My Thoughts on a Potential Netflix Live-Action Pokémon Series.

Hey everyone: I once again apologize for the current situation; but complications arose behind the scenes. Rest assured; they will be back on track as soon as things settle down. In the meantime, I thought I would share something that just came up.

Following the news of HBO Max developing live-action Pokémon spinoffs and the current limbo of the Detective Pikachu movie sequel (just rewatched it again the other night), Netflix is developing a live-action spinoff series about the franchise as reported by Variety. While exact details are scarce at this time, this comes off the platform streaming several of the recent movies as well as the upcoming “Pokémon Master Journeys” season.

Admittedly, given the circumstances; I think this could go either way given my standing as a longtime fan. For every adaptation that has worked on the platform such as Castlevania or Devilman Crybaby; there are others that have not such as the 2017 Death Note and Fate: The Winx Saga. Though I don’t know what to expect at this stage; given the success of Pokémon Detective Pikachu (as well as Sonic the Hedgehog) along with Nintendo wanting to experiment more with other multimedia adaptations of their games; the platform definitely has the money and resources to pull it off if all goes well. If all else fails, I really can’t imagine it being the worst thing ever. 

Whether or not the show embraces the 1990s aesthetic of the original series or puts a modern spin on the premise like the recent movies have; I’m eager to hear more. My tonal template for adapting the Indigo League would be “Stand by Me” meets “Star Wars: A New Hope.” I’m going to get back to work on my other projects; but I thought I would strike while this proverbial iron is still relatively hot. I will bring you any further updates as they happen. That will be all for now: take care everyone.

Yo-Kai Watch Celebrates Eight Years By Finally Releasing their Mobile Port. How Did We Get Here?

So, Black Widow was pretty awesome; well worth the wait after the year that was. I would say go see it, but lots of you already plan to.

That said, (sighs), another event took place early yesterday morning on Level-5's official feeds. Rather than a new anime movie or a potential Switch port of Yo-Kai Watch 2; the lone announcement for the eighth anniversary of the series was finally releasing the mobile port of the first game in Japan. 

How did we get here, one must wonder? When the series first got big in Japan; its creator Akihiro Hino was being hailed as a "genius." At this point, with no word on more of the anime or the fourth game being released internationally; is that really the case? Is Hino truly a genius, or is he a madman? Granted, that's a question that's also sometimes asked about Hideo Kojima; but even when his games often get a "love it or hate it" reception (I tend to fall into the "love it" camp typically); they do make money the world over. 

Yo-Kai Watch, on the other hand; never became the global hit that it was expected to be. The toyline was discontinued in the US in 2018; the anime was dropped after its third season of the English dub; and unless something is said, the video games are the last pillar to fall. It's safe to say that the "international failure" stigma has long since replaced any "ripoff" accusations. The latter belief is no longer the one held by the majority of fans; with only a vocal minority still suggesting it. Major users of the subreddit for the series (who I have been speaking with online) have realized what I did a long time ago: that regions outside Japan simply weren't interested in the series the way the people in charge thought they would be.

Now that a mobile port of their first game is coming in Japan after five years of development; I'm having flashbacks to Blizzcon 2018: "Is this an out of season April Fool's joke?"

I mean, it's honestly kind of incredible how fast and how far that this series and developer have fallen. Though Level-5 hasn't tanked their creative reputation the same way that, say, Konami has (even with Getsufumaden being well-received; it still isn't enough to redeem them after what's transpired over the last decade); their status they held in the days of cult classics such as Dark Cloud and Rogue Galaxy (neither of which I've played; nor do I plan to) seems to be slipping further away all the time. It definitely doesn't help that their decisions with Yo-Kai Watch even in Japan seem to be downright baffling. These include continually reviving the original anime after attempts to branch out to spinoffs like Shadowside and the Jam Project don't yield the desired results; and allowing fans to stream the mobile port of the first game, but not its ending (really though: if you're worried about spoilers for a game that came out eight years ago, you only have yourself to blame). Though some fans still maintain hope that their support can sustain the series; others have pointed out that the series simply doesn't have the same leeway that others do overseas. It's one that simply has its mythology so baked into its world that you can't really change it in English like other series; where they can be enjoyed regardless of their backgrounds.

As previously stated, I will keep an eye on the status of Yo-Kai Watch 4 being released outside Japan even though I'm formally retired from covering the anime (there isn't much material I can get out of an episode that starts with the lead having problems with his pants and ending on an out of place Nausicaa reference, even if I don't think this anime is worthy of that movie) in between other posts. So, go see Black Widow; and I will see you all again soon.

What is Happening With the English Localization of Yo-Kai Watch 4?

Well, it certainly has been an interesting 12 months; for better or for worse, so I thought I might do a follow-up piece on one I wrote this time last year. Its purpose is to examine the situation since then and ask this question: what is happening with the English localization of Yo-Kai Watch 4?

As per usual, in order to determine this; we need to go over the timeline of what's led to this. The project was in development in the year 2018; with its first intended release meant for that holiday season in Japan. The game used characters and elements from the previous year's anime film, "Yo-Kai Watch Shadowside: Return of the Oni King" and the TV series it led into. That same year also saw the release of "Yo-Kai Watch: Forever Friends" in Japan; though the game was delayed to the summer of 2019, which brings me to my next point.

On June 20, 2019, "Yo-Kai Watch 4: We're Looking Up at the Same Sky" released on the Nintendo Switch; with a "4++" expansion releasing on December 5 that year for both Switch and Playstation 4. The game, while not without technical issues; marked a noted departure in tone and gameplay from the previous installments. During Anime Expo that July, series creator Akihiro Hino informally announced the release of the game outside of Japan; and also expressed interest in localizing the movies key to its plot, so as not to confuse audiences who haven't seen them. However, the disappointing financial performance of the game and said movies has made this prospect less certain; especially given what happened next.

Though the year 2020 certainly wasn't the only factor that contributed to the problems faced by the potential localization, it definitely didn't help matters either. Some anonymous former employees for Level-5 Abby (before it closed down later that year) also shared details about the localization for "The Snack World: Dungeon Crawl Gold"; which were impacted by a hostile work environment. Said problems included forcing changes to the game and its anime's writing and visuals (the "Covfefe Cafe" was a dated reference before last year, now it's just painful), which contributed to its mixed reception and the anime getting dumped on Crunchyroll after networks reportedly balked at the game's T rating and the risqué content. The Jara toys also were not localized; and while this is a different series from Level-5, it is important to note before I continue. Even removing the COVID-19 pandemic from the equation, it's clear this game would be facing an uphill battle with or without coronavirus to contend with. That said, it's another important factor to note before I continue.

All this brings us to 2021: things aren't quite back to usual yet, but they have at least improved by this point last year (admittedly a low bar to clear, but I'll take what I can get). That said, Level-5 has yet to address the localization further at any point; and the company has been having issues on their home turf as well, with the newest Inazuma Eleven having been pushed back to 2023, a full seven years after it was first announced; not helped by the fact that development had to restart multiple times. Commentators on the Yokai Watch subreddit have also pointed out that the series is in a position where it's tough to continue localizing, with one in particular (who shall be referred to as Rengoku Kyojuro) citing the subject matter of the fourth and fifth movies as factors that can't really be edited without completely butchering their plots. I have also suggested that it might not be feasible unless they sell the rights to a streaming service or another distributor who would give the anime an uncut/subtitled release (Funimation being an obvious choice, other potential candidates could be Sentai Filmworks or Shout! Factory; and Discotek Media specializes in niche anime licenses). 

With Bandai Namco porting Ni No Kuni II (a game I absolutely love) to the Nintendo Switch later this year; there are companies who have the money and resources to translate the game if Level-5 can no longer do it themselves. I know that would mean ceding some control to another publisher, but if the alternative is not being officially localized at all (outside of imports and grassroots fan translations); it might be worth considering. 

Still, the fact the ESRB has still not rated the game after being submitted well over a year ago (there isn't even a placeholder RP rating as I type this) and it's been two full years of near radio silence since the AX 2019 announcement, some fans; Rengoku Kyojuro included have even wondered if the localization has been quietly canceled, which wouldn't surprise me given the circumstances and the franchise being an international failure; a stigma which has long since replaced any ripoff accusations. There's apparently a livestream taking place this week on their Japanese feeds and talk of porting the second game to Switch; but I don't expect much from either, especially as the port of the first game completely bombed at launch; and the developer hasn't reported sales since then. That, and I'm looking to finally get Black Widow tickets soon (been waiting over a decade to see it, Stephen Dorff getting salty notwithstanding); so I don't plan to address this any further unless something else is said officially. The most recent anime has yet to be fansubbed; and it doesn't provide as much material for reviews as it would have in the past (though this hitting the reset button every two years isn't really a good sign for the longevity of the series either). That will be all for now, take care.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway (2021) First Viewing Thoughts

So, I just finished watching "Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway," based on the novel "Hathaway's Flash," and here are my first viewing thoughts on this movie.

The story, which takes place in year 0105 of the Universal Century timeline; sees Hathaway Noa, son of the character Bright Noa; caught in the midst of a conflict with a group known as Mafty, who are thought to have ties to Char's rebellion. As Hathaway grapples with both his past as Bright's son and a mysterious young woman named Gigi Andalucia, he must take up arms in a new Gundam prototype to forge his place in the conflict between the Earth Federation and the Space Colonies.

Though not the only novel to be set in this long-running series, "Hathaway's Flash" is notable for being a canonical novel written by series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino. So, even with my particular experiences with the series; I was excited to see how this movie would do, and I'm glad to say I'm quite satisfied with it. Even just watching this on my computer (and having to adjust the brightness on my display), the film is visually stunning, paying homage to the original series from 1979 while also showing how many advances have come since then. 

While not the only recent Gundam adaptation set in the UC timeline, it's definitely joined the list of my favorite entries in recent memory. Even though I haven't read the novel (I definitely will as soon as I can find it), I can definitely say I found Hathaway's arc of trying to forge his own path and attempting to live up to his father's legacy quite compelling. Even if I remain skeptical of any potential live-action adaptation; I can definitely say I enjoyed this movie and can recommend it. Netflix is also streaming some of the earlier Gundam movies as well; I will be watching those again over the course of this month. That will be all for now, take care.