Dragon Ball Super Ep. 64 Thoughts

I could pretty much well see why in the recent Toyotaro interview that the Super manga will eventually go ahead of the Toei Anime - it's because of episodes like this that tends to just stretch the narrative as long as possible, with little proggression (or what I would call the "Naruto Effect"). To be clear, Toriyama had nothing to do with this other than outlining point A to point B, with Toei and Toyotaro filling the details in between. Toei just decides to pull the Naruto Effect because of money.

And unless I'm mistaken, even though the final arc of Naruto Shippuden is over, it's STILL ongoing with either in an extremely slow pace, or filling it with more fillers. And yet it's still a hit show. Toei is simply capitalizing on this and may already done so with One Piece (I don't watch it, so I wouldn't know. But I would think One Piece follows the Naruto Effect just as well).

Case in point, Zamasu charging towards Bulma's Capsule Warehouse at the 9:10 mark, finally arriving at the 13:59 mark. So it took Zamasu a near 5-minutes to get to Bulma's warehouse! I dunno what's worse - that or the time Gotenks took a full 30-minutes to get to the battlefied where Frieza and Tagoma are in the RoF arc, when he is totally capable of going around the world several times in mere seconds.

I'm still waiting for the eventual doujinshi of Bulma getting NTR'ed by Zamasu and ditching Vegeta. To be frank, I'm seeing more fanarts of present Bulma and Mai due to their very likable designs.

The Toei writers seem to have a misunderstanding of how anger works with regards to power (or likely never even heard of The Incredible Hulk). So Goku Black's definition of anger and how he used it to further increase his power doesn't appear so convincing. Furthermore, the Toei writers missed an opportunity to make Goku Black more intimidating from his Energy Scythe. Instead of being capable of cutting through Time, Space, and Dimension, it just creates an opening of dark energy that allows him to summon fake Goku Blacks. And THAT was the pinnacle of Black's power.

If you're mad enough to destroy multiple planets and beyond in Dragon Ball, that's normal. But if you're mad, STRONGER than Goku or Vegeta, and the only thing you did at full power was to summon fake versions of yourself.....WTF, Toei?!

It was clear Goku forgetting to bring the paper seal was a plot convenience to extend the arc further. Otherwise, that would be the end of it. And personally, I would've preferred that way as it breaks the Power-Up Trope the show is well-known for. Very disappointed, but not surprised that the show is going back to the trope.

And then of course, merged Zamasu. Not Zack, or Blamasu, as how fusions work. But just simply "Zamasu". And we won't be seeing him in action until the next episode.

With the next arc of DBS to be announced at Jump Festa in late December, it becomes evident that the remaining episodes of the Future Trunks arc will move at quite a slow pace. I would expect the arc to end by the end of November, but it is possible it can go even through January. Toei had better come up with some REALLY clever writing to make this slow pace worth it.

NOTE: I've realized just now that Zamasu is voiced by Shinichiro Miki, who played Takumi Fujiwara in Initial D, the Japanese voice of James in Pokemon. And my personal favorite, Ryusei Date in Super Robot Wars: Original Generations. Now I keep thinking of Zamasu piloting a mecha while beating Goku to a pulp.....

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Ep. 30 Thoughts

I'm glad this new arc of Iron-Blooded Orphans takes us away from Mika and the group on Mars and shifts its focus to Takaki Uno on Earth. Takaki is one of my favorite minor characters in the series, mainly due to his naive and effeminate persona. But given that he has a slightly manlier design now as opposed to from the last season, and that he is narrating this arc, it's an indication Takaki becomes a changed man by its end.

The episode is mostly just a build up to the next conflict that will take place on Earth, and with Mika's group so far away and will take weeks to arrive, Takaki is on his own and must lead the Earth branch of Tekkadan to a new war. This places Takaki's group in a very grave situation in which they are total underdogs with lack of any capable Mobile Suits against the opposing faction(s).

Worse, he is unaware that a member of Tekkadan is backstabbing them and leading them to the mess. You can say it's a Game of Thrones-like scenario, but in a Gundam show.

IBO is also one where it likes to tease a possible shipping between its male cast. One of course is between Yamagi Gilmerton and Norba Shino. In this arc, we see Aston Altland from last season showing a hint of affection towards Takaki, in addition to being extremely loyal and supportive to him. I have no problems with this and pretty much all for a homosexual couple in a Gundam franchise. I just wonder why Sunrise hasn't pushed it already, given the number of Yaoi and Yuri-themed Anime and Manga already out there.

We also have one moment where Mika shows a bit of concern towards Orga. We usually just see him follow orders from him without even flinching, but rarely we see him worry about his best friend/Superior Officer - even if the issue was his weight.

Finally, so far, the 2nd Season of IBO is showing more battles than the last season, which focuses heavily on building up Tekkadan and its team before getting into conflicts for several episodes - a complaint to some viewers of the show. So be happy we see more battles now. I'm still one of those who wishes none of the key Tekkadan members get killed off. Yes it makes Tekkadan one-sided in terms of the overall conflict, but I've formed an attachment to them and it would be gut-wrenching to have them go at this point.

Keijo First Impressions

Originally, I wanted this to be my first impressions of all the anime I am currently watching for this season, of which I will give episode reviews of each one on my Tooninferno blog. However, one particular anime made me write so much about it, I decided to just make it all about that one particular anime. And that is "Keijo".

I only caught attention with the anime Keijo after two incidents: when Kotaku released an article that harshly criticizes the Anime that makes Anita Sarkeesian have an "SJW-gasm". It's Kotaku, so I'm not surprised.

But what caught my eye was from one Louise Mensch, who runs the news website "Heat Street" and published the now deleted article claiming the anime Keijo was “misogynist” and “child porn", even though the anime shows nothing of the sort. Mensch, by the way, despite being a conservative, is working with Hillary Clinton on the current US Presidential Election. That led me to check the series out just to see how totally ridiculous these criticisms are.

To understand what Keijo is, here is a scene of the bonus round from the Famicom game "Mappy Kids", and you can see how Keijo is played. It's just like Sumo wrestling, but you can only use your butt to push your opponent off the ring, or have the rest of their body touch the platform to win.

In the anime Keijo, which is based on the manga of the same name by Daichi Sorayomi, the participants are all women. As such, breasts are also used in the game of Keijo. The game is such a hit that it's even more popular than the Olympics, the World Cup, and the NBA Championships combined. Main character Nozomi Kaminashi enters the sport of Keijo in order to be the counterpart to Floyd Mayweather, meaning be filthy rich.

The fan-service in Keijo is a given and thus is all over the place. Unlike others such as Taboo Tattoo, it is intentional and doesn't make it any less appealing. Furthermore, seeing the dominantly female cast showing off their assets actually plays a critical role in the story.

I won't lie that seeing moves such as "Butt Cannon", "Butt Guillotine", "Butt Gatling", "The Ass of Vajra", "Soft Buns", "Wedgie Accelaration", and "Bust-to-Bust Attack" made me laugh my socks off, because of how ridiculous the moves are. And there's a LOT of where that came from. So if you're looking for a good laugh, Keijo brings it.

As the story goes, however, I eventually spend less time over the fan-service and more focused on the sport of Keijo itself, as it gets quite serious. It is, after all, a sports series similar to Initial D and Kuroko's Basketball. And being a Shonen series, it also uses elements from Yu Gi Oh, Beyblade, and others. Nozomi's relationship among her circle of friends, and extending it to her rivals does resemble elements of Equestria Girls as well. In a sense, I could almost imagine the Keijo girls as the Equestria Girls.

And yes, I'm not kidding. Keijo, despite all the floating buns thrown in, is catered to the same demographic as that of Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece. For obvious reasons, Keijo will never see the light of day in places like Cartoon Network, or even in Adult Swim. But be that as it may, Keijo is indeed a very enjoyable anime series. My only complaint so far is mainly from the FUNimation dub, as it wasn't really that good. If you want to watch Keijo, stick to the subtitles.

And if you still hate Keijo for the simple reason it's because of girls moving around with their juggling assets, you must have undergone some sort of "Boob Hypnosis".

Besides Keijo, other Anime that I am currently watching, of which I will give episode reviews as soon as I see them are Dragon Ball Super, the 2nd Season of Iron Blooded Orphans, Drifters, the 2nd Season of Ajin, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Diamond is Unbreakable.

I hope you guys check my episode reviews of these Anime that I'm currently into. You can see those reviews at tooninferno.blogspot.com, or you can go to the link found in the video description. This is Ryoga316. Thanks for watching, guys. And hope to see you all next time.

SRW Cross Omega Challenge Mode S-Rank Guide

For SRW Cross Omega Players,

For those wanting to grind Omega Crystals on Challenge Mode, here's the complete list of requirements to attain an S-Rank.

Chapter 1:

Mission 1
- Have a team that costs less than 40 points total
- Do not use any units above R
- No Continues

Mission 2:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- No Continues

Mission 3 & 4:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- Do not use Seishin

Mission 5:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform an Omega Cross

Mission 6-7:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform a 2nd Cross (do two consecutive Hissatsus)

Mission 8-9:
- Finish the stage with a Hissatsu
- Battleship must not take damage
- No Continues

Mission 10:
- Have a team that costs less than 40 points total
- Do not use any units above R
- No Continues

Mission 11-17:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- Your team must consist of at least 4 Attackers

Mission 18-26:
- Finish ASAP
- No allies are destroyed
- Hit 5 times with a Hissatsu

Mission 27:
- Finish the stage with a Hissatsu
- Perform an Omega Cross
- No Continues

Mission 28-30:
- Have team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- Perform an Omega Cross
- No Continues

---

Chapter 2:

Mission 1:
- No allies are destroyed
- Do not use any units above R
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 2:
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform a Hissatsu
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 3:
- No allies are destroyed
- Battleship must not take damage
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 4:
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform a Hissatsu
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 5:
- No allies are destroyed
- Do not use Seishin
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 6:
- No allies are destroyed
- Battleship must not take damage
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 7:
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform a Hissatsu
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 8:
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform an Omega Cross
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 9-12:
- No allies are destroyed
- Battleship must not take damage
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 13:
- Your team must consist of 2 Attackers, 2 Shooters, and 2 Defenders (Friend Units not included)

Mission 14:
- No allies are destroyed
- Battleship must not take damage
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)

Mission 15:
- No allies are destroyed
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- No Continues

Mission 16:
- No allies are destroyed
- Perform an Omega Cross
- No Continues

Mission 17-18:
- No allies are destroyed
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- No Continues

Mission 19-20:
- No allies are destroyed
- Finish the stage with a Hissatsu
- No Continues

Mission 21:
- No allies are destroyed
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- No Continues

Mission 22:
- No allies are destroyed
- Finish the stage with a Hissatsu
- No Continues

Mission 23-28:
- No allies are destroyed
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- No Continues

---

Chapter 3:

Mission 1:
- Do 100 Critical Hits
- Have one attack do 6000 damage
- No Continues

Mission 2:
- No allies are destroyed
- Have a Shooter perform a Hissatsu 3 times
- No Continues

Mission 3:
- Destroy 3 units in one attack
- Have a Defender perform a Hissatsu 3 times
- No Continues

Mission 4:
- Destroy 2 units in one attack
- Battleship must not take damage
- No Continues

Mission 5:
- Perform 5 Seishins
- Your team must consist of at least 5 Defenders
- No Continues

Mission 6:
- Guest Unit must survive
- Have the Guest Unit destroy 3 units
- No Continues

Mission 7:
- Guest Unit must survive
- Battleship's HP must be above 50%
- No Continues

Mission 8:
- No allies are destroyed
- Battleship's HP must be above 50%
- No Continues

Mission 9:
- Have a team of every class (Attacker, Shooter, Defender)
- Enemy must not reach the Ally Zone
- No Continues

Batman: Return of The Caped Crusaders Review

Batman: Return of The Caped Crusaders is an animated film based on the live-action Batman series from the 1960s that star Adam West and Burt Ward as the dynamic duo. As such, West and Ward reprise their roles in the animated film, alongside fellow alumni Julie Newmar as Catwoman. The animated film serves to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 60s Batman show.

As the film is based on the 60's Batman, the story is also set in the same time period, as is the plot, meaning it's quite simplified. Joker, Riddler, Penguin, and Catwoman teamed up to pull their latest caper - stealing a ray gun that replicates virtually anything. So the Caped Crusaders are once again on the job to take care of them.

I could not stop laughing at the campy and sometimes inconsequential dialogue, which is spot on from the original show. It's so ridiculous it's awesome! Some might be turned off by this iteration of Batman, and I can't blame them. This is not The Dark Knight Batman today's people are used to thanks to the Christopher Nolan movies onward, and even before that, such as Batman: The Animated Series, and the Tim Burton movies. No, this version of Batman, which made Adam West a household name even until now, is silly and light-hearted, yet very entertaining.

At least for the first half of the film.

By the second half, things took a rather very dramatic turn. Via a plot device, Batman is given a sudden change of character that shakes the very foundation of the world of the 60's Batman. It is now up to Robin to find a way to bring his old chum, back to his old self.

I must say, I did NOT see the plot twist coming in this version of Batman, and before I know it, the movie's plot began to reveal itself. I was totally blown away by the sudden change of direction. And yet, even in this rather dark transition, the movie still remembers itself as 60's Batman. As such, the campiness is still there and it continues to make me laugh so hard it's hurting my face.

I give it a hand to the writers of Batman: Reurn of The Caped Crusaders, because it was so well-thought out while still retaining the charm of the 60s Batman. I wonder why these people did not work on the Batman Unlimited series, which is becoming one that's really not worth talking about, let alone watch it, because it's way toned down to be ultra-kid friendly. And as Batman: Return of THe Caped Crusaders show, you can make a light-hearted and even a family-friendly Batman, yet still fun and entertaining for everyone of all ages.

The only downside to this film is that it's not The Dark Knight. So if you prefer that particular Batman, you won't find it here. But if you've grown-up to the Adam West version, or you want a Batman that would bring a smile and a good laugh on your face, then Batman: Return of The Caped Crusaders is the right "bat-film" to watch on your "bat-video player" from your homemade "batcave", while enjoying a snack of "bat-popcorn" and "bat-soda". On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Batman: Return of The Caped Crusaders, a 4 out of 5.

Thoughts on Goku Black's Extreme Power

Geekdom101 is one of the most-well known personas among the Dragon Ball fan community that provides insight on the franchise. He recently uploaded a video explaining the reason for Goku Black's enormous power in Dragon Ball Super:

To give a little more clarity as to Zamasu possessing Goku as Geekdom101 tells it:

- Beerus used the Super Dragon Balls after the Champa Arc to wish Universe 6's Earth to be restored. So when Zamasu learned of the Super Dragon Balls, he cannot gather and use them at that time.

- Zamasu kills Gowasu (without Beerus interfering) and obtains both the Potara Earring, and the Time Ring.

- Using the Time Ring, Zamasu moved forwards into the future so the Super Dragon Balls become active again, and thus gathered and wished to switch bodies with Goku.

As the Super Dragon Balls have a cooldown time of 1 year before reactivation, we can surmise that 2 or so years have passed after the Champa Arc. So there is plenty of time for Goku to train and become stronger. Add that to Zamasu's fighting prowess and he has developed a new Super Saiyan form unique to Black, while also surpassing even Super Saiyan Blue. 

It is also noteworthy that in the earlier episodes Chichi mentioned that she used up all the money given by Mr. Satan, forcing Goku to return to farming work. Either the economy on Earth is that bad for Chichi to use so much money, or she has a case of Oniomania (aka Compulsive Spending Disorder).

Future Zamasu was the one who wished for immortality for the simple reason that in the Future Trunks timeline, Goku is already dead. But he still has the same ideals as the Prime Zamasu and thus continues with the Zero Mortals Plan.

And as the most recent episode has shown, Goku Black was from the Prime Timeline, but was protected from the Time Paradox caused by Beerus for killing Zamasu, thus allowing him to continue to exist. This is due mainly to him possesing the Time Ring.

Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell Review

As October comes to a close, so is Halloween. I don't personally celebrate the holidays that much, but just this once, I'll just pick whatever Halloween-themed movie I can get my hands on and watch it out of the holiday's sake.

Now if I were to pick one movie everyone should watch for Halloween, it's the South Korean film Train to Busan. It's basically 28 Days Later or World War Z on a Train, but it's just so good. I cannot express enough how great this film is.

In terms of Animation, though. The one that I just grabbed was the recently released Marvel Animated Movie "Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell". Just looking at the title and the cover gave me the impression that it is a Halloween-themed movie starring the Hulk and Dr. Strange, and handled by the same team behind Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers: Assemble.

So already, I have low expectations of this film. To be frank, Marvel's Animated Movie department is pretty much nothing but total garbage. There have only been 3 animated films from Marvel's library that I actually liked - Dr. Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, and Planet Hulk. The rest were just barely watchable, in part because it caters to the much younger crowd.

DC, of course, are also doing animated films for the younger audience with the Batman: Unlimited series, and by some extension Superhero Girls. So it's fair game. Least DC does a better job at it than Marvel does.

So in Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, Dr. Strange summons the Hulk and members of the Paranormal Containment Unit, aka the current Howling Commanders, on Halloween Night of all the times. Apparently, one of Strange's villains, Nightmare, is kidnapping kids and turning them into monsters for his impending invasion of Earth. Strange needs Hulk and the Howling Commandos to contain the kids/monsters while figuring out how to deal with Nightmare. Unknown to everyone, Nightmare has a need for the Hulk as part of his master plan.

Plot-wise, it was awful and totally boring. To be fair, only a select few stories of the Hulk where indeed interesting, like Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. And given how insanely powerful Hulk is, finding a way to show some kind of struggle is a pain from a story standpoint. Using Nightmare as a means to nerf the Hulk to show some struggle in the narrative simply wasn't executed properly.

Essentially, the movie has the exact same problem the Marvel Animated Universe does, with no means of ever improving on them in any way. Bad plot, bad use of camera angles, long pauses and panning of several scenes for no reason, etc. In Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, you can add in the extremely dark and gloomy atmosphere thanks to its overall animation and tone.

Why the hell is the movie using so many dark and bland colors? Least it's not as bad as the colors from Bee & Puppycat that causes such an eye strain, but the colors in Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell makes the visuals just less appealing. Soundtrack is generic and a weird use of adding ones that's supposed to be in a horror film. This movie is NOT a horror film.

Although this was supposedly a Hulk film, Hulk didn't get to turn the tide of battle with his abilities. Instead, he plays a supportive role in the team effort to take down Nightmare. If Hulk is the protagonist of this film, he should be the one who takes Nightmare down. That's not what happened.

Honestly, Dr. Strange's repetitive chants when using his powers is awfully annoying. And although Liam O' Brien has played the character since Ultimate Spider-Man, and has played other Marvel characters before, his role as Dr. Strange just don't fit. The Howling Commandos, though based on the current version of the comics, are nowhere near interesting. Nightmare is like a marriage of the vampire Moebius and one of the band members from KISS having a bad day.

I expected that Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell won't be any good, but man! I've never seen it this bad, even for a Marvel Animated Universe. I think Marvel wants to see if they can capture the same trend that movies like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, despite being heavily panned, makes money anyway because people want to see these characters. If that's what you want it for in this Marvel film, then you got it. Otherwise, you're better off watching a Lego Animated movie of the Hulk than this one.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Hulk: Where Monsters Dwell, a 1 out of 5.

Nick Premiere List November 2016

 Credits to Toon Zone: 

Nickelodeon
ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks
Tuesday, November 1st 5:30 pm "Save the Dance"
Wednesday, November 2nd 5:30 pm "The Temp"
Thursday, November 3rd 5:30 pm "Parent Trap"

Blaze and the Monster Machines
Friday, November 4th TBA "The Hundred Mile Race"

Game Shakers
Saturday, November 5th-8:30 pm "Baby Hater"

Henry Danger
Saturday, November 5th-8:00 pm "The Trouble with Frittles"

Kuu Kuu Harajuku
TBA

Power Rangers Dino Super Charge
Saturday, November 5th-12:00 pm "The Rangers Rock"

School of Rock
Saturday, November 5th-9:00 pm "Truckin'"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Sunday, November 6th-11:00 am "The Super Shredder"

The Loud House
Friday, November 11th TBA

Movies
Legends of the Hidden Temple Saturday, November 26th-8:00 pm

Specials
Double Dare 30th Anniversary Special Wednesday, November 23rd-9:00 pm on Nick at Nite


TV Land
Impastor
Wednesday, November 2nd-10:30 pm "The Bish is Back"
Wednesday, November 9th-10:30 pm "Ah-Men"
Wednesday, November 16th-10:30 pm "My Little Brother's Little Brother's Keeper"
Wednesday, November 30th-10:30 pm "Judge Not"

Younger
Wednesday, November 2nd-10:00 pm "Me, Myself, and O"
Wednesday, November 9th-10:00 pm "Ladies Who Lust"
Wednesday, November 16th-10:00 pm "What's Up, Dock?"
Wednesday, November 30th-10:30 pm TBA

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Ep. 29 Thoughts

Well, it is official. The Gjallarhorn's division under McGillis Fareed has formed an alliance with Tekkadan.

After watching the first 3 episodes of the 2nd season of Iron-Blooded Orphans, I predicted that McGillis and Tekkadan would team-up as they can benefit from one another in the aftermath of the first season.

For McGillis's ambition of changing all of Gjallarhorn in his image to be realized, he must bring down the rest of the Seven Stars, and thus needs Tekkadan to do the grunt work.

For Orga, fighting the rest of the Seven Stars and beating them all will give Tekkadan such a reputation that it will dwarf even their own parent organization, Teiwaz.

Speaking of which, Orga has fully embraced his association with Teiwaz and brought out a taste of Mafia justice against the mastermind behind the attempts at Kudelia's life.

Obviously the Seven Stars and Teiwaz would give notice and see the Fareed-Tekkadan alliance as quite a threat, and we will have another three-way dance like we saw last episode and this one. It also gives credence to my other prediction that McGillis and Mikazuki won't be fighting each other for quite some time until the alliance has achieved both their goals. There isn't any point for McGillis and Orga to betray one another as they're too smart for that, and even sniff out any attempts at sabotage. So expect the Fareed-Tekkadan alliance to last probably until the end of the season, which likely may give the possibility of a 3rd season of Iron-Blooded Orphans.

To date, no Another Gundam/Alternate Universe Gundam series (G, W, X, Turn A, 00, AGE) has ever gone beyond 50 episodes. Considering Orphans is within that category, I do expect that everything will end after episode 50. But should Orphans do get a third season, it would be a milestone for a series that is not part of the established timelines, such as the Universal Century and Cosmic Era. 

The newly discovered Gundam Frame will sure be coming to Shingo, while a second unit (likely a Mobile Armor) will probably go to Hush.

Kudelia (and by extension, Naze) does see that Tekkdan's advances will cause more problems than not. So efforts have to be made to reduce the likelihood of giving Tekkadan more enemies that may cause its downfall.

I've enjoyed the first season of Iron-Blooded Orphans, and this season has not disappointed me so far. So I am giving it high marks and still one of my favorite Gundam series. Looking forward to the next arc.

Dragon Ball Super Ep. 63 Thoughts

I apologize.

That is what I'm doing right now.

I apologize.

I apologize for not believing in Vegeta not getting his time to shine. For not believing that he can surpass Goku in power. For not believing he can be a total badass when push comes to shove.

And why a lot of people (particularly Western fans) love Vegeta far more than Goku.

.....least until we see the fused Zamasu and Black. Zack? Blamasu?

Besides that, the episode has finally confirmed 100% that the Zamasu that became Goku Black was indeed from the Prime Timeline, and not from the other alternate timelines. The Time Ring was the one thing that saved Black from the Time Paradox.

The episode also provided insight on why Whis did not get involved, which is quite unusual, as he and other like him are tied to the Hakaishin and thus became 'inactive' when a Hakaishin dies until a new Hakaishin is formed. The series describes Whis and Vados as 'angels' and the Japanese dialogue describes them as such.

Which is weird since, least in DBZ, heaven would be the realm of King Enma, so the angels would reside there, rather than those who are the likes of Whis.

Despite me being a Catholic, my knowledge about Heaven and Hell the way Catholicism/Christianty describes it is very vague. But if I'm not mistaken, there are just as many levels of Heaven, as there are in Hell, as described in Dante's Inferno. So I would think this is how they base and rank the deities in the Dragon Ball Multiverse, with the Omni-King sitting at the very top.

And yeah, the recent episode has yet to explain the Omni-King's whereabout in this conflict. Whether he has dominion over all timelines or another version of him existing in the Future Timeline, what is pretty much certain is that the Zero Mortals Plan by the Zamasus has not reached his attention, and is likely to remain that way for the time being.

Seeing Bulma getting more involved in this arc I think makes her a more popular, if not relatable character, as she is one of the few who lacks any kind of powers, but bears witness to the trials of Goku and Vegeta. I would say she metaphorically represents the audience, who can only bear witness to the conflict at hand.

As depicted in the leaked summaries, the Mafuba is in pieces, but is still usuable, provided Future Trunks can put it back together with good ol' Super Glue.

Finally, it's nice that Crunchyroll, Daisuki, and AnimeLab get to air the official subs of Dragon Ball Super not long after the Japanese broadcast. For one, it reduces the amount of having to wait so long for the fan subs and avoiding spoilers (which I'm used to, by the way), and be able to make these postings much sooner.

Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree Review

With me being so darn busy in the real world, I did not realize there is something going on in the world of My Little Pony. A report came on October 18th that Hasbro announced a 7th Season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and some TV specials from the Equestria Girls spin-off, following the success of the fourth Equestria Girls movie that came out recently.

I was not aware that a fourth Equestria Girls movie, Legend of Everfree, was out and it was already available on Netflix. So, basically making up the time, I gave it a watch.

For those who don't know, Equestria Girls is a spin-off of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic TV series, or MLP for short, and is set in an alternate universe where the characters of the MLP series are portrayed as humans.

In Legend of Everfree, the students of Canterlot High take a field trip to Camp Everfree, in part to take a break from the series of magical occurrences happening at the school from the previous three films. According to Pinkie Pie, the events of the first three films happened within the course of one year. Unfortunately, taking a magical break didn't last very long as magic stuff begins to happen around the camp for mysterious reasons. In the movie's subplot, Twilight Sparkle struggles to adjust to living in Canterlot High, while being haunted by her alter-ego, Midnight Sparkle.

Legend of Everfree is part of a continuous story that began with the first Equestria Girls movie. As such, references to the previous films can be seen throughout Legend of Everfree, as these references also play a part in the evolution of the main characters. Personally, I like that they continue doing this as part of a continuous story and being an hour or so long per movie, so I don't feel being dragged out of the overall narrative. Up until now, I haven't watched the My Little Pony TV series because I simply lost interest in it after three seasons. Reasons range from being around for far too long, to the show struggling to direct the series while maintaining its premise on lessons of Friendship.

The general plot of Legend of Everfree presents itself as something taking out of a Scooby-Doo episode, in a sense, meaning what you think is causing the problems at Camp Everfree may not be actually correct. If you happen to be quite the observer, you can easily predict what's going on accurately before the big reveal. It may be a turn-off for some, but considering this is for kids, anyway, I'm not too surprised. At the very least, the writing is done very well.

What interests me on this film is the portrayal of the "Mane 7", as their characters are fleshed out in spite of the short timeframe. For MLP fans, or 'Bronies', this may not be new. As a former Brony, I am familiar with the personas of the "Mane 6" and it mirrors their human counterparts. But the way I see it in Legend of Everfree, the Mane 7's personas are much more defined, so you get to connect with them a little more. This is also intentional as the movie shows the Mane 7 undergoing an evolution of sorts, as they discover new magical powers unique to each one, placing them closer to their pony counterparts.

In my last review of The Friendship Games, the third Equestria Girls movie, I give my concerns that Sunset Shimmer, the leader of the Mane 7, would give up her role to Twilight to maintain the status quo of the TV series. I'm relieved that it didn't happen in this movie, at least for the time being. This is in part because Equestria Girls' version of Twilight has a more timid and insecure persona than her pony counterpart. Fans gave the human Twilight the nickname "Sci Twi", because of her keen interest in science.

Sci Twi still has a long way to go before she can match her pony counterpart in taking the leadership role. So the possibility of that happening is still there, especially given one part of the film's narrative that suggests a crossover between the ponies and their human counterparts in the next story. I would think that this would be the basis of the TV specials coming in 2017, if not the upcoming theatrical film.

So I am curious if at any point in the MLP TV series after Season 3 that they ever referenced the world of Equestria Girls, or is this just like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in which the films have an effect on the TV shows, but not vice versa. So I'm asking any Brony out there to help me out. If the TV show did reference Equestria Girls at one point, then it might drive me back to watch the series.

Going back to Equestria Girls, I dunno if it's just me, or they made some changes to the animation and character designs so it looks a whole lot better, especially in High-Definition. So long as it makes the visuals more appealing and it adds more charm to the characters, can't complain. What I will complain is the soundtrack. With respect to music composer Daniel Ingram, the music of the film is hardly noticeable and the songs aren't as appealing either. I hate to say it, but it just appears the musical numbers are there for the simple reason that it HAD to, rather than to help advance the narrative. Going back to the first 3 seasons of My Little Pony, the songs there were not only good to listen to, but also help advance the story. The songs featured in Legend of Everfree do neither.

In my previous review of the films, I did complain of the lack of comedy in Equestria Girls. And in Legend of Everfree, it appears even the intent of doing comedy is done at a bare minimum, focusing instead on the plot. They did however throw one at the end-credits scene that did made me chuckle a bit.

So aside from the less than appealing soundtrack, a Scooby-Doo like plot, and this not being an entry point to the Equestria Girls series, Legend of Everfree is actually quite good and better than the last one in many aspects. Better visuals, better character development, and despite its plot, it's well written. It left me quite satisfied and looking forward to the next adventure the Mane 7 will take. It didn't made me go back to watching the main series, but I'm good with that.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give My Little Pony - Equestria Girls: Legend of Everfree, a 4 out of 5.

CN Schedule November 2016

Dates are tentative and could change/update (credits to Toon Zone):

Adventure Time
Sat November 26th - ??? PM (EST) - 738/739 - Preboot/Reboot [SEASON FINALE]

Clarence
Tue November 1st - 5:30 PM (EST) - 228 - Worm Bin
Wed November 2nd - 5:30 PM (EST) - 229 - Clarence and Sumo Rexcellent Adventure
Thu November 3rd - 5:30 PM (EST) - 230 - Birthday
Fri November 4th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 231 - Tree of Life
Thu November 17th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 232 - Capture the Flag
Mon November 21th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 233 - Cloris
Tue November 22nd - 5:30 PM (EST) - 234 - Fishing Trip
Wed November 23th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 234 - Belson's Backpack
Thu November 24th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 235 - Chelsea's Day
Fri November 25th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 236 - Motel

Justice League Action - ???

Mighty Magiswords
Thu November 3rd - 6:30 PM (EST) - 108 - The Wrath of Neddy

Pokémon the Series: XYZ
Sat November 5th - 7:00 AM (EST) - 1938 - Down to the Fiery Finish!
Sat November 12th - 7:00 AM (EST) - 1939 - A Towering Takeover!
Sat November 19th - 7:00 AM (EST) - 1940 - Coming Apart at the Dreams!
Sat November 26th - 7:00 AM (EST) - 1941 - ???
Sat December 3rd - 7:00 AM (EST) - 1942 - ???

Regular Show: In Space
Thu November 3rd - 8:00 PM (EST) - 821 - The Ice Tape
Thu November 17th - 8:00 PM (EST) - 822 - The Key to the Universe
Thu November 24th - 8:00 PM (EST) - 823 - No Train No Gain

Sonic Boom - ???

Steven Universe
November 2016 - 8:30 PM (EST) - 408/409 - Gem Harvest [HALF HOUR SPECIAL]

Teen Titans Go!
Thu November 3rd - 6:00 PM (EST) - 403 - Booby Trap House

The Amazing World of Gumball
Thu November 3rd - 7:30 PM (EST) - 508 - The Test

The Powerpuff Girls (2016)
Sat November 5th - 5:30 PM (EST) - 134 - Electric Buttercup

The Tom and Jerry Show
Mon November 7th - ??? (EST) - 204 - Say Uncle / Here Come's the Bribe

Transformers: Robots in Disguise
Sat November 5th - 303 - 6:30 AM (EST) - Pretzel Logic
Sat November 12th - 304 - 6:30 AM (EST) - Mighty Big Trouble
Sat November 19th - 305 - 6:30 AM (EST) - Mini-Con Madness
Sat November 26th - 306 - 6:30 AM (EST) - Worthy

Uncle Grandpa
Thu November 3th - 7:45 PM (EST) - 407 - Uncle Grandpa Runs for President

We Bare Bears
Thu November 3rd - 7:00 PM (EST) - 220 - Creature Mysteries



Am actually not happy that Adventure Time is being scheduled on Saturdays than part of Yoursday. Also, rumors are that Regular Show's final season will be 28 episodes long, which means by the end of November, there would be 5 episodes to go. So yeah, conspiracy speaking, the top brass of CN just wants AT and RS off the air as soon as possible.

Marvel's Comic Sales Continues to Slump. A-Force Canceled.

Marvel's "A-Force", which features an all-female superhero team, is officially canceled thanks to poor sales.

Marvel's been in quite a bad spot this year, as far as comics are concerned. The rise of modern feminism and political correctness has prompted Marvel to create more diverse characters and headline them to attract said demographic. It isn't exactly making any sales figures at all. 

Places like The Mary Sue try to defend that the diversity in comics is still a good thing, despite the poor sales. But numbers don't lie. There is just not enough interest in these comics at all, even from the said demographic these titles are catering to, like The Mary Sue.

It doesn't help either that DC's Rebirth Event is making the house of the Justice League getting very strong sales the past few months.

Kamala Khan and Miles Morales worked not because they are diverse characters - it's because they are likable characters that are very well written. The same applies to other works like the recent Luke Cage series on Netflix. But if your headline for a comic book is similar to the Gen-Zed scam, well, look what has gotten Marvel and they haven't learned their lesson.

It's Over 9000.....Times 10

10 years ago today, the famous scene from the US Dubbed version of Dragon Ball Z was aired and Youtuber Kajetokun made a meme video out of it. Happy Birthday!

Dragon Ball Super Ep. 62 Thoughts

This is the 2nd week in a row I'm giving long thoughts on a Dragon Ball Super episode, rather than wait for the arc to end and give my thoughts on it. I will admit, the plot of the Future Trunks arc is starting to get better. It still has its issues, of course, but in my opinion it's starting to become a little more interesting that what happened with the Champa arc.

Honestly, I'm still confused with regards to Goku Black's origin and both this and last week's episode still gives the impression he came from the Prime Timeline, and thanks to the Time Ring, he is unaffected by the Time Paradox of Beerus killing the Prime Zamasu. This is even more evident of the fact that Beerus is frustrated upon learaning Black still exists. If Black were from the 4th or 5th Timeline, the series should've suggested as such and that even Whis and probably Gowasu as well, would've know that as the cause.

You gotta hand it to Future Trunks. His new form (no official name yet, but for the time being, it'll be False Super Saiyan God) allows him to actually hurt Black, albeit only temporarily. This one-ups him slightly over Goku and Vegeta even with the two in their SSB forms. It's probably because the Future Timeline differs from the Prime Timeline, ergo the way Future Trunks strengthens himself also differs greatly. I'm still expecing Goku to land the final blow on Black and Zamasu, but it would be very nice if he does step back and let Future Trunks take the win. It would be the first time Goku's ever done that since the Cell Games, if that were to happen.

Regardless, Future Trunks has proven himself that he can go toe-to-toe with Goku and Vegeta in their SSB forms, with the only disadvantage being he can only match them for a short period.

It's nice to see that Goku has to learn the Mafuba from Roshi, harking back to his DB days. It also shows that power isn't always everything in order to win a fight, and the Z Fighters have come to a consensus that using brute force against Black and Zamasu won't help. It is unusual to defeat an enemy using a method other than a new power-up in the world of Dragon Ball, but it's a direction that I warmly welcome, as it breaks the Power-Up Trope tradition the series is best known for.

While I find it comforting the Z Fighters are gathering about the situation, it's only bittersweet since they cannot participate in the fight and Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks are still left to battle Black and Zamasu. Understandable that none of them are strong enough to take the two on, but it would be nice if they all get into the Future Timeline and provide some support. Gohan definitely wants to do SOMETHING about it, despite knowing he is badly nerfed.

And the show STILL doesn't explain if the Omni-King even exists in the Future Trunks timeline, or if he has dominion on all the timelines, and not just the 13 Universes.

And speaking of which, when the hell will Goku get to use that damn button?

Macross Delta Review

Macross Delta is the most recent entry in the Macross franchise. To fans of the United States, this franchise is much better known under the name "Robotech". Though it's to be noted that after Macross Plus, no Macross Anime has ever made it beyond Japan because of the legal complications that surround it. But I'm not here to talk about that, as it's just a bunch of headaches coming in. So I'll just talk about what I think of the latest Macross Anime.

I will confess, after watching the series to its completion, I pretty much have forgotten what the plot is all about. That already is my first problem with Macross Delta with the plot being confusing, complicated, and in my case, forgettable. So much so that I actually had to rewatch the series again just to jog my memory.

The plot of Macross Delta can be divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the three main characters. Hayate Immelman is a young man who makes a living going from one job to the next, moving from planet to planet. In one of those days, he encounters the second main character Freyja Wion, who wants to audition to be part of the singing group Walkure, to fulfill her dream of being an idol singer. A series of circumstances leads the two to encounter the third main character, Mirage Farina Jenius, who is a descendant of Maximillian Jenius from the original Macross series. For Robotech fans, you will remember Maximillian Jenius as Max Sterling, so there's the connection. And thus starts the love triangle between the three protagonists.

The 2nd plot focuses on that of the singing group Walkure. Composed of 5 members, with Freyja among them, they are the ones that provide the songs for Macross Delta, as is every other Macross series. This is the first time, at least in Anime form, that a Macross series features an idol group, rather than single person doing the singing. Walkure's singing also serves a secondary purpose storywise, in which it's to qwell the Var Syndrome, a neural virus that makes ordinary people go berserk. The air squad Delta Platoon, of which Hayate and Mirage are members, serves as the group's bodyguard.

The third plot of the series deals with the intergalactic war between the New United Nations Spacy, or N.U.N.S., for short, basically the United Nations who now have control over the Milky Way. And the Kingdom of Windermere, of which Freyja comes from, who seeks to weaponize the Var Syndrome, and the Protoculture Ruins, in order to control the remote part of the Milky Way of which the series takes place. Again, you'll probably understand it much better if you've seen the previous Macross series.

Macross Delta tends to cycle around these three plotlines a lot, which ends up being a hit-or-miss at times. I'll be frank, what interests me on the plot is its ties to the previous Macross shows. At the same time, it's also one of its major flaws. You HAVE to know the franchise at least to understand what's going on. So this isn't exactly an entry point to the franchise if you've never seen Macross.

And because its ties to the past Macross series is what's interesting, everything else is left out. Unlike the previous entries, of which I get attached to the characters after a few episodes, I fail to gain that same attachment towards anyone in Macross Delta. I don't hate the characters, but I don't find them interesting, either. In fact, I do remember on my first run watching Macross Delta that I didn't like the character development so much that I'd wish I'd get in there and give them all a Bright Slap, shouting "G-Saviour, the WORST Gundam entry in the franchise, has even better characters than you guys!"

Now this is the part that made Macross Delta a hit in Japan, but I will disclose I have a totally biased opinion on this - I hate Walkure. This is mainly because they are an idol group, of which I am not a fan of. I like the Spice Girls and the other girl groups before that. But Momoiro Clover Z, AKB48, Girls' Generation? They are simply not to my liking at all. I totally understand these idol groups are very popular in Japan and across Asia, which is why Anime like Idolmaster and Love Live are huge successes, and Walkure is made to capitalize on the Idol Group trend. The first two albums of Walkure were certified hits.

Aside from me not a fan of modern Idol Groups, the songs from Walkure aren't to my liking, either. I'm not a music enthusiast, but I couldn't enjoy a single song off Walkure from music composition to its lyrics. It's made worse when Walkure performs their songs over and over again throughout Macross Delta to the point it becomes quite an annoyance. Yes, other Macross shows repeat songs frequently as well, but at least those songs, especially in Macross Plus, Macross 7, and Macross Frontier, are catchy, likable, memorable, and you hardly get tired of it. Not so much with Walkure.

And then there's the scene in the final episode where Mikumo, the lead singer of Walkure, performs her version of "Do You Remember Love?". This is of course, the song by Lynn Minmay from the original Macross series that not only was a turning point in the narrative, but also what ultimately defined the character of Lynn Minmay, and her voice actress Mari Iijima. It's a blessing and a curse for the latter, unfortunately.

After that scene, I have declared "Do You Remember Love?" as the most overused song throughout the Macross franchise. And for that reason, I labeled it as my most hated song of the franchise. I know it has a signifant connection to it in general, but I'm so sick and tired of it that I refuse to listen to even the original version on my music player when I used to love it back then!

Animation-wise, there's nothing bad about it. Animation and character designs are good. Sexy and cute are a given with regards to Walkure, but I do commend the staff for forming a lesbian couple among its members. Mecha and battles are all done in CG, while not as great as what I've seen in Macross Plus or Macross Frontier, they're quite ok.

Macross Delta may not be a good entry point to the franchise, but if you want more of its lore, you'll get plenty here. Whether or not you are into Idol Groups will also play a factor if you like this series or not. I personally still rank Macross Plus and Macross Frontier as my two top favorites, but Macross Delta? Not even close. Different strokes, for different folks, so they say. But in my opinion, on a scale of 1 to 5, I give Macross Delta, a 2 out of 5.

A 'New' Shrek Series?

The Philly article is mostly about Comcast's CEO and the business, but there is mention of a plan to re-imagine the Shrek franchise. Commenters in /co/ and elsewhere speculate it might be in the style of Teen Titans Go.

"Kids are an area [in which] we don't traditionally have a big business," he said, indicating that Comcast/NBCUniversal could seek to "reimagine" Shrek, Dreamworks' biggest franchise.

You know, a TTG-style Shrek could work. The franchise is crazy enough to begin with and doesn't have to have an actual plot other than Shrek and co. living out their daily lives.

Gumball - The Choices Thoughts

So the other day, Cartoon Network in the US premiered the episode "The Choices" on The Amazing World of Gumball, to which word has it that it is the episode that actually made creator Ben Bocquelet cry a few months ago when it was completed.

The premise of The Choices focuses on Nicole as she contemplates on whether or not it was worth meeting Richard at all and having a family, and what if she chose a different path on the day the two first met.

The first half of the episode featured all the things that would've happened if Nicole and Richard never met. This was the funny segment of the episode as the other choices bring Nicole to what I would call "bad endings", with some even worse than others. It was such a well written use of Dark Comedy that I really can't help but laugh at it. Again, kudos to Ben and the staff for the great comedy even in dark situations.

Ultimately, Nicole chose to stick with Richard and her family, and the rest of the episode is a montage of Nicole and Richard spending their lives together up until they had the kids. It was sweet and adorable, but also has some really sad detail on the couple's life. While much of the sad pasts of Nicole and Richard are often subtle and in-dialogue, this episode showed on-screen what happened to them in their younger years.

I'll begin by observing the early part of Nicole's flashback, where she was with her parents as they try to make it to the local school tournament in time. At first this may have been the tournament in which Nicole battled Yuki as explained in "The Fury", but apparently, it's a completely different tournament and that her opponent at that time was Jackie, Tobias's mother. Also the fact that Nicole was much younger when she fought Yuki in the tournament and this flashback shows her at 7th Grade, as indicated by her report card.

We get to see Nicole's parents, the Semicounts, for the first time in the series and already it was clear they are what is known as Tiger Parents. Extremely harsh and strict, Tiger Parents want their child being no less from #1, as being at the top means you get the best school, the best job, ergo fame and fortune for the family name that must be maintained for the next generation.

As such we already see Nicole's mom berating her for her report card, despite Nicole getting no less than A's on all of them. The issue? Nicole got an 'F' for her gender. Nicole explains that's to say she's a 'female', to which her mother replies that is not an excuse.

I got a bit uncomfortable seeing that Nicole gets treated so badly because she's a girl and yet is expected to be #1, graduate to be a top lawer, and marry a doctor. Sadly, that is how Tiger Parenting goes and it explains her first altenative choice of going straight for the tournament instead of meeting Richard, which turns her into a megalomaniac that ends up causing the apocalypse.

Nicole's meeting with Richard resulted in her missing the tournament, but gained a kindred spirit and companion in Richard. I think this is the first time, least as far as I can tell, that she gained someone who is very close to her after Yuki. Though she has to deal with Richard's way of thinking, of which we know is caused by the way Richard was raised by Granny Jojo.

Obviously, because of Richard's character, the Semicounts do not approve of this relationship, as it goes against their preferences of Nicole's future. This ultimately causes Nicole to storm out of her house and leave her parents behind for good. We all know that Nicole was a threat to Granny Jojo as it pulls Richard from being dependent on the latter. And when Richard shows that moment of defiance, Jojo kicks him out.

The couple do what they can out of their predicament, living at a very small home sitting along the railroad track. The way the area is designed appears to be one bed and bath only, with barely enough room for a small kitchen. Kind of like those microapartments in New York City, though probably much smaller.

And then we see the on-screen confirmation that Nicole was indeed pregnant by Richard prior to them being married. And when the two do get married, only the Semicounts did not attend the ceremony. We later see a run down home that will eventually become the Wattersons residence, and much later, we see the kids. And the rest is history.

Having witnessed, and partly experienced myself, what Nicole and Richard had to deal in their lives, I know personally how that feels and it's the kind of pain that sticks with you whereever you go. Even though I made amends and reconcile with my folks, those experiences remain and will haunt me for the rest of my life. I've since learned to come to terms and live with it.

I gotta feel for Nicole. Not only did she had the burden of being raised by Tiger Parents, she must also carry the burden of caring for Richard, because of the way Granny Jojo raised him. So she's the one who has to find a job and work her butt off to make money that supports both of them, and then having to double that because of her unexpected pregnancy. Then having to find a home they can afford that's big for a family of three - later five with the addition of Darwin and Anais.

So consider the basics, tuition, and medical expenses for a family of five. It is not cheap and Nicole is the only one working that's not even a high-salary job and Richard can't work for obvious reasons, being he's incapable of doing so, and even if he did, he'll destroy Elmore. Anyone who was in Nicole's position would've gone insane because that kind of life strips them of much of their personal freedom and happiness, all for the sake of raising a family.

And the sad thing is that the kind of life Nicole is having actually exists in the real world. There are even single parents having multiple children and having to care for them while working with a minimum wage, or even less. Others are even worse as they do not receive any form of government or social aid, so they are on their own.

And as Nicole resolved at the end of the episode, she wouldn't have her life any other way. She loves her family with all of her being and she is more than willing to carry that burden for them, because she finds her own happiness through them.

For an older viewer of this episode of The Amazing World of Gumball, you either have to be a rich bastard, or have a stone heart to not feel what Nicole had to go through to raise her family. And I dare say to feminists out there that Nicole Watterson should be championed for being a truly strong woman, and not like what we see in the Powerpuff Girls Reboot, DC's Superhero Girls, Jane Foster as Thor, the New 52 Batgirl, or even in Game of Thrones or The Force Awakens.

Nicole Watterson deserves respect and awe for being the best female character out there and a role model for everyone.

More Dragon Ball after Dragon Ball Super

Earlier today, Anime News Network reported that Shueisha, the publisher behind the Dragon Ball mangas, and recenttly the Toyotaro version of Dragon Ball Super, have announced and I quote:

"...a new department called the "Dragon Ball Room" in June that focuses specifically on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball property. Akio Iyoku, the editor-in-chief of Shueisha's V Jump magazine (where Toriyama and Toyotaro's Dragon Ball Super manga is currently serialized), is heading the new department.

The department is working to provide new ideas for content for Dragon Ball, and to optimize and expand the brand. Iyoku commented that the department is "only thinking about Dragon Ball."

Dragon Ball creator Toriyama commented on the new department, saying that the team was one he could put his trust in. He joked, "It's really great that I don't have to do anything now." "

Basically what this means is that Shueisha now has a Dragon Ball-only department that deals only with the Dragon Ball franchise with plans to expand it further. The group may also determine which stories of the Dragon Ball franchise may be regarded as canon, past, present, or future. This is even if creator Akira Toriyama is not involved.

You can imagine this as similar to the Lucasfilm Story Group, which handles the entire Star Wars franchise and determines which is and which is not canon. Or how Warner Bros. deal with the DC Expanded Universe and declaring that the TV shows of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, are not canon to the movies.

I would think that Shueisha and Toei, both companies who own the manga and anime, respectively, and by extension Bandai, who owns the mercnahdise, may have realized how big the Dragon Ball franchise is even after Dragon Ball Z ended many years ago. When you think about it, Dragon Ball is one of the few Japanese franchises that is not just well known in Japan for generations, but also has a global recognition. There's a reason why Goku is being compared to Superman not because of what they can do. But because these two characters are well-known throughout the world.

If you're a company whose product is a huge hit around the world and there's quite a consumer demand for it, you'd be a fool not to capitalize on it. And this is exactly what Shueisha is doing right now. Make more Dragon Ball because demand is high, and rake in all the profits. Best of all, this is for the long term. So expect to see more Dragon Ball in the coming years or decades, even.

Some are worried that this may further degrade the quality of Dragon Ball, however. I can neither agree or disagree on that. It's common business practice to spend as less as possible to make as much as possible. But looking at the Box-Office performances of Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and even Michael Bay's Transformer films, the mentality is so long as a well-known character is there, people will come to see it, irregardless of quality.

So, even if Goku would look pretty terrible, so long a it's Goku, Dragon Ball fans will see it anyway. But I would advice Shueisha and Toei to not push their luck on that and try their best to make the franchise as good as possible in terms of quality, and not rely solely on brand recognition alone to make bank.

So for the fans of the Dragon Ball franchise, this is good news as it means that even if you have Grandkids, or even Great-Grandkids, there will be plenty of Dragon Ball stories to tell.

Dragon Ball Super Episode 61 Thoughts

My head can't stop spinning on who Black really is because of the loopholes regarding Time Paradoxes. Basically what happens is that because Black wears the Time Ring, he is safe from the paradox of being erased because his past self was killed by Beerus. This suggests that the Zamasu who is Black is from the Prime Timeline. Further evidence of this is Black revealing that the body of Goku Zamasu swapped with is the one before the events of Battle of Gods.

After killing Chichi and Goten, Black used the Time Ring to enter the Future Trunks timeline and allied himself with that timeline's Zamasu. Considering this timeline is the only one where Future Trunks is the only Z-Fighter, it was likely the timeline chosen by the Zamasus to attack.

When I think about it, Black and Zamasu should've attacked the 3rd Timeline instead where Cell came from, as they were no Z-Fighters there at all since the Trunks there was already killed, and they can easily fulfill their Zero Mortals Plan as there's no one to oppose them there other than perhaps Majin Buu. Obviously, the decision to attack the Future Trunks timeline was a creative decision for the sake of forming a narrative, than a practical one.

Black and Future Zamasu stated that to assure no one opposes them, they killed ALL the Kaioshin and Hakaishin in all the 13 universes of the Future Trunks timeline. This begs the question as to what became of Whis, Vados, and the other guardians of the Hakaishin, as well as the High Priest, and ultimately, the Omni-King. I get the impression that the Future Trunks's timeline has its own Omni-King existing there, as opposed to the idea of the Prime Omni-King having dominion on all timelines, in addtion to the 13 universes.

Goku was a disappointment. Normally he would get an extreme power-boost, if not a new power-up form, if someone he has close ties with dies. Knowing the deaths of Chichi and Goten would've made him expand his power to beyond Super Saiyan Blue, but instead, it was just pure rage that has no ill effect on Black. This at least goes with Toriyama's statments in several intereviews that he doesn't want Goku to reach the level of power as Beerus for the nuance.

Instead, a new power-up form goes to Future Trunks, motivated by the Zamasus' accusation that he was the catalyst behind everything that happened. As Future Trunks never obtained God Ki, I would think his new form would be the equivalent of a Super Saiyan 3, or if I were to highball it, Super Saiyan 4. Yet, for narrative purposes, this new form is likely nowhere near the form of Super Saiyan Blue in terms of raw power, let alone enough to defeat Black.

Finally, the episode doesn't explain still how Black gains his power and achieve the Super Saiyan Rose form. As Black constantly taunts Goku that it was the latter that gives him his powers, I'm guessing Black's power is relative to Goku's in some way.

Dragon Ball Super International Release Plans for 2017

Toei is announcing international distribution plans for Dragon Ball Super, Digimon Universe: App Monsters, and a new project based on the classic Mazinger Z mecha series.

I'm actually more excited on the Mazinger Z project, as I am big fan of mecha, and Mazinger Z being the very first Super Robot show from 1970's.

Thunderbolt Fantasy Review

Many will look down over Thunderbolt Fantasy, for the simple reason that it's a puppet show. It doesn't matter if the series is presented in the style of Chinese Opera, which the show does and thus is considered an art piece. To the naysayers, they'll say "If it's puppets, I ain't gonna watch it." Blame it on the stigmatism that puppet shows are for little kids, ergo it shouldn't be taken as seriously as live-action, or even anime.

Too bad for those naysayers, because they are missing out on what is likely a contender for Best Series of 2016.

The story of Thunderbolt Fantasy is not too complex and is in tone with the show's setting and theme. A wanderer by the name of Shang Bu Huang is coerced by the mysterious Lin Xue Ya, to aid a young woman named Dan Fei. Dan Fei is a priestess with the task of guarding a piece of a Celestial Sword called the Tian Xing Jian, roughly translated as the Heaven's Retribution Sword.

Dan Fei is under constant pursuit by the Xuan Gui Zong, or Onyx Demons, led by their leader and main antagonist Mie Tian Hai, who is determined to obtain the pieces of the Tian Xing Jian at all costs as it said to contain incredible power.

Later, new characters will join the trio in their quest to defeat Mie Tian Hai - the One-Eyed Archer Shou Yun Xiao, his spear-wielding sworn brother Juan Can Yun, the sultry demoness Xing Hai, and the ruthless swordsman Sha Wu Sheng.

If you think the plot is something you would see in an episode of the Legend of Korra, you'd be partially right. Thunderbolt Fantasy is a 'Wuxia' series, the simplest definition being Kung-Fu with Fantasy elements. An example of this genre well-known to English-speaking audiences are the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movies. Dreamworks's Kung-Fu Panda, despite being an American franchise, is considered and hailed in China as a Wuxia film.

As Thunderbolt Fantasy is a Wuxia series, at the same time, it is also part Chinese Opera. As such, you will hear each character's soliloquy, or monologue, as the narrative progresses. This isn't new, as even JoJo's Bizarre Adventure had characters speaking in monologues very often. The characters from Thunderbolt Fantasy, from their puppet designs, to their personalities, are actually quite likeable. In my case, there's virtually no one in the series that I particularly didn't like.

To sweeten the appeal, Thunderbolt Fantasy incorporates one of the most satisfying fight choreographies in recent memory. This is a puppet show, mind you, but damn! The fight scenes are REALLY that good! The right use of movements, camera shots, and a dash of 3D Graphics, and you can see how each character are total badasses. Even more, the fights can reach cosmic levels, so Saitama, Goku, and Superman may sweat a bit on these new challengers.

All of the awesomeness is thanks to creator and writer Gen Urobuchi. Anime fans will know him as the man behind the Madoka Magica franchise, Fate/Zero, Psycho-Pass, and the upcoming animated Godzilla film coming in 2017. Urobuchi's style of storytelling is seen throughout Thunderbolt Fantasy, though unlike his other works, this one is made in a more positive light. Also thanks to Urobuchi's writing, the series has this anime-like feel all over.

So yes, I will say even though it's a puppet show, the way it's crafted and presented, Thunderbolt Fantasy is as much an anime series as every other one out there. And to top if off, it's that bloody good. Fun story and entry to Chinese Opera, great action, likeable characters - what's there to hate? It's disappointing if the reason people don't like this series is because it's a puppet show. I mean, if fans can forgive the terrible artwork of the original One Punch Man and Mob Psycho 100 webcomics and enjoy it for what it is, why not Thunderbolt Fantasy? I'll say it again, they are missing out on what is likely a contender for Best Series of 2016.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give Thunderbolt Fantasy Season 1, a 5 out of 5.

Legend of Korra to continue in Graphic Novel.

Just as Aang's story is continued in the comics, Korra will have her own comics as well.

 

From EW:

The Legend of Korra famously ended with a romantic pairing between its two female leads. Turf Wars is set to pick up right where the series left off, as Korra and Asami return from the spirit world to find Republic City in disarray. The new spirit portal has caused no end of chaos, as a pompous developer plans to turn it into an amusement park and the triads reunite just in time to cause trouble for the city’s many evacuees. 

“Korra has to figure out how to find a new balance in the city with all this stuff that’s gone on,” DiMartino recently told EW. “It’s gonna take place right after the finale, so it’s focusing on Korra and Asami’s relationship as a new threat emerges. It’s kind of like the aftermath dealing with the new portal in the city, and all the evacuees coming back to find their homes wiped out cause of the portal.”

I personally never read any of the Avatar comics, nor do I have the luxury of investing in them. But for fans of the franchise, this is a treat.

My biggest gripe with the franchise is that both Aang and Korra never get to push themselves to the limits when fighting the baddies. For the most part, it was through Deus Ex Machinas that got them the win. I'd like to have a character that really beats the crap out of both of them to make them stronger.

That's where fan-fiction and headcanon comes in......

New 'Dennis The Menace' series coming to the BBC

Except it's the OTHER Dennis The Menace.

I had no idea there were two versions of Dennis The Menace. The British version is said to be quite the bully and now he's getting a new show for the BBC. I'm curious as to how he is compared to the American one.

Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two Dennis-es. American on the right, British on the left.

Ben 10 Reboot First Impressions

It won't air on the US until 2017, but the Ben 10 Reboot series has aired in Australia a few days ago. Just like the Powerpuff Girls Reboot, the Ben 10 Reboot assumes the audience knows about the series, and therefore does not bother with the origin story. As far as I know, Tara Strong is the only person among the Ben 10 alumni that will reprise her role as young Ben Tennyson, while everyone else is voiced by the new cast.

To be honest, I feel a bit awkward watching the series because it follows the 11-minute format, as opposed to the half-hour like the previous Ben 10 shows. And perhaps because of this, the show is very much episodic rather than have an actual plot. Bad guy shows up, Ben goes hero, messes up, tries again, succeeds, end of story, rinse and repeat.

Watching the first two episodes of the reboot is like I'm watching a short than an actual Ben 10 episode. And again because of the 11-minute format, I get the impression Cartoon Network made this series as cheaply as possible to get the maximum profit. Standard business practice, of course. That being said, in terms of animation and design, it does look like it comes from the same budget as the rest of their CN Original shows.

I will admit I didn't hate the character designs at all after seeing them in the show, and I got used to them almost immediately. Same goes for the voice cast. The Ben 10 Reboot is more light-hearted to being comedic, though being funny isn't really in the franchise's comfort zone, usually. I think Ben 10 Omniverse was the only series wherein I did enjoy the humor thrown in there. The humor in the reboot made me smirk a bit but that's as far as I can go.

So, from the first two episodes of the Ben 10 Reboot, it's not bad. But if you're expecting some sort of plot going on, forget it. You're not getting any. Obviously this reboot is in the same vein as Teen Titans Go and the Powerpuff Girls reboot, in which it's intentionally episodic for syndication and so Cartoon Network can milk it off as for much as it can. Still, I have nothing against the Ben 10 Reboot at all and like other shows such as The Loud House and Milo Murphy's Law, I'll just tune in and watch a random episode if I feel like it, be fine, and move on.

The Ben 10 Reboot is airing right now in Cartoon Network Australia, with the UK and Germany to follow this week, while everywhere else is scheduled to air sometime in 2017.