The Next Top 13 Anime I will Never Recap.

Hello everyone. Well, since this month is winding down and Yo-Kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters has quietly launched (being overshadowed by Metroid: Samus Returns, the Super NES Classic and the Virtual Console release of Pokémon Gold and Silver), I still don't think I'll be tapping my backlog of episodes I'm considering just yet. Unless I hear anything about the third season or more toys, I will take a break from that series for a while. My plan for the third movie is still the same: me doing it will depend entirely on whether or not Yo-Kai Watch 3 is released in North America. I am also taking classes for the fall online, so I will have to carefully plan what I will do next.

In the meantime, I thought I would do a follow-up to my top 13 anime I will never recap that I did in 2015. I spent quite a bit of time compiling it, and I have a variety of reasons for adding to a list of more subject matter I simply do not wish to address. So, I present the next Top 13 anime I will never recap!

13. Any "Monster girl" or Maid series

This category covers two subject matter that hold no particular interest for me. I know both maids and "monster girls" are two character genres that have great popularity in some circles, but I personally never understood the appeal or the praise. A recent example would be a series that has both elements in one show: "Mrs. Kobayashi's Dragon Maid." Many people have hailed this as one of the best series of this decade, but I just don't see it. I also admit I'm out of my depth, but I'm from a school of thought that likes to slay dragons; not have them be my maids. This also extends to series centered around butlers such as Black Butler or Hayate the Combat Butler: I know many people enjoy shows about powerful manservants, but the only one in that category I enjoy is more active versions of Alfred Pennyworth. Many of the designs are pretty, but they're not my "type," if you get my drift.

12. Tokyo Ghoul

Even though I have quite a bit planned for October, this is one series that you won't ever see me cover. It's not just that I had mixed feelings about it replacing One Piece on the new Toonami, it's more due to the fact that it's another series I don't see the appeal in. Even with a live-action version, I simply don't understand the praise behind it. I admit that some of the artwork and fights are interesting (especially in the manga), but the story and characterization just don't do anything for me. My brother seems to like it, but to me; it's a similar reason why I prefer to watch crime stories that have some connection to me as a viewer. I mean, I typically find true crime stories about infamous people that captured a whole nation's attention more interesting than some throwaway ID fodder about a John Doe I've never heard of. Maybe it's just me, but I just don't find the characters here as interesting as ones in similar series such as Durarara. So, I'm going to have to pass.

11. Akame ga Kill

Similar to the last entry, I have no interest in this series even though my brother seems to like it. I have occasionally skimmed some of the episodes; but I'm not entirely sure what I could get out of it that others have. It just seems like a mishmash of genres and tones; and that's often a case where I never know what attitude I'm supposed to adopt as a viewer. Some people don't mind this, but it's not something I enjoy for the most part. Again, the artwork and some of the action scenes are interesting; but the story and characters aren't my cup of tea. I will have to pass on this one.


10. One-Punch Man

First off, I shall say that I don't hate this show; but I also find that it isn't the masterpiece many others tout it as. I also don't really identify with the mindset that immediately dismisses every hot new anime as "the worst ever," which is simply not true. I've covered much worse here, and I will look at far worse in the near future. On that same note, however; I just find it OK. Once again, the concept, art style and fights are interesting (especially in the manga); but I'm one of those people that finds it hard to watch a series that I find okay when everyone else gushes about how amazing they find it. On top of that, there are two series that I feel more inclined to do positive recaps of instead that I found more interesting: Mob Psycho 100, a series by the same creator; and My Hero Academia, a series with a similar premise; but significantly different execution. Even though I have been known to do positive recaps of works I enjoy, I tend to skew more towards giving MST3K/Rifftrax-infused ribbings to series regardless of quality.

9. Toriko

I admit that I like this series, but even with the premise of a man who hunts the food for restaurants and a young man who serves as an audience surrogate to a show that didn't need one; there's just not enough material for me to work with to create anything I would enjoy writing or you would enjoy reading.

8. Any version of Hunter X Hunter

I will not be doing this for a similar reason to Full Metal Alchemist or Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: while both the 1999 and 2011 versions of the series have some great artwork and fight scenes, I simply don't feel like I'm qualified to do the story justice. It's also a story that I don't think I'm fully capable of doing justice. It may not be a series that has the biggest fandom here, but it's got enough that I don't think I want to disappoint.

7. The 4Kids Version of Shaman King

Even though I enjoyed this show when I was younger, it's a similar case to One Piece: even with the circumstances behind it getting canceled, I have little desire to open this door again. Maybe there will be another adaptation one day, or at least another attempt at a more faithful dub, but as it stands; I'm moving on.

6. Later versions of Beyblade

This can generally apply to any version that doesn't feature the original cast members of Tyson, Kai and the other members that were on the show from the original series and its sequels from the mid-2000s (V-Force and G-Revolution). This is often a counterargument against using other characters in some series, since the characters in Metal Fusion, Burst and its numerous gimmicky spinoffs never really stood out at me. Even though Burst has characters that always wear puppets on their hands and a guy who always has a lollipop in his mouth, there's another reason why I can't work with the spinoffs. The earlier series had a sort of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness of the silliness of the premise and how deadly seriously it took its schemes and competition on spinning tops. With the new series, the tropes are being played entirely straight.  It's the same reason why I'm not a fan of Bakugan, and why I won't be doing this here.

5. Rave Master

This is another series that I didn't really enjoy when I was younger, and as a result, I barely watched it. It's also one that has a reasonable fan base, but nowhere near as many fans as Zatch Bell/Gash Bell. Even the manga didn't really interest me, but there is a good side to this. Hiro Mashima, the creator, went on to make Fairy Tail, which over the course of its run; proved to be more successful than Rave Master is or ever was. Even when I factor in the changes made to the anime, I never really cared for it on its own; and I have little desire to revisit it.

4. Digimon Tamers Movie: Runaway Locomon

Here's something that is often a point of contention among fans of Digmon; divided as they sometimes are. Even though I like this movie better than the one in 2000, it's even a case of division among the creators. While the same animators on the TV series worked on this one, the writers did not; to the point where they outright said the film isn't canon. In order to explain why, I will have to give some spoilers, so those who haven't seen any Digimon Tamers material may want to scroll down to the next entry or read something else. The movie takes place after the events of the TV series, which had a very bittersweet, but fantastic ending which had the Tamers engage in a dramatic final battle with their Digimon before they separated, and the plot deals with Rika still coming to terms with her father leaving her family when she was younger. In fact, she started getting into Digimon when she realized her father wasn't coming back. The train's call is even a song he used to sing to her when she was small. On another note, it's also the reason why I'm not doing the Digimon Adventure tri movies; but I will probably give you something on them once I'm done watching them. Overall, it's a film adaptation to a show I love that I don't feel capable of doing.

3. Transformers: Kiss Players

I know it's cheating to mention a manga here, but it still fits. I know I've covered a fair amount of Transformers anime and made many jokes about the live-action films, but there is nothing I can joke about here. Even the Transformers wiki where I look for information when I have to seems disgusted by the premise. The imagery and execution are far creepier than anything Michael Bay has done to the series, and even the Japanese creators at Takara/Tomy seem ashamed of it. Much like my no hentai/ecchi rule I set for myself last time, it just clashes with both Google's rules and my sensibilities. Doing this would be how an episode of Dateline NBC starts, so I am officially sending this pile of slag to a millennia of toil in the smelting pits in Kaon.


2. Danganronpa The Animation

Here is a series that has had an interesting journey on this blog. Even though I don't really enjoy this anime, it does have a rather large fandom behind it. Even though I originally intended to recap some of it in 2015, the incident in Roseburg around that time made me uncomfortable dealing with a series whose premise consists of high schoolers trying to kill each other and not get caught. However, upon watching it to see what I could do, I once again realized I have far more issues than I can fully explain in just one recap. I know it may be a bit bullish to do this right after a new game just came out, but I honestly stopped caring what other people think a long time ago. So, you can expect a list of my 13 Things Wrong with Danganronpa the Animation before too long.

1. Dragon Ball GT

After Dragon Ball Z ended its run, this anime was made largely without the involvement of Akira Toriyama; barring a few designs. He did not personally write or direct any episodes of the series, and now that it's been officially de-canonized by the movies that have been made as well as Super; which do have Toriyama's involvement; I can officially put this to bed. I am still contemplating doing a positive look at Super after I watch more of it (as well as the Resurrection of F movie), but to me; doing a recap of this anime now that the series is doing well again is about as useful as a Mayan calendar in 2013. Heck, even this supposed "apocalypse" last week had me watching Toonami till Outlaw Star came on to make sure it didn't.

So, that's more anime I will never look at here. I will do just one more list in the near future to close things out. I'm not Bobby Kotick, I don't want to keep milking this just because I can. In addition to doing the remaining Pokémon movies from the Kyurem movie onward, I have plenty of content in mind for Halloween; including a look at some stuff I've been planning for a while and some surprises. You'll just have to wait and see what they are. That's all for now. Bang.

Recap: Pokémon the Movie Black-Victini and Reshiram/White- Victini and Zekrom

Hello everyone, and welcome to my double feature recap of the first Pokémon movie of the Best Wishes series, the pair of Victini movies! While this year has seen many twists and turns in my attempts to do this marathon, I have been wanting to do these movies for ages. In honor of the upcoming US release of "Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You," let's open up "Pokémon the Movie Black: Victini and Reshiram," and "Pokémon The Movie White: Victini and Zekrom!"

Since the films were released in a matter similar to the games, here is how the recap will work: I will point out differences as I see them, but definitely keep on the same page as the story progresses. The FLCL marathon earlier this month was a test run for this style of writing, which forgoes my usual style of copying and pasting notes from my computer's word processors. So, let's get started.


The "world of Pokémon" segment differs depending on which movie you watch, and I rather like how the filmmakers took full advantage of making each one with distinct differences in a similar vein to the video games they are based on. As for Ash still being 10: as I said before, if Harry Potter's actor is doing full frontal in a production of Equus, I'll take anything they can throw at me. On top of that, I bear Iris and Cilan no ill will as characters; and even though they do take some liberties with the game characters, I honestly don't mind. Overall, I still don't share some fans' disdain for Generation V; given how it introduced a lot of unique concepts that are still being used in the series today.

Our first major difference is with the opening battle, featuring the character of Damon: the Pokémon he mounts as a steed is the opposite of whatever one is on the marquee, and the setting is also different. The Reshiram film has him saving natives in the arctic, the Zekrom film has him doing the same in the desert.

While Damon's actions may be different in each film, his motivation as an antagonist is largely the same: he wants to return the Kingdom of the Vale to what it once was, which is actually not that bad. He definitely isn't as cruel as the villain in the Arceus movie, or as conniving as later villains such as Chancellor Alva. Admittedly, he's not as complex as N or callous as Ghetsis (factoring both the games and Episode N), but he is definitely a good fit for these films.

It also does not bother me too much that the dragons are telepathic either, nor does it mean anything that they bear resemblance to certain other "blue-eyes white dragons" or "red-eyes black dragons" from another merchandise-driven anime I really love. If they can breathe fire, shoot electricity and clip to my belt for easy storage; I can suspend disbelief like that.

After the opening sequence, we see Ash, Iris and Cilan on their way to a town known as Eindoak, in time for a festival celebrating the harvest.

 

Ash then rescues a couple Deerling from falling off a cliff, and thanks to help from an unseen Victini; he's saved from falling himself! It's like he grabbed a raccoon tail to make that jump.

After going through an underground passageway, Ash regroups with Iris and Cilan at a castle known as the "Sword of the Vale," and Cilan begins to tell of a legend that will come into play later in the movie. Wouldn't be a Pokémon movie without building on the lore of what's given to them. The harvest also means the berries are at peak tastiness!

Ash then points out that he's "always hungry, and that's that." Now there's an archetype I can get behind. Lots of characters in this vein seem to enjoy food: Goku, Luffy, Natsu, Simon, Edward Elric: I can do this all day.

After Iris' stomach concurs, Cilan has made a box of macarons for them all to enjoy! Combined with some French vernacular, it's like an early tease for Generation VI. That's how a lot of game development works: you want to think about the future, you have to get started right away.

I also kind of like the bit as they head to the festival, where an unseen Victini shows that he likes Cilan's macarons as well! Oh yes: you have to love a guy like that. Definitely an ideal young man to carry Brock's torch.

Everyone meets with Damon, and the festival begins with a tournament battle as the opening credits roll to the Black and White theme; which I find to be a very underrated song. I know a lot of people disagree with me, but it's at least better than the theme to Chronicles.

Each film also has a different character with a shiny Pokémon: in the Reshiram film, it's a woman named Juanita with a Golurk, in the Zekrom film, it's her daughter Carlita with her Hydreigon.

There's even another appearance of the recurring little girl and her mother as Kunihiko Yuyama's credit comes up! Isn't that something?

Much like the Deoxys movie, this tournament is ultimately small potatoes in the plot of these movies, though I do find it amusing how Victini lends its power to Ash's Tepig and ends up totally wrecking a Samurott despite a type disadvantage.

However, when the same thing happens to Ash's Scraggy, Carlita gets suspicious. She even allows her Hyrdreigon to be beaten by Scraggy just to prove Victini helped! 

After drawing it out with one of Cilan's macarons, Victini starts acting playful on the see-saw! Another fun fact is that this is one of series' creator Satoshi Tajiri's favorite Pokémon! I will have to revise my favorite Unova Pokémon soon, but this symbol of victory will definitely be on the list.

After Victini bonds with Ash, Pikachu and the others; they all frolic through the streets of Eindoak!

However, a mysterious force field is keeping Victini from going beyond the borders of certain parts of town!

It also turns out that Damon is also Juanita's son and Carlita's older brother! Imagine that.

Their journey continues, and they're led along their way by a Drilbur and a Purrloin! I'm still not entirely sure what led to Cilan's fear of Purrloin. Guess it's kind of like Brock and Professor Ivy: the scenario is best left to the viewer's imagination, where it's sure to be more outrageous.

Even with a type disadvantage (and the comments of my associate SkulShurtugalTCG on the matter), Ash and Victini seem to be having fun in the pool.

So, they go to see the mayor, whose name is Mannes by the way; who tells more about Victini and the Kingdom of the Vale from a historical tome. One in a pop-up book format, no less!

The story goes on to say how the kingdom has a mysterious power known as a "dragon force" (I know I have a joke for this, but I'm saving it for later), and two princes that represented the heroes of truth and ideals that were key to the mythos of Generation V.

Bottom line, Victini bonded with the king until his death; and then he went into hiding for 1,000 years. OK, been saving this one for a while.

As Ash, Iris, Cilan and the other Pokémon are given berries by Victini, Mannes tries to warn Damon about how the "Dragon force" isn't meant to be used in this fashion and he should just accept why this happened for the People of the Vale. Damon, however, isn't dissuaded and still wants to return the Kingdom of the Vale to its former glory and its people to their true home! So, while the actions he takes to accomplish later on may not be the best course, he's definitely what is sometimes characterized as a well-intentioned extremist.

After seeing a vision of the king in a dream, Victini is able to tell Ash that he wants to go beyond the boundaries of Eindoak and see the ocean! Though it's late at night, Ash agrees to help Victini get there. Now that's what I like about his character: even for a Pokémon that could grant him great power, he's willing to help them! I will talk about this more as I do the remaining movies in this marathon; but I always like that quality about his character. As I pointed out before, even when other people or Pokémon make things difficult for him; he will do everything in his power to help them set things right.

So, Damon decides to set his plan in motion, using the Sword of the Vale and the "dragon force" to return the kingdom and its people to where they once lived! I'm still saving that joke for later, and you'll find out why soon.

Also, one of the psychic Pokémon that aids Damon is different in each version. In the Reshiram film, he uses a Gothitelle, and in the Zekrom film; it's a Reuniclus.

Despite the objections from Juanita and Carlita, the dragon force causes the Sword of the Vale to rise into the sky! OK, as I promised; I was saving this music for this part.


I also forgot to mention that Team Rocket's role in this movie is mostly inconsequential. It's a long story, but even though they have slightly more screentime than in Pokémon Heroes, they still don't share any scenes with the main cast to my knowledge. Again, they should fire their agent.

Also, the way Damon controls the "pillars of protection" just by waving his hands reminds me of the U-Force, one of the more gimmicky alternate controllers for the NES. Once again, AVGN has a fairly good summary of how lousy that toy is.


Just as Damos planned, the dragons are drawn to the Sword of the Vale!

As Mannes takes to the skies in an autogyro, everyone heads to the lower levels of the castle and try to find a way to save Victini and stop the land from falling into chaos as it did in the past! This finale is so dire and so silly at the same time, and I love it for that.

So, Ash decides to go ask the dragons opposite the ones on the marquee for help, and they agree! Reshiram represents truth, and Zekrom represents ideals. I also like how the visuals of each scene are distinct in each version: in addition to the camera angles, the lighting and color schemes subtly compliment each meeting. Reshiram is in red, and Zekrom in blue.

With the aid of the dragons, Ash makes his move to stop the land from falling into chaos!

No matter what version of the movie you're watching, the combination of Ash riding a legendary dragon and Damon's two-tone hair is just a bunch of cascading guitar riffs and pairs of skintight pants short of an '80s hair metal video shoot.

After landing back in the castle, Ash faces off with Damos as he aims to free Victini! While these may not be the best movies I've covered on this blog, the animation and battles prove that they're probably the most enjoyable ones I've done for this marathon so far, and I still have a few to go before the new one comes stateside. Much like the last one, I like how it takes its source material and makes a darker film from the show in a similar fashion to the 1986 Transformers movie or the first two TMNT movies.

With the "dragon force" spreading like wildfire, Reshiram and Zekrom tell Damon the only way to stop it is to place the Sword of the Vale in its original resting place! Well, that's convenient, and it's what he wanted anyway!

While the others are evacuated, the barrier has become unstable; forcing Ash and Damon to stay behind and stabilize the sword!

Damon falls off the side of the castle, leaving Ash to stay by the side of Victini and Pikachu as the air starts getting thinner and he starts to freeze! Even though he's bonded with his Pokémon to stay warm in episodes such as "Snow Way Out" (which I'm not doing, by the way); it's much tougher when you start leaving the atmosphere!

I'm not afraid of dying, anytime will do, why should I be afraid of dying?

With his last ounce of strength, Ash destroys the pillars of protection at Damon's request; but freezes as the Sword of the Vale is suspended in space! So, he's been turned to stone, almost drowned more than once, and been absorbed into the Tree of Beginning: how many more times will he have to have a brush with death before he becomes a Time Lord?

Yet, Victini can't bare to watch its friend or the land suffer! It gives Ash its strength, much like the king before; and returns the sword of the vale to the land with its signature move: V-create!

The Praxis effect as the pillars are destroyed is also a nice touch, and I always like that kind of shockwave whenever it appears.

In both films, we close on Victini having one last macaron before he crosses the ocean as the Sword of the Vale is returned to its rightful place and peace is restored to the land! Good an ending as any, and I'm glad I was finally able to do these.

Of all the movies I've done so far for this marathon, I've enjoyed writing about these the most. I definitely wanted to get this recap done so I could prove that I haven't just been messing around playing games and watching Inhumans: would I have spent almost all week writing the recap for these if I didn't have some enthusiasm for it?

All joking aside, however, "Pokémon the Movie Black: Victini and Reshiram/White: Victini and Zekrom" are definitely among my favorite entries in the series, much like the video games that inspired them. With lots of splendid animation and surprising emotional weight, I am very glad that I have gotten to share my thoughts with you all even if all those misguided fools at Anime News Network didn't like them.

As I post this, please note that I have started taking classes again; but I still have plenty of content planned for the final quarter of the year from October onward. In addition to some material I have planned for Halloween, keep an eye out for my look at Pokémon: Kyurem VS The Swords of Justice! See you, space cowboy!

Recap: Ring Masters

Hello everyone! By the time you read this, the Virtual Console release of Pokémon Gold and Silver will have released; as will Pokkén Tournament DX on the Nintendo Switch! In honor of this occasion, I thought I would do an episode that would be ideal for both games release: a fun Johto episode centered around sumo! It’s a kind of Martial Art, it counts! So, let’s open up “Ring Masters!”

We open on Ash, Brock and Misty being on their way to Olivine City; and the narrator says they’ve come across “intriguing little village!” When Misty asks where they are, Brock concurs from his guidebook that “it’s an intriguing little village, Misty!” Ha! Fourth wall jokes!

I have already spoken quite a bit about how much I like “Born to be a Winner” theme; so I’m just going to move on after I link to it for the umpteenth time.

It turns out that a man named Raiden (no relation to the Mortal Kombat character) is sparring other Pokémon with his Feraligatr under the tutelage of his sensei Shonosuke! As Ash scans Feraligatr with his Pokédex, Misty is in awe of Feraligatr! There’s my girl: still loving water-types like I remember her. 

Much like I pointed out in my look at the Deoxys movie, I am amused how this episode accurately depicts Feraligatr’s height in the Pokédex, using Raiden as a yardstick. It’s 7’7” standard, 2.3 meters metric.

It turns out that Raiden is training for the Pokémon Sumo competition, a type of battle where fighting with their mystical otherworldly powers is disregarded in favor of using one’s physical strength and skill. Raiden also was once on a journey across the land like Ash, before he decided to just focus on sumo full-time. I can relate: sometimes things don’t go like you expect, and sometimes what you end up doing with your life may be totally different than what you wanted at first.

Naturally, Brock and Misty are impressed; and Ash wants to enter the tournament himself! My exact words on the matter were that I don’t do “tournament arcs.” Informal tournaments such as this one are doable in the time I have.

Ash then sends out his Totodile to marvel at Feraligatr. While this series was the point where the franchise began tailoring itself more towards international audiences, to this day; if you know where to look, you can still find the flourishes of its Japanese origin. Amusingly, while Ash, Brock and Misty are clearly sitting inside the dojo with their shoes off as per tradition, they suddenly reappear when Ash sends out Totodile; and then back again.

However, Raiden tells Ash that even though most Pokémon are eligible; there is a weight limit of at least 80kg! So, Ash decides to quickly switch his shiny Noctowl with his Snorlax after a phone call to Professor Oak! I know the feeling: since I’m doing the Mega Melee as you read this, I know what it’s like to change up your roster for competitive play.

Team Rocket of course, has an ulterior motive at the weigh-in; especially when their “Miltank” hits the minimum weight right on the nose! It’s quite clearly Wobuffet in disguise, and Jessie and James are dressed as sumo wrestlers named “Jessiyaki” and “Jamisosoupi.” I wonder if they know Hugh Mann or Lee Lemon.

Anyway, when James asks why they’re going through with this plan, Jessie replies that she wants to win for once. Jessie than asks Meowth if he has any pride, and he replies that used to before he met her. That’s savage, and I always liked how salty cats can be in anime; or even ones heavily based on them.

Ash’s Snorlax weighs in, and Joy concurs that he’s qualified when the scale breaks. Once again, the weight in the Pokédex checks out. It’s 460kg metric, 1,014.1 pounds standard. While they almost miss the opening ceremonies, Snorlax is on his feet when the announcer says the magic word as a prize: one year’s supply of Poké Chow! 

Additionally, the winner will also receive a King’s Rock! I especially like how hammy the referee is in this episode. Whatever the voice actor got paid, it wasn’t enough.

Anyway, as “Miltank” faces off against Ursaring; not only does their plan go south when they’re disqualified for using Counter, but they’re sent blasting off by the other fighters! Nice try, fellas.

So, after that little charade, the tournament goes off without a hitch! Feraligatr wins against Golem, and Ash’s Snorlax makes short work of a Poliwrath!

Meanwhile, dejected their plan failed; Team Rocket decides to come up with a new plan of selling counterfeit Poké Print souvenirs! Even as James’ gloves disappear for a split second; I have to wonder how much of those might show up on Ashens or Phelous’ “Bootleg Zones” reviews.

Feraligatr’s next opponent is a Blastoise, who is incidentally favored to win! Also, that trainer in the dogi has shown up in a fair number of episodes as a side character. Guess it’s like a variation on the Black Belt trainer class. 

Raiden wins the battle, and now it comes down to just him and Ash! While I may not have a Switch yet, I am practicing on my Wii U copy of Pokkén Tournament for when I do get one. My main is Lucario, closely followed by Pikachu Libre. I can also appreciate the insanity of a Blaziken VS Chandelure matchup; which is one of the reasons I decided to do this one. 

So, while Snorlax’s belly may have helped it before, he starts taking a beating from Feraligatr! Since Snorlax’s strength is wearing thin, Ash decides to use its weakness! Snorlax’s blubber is used a different way to push Feraligatr out of the ring by exhaling! Now, that is the kind of silliness I love from the series. 

Ash wins the tournament and the King’s Rock, and sends Snorlax back to Oak after he eats all the Poké Chow. So, we close on everyone going on their way, and Team Rocket arriving too late to sell their phony souvenir Poké Prints! Well, I guess you could always try making Famiclone knockoffs of the NES Classic. 

“Ring Masters” is another great example of over-the-top fun from the days where the series could do whatever it wanted in a good way. In addition to some of the fight matchups being very nicely-animated; the silliness of the Pokémon Sumo concept is among one of the better pretenses for an informal tournament I’ve seen. It’s a wonder they haven’t tried to revisit this idea that often, especially since the Island Kahuna Hala in Sun and Moon has that as part of his fighting style! Couple that with a hammy referee and how a blubber butt like Snorlax can hold his own against a giant reptile such as Feraligatr, and you have an ideal episode for me to take a breather with.

Now, in addition to me getting the Virtual Console version of Gold and Silver as you read this, I am also going to see the new Kingsman today too. I am also going to be taking classes again next week; but I still want to make some more progress on my Pokémon movie marathon. Next time is my double feature recap of Pokémon The Movie Black: Victini and Reshiram and White: Victini and Zekrom! See you, space cowboy! 

Recap: FLCLimax

My look at FLCL concludes with my look at the final episode, "FLCLlimax!"

We've reached the finale of this wonderful series, and the finale begins with something as simple as everyone trying to use chopsticks. Everyone can do it besides their hyperactive teacher; though some of the kids aren't too proud to ask for sporks.

Yet, since the events of the last episode; much has changed. Haruko has gone as a fugitive; and despite the events of the last few days, Naota still feels disinterested at what has gone on. The massive hand left by the gunslinger in the last episode hasn't helped either.


Amarao and Mitsurubami are also preparing for the arrival of Atomsk and the final showdown for the universe! Rather than someplace like Tokyo or New York, the final battle will take place in Mabase! I also like how the title card is placed on Naota's mind: much like ours, it's about to be blown.

Mamimi has also not taken Naota's rejection well, and Masashi and Gaku are still under the delusion that she was his "waifu" (still don't get the appeal of that term. I used to mix up lightsabers with Live Savers candy when I was little, doesn't mean I was always right.). She decides to cozy up to a small robot, especially when it eats her phone. Well, sunlight and water aren't problems; but don't do that after midnight, just to be safe.

Amarao also tells Naota more about Atomsk; and I get sort of a vibe of a proto-Lordgenome looking at him. Still, after all that he's been through, Naota understandably wants nothing more to do with this fight; and decides to head home.

I also find it amusing that Mamimi's phone, among others, was made by Cyberdyne Systems. Well, I just hope they don't try making any more Terminators.

Naota comes down for dinner, only to find that Haruko has returned with spicy fish eggs from Hawaii; complete with a reprise of the manga sequence! I also like how they lampshade the energy it takes to do that, and also wonder further about what "Fooly Cooly" actually means. Once again: I submit it's a metaphor for puberty. Lots of GAINAX works come off like that to me, even the new stuff at Trigger comes off like that too.

After six episodes of trying to push her away, Haruko then invites Naota to come with her to space, and he breaks down crying in her arms. It's also heavily-implied that Naota's mother is part of an intergalactic mission herself, hence why he acts this way to deal with the other adults in his life being more childish than he is.

Apparently, Naota has been off with Haruko and hasn't been to school in days; and the two bond over cheap ramen. Never was a fan of the dried-up kind, I like the real stuff you get a good restaurant.

Elsewhere, Mamimi still feeding the robot (which we find out later is another agent of Atomsk) all the stuff she can find, including all the motorcycles in town! I guess it can't live on cell phones alone.

The next day, Ninamori finds Haruko and Naota sleeping together on a park bench. Despite the oddness of the situation, she just leaves; totally unaware of what's about to unfold.

Elsewhere, Mamimi is actually going through her address book in order to feed this robot; and she's been running herself ragged in the process.

Time has not been kind to you, Amanda Bynes!

The beast grows so massive that it goes out of control and starts rampaging through town!

The beast is then revealed to be the terminal core of Atomsk, and Amarao gives chase with Mitsurubami in what appears to be an old Toyota Corolla. That thing is going to get chucked around like a Matchbox car, and we're not finished yet!

The terminal core crushes Amarao's car, and it turns out that Canti is part of the terminal core as well! Even if the last episode was my favorite, this is clearly a good finale for such a great show.

The terminal core also eats the teacher's new car again, so now it's time for Naota and Haruko to stop it before it consumes the whole town! The whole final episode is definitely an ideal metaphor for coming of age, and unlike Yo-Kai Watch, there's definitely a method to the madness for me. Yeah, you bet I'm going to give that knife another twist while I finish something I love. My back pain has felt like that for days, now let's finish this.

Even as Haruko tries to have Naota stop the pirate king, Amarao still objects at the immense danger involved! Haruko basically tells him to piss off, and this finale is a key example of how this anime is the polar opposite of Evangelion. As it turns out, GAINAX made this to unwind from not only how intense the production was; but also how dark the writing and tone were. It's a common way of dealing with that experience, no matter where you live or work.

Naota, to the shock of everyone, has incorporated the the powers of Atomsk! Furthering the EVA contrast, while Shinji's characterization shows how someone in his position isn't totally prepared for apocalyptic scenarios, Naota has effectively made the power of an intergalactic threat his own. No orange juice here, folks.

Naota is able to combine the guitars, and is even able to combine the guitars into one to finally stop the threat facing Mabase!

Naota is even able to expel Atomsk from his mind, and is able to kiss Haruko to top everything off!

As Atomsk spreads its wings and flies away, Amarao is astonished at what has happened: after all the time he spent trying to do the standard Godzilla procedure to drive the pirate king away, all it took was the love a young man who needed to open up, and a strange woman from space!

So, Haruko returns to the stars, and Naota ultimately decides to remain on Earth as we close the series on him starting middle school with Ninamori, Gaku and Masashi. I have seen this anime many times since I was 11, and I never get tired of that ending.

Between how much I've been working on other projects this year and events outside this blog, I am glad that I took the opportunity to do this marathon. I am also glad I got my look at "FLCLimax" done before my brother's wedding tomorrow, since it closes out an anime that I have grand admiration for even after all these years. The conclusion is organic, and it has a sequel hook that's finally being picked up after all this time. 

If you were to ask me what I would want out of the second and third seasons next year, my reply would be simple: for them to be good. Much like the Big O before it, despite being largely overlooked in Japan; the series has been beloved ever since it came here. As I mentioned before, it's one of the two favorite anime of Adult Swim's management; the other being Cowboy Bebop. As long as it does the animation and characters justice, I will be fine; network decay and that unpleasantness about the cat headphones be damned. If all else fails, I really can't imagine it being worse than the Endless 8.

Anyway, as soon as I post this, I'm going to get some rest before my brother's wedding tomorrow; so check back on Friday as I celebrate the release of Pokkén Tournament DX and Pokémon Gold and Silver on Virtual Console with my look at the Johto episode "Ring Masters!" That's all for now. Be excellent to each other.