Mechanime: New Getter Robo

This is the very first review powered by Getter Rays.

Original Run: Released piecemeal from 2004 to 2006

Number of Episodes: 13

Average Episode Length: 22 minutes

Subgenres: Shounen

Dub?: No

Geez, its been awhile hasn’t it? No worry, I have a good one for you today: the latest in the long standing Getter Robo series, New Getter Robo! This is a review of the whole OVA, but I’ll try to avoid spoilers. Ready? Let’s get going!

Opening

NGR’s opening, called “Dragon,” is easily the weakest one I’ve listened to. Its not a bad song; it's fairly pleasant to the ears, and the chanting adds a nice stylistic element. But compared to other openings, its just boring. Even when it sounds like it's picking up, it regresses back to being just the same. What’s surprising is that the rest of the soundtrack is very strong. Its a shame the OP had to be the weakest of it.

Story

The Earth lays in the hands of these three. Somehow I don't feel any safer.

Humanity is under attack from a mysterious race known as the Oni. With conventional weapons proving ineffective against the demonic menace, Doctor Saotome deploys the New Getter Robo, a mech with three separate forms. He forcefully enlists three men capable of withstanding the radiation given off by the Getter Rays (the power source of the Getter Robo), as they prove deadly against any ordinary pilot. However, as the battle rages, its seems that there’s more to both the Getter and the Onis than thought....

Benkei is just as confused as you are.

The story of this anime is dark in tone and light on sense. Often, its just a backdrop for the action, which would be fine, if the damn story made any sense. As the story unfolded, I found myself asking more questions rather than have ones answered. Some plot points remain in the air rather than being sufficiently explained. While I do give it points on trying to be original and creative (our heroes follow the Onis to the Heian period, for starters), I have to deduct points for not telling its story well.

Characters

Top going clockwise: Hayato, Ryoma, Benkei

Like Macross Zero, NGR has a small cast. You have Ryoma Nagare, a martial artist and pilot of Getter 1, Hayato Jin, a former terrorist and pilot of Getter 2, and Benkei Musashibo, a Buddhist monk and pilot of Getter 3. Supporting them are Doctor Saotome, the main figure in Getter Ray research, and his daughter Michiru, an anthropologist studying the Oni. There are a handful of secondary characters, such as Abe no Seimei, the leader of the Oni in the Heian period, and Raikou Minamoto, a Heian samurai dedicated to defeating the demonic hordes.

Ryoma is about to engage an entire army. And win. Sweet mother of Mazinger...

The characters of NGR aren’t very strong. They aren’t terribly complex and get next to no development. I couldn’t get invested in them because of how flat they were. Most aren’t even likable. Hayato is a total psychopath, Ryoma is an antisocial Blood Knight, Saotome is apathetic to the countless researchers he’s killed, and Benkei...actually Benkei isn’t that bad. These characters are usually saved by how badass they are- Ryoma takes on an army of Onis with two hatchets and fifteen katanas. NGR doesn’t have a strong cast, but they still have a lot to do.

Writing

The best and worst line of the OVA simultaneously. 

As I’ve said before, competent writing can save a story or characters if they are lacking. Unfortunately for NGR, the writing here isn’t that great. Most of it is basic, and it does little to help develop the characters or even competently explain some of the more confusing story elements. Granted, it has a few amusing lines, but for the most part, the writing is average. Its clear the writers put more effort in choreographing the fights.

Animation

I'm holding an axe! In space! Has your mind exploded yet?!

For all the crap I’ve given NGR, I can say for certain that this OVA’s animation is great. I like the art style a whole lot, and every action flows quickly and cleanly. What may turn many people off about the animation, however, is how gory it can be. This OVA features tons of blood, bones being broken, and severed body parts, and given how well animated this is, it can be pretty disturbing. Still, this is a great looking OVA; just be aware this is NSFW in many areas.

Mecha and Fight Scenes

Getter 1 is red, Getter 2 is white, and Getter 3 is yellow. Sorry I have to use toy photos; I wanted to get all three Getters in one shot.

The Getter Robo is formed of three Get Machines (special jets). Based on who forms the head, the robot takes a different form. Ryoma forming the head creates Getter One, the form used for aerial combat, Hayato forming the head creates Getter Two, a robot equipped with a drill and with great speed, and Benkei forming the head creates Getter Three, a robot with tank treads and extendable arms.

The New Getter Robo is a great robot. Its a pastiche of past Getter Robos, and its still very super robot-y looking. All three borrow the retro color scheme and look of the first Getter Robo and incorporate elements of Shin Getter Robo. Its a very effective combination, and its one of the best looking super robots I’ve seen so far because of its simplicity and effectiveness. The giant Onis the Getter fights aren’t too shabby either, with some creative concepts and monstrous designs behind each one.

He's fighting a god. Who has three other godly buddies to back him up. And its one of the best finales ever.

The fights here are a real treat, and easily the highlight of the whole OVA. Each fight shows off the Getter’s powers in cool ways, and is loaded with flashy combos and tons of collateral damage. Every one gets your blood pumping, and is filled with ridiculously awesome moments, including vaporizing a giant plant monster with a laser beam and causing a tidal wave with a missile volley. The fights are the reason to watch this OVA.

Conclusion

New Getter Robo isn’t the smartest or well constructed OVA, but that doesn’t change how badass it is. With great animation and amazing fights, this OVA channels the old super robot spirit with flying colors. Its story and characters leave a lot to be desired, but the action makes up for it.

7/10 - Good

Next up is Gundam Wing, which will be my first Gundam series. Get hyped!

I don't have a good excuse for no Weapon of the Week. I just forgot -_-

Liberal Rant: The Ammo Ban

Government sappin’ mah 2nd Amendment rights!

Recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (or ATF) apologized for a “publishing error” that suggested that they were trying to ban the sale of AR-15 ammo. This is contradictory at best, as the agency is trying to ban “green tipped” ammo, commonly used in AR-15 rifles. On top of that, the current administration has supported legislation that would make America’s favorite rifle illegal to own. So forgive me if I don’t buy the ATF’s apology.

Of course, the apology isn’t the subject of today’s rant: its the right’s reaction. Just as you’d expect, pro-gun activists and Republicans are in a frenzy, claiming its a violation of their second amendment rights, that Obama is overstepping his boundaries as president, and so on. Rand Paul even urged people to thwart Obama’s “backdoor methods”. The response is typical at this point, but what’s weird is what they’re getting mad about.

For starters, the ammo they’re defending is armor piercing rounds. Now I know the AR-15 is commonly used for hunting nowadays, and its perfectly legal to hunt with one. However, I have to question anyone who believes that believes that taking away a round that can tear through bullet proof vests (no exaggeration here). What, are they hunting elephants? Do the local deer all wear tank armor? Common sense would dictate that you don’t really need armor piercing rounds for recreational purposes.

An AR-15.

Another thing I have to question is why they're using the second amendment defense for assault rifles. The AR-15 has fire 90 rounds per minute on its real-auto rate, and while I know no one is using that rate for hunting, that’s still a lot of bullets. I could understand applying the second amendment to pistols or even hunting rifles, but for guns that would be used in military operations? I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust anyone with an assault rifle in public. It scares me and I’m sure it scares a lot of people.

Look, I’m not anti-gun. I think its fine for civilians to have guns, but there have to be parameters for having one. Are you mentally stable? What is the gun for? What type of gun do you want? These seem like common sense regulations to me. I wouldn’t want someone mentally unstable handling a gun, nor do I want anyone who isn’t in a battle handling an assault rifle. Self defence and hunting guns are perfectly fine.

Yes, I know what the second amendment says. However, I think we can have regulations without infringing on these rights. People keep saying that you have to choose between freedom (our Constitution) and security (regulations), but I think its a false dichotomy. Its fully possible to have both. You may not get as much freedom as you think you want, but you can still have those freedoms with common sense regulations. Seriously, it's sometimes okay to give up some freedoms for the good of society. Heck, that’s kind of the point of society.

I hope this whole thing doesn’t evolve into a national issue. I also hope that gun rights activists can come up with a better reason to carry assault rifles in public that isn’t “the second amendment says I can.” Until then, I will continue to believe in common sense gun safety laws.

Sentai Time! Kyoryuger Followup

The Kyoryugers and friends!

So how are y’all doing? Since my Kyoryuger review, I’ve watched a dozen more episodes, and I figured its about time for an update review. I will be getting into spoiler territory, so be warned.

2 Shades of Gray

Tessei and his hard-headed partner.

Since my last review, two new Kyoryugers have been introduced. There’s Tessai (Kyoryu Gray), the spirit of a 1500-year-old martial artist, and Professor Ulshade (Kyoryu Violet), the man responsible for the Kyoryuger’s gear. Tessai didn’t leave a terribly big impression on me. His Zyudenryu is cool, but other than that, he wasn’t that interesting, and really only seemed there so that the Kyoryuger’s could grow stronger. Ulshade on the other hand…

Ultraviolet

This guy knocks down the scenery during his roll call and eats the rest.

Ulshade is more fun than the rest of the cast combined. He has a tendency to scream everything he says in a truly over-the-top manner, and his wild gestures make it all the better. Not to mention that since he’s a grandfather, every action usually results in him popping something out of place. Its a shame he isn’t in more episodes, since he’s everything I love about this show wrapped into one guy.

Her partner can double as a spacecraft. That's right- dinosaurs in space!

His position of Kyoryu Violet is succeeded by his granddaughter, Yayoi, and I’m definitely not a fan of her character. She’s not interesting or entertaining in the slightest. Her arc is that she needs to be more self confident, which is a fine story, but her behavior is so grating and the arc goes by so quickly that I couldn't feel invested in her. After that, she just devolves into the generic “gadget girl” character. If it weren’t for her skills in battle, I’d call her unnecessary.

Bunpachy OP, plz nerf

If you aren't blown away by the concept of a t-rex centaur mech, then you have no soul.

A handful of new mechs has been introduced since my last review. We have Bunpachy, a grey pachycephalosaurus (amazing how my spellcheck recognized this) mech with flail for a tail, and Plezuon, a violet plesiosaurus mech that can transform into the humanoid Plezu-Oh. Both are great robots, but what really steals the show is Bakuretsu KyoryuJin, a T-rex centaur mech. All mechs are a welcome addition, even if Bunpachy is used a bit too often in my opinion.

Whiplash

This is the guy the Deboss Army was trying to resurrect. I have several questions...

The finale of the second season is...strange. Not only is it split into three episodes, but its also significantly darker. How else would you explain the main bad guy being revived and nearly killing our heroes? Or how Aigallon commits a suicide attack in order to get revenge? Granted, its not terribly dark, and the episodes themselves were still enjoyable, but still, I felt like I was watching a new show for a while.

Old Man Gags

Remember how I said you didn’t have to indulge in silliness to enjoy this show? Yeah, I take that back. But that doesn’t mean that I no longer enjoy this show. Heck, the silliness is why I love Kyoryuger. It makes no attempt to hide its camp, which makes the antics makes all the more enjoyable. As always, the group bounce off each other really well, and while the villains pose a slightly bigger threat than before, their incompetent schemes are fun to watch.

Hope you enjoyed this! Here’s on my schedule for the future:

• Nobunaga the Fool followup
• New Getter Robo review
• Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires review
• Liberal rant on gun rights

Next Sentai Time will be about Go-Onger. Vroom vroom!

Gamer's Frontier: No More Heroes 2

In it to win it, baby!

Console: Wii

Genre: Hack and Slash

Year Released: 2010

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacturing

Publishers: Ubisoft (North America and Australia), Rising Star Games (Europe), Marvelous Entertainment (Japan)

Overlooked or Rare: Overlooked

The traditional assassin relies on stealth and quickness to eliminate their targets. You wouldn’t expect one to run into a fight and use flashy attacks to do their jobs. No More Heroes is a game series that depicts assassin and otaku Travis Touchdown on his quest to become the best assassin in the business. And how? By running into fights and using flashy attacks to do his job and literally eliminate the competition. And the games themselves are absolutely fantastic. Today, I’ll be talking about the second game, Desperate Struggle.

Story and Concept

A example of what you have to fight in the game. Don't ask me how he got to be one of the country's best assassins.

No More Heroes kicks off when Travis Touchdown blew his entire income on getting a beam katana (basically a lightsaber). To make some much needed cash (and to get laid), he entered the assassination business, and started jobs to eliminate other assassins to become the number one assassin in America by default. The games ends with Travis climbing to the top and getting into a beam katana fight with his half brother...in a freezeframe. Yeah.

No More Heroes 2 takes place three years after the events of the first game, with Travis returning to his hometown of Santa Destroy to find that death matches between assassins have become a televised sport. After he learns that his best (and only) friend has been killed by the henchmen of the new number one assassin in America, he sets off on a similar quest, but this time out of vengeance.

Fighting a quarterback that can merge with his fans to form a mech is perhaps the best concept for a boss fight ever.

Probably the biggest plus about No More Heroes is how it runs with its ridiculous premise. Assassins in this game include an overzealous hip hop artist with a morphing boombox and the spirit of a lost cosmonaut. Travis regularly uses wrestling moves to finish mooks. Heck, one assassination death match against a mech made out of a quarterback and his groupies. And Travis counters with mech of his own! No More Heroes knows how silly it is, and it tries as hard as it can to make it sillier. This game is weird, but in the most awesome way. The story may not be the strongest, but the concept is amazing.

Graphics and Design

Travis's room pretty much encapsulates every thing I love about this game's graphic.

No More Heroes uses cel-shaded graphics, which really complements the over-the-topness and downright violent nature of the game. Visuals look like they’ve been lifted straight out of a graphic novel (or a manga, more likely). It also helps that the graphics is practically drowning in blood. Defeated enemies produce entire geysers of blood, which is actually more ridiculous than gory. I do wish it was a bit more colorful, but its a cool style nonetheless.

Sound and Music

Fun fact: the franchise is named after an album by The Stranglers. Another fun fact: this game’s soundtrack is amazing. Its very diverse, with rock, electronic pop, jazz, and even hip hop song sung in Japanese. The music always fits the mood, is very memorable, and its catchy as all hell. There isn’t a single track I actually dislike, which is a huge accomplishment. Add that to some very solid voice acting, and you have a great sounding game.

Gameplay

A shot of the action.

No More Heroes features a simple combat system that relies on how you tilt your Wiimote. Tilting the Wiimote upwards will give your slashes more speed, while tilting it downwards will give your slashes more power. You also have access to four different beam katanas in the game, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. While combo potential in this game isn’t as high in other hack and slash games, it is a very satisfying system, and its easy enough to learn for even casual fans of the genre. Its one of the few Wii games that gets motion controls right, which is a huge accomplishment.

Alice is one of the best boss fights I've ever fought, period.

A big part of the game is the fights with the other assassins, and they’re a mixed bag. You have brilliant fights like the one with Alice Twilight and her walker machine, Margaret Moonlight and her scythe-sniper rifle combo, and Ryuji with his beam naginata. These fights are challenging but balanced, and always fun. On the other hand, you have fights with New Destroyman and Million Gunman, which are ruined by poorly executed gimmicks. The better fights of this game are fantastic, but the lower end can be infuriating.

I wish I could earn money by playing NES games...

It should be worth mentioning that you get money in this game through side jobs. Each job is a 8-bit style minigame in which you can arrange pipes, exterminate vermin, and even cook steaks. The minigames are surprisingly well executed, and are really fun. I actually didn’t mind taking a break from the main game to play them. The money you earn can go towards stat boosts and expanding Travis’s wardrobe, and its amusing to dress him up in themed outfits before each boss fight.

Final Words

No More Heroes 2 is a fantastic hack and slash with a ton of personality. Its graphic and crude, sure, but its also extremely satisfying and not afraid to escalate its silliness. If you have a Wii or Wii U and an itch for a great hack and slash, I couldn’t recommend this enough. It should be fairly cheap now.

Weapon of the Week: Kazooie

This bird can carry a bear twice her size and many times her weight. Because physics is for losers.

Franchise: Banjo Kazooie

Appearances: Every BK game

Type: Sidekick

Hey Mario 64, imma let you finish, but Banjo Kazooie is the greatest Nintendo 64 platformer of all time. Of all time!

Yeah, I love Banjo Kazooie. Its a colorful, whimsical adventure with brilliant level design and very satisfying collect-a-thon gameplay. It may not be the most intricate or complex, but the amount of pure fun contained in the cartridge is amazing. One of the greatest parts of the game is how the levels are big open spaces, encouraging exploration and world interaction. And let’s face it, Banjo wouldn’t be able to find any of the collectables if it wasn’t for his sassy little sidekick, Kazooie.

So what can Kazooie do that Banjo can’t? Well, she can fire the blue eggs you’ve collected, carry Banjo on her back so that they can run up steep inclines, can shield her partner with her wings using the golden feathers scattered around the game, use her wings for a high jump and even glide, break powerful barriers with her beak, and can even allow the duo to fly. With all this in mind, Kazooie is one of gaming’s best sidekicks, as much of the game would be impossible without her aid. Heck, she’s probably one of the handful of sidekicks more competent than the main hero.

Kazooie may have a big mouth, but she can easily back it up with a ton of powerful abilities. Next time, I think its time we bring the heat. Until then, see ya.

Sentai Time! Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

This review was authorized by divine providence.

Translation: Samurai Squad True Sword Ranger

Number of Episodes: 49

Original Run: 2009-2010

Theme: Feudal Japan and Japanese folklore

Adaptation: Power Rangers Samurai

Welcome back to Senai Time! This time I’ll be reviewing Shinkenger, which I like just as much as Kyoruyger, but for different reasons. Let’s get started.

The Concept

Who better to fight demons than samurais! You know, people who have estates to manage!

For centuries, humanity has been at war with the Gedoushu, a race of demons that inhabit the River Sanzu (the Buddhist equivalent of the River Styx). The Japanese emperor, in order to counter them, created a squad of five samurai headed by the Shiba clan. Eighteen generations have passed, and the Gedoushu have resurfaced once again, hoping to flood the world with the waters of the River Sanzu. Now a new generation of samurai must take up the age-old mantle and stop the Gedoushu’s plans to make humanity suffer.

The Sentai

From left to right: Mako, Chiaki, Takeru, Ryuunosuke, and Kotoha.

The Shinkengers consist of Takeru (Shinken Red), the seemingly aloof 18th head of the Shiba clan, Ryuunosuke (Shinken Blue), a former kabuki actor and fanatic follower of Takeru, Mako (Shinken Pink), a former teacher who dreams of being an average woman, Chiaki (Shinken Green), a slacker and hardcore Tekken fan, and Kotoha (Shinken Yellow), a talented flute player and swordswoman. Each have control over mojikara, a special kind of magic that can be utilized through kanji.

I like this sentai quite a bit, but for much different reasons than why I like the Kyoryugers. Rather than being a fun barrel of monkeys, the cast of Shinkenger is more realistic (or at least how realistic as Super Sentai will lend itself to be) and interesting on an individual level. Takeru is only aloof to protect people from being hurt, Kotoha has been bullied enough to believe the mud slung at her, and so on. The characters develop quite well, and unlike Kyoryuger, it develops fairly evenly. Its not the most fun cast, but its far from boring.

The Villains

From left to right: Juzo, Doukoku, Shitari, and Daya.

The Gedoushu consist of Doukoku, the literal embodiment of rage and leader of the demonic hordes, Dayu, a mysterious shamisen player who is the only one able to quell Doukoku’s rage, Shitari, the oddly cheery strategist, and Juzo, an exiled swordsman who wishes to find the perfect opponent. The goal of the Gedoushu is to conquer the human world and turn it into a literal living hell. However, they can’t survive long without the waters of the River Sanzu, and thus wish to raise its waters by causing human suffering.

A monster that actually looks threatening? Blasphemy! 

I feel that the Gedoushu are pretty strong as an antagonistic force. Unlike the Deboss Army, which rarely posed a serious threat, the Gedoushu are more than willing to cut down countless civilians on camera and blow up buildings. Their monsters, the Ayakashi, are all based on Japanese folk monsters, and are more than a match for the Shinkengers. And most importantly, the Gedoushu actually look demonic and capable of causing destruction. The Gedoushu live up to their demonic appearances, and make for a great villainous army.

The Mecha

Lion + Dragon + Turtle + Monkey + Bear = a human robot. Whut...

The mecha for this show are called Origami, animal themed mechs that can either be pocket sized or giant. The Origami can combine into Shinken-Oh, a large samurai robot. Shinken-Oh can be augmented with other Origami, gaining new powers such as a naginata. Shinken-Oh is a pretty neat robot, as are the other Origamis, and while the auxiliary attachments are admittedly silly looking, they do offer some cool attacks. While I think that the Origami system could be improved a bit, its still very solid.

The Fights

Yes, that sword is as big as him. And no, it isn't as awesome as it looks.

The fights of Shinkenger deviate from the Super Sentai norm, as it focuses almost entirely on weapon combat, not martial arts. The Shinkengers’ main weapon are their katanas, not their fists, and each one uses their specialized weapons more often than other sentais. The fights themselves are still very good, being well choreographed and coordinated. I do have a couple of nitpicks though: the sword styles of the individual Shinkengers aren’t terribly different, and Takeru’s specialized weapon (a red buster sword) is more cumbersome than awesome. Other than that, the fights are great.

The Music

The music here isn’t as memorable as Kyoryuger. Sure, some of the insert songs and character themes are very good, but most of the background music is just...there. I can’t remember any of the background tunes. Unmemorable isn’t the same as bad, but its not good either.

The Verdict

Shinkenger is every bit as good as Kyoryuger, but for different reasons. It features actual character development, a great antagonistic force, and interesting concepts like kanji magic summons. There’s a lot to like about Shinkenger, probably more so than Kyoryuger.

8.5/10 - Terrific

Thanks for reading! As always, constructive criticism is welcome. I won’t be doing another Sentai Time for a while, but expect follow ups of both Kyoryuger and Shinkenger.