amiranda-39274 Reviews

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (2023– )

We Will Meet Again: Complete Series Analysis

[9/10 · 23 April 2024]

Everything positive you have heard about this anime is true, it is a near perfect anime and the only reason i give it a 9/10 and not a 10/10 is that i don't think it has rewatchability, sure i will watch my favorite moments over and over again but i don't think i will ever rewatch it in its entirety because of its slowness and somberness. That being said, this was a beautiful journey I took with all the characters.

Plot: The heroes party is victorious over the demon king and his armies, and a grand celebration is being thrown for the new peace and to honor the brave heroes. The party of heroes reminisce on their past adventures and look forward to the future, frieren the immortal elf departs from the group and promises to visit. 50 years go by and frieren reunites with her old friends (no really, time has taken its toll on them) and she feels regret that she missed out on their lives. Armed with a new perspective on life, frieren desires to understand human life and collect as much knowledge as she can. The show is a slice of life anime about an ancient elf who literally sees 10 years as a short time, with her new friends, she is able to appreciate life's small blessed moments, along the way she still encounters many dangers and challenges. Despite moments of action or serendipity, this show overall is a philosophical one. My personal favorite set of episodes are the second half of season one, where frieren and fern join a tournament to earn the title of first class mage, which turns into an actual battle royale with all the other powerful mages. Season 2 will hopefully continue the adventure of the frierens group to find heaven.

The characters: Frieren is a 1000-year-old elf mage who has drifted through time without concern for modern events, she is an avid collector of magic books and anything magically strange. Despite having a stoic demeanor, frieren is charmingly weird, humble, immature, she has attention deficit, with some very funny moments involving her getting eaten by chest mimics while pursuing magical items. Her English voice actress, Mallorie Rodak really adds a charm to frierens serious tone, nuance and funny vocal reactions. I consider frieren one of the best MCs this year, where she is given so much complexity that you can actually relate to her despite the age difference. The hero's party is made up of a hero named Himmel, a dwarf named Eisen, and a corrupt priest named Heiter, despite only seeing them in the first episode, we get to know the heroes party better throughout the whole show through flashback in a very effective way, we even learn that himmel was in love with frieren and she never noticed. In present day heiter and eisen have raised two young apprentices that eventually join frieren on her new journey for enlightenment. Fern is a young powerful mage that was an orphan raised by Heiter the priest, she becomes frierens apprentice and companion, always helping her master out of bed or out of awkward situations, despite being way younger, fern is much more serious than her master but at times can be emotionally immature, frieren believes she will surpass her in magic one day. Stark is a warrior boy that was trained by Eisen the dwarf but proved to be too cowardly and ran away from his master, he is recruited by frieren and fern, and he finally faces his fears and a dragon. He is the goofball of the serious trio, but his character development is the best, he and fern even begin a wholesome romance where both are too emotionally stunted to admit their feelings but act the part of a romantic couple. As for the supporting characters, I don't know where to begin, this is a living world with unique characters that appear in every single episode, some staying longer than others, but all making an impact in the main characters lives.

Conclusion: This anime is truly special, the philosophy on life is engrossing, the adventures are fun, the vibe of the show is so wholesome that I get studio Ghibli vibes. The action is superb in a unexpected way that you wouldn't expect in a slice of life anime like this, the animation that goes into the magic and action scenes is truly impressive visually and creatively. My one complaint for this anime is that every single character behaves exactly the same, somber or depressed way. A whole cast of planks of wood that still manage to get you to care about them but become tedious. There are some emotional moments where none of the characters so much as react, but I guess that makes the rare moments we do see some emotion even more precious. Basically, this show is melancholy the anime, if you don't like slow but poignant slice of life stories where you question your own mortality and how much time you have left to live, then perhaps this show is not for you. But if you give this show a chance you will learn to value the time you do have on this earth and cherish every moment. This is a beautifully told anime that still has thought provoking dialogue, complex characters and impressive visuals and action, that has some real heart that never skips a beat. And the journey continues.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer (2024– )

Existential Evolution: Complete Series Analysis

[8/10 · 24 March 2024]

This little gem of an anime was my favorite this new season in 2024, so much I eagerly awaited every Friday for a new episode to be released. With every new episode I gained more appreciation for this anime and have already deemed it an underrated show. With the first season complete I would like to share my thoughts on it, and I hope a season 2 will be in the works.

The plot of the show is not unique but is handled in a fresh new way, an ambitious adventurer named Rentt wants to reach the highest level in his guild by traveling to a dungeon with a legendary dragon living inside of it. He is caught off guard and is killed by the dragon, inexplicably waking up as a skeleton warrior, Rent believes he is doomed to wander the dungeon as another random mook for other adventurers to find and kill. Refusing to accept his new fate, Rentt attempts to evolve himself by killing other monsters in the dungeon, which eventually proves successful as he upgrades into a ghoul. Able to communicate now, Rent is able to ask for help from other adventurers and return to his home, where he reunites with his friend named Lorraine, who helps him to disguise his monstrous appearance and help him to continue his evolution so he can become near human again and become the adventurer he always wanted to be. Rentt is a kind man that helps other adventurers and people even in his new monstrous form, and has a strong desire to obtain a high level as an adventurer so he can keep a promise. In his new form he gets a badass wardrobe including a cursed mask, but has become stronger than he was as a human. He is quite likable as an MC, but he does not receive much character development in this series, he is a genuinely nice guy throughout and is still quite dense especially when it comes to Lorraine's affections for him. Lorraine is a scientist and mage that wants to discover the secret of existential evolution, which Rentt proves to exist. Lorraine is a calculating woman with gigantic.....academics, which she is not afraid to show off due to wearing a low cut dress throughout, she is clearly in love with Rentt and is willing to help him become human again by letting him live with her and assist him magically. She is technically the second main character of the series, since we get to see her life story and she gets just as much screen time as Rent. She is also a jealous woman that is protective of rentt but is cool most of the time, hopefully in the future she and rentt will become a battle couple. This is truly a fantasy world that gives you that sense of danger and mystery, while violent at times, it is not edgy for the shock factor alone, instead it just demonstrates the brutality of the world the characters live in and the common sense they need to practice. Specifically this show uses a lot of common sense in the fantasy setting that is refreshing to see, while not being morbid it is a serious show that is lighthearted at times, the show is well written enough, there are action scenes but they are not as interesting as they could be, the most annoying part of the show is rentts cursed mask that he is unable to remove even with magic, sometimes the show even drags with some filler, and by the time it ends you will realize there was no overall plot, instead this is simply a slice of life of an adventurer that died and is slowly trying to become human again. The highlights of the show are rentt and lorraine's sexual tension, the worldbuilding and rentts interactions with the inhabitants of this fantasy world. Like frieren beyond journey's end, it is more of a character study than anything else, which does not keep it from being entertaining at all. If the first episode hooks you then the rest of the series should be satisfying, after all this show has strong bones.

Signs (2002)

What Your About To See, Will Disturb You

[8/10 · 28 February 2024]

Signs was one of my first alien movies growing up, and probably one of the earliest movies i watched as a kid that thoroughly traumatized me, I still consider it one of the most suspenseful movies that was not made by Hitchcock or Spielberg. The plot follows a family recovering from the death of the mother and an alien invasion as the background. The aliens are hidden so well in fact you might assume it's just all in their in heads of course by the time you see the aliens the suspense has been building up too, you can't help but be shocked with some impressive jump scares. Sure the build up is way better than the actual aliens themselves ( yes I know water is their weakness 😂) but I think it's all about the family and their road to recovery with themselves and with God that matters. This movie is really deep, providing so many philosophical lines about faith and fate and I enjoy it far more than shamylans sixth sense simply for the excellent story building and atmosphere. The soundtrack is the star of this film, the sound effects are truly alien and the music by James Howard is just so grandiose that it intensifies every scene even the goofy moments. The anticipation and the suspense is so thick in this that it's nerve wracking and whether you think the aliens are scary or not doesn't really matter, it's the journey there that really counts. Mel Gibson and Jaquin phoenix really give nuance performances along with the child actors, the sheriff and even shamylan himself. There are so many things you miss on the first watch that when you see it a second time your mind is blown by it. The dialogue is superb, with every line spoken by the characters keeping your attention, not to mention completely memeable, my family and I still quote this movies line during unexpected times. What really builds up the alien invasion is the television broadcasts and the crop circles outside the main characters house, its done so delightfully creepy that you might actually be afraid to go into a corn maze at night after this. Swing Away Merrill.

Frequency (2000)

Perfect Fathers Day Movie

[8/10 · 1 February 2024]

This is a well told story about a son reconnecting with his father, the catch being his father has been dead for 30 years and the son reconnects with him through his dads old radio that somehow connects into the frequency of the fathers radio 30 years in the past. Once you get past this incredible premise then you can truly enjoy the emotional thrill ride of this unconventional time travel story. What makes this story so amazing is the incredible performances from Jim Cavaziel playing John Sullivan a NYPD detective that has been a broken man since the loss of his father Frank Sullivan played by Dennis quaid. Frank sullivan truly feels like a father that you would want, because he isa kind man that loves his wife and enjoys having a good time with his kids over baseball, not to mention he is a full blown action star with the opening rescue scene and in the final two acts where he goes toe to toe with a killer. The cast is stacked with the late Andre Braugher and Elizabeth Mitchell, both bring so much fun to the film, my favorite scene in the movie is where Andres character who is a police chief is told by Dennis Quaid about the future, get him to believe him by predicting the game play of a baseball game on the tv, i just love Andre's smile when he believes. Once father and son discover they can communicate through time, they recklessly begin to change events that cause a butterfly effect to occur that leads to all kinds of trouble with a serial killer that targets nurses, and it just so happens Mrs. Sullivan is a nurse. The constant going back and forth between the future and the past is thrilling, especially when something happens in the past that quickly altars something in the future. The final battle with the serial killer takes place in the future and the past at the same time and it is just astonishing to watch. The movie is a perfect sci fi drama and action thriller that is just a perfect watch for Father's Day. Me and my dad watched it together and it really got us in the feels, so much it made me truly grateful to have such a great dad in my life and for having so many memories with him. The movie takes you on such a suspenseful ride that you can ignore the contrived circumstances and can't help but glue yourself to the screen and tune into this entertaining time travel story.

Spy x Family (2022– )

The Perfect Family: Complete Series Analysis

[7/10 · 21 December 2023]

Plot In the fictional country of westalis, a big war has just ended with ostania, resulting in a fragile peace treaty that is constantly threatened by terrorists and war profiteers. A westalian spy organization counteracts every attempt to break the peace, through the efforts of a superspy named Twilight. His current mission requires him to go undercover as a family man, to sell this he obtains the aid of an orphan girl named anya and a young woman named Yor to play as his daughter and wife. The show is episodic with every episode involving the family members' separate lives and struggles, with shenanigans ensuing. Overall each episode either jeopardizes the world or the family's secret. The anime is quite engaging and fun as we watch the family's attempt to succeed at twilight's mission but also maintain their familial bonds.

Characters: Twilight takes on the fake name of Loid Forger, who is the central figure of the anime, since his mission to infiltrate high society requires him to have a family. He is a master of disguise and probably the greatest spy of his time. Despite all his skills, he lacks common sense in family matters and can be quite dense when it comes to yor's affection. In order to keep up appearances he fakes being in love with yor and anya, ever slowly beginning to love them for real, and it is this question of whether or not he will keep the family together after the mission ends that keeps the story so engaging. Yor is a humble woman that is also the most infamous assassin of her time known as the "thorn princess", having near superhuman abilities and an enjoyment for violence,she can be both cute and a dangerous woman and yet she shows more of her human side throughout the anime, as she becomes a dedicated mother to anya and even begins to gain real romantic feelings for loid. Anya is a young girl that was orphaned at a young age, and possesses the superhuman ability of telepathy which she uses to her advantage in every episode whether it's interfering with villains' plans or cheating on school exams. She is not good at academics but she gains enough respect and love for yor that she is determined to keep the fake family together and ensure the mission succeeds at all costs. Along the way we meet all sorts of great characters, whether they are allies, rivals or villains, each makes the show more fun.

Conclusion This anime is hilarious, the majority of the jokes always land as loid and yor have to fake being a romantic couple and anya has to somehow become a top academic student. What makes the show great is the dynamic between the characters, as their familial bonds grow and how they handle strange or even violent situations. The show never stops being entertaining, with plenty of action and humor keeping it going. Which is why I regret to say that the show remains in a state of stagnation, with the release of season 2, not much seems to have changed from season 1, yes it remains entertaining but the overall story with twilight's mission has reached no resolution. Also when i started watching the anime, what hooked me in was loid and yor's romantic relationship, a master spy and an assassin sounded like a hot pairing, despite starting out as such, this anime is not romantic. Loid is too dense and focused on the mission to truly be romantic with yor, while yor is too bashful and awkward to play on her attraction to loid. Plus the anime focuses way too much on anya and her school life, which is not a bad thing but it can get tedious. Which is why some of the best arcs of the anime so far have revolved around loid and yor, but that is because they are rare at this point. The animation is stylish but quite simplistic, coming across as too cartoony at times but really pops during action scenes. Overall this anime is quite enjoyable, and I hope all of my concerns are resolved in season 3 and the movie. I will make sure to come back and edit this review once the movie and new seasons have added anything new to the characters or overall story. For this anime, fun action, world saving shenanigans and rib breaking humor comes with the territory.

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated (2010–2013)

The Ultimate Mystery: Complete Series Analysis

[9/10 · 17 November 2023]

When I was a kid I lived and breathed scooby doo, and that is not even an exaggeration, i watched every single animated movie, the live action movies, I watched every single episode of the animated shows from "where are you" to "whats new scooby doo", I even watched that one weird one called "shaggy and scooby doo get a clue". But in all of my years of watching scooby doo i never dreamed we would get such a mature and well written adaption of the series as this one. When this show came out in 2010, I was in euphoria, sure the character designs needed some getting used too, but everything about it was perfect to me. The scooby gang were the same people we loved with added depth and gravitas, the monsters were bigger and badder than ever, but the mystery that this show was unraveling with every episode, that was what kept me fully engaged for years while watching this series and why i still come back to it every year afterward.

Plot: The show keeps the classic formula of scooby doo going with the gang solving strange mysteries and defeating psychotic villains dressed as monsters and some not dressed as monsters. But unlike before there is an overall plot that gets very dark by the end of the first season. The majority of the series takes place in a coastal town called Crystal cove, where since its conception supernatural things have always occurred. A rich history that we uncover with the gang in each episode as they receive strange cases from an anonymous man who only goes by MR. E. Eventually the gang uncover a sinister plot that goes back generations with other mystery solver groups such as the original mystery inc before them and even a super cool group of steampunkers known as the benevolent lodge of mystery. These mystery solver groups each had a talking animal as a member and were all obsessed with finding pieces of a planispheric disc that when assembled can lead to a great treasure and curse. It is the ultimate mystery that will keep you 100% engaged as our mystery inc is determined to solve the mystery of crystal cove, no matter the dangers they will face along the journey.

Characters: Scooby doo in this version, feels like a real person, while he has always been a loveable friend to the group, i don't think he was ever seen as an equal by them before this show. Here he does get easily jealous of shaggy dating velma, but also is portrayed as more attentive to the other group members' emotional needs. By the end of the series scooby doo has received so much depth as well as a central role in the plot, that its hard to see him as the same heroic dog from the "where are you" series.

Shaggy is the same loveable coward we have always known him as, being played by the live action shaggy actor Matthew Lillard, really gives him a laid back attitude but eventually he does become more heroic as his friends face peril.

Fred in this version is still the self designated leader, but he really learns to own the role and be of service to the group, he is very obsessed with traps here to comedic levels, but he is still a person that loves his friends and will do anything to protect them, but he is portrayed to be quite dense towards common logic and especially daphne's romantic feelings.

Daphne in this version is the mother of the group, paying attention to the other members personal feelings while suppressing her own. In this version she is consumed with her romantic feelings toward Fred, almost to self destructive levels, which is why she gives up on him for a while. While she is still a damsel in some instances she is a badass in her own right.

Velma in this version is the most complicated member, she is the queen of sass and the most tech savvy of the group, this time around being in a romantic relationship with shaggy which displays her more negative traits as she tries to control him. This makes her kind of unlikeable at first, but eventually she is redeemed as she saves the group from life threatening dangers, albeit through scrupulous means.

The show does a great job establishing each member of the gang as an essential member of the group. While I adore the classic character traits of Scooby and the gang in the original series, these versions are much more three dimensional, and even some of the side characters are this as well. There is an entire cast of amazing side characters and greater scope villains that are so numerous that i will only be able to mention a few. Mr. E is the mysterious benefactor to mystery inc giving them clues and bigger problems to solve each episode through of course mysterious means. Vincent van ghoul is a horror actor this time around, always appearing in black/white horror films that scooby and shaggy love to watch. Angel dynamite is the gangs local disc jockey and confidant, who is carrying a dark secret of her own. The hex girls return to help the gang in amazing musical battle episodes. Mayor jones is fred's adoptive father who holds the secret to the mystery of crystal cove. Sheriff bronson stone is the loveable comic relief played by the great patrick warburton that adds much levity to the series. Professor pericles has the opposite effect, adding the more serious and darker tone as he serves as one of the most evil animated villains ever. The town of crystal cove feels like a character itself because of its rich history and population of such a wide variety of fascinating people.

Upgrade: I won't deny the classic scooby doo series of old like "where are you" or "The Scooby doo show" have become quite dated, whether its their animation or writing, but it cannot be denied those shows have maintained their charm and it is why they are still so beloved by people like me. But a reboot is sometimes necessary to keep a franchise alive, especially one as repetitive as scooby doo, in the early 2000s it was done with zombie island and the witches ghost which took scooby doo in a more edgy but still lighthearted way, and i feel mystery incorporated carries on that legacy. Unlike other modern reboots, this show does not try to insult the original material or try to change what made the characters and the concept so great, instead it builds upon them. Each character is given an extra level of depth they did not have in previous shows and allows character arcs to occur naturally over the series. It helps to keep the mysteries in one location, the gang's hometown of crystal cove that makes the scooby doo world fleshed out and lived in. The theme song has amazing theme music which makes you accept this new version, since you feel it is giving you something fresh and unsettling. The animation is a big step up with the cartoony designs allowing for more fluidity, even with the occasional cgi it still works in making the show look so fresh. The monsters are a special mention, while none of them are nearly as memorable or as iconic as classic scooby doo villains like captain cutler, the tar monster or the creeper, they are all menacing in their own respective episodes, alice may, que horrifico and the baby clown do a great job at being villains but perhaps they range too close to being supervillains. At the beginning of each episode we are totally convinced that whatever monster is terrorizing crystal cove is real, based on its movements and the scale of damage it causes with super strength or other superpowers, almost being too convincing to be proven fake by the end through elaborate explanations that are so over the top to be true. While scooby doo has always had some creepy villains, this show tackles true horror not just with its monsters but also with its darker themes. There are many episodes where the monsters seem to have killed people like with the gnome, the cicadas or the freak of crystal cove. Despite the horror aspects there is still plenty of golden humor that is done more in a deadpan way without the need of a laugh track. The most updated aspect of this show is the greater scope the series went in, while still a monster of the week type show, there was now a ongoing sinister plot that would be built each episode, injecting a new level of story writing and character writing that had never been done before.

Conclusion: In conclusion, at surface level this show seems like no different from any other version of the classic series, the scooby gang are just solving mysteries and unmasking mentally unstable people with great cosplay skills, except when you watch the show from beginning to end you realize that this series added so much lore and gravitas to the scooby doo world that it is truly the most well written scooby doo show ever created, dare I say it is the adult scooby doo show that lesser adaptations were attempting to be. This is a near perfect scooby doo show that I would recommend to anyone, with my only real complaint being that we didn't get spinoff episodes focusing on each of the generational groups of mystery solving gangs like the benevolent lodge of mystery. Sure this is still scooby doo, there is still a lot of wacky fun, weird monsters and jokes all around, but the overall execution of this series is something that deserves to be studied in creating a great reboot of a beloved show since it was so well written it felt fresh and still was able to pay a level of respect and love to the original scooby doo by adding to it instead of altering it completely. I am truly grateful i watched this series in 2010 before streaming was a thing or before i had purchased all the season dvds, since every episode left me hooked and wanting more with the twists and turns. What makes this series so great all these years later is that it was well planned out to tell its story within 52 episodes without the need of adding on to the story, ending it on a somber but worthwhile note. While this mystery may have come to an end, there is still potential to find greater mysteries out there and of course more scooby doo.

Star Wars: Rebels (2014–2018)

For The Rebellion: Complete Series Analysis

[8/10 · 15 September 2023]

I grew up during the time of the clone wars, a time that I treasure deeply since i consider clone wars the best Star Wars content. Which is why i was deeply hurt when LucasFilm was sold to Disney and they announced the cancellation of the clone wars, yes, the clone wars eventually got its final season made, but that was years of heart ache i had to live with. The only consolation was that Dave Filoni would continue to make more Star Wars cartoons under Disney's regime. The first one being this show, which I had a negative reaction to at first, as I'm sure you're already aware of the animation, the character designs and even the action was completely toned down from the quality of the clone wars, so much it irked me (at first). Unlike the clone wars this show felt like a kiddie show, I also hated the skinny light sabers and weird character faces, but like the clone wars that had poor animation at first and less mature themes, the stories and characters developed with each new season, so much that I ended up loving this new show, perhaps not to the same extent of clone wars but still more than any other animated show that has come out under Disney's poor reign of star wars. And with each rewatch I come to appreciate Filoni's ideas and direction with this show and see his universe as a separate entity to Disney's Star Wars.

Plot

The show takes place a few years after the clone wars, showing the reign of the empire and chronicles the beginning of the rebellion that would eventually destroy the empire. The show follows a ragtag group of unlikely heroes from all walks of life as they combat and sabotage the infamous empire. Each season is connected to the overall story of the rebels' rise to prominence with varying degrees of quality that I will grade separately by season.

Season 1 (5/10) The first season is universally agreed to be the weakest season of this show for reasons I have already listed, specifically the kiddie feel to it, the filler, the lack of stakes or real violence, no death and Ezra being annoying. While the first season is successful in developing the main characters, it does have way too many unnecessary cameos (Lando, C3po and R2D2, Leia) unlike the legacy characters that would arrive later and would service the plot. The story mostly takes place on Ezra's home planet of lothal, where the young force sensitive meets a group of freedom fighters called the ghost crew and embarks on many adventures with them, as he learns to be a jedi and start sabotaging the empires operations on lothal.

Season 2 (7/10)

With the inclusion of Darth Vader, the show is immediately elevated, which is made apparent in the writing and character development. The ghost crew are pursued by competent villains that serve Vader called inquisitors, forcing Kanan and Ezra to grow stronger in their force abilities and discover the lost secrets of the jedi. Season 2 ends in the greatest way possible (for me at least), the characters are physically and emotionally defeated, Kanan is blinded and Ezra is falling to the dark side, a cliffhanger worthy of the empire strikes back.

Season 3 (8/10)

With the stakes increased by the last season's dark ending, the new season starts off with ezra struggling with the dark side. Kanan learning to adapt to his blindness and depend on the force. Darth maul has returned yet again and is intent on making ezra his apprentice and finding his old enemy, kenobi. The infamous grand admiral Thrawn from the legendary heir to the empire books is finally brought into the fold and he delivers on every level by making the empire finally look competent as they begin to raise the stakes of their occupation on lothal.

Season 4 (8/10)

The mandalorians are brought to the spotlight once again as they attempt to retake their planet from the empire under the leadership of sabine who has found the legendary dark saber. Through the force, Ezra learns about ancient secrets that will decide the fate of him and kanan. In the rebels' darkest hour they must combat Thrawn for the freedom of lothal in one last amazing battle that requires courage and sacrifice.

The Characters:

Kanan Jarrus: He was a padawan that escaped order 66 through the sacrifice of his master ( You can see it in the Bad Batch series), he went into hiding, met Hera the love of his life and started a rebel cell with the other crew members of the Ghost. When he meets ezra, he realizes he cannot hide his jedi heritage and must use the force to protect his new family. Kanan may not be the mc of the series but he certainly feels like it, he receives more character development than any other character in the series, especially when he is blinded by Darth maul. With the loss of his sight he learns to see with the force and become a true jedi.

Ezra Bridger: He is an orphan, whose parents were killed by the empire, and he has been forced to become a scavenger with trust issues. In season 1 he is the annoying tag along kid, but by season 4 he has received good character development throughout the series, becoming a dependable member of the ghost crew and a powerful jedi. When he begins his jedi training both kanan and him have no idea what they are doing, but together become one of the best master and apprentice pairs through training and understanding of the force. Despite being headstrong, ezra truly learns the ways of becoming a true jedi that loves other people and is willing to do anything to protect them.

Hera Syndulla: She is the pilot of the Ghost and is also the mother figure to the entire crew. Born into a family of soldiers, hera is capable as a rebel general but still keeps her kindness and compassion for others. Her and kanan receive some of the best character development since they are the most mature adults in the ghost crew, which is why their romance is so well done.

Sabine Wren: She is many things, she is a mandalorian, an artist, a scientist, gunfighter, pilot, and the temporary leader of Mandalore (Currently a jedi in training). Despite all this she avoids Mary Sue territory, because she earns all her titles through hard work but most importantly training. She has caused many of the problems in her life and feels like a failure because of it, despite this she has a tenacity to never give up and keep on fighting for her family.

Zeb: He is a great warrior who believed he was the last of his alien race that were wiped out by the empire. He eventually overcomes his survivor's guilt through the help of his friends and even an enemy. He is the strongest person on the crew for missions, but also being the source of humor from time to time. Being played by Steve Blum also gives him extra cool points.

Chopper is the little screwball droid that is hard to work with but is still dependable on every mission.

Many clone wars veterans make appearances in this show that are far more than just cameos, since they continue their stories such as Ashoka Tano and Captain Rex. There are many other heroic characters in this show that you would just have to watch the entire series to fully appreciate all of them. And as many heroic characters there are, there are twice as many great villains, Darth Vader and Sidious are great as always, the inquisitors are cool,maul is surprisingly tragic in this but still twisted, tarkin is cruel as always, but Thrawn is something truly special, not only is he portrayed as great as he was in the books, this show actually demonstrates why he is considered one of the greatest tacticians in star wars as he defeats entire rebel fleets and outwits the mc's. While he is not as physically powerful as vader, thrawn is still a very large threat, which is why I hope he is shown again in all his glory in the ASHOKA series and beyond.

Conclusion

As you probably noticed by now I don't rate this show as high as the clone wars, as superficial as it seems, the animation always makes me feel this show belongs on disney junior. Even the greatest story arcs of this series are somehow limited by disney's influence, I'm not saying it needed to be more violent, but it needed more emotional weight to it, which can only occur with loss and sacrifice, which is done in the last couple of episodes, and that is why the finale is the best part of this show to me. Despite all the flaws i previously listed, filoni and the other creators did learn from their mistakes and improved with each season. You have to love the attention to detail that the creators added with the development of all the characters, keeping consistency with the clone wars, introducing the world between worlds and of course the interaction between ashoka and vader. The OG star wars cameos are apparent in this series such as C3po and r2 d2, but the inclusion of the clone wars characters make it feel so natural that it is one connected universe. There were so many great ideas in this series that were just not given enough time to truly bloom, and just felt chained down, unlike the clone wars where the creators were free to go all out with their stories. The series explores the mysticism of the Force in ways never seen before like the world between worlds or the Bendu, even exploring the force's influence in people, places and even animals like the loth wolves. This show is not perfect, but it still did so many amazing things that I gained more appreciation for it with each rewatch and with the addition of other star wars media like the bad batch and ASHOKA. This show really demonstrates what a real jedi should be, it shows the overall defiance of tyranny by the human spirit, it shows that we can depend upon other people and spirituality and it shows that there is always hope. "We have hope, hope that things can get better, and they will".

Thundercats (2011–2012)

It Brings The Thunder: Complete Series Analysis

[8/10 · 20 August 2023]

In the early 2000s, a new resurgence of reboots of legendary 80s cartoons had begun, the likes of Heman and the masters of the universe 2002, teenage mutant ninja turtles 2003 and in 2011 this show. These shows were far more edgier than before, there was actual stakes, violence, darker colors, smooth action and a more cinematic scope. I had never even heard of thundercats until I saw promos of this show on cartoon network, but I was still not impressed with the idea of watching a show about cat people. That all changed the day i watched the first episode, not only was i hooked I was actively anticipating each episode afterward, even though i didn't know it at the time this show had triggered that cartoon love that i had for the other reboot shows, and now I will tell you why.

Plot: Taking place on a planet called Third Earth, a society of anthropomorphic animal based species rules a different section of the planet, with the thundercats empire of thundera being the most rich and blessed kingdom of them all, gaining the jealousy and resentment of multiple other species. A young prince named Lion O is obsessed with learning about third earths past and to uncover the lost secrets of technology. His father, king claudus who is played by the original 80s voice actor of Lion O is worried he will not learn responsibility and become a worthy king. During a celebration, a race of lizard men that hate the cats sneak into the kingdom and completely shut down all of its defenses, allowing their newfound technology to win the battle using tanks and other high tech weapons. It is then revealed that the lizards have freed the infamous villain of third earth, a conqueror named Mumm Ra whose supernatural abilities puts the final nail in the cats coffin. With the death of his father and the destruction of his kingdom by mumm ras hands, Lion O and his loyal group of friends set out on a epic journey to collect a group of magical stones that can give them the power to free third earth from mumm ra's oppression. Along the journey Lion O realizes the world was not as perfect as it seemed, as he interacts with each species and learns from them, he decides that it is time to improve matters and create a better world where all the different species can be united. The overall plot of the entire series involves finding the power stones before mummra so they can defeat him, but there are several filler episodes that are episodic on their own,or 3 episode arcs being used for characterization or introducing the heroes to all the different species of third earth. Some episodes even dedicate to flashbacks to provide motivation for character decisions and even expand the lore of third earth, such as showing lion Os ancestors defeating mummra the first time. Only 26 episodes were made out of the 65 that were planned, due to a heartbreaking and unexpected cancellation that leaves the core plot still unresolved and my heart broken.

Characters: Lion O is a young prince of thundera, who is kind to all other species which are treated as second class citizen by the cats. He is fascinated by technology and horrified by it when he sees what it does to his kingdom. Burdened with the responsibility of restoring thundera and defeating mumm ra, he becomes quite brash in his decision making and is only made less vengeful by his friends' help, who show him that kindness is not a bad trait in a king. Lion O goes through a lot of characterization in this series, and endures a lot of test of character moments that makes him a better leader. He is wonderfully played by Will Friedle who just brings the right energy to the character. Tygra is lion Os adopted older brother who starts the show being his envious rival , but mellows out and decides to be loyal to his brother after he earns it from him, he is quite heroic but keeps that loveable rogue vibe throughout, perhaps it is cheetara who mellows him out the most. Cheetara is lionOs mentor and main supporter throughout the series, which gives him the impression she likes him, which cannot be helped because she is shown to be quite a tease and she is drawn in the sexiest way possible, but her looks dont affect her depth. She eventually starts a relationship with tygra and together they become a badass battle couple. Panthro is the tech savvy badass veteran who drives the thundertank and is willing to make any sacrifice to win, he eventually becomes a kind hearted father figure to the kittens but is a threat to be reckoned with. Twin kittens known as Willykit and Willykat are adorable little master thieves, that dream of finding the lost city of El Dara to help their family. Despite being the tag along kids, they never become annoying and are quite capable and supportive to their teammates. The main villain of the series is Mummra the ever living is a literal demonic mummy, who reminds me a lot of Darth Sidious in his mannerisms, he is ruthless and pure evil, being quite scary with no likeability making him one of the best animated villains, armed with thousands of years of knowledge, technology, dark sorcery and the ability to change into a hulk, he is the ultimate menace that warrants urgency for the thundercats to defeat him. As the heroes travel to all different corners of third earth, they meet many unique and entertaining characters, whether they are heroes or villains. All the characters are well layered and even flawed, with no single main character being underdeveloped, excluding mumm ra who is 100% evil in this series.

What could have been: After the infamous hiatus and cancellation of this series, no new information has been made available on its continuation. Even if a second season can never be made, I would appreciate at least an animated feature length film that could give this main story and the characters closure, while I'm not the best at fanfiction, this is what I have come up with to leave me with some satisfaction. LionO and the the thunder cats are now in a full alliance with the majority of animals to bring mummras oppression to an end. The only thing missing is the final power stone that can tip the balance in either way to mummras or the thundercats side. Through the help of the spirit of cleric Jaga, the thundercats uncover the location of the final power stone known as the soul stone which is hidden in the legendary city of El Dara, which the kittens have been seeking for. After obtaining a map, the thundercats must venture on a dangerous journey to el dara, facing mummra forces, monsters and more tests of character. In order to find the secret entrance to El Dara, lion O must confront his own inner guilt by facing the ghost of his father, king claudus in a duel. Defeating his father in single combat, Lion O is free from his guilt and earns his fathers respect at last, uncovering an interdimensional portal to the lost city of El dara, where all of thirds earths greatest treasures are kept by an ancient race of interdimensional beings. Mummra soon learns of the stone's location and gains access to the city, culminating in one last epic battle between the united animals of third earth and mummras demonic forces. Lion O and mummra clash for the last time in an epic duel reminiscent of his ancestors duel. Through pain and sacrifice, lion O slays mummra, uniting the power stones into one final blast of light to rid the universe of mummra. With the evil side defeated, lion o and his friends must begin to rebuild relations with the other species into a democratic republic where everyone is represented and treated fairly. I know, a little generic and fairytale ending but that's all I want! But instead we have gotten no resolution to this series story, mummra is still on the loose and the soul stone still remains undiscovered to this day.

Conclusion: I love this series, but that does not mean its without flaw, it doesn't have that epic opening song from the 80s and sadly this series never reached its fullest potential, suffering the fate of any great show that couldn't make the toy sales. I just adore the japanese animation and style the show was developed upon, for a time i literally thought this was an anime, they succeeded in pushing the style of anime in the show with a variety of visual elements, such as scene compositions, effects and colors, as well as the action scenes. The animation used for the action is quite impressive, being quite fluid and dynamic, allowing the realistic character designs to really work well with the landscapes. Yes the anthropomorphic people in this world can be jarring, but despite the jokes or weird fanart, this show is not just for the furries this is an epic tale that even though never got a proper ending, still feels like a cinematic story. Story-wise the series attempts to take a much darker and more cinematic approach than the original show, featuring a lot more focus on characterization and more sophisticated themes. The show is very character driven which was needed with such a basic plot. The world of thundera is so well explored and creative, that every episode you might find yourself more curious in the location than the main plot. This show really can pull at your heart strings as well, with powerful messages, the episode most guilty of this being "the song of the petalars". I wont deny the entertainment value of the original 80s series, but to me that show is just too cheesy, and this version is just so much more impactful and appealing to me with its darker and edgier themes, but I am grateful to the original series for making this show possible. Perhaps someday we will see a worthy finale to this epic journey.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009–2010)

The Legends Were True: Theological Review

[9/10 · 28 July 2023]

Since I can remember everyone has recommended me to watch full metal alchemist, but i was always confused by the fact there were two separate shows, so I started watching bits and pieces online and i never got into full metal alchemist due to its dark themes. Years later I started seeing funny clips from brotherhood and i was confused on how this was the same show, it was then i realized there was in fact two separate shows. I then decided to watch the entirety of full metal alchemist brotherhood, and by the end i was convinced that this was indeed one of the greatest animes ever made.

The plot: The series starts off by introducing us to the Elric brothers Ed and Alphonse, who are prodigies in the skill of alchemy, a type of science that is show to convert other materials into something else, such as simple materials into weapons. The core theme of the show is equivalent exchange, a concept every alchemist follows, that dictates that every item that is used for alchemy must be used with equal value for the thing that it will create. Which is why human transmutation is forbidden, since nothing can equal in value to the worth of a human soul, any attempt to do so is the ultimate hubris. But this is the action that kicks off the series, through flashback we find out that ed and al tried to resurrect their dead mother, not realizing the cost would require their own bodies, costing ed his arm and leg and al his entire body, the only thing that this action creates is an abomination that is not their mother. Ed is able to save his brothers soul by attaching it to a suit of armor. In order to restore their bodies, ed and al sign up to become state alchemists that work for their militaristic government, to fund their search for a philosopher stone, a legendary item that can grant an individual the power to do anything. While the show does start episodic introducing characters, the show quickly sticks to a strict set of arcs that do focus on the overall story, which involves beings known as homunculi that are led by the main villain known as Father, who has created a massive conspiracy that involves control over the entire country and even merging with God, culminating in one of the most epic finales ive ever seen.

Characters:

Ed at first believes that anything can be solved with alchemy, even bring back his dead mother from the grave, despite being humbled by that experience, he still maintained his single mindedness throughout most of the show, only in the end realizing that humans being are priceless and that there are so many other ideologies to consider. Ed is definitely the center of most of the comedic relief, but his character development is so satisfying to watch over so many episodes, growing in height as well as maturity. Alphonse is a sweet character, with the loss of his human body he is very humble throughout the show, only revealing his depression and fear in rare moments, despite supporting his brother he is not afraid to bud heads with him and correct him on his beliefs, in the end al decides that equivalent exchange is not enough to correct their broken world, and desires to create a better solution. Roy mustang is an ambitious military official who is one of the only fire alchemists to exist, making him a powerful player and is also one of the only people the elric brothers can trust. His relationship with lieutenant hawkeye is one of the most enjoyable factors in the show, since she serves as his right hand, but also hints that something romantic is between them, which is frustrating that they never get together in the end. There are so many enjoyable characters in this show, that I have to say this is one of the few anime where I don't dislike anybody, even the minor characters are all surprisingly given large roles in the plot, actually accomplishing the concept of strength in unity. While the heroes are all great, the villains are fascinating, the seven deadly sins serve the plot very well and are all despicable, but none of them compare to their Father, who might be one of the most ambitious villains of all time, Fathers ultimate desire was to be free of everything, his body, the laws of nature, and even God himself. Which is why father is one of the most ambitious villains in all of anime, he didn't just want to become a god, he wanted to fuse with "The God" of this world through a mass scale ritual that would steal the souls from every human living in the country. In his quest for perfection, father saw his human traits as a weakness, and disconnected them from himself, placing those traits into the 7 homunculi that represented the 7 deadly sins. Lust, Greed, Envy, Pride, Wraith, Gluttony and sloth. The hommunculi saw humans as little more than fuel for their philosopher stones, but failed to understand that human beings were powerful for a reason, that God made them that way, meanwhile the hommunculi wouldn't even exist without humans, and despite all their great power they did nothing beneficial with it.

Truth: Interestingly enough, one of my favorite factors from this show is the interpretation of god in this show, which plays a heavy role in the characters' lives and even the plot, simply known as truth. I am a christian so I believe in Jesus Christ, a loving God who is good and desires the best for his children. While this anime interpretation of God does not match mine, I did see the core concept of truth within it. God in this anime is portrayed to be scary in this but with purpose, the first thing we see this god do is steal the bodies of the elric brothers, but only by the end of anime do we realize why it did that. Despite this show not being religious, it defenitely covers core concepts of real world religions, and how single mindedness in religion and science never leads to good things, only a health balance of the two can.

Religion is man made, yes there is a difference between religion and spiritualism, having a relationship with God is spiritual because you came to love Him and believe in him on your own. Religion is the dogmatic rules that have been created by men to enforce rules while neglecting the love of God. Jesus Christ is the truth, the way and the life, so while I can see the similarities, I know that these are not the same god. So I am not offended by this, in fact it was the most fascinating aspect of this anime to me. The shows core message is to not play god since it leads to disaster and that it is positive believe in science when you know God exists and vice versa. Even in the intro we are told that materials can not be made from nothing, and that human beings were made by a higher being, it stands to reason that the humans who would dare to play God must pay a steep price for their arrogance, since they desire to become greater than Him. Even the villain who is satan in everything but name says "That is the way of the universe, the natural order imposed by the very God you claimed to worship. That is truth". Father says all this while believing to be superior to humans, not realizing that this logic would apply to him, which he learns hard in the end. A positive to leave from this anime, is that there needs to be a balance between science and faith, if there is simple mindedness in either category the individuals that follow it treat it like any radical religion. And whether you believe it or not, science is a religion in itself, the anime even portrays it as such with the way military behaves in this world. This show demonstrates how an atheist military state can use science in corrupt ways, and the show even demonstrates how religious groups can stray away from the path of righteousness and use religion as a way to control the masses and inspire fanaticism. The military dogma present in this show demonstrates that if men decided to stop doing what's right and just follow orders, then their entire way of life can be destroyed. When Ed reveals his newfound respect for human life and understanding of what truth was trying to show, Truth is pleased that someone finally got it and gives back ed and al's bodies, humbly accepting its own defeat. One more thing I would like to point is the clapping ed performs to do alchemy mimics praying., showing that whether he knew it or not he was living out the principles God had set up within him, by the end he and al only defeated the corrupt military and the homunculi through the heavenly virtues of tempering their on desires, remaining chaste, they are charitable to other people, they are diligent in their goals, they are forgiving to even their worst enemies (Envy even kills himself because it can't comprehend that), they are kind to everyone they meet, and in the end they become so humble that they admit everything they knew about was flawed and that a better solution must be found to replace their old world view.

Conclusion: This show is so great that I think will go and watch the first full metal alchemist I love how in the end the brothers go around the world to collect different types of alchemy and ideologies that can be used to benefit all of mankind. Science alone cannot explain everything, and faith alone cannot solve every problem, but together they can give a person peace and understanding of the universe around them. The brothers come to understand that no ideology can justify murder, which is why they quickly reject the philosopher stones that have the power to restore their bodies, since the cost of making one is millions of human souls. In a way this anime is a cautionary tale, that humanity should never play God or give into any kind of single mindedness, since it always ends in tragedy. This is not a black and white cookie cutter anime, this anime has real depth and with it real darkness. This show is not meant for everyone, and even some people who watch it will not grasp its full message. The rejection of holding on to a single ideology, and becoming more open minded. Now go discover your own truth.

Quest for Camelot (1998)

I Stand Alone

[7/10 · 22 June 2023]

I feel like the only person who genuinely loves this movie, while im sure nostalgia plays a big role, i still enjoy this movie as an adult. Yes i am aware of the production hell it went through, brutal critiques and poor box office it endured, but i cant resist loving the fantasy adventure this movie provides.

The story Set in a magical world, "Quest for Camelot" is the musical retelling of the fairy tale "Sword in the Stone" , and it was loosely based on Vera Chapman's novel The King's Damsel (1976). Most of the story takes place in Arthurian times, in places like a forbidden magical forest where the landscape itself is alive, a spirited young woman named Kayley meets a resourceful young blind man named Garrett, along their quest they meet a two headed dragon named devlin and cornwall. They unite their wits and strengths to find the stolen sword excalibur, before the insane villain named Rubert does. The plot is very simple, but it is very fun and delivers on the adventure.

The characters Kayley is a strong willed heroine who want to be a knight like her father more than anything, she is quite thick headed though, which unintentionally makes her a damsel in distress but unlike other versions she learns to adapt by learning from her mistakes, and ends up being quite effective as a hero in the end. Garrett is a young man who like kayley also dreams of becoming a knight, but a childhood accident caused him to go blind, making him feel worthless, leading him to self exile himself to the forbidden forest, where he met a silver wing falcon named aiden, who showed him how to adapt to the forest and become one with nature. Because of this, garrett basically becomes daredevil with heightened senses, becoming a real badass, and gaining the affections of kayley when he teaches her how to adapt to her surroundings as well.

Devon and cornwell the twin headed dragon are certainly the weak link in the movie and i will admit they are my least favorite part as an adult, even as a kid i didnt exactly hate them but i always found them annoying when their argued. We also get to see King arthur, merlin and many brave knights of the round table in this film, but they dont do much, still i like this version king arthur played by Pierce brosnan.

The villain of the movie named Ruber is a completely insane and yet competent villain when he needs to be, serving as a big threat to not just the heroes but to all of camelot. Voiced by the great Gary Oldman, he truly brings the insanity of this character to life in either hilarious or disturbing ways.

The griffin is probably my favorite character in this movie, based on his super cool design alone. As a kid I drew this guy hundreds of times, and is the reason i became a huge fan of griffins. But in the movie he is simply rubbers pet who probably experiences stockholm syndrome from being constantly abused by ruber and still remaining so obedient to him.

The iron men that worked for ruber were barbarians that would become fused with weapons through a magic potion that ruber purchased from witches. These guys have to be some of the coolest looking henchmen in any movie, and like the griffin I was obsessed with drawing these guys as a kid.

The Songs This movie has some incredible songs and music that makes it feel like a true celtic legend. I really like the opening songs titled "United we stand" and on my father wings", really give off that heroic niche i want in these type of movies. The villain song is just delightfully insane, ruber is just basically rambling about taking over camelot while turning his henchmen into iron men, with incredible visuals and colors to enhance the sequence. Kayleys mother gets her own celine dion song titled "The prayer", which became more famous than this movie and won alot of awards. As fo thedragon song "If I didnt have you".......ummmmmm. Like i said even as a kid the dragons were annoying to me, and this song is my least favorite, but i will admit the pop culture references are funny as an adult, but feel too similar to genies song from aladdin. The love song "Looking through your eyes" is still one of the most romantic songs ive ever heard, and is the perfect embodiment of kayley and garretts developing love story. Finally the song we all watch this movie for, "I stand alone", I struggle to put into words the sheer awesomeness of this song, from the lyrics to the visuals, this song has power, the voice of Bryan white is clearly no Cary elwes but i don't care, this song is 100% amazing, to this day i sing this song to myself while driving.

Conclusion:

I will admit my favorite part of this movie is kayley and garretts romance, while im sure you have seen their slap slap kiss kiss dynamic before, it is done exceptionally well here, with the two having quite alot of chemistry, helping each other to improve and overcome their weaknesses, making them one of my favorite animated couples.

The creativity of this movie is impressive, the aesthetics and environments of Camelot and the forbidden forest are wonderful to look at, helicopters flowers, living trees/rocks, dragons and griffins, besides great character designs, everything moves so smoothly, with the animation aging quite well, yes the CGI is noticeable but i don't mind it as much as other movies of its time, even though the rock ogre always looked very odd to me, but still an impressive visual. Lot of critics of this film (cough nostalgia critic) dislike the execution it went in, yes the movie has many similarities with Disney films, especially the aesthetics and character designs, but i feel it remains consistent. And it does a good job telling the story it wants to tell, yes some jokes are out of place or just cringey, but i don't care because the spectacle and sense of adventure is strong here, and this movie remains legendary to me.

Handyman Saitou in another world (2023)

Handyman in another world : Complete series review

[7/10 · 2 May 2023]

This anime really caught me by surprise, despite being another isekai exploring the dungeons, this anime is one of my favorite examples of that plot. The show is clearly influenced by dungeons and dragons with the core party being made up of a warrior, wizard, fairy and the titled handyman serving in the position of the thief. It even reminded me of another anime I love called Goblin Slayer, with the same D&D aesthetic and badass armored warrior, which is probably why I liked this series so much. The main character saitou is an out of his luck handyman from japan that is teleported to a fantasy world. With no way to get home, saitou joins a small adventure team, where he tries to prove his worth with his handyman skills, which from his perspective he feels are inadequate compared to the other's magic or battle skills, even though in reality his teammates see his skills as the reason they succeed in their adventures. Instead of him dying and being reincarnated like in other isekai, he is teleported by the magic of the grand wizard named morlock, who was experimenting with time magic and brought saitou into his world by accident. Despite being very powerful at magic, morlock is sadly very forgetful, exhibiting dementia like symptoms but in actuality he purposefully erased his own memories to forget his painful past. Despite being the comedic relief most of the time, morlocks life story is quite sad and interesting. The fairy on the team is named Lafanpan a clever but greedy fairy that heals her teammates and assists with magic when morlock is being useless. Finally, the best character of the anime is a female armored warrior named Raelza, who is quite efficient at killing monsters or enemies, but is quite shy when it comes to expressing her romantic feelings for saitou. Despite seeming like a tomboy with her armour on, she is quite feminine underneath, and everytime she takes off her helmet, her long silky hair spirals out in a very cool way. The anime only has 12 episodes, starting off episodic, with moments about the side characters that feels like its not connected, but eventually each character plays a role in the multi episode arcs in the middle of the series. Personally the romance in this anime is one of the most engaging subplots, while it does start with raelza having a one sided crush, saitou does begin to think of raelza in a more romantic way by the end, with the entire cast shipping them and supporting them. The anime is quite enjoyable, with golden comedy, impressive action, and fun characters, but it certainly isn't perfect, the show has a terrible pacing problem, especially with the stupid sub plots that feel like a waste of time, especially in the final episode. Despite this, I had a fun time with the main team of characters as they journeyed through the dungeon, and I hope to see more of their adventures in the near future.

Skeleton Knight in Another World (2022)

Sink your teeth into this

[7/10 · 17 January 2023]

In this anime, it follows the same basic premise of so many other isekai animes, starting with the mc waking up in a fantasy world, being OP, meeting with different kinds of girls, and fighting all kinds of monsters, nothing new to see here right? Well let me tell you this one actually entertained me, just right about when i thought i had enough of this type of anime premise. Arc is a young gamer who wakes up in a fantasy world that resembles the types of games he plays, so he is well aware of his own powers/skills, which makes him quite competent, and he enjoys his new surroundings, and charming enough he reacts to all the fantastical things around him like a real person would, even fanboying to a hilarious degree. Despite having a fancy set of armor, and all the powers he could ever want, he realizes he looks like a skeleton due to some vague curse, but he shakes this off immediately, but being self aware enough to keep his face hidden so as not to scare anyone. At first his only desire is to get money to pay for large meals to satisfy his large appetite, but he begins to put his new powers to better use. He goes on simple missions/mercenary jobs with relative ease, encountering an adorable fox spirit named ponta, who becomes his loyal companion. Unlike most anime MC's, arc has no qualms about killing or stealing money from the bandits or monsters he encounters, while this may seem heartless, the anime makes damn sure you know these villains are irredeemable and deserve their comeuppance. Eventually arc encounters a slaver's ring that takes sadistic pleasure in capturing and torturing their prisoners, especially elf girls. A dark elf warrior name Arianne encounters Arc while trying to free her kin, realizing his power can be useful, they team up together to free the captured elves and end the slave trade. On their mission they team up with a clan of ninjas that come with their own badass magical powers. The show keeps the story simple with arc and arianne fighting the slave trade and spending their nights eating together. The characters are all quite charming, and are very heroic without being too dumb, which is rare since most mc's have a rule against killing or exacting revenge. Arc is quite noble, playing the ideal hero he looks like, but he is still quite a goofball, deepening his voice, laughing maniacally, and fanboying over everything. Arianne is gorgeous but also a badass, she works on her own racism and mistrust against humans, with her partnership with Arc making her see humanity's positive traits. I just love seeing them together all the time, and despite considering them a battle couple, they don't seem to be romantic with each other yet. They do seem to be attracted to one another, but until Arc breaks his curse, i'm not sure if their relationship will get an upgrade, still I ship it. The worldbuilding is surprisingly done well, with the elf culture and fantasy world being explored, especially the food. Due to its premise with the slave trade, this anime can be quite dark at times, in fact the first episode starts off with an attempted rape, and that is certainly not the last one, there are also many moments of the slavers demeaning or humiliating the elfs girls, its actually shocking that this anime did not receive the same heat that fantasy anime like goblin slayer and rise of the shield hero got. Despite the dark moments, the anime is mostly lighthearted and the characters are mostly laid back, but the dark themes are always present. Like goblin slayer and other anime of its kind, i understand that the rape scenes and detestable villains are necessary to create a cathartic feeling once the villains are killed by the heroes, which is done satisfyingly in this anime. The action scenes are well animated, and sprinkled enough through the series so they are not overwhelming or underwhelming, action is used in a natural way for the story, with ARC displaying impressive magical abilities. I'm actually not a fan of super OP heroes being able to kill their opponents without much struggle, due to that being boring, but like i said the evil villains in this, make it so much more satisfying to watch, and your left feeling grateful that Arc has the power to stop them. Funny enough i was not going to give this anime a chance until I saw the opening theme song one day, Arc reminded me a lot of goblin slayer and overlord, and once i binged watched all 12 episodes in one night I noticed quickly the series possessed all of my favorite aspects from those anime as well, which made this anime truly captivating to me. If you're a fan of dark fantasy that can provide you with catharsis, then I recommend this one for you. But I suggest you have something to eat first, because the food in this anime will leave you salivating.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010–2012)

The Pearl of Marvel: Complete series analysis

[9/10 · 2 January 2023]

I did not grow up with marvel comics, instead i grew up with DC comics and the sole marvel show spiderman 1994. Which is why I didn't know who most of the marvel characters were, except for the ones introduced in spiderman. So when I watched this show for the first time, it exposed me to a whole new world of superheroes and villains that rivaled the one made by DC. Also this show is the reason i got into the MCU, by getting me to watch the first Iron man film.

For me this show is the definite marvel show like the justice league show is the definite dc comics show. There are only 2 seasons with multiple arcs that I will grade individually based on their relevancy, excellent storytelling and entertainment value, with 10 being the highest score.

The plot: The show starts strong with mini episodes about each member of the future avengers team, displaying their powers and their personalities before they inevitably team up. Each season has multiple arcs with filler/individual episodes sprinkled in between. The first arc ends with a mysterious surge of energy causing 4 top-secured prisons for supervillains losing power, allowing hundreds of super villains to escape back into the world. The first S tier villain that begins to wreak havoc in New york is graviton the master of gravity, who is confronted by each individual hero we've seen so far, answering the call to stop him, learning to work together amazingly and with hulk defying gravity. The avengers are officially assembled, missing only two members captain america and black panther, who will join in the following episodes 8/10. The second arc reveals that loki was the mastermind behind sabotaging the supervillain prisons and who has been attempting to dethrone thor and Odin, this arc has a engrossing fantasy genre going for it and ends the first season on a good note, 7/10. The third arc involves the masters of evil being formed and matching the avengers in strength and wits, a fun brawl 8/10. The fourth arc involves kang the conqueror who has been watching events unfold, as he deciphers how the avengers will cause the world to end in his timeline, 7/10. After the kang arc, ant man's AI named ultron decides to free itself from human control and achieve its programming, to bring world peace by killing all human life on the planet, 9/10. The second season kicks of with the alien war between the kree and skrull empires coming to earth, starting with the kree making their intentions clear to own the earth, with the skrull agents already on earth sabotaging them around every corner. During this arc, we are introduced to carol danvers aka Ms. Marvel, as well as the fantastic four as they discover the skrulls secret invasion and avert the krees full frontal invasion. This arc is truly the cream of the crop for this series, and displays how rich the source material is, and how it should be displayed, 10/10. The red skull arc is just as much of a political thriller as the captain america:winter soldier movie is, and is quite engaging, 7/10. The galactus arc was the final arc before this shows cancellation, and serves as a fitting finale where every hero we have met so far assemble to stop the world eater and do what they do best, 9/10.

The Characters: The cast is huge featuring A list to D list characters from the marvel comic universe. The original roster of the avengers is the same as the 1963 comic by stan lee and jack kirby, consisting of Iron man, captain america, Wasp, Hawkeye, Hulk, Black panther, Antman and Thor. Tony stark is arrogant, he can be frustrating at times but he has a good heart. Steve rodgers is noble beyond comparison, and makes you believe in justice. The hulk in this show is my favorite interpretation of the character, bruce banner treats the hulk as a curse but learns to work with him, but the hulk stays as the dominant personality throughout the show, communicating and working well with his teammates. Janet van dyne is sassy and can be tenacious but she is the most eager to help others. Tchalla is a king that is not afraid to make the hard choices but remains virtuous. Thor is energetic and theatrical but is humble. Clint barton is just so cool in this series, and he serves as the straight arrow for the team. Carol danvers is hotheaded, she can be stubborn but not obnoxious, and she is always ready to help with a fight. Throughout the series many new heroes would join the Avengers team either as part timers or full timers like vision, Nick fury, maria hill, and luke cage. The villains are especially well done in this series, special mention going to Doctor Doom, Zemo, Loki, Ultron, The leader,The enchantress, and the skrull empire. I love that most of these characters are slowly introduced, becoming more relevant with every episode. The voice cast is exceptionally well done, with most of the voices being the definite voices i hear when i read the comics. And of course Spiderman is in this as well.

The legacy: For me personally this is the definite way to introduce newcomers to the marvel universe, with each character being the best version to make someone understand their personality and quality. The intro is epic, but i am not as obsessed with it as others fans of the show, i'm just not a fan of the band "bad city". I dislike the Nick Fury narration in the second season. The show is nuanced, despite the cartoony character designs, the show is very mature and never hold back on thought provoking themes or impressive action. The tone of the show can go from silly to very dark without much effort. The show is fueled by action. The super powers featured are well utilized, and we get a good power scale. There are moments of questionable CGI throughout, especially the avenger jets, but it never takes away from the story. While other avengers show are superficial, this show has many layers of complexity, with the storytelling being so well planned, that I fully believe the MCU took some inspiration from this show. There's great humor in this show but not as severe and overdone in other marvel shows or even the MCU movies. My hopes were that the MCU would continue to follow this show as a blueprint, but so far that sadly is not the case.

Conclusion:This is the marvel show that parents should get their kids into, if they want them to become knowledgeable of the MCU movies or marvel comics. It introduces every character perfectly, and keeps their characterizations consistent. The show's cancellation because of the disney merger is a tragedy and it still hurts that it did not get a worthy successor. No news of its continuation still bums me out, but I am grateful for what we got and I still rewatch this show almost every year because there are so many episodes and moments that are just that amazing. The show is just meta and no marvel show before or after has successfully replicated the brilliance of this show. Now if you excuse me I have some avenging to do.

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

WINTER is Coming!

[7/10 · 31 December 2022]

This has always been my families go-to movie during wintertime, it's just the way it makes me feel, very atmospheric. My favorite time of year is fall and winter, not like I enjoy the cold and wetness, but its just the weather that i find relaxing from inside my warm house. The special effects used in this film are still impressive, while the cgi is not convincing, I still get goosebumps when i see the tidal wave, the tornado and the flash freezing. The wolves used in the film are probably the worst cgi used in the film, but that is to be expected, since most of the money went to the natural disasters. The cast is pretty great, Dennis Quaid, jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum are my favorites, and keep the story quite engaging. This is still one of my favorite natural disaster's films, that is ridiculous but enjoyable because it doesn't take itself too seriously.

However, I feel this movie is more relevant today because of the extreme weather we are encountering in the midwest, and it makes me consider moving more south. Winter is here.

Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare (2010 Video)

Friday the 13th Scoobydoo

[9/10 · 1 November 2022]

I am not exagerrating when i say this is one of the most horrifying scooby doo movies ever made. There are many comparisons between this film and the friday the 13 th franchise, the main monster in the film is the woodsman, a axe wielding maniac who is out to literally kill teenagers, there is nothing subtle about this guy, he is out for blood. As the gang explores the creepy camp little mouse, they learn of new camfire horror stories the hard way, when they come to life. There are so many amazing characters in this film that rerpresent the stereotypical teens found in friday the 13th films, such as jessica the bombshell/ final girl. The atmoshphere of this film is positively spooky, and feels so much more mature than other scooby doo films. This is the perfect film to watch on Halloween.

Ghost Hunt (2006–2007)

Perfect Halloween Anime

[8/10 · 30 October 2022]

Ghost hunt is positively spooky. This anime focuses on a group of supernatural specialists that all bring their own skills and beliefs to the table, but together they are able to exorcise and combat ghosts and other kinds of violent spirits, sometimes winning and other times just holding the hostile spirits at bay. I love all the characters, while the main leads naru and mai can be irritating at times, i still love their roles in the show, but perhaps i am biased by the fact they are played by Tod haberkorn and Cherami leigh who play natsu and lucy from the fairy tail anime. There are many other recognizable anime English voice actors here, and they all give each character a lot of personality and likeability. There are only 25 episodes in this series, with the group of ghost hunters being hired to solve poltergeists, hauntings and so much more. What separates this ghostbusting group from others you might have already seen, is that they are purely professional, having the skills, the grit and the technology to do their jobs, as bizarre of a job as it is. I want to take the time and say that the intro of this anime is unlike any other anime intro you have ever scene, as soon as the music starts, it hits you like a brick with this sense of terror but it still engrosses you preparing you for a great ghost story, not to mention the visuals used look like live action footage fused with special effects that makes it look so surreal, giving the appearance of paranormal footage that you might find on the internet.

I will admit some episodes do drag, because there are multiple arcs with 4 episodes filling out each arc. While i enjoy this anime for these long arcs, there are times when the episodes would have been alot stronger if it had been shorter and tighter, instead of depending on filler. But by far the arc that is a must see out of this entire series is " the bloodstained labyrinth". Episodes 18-21 that takes place in a Winchester like mansion with the ancient ghost of a man that would bathe in young people's blood to keep himself alive, and he is not done yet. This specific episode gives me everything i could ever want in a horror anime, it has gothic atmosphere, tight storytelling, great dialogue and mystery solving. While not gorey, there is a sense of pure danger, not to mention the visuals and revelations of the ghost, are so scary, that I was left leaving the lights on all night. The blood stained labyrinth is the best episode of the series and i still watch it every october, even if I dont have time to watch the whole anime. In conclusion, this entire anime has excellent moments of horror, without going too far with that shock value, its classy horror, it has perfectly spooky music, and the right number of scary moments that make this a lot of fun to watch for Halloween but leave you sleeping with the lights on.

Animated Hero Classics (1991–2005)

Never forgotten: complete series analysis

[8/10 · 13 August 2022]

These animated stories focus on 20 historical figures, all great men and women that played an important role not just in American history but in world history.

The episodes are 20 minutes long but are able to provide a great summary of what makes that figure so special.

Characters: There is a lot of nuance in each of these stories, with the characters each being played perfectly by their respective voice actors.

My favorite historical figures in this series

Leonardo Da vinci Florence Nightengale Harriet Tubman

The Music: Every song written by Lex de Azevedo used is magical to hear. The overall soundtrack is just beautifully used and really makes you feel relaxed.

Conclusion: Overall the series is very wholesome, filled with biblical themes, and altruism.

These animated films are much more important than just entertainment for children, it is a great way to educate children in a fun and enthralling way. Funny enough I never watched any of these animated episodes when I was a kid, instead I was attracted to them because I was a fan of the Swan princess and the biblical animated stories from the New Testament. Which made me feel nostalgia for these episodes for these reasons. If you have children i strongly recommend watching these with them, but you might be surprised on enthralling the stories really are and learn something for yourself.

These stories make anyone, no matter who they are, where they were born or raised feel like they can be a hero.

Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face-Off (1996 Video)

Your Team Captain Now

[8/10 · 28 July 2022]

This movie was a big part of my childhood, and to this day it still puts a smile on my face and makes me long for the childhood i no longer have, making it painfully nostalgic. This movie was made of 3 episodes of the animated show, the first 2 episodes and the last episode, surprisingly blending together very well. This review is not of the entire show but instead just this 3-episode film, due to it being the only content of this animated mighty ducks show i watched as a kid.

The story: Despite its title, this show had nothing to do with the live action hockey team movies, instead we get an impressive space adventure story. On the alien planet called puck world, anthropomorphic duck people played hockey and live in harmony. As their history states, they were once enslaved by a saurian race, until they were liberated by a great hero named Drake DuCaine, who used a mask to see through the saurians illusions and battle their magic, eventually trapping them in a dimensional limbo. Centuries later, a small group of saurians escape that limbo with the use of technology, and seek revenge against the people of puck world. A rebellion is eventually formed, with a commando team of the greatest heroes on puck world combating and chasing off the saurian's into a worm hole that leads the team to planet earth. Once on earth the team is forced to adapt to their situation and get work as a professional hockey team. Using the money from their games, they build themselves a high tech base and weapons, to find the saurians, and to discover a way to return back to their home world, meanwhile combating evil wherever they may find it.

The characters: The main team consists of Wildwing a expert goalie who is able to think on his feet, which is why he is chosen to be the second leader of the team. Nosedive is wildwing's younger brother and is the main source of comedy relief. Duke is the cool ex jewel thief, who is the teammate that suggests they battle crime on earth. Mallory is the commando with a love for shopping at the mall. Tanya is the techno wiz on the team and is the one who builds all the weapons and tech, to varying affects. Grim is the giant powerhouse with a mantra of maintaining peace. Canard was the original leader who brought all the commandos together and gave his life to guarantee their safety. Draganaus is the last saurian warlord, who abandons his magical ancestry in favor of technology, he is truly a great villain which is only thanks to tim currys infamous voice. Siege is voiced by the equally sinister sounding clancy brown and serves as the second in command. Wraith is played by the incredible voice of Tony jay and serves as the only sorcerer on the team. Lastly Chamaeleon has the ability of his name and serves as the comical relief on his team, making a lot of celebrity impressions.

Conclusion: As you can tell by my reviews title, i adore the heroic sacrifice Canard makes, and the moment he gives wildwing his mask and the role of leader. While canards death is not very unique or grand, it is the affect his death has on wildwing that has made that scene resonant with me for so long. Wildwing is distraught over the loss of his best friend, and cannot assume the leadership role because of his guilt. It is only when he confronts draganaus that wildwing embraces the responsibility set before him by his friend, and becomes not just a leader but a true hero. I have finally watched the show in its entirety, and while entertaining, i understand the criticisms set against it. Yes the hockey and duck puns are ridiculous but amusing none the less. The majority of jokes are juvenile but there are still some golden jokes. The action as well as the animation is still quite good even after so many years. Despite the shortcomings of the show, this movie and the 3 episodes that make it up are very dear to me, since they were a staple of my childhood. A reason why i have such fondness of this movie is because it was the perfect superhero team adventure at the time for me, that made me understand the themes of heroism.

This movie had real heroes and real adventures that made me long for adventures of my own. DUCKS ROCK!!!

86 (2021–2022)

War is a Constant

[8/10 · 24 June 2022]

This is one of the best anime ive watched this year. This anime posseses powerful themes and commentaries on racism and war that makes it feel all to, but is done in such a thought provoking way that it does touch the human heart. Despite the morbity of the show there is still levity. There are many instances that the characters feel like they will give up, but are given one more shot of hope, so they can continue the fight. The characters are the best thing about this, despite a large cast, each character feels like they could be their own anime protagonist, and everyone gets a shot in the spotlight. The dialogue is thoughtprovoking and is well written. The action helps to keep the long scenes from dragging out too much, but unforutanetly the CGI and the robots make the action scenes somewhat of a bore, despite a few exciting action sequences. Like i said this anime is more of a war drama than a full-blown action show, but there is something here for everyone, even a little romance (if your a fan of the movie You Got mail, you will like this series main couple). Live to fight another day boys, live to fight another day.

Restaurant to Another World (2017–2021)

So Chill

[9/10 · 22 June 2022]

This anime is literally the chillest anime you will ever watch. Yes its also about food, and it all takes place in one restaurant. But there is a twist, this restaurant is able to travel to different worlds, with new and diverse patrons to come in and try the humble chefs delectable food. There are dragons, elves, monsters, dwarves, mermaids and even fairies, that all come to one place to enjoy simple but mouth watering food. The characters are incredible, and their stories of what brings them to the restaurant are very engaging. This is basically ratatouille if it was an anime. It captures that wholesome feeling of sitting with friends and enjoying a nice hot meal, forgetting about all your problems. If you need to take a break from reality, help yourself to this dish.

Record of Grancrest War (2018– )

The War has Begun

[9/10 · 19 June 2022]

Excellent anime. It has romance, action, great characters. It is satisfying from beginning to end. If you are a fan of game of thrones you will absolutely love this series.

Titanic (1997)

"I believe you will get your headlines Mr.Ismay".

[8/10 · 7 May 2022]

Today marks the 110th anniversary of that tragic cold night the titanic sank and so many lost their lives. It is a small tribute, but i feel this movie and all the attention it gets, helps us all to remember and honor those who perished.

I did not see titanic in theatres, in fact i actively avoided it for many years, because i heard it was a melodramatic chick flick. But I am so relieved now that i decided to rent it one day from my local video store and see why this movie had one of the biggest box office records ever. I was not ready. Not only was i engrossed, i was blown away by the epic scenes of this movie. The acting, the visuals, the action, the music, it just captured my cynical heart, it was in every word an EPIC, and here are the reasons why that is.

The Story: we all know what happened on April 15th 1912, and despite that, this movie does a excellent job building up to that fateful moment. Planting so many easter eggs and comments that in hindsight, the dialogue seems prophetic. "Not even God himself could sink this ship". James Cameron takes care to include as many historical accurate individuals and occurrences on the ship, and they all occur around the fictional couple of jack and rose. Rose is a heiress traveling with her fiancee and mother, and feels that she is being shock by her extravagant but depressing lifestyle. Which is why Jack plays such a monumental role in her life as he provides her an escape from her old life. This love story is told by a 100 year old rose, who is revisiting her memories of her voyage aboard the titanic, to help a treasure hunting crew find the Heart of the Ocean diamond that she wore all those years ago.

The Characters: Jack is a simple guy, a traveling artist who wants to see the world and live life to the fullest, his speech at dinner about how life is a gift describes perfectly the kind of man he is. Rose, is the main character of the film, she is a troubled soul, and she desires a life with no chains, after meeting jack, her growth from a proper lady to a badass is very smooth and she obtains the life she always wanted through struggle and determination. Billy zane is the perfect villain who should have played lex luthor (He was even bald!)he sees himself as royalty and looks down upon those who dont meet his perfection, despite this, he is a very likable character just not for the right reasons. Favrizzio is jacks italian best friend, and i feel he was cheated since there a lot of deleted scenes of him that makes him more of a character, in the end he was heroic for cutting the boats free but sadly still died. There are so many characters in this film worth exploring that the run time of this film is just not enough, which is why i always wished for a mini series(i know one aleady exist s but i want one with this cast). There are just so many wonderful characters in this film, that everytime i watch it, i focus on a different person. Many of the people seen on the boat were actual historical figures, that cameron does a great job bringing them back to life. Also, there are many instances of people doing things that actually happened in the film, such as the little boy playing with his father, foreign people not understanding whats happening, the band playing, and women jumping back on the ship to be with their men, its all so poetically tragic to see these people.

The Ship: Yes the ship deserves its own character study, its the name of the movie for crying out loud. The design of the ship itself is fantastic, cameron truly spent every penny he had making the set look as glorious as it did when it first existed. James Cameron truly resurrected this great ship, that was worthy of its name "The Titanic". Everytime i watch the take off of the ship, i always feel i have been transported back in time, and i am aboard, filled with excitement and melancholy. The foreshadowing of the ships fate is just excellent with its creator, Mr Andrews commenting about the shortage of boats, the speeding up by the captain, despite the risk of icebergs. I love seeing every part of the ship explored, such as the scene where jack and rose are jogging through the boiler room and the lower decks. Of course this ship comes more to life when it begins to sink. Showing every level being filled with water until it reaches the top. The lighting of the water makes the sinking ship look so atmospheric. Cameron had to flood the set for real in order to capture this epic scope of every room being filled with water. Mr andrews represents the heart of the ship and how sad it feels to have failed to deliver its passengers to land. There are also so many striking visuals that bring the ship even more to life, such as a woman in a dress drowned. The mother and children and elderly couple in bed. Roses picasso paintings .the dishes shattering. That shot of hordes of people running up to the tip of the boat. The priest praying.the boat rising, just so many instances and visuals that elevate the tragedy of the death of titanic. She was a good ship, strong and true, but alas she died along with her passengers.

The Music: My God the Music! What more can be said? While the lyrics and celine dions voice make the song "my heart will go on" one of the most emotional pieces ever, it is the instrumental theme that is unbearably melancholy to me when played in highly emotional scenes such as the kiss scene and the ending in heaven.

Conclusion: There are so many genres in this film, a romance, a action thriller, a horror film, and a thought provoking film about not being afraid to live. This movie is so extra with the themes of horrors in the hallways and the action thriller with billy zane using a gun the flooding in the halls I will admit i am not a fan of the goodbye between jack and rose not because it sad but because its kind of laughable. After all the horror and sudden death, we are getting this long winded speech from jack. There are several issues i have with this movie, but none of them can over come the cinematic brilliance that Cameron accomplished. I never watched this movie in theaters, not even the re-releases, but by God do I want to do it now. I watch this movie every year on the anniversary of the sinking, in my own way this movie allows me to remember the ship and the people who died in the north Atlantic ocean. This movie will forever live in my memory.

Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside (2021–2024)

Finally a satisfying romantic anime

[8/10 · 1 April 2022]

This is not your typical romantic anime , there are no needless love triangles or harems, there is not too many hiijinks. The main character is not a soy boy, he is a man who knows what he wants, he respects his girlfriend enough to show her real affection, he uses his strength to defend his friends and family and the town he loves. Just a wholesome anime, that has a good dose of romance, action and comedy.

Kaguya-sama: Love is War (2019–2023)

Happy Valentines Day

[8/10 · 14 February 2022]

This anime has been a lot of fun for me and my siblings. In preparation for valentines day we started binge watching this anime. This anime has amazing characters, hilarious comedy and witty dialogue. Its just so fresh, and the romance is very compelling. Unlike other anime will they or wont they, this anime's concept is much more original, since both parties are already in love but desire to get the other person to confess first, which leads to amazing results.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song (2021)

Thank you for Listening: Complete series analysis

[10/10 · 30 January 2022]

This past year i have been on a search for a truly satisfying anime. I have watched countless anime all with varying results, but nothing life altering or truly satisfying from beginning to end. Well that search is over for I found Vivy.

Plot: In the not-so-distant future, humans have created autonomous androids called AI's for short that can appear nearly human, however in order for them to properly function, the AI's are given a single purpose, that they must meet no matter what. However, in a 100 years, the AI's finally decide that in order to fulfill their missions without mistake, they must eradicate all human being on earth (You know the usual). Honestly you would assume from all of these examples of this happening, all real-world scientists would figure out that creating highly intelligent AI is a very bad idea. The story focuses on the first AI named Diva who is a songstress AI that works at a theme park, singing for the guests. Her life is changed when an AI from that apocalyptic future named Matsumoto, is able to connect with her only because she is the oldest living AI that existed 100 years ago. He explains his mission to her and recruits her to help prevent the terminator future that will occur in 100 years, by altering certain important events in the timeline. She only complies because saving the world coincides with her own mission of keeping her guests happy, diva then takes on a secret identity as Vivy, as she and her new partner attempt to save the future. What makes this overused plot, unique is that Vivy uses her singing to be able to convey the emotion and soul of the AI. Which is appropriate since music can touch anybody's soul and communicate it to another. The show is kind of an anthology series, with a large time skip throughout Vivy's life, showing the progression of time on everyone around her and the world. With a tight 13-episode story, the plot is beautifully and tragically done, and succeeds at being a rollercoaster of subversions and expectations.

Characters: Vivy is one of the first AI's ever created who only desires to make other people happy through her singing, despite this she is not very successful at the beginning of the story, only having a handful of guests listening to her songs. Despite this she never waivers at her mission, and desires to improve so that she can reach as many people as possible. This is her sole motivation for wanting to save the future, so that she can make every human happy whether they are in the past or future. Despite being very stoic at first, vivy gains more emotions with every mission, whether its love or sadness, becoming the first AI to display true humanity. And she really grows as a heroine that you can really root for, whether its for her singing career or her mission to save the future. Matsumoto is a formless AI that travels from the future to the past, through the uses of vivys body. Eventually he obtains many forms, mostly a little cube with an eyeball. He is very strict about his mission and will not accept any mistakes or distractions from completing it, much to the chagrin of vivy. Despite this he still conveys compassion towards vivy and humans, and desires to prevent the apocalyptic future from occurring, so that he can save as many humans as possible. Together Vivy and him make a likable dynamic duo, with her doing the physical work and him doing all the hacking and technical work. And even though they start out disliking each other, they grow into being inseparable by the end. There are countless characters shown throughout the series that help VIVY to truly understand emotion and humanity, whether they are humans or AI's. The most prominent characters that do this are VIVY's sisters, who are not technically her real sisters but instead are a part of the same first line of AI's that she was a part of. Each is an individual with a different personality, and all of them impact the story and timeline that will inevitably lead to doomsday and the terminator future.

The Music: The first time I heard vivys singing, my soul heard it as well. Despite not understanding the lyrics of her song, I could feel the raw emotion behind it and what the song means to the character. I am very grateful that even in the English dub, they kept her songs Japanese, which didn't need to be translated since the music captures the raw emotion and conveys them to you.

The Animation: The art style of the series is nice, but when we close up on vivy and other androids faces we get this near realistic high-definition artwork. There are so many individual scenes that would make an epic poster or screen background. The eyes of many AI's, especially Vivys are shown in extreme detail that is just hypnotic to look at, showing the robotics behind the human faces, reminding us that the AI's are not really human. The action scenes are done surprisingly well, almost catching you off guard. Vivy is given a combat mode that allows her to get into hand on hand fights with other AI's and enemies, with the speed of the action making the fight full of energy and exciting to watch. The most important part of the series where the animation is included, is the song sequences where Vivy conveys all of her newfound emotion, with all of the special effects, that are enhanced by cgi, lights and hyper detailed animation. The opening theme song is one of the most beautiful and eye pleasing songs ever, especially when it is done in episode 5 with the inclusion of red and roses. Safe to say the animation done in this anime is some of the most beautiful artwork i've ever seen in an anime. The only time i dont like the visuals is the use of the neon pink colors in the archive, which are very nice too look at, but can get tiresome on the eyes over time.

Conclusion: This is one of the most satisfying series you can ever watch, because it ropes you in within the first episode, keeps you prisoner for the next 12 episodes, and successfully sticks the landing in the finale. The series is addicting because its unpredictable with the use of drama, action and music. It is very profound because of its subtext of purpose. Vivys purpose by design was to make people happy through her singing, but as you watch her through the years, you heart wrenchingly witness that she might not always succeed. Vivy fails at both her purposes, singing and saving the world many times throughout the series, but she never gives up and she learns from her mistakes. The show is very melancholy, especially the last scene. This is the kind of anime that I see more than just entertainment but instead as an experience. It makes me feel raw emotions that I like to keep buried in my everyday life. The only thing i don't like about this series is that it is quite short, which allows its story to be really tight but it's so bittersweet all the same. Still I am grateful for it existing and touching my soul.