Blue Submarine No.6 Part 2 Episodes 3 & 4

Following a devastating attack from Zorndyke and his Phantom Ship, what’s left of the Blue Fleet struggles to continue ahead with their counterattack.  Stranded in the middle of the Pacific, Hayame finds himself rescued by female mutant whose life he sparred once before.  As he races to rejoin Blue Six and his comrades, Hayame begins to ask the right questions: about Zorndyke, about the war and about where this conflict may be heading, and it’s not in a good direction.  All eyes head towards Antarctica, where the final clash begins.  What will Hayame and Kino find when they breach Zorndyke’s inner sanctum and meet the madman who killed the world?

Well after such a noisy and violent cliffhanger, I expected things to calm down at the start of the second half of Blue Submarine No.6.  And really, this episode is both the series best episode as well as an example of everything wrong with it. Sure it’s no secret Blue Six and her crew survived the destruction of Blue Dome (would make a final battle a bit difficult).  But this was Hayame’s time to shine and we got some good backstory on him.  It also gave us some time to hear him think out why things have gotten so bad and why that may be.  Hayame’s conversation with the Musica (one of Zorndyke’s weaponized whales) is interesting stuff.   I feel like this would be a good two part arc in and of itself but sadly this is still a four part OVA.  And that means if a series hasn’t done a lot of explaining of giving us adequate chance to warm up to or care about its cast, it’s time to lob it all into the last episode.

And again, im left with more “why” than an actual answers: why does Kino give a crap about Hayame given how he’s treated her during the start of the series, there’s no real likeability established between them and it feels forced?  Was Zorndykes endgame really a test or was he really a lot like that hacker in Bebop who had a plan and got so old he forgot why he started it in the first place?  Besides not nuking the Antarctic and inadvertently starting another apocalypse, was anything really solved in the end?  And actually, since Zorndyke heart was literally hooked up to a doomsday machine, shouldn’t it have gone off when Hayame killed him in the end?  Like I said, more questions than answers and it all feels so horribly rushed and just thrown out there.  I get some endings to stories can be ambiguous but at the same time, you get enough info before hand to support it.  Sigh, let’s face it.  Storytelling wise, Blue Sub Six fell pretty flat.

It’s partly saved by some really nice CG animation.  We really got to see the titular sub really cut loose and we got some more fun Grampus action with Kino and Hayame at the helm.  I do have to say though, the uncut version which I watched actually has a line that I thought should’ve been replaced by the line they used in the Toonami edit.  When BS6 emerges above the Phantom Ship and Captain Iga shouts, “BURN IN HELL!!!”, sorry it’s not nearly as bad ass as “CHOKE ON THIS!!!” before his sub unleashes every torpedo it has downward and right into a wailing Velg’s command ship.  That aside, it was the finest hour of Blue Submarine No.6 (the moment, not the episode).

In the end though, good animation can only get a series so far, even an OVA.  In an OVA and a Movie, you need to do in 2 hours to 4 30-45 minute features what every TV series has 26-50 episodes of time to devote to: establishing world, characters, plot, conflict and pushing them to an endgame well worth the journey.  Macross Plus did this in spades and you didn’t really have to watch any Macross work prior to it to enjoy the hell out of it.  Blue Submarine No.6 feels like the final four episodes of an Anime who’s prior 8-22 episodes never got made.  The crew of the sub looks fun but we don’t get to spend time with em.  Katsuma and Hayame’s shared back story was begging for some extra time.  Hell I would’ve liked more of a prologue to before the planet became Waterworld.  There’s a lot to be desired and if you came to watch this OVA based on the cool visual and action scenes, you wouldn’t know you were in for a disappointment.  Even for an action Anime, it needed more. 

It was a good trip down nostalgia lane but it’s not enough to hide that Blue Submarine No.6 had problems that keep it deep beneath the bottom of the sea and nowhere near treasure.

5/10

Next week though, we’re taking a look at a supposed underrated classic.  Not exactly an anime, in fact im not sure it knew what it wanted to be.  The first and ONLY film from Square Pictures is the start of a two-part Final Fantasy movie feature to close out October.  See you next week for FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN.

The AMV Friday Cancellation

Hey everyone,

So when I logged on to blogger the other day, I got a notice that sounded very much like a warning about me using certain content for my blog.  Long story short, I’m going to have to discontinue AMV Friday’s for the time being.  It’s hard for me to find places to put up my AMVs and not get flack because of permission, rights and all that and everyone else gets to post with almost no problem.  In any case, I love this blog and don’t want to see it taken down for reasons.  Ergo, the AMV Friday feature is no more for now.  I’ll keep the other entries up unless im told to remove them but last weeks Death Note AMV will be the last one for now.

I’ll try to think of a new sub feature for Friday so I can keep content regular throughout the week.

I need a sad farewell song….how about this

 Until then, see you Monday with the conclusion of Blue Submarine No.6

T5W#8-My Sister’s Top 5 Anime Squee Moments

As the title might indicate, this weeks list was a suggestion from the little sister herself.  My sister and I have been watching Anime as far back as Dragon Ball Z on Saturday mornings.  But much like it was for me, greater love for Anime didn’t hit her until Gundam Wing.  We bonded over that show immensely and today she’s sometimes finding me new shows and movies (Soul Eater, Psycho Pass) to enjoy and occasionally I can talk her into one as well (Gundam 00).  This may have seemed like a joke at the time but I fully intended to take it seriously.  So shout out to the sis, these are her Top 5 Anime Squee Moments

 

#5-Ryo-Ohki Arrives

Throw in as much cuteness as you can and my sister will be sold on most series.  Tenchi Muyo was an odd one to see she enjoyed.  Did she really get a lot out of a warrior in training surrounded by six beautiful women, some competing for his attention?  Not sure tbh.  But she did get extremely googly eyed over the arrival of the tiny furball that was Ryo-Ohki.  A Cabit (it looks like a whiskered bunny and says MEOW) of unparalled cuteness and capable of transforming into a spaceship at will, it’s the perfect fuzzball package any girl would want.  You could snuggle with it overnight then use it to get to work the next day…just so long as it gets its carrots, like I said, part bunny.

 

#4-Ein Arrives

Anyone can love Cowboy Bebop for it simply being a totally awesome, accessible Anime for everyone.  But again, the cuteness was a draw in one regard: the data dog Welsh Korgi Ein.  His first appearance in Episode 2 upped the AWWW factor to an otherwise fun but dark series.  Ein put Korgi’s back on the map big time and im sure if my sister wanted a pet dog, that’s the one she’d go for.  Hell, she’d probably name him Ein as well.

 

#3-First Transformation of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune

Everyone loved Sailor Moon growing up, myself included.  But it was the first appearance of everyones favorite Senshi In Love Duo that threw the shows popularity into overdrive.  Not only were Uranus and Neptune the epitome of bad ass in my sisters book but they also had the best transformation sequences.  I mean just listen to that music alongside them, so fierce and elegant and a full blown announcement of plenty of ass just waiting to be kicked?  My sis is a fan of girls in Anime who can kick ass and these two set a high bar to follow.

 

#2-First Appearance of Deathsythe Hell (SPOILERS!!!)

So remember when I said my sister and I really got our Anime bonding in with Gundam Wing?  Imagine how we both felt when our favorite tool of destruction, the Gundam Deathsythe was finally destroyed by the enemy.  We were gutted to say the least.  But our sorrow didn’t last long.  My sister was practically cheering when the Gundam Deathsythe Hell was rolled out for the first time.  With a cloak of invisibility that deflected beams and a kick ass twin beam sythe, her bad boy Gundam was reborn and better than ever.  It’s taken some effort to get my sister into more Gundam and I partly blame this suit for stealing her heart.

 

#1-First Appearance of Duo Maxwell

Well if the Gundam was #2, of course the pilot is #1.  Duo Maxwell, bringer of death, destruction and a joke on the fly.  I know my sis was a fan of most of the core five pilots but I really think she would be alright if only Duo made it to the end ok.  How could you not love when this guy first appeared on the scene and unleashed his quote of bad assery, “You’ll all die.  Anyone who sees me has got a date with his maker.”  Tack on the excellent voice work of Scott McNeil and you’ve got the ponytailed pilot who makes girls swoon and thus has an eternal spot in my sisters heart.

Lots of hugs to ya little sis, keep watching Anime and sharing em with me :)

Blue Submarine No.6 Part 1 Episodes 1 & 2

In the future, one man’s disillusion with humantity has led to a global catastrophe.  The Earth is mostly underwater, with what little of humanity is left struggling to survive.  And if that wasn’t bad enough, mutant creations of the man who doomed humanity are seeking to finish what the flooding started.  The Blue Fleet, an alliance of Navy from across the globe, are all that stand between humanities salvation and annihilation.  Their flagship, Blue Submarine No.6, is at the head of the charge but it cant win without a little extra help.  Will a jaded mercenary and an idealistic rookie be what humanity needs to begin a new future? 

I can still remember when the ads first aired for Blue Submarine No.6 on Toonami ages ago.  It looked like anything unlike what I’d seen before.  The animation looked amazing, the mood felt darker than what was being aired.  It was edgy, new and waiting for me to watch it.  So how does it hold up now compared to then?

Right off the bat, the animation impresses.  Unlike some of the other titles ive covered which have featured an unbalanced mix of 3D and 2D animation (COUGH COUGH ESCAFLOWNE COUGH), Blue Sub 6 has no real problem with this.  In fact it doesn’t surprise me if the animation of this OVA was the example other future Anime followed when making the transition from hand drawn animation to digital.  The 3D scenes are a lot of fun to watch unfold.  Underwater combat is something I haven’t seen too much of in Anime, at least when it comes to submarines.  There wasn’t too much of it in these first too much but man you could feel the pounding and intensity of the missile impacts and cannon fire.  The designs of the Grampus and Blue Submarine No.6 itself aren’t too shabby either.  I love the look of the Zorndyke Phantom Ship best though.  It’s look matches it’s name.  Complete with a shroud of  spooky mist, this thing instills proper terros could easily wipe out a fleet single handidly.  In fact, why doesn’t it just do that?  It seemed to be doing just a fine job tearing through Blue Fleet’s defenses in Episode 2 with no problem.  Why does it need backup from weaponized whales (Aquaman’s crying right now?)

Cool mecha designs and impressive animation can only get a show so far.  From the get go, one thing that bothered me about the story is one burning question, Why?  Why does Blue Submarine No.6 need Hayame, why makes him so special?  What makes Blue Submarine No.6 so special to be flagship (Hayme does offer a good point that if it’s important they should lock the ship away in a vault)?  Why the hell did no one notice that Blue Sub 6 was trailing green lights right back to it’s base?  And why hasn’t Zorndyke tried that before?  Nothing is really explained in these first two episodes beyond the plan of attack for the next chapter and a little bit of Zorndyke’s displaced faith in humanity, yet he doesn’t call himself God.  And that would be ok, except for one tiny problem: this is a 4 episode OVA.  Which means if anything is going to be explained properly, it will have to be potentially frontloaded into the finale and that could be messy.  This is a far cry from the last 4 part story I tackled (Macross Plus, which ended up with a rare 10/10 from me if you’ll recall).  The story needs a Hail Mary next week to sell me on a possible solid finale.

And with Blue Fleet apparently destroyed in a “surprise” (come on, no one does a sweep for lights?)  attack from the Phantom Ship, it does beg one further question, maybe 2.  One: are we even going to get a slam bang finale of epic battleship proportions?  And Two: If Hayme is the only survivor, what the hell is he gonna do now stranded at the bottom of the ocean?  Not a bad cliffhanger, now let’s see if the show can bring it back next week. 

AMV Friday #8- The Death Note Code

Video: Death Note/Death Note 2: The Last Name

Audio: The DaVinci Code Trailer 1

(The following video is a fan based production.  All titles are property of their respective owners, please support the official release.)

It was announced recently at the end of the Death Note Live Action TV Series that a sequel was in the works to the 2006 Death Note Live Action Duology.  Do I think this is necessary? Not really but I wont judge until I see more.  In any case, figured that was a good excuse to break this one out of the vault.

 

The idea for this one was simple: The DaVinci Code is a popular novel adapted into a movie, Death Note is a popular manga adapted into two feature films…and The Da Vinci Code, which was an ok movie, has an amazing teaser trailer.  Plus, I had wanted to do a live action Death Note video for a while now.  I think that while the audio is a bit of a stretch (though Ian McKellen as L makes it work IMHO) it does a good job establishing the mystery of the Death Note and the boat loads of terror it will unleash on the world in Light Yagami’s hands.  I also think this kind of trailer should have been done long ago to set up the two film direction much like the teaser for The Matrix sequels or Kill Bill.