I don't mind at all. Infact, I encourage it!

As for your review, ya know what's weird? Despite you saying how the show is very standard for the most part... that kind makes me wanna watch it? Like, I'll get more into this when I finally watch the movie for Crimson Moon and do the wrap-up post for it, but there's something to be said about beauty in simplicity.

Still, glad you had an overall decent time with it, since the trailer I saw didn't really seem to be doing the show any favors.

Switching from dub to sub was a tad weird.

But at the same time, it also allowed me to appreciate the casting of the dub all the more. They really nailed it on that front!

That aside, this movie was a fun time! It had everything good about the series proper, and while it doesn't quite wrap up as many plot elements as I'd like, it did enough to leave me overall satisfied.

Heck, thanks to having a movie budget, they were even able to improve upon alot of stuff that was weak in the actual anime. For example, all of the fight scenes in this movie are really dynamic, well animated, and fun to watch. There's alot notably alot more of them than the average set of Crimson Moon episodes does.

I think the thing that stood out to me immediately about this movie though is god damn is it nice to look at! The anime proper was already a pretty show, but add in a movie budget and the art style and animation really do stand out and look great! Even the CG gets a nice bump; Though not as noticeable of one as the bump between The Animation and Divine Flame.

And of course, with this being a Crimson Moon movie, all of the character interactions and the stories that the new characters introduced present are really interesting to see play out. Heck, it was nice to see that, technically, Michinaga is the big bad this time around, and finally seeing him get some sort of comeuppance was a real treat, ontop of the movie managing to still stay true to the ideologies of characters like Raiko.

It's such a shame that it's looking more and more like this film will never get dubbed, because I had alot of fun watching it. Almost every aspect of it really stood out. The atmosphere, the action, the characters, the animation... It's just a really well put together movie in general!

The wrap up post for the series as a whole will come tomorrow for the New Year!

Oh, and I suppose it's worth noting. This movie broke Garo tradition in that there actually isn't a brand new super mode that shows up out of nowhere for the climax.

Wow, i knew Garo The Animation had a movie, but had no idea they also made one for Guren no Tsuki! Also very nice write up, i lool forward to watching it myself.

Cool! As I said, nothing special, but nothing I regret watching.

I do plan to one day enter the realm of Garo, Toku and Anime, since it sounds neat how Crimson Moon is based on Japanese Mythology, a subject I've had interest in, along with history.

But here's to a new year, friends!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON GARO: CRIMSON MOON

I feel like I say this alot, but this show is kinda hard for me to talk about.

For those who read my Blassreiter reviews, you might remember how as the show continued to go, I found myself struggling more and more with actually finding anything worthwhile to say, as I didn't just wanna keep repeating myself about the various issues I had with that show over and over again. So in the end I ended up defaulting to just giving a play-by-play of the plot, because, well, what the heck else could I have done?

When it came to Crimson Moon, I kinda ended up in the exact same situation. Not because I found this anime to bad, not at all! Infact, if you want to just get my verdict right away, I actually liked this show alot! But therein kinda lied the problem. Almost every episode was not only one that I enjoyed, but it was for basically the same exact reasons every single week. So I eventually sort of just defaulted to writing my raw reaction to the scenario at hand for each episode, while doing my best to try and not spoil too much of it.

Not helping things on that front either is that the show is really simple. And if that sounds like an insult, then you should know something about my tastes in stories real quick. I firmly believe in the old saying of "Beauty in Simplicity."

Is Crimson Moon some incredibly complex plot with a ton of factors at play? No. Does it have characters who are super deep and introspective and provide some sort of grand question to make you think about human nature or some morally gray scenario? Also no. Does it do anything to revolutionize storytelling conventions or break the mold to become some standout piece you could never find anywhere else? Not by a long shot.

But you see, none of that matters, because Crimson Moon right from the outset knows what it wants to be and guns for it, and as such, even if you could easily throw out some commonly seen as negative terms such as "predictable" or "cliche" or "standard" at it, it pulls off what it does incredibly well and almost never falters on that front.

See, from my perspective, something alot of people, anime watchers especially, seem to not understand is that when it comes to stories with simpler goals in mind, there's alot less for them to mess up. Sure, plenty of elements of Crimson Moon are things alot of us have seen before, but all of those elements are still done really well in the context of its own story, characters, and atmosphere. To give a comparison to food, it's like how a basic pepperoni pizza is alot harder to mess up and often still tastes decent even if it's not the best. Whereas someone who decides they wanna innovate and puts peanut butter, a shoe, toothpaste, and slices of watermelon on a pizza probably isn't going to have the best results. Is it something not many have done? Will eating it have a big effect on you? Sure. But it's also far more likely to be a giant mess.

Thus, keeping in spirit with the nature of the show, while I a gonna be doing the same sort of pros and cons that I normally do, I feel it's going to be alot simpler and more to the point than normal. Let's get into it.

THE BAD

-Episode 15. This episode's' title is "The Worst" and my god is that appropriate because it was easily the worst thing that this show had to offer. Ontop of having subject matter that is very heinous and disrespectful if not outright sexist towards literally everyone, it's an episode that offers nothing of value. No character development, no advancement in the plot, no good jokes, nothing pretty to look at... Nothing! My advice? Outright skip this episode. You will miss literally nothing.

-The action sequences. This is kinda tricky for me to talk about, because the action scenes themselves and how Crimson Moon utilized them is something that's clearly done on purpose. Yes, almost every action sequence is brief, to the point, and many times isn't anything super stylish or special. But at the same time, it's clear that they were something that the minds behind this show purposely weren't intending to focus on. Every action scene is specifically designed to be something which moves either the plot or the characters forward, rather than being some sort of spectacle in and of themselves. While I personally feel the team made the right decision here, I could easily many taking issue with it since this IS part of a franchise that is somewhat known for its spectacle, fight scenes included. Yes, the fights are weak, but they serve a clear purpose, so I give them a pass.

THE GOOD

-The music. While not as a notable as the soundtrack for The Animation, this show still has some really standout tracks that will not only stick in your head, but tunes that you'll be able to notice and recognize instantly from the first couple of notes. The movie giving these songs orchestral remasters was highly appreciated too.

-The characters. Keeping in line with the anime before it, Crimson Moon's' character writing, while done differently from the style of Carved Seal of Flames, is still very well done. Nearly every character has a very clear cut and defined arc that they go through, ontop of being very likable in terms of personality and how they play off of eachother. Even the villains, despite being very stock for the most part, do a great job at showcasing how things like despair, rejection, and even the world itself contributes in creating conflict and "monsters" of which society at large as to deal with. Never once was an arc fumbled, and there was never a character of which I out and out hated.

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Favorite Character: Hakamadare. This dude is just all around great, and it's very easy to see why. He's got an all around well done character arc, a great voice actor, and almost every episode that focused on him was really engaging in terms of plot and character drama. The way his style of life is like is a total foil to Raiko's' made for some really interesting stuff, and he was always a joy to watch whenever he was on screen. Of the Silver Knights that I've experienced within the franchise so far, Zanga is definitely my favorite.

Favorite Episode: Episode 15: Hakamadare. It's only fitting that the best character also offers the best episode right? This was an episode which proved that the writers knew what they were doing and what they wanted to focus on. The atmosphere was engaging, the character writing was top notch, and it was overall just a really well done episode. In my opinion, it takes a special sort of talent to make the viewer care about one-off characters, especially if they disappear once the episode is over, but man did this episode pull it off fantastically. If you somehow come out of this episode thinking it was bad, then clearly Crimson Moon just isn't the show for you.

With all that done, let's get to the wrap up.

OVERALL RATING AND FINAL THOUGHTS

Garo: Crimson Moon is a show that is simple, straightforward, and to the point in terms of everything that it says and does. It doesn't revolutionize, it doesn't strive to be life changing, and it doesn't pull any sort of out there twists. But that's part of what makes it work as incredibly well as it does. By focusing almost entirely on fundamentals, it allowed the show to just be what it is: A really well told story about the ups and downs of people and society, and how we should always strive to improve upon our ourselves and the situations we find ourselves in.

Is it going to anyone's' all time favorite anime? Probably not. Was the first anime better? I think so. But is it one that I'll remember fondly from here on out? Most definitely. If this really is the worst entry in the franchise, then I should be able to expect nothing but good things from every other entry going forward. In the end, I give this anime a 4/6. Its nothing ground breaking, but it's an overall really well done work for what it is and I do recommend checking it out if you're interested.

so once again I find myself asking: what's next?

To be honest I have no idea. Whatever it ends up being, I'm taking a bit of a break from these write-ups now that the busy season of my job is over, meaning that I have alot of videogames, comics, and other shows to catch up on. Once those are out of the way though, I'll probably just pick something at random unless a specific show is deemed a priority.

If you do get around to watching dagwon since I know it's on your list, the entire series can be found subbed on youtube, one of the fansubers uploaded the entire thing- to last time I checked there is one episode missing from the playlist

Heyyy, I'm still alive(mostly)! TL;DR at the bottom!

If anyone was wondering, yes, I am still interested in keeping this project going. It's just that lately I've been busy catching up on a bunch of other videogames, anime, and whatnot that piled up during the extended busy season of my work. Real life stuff has also been getting in the way of alot of my free time.

I'm not sure as to when exactly I'll get back into the swing of things, but with any luck, it'll be soon. That said, I was having trouble thinking of which show to do next.

I mean yeah, I could've just had Random.org choose the show like how I usually do, but for some reason in my brain that just didn't feel right to me this time. But just recently, I rewatched all of Toei Spider-Man, and I realized something.

This year is actually the 60th Anniversary of Spider-Man! As such, I feel it's only right that at some point this year, I cover one of the two anime that I know Stan Lee himself was involved in. Those anime being Heroman and The Reflection. Don't know what those are? Well, lemme give you a small preview.

Heroman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7oi4IOuw5Y

"Poor, short, and unathletic Joey Jones has always been picked on by the rich kids at his school. But when a lightning bolt turns a toy robot he salvaged from the trash into a hulking, remote-controlled bruiser, Joey becomes the only thing standing between humanity and a terrifying race of alien invaders, The Skrugg. If he's going to save the world, however, he's going to need the help of his friends Psy, Lina, and Professor Denton, along with more courage than he ever knew he had."

The Reflection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV1Qvp7c3o0

"After THE REFLECTION, some of the people in all parts of the world are discovered with super powers. Some become heroes, and others villains. How did The Reflection happen? What was the cause of it? With many unsolved mysteries, the world is lead into turmoil."

Here's where you guys come in. Which one seems like the more interesting watch? I'll cover whichever gets the most votes first. If there's not alot of interest or this poll ends in a tie, I'll just flip a coin and go from there. Again, not sure when exactly I'll start this next watch, especially since I'm now watching along with Die's' Zi-O thread, but it'll hopefully be soon.

TL;DR: Considering watching either Heroman or The Reflection next. Which one do you want it to be?

I was going to link Sky Show, since that's the sole reason to watch The Reflection, but I guess I'm just too new to do that. Anyway, do Heroman. It's a nicely packaged story.

Is Majin Bone on your list?

I know this isn't a recommendation thread or anything, but I thought I'd throw my one cent into the pot.

It's a toku-esque anime from Toei Animation in 2014 and it has that 3D-2D distinction Daikaijuman wanted from Shikizakura (ironically, the two other card game arcade game-inspired anime I've seen also share this quirk; see Dinosaur King or Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter).

From what few episodes I've seen, it's a fun show. The suits seem pretty cool, at least, for being sourced from the arcade game. The OPs are also complete bops, IMO.

Yeah, it's on the list. People brought it up before. Not exactly sure when I'll get to it though, since I've now decided on the next two shows I plan to watch.

Awesome!!

Hijacking this thread, once again, to talk about a show I've been watching as it aired, which as I write this, have just finished the series. But without further ado-

So long as justice exists, so too shall evil. Yet between this eternal conflict there is a battle that goes unseen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eRsIcCXL4Q

Kaijin Kaihatsubu No Kuroitsu-San, or Miss Kuroitsu and the Monster Develpoment Department, a show about the bureaucracy of Evil Organizations and the people who create the monsters our favorite Heroes destroy week-to-week! Now at first glance, it looks like another B Anime you'd likely see, but never linger on, but this show is like a pure love-letter to Tokusatsu and its tropes.

Now I've read some of the Manga, yet that doesn't even come close to how much is in the show itself, especially since a lot of it is Anime original. For example (it's literally the start of the show), we get to see Japan's Local Heroes appear throughout the show, actual heroes who represent the various prefectures, like mascots but Toku Heroes, and we get to see a different group(s) every episode! It's one thing to just have them appear in the background, but here, we get to see them animated, and the show even credits them. I wouldn't have minded if they weren't here, but their inclusion only makes me love this even more.

Anyway, back on topic. The show follows Kuroitsu, a young woman who works for the Evil Organization, Agastia, in the Monster Development Department, tasked with creating monsters to defeat their archnemesis, Kenshin Blader. However, Kenshin Blader is the least of her troubles, as creating monsters isn't exactly an easy job, what with budget, supplies, the demands of you superiors, and just plain design. I figure I don't need to say more, since I'm sure anyone familiar with Tokusatsu can figure out just how well things go. But it's not just limited to "so what will we make the monster of the week this time?" there is, as I mentioned before, the bureaucracy of Evil Organizations.

This show blends work culture and Tokusatsu evil organizations in a way that makes this entertaining in just about any scenario. And it's not just limited to the villains either, since the Heroes have their own fair share of problems, but I'll leave it here. It's also got a lot of voices you've probably heard in Tokusatsu a few times before like, Hikaru Midorikawa (Gridman), Tetsu Inaba (Ichigo's backup voice), Tomokazu Sugita (King Crystalia), and Takuma Terashima (Ultraman Taiga) as Kenshin Blader. (Looking at this, it looks like I'm one of those narrators for blockbuster movies listing off the talent)

Of course, as much as I've praised this show, it is not without flaws. Again, it looks like every cut-and-paste Anime you'd glance at while browsing for whatever show you're actually watching and simply pay it no mind. This, like Shikizakura, is by a new studio, and the animation quality isn't something you'd write home about (not that animation plays any major critiques for me anyway), and to most people, it's "just another Anime." Sure, it's nothing spectacular, neither is it My Hero Academia, One Punch Man, or Madoka, but to me, someone who loves Tokusatsu and just funny shows in general, this was an enjoyable season regardless. It's no masterpiece, or even close to something you'd put in your Anime Shrine (I'll be honest, I'd consider owning it), but it's something I had fun with, even if you know exactly what's coming just by looking at the character designs. (The best, and my favorite character will be obvious)

Well, this probably won't be the end of me bringing in more Toku Anime, as there's another one on the horizon, I'll likely be covering after it's run its course. Until then, have a nice day, and don't disappoint your Great Leader, or else you'll be their next test subject!

That actually sounds like alot of fun. Will definitely keep it in mind for the future!

Episode 1: Ceremony

This premiere was everything that I wanted the first episode of Dynazenon to be.

I absolutely adore a well done atmosphere, especially if it's successfully pulled off in a show's' first episode. It's one of the quickest ways to get me hooked.

The first two minutes really set the tone for the entire episode right off the bat; No music, with the only sounds being those found in nature. Heck, there's almost no dialogue either. And all with great direction to pull it altogether.

Even after the opening, in which the action first starts to kick in, it's very clear this isn't your typical superhero action show. All throughout the episode is an air of mystery, with pieces gradually being set in place for something greater, and yet again with a distinct style that I've only really seen come from this show.

What do I mean? Well, lemme introduce you to one of our leads, I-Guy.


Okay so there's alot for me to unpack here. First off, and right off the bat, I absolutely adore the art style that this anime has going for it; The character designs especially. The idea is very much to be a comic book in motion, and while sure, the frame rate of said animation might take some getting used to, especially for more modern anime viewers, it's a style that certainly stands out!

As such, you'll have to forgive me if, throughout this coverage of The Reflection, that a majority of my screencaps are character shots. Again, the character designs in and of themselves are really creative and I dig the hell out of them. If nothing else, the show ended up being really worth it to me on style alone. But don't let that fool you! There's certainly alot more to this that I'll talk about later on.

But I kinda already spiraled into a tangent, haven't I? After all, what exactly IS the deal with this Iron Man lookin' guy anyway?

Well as I said, this is I-Guy, one of our leads for the anime. And without going too much into it, he's the one who's' story will be presented as the anime's' "subplot." But, full disclosure? Screw that. This dude is great, and I'll be talking as though his tale is the center focus of the show throughout the rest of these posts. And lemme tell ya, he certainly knows how to make an entrance!

My man straight up flies through New York battling a Frog Man and a Bat Boy, all while blasting the in-universe 80s hit "Sky Show" over the speakers in his suit. Clearly meant to be his theme song, he even goes so far as to hack all of the monitors in Time Square just to blast the song all over the place.

The choreography of the fight is pretty cool too, and does a good job at showing just how much the art style does for the show. There's lazers, flying through walls, the monitors of the Square changing to match the flow of the fight... all kinds of good stuff. And in the end, when I-Guy has to face off against the Man Bat's' sonic wave attack, there's a nice bit of foreshadowing too, but that's for a later episode.

There's a good look into the personality of this mysterious superhero too, as when the press asks him if he can protect New York from now on, his response is simply:

"Sorry, I live in LA."

Before flying off. Which in itself is a funny line, but also cements that he's a bit of a showboat, as if the hijacking of big screens didn't do that already.

...Oh right, I mentioned another plot going along during this story, didn't I?


This is X-On, our other protagonist, and is the one of which will be presented the "main" hero of our story. And ya know, it's not even that I dislike the guy, it's just that, compared to I-Guy? It's like no contest. Regardless, I will do my best to give X-On his fair shake.

His involvement is actually alot more understated in this episode, as he mainly fights against two other super-powered people in the back alleys of New York, all while a freelance photographer who can teleport takes pictures of him.

X-On's' battle against a guy made of water and a dude who can shoot tendrils out of his wrists isn't nearly as flashy as I-Guy's' fight, but it's still neat to see, and does a good job at establishing X-On's' superpower: The ability to copy the superpowers of others. It's during this that the special department of the police which handles "Reflected" related incidents is also established.

...Oh yeah, I haven't exactly told you all anything about the lore/plot of this yet, have I?

Well that'd be because neither does this episode up until the very end. Basically, three years before the start of our tale, a cataclysmic event where a strange light and smoke rained down from the skies worldwide. This event, which came to be known as "The Reflection" killed many, but many of those who survived ended up with mutations or superhuman abilities, and came to be knwon as "The Reflected." Which of course, considering this is Stan Lee, came with many complications such as discrimination, criminal organizations, the works.

Lastly, I wanna take a second to highlight that the music of this show is rather good too. And I'm gonna start off by linking the anime's' ending theme, "SunSunSunrise" by 9nine. And yes, that is literally them in the first couple minutes of the show. Them and their music exist in-universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7nKJ8v_iFc

With all of that out of the way, the stage is set. What caused The Reflection? Who are I-Guy and X-On? And just what is this mysterious organization that aided in the escape of the criminals who were defeated? All of these questions and more will be brought to the forefront eventually, but until then, we're in for an interesting ride if nothing else.

Episode 2: Survivors

Well, I started off the music showcases with the ED, so now I might as well do the OP, which is generically titled "Main Theme."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPvZfdYG1M

Generic title aside, I do rather like this song. Not only does it harken back to old school hero show theme songs like Superman, X-Men, what have you, but it definitely helps to make things feel as though something big is going on all throughout the plot.

Speaking of plot, that's essentially what this episode is all about; Establishing motives for alot of the cast we've met so far, ontop of giving some lore to the universe that this anime takes place in. We actually get to see The Reflection event take place worldwide, and some of the consequences that came of it. There's also more elaboration on the reasons that the events of the first episode were even happening.

Oh, and speaking of our cast, well, look who's here!


This is Mr. Mystic, and yes, he is infact voiced by Stan Lee himself. All that is known about him right now is that he's a telekinetic who's working with the established villains of the show.

Which brings me to something else that I wanna bring up real quick: Good luck remembering anyone's' name or superhero title without reading the credits every episode, because they are said very few times throughout the show's' run. For some examples, the Frog Man? His name is apparently Fearsome Frog. The Russian Ninja who can set everything on fire? She's called Flaming Fury. These titles are not said at all in the entirety of the two episodes so far.

Anyway, the background we get established is all well and good, but thankfully the episode also does give us a step forward too. X-On recruits the Freelance Teleporter to help him investigate someone or something known as "Wraith" and, more importantly, we get to know more about I-Guy!


Yes, he is infact taking a nap on the wing of a plane. Love this guy.

Turns out his civilian identity is Ian Izzet, a one-hit wonder of the 80s who lost his ability to sing after The Reflection happened. Wanting to desperately return to show business, he gathered a team to help him create the superhero known as I-Guy. And I gotta say, it was alot of fun getting to hear just all of the background chatter that was going on that we didn't get to hear throughout the battle of episode 1. Does a great job at adding alot of personality to Ian and his crew, which in turns makes them fun to watch.

And that's about it! Really, while I did separate the two episodes here, it does feel like you are meant to watch the two back-to-back as one longer episode. And given how much praise I gave to episode 1, episode 2 as an extension of the previous one is absolutely fine by me.

Episode 3: Lisa

No I-Guy in this one; It's all about X-On, Eleanor(Freelance Girl), and most importantly, a girl they run into on their adventure, Lisa(pictured above).

Things kick off pretty quick, as we learn that while Eleanor is certainly a talented hacker and investigator, she's not very good at covering her tracks, as her efforts into investigating the mysterious Reflected known as Wraith results in her house getting burned down by Flaming Fury.

Still, she atleast got herself and X-On a lead; Two girls disappearing on the same day at the exact same time, with a mysterious, shadowed over figure in the background both times. And so, the pair set off in Eleanor's' junker of a car to investigate these strange disappearances and hopefully not get burned alive.

Despite the episode being almost entirely about Lisa, we do get some nice background on Eleanor here. Needless to say, she's had it rough her entire life. Her twin brother died during birth, and her parents have blamed her for it ever since. Then, once The Reflection happened and she got the power to teleport, she was cast out of the family entirely.

X-On also drops some backstory on why some Reflected are full on mutants while others look like average people on the outside; Allegedly, those who inhaled the smoke and survived became creatures like Fearsome Frog, whereas those bathed in the light remained "normal" looking, like Eleanor. Or so people claim. The event itself knocked alot of people unconscious, so no one really knows for sure.

It's here that it's clear what the show is gunning for in terms of its superpowers: Personality Powers. Not the first show to ever do it by any stretch, but it's a story element that I tend to rather like, as it helps to highlight key character traits, and can sometimes make for neat action scenes too. It also gives another meaning to the title of the anime, which is nice.

But the important person here is Lisa, isn't it? Lisa is a girl who was born unable to use her legs, and thus uses a wheelchair to get around. Despite what many would consider a setback, she lives a pretty full life. She loves comic books, is a track star, and even keeps an assortment of collectibles; Most notably a toy robot her dad gave her when she was young. Her dad tends to smother her regardless though.

Things get dicey though when two Reflected known as Steel Ruler and Putrid bust onto the scene to kidnap Lisa, claiming that Lisa is also a Reflected and that her powers just haven't awakened yet. And they're right, because when Putrid uses his power of transforming into a literal meat grinder to threaten Lisa and her father, Lisa responds in kind by TRANSFORMING HER WHEELCHAIR INTO A GIANT ROBOT HOLY CRAP!


And it's actually the toy robot her dad gave her, which is a sweet touch.

Even Putrid's' secondary power of being able to regenerate doesn't do him much good against a giant bombardment of lazer fire, and the heroes escape to live another day as the villains watch on, claiming their mission was a success regardless. Interesting...


Overall, this was a decent oneshot about not just introducing a new character, but showing off more backstory and personality to X-On and Eleanor. We learn X-On has other allies hiding in the shadows, and that he's also a snarky douche. Eleanor, meanwhile, has alot of baggage and is looking for purpose in her life. And Lisa, well, I already went into detail about her. The only real critique I have of this episode is that the voice direction for Lisa's' dad was uh, not ideal!

As for which song I plan to show off today, I decided to go with "Battle Begins."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udW_JSLEIOw

Sure, the episode isn't really action heavy outside of the climax, but it's a theme that definitely stands out given the show's' minimalist style. Plus, the fights the episode does have are cool, especially on the side of Steel Ruler, who really gets to show off her powers alongside Lisa here.

Episode 4: New Orleans

This episode highlights what is probably my biggest critique of The Reflection as a whole: And that's the lack of balance between the two ongoing storylines.

Last episode, X-On got an entire episode all to himself, so here you might think that I-Guy would get the same treatment. And, heck, it certainly looks like it's gonna be that way at first. But no. Sadly, this episode is still 60% X-On(although I guess more specifically, Eleanor). Which double sucks because the I-Guy plot is far, far more interesting.

On the X-On side of things, the group realizes that one of Wraith's' next targets is likely in New Orleans, and so they head there to head them off. There's some cute interactions with Lisa along the way, and once there, they learn of two more Reflected who have also been kidnapping others of their kind. These two being known as Merchant and Trader.


There's a few other things to this too, such as showing off the racism of the locals(who refer to The Reflected as "Reffers"), X-On being a dick, and showing that the overuse of one's' powers tires them out ala Lisa, but these things are all far less compelling than what I-Guy's' story brings to the table.

Because you see, I now get to finally present to you all what is without a doubt the best thing in this entire show; Sky Show.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LskGq1edF5A

This is the first episode where we get to hear a good chunk of the song uninterrupted, and god DAMN is there a good reason this song is regarded as a huge pop hit in-universe. No joke, this song is awesome, and composer Trevor Horn really outdid himself here. Speaking of him...


Yeah, he's in this show as himself too, just like 9nine. This anime has alot of that, huh? Anyway, Trevor Horn composed the entire soundtrack for The Reflection, including the anime-as-hell ending theme SunSunSunshine. And he did a wonderful job.

So what exactly is Ian/I-Guy going through? Well, he's essentially having an identity crisis. I-Guy is becoming really popular with the people of LA despite some criticisms from the media, and it's in a drunken stooper that Ian comes to think that, essentially, I-Guy is replacing Ian in the eyes of the public. Despite being the one behind Sky Show, Ian has basically been forgotten, and the song itself is now more attributed to I-Guy, to the point that some are now even calling the hero Sky Show rather than his actual hero name.

We also learn what Ian's' power actually is and why it destroyed his singing career. Turns out, if he lets his voice get to too high of a pitch, then it sends out sonic waves that cause major damage to the surrounding area. All the lazers that I-Guy uses in fights? Yeah, turns out those are powered by Ian's' voice. At the end of the day it is just a suit.

Heck, I-Guy even very easily upstages Ian during a show at a private party. Ian can't sing, but all I-Guy has to do is just show up and play Sky Show over his speakers and people cheer. I was super into this character arc and wanted to keep going with it, but unfortunately, it's cut short in favor of the X-On plot, and it's unfortunately a sort of reoccurring thing that The Reflection will be guilty of from here on out.

I've seen examples with dual plotlines getting proper balance(see: s-CRY-ed), but unfortunately, this anime isn't one of them, and it's a damn shame.

Episode 5: Vy and Michael

This one is actually kinda hard for me to talk about.

Not because it has any sort of sensitive info, or it's confusing, or anything like, but more just due to how incredibly straight-forward it is.

And don't get me wrong, that's not really a bad thing, but let's just say that when it comes to storytelling, the episode works just fine, but when it comes down to emotional impact, well, this one fell short for me.

So what's it about? Well first and foremost there's no I-Guy in it; This episode is all about Merchant and Trader, who we soon come to know as Vy(pronounced "Vee") and Michael. Their origin, their personalities, and why they kidnap other Reflected and keep them sheltered.

Michael was a gambler who lost his eyesight when a beam of light hit him during The Reflection, but in exchange, he gained the ability to only see other Reflected, as well as if they were showered by the light or swallowed by the smoke. In contrast, his lover Vy was turned into a giant monster who acts primarily on instinct. She listens to Michael's' commands, but harbors deep resentment.

And there's some decent thematic storytelling beats here; How both are hiding behind their owns shells after what happened to them, the way Eleanor manages to get through to them both, and how Vy eventually breaks out of her shell in order to motivate and protect the one she loves. It's just that, to me, it feels all a bit too rushed and isn't presented in the type of way in which to get me personally invested in it.

Like, for example, this is the primary song that plays throughout alot of the episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVdM3Qns-YI

And it's an absolutely great song! However, it's what primarily does all the carrying when it comes to the emotion of the episode; Atleast for me. Nothing else really, from the visuals, to the acting, to the characters, really even comes close. Not that those things are bad mind you, but they just don't go all in like how this song does. And it's a shame, because this show has proven it's able to pull something like that off: Just look at I-Guy!

Still, for what it is, it's fine. In terms of plot, all that really happens is that the hiding spot for the Reflected that Michael has been kidnapping gets raided, resulting in all of them being kidnapped by the bad guys. Thus leaving only our usual group plus Michael and Vy left. We also get introduced to a new Reflected called Volt Vortex(pictured below). And all this after they'd finally found the girl that they were looking for, too. Still, the moment where Lisa gets rescued from the boy who Eleanor rescued last episode was a nice touch, atleast.

In the end, it's one of the weaker episodes, but I still enjoy it for what it is.


Oh! And I also decided to look up who did the character designs for the show, since I love them so much. Turns out they're done by Yoshihiko Umakoshi, who would later go on to be the primary character designer for My Hero Academia, and was also one of the character designers for Casshern Sins, one of my favorite anime of all time.

I just watched the first episode of Love after World Domination, which is basically a romcom in the vein of Boarding School Juliet (if you haven't checked it out, you should) with tokusatsu and Sentai trappings.

And by Sentai trappings, I mean they go pretty all out in terms of the archetypes, transformations, action, and how they handle the team. It felt very faithful in that respect, with the added addition of some sweet romance.

I'm usually not one for romance, but hey, I'll add it to the list and if people want me to talk about it, sure, I'll give it a chance. Thanks for letting me know about it!

Same here, but as is my usual schtick, I was going to deliver a review after it was finished, but as of the first episode I found it entertaining.

Also, the motif for the Sentai team is hilarious.

Episode 6: San Antonio

This is an episode that starts kinda weak, but only gets better as it goes.

Upfront, it's so strange that they decided to title this episode "San Antonio" when said area only has to do with maybe 3 minutes of the entire episode?

Anyway, Team X-On is on the move trying to rescue more members of the Allen family, but unfortunately, the villains keep beating them to the punch. While there are some new faces(whose names are never revealed), others return.

Though the newbies feel like blatant ways of just showing off more superpowers(a fish man, a guy who can phase through matter, an illusionist), it was nice to get more personality out of characters like Flaming Fury and Dead Wing(the man bat from the first two episodes).

Where things start getting good though is when we're introduced to a new character: Margarette, who hasn't seen her daughter Nina in 20 years. A good chunk of what makes the majority of this episode work is not just the atmosphere but also alot of great little character moments sprinkled about. Eleanor having "WTHX-ON" as her laptop password was great.

Really though, the scene that was probably carried best by all of this is when the group decides to head to LA to find Nina. The scene with everyone in the car talking about their own relationships with their families was fantastic. It's also here that we learn that Lisa calls her wheelchair "Big Wheel" which is a shout out to the (in)famous Spider-Man villain of the same name. And it's also here that was finally meet Wraith(pictured above).

With how active the villains are in this one, I felt it only appropriate that the song of the post be "Here Them Come" which plays whenever the villains are on the move.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq2qjsdnO04

The climax of the episode works well enough: Mother and Daughter reunited and making amends, and then a standoff between our heroes and antagonists. Where it got real good though, was when a familiar song can be heard faintly from above...


Both when I first watched this anime and now that I'm rewatching it, I got super excited at the prospect of the two plots finally intersecting. And it also helps makes sense as to why Margarette and Nina are the last of the Allen family to be kidnapped; I-Guy has been putting a stop to pretty much all crime in LA, so of course the villains have to do a concentrated push here! It's a great hook to end the episode on, and makes me excited for the next.

Episode 7: Team I-Guy

While a bit of a mixed bag, I still come out overall liking this episode.

Things start off really strong though with the first half of the episode being an all out brawl between the Reflected, and man is it cool!

I really can't say much more than that really, as it's an action sequence that I just highly recommend watching for yourself. This episode is full of great artistic direction, and the fight is one of the two reasons why.

In the end though, Margarette ends up sacrificing her life in order to save Nina, and while this would be strong enough on its own, the middle section is kinda where the episode stumbles. Why? Because X-On decides to blame I-Guy for the entire mess.

I've complained before about stuff like this when it came to other shows like SSSS.Gridman or even recently with Kamen Rider Zi-O; But if you don't know, I absolutely cannot stand when a story tries to paint a character as an asshole without having any legs to stand on. X-On really has no business pinning blame on I-Guy when X-On has been nothing more than a selfish douchelord throughout this entire show.

It would be one thing if it were simply an outburst due to emotions running high, but it's not. The way the episode is framed we are honestly meant to think that somehow it's I-Guy's' fault that the fight went south even though it was a situation no one could've done anything about. And making things even dumber is how X-On goes right back to being a dick immediately after. It's nonsense.

But, after that, and even if the setup is pretty weak, the rest of the episode is spent with I-Guy, and boy does most of it pay off really well. We get more of a look into Ian's' past, and a bit about how his production crew would later on evolve into his mission control which would help I-Guy take form. Ian is of course frustrated due to the whole affair of the night, but he comes around to celebrate with his friends over drinks and music. We even get a glimpse into the production of Sky Show, and just how much that song means to everyone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Am3zzHdQo

It's not all ups though, because while Ian is out roaming the streets to clear his head, Wraith soon appears to Ian, rewarding Ian with money for staying away from the home base for an extended period. Ian immediately realizes the implications and rushes home, and what follows is simultaneously one of the best and worst sequences in the entire show.


Ian returns home, finding that all of his friends have been murdered. The art direction and atmosphere throughout this entire sequence are fantastic, with no sound other than Ian's' heavy breathing, and a final message recorded by Ian's' friends. Barely any visuals either outside of flashing red alert lights, which give us small glimpses around the murder scene. And all set to the pre-recorded message of Ian's' friends celebrating how they finished a new and improved version of the I-Guy suit, and how they know Ian has what it takes within him to become a true hero.

It's an incredibly well done scene that I was super into, but I'll also fully admit that killing off the crew is something done a bit too early. I get wanting to give Ian motivation to hunt down Wraith, but that could've been done via the death of Margarette, or heck even just having the base be attacked without any death, as it's such a shame that now, we'll never get to know more about Ian's' crew: Their backstories, their dreams, their family, nothing. The show still gave me enough to think that this scene works well for what it is, but it could've been so much more for sure.

Overall, this episode has some really strong highs, it's just unfortunate that it has a really steep low in the middle and debatablely the end. Either way though, Ian remains the best character, and that ain't gonna change.

Episode 8: Beef or Fish?

The title comes from a weird non-sequitur scene with the idol girls towards the end of the episode. Why they went with it, I have no idea.

Anyway, cool episode for the most part!

To me, the primary times that this show shines are when it's focusing on its characters and atmosphere, and that is no more apparent than in this episode, which is almost entirely dialogue.

The primary "plot" is about Eleanor meeting with Steel Ruler, who offers Eleanor a deal: If Eleanor gives herself up to Wraith, then Wraith will release all of the kidnapped Reflected in exchange. There's also some small background details offered up about X-On, but really, none of that is what matters.

What does matter is the glimpses we get into the lives of, well, basically everyone else in the episode, primarily Steel Ruler and I-Guy.


It's in episodes like this where the show's' minimalist style really shines. The handful of flashbacks we get into Steel Ruler's' backstory were absolutely great to watch, and added a great dimension to an already cool character. The story of a homeless girl in Detroit, who one days finds herself stabbed during a mugging, only to be saved by the smoke from The Reflection... man that was great.

I-Guy's' involvement in the episode is alot less, but it's still cool to see. He's essentially become Batman now; Seeking revenge for his fallen friends and now driving around in a new car on top of sporting a suit that appears to be black instead of blue.


And finally, I feel like I now really need to highlight the show's' use of soundtrack. I've been making it a point to showcase various songs from the anime throughout these posts, but the way in which they're utilized throughout The Reflection is really cool and not something I see very often. The minimalism of the show serves to really highlight how every song is used, as you don't get to hear the soundtrack itself very often. As such, it really makes it feel as though every single episode has its own unique soundtrack and I dig the hell out of it. Heck, the song used throughout most of this episode?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOjkbgU-QfI

Great song on its own, but having it play during specific moments, especially those flashbacks with Steel Ruler, really only makes those scenes all the more powerful, and I really gotta give it to the sound designers on this.

Overall, the atmosphere of this episode was spot on, and it made for a really interesting watch. Good stuff.

Episode 9: Downtown L.A.

Not gonna lie, this episode was a whole lotta nothing.

Does the plot get advanced in any major way? Not really. Is there any big character developments or atleast some nice interactions? Nope.

Eleanor decides to take the deal of joining Wraith in exchange for releasing the other Reflected(which, funnily enough, Steel Ruler outright admits is a trap), and the government attempts to tail them in the most obvious way ever.

As such, the entire first half of the episode is dedicated to a car chase which, when you're involving people with superpowers, you'd think could be really cool, but unfortunately the show's' more subdued style really doesn't lend itself to a super exciting chase sequence.

The feds fail in keeping track of Eleanor, and so they decide to arrest Team X-On(for some reason), and it's here we learn that the government calls those who inhaled the smoke "Dark Reflected" and those bathed in the light "Brightstar Reflected." Wraith then begins to psychically call out to all Dark Reflected, causing Vy to run after him, thus providing a lead as to where Eleanor is.

This catches the attention of Ian, whose car we learn has an AI in it, so I guess he's also Night Rider now. Oh, and the idol group we've been following throughout the show is also now in America, so they're finally about to get fully involved in the plot. And... and that's literally the entire episode, really. Some meandering and pedantic talk aside, that's it. It really is the type of episode that could've been like six minutes instead of the full 22.

So uh, not great! I guess all I can do is end this post off with my usual music showcase. So this time I'm gonna go with "My Daily Life" which plays whenever the idols are the focus of a scene.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIbDnfz8Oho

Atleast things are going to pick up from here on out.

Episode 10: Eleanor

This episode was nonstop character drama, which of course means I loved the hell out of it.

The short of it is that while everyone is fighting it out in the home base of Wraith, Eleanor is making contact with Wraith himself, which leads Eleanor into making a life altering decision.

The biggest highlights of this episode are the one-on-one bouts that happen between certain characters. X-On and Steel Ruler, I-Guy and Dead Wing, and of course, Eleanor and Wraith. Each of these feel like a huge leap forward in alot of the arcs that have been going all throughout the anime.

Steel Ruler is the one who shines in the first match-up: Berating X-On for being such an uncaring dick while showing more of her humane side that we saw a couple episodes ago. It's clear to me that she's envious of Eleanor, as while Eleanor has friends who care about her and help her along in her daily life, Steel Ruler very much does not, and she doesn't want to see that taken away from Eleanor, knowing how much of a precious gift that can be.

With the second match-up, it's a conclusion to a rivalry that has been going on ever since the story began, and it's here we learn why exactly Ian's' friends were killed: It was Dead Wing who did it, seeking revenge for all of the times that I-Guy humiliated him.

So what does I-Guy have to say about this particular revelation?


Quite alot!

And of course last and most importantly is Eleanor and Wraith, and to help set the mood, here is what I consider to be Wraith's' theme song, as it plays during the most important stretch of the episode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJJHIOEz84c

It's all talking with these two, with Wraith highlighting just how exactly he managed to get so many Reflected to follow him. He's very much a cult leader, with all the mind games and charismatic talk that comes with such a position. He reveals that he knows alot about Eleanor; Even triggering the memories of abandonment that Eleanor received from her parents and making a solid point about X-On's' trash behavior. The atmosphere here is incredibly spot on and sells the entire thing flawlessly.

And in the end, it leads to Eleanor being possessed by Wraith, and one final, big, revelation.


Wraith is actually Ethan, the brother of Eleanor who was allegedly dead for all these years. It's a wonderful hook and brings a level of credence to Wraith's' claims that Eleanor was the centerpiece of alot of the plot that's been going on over most of the show.

In the end, I feel like this episode highlights alot about what I love to see in this show, and makes for a great lead-in to the final stage.

Episode 11: White Sands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfU6nhWSQJo

This episode is all about conflict. Both internal and external.

The reason Wraith was abducting women of the Allen family is revealed: Many of them inherited the same power of being able to teleport via The Reflection, and such, Wraith brought them all together as a means of reaching out to more Reflected much easier.

The result is that hundreds of Reflected from across the United States are instantly teleported to the White Sands of New Mexico to hear Wraith speak. He gives a speach about everyone banding together to help mold the world into a place where the Reflected are accepted, and, rather realistically, while many are either on board or left to contemplate, there are just as many who have no intention of putting up with any of this and attempt to leave.

Wraith, however, anticipated this, and also anticipated how the US government would react to a bunch of Reflected gathering in one place at once.

Armed forces are sent in to dispel the situation, with every intent of using force should no one comply with their demands. This is already enough to get people to start panicking, but then Wraith strikes first, causing a riot to break out.

So you can see that the entire situation is incredibly dicey, with everyone responding to the ensuing chaos in their own way. Those aligned with Wraith of course fight the army in an effort to show the valiance of their cause, Team X-On does their best to keep both sides to fighting eachother to avoid bloodshed, many other Reflected and Soldiers fight in self-defense, and I-Guy and 9nine, being perhaps the smartest out of everyone there, just stay out of the situation in its entirely.

While all of this is really interesting for me to see play out in its own right, the biggest takeaway in this entire episode for me was how this episode also asked a question that I never thought about, but boy am I glad that it did.

Said question being: What if one of the survivors of The Reflection were hit by both the light and the smoke at the same time?


Because as it turns out, Eleanor was one such person, and highlights just how much Wraith is directly connected to her. He very much comes across as a piece of her broken psyche come to life, and with her accepting his words, hands reigns over to him as the dominant personality. Suddenly, the two sharing knowledge and Wraith being able to appear to her no matter where she was suddenly makes sense. Heck, Ian's' friends getting killed could be seen just as much as Eleanor's' negative feelings lashing out against Ian just as much as Dead Wing does.

The next episode is the finale, and it looks as though things are already getting wild. Excelsior!

Episode 12: The Reflection

This finale comes SO CLOSE to being perfect!

Okay, so here's the basic premise. Wraith manages to feed off of all the negativity circling the area now that the riot has broken loose, and thus begins to grow even stronger as a result.

Not only does he manage to possess nearly every Reflected there, but he begins to use his newfound power to summon an eldrich horror from beyond the skies as a means to plunge the world into eternal darkness. If he is doomed to be a being of negative emotion, then so too shall everyone else.

The action is intense, and the emotion runs incredibly high for every character involved. It's really great stuff!

And yet, in the end, who do I end up caring about the most?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSdd4S65BBI

Yeah, the idol group is actually a squad of magical girls who each control a different element, and they fight similar to how I-Guy does; Blaring their theme song as they battle. It's a match made in heaven!

That's not to say that I-Guy is outdone though. His rivalry with Dead Wing at long last comes to a close, and when everything starts to literally go to hell, who's the one leading the charge? I-Guy, and he doesn't care if he has to shred every bit of his armor to scrap in order to do it.

But it's not like only 9th Wonder(magical girls) and I-Guy get to shine. Pretty much everyone gets there moment here. From Lisa being determined to face life head on despite her struggles, to Michael and Vy reconciling, to Steel Ruler realizing that she doesn't have to live life in desperation anymore, pretty much everything comes together super well!

So of course, the one weak spot lies in what the show considers its two main characters: X-On and Eleanor.

Eleanor regains her senses from within Wraith pretty much out of nowhere, and while her speech about trying to find light in even the darkest times is great, it's sort of undermined by not only her just suddenly showing up out of nowhere, but also what they pull with X-On.

X-On, in a total bait-and-switch, is revealed to not actually be a Reflected, but actually a genetically altered superhuman experiment, and as such he not only still has his powers, but is able to copy Wraith's', and thus put in the bulk of the work in saving the day.

Now, it's not a complete misstep, since in the end, it's Ian who finishes Wraith off(excellent choice!), but man, it all would've been so much more powerful had it either been a unified effort, or heck, even just have Eleanor herself put a stop to everything after some introspection.

Regardless, Wraith is put to rest, and everything appears to be wrapping up for a happy ending.

...

...

...

And then the show decides to bait for a second season in the literal last moment. A second season which will, unfortunately, never happen, thus ruining the entire mood the episode had built up really well up to now and ruining any chance for an epilogue.

I've already stated in my talks about other shows that I can't stand things like this, and The Refection unfortunately serves as a prime example as to why. Yeah, sure, a second Reflection Event happening in the show's' universe is believable and would make a greating starting hook for a second season, but to serve as the ending to the show, and not giving a send off to all of these characters who've been built up all throughout? I don't agree with that choice at all. Major letdown.

Despite some minor setbacks though, I do still feel that the episode is a pretty solid finale overall, and left me with more positive feelings than negative.

Final thoughts post coming next time!

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE REFLECTION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuVZKpOaVDo

TL;DR: While far from perfect, I love this anime a whole lot!

But as per usual, in an effort to end on a high note, we're gonna start with the weak stuff first and then go into why I feel the show is worth watching.

When it comes right down to it, I feel like this was an anime that was absolutely begging to be either twice as long as it was, or at the very least be locked in for a second season right from the outset.

A couple of the character arcs are pretty rushed, and certain plot details are simply handed out without much elaboration. And unfortunately, that stings particularly true for two of the leads: X-On and Eleanor, who, while not outright terrible characters, could've used alot better of pacing.

The Reflection is also unfortunately the kind of show wherein what many would consider its biggest strengths, others would be extremely offput by, as seen by reception of the anime being rather mixed by what few who've seen it. It's such a unique beast that it was unfortunately doomed to be that way. Similar to, say, Kamen Rider Kuuga, as a frame of reference.

But hey, I am very much on the positive side of things when it comes to this show! There's so much cool and interesting aspects to it that, while I wouldn't call it one of my favorite anime of all time, I do like it alot! The art an animation being done to look like a classic comic book in motion, the incredible soundtrack, the engrossing atmosphere, all the unique minds coming together to make this thing happen(Stan Lee included!), and of course, some really good characters!


There's a reason I'm ending this set of reviews off with Sky Show. Not only is it the best song in the entire show, but it belongs to what is also the best character: Ian AKA I-Guy. The story of the man who lost what he considers makes him, well, him, and how he handles the aftermath of it was something that pulled me in immediately, only helped by his likable personality and the great chemistry he had with those around him. I wish he'd've been in the show more, and I've no doubt he would've had there been more than 12 episodes.

In the end, The Reflection, by its very nature, is not a show for everyone. But it most certainly is for me! While a second season is never going to happen due to various factors(Stan Lee being gone, having to get 9nine back, the show flopping, etc[heck, we'd be lucky to even see a DVD release]), I'm so glad I watched this show back when it aired, and had a great time rewatching it now, years later. It's a show where you can tell alot of love and care was put into it, and that made it all the better. It's not perfect, but for what it is, I had a good time, and I'm sad it's likely going to end up forgotten.

I give The Reflection a solid 4/6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKew-WxrTOY

Next up on the shows I plan to cover is Pacific Rim: The Black. See you whenever that happens!

I am familiar with Heroman being an Anime by Stan Lee (or at least heavily involved), but this one I had no idea existed, and I am interested in getting around to this one sometime. I have been glancing at your thoughts on each episode, and the images caught my attention, which I love how it looks like a western comic more than an Anime, and the suits look cool to boot.

I've yet to watch Season 2 of Pacific Rim: The Black, though I thought the first season was pretty good, much better than Uprising if anything, so I am curious to see how it wraps up, but I'll be sure to chime in on your trek through that one!

It just occurred to me I should probably pop in to actually say this, but I really do enjoy reading these posts from you, DreamSword. It's always especially great seeing you talk about some random obscure series you're passionate about, which has these made past few weeks a lot of fun. I might not have much to contribute to a discussion here, but it's also nice to follow along.

Yeah, thanks to your retrospective of the series at the very start of this thread, I’m actually considering watching the Kikaider anime somewhere down the line as well as SSSS Gridman considering I have long since finished the original live-action series of the latter which I ended up loving just as much as its US counterpart.

The artistry is definitely the thing that stands out the most for this show. While I certainly understand gripes people have voiced with the plot and whatnot, oh man, the art direction and music had me hooked from the getgo. Worth the watch for those if nothing else!

And of course, if you do check out either this or Heroman, then by all means, share your thoughts!

So uh, confession time! I've never actually seen either of the Pacific Rim movies.

I always WANTED to check them out, mind you, but they both came out at times where I was more focused on other things, and as such could never get around to them.

I plan to correct that soon, though. Does The Black require knowledge of the other two movies to enjoy? I plan to watch the movies beforehand regardless, but I am curious.

I know I've already said it to you a ton of times already, but for real, thank you for the kind words! I'm glad that people seem to enjoy atleast gleaning through this thread, even if they don't really have much to say.

Which I totally understand, mind you. I am well aware of my taste in anime that almost no one has heard of, haha. But hey, if people's' interest gets piqued, and even better if they end up checking these shows out, even if they end up hating them, then that's a victory for me.

!!!!

Well hey, if my inane ramblings somehow managed to catch your interest, then lemme just say that the shows present themselves better than I ever could! Thank you for reading through them!

And of course, if you do end up watching through either show, be sure to share your thoughts.

I'd say at least the first, to give you perspective of the world and how it works, since if you went in blind, there would be things that would make you ask, "Where do we live? Star Trek (I said as someone who knows just about nothing about Star Trek)?" That and the first being a great movie in general, and anyone into mechs would very much enjoy it.

The second is referenced in The Black, but honestly you don't need too much context from either movie to be honest (but as I said before, the first sets up the world and rules). The main issues in Uprising are the change in tone, turning some of the rules on their head poorly, trying to be modern Hollywood Franchise bait, losing everything that made the first Pacific Rim great, and a lackluster story. I don't like to dwell on negativity for things, as I loved the mech and Kaiju designs for both movies, but Uprising is definitely underwhelming, which fortunately The Black manages to pull off way better.

It's no Heroman, but Sky Show isn't a bad show.

...X On sucks tires though.

He's not great!

I just got done watching through both films, and, to put it lightly, I knew exactly what I was getting from like the first ten minutes of both movies.

One thing I've heard in passing about the first movie is that "it's a ripoff of Evangelion" and as someone who's actually seen alot more mecha shows than Eva, I didn't get it. Pacific Rim has alot more in common with 70s and 80s mecha anime such as Mazinger Z and Armored Troopers VOTOMs than it does with Evangelion.

And I mean that too. If you at all seen a mecha anime in your life, or heck, even a basic war movie, you essentially know upfront every single beat that the first movie is going to go through.

That's kinda what makes it fun to watch though?

Like, yeah, the movie is a total cliche, but it is UNAPOLOGETICALLY cliche, and embraces its simplicity in complete earnestness. So if you go with the intent of turning your brain off and just watching giant rips eachother to shreds like how many Godzilla fans do, then yeah, this is good for that.

It helps that alot of the cast is likeable too, most notably Mako, who I kinda felt like was the real main character of the movie? The Drifting scenes were the best aspect in this regard, as I love how it shows us little snippets of every pilot's' life in a really cool effect. While I felt alot of the character deaths were unfortunate, I get what they were going for, and there wasn't anyone in the cast of whom I out and out hated by the end.

Now, Pacific Rim: Uprising, on the other hand...

Maybe it's the fact that everyone warned me about this movie, maybe it's me being a total dum-dum, I dunno, but I actually kinda liked this movie?

Like, yeah, it's not as good as the first one, and yeah, the movie definitely could've stood to be like a half hour longer in order to flesh out the characters more, but as it was, I liked that it did feel like a proper follow-up to the first movie without resorting to just outright undoing the happy ending like how alot of sequels do.

There being an actual consequence for Newt Drifting with the Kaiju hivemind was great, the action was just as good if not better than the first movie, and whoever played Jake had awesome charisma that helped to carry the whole thing. Kaiju Mecha being an awesome concept in itself doesn't hurt either.

Plus, while still cliche like the first, this movie draws more from 80s and 90s mecha shows, which thematically is a good way to follow up on the various tropes that the first movie used.

Killing Mako off and retconning the Kaiju's' plan to be simply blowing up Mt. Fuji was bullshit though I will say.

In the end, these were both popcorn flicks to me. Didn't think too hard about 'em while watching; Just laid back and enjoyed the money on screen. Does that make them better or worse? Well, that's personal preference, but for me, I don't find the movies to be anything incredible, but they are a good way to kill a couple hours for sure.

I give both movies a 3/6.

Pacific Rim is a rip-off of Evangelion? That's news to me, shockingly.

I mean, I get they're both near the end of humanity stories with people building robots to fight back, but even after actually watching Evangelion, I don't see it at all, and just like you said, it feels more like Mazinger Z or other Mecha shows than it does Evangelion (for one thing Shinji's not here and there are no scumbag dads, or silver haired bringers of doom).

If I had to compare it in modern terms, it's like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, it's simple, nothing genre bending, groundbreaking, or even particularly influential, as there are things that have pulled it off better, and yet, it pulls off simple, marvelously. It's all in execution!

The thing that's such I love in this movie is the sense of scale here, which is something, oddly enough I don't consider much when I watch giant monster movies, but there was just something beautiful about how heavy the mechs felt, like every time they moved it felt like that scene in Jurassic Park when we first see the Brachiosauruses, just this majestic feeling of awe. Or, as someone who grew up on the Showa Era Godzilla films, it was almost like watching those again in a completely new way, it carried that spirit of old Tokusatsu with it, and that's how I've come to understand why that made this move so good.

And you know what? I actually have nothing against you enjoying Uprising. In fact, I'm almost glad that there are people who can find it in themselves to enjoy things commonly seen in negative light (look at me, I like the 1998 Godzilla and the Star Wars Prequels).

My issue with Uprising happens to be the tone, where the first felt like a true love letter to Kaiju and Mecha fans, keeping a somewhat serious tone and adding interesting flair to this kind of story, and some really great cinematography. While Uprising feels like a parody of said things, unable to really understand why Kaiju and Mecha are so beloved. Sure, there's the lack of weight to the Jaegers, sure, the plot feels like what people think the genre is about, and sure it is very much a Hollywood Franchise Bait movie, and there are things I can appreciate, like the Kaiju and Jeager designs, or the one that looks based off Ultraman, and the Kaiju Drones are a neat concept, but it just didn't work out for me. And yet despite how much I'm not a fan of this movie, there are movies that are lower on my list of bad movies, and also because I don't hold grudges that often.

The only thing I can truly say I despised about Uprising was this one song they used in every trailer, TV spot, and advertisement, it got old fast, and just became annoying. It's a meme now, moreso than the Trolololo song they used in the movie.

For something wholesome, though I'm afraid I can't find a video of it, there was an interview Guiellermo Del Torro did in Japan, and Pigmon shows up and he got really excited and was asking the interviewer to take a picture of him and Pigmon, saying "He's my favorite!" it's really sweet, and funny how he's also a huge Ultraman fan.