Pokémon Legends Arceus (Switch) Early Impressions [Spoiler-Free]

"Why did I move here? I guess it was the weather..."

Hello everyone- I just got Pokémon Legends Arceus on Nintendo Switch; and I have been enjoying it so far. Here are my first impressions from my first few hours of playing it; and there will not be any spoilers for the story so far. That can wait for now, so let’s get started.

I started with an Oshawott, and while I had some concerns over how the experiment in gameplay would work; I can say so far that it’s passed the litmus test in terms of both fun and challenge. I won’t get into all the minute details; but the progression works similar to the island trials in Generation VII; especially in the case of the noble Pokémon. As a hub, Jubilife Village makes a great base to reside as you get tasks from the Survey Corps. I named my avatar Hiroshi; and though I won’t say how, your presence in Hisui will throw you for a loop whether or not you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer. 

The approach to catching and battles is also surprisingly refreshing as a longtime fan, providing engaging twists on the mechanics while also respecting what made them work to begin with. Though there is an admitted learning curve; once you get the hang of it, it’s honestly quite intuitive. One bit of advice I can give is that the dodge roll is a skill that’s good to get used to; since you’re going to need to use it early, and often. Visually, the title looks great; building on what’s come before to build another graphically-impressive adventure that is bursting with style, color and personality.

I was wondering how the game would be received as well; especially in regards to how it shook up the conventions of the series, and it has easily lived up to its hype. As of this writing, the game has an 86 score on Metacritic, and even with the commercial success of the Sinnoh remakes helping boost sales to their highest levels since Generation II; there is every indicator that this game is going to sell like Cake Lures. In fact, the person who was skeptical at Forbes and wrote several pieces doubting the game (who I referred to as J. Jonah Jameson in a response) is admitting the success.

I can also verify that the title does indeed take the best elements of games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Rockstar’s open-world titles (Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead being key examples) and uses them as a template to create an impressive title on its own merit. Likewise, I can also dispute the Monster Hunter comparisons as well; as the few elements of those titles that are a part of this one are streamlined and completely reworked to be far more accessible. Specifically, crafting is much easier in terms of collecting resources and putting them together; and you actually can’t get 100% completion the same way as previous installments. Some objectives do require you to defeat monsters a certain way or amount of times; others need you to catch them a specific way. There are even missions that rely more on exploration and puzzle-solving; such as tracking Bidoof getting into the village’s food stores. I look forward to finding out more of this game’s secrets; intentional and otherwise.

I will give a full review of this game after I complete the main story and the Pokédex; as well as the Sinnoh remakes. Before I go, don’t forget what happened to the man who got everything he ever wanted: He lived happily ever after.

Update+ Anime I'm Currently Watching 1-23-22.

Hey fellas- seeing as I'm still drafting material and it's five days to the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, I thought I might give you an update with some of the anime I'm currently watching.

Blade Runner: Black Lotus

As a big fan of both Blade Runner films (this year marks the 40th anniversary of the first) and the Blackout 2022 anime short; I can honestly say I'm enjoying this series as a bridge between both films' events. I will be putting together my thoughts in more detail after season 1 is finished; so keep an eye out for that.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Mugen Train Arc

Essentially a retelling of the massive box office hit film; this expands upon the material with new scenes (and an entire new episode detailing Rengoku Kyojuro boarding the train); and leads into the proper second season. I may not be an outright fan (more of a My Hero Academia guy); but I definitely understand its appeal and consider it to be good.

Ninjala the Animation

As someone who has sunk well over 800 hours into the game, I was curious to see how this would turn out. While animation in general has a better track record in my book for adapting video games than live-action, this anime so far is building on the short anime stories that have been uploaded online. Though I do like the bonus perk of coins for the gumball machine (I managed to get a costume of my favorite character, Burton among other prizes); I am enjoying the show itself so far and might take a closer look at it once it's finished.

One Piece

As of today, Eiichiro Oda's seminal adventure series has returned to Toonami after just under five years on hiatus from live TV in the US (though the series has done well on both DVD and digital platforms). Fittingly enough, the first two episodes to welcome the show back were the start of Sabody Archipelago; with the Straw Hats coming back from two years of preparation for their journey to Fishman Island. I may have more catching up to do with the anime; but I have read enough of the manga up to this point to understand what's going on. I am very glad to have the show back on the air once again. I will just deal with the Netflix adaptation as it comes (though I do think the leaked sets look cool, I'm personally still more concerned about the Gundam movie and could go either way about the petitions surrounding Cowboy Bebop); and enjoy this.

I might have something else ready before the game launches this Friday, but we'll see. Either way, I will definitely give you my early impressions of Pokémon Legends: Arceus after I pick it up this Friday. That will be all for now, take care.

Re: Forbes- There's No Reason for takes on Pokémon Legends Arceus and the Switch Being This Bad

Here we go again- I was really not expecting to have to do this again so soon; yet, my hand has once again been forced. This is far from the first editorial I've debunked about this topic, so I will not be totally out of practice; but it still bears addressing. 

This time, it's a Forbes piece from a writer I shall only be referring to as "J. Jonah Jameson" to protect their identity. Though the writer has made some sound pieces (with one debunking claims about NFTs being key), this isn't one of them. It's one stating "There's No Excuse for Pokémon Legends Arceus Looking this Bad on Switch." It's because of this I am writing a response to dispute this claim, but I will not be attacking him to do so. People who hold this mindset don't need to be "ratioed" (though this has happened all the same), just informed. So, in a calm manner and with evidence to refute Jameson's arguments, let's begin. Here's why there's no reason for takes on Pokémon Legends Arceus and the Switch being this bad.

As per usual, I will be including quotes when necessary to address the claims being made as well as refute them. I've never even really liked the word "excuse," (even typing it sounds like a person expectorating phlegm) I consider it to be less elegant than "reason." Well: Here we go.

Quote: "Nintendo and Game Freak just released a new 13 minute look at Pokémon Legends: Arceus, going over some of the features of the game, and it’s one of the longest looks at it we’ve seen so far.While certain aspects look perfectly fine, the battle system, player customization, many of the animations, one thing has not changed since the game was first revealed: the graphics, the visuals, look utterly terrible. Like so dated this might as well be a Gamecube title."

False- the game's graphics have actually made considerable change since the initial reveal last February; whether Jameson chooses to acknowledge said changes or not. I just came off writing an article about that subject late last year. Also, the Gamecube analogy didn't work with Galar, and it's not going to work here. In fact, this is actually quite close to how certain commentators reacted before the release of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in 2003; and were inevitably proven wrong as they often are. If anything, stylized visuals tend to come off as less dated over time than "realistic" ones, which is why it's easier for me to replay a game like Super Mario 64 than one like WinBack: Covert Operations.

Quote: "There are two halves to what’s going on here with these absolutely barebones environments with comically low quality textures. At least part of this can be blamed on Switch tech. As in, this is a system that is now almost five years old, and when it debuted it was already well below its Sony and Microsoft rivals in terms of power output, due to its handheld nature (not that Nintendo had been winning any graphics competitions the last few generations)."

I'm going to have to stop you right there Jameson, since there are numerous errors made in this section. First of all, the environments being shown in the clip are explicitly shown to be areas where the characters are on a mission; as well as the main hub of Jubilife Village. Suggesting those areas are "barebones" is akin to using that term to describe a business at closing time. Second, it's not that the textures are "low-quality," it's that the art direction is deliberately invoking the style of Japanese calligraphy and paintings; which in turn fits the setting. Lastly, it's inherently clear that Nintendo hasn't been directly competing for sheer raw graphical power since the original Wii; and developers instead have been making some creative use of visuals that work with the technology rather than against it; and we'll come back to this.

Quote: "In those five years, the Switch has never gotten more powerful. The last upgrade to the system was the OLED model which did not contain any internal performance upgrades at all past the screen. This has not stopped the Switch from being a success, but it’s mostly relied on hyper stylized games or retro-inspired titles like Metroid Dread. Very fun and well-made, not reliant on a lot of powerful graphics capabilities. But when you have a game like Pokémon Legends here, you need more than what the Switch can provide to a certain extent."

See, it's passages like this that undermine this take; Jameson. Writing that should have given you an epiphany that there's nothing wrong at all with having games with a stylized visual flair and honor the legacy of their seniors while also updating them for a new generation. So, no, sheer raw power isn't necessary to make a visually-distinctive and entertaining game (the fact the bestselling game across all platforms is currently Minecraft is proof of that). Also, more capability doesn't always result in a better-looking game (the eFootball 2022 debacle is a recent example). That, and given how I learned writing; I don't start sentences with "but," it's a gaffe comparable to ending a sentence with a preposition.

Quote: "But I would say the majority of this is simply on Game Freak. Fans will say they’ve never made a game in this style before, but in 2022, there’s just no excuse for how poor this looks. And as many Switch fans will note, there are many, many other Switch games that look just fine or even good within the system’s technical constraints. One common point of refence [sic] is the gorgeous art style of Breath of the Wild, doing the most with what the Switch has to work with thanks to its art direction."

All right- I'm going to overlook the fact you just started another sentence with "but," Jameson; and instead focus on this contradictory claim in regards to Breath of the Wild and Game Freak. The developers are clearly using that title as a template not just in visuals; but in terms of presentation and tone as well. Again, I addressed this before; but I think the developers are doing the right thing by taking what people are saying in stride while also not bending over backwards for more extreme fans. We can all want things to be a certain way; but when a title is made with a specific vision in mind and many of these same Switch fans are praising this direction for the reasons you're criticizing it, dismissing the endeavor as an "excuse" or claiming it as "poor" isn't a constructive argument. In fact, despite the accusations of "incompetence," it's clear JJ has highlighted his own instead.

Quote: "Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a game more or less devoid of art direction. These environments are barren and ugly and empty. The character models are barely passable, and look okay for the cartoony style of Pokémon and trainers, but only just. And the environments, both city and in the wild, are simply not acceptable, and no amount of new footage is changing this."

No, Jameson- it's more accurate to suggest you're openly refusing to accept the art style for what it is; and that the only thing the new footage isn't changing is how the argument you're making is fundamentally broken at its core. It isn't possible for a game to be "devoid of art direction," and just because you have an issue with the graphics doesn't mean it automatically makes the game a piece of bargain bin refuse. Even that infamous Popeye game that's essentially a glorified ashcan copy had to use the assets in some way; dubious purpose or not.

Quote: "Nintendo has done extremely well with the Switch to date, but the system is absolutely starting to show its age, and I think fans were right to be disappointed when the OLED model was revealed and it didn’t contain even a moderate power boost after half a decade on the market. Game Freak, meanwhile, needs to examine what exactly went wrong here, either on the technical side or the art side, and figure out why their game specifically looks worse than more or less every Nintendo game I can remember going back a few generations. This is not acceptable for any franchise, much less one as valuable as Pokémon, in 2022."

That won't be necessary at all: in fact, if you're looking for someone who needs to examine what went wrong, Jameson, all you require is a mirror. Some fans were disappointed; but personally, I'm looking forward to getting a Switch OLED in the near future, especially as a full on upgraded SKU is still a ways off (if it happens at all).   

The only thing that isn't acceptable is another contradictory statement and a pretty blatant "either/or fallacy." If this was being submitted as an assignment in the classes I studied under, it would be grounds for an F on that alone. I'm not suggesting that Jameson and I played the same games on these systems: I am saying that it's premature to dismiss both the technical and artistic choices as "wrong" when the game is still just over a week away from release. There is a fine line between being a skeptic and being a cynic: consider it crossed.

This may not be the first article this individual has written about the game; but it's quickly become infamous a textbook example of how not to write about a video game. I know that accentuating the negative is nothing new in video game discourse, but this is honestly ridiculous. Usually Forbes' coverage is better than this; but this may very well go down along with "it's just a fad" and "too much water" in terms of infamy in the fandom. The whole idea of perceiving the title as "looking bad" by doing little more than winging about the console and the developer choices is utter nonsense. 

Whatever the case might be, I will be looking forward to telling you more about the game when it does launch in 10 days; and I will have more posts coming fairly soon. That will be all for now, going to see Spider-Man again tomorrow. Later.

2022- Year of the Tiger With New Possibilities.

Happy New Year everyone: I know this decade has had its ups and downs so far; but despite everything, I did have a marginally better 2021 than I did a 2020. So, with the Year of the Tiger ahead;  I thought I might share a bit of what’s been going on since my full review of “Pokémon:  Secrets of The Jungle,” and what’s next.

I have most of what I want to do next for this blog queued up and in some degree of progress; but much of my focus was on completing my last elective class for my writing degree. Sure enough, I aced it; and I will be applying for graduation before moving later this year.  I already have a solid idea of how I can work what I’ve learned into a future career, which brings me to my next point.

In the course of my experiments since 2019;  I’ve gotten pretty good at what I do; and I’m satisfied with the new direction I’ve taken. So, I intend to continue building on that with what I have slated for 2022. Some of it will take longer than others, but I have what I want to say worked out for my plans. I just need to figure out how to say it. Whether it’s subject matter I’ve addressed before (including things I might like to write about for the 10th anniversary of this blog) or entirely different topics I’ve been wanting cover since my previous direction;  I look forward to sharing it with you all. That, and Pokémon Legends Arceus launching later this month (working on clearing the main quest of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl before then).

I shall continue work on my next pieces for the first part of the year, and I shall see you all again after my 30th birthday next week. That will be all for now, take care.

Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle (EN) Review

Hello everyone: after all the delays and much anticipation; here is my review of the latest Pokémon movie, "Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle!" I have been eager to talk about this for a very long time, so let's open it up!

The film opens on the Okoya forest, home to all manner of Pokémon; including the Mythical Zarude. They're shown to be quite territorial; and it's kind of interesting how they managed to translate their chant (I did watch the fan subs for this as well).

Anyway, one of the Zarude finds a small child by the river one day. Brief grossout gags aside, the rest of the tribe is wary of letting the boy into their ranks. After consulting the tribe elder, the Zarude who found him agrees to take the child and watch over him; even at the cost of leaving the tribe. 

He's eventually named Koko, and this movie essentially follows Star Wars rules for communication: since Koko had Zarude as his surrogate "Dada," they all speak to each other as one pack. Otherwise, the people speak like people, and the Pokémon speak like Pokémon; with Koko essentially being a "bridge" between them like with Meowth. This whole prologue takes place 10 years before the events of the film proper, leading to our title card! 

The story proper opens on Ash speaking to his mother Delia on the phone, before he heads into the jungle with Pikachu. I rather like the visual style of this movie already; and the design of Ash’s outfit. I even did an OC cosplay of it last Halloween at home. Also, definitely loving Pikachu’s own adventure gear.

Elsewhere, Koko is now a young man; swinging through the trees with his “Dada,” Zarude. Zarude smells something and senses trouble; and I must say, Kilmlinh Tran and Edward Bosco do a good job in their respective roles.

Anyway, they’re making their rounds through the forest; and discover their berry hoard has been hit. Moreover, there’s an attack between a Flygon and a Pangoro; which they’re able to break up and heal Flygon. They decide to start growing their own berries.

Back with Ash and Pikachu, they encounter a Cramorant! That is one of my favorite monsters of Generation VIII; and not just because it can launch Pikachu like a projectile with Gulp Missile. The two are then approached by Sharon, and I totally understand why they changed her name from Karen for the dub (both due to the member of the Johto Elite Four, and the connotations that name has taken on as of late).

Sharon is a researcher for the Biotope Company; who is searching for the Spring of Healing in the forest. Team Rocket decides to go undercover at their lab; and also find out their leader, Dr. Zed.

Back with Koko, he and his father get into a fight with the other Zarude; and it’s a pretty impressive sequence all things considered. Much like his last movie, Tetsuo Yajima definitely understands how to make this work onscreen, based on what he’s learned from both Origins and the XY series.

After a brief argument with the elder and the other Zarude, his father takes him away; prompting Koko to ask, “what am I?!” He swings off into the forest, and this scene; along with another brief flashback tie into the movie’s main themes: childhood, parenthood, and identity. 

Koko crashes into one of the Biotope Company’s pipes, and falls into the river unconscious! Falling down a waterfall, Ash pulls him from the river so he can receive medical attention!

At the Biotope Company’s lab, Team Rocket has infiltrated the lab while disguised as interns; and I am amused by Meowth somehow being able to wear five-fingered gloves normally as someone who only has three fingers on each hand. When another researcher tells them not to go into Dr. Zed’s quarters, they immediately know something is suspicious; and set about making a key to get in.

Koko awakens in the hospital, and he seems to be all right, but he’s surprised at everyone and everything in the city! He runs out the door and narrowly gets clipped by a passing car before Ash pulls him out of the way, spooking a Dreadnaw in the process!

Koko is able to calm the Pokémon down, and the chase leads to the cameo of the recurring little girl and her mother.

Koko is then surprised by the idea of Poke Balls. Ash shows him one, and he notices they have the same hands in one of many parallels to Disney’s Tarzan.

Ash shows Koko around, giving him a new outfit and some ice cream; in a sequence that leads to a cameo from Rita and Phil from New Pokémon Snap! Photos of the setting of this forest even show up in the game: imagine that!

The sun starts setting, but there’s trouble with the fireworks show! With some quick thinking, they’re able to determine a Falinks is stuck in the cannons, and Koko is able to help get it out! I do like this scene, and it’s easily one of my favorite monsters of Generation VIII.

Night falls, and the fireworks show goes forward as planned. Koko is surprised, but does learn quick. I also like how the mayor resembles his Dubwool companion, and it turns out the fireworks are a wish to Celebi, the jungle guardian! This, as well as the “251” cape that Zarude wears are great markers of what lies ahead.

Elsewhere, Zarude is awakened from sleep by Skwovet; and senses something in the air. Knowing what lies ahead, I will say how the villains treat the Zarude is subconsciously why I root for Caesar.

Koko leads Ash into the forest, where he and Pikachu are caught by Zarude! When Zarude questions why they’re here, Koko replies by asking why he wasn’t told about how people outside the forest lived. This is another scene that ties into the themes of childhood, parenthood and identity that help shape the movie’s plot. Not quite the breath of fresh air that Yajima’s last movie was; but still quite impressive.

Zarude leads them elsewhere, and Team Rocket has finished the key to Dr. Zed’s quarters; but Cramorant then eats it! Hilarious, and this will be important later.

Back with Ash and Koko, Zarude leads them to an old research bunker. He also gives Koko the ring he wore around his neck when he was found, which will be important later. Zarude also never knew his parents, which will be important later as he passes Koko a photo of his own parents.   

Now, comes the part everyone was talking about: where Ash mentions his absent father. This scene is a small, but effective mention that provides a key moment for the series and the movie that's vital to the story at hand. Even factoring in the alternate continuity, the fact that it’s happened at all is simply world-shattering; and I’m glad to witness it. He inspired him to keep moving and improving; and even his own adventure is one I’d love to know more about.

On that note, it’s a scene that helps make this movie the antithesis of the classic episode “The Kanghaskhan Kid,” as is the next part at the Biotope Company’s mobile lab. Elsewhere, Zarude confers with the elder on his own to determine his next move; and we’ll come back to this later. The elder also reveals more of their connection to Celebi; and I definitely like this blend of old and new elements they’re making.

As Ash and Koko sleep, we get a flashback to Koko and Zarude in the past, where Zarude used Jungle Healing on an injured Rufflet. The move works, but it also takes a lot of energy to use. The next day, Ash and Koko pay the Biotope Company lab a visit; and Dr. Zed is alarmingly happy to see Koko. His birth name was actually Al Molybdenum; and his parents were named Chrom and Phossa, respectively voiced by Kaiji Tang and Lisa Ortiz. I have something prepared for when the time comes.

Dr. Zed recalls how they found the Spring of Healing, before the data was lost. He also reveals Chrom and Phossa died in a car accident; and even though the movie doesn’t physically say the “d-word,” it makes no attempts to hide what happened, and there’ll be more on that later. Dr. Zed asks for Koko’s help on the spring, but he understandably declines. He then runs back into the jungle, shocked and devastated at what’s happened.The Skwovet from before helps lead Ash to where Koko is, and Koko discovers a GPS tracking dot on his shoulder! 

An explosion occurs, and Dr. Zed has come in with a massive walking tank! Said tank is CGI that almost looks like it would be in of my video games; almost looking like it would be more at home in Metal Gear (no comment on the rumored remake).

Ash, Koko and Pikachu are taken captive; and Team Rocket gets a taste of what Dr. Zed is capable of. Rather than take Pikachu while they have the chance, they decide to free them; and use Pikachu to get the key they made from Cramorant’s gullet! 

The Zarude are prepared to defend their home, but despite a valiant effort; they can’t do it alone! Zarude makes an impassioned plea to help them defend the forest; and they agree! Even the Pangoro and Flygon from earlier are here to help! Realizing Dr. Zed planted the tracking dot on him when he spoke at the lab, Koko removes his civvies and goes to warn the Zarude before it’s too late! 

Even with the quasi-video game like CGI, the traditional animation in this battle is some of the best of the series. Yajima’s experience from the XY series and the Origins OVA comes through here; and I’m eager to see what happens with the new series with him returning to work on it.

Now that they have the key, they discover what the doctor was hiding in his quarters: as his video diaries reveal, he was the one that turned against Koko’s real parents; which shocks Jessie, James and Meowth. While they may be villains too, even they have lines they won’t cross.

A flashback also reveals that Chrom and Phossa were the ones that called off the experiments on the Spring of Healing; even destroying the research they did on it. In response, Dr. Zed was the one that caused the car accident that killed them; and though I was expecting them to cut this scene for the dub, they left it in. Helps Netflix doesn’t have S&P, though it does give me flashbacks to the “Mission Report: December 16, 1991” subplot in Captain America: Civil War. 

Dr. Zed has gone off the deep end, taking control of the tank and opting to finish what he started with Koko’s parents! He must be stopped- no matter the cost!

The final battle against Dr. Zed is here, and for the kind of movie it is; it’s quite spectacular. The combined might of all their attacks cripples the tank, as the Zarude have finally realized the true meaning of their chant!

Koko leads Zarude to the Spring of Healing, but his “Dada” has taken a lethal blow! As the life fades from his body, Koko is able to will himself to use Jungle Healing to revive his father! 

The remaining attacks are focused on the control circuits on the tank’s back; and much like the quality of its CG, the tank is downed like a video game boss it resembles! The traditional animation in this sequence is easily some of the best of not just this movie, but the entire last year of the series. 

Koko, having learned the sickening truth, decides to confront Dr. Zed! He tries to dive into the waterfall (whether to escape or drown himself isn’t made explicit), but Koko catches him with the rope on his arm as he and his “Dada” embrace.

The forest is restored, and in another element that makes this movie the opposite of “The Kanghaskhan Kid,” Zarude returns to his tribe while Koko goes off on his own adventure, in a very bittersweet end to their story. He’s given his civilian clothes and a satchel of berries as a parting gift, leaving the forest alongside Skwovet as the Zarude send him off with a chant and Celebi returns to the forest!

We close on an epilogue where Ash and Pikachu return his mother’s call, Dr. Zed is arrested after Team Rocket gave the information to the authorities and Sharon becomes the new head of Biotope Company in his stead.

There’s even a little bit over the credits where Skwovet and Cramorant are dancing. It’s not quite the same as the JP version (which also had fan art contest winners like the last movie); but the song played does at least fit, even if the tune does kind of remind me of the Crab Rave. Time to wrap this up. How about that: it's also my 600th post on this blog!

Dr. Zed is doing a double life sentence

While not on the same level of “Pokémon: The Power of Us,” I still consider “Pokémon: Secrets of the Jungle” to be a good movie and one of the better video game adaptations overall. Though the future of the series on film remains to be seen, I am enjoying how the recent entries in the anime canon are taking more of an all-ages approach like their video game source material. I didn’t need them to go to extremes, but this approach works in a similar vein to something like Star Wars or the Marvel Cinematic Universe; where it has elements that can appeal to all potential ages and backgrounds. The animation is quite showy even just watching it on my computer, and I’m eager to see what the franchise has in store next. Right now, I will keep enjoying this movie among the many I’ve seen in my fandom. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy new year, and I will see you all again soon. Later.

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond Shining Pearl Sell 6M At Launch Worldwide+More

Hey everyone- as I'm at least a fifth of the way done with my review of "Pokémon Secrets of the Jungle," I thought I might give you an update on what else is going on in and out of this blog.

As someone who has been enjoying "Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl" so far; I have been eagerly awaiting the launch sales numbers, and now I have them: as of this writing, the games have sold 6 million copies worldwide across all versions, placing them in line with the launch of "Pokémon Sword and Shield" and doubling the launch of other previous remakes. 

This definitely bodes well for the launch of "Pokémon Legends: Arceus" this January. It also suggests that even with the changes in graphics and gameplay, there's a considerable amount of people who are glad to have any modern Sinnoh remake at all. I am definitely one of them.

On a less successful note, the  compilation film "Yo-Kai Watch: The Meeting of Keita and Me" has debuted outside the top 10 at the Japanese box office, being displaced by a slate of other films led by "Sumiko Gurashi: The Magical Child of the Blue Moonlit Night" and Marvel's "Eternals."  Even factoring in the current state of flux moviegoing is in right now, the fact that it opened so low that the studio isn't reporting ticket sales and gross revenue is a bad sign. 

This suggests the movie is on track to make less than the Jam Project movie in 2019. Talk persists of a potential localization of Yo-Kai Watch 4; and now there's even rumors of the Jam project being localized under the imprint "Y School Heroes: Bustling School Life." 

As someone who found that area of the franchise flawed, but okay; I have no formal opinion as of this time. I certainly won't try to stop them if the rumors are true, but until there's official confirmation (so far, there's overseas patent filings that are pretty standard to make sure nobody tries to take them and not much else); I feel no need to address the matter further for now.

Likewise, apart from my spoiler talk about the recent live-action Cowboy Bebop series; I'm not going to be addressing the Gundam movie again anytime soon. I am glad the director and artists are at least enthusiastic; but much like what I just mentioned; I will not address the movie until I see a release window or at the very least, a target filming start date. I was under the impression that the current worldwide situation got the movie shelved again until social media feeds affiliated with the production showed otherwise. 

As for this rumored live-action Digimon movie, well: let's just say I'm hesitant to address content from Toei for the time being. Even the proposed pitch of filming the real-world scenes in on location and sets; then using CGI and special effects for the Digital World will really have to sell it on the technical wizardry, since the logline reads like they're going for something like the OASIS in Ready Player One or the WB "Server-Verse" in Space Jam: A New Legacy.

With the season upon us, my goal still remains the same: to have my full review of "Pokémon Secrets of the Jungle" done and ready to post by Christmas Eve among some other posts I've been drafting. That will be all for now, season's greetings.

PS: Go see Spider-Man No Way Home, it really is that good.

Cowboy Bebop (2021) Spoiler Talk- The Good, The Bad and the Radical Edward

OK- now that the dust has settled a bit from the live-action Cowboy Bebop; I thought I might talk about spoilers. Naturally, this will also involve spoilers for the anime to an extent. I will obviously be talking about any changes when relevant to this post; but to keep things simple, I will be talking about what I liked; what didn't work as well, and the reveal for a major character.

Let's start with the good first. Obviously, translating a series as visually-recognizable as the original anime would mean a lot of work would have to go into the production; and that aspect is easily one of the strongest. There are many instances of iconography from both the TV series and the "Knocking on Heaven's Door" movie that would be tricky for anyone to translate to live-action; but all things considered, the production does make it work. One of the recurring production designers of the series is industry veteran Grant Major (whose extensive credits include The Lord of the Rings trilogy); and I definitely liked the look of the sets and locations being portrayed. The retro-futuristic, 1970s-infused aesthetic is so baked into the material that I'm glad it was retained. Even the brief glimpses of 22nd century Earth I've seen look faithfully-recreated. 

I was also curious how the combat would be handled, and I can argue that it captures the unconventional approach from the source in a different way. Everything from pulp sci-fi to film noir to Chinese wuxia films influenced the fights in the anime; and all things considered, it does a decent job. It's not quite the hallway fight in the Daredevil series (fingers crossed about the potential revival with Charlie Cox reprising his role), but it's also not Iron Fist either (maybe that can be soft rebooted in a potential Shang-Chi sequel). I can at least identify each character by their fighting style, much as I could in the source. 

Of course, my favorite aspect is that Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts came back to do the music; since the freeform jazz soundtrack is honestly hard to imagine the series without; or worse, someone else trying to replace it. I was honestly not expecting the story to be on the same magnitude as the original; but at the very least, it had more effort put into it than other adaptations I've talked about here.

That's not to say that the series doesn't still have room for improvement. While there were indeed a fair amount of violent scenes, sensual romances and dirty words in the anime as well; they were within reason. The source material understood that you can't rely solely on those elements to make something "adult," that you need a strong story and interesting characters to truly succeed at that. That's why even though Netflix rates the anime at TV-MA, it's not that different from other places I've watched it and fits that description way better than something like Future Diary does to me (apparently they're rebooting it soon, not looking forward to that). Granted, many of the source material's uses of these are retained; but the dialogue is even more sweary than the source material. Admittedly, the basic f-words and s-words aren't a deterrent on their own; but then there's plot points unique to this version about finding a lead to a bounty in the red light district, complete with gear that made me think: "well, somebody saw Pulp Fiction and remembered the scene with Zed." Let's just say that there's dialogues that even I think would feel more at home in an erotic parody of the anime rather than a straight adaptation. I won't be mentioning those here, which should give you an idea of how raunchy and unintentionally hilarious they are. I will state that Faye Valentine sharing her name with the infamous adult film star is no longer the filthiest thing about this 'verse. 

On that note, there is creative license taken with Julia and Vicious' arcs with Spike; and I admittedly have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it's a change that gives me flashbacks to Jack Napier killing Bruce Wayne's parents rather than Joe Chill or another unknown assailant. On the other, I understand why they did it; even with my love for Vicious as a villain from the original anime. As for his "Death Note" line- as previously stated, this adaptation at least has more effort put into it than that; though that's a low bar to clear.

Now, comes the part everyone has been talking about: the live-action depiction of Radical Edward. 

"Wake the duck up, Cowboy: we have a city to burn."

So,  after Spike has his fateful fight with Vicious; he is approached by Edward (Eden Perkins) with a new bounty or several to collect. Seeing as Ed was among my favorite characters in the original; I don't know what to feel based on one scene, but at the same time; I'm curious. I don't know about any "Spy Kids" comparisons (personally wondering more if/when Machete Kills Again in Space is getting made); but this is actually not that different from a humanized version of L3-37 from Solo (as I compared that character to a droid version of Ed). As someone who had no real frame of reference of who I would cast, I could at least believe that much like her counterpart; she could gleefully bring down satellites like someone playing a game of Minesweeper.

Bottom line- I reaffirm this adaptation is an imperfect; if watchable take on an anime series I absolutely love. Not a complete trainwreck, but not exactly the adaptation that jumpstarts live-action anime adaptations either. Much as I sometimes wonder what could have happened if Shane Black made his version of Death Note (can you imagine Light finding the note at Christmas? I can.); I can only wonder what might have happened if the Wachowskis version of the story was the one we ended up getting. I guess I can think it over while I'm at The Matrix Resurrections; and contemplating what lies ahead. Until next time, see you cowgirl, someday, somewhere.