Anime

The Need to Be a Hunter

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

Solo Leveling Ep 8 Review

After the recap episode from last week, Solo Leveling is back. Sadly, anyone looking forward to more action will be disappointed with this episode. Instead, this episode takes it slower and focuses on the characters. To be more precise, it focuses on why people want to become Hunters. Yes, there’s the fact that it helps keep humanity safe from what’s lurking on the other side of the dungeons. As we’ve seen, though, people have their motivations for risking their lives as Hunters. The fame and wealth it brings, the power it gives them, or the thrill of living out a real life fantasy RPG. Everyone has their reasons. Sooner or later, though, they have to question if their reasons are worth it. 

Exhibit A: Jin-Woo Needs to Help his Family

The first and most obvious example is Sung Jin-Woo. Even before becoming a Player and leveling up, he kept risking his life in dungeons. All so he could provide himself and his sister with money. More importantly, though, in the hopes of finding a cure for his comatose mother. And thanks to his experience in that special dungeon, he now knows about the Elixir of Life. AKA, the Holy Grail of medicine, AKA something that can cure any illness. The bad news is that he still needs to be stronger to get far enough to get the components for it. And when you’re weak in a video game to do something, you either A.) keep trying and hope for a miracle, or B.) go on the grind until you get stronger. 

Jin-Woo goes with option B, which means returning and accepting Jin-Ho’s offer, but with stipulations! They’ll be the only ones doing the work. Jin-Ho can hire people to show up to meet the required number of party members. They do that until they’ve cleared enough for Jin-Ho to become a Guild Master. Jin-Ho happily agrees to his bro’s terms. 

The rest of the episode is mainly exposition and Hunters discussing their reasons for their jobs. And while it’s not as cool as the fights, I like it. The slower moments help reveal more about a character’s personality. 

Exhibit B: the Yoo Family Needs the Resources

One of the big draws of the dungeons is the resources they can provide people with; the kind of resources society has come to rely on to maintain itself. Thus, dungeon diving can be very lucrative, hence why the best Hunters and strongest guilds are celebrities. And as of now, five guilds are at the top of South Korea’s food chain. 

Jin-Ho’s father, though, hopes to establish his own guild for his construction company. That way, they can gather the resources themselves without having to pay a middle man. That way, they’ll stay successful. And while it wasn’t shown in the manwha, additional scenes show that Jin-Ho isn’t the only one of his brothers vying for the right to lead this potential guild. Another one reached out to an S-Rank Hunter and got show down.

Jin-Ho is a loyal man, and will follow Jin-Woo to the ends of the Earth for saving their lives. However, he’s still trying to vie for his Dad’s favor, which means using every advantage he’s got. That’s why he’s a Hunter, and why he’s betting it all on Jin-Woo. It’s a mutually beneficial friendship. 

Exhibit C: The Guild Masters Need to Prepare for the Worst

One of the more interesting moments of the episode involves a conversation between the guild masters of two of the strongest guilds in South Korea. The thing is, both of them were survivors from a dungeon-related incident on Jeju Island. The anime has yet to go into too much detail, but when dungeons started appearing, things got so bad that the Hunters had to retreat. For reference, I read ahead in the manwha, and it’s better than it’s implied. It’s worse. To that end, they need more people to become Huntersโ€”strong Hunters who can be ready for the day when what’s lurking on Jeju Island breaks free. 

None of this is important to the story now, but it will be down the line. Thus, this is some good foreshadowing.

The Double Dungeon Survivors Reunite

It might surprise some people, but this episode also marks the return of the other people who survived the double dungeon incident that made Jin-Woo a Player. And each of them is shown to be scarred by the experience, either physically or mentally. It gets to the point where each of them questions whether they should keep being a Hunter altogether. However, Jin-Woo’s friend, Joo-Hee, is the most notable example, as she’s still traumatized by the whole experience. However, despite her mother wanting her to retire, Joo-Hee tries to keep being a Hunter. She doesn’t want to give up the financial independence it provides her, even if it’s dangerous.  

It seems like fate when all the survivors of the Double Dungeon incident reunite as part of an urgent dungeon dive the Hunters Association needs done. Seeing how they each react to Jin-Woo’s new look/continued survival says a lot about who they are. I especially like how Kim Sangshik, one of the people who abandoned the others to survive, can’t look at Jin-Woo without feeling guilty. 

This episode was a slow burn, but I did enjoy the anime-original scenes that it added in. They are doing a good job of fleshing out the supporting cast of the series. And while many of them aren’t important now, they will be in the future. For the moment, though, we get to see the Double Dungeon survivors, a group of convict Hunters, and that purple-haired guy dungeon dive. 

Prepare for bloodshed. People are going to die.

I Give “This is Frustrating” a 3.5/5

Higan Got His Butt Kicked by Robot Ninjas

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Ninja Kamui Ep 5 Review

Everybody knows who Batman is. The Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, the man who can seemingly best anyone simply because heโ€™s Batman. But thereโ€™s 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, Higanโ€™s efforts prove to be for naught. Zaiโ€™s 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 heโ€™s going to die and then walks away. Itโ€™s a move meant to make Higan feel powerless and impotent so that heโ€™ll 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 itโ€™s 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 theyโ€™re far too under-leveled. Itโ€™s less of a fight by the end and more of a curb-stomp, like the anime equivalent to watching Bane break Batmanโ€™s 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 werenโ€™t 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 companyโ€™s servers and starts to uncover some of what they have been doing. To be more precise, they find a list of fake IDs that theyโ€™re using to plant agents as. And one of them happens to beโ€ฆEmma Samanda?

The show doesnโ€™t give us, or Moriss and Jason, time to understand whatโ€™s 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. Theyโ€™ll likely make it out fine, but how long will they be able to survive with AUZA after them.

Thereโ€™s also the fact that Emmaโ€™s name is on that list. The possibility that sheโ€™s an agent of AUZA has just jumped up significantly. The fact that AUZA responded so fast to the hack also doesnโ€™t 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 donโ€™t skip out on the ED unless itโ€™s serious! With the series reaching the halfway mark next episode, Iโ€™m curious to see how Higan and Morris will come back from this. Hopefully, theyโ€™ll 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 donโ€™t have Max, watch it there. 

I Give “Episode 5” a 5/5

A Warrior’s Life is a Lonely One

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Ninja Kamui Ep 4 Review

I can’t speak from personal experience, but it seems like working in a profession that involves violence can be hard on one’s loved ones. From those in the military to those working in law enforcement, there’s always the worry that you or your loved one might not come home one night. Some people make peace with that in their way, but others aren’t able to. And as this episode reveals, both Higan and Moriss have this in common.

Tragic Backstory Time

The episode picks up where things left off, with Higan getting a call from an unknown person. The only hints as to their identity are that they know Higan’s a ninja, and they know a poem only other ninjas know. However, that takes a backseat when it segues into some of Agent Moriss’ backstory. As it turns out, the man once had a wife and daughter, and they loved each other very much. Then Moriss started putting his job first, which meant that he was late getting the news that a sleeping driver killed his daughter. As a result, his wife couldn’t take him from being there anymore, and they presumably went their separate ways.

This moment does a lot to show why Moriss is so devoted to his job, even to his detriment. Losing his daughter, who looked up to him as her hero, took a significant toll on him, to the point where he kept a drawing she made on him at all times. He’s doing all of this to avoid his grief and to atone for his failure to be there for his family, similar to what Higan went through in the first episode. 

As the episode continues, we get another flashback, this time to the life of Higan, his future wife, Mari, and their comrade, Zai, in their lives as ninjas. Besides swearing to uphold a code of never betraying their clan or revealing the secret technique they each get, they also swore to detach themselves from everyone, even their comrades. However, Higan fell in love with Mari, and the two broke the code. It’s a nice contrast to Agent Moriss and how he chose his role as an FBI Agent at the cost of his family. When you look at it like that, he and Higan are like two sides of the same coin. Both are skilled and driven, but one chose his job over his family, while the other chose his family over his job. Yet both ended up having tragic outcomes. Maybe they were meant to become allies.

Infiltration of AUZA City

While this episode shows us more of AUZA’s inner circle (who are as eccentric as that of Shinra’s board of directors), the person who stands out the most is Zai. We get a glimpse of how cold and ruthless he is when he kills his former swordmaster, but there’s more to it. The flashback reveals they swore oaths of loyalty to each other over cups of sake. In Japanese culture, exchanging sake cups is considered a way to foster loyalty and celebrate significant milestones. So, it’s likely that when Higan and Mari left the clan, Zai took that as a personal betrayal.

Now, Higan’s actions have cost him Mari and their son. And the only way to bring down his former comrades is to get inside AUZA City.

Higan’s infiltration of AUZA City reminds me of the most challenging stealth missions in games like Assassin’s Creed, made even more complicated when he can’t kill anyone without tipping off the guards. That doesn’t matter in the end, though. Right as he’s about to get into the city, Zai’s there to stop him. And the episode ends at that.

If we want to see what happens next, we must wait a week. But when the time comes, Higan will have to run a gauntlet of foes. Even more ninja battles are coming!!

I Give “Episode 4” a 3/5

Did I say Abstergo? I Should’ve Added in Shinra!

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Ninja Kamui Episode 3 Review

Ninjas, as the popular imagination came to know them, are said to have first appeared in Feudal Japan. They served as spies, saboteurs, and assassins, either for their feudal lords or as mercenaries for hire. And while itโ€™s doubtful that any of them could walk on water or create shadow clones, plenty of fictional works depict them as capable of such. Now imagine what it would be like if modern-day ninjas existed and relied on the most advanced technology, and you have the premise of Ninja Kamui. A fusion of the ancient and modern-day, serving their lord’s interests. It just so happens that said lords are also a global megacorporation in the vein of Abstergo Industries and the Shinra Electric Power Company. 

This is the group that Higan is going up against, and they are everywhere.

A Bunch of Crazy Ninjas

The episode opens up in bloody fashion as we see Lil, a foul-mouthed ninja from Higanโ€™s former clan, assassinating a man. Afterward, he clarifies how turned on he gets by his violence, acting like Deadpool if it wasnโ€™t as funny or spouting out pop culture. Heโ€™s essentially the antithesis of Higan and someone who has little to no respect for what ninjas are likely supposed to be like. And if he and the man who killed Higanโ€™s family are the norm under AUZA, itโ€™s not hard to see why Higan and many others left. The whole group might be corrupt now.

Corrupt or not, a ninjaโ€™s still a ninja, which means theyโ€™re dangerous. Thatโ€™s best shown when another ninja, Zai, takes down his former mentor, who had left like Higan. The mentor tried to slice Zai up with blades made out of air, and the man impaled him without the former realizing. Thatโ€™s scary! At least they can be punched or stabbed, though. AUZA, as a corporation, canโ€™t, and thatโ€™s what makes their influence so scary.

Abstergo Fused with Shinra

The previous episodeย clarified that AUZA has enough pull in the authorities to cover up their attempts to kill Higan. In this episode, Agent Moriss is frustrated when the FBI claims the attack at the restaurant was part of some gang war. The audience doesnโ€™t buy it, and neither does Moriss. Despite the subtle warning from his former partner to let it go, Morissโ€™ sense of justice wonโ€™t let him. In true Jim Gordon fashion, he chooses to keep looking. And thanks to his temporary alliance with Higan and the technical know-how of Emma Samanda, he and the audience learn how much power AUZA has.ย 

As a side note, Samanda is starting to grow on me as a character. It helps that sheโ€™s voiced by Lucy Christian, the dub voice of Nami from One Piece and Uraraka from My Hero Academia. However, Samanda is tech-savvy enough to turn her car into a mobile computer. Her being a redhead makes her feel like an Expy of Barbara Gordon.ย 

AUZA City, Here We Come!

Thanks to some exposition from Samanda, the show confirms what we already knew: AUZA is the showโ€™s equivalent to Abstergo, though their motives are more in line with Shinra from FF7. Theyโ€™re motivated by greed and the desire to expand their influence, and, presumably, thanks to the ninjas, theyโ€™re on the verge of controlling the world from the shadows. To further the comparisons to Shinra, they even have their own private city, AUZA City! 

Much like Shinra, though, it seems that not everyone in AUZA is on the same page. A meeting between an AUZA higher-up and the head of the ninja clan, Yamaji, has the latter chew the former out for what happened at the restaurant. Theyโ€™re working together, but Yamaji hates it as much as Higan did. 

This episode was primarily focused on exposition, but when it got to the action, it cooked. After another ninja comes after Higan, we get another epic fight complete with the same kind of rap insert song we got from episode 2. So, itโ€™s pretty epic.

Once the fight is over, itโ€™s clear that Higan needs to head to AUZA City. The problem is that itโ€™s impossible, even for someone like him, to get in there without getting caught. However, he seems to get a lucky break when he gets a call from an anonymous person that knows his name. We have no idea who they might be, but Iโ€™m looking forward to finding out. Plus, I want to see what AUZAโ€™s equivalent to Midgar looks like. 

This is getting interesting!

I Give “Episode 3” a 4/5

The Demon Slayers are About to Have a Training Arc

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba-To the Hashira Training Review

In 2023, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba released a new movie to drum up hype for the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc. It wasn’t so much a new story, though, as it was a compilation. It mainly covered the end of the Entertainment District Arc, which had some award-worthy animation, before segueing into the first episode of the upcoming arc. Having missed out on that, I resolved to avoid making the same mistake this time. So I got tickets for the opening night of the following compilation film, To the Hashira Training. And, even though it meant having to rewatch the finale to the Swordsmith Village Arc, it was still worth seeing. 

The Calm Before the Storm

If you last saw it a while ago or never read my review, the first half of the compilation film is a good refresher. Tanjiro slew Hantengu of the Upper-Rank Four, and, in a tearjerker of a miracle, Nezuko gained the ability to survive in the sun. The bad news? Before he died, Hantengu told Muzan about Nezuko, making her his top priority. If he devours her, he’ll become immune to the sun, making him nigh-unstoppable. The final battle is upon them, and everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps knows it. 

The preview the film gives us of the first episode of season four starts with the Hashiras Sanemi (the scarred guy who stabbed Nezuko) and Obanai (the one with the snake) going on a mission to rescue a woman from Demons. What ends up happening is they get a glimpse of Muzan’s stronghold before getting thrown out. 

For those who hoped the season four opener would have some fantastic action, the opening is as good as it gets. The rest of the episode, as will the entire arc, is merely the calm before the storm. The remaining Hashira point this out when they convene at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, saying how Demon attacks have gone down. They know Muzan’s readying his forces to capture Nezuko, making a full-scale war inevitable. And with Rengoku dead and Tengen forced to retire, they’re short on manpower. 

To highlight the sense of urgency even further, the leader of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya, is dying. The sickness that’s rotting his flesh and rendered him blind has progressed to the point where he’s bedridden. This means it’s up to the Hashira to prepare for the final battle. And, since this is a Shonen anime, there’s only one solution: an anime training arc. 

Time to Train!

The Hashira (except for Giyu) decide they need to train not just themselves but the entire Demon Slayer Corps. So, they gathered all the lower-ranked members and organized a massive boot camp to toughen them up. The end goal is to get the lower-ranked members closer to their level, giving them a better chance of winning the war that’s to come. And while we only see the start of things, it looks like it will be brutal. 

The program has another purpose, though. With Tokito and Mitsuri getting the same marks as Tanjiro, which gives him superpowers, the other Hashira wants to do the same. It may be the deciding factor in the final battle. However, all they know is that they can only come out when under extreme conditions that could kill them, and they come in contact with someone who already has the Mark. There’s more to it, though. Manga readers will know it, but the anime doesn’t state to increase the tension. From the looks of things, though, the Mark has some serious downsides. 

The Hashira Training Arc is Coming!

Serious topics aside, the episode has plenty of funny moments to lighten the mood. The funniest, by far, revolves around Nezuko’s attempts to relearn how to talk. When Zenitsu returns and sees her walking in the sunlight, he gets lovestruck and asks her to marry him. Until that is, she calls him Inosuke. The latter insisted Nezuko get to know her name, much to Zenitsu’s annoyance. And my amusement.

The episode/film ends with Tanjiro preparing to join the training. More importantly, though, Ms. Tamayo, who’s been working on a cure for Demons, gets summoned by Kagaya to collaborate with one of the Hashiraโ€”progress at last.

How long will the anime’s fourth season be last? It may only cover the Hashira Training Arc, making it shorter than previous seasons. And, as much as I want to get to the final battle, splitting it up would make the pacing easier. Either way, I’m going to enjoy this.

I Give “To the Hashira Training” a 4/5

Toriyama, Thank You for Everything

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A Fan’s Reaction to the Passing of Akira Toriyama

Hey, everyone. RJ Writing Ink here, writing on behalf of the D&A Anime Blog. Aaron and I aren’t in the best state of mind right now. You likely know this by now, but late March 7th, it was announced online that Akira Toriyama, the legendary creator of Dragon Ball and dozens of other works, had passed away more than a week ago. Aaron was the one who wound up telling me on Discord. And my reaction was one of shock and great sadness.

Over the next few hours, I watched the Internet cry out sorrowfully, including Aaron and me. So many people, fans, content creators, and those whom Toriyama inspired to do what they love for a living, all mourning the loss of the legendary mangaka. As for me, at Aaron’s behest, I wrote a post for this blog breaking the news for ourselves. It didn’t feel right not to say anything about Toriyama, especially since Aaron told me it was why he and Donte started this blog. Afterward, I went to bed and tried to sleep as best I could. But as I drifted off to sleep, still trying to process the death of the great mangaka, a realization came to me. While I had seen plenty of people, both idols and loved ones, die before, there was a reason why Toriyama’s passing hit me and everyone so hard. And it was more than the fact that he died at only sixty-eight years old. Truthfully, even if he died twenty years old, it still would have felt too soon.

My reason was that the culture we know today might not have existed without Akira Toriyama and what he created.

The Great Tree of Toriyama

Imagine what Akira Toriyama did when he created Dragon Ball forty years ago, like planting a tree in the middle of a field. He would then spend the next eleven years returning to it once a week to tend to it as it grew big and strong. Its trunk would start to reach for the heavens, its roots would burrow deep into the soil underneath, and its branches would become solid and sturdy. Eventually, it grew big enough to create seeds, and others would come and take them to grow their trees. Flash forward to the present day, and the original tree he planted will get big enough to tower in the skies, while the younger trees will grow just as big and potentially just as strong. If all goes well, then that field could become a forest generations down the line. But the man who planted the first tree would never live to see that. He would have to trust those who followed him to continue his work and make something unique out of it.

If you need clarification on this metaphor, then here’s the meaning. The tree itself is what Toriyama did throughout his entire career, with Dragon Ball primarily serving as the trunk. The branches represent everything that sprang forth from the popularity of the original manga: the anime, movies, video games, products, fan-made content, and all the people who found happiness, success, and more thanks to Dragon Ball. The roots are how the franchise has made its way into global culture. The younger trees represent the people who were inspired by reading Toriyama’s work to become mangaka themselves, giving us even more hit Shonen series like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Fairy Tail, and likely many more. When you put all of that together, the result should be clear. What Akira Toriyama managed to do was create something that managed to incorporate itself into human culture worldwide. Something that has come to unite people from all walks of life over their shared love of this man’s work. No matter how you look at it, that’s impressive.

Now imagine what life would be like if he had never made Dragon Ball or if it had never become as popular as it is. Suddenly, you might get a world where anime has never become more than a niche interest outside Japan. Where many of the series that you love reading never existed. The people whose lives Dragon Ball changed for the better never got that chance. Bonds that started thanks to that shared love never came about, people who never turned that love into their careers, and more. It would be like the alternate timeline from It’s a Wonderful Life, in which George Bailey was never born, and Toriyama is Bailey.

Toriyama’s Legacy Lives On

Toriyama may be gone now, but his legacy lives on, and it’s more than just Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Dragon Quest, or whatever else he helped create. It’s the millions of people worldwide whose lives he changed, often for the better. The mangaka like Masashi Kishimoto and Eichiro Oda. The people who got to work on his series, both in Japan and abroad. The people who can make a living doing fanworks of Dragon Ball like TeamFourStar, DevilArtemis, Daitomodachi, and more. Even fans like me and Aaron. We’re all part of the legacy that Akira Toriyama left behind, and it’s mind-boggling when you put that into perspective. How many people throughout history can say they’ve affected so many people in such a positive manner? Not many.

Am I sad? Yes. I hate that Toriyama died so soon. But Dragon Ball can live on. If we want to do right by Toriyama, we need to ensure that people can continue to enjoy Dragon Ball for generations to come. I know that we’re all mourning for his passing, but no one is genuinely gone, so the world continues to remember him. And with the impact that Toriyama had on the world? I don’t think he’s going to be forgotten for a long, long time.

Sayonara, Toriyama! World Mourns Death of Shonen Legend

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Legendary Mangaka Akira Toriyama, Creator of Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, and modern Shonen, dead at 68

To anyone who grew up watching Dragon Ball Z, you’re going to want to get your tissues ready; you’ll need them. Akira Toriyama, the legendary mangaka that gave the world Dr Slump, the art for Dragon Quest, and most important of all, Dragon Ball, has died at the age of 68. And the entire world of anime is in mourning.

Akira Toriyama Made Shonen What it is Today

For those of you who don’t know who he was, Akira Toriyama is, for all intents and purposes, the godfather of the modern Shonen anime. Entering the world of manga at the age of twenty-three, Toriyama first made a name for himself as the creator of the popular gag manga, Dr. Slump. Running from 1980 to 1984, it proved to be a major hit. However, it wasn’t until 1984 when the man truly began the work that would cement his status as one of the greatest mangaka of all time: Dragon Ball. Inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West, Dragon Ball would wind up becoming one of the most important works in manga history. 

Spawning a media juggernaut that has continued to thrive to this day, Dragon Ball has multiple anime series, dozens of movies, and so many video game adaptations that I can’t even keep track of it. It’s no exaggeration to say that without Dragon Ball, the shonen genre of anime and manga as we know it today wouldn’t exist. By the time it had ended its initial run, Dragon Ball had already sewn the seeds for the shonen genre to thrive. It inspired the next generation of mangaka to create the likes of Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece, the last of which is the best-selling manga of all time. And none of that would be possible without Dragon Ball or Toriyama. 

And then there’s the impact that Toriyama’s creation has had on pop culture. When anime started to make its way to the West in the 90s and early 2000s,ย Dragon Ballย was one of the series that paved the way. It was the gateway anime for countless kids the world over, and the love that it engendered can be found in the all the fan-based content it’s inspired. TeamFourStar, KishinPain, DevilArtemis, Daitomodachi, Slick Goku (RIP), Prince Vegeta. These are only a handful of the people I know of who have made amazing works based on the characters that Toriyama created. And there will likely be even more content coming out in the years to come. Sadly, fans will now have to live with the fact that the man who gave it all to us has departed for the Otherworld.

Toriyama’s Legacy Will Live On

While Toriyama may no longer be with us, he still left us with a few stories left to be told. Less than a month from now, Sand Land, a game adapting another one of Toriyama’s many works, will be released. In addition, Dragon Ball Daima, a spin-off/sequel to Dragon Ball that Toriyama was heavily involved in, will be releasing sometime in Fall 2024. Not much is known about it, but it seems like Daima will be returning Dragon Ball to its roots. However, the fact that it is likely the final project that Toriyama worked on before his death means its premiere will be a bittersweet one for fans.

I’ll be upfront about this: I didn’t grow up watching Dragon Ball on Toonami like a lot of anime fans did. I knew about it, but I didn’t get into it until I was in high school. Once I had, though, I regretted not trying it out sooner. These days, I’m a full-on fan of Dragon Ball. And while I may lack the nostalgia of watching it air on TV, I know how much it means to fans. And more importantly, I understand how much Toriyama’s death is hitting fan. I follow a ton of people who make Dragon Ball-related content, and right now, they’re pouring their hearts out online. Rest in Peace, Toriyama. May you join all the other great storytellers in human history as you deserve. 

Jin-Woo is About to Claim Victims

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Solo Leveling Ep 6 Review

Have you ever seen the โ€œYouโ€™re a victimโ€ meme? It comes from a SupaHotFire video on YouTube from six years ago, and is best used in situations where a person gets absolutely wrecked. And now that Jin-Woo is no longer the weakest Hunter in all mankind, thatโ€™s what will happen to any monsters, or Humans, that get in his way. In this episode, Jin-Woo begins the true start to what will be a long list of people and beasts that he makes victims.

Round 1: Jin-Woo vs Giant Spider

After getting left to die by their so-called party members, Jin-Woo has two options: fight or die. And after facing off against the things heโ€™s fought, the crippling fear that Jin-Woo once felt is not so great. Compared to the demonic statues, a giant spider is nothing.

The fight that follows in the anime seems to take a lot of cues from the likes of Sword Art Online. And thatโ€™s not just because itโ€™s produced by the same studio that does SAO. Like Kirito, Jin-Wooโ€™d movements are based around speed and agility. He jumps, dodges, and constantly looks for new angles from which to attack. The way the fightโ€™s animated even evokes some of the frenetic energy of Kiritoโ€™s more over the top battles. In other words, itโ€™s pretty fun to watch if youโ€™re into that sort of thing.

Hilariously, by the time itโ€™s over and you see how devoted Jin-Ho is to Jin-Woo, I canโ€™t help but hear Deku, subbed or not. This is the beginning of a beautiful bromance.

Hereโ€™s the thing, though: Jin-Woo is not a hero. 

Hwang Dongsuk becomes a Victim

When Dongsuk and his party come back and realize that Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho arenโ€™t dead, they realize they have to cover their tracks. When their attempts to coerce Jin-Ho to kill his newfound bro fail, though, they try to kill Jin-Woo themselves. He no-sells it, but thatโ€™s not the issue. The issue is that the System gives him a new quest telling him to kill Dongsukโ€™s party.

And, if it wasnโ€™t before, what happens next establishes that Jin-Woo is an anti-hero. He might have balked at killing other humans before, but after seeing the worst of humanity in the double-dungeon, heโ€™s ready to respond in kind. Even if the System didnโ€™t threaten to kill him for refusing, Jin-Woo would still kill them. Heโ€™s a man whose spent his whole life as a Hunter being a punching bag. Now that he has the power, heโ€™s going to use it. And woe to anyone foolish to make themselves a victim of his.ย 

Side-note: the music playing as Jin-Woo makes victims is hauntingly beautiful.

This Could be the Start of Something Beautiful

After the ordeal in the dungeon, Jin-Ho and Jin-Woo tell the authorities how the others died in battle, without including the specifics. Even if they did, the law would (hopefully) justify it as self-defense. Thereโ€™s just one issue: Dongsuk has a younger brother whoโ€™s also a Hunter. And from the way he was bragging, heโ€™s likely a big deal. It wonโ€™t matter to Jin-Woo, though. Heโ€™ll keep getting stronger and survive.

Having been unable to resist the wait, I wound up reading the entire manwha in a few days, and trust me. Things will only get crazier from here. By the time the story is done, Jin-Woo will claim more victims and it will be amazing. This is shaping up to be one of the big anime of the Winter 2024 season!

I Give โ€œThe Real Hunt Beginsโ€ a 5/5

Ninja Kamui. Like John Wick, but With Ninjas

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Ninja Kamui Ep 1 Review

Few things in this world inspire as much awe, and fear, as a ninja. Spies, assassins, boisterous protagonists of some of the greatest Shonen Manga, ninjas are everywhere. And when Toonami announced that they would be coming out with an original series, Ninja Kamui, people took notice. Especially given how the anime involves a former ninja going on a quest to avenge his dead family. Itโ€™s like John Wick, but with ninjas.

Joe Higan Wanted a Normal Life

Somwhere in rural America lives Joe Higan, a family man with a happy life. Heโ€™s got a beautiful wife, a cheerful son, and a successful farm, and a cool motorcycle. In other words, heโ€™s set up as the man whoโ€™s living the peaceful, rural American Dream. However, not everything is as it seems. 

Truth be told, Ninja Kamui is very cagey about who Joe is and what his past was like in the premiere. Throughout the first act, the anime drops hints that Joe is running from something. When news reports of brutal, identical murders across the country start making the rounds, they put him and his wife on edge. They know who is doing them, but they try to reassure themselves that theyโ€™ll be fine. 

Then comes the moment when these assassins do come for them. Even with how obvious it was that this would happen, it doesnโ€™t change the fact that the fight that follows is brutal. Thereโ€™s blood everywhere, heads roll, and Joeโ€™s forced to watch as his wife and sonโ€™s dead bodies grow cold on the floor in front of him.

Sunghoo Park Shows off Why he’s so Great

The showโ€™s second act adds a pair of FBI agents working on the attack, sensing itโ€™s connected to the other murders. Theyโ€™re not wrong, but when the culprits come back to finish the job, they canโ€™t even do anything. There’s a chance that theyโ€™ll play a bigger role in the series, if only because theyโ€™re named.ย 

The real highlight of the episode, though, is the moment those assassins come back for a still-alive Joe. If the entire sequence, which is bloody yet has a dark beauty to it, seems similar toย Jujutsu Kaisen, thereโ€™s a good reason. Sunghoo Park, the man who directed the episode (and runs the studio that made this anime) directed the first season ofย Jujutsu Kaisen. The results speak for themselves as Higan goes on a rampage, killing his would-be assassins, and saving the man who killed his wife last.ย 

Higan become the John Wick of Ninjas

The end of the episode only adds on another layer of mystery surrounding Joe Higan. His familyโ€™s dead bodies hinted at it, but it isnโ€™t until Joe pulls off his face that we get confirmation: they were wearing high-tech masks. Between this, the military-grade gear his assassins used, and the savviness they have with technology, paints a grim picture about this group. Whoever they are, theyโ€™re dangerous.

While the ones who directly killed his family are dead, Higan knows itโ€™s not over, leading to some payoff for a good instance of foreshadowing. Earlier in the episode, Joe found his son playing with an Oni mask, something that he and his wife were uneasy about. Given their killers similarities to Oni, it’s a big hint that they were once part of this same group of ninjas. Seeing Higan pull out an Oni mask out of the secret hole in his house is just confirming what we already knew. That, and that Higan is about to go John Wick on these ninja’s butts.

As far as premieres go, Ninja Kamui does a good job of balancing the thin line needed. It provides the basic setup and premise to use, but at the same time, it leaves enough unanswered to keep people in the dark. And when people are left in the dark about something, they tend to want to know more. What is the name of this group of ninjas? Why did Joe and his wife leave them behind? Those questions will be answered over the course of the next eleven weeks, and I’m looking forward to it. 

I Give “Episode 1” a 5/5

God of War, Solo Leveling Edition

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Solo Leveling Ep 7 Review

If Sun Jin-Woo had any remaining doubts that he’d gotten stronger, they are gone. Last week, he didn’t just kill the boss of the dungeon he was in. Except for Jin-Ho, he killed the party that tried to kill him. At this rate, he might start thinking he’s unstoppable, which could be a huge problem. Thankfully, Jin-Woo’s conscious enough to understand that if he doesn’t want to die, he needs to keep getting stronger.

This is good because he’s got the authorities interested and angered one of the strongest Hunters in the world. Time to level grind!

Jin-Woo is Getting Noticed

For someone who just had to kill six people, the episode starts with Jin-Woo handling things well. Some people would be traumatized by killing another human being, even if it was in self-defense. Jin-Woo, though, doesn’t even use that as an excuse to cope. It’s more concerning how irritated he is at how they thought they had a chance against him.

Jin-Woo recognizes the benefits that becoming a Player has given him, both for his confidence and his family’s well-being. Plus, he discovers in this episode that his body detoxes him so fast he can’t get drunk. However, and not just because the System forces him to do so. It’s because he’s attracting unwanted attention.

First, reports about what happened have reached the Hunter Bureau and the desk of Mr. Woo. AKA the guy who saw Jin-Woo after the Double Dungeon Incident. He’s starting to suspect that something’s up with Jin-Woo, which could be an issue. However, what’s more important is the guy that Jin-Woo’s angered.

Remember Dongsuk, the leader of the party that Jin-Woo killed? He wasn’t joking about his little brother being a big deal. He’s an S-Rank Hunter living in America and is now out for revenge. 

Jin-Ho is a True Bro

At least there’s one person who isn’t out to get Jin-Woo right now: Jin-Ho.

It might be because his dub voice is done by Justin Briner or the sincere manner in which he conducts himself, but Jin-Ho is the kind of guy Jin-Woo wants in a best friend. Not only does he keep his mouth shut about what happened out of gratitude, but he makes a massive offer. His dad’s the CEO of a big construction company, and he wants to set up his own Hunter’s Guild. If Jin-Ho helps do raids to help him become a Guild Master, he’ll give him a building worth billions.

It’s a very tempting offer, one that benefits both of them. It would help Jin-Woo hide his strength for a bit longer, and Jin-Ho can show he’s worthy of his father’s trust. Sadly, Jin-Woo has things he must accomplish first. 

This whole conversation highlights what’s great about Jin-Ho. While he wants Jin-Woo to help him for his benefit, he’s also doing it to help Jin-Woo. He’s genuinely grateful to him for saving their lives and wants to do everything to help. Even if Jin-Woo still says no, he’ll keep his secret. Granted, he’s worried that Jin-Woo might kill him, but the loyalty is genuine. That’s authentic bro material, there!

God of War: Manwha Edition-Cerberus Boss Fight

The big highlight of the episode, though, remains the impressive fighting. After blowing past his daily training, Jin-Woo gets a key to unlock an S-Rank dungeon. He can’t resist the chance to see how far he’s come, leading him to head inside. What he encounters, though, can only be described as God of War fused with an urban apocalypse. 

Anyone who’s ever read Greek mythology will know how dangerous Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the Underworld, is. The Cerberus that Jin-Woo fights is something straight out of the likes of Dark Souls and as bloody as God of War. It also isn’t as one-sided as it is in the manwha; it’s a deliberate attempt to make Jin-Woo not feel so OP. In the end, it makes his ultimate victory all the more badass.

Solo Leveling keeps managing to raise the bar when it comes to fights, and this is only the start. If you’ve read the Manwha (I binged it in less than a week), you know how insane the fights will become. 

In the end, Jin-Woo leaves the dungeon feeling a little more confident in himself. What he did in the last episode wasn’t a fluke. Now he knows he’s tough and will only get more challenging. At the same time, he took enough of a beating that he knows that he’s not invincible. No matter how powerful he gets, he shouldn’t start thinking himself to be unbeatable. However, doing these dungeons will still be worth it, as they lead him on a path that could end with a potential cure for his comatose mother. 

Sadly, there will be no new episode next week. We’ll only be getting a recap. The silver lining, though, is that we’ll be able to catch up on the dub. 

I Give “Let’s See How Far I Can Go” a 4.5/5