Month: May 2024

Tanjiro Annoys a Hashira Until He Starts Training

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , ,

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 2 Review

Before we get started, let’s make it clear that I have every intention of covering the new season of Demon Slayer. The only reason I didn’t cover the season premiere is because I saw it in theaters months in advance and reviewed it. So we’re jumping right into the Hashira Training Arc starting now!

At least, that what is supposed to be happening. However, for the training to work, the Demon Slayer Corps needs all of the Hashira present. And, as Kagaya explains via letter to Tanjiro, Giyu Tomioka isn’t particpating. His inferiority complex and past trauma is keeping him from doing so. Thus, it falls to Tanjiro to light a fire in him. 

Assemble the Hashira!

The episode picks up where the previous one left off, with Kagaya summoning Ms. Tamayo and Yushiro to Demon Slayer HQ. With Nezuko having conquered the sun, a cure for Demons is at hand. That makes Tamayo a target, and all the more imperative that she works with the Corps on this. It would seem that Tanjro and Nezuko’s efforts to prove their trustworthiness have paid off. 

The meat of the episode, though, focuses on the task that Kagaya gives Tanjiro: getting Giyu Tomioka to join the training. That proves easier said than done, even for someone as friendly as Tanjiro. However, it’s still funny seeing Tanjiro follow and annoy Giyu for days on end. 

There’s a good reason why Giyu refuses to join in on the training arc, though: he doesn’t consider himself worthy of being the Water Hashira. And the reason behind that is pretty tragic.

Giyu Has Some Serious Survivor’s Guilt

Back when Tanjiro was training to become a Demon Slayer, he was assisted by the spirits of his master’s students that died during the Final Selection. One of those students, Sabito, was Giyu’s best friend. According to Giyu, he almost single-handedly killed all the Demons during their year’s Final Selection. However, he still died fighting the Hand Demon that Tanjiro killed. Ever since then, Giyu’s been dealing with an intense case of Survivor’s Guilt.

It’s not hard not to feel bad for Giyu. This moment will hit anyone who’s watched someone die protecting them right in the feels, but Tanjiro especially knows what Giyu’s going through. He still feels guilt over how Rengaku died protecting him, even thinking to himself how, had he lived, he could’ve taken down Muzan. It’s hard to keep going when someone you think was more deserving to live dies in your place. However bad he might feel though, Tanjiro understands something that Giyu’s forgotten: the importance to keep on living.

Don’t Give up on Life. Ever!

Before Giyu trained to become a Demon Slayer, his older sister was murdered by a Demon. Even though she was going to get married the very next day, instead of saving herself, she chose to save Giyu by hiding him, sacrificing herself in the process. That left Giyu with his first feelings of survivor’s guilt, until Sabito told him not to think like that. Thinking he should’ve died instead would be an insult to the memory of his sister. And by that logic, it would also be an insult to the memory of Sabito.

Finding the means to keep going in life when you lose someone trying to protect you can be one of the hardest things anyone can endure. However, the lesson that Demon Slayer teaches Giyu is that no matter how painful it is, he needs to keep living. Maybe if he does, he’ll find a reason why he was spared. 

Oh, and Giyu and Tanjiro get into a speed-eating contest, which was funny.

Now We Have to Learn about Shinobu

That’s one more Hashira that’s joining the training, but as the episode ends, another one is shown to be sitting things out: Shinobu Kocho, AKA the one that’s supposed to be working with Ms. Tamayo.

Uh-oh. That’s not good. 

As I said in my review of the compilation movie, I don’t know how long this season will be. However, I’m still going to enjoy it. Demon Slayer is one of the best Shonen series in the post Big-Three generation, and I’m looking forward to seeing the ending get animated. If the studio is smart, then it will air the final battle as a movie!

I Give “Giyu Tomioka’s Pain” a 4/5

‘Turning Point 3’ is the Biggest Change In Rudy’s Life Yet

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 18 Review

If you’ve been paying attention to Mushoku Tensei, you should remember what a Turning Point is. A Turning Point is a moment in the story where things in Rudeus’ life get upended. It’s the series way of reminding us how fast a person’s life can change without warning. The first time it happened, the Mana Displacement Incident sent Rudeus and Eris to the Demon Continent. It took them close to three years to make it back home. The second time it happened, Rudeus ran into Orsted and almost died at his hands. That Turning Point was so traumatizing that it led Eris to run off for a training arc, breaking Rudy’s heart. 

The bottom line is that a turning point is always trouble for Rudeus, and the fact that they happen right when Rudy has things worked out in his life only makes it worse. And this next Turning Point will be the biggest one yet! 

Rudy Gets the Biggest Surprise Ever.

The first third of the episode focuses on how great life is for Rudeus and his loved ones. Rudeus is well-respected at school, has plenty of friends, his own house, and is married to his best friend, Sylphie. And to top it all off, he’s patched things up with Norn, with the two now acting like siblings. 

As the episode shows, the rest of his friends and family are doing well. Nanahoshi, Cliff, and Zanoba are all making great strides towards their goals. Zanoba found a way to make his own figurines, Nanahoshi’s experiments to get home are going well, and Cliff even made a rudimentary girdle to help suppress Elinalise’s curse. Life is pretty much perfect for Rudy. And that his life gets upended when he finds Sylphie waiting for him at home and…well, see for yourself.

I knew this moment was coming, but it’s one thing to read about it in a manga or light novel and see it animated. Rudeus is going to be a father. He’s only 16-17, but he’s going to be a father!

I know that Rudeus has plenty of critics in the anime community, and he does have plenty of faults. However, watching this moment, I couldn’t help but get a little teary-eyed. Rudeus let any chance at a happy life go to waste in his first life, and now, he’s married and expecting his first child. And it’s the image of the life that he’ll have when Paul finds his Mom that hammers home how happy he is. Life couldn’t be better for Rudeus!

Then, reality brings him crashing to the ground. With one short letter from his Geese, the real Turning Point begins. 

The Real Turning Point Begins

Oh, and the Man-God appears to him again. 

Having been told by the Man-God that he’d regret going to find his mom in the Begaritt Continent, Rudy is understandably mad at him. However, the Man-God does make some good points. Firstly, going to Ranoa reunited him with Sylphie. He got married, made plenty of friends, and created a home for his family. In addition, the Man-God tells him that if he stays in Ranoa, Linia and Pursena will try and pursue him romantically. He’s…not exactly thrilled about that. 

What makes this Turning Point harder than the first two is the fact that Rudy has a choice. If he goes to help his Dad, there’s no guarantee he can make a difference. Not to mention leaving his wife and family for months. If he doesn’t, then things could go wrong for Paul. 

This is what makes this Turning Point so important. Rudeus is learning a bitter truth: sometimes in life, we have to make decisions and not know if they’re the right ones. But not making any decision can be as bad as making the wrong one. And even though I know what will come next, I still can’t tell if Rudeus makes the right choice. It’s maddening!

Ultimately, Rudeus makes his decision: he’s going to ignore the Man-God’s advice and go save his Mom.

All the anime-only people who haven’t liked the school setting, congrats. Mushoku Tensei will bring back all the action we got from Rudeus’ globe-trotting adventure. As for anyone who has read the light novels…take this time to prepare. This is going to be…emotional. 

I Give “Turning Point 3” a 4.5/5

Toonami Rewind Set to Return Legendary Block to Weekday Afternoons after 20 Years

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Toonami Announcements , , , , , , , , ,

Toonami is a name that almost every fan of anime in America should know about. After all, if it wasn’t for Toonami, anime might never have gained a foothold in the West. Beginning in 1997, Toonami served as an afternoon block on Cartoon Network and helping to bring anime to millions of American children. It proved widely successful, with many people (myself included) crediting it for being a big part of why anime is now mainstream. Much to my dismay, though, I was never able to experience that fabled afternoon block. In April, 2004, Cartoon Network moved it to Saturday nights from 7 to 11 PM, which is where I found it and where it remained until its original cancellation in 2009. Even after it got revived on Adult Swim in 2012, Toonami remained confined to the weekends. Those halcyon days of afternoon blocks, a distant memory.

Or they were. For the first time in almost twenty years, Toonami will be airing on a weekday. 

Over the past few months, Adult Swim has been pushing its runtime back earlier and earlier into the day during the weekdays. Then starting in August of 2023, they upped the ante with Checkered Past. For two hours, they air cartoons from the golden age of the late 90s and 00s, much to the delight of those who grew up with them (like me!) Now, they upping the ante again.

Starting Friday, May 31st, Adult Swim will be airing Toonami Rewind, featuring episodes of the anime that made anime big in the West: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z (Kai), and one of my all-time favorites, Naruto. It’s only three shows right now, but it’s a start.

That’s not all. Unlike the ongoing Toonami block on Adult Swim, Toonami Rewind will be using the aesthetics of the TOM 3.0 Era. Which, arguably, was the best-looking era of the original Toonami run. 

I never got the chance to see the classic Toonami at its height, having only started watching it after it had moved to Saturday nights. For those who did, though, this is a big win. For an entire generation, Toonami was the after-school block to watch on TV. Not only did it provide an introduction to the world of anime, it gave them the perfect excuse to not worry about things like homework or tests that wouldn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. And while it only consists of three anime right now, who knows? If it does well enough, they might add more in. Either way, Toonami faithful win big!

Misty from Pokémon Needs Help Fighting Cancer

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Blogging , , , , , ,

They say you always remember your first. The first time you kissed someone, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, and the day your first kid was born. But for anime fans, one of the biggest firsts is our first anime crush. For me, I am not ashamed to admit that it was Misty from the original Pokémon anime. Maybe it was because I liked her fashion sense, or her fiery nature. Which is ironic, considering she uses water-type Pokémon . Whatever the reasons, Misty holds the distinction of being my first anime waifu.

Which is why I am very sad to report this: Misty’s voice actress has cancer.

On Monday, May 13th, 2024, a new campaign went up on GoFundMe, organized by the sister of voice actress Rachel Lillis. Those who grew up watching Pokémon will best remember her as the voices of Jessie and Misty from the show. And, as of January, 2024, she’s been living in a nursing home in Los Angeles. The cancer in question, breast cancer, has already spread to her spine, making it almost impossible for her to walk.

A mere nursing home is not enough, though. If Rachel wants to get the best help, she needs to be able to pay for an assisted living home or at-home care. Thus, her sister has organized this GoFundMe campaign to help support her. At the time of this writing, it’s raised $70k, 50K more than the original goal.

Rachel’s co-stars and friends have also shown their support. Eric Stuart, her co-star and the original voice for both James and Brock, has helped to spread the word about it on Twitter. And now I’m wanting to do the same.

I freaking hate cancer, you guys. It is one of the worst ways that anyone can die from, especially since it is something that your body is unable to fight back against. I’ve seen family, pets, and even celebrities taken before their time due to cancer. And I refuse to let it take the woman who voiced my first waifu without a fight. So, please, if you have it in your heart, please donate to help Rachel. She doesn’t deserve this. 

GoFundMe for Rachel Lillis

They say you always remember your first. The first time you kissed someone, the first time you got behind the wheel of a car, and the day your first kid was born. But for anime fans, one of the biggest firsts is our first anime crush. For me, I am not ashamed to admit that it was Misty from the original Pokémon anime. Maybe it was because I liked her fashion sense, or her fiery nature. Which is ironic, considering she uses water-type Pokemon. Whatever the reasons, Misty holds the distinction of being my first anime waifu.

Which is why I am very sad to report this: Misty’s voice actress has cancer.

On Monday, May 13th, 2024, a new campaign went up on GoFundMe, organized by the sister of voice actress Rachel Lillis. Those who grew up watching Pokémon will best remember her as the voices of Jessie and Misty from the show. And, as of January, 2024, she’s been living in a nursing home in Los Angeles. The cancer in question, breast cancer, has already spread to her spine, making it almost impossible for her to walk.

A mere nursing home is not enough, though. If Rachel wants to get the best help, she needs to be able to pay for an assisted living home or at-home care. Thus, her sister has organized this GoFundMe campaign to help support her. At the time of this writing, it’s raised $70k, 50K more than the original goal.

Rachel’s co-stars and friends have also shown their support. Eric Stuart, her co-star and the original voice for both James and Brock, has helped to spread the word about it on Twitter. And now I’m wanting to do the same.

I freaking hate cancer, you guys. It is one of the worst ways that anyone can die from, especially since it is something that your body is unable to fight back against. I’ve seen family, pets, and even celebrities taken before their time due to cancer. And I refuse to let it take the woman who voiced my first waifu without a fight. So, please, if you have it in your heart, please donate to help Rachel. She doesn’t deserve this. 

GoFundMe for Rachel Lillis

Kaiju No. 8-Like MHA, but With Giant Monsters

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kaiju No. 08 initial review

What’s the one thing cooler or scarier than giant monsters? Getting to fight giant monsters, that’s what! For decades now, Japan has been enamored by the idea of giant monsters, or Kaiju. From the early days of Godzilla and Gamera to Attack on Titan, Kaiju has been a big part of Japan, and so are series that revolve around fighting them. And with Japanese culture becoming more popular than ever worldwide, now is the perfect time for a new anime about fighting Kaiju to come out. And that’s where the newest Shonen anime, Kaiju No. 8, steps in to fulfill all our monster-fighting needs. Or does it?

Yes. Yes it does.

I’m RJ Writing Ink, and after watching the first two episodes of the new Shonen series, Kaiju No. 8, here’s my initial review.

An Unconventional Power-Up

The premise behind the series is similar to that of My Hero Academia. In a world where Kaiju regularly attack and destroy everything they can, some people stand up to fight back and protect those who can’t. In Japan, that task falls to the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force. But while they fight the Kaiju and get all the glory, others have to haul the guts and parts away. And unfortunately for him, that’s where our protagonist, Kafka Hibino, is stuck. 

As a kid, Kafka and his friend, Mina Ashiro, promised to join the Defense Force and fight Kaiju together. While she got in and became Captain of an entire division, Kafka failed several times, like Naruto or Deku. Then, just as Kafka decides to give it another try before it’s too late, he swallows this parasitic Kaiju, and it turns him into a Kaiju.

A Kaiju with super-strength, transformation, and can pee out of his nipples. 

No, really. I’m not making this up.

Despite all of this, though, Kafka also discovers that he’s kept his human mind intact and, with effort, can transform back-and-forth between Human and Kaiju. 

So, despite the massive target on his back, Kafka and his new friend/junior, Reno Ichikawa, still decide to try and join the Defense Force together. And that’s where the anime stands at the time of this writing. 

Kaiju No. 8’s Subversion of Shonen Tropes is What Makes it Good

Right off the bat, Kaiju No. 8 sets itself apart from other Shonen series by subverting a big trope: the protagonist. Instead of starting off as a young boy or teen like Goku, Denji, Luffy, Yuji and more, Kafka is 32. He’s already experienced what it’s like to have your youthful ambitions turn into letdowns, and as someone whose closer to him in age than I’d like to admit, that hits pretty close to home. I don’t want to give up on any of my dreams, but as you get older, you can’t help but wonder if you’ve met your limits or are living your life to the fullest. Kafka was going through that when the anime starts, and right when he decides to give things one more shot, he becomes a Kaiju! A humanoid Kaiju with super strength and speed, but one that will get hunted by everyone except for Ichikawa. The brutal irony.

Speaking of which, Ichikawa is also a bit of a subversion himself. At age 18, he’s closer to the Shonen demographic. He has both the never give up attitude you’d expect from a Shonen protagonist and the coldness of a typical rival (at first), yet he’s not the hero. It’s a strange sight to behold, made even stranger when you consider that his English VA is Adam McArthur, the voice of Yuji from JuJutsu Kaisen! 

I don’t really know if this series is going to be any good, but given what I’ve seen in the first two episodes, it looks pretty solid. It balances the comedy with the action quite well, and the premise itself is interesting enough to give it a shot. Alas, due to time constraints, I won’t be able to review it episodically. I simply have too have much on my plate as it is. Having said that, I do think that this show is worth watching. This looks to be one of the heavy hitters for the Spring 2024 season!

And, Scene! Ninja Kamui Ends on Cool Note

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , ,

Ninja Kamui Ep 13 Review 

It’s over, people. After three months of watching Higan’s quest for revenge, we have reached the end of the road. And Ninja Kamui managed to go out on quite the bang, if I do say so myself. With the Ninja now poised to conquer the US, and Joseph ready to blow the AUZA reactors to oblivion, things were looking desperate. But in a final battle fought on multiple fronts, Higan, Morriss, and Jason not only stop Yamaji and Joseph. They prove that the former’s views on the Ninja being cold, uncaring killers is wrong. 

Joseph Finally Gets his Just Desserts

On the first front, we have Agent Morriss and Jason as they go after their main target, Joseph. After escaping Yamaji’s Ninja for the moment, the cowardly CEO of AUZA attempts to smuggle himself out of the country. On a plane stuffed with pigs. But Morriss isn’t having any of it. Thanks to his instincts and Jason’s hacking, they manage to ruin his ride out of the US. More importantly, Jason manages to hack the satellites that would’ve let Joseph blow the nearest reactor sky-high. The end result is pure cathartsis for Emma’s death, as Morriss proceeds to beat the smug CEO’s face in. Then, when the man boasts how he’ll be out of jail in no time, Morriss pulls a move that would make Batman proud.

For a while, the anime makes it appear that Morriss lost his temper and proceeded to kill Joseph. Given how he killed Emma and committed who knows what other crimes, no one would’ve held it against Morriss. Instead, the Veteran FBI Agent stays true to his moral code and simply makes the cowardly man so scared for his life, he wets himself. Furthermore, hearing Morriss promise Joseph that he’ll come find him if he ever tries to escape justice is pure, unadulterated badass. Knowing Morriss, he’ll be happy to sacrifice his retirement to follow through on that promise. Go ahead and enjoy it, though, Morriss. You’ve earned it.

Yamaji Just Another Would-Be Despot

The big draw of the episode, though, is the fight that’s been built up the entire series: Higan vs. Yamaji. A fight between a Ninja and a former Ninja over the fate of their entire clan. The fight is, naturally, impressive to watch, but what cinches it is how it boils down to a fight of ideals. Yamaji, for his part, continues to insist that his way of thinking is right and that with the Ninja watching over the world, there will be true peace. In other words, the same self-serving spiel that many wannabe conquerers spout; I could feel my eyes rolling as I heard him go on and on about it. While he does get a brief flashback that hints at how he developed his way of thinking from witnessing the horrors of war, it doesn’t matter. Yamaji’s so blinded by anger that he chooses to shut himself off from the world, and thinks that that’s best for everyone.

As Higan and Zai prove, he’s wrong.

Yamaji Proven Wrong, Dies. 

As I hoped, Zai does return for the final battle, and, at a crucial moment, he turns on Yamaji, choosing his friend over the man who turned him into a weapon. It costs him an arm, but it was still nice to know that Mari’s hopes for Zai came true. More importantly, it gives Higan the chance he needs to rally. Spurred on by the memory of his wife and her philosophy on living, with the anime’s OP playing in full, Higan wastes Yamaji.

And, to sweeten things, we get to see those who remained loyal to the former head of the Clan like Emma take down their brethren. Thus, the threat of the Ninja has ended. Whether or not this means the end of the Ninja as a whole, though, is left up for debate.

Time to Put the Ninjas Behind us

For Higan, though, that doesn’t matter.

Higan started this journey for one reason and one reason alone: to bring down Yamaji and his former clan. In the process, he also managed to reconnect with his old comrade, Zai, and convinces him to find a new purpose in life outside of being a weapon. Having done all he set out to do, Higan heads off for parts unknown, wandering the earth as the series comes to an end.

It’s the kind of ending that would make the likes of John Wick proud, and I personally loved it. While I do think that the action lagged at certain points in the story, I still think that Ninja Kamui was a pretty fun anime to watch. While there are some deeper, philosophical questions about life that it seems to pose, I’ve decided that that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. All we wanted was to see Ninjas doing cool Ninja things, and we got that in spades. I just might have to binge-watch the entire thing on Max next chance I get. 

I Give “Episode 13” a 4/5

I Almost Cried Watching this Episode of Mushoku Tensei

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 17 Review

Remember what I said at the end of my last review for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation? I wasn’t joking-this episode left me on the verge of tears. Even though I knew from reading the light novels and manga that Norn would shut herself in her room, and why, I still wasn’t prepared for the feels. This might be one of the best episodes in the entire series, and as you’ll see for yourself, there’s a good reason why.

Rudy is scary when He’s Mad. No, really!

After hearing how Norn has shut herself in her dorm room, saying Rudy is mad is an understatement. The look of pure wrath on his face is enough to scare the teachers as he marches for her classroom. Linia and Pursena are afraid of him. The anger he’s feeling here is leagues above what the Beast Duo experienced when he found out they smashed his Roxy figurine. And while that incident was played with humorous intent in mind, the show takes this moment dead serious. Having shut himself off from everyone in his first life, the idea that something happened to make Norn do the same is enough to drive him berserk.

I will be blunt: as much as I love seeing Rudeus better himself, in this moment, I was afraid of him. If he ever went off the deep end, Few people in the world could be capable of stopping him. 

The anger does not last long, though. After “asking” her class and teacher, the horrible realty sets in for him. Norn was never bullied by anyone; it’s worse. They wouldn’t stop comparing her to her brother. 

Rudy Doesn’t Know How to Help Norn

If it were as simple as someone threatening her, Rudeus could handle things with little effort. But once he hears that he’s the reason Norn has shut down, Rudeus doesn’t know what to do. In his first life, his older brother tried to get through to him, but he was too stubborn to listen. Now, circumstances have put him in his brothers position, and beyond going to her room to visit her, he doesn’t know what to do. You can practically feel the frustration pouring out of him as he tries to get her to do…something. Anything.

And this is where the story does the best thing it could hope to do: it gives us Norn’s perspective.

Norn Has a Lot of Complicated Feelings about Her Older Brother

For so long, Norn has had no idea what to think of Rudeus. When she first met him, she saw him hitting their father, not understanding why. It didn’t matter if Paul told her afterwards that he started things. When you’re a little kid and you see someone hurting your parents, you tend to think of them as a bad person. No amount of explaining from the adults can change that. 

Then, when Norn came to live with him, she saw him drunk and carrying a woman she didn’t remember, looking so happy. Meanwhile, their dad was running himself ragged trying to find their Mom. That only made her opinion of him even worse. 

Then, when she asked to live in the dorms, Norn expected Rudeus to get angry at her. But when he agreed, she thought he saw her as in his way. 

And then came her start at Ranoa U, when everyone learned she was Rudeus’ sister. No one, be they students or teachers, saw her as Norn Greyrat. All they saw when they looked at her was the sister of the strongest person at school. Everywhere she went, all she could hear was her brother’s name, and it started to make her physically ill.

This Episode Almost Left Me in Tears

Sweet mercy, Norn deserves all the hugs in the world.

I knew going into this that Norn had a serious inferiority complex, but even after reading the light novels and manga, I still wasn’t prepared for the tearjerker we got. Norn has no clue what to think of her brother. At first, she was afraid of him, and then she thought he didn’t care about her. Then people wouldn’t stop comparing her to them. She wants to reach out to him, but, like Rudeus, she doesn’t know what to do.

I don’t remember who made the first move in the novels. But, even so, I’m glad that it was Rudeus that did so. Even though he doesn’t know what to do or how to help his sister, he still tries to reach out to her. He may never tell anyone why, but he knows what it’s like to shut yourself off from the world. And he never wants his family to go through the same experience. 

I don’t really know how to transcribe the thoughts and feelings in my head as I saw the sibling’s reconciliation. Some things are just too…complex to form into words. But, seeing Rudy sit down and hold his sister as she cried her eyes out…I could feel myself starting to cry. 

This is Only the Beginning…

After that day, Rudeus and Norn are finally able to be brother and sister. Norn managed to work her feelings out all on her own, something that her brother can’t help but be amazed at. He even admits that if he had been half as strong as her in his first life, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did. 

I will never understand why people don’t like the time Mushoku Tensei spends at Ranoa University. It’s not as exciting as Rudy’s trip around the world, but the drama and emotional moments are incredible. And it’s moments like this that are some of the best in the entire series. In fact, I think this might be the best episode of the season to date. 

And for those who want to see more of the action we got in season one…be careful what you wish for, everyone.

I Give “My Older Brother’s Feelings” a 5/5

Parenting is Hard, By Rudeus Greyrat

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2, Ep 16 Review

It’s been said that one of the hardest jobs in the world is being a parent. Even if they’re  good at it, a parent can still make mistakes and do things that will make their kids hate them, sometimes forever. And even though they’re his sisters, not his kids, the fact that Rudeus was tasked by their dad to look after them makes him and Sylphie their guardians. And, as Rudeus realizes, they’ve both come with some emotional baggage. 

Rudy and Ruijerd Reunited!

The episode starts off on a rather positive note , with Rudeus more than happy to have reunited with his old friend, Ruijerd. The feeling is mutual as the two spend time talking and reminiscing about their travels well into the night. However, things get awkward when Ruijerd addresses the elephant in the room: where’s Eris? And Rudy simply explains how she ran out on him.

To his credit as a person and a fictional character, and as someone who looked after them for three years, Ruijerd demonstrates how well he knows Rudy and Eris. Even without him going into all the details, Ruijerd deduces that Eris’ departure is a mutual misunderstanding. He knows that Rudy can overthink things, while Eris isn’t good at using her words. Combine the two things, and a disaster was going to happen. Nonetheless, Rudy does take Ruijerd’s advice into account if Eris ever comes back.

That doesn’t change things for Rudeus, though. Intentional or not, Eris broke Rudy’s heart and put him into a depression that lasted years. If Eris comes back, and we know she will, she’s going to have to do a lot of apologizing. The kind that a single night can’t fix. 

Rudeus is a Parent Now

After Ruijerd leaves the next morning, Rudy and Sylphie begin their lives as guardians for Norn and Aisha. And as smart as he is, Rudeus isn’t prepared to be a parent. 

As Rudeus quickly learns, being a parent to her sisters is hard, especially when said sisters come with emotional baggage. 

Aisha Doesn’t Need to Prove Herself to Anyone

First, we have Aisha. On the surface, Aisha seems to have no issues. She’s self-sufficient, extroverted, and rivals her brother in brains. When Rudy tries to enroll her in Ranoa U., she proceeds to get perfect marks. The girl not only proved school was a waste of time, but she got her GED! 

It’s when it comes to Norn that her issues come to light. While Rudeus was going on his odyssey, Norn and Aisha stayed at Zenith’s mothers house. And they didn’t take kindly to having a bastard child outshine Norn. That only led Aisha to work even harder to become better than Norn, which only made things worse. Rinse, repeat, family drama ensues.

She doesnt get as much focus this episode as Norn does, but it’s great that the anime didn’t skip out on Aisha’s own problems or how Rudeus tries to address them. He knows how easy it could for her to let her talents go to waste, and that he needs to discourage any notion of her being inferior because of who she is. 

Aisha is the easy one, though. It’s Norn that is Rudeus biggest concern. 

Norn Still Doesn’t Like Rudeus

Let’s cut to the chase: Norn doesn’t like her big brother. Given how the first time she met her brother, he was beating the daylights out of their Dad, you can’t blame her for having a negative impression. It didn’t matter if Paul told her that he’s the one who started it. Many kids don’t get the nuance to it at that age. And seeing him to a girl she doesn’t know (she doesn’t really remember Sylphie) doesn’t help matters. Coupled with how her sister keeps outshining her, and the first chance Norn gets, she wants to live in the dorms at Ranoa U. She wants her space from her brother and sister. And Rudy gives it to her, thinking respecting her space will help her open up.

It doesn’t.

One month later, Norn’s still distant from Rudeus. Then, Lilna and Pursena make things worse. They steal the panties from every first-year girl at Ranoa U and give them to Rudeus as an offering! And while the anime doesn’t explain further, their troll logic is this:

  • Boss keeps panties as holy relic and prays to them.
  • Boss worships panties
  • Bring boss panties=happy boss!

I know they meant well, and that Rudy should’ve explained that he worships the person those panties belonged to, not the panties themselves, but those two idiots went too far. And, it may not say it out loud, but it’s heavily implied that one of those girls was Norn. 

They should count themselves lucky that Rudeus isn’t a violent person and cleared things up with Ariel. Otherwise, they might have had to deal with another inquisition. 

For these reasons, and for ones that will come to light next episode, this episode ends with Norn shutting herself off in her room. It’s too much for her! 

Parenting 101 is a Hard Class to Pass

Being a parent is never easy, something that Rudeus has had to come to terms with this episode. If he wants to have any chance of repairing the bond with his sister, then he needs to get through to her. Now. That being said, it’s these slower moments that really make Mushoku Tensei a cut above most Isekai. This series takes the time to flesh out its characters, to great success. Now, get ready for the next episode. It’s going to be…emotional.

I Give “Norn and Aisha” a 4.5/5

Nanahoshi Needs Help. NOW!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 15 Review

You know what I love about Mushoku Tensei? How it’s never afraid to shy away from serious topics. Conflict between parents and children, depression, lingering trauma, and the importance of bonds to keep us going in bleak times. Rudeus has experienced all these before, and he will again, so he knows how serious it can be when someone they know is going through the same thing. When Nanahoshi’s attempts to go home hit another roadblock and pushed her to the breaking point, Rudeus knew he had to step in and do something. No one should go through life alone, after all.

Nanahoshi Almost Loses it

Life is going well for Rudeus right now. He’s got a giant house, plenty of friends at school, is married to his best friend, and plenty of money to spend. To top it off, he gets a letter from Paul saying they’re going to find Zenith, so they’re sending his sisters to live with him. Life is going well for him. But while he’s happy as a clam, Nanahoshi is falling further and further into despair.

Nanahoshi has been working for years now to find a way to return home to Japan, wanting nothing to do with this other world. She’s poured everything into learning how magic circles work to get home. She’s worked so hard trying to get it to work, only to keep coming up short. And…she snaps from this.

Like I said, this show doesn’t pull its punches on serious issues, and it does a great job of portraying Nanahoshi’s breakdown in a realistic manner. Her destroying part of her lab was disturbing enough. Seeing her pass out from exhaustion is concerning, as is her disheveled state after waking up. What makes things straight-up nightmare fuel is when Sylphie finds a dagger on Nanahoshi’s person. 

The look on Rudeus’ face says it all. He knows what Nanahoshi might do with that dagger if left alone. It’s a haunting reminder of how bad things got for him after Eris left and Sara dumped him. 

Intervention time. Now!

No One Has to Do Everything Alone

Knowing how suicidal Nanahoshi is right now, Rudeus has her stay at his place while he works with his friends to figure out a solution to this roadblock. And while they don’t entirely understand what she’s trying to do beyond getting home, sometimes one doesn’t need to fully understand the finer details to come up with good ideas. Taking inspiration from their research on the doll they found, Cliff and Zanoba manage to come up with a few ideas on what to do. After that, they show them to Nanahoshi, and it seems to do the trick. She gets that fire back in her eyes. Not long afterwards, her second attempt manages to pull something over from Earth! 

As exciting as this small victory is, what matters more is the message the story is trying to convey: trying to do things alone, no matter how good you are, can eventually end in failure. In addition, one shouldn’t shut themselves away from everyone, especially when they’re in pain like Nanahoshi. It’s only thanks to Rudeus going through similar experiences that he realized how bad things had gotten. If he hadn’t intervened, Nanahoshi might have killed herself. 

One Crisis Averted…Another One Shows Up

Real talk, though: Nanahoshi’s breakdown can hit very close to home for some people watching this. Maybe they’ve gone through something similar, like what they do won’t amount to anything or keep failing at something. Or maybe they know someone who’s been through something like that. They’re not alone, nor should they think that they are. There are people who care about them and will help them, if they’re brave enough to reach out. 

Ultimately, it looks like the lesson sticks with Nanahoshi. She still may hate the world she got pulled into, but at least she knows that she’s not alone there anymore. Crisis averted, Rudeus! And just in time for another one to pop up.

Remember the letter from Paul about Rudy’s sisters coming to live with him? The episode ends with them finally arriving, and while Aisha is overjoyed to see him…Norn still doesn’t like him. So, he’s going to have to deal with that soon. The one silver lining is that the person who escorted them there is an old friend: Ruijerd!

As great as it is to see Ruijerd again, it will also make things awkward when he notices Eris is absent. This will happen sooner or later, though. Good luck ripping that bandaid off, Rudy!

I Give “Afar” a 4/5

Yamaji is Out to Conquer the World!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , ,

Ninja Kamui Episode 12 Review

There comes a time in every nation or big organization where the way things work stops working. When they need to chart a new course, evolve, or else they die. In the worst cases, a disillusioned member of that group could decide to burn the whole thing to the ground and start fresh. And, as the penultimate episode of Ninja Kamui indicates, the Ninja have reached that point under Yamaji. And the only one who can bring him down for good is Higan. Otherwise, the whole world will be swallowed by the shadows of the Ninja.

Time to Burn it All Down

As Higan continues to rest from his fight with Zai, he’s visited by the same old doctor who treated his wounds in Episode 2. Except it’s revealed that he isn’t just any elder. His true identity is that of the former Chief of the Ninja before Yamaji seized power. And much like Higan, Aska, Mari, and many others, he thinks its time for the Ninja to either end or be born anew.

This episode delves deeper into the backstory of the Ninja as an organization, and how they defended their native Japan for centuries from the shadows. However, as Japan prospered, they stopped relying on the Ninja to aid them in favor of other groups. The Chief saw the writing on the wall: if they didn’t adapt, they would die out, but he couldn’t see another path beyond the cold, rigid code the Ninja followed. Until he saw Higan, Mari, and Zai embrace their emotions to make them stronger. And he thought that, maybe, that was the future the Ninja could take.

Yamaji is a Stubborn Fool

Yamaji, though, thought the opposite. Instead of embracing change, Yamaji led a coup, nearly killed the Chief, and decided to double-down on their strict code, which led them to work for AUZA. But as the series has demonstrated, that way of thinking won’t help them survive, but hasten their doom. 

Case in point, Dilly, the Ninja protecting Joseph, grew to admire his crazy plans to change the world, and chose him over Yamaji. Ultimately, the conflict of Ninja Kamui could be boiled down to a conflict of tradition vs. change. And in this case, the traditionalists like Yamaji are in the wrong.

It might be too late to save the Ninja from themselves, though.

Joseph, AUZA, and the Ninja Just got Busted

Joseph may have gotten away with his life thanks to Dilly’s sacrifice, but AUZA just got backed into a corner. While he was busy running, James managed to blow the whistle on AUZA by uploading all the dirt Emma/Aska had on them. Illegal activities, the Ninja, the names of high-ranking government officials, everything. And Morris is able to use that to turn the FBI on AUZA. 

Then, Joseph ups the ante by threatening to rig his companies’ reactors to blow sky-high unless the government calls off the hunt for him. And to add even further to the chaos, Yamaji makes his move. Using an army clad in Gusoku Gear, the Ninja drop all forms of stealth and openly attack the US Government. And that’s only the start. Once they’re done in America, they’ll move onto the rest of the world, and with their Gusoku Gear, the world will fall.

The Final Battle is at Hand!

Bravo, E&H Production, Sola Entertainment, and Sungwoo Park. This is the kind of stakes that I have been wanting to see. An army of evil Ninja out for world domination? Using mech suits? That is all kinds of awesome! It’s actually a pity that next week marks the finale to Ninja Kamui, because it just got really, really good. I’m looking forward to seeing the finale, though!

I Give “Episode 12” a 4.5/5