Important update- Please Read

Due to circumstances beyond my control; I will be taking a hiatus effective immediately for health reasons. Thank you all for your support.

Uzumaki (2024) Thoughts- A Flawed Adaptation That I Had Fun Watching.

Happy Halloween everyone- now that I've seen the whole event more than once; I thought I would finally unpack this latest attempt at adapting a manga by Junji Ito into an anime. I have not seen every attempt; but I'm noticing that they're recurring proof of not everything on the page working on the screen. Here are my thoughts on Uzumaki, a flawed adaptation that I had fun watching.

Courtesy: Adult Swim/Production IG/Junji Ito

The anime follows the same premise as the manga- in a small town known as Kurouzu, an ancient curse involving spirals seeks to engulf the whole area. At its center, a young woman named Kirie Goshima and her partner Shuichi Saito are caught in an increasing tour of horrors.

Before I get into my thoughts on each individual episode; I thought I would address the spiraling elephant in the room- the troubled production of this anime. Translating what's arguably Ito's most well-known manga to TV was never going to be easy; especially as a previous live-action film adaptation was not well-received. 

Of course, the clearest factors behind the delays and artistic "quality" moments are the ones most outside the crew's control- the COVID-19 pandemic and Adult Swim's parent company changing hands twice. First was the AT&T partnership, then there was the much more infamous WB Discovery partnership. The latter one was especially not willing to offer any more delays, even threatening to shelve the whole thing for a tax write-off as they had controversially done before to a number of projects. There was of course a considerable time crunch just to get the project done. We'll get into how this impacted the anime itself over the course of this post, but for now; it was initially believed that David was running WB like Judge Doom. Others later realized the same thing I did- He was running the company like Mr. Krabs.

Now, let's get into each individual episode; starting with what's easily the best- the first. The whole show uses a mixture of traditional animation and rotoscoping interspersed with digital effects; even making the show in black and white to recreate the look and feel of the manga. The unnerving dread caused by the spiral curse ("Uzumaki" literally translates to "spiral") is an increasing source of fright throughout the episode, culminating in Shuichi's father contorting himself to fit in a washtub and the smoke from his cremation causes the curse to spread further. It is easily one of the most effective pilots I've seen all year; and the opinion I hold that's most consistent with everyone else.

It's the second episode onward that everything (ahem) spiraled out of control behind the scenes. When both Jason Demarco and Henry Thurlow said as much on their social media feeds; I believe them. Admittedly; the show as a whole is faithful to a fault to the source material, in the sense of cramming an entire volume of A Song of Ice and Fire into two hours is.  The subplot with the "Jack-in-the-Box" was never my favorite; but even I noticed how truncated it was from page to screen. At least Kirie's monstrous hair got a full whack, off-model animation aside.

The third episode centers around Kirie being hospitalized alongside her cousin. Her name is Keiko Nakayama. In addition to her and others expecting children, an outbreak of mosquitos has them all drilling people's blood... no, I am not making that up. After her return, a wave of storms break out in Kurouzu, leading us into the fourth and final episode.

As the storms engulf the town, no one in Kurouzu can get in or out; save for a lone reporter. With Kirie and Shuichi making a failed last-ditch effort to escape; I'm actually glad the anime retained the manga's ending of Kirie wanting to stay by his side till the end. However, right before that; we get Shuichi falling into an abyss, represented by Shuichi.png being dragged across the frame. I didn't really notice it on my first watch because it was after midnight (and waiting for Demon Slayer and One Piece to start); but people online certainly caught it. Kind of reminds me of the infamous scene from that terrible Kong game last year of Gaw.jpg. 

Still shot of Shuichi aside, it does wrap things up conclusively enough for the cycle to start anew; and also makes a solid enough time for me to finish.

Admittedly, this isn't the first time an adaptation from Ito has yielded mixed results from myself or the viewing public. I personally found the Gyo OVA to be decent, but found the Junji Ito Collection to be a much bigger mess than this. Maybe there will be an anime that does Ito's work justice one day, but that day has yet to come.

Despite everything, I actually had fun writing about this anime. While I certainly hope conditions improve going forward across the board, there are more than enough moments that entertained me even with or even because of its flaws. I am among those in the "so-bad-it's-good" cult followings Morbius and Madame Web have gained. Overall, the anime version of Uzumaki is a flawed adaptation I had fun watching. Sitting here typing this, I will certainly keep it in rotation. Happy Halloween once again, and don't forget to vote by this Tuesday. Later.

Zom 100- Bucket List of the Dead Season 1 Thoughts.

“When there’s no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth.”

 George A. Romero, 1940-2017 

Hey everyone- with spooky season upon us, it’s finally time to address an anime I’ve been wanting to a while. The premise is what sold me- for most people, a zombie apocalypse would be a waking nightmare. For overworked salaryman ad executive Akira Tendo, it’s a dream come true. Now that I’ve finally seen the entire first season (and begun reading the manga); here are my thoughts on Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.

Much as how previous works in this subgenre of horror have put a darkly humorous spin on society’s flaws against.this backdrop; this is no exception. Even before the dead walk the earth, the story acts as a savage takedown of corporate culture and overwork in particular. Viral pandemic aside, it’s all too common that people find themselves in a workplace that takes advantage of their ambitions; functionally locking them into a vicious cycle of exploitation that isn’t found out until literal years of their life go by. Suffice to say, the scene where Akira tells off his (now-zombified) boss before tackling him out the window is indeed satisfying. Also, said boss had a female coworker as his (also now-zombified) mistress, because of course he did.

Even the three-part finale manages to find a way to justify a human antagonist in the form of Higurashi and his followers. I’m typically not a huge fan of human villains in these stories, considering what role the zombies play; but this anime makes it work, and their fates incredibly gruesome and karmic. I won’t be spoiling them here, which should give you an idea of how graphic yet satisfying their ends are. That, and it differs between the anime and manga.

The UK has Shaun of the Dead, the US has the Zombieland, and now Japan has their own darkly humorous zombie work to call their own. It has also managed to fill the void left by High School of the Dead, since any chance of that getting a proper ending died with Daisuke Sato. This will not be the only anime I will be celebrating Halloween with; and my crates of Mountain Dew Voodoo (flavor this year is a citrus cotton candy blend, in case you were wondering) will be at my right hand watching. That will be all for now, and enjoy yourself any way you can.

About the Pokémon "Tera Leak.'

This wasn’t my intended plan, but I might as well have a go while this is still fresh. Since there are all manner of leaks making the rounds (presumably with more to come); I thought I would give a few moments to address them. Here are my thoughts on the recent “tera leak” impacting the Pokémon Company and Game Freak, as well as what it might mean for the near future of the franchise.

First, a disclaimer as a 25-plus-year veteran fan- I will not be showing the leaked information; but I can describe it for you all. Also, please be aware this information is subject to change; and I will bring you any official details as they become available. Finally, I will not be addressing details about past works that are coming out; I will be mainly focusing on the potential near future. Some of the details here also corroborate information that’s been circulating a while; and when it falls under that; I will mention it.

Case in point- the highly anticipated Pokémon Legends Z-A. Not only is Lumiose City the main hub of the game; but both it and Generation X (the latter of which is known under the codename “Gaia”) are being developed for both the existing Switch and its eventual successor (codename “Ounces”). Legends Z-A was also going to be out this year; but was pushed to 2025 in light of the Generation IX launch and its fixes.

There is also a new multiplayer title codeveloped with ILCA, codenamed “Synapse.” The gameplay will reportedly be similar to the “Splatoon” games, which I really enjoy. Though not much is known about the game, it will be interesting to see what comes out of this; if anything.

Now, onto the anime and other adaptations. I cannot be certain if all the details about the remainder of Pokémon Horizons are true, but I’m not entirely surprised they’re planning to wrap it up before the next generation. Though it remains to be seen what will happen to the main anime; this, along with other projects (more on that in a bit) seems to corroborate the plans of going back to basics.

Apart from that, Studio Colorido is developing a 12-episode OVA for TV, with all the episodes being the standard 22 minutes. As someone who has an appreciation for their work, I am intrigued.

Even with the current management at WB Discovery (talk persists of a potential breakup), I am glad to mention a sequel to the 2019 hit Pokémon Detective Pikachu is still being developed as The Great Detective Pikachu; with Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“Kong: Skull Island”) set to direct. I never thought it was shelved, just waylaid by strikes and the pandemic.

The live-action Netflix event is also still being developed (codenamed Discovery). The first season is the standard eight episodes, and there is said to be a pickup for about five at least. Whether or not they make it a period piece (they could for the ‘90s what Stranger Things did for the ‘80s in tone and presentation) or bring the story into the present day; I’m open to the idea. The only detail I know for sure is that they’re going to be adapting the original games, which brings me to the final topic I will mention today.

Lastly, there is an in-development reboot of the anime movies, codenamed Project Bauer. Tentatively focusing on the original 151 monsters (with Mew being a major focus), this very much fits the mold of the back to basics approach I was hearing about after HZ ends. Not certain about a whole new protagonist- if this is one of the proposed adaptations of the original games, I would just use Red (or at least, a new variant of him for this continuity). Kobun Shizuno is currently attached to direct, and he does have plenty of experience. Honestly, I'm open to the idea; especially as the movies have been on hiatus since M23 and previous ones largely escaped the video game adaptation curse. If it works, then similar films about the other regions could follow. At worst, I honestly can't imagine it being a disaster. That’s all for now, take care.

Regarding the Level-5 Vision and Holy Horror Mansion.

It's been quite a stuffed month of anime and video game announcements as well as releases. Though last week, the Sony State of Play and Sonic Central took up the lion's share of attention; one other oft-delayed presentation finally got livestreamed- the Level-5 Vision. This naturally resulted in a myriad of announcements for delays; and one new direction (or concept as they call it) for a franchise now over a decade old that didn't exactly get the reaction they were going for. So, let's get to it.

Though an animated avatar of Akihiro Hino tries to suggest otherwise, I will respectfully decline the use of the "To The World's Children" branding. In my case, it's less a singular inner child and more like a group of them representing different aspects of my personality (think the emotions from the Inside Out 'verse, with Anxiety becoming my spirit animal for this year).

First is that Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time has been delayed from October 10 of this year till April of next year. This is actually one delay I can respect; as while this October may not be as stacked as last year's was; it still has more than a few games that are highly anticipated (with my primary target being Sonic X Shadow Generations). Regrettably, this will be the first of many delays announced; not counting Professor Layton and the New World of Steam as that already got bumped to 2025.

DecaPOLICE, the game that arguably has the most potential out of all of these; has now been bumped to 2026 on all its intended platforms (Steam, Switch, PS4, and PS5). The growing length of developmental cycles aside; the delays are already causing concerns in the fandom and I'm not even halfway through this presentation. At least the new events in Megaton Musashi Wired are coming out on time and are well-received.

Now, it's time for Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, once again. I did try the open beta earlier in the year; and despite openly admitting to not being a fan of the anime or franchisee as a whole, I did my best to keep my feedback respectful. That said, even though it was first announced in 2016 for release in 2018, it is being delayed yet again for June 2025. I've mentioned the previous delays before, so there's a couple major ways of looking at this. If it gets pushed back again, I won't be surprised. If it does keep its release date, it will have June mostly to itself; but it's not likely to stay that way. As for this remake of the first game (which I haven't played and don’t plan to)- we shall see how that goes in 2026. For every one like Resident Evil 2 or FFVII Remake; we get scores of ones like Warcraft III Reforged or the 2020 version of XIII.

Here is the title that arguably had the most eyes on it; and the most scrutiny as well- the latest concept for Yo-Kai Watch. Originally under the working title "Ghost Craft," it is now known as Holy Horror Mansion. The "Ghost Craft" is now how crafting will work in-game.

The aim to be their largest project ever is making me and many others uneasy. I'm noticing many longtime fans of the developers in particular souring on their obsession with multimedia IP and just want them to make interesting games again. I'm having flashbacks to the Dark Universe reading that byline myself. Also like to be blunt that my party pop music I'm fashionably late to is less PIKOTARO and more Post Malone.

Though not without potential, one element in particular cast a dark raincloud over the reveal trailer- the usage of generative AI art. 

I thought there was something off about the cookware in this kitchen.

While it's still early, meaning it can change from here; it definitely seems like an unforced error, and those who are against the idea of AI in games likely are not onboard by design. There's also a sizable chunk of the existing fan base that isn't invested in the new concept at all. In theory, a new direction should have been just the thing to jolt the games. In practice, the first impression on the new game has been decidedly mixed.

Scene depicting a cake in Holy Horror Mansion.

Scene depicting Peach's Cake in Mario Party (1999).

However, this still leaves arguably the greatest risk- once again attempting to appeal to Western markets at the expense of their core audience. As someone who hasn't played every game that Level-5 has made, I'm arguably one of the people they’re trying to reach. Yet, despite other people online attempting to tell me otherwise, trying to nearly jettison the previous audience for a new one has never gone well. It's one thing if existing fans don't take to Holy Horror Mansion; but if the more general audiences they're aiming at don't respond to the game; it's curtains.

Not quite "When it's done," but it's close.

Though the concept admittedly isn't the worst (everything from Luigi's Mansion to Resident Evil to even Fatal Frame have made use out of exploring haunted locales); I do not plan to cover Holy Horror Mansion beyond this point unless Level-5 removes the AI art, real or perceived from the final game. I have much more to talk about in October; including more satisfying topics. That will be all for now, take care.

The Rick and Morty Anime Series is an Absurd Fever Dream (Honest Thoughts)

Well, that is certainly interesting. Much like the parent show it spun off from, the discourse is quite exhausting even as someone who likes it. So, with all the ballyhoo, let's talk about Rick and Morty: The Anime and why I enjoy it in spite and because of being an absurd fever dream.

The anime is helmed by Takashi Sano, who previously did the one-shot where the title characters faced a monster known as the "Genocider." There was also the short where Rick bemoans his lab in Akihabara has been overrun with maid cafés and video game stores (not to mention one spoofing the classic Lone Wolf and Cub); so there is precedent at least for this becoming one of the many timelines the title characters have traversed.

Like a great many episodes of the main show, this anime has gathered something of a love it or hate it reputation; with not much of a middle ground. As you might expect, I fall in the love camp. I'm not one to say no to a pilot where Morty gets a VR game that functions as both an existentialist experience and an over the top combat encounter straight out of a Ryu Ga Gotoku game.

I definitely would not put this on the same pedestal as Scott Pilgrim Takes Off or Terminator Zero; but I can certainly do worse as a lead-in for One Piece and Demon Slayer. Admittedly, it's actually quite interesting to see how it remixes elements from the main show; especially concerning Jerry. His inclusion in this anime sees him identify with the mythical Sisyphus, gain a superhero transformation that resembles the infamous Chargeman Ken; and undergo endurance training that I'm fairly certain would make up at least a tenth of someone's "Kinktober" art prompts. Yes, I am well aware of the Justin situation; and I totally understand why they had to let him go (even the characters' appearances in MultiVersus were recast).

Though I do not know what will happen with this anime going forward (the most recent episode had a lot to take in, and not just because of the story and concepts it contained); it certainly is interesting to think about and give my honest thoughts. Of all that's happened; I'm not one for giving a canned answer to a topic- I'm one that gives you my actual takes; and I do not address something unless there's something I can contribute to the conversation. With that in mind, I have much to celebrate come October; but first, I have unfinished business with a topic I've dealt with before. That's all for now, take care.

My Complicated Relationship With Dragon Ball GT.

Hey everyone- with Dragon Ball Daima set to debut this October; I thought I would take a look back at another anime that I have a rather conflicted view of. So, here is a post on my complicated relationship with Dragon Ball GT.

Courtesy: Toei/Fuji TV

Though I did watch the anime at the time, there ways always something about it that felt off; and not just because of its dubious canonical status even now. Before I get into the story and character aspects; I will go over the aspects I like about it. Though not spectacular, the animation is solid; and while the late, great Akira Toriyama was largely hands-off with writing; the designs he contributed certainly bear his artistic fingerprints. The music is also decent, and I especially like how the voice cast reprised their roles (especially Stephanie Nadolny as young Goku- glad she's coming back for Daima).

Regrettably, it's the story and characters that end up coming up short this time around. Though it's not as rife with issues as, say, Digimon Adventure 02 is personally; it has a similar core problem. Namely, there are lots of ideas recycled from earlier stories; and the new ideas break suspension of disbelief more than the fighter balance in the Final Bout Playstation game. Yes, I played that back in the day (the second printing, not the rarer first printing).

Admittedly, the heroes and antagonists carried over from past incarnations are fine for the most part. It's  additions this anime that don't really stand out, with Lord Luud, Super Baby and the Para Para brothers being among the least memorable. Regarding the last ones, they're apparently named after a dance trend that had already faded by the time the anime got dubbed. Heck, even Dazzler had a better time adapting to changing times.

As for characters we know, a large part of me was excited to see how Pan would grow as a person and fighter after the epilogue of Z. Let's just say that the depiction of her is not what I was hoping for. I do like the outfit at least, but not so much how she's acting more childish than her grandfather; who's reverted to his child self after a wish gone awry. (sighs) 

While I have never had an issue with young Goku outside this anime; I submit it's not merely having him in the story that makes him work- it's how you use him. That's something this anime didn't really understand until it was too late. He is the most obvious example of the character going through the hits like your favorite band playing the fairground circuit; then trying new material that doesn't quite land.

Case in point- The Last Oracle of Luud. This was a particularly tedious experience; and that's not a word I typically associate with this material. Fighting a personified whip is not something that should be this mundane; and that is among the reasons why I decided against reviewing or recapping any episodes in favor of this instead.

Somehow, it creates more arc fatigue than the canon entries ever could. Also find "The Beginning of the End" an ironic title when it comes up at less than halfway through. The visit to sector 2814 does somewhat amuse me; as it makes me joke about the Green Lantern Corps being in the vicinity.

Of course, there's the robotic companion Giru; who honestly ranks quite low in my view of machine characters in the franchise. If the tin can hadn't bonded with the Dragon Radar, there really wouldn't be much reason to exist. Not even his backstory could convince me otherwise. Pan's gambit that follows is also much more "meh" than "WHOO! I'M ABOUT TO MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF HERE!"

As my rewatch pressed on, characters such as Rilldo and Dr. Myu lacked the memorable qualities even less universally-revered antagonists of the franchise have, especially the latter. He's functionally Gero without the charisma, and we'll come back to his creations in a bit.

Though most of the updated character designs are passable; my least favorite redesign would have to go to my favorite character: Vegeta, who gets saddled with a truly awful mustache that makes him look like infamous adult film star Ron Jeremy. Thankfully, he has the sense to shave it off about a third of the way into the show.

In all honesty, the "Saiyan Hunting" is a larger part of Baby's body surfing between hosts, and it takes up a sizable chunk of his saga. As previously stated, he's a villain who may share the power absorption of Cell; but not his charisma or memorable menace. Him attempting to takeover Trunks and Goten's date isn't quite the same as consuming people whole, skin and all.

While Android 17 and 18 have never been my favorite characters; even I understand why they have fans. Still, I was not pleased with how this anime handled them. Their new designs weren't the worst; but the way they were written was the Achilles' heel as usual. The way this anime turned them into little more than living weapons is far less satisfying than to see 18 be figuratively and literally humanized by Krillin's love; or 17 learning that protecting and giving life can be every bit as gratifying as taking a life.

Though the distant finale may not be as contentious as Digimon 02, it is still easily my least favorite finale to any of the anime adaptations. Original Dragon Ball ends with Goku and Chi Chi getting married. DBZ ends with Goku helping train Uub (the reformed personification of Buu's evil side) as a fighter. Super ends with Goku victorious in the Last Universe Standing and peace being restored to each of the universes. However, even factoring in that it's non-canon; GT ends with Goku and Shenron disappearing for a century, something that is more understandable than TK's novelized account of his friends (though no less disappointing).

So, while this anime might not be the disaster I remembered it to be; it's also the least memorable adaptation of Dragon Ball by far. For all the faults of Evolution, at least that was a spectacularly awful trash fire. This is not only not canon, but the biggest gripe I have beyond that is that it's just average. I am glad that Super managed to more effectively remix ideas from the whole franchise. I also admire it for striking the right balance of the high stakes of Z and the wonder of the original. Though some took issue with this, I always like how it nailed (at least personally) how Goku never lost his sense of adventure with age, nor his sense of humor as shown.

Age 12: "What do I care about seeing your dirty old fanny?"

Age 42: "I wouldn't come here just to see your boobies- they're too saggy now."

I mean, as someone who has ventured into other parts of the author's work even before he passed; him meeting Arale from Dr. Slump is a concept that holds water- a fun breather before things get serious. By contrast, I never knew what mindset to adopt for GT; and watching it again for the first time in ages (going over every episode to make sure I have the details correct); I still don't. Whatever transpires with Dragon Ball Daima, I have more confidence in that as a posthumous parting gift (along with the Sand Land anime and game).

Overall, I cannot go so far to say I outright hate Dragon Ball GT; but I also can't go so far as saying I like it. If I may borrow a line from Schaffrillas, I consider it painfully average. I found it better than Digimon 02, but my relationship is complicated with it all the same. That is all for now, take care.