Return of the King

Hideaki Anno's Shin Godzilla stomped through my city on the 11^th, and I was lucky enough to be off work that night. Though technically not the first time I'd seen Godzilla on the big screen if you count the 2014 one (I rarely do), this experience was on a whole new level. The movie itself is very flawed, but I had myself a hell of a good time.

The biggest flaw in my opinion is the incredibly slow pace. Most kaiju films barely show the monster, focusing instead on the humans involved in the disaster; even the massively-budgeted Godzilla 2014 followed this rule, and Shin Godzilla has roughly the same amount of monster footage. We follow a handful of government officials as they deal with an increasingly unmanageable situation, with all the board meetings that implies. I definitely got tired of seeing conference rooms. Every single official's name and position was labeled in big Japanese subtitles, Legend of the Galactic Heroes-style, adding to the onscreen clutter when those needed English subtitles in addition to subtitles for the spoken dialogue. I'm usually against dubs, but for films that ramble on about politics on philosophy like Ghost in the Shell, I do appreciate hearing the ideas in my native language, and Shin Godzilla fits the bill. An argument could be made that none of the characters were particularly memorable, but I think they served their purposes well enough, even if I mixed a few of them up every so often. I felt more for the main character here than for Mr. Generic-Wanna-Save-My-family from the 2014 version.

On that note, I felt this movie handled its themes well. Godzilla 2014 mashed a handful of ideas together without really saying anything in the end, I felt, but Shin Godzilla remains focused throughout. It's a criticism of a government not built to handle an emergency on this scale, and proposes a system that's more inclined to taking decisive action than to asking permission and holding people accountable. You feel the main character's frustration as things spiral out of control because even we can tell steps could have been taken earlier to prevent this. Bold ideas that I've seen handled poorly in the past, but they served this film just fine.

The music fits well enough, but is honestly nothing special if you're familiar with composer Shiro Sagisu's work. Mostly he recycles his stuff from Evangelion although his obligatory “ominous chanting choir” rears its head once or twice, just enough to not feel like overkill. I'd be amiss if I didn't mention here how the rare action scenes do deliver. My God, do they deliver. All of them are well done at the very least, taking advantage of several (!) Godzilla designs that are among the best we've ever seen. Godzilla's assault on Tokyo at the halfway-ish point is a must-see, worth the price of admission alone, overshadowing even the great final attack on the monster. It all ends on one of the most original, haunting “or is it?” images Godzilla fans have seen in decades.

The movie is reqiured viewing for anyone with a soft spot for giant monsters. It has dozens of unique ideas while still feeling like a Godzilla movie; it never goes off track like the 1998 movie. Its strong concern with modern Japanese politics makes it one of the more intelligent films of its kind, but are likely to put off casual moviegoers. I'm unsure how many people would agree that the action is worth the sit, but convinced that a good English dub will improve the experience. If you're at all curious about this movie, I'd recommend at least one viewing before purchase. As for me, my overall impression was simple.

Well done, Anno. Well done.

Summer 2016 Overview

Here we are again at the end of a season! This one's seen my crazy busy with events and issues both family- and work-related, so apologies again for not posting more in the meantime. I'll try to write a bit more this entry in return, okay? A shame this season seemed like a really mediocre one in retrospect.

Sweetness & Lightning

Enjoyably sweet, though it doesn't linger long in the memory. Focusing on a recently-widowed father who tries so hard to raise and cook for his daughter, I wish this show tried for a little more emotional bite than what we got. Still, it did a great job of showing events from the child's perspective as well as the father's. I'd recommend this one if you loved Usagi Drop from a few years back, and are looking for something similar. It too takes a realistic look at single-daddy issues, although the earlier show didn't seem quite so optimistic in its worldview. Also, the two little girls act quite diffferently. All in all, one of the season's more pleasant diversions.

The Morose Mononokean

This one let me down, because I was pretty interested in its premise. I love Bakemonogatari and Mushishi; something about dealing with supernatural occurrences throughout everyday life just does it for me. There's such a great opportunity for metaphors here, and the two above shows had such an interesting way of looking at the world. TMM has...shades of that, with the main character being encouraged to look at things from the perspective of the yokai he's exorcising. But, wow, is this show filled to the brim with annoying characters. The everyman protagonist's one of those “lovable” idiot types who says all his thoughts out loud and gets flustered at everything. His master is one of those experts who is constantly verbally abusing his minimally-competent employee, but it's okay you guys, because he really cares deep down. The yokai themselves may have feelings and reasons for doing what they do, but that doesn't stop most of them from being stock over-the-top personality types given form. My favorite part is when the show's leads are conversing with an old lady, then start talking with a (to her) invisible/inaudible yokai that's been hanging around. She just stands there silently until the conversation moves back to her, then acts like nothing happened! Now that's quality writing! I'd say don't bother with TMM when the aforementioned better shows are out there.

Active Raid: Season 2

Hey, remember when I wrote a really negative review of this show's first season a while back? Well, like Sailor Moon Crystal and Terraformars, this continuation is actually much better. The plot feels more focused and more personal for our heroes as a politician friend from their past may be going down the wrong path after finding the limits of justice and rules. Though I really wasn't looking forward to its return, I found myself enjoying not only the overarching story much more, but the comedy; everyone just seemed to have much better chemistry this time around. Not that I'd exactly recommend sitting through the first installment, but if you already have, might as well keep going.

Mahou Shoujou Naria Girls

And now for this season's dose of weirdness! If you've seen gdgd Fairies, this is pretty much the dubbing lake portion extended to full episode length. If not, think an improv comedy show starring anime voice actresses hanging very loosely off the framework of a magical girl show. Consider checking it out if you're looking for something a little different in your comedy.

Twin Star Exorcists

Two seasons in, I'd have to call this one lackluster on every level. Most characters still aren't anything more than irritating gimmicks, and action scenes rely on shonen power-ups instead of give-and-take choreography. Things aren't looking good going forward, either; nothing at all's changed following a two-year timeskip, and each episode is now spent fighting a series of gimmicky mini-bosses. At least most aren't flat-out annoying like the first season's villain, but at least he was memorable. Each time one of these guys escapes promising to “fight you once you've become stronger”, I feel sure I'll have forgotten them by that time. Speaking of which, the show has an unhealthy obsession with getting stronger for getting stronger's sake, and it seems intent on punishing our heroes for wanting to live quiet, normal lives. Give it a pass; there's no shortage of better shonen action out there.

Saiki Kusou no Ψ Nan

If not for last year's Osomatsu-san, this would've been the best comedy I've seen in a while. What with exploiting every weird power a psychic could conceivably have, and adding odd little limits and rules to some of them, setups, and punchlines were rarely what I expected. It does a great job with the title character of Saiki, who could easily be nothing but an overpowered cynical asshole, but has just enough human quirks to make him likable all the same. The writers will go to amazing lengths to deny him solitude or his beloved coffee jello, but on occasion reminds him that having an over-the-top group of friends (another fun part of the show) is sometimes worth all the trouble. It's cruel, heartwarming, unpredictable, and definitely worth a look. So glad it's continuing!

Ozmafia!

Uh, what the hell was this show supposed to be? Based on a reverse harem game, the Ozmafia anime follows a bland main character who is surrounded by various bishonen, a handful of which are supposedly based on Wizard of Oz characters. Despite being in the show description, the mafia turf war aspect is barely mentioned. I find it odd that this even made it onto the preview chart since it's worthless to all but the most diehard fans of the (presumably better) game. I'm just the wrong target for Ozmafia.

Kuromukuro

All in all, a solid sci-fi drama. The ending was a lot more low-key than I expected it to be; instead of crazy action, most of the time was spent on characters and their reactions to events. I feel like this show skirted a lot of anime and mecha tropes subtlety, without broadcasting, “You know that one thing all other shows do? We're not gonna do that because we're genre-savvy!” Look to the hot springs episode for evidence, where the obligatory peeping plot is overshadowed by emotional development and events that push forward the actual plot. Look it up if you're looking for a mecha show that's off the beaten path; I'm eager to see what this crew does next.

Orange

The biggest problem with high school shoujo romance in general? There's nothing appealing if you don't like the characters or worldview, and I grew to hate both. The heroine is perfect in every way, though the side characters treat her like an everywoman who “needs to have more self-confidence”. They exist solely to unite her with the mopier of two pretty boys, at the explicit expense of the other pretty boy. This is accomplished with all the finesse of a bad dating sim: get mopey alone with the heroine as often as possible, awkwardly badger him to open up about his feelings on a constant basis, risk over-the-top backlash and a bad end if you pick the wrong dialog choice. Oh, and the sci-fi hook of time travel is really poorly-integrated. The very few times it's mentioned in the show, they explain the concept like they're reading off a Wikipedia article, sometimes in the middle of a conversation about people and feelings. It's implied once that the characters get their letters to go back in time by throwing them in the black hole in the Bermuda Triangle. Yeah, I spoiled part of Orange for you. Fuck this show; that's what it deserves.

Mob Psycho 100

I'll get it out of the way right now: this is no One Punch Man. The animation never reaches the same heights, the characters are uglier, and espers just aren't as popular as superheroes. That said, I really enjoyed it for its message. I think the original creator has some interesting things to say about power, regarding its place in society, how people view it, and how it should be used. This show had more downtime to explore these ideas than One Punch Man, with characters both physically and emotionally more vulnerable; I'd recommend this as more of a companion piece than more of the same crazy awesomeness. It'll never enjoy the same popularity, but Mob Psycho 100 is definitely worth checking out on its own.

91 Days

Shame on me for wanting another Baccano, I guess; 91 Days is a completely straightforward mob drama/revenge story. The problem is really couldn't connect with the characters, especially the hero. He's just a revenge robot, fueled by revenge, with no memorable traits or personality besides revenge. There's one guy who acts so crazy you'd swear he just stepped out of Baccano, but oddly he just annoyed me. It felt like they were trying too hard to make a “fun” character and ended up with a collection of stock traits, like “kills people randomly” and “likes S&M”. One or two big plot twists were forced by people acting out of character. I just didn't think 91 Days had much flavor to it, which is too bad since a decent revenge story will practically carry itself.

ReLife

I'll have to dig in my memory banks for this one, because it aired all at one at the season's beginning. Admittedly, I remember less characters and plot details than general feelings of warmth and regret, but that's a hell of a lot more than Orange gave me. Everyone was a lot more respectfully and realistically depicted, from the hero looking at highschool life trough adult eyes (a la Erased) to the students themselves as they dealt with life. Though marathoning leaves less of an impression on me than weekly doses, I would love to watch more ReLife if more came out (ReRelife?)

Planetarian

If you like adaptations of Key visual novels, this'll be your jam. If you're alllergic to sweetly tragic girls, steer clear. I'm neutral on the matter, and I generally liked this one. The post-apocalyptic setting definitely helped the dramatic tropes go down easier, and the five-episode length means it didn't overstay its welcome. I even might look up the movie continuation or alternate re-telling or whatever it is. If you know where you stand of Key shows you know where you stand on this one, but if you've never watched one, Planetarian is a good bite-sized sample.

Macross Delta

The only thing that could've saved this show in my eyes would've been a giant, cheesy, blow-the-doors-off finale. We didn't get that. Sure, it may have repeated the franchise's theme of emotions conquering all, but was there really any heart in it? The Windermere antagonists were annoying to the end, and never saw any consequences to their little “let's brainwash and enslave the whole galaxy” plan. No Windermeran even admits they were wrong. Not that all the character drama was all bad all the time, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about anyone. And making the viewer feel nothing is probably the biggest sin a Macross anime can commit.

DAYS

At times this show gave off a similar vibe to Haikyuu, and I feel like that's the show it really wanted to be. But I also think that DAYS' protagonist held the show back. Sure, I love the idea of hard work and optimism trumping innate talent, an idea he embodies very well. But he never stops doing anything but his best, never gets really, truly discouraged, and thus he doesn't feel quite human. There's a good dramatic scene later on when he recounts the lessons each of his teammates taught him. What stops it from being a great scene, a real emotional peak, is that he's not acting any different from any other point through the season; we have to be told he's changed and grown as a person, because we can't see it ourselves. The supporting cast is perfectly fine, although not as interesting as that of Haikyuu and more prone to comedic hijinks. There is, at points, some hilariously over-the-top female-oriented fanservice, which may or may not cheapen things in your eyes; personally, it makes me want to watch more, to see if they ever go beyond fetishizing the tears of young boys who wanted so badly to win. I wouldn't call this a great show, but it is a very capable and lighthearted entry in the sports genre.

Thunderbolt Fantasy

And what an odd turn of events we have here, where one of the better anime of the season turns out to not be anime at all! Though written and voiced by Japanese staff, this Taiwanese puppet show might not have made an impression at all had it been animated given its very by-the-books plot of stopping an evil lord from obtaining an all-powerful magic sword. While I'm sure plenty will enjoy plot twists aplenty brought about by the characters' constant scheming, I was into it mainly for the action. How do you make a puppet do that with its little toothpick of a sword? I'm curious about a possible U.S. Release, since extensive behind-the-scenes making-of extras would be well worth the price alone. It's great when a show like this or Blue Blazes forces us outside our little anime bubbles, since I know I can get tunnel vision from watching mostly Japanese cartoons all the time. Look it up now if you want a straight-up great action show, and look forward to the sequel.

And there we have it! A decent balance of good and bad without too many outliers on either end. What will the next season bring? Will I get off my ass and actually write more articles, or will the holiday madness kill my spirit and free time once again? Only time will tell!

Still Alive

 Hey, all

Uh, so you may have noticed that I haven't been writing much lately...

Long story short, this summer's turned out to be as busy as I've ever had. I'm working a lot more hours than before, and my place of employment is holding more and bigger summer events than before. Tack on a visit to my family, and I've barely had time to decompress given that my days off typically come one at a time.

Also! Remember when I joked about diving headfirst into Fist of the North Star? That's another reason I haven't been as active here or elsewhere. Those 152 episodes really took a lot out of me, and I mean that in the best way possible. I've been devoting most of my attention at this series over the past few weeks rather than the current mediocre season, so look forward to a write-up on my experience as I attempt to collect all my thoughts. Maybe it'll have to be in several parts.

Basically, I'm back, and I'm trying to get back to my past level of output. Can't wait to stretch those writing muscles again.

Seeing Red

I was stoked for the Gundam: The Origin OVA when it was first announced. Obviously seeking to take advantage of the excellent Gundam Unicorn's success, I looked forward to revisiting the franchise's roots with the best effort modern animation has to offer. What I got was a personal odyssey that began with crushing disappointment, grew into anger, and eventually blossomed into a detached acceptance. With the OVA three-quarters finished, I might as well reflect on those mixed feelings.

To be perfectly fair, this OVA truly fails in only one area: the characters. But in that area it fails hard. Remember Casval Deikun, aka Char Aznable from the original series?

He's the central character here, and boy is he a bore. Revenge is on his mind, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if there were other aspects to Casval's personality, but there aren't. Even as a young child, when he should be at his most active and expressive, I'm reminded of nothing so much as the kid version of Rorschach from that Watchmen movie. He says and does little for 80% of his screentime besides quietly watch and wait as those around him fail to pick up the obvious clues that this little bastard is a powder keg. Even when lashing out at his oppressors, it can still feel a little hollow because, frankly, his murdered father seems more like a raving lunatic than loving parent whose death would inspire vengeance.

Not that Gundam: The Origin doesn't try hard to make us hate the Zabi family Casval hates. We're sure to root for our blond-haired little hero after Kycilia Zabi beats his nine-year-old ass immediately after his father's murder, right? Who cares if this departs from her character in the original series, who was ruthless enough but would have seen such an action as a stain on her honor and/or a waste of time! When a childhood friend is killed in a failed attempt on Casval's life, it cuts right from the explosion to her sneering face, because she's the big bad guy, everyone.

Only Casval sets it up so his friend will die instead of himself. Our hero, everyone.

Casval is a wildly different character than the original series' Char Aznable, who at least made you wonder if and when he'd stab someone in the back. Anyone who could potentially stand in Casval's way in the future (read: his “friends”) will die in Gundam: The Origin, no exceptions. Except a stranded and defenseless Garma Zabi, one of the few people he's actually sworn to kill, because he's alive in the original series. Explain that one away.

But as I dwelt once more on how bad a prequel The Origin was due to inconsistent characterization, I finally recalled that this is normal for Gundam. Remember the jarring tonal shift from Zeta to Double Zeta Gundam, where characters that had gone through hell were suddenly involved in cartoony hijinks? Remember how often Char goes from hero to villain throughout the course of Gundam's timeline, or even over the course of one show? How something as hopeful as Gundam Unicorn and as bleak as Gundam Thunderbolt can technically exist in the same universe? The surest way to enjoy any entry in this franchise has always been to focus on the story being told now, not what's come before.

And taken alone, Gundam: The Origin works quite well as a straightforward revenge story. Although I initially balked at how complex characters were simplified into clear heroes and villains, it works here because nobody really matters but the main character. Some bad guy done him wrong, so of course he'll have to do shitty things and use people like pawns to get his revenge; that's the whole appeal of revenge stories! Even if I like the versions of characters I'm used to a lot more than these, I can at least respect them if I stop trying to figure out how some douchebag eventually turns into a badass, or how someone's actions now do or do not line up with their actions down the road.

So, look forward to the upcoming final episode. Look forward to the awkward-yet-not-terrible CGI and shoehorned-in giant robots. Look forward to the gratuitous cameos and shout-outs. Look forward to the inevitable betrayals as one boring asshole tramples countless more boring yet likable characters in his overly-complicated plot for revenge. This time, I'll be right there with you.

Spring 2016 Overview

A lot of things just felt so-so this season. Maybe it's because I had conventions to worry about instead of just the shows themselves. Or maybe it's because everything airing now pales in comparison to the Fist of the North Star DVDs I'm working through. Regardless, here's my thoughts:

Flying Witch

This show was perfectly fine, but definitely not for me. The very definition of “slice of life”, I couldn't get over the lack of any and all conflict to appreciate how good it is at depicting just that. If that's your thing, enjoy.

My Hero Academia

A solid show in the Shonen Jump/superhero traditions, My Hero Academia suffers most from coming out after One Punch Man. The extended bits of angst, while par for the course with subject matter such as this, can't help but feel silly after remembering all those anticlimaxes. The animation, while quite good, also can't compete, although that's really being unfair. I still look forward to seeing what My Hero Academia does during its no doubt lengthy run.

Kagewani: Season 2

As much as I didn't care about last season, here I am again for more. This run of episodes is at least more engaging with an ongoing plot rather than constant shitty monster-of-the-week episodes, but it's still not something I'd recommend unless you have seven minutes a week to burn like I apparently do.

Kiznaiver

God damn, did I want this show to be better. But it never got as visually interesting as I hoped it would, and most characters did not work. Sure, some side characters could be somewhat endearing at times, but main characters bearing the emotional weight came off as clingy, selfish, sociopaths for the most part. Plus, most dialogue is characters shouting their philosophical or emotional viewpoints; is it too much to ask that supposed “friends” have an actual conversation? Oh well, at least the season wasn't a total loss for Studio Trigger...

Space Patrol Luluco

This show was just fun insanity all the way through. If you hate gratuitous cartoon cameos or ridiculously high energy, stay away I guess, but otherwise I can't think of a better way this season to spend seven minutes.

Ushio & Tora

Epic conclusion to an epic show. If you want to see the typical '90s long-running shonen formula done to perfection, check it out. That is all.

Concrete Revolutio: The Last Song

Though much more coherent than its first run, I still didn't like this show. There's just too much random shit thrown in, from giant robots to Power Rangers to magical girls to what feels like everything in between, for one thing. For another, its optimistic ending felt out of place after focusing its “everything sucks” mentality for so long. Most importantly, I never felt anything for the characters. I can forgive plot shortcomings if there's an emotional experience to be had, but kinda like Kiznaiver, these guys only seemed to act in service of the plot. The show does say a lot of interesting things, that do deserve analysis, but I simply don't care enough to spend any more time on it.

Twin Star Exorcists

A decent action show, but very flawed. While the fights look good, the enemy hordes never do much to stop their eventual...mowing down. Even big boss enemies act alike; there's never any reason for one giant monster being “tougher than any we've fought before”, except so that a new side character can show up and dispatch them with ease. If every good action scene has a “give and take” mentality, Twin Star Exorcists concerns itself mainly with the “give” portion, which isn't all bad. But you might want to steer clear if you're allergic to painful rom-com hijinks.

Bakuon!!

A fun little comedy, if you can get past the occasional gratuitous fanservice. I like how cynical Bakuon!! can be about motorcycles despite...being about them. I wonder how real motorcycle enthusiasts feel about this one.

Macross Delta

Not much has changed since my previous article on this; despite some great and sorely-needed battles, the villains are more annoying than ever. I guess not every race can get along after all if one absolutely refuses to examine the morality of their own actions.

Sailor Moon Crystal Season 2

Holy shit, this show is actually good. Not great, but a perfectly viable alternative to the '90s version, which is all anyone ever wanted in the first place. I'm glad I listened to the feedback and resumed watching after this show's catastrophic first year.

Terraformars: Revenge

Speaking of shows redeeming themselves, this one turned into a shockingly compelling action series. It's no mean feat to make that verbose, dull, overly-populated first season into something really cool, but that's exactly what happened. Kudos to the Japanese for taking steps to fix so many of the problems.

Assassination Classroom

Still good, but I'm also glad it's ending now. The reveals feel mostly earned at this point, and not many aspects have worn out their welcome like they easily could have.

Joker Game

I feel really bad for not liking this show more, because it's probably the most competent of the lot. The stories are all compelling, and the themes it deals in while looking at WWII-era Japan are explored quite well. But I feel each episode's stand-alone nature can work against my investment in the larger show, especially since no character is supposed to have a concrete identity, being spies and all. It's definitely worth your time, but I can't exactly say I was especially looking forward to each new episode.

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

Often called an Attack on Titan clone for good reason, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress unfortunately falls far short in the story and character departments. But the visuals were really something to behold, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained all the way through. Guess that's the thing about Tetsuro Araki as a director; even if his buildup has issues, he'll still give you one hell of a climax.

Mayoiga: The Lost Village

I was sorely tempted to do a write-up on this show, but was never sure where to begin. It reminded me of the awful characters and writing of Gundam: Reconguista in G, but just might have been intentionally bad all along. I don't know, but if you're looking for more WTF in your anime, this show deserves at least a glance.

Kuromukuro

One of the most low-key mecha series I've watched in a while, and I'm not talking about how it's streaming virtually nowhere. Though the premise and plot is nothing special, its willingness to follow the lead characters through their day-to-day lives rather than rely on new monsters every week or twist-a-minute writing set it apart from similarly formulaic Sunrise shows. Not sure if I'll remember this show years down the road as it has yet to deliver a really emotional gut punch, but I'm enjoying myself for now. Consider looking it up if Macross Delta isn't scratching your mecha itch.

And that's all for this season! What will the next one bring? Only one way to find out!

Hot Macross Buns

Going into this season, one of the series I was most looking forward to was Macross Delta. Although far from the biggest Macross fan, I respect its important place in anime history as a strong work of both romance and science fiction. The most recent entry, Macross Frontier, was good enough that I was inspired to praise it in writing upon my initial viewing last year. Which is why, with a heavy heart, I must admit that the currently-airing show seems to be . . . missing something.

My immediate instinct is to blame the characters, which might not be quite fair in this case. Macross leads have always been on the simple side, from gung-ho pilots to starry-eyed idols to more jaded characters who exist to lighten up by the climax. But Hayate just feels especially bland; not particularly rebellious despite his reputation, not particularly into anything other than flying planes. He doesn't even seem as invested in the requisite love triangle as his two not-girlfriends. Wanna-be (read: soon-to-be) idol Freyja is difficult to relate to because she waltzes right into her dreams, undergoing depressingly few struggles along the way. Other Macross properties at least showed the hardship involved in being an idol, but here I find myself kinda hoping for Freyja to get fired so she can find a real job. Something blue-collar; that'll build her character a little. And Mirage, the military not-girlfriend, is so hilariously by-the-books that you can practically see her character arc laid out in front of her. Hint: it involves acknowledging those embarrassing feelings of her. A few side characters have lately started picking up some of the emotional slack, but it feels like too little too late.

By god, do the villains drop the ball, though. I'm still trying to figure out why the Windermere race is hell-bent on fighting the New United Government, even though it's been explained. So, the Government scarred their planet with a dimensional bomb, but it might have been the Windermere's fault, too? And the Windermere believe the Government is oppressing other planets (even though none of that has been shown to be true), but Windermere themselves are clearly shown using drugs to brainwash the citizens of planets they conquer? Every attempt to humanize this race falls flat, as the copious screentime we spend with their leaders and Aerial Knights proves only one thing; Windermeres are pompous-ass jerks who wouldn't know justice if it burned their house down.

This is a shame because the Zentradi, Macross's original villains, were so interesting. Even at their most destructive, you felt for this race which has never known anything but war, which views every aspect of our culture as frighteningly alien. Their conversion into humanity's friend and ally was satisfying because they struggled hard to comprehend ideas of love and peace before realizing that our races could truly understand each other. The Windermeres, in comparison, act more like a group of rebellious teens that graffitis your house because of some perceived insult. You understand each other pretty well already, but one party needs to chill the fuck out before peace can be achieved. Right now I'm more interested in the Windermere race's historical relation to the Protoculture than what any of its members are going through now, and for a show that barely acknowledges its science fiction ideas (another departure from Macross's original intent), this is really grasping at straws.

The visuals have taken a step up since Macross Frontier; you'll see CGI planes perform aerial acrobatics more fluidly than ever before, for instance. Sadly, there are still issues present, most glaring whenever the idols take part in combat as Macross always seems to require. Far from providing a support role as in previous incarnations, Delta puts them on the front lines with jets under their skirts, flying shields in front, and their faces projected onto every flat surface. Sounds awesome, right? It would be, if we knew what was going on. But the director throws so much flashing, dancing, sparkling shit in our faces that not a single concert impresses. 

At the very least, they don't feel skillfully put together the way similar bits in the Symphogear franchise do, and for Macross to come in second place at a sing-off is just sad. It's like if a film that homages giant monster movies turned out to be better than an honest-to-god Godzlla movie. Oh, wait...

When all's said and done, it's not like Macross Delta is an awful show, or even particularly bad. But it lacks a certain magic that other Macross incarnations have had, that keeps people coming back to this old-ass franchise. Whether it's a matter of skill, ideals, or something I can't quite pinpoint, and I probably wouldn't be so harsh did I not hold this show to high standards. But as one of the great pillars of anime, here's hoping Macross will rise out of mediocrity to make us all remember love once more.

Anime Central 2016 Convention Report

Another year, another Anime Central. This time was a little different for me, however, since there really weren't any guests I was excited about. Usually there's one or two scholars, directors, or voice actors I'm interested in, but much of the effort this time seemed to be spent on staff from visual novel company VisualArt's. That's cool, just not my thing. As a result, my schedule was more up in the air than ever before.

I ended up attending fewer anime-based panels than initially planned. Line and programming issues prevented me from attending some of those “bad anime” panels I love, but at least there were some good substitutes, like “weird video game” or “martial arts” panels. I learned some new things, and that's always cool. Still, it would be cool if the staff could be a little more uniform in how they police the lines; some people clearly didn't care until the “line” was a knotted mass, then arbitrarily selected who was in the line and who could suck it. Not so cool. At least by Saturday afternoon I got a better idea of how early I needed to line up, and even got into a “hilarious hentai dubs” panel I'd missed the year before.

Some of the more enjoyable panels: As I said before, the “hentai dubs” panel was a treat. The guy running it was charismatic and professional; check out his work at https://www.facebook.com/vitaminhofficial. “Great anime directors” was another good panel, and you can see an overview at https://mentalmultiverse.com/, along with other panels I missed. It was also interesting to hear from Ed Chavez, marketing director of Vertical Inc, about his little corner of the manga/LN industry.

The dealers' room was a highlight for me, of course, because I'm a mindless pop culture-addicted media zombie. Though I probably spent about the same as previous years on DVDs, I think I was a little smarter with my purchasing. Almost everything at the Discotek booth was $5-10 cheaper than anywhere else, so I loaded up on Go Nagai titles I haven't seen; last year's purchase of Devilman inspired me to check out more of his worlds online, so I look forward to watching Getter Robo Armageddon and Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo. I already know Mazinkaiser and Mazinkaiser SKL are awesome. The Phoenix anime was another good find, since I love the manga yet haven't heard much about the seemingly ambitous anime series. The crown jewel (and main expense) was a 21-disc set of the whole Fist of the North Star TV series. An ambitious undertaking at 152 episodes, but one I'm eager to tackle since it is an anime staple.

And that's my experience, such as it was! A lot of unexpected situations with panels and guests turned into a fun time overall, just like usual.  Sorry for the lack of updates lately, but that's what happens when your Internet dies right after recovering from convention fatigue.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a huge fucking backlog to plow through. If you don't hear from me in two months, call the cops.