Spirited Away (Live on Stage)

While on her way to a new home with her family, Chihiro Ogino stumbles into a bathhouse meant for spirits from folklore and legend.  With the lives of her parents hanging in the balance, Chihiro must overcome her own insecurities and find the bravery within her heart.  As she faces off against Gods, Witches, vengeful Spirits and other wonders, Chihiro finds herself on the most incredible journey of all as she is spirited away to a world of danger, magic and wonder.

To many, myself included, Spirited Away is a rare example of a perfect Anime.  Hayao Miyazaki took full advantage of his mastery of the medium to deliver one of the most expansive and well explored worlds ever put to animation.  It did its job so well that it became the first ever Anime to with an Oscar for Best Animated Feature (apparently only Miyazaki can do this since The Boy and Heron is the only other film to accomplish this feat).  So when the discussion turns to turning Spirited Away into a stage play, the question isnt “Why?”, it’s “How?”  Well getting the director of Les Miserables onboard is a good start but thankfully, this is one creative gamble that pays off in more ways than one.  The impossible has happened here: an Anime given the live action treatment and coming out as an equally entertaining triumph.
 

The Gundam Anime Corner 10th Anniversary

March 2014. I was feeling a lull in short story writing and wanted to find a way to keep myself writing more frequently when that well ran dry for a little bit.  Then it somehow hit me: I want to do something with Anime and Reviews.  A few days before the end of the month, I decided to greenlight the Anime Corner on another platform and on March 31, 2014, I posted my first review of the first 7 episodes of Eden of the East.  About a year later, I decided to switch platforms to the one I’ve been using ever since and I rebranded the blog the Gundam Anime Corner.  Since then, my little corner of the universe has grown to encompass over 900 reviews of TV Series, Movies, OVA, and even Live Action Adaptations.  Each year I try to find new ways to broaden content, from the long running Top 5 Wednesdays to the recurring First Impression Fridays and occasional looks at the histories of some of my favorite Anime and Video Game franchises.  It’s challenging to say the least, but rewarding.
 

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire

Deep within the unexplored regions of Hallow Earth, a signal is being sent to the surface.  Something is calling for help and with it heralds the return of a long dormant evil that has been trying to reconquer the world as it did before.  Here, the mighty Kong finds his origins and perhaps his destiny.  But to defeat this seemingly undefeatable foe, he must once again call upon the King of the Monsters.  The world barely survived one showdown between Godzilla and Kong.  Can it survive another as well as the terrifying might of the Scar King?

It’s been 10 years since the Monsterverse was unleashed with 2014’s Godzilla.  Since then, we’ve seen the shared universe grow around the adventures of Godzilla and Kong across four films, the last one being arguably the best with their decades in the waiting rematch in 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong.  You’d think that epic clash would be saved for an anniversary special.  Instead we get the follow up, Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire.  I had my doubts going in from Godzilla’s nuclear color change to how unintimidating the Scar King looked to seeing Godzilla running into battle alongside Kong.  As a friend of mine put it, “They’re going full Showa Era.  You never go full Showa Era.”  Well, as it turns out this new Monsterverse outing does go bonkers with its action but it feels very fun and enjoyable, even if there’s admittedly a lack of balance between the two titular Kaiju.
 

FIF#212-Delicious in Dungeon

Welcome to a world where Dungeon Raids are a daily occurrence.  Many risk all for treasure or the fame of conquering the terrors within.  Others seek a greater prize: the ultimate monster dish.  For Laois the Swordsman, nothing sates the appetite more than cooking the most dangerous of Dungeon creatures.  Together with Elven Spellcaster Marcille, Locksmith Chilchuck and the Dwarf Warrior Senshi, Laios embarks on a quest to rescue his sister from the stomach of a Red Dragon.  But if theyre gonna succeed, they’ll need to make sure they’re eating the right food for the right occasion.  In the world of Dungeon Food, it’s either eat or be eaten.

 
Typically I’m instantly worried when an Anime is announced with the “Netflix Original Anime” stamp on it.  However, when they aren’t busy trying to still make 3DCG Anime a thing, Netflix can sometimes make good decisions about Anime to license, especially if it comes from an Anime Studio that’s provided them with one of their biggest hits in the past.  Which brings us to todays FIF offering and the latest work from everyones favorite Anime studio, Studio Trigger.  An Anime that focuses on cooking up a storm in a Dungeon seems right up their bizarre alley.  So how is the first episode as an appetizer?
 

King Kong vs. Godzilla

When a TV Station is in dire need of ratings, two men are sent to the mysterious island where they discover a guardian King known as Kong.  Meanwhile, Godzilla escapes from his icy prison to begin his reign of terror once again.  Two Kings of Kaiju meet for the first time with the entirety of Japan caught in the middle of their showdown.  But only one of these Monsters can truly be crowned “King.” 

When King Kong vs. Godzilla arrived in 1962, it had been 29 years since Kong’s first appearance and 8 since Godzilla’s.  The arrival of these two on the big screen revolutionized and changed the way films were made forever when it came to visual effects work.  Bringing them together for one titanic showdown is a bit of a no brainer and one of the first instances of two franchises crossing over for such an event.  And while the titular brawl does deliver, this is still an early Showa Era Godzilla film, chalk full of all the qualities that make that era tough to sit through but sometimes fun to laugh at.