Penguin Highway Review: Well, This is a Weird One.

Imagine your walking in a suburban area to school, not a care in the world, except for having to go to school of course, when, suddenly, you think you see something in a field.
It’s black and white and looks like some kind of bird, but not one you have seen in the area.
So, you walk a little closer until you see, much to your surprise that it is a penguin.
Surely, it must be a toy, right?
But, no, it’s moving around and chirping happily along.
Before you can gather your wits, there is movement from the bush and out comes another penguin, then two, then three, then five, then ten, then twenty.
Your town has a penguin invasion and no one has the slightly idea what is going on.
This is the situation Aoyama (no, not the character from My Hero Academia) finds himself in, in the profoundly weird anime film Penguin Highway, directed by Hiroyasu Ishida, and based on the book by Tomihiko Morimi.

Not only that, but Ayoama (Kana Kita) learns that the penguins also have a connection with the dentist lady (Yu Aoi) who he has a crush on.
Could things get any weirder?
Well, yes, they certainly can because it seems like Penguin Highway is constantly trying to up the weirdness every minute the film passes.
The benefit of this weirdness is that it does keep the viewer intrigued for the majority of the film, as they want to know exactly what is causing these penguins to show up, and how they are connected to the dentist lady.
Another thing that keeps the film going is the humor, which is top notch.
Aoyama may basically be a genius, but he seems to have not the slightest idea about the concept of puberty, leading to many hilarious discussions, both with the dentist lady and his friend Hamamoto (Megumi Han) who has a crush on him, not that Aoyama notices.
These humorous interactions between the characters make most of them interesting.

characters of penguin highway — The characters are interesting throughout, especially the dentist lady who the mystery centers around.

Even the bully character Suzuki (Miki Fuki) has an arc, although a fairly predictable one.
Sadly, despite the humor, the intrigue takes center stage, which is not exactly a good thing because the film leaves a lot of questions that it does not exactly answer effectively.
It gives some answers but if you’re looking for a completely satisfying explanation then you probably won’t get it.
Still, this does not kill the story because the humor and characters do keep it going, along with the animation, which is great throughout.
Overall, Penguin Highway is a fun film to watch.
It may not have a completely satisfying explanation for what is happening but it is worth watching for its general weirdness.

My Hero Academia Season Four Episode 25, His Start Review: Ending the Season With a Bang!

Coming into My Hero Academia‘s season four finale, many manga readers, including myself, were hoping beyond belief that the adaptation of Endeavor’s fight with the Nomu, High End, would be done justice.
Well, those hopes were definitely fulfilled because “His Start” is not only a fantastic adaptation of the battle between the two but also one of the anime’s best episodes, right up there with “Infinite 100%”, “Lemillion”, “Shoto Todoroki: Origin”, and “One For All.”
The episode starts off with Endeavor’s two oldest children, Fuyumi and Natsuo, visiting their mother, Rei, in the hospital she now resides.
It is here that Natsuo brings up many of the terrible things Endeavor did in the past, showing that even though he is now trying to change, that does not fix all of the horrible things he did to his family.
This is an important thing to note because many have accused Horikoshi of trying to force the readers to forgive Endeavor but Natsuo mentioning Endeavor’s crimes proves that viewers are being given the opportunity to judge him for themselves.
In any case, Rei does counter Natsuo’s belief that Endeavor wants everyone to forget what he has done by pointing out the flowers that she believes he sent her while she was in hospital.
But did Endeavor really send Rei the flowers?
I have a theory that it may have been someone else but that may turn out to be a spoiler so I won’t say who I really think sent them.
However, even if it turns out that Endeavor did not send those flowers, His Start still makes it very clear that he is trying to face his family and what he has done, as Rei says.
This is put on clear display in the fight between Endeavor and High End, where clear parallels between the two are made.
High End has been designed to fight the strongest opponent and beat them no matter the cost, just like Endeavor wanted to best All Might as the number one hero and hurt his family to try and achieve this.
Endeavor himself points out this parallel by telling High End, right before he puts him down, “you are me… from the past… or another future. Burn up… and be put to rest.”
This can be viewed as Endeavor literally killing the abusive part of himself to move forward as a better person and hero, as the new symbol of peace.
Such an interpretation is further established by the amazing adaptation of Endeavor’s pose after defeating High End, with him rising up from the fire, first in the air, as the music swells.
The emotional weight of this scene can also be felt in the build up to this epic moment, especially with Endeavor getting his scar, which I’m sure resulted in many anime only fans thinking it was the end for him.
Helping these impactful moments is the fantastic animation and music, which is just as good as it was in “Infinite 100%”.
Props to Endeavor’s voice actor Tetsu Inada as well for his fantastic performance, with his shouting of Plus Ultra and Prominence Burn.
Hawks also shines both through his fighting skills and in his character development through the showcasing of his admiration for Endeavor, as he could see that the flame hero was the only one seriously trying to surpass All Might.
Although, if he ever does learn the truth about Endeavor this admiration will quickly sour.
But, for now, this is Endeavor’s moment and he has truly begun his path to atoning for all the wrongs he has done, a journey that will surely be expanded upon in Season Five.
Speaking of the next season, we get a great tease in a post credits scene where Deku has a dream, seeing the past users of One For All, including the first user, One For All’s brother, who calls Deku the ninth.
This is a scene that will have monumental importance, not just for the next arc, but for the entirety of My Hero Academia’s story, and it will be interesting to see how it is adapted in Season Five.
As for the season finale though, “His Start” was a fantastic way to conclude season four.
I was a little worried that it would end at a different point, creating a cliffhanger that ultimately wouldn’t amount to much, but, thankfully, the episode ended at just the right moment.
This ending, Endeavor’s character development, and the brilliant music and animation of the High End fight make “His Start” one of My Hero Academia‘s best episodes, and a perfect way to conclude Season Four.

Attack on Titan Chapter 128, Traitor Review. Old Faces, Dead Faces.

Chapter 127 of Attack on Titan reassured me that the story was heading in the right direction after the not so good Chapter 126.
So, naturally, I was back to being excited for Chapter 128, “Traitor”, which saw the alliance try, and sadly fail, to find a peaceful way to secure the plane and Kiyomi Azumabito from Floch and the Yeagerists.
Of course, failure was to be expected, but I was surprised by the price that was paid for this failure, which was the lives of two characters we had not seen since the very first arc, Samuel and Daz.
I was scared that we might be seeing Hange or Jean die this chapter but no (although their deaths could still happen), instead it was two characters who I highly doubt anyone cared for.
That is not to say that their deaths are a cheap attempt by Isayama to create emotion though, because they did make me feel sad.
However, this sadness was for Connie, who, in the cliffhanger of the chapter, had to murder his two old friends in order to secure the plane that they are planning to use to reach Eren.
Connie snapping left me feeling sorry that he had to resort to this and, sadly, I don’t doubt that he will not be the only one with the blood of old friends on his hands after this battle is over.
All of the 104th will have to get their hands dirty and this includes Armin who, in a shocking moment, is shot by Samuel when he tries to stop Daz from blowing up the plane.
Armin looks to be mortally wounded though, so probably the only way he can save himself is if he transforms into the Colossal Titan.
This means Armin will most likely initiate his nuclear attack next chapter to wipe out many of the Yeagerists, although I don’t know how this will be done without destroying the plane.
As for the rest “Traitor”, it was also pretty good, albeit short.
One of the other big highlights of the chapter was Kiyomi taking down Floch when he tried to kill the engineers who are needed if the plane is going to work.
I did not expect Kiyomi to be a secret badass and it was a welcome surprise that made me like her character a lot more.
Fighting skills is something that she has in common with Mikasa, who crashes into the room and takes out the two remaining Yeagerists in the room, in a thrilling action sequence.
This causes Floch to flee out the window, irking many of his haters because of his continued survival.
Floch is probably still not long for this world though, as this does look to be his last battle, since Eren will be the final foe immediately after the Yeagerists are defeated.
Speaking of Eren, it is revealed that he has actually already reached Marley and probably wiped out every northeast town and god knows how many people.
This was very surprising because I didn’t think Eren would have got this far already.
The startling realization that the Rumbling has already begun its worldwide genocide leads Magath to break Yelena’s arm in an effort to force her to tell them where he is.
This is curious though, as considering how tall Eren is in his Founding Titan form, he shouldn’t be that hard to spot.
Although, Magath wanting to know where Eren’s is is probably Isayama telling us that Eren is going to be somewhere important, but I don’t know where this could be.
In any case, once Magath is talked down from hurting Yelena further he realizes his mistakes and apologizes to the 104th, telling them he was wrong about what he said in Chapter 127, and that they cannot allow the generations of hatred to continue, asking them not to see their foolish actions.
Armin refuses this, however; saying that they cannot pretend to be doing the right thing without dirtying their hands, of course leading to the bloody ending of the chapter.
Other standout moments of “Traitor” include Annie and Reiner transforming into Titans, therefore debunking the theory that the Titan Shifters can’t transform anymore, Reiner finally understanding what Eren meant in Chapter 100, and the Bertholdt parallels in the final, gut wrenching scene.
Then there is Yelena telling Levi that violence can’t be taken away from people, proving that the manga will not end with a completely happy ending, like many have been fearing.
Overall, Chapter 128 was a solid chapter of Attack on Titan that, while short, did a good job presenting character development, action, and a gripping ending.
The fight with the Yeagerists is sure to have more tragic consequences in the next few chapters.

Kiki’s Delivery Service Review: How to Make a Delivery Service Interesting.

Hayao Miyazaki keeps delivering gem after gem with each of his films that I watch.
I have watched Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and the masterpiece Princess Mononoke, since these films were released on Netflix.
Each of these films provide an epic fantasy or steampunk world for the viewer to get interested in.
The exception to this is Kiki’s Delivery Service, where the focus, as the title suggests, is on a delivery service.
That is not to say there is no fantasy in the film because there most certainly is, as the star of the film is Kiki (Minami Takayama), a witch who, as the coming of age tradition of witches dictates, travels to a new area to help the inhabitants.

kiki chaos — Kiki’s journey may be a traditional for witches but the situations she gets into are anything but.

Settling in the seaside city of Koriko, Kiki discovers the citizens are not quite used to witches so decides to start a delivery service to help the people and support herself.
Accompanied by her cat Jiji (Rei Sakuma), Kiki meets a wide assortment of interesting characters and goes on quite a few adventures in her new environment, taking the seemingly mundane job of a delivery service woman and transforming it into something magical.
Along with Kiki, the film has more interesting characters like the pregnant baker who takes her in (Keiko Toda), a kind grandmother whose grandchild simply does not deserve her (Haruko Kato), and a young boy who Kiki is in equal parts annoyed and intrigued by (Kappei Yamaguchi).

ursula's art — My favourite character that Kiki interacts with though, is definitely the eccentric, woodland artist Ursula (also voice by Takayama) who helps Kiki in her development as a witch.

But it is Kiki who truly shines, as her relationships with these characters culminate in an entertaining finale, where her character development truly shines.
A slice of life anime film that delivers plenty of heart warming and funny moments, Kiki’s Delivery Service is another good film by Hayao Miyazaki.

My Hero Academia Season Four Episode Twenty Four, Japanese Hero Billboard Chart Review: Just Watch Him.

The Pro-Hero Arc is finally here.
After many weeks of speculating whether it would be adapted in this season of My Hero Academia, the arc finally began with the second to last episode, “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart.”
The only question left to ask is whether or not the entire arc can be adapted in just two episodes, or if they will leave the season off on a cliffhanger and adapt the rest of the arc for season five?
Either way, this storyline is off to a solid start in “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart”, with Endeavor’s new role as the number one hero finally being focused on and about to be put to the test at the end.
Endeavor is a character that a lot of people, understandably, despise because of how he treated his family but this arc will see the beginning of his redemption arc that has made him among my, and many other people’s, favourite characters.
This journey to redemption begins with the titular Billboard Chart of the episode, where the top ten heroes appear in a televised award ceremony.
Many of these heroes are largely irrelevant or joke characters, like Wash for instance, but, alongside Endeavor, two do stand out among the rest.
First there is the number five hero, Mirko, the rabbit hero, who vows to kick every villain she comes across.
You can expect to see more from her this arc and potentially the next season as well, with her thighs of doom taking center stage recently in the manga.
The second standout hero is the one ranked number two, Hawks, who is a fan favourite character and one that you can also expect a lot from going forward in the story.
This is quickly made clear by him hijacking the ceremony, and talking about the problems of it, pointing out that he has a higher approval ranking than Endeavor before handing him the microphone.
However, this snide comment was just Hawks trying to motivate Endeavor to make an impression as the new number one hero.
And make an impression Endeavor does, telling the crowd to “just watch me”, intending to make his actions speak louder than his words.
The audience is not quite sure what to make of this but Hawks is definitely impressed, being the only person in the room to clap for him.
Endeavor, however, is less than pleased with Hawks as seen by him humorously grabbing him by his jacket but when Hawks mentions rumors of the Nomu it gets him to listen.
From here, the episode cuts to Dabi with the new and improved Nomu, named High End.
I was quite surprised they revealed Dabi this soon into the arc but it does make sense because they couldn’t disguise his voice, like Horikoshi could in the manga, so they had to show him.
The next day, we see Endeavor heading to Hawks’ agency with the winged Pro-Hero who shows off his Quirk by using his feathers, which he controls telepathically, to save a dog, help an elderly woman with her bags, and even knock out a streaker.
One important thing to note is that this streaker brings up a book about meta-liberation, which will be very important next season.
While Hawks helps out the citizens, Endeavor tries to act more like the number one hero by offering a fan his autograph.
In a comedic turn of events, the kid is horrified by this, liking Endeavor because of his lack of fan service.
The humor does not last though, as Endeavor and Hawks are attacked by High End when they reach Hawks’ office, beginning the epic fight that will be finished in the next episode in the best of ways.
The preview for this episode looks like it has excellent animation, which is a good thing because I was a bit concerned while watching “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart” because the animation here is lacking in some areas.
I understand that they had to save money to make the final episode of the season better but, while watching this episode, it was a little off putting.
For example, there is one shot of Hawks in the background that looks oddly drawn and the reintroduction of the Wild, Wild Pussy Cats felt a little lackluster in comparison with the manga.
Still, the slightly lacking animation did not ruin any of the scenes, like the Pussy Cats meeting Class 1-A again, which managed to be both hilarious and dark.
Hilarious because Kota is revealed to now be a fan of Deku, having bought the same shoes as him, and is very embarrassed at being exposed.
Dark because Ragdoll has still not got her Quirk back from All For One, who looks as sinister as ever in his prison cell, still in complete control of the situation despite being behind bars.
Ragdoll does seem happy though, despite losing her Quirk, so I guess there is that.
Another positive is Eri being taken in by UA, with Aizawa and Mirio acting as her primary caretakers.
This will likely provide the sweet girl with many more opportunities to shine her dazzling smile.
And, if the finale adapts the rest of the Pro-Hero Arc correctly next episode, then I am sure we will all have a smile on our faces as well.

My Hero Academia, Season 4 Episode 23, Let it Flow! School Festival! Review: Smile = Protected.

Well, that was definitely a step up from the manga.
Episode 23 of My Hero Academia’s fourth season, “Let It Flow! School Festival”, was one of my most anticipated episodes of the season because of the wholesome moment it contains.
This moment being, of course, Jiro and the rest of Class 1-A’s performance, building up to Eri’s first smile.
Just seeing Eri blow the sinister shadow of Overhaul away with her wondrous smile warmed my heart, just as much as it did in the manga.
In fact, in order to celebrate the momentous occasion of Eri’s first smile, I believe a quote is in order.

“This smile. I will protect this smile. I will fight you for this smile. You will not hurt this smile. For you see, there are some things in life worth protecting. Some things worth living for; some things worth dying for. A smile like this can fill the iciest of hearts, dispel the darkest of evils, and win the mightiest of wars. This smile will be the thing that pulls us from the depths of despair and lead us to the path of salvation! Wars will be fought; people will be saved; and civilizations will prosper because of this smile! So, from this day forward, I solemnly swear to shield this smile from all harm that may come to it; all dangers it may possibly face; and give my life for it!”
– Gigguk.

All joking aside, Eri’s smile is such a great moment and I am so glad it was done justice.
What I am even more happy about is the performance that lead to this, with it being a clear step up from the manga.
One of the disadvantages the manga had in conveying the performance was that, because of its written format, Horikoshi had to convey what the song was like through characters’ reactions and inner monologues.
With the anime adaptation; however, sound could be used to bring across the full magnitude of the performance and it is incredible.
Chrissy Constanza does a fantastic job singing as Jiro to the engaging song “Hero Too”, which is probably going to be stuck in my head for weeks, not that I’m complaining.
Likewise, the animated choreography for the performance is also fantastic and Eri’s smile is just the cherry on top.
It is also a cherry that we see multiple times afterwards, as Eri meets with Deku after the performance, voicing her excitement and throwing her hands in the air, which Mirio hilariously mimics.
Speaking of Mirio, the moment when Eri smiles and he remembers Sir Nighteye is tragically beautiful.
You died to protecting this smile, Nighteye, so you’ve earned all the praise.
And the smiles just keep on coming as the episode ends with Deku giving Eri the candy apple he promised and she, you guessed it, smiles again.
Along with Eri’s heart warming growth and the fantastic performance, the other highlight of this episode is definitely the resolution for Gentle and La Brava’s story.
Although, I hope this is not the final resolution to their story because they are great characters and it would be amazing if they could come back.
Even though the two are arrested, the post credits scene gives hope for them as the police officer interviewing Gentle tells him, “Guys who say there are no do-overs in life are either those who don’t want to, or those who’re impatient and want fast results.”
This statement speaks directly to Gentle’s reasoning for becoming a villain, and brings him to tears, followed by a funny moment when he asks for black tea, only to be told they only have cheap tea at the police station.
Happily, this is not the only good joke in the episode because there are plenty of other ones, like when Hound Dog shakes All Might, Bakugo relishing in proving the students that were looking to criticize Class 1-A’s performance wrong, and, of course, Class 1-B’s hilarious play that mixes Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter together.
Other fun moments of the episode include the screenshots of the school festival itself, including Nejire’s win at the beauty pageant over the creepy eyelash girl and Kendo, who knocks Monoma out in another funny moment.
All in all, “Let it Flow! School Festival” is a fantastic episode of My Hero Academia and the best since “Infinite 100%”.
It has an engaging performance that will be stuck in my head for a while, a fitting resolution for the arc’s villains, plenty of humorous moments, and a smile that I would give my life for!
Now, it’s on to the Pro-Hero Arc.

Attack on Titan Chapter 128 Predictions.

Chapter 127 of Attack on Titan was a massive step up from Chapter 126, making the alliance between the Scouts and the Warriors much more believable and tense.
Sure, it didn’t completely fix all of the problems but it was a step in the right direction that will hopefully be continued in Chapter 128.
Until it comes out though, all we can do is speculate about what will happen.
And so, let’s get into my predictions for Chapter 128, starting with the question,

How Will the Yeagerists be Defeated?

Chapter 127 ended with the Alliance discovering that the Yeagerists are now blocking their one way ticket to reaching Eren and stopping the Rumbling.
So, if they want to get to Eren, they will have to take them down first..
It is pretty obvious that the alliance is going to defeat the Yeagerists but the question is how?
Sure, with five Titan Shifters and two Ackermans on their side it may seem easy but there is Kiyomi and the plane to take into consideration.
Kiyomi may be the only person left who knows how to fly the plane that will be used to find Eren’s Founding Titan form and the Yeagerists have both her and the plane in their clutches.
Therefore, the alliance will have to make sure that they, or the Yeagerists, don’t get Kiyomi killed or the plane destroyed when they attack or their mission will fail.
Knowing this, I think the alliance may try some form of stealth to secure them before attacking.
This will most likely be through Magath, who is the only person that the Yeagerists would not recognize.
But, even if a stealth plan works, I believe the remaining Yeagerists are going to have to die if the alliance is to succeed.
The Yeagerists are being lead by Floch who will no doubt try to shoot them all on sight so they will not have any opportunity to talk the group down.
This is why we will probably get some Titan action next chapter, potentially seeing Falco’s Jaw Titan for the first time and, potentially, Annie’s Female Titan and Armin’s Colossal, which have not been seen for a while.
Not only this, but the alliance has another ace up their sleeve; one they don’t even know about.
What is this ace, you ask?
Keith Shadis.
I believe he was the man in the window in Chapter 126 and will lead the recruits who follow him to back up the alliance and defeat the Yeagerists.
I am unsure if Keith will die in this attempt but Floch most likely will, potentially at Jean’s hand.
In any case, once the Yeagerists are stopped, the alliance will hop on Kiyomi’s plane and go to the final battle with Eren.
The question is, what will be the cost of getting the plane?

Could Hange and/or Jean Die?

Chapter 127 gave both Hange and Jean some major death flags.
Hange talked about how her dead comrades were watching them and the last person to say this was Erwin who, well, died.
This does not bode well for Hange who could very well end up getting killed in an effort to retrieve the plane, or if she lives past that, in the final battle.
However, I am honestly more scared about Jean.
Although Hange said she could see her dead comrades, it was Jean who was looking at them, specifically Marco.
Not only this, but Chapter 127 began with Jean imagining staying out of the fight and going on to start a family, probably with Mikasa.
However, Jean’s conscience would not allow him to stay back and he left the dream behind.
If Jean imagining the life he could have once the fighting is over is not a death flag then I don’t know what is.
I have been anticipating a final fight between him and Floch for a while, and now that what looks to be Floch and the Yeagerists’ last stand is about to happen, we could see both of them going out.
Maybe the two end up killing each other, like many of the gods do in Ragnarok, the apocalypse of Norse Mythology, which Attack on Titan is heavily based off.
Fingers crossed that Jean and Hange don’t end up dying to save Kiyomi and the plane but Hajime Isayama has said he wants to hurt his readers so you never know.
Speaking of the mysterious Azumabito,

What Does Kiyomi Know?

With the exception of Eren and Historia, Kiyomi is the only character in this story (that we know of) whose true motives may yet be hidden.
Kiyomi’s intention has been previously shown to gain profit for her family and nation of Hizuru.
She also seems to want to protect Mikasa out of honor.
However, I cannot imagine that this is her sole motivation.
I think she has to have some other kind of role to the story other than being the one to provide the alliance with the plane.
If it was just this then Isayama would probably have killed her off by now.
But he hasn’t, which makes me think Kiyomi might have a role yet to play.
Just look at her meeting with Willy Tyber, before his death.
The two looked like they were sharing some kind of secret and it is this, and numerous other scenes, that make me think that, after the Yeagerists are defeated, we may get a flashback chapter to reveal what Kiyomi knows about the situation and what exactly her role in the story is.
However, Kiyomi is not the only character whose role in the story I want to know.

Where are Historia and Zeke?

Where is the queen and where is the beardy?
Zeke has been missing from the story ever since Eren initiated the Rumbling, and Historia has been gone for even longer.
At least we have some idea of where Historia is, on a farm with the father of her child (if the farmer is the father, which I doubt) but, unfortunately, this does not leave much space for her to return to the story until the end.
As for Zeke, I think that he has to have been absorbed into Eren’s Titan form.
It’s the only place he could be.
Sure, he could still be trapped in the Path Dimension with Ymir but that would not really provide the opportunity for Levi to keep his promise to Erwin; so I doubt he is there.
That leaves him being stuck with Eren.
He will probably reappear when the alliance goes to fight Eren and make one last ditch effort to initiate his Euthanasia Plan, resulting in a final fight between him and a mortally wounded Levi, making their final fight more fair.
The two could even end up being killed by each other, just like Jean and Floch could.
No matter what happens, I hope that Historia and Zeke will reappear in the story soon because they are among the story’s best characters.
The question is. will they have enough screen time with Attack on Titan set to conclude by the end of 2020?
Or is it?

Can the Manga Really End by 2020?

Hajime Isayama has stated his intention to end Attack on Titan this year but I find the chances of that less and less likely with each passing chapter.
Eren will almost certainly be the final battle of the story but the alliance has to defeat the Yeagerists before they can reach him.
Not only this but the last stand of the Yeagerists is not just something that can be covered in one chapter.
It would need to be two chapters, at least.
Honestly, with how Isayama structures his volumes, I can see the fight with the Yeagerists being the focus of this volume and it ending with the alliance boarding the plane to stop Eren.
If this is the case, then the next couple of volumes should focus on the final battle with Eren and Zeke, and the ending.
This would make the story around 138 chapters, meaning there will be 11 chapters left, and the manga will end in February of 2021.
Or maybe Isayama could find a way to end Attack on Titan earlier, perhaps?
Whenever he decides to end the story though, I hope he goes at his own pace so he can provide a fantastic ending to this fantastic series.

Princess Mononoke Review: My Favorite Studio Ghibli Film.

Have you ever watched an anime, no, a film that grips you right from the beginning and has you entranced all the way to the end?
Well, this was my experience watching Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 anime film Princess Mononoke, two days ago.
I knew right after watching it that it was my favourite Studio Ghibli film so far, and I have been constantly thinking about it since then.
Set in the Muromachi era of Japan, the film centers around Ashitaka (Yoji Matsuda), a young prince who is cursed by a demon that attacks his village.
Instructed by the wise woman of his people, Ashitaka sets out on a journey with his faithful red elk, Yakul, to potentially find a cure for his deadly affliction.

ashitaka and yakul — I liked the bond that was displayed between Ashitaka between Yakul on their adventure.

From here, Ashitaka is pulled into a conflict between the spirits, who watch over the forest, and the humans of Iron Town, lead by Lady Eboshi (Yuko Tanaka).
Among the spirits is a girl named San (Yuriko Ishida), the titular Princess Mononoke, who was raised by a wolf spirit, and has vowed to kill Eboshi.
What I love about this story is how there really is no bad guy.
Both sides of the conflict, that Ashitaka gets caught up in, view the other as evil but both sides also have their own flaws and virtues.
This is a film about perspectives, with Ashitaka stuck in the middle, trying to mediate between the two groups.

San vs Eboshi — Both sides of the battle, whether it be human or spirit, have reasons for what they are doing and it makes their conflict incredibly compelling.

With its focus on nature, Princess Mononoke could have very easily gone the typical environmentalist message route which, while there is nothing wrong with that, has been done quite a lot.
Instead, Princess Mononoke takes a stance on environmentalism I cannot remember seeing before, about hatred and the need for mutual dialogue.
The consequences of not attempting dialogue is apparent through the violence of the movie, which is uncharacteristic for a Studio Ghibli film.
This violence is enhanced by the glorious animation, which had me riveted from the very beginning.
Everything from the action, with its flawless editing, to the slower moments, where we look on in awe, is so well animated.
I was also amazed at how much of it is hand drawn.
It must have taken a lot of effort to get done and the animators deserve so all of the praise for their hard work.

kodama — The animation never failed to take my breath away in *Princess Mononoke.*

Then there is the music, which is fantastic, serving to enhance the brilliant animation and, in turn, the story and the characters.
Princess Mononoke is a masterpiece.
It is now, not only my favourite Studio Ghibli film so far, but one of my favourite anime films as well.

My Hero Academia Season 4 Episode 22, School Festival Start Review: A Villain’s Love.

When Gentle and La Brava were first introduced in My Hero Academia, some anime fans worried that they would be impossible to take seriously because of their goofy nature, especially after the intensity Overhaul brought as the villain, last arc.
However, the 22nd episode of My Hero Academia‘s fourth season, “School Festival”, hopefully showed those who were concerned just how fantastic the two are, not just as villains but as characters.
The Gentle and La Brava vs Deku fight did go by a lot quicker than I thought it would in the anime, lasting only two episodes, however this does not change how fantastic the conclusion of their fight is.
By far the best aspect of it is definitely the backstory and character growth for the two wannabe villains, resulting in a tragic love story ending.
Let’s start with La Brava.
Her backstory shows how the current hero society is unequipped to deal with unusual Quirks.
In La Brava’s case, her Quirk is highly reliant on the love she feels for another person and, because of this, her love was thought to be creepy and she was considered a stalker by the boy she loved.
This caused her to close herself off, clinging only to the internet, and contemplating suicide.
It was then, in her darkest moment, that her “light” appeared.
She stumbled across one of Gentle Criminal’s videos and fell in love with him, vowing to help him carve his name into history.
And Gentle accepted her wholeheartedly, to the point that he even drew dark circles under his eyes so La Brava wouldn’t feel self-conscious about hers.
This flashback expertly brings across many different tones, from dark, like when La Brava considers suicide, to sweet, when Gentle accepts her, and humorous, when the two are shown comedically sneaking away from a police officer.
Their love story then blooms into the reveal of La Brava’s Quirk, Love.
This ability allows her to temporarily power up those she loves by declaring her feelings for them.
The reveal of this, with Present Mic narrating it in a calm voice, as opposed to his over the top loudness, highlights its impact.
And what an impact it has, because it temporarily allows Gentle to overpower Deku.
Only temporarily though, as Deku is back on his feet in seconds, ready to take on a now overpowered Gentle.
From here, the episode transitions into Gentle’s backstory, which is as equally tragic as La Brava’s.
Once hoping to become a hero, Gentle failed every entrance exam he tried at.
One day, he saw someone about to fall to their death and used his Quirk to try and save them, only for this to result in him impeding a hero attempting to save them, resulting in the person being seriously injured.
Treated like trash and kicked out by his own family because of this, Gentle was alone for years, until he came across one of his old school friends who had become a successful Pro-Hero.
Gentle was happy for him, when his old friend revealed he didn’t remember him at all.
Wanting to be remembered, Gentle decided to become a villain instead of a hero.
It is apparent that Gentle has a lot in common with Deku, as both wanted to become heroes and are now fighting for someone’s bright future, Deku for Eri, and Gentle for La Brava.
Deku himself points this out before defeating Gentle Criminal as a sobbing La Brava ineffectively hits him.
Realizing that UA teachers are closing in, and wanting to protect La Brava, Gentle uses the last of his strength to push Deku away to make it look like the fight never happened to make La Brava’s role seem less serious.
Embracing her as the teachers approach, Gentle declares to them he wants to turn himself in, bringing a tragic end to the episode.
I say tragic because, if this episode tells us anything, it is that Gentle and La Brava are not villains.
They are just people who were dealt a bad hand by the society they live in and are trying to change their fates.
Granted, they’re not doing it in a good way but, even so, that does not make them villainous.
They are truly tragic characters and we will learn more about their fate next episode.
The build up to this end was great as well, with not only a fantastic backstory for Gentle and La Brava, but great action sequences as well.
It was not quite as spectacular as it was in the manga but, admittedly, the anime does have a budget to maintain, and it looks like they are actually going to be adapting part of the Pro-Hero Arc this season, which will need great animation, so that’s a reasonable excuse.
As for the beginning of the episode, it just shows the various students and teachers preparing for the festival, which we will also see next episode, along with a scene that I have been anticipating for a while.
“School Festival Start” is another great episode of My Hero Academia, which proves that, while Gentle and La Brava are a little hard to take seriously initially, they are some of the best villains of the series.

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Review. A Plus Ultra Movie.

Going to see My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising last night was probably the most interesting experience I have ever had when seeing a movie in theaters.
There were so many people in cosplay, many of them jumping around in excitement and shouting out to one another, before the film started.
I was honestly scared that they were going to ruin the movie for me by shouting throughout the runtime but, thankfully, when it started, they quieted down, except for a few occasional cheers.
A good thing too because My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a great time that any fan of the anime should see.
Although, anime only fans should know that there are a few light spoilers for where the series will go because the story takes place a little bit further in the manga.
Directed by Kenji Nagasaki, The movie takes place on Nabu Island, where Class 1-A are taking part in a training program by helping out the people of the island in their daily lives.
However, when the villain Nine (Yoshio Inoue), who has multiple Quirks, attacks the island in search of a young boy, the heroes in training must band together to stop him, with no hope for backup.
For starters, my favourite thing about Heroes Rising is definitely how it uses its characters, especially Deku (Daiki Yamashita) and Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto), who take center stage in their efforts to save the target of Nine, Katsuma Shimano (Yuka Terasaki), and his sister Mahoro (Mio Imada).

bakugo and deku — Deku and Bakugo are the highlights of the film, with their rivalry having come a long way since season one.

It is not just them though because almost every member of Class 1-A is given a moment to shine in this film, creating some terrific action sequences.
This results in the epic final battle of the film, which is among the most glorious animation I have ever seen.
It is also set to the moving song, Might⁺U, that was recently in the anime when Deku saved Eri.
As for the villain of the film, Nine, he is not given much of a backstory so, unfortunately, him and his minions are not that interesting from a character perspective.
Thankfully though, they make up for it through the threat level they possess.

Along with Nine’s slightly lacking character, another minor flaw I found with the film is that it does pull a few things to make sure its events are never mentioned again in the anime.
This does make sense but some of the ways the movie goes about it do feel a little abrupt.
Aside from these minor problems, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is an absolutely fantastic film with a lot of great character moments, humor, and an awesome final battle.
Apparently, the ending to this film was the original ending Kohei Horikoshi had in mind for the manga but he changed it so decided to put it in here.
And, given how great this ending is, I cannot wait to see how he actually plans to end My Hero Academia.