"The Real Folk Blues, Parts 1 and 2" Review (Cowboy Bebop)

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the events of the finale of "Cowboy Bebop." If you do not wish to know what happens, please turn away now. This review also contains discussion of themes not appropriate for all ages. Read at your own risk.

Hello everyone, and welcome to my look at the two-part series finale of "Cowboy Bebop." After some delay, I will be addressing both final episodes in one post, so let's open up the first part of "The Real Folk Blues!"

After the intro, we open on Mars; where a mysterious woman is told the "elders" are coming for her; narrowly escaping the gunfire of some hitmen outside her hotel room! Their leader, Vicious enters the room; and there is a reason why I included him among my favorite anime villains.

As Vicious taken in by more assassins to an underground chamber, we get an exterior shot of a tavern called the "Loser Bar." I've been alluding to this before, so I'm going to let you know things are about to get heavy.

"Is there life on Mars?"

Inside the bar, Jet is musing with Spike about the events that led them there; specifically how he doesn't work well with women or children. This is especially impactful knowing the importance Ed and Faye had on the story, as well as what's about to happen.

Just then, more of Vicious' hitmen gun down the bartender; forcing Spike and Jet to shoot their way out! Even in this anime's final episodes, you are in for a show tonight; son!

I'm still amazed by how well-constructed this gunfight is: the way the bar is used as a setting, how Spike uses a martini shaker as a distraction and Jet uses a pinball machine as cover: it's easily one of the best fights of not just the series, but my entire lifetime of viewing anime finales. Spike meets up with one of his men in the inside; Jin, who warns him about Vicious' double-cross and his past colleague Julia!

Spike and Jet escape to a nearby hospital so Jet's wounds can be treated; but Spike realizes he can't truly escape his past with the syndicate. He has to finish what he started, no matter the cost.

We then get a flashback to Spike and Julia in the past; when he first tried to leave the syndicate after one last job. This is intercut with Julia in the present time; and Vicious catching wind of the plan to betray him! 

Elsewhere, we see Faye; still coming to terms with the truth about her past at the airport, and she recognizes Alfredo from "Big Shot" meeting his mother at the terminal! I would very much like to see my extended family out of state when all this is over, someday. He also mentions that his co-star is marrying her agent, and the meeting awakens something in Faye.

On that note, Spike contacts her via the comms in the shuttle; saying he needs her help as Jet is still recovering from his injuries! Faye is hesitant, but Julia comes racing in to convince her otherwise! She shoots out the tires of the car chasing Julia, doing the same to a second car as she dives into Julia's backseat! Hm: probably made by Firestone.

Lighting up a smoke together after the attack from the hitmen, Faye and Julie converse by the sea about the situation at hand. Taking Faye back to where she came, the two slowly realize they have more in common than they let on. Now comes the bombshell: Julia asks Faye if she sees Spike again, to tell him Julia will be waiting for him.

Back on the Bebop, Spike tries to determine his next move while speaking with Jet. As Jet relates a story over not dwelling on the past; I concede that while the CG shot of Mars' surface has aged, I will give it some leeway as in 1998; it was one of the first uses of CGI in anime and was done as a deliberate stylistic choice by the animators.

"You can't just shoot a hole into the surface of Mars."

Faye returns to the Bebop, and demands to see Spike to deliver Julia's message. As Spike prepares to face his past, Jet is informed the syndicate is tying up the loose ends of Vicious' coup. The Bebop starts to go down, and Spike leaps into his light craft to go meet Julia; knowing full well what's about to happen.

Faye takes the other light craft, the Bebop continues its descent over the planet's surface; and Vicious escapes his bonds to take control over the "Red Dragons" syndicate! We close the first part on Spike meeting Julia at the cemetery with just a single rose in his hand.

The second part opens where the first leaves off, as Spike and Julia recall the time they saw each other last. Julia was ordered to assassinate Spike before, but she refused; leading us to the events at hand now. Julia then proposes she and Spike escape together, as we cut to Vicious taking the matter into his own hands!

Back with Spike and Julia, they head back to where they last met. Spike goes inside the scope the place out; and make sure the syndicate hasn't gotten there first. Unfortunately, the two find that one of their colleagues; named Annie has been shot! She's able to tip them off to Vicious before she dies from her wounds, and ominous black cars begin to pull up. Though Julia still hopes they can run away together, Spike takes out a box of weapons and ammunition; knowing full well what's about to happen.

Back on the Bebop, Jet and Faye remark on the state of the ship; and Spike's fate as Jet asks Faye about Julia. The syndicate bombs Julia's car, and she's forced to escape with Spike! The ensuing gunfight is another spectacular scene, and I certainly hope the live-action adaptation will be able to make the material work; but more on that later.

The fight takes them both onto the roof, but even though Spike fights bravely; Julia is shot by the hitmen from the syndicate! Once again, I will give some leeway to the CG doves for the time; and it does fit the effect they're going for in this scene.

Jet then goes to see a native tracker named Ta, but rather than help him find Spike; Ta only further weighs Spike's fate on him; telling the parable of the falling star. Ta also tells Jet he shouldn't fear death at the same time; and his words are always a mindset I've identified with.

Vicious sees the blood on the ground, realizing that Spike will soon come to him! This is just such a compelling villain that I rarely, if ever pass up a chance to revisit this story.

Spike returns to the Bebop, which surprises Jet! As he has some of Jet's noodles, Spike relates a story about a stray cat; and even with him about to face Vicious: I really love how Spike not only jokingly remarks he hates that story, but also how confident he is in the face of his destiny. Spike tries to leave, but Faye confronts him! Spike then reveals that he lost an eye when he was younger; and had it replaced with a bionic eye, also serving as a reminder about his past. Instead of shooting Spike, Faye ultimately decides to let Spike go; firing off a sort of "sixgun salute" as the outro music in the title; "The Real Folk Blues" plays as Spike flies off.



Now, comes the final confrontation: as Vicious takes his seat, Spike enters the syndicate's HQ; kicking a grenade into the lobby and fighting his way past the other guards to face his old enemy! I'm not joking when I say this sequence is a masterstroke of animation; with Spike taking out the escalators and elevators behind him as he ties up his own loose ends with the syndicate.

Spike gets hit in the arm, but he's able to meet up with his contact Jin for help! He's able to lead Spike to Vicious on the top floor before he's killed! The roof is quite literally blown off as Spike confronts Vicious one last time.


The final fight begins in the bombed-out top floor; with the two trading blows with bullets and blades in a masterful one-on-one duel. The two declare, "Let's finish it now!"

With one last attack from them both, Vicious is downed; and Spike staggers down the stairs, ending his journey and the duel with one final word: "Bang."

That scene always gives me chills no matter how many times I see it. Collapsing on the stairs as the remainder of the syndicate closes in, the series ends with Spike being at peace in his final moments; and the camera following a rising shot to the stars as a vocalizing chorus plays. The stinger at the end says "You're gonna carry that weight," much like the Beatles sang; I have a long time.

"The Real Folk Blues" is not just one of the best finales to anime series I've seen in my life, I can honestly it's among the best TV series finales of all time. There are only a select few that can leave that impact on their series; and the medium as a whole ("Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" for MASH, "All Good Things" for Star Trek: The Next Generation being two key examples); and these two episodes, along with the entire series still continue to hold considerable influence for years to come.

As for this live-action reversion finally coming to Netflix, what would I want out of it? Simple: for it to be good. I am glad that not only are they opting to avoid the mistakes made in casting before; but the original creators will have direct input to make sure the story translates well to the new medium. Though the service is no stranger to buying the international rights to series or producing their own versions; given the impact this anime has had and how many of their original productions have garnered considerable acclaim and success, I will be very eager to see the result. If all else fails, I can't imagine it being worse than their take on Death Note.

The first half of this year certainly hasn't been what I expected; but I shall still be around in some way. Bang.

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) Review

Hello everyone: with the franchise celebrating its 29th anniversary as I type this; allow me to once again say: "and now for something completely different!" Given how this movie is finally seeing a release in the franchise's native Japan (after previously being pushed back due to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak), let's open up the live-action "Sonic the Hedgehog!"

On top of the Paramount logo having rings instead of the usual stars (always like how studios play with their vanity plates lately), the Sega logo at the beginning also shows a much larger world of their games in play a la Marvel! I will address this more later, but that’s a neat touch.

After a brief scene “in medias res” showing Sonic (voice of Ben Schwarz, TV’s “Parks and Recreation”) clashing with Dr. Ivo “Robotnik” Eggman (Jim Carrey), we open on a scene of a younger Sonic on his homeworld. Even at a young age, his speed and wit are impeccable; much to the concern of his guardian/mentor, an owl named Longclaw (voice of Donna Jay Fulks). Sonic describes her “if Obi-Wan Kenobi had a beak and ate mice.” Don’t know what’s going to happen with this Disney Plus spinoff, but we’ll see.

The two are then ambushed by a tribe of echidnae, forcing Longclaw to send Sonic into hiding when he’s still a child. Using one of many golden rings, Sonic is able to escape to Earth; but Longclaw ends up captured by the echidnae! While her fate is not entirely clear (nor the true motives of the echidnae), Sonic is left to fend for himself.

We cut to the present day, roughly 10 years later in Green Hills; Montana (I see what they did there), a small town resided over by a police officer named Tom Wachowski (James Marsden, “X-Men” series). He also wants to transfer to San Francisco alongside his veterinarian wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter). I have to wonder: how much did Zillow pay to get into this movie over other real estate brokers?

After rescuing a turtle to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” Sonic exposits about his time hiding out; dubbing Tom “Donut Lord”, mentioning the time he’s spent “outside, looking in” while they’re watching “Speed.” More on that later, but I will admit this movie is much better than I was worried about it being as yet another sort of “reverse Isekai” story.

While Sonic is able to hide out, now being closer to his age in most other continuities (15); other townsfolk such as Crazy Carl (Frank C. Turner) are growing suspicious of “The Blue Devil”, and I like the little nod the movie gives to the “Sanic Hedgeman” meme with his sketch. 

On that note, I also love some the Easter eggs in his hideout: including a reference to “Hilltop” on a discarded sign he’s using as a ping-pong table; and the sigil on his headband when he’s practicing with nunchaku.

Most of all, the map of “Safe Worlds” that Longclaw left him is actually based on the original design doc from the first game. He’s not happy about potentially having to go to “Mushroom Hill Zone” should things go south. That’s the first stage from Sonic and Knuckles, and his quip that he hates mushrooms is a subtle dig at his longtime rival Mario. Also, between that and the echidnae that ambushed him; it’s not often we get sequel setup near the beginning of the movie.

Sonic also witnesses a baseball game, deciding to practice himself that night; able to play everyone on the field at the same time! Running around the field, he goes so fast he ends up not only causing a power outage in town; but across the Pacific Northwest, even knocking out a satellite!

This ends up attracting the attention of the Pentagon, causing the military to enlist “Robotnik” and his assistant Agent Stone (Lee Madjoub) to investigate. I must say, that Carrey steals the show here: channeling the same manic energy that made him famous; and adding another great entry to his list of comedic villains such as the Riddler, the Grinch and Count Olaf to name a few.

He sends out a bunch of egg-shaped drones to scope out the area. Tracking Sonic’s footprints, Sonic realizes he’s in trouble and has to leave! He grabs the map and the bag of rings, and I was wondering how they’d work those in. On top of reminding me of the Portal games, they actually were used for transport in more than one continuity. The games’ special stages, for example.

Tom gets a call from Maddie, who’s already met up with in-laws Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) and Jojo (Melody Niemann). He then notices some noise in the tool shed; and goes to get the tranquilizer gun he was going to use on the raccoons, much to his wife’s chagrin.

Now, I must address the elephant in the room: the infamous VFX redesign. Even as someone who didn’t hate the design as much as some others, I agree it was laughable for all the wrong reasons. It recalled memories of both the live-action Super Mario Bros. and 2000s Scooby-Doo movies. I also pointed out a game-accurate design is possible with current CG tech, citing both Disney’s Wreck it-Ralph films and WB’s Ready Player One as proof. Suffice to say, it was a good call on the damage control, and I have more to say later. Again, not the last time they had to redesign CG.

RTX Off VS On

Tom tranqs Sonic, who drops his bag of rings on the Transamerica building’s spire in San Francisco; forming a reluctant alliance to escape. First, Robotnik accosts Tom about Sonic; and Robotnik sends more smaller drones to scope out the house. Again, I love how Carrey portrays the increasing obsession with Sonic as the movie goes on. 

As Sonic super spins down the stairs, Robotnik finds one of Sonic’s quills as Sonic comes out! Tom actually decks Robotnik as Sonic jumps onto the drone; disabling it with a skillet as he and Tom escape in Tom’s truck! Agent Stone meets up with Robotnik, who declares his intent to capture Sonic; also ordering “new frames” after his were damaged in the attack.

Tom is skeptical of Sonic, who tries to get to San Francisco on his own; and promptly lands in the Pacific Ocean. Very subtle way of working in his dislike of water. Apparently, hedgehogs can actually swim, but Yuji Naka thought otherwise. Though there weren’t search engines in 1991, there were these things called encyclopedias listing that fact. Tom grudgingly agrees to help Sonic, who promptly shakes himself dry; giving us the blessed image of “floofy Sonic”.

I really enjoy how Tom is essentially the “straight man” to contrast the more wild Sonic. Given how crazy the series and the world have been in my lifetime alone; making this into a sci-fi road trip buddy comedy makes a weird kind of sense. 

That night, Tom and Sonic stop at a roadhouse diner known as the “Piston Pit,” claiming a disguised Sonic is a 43-year-old. Hey: He doesn’t look a day over 29! Some barflies accost Tom and Sonic, who narrowly escape a bar brawl via a “bullet time” demonstration of his speed. Insert Matrix or Quicksilver reference here.

Tom and Sonic then stop at a motel for the night, and I really like the tongue-in-cheek style of the humor in this film. Jeff Fowler, the director had previously worked with Tim Miller on the first “Deadpool” film; and this kind of plays like a family-friendly version of that.

The next morning, Robtonik is able to trace Tom’s truck just as it crosses the Siskiyou county line; and the border into California! As Tom and Sonic converse, Robotnik sends more drones after them; including one that’s as big as a tank! Sonic then slingshots off the truck and knocks out the drone with his Spin Dash! I honestly don’t have a problem with the dance he does, though I do hear the Crab Rave in my head when I see it.

Robtonik then sends a series of mini-drones after Tom and Sonic; including some on wheels and in the air that resemble the Motobugs and Buzzbombers if they were redesigned by Apple Inc. 

A sticky bomb is narrowly removed from Sonic; but he’s still hurt when he’s caught in the explosion! He’s still alive, but Tom needs to get him to safety before it’s too late! Robotnik then takes a lick of Sonic’s quill as Tom and Sonic make it to San Francisco!

Maddie and Jojo are glad to see Tom, despite Rachel’s objections. As Maddie starts tending to Sonic’s wounds, Robotnik starts examining the quill to music! Nice that his mobile lab also doubles as a nightclub. Agent Stone then comes in with their coffee, leading to another great comedic exchange and the proper introduction of the film’s version of the “Egg Mobile.”

While Sonic is thankfully not injured internally, he does have external damage. As for this shot of his feet when Maddie removes his banged-up shoes; this movie is rated PG, fellas. Get your mind out of the gutter!

Jojo even makes Sonic his iconic friction-proof red sneakers! That’s actually a neat callback to that weird promo comic when the series was still new. Also love how this movie strikes a nice balance between the laid-back persona of the JP canon and the attitude of the western canon.

They all make their way to the Transamerica building, sneaking Sonic inside of Tom’s duffel bag. I already made the “Se7en” connection in Pokémon Detective Pikachu, so let’s move on. Also, the bag had his dirty undies: the “whites.” That’s right, dude, the weight: the ringer cannot look empty.

Sonic finds the bag of rings, and sends Tom and Maddie home so they’ll be safe as Dr. Robotnik approaches him, catching us up to speed. The film had spent another $5 million on visual effects redesigns, $30 million on reshoots and overall upped the budget from $85 million to $120 million. That was definitely the right call to make on damage control.

Robotnik is also wearing a “flight suit” that resembles his familiar red outfit from the games; complete with the polarized welding goggles! Sonic is nearly done in again, but since he has and recovers his rings; he’s all right! Definitely makes more sense than turning the Mushroom Kingdom into “Dinohattan.” Fingers crossed about the animated reboot.

The final chase in the film leads Sonic through Paris, China and finally Egypt; before realizing he has to fight Robotnik! Whipping up a tornado of sand, he leads Robotnik back to Green Hills for a final showdown! He almost loses his rings again, but Tom is able to give them back to Sonic as he attacks Robotnik! Even Crazy Carl is sticking up for the “Blue Devil!”

Moved by Tom and the others, Sonic starts glowing in blue light! Robotnik turns his weapons on Sonic, but Sonic bounces on and off the Egg Mobile; disabling it! Rather than escape to Mushroom Hill Zone, he uses his rings and one final attack to send Robotnik there instead! 

Though the actual games’ tunes are only briefly heard on a ragtime piano; overall, I think Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenborg did a good job of capturing the sounds of electronic music, driving rock and orchestral music I associate with the series. Tom and Maddie are then granted amnesty, and $50 of Olive Garden credit for their actions; on the condition that they never acknowledge what happened with Sonic or Robotnik. So, just like Sonic Team and the 2006 game then.

So, we close formally on Sonic finding a new refuge in Tom and Maddie’s attic; and Tom and Maddie choosing to remain in Green Hills.

Our first stinger is Robotnik in the Mushroom Hill Zone; still having one more quill! Apparently he wants to wear a fat suit in the sequel; maybe they have an Olive Garden there.

After that, we have a 16-bit credits sequence set to “Speed Me Up” by Wiz Khalifa. I would totally play this game; way more deserving than Street Fighter to have that happen: to make a game about a movie about a game.

Our second stinger features Miles “Tails” Prower (voice of Colleen Villard), who has found Sonic! Of course the sequel will be perfect to introduce him. As he flies off into the forest, I can honestly say that Sega and Paramount pulled it off.

So, that’s the live-action “Sonic the Hedgehog:” much like the games this film adapts, Sonic’s adaptations have varied in quality wildly, but I’ve enjoyed all of them in some way; and this film is no exception. Much like Pokémon Detective Pikachu last year, this film is a vast improvement over many past live-action films about video games and Japanese IPs (the latter of which Paramount hasn’t had good luck with before).  To date, the film has made over $145 million domestically and over $306 million worldwide on its $120 million budget; which is good news for the planned sequel and other potential Sega films. I’d love a horror-themed House of the Dead reboot, with Jason Statham as Agent G for example. 

I’ve stated before that movies about American superhero comic books went through a similar pattern before they got consistently good critical and box office returns. The trick is to take an approach that works with the new medium rather than against it. Whatever happens next, I hope the filmmakers can keep improving.

I’m still here, and still have plenty to talk about. For now: gotta speed, “keed.”

Brief Night Post 6/22/20.

Just a quick update for tonight, as my work on the Cowboy Bebop finale and other posts I have planned might take a bit longer than I expected. Rest assured, I still intend to have that done by the end of the month along with some other surprises I've got planned, including one for tomorrow. You'll just have to wait and see what it is. That's all for now.

#PokémonSwordShieldEX: #TheIsleOfArmor (Switch) First Impressions.

Hey fellas: I’m in the midst of working on other projects, so I will give you my first impressions on the Isle of Armor chapter as part of the Pokémon Sword and Shield Expansion Pass; which went live earlier today on Nintendo Switch.

One quick warning before I continue: if you don’t have both versions like I do, make sure the pass you’re getting corresponds to the version of the game you have; otherwise it won’t work. So, let’s open this up.

While I was wondering how the first major expansion to a main series entry would go (not counting smaller instances of DLC in mobile titles or spinoff games), I am pleased to say that so far; my time spent with this first chapter has been enjoyable. Training under the enigmatic martial arts master Mustard; you end up taking both a train and a “Corviknight Taxi” to reach the island. The setting is based on the real-life Isle of Man off the coast of England; and I always like it whenever the setting has attention to detail like that. The scale of the island is akin to another part of the Wild Area; and I would very much like it if more open-world elements were in future titles, and not just the upcoming Crown Tundra chapter. Whether it’s remakes of previous generations (talk persists of Sinnoh remakes) or future installments, I welcome it.

On top of reintroducing numerous monsters from the entire history of the franchise (some of which have new special forms), you undergo three trials to bond with the new monster Kubfu; who can be trained in two distinct styles to evolve into Urshifu. Depending on which version you have, you also train with the aspiring Poison-type gym leader Klara or the Psychic-type specialist Avery. I’m actually quite amused by their designs and personalities. Their attempts to dissuade me from the dojo were fruitless, and something tells me I’m going to enjoy yanking their proverbial chain.

Visually, it builds on what’s already been established on the base game and the Let’s Go titles. Everything looks colorful and sharp, and the framerate is smooth as ever on both home and portable mode. On top of existing favorites such as Venusaur and Blastoise having new “Gigantimax” forms that homage their original sprites (just something amusing about giving the former a flowery Beatles haircut and turning the latter into a Transformer), I definitely like the forms given to the new Stage 2 starters. My personal favorite is Inteleon’s, which reminds me of; among other things; the Sniper from Team Fortress 2.

I just completed the first trial where you had to reclaim an extra uniform from some Galarian Slowpoke (who seem to have Sonic the Hedgehog for a personal trainer), and I will let you know more after I complete the second and third ones. Long story short: my first steps on the Isle of Armor are quite positive. I will let you know more about the first “Pokémon Presents” stream another day. Later.

Pokémon Sword and Shield: The Isle of Armor to release June 17, The Crown Tundra Coming This Fall.

Hello everyone: due to circumstances beyond my control; I will be pushing back some of the larger articles I was writing for the time being. You will see them at a later date when they're completed.

In the meantime, it has now been revealed that the Isle of Armor chapter of the planned expansions for Pokémon Sword and Shield will be launching on June 17; with the Crown Tundra chapter coming this fall.

I will keep things brief for now, and I will tell you more after I play the chapter when it launches. That will be all for now, take care.