New Pokémon Snap Out Today, Pokémon Coco Coming Soon to Japanese DVD/Blu-Ray

Just a quick update for tonight: New Pokémon Snap just came out today. I'm enjoying it so far and I will have my first impressions in early May. All I will say for now is go play it, but lots of you already plan to.

Pokémon Coco ("Secrets of the Jungle" in the upcoming English dub) will be released on Japanese DVD and Blu-Ray on July 14; roughly a year after its original intended release (before the film was delayed to this past Christmas). 

I will have more posts coming in May, once again: go play New Pokémon Snap if you have it. Later.

Ralph Shuckett Dies At Age 73.

It is with great sadness I report the death of Ralph Shuckett, who died earlier this month at age 73. Shuckett provided additional music for the English dub of Pokémon, as well as Sonic X, Yu-Gi-Oh and the 2003 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He also was the keyboardist for the band Utopia and worked with singers such as Carole King.

I wish the best for Shuckett’s friends, family and fellow musicians at this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

My Thoughts and Concerns for the Netflix Gundam Movie.

I've resisted addressing this topic for years, given how this project has been in development Hell for almost as long as the franchise's entire existence; but now; it seems something might be happening. I was personally under the impression the project had even been shelved again (partially due to the pandemic, mostly due to the fact previous pitches never got made), though I've just now found out this isn't the case. As of this writing, Netflix and Legendary Pictures are moving forward with a live-action remake of Sunrise's "Mobile Suit Gundam" franchise; with the script being written by Brian K. Vaughn and Jordan Vogt-Roberts being tapped to direct.

Courtesy: IGN/Sunrise Pictures

Much as I did with the Gantz film being announced, I'm honestly more concerned than excited. While I do respect the Gundam franchise; I still am uncertain about what the project will entail. I never really had the same level of excitement for the idea as others (you're talking about someone who was more enthused about seeing the Monsterverse version of Mechagodzilla than this); and I will explain in detail why. It won't be a straightforward list like before; but it's something I've been cautious about for a while now. Here are my thoughts and concerns for a live-action Gundam movie.

The most obvious concern I have with this news is the method of distribution: though I have appreciated the variety of content of anime and other material on Netflix along with other streaming platforms; the flip side to the coin is one I learned about very early on as a user: not everything the platform has is gold. For every Devilman Crybaby on the service, we've gotten a live-action Death Note (still wish we lived in the timeline where Shane Black got his pitch made). I'm not one of those people who would cancel their subscription over one unsatisfactory show or movie; especially seeing as there's quite literally thousands of others to choose from (that's like not wanting to shop at a store full of stuff you want because there's one item you don't). On that note, given how the platform already has some of the anime movies and TV series on there; I am worried about what could happen there. It's one thing when the platform bought the rights to Pokémon Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution and new seasons of the anime (still planning to review the new one when it gets dubbed); it's another when you're filming a new adaptation out of whole cloth; which brings me to my next concern.

While normally a new adaptation of a long-running series; particularly one as significant as this would naturally be expected to be an improvement, it's not that simple. G-Savior, the previous version; is a textbook example of how not to adapt any work into live-action; to the point where Sunrise refused to sign off the movie rights unless they were given confidence they wouldn’t repeat the mistakes made before. Though Legendary has promised as such, myself and others have remained unconvinced. Before that, there was the infamous FMV game "Gundam 0079: The War for Earth." That game predated the English dubs of the anime (not counting the failed Doozy Bots pilot; which, much like the failed "Saban Moon" pilot for Sailor Moon; thankfully never went to series), and Rerez can definitely attest to how bad it is. You should check them and their video on the game out; but the short version is that the story changes made no sense; the game was full of really bad acting and CGI, and the franchise is definitely not suited for a point-and-click game. I am kind of amused by the stinger in hindsight: it's actually kind of cute they thought they were getting a sequel. Yeah, Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero says hi. Suffice to say, I'm approaching it with the old saying as follows: hope for the best, but expect the worst. 

From the service that canceled "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" and greenlit "Thunder Force!"

Then there's the issue of tone: while IGN made the case that the different interpretations of the series would make this an ideal choice for an adaptation (whether it's adapting existing material or writing their own story); I'm not so certain. I have long respected the bulk of the anime for its story (SEED Destiny aside) for how it's able to approach the idea of a robotic war and making it feel believable; no matter what timeline they've used. That being said, I honestly don't want to see this series approached the same way as the live-action Transformers films; which, for all their spectacle, are on the same rough level of intellect as the battles my brother and I had with my Optimus and his Cyclonus growing up (really glad the rumors of Bay directing Evangelion have long since been debunked). I certainly hope Roberts and Vaughn actually do have the respect for the material they claim to have; because I honestly don't want this to be turned into another campy YA story. If Sunrise is directly involved, hopefully they can stay true to what made the material work to begin with.

However, beyond all this; is the long shadow cast by the numerous failed pitches in the past. There were drafts of the script dating back to 1985 that ultimately never got made; and even with this one finally starting production (I've made a habit of refusing to address anything that hasn't started filming at the very least, which is why I actively chose not to address it till now), there is an inkling that this might not be the adaptation that people have been waiting for. This is also applicable to other proposed adaptations such as Voltron; and I've often suggested that it would be better to make the films animated instead of live-action. In fact, I'm honestly way more interested in the next anime film in the series that's coming out than this one. Bottom line: if more than 35 years of attempts haven't panned out, I'm not going to be surprised if this one doesn't either. Given the circumstances, I don't know how I'll be disappointed given that my expectations can't really go much lower.

Suffice to say, even as someone who has appreciated Roberts' work in the past; I'm reserving judgment on this film until I actually get a chance to see it myself. That will be all for now, take care everyone.

Fact-Checking "Level-5 Abby: A Real Look at the Situation."

I honestly wasn't expecting to do this before July 5, but now; I'm elaborating on something I mentioned on the previous post I did on this matter. I just needed to find where the information was, and much as I did on a previous post; I will be including quotes when necessary. I will be linking to the post on Amino, but to protect the identity of the author (and since their name includes a term I find increasingly unsavory given recent events), I shall be referring to them as "Mineta Minoru" from here on out. So, let's get this started.

Level-5 Abby I 

Claim: "Many people before this situation had absolutely no clue what Level-5 Abby was. They then learned that it was in charge of all western localization. So, putting two and two together, that must mean that they shut down virtually all localization operations, correct? Well, dear reader, the answer isn’t as plain as you’d expect. While yes: this WAS the original intent of Level-5 Abby, it has since grown into just kinda being there."

Fact: The Abby was specifically set up for the purpose of handling operations outside Japan in North America; as one arm of Level-5 International. Different branches existed in Europe, and this was the intent upon its formation in October 2015. However, it's a bit facetious to dismiss the current state of the Abby so flippantly in the context of the anonymous former employees working there. Likewise, suggesting that people had no clue what the Abby was significantly undermines the situation at hand; as most people looking at the situation would draw the conclusion that they helped localize video games and other media. It's not like a mobster using "sanitation" or "meatpacking" as a front to hide the remains of their enemies.

Claim: "So then, if this is false, how did it spread like a wildfire? As aforementioned, many people had absolutely no clue what Level-5 Abby was before this situation, so, craving information regarding the fate of their beloved franchise, they clung onto the first things they heard that sounded semi-logical. This is basically all a result of the 𝘐𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵, where when a bit of information is repeated and relayed countless times (be it false or not), it is regarded to be the truth. This is especially true considering that much of this info has reached the most impressionable portion of our audience: children."

Fact: There are far too many external factors to dismiss the information as false; and for someone like Minoru trying to invoke the "Illusory Truth Effect," they certainly are quick to claim that this has been heard by children and to dismiss the story as false. I am well familiar with that fallacy; but it manifests in other ways as well, when someone is unable/unwilling to admit their mistakes; let alone correct them and learn from them; even going so far as to pass them off as "alternative facts" despite being blatantly wrong. The reality is this: the source cited has long been a reliable and respected source in and out of the industry, and Minoru's claim otherwise also contradicts the former employees who have been corroborating the story after being let go from the company. Given how most of the company's offerings outside Japan have garnered nowhere near the success in their homeland, the information that's the cause of concern is no more "semi-logical" any more than someone can be "a little bit pregnant." Before I address the next heading, while I do not claim to speak for the children (even as I've been known to deconstruct material meant for them); I'm fairly certain they have other problems that are of more pressing concern than a video game company pulling out of the states. That said, I also believe they're far more resilient than many give them credit for; so even if a kid was aware of the situation, they'd probably understand.

Level-5 Abby II

The second heading then tries to justify there still being a place for the company on the grounds that they had an annual profit of around $58 million USD for a smaller company. This may have been true at one time; but the problem is that the information he's basing this on is at least three years out of date. Yet, he somehow equates that money to being the equivalent of over 1 million units on 3DS; and even attempted to preemptively double down on people verifying his statements in the comments as follows: 

"To who it may concern (and before someone tries debunking this post with a single tidbit of info), if you research the exact revenue itself then there will be different numbers that pop up at times. That’s just how that sort of stuff works; many different places come up with different estimates, so I’ve simply gone with the one I felt was most accurate. Even outside of the revenue though, it wouldn’t change the other points in the slightest, as all of the revenue is still fair enough from every estimate to where it could not be the key source of a full shut-down. And additionally: we know that the number is indeed the $58 million because we can do the math with the released sales numbers since the start of Abby, which match up just fine."

Does the name "Filip Miucin" mean anything to you, Minoru? Pretty sure this approach didn't work for him and it's not going to work here either. At any rate, while the company may have had that profit margin at one time; more recent data posts their earnings at the time of closure at $3-5 million. Also, the size of a company and profitability do not automatically a good company make. Though Minoru does acknowledge the toxic behavior of the COO (who I have previously referred to as Crusty Demon); downplaying that on the belief that the localization was done in Japan isn't exactly a good look.

Level-5 Abby III

Before I go further, I shall note someone on Twitter found my recap of the first movie; then shared an excerpt in a screenshot. I'm not taking it personally, since it's not that much longer or coherent than something written on a bathroom stall.

Now that I have that out of the way, Minoru then tries to keep up the facade by suggesting there are no concrete plans; then suggesting alternate adjectives such as "solid," "absolute," "unchangeable," or "stable;" then dismissing the very real doubts about the situation as "mass hysteria." As an English major myself who's been seeking out as much info as I can (including watching every single piece of material released since Shadowside even though I don't plan on formally reviewing it); that won't be enough to dissuade people's concerns. Even if I don't know what things are going to look like post-coronavirus for games (other than the fact I'll probably be spending a fair amount of time after I get my shots playing New Pokémon Snap and Resident Evil VIII), I'm not pretending like I do compared to some people I know. Minoru's argument is worth about as much as trying to use old Chuck E. Cheese's tokens at the Bellagio. 

Though his request is not a bad one at the end, his claims are full of inaccurate information. I know I've been channeling my inner Jim Sterling for this post; but I will offer a counterpoint ahead of this coming July, which will mark two full years since the announcement initially came: if you don't have concrete plans to localize something, then don't announce them until you do. Otherwise, we'll just have more of the same problems we've been having before.

Overall, this so-called "real look at the situation" is anything but. Rather; it's just a further example of how far things have fallen for the company. I've mentioned this before, and it bears mentioning again: success in Japan does not, if ever; guarantee success overseas. Nor does the ability to localize something in Japan guarantee it will happen anywhere else. Right now, the only ways I see further localizations happening are being digital-only and/or selling the international rights to other publishers. I'm going back to work on my other posts, that will be all for now; since I really don't expect to hear anything else before summer. Later.