January 9th, 2018
ColonelFancy Reviews
Anime Relations: Battle Spirits: Ryuuko no Ken
Even though I've written a review for Art of Fighting, I had to make an episode. Mostly because I hate myself.
https://youtu.be/YuQEX9rxpa8
https://youtu.be/YuQEX9rxpa8
Posted by Colonelfancy | Jan 9, 2018 10:01 PM | 0 comments
March 8th, 2015
Fan Arts
I really love to sketch and create. Lately, I've been finding more time to just kind of sit and doodle a bit with coloered pencils, markers, and inks. Here's a few thing I created that I'm a little proud of and I hope you all enjoy them!!
Posted by Colonelfancy | Mar 8, 2015 8:38 PM | 0 comments
September 17th, 2013
Anime-Based Video Games Part 1: Introduction
Anime Relations: Shin Kidou Senki Gundam Wing, Shaman King, Ranma ½, Dragon Ball GT, Bleach, Macross, Ganbare Goemon
When I was just getting into watching anime on a heavy routine (and when I could afford to pay for it with my own allowance) there some titles that I thought could have made for a great video game. Bio Booster Armour Guyver, released under Manga Entertainment, was one of the first anime titles I bought with my own money, and it was some great, old-school, Japanimation-styled action; super violent and gory, loads of profanity, a really catchy, localized soundtrack. It was everything a 12 year old should not have been watching, but I loved every minute of it. I also loved to play video games, and something me and my friends always talked about was how great some of our cartoons would make awesome action titles on the SNES, Genesis, and Playstation. It wasn't uncommon for corporations to slap a label on some mediocre product, print Toy Story on a SNES cartridge, and throw it in my local KayBee Toys store, and watch the masses eat it up. But this never stopped me from imagining the seemingly endless possibilities, especially with anime, about how great one of your favorite titles could translate into a captivating, if not great, video game. Something like the Guyver had the foundation for a really cool side scrolling beat-em-up, like Final Fight or Streets of Rage. It's my theory that this could've been a possibility, but developers did research on The Guyver and found the Mark Hamill film, thinking "Yeah, we can't do anything with this garbage.".
In the late 90's, anime hit it big in this country, thanks to titles like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, and the two hour Toonami block on Cartoon Network, that blended older shows like Voltron and Sailor Moon with (relatively) newer, repackaged titles like Dragonball Z for the viewing audience. This explosion created lots of money-making options out there, and soon enough, I was seeing anime tiles available on my PSX, like the Gundam Battle Assault series, Dragonball GT Final Bout, and Power Stone for the Sega Dreamcast.
A handful of anime titles came out for the SNES, like Mystical Ninja and Ranma Hard Battle, but those were released to an unwitting audience, so I got the feeling that someone was ahead of their time.
Throughout most of the PS2's tenure saw a great deal of games that were capitalizing of this cross promotion, for lack of a better term, and these games were literally coming out of nowhere. A Full Metal Alchemist series, two Eureka Seven games that have a pretty good original story that loosely coincides with the TV show, Hajime No Ippo (dubbed Victorious Boxers), Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, and the list goes on!! I played a lot of these games early on, but trailed off a little bit, and from what I remember, some of these games were not very good, or at the very least hollow.
Robotech for the PS2, for instance, is a pretty serviceable game, but something that by all means should have been a lot more satisfying from a gameplay perspective. The Vector Units are capable of three different forms for combat, but it's only fun to play as one of them (jet mode), since you don't feel like a sitting target with no agilty!! Made even worse is that for some missions, you need to use the Guardian mode for escort duties!! Unplayable? No, but certainly is a bit lackluster and fails to leave any kind of impression on you once you are done with it. And keep in mind, that's one of the good ones!
This has become a recurring trend in some of these games, and it becomes more apparent that more I play them since I have started to review games. In some instances, it feels like there is a good deal of effort put into the game mechanics (The Naruto Ultimate Ninja Series and some of the Dragonball Z Budakai and Tenkaiichi games) and lots of extras to keep you interested, while being a user friendly game that isn't too advanced given it's target audience. But why dumb down the play style to the point that the characters don't feel all that different? It always feels like these anime-based games could be something more, perhaps something that could be on par with bigger games within the same genre. Maybe a Bleach game can hold a candle to a veteran series like Tekken. Or is it that much more important to usher these games before their fleeting popularity wanes? Do you feel satisfied when completing a chapter in Shaman King Power Of Spirit, or do you feel a little bit short-changed that you weren't truly challenged enough? Do these games really feel like video games, or are the simply novelty items masquerading as video games? Seeing as how most of these titles, at full price, were generally 15% cheaper than, say, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, leads me to believe that there was a period that these developers didn't care what kind of product they were putting out, so as long as it's target audience bought it.
This has become an interesting endeavor for me to look into more in depth. No, I don't intend of burying anyone's particular favorites, and while my opinions regarding certain anime titles are biased, I look at these entries from a gamer's mentality. Some of my other posts seemed to go nowhere, mostly because of some drastic changes I had to make in life, but I'm for realz about wanting to do this regularly.
In the late 90's, anime hit it big in this country, thanks to titles like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, and the two hour Toonami block on Cartoon Network, that blended older shows like Voltron and Sailor Moon with (relatively) newer, repackaged titles like Dragonball Z for the viewing audience. This explosion created lots of money-making options out there, and soon enough, I was seeing anime tiles available on my PSX, like the Gundam Battle Assault series, Dragonball GT Final Bout, and Power Stone for the Sega Dreamcast.
A handful of anime titles came out for the SNES, like Mystical Ninja and Ranma Hard Battle, but those were released to an unwitting audience, so I got the feeling that someone was ahead of their time.
Throughout most of the PS2's tenure saw a great deal of games that were capitalizing of this cross promotion, for lack of a better term, and these games were literally coming out of nowhere. A Full Metal Alchemist series, two Eureka Seven games that have a pretty good original story that loosely coincides with the TV show, Hajime No Ippo (dubbed Victorious Boxers), Orphen: Scion of Sorcery, and the list goes on!! I played a lot of these games early on, but trailed off a little bit, and from what I remember, some of these games were not very good, or at the very least hollow.
Robotech for the PS2, for instance, is a pretty serviceable game, but something that by all means should have been a lot more satisfying from a gameplay perspective. The Vector Units are capable of three different forms for combat, but it's only fun to play as one of them (jet mode), since you don't feel like a sitting target with no agilty!! Made even worse is that for some missions, you need to use the Guardian mode for escort duties!! Unplayable? No, but certainly is a bit lackluster and fails to leave any kind of impression on you once you are done with it. And keep in mind, that's one of the good ones!
This has become a recurring trend in some of these games, and it becomes more apparent that more I play them since I have started to review games. In some instances, it feels like there is a good deal of effort put into the game mechanics (The Naruto Ultimate Ninja Series and some of the Dragonball Z Budakai and Tenkaiichi games) and lots of extras to keep you interested, while being a user friendly game that isn't too advanced given it's target audience. But why dumb down the play style to the point that the characters don't feel all that different? It always feels like these anime-based games could be something more, perhaps something that could be on par with bigger games within the same genre. Maybe a Bleach game can hold a candle to a veteran series like Tekken. Or is it that much more important to usher these games before their fleeting popularity wanes? Do you feel satisfied when completing a chapter in Shaman King Power Of Spirit, or do you feel a little bit short-changed that you weren't truly challenged enough? Do these games really feel like video games, or are the simply novelty items masquerading as video games? Seeing as how most of these titles, at full price, were generally 15% cheaper than, say, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, leads me to believe that there was a period that these developers didn't care what kind of product they were putting out, so as long as it's target audience bought it.
This has become an interesting endeavor for me to look into more in depth. No, I don't intend of burying anyone's particular favorites, and while my opinions regarding certain anime titles are biased, I look at these entries from a gamer's mentality. Some of my other posts seemed to go nowhere, mostly because of some drastic changes I had to make in life, but I'm for realz about wanting to do this regularly.
Posted by Colonelfancy | Sep 17, 2013 1:16 PM | 0 comments
September 5th, 2012
What Happened to Heroes and Villians? Part 2
Okay, it's been so long since I wanted to get back into this topic, and this sequel took so long, it may as well have been the second Percy Jackson film. Since my last Heroes & Villians post, I've mellowed out to an extent and haven't been watching as much anime or reading manga at the same rate that I used to, as the quality of the product has plummeted in my humble opinion, thus I found myself hating a lot of what I was watching. In Part 1, there was a lot of very obvious anger, and some of the ideas I would've liked to have fleshed out got marred in snide one-liners and quips that are unbecoming of me. I came off more like a host on a late night talk show rather than providing insight and making my views a little more poignant and open for debate. It's been several years and I feel relaxed enough to not sound like Old Anime Geezer (the titles I refer to may say otherwise, however) and I'm going to focus instead on the other end of the neverending struggle between good and evil by putting the spotlight on my five favorite villians and why I think they are successful in their roles.
#5 Lord Papacha (Photon)
For the most part, Photon is an average comedy, but Papacha is the highlight of the show. He's greedy, self indulgent, hedonistic, power hungry, pig of a man who physically abuses his minions and betrays the trust of a sweet young woman whom he dupes into marrying for political gain. He's a bumbling goon most of the time (though one of his first scenes in the show is greatly hilarious), but near the end he becomes one the biggest assholes you'll ever see, and it's a reason why I remeber him so vividly after 14 years.
#4 Seishiro Sakurazaka (X the TV series, and Tokyo Babylon)
Alright, his true motives are still pretty unclear to me after all of this time as far as his actions go in regard to Tsubaru and Hokuto. There's no personal gain, he's not doing it out of wicked pleasure, no alterior motives, and his end game involves the guy he was tormenting (Tsubaru) to kill him. I could pull back the onion layer on this guy, but it would unravel into a world of confusion and mystery. In X, while I feel that Fuma is a far more imposing threat, Seishiro is an enigma, as his actions, while they are indeed dastardly and evil, it's uncertain to determine the base reasoning behind his actions. Again, he seems to get no joy out of this, and the look on his face is more solemn and sad than just a cocky smile. Tsubaru and Seishiro's melancholy dance of fate and bitter end to their story throughout Tokyo Babylon and X1999 is at the top of my list of hero/villian relations in anime and manga.
#3 Freiza (Dragonball Z)
Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics to instill fear and terror in hopeless civilians. Enter Freiza, who is not only the best villian in the DBZ franchise, but probably the very best villian in shonen history. And it didn't really take all that much to work. In Bleach, Sosuke Aizen has this incredibly over the top, shot in the dark scheme that required events being pinpointed to the exact time and date, as well as knowing your opponent well enough to predict rash decisions from our protagonists and flat-out dumb luck (seriously, what if Rukia had killed that first hollow with ease?).I thought it was brilliant....until he disappeared for 75 episodes and I had time to think about his superfluious plan that never would've worked and realized how idiotic our heroes are for doing all of the work for the damn villian!! He doesn't come off as menacing or a force to be reckoned with, but a guy with too much time on his hands. Noiw let's look at the buildup to Freiza's debut; His name is known throughout the galaxy and people cower and tremble at the mention of his name. King Kai speaks with great urgency as he attempt to warn the Z fighters not to even go near him. Freiza has an expansive armada of henchmen, including ther Ginyu Force, at his immediate disposal. Up to the point of Goku's arrival, he's done nothing but lay waste to Nail with ease. When the fight between he and the top tier Earth warriors commence, they are severely outclassed. After the long and exhausting battle, commupance is full circle as the galactic tyrant is defeated by the Saiyans he sought to destroy. This storytelling is so by-the-books, yet works so well. It's the only time in Dragonball Z where it feels like so much is riding on the line and the stakes are high, unlike the dumbass Cell arc where every character was written rock stupid (more on him in the near future) and the Buu story, which was far too long and the end battle was deflating (Gohan, Goten and Trunks should've been the ones to beat Buu). Freiza's concept may seem stock and arcaic, but like Hershey Bars, basic, yet satisfying.
#2 Katsuhiko Jinnai (El Hazard; The Magnificent World, The Wanderers)
This is what happens when you give Char cocaine. Petty, jealous, vain, denial, insane, and obsessed is the short list of phrases and adjectives I would use to describe Jinnai, the arc villian of aforementioned franchise and it's sequels. Regardless of the TV show or the OAV, Jinnai comes off as a three-legged table that's got way too much pressure on it. In The Magnificent World, his first couple of scenes feature racketeering, voter fraud, and attempted murder of a fellow student!! After being thrown into El Hazard, he learns that he can talk to seven foot cockroaches, and almost instantly becomes head general of Queen Diva's army of Bugrum! What makes Jinnai such a win in my eyes is his blind hatreed of Makoto eradicates his disregard for human life, including his sister Nanami, who obviously sides with Makoto. His dialogue, his facial expressions, that iconic laugh that puts Naga from Slayers to shame, Jinnai has been and always will be my favorite villian in anime....except for...
#1 Shapiro Keats (Dancougar)
Boy, do I really show my age with this pick. It's a very close call between Jinnai and Shapiro in my mind, but I'd have to give the edge to Shapiro. While I still to this day get kicks out of Jinnai's antic and insanity, Shapiro's focus and cunning stoicism is the stuff real heels are made out of. He betrays Earth's Defense Force the first chance he gets and flies right into the arms of Muge's empire. In great jackass fashion, while being tortured and interrogated, he still demands to speak to their leader. Afterwards, he swears vengance on those who did this to him! Dude, you flew into an enemy armada! What, did you think they would greet you a fruit basket and a"WELCOME ABOARD" banner?! The balls of this man are cantaloupes!
However, he quickly works his way in the Emperor's favor by selling out Earth, giving strategic adivce on how to hit and hit hard. He is also only briefly daunted by the fact that his ex girlfirend, Sara Yuki, a redheaded bombshell, is piloting one of the Cyber Beasts in direct opposition. Their reunion was something I was looking forward to back when I started watching this show in 1996. Shapiro's theme is the song Harmony Love, a tune that is a constant allegory throughout the show. I still hum it to myself every now and then.
Shapiro's eyes are always on the prize, and his desires are known from the very beginning. There wasn't a slow build to it, nor is he flawed by his dreams of grandeur, in fact, it's what makes him so great. His quick betrayal of his own planet and race, his knowledge of earth's best stockpiles and weapons, the near defeat of the Cyber Beast Force on several occasions. Shapiro's determination and cool demeanor are foreign concepts to today's stock villians that mostly consist of idealistic megalomaniacs who talk too much and kill their own henchmen (WHY!!??) and just eccentric crazy people who forgot to take their meds and wear makeup.
Well, that's some of the bad guys I grew up watching. A succesful heel is not about how over the top mad you can make them. All you really need is direct conflict with the protagonist, make it personal, and have a great fight!! One of the biggest reasons why I haven't been watching much stuff is due to kind of lame villians who lack motivation and aren't imposing. The previously mentioned Aizen and Byankuran from Katekyo Hitman Reborn are two of many examples of how to create a bad guy by committee, but they are villians in name alone, and only need to be stopped because the plot says so. Flash back to Ninja Scroll and the battle between Jubei and Gamma. Gamma was a turn coat and a trusted friend of Jubei. Jubei has to put a stop to a guy who sold his soul to the devils of Kimone. Easy, and I wished more writers and directors would look to the not-to-far past to see that overwriting and trying to make characters "deep" just slows the pace of the plot. I'll be back next time to talk about some lame villians that destroyed progressive storytelling, and I'll try my best to leave Shonen jump titles out of it as much as I can.
#5 Lord Papacha (Photon)
For the most part, Photon is an average comedy, but Papacha is the highlight of the show. He's greedy, self indulgent, hedonistic, power hungry, pig of a man who physically abuses his minions and betrays the trust of a sweet young woman whom he dupes into marrying for political gain. He's a bumbling goon most of the time (though one of his first scenes in the show is greatly hilarious), but near the end he becomes one the biggest assholes you'll ever see, and it's a reason why I remeber him so vividly after 14 years.
#4 Seishiro Sakurazaka (X the TV series, and Tokyo Babylon)
Alright, his true motives are still pretty unclear to me after all of this time as far as his actions go in regard to Tsubaru and Hokuto. There's no personal gain, he's not doing it out of wicked pleasure, no alterior motives, and his end game involves the guy he was tormenting (Tsubaru) to kill him. I could pull back the onion layer on this guy, but it would unravel into a world of confusion and mystery. In X, while I feel that Fuma is a far more imposing threat, Seishiro is an enigma, as his actions, while they are indeed dastardly and evil, it's uncertain to determine the base reasoning behind his actions. Again, he seems to get no joy out of this, and the look on his face is more solemn and sad than just a cocky smile. Tsubaru and Seishiro's melancholy dance of fate and bitter end to their story throughout Tokyo Babylon and X1999 is at the top of my list of hero/villian relations in anime and manga.
#3 Freiza (Dragonball Z)
Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics to instill fear and terror in hopeless civilians. Enter Freiza, who is not only the best villian in the DBZ franchise, but probably the very best villian in shonen history. And it didn't really take all that much to work. In Bleach, Sosuke Aizen has this incredibly over the top, shot in the dark scheme that required events being pinpointed to the exact time and date, as well as knowing your opponent well enough to predict rash decisions from our protagonists and flat-out dumb luck (seriously, what if Rukia had killed that first hollow with ease?).I thought it was brilliant....until he disappeared for 75 episodes and I had time to think about his superfluious plan that never would've worked and realized how idiotic our heroes are for doing all of the work for the damn villian!! He doesn't come off as menacing or a force to be reckoned with, but a guy with too much time on his hands. Noiw let's look at the buildup to Freiza's debut; His name is known throughout the galaxy and people cower and tremble at the mention of his name. King Kai speaks with great urgency as he attempt to warn the Z fighters not to even go near him. Freiza has an expansive armada of henchmen, including ther Ginyu Force, at his immediate disposal. Up to the point of Goku's arrival, he's done nothing but lay waste to Nail with ease. When the fight between he and the top tier Earth warriors commence, they are severely outclassed. After the long and exhausting battle, commupance is full circle as the galactic tyrant is defeated by the Saiyans he sought to destroy. This storytelling is so by-the-books, yet works so well. It's the only time in Dragonball Z where it feels like so much is riding on the line and the stakes are high, unlike the dumbass Cell arc where every character was written rock stupid (more on him in the near future) and the Buu story, which was far too long and the end battle was deflating (Gohan, Goten and Trunks should've been the ones to beat Buu). Freiza's concept may seem stock and arcaic, but like Hershey Bars, basic, yet satisfying.
#2 Katsuhiko Jinnai (El Hazard; The Magnificent World, The Wanderers)
This is what happens when you give Char cocaine. Petty, jealous, vain, denial, insane, and obsessed is the short list of phrases and adjectives I would use to describe Jinnai, the arc villian of aforementioned franchise and it's sequels. Regardless of the TV show or the OAV, Jinnai comes off as a three-legged table that's got way too much pressure on it. In The Magnificent World, his first couple of scenes feature racketeering, voter fraud, and attempted murder of a fellow student!! After being thrown into El Hazard, he learns that he can talk to seven foot cockroaches, and almost instantly becomes head general of Queen Diva's army of Bugrum! What makes Jinnai such a win in my eyes is his blind hatreed of Makoto eradicates his disregard for human life, including his sister Nanami, who obviously sides with Makoto. His dialogue, his facial expressions, that iconic laugh that puts Naga from Slayers to shame, Jinnai has been and always will be my favorite villian in anime....except for...
#1 Shapiro Keats (Dancougar)
Boy, do I really show my age with this pick. It's a very close call between Jinnai and Shapiro in my mind, but I'd have to give the edge to Shapiro. While I still to this day get kicks out of Jinnai's antic and insanity, Shapiro's focus and cunning stoicism is the stuff real heels are made out of. He betrays Earth's Defense Force the first chance he gets and flies right into the arms of Muge's empire. In great jackass fashion, while being tortured and interrogated, he still demands to speak to their leader. Afterwards, he swears vengance on those who did this to him! Dude, you flew into an enemy armada! What, did you think they would greet you a fruit basket and a"WELCOME ABOARD" banner?! The balls of this man are cantaloupes!
However, he quickly works his way in the Emperor's favor by selling out Earth, giving strategic adivce on how to hit and hit hard. He is also only briefly daunted by the fact that his ex girlfirend, Sara Yuki, a redheaded bombshell, is piloting one of the Cyber Beasts in direct opposition. Their reunion was something I was looking forward to back when I started watching this show in 1996. Shapiro's theme is the song Harmony Love, a tune that is a constant allegory throughout the show. I still hum it to myself every now and then.
Shapiro's eyes are always on the prize, and his desires are known from the very beginning. There wasn't a slow build to it, nor is he flawed by his dreams of grandeur, in fact, it's what makes him so great. His quick betrayal of his own planet and race, his knowledge of earth's best stockpiles and weapons, the near defeat of the Cyber Beast Force on several occasions. Shapiro's determination and cool demeanor are foreign concepts to today's stock villians that mostly consist of idealistic megalomaniacs who talk too much and kill their own henchmen (WHY!!??) and just eccentric crazy people who forgot to take their meds and wear makeup.
Well, that's some of the bad guys I grew up watching. A succesful heel is not about how over the top mad you can make them. All you really need is direct conflict with the protagonist, make it personal, and have a great fight!! One of the biggest reasons why I haven't been watching much stuff is due to kind of lame villians who lack motivation and aren't imposing. The previously mentioned Aizen and Byankuran from Katekyo Hitman Reborn are two of many examples of how to create a bad guy by committee, but they are villians in name alone, and only need to be stopped because the plot says so. Flash back to Ninja Scroll and the battle between Jubei and Gamma. Gamma was a turn coat and a trusted friend of Jubei. Jubei has to put a stop to a guy who sold his soul to the devils of Kimone. Easy, and I wished more writers and directors would look to the not-to-far past to see that overwriting and trying to make characters "deep" just slows the pace of the plot. I'll be back next time to talk about some lame villians that destroyed progressive storytelling, and I'll try my best to leave Shonen jump titles out of it as much as I can.
Posted by Colonelfancy | Sep 5, 2012 5:07 PM | 0 comments
July 24th, 2011
Orochi9's Top Five: Toughest Anime Guys
The fictional realm of anime is populated by at least 92% of characters that can eat your lunch, grind you into oblivion, set you on fire with the snap of a finger, or completely blast you away in a fair fight. Every now and then, you encounter a character that's so macho, so cold, so unreadable, and so terrifyingly awesome that even if you were granted the most one-sided handicaps, you wouldn't want to fight them. I have narrowed down my list of 5 anime guys that I wouldn't want to run into....well anywhere! But first, some honorable mentions that came close, but didn't crack the list.
Mention 1 Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach): Out of all the powerful soul reapers, he looks the most intimidating, and not just because of the psycho hair cut. Kenpachi probably has the most intense fights in Bleach, and he seems nearly indestructable. The only reason he didn't make it is because I dropped the series and have no further analysis on anything he's done past the 167 episode mark.
Mention 2 Piccolo (Dragonball Z): He's always one of my top favorite characters, but his status as a powerful fighter is greatly diminished by the over-saturation of super saiyans in the series. His better days were behind him at the end of Dragonball as a legitimate threat, but he still retains the award for greatest character development in a shonen title I've ever seen.
Tough Guy 5: Agito Makishima (Bio-Booster Armour Guyver)
Agito sits at number five because upon seeing him for the first time, you immediately pick up a sense of "sinister". For a manga that's nearly 30 years in printing and three anime titles that paint him as a manipulative, and steely-eyed chess player, his mental prowess is probably overshadowed by his combat abilty with the Guyver unit. A dangerous martial artist with a hard-to-read poker face combined with unclear motives and intentions makes Agito Makishima a more than worthy adversary that you would wish is an ally.
Tough Guy 4: Hibari Kyoya (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
If Hitman Reborn does one thing very, very well, it's Hibari Kyoya. Despite an adorable little bird adorned atop his head, Hibari might be the scariest shonen character I've seen since the turn of the century, and it's pretty simple why I believe that. He shows up....and annihilate whatever is in front of him. Like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers of old, he doesn't need dialouge to be frightening (a lame catchphrase kept him from ranking higher, but I digress), and his appearances are at a minimum, ensuring that his welcome is never worn out since he's the polar opposite of every other cast member. Hibari is scary strong, and whether it's 15 year old or TYL Kyoya, I'm not messing with him.
Tough Guy 3: Toshizo Hijikata (Peacemaker Kurogane)
A real living hero during the spread of the British empire some 200 years ago, I chose this incarnation of the icon because I think it's one of the best I've seen. Another reason is that in today's anime, titles are mostly populated by teeny-bopper preteens and high school students. Authors and directors can try as they might, but you can only squeeze out so much toughness and intimidation from a character who doesn't have a learner's permit to drive yet. It's so much easier and believable to read the pain and drama of an adult anime character with a scarred or shaded past than say an Ichigo Kurosaki or Sasuke Ichicha, whose barely lived. Hijikata is a man's man, and dammit, we need more of that.
Tough Guy 2: Jubei Kibagami (Ninja Scroll)
My number 2 is also based on a legendary swordsman who strikes fear into those who cross him. Throughout the Ninja Scroll movie, Jubei battles the devils of Kimone in pure, beautiful, violent glory....and it's AWESOME!!!! from giant rock monsters, to naked snake ladies who hide serpents in a...special place...Jubei battles his adversaries in some of the most gorgeous animation I've seen. A vagabond to the core and allies to no side, Jubei represents a period in anime when revenge meant something serious.
...And Tough Guy #1: Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star)
I can't even come close to fathoming anyone tougher than Kenshiro. Hard as nails and can kill you in very gruesome, and sometimes comical, fashion, Ken is the deadliest male character in anime. He has no weapons, no sword, no gun. No mech, no motorcycle, no demonic transformations, no fireballs. He does his damage with bare hands. Very little I can type that actually captures what Kenshiro is capable of, but his legacy speaks volumes. Crying Freeman and Riki-Oh dopples this formula, but the first time is always the best. To cap how badass he is, the children who follow him cheer on his grisly murders.
Mention 1 Kenpachi Zaraki (Bleach): Out of all the powerful soul reapers, he looks the most intimidating, and not just because of the psycho hair cut. Kenpachi probably has the most intense fights in Bleach, and he seems nearly indestructable. The only reason he didn't make it is because I dropped the series and have no further analysis on anything he's done past the 167 episode mark.
Mention 2 Piccolo (Dragonball Z): He's always one of my top favorite characters, but his status as a powerful fighter is greatly diminished by the over-saturation of super saiyans in the series. His better days were behind him at the end of Dragonball as a legitimate threat, but he still retains the award for greatest character development in a shonen title I've ever seen.
Tough Guy 5: Agito Makishima (Bio-Booster Armour Guyver)
Agito sits at number five because upon seeing him for the first time, you immediately pick up a sense of "sinister". For a manga that's nearly 30 years in printing and three anime titles that paint him as a manipulative, and steely-eyed chess player, his mental prowess is probably overshadowed by his combat abilty with the Guyver unit. A dangerous martial artist with a hard-to-read poker face combined with unclear motives and intentions makes Agito Makishima a more than worthy adversary that you would wish is an ally.
Tough Guy 4: Hibari Kyoya (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
If Hitman Reborn does one thing very, very well, it's Hibari Kyoya. Despite an adorable little bird adorned atop his head, Hibari might be the scariest shonen character I've seen since the turn of the century, and it's pretty simple why I believe that. He shows up....and annihilate whatever is in front of him. Like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers of old, he doesn't need dialouge to be frightening (a lame catchphrase kept him from ranking higher, but I digress), and his appearances are at a minimum, ensuring that his welcome is never worn out since he's the polar opposite of every other cast member. Hibari is scary strong, and whether it's 15 year old or TYL Kyoya, I'm not messing with him.
Tough Guy 3: Toshizo Hijikata (Peacemaker Kurogane)
A real living hero during the spread of the British empire some 200 years ago, I chose this incarnation of the icon because I think it's one of the best I've seen. Another reason is that in today's anime, titles are mostly populated by teeny-bopper preteens and high school students. Authors and directors can try as they might, but you can only squeeze out so much toughness and intimidation from a character who doesn't have a learner's permit to drive yet. It's so much easier and believable to read the pain and drama of an adult anime character with a scarred or shaded past than say an Ichigo Kurosaki or Sasuke Ichicha, whose barely lived. Hijikata is a man's man, and dammit, we need more of that.
Tough Guy 2: Jubei Kibagami (Ninja Scroll)
My number 2 is also based on a legendary swordsman who strikes fear into those who cross him. Throughout the Ninja Scroll movie, Jubei battles the devils of Kimone in pure, beautiful, violent glory....and it's AWESOME!!!! from giant rock monsters, to naked snake ladies who hide serpents in a...special place...Jubei battles his adversaries in some of the most gorgeous animation I've seen. A vagabond to the core and allies to no side, Jubei represents a period in anime when revenge meant something serious.
...And Tough Guy #1: Kenshiro (Fist of the North Star)
I can't even come close to fathoming anyone tougher than Kenshiro. Hard as nails and can kill you in very gruesome, and sometimes comical, fashion, Ken is the deadliest male character in anime. He has no weapons, no sword, no gun. No mech, no motorcycle, no demonic transformations, no fireballs. He does his damage with bare hands. Very little I can type that actually captures what Kenshiro is capable of, but his legacy speaks volumes. Crying Freeman and Riki-Oh dopples this formula, but the first time is always the best. To cap how badass he is, the children who follow him cheer on his grisly murders.
Posted by Colonelfancy | Jul 24, 2011 8:14 PM | 0 comments
January 1st, 2010
Orochi's The Best and Worst of 2009
______________BEST OF ANIME 2009____________________
Best Movie = One Piece Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island
Best OVA = Atobe's Gift
Best TV Series = Figure 17
Best Comedy = Minami-ke
Best Drama = RAY the Animation
Best Action = Sengoku Basara
Best Romance = Kimi Ni Todoke
Best Video Game-Based Show = Sengoku Basara
Best Opening Theme = Blood Queen (Princess Resurrection)
Best Ending Theme = Hizamazuite ashi wo oname (Princess Resurrection)
Best Male Character = Yellow Belmont (Genesis Climber Mospeada)
Best Female Character = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Best Hero = Shinoyama Toshiaki (RAY the Animation)
Best Villian = Atobe Keigo (Prince of Tennis)
Best Couple = Shinoyama and Ray (RAY the Animation)
Best Supporting Character = Genbatsu Edo (Ghost Slayers Ayashi)
Best Fight = Yukimura Sanada and Date Masaune vs Nobunaga (Sengoku Basara)
Best Ending = Figure 17
Most Enjoyable Show of 2009 = Minami-ke
Best Fan Service = Prince of Tennis
Hottest Male Character = Soap (Five Star Stories)
Hottest Female = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Tortured Soul = Alto Saotome (Macross Frontier)
Male Cookie = Dan Taichi (Prince of Tennis)
Female Cookie = Touma Minami (Minami-ke)
Biggest Suprise = Big Windup!!
______WORST OF ANIME 2009_____
Worst Movie = Bleach Memories of Nobody
Worst OVA = Go Go Ackman!!
Worst TV Series = Nyan Koi
Worst Comedy = Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagaan
Worst Drama = Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Worst Action = Bleach
Worst Romance = Kimi Kiss Pure Rouge
Worst Video Game-Based Show = Samurai Shodown 2
Worst Opening Theme = Lucky Star
Worst Ending Theme = The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzamiya
Worst Female Character = Taiga Aisaka (Tora Dora!)
Worst Male Character = Lelouch Rampelouge (Code Geass)
Worst Hero = Balsa (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit)
Worst Villian = Ash (Kuroshitsuji)
Worst Couple = Sanada and Mao (Kimi Kiss Pure Rouge)
Worst Supporting Character = Dr. Shamal (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
Worst Fight = Ash vs Sebastian (Kuroshitsuji)
Worst Ending = Freedom!
Most Grating Show of 2009 = Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Worst Fan Service = Rosario + Vampire
Male Biscuit = Kevin Smith (Prince of Tennis)
Female Biscuit = Yoko Ridna (Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagaan)
Biggest Crybaby = Tsuna Sawada (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
Biggest Letdown = Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
_______BEST OF MANGA 2009_________
Best Manga Series = Princess Resurrection
Best One-Shot = Phoenix Wright Case Files: The Edgeworth Files
Best Action = Psycho Busters
Best Comedy = From Eroica with Love
Best Romance = Densha Otoko
Best Drama = Kieli
Best Supernatural = Yozakura Quartet
Best Male Character = Klaus Heinz Von Dem Ebberbach (From Eroica with Love)
Best Female Character = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Best Hero = Kakeru Hase (Psycho Busters)
Best Villian = Enjin Hiizumi (Yozakura Quartet)
Best Couple = Train-san and Hermess (Densha Otoko)
Best Supporting Character = Takemaru Hidaka (Psycho Busters)
Best Fight = Hime vs Yokai (Yozakura Quartet)
Awesome Moment = Kakaeru using Chronodrive (Psycho Busters)
Hottest Male Character = Joi Touma (Psycho Busters)
Hottest Female Character = Yae Shinatsuhiko (Yozakura Quartet)
Male Cookie = Bai Xiao Long (Psycho Busters)
Female Cookie = Little Mermaid (Princess Resurrection)
Best Ending = Kieli
Most Anticipated Manga = Phoenix Wright Case Files
Surprise Manga of the Year = Cirque Du Freak
_____WORST OF MANGA 2009_______
Worst Series = Kurohime
Worst One Shot = Kyohakuu Dogs
Worst Action = WAQ WAQ
Worst Comedy = Welcome to the NHK
Worst Romance = St. Dragon Girl
Worst Supernatural = Knights (Yeah, it's called "Knights". Woooo)
Worst male Character = Darren Shan (Cirque Du Freak)
Worst Female Character = Mine Trepes (Dance in the Vampire Bund)
Worst Hero = Zero (Kurohime)
Worst Villian = Prince Severin (Princess Resurrection)
Worst Couple = Sato and Misaki (Welcome to the NHK)
Worst Supporting Character = Kazuma (Kurohime)
Worst Fight = Mine Trepes vs Big Mannish Lady (Vampire Bund vol 3)
Biggest Waste of Time = Kurohime
Male Biscuit = Saki (Kurohime)
Worst Ending = Rosario + Vampire
Biggest Letdown = Kurohime
Best Movie = One Piece Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island
Best OVA = Atobe's Gift
Best TV Series = Figure 17
Best Comedy = Minami-ke
Best Drama = RAY the Animation
Best Action = Sengoku Basara
Best Romance = Kimi Ni Todoke
Best Video Game-Based Show = Sengoku Basara
Best Opening Theme = Blood Queen (Princess Resurrection)
Best Ending Theme = Hizamazuite ashi wo oname (Princess Resurrection)
Best Male Character = Yellow Belmont (Genesis Climber Mospeada)
Best Female Character = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Best Hero = Shinoyama Toshiaki (RAY the Animation)
Best Villian = Atobe Keigo (Prince of Tennis)
Best Couple = Shinoyama and Ray (RAY the Animation)
Best Supporting Character = Genbatsu Edo (Ghost Slayers Ayashi)
Best Fight = Yukimura Sanada and Date Masaune vs Nobunaga (Sengoku Basara)
Best Ending = Figure 17
Most Enjoyable Show of 2009 = Minami-ke
Best Fan Service = Prince of Tennis
Hottest Male Character = Soap (Five Star Stories)
Hottest Female = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Tortured Soul = Alto Saotome (Macross Frontier)
Male Cookie = Dan Taichi (Prince of Tennis)
Female Cookie = Touma Minami (Minami-ke)
Biggest Suprise = Big Windup!!
______WORST OF ANIME 2009_____
Worst Movie = Bleach Memories of Nobody
Worst OVA = Go Go Ackman!!
Worst TV Series = Nyan Koi
Worst Comedy = Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagaan
Worst Drama = Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Worst Action = Bleach
Worst Romance = Kimi Kiss Pure Rouge
Worst Video Game-Based Show = Samurai Shodown 2
Worst Opening Theme = Lucky Star
Worst Ending Theme = The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzamiya
Worst Female Character = Taiga Aisaka (Tora Dora!)
Worst Male Character = Lelouch Rampelouge (Code Geass)
Worst Hero = Balsa (Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit)
Worst Villian = Ash (Kuroshitsuji)
Worst Couple = Sanada and Mao (Kimi Kiss Pure Rouge)
Worst Supporting Character = Dr. Shamal (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
Worst Fight = Ash vs Sebastian (Kuroshitsuji)
Worst Ending = Freedom!
Most Grating Show of 2009 = Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Worst Fan Service = Rosario + Vampire
Male Biscuit = Kevin Smith (Prince of Tennis)
Female Biscuit = Yoko Ridna (Toppa Tengen Gurren Lagaan)
Biggest Crybaby = Tsuna Sawada (Katekyo Hitman Reborn)
Biggest Letdown = Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
_______BEST OF MANGA 2009_________
Best Manga Series = Princess Resurrection
Best One-Shot = Phoenix Wright Case Files: The Edgeworth Files
Best Action = Psycho Busters
Best Comedy = From Eroica with Love
Best Romance = Densha Otoko
Best Drama = Kieli
Best Supernatural = Yozakura Quartet
Best Male Character = Klaus Heinz Von Dem Ebberbach (From Eroica with Love)
Best Female Character = Lilliane (Princess Resurrection)
Best Hero = Kakeru Hase (Psycho Busters)
Best Villian = Enjin Hiizumi (Yozakura Quartet)
Best Couple = Train-san and Hermess (Densha Otoko)
Best Supporting Character = Takemaru Hidaka (Psycho Busters)
Best Fight = Hime vs Yokai (Yozakura Quartet)
Awesome Moment = Kakaeru using Chronodrive (Psycho Busters)
Hottest Male Character = Joi Touma (Psycho Busters)
Hottest Female Character = Yae Shinatsuhiko (Yozakura Quartet)
Male Cookie = Bai Xiao Long (Psycho Busters)
Female Cookie = Little Mermaid (Princess Resurrection)
Best Ending = Kieli
Most Anticipated Manga = Phoenix Wright Case Files
Surprise Manga of the Year = Cirque Du Freak
_____WORST OF MANGA 2009_______
Worst Series = Kurohime
Worst One Shot = Kyohakuu Dogs
Worst Action = WAQ WAQ
Worst Comedy = Welcome to the NHK
Worst Romance = St. Dragon Girl
Worst Supernatural = Knights (Yeah, it's called "Knights". Woooo)
Worst male Character = Darren Shan (Cirque Du Freak)
Worst Female Character = Mine Trepes (Dance in the Vampire Bund)
Worst Hero = Zero (Kurohime)
Worst Villian = Prince Severin (Princess Resurrection)
Worst Couple = Sato and Misaki (Welcome to the NHK)
Worst Supporting Character = Kazuma (Kurohime)
Worst Fight = Mine Trepes vs Big Mannish Lady (Vampire Bund vol 3)
Biggest Waste of Time = Kurohime
Male Biscuit = Saki (Kurohime)
Worst Ending = Rosario + Vampire
Biggest Letdown = Kurohime
Posted by Colonelfancy | Jan 1, 2010 1:17 PM | 0 comments