Anime

What a Musical Battle

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 8 Review

DanDaDan is at its best when its doing one thing: embracing chaos. And it has seen a lot of chaos so far. From escaping perverted aliens to fighting a Loch Ness monster in a flooded pocket dimension, where there is chaos, the show thrives. But this episode might be among the strangest and most chaotic things that DanDaDan has done to date. And it all has to do with Ken and Aira using angry musical ghosts to train.

Musical Chaos

Having grown frustrated at not being able to stop the Evil Eye, Ken and Aira opt to train under Turbo Granny. Unfortunately, her idea of “training” involves them fighting the Music Room Portraits. They’re beings created from people’s fears of their freaky paintings, and they will kill anyone who plays music badly in front of them. As a result, Okarun and Aira are forced to fight them in an increasingly chaotic battle.

I will be blunt: I find it very hard to accurately describe what is going in this episode. From the teens having to dodge musical notes to the portraits creating a domain expansion and summoning armies of clones to fight, it’s the sort of thing that has to be seen to be fully appreciated. It’s these kinds of moments when DanDaDan is at its absolute best, as it gives the story the chance to run wild with its imagination. As usual, Science Saru does a superb job of bringing the chaos to life, going evern further by having the entire fight set in monochrome, with only Okarun and Aira’s ghost forms providing color.

The main focus of the training, though, is to help the pair find their sense of rhythm in battle. I don’t really understand it, but the whole point is to get Okarun to tap more into Turbo Granny’s powers. And when you’re into a song that makes you want to get up and move, you’d be surprised to know what rhythm you gain.

It ends up working in the end. Aira holds her own against the music portraits even after they grow to the size of Titans. Which, by the way, gave me Attack on Titan vibes!

And by the end, Okarun is able to move faster than he was before. And according to Turbo Granny, there’s still plenty more of her power that he has yet to tap into. Assuming he doesn’t die along the way. TG admits that she didn’t care if he or Aira didn’t survive her training. Which makes it feel like karma when she accidentally riles the portraits up a second time by accident.

Let the Rematch Begin!

Meanwhile, things aren’t looking good at the Ayase house. After the recent scare, Seiko’s apprentice is insisting that it’s not safe to keep Jiji bonded to the Evil Eye and wants to call the Hayashi back. All of this is taking a toll on poor Jiji, who feels guilty about putting everyone in danger. It’s not his fault the Evil Eye is doing this. His kindness led him to want to save the ghost in the first place. He shouldn’t have to feel bad about wanting to help someone who deserves it. But he can’t do it alone.

And that brings us to the end of the episode. Having leveled up from training, Okarun comes back to the Ayase house with one purpose and one purpose alone: to fight the Evil Eye.

Next episode is going to be straight fire, people. That’s all that I have to say. Straight. Fire. I can hardly wait!!!! You can do it, Okarun! Which is also the name of this episode!

I Give “You can do it, Okarun” a 4.5/5

Heavy Metal Hayashis, Maid Cafes, and Evil Paintings, oh my!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep. 6 & 7 Review

So, since I was at a convention last week, I was unable to watch the new episode of DanDaDan. So, I’m combining my review for the last two episodes since they both continue the Evil Eye Arc! And as we have already seen multiple times by now, the Evil Eye is a problem, and will continue to be a problem until it’s gotten under control. But since Jiji is such a good person, that means that the family is going to have to do things the hard way. And as these two episodes demonstrate, this ragtag group has very much become a family.

So, after Jiji almost lets the Evil Eye out thanks to some room-temperature soy sauce, it becomes apparent that the Family can’t keep going like this. Fortuntately, the Hayashi that Seiko sent for arrive…and they double as a heavy metal band! In some cultures, music is said to have mystical properties and can banish supernatural evils, but this takes it to a whole new level! As a casual fan of heavy metal myself, I wholeheartedly approve of this creative decision. Especially since the anime does a great job of giving us the private concert that manga readers have waited years to see!

One might think that having Jiji decide to not exorcise the Evil Eye would make that entire scene pointless, but it wasn’t. It was a good source of entertainment, which is what stories are supposed to do. Plus, it’s likely that we’ll see the band again in a future arc. Until then, though, the group has to keep watching Jiji while they train to get stronger to stop the Evil Eye.

In all honesty, though, we can’t really fault Jiji for feeling sympathy for the Evil Eye. After what they went through in life, many people would end up as angry and vengeful as that yokai has become. This also isn’t the first time that a teenager has opted to try and befriend a demonic being calling their body home, either. Granted, Yuji never could get Sukuna on his side, but Naruto was able to win over Kurama the Nine-Tailed Fox, so there’s hope! Not that it doesn’t make it any easier when Jiji nearly loses control again and almost kills Momo. The look of guilt on his face is overwhelming. That is the look of someone who thinks they’re a burden and a monster. But more on that later; let’s talk about Momo’s new job!

MAID-O BEAM!!!

In light of the recent damage to her home, Momo has come to the decision that she needs to get a part-time job to help pay for repairs. That’s when her two gyaru friends come in clutch and land her one at a nearby cafe. However, they also do two things. Firstly, they mischeviously drag (literally drag) Okarun there while she’s working to embarass the two of them. Secondly, they neglect to tell her that this cafe in particular…is a maid cafe.

It takes a certain level of confidence to work in a restaruant that requires its employees to wear potentially embarassing attire. Normally, Momo has that kind of confidence down pat. When she’s forced to work in front Okarun, her mutual crush, though, it’s likely one of the most embarassing moments of her life up to that point! Anyone who has had the misfortune of being on the clock when their crush walks in on them can relate! Still, it does feel like it’s worth it when the two end up walking back to the Ayase home together. Sadly, this is also when the incident with the Evil Eye happens again, meaning it’s back to the seriousness.

The fact of the matter is that at this time, none of the Family can hold a candle to the Evil Eye. If they want to win, they need to get stronger fast, especially Okarun. Surprisingly, Turbo Granny proves quite forthcoming about ways to tap into her power more, bringing him to his school after dark, with Aira following out of curiosity/she’s simping for Okarun. She talks about having to maintain a steady rhythm or something during combat and how slow Okarun is. That matter can wait, though, as they have to fight haunted paintings.

…Wait, haunted paintings? Oh dear!

I Give “We Became a Family” and “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” a 4/5 and 3.5/5

Mike McFarland Has Cancer. Needs Help NOW!

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

This is a priority alert to all Dragon Ball fans. Mike McFarland needs our help now more than ever as he is going to be fighting for his life. I repeat, Master Roshi’s life is in danger.

This past January, we broke the news that Mike McFarland, best known for being the main dub VA for the OG dirty old man of anime, Master Roshi, had undergone surgery. A checkup at the hospital for what he thought was an ear infection revealed that he actually had a brain tumor. They got the tumor out, but McFarland had a tough road to recovery ahead of him. Thousands of people donated on GoFundMe to help him out, and it looked like that was the end of that.

It wasn’t. A few days ago, the GoFundMe was updated. The tumor was glioblastoma, a rare and extremely aggressive form of brain cancer. The prognosis is…I don’t even want to bring it up here. It’s that bad.

According to the organizer, Mike had to go back to the hospital after an attempt at assisted living, but that’s no longer an option. In order to fight this battle, he’ll need to move into a fulltime nursing facility. That will cost a lot of money every month. That is where we come in. It is up to us to make up for the failings of the healthcare system. Master Roshi needs us now more than ever!

So please, if you have any spare money lying around, consider donating it to help Mike McFarland. Master Roshi was the OG mentor of Shonen anime, and an inspiration for many since then. Also, we just lost Toriyama last year. I refuse to lose another member of the Funimation dub team so soon!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mike-mcfarlands-road-to-recovery

Jiji 1/2 Needs an Exorcism

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 5 Review

Well, somehow the gang managed to pull it off. They defeated the Kito Family, killed their pet Death Worm, and saved the village of Byakuja from being destroyed by a volcano. That’s the good news, though. The bad news is that Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye, the yokai that’s so far into its crash-out that it won’t be satisfied until it’s killed all of humanity. And because they can’t get rid of it yet, the entire gang is going to have to work 24/7 to keep it under control as we enter into the next arc of the series: The Evil Eye Arc.

This is going to be stressful for everyone involved.

The episode starts off as Manjiro and the Ayase’s attempting to exorcise the Evil Eye from Jiji (who’s secured inside Taro) as everyone watches. Much to their irritation, though, the yokai is so angry that it refuses to leave Jiji or move on to the afterlife. When it becomes clear that nothing’s working, they’re left with only one option: head home and keep Jiji sealed inside Taro until they figure out a plan.

Dang Failed Exorcism

Upon returning home and reuniting with Aira (who wasn’t happy about being left behind), Seiko apologizes to everyone for what’s happened. If she had gone with them in the first place, they might not be in this mess. Therefore, it’s up to her to help Jiji, but even she can’t do it alone. So they’re going to have to hire Hayashi (musicians that exorcise spirits and yokai). In the meantime, Taro attempting to eat some Oden winds up revealing a temporary solution to their Evil Eye problem. When Jiji’s splashed with hot liquids, he turns back into himself. But when he gets hit by cold liquids, the Evil Eye takes over and will go back to trying to kill everyone.

So, for the time being, the gang will have to watch Jiji with thermos’ full of hot water on hand. It’s not foolproof, but it’s better than making Taro serve as a living prison for the poor teenager. Easier said than done, though. Skipping ahead to the end of the episode, we see that all it takes is for a single drop of soy sauce to get on him for the Evil Eye to come back.

If there’s an analogy for this situation, it would like someone being asked to guard a nuclear bomb that is armed and could go off at any given moment.

Yet, despite everything, life goes on.

Life Goes On

Part of the beauty of DanDaDan is that it’s not just a Shonen action series. It’s about teen romance, with the mess that comes with it. By now, it’s clear that Momo and Okarun have some sort of feelings for each other. So, seeing them try to figure out what they are to each other is just adorable, giving us cute moments like this.

https://twitter.com/DandanShots/status/1950958635200475279

As for Aira, though, she’s now reaping the cost of her own actions. After confessing to spreading lies about Momo getting around, she’s gone from school idol to pariah. However, it’s for the best. If people only liked her for her good looks, then they don’t know her at all. She’s found real friends in Momo and Okarun. Speaking of which, she and Okarun move in with the Ayase’s until they fix Jiji.

Mantis Shrimp and Chiqi are here to Stay!

The best part, though, is the return of Mantis Shrimp and the introduction of his son. Due to the cow they got being unsuitable for survival on their planet, Mantis opted to move to Earth for his son’s sake. And they’re right next door to the Ayase’s!

More importantly, though, is how quickly the teens take a liking to Chiqi. Some of the funniest background scenes involve Aira just gushing over the boy’s cuteness, and I can’t blame her. The kid deserves his own plushie!

It’s nice to see that the show’s sense of humor remains as fresh as ever. Considering the headache that the Evil Eye will be, it does a good job of balancing out the drama and action with comedy. Like this!

The mangaka and writers are hilarious.

By the way, this episode reveals what happened to the Kito’s. They got their just desserts and hauled off to prison, with the sole exception of their matriarch. Who also happens to be a being called a Subterranean who’s now out for Momo’s blood. Move on, woman!

Great episode, though. Really great!

I Give “We Can All Stay There Together” a 4.5/5

How I Pulled Out a Giant Worm to Stop a Volcano

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 4 Review

The phrase “out of the frying pan, into the fire” is often used to describe a bad situation getting worse. But what do you call it when the fire in question is an exploding volcano? A nightmare waiting to happen, that’s what! Just when Momo thinks she’s in the clear after killing the giant death worm, it turns out there was some merit to all those stories about it and the volcano. Now, she has to save Byakuja village from destruction while also dealing with both the Evil Eye and the angry Kito Family. And she doesn’t have Okarun or Turbo Granny to help her! *gulp*.

The Kito Family SUCKZ!!!

So, as soon as the Tshuchinoko, AKA the Mongolian Death Worm, drops dead, the volcano near Byakuja village starts to go off. As Momo is dumbfounded, the matriarch of the Kito Family starts going off about how they were right the whole time and that the Worm was the only thing saving the village from death. But then Momo, being the smart girl that she is, remembers the story that Manjiro, the priest at the shrine, told her about the monster. The story goes that when the volcano blew its stack, a dragon would rise from the ground and cast a rainbow as the lava destroyed everything. But the Worm couldn’t go aboveground without dying in the sun! That’s when she realized something: the whole time, the story had been referring to the geysers that erupt when a volcano is about to erupt.

In other words, not only had the Kito family gotten it wrong this whole time, but they had been sacrificing people for centuries for no reason! So, Momo decides enough is enough, and opts to make sure the story never comes true. Using her powers, she proceeds to turn the dead worm into a firehose and use it to stop the lava from hitting the village. However, instead of admitting their wrongdoing and taking the L, the Kito Family insists on doubling down by trying to kill Momo.

When you think about it, this whole story about Byakuja village is so sad. The Kito Family’s ignorance led them to kill dozens, if not hundreds of people, for no reason. The Evil Eye never had to be created in the first place! Admittedly, though, it’s funny seeing the Family continuing to think they were in the right, because they can’t stand the idea of someone else being the hero. And to make matters worse, the Evil Eye shows up and continues trying to kill everyone present! It must have been so cathartic for the yokai to hit the monsters responsible for its suffering! Thankfully, though, the cavalry shows up to save the day in time.

The Cavalry is Here!

As it turns out, Manjiro is actually a student of Momo’s grandmother, who had called him in advance to say that the quartet had been coming to help. But since that went south and Manjiro couldn’t handle the Evil Eye on his own, Granny Seiko had to step in, and she brought backup. Taro, the living mannequin, Mr. Mantis Shrimp in his UFO, and even his son, Chiquitita, show up to help resolve the situation. It should also be noted that Chiqui (my nickname for him) is super sweet, singing while he pilots his dad’s starship and quickly befriending Momo.

With everyone’s help, the group is able to seal away the Evil Eye inside of Taro, whose insides Seiko covered with seals to surpress its energy. Chiquitita takes over putting out the fire, and even helps Momo rescue Okarun and Turbo Granny from what’s left of the house. Thankfully, the worm goop they got stuck in was lavaproof, saving their lives and leading to Momo giving Okarun a well-deserved hug.

This Could be a Problem

As good as it is to know that the Tsuchinoko can’t eat anyone else and that they stopped the volcano, there are two things that prevent this episode from being a wholly happy ending. Firstly, where did the Kito family go? They seemed to have dropped off the radar amidst all the chaos, meaning they’re likely still out there. They need to face justice for their crimes before they hurt anyone else! Secondly, Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye. Sympathetic as their backstory might be, they can’t stay in poor Jiji. They need to either be exorcised, talked down, or persuaded to move on to the afterlife! Sadly, that will have to wait until the next episode. At least anime-only watchers can rest a little easier knowing that giant worm is gone!

I Give “That’s, Like, Way Deadly!” a 4/5

White. Tiger. Power. ‘Nuff Said

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The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 4 Review

The duel for Naofumi’s freedom has begun. After losing all patience with the leadership of Siltvelt for not giving him a ship to get to Q’Ten Lo, Naofumi’s decided to force the issue. Fohl and Atla will fight Jaralis and his champion in a duel on his behalf, and if they win, Siltvelt will stop stalling. But if he loses, he’ll be stuck in Silvelt and forced to have an unwanted harem of Demi-Humans and Beastmen. While that’s already enough motivation for the siblings to win, they have another motive. Fohl has a score to settle with Jaralis regarding what happened to their late father on the day he died, and he will have his answers and his justice.

Fohl and Atla’s Lineage!

Starting with their introduction in the previous season, Shield Hero has been dropping hints that there’s something about Atla and Fohl that’s special. It’s not just the fact that they’re Half-Human or their incredible strength and will. The fact that Trash, who has a grudge against Demi-Humans, was so nice to them was a big hint that they’re special. As these last few episodes have revealed, there’s a good reason for that: by blood, they’re Siltveltian royalty.

Their father (whom I’m not sure ever gets a name-dropped) was the son of Tyran, the late king of the Hakuko, one of Siltvelt’s greatest military leaders, and the arch-enemy to Trash of Melromarc. While hewas every bit as skilled a leader and warrior, though, Tyran’s son didn’t like war, leading to him being disowned by his father. After that, he met and married his wife (who is important for her own reasons), had Fohl and Atla, only to be forced to fight in another war alongside Jaralis and die on the battlefield. His family lost everything after that, with his wife dying of illness, his kids having to give everything to their staff, and selling themselves into slavery so Fohl could pay for Atla’s medicine.

Jaralis is a Low-Class Hater

And despite Jaralis trying to claim to Fohl’s face that their father died a coward, the boy knows right away that he’s lying. So the lion just admits the truth: he murdered their father in cold blood.

Everyone watching should’ve already figured out by now that Jaralis is scum; so much so that the anime wasn’t able to fully capture all the things that make him scum. For example, that incident where Naofumi was almost assaulted by all those beastwomen in the bath? That was likely his idea! That’s strike one! Strike two was him trying to poison Naofumi and his party, and then doing everything he can to deny it like he’s Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. And if you’ve read Allen Blaster’s Shield Hero fanfic, then we see much earlier how slimy he is. But this is the moment where goes from being a slimeball to a hater of the pettiest degree. The man hated the Hakuko siblings’ dad because he was everything he wasn’t: kind, charismatic, and so good at being a leader that even when Jaralis deliberately put him in a position to be killed, he still won. So he pulled a Scar from The Lion King and just killed him himself!

And just like Scar, Jaralis doesn’t play fair. He must have known Fohl could beat him, because he coats his weapons in poison to paralyze him. When that doesn’t work, he dopes himself on a drug that turns him into a giant, four-legged lion. And when that still fails, he resorts to flat-out calling in some thugs to kill everyone, dropping all pretenses of a duel. The man is a hater!

Villain Rule One: Never Monologue

Jaralis, though, managed to make a classic villain mistake: he monologued and told Fohl everything. Between hearing how Jaralis killed his dad, and being pushed into a corner, Fohl gets the push he needs to unlock new power. He manages to transform into a full-on Beastman Hakuko. He looks like a white tiger god!!

As bad as the situation looks, fans should know that Naofumi and the others aren’t in any real danger. Jaralis is the kind of villain who thinks they’re hot stuff, but in truth, is a chump. He has to resort to using drugs, poison, and brute strength to fight a kid, and he can’t even do that. The Shield Hero team can handle him no problem. What fans should care more about is getting to see what Fohl can do in his El Tigre Blanco form. It could end up being what gives him a leg up on his sister! That will have to wait until next week’s episode, though, but we should be in for a satisfying beatdown.

I Give “Entrusted Power” a 4/5

It’s Official: Atla is terrifying!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 3 Review

Ever since Naofumi arrived in Silvelt, I have been very consistent in my opinion about the country: it’s a fan club that is also a nation. Everyone in Siltvelt worships the Shield Hero and would jump at the chance to help them. But like any large fandom, there are going to be toxic elements. The worst of them are the fans who claim to support what they want, but are really trying to manipulate it for their own ends. And having seen how the leaders of Siltvelt are acting, Atla puts on her Tims and gives the adults the verbal beating they deserve.

Atla Grills All the Adults

As we saw in the last episode, someone tried to poison Naofumi and his party, though everyone knows that it was Jaralis who did it. However, instead of arresting him on the spot, the leaders of Siltvelt went back to arguing amongst themselves. That is when Atla finally reaches the limits and proceeds to crash out and tells them the truth: THEY ALL SUCK.

What follows is three minutes of a child proceeding to verbally tear a bunch of foolish adults a new one, and it is glorious. And in keeping with the fandom analogy, she’s basically the one who’s calling out everyone for making that which they claim to love so unwelcoming to others. Having seen and heard stories about how toxic the fanbases of certain franchises have gotten, it’s nice to see someone not letting something similar slide. And if you thought Atla was cool in the anime, that’s nothing. She starts aura-farming so hard, she breaks the floor underneath her while Naofumi sees the figure of an angry tiger forming around her! PURE EPIC!!

Yet despite everything, and despite Naofumi getting the cook for breakfast to admit being told to use poison, what does Jaralis do? Lying through his teeth.

Jaralis Suckz!!

One would think that the end of the world would be a good motivator for people to put aside their wants and needs. However, the stupidity of some people cannot be so easily cured. In this case, Jaralis outright says that the Waves the world is facing are not the ones of legend, and that Naofumi isn’t the real shield hero. It’s like watching Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. The man will lie straight to people’s faces to get what he wants! It also doesn’t help that the Lion is a racist who continually belittles Atla for being half-human.

As this episode makes abundantly clear, Atla and Fohl are hybrids. Their father was a White Tiger, but their mother was human. And a very important human, at that. However, the fact that Jaralis, a grown man, is willing to play the “hybrid” card on children, just shows how pathetic he truly is. And he’s not going to let this go anytime soon.

So, Atla decides to pull up and put him in his place. She challenges Jaralis to a duel.

Let the Duel Begin!

If you’ll recall, Naofumi once fought a duel against Motoyasu over the matter of Raphtalia’s freedom, completely ignoring the fact that she was a slave in name only and was choosing to serve him out of her free will. This time, though, the terms are simpler. Atla and Fohl will fight on Naofumi’s behalf against Jaralis and a champion of Siltvelt. If they win, the Council will give them their ride to Q’ten Lo and let them go on their way. However, if they lose, not only will Naofumi have to stay in Siltvelt…he’ll have to form a harem.

ATLA, FOHL, YOU HAD BETTER NOT LOSE!!!

Naofumi’s chastity aside, this fight is just as important to Fohl as it is to his leader. He’s got questions for Jaralis, and he will get answers.

Grab some popcorn! This will be good!

I Give “A True People” 3.5/5

DEATH TO THE GIANT WORMS!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 3 Review

Well, this is certainly a pickle! It was already bad enough that Okarun, Momo, Jiji and Turbo Granny were trapped underground with a giant worm cryptid. Then they had to contend with a yokai borne from the hatred of the Kito family’s sacrifices. And to top it off, that yokai has now possessed Jiji and turned him into a force of nature bent on killing them all! Fortunately for Momo, Ken is capable of fighting the Evil Eye while Momo works to find a way to take down the giant worm.

Having managed to possess Jiji, the Evil Eye wastes no time in showing just how powerful it truly is, putting Okarun on the defensive and forcing him to flee with Momo in tow. However, it’s not because he can’t win, as the next round proves. It’s because he prioritizes Momo’s safety over his own like a gentleman. Thanks to him, Momo is able to escape the pit to find a way to get them all out before the Tsuchinoko kills them.

With Momo out of the way, Okarun and the Evil Eye can fight for real. Admitedly, though, their fight isn’t as visually impressive as the other fights we’ve seen in the series thus far. Though, to be fair, it might be because it’s not as long as other fights are. Both of them run out of steam due to the poison in the area, meaning they can’t fight to the fullest. It makes up for it, though, by doing two things. Firstly, the Evil Eye lets Aleks Le flex his Jin-woo muscles. Secondly, the way that Ken Takakura rallies would make Jotaro Kujo proud.

Too bad Okarun’s cool moment doesn’t last long. When he tries to save Turbo Granny, he winds up getting stuck in whatever gunk the Worm spews out of itself. Now they’re both trapped. Luckily, Momo has a foolproof plan to get rid of the worm: burning down the cursed house!

Burnin’ Down the House!

While Okarun and Jiji are doing battle, Momo finds out that it’s all but impossible to get them a means to climb out of the pit. Thus, she changes tactics to killing the Tsuchinoko. It can’t take the Sun’s UV rays, so by luring it above ground before sunset, it’ll kill itself. So she burns down the house.

It turns out that worms breathe through their skin, which is why they crawl up to the surface when it rains; otherwise, they’ll drown. And by calling the fire department, she’s able to have the ground soaked in enough water. And thanks to her quick thinking, the monster is forced to the surface, where it shrivels up and dies, just like nature intended. It may not be the most climactic way to finish things, but there was no way Momo could beat the Death Worm in a straight-up fight.

Sadly, after the worm dies, it expels the last things that it ate: the very-much alive Kito Family, who aren’t happy about what Momo did. And to top it off, the part about it being connected to the volcano was true. Now the mountain’s blowing up and threatening to destroy the village.

How do we stop a volcano?

This was a good episode, overall. I wish that we had gotten more time to see Okarun and the Evil Eye fight, but something tells me that more of that coming in future episodes. For now, though, how is Momo going to stop the volcano and save her friends? And, yes, that includes Turbo Granny. That look on her face when Ken tries to save her is enough to qualify her as such.

I Give “You Won’t Get Away With This!” a 3.5/5

For the Last Time, NAOFUMI DOESN’T WANT A HAREM!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 2 Review

It’s only been one day since Naofumi and his party arrived in Siltvelt, and he’s already growing sick of the place. His only goal right now is to get to Q’Ten Lo and stop them from coming after him and Raphtalia. However, Siltvelt’s leaders seemed determined to keep him in their country for as long as possible; likely forever! And as the follow-up episode demonstrates, the leaders of Siltvelt will play dirty to make sure that that happens. Fortunately, Naofumi has a zero-tolerance policy for red tape and stalling, and when one of the country’s leaders tries to make a move, he decides to put them all on the OPP’s list unless they give him what he wants.

You got to admire someone who refuses to deal with baloney.

Before we get started, let’s back up to the season premiere. A few days before it premiered, I remembered I had the light novels that this season should be covering on my smartphone. I started reading through them, and thanks to that, I’m better able to notice a few things that the anime has changed or rearranged. More importantly, it made me remember that the story established earlier than the anime that Jaralis was going to be a problem. For example, in the light novel version of his audience with Silvelt’s leaders, Jaralis starts by singing Naofumi’s praisings before twisting his words into saying that they should go out and crush all who oppose them. And then he basically ends the meeting early by having everyone walk out.

Naofumi vs. an Army of Horny Demi-Humans

Unfortunately, this episode, while rearranging the order of certain events, still meets with the same outcome: irritating Naofumi. Firstly, he’s told that his party must stay in a separate bedroom while he sleeps in one meant for royalty. It’s clearly an attempt to separate him from those he trusts. It’s only thanks to his insistence that Raph-Chan stay with him that it falls through.

And it’s a good thing that Raphy (Raph-Chan’s name in the dub). Without her, he might not have made it through what happens next with his chastity intact.

While the light novel doesn’t have the water laced with aphrodisiacs and the women were waiting in advance, everything else is accurate. If Raph-Chan hadn’t been there for backup and to call Raphtalia, Naofumi would’ve had his chastity stolen that night. Not lost, stolen. And considering what Witch did to him messed him up so bad he’s all but sworn a life of celibacy, this experience was one giant trauma button for him. Needless to say, his blow-up at Werner is more than justified.

Atla and Fohl are more important than you realize

Unfortunately for Naofumi, the rest of his experience in Siltvelt isn’t any more productive. He’s forced to attend parties, banquets, and other social gatherings in his honor, all while listening to the elites trying to outdo themselves in their efforts to glaze him. He doesn’t buy it for a second, and the longer they stall, the more Naofumi decides to just figure things out on his own.

Thankfully, this is where Fohl and Atla manage to come in handy.

I’m not sure how much of their story has been revealed thus far in the anime, but Fohl and Atla are not ordinary Demi-Humans. They are part of the Hakuko, AKA the white tigers. Years ago, they had been one of the four most powerful races of Demi-Humans in Siltvelt, and their father had been a prominent leader. However, when Siltvelt lost the war against Melromarc, and they lost their parents, the Hakuko fell from power. And we know how Naofumi found them.

In any case, though, the siblings still have allies in Siltvelt. Through them, Naofumi starts making his own plans to get to Q’ten Lo, since it’s clear the country is useless to him. But then something happens that makes everyone leading the country into an OPP: someone tries to poison Naofumi and his party.

Jaralis did it. We all know he did it!

Well, to be fair, it’s Jaralis who did it. The smug look on his face says it all. However, when Jaralis and Werner continue to be at each other’s throats, Naofumi decides that this farce has gone on long enough. In a rather surprising twist, though, he’s not the one to start blowing off. It’s Atla.

This should be interesting to watch. That girl is Naofumi’s number one stan, so seeing her get mad at the people in charge of Siltvelt should be entertaining. Still, it’s a little frustrating to see multiple scenes from the light novel get removed from the anime. But the plus side is that this makes me look forward to seeing what will happen when Allen Blaster’s fanfic gets to this point!

I give “Official Welcome” a 3.5/5

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle Premieres Sept 2025 in US

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

Friday, September 12th, 2025. Anime fans, mark your calendars, clear your schedule that day, and be prepared to head to movie theaters. Demon Slayer is coming back to theaters for its endgame.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has been one of the most popular Shonen anime of the last six years, earning critical acclaim and fans around the world. And it’s not hard to see why. Between the characters, music, and god-tier animation, Demon Slayer lives up to the hype. It even managed to have the highest-grossing film in 2020 with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. Five years later, it looks like history is about to repeat itself as the series approaches its climax.

Fans have known for a year now that Demon Slayer would be wrapping up its story on the big screen rather than with a new season. The Final Battle arc, split into the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown, demands no less than that. And Aniplex is splitting everything up into three movies just to make sure they cover all their bases. While the first film should already be out in Japan, Americans will have to wait another two months. And it looks as though it will be released both subbed and dubbed.

Anime has pretty much gone mainstream at this point thanks to the efforts of fans and streaming services, but that doesn’t mean we should be lax when it comes to promoting this film. If we really want to give Demon Slayer the send-off it deserves, then we need to start preparing. Make plans with friends. Coordinate with your local cosplay groups. Make sure that when the time comes, every seat in whatever theater is showing Demon Slayer is filled. Having all three films break box office records in America would be a massive win for us, and I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to see that it happens!