Welcome to the Fantasy Zone
This Zone is dedicated to the lesser known elements of anime hosted by the cast of Victory Script.
What weapon is the best?
Who will win in this Death Battle?
Is this costume practical?
You name it, it's all covered here in the Fantasy Zone!
Back for another installment of Hot Take review.
"Hayao Miyazaki is Overrated"
His films have a story book element to them that translates well in any language not just his native Japanese, he deserves the credit and since he's more or less retired, he's not put on a pedestal so much anymore, so no he's not overrated.
"Detective Conan should finally end"
Many people forget that this anime has been going on longer than One Piece, it's presence is so small now that I have to remind myself it still airs, so yeah, it should call time on it's run.
"Every Sci Fi anime reuses Akira's story"
No, they just reuse this scene instead.
Real talk, Akira is full of dark gritty neon city cyber punk aesthetics originally created by Western sci fi films and literature dating back to the 1960s and 1970s where the space race was in full swing, the psychic elements of the so called special child came from Gundam, most sci-fi post Akira will either copy Gundam or Evangelion.
"Power levels are stupid"
One Piece's system is based more on clout than out right power which explains why Buggy is a pirate emperor.
Dragonballz lost it's effectiveness once the characters were actively hiding their power levels.
Any other form of ranking works just as well but ultimately end up the same way, yeah they are really stupid.
"Sailor Moon is OP and a bit of a Mary Sue"
Yes and no, the fact that she always wins and quite often bumbles her way through battles and still succeeds can be seen as a bit of a Mary Sue trait but it's earned through going through the emotional trials and tribulations that present themselves within magical girl shows, you want to see her succeed.
The three-episode rule is intended to gauge whether a specific anime series will be to a viewer's liking within the span of three episodes, I mentioned previously that I've been known to drop series after less time and these days, the first episode has to grab you otherwise the internet will soon let you know if the series is bad or not by word of mouth, but how effective is it next to much longer form series?
I picked ten anime known to be longer than 50 episodes and popular enough to have an audience and applied the 3 episode formula to each one, I will not be including Dragonballz as it's a sequel series and well over half it's world viewers were already aware of this fact.
So let's begin.
Inuyasha
In three episodes, the basic plot is established but there's enough going on to warrant a closer look, not so much from Kagome but certainly from Inuyasha considering what he already displayed in a short time.
Passed.
Digimon
In three episodes, the Digi-destined are summoned, they meet their partners and we meet Greymon and Garurumon, you already want to see how everyone else turns out and the enemies are creative enough to keep your attention.
Passed.
Sailor Moon
In three episodes, Usagi gets her powers and it's already looking formulaic and Usagi has shown her entire hand by the third episode, luckily it's saved by the Luna pen giving an extra layer of intrigue in how far Usagi's powers will go.
Passed.
Pokemon
In three episodes, Ash has an eventful opening getting just to Viridian City meeting Misty and Team Rocket along the way, on the actual third episode he catches two Pokemon and evolves one, Ash has achieved enough to see how far he can go on his journey.
Passed.
Fairy Tail
In three episodes, we've met Lucy, Natsu, Happy and enough of the Guild to see how crazy it can get.
Passed.
Yu-Gi-Oh
In three episodes, Yugi has battled two major players and is on his way to a tournament to meet more crazy duelists, being honest I was already sold on episode one.
Passed.
Card Captor Sakura
In three episodes, Sakura has setup the quest, got her friend to join her and dress her up and Sakura has acquired some pretty good cards, the battle costumes alone made you stay.
Passed.
Bleach
In three episodes, Ichigo has his powers and is already taking down his first major hollow in Orihime's brother, the increased violence would've been enough to begin with.
Passed.
One Piece
In three episodes, Luffy has taken out two villains and Zoro has joined his crew, we even have Zoro's back story and Nami in the background doing her own thing and being pleased that Koby won't be joining them, there's enough there to see where it goes.
Passed.
Naruto
In three episodes, Naruto graduates to the Ninja Academy by defeating a villain, he then babysits Konohamaru for episode two and then team 7 is formed with Sasuke and Sakura, the problem here is that it makes the series look like a school anime and there's so little ninja content, you're lucky to stay invested after episode 2 let alone episode 3.
Failed.
Conclusion
I'm fascinated at how well all these series held up in regards to the three episode rule with only Naruto failing, so there is some merit in what you can learn in only 70ish minutes of content as to whether these shows will be for you.
Most fans of Naruto didn't really get into the series until either halfway through the Zabusa arc or when the Chuunin Exam was at it's best, I'll go as far as saying Naruto is the poorest starting anime of all time and it's popularity was by luck that enough people watched it to give it a chance, if aired today, it would fail after one season.
Considering I'm taking alot of these takes from today's fans the well will dry up quick so if you got a few Hot Takes of your own, I shall give you my two cents.
"Misty's still the best Pokemon girl"
That's a funny way of spelling Dawn. Dawn is the only female character in Pokemon history to have equal billing with Ash and the only former female companion to actually turn up in person to his Championship match, Misty was memorable but has very limited appeal.
"Gundam Wing is the best Gundam"
Even Heero thinks your statement is a load of bull.
Real talk, there is no definitive best Gundam series as each series brings something to the table that it's contemporaries don't have, looking at the latest series Witch from Mercury has Utena vibes for instance, anyone who does name a best Gundam series is likely to have only seen that Gundam series, another issue the franchise has, is that it's very difficult to like more than one Gundam series because of how wildly different the content can be each series.
"Goku is not a good character"
I've seen this alot, in fact it's the most common hot take next to the argument on fan service and subs vs dubs, don't think we'll be seeing the last of it anytime soon. Goku's status is usually helped by the fact that funimation made him act more heroic but he's still raised in the boonies and taught martial arts by a known pervert and it's pretty obvious when Toriyama has more input as his sense of humour is utterly juvenile, I can see where the argument is coming from, at the same time like the grandmother that voices him in Japan, it's a familiar face that reassures you that the world is okay, not every hero is written to be perfect but can still be a symbol of peace.
"Modern Isekai is the worst anime genre ever created"
It's not, you're just sick of the over saturation of the genre in recent years, the actual worst genre is surreal comedy, if you don't believe me, watch the Super Milk Chan Show and you'll be begging Truck-Kun to send you to another world.
"Sailor Moon has aged like milk, and there's nothing it did well that Nanoha and Precure haven't done significantly better since"
Precure's existence relies on homaging previous ideas from older magical girl shows, even the original referenced the Dirty Pair; Precure even had the director of the Sailor Moon anime direct Hugtto Precure.
Nanoha is just a trashy magical girl show that's trying way too hard.
While the content of the 90s Sailor Moon anime is a little dated, it still has a charm that keeps people invested, most anime fans when asked to name a magical girl show, the same three shows will turn up, Sailor Moon, Madoka Magica and Card Captor Sakura, it has the strongest staying power in all of anime along with Evangelion and the Dragonball franchise.
Not that long ago, I listed some characters that despite their popularity aren't actually that great so I found more.
1. Tatsumaki from One Punch Man
I could go through alot of characters whose arrogance gets punched into the ground by Saitama but I get the sense that even if Saitama ever did defeat Tatsumaki, she'd still be a bitch. Her attitude just grinds on me.
2. Davis from Digimon 02
A much weaker character than Tai and much stupider as well, he had his hand held far too much during that season and it was actually TK who punched out the Digimon Emperor and really should've been the leader.
3. Ryoko from Tenchi Muyo
The only thing the writers can get consistently right is that she's a space pirate, her powers are inconsistent, her back story is convoluted and there are some moments of no personal space where she comes off as clingy or obnoxious.
4. Onodera Kosaki from Nisekoi
Considering how much better Chitoge's personality is compared to other tsunderes in the same position, Onodera comes off as not really a rival at all, her insecurities get old and is quickly at the back of the queue the more the harem grows. Her own best friend has a better chance.
5. Orihime Inoue from Bleach
Considering how much Bleach changed the landscape of Shonen action series, seeing a damsel in distress is a huge let down, Orihime's powers are quickly forgotten as well so she can set up for the role of Damsel. I'd put Chad here as well, but I said popular characters.
6. Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion
The more you investigate this girl, the more you didn't want to find out. I'm also glad the emotionless doll waifu died out when Haruhi Suzumiya failed to replicate it with Nagato Yuki. I find nothing about Rei Ayanami attractive, endearing or even that interesting.
7. Hotaru Tomoe from Sailor Moon
*100s of Guns being loaded and pointed at me* put the guns down. Sailor Saturn's biggest problem is the fact that the writing for her character makes her unusable. Being the senshi that represents death, she only arrives if the universe is really screwed, her role is effectively reduced to last resort. I'm not including Mistress 9 because I judge her as a different character.
8. Ayaka Yukihiro from Negima
She was billed as Asuna's true friend despite the squabbling they always do but was relegated from the story for quite a long time and in the end, she never really got to do anything but be a little too obsessed with Negi.
9. Walter C. Dornez from Hellsing
I would've thought someone as bad ass as Walter wouldn't resort to such a boring tedious betrayal just for the sake of killing Alucard but he does, it was a let down and it only gets worst from there.
10. Red Haired Shanks from One Piece
Shanks' mere presence is enough to stop a war, stand up to other pirates at his level and ultimately garner so much respect that even the marines agree to his demands. Here's the thing though, he hasn't done anything but show up occasionally, we only have his reputation to go on and after so many years, One Piece owes us for our patience.
I mentioned eras of anime so I thought it would be good to expand on that meaning especially from a Western perspective.
Early to Mid 90s: Ultra Violent Taboo era
This era is defined by the limited selection of anime available post release of Akira in the west. Most were Sci Fi, most were overly violent and extreme in nature, and was such taboo that viewing it put you in the same camp as those who buy pornography. In short, no one in the west knew what to do with this anime thing.
Late 90s to early 00s: Pokemon Toonami Era
Networks open up to anime with great success due to the ratings winners of Pokemon and Dragonballz; with interest established, curiousity leads to more anime being green lit for home release. Anime is still very niche and some semblance of the previous era remained especially with DVD being in it's infancy.
Mid to late 00s: Otaku Golden Era
With DVDs being default, computers being fast enough for torrents and a number of top tier anime being released including Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note and Naruto. Anime cons were now common place and there was no limit to how much anime that was coming out, being a fan in this era was a dream.
2010s to mid 2010s: The Hangover
The endless party brought on by the previous era was beginning to bite; Anime Distribution holders were starting to go out of business, long runners were out staying their welcome and Western Cartoons fought back with the likes of Avatar and Adventure Time. On the brightside the taboo label it used to have was starting to come off.
Today's Era: Meme, Stream and Waifu Wars
Today's era is controlled by the internet, the popularity of new shows is dictated by how well it can be memed, the waifu quality and how easy it is to obtain through streaming. Meanwhile certain older titles are upgraded to legendary status while today's sensibilities are catching out people who partied too hard in the Golden era, it's also making up dumb controversies which are worth ignoring.
Summary
So to summarise what I like and dislike about each era
Ultra Violent Taboo era
While I didn't like the lack of originality or diversity, one thing you can never take away from this era is the shock and awe of seeing something that was animated and actually being serious, it really did feel like a rite of passage watching these titles.
Pokemon Toonami Era
Most people I know started here and it felt like a second rite of passage because we finally have diverse shows of all types and really set the bar of what can be expected in the future, but I look back with a sense of frustration that the networks did far too much censorship.
Otaku Golden Era
Probably the best era for anime and the one best remembered by fans today, being a fan in this era was the best but it's legacy is being felt later on and you get the sense that you were getting alot of meh among juggernaut titles.
The Hangover
I was sad to lose ADVfilms along with a lot of distribution houses, I also found it was getting harder to like the newer top tier anime especially the high standard that came before, but I least felt I can take my time with what to watch and there more hits than misses.
Meme, Stream and Waifu Wars
The ease of anime is just a click of a button and I kind of feel that anime relies on Memes to be relevant way too much, but my job as a reviewer is easier for it and I wouldn't be doing such over ambitious projects.
