#got some Akira flashbacks from this sequence

[silvadour]

[radwolf76]

FLASHBack: Week 89 [First-Class FLASHBack] - Japanese Cartoon

Time for another First-Class FLASHBack, where we talk about the more prolific and influential Flash animators of the early web. This month, we're going to be looking at another offering from Homestar Runner. As mentioned previously, the Brothers Chaps drew on a wealth of 80s and 90s pop culture (and even a dash of the 70s, absorbed from pop-culture osmosis from their older siblings, as well as the influence of older decades from the fact that syndicated broadcast television reruns mined content all the way back to the Golden Age of Hollywood). One example where this 80s/90s pop culture overload really shines is in Strong Bad Email #57, Japanese Cartoon, posted on 6 January 2003. James F. asks Strong Bad what he would look like as a Japanese Cartoon, and what it'd be about. Strong Bad goes on to describe himself in a chibi big-eyes/small-mouth style (except when the mouth is open, when it goes ridiculously huge), reminiscent of a helmetless Mega Man. With blue hair. You gotta have blue hair. (WARNING: TV Tropes link.)   The show itself consists of him in space flying around in cool poses, an allusion to how many animes of the 60s-80s would rely heavily on a library of stock sequences for fight and transformation scenes, to pad out a show's run time (and sometimes that stock footage would get abused even further by US editors who needed to make up for runtime lost to localization censorship). The English is clearly dubbed, with mouth movements not even close to matching. Strong Bad's anime counterpart, Stinkoman, has a voice that sounds like voice actor Cam Clarke, who while best known for being the voice of Leonardo on the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, also voiced on several prominent 80s anime dubs, including the roles of Max Sterling and Lancer on Robotech, Dirk Daring on G-Force, and Kaneda in the original dub of Akira -- at one point Stinkoman even breaks out with a line, "You're just a kid!" that echoes Kaneda's dismissal of Tetsuo's interest in riding his bike at the beginning of the movie. (The name "Stinkoman" was a reference to a line from another Strong Bad Email, Island, which may have been a take on the old 90s Sierra-Online/Dynamix Screensaver, Johnny Castaway.)  

Now, it's important to note that television was not the only vector for introducing anime stylings and sensibilities to Western audiences. The shift of video game console market dominance to Japan after the video game market crash of 1983 meant that many titles would originally be developed for the Japanese market first and then have to be localized for the US. One such title is Rad Racer for the Nintendo Entertainment System, originally Highway Star for the Famicom. The Brothers Chaps lifted one of the songs from the Rad Racer soundtrack for their hypothetical Stinko Man K 20X6 anime. The anime's name is only revealed in an easter egg accessible by clicking the words "japanese cartoon" during the end credits -- using X to obscure a year was a gimmick that the Mega Man titles were particularly known for (but also occurred in Metroid as well as the Mother/Earthbound series). Inception-like, there are easter eggs within easter eggs here; clicking "japanese cartoon" a second time would bring up a clip of Homestar Runner watching Stinko Man K 20X6.   For the final layer of the easter egg, under Homestar's TV are a collection of VHS tapes, one of which is labled "NES Endings". Clicking that tape brings up a pop up window that shows the ending to Rad Racer. Subsequent clicks on the pop up cycle through the endings to a bunch of video games: Castlevania 2, Mega Man 2 (furthering the connection between Stinkoman and Mega Man), Super Mario Brothers 2 (The US version, which began life as the wholly unrelated title Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic), Hoops, Ghosts n' Goblins, Blaster Master (with a sketched on label and arrow calling out "Blue Hair"), The Legend of Zelda (whose credits provided the inspiration for some of the made-up names in the Stinkoman credits), Metroid (Samus is a girl?!?), Jackal, and Rygar. The world of 20X6 and Planet K would become recurring elements of the Homestar Runner site, and eventually the Brothers Chaps would even make a full Mega Man clone starring Stinkoman. Another subtle video game connection is the fact that the little mushroom clouds around Stinkoman's head when he laughs were inspired by Animal Crossing. Surprisingly, the indie video game I Wanna Be The Guy was NOT an intentional reference to this Flash, despite featuring a "Kid" who's motivation is "I Wanna Be The Guy"; the creator does acknowledge in his FAQ that he and his friend Eric who helped him name the game had probably seen this animation, but claims any influence it had was a subconscious one. (Fun Fact: I cosplayed as The Kid from I Want to Be The Guy at DragonCon one year, and almost got into hot water with con security over my gun prop.)   That's all I really have for this week. Next week, we'll go from badly dubbed anime, that staple of after-school weekday cartoons, to something a little more Saturday Morning.

[vrainsrewatch]

episode 6 thoughts

i think i mentioned this earlier, but aoi zaizen became my favorite ygo girl throughout watching vrains. i’m extremely excited to look back upon how that happened. i also have a lot to say this episode lmao, so buckle up.

but first,

CR at it again with fucking up the subtitles, lmao. sister-in-law. how did you get that from step-sister? anyways though, this episode starts off pretty light hearted, with both ai and kusanagi poking fun at yusaku:

and i think while it’s funny, it also says a lot about his relationship with kusanagi.

yusaku doesn’t hide the fact he’s not interesting in making friends, or even really having small talk with anyone. he doesn’t remember shima’s name this episode despite talking to him, what, like 3 days ago? and they’re in the same class and everything, and school has obviously been on for awhile if the duel club is getting stuff from aoi’s connection to SOL. 

however, kusanagi is close to him. though yusaku only uses the words ally or acquaintance, kusanagi clearly thinks of him as a friend. i’d actually argue that he thinks of him as a little brother. iirc there’s a part where kusanagi talks about how he wished jin could be like yusaku - resilient against his trauma and, while a damaged individual, still fighting. that’s an aspect of kusanagi that i feel like people don’t talk about, but i don’t fault him for feeling that way. he was, what, 14 when jin was kidnapped? he gave up his entire life to try and help his brother afterwards. no matter how much he loves jin, and no matter how pure that love is, i think it’s pretty human to, in your weaker moments, hold some resentment.

i love the fact that vrains shows this with kusanagi’s teasing remarks. yusaku doesn’t say much to it, but you kind of get the feeling kusanagi has teased him before about this kind of stuff. it shows a lot about their relationship and how comfortable they are with each other, even though they only met through a mutual cause.

we also get this shot of yusaku, when he’s in front of the duel club:

his eyes do that anime-eye thing, when you’re having a lot of emotions. aoi’s do it later this episode when she’s upset, and i love that they did this for yusaku. duel club. we know, for a fact, that little yusaku loved to duel. it was clearly his favorite hobby, and he clearly liked making friends through it if the flashback to his kidnapping with ryoken is anything to go off of.

but as i talked about, he no longer sees dueling like that. he only sees it as a means to an end; as life or death. but here, right in front of him, is proof dueling could be more - or less. it could just be a hobby again. 

it’s behind a closed door, though. one he won’t - can’t - open on his own. right now, it’s still too early for him to think about it. he’s still got to get to the bottom of how the hanoi are connected to the lost incident, and to find the one who saved him, all those years ago. 

aoi is honestly really observant when she wants to be, and i liked the reveal in s3, but i would’ve loved for her to know sooner rather than later tbh. i think she had it all there, after awhile, but couldn’t accept it.

moving on into aoi analysis, though:

clearly, this happens a lot. she doesn’t even respond to it. she probably wonders why it even bothers telling her, anymore, because he’s never home. that must hurt. 

when she was little, after their parents died, akira was all she had. yes, they live in this beautiful apartment now, and she’ll want for nothing material wise ever again, but in turn, she’s lost the thing she cares about most: her relationship with her brother. no wonder she wants to prove herself so badly to him. no wonder she wants him to take her seriously - if he believed she could take care of herself, then they could be on equal footing, and could be brother and sister again.

these caps perfectly illustrate that point, and also, sets up really nicely for the akira vs playmaker duel imo. this shows that while akira truly does have good intentions, he doesn’t understand. he doesn’t understand how after everything he’s done for aoi, she’s still unhappy. he doesn’t understand why aoi risks his position at SOL tech by bouncing around in LV as a charisma duelist. he thinks it’s all an act, and yeah, it kind of is, but she has fans. she clearly finds some enjoyment out of being blue angel - probably because it’s giving her affection that she’s been missing since her brother sold himself out to SOL.

and likewise, with the akira vs playmaker duel, akira doesn’t understand why yusaku can’t just go live a normal life and put all this behind him. or why he can’t trust akira to handle it. it’s a great set up for both akira’s development and aoi’s.

seriously, though, i know people have talked about this to death, but god, no wonder she goes so hard for miyu later in the series. miyu was probably her last actual friend, after her brother went on to be a big shot in SOL. if every single person approached me with ulterior motives and i could never tell if people actually wanted to be around me or my connections i’d get pretty depressed, too. even if we literally don’t get a mention of miyu until almost 80 episodes in, i would bet that aoi’s been thinking about her every so often. probably dreams of her sometimes like we see her do before she partners up with aqua.

and no wonder she’s blue angel. even if it’s a fake persona, at least people like it genuinely. they don’t know blue angel is connected to SOL. they like her dueling because it’s fun and she’s fun.

i don’t have too much to say on the rest of the episode, but i love how awkward yusaku gets about all the shit getting said about playmaker lol. he doesn’t really care, not really, but watching him get a tiny bit flustered is kinda cute lol. he’s still a teenager LOL.

OH and the spectre/aoi sequence. still love that. it was nice and creepy and also a great more fleshed out introduction to spectre’s character. he’s always entertaining to watch and i can’t wait to get to their duel.

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Devilman Crybaby, Episodes 1-3

And so we begin! In which I dive headfirst into a maelstrom of madness with a shockingly solid core, balancing light and dark in equal measure. This is gonna be a good one, folks.

Light and Dark

There can be no darkness without light. Ask any storyteller worth their salt about writing dark, tragic, fucked-up stories, and they’ll generally give you some form of that answer, because it’s more often than not true. The success of any narrative steeped in cruelty, inhumanity, moral ambiguity, or any such depressing conceit is in large part dependent on how well it can balance that darkness out with kindness, compassion, and hope. If you want to make your audience care when the world gets fucked, you have to give them something recognizably human to care about that stands to be lost should the worst possible scenario occur. Just look at the start of the DCEU with the likes of Batman v Superman for an example of how utterly disastrous not following this maxim can be. It’s a tricky balance to pull off, but at it’s best, this fusion of hope and hopelessness forms the backbone for some of the most powerful stories of the modern age. Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Last of Us, pretty much everything Gen Urobuchi has ever written (check out my Psycho-Pass binge for an example of just how fucking good the Butch is at writing dark stories in this vein), these are all tales of horrible thing happening in an unfair, fucked-up world, but the reason they stick with you is that all of them give you a reason to care for the people trying to survive such hopeless situations. That’s what separates slop like Future Diary from the kinds of masterpieces that define a generation.

Thankfully, not only does Devilman Crybaby understand that fundamental principle of dark storytelling about as well as I’ve ever seen it pulled off, it’s entire thematic thrust is centered around that clash of light and shadow. From the very first moments, the psychedelic imagery of its banger OP, the haunting opening sequence of spiritual annihilation, and the main characters setting up that dichotomy in explicit flashback terms over a dead cat’s body (”The weak ones die.” “You’re wrong!”), this show wants you to know right up front that it’s intention is to explore humanity’s capacity for both good and evil. It’s a story of extreme violence and brutality, often uglier and nastier than most other anime even dare attempt, but it’s all centered around an unmistakably human heart, pumping purifying blood through the noxious body it supports. I can absolutely see why this show become so popular; there’s something almost hypnotic about the way its better angels (pun intended, of course) shine through the chaotic whirlwind of blood and sex plastered across its surface. For as short a show as it is, Devilman Crybaby is already proving to be one hell of a heavyweight contender. So let’s dive in a bit deeper and see what makes its mechanism tick.

Human Heart

If there’s one aspect of Devilman Crybaby that above all others stands as proof positive for the strength of its construction, it’s the Devilman himself, Akira. He’s the symbolic weight of the show made flesh, a devil’s body with a human heart that strives to keep it in check. And from the second the reborn Akira struts into school with his new, edgier physique, the show does a fantastic job of selling you that dichotomy. Even in this new form, Akira’s a genuinely good person! He may enjoy the indulgence of everyone’s newfound admiration for him, casually flirting with his fangirls (”I don’t do kids.”) and milking their towel-based erotic fantasies of him for all they’re worth, but there’s never a sense he’s being skeevy or condescending about it. He’s still got at least a relative sense of humility, never going so far as to rub his superior status and skills in everyone’s faces; he even pulls himself short after that ridiculously batshit running stance to finish the race upright, and he doesn’t seek to draw attention to himself in the aftermath. Sure, he indulges his admirers because he enjoys the attention, but he does so in a way that entertains those he indulges as much as it does him. It’s a mutually beneficial circle of casual celebrity worship, and at the center of it is a genuinely cool dude making life genuinely more fun for the people latching onto him.

I can’t overstate how beneficial Akira’s well-established humanity is to this show’s overall tone. A character of this nature, who starts out as a wimp before gaining superpowers, could so easily tilt into assholery and toxic macho posturing, losing what made them relatable in favor of making them power fantasies (looking at you, every modern isekai ever). But the balance is honestly kind of perfect, and as a result, we genuinely care about Akira and his struggles. There’s a great moment shortly following his transformation where he makes Ryo promise that if his devil side ever takes over, he’ll shoot him before he loses control of himself for good. It speaks volumes as to the mindset both Akira and the show as a whole are approaching the dichotomy of human morality. Akira is, above all else, a good person thrust into a murky, chaotic world, and he’s going to fight to keep that morality no matter how blood-soaked his path becomes. That will likely prove an increasing challenge in the face of Ryo’s trigger-happy, pessimistic sensibilities; his partner in crime is all too willing to machine-gun anything, living or otherwise, that may threaten their ultimate goal, no matter what sins such actions heap upon his head. Knowing how this show ends, I can’t pretend I’m expecting a hopeful outcome. But considering how well this central conceit has been established, I can’t wait to see the road it takes to get there.

Devil Skin

Of course, I can harp on the importance of light in dark stories all I want, but the darkness itself is important as well. And thankfully, Devilman Crybaby does not skimp on that front at all. With Akira’s humanity serving as a grounding focal point, the plot and style surrounding him is allowed to go completely batshit crazy in all the most blasphemous ways possible. It’s status as a Netflix Original definitely comes in handy here, as the freedom of restrictions that platform provides allows Devilman to lather on all the bloodsoaked insanity it can dream of; and with Masaaki Yuasa at the helm, it can dream of a lot. This is the first of Yuasa’s directorial works I’ve seen, but I’m familiar with his style of sloppy, stretchy, exaggerated animation, and the scenes of demonic chaos he dreams up are the stuff of giddy nightmares. Bodies contort and explode in showers of multi-colored blood, proportions warp to match the twisted intensity of each moment, and everything is lathered in so many levels of heavy metal sheen as to make a Black Sabbath album cover look like a mellow indie rock jam. Akira rips apart a snake demon lengthwise at the end of the first episode, and the tension of the animation makes it one of the most gristly, deliciously wet and tactile moments of slaughter I’ve seen this side of Elfen Lied’s opening scene. And yet, there’s even some subtlety to this madness at times; the thematic motif of light and shadow is used visually to separate the foreground and background of many shots, casting striking tableaus of the separation between human and monster. Even something as simple as a car ride at night takes on deeper meaning, casting Ryo in deep shadows only briefly illuminated by the flashes of the passing streetlights. Bottom line, you all weren’t lying about how utterly spellbinding this show’s presentation is, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it’s satanic, off-kilter sensibility.

Lecher’s Gaze

And now, it’s time once more for me to dive into the always fun territory of sex in anime and the many ways it can piss me off. Of course, Devilman Crybaby is of a much different sexual proclivity than the usual tasteless, virginal fanservice clogging up anime’s fetid bowels; with that sweet, sweet Netflix freedom and the desire to wave it’s edge flag as high as possible, this show embraces sex, nudity, and all things erotic will full-uncensored abaondon, with enough uncensored nipples and scenes of fucking to give Tumblr staff an aneurysm. It’s filthy and perverse and it makes no apologies for that. And I know I’m going to shock my long-term readers when I say that in my opinion, this was the right aesthetic choice. Hey, this level of degeneracy is far more fitting of Devilman’s general hard-edged sensibilities than most anime’s lazy attempts at shoving boob jiggles and panty shots on screen. After all, if you’re going to go this wild and this grungy in an exploration of morality’s dual nature, being this explicitly sexual only makes sense as par for the course.

See, the benefit of not having to beat around the bush with sexual content is that Devilman Crybaby is allowed to dig into the meat of how people are actually sexual, not how some studio executive thinks fifteen-year-old virgin losers interpret being sexual. Just one moment of that one girl casually humping her friend from behind feels far more true to life, far closer to the playful immaturity with which teenagers actually engage with sex, than pretty much anything else I’ve seen in anime. Sure, it’s still wildly overblown and steeped in bodily exploitation, but there’s a tactility and playfulness to the on-screen orgies that makes the presence of carnivorous nipples that much easier to digest. Plus, it at least has the decency to be relatively equal opportunity about it’s leering eye. Female bodies may still have the majority of screen presence, but there are no shortage of glistening abs offered up for enjoyment as well, not to mention the explicit depiction of Akira’s new and improved bulge. There’s also a welcome acknowledgement of queer couples in the fetishization train, because if we’re gonna be lumping every conceivable body together as camera meat, putting explicit scenes of gay and lesbian sex in as part of the collective just makes sense (not to mention the not-so-subtle gay coding of Akira and Ryo themselves: ”Here, open wide!”). No, it’s not perfect; the extended scene of Miki’s nudity in the back half of episode 3 felt fairly gratuitous and unnecessary, and I’m not sure why female masturbation is regularly presented so bizarrely (were the donkey noises really necessary?). But compared to what I usually get from anime and how easily this could have gone off the rails, I’m exceptionally impressed with the level of nuance and purpose on display here.

Odds and Ends

-”I’d sell my soul to the devil if it made me run faster.” Mood.

-Okay, I was not expect the senile coach to be a frog person. What the shit.

-”And you can clear your history after you watch porn.” aksjdhasd

-Okay, props to you for some of the best Engrish I’ve ever heard in anime, creepy bird-killing professor.

-Oh, that music drop upon Miki’s entrance was awesome. Way to sell the jarring reversal of Akira’s emotions.

-So I’m guessing Akira’s parent’s left him, and he’s hanging by Miki’s family to get by?

-So the original Devilman is a thing in this world? lol.

-I am loving this Greek chorus of rapping vagabonds. Honestly, this entire electro-synth/hip-hop soundtrack is baller.

-Akira radiates massive dumbass energy. “How do I make sure nobody knows my face? Just get up in everyone else’s! Perfect!”

-”He went to a friend’s place.” “He has friends?” askjdhaksd

And with that, we are on our way. I’m already excited to see what else this show’s got in store. See you next time!

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 699 Review

After 10,000 years, this series is free. It’s time to conquer Earth! But seriously, it felt like it has been years since we last have a new Gintama chapter. The last one wasn’t truly the final chapter, but only final to be released in Weekly Shounen Jump. Today, Sorachi is on a mission to finish the series for good with a proper sendoff. What way to make a comeback than delivering a chapter that define Gintama perfectly; hysterical parody, emotional driven characters, and action-packed ride with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger.

By the time you see the color spread, you’ll know we’re off with a great start with Silver Ball Z. It’s remarkable how accurate Sorachi captured the visual work of Toriyama. From the character’s angle to design, it’s well deserved achievement to capture the sensation. Kondo didn’t need alteration though; he’s already a gorilla, so only the style has changed. To make the parody even better, the good portion of the beginning is a recap done in Dragon Ball style.

This is one of the best “previously on” segment that I have ever seen. It’s quite brilliant to take advantage of switching from one magazine to another and start off with a recap to remind the fans what happened while have a good laugh. It’s not only the artstyle that has changed, but even the narration reflects the same way how Dragon Ball has done in the past. All it was missing was the soundtrack. It is gold, or silver, however you want to call this moment. I laughed so hard at Katsura designed as Yamucha, and Takasugi designed as Vegeta. Strangely enough, it captured their character too well. Before the chapter truly begins, Katsura strikes Gintoki with Wolf Fang Fist.

The comedy doesn’t focus only on Dragon Ball parody, but also on Sorachi himself. Apparently, because of more time and switch to Jump Giga, Sorachi is now putting effort to his work with great quality of art, even if it does resort to Dragon Ball. Oddly enough, this seems to be low-key true to other Mangaka, but I digress. Hilarious that Katsura buries Yamucha by calling it a loser role. Rest in Peace, Yamucha. The best part is the ending of the parody. I seriously think Sorachi believes all of it.

Now that Gintama is in another magazine, Gintoki has nothing to worry about. No more worries about One Piece overshadowing him and no more worries about the rising suns that are Black Clover, My Hero Academia, and Haikyuu!!! to overshadow him. He can now overrun the world of Jump Giga, starting with Akira Toriyama’s power. So much so, he pulls the exact same ending shot from Dragon Ball. That is pure gold. Could you imagine if the series did end the same way? We’re going to need Gintama Super then. Takasugi brings the scene back to reality with Galick Gun. Oh how I missed this series.

He does have a point though. If there were silver balls, why bother planning this ambush in the first place? There wouldn’t be any need to sacrifice and nothing will be at stake. Well, thank goodness, it doesn’t exist. We can’t ruin the excitement now. Of course, what Sorachi does best is to segue to a more serious matter from a gag. It’s true with silver balls, life would be much easier on them, but Takasugi has no regrets. He’s thankful that they made it this far with their own hands; no tricks, no magic, just pure talent. All thanks to Shouyo. This is the type of writing I missed from this series. From there on, it’s all action-packed with many things to offer.

I assume with all the time Sorachi has with Jump Giga, he has enough energy to add plenty of details and sequences to the action scenes without wasting so much spaces. Unlike Boruto, it uses the panels wisely for tension and suspense. It’s why the action starts with a bang, literally and figuratively. It’s the Disciples against the cult followers. That panel with all three kicking asses while feeling the excitement is great. Thankfully, it’s not all of the story that was being told here.

Although they reached to the Altana Terminal, the ship that crashed is absorbing the altana. That means Shouyo’s body is absorbing it and soon, Tendoshu will gain a new way for their immortality plan. This does raise the tension higher, now that we establish that they’re on a ticking time bomb. They have to rush all the way up there and when you look at the scene, it’s incredibly difficult. It’s baffling how much people truly desired for immortality this badly. That’s where we receive a really heartfelt moment during the heated action.

While the action goes on as it becomes intense, Katsura begins a heartfelt speech that is shared with others that ties in the morale of immortality and cherish the life you’re given. Even if they were to die, he will have no regrets. It’s hard to say if their reunion was joy or sorrow, but it’s certain if one outlives another, it would be impossible to find another person like them. They have ups and downs, trying to kill each other. Despite all of the troubles, their bonds can’t be severed. It’s the bond that’s worth limiting to. Honestly, I can’t do it justice without the mention of its sequences.

The reason why this was so heartfelt isn’t just because we know their friendship is truly one of the kind or how well-written the dialogue is. It’s the action set piece that drives the emotion home with great sincerity. Not only it was entertaining, but you can grasp the words’ meaning at its best, leaving you feeling really good and emotional. It has great effective use of the flashback panels and the focus view to leave a strong impact. Like how Takasugi holds Gintoki’s hand to show the comradery, the unbroken friendship. It’s so damn good to see this series back again.

Gintoki can relate to the followers on one thing: not wanting to die. He can understand their wishes because he too wants to live long and enjoy the sensation with his friends. The others have their own wish to meet Shouyo. They want to vent out their frustration, but they may never know how much of a beating they will give until they feel satisfied. Not even eternity would do. Those panel shots with all of them enjoying are sublime. That’s how you do friendship. Those three are the best. The one major downside is the old friend of mine: darkness and it raised death flags.

Katsura spots a rocket launcher and push everyone back to dodge. Only he takes the damage from the impact, weakened enough to slow them down. They then gets trapped by both sides of their pathway, which seems like the end for them. While I didn’t think of that, I was a bit worried on what’s about to happen with Katsura injured. Anything goes and that’s what happens next. The explosions erupt from the wall, essentially saving the three from their certain doom. That’s where the other best part of the series comes in: the characters.

It was clear that it was too much for the three to handle all of the enemy alone, which is why it’s a great time to bring back all other characters to the fray. I like how Shinseigumi orders them to comply and if they don’t, then more power to them, because they would love to show their power. It’s not just them, it’s every character that has been around for a long time. It’s like witnessing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Gintama Edition; everyone is here! All it was missing was that theme song from Be Yorozuya Forever. Book it, anime staff!

What makes the scenario even better is how they are reflecting the long grueling journey after being ruled by Amanto for 20 years. They went through hell many times, but the result is paying off greatly. After the war, it made them stronger than ever. It’s no wonder earlier in the arc, it emphasized the growth of the Samurai. No more they will feel fear from them; it’s time to take Earth back. It’s a message that reads, “It’s been a long journey for your favorite characters, but they learn and grow, and when they show the result, the journey ends.” It’s already building for the closure that we have been waiting for.

You can’t do this justice without the beloved main characters. Just when Otae blocks the attack, which by the way is the same shot from the anime preview back in Jump Festa, the two come to save the day. Most importantly, after for so long, they can finally say, “Welcome to the country of Samurai.” The monthly release schedule really pays off for the quality panels like the one with Shinpachi and Kagura. So great to see them again. I got to remind myself how heroine is treated as well as a main character that doesn’t overshadow the protagonist. Yorozuya’s reunion is so close. I can almost taste it.

Characters aren’t great without amusing interactions. Matsudaira and Kondo are cooperating from sky and ground, like the good old time. Despite their political differences, mainly on the marriage, they are great friends. No matter what timeline they’re in, it will always be the Era of Samurai. Hijikata and Sougo work alongside with Shinpachi and Kagura, while she rubs in that Yorozuya is better than Shinseigumi as Sougo denies that claim. Some things never change, but that’s the way we like them.

There is an interesting development regarding with Utsuro. Tendoshu are in the process of gathering the Altana, but they are on the verge of losing their cult. The head leader however is fine with the way things are going. Shouyo’s body is slowly gaining a new heart. That will leave his disciples carrying a spare that wouldn’t destroy Tendoshu’s plan. Now the question comes in: why would the head leader needs to revive Shouyo completely? That’s where things get twisted.

If you have watched the preview from Jump Festa, there was a very strange scene with Utsuro mixed with Tendoshu’s body. It turns out that was true and not only true, but Utsuro has stolen their will. All this time, the plan isn’t for the sake of immortality, but instead, to revive Utsuro under his will. It makes sense considering that they consumed so much blood that they just so happen to control it like it belongs to them. The blood is like a virus, soon it will overpower you and a new mind will be inserted; case in point, Utsuro’s. In short, he has returned. This begs the question. Will Shouyo return as Utsuro with a new heart? It’s quite freaky to see three Utsuros in one setting.

The elevator scene is like a checkpoint for Gintoki and others to cool down and talk for a moment. Katsura does the talking while the other two stay quiet. It’s due to what Katsura said about their people and friends; everyone has grown stronger. They aren’t weak to ask them for a favor, rather fighting to help them. You can say they grew accustomed to be the one helping, not vice versa. Jumping ahead for a bit, Takasugi asks Gintoki for the heart; influenced by Katsura’s words, but not really all bright. They have enemies waiting for them, essentially, this scene become calm before storm.

Shinpachi and Kagura are assisted by Kyuubei and her clan, preventing reinforcements to barge through. It is the series’ way to have certain character to say their words or blessing, starting with her. She wishes to fool around a little longer with Gintoki and others like the good old days. She would be happy if they ruin her marriage interview. How charming.

In the midst of tensed action scene with Gintoki and others at the elevator lobby, Tsukuyo and others fight off the reinforcements to open path for Yorozuya. She gets shot through her leg. Damn. Luckily, Sacchan and Zenzou are there to back her up. Interesting though fitting for Sacchan to encourage Tsukuyo to not to die, unless she is with her lover. Strange use of context about the crotch spot, but the meaning holds the significant value. She’s not planning to die; she will live to see Gintoki again. Sorachi sure knows how to please the pairing fans; I’ll take it. I like Zenzou’s words for him as well. If he doesn’t return, then say goodbye to Jump issues. That’s funny yet heartwarming.

It’s hard to review the segment with great justice with its transition between Gintoki and his friends. It’s worth mentioning because how the scenes greatly complements the segment about what Gintoki has lost and gain. Takasugi wants the heart because he wants him to enjoy the life he can still take back. While that is seriously nice of him, Gintoki’s response is even nicer. He is fine with the way things are, because he doesn’t need to take it back. He got everything there. That includes Takasugi; when they fought alongside, when they fought against each other. That’s Gintoki’s reason to be there; never to lose anything. God, I’m going to miss this series.

The ending is crazy, especially the cliffhanger. Just when we got a teary sentimental scene, shit hits the fan when the explosion erupted by the lobby door. Damn you, Michael Bay! The heart slips out and Katsura is the only guy that can grab it. I was struck when his hand almost reaches it, only to get stabbed by the staff. Damn, that looks bad. Hitsugi sends him down crashing. I don’t know where they landed, but if they are fine more or less, I sense a new battle.

The intensity doesn’t stop as Gintoki trying to hold on the rope, which is ripping his skin. Cringe. Takasugi has to make an opening for them to land, so he jumps towards the door and breaks it, badass style. Wow, that was close. That elevator breakout scene was so damn good. Another scene from Jump Festa happens with Takasugi holding his hand out for Gintoki to grab onto. A couple of panels are used for heartfelt friendship scene as well as tension. It’s all fine and well, until Takasugi’s hand weakens. Tendoshu stabbed him with a sword. That’s where the chapter ends. Dammit, Gorilla…

I know Takasugi is semi-immortal, but the fact is he’s running out of time. If anything, this lessen the time even further. For all we know, this could be his last extra life, so if he were to die again, that’s it. Not to mention, it’s Tendoshu or Utsuro behind him, so the battle will be tough for him, even if not killed. This chapter has set up a death flag for each disciple, one in which has the highest. That’s Takasugi. Will he die here? I honestly don’t know.

This chapter was long but that’s expected for a month worth of content. With that said this was a hell of a return. There was a hilarious parody that this series is known for. There were tons of great action with plenty of fun moments. Characters were stellar as usual with believable motivations and relationships. The art is very solid, worth taking a time off. The ending was jarring with a cliffhanger that can make a person skip a heartbeat. It’s Gintama. I don’t know how many chapter we have left, but I will savor this as long as I can. The next chapter can’t come any sooner.

[cosmicqueen10]

The Top 5 things I’ve seen this October

Hey guys.

I wanted to get into the horror mood this month so I thought I’d watched some new anime and gameplay of the horror variety. And then I decided to do another list of my top favorite ones from 5th to 1st. Now, this is just my opinion so don’t criticize or flame me.

Now, for anyone interested, read on.

#5 - Hellsing (Original Version)

Yeah, I know there’s Hellsing Ultimate but I’ll watch that later when I can. Now to be honest, this one I just breezed through because I was half invested in it. 

Vampires I like but what I don’t like is not being intrigued enough to really look through every single aspect of the show to understand the full extent of its value. I thought there’d be some fling between Alucard and Seras but it’s pretty much a master/pupil thing. And really, the plot was never resolved at the end, probably saving it for the sequel. Mostly everyone dies, Intergra is locked up and may become a vampire by Alucard too, I don’t know. I’ve seen some images of Ultimate and I may get answers from it, and I found out that Alucard may be another version of Dracula. And he’s a girl. Yeah, I’ll watch that sequel soon to make sense of it all.

So, to be short, this wasn’t bad ... but I hope the sequel helps my feelings on this franchise get better.

#4 - The Devil is a Part Timer

This is more magical and humorous instead of complete gore, but that doesn’t mean it’s not intriguing. To see the devil; the embodiment of evil, in such an amusing way, is something that got me to watch it in the first place. And at a parody of McDonalds no less.

The plot was good, the art style is great, the action sequences didn’t drag on for filler sake, it was all smooth sailing. Of course, the romance was a tad not there for Maou and Chiho and just joked at only for it not to go anywhere. And after just now looking up stuff on the light novels and manga, it looks like Maou and Emi were meant to be and it goes way deeper than that ...

But most of the gang staying is like them moving on from their past lives to start anew is fine by me, them all being silly and acting like actual humans, for Maou being not just an evil being but someone who does anything to protect his people, friends, home, it gives him some humanity.

Again, anime just brushes the surface. But even so, it’s still good stuff.

#3 - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (Video Game)

Now, i wanted to watch the anime but after seeing reviews on how the anime does a terrible job at representing the game, I decided to watch the gameplay instead. Luckily, I found a gameplay playlist by a Youtuber, John Wolfe, with his girlfriend Kimmy as they played the whole game and their commentary made watching the whole, dang long story tolerable. That prologue though, so long!

The art style was what attracted me first. The plot is apocalyptic themed and such, some of the characters I tolerated/weren’t half bad/had common sense. Like Kyoko, Byakuya, Sakura, Chihiro, and a bit Makoto (even if he’s kinda half baked).

Monokuma is the symbol of despair in this game which is cute but also creepy, and it doesn’t end. John and Kimmy have a playlist for the sequel which I will watch later on. Twists, turns, and the real mastermind in this is cuckoo! Overall, this is worth the journey.

#2 - Devilman Crybaby

Oh gawd, the mature setting is set on high for this one. Just mature beyond belief.The art style/animation is so anime-esque but still new all the same. But when it comes to horror, the usual case of demons and the devil, I will watch it.

Akira became my go to guy in this. He may have fused with the demon Amon and became Devilman but he was still a good guy. And being caught up in this war with demons cost him his family, his friends, his love Miki, and worst of all, finding out his best friend Ryo is Satan all along. The whole plot of demons being humans succumbed to the worst of emotions and wiping out the human race to control Earth and then wage battle against God, it was all Ryo’s plan.

And yeah, the mature stuff with sex, drugs, violence, scenes of cannibalism from a kid (oh gawd that shocked me) and a duel to the death between former friends ... only for Akira to die. Everyone dying really, great characters like Miko and Miki, the rapping guys (even though one of them was a traitor) and Satan looking like an angel when actually he’s the devil. But Akira, cut in half, and Ryo embracing him as he cried for the first time as God wipes out all life on Earth again ....

And there it ends. The last few episodes were hard to watch. So much drama, and blood, and tragedy. It all ends. Such a good anime, but tragic ending. Just like Infinity War. T-T 

#1 - Castlevania (Netflix)

Now this has everything a scary, horror story should have and more. The Dracula theme, vampires, demons and all that but also magic, gripping action and a plot that comes all the way through. Season 1 got me interested, Season 2 took it all the way home.

So much blood, gore, language, some humor and relationship feels here and there, epic battles and a good ending that leads to a new beginning. Trevor was a badass with the joking and whip lashing foes, Sypha being one of the best magic users I’ve seen and being so clever and powerful, and Alucard being calculating and with a purpose to end his father’s war.

Showing flashbacks of Lisa’s capture and Dracula as he was before they met added more to how they were, so good. Also flashbacks for newcomers Isacc and Hector, plus Carmilla as to how they became who they are in the show and where they ended up in the end. The addition of more vampires was fine, even though it all ended with good old fashioned bloody brawls.

The chemistry between Trevor and Sypha was so cute! The relationship between Trevor and Alucard was that of crude amusement whereas Alucard’s relationship with Sypha is something else entirely. The final clash between the trio and Dracula was one of pure epicness and ending with Alucard making the final blow at the same time Dracula realized he was killing his own son; Lisa’s greatest gift to him; making him accept that he was already dead when Lisa died. Peace was restored, everyone went down different paths, and the ending made me shed tears.

In short, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. Not just good, but great. Is Season 3 coming next? Who knows? But what I do know is that this is the best thing I’ve seen this October.

And that’s it. I hope you enjoyed. And until next time, bye guys.

[placetobenation]

April 13th, 1990 from the Tokyo Dome.

A combined WWF, AJPW and NJPW supershow?! Yes indeed. Mostly. Sort of.

For reasons I can’t quite explain, this felt like a festive stocking filler of a show to review, so this my gift to you – it’s better than nothing, eh? Let’s get to it. 

First of all, some context courtesy of the Wrestling Observer (by way of Scott Keith’s great Observer Flashbacks):

On 29 November 1989, the revived Universal Wrestling Federation – headed by former New Japan Pro-Wrestling talent Akira Maeda – ran a Tokyo Dome show which broke the records for fastest sell-out and biggest ever gate in Japan. NJPW founder Antonio Inoki was humiliated by this and booked a Tokyo Dome show for the following February which was to feature four reigning world heavyweight champions – Vader/NJPW, Hulk Hogan/WWF, Ric Flair/NWA and Larry Zbyszko/AWA. They weren’t able to book Hogan, however, and the mooted Muta vs. Flair match was cancelled at the last minute, with Flair citing political pressure from Turner Broadcasting System.

Flair’s cancellation, combined with the threat posed by the UWF led to a surprising and unlikely alliance, as New Japan and rivals All Japan Pro Wrestling agreed to trade foreign talent. The deal was facilitated by the man who deposed Inoki as NJPW President, Seiji Sakaguchi, and led to the Tokyo Dome show on 10 February being co-promoted, with the card ultimately featuring the debut of former sumo wrestler Koji Kitao vs. Bam Bam Bigelow, Masa Saito beating Zbyszko for the AWA title and Vader defending his IWGP title in a brutal match against All Japan’s Stan Hansen.

Meanwhile, Vince McMahon had booked a WWF show at the Tokyo Dome for April and a few weeks later (reported 5 February 1990) held a press conference with All Japan owner, Giant Baba, to announce that it would be a joint show with both AJPW and NJPW. It was christened Wrestling Summit soon after.

The advertised card was modified in places, most significantly with regards to NJPW’s matches, two of which took place at the show, but neither of which made it to tape. This was because the show’s television broadcaster, Nippon TV, was home to All Japan and therefore unwilling to promote a rival wrestling company. (Note: there may well be fan-cam recordings of those matches, but I couldn’t find them.) Because of this, the show has since become thought of as joint WWF/AJPW venture only and the two companies have enjoyed a fruitful working relationship ever since. Wait, that’s not right. More on the fallout later.

The opening match (AJPW: Dan Kroffat, Doug Furnas & Joe Malenko defeating Samson Fuyuki, Tatsumi Kitahara & Toshiaki Kawada) wasn’t shown either, so we skip that and match No.2 (NJPW: Jushin Thunder Liger beating Akira Nogami) and go straight to…

Kenta Kobashi & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Jimmy Snuka & Tito Santana

Kobashi, in red trunks and still looked like a teenager, was already drawing a decent reaction from the crowd. He and Santana went back-and-forth for a couple of minutes, with Santana dominating, but Kobashi hit back with a springboard crossbody(!) and made the tag to Fuchi, who unloaded with right hands then scored an enzuigiri to set up Kobashi’s missile dropkick. Fuchi then delivered the same to Snuka, who was tagged moments later. Kobashi earned a two-count with a crossbody out of the corner and followed with one from the top-rope, then Fuchi was in to dump the blown-up Snuka with a backdrop. Tag made to Santana, who ran wild with dropkicks and a leaping forearm, then he scoop slammed Fuchi to tee up Snuka’s Superfly Splash for the three-count. Snuka looked rough here and messed up a couple of things in the brief time he was in the ring, but it was otherwise a fairly decent tag match. I certainly got a kick out of seeing young Kobashi’s flashy offence. **

Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs. Tiger Mask II

Bret Hart vs. Mitsuharu Misawa! This should be amazing (spoiler: it is not). Tiger spent the opening minutes controlling the arm, then dropkicked Hart to the floor and fooled him with a dive fake-out. Hart charged straight into an armdrag before a crucifix earned two and it was back to Tiger controlling on the mat. Hart fought to his feet and reversed Tiger’s crossbody for two-count before cinching in a chinlock, but after a couple of minutes of that a rope-running sequence allowed Tiger to catapult Hart into the turnbuckle and it was back to the arm once more. Hart countered a second crucifix, scored a couple of elbows then applied another chinlock when it threatened to get interesting. Tiger powered up, landed a spin kick and flattened Hart on the outside with a plancha. Back in, Hart reached the ropes from a cross armbar then feigned a knee injury from a leapfrog to take control. Backbreaker from Hart for two, backslide counter by Tiger for two, then Hart threw Tiger to the floor before bringing him back in for a Russian Leg Sweep.

Tiger fought up from of a third chinlock to hit a scoop slam, but Hart delivered a nasty inverted atomic drop and suplex for a two-count. A fourth – fourth! – chinlock was applied, then abdominal stretches were traded before Hart missed the middle-rope diving elbow and Tiger connected with  a diving crossbody for a near-fall. Sternum-first turnbuckle whip and just as Tiger hit a running crossbody the bell rang to signal a 20-minute draw. I can’t recall seeing Hart dog it quite so obviously in a singles match. He was the one (very obviously) calling the match, which barely got out of second gear before being put back in a rest hold. A month later Misawa would be unmasked and in June he would beat Jumbo Tsuruta in his first Budokan main event – this was no young boy in the ring with Bret and it’s embarrassing in hindsight that he treated him as such. Bret + Misawa = 4/10 (no, seriously, it’s a two-star match).

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. The Great Kabuki

Valentine’s music was “She’s Got The Look” by Roxette. I have no idea why. Anyway, Valentine – who was cosplaying as the untaped Riki Choshu – started strongly with elbow strikes until Kabuki replied with closed fists, which referee Shane McMahon decided to let go. Double-arm suplex from Valentine for two, then knife edge chops and a sort of rudimentary Jackhammer for another two-count. Kabuki managed to fling himself into the tree-of-woe, from which he was released by Shane O Mac, only for Valentine to stomp low. Kabuki blocked the figure-four, though, and applied a Boston Crab until Valentine reached the ropes. More elbows and a scoop slam from Valentine, followed by a shinbreaker and much mocking of Kabuki’s mannerism, but Kabuki had the last laugh as he small packaged Valentine for the three-count. This was fine and Valentine’s efforts to garner heat were appreciated. *1/2

Big Boss Man vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Despite both men being babyfaces at the time, Boss Man worked heel here, catching Roberts early on with a spinebuster then working on the back. This continued in uninspired fashion for several minutes before a chinlock was applied and Roberts tried gamely to get the crowd into it. Nope. Boss Man went to the top-rope after delivering a scoop slam, but the diving belly flop missed and allowed Roberts to make the comeback with punches and the short clothesline. Something went awry with Roberts’ knee lift, but no matter, as the DDT connected moments later to give Jake the win and Damien made a post-match cameo. Boss Man’s offence – which was the body of the match – was awful in every respect. Not good at all. 1/2*

Next up was an IWGP Tag Team title match in which the champions, Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto, successfully defended against the challengers, Masahiro Chono & Riki Choshu. Sounds like a good match on paper. 

Jumbo Tsuruta & King Haku vs. Mr. Perfect & Rick Martel

Perfect and Martel first dealt with Haku then went after Jumbo, who quickly turned the tide with a jumping knee to Perfect. The commentator loved that one. Haku took control with a nice shoulderbreaker, then a double-team clothesline enabled Jumbo to lock in the abdominal stretch. Martel interfered to break the hold, allowing Perfect to fire back with stomps, punches and the rolling neck snap. A big scoop slam from Jumbo brought in Haku, whose flipping senton missed the mark, bringing in Martel for the first time. A pair of scoop slams and a series of elbows set up the frankensteiner(!) for a near-fall, and after a brief flurry from Perfect, Martel was back in with a slingshot splash, but a second attempted frankensteiner resulted in him being dropped into the turnbuckle. Haku couldn’t make the tag, though, and a double-team slam allowed Martel to lock in the Boston Crab. Now it was Jumbo’s turn to interject, but all it led to was Perfect tagging in for an abdominal stretch of his own. Suplex from Martel and a knee drop for two, then an eye rake and scoop slam, but Haku got his knees up on the diving splash and he finally made the hot tag to Jumbo! Back body drops and scoop slams all round, then he and Haku whipped their opponents together, Jumbo nailed Martel with the jumping knee and the Backdrop Hold got the win! A very basic layout, with Haku imperilled for the majority of the match, but Martel and Perfect’s offence was nice and varied and the hot tag to Jumbo worked a treat. Good match. *** 

“Macho King” Randy Savage (w/ Sensational Sherri) vs. Genichiro Tenryu

Nice bird’s eye view of the ring as Savage entered the ring – they should use that again. Savage got a couple of punches in before taking a powder and posing on the turnbuckle, then Tenryu flipped out of a suplex and floored Savage with chops to a big reaction. Sherri’s distraction saw Savage briefly gain control, but Tenryu nailed a clothesline, back body dropped Savage to the floor and followed with a crossbody from the apron! Sherri got involved again, allowing Savage some respite and drawing huge heat, which was amazing to watch. Back in, Tenryu blocked Savage’s charge and scored an enzuigiri, but Savage hit back with a clothesline and punches before pushing the referee to the mat.

Another clothesline got two and one more sent Tenryu to the floor where Savage struck him with the double axe handle from the top-rope. Sherri twice gave Tenryu a smack behind the ref’s back and a second diving axe handle in the ring earned a near-fall, then Savage headed up top and the diving elbow hit the mark! One, two, no! A third axe handle was blocked, but Tenryu couldn’t get the powerbomb and Savage scored a diving crossbody. He seemed to tweak his knee off that, which gave Tenryu the opening for one more enzuigiri and this time the powerbomb connected! One, two, three! This was wrestled at a great pace and, thanks to Sherri, benefitted from plenty of heat. Savage dominated, Tenryu showed fighting spirit and it was certainly a sign of respect that he kicked out of the diving elbow drop. Really good match. ***1/2 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship 

Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase

Warrior was fresh off beating Hulk Hogan for the title at Wrestlemania VI and had been world champion less than two weeks at this point. This had initially been advertised as an Intercontinental title match.

DiBiase attacked Warrior as he was playing to the crowd, but Warrior quickly brushed him off, sending him to the floor with a clothesline over the top. He proceeded to demonstrate his strength from a few tie-ups, then a criss cross led to a big shoulder block, but DiBiase avoided the attempted flying clothesline and took control. The crowd started chanting something every time he punched Warrior and he got a big reaction for clothesline and two-count. No idea what that was about. Snapmare and a fist drop and another massive reaction for a suplex. What is going on? Piledriver from DiBiase! That got two despite Warrior’s foot being under the rope, then it was time for the champ to make the comeback with a bunch of clotheslines, the flying clothesline and the big splash to retain his title in under 7 minutes. The bizarre crowd reaction made this relatively entertaining, but there wasn’t much to it otherwise. These two would have a far better match on the fourth edition of The Main Event later in 1990. *1/2

Demolition (Ax & Smash) vs. Andre the Giant & Giant Baba

Demolition were the reigning WWF tag champs at the time, having beaten Andre and Haku (aka The Colossal Connection) at Wrestlemania VI, but this is a non-title match because… well, look at the team they’re facing.

Baba began by shoulder blocking Smash and chopping him a few times before tagging in Andre. He was looking rough, bless him, but was mobile enough to stand on Smash before missing an elbow drop. Ax and Smash tagged in-and-out a few times, taking turns at clubbing Andre until he was able to roll over to the corner and bring in Baba once more. Baba trampled Ax, but Demolition quickly took control in their corner, choking him behind the ref’s back. More chops from Baba, and a spinning neckbreaker(!) saw Andre return to manhandle Ax. It all got a bit out of hand, with Baba interjecting and nailing a big boot to Smash, and Andre capitalised with an elbow drop for the (sort of) three-count. Not a good match by any means, but that was to be expected. Still, Demolition flung themselves around and the crowd enjoyed it. *

Special Dream Match

Hulk Hogan vs. Stan Hansen

This was due to be Hogan vs. Terry Gordy (despite Vince McMahon initially pushing for Hogan vs. Dusty Rhodes, according to Dave Meltzer), but that was before Hogan lost the WWF title. Supposedly, neither Baba nor Gordy were pleased with this development and so the match was changed on the day of the show, with Hansen replacing Gordy out of self-interest or selflessness, depending on who you believe. 

An even opening exchange saw Hogan demonstrating some technical prowess with double-leg and drop toehold takedowns, then they traded slaps and eye rakes until Hansen threw Hogan to the floor. Hogan fought free and managed to ram Hansen’s head into the ringpost, busting him open! Back suplex in the ring for two, then Hogan targeted the cut with punches and stomps before locking in an abdominal stretch. Knife edge chops in the corner sent Hansen to the floor again, where he was punched over the guardrail and slammed onto a table! Hogan posed in the ring, then brought Hansen back in for a two-count and delivered more chops in the corner. Finally, Hansen was able to block a charge and he bulldozed Hogan with a shoulder block.

Outside, Hansen smashed Hogan in the head with a chair and now Hogan was busted open too! Hansen drew cheers by rolling him back into the ring for a two-count and proceeded to wail on him with punches, then a brief sojourn to the floor saw Hansen use his bull rope, but back in, Hogan nailed a running elbow. The leg drop missed, but Hogan connected with a running crossbody(!) for a near-fall, then pushed Hansen off and nailed the Axe Bomber! One, two, three! What a great match. I’d go as far to say it was one of the best of Hogan’s career. Aggressive brawling, double colour and a clean finish. What more could you want? ****

The usual Hogan schtick to close and we’re out. 

The Aftermath

The UWF held what was to be their final show at the Tokyo Dome on 1 December 1990. This came after many months of issues between UWF President, Jin Shinji, and Akira Maeda over the direction of the company, as well as being a consequence of the general economic downturn in Japan. Maeda would go on to form shoot-style promotion Fighting Network RINGS, while a third iteration of the UWF – Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFi) – would run until the end of 1996, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Only weeks after Wrestling Summit took place, Genichiro Tenryu left All Japan Pro Wrestling. Backed by well-known spectacles makers Megane Super, Tenryu would become the figurehead of a new promotion named Super World of Sports (SWS), who spent big and quickly built an impressive roster.

In October 1990, WWF representatives JJ Dillon and Akio Sato visited Japan and made a deal with SWS for a working agreement (AJPW having been given only a courtesy meeting and NJPW unwilling to meet the WWF’s terms). WWF talent began wrestling semi-regularly for SWS in December of that year and continued to do so until May 1992. A month after that, SWS held its final show in tumultuous circumstances, with talent splitting off into several new promotions. One of these was Tenryu’s WAR, with whom WWF held a joint show in September of that year. Beyond that, WWF ran four house shows across Japan in 1994 and… that was it for a long time. They didn’t return until 2002.

Tenryu’s departure from AJPW led directly to the push of Mitsuharu Misawa, which in turn would lead to the most prosperous time in the company’s history, and despite their absence from the footage, the likes of Hashimoto, Chono and Liger would bring about similar incredible success for NJPW. Coupled with the demise of the UWF and later SWS, this meant neither company was desperate enough to co-promote for the rest of the decade, and they wouldn’t run another joint show until 2011/2012, when they and Pro Wrestling NOAH organised a pair of events in response to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. 

Final thoughts: A preposterous one-off event in the middle of an extraordinary time for Japanese professional wrestling – of course it’s a recommendation. Even at its worst, this bizarre spectacle is thoroughly entertaining. Clearly it’s not a high quality show, with the Misawa/Hart match a notable disappointed, but there are couple of very good matches here that would be worth seeing even if isolated from the occasion.

[dragonkeeper19600]

Fruits Basket Observations

I reread Fruits Basket this month. One of my favorite things about this manga full of favorite things of mine is that every time I read it, I realize something new about the story and its characters. Apparently, this was one of the goals that Natsuki Takaya had in regards to Fruits Basket, that it would get better the more you “bite into” it (she actually compares the series to a cuttlefish in that regard), and I think she pulled it off due to all the amazing Fridge Brilliance moments that come from rereading it. 

With that in mind, here is my list of random thematic and character-based elements I’ve never noticed before, as well as little moments that slipped under my radar the first time I read the series:

A lot of traits about Akito’s character, including her real gender and her primary motivation, are foreshadowed early on in more minor forms. For example, the main character is a girl named Tohru, but in Japan “Tohru” is a boy’s name. “Akito” is also a masculine name. Tohru and Akito sharing masculine names not only emphasizes their status as foils, it also sort of foreshadows Akito’s gender in a way, since there’s one other example of a gender-blender name in the story.

Matoko’s character also foreshadows Akito’s internalized misogyny. In Volume 7, Matoko fumes that she hates all women, including the other girls in the Prince Yuki fan club because they’re all “her enemies” (in that they’re potential rivals for her love for Yuki) but then admits to herself that the flaws she sees in others are only reflections of the flaws she sees in herself. 

Finally, in a really interesting example, the anime’s opening theme, “For Fruits Basket,” finishes with the line, “Let’s stay together, always.” “Staying together always” is revealed to be the true nature of the curse, since it forces people to be together forever regardless if they want to or not. Because of this, the song and opening sequence become unexpectedly sinister when viewed by someone who’s finished the manga.

What’s even more bizarre is that in the anime, Akito is doomed to die young, and Tohru is able to get through to him by noticing his loneliness and fear, which no one else ever acknowledged. This was exactly how Ren got Akira to fall in love with her in the manga. This is especially odd because Natsuki Takaya had nothing to do with Akito’s characterization in the anime, meaning that this is either the mother of all coincidences or she actually got the idea from the anime. Considering Ren is a villainous character, this may even have been a deliberate potshot at the anime, which Natsuki Takaya reportedly hated, though this is just wild guesswork at this point.

A lot of characters who share some kind of connection or matching qualities have similar names. This is actually pointed out by Kyo when he notices his name sounds pretty close to “Kyoko,” but it’s far from the only example. Matoko Minagawa and Makoto Takei have similar names and are both high schools one year above Yuki who are obsessively in love with him. Ren and Isuzu not only look alike, but Isuzu’s nickname, “Rin,” sounds pretty close to Ren’s name. There’s also Mitsuru and Ritsu, whose similarity becomes even more pronounced when Mitsuru’s name is shortened to “Mitsu,” as it often is. And, finally, Kyoko’s maiden name, “Katsunuma,” is pretty close to the name of her husband, “Katsuya.” 

On that note, Ren mentions at one point that she’s always hated Rin “instinctively.” While some have pinned this on Ren’s simple dislike of children in general, the fact that Rin looks like Ren hints at another explanation. Shigure mentions in Volume 20 that if Akito expressed her true gender, she’d look just like Ren. Because Rin also looks like Ren, perhaps when Ren saw a little girl who resembled her, it reminded her of her own hated daughter. In other words, Ren and Akito both hated Rin for the same reason (because she looked like someone they hated.)

Shigure and Akito totally banged in Chapter 101. They start kissing, with Shigure pulling on Akito’s tie, then it fades into a flashback, and when we cut back, Akito is in bed, topless, and Shigure is pulling a blanket over her. They totally went at it doggy-style, yo. This may have been obvious to other people, but I was pretty innocent-minded as a teenager (shockingly), so this flew completely over my head.

In that same chapter, it’s implied that Shigure actually sleeps around a lot, since when Akito prodded him for sleeping with “that woman,” he honestly didn’t know who she meant until she clarified she meant Ren.

Hang on, does this mean he banged Mayuko? I... Shit, I think it does.

When Kureno rescues Rin from the cat’s room, she’s wearing Akito’s clothes. Looks like Akito (or maybe one the maids) has been dressing Rin in Akito’s robes. 

Rin probably has some kind of crush on Tohru, and I’m not just saying that because of her stated desire to “run crying into her lap.” In Volume 23, when Kyo sees Tohru comforting Rin, he murmurs that he has “guys and girls as competition,” and later in the same volume, when Haru and Momiji are speculating on how happy Tohru and Kyo will be together, Rin sullenly comments that Tohru should break up with him. If this is true that means that both Rin and Haru are bi and attracted to people other than their partner (since Haru confesses in Volume 3 that Yuki was his first love and also comments that he “likes Kyo, too.”)

The birth of his little sister Hinata is what motivates Hiro to tell Kisa and Haru the secrets he’s been keeping from both of them, since he desired to “be someone who can really protect her.” Hinata innocence created a sense of urgency for him to mature, and he felt that properly communicating crucial information about his and other people’s feelings was an important step towards that.

When we see Hanajima immediately after Tohru’s accident (in Chapter 124), her normally neat braid is really loose, with huge strands of hair coming out of it. Considering how deep her love for Tohru is, her getting injured must have hurt her pretty hard. 

In the last panel of the same chapter, a large rabbit plushie is visible in Tohru’s hospital bed. Since Momiji had already skipped school to visit Tohru early that day, it can be inferred that he gave it to her. Takaya is pretty consistent about drawing it afterwards, too, since Hanajima is shown carrying it when Tohru checks out of the hospital next volume.

Even though Ayame seems to be the loud, transparent type who proclaims to the heavens every thought that crosses his head, he actually manages to keep three major secrets during the course of the manga: Akito’s true gender, that he’s dating Mine, and that Mine knows about the curse. Ayame might be more cunning than we give him credit for. 

In Volume 15, Yuki recalls when he first met Kyo, Kyo angrily shouted that “someone as rotten as you ought to do us all a favor and just disappear!” Much later, in Chapter 126 (Volume 22), during his meeting with his father, Kyo recalls that his father actually shouted that at both him and his mother. Thus, Kyo as a kid was just repeating to Yuki what he heard his father say at home.

Hatori was dreading having to dance with Ayame at the next New Year’s banquet in Chapter 95. Well, it looks like Hatori lucked out because that dreaded dance never happened (as that was the last New Year’s before the curse was broken completely).

The story has a bit of a bookend structure with several events from the first few chapters repeating in the climax. For example, a landslide buries Tohru’s tent in the first volume and causes Tohru to fall from a great height in Volume 21. In both cases, the landslide is a presence that is catastrophic but also signals a beginning. In the Volume 1, the landslide is what indirectly causes Tohru to live in Shigure’s house, whereas in Volume 21, Tohru’s fall causes Kyo to return to her and begin to realize the depth of his mistake in turning her away. 

In a similar way, Akito’s confrontation with Tohru outside Shigure’s house actually mirrors the famous scene where Tohru runs into the woods after Kyo’s true form. In both cases, Tohru is trying to comfort and talk down another character who is reacting to her violently, slashing her with claws in Kyo’s case and with a knife in Akito’s. In both cases, the violence is a way to mask pain and distress, however, the situation is ramped up in intensity in Akito’s case because while Kyo actually loved Tohru and wanted to drive her away because he thought her respect for him was gone, Akito was murderous in this scene and actually meant Tohru harm. The scenes also contrast in that Kyo is a monstrous presence, with a huge, misshapen form and terrible smell, while Akito is more divine, appearing in human form and literally being possessed by God. Both represent monstrous dangers mixed with human pain, but Akito actually becomes the more terrifying monster because of the blame and spite she hurls at Tohru.

Kyo at no point actually told Tohru he loved her before she fell off the cliff. No wonder she thought he dumped her. 

In the fable of God and the Zodiac at the end of Volume 22, God has identical facial features to Akito. Also, while God is consistently referred to in gender neutral terms (always being referred to as “God” or “that person” by the narration), the cat is referred to with male pronouns, meaning the spirit of the cat is itself male. Considering the cat before Kyo was also a man, this may mean that every person possessed by the cat is male, though this is again speculation.

The breaking of the curse seems to be random, with characters abruptly being freed without any kind of prior warning or clear trigger, but a comment from Shigure in Chapter 108 about “small chances and changes that have accumulated” leads me to think that the members of the zodiac forming relationships outside of the zodiac, or even outside of the family, increases the chance that it will be broken. Though the weakening of the curse over time made this possible, it was outside influence, and the zodiac members’ increasing willingness to defy Akito, that caused it to weaken more rapidly. The curse begins to break rapidly once Tohru realizes she is in love with Kyo, going from no one having their curse broken in years to Momiji and Hiro being freed one after another.

So, what was the “change” that caused Kureno’s curse to break? Considering how old Kureno, and Akito, were at the time, and considering that Kyo’s mother died “when he was three or four,” according to him, my guess is that Kureno’s curse broke either as a result of Shishou taking in Kyo, or, my preferred possibility, when Kyo met Kyoko, since Kyo mentions that her comment of, “That sounds pretty lonely,” once she learned Kyo’s situation felt to Kyo like “forgiveness.” If that’s the case, then Kyoko’s friendship with Kyo formed the first major fracture, and Tohru unwittingly (at first) continued her work by growing close to the rest of the Sohma family and giving them the courage to defy their oppressive environments.

Finally: reused character designs. Shigure is the spitting image of Colonel Hil, the main antagonist from Natsuki Takaya’s previous work, Tsubasa: Those With Wings, and Kisa’s mother also bears more than a passing resemblance to Kotobuki, the series’s protagonist. Finally, as Takaya herself points out, Ritsu’s mother’s character is wholly recycled from a bit character from the same manga.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 8/6/18

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1 | By Koyoharu Gotouge | Viz Media – Well, that escalated quickly! Tanjiro, an earnest young man helping to support his loving but struggling family, returns home one day to a gruesome scene of blood and death wreaked by demons. One of his sisters survived, though she is now destined to become a demon herself. Desperate to save and protect what remains of his family, Tanjiro turns to the life of a demon slayer. The more I read of Demon Slayer the more I had the feeling that I had encountered parts of the story somewhere else before (except perhaps for Tanjiro’s superior sense of smell). But even so, it was an engaging first volume. Even if a series seems to be relying heavily on well-established tropes and familiar training montages, done well it can still be a great read. Demon Slayer might be one of those manga, but it also has the potential to be more. – Ash Brown

Devilman VS. Hades, Vol. 1 | By Go Nagai and Team Moon | Seven Seas – In addition to being a sequel to Nagai’s original Devilman story, Devilman VS. Hades is a crossover with the Mazinger franchise. To some extent, Devilman VS. Hades can be read as a standalone work—the most critical information needed to follow what’s going on is included within the series itself—but some basic familiarity with Devilman and/or Mazinger doesn’t hurt. (Fortunately, several incarnations of both franchises are readily available in English.) In Devilman VS. Hades, Devilman has literally fought his way through Hell to free the souls of those he holds most dear, unleashing a horrifying new apocalypse in the process. Devilman, Akira Fudo in his human form, must now face enemies old and new while navigating the grotesque and hellish landscape. Devilman VS. Hades is only three volumes long so the first understandably moves along at a fairly quick pace, but at the same time it can seem bizarrely unfocused. – Ash Brown

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – So, yeah, the prodigal lawyer dating the high school girl was never going to be a popular decision, and when you throw in the house basically being used as a dormitory for troubled souls, it’s not hard to see why Fujiwara’s father has decided to come in and bust it all up, since Shimana did not listen to his wise counsel an go away forever. That said, he’s an obstacle rather than a dad, and so we’re not thinking about how to appeal to his better nature, but how to surmount him. As for Shimana and Fujiwara, well, if nothing else his emotions are getting more immature when he’s with her—which may not be a bad thing. This is no orange, but it’s still good enough to keep reading. – Sean Gaffney

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 7 | By Ichigo Takano | Seven Seas – I can’t make up my mind whether I want Shimane and Fujiwara to succeed as a couple or not. Complicating this is the fact that neither of them can seemingly make up their minds, either. It’s totally reasonable that there’d be a lot of fluctuation and vacillation in a teen romance, but coupled with the swift pacing of this series, I just end up with a serious case of shoujo whiplash. As it stands, Fujiwara’s father seems determined to split them up, and Fujiwara is attempting to fall for Shimane and is sure that he will, given time. Meanwhile, I thought it was kind of interesting to see why Fujiwara’s friend, Miura, might’ve agreed to interfere on Fujiwara’s father’s behalf. I don’t really believe the series will end with Shimane heartbroken, but I’m not convinced this relationship will bring her happiness, either. We shall see. – Michelle Smith

Durarara!! re: Dollars Arc, Vol. 2 | By Ryohgo Narita, Suzuhito Yasuda, and Aogiri | Yen Press – I will note the biggest disappointment in this volume right off the bat: because it’s compressing events so much, it cut the bit with Shizuo using a car as cover by kicking it along in front of him, a highlight of the anime. Other than that, this is a decent adaptation, though I think I’d give the anime adaptation the higher marks. I did like seeing how just because the runaway Akane has been “retrieved” by her father does not mean that the problem is solved—Narita is good at showing that childhood trauma can stay with you forever and is not easily fixed. Especially in DRRR!!, where everyone is sort of broken. This moved way too fast, but is otherwise good. – Sean Gaffney

Fate/Zero, Vol. 6 | By Gen Urobuchi, Type-Moon, and Shinjiro | Dark Horse – I’m not sure why we had a year’s delay between the last volume of Fate/Zero and this one, but I’m glad we’re back with it, even if it continues to be a very bleak war. That said, nothing is too depressing as long as Alexander the Great is in it, and going from the discovery and destruction of the room filled with dead and tortured children to a three-way drinking discussion between him, Saber and Gilgamesh is mood dissonance of the finest kind. It was an excellent discussion, and reminds readers who are familiar with the original Fate series just how messed up Saber’s vision really is. As for the cliffhanger, will Tokiomi actually do something? GASP! Not for the squeamish, but excellent. – Sean Gaffney

Kiss Me at the Stroke of Midnight, Vol. 6 | By Rin Mikimoto | Kodansha Comics – This is a relatively serious volume of KMatSoM, which means we get very few SD-faces and no discussions of butts. It makes sense, given we’re up against some things that could spell trouble for this burgeoning relationship. No, not Shu; she’s taken care of fairly quickly by the classic shoujo tradition of the heroine just being far too nice and sweet to be horrible to. No, the main issue is Funny Bone and their past with Kaede, and the apparently death of someone in Kaede’s past—which he starts to tell Hinana about as we close this book out. I expect we may be entering whole volume flashback territory next time, but we’ll see how it goes. Does this mean no butts in volume seven either? – Sean Gaffney

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 31 | By Shinobu Ohtaka | Viz Media – To no one’s surprise, Alibaba’s financial renaissance is running into serious trouble after a strong start, as Sinbad is not about to let him get the Kou Empire back to its former strength. Alibaba can try to avoid the rumors and come up with new and more fascinating items, but it’s more interesting seeing him meeting up with old friends, some of whom have gotten married and had children. Of course, the two most important friends of his have been missing for a while… and we finally catch up with them, and see that Aladdin has finally grown up all the way. He’s got his hands full trying to deal with Arba and her ability to possess people and take them over. Will we finally see them reunite next book? Signs point to yes. – Sean Gaffney

Murcielago, Vol. 7 | By Yoshimurakana | Yen Press – We’re taking a break from serial killers to deal with terrorist organizations long thought dead, but the output is the same—lots of gore, lots of dead people, this time mostly in the Diet and the police, along with a few innocent bystanders. Kuroko is trying to deal with this, but she’s a bit upset—yes, it looks like she’s actually worried—that Chiyo is finally moving on from her. She’s probably right to worry, and I’d say she should try to better herself except this is Murcielago. The main reason to read this series remains the gratuitous violence and the action sequences, and yes, there’s also a sex scene near the end, featuring Kuroko and the girl from the very first volume’s extra chapter stealing an escort girl and having their way with her. Sleazy and it wears it proudly. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 14 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – I really like how Bakugo’s rage issues are shown to be a major issue that he needs to resolve, but they’re also not something that makes him a villain or means he can’t have hopes and dreams. He gets frustrated at Izuku’s drive as much as Izuku was chasing after his strength, and so the two are now even more “fated rivals.” They’re also given confinement for a few days, meaning, oh no, Izuku is behind in classwork. He also gets introduced to a few third years, whose powers are fun and also strong, and the school explains that due to the villains growing in power (indeed, we meet the next Big Bad here as well), it’s time for internships! Can Midoriya and his still-learning quirk make the grade and get him work?. – Sean Gaffney

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle, Vol. 2 | By Kagiji Kumanomata | Viz Media – I continue to be quite entertained by this series, though its lack of any real plot or characterization makes it a bit harder to review. The reader needs to accept that the Princess’ various antics to get a good night’s sleep are going to verge on the cruel and awful every single time, but given that most of the demons that she abuses for their functions can resurrect, it’s clearly meant for humor. We branch out a bit from pure sleep this time, as she enters an athletic competition (being in shape leads to better sleep) and suffers from—horror of horrors—dry skin! I shudder to imagine anyone taking this seriously, but as a giant goofy “what horrors will she commit next” series, it’s fantastic. – Sean Gaffney

By: Michelle Smith

[cocaughany-of-niahlism]

Dragon ball GT... is better than Super

I think it's safe to day that most fans of Akira Toriyamas magnum opus, dragon, and subsiquently Dragon Ball Z, would say that it's follow up Dragon Ball GT ( Or Grand Tour from the opening theme ) is pathetic in comparison to it's elder series.

While no one will deny GT was a horrid example of when a creator is pushed out of the project for the sake of sales, after the success of DBZ and it's abridged counterpart Kai, Toei Animation who owns the rights to Dragon Ball wanted a new series that would bring Dragon Ball back to its American popularity during the 80's. However Toriyama who had spent most of his life working on the series wanted little to do with it. Aside from supplying some character designs, landscapes, and a few technological devices in the show. Toei continued to work on GT and to this day you can still fun some reruns of it on Nick Toons. Alas however GT was abhored by fans most calling it the death of dragon ball, until it's rise in popularity again with the battle of God's movie that serves as a precursor for the newest edition to Dragon ball, Dragon Ball Super.

Dragon Ball GT became infamous among fans quickly, most critiquing the rushed stories, flat characters, the loss of Toriyamas superb art, annoying characters, long drawn out filler and our main character Goku being turned back into a child. This along with the side characters of dragon ball who got some attention by the older shows but virtually none in GT. Fans were livid at Toei for allowing their beloved series to die as it did. Until years later with the fam and critical smash hit. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of God's. God's of gods put simply is amazing classic dragon ball. It introduced new characters that fans cling to immediately, showed fans an absolute peak to gokus abilities and gave major promise to a fan favorite character Vegeta. So naturally with the announcements of another new dragon ball movie Dragon Ball Z : Ressurection F as well as talk for a new Dragon ball show. Fans were overjoyed.

Okay so now that we have a basic idea of what GT and Super meant for the Dragom Ball franchise, what makes one worse than the other? The answer is not one thats going to n openly accepted by fans of the series but super didn't learn a single thing from GT. Dragon Ball Super would have you believe it's setting out to solve the problems DBA had, it would have you believe that it's meant to be an apology for GT even going to far as to set super before GT so it might erase it from Dragon Ball cannon. Supers first two arches, are terrible. Some of The animation looks as if it could have just as easily been done by a third grader, the first two arches of super also essentially steals the plot from Battle of God's. Though stealing is a hyperbole it reuses the same story as before but without the interesting dialogue and stunning animation. Ressurection F was... there by it was significantly less changed from it's movie counterpart to super. For better or worse, from there supers plot continues to build on the idea set in super that the universe Goku and friends have lived and dough in is only one of twelve in Super we meet others from different universes and theyre... bad... okay I'm dropping the formal argumentative essay shtick. Supers newly introduced characters for the most part are shit. Caulifla and Kale the only two female sayains we see fight in the show are meant to be hallmarks of support for womens rights, but they're bland. Caulifla is just a twerp, despite that I can kind I see where they were going with her. ' What if we had a Goku, but instead he was a girl.' Sounds like a decent idea, by in practice she just comes off as a brat. Only using thee people around her to get stronger and win.

Speaking of terrible character in Super, Kale is probably the worst example of this. Now I'm gonna say something a bit mean but.. KALE IS JUST FUCKING BROLY SHE'S LITERALLY JUST FUCKING BROLY. Which again sounds like a good idea, emphasis on sounds, in execution Kale has no character outside of her weird incestual crush on her sister. Now I can hear the argument that I simply don't like these characters because theyre female or strong female rolemodels, to prob that isn't the case I'm gonna shit on Jiren and Cabba. Jiren is a wall, and Cabba is so underused ( as are all the universe six sayains, and hit.) He doesn't really have a major character trait. I'm serious research super and tell me he isn't just a wet piece of paper flapping in the breeze. The Only moment Cabba gets is when Vegeta bullies him into becoming a super sayain. Jiren on thee other hand had a whole flashback sequence to explain his character. SUPRISE HE'S AN ORPHAN WITH A TROUBLED PAST THAT MAKES HIM WANT TO BE STRONGER. Honestly I didn't realize I was watching naruto. Jiren reminds me way to much of sauske, and any time a characters personality reminds you of sauske.. theyre usually not developed well.. or expressed well. Granted super has had some good moments but in comparison to GT it's not nearly enough.

In conclusion I fucking hated super because they refuse to focus on characters or ideas that are interesting. I mean there's a whole episode committed to Krillin trying to help in a battle royale between all the universes... by it doesn't even matter because he's eliminated really fast. NOT TO MENTION GOTEN IS GIVEN LITTLE TO NO SCREEN TIME WHY DO PEOPLE HATE GOTEN? WHY I ASK YOU!