GBT#11-ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos

While it never really hit the immense popularity Sunrise wanted it to, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans does have one truly memorable element: the Mobile Suits.  Unlike other series, there’s less of an emphasis on beam spamming.  Instead, combat is more up close and personal, more melee focused and brutal.  The central Gundam of the series, the Barbatos, is the perfect Gundam for this kind of battle: skinny but strong, wielding weapons that can fell suits in very few blows, and bearing a design that strikes fear into the hearts of its enemies.  The Barbatos has arguably become more popular than the show it came from and has likewise become an equally popular Gunpla sought out by many to build…including me.  I built the Barbatos’ future form, the Barbatos Lupus Rex, back near the tail end of 2022.  That proved to be a very difficult affair and I expected it’s first form to be the same.  Turns out…not so much

 

T5W#409-Top 5 Ways to Improve Gundam F91

A couple weeks ago, we looked at Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island and while it wasn’t perfect, it was a very strong update of a concept that even Yoshiyuki Tomino once considered a failure.  The improvements made to the story of Cucuruz Doan and his island of orphans had me thinking about how other Gundam projects that haven’t been that successful could be improved.  Heck, there’s earlier proof with Gundam AGE.  While that series was an almost total failure, the Memory of Eden OVA showed that better focus and character writing could salvage it (I even gave Memory of Eden a much higher score than the TV Series).  Case in point, Mobile Suit Gundam F91 is a title I’ve always wanted to see get told properly.  Originally conceived as a new TV Series in the early 1990s, it was eventually reworked poorly into a 2 hour feature film that is often forgotten amongst the fan base.  Well, if Cucuruz Doan’s Island can rise from the ashes, I see no reason why F91 couldn’t do the same (btw I know full well it’s a bad movie but the behind the scenes production turmoil makes me a little sympathetic).  Anyway, that long intro finally done, these are my Top 5 Ways to Improve Gundam F91.

 

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Part 1 Episodes 1-4

2045AD.  In the wake of a devastating economic disaster known as the Simulteneous Global Default, all forms of paper and electronic currency have had their value shattered.  The response of the “Big 4” Nations of the world is to instigate the “Sustainable War”, a never ending conflict they hope will keep the economy going.  No longer affiliated with Section 9, Major Motoko Kusinagi and her comrades now live their lives as soldiers of fortune, under the codename “Ghost”.  Their latest job seems like a simple one until things suddenly go sideways and they soon find themselves embroiled in a new conspiracy that brings Motoko and her team back into the company of their former Section 9 Chief, Daisuke Aramaki.

Ah Ghost in the Shell: my second favorite Anime franchise after Mobile Suit Gundam, it’s been far too long.  While the original 1995 Mamoru Oshii film may be more influential to the cyberpunk genre, Stand Alone Complex might be the most popular iteration of the franchise.  After all, it did get two TV Seasons and a movie to explore the characters and expand the scope and depth of the world inhabited by Section 9.  While we did get a fun Non SAC connected prequel with Ghost in the Shell: Arise…and a certain 2017 Movie I’d rather forget ever happened, fans have been hoping for more Stand Alone and Complex adventures since we last saw this version of the Major and Batou and the rest of Section 9.  Well it looks like those prayers have been answered in a very unexpected way.  Pretty much the “Third Season” of Stand Alone Complex, SAC_2045 sees Kenji Kamiyama returning to write and this time share directing duties alongside fellow Shirow Masamune Manga adaptor and CG Anime auteur Shinji Aramaki.  Sounds like a perfect combo right?  Well let’s get settled back in and see what Section 9 is getting up to these days.
 

Star Wars: Visions 2

The galaxy opens up like never before with a brand new set of animated tales, set within the Star Wars Universe.  From animation studios across the globe come 9 stories of hardship, loss, sacrifice, love and wonder.  From exiles looking for a second chance to desperate Rebels striking back against impossible odds to wild and wacky adventures on the frontier, these beautifully animated tales a must see for animation enthusiasts and die hard Star Wars fans alike.  You’ve never see a galaxy far, far away quite like this before.

While the first volume of Star Wars Visions was a dream come true for those who’ve always wanted to see Star Wars and Anime married at last, it did leave a lot to be desired.  There was plenty of Jedi vs. Sith and spectacular Lightsaber action sequences for sure.  But for those looking for space combat, pod racing, or even some of the more politically charged drama seen in shows like last years fan favorite series Andor, it came up short.  This new Volume of Animated Short Stories works to correct the shortcomings of its predecessors and while a lot of it can seem familiar from a storytelling point of view, Star Wars: Visions 2 more than makes up for it by taking the visuals beyond the power of Anime and giving Animation Studios across the globe a shot at adding to the epic created by George Lucas.  In those terms, the results are nothing but spellbinding, a rare instance where the sequel might very well be better than the original.
 

GBT#10-Gundam F91

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the failure that is Mobile Suit Gundam F91.  There’s a lot of potential in the characters and setup that never got to meet its potential due to a lot of behind the scenes mayhem.  Pretty close to the top of reasons why Im alright with the film is the titular Gundam itself.  It’s got a pretty cool design with a sweet assortment of weapons and capabilities unique to this Gundam alone.  When I saw the F91 Gunpla on sale for a decent price (and the cool box art), I couldn’t pass it up.  However, I wasn’t expecting it to be so…tiny.  I’m not talking like an SD Gunpla I mean the F91 is super, super small compared to other 1/144 HG Gunpla I’ve worked on.  Is that a strike against it or is it still as cool as it’s Anime counterpart?