I'm in a better position to review more anime, time for viewers to pick what I cover next, keep in mind if I have already covered it, then I'll just do a more in depth expansion or a character deep dive.
Joey the chin demands it.
The list this time around
Deltora Quest
You're Under Arrest
Divergence Eve
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
Chargeman Ken
Love Hina
Rail Wars
Carole & Tuesday
Nobunaga no Shinobi
Umi Monogatari
Wish I was in less pain writing this.
Lupin Zero attempts to tell the story of how a young Lupin took up the title of the 3rd as well as his first meeting with Jigen, not content with following the path laid out by his father and grandfather, a number of encounters in traditional Lupin madness helps him decide what kind of thief the 3rd will become.
Only six episodes to work with so it feels rushed in a lot of places where a few extra episodes could easily flesh out Lupin better, it's not difficult, Lupin is one of the easiest characters to write about and Jigen is a great choice to play off, but with not much to work with in regards to side characters and content it leaves the viewer wanting more. No dub, one of the few Lupin series that doesn't use a dub.
Final Verdict: It's Lupin, it's fun and frolics as usual but as a story it's weak and needed more episodes to flesh out
A recent trip to the heart of Europe allowed me to pick up on a few French cartoons, yet with today's subject, you wouldn't think it was French by the themes.
Celebrating 25 years on air, Totally Spies stars Clover, Sam and Alex as international agents of WOOHP - World Organization of Human Protection while trying to navigate school as rich Beverly Hills teenagers, it presents itself as a very self aware spy show with nods to Archie, James Bond, Charlie's Angels and Inspector Gadget, you wouldn't expect it to be French as it translates so well into English.
The secret to the shows enduring success lies in it's ability to allow it's lead trio to be flawed and isn't afraid to morph them into anything the show throws at them, a long running joke of the show in the fandom is that it awakened quite a few fetishes, it helps that the girls have an unlimited wardrobe next to their regular spy colours, it plays all these elements perfectly into making it the most memorable of the 2000s, all the characters even antagonist Mandy is fully fleshed out.
It's not perfect by any means, it has the Inspector Gadget problem of spin offs and modern versions feeling out of place in the spirit of the show, and while it is written well, I really miss Jerry, he was replaced in the most recent seasons by his daughter Zerlina, British wit plays off well when put against Beverly Hills teenagers and the funniest moments are often between Jerry and the spies.
Totally Spies is definitely in the top ranks as one of the best cartoons of all time while it has faded out of public view in the last couple of years, it still remains a big part of millennial anime fans viewing.
Selected from the random anime list is Super Gals
Ran Kotobuki is a prominent Shibuya gyaru gal in the early 2000s, she has an iron clad code of honor that means she won't ever use extortion or handle dirty money to fund her lifestyle, her being from a Police family, despite not wanting to follow that path, her strong sense of justice actually makes her the perfect police officer.
Super Gals offers so much more than just a wacky comedy about gaudy stylish gyaru teens, it covers hard hitting subjects like exploitation, parental abandonment, gang violence and sexual harassment, while on the surface it plays to it's over the top energy but when it has to be serious it can really hit the heart, it's got a better understanding of teenage issues than the most melodramatic teen anime, it's a refreshingly relatable anime that can exist in any era and a must watch for millennial anime fans, even if the language used can be stuck in that era as some words used back then wouldn't stick today, it's schlocky advfilms dubbing at it's finest, however season two remains a black mark against it as the wacky Shibuya hijinks take a backseat for more fantastic scenarios that derail the foundations the series stood on, a shame really as you only have half a series worth watching.
Final Verdict: A great comedy mixed with perfectly executed drama, the language is a little dated but that's more a dub problem, season two isn't worth your time as the pure Super Gals experience is best left with season one.
This anime is the best example of an enigma, you'll see why shortly.
Reiko Mikami is an exorcist or Ghost Sweeper as she calls herself, aged 31 (start counting the Christmas Cake Jokes) With her ragtag team of misfits which includes yokai, easy to possess teens, a pastor and a Werewolf among other rival exorcists most prominently a princess with a yokai team. Mikami is all about profit and getting rich, although she's more tolerable than Inaho of Mosquiton fame.
The film's plot revolves around Nosferatu taking on the form of Oda Nobunaga and leaving modern Japan in a zombie apocalypse after an accidental awakening with Mikami's blood.
Ghost Sweeper Mikami is rare for many reasons, it's a comedy released in quite a quiet period circa 1993, for context Sailor Moon was in it's second season, Dragonballz was finishing the Cell Saga, Victory Gundam was Gundam's lowest point, Belldandy was anime's best girl and Slam Dunk was awakening a new era of fans to the concepts of Shounen Ai.
Mikami did well to remain relevant helped by a successful game run and is a staple of 90s comedy anime, it's one movie appearance brought to the west well certainly in the UK was a poor reflection of what Mikami is about, it looked way too dark and grizzly with the humour feeling forced at times although it's dub despite the early era was pretty good.
Final Verdict: Tracking down the TV series is the way to go with this franchise, the movie just sucks.
