T5W#587-Top 5 Anime Inspirations in Avatar: Seven Havens (Spoilers)

The Spirits of Aang and Korra are strong with this one.  Avatar: Seven Havens just wrapped it’s first season a couple weeks back and it is easily one of the best Avatar anythings I’ve seen in a while, a near perfect 10 of a debut.  And with the show confirmed to run for four total seasons (all of which have been greenlit), the journey of Pavi and Nisha is only just getting started.  I’m sure many have noticed throughout the Avatar franchise just how many nods it gives to the world of Anime from how its action is depicted to chibified humorous exaggerated expressions. There’s so much Anime in Avatar’s lifeblood many have referred to The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra as American Made Anime, a la Teen Titans.  Whatever the case, Seven Havens continues this tradition of Anime-ing up the fun with visual call backs and even direct homages to Anime classics throughout the ages.  On today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m gonna pick out the Top 5 Anime Inspirations in Avatar: Seven Havens I noticed while looking at Season One. 

 
Oh and if you didn’t pick up on the full title above: THIS WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR MOST OF SEASON 1!!!!!  Plus, this is one of the Best Shows of 2026 so you should be watching it anyway, Avatar fan or not…so do that if you haven’t then come back and read.  Ok? Ok. 
 

Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion

A massive fireball falls to Earth, bringing with it a new enemy.  They are numerous, they are dangerous, they are the Legion and nothing humanity tires can stop them.  But one has heard humanities cries and has come to its aid once more: Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe.  Joined by allies both old and new, Gamera charges into battle once more against an army that might just be able to overwhelm his mighty powers.  Will the strength of Gamera be enough to protect the Earth once more?

With Godzilla temporarily off the board in the mid 90s, Gamera had a chance to reinvent himself for the new era of Kaiju filmmaking.  The end result was a solid if kind of standard reintroduction of the classic Turtle giant with Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.  It didn’t rewrite any rules but was fun enough to show Godzilla wasn’t the only star of the medium who deserved your attention.  Too bad that solid start to this new trilogy of movies takes a significant nosedive in Gamera 2.  Instead of following all of the most basic of sequel rules, Gamera 2 opts to go with a very colvoluted plot covered in science gobbledygook for the sake of…hell I don’t know.  But hey, the monster action kind of makes up for it, even surpassing the heights reached by the previous film.  So it’s not a total loss but it’s a pretty big blow to Gamera nonetheless. 
 

FIF#271-Avatar: Seven Havens

200 years after Avatar Korra brought about a global cataclysm, the world has rebuilt but lives in fear of the Avatars return.  A pair of twins living in Ellora City, one of the Seven Havens, Pavi and Nisha, discover they are both Korra’s successors: the first twin Avatars.  Hunted by humans and spirits alike, Pavi and Nisha must discover the truth behind their origins and ban together to save the Seven Havens from the possible threat of another apocalyptic event. 

 
It’s been quite the year for the Avatar franchise in 2026.  The Second Season of the Netflix Series actually learned many lessons to become far stronger than it’s first.  And while it’s criminal it didn’t get a theatrical release, the fact that we got to see Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, is miracle enough and it was awesome.  Which brings us to the next chapter of the Avatar saga and one that I’m sure is gonna divide fans on a number of levels.  Which is a shame because yeah some of the setup is head scratching but if the first episode is anything to go by, this could be one of the best entries yet to the Avatar saga.  
 

FIF#270-Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?

Takuya Seo is a shy Otaku who seems destined to enjoy his favorite passions alone.  One day, he learns one of the most popular girls in his class, Kei Amane, is a secret Otaku too.  Not only that, her best friend, Kotoko Ichiji, is just as curious about their weird but fun looking interest.  Before Takuya realizes it, he has become friends with two of the most beautiful and popular girls in his school.  It’s a dream come true for the isolated Otaku who has long for friendship and it isnt long before Amane and Ichiji warm to Takuya’s kindness and end up falling for the oblivious Otaku at the same time.

 
While Smoking Behind the Supermarket with You has attracted all kinds of attention for it’s wholesome and honest romance with real world understanding, I’m surprised todays First Impression subject hasn’t gotten as much buzz, if not more.  If you think about it, the basic setup of Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku is eerily similar to another megahit romance Anime, My Dress Up Darling, right down to the leads being from “different worlds” and one falling more in love with the other.  There are even two absolute sweethearts who could be clones of Marin Kitagawa herself?  So I ask again: Why does it feel like this one is getting stiffed and left out in the cold this year when it’s this good?
 

T5W#586-Top 5 Godzilla Movies I’ve Still Gotta Cover in Future Godzilla Months

Well Dear Readers, November is upon us once more and you know what that means: Godzilla Month Returns.  Ever since Godzilla Minus One came out in 2023, I’ve been keeping every November clear for nothing but cheesy Kaiju action from the King of the genre.  After four years, I’ve still got a fair amount of Showa and Hesei Era Godzilla films to check out and review.  Think there’s enough for two more of these special events at least.  So which of these remaining flicks am I most excited to pick apart and in a couple of cases experience for the first time?  Well with Godzilla Month V in full swing and Godzilla Minus Zero stomping its way stateside on Friday, we’re looking ahead to the future of the King of the Monsters time at the Anime Corner on todays’ Top 5 Wednesday with the Top 5 Godzilla Movies I’ve Still Gotta Cover in Future Godzilla Months.

 

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Beneath the seas of Japan, something is stirring, something big.  At the same time, a series of violent attacks from bird like creatures rip across the region.  As scientists and military scramble for a response, one force is already coming to face it head on.  His name is Gamera and his has awoken to face the threat of the creature known as Gyaos.  It’s the rebirth of a rivalry dating back millennia and Gamera is the only thing standing between an invasion of Gyaos and the survival of the planet.

Godzilla’s fiery 90s swan song in Godzilla vs. Destroyah left a massive Kaiju sized hole to be filled in the hearts of fans who were still thriving for more Kaiju carnage.  Well with Godzilla off the board for the time being, the next best candidate for a good old fashioned new 90s coat of paint was Gamera, the flying turtle who was friend to the children throughout the 60s and 70s.  He may not have the same extensive resume as his spiritual cousin, but Gamera still comes roaring and smashing into the 90s with a brand new reboot powered by all the magic of Hesei era visual effects.  It may feel a bit bog standard but in terms of reintroducing Gamera to the world, it’s not bad by any stretch.
 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II

To prepare for the inevitable return of Godzilla, the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasure Center uses the remains of Mecha King Ghidorah to construct the ultimate weapon capable of killing the King of the Monsters: Mechagodzilla.  And theyre about to get their chance to use it when a newborn Baby Godzilla is found and brought to Japan.  Godzilla’s not leaving without his son and will destroy everything to get him back.  Will Mechagodzilla be enough to halt Godzilla’s renewed assault on the world?

After the successful two punch resurrection of two of Godzilla’s most iconic foes (King Ghidorah and Mothra), Toho continues the Heisei saga with another heavy hitter in his Metallic Doppleganger.  But Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II has more surprises in store beyond the title fight with the return of another familiar Godzilla foe and a second attempt at a much hated Godzilla concept.  Theres even a human plotline worth investing in amongst the sea of useless Human characters.  With all that immediate praise, is this the Hesei Era Godzilla at its best?
 

Ghost Stories (Complete Series Review)

Satsuki Miyansoshita and her little brother, Keichiro, have just moved to their mothers hometown.  Turns out their deceased Mom used to be a pretty big spiritual deal in this town: specializing in exorcising or putting Demons and Ghosts to spiritual sleep.  But construction around the town has woken most of these supernatural threats and they have a bone to pick with Satsuki and Keichiro.  Together with a pervert with a heart of gold, a supernatural fanboy and a born again Christian, Satsuki will have to embrace her destiny as her mothers successor and put these spooks back to sleep for good.

Happy Halloween from the Gundam Anime Corner Everyone!!!!
 
Dubbing Anime is a job not to be taken lightly.  Before it used to be about appealing to the kids market and censoring everything that resulted in a loss of identity for the property in question.  Nowadays, dubbing is mostly treated with reverence and respect (mostly, not every dub is a winner).  Ghost Stories is an interesting case.  From what I’ve learned there were only a few rules for ADV Films taking on the project: no character or monster names were to be changed and it had to stay at least somewhat faithful to the original shows overall feel.  Other than that, ADV was allowed to go nuts with the dialogue and the end result truly is the stuff of legends.  Is it the masterpiece lost to time many have built it up to be?  Or is it a disgrace that deserves an exorcism of it’s own?
 

FIF#269-Another

Koichi Sakakibara has just started school at Yomiyama North Middle School, joining Class 3-3.  What he doesn’t know is that this class has been cursed for over 25 years now after the death of a popular girl named Misaki in 1972. Now, each member of the class is a potential candidate for a horrific death and no one can escape it.  As Koichi delves into this mystery, he teams with the mysterious Mei Misaki, who may hold the key to breaking the curse once and for all…or ensuring Koichi joins his doomed classmates.

 
Since it’s the day before Halloween, figured I’d give todays FIF a bit of a scarier subject to check out.  Another has an interesting relationship with the Anime community.  I vaguely remember it being one of the most talked about titles when it dropped for it’s grizzly violent deaths that would make you think Light Yagami and his Death Note had a hand in them.  Factor in a girl with an eyepatch who everyone thinks is cute and you’d think this would be a title still largely discussed with the same reverence as Perfect Blue.  Whatever it’s current standing, I decided to brave the first episode to see what all the fuss was about with Another.  And…it’s ok, not a bad start at least.
 

T5W#585-Top 5 Most Unexpected Otakon 2026 Cosplays

Well it’s that time again Dear Readers.  With Halloween just around the corner it’s time to jump back in time a few months to highlight some more awesome cosplays from my favorite con of the year.  This year, however, we’re doing something a bit different.  A lot of the cosplays that make my lists come not just from how well they’re crafted but how they stand out, how out of left field the choices are.  Ergo, the more obscure the better.  And this year, the obscure was everywhere.  I didn’t get a photo but when I learned someone was doing a photoshoot as a character from Code Lyoko of all things, I had no idea that wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.  So for this years Cosplay Halloween centric Top 5 Wednesday, I’m looking at the wildest, most eye popping cosplays of characters from things you would never expect to see at a con, much less Otakon.  These are my Top 5 Most Unexpected Otakon 2026 Cosplays.

Street Fighter (2026)

Ryu and Ken Masters.  Once inseparable brothers of the fist, now sent on different paths after the death of their Master.  Those paths have reunited them at the Second World Warrior Tournament, hosted by the maniacal M. Bison.  For some, it’s a matter of honor.  For others, it’s a matter of proving who is the strongest.  For Ken and Ryu, it’s about settling old scores and confronting the past that drove them apart.  Together, they answer the call to see who will be crowned the world champion Street Fighter.

Something about the way the new Street Fighter movie was marketed got me right away.  It didn’t look like a generic but goofy 90s action vehicle for Jean Claude Van Damme or a far too serious to be taken seriously Dark Knight wanna be with a terrible Chun Li.  The trailers looked colorful, humorous and unafraid to embrace the craziness of Capcoms’ legendary fighter.  The end product certainly is all of that and when you switch your brain off, it is a great time.  Putting it up against most recent Video Game adaptations though, you can tell Street Fighters heart and energy is in the right place.  It’s just a shame the script is in desperate need of a few rewrites that keep it from a perfect Round 1.

FIF#268-Lord of Mysteries

Suddenly plucked from his world, young Zhou Mingrui finds himself transported into the body of the recently deceased Klien Moretti, who has been resurrected thanks to Zhou’s arrival.  In this world, those who hold power to rival the Gods are called Beyonders.  As Klien, Zhou discovers he might be one of these all powerful beings and is at the center of a race to prevent the return of forces the Beyonders have been struggling to battle against for ages.  To return home, Zhou must unravel of the mystery of Kleins tragic demise and unlock a power greater than either could ever have imagined.

 
Oh boy. Won’t lie, I picked this one a random with zero knowledge of what it was about.  And it’s rare that I say this but I think coming out of the first episode I now know less than I already did…which was nothing.  What looked like a cool, bloody, horror centric action romp proves to be something almost as intimidating and impenetrable as Fate/Stay Night.  That said, Fate/Stay Night at least can explain the rules of its world and how it works in basic terms that allow viewers to jump in and try to keep up.  Can’t say the same about Lord of Mysteries.  The name of it’s game is in the title and it is not a fun mystery at all.
 

T5W#584-Top 5 Hottest Sailor Moon Villainesses

Usagi Tuskino and her fellow Sailor Senshi may be some of the most glamorous Magical Girls in all of Anime but some of the Monsters and major Villains they face off with aren’t slouches either.  For every fang bearing demon from Hell, there’s a gorgeous as all get out deceptress who can more than easily tempt any soul to the dark side.  With Halloween just around the corner, this weeks Top 5 Wednesday is looking at the alluring Witches, Temptresses and Sirens who can haunt our dreams any time of day from the wide world of Sailor Moon.  These are the Top 5 Hottest Sailor Moon Villainesses.

Street Fighter IV: The Ties that Bind

The peace brought about by the fall of Shadaloo quickly disappears when several powerful fighters from around the world begin to vanish without a trace.  Chun Li, Guile and Cammy’s search for answers leads them to an inevitable conclusion: Ryu is the primary target of this series of abductions.  A new evil is rising to take Shadaloo’s place and Ryu’s dark powers are the key to their success.  Once more, Ryu, Ken and their allies step into the ring to test their strength against this threat.  But this is only the beginning.

Street Fighter IV: The Ties that Bind is a special bonus feature that came with Special Editions of the SFIV Video Game at launch and is meant to be an animated prequel to the games main story.  Why these couldn’t have just been integrated into the game as Anime cutscenes, I don’t know.  At the same time though, even though I haven’t played a lot of SFIV, I’m glad these aren’t in the game.  The Ties that Bind is an absolutely boring, tedious and lackluster primer for a game that just lets you get to the nitty, gritty, right away like any proper fighting game should.  Seriously, if you never got a copy of the game with this with it, you’re not missing much.
 

FIF#267-Hades Project Zeorymer

15 years ago, the Tekkoryu created eight giant robots called Hakkeshu, as instruments for their plans of world domination.  On the verge of victory, a traitor destroyed most of the Hakkeshu and stole an unfinished model: Zeorymer of the Heavens.  Now, the Tekkoryu have repaired their mechanized army and are hellbent on revenge and seeing their dreams of conquest fulfilled.  Only Masato Akitsu and Miku Himuro, stand in their way, destined to pilot the Zeorymer together in the ultimate battle for the fate of planet Earth.

 
Zeorymer seems like one of those edgy, late 80s mecha titles that would fit right at home on a Blockbuster Anime shelf with a “Not for Kids” sticker on the front cover.  Heck, the only reason I even discovered it was because I was wandering a local store and found the complete collection in the Anime section and thought “Well I haven’t bought anything new in a while and together it’s only like $20 so why not?”  It looks like a run of the mill Mecha Anime during arguably the genre’s golden age of the late 80s/early 90s, complete with all that excess and extremeness fans love to see in OVAs like this.  So, is the first episode any good? 
 

T5W#583-Top 5 Best Lines from Street Fighter 1994

Well the legends were true on this one: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li really is one of the worst video game adaptations of all time.  It’s wants people to take it way too seriously, critically miscasts usually (mostly) good actors and worst of all, it isnt fun in the slightest.  Now, the same cant be said for the 1994 Jean Claude Van Damme action classic.  Oh it’s still a terrible movie but it’s one that can truly be classified as “so bad, it’s good”.  Part of the reason for this is the dialogue.  Whether played straight or fully acknowledging the silliness of how it sounds, the 94 movie has so many quotable lines that it helps make up for the lack of faithfulness to the source material or any kind of Street Fighting.  With the new movie about to drop this weekend (the review will be up at the end of the month), today on Top 5 Wednesday, I’m cherry picking my picks for the Top 5 Best Lines from Street Fighter 1994.  How many of them will be M. Bison quotes? Read on to find out.

 

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li

After witnessing the destruction of her family at the hands of the villainous M. Bison, Martial Arts prodigy Chun Li begins a mission of revenge.  It is a journey that will take her into the heart of an international conspiracy, bring her face to face with mystic arts and legends, and see her battle ferocious enemies all looking to claim her head.  At the end of this road is Bison himself.  This is where the Legend begins.

Of all the characters in the Street Fighter pantheon, Chun Li is easily one of the most obvious to build a solo movie around.  This beautiful warrior Goddess has been one of the greatest and most recognizable gaming icons in history, beloved by gamers and non gamers worldwide.  Given her rich history and extensive combat resume, the kinds of crazy adventures and fight scenes you could pull off could be amazing.  But clearly no one was thinking about any of that when it came to Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li.  They just thought, “Hey let’s use Chun Li” and that was it.  I may not be as up on my Street Fighter lore as I am Mortal Kombat but this is not how you should be handling a Chun Li led movie.  In fact it’s not how you should be handling any movie at all…like ever.
 

FIF#266-Street Fighter: The Animated Series

When the evil organization Shadaloo threatens world peace, that’s when they are called upon.  Led by the valiant Col. Guile, they are a hand picked group of the greatest fighters from across the globe.  Different fighting styles, different philosophies, same dedication to protecting the planet from the evil plans of Dictator M. Bison.  When the world is in danger, the world turns to them, the elite fighting peace keeping unit known as Street Fighter.

 
Back in the 90s, the new video game boom from NES to SNES to Sega meant that a new generation of animated series based on popular titles was a must.  Mario, Mega Man, Donkey Kong, there was no shortage of choices…and most of them weren’t great or at the bare minimum were simply shows for kids.  Case in point, today’s FIF on Street Fighter: The Animated Series which came out in the wake of the 94 movie.  You probably know this one from the famous M. Bison meme where he goes “YES!!!” But oh man, there’s so much more badness abound in the first episode alone.  There’s very good reasons why you don’t hear about this one talked about in the Street Fighter community.
 

T5W#582-Top 5 Biggest Takeaways from the Season 3 Premiere of The Apothecary Diaries

Well it is about damn time.  It really has felt like almost a year and a half since we last saw everyones sassy, logical and all around bad ass Apothecary, Maomao.  But the wait is finally over: Season 3 of The Apothecary Diaries has begun.  And it has wasted no time teeing up things for a bigger season that is actually going to be split in half with Part 1 airing this Fall and Part 2 airing in the Spring, with the Apothecary Diaries Movie releasing in between them at Christmas.  In the here and now, the Third Season Premiere has a lot of questions and notable status quo changes, not to mention some lingering after effects from the end of Season Two.  Today on Top 5 Wednesday, we’re gonna get into some of the Season Premeire’s finer details as we look at the Top 5 Biggest Takeaways from the Season 3 Premiere of The Apothecary Diaries.

Street Fighter (1994)

The world is in peril as Dictator M. Bison and his warriors prepare for the ultimate conquest.  Standing in their way is a team of underdog fighters from all corners of the Earth.  Each have their own unique way of fighting and each has been drawn into the war to stop Bison.  Leading them, Elite Special Forces Colonel Guile, who has his own score to settle with Bison.  The stage is set.  The players have been chosen.  The ultimate battle to save the world begins.

In the hallowed halls of Live Action Video Game Adaptations, you have your true legends like the Sonic the Hedgehog Movies and the Mortal Kombat reboot.  Then you have your bottom barrel dregs like Super Mario Bros and any Uwe Boll movie.  Street Fighter lies in a bit of a middle ground.  As an adaptation, it’s flat out terrible.  However, if you’re looking for an unintentionally hilarious action comedy, it might just hit the spot.  Because despite it’s lack of understanding of the source material, woeful misrepresentations of an iconic cast and not very well choreographed action lies a so bad its good gem that somehow overcomes its shortcomings to be a good time if youre ok with turning your brain off.