T5W#564-Top 5 Anime Characters Who Belong on Battlestar Galactica (2004)

Recently Paramount+ became the new streaming home for one of my favorite TV Series of all time: the 2004 Reboot of Battlestar Galactica.  For those maybe not in the know: the reboot follows the original premise of the 1978 scifi classic, following a fleet of human refugee ships, led by the titular Battlestar Galactica, fleeing from a race of robots known as the Cylons.  This show means a lot to me, mostly due to me and my Dad doing our best to watch it together week after week even while I was away at college.  I’m about halfway through my rewatch so naturally, the topic turns to how would this show work as an Anime?  Probably quite well, especially considering shows like Space Battleship Yamato had similar themes and setups back when it was airing well before the original Galactica itself.  So new question then: if I were to assemble a cast for a BSG Anime, who would I pick from the countless number of SciFi Anime pilots, Captains and femme fatales?  That’s the question I’m gonna answer on todays Top 5 Wednesday as I list the Top 5 Anime Characters Who Belong on Battlestar Galactica (2004).  So Say We All.  Quick Note: I’m sticking to a one character per franchise rule on this one otherwise most of it would be Gundam characters…maybe a thought for a later list?

 

Macross Delta Part 1 Episodes 1-5

2067AD.  Mankinds expansion into the cosmos continues but a dangerous new threat has arisen: Var Syndrome.  It’s ability to cause random citizens to become bloodthirsty berserkers is causing chaos on several planets.  To combat this outbreak, a special unit is created: The Tactical Sound Unit Walkure.  Only their music seems to be able to quell the effects of Var Syndrome.  It’s this group Freiya Wion wishes to join more than anyone and backing her up as her protective pilot is drifter Hayate Immelmann, a young man seeking his own dream.  Music and Metal take to the skies once more. 

Been a minute since we’ve visited Macross eh?  Well you can blame the near fatal idea I had to make Macross 7 my Extended Series Review which was such a bad experience I pushed Macross Frontier back a few weeks to recover, not knowing that Frontier was just the feel good experience I needed.  Well break time’s over and Macross Delta is now on deck for review.  I haven’t heard much about this series going in.  I’ve only noticed that this is, as of this writing, the most recent Macross franchise entry and that was back in 2016.  Also this show has a greater emphasis on the idol side than the mecha side.  Is that second part true?  Is there a reason we haven’t heard a peep from Macross since this series?  Guess we’re gonna get to the bottom of that mystery this month so what’re we waiting for.  How’s the debut of Macross Delta?
 

T5W#563-Top 5 1970’s Anime I’d Like to Check Out (and maybe even review)

While Macross Delta is on deck and ready to launch Next Monday, I’ve finally begun work on this years Extended Summer Series Review: The Rose of Versailles.  It’s a bit of a change of pace in terms of the shows subject material but holy crap, I’m enjoying what I’ve seen so far.  Wont get too into the particulars since they’ll be discussed a lot when we get to it.  But ngl, part of my enjoyment comes from this being a seminal Anime title from the late 70’s/early 80’s.  It’s a time period of Anime I haven’t visited much outside of maybe the occasional first impression and the original Mobile Suit Gundam.  But Rose of Versailles is having such an early impact it’s making me wonder about looking at titles from this time period I’ve either overlooked or have been curious about but haven’t opted to look at.  Heck some might even become subjects for review themselves.  So let’s take a look at the Top 5 1970’s Anime I’d Like to Check Out (and maybe even review) on todays Top 5 Wednesday.

 

Lazarus Part 4 Episodes 10-13

The final countdown has begun.  As the world braces for its inevitable doom, Team Lazarus finds its search for Skinner impeded by a rival intelligence group with ties to the very heart of this mystery.  And theyre a group that will stop at nothing to ensure Lazarus doesn’t learn their dirty little secret.  The final clues lead Axel, Chris, Doug, Elaina, Leland and Hersch across the globe and into the line of fire of deadly enemies with Skinner waiting at the finish line.  Will Humanity be saved or is it too late to make a difference?

Even by the lowest of low standards, I wasn’t looking forward to the finale of Lazarus.  By the end of last weeks penultimate chapter, the search for one man suddenly became cluttered with conspiracies, assassins and infighting among the intelligence community that seemed petty when the end of the world was less than a week and a half away. Suffice to say, Lazarus had a lot to wrap up with only four episodes left and, well, it did.  It brought it’s story to a close in a self contained 13 episode series.  However, that’s not much of a compliment when the finale is probably the worst part of a series that hasn’t been great from the start.  In fact, I had to double check a piece of information from the final episode, just to be absolutely sure I heard what I heard so I could pull up a specific meme that sums up my thoughts on not just the revelation, but Lazarus as a whole.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s see how Lazarus managed to tie up all loose ends after it collided into a wall at half speed.
 
Honestly, where to even start?  Let’s start with this shows length.  Lazarus clocks in at 13 episodes which has become a mostly standard practice in this day and age, only Shonen Anime seems to get double the length if not more.  Lazarus’ story presents itself as a nail bitting race against time to prevent a cataclysmic event but it also wants to spend time building up its world and its cast.  And hey, a lot of Anime can pull this off nicely.  However, Lazarus isnt one of those shows.  The amount of last minute revelations and plot twists thrown into the mix never feel built up or even earned.  And some of these are “have you been paying close attention to this little detail” level reveals.  Lazarus thinks it’s being clever with what it reveals but it’s not.  It feels more like they ran out of time after wasting most of the first 9 episodes on pointless action scenes and dead ends for the team and now theyre trying to wrap everything up like this was the plan all along.  Now here’s my solution: Lazarus should have been 30 episodes long.  Watanabe should have treated each episode as a countdown.  Run with the 30 day timeline by showing maybe one major happening in each episode.  This way you can even allow for downtime with the cast, exploring backstories, giving them depth and allowing for a more natural build up to the rivalries and final bombshells about Skinner and Hapna.  I don’t care about current Anime broadcast trends but 13 episodes was not nearly enough time to do what Watanabe thought he was doing.  Cause if you’ve toughed out this show like I have, I doubt any of what was presented was satisfactory, it really wasn’t.
 
Alright, let’s get into it.  Hapna.  Skinner.  I always knew that this was going to be a Samurai Champloo situation where the destination was gonna be worse than the journey.  Only in this case the journey absolutely sucked but not nearly as much as what was waiting at the end.  In a huge info dump that felt compiled in little time at all, we learned that Hapna was originally going to be used by INSCOM as a bioweapon and Skinner wanted to expose them.  However, the attempt to smuggle it out caused an incident with a lot of casualties, including the Lazarus team itself (hold that thought).  Skinner was so broken by the experience he decided the best way to expose INSCOM’s crimes was to expose Hapna to the world by making it a cheap drug for the world and then put this 30 day doomsday plan into motion.  The man risked the whole worlds existence just to prove a government agency was up to no good.  I had to listen to this scene twice to make sure I heard what I heard.  Annnnnd now I can quote Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: “It’s just…so dumb.”  “Yes it’s so dumb it’s brilliant.” “NO…IT’S JUST DUMB!!!!”
 
Ok, um, hmmmm.  Why were people calling this guy the next Einstein?  Even if he sealed his own fate by not taking the Hapna cure that should not let him off the hook for being the biggest idiot in all of history.  Schineder and INSCOM definitely had their comeuppance coming but Skinner risked everyone and everything just to bring them to justice?  I mean he knew Hersch.  She works with the government.  Pass the info onto her.  Have her start an investigation which leads her to Abel which leads to INSCOM’s eventual downfall.  Speaking of Abel, the man who’s the original founder of Lazarus didn’t really need the team at all after he found the footage of the Airport incident.  He basically brought down INSCOM with a couple of quick ask favors from the President…which made Lazarus’ existence all the more useless in the end.  Point is, there were plenty of other ways than risking the lives of every man, woman and child on Earth.  The fact that they try to play Skinner’s death as sad in the end only pisses me off more.  All of this and then he dares to ask if mankind is worth it?  Ugh…I really hate this ending, so freaking much.
 
Oh yeah, the founding of Lazarus.  Turns out Axel, Doug, Chris, Leland and Elaina were all there when the proto Hapna device went off and all died but suddenly recovered.  I had a feeling this was a possibility since Chris’ backstory of how she left Russian Intelligence.  But then they kept piling on and on everyone talking about hospital visits after that “incident” or that “one time”.  And how did they suddenly return from the dead?  Yeah that’s not explained beyond “oh your cells mutated, awesome.”  I mean we had to name them “Lazarus” for a reason, right? RIGHT!?  Soooo…does this make Team Lazarus immortal?  Axel took a spear through the gut and somehow shuffled out of bed for one more highly acrobatic battle with Soryu that he should not have been able to do in his condition, much less walk.  Elaina survived the initial fever that meant Hapna was about to kill her.  It would also explain why Axel survived the prison bio weapon trials conducted by INSCOM.  Honestly, that last part makes the whole “Axel is the key to all of this” kind of mute since you have four other candidates with Hapna immunity blood that could make a case for bringing down INSCOM and seriously, I’m putting more thought into making this story work than Watanabe did.
 
BTW what was INSCOM’s end goal sending Soryu to kill Axel, and presumably the rest of Lazarus once that was done?  Were they really gonna take their bio weapons crimes to their graves?  For an “intelligence agency” it seems sorely lacking in intelligence.  But at least we always knew they were douchebags.  Soryu went from being a potentially awesome addition to the show to a quickly complex tragic figure in the span of an episode and also threw in secret Chinese assassin program because why the hell not.  Even Soryu’s connection to Axel felt less compelling the more screentime they shared together.  Again, this is something the 30 episode approach could have strengthened, especially if they were going to make Soryu the Vicious to Axel’s Spike.  But no, Soryu ends up dying taking down an INSCOM chopper, bringing less to the overall proceedings than he already did.  What a waste.
 
That sentiment is a nice segue into my Final Thoughts on Lazarus.  The show is a waste of 13 episodes of hard work and animation and a rare disappointment from Shinichiro Watanabe.  The characters never grow beyond their roles (heck I don’t think Doug even got a backstory compared to everyone else and the only reason I didn’t rag on Axel as much in this review is because there were worse things about the finale than him), the situation never feels truly dire even at the final episode, and the motivations and machinations of the villains range from nonsensical to “why was this even introduced in the first place?”.  Again, had this been maybe 26 instead of 13 and the writing were tighter (develop the villains, tone down Axel’s ego, make the reveals more natural than forced) this could have been a passable offering from the man who brought us Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo.  As it is however, Lazarus isn’t befitting of its namesake and I hope that this is the end of it.  No Season 2.  To quote Thanos “No resurrections this time”.  Case Closed.
 
2/10

Next Week, we return to the universe of Macross.  Will Macross Delta soar as high as Macross Frontier or crash and burn as hard as Macross 7?  The need for speed is back Next Monday right here at the Gundam Anime Corner.

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe

Universal Century 0105.  It is a time of turmoil as the terrorist group known as Mafty plots a strike against a prominent Earth Federation conference.  But they’re up against impossible odds as the power of Kenneth Sleg’s Circe unit grows, cutting off avenues of attack and approach.  As for Mafty’s secret leader, Hathaway Noa, he’s still deeply shaken by his encounter with Gigi Andalusia, the girl who could either destroy him or guide him to his ultimate destiny.  Against doubts and guilt, Hathaway must settle these feelings to become the leader he is meant to be before his revolution fails.

It’s been a long 5 year wait for the next chapter of the proposed Gundam Hathaway Trilogy.  I was split on the first film with it’s visuals being amazing and action some of the best Real Robot action I’ve ever seen in the franchise.  But making the story, based on the Hathaway’s Flash novels, work was always going to be up to your tolerance for Hathaway himself and I’m not really a Hathaways fan after Char’s Counterattack.  Still, Part 1’s final act showed promising potential by introducing more of Hathaway’s crew and I was at least curious to see how that progressed.  Unfortunatley, it feels like much of that 5 year wait time was spent on the animation and not so much anything else because The Sorcery of Nymph Circe is a boring middle chapter that’s happier to spin it’s wheels, pontificate and show off it’s poster girl while not doing anything else exciting until way too late in the run time. 
 

T5W#562-Top 5 Announcements from the Gundam 50th Anniversary Project

We’re three years out from it but come 2029, Mobile Suit Gundam turns the big 50.  Not bad for a franchise that began with a show that was cancelled before it’s intended ending.  Yet here it is, one of the mightiest Mecha franchises of all time proving its staying power and influence five decades later.  Seeing how big of a power it is in the world of Anime, looks like Sunrise is getting the ball rolling pretty early with a whole slew of announcements and plans for the 50^th.   There’s a lot going on but we’re here today to talk about five of the big ones on todays Top 5 Wednesday.  These are the Top 5 Announcements from the Gundam 50^th Anniversary Project.

Lazarus Part 3 Episodes 7-9

Team Lazarus splits up to investigate possible holdouts where Skinner could be hiding.  What should be simple recon turns deadly when Chris is captured by Russian operatives with ties to her past.  As if that weren’t enough, Lazarus’ mission to save their teammate adds to the collective collateral damage they’ve been racking up since they were first formed.  With only 10 days until the first Hapna user dies, is the team still capable of carrying out their main assignment?  Some think otherwise and are willing to go to great lengths to end the team by any means necessary.

My expectations for Lazarus have never been that high, even knowing well after its airing that the Director of Cowboy Bebop is at its helm.  And yet, episode after episode, I’m feeling mixed to mostly negative emotions and this weeks penultimate set of episodes did nothing to sway those emotions into the positive, well mostly.  One of my personal favorite characters got the spotlight (in more ways than one) and the show was nice enough to point out the flaws in not just the team, but the show as well?  Is Lazarus voicing my issues for me?  Again, giving the show too much credit.  How ‘bout I sum up the thoughts myself, may I?
 

T5W#561-Top 5 Mobile Suits Originally Meant to be (or refitted from) Gundams Designs

This Friday, the long wait for US Gundam fans comes to an end as Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe touches down in theaters.  I’m definitely aiming to check it out Friday and will have a review up at last on Memorial Day Monday.  It’s not often we get a Gundam movie in theaters so figured todays Top 5 Wednesday should be Gundam related.  One thing I’ve noticed in recent years despite being a Gundam fan for most of my life: there’s a bunch of Mobile Suits that were meant to be Gundam’s themselves.  And I’m not talking about Tallgeese being the Godfather of Gundams in Gundam Wing, no I mean in the long history (mostly of the Universal Century) there’re examples aplenty of suits that started development as new iterations of the Gundam but got changed for various yet similar reasons.  Most of these resulted in some cool and iconic designs for the franchise.  And today we’re paying homage to these (mostly) little known machines that may not be Gundams but are just as effective on the battlefield.  These are my Top 5 Mobile Suits Originally Meant to be (or refitted from) Gundams Designs.
 

Lazarus Part 2 Episodes 4-6

The search for Doctor Skinner leads Team Lazarus along various avenues of investigation.  From skeezy stock brokers to a mysterious cult that abhors technology, no clue is too small and no suspect unimportant if it gets the team to their target and the cure for the drug that is set to kill billions in less than 30 days.  Luckily, the team might have a way to lure out the illusive Hapna creator with the promise of a cure, but will it be enough or is Skinners reach far greater than they realize?

Last week’s premiere look at Lazarus left a bad taste in my mouth.  Maybe I was being a little too harsh but at the same time, there’s a lot of potential with a series with the premise that it has and yet it’s not doing what I feel is enough with the materials given.  That said, it’s sophomore outing does improve things if only a little by allowing the ensemble cast to step out of Axel’s overimportant shadow and show us a bit more of how the world is reacting to the Hapna Doomsday scenario that’s been thrust upon it.  It doesn’t make me like the series 100% but improvements are better than just staying stagnant…for the most part.
 

Mortal Kombat II

The time has come at last.  The fate of Earthrealm shall once again be decided in a tournament where death is the only means of victory.  Should Outworld be victorious, Shao Kahn claims dominion over our world.  Standing in his way: a rag tag group of fighters including a washed up action movie star and a beautiful Princess. Together, they must trust in their own abilities and fight like they never have before.  The fighters are gathered.  The stage is set.  The time has come again for MORTAL KOMBAT!!!

2021’s Mortal Kombat reboot might not be as timeless as the first 1995 classic but it does still offer a more authentic MK experience for franchise fans thanks to its R Rating allowing for actual blood, gore and fun fatalities.  After five years and a stupid delay from its original October 2025 release window, Mortal Kombat II arrives to make good on the promises of the first film, mainly an actual Mortal Kombat tournament with more characters, more fatalities, more everything.  Those dreading this might end up being a case of history repeating itself with an overstuffed and poorly executed mess like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation rejoice: this isnt that movie.  Heck this may be the best Mortal Kombat movie ever brought to screen and is so good it makes you wonder if the 2021 movie was even necessary (I mean it’s still a fun watch, don’t get me wrong).
 

T5W#560-Top 5 Hottest Mortal Kombat Ladies

The wait is almost over folks.  After being moved back from it’s original October 2025 release (supposedly due to overwhelming positive fan reaction making Warner Bros. think it would do better as a summer movie), Mortal Kombat II arrives on Friday.  And based on the trailers and early reactions, it looks like what we’re getting is as far from Mortal Kombat: Annihilation as we can get.  I know I’m stoked to see it tomorrow to see Johnny Cage join the gang and square off with the forces of Shao Kahh.  I’m even more excited to see some proper reprisentaiton of the bevy of bad ass beauties from the franchise who can rip out spines just as effectively as the cyber ninjas and guys with robot arms.  So yep, todays Top 5 Wednesday is all about the Top 5 Hottest Mortal Kombat Ladies  (Side Note: I know I’ve been doing a lot of Video Game centric Top 5’s lately and I promise I’ll get back to more Anime focused ones really soon…right now VGs have some of the best stuff to talk about though so, ok mini rant over).

 

Lazarus Part 1 Episodes 1-3

2052AD.  Humanity lives a new carefree existence thanks to the miracle drug, Hapna.  But all of that comes crashing to a halt when the creator of Hapna, Dr. Skinner, who has been missing for three years, emerges and announces all who have taken Hapna will begin to die in 30 days.  With billions of lives at stake, a special task force, codenamed Lazarus, is created for the sole purpose of tracking Skinner down and finding a cure for the Hapna drug.  If this band of criminals cant complete their mission in less than 30 days, it’s game over for all mankind.

Shinichiro Watanabe is an amazing Anime director.  The worlds he creates and, maybe more importantly, the music he infuses within them, have created some of Animes greatest legends, specifically Cowboy Bebop.  I single out Bebop because it’s a popular and beloved title for several reasons, many of which combine to make an Anime even non Anime fans can get into and enjoy.  It’s a success high I feel Watanabe has been chasing and trying to replicate since from the Feudal Hip Hop  infused Samurai Champloo to the beautifuly composed but longer than it needed to be Carole and Tuesday (I’ve never seen Space Dandy so I cant weigh in on that one yet).  Lazarus is Watanabe’s latest directorial effort and it again feels like another attempt to be the next Bebop, complete with a wild card martial artist, Jazz and a futuristic yet realistic setting.  And yet the first few episodes leave a lot to be desired but it does confirm that Lazarus isnt just shaping up to not be Cowboy Bebop, it’s shaping up to not be anywhere as good as Samurai Champloo or Carole and Tuesday.
 

T5W#559-Top 5 Classic OVAs I Just Cant Get Behind

Been watching a lot of Anime retrospective lately and many of them focus on titles from the OVA boom that began in the 1980s.  For those not in the know, OVAs are the Anime equivalent of Direct to Video features and can range from movies to miniseries to full on shows.  They usually what I refer to as “The best of both worlds”, the budget of a feature film that can be applied a TV series length project.  Early OVAs also had a greater emphasis on the more extreme elements of Anime due to their direct to video status.  This meant more violence and gore, nudity and sex, even horror that pushed the boundaries of terrifying.  Because of this and more, OVAs became the most sought out titles in Anime and boosted Anime’s worldwide appeal during it’s heyday between the Mid 80s to Mid 90s.  Some of these titles were gateway points for many Anime fans.  Recently, I’ve reviewed a great deal of these classics and…I haven’t exactly had great things to say about them.  Maybe it’s because I wasn’t introduced to them so early on or maybe I’m being too critical.  But a lot of those golden age OVAs have a ton of issues in terms of plot, pacing and characters that you think would be more tightly controlled given how short they are.  I do understand their influence on the genre and fandom but they are flawed as heck.  It’s been a thought at the back of my head over the last year having tackled some of these titles recently, so on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m counting down the Top 5 Classic OVAs I Just Cant Get Behind.

 

Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias

While taking a breather in the seaside city of Alto Mare, Ash and Pikachu encounter a pair of Pokémon siblings: Latios and Latias.  These two also happen to be the guardians of a treasure important to the history of Alto Mare, a treasure a pair of Team Rocket thieves have their sights on.  Now it’s up to Ash, Pikachu and their new friends to stop theft before Alto Mare becomes submerged by the waters its most famous for.

By the time Pokémon Heroes debuted in the US in 2003 (a year after it’s Japanese release), Pokémon fever had died down considerably and it went on to become the lowest grossing entry in the series stateside.  Now one could blame that lack of success on the movies being distributed by Miramax instead of Warner Bros. (deeper discussion there for another time).  Honestly though, Pokémon Heroes is a tough movie to market, much less release with any hype, when the movie itself is pretty lackluster and super underwhelming outing for Ash and Pikachu.  I really think this is the first Pokémon movie I’ve seen where calling it a “movie” feels inadequate.  Instead it feels more like the first time we’re seeing an episode of the series stretched painfully to feature length with some spiffy special effects and not much else to make it a movie level event.
 

T5W#558-Top 5 Thoughts on the Street Fighter (2026) Teaser Trailer

While I’ve always fancied myself more of a Mortal Kombat fan compared to Street Fighter (just rewatched the 2021 movie and I cannot wait for MKII in a couple of weeks), I’ve been rewatching the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Street Fighter movie with a lot of enjoyment.  Everything that was shown during the Game Awards Reveal late last year looks dialed up to 11 and I think that whether this movie is good or bad, it’s gonna be fun as hell.  So what’s got me making this one of my most rewatched trailers of the last few weeks?  Well our slew of Video Game themed (or I guess in this case Video Game Movie Themed) Top 5 Wednesday’s continues as I break down my Top 5 Thoughts on the Street Fighter (2026) Teaser Trailer.

Pokemon 4Ever: Celebi-Voice of the Forest

Deep in the forests of the Johto Region, a young Pokemon trainer from 40 years in the past is spirited to the future by a mysterious Pokemon called Celebi.  Here he meets Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock and soon they all become embroiled in a battle to save Celebi and the Forest from a rogue member of Team Rocket.  Two generations of Pokemon trainer must combine their talents and hearts to defeat a new breed of Dark Pokemon and ensure peace returns to the forest.

I’ll say this about the Pokemon movies: they may involve saving the world in some way but overall, so far, they’ve all been pretty unique adventures.  Evil clones, Legendary Birds, even a psychedelic wish castle, no one movie has been the same.  They do try to stand out from each other and Pokemon 4Ever continues that trend.  Here we get a battle for nature that feels right at home with the likes of Ferngully and Princess Mononoke.  It might not do things as poignant or extravagant as those examples but there’s still a bit of fun to be had, even if it never comes close to matching the awesomeness of Pokemon 3.
 

T5W#557-Top 5 Thoughts on the Teaser Trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero

The Return of the King is nigh.  Three years after his historic Oscar win, Godzilla is on his way back to the big screen with the highly anticipated sequel to Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla Minus Zero.  And yesterday, the very first teaser dropped at Cinemacon.  It was less than a minute but there’s a lot to chew on as to what is waiting for us in the next chapter of Writer/Director Takashi Yamazaki’s new take of the King of the Monsters.  So let’s not waste anymore time and roar our way into todays Top 5 Wednesday as we check out my Top 5 Thoughts on the Teaser Trailer for Godzilla Minus Zero.

Pokemon: The Movie 3-Spell of the Unown

The wishes of a lonely little girl accidentally summon a race of ancient Pokemon: The Unown.  As a beautiful town turns to crystal, Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock get pulled into the action when a legendary Pokemon: Entei, abducts Ash’s mother.  Once more, Ash and friends venture into danger but this time against an otherworldly forced they’ve never encountered before.  Can they save Delia and little Molly before the Spell of the Unown consumes the world?

I’ve said before and continue to say that if you’re gonna do a Pokemon movie, you’ve gotta go bigger than the TV show and that definitely includes rare and legendary Pokemon seldom seen on the small screen.  That’s one thing both Pokemon: The First Movie and Pokemon 2000 both did at the very least.  Pokemon 3, however, not only includes two of these types of Pokemon, it also manages to outdo both of its predecessors in story, animation and *gasp* actual Pokemon battles?  It even manages to have some nice emotional resonance that doesn’t feel as brutally forced as Pokemon: The First Movie.  I dare say it, this might just be the best of the Pokemon films I’ve looked at so far.
 

T5W#556-Top 5 Potential Sequels/Spin Offs Setup in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Mamma Mia, is it any shock to anyone that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie did gang busters this weekend at the box office?  It shouldn’t be.  Even if I and others didn’t think it was as good as the first, Mario Galaxy is still a Mario movie and that alone is enough to put butts in seats for a fun 90 minute romp.  One thing that the Mario Movie sequel emphasized more than it’s predecessor (believe it or not) was it’s cameos and Easter Eggs.  Nintendo clearly has plans for opening up it’s plethora of iconic gaming characters to enter their newly minted cinematic universe and I’m not gonna lie, some need those projects more than others.  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m speculating about the Top 5 Potential Sequels/Spin Offs Setup in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.  Aside from our first entry, I’ll keep Spoilers to the bare minimum if I can, but still you should probs check the movie out anyway before checking out my ideas here. 

 

Pokemon 2000: The Movie-The Power of One

When a Collector of rare Pokemon begins ensnaring the three Legendary Birds, the world is thrown out of balance and is on the brink of destruction.  This time, Ash finds himself the literal chosen on a mission to return peace and harmony to the planet and quell the violent rage of Moltres, Zaptos and Articuno.  But he cant do it alone.  Not only will his closest friends and most dangerous enemies join forces, but they’ll get help from another Legendary Pokemon: Lugia.

Despite the heavily hyped and ancitipated battle between Mewtwo and Mew, Pokemon: The First Movie seemed more interested in teaching life lessons with tears than showing off exciting action.  By contrast, Pokemon 2000 is much less darker and way more adventurous than its predecessor and even delivers on the promise of seeing multiple legendary Pokemon duking it out on the big screen.  Sure it gives the fans what they want action wise.  The rest of Pokemon 2000 kind of suffers from a lack of spectacular storytelling.  This is as basic an epic adventure as you can get, so basic in fact that it makes all the risks taken by Pokemon: The First Movie more respectable.
 

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Bros are back in action when a Baby Star falls from the sky, begging for help to save it’s mother from an evil dictator.  It’s a journey that will take Mario, Luigi, Peach and friends both old and new to places once far beyond reach.  Waiting for them is an old enemy looking for revenge and the son he never happened to mention he had.  The Galaxy awaits and its fate rests in the hands of two handy dandy Plumbers.

Making a Super Mario movie should, in theory, be one of the easiest jobs imaginable.  You don’t need a super deep story, just some imaginative action sequences and the most basic of stories and understanding of what makes Mario special, and you have a slam dunk.  The Super Mario Movie understood this assignment and was an absolute blast.  Now we come to it’s much anticipated follow up, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.  Fundamentally, it does everything the first film did but takes things up a notch in terms of scope and spectacle.  Yet despite this, it doesn’t land as good as its predecessor.  Sometimes the movie does somethings right while also overdoing it in other areas, and in some cases not doing enough.  It’s underwhelming to say the least but does that mean it’s bad?
 

T5W#555-Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Video Game Adaptations

Three years after they crushed the box office, Mario and Luigi are back with their ever growing gang of Nintendo favorites for another cinematic offering with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.  If it’s even half as good as it’s predecessor, it’ll continue to cement just what kind of a new golden age of Video Game Adaptations we live in now.  The Last of Us and Fallout continue to reign supreme on the TV side while we still have more big screen spectacles to look forward to with Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat II.  However, it’s hard to forget the dark ages of Video Game Adaptations, the ones that got it all wrong, that might’ve made money but made no one happy and…yeah I’ll admit some of them I do like in a so bad theyre good kind of way.  Maybe it’s because I grew up with a lot of them and watched them a ton, some bad video game movies can get an amusing chuckle out of me and I might, dare I say, even genuinely enjoy them.  So, on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m counting down my personal picks for the Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Video Game Adaptations. 

 

Pokemon: The First Movie-Mewtwo Strikes Back

When Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Brock receive an invitation to meet the worlds greatest Pokemon trainer, it’s a chance they cant pass up.  Little do they know, they’re walking into their biggest and most dangerous adventure to date when they meet Mewtwo, a clone of an illusive legendary Pokemon.  Tired of Human arrogance and Pokemon dependency, Mewtwo seeks to eliminate both and start his own world of those made in his image.  Against foes even Ash and his Pokemon cant handle, the only hope for the world rests in the very Pokemon Mewtwo was born from: Mew.

Released in 1998 in Japan and in 1999 in America, Pokemon: The First Movie arrived at just the right time for Pokemon fans all over the world.  The legendary Video Game and Anime had taken the world by storm and you can be anticipation for its first feature length film was through the roof.  It even teases a match between two of the strongest and rarest Pokemon at the time: Mewtwo vs. Mew. So how is Pokemon: The First Movie?  Well, let’s just say it wasn’t what was constantly advertised at the time of its release and that’s both a good and bad thing. 
 

One Piece: Into the Grand Line

With his crew assembled, Monkey D. Luffy finally sets out for the Grand Line: a stretch of dangerous waters said to be hold the long sought after One Piece.  Luffy and his crew of misfits have braved a lot to get this far but they haven’t faced anything like the foes waiting for them along the Grand Line.  A guild of dangerous assassins, Baroque Works, sets their twisted sights on the Straw Hats and a special cargo they’ve come across.  In order to survive, Luffy and his friends will have their resolves tested like never before.  Will the Grand Line be where their dreams come true or where their dreams go to die?

There’s a moment during the Season Premiere of Netflix’s One Piece, where Luffy looks upon the execution site of Gold Roger.  He says he just wanted to see it and pay tribute to the man who started it all and respectfully tips his hat to the towering momument with a smile on his face.  It was right here that I thought to myself, “This feels right.”  That can basically calmly sum up my thoughts on One Piece: Into the Grand Line.  Season One was great but compared to Season Two feels more like a proof of concept for the bigger and better things to come and let me tell ya, they have arrived delivering on almost every front.  This is the season that proves beyond the shadow of any doubt that Live Action Anime can work when you have the right team of writers, willingness to indulge in the spirit of Anime, and yeah having the OG creator onboard to supervise doesn’t hurt either. 
 

The Gundam Anime Corner 12th Anniversary

While I usually open one of these special pieces reflecting on how long I’ve been working on this massive endevor, I want to share a quick story first.  Back in late 2025 I was asked by a couple of friends to officiate for them at their wedding (don’t ask how or why I’m able, even I don’t 100% get it).  It was a huge honor to be asked but something always nagged me besides pressure to not mess up on the couples big day.  Why was I the one picked for such a prominent role in the wedding?  Don’t get me wrong: everything went fine, smiles, happiness, dancing, the whole shebang.  But I did get a moment to ask the bride and groom and they looked surprised I was asking.  Not only was I their top pick for the job but a lot of that faith came down to my writing over on the Anime Corner.  Let me tell you: Everything just froze for a few seconds.  A compliment like that, that my blog and my writing skills were what convinced two special people to let me partake in their big day in a vital role…woof.  It’s…yeah…
 
So as you can imagine, it’s one thing to talk about 12 years of writing, ranting and trying to come up with Top 5’s every week.  But when your work touches the lives of people in such a way.  That’s the biggest damn compliment my blog has ever received and it lets me know that every week I feel like a review doesn’t have enough UMPH or entertainment value or the Top 5’s or First Impressions might be lacking, something about this little corner of the internet is accomplishing what I always hope but never always get confirmation on: introducing new titles to old and new Otaku and making someones day better even if it’s just for a few minutes.  I feel so much pride and happiness in the Gundam Anime Corner right now that the right words cant even properly describe it.
 
And you know what?  12 years in…oh baby we’re still running with it and still going strong and as we cross into Year 13, wild rides await.  Ok before I start crying over that amazing memory, how about a quick breakdown of what’s coming from now until mid summer.
 

Angel’s Egg

Two souls wander a desolate landscape with no destination and only the vaguest notion of purpose.  For a girl, it is to guard an egg that is the most precious thing in the world to her.  For a boy, he only wants to know what’s sleeping inside of the egg.  Together these two ponder the meaning of their existence and how the world came to be.  All the while, the contents of the egg remain a tempting mystery to be solved…but should it be?

So this is a bit of a weird one to look at.  When it comes to Mamoru Oshii’s filmography, I’m mostly just familiar with his work on Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor and Panzer Kerberos.  Granted all of those titles share a lot of his artistic styles, especially when it comes to letting the animation and music do all the talking while we watch and ponder.  Angel’s Egg is that approach on full display: a visual journey into a very dark and confusing unknown with only two near silent protagonists for guides.  It’s ridiculously beautiful, it’s super heavy with it’s content.  And really, I’m still wonder how I should grade it.  Guess we’ll figure it out along the way.
 

T5W#554-Top 5 Ways the Alita: Battle Angel Movie Surpasses the Battle Angel OVA

Alita: Battle Angel is easily one of the better Live Action Anime offerings out there, which is certainly something for a project that languished in development hell for over 20 years before it’s 2019 release.  Me personally, I knew of the title, both Anime and Manga, but had never seen or read them until recently.  And while I would still love to read the Manga sometime, if I didn’t make it clear by Monday’s review: The OVA is not great.  In fact, I think it’s pretty bad.  So bad I wonder how it convinced anyone to turn it into a movie (maybe James Cameron read the Manga idk.).  Anyway, looking at the OVA for the first time was plenty of incentive to rewatch the movie again for the first time in years and guess what, IT’S STILL AWESOME.  So awesome it puts the Battle Angel OVA to shame.  I know those are strong claims but I stand by it and on todays Top 5 Wednesday, I present my evidence with the Top 5 Ways the Alita: Battle Angel Movie Surpasses the Battle Angel OVA.  BTW, for clarification, I have not read the Alita Manga.  So for this Top 5’s purposes, I’m only looking at comparing the OVA to the Movie and nothing more, though I theorize a lot of what’s lacking in the OVA is in the Manga but I digress.

Battle Angel

Gally may look like a charming young girl.  But the truth within her is far more deadly.  Rescued from a trash heap by a kind scientist, Gally slowly discovers her fighting potential, driving her to become a force for justice in the downtrodden city of Scrap Iron City.  As she struggles with the warrior within, Gally will soon come face to face with the draw of the skyward city, Zalem, and those who will risk their souls to get there, including what’s left of their humanity.

One of the most notable aspects of Battle Angel Alita’s existence outside of it’s widely praised Manga is how long it’s live action feature film lingered in Development Hell.  Director James Cameron fell in love with the OVA and made it a mission to get a live action version made for years.  It wasn’t until Cameron went off to do Avatar and handed the directorial reins off to Robert Rodriguez that we got that long awaited adaptation that ended up surprising everyone, including myself, with how good it was.  Which brings us today to the OVA itself and…yeah.  This is another one of those cases as with the original Bubblegum Crisis or Megazone 23 (Part 1 & 2) where I can sort of see the appeal but don’t really understand why this is such a beloved classic, unless most people are actually talking about the Manga.  And judging from how messy the whole affair turns out, I’m not surprised we haven’t gotten any kind of follow up anime.
 

T5W#553-Top 5 Hottest Ladies in Netflix’s One Piece

The second season of Netflix’s Live Action One Piece (aka Into the Grand Line) dropped last week.  My review of it is still a couple weeks away but one thing I could not wait to talk about it regards to the new season is its hotness factor when it comes to bringing some of the most legendary beauties in Anime to life.  Netflix has done a pretty solid job with its casting in the show and the five ladies we’ll de discussing today on Top 5 Wednesday are just as capable of stealing hearts as they are all of your hard earned cash.  These are the Top 5 Hottest Ladies in Netflix’s One Piece.  There may be some MINOR SPOILERS ahead for Season 2 since most of this list is comprised of Season 2 characters but I’ll keep things as minimal as possible.

Robot Carnival

A massive structure roams the desert, carrying a never ending parade of robotic entertainment delights.  It is a show that brings memories and visions of worlds beyond imagination.  In each, Robots search for answers to their existence, clash for dominants on distant worlds or simply relish in the strangeness that follows them.  It’s a show only the greatest minds in Anime could conceive.  Welcome to the Robot Carnival.

Anime Anthologies can be a nice entry point to new fans of the Anime genre.  Usually they have a wide assortment of studios and directors with tons of experience under their belts that together can show off just how multifaceted Anime can be as a whole.  This has led to some truly amazing collections such as Halo: Legends, The Animatrix, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Memories and last weeks amazing Neo Tokyo.  However, then there are titles like Robot Carnival.  This was actually released a few months prior to Neo Tokyo in 1987 but the difference in quality between the two could not be more clear.  Whereas Neo Tokyo was an incredibly immersive and unforgettable experience, Robot Carnival turns out to be the opposite, overly long, nonsensical and worst of all, absolutely boring.
 

T5W#552-Top 5 Theories About the Next Evangelion TV Project

Just when we thought that the final word had been said on Evangelion back in 2021 with the epic masterpiece Evangelion 3.0+1.0-Thrice Upon a Time, a couple weeks back saw a major announcement during the 30^th Anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion: A New Evangelion TV Anime is in the works from the forces behind Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuX.  This is kind of a big deal.  This will be the third Anime iteration of Evangelion (or 4^th depending on how you look at the Death and Rebirth/End of Evangelion Movies).  Considering the story has been told in two spectacular ways across 30 years, what exactly can we expect from a new series?  More importantly, what’s it even about?  Well I have my thoughts on that and on todays Top 5 Wednesday I’m sharing my Top 5 Theories About the Next Evangelion TV Project.

 

Neo Tokyo

From the distant boundaries of the impossible to the deepest depths of the unknown, three of Anime’s most prolific Directors unite for a voyage unlike any seen before.  Three stories traverse the endless possibilities of the imagination from the bizarre and wicked to the deadly and dangerous.  Otomo.  Kawajiri.  Rintaro.  Join them as they guide you on a journey into the new world of Neo Tokyo

Neo Tokyo is another one of those titles I used to see in the Anime Section of Suncoast or Blockbuster and had no clue what it was about, I just knew I wanted to see it.  What I definitely didn’t know was that the anthology had not one but three big name Anime Directors whose resumes I’m quite familiar with.  Of course I knew Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira, Steamboy) had a hand in it but there’s also Rintaro (Galaxy Express 999, X) and Yoshiyaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Wicked City).  These three power houses of the craft together on the same project, it’s gotta be amazing right?  Well yes, yes it is and then some.  Neo Tokyo is a deep dive into the surreal and freaky side of Anime, not the Hentai kind but the kind of stuff that makes you wonder what exactly each Director was dreaming when they came up with these ideas.
 

T5W#551-Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil: Requiem (No Spoilers)

The Requiem is finally upon us and I am happy to report Dear Readers that the 9^th mainline entry of the Resident Evil franchise, which arrives just in time for it’s 30^th Anniversary, is a pretty damn good time.  It’s both a solid new chapter for the universe and a homecoming of sorts for longtime fans who have been readily awaiting the return to Racoon City after its destruction.  I honestly didn’t expect to run through the Campaign as quickly as I did so now I have a legit excuse to talk about the only other game I’ve been hyper obsessive about this year next to Persona 5.  And do not worry, I wont be spoiling anything major for the games storyline since the release is still in its early days.  So, without further ado, let’s grab out flashlights and Devil May Cry style Magnums to explore the Top 5 Best Things About Resident Evil: Requiem (No Spoilers).

Roujin-Z

In the early 21^st century, Japan faces a crisis as it’s medical resources are being overwhelmed by the number of elderly patients in need of care.  To combat this issue, the Ministry of Public Welfare creates the Z-001: a fully automated hospital bed that can tend to any elderly patients needs.  It’s built to be perfect…but the truth is far from it.  When messages from the prototypes test subject, Kijuro Takazawa, begin reaching out to his beloved nurse, Haruko Mitsuhashi, it’s only the beginning of something more than a simple malfunction.  Soon, the Z-001 shows its true colors and it’s determined to help fulfill Takazawa’s wishes and no one is safe from the rampage its about to unleash.

I remember seeing a small portion of Roujin-Z during an Anime Night screening on the SciFi Channel when I was a kid and was always fascinated by it. Not only is the title cool (hey, given how young I was if the title had Z in it that automatically made it cool), but you had some sort of sentient robot bed with an old man at its core causing havoc in poor Tokyo, how can you not be curious about that.  Having now watched it from beginning to end, I can certainly say it is a very fun scifi action comedy from two of Anime’s most celebrated masters.  And while it has messages that kind of get drowned out by an insane second half, Roujin-Z still succeeds by being a dumb fun 80min flick that many can appreciate.
 

The March to Year 13

Man oh man let me tell you: Scheduling for 2026 is proving to be the most challenging since I started this blog back in 2014.  I’ve got a bunch of titles I’d like to look at and some are at the mercy of waiting for a US release date.  There’s been a lot of shuffling around but I think I’ve got things locked in from March to July/Mid August.  Why bring this up?  Because March, the month of the Gundam Anime Corner’s Birthday, has been a whirlwind of ideas that I haven’t been able to settle on.  Plus, there’s that aforementioned unrevealed US Release Date.  Yeah I was really hoping that after it’s release in Japan back in January, Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe would see a quick turn around on it’s arrival stateside.  Sadly, no such date has been announced, which means it’s not going to be this years 12^th Anniversary Review.  Don’t get me wrong, once it does arrive I’ll pencil it in somewhere before the end of the year.  But what does this all mean for March?
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans-Wedge of the Interlude

Tekkadan has done the impossible.  Once seen as expendable trash, they managed to strike a major blow to Gjallahorn’s rule and become a feared group of Mars based Mercenaries.  For now, the struggle has ended but life goes on and yet begins to change for the iron blooded orphans.  For Orga Itsuka, he must begin to master the new responsibilities of leading Tekkadan through business means.  For Mikazuki Argus, he must accept that in order to continue fighting, he must rely on others in his new state.  Thus begins the next chapter of the journey of two friends and their fearsome fighting force into a bold new era.

Wedge of the Interlude is a 15-20minute short film included as a bonus feature with Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans-Urdr Hunt: Path of the Little Challenger.  And given how horendeous that Compilation disaster turned out to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if you missed it by leaving the theater as soon as Urd Hunt was done.  If you didn’t then I’m not sure if saying sitting through Urdr Hunt is worth it but dammit, it’s terrible quality makes Wedge of the Interlude all the more amazing because it is so good to be back in proper Iron Blooded Orphans territory with the characters we know and love in a period of their lives we never saw much of in the TV Series.  In short: it’s good to be back with Tekkadan again, if only for a criminally short while. 
 

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans-Urdr Hunt: Path of the Little Challenger

For Wistario Afam, the restoration and prospertity of his home colony, the Venus based Radonitsa, has been his life long dream.  When he finds himself a sudden participant in the Urdr Hunt, Wistario potentially has the means to make this dream a reality.  Going up against Pirates, Vagabonds, Warriors and Mercenaries, Wistario will have to fight tooth and nail to achieve the ultimate prize.  He is unaware, however, that his actions will have serious consequences for Radonitsa should he fail as the world of the Post Disaster Era continues to change in the wake of Tekkadan’s revolution.

Released as part of the 10^th Anniversary of Iron Blooded Orphans, Path of the Little Challenger is a Compilation Film comprised of the Anime segments of a now defunct Mobile Game: Iron Blooded Orphans G.  It’s the first bit of brand new Gundam storytelling from the Post Disaster Era since IBO’s conclusion in 2017 and while not exactly held in as high regard as Gundam Wing or The Witch from Mercury, Iron Blooded Orphans is still considered a solid entry in the Gundam franchise.  You wouldn’t know that from watching the Urdr Hunt movie though.  While it does boast some of the brutal close quarters combat action that helped define the parent series, Path of the Little Challenger is still a short and fast compilation film that lacks any of what made IBO so great in the first place.
 

T5W#550-Top 5 WTF Moments in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans

Save for a fun Monty Python influenced Top 5 on the matter (see here: https://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/t5w508-top-5-gundam-iron-blooded.html) I never thought to do some kind of celebratory Top 5 for the 10^th Anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans last year.  Granted 2025 was mostly spent celebrating the 30^th Birthday of Gundam Wing but that also feels a little unfair to the boys of Tekkadan and their bad ass Mobile Suits.  To say IBO is one of the hardest hitting entries in the Gundam franchise is kind of an understatement.  It’s hits are as emotionally charged as the giant hammers that get whammied into Mobile Suits on an episodic basis.  There are also some truly F’ed up moments that are both shocking and awe inducing.  Since we’ll be covering the 10^th Anniversary Double Feature Special This Friday, on todays Top 5 Wednesday I’ll be counting down my picks for the Top 5 WTF Moments in Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans.

T5W#549-Top 5 Romantic Partners in Persona 5

Back around Christmas, I finally decided to give Persona 5 a proper chance after two false starts.  Well, just like Jujutsu Kaisen, third times proven to be the charm as I’ve been sinking a couple hours a night into this game since the start of 2026. TBH, it does start a bit slow but once you get going and are allowed to level up, gear up and have an active social life, Persona 5 really does live up to its rep as one of the best JRPGs out there.  And one area it defintiley excels at is the plethora of romantic options.  Basically almost every female supporting character is romanceable from your teammates to Teachers moonlighthing as Maids to a Gothic Doctor with a penchant for using you to test medicine.  To my shock, there are options to romance more than one girl (and there’s a hilarious outcome if you somehow achieve the “Harem Route”).  Tempting as that is, it’s a game in and of itself choosing who you want to dedicate your heart before the end of the game and definitely is a draw for multiple playthroughs to see how each play out.  So, while I know I’m well past Valentines Day, I’ve been pushing to try and beat this game before my vacation this weekend (and the inevitable purchase of Resident Evil Requiem that will take up a ton of time once I’m back).  Ergo, today’s Top 5 Wednesday shines the spotlight down on 5 particular beauties who are the Top 5 Romantic Partners in Persona 5. 

 

Samurai Girl: Real Bout High School Part 4 Episodes 11-13

The Daimon High School Festival is almost here and the entire school is stoked and ready for some fun.  But the main event, the School Play, is missing it’s star: Ryoko Mitsurugi, who is nursing a broken heart and broken spirit.  The might Samurai Girl will have to pull herself together quickly because dark forces are hovering over her beloved school and the battle she’s fought on behalf of the mystical world of Solvania are coming to Earth.  Standing alongside Shizuma, Ryoko prepares for one final showdown with everyone and everything on the line.

 
Well, that could have gone better?  Who am I kidding.  Given how much BS Real Bout High School has thrown into this Anime adaptation, there’s no way the Series Finale was going to end on a high note.  But wow, they just decided to ignore the fences and swing for anything in sight.  It’s honestly even hard to think of a good defense for the finale.  Even in my Pros and Cons notes I usually take watching a show or movie I was hard pressed to write something other than “Nothing” in the Positive Column.  I’m not even sure I can properly sum up all the nonsense but hell, here goes nothing.