I forgot to mention but I've finally finished all the City Hunter TV anime series awhile ago.
City Hunter - It's a longer series (over 50 episodes) & gets pretty formulaic (it doesn't have a large extended cast, so how much mileage you'll get from it depends on how well you gel with it's central comedy loop between Ryo & Kaori, which consists of him being an unrepentant perv, before ultimately succumbing to her hammer. Not to mention that many of his antics could be considered "problematic" by today's standards), but it's also just a really fun show, totally 80's (I love the neon infused aesthetic), and a narratively relevant episode popped up just often enough to keep it interesting. Also tons of random M&M's product placement for some reason (it got to the point where I was actively looking out for where the logo would appear in any given episode, lol).
City Hunter 2 - Even longer than the first series (over 60 episodes), everything that can be said about that one applies to this as well (although the M&M's product placement drops off somewhere early on). Don't see why it's marked as a sequel though, as it's clearly a directly continued production of the first series (what I mean is, the last episode of the first series had a preview of this series' first episode as the next episode, so there was clearly no break in production between the two), with the art style, budget, and everything else being identical between the two.
City Hunter 3 - Now this was a bit of a change in direction for the series. It was much shorter (only 13 episodes), however the animation quality seemed a bit higher across the board. Unfortunately I didn't care for it as much. They gave everyone more "realistic" hair colors (Kaori went from red to brown, Saeko from blue to black) which could be more manga accurate for all I know, but I was used to the old colors by this point, that and the neon infused color palette of the first two series was replaced with a much more drab autumnal look (seemed to have a lot of browns, tans, oranges, & creams) & even the humour seemed a bit more muted (or at least not as stand out, even if there was a good episode here & there).
City Hunter '91 - the final series, it too took on the form of a 13 episode series with better than average animation than the first two series, and this one I though was much stronger in the other areas compared to 3 as well. It's once again much more colorful (albeit in a pastel 90's kinda way instead of 80's neon), which includes fixing everyone's hair colors, the humor seems back on track, and although it ultimately doesn't offer a narrative conclusion it has some darn good episodes (especially the duel between Ryo & Umibozu).
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion + R2 (Blu-Ray)
Mecha anime set in an alternate universe where the British empire (now referred to as the "Holy Britannian Empire") never collapsed and with the advent of mechs known as Knightmares, have recently conquered Japan (& renamed it Area 11). It centers on a spurned (& believed dead) Britannian prince named Lelouch, who vows to get revenge upon his family by destroying Britannia, and with the aid of a power that let's him control the minds of others, he begins with a plan of liberating Japan.
I only ever watched this once before when it aired on Adult Swim back in the day, & although I remember liking it I never fully followed it through, so it felt good to finally get back to it. Wasn't a huge fan of the character design at first (I think I prefer 80's & 90's anime designs), but it grew on me and the story is so full of twists and turns it had me on the edge of my seat (even if I wasn't a big fan of the "reset" at the start of the second season). My only main gripe is that it's so reliant on those narrative twists that I probably won't want to watch it for another 5-10 years that way I can forget the fiber details, lol.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Parody of the magical girl genre that sees a young girl (Natsumi) tasked with transforming into the flower goddess Mei in order to stop the revived destruction god Ongo (the latter trapped in an artifact her archaeologist father brought home), however things take a more humourous turn when the fearsome being appears and isn't nearly imposing as led to believe.
I'm very mixed on this. Most of the parody elements take the form of wild fan service & innuendo, and while I'm generally of a fan of such things (and don't have much of a problem when it comes to the "Mei" side of the character), it seems to awkwardly give the "Natsumi" side her fair share as well (I'm not sure I even want to describe what she has to do to even transform in the first place, and the classmate who gains the power of the water goddess may even be worse in this regard). Plus, there's Ahem the Earth god, who might make Mr. Popo (of Dragon Ball fame) look like a progressive case of Black representation (this, coming from someone who generally doesn't care about such things in anime, shows just how blatant it is).
That said I can't dislike it. When it's not being completely awkward there's times when the humor hits (again, I don't have a problem with the fan service when focused on Mei), I think they could have had something with the various god/goddesses in terms of lore & story had it actually been longer (it's a 3 part OVA), and the more I watch the more I realize that I think 90's anime both in terms of aesthetic & tone may just be my favorite. I just like looking at it, & it may be a slapstick magical girl show, but that doesn't stop them from dedicating animation resources to lovingly recreate detailed renditions of various military equipment (including a scene with Mei going into detail about the spec load out of a US air force jet), which is an element of otaku/anime culture which has unfortunately been removed in today's anime culture from what I can tell.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Actually just finished watching this limited series on DVD. As I saw the original main series 'Dexter' a decade ago, this is easier for me to grasp what's going on. I found it quite good and alot better than the horrible final season of Dexter. If anyone intends to watch Dexter New Blood and not saw the main series, then watch all six seasons of Dexter first.
This was one of those series that holds a nostalgic quality for me because it used to be on Adult Swim in the early 00's when I started watching the block, but it seemed to be one of those shows they aired so often that I kinda got bored with it eventually.
That being, it's been over a decade since I gave it a watch (especially one where I was really paying attention) so I decided to plop down for the Blu-Ray release (Like I've been doing for a lot of anime I grew up with like Evangelion, InuYasha, Outlaw Star, etc.), and it absolutely blew me away.
It's thematically a very beautiful show, and maybe there was a bit of nostalgia amplifying things, but the episodes that delved into Spike & Faye's back stories often had me in tears (don't think anything hit me as hard as when Ed left the group though), but that said I had forgotten just how fun the show could be as well (Heavy Metal Queen, Toys in the Attic, Cowboy Funk, & Pirrou le Fou are just some of the most fun, & sometimes creepy episodes).
Still has a cool sense of style as well, at times still being very anime (like the cool ship designs & space battles), while at other times being unlike any other anime at all (it feels very western throughout, in a good way).
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I first watched this years ago on Adult Swim & it absolutely captivates me everytime I watch it (I binged all 50 episodes in 2 weeks, lol). Really has to be one of my favorite romance stories in anime, and what's not to love about giant robots? Has some of the best pieces of OP music ever as well (especially OPs 2 & 4).
Trailer:
OP2:
OP4:
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
80's anime OVA (original video animation) that follows the Knight Sabers, a group of women with power armor, who combat Genom, a corrupt robotics company illegally manufacturing military grade androids called "Boomers", by night in a cyberpunk flavored Tokyo.
Animation is kinda rough in the first part, but it gets better & better with each one & I'd say by part 4 it's really at the top of it's game (plus the whole aesthetic is just awesome & much superior to what the anime industry turns out these days IMO). Definitely some "Terminator" & "Blade Runner" influences, but again as it goes on I think it definitely makes a mark of it's own.
In terms of narrative it ultimately doesn't reach a stark conclusion, with parts 1-3 & 5-6 being the only ones that really act as connected little arcs (with parts 4, 7, & 8 kinda being the most independent stories), but honestly I found the latter parts to be more enjoyable overall even if they're more standalone (maybe save part 6 for last if you want a sense of completion. Without getting too spoilery, it seems like it leaves Genom in the worst spot out of all of them). I watched it dubbed in English, which while technically bad due to age, gave it a certain charm.
Fun Easter Egg: Near the start of I think part 3, a character brings up a map of the city on a computer screen, and all the points listed on it are "Top Gun" references, such as Hollywood, Tom Cruise, Kelly McGinnis, Maverick, & Goose.
Kandagawa Jet Girls (Blu-Ray)
Hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps as a professional in the sport, Rin Namiki decides to move from her small home town to attend high school in Tokyo in the hopes that it'll have a Jet (Ski) Racing Club. Problem is the school shuttered the program years ago & to have any hopes of reviving it she'll have to win the support of fellow classmate Misa Aoi, a former prodigy who gave up the sport after mysterious circumstances.
Honestly the story is pretty much fluff about the power of friendship (& all the girls introduced are walking tropes, with the rich girls, the delinquents, the American weebs, the idols, the shrine maidens, etc). That's okay though as it's really just an excuse to have a bunch of anime girls in wetsuits, bikinis, or nothing at all (expect to see at least one scene in every episode, usually a bathing one, dedicated to detailed breast shots). It's far from high art, but it's not trying to be & delivers on what it IS trying to do, so it's hard to find much fault in it unless the idea itself is off-putting to you (which is understandable).
That said, credit where credit is due, the actual racing can be fun & it nails that summertime fun in the sun vibe aesthetically (you get a real sense that the studio has an appreciation of nature, especially the episodes spent at Rin's small seaside town).
I decided to check it out after playing the game tie in (available on Steam & PS4), which was actually pretty fun if easy.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Yellowstone (DVD)
Watched S1 to S3. Currently it's on S5 with S6 apparently 'in the works'. Personally, I don't think it's as good as what all the favourable reviews mention. To me, S1 was a huge slog to get through as it was too disjointed. S2 and S3 is just a tad better. Created by Taylor Sheridan (Sicario, Wind River, Hell and High Water) and John Linson about a ranch family in Yellowstone National Park. To me, Taylor Sheridan is trying to make a modern version of Dallas and fails miserably. Kevin Costner is fine in his role.
Binge watched Andor this weekend. What a great show, without many action sequences but with lots of tension and politics. I need to rewatch Rogue One as I loved in the theater but never went back.
currently bnge watching breezing through season 1 of Gilmore Girls on Netflix along with watching the Steve Martin and Martin Short stand up comedy special, also going through Naruto Season 5 which im getting bored of
then on Tubi
-Season 2 of Babylon 5, Goddess of Love movie, Robot Jox, Green Knight, Heathers and the Doomed! Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie documentary
So I have been watching Quantum leap the new one as the old one was one of my fav shows. It started off really good somewhere along the way it has strayed off into certain things that I don't like but, its still pretty good and I think faith full to the original. Id give it 4/5 stars for nostalgia reasons.
for DVD
Tim Burton Batman
Batman Returns.
watching both movies with the commentary tracks on
on Tubi
The Wizard
blu ray
the plain blu ray movie collection of the Indiana Jones movies. Mostly watching the long behind the scenes stuff anyway. Plus the blu ray set doesnt have all of the bonus features that the 2 disc DVD of Crystal Skull has
Finished up the entire series of To-Love-Ru on Blu-Ray a couple weeks ago. Pretty much an homage (or knock off) of Urusei Yatsura that sees regular Earth high schooler Rito Yuki accidentally engaged to an alien princess (Lala) after she mistakes his confession to the girl he likes (Haruna) as directed at her, and romantic harem shenanigans ensue.
To-Love-Ru (season 1) - the longest of the 4 seasons at 26 episodes (the other 3 have 12-14 each), this is also the most run of the mill harem comedy of them all. It features all the staples, with Haruna as the "girl next door", Mikado as the "sexy nurse", Tenjouin as the "snobby rich girl", Yui as the "uptight student council member", and more (even a ghost!), but balances out the fanservice with other general humor, and even has a light narrative element in that Rito is constantly trying to become the "best in the universe" at something in order to sate the demands of Lala's father (the leader of the greatest empire in the universe, he will apparently destroy the Earth if Rito can't measure up). It has it's charm though, and is almost wholesome in comparison to the later seasons.
Motto To-Love-Ru (season 2) - This drops any narrative plotlines whatsoever and is straight up focused on comedic situations amongst the group. It's even structured like an old cartoon (think Garfield & Friends or Dexter's Lab) where each episode consists of three different disconnected skits. Kinda a unique approach for an anime, and it helps to keep everyone in the ever increasing cast to get their time to shine. The amount & graphicness of fanservice is also overall dialed up from the first season as well.
TLR Darkness/TLR Darkness 2 (seasons 3-4) - compiling these together has they have consistent theming & focus. They do a complete 180 in that they are much more narratively focused than the two earlier seasons (they even introduce a mysterious villain who has designs for the cast), but also rearrange the cast dynamic in a way that I never really grew to like. They still follow the same cast of characters (centered around Rito), however Lala & Haruna are sidelined in favor of Lala's younger sisters Momo & Nana (introduced as side characters in season 2). They also once again ratchet up the fanservice to new heights (really seemed to be trying to push the limits of what they could get away with on TV), in the one direction this franchise seems to agree on.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I'd only ever seen the abridged film cut of this until now, so when I learned that Discotek had released an HD remaster of the original OVAs in full I had to nab it. Glad I did too, as this is anime at it's peak.
The real star of the show are the various mechs, ships, aliens, and heck the world building & design in general. Immaculately detailed (the insane interior detail of the cockpits is head and shoulders above anything in modern anime. Chef's kiss) with a real "lived in" vibe, it's easy to get immersed in the world envisioned. The real cherry on top is how seriously it takes the fictional science of how it all works, providing in depth explanation of the theories involved while peppering in real world scientific discoveries, mostly during after episode "science lesson" skits hosted by the central characters.
The story itself follows young pilot Noriko from her days in high school (albeit one designed around grooming the next generation of mech pilots), to her days as a new recruit soon overwhelmed by the realities of war, culminating in her transformation into a warrior who will stand back for nothing in order to save humanity's future. It may perhaps be nothing particularly special on it's own, but I love how the tone of the series grows along with Noriko over the 6 part runtime. The first episode can be downright silly, with students doing everything from jump rope to personal after school scuffles in their training mechs, but by the last episode everything is presented in a striking widescreen monochrome view that really sets the tone for the gravity of the dire straights our heroines (and humanity) find themselves in.
Sure, there are a few things I could nitpick, such as a romance subplot surrounding "Coach" that feels underdeveloped, and the decision to depict a big battle in the last episode via a series of storyboard like sketches, however it's so strong elsewhere I don't think these amount to much.
Also, I'm very much not going to complain when they usually find the time once an episode to indulge in a little gratuitous nudity/fanservice.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
doing my usual horror movie watch a thon up to Halloween next week.
been busy with Nightmare on Elm Street 1-4 since yesterday and today. Still have Elm Street 5 and New NIghtmare to watch.
also going to be busy with Phenomena/Creepers tonight along with Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein back to back along with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man
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