho (2023 Live Action)

When Yusuke Urameshi dies saving a child from an accident, he finds himself at a crossroads.  Brought to Spirit World he is given the choice to return to life, on the condition that he becomes Spirit Worlds new Spirit Detective.  Now Yusuke must investigate matters tied to the world of demons trying to cross into the Human World.  Aided by his rival turned friend, Kuwabara, and two rogue Demons, Kurama and Heiei, Yusuke’s missions will take him right into the heart of a full on conspiracy and one insane mans dream to bring the Demon World to Earth.

Netflix has certainly given Anime fans new hope that Live Action Anime Adaptations can be good thanks to the worldwide success of One Piece.  They overcame a ton of pre release community doubt to deliver a faithful and fun first season that fans are eager to see continue.  With that kind of clout, Netflix can have its pick of any project they want (just so long as it doesn’t end up like Cowboy Bebop).  Which brings us to Yu Yu Hakusho.  It hasn’t gotten the same pre release buzz as One Piece and I knew a lot of friends who didn’t even know this was a thing until they pulled up Netflix over the weekend it dropped.  It may not have the same massive army of fans One Piece has but Yu Yu Hakusho is still a beloved classic that was a staple of Anime fans in the 2000’s thanks to its popular run on Cartoon Network’s Toonami and Adult Swim blocks.  So how is this interestingly short first season of the Anime some fans only think of as a “Proto Bleach”?
 

T5W#437-Top 5 Best Moments from Sailor Moon Sailor Stars

This past Monday, I finally finished my epic journey with the original Sailor Moon 90s Anime Series.  And while I had a very divisive reaction to the Series Finale (which you can check out here: ), overall Sailor Moon Sailor Stars was by far the best and most enjoyable of the shows five seasons.  It somehow managed to tell the most compelling, character driven narrative complete with fun new characters, some characters getting a more likeable overhaul, and expertly balancing drama with humor that Sailor Moon did so well in it’s first three seasons (the less said about Season 4 the better).  Well seeing as how I did the same for every other season this year, I figure why not close out the Year of Sailor Moon by giving my last Top 5 Wednesday of 2023 to my Top 5 Best Moments from Sailor Moon Sailor Stars. 

 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 7 Episodes 196-200

It’s all come down to this and the stakes have never been higher.  Facing an enemy that dwarfs their powers and has the ability to corrupt their strongest members, the Sailor Senshi seem to be in for a hopeless battle against Sailor Galaxia herself.  As the brave girls fall one by one, it’s up to Usagi, Chibi Chibi and the Sailor Starlights to join their remaining strength together for one last desperate gamble.  Will Sailor Moon be able to save her friends and maybe even Sailor Galaxia’s soul in the process?  And how will Usagi react when she learns of Mamoru’s fate?  The final battle has begun.

Before we kick off this Series Finale, Merry Christmas from me and the Gundam Anime Corner.  It’s kind of fitting as far as scheduling goes that I should be covering the final episodes of Sailor Moon on this day, at the end of a near year long journey (that sort of began back in Summer 2022 when I looked at Season One).  As such, this review is a pretty big deal.  After five seasons, Sailor Moon reaches its grand climax and it is the biggest one, a very endgame level event.  Its time for Usagi and the others to shine the brightest and face the ultimate enemy in a battle for the ages…so why the hell is this finale a completely frustrating, depressing and borderline cruel series of episodes until the very last one?  Sailor Stars has been mostly phenomenal but these final episodes left me feeling not quite empty but not quite as blown away as I’d hoped.  Why is this such a mixed bag (especially coming out on a happy holiday like Christmas?)
 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 6 Episodes 191-195

The race is on when Sailor Galaxia’s remaining Sailor Animamates press the attack in their search for True Star Seeds.  After Seiya receives a serious wound protecting Sailor Moon from harm, things are even more tense now between the Senshi and the Sailor Starlights.  But signs are becoming clear that the Princess sought after by the Starlights is close.  As the Starlights and Animamates both close in on her, it’s Usagi making the ultimate sacrifice that could provide the opening for the Princesses’ return…and an opening for Sailor Galaxia to make her move.

As much as I hate to still think about it, Sailor Moon SuperS is still a thing.  By the time we got to that finale, I feel like nothing had lead to anything and the season just rushed to its climax after a whole season of fooling around and wasting time. You’ll find no such tomfoolery here, at least none that’s forced and out of place.  This penultimate chapter of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars felt like it was building to something big and boy did it deliver.  I’m genuinely worried for the girls heading into the finale battle but before we tackle that in the sure to be beyond epic Series Finale, lets see how Season Five started to tie up its loose ends and deliver some heartbreakingly excellent pay off to long running story arcs…and repeat some dumb character beats in the process.
 

GBT Holiday Special-Gunpla at Work

Welcome Dear Readers to a Gunpla Builder Thursday Holiday Special.  No new build report this time, those will be starting up again hopefully in January 2024.  Instead, I want to talk about a unique idea I had, how I carried it out and how I got some freaking awesome photos out of it.  Back during my birthday in November, I learned that I had to work that day.  No one wants to work on their birthday but I was determined to find a way to make it work.  Not long before hand, I took a look a the production table we have in the back of our store and took particular notice of the grid like setup.  All of a sudden, I started seeing it as a 3D computer, able to create anything Gunpla related and set up as I saw fit.  It’s like I was looking at the ultimate blank canvas that I could do anything I wanted with.  That’s where the idea popped to mind and after getting special permission from my boss, I was given the ok to bring a small batch of Gunpla with me to work to set up on the Production Table in various poses and scenarios.  Turns out, it wasn’t a bad birthday gift to me to do this kind of work at work.  So to celebrate the holiday, figured I’d share what I came up with and go through some of the mindset of their set up.

 

T5W#436-Top 5 Best Titles I’ve Reviewed in 2023

To say that 2023 felt like the hardest year of my life feels like an understatement.  Between unimaginable family loses to work stress to everything in between, this year pretty much kicked my ass on an almost daily basis. Sad to say I feel like some of that crept into my creative side and while I feel like it may have suffered for it a little, the Gundam Anime Corner still persevered and remains one of my favorite outlets for dealing with the stress of life.  For all the grief it did give me, 2023 did grace me with a slew of incredible titles to review and five of them blew me away as being some of the best I’ve ever reviewed for this blog.  So with 2023 on the cusp of ending, today’s Top 5 Wednesday continues the year end traditions of me looking at the Top 5 Best Titles I’ve Reviewed in 2023.  Side Note: This is coming out a week before usual because next week’s Top 5 will be dedicated to closing out our year long look at Sailor Moon, which also wraps up on Christmas Day next week.  Did any season make the list?  Read on to find out.

 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 5 Episodes 186-190

Usagi and the Sailor Senshi now have two mysteries to contend with.  As the mission of the Sailor Starlights becomes more clear, so does their determination to complete it, and they don’t want the Sailor Senshi getting in their way.  But will Seiya’s feelings for Usagi cause a rift in the trio?  And then there’s Chibi Chibi, who’s beginning to show powerful abilities that give Sailor Moon a much needed power boost in battle.  With more and more questions piling up, the time has come for the Inner and Outer Senshi and the Starlights to put all their cards on the table and get some answers.

We’re close to the home stretch of the Series Finale of Sailor Moon and today’s set of Sailor Stars episodes felt like a true transitionary period for the season.  There were some nice fun little diversions with Chibi Chibi and the usual antics with the Senshi and the Three Stars.  Midway through however, the mood changed considerably.  Truths are out (some of them anyway).  Another Villain has been dispatched.  And even the Outer Senshi turned up once more to have a long overdue talk with the Starlights.  Things are getting tense and at the heart of it all is something that SHOULD be a romance but cant because even though he hasn’t been in much of the season (for good reason), Mamoru is still the Man of Usagi’s dreams when Seiya has proven time and time again, they’re just better. 
 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 4 Episodes 181-185

As if Usagi didn’t have enough trouble trying to win over the Sailor Starlights, a mysterious girl appears in her home, posing as her little sister.  Who is “Chibi Chibi” and why is it giving Usagi a strange case of Déjà vu?  Meanwhile, Seiya’s growing feelings for Usagi begin to test their resolve.  Is Seiya willing to risk the Starlights mission to find their lost princess for the sake of winning Usagi’s heart?  All these questions and more might pale in comparison to the new threats Galaxia is ready to send everyones way when Sailor Iron Mouse finally runs out of chances to fulfil her own mission.

We’re at roughly the halfway mark of Sailor Moons final season and I have to say, either Sailor Moon SuperS really was that bad or its been way longer than I thought since I’ve had two back to back reviews with very little to say in the negative department (either way SuperS is THAT bad).  Round 4 of the Final Season introduced new baddies and spent plenty of time showing the complex but loveable bond continuing to form between the Inner Senshi and the Sailor Starlights.  We also got an adorable new cast member and plenty of focus on one of my favorite ships of the series.  All in all, this set of episodes is Sailor Moon at its most fun.
 

T5W#435-Top 5 Thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Theme Song Announcement Trailer

While the biggest news in the gaming world might be the recent Premiere Trailer drop of Grand Theft Auto VI, some may forget that the next chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy is fast approaching. During the Game of the Year Awards Ceremony last week, a new trailer arrived on the scene, showing us a lot more of where middle portion of this retelling of the classic story might take us.  Familiar faces, crazy action, gorgeous music and one particular moment that might be waiting to break everyones hearts all over again, February 29, 2024 cant come fast enough. It’s been a minute since I talked about anything FF related so on todays Top 5 Wednesday I’ll be covering my Top 5 Thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Theme Song Announcement Trailer.

 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 3 Episodes 176-180

School life for Usagi gets a lot more interesting when the popular Idol Trio, the Three Lights, transfer into her class.  All three are showered in as much mystery as they are popularity.  As Rei, Ami, Mako and Minako work their way to be closer to their celebrity crushes, a new evil has emerged and its power to turn Humans into Monsters leaves the Sailor Senshi at a disadvantage.  But the Sailor Starlights have no qualms about doing whatever it takes to destroy these creatures.  Can they find a way to work past their differences?  And who is the lovely and powerful Galaxia, who aims to conquer not just the Earth but the entire galaxy itself?

It’s weird.  There are elements of Sailor Moon Sailor Stars that have appeared in past seasons that I’ve openly criticized.  Usagi’s acting a little more dimwitted and obtuse than usual.  The Sailor Starlights aren’t as cold as Uranus and Neptune in Season Three but there’s still that unnecessary air of distrust they have for the Inner Senshi.  The Inner Senshi all show up for a battle but do nothing.  Despite this though, I feel that Sailor Stars is doing a good job either justifying or laying not so subtle clues that the state of minds of both Usagi and the Starlights are this way for a reason (the Senshi all showing up just to do nothing but be there, yeah that’s still a problem).  Further evidence to all of this is presented in a pretty solid set of episodes chalk full of humor while dedicated plenty of time to getting to know our new trio of Guardians from across the stars.
 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 2 Episodes 173-175

Usagi’s world is shaken to its core when Mamoru announces he’s going to America to continue his studies.  At the same time, a new threat appears in the city, Sailor Iron Mouse, seeking the Star Seeds hidden within humans.  Eternal Sailor Moon stands ready to face them but she isn’t the only one.  A new trio of Sailor Guardians has arrived and they have a secret, one tied to a particular group of recently arrived idols, the Three Lights.  Change is coming for Usagi Tsukino and friends and their world is about to be turned upside down.

Now that we’ve finished off the loose ends of SuperS, Sailor Moon clears the board a bit in more ways that one, so Sailor Stars can now shift its attention to the trio of newcomers who headline the Final Season: The Sailor Starlights.  These three celebrity superheroines have been built up for a long time, especially by a friend I turn to for advice and info on Sailor Moon (and they also happen to be a big fan of a shipping I’ll definitely talk about in this review).  While I do have some reservations I wish I could ignore, The Sailor Starlights sure do make one helluva debut in their first set of episodes and no one is immune to their charms (not even Luna, I see how you’re looking at Seiya).  This is also a slightly shorter episode set I’m covering so I can get back to five episodes per review again til the Series Finale since I decided to do all of the Queen Nehelenia return in one go.  Anyway, onto the arrival of Sailor Moon’s biggest celebrities to date.
 

T5W#434-Top 5 Gunpla I’ve Built in 2023

I have been very, very hard at work with my newly rediscovered love for Gunpla…and my rediscovered I mean it’s been about a year and a half since I started building again.  In 2023 alone, I’ve built over 40 new models…which now that I look at it, I am kind of insane lol. But still, this has been a fun new hobby to rediscover and remind me why I am such a huge Gundam nerd in the first place.  Seeing as how this has been such a huge part of my year and I even dedicated a couple of months to a new Gunpla centric segment on this blog, only makes sense I do another impossible task of selecting 5 winners out of that list of more than 40 for the Top 5 Gunpla I’ve Built in 2023.

 

Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Part 1 Episodes 167-172

The beginning of the high school days for Usagi Tsukino and friends is marred by darkening skies, heralding the return of an old enemy.  Freed from her isolated prison by a mysterious force, Queen Nehelenia swears to enact her revenge on Usagi by destroying anything and everything she loves, starting by enslaving Mamoru under her spell.  But this return has been foreseen and the Inner Senshi are getting some extra backup from some unexpected allies.  Two teams of Senshi unite together for an epic rematch.  And with the fate of Mamoru, Chibiusa and the people of Earth at stake, failure is not an option.

Whew, it’s only taken most of 2023 but we’ve come to it at last Dear Readers.  This is possibly my most personally anticipated series of the year and for good reason.  When Sailor Moon originally aired on Toonami back in the early 2000s, only the first four seasons were shown.  The reasons for the Fifth and Final Season, Sailor Stars, being omitted from broadcast vary but the most glaring reasons involves three new characters that we wont be getting to in the premiere (more on them next time).  As a result, Sailor Stars was never released in the US until ViZ Media acquired the Sailor Moon licenses for the entire 90s series plus Crystal, Eternal and Cosmos, in 2014.  I know very little beyond the three newcomers when it comes to this season.  So, more so than SuperS, I’m in uncharted territory and expectations are high.  But, sadly before we can get on with the brand new story…there’s still some unfinished business from Sailor Moon SuperS that needs to be dealt with.  Does the Premiere of Sailor Moon’s Final Season accomplish what the nearly 39 pointless episodes of SuperS could not?
 

Godzilla Minus One

Japan 1947.  Two years after the end of World War II, the country continues to rebuild after the horrific nightmares it suffered.  But things go from bad to worse when a enormous monster called Godzilla rises from the ocean.  Seemingly powerless to stop this creature, Japans future now rests in the hands of a small group of volunteers, many of whom are war vetrans, including a young pilot who has had first hand experience with the horror Godzilla can bring.  For him, and many others, the impossible goal of destroying Godzilla might be only way to end their personal war for good.

The King of the Monsters, Godzilla, turns 70 in 2024.  When you have a franchise that’s gone on for so long, it can be hard to come up with new ideas to keep the character fresh.  Thankfully, Godzilla is no stranger to multiple reboots within his own film eras and his last reboot, 2016’s Shin Godzilla, turned out to be my favorite film in the entire franchise. So how the heck is Godzilla celebrating his 70^th birthday with Godzilla Minus One?  By going back to his roots as the greatest of all natural disasters and complete with a tale of loss and redemption that might just be one of the most powerful and compelling in the entire franchise. 
 

T5W#433-Top 5 Worst Moments from Sailor Moon SuperS

Our year long look at Sailor Moon begins its final chapter Next Monday when Sailor Moon Sailor Stars kicks off at long last.  And while my expectations for it are high since it’s the one season I’ve seen nothing of until now, it cant be nearly as bad as the disaster that was Sailor Moon SuperS.  Sure the SuperS Movie was much better but the actual season was one of the worst titles I’ve reviewed this year (not a 0/10 mind you but still pretty bad).  It was a season of missed opportunity, character regression or assassination, moments of pure and painful cringe and the feeling that the story had just stopped dead in its tracks and was replaced by over 40 episodes of filler.  It even ended on a cliffhanger (a first for the series) that will likely get resolved in the beginning of Sailor Stars.  It’s difficult to choose five actual good moments or elements from a season that I consider the Gundam Seed Destiny of Sailor Moon.  In that regard, todays Top 5 Wednesday recap of our previous season of Sailor Moon will not be a Best Moments list.  No, the Fourth Season of Sailor Moon deserves its bottom tier status and thus we’ll be looking at the Top 5 Worst Moments from Sailor Moon SuperS.

 

Godzilla 2000

When a sixty million year old space ship is brought up from beneath the oceans, Humanity has no idea what kind of terror they’ve discovered.  An ancient alien menace seeks to find the perfect form to assimilate to continue its path of destruction.  And it’s found the perfect being to copy: Godzilla.  As Japan finds itself in the crosshairs, those who wish to aid and destroy Godzilla clash even though it becomes likely that no matter who wins this battle, Japan still loses.  After all, it is Godzilla and he isn’t on anyone’s side but his own.

1995’s Godzilla vs. Destroyah was meant to be the final bow for The King of the Monsters.  However, you can never keep the big guy down and a mere four years later, Godzilla returned to do what he does best in Japan.  While I’ve been told otherwise, I cant help but feel that part of the reason for Godzilla’s resurrection has to do with the critical panning and underperformance of the 1998 US Godzilla movie, thus prompting Japan to go “Alright, watch and learn.”  That said, is Godzilla’s march into the new millennium worthy of his royalty status, or is it just another “meh” entry?
 

T5W#432-Top 5 Mechagodzillas (Written by JMT 117)

Happy Week of Thanksgiving everyone from the Gundam Anime Corner. And this year, I’ve chosen to skip over my annual Top 5 Things I’m Thankful For In Anime in favor of something a bit more special.  We’re in the home stretch of Godzilla Month II and I definitely wanted to get in a Godzilla themed T5W for the occasion.  But I haven’t done many of those myself, those I’ve usually asked of a good friend.  Yes, Dear Readers, JMT 117 is back with another Godzilla Top 5 of his choosing and it’s a solid one too.  So, without further ado, take it away dude, these are the Top 5 Mechagodzillas (Written by JMT 117).

 
In the nearly seventy years Godzilla films have been produced in Japan and, most recently, in America, the King of the Monsters has faced a variety of foes, from the weapons of man, both real and fantastical, to a horde of other kaiju big and small (ironically) from all corners of the Earth and even from outside it. However, out of the legion of Godzilla’s foes, none has stood out quite as much as his mechanical doppelganger. Whether built by aliens bent on the conquest of our planet or made by humans in a bid to find a means to stop the radioactive giant, Mechagodzilla has become a Godzilla staple.
 
Today, for my Top 5, I will rank some of the main Mechagodzillas we’ve seen over the years. And reveal which of them is my favorite and the best, in my humble opinion. And since I am the Godzilla Otaku here, whose opinion is totally correct, let us begin.     
 

Godzilla (1998)

New York City: The City that Never Sleeps, is about to get an unexpected visitor.  Born of unknown origins, it is a creature whose size rivals those of Manhattan’s tallest buildings and whose penchant for destruction cannot be halted by the Military’s strongest weapons. What’s worse, it’s arrival may only be a precursor to an even greater threat still to come.  Panic sweeps and options dwindle as a group of US Scientists and French Special Forces band together to stop this unstoppable monster, known as Godzilla.

Godzilla’s 1998 debut had a lot of promise behind it. It was the latest project from Director Roland Emmerich and Producer Dean Devlin, whose disaster epic Independence Day two years prior dominated the box office.  And, simply enough, it’s Godzilla, a world renowned character who can be shown as either a metaphor for the dangers of nuclear power or as a Kaiju who throws down with other Kaiju for various unnecessary reasons.  This movie should have been a no brainer to get right.  In that regard though, Godzilla 98 takes that sentiment a bit too literally as the film lacks any sort of brains while also making Godzilla kind of a giant brainless wuss in his own right.  Some parts might become so bad it’s entertaining but yeah this is a movie that should give the King of the Monsters cause to destroy Hollywood out of spite.
 

FIF#200-Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury

After decades in exile, the sinister Lord Zedd has returned and he has secured powerful new allies to aid in his conquest of the galaxy.  But Zedd has his sights fixed on one planet where he has unfinished business: Earth.  Standing in his way is the newest team of Power Rangers, the Dino Fury Rangers.  Against a foe from the past who’s stronger than ever, the Rangers will need the ultimate upgrade to face him, as well as some assistance from old friends who have faced Zedd in the past and stopped him.  The ultimate battle for the universe has begun.

 
The year was 1993 when an extradimensional being selected five “teenagers with attitude” to become a spandex clad fighting force capable of defending the Earth from Alien invaders.  Since then, Power Rangers has continued to thrive in the pop culture zeitgeist with new generations getting introduced to the saga with each new series over the last 30 years.  And now the 30^th Season of the long running franchise has begun.  Since I’ve been spotlighting Power Rangers throughout 2023 in various Top 5’s and First Impressions of their Sentai source material, it only makes sense to cap off my Ranger coverage for 2023 by dedicating my landmark 200^th First Impression Friday to the first episode of Power Rangers: Cosmic Fury.  Is it everything that’s been hyped and promised for over a year now?
 

T5W#431-Top 5 Thoughts on the Yu Yu Hakusho Live Action Trailer

One of the biggest success stories in Anime in 2023 has to go to Netflix’s Live Action Adaptation of One Piece.  Somehow, the streaming service managed to learn from its disastrous mistakes with Cowboy Bebop and craft a series that wasn’t only faithful to the source but also accessible to newcomers and those not as well versed in the world of the Straw Hat Pirates like myself.  Well One Piece hasn’t been the only Live Action Anime on Netflix’s docket and last week we got our first look at their next project, another fan favorite by the name of Yu Yu Hakusho.  What some might refer to as “Bleach before Bleach”, Yu Yu Hakusho follows the adventures of Yusuke Urameshi, a high school delinquent who dies in a traffic accident while saving a child.  He is brought to the Spirit World and given a chance to return to life as a Spirit Detective, facing otherworldly threats against the living.  Given what Netflix was able to accomplish with One Piece, is there a chance they can go two for two with this one?  Well the trailer is out and I’ve taken a couple of looks, so todays Top 5 Wednesday will be delving into my Top 5 Thoughts on the Yu Yu Hakusho Live Action Trailer.  Ready your Spirit Guns and lets get to it.

 

Godzilla vs. Destroyah

Godzilla is dying.  With his body going through a nuclear meltdown, the King of the Monsters is on his last rampage.  What’s worse, the ghost of a weapon once used to destroy Godzilla has emerged as a new kind of monster: Destroyah.  As Godzilla marches towards his final showdown, the potential damage of his demise rises to the point where Godzilla’s meltdown could destroy the planet itself.  Godzilla or Destroyah, whoever wins, all of Mankind could lose.

While the second era of Godzilla, the Hesei Era, is generally well loved, the law of diminishing returns began to affect it with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II and Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla.  Hence, in 1995 the decision was made to close out the series with one final film (even though it wouldn’t be).  And in a decade that also saw DC Comics kill off Superman, Godzilla needed a premise and a foe worthy of being his ultimate challenge.  Does Godzilla vs. Destroyah meet the hefty requirements needed for a proper bow out for the King of the Monsters?
 

FIF#199-Tomo Chan is a Girl

Tomo Aizawa and Junichiro Kobata are childhood friends who have been around each other most of their lives.  When they enter high school, Tomo confesses her love for Junichiro.  But…there’s one small problem: Junichiro is blissfully unaware that Tomo is a girl.  A shock to her system, Tomo resolves to win the heart of her best friend by becoming more feminine, even if some old habits that make her cool are hard to shake.  But is true love with your bestie possible when they only see you as “one of the guys?”

 
I’m not ashamed to admit I have a soft spot for Romance Anime.  I’ll peak at one here and there and depending on the characters, writing and situation, I could genuinely come to care about the outcome of whatever romantic drama is unfolding.  Romantic Comedy Anime are ones I seldom delve into and sometimes you find wins like My Dress Up Darling or Komi Can’t Communicate and occssional duds like Love Hina.  I’ll admit, I was drawn to Tomo Can is a Girl based on the design of the titular character alone.  She’s freaking cute and reminds me design wise of Red Blood Cell from Cells at Work (another title I need to get to for review sometime).  I knew from the title alone, without even looking at a synopsis, this would be about her tomboyish appearance…but WOW I was not expecting this and I mean that in a good way.  I think I’ve found a Rom Com I can actually get into because much of Tomo Chan’s first episode had me in stitches.
 

T5W#430-Top 5 Yoshiyaki Kawajiri Movies

Now that my Halloween reviews are all done, can I talk for a second about how it kind of turned into a Six Degrees of Yoshiuaki Kawajiri Month?  I mean I looked at three of his movies (Wicked City, Demon City Shinjuku and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust), while the other three had tepid connections to his work (Vampire Hunter D would of course get a sequel from him; he’d eventually direct the TV Anime version of X; and Ninja Resurrection was falsely advertised in the US as a sequel to Ninja Scroll).  Kind of crazy how that all worked out.  So today, I’m spotlighting the Top 5 Yoshiyaki Kawajiri Movies, works of a seasoned action Anime Director who’s given me some of my all time favorite classics…so you can probably guess what #1 will be but I’ve got plenty to say about the others.  So grab your sharpest Anime sword and read on.

Godzilla Raids Again

When a series of fishing boats suddenly disappear, the worst fears of Japan are realized: Godzilla has returned.  Even worse, he’s been followed to the mainland by another powerful monster, Angirus.  Japan barely survived their first encounter with the King of the Monsters.  Now with an impending showdown between two titans, can anything stand in their way?  When even the might of the Japanese military proves fruitless, the cleverness of a pair of untested pilots could be the key to victory before all of Japan burns in the wake of this clash of monsters.

Welcome to Godzilla Month II.  All throughout November we’ll be looking at 4 Godzilla films, one from each of the main eras of the series, starting with todays Showa Era offering.  The original 1954 Gojira was a true masterpiece of visual spectacle and hard hitting messages about the horrors of atomic fire.  While it ushered in a new era of theatrical monster movies in Japan, I doubt anyone expected Godzilla to get a sequel, especially since he was very much dead at the end of the original.  I doubt even more imagined what kind of a direction the series would take after the gut punching original.  This brings us to Godzilla Raids Again, a rushed sequel that shows its rushed while also giving birth to many of the tropes that both define and hamper all Godzilla movies to this day.
 

FIF#198-Spriggan

Many years ago, an ancient civilizations technical achievements grew beyond their control and they found themselves destroyed by it.  Millenia later, various artifacts from this long lost culture have begun to resurface with a cryptic warning, “If you cannot wield the power of our creations, they must be destroyed.”  Shadowy organizations, government black ops group and private mercenaries all vie for control of this powerful technology.  Standing in their way is ARCAM, dedicated to fulfilling that cryptic message and keeping the dark technology out of evil hands no matter the cost.  Leading the charge in this fight are ARCAM’s elite warriors, outfitted with the latest and most deadly weapons of war ever built, making them one man armies in the field.  They are…the Spriggans.

 
Ever since I saw the original Spriggan Feature Film back in…2001 or 2002, I’d always wanted to see a sequel or some kind of follow up.  Sure it wasn’t perfect (I said as much in my review a couple of years back: ).  But the first half is a ridiculously fun action flick blending equal parts Metal Gear Solid with Indiana Jones and it’s a premise that could lend itself nicely to a series of films or a TV Adaptation.  So when I heard that a new Anime was coming to Netflix, I was intrigued by what it might offer.  And then I remembered…Netflix.  When it comes to that streaming service, 90% of the titles they slap a “Netflix Original Anime” card on are usually a less than stellar and even more painful to look at 3DCG hybrid that they’ve been trying to push for years.  I cant even think of one I’ve actually liked…and Spriggan isn’t ending that string of disappointments anytime soon.
 

T5W#429-Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil 4 Remake

Well it only took me the better part of the year and lucky timing on a Prime Day Deal but I finally got my hands on an Xbox Series X and it should surprise no one the first game I got for it.  Yes Dear Readers, IVE FINALLY PLAYED RESIDENT EVIL 4 REMAKE!!!!  Even being fully aware of spoilers and game play vids, getting to play this myself after months of waiting is still such an amazing experience.  RE4R has truly lived up to the hype and far surpassed the original Resident Evil 4, a damn near perfect game made better.  And since Resident Evil always has an open invite to visit the Gundam Anime Corner, it’s time to talk about what I love about this game so much and why I have hardly stopped playing since I got my hands on it.  Ready your Knives, Grapple Guns and Hand Guns, let’s get into the Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil 4 Remake.

 

Anime Corner-End of 2023 Preview

Yeesh.  For a number of personal reasons, 2023 has sucked beyond belief, especially October.  Again, I wont get into why but some of those reasons have resulted in me changing up some plans for the Anime Corner for the next few months leading up to the Blogs 10^th Anniversary.  I can say that because of work, my free time is severely limited, hence why I’ve gone back to a one review schedule for the remainder of the year (and maybe beyond but we’ll talk about that around New Years).  Still, this is my passion project and I intend to keep at it as often as possible.  This means reshuffling some titles and coming up with new ideas to keep the spark lit brightly.  Ergo, let’s go over what awaits us in the last couple of months of 2023.

 

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

In the wastelands of a future Earth, Vampires were once large in number.  Now they are down to a few, hunted by warriors intent on collecting the heavy price on their heads.  One such Vampire, Baron Meier Link, has just abducted Lady Charlotte, the daughter of an influential businessman.  To get her back, Charlotte’s father puts out the call to Bounty Hunters willing to take on the job and many have answered…including the infamous half Human/half Vampire Dhampir known simply as D.  It should be a simple job that will take D through the deserts of the old world and pit him against foes both human and monster alike.  But there’s more to the tragic romance he’s about to stumble into than D could ever expect.

Happy Halloween everyone and welcome to a special spooky review I try to throw in every year for the occasion.  Since we’ve been spending the last month with Monsters and unlikely heroes hunting monsters, we’re circling back around to the bad ass who kicked off this month of scares, the legendary Vampire Hunter D.  A follow up to the original 1985 Vampire Hunter D OVA, Bloodlust feels like a film from another era when Anime was on the cusp of looking and feeling more like the Anime of today.  It’s not a perfect flick by any means but where the story might falter at times, visually, this is Anime at its finest.
 

Ninja Resurrection

In an era when Christianity has been outlawed by the Shogunate, one prophesized leader, Shiro Amakusa, emerges, leading his people to embrace the faith and belief in God.  An uprising begins and the Shogunate dispatches several armies to quell this outburst at any cost.  Among those sent into battle is Jubei Yagyu, a disgraced Swordsman with few equals.  As he crosses swords with Shiro, Jubei doesn’t realize the events he has set in motion, all playing to the designs of a madman who is determined to see Japan burn in a sea of Hellfire…and this blood drenched massacre is only just the beginning.

While I’m assuming anyone who’s a regular and a long time fan of Anime might know this, I guess I should just point out the blatantly obvious just to be safe: Ninja Resurrection IS NOT a sequel to Ninja Scroll.  And yet that is probably the most notable aspect of this OVAs existence.  When it was brought over to the States, the marketing made it look like it was just that, from the same stylized title logo to the inclusion of “The Revenge of Jubei” as a subtitle, making viewers and fans think we’d see the continuing adventures of Jubei Kibagami.  Sadly, that’s not the case here (and the Ninja Scroll sequel series we did get wasn’t much better).  And really, even without the terrible attempt at misdirection, Ninja Resurrection isn’t anything special on its own merits.  It’s pretty dull, needlessly mean spirited and bloody and, maybe worst yet (or best depending on your point of view) it’s incomplete.
 

FIF#197-Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Akira Tendo has been stuck in a soul crushing job for three years.  Driven into a deep depression, Akira would give anything to just have one day off from work.  When the Zombie Apocalypse kicks off without him realizing it, Akira discovers that he’s about to get his wish but not in the way he expected.  Akira finds himself reinvigorated and determined to finally make use of his free time to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants by creating a list of 100 things he wants to do before he dies.  It’s the end of the world for most but for Akira, life is only just beginning.

 
Zom 100 is one of the most anticipated Anime of 2023 and one episode in, I can see why.  The premise before the Zombies is one everyone can relate to at one point in their lives: a dead end job, little free time, and the effects it can have on ones daily life and psyche.  Now, having the Zombie Apocalypse being a cure for that…it’s non sensical.  But damn if I’m not gonna say it works for Zom 100.  I saw the first episode featured at a few panels at this years Otakon and every time it popped up, it got a huge round of applause and fanfare.  And it’s totally worthy of it because this might be one of the best premiere episodes I’ve ever seen in Anime and a nice set up for the bizarrely fun adventures to come. 
 

T5W#428-Top 5 Otakon 2023 Cosplays

Previously on Top 5 Wednesday:

One of the reasons I really look forward to October here at the Gundam Anime Corner, besides choosing an appropriately scary Anime, is finally being able to talk about all of the amazing cosplays I’ve seen at the conventions I’ve been to.  True, I could always talk about these right after said Cons.  But since October is the month of Halloween when everybody likes to dress up for various trick or treating and other fun events, it just makes sense to me to share my favs here rather than back in February or July/August (depending on when Otakon is).  This year, for the first time since 2019, I got to go back to both Katsucon and Otakon. 
 
Last Wednesday, we looked at the Cosplays I enjoyed during my first Katsucon since 2020.  Today, for the second part of our Top 5 Wednesday Special, we’re jumping ahead to July 2023 and back to Washington DC to take a look at my Top 5 Otakon 2023 Cosplays.  As always, if I know any of the cosplayers on this list I’ll be sure to include links to their Instagrams if you wanna see more of their works.
 

X

After his mother dies giving birth to a sacred sword, Kamui Shiro returns to Tokyo for the first time in many years.  He arrives to find two powerful forces at war with one another: The Dragons of Heaven, who want to protect the Earth; and the Dragons of Earth, who wish to see the planet reborn anew.  Kamui’s entry into the fray marks a critical turning point as he is the deciding player, the one who will lead either side to victory.  As warriors clash and destruction reigns, Kamui learns his destiny is also entwined with his two closest friends, Fuma and Kotori.  It is a destiny that will tear their lives and Tokyo asunder as the final battle for the planet begins.

From the Creators of Cardcaptor Sakura and the Director of Galaxy Express 999 comes X, a no holds barred team deathmatch between powerful sorcerers to determine the fate of planet Earth.  It comes from a Manga that isn’t finished, which should be a red flag when it comes to these kinds of adaptations.  Oh don’t get me wrong, X isn’t perfect when it comes to its story or its characters.  When it comes to its visuals, however, X might just be one of the best looking Anime of the 1990’s, on par with it’s fellow apocalyptic blockbuster, The End of Evangelion (which came out a year after this movie).  But is this a case of getting so lost in the visuals that you can overlook the rest of the films shortcomings?
 

FIF#196-Undead Murder Farce

It is a time when the creatures of the night walk the Earth alongside Humanity.  Tsugaru Shinuchi is an Oni Slayer cursed as a half human/half Oni hybrid.  One evening, he meets the immortal Aya Shindo and her trusted maid Shizuku Hasei.  Aya is in search of her stolen body, now living as a severed head and her thieves are connected to those who turned Tsugaru into a monster.  Teaming up, Aya, Tsugaru and Shizuku travel to Europe to track down the illusive Mastermind who’s wronged them both.  Along the way, the trio work to solve the mysteries of Humans and Monsters as Paranormal Investigators, hoping that one of these cases will bring them face to face with their ultimate target.

 
So stop me if you’ve heard this one before: An Oni Hunter, an Immortal Head and a Maid walk into a bar… Ok I don’t have anything more than that but as far as set ups go, that’s not a trio you assemble everyday.  Undead Murder Farce comes highly recommended from a good friend of mine and I can kind of see why.  It’s a world of tense relations between Monsters and Humans that is going about as well as you’d expect.  It’s got several tragic figures all hurdling towards tragic fates if they cant find ways around them.  Then there’s the promise of actual mysteries to be solved.  And when it comes to supernatural cases that can’t be solved, why not turn to a beautiful bodyless detective, her goofy sidekick and her stalwart maid?
 

T5W#427-Top 5 Katsucon 2023 Cosplays

One of the reasons I really look forward to October here at the Gundam Anime Corner, besides choosing an appropriately scary Anime, is finally being able to talk about all of the amazing cosplays I’ve seen at the conventions I’ve been to.  True, I could always talk about these right after said Cons.  But since October is the month of Halloween when everybody likes to dress up for various trick or treating and other fun events, it just makes sense to me to share my favs here rather than back in February or July/August (depending on when Otakon is).  This year, for the first time since 2019, I got to go back to both Katsucon and Otakon.  And let me tell ya, the Cosplay world still has plenty of wonders to offer at both.  So, as part of a pseudo two part Top 5 Wednesday, let’s chat Con Cosplays starting with my Top 5 Katsucon 2023 Cosplays.  As always, if I know any of the cosplayers on this list I’ll be sure to include links to their Instagrams if you wanna see more of their works.

 

Demon City Shinjuku

In the pivotal battle for the fate of the world, Genichiro Izayoi failed to defeat his former friend, Rebi Ra, who used this victory to decimate Shinjuku and turn it into Ground Zero for an impending Demonic invasion.  Ten Years Later, the time has come for Rebi Ra to complete his deal with the forces that gave him his powers and open Earths doors to the apocalypse.  Only one young man stands in his way.  Summoned by a beautiful maiden for an important mission, Kyoya Izayoi must finish the fight his father started.  The city of Demons, Shinjuku, awaits.  But few who venture in seldom return to tell the tale.  Will Kyoya be one of them?

In his directorial follow-up to Wicked City, Yoshiyaki Kawajiri is given the chance to deliver Escape from New York with an abundance of Demons, swords and mystical powers.  It’s too bad that, unfortunately, this feels like it backfired completely.  Not only does Demon City Shinjuku not do nearly enough with its premise, it’s also boring, doesn’t have a lot of stand out fight scenes and feels like a step backwards for Kawajiri after the stylish but underwhelming Wicked City.  I like a lot of this directors work (I’ll never stop hyping the heck out of Ninja Scroll), so it really stings to say that this movie isn’t very good, heck it might even be the weakest I’ve seen of Kawajiri’s filmography.
 

FIF#195-Hell’s Paradise

Shinobi Gabimaru is on Death Row…only thanks to his powerful Shinobi abilities, he’s practically immortal.  That is until he meets a woman capable of putting him down for good: Yamada Asaemon Sagiri.  But she hasn’t come to kill him.  Instead, Sagari recruits Gabimaru for a special mission that, if completed, grants him his freedom and the opportunity to return to his waiting wife.  All he needs to do is obtain the fabled “Elixir of Life”, which can only be found on an island once thought to be Eden but has become a Hellish Nightmare.  Up against other hardened with the same life sparring offer, Gabimaru will have to prove he’s worthy of surviving this Hell’s Paradise.

 
Studio Mappa has certainly become the IT studio of late.  After all, it’s been behind some of the most popular and successful Anime of the last few years: Jujutsu Kaisen, Kakegurui and Attack on Titan: The Final Season.  Anything it has in the pipeline is gonna have all eyes on it with much anticipation.  Which brings us to Hell’s Paradise.  Given their current workload with two of those three aforementioned titles, you’d think this show might suffer a bit in visual quality but no.  Hell’s Paradise has become pretty high profile thanks to Mappa’s name recognition.  I’ve gotta say, I was concerned about the first episode but by the end, I might be ready for this journey.
 

T5W#426-Top 5 Things I Wanna See in Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone but just over a week after its debut, Netflix has renewed Castlevania: Nocturne for a Second Season.  Looks like viewers have been ready for more of the Belmont Clans never ending smackdown against the hordes of Darkness since the finale of the original series and Nocturne has delivered on almost every front in that regard.  While not quite as good as the beautiful opening season of its predecessor, Castlevania: Nocturne still delivers the solid action, character works and stunning animation that brought near universal acclaim to the original series and left many heralding it as one of the Best Video Game Adaptations ever made.  I’m sure work is already well under way on Nocturne’s sequel season.  But given the many cliffhangers left in the Season Finale, what are the Top 5 Things I Wanna See in Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2?  Let’s chat about them in today’s Top 5 Wednesday.  Also, this goes without saying but I will be discussing a lot of major plot points and character moments from Season One of Castlevania: Nocturne, so beware spoilers ahead. 

Wicked City

Unknown to most of the world, our world shares custody with that of the “Black World”, a dark dimension inhabited by Demons.  Taki Renzaburo is a member of the Black Guard of Earth, tasked with keeping the peace during an uneasy truce between the two worlds.  The time has come for the treaty that holds things together to be renewed and Taki has been tasked with protecting a high value asset alongside a beautiful Black Guard Agent from the Black World, Makie.  Demonic radicals who’d love nothing more than to see the world burn are coming for them.  To stay alive, Taki and Makie must confront the unrelenting terror, temptations and pure darkness of the Wicked City. 

Wicked City serves as the first solo directorial debut of Yoshiyaki Kawajiri, the man responsible for one of my all time favorite Anime action movies, Ninja Scroll.  It’s also a movie that is a perfect selection for this month of horror themed films as it shows off the darker, edgier and more adult side of Anime, one that is a definite precursor to the roaring 90’s when Anime was all about being as Anti Disney Family Friendly as possible.  This includes some scary monster designs, gross body horror imagery and more than a few steps into the realm of the Adult Anime Section aka Hentai.  Wicked City certainly isn’t a film for the young or the squeamish and it might just be one of the most mature offerings I’ve ever looked at for review.  But does that make it any good?
 

FIF#194-Castlevania: Nocturne

France, 1792.  On the eve of Revolution, the Vampires are gathering. They whisper about a “Messiah” that is coming to bring about the end of the Age of Man and cast the world into an eternal darkness.  From across the world, Hunters, Magicians, Sages, and Warriors gather to prevent this oncoming apocalypse.  Among them is Richter Belmont, descendant of Trever Belmont and Sypha Belnades, who has a personal score to settle with on particular Vampire walking the streets.  On the eve of Revolution, the streets will run red with the blood of Humans and Vampires as a new war for the night begins.

 
The prospect of a sequel to Netflix’s Animated Castlevania series is a tricky one.  Save for a few misteps during it’s Second Season, I was pretty much ready to give the original series a perfect 10/10 when I looked at it back in October 2021.  Complex and tragic characters, fascinating and well written dialogue and action that just seemed to get better and bloodier with each new episode, the show is damn near perfect.  So yeah, Nocturne really needed to make an impression right out the gate somehow.  The premiere does so in its own way, helping it stand out and doing what it needs to do: get viewers attention right back into the world of Vampire and those who kick their asses nightly.  And while I think I need a couple more episodes to properly adjust to the new status quo, Holy Crap is it good to be back in this universe.
 

T5W#425-Top 5 Scariest Power Ranger Villains

My periodic look at the legacy of the Power Rangers Franchise continues as we also kick off a month of Halloween themed Top 5s for T5W.  Power Rangers Cosmic Fury, the 30^th Season of Power Rangers, dropped on Netflix last weekend.  While I’ll have a First Impression of it coming later for a special occasion, I wanted to take a look at some of the meanest and nastiest big bads the various teams of Rangers have had to take on over the years.  Some may be clumsy, some might actually be good at their jobs.  Most can be the stuff of nightmares and since this is October, those are the ones I want to spotlight most.  These are my picks for the Top 5 Scariest Power Ranger Villains.  Specifically, these are the big bads, the lead villains or most prominent of their respective seasons as Monsters of the Week are too many to sift through.  Also while they may have been highly efficient at kicking Ranger ass, some baddies like Tommy and Astronema either had redemption arcs or became full on good guys eventually, so they wont be on the list (come to think of it, that rules out Ransik from Time Force too, damn I really liked him.)

Vampire Hunter D

When a young maiden named Doris is bitten by a Vampire Noble named Count Magnus Lee, she only has a few short nights until she becomes one of the living undead.  To save herself, Doris hires a Vampire Hunter to slay Lee before his curse consumes her.  But Doris hasn’t just hired any ordinary hunter.  He is a Damphir, a Human/Vampire hybrid with power and strength beyond compare.  And no Human, Mutant or Monster will stop him from claiming his quarry.  Lee may be a Noble Vampire of indescribable power.  But he has yet to encounter a foe as deadly as Vampire Hunter D.

 
Welcome, Dear Readers.  Now normally each October, I try to pick something to review that’s from the Horror corner of Anime.  And this year is no exception, well except I’m not focusing on a series this year.  Instead, I’m selecting six classic horror themed, or at the very least really bloody, Anime films to look at.  We’re kicking that off today with a bad ass from years long, one whose look is so of its era, I’m honestly starting to consider him a Vampiric Captain Harlock.  And like the good Space Pirate, Vampire Hunter D is a legend in Anime circles but he hasn’t really been seen much since his last feature in 2000 (We’ll get to that in time).  This 1985 OVA was D’s first foray into Anime.  So how is it as a beginning to his long legacy and does it hold up today?
 

FIF#193-Record of Ragnarok

After millions of years of disappointment, the deities of the Earth gather to condemn the Human Race and plot its extinction.  Not all are in agreement, however.  The Valkyrie Brünnhilde opts to give Humanity a fighting chance by invoking Ragnarok: a tournament where 14 of the greatest warriors of Mankind must face the Gods themselves.  If they win, Humanity will be spared for another 1000 years.  If they lose, the Gods will have their wish and eradicate Humanity from the face of the Earth.  It should be a one sided fight for the most powerful entities in existence…right?

 
Ragnarok of Norse Mythology has definitely gotten a bit of a pop culture boost in the last few years thanks to its central inclusion in films and video games like Thor: Ragnarok and God of War: Ragnarok.  It’s nothing new for Anime though, world ending events happen all the time in various titles.  Record of Ragnarok hops on the Ragnarok hype train with its own rather unique take on the apocalyptic event.  Were I to break it down into simpler terms: this is Mortal Kombat meets Fate/Stay Night.  Should be a win for me, yeah?  Well, chances are I wont delve into it too deeply and to put it kind of selfishly, it’s all because of some artistic and aesthetic choices.
 

Sailor Moon SuperS: The Movie

Children begin vanishing all over the world, lured to a mysterious ship by a haunting tune.  When their mysterious abductors come to Japan, Chibiusa finds herself their latest captive.  Guided by a rogue Fairy, Sailor Moon and the rest of the Sailor Senshi give chase.  High above the clouds, they come face to face with Queen Badiane, who is determined to drive the people of Earth to eternal darkness via the Black Dream Hole, and Chibiusa is the most important part of her plan.  The Inner and Outer Senshi unite alongside Sailor Moon to save not just the planet once more but also the hopes and dreams of the children of tomorrow.

After spending a month struggling to get through Sailor Moon SuperS, my expectations for the third and final of the original trilogy of movies was basically zero.  But then again, if the SuperS Season is basically rock bottom for the franchise, there’s nowhere else to go but up, right?  Turns out…yeah, that’s exactly what the SuperS Movie, originally released in the US as “Black Dream Hole”, does.  It’s not a flawless outing but its way better than the TV Season it spawns from.  Not only that, this might be the first of the three movies to really carry over several of the themes and core elements from its parent season: dream energy is a factor, Chibiusa has a love interest.  Heck, the plot even has shades of a certain Dragon Ball Z movie involving a kidnapped offspring and the villain opening a Black Hole to try and win the day.  Short version: this isn’t bad and at the end of the day, that’s a win that Sailor Moon has needed for over a month now.