BringBackTheGood DaysOfYoutube

Dororo (2019) is very much a gripping and stellar anime especially since it is a newer adaptation of a preexisting anime from the 60's. It masterfully sets up the story, conflict, and world where the characters live in, and most of said characters develop so smoothly that they make you connect with them even with some of them not having to say anything. While the music and animation are remarkable and stunning respectively, the one thing that glued everything together and will undoubtedly be one of the main things people will hold on to the most is the emotional pull this show has. The first half of the anime is absolutely a treasure all the way around, and the pacing flows the natural way as any good show should; while the second half of the anime may not be as sharp as the first with some questionable writing choices here and there (primarily near the end), it's still a thrill to watch. Not a perfect 10/10, but definitely a very solid 8-9/10. Needless to say, we can always use more anime like Dororo. (Posted this 4 years ago, but it got shadowbanned for some reason.)

This show is simultaneously the best and worst English dub I've ever heard. For those searching for the anime, you probably already know how the story behind the show goes. It had a bad turnout in Japan, so they handed it over to the dubbers and gave them almost complete freedom to change up the script. So they pumped insane amounts of dark humor and ad-lib into the story and out came the dub of Ghost Stories. It totally makes sense that this anime isn't for everybody, cuz it never leaves the taboo zone. And to "play it safe" from just targeting one people group, religion, or lifestyle with jokes, they made it all-inclusive and just went after ALL of them. Definitely not a show I would ever recommend to kids; but for those older teens and adults who have thick skin and who actually get half the jokes and references, this show will give you a hard laugh at how they got away with this back in the day and how they would never attempt this in today's society. Comedy aside, they took the already half-baked story, flipped it on its head, and restructured it into something so wacky and self-aware of its own flaws that it actually works in its own way. Since its main selling point was its abridged-like comedy, when the jokes land, they're hilarious, but when they don't land, it sticks out horribly and makes the plot severely disjointed upon multiple viewings. That's why Ghost Stories falls in its own category because it has its own mold and structure. When comparing it to other official dubs in different categories of quality, Ghost Stories falls flat on its face. That being said, I give props to them for taking something terrible and making it paradoxically better in the most unorthodox way possible. Bottom line: if their goal was just to make jokes for a mature audience, then mission accomplished. (I posted this 5 years ago, but it got shadowbanned for some reason.)

How could this have happened? First off, I have no qualms with them expanding the franchise in other ways as long as they're making more games in the process. Dragon's Dogma (the game) is one of the best underrated games ever made with so much potential. It is a game near and dear to my heart and to many others, but the anime adaptation has done a saddening disservice to the franchise. It took away vital story parts from the lore that would've added a healthy dose of longevity to the show (if it was to continue), and it replaced them with ideas that sound cool on paper and that makes it look like any other generic action/adventure fantasy anime, but was poorly executed. The voice acting and music were fine and all (nothing really spectacular unfortunately), but aside from the so-so animation, the main problem is the story. And considering a story like Dragon's Dogma, the show has emotion in it, but it ironically has no heart...and neither does the show find it. I think that's what hurts the worst watching it. It is perfectly fine for people to watch this and enjoy it if they so choose to; but if this anime is supposed to be the catalyst or the new basis for the game series going forward, then I worry for Capcom. If you were to ask me, this anime gets nothing higher than a 3 or 4/10. It's totally cool wanting to gain new viewers and fans, but at what cost? It'll take more than a wakestone to resurrect interest from the majority of long-time DD fans for this anime adaptation.

You know how certain restaurants can make food that's so good that even the leftovers taste just as good as when you ate it the first time? The Departed is the epitome of that description with its superb replayability. A great film by Scorsese and his team. From the story, most of the acting, even down to how they implemented the music, The Departed just nails it. The film is not afraid to get bloody or emotional in order to deliver the story it wants to sell. Even though there maybe a few nitpicks here and there, they're hardly noticeable and they don't break the movie. So, if you want a good crime film with some serious heavy hitting actors from the 2000s that's still fresh in 2020, then The Departed it is then.

With the exception of Street Fighter Assassin's Fist, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie is THE best movie the Street Fighter series has to offer unironically; and it is a solid anime movie all the way around. From the story, to the soundtrack, to the acting, everything blended so well together. Nothing too deep, but it definitely delivers on what it gives. The 90's style animation and fight scenes truly completed this movie as it brought to life all the legendary characters we know and love from Street Fighter 2 and gave them plenty of epic fights throughout the movie. The only complaint I have would probably be all the different re-releases and cuts in the English dub, but that would only be a problem if you saw it one way the first time and unknowingly watched an edited version after on DVD or on a streaming service. Regardless, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, much like the game it was based on, was the forerunner and pioneer that spawned other video game animated movies right after due to its success. Sadly, aside from the Street Fighter 2 V anime and the Super Street Fighter 4 OVA, almost all the other animated media from the franchise like the Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation, Street Fighter 4: The Ties that Bind, Street Fighter Alpha: Generations and the hilariously awful Street Fighter: The Animated Series do not quite live up to the extremely high bar that Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie set. So if you're going to go through all the SF TV shows and movies, it goes without question that the best place to begin is with the one that started it all. While Street Fighter lies dormant these days when it comes to animation, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie stands in gap...that is until a new, worthy challenger comes along.

Wow, what can I say about Nichijou? This anime is undisputedly slice of life with its comedy through the roof. You'll watch a group of a highschool students along with a few related characters live through their daily ordinary lives in a humorous and exaggerated manner. This anime is truly a joy to watch with its cartoonized relatability along with its rich resourse of some of the funniest anime memes you'll find on the internet. While there may be some better anime in the genre, there will always be something special about Nichijou that makes it stand out despite its ironically simplistic art style.

Such an interesting yet peculiar show this one is. Noir is about 2 female assassins standing against a secret society name the Soldat that has killed many to keep balance in their ideals and code for a thousand years. There's no sugar coating it, the first few episodes are very slow and will definitely weed out the casual viewers from the committed who want to see how the story finishes. There are a few logic flaws here and there, but nothing new when it comes to anime. The action and animation were good, and you can certainly tell it has that late 90s early 2000s feel to it, seeing that it came out in 2001. All in all, Noir is a pretty good anime that would slide right into the 7/10 category.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one of the very few video game movies that didn't fall entirely in the hole of bad video games movies. Since Jerry Bruckheimer from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies helped in the making of this movie, they got the scenery down packed. Acting performances were good with a story that could've been executed a little better, but still passable. The visuals and soundtrack were great along with the action and stunts (hardcore parkour). While it's not a perfect film, it's one of the only video game movies that (if revived) can make a come back, get better, and could even start a film series based on the actual games. The potential is there, but the fans probably remember Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time more than Disney does at this point.

Akira is a one of a kind movie, one that certainly doesn't need a live action adaptation to reach a larger audience. The level of animation and action is what sold me. The story is where things get a little bumpy. The film is legendary not flawless, and it's very easy just to gush over Akira for nostalgia's sake. All in all, the plot was fine on it's own, but when you combine it with the music score, action, and suspense, the plot gets supercharged. And yes, when people say it changed the game, it did. It's one of the pillars of anime that has been the talk for a while and will only get talked about more with the 2020 Olympics happening in Japan only a year after the movie was set in. When it comes to anime movies outside of Studio Ghibli, Akira is undoubtedly one of the first that people will mention. So yeah, if you haven't seen it yet, don't worry; it's not going anywhere. And even if the live action version ends up being great or garbage, it won't replace or top Akira's legacy....or Tetsuo's forehead.