The following is an emergency announcement from the D&A Anime Blog concerning an important member of the Dragon Ball community.
Less than a year ago, the world of anime wept at the loss of Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. Now, another prominent member of the anime community is in need of our help: Mike McFarland.
For those who arenโt aware, Mike McFarland is a veteran voice actor with more than 400 roles to his credit. The one we should concern ourselves with the most, though, is one of the OG conossseuirs of Waifus, Master Roshi. And right now, heโs in trouble.
Earlier this week, Colleen Clinkenbeard revealed on Twitter that Mike went to the hospital for what he thought was a bad ear infection. Instead, it turned out to be a brain tumor that the doctors had to get out of him. Thankfully, the operation was successful, and Mike is out of the hospital and recovering. However, with that comes another problem: paying the bills. He will need someone to stay with him until he is fully recovered, which wonโt be cheap. That is why Brandon McInnis and J. Michael Tatum have set up a gofundme page to help the man cover his medical fees. Fortunately, the fundraiser has already met its goalโฆbut some extra money cannot hurt.
Many Dragon Balls are still mourning the loss of Toriyama a year ago, and Iโm still saddened by the loss of Rachael Lillis in that same year. So, the fact that the man who gives Master Roshi life facing something so scary is too much to bear. Fans of Dragon Ball and anime need to do whatever they can to help a man who plays one of the OG Shonen mentors in his time of need. And if this winds up being more serious than doctors first thought, we need to ensure that he has enough money for further care.
Dragon Ball is the template for the modern Shonen manga, and that means most mangaka learned from its successes as well as its shortcomings. And one of the franchiseโs biggest shortcomings has to be how Goku comes to outshine almost every other character. Thatโs expected since heโs the main protagonist, but at some point, the franchiseโs default strategy for dealing with the big bads became โwait for Goku.โ Even TeamFourStar pointed this fact out in their abridged series. Thankfully, the franchise has started to learn from this in recent years by giving other characters the chance to show what they can do. And with Goku reduced to chibi-sized for the duration of Daima, his party can show that theyโre not just there to keep Goku on the right path. They can fight, too, as Supreme Kai proves in this episode!
So I was Wrong about the Plane
At the end of the last episode, I speculated that Kibito’s prescence had something to do with Shin’s plane not working. However, it was something simpler. A rock used for the energy converter isn’t working, thereby making the plane useless. Which also makes me question why they even bothered to have it? Thankfully, Hybis, one of King Kadam’s men, shows up to give them a ride. Before the episode’s out, the team of Hybis, Bulma, Vegeta, and Piccolo have made it to the Demon Realm. Kibito stayed behind to watch the Lookout with Popo.
Honestly, this is much better than having to wait longer to see how Bulma and the others make it to the Demon Realm. Even better, it solves the issue of not having the right pin # for Mr. Warp. Way to think on your feet, Toei!
Meanwhile, Goku’s party continues to have a string of bad luck as the Gendermerie return looking for Goku. He’s able to elude them thanks to his Instant Transmission, but then they try to arrest Panzy because they (rightfully) suspect her for attacking them in that village. Another fight ensues, and the trio of Goku, Shin, and Glorio proceed to beat everyone unconcious. However, their plane gets destroyed in the process, once again hindering their travels…
…is what you’d think I’d say! However, they find an extra Gendermerie plane and decide to steal that instead. As a bonus, this will mean that fewer people will try to stop them.
This fight, while nowhere near as epic as what we’re used to in Dragon Ball, is still good. The reason being that, unlike in most cases, Goku can’t handle everything on his own. For the first time since he was a kid, he’s in a position where he has to rely on his friends to help. And after years of being considered weak compared to the Saiyans, Shin reminds us just why he’s a Supreme Kai in the first place. He may be young by his race’s standards, but he’s still fairly capable.
As if to highlight the greater emphasis Shin has in this series, the next thing that he does is get rid of the collar Panzy’s forced to wear around her neck. The series already implied it, but this episode confirms that the collars the Third Demon World resident’s wear suppress their magic and can be used as tracking devices. Dr. Arinsu created them back during Dabura’s reign, so this is something that’s been going on for a longtime. It further emphasizes how unfair a place the Demon Realm is, and that it’s high time for a regime change. Given how this is a Shonen series, there’s a good chance that by the time Daima ends, those collars will be a thing of the past. Especially since Shin tells Panzy that the magic he used to break her collar can be used by anyone. Shin and Panzy could be the key to liberating the people of the Demon Realm in the near future!
In addition, this episode also reveals Shin’s true Glind name, Nahare. Just like Goku has his Saiyan name, Shin has a Glind name. Neat!
The series is now seven episodes in, but it feels like the pacing hasn’t picked up at all, though that’s about to change. The episode ends with Goku and the others making it to the first of the Tamagami warriors that guard this dimension’s Dragon Balls so that he can fight them. Given what the preview for the next episode has to say, it looks like we’re in for a good fight. And while I don’t doubt the strength of the Tamagami…it’s Goku. The man is going to fight actual gods in the near future, can solo most characters in all of fiction, and has fought Superman three different times. He may not have won any of those fights, but he did put the Man of Steel through his paces. He can handle the Tamagami.
During the spooky season of the year, I like to ignore my usual tendency to avoid horror and find things freak me out. The problem is that there’s still that upper limit of what I can tolerate before I get too scared to sleep. I’ve gotten better at pushing that limit as I’ve gotten older, but that’s just made me look for even scarier things. And whether by fate or by coincidence, I managed to learn about Uzumaki, a mini-series on Toonami and based on a popular manga that people said would be terrifying.
They were not lying. I watched all of Uzumaki, and it’s one of the scariest things I’ve seen in years. An absolute cosmic horror from which there seems to be no escape.
A Horror a Quarter-Century in the Making
An anime twenty-five years in the making, Uzumaki was published as a short manga from 1998-1999 by mangaka Junji Ito. For those who don’t know who that is, calling him the “Stephen King of Japan” should be enough of a hint. Set in the fictional, Japanese town of Kurouzu-Cho, Uzumaki tells the story of high-school couple Shuichi and Kirie as a mysterious curse related to spirals (Uzumaki literally means ‘Spiral’ in Japanese) begins to corrupt the town. And the longer it goes on, the worse it gets as the town is slowly transformed by something that no one can fully explain, but everyone comes to fear.
The Uzumaki is Everywhere
One would think that a curse involving something simple as spirals wouldn’t be so scary, but if there’s one thing that I’ve learned watching this, it’s that Junji Ito can find a way to make things scary. And as the anime demonstrates, he made spirals pretty scary.
From the first few seconds of the anime, you are inundated with the image of uzumaki, both real and imaginary, in the form of the clouds in the sky to the bark on a tree to even some blades of grass. Things only escalate from there. As the anime progresses, viewers and people in-universe will start to see uzumaki in everything. Even the very inhabitants of the town start to morph and transform into grotesque abominations to conform to the spiral. Before long, you’ll be sharing in the paranoia of Shuichi, the first guy to realize something’s wrong yet refuses to get out while he can because of his family and girlfriend.
The brilliant part of this is the fact that the spiral is both natural and supernatural in nature. Spiral patterns are often found in nature in everything from shells to our fingerprints to even the part of our ear that helps us stay balanced. Spirals are also found in art and architecture, as though people have this unconcious desire to make things spiral-related. There’s something about them that gets people’s attention, and Uzumaki plays that up to levels that have to be seen to be believed.
Then again, that seems to be how the Uzumaki spread to engulf the town. It’s like an Internet troll demanding your attention and doing crazy things to keep it, each more outlandish than the last. You have to actively resist looking at it, but the black-and-white world it’s in makes it hard to ignore.
They Had Five Years and Still Gave us Bad Animation?
One of the big draws to this series is the fact that it’s done entirely in black-and-white. This decision, plus the way the cast’s movement is animated, gives Uzumaki the feel of a motion comic…when it works, that is. The second episode managed to get flak from people for how poorly animated parts of it were near the end, and I have to agree. I usually either don’t notice bad animation unless it’s glaringly obvious, or just ignore it in favor of the story. But when I do see it, I’m going to point it out. What makes it even worse, though, is the fact that the studios had an extra five years to get it right, and they still messed up!
Uzumaki was announced at Crunchyroll Expo 2019, and was originally supposed to premiere on Toonami in 2020. However, like many things around that time, it got delayed by COVID-19 and then the delays just kept piling up.
1) Arguably the most DISTURBING part of the show 2) Surprisingly the most saddening part of the show ,made worse when you consider the ending๐#uzumaki#anitwt#anime (๐งต) pic.twitter.com/Gwaajp2tmO
Shortcomings in animation aside, Uzumaki seems to live up to the hype surrounding this terrifying manga. There were moments that didn’t just scare me but almost made me vomit in disgust. Word of advice: do not watch this alone at night if you don’t want nightmares. Uzumaki is as scary as any big horror film that you can think of. It might even be scarier since the antagonist is something that we can’t even fully comprehend or fight back against…unless you’re the SCP Foundation.
No, I’m not joking. After watching this show, the Uzumaki curse feels like something that you would have to call in the SCP Foundation to deal with. I can even see how they would handle it!
Evacuate the remaining townsfolk via a non-standard method of transportation. Teleportation recommended as only viable means.
Adminster amenstics to the surviving townsfolk so that they no longer remember the Uzumaki curse.
Quarantine the entire town and create a false news story claiming that a disaster has rendered the area permanently uninhabitable to prevent any more victims from being taken.
Monitor the town to confirm whether or not the curse is limited to the vicinity of the town.
Or if they had someone like Takatou, they could have him kill it.
Life is a box of chocolates. You never know what youโre going to get. One day, youโre minding your own business. The next, youโre being abducted by aliens for your privates. Or a ghost possesses you and steals your junk. For Momo and Ken, though, both happened in the first episode of Dan Da Dan! Now Momo has psychic powers and Kenโs going ghost against his will, and their troubles are far from over. To get Kenโs junk back, they have to first fight another alien, and the boy has to learn how to unleash that dawg in him.
And Momo? She has to deal with the fact that her new friend has the same name as her crush.
The second episode of the series starts where the first one left off: with Momo in denial that Ken shares the same name as her actor crush. Sheโs so deep into denial that she immediately decides to call him Okarun from now on, a play on his alien otaku interests.
One of the best parts of the premiere was seeing how quickly Momo and Okarun establish their dynamic and relationship, and that trend continues in this episode. One minute, theyโll go from arguing like cats and dogs, and the next, theyโll be going out of their way to defend the other. Itโs a very passionate and complex relationship, but thatโs what makes it so enjoyable to watch. And despite how much they push each others buttons, itโs easy to see how much they care for each other.
Of course, thereโs still the matter of Okarun being possessed by Granny Turbo. Momo canโt surpress the spirit forever, and sheโs already getting close to her limit. Then, to make matters worse, the two find themselves trapped inside some kind of Domain Expansion by this giant sumo alien thatโs working for the ones they met in the first episode. They still want the pairโs bananas!
And this is where the episode absolutely cooks as Okarun learns how to let the dawg off the leash.
— Daily Dandadan (ใใณใใใณ) + News (@DailyDandadan) October 10, 2024
When Okarun learns how to go ghost and use the curse to his advantage, he finds that dawg in him, and the resulting beatdown is amazing. Dan Da Danโs animators cooked with the animation throughout the entire episode, but the moment when Okarun found his inner dawg cranked things up to eleven. And despite the Sumo alien cheating, Momo and Okarun outsmart them in a way that I think would make Joestar family proud. Unfortunately, immediately after the fight, Momo finally loses steam, and the curse of Turbo Granny fully takes over Okarun.
Now the dawg really is off the leash. Unfortunately, this is also when the episode chooses to come to a close.
Gotta be my favourite sequence of the episode. The amount of effort & personality in every shot. The way each small detailed movement flows so seemlessly together. Even the shot with the glasses. I can't put it into words but the effect of the lens felt real enough to me. ๐๐ผโฆ pic.twitter.com/zlI8bW699k
I hate cliffhangers like this because I donโt want to wait another week to find out what happens. However, the fact that I want to know what comes next now just shows how good Dan Da Dan is. And while I could just read the manga to see what happens, I wonโt. I want to enjoy it as it happens! That being said, weโre only two episodes in, and Dan Da Dan has already become one of my favorite anime of 2024. Itโs likely going to be the series that everyone will be talking about for some time to come!
When Dragon Ball Daima was announced last year at NYCC, fans were thrilled. For the first time in years, Dragon Ball would be getting a new series, and Akira Toriyama was the one who wrote it. It felt like a dream come true!
Then, in the spring of this year, the world would end up losing Toriyama. Dragon Ball Daima would be the final work that he would contribute to the world that he had created. Suddenly, it became more important than ever that Daima was a huge success. And so, the world waited with bated breath for the day when it would premiere, ready to honor the memory of a man who inspired millions of its people. Th
Iโm glad to say that Toriyama didnt disappoint with his final work. He cooked us a feast of thrills and laughs.
Since this is the first time Dragon Ball has had an anime in a while, a good portion of the premiere is devoted to getting everyone up to speed with events up to the defeat of Majin Buu. While some might see it as an issue, itโs essential for two reasons. Firstly, it establishes that this will take place before the events of Super, so no Super Saiyan God or Blue. Secondly, it introduces us to the leading antagonistic group.
Meet Gomah, Degesu, and Dr. Arinsu, the new King of the Demon Realm, the Supreme Kai of the Demon Realm, and a Core Person of the Demon Realm. While much of the rest of Universe 7 and parts of the other Universes have already gotten fleshed out, the Demon Realm has remained notably unknown until now. I think Toriyama wanted to correct that by making the primary setting of Daima, and if thatโs the case, Iโm glad he chose to do so before he died. He even gave them their own Dragon Balls and guardians to protect them, and retconned the Namekians point of origin to be from the Demon Realm. So, congrats Piccolo. Youโre now a slug alien demon!
The main plot of the episode is that Gomah has watched how powerful Goku and the others are and fears them to be a threat to his rule. So, he and Degesu (and another Namekian) travel to Earth to use the Dragon Balls to make Goku and everyone else kids so they wonโt be a threat. In essence, itโs the plot of GT but on a larger scale. By the time the credits start to roll, we can already hear everyone beginning to shrink down to the size of kids. And the kids shrinking down to the size of babies!
I know that this is supposed to be serious, but I still canโt help but find it funny. Toriyama took the plot of GT, the series that was made without his direct involvement, and made it ten times better. Thatโs essentially him saying โYouโre doing it all wrong, you guys. Let the master show you how itโs done!โ Given how Daima is meant to celebrate the franchise 40th anniversary, though, it makes sense why Toriyama would want to tell a story like this. He tried to get the series back to its roots, and it glad he got to do so before he died.
This was an excellent start to what will likely be one of the most giant anime of the year. I have no clue how long Daima will run, but I know that Iโm going to enjoy it every step of the way.
RJ Writing Ink Reacts to the Passing of James Earl Jones
D&A Anime Blog focuses on anime, but that doesn’t mean that we’re not fans of other things. Before I discovered anime, one of my favorite pastimes as a little kid was watching movies on my parents sizeable VHS collection. And two things that I loved to watch were Star Wars and the many, many animated films from Disney. Imagine my surprise years later when I learned that James Earl Jones, the man whose voice brought Darth Vader to life, voiced Mufasa in The Lion King. My mind was blown!
That just made it twice as hard on me earlier this week when I heard that he had passed away at the age of 93.
James Earl Jones, the legendary EGOT-winning actor known for roles in Star Wars, Field of Dreams, The Lion King, and more, has died aged 93. pic.twitter.com/y8aSHL8vvL
James Earl Jones wasn’t just one of the GOATs; he was a king. His career spanned seventy years, and in that time, he played roles in every entertainment medium. By the time George Lucas chose him to provide the voice that would make him a legend, he had already been acting in Shakespeare and Broadway for two decades, and he had thirteen years in film under his belt to boot. And when he spoke, it didn’t matter if he was a doctor, a navy admiral, an actual king, or the Dark Lord of the Sith. People would stop what they were doing and listened to him. That deep voice of his just had this magnetism to it that made people want to listen to what he said.
The funny part thing is, he used to have a stuttering problem as a kid. It wasn’t until he discovered the theater that he managed to overcome it. And thank heavens he did, because the world was made so much better for it.
But it wasn’t just his voice that made Jones a king in all but name. It was the way he presented himself. He gave off this air of being confident yet humble, wise but also approachable. He had the presence of a king, which showed in almost every role he played. If you were to tell me that he had been a king in a past life, I wouldn’t doubt that. That’s the kind of presence that he had, and it’s what made him one of the greatest actors of all time.
JEJ Will Live on in AI Voice
And, for better or worse, his voice in his most famous role is going to live on after he’s gone. And that’s because he wanted that.
In 2022, James Earl Jones made the decision to retire as the voice of Darth Vader. At the same time, he understood how important his voice was to making Vader who he was. So, he decided to let a Ukrainian-AI company have the rights to his voice as Darth Vader. That means they can legally use his voice for as long as they want. That doesnโt seem like much of a comfort, especially with using AI to recreate voices is considered controversial, but itโs what he chose.
This is the third time this year that Iโve had to talk about a celebrity I care about dying on this blog, and that can get to me. It doesnโt help that I do think that Toriyama and Rachael Lillis were gone too soon. Heck, James Earl Jones was 93 and I still think it was too soon for him to die! But death eventually comes for all of us, and while it may hurt, we shouldnโt let that hold us back. James Earl Jones left behind an incredible legacy, one thatโs going to be remembered for decades, maybe even centuries after weโre all gone. So, while Iโm going to be taking time to mourn, I think itโs more important to look at how much of a positive impact he had on the world. And when the time comes for us to celebrate Star Wars 50th anniversary and the remaining cast and crew reunite for the inevitable spectacle that will come from it, I know James and those who passed on will be there in spirit.
In the vibrant world of anime and manga, artists continually strive to carve out a unique space and connect deeply with an ever-growing fanbase. Achieving recognition in this dynamic industry demands more than raw talent; it requires strategic visibility, genuine community engagement, and continual learning and adaptation. Here, we explore diverse strategies to help anime and manga artists enhance their visibility and establish a strong foothold in the industry.
Participate in Fairs and Exhibitions
Participating in local art fairs, pop-up shops, and exhibitions provides invaluable opportunities for anime and manga artists to showcase their work. These events attract a diverse audience, including potential fans, collectors, and industry professionals. Engaging in such events not only increases your physical visibility but also offers networking possibilities. Displaying your art in public spaces helps build your reputation and can lead to significant career advancements.
Forge Partnerships for Wider Exposure
Collaborating with other creatives can significantly expand your reach. Partner with fellow artists, writers, or influencers to create joint projects that tap into each other’s audiences. Cross-promotion can introduce your work to new fans and build a more substantial online presence. This collaborative approach not only diversifies your portfolio but also fosters a supportive community of like-minded creatives.
Strengthen Business Skills with an MBA
If youโre planning on launching a business in the anime and manga industry, it requires a blend of creative talent and sharp business acumen. To enhance your management capabilities and strategic thinking, consider advancing your education. Opting to get an online MBA degree can equip you with critical skills in business strategy, management, and leadership. This education not only sharpens your self-awareness and self-assessment but also prepares you to navigate and thrive in the competitive marketplace.
Unify Your Brand Identity
A consistent brand identity across all platforms is crucial for creating a memorable presence. Develop a distinct style that reflects your unique approach to anime and manga. Ensure that your branding is cohesive across social media, websites, and promotional materials. Consistent branding helps your audience recognize and remember your work, establishing a strong and professional image.
Build Authority with Workshops
Offering workshops or courses is an excellent way to share your expertise and build authority within the anime and manga community. By teaching others, you position yourself as a knowledgeable and respected artist. Workshops also provide opportunities to connect with fans and aspiring artists, fostering a sense of community. Sharing your skills not only enhances your credibility but also strengthens your fan base.
Discover Untapped Markets
Exploring niche markets or underserved audiences can open up unique opportunities for anime and manga artists. Identify specific sub-genres or themes within anime and manga that are less saturated and focus on creating content for these areas. This approach can help you stand out and attract a dedicated and passionate fanbase. By catering to niche audiences, you can carve out a distinct and recognizable place in the industry.
Keep Your Portfolio Fresh
Regularly updating your portfolio with new work is essential for maintaining engagement with your audience. Continuously create and share new artwork, sketches, and short stories to keep your portfolio dynamic and exciting. A fresh and regularly updated portfolio demonstrates your growth and versatility as an artist. This practice keeps your audience interested and encourages them to keep coming back for more.
Engage with Your Audience
Actively seeking feedback and engaging with your audience is vital for fostering loyalty and improving your work. Interact with your fans on social media, ask for their input on your projects, and use their feedback to enhance your creations. Engaging with your audience builds a strong community and shows that you value their opinions. This interaction not only improves your work but also strengthens the bond with your fans.
As the anime and manga landscape continues to evolve, artists must remain adaptable and proactive in their strategies for gaining recognition. The integration of direct engagement, strategic education, and innovative collaborations can significantly amplify an artist’s presence and influence within the industry. By nurturing their craft and their community, anime and manga artists can not only achieve recognition but also sustain a flourishing creative career, making every stroke of the brush a step toward lasting success.
Dive into the vibrant world of D&A Anime Blog, where anime and manga enthusiasts can explore engaging content, connect with fellow fans, and discover exclusive merchandise!
Creativity isnโt just an inherent talent; itโs a skill that flourishes under the right conditions. Whether youโre an artist, writer, entrepreneur, or someone looking to inject a bit more imagination into your daily life, this article from D&A Anime Blog will guide you through several effective strategies to help enhance your creativity. By exploring the following strategies, youโll discover pathways to refresh your creative spirit and bring your innovative ideas to life.
Transform Your Space
The influence of your environment on your creativity cannot be overstated. A change of scenery or a simple rearrangement of your workspace can spark an influx of fresh ideas and perspectives. This transformation doesnโt require grand gestures; even subtle changes in lighting, adding a few plants, or introducing new art pieces can dramatically affect your creative output. The key is to create a space that inspires you, one where ideas flow freely and you feel most connected to your creative self.
Embrace Mindfulness
Mindfulness offers a powerful way to clear the mental clutter that often hampers creativity. By focusing on the present, you engage with your thoughts and feelings without judgment, allowing you to bypass the internal editor that stifles creative thinking. This practice can be as simple as dedicating a few minutes each day to meditation or deep breathing exercises. The clarity and calmness achieved through mindfulness pave the way for innovative thinking and creative breakthroughs.
Go Back to School
Changing careers can be a powerful way to reinvigorate your creativity and explore new passions. By selecting a cybersecurity program and earning a degree through an online platform, you can gain valuable skills and knowledge while maintaining your current job. With a cybersecurity degree, you’ll learn how to protect a company’s computer systems and networks from digital threats (check it out for more info). This exciting field offers ample opportunities for creative problem-solving and continuous learning, making it an attractive choice for those seeking a fresh start in their professional lives.
Foster Collaborative Creativity
Collaboration is a catalyst for innovation. Working with colleagues or friends to brainstorm ideas can unveil perspectives and concepts you might not have considered on your own. This collective creative process benefits from the diverse experiences and viewpoints of its participants, leading to a richer, more varied set of ideas. Encouraging open dialogue and building on each otherโs thoughts can transform the seed of an idea into something truly groundbreaking.
Pursue Varied Interests
Exploring hobbies outside your typical realm can significantly boost your creativity. Engaging in diverse activities, such as mastering a new musical instrument, experimenting with exotic cuisines, or venturing into uncharted hobbies, introduces your mind to fresh perspectives and ideas. This cross-pollination of interests does more than just expand your skills; it acts as a fertile ground for innovative thinking and creative problem-solving. Moreover, these new experiences can spark connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, further enriching your creative reservoir and inspiring unique approaches to artistic expression.
Broaden Your Creative Consumption
Delving into art, literature, music, or any form of creative work outside your usual preferences can significantly widen your creative lens. By exposing yourself to diverse creative expressions, you challenge your preconceptions and open your mind to new ideas and inspirations. This exploration not only enriches your understanding of the creative process but also ignites your imagination, offering fresh avenues for your own creative endeavors.
Unleash Creativity Through Play
Engaging in play is a potent strategy for nurturing imaginative thought. Playful activities create a safe space free from the fear of judgment and failure, enabling the unrestrained exploration of ideas and concepts. This atmosphere of openness is conducive to lateral thinking and problem-solving, both critical to the creative process. Moreover, engaging in play allows for the discovery of unconventional solutions and innovative ideas within a realm that values experimentation and curiosity.
Creativity is a journey, not a destination. It thrives on new experiences, challenges, and perspectives. By embracing these strategies, you open yourself to a world of creative possibilities. Remember, every step taken to enhance your creativity is a step towards realizing your full potential. Let this guide be your compass as you navigate the vibrant landscape of your creative journey, discovering along the way that the true essence of creativity lies in the joy of exploration and the thrill of bringing your visions to life.
Everybody knows who Batman is. The Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, the man who can seemingly best anyone simply because heโs Batman. But thereโs more to him than being a memetic badass; he can beat almost anyone because he knows how to use prep time. When he goes in and fights someone that he knows little about, he can get his back broken by someone like Bane. Why bring up Batman in an anime about ninjas, though? Because this episode, Higan is Batman. And the other ninjas, and AUZA, are Bane.
Batman, Meet Bane
Having come within inches of making it into AUZA City, Higanโs efforts prove to be for naught. Zaiโs presence is enough to throw him off long enough for the barriers to go up. However, instead of the two former comrades fighting regardless, Zai merely tells him heโs going to die and then walks away. Itโs a move meant to make Higan feel powerless and impotent so that heโll make a mistake. And judging by the events that follow, it worked.
Rather than let him fester in anger or kill him, the leaders of AUZA decide to let him in their city to test out their technology. And despite knowing itโs a trap, Higan runs in anyway. However, instead of fighting more ninjas, he winds up fighting the execs who are remotely piloting the ninja equivalent of Iron Man armor.
The end result is like watching someone try and take on the boss fight when theyโre far too under-leveled. Itโs less of a fight by the end and more of a curb-stomp, like the anime equivalent to watching Bane break Batmanโs spine. If Higan represents the old ways of being a ninja, and AUZA represents the future, then it looks like the old ways have gotten kicked to the curb. If it werenโt for a last-minute save, Higan would be dead. More on that later.
The FBI Has Turned on Us!
Meanwhile, Agent Morris pursues his own leads into AUZA City, leading him to track down Jason, a former AUZA employee turned hacker trying to blow the whistle on them. Together, the two do manage to hack into the companyโs servers and starts to uncover some of what they have been doing. To be more precise, they find a list of fake IDs that theyโre using to plant agents as. And one of them happens to beโฆEmma Samanda?
The show doesnโt give us, or Moriss and Jason, time to understand whatโs going on. AUZA security arrives and attempts to kill them in an epic car chase. If that was the show’s way of distracting us, then it worked. Car chases have long been a favorite of mine in action shows. In addition, the fact that it ends with both men dragging themselves away from the wreck brings their ultimate fates into question. Theyโll likely make it out fine, but how long will they be able to survive with AUZA after them.
Thereโs also the fact that Emmaโs name is on that list. The possibility that sheโs an agent of AUZA has just jumped up significantly. The fact that AUZA responded so fast to the hack also doesnโt bode well. Emma will need to have a good explanation next time she appears.
Really Looking to See What Comes Next
This episode was clearly meant to leave the audience with more questions than answers. Higan and Morris have been badly wounded and are on the run. And if things had gone a little bit differently, they would be dead at this point. Worse, Emma may no longer be trustworthy, only making things worse. The fact that the anime forgoes the normal outro in of black credits only hammers home how serious the episode is. Anime donโt skip out on the ED unless itโs serious! With the series reaching the halfway mark next episode, Iโm curious to see how Higan and Morris will come back from this. Hopefully, theyโll manage to regroup and plan something, like Batman would.
Also, this episode is out in full on YouTube. If you want to watch it without waiting for Toonami or donโt have Max, watch it there.
If you’ve ever played online games with other people, then there’s a good chance this happened to you, or you saw it or heard about it. If a player’s not pulling their own weight in a group or keeps making things harder for others, the others may decide to not revive them the next time they die. Or they may have to leave them behind if it could endanger the rest of the group. It’s usually not done out of malice but logic. How, some players might purposefully use their weakest links as meat shields, or abandon them rather than give them the share of the loot. Why am I bringing this up now? Because Jin-Woo ends up dealing with these kinds of people in the latest episode of Solo Leveling.
And, yes. I intend to review each episode from here on out. This is a great show, and I’ve been reading the manwha online. It’s going to get crazy!
After spending weeks stuck in the hospital, Jin-Woo’s finally cleared to leave. However, he’s no longer the same skinny guy who came close to death for the umpteenth time. Thanks to his System-enforced exercise routine, he’s gotten taller, put on a lot of muscle, and has a different appearance in general. To further emphasize how different he is, the episode opens up with all the nurses talking about how attractive he’s become. The nurse who comes to discharge him blushes when she sees him finishing up his exercise routine and then asks for his phone number. Humorously, since he’s not used to this kind of positive attention, Jin-Woo doesn’t realize he’s being hit on!
This kind of transformation isn’t something new. There have been a number of anime where the protagonist has undergone a radical transformation, turning them from either an unremarkable-looking or unappealing looking person into what Jin-Woo is now. This even happened to the likes of Spider-Man when he first got his powers. That said, it’s still amusing to see how everyone else reacts to the change. So, seeing the nurses gushing over Jin-Woo, I couldn’t help but smile in amusement.
Getting Back in the Game
In any event, now that he’s out of the hospital, Jin-Woo needs to start earning money; he’s got to pay the rent for his family. That means that it’s time for him to start going back into the Dungeons, and a local team is looking for two people to join so they can meet the minimum requirement to go dungeon-diving. Thus, Jin-Woo signs a contract with a man named Hwang Dongsoo alongside another temp, a newcomer named Yoo Jin-ho. Who comes way too overdressed for the job.
The first impression that Jin-ho gives is that he’s very much a rookie. He’s ready and eager to take on being a Hunter, but he doesn’t really know what being a Hunter is like. Some people might consider him annoying, but he’s got this dorky charm to him that makes him endearing. It also helps that the dub has him voiced by Justin Briner, the voice of Deku from My Hero Academia. That man is good at making the people he plays endearingly dorky.
Plus, it turns out he’s one of the people that you know you can trust to have your back.
Jin-Woo is about to Start Piling Bodies
What’s the most dangerous animal in the world? A lion, bear, elephant, or shark? While there are plenty of animals out there that can kill a person with little effort, they’re not the most dangerous. That honor falls to humanity itself. Thanks to our ability to think, reason, and adapt, humans are the most dangerous animals on Earth. And even being inside a dungeon filled with otherworldly monsters like giant insects doesn’t change that fact. As dangerous as those beasts are, they’re still hunted by Hunters. And, as this episode reaffirms, not every Hunter is as nice as Jin-Woo was or Jin-Ho is.
The show subtly drops a few hints as the episode progresses that something’s not right with the dungeon. While that could be chalked up to the monsters, the unease only grows as the group makes it to the boss’ lair. That’s when Jin-Woo realizes why Dongsuk’s group needed two more to help them: bait. To get their hands on the mana crystals, they seal Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho in the boss’ cave to wear it out so they can finish mining without worry. It’s a common tactic in MMO’s: weaken the boss first, then rush in and let the rest of the group finish it off. Except this will leave two people dead.
This is when Jin-Woo has the first of what will, no doubt, be many “I am HIM” moments. He looks at the giant spider, and realizes that it’s nothing compared to the giant statues. So he tells Jin-Ho that he’s going to handle things. Alone.
Solo Leveling EP5 teased us with PEAK๐ญ A buildup ep today for the craziness that Sung Jin Woo will bless us with in Ep6, soloing the C-rank monster, AND the ppl who dared trap him there๐ฃ๏ธ๐ฅ Bro finna go mf insane๐ณโผ๏ธ #SoloLeveling#ไฟบใฌใpic.twitter.com/d7iTSKvLmo
Full disclosure: I wound up reading the manwha to see what happens next, and we are not ready. This is going to be the fighting animation that we need right now.
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