- Status
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
After digesting Stardust Crusaders in the space of about ten days, I'm left a little puzzled over my reaction to it all. Perhaps it was just because it happened to follow Battle Tendency, which I would easily rank up there with the best action anime arcs I've ever seen, but Stardust Crusaders comes across as a series that struggles to bridge two worlds that comprise JoJo, and ultimately fails to deliver fully on one while successfully delivering on the other. It's very much a transitional work, one filled with experimental writing that leans hard on conventional structure in order for Araki to find new and creative ways to express the kind of mind game battles he was already writing in Battle Tendency. And in that regard, the inclusion of Stands becomes the thing that ultimately saves Stardust Crusaders from being as mediocre at times as Phantom Blood can be, but their inclusion doesn't come without a cost.
One of the things I really loved about Battle Tendency was its world building. Phantom Blood was already dripping with a gothic aesthetic, drenched in the vile and depraved Victorian England that was popularized by authors like Bram Stoker. However, the veneer came off quite quickly, as a large stretch in the middle feels like it could've been set anywhere and not made much difference. Battle Tendency was far more consistent, not only following up threads from Phantom Blood (the methodology of Hamon training, the Zapelli family legacy, the Joestar lineage, the Speedwagon Foundation, the truth behind the Mask) but creating new ones as well (the Pillar Men and their society and the involvement of Nazi occult science). Stardust Crusaders came across incredibly disappointing to me upfront because almost all of that carefully thought out world building I had come to expect thanks to Battle Tendency is all but gone here. Look no further than the Stands themselves. In both Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, great time and care is given to explaining how Hamon works and what it can be capable of, and many of the fights revolve around a Hamon user's careful attention and use of their breathing to control it. However, in Stardust Crusaders, the only real information we're given about Stands is that they are representations of one's soul. That's it. On the one hand, I can see why leaving this kind of information vague can allow for the really fun and unexpected Stand users to emerge because the less you know, the more accepting you'll be when they appear. But even later in the series, the idea of learning more about Stand users and Stands in general never materializes, even to the point that you never find out why the big bad got his Stand in the first place, which is frustrating it's only because he has one that Joseph, Holly, and Jotaro have theirs. Despite trying to tie together elements from the previous arc and bring some closure to that timeline, I found most of those elements to be the weakest aspect of Stardust Crusaders. Ironically, trying to bridge the gap with the past via their inclusion serves as a poor reflection to how well Araki did that in Battle Tendency.
So, if the world building and legacy material were the low points, why did I say the show was saved from mediocrity? Easy: STANDS! Regardless of my feelings toward Stands as parts of the world, their mechanical function as storytelling devices is fascinating. While I'm aware of just how many pieces of media have taken this concept wholesale, I'm actually more impressed just how well they're utilized here in their first outing. With relatively few universal rules, Araki manages to consistently surprise and delight in coming up with creative and interesting conflicts with Stands who end up having bizarre, grotesque, or even hilarious powers. It's nice, too, that fights against Stand users are usually over after a single round of fighting. The way our heroes outwit their opponents feels more satisfying when it leads to the ultimate conclusion of a match rather than drag on forever in a series of "'Ah ha, I have you!' 'Oh yeah, well how about this?'" ad nauseum. That structure actually ends up making the show more digestible, especially before they reach Egypt, since fights are often a single episode long, with only a few going any longer than that. It keeps the story fresh and the pace moving. But even in Egypt, it's clear Araki has had some time to perfect his style of writing fights and then starts to create more complicated affairs with Stands that have a wrinkle or two. While I enjoy the pace more of the first half, I appreciate the complexity of some of the later matches as well, and thankfully none of them drag on so long that I was begging for them to end. If I had one complaint, it would be that the Stands of our heroes are somewhat dull and uninteresting compared with most of the villains they face, and that there are a few duds among the Stand battles here and there, though they are rare. But on the whole, Stardust Crusaders does not feel like Araki's first time writing a series of conflicts with Stands, which is impressive in and of itself and makes it abundantly clear why this arc of JoJo is the one that launched the series to super stardom.
In the end, Stardust Crusaders is a mixed bag. For me, the creative execution of the Stands and the battles involving them are an excellent replacement for the likely played out Hamon fights of Battle Tendency. However, there was a lot of creative world building and story structure that was sacrificed so Araki could perfect his ability write engaging Stand battles. And by attempting to shoehorn in elements from the past so as to close the book on the older eras of JoJo, the best elements of the previous arcs that I liked end up getting short shrift in Stardust Crusaders. But as a thesis statement on where JoJo is going in future arcs, I think it succeeds marvelously, and I'm really interested in seeing what Araki does going forward from here, because I can only imagine his mind running wild with endless possibilities, and that is tantalizingly exciting!
After digesting Stardust Crusaders in the space of about ten days, I'm left a little puzzled over my reaction to it all. Perhaps it was just because it happened to follow Battle Tendency, which I would easily rank up there with the best action anime arcs I've ever seen, but Stardust Crusaders comes across as a series that struggles to bridge two worlds that comprise JoJo, and ultimately fails to deliver fully on one while successfully delivering on the other. It's very much a transitional work, one filled with experimental writing that leans hard on conventional structure in order for Araki to find new and creative ways to express the kind of mind game battles he was already writing in Battle Tendency. And in that regard, the inclusion of Stands becomes the thing that ultimately saves Stardust Crusaders from being as mediocre at times as Phantom Blood can be, but their inclusion doesn't come without a cost.
One of the things I really loved about Battle Tendency was its world building. Phantom Blood was already dripping with a gothic aesthetic, drenched in the vile and depraved Victorian England that was popularized by authors like Bram Stoker. However, the veneer came off quite quickly, as a large stretch in the middle feels like it could've been set anywhere and not made much difference. Battle Tendency was far more consistent, not only following up threads from Phantom Blood (the methodology of Hamon training, the Zapelli family legacy, the Joestar lineage, the Speedwagon Foundation, the truth behind the Mask) but creating new ones as well (the Pillar Men and their society and the involvement of Nazi occult science). Stardust Crusaders came across incredibly disappointing to me upfront because almost all of that carefully thought out world building I had come to expect thanks to Battle Tendency is all but gone here. Look no further than the Stands themselves. In both Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, great time and care is given to explaining how Hamon works and what it can be capable of, and many of the fights revolve around a Hamon user's careful attention and use of their breathing to control it. However, in Stardust Crusaders, the only real information we're given about Stands is that they are representations of one's soul. That's it. On the one hand, I can see why leaving this kind of information vague can allow for the really fun and unexpected Stand users to emerge because the less you know, the more accepting you'll be when they appear. But even later in the series, the idea of learning more about Stand users and Stands in general never materializes, even to the point that you never find out why the big bad got his Stand in the first place, which is frustrating it's only because he has one that Joseph, Holly, and Jotaro have theirs. Despite trying to tie together elements from the previous arc and bring some closure to that timeline, I found most of those elements to be the weakest aspect of Stardust Crusaders. Ironically, trying to bridge the gap with the past via their inclusion serves as a poor reflection to how well Araki did that in Battle Tendency.
So, if the world building and legacy material were the low points, why did I say the show was saved from mediocrity? Easy: STANDS! Regardless of my feelings toward Stands as parts of the world, their mechanical function as storytelling devices is fascinating. While I'm aware of just how many pieces of media have taken this concept wholesale, I'm actually more impressed just how well they're utilized here in their first outing. With relatively few universal rules, Araki manages to consistently surprise and delight in coming up with creative and interesting conflicts with Stands who end up having bizarre, grotesque, or even hilarious powers. It's nice, too, that fights against Stand users are usually over after a single round of fighting. The way our heroes outwit their opponents feels more satisfying when it leads to the ultimate conclusion of a match rather than drag on forever in a series of "'Ah ha, I have you!' 'Oh yeah, well how about this?'" ad nauseum. That structure actually ends up making the show more digestible, especially before they reach Egypt, since fights are often a single episode long, with only a few going any longer than that. It keeps the story fresh and the pace moving. But even in Egypt, it's clear Araki has had some time to perfect his style of writing fights and then starts to create more complicated affairs with Stands that have a wrinkle or two. While I enjoy the pace more of the first half, I appreciate the complexity of some of the later matches as well, and thankfully none of them drag on so long that I was begging for them to end. If I had one complaint, it would be that the Stands of our heroes are somewhat dull and uninteresting compared with most of the villains they face, and that there are a few duds among the Stand battles here and there, though they are rare. But on the whole, Stardust Crusaders does not feel like Araki's first time writing a series of conflicts with Stands, which is impressive in and of itself and makes it abundantly clear why this arc of JoJo is the one that launched the series to super stardom.
In the end, Stardust Crusaders is a mixed bag. For me, the creative execution of the Stands and the battles involving them are an excellent replacement for the likely played out Hamon fights of Battle Tendency. However, there was a lot of creative world building and story structure that was sacrificed so Araki could perfect his ability write engaging Stand battles. And by attempting to shoehorn in elements from the past so as to close the book on the older eras of JoJo, the best elements of the previous arcs that I liked end up getting short shrift in Stardust Crusaders. But as a thesis statement on where JoJo is going in future arcs, I think it succeeds marvelously, and I'm really interested in seeing what Araki does going forward from here, because I can only imagine his mind running wild with endless possibilities, and that is tantalizingly exciting!
I have zero knowledge on sound stuff so someone correct me if am wrong, but it could be something to do with the fact that Japan still uses 2.1 surround sound for their anime and when it is dubbed it is 5.1. So dubs audio mixing might sound off sometimes. I read something about this recently, if I find I'll post it.
Edit: found it https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2018-07-02/.133672
Tada Does Fall in Love
Great ending to an okay series. The series had great characters, great plotting, but didn't have that spark. The ending makes up for it though.
Oh yeah, Sentai announced that it's getting dub. And Real Girl is getting a dub, and a second season.
Great ending to an okay series. The series had great characters, great plotting, but didn't have that spark. The ending makes up for it though.
Oh yeah, Sentai announced that it's getting dub. And Real Girl is getting a dub, and a second season.
Man, I'm super annoyed. Amazon Prime gets these exclusive shows but has NO way that I can tell to find out when they come out. There's no button for brand new anime. So I have to use forum threads and fucking twitter for this shit. Is there no other way?
Sadly, no. Amazon does not care about promoting anime. Even when they had their Anime Strike premium they barely cared.
It was significantly easier when Strike was its own category on Amazon. At least you had a section to go to specifically for their anime offerings and at least pushed new series to the top. Now it's literally impossible to find anything new unless you know the name of the show or it somehow magically pops up through people also watched tab.
Banana fish at least has an easy to search for name, so you arent trying to guess what AMZN happened to call a show this season, and they did upload it in a timely manner.
Banana Fish Episode 1:
Wel lI suppose the most dated thing presented is that CSI NY reference.
Wel lI suppose the most dated thing presented is that CSI NY reference.
I can't believe I'm saying this with how saturated every other medium is with them, but we really don't have enough zombie representation in anime. Let's see how this turns out.
Isekai Maou to Shoukan Shoujo no Dorei Majutsu 1
Well, this sure is an isekai-ass isekai. I'd like to call it the most generic one I've ever seen, but I can't even say that when stuff like that Smartphone show and the Death March one exist.
So this one stands out from the crowd by, uh…featuring a protagonist whose schtick is that he roleplays a villain? (Definitely not been done before in Overlord or anything.) I'll admit it's kind of a cute gimmick how he's so inept at communication that he just falls back on the villainous roleplay constantly despite being timid and not meaning anyone any harm, but when that's all the differentiation you've got, you may be in trouble.
Oh, it also differentiates itself by being slightly more shamelessly lewd than the average isekai show. That elf girl's breasts are so large it's full-on comical, which gives the show extra excuse to parade them on screen wobbling around like jelly, because it's not just fanservice, it's ALSO comedy, see? I can't argue with the usage of cat ears as an erogenous zone, though. That's always a classic.
There's also the magical slave collars, because slave girls are the latest hotness in isekai apparently, but so far the show has done so little with that premise that it's easy to forget it even exists. There's been a total of one order given using the slave magic, for the sake of establishing its existence, and from that point onward it seems to be entirely forgotten, with both girls seeming shockingly unconcerned that they are now theoretically enslaved to a self-proclaimed Demon Lord. Heck, even when the protagonist's entire goal for a whole scene was to force one of his newfound slaves to spill secret information, he didn't once think of using the slave magic to compel her, instead just resorting to plain old "torture" (read: lewd antics).
So yeah. I guess the show's entertaining enough, as completely generic schlock goes. I'll stick with it for another episode or two just to see if it actually develops any plot beyond its generic setup and whether it stays kinda fun or just gets incredibly boring fast, but I'll be shocked if I end up watching this one to the end of the season.
Well, this sure is an isekai-ass isekai. I'd like to call it the most generic one I've ever seen, but I can't even say that when stuff like that Smartphone show and the Death March one exist.
So this one stands out from the crowd by, uh…featuring a protagonist whose schtick is that he roleplays a villain? (Definitely not been done before in Overlord or anything.) I'll admit it's kind of a cute gimmick how he's so inept at communication that he just falls back on the villainous roleplay constantly despite being timid and not meaning anyone any harm, but when that's all the differentiation you've got, you may be in trouble.
Oh, it also differentiates itself by being slightly more shamelessly lewd than the average isekai show. That elf girl's breasts are so large it's full-on comical, which gives the show extra excuse to parade them on screen wobbling around like jelly, because it's not just fanservice, it's ALSO comedy, see? I can't argue with the usage of cat ears as an erogenous zone, though. That's always a classic.
There's also the magical slave collars, because slave girls are the latest hotness in isekai apparently, but so far the show has done so little with that premise that it's easy to forget it even exists. There's been a total of one order given using the slave magic, for the sake of establishing its existence, and from that point onward it seems to be entirely forgotten, with both girls seeming shockingly unconcerned that they are now theoretically enslaved to a self-proclaimed Demon Lord. Heck, even when the protagonist's entire goal for a whole scene was to force one of his newfound slaves to spill secret information, he didn't once think of using the slave magic to compel her, instead just resorting to plain old "torture" (read: lewd antics).
So yeah. I guess the show's entertaining enough, as completely generic schlock goes. I'll stick with it for another episode or two just to see if it actually develops any plot beyond its generic setup and whether it stays kinda fun or just gets incredibly boring fast, but I'll be shocked if I end up watching this one to the end of the season.
Oh great, you just jinxed us, now we'll be getting Zombie anime galore, and Isekai, and the eventual cross-genre merger of Zombie Isekai.
MC gets transported to another world:
Drinking Alcohol?
"No way, he's still underage. Can't be having any of that"
Owning Slaves?
"Perfect."
Isekai was a mistake.
Is that the one about the thighs ?
Mahoutsukai no Yome 20-24 END
Hmmmmm Cartaphilus was rather a dud as a final villain. His background story struck me as comical more than anything else, so did the final screaming match with Chise. Shame cause I thought he had plenty of potential. Also, Elias got away with a(n attempted) murder and it rubs me the wrong way, severely so, how quickly he was forgiven for that act. That Stockholm Syndrome ... Despite that, I think the Elias&Chise stuff, their relations and each other's growth is the strong point of the show. Chise in particular is someone whose arc I really enjoyed. It's gradual, nuanced and though heavily introspective I don't think it ever became overwrought or anything like that even with dealing with the heaviest stuff. Helps that Chise is just a likeable person from a start.
It's been a while and I've been watching it intermittently but 2nd cour did feel like a stepdown in production. The drawings were still good but any scenario asking for action was just visibly too much. Maybe the most jarring stuff were some basic transition between scenes, editing issues that happened from time to time. Even cuts to ED were consistently done with little regard for proper timing and pacing of the scenes. But beyond that, I still think this is a fairly decent show, no masterpiece by any means but with its unique setting and lore, care put into the character work, something of the ilk that we could stand to have more of.
Hanebado 01
Tags: [NTR], [Oneesan?], [Stupid Drama]
Even when the animation plummets I will still be there cause I really, really dig those designs but yikes the pic related thing can potentially be so stupendously dumb.
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If it weren't for the visuals I'd think it's about Captain America. :P
Isekai - And The 100 Dream Boys 01
Even though the Isekai genre has blown up in recent years and there's always been at least one or two every season, is this the most new Isekai shows in a single season? There's like three out there in the wild already, and that's not even counting the re-incarnated into a slime and Overlord III coming back. There's not much to say about this one in that I guess we haven't had an Isekai where the girl wakes up in a dream world full of pretty boys, nope never been done before, and it plays out exactly how you expect it to.
Isekai - Seven senses of the re-union something something 01
This show actually was better in my head at one point, when they brought up the premise that the virtual game that the kids were playing had a perma death mechanic and they can't log back into the game,, I was kind of hoping that the whole team wiped to a boss and they all had to deal with facing the real world problems without having to rely on the escapism of the virtual world, and the characters had to grow bla bla bla yada yada, but what we get instead is a comically contrived plot point to bring drama into the episode to the point where I was laughing my arse off hard and then it was completely negated right at the end of the episode, I honestly don't know whether to put this in the painfully average pile or the hilariously bad pile yet.
Even though the Isekai genre has blown up in recent years and there's always been at least one or two every season, is this the most new Isekai shows in a single season? There's like three out there in the wild already, and that's not even counting the re-incarnated into a slime and Overlord III coming back. There's not much to say about this one in that I guess we haven't had an Isekai where the girl wakes up in a dream world full of pretty boys, nope never been done before, and it plays out exactly how you expect it to.
Isekai - Seven senses of the re-union something something 01
This show actually was better in my head at one point, when they brought up the premise that the virtual game that the kids were playing had a perma death mechanic and they can't log back into the game,, I was kind of hoping that the whole team wiped to a boss and they all had to deal with facing the real world problems without having to rely on the escapism of the virtual world, and the characters had to grow bla bla bla yada yada, but what we get instead is a comically contrived plot point to bring drama into the episode to the point where I was laughing my arse off hard and then it was completely negated right at the end of the episode, I honestly don't know whether to put this in the painfully average pile or the hilariously bad pile yet.
Sunohara-sou no Kanrinin-san 1
Gee, I wonder what this author's fetish could be. (spoilers: it's /ss/)
Not a dynamic I'm personally inclined towards, but I can't deny this show is very sweet and comfy with its pleasantly soft artstyle and laid-back characters. Will give another episode or two to see if I can get properly into it.
Gee, I wonder what this author's fetish could be. (spoilers: it's /ss/)
Not a dynamic I'm personally inclined towards, but I can't deny this show is very sweet and comfy with its pleasantly soft artstyle and laid-back characters. Will give another episode or two to see if I can get properly into it.
my wife's been reading the light novels, she said the first volume wasn't great but since then she has been enjoying it.
I think this is the show that Nintendoman was uh...not too fond of.
does a lot of things differently than a lot of light novels it seems but I haven't read it myself. been waiting for the anime.
I didn't see it posted but
J-Novel Club Licenses Amagi Brilliant Park, Kokoro Connect, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Novels
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ne...nnect-sorcerous-stabber-orphen-novels/.133792
they licensed some other stuff too but nothing I have heard off and most of I wouldn't want to learn more about from the titles lol. I mean I don't have high hopes for something called "JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World" @_@
In my opinion, OT should re-title to All According to Isekai cuz I've seen like, 3 Isekais in a row lmao.
Banana Fish 1
The first premiere I've seen this season that struck me as actually legit.
I didn't really know what to expect from this show at all (all I really knew going in was the title, which explains…nothing), and the first half of the episode had me scratching my head as it leapt around without really explaining itself much.
Thankfully, the second half did wonders to ground it a little more, with the introduction of the Japanese guy who's looking like our secondary protagonist. As an complete outsider in this world of street gangs and chaos, he feels as out of his depth as the viewer, which really helps to inject some immediate relatability into proceedings.
Meanwhile the enigmatic Ash, while not relatable in the slightest, also comes into his own in the second half as a complete badass, shining both in his interactions with the other characters and his impressive performance in the fight that breaks out towards the end of the episode, which is a really fun action scene, briskly paced and satisfyingly dynamic.
I'm still not sure exactly where this show's plot is going, but it feels like a keeper. Here's hoping it keeps up this level of quality.
The first premiere I've seen this season that struck me as actually legit.
I didn't really know what to expect from this show at all (all I really knew going in was the title, which explains…nothing), and the first half of the episode had me scratching my head as it leapt around without really explaining itself much.
Thankfully, the second half did wonders to ground it a little more, with the introduction of the Japanese guy who's looking like our secondary protagonist. As an complete outsider in this world of street gangs and chaos, he feels as out of his depth as the viewer, which really helps to inject some immediate relatability into proceedings.
Meanwhile the enigmatic Ash, while not relatable in the slightest, also comes into his own in the second half as a complete badass, shining both in his interactions with the other characters and his impressive performance in the fight that breaks out towards the end of the episode, which is a really fun action scene, briskly paced and satisfyingly dynamic.
I'm still not sure exactly where this show's plot is going, but it feels like a keeper. Here's hoping it keeps up this level of quality.
Making my way through Monster right now, for the first time. About 20 episodes in, and I definitely like where this is going.
That being said, I'm looking for a lighter show to provide some respite from the heavier tone of Monster. I watched Shirobako a couple of months back, and really liked that. Anything on that level or better out there right now? Something in the same vein as HInamatsuri or Tsuki ga Kirei would be cool too.
That being said, I'm looking for a lighter show to provide some respite from the heavier tone of Monster. I watched Shirobako a couple of months back, and really liked that. Anything on that level or better out there right now? Something in the same vein as HInamatsuri or Tsuki ga Kirei would be cool too.
OP
OP
Bit odd to rename a thread towards the end of its life isn't it?
Banana Fish 1
It has potential. The show hasn't really revealed its hands yet. The setting certainly shines more than the characters do right now.
It has potential. The show hasn't really revealed its hands yet. The setting certainly shines more than the characters do right now.
Shichisei no Subaru 1
Wow. This started out looking like a pretty generic lighthearted MMO show - to the point that I was starting to worry it might not have enough of a hook to hold my interest - but then from the halfway point of the episode onwards, it turned into something much more interesting.
There's a lot of blatant SAO inspiration going on here, but it differentiates itself enough to feel like its own thing nonetheless. Similarly to SAO, it's already stretching suspension of belief somewhat with both its tragedies and its miracles, but it's definitely done its job of making me intrigued and excited to see what happens next. Between this and Banana Fish, Thursdays are looking like potentially a pretty strong day of the week this season already.
Wow. This started out looking like a pretty generic lighthearted MMO show - to the point that I was starting to worry it might not have enough of a hook to hold my interest - but then from the halfway point of the episode onwards, it turned into something much more interesting.
There's a lot of blatant SAO inspiration going on here, but it differentiates itself enough to feel like its own thing nonetheless. Similarly to SAO, it's already stretching suspension of belief somewhat with both its tragedies and its miracles, but it's definitely done its job of making me intrigued and excited to see what happens next. Between this and Banana Fish, Thursdays are looking like potentially a pretty strong day of the week this season already.
My Hero Academia-The Movie
The main plot of the movie is pretty boring and reminds me of Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission, although there was one minor swerve I wasn't expecting. Besides the intro, which was glorious, the early part of the movie is a bit weak with too many TV series flashbacks and weak excuses for some of the characters to be present. What I did like though was how the movie fleshed out a little bit of All Might's background such as him having different 'ages' ala Superman with Young All Might, Bronze Age All Might, Silver Age All Might, and Golden Age All Might (which is the one shown in the TV series). It was also fun seeing All Might act as the cool uncle to Melissa.
The fight animation is where the movie truly shines and you can see how much effort was put there. There are MULTIPLE YUTAPON sequences with the final fight is him just going apeshit. The Double Detroit Smash in the climax is an extended version of the Deku/Todoroki fight in the second season but having more impact due to this being the sole time in the series that
with You Say Run playing in the background. It's pure fanservice of the highest order and it had me cheering in a way that the TV series never did. It's going to be the moment that people remember from the entire anime run. People were wondering why he didn't do the AFO fight in the TV series, well here's the answer. The dude was killing himself working on the movie. Whew boy that Deku sequence. :sweatemoji:
It's not just Yutapon's work though, there's much more of an emphasis on using the locations in the fights thus making the sequences much more dynamic. One bit was Deku bouncing off the walls in a staircase while enemies shoot at him. Another is Todoroki using a fire tornado from a falling fan. There's just so much more creativity in how the quirks are used and presented. I also think some of the more prominent animators from the TV series made a return for the movie such as Takashi Mitani as I'm guessing he animated Baku's Howitzer attack again.
This whole movie was a large send-off to All Might as a character and it's totally worth it from that viewpoint. I say this as someone not enamored with the TV series and the All Might/AFO fight. There's one bit where All Might runs up the outside wall of a 200 story tower in a flash, literally just a blur on screen, changes his direction midair with air pressure and one-shots a helicopter on his way down. Just damn.
The movie starts out with a young All Might in Los Angeles foiling a bank robbery. The whole sequence is absolutely amazing due to aspects like heavy camera rotation and an emphasis on fight choreography in a way not present in the TV series. The California Smash in particular with All Might becoming a spinning ball and then doing a dropkick midair is pretty awesome. I'm really curious who worked on the intro sequence as you can tell it was super demanding due to the constantly shifting camera perspective.
The main plot of the movie is pretty boring and reminds me of Hunter x Hunter: The Last Mission, although there was one minor swerve I wasn't expecting. Besides the intro, which was glorious, the early part of the movie is a bit weak with too many TV series flashbacks and weak excuses for some of the characters to be present. What I did like though was how the movie fleshed out a little bit of All Might's background such as him having different 'ages' ala Superman with Young All Might, Bronze Age All Might, Silver Age All Might, and Golden Age All Might (which is the one shown in the TV series). It was also fun seeing All Might act as the cool uncle to Melissa.
The fight animation is where the movie truly shines and you can see how much effort was put there. There are MULTIPLE YUTAPON sequences with the final fight is him just going apeshit. The Double Detroit Smash in the climax is an extended version of the Deku/Todoroki fight in the second season but having more impact due to this being the sole time in the series that
Deku and All Might are fighting together and doing a dual attack
It's not just Yutapon's work though, there's much more of an emphasis on using the locations in the fights thus making the sequences much more dynamic. One bit was Deku bouncing off the walls in a staircase while enemies shoot at him. Another is Todoroki using a fire tornado from a falling fan. There's just so much more creativity in how the quirks are used and presented. I also think some of the more prominent animators from the TV series made a return for the movie such as Takashi Mitani as I'm guessing he animated Baku's Howitzer attack again.
This whole movie was a large send-off to All Might as a character and it's totally worth it from that viewpoint. I say this as someone not enamored with the TV series and the All Might/AFO fight. There's one bit where All Might runs up the outside wall of a 200 story tower in a flash, literally just a blur on screen, changes his direction midair with air pressure and one-shots a helicopter on his way down. Just damn.
COOL WISH I COULDVE SEEN THAT BUT I GUESS THEY ONLY WANTED 2% OF THE CON TO GET INTO THE PREMIERE OF THE MOST POPULAR SERIES IN AMERICA
Thanks for the write up. Seems like an entertaining movie, animation wise at least.
You mean every isekai?
Every isekai is the same plot with one random "twist" which never ends up mattering. Like, "our isekai is different because the MC is naked" (yes this exists)
Gyaru's are the big "in" thing now. And yes, there's already a LN that's Gyaru Isekai.
Also, not that tsundere's ever left, but I've been seeing a trend towards bullying-type tsundere girls (e.g. like Takagi-san but usually more malicious) in a lot of manga/LN recently.
I'm rewatching Land of the Lustrous with friends. They are enjoying the show but something I noticed that maybe my friend put aside the first time is that the CG-like animation still has the deliberate frames per second that makes it look a bit choppy. I understand it's to emulate anime fps, but I don't understand why it bothers me so much.
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