FIF#240-Fafner

For the people on Tatsumiyajima, life is pretty ordinary…at least at first glance.  When a massive Golden Creature suddenly attacks without warning, reality crumbles and the truth is revealed.  Humanity is at war with monsters just like this and they’re running out of time to save themselves.  But Tatsumuyajima is more than it seems.  It is a fortress that has been preparing for the day of an attack like this and it is ready with the only weapon capable of facing this enemy on its own terms: The Fafner.  The ultimate battle for the fate of Humanity has begun.

 
When I first saw a posting for Fafner on a friends page, I thought “wait, is there a Gundam SEED spin off I’ve never heard of?” No, fact is one of Fafner’s instant details is that is has character designs from Hisashi Hirai, who worked on Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny.  But apparently this is another under the radar Anime title that is a secret gem waiting to be discovered.  Sure enough, Fafner (or Fafner in the Azure as it’s longer title goes) does seem to have a rather healthy franchise with multiple shows and movie continuations.  So, how does the first episode of the first series get the ball rolling and is it worth investing more time into?
 

T5W#524-Top 5 Anime Turning 30 in 2025

1995 was a major year for Anime.  It was a time of ground breaking titles that changed the medium forever while new franchises were laying ground and familiar favorites were taking their popularity to a whole other level.  Actually, now that I think about, I’ve looked at every since title on this list and they’re all personal favorites of mine, shows and movies that have shaped me as an Anime fan, maybe not since 1995 but still.  As we edge out of August and into September, with summer coming to an end, let’s look at these 5 game changing blockbusters from one of the biggest years of Anime ever.  These are my Top 5 Anime Turning 30 in 2025.

 

Patlabor: The Mobile Police-Part 3 Episodes 5-7

It’s Winter Break for the Second Unit.  While Asuma tries to find something to do and a friend to share the holiday with, something big brews in the streets of Tokyo.  Without warning, the city is put on lockdown under the threat of civil war.  Someone in the shadows, out for revenge, is pulling the strings and SV2 is directly in their crosshairs.  With their team scattered and resources low, it’s up to Goto and Shinobu to reunite their forces and counterattack quickly before Tokyo begins to tear itself apart.

 
It’s really a shame the original Patlabor OVA is only 7 episodes because wow, they’ve all been really, really good.  What it lacks in mecha action it makes up for with fun scenarios that are never the same and even tackle different storytelling genres.  The final three episodes continue this trend with an epic two parter that plants a lot of creative seeds for a larger project down the line and a finale that delivers some action good and has a pretty heart tugging conclusion.  Lets get into these two stories across three episodes and see why the shows lack of a conclusion isnt a negative at all (unlike say Bubblegum Crisis which I have been thinking a lot about during this review and I’ll touch on that too).
 

FIF#239-My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Five years before Izuku “Deku” Midoriya enters the halls of UA, the Age of Heroes faced a different kind of challenge.  Those who think Heroes and Law Enforcement don’t do enough for the little people begin to emerge as their own kind of justice.  Some are Quirk users looking to make a difference while others seek to take the extra step to stop the Villains they feel Heroes wont take.  But when a new kind of Quirk enhancing drug gets into the streets, Heroes alone wont be enough to stop them.  Welcome to the unknown era of the Age of Heroes: the Age of Vigilantes.

 
Not gonna lie, I fell off My Hero Academia just after I started Season 7.  It’s not that I’d grown tired of the series, life just takes you in different directions away from favorite Anime sometimes.  I’ve got a lot of catching up to do before the 8^th and Final Season kicks off in October…and that might be a teeny bit more difficult with this new adaptation of the prequel Manga I’m surprised hasn’t surfaced sooner.  I guess with the OG series winding down, nows a good time to continue the franchise with Vigilantes.  Question is, can it rekindle my interest in a series I adore with all my heart and want to get back into at some point?
 

FIF#238-The Apothecary Diaries

Maomao is the daughter of an Apothecary who works in the Pleasure District of her city.  One day, Maomao is captured and sold into servitude in the Emperors Palace.  Though determined to keep her head down, Maomao’s expertise with Poisons catches the attention of high ranking Eunuch Jinshi.  With more mysterious illnesses cropping up across the court, Jinshi uses his influence to appoint Maomao as the new Apothecary who works directly for the Emperor’s Top Concubines.  It’s up to her to solve several cases some see as curses or demonic in nature.

 
Anime set in Ancient China have become pretty popular recently.  I can definitely see the appeal from an aesthetic standpoint, they are mostly gorgeous titles, but they’ve never really caught on with me, until now.  The Apothecary Diaries has had a slight surge in attention thanks to the debut of it’s Second Season and it’s arrival on Netflix earlier this year.  After seeing some fan art of main girl Maomao at conventions, I decided, eh why not check this out on Crunchyroll and see what I think.  Oh boy, I didn’t expect to be almost halfway through the show at the time of writing this FIF but I’ll still try to keep my thoughts focused on the first episode like always with this definite must see series.
 

Anime Corner-End of Summer Start of Fall 2025 Update

This Summer season has just flown by.  It still just feels like yesterday Otakon 2025 wrapped up.  It’s been a pretty crazy season for me personally but the Anime Corner still chugs along and as always, we’re heading to the end of the Summer Season and the start of Fall with a slew of exciting new reviews and returning features, including some much anticipated reviews and the conclusion of a major seasonal event.  Here’s what’s coming over the next couple of months.

 

T5W#523-Top 5 Songs from Kpop Demon Hunters

It’s no secret to anyone that Kpop Demon Hunters has become one of the biggest films of 2025.  It’s dominated the animation discourse since it dropped at the end of June and, except for one or two instances where it slipped to #2, it’s remained the #1 Movie on Netflix.  I mean if you think back a couple of weeks to Otakon 2025, Kpop Demon Hunters had one of, if not the, largest turn outs for an official photoshoot.  This flick hasn’t stopped being a cultural phenomenon and doesn’t show signs of it any time soon, especially with Netflix releasing a special “Sing Along Version Event” in theaters this weekend.   Now, does this mean I’m finally going to review this sucker?  Not yet, but I will announce when very soon.  No today I’m talking about one of the biggest reasons for KPDH’s success: the soundtrack.  Even if you’ve only seen the movie once or twice like I have, chances are you’ve listened to the tuneage of Huntr/x and the Saja Boys a lot more.  And why not?  The music is amazing, catchy and highly resonating in equal measure.  Also considering this is all I’ve mostly been listening to all summer long, this is a long overdue one.  Here are my Top 5 Songs from Kpop Demon Hunters.  BTW I’ll try and keep this Top 5 as Spoiler Free as possible but some of these songs really do work best in the context of their scenes.  Still, I’ll do my best to avoid giving away key plot points.

 

Patlabor: The Mobile Police-Part 2 Episodes 3-4

The newly minted Special Vehicles Second Section Unit 2 has proven themselves in two high risk situations but even more challenging missions await.  First, there’s something lurking in Tokyo Bay.  It’s not human.  It’s not a Labor.  And it’s about to make landfall with Unit 2 as the first and last line of defense.  Then, a dangerous mishap sends Noa and her team back to training.  But learning how to pilot a Labor properly again pails in comparison to the supposed spirits haunting the training ground.  Is there a case to solve or with the supernatural get the better of the Second Unit?

 
I’ve gotta say, an abundant lack of Mecha on Mecha action isn’t keeping me from enjoying the heck out of Patlabor.  Is there something of a missed opportunity without it, sure.  But when these two episodes are as fun and entertaining as can be with good plots and side splitting humor, I think it’s ok to let a critical mecha element go unneeded.  Needless to say, this show is great and these two next episodes might just easily top the premiere.
 

Patlabor: The Mobile Police-Part 1 Episodes 1-2

In a futuristic Japan, the implementation of mechanized working robots called Labors has led to an uptick in a new kind of criminal activity.  When the villains of the streets are using Giant Robots, the only solution is to fight back with them.  That’s where they come in.  They are the Special Vehicles Second Section Unit Two.  Theyre just out of the academy and ready to get in on the action in their brand new state of the art Patlabor units.  The department has Zero faith in their abilities and their captain might seem like a slacker.  But when the alert goes out, Unit Two is on the case.

Patlabor feels like a title lost to the lulls of Anime history and that’s kind of a shame.  Til now, most of my exposure has been through the Movie Trilogy (two of which were directed by Mamoru Oshii) and they’ve always been some of my favorites, especially the second and third film.  The concept of police using mecha to fight mecha, making things a bit less grand scale than an intergalactic conflict, is a novel idea and it looks like the OVA that started it all seems to really settle there.  But is the original Patlabor a scifi mecha action series?  Futursitic police procedural?  Or is it goofball slice of life comedy?  Let’s look at the first two episodes and see if its one of those or all at once.  Welcome to Patlabor: The Mobile Police (or Mobile Police Patlabor…or Patlabor: The Early Days whichever you prefer).
 

T5W#522-Top 5 Otakon 2025 Moments

Well Otakon 2025 has been done for a couple of days now.  As I dread heading back to work in a couple of days after a long deserved break, it’s time once again for our usual Post Otakon Top 5 Wednesday.  This year marked the 15^th since my first Otakon and it ended up being a pretty emotional but incredibly fun one, filled with moments that made me cry, cheer and remember why I love coming to this convention and being around who I continue to hang around.  Dealers Room, Photoshoots, late night munchies, tons of depraved Hentai, all the goodness I love during this time of year was in full bloom with nary a disappointment.  But what 5 moments stood above all?  You know what time it is, it’s my Top 5 Otakon 2025 Moments.

 

T5W#521-Top 5 Best Moments from Macross 7.5 (and a half)

So now that Macross 7 is finally, FINALLY done with here at the Anime Corner (for now…ominous I know but lets table that), normally is when I talk about how much I well and truly hated virtually all but a couple of aspects of this terrible Macross sequel.  But, I wanted to do something different for today’s Top 5 Wednesday.  Back at Otakon 2011, my first true exposure to Macross 7 was a Fan Parody by Trigger Mortis called Macross 7.5 (and a half).  It remains today one of the funniest Fan Parodies I’ve ever seen and, as you can imagine, I’ve been revisiting it quite a bit since I’ve been watching the source material.  I realize now that Macross 7.5 (and a half) wasn’t just satire, it’s a freaking warning, not jokes, facts, the truest explanation in a nutshell of how crazy Macross 7 is and how it pales in every way compared to its legendary father series.  So rather than harp on Macross 7 more than I have already, today on Top 5 Wednesday I’m doing a shoutout to the Fan Parody that surpasses it in every way (I think I’ve earned that after a month in the trenches with this disappointment).  These are the Top 5 Best Moments from Macross 7.5 (and a half). 

 
BTW if you need some context or wanna watch the video yourself, you can check it out below via Trigger Finger Studios YouTube page. 

Macross 7 Part 10 Episodes 46-49

Though they barely survived Operation Stargazer, the Macross 7 now finds itself backed into a corner by the Protodevlin.  With civilian ships being stolen, the entire fleet folds to Varatua IV for a final confrontation.  But Geppernich’s powers have grown out of control and a close encounter with Sivil has left Basara at death’s door.  Will the universe come to an end in total darkness or is the greatest gig of Fire Bomber’s career still yet to be played? 

*Holy F***** S*** I didn’t plan this but the schedule can surprise you when you’re putting it together.  Today’s Series Finale Review of Macross 7 marks my 1000^th Review for the Gundam Anime Corner. 1000 reviews…forgive my lack of censoring but Holy SHIT!!!   Wish it could be a much more worthy title but 1000 is still 1000 and…wow just…I have no words this is such a major achievement.  And you know what, Macross 7 might not be worthy of being a GOOD reviewed Anime.  But I can have just as much fun tearing it a new one as I like to do for Anime I don’t like, stress relief and all that.  Thank you so much to anyone who has been reading since the beginning and…well…here’s to 1000 more.  Ok before I get to teary eyed, onto the review.*

The best thing I can say about the finale of Macross 7 is it is finally freaking done and I can put it behind me.  I’m not looking at the two pairs of 3 episode OVA follow ups and I’m definitely not looking at the “Galaxy is Calling Me” sequel film.  This has been one of the toughest and more grueling shows I’ve ever reviewed on this blog and I’m happy to see it done.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise after that kind of an intro that I don’t have many nice things to say about the final four episodes of the series.  From a continued overall near Jesus level dependence on Basara to even dumber designed Protodevlin, Macross 7 ends just as it began: nonsensical and borderline intolerable.  Still, guess I should look at how the show closed out.  Let’s get this over with.
 

Macross 7 Part 9 Episodes 41-45

After months of being pusued by the Protodevlin, the Macross 7 receives official orders from Earth to attack the Protodevlin head on.  Max organizes a mission with little chance of success or survival and it’s all hands on deck.  However, hasty plans and overconfidence leads to a disastrous battle that could cost the Macross dearly.  What happens when Fire Bomber and the defenders of Macross 7 come face to face with the Protodeviln and discovers the full scope of their plans for the Spiritia Farm?

Well we’ve made it, well almost made it.  We’re in the home stretch of Macross 7 and still this show refuses to ditch its familiar habits and take the casts current situation seriously.  Oh don’t get me wrong, there definitely a spark similar to the Battle of Lux (aka the best episode of this show) sprinkled here and there.  But Macross 7 refuses to grow as a show and instead rely on the same old tired and done tropes it’s been revisiting since Episode 1.  That doesn’t bode well for the Series Finale but I gave up hope on that well early on into the show.  But we’re not at the finish line yet.  Let’s see what the penultimate chapter of this crazy Macross sequel holds.
 

Macross 7 Part 8 Episodes 36-40

Mysterious ruins are unearthed on Planet Lux.  Within lies the history of Protoculture as well as a message that could help defeat the Protodevlin once and for all.  But Geppernich isnt about to let Humanity gain the upper hand and soon Planet Lux becomes a battleground once more.  Meanwhile, Basara and Gigil’s mission to protect a recovering Sivil leads to unexpected revelations that could change the direction of the conflict between Humanity and the Protodevlin.  But with war on the horizon, will Basara’s music be used for peace or destruction?

What’s most frustrating about this kick off to the final stretch of Macross 7 is that the story is gaining some momentum now.  It’s not a good story and you know my feelings on the cast pretty well by now.  But the trains moving now with minimal filler or pointless Fire Bomber antics.  Still, doesn’t change the fact that Macross 7 is still a shadow of it’s legendary parent series and the flaws still outweigh the positives.  But you know what, to change it up a bit, let’s talk about those positives first.