One minute, Naofumi and his party are cooing over their baby dragon, Gaelion. The next, it’s eaten the fused core of the dragons that Ren and Kizuna each killed. The latter is still mad at Ren and is ready to kill everyone. It seems their only hope lies in the dog girl, Wyndia, and her surprising connection to one of the dragons.
How Did This Happen, Anyway?
The episode first establishes that the souls of two dead dragons possess Gaelion. As Rat explains, dragons in Shield Hero have an organ called a core that houses their memories. Since Gaelion is still young, the other two dragons overwrite his mind and body. In other words, he’s possessed and ready to kill anyone who comes near him.
To make matters worse, Gaelion’s possession is taking its toll on Filo, who ate part of the core before. Now, Gaelion’s cursed Filo and started sapping her levels. The threat of the angry dragon and to Filo’s life is more than enough to prompt everyone to go after Gaelion. Thus, the group winds up traveling to the den of the dragon that Ren first killed.
Wyndia and Her Dragon Dad
While Ren’s slaying of the dragon and his careless decision to leave the body behind without burying it was already framed in a bad light, it’s only in this episode that the true extent of his mistake is laid bare thanks to Wyndia. As she reveals late in the episode, the dragon Ren killed and Naofumi fought as a zombie was her adoptive father, Gaelion. Worse, it’s revealed that after Ren killed her father, the villagers captured and sold her into slavery. They used his naivete for selfish purposes, leading to Wyndia’s distrust of Ren.
#LOOK: "The Rising Of The Shield Hero" Season 3 Episode 8 – Preview Images Released
The anime’s already well-established how the other three Cardinal Heroes have largely failed to live up to the mantle thrust upon them. They refused to work together, their pride kept them from listening to Naofumi, and they lost their parties and all trust. However, to know that Ren got tricked into making Wyndia an orphan and slave? That’s easily one of their biggest screw-ups. It also makes the sight of Naofumi’s group fighting the possessed Gaelion heartbreaking.
Return of the Dragon Emperor
Things only get worse as the party fights against the now massive dragon Gaelion’s become. Not only is it sapping Filo of her power, but it leads to her going berserk and running right toward the dragon. The group can only watch in horror as Gaelion swallows her whole to absorb her power. It’s like Cell from the Dragon Ball franchise! Worse still, even though Wyndia gets through to her father, the dragon emperor that Kizuna slew becomes dominant, ready to conquer anew.
The upside (for the fans): the fight between the reborn dragon emperor and the combined hero party is the best fight of the season yet. Naofumi, Rapthalia, Ren, and everyone else pull out all the stops to fight against the monster. It’s visually stunning in a way that the series hasn’t been since the first season. You can tell that the studio wanted this fight to live up to the fan’s expectations. Unfortunately, it’s also a fight that needs to be resolved by the end of the episode.
Yes, the episode ends midway through the fight. With most of the group on the ropes and Naofumi barely hanging on, it’s an ideal cliffhanger. Waiting a whole week to find out what happens next will be torture!
Have you ever seen the plot of JJ Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek film? Thanks to the power of time travel, Abrams could alter the circumstances around the day James T. Kirk was born and create a separate, alternate timeline from the established canon. The result was similar to what the Star Trek fans had known for forty years, but the dynamics between many characters changed, as did their paths in life. That’s what the new hit anime Scott Pilgrim Takes Off amounts to. Instead of being the adaptation of the popular graphic novel or the 2010 based on it, it does the same thing that Abrams did with Star Trek. While some fans might be mad we don’t get the adaptation of the graphic novels or films they wanted, I don’t care. This is like a licensed AU Fanfiction, and I freaking love it!
This is my spoiler review of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. If you haven’t watched the show (or don’t care), do so and return. Or read my spoiler-free review.
Pulling the Wool over Everyone’s Eyes
The anime starts following the graphic novels and film. Scott’s a slacker who plays in his band Sex Bob-omb and dates a high schooler. He meets Ramona Flowers, the girl from his dreams, and asks her for a date. Then he learns that she has seven “evil” exes that he has to fight so he can date her. Everything is going the way fans expect it to go.
Until it doesn’t. As Scott starts fighting the first evil exes, Matthew Pattel, he seemingly dies, exploding into coins like Matthew should’ve. And everyone, in-universe and out, is going, “What the heck just happened?!?”
WHAT A TWIST!!
This is the moment where Scott Pilgrim Takes Off reveals its ultimate surprise. Going in, everyone thought that this was an adaptation of the film or graphic novels. Instead, a sequel a la Alternate Universe, and despite being the titular character, Scott Pilgrim’s barely in it
I loved this twist when I first saw it. I never read the novels and couldn’t get into the movie, but I knew the general synopsis of what would happen. To see everything go off the rails into AU territory before the first episode was done made me want to jump up from the couch and yell “holy snap, this is going to be good!” And while some people might not like this twist and how it changes things, I liked it—especially considering what happens next and who the series follows.
What the Cast Does Without the “Main Character.”
At first glance, it looks like Scott Pilgrim is dead, and the story’s plot is now lost. However, while the original canon is now impossible to follow, the show opens up to new possibilities as the cast grapples with Scott’s apparent passing and what this means for their lives.
Starting in episode two, everyone that knew Scott personally attends his funeral and takes the time to grieve for him (or not.) As is the case in real life, though, they eventually have to move on with their lives in some way, shape, or form. And while most of the cast handles this event in their ways, Knives gets the best change from the original story.
In the original story, Knives Chau was the high-schooler the adult Scott was dating, to everyone’s dismay. She got a little too obsessed with Scott for her good, and what happens with Ramona leads to a lot of drama. Initially, that part remains unchanged, with Knives blaming Ramona for getting Scott killed. However, once she takes the time to process everything, she realizes that her relationship with Scott won’t work out. In addition, she also joins Sex Bob-omb and proves to be an amazing musician, helping her move on with her life. This is one welcome change to the original story. People frowned upon an adult dating a minor when the story first came out, even more so today.
A Pointless League of Evil Exes=Character Development
The people in Scott’s circle of friends aren’t the only ones affected by the loss of Scott, either. After his surprise win, Matthew Pattel calls the League of Evil Exes and gets them all to realize something important: they have no reason to exist. More importantly, they realize that they’d never win Ramona back even if they won. Their leader, Gideon Graves, was using them to get her back for himself. As a result, the League falls apart with everyone their separate ways, with varying levels of importance in the series. The most important, though, are Matthew Pattel and Gideon, the former of which challenges the latter to a fight for his business empire and wins. Suddenly, the starter villain ends up being the top dog!
As interesting as this is, though, the fate of the League serves as a deconstruction of how silly their whole concept was. They were only united by their pain of getting dumped by Ramona. Most of them weren’t even evil. The second ex, Lucas Lee, even says they called themselves that for branding purposes. Furthermore, they all move on with their lives without the need to fight for Ramona (since she wouldn’t take them back anyway). Several of them go so far as to join the circle of Scott’s friends, proving that most weren’t evil. They were just upset over how bad things ended with Ramona.
Except for Gideon. He decides to keep being evil, not to get Ramona back but because he enjoys it. That, and his new girlfriend, Scott’s frenemy Julie Powers, thinks his evil is hot, which I find hilarious.
Ramona is the Real Main Character of the Series
With Scott seemingly gone, someone else has to take up the main character role. And that person winds up being Ramona Flowers. After dealing with the loss of Scott, Ramona discovers that he might be alive and that one of her exes might have kidnapped him. As a result, she makes it her mission to figure out who did it and get Scott back.
While some might wonder why Ramona would go so far for a guy she went on a single date with (including Scott’s friends), I don’t see it as too much of a stretch. I see it as her feeling guilty for what happened to him. Plus, there were sparks between them by her admission, so she thinks he might be worth it.
Ramona Was no Saint With Her Exes
Ramona Flowers being cold and distant at times? Yeah, that makes sense. She's been through it. But the movie forgot that Ramona can also be warm and fun—that she's supposed to genuinely love being in a relationship with Scott.
Besides the added benefit of allowing Ramona to meet with and befriend Scott’s friends on her terms, the show also serves another, interesting premise. The source material only sometimes understood why she dumped her exes beyond the bare minimum of details. In contrast, though, the anime not only gives fans greater detail about what happened, but demonstrates how Ramona isn’t entirely innocent of what happened. As the show reveals, rather than handling rough patches with her partners when they came around, Ramona tended to break things off and bail. For whatever faults they had, her exes have every right to feel bitter at Ramona.
Ironically, this makes her a lot like Scott regarding their relationships. Scott had a problem with actually ending them, and Ramona has a problem with ending them too brutally. The anime allows her to find closure with most of her exes, helping everyone move on and become semi-better people. Even Gideon, the only evil ex, finds some closure with Ramona.
Scott Pilgrim’s Worst Enemy is Himself
Now, for the big twist at the end of the series with Scott’s inevitable return. As it turns out, he was pulled into the future by himself. Or rather, a version of himself from a timeline where things proceeded as they did in the original canon. Despite winning against the Exes and marrying Ramona, Old Scott got into a fight with Ramona after several years, and becomes convinced she dumped him. She didn’t; she just wanted space, and he overreacted by trying to change his past and stop himself from dating Ramona in the first place. All this created an alternate reality, like in the 2009 Star Trek film.
Despite Old Scott’s best efforts, he fails to convince Show Scott to stay away from Ramona. Telling Show Scott what would’ve happened helps Old Scott accelerate his character development. Thanks to Future Ramona’s help, by the time he gets back, he realizes that dating Knives was a bad idea- drama averted.
Old Scott Pilgrim ultimately proves to be the final villain of the series, as his inability to fix his problems leads to him, ironically, becoming another evil ex. Some might call it corny, but I like the idea of an alternate version of oneself being evil. It’s a look into what we’d be like if we decided to be the worst versions of ourselves.
I Would Watch a Season Two
Ultimately, Scott PilgrimTakes Off doesn’t just adapt the movie or graphic novels but improves on them while becoming its own thing. The fans loved it, and I think it’s one of the best anime to come out in 2023. Considering the anime we’ve gotten this year, that’s saying something.
Will they make a second season of the anime? After all, the show has already broken free of the original canon and could keep going. I would want to watch it!
I will be upfront: I was never into Scott Pilgrim when it came out. I have never read graphic novels, and I have never watched movies (until now). My only frame of reference was a parody done by that MAD cartoon on Cartoon Network from ten years ago. However, after I saw the trailer for the anime series coming out on Netflix, I found myself interested. I tried to watch the movie to prepare myself for the anime, but it wasn’t as interesting as I thought. However, that did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm for the anime, and after one binge session, I had only one thing to ask myself:
Why did I sleep on this for all these years?
Full disclosure: this is one of two reviews for the series. The other one will dive into full-on spoiler territory.
Scott Pilgrim Breaks Canon
After a banger opening set to the song “Bloom” by Japanese band Necry Talkie, the anime starts much like how things go in the film and graphic novels. Scott’s still a slacker dating a high-schooler who then meets Ramona Flowers, the girl whose literally from his dreams, and is instantly smitten. However, he also learns that if he wants to date Ramona, he has to fight her seven evil exes. For the first episode or so, the story follows the source material to a tee…and then goes completely off the rails.
In what has to be one of the biggest anime twists of the year, Scott PilgrimTakes Off isn’t a straight adaptation of the movie or the graphic novels. The best comparison I can make is that it follows in the vein of JJ Abrams’ Star Trek film from 2009. It changes one canon event in an unexpected way that makes the story as we knew it impossible to tell. From there, things go in a direction so unexpected that some might call it high-quality fanfiction. The basic premise is still there, and the characters retain their major personalities, but now they get to interact in new and unexpected ways.
As someone who’s come to appreciate the creativity of fanfiction, this premise rules.
The Cast of the Movie Makes a Seamless Return
A major part of the appeal of the anime is that most of the film’s cast returned to reprise their roles. And with the extra thirteen years of acting experience to work with, they seem to be better than ever at their roles.
While several of the stars of the Scott Pilgrim film had already found success in showbusiness before the film, it wasn’t until after it came out that many of them became household names. Michael Cera has continued to find success on-camera and in the booth, getting roles in films like The LEGO Batman Movie, Sausage Party, and the recent Barbie film. Mae Whitman, who played Roxie Richter, has continued to find success as a voice actor with roles like Amity Blight from The Owl House (Which I’m a huge fan of!) And Chris Evans and Brie Larson’s careers have blown up thanks to their roles as Captain America and Captain Marvel in the MCU franchise. Jason Schwartzman helped do the impossible and make The Spot scary in the new Spider-Verse movie! In other words, most of the cast has blown up in the last thirteen years.
The extra decade seems to have upped everyone’s game, as they’re better than ever at their roles in Scott Pilgrim. The bottom line is that they’re good!
I’ve never seen or read the graphic novels beyond some images that I’ve seen online, but the anime adapts the art style almost seamlessly. As zany and whacky as the live-action film was, there’s only so much live-action can do with the source material. Animation, on the other hand, has no such restraints, and can go all-out and tell the story that wasn’t possible before.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an anime, plain and simple. It was produced by a Japanese animation studio, Science Saru. It includes many of the exaggerated facial expressions that anime are known for. A Japanese metal band sings the opening! Even though it’s based on a piece of Western media, it’s an anime and one of the best-looking ones of 2023.
Scott Pilgrim is a Must-Watch for 2023
As I said before, I never got into Scott Pilgrim when the novels or film came out. Having seen what the anime is like, though, I now understand why so many people love it the way they do. It is amazing! The cast is in top form, the animation is flawless, and the surprising direction that the anime takes is mind-blowing. It’s like a high-quality fanfiction that was lucky enough to be canonized.
If you have a Netflix account, then I cannot stress this enough. Stop what you’re doing, and take the time over the holidays to sit down and watch this show. It’s short at only eight episodes, but the ending will leave you wanting way more. I don’t know if we’ll get a second season, but if we do, I’ll be there to watch it.
Things are once again looking up for Shield Hero Naofumi. Thanks to Eclair bringing Ren back to his senses, the Sword Hero’s now living in Lulorona Village. That village is getting bigger every episode, with all sorts of new people moving in. In addition to people, the village is also getting its fair share of animals to help out, including an egg that hatches into a dragon. Unfortunately, dragons aren’t the easiest mythical creatures to tame, as Naofumi soon discovers.
As a side note, this episode also marks the first significant role of a character that Allen Blaster, author of the Diligence of the Shield Hero series, likes.
More Slice-of-Life Stuff
This week’s episode starts off on a relatively calm note, and it largely retains that tone up until its final minutes. While some might find this boring, a story’s slower moments are just as important as the exciting ones. Moreso since they leave plenty of room for introducing new characters, developing existing ones, and showing them interact outside of battle.
"Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (The Rising of the Shield Hero)" TV Anime Season 3 – Episode 07 Preview Images
The first of the new characters to join the cast this episode gets introduced in a rather hilarious fashion: by trying to ride atop a panicking Filo. Enter Ratotille “Rat” Anthreya, an alchemist and researcher specializing in create new life-forms. After getting thrown out of her country due to slander, the Queen of Melormarc hired her to work for Naofumi. Unfortunately for Filo, she’s also the kind of person who does things first without asking permission, hence the attempt to ride her. She makes up for her lack of social etiquette by helping raise the animals, though, so it turns out alright.
Given this episode’s slower, slice-of-life feel to it, a lot of the supporting cast gets a few moments to show off their own growth. Keel reveals that he’s learned how to transform into a dog much like how Sadeena can go killer whale. S’yne creates a plushie (that looks like Fohl) that can talk for her, helping her communication problem. Ren grows closer to Eclair as she shows him how to read Melromarc’s language. It’s little things like this that flesh out the characters and make them more believable.
This girl will not stop until she gets what she wants.
Perhaps most humorous (and concerning), though, is Atla’s actions. Several times now, Atla’s been caught sneaking into Naofumi’s bed. Her excuse is that, as his shield, she needs to guard him…but nobody buys that. Especially since she tricks her brother into falling asleep before restraining him so she can do this.
— ⊿🦖◢͟￨𝄇◢͟⁴⁶＠ブライアン/RN:ムーンパワーでKeepGoing～♪◢ (@brianw_sub) November 18, 2023
The supporting character that gets the most attention in this episode, though, is a little dog-girl named Wyndia. There’s things that cannot be discussed without entering spoiler-territory, but the episode does reveal a few key things about her. Chief among them, she has a strong affinity for beasts and animals, especially dragons. Wyndia has a strong fondness for dragons, so when a box of supplies that Naofumi gets includes a dragon egg, her first thought is to want to raise it herself. While Naofumi’s the one who watches the egg until it hatches, it’s Wyndia who ends up naming it: Gaelion.
Despite starting out looking like Gaelion the dragon is the second coming of Filo, things don’t go so smoothly for everyone. While in Glass’ world, Naofumi had the cores of the dragon that Ren killed (and became a zombie) and the one that threatened that world fused into one. However, Gaelion winds up eating it. He then proceeds to grow ten times his size, wrecks Naofumi’s house, and runs off.
Again, can’t reveal what happens without spoilers. However, just know that the next episode will be very entertaining.
An interesting fact about Ren Amaki from Shield Hero: he’s a pretty obvious expy of Kirito, the main protagonist of Sword Art Online. AKA, one of the stories that made isekai a popular genre from the 2010s onwards. People know Kirito as either this lone-wolf gamer with a heart of gold or a sword-wielding badass. The anime makes it all the more apparent with Ren sharing the same seiyuu, or voice actor, as Ren in the native Japanese. Unlike Kirito, though, Ren is more of someone who wants to be a badass yet fails miserably when it counts. Case in point, this episode of Shield Hero shows Ren’s mindset before getting summoned and how he ended up the way he is now.
Kicking off with a flashback to Ren’s life before the present day, fans see how much of a contradiction the young man is. On the one hand, he likes being the strongest or being seen as the strongest and having others sing his praises. On the other hand, though, he’s a lone wolf who is unsure how to interact with his peers, and thus fails to understand the value of the teamwork. As a result, when he got isekai’d, his whole party only fed his ego, exacerbating the problem. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Ren kept thinking he was all his party needed, and neglected their own growth. Which came back to bite him tragically when his party got slaughtered by the Spirit Tortoise.
Then, in a move surprising no one but himself, Witch robbed him of his gear and money. After that, the same guys who attacked Naofumi’s party try to kill him, only he’s got no party to help him; no deus ex machine like S’yne; and none of the townspeople want to help him. He’s all alone. And that leads him to activate not one, but two, cursed series for his Cardinal Sword and become a bandit leader.
The difference between Ren and Kirito is that, while Kirito started out as a lone wolf, he managed to grow out of it. He opened himself up to others, made friends, and even got a girlfriend. Ren was never willing to take that first step, though, despite dying saving someone else’s life. He never had the kind of people that Naofumi found, which only served to reinforce these negative qualities. All of these things ultimately drove Ren to the point where Naofumi finds him. Wearing a tuxedo mask, fighting Motoyasu, and corrupted by the curses of gluttony and greed.
Ren Gets a Reality Check
Clearly, Ren is in need of a reality check, and where Naofumi fails, his friend, Eclair, steps up. And, since we skipped out on the second season, Eclair is the daughter of the Lord that ruled the land that Lulorona Village’s a part of. When he died, she hunted down the slavers who kidnapped the villagers, only to get imprisoned by the Three Heroes Church until Naofumi brought them down.
The fight between Ren and Eclair is short but important for two reasons. Firstly, despite him being a Cardinal Hero, Ren gets his butt kicked by Eclair, showing him how weak he is. It’s even implied that Eclair wasn’t fighting him seriously, to boot, driving the point home further. Secondly, Eclair cuts to the root of Ren’s problems: he doesn’t know what he wants beyond the role he was given. He lacks the resolve needed to point his strength towards something worthwhile, stagnated from that, and hates himself for it, since it means he got his party killed.
That is the power of the “fight no jutsu” and “talk no jutsu” at work in tandem.
With the main conflict now resolved, the episode wraps up with the two assassin’s from before attack the group while they’re recovering. However, Motoyasu kills them both in two seconds thanks to taking Naofumi’s training advice, and Raphtalia kills their souls so they can’t come back. One less problem to deal with, and two of the Cardinal Heroes now willing to listen to Naofumi.
This wasn’t one of the most exciting episodes of the season, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable one. We got to see inside Ren’s mindset and learn why he is who he is. Furthermore, getting to watch him see reason was very satisfying. With six episodes left in the season, the only hero left to find is Itsuki. Fingers crossed, Naofumi finds him before he can get hurt or cause too much trouble.
Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2 Review
Ten years ago, Attack on Titan rocked the world with one of the darkest and most morally complicated stories in anime history. Now, more than two years since the final chapter of the manga, the anime has come to a close in a movie-length event so hotly anticipated, it broke the Crunchyroll website.
Of those who managed to watch it right when it appeared, they had nothing but praise for it on social media. As one of the people who read the manga, my expectations for the finale were very high. And while knowing what would happen did dampen my excitement a little, the animation was so amazing, I couldn’t help but get excited to see how it all ended. What’s more, series mangaka Hajime Isayama listened to fan criticisms about things ended and actively took steps to improve on it. He even apologized to Studio MAPPA for making them do extra legwork.
Like Something Out of a Triple-A Video Game
Picking up right where the first part left off, the anime wastes no time diving into the Scout’s and Titan Shifters final, desperate battle to stop the Rumbling. They pull out all the stops to keep Eren from destroying what’s left of the world, and it shows. Gone are the green rookies that got thrust headfirst into the fight against the Titans. In their place are some of the best soldiers and warriors in the world, and they give everything they have against Eren. While some people might complain about the fact that none of the remaining protagonist’s died and call it plot armor, I don’t think it’s entirely that. It’s more of a testament of how well they’re able to work together. This is in spite of the fact that just a few days ago, both groups were trying to kill each other. War makes for strange bedfellows, it seems.
The entire film (it deserves to be called such) plays out like the final battle of a triple-A video game in the vein of Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. Much like those series, interspersed between all the action are scenes that provide emotional depth to most of the main characters. The best of these scenes, though, are the ones between Armin and Zeke, and later, Eren. Getting to see Armin talk Zeke out of his nihistilic views on life and how it has meaning beyond survival is a major highlight for the former. It shows how, even after everything he’s gone through, Armin strives to see the best in humanity. The world needs more people like him.
The action itself was, of course, jaw-droppingly good. From the appearance of Falco’s Jaw Titan to Mikasa dealing the final blow to Eren, it was clear that Studio Mappa didn’t hold anything back. No wonder Hajime apologized for making them work so hard.
Hajime Isayama Improved the Ending
When it first came out two years ago, a lot of fans didn’t like the way Attack on Titan ended, and made sure Isayama knew this. It got so bad that some people even started a rewrite for the finale called AoT no Requiem. Isayama himself stated he’d also come to have problems with how he ended things, so he took the criticism to heart. Thus, the anime’s finale was his chance to change things for the better. While the ending as a whole remained the same, he did add more depth to certain moments to make it better.
More to Say Between Eren and Armin
First, there’s that infamous scene between Eren and Armin. Eren breaks down and starts crying over the fact that he won’t get to live out his life with Armin and Mikasa. I never had a problem with this, because I took it as proof that the cold-hearted facade he’d been putting on since the timeskip was an act. A coping mechanism to deal with the chaos he would one day unleash and alienate himself from his friends so they wouldn’t feel bad once he died. Not everyone saw it that way, though.
The anime extends that scene in the hopes of better explaining Eren’s rationale behind everything. To summarize, he was disgusted with what he had to do as everyone else was. He didn’t want to do it; no sane person would! However, due to the hand that the world had dealt him, and his own, future actions, he had no other choice. He was forced into this role by himself and those around him, something that Armin even acknowledges and accepts that he’s partially guilty of allowing. It was horrific, but to save the world from the Titans, Eren was forced to become a sacrifice.
The reason why I never had a problem with this ending is because I had already seen a similar one happen in another great anime, Code Geass. In that story, the main protagonist conquered the world and became its sole dictator to unite everyone in opposition against him. Once that was done, he had his best friend fake his death and then assassinate him to erase all that hatred, letting the world move on in peace. That’s more or less what Eren did here: he set himself up as the enemy of the world to be taken down by his friends. They’d become heroes, their home would be spared for centuries, and the power of the Titans would vanish from the world for a long time. It wasn’t a wholly happy ending, but it was the best one they got with the cards they had.
Paradis Got to Thrive For a Long Time
Another key thing that got improved was the epilogue for the series. After the release of the final chapter, Isayama made an extended version that showed the future of the world of Attack on Titan. Mikasa got to live out her life in peace before dying in old age, her new family burying her next to Eren under their tree. Time then flashes forward and shows Paradis becoming a modern metropolis before getting destroyed in another war.
Some fans saw this as a way of saying that everything Eren sacrificed had been for nothing. Thus, Isayama and Studio Mappa changed the images seen in the end credits to provide better context. Rather than lasting for a few generations after the story’s events, the anime clarifies that this war likely occurred hundreds of years later. More than enough time for Paradis to live and thrive in peace like Eren wanted, and enough time for the rest of the world to start recovering. It might seem unfair that Paradis still got destroyed, but it was going to happen. For all we know, it might have been due to a completely different reason besides the Rumbling. In addition, the sight of the boy entering Eren’s tree means that the Eldian people weren’t wiped out.
As for the power of the Titans, it’s still not clear if it would return in the distant future. However, if it does, I’d like to think mankind will have learned not to use it as they did in the past. Or, at the least, they’ll have progressed to the point where it won’t be so big of a threat.
Still an Amazing Ending for Attack on Titan
Regardless of my own opinions, one cannot deny the fact that the finale to Attack on Titan was epic. Everyone working on it brought their A-game, and it showed in the acting, animation, and music. Speaking of music, there were several instrumental remixes to some of the best songs in the anime peppered throughout the anime. What’s more, the anime also dives into a little more detail about what happened to the secondary characters who survived the ending. Each of them is doing their best to live their lives and rebuild the world, even Yelena. It’s not much, but it’s nice to see what happened to the secondary cast.
The only regret I do have is that this was never released in theaters as the movie it deserves to be called.
I Give “Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2” a 5/5
There seems to be a recurring trend in Shield Hero. Whenever things start looking good for Naofumi, life throws him a curveball or two. First there was the thing with Witch (that’s what Malty shall be henceforth called). Then he went on the run from the Three Heroes Church. The attack of the Spirit Tortoise and traveling to Glass’ world. Now, the universe throws Naofumi another curve ball. Not only are there more world’s than his, Raphtalia’s, and Glass’, but more people want him dead.
After giving up on the now full-blown Filocon that is Motoyasu, Naofumi, Raphtalia, and Filo are hoofing it back to Lulorona Village. Without Filo’s beloved carriage, to boot. Suddenly, they’re ambushed by a pair of arrogant, yet powerful, men in black hoods. Much like the surprise, scripted boss fight in a JRPG, their attackers prove too dangerous to fight in their current state. One of them even drops a meteor on them like they’re Sephiroth or Madara Uchiha! Thankfully, they’re beaten thanks to their own hubris and the intervention of S’yne.
As S’yne reveals once they’re back in Lulorona Village, she’s not from their world. She was the Vassal Hero from a world that was destroyed by the people their assailants work for. Emphasis on the ‘work’, as despite killing them, S’yne states that they will return. It’s like the equivalent of respawning in a video game after dying. While it may seem like a lazy way to bring back enemies, Shield Hero seems to use it to emphasise how dangerous this mystery group is. If they’re powerful enough to invade other worlds and destroy them, then Naofumi should heed S’yne’s words.
Some good does come out of this skirmish, though. While Naofumi still doesn’t trust her, he lets S’yne stay in Lulorona Village. The downside to having her come back after a single episode, though, is that it renders the sight of her leaving seem pointless. On the upside, though, the debuff’s their attackers used on Naofumi’s party managed to get rid of the curse they got at the end of last season.
Despite this unexpected event, things continue to go well for Naofumi and his allies. They’re getting stronger training in armed combat and the Hengen Musou martial art courtesy of Old Lady Elrasla. So much so that Naofumi’s able to take a number of them to get a class upgrade. Again, another example of RPG elements that work well in this story. Now, all they need is someone to test their prowess against. As fate would have it, Eclair knows the perfect targets.
Ren Has Become a Chuni Edgelord
A group of bandits has been attacking stray adventurers and travelers on the roads nearby, prompting Naofumi to take a group to hunt them down. However, when he finds their leader, he’s surprised to learn who it is: it’s Ren, fighting Motoyasu.
You don’t need to have read the light novels to connect the dots here. Witch burned Ren like she did Naofumi and Motoyasu, and now he’s gone all in on his edgelord persona, complete with black armor and a mask that, honestly, looks dumb on him. As for Motoyasu, he likely only found Ren because he was looking for Filo, to her dismay.
I’ve never fully read the light novels, so I don’t know what exactly happens, but it seems like the anime’s trying to condense a lot of important details. However, given the fact that this season only has 12 episodes, it feels necessary. And the end result remains the same by showing viewers the most important parts of what’s happening. Plus, while it was lighter on the action, the episode does demonstrate the new enemy that Naofumi has. We should expect to see them again soon.
Also, Motoyasu now deserves to be on the FBI’s list of lolicon’s.
Hate sink is a trope in which a character’s deliberately designed to elicit a negative reaction from the people reading or viewing the story. More importantly, seeing them suffer invokes a feeling of joy from most people. Anime has a lot of hate sink characters in it, but few are as vile and disgusting as Bitch from Shield Hero, formerly known as Malty Melromarc. She ruined Naofumi’s reputation on day one for the heck of it, and remained a repeated headache in his life since. Then she got her just desserts with her Mom stripping her of her royalty status. She even got her named changed to ‘Bitch’ at Naofumi’s suggestion, and her alias to ‘Whore.’ Alas, this was not enough to bring the menace of Bitch to heel, as this episode sees her back to her manipulative ways. And it makes Naofumi’s job of uniting the Cardinal Heroes a lot harder.
Who is S’yne? I Should Apologize for That
First, I would like to apologize for a mistake I made in my review of episode two. The “Killer Clown” that Naofumi’s party fought was not, in fact, Fohl, but an entirely different character. This is S’yne, a completely different character, and one I had to actually look up. S’yne is powerful in her own right, but also mysterious and enigmatic. Thus, when she shows up and asks to join Naofumi’s village, he refuses to let her. Thus, she winds up going off on her own, but will likely return in the future.
The strangest thing of all about S’yne, though, is how she talks. I had to double-check my earbuds, because her voice kept getting cutting off by static. This wasn’t a glitch, though. This was a deliberate act on the show’s part. I don’t entirely understand what it means, but it looks like it’s going to be something important.
Again, my bad!
Motoyasu Has Hit Rock Bottom, and it’s Pathetic.
Mysterious characters aside, Naofumi’s next task is to find the missing Cardinal Heroes, and the Queen of Melromarc has already located Motoyasu. He and Naofumi have been at odds from the getgo due to Motoyasu’s lazy, womanizing ways and for falling for Bitch’s lies. However, after failing to kill the Spirit Tortoise on his own, his party/harem abandoned him, and he’s left destitute. When Naofumi’s party finds him, he’s begging one of his former party members to come back, only for her to coldly tell him to “get lost.”
Motoyasu has never been a good person or someone worthy of being called a hero. However, seeing how far he’s fallen makes even Naofumi feel a little bad for him. And it’s only going to get worse.
In the meantime, Naofumi manages to run into Ren, who’s even worse off than Motoyasu. Whereas Motoyasu’s party abandoned him, Ren’s died at the hands of the Spirit Tortoise. Despite being traumatized, Ren refuses to blame himself for his failures, something that disgusts Naofumi. Still, he manages to make some progress with him…until Bitch shows up.
Bitch Turns into a Witch
Having fled from the Spear Hero’s party, Bitch is now effectively a fugitive, and she has refused to learn her lesson. Instead, in the latest act of petty evil, she pulls the exact same stunt she did with Naofumi on Motoyasu. She lies to Ren and says that Motoyasu forced himself on her and Naofumi freed the Spirit Tortoise, and somehow, her slave crest doesn’t call her out for her. And then Ren loses it and starts swinging his sword at Naofumi before bailing with Bitch in tow. And, to rub salt in the wound, when Motoyasu begs Bitch to come back, she uses the same akanbe taunt she used on Naofumi, and it breaks him altogether.
It’s at this point that the anime glosses over something important from the light novels. In the light novels, as Naofumi’s watching these events unfold, his hatred for Bitch reaches a new high. He even stops calling her a Bitch; in his eyes, she’s a full-blown Witch. The worst possible kind of Witch. She’s the most evil and disgusting person that Naofumi’s ever met, and will likely remain his greatest enemy until one of them dies.
Motoyasu Gets Cursed
The episode ends with Motoyasu undergoing a complete 180 in personality. Instead of being a womanizing skirt-chaser who hates Naofumi, he now treats Naofumi with the utmost respect and is ready to listen to whatever he says. That’s the good news. The rest, however, is all bad news.
Firstly, Motoyasu’s trauma with women has led him to unlock his own Cursed Series for his Legendary Spear, the Lust Spear. The anime doesn’t make it too clear, but it’s revealed in the Light Novel that he now hates almost women. Worse, his mental state’s so bad, he now regards all women as pigs; literal, talking pigs.
It gets worse, though. Out of sheer kindness, Filo tries to cheer Motoyasu up by being nice to him. As a result, she becomes the sole exception to his curse, causing him to become obsessed with Filo in the worst way possible. He even starts calling Naofumi “Father” and begs him to let him have Filo. In no universe is this okay!
Overall, the episode does a good job of demonstrating how bad things have gotten for the other Cardinal Heroes. However, it fails to go the extra mile by diving into the psychological aspects of their suffering thanks to Bitch/Witch. In addition, Motoyasu’s left in a mental state that would get the FBI called on him back home. Yet, at least Naofumi now has one of the Cardinal Heroes willing to work with him, so it evens out. Plus, Filo can always kick him if he tries anything.
I Give “The Operation to Capture the Spear Hero” a 4/5
RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Terrifying Monsters in Anime
Halloween is the time of year where people embrace the macabre and monstrous, and anime is filled with some of the biggest monsters in all of fiction. From demons pulled straight from myths and legends worldwide to conventional monsters like vampires and zombies, anime has them all. In the spirit of Halloween, it seems appropriate to talk about the monsters of anime that will give everyday people nightmares.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime, and here are my picks for some of the most terrifying monsters to be found in anime.
Titans, Attack on Titan Franchise
Woe to those who see one of the Titans approaching them, for they are almost always harbingers of death. Created when a certain group of people are injected with their spinal fluids, Titans are hulking, near-mindless monsters. Their only goal in existence is to find one of the nine people with the power to shift in and out of Titan form and devour them so they can regain human form. Thus, they chase down any human they see in the hopes of eating them. In the Attack on Titan universe, the number of deaths they’ve caused is enough to kill the world’s population three times over.
What makes the Titans so horrifying is that, unlike many fictional monsters, they usually appear distinctly human. Seeing a group of giant, naked, grotesque caricatures of human beings running towards is the stuff of nightmares. Is it any wonder people in Attack on Titan are so afraid of them?
Demons, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
While Demons are not a new thing in works of anime, the Demons in Demon Slayer are unlike anything fans have seen before. Craving human blood, vulnerable to the sun, and capable of turning more humans into them, they have more in common with vampires than that of classical Demons. However, that doesn’t really matter, though, considering that they’re still horrifying.
What makes the Demons in Demon Slayer even more dangerous is the many and varied powers they can possess, ranging from super-strength to being able to rewrite the world around them on a whim. Worst of all, their progenitor, Muzan, is so monstrous that he’s compared to a force of nature. Is it any wonder why the Demon Slayer Corps is constantly struggling to wipe them out?
The one positive trait about them is that they’re not entirely devoid of humanity, as proven by Nezuko.
Devils, Chainsaw Man
Imagine a world where the thing that you’re afraid of, the very concept of it, could take physical form and threaten you. That’s the kind of world that serves as the setting for Chainsaw Man. In this alternate version of Earth, Devils are real, and they are the phsyical manifestations of the things that mankind fears. And the more humans fear them, the stronger they become. No matter how silly or absurd it may be, if someone is afraid of it, there’s likely a Devil for it.
What makes the Devils of Chainsaw Man truly horrifying is that there are things that almost every living thing is genetically programmed to be afraid of. Falling from great heights, darkness, and even death itself are things that all life instinctively fears. Imagine how powerful their Devils are. No wonder why the only people who choose to become Devil Hunters have a few screws loose.
Shinigami, Death Note
Death is already a scary concept by itself, but what if there were extra-dimensional beings capable of killing you with a pen and a notebook. If that sounds terrifying, then the Shinigami of Death Note are the stuff of nightmares. Grotesque in appearance and residing in an alternate plane of reality, the Shinigami have only one purpose in life: to end the lives of others. To that end, they use the power of their Death Notes to end the lives of humans living on Earth and use them to extend their own lifespans.
The scariest part about the Shinigami, besides their appearance, is their almost universal apathy regarding humanity. At worst, they view humans as sources of food for themselves; at best, they’re sources of entertainment. Even Ryuk, the one who gave Light Yagami the Death Note that let him become Kira, abandons Light when he finally gets cornered. They don’t care about mankind, and they never will.
Cursed Spirits, Jujutsu Kaisen
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, feeling too many negative emotions isn’t just bad for your mental health; it can lead to the creation of supernatural monsters. Cursed Spirits are beings that manifest from the collective cursed energy that leaks out of humans whenever they’re feeling negative emotions. Much like the Devils in Chainsaw Man, they’re the embodiments of mankind’s fears and anxities, and thus can take many forms that range from the simple to the truly demonic.
While they can be scary-looking, most Cursed Spirits are capable of being dealt with by the Jujutsu Sorceror’s that protect society from the shadows. That is, however, except for Sukuna, the King of Curses. The amount of black air force energy he has in him is so powerful that he managed to persist a thousand years after he died. The only hope the Jujutsu Sorceror’s had of finally being rid of him was by gathering all his cursed energy into his host, Yuji Itadori, and then finally killing him. As of now, that still has yet to work out.
So, does everyone agree with my picks. I am well aware that there are plenty of monsters in anime that are just as terrifying as the examples I came up with. However, if I tried to mention them all, we’d be here all night. Feel free to let us know any other scary monsters in anime that you think should be on this list.
Anime that Make for Perfect Binge Sessions for Halloween
Every year for Halloween, it’s a tradition of mine to watch at least one Halloween special or scary movie every night in the month of October. While I haven’t always met this self-mandated quota, the process has led me to broaden my horizons into the horror genre, which is something that I normally want nothing to do with. As it turns out, the world of anime is filled to the brim with plenty of scary shows, movies, and OVA’s meant to have people sleeping with one eye open. In addition to serving as inspiration for amazing costumes, horror anime can also serve as ideal binging material to get one into the spirit of the holiday.
I’m RJ Writing Ink with D&A Anime blog, and in honor of Halloween, I’m sharing some of my top picks for anime to binge for All Hallow’s Eve. Some of these I’ve even managed to cover on the blog, so if they interest you, then go check out my reviews for shows like Chainsaw Man and Demon Slayer.
Hellsing Ultimate & Hellsing Ultimate : Abridged
You can rarely talk about the horror genre without mentioning vampires, and anime has them for days. While some of them depict vampires as waifu’s and husbandos, there are those that play them straight, with the Hellsing franchise standing near the very top. The series follows the exploits of Alucard, the strongest vampire in the world, as he serves the Hellsing Organization in their mission to protect Britain from supernatural threats. On its own, Hellsing Ultimate is a violent, bloody, and dark story where main characters can drop like flies.
Then, we have Hellsing Ultimate: Abridged by TeamFourStar, which is even better than the official series. The once stoic and perfectionist Alucard is now a goofy, bloodthirsty, over-the-top wearer of black air forces voiced by the talented Takahata101. TeamFourStar balances the genuine horror of facing an army of Nazi vampires with their own brand of humor, and the result is a masterpiece. Compare the moment when Alucard returns to London in the official release with what TeamFourStar does and tell me which doesn’t get you more hyped up.
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is among the most famous anime in the world, and for good reason; it gave us some of the most terrifying monsters the world has ever seen. When it first came out, Attack on Titan looked to be a post-apocalyptic horror anime telling the story of mankind’s desperate fight for survival against an anime that didn’t just want them dead but to eat them. However, as time went on, the series expanded its ideas of what can be considered horror. From the realization that the enemy they had fought for so long had an unsettling connection to them to looking at the psychological toll war can have on everyone, Attack on Titan painted a bleak picture of mankind. And fans have eaten it up.
At the time that this is being published, fans are eagerly awaiting for the series finale to air on Crunchyroll on November 5th, 2023. Given the hype surrounding the ending to the manga, fans are going to be discussing what happens in Attack on Titan for years to come. Fear the Titans.
Chainsaw Man
It may be a newcomer in the world of Shonen anime, but Chainsaw Man has already garnered a massive following. Set in an alternate 1990s Japan, Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, a teenage boy who hunts down Devils for a living. After his Yakuza handlers betray and kill him, Denji’s reborn as the titular Chainsaw Man, capable of cutting up anyone dumb enough to fight him into bloody, bloody chunks. Instead of being motivated to help others or do good, Denji wants to live a good life. That, and to get a girlfriend. The man has his priorities straight.
The first season of the anime might not have fully capitalized on the over-the-top violence fans were expecting. However, there’s no denying that Chainsaw Man is a good Shonen-Horror anime. The main antagonists of the series are the physical manifestations of everything that mankind fears. And once the violence gets started in earnest, no one will be safe from dying horrifically. This is one of the darkest of the new wave of Shonen hits, and it’s likely to be one that people will talk about for years.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yet another example of the recent trend of dark Shonen anime, Jujutsu Kaisen operates on a similar premise to Chainsaw Man. In a Japan where sorceror’s secretly battle against monsters called Cursed Spirits, Yuji Itadori’s a seemingly ordinary kid. Until, that is, the day he becomes the unwitting host for the most dangerous Cursed Spirit in history. Thus, he’s forced to become a Jujutsu Sorceror and gather the other fragments of said Cursed Spirit in the hopes that when he dies, he can take this threat with him to his grave.
JuJutsu Kaisen is part of the next generation of Shonen anime, and it has already garnered a massive following. The premise of people fighting against the supernatural embodiment of negative feelings is an interesting take on the usual Shonen formula, but it doesn’t make it any less awesome. In addition to the horror factor, the show’s also gotten a lot of praise for its sense of humor. From Yuji’s Dub VA creating that iconic shout-out to Mega Thee Stallion to Gojo being a full-on rizz god, Jujustu Kaisen is super entertaining to watch. Don’t let the humor fool you, though. It knows when to get dark and serious.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
When Demon Slayer cooks, the whole world eats well. Set in Meji-era Japan, Demon Slayer follows the story of Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who’s entire family is slaughtered by the Demon, Muzan, and his sister, Nezuko, turned into a Demon herself. Against almost everyone’s objections, Tanjiro refuses to let Nezuko die, vowing to kill Muzan and return his sister to human form. Thus, he embarks on the life of a Demon Slayer.
Demon Slayer has become legendary for how amazing the animation is, but it also stands up well in the horror genre. The members of the Demon Slayer Corps are constantly forced to fight against Demons that range from normal in appearance to outright abominations, and are usually considered the underdogs doing it. What really makes Demon Slayer great, though, is what the story represents on a thematic level. If Demons represent the worst of humanity, then the Demon Slayer Corps indomitable will against overwhelming odds represents its best. That alone is worth giving it a shot.
High School of the Dead
Zombie Apocalypse’s can be as commonplace in anime as they are in western media, but few are as notorious as the unfinished High School of the Dead. When a zombie pandemic strikes without warning around the world and society collapses, a group of largely high school students bands together to do their best to survive. At the same time, though, they’re dealing with a threat just as dangerous: their own hormones and how that can affect their relationships.
I will be blunt about this: if you’re looking for something that’s thought-provoking and deep, then Hight School of the Dead is not for you. It’s an anime that focuses almost as much time on the fanservice from the beautiful girls as it does on the sheer blood and gore and trying to be edgy. However, it also knows what it is and makes no attempts to hide that from the viewers. If you’re looking for a show filled Evil Dead levels of ridiculous violence, then this might be worth your time.
Or…you can watch this instead.
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
A show that came out this year, Zom 100 is essentially the anti-High School of the Dead. Like HOTD, the world falls victim to a zombie apocalypse that leaves everyone struggling to survive. Whereas HOTD seems cynical and jaded about the whole thing, the main characters of Zom 100 treat it like the best thing that’s ever happened to them. Considering how miserable they were in their lives before it happened, though, they all agree that this is much better.
I’ve already talked about this show extensively in my reviews of each episode, so I won’t explain much of why I think it’s binge-worthy for Halloween here. However, I must warn you that the first season is currently on hiatus due to production issues. If anything, you should still watch it and show the studios that we want it to continue!
Soul Eater
Lastly, we have the supernatural dark fantasy, Soul Eater. Set in a world filled with witches and other supernatural entities, Soul Eater follows the exploits of three teams from the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a school headed by Death himself to protect the world from evil. To do this, some groups of people can transform themselves into living weapons capable of being wielded by their partners called Meisters. If they grow strong enough, they can become a weapon capable of being wielded by Death.
Soul Eater is, for all intents and purposes, what would happen if Tim Burton were to create his own anime. In fact, Tim Burton is often cited as a major source of inspiration for the gothic style and tone of Soul Eater, with critics and fans making positive comparisons to his works like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Given that film’s status as a classic Halloween/Christmas film, it’s only fitting that this anime be watched around Halloween. Not to mention there is a Soul Eater AMV that runs to a cover of “This is Halloween” on YouTube.
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