LOL, Okarun Ragebaited the Evil Eye

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

DanDaDan S2, Ep 9 Review

Well, that’s certainly one way to solve your problems, Okarun. After going through a short anime training arc, Ken Takakura came back to the Ayase’s to challenge the Evil Eye to a fight. Normally, anime logic would mean that the training he went through was enough to get stronger than the Evil Eye. However, let us not forget that it’s still the strongest Yokai in the series to date. That fact hasn’t changed. So, how does Okarun overcome this? By pulling out another time-honored card in the arsenal of Shonen heroes: outsmarting his enemy.

LOL, Ragebait

For anyone who was hoping that the rematch between Okarun and the Evil Eye would be this epic clash that would take up most of the episode, you only got half of what you wanted. The fight, while it is pretty fun to watch, lasts all of two minutes. After that, Okarun runs out of juice, while the Evil Eye is in his Madara Uchiha mindset. He’s having too much fun to stop now.

Which is why Okarun’s real plan is absolutely brilliant.

Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen a Shonen protagonist bait an enemy into doing what they want. Goku did it with Majin Buu; Luffy did it with Laboon; and Okarun has now done it with the Evil Eye. However, the fact that Okarun goaded the Evil Eye into cooperating by calling him mid was comedic genius. With the Evil Eye’s attention firmly on him, he will no longer look to kill anyone else. And as time passes, he and Jiji might be able to heal the centuries-old hatred in the spirit’s heart. And the best part is that now Okarun will have more motivation to keep getting stronger so the Evil Eye can’t hurt anyone. Everyone wins!

And with that, the Evil Eye Arc comes to an end. But not before the Ayase house not only gets restored, but gets an upgrade.

New house and the Evil Eye goes to school

Thanks to Ken and Aira telling Mantis Shrimp what happened, the alien was able to call in a friend of his to rebuild the Ayase residence. Not only that, but they did it using blocks made out of nanomachines. They’re like a fusion of clay and LEGO, able to take any shape someone wishes. Which means that from now on, the Ayase home can be turned into everything from a regular house to a spaceship to a giant robot. That’s going to come in very handy at some point!

The last few minutes of the episode are among the funniest, though. While the Evil Eye’s keeping their promise, they’re not completely docile. Case in point, Jiji goes ghost in the middle of school, forcing her to babysit E.E. (Evil Eye), with hilarious results.

You can’t help but laugh at how silly this is! This is going to cause plenty of headaches down the line, but plenty of comedic material for us. The fact that the school is oblivious after this and the other weird stuff is nothing short of a miracle.

Back on the hunt for the kintama

Speaking of which, Momo’s friends inadvertently give her a potential lead on Okarun’s missing kintama. Could he finally be getting his missing junk back?

Probably not. The season is almost over, and from my understanding, we’ve got a ways to go before we get to that point. We do get a post-credit scene, though, introducing us to a new character. And there’s something familiar about their voice…probably nothing.

I give “I Want to Rebuild the House” a 4/5. Bonus points for E.E. Stripping naked for comedic effect. And for creating a new meme.

The Spark of Rebellion Ignites

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 7 Review

Everyone, we’ve got some good news and we’ve got some bad news. The good news is that Naofumi and Raphtalia have successfully made it to Q’ten Lo, Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland. The bad news is that only they, Sadeena, and Gaelon have gotten in. The rest of their group is stuck at sea thanks to a magic barrier. If they ever want to settle things with the corrupt leaders of Q’ten Lo, they’ll need to bring down that barrier. And to do that, they’re going to need some help from the locals. And to do that, they’re going to have to start a revolution.

Sweet.

Welcome to Q’ten Lo

So, Naofumi managed to make it into Q’ten Lo, but most of his allies are stuck outside with no way to get in. Fortunately, this isn’t the first time that he’s had to move around in a place where everyone’s out to get him. After he and his companions blend in, they get to go around seeing what Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland looks like. Having read the light novels in anticipation for this season, my expectations saw the nation as a more fantastical version of medieval Japan, like Wano Country in One Piece. In this case, though, the animation style’s more grounded in realism (to the extent that a fantasy world can be, that is), so not as many Sakura trees as I hoped. The silver lining is that the amount of tanuki statues makes the place feel like a wonderland for Raphtalia-lovers everywhere. Raph-Chan will likely be worshipped as a deity.

PETA Taken to Logical Extreme

Despite it’s beauty, though, the suffering of the inhabitants is made blatant. When the group sees someone being attacked by a monster and no one’s doing anything, Gaelon steps in to save the day. That’s when they learn something scary: by decree of the Heavenly Emperor, no citizen is permitted to attack a monster for any reason.

Let that sink in. Even if you’re about to be targeted by a wild animal that intends to hurt and kill you, you’re not allowed to fight back. Not even in self-defense. And considering how dangerous the wildlife is in the series, that’s tantamount to saying their life has no value. It’s like PETA taking their mindset to its logical conclusion, with disastrous results. It’s not always kind, but sometimes you have to kill to survive.

Let the Revolution Begin

Regardless, Naofumi and Raphtalia find that between this and the unbearable taxes, there are plenty of people fed up with things. Sure enough, they find the local official, who knew Raphtalia’s father, is more than happy to help them launch their rebellion.

The raid to bring down the lighthouse keeping the barrier up proves to be a challenge for Naofumi and the rebels. In keeping with previous fights, the enemy can negate the powers of the Cardinal Weapons. Thanks to the intervention of a blacksmith, though, they win the day. And give us a pretty cool-looking final move.

As it turns out, the blacksmith in question is Elhart’s old master whom he had come to find. He’s also a massive simp who flirts with every pretty lady he meets. It gets to the point in the light novels that Naofumi dubs him Motoyasu II, which is hilarious.

The episode ends on a positive note for the heroes. With the beachhead secure, they’re able to begin landing the troops. What’s more, with Naofumi’s backing, Raphtalia has (reluctantly) staked her claim to the throne. Which means the rebellion has begun! And by the time it comes to an end, Raphtalia might very well be called the Heavenly Empress of Q’ten Lo. Knowing Naofumi, he’s probably going to use it to sell Raphtalia merch or spread the word of Raph-Chan.

I Give “Arriving in Q’ten Lo” a 3/5

Q’ten Lo, Q’ten Ho!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 6

Fun fact about Japan: not counting how the Allies occupied it after World War II, no foreign power has ever successfully invaded it. Besides being home to a historically warrior culture, there’s also the issue of Mother Nature to deal with. Legends say that the storms that thwarted the Mongol Invasion were conjured by the gods. Gods or not, though, nothing is stopping Naofumi from getting into Q’ten Lo. They tried to kill the tanuki goddess Raphtalia, and for that, they must pay! And now that Naofumi has a ship, he’s able to bring his crew in to march on Q’ten Lo. Let the invasion begin!

…is what I would like to say. Dang weather and divine intervention.

Q’ten Lo, Q’ten Ho!

Having returned to Melromarc in triumph, Naofumi meets with Queen Mirella to tell her that Siltvelt will be much more cooperative from now on. In return, she reveals what I already told you: Atla and Fohl’s mom was Trash’s sister, making them his niece and nephew. It’s sad to think that this had to be revealed in a manner that screams afterthought. Given everything that has happened, it feels a bit of a disservice to the two. Regardless, the pair had their time in the spotlight. Now it’s time to focus on the main side quest of the season: stopping Q’ten Lo.

Raphtalia’s ancestral homeland hasn’t given up trying to kill her or her companions. Their assassins have kept trying to attack their village, only for Motoyasu to storm in and kill them before they can do any damage. Thus, Naofumi opts to leave him and Ren in charge of watching the village. He, Itsuki, Rishia, Raphtalia, Sadeena, Filo, Raph-Chan, Galleion, S’yne, and the Hakuko siblings will proceed full sail to Q’ten Lo. They will invade the country, bring down its leaders, and put a stop to things so they can focus on the coming of the Phoenix.

Things are easier said than done, though. Not only do they get attacked by more assassins at sea, but they have to deal with nature and divine intervention preventing them from entering. The outskirts of Q’ten Lo are covered in fog, whirlpools, and a magical barrier. If they don’t want someone to come in, then they are going to have a hard time getting in! To make matters worse, one of those whirlpools proceeds to separate Naofumi, Raphtalia, Sadeena, and Gaelion from everyone else. It’s like the start of a JRPG!

Welcome to Q’ten Lo

From what I can remember, the entire sequence is pretty faithful to the events in the light novel. When the group wakes up, they’re in a cave inside Q’ten Lo itself, having been brought there by the nation’s guardian dragon. To put it bluntly, the dragon wants Naofumi to restore Q’ten Lo to its rightful purpose.

In the anime’s lore, the Four Cardinal Heroes are beings summoned from other worlds to save it when the Waves of Catastrophe hit. As we have seen, though, being called a hero doesn’t exempt a bearer from being corrupted by darkness. Thus, it makes sense that there would be a nuclear deterrent in the form of weapons that can kill the Cardinal Heroes. That is what Q’ten Lo’s role is supposed to be, but it seems they’ve either forgotten it or have been isolated so long that they no longer care until it starts affecting them. Either way, they could’ve stepped in and put the other Heroes in check well before Naofumi had to, which would’ve saved a lot of time, energy, and lives. The fact that they didn’t is just another reason for Naofumi, and by extension, the audience, to want to see this country brought to heel. Except that the rest of his group is stuck outside the barrier, meaning they’ll have to find a way to bring it down from within.

It’s a little annoying that it took us so long to get this point, but now that we are here, we might as well enjoy Q’ten Lo. This is the closest Naofumi will get to being back home for the foreseeable future, and I’ve been reading the light novels to see what happens. From what I’ve gathered, we are in for some interesting events. Welcome to Q’ten Lo, everyone! We’ve got a rebellion to start.

I Give “Leaving Port” a 3/5

Wow, Fohl Got Quite the Glow-up!

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 5 Review

Have you ever seen The Lion King before? Remember that climactic scene where Simba and Scar clash atop Pride Rock as the land burns around them? That was one of the coolest things that Disney did during the 90s, and throughout the duel of Fohl and Atla vs Jaralis, I’ve gotten similar vibes. From Fohl fighting to avenge his father to the fact that the three combatants are humanoid cats, it just feels so similar. And much like The Lion King, Fohl succeeds in his mission, while also getting a glow-up in the process.

Bad Kitty

After turning into a lion the size of a tank and calling his drugged-up followers, Jaralis goes from fighting a duel to attempting a coup and assassinating Naofumi. His thugs prove to be no match for the Shield Hero’s party, but the crazy thing is that they won’t stay down. They keep respawning, making them a major pain for Naofumi. Even worse, when Jaralis continues to lose to Fohl, he absorbs them into his body, turning him into a monstrous chimera. He starts to think that he’s a god who could conquer the world. In actuality, though, he’s only succeeded in outwardly becoming the monster he always was, and everyone knows it.

Naofumi, though, manages to put him in his place. Using his Shield and connection to Fohl, he gives the boy his own power-up, turning him into a full-on white tiger. Between him and his sister, they make short work of Jaralis, simultaneously avenging their father while also silencing any skeptics. Naofumi is the Shield Hero, and anyone who denies it is deluding themselves.

Fohl got a glow-up

The duel is thus over, and the leaders of Siltvelt keep their promise. The ship will be ready in three days. Truthfully, though, Jaralis had forfeited the second he called in his back-up and commit high treason. What was most puzzling, though, was that before he died, the lion mentioned how someone had given him the drug he used. Someone else had been pulling the strings, but at the moment, we don’t know who it is. Nor will we know anytime soon, as Q’ten Lo remains the priority.

Besides restoring their family’s honor, though, the biggest change from the duel is Fohl himself. Thanks to being half Demi-Human, when Fohl got his big level up, he aged into a teenager, showing how strong he’s gotten. In fact, Naofumi says that in his white tiger form, he’s stronger than Raphtalia and Filo! Sadly, the drain on mana means the form can only be used sparingly, preventing it from becoming a cheat code. On the plus side, though, the latter half of the episode sees Fohl and Atla returning to their childhood home and visiting their parents’ graves. Fohl sold it to pay for Atla’s medicine, but a friend of theirs kept it and is nice enough to return it. There, the group enjoys a home-cooked meal that fuses the best of Siltvelt and Melromarc together, a symbol of who Atla and Fohl are.

Time for the Truth

And since the anime isn’t going to say it, I’m going to rip the band-aid off: the Hakuko siblings mom, Lucia, was the younger sister of King Trash of Melromarc. For years, Trash thought that she had been killed while attending a supposed peace summit between Melromarc and Siltvelt. In truth, the whole thing had been set up by war hawks, and Lucia had somehow fled with Tyran’s son, their father. That led Trash’s hatred for Demi-Humans to boil over, hence why he treated Naofumi so badly. To him, Naofumi was a reminder of what he thought he had lost. But now that he knows that his sister had kids before she died, he has the chance to change for the better.

This entire part of the season has really been the story of Fohl and Atla. A good story knows when to develop its supporting cast, and that is pretty much what the Siltvelt Arc has amounted to. While it could’ve been done in a much shorter timeframe, though, I can’t complain about the results. From here on out, though, we’re focusing on Q’ten Lo. It’s time to settle things for Raphtalia, and I can’t wait to see what her ancestral homeland looks like.

I Give “White Tiger” a 4/5

What a Musical Battle

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 8 Review

DanDaDan is at its best when its doing one thing: embracing chaos. And it has seen a lot of chaos so far. From escaping perverted aliens to fighting a Loch Ness monster in a flooded pocket dimension, where there is chaos, the show thrives. But this episode might be among the strangest and most chaotic things that DanDaDan has done to date. And it all has to do with Ken and Aira using angry musical ghosts to train.

Musical Chaos

Having grown frustrated at not being able to stop the Evil Eye, Ken and Aira opt to train under Turbo Granny. Unfortunately, her idea of “training” involves them fighting the Music Room Portraits. They’re beings created from people’s fears of their freaky paintings, and they will kill anyone who plays music badly in front of them. As a result, Okarun and Aira are forced to fight them in an increasingly chaotic battle.

I will be blunt: I find it very hard to accurately describe what is going in this episode. From the teens having to dodge musical notes to the portraits creating a domain expansion and summoning armies of clones to fight, it’s the sort of thing that has to be seen to be fully appreciated. It’s these kinds of moments when DanDaDan is at its absolute best, as it gives the story the chance to run wild with its imagination. As usual, Science Saru does a superb job of bringing the chaos to life, going evern further by having the entire fight set in monochrome, with only Okarun and Aira’s ghost forms providing color.

The main focus of the training, though, is to help the pair find their sense of rhythm in battle. I don’t really understand it, but the whole point is to get Okarun to tap more into Turbo Granny’s powers. And when you’re into a song that makes you want to get up and move, you’d be surprised to know what rhythm you gain.

It ends up working in the end. Aira holds her own against the music portraits even after they grow to the size of Titans. Which, by the way, gave me Attack on Titan vibes!

And by the end, Okarun is able to move faster than he was before. And according to Turbo Granny, there’s still plenty more of her power that he has yet to tap into. Assuming he doesn’t die along the way. TG admits that she didn’t care if he or Aira didn’t survive her training. Which makes it feel like karma when she accidentally riles the portraits up a second time by accident.

Let the Rematch Begin!

Meanwhile, things aren’t looking good at the Ayase house. After the recent scare, Seiko’s apprentice is insisting that it’s not safe to keep Jiji bonded to the Evil Eye and wants to call the Hayashi back. All of this is taking a toll on poor Jiji, who feels guilty about putting everyone in danger. It’s not his fault the Evil Eye is doing this. His kindness led him to want to save the ghost in the first place. He shouldn’t have to feel bad about wanting to help someone who deserves it. But he can’t do it alone.

And that brings us to the end of the episode. Having leveled up from training, Okarun comes back to the Ayase house with one purpose and one purpose alone: to fight the Evil Eye.

Next episode is going to be straight fire, people. That’s all that I have to say. Straight. Fire. I can hardly wait!!!! You can do it, Okarun! Which is also the name of this episode!

I Give “You can do it, Okarun” a 4.5/5

Heavy Metal Hayashis, Maid Cafes, and Evil Paintings, oh my!

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep. 6 & 7 Review

So, since I was at a convention last week, I was unable to watch the new episode of DanDaDan. So, I’m combining my review for the last two episodes since they both continue the Evil Eye Arc! And as we have already seen multiple times by now, the Evil Eye is a problem, and will continue to be a problem until it’s gotten under control. But since Jiji is such a good person, that means that the family is going to have to do things the hard way. And as these two episodes demonstrate, this ragtag group has very much become a family.

So, after Jiji almost lets the Evil Eye out thanks to some room-temperature soy sauce, it becomes apparent that the Family can’t keep going like this. Fortuntately, the Hayashi that Seiko sent for arrive…and they double as a heavy metal band! In some cultures, music is said to have mystical properties and can banish supernatural evils, but this takes it to a whole new level! As a casual fan of heavy metal myself, I wholeheartedly approve of this creative decision. Especially since the anime does a great job of giving us the private concert that manga readers have waited years to see!

One might think that having Jiji decide to not exorcise the Evil Eye would make that entire scene pointless, but it wasn’t. It was a good source of entertainment, which is what stories are supposed to do. Plus, it’s likely that we’ll see the band again in a future arc. Until then, though, the group has to keep watching Jiji while they train to get stronger to stop the Evil Eye.

In all honesty, though, we can’t really fault Jiji for feeling sympathy for the Evil Eye. After what they went through in life, many people would end up as angry and vengeful as that yokai has become. This also isn’t the first time that a teenager has opted to try and befriend a demonic being calling their body home, either. Granted, Yuji never could get Sukuna on his side, but Naruto was able to win over Kurama the Nine-Tailed Fox, so there’s hope! Not that it doesn’t make it any easier when Jiji nearly loses control again and almost kills Momo. The look of guilt on his face is overwhelming. That is the look of someone who thinks they’re a burden and a monster. But more on that later; let’s talk about Momo’s new job!

MAID-O BEAM!!!

In light of the recent damage to her home, Momo has come to the decision that she needs to get a part-time job to help pay for repairs. That’s when her two gyaru friends come in clutch and land her one at a nearby cafe. However, they also do two things. Firstly, they mischeviously drag (literally drag) Okarun there while she’s working to embarass the two of them. Secondly, they neglect to tell her that this cafe in particular…is a maid cafe.

It takes a certain level of confidence to work in a restaruant that requires its employees to wear potentially embarassing attire. Normally, Momo has that kind of confidence down pat. When she’s forced to work in front Okarun, her mutual crush, though, it’s likely one of the most embarassing moments of her life up to that point! Anyone who has had the misfortune of being on the clock when their crush walks in on them can relate! Still, it does feel like it’s worth it when the two end up walking back to the Ayase home together. Sadly, this is also when the incident with the Evil Eye happens again, meaning it’s back to the seriousness.

The fact of the matter is that at this time, none of the Family can hold a candle to the Evil Eye. If they want to win, they need to get stronger fast, especially Okarun. Surprisingly, Turbo Granny proves quite forthcoming about ways to tap into her power more, bringing him to his school after dark, with Aira following out of curiosity/she’s simping for Okarun. She talks about having to maintain a steady rhythm or something during combat and how slow Okarun is. That matter can wait, though, as they have to fight haunted paintings.

…Wait, haunted paintings? Oh dear!

I Give “We Became a Family” and “Feeling Kinda Gloomy” a 4/5 and 3.5/5

Mike McFarland Has Cancer. Needs Help NOW!

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

This is a priority alert to all Dragon Ball fans. Mike McFarland needs our help now more than ever as he is going to be fighting for his life. I repeat, Master Roshi’s life is in danger.

This past January, we broke the news that Mike McFarland, best known for being the main dub VA for the OG dirty old man of anime, Master Roshi, had undergone surgery. A checkup at the hospital for what he thought was an ear infection revealed that he actually had a brain tumor. They got the tumor out, but McFarland had a tough road to recovery ahead of him. Thousands of people donated on GoFundMe to help him out, and it looked like that was the end of that.

It wasn’t. A few days ago, the GoFundMe was updated. The tumor was glioblastoma, a rare and extremely aggressive form of brain cancer. The prognosis is…I don’t even want to bring it up here. It’s that bad.

According to the organizer, Mike had to go back to the hospital after an attempt at assisted living, but that’s no longer an option. In order to fight this battle, he’ll need to move into a fulltime nursing facility. That will cost a lot of money every month. That is where we come in. It is up to us to make up for the failings of the healthcare system. Master Roshi needs us now more than ever!

So please, if you have any spare money lying around, consider donating it to help Mike McFarland. Master Roshi was the OG mentor of Shonen anime, and an inspiration for many since then. Also, we just lost Toriyama last year. I refuse to lose another member of the Funimation dub team so soon!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-mike-mcfarlands-road-to-recovery

Jiji 1/2 Needs an Exorcism

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 5 Review

Well, somehow the gang managed to pull it off. They defeated the Kito Family, killed their pet Death Worm, and saved the village of Byakuja from being destroyed by a volcano. That’s the good news, though. The bad news is that Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye, the yokai that’s so far into its crash-out that it won’t be satisfied until it’s killed all of humanity. And because they can’t get rid of it yet, the entire gang is going to have to work 24/7 to keep it under control as we enter into the next arc of the series: The Evil Eye Arc.

This is going to be stressful for everyone involved.

The episode starts off as Manjiro and the Ayase’s attempting to exorcise the Evil Eye from Jiji (who’s secured inside Taro) as everyone watches. Much to their irritation, though, the yokai is so angry that it refuses to leave Jiji or move on to the afterlife. When it becomes clear that nothing’s working, they’re left with only one option: head home and keep Jiji sealed inside Taro until they figure out a plan.

Dang Failed Exorcism

Upon returning home and reuniting with Aira (who wasn’t happy about being left behind), Seiko apologizes to everyone for what’s happened. If she had gone with them in the first place, they might not be in this mess. Therefore, it’s up to her to help Jiji, but even she can’t do it alone. So they’re going to have to hire Hayashi (musicians that exorcise spirits and yokai). In the meantime, Taro attempting to eat some Oden winds up revealing a temporary solution to their Evil Eye problem. When Jiji’s splashed with hot liquids, he turns back into himself. But when he gets hit by cold liquids, the Evil Eye takes over and will go back to trying to kill everyone.

So, for the time being, the gang will have to watch Jiji with thermos’ full of hot water on hand. It’s not foolproof, but it’s better than making Taro serve as a living prison for the poor teenager. Easier said than done, though. Skipping ahead to the end of the episode, we see that all it takes is for a single drop of soy sauce to get on him for the Evil Eye to come back.

If there’s an analogy for this situation, it would like someone being asked to guard a nuclear bomb that is armed and could go off at any given moment.

Yet, despite everything, life goes on.

Life Goes On

Part of the beauty of DanDaDan is that it’s not just a Shonen action series. It’s about teen romance, with the mess that comes with it. By now, it’s clear that Momo and Okarun have some sort of feelings for each other. So, seeing them try to figure out what they are to each other is just adorable, giving us cute moments like this.

https://twitter.com/DandanShots/status/1950958635200475279

As for Aira, though, she’s now reaping the cost of her own actions. After confessing to spreading lies about Momo getting around, she’s gone from school idol to pariah. However, it’s for the best. If people only liked her for her good looks, then they don’t know her at all. She’s found real friends in Momo and Okarun. Speaking of which, she and Okarun move in with the Ayase’s until they fix Jiji.

Mantis Shrimp and Chiqi are here to Stay!

The best part, though, is the return of Mantis Shrimp and the introduction of his son. Due to the cow they got being unsuitable for survival on their planet, Mantis opted to move to Earth for his son’s sake. And they’re right next door to the Ayase’s!

More importantly, though, is how quickly the teens take a liking to Chiqi. Some of the funniest background scenes involve Aira just gushing over the boy’s cuteness, and I can’t blame her. The kid deserves his own plushie!

It’s nice to see that the show’s sense of humor remains as fresh as ever. Considering the headache that the Evil Eye will be, it does a good job of balancing out the drama and action with comedy. Like this!

The mangaka and writers are hilarious.

By the way, this episode reveals what happened to the Kito’s. They got their just desserts and hauled off to prison, with the sole exception of their matriarch. Who also happens to be a being called a Subterranean who’s now out for Momo’s blood. Move on, woman!

Great episode, though. Really great!

I Give “We Can All Stay There Together” a 4.5/5

How I Pulled Out a Giant Worm to Stop a Volcano

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

DanDaDan S2 Ep 4 Review

The phrase “out of the frying pan, into the fire” is often used to describe a bad situation getting worse. But what do you call it when the fire in question is an exploding volcano? A nightmare waiting to happen, that’s what! Just when Momo thinks she’s in the clear after killing the giant death worm, it turns out there was some merit to all those stories about it and the volcano. Now, she has to save Byakuja village from destruction while also dealing with both the Evil Eye and the angry Kito Family. And she doesn’t have Okarun or Turbo Granny to help her! *gulp*.

The Kito Family SUCKZ!!!

So, as soon as the Tshuchinoko, AKA the Mongolian Death Worm, drops dead, the volcano near Byakuja village starts to go off. As Momo is dumbfounded, the matriarch of the Kito Family starts going off about how they were right the whole time and that the Worm was the only thing saving the village from death. But then Momo, being the smart girl that she is, remembers the story that Manjiro, the priest at the shrine, told her about the monster. The story goes that when the volcano blew its stack, a dragon would rise from the ground and cast a rainbow as the lava destroyed everything. But the Worm couldn’t go aboveground without dying in the sun! That’s when she realized something: the whole time, the story had been referring to the geysers that erupt when a volcano is about to erupt.

In other words, not only had the Kito family gotten it wrong this whole time, but they had been sacrificing people for centuries for no reason! So, Momo decides enough is enough, and opts to make sure the story never comes true. Using her powers, she proceeds to turn the dead worm into a firehose and use it to stop the lava from hitting the village. However, instead of admitting their wrongdoing and taking the L, the Kito Family insists on doubling down by trying to kill Momo.

When you think about it, this whole story about Byakuja village is so sad. The Kito Family’s ignorance led them to kill dozens, if not hundreds of people, for no reason. The Evil Eye never had to be created in the first place! Admittedly, though, it’s funny seeing the Family continuing to think they were in the right, because they can’t stand the idea of someone else being the hero. And to make matters worse, the Evil Eye shows up and continues trying to kill everyone present! It must have been so cathartic for the yokai to hit the monsters responsible for its suffering! Thankfully, though, the cavalry shows up to save the day in time.

The Cavalry is Here!

As it turns out, Manjiro is actually a student of Momo’s grandmother, who had called him in advance to say that the quartet had been coming to help. But since that went south and Manjiro couldn’t handle the Evil Eye on his own, Granny Seiko had to step in, and she brought backup. Taro, the living mannequin, Mr. Mantis Shrimp in his UFO, and even his son, Chiquitita, show up to help resolve the situation. It should also be noted that Chiqui (my nickname for him) is super sweet, singing while he pilots his dad’s starship and quickly befriending Momo.

With everyone’s help, the group is able to seal away the Evil Eye inside of Taro, whose insides Seiko covered with seals to surpress its energy. Chiquitita takes over putting out the fire, and even helps Momo rescue Okarun and Turbo Granny from what’s left of the house. Thankfully, the worm goop they got stuck in was lavaproof, saving their lives and leading to Momo giving Okarun a well-deserved hug.

This Could be a Problem

As good as it is to know that the Tsuchinoko can’t eat anyone else and that they stopped the volcano, there are two things that prevent this episode from being a wholly happy ending. Firstly, where did the Kito family go? They seemed to have dropped off the radar amidst all the chaos, meaning they’re likely still out there. They need to face justice for their crimes before they hurt anyone else! Secondly, Jiji is still possessed by the Evil Eye. Sympathetic as their backstory might be, they can’t stay in poor Jiji. They need to either be exorcised, talked down, or persuaded to move on to the afterlife! Sadly, that will have to wait until the next episode. At least anime-only watchers can rest a little easier knowing that giant worm is gone!

I Give “That’s, Like, Way Deadly!” a 4/5

White. Tiger. Power. ‘Nuff Said

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

The Rising of the Shield Hero S4 Ep 4 Review

The duel for Naofumi’s freedom has begun. After losing all patience with the leadership of Siltvelt for not giving him a ship to get to Q’Ten Lo, Naofumi’s decided to force the issue. Fohl and Atla will fight Jaralis and his champion in a duel on his behalf, and if they win, Siltvelt will stop stalling. But if he loses, he’ll be stuck in Silvelt and forced to have an unwanted harem of Demi-Humans and Beastmen. While that’s already enough motivation for the siblings to win, they have another motive. Fohl has a score to settle with Jaralis regarding what happened to their late father on the day he died, and he will have his answers and his justice.

Fohl and Atla’s Lineage!

Starting with their introduction in the previous season, Shield Hero has been dropping hints that there’s something about Atla and Fohl that’s special. It’s not just the fact that they’re Half-Human or their incredible strength and will. The fact that Trash, who has a grudge against Demi-Humans, was so nice to them was a big hint that they’re special. As these last few episodes have revealed, there’s a good reason for that: by blood, they’re Siltveltian royalty.

Their father (whom I’m not sure ever gets a name-dropped) was the son of Tyran, the late king of the Hakuko, one of Siltvelt’s greatest military leaders, and the arch-enemy to Trash of Melromarc. While hewas every bit as skilled a leader and warrior, though, Tyran’s son didn’t like war, leading to him being disowned by his father. After that, he met and married his wife (who is important for her own reasons), had Fohl and Atla, only to be forced to fight in another war alongside Jaralis and die on the battlefield. His family lost everything after that, with his wife dying of illness, his kids having to give everything to their staff, and selling themselves into slavery so Fohl could pay for Atla’s medicine.

Jaralis is a Low-Class Hater

And despite Jaralis trying to claim to Fohl’s face that their father died a coward, the boy knows right away that he’s lying. So the lion just admits the truth: he murdered their father in cold blood.

Everyone watching should’ve already figured out by now that Jaralis is scum; so much so that the anime wasn’t able to fully capture all the things that make him scum. For example, that incident where Naofumi was almost assaulted by all those beastwomen in the bath? That was likely his idea! That’s strike one! Strike two was him trying to poison Naofumi and his party, and then doing everything he can to deny it like he’s Littlefinger from Game of Thrones. And if you’ve read Allen Blaster’s Shield Hero fanfic, then we see much earlier how slimy he is. But this is the moment where goes from being a slimeball to a hater of the pettiest degree. The man hated the Hakuko siblings’ dad because he was everything he wasn’t: kind, charismatic, and so good at being a leader that even when Jaralis deliberately put him in a position to be killed, he still won. So he pulled a Scar from The Lion King and just killed him himself!

And just like Scar, Jaralis doesn’t play fair. He must have known Fohl could beat him, because he coats his weapons in poison to paralyze him. When that doesn’t work, he dopes himself on a drug that turns him into a giant, four-legged lion. And when that still fails, he resorts to flat-out calling in some thugs to kill everyone, dropping all pretenses of a duel. The man is a hater!

Villain Rule One: Never Monologue

Jaralis, though, managed to make a classic villain mistake: he monologued and told Fohl everything. Between hearing how Jaralis killed his dad, and being pushed into a corner, Fohl gets the push he needs to unlock new power. He manages to transform into a full-on Beastman Hakuko. He looks like a white tiger god!!

As bad as the situation looks, fans should know that Naofumi and the others aren’t in any real danger. Jaralis is the kind of villain who thinks they’re hot stuff, but in truth, is a chump. He has to resort to using drugs, poison, and brute strength to fight a kid, and he can’t even do that. The Shield Hero team can handle him no problem. What fans should care more about is getting to see what Fohl can do in his El Tigre Blanco form. It could end up being what gives him a leg up on his sister! That will have to wait until next week’s episode, though, but we should be in for a satisfying beatdown.

I Give “Entrusted Power” a 4/5