Striving to Be the Very Best - Pokémon: The Origin Review

In my younger days one franchise dominated everything. This was before I become obsessed with anime, comics, or anything else. When I was younger, everything was about Pokémon. Pokémon was my first video game on my first gaming device ever, my Gameboy Color. Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue are two of the most legendary games of all time. I will always have fond memories of the obscene amount of hours that I put into that game. However, if there was always one grievance that I could make against Pokémon as a franchise, it was that the TV show didn't exactly match the high standard set by the games. I will always have fond, nostalgic memories of the TV since it was good in other ways, but it never felt true to the games. For one, Ash did not display any of the skill that your character did in the games and despite the show's claims of wanting to be "the very best", Ash still hasn't accomplished his goal of becoming a Pokémon master. Instead the show continues on and is an extremely poor product today which only serves as a platform to market each of the 800+ Pokémon that there is now. However, in October of last year, our prayers for a better Pokémon animated product were answered in the form of Pokémon: The Origin, a 4 episode miniseries that follows the story of the original Gameboy games. As it turns out, it's the Pokémon series that we've always wanted.

For anyone who has played the games before, this story should be pretty familiar. The Origin opens up in the familiar menus that we came to know so well over the years. A new game is selected and we're treated to a familiar scene where Professor Oak introduces us to the world of Pokémon. It should be noted here that this series takes place in the game universe and now the original series universe where Professor Oak bordered on insane doctor at times. We soon meet our protagonist Red, the character who we went on all those adventures while playing the original games. He and his rival Blue are brought to Oak's lab where he asks them to travel around the Kanto region and catch them all. He even gives them a starter Pokémon to boot. Red picks Charmander and Blue picks Squirtle, which is no surprise. After that the episodes play out in the same way that they did in the games. Red collects gym badges, catches new Pokémon, and we can feel the nostalgia coming back to us with every beautiful moment. There's this underlying feeling that this is the way the Pokémon TV series should have been from the start. The four episode run begins to feel like a constraint as many events are quickly run through. The four episodes each have one event to focus on (Red getting his first gym badge, Red in the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town, Red facing Giovanni, and Red beating the Elite Four). While all of these events are awesome and seeing them play out in animation is even cooler, it just feels like a shame that so many events happen and aren't given their due. Wouldn't it have been awesome to see Red fight each gym leader? Or even one episode where Red just explores Kanto. As awesome as it is to see the memories from my childhood play out on screen I can't help but feel regret that the show didn't seize the opportunity to make even a 12 episode series out of this. That being said, the plot does move along at a good clip and certainly keeps you engaged. It does it's job of telling the whole storyline of the games and even pokes fun at itself in some instances. This is how a Pokémon series should be done. Even though I already knew how it would end, that didn't deter me from enjoying The Origin. In fact, my only grievance with the entire thing is that they included Mega Evolutions in the final episode, a game feature that didn't enter the Pokémon universe until the most recent generation which also came out this past October. When I played as Red that sort of thing didn't exist and doesn't belong in a series that is clearly meant for older Pokémon fans. If that was trying to sell me on Gen 6, it failed, badly.

This is the story of a boy and his Charmander

The question of what kind of character Red would be is a fair one since he was a silent protagonist in the games. I guess the best way to describe his character in The Origin would just be a better versing of Ash. There have been internet memes flying around for years about how much better Red is than Ash even before Red was even given animated form and personality, so he's coming in with an edge. Red represents everything that Pokémon is supposed to be about: fighting with heart, loving and respecting your Pokémon, and actually winning battles. These are all things that Ash, except for the maybe the first one, sort of failed at as a trainer. Red's awesome because he represents us, especially the version of us that was playing the game at the time. Blue, as the rival, is everything that he was in the games: cocky and snarky. It's cool to see him and Red actually interact rather than it just being a one way conversation.

Pokémon: The Origin is clearly meant for those Pokémon fans who played the games and who have been with the franchise for a really long time. It's really cool to see the whole world come alive and not the Kanto that we were shown in the original series. The Origin gives us the Kanto that we walked through and experienced. Even the nurses in the Pokémon Center give Red his Pokémon back with the familiar "Your Pokémon are now fighting fit! We hope to see you again!". Each episode ends with the game being saved, giving us a tally on how many badges and Pokémon Red has collected. It's a nostalgia trip for Pokémon fans and a damn good one at that.

Seeing the events unfold like they did in the games is a real treat for older fans

Being a massive nostalgia trip is no surprise that Nintendo went to great lengths to include all the original music from the games here. Of course it's all been remastered to fit an anime series and sounds phenomenal here. Red enters a Pokémon Center to the same music we heard in the games, battles have the same music, and you can recognize the music in the towns as well. Visually, the games come to life in vibrant colors as The Origin looks wonderful. The designs are clearly taken from the Gen III remakes of the games (FireRed and LeafGreen) and look great repurposed here. The battles look phenomenal as well and special notice should go to the animators for almost lampshading the ridiculousness of some of the locations of the battles that happen in the game (like inside an office building).

Pokémon: The Origin is meant for Pokémon fans who have played the games, it's that simple. Sure, one can enjoy this on the simple merit of it's awesomeness but they should be warned, it's not a superb anime. It's a little too short when it would have been better served extending out at least 5-7 more episodes. However, in the time it has, it turns into a wonderful trip down memory lane for any Pokémon fan. Watching this will make you want to "Catch em All!" all over again.

My Score: 4/5 (but a must watch for Pokémon fans)

Counting the 5 Best Anime Openings

Anime, like most entertainment mediums, falls into several different branches of styles and thematic elements. For an anime to succeed it needs to be a complete work, having everything from great plot and story to a great musical score. The opening for any anime is essential after all it's one of the first things you see when you start a new show. Making a good first impression is always key; so what exactly makes a good anime opening? Well for starters, an opening should have a great song. Setting the tone is key and setting a consistent tone with the music is even more important. The music, in it's sound and it's lyrics should give us an idea what the general feel of the show is. However, the music is only half the battle. A well animated intro to go along with the music is sometimes even more neccessary. A good anime opening should be complete in the same way that a good anime is a complete work. So without further ado, here are my five favorite anime openings.

5.) "Cruel Angel's Thesis", Neon Genesis Evangelion

Leading off the list is the opening from my favorite anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion. "Cruel Angel's Thesis" is one of the most iconic opening songs in the genre and many people can recognize whether or not they've even watched Evangelion or not. However, to me, this opening does a great job introducing us to the series, even some of it's darker moments. Terms flash across the screen, terminology that is explained to us later and we get to see all the characters as well. It's not the flashiest opening but it still holds up even to this day.

4.) "Guns & Roses", Baccano!

What do you do when your cast has loads and loads of characters and you only have 13 episodes to introduce, develop, and finish their character arcs? Why you introduce your audience to them in your intro, all of them by name. In italian, baccano is a term generally used to describe confusion and chaos, two terms which definitely describe the beautifully disjointed storytelling of Baccano! However, the intro is actually very straightforward and cleanly animated which actually gives a nice contrast. As I said before, with a cast this big it is a challenge to get the most out of each character. This intro however, introduces us to each of the characters so that even before the first scene of the first episode we already know a bit about each one. For example, the first two characters we meet are Issac and Miria. From the intro we can gather that they're eccentric thieves who commit crimes in silly costumes. Without even writing any lines you've already nailed down one of the defining aspects of their characters, it's brilliant. Finally, the music is fantastic, capturing the tone of the era the show is set in with a great jazz riff.

3.) "Hacking to the Gate", Steins;Gate

This is one instance, where just about everything is done well. While "Hacking to the Gate" doesn't exactly define our characters in any sense it does a great job nailing down some fantastic symbolisms. For example, we see multiple versions of Okabe walking, referring to his multiple incarnations as he crosses world lines. The constant focus on Mayuri as his struggle to save her becomes the driving force in the plot. The lyrics of the music match this as well, detailing leaping across world lines and being lone observer of each one. The intro is beautifully animated as well, really capturing the techy feel of the series. From the start we know that this is a science-fiction anime. The song itself is catchy as well. This intro really hooked me on the show.

2.) "Guren no Yumiya", Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a phenomenal anime and at the moment at the forefront of popularity. "Guren no Yumiya" is one of the main reasons for such a surge. For one, it's a hard driving, epic rock song that has the animation behind it to succeed. The song is brilliantly epic which fits the scale of the battles that the characters fight against massive Titans. The imagery in the opening takes a somber tone at the start with the swords of the characters fallen comrades in front of them.  However, as the song begins to soar into a high flying mode the tone gets more sunny and you can feel a brief glimmer of hope, not unlike the general tone of the series. Seeing all the soldiers fly above the rooftops is an amazing sight. The lyrics of "Guren no Yumiya" are also fitting, detailing the humiliation of "being trapped in a cage" reflecting words spoken by characters in the actual show. Overall, "Guren no Yumiya" succeeds because it reflects the tone and the scope of the show, an absolutely brilliant opening.

1.) "Tank!", Cowboy Bebop

There is a point when perfection no longer even begins to describe something. Sometimes, the only way that you can describe something is simply to say "You know what? I'll just show you..." Cowboy Bebop's intro is the most perfect opening in any anime ever. I say this with absolutely certainty. "Tank!" is an iconic anime opening and deserving topper of this list. The song is brilliant, the animation slick, and the smoothness of Yoko Kanno's music sets the mood of the show perfectly. "Tank!" feels like a homage back the intros of the old Lupin III shows. It pays respect to the animes of old while redefining the genre as a whole here, it's brilliant. It is the perfect mashup of style, sound, and color. In the same way that Cowboy Bebop changed the entire anime landscape, this intro turned the anime opening into an art form and paved the way for intros like the ones earlier on this list to come into being. Bebop is here because it kicks ass, was groundbreaking, and still hold up today as the best anime opening ever.

Nein, Wir Sind Der Jäger! - Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) Review

The anime world exploded again, all the way back in April of 2013 when Shingeki no Kyojin or Attack on Titan made it's debut. The series, based off of a manga of course, caused the anime community to collectively explode with excitement as to how good it was. I had heard this outburst of joy for months now but as usual I abided by my policy of not watching an anime until it has finished it's run. I had been planning to watch Attack on Titan since it had ended but other concerns has taken precedent. That was, until the incredible revelation I made last week when I found out that Attack on Titan had made it's way onto Netflix (before it's even been dubbed too which is even more rare). At that moment I instantly began watching the series just to see what all the hype is about.

Attack on Titan takes place on Earth in a universe in which humanity has been confined behind three walls. The reasoning for this are the bizarre and terrifying beings known as Titans who wiped out 60% of the world's population one hundred years before the start of the series. The Titans are large humanoid like beings which devour humans. Their origins and their motives are a mystery to what is left of the human race. However, the Titans haven't breached the massive walls and so humanity lived in peace for a century. In 845 AD, the present day, a massive Titan (appropriately dubbed "The Colossal Titan") breaches the outermost wall of the human settlement, leading to a massacre of the district. It is through this unfortunate series of events that we meet our three principal main characters: a young boy named Eren who isn't afraid to voice his opinions about the Titans, his quiet adoptive sister Mikasa, and their friend Armin. The Titan attack causes all three to lose a great deal and when humanity is forced behind the second wall, the three make up their mind to join the military. It is here where they meet the rest of the large cast of characters who make up the elite cadets in their class. The characters then are drawn into the world of fighting Titans, one that is even more horrifying than they could have imagined.

Uhm...where can I get one of those?

At first, the show draws you in on it's action, which is certainly delivers on. The gear that the military uses, known as "3D Maneuvering Devices", is obscenely cool as the characters leap across rooftops. It uses a combination of wires and compressed gas and allows our heroes to fling themselves around the city. It's damn impressive to watch and is a real feat in animation. However, despite the action sounding premise, the series is much more about it's characters than anything. In fact, you soon realize just how terrifying and how powerful the Titans are. The characters fail...a lot, making major mistakes and sacrificing lives only to see it come to nothing in the end. However, there are also moments where the characters persistence does pay off, leading to hope spots. In the end, the show paints a gruesome picture of how people deal with loss and the costs of war, especially a war that decides the fate of humanity. You understand that the characters have to fight because if they don't then nobody else will. The series does a great job conveying the terror of the Titans and how powerless the characters feel in front of them. I mean, they've had plenty of military training and yet still most of the characters aren't capable of even fighting the Titans, usually because of their complete fear of them. This same fear is relatable for us the viewer because the Titans are a huge mystery not only to us but to the characters as well. I was lucky that I knew that there was going to be a second season following this one. Attack on Titan certainly had more of what I like to call "WTF moments" that kept me constantly on the edge of my seat. Just about every episode ends on some sort of cliffhanger but nothing in the plot ever feels like an ass-pull. The whole thing felt smartly crafted. That being said, this season definitely left a lot of things unanswered and many of the most basic questions of the series are still present at the season finale. However, this can be overlooked on the basis that this is only the first season for the show and that the second season should finally resolve this issue.

It should also be noted that Attack on Titan has loads and loads of characters. However, luckily for us it's pretty obvious as to who are the important ones and who aren't. Eren clearly has MAIN CHARACTER written all over him so naturally, the series places a great deal of focus on him. However, the rest of the characters collectively receive an equal amount of screentime and by the end of the season it definitely feels like you know them well. It's pretty easy to get drawn to the characters before realizing that this is a series in which almost any character can die. You can really sympathize with these characters who in some instances watch their best friends get devoured. There are really four main characters that you have to focus on: Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Jean (Eren's early rival at the military camp). Jean was a really surprising character to me and of all characters is the one who shows the most noticeable growth over the course of the series. Like I said before, Eren is clearly the main character and so most of the plot was written around him. He was a very hard character for me to read however since he spends a lot of his time onscreen whining. I found that my favorite character in this was Mikasa since I found her to be a really interesting character and was established as one of humankind's most skilled soldiers. Armin however never really redeemed himself for me as a character and never really seemed to show much growth. It's established pretty early that he's not as strong as Mikasa or Eren but is useful on the basis that he's a skilled tactician. That part of Armin's personality is pretty cool but it hardly makes up for the obscene amount of time he spends being absolutely useless onscreen. However, despite my grievances with Eren and Armin, they still wound up being strong characters. The rest of the cast is especially strong as well and there's loads of likable characters. Despite the series' dark tone there are a few humorous moments thrown in there. Most of these come from Sasha "Potato Girl" Braus, who's love of food outweighs just about anything.

The plot mostly involves these cadets but also expands to a whole host of other characters as well

Having a cast full of interesting characters is certainly an aid to any show's cause. Being able to develop them all fully however, is another thing altogether. The plot is mostly from the point of view of the cadets who trained with Eren and their first experiences in the military. Since theres three branches of the military (Scout Regiment, Garrison Regiment, and Military Police) we get introduced to loads of other characters outside the one's we already know. In the Scout Regiment we meet Sergeant Levi and Commander Erwin. Levi is humankind's most skilled soldier and is easily the coolest character in the show so far. There's plenty of other minor characters that we meet in all three branches and even in their short appearances their personalities are fleshed out and it's pretty easy to grow attached to them.

Attack on Titan should also be lauded for looking absolutely fantastic. I absolutely loved the character designs and feel of the whole post-apocalyptic world. The Titans themselves were absolutely terrifying even if their designs were sometimes goofy looking. However, I'd say that goofiness actually helped their image more than anything and only added to how creepy they were. The designs of the military uniforms were also very well done and I've already gushed about how much I love their military equipment. The whole anime is beautifully done and sets the tone beautifully. The musical score was done by Hiroyuki Sawano, the same guy who did the music work on Guilty Crown. While there was many things wrong with Guilty Crown as a show, the musical score was fantastic there and Attack on Titan is another great job done by Sawano. Special credit should be given to the series' first opening, "Guren no Yumiya" which is the best opening for any anime that I've seen in a long while. You can really hear Sawano's touch on the musical score and it's really that final piece that makes this show great.

Attack on Titan is beautiful even when displaying it's horrifying monstrosities

Without a doubt, Attack on Titan is really the best anime to come out in a long while. It's not surprising, given it's popularity, that it's getting a second season and I'm very excited for it whenever it comes out. Attack on Titan does so many things well, it reminds me of Code Geass in the way that it is able to masterfully craft a story involving loads of different character and turn it into something coherent and meaningful. At no point does Attack on Titan ever feel bogged down or slow. It's absolutely brilliant and is a must watch for any anime fan who hasn't seen it yet. Considering it's now on Netflix there's no reason not to check it out.

My Score: 5/5

Notebooks and a God Complex - Death Note Review

Well, it certainly took me long enough didn’t it? Since 2007, Death Note has been regarded as one of those must watch animes, a classic in the community. Despite it’s run ending in 2007 and a surprisingly thin number of spin-offs/extra materials, Death Note remains incredibly popular. In fact, it remains the most popular anime on MyAnimeList.com. For some reason or another, despite being a big anime fan, I never got around to watching it. The reasons for doing so remain quite unclear to me as it sat on my hard drive for years without ever being touched. So, I finally decided to see what it was all about; is Death Note truly deserving of it’s title as an anime classic and one that everyone must watch?

The story begins with a bored Death God (or Shinigami, depending on what subs you have) named Ryuk who decides to drop his ‘Death Note’ into the Human World because he was…bored. A Death Note is a notebook wielded by Death Gods in which if you write someone’s name on it’s pages, that person will die (there’s loads of other rules as well but I won’t get into that). The notebook falls into the hands of Light Yagami, a brilliant Japanese student who, like Ryuk, is bored. Light originally thinks the book to be some kind of prank. That is until his curiosity gets the better of him and he writes the name of a criminal who’s name and photograph appear on the news. The criminal dies shortly after Light writes his name and after a few more tests Light is convinced of the notebook’s power. Light then quickly jumps to the conclusion that with this notebook it’s his responsibility to bring judgement upon criminals with the Death Note to create a ‘perfect world’ in which he will become the god of. However, as the criminal deaths begin to mount it catches the eye of the International Police and more importantly, the world’s finest detective, known as L ,who launches a large investigation in order to catch the criminal known to the public as ‘Kira’. The action then shifts to a battle of wits between Light and L as each try to stay one step in front of the other in order to accomplish their goals (L to capture Kira and Light to kill L). What results is a rather compelling and tense mind battle between the two in the first 15 or so episodes. However, this compelling and heart-pounding storyline only goes so far. Without spoiling too much, the plot is at it’s best when it’s Light against L in their battle to outwit the other. However, the second half of the series becomes boring and stale at best. The end of the series in particular is incredibly weak. Death Note promises a lot early but then drops the ball towards the end of the series (more on this later).

On the left, Light. On the right, L. Who wins this battle of geniuses?

 I thought that one of the great failings of the show was that it rarely debated the morality of the Death Note or provided a philosophical debate on the meaning of justice. That is what I came into the series expecting. However, Light rarely has to make any truly difficult decisions, everything is obscured by his battle with L. This is a huge missed opportunity for the series, not to mention that halfway through every episode a screen would inform us about certain rules about Death Gods and Death Notes. However, these rules hardly ever came into play. The series got a little too caught up in the Light vs L dynamic that by a certain point the Death Note hardly felt like a plot point. I mean, it’s only the title of the show right? I love battles of wit and intellect and the battle between Light and L was certainly interesting and near exciting at times. The show never really asks the questions that it should be asking about having the ability to kill. It never goes into the ideas about what a good person is or what make someone a bad person. It never provokes the viewer into those thoughts. These questions don’t get asked because the focus is on Light and L’s intellectual battle and the show never makes you think. It does all the thinking for you. The show never goes into who Light designated as bad people and never asked those important questions. People claim to love the show because they think it asks such questions but I failed to see their point. Things in Death Note are painted with black and white, rarely grey. However, I can’t forgive a show for losing it’s way so easily. Death Note runs for 37 episodes and by the time you reach the final episode it feels stilted and played out by just interesting enough for you to stay entertained. The show does just enough right to keep you interested and can be entertaining but the second half of the series feels lacking in direction in comparison to the first half’s fast moving and tense plot. For all the hype that I heard about this show, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly disappointed. In reality, Death Note would have been better served running for about 24-26 episodes in comparison to 37. By the end it just drags on.

Light Yagami himself is a largely a good character. I was originally put off by how quickly Light came to the conclusion of using the Death Note to make himself a god but I was willing to accept it because his descent into madness was quite interesting to watch. Light is brilliant and is meticulously well prepared for every situation. That kind of protagonist is one of my favorites to watch. However, I was really disappointed that Light never got any truly introspective moments. When we are tuned into Light’s thoughts, they’re always about how to stay in front of L, what his next move was going to be. Rarely did Light’s god complex really come in to play. Coming off of that point, from the beginning Light is hardly human. He’s emotionally detached and dare I say, kind of boring. The series would have been much better if the protagonist had more of that human element and was faced with decisions that tested his morality and sense of justice. Meanwhile, I really did not like the character of L. Like Light, I was very impressed by his intellect and his ability to keep up with Light however, the character himself was extremely weak. L is a quirky detective who has numerous odd habits and is all around strange. His only defining trait is that he’s a weird and emotionally detached detective and that’s about it. That’s his entire character. You can make the argument about how he’s supposed to contrast Light and now in a sense they’re two sides of the same coin but in the end it’s meaningless. L’s character is as shallow as a kiddie pool and only serves to be the weird detective, Sherlock Holmesesque character that has been played out in loads of TV shows. Also, I struggle to really recall any other characters because as a whole, the characters were forgettable. The policeman that work with L are so boring that they all blended together into a boring mush. Then there’s the character of Misa Amane who’s job is to annoy you and become irrelevant to the plot during the entire second half of the series. One character I did like was Ryuk the Death God. It was interesting seeing him observe Light’s use of the Death Note and his joy at the chaos he was causing. However, he pretty much disappears halfway through the series and his later appearances feel more like cameos than anything.

Light does well enough at being evil...but is that it?

Now, I’ve said a lot of things about this show so far but I feel I’ve hardly scratched the surface when it comes to issues I had with this show. Now, here’s a quick little disclaimer, by no means should someone take this to mean that it’s bad. My judgement of this show comes more from my disappointment that it didn’t live up to the expectations that the anime has set for it. It holds an 8.92 score on MAL, which is on a 10 scale and obviously is quite high. I feel that to truly express what the show did wrong I need to incorporate extremely heavy spoilers. So if you have not seen Death Note, I advise you not to read:

<Spoilers Start Here>

As I said earlier, the show loses it’s way in the middle. Through a strange chain of events, Light ends up working alongside L on the Kira case despite the fact that he is Kira himself. In addition, as part of Light’s plan, he relinquishes the Death Note and his memories in order to trick L. So, instead of a pulse pounding battle between two great minds, we get lots of Light and L ho-yay moments instead. The pace of the show grinds to a halt because now we’re left with two boring characters. At least Light was somewhat interesting before since he was a maniacal laughing evil genius. Once he loses his memory, his interactions with L become boring and the plot shifts to the hardly compelling Yotsuba group sting operation. These guys aren’t nearly as fun to watch as Light and L’s battle was.

Next, we come to the part where L dies and the show becomes even more boring. With L out of the way, it appears that Light has nobody else to stand in his way. However, we’re soon introduced to L’s successors; Near and Mello. Near is just a clone of L except that he’s even more overpowered and is able to make impossible deductions out of his ass. Mello is just an asshole who winds up being a pretty pointless character. The action then shifts to a boring battle between Near and Light, which is nowhere near as good as his battle with L was. The action culminates in one of the worst endings I’ve seen in anime history. Light ends up being outgambited by Near at the end, is exposed as Kira, and later dies at the hands of Ryuk, the very same Death God who gave him the notebook. I wasn’t surprised that Light died because that is the way that the story should end. Stories like this should end with the protagonist meeting his end because that kind of power never should of been in his hands to begin with. However, the climax of the series relies on Light being outgambited by an even weaker character then L. One, this defies everything about Light’s character that has been established so far and two, the ending makes the final 12 episodes of the series following L’s death feel utterly pointless. Light was established as being a genius who saw every possible outcome, it felt out of character for him to fail in this circumstance. Meanwhile, Near’s outsmarting him felt inorganic. L’s deductions made sense, he jumped to the logical conclusions. Near however simply pulls answers out of his ass. It was insulting to Light’s character that he was outsmarted in such a way.

I agree Light, your show's ending is a load of bullcrap

Finally, the ending made the entire story feel empty and meaningless. In the end you don’t feel that Light’s death was really a result of him using the Death Note and wielding a power nobody should have. It felt that he died because he lost a game of wits with Near which was largely unsatisfying. Everything that the series had built up to that point lost all meaning with Light’s death. There was no satisfying conclusion, no moral to be gained here. What was the point of this whole story? It would have been more satisfying to see Light achieve his objective but die shortly after becoming a god as punishment for his sins. But no, in the end we’re left with a meaningless ending. The real meat of this story was when Light was going head to head with L. Once L left, the struggle felt empty and Near was a hollow replacement. Their struggle didn’t convey the same tension as Light vs L. Like I said earlier, Death Note promises a lot early but falters in the middle and at the finish line. 

<Spoilers End Here>

I can’t say that I was exactly a huge fan of Death Note’s art style either. I does a good job conveying the dark mood of the show but as for the characters themselves it’s hardly anything special. They don’t stand out in any way. There are some interesting visual tricks here, like when the screen switches to a red color scheme when Light slips into his evil side. However, other than that, I couldn’t say that I was that impressed. The show came out in 2006 so there’s no reason for it not to look better. The dialogue between characters was done pretty well, especially during Light and L’s battles. However, it had a habit of leaning a little to much on exposition. For example, during the Yotsuba arc, there’s scenes where characters are simply spitting exposition to each other to the point of mind-numbingness. One of the Yotsuba members says something like “We are all young so we all have our sights on the CEO position”. Way to remove all the mystery and intrigue surrounding your characters. Occasionally the show would shift into a comedic mindset which, to be perfectly honest, definitely didn’t suit it. These comedic moments would be thrown into pretty serious episodes which frequently threw the tone of the show off. Overall though, the voice actors did well, even if the script failed them at times.

Death Note is a solid series but not a great one. My harsh tone in this review comes mostly from my disappointment that the show isn’t as good as promised. At it’s best, Death Note is compelling, tense, and can be downright scary good. However, it’s just so average in the rest of it’s run. Rather it just plods along at a slow pace and never makes use of the host of potential plot lines that are around. I understand that the length of the manga forced the anime to go on longer than it should have. Still, there’s little excuse for the disjointed storytelling at the end. Death Note is a fine series but it’s hardly a must-watch series or anime classic. It may appeal to you, it may not, it's no sure thing. 

My Score: 3/5

The More You Know - Sherlock S3E3 - His Last Vow Reaction/Season 3 Wrap-Up

It's sad, it really is that I sit here now and write my final words about Season 3 of Sherlock. Has it really been a full season? Is it over already? Since the seasons of Sherlock are three episodes they go rather fast but I'm still shocked that I'm reading the last rites of the third season here already. Either way, season three is finished with "His Last Vow" an episode that lives up to the Sherlock tradition of it's final episodes being fantastic. This being a reaction to the finale, I believe it goes without saying that there are going to be the heaviest of spoilers here. So if you have not seen this episode then you should likely avoid reading what I have to write here.

"His Last Vow" goes for the gusto right away by wasting no time in introducing the new villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen. We see him collecting blackmail on several government officials. According to Sherlock he's the most dangerous man in Britain. The episode opens with Sherlock going undercover in a drug den as he's trying to draw out Magnussen with a red herring. Of course, all the other characters completely flip out that Sherlock was in a drug den even though at this point they should be used to this sort of thing by now. It's actually a little frustrating seeing Sherlock having to actually justify his actions. Seriously, Sherlock going undercover in a drug den is probably one of the least offensive things that he's done. Sherlock tries to get John excited about going on the Magnussen case with him to which John frustratingly tries to change the conversation topic. I'm sorry but John's behavior in this episode is horribly inconsistent with the past two. In those episodes there was loads of development in the Sherlock/John relationship and in this one, it feels like John has forgotten about most of that. Regardless, John eventually joins Sherlock on the case, lots of things go down, and the episode goes down a turn that I really didn't expect. Mary's past gets brought out into light, there's loads of Sherlock character development, and then theres the whole Magnussen business underlying everything. This is most definitely a different Sherlock episode since it has a larger focus on character development than the case itself but thats consistent with how this season has gone. Overall, it becomes a wildly entertaining episode that has all the twists and turns that come with a Sherlock finale. So here's my thoughts on what happened:

1.) Well, there really was something about Mary.

For those perceptive enough (and Sherlock fans are most certainly perceptive) they should notice that when Sherlock first met Mary he deduced that she was a "liar" among several other things. None of his other deductions stood out to me as much as that one. It turns out that Mary was lying about her incredibly shady past. She's an ex-intelligence agent who has a whole lot of things she'd like to erase, things that Magnussen had a whole library of. Turns out that Sherlock had been privy of this for awhile as we see that her behavior in the first couple episodes was more indicative of her past than we had originally thought. Of course, Sherlock goes about making John privy to this knowledge as well which leads to a rather unique form of couples therapy. She and John resolve their problems pretty quickly and I found that the episode made me like Mary more. Yes, she was lying to John but she was doing her best to start a good, new life for herself. Magnussen was threatening to take all of that away from her. This episode ended up being good development for her and John. Though, it's not as if John's attraction to danger is anything new really. We've seen it in the past episodes and the fact that at the beginning of the episode, rather than just reasoning with the guy at the drug den, John went straight to using blunt force should be further proof. However, I can't help but think that Mary's past is going to resurface again in the fourth season. After all, she's apparently done some pretty terrible things in her past life.

2.) There was no brotherly battle but plenty of good development between Sherlock and Mycroft.

Chibi Sherlock also comes with a matching haircut

Judging from the previews for the episode, where Mycroft warns Sherlock "If you go against Magnussen, you go against me" made me think that there was going to be a battle of wits between the two brothers. However, such a thing didn't really happen. What did happen was that we got to find out a little more about the dynamic between the two. The scene in which Mary shoots Sherlock, where Sherlock delves into his 'Mind Palace', turns out to be a huge scene of character development. Can you believe that Sherlock actually feels a lot of insecurity about his older brother? It appears that Mycroft has always exerted some sort of dominance over Sherlock even in their younger days. It would seem to be an extension of the last episodes Mind Palace scene in which Mycroft shows up in a dominant way. He's the one who knows the answers and loves holding them above Sherlock's head. In Mycroft's case he keeps picturing Sherlock as his younger brother and frequently Sherlock's younger self shows up from Mycroft's perspective. This shows that Mycroft still sees Sherlock as his younger brother and will go to lengths to protect him. This is ever more important in an episode about blackmail and people's 'pressure points' as Magnussen calls them. Such development between the brothers has felt like a long time coming and it suits an episode which was much more about character development.

3.) Magnussen isn't Moriarty and yet is every bit as scary.

My biggest worry about the new villain, Charles Augustus Magnussen, was either that he was going to be a poor substitute for his giggling predecessor or that the writers would try too hard to make him as memorable. Of the three major antagonists that Sherlock has faced (Moriarty, Irene Adler, and now Magnussen) I would say that Magnussen falls squarely in between Moriarty and Adler. However, in some circumstances he's even more dangerous than Moriarty was. Magnussen is every bit as cunning and like he says to John he simply knows things. His knowledge is what makes him incredibly dangerous. He's a very creepy and menacing character as well. However, I felt that he would have been every bit as scary without his weird tendencies. For example, he urinates in Sherlock's fireplace for no other reason than to tell the audience "WATCH OUT HE'S CRAZY!!" which we already figured from an earlier scene where he licks a lady's face. Moriarty's insanity was part of his charm, Magnussen's just feels...tacked on. However, Magnussen drops the act during the episode's final stages and finally turns into that monster that we knew was lurking underneath. The revelation that his library of blackmail was all in his head was a twist that I probably should have seen coming but even so was an entertaining one. In one swift move he took down Sherlock Holmes. My first question when this was revealed was how he could blackmail people if he just 'knew' things. This was quickly answered by a beautifully done scene where he's proves to John the control he has over people just by knowing things and continuously flicks John's face. John obviously can't do anything since Magnussen knows things on Mary. The entire scene is genius and was the moment where Magnussen established himself as a great villain. I hardly could have predicted the end of Sherlock's battle of wits against Magnussen. From what I know about Sherlock, he's the type who uses his mind to do battle. Normally, a Sherlock episode ends with Sherlock out-witting his opponent. "The Reichenbach Fall" was a prime example of Sherlock winning by using his mind. That's why I was so surprised when Sherlock took action and shot Magnussen in the head when it seemed like he was beaten. That was a twist I definitely didn't see coming but it made sense since Magnussen's secrets were all kept in his head. Sherlock taking a simple, expedient option...who would have thought? Overall, Magnussen was a fantastic villain since he's the first to truly outwit Sherlock Holmes.

4.) Mind Palaces are freaking awesome

This season has introduced us to Sherlock's greatest weapon, his Mind Palace. It's how Sherlock manages to be so effective at what he does. The first episode gave a name to the concept and then the last two episodes actually let us in to Sherlock's head. The sequence from "His Last Vow" was absolutely astounding as Sherlock pieces together how exactly to survive getting shot. Molly Hooper coaches him along, Mycroft taunts him, even Sherlock's old dog shows up. The highlight of this scene is Sherlock being locked into a cell with an insane Moriarty. When I say insane, I mean a completely unhinged Moriarty as opposed to the sharply dressed, still insane, but keeping within his trademark style of insanity, Moriarty. Not only do these scenes let us in to Sherlock's process but they also let us in to his insecurities, his deepest fears. Despite the feeling that the Mind Palace is what makes Sherlock almost less human it manages to humanize him even more. It's an interesting motif that underlies the whole scene. Magnussen's Mind Palace is incredibly elaborate piece of work as well. Of course, his reflects a different mind which stores different information. I hope that this concept gets further developed in the next season. Oh and speaking of Moriarty...

5.) Now about that ending...

I'm not going to say that I called it, except that I did. It was already shocking enough the Sherlock took the option of shooting Magnussen in the head but the writers outdid themselves twice in one episode with the revelation that Moriarty is very much alive. This is fantastic news to me since I loved the Moriarty character and it only makes me want the fourth season more. While this season was highly anticipated because we all wanted to know how Sherlock survived jumping off a building, now we want to know how Moriarty survived an even more impossible death, putting a gun in his mouth. I was always under the impression that Moriarty was too smart to not have a plan like Sherlock did on the roof. After all, he is supposed to be evil Sherlock in a sense. So I'm not really that surprised that he survived. Of course, all the negative people will tell you that Moriarty isn't back and that someone just used his face for his nationwide broadcast. This was certainly a possibility until an end-credit scene show's Moriarty in the flesh. After showing that, not having Moriarty actually being back would probably alienate a large amount of the Sherlock fanbase, myself included. As a show that has it's finger on the pulse of it's fanbase it seems highly unlikely that they would tease Moriarty in this way and then not bring him back. It should make for an interesting fourth season, after all Sherlock did apparently destroy a large amount of Moriarty's criminal network. Of course, whether that was simply more trickery from Moriarty himself is now a legitimate question. I'm actually unbelievably excited for this and it's nice to feel as if my faith has been rewarded. I knew you weren't dead buddy.

To me, the end credit scene is proof enough

6.) So what do we make of this season?

This was yet another great season of Sherlock, a different season for sure, and yet still a good one. Different by no means should ever mean "bad", this season just took Sherlock in a new direction. This season was less about the cases and more about developing the characters. Other events took precedence over the cases in each episode (Sherlock's return, John's wedding, and Mary's past). It was a long time coming to see these characters fleshed out a bit more, especially between John and Sherlock. There have certainly been memorable episodes, mostly because they've been so different from typical Sherlock. It's been a funnier season, it's been a more character based season, and it's been a season that has established Sherlock as a human (sort of). I actually felt that the last episode took away from some of the development that happened this season. Sherlock's treatment of Janine seemed like a slap in the face to us after seemed to be showing progress in the way of being less of a sociopath this season. The highlights of this season were definitely the Mind Palace scenes. Not only did they let us peep into Sherlock's process but they were also brilliantly filmed scenes. Overall, I felt that this season was one really made out to the fans and one that is more a reward for us long-time Sherlock fans than anything. In terms of how it ranks, I would place it in between the first and second seasons. The second season, in my opinion, is Sherlock at it's very best. This season, while still being excellent, is just a bit behind. Of course, comparing greatness to greatness can sometimes be a nearly impossible endeavor. Now we come back to where we were a few weeks ago, waiting for the next season. Moffat and Gatiss have been quoted as saying that the next season will come faster than this season did. Of course, they've had to work around Benedict Cumberbatch's rise to superstardom. No matter when the next season comes out, there's no doubt that this series remains fresh. Next season should be an absolute cracker.

Expanding the Universe - Code Geass: Akito the Exiled - Episodes 1+2 Reaction

In my review of the Steins;Gate movie I commented on anime films and the risk that one takes in making one. Spin-offs of a successful anime series work in the same way. Many times, despite taking place in the same universe as it's original counterpart, it doesn't quite live up to the standard set by the original series. Usually this is an issue that comes along with introducing new characters who just don't capture our interest in the same way that the one's from the series did. My last post was centered around my new perspective on one of my favorite animes ever; Code Geass. The universe of Code Geass is large, not surprising given the huge popularity of the series and there's loads of extra material that have expanded upon the show's backstory and extended universe. However, this hasn't been attempted in the form of a new animated series. This is where Akito the Exiled comes in. It's a four episode OVA that is two episodes in currently. Seeing as how I just rewatched the original series, I decided that I'd finally give these two episodes a watch and see if it lives up to the Code Geass name.

Akito the Exiled takes place in the intervening year between the the two seasons of the original series. Fans of Code Geass will come to see that this spin-off actually bears little resemblance to it's predecessor. It takes place within the same universe, all the terminology is the same, but it's hard to say that a prior viewing of the original series is necessary to enjoy Akito the Exiled. However, there's no doubt that it can only help you and to be honest is probably necessary just because it's a great series. The focus on Akito the Exiled actually isn't on the conflict between Britannia and the Japanese. No, the focus is predominantly on that other country, the European Union, currently locked in a war with Britannia and not really doing too hot. The first episode drops us right in the middle of an E.U. military operation in which E.U. forces are attempting to recover their own units from behind enemy lines. However, the unit undergoing the operation are made up of Japanese soldiers, not E.U. troops, and only one comes back alive; Akito Hyuga. The unit, known as the "W-0", is under the command of Lieutenant Leila Malcal, a former Britannian aristocrat. Akito is quickly assigned to Malcal as her bodyguard and thus our story begins. The first episode is predominantly with setting the premise of the OVA and establishing the characters. Malcal later rebuilds her squad with a group of rambunctious Japanese kids who join the unit in order to get their sentences commuted for attacking a military convoy. The second episode deals with their integration into the unit, which can only be described as rocky at best.

Oh boy a homicidal maniac for a main character. This should be fun.

It's hard to really gauge the plot from only the first two episodes as they seem more intent on setting the premise rather than jumping right into a fast paced plot. Considering that it's already half-way through and each episode is around 40 minutes, I'd expect the last two episodes to be very action packed. The atmosphere of the show is certainly interesting. Everything about it looks like Code Geass and it clearly takes place in the same universe. Even the dialogue is similar. However, it feels more like a traditional mecha anime than the original series did. The focus here is certainly more on the action but the Code Geass style of storytelling is still present. I wouldn't be surprised if everything begins to fall into place starting with the third episode. At the moment it's still kind of hard to tell exactly what's going on, especially on the Britannian side of things. One thing I enjoyed was that the focus is on the E.U. In the original series we never got to know the E.U. as anything else other than that country which got it's ass kicked by Britannia. Noting the differences between the two sides is interesting as well. The Britannian color pallette was always full of bright colors and Britannians frequently dressed as if they'd raided Liberace's wardrobe. The E.U. counters that with a more toned down colors, for example their military seems fond of traditional brown and grey colors. At the same time, their society has a more technological feel than Britannia did. However, it was a shame to see that Britannians and Europeans were generally the same, especially the upper class. The European elite were shown in the same douchebaggy light as the Britannians were which I suppose makes it questionable as to which side we really want to root for. My biggest issue however was why the Europeans were treating the Japanese so poorly. This was actually an interesting plot point as it showed that the Japanese were not just being discriminated against in Area 11 but also in the E.U. as well. Their plight was worldwide and it provides a little more perspective on why Lelouch's rebellion was so successful. However, the discrimination of the Japanese in the E.U. is a little odd. The Britannians, in addition to being racists, discriminated against Elevens mostly because they conquered Japan. In a sense, it felt as though they at least had a reason, even if that reason was pretty terrible anyways. In the E.U. the stigma against Elevens feels even more senseless. However, it provides a good perspective for the situations of the Japanese worldwide. After all, there have been plenty of races which have been discriminated worldwide in real life in the past so such a thing can exist here.

References to the original series have so far been few and far between. The first episode made exactly one reference to the Black Knights and that was about it. The second episode however, had two scenes that especially stood out. The action cuts to the Emperor's personal train and on board is a familiar face, Suzaku. Since this is between R1 and R2, Suzaku is now a Knight of the Round. Also on board the train, we realize, is Lelouch. We don't really see much other than that he's clearly a prisoner being transported somewhere. My original thought was that this was when Suzaku was bringing him before the Emperor but that was before his promotion. No, there must be some other purpose behind this scene. It turns out that I was right, Lelouch is there for another reason. A scene towards the end of the episode shows him and Suzaku stepping off the train in St. Petersburg. Lelouch claims that his name is Julius Kingsley and will be assuming command of Britannian troops. He's clearly shown to be a bit off his rocker (of course Lelouch was off his rocker for most of the original series anyways) so this is something to watch in later episodes. To be honest, originally this felt like fanservice, but it's clear that this will have some significance later on. It's nice to see these familiar characters get worked into this series. I mean we have an idea about what happened in between the seasons: most of the Black Knights were arrested, Zero was thought to be put to death, Suzaku became a Knight of the Round, and Lelouch's memories were rewritten along with his classmates. However, we never really see what characters like Kallen and C.C. did during this time. Hopefully, the series elaborates on that. Since Kallen is my favorite Code Geass character I would love to see her make at least a brief appearance in the series. Then again, this series stars a whole new cast of characters, so maybe that's asking a bit much.

The two scenes involving Suzaku felt more like a tease but it's clear the next episodes will have him involved in the plot some way.

However, I found myself a little too excited for the brief moments when Suzaku and Lelouch were onscreen. To be honest, the new characters we're given aren't too exciting. Akito is a pretty boring character and his defining attribute is that he's a homicidal maniac. He can't possibly be as bad as Luciano Bradley was in the original series but when that's your most dynamic attribute, it's hard to be a good character. Akito, like most mecha pilots in anime, has a troubled past as well, with his brother no less. His brother is a Britannian Knight of Honor and the leader of The Order of Michael, yet another plot point which has yet to be revealed. Both of them seem to have Geass powers, so another question has to be asked about how they got them. Perhaps C.C. or V.V. made contracts with them? Or maybe it's a new character. Malcal herself isn't exactly a strong character either. It's clear that she and Akito are the two major characters here but neither stood out. Same goes for the three other members of the W-0 squad. In fact, most of the characters just feel like replacements for characters from the original series. The OVA places us in a whole new world with new characters but the highlights of the first two episodes are the two short scenes where Suzaku and Lelouch are present. There's something a little wrong with that. Even so, the characters are boring but the plot moving around them is certainly full of enough intrigue to keep me interested.

From an A/V standpoint Akito the Exiled is a huge step up from the series. The first two episodes have been released on Blu-Ray and look absolutely phenomenal. The action scenes are something to behold in the first two episodes and are a massive step up. With a focus more on these scenes, they become the real highlight scenes of the OVA so far. This is something to be acknowledged mostly because the animation from the original Code Geass was already phenomenal. The music also makes a grand reappearance and its just as good as it was in the original series. The guys who work on this show know how to set the mood perfectly, even if this series has a much darker feel than the original.

The mechs look beautiful

Akito the Exiled has certainly promised quite a bit through the first two episodes. Of course, most of the intrigue comes from us wanting to find out exactly what is going on. So far however, it has done a great job of expanding the Code Geass universe and making us more familiar with the European Union which was long overdue. I give the first two episodes a passing grade but it's clear that until the whole OVA is complete I won't be able to fully judge it. The preview places the next episode as due out during the Spring of 2014.

Revisting Code Geass

Every year I make I habit of rewatching some of my favorite animes. Typically each involves a rewatching of Neon Genesis Evangelion and Code Geass. The amount of times that I've watched both is staggering. Due to a combination of factors, rewatching Code Geass this year came a little earlier than I expected. Like I said before, I have watched Code Geass several times by this point, everytime picking up on something new that I didn't pick up before. Suddenly now, I feel that I've reached some clarity on the series.

Code Geass is a fantastic anime. It was full of twists and turns and featured a cast full of likable characters. It's hardly perfect, but then again what anime is? The main fault that people find with it is that it's second season, named R2, was weaker than that the first. This resulted in a rather uneven season that lacked much of the punch of the first season. The debate over the second season has made the Code Geass fanbase into one of the most Broken Bases in the industry. The second season introduced new characters, plenty of plot twists, and personnally the best ending I've seen in any anime. My theory on Code Geass, to quote The Dark Knight, was that it was the ending it deserved and not entirely the one it needed. I have always held onto my belief that the second season, while not of the same quality of it's predecessor is still a fantastic work in it's own right. This time around watching it, I've found a lot more to like about the series in general, so let's get down to business. (Spoilers here for those who haven't watched the series. You should by the way, it's really good)

1.) The second season should be judged as part of a whole, rather than individually.

I'm not blind to the fact that the second season has several plot points that are exceptionally weak; the Emperor's lame assimilation plot and the fact that the show refuses to let any character stay dead. However, other than those two points, when you watch the two seasons in one continuous run everything seems to fall into place. Lots of things from the first season come back into play over the second season's run and when looking back, the crafting of such a story goes back all the way to the earliest episodes. When the two are watched the way they were meant to be watched, in a continuous run, these connections become very apparent. This doesn't excuse the ass-pull plot devices (like Nunnally's not being dead) and the incredibly narmy scenes (Emperor rocket ftw, though I like to pretend that the whole assimilation plot never happened). So yes, it's a lesser product, that's been said enough, but as a whole work it succeeds.

Another criticism is that the second season has less signature moments than the first season did. The first season had several benchmark moments that were memorable (The Shirley saga, Euphemia's death, Battle of Narita, the confrontation between Suzaku and Lelouch, and the Black Rebellion). While I can name those moments it's also worth mentioning that the first season rarely wasted an episode, it's plot moved along at a steady clip and it never felt stagnant. The second season meanwhile wobbles it's way through the first half and by the time they're bunkered down in Chinese Federation it's a little confusing as to what the significance of it all is. Obviously, once you've finished the series and rewatched it enough like I have you can connect the dots much easier. The second half of the second season is certainly compelling as it begins racing towards it's conclusion. Code Geass is a work in which the situation constantly changes, which forces it's protagonist to adjust for said changes to move forward. When looking at it from that perspective, that's how the plot is able to move so quickly at the end. Not to mention that it does a great job bringing one of the show's central conflicts, Lelouch and Suzaku, full circle. That was most evident to me during this watch-through.

2.) It's a fictional work and characters will do things you don't approve of. That's how fiction, and many times real life, works.

Ohgi and Villetta's actions moved the plot to a inevitable outcome

The criticisms of the plot of the second season, I've found, are less with the plot itself and rather the actions that certain characters take. The most obvious three perpetrators of this are Ohgi, Viletta, and Rolo. Villetta and Ohgi are the most notable for their exposing Zero as Lelouch to the rest of the Black Knights, on what is largely circumstantial evidence. It's not as if Schneizel exactly had a great deal of hard evidence on Lelouch and it was very clear that he manipulated Todou and the others into turning on Lelouch. However, the scene makes much more sense when you consider that it was up in the air whether the characters themselves had ever been under the control of Geass. All the Black Knight members in the room had never had Geass used upon them, but of course only we know that. Then you consider that Zero's Geass caused Euphemia to order the massacre of a whole stadium of Japanese people. Ohgi and Villetta are certainly two of the one's to blame for turning on Zero but it's not as if they weren't justified. That added to the fact that Schneizel was manipulating them for his own purpose. When looked at from that perspective things make sense. After all, anyone watching this series  with two grains of common sense had to figure out at some point that they were going to figure out that Lelouch was Zero. My main problem with this is that this is a fictional work in which there are going to be characters you dislike and you won't like their actions. That's how fiction works; don't condemn a series just because you don't approve of what a character did.

3.) Rolo is a difficult one to pin down but I think I finally understand his purpose now.

The one anomaly to this is the presence of Rolo, Lelouch's stand-in younger brother. Rolo's story itself is actually very well done, even if his actions swiftly gained him Scrappy status. However, Rolo never felt like an essential part of the cast, though his presence does make sense. The Emperor of course realized that Lelouch and Nunnally needed to be separated since having her back would either bring back Lelouch's memories and there needed to be a safeguard in case Lelouch regained his memories. Of course, Rolo failed miserably at the second part. In the grand scheme of things, Rolo doesn't feel all too important but I did enjoy his character arc. He's a really broken character who enjoyed his role as a little brother a little too much than what was required for the job. He redeems himself at the end, when he saved Lelouch from the Black Knights. It's a pretty heartwarming scene and I'll admit, this time when I watched the show I actually liked Rolo as a character. His actions were representative of someone who just wanted to prove himself to his big brother. By no means does this vindicate him, killing Shirley was unforgivable, but this time around I felt that I understood Rolo's motivations as a character.

4.) Code Geass manages to stay true to itself.

I dare any other show to top this ending

The first season of Code Geass was always about the roles of good and evil. Was revolution just, what is the collateral damage, can one adopt a mask and truly protect the ones he loves or does it only drag them further into the conflict? These questions were always present during the first season, even when the action reached it's peak. Even in the second season, when some of the focus seemed fixed on the shiny new, overpowered robots; the messages remained clear. The final battle of the series itself was a battle of ideals, staying consistent with everything that preceded it. I always liked the idea that the fight for world peace was always a giant grey area and Code Geass executes it perfectly, especially in it's final scenes.  Like I said earlier, the ending is perfect. The series ends the way it should and that's the mark of a great series.

Like always, I really enjoyed rewatching this series again. Any series that you can rewatch over and over again and keep finding new things is something else. Whatever you think about Code Geass, I think everyone can agree it's a fantastic work. The fanbase will continue to argue about the second season, that enough is ensured. It should also be noted that the words above are simply my thoughts. This hardly means that I am claiming the second season to be better than the first. No, I've still resigned myself to the fact that the first season is stronger. However, I'm advocating for people to simply change their perspective on the second season and view Code Geass as a whole story from beginning to end, rather than dividing it in two. Sometimes a change in perspective is necessary to fully appreciate something. No matter what one thinks of Code Geass, that much is true.

Taking a Ride On the Nostalgia Train - From the Vault - Digimon Tamers: Runaway Locomon

As a kid there was always a debate, at least among my friends, which franchise of pet monsters was better; Pokemon or Digimon. The answer isn't as clear cut as it seems. Pokemon had the better video games, the better card game. However, nobody was ever doubting that Digimon's TV show was the better of the two. Pokemon's show, aside from the movies, never exactly reached the scale or the stakes of the games that it was based off of. Digimon meanwhile had an overarching plot that were generally more engrossing than Pokemon's which were always simply a sightseeing journal of their regions than anything else. This is not saying that Pokemon was a bad show by any means, Digimon's show at least was simply a better product. So that brings me here, to the point where last night I decided that I wanted to relive some good old childhood memories with the Digimon movie; Runaway Locomon.

Before we delve into the movie (it's actually hardly that, it's more like a special episode), I suppose a little background is necessary. The film takes place in the Tamers universe, the third season of Digimon. Tamers is notable for the fact that it represented a reboot for the franchise in which there was an entirely different cast of characters in a different world. In this series, Digimon exists in the same way that it exists in our real-life world. So the first two seasons of Digimon were just a TV show in the same way it was in our world, get the picture? The three main protagonists are Takato (the show's main-main character and this seasons goggle head), Henry (the friendly Chinese boy who was the first to be paired up with his Digimon), and Rika (the cold rival who eventually comes around to their side). All of them were big fans of Digimon and played the card games and the video games and each ends up paired up with their Digimon and ends up fighting evil in the real world. The Digital World also exists here but in a much realistic way and not as pretty as the first two seasons made it out to be. Regardless, Tamers stands out among the Digimon franchise because in it's best (and many times scariest) moments it could get dark and psychological and is regarded as the most mature of the seasons. Because of this, it's stands with Adventure as the most popular works within the franchise. The dark, pyschological part comes from the fact that the series was inspired by Hidieki Anno's work with Neon Genesis Evangelion (sure explains alot). Tamers is by far my favorite of the four seasons I've watched because it was able to realistically portray how these digital monsters would fit in the real world.

It's certainly fun to see the gang back together

So that brings us to 2002's Runaway Locomon and it's 29 minutes of fanservicey pleasure. The ending of the Digimon Tamers TV series was heartbreaking because the kids were forcibly taken away from their Digimon. Despite there being a little hope spot at the very end of the final episode for a reunion there was no onscreen evidence that it was going to happen. However, Runaway Locomon takes place after the series' conclusion and all the characters are reunited with their partners. How this happens isn't explained but it's confirmed that it's within the series continuity so everyone can rest easy knowing that this is the true end to the series and all the characters are reunited with their partners. The plot is thin at best, the characters are throwing a surprise party for Rika which doesn't entirely thrill her. However, the whole day is thrown off when a train Digimon called Locomon starts freaking out and is rampaging on the tracks. The whole thing is threatening to open up a dimensional rift between the Digital World and the Real World and it's up to the characters to get to the bottom of it. So after a whole lot of Digimon action the day ends up being saved thanks to our main characters. However, it's not really the plot thats important here as the fact that the whole gang is back together again! Takato is with Guilemon, Henry with Terriermon, and Rika with Renamon. Plus the other characters have their Digimon partners with them as well. We get to see them Digivolve again and fight the monsters and save the day. Beezlemon even makes an appearance as well as Ryo and Justimon. It's simply a nice treat for the fans of the series, however there's more here than just some fan service.

Like I said before, Digimon Tamers is known for being more than just a show about kids who fight with monsters. It had moments when it was dark, psychological, and downright emotional. The first two series, while being good in their own rights, were hardly the complete work that Tamers was. There is one scene that stands out in Runaway Locomon which has to be one of my favorite scenes in any anime. Of the three principal main characters, Rika always stood out as the one with hidden depths. In the show she was very much a tomboy, headstrong, and resistant to working with others. In short, she was the traditional loner character that most animes have. Another key part of Rika's character was her rocky relationship with her mother, who had her when she was very young. However, during the series, Rika's father was never shown. During the movie, Rika falls under the possession of a Digimon who appears to appeal to it's host's greatest desire. Rika's as it turns out is to be reunited with her father. The scene itself is both beautiful and heartbreaking, depicting Rika on a swing with her father while she sings him a song with the words "promise that you'll stay for the sunset". It's heartbreaking to see Rika so happy with her father only for him to leave her once again. Not to mention the beautiful song that she sings. The scene is able to say so much in such a little amount of time with Rika's song perfectly matching that feeling of that her father always said he'd be there but didn't fulfill that promise. That same song, which everyone wants her to sing at her birthday party only reminds her that her dad left and hasn't come back. So much about Rika's character is fleshed out in such a short scene. Runaway Locomon never promised to be anything more than simply a fanservice work and yet this scene makes it into so much more.

So beautiful and yet so heartbreaking

From an A/V standpoint, Runaway Locomon holds up pretty well. The animation is that signature faded style that Digimon movies have used since they started making them. Obviously I've gushed enough about Rika's scene in the movie's middle, but it's not unjustified. Everything about that scene is gorgeous. The Digimon themselves look great as well and the animation style seems to suit the fight scenes really well. The version that I have is the English dub, which Tamers did well during it's sun as a series so I guess I can't really complain. The dialogue of the dub can be corny at times however it's all part of the nostalgic experience. One thing that is certainly great about Digimon is that they really know how to make you laugh through the characters who aren't directly related to the plot. The whole atmosphere of the town is humorous and is bound to make a few people chuckle.

Runaway Locomon is a personal favorite of mine. I've watched this so many times that I've lost count at this point. It's more like a special than a movie at this point but that's hardly important. For a Digimon fan like myself it's a trip down memory lane. There is a little more here than meets the eye, especially with the large focus on Rika as a character, so it shouldn't just be dismissed as a piece of fanservice. Runaway Locomon is great if you're a fan of the series and is actually a pretty good reflection of the series itself, surprisingly deep. Overall, it's a trip down memory lane that I certainly never regret.