Terrible Toku: The Invasion of Leawood

Well everyone, it's been fun; but I've been selected to take part in a peace conference to represent my land overseas; and I may even see what there is in other worlds. ...

April fools! While my retirement will be happening later on, I thought I would do something different, seeing as this Easter is April Fools day. Since this will likely be my last year, I think I will do this one-shot of a terrible tokusatsu adaptation, which is also a series finale that celebrates a milestone with a crossover of heroes! I am talking about the finale of Masked Rider! 

Courtesy: Saban/Toei/Ishinomori Productions

Yes folks, while the source material of Kamen Rider Black RX may have been a follow-up to one of my favorite classic KR series, if not my favorite, Kamen Rider Black; this show is just a mess. To those up in arms about the New Saban era of Power Rangers, I recommend they watch the entirety of this failed '90s toku adaptation before ever issuing a complaint about one again. Admittedly, the concept had potential when the character appeared in a supporting role of the opening episodes of the third season of MMPR; but turning the series into a goofy sitcom was definitely a big mistake  . The finale was definitely the worst episode I could find, so let's open up "The Invasion of Leawood!"

Please keep in mind that unlike other PR sister series (Beetle Borgs, VR Troopers, and Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad, among others), this series has not been released on DVD or legal streaming since its initial run. Like with my look at the Mario anime, when you're working with more than 20-year-old VHS rips, you're not getting HDR-quality picture.

The series opens with a theme song that recalls old sci-fi films, to the point where I wish that Joel, Mike, Servo, Crow and most recently Jonah were riffing at the bottom of the screen. Not only did the series effectively disregard the "Friend in Need" three-part opening of MMPR season 3; it was laughably bad on its own merit. Even by standards of cheesy '90s toku adaptations, it's pretty corny. Also, our lead, Dex has a companion named Ferbus, who I often called Fergus or Furby; depending on my mood.

Our proper opening is on Count Dregon (which could never decide on how to pronounce his name like "dray-gen" or "dray-gone") invading the titular Leawood, our setting. Even to this day, this opening amuses me for all the wrong reasons. I know all these cheesy toku adaptations then and now at least try to match their source material, but that's notably absent here. Still, it always amused me how much Japan looked an awful lot like Southern California in those days.

The show was infamous for the liberties it took with Black RX, and apparently all the tension from the original finale in that KR series is almost non-existent. Even when I was younger, I couldn't believe what I was watching; and I still don't. To think people give the Legendary Battle so much heat.

Cycloptor comes over the TV of Dex's adoptive family, the Stuarts; and apparetly Dregon is hailng Dex from his "spider-base." Really? That thing always looked like a Klingon Bird-of-Prey with a chicken for a head to me, and it still does. Anyway, Dregon unleashes a monster known as "Bruticon," and demands Masked Rider surrender to him within the hour or he'll level the city. Pardon me if I reference something that isn't absolute garbage: "Oh, and people will die, starting tonight. I'm a man of my word."

Dex's family asks him what he will do in some absolutely-terrible '90s acting, and Ferbus starts gibbering in a manner that would embarrass Jar-Jar Binks.

So, while Dex's family decides to evacuate the city; Dex ultimately decides to meet with Dregon, but to fight back rather than surrender. So, apparently Dex prescribes to the Galaxy Quest school of conflict resolution, only that work is intentionally funny. I know that Black RX may not have been the most serious Rider, but the source material for this episode at least understood what the stakes were and how to make an admittedly ludicrous concept work. Personally, I put more stock in Krankor.

Dex contacts his grandfather's essence for advice on what to do, a la Jor-el in the Superman mythos; and his grandfather, named King Lexion; tells him of a legion of ancient "Masked Rider Warriors." While these riders definitely carried more weight in the original source, the way they're applied here makes leaving in the core Dairangers and the handful of pre-Zyuranger outfits in Super Mega Force trivial by comparison (side note: my headcanon is that they're ancient rangers that predated the MMPR team. All I need is the mindset of a 10-year-old hopped up on Cocoa Crispies, and the rest writes itself.).


Moreover, this crossover was screwed up by cutting two of the riders from the source and giving their names to the wrong ones (I'm writing this recap with a re-edit from YouTube user Salatube19, more on that in a moment).

The initial "Avengers Assemble" sequence of sorts is one of several that fans have re-edited here using footage from the Japanese episode, with DIY editing and ADR being done to correct the misnamed riders. More on that in a moment, since this episode is rife with alien invasion cliches ranging from a school being used as a makeshift shelter and a coincidental broadcast on the news.

Also, Fergus keeps bumbling like a more annoying version of Snarf from Thundercats (glad the 2011 version made it so he only said his name like a Pokémon) as Bruticon makes landfall on Dregon's deadline.

Dex says help is on the way, but also says he "can't explain beyond that." Arceus, to think people give the New Saban era PR crap for not explaining things.

The meteor holding Bruticon crashes down, and the editing in this sequence is just woeful; even in this grainy VHS rip. This part of Southern California definitely has an unusual amount of Japanese civilians and fleeing cars driving on the other side of the road!

Cycloptor summons a team of "Commandoids" to fight Masked Rider, and the whole thing just seems like a low-grade pitch for a live-action Mega Man movie. Still not looking forward to the reboot cartoon or revisiting anymore NT Warrior, but Mega Man 11 looks cool.


Before the "Masked Rider Warriors" join Dex on earth, they train on a "distant planet" that's clearly a rock quarry. I know those kind of areas make it easier to set off explosives, but it still shows how the editing is so shoddy.

Bruticon overtakes Leawood, and as time goes on, it's clear that this finale comes off less like "Countdown to Destruction" and more like the infamous Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills. That wasn't just a Team Four Star joke: that show was real, and it was insane.

Bruticon meets Dex at the hills, and Dex gives the invocation to transform into Masked Rider: "Ectophase Activate!"

Although this show is pretty terrible, I will say the music is pretty good. Many of the cues would later be used for Saban's dub of "Digimon Adventure," as I pointed out in my look at the first episode of that anime.

Despite a valiant effort, Masked Rider is no match for Bruticon; as shown in some very awkward fight choreography and editing. I think the design of the suit changed more than once with each take they cut together.

Through a flurry of pyrotechnics that would be the envy of both Michael Bay and Bruce Kalish, the Masked Rider Warriors arrive just in time over the side of the hill; which is clearly the same quarry as before. I think Mike Nelson said it best: "Space has warped, and time is now bendable!"

The Masked Rider Warriors are able to fight off Cycloptor before rescuing Dex to plan their next move. Between all these attacks, I half-expected to see Ripley's Power Loader trying to fight off ED-209.

The warriors take Dex to a safe place, and in this episode's initial airing, two of the riders from the source material were cut, resulting in their names being screwed up. There is also a brief glimpse at Dex's counterpart in Black RX. This edit uses footage from the UK DVD release (as stated before, there hasn't been an official release in the US on DVD or digital platforms) as well as adding back in the cut riders Sky Rider and Super-1 from the corresponding episode of Black RX. The edit in question here is done by YouTube user SpeaksTooSoon, you can see it here.


Also, in addition to how confusing the editing and camera work are in this battle, the general Dex faces keeps changing names between "Cycloptor" and "Doubleface." See, Saban toku adaptations had inconsistent continuity for crossovers BEFORE Super Mega Force! In fact, watching this and the Legendary Battle at the same time, I realize the only real difference is that series had cameos from recognizable heroes and attractive young actors; and this one does not. Even as someone who was in the minority that liked that series, I'm actually glad they're doing less for the 25th anniversary. Sometimes, less is more.


Masked Rider summons his motorbike, Chopper; and even though things are kind of tight right now, once they pick up again; I might look into the Figuarts of the Black RX and his motorcycle. Between the corny '90s CGI and the jive-talking voiceover, I'm already imagining what sort of DIY Robot Chicken skit with the Figuarts of Tyranno Ranger and Kiba Ranger, among others.

Dex's suit changes form again, and yet more Japanese civilians flee from Bruticon's rampage! Shame this series is such a mess: if they handled it better, I submit that KR could have been a lot more successful; but it's just a reminder of what could have been.

After a simultaneous "warrior punch" from all the riders, Bruticon turns into a meteor (it happens) and starts attacking them back! I don't know why, but I feel like playing Katamari Damacy again.


Dex transforms into his "Super Gold" form, which ends up being much more effective against Bruticon! You know, the way they used mecha footage from Dairanger and Kakuranger in MMPR 2 and 3 may not have always been the best; but I could at least tell what was going on most of the time. I can't really say the same here, I feel like I'm in the middle of a bad fever dream.


As Dex is somehow knocked out of his Masked Rider form, he uses his power to open up the earth; and, I'm not kidding: douses himself in water as if he were in a weird commercial.


He then activates his "Super Blue" form, and he starts thrashing Bruticon from the inside! Well, if this was the last episode; then it's the craziest as well as the worst to end the series on.


Bruticon is destroyed, and the resulting shockwave also results in the defeat of Dregon and his forces!

The episode, and the show close on Dex forming a team of Masked Rider Warriors of his own, to continue the king's legacy. Allow this overused meme to reply how this turned out. 

So, this finale was not only laughably bad, I'm not surprised that Shotaro Ishinomori disliked this series so much he forbade any future adaptations; which lasted after his death and didn't see any more western KR adaptations until 2009. The result, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, was a vast improvement and a more faithful take on the premise. If you want a good template to handle a western KR dub, watch that instead. It's different from Ryuki, but a better show than this.

Well, I know things may have been pretty crazy today; but I hope you all enjoyed this 20-something rambling about an old tokusatsu adaptation. I will be changing up my plans a bit until my computer problems are resolved, so don't go anywhere just yet. Until then, be a hero for anyone; any way you can. See you, space cowboy.

400 Posts-Recap: Spirited Away

Hello again, and welcome to my 400th post. When I first started this blog, I didn't think I'd get this far. I've looked at many things, gone through many weird updates and talked to many weird people. Some of these people are... confused. People who criticize great movies for petty reasons and wouldn't recognize a good one if it fell in their laps. The time has come to talk about Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, one of my favorite films ever; that changed me as a person. So, let's open it up.

We open a girl named Chihiro Ogino looking over a bouquet of flowers as her family is moving to a new home in the Japanese countryside. Chihiro is none too thrilled about this as the movie opens, she's a bit of a pessimist. Her mother also tells her that sometimes it can be an adventure. Pay attention, this is going to be important later.


Her father takes a wrong turn and gets lost. The imagery is impressive. Anyway, they stop at a gate her father believes is fake. Chihiro notices the wind pulling them in. Her dad wants to go in, but Chihiro does not. Her mother also wants to go, but Chihiro still refuses. After pondering by the statue out front, she does go in.

Everyone wonders what the place is as Chihiro hears a train. They all come over a grassy field and see a bunch of buildings. Her dad thinks the place is an abandoned theme park, stating the economy went bad. Oh yes- the “lost decade” and all those abandoned theme parks. Just Google those terms and you’ll get a lot of interesting information.

Chihiro wants to go back, and the wind starts blowing harder. They cross a dry riverbed when her dad smells food. Chihiro doesn’t want any, and her parents promptly make pigs of themselves.

Chihiro tries to warn them, but they just keep gorging. Chihiro then decides to take a walk, and sees a massive bath house.  She looks over the bridge to see the train go by when a boy approaches her. The boy tells her she shouldn’t be there. He tells her to go while he distracts the others.

She finds her parents, but they’ve turned into pigs! Chihiro tries to find her parents and get out of there! The river is also blocking her way back!


Chihiro thinks she’s dreaming as she becomes see-through! A boat docks, and many strange spirits get off. The boy from earlier says she has to eat food from their world or she’ll disappear! When Chihiro refuses, her hand goes right through the boy’s head!

Chihiro eats the food and becomes tangible again. The boy tells Chihiro she will see her and parents again. The boy takes her through the storeroom and the pigpen. He tells Chihiro to hold her breath as they cross the bridge, or they’ll know she’s human. The spirits greet the boy as they cross. His name is Haku.

They almost make it across when a frog jumps up and surprises Chihiro! Haku tells Chihiro she can’t stay there, and she has to go if she wants to help her parents.

He uses a mind-meld to give her instructions: when things quiet down, she must go to the boiler room and meet the boiler man, Kamaji. She has to ask for a job and keep asking if they refuse. If she doesn’t get a job, Yubaba will turn her into an animal. Yubaba is a witch who is in charge of the bath house. Kamaji will try to trick Chihiro, but Haku tells her to keep asking for work. Chihiro asks how he knows her name, and Haku replies he’s known her a long time.

Haku goes inside, and Chihiro slips out the back gate. Chihiro then carefully makes her way down the stairs. She tries to watch her step, but a board breaks and she comes careening down into the wall!

Chihiro reaches the boiler room and sees Kamaji. She also sees a bunch of soot sprites carrying pieces of coal into the fire. The sprites previously appeared in "My Neighbor Totoro." Kamaji tells the sprites to get back to work as a woman enters and says it's dinner time. Kamaji says Chihiro is is granddaughter, and tells the woman to take her to Yubaba. The woman, named Lin initially refuses, but changes her mind when Kamaji gives her a roasted newt. Lin tells Chihiro to follow her, and she thanks Kamaji as she enters the bath house.

Lin says they need to go to the top floor. I really love the design of the bath house: not just the architecture, but all the moving parts and machinery.

They reach the halfway point as they meet a radish spirit. I am really enjoying the designs of all the spirits as they go through the bath house. Lin tries to hide Chihiro as one of the workers smells something. Lin presents the roasted Newt and taunts the attendant with it. Chihiro pulls the lever to go up as she stays hidden.

She reaches the top and Yubaba's office. Yubaba motions her to come in as the doors close one by one behind her! As she's filling out forms, three heads start bouncing around towards Chihiro. Yubaba is not happy with Chihiro coming there, and asks who helped her. Chihiro continually asks for a job, which makes Yubaba angry; and she promptly tells her off.

As a baby starts crying, Yubaba reluctantly agrees to give her a job. Yubaba gives Chihiro a contract to sign in order to work at the bath house. Yubaba takes her name right off the contract and dubs her "Sen." Sen tries to speak with Haku, but he's acting differently from before. He tells her to address him as "Master Haku."

The spirits are not pleased with the fact they have to work with a human. Sen promises to work hard, and Haku says if she doesn't; well, they get to decide that. Sen bunks with Lin as she's given quarters and a uniform. I really like Lin and the no-nonsense attitude she displays.

Morning has come, and Haku comes to wake Sen. Haku still knows who she really is, and agrees to take her to her parents. The soot sprites bring Sen her shoes as she goes to meet Haku. As she exits the building, she sees a strange spirit known as "No Face." Haku tells Sen to hurry: if they find her, they'll turn her into a pig!

She finds her parents and says she'll save them. Haku tells her she has to remember where they are. Haku gives Sen her clothes and her goodbye card with her real name, and says she'll need them to get home. Haku says she must remember her name or she won't get home. He forgot his name and is trapped there. Haku gives Sen some food, which restores her strength. As she returns to the bath house, she thanks Haku for being such a good friend as she sees a dragon in the sky!

Sen tries her best, but she isn't used to working so hard. She and Lin are assigned the "big tub," which hasn't been cleaned in months! Lin tells her to get an herbal soak token from the foreman. The foreman won't give her the token, and tells her to scrub it herself. As he answers the telephone, No Face gives Sen the token; much to the foreman's confusion.

A stink spirit is supposedly coming, but Yubaba is suspicious. Yubaba tells them to take the spirit to the big tub. This is just the chance Sen needs to prove herself. The "stink spirit" covers the entire area in muck. Sen goes to the big tub to help clean the spirit. The spirit takes her into his hands, and she notices something stuck in its side! Yubaba realizes this isn't a stink spirit. They end up pulling out a bicycle and a bunch of garbage as muck comes pouring out! The spirit takes Sen and congratulates her with a dumpling. Among all the trash is gold! The building starts to rumble as the spirit make his way out the door! It was a river spirit! Everyone comes out to celebrate Sen's success. That evening, Lin and Sen share dinner as they talk about the events of that day. Sen tries the dumpling, and is so revolted she gobbles up the rest of her dinner.

The frog is wandering the hall when No Face gives him gold! No Face gives him more and more and he then eats the frog! He then tells the boss he wants food and a bath. The next morning, Sen goes to see her parents, but it was only a dream. She wakes to find Lin and everyone else gone!

She goes to find Haku, and sees him getting attacked by a bunch of strange birds! She gets Haku inside, and finds out the birds are just made of paper! Sen tries to go upstairs, but the elevator operator is scared of the blood on her! No Face then starts eating the staff of the bath house!



Sen tries to open the window, and finds herself in the baby's room! She tries to escape, but is grabbed by the baby! Sen says someone she knows needs help, but the baby won't let her go! Sen holds up her dirty hand as she slips out!

Someone enters Yubaba's office, but it's not her! She turns the baby into a mouse, the bird into a sparrow and the three heads into a baby. The woman is Yubaba's twin sister, Zeniba. She demands her gold seal back from Haku. Haku is getting worse, and he and Sen fall down the garbage chute! They crash into the boiler room, and Kamaji determines Haku is bleeding internally. Sen gives him the medicine, and Haku writhes around as he swallows it. He coughs up a slug, and Sen squashes it! Haku reverts to human form, but he's still in bad shape! Kamaji explains Haku was drifting and just showed up one day. He became Yubaba's apprentice, and was never the same. Sen decides to help Haku by returning the seal to Zeniba. She asks the sprites for her clothes and shoes. Kamaji tells Sen to go to Swamp Bottom to see Zeniba, and presents her with train tickets to make the journey.

Lin meets Sen with a boat to take her to the train station. She then presents the conductor with the ticket and begins her journey to Zeniba's house with No Face. Night falls as the train makes its way down the line. Back at the bath house, Yubaba demands to know where her baby is, and Haku tells her he's with Zeniba! Haku will get her baby in return for revoking Sen's contract and sending her and her parents back to the real world! Yubaba agrees on the condition she undergo one last test.

Sen reaches Zeniba's house in Swamp Bottom, and Zeniba greets them as she decides to make tea. Zeniba tells Sen she will have to help her parents on her own, and her love for Haku broke the spell. Zeniba has made her something: a tie for her hair that will protect her. Haku arrives at the door in his dragon form, alive and well.

Zeniba forgives Haku, and No Face decides to stay with her. Chihiro then sets off. Chihiro remembers when she was very young, she lost her shoe in the river. When she tried to get it back, she fell in. She thought she would drown, but the water saved her! She realizes Haku is really the spirit of the Kohaku river!

Kohaku reverts to his human form as his memories return! Morning rises at the bath house as Chihiro and Kohaku return. The baby even returns! Kohaku then reminds Yubaba of her promise, and Yubaba reminds him of the test. Chihiro, with newfound confidence, accepts. Yubaba, with her contract in her hand, says if Chihiro can tell which pigs are her parents, they can go. She says none of the pigs are them! She's correct, and she can go.

Chihiro and her parents are back where they started. Kohaku tells her to go, saying they will meet again. Sure enough, her parents are at the gate waiting for her. As they go to their new home, Chihiro decides to face the future before her.

So that's Spirited Away: after all these years, it remains an amazing movie and one I hold within my heart. Seeing the beautiful animation and moving story of how Chihiro goes from a whiny little girl to a fine young woman makes this a movie no one should miss. It's a wonderful fantasy adventure, and the ideal family film. Thank you for supporting me all this time. Bang.

General Update: March 2018.

Hey everyone. I am more or less off till April, so I thought I would give you another update. My computer is still working getting its OS reinstalled; so depending on what happens tomorrow, I will edit this post accordingly. Most of my energy is going to my 400th post as well as a surprise for early April. You will just have to see what the latter is. Just thought I would let you know what the deal is, since I want to get my positive look at Spirited Away before the end of the month. That, and so you know I haven’t just been catching up with my backlog on Netflix and Crunchyroll (though that’s true too). Anyway, Detective Pikachu is coming out Friday; though I probably won’t be telling you more about that until after the next post. That’s all for now. Later.

Update-3/23/18: Okay, I will now have to find other workarounds for my main computer , since now it may be a potential hardware problem. I once again apologize for the inconvenience. I also just got Detective Pikachu and the Amiibo for it, I’m enjoying them so far. That’s all for now. Bang.

Recap: The Bridge Bike Gang

Hello everyone! Happy Pokémon day! While it’s been a while since I first saw this episode, I thought I would share it with you all for the festivities today! Let’s open up “The Bridge Bike Gang!” 

We open on the narrator describes everyone getting past fond memories in the Safari Zone. Oh yes, fond memories of having guns pointed at their heads and trying to stop bombs!

Everyone happens upon a bridge to Sunny Town, and it turns out the Cycling Road is on it. Yet, it’s never referred to as such in the dub. Most likely because 4Kids didn’t know what it was. I wouldn’t put it past them; this is the same company that infamously claimed that Arbok evolved into Seviper.

The traffic cop, Norman, even points out that they can’t walk across the bridge. Only cars and bikes are allowed, even if it was completed. Misty laments her roasted bike, and everyone points out the massive cost of the bikes at the shop. I remember this part in the game. You had to get the bike voucher from the president of the fan club and exchange it back in Cerulean. Then, you could use the Cycling Road as an easier way of getting to Fuchsia City and the sea route to Cinnabar Island.

At the Pokémon Center, everyone wonders what to do. I would also like to point out the oddity of Nurse Joy’s interior design; which includes some off-model paintings of a Pidgeot, a Farfetch’d, a Gastly and a Haunter. That’s like something I would do for my place!

Brock, of course, is all too eager to to help Nurse Joy; and everyone agrees to deliver medicine for Pokémon in Sunny Town, and she just conveniently has some bikes to loan them. Everyone then crosses the bridge to the anime’s arrangement of the Cycling Road theme.

Team Rocket then looks on from a raft; and it turns out Jessie and James have some history in Sunny Town. Everyone stops on an observation deck for a drink; where they’re ambushed by the titular bike gang, who would not be out of place among Schumacher-helmed Batman punks; or better yet, the Jokerz gang in Batman Beyond. 

As it turns out, these folks combine the biker trainer class from the games with the real-life “bowzock” punks in Japan. Their leaders, Chopper and Tyra; demand a battle as introduction. Their bikes have all sorts of flashy modifications on them; and they’re all dressed in varying degrees of leather, hair dye; and ‘90s street fashions. Brock tries to hit on Tyra, and Tyra hits him instead!

Ash engages Chopper, who sends out Golem. He counters with Bulbasaur, who should technically be doing double damage against Golem, but is not even denting him. Then, he uses Charmander, with half damage, wins the fight. Oh, the hilarity of Kanto; being so ludicrous and awesome that the time just gives it a free pass to do what it wants.

Tyra then sends out Cloyster; and Misty decides to engage it, but Psyduck pops out. What follows is one of my favorite comedic fights in Kanto, and possibly the entire series. His bumbling manages to hit every area except the one where it counts, the head.

Then, Team Rocket comes riding in on unicycles. I don’t know, I’m more of one for mono wheels, like the ones Ray Steam and General Grievous use.

It turns out that Jessie and James were once part of the biker gang; known as “Big Jess” and “Little Jim”. They have yet more names, “Chainer Jess,” who swung a chain around; and “Trainer Jim,” who had training wheels on his bike as he rode around in a quasi-Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure getup.

Officer Jenny and some backup chase everyone away; as everyone continues towards Sunny Town with the rain falling down. I guess the wanted meter wasn’t all that high.Then, Ash, Brock, Misty and Pikachu are riding the storm out, as foretold by REO Speedwagon. 

Chopper, Tyra, and the other gangsters encourage Jessie and James to ride in the storm; as well as Meowth. The Nurse Joy in Sunny Town is still awaiting the arrival of the medicine, and Team Rocket and the kids then go towards each other on the bridge as it lifts to make way for a barge docking.

Sure enough, Ash, Misty, and Brock complete the stunt jump. The gang is impressed; and they escort them towards the Pokémon Center. I missed this part when I was younger, since the friend’s house where I saw this episode had a dad that didn’t think too highly of the franchise at its peak. My mother and my friends’ mother were generally more receptive to the idea.

The medicine is administered to the Shellder; and the gang grants Ash and Misty the titles of “Awesome Ash” and “Mighty Misty.” When Brock suggests the title of “Honey,” he gets another taste of Tyra’s pimp hand as we close on Team Rocket pedaling out of the bay.

This episode is an enjoyable little romp on the cycling road; filled with some very humorous battles and colorful punks who would not surprise me if they grew up to join the Clown gang. I also enjoyed seeing what motivated Team Rocket to pursue a life of crime more. Go ahead and add this to one of my many reasons why I got back into the franchise as a teenager. See you, space cowboy!

Blog Update: Software Reinstall, Wakanda and Other Delays.

Hey everyone, just thought I would give you all an update on what's going on. I did go see Black Panther this weekend and loved it; so I would definitely recommend it.

On a more disappointing note, my main computer unexpectedly needed to have its operating system reinstalled; and that's taking longer than expected. I already have something written for Pokémon day next week; but other subject matter I had planned (such as my next recaps of Code Geass R2) will have to be delayed until this issue is resolved. Depending on how long it takes, I may have to find other usable computers to work on my 400th post. It will be as I pointed before: a positive recap of my favorite Miyazaki film, Spirited Away; which I hope to have done sometime in March at the earliest. Just thought I would let you know so you don't just think I'm playing games and watching stuff on Netflix and Crunchyroll (though that's true too).

I will let you know anything else later, though based on past experiences, I anticipated something like this would happen. So, keep an eye out for what's coming next. If you have seen Black Panther, great. If not, I definitely recommend it; since it really is that good. Later.

All the Pokémon Movies, Ranked.

Hello everyone. Given the recent DVD and Blu-Ray release of Pokémon the Movie I Choose You, I thought I would do something I've been wanting to for a while for Valentine's day. I thought I would rank all the main Pokémon movies. Anime News Network did something similar a bit ago; but to say I had issues with their list was putting it mildly. Heck, my dissatisfaction with their style was one of the main catalysts for starting this blog. So, rather than lump them all together, I thought I would use a simpler numeric ranking. Some of my choices might surprise you, others will not. So, here is my ranking of all the Pokémon movies.

20. Pokémon Jirachi Wishmaker

This film is still my least favorite entry in the series, even though it's not the worst film I've covered here. That, and it wasn't the film that ended my initial fandom either. That goes to The Legend of Thunder. It's basically an episode's worth of material and stakes stretched to an 80-minute runtime; nothing more.

19. Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea

As the last film of the Advanced Generation, it was a similar film to the Jirachi one; but a much better one to end on than they started; even considering how some fans feel, and the unpleasantness about the voice actor change at the time. It also helps that the film had more action than the Jirachi film; and it was a fun swashbuckling adventure on the high seas that definitely seemed ripe to cash in on the success of Pirates of the Caribbean at the time.

18. Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life

As the final film in the initial DP "trilogy," I found it to be enjoyable even though it's definitely not my favorite DP film. It definitely took a lot of creative license with Arceus, but the film was definitely bolstered by a unique take on the premise; some good animation and how cruel Marcus was as a villain. That, and referring to Pokémon as "magical creatures" reminds me of that Let's Play of the hilariously-bad Vietnamese Pokémon Crystal translation.

17. Pokémon: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction

A solid film to start off the XY series; it's not perfect, but still a lot of fun. I can definitely recommend viewing the full movie on the DVD or Netflix, since the initial airing on Cartoon Network cut some parts from the movie for time.

16. Pokémon: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages

While not everybody likes this movie as part of the XY series, I still found it to be a very solid way to spend 78 minutes overall. It may be thin on plot and characterization, but it does have some slick action and nice animation, video game-like CGI notwithstanding.

15. Pokémon: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel

I still ended up enjoying this movie a lot more than I thought I would when I first heard about it. The film had plenty of creative settings and good animation on the battle scenes, and it made good use of the Pokémon they had at their disposal.

14. Pokémon The Rise of Darkrai

This was a good movie to lead off the Diamond and Pearl films with, and I'm glad it featured one of my favorite monsters of Generation IV. It was also one of the darkest films they did up to that point; being the first main film to be rated PG by the MPAA (not counting Mewtwo Returns, probably going to do another ranked list for the side story anime in the near future). The animation also helped make it a great start to the DP "trilogy", and it was one of the films that helped me get back into the series a teenager.

13. Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior

Even though I can understand how some people feel about the liberties this movie took with Shaymin, I feel that Giratina was done justice here; and I definitely enjoyed the film's counterpart to the Distortion World from the games, the Reverse World. There were also very fun supporting characters with Newton Graceland as well as the villain; Zero. ... My next Code Geass R2 recap will be next and I have some choice words for it.

12. Pokémon Destiny Deoxys

This movie is definitely a big improvement over the Jirachi movie, and an overall better film for the Advanced Generation. As the first film to forgo the Pikachu shorts in favor of giving more attention to the film's proper runtime; it was a worthwhile film that not only put Deoxys and Rayquaza in big roles, but LaRousse City has to be one of my favorite settings in the franchise.

11. Pokémon: Kyurem VS The Swords of Justice

As someone that still has the same positive mindset towards Generation V that I did when I first experienced it, this was a fun movie because of how wild it got; and I really enjoyed Vic Mignongna's voiceover as Keldeo.

10. Pokémon 4Ever


This film is one I have seen many times since I was 10, and it still fascinates me after all this time. Despite all the heat it got at the time, it's better than many live-action video game movies in that time frame. I will address the new developments for Detective Pikachu later, since I still have more to do.

9.  Pokémon Heroes

As the final film of the original series, it was a good one to go out on. Again, it's much better a video game movie than the filmography of Uwe Boll or the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. movie (the animated reboot might be fun, we'll see).

8. Pokémon: Genesect and the Legend Awakened

Forget the haters: I like this movie, and I still submit it's better than most people would have you believe. I found it to be a solid film to help Generation V transition to Generation VI; and I rather like the setting's design. I know it has a lot of similarities to its seniors all the same, such as the next entry.

7. Pokémon The First Movie

I was addicted to this movie when I was younger, and in hindsight; I still submit that it works in a similar fashion to the 1986 Transformers movie or the first two 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films; taking a silly concept and making it work in a darker context. While I still concede the Japanese version is the superior film, it's still a big cult film as a whole for me.

6. Pokémon: Zoroark-Master of Illusions


This is easily my favorite of the Diamond and Pearl films, and was a good one for them to go out in as it transitioned to the Black and White films. Zorua and Zoroark are among my favorite Unova monsters, if not my favorite; since I'm considering revising my favorite lists again as I await more news on what Game Freak has planned for the Switch entry.

5. Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew

Of all the films adapted from the Advanced Generation, this was the one that delighted me the most. It's the movie I credit with reigniting my fandom of the franchise, and giving me my first taste of my favorite Pokémon.  It's also a film that manages to blend a surprisingly good story with good use of a medieval fantasy theme. Definitely prefer that to Black Clover (don't plan on doing that anytime soon, my ears need a break from Asta's shouting).

4. Pokémon 3 The Movie 

I suggested a while ago that the respect for the original anime series may come more from the movies than the TV series, and this film is a good argument for that. As the final film original head writer Takeshi Shudo was directly involved with before his retirement and passing in 2010; it's a good example of the series at its best. I first saw it when I was 9, and it's been in rotation ever since.

3. Pokémon The Movie 2000

My personal favorite of the original three films, which managed to take a lot of the ideas introduced in the first movie and expand on them. It was also a film that had some of the best animation of the series up to that point, and Lugia being introduced to me well before I played Pokémon Silver was a real treat. I will address Lugia potentially being in the new movie this summer later; since I need more information. So, that probably won't be until after my 400th post; at least.

2. Pokémon the Movie Black: Victini and Reshiram/White: Victini and Zekrom


With almost seven years having passed Generation V came around, I still appreciate the elements it brought to the series; and simply don't identify with the trend of denigrating it others have taken to as of late. One of the things I enjoyed them doing for their first film was a dual-release film. It may not be on the level of "Inception" or "Sliding Doors", but it does a good job at having subtle differences between films. One of the things I enjoy must about the medium is finding little details hidden in each frame, and these movies are great example of that. They used to be my favorite entry, but they've finally been displaced as of 2017 by the next choice.

1. Pokémon the Movie I Choose You

As a way to bring the series into a new generation and to celebrate past successes, this is easily my favorite Pokémon movie in years. With a story that honors the franchise as well as paints a picture that helps open a bright future for the series (including another film with a similar concept opening later this year), it's easily a film that I will happily re-experience with my Blu-Ray for ages; even after I leave this blog behind.


So, as I work on my next recaps (they are a surprise for Pokémon day, my next Code Geass R2 recap and my 400th post) and other assignments I have, I wish you all a Happy Valentine's day, Ash Wednesday and year of the dog all at once. That will be all for now. See you, space cowboy.

Recap: The Lovesick Pig

Hello everyone. Since I am occupied with some assignments I have for school, I thought I would do something different this month: since it’s February, I thought I would make this month a celebration of love, and I will start with one of my favorite episodes of Lupin III Part IV! While this incarnation of the series may be the latest attempt to make an impact on our shores, the character of Lupin III has been something of an institution in its native Japan; though this charming thief has been something of a cult favorite here as well. So, I thought I would do an episode that I really enjoyed in between my attempts to finish my work with Code Geass R2. Let’s open up “The Lovesick Pig!” 

After a brief intro narration from Lupin, we open on Lupin being invited to an auction of the wine collection of Count McCalman. It seems the count has passed on under mysterious circumstances, and the people in charge of auctioning off his collection of vintage wine also request the people invited bring dates. Naturally, Lupin ends up being caught between his lover/partner in crime Fujiko Mine as well as his starlet wife, Rebecca Minamoto. He doesn’t seem like the type to use social networking, but if he did, that alone would make his relationship status “it’s complicated.”

That night, as he gets ready for the night’s festivities, Jigen remarks that he can’t just take both the ladies; he has to choose. I smell shenanigans at this party. On that note, I do like how Lupin presents himself as a character. A young adult that still acts like a swaggering teenager may not seem like that great an idea on paper, but it’s a concept that works quite well as he puts on his formal suit. 

That's a nice outfit, Lupin. It would be a shame if something happened to it.

Despite the claims otherwise, Lupin is actually going to try to wine and dine both Rebecca and Fujiko. Good thing he’s at this kind of party: he’s going to need a lot of liquid courage for that. 

The auction begins with the crown jewel of the count’s collection: the Lovesick Pig wine from the title! This shot is the most I can show without violating Google’s policy. 

In addition to the count’s death, it also turns out that his wife disappeared under mysterious circumstances; and they fell on hard times in the later years of their marriage.

On top of that, the wine is also a powerful aphrodisiac that can help people find their true love, so it’s naturally worth quite a bit of cash. Based on what happens later, though, things are definitely not what they seem. 

As Lupin is torn between lovers, it also turns out that Rebecca and Fujiko have other ideas than to pay the exorbitant price at auction for the wine; and plan to use Lupin in their own way. I just love a hobby where I get to type things like that. 

Rebecca and Fujiko then slip away to the wine cellar, both using their own tactics to slip by the guards and crack the safe. 

As Lupin wonders where his dates have gone, he notices everyone else at the party is acting rather strange. Must be a Hell of a vintage they’re having.

I must say, given the innuendo and inebriation in this episode, it definitely earns its TV-14 rating. With its current time slot on Saturday nights; I am once again going to presume the moral guardians are probably sleeping.

Rebecca and Fujiko return, and in addition to cracking the safe, they seem to have gotten a whiff of the Lovesick Pig; and they both want to jump Lupin’s bones as a result. It’s fitting, given what he tried to pull; that it worked all too well.

Then, the curator of the collection tries to escape with a barrel of the wine; but this leads to a very crazy motorcycle chase in the vineyards between him, Fujiko and Rebecca! Nice work: you could be part of Kingsman with those skills.

Lupin gets involved, and it turns out that this curator is the Count after all! Now that’s a kick in the teeth. 

The mystery is solved when the stolen barrel is cracked open: it has the Count’s missing wife inside! Given how that’s red wine in that barrel, the symbolism is flowing as free as the vino. 

So, we close on Rebecca and Fujiko leaving, and Lupin being dazed at escaping from the party; minus his pants and one of his shoes. Long story short: they were the cost of his escape from the winos, as well as damage to his jacket. Tell the count that he owes him a new outfit and pair of shoes: Oxfords, not Brogues. 

After viewing this episode, I personally do not endorse and/or encourage the actions taken in this episode. I do, however, find them hilarious. 

“The Lovesick Pig” was a great way to kick of a sort of celebration of love this month, even if it’s in an unconventional way. The animation combines 1970s swagger with modern wizardry; and is a great take on a character that’s a show I’m really enjoying. I am almost done with the show on Toonami, and there is plenty of other content in Lupin’s fictional universe that I definitely can recommend checking out. I know I will: The Castle of Cagliostro is a great film, and was the first film by Hayao Miyazaki; becoming highly influential among both anime and animation as a whole. I have big plans for my 400th post; you’ll just have to wait and see what they are. I also have some stuff planned for Valentine’s day and president’s day weekend; you’ll just have to wait and see what they are. That’s all for now. Bang.