Manga

Rimuru Got Invited to Join the Isekai UN

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 4 Review

You know what’s one of my favorite things about Slime Tensura? It’s not the fighting, or the power-scaling, or the fanservice. It’s the politics. As the series has progressed and Rimuru becomes more important, the story shifts away from fighting to dealing with nation-building as the human-turned-slime works to build a world for humans and monsters to live in peace. And that means that there’s going to be people taking advantage of him and trying to take him down, and he’s got to put them in their place. Case in point, the Rozzo family has just used their influence on the nations to the west to invite Rimuru to join their international club as part of a plan to get him under their control. But they don’t know who they’re messing with.

So after they managed to send Team Green Fury packing, the avatar quartet, humorously, didn’t stop there. They liked hunting adventurers so much that they got carried away and went on an absolute tear, to the point that people are calling them the “Dungeon Dominators.” Unfortunately for them, that lands them in hot water for neglecting their other roles, with Millim being the first to suffer. It turns out she snuck off to Tempest to get out of her Demon Lord duties, leading to Frey to have to drag her back home to do her homework.

Poor Millim! I know how you feel about hating homework! And shame on her friends for selling her out like that. At least Rimuru gets some karma when Shuna realizes he’s been goofing off in the Dungeon.

But with that out of the way, Rimuru has to face the more important task at hand: the Rozzo family and the Western Council.

Made up of the human nations located to the west of the Jura Forest, the Council of the West is sort of like a fusion of the real-life United Nations and groups such as NATO. They’re an economic and political alliance meant to help the whole of humanity prosper, and the rise of the Monster nation of Tempest has been of great concern to them. Unfortunately, much like the UN, their effectiveness and competency vary a lot.

The latter half of the episode is all about the Council members arguing about whether to invite Tempest to join. Can they be trusted? What’s to stop Rimuru from wiping them all out? How can we use them for our own benefit? Some of them even question if Rimuru is as strong as they say he is. Hinata was invited to serve as a witness on Rimuru’s behalf, but her thoughts are exactly what the viewers are meant to feel about this: not impressed. It’s clear that they’re only thinking about their own interests and looking down on Rimuru. It becomes even more apparent when they suggest inviting Tempesr to join so its military power can serve as a check on the Eastern Empire, a name that keeps popping up in conversations lately.

Even if Mariabel’s monologues didn’t confirm it, it’s pretty obvious that the Council is being puppeted by the Rozzo family with the way they talk. The manipulation becomes even more apparent when Hinata is approached by the Prince of Englassia and asked to serve as his bodyguard and fight Rimuru if the time comes.

Those fools know not what they are doing. They’re lucky that Rimuru is so chill, or else he would torch them all. Hinata was right to bail out of this.

So, Rimuru and the others are getting invited by the Council to see if they will let him join. Given how useless they were, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes one look at them and says “Nah, we’re good!” Good thing that they’re leaving Shion behind! If she went and someone insulted Rimuru, she would level the city.

I Give “Invitation” a 4/5

This Little Girl is a Problem

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 3 Review

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked everyone’s ears off about how much I hate Witch, AKA Bitch, Whore, and formerly known as Malty S. Melromarc. She’s everything wrong with elitist mindsets rolled into an ugly package that’s so easy to despise. The good news is that she also matches Cersei Lannister in terms of idiocy, so if you know her game, it’s easy to beat her. Can you imagine if Witch was as smart as she thinks she is and how screwed the world would be? Well, Rimuru may not know it yet, but he might have just made an enemy out of someone with the same mindset and the competency to back it up: Mariabel Rozzo.

Mariabel of Greed

So, the OP and ED for this season of Slime Tensura have put a lot of emphasis on the girl known as Mariabel. In anime, that typically means that they’re important to the plot. Plus there’s also the fact that we’ve seen Mariabel always hanging around her grandfather, AKA the one who orchestrated that stunt with the merchants in the last season. Their plan was to con Rimuru into a situation where he’d owe them a favor, but he was too smart for that. It’s not the old man that’s the problem, though; it’s Mariabel. She’s a reincarnator like Rimuru.

Whereas our lovable slime was a working man on Earth, Mariabel was the opposite. She was born into the upper crust of European aristocracy, and she did not let her gender get in the way of her Littlefinger arc. She spent her entire life amassing wealth and power from the shadows until she ruled Europe from behind the scenes! The anime even implies that she profited off World War I, AKA the most pointless war in human history. That’s how you know that she’s evil. And she managed to die of old age, before getting reborn in the Tensura world as a baby princess. And she got a terrifying unique skill to boot: Greed.

Remember how Rimuru has that unique skill, Gluttony, lets him eat and gain the abilities of anyone he wants? Mariabel’s Greed lets her use other people’s desires to brainwash them. And the more the target wants, the easier it is to control them! By the time she was out of diapers, she had already brainwashed most of her house, until finally she became the right-hand of her grandfather, Granbell Rozzo, the thousand-year-old founder of the Kingdom of the Siltrosso and, like I said, the puppet master behind that merchant stunt!

Rozzo’s ultimate goal is, at first glance, actually pretty noble. He doesn’t want normal humans to live in a world ruled by monsters and Demon Lords, so he’s been pulling strings in the west to create a place where humans can live in peace. And Rimuru’s idea of a world where all races can live in peace is getting in the way of that. Hence the whole scheme with the merchants. And while I don’t entirely get it, I’m pretty sure the Rozzo’s and Yuuki are the ones funding Team Green Fury, AKA the guys cheesing their way through the Tempest Dungeon. So, they have to be dealt with.

There’s just one problem: Rimuru, Veldora, Ramiris, and Millim’s avatar bodies suck!

Avatar Team PWNS CHUMPS

We saw how the newly formed Avatar Team got their butts whooped at the end of the last episode, but this episode gives us an even better look at why. Not only are the Demon Lords and Veldora weak in their artificial bodies, but their teamwork stinks! They’re so used to being so OP that they can solo everything that they don’t know how to fight in a team. So while Kurobe makes them some sweet armor, Rimuru has them go through some intense training. Since they’re basically operating like the typical RPG team, they also have to learn teamwork. Which is good, since they could stand to learn that.

Rimuru’s plan ultimately works, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Green Fury was about to beat the 49th floor. So it was time for the admins to assert their authority.

I have to admit, it was nice seeing the Avatar Team put a stop to Green Fury before they could ruin everything. Hopefully, they can patch things so that no one else can use that exploit any further. As a gamer, I understand how much that sucks, but it’s better to win without resorting to cheap tricks like that. Good riddance, Green Fury!

The real problem, though, remains Mariabel. With her family’s plan with the merchants having backfired and Rimuru suspicious of Yuuki of the Free Guild, Mariabel’s going to change tactics. She plans to invite Rimuru to the West to the Council so she can get him alone and try to use Greed on him to turn him into her puppet. Little does she know that she’s grasping at straws, because a.) Rimuru is our protagonist, and has that protagonist plot armor; b.) he’s Rimuru. He’s got GOAT status. He’ll be fine! In fact, I say he should accept the invitation just so we can see him embarrass her! But that doesn’t make her less of a threat. She managed to kill the merchant who organized that fuss under Souei’s nose!

I Give “The Avatar Team is Formed” a 3.5/5

I’m Calling Nami the Weather Queen after This

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

One Piece Ep 1159 Review

Well, it looks like my prediction was spot-on! This is the last episode that we will be spending in this little mini-arc that was the Block Kingdom! On the last piece of One Piece, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper managed to confront the “Sun God” who created the LEGO set they woke up in and thoroughly enrage them. Now, they’re on the run from an angry Giant who wants to keep them captive forever for his own amusement. But, as I felt when I was reading the manga, this guy must not be very smart if they think they can hold Monkey D. Luffy!

RUN AWAY FROM THE GIANT!

The vast majority of this episode can be summed as resembling the climax to the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. Well, the parts where the main character is being chased by the Giant, at least. The only thing the Straw Hats stole was the blueprints to the Block Kingdom, and given how they woke up unwilling captives and want to escape, they’re justified. Using the giant cat that Luffy is forcing to obey them, they’re making a dash for the other side of the Block Kingdom. Which, in case it wasn’t obvious, is actually an old cell designed to hold Giants prisoner. Which, given how Luffy is stronger than most Giants by this point, is really not a problem.

I know people are still going to have some problems with the pacing of the episodes, but the anime makes up for the extended scenes with the high quality of its animation. The series has come a long way from the simpler look it had in 1999, with its look evolving to better suit the evolution of the craft. That means that it feels a lot closer to what Oda draws in the manga as he’s grown more and more confident over the years, much to fans’ enjoyment. And, if I’m being honest, I like seeing the Straw Hats continuously outsmart their captor as they try to catch them.

This Guy Technically Works for Luffy

Speaking of which, it’s already obvious that the one holding them isn’t a God, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to be who he turns out to be. The Giant that built this fake world is named Road, a member of the New Giant Warrior Pirates led by Hajrudin. Introduced back in Dressrosa as mercenaries working for Buggy, they were one of the groups that chose to pledge their loyalty to Luffy and form the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. That means that Road is technically supposed to be one of Luffy’s allies, but he can’t stand the idea of Giants working for a tiny human. So when one of his pet crows found the Sunny and half the Straw Hats fast asleep on it out at sea, he got the bright idea of putting them in his Block Kingdom so he wouldn’t have to work under them. And, for extra renegade points, he stripped them of their clothes so he could put new ones on them, including Nami.

It’s been months since these events took place in the manga, and my thoughts on this whole reveal haven’t changed: this guy’s an idiot. I can forgive him for ignorantly thinking that he could hold someone like Luffy because he hasn’t seen how strong he is like his crewmates have, but he really didn’t think this through. If the other Giant Pirates found out that he was holding Luffy captive, then they would punish him for it! And while I respect him for the LEGO model he built and the hand-made outfits, he’s still giving our fellow nerds a bad name. The part where he pauses mid-chase to gush about how this unscripted conflict in his world is so awesome comes off as creepy coming from him.

So, he must be punished. And it’s fitting that it’s Nami who’s the one who pays him back.

One of Nami’s Best Moments Yet!

The way that Nami has Zeus grow to the size of a storm and then has him hit Road with a lightning strike was already amazing. But that smug, s*it-eating smirk on Nami’s face as she claimed it was “divine retribution” was hilarious! That might not have been divine retribution, but that was a case of karma at work!

So, much to no one’s surprise save for that of Road, the Straw Hats manage to escape from the Block Kingdom. And I am happy to say that next week, we are going to head straight into the good stuff: Elbaph. The actual Elbaph is about to appear, and it is going to be amazing, you guys!! You are going to love it!

I Give “Destroy the Miniature Garden – Escape Block Kingdom!” a 4.5/5

El-balph! El-baph! LAND OF THE GIANTS!

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

One Piece Ep 1156 Review

Sorry I’m late, everyone, but I’m ready to get this voyage underway! I wouldn’t miss One Piece for all the money in the world!

I know that the founders of this blog aren’t the biggest of fans of One Piece, but as their primary writer, I’m an absolutely massive fan. I’ve talked about it a lot on D&A Anime Blog. I’ve gushed about the live-action series and other big pieces of news about the franchise. And on my personal blog, I’ve been reviewing each chapter of the manga since partway through the Wano Country Arc! But with the anime having gone seasonal, I decided that now was the best time for me to try my hand at reviewing the anime. This will be the first time I’ve reviewed an anime of something whose manga I’m concurrently covering, but it’s going to be worth it. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or a newcomer, you might have picked a great time to come aboard, because we are about to arrive at a location so awesome, so amazing, so mind-bendingly cool, that nothing short of finding the One Piece itself can compare! The story that Oda has wanted to tell since he was a little kid is here. The story of ELBAPH!!

Full disclosure: if you’re a newcomer, there are going to be a lot things thrown at you that I don’t have time to explain. In that case, either go read the manga or go find one of the many, many people on YouTube who can recap and explain the series. Otherwise, I’ll just assume you’re caught up so I can enjoy myself!

After a brief flashback to the end of the Little Garden Arc where Luffy and Usopp resolve to one day visit Elbaph, the episode returns us to the present day. The Straw Hats, Giant Warrior Pirates, Lillith, Bonney and Kuma have just escaped from Egghead Island and are on their way to Elbaph, so they’re celebrating by partying. It’s pretty much a law that the Straw Hats end an arc with a party. What I wasn’t expecting, though, and soemthing that was totally original to the anime was getting to hear Brook play “New World.” There are a lot of good songs in One Piece, but New World has to be one of my favorites. Upbeat, exciting, and optimistic, it encapsulates the positive messages that the series sends us. That, and it’s a pretty good bop.

The Barto Club Screws Up

The episode then cuts away to another series tradition that accompanies the start of a new arc: checking up on events around the world. Oda is great when it comes to world-building, and moments where he takes the focus away from the main characters remind us of that by showing that the world doesn’t revolve entirely around what they do. In this case, it picks up with one of Luffy’s allies/biggest fans, the Barto Club, and one of his greatest enemies, the Blackbeard Pirates.

So, after they parted ways with Luffy, Bartolomeo and his crew went to a particular island to sell some Straw Hat pirate merch. However, they chose to go to an island under Shanks’ protection, and they refused to buy anything. In response, Barto torched their flag, leading to Shanks to give them a butt-whooping. And then he decided to test/troll them by ordering Barto to make Luffy drink poison or else their lives were forfeit. And you can guess where this is going.

Anyone who has been with One Piece long enough knew that Shanks was just messing with Barto. He just wanted to make sure that Luffy’s followers weren’t some fair-weather friends, and Barto passed the vibe check. But Yassop still destroyed their ship. They had a reputation to keep up.

I’m sure they’ll be fine!

Blackbeard is Nearing his Endgame

Meanwhile, back on Pirate Island, Blackbeard isn’t happy that the Marines managed to raid the place and rescue Koby while he was gone. However, his crew points out that he’s now in an arguably better position. Not only do they have Luffy’s grandpa and hero of the Marines, Garp, prisoner, but they also raided Big Mom’s territory and abducted Pudding. And with Caribou newly arrived and ready to spill everything he knows about the locations of two of the three Ancient Weapons, things are about to get a lot worse.

I think I mentioned it on my blog when reviewing the chapter, but I’m going to say it here: Blackbeard is being set up as the final enemy that Luffy must face to become King of the Pirates. Once he knows where and who the Ancient Weapons are, he’s going to try to seize them. That means that nations with people that the Straw Hats call friends will be in harm’s way. Add in the fact that Teach now has Luffy’s grandpa and Sanji’s ex-fiancé prisoner, as well as what he did to Ace, the Straw Hats have all the motivation they need to go to war with the Blackbeard Pirates. Unfortunately, this will mark the last point for a while where the anime doesn’t focus on anything outside of their next destination (not counting flashbacks.)

Speaking of which, where are the Straw Hats?

Where did half the Straw Hats Go?

When I read the chapters where the Giants woke up to find half the Straw Hat Pirates and their ship missing, I was as confused as everyone else. How the heck did they get separated from everyone else? Then it got even weirder when Nami woke up in a place that looked suspiciously like it was made out of LEGO…and wearing an entirely different outfit. None of us knew if she was tripping from the alcohol, or if this was a detour from Elbaph. If it had been the latter, though, I think the fans would’ve lost it! And then we had to wait an entire week (or two) to find out what was happening. Thankfully, the anime will be sticking to a weekly release schedule, so anime only people don’t have to worry about that!

This was a good start to the return of One Piece, if you ask me. I have been reading the manga for years, and I can say that you guys are in for something very special. Welcome to the Elbaph arc, everyone! Hope you enjoy the trip!

I Give “The Long-sought Elbaph! The Big Reunion Banquet” a 3/5

The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King Initial Series Review

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

Hello, everyone! RJ Writing Ink here with another first impression for a new anime I’m considering watching. So, have you ever heard how Spike Spiegel once said “I love a woman who can kick my ass?” He’s not wrong; a lot of people like strong women who can stand up for themselves. Well, what if there were an entire culture of warriors whose romantic preference was strong women? Now put that into a medieval fantasy setting, have the female protagonist be a badass knight, and the male be an uber-powerful barbarian warrior in love with her. Then you would have this new anime I just found, The Barbarian’s Bride. The first episode is out, but this one clip of it on Crunchyroll’s YouTube channel was enough to get me interested.

A Lady Knight Meet Cute

Meet Seraphina de Lavillant, a 26-year-old knight from the Illdoren Kingdom and leader of the Eastern Expeditionary Force. For centuries, her kingdom has waged war against the “barbarians” of the east for all the usual reasons people fight: land, resources, and seeing the easterners as savages. But then the day comes when Sera finds herself in combat against one of the enemy’s leaders, Veor. And despite managing to hold her own against him for a time, eventually her sword breaks during their clash, spelling her ultimate defeat. And while she bought enough time for most of her forces to get away, Sera is taken captive by the Easterners.

The premiere episode opens up right in the middle of Sera’s plight as she finds herself in a cell in the Easterners territory. And she fully expects that they will torture her, sacrifice her, violate her, or some horrible combination of all three. But she decides that she will remain defiant to the end and not give them the satisfaction of begging for mercy. What she wasn’t prepared for was learning the reason why she was brought back. It wasn’t to kill her or violate her dignity like she thought; it was because Veor wanted to…marry her!

As I bluntly commented in the above video, Veor’s entire culture basically simps for badass warrior maidens. They like strong women who can hold their own in a fight, and this makes sense, when you think about it. The land they call home is full of all sorts of dangers, so they need to be strong in order to survive. That holds true in real life, as well. When you live in a tough environment, you have to be either tough or smart in order to survive, and you see those qualities in a partner as a positive trait. So, for centuries, the men of Veor’s people have married the strongest women they can find; it just so happens that they tend to be the ones who were trying to kill them at first. And when Veor clashed with Sera, he basically fell for her then and there. So he followed the traditions of his people.

They’ve at least got good taste. And, judging by the thousands of likes my comment got, plenty of people are thinking the same thing. Like Spike Spiegel once said, men like a woman who can kick their asses.

Read the Manga. It’s Actually Nicer than you Think!

Now, as a modern audience, there are undoubtedly people who look at this series and have some serious ethical concerns with it. Taking someone captive to marry them is frowned upon by a lot of people. Not to mention the idea that said captives potentially falling in love with them could be seen as Stockholm Syndrome. They’re not wrong; it does raise some eyebrows. I would like to point out three things, though. Firstly, Veor’s culture is wholly different from ours, and it’s technically unfair of us to judge it by our own morals and ethics. Secondly, despite looking like a brute, Veor manages to subvert the stereotypical barbarian warrior. Despite it being well within his power to take her by force, Veor is nothing but a gentleman toward Seraphina. He treats her with the respect he would give a fellow warrior and equal and refuses to do anything without her consent. Which segues into my third and final point: Seraphina is treated better by Veor than she ever was by her own people.

As this first episode reveals to us through flashbacks, Seraphina’s home of Illdoren is a pretty awful place. Most of the common folk suffer from poverty and famine. We even see a poor man starving on the streets. Meanwhile, the upper crust is living in mansions and gorging themselves on the best food, overly fancy outfits, and caring more about gossip than helping those they’re supposed to look after. Not to mention how their entire society is incredibly sexist. Female knights are not uncommon, but Sera was still made fun of for something that her people largely see as a man’s role. For instance, there was the time when she became the First Knight and leader of the Eastern Expeditionary Force. She went back to her brother filled with pride at what she’d done. Instead, he chose to berate her for turning down multiple marriage proposals to keep playing knight, and that she should quit now that she’s at the top. Completely ignoring her accomplishments!

I understand that there’s the idea of being loyal to your country even when it’s not loyal to you. However, at some point, you have to question whether or not said country even deserves your loyalty. Now compare that to Veor’s people, who will not look down on her for being a woman and recognize her badassery for what it is: something to respect. I don’t know about you, but if I had to make a choice between a home that doesn’t respect and appreciate me for who I am and a place that does, I’d choose the place that does.

I know that Barbarian’s Bride is not going to be for everyone, and that’s understandable. Not everyone is going to be into these kinds of stories. But I’m the kind of person who likes people from different cultures getting along. You’d be surprised at how much more in common we all have with each other. So I wound up reading the manga, and found that it doesn’t take long for Seraphina to grow accustomed to this new land. She’s happier here than she ever was back home, and the more she gets to know Veor, the more she realizes that the stories she was told about his people were inaccurate. That, and when he ditches the beard, Veor is very much her type, to her initial dismay. For bonus points, Veor is only 18.

That’s right, Veor is only 18, can grow an impressive beard, and is making an older woman fall for him. Impressive game!

YUTA OKKOTSU IS THE GOAT

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

Jujutsu Kaisen S3 Ep 12 Review

If you weren’t allowed to pick Satoru Gojo, who in Jujutsu Kaisen would you consider the GOAT? I don’t know if it’s possible to settle on a single GOAT, as season three of the show has given us multiple contenders for the title. Maki managed to wipe out her entire clan of frauds. Higuruma was a newbie as a sorcerer but managed to become one of the top players in the Culling Game. Takaba’s rule of funny technique could give even Gojo a hard time! But if you ask me, I think the season finale showed us that the biggest GOAT is Yuta Okkotsu. He not only heads to the colony with four of the heaviest hitters of the Culling Game thus far, he also manages to beat all of them by himself by the time the credits roll!

If you’re an anime fan, then you know that when a series chooses to skip the OP, that means it needs the extra runtime for something big. And Jujutsu Kaisen is no exception, as it starts right where we last left off: with Yuta killing one of the four sorcerers that had the Sendai colony stuck in a stalemate. This wasn’t any sorcerer, either; this was a reincarnated sorcerer who was so powerful that, 2,000 years ago, he managed to conquer all of Japan. And the series still decided that it wasn’t worth showing us how Yuta killed him. And that is only the end of the last episode and the start of this one.

The rest of the episode can best be described as Yuta running a gauntlet of boss fights against the other three bigshots of Sendai Colony: Kurourushi, a cockroach cursed spirit, Uro, an incarnated sorcerer who can manipulate the space of the sky like solid matter, and Ishigori, another incarnation whose pompadour doubles as a cursed energy cannon. Each of them could the subject of a fight that lasts an entire episode, and Yuta fights them all in just one.

If you’ve seen Jujutsu Kaisen 0, you already know this, but even if you haven’t, this episode is meant to confirm what the season premiere implied: Yuta Okkotsu is that guy. Next to Gojo, he is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the modern-day, and this episode demonstrates it. His reserves of cursed energy are practically off the charts, his innate technique allows him to copy other people’s techniques, and if that wasn’t enough, he never has to fight alone. He’s got Rika, the cursed spirit left behind by his childhood sweetheart of the same name after the events of JJK 0. Add in the fact that he’s distantly related to Gojo himself, is it any wonder why Yuta is the GOAT of Yuji’s generation?

He defeats the cockroach spirit Kurourushi by giving it a mouth-to-mouth Reversed Curse Technique.

He fights Uro, who has it out for him because of something his ancestor did. Then he fights the battle-crazed Ishigori. And then he almost fights the latter two in a three-way domain expansion that’s only stopped by the return of the cockroach.

And during the entire episode, the anime doesn’t let up on the incredible animation that we’ve come to expect this season. All of it eventually boils down to an epic one-on-one between Yuta and Ishigori, all to the OP of the season, Aizo. When an anime chooses to use its OP or ED in the middle of the episode, you know that things have gotten serious!

https://twitter.com/eagle97jjk/status/2037198355273834776?s=20

In the end, Yuta manages to beat all of them. But since he’s such a nice guy, he doesn’t kill Uro or Ishigori, just taking their points. GOAT status, confirmed.

Sadly, this is where season three of Jujutsu Kaisen comes to an end. Even worse, we likely have to wait a year for the second half of the Culling Game. It feels more than a little cruel to know that we have to wait that long, but maybe that’s why the anime chose to end things here. They wanted to give us absolute peak before we had to wait. It’s sad, but we have to give great shows like this time to cook. Plus, this season already managed to leave its mark in pop culture, from the stunning animation to the memes that it inspired. The Game shall continue, but until then, we have other shows to watch!

I Give “Sendai Colony” a 5/5

Some Lowlife Power Gamers are Ruining the Dungeon

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 2 Review

You know what the hardest thing is when it comes to developing video games that are getting constantly updated? Having to one-up players who find exploits and ways to cheat. It’s like a never-ending battle between players and game developers, because every time one problem gets solved, another gets exploited. The reason why I’m bringing this up is that Rimuru has just found a new problem to deal with regarding his nation’s Dungeon. Two problems, more accurately.

Hinata almost Ruins the Dungeon

So the good news is that ever since installing Masayuki’s suggestions to help adventurers, the Tempest Dungeon is starting to turn a profit. The save points, rest stops, and the inn are raking in the dough. Masayuki even managed to clear the 30th floor, albeit he did it in a way that reminds of something that Buggy the Clown or Mr. Satan would do.

I know that his special skill, Chosen Hero, makes everyone think he’s that guy, but this level of hype is ridiculous. But that’s not the problem. Rimuru wants Masayuki to do well so it makes the Dungeon look good and brings in customers. The main problems are Hinata almost wrecked everything, and that there’s a team that’s using an exploit to clear the bosses.

Firstly, we have Hinata. After the Crusaders started using the lower levels as a training ground and got their butts handed to them, one of them mouthed off that Hinata couldn’t handle it. So she took that as a challenge and just went on a massive tear like she’s Sung Jinwoo. She wasted the bosses on the lower floors, killed all the dragons Millim caught, and then just chilled at an inn on the 95th floor just to troll them. Veldora beat her, but Rimuru refuses to give her the prize money.

This is what I meant when I said how games like this need to be constantly updated. A dungeon like Rimuru’s needs to be balanced and ensure that the participants have a fair chance of winning, while also making sure that it’s not too easy. First things first, Rimuru decides to give Adalmann some cool new magic.

Freaking Power Gamers!

The real issue, though, is this new party, Team Green Fury. They managed to catch up to the progress of Masayuki’s team, not by being that good, but through an exploit. Apparently, by using a combination of them and the return whistles (escape ropes) to exit and re-enter the Dungeon, they can gather party members far past what should be the limit. In other words, they’ve made a party of dozens capable of clearing the Dungeon bosses…by save scumming and zerg rushing.

Look, I’m a gamer. I have used tactics like this before. I know other people do this. But there has to be a limit to how much players should be allowed to exploit without ruining the challenge. And then they managed to beat the 40th floor! If that keeps up, they’ll reach the lower floors, find the bosses are wrecked, and the Dungeon will be ruined. This calls for admin intervention!

Rimuru’s ultimate solution is a pretty cool one, albeit it copies the concept behind the Avatar films and Pixar’s Hoppers. He, Veldora, Ramiris, and Millim, who just got back from tort-training Gobta and Ranga will put their souls into monster avatars, and crush them on the 49th floor before they wreck everything. It’s a good plan…if they didn’t get their butts handed to them. In a surprising twist, it seems the three Demon Lords and one True Dragon are way weaker in their avatar bodies. Which means now they have to train!

So these last two episodes have been pretty lowkey as far as stakes go, but that’s not why people like Slime Tensura, I think. They like it because of the humor and world-building. I’m looking forward to seeing how Rimuru deals with these borderline cheaters, and I hope we get some more action soon.

I Give “The Dungeon Evolves” a 3/5

Great Rimuru has Returned to us!!!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 1 Review

RIMURU-SAMA, WE MISSED YOU!!! 😭😭😭

If you remember all my reviews of Mushoku Tensei, then you remember my concept of the Seven Summits of Isekai. They’re the series that I consider to be the pinnacle of the genre that has become so prevalent over the last decade. And while I still have a soft spot for Shield Hero and Mushoku Tensei, we here at the D&A Anime Blog are huge fans of one isekai above all others: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. It’s got an amazing world, great and lovable characters, and Rimuru might be one of the most OP, broken protagonists in all of fiction. So it is with great fanfare that we welcome back Lord Rimuru as we begin the first cours for the monumental fourth season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime!

It’s been a while since the Great Festival where the nation of Tempest made its grand debut on the world stage. And for Rimuru and his friends and allies, life couldn’t be better! His plans to build a magic-powered train system are progressing nicely. More and more humans are visiting or living in Tempest, making the idea of human- monster coexistence more of a reality. Rimuru’s beloved students are now attending class in Tempest and away from Yuuki, with Hinata serving as a guest teacher. And, as crazy as it sounds, Shion managed to make a tea he can actually drink!

All of it adds up to Rimuru being able to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. Except for one problem: their new Dungeon isn’t working.

The Tempest Dungeon is Like Dark Souls

Despite all the advertising and work they put into it, too many newbie adventurers keep trying to take on the Dungeon. They’re getting lost, starving, or owned by even the most basic of monsters. At this rate, the Tempest Dungeon will be a financial flop! All of this is leading adventurers to lash out at the citizens of Tempest and say their Dungeon is unfair. Something has to be done, and it’s the kind of thing that a gamer can fix. A gamer like Masayuki.

Gamers Rule

I already enjoy the fact that the world of Slime Tensura has a lot of gaming mechanics, as that serves as the basis for a lot of isekai. However, it made me so happy to see the mild-mannered hero Masayuki come up with the solutions they need. Quick-save points, loot drops from monsters, tutorial lessons and rest stops! It’s everything that goes into making a good video game, and the best games are the ones that show you how to play without holding your hand.

Rimuru and Mjöllmile take it one step further. They put out ads saying that anyone who makes it halfway through the Dungeon or beats the whole thing will win a hefty cash prize.

Their little advertising campaign works perfectly. More adventurers start pouring into Tempest, eager to get the chance to win money and fame, solving the financial problems of the Dungeon. Though I can’t but feel like they’re overlooking one crucial: what if someone actually does beat the entire Dungeon? Getting past Veldora seems too absurd to consider, but if reading shonen manga has taught me anything, there’s always going to be someone who will wind up doing the impossible. They’re gonna have to eat their words when that happens!

That issue aside, as a gamer, I applaud what they are doing with the Dungeon. As a gamer, I can tell you that having a tutorial and training courses can mean the difference between winning a game or getting owned like a scrub. That, and I like the concept altogether.

Haters Gonna Hate

It’s not all sunshine and flowers, though. Whenever someone is riding high, there’s always a pack of haters ready to take them down. And Rimuru has been dealing with plenty of haters. Falmuth, Clayman, the Seven Luminaries, and now, the Rozzo family. Introduced during the last season, they’re a secret cabal thats trying to dominate the human world from the shadows loek they’re the Templars or Illuminati. And the Jura-Tempest Federation is getting in the way of that, so they’ve been trying to take them down. So far, their plans haven’t worked, but that doesn’t make them any less of a problem. Fortunately, this is Rimuru we’re talking about; he’ll be fine.

This was a good, solid start to the long-awaited fourth season of Slime Tensura. I know not everyone is interested in the more mundane aspects of world-building and just wants to see more fights, but it’s those aspects that make the series so entertaining. A lot of isekai only do the bare bones when it comes to developing their worlds, but Slime Tensura is one of the ones that is a cut above the rest. That, and its sense of humor and fanservice are pretty good!

I give “New Days” a 3.5/5

The OG Dub VA for Luffy Returns as Joy Boy

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They’re Bringing Back the OG VA for Luffy for One Piece

After all of these years, the OG dub VA for Monkey D. Luffy is getting some recognition.

These days, it’s hard to imagine a world in which One Piece isn’t one of the most popular media franchises in the world. But like anything great, it didn’t start off that way. It’s taken decades for One Piece to become the globally mainstream hit it is now, and I think that part of the reason why it is that way is due to how bad its initial debut in the West was. The people who enjoy the English dub tend to think of the ongoing Funimation (now Crunchyroll) dub of One Piece, but like Dragon Ball and other anime that came westward in the 90s and 2000s, there were other English dubs. It just so happens that the OG dub of One Piece is infamously considered one of the worst ever made: the One Piece 4Kids dub.

Anyone Remember 4Kids?

Before the rise of Funimation, 4Kids Entertainment was the premier company when it came to localizing anime in the West. From the original Pokemon anime to Yu-Gi-Oh! and its numerous sequel series, 4Kids was once the king of anime. I was one of the kids who grew up loving everything they did, but looking back on it now, you can tell just how much they changed things for their audiences. The shows they dubbed were subjected to a lot of censorship and changes meant to make them what they deemed to be suitable for kids because they thought it was what was best for them. In doing so, though, they removed a lot of the tension and stakes that made the shows so compelling, with questionable results. They could get away with in Pokemon since it was meant for kids, but it starts becoming noticeable in shows like Yu-Gi-Oh! And then came the show that would ruin them: One Piece.

And they never wanted to do it in the first place.

4Kids didn’t know what it was doing

4Kids never had any intention of dubbing One Piece in the first place. The only reason that they did it is because it was part of a package deal they got with Toei that included shows that they actually wanted. They didn’t know anything about it going in, and when they saw all the more mature themes (smoking, death, fanservice) and said “we can’t show this to our demographic!” So they censored like they never censored before…with disastrous results.

There’s a reason why the 4Kids dub of One Piece is considered one of the worst dubs of all time, and if you grew up watching it, find it on dvd, or find it online, you’ll understand why. All the blood was removed, alcohol was replaced with other drinks, they removed the guns or replaced with ridiculous props. Not to mention just how bad the voice acting was. I didn’t realize it as a kid, but it was absolutely terrible! And worst of all was how they cut out key moments from the story. I didn’t even know until years later about Laboon or Little Garden because they were outright removed!

Ultimately, their attempt to dub One Piece the beginning of the end for 4Kids. It was so poorly received that their reputation would never fully recover, and several years, the company went belly up. Now all that remains is the memory of it and the dubs they left behind. As for One Piece, Funimation would eventually take up the role of dubbing it, but it would take years for them to undo the damage. These days, the English dub is in a much better position, but I’m willing to bet that there are plenty of fans that prefer sub over dub partly due to what 4Kids did. Honestly, I don’t blame them. I look back on the 4Kids dub, and realize just how bad it really was.

The sad irony? I actually stopped initially watching One Piece after the 4Kids dub ended.

At Least 4Kids Introduced me to One Piece

I was only ten years old when I started watching One Piece, and I had no idea just how bad a hand I had gotten with it. Even with all the censoring and changes, One Piece still looked so cool to me, to the point where I started going around wearing the closest thing I could find to Luffy’s straw hat. And when it ended and I think Toonami switched to the Funimation dub, I was so confused that I walked away from it altogether. Again, I was just a kid who didn’t know any better. Plus, I wasn’t able to find ways to watch the anime and read the manga until I was in high school, so there wasn’t much that I could do. Yet despite knowing how bad I got it, I can’t truly bring myself to hate the 4Kids dub of One Piece, if only because it was how I got into the series in the first place. Which is why this next bit of news brings a smile to my face.

It will have likely already passed by then, but on March 24th, for the first time ever, the dub of the One Piece anime will be caught up to the subbed. For decades, fans have had to deal with the fact that the English dub remained dozens, even hundreds, of episodes behind the subbed version. That alone is a big win. But it just got even bigger: they’re bringing back the original dub VA for Luffy.

In one of the final batches of episodes before the anime went seasonal, One Piece introduced us to the voice of Joy Boy, a legendary figure in the lore of the series who was said to be the first pirate, and the last person to wield the powers that Luffy now has. In a fun twist, the Seiyuu for Joy Boy is Uraka Takano, the original voice of Luffy. Most people don’t know this, but there was actually an OVA of One Piece released in 1998, predating the Toei series and with different animation and voices. So it’s poetic to have Joy Boy voiced by the OG Luffy.

The dub seems to have taken a similar stance on the matter, as it was announced that the English voice actor for Joy Boy is Erica Schroeder, aka the original English voice for Luffy from the 4Kids days.

I can’t help but smile at this small tribute to what came before it. Even if it was one of the worst dubs of anime in history, 4Kids is still a part of the history of One Piece. It’s how I fell in love with One Piece in the first place, so I at least respect it for that. Getting to hear the OG voice of Luffy is going to be something that I hope makes me very happy, and I’m glad that it’s getting acknowledged.

Plus, for all its faults, yjere was one thing that 4Kids did right by One Piece: the opening rap. Say what you want about everything else, but that rap song isn’t half bad.

Did they Just Have a Final Fantasy VII Battle?

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

Sentenced to be a Hero Ep 11 Review

We are one episode away from the finale of Sentenced to be a Hero, and this has been one of the most visually stunning anime of the year. I only started watching this because it was animated by the people who did the best animation in Mushoku Tensei, but I’ve wound up staying for the plot. And while we’re all focused on the fighting against the Demon Blight, there’s an even bigger plot at work in the background. And we just got a hint at what the true goals of the Demon Blight are, as well as what is leading them.

Another Hail Mary in the Works

The fighting in Port Ioff is not going well by any accounts. The Demon Blight is overrunning the place, with the Holy Knights lines being broken in the sewers. The Hero Unit is holding the faeries off for the time being, but they’re fighting an uphill battle. Then again, what else is new at this point? Every battle we have seen Xylo’s unit fight in has had the odds stacked against them.

The good news is that Xylo and Teoritta manage to save a group of civilians holed up in a makeshift shelter. The bad news is that their goal of storming the lighthouse means that they can’t stick around to protect them. So they have to leave their protection to Rhyno.

There is just something off about Rhyno, and we all know it. He acts like wholeheartedly believes in fighting for humanity, but at the same time, his lack of empathy isnt helping anyone. When Xylo asks him to show the citizens how to use some magic staves they have, he asks him who would make the best cannon fodder if the worst case occurred! I get that in war, civilians die, and that not everyone can be saved. But that doesn’t mean that soldiers shouldn’t at least try to save everyone, or consider using civilians as fodder!

And yet, I can see why Xylo keeps him around. He’s got marksmanship that rivals that of Usopp or Hawkeye, as he proves instrumental in clearing one of the human mercenaries that Boojum hired to help him. All it takes is a few good shots for him to send the armored Iron Whale to oblivion.

Iron Whale got off lucky, though. As Xylo and Teoritta make their way to the tower, they run back into Shiji Bau. And she ends up being barbecued by Jayce and Neely!

An Epic Boss Fight!

And that brings us to the main event of the episode. The fight of Xylo and Teoritta vs Boojum. As should be expected by this point, the fight is absolutely incredible. I know that I compared their boss fight at Mureed to something out of Dark Souls, but the one here feels more like something from a JRPG. To be more precise, the changing battlefield and Boojum mutating remind me of something out of Kingdom Hearts or the remakes of Final Fantasy VII. They’re fast-paced, frenetic, and rely a lot on spectacle to keep the audience enthralled. In short, I loved it.

There was something about the fight, though, that I can’t help but ponder. Before they slew Boojum, we heard him mention how he was following the orders of someone higher up. Not another Demon Lord, but a king. The Demon Blight has a king, presumably the one who’s been calling the shots for the Demon Lords. Considering how dangerous the Demon Lords have been, we can only assume the Demon King must be terrifying. And should this series get more seasons, I can only assume that this will be the final boss. Assuming that it isn’t the Coexisters.

Speaking of which…

Yeah, Kivia’s Uncle is Sus

While the majority of the episode is focused on the fighting, the B-plot continues Kivia’s storyline. And she is starting to lose it.

Throughout the series, we have seen Kivia undergo some significant character development, going from straight up hating the Hero Unit to respecting them. More importantly, she started to realize that not everyone on Humanity’s side is working in its best interests. The Coexisters were already worrying her, but then she heard the name Lideo gave for the person who ordered the hit on Teoritta: Mahaeyzel. We don’t know who that is yet, but the fact that she was shocked means it’s someone important. And then she heard her uncle mention them at the end of the last episode!

The result? She spends the entirety of this episode looking like she’s close to losing it. And I don’t blame her, either. She has good reason to suspect that her uncle, her mentor, is a Coexister and a traitor to humanity. And since she’s the only one who knows this, if she decides to act on it, then she will be setting herself up to look like the bad guy.

I don’t need to know the spoilers about what happens to know that whatever Kivia does next, it’s not going to end well for her. She’ll be called a traitor and criminal like the rest of the penal Heroes. Though at this point, I think most of the Hero Unit only got sentenced because they were set up by the Coexisters. Which means that there’s only one solution: purging!

We have one episode left in the season, and I have no idea where things are headed right now. All I know is that things are about to blow up in a big way.

I Give “Sentence: Aid in Evacuation of Ioff Cheg Port 2” a 4/5