T5W#292-Top 5 Things To Know Going into Rurouni Kenshin: The Final

Late last week, we got a brand new trailer for the return of everyones favorite Rurouni, Kenshin Himura, to the big screen for one last showdown with his past.  After being delayed over a year due to the global pandemic, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is set to drop at the end of April and the new trailer gives us our best look at whats to come yet and it looks like it will certainly live up to its “Final” moniquer.  Could this indeed be Kenshin’s final battle and the last time we’ll see him in live action form?  Well maybe, maybe not.  It has been a while since we’ve seen the former Battosai in any form, particularly live action.  So for this weeks Top 5 Wednesday, I’m gonna get you caught up on what’s happened and a couple of tiny tidbits of what’s to come for Team Kenshin in about a month.  These are the Top 5 Things To Know Going into Rurouni Kenshin: The Final. 

Appleseed (1988 OVA)

In the wake of World War III, the city of Olympus has risen from the ashes.  Here, survivors can find a new beginning and form a peaceful society alongside the half human/half cyborg workforce known as Bioroids.  This perfect setting isn’t for everyone and there are those who would see it burned to the ground.  Standing in their way are Deunan Knute and her cyborg partner Briareos Hecatonchires.  Both are veterans of the war and have brought their expertise to the Olympus Police Department.  They are the only thing standing in the way of one disillusioned citizens quest for revenge and the fall of their new Eden.

Appleseed, created by Shirow Masamune, is a cyber punk dystopian series that is often lost in the shadow of its far more famous sibling, Ghost in the Shell.  Most people might know Appleseed from it’s trilogy of CG Anime films directed by Shinji Aramaki (the man who is currently co-directing the rather devisive new season of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex).  So it’s ok to admit you might not know there’s a super random Appleseed OVA feature from the late 80s, predating GitS’ first foray into Anime.  But there’s good reasons why you’ve never heard of this particular feature.  If you didn’t know the title was part of a larger franchise that didn’t kick off until the early 2000’s, the Appleseed OVA would just look like another generic hyperviolent scifi action romp that is terrible and forgettable on almost every level.

Bubblegum Crash

One year later, Megatokyo still stands but crimes involving Boomers still run rampant.  While the AD Police are trying to keep up with them, the Knight Sabers remain missing.  However, when a group of mercenaries turned thieves begin tearing up the city in next generation mech suits, Sylia reunites Priss, Linna and Nene for a new battle.  The Knight Sabers have been reborn but something else has been reborn behind the darkness of the city.  With new armor and weapons, will the sexy defenders of Megatokyo be ready for the fight of their lives?

I mentioned how Bubblegum Crisis felt like a cancelled series that probably still had some episodes left unaired.  Bubblegum Crash arrived only a few short months after BGCs cancellation and truth be told, I don’t know the full story as to why this is, or why it has a new title.  This new OVA does the job it sets out to do, tie up all the loose ends and resolve all the unresolved character arcs left over from the unfinished Crisis project.  Guess what though?  It not only makes the same mistakes as BGC, it makes whole new ones as well. 

Bubblegum Crisis Part 4 Episodes 7-8

Even with their greatest nemesis down for the count, the Knight Sabers aren’t getting much time to rest.  When a world renowned Rock Star arrives in Japan, the last thing anyone expects is for her to arrive with a vendetta against a Genom executive…and the Knight Sabers are forced to stand in her way.  Meanwhile, Nene’s double life catches up with her when a young and eager reporter catches a glimpse of her in battle with the girls.  Will Nene’s folly lead to the exposure of the Knight Sabers and possibly break up the team?

As some of you readers might know, when it comes to US Television broadcasts, the lifespan of certain shows can be healthy (4-6 seasons), unhealthy (however long NCIS or Law and Order SVU have been on at this point), or just terminated without warning (1 season or half of one).  Just because a series has a successful pilot episode and gets picked up for a full season order, doesn’t mean itll succeed entirely.  And on occasion, a show will be outright cancelled before its season order is even completed, leaving some episodes unaired or unfinished.  I bring all of this up because I feel this is definitely the case for Bubblegum Crisis.  The setup is one that works and the first episode did show off the glitz and glam of the Cyberpunk infused Megatokyo as well as the kick ass charm of the Knight Sabers.  But after that, everything went downhill when it came to story and characters.  Like I said about OVAs last time, beautiful presentations can only get you but so far when the story cant back up the visuals.  While I know this isn’t THE END because we’ll be getting to Bubblegum Crash next week, I not sure what can be done to save this stylish but incredibly flawed Cyberpunk Anime.

T5W#291-Top 5 Hottest Sailor Senshi

Over the weekend, one of Anime’s most popular and long lasting Magical Girls turned 29 years old.  I’m talking about the girl fighting evil by moonlight and winning love by daylight, the one called Sailor Moon.  Across a TV Series lasting 5 seasons, 3 theatrical films, and a reboot series that’s still ongoing, this fighter for love and justice and her friends have proven theyre more than capable of taking on the forces of evil as much as any ninja or hot blooded Super Saiyan.  And yes, it must be said, Sailor Moon and her fellow Sailor Senshi look absolutely gorgeous while kicking ass.  So on today’s Top 5 Wednesday, I’m celebrating the spectacular Guardians of the Solar System by counting down the Top 5 Hottest Sailor Senshi.  I expect this might get some debate cause I know everyone has their favorites.  But anyway, on with the Top 5.