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05-27-2022, 06:40 PM | #561 |
Hates Fun
Join Date: Oct 2021
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Zi-O: I cared about like three people by the end.
Hug: I was invested in pretty much everyone except like... Two characters. Out of 10+. And I remember them all. That's pretty impressive for a show. tl;dr ohma was right, president cry was not
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05-27-2022, 06:46 PM | #562 |
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Yeah, the cast of Hug is really freakin' likable and strong. Gonna be hard for other seasons of PreCure to compete, I think.
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05-27-2022, 06:52 PM | #563 |
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Definitely not villain-wise, from what I've heard. Cry may have skimped on really addressing why he believed what he did, even if we only got hints, but he's a hell of a lot more involved than something like Pierrot.
joker is pretty sick though
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06-02-2022, 02:51 PM | #564 |
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Fight! Iczer-1! Act-I: Iczer-1 WARNING! If you are especially squeamish, then this series probably isn't for you! This watch is gonna be a bit of a new experience for both me and the people who are reading/watching along. Why? Well, because I actually had zero idea that Iczer-1 had a dub until now. So I figured, hey, why not watch that version when doing these write-ups? I'm usually on the Dub side of Dub vs Sub anyway. And just to get it out of the way here and now, the dub ain't bad! While I do prefer the sub, I wouldn't blame anyone for preferring the dub and choosing it when watching this OVA. But again, if I had to choose a winner, this is one of the fews times I'd side with a sub. Anyway, what even is Iczer? Well, the premise is that a group of evil aliens known as the Cthulu(Cthuwulf in the dub) are making their way to Earth to raze the planet and take it for themselves. They do this by sending out paraistes known as Venoms, which can take possession of just about anything. A human, a house, you name it! They are lead by Big Gold, pictured below. Beating them to Earth though is Iczer-1(the blonde girl in pink shown at the start of this post); a defector from the group who wishes to find a "partner" to synchronize with, so she can attain great power and put a stop of the tyranny of the Cthuwulf. The person inwhich she feels the strongest for being a green haired girl named Nagisa, who for all intents and purposes, is just your average everyday teenager. Now right off the bat, lemme just inform you all that there is alot to this show that I cannot possibly screencap for use here, because uh, let's just say I'm not in the interest of getting banned from TokuNation currently. Something that really sets Iczer apart from other Toku-esque anime is its very grotesque and creepy imagery. And while yeah, there's gore to be had, the OVA manages to get the creep factor in in a handful of other ways too, of which I appreciate. Here, have what I hope can be one of the few samples of such: So what's up with the first episode specifically? Well, honestly, it's very much the "First Act" of Iczer-1, in that it's mainly all setup. And really, the OVA right out the gate lets you know what you're in for with its opening scenes: That being Iczer-1 herself blasting a Venom to chunky salsa and two of the Cthuwulf generals, Cobalt and Sepia, having a lesbian make-out session. And before you ask, yes, all of the Cthuwulf are named after colors. Heck, one of their heads is named Sir Violet. Inwhich case, by the way, is Iczer a color? If anyone knows that lemme know, because I'm curious. Anyway, as far as setup episodes go, yeah, this is pretty good. You have some pretty solid atmosphere throughout, you get the baseline of what's up with our characters, the action is pretty good and very sci-fi(Iczer-1 herself wielding a lightsaber and shooting energy rays while fighting inside of a pocket dimension), and all the poor trauma that befalls Nagisa with all of the sudden bio-horror that enters her life. I think the part I like best about that is that Nagisa isn't ready to just jump into action immediately with all that's going on. She's scared out of her wits, and it's only with the promise of vengeance that she's able to get it together to help Iczer-1 in her plight. Of which, oh yeah, I did say that this OVA was part mecha, did I not? Meet Iczer Robo, which is piloted both by Iczer-1 and Nagisa. Iczer-1 being the one controlling it and Nagisa being the power source. The fight against the enemy mecha known as Delos Theta(piloted by Cobalt) is a pretty good sequence, and has some kickin' music behind it to boot. And that about covers it! It's a good setup that immediately presents some high stakes, good animation, and an all around interesting experience. But we'll be getting into the real meat to this thing in the next episode.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 06-03-2022 at 08:45 AM.. |
06-03-2022, 09:31 AM | #565 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Act-II: The Challenge of Iczer-Sigma "It's for your protection." Anyway, the title of this episode is basically clickbait before clickbait was even a thing, because Iczer-Sigma is barely in it. Instead, there are three main focuses to this episode: Sepia seaking revenge for Cobalt's' death, Iczer-1 trying to infiltrate Big Gold's' fortress to stop the Cthuwulf, and Nagisa bonding with a little girl she meets named Sayoko. The action in this episode is swift, but well directed with some great shots. The horror elements, while a bit more downplayed than the previous episode, still serve their purpose as a vehicle in helping Nagisa's' character development, and the personal stakes everyone gains in the conflict is a good step forward. The thing that is probably gonna stand out to most viewers though is the creation of Iczer-2, the "sister" of Iczer-1; Created from Iczer-1's' combat data and designed to kill Iczer-1 and be Sepia's' new partner. And yeah, she certainly makes quite the impression with her great combat skills and honorable, yet sadistic personality. Oh, and if you were wondering what Iczer-Sigma looks like, here: And while Iczer-2 is great and all, I think the aspect I liked most in this episode was Nagisa's' development in gaining her own resolve. Going from a frightened everyday girl to someone who finds something she wishes to protect. She certainly doesn't like the situation she's in, but she realizes that she needs to work with Iczer-1 if there's to be any hope for not just herself, but the people she cares about too. This is all highlighted really well with her giving Sayoko the bracelet that has been protecting Nagisa for the majority of the episode. The next episode is the conclusion to the first entry in this series, but not the end of the posts. There's still a solid bit to go!
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06-04-2022, 10:51 AM | #566 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Act-III: The Final Chapter Fittingly enough for the climax, this is the episode where everything goes crazy. The backstory of the Cthuwulf is revealed: They're a race of humanoid aliens who lost their home world, and have been traveling the universe for years in search of a new home. Unfortunately for them, they one day came across Big Gold, who proceeded to possess Sir Violet and began turning the once peaceful people into a group of conquerors. Meanwhile in real time, while Iczer-Sigma initially has the upper hand on Iczer-Robo, it's clear that the two philosophies on partnership are completely different between the two groups of pilots, and the synchronization between Iczer-2 and Sepia is thrown off entirely when Iczer-2 makes one rather fatal decision when Sayoko runs into the battlefield to cheer Nagisa on. Nobody is pleased by this. Not Sepia, not Iczer-1, and most certainly not Nagisa, who proceeds to make quick work of Iczer-Sigma. Sepia dies in the explosion, but Iczer-2 manages to escape at the last moment. It's here where the OVA starts to make its main theme very clear for those unaware up to now. That being the power of love. Iczer-1 has a talk with Nagisa before the final battle begins, revealing to Nagisa that Iczer-1 is actually an android who is struggling to understand and embrace her own emotions, and confided in Nagisa because she fell in love. Iczer-2, meanwhile, wanting to experience love herself, sets out to capture Nagisa and try to force the girl to be her new partner. While Iczer-2 is successful in capturing Nagisa, Nagisa's' heart belongs to Iczer-1, and in the end, Iczer-2 opts to just have Nagisa possessed(presumably by a venom like Sir Violet). It's also revealed that Big Gold is all kinds of weird to the point that they could've just straight up said he was magic and I would've bought it. So, turns out that Big Gold is actually an ancient machine that was shot into space by humanity a long time ago, and via its travels across the universe it somehow managed to gain possession of alien parasites to experiment on humanoids with, in some demented attempt at understanding human emotion. And in the end Big Gold became some weird alien-computer hybrid... thing. Iczer-1 busts into Big Gold's' fortress to save Nagisa, but it's too late. In a rather tragic moment, Iczer-1 is forced to shoot Nagisa for the good of the planet, and the two share one final, heartfelt goodbye. WHICH THEN CAUSES ICZER-1 TO GO FRIGGEN SUPER SAIYAN! The entire final action sequence is capital A Awesome, by the way! It's got great direction, it's intense, the music is wonderful, and it's all animated absolutely beautifully. The final showdown between Iczer-1 and not just Iczer-2, but also Big Gold is some really great stuff all around. But then we get to ending, and this where things get really trippy. So, in the end, Iczer-1 actually ends up absorbing Big Gold into herself, which then gives her powers over time and space somehow. She uses her newfound power to reset the Earth back to the way it was before the invasion, meaning that Nagisa and everyone else who died at the hands of Big Gold are now alive. And rather than reunite with the one she loves, Iczer-1 instead feels she has a duty to her people, and leads the Cthuwulf on another journey through space to find a planet for them all to inhabit. It's a very somber ending and one that typically leaves viewers conflicted, but I personally feel that it works well enough. Let's just say that the sequel OVA also felt a certain kind of way about how Iczer-1 ended. But we'll get to that in due time.
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06-05-2022, 04:07 PM | #567 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Iczer-1: Special Compilation Another thing that I had no idea existed for this franchise until recently was a Compilation Movie version of Iczer-1. And it's almost exactly as one might expect: Just all three episode glued together into one movie. Key word being "almost" though. Had it actually been that I'd say that it'd be the best way to watch Iczer-1. While most of the new stuff is just very minor lines of dialogue to help the transition between each episode be smoother, they make one change that I personally think is rather major: Moving the scene that reveals the origins of the Cthulhu to the very start of the film, and thus removing its status as a twist. So, ultimately, I personally think it's better to watch the show as three separate episodes rather than one hour and a half long film. But, if that change isn't one that you feel would bother you all too much, then yeah, I can easily see people disagreeing and saying that the film version is the best way to go about it. As long as it's being watched, right? Next time, we'll be diving into the sequel.
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06-09-2022, 12:22 PM | #568 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Adventure! Iczer-3! Episode-1: Enter, Iczer-3! Just Leave the Earth's' Defense to Me! For those that feel they might not have the stomach for Iczer-1, Iczer-3(or, Iczer Reborn if you're going by the official subs), might be more up your alley. The horror elements are now essentially all gone, the deaths, while still bloody, are alot less gory and graphic(heck, the blood itself is now pink), and there's alot less in terms of full frontal nudity. Iczer-3 focuses almost entirely on action, and is alot less dark than its predecessor. If that sounds as though I'm lambasting this OVA in favor of the previous one, I most certainly am not. It's merely a matter of the fact statement about the sort of content you're getting into as opposed to the previous entry in the franchise. Different flavors, but both entirely enjoyable in their own right to me. So with that out of way, what could a sequel to Iczer-1 even be like? The setup is that, somehow, a fragment of Big Gold escaped being absorbed by Iczer-1 at the end of the first OVA. Her name is Neos Gold, and she actually has a pretty cool design I will admit. She battles Iczer-1, and the fight ends in a draw. Neos Gold escapes, and makes way to lay waste to Earth while Iczer-1 recovers from her wounds. Iczer-1 is too wounded to intercept, so instead the Cthuwulf send out their newest android, Iczer-3, to fight off the threat of Neos Gold in the meantime. And needless to say Iczer-3 isn't anywhere near as mature as what her older sister is. Inbetween all of that though we do get some time to be introduced to what will be our group of heroes for the show. Most notably, Nagisa is here, and she works as a delivery girl for a military base which houses the new space battleship known as the Queen Fuji. This is actually a noticeable shake-up, too. I kinda sorta neglected to mention any of the military forces in the previous write-ups, because honestly, they really did not matter outside of like, one scene. Here though, Iczer-3 is making an effort to give them more focus, and the Queen Fuji being a follow up to the three Fuji ships of Iczer-1 is a nice way to highlight that. All in all this episode really is just all setup with a decent action sequence at the end. Neos Gold's' forces make quick work of most of the Earth's' defenses, leaving only the crew aboard the Queen Fuji to combat the alien threat. And so, we have our grounds for every episode going forward. ...Oh, and Iczer-1 has new duds, too.
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06-10-2022, 11:20 AM | #569 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Episode-2: Bug, Bug, Giant Bug! Go Get 'Em, Iczer Robo! While this episode is 90% action, there is a solid step forward in Iczer-3's' character development. Essentially, she needs to learn to work with the crew aboard the Queen Fuji as a team. Sure, she's has good intentions, but her carelessness in how she goes about fighting Neos Gold's' forces gets everyone into alot of trouble. The biggest example being Iczer-3 not understanding that everyone she's working with is human and not a machine, as such they get worn out alot quicker and cannot take nearly as much punishment. Fighting the man-eating insects is nothing for Iczer-3; Not so much for anyone else! In the end, her short-sightedness results in Iczer Robo's' energy core(the Iczerio) getting stolen by Neos, and Nagisa exhausted and hurt. Sure, in terms of story there isn't much, but not only was the action entertaining enough, but I felt the step forward in Iczer-3's' arc was enough to carry the episode. The little bits of character interaction between the rest of the cast was nice to see too.
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06-11-2022, 03:37 PM | #570 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,407
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Episode-3: Beast Lady! The Double Attack of Love!! This episode was one step forward, one step back. On the one hand, despite having seemed to have learned her lesson the hard way at the end of episode 2, Iczer-3 starts off really ignorant here. As well, the central conflict in her and Nagisa's' partnership really is just glossed over by the end, with everyone just kinda going "Well whatever no big deal I guess." Like, yeah, the Earth is at stake, but a bit more time addressing the problem would've been nice. On the other hand, Bigro, as opposed to Insect and Fiber, gets more characterization than what any of the other villains have gotten so far, the few comedic bits are nice, and the episode itself does serve as a solid transition point into the next act of the story with a really great hook both at the start and at the very end of it. It's the sort of episode that just sort ends up being solid, rather than anything remarkable or terrible, and I'm perfectly fine with that. Not optimal to be sure, but I had a good time watching it. I did also like the hook about Nagisa gaining memories of Iczer-1 though, and the biggest highlight really is the debut of Atros, who really should've been named Iczer-4 since she's clearly inspired by Iczer-2, but whatever. All in all, a decent time. But next episode where things really start to kick into high gear for Iczer-3.
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