2016 Autumn Season Anime- Early Impressions (Part 2)

Here we are now with Part 2 of my Autumn Season Anime Early Impressions, and let's just jump right in to it! These are the four shows this season that I feel are the real gems more than worthy of any anime fan's attention.

While I'm definitely enjoying the glorious camp-fests that are Keijo!!!!!!!! Hip Whip Girl and Tiger Mask W respectively, I'll admit they both come off as hard recommendations to more casual viewers. It's pretty much a requirement that you have a specific taste/appreciation for cheesy programs (or something of that nature) in order to get the most out of your watching experience with either of those series.

This isn't the case with the next four that I'm about to go over. Each of these are so good, they could be easily be seen as a gate-way show that would not only reinvigorate the most cynical of anime fan, but also potentially turn a non-anime fan into an outright otaku.

Drifters

The titular Drifters

First up is none other than Drifters, the show that's clearly meant to be enjoyed by the more mature/adult audiences out there looking for a dark/cool/violent fix.

When Shimazu Toyohisa made his last stand at the Battle of Sekigahara in the year 1600, many thought he died, including himself. His death will have to wait though, because right when he was moments away from his demise, Shimazu is transported to a realm beyond the boundaries of our world. A realm of swords and sorcery, where people from all across Earth's history are fighting for complete and total dominance.

After joining up with other "drifters" such as Oda Nobunaga, and Nasu no Yoichi, Shimazu learns that this new world he's found himself in is currently ruled by powerful magic users known only as The Ends. With little to aid them (beyond their wits and their skills) the Drifters set out to reclaim the land from The Ends, and maybe find a way back home.  

Based off the manga of the same name (from Hellsing creator Kota Hirano) Drifters takes place in your proto-typical high-fantasy setting replete with elves, dwarves, hobbits, giants, and dragons. The big twist here is that notable historical figures are using this setting as their arena for the ultimate death battle, and while this premise isn't exactly new to the realm of fiction, it's without a doubt done here with the metric-ton of style Kota Hirano is known for.

I've always considered myself a fan of Kota Hirano's "unique" artistry (as I'm a sucker for his use of spotting blacks, obtuse angles, and maniacal expressions) but I know his work really isn't for everyone. With this adaptation of Drifters though I think his usual artistic quirks have evolved to come off as far more attractive and accessible than ever before.

Leaning more towards Hirano's strengths in costume design and evocative angles, Drifters is perhaps one of the most stylish shows to arrive this year, if not the last five. Utilizing a winning combination of browns, reds, blues, blacks, and whites, the selective colors make for a pleasing palette that compliments the semi-angular character models. In more ways than one, this is a show that manages to be beautiful despite its graphic nature, provided you don't mind seeing the occasional (and somewhat artfully crafted) decapitation scene.

That's right folks, while Hirano's character designs may have been dialed back to make them more alluring, there has been absolutely zero compromise to his penchant for violence. Drifters is absolutely unapologetic with its use of gore, and is (if anything else) a resplendent cacophony of carnal carnage. I truly do mean this when I say that few creators out there today can find ways to mutilate a body quite like Hirano can. Make no mistake, this anime is not for those with a weak stomach, but for those who can handle it (or like me) actually find a certain appeal to Hirano's almost melodic use of barbaric acts, you really can't go wrong here.

Long have we waited for a hard-hitting show (discounting the sister series Hellsing Ultimate) like Drifters to come along and deliver the goods. For the most part I would say it does so in spades when it comes to its fight scenes, but there are the occasional dips with the animation. It's most notably in the use of several still frames during otherwise savage sequences. While they're without a doubt stylish, they do remove a degree of energy from the conflicts. Still though, there is copious amounts of blood getting spilled, along with countless severed limbs littering the fields as our cast of history's most notoriously gruesome fighters and warlords duke it out for supremacy.

Filled with stylish action scenes to the hilt.

Thankfully Drifters isn't so shallow as to simply be nothing more than a festival of blood and guts. Drifters does have a pretty good (albeit dark at times) sense of humor coupled with some fairly endearing characters. This tends to work in contrast to a majority of the intense imagery, as well as giving viewers something to chew on until the next big action set piece. The chemistry between the three primary leads is totally fun to watch, and it's been incredibly interesting (as a history buff) to witness such a large cast of historical figures interact on the whole. Getting to see the likes of Hannibal Barca and Scipio Africanus teamed up with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an absolute hoot to say the least, and I'm looking forward to which other famous (or infamous) players will eventually come into the war. I'm putting my money down now that the identity of The Black King (the leader of The Ends) is an evil, authoritative, magic-wielding, Jesus Christ.

It may be a long-shot, but I know for a fact Hirano loves to work in religious mythology and commentary wherever he can.  

Overall I've been immensely enjoying Drifters. For those who may not be aware of Kota Hirano's stylings, I would say this is a great place to start. The first arc of the series shows a tremendous amount of promise, and even though I haven't read too much of the source material myself, many fan-reactions I've seen seem to indicate that the anime has been extremely faithful as of this writing. Only time will tell if Drifters can maintain its current quality and momentum, but if anything else, at least we have these cool as hell set of four episodes.

Occultic;Nine

One of the best mystery shows in a while.

Next in line is the anime adaptation of the popluar Japanese light-novel Occultic;Nine.

Set in modern day Japan, seventeen year old high-school student,Yuta Gamon, operates the occult summary blog site "Chojo Kagaku Kirikiri Basara". When an oppurtunity to interview the renowned supernatural specialist Professor Hashigami presents itself, Yuta jumps at the chance. Any kind of material involving Hashigami would be sure to increase Yuta's site traffic, but when he arrives for the interview he finds the Professor dead on the floor.

While Yuta desperately tries to make some kind of sense with his situation, he's unaware that his website has become a potential resource for a far greater mystery that's bordering on the impossible. Now all the incongruities of nine individuals, from nine different walks of life will come together to solve the case, and perhaps even turn common sense on its head.

Yet another bit of personal trivia that should come as no surprise to anyone reading this, is that I'm a pretty big fan of mystery stories. I wouldn't go so far as to declare it my favorite genre (as that is a three-way tie between action, fantasy, and sci-fi) but it's easily a genre I can get lost in for an extended period of time. Provided the mystery on hand, and the respective roles involved, are interesting enough to hold my attention til the end.

As far as I'm concerned, so far Occultic;Nine has all the necessary components for a solid mystery story. I've yet to be remotely disappointed by the cast, and every episode in the narrative feels like a substantial piece to the puzzle presented. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself turning over ideas, predictions, and theories by the time the credits roll.

Unfortunately I may be one of the few reviewers out here on the web who actually has a positive outlook about Occultic;Nine, as a vast majority of the early impressions/episode reviews I've seen have been outright condemning the show. What are they so upset about? Apparently Occultic;Nine completely falls apart at the seams because its creators dared to feature *GASP!* a well endowed female character among the other dramatis personae who bounces on the odd occasion, which apparently offends a lot of people's delicate sensibilities.

OH GOD! WHERE DID WE GO SO VERY HORRIBLY WRONG! WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!

Seriously? That's the big complaint here? A character with a large bust somehow undoes what is easily one of the most beautifully animated and intriguing shows of the season? I comprehend how the character Ryoka (and her bewbs) can be a tad on the ridiculous side. Is it potentially pandering to the young adult male crowd who are looking for the next piece of waifu fap material? Sure, I'll concede to that notion, but she's merely a fraction of Occultic;Nine's considerably robust and impressive cast. While I could go into all the details available regarding the characters, and what makes them so significant, I don't want to spoil some of the solid reveals that have happened.

I absolutely refuse to go into that sort of territory, as Occultic;Nine is definitely not the kind of narrative you want spoiled for you. Figuring out the answers and discovering the truths behind every quandary is essentially half the fun of the experience. If anything else, try to understand that this is a show that (much like Drifters) is meant for a mature audience to enjoy, and isn't afraid to be provocative.

Regardless of fanservice, it can't be denied that this looks good.

Never mind that it's also a stunning study in yellow.

Another common gripe I've seen is that the show moves by at too quick a pace, or doesn't parse out enough information to "make you care" about anything. I'm going to have to strongly disagree with my peers here, as I feel Occultic;Nine more than imparts the imperative particulars to move the plot and characters forward. As long as you're paying close attention, Occultic;Nine blossoms into a very compelling mystery, that I (putting my own predilections aside) would be remiss in saying is perhaps one of the best ones to come along in a while.

The animation on display here is leagues above the other show's I've covered on the list, and is probably the most visually impressive show of the season, if not the whole year. Granted, this is coming from a guy who isn't bothered by bodacious bazongas, and is also on board with its fantastic use of its study in yellow. Regardless of one's personal stance on mammoth mammary matters, I don't think most will deny the sumptuously gorgeous work that studio A-1 Pictures has done. In fact, Occultic;Nine may be one of the best looking shows to have ever come out of the studio's entire history, which is really saying something when one considers their body of work over the last decade.

Overall Occultic;Nine is a visual marvel, that's also sporting one hell of a sufficiently killer soundtrack. Despite the criticisms my contemporaries have levied against it, I'm going to say that this show is more than worthy of your time. If you're in the mood for an engaging mystery with credible characters (and if you can tolerate the odd off jubbly jiggle) Occultic;Nine has got you covered.

Izetta: The Last Witch

Eat your heart out Bullet Witch, Izetta is in town!

Third on the list is studio Ajia-Do's latest effort Izetta: The Last Witch.

The year is 1940 and the Germanian Empire has set its conquering eye upon the small principality nation of Eylstadt. Ortfine' Fredericka von Eylstadt, daughter of King Rudolph III, and the crown queen of Eylstadt doesn't have the resources, or the military strength to combat the large-scale war effort of the Germanian Empire. Only through using a secret weapon can Queen Fine' hope to save her nation from a bloody demise.

That secret weapon is none other than the last of the white witches Izetta. Armed with powerful spells, and an anti-tank rifle as her flying broom, Izetta takes to the skies in hopes of turning the tide of battle. Can Izetta and Fine' do the impossible and beat back the seemingly unstoppable Germanian forces?

Laying my cards on the table here, this could easily switch places with the program I ultimately chose as my show of the season. Izetta: The Last Witch has so many positive factors going in its favor that if someone where to tell me they felt this was not only the best the autumn bunch had to offer, but was also the best show of the year, I wouldn't  really be hard pressed to argue with them.

It's only a few technicalities I think Izetta stumbles upon ever so slightly that honestly hold it back from  total perfection. Despite it's radical/inspired premise, and it's vigorous cast of characters, this series does unfortunately wrap itself up a tad too much in heavy melodrama. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a weighty character drama, but there are a few times throughout the series so far that they lay it on a bit thick for my tastes.

The animation, while taken as a whole is outright awe-inspiring with it's fluidity and pure kinetic motions, does have some gaps and hiccups. Be it a character going off model for a scene, blatant CGI, or the stilted/awkward bit of movement, it's noticeable when these things occur, and it drags down what is otherwise a pristine-almost polished to perfection show.

Thankfully it doesn't take much to look past those slight hurdles, as there is a compelling fantasy war story to be had, and it's a completely original IP to cap it off. Despite existing in a climate currently and predominately ruled by high-budget adaptations, Izetta manages to be captivating without needing the pretense of an already established story in order to garner an audience. Much like my other top choice for the autumn season, just knowing that Izetta: The Last Witch stands independently as its own thing adds a ton of bonus points in my eyes. We so desperately need to get more original shows like this on the anime scene.

Overall, Izetta: The Last Witch comes highly recommended. Irrespective of technical foibles, this is unarguably one of the true standouts of not just the season, but of 2016-period. There is already enough interesting, quality material here to justify the making of a second season in my opinion, and we're not even half-way through this season yet. Here's hoping Izetta doesn't just end well, but ends spectacularly.   

Absolutely phenomenal animation where it counts!

German tanks mean nothing to the red witch Izetta!

Now for my top pick of the autumn season...

Flip Flappers

Don't let the title fool you, this show is badass!

Last to take the stage is the brand new IP from studio 3Hz called Flip Flappers. Before you start giggling at the title (which even I will concede is a bit on the inherently silly side) let me just put it out there that I think this may very well be one of the objectively best shows of the season. That's right, I'm saying Flip Flappers is that damn good.

In the not too distant future, Cocona is the ideal role-model high-school student. She's popular, gets good grades, shows up early to class everyday, and even exercises critical thinking like an adult wherever she can. There's just one problem for Cocona, she always seems to be hesitant to embrace new opportunities, which has made deciding what she wants to do with her life (once she's done with school) exceedingly difficult.

Matters get even more complicated for her though when a mysterious girl named Papika suddenly appears, fearlessly searching for a wish granting crystal called "The Shard of Mimi." Claiming to be from a place called "Pure Illusion" Papika brings Cocona on a journey that's sure to change her outlook on life forever.

Flip Flappers has almost everything I'm looking for in a quality show. The animation is topnotch, the score is catchy as hell, the acting is superb, and the main premise is wholly familiar, while still being refreshingly creative. I emphatically encourage anyone who's reading this entry to stop what they're doing and watch this show.

Words almost fail to articulate how stupendous I think this series is. In a lot of ways Flip Flappers is a not only a modern testament to the levels of beauty we can manifest in animation today, but also stands as a love letter to the power of a child's imagination.

I can see many a viewer finding themselves waxing nostalgic of their personal imaginary childhood adventures from years past, just by completing the first episode alone. Every frame of Flip Flappers has been filled to the brim with bright, whimsical colors, paired with some jaw dropping, downright astounding animation sequences that immediately tap into the greater recesses of one's creative cortex. This is seriously some Studio Ghibli levels of inspirational material here. I think it's safe to say that many aspiring creators who are watching Flip Flappers this very instant will be referencing this show years from now when they themselves are the storytellers inspiring a new generation.

It truly isn't often in this day and age that we get to witness an anime of this caliber come across the airwaves. Not since the likes of 2013's insanely incredible Kill la Kill (or to some extent spring 2016's Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) have I seen a show that isn't based off of an already established IP in some way, get the big-budget treatment. Among today's anime landscape, these gems are a rarity, and seeing so much effort being put into an "unproven" product is certainly something the industry could use more of.

My biggest hope is that Flip Flappers will prove successful across the board, and it will embolden other studios to start taking on more original stories. It's not that I don't like seeing adaptations anymore (in fact, we're living in a time where we're getting some of the best ones to ever be made) but really I just want to see more creative/inspired shows. Far too often I feel we get the same stories regurgitated at us time and again, which is exactly why I fell out of regular television watching practically a decade ago. Most of these works lack passion, they lack vision, and ultimately they lack identity. What I want is to see the message being conveyed in Flip Flappers to be taken to heart. Don't be hesitant or afraid to embrace new ideas. Let your imaginations soar, and most importantly, just take a chance.

This is truly a masterstroke in animation.

There's never a dull moment in Flip Flappers.

And that about does it for the Autumn Season Anime- Early Impressions! I can only hope that my quick overview of each of the shows has been informative in helping you make a decision on what to watch as the leaves change color and we all get pumpkin flavored stuff.

2016 Autumn Season Anime- Early Impressions (Part 1)

Once again I find myself in the thick of the autumn season, but unlike previous years, I have some very entertaining shows to tide me over until the splendid spring weather returns. I've stated before on this blog that I'm not much for television watching, but the current glut of anime shows for this season are frankly just too amusing to ignore.

Just like how Thunderbolt Fantasy grabbed me for the summer and refused to let go, there are at least six different animes currently airing that have my attention. While none of them have even remotely gotten to their respective half-way marks yet, so far I'm enjoying each of these series immensely. Despite the fact that I don't tend to binge-watch any given program (unless it's that damn good/fun) to be completely blunt, I also haven't had much reason to tune in on a weekly basis for close to the last decade of my life.

Thankfully there are enough engaging shows this season to pull me out of that slump, and it's absolutely refreshing to finally be able to look forward to a multitude of episodes from several shows every week. My only hope is that each of these stories can maintain their quality and momentum for the duration of the fall season, because this is perhaps the most fun I've had all year, if not in years. Whether I'm alone or with friends, it's a great time when it comes to these animes, so much so that it's almost like this when we're watching them...

This is my jam!

Now I want to clarify upfront that these are just my personal preferences for the season. Please keep an open mind, as I'm not making a definitive statement when I say that these are the most "entertaining" shows available. This is all simply a matter of opinion, but if you're willing to hear me out on some of them, you might find yourself checking a few of these shows out too.

There are a few honorable mentions that I want to get out of the way before I jump into the early impressions proper. While I may be a fan of the usual full-length series, I also have a slight affinity for micro-series. I feel a micro-series (if done right) can really sell an idea on the short hand, not too unlike that of a music video. These are just a few of the micro series that I'm watching to help stave off the occasional bouts of banal boredom. Most of these can be run through fairly quickly, as they're not huge time sinks or require that much investment.

Honorable Mentions/Micro-Series

Tawawa on Monday

Tawawa on Monday is perhaps not the best example of a micro-series, but it's serviceable nontheless. Based off of a series of online illustrations by character designer/illustrator Kiseki Himura (who some may recognize as the artist from the Sword Art Online: Progressive manga) Tawawa on Monday follows a young unnamed salary man who has a chance meeting with a girl named Ai while riding the morning train. After consecutive meetings, they begin to become friends, and the salary man starts to take on the role of Ai's "bodyguard" while they ride the train and chat.

While I am enjoying Tawawa on Monday, I don't find it to be exceptionally special when it comes to other micro-series out there. What really sells this show to me is the excellent character designs, the bright colors, and the risque appeal of the animation itself. Beyond that I don't see this one being nearly as entertaining as Please Tell Me Galko-chan was from earlier in the summer. All the same, I'd still say it's worth a watch though.

Kaiju Girls

Kaiju Girls has been a good deal of fun so far. The general plot is that after humanity won the war against giant monsters, a new era of world peace began. Several years later though young girls possessing the "spirits" of the now legendary Kaiju begin to emerge. An organization called GIRLS is formed in the wake of their discovery, and they collect/recruit the various ladies so that they may learn the extent of their abilities.

I think something like Kaiju Girls may be more in a line with what I think a micro-series really should do, as it keeps the jokes coming and the premise simple. Irrespective of the obviously very limited animation of the shorts (which would normally turn me off as I'm a bit of an animation snob) I do find myself tuning in every time a new episode pops up. The overall designs of the characters are exceedingly charming, and the j-pop music is just too damn infectious for it not to have my attention.

Aggressive Retsuko

Aggressive Retsuko is a great example of what a micro-series can truly accomplish when it knows how to deliver on its humor. With each episode clocking in at just a little over a minute (and brought to us by Sanrio studios, the guys responsible for Hello Kitty) the series follows an accountant red panda named Retsuko and her everyday life. It can certainly be a struggle, as Retsuko deals with a lot of  the same problems we all do, be it annoying co-workers, passive-aggressive encounters, or indecisive friends. How does Retsuko cope with it all? By rocking out to heavy death metal, that's how!

It's a novelty gimmick for sure, but somehow the creators keep finding hilarious ways to have Retsuko freak out and go into a death metal tirade. I truly do find myself empathizing with her quite often though, as I've found myself having several of the thoughts she has as well, although probably not nearly as bombastic.

Now onto the Autumn Season Early Impressions! 

  

Keijo!!!!!!!!- Hip Whip Girl

Summer never ends in Keijo!

First up to bat is none other than the now somewhat infamous Keijo!!!!!!!!- Hip Whip Girl.

Based off the manga of the same name, Keijo is set in an alternate modern Japan, where at the turn of the 21st century, a new female-only gambling water-sport called "keijo" is launched. Since its introduction keijo has become a popular national pastime, with many of the athletes rising to major celebrity status. Matches are held in gigantic water arenas, and are performed on top of floating platforms called "lands" where swimsuit clad players compete to either incapacitate or knock one another off, and into the water, being allowed to only utilize their breasts or their butts to do so.

Now that the sport has been around for over a decade, many of the prominent figures have either moved on, or retired, leaving a new generation of girls to pick up the mantel. A gifted young gymnast, Nozomi Kaminashi, enters the keijo arena in hopes of winning the large amounts of money on offer to help pull her family out of poverty. Despite her exceptional gymnastic skills, Nozomi soon learns there is far more to the sport than simple hip whips. Only through rigorous training and the help of her friends at the Keijo Academy can Nozomi hope to best her rivals, and become the greatest Keijo athlete in the world.

Before anyone gets any funny ideas, let me make it known that I don't think this is a "quality show" by most conventional standards. Keijo is an unremittingly trashy show that's completely self-aware of how silly its premise is and what that premise is set up to do. With that said, I also want to say that there is a difference (to me at least) in regards to what makes a show "good" to what makes a show "entertaining."

A story can be implicitly doofy, but still be a blast to watch, either with friends, or as a solo venture. It's precisely for series like Keijo that I invented the whole "Craptacular" rating for my reviews, so I do think it's possible to enjoy a story that you know deep down is fairly schlocky. Regardless of objective qualities, we all can indulge in stuff like this as long as we're willing to be honest with ourselves about it.

Notwithstanding the overwhelmingly silly premise, at its core this is a sports show through and through. Filled to the brim with over-the-top action, bold black lines on the characters to emphasize power, vapor trails to sell speed, and the naming of legendary moves, are all anime sport tropes we've seen several times before. But Keijo has this way of employing all these tropes and turning them on their head. It's sort of like like watching Shokugeki no Soma (aka Food Wars) where something as benign as the culinary arts becomes almost completely sexualized. In the case of Keijo, it inverts a great deal of its sexual escapades by making the fanservice a far more serious element that's pivotal to the characters participating in the sport. 

Due to the rules of the fictitious Keijo water-sport, a lot of the fanservice strewn throughout the animation feels somewhat honestly justified, and in an odd way makes the show less titillating and more engaging. Knowing that a character can only use certain parts of their body makes for some creative moments during the competitions so far, and it all culminates in a show that's hard to turn away from.

These matches get intense. This is some next level stuff.

Like I said, vapor trails and bold outlines.

This could be one of those rare situations where I think Keijo may be one of the best modern examples of how to implement major amounts of fanservice into a narrative without it being distracting. I don't know if I would say it's outright case-study material, but it's certainly one that potential fanservice storytellers should be taking notes on if they want their respective works to take things to the next level.

Keijo is totally unapologetic for its content, and more-so comes off as truly believing in its concept. To be frank, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Much like another fanservice laden anime I reviewed (Manyuu Hikenchou) the charm of something like Keijo is that its lighthearted tone, combined with its never-say-die message, create an infectious vibe that's hard to shake. You find yourself starting to believe in the inherently silly sport of Keijo, because the characters themselves believe in it with all their hearts. Seeing characters get serious in the heat of a match is legitimately enthralling, and besides, who can't love a show where they have a move called the "vacuum butt cannon" or a girl who's butt attack has a dragon spirit attached to it? It's moments like this throughout Keijo that truly make the show charming as hell, if not downright magical to witness. Keijo is exactly what I want from a fanservice focused romp.

If anything else, I simply love Keijo's summer spirit. As I've been watching these first few episodes, it's almost like I can smell the water on the beach, or feel the cool summer breeze in the air, or taste the gellato the characters eat. Keijo is (in a weird sort of way) essentially pure, distilled summertime fun, and it's for that reason the show will forever have my vote for evoking those nostalgic sensations within me.

Tiger Mask W

The King of the Wild shall be crowned!

Next up to the plate is Tiger Mask W, a pseudo reboot (but mostly a sequel) to the original Tiger Mask anime that ran from 1969 to 1971. 

In a world where kayfabe is real, and pro-wrestling organizations fight for complete dominance, Naoto Azuma and Takuma Fujii are two young trainees at the small promotion Jipang Pro-Wrestling. When a rival promotion (called Tiger's Den) crushes JPW in a less than honorable series of matches, both Naoto and Takuma make it their life's mission to avenge JPW by destroying Tiger's Den at all costs.

Naoto trains for three years at the base of Mt. Fuji, assuming the mantle of legendary wrestling hero Tiger Mask, while Takuma deliberately joins Tiger's Den, taking on the name Tiger the Dark, in hopes of destroying the organization from within.

As Tiger's Den re-emerges onto the wrestling scene under the new guise of Global Wrestling Monopoly, both Naoto and Takuma set their plans in motion to topple Tiger's Den once and for all. With the odds stacked against them, can these two heroic tigers hope to defeat the maniacal GWM, and save the sport of wrestling before it's too late?

This probably comes as no big surprise to anyone, but I'm a huge pro-wrestling fan. For as long as I can remember I've absolutely loved watching matches take place in the squared-circle, and I don't see that love disappearing anytime soon. The two aspects I've always loved the most about pro-wrestling though is easily the gimmicks and the storytelling that happens in matches as a result.

While I'll be the first to admit that most storytelling in wrestling is (or at least can be) overly melodramatic, if not an outright joke, I also will say that's sort of its appeal and charm. Despite how the majority of wrestling stories have a penchant leaning toward goof-ball shenanigans, there are a select few that hit the mark just right, and elevate into something legendary. Not too many other mediums of entertainment available out there can honestly hope to ever tap into such gratifying visceral potential, but one of those few is Shonen anime, so if anything else, something like Tiger Mask W fundamentally has my full attention in spades. Much like Keijo, the overly campy dialogue, combined with the earnestness of the cast congeals into a winning combination that makes the show so incredibly fun to watch.
  
The character designs are classic and distinct in the best way possible. Seeing the static roaring face of the iconic Tiger Mask is gloriously cheesy, and getting to see a darker/edgier version in Tiger the Dark is just as glorious. Seeing all the different wrestler gimmicks and how they are all so over-the-top only adds to the charm, never mind that each one is painted as a bigger, more menacing threat than the last.

Tiger Mask, the legend returns once more to save pro-wrestling from tyranny and evil!

Unfortunately for all Tiger Mask W has to its credit in charm of character, it's lacking in almost every other department, thus keeping it from legitimate greatness so far. The largest elephant in the room is Toei Animation as the studio behind the show, and for those who don't know, they have a bit of a rep when it comes to cutting corners in regards to animation budgets. While I can't say that any of the animation is objectively terrible, it is lacking by many modern standards. Several times throughout the aired episodes we have characters going slightly off model, still shot action beats, and some overall janky movements that just don't look natural. Worse offenders exist out there for sure, but in a world where the caliber of animation standards have been somewhat raised (by studios like UFO Table) I feel Toei should've at least upped their game a little bit. This level of animation probably would've been exceptional in the early 2000's, but today it just looks cheap.

What ultimately keeps me coming back to Tiger Mask W is once again its uproariously hammy nature. At many intervals during my time with the show so far I honestly felt like I was watching a time capsule piece that was right out of the 80's, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Never mind the fact that several prominent wrestlers from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (a promotion I absolutely adore) are featured as major characters who either help or hinder our titular Tiger Masked heroes. Whether it's Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, or Togi Makabe on screen, I'll be completely honest in declaring that I totally geek out seeing these guys as anime characters.

At the end of the day I think Tiger Mask W just takes me back to a period when wrestling (while undeniably ridiculous) was simply a blast to watch. The heroes were virtuous and mighty, going up against the slimy and conniving villains. It's not Citizen Kane, but it doesn't need to be. Tiger Mask W is an anime that makes us remember a time when wrestlers weren't just performers, they were living legends.

Look Out For Part 2 Coming Soon! 

The Peanuts Movie- Review

The gang's all here Charlie Brown!

Timeless, iconic, classic, these are all words people use when describing something as influential as The Peanuts. What started out as a simple comic strip in the Sunday newspapers, ultimately grew into a franchising juggernaut with products spanning over almost all media available for the last sixty years. I'm about 99.9% confident that pretty much anyone reading this review right this instant is familiar with Charles Schulz's work in some way, shape, or form.

I have absolutely no qualms admitting that I am a HUGE Peanuts fan. All of the original animated holiday specials were regularly on my family's TV throughout my youth, and to this day remain some of my fondest memories of the holiday season. It practically goes without saying that I read the comics regularly, which still sit in my head as the quintessential example of a Sunday comic strip.

With all of that in mind, imagine now how skeptical I must have been when the initial announcement was made that the Peanuts was going to get the big-budget Hollywood movie treatment. While there have been plenty of great film adaptations over the last thirty years, it was hard for me to believe that the somewhat soulless Hollywood machine would be capable of translating the heart of The Peanuts to the big screen. Most of that doubt evaporated the moment I saw the very first teaser, and learned that Craig and Bryan Schulz (the son and grandson of Charles Schulz) were writing the film. Suddenly I had hope, and thankfully I can say that hope wasn't misplaced. Much like The Lego Movie, The Peanuts is everything I wanted it to be (and in some ways) so much more.

Life isn't easy if you're a kid named Charlie Brown. Failing at seemingly everything he does, Charlie Brown has grown frustrated with his perpetual mishaps. When a little red haired girl moves into the house across from his, Charlie Brown sees this as an opportunity to reinvent himself as a confident winner, instead of a constant mess-up. With the aid of his trusty beagle Snoopy, Charlie Brown makes it his goal to impress the little red haired girl and become more of a winner than he ever thought he could be.

To some The Peanuts Movie may come off as overly basic, but once more I feel the urge to make the distinction between something being "basic" and something being "simple." When something is basic, it's pretty much "run-of-the-mill, everybody does this" sort of affair. It's bland, usually lacking character or charm to off set the minimal inspiration. If something is simple though, it can mean that things are uncomplicated and easy to follow, while still providing that much needed character and charm. The Peanuts Movie (much like the original comic strip) revels in its simplicity, and because of that, becomes a very accessible/more enjoyable experience for it. Sometimes all we really need is a charmingly simple story (or series of loosely connected vignettes as some have argued) to make something memorable.

In fact, I would actually make the argument that this isn't so much a big-screen adaption of The Peanuts but more so a celebration of everything the whole franchise has ever represented. Every sequence feels as if it was written with the express purpose of preserving the spirit and essence of what makes The Peanuts THE PEANUTS, and I think my best friend Matt very succinctly put it "that this was like a distilled cliff-notes version of The Peanuts, and that's just fine." This movie could have completely flown off the rails in so many ways given today's climate, but it didn't. Instead this was a film that celebrated everything that everyone loves about these characters and the experiences they share. A lot of us have always been able to relate to Charlie Brown's predicaments and this big-screen treatment did service to making not only us old-guard fans feel that same connection once again, but a whole new generation as well.

Classic in all the right ways!

Every emotion The Peanuts conveys never feels anything less than genuine. Of course I am saying that as a long-lived fan, but everyone in the theater seemed to just go with this picture's flow. Every time a joke came up, people let out legitimate laughs. Whenever things got melancholic, the audience would sit in silence, seemingly contemplating the action on screen. At no point did viewers seem to fall out of sync with the emotions this flick wanted them to feel, and that is truly a testament to both the writing and the direction.

I will also say that if you're a Peanuts fan like I am, there's a good chance the last few minutes of this film may leave you with some tears. Again, I won't lie and claim that I didn't get choked up by the time the credits began rolling. The final shot is such a gratifying love-letter to both The Peanuts as a story and to its fans that I know for a fact I wasn't alone in fighting back da feelz. My brother was just as verklempted as I was, and I've read several reviews now of other long-time fans stating the same.

A lot of the emotion in this movie stems from the beautiful voice cast. The Peanuts Movie could have fallen flat on its face if it wasn't well acted, and thankfully not a single actor feels out of place. Noah Schnapp captures the essence of Charlie Brown flawlessly. Even now I almost can't believe how good this kid was. His conveyance of every emotion is so thoroughly impacting that he makes Charlie Brown feel more real than he ever has. Venus Omega Schultheis (yes that's her real name and it's awesome!) portrays Peppermint Patty so incredibly well that I almost thought for a second they had Christopher DeFaria (one of the original actors for the character) reprise the role. Hadley Belle Miller's Lucy van Pelt and Mariel Sheets' Sally Brown are just as phenomenally performed, and it makes me hope to the heavens that all of these actors continue to get more work after this. As a nice touch, archival recordings of Bill Melendez's performance as Snoopy and Woodstock are utilized to great effect, and does give The Peanuts Movie that extra feeling of authenticity.

Fantastic performances make scenes like this absolute gold!

Visually The Peanuts does not disappoint. It's obvious that the artistic styling of Charles Schulz is definitely present and accounted for here, with every character feeling like they sprung to life directly from the comic. Even with character designs that essentially have nothing more than black dots for eyes, not a single one of them comes off as inexpressive. The choice to stick with the iconic look of the comic was clearly the goal of Blue Sky Studios from day one, and frankly I think it's because they knew no one could see the Peanuts gang look any other way than how Schulz originally depicted them. That isn't to say though that the film doesn't impress. It's through the movie's simplistic approach that it truly excels and becomes more than just another CG animation.

One of the first things I think will grab anyone's attention is the colors. The vividly warm color palette makes you almost feel like you're curling up next to a fire as you watch the flames dance. The second thing everyone is sure to talk about is the very tactile sense to the film. Every article of clothing, or every strand of hair on a character's head, has a noticeable texture to it. You can almost feel how course and matted Peppermint Patty's tomboy hair is, or how fuzzy Snoopy is. Add in some classic comic style sound effect words popping into frame at key moments and you've got The Peanuts ported with nary a flaw in sight. 

While the cozy nature of the visuals are very effective, the most impressive sequences are the moments where series icon Snoopy imagines he's fighting The Red Baron. To be frank, this is where the film is at its most energetic and absolutely captivating. Even though we know these scenes are only playing out in Snoopy's imaginative mind, there is a legitimately exciting quality to it all. Each time there's a barrel roll or The Red Baron gets the drop on Snoopy is highly kinetic, and I can't truly express how awesome these bits really are.

This is the stuff dreams are made of.

The score is yet another area where attention to the small details is evident. From the opening shot we hear the familiar musical measures that defined the TV specials. While they are re-recordings or new takes on the distinguished tracks, at no point do they not feel like the music that is The Peanut's associated sound. Composer Christopher Beck does an impeccable job recreating the distinct notes we all know and love, and even with some of the newer bits of music (such as Gipsy King's single 'Bamboleo' and Meghan Trainor's songs 'Better When I'm Dancing'/'Good to be Alive' which were written specifically for the movie) fit with the overall classic vibe. It's contemporary in all the right places while still paying homage to Vince Guaraldi's original music score.

In regards to anything negative to The Peanuts Movie, I don't think there isn't much but some nitpicks here and there. I have seen some reviews say that the Red Baron scenes are a bit too bombastically long and distract from the overarching story of the film, but I disagree. The Red Baron acts as a parallel to the main plot, allowing us to see how Snoopy is coming to terms with how to help his master/best friend Charlie Brown. Even though I can see the logic behind the complaint (such as these scenes taking away potential moments of development from some of the other characters in the cast) I don't think The Red Baron bits are a waste of time at all. Just a different focus for this particular narrative. If anything else, I'm a little sad that some minor details got messed up. They're not deal breakers by any stretch, but having changes such as Peppermint Patty and Marcie going to the same school as Charlie Brown (let alone Linus also being in the same grade as him) do futz with the established continuity the comic and the specials adhered to for decades. I do completely understand why changes like this were somewhat necessary (so that they could get all the cast together in most of the scenes) but it's still is a bit unfortunate to see Blue Sky Studios be so accurate in so many areas only to falter on these minor details.

Overall The Peanuts Movie is undoubtedly rock solid to its very core. Barring a few painfully minor nitpicks that only more old-school fanboys could have, I think I can safely say this is the picture we all wanted it to be. From the simplistically sublime visuals, to the notes of its nostalgia laden melodies, everything here screams authentic Peanuts. If you consider yourself a fan of Charles Schulz's work by any stretch then I emphatically encourage you to watch this piece of animated cinema gold while it's still in theaters. You'll laugh, you'll cry, then laugh again, only to potentially weep with joy in the end. I can't sing the praises of this movie enough. As far as this one nerd is concerned, you did good by me Blue Sky Studios. It's been a long time coming, but Charlie Brown has finally been given his day in the sun!

Positive Factors

• Completely nails the charm and personality of Charles Schulz's original vision.
• Its simple plot makes for an incredibly accessible film for any fan of any generation.
• Absolutely stellar voice casting. Everyone is pitch perfect in their roles.
• Gorgeous visuals all around. Regardless of the simple designs everything feels tangible and emotive.
• Fantastic score. The spirit of the sound from the TV specials is clearly preserved, even with the more modern music.

Negative Factors

• Depending on how much you love the whole cast, The Red Baron scenes may be too time consuming.
• A few minor details that have been established for years either have liberties taken with them or are just wrong.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!   

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (Ep. 100)- Review

We made it everyone!

If someone were to go back by half a decade and tell the me of 2010 that I would become a fan of My Little Pony in October of that very same year, I would have raucously laughed in their face while simultaneously lecturing them of the dangers messing with the time-stream can incur. Even without a flying DeLorean, it amazes me how different things are now.  Change can come in so many ways if we simply give it the chance it needs. A mere five years ago no one could have predicted that something like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic would become the pop-culture sensation/phenomenon it is today. Now we have conventions for it all over the globe. There are near infinite amounts of fan works to coincide with the almost countless amounts of memorabilia. I guess it turns out the world was far more ready to venture into the whimsical lands of Equestria than I would've ever initially given credit for. Seldom have we looked back since those inaugural days of sharing memes/screen caps on various image boards, so let us take pause to soak in all that has happened.

I honestly didn't think the show, or the fandom for that matter, would ever make it this far. It feels totally surreal to me that I'm even writing about this singular episode of the now long-standing series that is MLP. Words almost completely fail to convey the level of joy this episode brings to my heart. In all my years of being a part of nerd culture, I've never seen a love letter to a fan base quite like this. This is a beautiful celebratory moment of cross-pollination between the creators and the fans. As a self-admitted brony, I'll be upfront in saying that I couldn't be more satisfied with MLP than I am this very instant. We've come a long way, and hopefully there's more road to come.

To clarify, most situations in regards to fandom are simply a matter of the source material (in this case the MLP cartoon) influencing the fandom's works (such as music/fan fiction/ etc.) which conventionally is as it should be. For most media out there, while the sentiment of fan art and fan fiction are appreciated, that sort of material is never truly acknowledged in the official works themselves. With this one hundredth episode though, we now have a case where not only is the fandom's own material now acknowledged, but it is now informing developments within the very show itself. As far as I know, this sort of thing has never really happened before with a major franchise, let alone to the degree it has here. For lack of a better term, we just witnessed the fandom's agreed upon head cannon about certain background characters get canonized in perhaps one of the most amicable ways possible so that we can all walk away winners.

Strap in, because it's time for hype!

Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda are set to be married, but there's just one problem, the invitations that were sent out have the wrong date. Instead of holding the wedding when they planned, they now have to do it today. With little time to spare, and none of the Mane Six available to help, Cranky and Matilda team up with the many colorful denizens of Ponyville to make sure the ceremony happens on time.

For those not in the know, episode one hundred (titled Slice of Life) pretty much exclusively follows background characters that the fandom has latched on to since the show's very beginning. In much of the same spirit as 22 Short Films About Springfield (episode twenty one, season seven) from animated sitcom The Simpsons, Slice of Life tells multiple micro-stories that eventually coalesce into one over-arching narrative. This episode easily stands as not only one of the most outright clever, but also downright heart-warming episodes the series has had up to this point. While some could see this episode as nothing more than blatant fan-pandering/fan-service I see it as nothing more than what it is. This is an acknowledgement from the show's creators to the (seemingly ever-growing) brony community. A deliberate nod that simultaneously brings a new story to show, while also fundamentally saying "We couldn't have made it this far without you guys!"

There almost isn't a single reason to dislike this episode as far as I'm concerned. Everything from the premise, to the characters, to the pacing, all of it just works. I won't lie that I have a degree of some bias here, as I am a huge fan of the background character Muffins (aka Derpy Hooves to the fans) and getting to hear her speak, let alone play a major role in this episode's plot, made me giddy as could be. Regardless, even with fans of the regular cast I'm sure everyone can appreciate the setup. If anything else we get to see the cast expanded, and the world further explored; which seems to be one of the major ongoing themes this season. Personally I'd like to think that we could be seeing a potential alternate cast for future episodes, but more than likely this is just a one-time deal. Perhaps with positive enough reception though (which probably isn't going to be an issue) we could see every character here return for another go around.

All together now!

In regards to the animation, I've never considered MLP to have the most impressive of animation (due to it primarily being created in flash) and this episode is no exception. While I could go into why I think flash animation isn't that impressive to me, I do want to clarify that I fully understand why most studios use the program for animation today. It creates serviceable character models, and most certainly saves on time and money. I do like seeing newer character models being used this episode, as well as seeing some new expressions crop up. I also like all the visual gags this episode injects ranging from the big ones directly in the foreground, to the (in true series tradition) small ones in the background that you have to be paying close attention to notice. Trust me when I say that some of them are totally gut-busting funny.

Performances with the voice actors is top notch as has come to be expected from the show. While this is the first time some of these background characters have been given a voice, the actors feel like they're pitch perfect. Every character feels natural, as if they had always had a voice and been a regular on the show. I feel like special mention should go to actress Tabitha St. Germain, for her performance as not only Muffins, but also at least three additional voices throughout the episode. At no point does she ever make her multiple roles blend, so each time you hear her, she's a completely different character. I could go on and on about how great everyone in is in this episode, but frankly it must be heard to really be appreciated. If I only had one gripe with the voice work, it would be that Vinyl Scratch didn't say a word. While I understand that Hasbro didn't want to ruin the voice that's already been created for the character by the fandom, I also feel that hearing her speak would've only made a great episode even greater.

Daniel Ingram once again creates a stupendous score for the episode. While Vinyl may not speak, her and Octavia create one of the coolest tracks to ever be featured in the show. I'm fairly certain that the fandom will be doing remixes of this one bit for the next several months to come. Sadly it's also the only real new track made. As much as I could chalk that up as a negative, this is still just another episode, in spite of the milestone. I'm really not going to complain about the music. It's everything we've come to expect from the show so far and more.

This just feels right.

Overall, this is easily one of the best episodes to come out of this series yet. Even with the blatant fan-pandering that some are already accusing this episode of, I honestly don't think it matters. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has essentially come full-circle with its fans in Slice of Life. I mean it when I say that this is one of the best love-letter pieces I've ever seen for any franchise. Hopefully with the remainder of season five still ahead of us, we can see more episodes like this. If anything else the door has been opened for a potential new cast, even if that potential is small. At least it's something the fans will always remember. Cheers to an incredible hundred episodes!

Positive Factors

• One of the best love-letter pieces to fans that I've ever seen.
• Background characters from all across the series finally get their moment to shine.
• Sports some of the more impressive animation for the series so far.
• Voice actors bring their A-game to the table. Tabitha St. Germain knocks it out of the park with her multiple roles.
• Daniel Ingram's score is great as usual. The new Vinyl/Octavia track is one of the coolest additions to the series.

Negative Factors

• With every other character getting a speaking role it would have been nice to hear Vinyl speak for once.

Final Rating: !!!AWESOMESAUCE!!!

Heavenly Sword- Review

Honestly, the game was much better...

I've stated my thoughts before here on the blog about why I think most videogame to film adaptations fail, but I think it bears repeating. When you turn a game into a film, you loose gaming's most important aspect; interactivity. It's the one feature a game provides that mediums like books and movies can never hope to do. The crux of a game is the relationship it has with the player, and once that direct engagement is removed and made into a spectator experience, everything that may have made a game once remarkable is gone.

While there have been some notable adaptations done with videogames in the past, the truth of the matter is that most of these adaptations are terrible. The notable ones are simply the exceptions to this apparent rule, and can pretty much be counted on one hand. Going into Heavenly Sword I honestly didn't expect much, and it's that expectation that probably saved me from developing an incredibly painful bleeding ulcer.

To be blunt, Heavenly Sword is a bad movie. No hyperbolic speaking being done here folks. This is just poor film making at its (almost) worst. I thank whatever celestial bodies that may be out there controlling fate from the cosmos that I didn't at least have to pay any of my hard earned cash to watch this dreadful piece of cinematic garbage. Sometimes a flick can be so bad that it's actually kind of good. I have no allusions of grandeur here people. I own several DVDs worth of movies that are campy, hokey, and unintentionally funny. Trust me when I say that Heavenly Sword is none of these things. This movie is so bad that it can't even give me the benefit of being so bad that it's actually enjoyable in its awfulness. Nope this is just pure undiluted bad. It's made even worse in knowing that the movie didn't even have to be this bad had they just put a little more effort into the final product.

Thousands of years ago two deities fought for the fate of the world. One fought for the sake of its mortal creatures, while the other (The Raven Lord) fought to conquer everything. The Raven Lord was ultimately defeated, but the god who beat him left his holy weapon behind. A sword, imbued with the power of the god who killed the Raven Lord, proved too tempting for mortals as they killed one another for it. Eventually the centuries of bloodshed tainted the weapon, making it destroy whoever would dare to wield it. Finally a warrior tribe took charge of the blade, keeping it from those who would abuse its power. Among the tribe talk of legends grew that one day, in the year of the fire horse, the god who brought the sword to humanity would be reincarnated as a mortal himself and reclaim it, bringing peace to the land.

Nariko stands as a portent of doom. The prophesied return of the warrior god said that it would be a man, not a women, who would come to unite the warring and scattered tribes. Living as an outcast among her own people, Nariko still trains as a protector of the Heavenly Sword, but the tyrannical King Bohan has set his sights on the blade. With his armies laying siege to Nariko's village and decimating her clan's forces, she takes up the blade herself and sets out to find the true chosen wielder somewhere in the distant lands. Can Nariko bring the sword to its rightful owner, or will she succumb to the same fate that has befallen all of the wielders before her?

Right off the bat I do want to put this out there to fans of the game who have yet to see this movie. Some major liberties have been taken with the source material here, and frankly none of them are really for the better. For one, this time around there is an apparent chosen one. While this may not seem like a major change to some, on a thematic level it fundamentally is. Trust me when I say too that this one change futzes up everything. In the game, the onus of the story was somewhat of a condemnation of prophecies and the like. Man is no slave to legends, but the true masters of their own destiny, and the game drove that theme home splendidly. In this film it almost does the same thing, but at the same time says that perhaps the prophecy was onto something. While I don't necessarily dislike this trope, it doesn't exactly speak to the spirit of (and in some ways betrays) the game's original point on a thematic narrative level.

The change ultimately robs Nariko of her status as a creator of her own legend, as well as perhaps being the chosen one herself (an element alluded to in the game) and instead turns her into a bearer of the sword for her newly created half-brother Loki. That is like taking King Arthur and turning him into a delivery boy carrying Excalibur for a new character created just for an adaptation. Sure you can do that, but it probably won't go over well with the audience. A lot of the subtle implications and overall impact that the game's story had is now lost with this one change to the material. I'll give another example to prove my point. With the addition of Loki, the character of Shen (Nariko's father) now transforms from a likable (if somewhat flawed) character who was experiencing a crisis of faith to a morally deplorable fanatic of a man concerned only with prophecies. In the game Shen loves Nariko as his child, but resents what she represents to the clan. He still trains her in spite of his disappointment, and comes to eventually accept that perhaps not all legends and prophecies should be believed. In the movie Shen outright despises Nariko. He does not train her as a warrior, and instead goes around trying to sire a son, so that he can have his precious chosen one son. While I do get that this is probably the point, again it alters something significantly from the game, making this feel less like an adaptation and more like a lousy interpretation.

At least Kai still plays a role int he story.

Perhaps the only positive that does come out of the change is that there is a certain sense of urgency now granted to the plot, and it does force Nariko across several different locations in search of the true chosen one. Instead of the rocky plains and mountains of the game, we get to see areas such as a pretty decent looking swap village and an admittedly fairly cool looking city built inside of an active volcano. It isn't much of a plus, but it does inject some nice variety in regards to the backdrop of events. That doesn't change the film's horrendous pacing though. Everything moves from location to location at break neck speed, so much so to the point that you never get to really take anything in. The movie mostly opts to simply pull exposition dumps to give the audience the essential information, and then rushes them to the next scene so that they can get the next exposition dump. It's a torturous cycle in the movie, and one that extents from the literal start to finish of its ever so brief ninety minute run time.

As far as voice-acting goes, it's just awful. This may be perhaps the single greatest example of what it means to "phone in" a performance. Not a single line in this movie is delivered with any sense of conviction or real emotion. Even with recruiting the likes of the usually impressive Anna Torv (Nariko's original VA from the game) everyone simply dials in their lines like they were doing a homework assignment. Within the first five minutes of the movie I could already tell that Anna Trov's love for the character of Nariko has long since left her, though I think that has a lot do with the alterations to the character and story.

Even great actors like Alfred Molina and Thomas Jane are simply here to collect a quick paycheck. I don't know why the choice to replace the amazing Andy Serkis with Molina as King Bohan was made, but I can assure you that it's a bad one. Molina fumbles through his lines like he's reading the script for the first time, while Thomas Jane plays the new character Loki, like he recorded his lines after just waking up from a night long drinking binge. I honestly still can't believe how bad the acting is in this flick. Practically every actor in this cast (I know for a fact) does not suck at what they do, yet here I could truly say that I've heard better voice work out of far less experienced amateurs. The only decent performance comes from Nolan North, who plays three characters himself, and he only comes off as just okay in the end.

Animation wise Heavenly Sword is still trash. I've seen better efforts come out of college students learning 3-D animation for the first time. Character movement has no fluidity to it, and the lip-sync to the voice acting is off by about five whole miles. Even the best action scenes this movie provides are only just barely passable as mediocre. I find it almost impressive how this movie could make a battle with a character who can create duplicates of himself while fighting on a crumbling monument, in a volcano city, one of the most boring parts of the whole experience. There is a complete lack of comprehension in regards to compiling a scene too as practically no transition shots exist in this film. In most (much better) movies we would see what I refer to as a pitch motion. You have a windup, a pitch, and a hit. With these three simple shots you convey the necessary information to the audience so that they know exactly who is doing what, where, and how. Without good editing and transition shots, action scenes lose impact becoming disjointed, confusing, and overall boring as a result.

Perhaps one of the only decent shots in the movie.

Never mind the fact the movie also has easily one of the most drab color palettes I've seen in years. While I don't mind a more muted or washed out color scheme myself, I do have to say that the colors (or lack there of) here just make this movie the visual equivalent of slogging through chest high mud pits. The blooming and vivid colors of the game are gone, with only Nariko's iconic red hair surviving the jump to film. All I can say in the end is that I hope you like browns, cause you're gonna be seeing a whole hell of a lot them.

Musically there isn't much for me to say. It's there in a sense, if I have to acknowledge it. Nitin Sawhney's composition from the game has not really been brought over for the film, and instead is replaced with generic symphonic score No. 1042. All the eastern influence sounds of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra is gone folks. Worse yet, the music doesn't even really match what is occurring on the screen. Sure, sad music plays during a sad scene, but nothing harmonizes with the action. No swells in the score emphasize an emotion or an action. There is nothing here except the most basic of sounds and notes being strung together to create... something I guess.

Overall, Heavenly Sword is just a disaster of a movie. Nothing about it is redeemable in my eyes. While I will concede that the game this movie spawned from wasn't exactly the greatest action game ever, it was at least far more enjoyable in its six hour run than what I had here. The adaptation misreads everything that made Nariko's character heroic in the game, and instead assassinates her along with that whole theme of the narrative. The dreadful voice acting, the terrible animation, and the completely non-existent score only compound matters further, making this easily one of the worst videogame to film adaptations I think I've ever seen. What's truly tragic though is that it didn't have to be like this. Had they made the movie longer, stuck closer to the original plot, brought in the cast and score from the game, I don't think anyone would have complained. I know I wouldn't have. Heavenly Sword could have been this great epic that could have made people take note of videogame movies. Instead we just got another piece of trash to add to the already far too big horrifically botched pile.

Positive Factors

• There is a better variety of locations brought in for this adaptation.

Negative Factors

• Completely misses the point of the original game's thematic narrative by changing the nature of the plot.
• Awful pacing issues and exposition dumps galore!
• Some of the worst voice acting in years. Made worse when you consider the VA pedigree.
• Terrible animation. I'm amazed how its videogame counterpart (circa 2007) actually looks better than this.
• One of the most drab color pallets for an animation I've ever seen.
• Non-existent score that can't even sync up with the action on screen.

Final Rating: !!!TERRIBAD!!!