Anime Blog

Wait, Is Axel the Key to Everything?

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

Lazarus Ep 10 Review

Six days; that is all the time the world has left before the first users of Hapna start dying. Time is running out for the majority of humanity, and Lazarus still has no idea where Dr. Skinner could be. Yet all is not lost, as the team might have not just one, but two possible leads they can use to track down Skinner. One of them requires Leland to face his past, while the other reveals an astonishing connection to another member of Lazarus: Axel.

Society is Falling Apart

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With less than a week before Hapna becomes fatal, society is starting to break down. People are starting to break out in fevers from Hapna, hospitals are being overwhelmed, and governments are shutting down. No sense in remaining active if most of humanity dies. And herein lies a slight problem with how the story of Lazarus is going: the lack of time.

Skinner claimed that he has the cure for Hapna on him, hence the entire purpose of Lazarus is to find him in time. However, even if they find him now, mass-producing the cure in time will be next to impossible. Millions of people are going to die before they get their hands on it. Maybe the story will pull off something amazing, but unless the cure can be spread via aerosol form, people are going to die. And one of the team might be among them.

Wait, Leland is HOW RICH!?!

In any case, Lazarus might have a real breakthrough on their hands. That pill that Chris found at Skinnerโ€™s estate wasn’t the cure for Hapna. What it was was an antiplatelet medication used by people who have had artificial heart transplants. They realize that Skinner must have gotten surgery after going into hiding, yet finding no records of it, the team starts looking into a rumored clinic for the elite that does procedures in exchange for high amounts of money. That’s when Leland comes in to help them, revealing he has a secret he’s kept from everyone.

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It turns out that Leland comes from money. He’s the illegitimate child of a deceased aristocrat whose family he’s on poor terms with. To make things even more awkward, as the only surviving son, the family rules say that he’s the head of the family, much to the anger of his older half-sister. Their reunion is an incredibly tense one, and one that Doug and Axel have to see firsthand at his own request.

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Family can often be messy, especially in situations as complicated as what Leland grew up with. However, in a nice change of pace, the older sister isn’t just upset about Leland being the heir instead of her. She’s also upset at how little he’s tried to get to know his family. With the world on the verge of ending, people want to get their priorities straight. So, Leland agreeing to spend a few days with her is, honestly, a very touching thing.

In the end, Leland’s sister pulls through, and she gets him to see Skinner’s doctor, who confirms that he did get an artificial heart. Normally, that comes with a stream of data they can track but, Skinner being Skinner, he encrypted it. Furthermore, it doesn’t lead them to Skinner, but Eleina figures out that it’s being monitored by their old friend, Popcorn Wizard, in Pakistan. That leads her and Doug to head to Pakistan on another lead. As they do so, though, Elenia starts to show signs of a fever.

Uh-oh.

Axel Could be the Key to Everything

As promising as that lead might be, there’s another one that might be even more promising.

Remember the incident where Chris faked her death? The Schiphol Airport incident. Official reports say that it was a bio-chemical attack by terrorists, but as Hersch and Abel, the head of the NSA discover, that was a lie. In reality, government incompetence led to a shootout between INSCOM and Airport security, with Skinner caught in the middle. The firefight wound up unleashing an airborne, prototype version of Hapna. That is what killed everyone, and it left Skinner a changed man.

If you recall, INSCOM are the ones who hired that assassin to kill Axel for unknown reasons. Those reasons might have become a lot clearer in this episode, though. As it turns out, that same Hapna prototype was tested on prison inmates. And out of all of those inmates, only one managed to survive: Axel Gilberto.

Axel is in Trouble

This revelation could change everything. When a disease is threatening a large population, such as humans, there’s often going to be a small number of people with a natural immunity. Is it possible that Axel is immune to Hapna? Or was it just a fluke? Either way, it’s enough to get Hersch to send Axel looking for the prison doctor responsible for the test. Unfortunately, that’s when the INSCOM assassin, Soryu, makes his move.

This is not good. Not only would the death of Axel mean killing off the main protagonist, but if Axel really is the key to curing Hapna, then INSCOM could be dooming mankind to extinction. With the preview for the next episode showing a full-on battle about to take place, it could be the most important episode of the series. No matter what, Axel cannot die.

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This is going to be good!

I Give “I Can’t Tell You Why” a 4.5/5

The Second Coming of Vicious

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

Lazarus Ep 9 Review

If a show gets to the point where even it wonders why things arenโ€™t going fast enough, then you know something is wrong. Ten days are left before the first people to take Hapna start dying, and Lazarus is no closer to catching him. And now, theyโ€™ve come under the scrutiny of the US Government, which is looking to shut them down. And whatโ€™s worse, some of them are willing to go off the books and hire the second coming of Vicious to take care of one of them.

So, after their excursion to rescue Chris in the previous episode, the people in charge of Lazarus are not happy. From their perspective, the team, whose sole job is to find Dr. Skinner, has just been messing around. Thus, they bring Hersch and her boss before a committee to complain about them not doing their jobs.

While the audience knows that Lazarus has been looking for Skinner this whole time, it would make sense why the US government is losing patience. This is essentially the show calling itself out for the fact that itโ€™s made little headway in advancing the overall plot, something that fans are already doing on social media. The suits even bring Leland in to have him testify against his teammates, though he doesnโ€™t take the bait. However, as Axel and Doug themselves discuss, there is a very real chance that they could get silenced after they fulfill their job. And theyโ€™re right to think that, as we soon learn.

Everything gets put on the back burner, though, as Skinner decides to up the ante with another announcement (Start at 20:12):

Skinner Changed the Game

This completely reframes the entire mission. If they donโ€™t find Skinner, he will die, and so will any chance of curing Hapna. It might not make sense for Skinner to not take the antidote, but given how he seems to view humanity as a problem, heโ€™s holding himself to those standards. That, and even if only a handful of people survive, the world will be very empty for thousands of years.

Though Lazarus might already have the cure for Hapna in there possession. As Chris is getting dressed, she finds the pill that she took from Skinnerโ€™s home. I guessed it was either a clue to his whereabouts or a flat-out cure, but the fact that itโ€™s being brought up now means itโ€™s important. It could be the key to solving everything.

There are bigger concerns now, though, as members of the government are after someone from Lazarus: Axel.

Vicious Has been Reborn

For some unknown reason, members of INSCOM see Axel as a threat. Perhaps it has something to do with how he wound up in prison in the first place, but apparently, itโ€™s enough for them to warrant hiring a black-ops assassin to take him out. And the final minutes of the episode are dedicated to exclusively showing how dangerous he is in what can only be described as the second coming of Vicious.

If Axel is the modern-day Spike Spiegel, this assassin is Vicious. And if he is after Axel, then Lazarus is going to have a hard time.

This entire episode was, for all intents and purposes, meant to set the show up for the final act by raising the stakes. There are only ten days left before Skinner dies, the US Government goes after Lazarus, and now thereโ€™s an assassin after Axel. The stakes have been raised to new heights. Hopefully, the last four episodes will see the team finally make headway!

I Give “Death on Two Legs” a 3.5/5

Arthur Become a Teacher for a New Friend

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 9 Review

When you’re a kid, there are few things as scary as the expectations of your parents. The pressure can make some kids crack from trying to meet it. Other kids choose to rebel against their parents expectations, especially if said parent happens to be of the abusive kind. Fortunately, Mr. And Mrs. Helstea are not bad parents. Unfortunately, as Arthur Leywin sees for himself, just because theyโ€™re good parents doesnโ€™t mean they donโ€™t saddle their daughter, Lilia, with the stress of expectations.

Itโ€™s time for the King to have an intervention.

Poor Lilia’s Insecurities

The episode starts off with Arthur in the middle of an intense training session as heโ€™s trying to master Sylviaโ€™s powers. However, using what is essentially โ€œZa Warudoโ€ is not something that a kid can fully master, much to his frustration. His concerns, though, take a backseat as his family (and Mrs. Helstea and Lilia) take him out to get a makeover. The entire experience serves as a means for Arthur to bond with his family while also revealing just how valuable the beast core Sylvia gave him really is. If people knew he had the beast core of a dragonโ€ฆletโ€™s just say that he would be the most wanted person alive.

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Besides the trip serving as a way to introduce Arthur to the value of what he has gotten, it also serves as a means for him to get to learn Lilia better. And thanks to his past-life xp, heโ€™s able to realize just how much pressure the girl has put upon herself. Her parents, being good parents, want the best for her and hope that she does great things in life. And attending the Xyrus Academy could be the key to doing that. Unfortunately, thereโ€™s a mathematical formula at work that is not helping things:

Liliaโ€™s insecurity over not having a mana core+envy at Arthur already having one+parental expectations and unintentional pressures+chance they could pay her way into enrollment=DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN.

Waitโ€ฆwhy does Lilia sound a lot like Norn Greyrat?

I Got Norn Flashbacks

When it comes to this episode, the anime changes several things from the story in the webcomic to focus more on the plight of Lilia. Whether intentional or not, this makes what Lilia is going through feel similar to the issues that Norn Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei would undergo. Both are unintentionally overshadowed by someone better than them; both donโ€™t like having to meet others’ expectations or what they think are otherโ€™s expectations. And both initially have negative feelings towards the main protagonist. Lilia is just more subdued about it.

Arthur, having grown to understand people better, realizes how bad things could get if they arenโ€™t resolved now. So, he does something about them. Itโ€™s just that it isโ€ฆmorally questionable.

This is Not what happened in the Comic

In a major departure from the webcomic, Arthur has Lilia pretend to run away to stay with the Elves like he did, even having a note written. He only did this so that Lilia could see how much her parents cared about her, and to his credit, it does help them work things out. However, itโ€™s still a little messed up to emotionally manipulate people like that.

In any event, Arthur says that heโ€™s going to help Lilia gain her mana core, and he follows through on it. Using the same methods he perfected as a baby, heโ€™s able to teach Lilia (and Ellie) how to start assembling their coresโ€ฆand it works. It will take a few years, but Lilia will eventually be able to use Magic!

This was a really sweet episode of TBATE, as it shows just how far Arthur has come since being reborn. Heโ€™s better able to understand other people and relate to them, and thanks to that, heโ€™s got a loving home, family, and now another friend in the form of Lilia. Thereโ€™s just one problem: when Tessia finds out, things could getโ€ฆugly. But thatโ€™s not for a few years!

I Give “The King Teaches” a 3.5/5

Arthur Has a Baby Sister, and She’s So Cute!

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 8 Review

At long last, Arthur Leywin is home! It took him three years and more solo traveling than most eight-year-olds, but it was worth it to get back to his family. And more importantly, he finally gets to meet the sibling that he almost died trying to protect. The only question is, what will Arthur do now?

That, and just how cute can his baby sister possibly get?

Family Reunion

Thanks to that post-credits scene at the end of the last episode, the anime jumps the gun on Arthurโ€™s reunion with his family. It doesnโ€™t change much, but it does take away some of the inherent heartwarming nature that such a reunion entails. That, and it spoils the fact that Arthur now has a little sister.

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Meet Eleanor Leywin, Arthurโ€™s baby sister of about three or four years old. And like most kids at that age, sheโ€™s adorable and impressionable, innocently repeating curse words her dad uses without understanding why theyโ€™re bad for someone her age. Once her parents explain that Arthur is the big brother she never met, though, Ellie quickly warms up to Arthur, as well as Sylvie. Who, if she sees Arthur as her papa, makes Eleanor her aunt.

Arthur tells his family everything that happened to him while he was awayโ€ฆto an extent. He lies about meeting Sylvia out of respect for her desire to tell as few people as possible. Given how someone was out to kill Sylvia, the fewer people who know for now, the better. That, and itโ€™s doubtful most adults would believe that Arthur was saved by a talking dragon.

What Will Arthur Do Now?

At any rate, the main points of focus for the episode beyond the Leywin family reunion are Arthurโ€™s growth and what his future will be like. Through exposition, the anime reveals the different stages behind the Mana Core that serves as the heart of the use of magic in TBATE. And thanks to his training arc, Arthur is already close to being on his Dadโ€™s level. Since Reynolds is a more restrained version of Paul Greyrat, Arthur finds himself immediately dragged into a sparring session with his old man out back. And, while the special effects for the magic remain subpar, the fighting animation continues to show improvements.

No, really. Arthur and Reynoldsโ€™ friendly bout is not that badly animated. No use of still images to convey the illusion of combat; just actual combat. And, again, while the way the anime chooses to animate magical auraโ€™s is still an eyesore, it makes up for it by confirming what last episode shouldโ€™ve had us suspecting: Arthur can potentially learn how to use all four basic elements. Heโ€™s basically like the Avatar!

All of this is also witnessed by the wealthy Helstea family, old friends of the Leywinโ€™s who allowed them to move in with them in exchange for Reynolds helping guard the auction house they own. And as soon as Mr. Vincent Helstea sees what Arthur can do, he gets the idea of enrolling him in Xyrus Academy. AKA TBATEโ€™s version of Ranoa University or Hogwarts.

Which brings us to the second main focus of the episode: Arthurโ€™s future. Heโ€™s only eight years old, but even ignoring his past life, heโ€™s already got more life experience than other kids his age. Whatever he wants to do, heโ€™ll excel at it. However, enrolling in a school like that will mean that he canโ€™t spend as much time with his family, and he just reunited with them. Considering how Arthur devoted his first life to his rise to being a king, itโ€™s likely that he wonโ€™t want to let his time with his family go to waste. However, there might be another option that heโ€™s considering. And, as fate would have it, it seemingly gets introduced at the end of the episode.

Did the Anime Skip Stuff Again?

It should be noted that Arthur does eventually reunite with the Twin Horns Party in the webcomic like he does in the anime. However, that reunion doesnโ€™t take place until after Arthur has already settled back in with his family, and after several other events already take place. The fact that the anime moved this up means theyโ€™ve either rearranged the order of some events, or theyโ€™re skipping over some. If itโ€™s the latter, then that bodes ill for the story, as some of those events are important plotwise. Given how Iโ€™ve stuck with TBATE thus far, though, Iโ€™m willing to continue giving it the benefit of the doubt. With the show starting to show some promise, it would be a shame if it were to fail now.

This was a nice episode, overall. Getting to see Arthur reunite with his family and meet his baby sister was a very sweet moment. Getting to see Sylvie and Eleanor bond, though, was downright adorable to look at!

I Give “Reunited With the King” a 3.5/5

It’s Time for Arthur…to Have a Training Arc

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 6 Review

Ever since he got separated from them by bandits, all Arthur has wanted is to return to his family. His stay with Sylvia helped him get ready for the journey, and his detour to help Tessia get home to her own family had slowed him down. That selfless act, though, might have paid off by giving him his best chance to get back to his parents, only for him to learn that that might have to wait. Whatever power Sylvia gave him, his body can’t handle it yet. So, he either stays in the land of the elves, who aren’t too welcoming of him, and trains, or takes his chances by going home and potentially dying.

At least he has a friend in Tessia, though.

When Your Daughter Brings Home a Boy

As the last episode managed to establish, Elves are not too fond of Humans. Given how the events that led to Arthur meeting Tess involved her being captured by slavers, the feeling is not unwarranted and likely mutual on Humans part. So, despite being happy that Arthur saved their only daughter, the King and Queen of the elves aren’t happy that her grandfather wants to take him in as his apprentice. Doing so would mean that A.) a human would be living in the home of the elven royal family for an extended period, and b.) that human is also a boy Tessia’s age.

Anyone who has ever had a daughter will likely sympathize with what Tessiaโ€™s father is feeling. His little girl is only five, and sheโ€™s already bought a strange boy him. Worse, if he tries to throw him out, Tessia will hate him, making it a lose-lose situation.

Jokes aside, a big part of this episode focuses how important her friendship with Arthur is to Tessia. Itโ€™s all but stated that Arthur had no friends in his first life, so Tess is likely the first friend heโ€™s had since he was young. Tessia, on the other hand, has only ever had โ€œfriendsโ€ who just wanted to take advantage of her princess status. That led her to close herself off to anyone outside her family, hence why she can act so aggressive at times. As her grandfather notes, having Arthur around has made her happier than sheโ€™s been in years.

This will be Tough for Arthur, but he will be Fine

Unfortunately for Arthur, the majority of the Elves donโ€™t extend that sentiment. As soon as Tess takes him out to play, heโ€™s accosted by a snooty elf who looks down on him. Thankfully, he shows that heโ€™s not to be messed with in short order.

The more important thing about this episode is that Virion introduces to his friend Xinia, who uses her magic to let Arthur contact his parents. Thanks to that, heโ€™s able to let his grief-stricken parents know heโ€™s alive, but that he canโ€™t come home yet. With that out of the way, though, heโ€™s free to work on fixing his inner power. Which means itโ€™s time for him to undergo his first training arc.

And with that, the first (webcomic) season of The Beginning After the End comes to a conclusion. It was a little rocky at first due to the animation, but once you get past that, the series does have its own rough charm to it. Next time we see Arthur, though, heโ€™ll be bigger and stronger and likely closer to Tessia than ever! Hereโ€™s hoping that the animation improves some more!

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I Give “The King’s Training” a 4/5

Don’t. Drink. THE KOOL-AID.

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

Lazarus Ep 6 Review

Have you ever heard the phrase โ€œDrinking the Kool-Aid?โ€ It became popular in the aftermath of the Jonestown Massacre, an event in which almost a thousand Americans from the cult of the Peopleโ€™s Temple killed themselves in mass suicide via poisoned drinks. While the drinks werenโ€™t made with Kool-Aid, but a different brand, the phrase still has the same meaning: buying into a idea that is incredibly stupid and self-destructive. I.E. trying to kill yourself because a deranged cult leader says so. Unfortunately for Lazarus, their next lead on locating Skinner has to be in one such cult. And everyone there is about to drink the Kool-Aid.

It should also be noted that this marks the first episode since the pilot where a character doesnโ€™t open things with a monologue.

An AI Cult

Having come up with no leads about Skinner for the umpteenth time, Lazarus changes tactics again. They find an old article about how Skinner once visited this Neo-Luddite commune that worships this AI called Naga as a god. They think itโ€™s a good hiding place for Skinner, but since they canโ€™t hack into Naga, Elenia and Leland have to sneak in.

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The twist: this cult, Tower of the Truth, is where Elenia grew up before, perhaps wisely, running away. It gets even crazier, though, when itโ€™s revealed that Naga the AI was based on the brain patterns of Dr Skinner. And because they didnโ€™t know to leave well enough alone, the scientists at MIT that created Naga added in a desire for power and need for control.

Artificial intelligence has long been a staple of science fiction, but for every example of one that doesnโ€™t go nuts, there are multiple examples of Hal, Skynet, Ultron, and the Absolute Solver. With AI starting to get more and more powerful in recent years, there is a legitimate concern that they could go mad with power and destroy humanity. Itโ€™s why the Three Laws of Robotics are a concept, and why people are urging AI not to be abused. And unfortunately for the Tower of the Truth, Nagaโ€™s creators did the exact opposite by giving him a god complex. And in an effort to prove its own divinity, Naga plans to have the entire cult commit suicide by immolation. Itโ€™s having them drink the Kool-Aid and go full Jonestown!

This is Why Need to Not Be Dumb With AI

The entire episode is more or less a cautionary tale about two things: the dangers of unethical AI, and the dangers of living a life isolated from any outside information. While the Tower members arenโ€™t wrong about the world being filled with a lot of bad things, shutting themselves off from life means they donโ€™t understand why trying to commit mass suicide is a terrible idea. Then again, Skinner suckered most of humanity into drinking another kind of Kool-Aid in pill form, soโ€ฆ

Fortunately for Elenia and Leland, they manage to convince one of her only friends in the cult to save them, and Lazarus is able to stop the drinking of Kool-Aid before most of them die. The only casualty is the leader of the cult, an Ex-MIT scientist who became obsessed with Naga in the first place. As for Naga, he survives, only to get told off for being nuts by Axel and likely destined for deactivation/execution.

Things arenโ€™t a total loss, though. Lazarus managed to recover Nagaโ€™s memory banks, so if the AI had any other contact with Skinner, they can find it. Itโ€™s probably going to be another wild goose chase, but maybe weโ€™ll be surprised this time. At least we wonโ€™t have to worry about the Kool-Aid anymore!

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I Give “Heaven is a Place on Earth” a 4/5

Arthur Gains a Teacher

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 5 Review

If you stick with something for long enough, thereโ€™s a chance it might end up being better than how it started. If thatโ€™s true, then maybe TBATE is finally starting to get better. With the post-credits scene from the last episode ending with Arthur being held at sword point by the Elves of Tessiaโ€™s homeland, things did not look good. It looked as though Arthur might be in even more trouble, with Tessa seemingly indifferent to his plight. What makes things more surprising, though, is how this is actually a step up from what happened in the webcomic!

For the first time, the TBATE anime has one-upped its source material.

What Happened in the Webcomic

In the original webcomic, Arthur and Tessiaโ€™s arrival in the Elven city is far more lighthearted in tone. The reaction Arthur has when learning that Tessia is the Princess of the Elf Kingdom is more comedic and the attitude of the other Elves is more respectful. Whatever suspicions they had, the fact that Arthur returned with Tessia safe and sound warrants a little courtesy.

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By contrast, the sight of the Elves outright attempting to arrest or kill Arthur could be seen as an improvement on the source material. Not only do the adultsโ€™ hostile attitudes increase the tension, but they also drive home just how deeply distrustful the Elves are of Humans for things like slavery. Thankfully, once Tess snaps out of whatever trance she was in, the sweet girl is Arthurโ€™s biggest defender. The sight of her innocently taking Arthur home with her without any prejudice is the kind of thing we should all want to see our kids do.

The original webcomic is already good, but this was probably the first time the anime managed to improve upon things. As funny as Arthurโ€™s reaction to learning his new friend is royalty (and he chews her out over it later), the animeโ€™s decision to have Arthurโ€™s life depend on his ability to talk things through feels more realistic and dramatic.

This episode really helps to hammer home the idea that TBATE seems to be at its best when itโ€™s not focused on the fighting. Instead, the character interactions and the resulting drama help to keep people interested despite not looking as good as other anime. Case in point, when Tessiaโ€™s grandfather, the former King Virion, takes an interest in Arthur, he invites him to scrap together. The resulting fight once again shows the seriesโ€™ criticized โ€œPowerPoint fights,โ€ as the fight isnโ€™t that impressive. That being said, the show does make an effort to include some actual animation.

At Least the Fighting’s Getting Better

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The fight isnโ€™t really whatโ€™s important, though. What is truly important is what happens afterward. The reveal of the cause behind Arthur’s increasing chest pains, as well as the fact that they will eventually kill him if left unchecked, is handled well by the anime. As is Virion’s offer to train Arthur as his apprentice. The alternative, though, is what will eventually happen if Arthur doesn’t get help for his chest pains: they’re the result of Sylvia giving him some of her power. And since his body can’t handle it yet, he’ll die if nothing is done.

With Arthur’s plans on returning to his family now on hold for the time being, the show looks set to settle into the land of the Elves for a few episodes. Here’s hoping that things improve for the anime’s sake, or it’s not going to last past the first season.

I Give โ€œThe King’s Testโ€ a 3/5

Arthur Just Made His New Friend

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 4 Review

Despite the heavy criticism it has received in its native West, The Beginning After the End is being well-received overseas. Various pieces of data indicate itโ€™s been fairly popular in Japan, while the series itself has a high number of five-star ratings on Crunchyroll.

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While it might have gotten off to a rough start, TBATE has started to show some slow improvement in the last episode as Arthur met, befriended, and was trained by a mysterious dragon named Sylvia. However, their time together got cut short for reasons that likely wonโ€™t be made clear in this season, leaving him on his own once more. However, his quest to reunite with his family leads him to make an unexpected detour, as well as make his first real friend in his second life.

Arthur Goes Assassin’s Creed

As seems to be the case, there was a moment from the manwha that was left out of the anime at the start of the episode. Arthur cries in frustration as the realization that Sylviaโ€™s dead hits him, only to be snapped out of it by a pre-recorded message from her. In it, she explains that she imparted part of her โ€œwillโ€ to him, but he canโ€™t use it until he grows stronger. This will become an important plot point going forward, but the immediate ramifications are that Arthurโ€™s mana core will soon start to flare up in pain.

Beyond that, though, what happens next with Arthur and the slave traders is nowhere near as bad as it gets in the web comic. The slavers actually bind and gag the poor girl they captured, and the fact that they donโ€™t do that doesnโ€™t make much sense here. The whole point to that is to ensure the captive canโ€™t escape, making the slavers feel like amateurs. Regardless, the way Arthur kills them is just as ruthless as it is in the comics.

After that, though, Arthur manages to make a new friend. And sheโ€™s an elf girl.

The King Makes his First Friend

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This is Tessia, and given how TBATE takes pages from Mushoku Tensei, it should come as no surprise that she takes inspiration from several girls in that series. Her physical appearance, status as an elf, and initial timid personality all scream Sylphie. However, once she starts to open up to Arthur, she starts to display some of Erisโ€™ more fiery and confrontational nature. Thankfully, sheโ€™s not violent like Eris is, only going so far as get snippy with Arthur when heโ€™s making fun of her.

The two of them make for a rather odd pairing, especially given how Arthur is mentally an adult. Still, it feels nice to see Arthur being able to have a friend his own age, something that the anime all but states he never really had by the time he died. The anime does leave out a few of the more comedic aspects of their journey together, but the overall bonding and sentiment remain present right up to when they make it to the outskirts of Tessโ€™ home.

Don’t Worry: Arthur Will be Fine

Full disclosure: that post-credits scene was not present in the web comic. It appears that the series might be going in a more serious direction to amp up the drama, or at least leave viewers in suspense about what comes next. Those who read the web comic should also be surprised by what happened, and now have something to look forward to next episode. It feels like TBATE might be on the mend, and hopefully, if we stick around long enough, something good might come out of it.

I Give “Saved by the King” a 3/5

‘Lazarus’ Got me Craving Baklava

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

Lazarus Ep 3 Review

The hunt for Dr. Skinner has begun, yet so far, there are no leads as to where he could be hiding. Right when Lazarus thought they had a clue, it turned out to be a dead-end. However, with the fate of the human race in the balance, this ragtag band of misfits canโ€™t afford to give up! Whether by fate or dumb luck, they manage to get their hands on another possible lead to Skinnerโ€ฆand it has to do with a delicious, Turkish pastry.

Firstly, though, it feels important to talk about how each episode starts off with a speech about the effects of Hapna, seemingly given by each member of Lazarus. They talk about their thoughts on the โ€œmiracleโ€ drug and how it managed to change the world. This week, it appears to be Chris speaking, talking about how Hapna seemingly solved the pain that comes with living, but also questions if that pain is an integral part of life. Itโ€™s very philosophical, and it doesnโ€™t always make sense. Yet it does bring up an intriguing question about life.

Never Underestimate a MacGuffin

At the end of the last episode, Lazarusโ€™ resident hacker, Eleina, managed to locate Skinner using facial recognition technology. However, it would seem the Doctor thought ahead, paying someone to replicate his face on thousands of individuals. It seems brilliant, but as Doug points out, it all but eliminates the possibility that heโ€™s disguising himself. In addition, Eleina is able to deduce that, besides herself, only two other hackers are capable of this feat. If they find the hacker, they can use them to track down Skinner.

Once again, the team splits into two pairs. Chris and Leland head to Skinnerโ€™s home to find any clues the authorities missed, while Axel and Doug look for Dougโ€™s old mentor, who once worked with Skinner.

The searching of Skinnerโ€™s home might not seem that important, but upon closer inspection, there were a few things that stand out. The first is the sheer number of hardy plants he has, such as cacti. It may not seem like much, but the fact that he preferred plants know for surviving harsh conditions could help build a better psychological profile of the Doctor. If you know how a subject thinks, you can guess what theyโ€™ll do. The second is that Chris finds a small, orange pill that the authorities overlooked. It may seem insignificant now, but thereโ€™s a good chance it could wind up being important macguffin down the line.

Good on anime for the Transgender Woman

The real focus of the episode, though, is on Axel and Dougโ€™s search for Dougโ€™s old college professor. This takes them to a homeless shelter led by a friend from Axelโ€™s prison days. And a quick sidebar: good on the show for deciding to make this person a transgender woman. Not everyone will approve of this, but including it demonstrates how society is working to become more accepting of such things. Plus, Jill also gives some insight into Axel and his ability to adapt to any environment yet never get too close to others.

Also, it might just be my imagination, but did one of those homeless people happen to look like Dr. Skinner? Was that a goof, or possible foreshadowing?

I now Want Baklava

Either way, while Dougโ€™s mentor doesnโ€™t know where Skinner is, he does give Lazarus their first concrete clue, mentioning the Doctorโ€™s only known relative. As a result, Axel and Leland head for Istanbul in search of this relative, Grandma Belinda. The resulting chase and fight sequence provides another example of how Watanabe is able to craft attention-grabbing action without being overtly flashy. Plus, it was funny to hear the two get out of trouble by saying they wanted to try some of Grandma Belindaโ€™s baklava.

There really is nothing better to eat in this world than the cooking made by oneโ€™s family. And once she opens up to them, Belinda is rather willing to help them find her wayward grandson. At the very least, she shows them a video he sent her three years earlier, possibly around the time he was getting ready to introduce Hapna to the world. Plus, Axel does find a hidden camera, presumably left by Skinner himself. And that ended up leading to the hacker making their move and falling right into Eleinaโ€™s trap.

Twenty-six days remain before Hapna starts to turn fatal, and Lazarus has its first real lead. The hunt is only going to escalate from this point forward. This is shaping up to be quite the globetrotting mystery!

I Give “Long Way from Home” a 4/5

Devil May Cry is the Anime I Never Knew I Needed

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

Devil May Cry Season 1 Review

Adapting video games into other mediums can be a tricky subject, but Netflix seems to have done a good job. Over the past few years, they’ve managed to churn out hit after animated hit based on video games, including Castlevania, Arcane, & Tomb Raider. Now, thanks to Studio Mir and director Adi Shankar, they get to add Devil May Cry to that list. And thank all that is holy for that, because I never knew how badly we needed a Devil May Cry animated series until we got it. Especially when you consider some of the talent behind the roles.

Based on Capcom’s popular video game series of the same name, Devil May Cry tells the story of Dante, a human-demon hybrid with cool weapons and an even cooler longcoat. He makes his living by hunting down demons before they can harm his fellow man, but all of that changes when he attracts the attention of two very powerful people. On one side, there’s DARKCOM, led by Baines, the Vice President of the United States, who’s made it their life’s work to hunt down demons. On the other side, there’s the White Rabbit, a being who’s determined to tear down the walls separating Earth from the Demon Realm and bring forth an apocalypse.

The Truth is Often More Complicated

Beyond the initial premise, most of my knowledge about Devil May Cry. doesn’t go beyond the premise of humans fighting demons. Most demons are supposed to be the bad guys we root against, with the exception being Danteโ€™s father for turning on his kind. However, few conflicts are ever that black-and-white in real life, so the same applies here. And while it is true that several of the demons found in the show are ruthless, cold-blooed killers, it also makes us ask an important question: are people born evil, or do they become evil due to what they experience? In other words, the nature vs. nurture debate.

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Over the course of the first season, it’s slowly revealed that the place that humans call Hell is more than deserving of its title…because it’s like that for even its own inhabitants. As it turns out, many of the demons from Hell, or Makai, as they call it, are miserable in their home dimension and want nothing more than to leave. And while Earth is far from a paradise, to them, it’s lightyears better than living in a place where the air’s too dangerous to breathe! The White Rabbit’s entire motivation behind breaking down the barriers is so he can lead the normal demons to a better life. It’s like a dark, twisted version of Moses trying to lead his people to the promised land. Except this time, the suffering of those already living there will end up being more overt. It’s the kind of scenario is which somebody is going to end up suffering, and everyone can wind up losing.

If any of that sounds political, there’s a good reason for that. Over the course of the first season, it becomes more and more apparent that Devil May Cry is drawing from real-life history to fuel its own story. In this case, it’s taking heavy inspiration from the United States’ post-9/11 foreign policies during the 2000s. The main anti-demon force, DARKCOM, is very gung-ho about hunting down and killing demons. And the mere idea that any other demons could be good, or at least not an enemy, is enough to be considered blasphemy or treason. And it doesn’t help that DARKCOM’s leader, an original character named VP Baines, is like a scarier version of a certain Vice President at the time.

The scariest part about him, though? He’s voice by Kevin Conroy.

WE MISS KEVIN CONROY!!!!

At its heart, Devil May Cry is a largely character-driven story. It’s how they interact with each other that helps drive the plot along, and for that to work, the show needs the right people playing the right roles. And did Netflix hit jackpot, because they got two voice acting legends to play leading characters.

Firstly, there is Baines, leader of DARKCOM and Vice President of the United States, played by the late Kevin Conroy. If you don’t know who that is, he was Batman. The GOAT Batman. The voice that everyone thinks of when they think of Batman. Kevin Conroy would provide the voice of Batman off and on for thirty years before passing away from cancer in Novmeber 2022. And, in a surprising move, he had also done the lines for Baines before he died. And he absolutley nailed them! It may not be noticeable at first, but once you recognize the distinctive voice of the caped crusader, you start to see Baines the same way criminals see Batman: fear, awe, and even respect. Kevin gives Baines this air of someone of great faith and belief in his cause, but also someone who is not afraid to be incredibly ruthless. And as time goes on, you start to realize that Baines is far darker than initially thought. It really is a tragedy that Kevin died. If he hadn’t, he could’ve made a new name for himself voicing more sinister characters, just like Mark Hamill did as Joker.

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Then we the man playing Dante. In lieu of getting his voice actor from the games, Netflix decided to get none other than Johnny Yong Bosch. That has proven to be a very good decision. Not only does this mark the second time Johnny’s played a badass gunslinger in a red longcoat, but he manages to bring this snarky, dry wit to the role of Dante. He’s very sarcastic, loves to make quips and pop culture references, and acts like a very chill and confident person, overall. Emphasis on the acting part, because his backstory is as sad as it is in the games, and that’s not even including what he goes through during the show.

GIVE ME MORE!!

Netflix has likely struck gold with its adaptation of Devil May Cry, and it looks like that vein still has some more to be tapped into. The first season of the show ends on a rather grim cliffhanger with a full-blown war between humans and demons set to start. And worse, Dante is in no position to do anything to stop it! It’s clear that Netflix is hoping to make this into a multi-season story…and I’m all for it. I want to see more of this show ASAP.

The first season of Devil May Cry was an absolute banger from start to finish and is worthy of all the praise it’s getting. If you have a Netflix account, I highly recommend that you go check out the show for yourself. It’s well worth the time it would take to binge-watch it.