FIF#60-FLCL: Alternative

High school senior Kana and her best friends: Hijiri, Pets and Mossan, are content just chilling out in their hometown.  The future lies ahead but the present has their full attention and theyre going to live it up how they want.  And then she arrived; a girl with pink hair, a wacky attitude and a penchant for pulling random weapons out of peoples heads.  Haruko Haruhara has arrived and so has the future that Kana and company cant avoid forever.  No one ever said 17 was an easy year to live…especially when you’ve got giant robots coming out of your skull from another dimension.

FLCL: Alternative is set to be the third, and supposedly, final entry in the now FLCL trilogy.  Those of you who managed to catch Toonami’s April Fool’s airing of it’s first episode (in Japanese), id say you were lucky to get a glimpse of future/more FLCL (at the time, not only did I miss it but I was still unsure if more FLCL was a good idea).  Much of what little I heard about Alternative was that it was going to be a whole different beast compared to the supposed direct sequel that was FLCL: Progressive.  Well, now that Episode 1 has come and gone, what are my thoughts on the beginning of FLCL’s final chapter?

Well it certainly does feel different compared to its predecessor.  Kana and her trio of besties have a bit more of an upbeat energy compared to Naota and Hidomi.  The first half of the first episode starts very differently from Progressive.  There are no nightmare sequences, no ones running plowing into a poor kid with a moving vehicle.  Instead, we get a rather tranquil look at the life of Kana, Pets, Hijiri and Mossan.  It does feel like both a slow burn and the furthest from the FLCL vibe of past seasons.  But kind of like Progressive, this new approach helps the series premiere stand out and give a sense as to how greatly things are going to get shaken up when the crazy kicks into overdrive.

While Kana and her friends are the oldest leads thus far in FLCL, being high school seniors, they do seem to behave more like kids than Naota and Hidomi ever did.  The way Kana scoffs at teachers trying to prepare them for post high school grad life is incredibly childish and naive.  Funny enough, the others might just be humoring that world view of hers since they seem to have a sense of direction as to what they might want to do with their lives: Pets as a social media queen, Hijiri as a cute model, and Mossan as an artist.  I did enjoy most of the scenes with these girls together though.  Again, it’s a big change from the dark and brooding atmosphere of Progressive.  Sure it’s not kicking things off at warp speed like the first episode of FLCL did.  But I like the chill of it all.  It’s further helped by The Pillows continuing to provide the greatest rock tunes ever conceived even this late in the FLCL saga.

And what about our resident crazy girl Haruko?  Oh yeah, she’s back and in a big way.  It’ll be interesting to see if the events of Progressive are mentioned in Alternative because Haruko feels very different, despite her zaniness.  As much as she clearly enjoyed teasing Kana about the huge life upheavel  headed her way, she did tell Kana she could just start building her precious group rocket all over again…and not in a demeaning way.  Maybe Haruko has accepted the growth she went through in Progressive.  Or I’m just reading too much into it so soon.  To counter this, yeah, Haruko still gets to kick her fair share of ass in the premiere, with both her fists and a new guitar from Kana’s head.  One thing that stood out was Haruko’s interactions with a man who clearly knows who she is.  This guy appears to work for the same group as Amurao and I wonder if it could be him (the eyebrows do stand out even if theyre not as huge). I’ve heard a rumor he could be another familiar face…but ill stick with my own theory for now.

Overall, FLCL: Alternative takes its time with its premiere to let us hang with the four new protagonists but still lets FLCL do what it does best: crazy action with Haruko Haruhara in the drivers seat.  I liked the lightened atmosphere and the more music we get from The Pillows the better.  That said, if this is the last of FLCL, what is the grand endgame of it all and is everything going to tie together?  Or should I just shut up and enjoy one last ride with my favorite wild child and her kick ass Vespa?  If nothing else, I love the new end theme and welcome the return of mixing Anime with a live action montage of various spots in Japan.  FLCL is back, one more time.  Let’s sit back and enjoy the show.

T5W#161-Top 5 Anime Characters Who Could Take on THE PREDATOR

Predator is one of my all time favorite scifi/action films.  How can it not be?  The action is spectacular, the Predator itself is very unique and cool and, yeah, the one liners and Ahnuld still hold up and rock to this day.  Since the films debut, there have not only been sequels, a new one of which comes out this weekend, but various spin off stories seeing the alien hunter taking on pretty much all pop culture icons from Batman, to Judge Dredd, to Robocop, to even Archie (yes that’s a thing, ive never read it).  Well the Predators had its share of battle with US heroes across the spectrum…but what about the world of Anime?  Surely there are a couple of tough as nails warriors, or people with a mad death wish, willing to battle the greatest trophy hunter in the universe.  Well today im gonna pick five of them id put to the test.  So GET TO DA CHOPPA and get ready for my Top 5 Anime Characters Who Could Take on THE PREDATOR.  One minor rule: im making my choices based on challenge and uniqueness of how creative these guys could take on the Predator.  So OP characters like Saitama and Goku, aka guys who could kill the Predator in One Punch or with a planet sized fireball wont be included.

 

#5-Haruko Haruhara (FLCL)

I had to hold back from making this a guys only kind of list.  Unlike the predator franchise, Anime has plenty of girls just as bad ass as the Govenator who could give The Predator a run for his money.  In the end, I chose Haruko because, unlike most other characters on this list, she’s far more unpredictable and hard to read.  She doesn’t really have a plan that doesn’t involve smacking things around with her guitar until it just stops moving…or something pops out of its head.  And I’d die of laughter seeing The Predator get run into by Haruko’s amazing vespa scooter.

 

#4-Jubei Kibagami (Ninja Scroll)

It’s a shame we’ve never gotten a Predator prequel set in a different time period.  As Predator 2 shows us, these guys have been hunting on Earth for centuries.  So why not see the Predator take on the ultimate historical samurai warriors of the Edo period?  And what better choice than Ninja Scroll’s Jubei, the man who almost single handidly defeated seven devils, all of whom are just as tough, if not tougher, than the Predator himself.  If you ever bothered to see 2010’s Predators, you’ll no doubt remember we got one of the best fight scenes in the franchise where a Yakuza Enforcer battled a Predator with a ceremonial Katana and managed to take it out…that alone is enough proof we need way more of these battles in our lives.

 

#3-Batou (Ghost in the Shell)

It would have been easy to choose Motoko Kusinagi cause she’s the main heroine of this cyberpunk franchise.  But Batou I think is a more fun choice because he’s as close to Schwarzzeneger as you’re gonna get on this list.  He’s got a wide assortment of big guns and explosives, military training, a shotgun in his arm and plenty of wit and one liners to make the Predator feel right at home.  Also, Batou’s spent a lot of time in jungle combat (where all of the action of the first Predator took place). And maybe it’s just me but I wonder if he could find a way to use his hacking abilities to short out the Predators cloak, heat vision mask and nuke device…hey it’s a skill set, he might as well put it to some use.

 

#2-Shunya Kogami (Psycho Pass)

The second I thought about doing this list, Kogami was my first pick.  All throughout the first season of Psycho Pass, this man was able to match both mind and muscles with the best of the worst, especially his eternal rival, Shogo Makashima.  Just seeing Kogami have a workout with high level set battle android shows me he’s always preparing for the ultimate fight.  He might not be able to wax philosophies with The Predator but Kogami’s ability to adapt and outthink the most horrific killers could come be a huge advantage.  Forget the Dominator too, if I want Kogami to take down the Predator, its going to be in a no holds barred fight club cage brawl.

 

#1-Sousuke Sagara (Full Metal Panic)

The Serious Sergant has been known to plan out his battles wayyyyy far in advance.  Besides the more deadly combat he’s been in throughout the franchise, let’s not forget some of the crazier stuff Sousuke did in Full Metal Panic: Fumofuu, like steaking out a spot behind the school for five hours with a sniper rifle thinking he was being led into a duel; and he set up an insane amount of sentry guns to stop Kurtz, Shinji and Onode from peeping into the girls bath at a hotspring.  So how Sousuke would handle things isn’t unlike how Arnold plans out his final battle with the Predator in the first film with old school jungle tactics. Even without his Arm Slave, Sousuke could bring all kinds of pain against the Predator.  For further proof, just wait til I get to Full Metal Panic: Invisible Victory in the fall.  Sousuke proves there he is more than worthy of the title, “Army of One”, the perfect trophy for the Predator.

The Slayers Part 4 Episodes 15-18

With a price on their heads, Lina, Gourry and Amelia make their way to Syraag, and supposedly to whoever put said bounty on their heads.  But the road is long and treacherous.  And with every town on the lookout for them, it means the Slayers aren’t getting any money (or food) any time soon.  There’s no greater threat to the balance of nature than a hungry and broke Lina Inverse.  From fake weddings to stage plays to a mission to exterminate a Sea Dragon, there isn’t much the Slayers are willing to turn down to reach their destination.  And boy are they in for a shock when the true mastermind behind their recent troubles is finally revealed.

This weeks set of episodes is kind of what I expected Slayers to be from the very beginning: various stand alone adventures with tiny hints at a larger plot brewing.  Don’t get me wrong, the first half of the series keeping things more connected wasn’t bad at all.  And while the final destination of the second half of the season might be in sight, the bulk of this weeks episodes, much like last week, were about the journey, not the destination.  Things did get a little repetitive early on, hell even Lina made a comment about the endless attacks by bounty hunters galore.  But there was plenty of fun to be had as well.  After all, even when it’s not on it’s A Game, Slayers is still a show about fun.

There were three stand alone adventures this week that sort of followed the same format in the beginning but still did enough to stand out overall.  Lina being forced into a wedding was fun if only to see Lina in a wedding dress.  Somehow I doubt even an actual marriage for Lina would happen without her blowing something up.  The play reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically the episode where Team Avatar sees a Fire Nation play about their exploits and how wrongly theyre portrayed.  Of course it’s no surprise everyone views Lina as a monster except for Lina herself, which made it all the more entertaining.  My favorite part though was when Lina and Gourry used the final play to their advantage to take down Zangulus and Vrumugun.  Zangulus definitely seemed right at home on a stage…Vrumugun is still as dull as ever so whatever, forget him.  Lastly, we had Lina and Amelia dress up Gourry to look like Usagi Tsukino in order to sneak through a town and defeat a Sea Dragon before they could reach their final destination.  Poor Gourry.  Not only did he get hit on by a hulking swordsman but the same guy also proposed marriage…huh two marriages in one set of episodes, weird.

Things picked up again once we got to Syraag.  Finally, it was time for answers.  And just who did put out the bounty on Lina and Gourry?  Another sorceress named Eris, who is a disciple of Rezo the Red Priest.  Not gonna lie…that feels kind of underwhelming.  If anything, I feel like Eris should have been built up a bit more besides the teeny mentions to her then undefined character by Zangulus and Vrumugun.  Nothing really made her stand out besides her skimpy outfit.  However, this meant we could finally get a true, no holds barred showdown between The Slayers and Team Rezo. Zangulus and Vrumugun’s defeats were both epic, though im not positive Verumugun’s dead cause apparently he can copy himself.  And who did Vrumugun in?  ZEL!!! Hell yes, my man Zelgadis is back and now Team Slayers is complete (also he’s got Crispin Freeman debuting as his longtime voice, so this is even more momentous).

Unfortunately (and I mean this in a good way actually), Zel wasn’t the only returning face….yeah Rezo’s alive.  I should be questioning and denying this return out right but man, a chill ran down my spine when he spoke and emerged.  I know I ragged on Rezo a bit in the first half of the season cause his goals were overkill.  That’s actually why im excited to see him back, this seems like a possible do over (even if he’s probably an impersonator or even a clone).  In any case, Rezo’s return was a big cliffhanger to end an uneven but fun week of Slayers antics.  We’ll see where this heads next week right here on the Gundam Anime Corner.

T5W#160-Top 5 Thoughts and Theories on FLCL: Alternative

Like a lot of people, im sure, I was skeptical when Toonami and Production I.G. announced the creation of not one but two new seasons of FLCL.  You all know how I feel about the original first season…it’s perfect (change my mind).  So why try to expand it even a teeny bit, much less tell two totally new tales?  Well, 2018 has been the year of FLCL’s big return.  FLCL: Progressive dropped back in June.  While not quite the classic the original will be forever hailed, Progressive did tell it’s own zany tale of insanity that is adolescence.  I ended up giving it an 8/10 (you can also check out the review in full here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/flcl-progressive.html).  But that was only the first of the two new seasons.  A full trailer for FLCL: Alternative dropped a couple of weeks back and now, after watching it a few times, im ready to talk about it and get prepped for it’s arrival in September.  Some of these thoughts might be rehashes of another Top 5 I did before Progressive debuted, so apologies if im repeating myself, or expanding on those thoughts (you can also review that Top 5 right here: http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2018/06/t5w147-top-5-thoughts-going-into-flcl.html).  Rambling done, let’s get to my Top 5 Thoughts and Theories on FLCL: Alternative.

#5-Oldest Cast Yet

Right off the bat, the one of the most notable reveals of the Alternative trailer is the quote, “Let’s be real, we’ve only been alive 17 years.”  The quartet of female leads would scoff at what im about to say but it’s true: These are the oldest leads in FLCL to date.  Naota in Season 1 was in Middle School and Hidomi and Ide were just starting High School.  Im wondering if this means we’re going to get some more adult themes than ever before, one or two of them are trying to act more provocative (and only one might have the hots for a teacher…just a guess).  Andyet they do seem to act more like children than any of those other three, living life to the fullest while bemoaning the fact that life is still ahead of them.  Boy are they in for a shock when Haruko crashes into their perfect world.  “17 has arrived.  Life cant wait forever,” she says.

#4-Feels more like the Original FLCL

Sure the main quartet (sorry I don’t know any bodys names yet) might be more childlike but the vibe of FLCL Alternative once the action gets going feels much closer to the free spirited Season One rather than the darker tone of FLCL Progressive.  From the over the top action with Haruko taking on monsters with a new guitar (MOMMA LIKES!!!) and even her own fists, to the nods to other popular anime like Akira, Alternative seems more in Season One’s vein of entertainment from the glimpses in this trailer.  That could be a good and a bad thing.  The unfamiliar territory feel from Progressive worked in that seasons favor and helped it stand out.  However, it also at times felt less like the FLCL many fell in love with and it sometimes struggled to stay fun while doing its own thing.  Alternative seems to be taking the opposite approach but we still have to see what exactly does go down.  One thing is certain, the theme from The Pillows used in the trailer shows that the band still has plenty of goodness leftover from Progressive to give us a slam dunk third outing.

#3-Black Contee…and BUMBLEBEE??

Well Contee is back…sort of.  We catch a glimpse of the clumsy bad ass robot landing in battle similar to how he landed behind Naota in equally epic fashion in Season One.  But later on, we see Haruko sliding into battle with several other Black Contee’s standing and lying about.  Will this be a bit of a follow up to Contee’s battered state in FLCL Progressive?  Also, im sliding in that the main leader of that girl quartet (and probably the main character of Alternative, which makes two females leads for two series, awesome), is definitely piloting her own robot…which looks veeeeery similar to the design of Autobot Bumblebee from the live action Transformers movies.  Here’s hoping she can make that thing kick more ass than Movie Bumblebee ever could.

#2-Is This a Prequel?

I have been thinking about this since I saw the end credits sequence for FLCL Progressive (which it may or may not share with FLCL Alternative).  During the montage of casts towards the end, we see the cast of Alternative first, followed by Season One and finally Progressives cast.  It is a bit of a stretch but I wonder if Alternative might end up being a prequel to the first season.  I had heard a while back that Progressive was always meant to be a follow up to Season One while Alternative was going to be something totally different.  Well given how the art style looks the same and Haruko and Contee are back in their own way, im wondering if anything left over from Progressive will be explored…and if anything for Alternative will bring things full circle to Season One.

#1-If it’s not a Prequel, How Does it All Connect?

I’ve been asking this since the day this dual project was first announced.  Naturally, haruko is the main connective tissue between all three stories but are we going to see FLCL, FLCL: Progressive and FLCL: Alternative all cross each other by the end of Alternative? Besides one character in Progressive having a tenuous connection to a main player in Season One, no one else other than Haruko and Contee appeared.  What about Naota and Mamimi, what have they been up to and is Haruko checking in on her precious “Ta-Kun”?  What about Hidomi and Ide, is there story truly done, are either of them related to Naota?  Crap could Alternative be wayyyy down the road (if it’s not a prequel) and some of these girls are the offspring of that blossoming couple?  In the end, this might not matter at all and FLCL just wants to do something different and unconnected with three separate tales.  That wouldn’t surprise me.  FLCL does what it does best when you have no idea what to expect in the end.

The Slayers Part 3 Episodes 10-14

As darkness descends across the land and monsters of all sorts rise up to attack humanity, Lina Inverse, Gourry and Zelgadis are the last line of defense.  Against all odds they must face the Demon Lord Shabranigdo and defeat him once and for all.  Here’s hoping the country side has a sizeable reward for such a huge job.  And what will the Slayers do IF they survive Shabranigdo?  Well bringing down such a legendary menace would make them popular…for both hero worshipers and bounty hunters alike.  Old friends part ways, new allies force their way in and everyone looking to make a quick buck on Lina and Gourry’s head pop out of the woodwork.  Looks like there’s no rest for the Slayers in sight.

I stand by what I said last week.  With all the build up til now, the episode that kicked off this set of episodes could have easily been the season finale of The Slayers.  It was do or die time against Shabranigdo and nothing, NOTHING was working, even Gourry’s sword.  The tension was dialed up and it made everything both appropriately dire and exciting.  So was it all worth it in the end?  Definitley.  The first half of The Slayers finished out the Rezo/Shabranigdo arc with flying colors.  There was even an attempt to explain why the Demon Lord was sealed behind Rezo’s eyes.  Apparently, he was an evil essence passed down from generation to generation until he was finally unlocked.  Take that for what you will or the bit that Rezo was able to pull some of his soul back to help in the final battle.  In the end, Lina Inverse get’s the MVP award for a Sword/Genki Dama style combo.  The Giga Slave looked like an attack that could easily have backfired if Lina’s all wasn’t in it.  I especially liked that her hair turned white as a result, a sign that it does take a toll on her.  Even more surprising was Shabranigdo giving Lina and her friends all due respect for defeating him…you don’t see too much of that when villains bite it.

So when all that was over, what’s next?  How are they going to fill 13 more episodes of series?  Well you start a new quest of course.  Although, there’s both Pros and Cons to this.  I’ll start with the Pros.  The last few episodes leading to the Shabranigdo fight had been the most serious yet, even with a random joke thrown in.  So it’s not a bad thing to return to the happy go lucky vibe of the beginning of the series, lighten things up.  It provided plenty of fun and hilarious stand alone scenarios (which I kind of expected from the very beginning until the main Rezo plot began running throughout).  From battling bounty hunters to exorcising a town of ghosts, Lina and Gourry were never short on danger and hilarity.  After all, this is a show where one second you’re watching a life or death struggle with Demon Lord, the next you’re watching a bounty hunter trying to lure a hungry Lina and Gourry into a trap…holding chicken while dressed as KFC’s Colonel Sanders.  Speaking of bounty hunters, Lina and Gourry have rivals now: another wizard/swordsman duo Vrumugun and Zangulus.  Vrumugun is boring…seriously he has zero personality and might as well be a block of wood who just happens to have magic that can somewhat match Lina (sounds like a Con more than a Pro but it is).  Zangulus, however, is great.  He’s a match for Gourry’s sword but is a bumbling delight who just cant seem to find any good luck catching his prey.  If it were just Zangulus going after Lina and Gourry, this new development would be better.

Then we have the Cons of this new arc.  Sadly, Zelgadis parted ways after the defeat of Rezo/Shabranigdo and that sucks.  He’s easily been one of the best and most likeable characters on the show and ill miss his comradere with both Lina and Gourry (but more so Lina cause I do ship them).  In his place, we get Amelia…who starts off fine but grows increasingly irritable.  Amelia is a “justice junkie” OR as Lina puts it, “a looney hero worshiper….a short sized sorceress in training.”  And she views Lina as the ultimate teacher (boy is she in for a disappointment).  And her first couple of episodes are ok.  Amelia plays well off of her dad, Prince Phil, and she does get some fun rageful reactions out of Lina pretty much all the time.  It’s when the gang gets to Seyruun and we discover someone has put a bounty on Lina and Gourry’s heads (which leads to Zangulus and Vrumugun’s intro).  Amelia IMMEDIETLY switches sides and declares Lina and Gourry are villains who must be punished.  Wow, Gourry’s level of dumb has been topped.  To be honest, im surprised Lina is letting her tag along.  There’s legit proof that Amelia will believe anything and if she’s told Lina is a bad guy again, what’s to stop the same thing from happening?  I cant believe we traded my favorite character in Slayers (Zelgadis…tied with Lina) for my least favorite (Amelia).  Seriously, she’s gonna need to make a big comeback to get into my good graces again.

While fun was had this week for sure, I will say that the levity of the stand alone does give way to the fact that there’s no clear indicator to where things are going.  Yeah someone put a bounty on Lina but that’s all the mystery we’ve gotten so far.  Maybe I’m nitpicking that as im having fun watching the journey but I’ll always wonder what the final destination is going to be and who will be the next big bad to close out the season.  If nothing else, can I please have Zelgadis back?  Guess we’ll just have to wait and see where this all goes.  The journey continues next week.  See ya then everyone.