I FINALLY CASTED MY VOTES FOR THE CRUNCHYROLL ANIME AWARDS 2021

Hello my friends.

First and foremost… I just want to wish you Happy New Year 2022 (Well. Not that new anymore). And also a very Happy Chinese New Year for everyone. I hope that the celebrations were really that great for all of you.

Regarding myself… I want to apologise.

Because as of January 31st 2022, it has been a very complicated month for me. I have a lot of work (And a very bad misunderstanding that almost left me… traumatised to say the least). And I have been working in my new book, trying to get some pages done, at least two per day. But because I have been exhausted, and I got a severe pain in my shoulder, I was unable to advance in my blog as much as I wanted.

Everything started shortly after I published my review on Netflix’s Death Note (Well. November was pretty busy too). That is when things got very busy for me. Christmas time came, a lot of responsibilities came as well, a lot of cleaning, a lot of hot weather in Melbourne (last week was average 36 degrees), and visiting a lot of friends for the holidays, and some time off.

So. As you can see. Many events kept me away from writing and watching beautiful anime.

But worry not.

Because I have been preparing a lot of My first Impressions, and the… TOP WAIFU OF 2021. That is a tradition in my blog.

But now. I will start with another tradition. Yep. The title says it all.

Now… I want to start showing my votes for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2021. from Best Film to Best Ending. Then, the rest will come. But little by little, I have so… many things to write.

With that said… let’s START!!!!!!!

BEST FILM

In the words of Rengoku…

Well… It is Demon Slayer. What else can I say? I red the manga of the Demon Train arc, and it was… fantastic. And when I watch the movie… I was in love with both Demon Slayer and Ufotable, more than ever. The ending was heartbreaking, and seeing Akasa for the first time was a feast. Don’t get me wrong. I do not doubt that Belle can be a masterpiece, but I never watch it. The same happened with Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time. But Mugen Train is beautiful.

And my choice for Best Film of 2021.

BEST FANTASY

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation & To Your Eternity.

I have to admit that this was a really tough one. On one hand, I am starting to believe that isekai is like Scooby-Doo! You will always see many versions and proposals and it will never get old (unless we are talking about Scoob!, of course)

So I decided to spread my vote, between Mushoku Tensei and To Your Eternity. Wonder Egg Priority was also great, but, in my opinion, the two series I chose share a common strength – narrative. To Your Eternity has a very good storytelling that helps characters and story to evolve, the same happens with Mushoku Tensei, and the fantasy element is stronger than in Wonder Egg Priority. At least from my perspective.

Fingers crossed.

BEST ROMANCE

I love Beastars, but in regards of romance, Horimiya was my surprise fo 2021. Hori-san is an amazing character, as likeable as Miyamura, and seeing together was a complete feast for my eyes, and the rest of the couples were also incredibly adorable, especially Remi and Sengoku.

Again. It was a tough one, because I enjoy Komi-san (In fact, I will say it now… Both are… BETTER… WAY BETTER than Rent-A-Girlfriend as romantic comedies), bu t I still need to see more episodes of Komi-san and Tadano-kun.

Kudos for Miyamura and Hori-san. Just…

We need more headbutts!!

BEST DRAMA

86: Eighty-Six

Without a doubt, 86: Eighty-Six is one of the best anime of 2021, and a candidate for the second or third best anime produced by A-1 Pictures on the 2020s (Only beaten by Sword Art Online: Alicization and Kaguya-sama: Love is War).

For me, this anime was a big surprise, because it definitely has those vibes that you see in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing or Code Geass, including social commentary, the brutality of war, child soldiers, and big robots. But also, 86: Eighty-Six manages to have its own identity, with very well-written characters and a setting that reminds us the consequences of world wars and Why should we never, ever allow something like that to happen… ever again.

And of course… a story that gets better and better, even in the light novels. Trust me. you read the light novels of 86: Eighty-Six, and the story becomes way better.

And as much as I hate to say this – the only two competition that 86: Eighty-Six might have in this category is either Oddtaxi or Fruits Basket: The Final Season.

BEST COMEDY

I will say this straight away – I was ready to give my absolute vote to Miss Kobayashi-san Dragon Maid S. It is simply one of the best comedies of 2021, and the fact that Kyoto Animation produced this second season after the tragic fire of July, 2019 gives it more merit. But then… I got a big surprise, as big as with 86: Eighty-Six.

And that is Life Lessons with Uramichi-Oniisan.

I was like…

Honestly. Life lessons with Uramichi is pure insanity, every moment was better than the last one. Original jokes, and very hilarious characters. So yeah.

50/50.

BEST ACTION

Triple vote – Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song, SSS Dynazenon and Mugen Train.

Ok. Some of you might be thinking:

«Jaime… What the hell is this?»

And yes. It is definitely a fair criticisim if you have it. But I will explain.

First…n

For Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, Wit Studio did a really good job animating the fighting scenes. Every time I watch Vivy and Elizabeth in a fight, I couldn’t resist. I really was looking forward for what will happen next. Especially in the last episodes of the series. Vivy did great here. It is a shame that it got less nominations than it deserved.

The same happened with SSSS Dynazenon. If there is anything Studio Trigger is an expert in, that is animating action, i.e. Kill la Kill, Darling in the FRANXX, SSSS Gridman, and now here. I hope it really does well.

And Demon Slayer – Mugen Train… Nothing to say. Better watch.

BEST ENDING

«Shirogane» by LiSA.

Because, as a Demon Slayer fan… How can you say No to such a beaituful song?

Every time I listen to it… I feel the whole arc of Mugen Train.

CONCLUSION

And that is it for now. I must admit that, at the beginning, I was kind of disappointed for some of the nominations. I was expecting something like Vivy being nominated as Anime of the Year, as well as To Your Eternity. And 86: Eighty-Six had less nominations too. I expected Shinei to be nominated as Best Protagonist, and…

What about Rudeus Greyrat?

And for those who are wondering why I haven’t choose any of the categories for Attack on Titan. The answer is simple… I haven’t reach The Final Season: Part I yet. I guess I will get there when I get there.

But that is for today. Stay tuned for Part II.

And now… let’s get some beautiful Uzui waifus…

And what about me?

Who?

ME!!!!

I AM PERFECT TO SHIN… MORE THAN LENA.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – SSSS Dynazenon – First Impressions

SSSS Dynazenon

Genre: Mecha, fantasy

Studio: Trigger

Hello my friends. Welcome to another entry.

Again, I am on my own challenge of trying to write as many entries on May as possible. Let’s see if I can break the record of January. Fingers crossed, especially because work is pretty demanding these days, and now, I want to take my time to get the latest anime from Studio Trigger, and perhaps another great entry of the Gridman franchise.

Now, that entry is…

SSSS Dynazenon

But before I continue, remember to ask you the questions:

Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy.

I still own all of you guys an entry of SSSS Gridman. Don’;t worry, I am working on it, as well as the entries of one of my favourite anime… My Hero Academia. They will come when the time comes. Having said that… let’s start with SSSS Dynazenon.

PREMISE

SSSS Dynazenon is a sequel from SSSS Gridman, and it tells the story of Yomogi Asanaka, a high school student who works in a convenience store and lives with his grandmother and his recently divorced mother; one day, he meets a mysterious guy, called Gauma, in an alley, Yomogi «saves» him by giving him some food; the next day, Gauma comes again and thanks Yomogi, claiming that he is a Kaiju user.

Shortly, a kaiju attacks the city and Gauma summons a great robot, called Dynazenon, dragging Yomogi, his fellow classmate, Yume Minami, a 33-year-old NEET, Koyomi Yamanaka, who all drive Dynazenon. After defeating the Kaiju, Gauma, Yomogi, Yume and Koyomi must fight together to find out who is summoning the kaijus and defend the city at all costs.

Unsurprisingly, the staff of SSSS Gridman returns for this new series, including director Akira Amemiya, writer Keiichi Hasegawa, and composer Shiro Sagisu. On the other hand, Studio Trigger needs no presentation, in fact, I already made a lot of blog entries from their products, including BNA: Brand New Animal, Darling in the FRANXX, Little Witch Academia, and Kill la Kill, and just like its predecessor, SSSS Dynazenon will be composed of 12 episodes.

One thing is for sure, the upcoming episodes of SSSS Dynazenon must include the very best two things that SSSS Gridman had, courtesy of fan-favourite Rikka Takarada.

THIGHS!!!!

And…

CHARISMA

You thought I will say Thighs? Yes?

STORY

I think I will start pointing about one of the most notorious elements fo SSSS Dynazenon: its animation. Definitely they use the same style from SSSS Gridman, the 2D for all the characters, while most of the sequences of the kaiju and the robots are done in 3D; normally I will say that this mixture is not one of my favourites, especially after witnessing how it was horribly done in Ex-Arm, regardless the fact that the studio of the latter had no previous experience on producing anime.

Luckily, this is not any random studio that obviously didn’t care about the quality of the product (Perhaps I am being too harsh); this is Studio Trigger; and just like it was done with SSSS Gridman, the 2D and 3D mixture gives you a great feeling of having to face a gigantic mecha, or a dreadful kaiju (depending on your perspective), especially after the battles take place.

Again, Trigger has more great experiences with this kind of expressive, nuanced animation, so you will expect something pretty well done, especially from the Gridman franchise.

On the other hand, just like what happens with SSSS Gridman, the introduction of the characters can be a bit slow. Nonetheless is pretty solid, you get to know the characters. Well… I talked about that later.

I had a lot of fun with SSSS Gridman, and I remember many of its episodes. SPOILER ALERT – One thing that I didn’t like too much about the original anime is that the possible romance between Yua Hibiki and Rikka Takarada went nowhere, in fact… it was replaced by the arc of Akane Shinjou – END OF SPOILERS.

And from there, I see a lot of potential to SSSS Dynazenon in terms of story.

CHARACTERS

Now… this part where I am having some trouble. It is not like I didn’t love the characters, but it is just I do not know where to start.

I will start saying that, just like SSSS Gridman, Dynazenon, has a lot of interesting, defined characters; Yomogi, a relatable kid who is trying to grow up and become independent; Yume Minami, an aloof girl who lost her brother some time ago, Koyomi, trying to get some meaning to his life; his cousin, Chise, and Gauma… which I think it is the best character by far.

If Studio Trigger can get them lovely personalities, just like with its predecessor series, then there will be potential for these characters to become popular, or memes, like with Rikka Takarada and Akane Shinjou.

CONCLUSION

I am starting to love SSSS Dynazenon.

I will be watching the rest of the series, and if you like Gridman, or Studio Trigger, I really recommend it to you.

Now, I will a bit shorter on my conclusion, because in this occasion, there is a better way to conclude than a big paragraph, and that is…

THICC THIGHS!!!

Courtesy of Rikka Takarada.

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Credited artists (clockwise) – sakamoto masaru, lizta, mobu, sydus, mogi (tkyubi),Bison Cangshu.

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Inferno Cop – My Own Impressions

Inferno Cop

STUDIO TRIGGER

Genre: Comedy, Science-Fiction.

Hey Guys.

And welcome to another Studio Trigger review.

Today, I am going to talk about one of the early creations from Trigger, and one of my favourite guilty pleasures of all time.

From Trigger co-founder Hiroyuki Imaishi, here comes…

INFERNO COP

But before I continue with my review, I must ask you the typical question:

Are you guys ok? Maintaining social distancing? Washing your hands?

If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, and now, I will leave you with the same advices from my last reviews.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CORONAVIRUS!!

And whatever happens, listen to the doctors and the General Practitioners regarding the virus. They are our heroes now!!!

With that said, let’s go with Inferno Cup.

PREMISE

After losing his family toward the evil organisation known as The Southern Cross, Inferno Cop comes back from the death in order to get revenge against those responsible of his suffering. And with the amazing flames in his head, and the most overpowered bullets ever created, Inferno Cop is ready to go to every single place in the World, every time age in time, and face the wackiest villains in order to… get Supreme Justice.

All while protecting jack Knife Edge Town (That name always cracks me up!!)

And that is. Simple as that. Moreover, Inferno Cop is not alone. He has the greatest allies, such as Mr Judge, the powerful vigilante that is both superhero and judge (Yeah!! Like you heard it). Mecha Cop, the secret weapon from Southern Cross created solely for destroying Inferno Cop… and then they worked together; Auntie Grenda, the aunt of Inferno Cop who lives in Hell, the FBI (Yeah, the FBI itself is a character), Claudia, a beautiful woman with an apparent dark secret. And many others.

Inferno Cop runs for 13 episodes, and, pretty much like Darling in the FRANXX, is a co-production, this time between Studio Trigger and CoMix Wave, who is the same studio that brought us…

Weathering With You

For me, that was  hard to believe at the beginning.

And also…

Well. That is not something you should be surprised about. After all, both movies were directed by Makoto Shinkai, who is a really big name in CoMix Wave Films.

Anyway… yeah. That is the premise from Inferno Cop. And now…

STORY

Honestly, I wish there was a real way to describe the story of Inferno Cop. But there is actually a big problem, though.

There is no story!!

Throughout these 13 episodes, all we got is a new random plot that doesn’t connect at all with the previous episodes. In one, Inferno Cop is fighting Southern Cross to protect Jack Knife Edge Town, the next he is fighting zombies, and in the other, he teams up with Mecha Cop and travelto Prehistory to fight dinosaurs, and the other, he races in the American Grand Prix, and in the other, he fights the FBI while some doctors are practicing illegal, unauthorised surgery unto him, and in the other…

You get the idea.

And let’s allow this image speak for itself.

Scalpel!! FBI!!!

It’s pure insanity.

But really entertaining insanity. Well. After all, Inferno Cop is a parody of those edgy superheroes that seek revenge for their misfortunes, as well as those anti-heroes that travel uncharted territories to see the worst of humankind and existence itself.

Case in point…

And yes.

Calling the obvious parody of Ghost Rider is an under-statement. But due to Nicolas Cage…

But again, Inferno Cop is one of those series that needs to be seen to be believed. Furthermore, it is so self-aware on the parody department that it makes it for a more enjoyable experience. Some may called it So Bad It’s Good, and perhaps it is, but definitely, despite the seemingly edgy factor, it is definitely anything but that.

Ok. I think I am still not being  coherent and clear enough, so I will leave you with more awesome GIFS.

Sorry Metal Gear. We just found deadlier projectiles than yours.

See? I can show you many GIFs from Inferno Cop, but it is still not enough to enjoy this delightful madness. And I am honestly not saying for trolling or goofing around, I am saying it because that is exactly what I felt about our character. And every single moment really cracks me up.

It is a unique experience.

And I haven’t even mention its «legacy» toward Ninja Slayer From Animation. (Crap!!!)

CHARACTERS

Seriously. Is that April O’Neil?

And the other roster of  characters include… Well. I think I already mentioned them all. However, I want to make a mention to… The Greatest Sidekick of the history of superheroes.

HELLFIRE BOY

There is really not too much to say about the characters. They are as insane and delightfully entertaining as Inferno Cop himself.

However, check this out.

This delightful… handsome boys.

LOL.

Ok.

CONCLUSION

Inferno Cop is one hell of an experience. Like I said, it is better to see it than to just merely describe it. Some will not like this, but Inferno Cop reminded me of other «gems» like The Room, Troll 2, Cats (2019) and Star Wars Holiday Experience, in the way that, despite all of these being plain terrible, they are so powerfully unique in what they offer that is practically out of this world.

Again… see it by yourself.

And thank you so much for joining me in my third Studio Trigger review. Tomorrow I will a new one.

But first… does anyone know the story of the girl with the talking, blood-sucking sailor uniform?

 

JAINITUOS ANIME REVIEWS – Kiznaiver – My own Impressions

KIZNAIVER

Studio Trigger

Genre: Action, Science Fiction

Hey guys.

Welcome to another anime review.

And today, I am going to talk about some interesting project that I saw years ago, but I really wanted to review it, especially since soon we are going to see the new project from Studio Trigger.

BNA – BRAND NEW ANIMAL

OH YES… I am announcing that I am going to do reviews from all of the Studio Trigger works.

Now… with that said, I bring you…

But before I continue, I must ask the typical question.

Are you guys ok? Washing your hands? Maintaining Social Distancing?

If the answer is yes, then I am happy, especially because of these difficult times from the coronavirus. We must have faith and rest assured that we will overcome this trauma together, just follow the instructions from the doctors and WHO (World Health Organization; but mostly importantly…

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CORONAVIRUS!!!!

Having said that, lets continue.

PREMISE

Released in 2016, and based on the manga written by Roji Karegishi, Kiznaiver takes place on the futuristic city of Sugomori City, where technology has apparently reached its peak; however, one of the most «interesting» inventions of Sugomori is the Kizna System, a special connection that allows people to understand themselves by sharing their own suffering, both physical and mental.

And now, it is the turn of high schooler, Katsuhira Agata, and some of his classmates, to be part of this Kizna System, all under the leadership of a beautiful, yet mysterious girl, called Noriko Sonozaki.

The anime of Kiznaiver is written by the renowned Mari Okada, and the music is composed by Yuki Hayashi. Do you which other anime he composed for?

That’s right. My Hero Academia

Anyway. Kiznaiver consists of 12 episodes, directed by Hiroshi Kobayashi, who also worked as director in many episodes of Kill la Kill.

Now… how is the…

STORY

Well. Before I continue, I must start reviewing the story with the element that, just like with any Studio Trigger work, becomes a very significant trademark of Kiznaiver. And that is… the animation.

Most likely, many fans from Studio Trigger will expect a very vivid, crazy, and expressive animation, of the same caliber of Kill la Kill, Little Witch Academia, or Space Patrol Luluco. However, when you see half of Kiznaiver, you understand that is more similar from animes like Darling in the Franxx and SSSS Gridman. I comprehend of why for many people that detail will be a bit disappointing, and at the beginning, I was sad too, especially because I thought that the story was kind of slow.

But… Don’t worry, because at the second half of Kiznaiver, you meet with some pretty decent character development, from all of them, and some of revelations of why the Kizna System is the way it is. That alone is what gives to both their characters and story their own identity, especially in comparison to other Studio Trigger works.

Well… What else can you expect from the sensitivity of Mari Okada? Also, check Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and you will become a fan of hers. In fact, there is something I must share with you, the word «Kiznaiver» is derived from «wound/scar» (傷, kizu), and «bond/connection» (絆, kizuna). You see? There is a deeper meaning from the terminology of the story. (Thanks Wikipedia.) And, to be honest… This is one of the things that I end up enjoying from Kiznaiver, a mixture between art and storytelling that encourages to think to reflex about life.

But if you are expecting some like Kill la Kill, Space Patrol Luluco or Little Witch Academia in terms of animation. you might get disappointed.

On the other hand, the music is really wonderful. Yuki Hayashi does a really good job with the soundtrack; moreover, the opening song, Lay your hands on me, is performed by BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, which has a beautiful mix of techno and pop that makes it sounique. And the ending is Hajimari no Sokudo (はじまりの速度) by Sangatsu no Phantasia. Another beautiful song. (Again… Thanks Wikipedia).

Overall, I must commend Studio Trigger for taking a new kind of story for Kiznaiver.

CHARACTERS

And just like with the story, the characters from Kiznaiver are capable to inspire some curiosity. At first sight, it seems that the cast is just a bunch of stock characters from anime, like the aloof white-haired pretty boy (Katushira), the tsunderish childhood friend (Chidori), the brute, jerk with a heart of gold (Hajime), the Genki Girl (Nico),

And No… Not this Nico!!

The arrogant, blue haired top student (Tsuguhito), the quiet meganekko (Honoka). But with the development of the series, we know more about the past of all of them, as well as their motivations, so you will definitely start taking interest on them. And also you start liking them a lot, especially Nico.

Of course we got Noriko too. Personally this is one of my favourite characters, because she is so mysterious, but the story and plot take time to focus on her development, and during almost the end of the series, there is a big twist from Noriko that definitely will change your perception of the character, for good or bad.

Also… I can’t stop comparing her with Esdeath.

There!! Hail to the Ice Queens.

Nevertheless, the only character that I really despised was Yoshiharu. Basically, he is a masochist, but I didn’t really found anything else. The other characters are fascinating, but Yoshiharu is just irritating.

Why? You ask… Let me put this like this…

HE AIN’T DARKNESS

CONCLUSION

To sum up, Kiznaiver has a lot of cool elements, even though it might not be the most well-known of the projects released by Studio Trigger. Definitely with such a great stuff and talented people behind, it definitely earns the title of A MUST-SEE.

So thanks guys. This is the first one of my many reviews of the works from Studio Trigger. Tomorrow I will come up with another one. And because I love you all, I will give you a hint of my next Trigger Review.

But first, I must consult with a certain darling… Oops.