Inspired by fantasy role-playing games, with a definite early 90s computer game feel in the introductions to each story, and adapted from the manga of the same name, Dragon Pink offers three separate tales centered around a band of adventures in the not-so-heroic Santa (Chris Bowen), his catgirl slave Pink (Katsuyo Endou), the barbarian Bobo (Anthony Lawson), and the elf mage Pierce (Whitney Thompson).
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Adapted from the popular anime of the same name, the Netflix live-action version of Cowboy Bebop only lasted a single season before coming to an abrupt end on a cliffhanger introducing the last of the animated series’ major characters. This version of Cowboy Bebop gets off to a strong start with the introduction of our space bounty hunters Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir), chasing down bounties across the universe and often getting in over their heads, and the introduction of rival bounty hunter Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) who will eventually become part of the team.
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Based on The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart, the Japanese anime Mary and the Witch’s Flower begins in fire prior to settling down and introducing us to the precocious Mary (Hana Sugisaki/Ruby Barnhill) living in the lonely countryside with her Great-Aunt Charlotte (Shinobu Otake/Lynda Baron). Despite her best efforts and sunny attitude, Mary struggles with the lack of other children to play with and still not quite fitting in with the adults.
Over the course of a handful of days, Mary will make several discoveries which will change her life beginning with meeting a neighbor boy and discovering the rarest of flowers deep in the woods. While not initially connected, both will be part of Mary’s introduction to a larger world of witches and magic which will amaze and frighten her as the flower and a broomstick, both left abandoned in the woods long, long ago, lead her to the gates of Endor College for witches.
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Once one of the company’s greatest strengths, DC Comics’ straight-to-video animated movies have stumbled a bit in recent years. Batman Ninja is far from one of the company’s best, but you do have to give DC credit for thinking far, far outside of the box with this one and trying something completely different. The result is a mixed success that throws the Bat-Family and various villains into an anime world that fits some characters better than others.
Directed by Junpei Mizusaki, the story displaces Batman (Roger Craig Smith) and several of his closest allies and worst villains in feudal Japan thanks to a time bomb released by Gorilla Grodd (Fred Tatasciore). Without his high-tech gadgets, Batman and friends will be forced to get back to basics, and rely on a cult of Bat-worshiping ninjas, to take on the Joker (Tony Hale, in one of my least favorite versions of the character), Harley Quinn (Tara Strong), the Penguin (Tom Kenny), Two-Face (Eric Bauza), Poison Ivy (Strong), and more.
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“Trigger” introduces a new enemy in Tsumugu Kinagase (Shin’ichirô Miki). Unlike the others who have attacked Ryūko Matoi (Ami Koshimizu) in previous episodes, Tsumugu is not a member of the school sent after our heroine but instead attacks both Ryūko and various clubs indiscriminately. The man’s needles drain the power of Goku Uniforms, making him a formidable opponent, and he has one mission: to destroy the Kamui. Unlike previous battles, Ryūko is defeated (rather soundly and repeatedly). Only the realization that Senketsu is willing to be destroyed to protect Ryūko, thus shattering the man’s preconceptions of Kamui, prevents Tsumugu from completing his mission. While certainly not a friend, it appears Tsumugu may no longer be an enemy.
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