Review: Re-Kan! 1.2 - This Is My Friend

Well we have our first casualty of the season. Re-Kan!’s first episode was okay and offered a few intense moments, but the weird mixture of horror/supernatural and comedy just isn’t working for me. It really comes across as not knowing if it wanted to be a comedy or a horror story because it doesn’t do both. I know you’re asking, “Can’t it be both?” and yes it can, but it needs to be both at the same time. What happens in Re-Kan! Is that when it’s a comedy it’s only a comedy. When it’s a horror, it’s only a horror. It shifts back and forth and never smoothly which is the hardest part to tolerate. It really wants to be a horror comedy, but it’s not.

This episode Hibiki is sleep walking or more accurately being lead around by a bunch of ghosts most of which are perverts and not only is that weird, but no one acknowledges that it’s creepy. One of the other characters (I forget the name because she does jack shit for the story and two of them have hair over their eyes and act the same which makes them the same character) takes pictures with her phone and can suddenly see ghosts in the pictures. She doesn’t act upon anything and this doesn’t prove anything to the disbeliever, but whatever. In fact the episode would have been better spent establishing why Narumi is so afraid of the occult.

The one and only redeeming thing about the story is a samurai that’s paying back Hibiki for taking care of his grave and feeding him. Since she’s sleeping all the time in class (which is a joke that also doesn’t hit) he answers for her. Everyone can hear him and it’s clearly a dude, but even the teacher just moves on like everything is cool. The funny part comes later when he fucks up saying “Present” and the other students give him shit for it. Then he learns how to email…

This show could be funny. It could be terrifying. It could have kept me as a viewer.

There’s just nothing I want to come back for. The cat was ruined in this episode and clearly they’re going to keep using him for the same cheap pervo jokes. The supporting cast of characters are barely one-dimensional and more than a few of them come across as duplicate characters. That would be fine, but they don’t do anything for the story other than give exposition which is just bad storytelling.

There’s enough out there in this latest batch of anime to really invest your time in and unless you just like the cheesy jokes that this show provides there’s no reason to keep watching. It’s about a girl who can see ghosts and the story isn’t building towards anything else making every episode the same… a girl who can see ghosts. That’s like saying I can eat pizza and trust me no one wants to watch that every week either.

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Score: 2/5

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Re-Kan! 1.2 – “This Is My Friend” Official Website

Review: Plastic Memories 1.2 – I Don’t Want You To Hold Me Back

The second episode of a series often dips from the first. It’s a shame because I can think of other series that have won me over by the second episode, but more often than not they dip. Plastic Memories dips, but not so much that it’s unwatchable. If you didn’t pick up on the fact that Isla is getting closer and closer to the end of her nine years, four months in the first episode, they really hammer it home here. They finally spell it out to the view at the end of the episode telling us exactly how much time Isla has, but no one thinks to tell Tsukasa… which doesn’t make any sense. It’s about 83 days in case you were wondering which is way more than I thought they’d do.

We meet a new character as well which makes for two senior characters that really know Isla. We learn that the way their department runs is not the norm. Basically meaning that other departments more than likely take the Giftia’s by force rather than making them sign the paper work and actually say goodbye.

It’s also very clear that Isla is getting worse and Tsukasa begins learning her part of the job in order to help cover for her. He even takes some blame for her from the girl who is already developing feelings for him even though he’s done jack shit. That’s anime logic for you. “I’m new and I don’t know this job very well, but I’m a nice guy so fall in love with me.” The reason it works is because that’s basically what we all want from life. It’s why I can’t fault its use.

My hope is that with Isla’s shelf life now established they’ll do something interesting with the story. Our main characters seem destined to fall in love with each other which of course is going to make things messy. I can see where the stories going for sure, but I want the journey to be entertaining so for that reason I’ll stick around.

The animation itself was a bit lazy this time around. The lighting was minimal and the richness of color was limited due to the settings picked for the story… which was three. It was okay, but a far cry from the beauty of the first episode. The first episodes coloring was very impressive and part of the drawl.

Overall there was a dip in quality and story, but not so much that I hated it. I just knew that it could have been better based on what I had viewed previously. Again it happens, but now the story really needs to hook us.

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Score: 3/5

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Plastic Memories 1.2 “I Don’t Want You To Hold Me Back” Official Website

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer Leaks Ahead of Schedule

UPDATE: Here's the official trailer... still looks hella good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwfUnkBfdZ4

You should probably get this while you can. I have a feeling that the WB will be cracking heads all night and into the morning to get it removed or if they're smart... they'll just release it themselves, but still flag all these bootsie copies. And whatever genius that released this... I hope you have a good fall back career. My thoughts after the vid.

Something I haven't really said on the site much is my opinion of this movie and it's going to shock you. I'm really looking forward to it. I've honestly been looking forward to it since "Sad Batman" showed up because that looked like Batman. In fact it looked like Frank Miller's Batman and this trailer all but confirms it. I'm looking forward to this movie more than anything Marvel and while I have no intention of seeing Avengers 2 on the day of release, I will likely attend a midnight release of Batman v. Superman (still a dumb title). I don't know if the story will be any good, but Batman looks good and sounds better. I don't care if they're manipulating his voice and CG'ing his body. Frankly I'm all for it. It's like steroid for athletes... I'm for it. I want my Batman to run faster and look bulky and so seeing this trailer actually made me happy and excited for this film. Here's some pics that I'll likely have to pull in the morning. (Shout out to Kevin for getting me on top of this)

Review: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 1.2 – Monster Festival

There were things to love and things to chalk up to formula with the first episode of Dungeon (the abbreviated form of the title). Overall though it interested me enough to come back for more. Unfortunately the charming qualities of the first episode aren’t present with this second episode. Monster Festival is an event held by the god Ganesha and with that the other gods attend a party. Hestia decides that she’s going to help Bell get stronger even if he’s doing it for a woman that’s not her. What her plan is, we do not know at the moment. Bell is left alone for a few days and he pays his bar tab that he ran out on. The owner and bar maids are all very nice about it because the Syr has a very obvious crush on him. Though I have no idea why the story felt the need to introduce two crushes in his life since it’s not going to do anything for the story or why they put this much thought and detail into this particular “crush.”

I’m fine with the harem trope, but at some point as a viewer I just start writing characters off. Syr does nothing for the story and we already know that Bell is never, ever, ever going to attempt a relationship with her.  So anything involving her now is just wasted story. At least Hestia plays a role in the plot even if she’s in the exact same boat. It’s the harem trope done wrong if you ask me and the story doesn’t even need it. The world is interesting enough without this crap.

Eventually some shit goes down at Monsterfhilia and another god who I guess we’re not supposed to suspect, but we totally do, has interest in Bell and so she releases a fucked up gorilla to attack Hestia and of course Bell won’t let anything happen to her. BUT DOES SHE GIVEN HIM THE FUCKING KNIFE SHE HELPED MAKE!?!?!? HELL NO.

I fucking hate that in animes because it defies all logic.

“Oh I want to give you this knife to help you..." "Oh your knife broke...” “Oh you won’t let me get involved in the battle so I’ve forgotten TO GIVE YOU THE KNIFE!”

If it wasn’t already the end of the episode I would have turned it off, it was that fucking dumb.

I liked this story. This world is interesting, but it’s being weighed down too much by tropes and the well-worn formula of the many, many, many, many, many other stories that used it before. Formulas are okay as long as you bring something new or different to the table. You have to find that angle that makes it work for you in a fresh way and I’m afraid that Dungeon isn’t trying to do that. The story feels like it’s playing it safe and just eek by with fan service and character design.

The animation is still really strong, but when hardly anything happens in the episode it’s hard to compliment it. Also they used a lot of tropes of the art form that weren’t in the first episode and brought this series down to being more common than before. All in the name of a boob joke that wasn’t even funny.

There was a lot to be unimpressed by in this second episode and the third is just around the corner. Usually I stay until episode six on a show, but I’m already feeling myself not care about Dungeon and especially the main character Bell. He’s a bit too much of the formula underdog hero for me to really care and worse yet root for.

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Score: 1/5

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Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? 1.2 “Monster Festival (Monsterphilia)” Official Website

Review: Blood Blockade Battlefront 1.2 - Pursue The Phantom Ghost Wagon

As I said with my review of the first episode of Blood Blockade Battlefront, I’m familiar with the manga. I’m not watching this anime to see a straight adaptation. I think collectively we’ve all seen enough straight adaptations to know that they suck because they don’t take advantage of the art form they’re in. I was very glad to see that Blood Blockade Battlefront’s first episode didn’t try to be the first volume of the manga. It changed things by either adding or subtracting content and it worked really, really well. I still worried about this episode though because nailing it once doesn’t mean that the rest of the season is safe. This episode continues to tow that fine line of staying close to the manga, but knowing that it’s an anime and so once again picks and chooses elements to use. The story is about Leo seeing a dry cleaner van that’s not actually a dry cleaner van. He’s of course the only one that can see the illusion, but the creatures that are capturing humans to eat can’t take any chances on letting him run free. They come for him and injure Zap in the process. Zap may be out of the hunt, but he’s not out of the game. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but its one of the coolest fucking things that the series has done and it looked so much better animated.

That’s the really great thing about this series thus far, the animation is taking it to the next level. It looks at Nightow’s manga and says, “Yeah we can make that cooler” and they do. The last big sequence was so damn good and just wonderful to look at. The animation is still really fucking good on this episode. There’s no dip and frankly it had the best action sequences of the week. Even if the story starts to bore me I think I would stick around just for the art. Klaus’ finisher towards the end was a thing of beauty and Zap’s lighter sequence, gak! So good.

The only problem I’m seeing with the anime is the same problem I have with the manga. The pacing is strange, even for a manga it’s strange. Instead of feeling like the episode has come to its natural conclusion, it instead comes across as starting another episode. The ending to this episode could have very easily have been the opening for the next (it could still be, but that would be shitty), but instead it tries to be a cliffhanger. The problem is, it spends too much time on the scene to be a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger is to leave you wanting more, but here it leaves you wanting too much because it feels like it’s going to keep going and doesn’t.

Though I will say that it looks like they’re introducing a new character or I need to re-read the second volume because I don’t remember this character at all. Again, this is where they’re succeeding with the anime. Taking opportunities to add to the world in a good way.

The episode’s not perfect, but this series is quickly standing out to me as one of the best of the season. The next episode tackles one of my favorite volumes of the series so I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what’s the same, what’s been changed and what’s new.

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Score: 4/5

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Blood Blockade Battlefront 1.2 – “Pursue The Phantom Ghost Wagon” Official Website

Review: High School DxD BorN 3.2 – Gathering of Young Devils

This was a pretty disappointing episode of High School DxD. The first episode was okay, but it was honestly shaky compared to the other two seasons. With the second episode it felt like it was jocking someone else’s formula and it didn’t work. There’s two main reasons. The first is that Issei is still depowered, so much so that he doesn’t feel like an underdog, but rather cannon fodder. What bothers me is that one of the major character arcs for Issei in the second season was having to turn his hand back to normal because he’d given it to the Dragon. That seems to be completely gone here which again… makes him come across powerless.

The other major thing is his training. He trains for three days with the other Dragon from the first episode and it consists of running around and not getting killed. They comment that it improves his stamina and agility, but the goal was to unlock and practice with his full on dragon-suit. You’d think that when it didn’t work the first time they’d try something new the next two days, but they don’t. It’s not just Issei’s training that’s the problem, everyone’s training seems really fucking easy. They’re not being pushed at all and basically blowing the training regimen out of the water. Yet we know that they’re not the most powerful group since they’ve lost twice now when it mattered.

My other problem is the shoehorned backstory about Koneko. It was pretty obvious what they were doing and sure as shit they made them the twin cats. Yay. This all feels like after thought and that would be fine if they presented it in an interesting way. Instead she’s been coasting for two seasons, but now she’s pushed to the forefront so that she can develop feelings of Issei as well. Because that’s the only reason and frankly there’s enough characters interested in this guy at the moment that we don’t need to have the least interesting character on the series fall for him as well. It doesn’t work in my opinion. She was a character that really functioned outside of that role and still worked and supported the show when needed. Right now she’s “acting strange” to everyone which also means what little charm she had is completely gone. Hopefully they don’t drag this sister shit out longer than needed because neither sister is interesting.

We’re also introduced to the “Young Devils” which is basically the snobby “pure” breeds that will one day rule hell and they are as you would expect them… annoying and dressed stupid. We also meet the guy that’s more powerful, better suited and obviously in love with Rias so that will be a thing for Issei and her to talk about and him to have insecurities over.

There’s just not a lot of interesting plot points to the story arcs that they’re currently threading and really it feels as if they’re too far out of their element, meaning the school setting. The school kept the story grounded and while shit would still go down, you had that reset area. Without it, the story is trying to do a little of everything and not succeeding at doing any of it very well. Hell, even the fan service was pretty terrible this week.

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Score: 2/5

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High School DxD BorN 3.2 “Gathering of Young Devils” Official Website

Review: Daredevil 1.4 – In The Blood

Episode four gave us a closer look at our villains. We start with our Russian brothers, glimpsing the hell they survived together in prison. I should’ve known this would be a solid episode when our buddy Vlad pulled out the rib bones of their deceased cell mate to use as weapons. Gross. Brilliant. I’m a bit bummed to say goodbye to Anatoly so soon, because he and Vladimir as the weird brother villain duo was really working for me. As far as villains go, these two weren’t super intimidating; they looked a bit grumpy more than anything, as though they’d just woken up and hadn’t yet had their morning coffee (morning vodka?). They weren’t perfectly in sync and spent some time butting heads, but they refused to be anything other than loyal to each other. Now we’re just left with Vlad, who’s still not particularly intimidating but is definitely still grumpy. Our Russians are in trouble for getting their asses handed to them by that masked idiot, so they take Claire to try to get a name and track down this black-masked fellow. I wish I had more to say about Claire but her entire storyline is Matt, and she doesn’t have much of a personality. I’m hopeful they’ll flesh her out a bit, because I’m optimistic, but I won’t be surprised if they keep her this one dimensional.

This episode didn’t leave much room for lawyering, so we don’t get to see the trio working together, and very little of Foggy. Karen’s got a bit of her own plotline to work with, but for the most part she and Foggy are an afterthought in this episode. Which is fine, as it leaves more time for us to hang out with our villains.

I’m really enjoying Fisk. He’s massive and physically intimidating, but at moments he’s seems unsure or stumbles over his words, and that vulnerability makes him a more complex, intriguing villain. He is very much just a man, one who can easily behead someone for embarrassing him in public, but still just a man. I might be biased because I really like Vincent D’Onofrio, but he does a wonderful job portraying Fisk’s vulnerabilities; Fisk is the type to unknowingly wear his heart on his sleeve, the type to try to keep a cool mask but fail. Fisk is easy to read but likely thinks otherwise, and D’Onofrio plays those bare emotions well.

Obviously I can’t review this episode without talking about the ending scene. Honestly, I’m not sure I can adequately describe how much I loved it. Episode three’s opening scene in the bowling alley was brutal, and I didn’t expect that moment to be topped. But holy shit, was I wrong. When Anatoly interrupted Fisk’s date, my immediate reaction was “Fisk is going to tear you apart.” I did not expect to be so accurate. It’s probably “not okay” to call a beheading anything short of horrific, but it was absolutely brilliant. The angle of that moment, seeing only the blood dripping down- and then the bit of brains- was delightfully gruesome.

I also have to mention Wesley. Just by looking at him, I don’t think anyone would describe him as “terrifying,” but his complete apathy to Anatoly’s brutal, disgusting murder as well as his short speech about the past being like smoke elevated him to just shy of terrifying. Where Fisk is easy to read, Wesley is impossible; he’s completely unphased by murder and his face doesn’t give away a damn thing. These two make a really good pair.

Overall, good episode, action-packed, with an ending that will certainly stick with you.

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Score: 4/5

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Daredevil 1.4 – In The Blood Director: Ken Girotti Writer: Joe Pakaski Distributor: Netflix, ABC Films, Marvel Studios Runtime: 60 Minutes Exclusively on Netflix

Review: The Heroic Legend of Arslan 1.2 - First Battle at 14

Shit this show is good.  I accidentally signed up to review one of the best-paced animes I've had the pleasure of watching.  Do you know how long it would take other animes out there to go from the capital city to the battlefield?  A fucking season.  Ten filler arcs.  Maybe I have been jaded by being a fan of Naruto for so long, but good lord was it refreshing that this anime just gets on with the damn story. I was weary of too much time-skippery since that appears to be en vogue right now, but not only is Arslan well-paced in terms of getting the fuck on with things, it is well-paced in terms of leaving me off on a meaningful cliffhanger.  More than just telling the story at an effective rate, Arslan continues to color the experience of the young Arslan by exposing him to the harsh realities of military life, both bureaucratic and on the battlefield.

Pepper in a plot twist that isn't being telegraphed every three minutes (*cough* Attack on Titan *cough*), formidable production values, and completely killer opening credits, and Arslan should be on your watch list unless you hate medieval themes and/or good things.

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Score: 5/5

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The Heroic Legend of Arslan 1.2 - First Battle at 14 Official Website

Review: Food Wars 1.2 - God Tongue

Enter the next big theme of this series: Soma is a peasant in the eyes of his peers and thus an outcast and underdog at the elite Totsuki Institute. Now, this episode worried me a little more than the other one in terms of the disrobing effect, but not because of my usual complaints about fan service: I just thought the sequence of Erina tasting his food started to drag and took about twice as long as it should have.  But, once you get to the end of the episode, I think there might have been a good reason for this, since it ends with Soma being rejected from the institute.  It's a really hilarious cliffhanger for the viewer because obviously he gets into Totsuki, and yet we have to wait a week to actually see it happen.

I am already really impressed by the people putting this anime together.  The number one problem facing anime adaptations of successful manga is, after all, pacing.  And it's not just a problem in terms of making the shows have successful cliffhangers without indulging in twenty million flashbacks (something that makes early Naruto unwatchable for many people); rather, it's a problem simply in terms of catching up to the damn anime.  If this anime continues to successfully explore the same themes as the manga while taking its time in doing so by indulging in the anime form, it can only help the success of the Food Wars brand as a whole.

And how great is the “God Tongue” stuff?  Erina is the polar opposite of Soma and so her abilities serve as a great dramatic foil for Soma's more visceral approach to the culinary world.  To milk some extra comedy out of that ability with her incredibly specific, yet incredibly awkward analogies is just the cherry on top.

I might just start scoring these episodes based on how fucking hungry they make me, because I can't imagine there will be a bad episode for a long time.

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Score: 5/5

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Food Wars 1.2 - God Tongue Official Website

Review: Daredevil 1.3 – Rabbit in a Snowstorm

Yes, I admit it.  I went and watched three episodes all at once and then a second time.  I am trying to use as much restraint as possible though, as I want to really enjoy each and every savory morsel of this delicious Netflix series rather than gorging myself just because I can.  I am a mega Daredevil fan and thus far, this has been a series that has given me hope once again that there can be a good superhero television series that is true to the character and true to itself portraying an honest and solid look of what it is to be a hero and what it means to be a bad guy. As Daredevil 1.3 plays through, we get tastes of both.  And what you see is that no matter how bad you are, no matter how good you are, you are still just a human being with problems who must make decisions that may be for better or for worse.  But regardless of the decisions, they are just that.  And you must render the consequences for each and every one of those decisions. This is my last review of the series and I have been having to break from my DD fan biases, resorting to splitting my consciousness and unleashing my inner N.E.R.D. or a person who NEVER EVER READ DAREDEVIL.  I promise that this is the last time I do this.  Quite frankly, it gives me a headache. But, I want to make sure that my own super excitement of a series that has been very pleasing to my fan preferences so far does not cause me to lose my objective edge.  So here we go for one more run…

For as poetic and beautiful the final fight sequence of episode two was, Daredevil 1.3’s opening fight scene is just as equal, but in brutality instead of art.  A man seeking a simple desire to bowl a few games brutally (and I mean brutally) murders the person who appears to be a player in the bad guy world. Enter Nelson and Murdock who are asked to defend this man with a large sum of money given as a retainer by the henchmen who we already know as representing the great unknown bad guy that is controlling things in Hell’s Kitchen.

Matt, suspecting something is up, goes to investigate and hears what his suspicions were reporting to him.  He takes the case (much to Foggy’s objections) to defend this career criminal and we go into a full blown Law and Order episode with some superhero elements as Matt and Foggy do their due diligence in defending this criminal while Matt’s alter ego Daredevil snoops around both before and after the case to gather additional information in who is providing the funding for this trial and apparently pulling the strings as well. It all ends with the name of the previously unknown baddie being revealed (and subsequent response to that naming).  The final shot has this now known bad man staring at a completely white painting stating that it makes him feel “alone.”

Like the other episodes, two additional side stories are at work as well as we are introduced to a hard boiled news reporter named Ben Ulrich who wants to get to the bottom of some strange things going on with the criminal element in Hell’s Kitchen.  There is a new player in town and Ulrich wishes to dig deeper.  But personal responsibilities with his sick wife and his unmotivated editor to pursue such a course of story are in his way.

Adding to the obstructions, enter Ulrich’s last hard hitting corruption piece with Union Allied that became dead as fast as it was released as the players involved disappeared and the company itself split up.  Despite Union Allied’s break up, this hasn’t stopped Karen Page who feels something is simply wrong as she is offered a settlement as well as threatened legally for her involvement in stealing a top secret file from episode one.  She eventually works her way to the wife of the murdered coworker that she was framed for killing and ultimately to Mr. Ulrich himself, stating her suspicions and asking his help.

This whole episode felt a little bit anticlimactic after the super action of the previous episode.  Sure we have Daredevil in action.  But much of this story was more at work in establishing things and in identifying our bad man number one.  He seems like a man of few words, but has the same level of power that he can actually like an all-white painting and it’s all ok. You can bet that this man wields mighty power.  And if Mr. Healy (Matt and Foggy’s murder client) doesn’t convince you how bad this man is through his own actions, then I don’t think that you can be convinced.

Okay, now to my fan boy review.  I agree.  This episode felt anticlimactic.  But like the movements of pieces on the chessboard, episode three worked to establish bigger moves for the future.  The pawns were moving so as to expose the king who in this world is the one and only Kingpin, Wilson Fisk.  Vincent D’Onofrio in playing Fisk, no doubt lacks the physical prowess of the comic book Kingpin.  You would probably need CGI for that rendering.  But in this lean and mean Hell’s Kitchen world of crime and punishment, D’Ornofrio makes for an interesting choice, with intensity in the eyes, yet a fractured psyche as well of a person who may control all that he surveys, but who is also utterly alone in many ways as well.  Unless that is, he and the lady at the art house end up having a relationship that plays out. Not sure if it happens here, but any fan of Daredevil knows Vanessa and her history with Fisk, so it is very likely.

As a fan, I can’t help but to like Ben Ulrich.  He is a man of substance and pushes for the truth.  True to character here, Ulrich speaks with both criminals and regular folk in looking for those angles to that big story that may not sell papers, but is relevant for the masses.   It means something, just like fighting tooth and nail to take care of his ailing wife.  Ben is played to perfection by Vondie Curtis-Hall.  He steals the episode here all the way around.

Alas, despite Curtis-Hall’s wonderful performance and D’Onofrio’s scowling look, this has been the most pedestrian of the episodes to date.  It was still good, but nothing that overwhelmed me like the opening two.  But for what it is, major characters were revealed, Nelson and Murdock got to show their skills in the courtroom, and Karen Page continues to build block by block a fighting spirit and prowess that will eventually make her what she will ultimately become one day.  I liked it, just not as good as I liked the previous two.

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Score: 3/5

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Daredevil 1.3 – Rabbit in a Snowstorm Director: Adam Kane Writer: Marco Ramirez Distributor: Netflix, ABC Films, Marvel Studios Runtime: 60 Minutes Exclusively on Netflix

Review: Daredevil 1.2 - Cut Man

Once again, as a super colossal, super fantastic, super Daredevil comic fan, I must take a step back and channel into a different realm of consciousness becoming a N.E.R.D., which is a person who NEVER EVER READ DAREDEVIL. Being an N.E.R.D. allows me an unbiased and objective response.  I also took a control in with me while watching Daredevil 1.2, having my significant other who doesn’t really like comics at all to gauge her responses (Opposites attract.  It’s science). Here is what I got from my humble N.E.R.D. and following her responses… Wow, Daredevil is a strange superhero.  He actually takes a beating.  A bad beating that might even put his life in danger.  Lucky for him, he is rescued by a nurse named Claire who apparently knows who he is by some of the cases she has encountered while working at the hospital.  Claire is a likable character instantly as she seems to be a lady of conscious and great skill.  She even saves Matt (of whom she calls “Mike” based off an old boyfriend who kept a lot of secrets) from a lung that is collapsing.  These are the moments that define the whole first half of the story and Matt with Claire have a very strong chemistry in this episode.  Matt even gets to return the favor to Claire as she has a visitor who acts like a cop, but is not by the determination (and super senses) of Matt who is looking for this masked man so he can finish him off.

Between these interactions, we get more back story regarding Matt’s father Jack, and the choices that he makes when given a directive to take a dive in the fifth round against a younger and apparently up and coming contender.  It appears that the Murdocks in order to do the common good are willing to forgo their own safety if they feel they are doing the right thing.  Apparently the fruit doesn’t far too far from the tree from father to son.  There are some additional interactions between Karen and Foggy that are light-hearted, drunken, and once again help to solidify the tightness that is this Hell’s Kitchen.  Everybody knows everybody and even though crime is rampant, the people who live here feel relatively safe.  Don’t know if that will remain though.

For the last 10 minutes or so of the episode, Matt, still hurting, gathers what strength he has to go and finish the mission that put him in such a position of hurt in the first place.  After a little torture and throw off a building session with the baddie who came by Claire’s door (and with Claire’s nursing expertise help, Ouch!) the location of the young boy that was abducted in the end of the first episode is located and we are given a treat of a fight sequence.  Filmed in one continuing shot, we see the fight from an observer’s role watching Daredevil fight, hurt, and fight some more.  The end result is very satisfying and like the montage in the first episode, you as a watcher are ready for more episodes as soon as this one ends.  Really good stuff.

That’s the N.E.R.D. perspective.  Here’s the super devoted fan boy perspective… DAMN!!! WHAT A FIGHT SEQUENCE AT THE END!!!  I felt that overall this episode was fairly good.  We see in the beginning the aftermath of a failed rescue attempt that appears to have been a trap for our masked man.  He is in a world of hurt and if it wasn’t for a lady named Claire who I am certain is a hybrid of an old Luke Cage squeeze and the actual comic book heroine the Night Nurse, there is no telling what would have happened to our hero.   Much of the story deals with their interactions both in Claire’s interactions to help Matt and in Matt’s aid to Claire relating to a man disguised as a policeman who is obviously looking for the wounded warrior and doesn’t believe Claire’s response to him.  These are good solid interactions.  Charlie Cox and Rosario Dawson (playing DD and NN respectively) have a real nice connection and make the screen burn.  The Foggy and Karen “drinking the eel” and running around town was nothing more than mild filler with the Jack backstory coming right from the Frank Miller’s Man Without Fear mini-series.  One of those personal favorites of mine.

I did have this one settled in a strong 3/5 until the fight sequence though.  That one take fight was magnificent and quite impressive.  It establishes what Daredevil has always been to me… A person who doesn’t ever give up no matter the odds and who won’t quit ever. This is shaping up to be a good series and if this is the kind of fighting we are getting in only two episodes in, then I can’t wait to see what will happen as things progress.

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Score: 4/5

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Daredevil 1.2 – Cut Man Director: Phil Abraham Writer: Drew Goddard Distributor: Netflix, ABC Films, Marvel Studios Runtime: 60 Minutes Exclusively on Netflix

VGHS: The Complete Series Now On Netflix

Okay there's of course one big reason why I'm posting this trailer... it's a damn good trailer! No seriously our very own Justin Wood is actually quoted on the trailer and that's a huge honor around here. We don't write reviews to be quoted so when we are we treat it like something special because it should be. I mean we're a site called "Comic Bastards" people don't exactly like slapping that on shit (I know right?). If you haven't checked out VGHS or Video Game High School from Rocket Jump then do so. It's honestly one of my favorite things to come out in the past few years and though the journey is over, we have three solid season to enjoy. You can also read our reviews by clicking on this tag: VGHS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH1APKB-K-Y

Group Review: Daredevil 1.1 - Into The Ring

Tired of Daredevil yet? I hope not because you’re about to read the biggest group review on the site to date. Seriously everyone is watching this even if they’re not on the group review they’re watching it. There’s a lot to go over so a quick synopsis: Marvel got Daredevil back from Fox and they made a TV show. No teeter-tottering happens. You’ll figure out the rest.

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DUSTIN: 3/5

I’m going to keep mine short since I have the vantage point of knowing how much more there is to read on this. It’s was okay. It didn’t piss me off and the fighting looked good. Like honestly the best part of it was the fighting. The acting is okay as well, but Foggy is terrible and given way too much screen time. The way they show the powers isn’t terrible, but it’s not interesting either. Also the ending in which Karen just works for free and somehow manages to pay bills and keep in an apartment in New York was laughable. And the opening was laughable as well, but still managed to be better than the Fox version (R.I.P. #neverforget). (Also everyone is going to hate me for going first with that score, HA!)

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AARON: 5/5

It's hard to watch this Daredevil and not compare it to that OTHER Daredevil.  I know a lot of people don't like that movie, but I did.  I thought the theatrical cut, while flawed, was enjoyable and the director’s cut elevated that to a flat out good movie.  For what it was.  But while that movie was very, very broad, almost to the point of camp, or, arguably, parody what Netflix has delivered is a much more subdued experience.  The cast is small and tight with great chemistry between all members.  The scale is much smaller and the portrayal of Daredevil's powers is much more subtle.  The show benefits from this scaling down in every single way creating something that's much more involving, something much more intimate and ultimately something much, much better.

The highlight of the Daredevil movie that I thought might go missing is the relationship between Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson.  Affleck and Favreau had amazing chemistry and seemed to really like each other and have fun in their scenes which saved the movie every time they were on screen together.  I’m happy to say that this Murdock and Nelson (Charlie Cox and Elden Nelson) rival that excellent relationship and may even surpass it by the end of the series.  They really feel like two old friends who actually like each other.

In reading the previews for this critics were saying that the first two episodes create probably the best Marvel movie that's ever been produced, obviously minus the editing required to make it two episodes rather than a full movie.  I would have to agree.  Other than perhaps Winter Soldier this is some of the best Marvel has put out there.  The acting is top notch by all cast members and the storytelling is phenomenal all while being shot like a big budget Marvel movie.  It has the whole experience. It's hard to find a flaw in this and I'm looking forward to watching it all and moving on to the next series.

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STEVE: 4/5

With so many hokey superhero shows out there that cater to the lowest common denominator of fanboy/girl-ism (Flash, Arrow and Powers, I’m looking in your direction), the nervousness I had about jumping into Netflix’s Daredevil was tempered only by my overall enjoyment of Marvel’s film and TV. Thankfully, that thread mostly holds steady in Daredevil, in what I found to be a promising start... like, literally. That has to be one of the dopest opening credits sequences of all time, am I right?

To get them out of the way first, the weakest parts of the show, for me, were the sometimes dicey acting of Elden Henson as Foggy and Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, although the latter did show an impressive emotional range. There was also a LOT of exposition dumping; though admittedly, that’s to be expected in a first episode with such a long-established character.

It was a foregone conclusion that this would be a “crime procedural” of-sorts, which I usually hate with a fierce and unwavering passion. But here I didn’t mind it so much. In fact, I liked the mystery of it all, in particular how the writing led the story nicely into an overarching post-Avengers/New York world; the main theme being best expressed in one mobster’s line, “Heroes and their consequences are why we have these opportunities.”

The character of Daredevil, himself, was articulated on the screen with a thankfully deft approach; his powers were subtly shot, his badassery muted by his upstart status, and yet it all came together in some pretty amazing action sequences, which fit in well to the premiere’s applaudable pacing.

With a great Marvel Cinematic Universe setup and tie-in, a genuinely intriguing and believable tone, fun writing which the actors are clearly having a good time chewing on, and gobs of atmosphere that makes the city and its players feel fairly well-established, Daredevil is a superhero show I am actually excited to watch and a good omen for the Netflix/Marvel shows to come!

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BRIAN: 4/5

Daredevil toes the line between being a stereotypical male power fantasy and a decent sort of show. The action is great, the acting is solid, and the world is kept pretty low-key and realistic. Hell's Kitchen isn't shot as some sort of German Expressionist Gotham fantasy, just a rough and tumble neighborhood populated by pretty real people. But there's also a strong tendency for men to control everything and for women to only be victims or servants. Thankfully none of the good guy leads seem to be assholes.

So far Daredevil seems ready and able to make being a blind and Catholic kid cool again.

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NINA: 5/5

The pilot was really fun to watch: suitably dark but not overwhelmingly so. We jump right into the action but aren’t left completely – sorry - blind. It was a good balance of background information and plot. The fight scenes were beautifully choreographed and lovely to watch.

Cox and Henson work really well together, playing off each other nicely and making Murdock and Nelson’s relationship both believable and enjoyable. I loved the little moments where Nelson has to narrate something for Murdock (“the realtor just curtsied”); no one knows how to act around Murdock, and Nelson jumping in to call them out, keep Murdock aware of what’s happening, and diffuse an awkward situation is appreciated.

I’m a fan of Cox’s Daredevil; he exudes both grace and power, and is easy to like and to root for. His theatrics as a vigilante are simple but impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot and am definitely on board for this series.

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AUSTIN: 5/5

A couple of summers ago I was watching my friend's comic shop for a few hours, during which time I got to read any comics I wanted (which I will take over health benefits any day).  I picked up an issue in the middle of Waid's run, never having read Daredevil before.  I proceeded to read everything in the shop that was Daredevil related: "End of Days," "Born Again"-- all of it.  Daredevil ruined all other superheroes for me in a matter of hours.

Assuming it is even possible for me to pick a favorite Daredevil story, it would be "The Man Without Fear": Miller's five-issue re-framing of Daredevil's origin story.  I loved it because, having read backwards through the canon, I could see that even when Miller made changes, the sum of everything he did with his story brought the essential qualities of who Matt Murdock is as a man and as a hero to the forefront.

This show is doing that very same thing.  It's highlighting what makes the man by showing who he is whether or not he's got the fancy red uniform yet.  The show is doing a wonderful job of revealing how Matt's past is not just something that happened before the present: it's something that's fluid and contiguous with his present experiences as an amazing vigilante moron who takes just a little bit too much after his father.

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DAVID: 4/5

I had relatively low hopes for this show going in having been less than impressed by the teaser trailer, and so with that in mind I can honestly say that this show is ‘better than expected.’ If that doesn’t sound like a glowing endorsement to you, it’s because it isn’t. That’s not to say that I don’t like this show, quite the opposite! I see a lot of potential for Daredevil to grow into something really spectacular. But this episode is far from perfect, with the most significant flaw to me being the weak performance from Elden Henson aka Foggy Nelson.

This is particularly painful for two reasons, the first being that Foggy has some of the best lines in the show but they just don’t land the way they should, thanks to Henson’s sub-par delivery. Second, the friendship between Matt and Foggy is a huge part of the Daredevil comics, but quite frankly there is no chemistry between the two on-screen. I don’t believe that these two guys have been best friends for years because the interactions they have just feel awkward, as if they barely know each other. Heck, Ben Affleck and Jon Favreau had a more believable friendship in that abomination from 2003.

Aside from Henson however, I have to say the casting here seems pretty solid. Cox is doing a good job as Matt Murdock and Deborah Ann Woll is a compelling Karen Page. The fight scenes are gripping, and the story has potential, although I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t confused me a little. I’m now three episodes in and still struggling to figure out what’s going on, which worries me because I don’t know whether things are intentionally mysterious or just poorly explained. Other small complaints aside – the lack of Murdock’s trademark radar sense being one of them – this was a good start for Daredevil and for the Marvel-Netflix collaborations and I’ll definitely be sticking around to see where things go.

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SAMANTHA: 2/5

Let’s just dive right in to why this episode gets a bad rating from me. First, the not-so-dark episode. When reading reviews online, I looked forward to all of them stating how dark Daredevil was going to be and how much difference it had between the recent Marvel movies, being that of its intensity. I found none of this to be true. The show actually had a balance of dark and then a very distinctive light side; Foggy. It didn’t come across as all that ruthless but exactly how most action movies turn out; a little fun mixed with action. The only thing that was truly and completely dark was the lighting of the episode. Seriously, I must be getting old.

Secondly, the portrayal of women sucked. I am not expecting some new woman side kick or for some women to dropkick her kidnapper, but the fact that ALL the women were damsels in distress didn’t sit right with me. Not even a cop, hell not even a background character. They all just cried or screamed. Ugh. It was frustrated. Plus they could have easily interwoven something into it. Again, this is a first episode review, so I am sure there will be a woman who steps up, but this episode sucked.

Thirdly, why the hell at the end of the episode does Matt have his mask off on the rooftop? It would have been more effective if his eyes were covered to show how powerful his other senses are. Plus I doubt he would risk at moment he be identified. Just didn’t make sense.

Then there are things that did work; the fighting and the bad guys. The fighting was sweet. I loved how vulnerable but badass Matt was. Nothing is better than just hand-to-hand fighting and this episode exemplified that. Then the bad guys. There are a lot. I liked all the different plots going on. And even if you don’t know who they all are, it was easy to see.

All in all, I’ll go back because I think it will get better. But first episode wise, I didn’t dig it.

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DANIEL: 4/5

I'm gonna start by saying I really enjoyed the first episode. Going in to a Netflix show is very different to a cable show. Because they drop the whole season in one go they don't have to stick to the episodic formula. They could of done it as a twelve hour movie (which would of been great).

Things I likes were; the short origin story, the moody/dark tone. I didn't know how I felt about Charlie Cox when the released the stills. But after the first 15 minutes he became Matt Murdock. The starter costume was pretty bad ass. The quick primer on the bad guys, they show us enough to know who's pm what side.

Things I didn't like were the quick wrap up of the case and hiring of the girl. It felt a bit too convenient. But I have faith that the rest of the show will prove it's not so cut and dry. The guy who gets a gun back and laughs like everything is okay again (you couldn't hit him last time with the gun, why would another make you feel safe?)

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NICK: 5/5

Speaking to you from the far future of Daredevil episode 9, I’m going to try and keep this review focused on just the first episode, and not let the rest of the series color my thoughts one way or another. Such is life, when you’re trying to review a series in a medium where it is designed to be binged.

Having said that, holy living crap, I love this show.

I did some soul searching recently and realized that, judging by sheer number of amazing runs (and particularly the effect the Bendis/Maleev run had on a bright-eyed, younger version of myself), Daredevil is my favorite superhero. I don’t hate the Ben Affleck version like some people do, but this series is for sure showing us the way Daredevil should be done.

Rather than focus on fancy radar tricks and radioactive waste giving a boy superpowers, we get flashbacks to happier times with Battlin’ Jack; we get impressive crime drama; we get phenomenal long-take fight choreography; and we get a Matt Murdock who is charming and handsome, but who also seems unestablished. We’re getting the origin of Daredevil without getting the origin story of Daredevil, which is an important distinction to make.

How many times in the last decade and a half have we had to sit through Peter Parker taking a trip to a laboratory, getting a spider bite, watching his Uncle Ben die in his arms? So many times, gang. So many. And here, we skip that. We already know the key parts of Daredevil, and if not, we get a lot of it through context in the show. It doesn’t waste the first episode with things the audience is smart enough to know or to figure out as they go, it drops us into the conflict.

Aside from the story, the cast in this show is perfect. In reviewing the first episode, I’ll spoil things and say I can’t tell you about the Kingpin or Ben Urich--but Matt, Foggy, Karen, even fucking Leland Owlsley are pitch perfect for their roles, and watching them inhabit the Marvel version of Hell’s Kitchen over the next 12 episodes is going to be a ton of fun.

I could write another 500 words about this, but Dustin is making stabby motions from across the bullpen. If this show continues to hit this mark all season and runs for like, seven seasons, it will be a strong contender for my favorite show of all time.

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JAMES: 5/5

OK, first off, I want to let everyone know how generally nutrageous I am over Daredevil.  Old DD was one of my early favorites as a youth and he has remained that way since.  We are talking the early eighties for me here so I have been a hornhead fanboy for well over 30 years.  Anyway, in order to do this review, I had to channel out those biases and go from a completely objective standpoint.  I had to look at this episode as a person who is a N.E.R.D. (Never Ever Read Daredevil) and look at it from those eyes so as to give an honest and up front take.  Here is what I have…

The title sequence was ok.  It reminds me of the opening to Hannibal which tells me it has been done before, but it didn’t feel like a complete knock off.  As for the story, I liked it.  I got the sense through the episode that Hell’s Kitchen is a tight knit place and the characters who live there are intricate parts of the machinery of it all.  They are all local and have familiarity in it, making the neighborhood more realistic and believable to me.  It’s like they didn’t just drop some characters in like so many stories do.  The landscape is as much of a character here as the actual characters are.  These people seem real.  I give big pluses for that.

Our main characters, Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page seem very real and the story feels like something you would read right out of the today’s headlines.  The evil and corruption depicted are legit and it affects all of our characters in the way that it does.  It especially affects Matt who has decided to say to hell with his disability and take on the baddies in spite of the fact that he is blind.  The main bad guy, an unknown in this episode, wields some serious threatening power. This is a person to be reckoned with and Matt looks like he will be having his work cut out for him as things progress.  With the second half of the story, we hit some serious action and an even more serious montage set of the bads at work.  This was particularly sweet and makes your mouth water for more.   All in all, I think I liked the realness feeling of it all.  It seemed more real than your typical superhero fare. And I must say that this was a first episode that left me no doubt that I would watch another.  That is my simple N.E.R.D take on the whole episode.

Now on the fanboy side who has lived and breathed DD for many years… Let’s just say that I liked it significantly better than the movie version.  The movie sucked.  This episode did not, AT ALL!  Frank Miller’s version of Murdock’s Hell’s Kitchen is everywhere. And the dark tones, though a little too dark during the big fight sequence, is perfectly suited for the character.  The whole episode teases the watcher regarding what Daredevil can do and is capable of doing if pushed too far.  And like his Pop Jack, Matt may get knocked down, but he will always get up.  It all spelled for a phenomenal first episode.  The only skill that I must practice in watching this series from here on out is restraint, as I want to soak up every glorious minute of it without going on a multi-hour gluttonous binge.  I flat out loved it and am so glad to see a solid made for TV series come out that is worthy of the character it portrays.  Hope this is a trend for up and coming hero series.

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Daredevil 1.1 - Into The Ring Director: Phil Abraham Writer: Drew Goddard Distributor: Netflix, ABC Films, Marvel Studios Runtime: 60 Minutes Exclusively on Netflix

Review: iZombie 1.4 – Live and Let Clive

After two completely boring and formulaic entries this week is a little better.  Not much better but a little better.  The show in general had a great first episode and then it degenerated into formula pretty quickly.  There’s nothing wrong with formula on the surface, it’s a valid serial story telling device.  It’s sometimes a necessary story telling device, especially when you are telling a series of stories whose end you don’t know.  Unless you signed up a television show with the specific intention of ending it at some point then the expectation is that the show will run forever and that changes the kind of stories you tell.  It sets up a need for formula so that you can feed plot elements into a machine and create perpetual episodes from now into infinity with a moderate amount of work.  I’m not saying that it’s not work, but the addition of a formula at least gives you a foothold when you break a story.  You kind of have 20-30% of story right there, a skeleton to add flesh to.  In the best case you have something like South Park that follows a very basic formula (the semi-famous ‘therefore’ and ‘but’ formula) in the worst cases you have House which was formula down to the minute; essentially the same episode every single time.  What I’m trying to say is there is nothing wrong with using a formula however using that formula successfully is the trick. For the most part iZombie has not used its formula successfully.  It established that formula in the first episode and then proceeded to clone that first episode twice more.  Not only did it clone that first episode twice more it removed the cast elements that made that formula successful by narrowing focus to just Liv instead on the larger ensemble cast.  It’s good to have a strong main character, someone who can carry the greater story, one that we can spend time with but I just don’t think the character of Liv Moore can carry the show on her own. She can carry moments on her own, she can carry, maybe, an act on her own, but not episode upon episode on her own.  The strength of the series comes from that supporting cast which has been largely absent.  This week we get the return of her smart ass brother who was a much welcome breath of fresh air, as limited an appearance as it was.  His casual obsession with Liv’s absent roommate, his ease with Liv’s profession and just the slightly different personality he brings was a light in the darkness of the formula.

This episode saw Liv eating a brain and getting visions of her Detective sidekick being a dirty cop.  This messed with the formula a bit as well as it created some level of conflict between the two characters.  It was something different and it was nice to see.  The scene of her ‘going undercover’ with her boss was just plain enjoyable as the chemistry between those two characters is funny and friendly.  When she is hit by a homeless persons cart and jumps up announcing that she “…knows kung-fu…” I laughed, but I also thought it was incredibly stupid.

We also get the bigger picture on her zombie antagonist and his brain dealing operation which hints at being much bigger than previously thought.  Apparently he has been turning quite a few people into zombies and runs a brain feeding operation out of a butcher shop that also serves gourmet brain meals (?) and where he literally keeps goons on ice ready to serve him.  That whole side provides an interesting peek at the greater world but I wonder how they will come together by the end of the series and I don’t wonder that in a good way.  It looks like it will be a major problem down the road and I’m curious to see how they make it work but I’m also anticipating it to be a car wreck.  As for right now, this episode, it brings back some of the glimmer of the first episode so it’s not a total waste of your time but I wouldn’t clear your schedule to look at it.

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Score: 3/5

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iZombie 1.4 Watch iZombie on CW, Tuesday 9/8 C

Review: Punchline 1.1

Punchline will, at first, seem like FLCL meets Bleach: and then you realize it's really just FLCL but with its own take on an absolutely ridiculous pubescent allegory. A bus gets hijacked.  A random and very goofy juice-themed hero shows up to save the day.  Some dork on the bus sees some panties and goes pervy Super Saiyan.  And here's the punch line of Punchline: while in his powered up mode, if the main character Yuta sees another pair of panties, a massive asteroid will collide with Earth, ending life as we know it.

Yeah.

To make matters worse, Punchline kicks off with Yuta having his body possessed, but with all of the rules of panty-viewing being transferred to his newly disembodied soul.  Thus the plot of the first episode largely revolves around the fact that it is really easy for an incorporeal being living in a house with four women to accidentally see some panties.

In contrast to other helpings of fan service which I have decried this week, the excessive panty-viewings in this episode are to forward the plot.  You might be thinking, "well isn't that convenient?" but let's be serious: acting like sexuality--especially budding, immature sexuality--cannot be the topic of a show is the wrong way to go about understanding, appreciating, or even criticizing particular shows for awkward sexual situations.

With that said, it's not as if you'll be able to get past the fan service in this show if gratuitous ecchi just isn't your thing.  In that respect, this show has a limited demographic.  I myself have mixed feelings about it, even though it's integral to this plot in a way that only felt gratuitous insofar as it was really central to the show: the show is about a guy who's superpowers revolve around seeing panties.  It’s sort of hard not to get carried away with an idea with that much potential for humorous situations.  And, ultimately, because this show is about someone who will destroy the world if they peep too much, this show is not about a young perv, but a young man who has to learn to keep it in his pants, lest he end human society.

The production values are fantastic, and the animations style lends itself to the humor of situations really well.  My particular favorite character was the shinigami cat, half because it was animated to really humorous effect, and half because the cat is just a straight-up asshole and incredibly unhelpful to Yuta.

The shinigami dimension of this series, mixed with the weird superhero team situation that's going on in the house, made for an episode that makes the viewer ask a lot of questions without answers.  Once the bomb gets dropped about Yuta's pervy superpower, the rest of the elements of the show sort of take a back seat; for instance, I actually forgot that Yuta was a ghost halfway through the episode.  It's not something that lacks execution, but it's something that will warrant attention as the series progresses: either multiple strands of this show will be executed effectively, or it will just become a show about panties, and thus no longer worth anyone's time.

It's likely that Punchline is worth your time.  But we will find out in very short order whether or not this series can explore the meaningful themes that I've given it credit for, or if it just turns out to be another ecchi-filled panty raid.

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Score: 4/5

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Punchline 1.1 Official Site

Review: Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 2.16 - Afterlife

Damn, I thought this was another solid outing by Agents of SHIELD.  Not as action packed as the previous episodes but we were starting to get story constipation and we desperately needed an exposition dump and what a dump this was!  A lot has been happening since the season return and we haven’t really stopped to breathe since.  Last week there was a fair bit of exposition but it was exposition couched in action this episode dropped the pace down a bit and tried to tell the whole story rather than just focusing on one bit.  Here we finally get answers about Skye, Real SHIELD, the Inhumans, what happened to Raina and what happened to Mr. Hyde (Cal, Skye’s father, I prefer to call him by his comic name) and hints as to what’s to come in the final three episodes. I have to say that I’m not really a fan of Real SHIELD or Edward James Olmos’ Robert Gonzales.  It has been a pretty weak big bad for the second half of the season.  They really should have extended Whitehall and HYDRA as the big bads throughout the season and tease the total end of HYDRA before bringing them back in either movie or TV show form later.  HYDRA is just one of those insidious organizations that you can tease eliminating and then bring it back and it would feel appropriate.  But HYDRA was dropped like a hot potato and we got Real SHIELD which just hasn’t done much for me other than piss me off and make me dislike everyone involved.

My opinion of Mockingbird and Mack have dropped considerably, but they are teasing a face turn for Mockingbird which makes me very happy because Mockingbird has been fantastic this entire season.  She has probably been the best addition to the team since Tripp, rest his soul, and I hope she sticks around for the long term.  Of course it’s Joss Whedon so we’re pretty much guaranteed to have a main/supporting cast death in the finale and I’m worried it will be her.  I’m hoping it will be Gonzales and my gut tells me it will be Gonzales because it’s a big name actor and they’re trying very hard to get us to like him in the short time he’s been around.

In this episode he had a few moments with May and they are really pushing his sense of ‘honor’.  But I have to ask where his honor was when he sent people to kill an unarmed, recovering woman.  Or when they gassed their own people.  Or when they subverted their own organization instead of extending an olive branch.  They just burst in there with the intention of stealing people and tech and weakening an already ailing SHIELD.  It makes me so angry but it’s good heat, it’s not go-away heat from me yet.  It makes me angry but it makes angry in that way where I want to see what happens next.  I want to see Real SHIELD go down and I’ll be so happy when it does.

This week had another huge secret cameo.  I don’t know if maybe they’re spoiling these things in the previews but since Hulu doesn’t have previews for the next week I’ve had several very pleasant surprises this season.  The first was the return of Sif who I was happy to see, but that episode didn’t top her appearance from the first season.  That’s forgivable though because they didn’t have a Thor movie driving Asgardian interest.  I, personally, hope that Sif comes back every season; that would be a fun little event to look forward to every year.  This week was the return of Deathlok who looked ripped-diesel and hard as hell in his much welcomed comeback.  When Coulson teased ‘back-up’ I started marking out.  They couldn’t have meant Downey Jr. that’s a name that’s a bit too big but I thought maybe Renner could show up as Hawkeye.  Pretty much all the big name Avengers have expressed interest in showing up on SHIELD so nothing is impossible I suppose but I was ‘hopefully optimistic’.  It turned out to be Deathlok, who I kind of forgot about honestly and it was quite an arrival pulling open the bay of a Quinjet, then disabling a second Quinjet and finally taking out about dozen guys in the process.  With a heavy hitter like that on their side Coulson and Hunter might have a chance getting their SHIELD back.

Unfortunately the weakest part of this episode was Skye’s part but it was also the part that shed the most light on the Inhumans.  They still refuse to use the word Inhuman, which is frustrating.  Just say the damn word already!  They beat around the bush and use every word and description other than Inhuman, including dictionary definitions of the word ‘Inhuman’ even when the word ‘Inhuman’ would work better.  Just pull the Band-Aid off already.  Reveal the Inhumans even if it’s not the royal family (Black Bolt, Medusa, Crystal, Triton, Lockjaw, Gorgon, Karnak).  I understand you may not have your big name Marquee characters for the Inhuman movie but you could find a Crystal or a Karnak or even a Gorgon, the equivalent of Sif, someone that could do both movies and TV.  Then people can get used to them and you elevate them putting them in a main television spot ready to be in a supporting movie slot.  I just think if you want people to care about obscure characters like the Inhumans you might want to start pushing them now.  Sorry about all the wrestling terms, I’ve been watching A LOT of NXT lately, so that’s where my head is at as I write this.

My point is it would be cool to reveal a Karnak who could show up, his powers are cool but cheap to film (simply put: he’s a super fighter, Iron Fist without the chi) it would be a good build up to the movie and start building the incredibly complex concept behind the Inhumans.  Maybe they’ve simplified the Inhumans since last I paid attention but, man, if you think the X-Men are convoluted and confusing they’ve got nothing on the Inhumans.  The Inhumans are the Wu-Tang clan of comics, there’s a hundred of them, they all get track time, they all have backstories and they all got gimmicks.  If you want us to care about your Method Man (Blackbolt) you need to introduce us to your Rae-Kwon the Chef (Gorgon).  KILLER BEE’S MOTHER FUCKER!  You got to make us care and show us that the Inhumans ain’t nothing to fuck with.

It was a good episode that had me excited throughout.  Whether it was Fitz/Simmons teased fallout (I so want to make a Fitz Special sandwich, it sounds delicious) or Coulson’s modern Howlin’ Commando kit with its holographic card game.  Real SHIELD breaking into Bruce Banner’s cabin or Raina’s sexy porcupine lady (don't judge me, I saw Clive Barkers 'Nightbreed' at a young age and it gave me a sexy porcupine lady fetish) or even Gordon who I’m slowly starting to really like for reasons unknown to me.  They have also been really pushing Bahrain which makes me think they’ll finally tell us that story, which has me really excited.  The bottom line is I can’t really tell you if this episode stands on its own very well but I think it feeds the series very well.  If you haven’t been watching SHIELD then I don’t think this episode has much for you but it’s definitely part of the reason you should be watching the whole series.

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Score: 4/5

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Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 2.16 - Afterlife New episodes of Marvel’s Agents of Shield – Tuesdays 9/8C

Review: My Love Story!! 1.1

After the opening of My Love Story!! or if you prefer OreMonogatari, I was pretty sure this show wasn’t going to be for me. I was pretty damn sure. Then I remembered that I had the manga to review as well and I was dreading it because again, I was pretty sure this wasn’t for me. Somewhere before the end… it became for me. I was watching with a friend and by the end of the episode she said she wanted to watch more as well. It hooked us.

And the brilliant thing is, it’s just a love story. Now I’m not saying that there’s not a lot more going on and that there aren’t complex relationships at work, but it’s just a love story. It’s not a fantasy romance, it’s not a supernatural romance, and it’s not a horror romance. It’s not even a satirical romance. For the first time in a long ass time I found a show that’s only goal was romance and not harem style… and it ended up being really good.

In terms of how much time passes in the main story we’re not talking very long. It gives the impression that not much happens because of this, but really a lot does. We learn all about our main character Takeo Gouda, a towering giant of a teenager. We see him as he graduates 8^th grade, we see how he becomes friends with his next door neighbor Makoto Sunakawa, the boy that every girls wants to be with. We see the delusions Takeo has about his own value and worth because of Makoto. Every girl that Takeo has ever liked has always gone for Makoto and Makoto has turned them all down. So that when Takeo saves a girl from being groped on the train, he can’t imagine that she likes him.

The girl, Rinko brings him cake and “leaves” her cellphone so she can bring him more deserts. Deserts that she makes herself for Takeo. But he can’t see it. He thinks that she’s using him to get to Makoto like every girl before. Hopefully I’m right on this because it appears that she’s using Makoto to get to Takeo, but that’s the charming thing about this story… I don’t know. It could be the opposite and we’re being taken on a clever ruse. Takeo could actually be right and not delusional at all. I don’t know, but that’s a good story for you because I want to know. I desperately want to know how this story will turn out.

Will friendships be ruined, will a love triangle be built because for once Makoto can see what makes Rinko great and Takeo’s pushing will only serve to bring them to the point that they’re in love with the same woman? I mean none of this is really “new”, but the presentation and Takeo’s personality make it so damn interesting to find out.

Now there is some comedy because you couldn’t deal with gushy love stuff the entire time otherwise you’d tune out. PDA is annoying for a reason after all. Takeo is hilarious. His narration is the driving force and for a big dude he moves like a hyperactive small character. But there’s this balance of him being hyperactive, but then still big. I relate because it’s honestly how I feel most days.

The art plays a huge part in making this anime work. Aside from having some over the top physical comedy, there’s the facial expressions which take the traditional things every viewer is familiar with… and cranks it to eleven. Then there’s Rinko who I shit you not is made to look like a doll. It has to be intentional and it makes her the most adorable thing on the planet. Especially when she bumbles about and attempts to show interest in Takeo.

The last thing I was expecting this week with anime premieres was to fall for one that’s a straight up romantic comedy. I thought I would be one and done with this show, but instead… I can’t wait for more. I can’t wait to read the manga which I will likely do before the next episode. I don’t know if you’ll be as smitten with this series as I am, but I think if you go in with no expectations you might just fall in love with My Love Story!!

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Score: 4/5

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My Love Story!! Official Website

Review: The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan 1.1

People are probably pretty annoyed by my anime reviews. I know why too… I don’t research them. That’s fine, you can be annoyed, but I review it as I’ve come to watch it. Since I didn’t know anything about it prior to watching the episode, I write the review that way. That’s going to be the case here with The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan. I might say something or guess at something that others already know because they’ve researched it or have a past experience with it in another art form. And that’s fine. That’s great, but instead of being annoyed that I didn’t spoil the show for myself, let’s pretend for a moment that we’re friends. I’d like to think we are anyway since we have no reason not to be. But let’s say we’re really good friends and you want me to watch the show.

If you can do that, then this review will work in two different ways depending on your exposure to The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan. In one way you’re a friend seeing my reaction to something you’ve already enjoyed and you’re watching my ups and downs with it. You’re reading my thoughts on something that you’ve had thoughts on as well. We’re sharing an experience and that’s one of the few great things about the internet. On the other hand if you haven’t watched the show and have no exposure to it much in the way I didn’t before watching the episode, then I’m the friend telling you about it. You should be able to gleam from that if you’d like to watch it and hey, that’s how friendships go. Sometimes you like the same things, other times you wonder why someone dislikes the very things that made you like it.

This is still a review though; I’m going to talk about what’s in the episode, what worked, what didn’t and everything else that comes with it. But now you have context and maybe then you won’t hate the fact that I didn’t research this property before writing this review. Instead I talked about it the way I experienced and hopefully that’s a bit more pure than ruining it for myself just to get some facts tacked on and checked.

Now as for the episode, it’s interesting. The thing that stood out to me the most about The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan, was the tone. While it comes across as a cute high school drama/comedy, there’s this sense that it could become serious and almost dark at any given moment. Maybe that vibe just comes from the artwork or the title which doesn’t make any sense based on what I witnessed in this episode. But I liked that. I liked not knowing if it was going to turn on me. I think it will because with just one episode they managed to make me care about and like every character introduced. I already feel like I know them even if I know little about them.

The story follows Haruhi Suzumiya (just looking up the name spoiled something for me so I’m disappointed in myself by the way). She’s a purple haired girl and the leader of the literature club. A club that basically reads books. She’s in the club with her friend and her love interest. The episode is basically spent with her appreciating the club and showing some interest in the boy and her friend encouraging the both of them to get together.

There’s comedy. There’s angsty teen moments and there’s this overwhelming sense of heart throughout out it all. Haruhi is kind of clumsy and hard on herself, but she’s wonderful at the same time. She’s a very interesting character and really if this was any other anime, she wouldn’t be the lead. Perhaps that’s why I found her interesting.

The art work is amazing. At times I really thought I was watching an OVA or even a theatrical movie. The line work, the way the animation flowed was all top-notch. I was very impressed. The coloring though, that’s what takes the cake. I don’t know if there’s another anime released this week that can compare to the coloring here, but I can think of a few close contenders. The coloring makes everything look very realistic, even Haruhi’s light purple hair.

I’m honestly pretty sad that I spoiled some of this for myself just by looking up a name. I was already looking forward to more, but I’ll definitely be sticking around if only to find out what exactly the title is referring to. Because it kind of defies genres it’s difficult to recommend it based on something else, that is to say, “if you like blank, you’ll like this.” I would say that if you like great stories, detailed and relatable characters with fantastic artwork… then you should absolutely check out The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan.

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Score: 5/5

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The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan 1.1 Official Website

Review: My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! 2.2

This show. Gah, fuck, ah! This show is just too good. I don’t even think people get how good it is. How many layers it’s functioning on. How much isn’t said, but actually happens. This show is really fucking good. If you watched the first season, which really I’m going to have to assume you have, but if you didn’t then do that. If you watched the first season then think of just how heavy the last three or four episodes were. That pain in your gut as you watched Hachiman play the heel, play the bad guy and basically not do anything for himself. Take that feeling that you felt for those combined four episodes and you’ll get a fraction of what happens in this episode.

As we saw in the first episode of the season (review here), the service club has been asked two things: The first is to help Tobe ask out Hina. The second is from Hina and it’s to maintain the status quo of the classroom and the social standings. Now it may not have been very apparent, but in making this request she was expecting Hachiman to do what he does best and be the worst possible person.

I’m going to spoil something for you so if you want to watch the episode just bail out here.

Now then, Hachiman delivers. He figures out what’s wrong with Hayato, the popular kid that hates the way he does things and it’s that he’s conflicted. He wants to help both friends and he’s afraid to lose that. Even though Tobe says he won’t stop trying, he’s too dumb to see what his rejection would do to the group and so Hachiman plays the heel. He plays it really well too. He rushes in and asks Hina before Tobe can and gets rejected in his place. Tobe hears her answer and even though he doesn’t get that it’s “his” answer, it doesn’t change the group because appearances have been maintained. Hachiman has been rejected rather than Tobe.

The truly sad part is that everyone else is smart enough to figure out what has happened. Everyone but Tobe… but they all just let it go down. And that’s the truly sad part of Hachiman’s existence, everyone has the power to change his standing in the classroom, his lack of romantic encounters and his lack of friends, but they don’t. Because they’re too afraid to loose what they have, but also because Hachiman proves time and time again that he’ll fall on his sword for everyone else because it’s all he knows how to do anymore.

This pisses off Yukino who says something that echoes what Hayato tells Hachiman in the eleventh episode of the first season and that’s, “I hate the way you do things.” Even Yui echoes this telling him not to do something like that again and that he should consider other people’s feelings.

But again… they could all change that for him. I don’t know if its fear or just that they don’t know what he’ll do if they try, but it’s the saddest part of his existence. Playing the heel for the entire class and sometimes… the school.

There’s more to spoil because something happens in this episode that is so fucking good and breaks the mold of the other episodes. Hina thanks Hachiman. Because he knew what her actual request was and she put him in a position to act on it. But then something incredible happens, after publicly rejecting him… in her own way she asks him out.

You can argue that with me, but let me point out that when he gives his response you can see her heart be crushed. Because with Hachiman she could be the person she is outside of the group. She could be honest like he is and it’s honestly a freedom she clearly wants, but sees firsthand what it does to you. And so he saves her again as he tells her “no” in his way and leaves him standing on the roof waiting for the train by himself.

Watch this scene twice. If you don’t pick up on how subtle this is, then you’re missing what’s truly great about this show.

And then the episode ends on his narration in which he admits that he’s the biggest liar of them all. Basically admitting that he’s been lying this entire time and especially to himself. What a lonely fucking existence to live like that. And yet I’m sure more people can relate then they’d actually like to admit.

This fucking show… it’s too damn good and more than likely you’re missing it… or not seeing just how deep it truly is. It’s going to be a long wait until next week.

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Score: 5/5

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My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO! 2.2 “His and Her Confessions Will Reach No One” Official Website

Review: Blood Blockade Battlefront 1.1 - Demon City Association

Blood Blockade Battlefront is one of the rare properties that I’ve actually read in manga form prior to the anime. Thanks to Dark Horse who has now brought over seven volumes of the series, you could say that I’m well versed on the franchise. In fact this is the series I’ve been looking forward to the most. Especially after seeing the artwork. Drool much? There was a problem though… I really didn’t want to see a straight adaptation of the first volume in animated form like last season’s Assassination Classroom. Because let me tell you, that Sin City style of adaptation makes you want to read the manga or watch the anime, but not both.

Thankfully the first episode of B3 wasn’t an exact copy. It had all of the major story points, but it presented them in a different way and trimmed the fat at the same time.

Since I’ve already written what feels like a lot of recaps about this series, the basic plot is that New York City was invaded by another realm and overnight the two worlds combined to form Jerusalem's Lot. Now it’s the city that never sleeps and the home of the fucking weird. We’re talking super weird. Creator Yasuhiro Nightow spares nothing on the weirdness.

Our main character Leo is given the eyes of the Gods during his visit to the city and now he’s trying to make it as a reporter. After a mistaken identity moment he ends up joining a secret organization called Libra. They’re protectors of the balance in the city, but really they’re good guys that have to kill in order for the bad guys not to take over. It’s funny that they always say balance, but really there’s so much evil, that their good is the only thing that resembles balance.

In the first episode we’re introduced to a character that in the manga’s ends up playing a very small role. His name is Femto and frankly he’s a great character. He’s very Joker inspired and he sets up a game of sorts for our heroes to play, but thanks to Leo they don’t fall for his trap.

The action for this episode is fucking gorgeous. The comic is great, but to see it in motion is so much better. It’s surpasses the manga and that’s saying something. Even if you’re not big on the story or the characters, stick around for the action. The later volumes provide some fantastic stuff and I can’t wait to see them animated.

The coloring for the animation is some of the best I’ve seen this season. This thing is clearly a heavy hitter and has the budget to prove it. That’s good to because with the comic Nightow spends a lot of time on the backgrounds and random characters, but it all serves the purpose of making the city feel big and more importantly alive. Since the city and protecting the city, is the focus of the story, you want it feeling alive. It’s like Gotham in that sense, if it’s not breathing we don’t really care if Batman tries to save it.

If the manga has shown me anything it’s that Blood Blockade Battlefront has a ton of potential. It’s a series to watch and should have something for everyone. Even if you’re not a fan of Nightow’s previous work (I wasn’t) still give this a shot. You may just surprise yourself.

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Score: 5/5

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Blood Blockade Battlefront 1.1 - "Demon City Association" Official Website