It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Yuko Mizutani; who has died of breast cancer at age 51.
Mizutani was well-known as an anime voice actress, with roles including work in Zeta Gundam and the Mega Man X series video games. She was also the original voice of Sora Takenuchi in Digimon Adventure; making her one of several alumni associated with the series to pass on.
So, as I leave; I wish the best to her friends and family in this difficult time. May she rest in peace.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Yo-Kai Watch Six Months Later: Can the Sequels Survive? Also, My Updated Thoughts.
Hello again. Civil War is still breaking box office records; easily shaking off the stigma of the controversial comic book storyline on which it was based. I'm probably going to be going again soon; since barring The Nice Guys, a lot of the competition looks terrible (looking at you, Angry Birds).
Even so, I've just been informed of something I feel I should address; especially with my computer still not working (even though I'll be calling Apple again this week, it's highly unlikely I'll have it working to get you something for X-Men Apocalypse on another episode of the X-Men anime). Despite the fact that the Yo-Kai Watch franchise hasn't been the massive hit many were expecting; Nintendo has determined that the game has enough of a cult following to release the sequels; as "Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls" on September 30 in the US; with a second season of the anime later this month as well as more merchandise.
Once again, there's no easy way for me to type this: I am just not that big a fan of the whole thing. I have written several pieces to illustrate how I don't like it. However, I must also point out that anyone expecting me to just stop writing about it for the purpose of countering the praise it's gotten has clearly come to the wrong place.
That said; my initial reaction towards the release here may have been a bit excessive. While I have no
intention of rewriting or deleting any of the material I've done on this blog, I will at least admit that I could have explained my feelings better.
That's not to say that I still don't have issues with Yo-Kai Watch; by any means. I still believe the anime is among the weakest "mons" series I've looked at. Even after 119 episodes and 2 movies; the flashy animation is the only real factor I can praise. Otherwise, the stories make no sense to me and
the characters are little more than one joke and a load of toys. Although the dub has some fans; I am not among them for how corny the jokes are (such as dated references to Adam-12; which I barely understand even as someone who references The Big Lebowski a lot) and how stiff the voice acting is (even the normally lively Johnny Yong Bosch seems as wooden as the lumberyard at Home Depot).
The manga is decent, even if there are better ones that involve Yokai in some way (such as the late Shigeru Mizuki's classic "GeGeGe no Kitaro;" which I might cover some anime of around Halloween).
Now comes the part where I must once again address the video games. Even if the original game has only sold around 130,000 copies in six months (with some unconfirmed reports hovering around 200,000); Nintendo is staking much more with the sequels, which suggests there's enough of a following to grow on even if the series definitely hasn't become "the next Pokemon" many tried to hype it as. I've pointed out that was a mistake; as was launching the game against Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Jibanyan had chocolate bars. The Black Ops guys had automatic weapons. It was no contest which one was more appealing to those outside the cult following that were interested in the game.
As such, I'm going to have to once again bring up this analogy I had around this time last year: I went into Batman V Superman expecting to like it, and my expectations were not only met, but by all means exceeded.
By contrast, Captain America: Civil War managed to take a highly controversial comic storyline and turn it into an engaging, deep and highly entertaining film even with the weight of the franchise's pedigree on its shoulders.
It remains to be seen how the sequels will do; even if they did officially kickstart the series in Japan. There's no guarantee the same thing will happen here, so we'll see.
So, with all this on the table; I'm finally caving and getting a used copy of the game after I preorder Pokemon Sun and Moon. I'll address my take on the rivalry another time. As for the anime: I still have a few episodes and the first movie on my hit list; but all that can wait until my computer fixed. You probably won't see them until after I do more of the Pokemon movies (including the Volcanion movie, which will be done after it's dubbed in English). See you, space cowboy.
Even so, I've just been informed of something I feel I should address; especially with my computer still not working (even though I'll be calling Apple again this week, it's highly unlikely I'll have it working to get you something for X-Men Apocalypse on another episode of the X-Men anime). Despite the fact that the Yo-Kai Watch franchise hasn't been the massive hit many were expecting; Nintendo has determined that the game has enough of a cult following to release the sequels; as "Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls" on September 30 in the US; with a second season of the anime later this month as well as more merchandise.
Once again, there's no easy way for me to type this: I am just not that big a fan of the whole thing. I have written several pieces to illustrate how I don't like it. However, I must also point out that anyone expecting me to just stop writing about it for the purpose of countering the praise it's gotten has clearly come to the wrong place.
That said; my initial reaction towards the release here may have been a bit excessive. While I have no
intention of rewriting or deleting any of the material I've done on this blog, I will at least admit that I could have explained my feelings better.
That's not to say that I still don't have issues with Yo-Kai Watch; by any means. I still believe the anime is among the weakest "mons" series I've looked at. Even after 119 episodes and 2 movies; the flashy animation is the only real factor I can praise. Otherwise, the stories make no sense to me and
the characters are little more than one joke and a load of toys. Although the dub has some fans; I am not among them for how corny the jokes are (such as dated references to Adam-12; which I barely understand even as someone who references The Big Lebowski a lot) and how stiff the voice acting is (even the normally lively Johnny Yong Bosch seems as wooden as the lumberyard at Home Depot).
The manga is decent, even if there are better ones that involve Yokai in some way (such as the late Shigeru Mizuki's classic "GeGeGe no Kitaro;" which I might cover some anime of around Halloween).
Now comes the part where I must once again address the video games. Even if the original game has only sold around 130,000 copies in six months (with some unconfirmed reports hovering around 200,000); Nintendo is staking much more with the sequels, which suggests there's enough of a following to grow on even if the series definitely hasn't become "the next Pokemon" many tried to hype it as. I've pointed out that was a mistake; as was launching the game against Call of Duty: Black Ops III. Jibanyan had chocolate bars. The Black Ops guys had automatic weapons. It was no contest which one was more appealing to those outside the cult following that were interested in the game.
As such, I'm going to have to once again bring up this analogy I had around this time last year: I went into Batman V Superman expecting to like it, and my expectations were not only met, but by all means exceeded.
By contrast, Captain America: Civil War managed to take a highly controversial comic storyline and turn it into an engaging, deep and highly entertaining film even with the weight of the franchise's pedigree on its shoulders.
It remains to be seen how the sequels will do; even if they did officially kickstart the series in Japan. There's no guarantee the same thing will happen here, so we'll see.
So, with all this on the table; I'm finally caving and getting a used copy of the game after I preorder Pokemon Sun and Moon. I'll address my take on the rivalry another time. As for the anime: I still have a few episodes and the first movie on my hit list; but all that can wait until my computer fixed. You probably won't see them until after I do more of the Pokemon movies (including the Volcanion movie, which will be done after it's dubbed in English). See you, space cowboy.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Pokemon Sun and Moon Coming in November to Nintendo 3DS.
So, I saw Civil War last night; and I absolutely loved it. Even though I'm unfamiliar with the comic on which it was based (though I'm well aware of the controversy it has), I can say that it's easily Marvel's best film yet. Black Panther is an utter badass, and Tom Holland's portrayal of Spider-Man is easily my favorite version of the character on film so far. I would definitely recommend seeing it; and I plan on going again soon.
Even so, there is another matter on my mind besides the summer movie season having begun. This past Tuesday; the release date of the highly anticipated Pokemon Sun and Moon was revealed along with the starters and the first gameplay footage. The game will be launching on Nintendo 3DS in November; with the US and Japan getting the game simultaneously on November 18, along with other territories; while the UK will be getting it a few days later.
Personally, I think the new starters look very nice. While Rowlet; a sort of grassy owl that resembles environmentalist icon Woodsy Owl has become a sort of ensemble darkhorse in the same vein as Snivy in Unova (note: one of my planned recaps when my computer is fixed will be addressing how I don't really identify with the current trend of throwing shade at Generation V); my plan is as follows: I plan to start with fiery cat Litten in Sun, and water show ready seal Popplio in Moon.
The gameplay also briefly showed off the tropical paradise of the Alola region; which seems to based on the Hawaiian islands. While the games and the adaptations have previously dabbled with "island hopping" to many areas; this is the first one that outright focuses on it. The graphics look improved on the already impressive X and Y engine; and there is a host of new characters and a possible expansion on the character customization from X and Y. While the player character outfits definitely look more suited for the tropical climate; they still show off a quasi-90s aesthetic that recent incarnations seem to be taking advantage of. I'm looking forward to seeing what sorts of outfits I can deck out my character with (not to mention to see what other options they have for hair colors, eye colors and skin tones).
So, with the announcement being something that's got me pumped; I want to preorder the games as soon as I can. Not only did the US trailer reward my loyalty as a fan, the Japanese trailer brought me to tears of joy, depicting a young man from Japan moving to Hawaii and making new friends as he plays the game for the first time. I encourage everyone to let me know what they think of all this. Bang.
Even so, there is another matter on my mind besides the summer movie season having begun. This past Tuesday; the release date of the highly anticipated Pokemon Sun and Moon was revealed along with the starters and the first gameplay footage. The game will be launching on Nintendo 3DS in November; with the US and Japan getting the game simultaneously on November 18, along with other territories; while the UK will be getting it a few days later.
Personally, I think the new starters look very nice. While Rowlet; a sort of grassy owl that resembles environmentalist icon Woodsy Owl has become a sort of ensemble darkhorse in the same vein as Snivy in Unova (note: one of my planned recaps when my computer is fixed will be addressing how I don't really identify with the current trend of throwing shade at Generation V); my plan is as follows: I plan to start with fiery cat Litten in Sun, and water show ready seal Popplio in Moon.
The gameplay also briefly showed off the tropical paradise of the Alola region; which seems to based on the Hawaiian islands. While the games and the adaptations have previously dabbled with "island hopping" to many areas; this is the first one that outright focuses on it. The graphics look improved on the already impressive X and Y engine; and there is a host of new characters and a possible expansion on the character customization from X and Y. While the player character outfits definitely look more suited for the tropical climate; they still show off a quasi-90s aesthetic that recent incarnations seem to be taking advantage of. I'm looking forward to seeing what sorts of outfits I can deck out my character with (not to mention to see what other options they have for hair colors, eye colors and skin tones).
So, with the announcement being something that's got me pumped; I want to preorder the games as soon as I can. Not only did the US trailer reward my loyalty as a fan, the Japanese trailer brought me to tears of joy, depicting a young man from Japan moving to Hawaii and making new friends as he plays the game for the first time. I encourage everyone to let me know what they think of all this. Bang.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
General Update-Cinco De Mayo 2016
Hello again. Due to the fact that my computer is still out of commission; I thought I would let you all know how things are going.
I'm just about caught up with my backlog of One Piece, having caught up with my DVR episodes of Thriller Bark. By that proxy, I'm still moving along with Pokemon XY and Z; having just finished the rematch between Ash and Diantha this morning. While not what I expected, it was at least better than the Ash VS Alan battles we've had so far.
As for Yo-Kai Watch: I had to drop the ban hammer on someone who made a comment on one of my recaps; an act I took no pleasure in doing, despite what they might think. Even so, with the European launch also underperforming (while France may be one of the few bright spots in the franchise's poor performance outside Japan, the UK launch of the game debuted at number 8, with the new Ratchet and Clank leading the charts instead); I am mulling over further recaps of the series once I have my computer fixed. I have a couple episodes I've been wanting to do for some time; several episodes in my "maybe" pile, and I definitely want to do the first movie. To say I was less than pleased when I found out the sequel outperformed Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Japan would be putting it mildly.
Before I go have dinner with my family tonight and go see Civil War this weekend; I must also point out anyone expecting me to stop watching things for the purpose of criticizing them has clearly come to the wrong place. That said, given how the US release of the game has barely sold 130,000 copies in roughly six months; I may finally cave and get a used copy soon. My plan is still the same: because the anime left a bad impression on my view of Nate, I'm going to play as Katie instead. It's also telling that despite the marketing push, the anime has not performed well, and the merchandise has also sold poorly in my area. There is talk of a second season and further waves of toys; but despite Level-5 being interested in localizing the sequels, news of any confirmation has been highly conspicuous by its absence. Despite the planned third game moving to a more Western setting; the 20th anniversary of Pokemon has largely eclipsed the hype in the west.
In short, many expected Yo-Kai Watch to be the next Pokemon the same way it has been in Japan. It wasn't. For comparison, the Virtual Console releases of Red, Blue and Yellow have sold a combined 1.5 million downloads; and hype for Sun and Moon remain high (not to mention the leaked footage of Pokemon Go being well-received even if it lacks the mind-blowing feelings of the viral trailer).
Many are even concerned about the future of the franchise; despite Hino's desire to localize the sequels.
I'm personally not expecting anything else until E3 at the earliest, so I'm not going to write any more Yo-Kai Watch recaps until the show; despite the fact that Nintendo's plan is to focus primarily on Zelda U and the NX, both of which have been pushed to 2017. Even as someone who's not a fan of the franchise; I simply cannot spin this into a positive the way the fans can. Sometimes I'm annoyed, other times I have to report the realities of the industry.
So, I hope everyone enjoys their Cinco de Mayo all the same. I have to work more on my CWE class anyway. Bang.
I'm just about caught up with my backlog of One Piece, having caught up with my DVR episodes of Thriller Bark. By that proxy, I'm still moving along with Pokemon XY and Z; having just finished the rematch between Ash and Diantha this morning. While not what I expected, it was at least better than the Ash VS Alan battles we've had so far.
As for Yo-Kai Watch: I had to drop the ban hammer on someone who made a comment on one of my recaps; an act I took no pleasure in doing, despite what they might think. Even so, with the European launch also underperforming (while France may be one of the few bright spots in the franchise's poor performance outside Japan, the UK launch of the game debuted at number 8, with the new Ratchet and Clank leading the charts instead); I am mulling over further recaps of the series once I have my computer fixed. I have a couple episodes I've been wanting to do for some time; several episodes in my "maybe" pile, and I definitely want to do the first movie. To say I was less than pleased when I found out the sequel outperformed Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Japan would be putting it mildly.
Before I go have dinner with my family tonight and go see Civil War this weekend; I must also point out anyone expecting me to stop watching things for the purpose of criticizing them has clearly come to the wrong place. That said, given how the US release of the game has barely sold 130,000 copies in roughly six months; I may finally cave and get a used copy soon. My plan is still the same: because the anime left a bad impression on my view of Nate, I'm going to play as Katie instead. It's also telling that despite the marketing push, the anime has not performed well, and the merchandise has also sold poorly in my area. There is talk of a second season and further waves of toys; but despite Level-5 being interested in localizing the sequels, news of any confirmation has been highly conspicuous by its absence. Despite the planned third game moving to a more Western setting; the 20th anniversary of Pokemon has largely eclipsed the hype in the west.
In short, many expected Yo-Kai Watch to be the next Pokemon the same way it has been in Japan. It wasn't. For comparison, the Virtual Console releases of Red, Blue and Yellow have sold a combined 1.5 million downloads; and hype for Sun and Moon remain high (not to mention the leaked footage of Pokemon Go being well-received even if it lacks the mind-blowing feelings of the viral trailer).
Many are even concerned about the future of the franchise; despite Hino's desire to localize the sequels.
I'm personally not expecting anything else until E3 at the earliest, so I'm not going to write any more Yo-Kai Watch recaps until the show; despite the fact that Nintendo's plan is to focus primarily on Zelda U and the NX, both of which have been pushed to 2017. Even as someone who's not a fan of the franchise; I simply cannot spin this into a positive the way the fans can. Sometimes I'm annoyed, other times I have to report the realities of the industry.
So, I hope everyone enjoys their Cinco de Mayo all the same. I have to work more on my CWE class anyway. Bang.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Regarding the Live-Action Pokemon Reboot.
Hello again. Well, regrettably, I have not been able to get my computer fixed yet; so any further recaps, including my look at Pokemon 3 will have to remain on hiatus until I can.
In the meantime, I thought I would address something I mentioned in a previous post about the planned live-action reboot of the Pokemon film franchise.
It seems that a potential bidding war is taking place between at least three major studios over the rights: Legendary Pictures, Warner Brothers Pictures and Sony Pictures. Legendary has had many major successes over the past year, including the massive hit Jurassic World. Warner Bros. previously distributed the first three movies under their Kids WB banner. Most of all, Sony has had many documents leaked expressing interest in making films based on Nintendo IPs; despite the two companies being longtime rivals in the video game industry.
As a result, many are skeptical; but many others are excited. I am somewhere in between as a fan from day one.
On one hand, video game movies have had a reputation for being not very good; and anime adaptations have had notorious bombs such as Dragonball Evolution (the less I say about the attempts to remake Akira and Ghost in the Shell, the better).
On the other, it would seem that the time is right; as the announcement comes in the shadow of the the 20th anniversary, and the highly-anticipated Pokemon Go and the Super Bowl ad showing that the premise could work in live-action. We definitely have the technology to do so; and as long as the cast, script and director are good, I'm game.
If they pull this off, Game Freak and the Pokemon Company could potentially have the next Star Wars or Marvel Cinematic Universe on their hands. At this point, however, cautious optimism is definitely my modus operandi for now.
Let me know what you think of this development; especially in a year that's full of nostalgic effects-driven blockbusters. See you space cowboy.
In the meantime, I thought I would address something I mentioned in a previous post about the planned live-action reboot of the Pokemon film franchise.
It seems that a potential bidding war is taking place between at least three major studios over the rights: Legendary Pictures, Warner Brothers Pictures and Sony Pictures. Legendary has had many major successes over the past year, including the massive hit Jurassic World. Warner Bros. previously distributed the first three movies under their Kids WB banner. Most of all, Sony has had many documents leaked expressing interest in making films based on Nintendo IPs; despite the two companies being longtime rivals in the video game industry.
As a result, many are skeptical; but many others are excited. I am somewhere in between as a fan from day one.
On one hand, video game movies have had a reputation for being not very good; and anime adaptations have had notorious bombs such as Dragonball Evolution (the less I say about the attempts to remake Akira and Ghost in the Shell, the better).
On the other, it would seem that the time is right; as the announcement comes in the shadow of the the 20th anniversary, and the highly-anticipated Pokemon Go and the Super Bowl ad showing that the premise could work in live-action. We definitely have the technology to do so; and as long as the cast, script and director are good, I'm game.
If they pull this off, Game Freak and the Pokemon Company could potentially have the next Star Wars or Marvel Cinematic Universe on their hands. At this point, however, cautious optimism is definitely my modus operandi for now.
Let me know what you think of this development; especially in a year that's full of nostalgic effects-driven blockbusters. See you space cowboy.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
General Update-4/20/2016
Hello again.
I just thought I'd let you all know that my computer's hard drive has to be replaced; but I told the man I had fixing it I'd like the old drive back, so I can extract the files I need for everything.
Nonetheless, as I spend today celebrating by catching up with my anime backlog on Netflix; I still want to have my recap of Pokemon 3 done before the month is out. I did say I want to do at least one or two of the movies a month; with the Volcanion movie coming out in Japan in July (not to mention a planned live-action reboot under Legendary, Sony or Warner Brothers in the wings).
So, I advise everyone to enjoy their day while I continue to take a breather for now. See you, space cowboy.
I just thought I'd let you all know that my computer's hard drive has to be replaced; but I told the man I had fixing it I'd like the old drive back, so I can extract the files I need for everything.
Nonetheless, as I spend today celebrating by catching up with my anime backlog on Netflix; I still want to have my recap of Pokemon 3 done before the month is out. I did say I want to do at least one or two of the movies a month; with the Volcanion movie coming out in Japan in July (not to mention a planned live-action reboot under Legendary, Sony or Warner Brothers in the wings).
So, I advise everyone to enjoy their day while I continue to take a breather for now. See you, space cowboy.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Technical Difficulties-Please Stand By
Hello again. In addition to starting school, it seems my computer isn't working. I'm typing this brief update on a school one. As a result, my recap of Pokemon 3 and any other ones I have planned will have to be delayed until I can get it fixed.
Just so you know, I'm not totally going away; at least not yet. So, I just have one anime recommendation before I go work on some schoolwork before I meet with my teacher: Samurai Champloo. Shinichiro Watanabe's hip-hop infused take on Japanese history is an edgy but fun series in the same vein as Cowboy Bebop. That's all for now. Bang.
Just so you know, I'm not totally going away; at least not yet. So, I just have one anime recommendation before I go work on some schoolwork before I meet with my teacher: Samurai Champloo. Shinichiro Watanabe's hip-hop infused take on Japanese history is an edgy but fun series in the same vein as Cowboy Bebop. That's all for now. Bang.
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