anime dubbed

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 Arthur’s reunion with his family. It doesn’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, Arthur’s baby sister of about three or four years old. And like most kids at that age, she’s adorable and impressionable, innocently repeating curse words her dad uses without understanding why they’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 away…to 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 it’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 Arthur’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 Dad’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 Reynolds’ 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 aura’s is still an eyesore, it makes up for it by confirming what last episode should’ve had us suspecting: Arthur can potentially learn how to use all four basic elements. He’s basically like the Avatar!

All of this is also witnessed by the wealthy Helstea family, old friends of the Leywin’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 TBATE’s version of Ranoa University or Hogwarts.

Which brings us to the second main focus of the episode: Arthur’s future. He’s only eight years old, but even ignoring his past life, he’s already got more life experience than other kids his age. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll excel at it. However, enrolling in a school like that will mean that he can’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, it’s likely that he won’t want to let his time with his family go to waste. However, there might be another option that he’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 doesn’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 they’ve either rearranged the order of some events, or they’re skipping over some. If it’s the latter, then that bodes ill for the story, as some of those events are important plotwise. Given how I’ve stuck with TBATE thus far, though, I’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

Lazarus has a Beach Episode

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

Lazarus Ep 7 Review

There are only so many people that planet Earth can accommodate before things start getting messy. Humankind is already taking up so much space and using up so much of the planet as it is, and if things don’t change, or we don’t start taking deep space colonization seriously, the planet will hit its breaking point. It will lose many of the plants and animals that call it home, and our world will feel all the worse for it. Given how Lazarus takes place decades into the future, it shows us how bad things could get as the global climate starts to collapse. And as the team of Lazarus sees for themselves what it is that they threaten to lose, they start to wonder if maybe Dr. Skinner has a point.

The short answer: yes.

Under the Sea, Under the Sea!

After the debacle with the AI cult, Lazarus is back to square one for the umpteenth time because Skinner had nothing to do with Naga the AI beyond serving as its template. The one thing they had to show for it is Naga’s memory banks, which pumps out coordinates to four separate islands, all owned by Skinner. The twist is that each of them has since sunk beneath the ocean, a victim of global warming. Left with no other leads, the team (minus Eleina, who works the chair) heads to the tropical islands.

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From the outset, this episode of Lazarus is different from the others for two reasons. Firstly, there’s a notable lack of action. No fight scenes, no high-stakes hacking, no epic chases. It’s a very serene and peaceful episode, which, considering humankind is facing extinction, might sound weird. Secondly, the setting is different in that it takes place almost exclusively in nature. It wasn’t noticeable until now, but the majority of Lazarus has, thus far, taken place in the confines of civilization. Even the trip to the cult could count as civilization, given the human and AI presence. In contrast, this episode focuses on locations that humanity has been forced to abandon thanks to global warming. And the results are something to behold.

As the Lazarus members travel to the sunken islands, there is an atmosphere to them that seems both eerie and relaxing. This is emphasized by the overwhelming use of blue in the form of clear skies and crystal-clear oceans. The sight of modern human buildings lying just below the waves, while disturbing, also feels tranquil and otherworldly, as they serve as home to sea life. It’s like that 90s film Waterworld, but without the stakes.

Please, Don’t Let this Happen in our Timeline!

Unfortunately, the fate of these islands is set against the reason why they got this way: a news report came out saying that the last ice in the Artic had melted away. Global Warming had claimed the North Pole less than thirty years from now. That may seem like a long time for humans, but in a planet’s history, that’s faster than the time it would take to blink, and that is terrifying. Even worse, Skinner had predicted that this would happen almost to the day. Now people are starting to consider him like a prophet. Most chilling of all, the episode reveals that, in his initial message, Skinner mentioned being the seventh trumpeter. In the New Testament, that’s said to be the seventh and final angel who will herald the arrival of Judgement Day for the world. It’s like we said at the start of the series: Skinner has seemingly given up on mankind and thinks its time for us to die.

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And…is he really wrong?

As terrifying as the idea of humans going extinct is, it’s not hard to see where Skinner’s coming from. Unless we pull our act together in the next couple of decades, the future of Lazarus could become a reality. It’s why many people are sounding the alarm, and it’s why some even advocate us moving offworld once it’s feasible. The fact that the blue skies that the team sees during their journey is telling about how bad things might get. So, is Skinner even wrong to think things like he is? Even the team starts to question that.

Chris is in trouble!

Their trip wasn’t a total loss, because they manage to learn three things. Firstly, Skinner actually bought the islands from its poor residents so they could move elsewhere. Secondly, all those residents have a genetic inability to feel pain, meaning that they never took Hapna. Which means that not all of humanity could potentially die, so that’s comforting. It also means that Skinner likely used their DNA to create Hapna. Lastly, Eleina digs up something major about their leader, Dr. Hersch: she was a former researcher that worked alongside Dr. Skinner.

The fact that Hersch kept this info secret from the team is a potential game-changer, as it means that her motives might not be as altruistic as everyone has thought. Unforutunately, we may have to wait to learn her true colors, as the episode ends with Chris running into someone from her past. And judging by the preview for the next episode, it’s not a very happy reunion.

Fourteen days are left, Lazarus doesn’t know if it can trust its leader, and one of its own gets captured. This could be a problem!

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I Give “Almost Blue” a 4.5/5

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 Tessia’s father is feeling. His little girl is only five, and she’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. It’s all but stated that Arthur had no friends in his first life, so Tess is likely the first friend he’s had since he was young. Tessia, on the other hand, has only ever had “friends” 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 she’s been in years.

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

Unfortunately for Arthur, the majority of the Elves don’t extend that sentiment. As soon as Tess takes him out to play, he’s accosted by a snooty elf who looks down on him. Thankfully, he shows that he’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, he’s able to let his grief-stricken parents know he’s alive, but that he can’t come home yet. With that out of the way, though, he’s free to work on fixing his inner power. Which means it’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, he’ll be bigger and stronger and likely closer to Tessia than ever! Here’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.

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Lazarus Ep 6 Review

Have you ever heard the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid?” It became popular in the aftermath of the Jonestown Massacre, an event in which almost a thousand Americans from the cult of the People’s Temple killed themselves in mass suicide via poisoned drinks. While the drinks weren’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 doesn’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 it’s a good hiding place for Skinner, but since they can’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 it’s revealed that Naga the AI was based on the brain patterns of Dr Skinner. And because they didn’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 doesn’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. It’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, Naga’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. It’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 aren’t wrong about the world being filled with a lot of bad things, shutting themselves off from life means they don’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, so…

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 aren’t a total loss, though. Lazarus managed to recover Naga’s memory banks, so if the AI had any other contact with Skinner, they can find it. It’s probably going to be another wild goose chase, but maybe we’ll be surprised this time. At least we won’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, there’s a chance it might end up being better than how it started. If that’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 Tessia’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 Tessia’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 adults’ 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 Arthur’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 Arthur’s reaction to learning his new friend is royalty (and he chews her out over it later), the anime’s decision to have Arthur’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 it’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 Tessia’s grandfather, the former King Virion, takes an interest in Arthur, he invites him to scrap together. The resulting fight once again shows the series’ criticized “PowerPoint fights,” as the fight isn’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 isn’t really what’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 “The King’s Test” 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 it’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 won’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 Sylvia’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 “will” to him, but he can’t use it until he grows stronger. This will become an important plot point going forward, but the immediate ramifications are that Arthur’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 don’t do that doesn’t make much sense here. The whole point to that is to ensure the captive can’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 she’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 Eris’ more fiery and confrontational nature. Thankfully, she’s not violent like Eris is, only going so far as get snippy with Arthur when he’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 Tess’ 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

The Dangers of Nightclubbing on Lazarus

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Lazarus Ep 4 Review

Thanks to Lazarus’ efforts in the last episode, they managed to get a few leads on Dr. Skinner. Axel and Leland managed to track down Skinner’s grandmother in Istanbul and got a better idea of what the man behind Hapna is like. Meanwhile, Eleina managed to discover that the one responsible for covering Skinner on cameras everywhere is another hacker, Dr. 909. The bad news is that not even the FBI knows who 909 is. The good news, though, is that Eleina has a plan to catch them. However, to pull it off, they have to go to his contact at a swanky nightclub. Lazarus is going clubbing, and that in and of itself carries a number of risks!

Time to Go Clubbing

Thanks to getting 909 to take Eleina’s bait, Lazarus has learned a few things about them. Firstly, that they somehow knew ahead of time that Hapna stocks would crash. Secondly, they worked with a stockbroker to make a ton of money off it. The good news is that they know who the stockbroker is; they’re the owner of a popular nightclub.

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The bad news? This guy, Sam, is a creep, a sexist, and just cringe. The Lazarus team even admits it! Unforutunately, the only way to get to him is by having the girls dress up and get picked up by him at his weekly party. Though, in this case, that means Chris…and Leland dressed as a girl.

Club at Your Own Risk

Clubbing is often a high-energy, potentially high-risk activity. On the one hand, the bright lights, thumping music, and party atmosphere can suck people in. On the other hand, if you’re not careful, bad things can happen to you. Lazarus does a great job of capturing both aspects of the nightclub, and capture them well. The background art alone is praiseworthy and eye-catching, but it’s the smooth animation of the club-goers that makes the place really entertaining. It’s very much like the kind of club that you would expect the young and hip to attend…and for creeps to try and take advantage of people.

From the start, Sam and his guy posse are portrayed as nothing but one-dimensional sleazebags trying to take advantage of women. Sam himself drugs the women he brought with him, which is morally reprehensible and disgusting! His hired DJ, Visionary, is no better, trying to hit on a disguised Leland. Not to mention how the man has no respect for his craft, leaving it up to AI to do all the heavy work for him! And, as Eleina figures out, he’s also the hacker they’re after.

A High-Stake Helicopter Chase!!

The entire experience at the nightclub is capped off by something that is a staple of many a good action film: an honest-to-goodness nightclub shootout. Axel and Doug make short work of the guards, while Chris gives Sam some well-deserved karma for being an enemy of all women.

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And Watanabe continues the trend of beautiful women who can kick men’s asses. All of this culminates in yet another staple of the action film genre: a high-speed chase on a helicopter with Axel flying a drone after them like he’s the Green Goblin!

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Hapna is the Real Deal, and Really Dangerous

Sadly, their efforts prove to be for naught. Neither Sam nor Dr909/Visionary/Donald McDonald know nothing about Skinner. They were just taking advantage of the chaos to earn money, like the wastes of space they were. The one consolation is that these events confirmed that Delta, a medicinal company, was aware of the dangers behind it. Only 24 days remain before Hapna becomes lethal, and if people were doubting this fact, the episode gives major proof otherwise. In the final scene, we see a group of monkeys in a lab that were likely used to test Hapna start to die. In other words, this drug is the real deal.

This was a fun episode in a series that, thus far, has been fun to watch. People seem to love Lazarus so far!

I Give “Don’t Stop the Dance” a 4/5

‘Lazarus’ Got me Craving Baklava

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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 can’t afford to give up! Whether by fate or dumb luck, they manage to get their hands on another possible lead to Skinner…and 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 “miracle” 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. It’s very philosophical, and it doesn’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, Lazarus’ 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 he’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 Skinner’s home to find any clues the authorities missed, while Axel and Doug look for Doug’s old mentor, who once worked with Skinner.

The searching of Skinner’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 they’ll do. The second is that Chris finds a small, orange pill that the authorities overlooked. It may seem insignificant now, but there’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 Doug’s search for Doug’s old college professor. This takes them to a homeless shelter led by a friend from Axel’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 Doug’s mentor doesn’t know where Skinner is, he does give Lazarus their first concrete clue, mentioning the Doctor’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 Belinda’s baklava.

There really is nothing better to eat in this world than the cooking made by one’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 Eleina’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

Is TBATE Starting to Get Better?

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

The Beginning After the End Ep 3 Review

Okay, now we are starting to get somewhere! It’s not secret at this point that the first two episodes of The Beginning After the End weren’t that good. Between the poor animation and skipping over minor details, it looked like TBATE was on the fast track to becoming the laughing stock of the spring 2025 anime season. Much like the final season of Game of Thrones, there’s a petition to have the series remade from scratch. TurtleMe has asked fans to be patient on Reddit, but the comments make it clear that they’re disappointed with the animation studio. They don’t want to be patient if all that will lead to is something failing to meet their expectations, and I don’t blame them. Last year, I forced myself to keep watching Star Wars: The Acolyte, hoping it would get better by the end.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

But, despite its rocky start, the TBATE anime might finally be starting to get its act together. There’s still hope for it, people, and it’s thanks to the story starting to get to the good parts.

That Time I Got Saved by a Dragon

As explained at the end of the last episode, the anime made some changes regarding the events after Arthur fell off that cliff. Firstly, he didn’t wake up in the presence of that giant black creature in the webcomic. When he came to, he was lying besides the body of the bandit that was responsible for the fall…and threw up. After passing out again, he finally managed to stand enough to go in search of the giant creature who was speaking to him telepathically. After hiking for the better part of the day, Arthur makes it to the cave where he meets the one who saved him, Sylvia.

This is where the episode really starts to shine. While the animation continues to remain of questionable quality, TBATE starts to make up for it by embracing that which makes it truly great: the story itself. While Arthur’s time living and training with Sylvia gets condensed for the sake of time, and it does skip over some of the more personal moments, it manages to get the overall message across. Sylvia serves as a valuable mentor to Arthur, not just in combat but in morals. Despite his initial urges to kill the remaining bandits if given the chance, Sylvia helps him see how toxic hatred and revenge can be long-term. It’s better to just move on and live your best life.

That, and the scene where Sylvia shows him how to gather mana is decently animated.

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Alas, their time together is short-lived, for an enemy of Sylvia comes looking for her. One that is too powerful for Arthur to take in his current state. Worse, the story doesn’t explain who this mysterious being looking for Sylvia is until much further down the road in the webcomic. All that you need to know is that if the anime continues to that point (and it will need a miracle), then it will be a long time before the truth comes out.

Is there Hope for Us, Yet?

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This episode marked a slight improvement in the series, and thank god for that! There might be hope for TBATE yet. Though, to be fair, it’s gotten to the point where TurtleMe himself had to step in and run damage control. Look it up on Reddit!

Also, the dub for TBATE is now out…but it’s not good. Watch it subbed!

I Give “Meeting the King” a 3/5

Oh, Skinner, Where Art Thou?

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

Lazarus Ep 2 Review

Twenty-nine days. That’s all the time that humanity has to find Dr. Skinner and the cure for Hapna. Otherwise, everyone who has ever taken the “miracle” drug is going to start dying. And since almost everyone has taken the drug, the human race faces extinction. Now, it’s up to Lazarus, a ragtag task force of misfits, to get to Skinner and save the world like superheroes.

There’s just one problem: they have no idea how to find Skinner!

Firstly, though, let’s gush over the OP to Lazarus. Whether it was Watanabe himself or the people who worked with him to create the anime, they must have been taking a page from Cowboy Bebop. From the way it makes extensive use of big, stylized text in the background while having the main characters remain shadowed or in black-and-white in the foreground, “VORTEX” takes a lot from Bebop. In addition, the music, while more subdued compared to “TANKI,” still has the notable inclusion of the jazz music that Watanabe is so fond of. It’s clear that Watanabe is aiming to make Lazarus the spiritual successor to Cowboy Bebop, and so far, he’s succeeding!

A Ragtag Bunch of Misfits

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The first half of the second episode is largely focused on one of two things: introducing us more to the members of Lazarus and exploring Dr. Skinner’s motives. When it comes to the former, the show seems to adopt a “less is more” attitude regarding their backstories, though it does establish that each of them has things in common. They’ve each committed crimes of some sort, ranging from petty theft to hacking on a global scale. Each of them is insanely talented in an area of expertise:

  • Axel is an all-rounder and a genius escape artist.
  • Doug is good in combat and can think well under pressure
  • Christine is skilled with multiple firearms
  • Leland is an expert on piloting drones
  • Eleina is a master hacker notorious around the globe

Furthermore, each of them admits to having taken Hapna, meaning they’ve got skin in the game and a reason to locate Dr. Skinner.

As for Dr. Skinner himself, the premiere already established that he made Hapna a deadly trap because he was fed up with humanity. This episode elaborates on that by giving us an exposition dump about his backstory, and it soon becomes obvious why he came to this mindset. He devoted his entire life to helping others, to the point where he gave up the money he could’ve gotten off patents for his drugs. In addition, he was a major voice in the fight against climate change, urging people to do everything they could to undo the damage humans have done to the Earth. As is often the case in real life, his pleas were met by apathy and silence from those in a position to do something about it. Hence why he likely made Hapna a trap; he decided mankind wasn’t worth saving.

And I don’t blame him.

Look, Mankind Needs to Get its Act Together

As much as I want to see mankind’s continued existence, there are times when I cannot help but wonder if it would be better if we weren’t around. That being said, I feel the ultimate solution is for us to spread across the stars so the Earth can have some breathing room. I still have faith in mankind’s ability to grow and change, and it feels like Lazarus is being set up as a symbol of that optimism.

In a layman’s terms, Lazarus might be a story of optimism vs cynicism, but we won’t know until the story is finished.

Oh, and Lazarus has armbands that will melt their hands off if they try to go AWOL. They’re basically the Suicide Squad meets the Avengers.

A Wild Goose Chase

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The back half of the episode sees the entire group splitting up to track down leads on Dr. Skinner. Unfortunately, the man seems to have covered his tracks very thoroughly to make things as hard as possible. Case in point, Axel and Chris head to a survival shelter they think Skinner purchased, while Leland and Doug head to the office of the company he bought it from. At first, the deserted atmosphere of both makes it seem like there’s a greater conspiracy at work, especially when people show up and start threatening the team. In a humorous twist, though, not only is the person they find not Dr. Skinner, but the people shooting at them weren’t even looking for him. They spent a whole day on a wild goose chase for a man who ran out on his debts.

This is going to be harder than we thought, and there are only 28 days remaining. It can be easy for someone of Skinner’s intellect to disappear, and it could take years to find him. Lazarus has less than a month before humanity faces extinction. In the meantime, though, I’m going to be enjoying this potential second coming Cowboy Bebop.

Join the chase. Catch an all new episode of #Lazarus next Saturday at midnight! Only #Toonami, on adult swim.

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— Toonami Squad (@toonamisquad.com) April 13, 2025 at 12:38 AM
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I Give “Life in the Fast Lane” a 4/5