Anime I've Gotten Into/Currently Watching: Fall 2013

Hello again. First off: Happy Halloween. I tried to find a General Zod costume in my size (specifically, the version with his battle armor from Man of Steel); but there weren't any. I ultimately just bought an Iron Patriot mask and a Captain America shirt to be a low-budget Iron Patriot. Second, I know my recap of The Heart of the Cards is behind, but I have taken the screencaps and I am in the process of writing the recap. Third: because of the workload I have in school, I will have to postpone the Halloween marathon. I will probably be recapping the Soul Eater episode "The Ultimate Paper Test" to deal with midterms coming up. It has a sort of Halloween theme to it; and it will probably be up in early November; kind of like how The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror sometimes airs then because of being preempted by the baseball playoffs. (note: This year's special was OK. Not quite as good as last year's, but standout bits where the opening guest-directed by Guillermo Del Toro, and the parody of the classic horror film Freaks).

For now, I will give my thoughts on some of the anime that I've started this fall. Both ones from the fall 2013 season and that I started this fall.

Pokémon The Series XY

Once again, I'm starting with something Pokémon-related. This is the newest season of the long-running anime; based on the new video games, Pokémon X and Y. I managed to get a 3DS and a copy of Pokémon Y last week. As of this writing, I am about 16 hours in. I started with a Froakie, who I named Rash (the game wouldn't let me use my original name of Pimple. I know it often makes you change it if you try to name it something vulgar, but I'm surprised Nintendo and Game Freak apparently has some stigma against pimples. Much like that one Best Wishes episode where the gang has to wear afros to blend in among some Bouffalant; and the dub apparently had some stigma against the word "afro." Just as well, I put on "Staying Alive" and they got the message). My Kanto starter for a prospective Mega Evolution is Mako, in honor of the late actor Mako Iwamatsu, the voice of Iroh in Avatar: The Last Airbender before his death in 2006 and the name of the firebender in Korra's circle in The Legend of Korra (I recommend both, as Mike and Bryan managed to capture the cinematic look and feel of the works of Studio Ghibli and setting new standards for not only anime-influenced western animation; but for animation in general. They both have writing, voice acting, and animation that rival some theatrical productions). I got the wi-fi Torchic with the Mega Stone, and my current roster includes a Pikachu named "Pika", a Spritzee named "Versace", and a Ducklett named "Donald." Word of advice to players: because of how big Kalos is and how the battle system has been changed, your abilities will be tested whether you're a new trainer or a seasoned veteran.

Anyway, I have seen the first three episodes in subtitled form, and the first two dubbed ones when they aired as a 1-hour sneak preview after the Genesect movie (which I haven't seen yet. It's on my backlog). I personally enjoyed how the animation is so slick and colorful; and that Ash once again displays the optimism and courage he's known for. I'm enjoying how Professor Sycamore is depicted more or less accurately as he is in the games. Clemont may have to be one of my favorite male companions yet. The design of his gym is kind of like the Command Center/Power Chamber by way of Deep Space Nine. He also has all these gadgets and this backpack. In essence, he's what Max should have been: he has not only the knowledge of Pokémon, but also the battle skills to back it up. If I had to describe him, he's kind of like a mixture of Wheeljack, Donatello, Billy Cranston, and Brief from Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. Bonnie is also very cute; much like the Bonnie in Toy Story 3. Serena is also a very good companion even though I haven't seen the episode where she officially joins the group yet (as it's Thursday, it usually airs in Japan in around 7 or 7:30PM, and is uploaded online within hours of fans getting their hands on the raws. Subtitled episodes can come up within days or weeks, with the dub airing on Cartoon Network a little after that). I like how she has both the snarky attitude and kind of ditzy nature of Ash of May, and that she has the same passion for fashion and a mother that influenced her decision to become a trainer like Dawn. In a sense, she reminds me of Serena from Sailor Moon; in how she actually behaves like a real young woman would and rises to the occasion. In a sense, she was effectively conditioning for my love of Yoko Littner, and other strong women in fiction like Black Widow and Katniss Everdeen. Best of all, she knew Ash before he started his journey, so I'm interested to see where that goes. I did really enjoy Pokémon Origins as an alternate look at the franchise, taking plenty on influence from the games and the various manga; but also used some quirks from the existing anime to draw in viewers from various groups. The fandom has praised Special/Adventures for its plotting, characterization, and more serious treatment of battles and conflicts with enemy organizations. While the memetic scenes of Squirtle biting Charmander's cheek and Team Rocket murdering Marowak on screen are not quite like the live-action Transformers movies in terms of violence, it's at least on par with the 1986 movie killing off most of the cast the audience grew to love; or the part in the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie where the Foot attack the turtles in a fairly realistic fight scene that ends in April's apartment being burned down. I plan to watch both when they come on; as I find it's OK to like more than one adaptation of a franchise. When I was staying with my father this past summer, after watching Star Trek Into Darkness and a TV airing of the 2009 movie, we then watched some of the original series on Netflix to contrast and compare (the original pilot, "The Cage" with Pike, and "Spock's Brain", the start of season 3 where the budget was cut, and it showed. SF Debris pointed out the episode is indeed as bad as its reputation suggests, but it's enjoyable in the same way The Room or Plan 9 From Outer Space is). I also made a video that I'm in the middle of uploading that talks about how different time periods and different directors may interpret a character a certain way. Much like I don't judge Prime Kirk, Alternate Reality Kirk, Picard, Sisko, or Janeway by the same standards, I don't judge Ash and Red by the same standards; since they're essentially different ways of looking at the same character. I'll talk about this more later, but I have other series as well.

Kill la Kill

This is a key standout among the new series of the fall, but also this year. The first project of Trigger, a studio made of former Studio Gainax writers and animators, and made by the team behind Gurren Lagann, my favorite anime. It's a high school slice of life series combined with a shonen fighting series; paying homage to the key works of the genre such as Dragon Ball and Fist of the North Star. It depicts a school that takes how the school uniforms are Japan were based on military uniforms and takes it to the extreme of the school and the surrounding areas being their own city where the elite live in fancy houses and are given everything on a silver platter; and the lower class live in the slums and back-alleys. They also give in many parallels with the Nazis, such as wanting to root out bloodlines they deem inferior and want to rule the world starting with their own country. I've noticed this motif pops up a lot not only in anime, but in many fictional works in general. Enter Ryuko Matoi, a drifter girl who wields one half of the pair of scissors that killed her father and has a bone to pick with the system because of their role in her father's murder. To help, she is given a special uniform that draws strength from the wearer by channeling their blood into the suit. I know the hot-blooded nature is a recurring character type, but they've effectively weaponized it here. Like Gurren Lagann, it manages to nicely blend action, drama, comedy, and fanservice into a package that is absolutely glorious to watch. I'm on episode 4, so I plan on working on it soon.

BlazBlue Alter Memory

Based on the popular video game from Arc System Works, this series captures the colorful and over-the-top action of the games and also elaborating more on the story. While it can get bizarre, unlike Future Diary, the characters are easy to understand and have distinct actions. Since I favor Hazama and Jin in the games, I will be looking into following them.

Good Luck Girl

A dub of Binbogami Ga, which I mentioned in an earlier post. I'm almost done with the subtitled version, and so far, I'm enjoying Momiji's vocal performance. Her voice actress manages to capture her attitude toward being assigned to take on Ichiko quite nicely. It sounds a bit like the dubbed Stocking; and it helps they have similar characterization. I am typing this as I watch the first pieces of the dub, so just bear with me. I may do another piece later, but I must move on.

One Piece

My perennial go-to series for each week. I am on the Water 7 arc, so I'm not going to spoil too much. A lot of twists and turns, ins and outs; and Franky.

Attack on Titan

I've only seen half the first episode, but thankfully, it's split into two 11-minute vignettes; and Hulu saves my place. I find that to be very useful for anime. I'm quite interested to see the dark fantasy motif; and I gather it's been a big smash lately.

So, that's all for now. I've made good on my promise to binge on Pokémon and Digimon to detox from the Endless 8; and I will get to work on finishing my recap on "The Heart of the Cards," so I can work on other projects. Christmas vacation is coming up, as is Thanksgiving weekend. I'm also looking into other series with 2014 on the horizon. Considering doing some sports anime, both episodes and with it being the focal point of the series. I'm considering doing some one One Piece recaps to start off 2014, and it seems reception to my recap of "Pokémon I Choose You" was positive. I will do more From Humble Beginnings recaps in the future. For One Piece, I will probably do the character introduction episodes as a lead-in to the Davy Back Fight/Long Ring Island arc around the time of the winter Olympics. I'm also looking into Eyeshield 21 for the Super Bowl, and Basquash and Slam Dunk for the NBA and NCAA season. While I am a nerd and not too big a sports fan, I am capable of supporting a local team, expressing sympathy when they lose and joy when they win. I prefer arcade sports games like Tecmo Bowl and NBA Jam Tournament Edition to simulation ones; and my favorite sports movie is Space Jam. If I can buy into Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes playing basketball; then I think I can handle it as most of the ones I've picked have material. See you around; I'm going back to working on navigating Kalos, finishing Best Wishes and working on midterms. See you around!

Recap: And So it Begins

My From Humble Beginnings Marathon continues! Let's open up "And So it Begins" and keep this ball rolling.

I fully admit to being on the Pokémon side of the Pokémon and Digimon conflict, but as time has passed, I deem it a worthy opponent. Looking back at it, viewing it on hotel TVs during a road trip in 2000, I can say I'm much more receptive to it than I am to other new things that have come out lately.

Anyway, we get the theme song. It's another good one, a piece of scratchy electroclash that signaled the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s. I'm posting a link of it.

We open on a voice narrating, saying that his home is planet earth, but isn't sure that's where he is right now. I wonder if he's run into any female track stars and rebel princes with wings.

He tells of how the rainforests died, and deserts got flooded with chocolate sauce.
Also, people that can't spell/Japanese animators that don't write/speak very much English got assigned to do lettering on signs, such as this "Howerd Joonson" one. Thanks, but I prefer Donny's.

He goes onto say that he was at summer camp when all this was happening, then, it snowed in July! This Taichi Kamiya, or "Tai" for short. He is the first of a character type of Digidestined that fans often refer to as "goggle-heads", so named because of their goggles and headstrong shonen natures.

Next is Sora Takenouchi, Tai's special lady.

Next is Yamato Ishida, or "Matt" for short. He's what can charitably be called Tai's best friend; though this show is not afraid to show the rough patches of their friendship (I can only imagine how awkward the 02 distant finale made lunch for them afterward).

Next is Koushiro Izumi, or "Izzy". He has to be one of my favorite members of the Digidestined. The computer nerd; he's essentially the person I was at that age, and continue to be.

Someone claims Frontier is a better season than Tamers? We'll see about that!

Next is Mimi Tachikawa. Judging by the pink cowgirl outfit and Southern-isms, she's pretty much Hannah Montana's first cousin, once removed. In fact, she's a part-time lounge singer under the name "Hosannah Alabama."

Next is Takeru Takaishi, or "TK" for short. He is Matt's younger brother. Regarding their different surnames, their parents divorced before the series began. You'll notice in my recap of the Digimon movie that they were staying with their grandmother. By the way, I still don't care for the movie, I find the show to be much better.

Last but not least, my favorite Digidestined, Joe Kido. Tai claims he'd wet his pants if he got scared. Maybe, but not in the way that you think. With the exception of TK, the Digidestined are middle schoolers (high schoolers by the time of the divisive 02); so they're probably going through puberty right now. Well, since I made that joke at Tai's expense in my recap of the movie, now it's Joe's turn.

When I first set foot in the digital world I JIZZED IN MY PANTS.

Then, a huge blizzard kicked up and everybody took cover. Tai and the other Digidestined took cover in a shrine; with Tai snarking that the canoe races were canceled. About the script: Jeff Nimoy and others wrote the bulk of the English dub, using their previous work on Samurai Pizza Cats to make the dialogue feel natural. It's another instance of the gag dub, but in this case, it works because the leads are kids; and therefore, it would be just like real kids to crack jokes about their predicament to lighten the mood.

Naturally, they all want to play in the snow despite being outrageously underdressed for the situation. I plan to do more recaps of this anime next year; but for now, I'm booked solid and behind. Anyway, let's put on some tunes to mark this.

While the others are disappointed they didn't pack snow gear; Izzy is disappointed that his internet connection isn't working; much like mine often isn't working on these recaps.

Smeg! I was trying to complain about how much I was disappointed by The Phantom Menace!

He runs out with the others, and the Aurora Borealis is outside. This is like that great book and/or crappy movie with a golden compass. I forget what it's called.

Joe wants everyone to go back inside, and then, a hole appears in the sky! Meteors come down!

The meteors crash right by them!

Yet, everyone is OK. Yep, we're definitely in a Digimon anime. They remark at how weird it is to have snow in summer and the northern lights in Japan, but almost getting killed by meteors is nothing for your log.

Then, several small trinkets known as Digivices rise from the snow as the children pick them up.

Then, they're sucked into the Digital World by a huge wave! The imagery gets quite strange from there.

Tai then wakes up on the beach, with a Digimon in his face.

Looking into its eyes, it's hypnotic. Like a lava lamp.

 Tai chalks it up to the camp food. I know. That gruel is sometimes so old it has mushrooms growing on it.

Anyway the Digimon starts bouncing around and saying it wants to be Tai's friend. Tai is freaking out that this little thing just fell on his lap.

It introduces itself as Koromon, saying it's Tai's partner.

Izzy has a pink thing beside him, in his words. This is Motimon; a little pink ghost.

Izzy deduces that the Digivices spawned the Digimon.

This is highly logical, like that time I tried to include Sisko in a Kirk vs. Picard debate.

There are many plants there, but the soil is quite common. Also, there are palm trees beside pine trees.

Tai climbs a tree for another view, and can see the ocean on the horizon! And he also sees mountains!

Then, he sees a large Digimon through his telescope!

The beetle Digimon flies right at them and crashes through the trees!

This is Kuwagamon. He comes around again, and Koromon fights him with bubbles.

Tai admires Koromon's bravery, but says he's had better days. Wow, he's taking the whole "trapped in another world and surrounded by strange creatures" thing surprisingly well.

Kuwagamon makes another pass, and Tai and Izzy make a run for it. 

 Motimon then leads them inside a tree. The Digital World is prone to oddities like this. Just go with it, you'll enjoy it more.

You better fasten your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas is going bye-bye!

 Then, it turns out the tree is a perfect hiding place. It's also good for baking cookies in.

Who should give the all-clear but Sora. What do you know. An angel in a blue hat said it's safe.

Sora also has a Digimon. This is Yokomon, a small plant-like Digimon.

This little white Digimon is Tokomon. Izzy points out these keep popping up!

TK comes out from behind the tree, as does Matt, holding another Digimon. This is Tsunomon. Much better than Monsuno, even if it does have a so bad it's good vibe to it.

oe has one as well, and is not happy with it. Just as well. He and his Digimon are polar opposites.

This little scamp is Bukamon, some sort of sea lion with a tuft of orange hair.

Joe is not taking this whole thing well. Perhaps this will help.


They all proclaim themselves to be Digimon: Digital Monsters. Lovely title drop there.

Everyone is in awe at what they're seeing.

The Digimon then start listing off some of their attributes. Tai is pleased to meet them. He then reintroduces Sora, Matt, Joe, Izzy, and TK.

Then, everyone wonders where Mimi is. It turns out she's being chased by Digimon number 7, and Kuwagamon!

Mimi rests, and Tanemon is by her side. It looks like a little flower bud.

Then, they're on the run again! I also notice there are music cues being used from Saban's work on the infamous Masked Rider; a disastrous attempt at adapting Kamen Rider for the US. Now I'm expecting Count Dregon and that stupid chicken-headed starship of his to show up (which is too bad, because the series it was based on, Kamen Rider Black RX is fairly decent, and has nowhere near as many detractors).

They come to a cliff, and a dead end. Kuwagamon makes another pass. Koromon tries to blow more bubbles, but is stricken down. The other Digimon join in and start blowing more bubbles, which takes Kuwagamon down.

All the Digimon are down, and the children ask why they have to be so brave?


Kuwagamon gets back up! That thing just won't let up!

Despite all our rage we are still all just rats in a cage!

The Digidestined won't stand for this, and decide to protect their friends!


The Digimon agree, and they shall stand and fight! The children aren't sure, but the Digimon are eager to get into battle!

The Digimon then bounce out of their tamers' hands and into battle!

I also notice Tokomon has some pretty gnarly teeth for such a little guy!

Impetuous boy! Oh well, who wants to live forever!

Tai races after Koromon, and then, the Digivice on his belt starts to glow!

All the Digivices start to glow on the kids' belts!

A mysterious energy field appears in the sky! The field comes over all the Digimon.

Will you light the sky on fire?

The time has come for Digivolution! Koromon becomes Agumon!

Yokomon becomes Biyomon!

Motimon becomes Tentomon!

Tsunomon becomes Gabumon!

Tokomon becomes Patamon!

Bukamon becomes Gomamon!

Tanemon becomes Palmon!

So, now the Digimon have become bigger and stronger!

Palmon lashes out with Poison Ivy! She tries to snare Kuwagamon, while Patamon uses Boom Bubbles!

I knew I should have taken that job on Beast Wars! It pays well to be an Inferno double!

The Digimon now stand a fighting chance as Agumon unleashes Pepper Breath and Tentomon unleashes Boom Shocker!



They continue to whale on Kuwagamon while calling their attacks. Oh, to be a spry 8-year-old again.

All 7 Digimon then make their stand by each other's side!

Then, all the Digimon attack and once, and Kuwagamon is on fire! 

With this, Kuwagamon is finally down. Also, apparently Jetix ran this in the same block with Power Rangers; as part of Disney's requirements for buying up assets related to Fox Family and Fox Kids. This is part of what led to the franchise sputtering out with their run of Digimon Frontier. They tried to keep it hanging on with Digimon Data Squad (a dub of the well-received Digimon Savers); but the damage had been done. After that, it would be 5 years before Saban bought the rights to the franchise back; put reruns on Nicktoons, and started printing remastered DVDs; and 6 years before Digimon Fusion (the dub of Digimon Xros Wars) started airing on Nickelodeon and Vortexx. I haven't checked what kind of ratings Fusion is getting yet, but if it's anything like when this first aired on Fox Kids back in the day, it got a boost by airing after Power Rangers (and eventually overtook it by Fox pitting it against Pokémon. That's right. That whole rivalry was instigated by network executives at Fox. Many shows fell victim to that ratings battle as a result.).

Everyone is astounded at the Digimon's first victory. Izzy even makes a comment about Kuwagamon being reduced to vaporware. Feel free to make a joke about how Duke Nukem Forever took two console generations, three presidencies, and the entire lifetime of Miley Cyrus to develop (and that's the short version, by the way).

Agumon then runs over to Tai as they hug about their win.

Yet, Kuwagamon gets back up and cracks the cliff face down! And that's how it ends. On a cliffhanger in more ways than one.

So, that's "And So it Begins". It also has definitely aged. Given the looks of the fashions, dialogue, and Izzy's Apple Powerbook-like computer (this is in the days before owning a Mac was popular for ordinary people, or any Apple device for that matter); it wears its '90s origin on its sleeve. Still, it's clear the character dynamic of the series and its ilk works at this early stage. As it goes on, it touches on themes that are actually very deep for a children's anime. Toei also made sure the animation was high-quality for its time. It's another case where even if you're doing a merchandise-driven show like this; you have to treat your audience with respect and do your best to tell a memorable story. In that regard, they succeeded; and I consider it to hold up. With this, I have started to make good on my intent to binge on this anime as a reward for seeing the Endless 8 all the way through. Once again, this recap is a bit late. It's clear that this is going to spill into October, but even as school is starting again, I will have time to work on my Halloween marathon. For the rest of the year, I will be dialing back my output so I have more time for homework, tests, and possibly getting a job on the school paper. See you later!

Pokémon Origins to be Dubbed, FLCL Returns to Toonami.

Hello again. I know I am working on my From Humble Beginnings Marathon; but I have not been feeling well and I am working on going back to school. I have my recap of "And So it Begins" written; but I am behind on posting it. I still intend to finish my marathon, then do some Halloween-related recaps.

So, to tide you over, here is a little bit of anime news. It seems that Pokémon Origins is being dubbed, and will be streaming on the Pokémon TV website on November 15. I saw the raw version of the special not too long ago; and I really enjoyed it. I really liked the impressive animation, the darker storyline, and the distinct take on the franchise. I'm personally not looking at it as a replacement for the main anime; but as an alternative and a different way of looking at it. I'm taking film studies this term, and one of the first things we discussed is how different directors and time periods handle adaptations. I do not approach the current Pokémon anime with Ash and Pikachu the same way I would Gurren Lagann or One Piece. Part of the reason I started this blog was to counter the criticism against the show and its characters; as most of the disparaging of it comes from mocking it for lacking qualities the creators didn't intend for them to have. I am not going to take Origins as a way to disown the existing anime. Rather, I intend to analyze both the strong and weak points of all their stories and characters. Until others are ready to do the same, I will probably be staying off Kotaku for a while; at least until the initial excitement passes.

Elsewhere, the anime series FLCL (pronounced Fooly Cooly) is returning to Toonami. This is an anime I really enjoy; and the higher-ups at Cartoon Network in charge of the Adult Swim face of the network even said it was their favorite even in the face of the medium having less screen time in recent years.

The series was produced in 1999 by Studio Gainax, as a way to unwind from their work on Neon Genesis Evangelion. It is only 6 episodes long, but they are some of the best-written and best-animated 6 episodes I have seen. It tells the story of 12-year-old Naota (Barbara Goodson, Rita on "Power Rangers"); who has a very sardonic attitude towards life in his small town. He lives in a small shop run by his father and grandfather; and his mood is not helped by the fact that his mother is away on business and his older brother left for America to play baseball. One day, a young woman named Haruko comes in on a Vespa and hits him with her guitar. What follows is a very surreal coming-of-age story set to the music of the Pillows. It is a wonderful series that I would recommend.

With this, I shall get to work on posting my recap of "And So it Begins." In the meantime, I leave you with a fantastic song that has been in my head for some time after hearing the news of FLCL coming back. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zm3eAWU6gE&noredirect=1