So I Finally Watched Dan Da Dan. The Results Pleasantly Surprised Me.

Happy Halloween everyone- now that I have finished the first season; have begun the second ahead of the newly-announced third, and even started reading the manga (in an incredibly rare instance of enjoying it more on the second time around than the first), here is a post showing what I have found from watching the smash hit anime Dan Da Dan.  

From left- Jin "Jiji" Enjoji, Momo Ayase, Seiko Ayase, Ken "Okarun" Takakura, Aira Shiratori and Turbo Granny.

The basic setup is as follows- boy meets girl. He believes in aliens, she believes in ghosts. The two set out one night to prove each other wrong, and instead prove each other completely right. Moreover, the boy; Ken "Okarun" Takakura ends up imbued with the powers of an ancient yokai known as "Turbo Granny" (whose consciousness later ends up inside a maneki-neko plush with all the sass intact), and the girl, Momo Ayase awakens dormant psychic powers after narrowly being probed by aliens for her "banana organs." Her grandmother Seiko (who has been her guardian since the untimely death of Momo's parents) is also a powerful medium in her own right; who ends up being vital to helping the teens deal with a whole slew of very Japanese aliens and paranormal threats. 

I will admit I was skeptical, but unlike some people who dig their heels so far in they're touching the bedrock; I'm not above being proven wrong when the results are better than I imagined.  

The anime comes from Science Saru, a studio who has worked on a number of anime I've enjoyed. Their work here is incredibly impressive, capturing the look and feel of the manga by Tatsu Yukinobu in a way that hooked me with a pleasant surprise. I've always had way better luck choosing my own entertainment than others trying to do it for me. So, I've had great pleasure adding it to my weekend rotation alongside One Piece, Dragon Ball Daima and Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War.

There are multiple key elements that I can credit for this anime being an international hit as well as one in its homeland. Wholeheartedly embracing the Japanese takes on aliens and ghosts, the creative fight setups, the offbeat humor (the popular girl, Aira Shiratori faking her ditziness is balanced out with Okarun fittingly having his reclaimed private parts being put back in with a shot below the belt) and surprisingly engaging character drama. Horror fans are an obvious demographic I can attribute to the worldwide success too, as the scenarios are indeed as spooky as they are bizarre.

On top of Momo's childhood friend Jin "Jiji" Enjoji complicating their budding love life, he is a character I was yet again pleasantly surprised by. I won't be getting into all the details right now- but I will give you the short version: he also lost his parents at a young age, but despite growing into a very handsome young man; he's arguably even more "adorkable" than Okarun. He's even yet another character who gets infused with the power of an ancient spirit- wouldn't be the first time somebody was beating the stuffing out of enemies while wearing his underwear on the outside. Though not the first story to use these elements, it's the way they're presented that definitely helped this title become a breakout hit of the "dark era" of Shonen Jump.

In many respects, this anime succeeded stateside in every area Yo-Kai Watch failed in. Some compare it to another take on Shadowside; but I will go a step further and say it's what Level-5 should have done a decade ago- fully embracing the Japanese elements instead of trying to homogenize them. I'm seriously considering expanding on that contrast another time.  

Suffice to say, I'm pleasantly surprised with my experience so far. It's not many works I've experienced where characters can have a bond as a found family after the deaths of their real ones while also having grandmother that looks and acts like a teenage "yankii" who spends the time she isn't fighting spirits drinking, chain-smoking and watching "Shoten." That will be all for now, and I will see you all again in November. Happy Halloween everyone.

Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc opens at #1 in the US!

Well, looks like Infinity Castle wasn't just a fluke; and there's much more of a market for this than one might think. So, this All Hallow's Eve; we have a rather interesting update.

Following the breakout success of the hit anime and manga (both of which I would like to catch up on), Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc has seen release in theaters around the world. Though not even the first anime to hit this milestone this year; it's another example of an emerging market for the medium in theaters.

Opening on the weekend of October 24, the movie took in $18 million in the United States from 3,003 theaters. To date, the film has seen considerable commercial success the world over; taking in over $108 million worldwide. Having mentioned horror fans as a key demographic more than once, it's also clear that a similar business model was employed- the production budget was a modest $4 million USD; meaning return on investments is stellar even before promotional costs are considered (definitely saw a solid amount of ads each night).

With this, I will see you all again on Halloween night with something I've had cooking a while.  That's all for now, take care.

Star Wars Visions Season 3 (2025) Thoughts

Happy Halloween everyone- seeing as how this is another year I'm a DIY Jedi Master (with dual-wielding lightsabers), it's nice to know my tastes haven't changed that much in my life. So, let's talk about another great entry in a great spinoff; and open up Star Wars Visions Season 3!

Having seen most of the season thus far, the show once again has a host of unique stories while also expanding on ones from previous seasons. I will go over them briefly now. The season opens on "The Duel: Payback," following from one of the most acclaimed segments of the first season from Kamikaze Douga and Anima. I also heavily enjoyed "The Song of Four Wings" by Project Studio Q; which had some strong magical girl vibes to it. "The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope" from the esteemed Production IG hints at more to come; and I am eager to see it should the opportunity arise. "The Bounty Hunters" from Studio WIT was also an entertaining approach to one of the most interesting occupations in the saga outside the Jedi order. I'm certainly always game for some John Woo-inspired blaster duels against a corrupt industrialist.

The season concludes with "The Bird of Paradise" from Polygon Pictures; where a young Padawan must master the Force to overcome her vision impairment, and a more experimental short from David Productions simply titled "BLACK."

If I had to choose my favorite episodes of this season, they would be "The Smuggler" from Studio TRIGGER, closely followed by two from Kinema Citrus- "Yuko's Treasure" and "The Lost Ones" (one of the aforementioned stories that expands on the previous seasons).

I will have a couple more treats ready to go before the end of Halloween night. You will just have to wait and see what they are. That is all for now. May the Force be with you all.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Sales Snatch a New Record!

Hey everyone- I know it’s five days to Halloween and I have other stuff I want to do with the franchise headed into the 30th anniversary, so I’ll make this quick. Even as the conversation around the game continues (no story spoilers, but I got the Greninja Mega Stone and I’m already 48 hours in), it was always clear it would sell well. Now, we have info on just how well.

Since its launch on October 16, Pokémon Legends Z-A has sold 5.8 million to 6.5 million copies worldwide across both the base Switch and Switch 2; numbers accounting for all available formats. Despite claims otherwise, I guarantee you no game sells that well if absolutely no one wants it.

Using another example from this same year, I'm reminded of the reboot of Superman for the DCU. More extreme figures aside, there was doubt the film could succeed given the current landscape and the divisive reception to previous DC outings. Instead, the movie was highly acclaimed and successful; marking the first time since 2008 a DC comic adaptation outperformed their rivals at Marvel. Functionally, I can say all the detractors' statements amounted to another case of the Streisand effect- what was meant to deter people instead ended up as glorified free marketing.

On top of what I already have in mind for looking at the anime, one of my plans for 2026 is to review the game in full after completing the main quest. Mega Dimensions will likely get its own review; and I will opt in after I clear the main quest or have a firm release date (whichever comes first). I will keep an eye on sales, especially as people keep (unsuccessfully) fudging the numbers. I would give you a fun size treat ahead of the filling the whole goody bowl. You’ll definitely get a few things I’ve had cooking a while- you’ll just have to find out which ones I have ready by then. Take care, and seek out all Pokémon.

Pokémon Legends Z-A (Switch) First Impressions- Like a Dragon-Type: Pocket Monster Saga

Hey everyone- now that I am about five hours into the main quest (currently at rank X in the Z-A Royale, training for the next rank and the Greninja mega stone); here are my first impressions on Pokémon Legends Z-A. I will do my best to not give away too much about the story, that can wait for a full review after I beat it (so, definitely not before 2026). So, let’s open it up and get started.

First, I will state I don't have a problem with the tech or visuals at all. Even as someone who doesn’t have a Switch 2 yet (plan to upgrade ahead of Generation X next year); it does make a good game to send off the main series on the base Switch. While I don’t put as much stock in graphics as others, I can definitely say the extra year worth of development made all the difference. I don’t really focus on one window pane or building; I focus on the entire city. Given how the whole game takes place in the Lumiose City hub world, its sheer scale builds tremendously on when we first saw it in Pokémon X and Y. The frame rate and color palette look great in both home and portable mode; and if we got along nearly three full decades without voice acting in-game; I have no need for it now. I will say the arrangements of the music are as great as ever, especially with the expanded shop themes. I especially like the variety of cosmetics you can acquire. They've even taken a page from Animal Crossing and Splatoon in making gear that can be worn by any player avatar. Honestly the best approach to the issue- choosing not to make it one.

Next, let’s talk about the biggest shakeup- the real-time capture and battle gameplay. Though I am still acclimating to the new control scheme, I actually rather like the approach they took. I have long believed real-time combat is not your enemy, and it does a great job of building on what Legends Arceus did as well as its contemporaries in role-playing games. Not into Xenoblade, so I can't verify that comparison. I can verify as someone who's into Persona/SMT and the Ryu Ga Gotoku canon that it reminds me of their approach to real-time combat encounters; especially the latter. I've always preferred rotating attacks to just spamming a single move over and over, and even the dodge rolls have a Souls-like element for traversal and collision detection.

Though I am not currently at liberty to confirm or deny all of the details that have come to light in the most recent data dump from last year’s “Tera Leak,” I will say that the reveals intrigue me and I am willing to do so at a later date. As for the anime impacting the planned redesign for Pikachu come the next generation- I’d just as soon say that it’s more to do with the shift in hardware (I did figure the next titles would be Switch 2 exclusives). It does make sense for the design to be bookended that way, starting and ending use with games set in Kalos.

Overall, my first impressions on Pokémon Legends Z-A are not only positive; it’s on my shortlist for game of the year (no small feat given this has been a surprisingly good year for games). I will continue to enjoy this game well into next year and a prospective hardware upgrade (to say nothing of the upcoming Mega Dimensions expansion). Before I go, don't forget what happened to the man who got everything he ever wanted: He lived happily ever after. Take care, and seek out all Pokémon.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Final Trailer Thoughts+ My Funny Gamestop Story.

Hello everyone- with 10 days left to the release of Pokémon Legends Z-A, I thought I would give my thoughts on the final trailer to the game. Let's get to it.

I will mainly focus on what stands out at me. No matter which version I look at, I think the presentation looks solid. Graphics don't bother me at all on the base Switch or Switch 2 as someone who plays a lot of retro and retro-reimagined games (likely upgrade before the release of Generation X next year). I will also reiterate I do not need or want voice acting in the game simply for the sake of having it; I will accept it if it's good quality, it suits the story and actually adds to the experience.

The Lumiose City map looks way larger than it does in X and Y; and there are benefits to having the setting take place in one map. Hub world looks great, I don't think it looks empty at all.

I cannot verify the Xenoblade comparisons to the game (I have not played Xenoblade and do not plan to), but I can say the combat system reminds me of ones from SMT/Persona and the Ryu Ga Gotoku catalog. That is a very good thing as a big fan of those.

As for Mega Dimensions, I am personally waiting for a proper release date before I opt in; and that will likely be after beating the main quest. I am intrigued by the idea as Kalos never got a third main game before now, with its ideas being used in OR/AS and Alola instead. 

Leaks aside (don't send me any), I have finally decided on starting with Totodile; and I will be competing online for the Kalos starter mega stones. I do like the day one perk of a Ralts with Gardevoirite. I still consider it my most anticipated game of the year; which is saying something given how this has been another surprisingly great year for video games.

Finally, I would like to you a funny story about when I went to get my shiny Koraidon and Miraidon. I did manage to get one of the codes I was after at Gamestop late last month, but apart from the obvious furor of being the same day as the new TCG set (attempts to joke about both on X/Twitter got them community noted multiple times); two people tried to accuse me of line-jumping, I pointed out the lack of staff to handle two dozen customers and the line turned into mush. A third accused me of livestreaming him when I was actually texting about a grocery pickup; even had to show him the text to show I wasn't lying. I was lucky enough to get a code, but the whole state from my closest location in Linn County to Portland, OR ran out in 3 hours. ... Needless to say, the second go-round went much smoother. That is all for now, take care.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Continues its Hinokami Hot Streak!

As they say, records are made to be broken. Hey everyone- even as competition is starting to heat up, Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinity Castle is continuing to break box office records around the world. It's safe to say that the age of the Mayberry RFD is over, and the age of the Demon Slayer Corps is here.

Though the movie has ceded to a $3.5 million amount in its fourth weekend, the overall domestic box office is now standing at well over $124 million domestically. If any movie had to break the records long-held by 1999's Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back, I'm glad it was this one. One spoke to the boy I once was, the other speaks to the man I am now.

Not only did the film indeed cross $600 million worldwide, I am seeing figures that are crossing well over $757 million worldwide. Given the current state of the theatrical animation landscape, it's good to take your wins where you can. 

As someone who saw and enjoyed the movie, this is very good news to hear for the next two chapters of the trilogy; currently in production. I will see you all again soon, take care.