Beast Wars: Season 2

Beast Wars: Season 2

The celebration of the 20th anniversary of Beast Wars continues as we move into the second season. Though shorter than the first, season two finds a way to deliver more in the short amount of time the creative team had to work with.

After the intense ending of the first season, the Maximals find themselves without a leader. They don’t have long to mourn as the energy wave brought on by the destruction of the doomsday device which killed Optimus Primal hurtles towards the Earth. When it hits, it causes many to turn into a new form of Transformer, the Transmetal, a mixture of animal and metal which allows them to have vehicles modes. The wave also causes new threats to awaken all across the world and will lead both teams closer to the their origins. Back to the original war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Beast Wars: Season 2

This season is full of great moments. Each episode is dedicated to moving the plot forward with no room for filler. Thanks to this aspect the show doesn’t let up for a moment in its intensity. From the introduction of the Fuzors, to the lose of Airrazor and Tigertron, and Cybertron finally discovering their location, every episode is full of action, drama, and references to the Transformer mythology. This really was the season where fans came around and realized just how much this show had to offer.

The season also introduces some very interesting and entertaining characters such as Silverbolt, the noble knight, Rampage, the experiment gone wrong, and the malfunctioning Transmutate, an innocent creature with destructive power. The show also found way to top the previous season’s cliffhanger by introducing one which was far more intense than fans ever thought to be possible. Beast Wars: Season 2

Hands down the best episode of this season was Code of Hero. In it, Dinobot comes to terms with his destiny and realizes the future he saw when he researched the golden disc was coming true and there was no way around it. He would have to fight in order to protect blossoming humanity from the Predacon forces. The battle would be fought on his own and he would lose his life in the process. The episode became infamous as one of the most powerful and well crafted episodes ever in the Transformers franchise.

With this review two seasons are down and one to go. The review of the third season of Beast Wars will be coming sometime later this year. Hopefully these write ups are convincing others to go out and check out this series. The computer graphics may not have aged well but the show is still filled with elements which make it necessary viewing from anyone who calls themselves a true Transformer fan.

RATING: A

Samurai Flamenco


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Ever watched a show which started on one path but then took a few turns and you are watching a completely different show from what you started with? Now this isn’t always a bad thing and many shows actually are memorable because of taking such a bold step. When I write my reviews, I try my best not to mention that many plot twists or surprises a show will have because for the most part I’m hoping that you will discover some of these titles for yourself. Unless the media in question is terrible and then I’ll spoil it like crazy because I’m trying to prove why you shouldn’t give it your precious time.

Today’s show though wasn’t awful but I can’t help but need to mention major details of the later story to review it properly. That’s why for this show I have created the category and hash tag “Spoiler Warning” to give a heads up that I will have to reveal elements of the plot to properly analysis the movie or show. That way I’m able to give subject the justice it deserves. Speaking is justice, that the perfect segway to start talking about this anime.

Goto is a cop with a normal assignment and a long distance relationship with his girlfriend. One day on the way home he happens upon a man who is totally naked and claims to be a superhero. This man is Masayoshi Hazama and he trying to be a hero by enforcing all the petty laws that everyone doesn’t want to follow. Before long and thanks to Goto’s help Hazama becomes a hit on social network and soon the entire world is talking about his alias, Samurai Flamenco.

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I am a big fan of Superheroes and stories about what it takes to be a hero. I can appreciate this show for wanting to break down this genre and exam it for what makes it tick but I can’t forgive it for its inconsistencies and its weird pacing.This is a series that I remember enjoying while I was watching it but doesn’t hold up to scrutiny as I go back and review. In the mist of the viewing I would have given it a much higher score then the one it will receive. If it had been a series where a man dealt with coming to terms with being hero, unable to reach these goals, and finally being able to in the end save his friend from his own demons (and at about half the length) I really think this show would have an essential anime for those who love heroes much like Tiger and Bunny.

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Since it is an anime I’m reviewing you’d expect their to be a giant robot in here as well. You are right there is eventually a giant robot and an entire power ranger team of heroes that call themselves the Flamenco Rangers who just so happened to be based under the city that Hazama was operating out of. Really comes out of left field and the Mecha is really just a parody knock off of a Sentai robot and not a good one at that.

 

The inconsistency with this show also needs to be addressed. The beginning and end of the series seem to take place in the world much like our own but the middle is something else entirely. This series started as a story of a man trying to honor the heroes of justice he loved as a kid in an everyday world, became a legitimate monsters in the real world preying on humanity, with a twist of reality warping aliens, and ends with a down to earth story of helping a friend unsuccessfully coop with his delusions. If that sounds confusing to you then don’t feel bad because that’s the feeling you’ll be left with after finishing this series. Samurai Flamenco is series that was made up as it was going into production and doesn’t hold up on review. Sorry true believers.

RATING: C-