Final Recap: Akira (1988)

Welcome to my final recap for this blog. of my favorite anime film and one of my all-time favorite movies: Akira!

We open on the surest sign of nuclear war, a silent explosion as percussion starts. The way the movie portrays Neo Tokyo as a decaying hell overrun by gangsters as well as a glitzy paradise of neon and technology, I can say 30 years later that Katsuhiro Otomo's vision of the future is every bit as impressive now as it was in 1988.

To me, it's not only as influential as Blade Runner, it captures teenage angst through the eyes of motorcycle gangsters Shotaro Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima in a manner as effective as any live-action film.

A chase with the Clown gang is intercut with a case of espionage involving a boy with wizened features named Takashi. As Tetsuo is caught in the crossfire, and the spy is reduced to a bloodstain on the pavement, it's one of the most dynamic openings I've ever seen; shattering any illusions about the medium being exclusively for children.

The animation here redefined the medium forever. The angles, the lighting, the way the characters move on the action scenes all make for a spectacular science fiction epic.

That's not to say the film is without humor, far from it: I always get a laugh out of the scene in the police station where a a would-be revolutionary is knocked out of his shoes by cops when his grenade is a dud.

As Kaneda flirts with a spy named Kei, it turns out there's another spy in the executive council, and the colonel in charge of operations is taken to an underground bunker where Tetsuo is being examined. Tetsuo is believed to have power similar to a being called "Akira!"

We then cut to the boys' vocational school, where Kaneda and the others are subject to some "physical education" while being reprimanded about their actions. I also note the way their lovers are dressed: while the movie does show how society rebuilds after World War III, they all look like extras in a Cyndi Lauper video.

Tetsuo gets out of the hospital and goes to see his friend Kaori, and after telling her about the experiments, decides to run away with her. They are then attacked by Clowns in the industrial area, and Kaneda helps drive them off! Tetsuo is not happy about this, but Akira's power causes him to hallucinate about falling and his innards spilling on the pavement!

The authorities then take Tetsuo back to their compound while the boys and their girlfriends explore the city. Kaneda then teams up with Kei to investigate what's happening. In another fight scene taken from the manga, there's an ambush in the sewers!

As Tetsuo is experimented on further, he has a dream about his childhood that ends in everything crumbling around him! He's able to shatter all the glass around him just by thinking about it!

A girl named Kiyoko, identified as "Number 25," has a vision that millions of people will die! Colonel Shikishima when she mentions Akira. They're told not to let Tetsuo go, and the Colonel goes to the deep freeze chamber where Akira is being held with Dr. Onishi. Colonel Shikishima then expresses disdain for the direction things are headed.

Back with Kaneda and Kei, another spy named Ryu locks Kaneda in the bathroom while they try to infiltrate the compound with help from their plant on the inside, Nezu. Kaneda witnesses the conversation, and offers to help them. As for Nezu's name: it fittingly translates to "rat" in Japanese.

We then see a demonstration in the streets, with people in ornate robes hoping for Akira's return. The budget meeting scene echoes the political strife Japan was having at the time, leading to an event known as the "lost decade." It may not have been intentional on Otomo's part, but now the 2020 Olympics are taking place in Tokyo for real, just like in the movie. The council then votes to rescind the Colonel's command, causing him to walk out in disgust.

Kei and Kaneda then slip into the compound disguised as custodians. Tetsuo hallucinates toys the size of buildings in his room, then realizes it's an illusion created by the Numbers! Cutting himself on some glass, he breaks out of his room and heads for the nursery.

In another scene from the manga, a shootout with some sentries leads to Kei and Kaneda stealing their hovercraft! You really get a great sense of speed from the way this chase is animated.

The Numbers try to send more toys after Tetsuo, but he sees through their illusions and demands to see Kiyoko! Kiyoko is able to speak telepathically to Kei and guide Kaneda to Tetsuo! Tetuso then recongnies Masaru and Takashi from the highway skirmish as his powers continue to escalate!

Dr. Onishi tries to talk Tetsuo down, but he will have none of it; demanding to see Akira! As the nursery crumbles around everyone, Kaneda confronts Tetsuo about what's going on; but Tetsuo has gone mad with power as he realizes where Akira is! He leaves everyone in the smoldering wreckage of the compound as the colonel realizes Tetsuo must be stopped before his powers mature.

Tetsuo returns to the tavern and kills the bartender, consuming large amounts of capsules as Yamagata and Kai look on in horror! Kaneda and Kei are being held by the military, where Kei reveals that Akira's ultimate energy will allow Tetsuo's full power to come to fruition! With Kiyoko's 

help, they escape and go after Tetsuo.

As the military is mobilized, Kai informs Kaneda that Tetsuo killed Yamagata, and Takashi takes Kei on the aqueduct! The military has found out Nezu, and break into his home to tell him the coup has failed!

Tetsuo is out of control, growing so powerful that he can stop rockets with his mind and crush tanks like toys; tearing himself a cape from a window display! Ryu and Nezu die, and Kaneda takes to the streets on his motorcycle to stop his former friend!

The lasers fired by the military at the revolutionaries may seem like family-friendly firearms at first, but it's quickly subverted when it's shown they can draw blood and sever limbs, effectively making them handheld railguns.

The colonel and doctor quickly realize that Tetsuo is headed for the Olympics construction site, and the try to head him off! To the doctor's shock, Tetsuo's waveform is the same as Akira's! Kaneda discovers what Tetsuo has wrought, and Tetsuo discovers Akira is just a bunch of DNA samples and capsules! He does not take this well at all, and the order is given for an orbital strike beacon known as "Sol!" Kaneda and Kei arrive on the scene, and Tetsuo laughs at his former friend's pity. The railgun is only able to wound Tetsuo, but Sol fires and cuts off his arm! However, he's so strong that he flies up destroys Sol! I love how this is one of the few science fiction films to acknowledge there's no sound in space, something the genre is notorious for ignoring for suspension of disbelief.

As the wreckage of Sol falls to Earth, Tetsuo generates a new arm as Kaneda prepares to face his former friend at the stadium one last time. The Colonel is after Tetsuo as well, and he starts reaching critical power levels! He refuses to go back for treatment as his body starts growing into grotesque proportions and shapes! Takashi, Masaru and Kiyoko arrive as Kaneda starts taking shots from his motorcycle!

At that moment, Akira then reawakens inside Tetsuo as his form starts consuming everything in its path! Kaneda then blasts his way out as the mass of body parts consumes the Numbers, but as it reaches Akira's remains; he is given form as a blue glow pushes back the mass! Kaneda then runs back from the mass as Takashi is caught in the crossfire! Masaru and Kiyoko decide to save him at the cost of their own lives! Tetsuo's final moments, as well as the film's; are spent within his memories and dreams, getting a glimpse of Akira at last as well as the Numbers' past. While the manga was not yet complete at the time of release, the film is able to stand on its own as a masterpiece of animation.

Over thirty years later, Katsuhiro Otomo's vision of the future is still the gold standard for all the works that followed in the medium of anime. That's the power of "Akira:" everything about this film works: the animation, the writing, the voice acting: everything. Out of all the works I've written about here, this is the one that changed me most as a person.

So, as you can imagine; I'm among many who were less than enthused about the proposed live-action remake. The idea of remaking any animation in live-action is a bit of a crapshoot in itself, doing it to a film as important as this one is especially tricky. One would need to take great care with the script and direction to make sure the concepts are presented faithfully. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm simply saying if you're not willing to make the effort; maybe you shouldn't go forward with something that won't make fans happy or win over newcomers.  To make this even more moot, many Western works have been more faithful to Otomo's concept than most of the pitches we've gotten so far. Right now, I am going to keep enjoying this movie, I have seen it many times since I was sixteen, and I would easily be willing to watch it a thousand times more in the future. It's simply that great a work.

You cannot stop the future, for it has already begun.

Recap: Ranma, 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China

Warning: This recap contains material that may not be suitable for some audiences. Read at your own risk.

Hello everyone. Well, I thought after all the terrible anime that I've covered over the years, that I would do something nostalgic and fun to help close things out: the first movie of Ranma, 1/2! I have been curious to check this out for a long time; since it was advertised on the tail end of a lot of my Viz Pokémon videotapes growing up. I am not a huge fan of the show, but I at least know enough about it and like it enough to do this. So, let's open up "Ranma, 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China!"

We open on a recurring character named Happosai doing a panty raid as he flees from his latest score. Basically, just imagine Master Roshi if he were much shorter and even more perverted and you've got him. What follows is a chase throughout the town, and this establishes the tone of the movie nicely. Sure, as the villains enter the space; it shows what's at stake; but overall, the film is in tune with what I have seen in the TV anime. It has some fantasy and martial arts elements, but also plenty of quirky humor. Fitting, as the series centers around and the title character and his dad being cursed to turn into a girl and a panda bear respectively whenever someone splashes water on them. I may be crazy, but I'm not crazy enough to make that up.

Amidst all the commotion; we are introduced to our villain: Prince Kirin! He kidnaps Akane, vowing to marry her upon his return to his homeland of Nekonron, China! It’s a fairly common plot, but much like the series it’s based on, it’s the execution that makes the movie interesting.

So, it falls to Ranma and the rest of his compatriots to help save Akane, lest she fall victim to a life of drudgery; toil and three meals a day of rice and pickled vegetables! This may only be 72 minutes long; but it definitely captures the deadly serious, yet humorously offbeat nature of the series it's based on.

On top of this, it turns out that while Akane may be held hostage by this wedding; that someone does want to marry this prince: the excitable recurring character of Lychee! She is every bit as energetic as the nuts that she's named for, especially given how many time she and her companion Jasmine (no relation to the Disney Princess of the same name) ejected Ranma and his cohorts from their boat.

Back with Kirin, it turns out that he has a very strict diet of rice and pickled vegetables as per tradition in Nekonron, much to Akane's disappointment. It also turns out that in addition to her heart, Kirin and his "Seven Lucky Gods" have stolen Lychee's treasure of the "Scroll of Luck!"

Storming out of the dining hall on Kirin's ship in disgust, Akane happens upon the kitchen; and the cargo hold as well! She threatens to dump their food supply into the sea, and then feeds him some of her cooking! It turns out that it's not just tradition, but the people of Nekonron are only able to eat rice and pickled vegetables! Amidst all the chaos, Ranma is able to infiltrate the ship along with Akane's father Soun Tendo, Nabiki Tendo, Ranma's father Genma, Shampoo and Mousse. However, the next big obstacle to clear in order to stop the wedding are the Seven Lucky Gods, a group of fighters chosen to defend Nekonron! On top of this, Kirin is also a surprisingly powerful fighter; having previously defeated Ranma and the others with little more than a pair of chopsticks and a single stroke!

Kirin's flying ship has arrived in Nekonron, and as they approach the castle of the Seven Lucky Gods, Ranma must face them all in battle to stop the wedding and rescue Akane! First up is Bishamonten! 

It also turns out the "Seven Lucky Gods" escalate in strength and technique with each succeeding opponent, with the second and third being a pair of twins playing Go named Daihakuse and Daikokuse! They are easily some of the most polite villains I've ever seen, and perfect examples of the unique antagonists this movie and series has to offer.

Though the game does pose a challenge for Ranma and his posse, he is able to not only break their game board; but their castle as well so they can cross the third gate!

Their fourth opponent is named Wu, but this fighter will be Jasmine's to deal with as Ranma and Lychee's true challenge is the femme fatale Monlon, who Happosai is very eager to see.

Though her enchanted lute does prove to be a formidable threat, Shampoo cuts the lute's strings! Shampoo will deal with Monlon as Ranma goes to face the boss of the fifth gate: Kirin's faithful ward, Ebiten!

I must say, for how long ago this movie came out, the animation and fight choreography have held up amazingly well over time. Though the quality of the images and recording I'm working with are the best I can do on such short notice, if they ever remastered the movies like they did the TV show; I hope they do a good job.

Before Ebiten can strike the final blow, Ryoga; one of Ranma's rivals is able to stomp on Ebiten! Along with everyone else, it's time to crash this party!

Just as the two scrolls are about to be joined, it's time for the final battle: Ranma's "Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken" against Kirin's chopstick technique!

Though Ranma at first thinks Kirin has some force field surrounding him, he realizes instead that the chopsticks themselves are being used for both defense and attack! Akane even demands that Kirin stop the fighting, but neither he nor Ranma will concede the fight! Ranma then realizes that the chopsticks can't block water attacks, so he shatters the floor and sends a geyser through the hole; flooding the lower levels of the castle and providing an opening for Ranma to fight back!

With his "Hiryu Shoten Ha" attack, Ranma wrecks the castle and saves Akane! As Lychee approaches Kirin, it turns out that their halves of the scroll make up recipes for his favorite pickled vegetable dish! So, we close on Lychee hooking up with Kirin and a rocking outro theme of "It's Love" by the band Rabbit!

Before I post my final recap, but after dealing with the slogs of my previous recaps; I thought something nostalgic would be good to indulge in, and "Ranma 1/2: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China" is a perfect way to do that. While this took much quicker than I was intending to, and while I do admit that this movie does require some knowledge of the source material to fully enjoy, it does capture the Ranma 1/2 experience in an easily-digestible 72-minute package. It's a film that I'm glad I was finally able to talk about, and a great penultimate anime to write about before my retirement. I hope to enjoy 2019, and I am eager to share more with you in the future wherever I am then. Next up is my final recap, so don't miss it. Bang.

Recap: Garzey's Wing

Hello everyone. Well, this has been on the slate for a while; and with my final year of this blog winding down, I knew I would have to do this anime. This one is as infamously-bad as its reputation suggests, but it's also hilarious in how terrible it is. So, it's the kind of trainwreck I live for. Let's open up "Garzey's Wing," with the awkward subtitle "From the Byston Well Story!"

A couple things before I get started: I have not read the Byston Well story, so I will be taking this anime on its own; and from what I can gather, it doesn't make much more sense even if you have. I will also be doing all parts of this OVA in one post; just to get it over with quickly. Kind of like ripping off a bandage before jumping into the pool, so let's get started.

Right off the bat, we get exposition that's as subtle as a sledgehammer to the groin; and it persists throughout the entire runtime of this OVA. Apparently, some guy named "Chris" is about to go to a high school reunion party with some friends; and he's failed his college entrance exam. Disregarding my own experiences over the years, the voice acting is almost like if Tommy Wiseau tried his hand at dubbing anime.

"They betrayed me, they didn't keep their promise: they tricked me and I don't care anymore!"

So our lead, whose name is Christopher by the way; goes to a place called the "Shiritori Shrine" (yes, really) before he's raptured out of his clothes and his body by the essence of a giant swan. No, the anime doesn't explain this; and what it does explain makes no sense. This is one of the reasons why this is so hilariously bad, and why doing a direct translation isn't always as great as it sounds: what makes sense in one language doesn't always in another. In this case, however, you could air this in Dothraki and it wouldn't make any sense either.

From what I can gather, the swan is the titular "Garzey's Wing," and before Christopher or the viewer are given a chance to acclimate, he's dropped into a battle over some plant called a "Baraju tree." Conveniently, Chris' surname is "Chiaki," though his American/Japanese nationality doesn't affect the plot or his character at all. You could basically put an IKEA desk lamp in his stead and the story wouldn't be that different.

So, it turns out the "Garzey's Wing" is only partially the swan; and is supposedly a warrior that will help lead the oppressed people to victory. As I just said, you'd have better results from an IKEA desk lamp. The subsequent voyage on a raft has to be one of the most hilariously inept attempts at animation I've seen, since the dialogue never syncs up at all and it never results in a cohesive visual.

A general named Zagazoa also confers with King Fungun over dinner; who has become in just under eight minutes, has become every bit as befuddled as King Harkinan from the infamous Zelda CDi games.

It also turns out that their forces are much better at archery than flying discount fell beasts; but the visuals are murky and the editing is incoherent either way. I must also note that the fairy, or "ferario" as the anime calls her (yes, really) is making me yearn for the more quiet dignity of Navi chirping "Hey Listen" over and over. It also casually exposition dumps the fact that everyone in Byston Well is telepathic just because they can.

The film's incoherence also extends to the fact that Chris Chiaki and his counterpart in Byston Well just jump back and forth randomly; especially in how awkwardly he talks to his folks back at home.

Back in Byston Well, it turns out that everyone has been preparing booze and "medicinal herbs" to fight for their homeland. OK, you all knew this was coming.

Also, for some reason; whenever he's injured in Byston Well; Chris is also injured back on Earth. Yet, despite these obvious parallels, he still can't connect these dots. He also points out that his sword is dull. Just like your voice acting! I must also point out that dull blades hurt more than sharp ones, FYI.

He also reacts to the realization that he'll die in both worlds with the same enthusiasm that he would to finding out there's a sale at Penny's. Back at Byston Well, as "Lord Chris" prepares for battle; the Chris in Japan decides to just go to his reunion party. It's like they had two different ideas for this anime and decided to just use them both at once. Another thing that amused me is that some of the generals sound like the one from the South Park movie.

If it sounds like I've been jumping around for the past 19 minutes, that's because this anime is too. I may not be the biggest "isekai" fan or detractor, but this is honestly one of the biggest jokes of a story I've seen; given how Chris is able to use explosive "gata" flawlessly even though he was struggling in an earlier scene. Lines like "you were deluded by the light" from the enemy forces almost rival the likes of "Pyro will turn you to toast" for Engrish-infused word salad.

As the fairy (I'm not using their name for it) keeps hounding everyone, Chris remarks that "someone should make this little creature shut up!" That I can agree with, and I'm just getting started.

The enemy has kerosene somehow, let me check when it was invented one moment. ... Google says that it was invented in 1846, and these scenes in Byston Well appear to be set centuries before that. Apart from that, with the help of Garzey's Wing, Chris is able to drive away Zagazoa and what's left of his army; which leads us into the second part, which shows Chris trying and failing to ride a horse. Of course: heaven forbid we have a fish out of water fantasy story that doesn't include a scene like that! Even Bilbo and Frodo knew how to ride ponies!

Zagazoa is also preparing for his next attack against the "Metomeus" tribe to find the Baraju tree. It's also mentioned the fell beast knockoffs I mentioned before were also part of the "war beast army corps." Just as well that I'm kind of speeding through this, since close to most of the dialogue is pure exposition, with the rest being just made-up nonsense like believing they could win just because the story takes place during a leap year, which the release date of 1993 was assuredly not. Maybe it was in the story; but since they never identify what year Byston Well is set in this anime, it's just waffle.

Now they're trying to find a way for Chris to become Garzey's Wing at will, and the fairy dismisses the other ladies nearby as "nasty." You walked into this one, fellas.

Everyone is then ambushed by more war beasts, who resemble Ridley; but chalk white, and they're quickly dispatched and used as enhancements for the "gata" weapons. Honestly, it's like this anime is actively trying to kill any tension rather than stoke it.

Back in Japan, Chris finally is able to attend his class reunion; and it's actually the best scene in this bilge. It's only a few moments, but it's more interesting than just taking the time to explain how a fuse works. I can only wait for when they explain how water gets things wet when it rains! Bottom line: they made some fuses out of rope and gata, and everyone moves out from their base camp. When Zagazoa catches wind of this, I feel like I've watched the extended cuts of the Lord of the Rings when I'm barely halfway through this.

Once again, the dialogue in the strategy to head off their armies proves that directly translating the original script isn't always good when it just sounds like random nonsense when it's said out loud. Even though it may be something I usually appreciate, sometimes getting across the spirit is better than always going for the letter of the original dub. Still, I've read D&D fanfics that make more sense than this.

Even as more war beasts attack the Metomeus' army, they are among some of the most dull creatures I've seen in all my time doing this blog. The colors seem to consist of pale blue, chalk white, faded brown, a kind of yellowish-green or a sort of Pizza Hut tomato sauce red; and the designs are so generic and uninspired that once again, Chris' reunion party back on Earth is a more visually-interesting scene. The beasts eating each other in the marshlands is less of a visceral thrill than a bunch of young adults hanging by the pool. When I find myself more invested in Christopher's classmates than fighting a big hydra; you know you've dropped the ball.

Garzey's Wing again appears from Chris' boots like a discount Hermes, and though he isn't able to defeat Zagazoa, he is able to drive him away for the time being. You know, if the story was more focused and there were better production values and voice acting; maybe this would be better. I'm not saying it would be good, but it would at least be tolerable rather than the infamous slog it wound up being. Instead, it became one of the most hilariously-bad works of its kind ever, yet the pool party is actually something that I'd much rather see more of than the crap fantasy stuff. There's high fantasy, and low fantasy, then there's this crap fantasy. (sighs) Seven more minutes, Steven, let's get it on.

After a strategy meeting back in Byston Well, a really confusing chase/fight happens that results in the fairy, who I'm officially going to start referring to as Celeste for lack of an official name is taken by bandits. The battle continues into the final act of this trash, so let's finish this.

While Garzey's Wing is conveniently unavailable, back in Japan, Chris is now sick in bed as Celeste tries to elude the bandits. That is just one line yet again, and it took this anime much longer to convey the same information. It's like a single 3-episode OVA feels like it takes 3 years to get through, and I'm doing it in just under 7 hours! I am leaving this behind as a real killer of terrible anime, so much that another exposition dump about arrows with gata on the tip doesn't bother me at all!

Bottom line, everyone is preparing for the final battle for the Baraju tree; though this is definitely no Helm's Deep. Celeste goes to scout for a vantage point, gets spooked by a couple war beasts; and the bandits find her again! Rather than just skoosh her like a bug, they grab her legs to try to pull her about, but she's able to slip out of her shoes and fly away! Then, all of a sudden, it turns out that Rumiko also has a connection to Byston Well! Screw it: this is almost over, I'll manage.

Despite Chris' claims "the battle will be starting soon," there's still more doddering in exposition before the war beasts take the field! Yet, despite just 13 minutes ago being almost useless without Garzey's Wing, now Chris can cut through the enemy forces like nothing! Another case of inconsistent power level is nothing compared to what comes next.

So, I guess by mastering his chi, Chris is able to defeat the enemy generals with "the help of his friends," but mostly with Garzey's Wing. To top it off, the search for the Baraju tree isn't even completed in Byston Well, but in Japan. Though, this does thankfully end with their kingdom saved and Chris riding off on his motorbike with his girlfriend; which counts for something.

This was every bit as awful as you have heard; but it's also hilarious, as the likes of commentators such as Digibro can attest. It's a spectacular failure of a fantasy work, but under the right circumstances and levels of sobriety, it makes a fantastic unintentional comedy. It is indeed the worst thing Yoshiyuki Tomino (Mobile Suit Gundam) has ever done, but "Garzey's Wing" is definitely one of the rare anime that must be seen to be believed in how godawful and hilarious it is. I knew I could only do it when I got this far, so it's perfect to help close out 2018 and my blog overall. I just have one more thing I want to do before this year ends and I post my finale, so don't go anywhere!

Recap: MARS of Destruction

Hello everyone. Well, here's another hilarously-terrible anime that I've been itching to do for a while. It's definitely worthy of its reputation, and from every conceivable aspect; it's definitely great fodder for riffing if you have a strong enough constitution. So, let's open up "MARS of Destruction!"

We open on some pretty fake looks at space, with chatter between two explorers saying they want to get drunk when they get back to Earth. To be fair, that's actually not a bad mindset to hold for viewing this anime. I personally don't endorse or encourage that mindset; but I do submit that it's much easier to view this anime while drunk or otherwise intoxicated than sober. It won't improve the quality, but it will at least soften the blow.

So, the explorers’ spacecraft spontaneously combusts; and we cut to months later in Tokyo with strange events happening. This prequel to Interstellar is kind of underwhelming, all things considered.


The animation is not terribly impressive, as three “Ancients” confront a trio of armed women; who call for reinforcements even though it’s arguably even odds. It’s not even clear the miscounting is intentional at first: the editing and shot composition are that bad. I’ve seen fan works that have better continuity of animation than this.



As the Ancients explode someone’s head; we get a flaccid gunfight interrupted by someone in glowing armor named Takeru. Would you believe that we’re only four minutes in and it feels like four years?

Takeru, despite some stiff animation; is able to kill the Ancients with minimal effort! “You know, it really creates a lot of tension when the enemy forces are totally ineffective!”

Just like that, we’re in a hospital where more people have apparently died of their injuries. Bad news, I once again have no idea what is happening to who or why. Good news, I don’t care!

It also turns out that the “MARS” is also the armor Takeru was wearing, though as for why it looks like Blue Beetle cosplaying as Gearfried the Iron Knight; your guess is as good as mine.

Takeru also apparently had the MARS forced on him by his father. It’s like they were trying to make Evangelion on a budget of $20, some paper clips and a Subway coupon.

Now they’re talking about taking the remains of the Ancients to America. It’s actually incredible how a 19-minute OVA feels like watching an entire channel of Avengers Endgame fan theories. The crap animation quality and elevator music is its own category of pure garbage.

Apparently, they’re all part of the Anti-Ancient Special Team, which is yet more blatant exposition that somehow tells me nothing about what is going on. This is like the After Last Season of anime, only a bit funnier.

After that, the AAST is transporting the remains of ship on a foggy night with no one around. If this suddenly turned into Silent Hill, I would be more onboard.


We’re barely halfway through this and I just now found out our leads are named Aoi and Yamabuki. Christmas, this really IS like the anime version of After Last Season! Even this car crash is so badly done that I could get more out of knocking my old Hot Wheels collection together.

Get this: at the 10 minute mark, Takeru is put through a cross in his underwear to don the MARS as orchestral music plays. They want to be EVA so bad, don’t they?

Despite the best efforts of the music and the animators, it still sounds worse than my old Super Nintendo games; and moves with all the kinetic energy and thrill of someone filing their taxes.

One of the "Ancients" breaks Takeru's arm, and the scene is scored with the "Barber of Seville." Look, just because you can score something with a classical standard, doesn't mean you should. They're trying to be EVA, instead they're bringing to mind Bugs Bunny; both things I'd rather be watching right now.

Also: want to animate a fight scene but don't know how? Just have the sound of a character getting hit and throw them against a car! Surely no one will notice!

The "plasma gun" apparently doesn't work on this Ancient, though the animation made it look like they were firing live ammo. Weird, because I always thought lasers were easier to draw than bullets. One of the soldiers, who we just now find out is named "Tomoe" is thrown by her leg in the stiffest way possible as the Ancient grabs another soldier by the neck. Takeru is then told by Shizuka that there's something else they can use that hasn't been tested yet. Of course: gotta go through all the cliches, don't we?

Furthering this is how the prototype plasma rifle only has one shot. What could possibly go wrong?
Rather, what could possibly go right?

Surprise surprise! Takeru successfully shoots the Ancient in the ribcage and rescues his squadmate before she's strangled to death. That was fittingly anticlimactic, but whatever ends this is fine with me.

Suddenly, we're at a research firm in America where the scientists hear our hero had "an awful trip from Tokyo." Watching this OVA, I can see why.

So, we close on the firm determining that the Ancients were actually humans from Mars; and they were initially wiped out by a virus as part of an opening for more stories. ... HA! They thought they were going to make more of these! That's actually kind of cute!

"MARS of Destruction" is a terrible OVA, but it's a special kind of ineptitude that takes itself so deadly serious that it's actually hilarious for all the wrong reasons. It's the kind of anime that Princess Robot Bubblegum makes fun of in the GTA series, filled with every kind of glaring flaw that I have dealt with in my days. The voice acting seems like the whole cast is on Sominex. the story makes Jupiter Ascending seem far more logical by comparison; and the animation is like a Kirkland brand version of Evangelion. This is one of three I wanted to do before the end of the year, and I have my finale ready to go before the clock strikes midnight. One down: two to go. See you, space cowboy.

The Next Top 13 Anime Endings: The Final Chapter

Hey everybody: welcome to my final list for this blog. It's been a fun journey over these last few years; so I thought I would wrap this up with a list I've been wanting to do for ages. Let's open up "The Next Top 13 Anime Endings!"

As with before, I will be including both dubbed and JP endings on this list; and some of my choices might surprise you, so let's get started.

13. "Pikachu Ketchup," Pokémon XYZ

For what started off as a brick joke in just one episode, this turned into one of my favorite ending songs of the entire series. We all have our favorite ships in anime, especially this one; but this is definitely my OTP after all these years. This song also manages to help me feel better no matter how bad I feel otherwise that day.

12. "Boogie Back," Dragon Ball Super

Of all the outros of DBS I've heard, this one is the one I've enjoyed the most. With visuals and a lyrical structure that homage the original Dragon Ball ending, this J-pop sound is the ideal blend of nostalgia and a catchy sound. Some might say it's as free as you can be with childlike love and fantasy, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

11. One Piece Ending 8

I have spoken quite extensively about my love of One Piece even though I was never able to recap it like I wanted; so it's only fitting another ending theme helps end my time on this blog. One of the best ending themes to come out of the series, hearing this was one of the moments that I knew the series had made its mark on me as a viewer and emerged from the shadow of a certain infamous dub that I shall not mention here.

10. My Hero Academia "Fantasy Ending"

First appearing in the second season of the anime, this outro combines an upbeat song with an AU visual style that replaces the superhero theme with a medieval fantasy one. Though I don't know if the series itself will do an arc revolving around this idea, merchandise and fan material took this concept and ran with it. Every character fits their role (Izuku as a vagabond, Ochaco as a sorceress, Ilda as a knight, Bakugo as a barbarian, and Todoroki as a prince, to name a few); and it's definitely more entertaining in less than 2 minutes than anything I've seen from Black Clover.

9. Mob Psycho 100 Outro

As I continue to wait for the second season of this anime, I will take comfort in the fact that the ending theme has a great sound and a fantastic watercolor visual style to compliment the story of a young man trying to master his psychic powers and his con artist mentor. If anything, I found this series more interesting than One Punch Man because Mob and Reigen's dynamic is the polar opposite of Saitama and Genos; among other reasons. Though I will be retiring from full recaps at the end of this year, I will keep this blog up and maybe do other things with it to let you know that I'm not totally gone yet.

8. "Just Love," Gundam Wing Outro

Though not an ideal choice for a dark series on paper, this song manages to succeed in providing levity to its story where much of the music in Code Geass R2 failed for me. The music itself, as well as Relena playing around with costumes and her dog was a nice way to unwind from how dark the stories could get in this anime. While not everyone is into this version, I guess one person's "yaoi farm" is another's war zone.

7. Devilman Crybaby Outro

Speaking of dark series having some great ending songs, this re-imagining of Go Nagai's landmark series had a fantastic synthpop outro song. In many ways, both the series and song remind me of "Drive," a film that I find criminally underrated, but I digress. It even incorporates elements of the original anime themes, which I have even more desire to check out; as well as the creator's other work.

6. Cowboy Bebop Outro

I initially wanted to recap the final four episodes of Cowboy Bebop to help wind down this blog, but things kept getting in the way (I have completed my final recap, and I have a few more to get out before the clock strikes midnight tomorrow). So, this ending music is a perfect contrast to the opening, "Tank!", being more slow and melancholy as opposed to fast and energetic. It's an ideal compliment to how the show itself is, which leads me to my next entry.

5. "Six Same Faces," Mr. Osomatsu

If you had gone back just five years and told me that one of my favorite comedic anime in recent years would be a reworking of a series from the 1960s that depicted the cute kids it starred growing into very dysfunctional adults and stereotypical NEETs, I would have said you're crazy. That's fine, because the show itself is too, and this outro is a good example of that. The oden that makes up the visuals is also now a favored treat of the sextuplets after long nights of drinking, playing pachinko and having torrid love affairs. I'm not kidding: the best way I can describe this version is if the Japanese wanted to make their own twisted family sitcom, and some skits are so controversial they've been banned even in Japan (I'm curious to how the planned dub will approach this, but I am pleased with the casting choices so far). Bottom line: it's a funny ending to a hilarious show.

4. Naruto JP Outro 3

Another improvement over the previous outro, this one started airing after the anime entered its first major story arc. Even as a casual fan, I can definitely appreciate another great piece of Japanese hard rock. Though I'm not the biggest Naruto fan (was more of a One Piece/FMA guy in those days, and I still am), this definitely was a good song from Orange Range. "Viva Rock" indeed.

3. Kill la Kill Outro 1 JP

When I first heard this song from Trigger's debut anime, I knew this show was really a standout when it debuted. It was the perfect way for a bunch of former GAINAX employees to lead off their new studio, and it's a perfect song to match their dark subversion of the magical girl genre.

2. "Ride on Shooting Star," FLCL

With the second and third seasons of FLCL debuting earlier this year, it was a great way to get back into one of my favorite works from GAINAX, and I'm also glad the Pillows recorded new music for the series. Still, my favorite outro from the series had to be the original one, "Ride on Shooting Star," which I still listen to on a regular basis. It was a very tough call between this and my top choice, but here goes.

1. "Everybody's Peace," Gurren Lagann

Though I have often heard less praise for the time skip arc than the initial one of Gurren Lagann, I still feel it's also a fantastic story that remains a key part of my favorite anime ever. Even with its emotionally-powerful final moments, it's a song that still resonates with me even seven years since I first saw the series. The show had no shortage of great ending music, but they arguably saved the best for last, as have I for this blog.


I want to thank everyone for all they've given in support over the years, and with my final recap complete, I will be posting it tomorrow as the last of my remaining articles here. Bang.

The Next Top 13 Anime Openings: Electric Boogaloo

Hey everybody. Well, I thought I would get a couple more of these lists in to help close up my time on this blog. I would keep milking these lists, but I don't work for EA after all. So, let's open up The Next Top 13 Anime Openings!

Like my previous lists, this will be a mix of both dubbed and Japanese themes, and some of my choices could surprise you, so let's get this started.

13. "We Are," One Piece

The first of many great openings for One Piece, this song has become an anthem in its own right for the Straw Hats; no matter what the language it's in. It's seen numerous remixes and also had an entirely new song, "We Go," influenced by it heavily.

12. Digmon Tamers US Intro

I have spoken before about how much I enjoyed Digimon Tamers, and while the JP intro is decent from what I've seen of it, this industrial metal remix of the original intro is one of the many reasons this season is my favorite. As the last series that aired prior to the Disney/Fox Family buyout, it was a great one to go out on; and this theme is a key reason why.

11. Dragon Ball Super Intro 2

While the first opening to Dragon Ball Super was admittedly enjoyable, this one that airs in where I currently am on the series (still need to finish Resurrection of F so I can get properly caught up), this one is definitely my favorite one so far. It is a glorious piece of driving rock that works no matter what the language; and I just get pumped every time I hear it.

10. Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Opening 1

While I admit I have a soft spot for the 2003 anime and its opening even today, I do admit one of the things I'm enjoying most about Brotherhood is the theme music. It starts out inviting enough, with some shots of the countryside and calm vocals, but as the tune progresses; we see Edward lose his arm and leg; Alphonse lose his body and some highlights of their journey, and then; a bunch of hammering guitar strings and rock sound start escalating to a more faithful take on Hiromu Arakawa's landmark manga. It's a song that I rarely use the "skip intro" button on ever.

9. "Sonic Drive," Sonic X JP Intro

I admittedly have a soft spot for the US intro, "Gotta Go Fast," but as I discovered the subs, I was surprised to find that I like this version even more. Whether it's an official or unofficial sub, this is one of the catchiest openings I've heard of any video game adaptation.

8. Mob Psycho 100 Opening

With a second season on its way for 2019, this intro is another standout in an excellent series. Though others prefer the same author's "One Punch Man," the "Mob Choir" backs a psychedelic opening that is perfect for a young man balancing his coming of age with awakening of psychic powers. If season 2 can produce an intro every bit as memorable as this, I will be very eager to hear it.

7. "Iku Z," Pokémon XYZ JP Intro

While it was a tough call to determine what Pokémon intro I would include, I decided it would ultimately be this one. Though XYZ may be at times a divisive end to the XY series (Even without the Lumiose Conference debacle, mind you), it's still a great hard rock sound with some fantastic visuals and a great performance from Rica Matsumoto.

6. "Fighting Dreamers," Naruto Intro 4

I still may be little more than a casual Naruto fan, but even I will admit this intro is a vast improvement over the previous one. Even if another intro has more memetic status, this one easily captures the experience and themes of the show in a single track. Now, onto the top 5!

5. "Through the Night," Outlaw Star Intro

Would you believe this song was one of the main reasons I wanted to do this list? It's true: they did a fantastic job remastering this anime, and it pulls you in right out of the gate with a bunch of driving rock and futuristic visuals combined with shamisen strings and hitwomen wielding wooden swords. Even with what I have in mind next, it's a great song to round out the trinity of '90s science fiction anime along with Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.

4. "Yu-Gi-Oh" US Intro 1

Though the quality of Yu-Gi-Oh intro songs has varied wildly over the years, much like the series itself; this first intro has yet to be topped for me. While not quite as catchy as the first Pokémon or Digmon openings, it's still a good piece of early-2000s fusion of pop and tribal music that lasted for each of the original few seasons.

3. xXxHolic opening

It has nothing to do with naked liquor, I assure you: this haunting intro, with its offbeat sound and stammering lyrical hook about a "black swallowtail butterfly" are the ideal accompaniment to this gothic anime that proves that you don't need excessive gore in order to make a good horror story.

2. Robotech intro

Though the orchestral music may be simple on paper, it's a great companion to a series that took three otherwise unrelated series and turned them into what's actually a compelling show for its time. It was a tough list to work out, but here's my top choice.

1. "The Day Has Come," My Hero Academia

This is yet another list that was much harder for me to rank my entries than select them. That said, when I began work on my final draft of this list about a year ago, I knew that this would be my top choice as the first of several great openings to My Hero Academia. This anime presents the kind of idealism I need right now, and this song embodies that. With season 4 confirmed for 2019, I honestly can't wait for what comes next.

Next up will be my final list for this blog: The Next Top 13 Anime Endings! See you, space cowboy.

Further Thoughts on Live-Action Anime Adaptations.

"As computer special effects get closer to looking truly real, the likelihood of seeing science fiction anime coming to the live-action realm goes up. ... but there’s so much more to anime as an art from than simply mimicking story and visuals; the hardest thing for a film to replicate, especially outside of Japan, is the inherent Japanese-ness of every aspect." -Kyle Anderson, Nerdist.com, "The Dangers of Adapting Anime Into Live-action."

Hello everyone. Well, seeing as 2018 is coming to a close and I'm nearing my retirement; I thought I would do one last follow-up on a piece I wrote last year about this subject matter before I tell you the decision I've made about what I will do next in 2019. For now, I will expand on some points I had last year before I detail what my retirement will mean for this blog in the future. So, I give you my further thoughts on live-action anime adaptations. 

First, while I haven't seen everything I'm talking about here; since some of it hasn't been released yet, I will mention ones I didn't bring up for frame of reference. Second, this is not a full recap or review of any of these properties or their source material; just some examples to illustrate my points. Let's get this started.

One adaptation that I was keeping an eye on was a live-action adaptation of the Fullmetal Alchemist series; which was a Japanese production that had series creator Hiromu Arakawa directly involved, to the point where she co-wrote the script. The film is faithful to a fault, and while many didn't like it even in Japan; I thought it was OK when I saw it after Netflix bought the international distribution rights (common misconception: Netflix didn't produce this movie as others erroneously claimed, they merely bought the rights to stream it after most theaters outside Japan passed on it). It's OK visually, it does hit many of the key moments from the source; and I personally don't think the acting was as bad as others said. As for the "cosplay" criticism: it still has nothing on the infamous shlockfest "Samurai Cop" for my money. I guess in a year that had the awful live-action Ghost in the Shell and the hilariously-bad Netflix Death Note, just showing basic competence is a step in the right direction.

On that note, buying the rights to the live-action drama version Mob Psycho 100 was also met with mixed results for Netflix. I haven't seen it yet, but I will keep an open mind as well as keep the different medium in mind. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and Bleach, even in Japan, were intended as potential trilogies; but ended up being box office flops even in their homeland, scuttling those plans.
I also remain cautiously optimistic about the live-action One Piece and Cowboy Bebop adaptations, which will have direct involvement by their respective creators and lots of money being invested in production. The early casting call is also making efforts to avoid the "racebending" controversies many of these adaptations have been dogged by.


Another adaptation that I wasn't aware even was one was the film "Kite," based on a hentai of the same name. Obviously, I've never seen the source; but even as a rental on a whim, it didn't really make that convincing an argument for more adaptations. Yet, that hasn't stopped the industry from continually proving the old saying, "insanity is defined by doing the same thing multiple times and expecting a different result." At the very least, the adaptations are looking less like chintzy, low-budget messes and more like snazzy, big-budget messes. This brings me to a follow-up on the movie that inspired me to write this, "Alita: Battle Angel," based on the anime and manga series of the same name.

Seeing the trailer during my second viewing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi; I was unimpressed by the first glimpse to say the least. Since then, the film has had its release changed twice (the film was originally slated for July of this year, then December before its most recent change); and is currently scheduled to open on Valentine's Day 2019. With around $200 million being spent on the movie and much more on what's already a massive marketing campaign, there is a very good chance they're going to take hemlock if the film can't beat out low-budget counter-programming such as the Rebel Wilson comedy "Isn't it Romantic" and the Jason Blum-produced horror sequel "Happy Death Day 2U." At the very least, the film could be in the same ballpark of the likes of "Sucker Punch" and "Jupiter Ascending": despite all the talent in front of and behind the camera; it's a bit of a mess, but a pretty mess regardless. Though some are holding out hope, it has a lot of the same red flags Ghost in the Shell had in 2017. I am still not convinced, and not just because of how Rosa Salazar is rendered. The android parts of Alita and the other characters look fine, but the facial expressions and the way they move look like they came out of one of my old PS2 games. 

So, despite the best efforts of the crew; the bulk of these adaptations are currently still in the same boat western comic book movies were in and video game movies are in; which brings me to my next subject: Pokémon- Detective Pikachu!

Though I wasn't sure what to think when I first heard the news about how Pikachu and the others would be rendered in realistic CGI, I am pleased with what I've seen so far. It's definitely an easier change to swallow than recent live-action versions of "Transformers" or "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and a vast improvement over turning Goombas from walking mushrooms into Stormtrooper knockoffs. The filmmakers also pointed out that this is logistically easier to start with than diving right into the main games or the anime (though they do influence the style and tone of the movie from what I've seen). Though I've yet to see official figures for the budget, this movie definitely looks expensive. The risk is still the same for any video game adaptation: ever since the infamous 1993 "Super Mario Bros." movie, the code has yet to be truly cracked. Though I don't know how the film will do (nor the live-action "Sonic the Hedgehog" in November 2019), the skeptic in me is concerned; but the believer in me is hoping they'll pull it off.

I still have the same mindset that I held last year about what can go wrong, so it bears repeating: when people are put in charge of something they don't understand and refuse to admit it, the results can be disastrous.

My finale of this blog will still be "Akira," and that adaptation has remained in the development hell ever since the original's release thirty years ago. One director who is thankfully no longer attached to the project infamously not only declared his disdain for the material, but claimed there were no compelling characters of any kind in any Japanese fiction. Personally, if you feel that strongly about the matter, maybe you shouldn't be involved with that kind of production. I'm not saying you should stop making movies, but I am saying that maybe handling it in general isn't for you.

Be that as it may, Taika Waititi ("What We Do in the Shadows," "Thor Ragnarok") is now handling the project, and he intends to cast unknown Japanese actors in lead roles, especially as Kaneda and Tetsuo. Moreover, Katsuhiro Otomo will have final say on anything that's done with the movie. Both developments seem to be a direct swipe at the claim referenced above.

So, I remain hopeful that the industry will one day be able to get it right. I may still be skeptical about several planned mecha adaptations (Evangelion, Voltron, and Robotech to name a few), which also remain in development hell as of this writing. I also have my doubts about the Mobile Suit Gundam film, based on the failures of G-Savior and Dragonball Evolution. Again, I'm seeing a lot of liberties being taken with the source material; and I don't even know what continuity the film will follow or if they'll start a new one. Sure, we may have better special effects and bigger budgets than what G-Savior had, but my main concern is the script. These are just a few of the reasons why seeing the mech in Ready Player One ironically made me LESS excited for the movie finally getting made. As 2019 will mark the 40th anniversary of the franchise, I will not give the project one iota of attention unless I see or hear anything about production moving forward officially. Barring anything I've brought up or still in development (I could go either way about My Hero Academia, to be honest), it's clear that both Alita and Detective Pikachu will be make-or-break films for any future live-action adaptations. Unless there's a clear indication that effort is being made on future projects, these adaptations will keep failing for the same reason why McDonald's doesn't serve foie gras: it's not their area of expertise and it doesn't contain anything their target audience would want. Bottom line: I'm skeptical, but also cautiously optimistic about these and other future adaptations I did not mention here.

As for me: after my recap of Akira, I will be formally retired for the most part; with the bulk of content being posted on some of my other blogs as follows: Steven Writes Stuff, The Nexus, and a new blog to shift the Pokémon content to. I have decided to stick with the Blogger format rather than learn a new one, since that's what I am used to. The blog will be entitled "Pokémon: Gotta Watch 'Em All," and I will link to the new domain here once I have it up and running. It will be much different from this blog, but similar in other ways. For the most part, I will be focusing on finishing my degree and finding work; and this will shift to a "whenever I can" basis for posting as a hobby. I will also be re-editing much of my existing content here, so those who want to see the original forms will definitely need to have archives ready. I leave you with these words: you cannot stop the future, for it has already begun.

Top 13 Worst Anime Endings

Well folks, this is a list that I've been trying to get off the ground ever since I started this blog. It has gone through countless revisions and drafts, and was an even tougher one for me to write than the last one; but not for the reasons you might think. Be that as it may, every yin has its yang. Darkness rises, and light to meet it; as some say. Like before, I will be including both English and Japanese outros on this list; and some of my choices might or might not surprise you. So, let's open up my Top 13 Worst Anime Endings; which is actually rather fitting to help end this year and my blog's material for it.

13. Yo-Kai Exercise #1, English Version (Yo-Kai Watch)

While this song admittedly tried to capture the goofy tone of the original, this also is another of the big double-edged sword that was localizing Yo-Kai Watch stateside. I'm only leading this list with this entry because of how subsequent outros for the series; unlike the twangy intro by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh tried to match the tone of their original versions even if I'm personally not a fan of them or the series. I haven't seen any ratings for season 3 yet, but I don't think Disney XD is promoting it as much as Pokémon or Beyblade Burst Turbo. I don't know how Yo-Kai Watch 3 will fare, but I still think that Level-5 should approach a potential localization of Shadowside and Yo-Kai Watch 4 as a soft reboot of the brand outside their home turf like they're doing with Inazuma Eleven Ares. I'm still done recapping the series, so any postmortem I would do for the series would be handled differently; and that won't be until after the launch of YW3 in the US at the earliest.

12. Roaring All-Stars (Pokémon XY JP Outro)

While the Japanese version of the XY series had good ending themes overall, this one is my least favorite to this day. Maybe I'm just not a fan of the Little Glee Monster band, but its use in the Music Squad short did little to change my mind since I'm not a fan of acapella either. Following the "Dream Power" ending, this was not something I ever got used to listening to; and instead had me scrambling for the fast-forward button. I'm rather glad that the first XYZ outro, "Squishy's Song" was more interesting, since Bonnie singing to the Zygarde core reminded me of some of the songs from Doraemon. My favorite one will have to wait for my final list of endings, so be ready for it.

11. Cha-Han Music (Dragon Ball Super)

Although the ending themes of Dragon Ball Super have been strong overall, this one is my least favorite so far of what I've seen from the series. Visually, it's not too bad; but overall, the sound is not that different from the cliche of people getting drunk in a karaoke bar and butchering other music in a similar fashion. Thankfully, the themes before and after this one are significantly better; and I will tell you my favorite one in my final list.

10. Mutant Turtles OVA Theme

While the two episodes of the TMNT OVA where delightfully cheesy overall, the music didn't really stand out as much as other entries in the series. Even the music in some infamously terrible adult film spoofs of the franchise that an associate of mine reviewed had better music than this. I will admit one last time another thing that amused me about this OVA: in "Turtles Forever," where the Utrom Shredder; Ch'rell is trying to find the original turtles; an image can be briefly seen from this version as part of the TMNT Multiverse up to that point. So, this is still more canon than Next Mutation was before Nickelodeon bought the rights. Bottom line: the ending theme music of this OVA is about as valuable as week-old pizza: only fit for consumption by sewer rats and their adolescent terrapin students.

9. Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars Ending Theme

Though this anime is not without its silly moments, it's an overall good series that I ultimately didn't find enough material to recap. The ending music, however; is another story. It straight up sounds like elevator music; and no matter how silly or serious an episode was in subject matter, this was playing after each episode. Even though Manga Entertainment's work on the series is an overall solid dub, this ending music is one of the weaker aspects of what's actually a good show.

8. IGPX Adult Swim Outro

The music may be one element fans of this anime enjoy, but I have personally not liked it at all; and this is the biggest example of that. It still sounds like the worst case of mid-2000s electronic/rock fusion that comes off like playing Wipeout HD on bad antihistamines. I am simply not a fan of this series at all, and the music lacks what I like about any ending theme; which is a recurring feature on this list.

7. Lupin III Part IV Adult Swim Outro

While I am pleased overall with Lupin III Part IV (almost done with it, starting Part V and rewatching Castle of Cagliostro after I finish it), this US-only outro sometimes plays in lieu of the orchestral music that's the usual ending theme; it's a mish-mash of discopop that tries and fails to recreate the style of its source material. While it's thankfully not present in every episode, it's still a low point in what's otherwise a great show on Toonami's revival.

6. Fly Me to the Moon "Samba Remix" (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

Though I am excited for Evangelion returning to Netflix and more content finally getting made (such as the oft-delayed final "Rebuild" film), this "Samba Remix" of the classic "Fly Me to the Moon" is not something that I will be eager to re-experience. Though the music in this groundbreaking take on the mecha anime genre is overall fantastic, I still don't know what compelled them to make a '90s samba remix of a song that was written decades ago. It's like having Justin Bieber trying to sing something by Tool: the pieces just don't go together. Whatever happens with the franchise on the platform (I will just deal with further developments as they come), I won't have any real problem just letting autoplay roll over to the next episode the moment I hear the rainsticks on this version.

5. Danganronpa JP Outro

While I already spoke at length about this in my "13 Things Wrong With Danganronpa The Animation," the outro theme song was a big example of wangsty teen rock in the worst way possible. I still have no intention of playing the games, so I don't know if the music there is similar; but it's still music I have no desire to re-experience.

4. Endless 8 ending (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

I am not a big fan of this series, and since is is from the worst arc; I only thought it would be fitting to include it. To be brief, I still like jokingly referring to the arc as "Why Won't it End, Times 8." Now, onto the top 3!

3.  Naruto JP Ending 2

While not as bad-sounding as the third JP opening, this still has the same tonal problem; this time exacerbated by being included around the time the story started venturing into more serious territory. Not exactly the time to have two of the female leads rendered like discount Vocaloids with stiff CG animation. Thankfully, better stuff quickly took its place. Again, I've never been more than a casual Naruto fan; but in all the good and bad I've seen in my life; this one has always been fine enough to leave as background noise while I'm browsing the web or playing games. That's probably why I can keep working through the Boruto marathon on 12/30 to get my content finished here. Just a heads-up so you know I'm not just playing my Switch and watching Toonami (though that's also true).

2. Black Clover Outro 1

A year has passed since the debut of this series, and barring a few foreign markets (such as French Guyana, of all places); this anime hasn't really been the next Naruto or Fairy Tail people tried to hype it as. I don't hate it like some others do, but it's by far the most average series I've seen in recent years; and it doesn't offer much of anything I can't get from Naruto, Fairy Tail, Bleach, One Piece or even Dragon Ball and its incarnations. Though the series itself is still somewhat divisive, I can attest that I don't really like the first outro that much. Like I said of the Uncut DBZ intro, the visuals, editing and sound come off like a 12-year-old's Creed AMV more than an official series that actually got a brief theatrical release. It also has the same contrast that makes it hard to see what I'm watching. To think people were so hard on the cinematography in Solo. Maybe the music and the series itself will get better, and maybe they won't; but for now, it's a mediocre runner-up to my top choice.

1. Code Geass R2 Outro 2

Much like before, this list was much harder to rank entries I had in mind than to choose them. It's more that I have too many choices to include than not enough, and there's no way I could have done everything I had in mind in hindsight. That said, I knew that in the time I spent drafting this list, that I would include this outro. As I completed my Code Geass R2 recaps, this song from the latter half of the show was a final insult to the goodwill built up for me in the first season; especially as the divisive finale had the credits roll. Whatever happens with the music for the remaster and R3, I certainly hope it's better than this. Much like the second intro, it's more appropriate for a campy romance than a series that at least tries to be cerebral like Code Geass.

With this, a list that I have wanted to do ever since I started this blog is finally done; and I shall continue work on my remaining content. My goal is still to have my Akira recap, along with everything else left; done before the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. That's all for now. Later.

Top 13 Worst Anime Openings

Well folks, I knew I couldn't end my current blog for the most part without this list. I've been meaning to do it for ages, and it's only right that almost five years after my favorite openings; I must look at the other side. I will include both dubbed and Japanese themes into this ranking, and some of my choices may or may not surprise you. So, let's open up the top 13 worst anime openings.

13. GI Joe: Sigma Six

As I have mentioned before, this is not a great GI Joe show to begin with; but this theme song was a red flag right out of the gate. This campy nu-metal sludge seems like it would be more at home at the infamous '90s GI Joe Extreme line. I never had those growing up (more of a Star Wars/Beast Wars/Pokémon guy for action figures at that age), but they got mocked in a Robot Chicken sketch that makes me want one for this plasticky modern rock.

Bottom line, it's a terrible theme song to a terrible series; but it's only the lead entry, so I must quickly remind myself of a better fusion of patriotic fervor and brand synergy before I move on.

12. Digimon Frontier (US Intro)

I never really did find any parts of Digimon Frontier to sustain a full recap or a "13 Things Wrong With" list, but I can say that the theme song is the one thing I can criticize in the amount of time I have left in 2018. After the dub themes for both seasons of Adventure and Tamers, this felt less likely to draw me in whenever it was on as a kid. It looked and sounded as inoffensive as a show that was slightly less manufactured than the toys they were selling. The original theme (especially in the industrial metal remix for Tamers) sounded like it fit the cyberpunk elements of the franchise; this one felt like a Pepsi commercial in terms of execution. Technically fine, but not particularly memorable either.

11. Pokémon Chronicles (Dub Intro)

I never found another episode as bad to me as "Training Daze," but in any case, this is still my least favorite intro for the dub. I admit to liking the dub themes for Black and White and the Diamond and Pearl Rap (trust me, I have worse ones down the list), but this one is still the worst to me. In terms of look, sound and feel; it still comes off to me like the opening of a 1980s sitcom than a Pokémon spinoff. Really glad later ones like Origins and Generations have focused on orchestral arrangements of the games' music instead.

10. Naruto JP Intro 3

I have never really been more of a casual Naruto fan in my life; to the point where I never felt compelled to recap any of it. Sure, I at least know enough about it to understand it; but it's never really been my thing. I definitely don't hate it, but I can't say I like it as much as others. I can say that this third JP intro is a confused tonal mess that can't decide if it wants to be upbeat or emotional. Thankfully, the next opening is better; and I have more to say soon about that.

9. Yo-Kai Watch Disney XD Intro

Well, even as I am formally retired from recapping the series and planning my final decision about my retirement overall; I can still say that the series definitely hasn't reached the same heights as it did in its homeland. While the reasons are still being debated why, this dub theme definitely didn't help matters. While Jeff "Swampy" Marsh may have proven his worth with his credits on Rocko's Modern Life, Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law, this theme did little to draw people into the series and stands as a commonly-cited example of what the localization team got wrong. Thankfully, the upcoming release of Yo-Kai Watch 3 will be a straighter translation of the Japanese intro; which is what they should have kept doing all along. The dubbed version of the "Laugh out Loud" intro may not have been great, but at least it was tonally consistent with the original. If Shadowside and Yo-Kai Watch 4 are ever localized, they should just market those as a soft reboot like they're planning to do with Inazuma Eleven Ares.

8. Dragon Ball Z Uncut Intro

While dub themes for Dragon Ball have been hit or miss, this is another piece of nu-metal noise that sounds like a 12-year-old trying way too hard to sound hardcore. What's worse is that most of it is not only drowning out the audio, but the visuals are barely recognizable through a blurred, blood-red filter that makes the whole thing come off more like a low-grade Creed AMV than an official dub intro. Just look and listen, and you'll understand why I'm glad later dubs like Kai and the dub of Super went with straighter translations of the Japanese themes or straight up using them outright.

7. Yu-Gi-Oh GX 4Kids Intro

This was not a great start to Yu-Gi-Oh's spinoff anime, but this dub theme didn't help matter. I know many have pointed this out before me, but the tune seems derivative of "Dammit" by Blink-182. Just replace the lyrics about failed relationships and violent breakups with friendship and card games and you've got it.


6. Pilot Candidate Intro

Yes, not even purely orchestral themes are off-limits here: while I usually applaud the decision to use as much of the original score as you can; sometimes I have to wonder if it's worth the effort. This is easily the most forgettable space opera intro I've ever heard from an anime that's already terrible, and it still sounds like you're banging a record of Strauss on a Star Trek: The Next Generation pinball machine.

5. Transformers Cybertron Rap theme

Now we're getting to the realm of terrible rap openings, written most likely by a bunch of middle-aged white execs who don't understand anything about rap. This is easily the opposite problem of Energon for me: it's actually a decent anime with a terrible dub intro; and my antidote is usually to listen to a good rap song. Think Jay-Z sounds good this time.

4. 4Kids One Piece

Exhibit B of the previous entry of "rap openings written by middle-aged white execs," this was on top of the original pilot actually having a translation of the "We Are" opening (which Funimation wasted no time in using for their dub). This is a big example of why the series is just now getting some of the attention it deserves; and this, along with the 4Kids dub overall is only remembered because people online want to have it keelhauled, which suits me just fine. I think the Rifftrax of Cool As Ice put it best: "Yeah, you're real shocking: I'm gonna go sing along with Straight Outta Compton while I vacuum, even the N-words, 'kay?"

3. Beyblade Metal Fusion JP Intro

I have openly stated that I am really not a fan of newer versions of Beyblade; as the self-aware camp of the original has mostly fallen by the wayside in favor of playing the story tropes straight... in a show about spinning tops that fight. This piece of J-rock was the first of the modern Beyblade intros I heard, and it still couldn't make a more memorable intro than early-2000s "pop punk."

2. Rave Master Dub Intro

Though I never felt compelled to recap the anime, it's honestly a big example for me of how this show never really did anything for me when I was younger. The "Reel Big Fish" intro seemed less like it was meant for a high fantasy adventure and more like something that would play when you're trying to land a big catch in Sega Bass Fishing. Suffice to say, with the author moving onto the much more successful Fairy Tail (the initial run is just finishing up and there's plans for more content); the music also got better there too. Sorry fellas, but I'm just not a fan of this series, and banjos in fantasy anime intros don't really do it for me. Mandolins, maybe; lutes definitely, but not banjos.

1. Code Geass R2 JP Intro 2

Ever since I started doing these lists, ranking my choices has always been trickier for me than just selecting them. I've seen no shortage of disappointing intros in my life, but the hardest part has always been seeing where they fall rather than what to include. In this case, however, I knew what I would be listing on top ever since I started working on my final draft of this list. This intro is one of the things that made my work on Code Geass R2 so tedious, and it made me eager to finish it so Arceus willing; I will never have to deal with it again. Hopefully the remaster and R3 will rectify this issue (the latter was supposed to debut this year, but it keeps getting pushed back for reasons I have yet to fully determine); but this intro seemed more at home in a campy school romance than with Code Geass. At least the first JP intro for the season had some tonal consistency, but this to me is like putting ABBA to the opening of Watchmen: the pieces don't really go together.

I have been trying to work this list out for years, and I'm glad to finally have it done. Next time is my Top 13 Worst Anime Endings, so be ready for it. Later.

Recap: Pokémon The Movie- The Power of Us (2018)

Dedicated to the memory of Unsho Ishizuka 

1951-2018

“I think inside every adult lies the heart of a child. We just gradually convince ourselves that we have to act more like adults.” -Shigeru Miyamoto 

Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas to you all. As a mutual parting gift, let's open up my final Pokémon recap; "Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us!"

We open on a young woman named Risa getting off school and going to see her brother in the hospital; who is bedridden with a leg injury. His name is Rick, and he asks her to go to the Wind Festival in Fula City to catch a Pokémon. While she isn’t terribly experienced, she reluctantly agrees. As I pointed out before, I rather like this opening. It almost doesn’t seem like a Pokémon movie at first, it seems like the opening to the original Beauty and the Beast.

Within the first 10 minutes or so of screen time, we see the other characters introduced as they make their way into Fula City, such as Mayor Oliver and his daughter Margo. The braggard Callahan, his sister Mia and her daughter Kelly. There is also a young scientist named Toren and an old woman named Harriet. Ash and Pikachu don't even make their way in until they hop off a train and our title card pops on screen.

I must admit: I was wondering what would happen when longtime director Kunihiko Yuyuma handed the reins to Tetsuo Yajima, and I can say that I'm very happy with the result already. The animation already looks impressive, especially given the director's previous work on the XY series and the excellent Origins miniseries.

On that note, this movie builds upon the precedent set by last year's movie; taking the ideas of world-building and characterization further. It's a fairly common idea to create the world of what you're working on first, and this movie definitely goes to great lengths to make the setting and characters fully realized rather than just randomly skimming through information on Bulbapedia or Serebii. While Yuyama is still staying on in an advisory role, I am eager to see what comes next. It also helps that even though this isn't exactly what I was expecting, the script Eiji Umehara and Aya Takaha wrote is one of the closest things to what I had in mind if I had to just jettison the existing series and reboot it (even as someone who's vehemently opposed the idea in the past).

In between some key moments are some viral videos from "Pokémon Channel" (no relation to the lousy GameCube game), and though the disguise is a bit obvious; at least Rick's getup is more convincing than Anorak the All-Knowing. 

Anyway, the purpose of his job as host is to help provide the Wind Festival experience for those who can't make it from the comfort of their own homes; or anywhere they stream. 

He also explains that the festival dates back many years, and that Lugia is a symbol of prosperity and goodwill to the city. You can tell it's the old days, since the audio was kind of scratchy and the visuals were in sepia tones! Also, like the last movie, Lugia is less of a plot device this time around and more of an inspiration to everyone.

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice and lightning..." 

The first day of the festival has a special event of a catching race, and wouldn't you know it; Ash and Callahan are two of the participants! Before that happens, though; Ash breaks up a fight with Margo over lemons!

Ash's Pikachu is able to take out a Phanpy with one single Iron Tail attack as everyone heads to the catch race! Of course, Team Rocket isn't far behind; and it seems their outfits have been redesigned for the movie. A bit more breezy, but not really that different.

As Ash walks with Margo to the festival, we get some backstory about how Lugia brings the city good fortune on the winds every year. There's also some good shots of the city itself, including an old power plant that was the site of an accident many years ago. Rather than just a big introdump near the beginning, I actually like how most of the information of the plot is given naturally by the characters. It flows naturally over the course of 100 minutes, and it fits perfectly for the world the movie is building.

After Callahan wins a Poké Doll for Kelly at a carnival game, he bumps into Risa asking for help finding a rare Pokémon. We're not shown what it is yet, and by that proxy; I won't say what it is just yet either. Callahan tips her off, but Mia is not happy with her brother's constant flights of fancy. Given what we find out later, he kind of reminds me of Usopp from One Piece.

Elsewhere, Toren is in a bind, as it turns out someone who was hired to speak for their research firm can't make it. So, unless they can find a new speaker by tomorrow; Toren will have to give the presentation himself. Unfortunately, while he is highly intelligent; his social skills and public speaking ability leave much to be desired.

Harriet also comes into the firm to turn in some documents to the festival admins, but accidentally gets some extract of Pokémon pheromones spilled on her. This does lead to some relatively amusing gags, but there is a reason for her dislike of Pokémon amid all this. We'll get to that when the time comes.

Before the catch race begins, we see see Margo leaving an offering of some food and a Moomoo Milk by a burnt-out old building in the forest outside the city. She speaks to a mysterious figure before heading back on her way. We just see a shadow and hear some growling noises before we're back in the city.

As the catch race is about to begin, Risa is still on her search as Ash and Callahan are about to take part. There are numerous monsters with special markings on them for the race, and the way it's portrayed is kind of like a special event in Pokémon Go. I think that's the first time parts of that game have been adapted, though there is an anime in the works based on Niantic's previous game, Ingress. 

The signal to start is given, and the race is on! Ash manages to bag an Ekans in a pinch, but Callahan is doing pretty well; thanks to borrowing a Staryu from Toren and getting instructions from him via an earpiece with Toren on the other end of the phone.

Then, trouble occurs when a wayward Tyranitar crashes through some vendor stands and gets a wire tangled around its neck! Ash realizes that he has to get it off and stop the beast before anyone gets hurt! The ensuing action scene that comes from chasing Tyranitar and trying to remove the wire is another great piece of animation in this movie. Much like his work on Origins and the XY series, Yajima really understands the technical aspects of the series and is able to create something that has a lot of great dynamic camera angles and energetic movements. Having seen this once in the theater, on Disney XD and again on their app to write this; I have been eager to talk about this ever since my first viewing.

Ash gives chase to Tyranitar as Callahan adds more catches to his score; while also drawing the attention of a goofy Sudowoodo. The Tyranitar is freed from the wire thanks to some quick thinking; Pikachu's Iron Tail and Ash doing some parkour in the city!

Callahan wins the catch race, though Ash is awarded second place for helping save Tyranitar and all the civilians; on the grounds of upstanding moral fiber! So, kind of like the second trial in the Goblet of Fire.

As the next video from "Pokémon Channel" plays, I definitely like how a Squirtle on a train is looking at their trainer's phone playing it. It's little details like this that make this movie so fun.

The sun sets on the first day of the festival; and Risa is stopped on her way up to the mountains before she can find the Pokémon she wants to catch for her brother. Not only is the area off-limits, but it turns out that the one in question can't be caught: it's Eevee! Also, she looks like she had to fight someone to get more than just that. Her makeup almost looks like warpaint.

"If you want someone to do whatever you want, whenever you want, you should find yourself a girlfriend!"

The next day, Ash is greeted by Risa in by the elevators of the hotel, who asks for his help for real, after realizing she's been had. It's not the first time in 20 years that he's been accosted by someone who looks like a stalker.

"Ridiculous, me Ash's girlfriend!"

After she gets herself cleaned up, she, Ash and Pikachu go find an Eevee for real; and sure enough, there's one right outside the city as he agrees to help her make her first Pokémon catch of her life! 

Though it's a bit tricky for someone who's a relative newcomer, thanks to some help from Ash and Pikachu; she manages to catch Eevee! As the two frolic in a nearby field, Risa again thanks Ash for his help for real. She also tells him that she used to be the regional champion for her track team, but hasn't ran that much since she injured her leg when she pushed herself too far. She has been recovering since then; and this part is one of the big moments that foreshadowed her role later in the movie for me.

Ash is grateful that he was able to lend a hand, and I must once again state how impressive the animation is in this movie. While I wasn't sure what to think of his latest redesign at first, I actually rather like it. It's distinct from the TV show in its own way, and the outfit integrates all three primary colors and elements of all his previous clothes. I still don't know what to make of all the rule 63 they made of him, but I can say I've got some new profile pictures after this movie.

Heading back into the city, Harriet is demanding an antidote to the pheromones; but Toren is still trying to get ready for their firm's presentation. Callahan apparently agreed to do so in his stead for his help with the catch race, but he's having some trouble reaching the firm after Risa confronts him about his lies. I still like him better than "Individual 1," anyway.


Someone has also made a mess of the festival, with rocks in the train tracks and soap in all the fountains. Though on the surface, this seems like typical pranks, some of the kids in the lemon scene from before blame Zeraora and its curse; which Margo disagrees with. While not quite what I expected, this seems eerily similar to Absol; and why I often work their misunderstood personae into my headcanon.

The speech at the firm doesn't go as planned, and Team Rocket gets caught trying to steal an experimental pathogen! The ensuing commotion results in Eevee getting clipped by the panicked crowds, and I must say it's a pleasant surprise that the musical score from the Japanese movie is intact. Even though I don't mind TPCI's edits as much as some other people do, I can't deny that it's really cool to hear the anime version of Johto rival theme in a movie. Still my favorite rival theme to this day.


Team Rocket escapes to the mountains, but it turns out they dropped the vial of the pathogen as they were fleeing the scene. While their role in the movies often varies, this time they were responsible (albeit unwittingly) for one of the central conflicts of the movie. I also notice that almost all the conflicts are caused by the characters of the movie, including what led to Zeraora being the subject of legend and myth. In fact, this may be among other firsts; the first Pokémon movie not to have any one major antagonist.

In fact, the closest I can think of are a couple Pokémon hunters that try to steal Zeraora; but they're quickly driven off after Ash and the others intervene. Even when Zeraora is injured, the beast is still able to hold its own; though knowing Close Combat gives it an advantage over their Houndoom and Sneasel. That, and its base stats can easily be 1,042 before training.

Mayor Oliver then explains that 50 years ago, the town was nearly consumed by a forest fire; and Zeraora was held responsible and driven into hiding. Once again, while it's different from the usual backstory of each movie, I still like how it handles the lore. 

The mayor also then decides to stop perpetuating the lie that they've been living ever since that day. I guess this means that I can't use that comparison to the mayor from Jaws that I had in mind. His ancestor, on the other hand; is another story. 

Just then, the vial from before explodes, releasing the pathogen into the air! Now, the climax of the movie begins; as Ash rallies everyone to help contain the toxin and save the city! Since the winds have stopped from the "Eternal Flame" being removed from its pedestal, it must be returned to call Lugia and bring them back! So, while the characters may have all contributed to the movie's conflicts in some way; it also falls to them all to resolve them. While Ash, Risa and Margo will help return the flame and protect Zeraora; everyone else will help back in the city any way they can!

I also note that each new character's personality reflects their story arc: Callahan is an exaggerator who needs to be more honest with himself and others. Harriet is a reclusive old woman who needs to let others in. Toren is a scientist who needs self-confidence. Most of all, Risa is an athlete who needs to believe in her abilities. Like the last movie, I'm kind of reminded of the Power Rangers reboot; and I am curious to see what Hasbro will do with another movie. Whether it's a sequel or another reboot, I welcome it.

As the pathogen starts enveloping the city, the others start lending their help. Callahan, after teaming up with the Sudowoodo from earlier; assists in evacuating the city and protecting Mia and Kelly from further harm!

Toren doubles back to the lab, and after opening up to his colleagues and senior; starts crafting an antidote for the pathogen. Team Rocket even helps by giving him the Lum berries they were selling earlier; which, much like in the games can cure any ailment.

Harriet, while initially reluctant to accept help from the Pokémon; finds an old key in her possessions from when she was younger. 

Just then, an explosion occurs; which knocks out the power to the festival and starts a fire in the mountains! Zeraora, sensing danger, then heads to the scene in a flash of lightning!

Since Eevee hasn't fully recovered from its injuries, it means Risa is the only one that can return the flame to the beacon in time! With no time to lose, she puts her hair up; removes her footwear and heads off! I must say, this is a very effective scene; and the sound of a starting gun in the background as the music starts to swell is a very nice touch.

Her brother Rick is also able to guide her through the flames and find the quickest way to the beacon! While this may be a different kind of action scene from the final battle on the peak of Mt. Tensei in the last movie, it's still a great scene in an age where many blockbusters make the final act of their movie one big final battle; to varying degrees of success.

It's also revealed that it was the same fire 50 years ago that is the root of Harriet's distrust of Pokémon: the blaze ended up killing her Snubbull and burning her hand. Still, both Callahan and the spirit of her Snubbull encourage her to go on. Forgive the meme in this tense scene, but: "Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good."

While not as dark as the last movie in some respects, this one is darker in others; especially in how it handles the narrative and characterization. The new continuity that it follows not only keeps up the precedent set by the previous movies, but it also takes the material seriously the same way the 1986 Transformers movie and the first two 1990s TMNT movies did. You fellas definitely earned that PG rating.

Zeraora has also reached the stadium, and using its signature move of "Plasma Fists," is able to quite literally electrify Ash and Pikachu for the final battle! The way the attacks clash is just spectacular, and even though Pikachu is the only monster Ash has in his roster in this movie; this is one of the best parts of the movie.

The antidote has been completed, and now the old power station must be restarted in order to disperse it into the air! Elsewhere, the battle with Pikachu and Zeraora continues; and Ash is once again caught in the crossfire of the attacks! While he at first seems like he's bought the farm, he's awakened by a Mareep licking his face! Well, at least he didn't get disintegrated this time. Zeroara takes Ash by the hand, and as he puts his hat back on; they all get to work on helping contain the fire.

As Callahan and Harriet help restart the old power plant; Toren arrives with the antidote. Since they only have one shot, both Callahan and Sudowoodo throw the capsule into the fan; and it explodes in a flash of light! 

Pikachu, Zeraora and several other electric Pokémon help reactivate the sprinkler system in the stadium; and Risa is able to get the flame back to the beacon just in time to call Lugia! I must say, I really love this visual in front of the dawn sun; and the return of the winds on its wings is an ideal triumphant moment to help end this movie on.

The winds return to Fula City, finally putting out the fires and ensuring good fortune for another year! Also, I haven't mentioned this all that much; but I actually kind of like the detail of the dirt on Risa's feet from her run up to the beacon, as opposed to being in pristine condition. You rarely see that in any animation.

So, we close this movie on Mayor Oliver forgiving Zeraora for his ancestors' past trangressions; and as everyone sends balloons into the sky, we see the recurring little girl and her mother watching from the balcony of a hotel; and the title card comes up over the anime's arrangement of the Ruby and Sapphire intro music.

We also get a couple stingers, where Risa brings Rick the Eevee she promised; and also finds out he was the host of Pokémon Channel under the disguise and augmenting his voice digitally! I bet he'd make a good online streamer.

The second stinger is Ash and Pikachu heading down the road to their next adventure. As I stated before, the main thing I want from Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution is for it to be good. Hopefully it's a better "Evolution" than Dragonball Evolution.

Ash and Pikachu will return in Avengers: Endgame.

As someone who loved the "I Choose You" movie last year, I am quite pleased to say this movie has expanded on what was done there; and managed to provide a unique take on the anime as well as its video game source material. I can definitely say the future of the series is in good hands with Yajima, and this movie follows the standards he set for animation; story and characterization with his work on the "XY" series and the excellent "Pokémon Origins" miniseries. With the success of Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, more content planned for Pokémon Go and Generation VIII on the way for Nintendo Switch; what lies ahead for the series definitely looks like a bright future.

I definitely know I made the right call to end my coverage of the series on this movie no matter what I thought of it, and I'm pleased to say it's ending my look at the series on a high note. Whatever I decide to for a new blog in 2019, I want to thank everyone for all they've given me over the last six years. Bang.