It was going to happen sooner or later, but that doesn’t make it any less painful: Natsuko has screwed up. Big time. Because she insisted on handling the Voids by herself, she failed to stop them during their last fight. As a result, she came dangerously close to dying, possibly for good! With the Void now poised to get the last Soul Future (the crystal MacGuffin preventing the end of the world), Natsuko needs to get her act together. It’s long overdue for her to learn…how to work in a team.
If this is all a dream or she gets sent back to Japan when this is all over, this will be an important life lesson.
Given how the last episode ended right as the Void were about to attack Natsuko, one would expect its follow-up to pick up immediately from there. However, for some reason, Zenshu never actually shows us exactly how Natsuko escaped certain death. All that is known is that Luke and the others saved her, and then spent days trying to heal her injuries with their magic.
What the show does do, though, is start the episode by revealing the other members of the Nine Soldiers. Save for Justice, the missing members are deceased, a sobering reminder of how bleak A Tale of Perishing was before Natsuko arrived.
Regardless of what happened, the liquid Void embedded itself next to the tower containing the last Soul Future and placed itself into a chrysalis. When it emerges, it will attempt to consume the one thing keeping the world from ending.
And worst of all? Natsuko didn’t seem to learn anything from her failure.
Reality Check, Natsuko!
This episode’s name is particularly meaningful, as it marks a big change in Natsuko. At first, she says she will handle the Void like she always does, but the Nine Soldiers aren’t having any of it. Everyone (except Unio) does everything from yell at her for being reckless (Luke) to patiently reassuring her she’s not alone. However, it’s QJ, the robot and character who’s had the least impact on the story, that manages to get through to her. In a very sobering moment, QJ plays back footage revealing how hard the others worked to save her life.
The anime has yet to explain why Natsuko developed this mindset of doing everything herself, but it has shown how detrimental it is. Back in Japan, her stubbornness put the entire studio in jeopardy, which is bad enough. But in A World of Perishing? It almost got her killed. It has to stop, and thankfully, the message sticks with Natsuko. She finally learns the importance of working with a team.
When the Nine Soldiers next fight the Void near the Soul Future itself, this time, it’s not just Natsuko who saves the day. The entire group uses a plan that Luke comes up with that requires all of them. And it works! They manage to stop the Void and save the Soul Future, thus preventing the end of the world once more!
Another Crisis Solved
The best part, though, is that the fight prompts Justice to get back into the fray. And after helping Natsuko pull things off, Luke sees for himself how Justice’s wings were mangled, preventing them from flying to their full extent. And that makes Luke realize that he was so caught up in his own problems that he never realized how Justice was feeling. So, it looks like Justice is going to end up rejoining the Nine Soldiers.
#ZENSHU Ep 06, "Maybe I can't fly, but you can."😂 The whole flying sequence of Justice with Natsuko was great. The final strike was heroic.🔥🔥Justice & Luke finally get along. Natsuko accepted that she doesn’t have to do everything alone, she can rely on others. #全修#MAPPApic.twitter.com/bRZVIBuNrX
The timing couldn’t be better. With the Voids now taking on forms that Natsuko doesn’t know about, they need to up their game. They need to change how they work.
And with that, Zenshu has reached its halfway point. Sorry for the delay, but more reviews will be out soon!
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 8 Review
Last time on The 100 Girlfriends, the Rentaro Family was facing its biggest crisis since the incident with Hahari! Rentaro’s tenth soulmate, the beautiful Mimimi Utsukushisugi, refuses to be part of any group with Nano in it due to a past transgression. Thus, the newcomer challenges Nano to a contest where the loser must leave the Family! How will Rentaro use his CHADtaro powers to resolve this conflict? What sort of antics will Mimimi bring to the Rentaro Family? And how saucy can this anime make the simple act of kissing?
That last question will make sense soon enough.
Mimimi’s Problem with Nano
So, after Mimimi threw down the gauntlet last time, this episode reveals the exact circumstances that led to her grudge against Nano. After winning a beauty paegant they were both in, Mimimi tried to be a good sport and extend a hand to Nano. In response, Nano rejected her, saying friendship was a waste of time. What made things worse was that Mimimi secretly entered Nano in the pageant all so the two of them could become friends, only to get spat on.
The first half of this episode is as much about Nano’s character development as it is about Mimimi joining the Family. Before she met Rentaro, love and friendship were utterly foreign to her. Her willingness to accept Mimimi’s challenge speaks volumes to her character development. Something that becomes more obvious over the course of their “beauty search” contest.
COME ON, CALL 🗣️ YES, BEAUTY! 🗣️
I swear Rentarou's VA makes this even funnier than it already was in the manga pic.twitter.com/L4v3zMq8No
Instead of judging each other by what makes them beautiful, they point out everything they find beautiful in the rest of the family. This leads to some very fun moments where everything that makes the others attractive. However, it’s when they get to Rentaro himself that the real funny moment of the episode takes place.
Rentaro uses his CHADtaro powers to turn himself into the least attractive person they can possibly find. He shaves his eyebrows, hair, and puts on a humiliating costume all so they can’t get an edge, and call the entire contest a draw! That’s how far Rentaro is willing to go to keep his girlfriends happy!
100 Girlfriends S2 Ep 8
Well that contest was definitely.. interesting, Rentarou deformed his entire character Lmao. But anyways, that was wholesome between Nano and Mimimi, I realised how much Nano truly has grown a lot since being in the family. Also 10/100 gfs acquired! https://t.co/zPGCVvNF1Xpic.twitter.com/DQx7SPi2Bg
Mimimi almost takes this moment as another loss, but again, this episode demonstrates Nano’s character development. She may not be able to make up for her past slight, but she makes it clear that she finally understands the value of love and friendship. Which is one of the great things about this series. The girl’s problems aren’t fixed overnight, but thanks to the supportive environment Rentaro gives them, they’re able to work on them together! And it’s enough to convince Mimimi to drop her grudge and officially join the Family.
Kissing Galore
In what is now a tradition for the series, the second half of the episode is centered on Mimimi integrating into the Rentaro Family through an activity. In this case, it’s helping each of the girls reach their most beautiful selves by partaking in activities that will aid them. In this case, kissing. Lots and lots and lots of kissing.
This entire half of the episode is primarily an excuse for the anime to skirt the line between SFW and full-on ecchi. Using a new lip balm to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain, the girls each take turns kissing Rentaro. The moments that come out of this are, suitably, hilarious. Like this!
And with that, we now sit at ten girlfriends, with ninety more to go. And this season only has one girlfriend left to introduce, so there’s no telling what might happen! At least the girls will be able to remain beautiful, though!
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 7 Review
It feels like only yesterday that Rentaro met his first two girlfriends. Now, he’s sitting at nine, with ninety-one girlfriends left to meet and win over! And the more girlfriends join the Rentaro Family, the more chaotic and sillier things will get. Case in point, this next episode has the Family go on another group date. Then, Rentaro finally hits double digits as his tenth girlfriend appears! And she happens to already have history with another girlfriend!
Who Doesn’t Love Karaoke?
The episode starts off making us think Rentaro’s about to meet his soulmate #10, but it’s a fakeout. In truth, the Rentaro Family’s out on a group karaoke date!
The entire date is a demonstration of one advantage that the anime has over the manga it’s adapting. In the manga, readers have to imagine what everyone sounds like when they’re singing. Because it’s an anime, the show lets us hear each girl belt out songs in all their glory. Even better, you can actually hear the OP and ED amongst the songs being played for a few moments. Considering how good they were, it’s a welcomed callback.
This account is a fan of Shizuka Yoshimoto.
Watch The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You.
The real show, though, starts when Shizuka plucks up the courage to get up there and start singing. And thanks to another one of Kusuri’s drugs, her natural cuteness gets amplified to the point where it physically overwhelms the Family.
I don’t know what’s funnier: how each of the girls tries to tank this onslaught of cuteness, or how each of them does the famous Yamcha pose when they can’t take it anymore.
That’s one of the great things about The 100 Girlfriends. It regularly includes parodies of pop culture to the point where you could spend each episode trying to figure out reference. Special mention goes to Rentaro and Shizuka’s duet (first CHADtaro moment of the episode) leading to a recreation of the “girl falling from the sky” scene from Castle in the Sky.
NEW GIRLFRIEND APPROACHES
The second half of the episode starts with Rentaro heading to a high-class mall to scout out date spots. That’s when he crosses paths with this girl who’s boasting about how beautiful she is and…ZING!
New character teaser for ‘The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really Love You’ Season 2!
Meet girlfriend #10, Mimimi Utsukushisugi, AKA the narcissistic beauty. She is an incredibly beautiful young woman capable of making heads turn as she walks by. Not only does she know this, but she revels in it. She considers herself the most beautiful woman in the world and will not accept anything less. And when she becomes smitten with Rentaro, she immediately gives him a makeover to conform to her beauty standards.
Normally, a character like Mimimi would be seen as toxic. Since this is The 100 Girlfriends, though, she deconstructs the narcissist. She actively puts in the work to being beautiful and maintaining it. She works hard to earn money, does daily maintenance on her face, and taught herself how to speak eloquently. She’s even capable of recognizing how one’s personality traits make them beautiful.
Case in point, when another couple jealously tries to ruin her outfit via spilled boba, Rentaro has his second CHADtaro moment of the episode. He willingly shields Mimimi with his body and ruining the new clothes he got.
Another episode, another reminder why Rentarou is a man who deserves 100 girlfriends pic.twitter.com/ELcrwmxsCd
And then, when that guy almost slips on his own drink, he doesn’t hesitate to save him. Because, according to him, he was just trying to stand up for his own lady, something he can respect.
Thus, Rentaro gains his tenth girlfriend. His selflessness so moves Mimimi that she says he’s already beautiful as he is and begs him to go out with her. She even takes the news that she’s his tenth girlfriend as a compliment. So all seems right with the world…
…then Nano shows up, and Mimimi goes off.
Uh-oh.
As it turns out, despite calling herself the most beautiful, there was one black mark on her record. She and Nano competed in a beauty pageant in the past, and Nano won! Mimimi hasn’t forgotten this slight, and can’t tolerate joining any group with that has Nano! So she challenges her to a rematch, with the penalty being the loser will have to leave the Family. FOREVER!
Damn, the 100 girlfriends episode ended on a cliffhanger… Well, as usual, another peak episode, karaoke episode was done incredibly. And Mimimi's first chapter's adaptation was fucking incredible as well, Lynn's a perfect casting for her, I loved that episode a lot. pic.twitter.com/Q3qdTwPlFz
So, the episode ends on the biggest crisis the Rentaro Family has faced since the day they met Hahari! And Rentaro seems powerless to stop this coming duel! Remember, if any of his soulmates don’t date him, they’ll eventually die. This is serious business to him! How will he get out of this mess?
Find out in the next review, which will hopefully be up soon. Also, it should be noted that I had to look up the reference that Nano made at the end. A rare instance where I didn’t get the reference.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love YouS2 Ep 6 Review
Next to its birthplace in the land of the Stars and Stripes, the country that loves baseball the most is Japan. Baseball is incredibly popular in Japan, and it has been for more than a century. Hence why Iku Sutou is obsessed with the sport and why she’s determined to keep the school’s baseball team running. Were this any other anime, it would treat the big practice game that Iku and the Rentaro Family has to win seriously. However, since 100 Girlfriends is a comedic parody that loves using meta-humor, this baseball episode winds up being equal parts silly and serious. But mostly silly.
PLAY BALL!
It’s the day of the big practice game to determine if the high school girls baseball team will survive. And, by the rule of funny, Rentaro’s stand-ins wind up sick, conveniently allowing Hahari, Kurumi, and Mei the chance to play. But this is not the first example of how silly the anime is treating this baseball game.
The second example stems from the fact that their opponents, the Jurassic High Team, are all based on dinosaurs. Right down to their names being puns on dinosaur names.
The episode makes it clear from the start that it’s not trying to treat this game seriously unless it has to. Thus, it has free reign to parody the over-the-top nature of sports anime. From the opposing team coming up with flashy names for moves to said moves breaking the girl’s bats, anime logic is in full effect here. Unfortunately, that also means that the relatively inexperienced Rentaro Family is unable to do much, especially after Iku injures her pitching hand. Before long, they’re at the bottom of the seventh inning and have yet to score a point.
But then, the opposing team does the last thing they could hope to do. Their leader messes with Shizuka’s head, making her mess up so bad, the poor girl is reduced to tears.
To paraphrase Saruman from Lord of the Rings, “So you have chosen death.”
No one. Hurts. SHIZUKA
As saddening as it is to see Shizuka reduced to tears over the enemy’s dirty playing, the episode veers right back into the realm of hilarious with what happens next. Something that, with the Internet still recovering from the high of the end of Dragon Ball Daima, has to be seen to be believed.
Say what you want about 100 Girlfriends, but if you’re a fan of Dragon Ball, you can at least appreciate the affectionate parody that this is. Right down to the iconic eye-catchers. The fact that they got this riled up because the enemy made their precious cinnamon bun Shizuka cry only makes this even funnier.
Anyone who purposefully makes Shizuka cry is deserving of death!
The Perfect Catch
By the time they end their rampage, the Rentaro Family is only four points away from winning the game. That’s when Iku gets up to bat, and when things turn serious once more. While the story has already shown Iku dealing with her masochism, the climax of this episode has her dealing with another fear. In this case, it’s her fear of hitting someone in the stands by accident.
Cue the episode’s CHADtaro moment!
And with that, Iku secured the future of the girls baseball team. The anime got to have fun with a sports episode. And the fans got to see Rentaro make out with a cool tomboy!
In a series that gives us plenty of funny moments and is all about enjoying its premise, this episode might be one of the best thus far. Top five episodes just for the Dragon Ball reference.
If you read this blog over the over the past two years, you’ll notice that we’re fans of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. It was one of the stories that led to the Isekai genre’s explosion in popularity. It’s about imperfect and flawed characters who are trying to better themselves. And it’s filled with plenty of rich lore and world-building. However, there are two things about the story that I take issue with. The first is with the way that Eris left the main character, Rudeus, and broke his heart in the process. Secondly, the trauma she unintentionally inflicted on him was so bad that he was left depressed and impotent for the next three years. Whatever faults Rudeus Greyrat may have (and he’s well aware of them), he didn’t deserve what he went through!
So, what if Rudeus didn’t have to spend three years in his own mental hell? What if he managed to get the help he needed earlier than in the canon? How would this affect the story’s pacing and the decisions its characters make? That is the main premise behind this interesting fanfic, Early Arrival. AKA, what happens if Rudy reunites with Sylphie sooner than planned?
Name: Early Arrival
Type of Fanfic: AU
Written By: GameGladiator46
Started: April 2024
Status: Ongoing
What if Rudeus Reunited With Sylphie Sooner?
Like many canon-divergent AUs, Early Arrival is an example of either the Butterfly or Snowball effects in action. Starting right after Rudy discovered he was impotent, the story sees him make a different decision. Instead of events leading him to burn his bridges with Sara and leave with Soldat, here he impulsively decides to leave town altogether. That puts him on the road to Sharia right as Ariel’s party is making their own way there, leading him to save them from assassins and for the Princess to ask him to join them to their mutual destination.
Because of that one decision, events that take place in Rudeus’ life begin to take place years ahead of the canon. As a result, the relationships he establishes with key people at Ranoa University have extra time to develop and mature, allowing him to become closer to many lifelong acquaintances far sooner. Take Ariel, for example. While he’s grateful for her help in reuniting him with Sylphie, they’re still not that close by the end of the anime’s second season. Here, they become close friends, especially after he gets her interested in going out drinking together. Hilariously, this does become a problem when she sometimes gets too into it.
That’s only one example, though. Those two extra years allow Rudy the chance to form stronger bonds with many of the people he comes to know at Ranoa University. He reunites with Zanoba in time to see Linia and Pursena smash his Roxy Figurine. Unfortunately, seeing it happen makes his reaction more extreme than it was in the canon story. However, it should be noted that he feels incredibly guilty about it afterward, and eventually apologizes and tells Sylphie and Ariel everything. As for a silver lining, Luke being there to help him manage his negative emotions means the two form a genuine bond as family. Luke even helps explain how sorry Rudy is to Sylphie and Ariel, preventing a potential fallout.
Say what you want about Luke Notos Greyrat, but he respects the bro code.
Rudy and Sylphie grow even closer before marrying
The main draw to Early Arrival, though, is how it allows Rudeus and Sylphiette to develop their relationship sooner than in the actual Mushoku Tensei. Like in canon, Rudeus doesn’t realize that Fitz is Sylphie when they first reunite. Unlike in canon, though, it doesn’t take Rudy a whole year to figure out who she is. Instead, it happens near the end of their trip to Sharia. However, once he knows who she is, the two quickly capitalize on their feelings and become a happy couple. It doesn’t cure Rudeus of his ED right away, but he doesn’t keep it a secret from her.
In hindsight, one drawback to Rudy and Sylphie marrying almost as soon as they become a couple is that we never get to see them date. They had already spent a year growing closer, but having to maintain her Fitz guise meant Sylphie could never go as far as she wanted. With that guise no longer a factor, though, Early Arrival has them spend that first year at Ranoa U enjoying dating each other. And because Rudy is more open about his problems, Sylphie is in a better position to help him work through them.
Perhaps most important, though, is how the story further explores the opinion Sylphie develops of Eris before ever meeting her. While it’s touched upon in the light novels, the anime doesn’t go into as much detail about her thoughts on Eris. Early Arrival, though, fully explores her complicated feelings towards Rudeus’ former traveling companion. On the one hand, she manages to help Rudy figure out why Eris left, something that he has yet to fully do in the anime. Understanding, though, isn’t the same as accepting something, and Sylphie makes it known that she resents Eris for hurting the man they loved so badly.
The bottom line is that the two will have to work out some issues should Eris return (which we know she will). Talking about it further, though, veers into spoiler territory from the light novels.
An Interesting Read for Mushoku Tensei Fans
For those expecting for Early Arrival to be as detailed a story as Mushoku Tensei itself, they might end up being disappointed. At 142,000+ words and counting, it’s a decent read for a fanfic. A dedicated reader could likely binge the entire thing in the span of a day or two. However, it’s not trying to re-tell the entire story from scratch. It’s only trying to cut out what could be considered unnecessary waste of time. Which, truthfully, isn’t the wrong way to look at the two-year gap between Rudy leaving with Soldat and then heading to Ranoa University. Those two years were likely some of the most miserable of his life, and Rudy didn’t deserve to suffer for that long for all his faults.
It should also be noted that it’s only now that the story is beginning to re-align with several of the events of the canon, meaning it’s technically only halfway through the series second season. There’s still plenty of time for it to develop more ideas. And it is making the most out of its premise, which is always appealing. So, if you didn’t want Rudy to suffer as long as he did, then you should find this fanfic pretty cathartic to read.
Why Getting Upset over Sung Jin-woo Crying is Foolish
It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Solo Leveling, the hot, new anime on the block, has its first controversy. The ninth episode of its latest season received the most dislikes an episode has gotten to date. And the reason is enough to make someone shake their head and ask yourself why it’s a big deal. The reason for the dislikes? Because Sung Jin-woo, the Black Air Force Hunter, cried.
Mr. Sung Jin-woo, Our Glorious King
Based on the popular Korean manwha of the same name, Solo Leveling tells the story of Sung Jin-woo. Set in a world where people have gained the ability to use magic to hunt monsters, Sung Jin-woo was once the weakest Hunter of all time. Until one day, he almost died in a Dungeon and got chosen by the mysterious System to become its player. He gained the unique ability to level up his stats as a Hunter, and went from the weakest Hunter to one of the strongest in all Korea.
More importantly, he’s become one of the most popular anime characters of the last few years.
Ever since he got his black air forces, Jin-woo has been seen as the personification of cool. People either want to be him or want to date him. Anyone foolish enough to make an enemy out of him regrets it before they die. He’s so bad he can even revive the dead to serve as his army. People see him as the personification of manliness. However, a small minority of fans seems to have failed to understand a core part of Jin-woo’s character, and have made that known with their dislike with a recent episode.
WHY PEOPLE UPSET?
In Season 2, Episode 9, “It Was All Worth It,” Jin-woo fulfilled the goal he’s had since the day he became a Hunter: saving his mother. His mom has been in a coma for four years because her body can’t handle exposure to mana. Were it not for being on life support, she would eventually die. So when he manages to cure her and wake her up after all this time, the two have an incredibly emotional moment where they both cry tears of joy.
And some fans hated it—so much so that it became the most disliked episode to date, with over 2.4K dislikes and counting. All because they claim that they “ruined his Aura by showing him crying.” They don’t like that, for a tiny moment, Jin-woo dropped his stoic behavior to show a moment of vulnerability with his mother.
Now, the rest of the Internet is shaking its collective head in disbelief at the sheer ridiculousness. And it is ridiculous, and here’s why.
Exhibit A: This is a Drop in the Bucket
Firstly, it should pointed out just how small of a minority these dislikes are. The episode in question sits at 180K likes on Crunchyroll and counting. That’s around 75 to 1 in favor of the episode. It’s a small drop in the bucket, and thus does not represent the majority opinion of fans. The fact that the most disliked episode of Solo Leveling has so few dislikes only serves as a testament to its popularity.
Exhibit B: Who Said Jin-woo was Untouchable?
Secondly, where did people get the idea that Sung Jin-woo was untouchable? This small group of people must have a poor memory because Jin-woo is not untouchable.
At the start of the series, Jin-woo was a lowly E-Rank Hunter. E-Ranks are considered the weakest rank a Hunter could have, with them being only slightly stronger than the average normal person. And Jin-woo was considered the weakest Hunter of all Mankind. He was the bottom of the barrel at the bottom of another barrel, and everyone knew it, especially himself. He’d almost die every time he’d enter a Dungeon, and had to be regularly bailed out by his party members. Him becoming a Player for the System didn’t change that overnight. He had to put in the hard work and sweat to get to where he is today, which meant he had to put himself in even more life-threatening situations, some of which he still only came out by the skin of his teeth.
Case in point, there was his recent battle with Baran, the Demon Monarch. Despite how unbelievably strong he’d become, he still had trouble fighting Baran. It got to the point where, had his companion Esil not intervened, he likely would’ve died. That’s not much of an untouchable aura.
But that’s nothing compared to the most important thing haters fail to understand about Jin-woo. He put himself through hell for the last four years for one reason and one reason alone: because he loves his family.
Exhibit C: His Mom Was Cured of an Incurable Disease
Let’s summarize what Sung Jin-woo’s life has been like during his short twenty years on this Earth. His father became a Hunter and went missing close to ten years ago. His mother developed an incurable disease that would send her into a never-ending sleep and kill her if her life support got disconnected. He likely had to drop out of school as a teenager to become the sole breadwinner for himself and his little sister. He wound up getting the weakest rank a Hunter could possibly get. And everytime he went into a Dungeon, he’d wind up in the hospital.
In short: JIN-WOO HAS HAD A HARD LIFE!
Then he almost dies again, and when he wakes up, he’s got powers no other Hunter has. Instead of using them to become rich and powerful, though, his goal remains the same: taking caring of his mom and sister. Then, suddenly, he learns there’s a miracle potion that could cure his Mom, but the ingredients are kept in a nightmarish dungeon. So he has to keep getting stronger so he can make his way through the dungeon, forcing him to keep putting himself in harm’s way. Not to mention how he had to kill other people; even if it was in self-defense, he still had to kill them.
Jinwoo didn't cry this much in the webtoon, kinda glad they added it. Also his mom wasn't crying either, but here she is. Welcoming changing In my opinion#Sololevelingpic.twitter.com/FYkZ25VcOi
So, with everything he’s gone through, the hell he had to endure to get to where he is now, he finally managed to save his mom. So, is it any wonder that all of those emotions he’s been bottling up for the sake of his goal wind up bursting out? Is it any wonder that he starts to cry out of sheer joy from being able to talk to his mom again because it just made everything he went through worthwhile?
Real Men aren’t afraid to Cry
There’s an unfortunate belief held by many that any man who’s willing to cry is no real man at all. It is a toxic mindset that encourages guys to bottle up their emotions instead of expressing them in a healthy manner, and it is complete nonsense. Crying is our body’s natural response to extremely strong emotions, most often sadness or joy; sometimes both! Crying helps us deal with these powerful feelings and can help us feel better afterwards! And considering what Jin-woo experienced in this episode, he earned the right to shed tears of joy.
Furthermore, here’s a question to all those who disliked the episode just because Jin-woo cried happy tears. If one of your parents was diagnosed with an incurable disease that, if it didn’t kill them, would leave them stuck in a hospital for the rest of their life. If they suddenly got better, like they were never sick in the first place, wouldn’t you want to cry your eyes out?
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 9 Review
From the day he became a Hunter, Sung Jin-woo had only one goal: to look after his family. Thanks to becoming a Player, the idea of curing his comatose mother no longer felt like an impossible dream. He’s fought, struggled, and risked his life time and again to gain the materials needed to create a cure capable of saving his Mom. Now, at long last, he’s done it. He’s managed to bring his Mom back. And it makes the absolute hell that he’s been through over his time being a Hunter worth it.
Miracle Cure, Acquired!
With the battle against Baran won, Jin-woo has the ingredients to make the medicine that could save his mom. And despite how much he’s managed to accomplish, the viewers can tell that he’s still nervous as he’s crafting it. He knows that if it were to go wrong, he’d lose his only chance to do so. The relief on his face is palpable as he sees it succeeds. And so, he returns to his world, his quest at an end! And he manages to revive Baran’s dragon as part of his army!
As for Esil, she has to walk herself back home. Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear again after this. Anyone who was a fan of hers that wishes she got more screen time can go play Solo Leveling: Arise, where she’s one of the recruitable Hunters.
A Heartfelt Reunion With Mom
At last, we arrive at the moment of truth. This was one of the most important moments in the manwha, and one that the anime couldn’t afford to mess up. Thankfully, not only did the anime rise to meet the emotional impact of Jin-woo’s mother waking up after four long years, it went above and beyond. Jin-woo, who we’ve gotten so used to seeing as a stoic man by this point, starts crying his eyes out in joy as he gets to talk to his mom again. And you can’t blame him! If you went through everything he has all so he could have a chance of saving one of your parents, you’d end up crying tears of joy and relief, too!
The next few days of Jin-woo’s life are joyous ones. For the first time in years, he has his family back together (except for his missing Dad.) However, now that his Mom is back, doubts begin to set in about his future. He doesn’t say it out loud, but he even questions the need to continue getting stronger as a Hunter.
The timing could not be worse.
The Jeju Island Raid is Coming
Since the first season, Solo Leveling has been steadily building up to the Jeju Island Raid Arc. There’s an army of giant, man-eating ants that’s made the island its home that’s getting ready to invade the mainland. If that happens, everyone in Korea will die. And since all previous attempts to retake the island have failed, Korea and Japan are teaming up to ensure this fourth attempt succeeds. To do that, they’re calling for all hands on deck. Most of Korea and Japan’s S-Rank Hunters will be taking part in this raid, and Chairman Go is hoping that Jin-woo will join in.
To be fair, having Jin-woo there would turn this dangerous mission into an absolute curb-stomp. However, before he can even decide, they get interrupted by the sheer aura of the S-Ranks training together!
A few months ago, the idea of Jin-woo stepping into a world like this would feel crazy. Yet here he now stands, with the strongest Hunters in Korea as they spar together. And then the Japanese Hunters show up, led by Goto Ryuji, the strongest Hunter in Japan.
Can Korea and Japan Work Together?
Japan and Korea have had a complicated history over the years, so the two countries aren’t exactly on the best terms. That enmity seems to bleed over into the Hunters as the two start wanting to scrap with each other. So, to ease the tensions, most of the S-Ranks decide to have some sparring sessions together! Which means that the next episode is going to see what the Hunting Elite are capable of doing!
While it is sad to see that the anime brought an end to the Demon Castle Arc so quickly (the manwha had it last longer), hopefully the season can stick the landing with the Jeju Island Raid Arc. And, despite some people complaining about Jin-woo crying (which will be addressed), the reunion of mother and son was genuinely heartfelt. Congrats, Jin-woo. You’ve earned this!
One year ago, the anime workd was devastated by the news of Akira Toriyama’s death. Toriyama, the man many consider the godfather of the modern Shonen manga, was gone. Millions of people around the world, from his friends and family all the way up to world leaders, all mourned his passing. However, his death would not be the end of his story. At least, not yet.
Less than a year earlier, Toei animation had announced that Dragon Ball would be returning with a new anime series to celebrate its 40th birthday. Even better, though, was the fact that Toriyama himself had written the story for this new anime, Dragon Ball Daima. Now, by fate or chance, Daima had become the last thing Toriyama worked on for the world that he created. If fans were already excited as it was for Dragon Ball to return in anime form, now they wanted to see how his final story would play out.
Now that Goku’s untold adventure had come to an end, though, how does Daima hold up? Did it meet fans expectations? Could it have done anything better? Is it even canon? While that last question will likely be debated for a while, the first two have an actual answer to them: yes and yes.
What is Daima About?
If you didn’t keep up with Daima during its run, here’s a quick synopsis.
Taking place shortly after the defeat of Majin Buu, Goku and his family are enjoying their lives now that peace has returned (and Goku’s alive again.) Unbeknownst to them, Gomah, the new Supreme King of the Demon Realm that Dabura ruled before his death, has been watching them for a while. Terrified at how Goku and the others defeated Majin Buu and seeing them as a threat to his rule, Gomah hatches a plan. Traveling under the radar to Earth, he uses the Dragon Balls to turn Goku and all his allies into kids, thinking they won’t be a threat in that state. And, for good measure, he kidnaps Dende to make even more Dragon Balls in the future.
Naturally, Goku and the others can’t let this stand, and when someone from the Demon Realm comes saying they were sent to bring the ones who beat Buu, they embark on a quest to rescue Dende and return to their normal ages. This quest will take them to the Demon Realm, a part of the cosmos that has never been fully explored in the history of Dragon Ball!
This is Like GT but with Better Writing
In case it’s not obvious, Dragon Ball Daima takes a lot of inspiration from another anime in the franchise, Dragon Ball GT. Released back in the 90s by Toei as a sequel to DBZ, GT told a completely original story that starts with Goku being reduced to a child by a set of Dragon Balls. The initial arc would see him, Trunks, and his granddaughter Pan travel the galaxy to retrieve these Dragon Balls in the hopes of saving Earth from being destroyed. Because…reasons!
In hindsight, GT felt like an attempt by Toei to fuse the original adventure genre of Dragon Ball with the more popular Shonen fighting genre that most people know the franchise for. Unfortunately, while it did have its good points, most notably Super Saiyan 4, GT wasn’t as good as DBZ. Toriyama himself had little to no involvement beyond some character designs, and it showed! The plot tried too hard to be funny, only to come off as cringe. Several of the characters became unlikable. And the less said about Dolltaki, the better! It’s for these and many other reasons that fans debate whether or not GT is even canon or part of another timeline!
Daima is Toei’s second attempt to tell a story that returns Dragon Ball to its adventurous roots. And unlike before, Toriyama was fully on board. In a recent interview with Akio Iyoku, Daima’s exec producer, it was confirmed that the series was a deliberate attempt to evoke the feeling of GT. Funnily enough, that same interview confirmed that Toriyama was only meant to have limited involvement. But Toriyama found it so exciting, he pretty much handled it all by himself.
In hindsight, that might partly why he died so young, but at least he died doing what he loved. And it also explains yet another thing he worked on being a big influence on Daima.
Good Old JRPG Action!
Outside of his work as a mangaka, Toriyama is famous for his work in another medium of entertainment: video games. He was the character designer for the Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger series, the latter being one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. Whether he intended to or not, it seems that his experiences with those games helped to influence how he wrote Daima, because it feels an awful lot like a JRPG.
It’s been stated several times throughout this blog’s reviews for this series, but Daima feels like the Dragon Ball equivalent to Dragon Quest. The quest to save an entire world from a tyrannical king. The ragtag party of heroes that add more members as the adventure goes on. The concept of the Medi Bugs even sounds a lot like items you find in an RPG!
It doesn’t stop with the story and gameplay mechanics. Up until the final battle against Gomah, the fights give off the feeling of a classic JRPG fight. And this blog isn’t the only one who’s noticed the similarities. Plenty of other fans have noticed the comparisons between Daima and Dragon Quest. One article from Screenrant even says that it only serves to make Daima an even bigger tribute to the legacy of Toriyama. It combines his magnum opus for both manga and video games into a fairly entertaining story that could easily work as a standalone video game! It’s funny enough to be one!
Toriyama Never Lost his Sense of Humor
When it comes to the action, Dragon Ball Daima can feel a tad lackluster when compared to Z and Super. However, there is a good reason for that: Dragon Ball didn’t start out as a franchise focused solely on fighting. Fighting and martial arts were always a part of the story, but in the beginning, Dragon Ball was more concerned about the adventure. The entire story starts because Goku and Bulma go on an adventure to find the rest of the Dragon Balls together. Daima was an attempt to return to the franchise roots as a story inspired by Journey to the West, best exemplified by Goku’s retrieval of his Power Pole. By focusing more on the adventure aspects, this meant that the series could also focus more on the comedic aspects.
Toriyama was a man with a pretty good sense of humor. His first big manga, Dr. Slump, was a gag comedy. And while it would come to be best known for the fights, Dragon Ball never really lost its sense of humor. Thanks to its premise, Daima was able to bring the comedy back in full. From the oaf and straight-man routine that Goku and Glorio established to even the villains proving to be fairly goofy, you can tell Toriyama wanted to make his fans laugh. And it largely worked. Special mention goes to Hybis and his absolute deadpan attitude towards everything!
Thankfully, Daima never forgot about the action, and when it wanted to focus on that, it went HARD! By the time the final episodes rolled around, it had already returned to the same levels of action from DBZ before starting to edge closer to what comes in Super. And judging by the Internet’s reaction, fans were more than satisfied with what we got.
SUCH EPIC FANSERVICE!
Speaking of which, can we just bring up the fact that Daima was amazing at delivering fanservice? Most people associate that concept with images of attractive anime characters, but in a broader sense, it’s about giving the fans what they want to see. In the case of Dragon Ball Daima, it was getting to see things that plenty of fans wanted to see. The return of Goku’s Power Pole was a good example of fanservice for those who like the earlier Dragon Ball adventures, but there’s more than that.
Exhibit A: Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta. Vegeta was only ever shown achieving this form in video games, which were, by their nature, non-canon. Getting to see that form appear in the anime, albeit as Kid Vegeta, was a big deal. However, that would end up paling in comparison to what we would get next.
Exhibit B: Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Say what you want about GT, but you cannot deny that SSJ 4 was cool! The red fur and wild hair may feel super-edgy these days, but that can be chalked up to it coming from the 90s. That decade was all about being edgy! What was more important is that this marked the first time in decades that fans got to see the fabled SSJ 4 in the anime, and we just ate it up! People are already saying that Goku’s transformation into SSJ 4 is the second coming of the legendary first time we saw SSJ 3. And they’re right!
Just don’t expect any explanation as to why this form never comes up in Super.
They Shouldn’t Have Rushed Things so Much
When it comes to it, there are two main problems regarding Dragon Ball Daima. One seriously affects the overall story, while the other is something that mainly concerns hardcore fans.
The big problem is the length and pacing of the series. The first nine episodes are focused on the setup and then Goku and the others’ journey through the first of the three worlds making up the Demon Realm. The time spent in the Second World amounts to around five episodes, with the last five focusing on the final battle against Gomah and his army. No matter how you look at it, that’s some pretty uneven levels of focus! The show spends so much time in the Third World and expanding it, the lack of attention the Second World gets is a problem. Especially when you consider that it was hinting at parts of the Demon Realm we may never get to see!
The other problem is regarding whether or not Daima counts as canon. Since none of what happens gets mentioned in Super, some fans wonder if it counts as canon. The fact that Super Saiyan 4 never gets brought up doesn’t help matter. However, that same interview with Ikoyu confirms that, yes, Daima is canon, mainly because it was written by Toriyama. That answer, though, does imply that anything made for the franchise following his passing may be non-canon.
My thoughts? Who cares?
Let’s be Happy We got more Dragon Ball
Who cares if Dragon Ball Daima is canon or not? Who cares if might contradict the established lore for Dragon Ball in a few ways. And who cares that none of this ever comes up in Super (yet.) At the end of the day, I don’t think whether Daima is even canon should be what’s important. What’s important is that we got more Dragon Ball.
It’s not something that fans want to think about, but the passing of Toriyama marks the end of an era for Dragon Ball. From now on, the franchise will have to continue without its creator, and while plenty of franchises have managed to do so, there’s always the concern that things won’t be the same. What’s more, many of the people who voice the characters aren’t getting any younger. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to retire or will eventually pass away. Masako will let her voice live on through AI, but there’s no telling what will others will do. Even Bulma’s original seiyuu passed away years ago!
The bottom line is that Dragon Ball may not last forever, as much as we may want it. Sooner or later, it’s going to have to end or end up like The Simpsons: a pale shadow of its former self. So the way I see it, we should enjoy Dragon Ball as much as we can while we still have it.
A Worthy Send-off for a Legend
So, was Dragon Ball Daima a perfect series? No! It had its ups and downs, and I do think it could’ve benefitted from more episodes. However, the idea of a perfect story doesn’t exist, and if it did, that would just mean mankind couldn’t tell anything better. At the end of the day, though, Daima wasn’t trying to be a perfect story. It was just trying to entertain people, either by making them laugh or squealing in joy. And it largely succeeded, with most of the people I know and follow online loving it.
What’s most important, though, is that this series was the final gift that we got from Akira Toriyama. There’s no telling if he knew that his life was coming to an end, but if he did, then he chose to spend his final days pouring his heart and soul into making Daima the best that he could make it. And it paid off! Most fans seemed to love Daima, and consider it a worthy final work from a man who helped change the world. Dragon Ball will likely go on for years to come, and it might not be the same without Toriyama, but he’s already given us everything he had. He’s more than earned the right to go to that big studio in the sky where all the great storytellers in human history get to chill for the rest of eternity. The least we could do as fans was make sure he got the sendoff he deserved.
And we did. Arigato, Toriyama-Sama. You’ve earned the rest.
It’s over, everyone. After five months and twenty episodes, Dragon Ball Daima, the series made to honor the franchise’s 40th anniversary, has ended. The real question, though, is whether or not the series ended on a high note. And since it wound up being the last thing Toriyama worked on before his passing, fans wanted the finale to be the highest note possible. So, did it stick its landing? Did Toriyama choose to end the story in an epic fashion, or a comedic one?
Let me put it this way: if you loved Toriyama’s sense of humor, then you’re going to laugh at how the finale plays out.
The second the episode cuts away from the Toei logo, Daima lets everyone know it’s not messing around. Instead of wasting time with the OP, it opts to get right into the action as SSJ 4 Goku and Gomah continue their final battle. And much to Dragon Ball fans elation, Daima gives eight minutes of glorious, uninterrupted fighting. And I do mean uninterrupted, as beyond the screaming, there’s almost no talking of which to speak. Just two super strong people punching each other in fast-paced sakuga fashion, epic beam struggle and all!
Those eight minutes aren’t just to entertain the audience. They’re a testament to why Dragon Ball is such a legendary anime. When it wants to go all-out on the fighting, it will pour every yen it has into giving the audience a show to remember.
Unfortunately for the heroes, their big gambit fails at the last second, leaving them unable to get the Evil Third Eye out of Gomah. For a moment, it looks like things might really be all over for Goku and his comrades with Gomah poised to kill them all. It’s like those cutscenes some video games add after the player defeats the boss, only to make it seem like they failed. And like those cutscenes, Daima pulls something out of the fire that saves them in the most unexpected fashion.
At first glance, it might seem like having Kuu be the one to stop Gomah feels like a cheap copout. However, this is Toriyama we’re talking about. That man loved to make everyone think things would go a certain way, only to have something unexpected and silly happen. Like Yajirobe cutting off Vegeta’s tail? Or Recoome getting one-shotted? Watch something long enough, and you’ll notice these sorts of things!
Plus, it makes what happens next pretty funny, too.
ALL HAIL KING KUU
So, Gomah doesn’t die after being defeated. Instead, the heroes opt to imprison the now ex-Demon King along with Degesu in a magic prison for the next 99 years. At least they’ll have plenty of video games to play while they think about what they did. However, things get interesting when Arinsu declines to become the next King (or Queen) because she didn’t get her wish from the Dragon Balls. Instead, the title goes to the one responsible for defeating Gomah: Kuu!
From being hated during his first appearance to being loved by everyone.
From Zero to Hero to King.
The most beloved and funniest character in all of Daima, Supreme Demon King Majin Kuu!! pic.twitter.com/ofcbG6MDRJ
Of all the ways that this could end, I don’t think anyone expected Majin Kuu to be the one becoming the new King of the Demon Realm. However, it makes sense. He may not be strong, but he’s good at befriending others and recognizing their talents. Case in point, he makes Arinsu his Vice-Demon King so she can keep using her knowledge to help everyone. Even better, he makes Neva, Marba, Glorio, Duu, and Kadan all Ministers to help him rule. And for the first time in eons, the Demon Realm has a ruler worthy of the position!
And so, like any good JRPG, the world this adventure took place in becomes a better place. People can now travel freely between the Demon Worlds, and thanks to the tunnels opening, the gas that gave Goku so much trouble in the Third Demon World becomes much lighter.
And so, with their quest done, Goku and the others head home, heroes one and all. But not before we get one last joke.
Leave it to Toriyama to turn a seemingly ancient and unique artifact into something found at a drug store. I had the biggest grin on my face when I saw that.
PEAK. ANIME.
So, how was the finale to Dragon Ball Daima? Honestly, it was pretty good! It did a great job of balancing fan’s expectations for the action with Toriyama’s sense of humor. That final fight between Goku and Gomah may not have been as epic as the fights he’ll have in the future, but it stands as one of the series best in recent years. The kamehameha alone might be among the best in the entire franchise!
Dragon Ball Daima, What else can I say. Absolute Cinema. (Thank You Toriyama) pic.twitter.com/wwIBfpii5z
As for the comedy, for those who saw the outcome as a cop out, I reiterate my previous examples. Toriyama understood the humor behind hyping someone up, only to have them absolutely embarrassed, and that was something he never forgot. The ending wasn’t just an epic shouting match. It was also a return to the comedy found throughout Toriyama’s works!
We’ll likely be doing a full series review for Daima soon, so we can fully explore what worked and what didn’t. However, at the end of the day, I would say that Daima proved to be a success for Dragon Ball. Even if it hadn’t been the last thing Toriyama worked on before he died, it likely still would have been a success.
Also, it should be pointed out that the finale ended right before midnight, March 1st in Japan, exactly one year to the day that Akira Toriyama left this world to join the other great storytellers in Heaven. That could not have been a coincidence! People knowingly chose the finale’s date in honor of Toriyama’s memory! It was Japan’s way of allowing him to move on to Otherworld, his work fulfilled!
Go, Akira Toriyama. Go teach a dinosaur to ride a ball in Heaven and spend eternity with the great storytellers of history.
In the original Solo Leveling manwha, the story opens right as Sung Jin-woo is facing certain death in the Double Dungeon. However, the anime chose to start things off differently. Instead, it begins with a scene on Jeju Island, where a group of Hunters is fighting for their lives against Monsters. This original scene was the first of several added throughout the anime, most of which would revolve around Jeju Island. There’s a very good reason for this: it’s the anime’s way of building up to one of the most important arcs in the entire story. And if you’re reading this, it means that the anime is making that arc into its season finale and not giving it the Demon Slayer: Mugen Train treatment or theatrical release, much to my dismay.
Personal feelings aside, this is meant to serve as a quick summary of what makes Jeju Island such an important location in Solo Leveling. And why what’s about to happen is going to be a speedrun of Hunter x Hunter’s Chimera Ant Arc on steroids.
Four Years Earlier…
The story begins four years before the events of Solo Leveling. An S-Ranked Dungeon spawned on Jeju Island, the largest island in the Korean Peninsula, forcing Hunters to attempt to close it. However, due to it being the strongest possible Dungeon, and how weak Korea’s S-Rank Hunters were back then, they failed to close it in time. As a result, it underwent a Dungeon Break, AKA what happens when the Monsters inside can spill over into the Human world. In this case, it was legions of ants the size of your average human being, if not bigger.
Thousands of people ultimately died at the monstrous mandibles of the insects, and the Hunters and Korean Government were powerless to stop them. All they could do was get everyone left alive and get them off the island before they met the same fate. Thus, Jeju Island was left abandoned, a wasteland devoid of any human life while its buildings served as an eerie monument to the Hunter’s failure.
And the ants were free to multiply and make the island their own kingdom. But Korea wasn’t going to sit back and let things remain as they were.
Three Years of Failures
Over the course of the next three years, the Korean Government and its top Hunters made repeated attempts to take back the island. To say that they proved disastrous would be an understatement. Their third and latest attempt not only failed, but it cost the life of one of their S-Rank Hunters. Baek Yoonho, Guild Master of the White Tigers, had to watch as that man died and couldn’t do anything about it! And their mutual friend was so traumatized that he quit being a Hunter altogether!
After that failure, the Korean Government decided they couldn’t afford to risk more lives, especially with how few S-Rank Hunters they had. So, they decided to leave the island and its ant masters alone, hoping that once they ran out food, they would either starve or turn on each other.
It didn’t work.
The Chimera Ant Arc on Steroids
The Ant Queen that served as the Dungeon’s boss wasn’t a mindless beast; she was intelligent. Intelligent enough to realize that if things remained as they were, her children would die. Unfortunately, that meant evolution kicked into overdrive. The newer generations of ants started being born with wings and the ability to fly. Slowly but surely, the first scouts started making their way to the surrounding nations, all of them full of humans and animals upon which they could feed.
In other words, if those ants aren’t taken care of now, then they would overrun Korea, Japan, and even China. And the rest of the world could be next.
The earlier comparisons to the Chimera Ant Arc from Hunter x Hunter weren’t hyperbole. Both center around fighting a colony of incredibly powerful, super-intelligent ants. If left unchecked, said ants could spread enough to conquer the world and turn humankind into its food source. And if that wasn’t scary enough, the Hunters of each story have to face an opponent that is beyond their worst nightmares. The only difference is that what’s about to happen in the Jeju Island Arc is going to be speed-running through the entire story and look far cooler doing so!
Regardless of whether the Jeju Island Raid Arc is a movie or just the season finale, the coming battle will be Solo Leveling’s biggest to date. It’s the kind of battle that will make even the internet-breaking feats of Jin-woo vs the High Orcs look tame. For a series that seems to thrive on serial escalation, that should not be taken lightly! So make sure you are prepared and have snacks ready. You will need them!
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