Author: Penguin Truth

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Gundam AGE Episode 13 Review

 Episode 13, "Space Fortress Ambat"

  *****SPOILERS*****   Synopsis: With the Diva armed with a AGE System-created beam weapon, the crew prepares for battle. Grodek commands the fleet from the bridge. The mobile suit forces launch. The fleet approaches Ambat at fires, but at first there’s no response. Suddenly, a massive ship emerges from behind a forcefield. The Diva transforms into more of a battleship. Combat ensues, but the UE outnumber the rebels. Flit draws the enemy towards himself and takes out many of them. The Diva nears the base and fires it’s beam weapon at the ship, which is heavily damaged. Ract tries to sacrifice himself to stop the remaining part, but before he can, other friendly forces arrive to assist them.      Comments:   Wow, this was an excellent episode!   First of all, let me get this out of the way: what the hell is up with everyone’s normal suit? The Diva crew dress like they’re in their pajamas. The Zalam normal suits look like Zakus. The Euba MS normal suits are probably the best looking. It’s hard to take the Diva crew seriously with such ridiculous suits. Get some normal normal suits, guys! This isn’t a sleepover.    Speaking of the Diva (and we’re getting to the good parts now), it’s transformation is pretty cool. It’s transformed state looks like the Albion from Gundam 0083. Before, it looked a bit like the Ptolemaios from Gundam 00.    Considering how predictable this show has been, I was really pleasantly surprised by a the cliche-avoiding scene in this episode where Ract tries a suicide run but is stopped by Flit. Ract is unable to make himself a human missile like Don Boyage. The little talking-to he gets from Flit is a great moment. It feels like the kind of thing you’d see in FMA (though in FMA, it would be a big speech about not throwing your life away).   Emily’s really got her shit together now. She’s in full support of Flit’s decision to continue fighting in the Gundam. For a while, I thought she was going to go crazy or something.    There was some good action in this episode. I especially enjoyed when Flit drew a bunch of UE suits to himself, and then took them all out himself. That was pretty badass, especially the way he did it. It’s probably the best action scene in the show thus far.    This episode was a lot more compelling than the show has been overall. I only hope the episodes that follow can live up to it.   Overall Score:

4.5 out of 5

   
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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 52 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 52, "Combined Powers"

*****SPOILERS*****   Synopsis: Using the Philosopher’s Stone, Alphonse battles Pride and Kimbley. Kimbley is impressed, but is curious as to why Alphonse hasn’t used the stone to retrieve his body. Alphonse claims that the possibility exists to save everyone and regain his body. Kimbley argues that it’s possible that neither will occur, and attacks using his own, refined stone. In Central, the Armstrong siblings take on Sloth, who proves to be the fastest of the homunculi. Pride seemingly gains the advantage against Alphonse, but it turns out to be a trap. Heinkel comes from behind Kimbley and bites his neck. Edward, Scar, and the other chimera continue to fight the homunculi army, who try disabling them by taking out their legs. As Pride taunts Alphonse and his group, a car comes out of nowhere and hits him. The car is driven by none other than Yoki, who helps the others escape. Alone with a dying Kimbley, Pride decides to devour him like he did with Gluttony. Back at Central HQ, the troops who corner Olivier are attacked by the homunculi army and she tells them to make a choice between dying or making a stand. Beneath Central, Envy chases Mei. In the room where Ed and the others are, they are beginning to get overwhelmed, but Roy and Riza arrive.   Comments:   I just don’t know what to make of Eric Vale’s Kimbley. It sounds rough and detached. I guess it works to some degree, given Kimbley’s attitude, but I’d have preferred a smoother, sharpened voice for the character.    I like the transition from Alphonse’s battle with Kimbley and the Armstrong siblings’ fight with Sloth. For a second it looks like Kimbley was creating the dagger-like rocks.    Speaking of the Armstrongs, Sabat and Young both do an excellent job as the siblings, as usual. Even with the smaller things, like grunting when hurt sounds convincing from them. You can’t beat Young’s yells when she attacks.    Jerry Russell’s Marcoh still sounds crappy, though. It’s too bad that Brice Armstrong retired, he brought a real sense of weight to the role. Armstrong had a certain authoritative air to it. This one sounds like he’s a million years old and is dying of throat cancer.   There’s mercifully little of Vic Mignogna in this episode, and when there is some, it’s not that bad.    I really like Barry Yandell’s Yoki in this episode. He hams it up, but that’s Yoki for you. I love how he’s crying as he saves everyone.    Monica Rial’s May has improved over time. At first I found it a little off, but fitting, since I found May kind of annoying. But it evolved a little over time.    Next episode has a lot of drama in it, but it’s mostly Travis Willingham’s Roy, so I have faith it will be well-performed. Well, it also has a lot of Wendy Powell. Shudder.      Overall ENGLISH DUB Score:    4 out of 5    
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Gundam AGE Episode 12 Review

 Episode 12, "The Rebels Set Sail"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Diva prepares to depart from Minsry. Federation forces intercept them as they leave. Reasoning with them fails and Grodek refuses to surrender. Zalam and Euba ships come to the Diva’s defense. The stalemate is broken when UE appear and attack everyone. Flit, Woolf, and Largan attack the UE in their mobile suits. The Diva is allowed to pass by the Federation ships to fire at the UE. The Federation ship then fires its own weapons at the UE, causing them to retreat. The Diva is allowed to continue on its way. Later, Grodek surmises that Flit could be a "X-Rounder", a person with extrasensory skills. Back at Minsry, Desil and the cloaked men threaten Yurin. read more

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Bandai Entertainment, R.I.P.

Yesterday, anime licensor/publisher Bandai Entertainment announced that they will no longer release DVDs or Blu-Rays. According to an interview at Anime News Network with Ken Iyadomi today, the decision was made in October by parent company Namco Bandai Holdings. February will be the last month they release anime and all planned releases for after then are cancelled. Cancelled titles include Yoshiyuki Tomino-directed Turn A Gundam. Their entire manga division is also cancelled. However, they will continue to handle licensing and sub-licensing for "group companies". Iyadomi added his gratitude to the fanbase for supporting the company.  read more

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Gundam AGE Episode 11 Review

 Episode 11, " Reunion at Minsry"

*****SPOILERS*****   Synopsis: The Diva ports at the colony of Minsry to prepare for the last battle with the UE. Flit, Grodek, Woolf, and the Euba leader head for the Birmings mansion. On the way there, Flit hears something and runs after. He discovers that it’s Yurin, the girl he met at Nora. Alzack Birmings, a wealthy friend of Don Boyage, tells him he will support Grodek’s plan. Alzack turns out to be Yurin’s adoptive father. As the team prepares for the mission, Flit spends time with Yurin. Flit promises to return after the fighting is over. On the way back to the Diva, a boat carrying Federation soldiers and several Federation mobile suits block their path and arrest Grodek. Flit uses the Gundam to disable the Federation MS. Grodek is rescued.      Comments:    A whole lot of nothing happens in this episode. It felt more like half an episode. You could easily cut half of what happened in this episode and not have lost anything important. Far from being relaxing, it was merely boring. If it weren’t for all the beautiful scenery, I’d say it was a total waste of my (oh so precious) time.    First, what’s with all these guys with ridiculous hairstyles? Birmings looks like he stepped out of Rose of Versailles. The Euba guy looks like he could be Chara Soon’s brother. I know anime hairstyles are weird on principal, but there are plenty of characters with more ordinary hair and then there are the anomolies. I hate to sound like my mother, but dem Chinese cartoon characters have stupid, stupid hair.    Second, wow, could Yurin be sending up any more death flags? Sudden relationship with a shy girl with a tragic past. Spending time enjoying each other’s company to a musical montage. Flit making a promise to her to return after the fighting.  Just have a piece of the colony fall on her already. I know me some Gundam, and my Gundam instinct is telling me this girl’s as good as dead. It’s almost stupid if she doesn’t die.    It is interesting, though, that the AGE system is being used to upgrade the Diva. I’d like to see what sort of mechanical monster that creates out of it.    Another interesting tidbit is Grodek saying that the Federation is covering up who the UE really are. The Federation knows but isn’t saying? What kind of retarded Federation is this? This is Gundam 0083-level Feddie retardation.    Do you realize I actually wrote a freaking paragraph on hair? On hair. That’s how little this episode had going for it. I had to write a paragraph on the hair.    Overall Score:

3.5 out of 5

 
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Top 10 Shunsuke Kikuchi DB/Z Tracks

 

 

Few people talk about Shunsuke Kikuchi. While not the quality of say, Yoko Kanno’s contributions, or the emotional power of Hiroshi Miyagawa’s work, Kikuchi has been in the business of incidental music (that is to say, background music) for decades. Cutting his teeth on tokusatsu programs, Kikuchi got work scoring the anime adaption of the popular Akira Toriyama manga Dr. Slump. He is best known, however, for scoring the anime adaptation of Toriyama’s most popular work, Dragon Ball. Taking cues from old films, Kikuchi is a little Wang Fu-ling and a little Bernard Hermann. read more

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Clips of Episode of Bardock


How am I supposed to believe that Bardock can become a Super Saiyan? He’s a low-class warrior who couldn’t even scratch Freeza. Goku at least had trained in 100x gravity and had a zenkai. This is a stupifyingly retarded idea. I like the new animation, though.

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Gundam AGE Episode 10 Review

 Episode 10, "Day of Fierce Battle"

*****SPOILERS*****   Synopsis: The Zalam and Euba factions team up with the Diva to take on the UE. The Federation sends a message that they have no forces in the area to support them. Infighting begins between Zalam and Euba as a black UE mobile suit wreaks havoc. Don Boyage is seemingly killed in action and the UE take the advantage. With the Zalam and Euba beginning a retreat, the still alive Don Boyage and subordinates do a suicide charge on the UE ship, which does no damage. Vargas announces that new parts for the Gundam are ready. The new parts are launched and when attached the Gundam becomes Spallow. The Spallow engages the black MS and damages it. The UE ship begins to fall back. Fardain is saved. Elsewhere, Desil has a tantrum. The Diva leaves Fardain for the Minsry colony.      Well, finally a solid episode.    There’s really not a whole lot to speak about this episode, as it’s mostly action-oriented. The action itself seems a little scattered, but I guess you can’t expect a lot of one-on-one duels in a situation like this one. The black UE MS that Desil controls is pretty badass, totally dominating everyone until the Spallow is in action. The Spallow reduces mass and optimizes speed, as opposed to Titus which specializes in powerful strength. I would have liked to seen a longer encounter between it and the black UE MS, but this was good enough for now.    Don Boyage meets his end in this episode, sacrificing himself to damage the enemy ship. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. I have to say that while Don Boyage seemed like a silly character above anything else, and the Zalam and Euba aspect of the story just stupid, I did think that it was a decent moment. It helped Flit to see the horrors of the battlefield firsthand. I still feel, though, that Boyage and his Euba counterpart feel like Gundam ZZ characters that are introduced as silly at first but then given serious moments later on. It sort of dampens the impact when you remember how this character started out in the show.    The one thing that really caught my eye was the anti-beam dispersal shells, which are an awesome idea. It’s sort of like an I-Field, but with a wider range.    Overall Score:

4 out of 5

   
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