Anime

Cowboy Bebop – The Complete Series

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Cowboy Bebop – The Complete Series (2021)
  • IMDb: link

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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Mary and the Witch’s Flower

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Meari to majo no hana
  • IMDb: link

Mary and the Witch's Flower Blu-ray reviewBased 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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Batman Ninja

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Batman Ninja
  • IMDb: link

Batman Ninja Blu-ray reviewOnce 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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Kill la Kill – Trigger

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Kill la Kill – Trigger
  • wiki: link

Kill la Kill - Trigger TV review

“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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Kill la Kill – Junketsu

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Kill la Kill – Junketsu
  • wiki: link

kill-la-kill-3-3

The third episode of Kill la Kill raises the stakes and sets the stage for the episodes to follow as Satsuki Kiryūin (Ryôka Yuzuki) dons her own Kamui (named Junketsu, giving the episode its title) which will force Ryūko Matoi (Ami Koshimizu) to make a deeper connection to Senketsu in order to unlock her Kamui’s full potential. The fight between the pair dazzles the audience but ends in a stalemate and a challenge. If Ryūko wants a rematch, and answers to her questions, she will have to go through Satsuki’s underlings in the Honnōji Academy and earn that chance (thus setting up the countess battles to come).

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