JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – AMAGAMI SS – アマガミ- MY OWN IMPRESSIONS – A NICE STORY FOR CHRISTMAS

Amagami SS

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Studio: Anime International Company

Hello my friends. Welcome to another anime review.

And one more time… Merry Christmas…

…and Happy New Year.

And just as I promised you a few days ago, I will bring an anime perfect for finialising this amazing 2022, which, again, it was a year of big challenges, but also of great victories and beautiful memories. But now it is time to move forward, and before I start the new year, I will present you an anime that, despite watching years ago, I kind of remember it with joy,

Behold…

But, before I start with my review, I must ask you now the typical question, a good way to start with 2023, and that is…

Are you my friends ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

Having said that, time to go with an adorable bite of love. This is Amagami SS

PREMISE

Based on the dating sim game released by Enterbrain in 2009, for the Playstation 2, Amagami SS takes to the story of a normal high school student, called Junichi Tachibana, who two years before the main story, suffered a big setback, when his heart was broken by a girl he was dating, because this girl never show up. And to add insult to injury, that date was supposed to take place precisely on Christmas Day, and that is why Junichi hates to celebrate Christmas.

But now, he has the opportunity of finding love again on Christmas, guided by six special girls – his senpai Haruka Morishima; his childhood friend, Kaoru Tanamachi; the shy Sae Nakata; the aloof, but kind Ai Nanasaki; his other childhood friend, Rihoko Sakurai; and the responsible Tsukasa Ayatsuji, in this wonderful adventure of 24 episodes.

Amagami SS was released from July 2 to December 23, 2010. Two years later, a second season was released under the name of Amagami SS +, from January 5 to March 29, 2012, with a total of 12 episodes. Moreover, Amagami itself has a lot of manga and spin-off games that I will not mention here because the list is long, but here are two for putting an example.

Amagami SS was produced by this company called AIC, or Anime International Company, which I truly never heard before, but, from what I read, they produced really old school anime like El-Hazard, Tenchi Muyo, Bubblegum Crisis, and one of the seasons of Date A Live. And, believe it or not, AIC was founded in 1982.

The voice talents include Shizuka Ito (Haruka), Rina Sato (Kaoru), Yukana (Ai), and Kaori Nazuka (Tsukasa) among others, of course, they were the same actresses who voiced her characters in the game.

Finally, Amagami SS has six different endings, with of each performed by the main actresses, and I will explain more about this later. But here are the links of all of them.

STORY

Now, before I continue, I must that I am not a very big fan of the anime versions of many dating sims, including Clannad, Kanon and Tsukihime (I have a lot to say about this last one), because sometimes I believe they choose either the lamest story or the least interesting heroines. Only my opinion. But I was never truly happy with either adaptation of Kanon (2003 & 2006), despite one being done by Kyoto Animation

However, Amagami SS does something that hook my attention, and that is every heroine starred in four episodes, like this.

Haruka Morishima – episode 1-4

Kaoru Tanamachi – episode 5-8

Sae Nakata – episode 9-12

Ai Nanasaki – episode 13-16

Rihoko Sakurai – episode 17-20

Tsukasa Ayatsuji – episode 21-24

And, on that time, I never saw something like that, but it was the thing that got me invested. So, I started watching each arc, and… I really ended liking all the characters. But I will talk about them later in my reliable Characters section.

Despite being only four episodes, I think these arcs distribute the story pretty well. We go to know our protagonist, his “trauma”, his personality, and his insecurities, and I enjoy that, it helps me to connect better. Also, with the heroines. There is not so much drama. Overall, the tone of the stories is light-hearted, and the comedy is not pretty original, but it is funny enough to have me invested.

I indeed had a good laugh. Not the best, but enjoyable.

Also, the episodes does not feel too slow or too fast. It is true that we could see more time of backstory with the protagonist and some of the heroines, like with Kaoru Tanamachi, because with Rihoko Sakurai, that is the case, the anime portrays them in their childhood. Nevertheless, the chemistry between Junichi and each of the heroines works well when it is needed, like in the arc of Sae Nakata and Tsukasa Ayatsuji. But my biggest surprise was with the episodes of Ai Nanasaki, for two reasons.

1. Because I thought she will be the least likeable character, when it was actually one of the most compelling of the heroines.
2. Because Ai arc has one of the best moments of Amagami SS.

Anyway, each arc has its strengths and weaknesses, but that can also depend of who is your favourite heroine. Especially with Rihoko Sakurai arc, and a very moment that I thought was atrocious (can’t mention which, because it is spoilers), one that, fortunately, was fixed in the second season (A shame we had to wait two years for that to happen).

Also, if you are a fan of visual novels, as well as their anime adaptations, or… you know… hentai adaptation, definitely the story of Amagami SS is the anime for you.

CHARACTERS

The characters, without being the most profound, are interesting enough. Junichi Tachibana is a better protagonist than I thought, while pervert and goofy, he is very likeable and hard-working, and in arcs like Sae Nakata, Ai Nanasaki and Tsukasa Ayatsuji we got to see more nuances of his. He is not great, but he does not need to be. He is a very remarkable protagonist, better than many “protagonists”, like one from another… adaptation… Uoti Otokam.

And the heroines have a solid personality, Haruka is laid-back and playful; Kaoru is the same, but with a very responsible, reliable side; Sae is shy, but charismatic; Ai is independent, but really sweet; Rihoko is the big eater klutz, but pretty likeable, and Tsukasa is not what she pretends to be.

In other words… More than meets the eye. Tsukasa in disguise.

The side characters are ok at best. But there are three that stand out the most, in my opinion. The first is Masayoshi, Junichi’s best friend, who gives moral support to the latter, like a normal friend, the same as Kanae Itou, the second, for Rihoko. But the third one is the one that made me laugh a lot. And that is…

Miya, Junichi’s younger sister.

Many will find her annoying, but not me. I have seen worse little sisters.

And every time she laughs, I laugh. That laugh of her is hilarious.

CONCLUSION

Overall, Amagami SS is a pretty decent, entertaining adaptation of a really interesting dating sim, one that is a must-see for the fans. And it’s setting during Christmas gives it more relevance for our characters.

Whenever you can, check it out, and let me yours.

Just one more thing. Sorry for Ai Nanasaki’s fans, but for me…

Mona will always be… the cute ass hero.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2023!!!!!!

jAINITUOS FILMS REVIEWS – RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY (WHAT WAS THAT?)

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City

Director: Johannes Roberts

Studio: Constantin Films/ Screen Gems/Davis Raccoon Films

Welcome my friends.

Today I am going to do something a bit different, Three days ago, after so much wait, I was able to finally view this «reboot» of the Resident Evil film series (live-action, of course), trust me, I am everything but a fan of the movies created by Paul W. S. Anderson; each one being worse than the last one. Despite that, I have almost no expectations from this new movie.

Having said that, let me introduce you…

I know that some of you might not like to see me writing about films, especially after watching a movie this bad, because trust me, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is really bad. Not worth it. But I am a big fan of Resident Evil, I even finished Resident Evil 4 years ago… Like four times, and I played Resident Evil 2 when I was in high-school, but I didn’t get that far on the game, and I knew I had to watch WTRC.

I repeat… not that I got high expectations, especially after I watched the trailer and set photos.

So, this is what I will do. First, I will talk about the premise of the movie, then a non-spoiler review, and then I will reveal spoilers, and I think I have a lot to say, but I will do my best to keep it as brief as possible, because I want to finish quickly with this itchy, tasty calvary.

And before I start, I must ask you the typical questions.

Are you my friends ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy.

Now, I will start and hopefully I will not become a Jill Sandwich (Enough bad references)

PREMISE

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City takes place in 1998.

After so many years, Claire Redfield returns to her hometown, Raccoon City, Oklahoma (Just kidding, I made that up), to meet again with her older brother, Chris, who is now a member of the S.T.A.R.S., inside Raccoon Police Department, to convince him about the evil schemes of Umbrella Corporation, which is plotting to destroy the city, and recruit him to stop this company together. However, Chris is called to investigate an incident on Spencer Mansion, located in Arklay Mountains, along with his Alpha Team, composed by Richard Aiken, Albert Wesker and Jill Valentine.

But then… a zombie outbreak occurs, now Claire and Chris must survive it and reunite again, along with rookie police member, Leon S. Kennedy.

And yes. You read that correctly. Resident Evil: WTRC, for some reason, combines the plots and story of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. Why? I have no freaking idea. But rest assured that is the tip of the iceberg, there is so much nonsense and so much gibberish from this grotesque.

It is my duty to inform that, while Paul W. S. Anderson serves only as an executive producer in RE: WTRC, the writer and director is Johannes Roberts, known for horror movies that have received not-so-positive reviews, included, but not limited to…

And I checked the score of these movies on IMDB.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR – 5.3/10

47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED – 5.0/10

47 METERS DOWN – 5.7/10

As you can see, these movies have really mediocre, or standard at best. Personally, I couldn’t care less about them, especially after watching RE: WTRC. Also, the budget of this movie was of $25 million, making it the live-action with the smallest budget, including Anderson’s franchise.

NON-SPOILER REVIEW

Kaya Scodelario in Screen Gems RESIDENT EVIL WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY

First things first, let’s get the good stuff. There is some decent fanservice for the good ol’ fans of the games of Resident Evil, so many references from Resident Evil 1, including the famous sentence called Itchy, Tasty, from the animal keeper, until our everlasting meme.

JILL SANDWICH

Along with many references toward the 90s technology, including pagers, Nokia phones, VHS, and so on.

Let’s go with the bad stuff.

For starters… I don’t know what the director was thinking by combining the stories of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 in a movie of just 107 minutes. Those fans of Resident Evil would know by now that both games, either originals or remakes, have wonderful, complex stories, with compelling characters, that unfold their mysteries as the games progress, and the characters grow. Because of that, the movie is forced to accelerate the pacing and the rhythm of the «story», filling itself with plot holes and… either discarding good part of the backstory, or cramp it in a clearly rushed fashion, making the characters flat and forgettable.

And that is not the only problem with the pacing. Everything in this movie passes so fast that you cannot relate with anything, not even with the elements we are clearly supposed to sympathise with, like the «subplot» that involves the strained relationship of Chris and Claire.

That’s right. In RE: WTRC, Chris and Claire haven’t talked in years.

In the games, Chris and Claire will clearly die for each other.

In other words, there are so many elements all together in the short runtime of the movie that you can’t stop wondering what is going on, and when you get a clear idea of what happened, you get distracted by the change of scene, from the Spencer Mansion to Raccoon City, ruining any good feeling that you would probably tried to catch.

Secondly, because of the budget, the production design does not really look that good, it looks more like a B-movie rather than a blockbuster. And you will find this a lot when Alpha Team finally reaches Spencer Mansion, or on the Raccoon Police Department entrance. There are some good depictions, such as the Raccoon City Orphanage.

You know, from the RE2 Remake.

But… what’s the point of having these fantastic references from the games if the story is both flat and poorly adapted, because that is another problem. Johannes Roberts wrote the script, and he makes so many chances to the lore of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2 that it becomes unrecognisable.

Yes. Even if there was way to condense the stories of the two games in 107 minutes, it was obvious that Johannes Roberts didn’t care. Because of the awful script, we have no choice that to believe that.

The casting is… How to put it lightly? A disaster!

Let me guide you. From left to right – Jill Valentine, Albert Wesker, Claire Redfield, Chris Redfield, and Leon S. Kennedy.

If it wasn;’t because these characters introduced themselves inside the movie, I will never recognise them. I am dead serious. None have any resemblance with their video games counterparts, except to Chris and Claire. Even if they look alike, the acting is awful. But I will talk about them later.

Ok. Now. I will start the…

SPOILER SECTION

The movie starts in 1980s, where Claire lives with her brother, Chris, in the orphanage, under the tutelage of Dr. William Birkin. Then, out of nowhere, Claire is called by another girl, which, to my surprise, is none other than Lisa Trevor. From the beginning, it is obvious that Umbrella uses the orphans to experiments.

Now, here are my questions:

Why is Lisa Trevor free? Shouldn’t be she locked? Why is she befriending Claire? Why none of the kids have made any ruckus? How is Lisa Trevor in the orphanage?

In the games, Lisa Trevor is the daughter of George Trevor, the architect of the Spencer Mansion, and later used for hideous experiments with the Progenitor Virus, become an unstable monster, a danger for Umbrella. In contrast, the movie puts Lisa and Claire for no apparent reason.

And there are more questions.

Why Claire didn’t take Chris after escaping? Were did she go afterwards? Why Birkin «adopted» Chris? And if that is the case… Why didn’t Birkin put Chris to work for Umbrella? Wouldn’t make more sense instead of working for the RPD?

Everything related to the strain between Chris and Claire was a filler. Why? Because you can take it out from the film, and it barely affects the plot. At the beginning, both argue, and then what happens? Absolutely nothing. They resolve everything with an apology, and that’s that.

Despite the movie claims that Birkin was like a father for Chris, in the movie they barely have contact with each other, only at the end of the movie.

And after injecting himself with the G-Virus, Birkin can speak articulated sentences to Chris., And I do not know if that happens in both the remake and the original, but I am convinced it does not. Because the G-Virus mutates you, for being a more aggressive variant of the T-Virus. Another dreadful change made by the director.

Raccoon City looks like anything but a city. I still do not know why it was turned into a small town. And yes, I can see it was due to budget, but a small town is not as intense and imposing in terms of setting like a big city, like Raccoon City should be.

This version of Jill of awful, and it is not just because of the race change, it is also because of the acting, which is, as I mentioned, horrendous, I have nothing against Hannah John-Kamen, she is a good actress, but here, her job was a complete miss.

The same goes to Albert Wesker.

But the worst has done to Leon.

Good grief, Leon! What have they done to you?

As we, fans of Resident Evil, would know, Leon, in both the original and the remake, was naive, impulsive rookie member of police, but he was also brave, resilient and loyal to a fault. In fact, it was precisely his actions in Raccoon City that earn hime a place with the President of the United States in Resident Evil 4.

But no, In the movie, he is a numbnuts, with rich dad, who needs to be saved all the time.

Unbelievable!! Freaking unbelievable!! It is just impossible for this derailment of Leon to be done by accident, the director just wanted to destroy Leon. I think it is so obvious that, for me, doing the statement here is absolutely offensive. What is really shocking is what the director said about the casting.

«It was hugely important with the whole casting process to find people who embodied the spirit and energy of the characters I wanted to portray. I think often in game adaptations one of the big flaws can be just casting someone to look visually like the characters.»

And then I thought… This director must be thinking we are idiots. If we really wanted to adequately portrayed these characters, he will never… ever, changed both Leon or Jill like that. In fact, if I was that impulsive, I will be accusing the director of tokenism. You know, casting diversity just for the sake of pleasing a group who will never watch this movie.

Anyway, this is just a small example. I didn’t mention the action scenes and the scare fashion, which leaves a lot to be desired.

If you want RE: WTRC, not that you want to, you will find out more flaws.

CONCLUSION

Undoubtedly, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is one of the worst video-game adaptations I have ever seen, and a dreadful way to reboot this franchise. It is a shame, because I love Sonic and Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge, they are not the most accurately movies based on videogames, but they are indeed solid and well-done, and both gave me hope that perhaps this kind of movies will improve, however, mankind has still a long way to go before doing adaptations these beautiful games deserve.

Welcome to Raccoon City? I rather go to Yharnam.

Yes. It is a terrible place to visit, but at least it is to be taken seriously, and has a beautiful sight.

Have a great week. And thank your for stepping by.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – In/Spectre – First Impressions

Hey guys.

And welcome to another anime review.

Today, I will be giving my first impressions about this new jewel Crunchyroll has sent to us as a gift.

IN/SPECTRE

But before that, guys, I must ask you… The Question.

Are you guys ok? How are you feeling?

If you are happy, then I am happy.

Now… let’s get to the review.

PREMISE

Based on the novel from Kyo Shirodaira, In/Spectre tells the story of Kotoro Iwanaga, who was turned into a «Goddess of Wisdom», that keeps the balance between humans and yokai; basically the latter came and asked her to help them with her powers, always accompanied by college student Kuro Sakuragawa. Now, Kotoro lost her left leg and her right eye because of her power, while Kuro has a very sinister secret, one that has made his life a living hell.

Case in point, he broke with his girlfriend because of a kappa (Sorry buddy, I know how it feels. Even though I didn’t break up with mine due to a kappa).

Anyway. The roster includes police officer Saki Yumihara, Detective Terada, and TV idol Karin Nanase.

Now. Let’s do something, my friends. I will show you the cover of the novel, and please take a minute to see what kind of feeling inspires you.

Do you think it was dread? Uneasiness? Like this is going to be a horror anime?

Well, that was exactly what I thought from In/Spectre the first time I saw it. But after watching the key visuals, and the first episode, I was surprised that the tone, apparently, is lighter than I excepted (Or shall I say… Espectred?), perhaps to the point of being kid-friendly (Not really).

Furthermore, every time I read In/Spectre, I can’t help myself but to think in the last James Bond movie, Spectre. Don’t worry; that will be fixed when No Time to Die is released.

Now. I have no problem with a supernatural anime with a light tone. In fact, I think I can enjoy this anime, for I enjoyed its episode. It adds a bit of variety, especially after watching Boogiepop and Others and The Promised Neverland.

STORY

Kotoko Iwanaga (Akari Kito) was kidnapped when she was 11 years old by the yokai, who ask her to become a Goddess of Wisdom, which she accepted. She is waiting in a hospital bench for Kuro Sakuragawa (Mamoru Miyano), who keeps visiting his cousin Rikka. Once they meet, Kotoko reminds him of that time where she «saved» his life when Kuro tripped in the same hospital, two years ago. She confesses her feelings toward him and, as bold as brass, asks him to be her boyfriend.

Afterwards, Kuro reveals that the reason  he broke up with Saki was because he was «terrified» of that «terrifying» kappa, so much that he run away, in the end,  he was called a «coward». Nevertheless, Kotoko discovers the truth; firstly, kappas are peaceful, and it was Saki the one f&*king scared of seeing a yokai out of nowhere, ultimately realising the kind of power her fiance has. (Sorry, they were engaged), and unable to continue with him.

Of course, Kuro rejects Kotoro, but she does not give up; and then she returns to Kuro asking for his help, because a very scary yokai is attacking a nearby library. Kuro reluctantly accepts to help Kotoro defeating the monster. During this mission, he got his arm ripped apart, but he doesn’t care. Then it’s revealed that…

SPOILERS ALERT…

 

KURO’S BODY IS POISONOUS FOR THE YOKAIS

 

For the first time, the conflict, motivations of the characters, tone and setting of the series are established. And the animation, under the hood of Brain’s Base (Durarara!!, Princess Jellyfish, Endride), is pretty endearing, and despite being ordered for 12 episodes only, I think In/Spectre has a lot to offer in terms of story. They even can have a second season. Who knows?

In/Spectre is directed by Kenji Gotoh, who, believe it or not, worked in Thundercats, Transformers and Ronin Warriors as animator, and directed Endride as well, so we can at least say that there is a very experienced people in charge. Furthermore, the opening song, Mononoke in the Fiction, is performed by Uso to Chameleon, and the ending, Last Dance, is performed by Mamoru Miyano.

CHARACTERS

Well… since this is only the first episode, there is not too much to say about character that was not already mentioned. Firstly, I think both Kotoro and Kuro are very interesting. For the record, I find Kotoro’s perseverance regarding her feelings toward Kuro very cute. And the more I read about Kuro, the more I want to know about him.

Their design is pretty nice, especially from the kappa. It is funny, because both Kuro and Kotoro has their own vision of the kappa, and the episode show us that with both comedy and suspense, marking the own perspectives of both of them.

Like I said, it is just the first episode, so there is a lot for us to see of In/Spectre, and for those who haven’t read either the novel or the manga, some interesting surprises might come.

Anything can happen.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, In/Spectre has a lot of potential, I enjoyed this first episode, as much as I enjoyed Keep your Hands off Eizouken!!. I have to admit it is disappointing to me to realise that this anime is only of 12 episodes. But if it is successful enough, we might see more episodes delivered to us. That makes me really excited.

And with an animation like this, I think this is going to be a really worthy trip. Hey!! Boogiepop and Others surprised me too, so perhaps I should stick with this little jewel.

And you should too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Fate/Grand Order: Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia – First Impressions

Hello my friends

And welcome to another anime review.

And this time, we are going to go into another amazing entry, of this amazing Fate (Type-Moon) universe.

And that entry is…

FATE/GRAND ORDER: ABSOLUTE DEMONI FRONT – BABYLONIA

But before I start, my friends, I must ask you… The Question.

«How are you doing my friends? Are you having a good time?»

If the answer is yes… Then I am happy.

Now… on to the review.

STORY

Ok. First things first.

In the modern world of anime, I am convinced that there two… elements that have become a «limb» of its in recent years. The first one is Isekai Genre (I write it in capital letters in order to prove my loyalty and passion).

And the second one… is Fate franchise. Seriously, just like Isekai, Type-Moon’s Fate is like a sweet epidemic that keeps spreads without any signs of stopping. We have so many entries (Fate/Stay Night, Fate Unlimited Blade Works, Fate Heaven’s Feel, Fate/Aprocrypha, Fate/Strange fake, Fate/Prototype, Fate/Extra, Fate/Kaleid Illya, Fate/Zero, Fate/Tiger Colisseum, etc.)

And just when I thought Type-Moon could not get anything new from Fate, we got Fate/Grand Order. And I must be honest, I also play FGO, but not everyday, because it’s so addictive (And because it crushes my Mobile Wi-fi); however I always enjoy the good ol’ chemistry between Shielder and any of the Ritsuka Fujimaru. (But I admit that sometimes I get crazy with any… yuri fantasy of my own, if you know what I mean).

Anyway…

FGO – Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia (I will call FGO: Babylonia), takes place after Ritsuka Fujimaru and Mash Kyrielight make it through the Camelot Singularity; now, they are sent to 2655 B.C., to the city of Uruk, Babylonia, where they must fight against the Three Goddess Alliance in order to protect humanity from extinction, while they uncover the secrets of this new war.

The first thing that got my attention from FGO: Babylonia is the studio behind its work – Cloverworks. And remember:

Cloverworks is A-1 Pictures

Yeah. There is another Fate entry done by them – Fate/Apocrypha, which I think it is one of the best anime of Fate ever done. Perhaps not as great as Fate/Zero, but pretty enjoyable.

And just like with Fate/Aprocrypha, Cloverworks does a pretty fantastic job, giving great and beautiful animation. Every element, the characters, the background, the atmosphere, the battles, feels so intense when it requires to be intense, but so peaceful and charming when it needs to be. In fact, there is a really «Crowning Moment» for the animation in one of its best battles, to the point that it was nominated for an award in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

As a matter of fact, its animation was nominated by that category at Crunchyroll too.

Back to this «Crowning Moment», it involves one of FGO: Babylonia best characters. I will not spoil, because I do not want to ruin the surprise (I am still watching this anime anyway), but trust me when I say that it is worth the attention.

Regarding, the story is a bit of the opposite. Now! I will not say it’s bad. The story is not bad, but at the end of the day, it uses the same type of conflict that the other Fate franchises, a war between two sides for the future of mankind. That is the bad news. But the good news is that, FGO: Babylonia still feels like it’s own story, it’s like we compare the Star Wars Original Trilogy with the Prequel Trilogy… in terms of Hero’s Journey, of course. Quality is another history!!!!

Having said that, it’s nice to see that the plot does not revolve in another Holy Grail War, at least not with the Holy Grail as the ultimate prize. And while the story slowly unfolds, the fans are allowed to see the secrets about this new Singularity. We even go to the Underworld, the city of Uruk, and… a Pyramid of the Sun.

For what we can get regarding the story, I think it is solid enough. Personally, this is one of the details that I adore from the Fate franchise as a whole; every story has its own mythology and background, which contributes to make this universe richer and more interesting. In fact, as of the day I am writing this review, I understand why…

1. Fate/Grand Order is so beloved and addictive
2. Fate franchise keeps becoming more and more popular.

And, again, in terms of story, FGO: Babylonia will make the fans of both Fate franchise and Fate/Grand Order equally happy. But the best part is that you do not need to see Fate/Stay Night, or even Fate/Zero to understand what is going on.

Overall, I think most of the people can enjoy FGO: Babylonia in their own way.

Actually… first watch Episode 0, then start watching FGO: Babylonia from the start.

CHARACTERS

If there is anything Fate/Grand Order is amazing for, it’s for the characters. This vastly huge roster of warriors that can be your own Servant, as well as their respective classes, Ruler, Saber, Lancer, Archer, Caster, Rider, Assassin, and Berserker. And definitely FGO: Babylonia is not the exception.

Sometimes I believe that Ritsuka Fujimaru is like a sort of Shirou Emiya making a living out of his dream. And like any good master, he is a human, with virtues and flaws that makes him interesting, although I still stay with Shirou Emiya from Heaven’s Feel. But honestly… I can say that Mash Kyrielight/Shielder has become a staple character for Fate, pretty much like Saber in Fate, or Ruler in Fate/Apocrypha.

And how we can forget that cute… little furry thing, known as Fou (Really. I want to cuddle it!!)

Anyway, Mash and Ritsuka do a really cute chemistry, pretty much like Da Vinci and Dr. Roman. Well… basically they spent most of their time giving orders and drinking coffee, LOL, but watching them is so funny I could spend hours.  But I recognise it is a bit weird to see Da Vinci like that. I am still waiting for her to surprise us with her skills and powers. (It’s Leonardo Da Vinci, for crying out loud!!!!)

And then… we got this lovely lady.

That’s right… Ishtar, the goddess of love and war. I understand now why many FGO fans love her, she is so damn badass. But that’s something you must see to understand. Nevertheless, I recognise that I feel weird every time I see Ishtar, because, for me, she is Rin Tohsaka. Same appearance, same powers, same tricks. Except that Ishtar has red eyes… and very… very… VERY SKIMPY CLOTHES.

She, and…

The King of Babylon in person; Gilgamesh. Seriously. What else could you expect?

And of course…

Ana.

Well… she is the one that will need to give us a twist pretty soon. But I dare you to say she does not look cute on that picture. COME ON!!!! I DARE YOU!!!

And like I said, the roster goes on, with Merlin, Quetzalcoatl, Jaguarman, Ereshkigal, Tiamat, and Leonidas.

But I want to give a very special mention to that beautiful lady that was become one of my favourite Servants.

Ushiwakamaru

I LOVE YOU MY LADY!!!! AND BEING VOICED BY THE SEIYUU GODDESS, SAORI HAYAMI, MAKES YOU MORE BEAUTIFUL.

CONCLUSION

Fate/Grand Order – Babylonia is a very entertaining anime, which I am convinced will please FGO game fans even more. Perhaps it might not have the same feeling as choosing your own Servant.

But again, this anime proves that the Fate franchise will always become better and better.

 

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Lord ElMelloi II Case Files – First impressions

Hey Guys, welcome to another anime review. And this time, thanks to the complex, yet wonderful hand of Crunchyroll (Actually, I should have gotten my subscription a long time ago).

Anyways; this time comes to another great entry of Fate franchise, Lord ElMelloi II Case Files, which I just say recently (Duh!!), and now it is my time to get my proper review. But first… I must say…

Wow!!! What a great month, July; so far I have seen many great anime of this summer, I want to mention two in particular – Dr. Stone and Fire Force, from which I already have done my respective reviews. And I am currently watching Vinland Saga as well, finding it  extremely delightful (I am preparing another review). However, I repent watching Netflix’s Knights of the Zodiac (Please pray for me, I am going to Hell).

As you can see, it has been a roller coaster. I still have a lot to do on my bucket list (Thanks a lot KOTZ), and probably won’t make it, however I am very happy to review this amazing new entry of the masterpiece from that studio, called… Type-Moon.

MYSTERY FICTION: THE TWENTIETH BREATH OF LIFE

You know guys… I love Detective Fiction, from the time I can remember. When I was a kid, I heard of this talented writer with a fancy name, called Agatha Christie, and I was aware that she was a mystery writer, then I heard about this fascinating detective, called Hercule Poirot, and one of his most famous stories – Murder on the Orient Express, which I personally enjoyed to the fullest. (I own myself a 2017 movie though). And for years, I wanted to see more about both, but the lack of Internet on my house made this almost impossible.

And then, lo and behold, in 2000, I discovered the truth that converted me into mystery and detective fiction… Hercule Poirot was created by Agatha Christie!! So I couldn’t stop reading this masterpiece from 1934.

And of course, I got also into Sherlock Holmes and Watson, particularly in The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, loving it and studying literature straight away.

Sorry, I know I am digressing. But I have to talk about this. My point is that Detective Fiction and Mystery Fiction have been two of my hobbies and created a massive impact on me, to the point that I play being a detective (Remember, I said Playing, Not IMPERSONATING), even in the most mundane situations.

And when this entry of the Fate franchise was finally released, I have to watch it, no matter what. It immediately became one of my 2019 resolutions.

Lord ElMelloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note

Based on the light novels, written by Makoto Sanda, and illustrated by Mineji Sakamoto, this anime focuses on Lord El-Melloi II (Waver Velvet from Gen Urobochi’s Fate/Zero ), and his charming apprentice, Gray, as they uncover mysteries involving magic all over London, while El-Melloi keeps an eye to the legacy of his mentor, Kayneth, as a senior professor of the Clock Tower.

This anime takes place ten years after Fate/Zero and two months before Fate/Stay Night.

Story

As of August 3rd, four episodes have been released through Crunchyroll, and each and every one of them involves different mysteries, including lighting, necromancers, and Babylon. The animation is in charge of Troyca (Aldnoah Zero, Bloom into You), which maintains the great style and effort put by Ufotable and A-1 Pictures. In addition, the soundtrack is in charge of the marvellous Yuki Kajiura (I don’t think I can imagine Fate series without her). And the series will be released apparently in two cours (24 episodes).

Personally, I really love the pacing and balance, and I also appreciated that Type-Moon tried a new genre, departing from the epic and action we have seen on the previous entries of the Fate franchise, excluding of course Emiya-san chi no Gohan, ultimately leaving the comfort zone and giving an amazing fresh air. Nonetheless, I recognise that not all the fans will find it that engaging, especially fans from Fate/Zero. Speaking of which, I really love all the references of both Fate/Zero and Fate/Apocrypha, which also makes me wonder.

SPOILER ALERT

YHW NAC HTOB OREZ AND AHPYRCOPA GNOLEB OT EHT EMAS ENILEMIT?

Anyway, I was hooked up by all the mysteries, they add something to the great mythology of Fate, even if it is in the most subtle ways; and even though many Fate fans may not enjoy this type of storytelling, the visuals and the atmosphere would definitely make them feel that this is canonical inside Fate/Stay Night. My only problem has to do with the spoilers previously mentioned.

But at the end, I was ultimately prepared for this change, even before the official release. And this is just the beginning. I am really looking forward to see what’s next on this anime.

If I have to choose a personal favourite episode, that will definitely be Episode One.

Characters

For those who are familiar with both Fate/Zero and Fate/Aprocrypha, will immediately recognize Lord El-Melloi, he is Waver Velvet, but as a real badass lecture. He makes some cameos in Fate/Apocrypha, and personally, he quickly became one of my favourite characters. When I saw him in Fate/Apocrypha, I immediately thought:

«He has become the real deal. The Boss. A super charming badass.»

So you can imagine my surprise when I saw that he kept the same clumsiness from Fate/Zero. But indeed he is one of the most solid characters of the series. The only downside is that those who haven’t seen either Fate/Zero or Fate/Aprocrypha will not finding him interesting enough.

One other characters that I loved is Gray (Yeah. That is her name). At the beginning, she is just a mysterious young girl with a peculiar past, like a more hardcore version of Sakura Matou. From the beginning, I was encourage to know more about her. Ok. She might not look too complex, but I found it beautiful every time she is with Lord El-Melloi. In fact, is through their interactions she develops better. But if you pay attention enough, you will notice an amazing resemblance with another great characters from Fate. (I will leave that to you).

The supporting cast is also great, from Flat to Svin. Flat is the typical comic relief who, surprisingly, I find funny, and Svin is his ultimate foil. Add, on the other hand, is my least favourite one; is not like he is useless. He is not, and he is not that obnoxious. But, so far, Add has not really stand a lot. Finally Reines has a great design, and I am looking forward to see more about her in the future.

To wrap up, we count to the presence of Caules Forvedge Yggmillenia, one of my favourites from Fate/Apocrypha, and Luviagelita Edelfelt, as well as other characters from Fate/Aprocrypha. 

But, again, you better see that yourself.

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Lord ElMelloi II Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note is another entry of the Fate series worth checking. The mystery genre is pretty engaging, and the characters are simple, yet endearing. Personally I am happy to see an anime like this, because pretty much like Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Fate series has been experimenting with new genres, making their stories more interesting. And that is why Fate overall is so popular.

It may not be in the same quality level as Fate/Zero or Fate/Apocrypha, but it has its own identity, and that is good enough. I am becoming that this series will acquire its own cult following eventually.

See it by yourselves my friends. I promise you will not be disappointed.

And now… Where did I leave my coat and my lenses? Another mystery for me!!!!

 

Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer… WHAT THE HELL?

Hey guys. This review includes spoilers. I do not if it is appropriate, or stupid, to warn about spoilers of a trailer. But since this is something special, and keeping in mind that the Release of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is today, at least in Japan, I think we can remind the readers they have the right of being amused… in both right and wrong ways. Especially for such an incredible cultural icon.

Having said that, let’s continue.

SURVIVING MY OWN THOUGHTS

Well guys… The day has come. I have done the unthinkable. I… watched the first trailer of the Live Action movie… of Sonic the Hedgehog. And…

Were do I start?

Ok. First and foremost, my childhood was taken over by Mario, Megaman, Castlevania, Zelda, Star Fox, Ninja Gaiden, Street Fighter, Doom, Duke Nukem, Donkey Kong, Indiana Jones, Resident Evil, F-Zero, and thousand of millions of racing games (I still miss Cruisin’ the World and my precious N64).

So many amazing gaming icons, and Sonic is definitely NOT one of them. Yet. I am very familiar with the kind of universe and lore Sonic belongs to. Why am I saying this? Simple. Because I think it is not something a movie with live action actors can replicate without any major controversy. This is not Alita: Battle Angel.

In addition, we are all familiar with the infamous relationship between video games and Hollywood movies. I have disliked most of them. I rather become a zombie rather than watch any Resident Evil movie directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. (Seriously. What the f»*k has Alice in Wonderland has to do with Resident Evil?). And… I prefer to forget that I watch the reboot of Tomb Raider in cinemas (But Alicia Vikander was great) Anyway, sorry about my digressing. The point is… Does Hollywood really think they can take Sonic the Hedgehog and make a good movie?

I… starting to lose the faith… even before I have faith.

I confess that, since this movie was announced, I could not come to terms that Hollywood was making a movie of Sonic the Hedgehog. I still can’t believe that Pokemon: Detective Pikachu really exists. I explored many possible plots for a Sonic the Hedgehog live-action adaptation. None was able to convince me.

I don’t know. Personally I don’t think Sega should handle its property like that. It would end up the same way as the disastrous, yet entertaining, Super Mario Bros movie, starring John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins. And after watching this trailer, I think it’s gonna be like that.

But why can I be a little more specific?

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

«Gotta go fast!!» – I agree Sonic. Scaring the moviegoers with your appearance is a terrible idea.

Now. The first 15 seconds of the trailer are fantastic. From the officer holding Sonic’s hair to seeing the logos of both Paramount Pictures and Sega, along with the Sonic Rings, was so awesome. But after that… all simply goes wrong. I personally can’t understand why the background music is Gangsta’s Paradise, from Coolio. I would use California Sun, from Rancid. I don’t know why. I simply think the tempo and rhythm are more appropriate with Sonic. And then… we got the fakest and most bizarre version of Sonic the Hedgehog, the shoes are ok, but for me, the fact that Sonic doesn’t have gloves goes completely against the character. And then a bunch of military gathers for how to deal with the «problem of the energy surge» provoked by the speed of Sonic.

And then… Dr. Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey.

It was exquisite to see Jim Carrey!!! And the jokes delivered were hysterical. And, believe it or not, I bought that he was indeed Dr. Robotnik, despite his outfit. In fact… That is something Carrey adapted pretty well. Yeah. I mentioned Carrey because I don’t think that was the idea came from the producers.

Then we see officer Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden (You know, Cyclops), who encounters Sonic, forcing him to do, absolutely, the worst joke of the trailer.

«Meow?»

It is impossible not to compare that moment with the infamous last joke of the trailer of the reboot of Ghostbusters.

«The Power of Patty compels you.»

And at this point, the eyes, the fur, the expressions, and the design of Sonic feels so bizarre and repelling. With Detective Pikachu, the CGI feels well constructed, but here… Shortly, Sonic states that he has to «save the planet».

With that design of yours Sonic… I have no comments.

The last part features Good Ol’ Jim Carrey stealing the show with his character… specially on the last seconds of the trailer, which will definitely surprises the fans. I will not spoil them. All I am going to say is that… there are absolutely marvellous.

Unlike another bad joke that comes from Officer Wachowski, after putting Sonic in a bag. A woman asks him whether or not is carrying «his child» on a bag; to which he promptly answers.

«No. I mean Yes. It’s a child, but it’s not mine.»

Seriously. Who wrote that? Who actually thought that was funny? Afterwards, the face of the character looks like… What have I done? But for me, that’s was the actor, perhaps regretting saying such a stupid joke.

Anyway.

Of course there are some good parts of the trailer. The fights between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik look pretty awesome. But the part in which Sonic, literally, copies the iconic scenes of Quicksilver in both X-Men Days of Future Past and X-Men Apocalypse is very crude and implausible. Perhaps I said that last sentence because I am not the greatest fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, but I did not convince me.

CONCLUSION

What can I see? Some fans say that people can judge a movie for its trailer. And this might not be the exception. Ok. It is very soon to say whether Sonic the Hedgehog will be good or bad, however, the movie definitely left a very lame first impression with the trailer.

And the fact that most of the movies based on video games are terrible will NOT help the movie. On the other hand, both fans and moviegoers will watch the movie for curiosity, custom, or perhaps to confirm that Sonic the Hedgehog is an unintentional comedy. So it’s going to be a financial success for the wrong reasons.

Or a box office bomb.

Nevertheless, one thing is for sure. With this trailer, and the upcoming release of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, May is gonna be an interesting month, and, possibly, the greatest prelude of the summer season. (Winter in Australia.)