Free: The Final Stroke (Part 1 & 2)

At long last, the dream has come true.  Haru, Rin and Ikuya step onto the world stage, competing against the best of the best in a world tournament.  But with this advancement comes new challenges and new rivals whose strength dwarfs the trio of prodigies.  One in particular, Albert, manages to shake Haru’s swimming views to the core.  Obsessed with defeating this powerful rival, Haru intensifies his training, pushing himself to the breaking point physically and mentally.  How far is Haru willing to go to become unbeatable and is he willing to sacrifice the bonds that have brought him this far?

The path to this epic two part theatrical finale hasn’t been an easy one.  Originally intended to be released close to the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, Free: The Final Stroke suffered two serious blow back to back: the first being the tragic Kyoto Animation Fire Incident followed by the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Still, KyoAni was sure as heck gonna do their best to finish one of the biggest flagship titles.  I don’t envy the task set to The Final Stroke, having to wrap up almost ten years of storylines across three TV Seasons and five prior theatrical features.  There’s a lot of ground to cover and several characters whose arcs need expanding and/or closure while also delivering on the promise of some epic races for Haru, Rin, Ikuya and the others.  So, how does Free: The Final Stroke perform under all this pressure?
 

The Gundam Anime Corner 9th Anniversary

Welcome, Welcome Dear Readers. On this day 9 years ago, March 31, 2014, I started a little side project that isn’t so little anymore, now is it. What began as a way to keep myself more active in writing short stories took a very different turn and now this has become something I’ve focused on far more than those. Reviews, Top 5 Lists, First Impressions, Convention Reports, Manga Comparisons. I’ve built the Gundam Anime Corner up as much as possible for nearly a decade now. Thank God I have a ton of material written in advance because man burn out is real and it’s not fun to feel your passion suffer because of it. Still, this blog is my baby and I’m proud of the progress it’s made so far and I cannot wait to share what comes next as we begin the long journey to the Anime Corners 10th Anniversary. I’m not sure how many people I have as active readers but those who I do know are reading, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. While this is a very therapeutic escape for me, it means alot to know my words are entertaining, encouraging or enlightening someone’s day and I don’t plan on stopping that anytime soon. In fact, as has become Anniversary tradition, let’s look at what’s coming with the start of Year 10 of the Gundam Anime Corner

 

T5W#398-Top 5 Gundam Anime Corner Anniversary Reviews

Ever since I started the Gundam Anime Corner, every year when we come back around to March 31^st, I always try to pick a title that is special, something worthy of being reviewed for the Anniversary of the day I started working on this epic project.  Sometimes…I choose poorly but hey it happens.  Sometimes, I have chosen my personal favorites that I know I’ll love and are worthy of a good score.  And on one occasion…I said screw it, why not.  Where exactly Free: The Final Stroke will fall on that spectrum…you’ll find out on Friday.  Today though, to celebrate the big anniversary, I’m counting down my Top 5 Gundam Anime Corner Anniversary Reviews.

Tekken: The Motion Picture

A Warrior thirsting for vengeance.  A beautiful detective looking to bring down a corporate menace.  A madman hellbent on attaining the ultimate power.  These three interlinked souls are amongst many who have come together on a far off island for the King of the Iron Fist Tournament.  Here, old scores will be settled, new rivalries will be ignited and the ultimate clash of Good vs. Evil will meet for their final battle.  And only those with the greatest of fortitudes, the mightiest of strength and the inner balance of peace and combat will survive. 

So there’s the smart approach and the lazy approach when it comes to any adaptation but specifically ones involving Video Games.  You have Pokemon: Detective Pikachu-Stories ok but the world is so visually mesmerizing you forget about it and just watch in awe at a living, breathing Pokemon world…the smart approach.  Then you have the Live Action Resident Evil Movies-Divert from the original story and sideline all of the most popular characters in favor of a bland one dimensional protagonist no one cares about…the lazy approach.  So where does Tekken: The Motion Picture fall on this little scale?  Oh it’s the latter and it’s actually so much worse than the Resident Evil movies it hurts.  Tekken might not be on the same pop culture zeigiest level of Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.  But even it didn’t deserve this absolutely trashy treatment in any way (Live Action or Anime).
 

FIF#184-NieR: Automata Ver1.1a

5012AD.  Millenia have passed since a brutal war with Alien Machines that has left Humanity on the brink of extinction.  The last remnants still cling to the hope of reclaiming their homeland and plan a counteroffensive from space.  It’s from here the YoRHa: Combat units of unparalled power and efficiency in battle, have been created.  One of their best, the beautiful 2B, has been dispatched to Earth along with YoRHa analyst 9s, to scout the surface as planning for the final battle continues.  Across the war torn world, 2B and 9S will unlock the secrets of Humanities long lost past all the while questioning their mission and what kind of future awaits them when the war is finally over.

 
While I’ve never played it, I know NieR: Automata is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made.  Equal parts dramatic introspection from the perspective of sentient robots and rapid fire action scenes, NieR has enjoyed a popularity unlike some other action JPRG titles from the last decade.  I’m surprised it took five years for an Anime adaptation to get off the ground but here we are and man does it look as impressive as the game its based on.  Now I haven’t played the game and all I really know is that is has one of the sexiest leading ladies in gaming, so I’m heading into this blind.  That said, while the first episode might be scarce on plot or a lot of world building, if you wanted an Anime adaptation of an opening Video Game Prologue, you’ve come to the right place: NieR: Automata Ver1.1a.
 

Resident Evil: Damnation

In the Eastern Slav Republic, the raging civil war has taken a terrifying turn as rumors of the use of BOW’s begins to spread.  Secret Service Agent Leon S. Kennedy is dispatched on a covert mission to investigate and confirm these rumors.  Leon has faced terror before but never like this.  Despite orders to evacuate, Leon decides to remain behind, joining up with a host of questionable allies and his former flame, Ada Wong, to prevent this war torn country from turning into another Raccoon City disaster.

Adapting a popular Video Game franchise into a movie or Anime can be tricky.  How closely do you adhere to a popular formula and how do you expand on it to make the experience something you cant play through at home on your system?  Resident Evil: Degeneration failed to complete the latter half of this formula, doing nothing new or exciting and instead relying on tired old RE tropes with a less than stellar story.  Resident Evil: Damnation feels like the ultimate do-over, an attempt to right most of the wrongs committed by it’s predecessor.  And you know what, despite some hiccups towards the end, for the most part it succeeds.  This is a much, much better Resident Evil movie and could very well be my favorite of the bunch, Anime or Live Action.
 

T5W#397-Top 5 Resident Evil Games

I’ve become quite a fan of the Resident Evil games in the last couple of years.  I’ve always enjoyed them but only played an entry here or there.  With the sudden influx of new releases and ports, I’ve been able to enjoy more of the franchise than ever and come to see the enjoyment in this amazing survival horror series…so much so it’s completely lessened my enjoyment of the live action movies because of the focus on the boring Alice when there’s such an amazing cast to explore.  With my Resident Evil 4 Remake on the horizon, it’s not a bad time to make a list of my favorite experiences so far.  The list speaks for itself, these are my Top 5 Resident Evil Games.

Resident Evil: Degeneration

It’s been seven years since the disaster in Raccoon City.  A peaceful day at Harvardville Airport is shattered when a plane crashes into the terminal, unleashing a horde of mutated undead upon the populace.  Through a twist of fate, Racoon City survivors Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield reunite to combat this very familiar threat but learn that this is only the beginning.  A rogue scientist is out for revenge, seeking to unveil the truth behind Raccoon City and will stop at nothing to see his mission completed…even if it means repeating history to do so.

Resident Evil and Anime have a ton in common when it comes to their visual styles and presentations.  The fact that it took so long for an Anime adaptation to arrive is beyond me, heck Degeneration came out in 2008, six years after the franchise’s silver screen debut in 2002 with Paul W.S. Anderson’s passable Resident Evil.  Still, for those who wished a Resident Evil movie would focus more on the characters they love rather than the Alice they don’t, prayers have been answered…sort of…not really.  While this is a movie set in the RE continuity, serving as an interquel between Resident Evil 4 & 5, Degeneration does very little to justify being more than a 90min cutscene with lots of familiar RE tropes and characters who fans probably wont be begging to see again in later entries (games or films). 
 

FIF#183-The Way of the House Husband

Legend tells of a powerful Yakuza boss known as “The Immortal Dragon”.  When he suddenly retired and vanished, many feared the worst.  No one could imagine the truth: Tatsu, the Immortal Dragon…has found a new profession as a “House Husband”.  He’s a loyal partner to his wife, Miku; an expert cook; and somehow he is still one of the deadliest men on the streets.  But those hands once used for killing now serve his house and his house alone…this is the Way of the House Husband.

 
I’m just gonna get this out of the way right now, this is one of the best first episodes Ive ever looked at for First Impression Friday.  No joke, I had no idea what to expect going into it but this title was recommended to me long ago by a good friend and I’d been waiting for a chance to check it out.  Well, sixteen minutes later I think I can safely say I just watched the first episode of one of the funniest, feel good Anime I think I’ve ever seen.  Just…wow…holy crap I’m kind of speechless and I cant remember the last time I opened a First Impression of all things just rambling like this.  Guess I should talk about what makes Way of the House Husband such a hilarious success right out of the gate.
 

Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle

Terry Bogard’s travels across the world are halted when he encounters Wolfgang Krauser, half brother of Geese Howard.  Krauser easily decimates Terry, leaving the fighters spirit diminished.  Enraged by this, Terry’s brother Andy, Joe Higashi and ninja girl Mai Shiranui vow to avenge Terry.  But it is Terry who must battle through his own despair and darkness and rise to a new level of powers if he is to regain his honor and take down the most powerful opponent he has ever faced.

While it might never stand on the same worldwide pedestal as its spiritual cousin, Street Fighter, Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is still a franchise near and dear to the hearts of fighting game fans around the world.  It’s a shame that’s its debut Anime feature, Legend of the Hungry Wolf, never showed off any of that love with a basic barebones story with decent animation but terrible fight scenes.  Thankfully, Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle seems to have looked carefully at the notes of its predecssors failings and put in the extra effort to improve on pretty much every aspect.  I do think the title could have been better.  I mean “The New Battle”?  That’s so boring.  Even Legend of the Hungry Wolf has a more epic ring to it. 
 

Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf

As children, Terry and Andy Bogard witnessed the death of their father at the hands of his rival, Geese Howard.  Ten years later, the brothers return to their fathers grave, swearing vengeance.  They get their chance when a mutual acquaintance, Joe Higurashi, invites the brothers to sign up for the King of Fighters Tournament, hosted by Geese himself.  If the trio are to prevail, they’ll have to take on an army of fighters from around the world, all under the sway of Geese.  But if Terry and Andy can master the ultimate technique of their Master Tug Fu Rue, then they might be able to settle the score for their father.

When it comes to fighting games, what are titles that instantly come to mind?  Street Fighter, Tekken, Mortal Kombat, heck Virtua Fighter rings a lot of bells.  Theyre so popular in fact that many forget that the King of Fighters series, aka Fatal Fury, even exists, save for several characters popping up in some of those aforementioned franchises as guest characters.  While it might not have broken into the mainstream of the US like Street Fighter, Fatal Fury is a pretty big deal in Japan, so much so that it netted itself three Anime features: two TV Specials and a feature film that I reviewed a few years back (you can check it out here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/fatal-fury-motion-picture.html#more).  Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture may be a flawed action film but it is one I grew up watching a lot when I was younger.  I was always aware of the other two OVAs but never found a way to check them out til now.  So how is Fatal Fury’s Anime debut: an instant KO or a rousing success?
 

T5W#396-Top 5 Ways The Witch From Mercury is Different from Other Gundam Series

A couple of nights ago, I watched the first episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, in English with a good friend and theu noted how…different the series was compared to other Gundam shows of the past.  While they didn’t like it, they at least got the point I, and other Gundam fans, have known for a while.  The Witch From Mercury has quickly become a crowd favorite for long time fans, casual fans and even non Gundam fans because of the unique number of changes its made to the Gundam formula, arguably making it one of the most talked about Gundam shows in a long time (probably since 00 or SEED).  With the Second Season coming our way April 9^th, two days after Gundam celebrates it’s 44^th Anniversary, today I’m gonna cover the Top 5 Ways The Witch From Mercury is Different from Other Gundam Series and show you why if you haven’t been watching this show, you might be missing out on a show that deserves all the hype and chatter its been getting.

Fate/Grand Order: Moonlight/Lostroom

Hidden deep within the confines of Caldera is the Lost Room, a place where one can find what or who has been lost.  It is a time of change for Caldera and it is here in this taboo chamber where two of its most important members look back on what has come before in order to glimpse into the future.  Is Caldera’s mission to protect Human History one without end or is there no way to escape an inevitable doom? 

Despite how much I enjoy the core entries of the Fate/Stay Night Franchise aka the three main “Rotues” (Fate, Unlimited Blade Works & Heaven’s Feel), I’ve never been able to crack Fate/Grand Order.  While on the surface it looks like the ultimate mash up of every single Fate property and character into one pot, it’s a lot more complicated than that.  Fate/Grand Order might just be one of the complex and head scratching Fate tales under the sun and it feels daunting to try and tackle.  It isn’t helped that when an Anime adaptation does pop up from time to time, it tends to land possible newcomers in random areas of the narrative.  Thankfully that wasn’t the case with the Fate/Grand Order OVA I looked at in 2022, Fate/Grand Order: First Order, which adapted Fate GO’s Prologue.  However, Fate/Grand Order: Moonlight/Lostroom doesn’t share the same clarity as it plops viewers right into the middle of a random break between chapters of the game with very little explanation as to what’s gone on in the grand scheme of things and how we got here…well, not completely anyway. 
 

FIF#182-Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba): The Swordsmith Village Arc

Two months have passed since the Battle of the Entertainment District.  Tanjiro continues to train and recover from his wounds while his companions embark on new missions of their own.  When Tanjiro’s usual swordsmith goes missing, Tanjiro and Nezuko are sent to the hidden Swordsmith Village.  Here they find a hidden sanctuary, old frenemies and two Hashira: Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichirō Tokitō.  But Tanjiro and Nezuko aren’t the only ones getting ready for their next battle.  Muzan Kibutsuji has summoned his remaining Upper Rank Demons to his fortress.  One of their own has fallen to the Demon Slayers and Muzan will not let this go unanswered. 

 
Up there with My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer has remained one of the most welcome additions to the world of Anime.  It’s crazy how accessible and talked about its become since its debut in 2019 and it’s only gotten stronger in its standing.  So much so since Ufotable has made a big push in promoting the forthcoming Third Season, aka The Swordsmith Village Arc, with a special theatrical debut which also includes the final two episodes of the Entertainment District Arc to pad out the runtime to feature length.  I was originally considering posting this as a special FIF during the upcoming Season 8 hiatus but I got a chance to go see this special presentation in theaters and I’m excited to share what I saw.  To be clear, I’ll just be talking about the extended Season Premiere portion.  For some of my thoughts on the end of Season Two, you can check out this FIF from the end of 2022 here: (http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2022/12/t5w383-top-5-thoughts-on-demon-slayer.html).  So, was this worth the near year long wait it’s been since we last saw Tanjiro and crew?
 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Part 3 Episodes 7-10

Time has passed and David has now succeeded Maine as the leader of their crew.  Beefed up with new tech, plus the Sandevistan, David is now closer to the legend he wishes to become.  However, a request from a familiar client threatens to destroy not just Davids track record but his relationship with Lucy.  At last, the missing treasure that the crews lost so much over is revealed and it might end up being David who loses the most when he takes it on.  How far and how fast will David push himself to fulfil his one true dream?

After the emotional cluster cuss that was Mondays cliffhanger, I had some inkling as to how Cyberpunk: Edgerunners might wrap up but even I wasn’t prepared for this.  Insane action and the return of some fan favorites were just added bonuses to go along with the excellently written drama that settled pretty much every loose end by the time we got to the final shot of the series.  The Series Finale is a powerful cautionary tale about having too much power and the cost of pushing the limits too far.  And yet it’s still a Studio Trigger Anime so it delivers the lessons with all barrels blazing.  In fact, I even think the final episode itself is a strong enough to stand alongside the Series Finale of Castlevania as a pretty much perfect capstone.  Now that I’ve taken a moment to breath after another round of emotional pinball with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, let’s see how the finale cements this as one of the best Video Game adaptations of all time.
 

T5W#395-Top 5 K Dramas I’ve Watched

Since 2021, I’ve been steadily getting into the vast world of Korean Dramas, mostly through what’s available on Netflix.  It’s a whole new territory to explore and I wont lie, I can see the appeal.  There’s a very Anime esque style to a lot of these shows that makes them very vibrant and injects a new level of life into them.  Also the casts are usually filled with very talented,  up to the task (and very attractive) actors who look like theyre having the time of their lives on set.  I haven’t dug super deep into this new rabbit hole but after this last weekend, I have now seen enough where I can do a proper Top 5 about what I have seen.  So, changing things up a bit, these are the Top 5 K Dramas I’ve Watched.

 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Part 2 Episodes 4-6

After a less than flawless audition, David has been accepted as a member of Maines crew of Edgerunners.  Now training with the best and most totally insane crew on the street, David learns what it means to be a true Cyberpunk.  As he hones his skills and grows closer to Lucy, David also learns that there’s a price to be paid for pushing the limits of what advanced tech can offer.  And when jobs go bad, it’s the Edgerunners that pay the price.  In the end, is this the life David wants and if it isn’t can he get out of it alive?

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners continues at full speed ahead and forget the concept of brakes because there really aren’t any.  Over the span of three episodes we watched David reach new heights with Maine and the crew before sending him straight back to rock bottom by the time we got to the emotional climax.  I have not clue how theyre going to wrap everything up on Friday but I think I should prepare my heart for more aching.  It just goes to show that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of this series and the characters populating it.  I’m still not enticed to play Cyberpunk 2077 but I’m fully invested in the fate of the Edgerunners…or what’s left of them now.
 

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Part 1 Episodes 1-3

Night City, 2076.  In a cyberized hellscape, David Martinez scrapes by as best he can at a school he cant afford and around people who despise him.  His life changes when he and his Mother are caught in the middle of a driveby shooting.  Left on his own, David stumbles across a piece of tech that grants him the power to fight back against the system and forge a path all his own.  A chance encounter with a beautiful pickpocket might give David the in he needs to join the elite of the underground, no nonsense and dangerous rebels called Cyberpunks…better known as Edgerunners.

While it might be in a better state than it was at first launch, that very same launch is one of the reasons I was hesitant to even think about watching an Anime based on Cyberpunk 2077.  Upon release it was hailed as a disaster on any system that wasn’t a high end PC, Xbox Series X/S or Playstation 5, filled with glitches and game breaking bugs galore.  Like I said, it’s reputation has improved but I’m still not tempted to give it a try.  That said, part of the games strong second wind stems from this Anime.  Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was hailed as one of the Best Anime of 2022 and arguably an even better representation of the world than the video game it shares a world with.  Plus for all the trouble CD Projekt Red has had with the games history, they somehow managed to snag Studio freaking Trigger to animate it?  Well, that’s more than enough to pique my interest.  So, do these first three episodes provide proof that this Anime is worth the hype?
 

FIF#181-Tekken: Bloodline

Jin Kazama lives with his mother, Jun, in seclusion, training daily in the Kazama style of Martial Arts.  His tranquil life is destroyed when a Demon called Ogre attacks and Jun sacrifices herself to protect her son.  In order to learn more about this senseless murder and grow stronger, Jin seeks out his grandfather, Heihachi Mishima, who vows to train Jin even if it kills the boy in the process.  An opportunity to get revenge presents itself in the form of the King of the Iron Fist Tournament.  Jin enters but his fight soon becomes more than just about revenge.  There are darker aspects to his family lineage and if he doesn’t find a way to master them, he’ll become the very evil he seeks to destroy.

 
When it comes to Fighting Games, I’ve always been a bigger fan of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter.  That said, I do like other franchises and Tekken has always had my eye.  I’ve played a couple of the game and they’re fun with their own colorful cast of powerful and sexy fighters and a unique, family led storyline.  I’ve seen more of my fair share of Tekken Anime from the incredibly terrible OVA that I should review one of these days to the slightly better CG Film Tekken: Blood Vengeance.  Well now there’s a new Tekken Anime adaptation on the block, Tekken: Bloodline.  This FIF comes as a request from a good friend who’s a big fighting game enthusiast and wanted me to look at this.  Despite my reservations, I did…and I still have them but I am willing to give some credit where credit is due.
 

The March to Year 10

How the heck have we gone through two months of 2023 already?  It feels like yesterday that 2023 was just getting started and I was aching to get to Katsucon and see my friends.  And yet, here we are, another March.  Which means we’re in the countdown to another Anniversary mark for the Gundam Anime Corner, the 9^th Anniversary to be more precise.  And once we cross that threshold, we’ll reach a milestone I never even imagined, we’ll be in Year 10…YEAR FREAKING 10!!!!  There’s a lot of pressure hanging on my shoulders as to how I should celebrate such a momentous occasion.  But I’ll talk more about that in a month when we hit that Anniversary date.  For now, how about a sneak peak of what’s coming in the lead up to the 9^th Birthday of the Gundam Anime Corner.

 

T5W#394-Top 5 Saturday Morning Cartoon Anime

In an age where every Anime on the planet can be streamed at our leisure, it’s easy to forget how rare it was to watch Anime back in the day.  Before Toonami really took off, there were the early Saturday Morning Cartoon schedules that gave young fans their very first taste of Anime to go along with their bowels of milk and cereal.  I can definitely remember being up just before the crack of dawn to catch shows that only aired in a 6am time slot on Saturday morning before enjoying the more heavily promoted mainstream titles later on.  It’s one of the reasons why I love checking out an early morning screening Saturdays at Katsucon after I eat breakfast down by the fountains, it really makes me feel like a kid discovering his first Anime.  Having relived some of those good feelings while watching Samurai Pizza Cats at Katsucon 2023, I figured I’d take today to talk about my Top 5 Saturday Morning Cartoon Anime.  Most are obvious choices (#1 for certain).  But maybe there’s a title or two that you may have forgotten aired on US airwaves back in the day on a day when instead of sleeping in after a long school week, we just wanted to watch the latest and greatest we had from the Anime world.  Anyway, enough rambling, let’s get to it.