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Gatekeepers


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There are many shows out there that start with one concept or genre and then do a huge turn into a completely different genre all together. This is a hit or miss strategy as sometimes you find yourself already enjoying the kind of story that was first being told and this new direction feels unnatural and makes you question if you really enjoy the show anymore. Believe it or not, there are times when adding a giant robot to the recipe is not the best idea.

Shun Ukiya is a boy with a very special gift. He is a gatekeeper, one who is able to create and channel the energy from Gates which allows a person to have extreme powers. Shun’s power, the power of Wind, allows him to defeated the sunglass wearing creatures known as Invaders and save his childhood friend Ruriko Ikusawa, who happens to control the Gate of Life. Recruited by the special group known as A.E.G.I.S. (Alien Exterminating Global Intercept System), who uses the powers of these Gatekeepers to fight against the Invaders, Shun works towards fighting for the smiles of tomorrow.

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The different characters with their different gate powers are the real draw of this series. Like I said, Shun has the wind gate that allows him to shoot wind energy, and Ruriko uses a bow to send her life energy hurling towards the enemy, but the series also introduces Reiko (Gate of Illisions), Feng Fei Leng (Gate of Flame), and Megumi (Gate of Walls). Basically the show builds off the team using these powers to take down the enemy while at the same time discovering where they come from and dealing with personal problems. Standard stuff really.

 

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Even though this show technically qualifies for the blog with the giant monsters that the Invaders form on a regular basis but it also does have a robot in it. The robot is one of the more interesting aspects of the show as it has an engine in it that allows the driver to increase their Gate power, but also has a steering wheel for its controls. I know steering wheels as controls is nothing new but it doesn’t come up as often as you would think it would. I thought it was cool at least.

People are quick to accuse this series of suffering from the “Gonzo effect” but I quickly disagree. The “Gonzo effect” for who are not aware is a trend associated by Studio Gonzo who became infamous of having great episodes to start the series but by the end of the series there is a distinct drop in the art quality. I personally feel that this series doesn’t suffer from said effect and stays at a decent quality for the entire series. Had the podcast that reminded me of this affliction (Anime World Order. Check them as they do really good discussion on Anime) mentioned it sooner, I would have introduced the concept of the Gonzo Effect during my Burst Angel review. That show had a glaring drop in quality an story telling after the first episode.

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I remember loving this series back in the day and grabbing every new DVD as soon as it came out. As I look back though I realize that despite how much I enjoyed it I haven’t gone back once to rewatch it. It wasn’t really a bad series. It was entertaining to watch the characters use their Gate powers to defeat the different Invader creatures of the week that would often form together around a red suited invader and form some giant monstrosity that would tear apart the city. Its another show with a formula but sadly it doesn’t add enough to it in order to make it more than just a fun ride. You watch it, you may get a favorite character or two and that’s it.  Heck there isn’t even really that much merchandise for you to track down if you find yourself becoming a die hard fan of it. This was a good series that sadly became forgotten by the fans but I really can’t chastise them for forgetting it. Gate closed.

Rating: C+

P.S. I know this was based off a video game, but I never really tried to track it down or play it to make a comparison. This is a review for the anime by itself.

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Rebirth of Mothra

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When Godzilla made first appearance in America the throne for the king of the monsters became empty. Two different contenders stepped up in an effort to prove their greatness by releasing trilogies. These two enormous titans were Gamera and Mothra. I have already reviewed the Gamera trilogy and how exceptional those three movies were but what about Mothra?

Picking up after Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Mothra has presumably saved the world from an asteroid that would have wiped out all life and has since returned to his island and laid a new egg. Elsewhere a construction company is tricked by a mischievous fairy named Belvera into released the ancient evil known as Death Ghidorah (I’m aware wikipedia has it named differently but that’s the name the version I saw used and I think it sounds better than Desghidorah). Working to stop Belvera plans is the twin guardians, Moll and Lora who summon Mothra to fight against this reborn terror. As the new born larva hatches he has no choice but to fight along side of its weakened mother to stop Death Ghidora from destroying all mankind.

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The characters for this outing are a mixed bag. I don’t really remember anything that stands out in the human characters of Taiki and Wakaba and are really only there so the Moll and Lora have someone that doesn’t know what’s happening to explain the situation to. The three Elias sister though definitely stand out. I’m glad that they didn’t have Moll and Lora talk in unison. That would have really gotten old fast. The fact that the two of them have to watch their sister, Belvera try to take down humanity and stop them is very touching to watch. I’d be willing to go to bat with other Kaiju fans to say that are the top runners for the best priestess Mothra has ever had.

Once again we witness a Mothra death scene but this one is probably one of the most tear jerking of them all. His Showa era death was pretty memorable with the Mother Mothra sacrificing itself to protect her egg but in this film we witness as the baby Mothra can do nothing to save its mother who is too weak to return home and collapses into the sea from exhaustion. It definitely is one of the most heart breaking scenes of the Heisei era of monsters.

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One minor strike I can’t help but note against this series is Mothra’s genre. The movie makes it a point to express that the Mothra that is the center point for this trilogy is distinctly male, even given the name Mothra Leo once it hatches from its cocoon. What did they not think that a female monster would be able to carry the entire series. Come on Japan, that’s old school thinking.

The Rebirth of Mothra trilogy comes out swinging and delivers one of the Kaijus most action packed and heart felt outings. It also possesses my favorite version of Mothra, complete with lasers coming out of every possible surface. Unfortunately it’s all downhill from here. Unlike the Gamera where all three movies maintain a high level of quality through the series, the next two films are not as entertaining as this one. My advice is to just watch this one and walk away. Stay tuned for later posts where I will describe in detail how those movies don’t stack up.

Rating: B+

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Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure


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Mixing genres is not always a successful endeavor with anime. For every time they successfully mix action and comedy like with Slayers, we get show like a forgettable show like Pretty Sammy which tried to mix comedy with the Magical girl genre. So a mixture of genres like harem comedy and Giant Robots could go either way but thats the set up we are given in Dual!: Parallel Adventure. Whats the result of such a mixture?

Kazuki Yotsuga is a boy who keeps seeing visions of Giant Robots fighting intense battles that no one else can see. He is approached by his classmate, Mitsuki, the class princess who takes him to meet her father who finds Kazuki fascinating as he has been researching alternate universes. Subjecting him to an experiment Kazuki is transported to the other dimension and finds himself able to control the Giant Robots that he finds there. Now he fights to find a way home while becoming the most eligible bachelor in this new dimension.

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The characters respresent the standard troupes with harems from back then. Kazuki is the clueless guy who all the girls love, Mitsuki in the princess who denies she love him, D is the emotional awkward girl that tags around like a puppy, and Yayoi is the older woman who looks to him like the prince that saved her. Yes these characters are cliche now but back when I first watched it they were fun and made the series entertaining to watch. I also can’t help but enjoy the Moe, sweet girl that is Mitsuki Rara. She’s so adorable compared to the tsundare of the regular Mitsuki.

The giant robots to this series are the real weak point of their series. The main robots are mainly knock off s of the Evas from Neon Genesis Evangelion (complete with the type of weaponry they use) while the enemy machines look like your standard evil robots of death black, long armed, and hulking. The final robot that Kazuki pilots Zinv is impressive because of the fact is has laser blasts and has light hawk wings (making it have the connection tot he Tenchi Muyo universe that the director famously created). Still, I wouldn’t find myself created. I still wouldn’t find myself buying any of the model kits for this series anytime in the near figure.

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Dual succeeds in mixing his genre but sadly it just doesn’t have a huge fanbase. Sure it was run on Techtv/G4 TVs (whatever you want to call it) but fans didn’t add it to their essential anime list. Instead we watched i once and forgot about it. Don’t believe me? There hasn’t been another release of the series since its initial release by the now defunct Pioneer/Geneon company. So sad. Its not a bad show at all. Just forgotten thought the test of time, licensing, and sales. Maybe if we are lucky Funimation will pick it up and people can finally stream it when they get a chance.

Rating: B-

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Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster

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This is going to be a first on this blog. You see I have seen every Godzilla movie ever. Some more than others with how much I enjoy them. Today though I’m revisiting one of the films I have only seen once to see if a second viewing can change my mind about it. I didn’t enjoy Ghidora the three headed monster the first time I saw it. Let’s see if it can score any higher in my book.

After a foreign princess survives a plane crash, she appears before the world insist that she is a Martian and death and doom are coming. Meanwhile the Fairy companions of Mothra hear of the girls prediction and go to meet with her. They soon find that she is right and that the mysterious meteor in he mountains was in fact King Ghidorah the monster that destroyed Mars many years earlier. Realizing that he cannot fight such a creature alone, Mothra calls for the help of Godzilla and Rodan to stop the menacing Ghidorah or watch the rest of the world be a barren wasteland like Mars.

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Few things. What happened to the other Mothra larva? Did it die? How did a television station get the fairies without Mothra coming to tear the city apart to look for them? Why did only one Rodan survive the volcanic eruption? Why do they insist on having Godzilla blow steam the entire time? That last one was a point that I found myself having trouble getting over. I have seen footage of him using the steam breath at other times where it doesn’t bother me as much but when they happened I actually saw that the attack did any damage. Here he uses it on Rodan several times and without any type of effect. Castrating Godzilla’s signature power was a lot to get over.

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Still on the rewatch I was able to find some new aspects about the movie that I found entertaining. Watching Mothra attempt to play with the big boys, was entertaining. He was only a little larva but still found a way of two of offering his aid. When the three come together that they are able to succeed and it really is fun to watch them all fight a common foe. Later films would perfect the style of the monster team up to fight a greater monster, but this was the first time so we have to give it some slack.

The human aspect of this film is also quite interesting drawing aspects from a spy movie. Shindo the police detective trying to protect the possesses princess Saino is very moving. This is especially true as Saino seems hellbent on only spreading the message that Ghidorah is coming. Speaking of hellbent what about her assassins. You would think they would just leave her to get destroyed by the monsters that are lumbering towards the city but no, they are dead set on making sure that the princess is dead this time around. I would also be in the wrong if I didn’t mention the Fairies, who are doing all they can to help mankind despite their previous negative experiences with us. If it weren’t for their efforts, the attack against Ghidorah would never get off the ground.

So a revisit to this film did indeed help me to appreciate it a bit more. I wish I could to this with more films, but I can only do so much. I assure you though the different Godzilla and Gamera films I have reviewed so far on the blog I have seen countless times before. I have lost count of the number of times I rewatched the Gamera trilogy. Still, in the future if someone suggests watching Ghidorah, the three headed monster I won’t be so quick to shutter at the idea.

Rating: D (first time)/ B-(after watch)

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Hand Maid May

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I have seen to error of my ways. No longer will I be a man who preaches about the joys of large monsters and robots. Instead I will talk about the greatness that of the miniature. I hereby rename this blog “The mini-project” and will make the necessary changes in the near future. That being said the first review will be of the anime Hand Maid May.

Kazuya is a young robotics student who is working on developing a squid robot known as Ikariya. When his rival sends him a virus bent on destroying his progress, Kazuya removes it but in the process orders his own small robot known as May. Together May and Kazuya work towards getting Ikariya built, dodging the efforts of the Cyberdyne Corporations (May’s creators) to get her back, and trying to keep away Kazuya’s rival, Kotaro Nanbara, who has made it his personal mission to mess up Kazuya’s life. What’s a guy and his pint size robot to do?

Though this aired after Love Hina in Japan it managed to beat it to America. This meant that American audiences got to enjoy it before Love Hina took off and we bombarded by so many other harem shows throughout the early 2000s. Kazuya is your standard “clueless guy” that all the girls like but at least he does manage to show some skill with his robotics work to help to pull the different robot girls out of a jam or two. May is also very cute and unique with her tininess and is a fun character to watch on screen. Kei is fun to watch as despite being a super genius seems to freeze up on ideas like “a pinch” or “a dash.” Then there is Kotaro Nanbara, the loud and obnoxious rival who can’t seem but be a glutton for punishment. Watching him continually fail is very entertaining indeed.

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This was a fun little boy meets android girl storyline. Sadly it like many stories that came before it were forgotten when the titular anime in this genre, Chobits came out. Don’t believe me? Ask all those fans of Saber Marionette J who snuggle with their box sets at night. Of course, Chobits seems to be forgotten by many fans and there seems to be no other series that has stepped up and into the spotlight. Sure there have been other android girl series but none that really left a mark on anime fandom. I did start watching a bit of Busou Shinki because I had a fan that personally recommended the detail work that went behind some of those figures but I didn’t really make it past more than a few episodes. It was much more fun watching the antics of May and the rest of the Cyberdolls.

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If you weren’t able to tell already this is my bad attempt at an April Fools joke. As long as I keep writing this blog Ill do a review of a series that focuses in the small and minute. Still the review stands for Hand Maid May. It’s a fun little harem show that makes you wish you could order a hand maid of your own.

Rating: B+

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News on the TOHO 2016 Godzilla film

I’m not going to be publishing all the time but with this recent announcement I couldn’t help myself. The writer and director of the new TOHO Godzilla film will be…Hideaki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame. I am reserved in how I feel about this. As I stated in my Evangelion review I’m a little Eva-ed out and Anno really hasn’t done much else. I am not totally against him taking the project though. I’m just a little hesitant is all. This is the same guy who added his death threats to his own movie just to spite people.

The news that did interest me though was that Shinji Higuchi, who did the special effects for the Heisei Gamera Trilogy (which I have professed my undying love for) will be doing the effects. I am thrilled at this news. So, to recap, at this point I am THRILLED of the upcoming film. Things are definately looking good for the King of the Monster’s return to his home country.

Link: SKREEONK.com

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Liebster Award Nomination

One of my readers, dandylion13, nominated me for a Liebster Award which is given out to bloggers to help them to get more recognition. I really appreciate it. Here are my answers to the questions I was given as a nominee.

1. What is your favorite series? 

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Tekkaman Blade!

2. Why is that you favorite series?

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This series was one of the first shows I recognized was more than just animation and actually was anime. I missed the ending to it and spent the better part of first years as a fan tracking it down. I really didn’t even see it all the way through until 10 years later and it would be another 5 years after that before I saw it with a half way decent translation. It was keeping the flame of this series alive for so long that gave it a place in my heart. I jumped for joy when I saw he could be a playable character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and play as him regularly ever time I pop in that game.

3. Do you read comic books, if so what is your favorite comic book?

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I  have read Fables for years. I have to say that Fables drawing to a close will definitely hit me very hard when I finally read that final issue as I’ve been reading it since college (back in 2002).

4. Where would you like to travel if you had the chance?

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I would someday like to go to Japan. As a lover of Anime and Tokusatsu I would love to actually explore the shops that offers goods that are impossible to find online. Also, I have to see that life size RX-78 Gundam.

5. What is your favorite food?

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I do love pizza and have to resist the urge to have more than once a week because of the carbs. BUT I would really say that my go to food that I try in numerous restaurants is the Italian Sub. I have tried many sub shops to see how they spin my favorite sandwich.

6. What is your favorite videogame?

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I play this game at least once a year all the way through. I love it! Next question.

7. Have you ever bought anything online, if so what was it?

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I have a huge Amazon Wish list and often use it to keep track of all the graphic novels I want to add to my collection. With some of the gift cards I got with the holidays I bought the new Silverbolt from the Transformers: Combiner Wars line. I often try to use to eBay to help with my figure collection.

8. Who is your role model?

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My grandfather. He was truly one of the greatest men that I ever known and taught me about responsibility. As a writer, I’d say Ernest Cline. His first novel, “Ready Player One” really showcased his geek pride and I someday hope to write a novel where I can wave my geek flag high and proud.

9. Who is you favorite Superhero?

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IRON MAN!!

10. Do you play board games, if so which ones?

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Yes. Settlers of Catan is a favorite to play with my friends and Scrabble is my family’s game of choice that we play during the holidays or at family meals.

11. What got you into Blogging?

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I wanted to spread the message of good fan behavior with my first blog “Are you killing your fandom?” Then I wanted to spread my love of Kaiju and Mecha which spawned my second blog, “The Gigantic Project.” Really I did it to help get my voice heard just a bit more if just by a few more individuals.

That’s about it. Tell me what you thought of my responses and if I need to answer anymore questions for this nomination. Thanks again dandylion13!

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Captain Earth

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No it in no way is associated with Captain Planet. This is the latest series from studio bones who gave me two of my favorite mecha series, Rahxephon and Eureka Seven. Is this new title another must see new classic or does it fall plummeting through the atmosphere? Lets find out.

Daichi Manastu had weird memories of his childhood friend and a girl he met in a bubble. As a mysterious group of invaders known as he Kiltgang threaten to absorb all of earth, Daichi is given a strange gun known as a livilaster that allows him to channel immense power. Using this intense power he energizes the giant robot the Earth Engine to become Captain earth to save his childhood friend Teppei and the girl from the bubble known as Hana.

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The art and look to the show are Bones’ usual high quality. The mecha designs for the series are also very interesting but seem to lack a specific quality that makes them unforgettable. They don’t have the distinct look that say Gundam or Evangelion possesses. I also question why the Earth Engine robot has arm blades in the toy version but never seems to use them once in the show. Also, compared to later suits the Earth Engine falls short in terms weapons and over all performance.

The characters are interesting enough but are not exactly ground breaking. I mean the series is fun and has some pretty good character moments but it doesn’t take deep into your soul, make you rethink your philosophy on life, or make you want to idolize these characters. The relationship between Hana and Daichi is heartwarming and you are routing for them to make it as a couple but they only develop just enough to say that they had something of a character arc, not that they each had an overwhelming moment that touches you deep inside.  Basically a few good moments here and a few moments there with some repetitive robot combing scenes in between.
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The ending seemed a bit rushed once I reflected back on it. They took the time to gather all of the Kiltgang in an effort to take down the Earth (an objective that could have been accomplished by only one of their Mecha reaching the planet by the way) and when they finally are all together in a group, a new enemy appears so the gang doesn’t have the opportunity to overwhelm the heroes and finally absorb all of earth. I mean the enemy was there the entire time but the actual power he seemed to control rose greatly so the Kiltgang had not choice but to stop the larger opponent instead of focusing on absorbing all life on Earth. After all the episodes that were spend individually gathering the Kiltgang I really thought it would be a more intense battle between them and the Midsummers’ Knights in the end. Kind of a cop out but I won’t fault them too much for it.

In the end the series the only major crime against this show is that it is so forgettable. It is doomed to be another series pushed to the back of our queues because it doesn’t do anything as sadistic as kill a character every other episode or Master degree philosophy on what to has the characters talk about. To studio Bones I commend you on a good effort but sadly this one doesn’t make me wish I had a livlaster.

Rating: B-

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Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster

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Back when you start into your fandom and its all fresh and new, the question of “What should I avoid?” seem ludicrous. Then after you are in any fandom for a decent amount of time and you take time to reflect on everything you have experienced you come to the harsh realization that not everything is sunshine and rainbows. As a Godzilla fan you put up with a lot of inconsistencies in science and the limitations that the studio had to deal with but still find yourself enjoying the movies. Yet once you scrutinize the film and learn what went on behind the scenes, you become aware of how close to greatness a project reached.

After his brother goes missing, Ryota and his friends “borrow” a boat from a man who turns out to be a bank robber and set sail. They soon fall prey to the Ebirah, a giant shrimp who also destroyed Ryota’s brothers boat. Stranded on an island, the unlucky crew finds the island inhabited by a military organization known as Red Bamboo, befriend a runaway island girl and seem hopeless. Their only option: awaken Godzilla who they find sleeping on the island.

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This film makes a lot more sense once you understand it’s background and original concept. You see this film was supposed to star King Kong as the title monster fighting Ebirah. This casting smooths out the questionable moments that the film possesses such as the giant vulture that comes out of nowhere and Ebirahs lack of origin (both of which fit in perfectly if the story had been on Kong’s island of lost gigantic beasts), why the sea monster would actually be a threat (unlike Kong, Godzilla breathes underwater so those scuffles would have more severity to them), and that moment that Godzilla shares with the island girl (because as we all know Kong loves the ladies). Once you think of the movie recast with Kong instead of Godzilla you are presented with a film with a lot more gravity and less plot holes. Unfortunately Toho didn’t get the rights, had to use Godzilla instead, and we are presented with a film where the King of the Monsters doesn’t even break a sweat when dispatching his latest opponent. If they had gotten the rights to use Kong I believe this would have been one of the better outings for the giant ape but sadly this did not come to pass and Ebirah gets owned by Godzilla.

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This film does age well and becomes one of last Godzilla movies I find myself re-watching. The film by itself was never really that impressive and once you know the truth behind it and the recasting, you really can feel where the movie would have been improved with King Kong in the rule and how Godzilla really is just copy and pasted in their to make the film work.

The idea of the Red Bamboo group is interesting as they seem to be plotting something with their nuclear facility (probably global domination) but have picked the worst spot possible. They have to use the local natives they kidnapped off Mothra’s island (that Yuta and Ryota both conveniently end up on) to make formula to fend off Ebirah which is waste of a lot of man hours and power. This movie really doesn’t hold up to scrutinizing at all. Sorry people. I’m not a fan.

Rating: C-