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.
 

T5W#424-Top 5 Resident Evil Movies

While I usually save the more horror centric Top 5’s for October, I’ve been foaming at the mouth to somehow acquire an Xbox Series X/S so I can finally play Resident Evil 4 Remake.  Not only have I heard and seen nothing but fantastic things but the inevitable Remake of the RE4 DLC, Separate Ways, starring the sexiest Resident Evil Anti-Heroine, Ada Wong, just dropped and holy crap it looks so freaking awesome.  So yeah, we’re back to do another Resident Evil themed Top 5 list to celebrate that occasion but what to cover?  Well having recently looked at Resident Evil: Death Island, I realize I’ve looked at just about every Resident Evil movie, Anime and Live Action, here at the Anime Corner.  Sure they all vary in quality but with 11 movies to sift through, choosing 5 for a list shouldn’t be a problem (for a Best and Worst list actually but I’ll save Worst for another time).  So let’s dive back into the biohazard horror thrills of RE with the Top 5 Resident Evil Movies.  And no, Death Island isn’t on this list and you can check out my review right here to find out why: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/resident-evil-death-island.html 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 8 Episodes 161-166

The Dead Moon ruler, Queen Nahalennia, has had enough.  Determined to claim Helios’ Golden Crystal for herself, the beautiful Queen frees herself from her prison and plunges the world into darkness.  Up against the nefarious ruler of the Dead Moon, the magic of Zarconia and the newly powered up Amazoness Quartet, the Sailor Senshi prepare for the fight of their lives.  Things only grow more desperate when the Dead Moon Circus manages to capture Helios and Chibiusa.  The hopes and dreams of an entire planet once more rest in the hands of Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians.

There were many moments where I was watching the Season Finale of Sailor Moon SuperS and thought…this isn’t a great ending but its actually a bit decent…and that’s more than this terrible season deserves.  After almost 40 episodes of making a joke out of the Dead Moon Circus and their quest to find Pegasus, it feels a bit infuriating that they decide to finally get serious and actually almost succeed at defeating the Senshi.  It’s not just the sudden tonal change either, it’s also the newly introduced and expanded story elements that really tick me off because everything we learn could have been explored in other episodes instead of screwing around with the Amazon Trio for half a season.  Ergo, as you’ve probably come to expect by now, this is easily the weakest of the four Season Finales so far and it’s a shame because a lot of it holds good and bold ideas for what couldve made this a strong follow up to Sailor Moon S.
 

FIF#192-Super Life-Form Transformers: Beast Wars Neo

The never ending war between the Cybertrons and Destrons rages on.  When Lio Convoy and his unit on Gaia go missing, the Cybertron Elders call upon “The One Man Army”, Big Convoy, to train a new generation of young Cybertrons for battle.  This untested and hot headed bunch is about to get the ultimate crash course training as a message from Lio Convoy sends Big Convoy and the recruits across the galaxy to collect capsules of Angolmois Energy.  Following close behind are a new and more dangerous breed of Destrons.  Leading them is the mighty Magmatron, who has a personal score to settle with his old rival, Big Convoy.

 
A couple weeks back, I took a look at the Anime sequel to the original Beast Wars series, Beast Wars II: Super Life-Form Transformers.  Sure it wasn’t as dark and depressing as the official direct US Sequel, Beast Machines, but Beast Wars II was still just Beast Wars in name only.  It featured no characters from or connection to the original series and, much like the trio of Anime projects that followed the end of the 80s Transformers series, took things in a very Anime Super Robot direction.  Still, the show was successful enough to spawn a direct sequel, Beast Wars Neo.  While my interest in Beast Wars II was minimal, since this is the only other Beast Wars Anime I’m aware of, figured I’d take a look at the first episode.  Does it improve upon Beast Wars II’s setup or falter further?  Well, it’s mixed.
 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 7 Episodes 156-160

As the new battle between the Sailor Senshi and Dead Moon Circus continues, Chibiusa begins to doubt her friendship with Pegasus.  She’s shared so much of her hopes and dreams and yet knows nothing about this mysterious guardian who watches over her.  Chibiusa’s desire to know more leads her to a world in desperate need of saving and closer to the person she’s come to fall in love with.  But how much longer can she keep this special connection a secret from Usagi and the others, especially with time running out for Pegasus’ homeworld?

Even though we’ve arrived at the penultimate chapter of Sailor Moon SuperS, big shock, I feel like we haven’t made much progression towards an endgame.  Pegasus still refuses to give up any details about his plight beyond the bare basics.  Queen Nahalennia is still chilling out in her mirror, waiting for the “right time to strike” just like Thanos.  And again, no one seems super concerned about the Dead Moon Circus still running amok in the city.  All that said, this set continues to capitalize on the better elements of SuperS, including more screentime for the Amazoness Quartet and some major character progression for Chibiusa.  It’s still not enough to save the season as a whole but when said season has been as bad as it has been, you take the wins where you can find them.
 

T5W#423-Top 5 Candidates for an Anime Expendables Team

Well damn, it took em long enough.  Nine years after an abysmal PG13 rated disappointment, Sylester Stallone and Jason Statham’s team of old school action hero bad asses are back for another round this Friday with Expend4bles (still a better stylized title than Fant4stic).  With the old war horses of the 80s teaming up with some young new crewmates, nows a good a time to ponder what it would be like if a bunch of major Anime action stars came together for a good old fashioned early 90s inspired OVA bloodfest.  If you think about it, plenty of 80s action cinema had some direct influence on many Anime projects throughout the years and many of the ultraviolent Anime of the late 80s to mid 90s definitely topped their penchant for bloody destruction and mayhem.  So, on Todays Top 5 Wednesday, I’m gonna cycle through a bunch of titles and select my Top 5 Candidates for an Anime Expendables Team.  Couple of ground rules before we get into it.  First, no overpowered supermen like Goku or Gojo.  Anyone who can end a planet or blow up a city in one move isn’t eligible (I’ve got a list for them here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/t5w142-top-5-shonen-jump-avengers.html).  The characters I’m looking at are normal humans who are good with guns, knives or their fists.

 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 6 Episodes 151-155

While the Amazon Trio have been defeated, a quartet of new performers from the Dead Moon Circus have come to take their place.  They are the Amazonness Quartet: Cere Cere, the Flower Master; Palla Palla, the Ball Balancer; Jun Jun, the Acrobat & Ves Ves- the Beast Tamer.  Alone they are dangerous and unpredictable.  Together, they are some of the most powerful foes the Sailor Senshi have ever faced.  To combat this ferocious new threat, the girls will have to tap into their new Super Abilities and embrace new dreams and the battle against the Dead Moon Circus hurdles into its final act.

So it’s hard to say whether or not todays set of Sailor Moon SuperS episodes has been an improvement or not.  The bar has been set insanely low for a season of Sailor Moon, so much so that I cant see anyway SuperS can be redeemed in its last 16 or so episodes.  But dammit, it’s gonna try and while the overall silliness of SuperS isn’t going away anytime soon, this set does benefit from the breath of fresh air that is the Amazoness Quartet and remembering that Rei, Ami, Makoto and Minako still exist in this series as more than just background dressing while Usagi and Chibiusa hog all the story.  Don’t get me wrong, nothing in this set is as good as anything in Season One, R or S, but it’s better, slightly but still better.
 

FIF#191-FLCL Grunge

In a dingy, dirty town, the hopelessness of the last generation has passed onto the youth of today.  Among those youths is Shinpachi, a young man working with his no nonsense father at a Sushi Restaurant.  Life is going nowhere.  But then a beautiful girl named Haruko walks into his restaurant and Shinpachi’s world changes forever.  When Haruko starts a war in the streets, Shin is excited to aid her however he can.  To Shinpachi, Haruko’s arrival is a sign of hope…little does he realize the true havoc Haruko can bring down in her quest for the all powerful being known as Atamusk.

 
FLCL is a one of a kind Anime experience.  When I first saw the original back in 2003, it quickly became my all time favorite Anime (yes even more beloved to me than Gundam) because of its colorful and varied animation styles, references to all of Anime’s history and commitment to its insane, off the wall action and humor (the soundtrack still slaps too).  It cant be and shouldn’t be replicated, no matter how successful.  FLCL needs no sequel…and now we have three with a fourth on the way.  Neither FLCL Progressive or FLCL: Alternative managed to even match the quality of the first FLCL, in fact save for the music of The Pillows, they bombed pretty hard.  That hasn’t stopped Adult Swim from teaming up with Production I.G. to make and see how much they can truly get away with.  Which brings us, at last, to FLCL Grunge…is the first episode any good?
 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 5 Episodes 146-150

Fed up with the continuous failures of the Amazon Trio, Madame Zarconia reveals the truth of their existence and wants that if they fail again, they’ll return to their original forms.  Faced with their end, the Trio risks it all on one last stage and this time they have the advantage: they know Usagi is Sailor Moon and that Pegasus is hiding in Chibiusas dreams.  Even if the Sailor Senshi can defeat them, the dark ruler, Queen Nahalennia, and a new quartet of terrifying terrors are ready to take the stage next should the Amazon Trio fail.

It hardly feels like a win for Sailor Moon SuperS that the Amazon Trio have finally been retired.  A true “win” would have been those three being taken care of 5-10 episodes into the season.  Instead, SuperS stretched their cringy worthy schtick to 21 episodes and its been a strain to get through it all.  Hell, I’ve contemplated actually skipping entire episodes altogether because of how bad this season has been since the get to.  This “important” episode set didn’t change my mind even if it reset the board for the back 16 episodes of Sailor Moon Super S to come.  I’ll talk more about the Amazoness Quartet later on but right now, let’s discuss the end of the Amazon Trio and why I’m not sorry to see any of them go.
 

T5W#422-Top 5 Moments from One Piece (2023 Live Action)

It’s still kind of hard to believe that Netflix actually learned their lessons from Cowboy Bebops major screw ups.  It’s been a couple of weeks since One Piece’s Live Action Adaptation dropped and its proven to be one of the most welcome Live Action Anime projects in a really long time.  It may condense a lot of events from the first arc of the Anime but there’s no denying this show has done a pretty good job of proving that an Anime almost 25 years old can be brought to life in a way that fits the silver screen and still remains faithful to its source material.  So, how about I, the Anime fan who doesn’t read or watch a lot of One Piece, share his favorite moments from the first (and hopefully not last) season of this surprise Live Action Anime hit.  Here are my Top 5 Moments from One Piece (2023 Live Action).

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 4 Episodes 141-145

When a dark winged horse begins terrorizing the city, the Sailor Senshi must contend with the idea that their guardian Pegasus has suddenly become their enemy.  But Chibiusa, whose connection to Pegasus remains a secret, refuses to believe it and will stop at nothing to prove his innocence.  Is this all part of a new series of ploys by the Dead Moon Circus to lure out the illusive creature?  Even if this plot fails, many other pure hearted souls are still at risk of attack.  With the fight getting more and more challenging, it might be time for Pegasus to bestow his gifts upon the rest of the Sailor Senshi and unlock their Super forms.

 
Believe it or not, this review marks the halfway point of Sailor Moon SuperS.  And just what has changed since the Season Premiere…almost absolutely NOTHING!!!  Chibiusa’s connection to Pegasus is still being kept a secret.  The Amazon Trio are still trying and failing to find him.  And no one wants to start actually looking into this new enemy force that keeps popping up and sticking their heads into dream mirrors in the most invasion like fashion.  And the worst part about all of this…I think it’s actually getting worse.  How is this Season even worse than the rumors I’ve heard from the fandom?  I guess that’s because I’m experiencing them for myself and it is just painful to watch Sailor Moon suffer this badly.
 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 3 Episodes 136-140

Love is in the air for Usagi and friends.  From Chibiusa’s continuing interactions with Pegasus to Yuichiro believing he has a rival for Rei’s affections, romance seems to be in full bloom and it’s proving to be the perfect lure for the minions of the Dead Moon Circus.  From an aspiring artist to a girl who would be Samurai to an up and coming fashion designer, no one seems to be safe from these Dream invading thieves…and only Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi can stop them.

Incase anyone might’ve forgotten (or just isn’t aware), the original 90s Sailor Moon Anime is 200 episodes long, across five seasons.  Plenty of it is filler and throughout the first three seasons, some of it has been pretty decent, if not some of the best episodes of the series.  This is not the case for Sailor Moon SuperS, which already feels like its destined to be the Filler Season of an already long Anime.  These latest five episodes could even themselves be filler episodes but can they really be called this in a season chalk full of them?
 

One Piece (2023 Live Action)

It is the Golden Age of Pirates.  Many around the world take to the seas not just to earn a name and a reputation but also to find the lost treasure of Gold Roger, the One Piece, hidden somewhere in the Grand Line.  Monkey D. Luffy is one of the many aspiring Pirates looking to claim Gold Rogers title of King of the Pirates.  But it will take more than just finding the One Piece.  It’ll require guts, courage, a fast ship and a loyal crew to watch his back.  No matter the challenge, nothing is going to stand in the way of Luffy fulfilling his dream on the adventure of a lifetime.

When I heard that Netflix was actually going ahead with a Live Action One Piece series, my first reaction was “you’ve got to be kidding me.”  It wasn’t just because this was announced right around the time Cowboy Bebop arrived on Netflix and I can still see the smoldering ruins to this day.  No it’s because of how long the Anime and Manga have become in the last 25 years.  Just how the heck is Netflix planning on doing this with a project the has zero end in sight (despite what the author claims I still don’t think the Manga or Anime will be done for another few years).  Still, as an Anime fan who isn’t big on One Piece, I still waited to see how this would all play out.  Initial buzz had been positive and several friends who do like the Anime had shared their optimism thanks to Netflix receiving direct input and blessings from series creator Eiichiro Oda himself.  This has lead the Live Action One Piece to become one of, if not the, most anticipated title of 2023 for Anime fans.  So, the pressure as high as it can be: does One Piece sink or swim?
 

T5W#421-Top 5 Back to School Anime

Well it’s that time of year again.  As summer comes to a close, vacation is pretty much done for students of all ages and a new school year dawns.  New classes, more homework, afterschool activities, you know how it all works.  Of course, that doesn’t mean returning students don’t have to skip out on Anime breaks.  When you think about it, a school setting is as natural for an Anime as an Issekai realm or a Space Colony for Gundam. So if you’re feeling a bit of the back to school blues, fear not, there’s an Anime to help cure those blues.  These are my Top 5 Back to School Anime.

 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 2 Episodes 131-135

The Dead Moon Circus’ reign of terror continues as they search for the elusive Pegasus.  Soon even those closest to Usagi and her friends become targets for the Circus’ dangerous Amazon Trio.  No one is aware that Pegasus is hiding in the dreams of young Chibiusa, not even Chibiusa herself.  How long will she be able to keep her nightly meetings with the creature a secret from the others.  And who is this tiny little grey kitten who has suddenly appeared and is calling Artemis her father? 

I’m really trying to keep an open mind with Sailor Moon SuperS despite all of the negativity I’ve heard towards it.  However, it’s hard to ignore those criticisms when watching everything unfold with my own eyes.  Characters are either acting like they haven’t grown at all in three seasons or the writers are back to treating the entire audience like children, which yeah this is a show aimed at a younger demographic but its also smart enough to treat them like grown ups.  While this sophomore set of episodes had some good qualities in the back half, most of this set does continue to emphasize just how big of a dip in quality Sailor Moon has taken since the start of SuperS.
 

FIF#190-One Piece (2023 Live Action)

Monkey D. Luffy is a young man with an impossible dream: To become King of the Pirates.  To accomplish this, he’ll have to set sail for The Grand Line, where the most powerful of Pirates and Monsters lurk but so does the greatest treasure in the world, the One Piece.  But Luffy’s not alone in his quest.  A deadly Swordsman, a beautiful Thief, a lying Sharpshooter and a highly skilled Cook all find themselves drawn to this straw hat wearing power house with Rubber Powers granted to him by the Devil Fruit.  Together, they embark on the journey of a lifetime.  The One Piece awaits and nothing will stop Luffy from fulfilling his dream.

 
I’m sure there are plenty of Anime fans still pissed about the dumpster fire from 2021 that was Netflix’s Live Action Cowboy Bebop series.  Despite a strong leading cast, the series never understood what made Bebop special in the first place and instead relied heavily on visual cues alone to win fans over.  It failed and it failed hard.  So one can understand the amount of pressure Netflix is under to NOT botch a Live Action One Piece.  Bebop is special for sure but One Piece has a very, very long history behind it (and a massive episode count to boot).  And like Bebop, the One Piece trailers have looked promising.  Plus Netflix has the official blessing of original Mangaka Eiichiro Oda, which is going a long way with fans I know.  Well the time for the Live Action One Piece to set sail has come and…yeah it’s off to a good start.  At least the first episode is way better than the Cowboy Bebop Premiere.
 

FIF#189-One Piece

Before legendary Pirate Gold Roger was put to the sword, he revealed with a smile that all of his wealth had been gathered into One Piece and that it was the worlds for the taking.  Ever since, Pirates all over the world have set a course for the Grand Line, the hidden location of the One Piece.  Among them is Monkey D. Luffy, a young man who dreams of one day becoming King of the Pirates.  Together with his crew of misfits and his own mysterious abilities, Luffy sets sail on the high seas on one of the greatest adventures of all time.

 
Welcome Dear Readers to a special two part double feature First Impression Friday.  The Live Action adaptation of One Piece has finally dropped.  But before I get to it, I wanted to do something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while now.  Let me be clear about something: my biggest gripe about One Piece at this point is how freaking long it is.  As of this article, the Anime episode count sits at 1073 episodes across almost 25 years.  That’s one of the longest episode counts in Anime history (I wonder if you combined Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and Boruto you’d get close to it).  And hey, if a show is still going strong and still has a pretty incredible fanbase, more power to it and plenty of respect.  I personally just feel it’s too far in to try and hop onto the ship at this point but hey I could be wrong.  With that in mind, before I look at the first episode of the highly anticipated Live Action Series, I decided to look all the way back at the very first episode from 1999, long before One Piece ballooned into the massive tale its become, back when it was just one quirky Shonen lead with crazy powers and an impossible dream. 
 

Sailor Moon SuperS Part 1 Episodes 128-130

Chibiusa’s dream of a mystical Pegasus, bearing a warning of danger, heralds the end of the peaceful times for the Sailor Senshi.  During a Lunar Eclipse, a new enemy appears: The Dead Moon Circus.  These incredibly powerful alien performers seek Pegasus and believe he hides in the Dreams of those with pure hearts.  Luckily, Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi stand in their way.  But up against foes whose power dwarfs their own, even they might need some extra help on this one.

Well, Dear Readers, we’ve finally come back to Usagi Tsukino and friends with Sailor Moon SuperS (supers with a Capital S as I’ve learned).  I’ll admit, this season has me pretty nervous even before diving in.  For starters, when I first saw Sailor Moon on Toonami, I never really got to see much of this Fourth Season, so I’m going in mostly blind. However, it’s less the blindness I’m worried about and more so the rumors that this is by far the weakest season of the original series.  And…I’m not gonna lie, even though I’ve only seen three episodes I can see why that is.  Sailor Moon S has been the high point of Sailor Moon so far.  Aside from my frustrations with Uranus and Neptune’s stagnant character arcs, the character work on the Inner Senshi was stronger than ever, especially for Usagi and Chibiusa.  How do you even begin to try and top that going forward?  Honestly, the Circus from Hell and a Pegasus who may be Chibiusa’s new love interest was definitely not at the top of my list.