[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Nagisa and Honoka are obviously the highlights, and it's nice to see these two girls who felt like strangers turn into a powerhouse duo who managed to save multiple worlds twice over within a single season.

There's a line in the Hug movie where Nagisa proclaims "I am nothing without Honoka!" and having now seen the original show, that line hits way harder than before. They're such a good duo!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

That is awesome.

It's a really good shot!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

PreCure fandom can be split into three different eras of preference: Those who prefer when it was more of a parody of magical girl tropes (Futari wa through GoGo), when it became more standard magical girl fare (Heartcatch through Star Twinkle) and when it started simulcasting (Healin? Good to now).

I feel like all three eras have their ups and downs. Dunno if I'd be able to pick a specific one I favor, though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

The episode where Nagisa searches for and saves Honoka, who was consumed by darkness, is amazingly strong.

Oh yeah, that was easily the best episode of the second half.

[GuardianAngel87]

I am currently watching the Android Kikaider anime. I have already rewatched the first five episodes to basically refresh my memory from watching it the first time a couple of years ago and I already just finished its seventh episode.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

I am currently watching the Android Kikaider anime. I have already rewatched the first five episodes to basically refresh my memory from watching it the first time a couple of years ago and I already just finished its seventh episode.

Heck yeah! I hope you enjoy it.

[GuardianAngel87]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Heck yeah! I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, I managed to finish the Android Kikaider anime in its entirety not too long ago and it is a damn good series. I even just watched the OVA that served as a crossover between Kikaider and Inazuman. If I were to count some Toku-based anime into the mix for my top favorite Toku series of all time list, this particular incarnation of Android Kikaider would definitely be there somewhere. It is indeed that good complete with a very solid English dub.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

Thanks, I managed to finish the Android Kikaider anime in its entirety not too long ago and it is a damn good series. I even just watched the OVA that served as a crossover between Kikaider and Inazuman. If I were to count some Toku-based anime into the mix for my top favorite Toku series of all time list, this particular incarnation of Android Kikaider would definitely be there somewhere. It is indeed that good complete with a very solid English dub.

Happy to hear it! That makes a grand total of three Kikaider anime fans, haha!

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

I even just watched the OVA that served as a crossover between Kikaider and Inazuman.

I also watched this OVA. It's funny that it plays on the similarity between Jiro and Goro, who were played by the same actor in the original shows.

[DreamSword]

Episode #01: Beginning

What is Heroman?

Do you all remember The Reflection? If not, it was an anime helmed by Stan Lee, and the entire idea of it was an American comic in anime form.

And really, the idea is very much the same here. While it doesn't have the art style of a US comic book, Heroman very much aims to bring the general vibe of comics into an anime form, which leads to the show's' overall charm.

It's also why, for what might be the first time ever, I want to highlight the show's' ED before its OP in one of these posts, as I feel as though it does a great job at capturing the sort of spirit that the entire anime is basing itself off of. And it's just a really neat song and sequence ontop of that.

But beyond all of that, what's this show even about? Heroman is the story of Joey Jones, your average nerdy kid who lives in the West Coast town of Center City. That's right, the show takes place in the USA, and the very episode makes sure you know it, too. Anyway, Joey a meek high schooler who has to deal with things that would not be out of place in a Spider-Man story; You know 'em.

The Spider-Man comparisons are very much intentional, too. To the point I very much feel that they were done on purpose. We've got Joey as an expy of Peter, his friend Lina as a stand in for both Mary Jane and Gwen, and big bully Will is very much the Flash Thompson of the show. But don't worry, despite the very obvious influences, Heroman will put in the effort to differentiate itself in many ways as it goes on.

And with the Spider-Man comparisons comes superheroics of course! But one immediate difference between Joey and Spidey is that Joey himself isn't actually Heroman. That's actually the name of his robotic companion. And Heroman doesn't come to life via a radioactive spider bite, but rather his origin is a bit more mystical with Joey's' toy robot getting struck by a bolt of lightning during a bad storm. And thankfully there's no dead uncles required for a hero to be born this time around.

Though I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself in all of this. What exactly does the first episode detail? Well, it is very much an origin story and nothing but one. And I actually really appreciate that about it. It doesn't need some suddenly huge big evil mastermind blowing up the city to get everything started; Heck, the climax of the episode itself is Joey and Heroman saving Lina and her dad from a car crash. No, the entire episode is focused totally on setup, with character establishment for Joey at the forefront. And yeah, there's a ton to be learned about Joey as a character just from this episode alone, which makes him very likable very fast.

What also helps the experience alot is that this show's animation and art style are very pleasant to look at. I personally feel that this is some of Studio Bones' best work in terms of animation. And it me very sad that, when finding ways to watch this show, I came to learn some very important information: The blu-rays of Heroman actually made the show look worse compared to the original TV broadcast. Based on comparison photos that others have posted, it seems like whoever handled the BDs just slapped a filter over the footage and called it a day, and it results in alot of finer details getting lost. Thankfully, fans have made sure to preserve higher quality rips of the TV masters, which is what I'll be using during this rewatch, and I suggest you all do too.

Anyway, the first episode is very simple in what it presents and what it's trying to say, and that is also its biggest strength. Because it's so straightforward, it's able to easily stay focused on what matters, and executes that idea very well. I wouldn't call it the best anime premiere of all time, but it's one that I could very easily see as being underrated, and I very much enjoy it for what it is. Believe it or not, Heroman is actually one of my favorite anime, and I very much hope that anyone who decides to follow along with this rewatch will be able to see why by the end of the run. And hey, maybe it'll become a show that you love too.

Oh, and Stan Lee cameos in this episode. As he should.

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

This show was fun. It had Mr. Excelsior himself and the opening theme was a banger.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

This show was fun.

It's very fun!

[DreamSword]

Episode #02: Encounter

If you somehow thought this was just a simple slice of life, boy were you off.

The episode deals with two things: First being Joey's' conflict over what to do now that Heroman is around, and the other is the arrival of the Skrugg aliens.

It makes for some solid drama all around. Joey has arguably the most powerful thing in the world now at his fingertips, and the exact way he should handle that sort of thing isn't exactly clear cut.

The Skrugg, however, represent the opposite of Joey's' debacle in pretty much every way. They have no qualms about the perversion of science and using their power to begin their takeover of the Earth. They are a swarm, not an individual, and they take no issue in stripping the life of others.

This is what eventually brings Joey to realize the great power and responsibility he now wields. He and Heroman now fight to defend the world from the extraterrestrial invaders. Joey's' dream of superheroics has now become reality, because him and his robot are now the only things that can stand up to the Skrugg. Though with such a display of power comes various prying eyes...

While episode 1 primarily focused on setting up the characters, episode 2 is more focused on setting up the kickoff events to the plot at large, and I think it handled itself very well. Because not only does it accomplish what it set out to do, but it still left room for character establishment and development. Mainly for Joey, sure, but other characters like Joey's' best friend Psy and Professor Denton get some little moments to shine as well.

It's a simple step forward, but an effective one.

Today's' music highlight is "Roulette (COME ON! Version)" by TETSUYA. It serves as the opening theme for the show, and it's very packed the sort of energy you'd want out of a superhero show. The visuals that accompany the opening are pretty nice too, and both together always manage to bring a smile to my face.