Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind

In a desolate land where hope is but a memory and the Wastelands are ruled with an iron fist by King Kano and the Black Dragons.  No one dares oppose him, save for one.  Blinded by betrayal, a young warrior named Kenshi must learn to harness new skills and powers under the tutelage of the last of the Lin Kuei, Kai Liang, formerly known as Sub Zero.  Together, they will seek justice and redemption against, braving a storm of brutal battles and impossible truths to restore hope to the future. 

When I first heard about Mortal Kombat Legends and heard the first title was “Scorpion’s Revenge” I naturally believed these animated features would be hyper violent stand alone stories, origin or otherwise, centered on a singular MK character with maybe an appearance or two from others.  Unfortunatley, as good as it was, Scorpions Revenge wasn’t a Scorpion focused tale and Battle of the Realms only had a couple of good character moments and awesome fight scenes to stop it from ending up on the same level as Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.  With the third entry of the Mortal Kombat Legends series I’m finally getting what I was hoping/expecting from these animated films and it’s easily the best of the three so far, even if it does tap into some unexpected corners of the MK universe that, to my knowledge, no ones really a fan of.
 

FIF#259-Daemons of the Shadow Realm

The peaceful life of young villager Yuru is shattered when a special ops unit from another time storms his home and slaughters the inhabitants.  Rescued by unknown forces, Yuru learns the life he’s been living is a lie and this his village is hidden behind a sheild that hides it from the modern day.  Thrust into a new world, Yuru begins a quest to find his long lost sister, Asa, discover the secrets behind his lifelong deception, and learn to master the power of otherworldly beings known as Daemons.

 
Daemons of the Shadow Realm probably didn’t show up to the Anime scene looking to answer a particular question but it did anyway: What if M. Night Shamylan’s The Village was actually good and delivered on that infamous twist ending (and maybe added a pinch of Rahxephon for good measure)?  The answer is one of the best debut episodes of an Anime in recent memory thanks to an explosive opening that raises so many questions, makes you squirm at the carnage and keeps your eyes open to spot which character design from a certain beloved Anime classic you might spot next.
 

T5W#575-Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates

Disney’s D23 event took place this past weekend and brought some major announcements and previews for upcoming…well everything from the announcement of the cast for the MCU X-Men movie to the first trailers for Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2 and Frozen III.  However, I doubt anyone expected Kingdom Hearts IV to get such a substantial amount of attention.  Director Tetsuya Nomura and several key developers and voice actors, including Haley Joel Osment (Sora) and David Gallagher (Riku) took to the stage to drop some new updates for the highly anticipated sequel.  Though my relationship with Kingdom Hearts is kinda strained after KHIII, I’m willing to eventually dive back in and get caught up much like I have with Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth (finally finished the latter btw, what a game).  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’ll be sharing my Top 5 Thoughts on the Kingdom Hearts IV D23 Updates. 
 
Before we get started though, I’d like to dedicate today’s Top 5 Wednesday to the memory of actress Hayden Panittiere, who sadly passed away last weekend.  Whether you knew her from Heroes, Nashville or Kingdom Hearts’ Kairi, hers is a talent that will be forever missed.  We raise our Keyblade high in her memory.

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms

Furious over Outworld’s loss in Mortal Kombat, Emperor Shao Kahn declares war on Earthrealm.  The only way to stop the invasion will see Liu Kang and his allies travel to Outworld itself for a new Mortal Kombat.  Here, they face enemies far more dangerous and bloodthirsty than before in a land soaked in death and chaos.  Should they fail, Earthrealm will fall and Shao Kahn will be unstoppable.  Once again, the fate of all existence shall be decided as it always has been…in MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!

When any movie project becomes a hit, it can be easy to jump the gun on the sequel and include everything and anything it wants because it feels it can do no wrong.  That’s how we ended up with Mortal Kombat: Annihilation and, ironically, that’s the same feeling I get with Battle of the Realms.  As a direct sequel to the pretty awesome Scorpion’s Revenge, Realms decides to ratchet up everything from characters to plots to scope to violence to just about everything.  The end result is an absolute mess of a feature that, unlike Annihilation, isn’t without its strong points.  But woof, this is when you think fan service and overabundance will save the day and it does not here.
 

FIF#258-Yoroi-Shinden Samurai Troopers

It’s been decades since five young warriors dawned magical Samurai Armor and stopped a demonic invasion of the Human World.  Now Tokyo waits with baited breath, training new generations of Samurai Troopers for the day when the evil would return, and this time, they’d be ready.  But they aren’t ready enough.  When demons begin pouring into the streets and the chosen team fails horribly, the true successors to the Samurai Armor must unite and stand on the frontlines of a new war against insurmountable odds just like the warriors of old.

 
When I heard that there was a new Ronin Warriors series on the way late last year, I was hesitant but still a bit excited.  The original series still stands as one of the seminal titles that got me into Anime.  Hell I still remember watching it in a rare syndication run years before the show arrives on Toonami in the late 90s/early 2000s.  So what was the new project going to be I wonder: a remake with new animation?  Given the new lease on life classic titles have gotten like Rurouni Kenshin, that’d be cool.  Oh wait…it’s a sequel?  Well that could be…oh wait…no.  After the first episode I have some serious doubts about this one, very serious doubts.
 

T5W#574-Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell

Major Motoko Kusinagi.  She is a pinnacle of the entire Cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction and one of the most iconic heroines in all of Anime.  How could you not love her?  She’s the total package: drop dead gorgeous, a dedicated military woman, second to none hacker and an expert on all things guns and martial arts.  While we’re getting a new, more playful side to the legendary Major in The Ghost in the Shell, when pushed too far in any series, Motoko wont just throw down, she will wreck you so badly you’ll need a new body as a result.  Today on Top 5 Wednesday we look at those hella intense moments aka the Top 5 Times Motoko’s Gone Full Beast Mode in Ghost in the Shell.

 

Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge

When honored warrior Hanzo Hasashi dies, unable to save his family, his soul is sent to Netherworld, where a demon of vengeance is born.  Under the guidance of the sorcerer Quan Chi, Hanzo is offered a chance at revenge against the man who killed his family by participating in a fighting tournament with the fate of multiple worlds hanging in the balance.  Some have come to defend their worlds.  Other for glory or greed.  One has come to burn his enemies to the ground no matter who gets in his way.  Hanzo Hasashi is dead.  Scorpion is coming.

You know, given how tough it’s been for Hollywood to crack a live action adaptation of Mortal Kombat until recently, the animation route seems like a bit of a no brainer.  Through the medium you can get away with a lot more than a forced PG13 or even an R rating can afford and deliver the most authentic Mortal Kombat experience.  The Mortal Kombat Legends series seeks to prove that very point beginning with Scorpion’s Revenge and…I’ll just get this out of the way, that’s the wrong title for this movie.  If you’ve come expecting a film centered on one of MK’s most iconic poster characters, you might be a little disappointed on that front.  However, if you’re here for what happens to be a pretty decent adaptation of an actual Mortal Kombat game, you’ll be plenty entertained and even impressed.
 

The Transformers: The Movie

It is the Year 2005.  The war between the Autobots and Decepticons enters a new era when a planet devouring monstrosity known as Unicron begins inching its way towards Cybertron.  With one of the most devastating battles in history claiming many of the Autobots greatest heroes, a new team must rise to face this threat unlike any other.  It’s a race against time across an entire galaxy filled with enemies old and new as the final battle between Autobots and Decepticons approaches.

I was born at the tail end of the 80s, so when it comes to The Transformers, my first introduction to them came from the reskinned Transformers: Generation 2 toyline and the re-airing of the TV Series under that title (no knowing it was just Generation 1 all over again with new transitions).  So Transformers: The Movie ended up being my first pure exposure to classic Transformers and when it comes to films featuring the Robots in Disgiuse in general, it might very well be the best of the bunch, even if it doesn’t work on every level and downright tries its hardest to destroy the hearts of hardcore Transformers fans.  Yes, I still think it’s a fun movie regardless.  Why is that?
 

FIF#257-Marriagetoxin

Hikaru Gero is the best assassin of the Poison Clan.  When he learns his sister may be forced to give up her love life to sire an heir to the clan, Gero selflessly offers to take her place.  Now all he has to do is find the perfect partner to marry and for a guy who is good at killing but is bad at small talk, that might be a problem.  Thankfully, Gero just spared an intended target named Mei Kinosaki, who just so happens to be an expert cross dressing Marriage Swindler.  Under Mei’s tutelage, Gero undertakes a mission more dangerous and difficult than any target he’s ever faced…the world of dating. 

 
This is one of those times where I was looking for First Impression suggestions and this just so happened to be the first thing that popped up on Crunchyroll.  With a title that nifty and a visual card of the two cool and cute looking leads, something like Marriagetoxin is bound to attract some curiosity: case in point my own.  And, as it just so happens, the show has a unique and funny enough premise it could possibly make a name for itself, maybe even be the big Shonen to watch out for in 2026. 
 

FIF#256-The Ghost in the Shell

In a future where the line between humanity and cybernetics is become more blurred with each passing day, a new kind of terror is born.  Those with the ability to enter any facility, hack any network, corrupt any individual with one keyboard stroke.  That’s where they come in.  They’re Public Security Section 9, a rag tag group of mercenaries and hackers led by the beautiful Major Motoko Kusinagi.  Their methods and attitude may be unorthodox and borderline crazy.  But for this new breed of cybercriminal menacing the net, they’re the right vaccine for the job.

 
Whenever a new Ghost in the Shell project is greenlit, it’s got my immediate attention.  But nothing, maybe save for the first trailer for the Live Action Film, got me more excited than the announcement in 2024 that not only was a new GitS on the way, it would be a direct adaptation of the original Manga by Shirow Masamune.  That comes with it’s own share of challenges, mostly because the Manga has a much more laid back attitude to Section 9’s adventures and a very lazy but loveable version of Motoko Kusinagi.  Would fans who’ve never read the Manga and know GitS mainly through the far more serious Animes of the past be up for it?  As a Manga reader, I was hyped and I knew that once First Impression Fridays started back up, it had to kick off the new season.  So...how is it?
 

T5W#573-Top 5 Otakon 2026 Moments

I’ve been noticing a pattern with the Cons I go to over the last few years.  There’s an old notion among the Star Trek community that, for a long time anyway, the even number movies were the best ones (Star Trek II, IV, VI, First Contact), and the odd ones were either “Meh” or just plain bad (Star Trek III, V, Generations, Insurrection).  I bring this up cause I feel like the odd number Otakon years have been amazing while the even years are either “Ok”, “Not as good as the previous year” or sometimes straight up bad.  Otakon 2026 falls into the middle of that bunch.  I had a great time overall and was happy to be there.  It just didn’t quite hit the same heights as 2025 and there was some hotel drama that’s probably circling the message boards too.  Me personally, this one maybe isnt in my Top 5 Best Otakons ever HOWEVER there were some of the best moments from any Otakon I’ve ever been to that came from it.  Alright enough yakking.  Time for Top 5 Wednesdays annual Otakon After Action with my Top 5 Otakon 2026 Moments.