"Hikaru was just a normal young man with a crush on two girls at school,
that is until his whole world changed as he literally had to walk in the
shoes of his dream girls... Only to find his school idols were not so
perfect after all."
Generally, I think bodyswapping is a dumb premise except in Freaky Friday
where it teaches teens responsibility and adults to loosen up. But, I actually
enjoyed this game. The main character magically swaps bodies with a girl he
likes while he's in a coma. Then, he discovers she's being bullied. He tries
to help her. How much you help depends on the ending you get. There are a few
scenes where you can discover abuse or explore your body more. I just like
that the main character helps his crush. I thought that was nice. Check it out
on Steam.
Ninja Scroll is about Jubei, a ronin who just wants to be left alone after finding out his old friend Lord Genma, has become the Dark Shogun, leader of the Eight Devils of Kimon. All that changes after a government spy named Dakuwan poisons him with a ninja star, forcing him to go on a quest to defeat the Eight Devils to receive the antidote.
This is just good anime fun. Plenty of gore, sketchy content, and an anti-hero protagonist with a “devil-may-care” loner attitude. This is the anime that showed me what anime was all about. Back when the only other anime I'd caught on TV where Sailor Moon and DBZ, though I knew a little bit about Street Fighter and videogames.
Speaking of videogames, each fight here with a Devil is structured like a videogame boss fight, but there are no incessant power-ups like DBZ or Sailor Moon. Just each Devil with a specific power, and weakness. There's a rock guy, a guy with bees, an exploding lady, a blind samurai, a snake lady, a guy with an electric cord, and Genma among others. He simply has to find a weakness in each, and defeat them.
Along the way, Jubei meets up with Kagero, a Kuga clan ninja girl with poison in her body. She helps Jubei after being attacked by one of the Devils. She has a unique ability to poison whoever she “gives her body” to. So, that's an exciting use of her ability. She also has ninja abilities like magic blossoms she can summon.
Overall, Ninja Scroll is edgy, exciting, and fast-paced. Each fight is well-structured, bloody, and awesome. The visuals are great, and the hero is a smarmy anti-hero who isn't on your typical shonen power-up quest. He just wants peace, nothing phases him. He's a chill guy, which makes the battles more exciting. If you have a chance, check it out. It's a must-watch anime!
“Satoru Fujinuma can travel back in time to save others' lives. When he wakes up 18 years in the past, he has a chance to save his murdered classmates.”
Erased is an anime on Netflix that time travels between 2006 and 1988. It's a murder mystery. Each time somebody is about to be killed, Satoru can use his ability called “Revival” to go back in time and stop it. This results in several timelines being created. A few where he and his friends and family die. A few where he goes back to 1988.
It all starts when his classmate Kayo goes missing. Then, she's being abused. He finds her as a 9-year-old in 1988, and vows to find “Date X” the day she is murdered. He can switch between 1988 and 2006, but never control when he revives. This anime is a roller coaster of emotions. Often a sweet scene like a birthday will be immediately followed by child abuse and murder.
It's a mystery, so I can't give that many spoilers as to who the killer(s) are. I'll say the sci-fi time travel aspect is neat. Soon, more abductions follow Kayo's. There are even a couple timelines where he is framed as the murderer. If you have the hankering for a good mystery, definitely check this one out. But, I'd say be warned, it goes from very light to very dark all the time.
"A compilation of the TV series, Eden of The East."
In this short, 11-episode anime, Akida Takizawa (If that’s his name.) awakes from a daze on the White House lawn naked and holding a gun. What would you do? If you said, “Uncover a plot by a billionaire to rule Japan while going on a semi-romantic adventure with a girl.” you’d be right! Also, if you said that, you probably watch too much anime. (Good job!) This one was oddly fascinating due to the terrorist angle.
You see, in this universe, Japan was the victim of a terrorist attack called “Careless Monday” when 10 missiles were accidentally fired on Japanese soil, and 20,000 people showed up missing. That’s the interesting part to me. Evidence points to him as the terrorist. But, this girl Saki keeps showing this naïve interest in him, that ultimately changes the tone to more mushy romantic comedy.
More to the point, after uncovering this plot to fire the missiles, (Again!) Akida again frames himself and gives himself a new identity rather than arrest the group behind it. Each player in this political game has a cell phone equipped with a 10 billion yen account. Akida discovers he’s one of the players in a game orchestrated by a billionaire to see how individuals, if given power, would save or change the country.
One of the contestants, in fact, is a prostitute who cuts off male members if they displease her. It’s a little unsettling…and it’s all there to make some point about love that’s developing between him and Saki. I have no idea what “cutting off Johnnies” would do to improve the country, but sometimes anime is wacky. Also, love or something.
Anyway, I was more interested in the political plot. The team that keeps track of Akida’s political funds is called “Eden of The East”. His computerized cell phone accountant Juiz will do anything he asks with the 10 billion yen. I just don’t get why he blows it by framing himself again, and evacuating 20,000 people! Again! It’s like he’ll have to do it all over again, including meeting Saki!
Yes, I know how it ends. I’m not gonna get into that. I just think repeating the same thing you did to get framed as a terrorist has to be one of the most baffling decisions ever. But, it’s oddly fascinating because at it’s heart you have an anime that wants to be romantic. So, it’s just this guy who just wants to live life, and full in love, and avoid responsibility. Also, just as a whimsical joke…he commits a terrorist act against Tokyo.
He’d probably be in jail, and lose his girlfriend. But, dang if he didn’t have 10 billion yen and a magic robot in a cell phone! Look, I know it’s fantasy, and love, and he can clear his name with a phone call. But, am I supposed to believe accepting responsibility means framing yourself as an international criminal? All I’m saying is, the minute I saw Akida had machine guns in his closet, and planned to commit terrorist acts because he can’t bring down his psychopathic buddies… if I were Saki, I’d leave. I would fear for my life.
I know it’s technically like a romantic comedy/political satire, but it had real potential up to the point where he takes responsibility rather than arrest the contestants. Is the rest of Japan still getting played like a game show? What happened to the other contestants? It could’ve been a really interesting espionage thriller, but went the romantic comedy route. By the way, none of this explains why he was naked at the White House.
But, the odd mixture of romantic comedy/espionage thriller works, because the suspense lasts about right up until the second-to-last episode. Then, it’s purely and unabashedly mushy. I’d give this series a firm “skip it”. I liked the concepts, and certain parts! But, it just seems like a lot of wasted ideas. And I just don’t think terrorism is a joke. It could’ve been so much more than what it aims for, but the message seems to be take the 10 billion yen and don’t ask questions. The terrorism angle drew me in, but it deals with it far too whimsically!
"In the year 2022, thousands of people get trapped in a new virtual MMORPG and the lone wolf player, Kirito, works to escape."
Sword Art Online is what happens when you let evil people design videogames. You see, on its launch date the players of the virtual MMO Sword Art Online are trapped inside the game with no way to log out, other than beating the game. (As the evil game creator informs them.) Soon after joining a guild however, our hero, Kirito, decides to beat the game solo. But, is that even possible?
But you see, Kirito has one major advantage. He was a beta tester in Sword Art Online, so he knows where to go to get good equipment, and what monsters to defeat. Well, I guess the game maker trapping 6000 players in a battle royale helps cut down on competition, too. But, he quickly rises through the ranks, defeating dungeon monsters, bosses, even participating in duels. He becomes the game’s notorious loner, The Black Swordsman. Half the fun is watching him battle every boss nearly to the death. If his HP drops to 0, he dies in real life as well as in the game.
For me, the fun is seeing the game elements mix with real world elements. For example, some people decide to play it safe and stay in the game. Others form guilds exclusively for getting back to real life and beating the game, and others are just trolls and player-killers. Things get even more interesting though, when he meets Asuna. She is a high-level guild member who keeps dragging him along on quests.
When Kirito meets her, she scolds him for falling asleep, and not beating the game. Well, they start to hang out, and start a relationship. Soon another question arises. Should they stay in the game, where they have happier and healthier lives, or risk it all to get back to the real world? Where are they even, in the real world? Indeed, it seems at first like they’d be happier in the game. What are they going to do? Meet IRL and marry?
Now, it’s a great show (25 episodes) with lots of twists and turns, sometimes out of nowhere. I like how it brings to life virtual reality issues…such as dying, which is usually no problem in a game…and flips them around by adding real world consequences. The line between the game and reality becomes very blurry. It helps build a world in which you’re invested, but also raises the question: Can/Should he give it all up? Now, Sword Art Online IS his life, and his virtual girlfriend is his girlfriend with whom he has a another life. There’s almost no real reason to go back IRL.
All in all, I like Sword Art Online. It raises good questions about escapism (For example, wouldn’t Kirito rather be the famous Black Swordsman, than some random teen?) the nature of god in the game maker, and the nature of society in how people interact with others, build societies, and guilds. The only thing that’s not very realistic is that there’s only one trolling guild, Laughing Coffin. Thank goodness!
But, overall I give Sword Art Online 4/5 stars for developing an engrossing, beautifully-animated world that raises questions about the value of escapism, with great plot twists! Check it out, if you get the chance. Oh, and don’t let evil people with God complexes design videogames. That seems to be the overarching moral. Ha! But, seriously, it’s a great show to watch!
"A gunfighter with a strict no-kill policy, Vash the Stampede arrives in a town full of bounty hunters competing to collect the reward for catching a robber he saved 20 years ago."
After a bit of his doughnut falls into a bank robbery, Vash The Stampede inadvertently saves a vicious murderer who’s robber companions are about to turn on him. Some wonderful gunfights, and sci-fi weapons! Watch it anyway you can.
“If you find yourself troubled by something mysterious or a problem that's had to solve, there's a place you can go where you always find help. You just need to look for it.”
- The Baron
What if I told you that Anne Hathaway was actually a catgirl before she became Catwoman? In The Cat Returns, Hathaway plays a schoolgirl named Haru, who is whisked away to The Cat Kingdom after she saves a cat who is actually The Cat Prince. Stan Girl gets lost in magical king while she’s in the Cat Kingdom, she finds out she’s becoming a cat, and is set to marry The Cat Prince!
There’s sort of a Standard Studio Ghibli plot. Girl gets lost in magical kingdom then reclaims her identity (Like Spirited Away, with cats!), and comes back to the real world. I have to say though, it’s beautiful, and the human-like cats make me laugh! I dunno, maybe I just like to laugh at really fat cats. Either way, it is magical, and a beauty to behold!
You see, like most Studio Ghibli films, the character designs and animation are where this film really shines. She is guided to the Cat Kingdom by a charming top-hatted cat from The Cat Bureau, The Baron (AKA: Baron Humpert von Gikkingen, played by Cary Elwes.) A statuette of a raven by the name of Toto also assists her, as well as a fat cat Muta. All the cats start walking in the cat world. But, as soon as she enters the cat world, the fat, mustachioed Cat King seems determined to marry her to The Prince. Let the cat chase begin!
In addition to being a wild cat chase, Haru has to escape from The Cat King and stop transforming into a cat. So, it’s kind of like Kafka mixed with LOLcats, visually inspired by Alice in Wonderland! It’s great fun, has fantastic designs, and even swordfights! Talk about adventure! All to stop being chased by cats! And just when she thought she was having fun!
There’s a good lesson here. Sometimes imagination is good, but if it runs wild, it can become scary! What starts off as a playful romp through the Cat Kingdom twists into Haru almost becoming a cat! But, as The Baron says, you can always ask for help! A fun movie, with plenty of surprises and enough eye candy to satisfy even the grumpiest of cats! (Or people!) If you have time, and like fantasy and anime, definitely give this one a watch!
Anyway, I’ll give it 4/5, but maybe I’m just really soft on Studio Ghibli! They have a way of infusing even the characters mundane life with such life and detail, that I was drawn in immediately! Of course, Haru’s mundane school life serves to highlight the strangeness of seeing walking-talking cats! And puts you in her shoes, confused amid a fantastical world full of cat-astrophe! Okay, I couldn’t resist! Great comedy, good story, great animation… it’s nearly purrfect! (Last cat joke, I promise!) Highly recommended!
Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher (2014):
Black Widow: Don’t kill them, Frank!
Punisher: I have no choice!
This movie could’ve been so cool, if it were an actual Punisher anime! Instead, it’s an excuse for Black Widow to have a romantic fling with the villain. It starts off kind of cool, where Punisher shoots up a whole room of weapons dealers. But, then, he’s reduced to a tagalong. I’m not kidding. That’s what Nick Fury basically says. You see, because the villain has mind control powers, he needed to have two agents around. And who ends up mind-controlled? Yeah…Punisher.
To the film’s credit, it does show that Black Widow can go toe-to-toe with Punisher. (Frank Castle). Their fights last about a minute each time…the second time he’s mind-controlled. You see, Punisher is on the heels of a weapons dealer named Kane. Who turns out to be the pawn of a lovesick SHIELD (Elias) Agent who steals SHIELD supersoldier tech to impress Black Widow. He is also the pawn of a Russian terrorist organization. Because that would impress her….invade New York.
Eventually, the Russians use Elias’s mind control to invade New York with supersoldiers. Much of the movie consists of Black Widow being lovesick with Elias. She can take down Punisher, yes, but is apparently weak in the knees over a random SHIELD scientist who she should’ve just taken down. At least Amadeus Cho is there, a child genius SHIELD Agent who creates a mind shield after Black Widow promises to kiss him. She’s Punisher with flirting abilities. Win-win!
And now that Russian supersoldiers are invading New York while Black Widow is being romantic and angsty, The Avengers show up to defend the city! This is one instance in the movie where I did like it better than the movies. Because it’s animation, they have the budget to have all the Avengers show up and do their jobs. Hulk, Iron Man, even Captain Marvel. After all, it is Avengers: Confidential. Gotta have Avengers show up.
In sum, I liked the movie. I liked that they were able to show that Black Widow can kick butt after she was kinda sidelined in The Avengers movie. Unfortunately, this leaves very little time to build up Punisher’s kick butt credibility. I mean, normally he has weapons that fire nukes! But, here he’s regulated to a Hawkeye-type role (I‘m calling it being “Hawkeyed”, from now on!) providing connections to the Russian terrorists, and then being mind controlled. It’s always mind control.
Mind control aside, I do think It’s a good action film, and they build up Punisher nicely in the beginning. I just wish more superhero movies actually used all their superheroes. Punisher really could’ve been anyone. Anyway, nice to see all The Avengers together in anime form. But, who the heck is Elias? Oh, well. At least Punisher gets some revenge in the end! Go see it! 3/5 stars from me! Worth a watch.
“I’ll kill every last one of them, and break free of these walls.”
- Eren Yaeger
Okay, so let me get right into what I liked and didn’t like about Attack on Titan. I liked the unique German steam punk setting and use of German names. Eren, Armin, Erwin, etc. I liked the action. I liked that most of the Garrison Squad is annihilated by the titans, or captured and forced into other squads. It was a unique setting. Eren Yaeger has great motivation. His mother was eaten by a titan, and he wants to get beyond the walls…the titans are also grotesque and slightly terrifying, which is good.
Now, what I didn’t like. It seems like in every kaiju anime, there’s about 5 episodes of pointless philosophical debate between should they attack or should they not attack. And I know it is dramatic tension, but it gets to be too much sometimes. Example: When Eren sees Annie Leonhart morph in front of him, (spoilers!) he questions whether or not he should attack. Of course the answer is yes; he just SAW it.
I did however, like the big plot twist, and the scenes in the Giant Forest hunting down the Female Titan. Really, I liked the action scenes which are full of hyper violence, and action, plus steampunk jetpacks. I just don’t like the long pauses in-between when they question combat orders while in combat. Planning is all right though; I think they did a fantastic job world-building in that respect, where they have to study the titans, and learn more about them…it makes them more fearsome because they are unknown monsters.
Actually, one of my favorite characters was Hange, the lead titan researcher for the Scout Regiment. I don’t think she got enough time, but her scenes are certainly eye-opening. Particularly, the titan torture scene. Eren does all right as a main character, especially after he develops his special ability, but he is still a little too whiny and hesitant for my tastes. I just don’t buy this idea that he’s a reluctant soldier when he’s a.) the most powerful in every group he’s in, and b.) got all the motivation in the world to kill titans!
Ok, the last thing I didn’t like about it…and this is really a nitpick…but there was almost no comic relief. Except for maybe Sasha Braus’s overzealous eating. (Good German name! I wonder if it’s related to “In Saus und Braus leben.” To live off the high hog. If so, her name is a good in-joke. But, maybe not.) There is only hyper violence and excitement, punctuated by periods of brooding which can take entire episodes…especially pre-Giant Forest. It was kind of a drag for me. I mean, even Neon Genesis Evangelion had comic relief.
But, here’s the thing…for an action anime, it’s not bad at all, and in fact is in my book a prime example of unique world-building. The titans are freaky looking, and there’s a lot of blood. And the animation is good, although I kind of got sick of all the red and browns like everything is being viewed through a rusty filter inside the walls. The Giant Forest greens were a nice change of scenery. Especially with The Scout Regiment uniforms also being green. Also, in terms of animation, the titans are imposing, and you get a good sense of their threat just when they’re walking around.
But anyway, the question is: can I recommend Attack on Titan? Yes, absolutely! Just be prepared for a lot of brooding and whining from Eren Yaeger, who is otherwise a very cool anime hero with very cool abilities. I suppose those are my only complaints. It’s only 26 episodes. If you have time, give it a watch on Netflix. 4/5 stars from me, but points off for the long brooding parts!
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994) Review:
“The world is your arena, now. Not just the street.”
- M. Bison to Sagat
In the Olympic Spirit, here’s an anime based on a 90s fighting game (which I remember playing from a van for the first time, and being completely enthralled by!) about international fighters! But, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is no mere videogame movie. It also combines buddy cop, kung fu, and Terminator motifs all nicely meshed together against the backstories of the characters. The best fighting game movie ever!
Now, yes, I know if you don’t know about the game, it’s not going to grab you. But, I think it’s the best videogame movie ever made because, for starters, there’s actual fighting in a fighting game movie. Within 15 minutes there are about 4 matches. (Ryu vs. Sagat, Ryu vs. Fei Long, E. Honda vs. Dhalsim, Ken vs. T. Hawk!) and many of the special moves of the characters are used throughout the fights.
Street Fighter II’s impact on the world of videogames is colossal enough. But, this movie captures enough 90s cultural tropes to make it more than just a straight kung fu flick. And that’s what makes it great! To begin, M. Bison (Or Vega in Japan…how’d this movie work out over there?) is tracking down Ryu (And yes, it’s REE-you, not RYE-you.) via “monitor cyborg” after he beats Sagat. Ryu’s power level is 3620, which is supposed to be very high.
Bison’s psychic power along with his cyborgs allows him to turn people into mindless terrorists (Cammy assassinates an English anti-drug politician under such hypnosis!) and drug dealers for his evil organization Shadowlaw. So, Ryu is on the move at random around Asia: China (Fei Long’s encounter.) India, (Where he meets E. Honda, who beats Dhalsim.) and then Thailand. He is portrayed as a nice guy who’s just passing through and looking for the next good fight, but he knows that his only equal is Ken Masters of Seattle, who trained with him for 10 years in Japan.
Ryu’s movements catch the attention of Shadowlaw, INTERPOL (Represented by Chun Li, misspelled as INTERPOLE, but, oh well.) and the US Air Force, both of whom are investigating Shadowlaw. At first, Guile (The All-American Air Force Captain, who keeps an outrageously cool hairdo.) doesn’t want to investigate with Chun Li, but after she’s attacked by Vega (Balrog in Japan…again, how was that movie different, guys?) The Spanish wall-jumping ninja, he agrees to track down M. Bison for her.
Although, it felt weird in the 90s to me, now I think the US military probably WOULD investigate a terrorist organization turning people into zombies. So, now it feels prescient with The War on Terror. Meanwhile, Ken Masters is being followed in America by Chun Li, Guile, and Bison’s cyborgs, as Bison has figured out that he’s Ryu’s equal. He’s more of Smart Alec than Ryu. His scenes are accompanied by Alice in Chains, which is nostalgic. Second to the final battle is a three-way fight in Thailand (Because of course, Thailand is the last level in the game.) between Guile/M.Bison, E. Honda vs. Balrog (In Japan, M. Bison.), and Ryu vs. a mind-controlled Ken.
Finally, M. Bison is defeated by a double Hadoken by Ryu & Ken into his jet engine. I’m told Street Fighter: The Animated Series picks up after the credits scene where M. Bison follows Ryu in a semi! The credits music is Rage Against The Machine. How’s that for 90s nostalgia? This movie is awesome, and far better than anything Hollywood attempted with the franchise. And drawn in excellent manga-style!
Again, if you don’t know the game, then the entire post probably just sounds like a 90s nostalgia rant. And that’s okay. Because partially, it is. But, in the game it’s an international tournament. Maybe it is here too, but filmed on cyborgs. Whatever the case, I thought it was a good tribute to the Olympics, and Blanka, the beastman of Brazil actually tangles with Zangief, of Russia, in the movie! Still I can’t think of better representatives for the US of A than Guile and Ken!
This movie is great! 4/5 stars! Well, the dialogue could’ve been delivered a bit better. It’s amusing to hear Ken say things like: “Buffalo, or whatever your name is…you’re full of crap!” A wild ride that combines all things 90s with all things manga! If you don’t feel like playing Street Fighter II afterwards, something is wrong! Go Ken! Go Team USA!
“The tomorrow we're trying to reach is...not a tomorrow you've decided on! We...by ourselves...choose our tomorrow from the infinite universe! We will fight through it. We will fight through it and protect the universe! We'll show you we can do it!”
- Simone vs. The Spinal Nemesis
Gurren Lagann is a Japanese mech-based anime series about Simone The Digger and his quest to always believe in himself and improve humanity. He starts out in an underground village with his older brother Kamina, who is cocky and arrogant but always encouraging Simone. They keep drilling all day for steaks until one day a bounty hunter named Yoko breaks them out of the village in a mechanized head named Gurren…which later finds a body…Lagann!
From there until about halfway through is the war for humanity to regain the surface. From the Beastmen. There Simone learns about an energy held by the Spiral King, the sprial power, which embodies a being fighting spirit. The show is all about believing in yourself and staying in the present. Sort of like Star Wars in mech form. Except after defeating the Spiral King, Simone builds a giant city where the humans can live. Even though the Spiral King warns of his destruction if they try to reach the moon.
Six years later, they build a rocket to go to the moon. This provokes an alien invasion from Anti-Spiral races! So, one of Simone’s generals, Rossiu, imprisons Simone, and has him fighting off the aliens. Soon enough however, it escalates to an interdimensional war against The Spiral Nemesis.
From Beastmen to a final-boss type battle, this watches like a videogame, and has all the cheesy conventions of one, including calling attacks. I suppose I like more the brotherhood aspects, and the rapid rise and fall of human government like in Star Wars. Simone’s team (Dai-Gurren) gains and loses many members along the way. Some have deep characters and others are one-note. In the end, the Beastmen, including the former Spiral King Lord Genome (Ha ha!) unite to form an even greater Gurren Lagann to defeat the Spiral Nemesis.
Only 27 episodes long, but it’s worth a watch. Sometimes people set limits for you, without realizing it. You may even begin to believe that those are your limits. But, like Kamina tells Simone: “Believe in the Kamina that believes in you!” If he believes in the most confident, part of himself, he succeeds. A little clichéd, but still good for a mech anime. Plenty of fan service, especially with Yoko, keeps the war stories a little light-hearted.
My favorite parts were during the civil war and you really get a sense that Simone The Supreme Commander has forgotten who he is, and become scarred by war. That and the final battle is pretty amazing, but the human technology and spiritual-evolution babble becomes so heavy and changes so fast the last few episodes, about 23-26, make my head spin? How did they master teleportation so quickly? Why is a giant nude woman floating in space? (Which is explained later, thank goodness!) Overall, I’d say the series gets an average 3 of 5 stars for me! Not bad, but not outstanding in the mech genre!
THE END OF EVANGELION: THE NEON GENESIS EVANGELION MOVIE (1997)
“Reality can be painful. But, it’s something you have to accept.”
- Kitsuragi
Right off the bat, this “movie” is a little weird. I don’t remember that Asuka ended up wounded from the battle with the last Angel…but the movie starts with her in a hospital bed. Fair enough. Maybe something happened in-between. But, that doesn’t matter anyway, because NERV gets attacked by hijacked EVAs. Not the Angels, because theoretically they‘re defeated! Meanwhile, Asuka’s death puts Shinji in doubt again, and right when they need him to connect to his giant robot to kick butt, he “can’t do it.”
In general, I find that anime movies made from series tend to be weak, because they reset most of the character development, However, in this case, at least it progresses the story, and gets rid of the final villains…it takes the form of 4 episodes, effectively becoming extensions to a series that could’ve ended 10 years earlier, no muss no fuss. But, the villains are using EVAs to back Angels to restart mankind. Plus, at least Shinji has Asuka’s death to push him back into doubt. It makes sense, but is no less annoying. Kitsuragi and the rest of NERV fend off the terrorists, but still Shinji won’t pilot the EVA, and needs a pep talk.
I wouldn’t think that Shinji would have a choice. But, here’s where things get a little crazy. Kitsuragi gets shot and dies in front of Pen-Pen, the lovable cyber penguin, just after she gives her talk. And it turns out Asuka wasn’t dead, and that she was being visited by the spirit of her dead (German, remember!) mother which activates her EVA. She fights the rest of the EVAs alone while Bach plays in the background. It is glorious, and the best scene in the movie…not only because it’s the only straightforward action scene, but because it’s Asuka!
Shinji’s father reveals that he was working with the Angels, and Rei (The 3rd pilot, remember!) tells him she won’t participate, but nonetheless she ascends a staircase to this weird looking giant Robojesus on a cross and becomes a giant spirit, an angel herself. Here’s where it gets weird. Rei approaches Shinji and asks if he wants to restart the Earth, and becomes blended physically to Shinji. The rest of the movie is Shinji reasserting his individuality.
So, it turns out that Shinji/Rei did destroy the Earth, but by choosing to be an individual…he saved it. Or re-created it? Is it recreated just how he remembers it? Does everyone continue on like before? What just happened? Doesn’t that invalidate the entire movie? So many plotholes to restarting timelines…wouldn’t Asuka still be dying in a hospital?
Overall, I liked this movie, but only because I get to see those characters from Neon Genesis Evangelion again. Though two out of three characters are in their worst philosophical forms. A siege is no time for philosophy. I mean, Evangelion had comedic moments, but is mostly action. But, you wouldn’t know it from this movie. I gotta give them credit though. One of the show’s main supporters, Sega, was on the brink of oblivion at the time. By 2001, they’d cease to develop hardware.
Hey, I’m always up for some philosophy…it just happens in awkward places throughout the episodes. The siege of NERV; Rei becoming an Angel; right before Shinji needs to defeat the last Angel, Asuka! Some of the manipulation of Christian imagery is nice, as well as German classical music during Asuka’s battle scenes. And yet, the message is slightly contradictory and detracts from the mind-blowing revelations of the series. Face reality…from a giant robot! On second thought…never change, Evangelion! 3 out of 5 stars for this one, despite a rocky start and tragic ending. Oh, and feel free to discuss the ending in the comments!
Vash the Stampede: “I'm like a hunter of peace. One who chases the elusive mayfly of love... or something like that.”
Episode 5, “Hard Puncher”
Yesterday, I watched Trigun. Trigun is a 26-episode anime done in the style of a sci-fi Western. It follows Vash the Stampede on a quest to clear his name and recover his identity. Though he’s quite the buffoon, he has a bounty on his head worth 60 billion double dollars for destroying the town of The 3rd of July. Yet, he refuses to kill anyone and dances to pop music and eats doughnuts and generally acts like a kid. The female insurance agents Milly and Meryl can’t believe this childish womanizer is the notorious criminal they call “The Humanoid Typhoon”!
But others aren’t so sure and challenge him in almost every town he goes. From gangsters and poor townsfolk to mad scientists in their weird mobile Krang-like bodies, (“Hard Puncher”) this leads Vash The Stampede on a mission to discover who he is, and spread love and peace while wielding two big guns, and a vicious reputation in spite of his childish nature.
Along the way, he discovers that not only gangs, but demons in league with gangs(!) are after him and he takes a preacher with him (Who also has a tortured past!) by the name of Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Honestly, everyone of the characters is very well fleshed out. Though Vash starts out naïve and childish even…even despite his comedic moments…he grows as he must defend himself, and face The Gung-Ho Guns…a band of demons! There’s one that goes invisible, a kid, a musician who plays in the key of “pain”, and even one that sort of looks like a steampunk Hannibal Lecter with a muzzle…and many more.
Honestly, I don’t want to spoil the show, but when Vash discovers who he is, the tone of the show becomes dark and morphs into a miasma of big gunfights laced with what it means to be a brother and forgiveness. Plus, it has aliens and demons in a western sci-fi setting. That’s a heck of a mix, but fortunately the mature tone is set by about episode 12, with a demon looking for Vash (“Diablo”) so it’s not too sudden.
Between angry villagers, and preachers with gigantic cross-shaped machine guns, and of course, 60 billion double dollars, everyone except his few “allies” are out to get Vash. But, even they begin to grow and form their own agendas. Mille is another naïve one who just can’t deal with killing, but Vash learns he has to! And that a sinister force is behind his framing! The show deals with morality in the same way most animes do…by shooting mounds of bullets at it! But, Vash is determined not to kill.
Overall, Trigun is one of the most layered identity crises I’ve ever seen in animation. The characters almost do a complete 180 once their agendas are revealed. For example, Vash begins to think it’s strange that Wolfwood carries a machine gun. (“Hey, whatever happened to "Thou shalt not kill"? Episode 10: Quick Draw.) while Wolfwood begins to doubt that his childishness is sincere. Bottom line: Things get ugly! And Milly and Meryl struggle to minimize his damage…as insurance agents…just like Vash struggles with killing. But, the revelation of who he is changes everything…or does it?
Seriously, the twist is so great my head is still spinning thinking about it! You go into this thinking you know the character and the setting, and then…boom! Sneakier than Hideo Kojima squeezing supernatural conspiracies in Metal Gear, it all turns goes topsy-turvy! Are you ready for this? Well, you’d better be. I’m not telling! Anyway, Trigun has superb animation, great storyline and well-fleshed out characters! And if that’s not enough, it’s got guns, aliens, and demons! Go see it! 4 out 5 stars from me! Okay, here’s a hint!
Old Woman: He called you a cowboy. What did he mean? What are you?
Spike: Just a humble bounty hunter, ma'am.
Episode 25.5: “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” (2001)
Cowboy Bebop is a cyberpunk anime about a bounty hunter (called “cowboys”) named Spike and his crew on his ship, The Bebop. Along the way, he meets more crew members including a dog named Ein, a child prodigy hacker named Ed, his buddy Jet Black, and a gambling woman named Faye Valentine, who may have been frozen for 60 or so years but doesn’t look like it. While each crewmember has their story, the ones I liked were the ones that focused on bounty hunting.
Of particular interest to me was the episode Mind Scratch, where a cult leader (Dr. Londes) is convincing people to destroy their bodies “transfer their soul” on the internet. As a person with a disability, it’s a good reminder that although technology can extend abilities, it can also suck your life out. Also, the episode “Pierrot Le Fou” deals with perhaps a satirical look at how the military abuses a man with mental illness to turn him into a hitman…when really he has a child’s mind. Unfortunately, the episodes are the exception to the rule as far as ones that deviate from the main story and are good.
Sometimes the series deviates into romance side-stories like “Ganymede Blues”,
comedies like “Cowboy Funk” or…most of Faye’s story, which is a sort of drama as she reclaims her memory. Not that these deviations are all bad. Cowboy Funk is actually really good and is a nice comedic tribute to some American influences on the show, even if in parody. (Spike meets an actual cowboy calling himself Wyatt Earp!) Another thing I liked about this anime is that…even though it’s Japanese…it’s cyberpunk, so it has a myriad of cultural influences, is full of criminal action…and doesn’t require a lot of knowledge of Asia. (Though it never hurts to be culturally aware!)
Most of the bounties are shown as being broadcasted in several languages. Most of it takes place in space even…except for a few episodes later on Earth. It’s very accessible to American/international audiences, I think. As Faye Valentine’s story concludes, she finds a VHS tape and discovers where she’s from. It was fun to see the crew fumble with a VCR! I remember VCRs, but certainly they wouldn’t! Anyway, after that, Spike discovers that his former girlfriend Julia has been hired to kill him, and it ends in an action-packed showdown.
My main complaint with the series is that it deviates a lot such as the episode “Heavy Metal Queen” where we’re introduced to characters who are never met again, and never developed further. Wyatt Earp’s story had at least a beginning, middle, and end. Seems like they could of done more with “Heavy Metal Queen”. All he does is reveal his name at the end. Then, he’s never seen again. Despite these strange deviations, the rest of the series is an epic cyberpunk romp through space which brings to my mind Neuromancer and Blade Runner as the crew collects bounties on assassins, terrorists, drug dealers, and evil hackers…but, sometimes they’re just looking for food and avoiding the space police!
If you like animation, cyberpunk or crime thrillers this is certainly an easily accessible classic. Maybe you might even like the melodrama! I didn’t, but I prefer the episodes dealing with disability philosophy and gun battles. What can I say? I’m a rare breed. Sci-fi and anime action geeks won’t be disappointed! 4/5 stars! Don’t miss it! See you, space cowboy…
(I encountered another 11th Doctor. He was nice enough to show me his screwdriver!)
Two days ago, I went to Matsuricon 2013 at The Regency Hyatt Hotel in Columbus, OH! It was fun, and I loved just going around looking at all the cool costumes. One of the things I like about Matsuricon is that everything is kind of weird, but in a good non-judgmental way. It really spoke to me artistically. This time I went with my brother and best friend. My brother was the 10th Doctor, I was the 4th Doctor, and my best friend was the 11th Doctor. All our costumes had the Doctor Who theme. All 3 of our nametags said “The Doctor” too, so that was cool.
Speaking of costumes, I met quite a few other Doctors as well, and took some pictures. We also played board and card games, and I bought a set of Doctor Who sonic screwdrivers. I saw quite a lot of people with disabilities too, and in fact got some pictures with them too. The good thing is that Cons are usually always accessible. Later on, I bought a DVD set of Gantz. Then, I bought a print from Full Metal Alchemist, which is a great anime.
My brother wanted to check out the videogame section where they had a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament going on. So, we did that for a while, and then played one of our board games we rented in the board game room, a game called Pandemic. It’s a pretty cool game where you have to stop disease outbreaks cooperatively with each player being given a special role and special skills. I played the medic role. Recommended game!
Also, I met a lot of people who complimented my outfit, and let me take pictures. I think meeting people is probably the most fun. Plus, the cool souvenirs. The stuff that I see at cons is unlike anywhere else. Disability doesn’t matter. People are usually friendly, and you get to share your enthusiasm, and discover all kinds of neat people, toys, art, and games that you (likely) won’t see anywhere else!
I hope I get to go again! I always love going to cons! There is so much to do and see once you are there! I actually have more pictures, but I’m still waiting on some of them. Had a blast though! Hopefully, I’ll go to more cons as they come around! And meet cool people with and without disabilities! Stay tuned!
Left to right: Aaron, brother, me. Note the cheese.
(Me with another 4th Doctor! Screwing around with sonic screwdrivers!)
“I fight because I’m not strong. I fight myself. Against myself!”
- Ryu
Well, Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation kept popping up on my Netflix, so I thought I’d review it. It’s culturally important to gamers, and thoroughly sci-fi; both of which fit the bill for Through Alien Eyes. First off, I love fighting game movies. But, I know they’re never straightforward tournament fighters, like their videogame counterparts. Now, just remember every time you do a hadoken in Street Fighter, you’re throwing out all the manifestations of evil in Ryu’s soul. Ryu struggles against the “dark hado” in his body, which I assume is like The Force, which he learned from the evil Akuma, who killed his own master.
After witnessing a gunfight between Chun Li and some crooks in which kids become involved, Ryu steps in to stop the fight, and everyone recognizes him as the famous tournament fighter and is impressed with his ability. One of the kids Ryu protects is a Brazilian boy who claims to be Ryu’s brother. The kid hears about a fighting tournament in Kibuki Town, and trains with Ryu and Ken for a bit. He gets squashed by Zangief, and then a big beefy steampunk cyborg hadokens them all and destroys the town to provoke Ryu. I know, it makes little sense.
Later, the kid goes nuts on some punks who start a fight with him and chokes them with chains, and we find out the kid actually possesses the dark hado. So, Ryu tells him not to fight (with the above cheesy line…clearly a bad moral for a fighting game. You know, fight the urge to fight. In a fighting game!) So, he confronts Akuma who he believes is influencing him, and Akuma invites him to another tournament.
Now, clearly, you’d be thinking Ryu would be there to face Akuma. But, this never happens. Instead, the other characters like Adon and Birdie trash talk each other for a bit, and then an evil scientist named Sattler collects the data on the fighters and sucks their souls out leaving the other fighters’ disembodied husks as he absorbs their power into his steampunk cyborg body…also he absorbs the Brazillian kid into his body, and becomes a gray Blanka.
I thought Blanka was just a monster. But, no. He’s a mutated mad scientist with a Brazilian kid stuck inside his body. Geez, how did none of this make it into the game? Birdie tells Ken and Ryu to get out of there, while he’s being choked by Sattler’s cyborg form. Then, Ken fights him, but not even a shoryuken (Dragon Punch) special move knocks him out. Ryu launches a hadoken to destroy Blanka/Sattler. Finally, he’s shown in a mid-air jump kick against Akuma, and the movie ends.
Listen, I love Street Fighter II and Street Fighter Alpha as much as any 90s kid. Fighting games are my favorite types of videogames. But, this…is ridiculous and confusing. Why is Ryu fighting not to fight? Who is Sattler…and why does he absorb the Brazilian kid? Why does the movie end in mid-fight? I guess Ryu wins?
On the upside, many of the game’s fighters make it into the game. Adon, Birdie, Chun-Li, Ken, Rose, Dan, etc. But, we don’t need to see a Star Wars type story to explain why Ryu can throw fireballs, or an overly-detailed Blanka origin story. And the explanations are just creepy! Why can’t Ryu just throw fireballs? Why can’t Blanka just be a monster?
I admit, I’m biased in my rating of this animation because I like Street Fighter and because the standard kung fu movie moral it uses (Focus your mind to train your body.) works well with my own stance on disability rights. But, admittedly, this is a mess. No boss characters show up except for Vega (I’m American, so that’s Balrog to all you international readers out there.) and Akuma, who never really faces Ryu. Plots with Sakura, Ken, and Chun-Li are all immediately dropped to focus on Ryu vs. Sattler. (Who never even appears in the game. I think he’s made up just to account for Blanka!)
Even the 1994 Street Fighter II anime follows it’s own rules, and it doesn’t need to make up weird origin stories to account for the fighters. I don’t know, I am disappointed…but at least the animation is charming and somewhat surreal. For a final rating…I’ll just rate it a D. It’s the “Blanka is Sattler + a robot + a Brazilian kid” thing that really confuses me, and the rest is a bland Street Fighter version of Star Wars. Like the game says when you‘re defeated: “YOU LOSE”.
Yesterday, I went to Ohayocon 2013 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center with my best friend Aaron. Ohayocon is a Japanese anime and pop culture convention that lasts from Jan 18-20. But, we didn’t stay a whole day. Nevertheless, it was a chance for me to suit up as Iron Man once again (Recycling my Halloween costume!) and meet new people, and pick up a few souvenirs. I think the best part was just people watching. Costumes from videogames, animes, (Many of which we didn’t recognize.) American comics, TV shows…the whole place felt a little surreal as if we had stepped into a videogame…a dream come true for me!
The main floor had plenty of space, and elevators, and I saw quite a few people in wheelchairs, costumed and not. Everyone was very friendly. Within 5 minutes two girls already wanted pictures with us. I was pretty popular in that costume! But, Aaron joked that he got to take the pictures so he had fun to! Really, for me, it was a chance to hang out, and look at costumes, talk about comics and sci-fi, (I even met a much better version of Iron Man and had to take that picture of us together.) and buy some cool things like a Japanese anime Star Trek graphic novel (a.k.a. Manga!) and a classic anime DVD: Space Adventure Cobra!
On the 3rd floor dealer’s floor it was crowded. It was a bit like a people jam, as opposed to a traffic jam, with costumed characters slowly moving in waves inch by inch from Dealer Table to Dealer Table. I had to watch out for people in tall costumes, or with masks that might’ve kept them from seeing me! I almost ran over The Stay Puft Marshmellow Man! Without Aaron as my guide (always in front!), I probably would’ve gotten trampled, or at least ran over people! And of course we met more people who wanted a picture with me. At least, since Aaron wasn’t costumed, I think it was me. For my first anime convention, I must’ve looked well-prepared! Very cool when you get to dress up as a hero, and be recognized as such, and the wheelchair doesn’t even matter!
The salesmen and saleswomen were very nice, and were also fellow enthusiasts! I took some pictures posing with some merchandise on the Dealer Floor: A wizard staff, and a nice wide-brimmed fedora that reminded me of Tom Baker’s “4th Doctor” hat in Doctor Who. I saw a lot of things from Doctor Who, actually. Basically, if it involved fantasy/sci-fi; I saw it. I think I’m still recovering from the excitement of my new Star Trek Manga! (Which came with a nice poster, for a nice souvenir!) Finally, we went back up to the main floor and had a break, watching all the costumes go by. On our way out, we saw a couple dressed as Ryu and Chun Li from Street Fighter II!
The convention was about the most fun I’ve had this year! The good thing about the convention was (for me.) that the wheelchair didn’t matter, and for the day, I was Iron Man! (Well, Mark VI at least. That Mark VII Iron Man was a very impressive costume!) And there was enough room on the main floor that, if I needed a break, Aaron and I could just go back up and chat. The Convention Center itself is huge, and actually hosted two events that day: This and America's Got Talent Try-Outs. So, we had plenty of space from the Dealer’s Floor, (2 floors!) and accessibility aside from the crowded areas!
I had a fantastic time! One for the Ages! I didn’t hardly think about the accessibility issues; except for taking notes, and trying not running folks over, of course. I got to talk comics, and animation, and be with my best friend and be Iron Man! What could be better? Definitely something I’d encourage people with disabilities to come check out: I loved it!
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