Let's have a look at a video game anime.
The world is run by the internet, so basically present day; humanity has embraced the technology and have created net navis, personal online assistants used for every day things such as running the house, keeping tabs on the day or more entertaining ways with battles. Lan Hikari inherits a particular net navi called Megaman from his father, but Dr Wily starts creating chaos when his henchman start infecting the online world with viruses so it's up to Megaman to save the world as we soon discover that he's much more than his basic design seems.
Based on the Battle Network series, the anime does a good job at world building making the idea of a fully online operating world a reality both the good and the bad which is more and more becoming relevant as time goes on which actually makes the anime and games ahead of it's time, it is silly in places and the dub certainly runs with that energy with the same quick wit and solid vocals that made the likes of Digimon a big hit.
My only complaint is it went on too long and adding edgelord Bass to the mix reeks of trend chasing which I feel it didn't need considering this anime felt unique among it's peers.
Final Verdict: A rich anime series with decent action and good comedy in a dazzling vibrant world that looks closer to reality everyday; probably do with being one season shorter and losing Bass.
This one feels surprisingly forgotten, let's fix that.
Yoh Asakura is a Shaman, someone who can communicate with spirits, but as fate would have it, Yoh is destined to fight for the right to be Shaman King against his evil twin Hao, joined by his spirit ally Amidamaru, best friend Manta, fiancee Anna and a host of allies, rivals and former enemies, Yoh sets out to defeat his brother although his laid back nature doesn't always leave that impression.
For a time, this was easily the most unique among Shonen Jump's properties, with Yu Yu Hakusho finished and Bleach still finding it's stride, it filled a void for a couple of years.
It's memorable for a couple reasons, it took alot more risks with it's content using some quite brutal scenes, particularly in the manga; it's host of characters felt unique and colourful, the action was colossal and it's ending really came out of left field.
It's biggest issues seem to stem from being dragged into Shonen tropes which ultimately made the anime finish on a cheesy power of love and friendship ending not helped by 4kids dubbing which comes to another baffling decision as to why 4kids of all companies picked up Shaman King in the first place; keep in mind just Faust VIII alone cut open Manta's chest cavity and in the same battle drugged up on pain killers cuts open his own leg, rips out his leg bone and asks for a replacement, before Joco even became a hero, he was a violent gang leader who murdered in cold blood, in fact listing all the deaths in the show would make Light Yagami blush, although it does make the 4kids dub hilarious at times especially when they forgot to censor blood in a couple of scenes and don't get me started on HoroHoro.
I didn't mind the dub too much but some of 4kids choices were atrocious.
Ultimately what killed the franchise was the fear of being written off as another wannabe Shonen Jump title competing for scraps left by the big three with only a handful allowed to sit with them. This is probably why the creator pulled the plug before the finale and has spent the last 15 years piecing together the finale and epilogue.
Final Verdict: An original Shonen title among a sea of regulars in it's day, let down by how it's anime ended and who it was dubbed by, ultimately leaving it's actual ending to be released long after the franchise ceased production.
We've had a couple of good series so lets look at a bargain bin ova.
100 years after an alien invasion devastates Earth, the last of humanity is forced to live in underwater fortresses, to fight back the alien race are five cybernetically enhanced women who are tasked with saving what's left of humanity.
What starts off as a fairly okay comedy sci fi quickly devolves into a desperate fight for survival as a complete tonal whiplash sets in leaving the cast at the mercy of their enemies also showing their pasts as each girl is shown to either have been killed or part of the greater conspiracy as experimental weapons when they were still human.
Sadly we never find out more or if the girls even survived the final scene. It's a shame really all that work for nothing as there was something to work with.
There is a dub but I've not seen it but looking at the cast, I'm not expecting much.
Final Verdict: A poor showing of what could've been a fun series, it's tonal whiplash just leaves me feeling disappointed.
First of many reviews today, let's get started.
Haruyuki is the very definition of a bullied kid, short, chubby and pretty much a loner with his only release being computer games, that is until he meets Kuroyukihime who upon seeing his game skills, enlists his help to defeat the six kings in an Augmented Reality MMO called Brain Burst, a game where by acquiring a certain amount of points can gain advantages in the real world by entering a zone that is akin to time slowing down to the point where life becomes easy.
Taking up the mantle of Silver Crow, a taller winged avatar, Haruyuki sets out with Kuroyukihime to defeat the kings and discover the true nature of Brain Burst.
The writer of this also did Sword Art Online and immediately this feels like an apology for the story decay of Sword Art Online and all it took was changing up the dynamics of the plot.
I felt absorbed in the story as I really wanted to see where this was going and I was also rooting for Haruyuki and Kuroyukihime as a couple but it's let down by the anime ending after one of the weaker arcs of the story in which an ass hole named Noumi uses the system to cheat life and abuse a program to steal abilities from other players, it really drags down the anime to it's lowest form and makes a number of characters look worse for it which up to that point had been doing pretty well.
Dub is mixed between exceptional performances to average, Haruyuki himself being the standout.
It's a massive upgrade compared to Sword Art Online, I just wish it was treated with a bit more care.
Final Verdict: An engaging story with unique characters only let down by a weak story arc to finish the anime that ultimately leaves the series with no resolution.
Now we are going full Japanese for this next title.
Harimanada has recently been promoted to Yokozuna, the highest rank in Sumo Wrestling, but upon receiving such an honour has shown up to the ring wearing a demon mask declaring that he will beat the record of 69 consecutive wins and will retire if ever defeated; such a declaration and lack of respect for the ancient customs of Sumo Wrestling has invoked the wrath of the Sumo Association who want to see Harimanada defeated.
Harimanada is an odd character for a sports genre anime, he's no underdog, his attitude doesn't lend itself to being well liked and his constant winning streak really gets old especially when other Sumos offer more to themselves only to get smacked down.
The only way to really see this anime is as an art piece on fighting for action not the reason; Harimanada is already the highest rank possible so beating the winning record is really the only thing left for him to accomplish but he approaches it as if it were an after thought and going against tradition much to the Chagrin of the Sumo Association means fighting without distraction as well as forcing other wrestlers into the ring by making himself a villain.
What happens in the end is spoilers but you can't help but watch it to the end just to find out Harimanada's fate.
It's way too Japanese to have a dub but some countries did licence the Sega game.
Final Verdict: Very much a matter of taste in anime as to whether or not you'll like this, as for me I understand the art form but wish it was shorter than 23 Episodes.
