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Some Thoughts On: Dragon Ball Kai (English Dub) Episodes 53-66

 

As Goku’s fight with Freeza wraps up and the coming of the Artificial Humans begins, the script accuracy begins to falter here and there. In episode 55, there’s a scene in which, in Japanese, Bulma wonders if Vegeta has ever worn the type of clothing they (she and other Earthlings) wear. In English, Bulma instead asks if it’s possible Vegeta would hold her and her friends hostage to get Goku to return from space. The change irks me for two reasons. One, that’s not what Bulma said in the Japanese version, or even close to it. And two, it doesn’t make any sense. Vegeta would have to know where Goku is to inform him that he’s taken his friends hostage, and she knows he doesn’t. The only way Goku would know is if he returned from space, which would negate his need to take hostages. Bulma isn’t stupid, and you would have to be to say something like she said in English. read more

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Batman: Year One Review

Batman: Year One
 

****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Billionare Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after being gone for years. Meanwhile, Jim Gordon arrives in Gotham, becoming a police lieutenant in the corrupt force. Wayne trains himself to fight crime, donning a bat suit to strike fear in criminals. When Gordon is blackmailed for having an affair, he has to admit it to his wife. Mobsters and policemen alike try to take down the Batman, but he avails, and Wayne even saves Gordon’s son. Batman forms a bond with Gordon.
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Gundam AGE Episode 02 Review

Episode 02 , "The Power of AGE "

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The Unknown Enemy continues to attack the colony of Nora. Federation soldiers disagree over what action to take involving evacuation and the ship Diva. Flit tries to help a girl, Yurin, who is at first afraid of the Gundam. Deputy Commander Grodek Aiona takes command of the Diva, which launches into space. Flit launches the Gundam into space but has difficulty fighting. The "AGE System"" is activated to provide Flit support. Flit uses the DOTS Rifle to engage an enemy MS, destroying the enemy easily. But then more mobile suits arrive. read more

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Gundam AGE Episode 01 Review

Episode 01, "Gundam, the Savior"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Flit Asuno, a young boy living in a space colony, and his friend Emily Armond, find themselves in the middle of an attack by the UE ("Unknown Enemy"). Flit climbs into the cockpit of the mobile suit he designed, the Gundam, and defeats the enemy attacking. But the victory is short lived when an UE ship attacks the colony.

Comments:

Ah, a new Gundam series. An alternate universe title, too, with all of its own personality and a variety of different aspects in contrast to other recent programs. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 49 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 49, "Familial Love"

"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Hohenheim tries to get Alphonse to wake up as Pride detects him and plans to lure him out. Greed takes back control of Ling’s body as the group continues fighting Pride. Alphonse finally wakes up and asks his father to help him in a plan. Back at the fight, Pride is easily overwhelming Edward, Greed, and Ranfan, when Hohenheim shows up. Alphonse runs up behind Pride, but is caught. Pride calls Al foolish, which angers Hohenheim, who springs the plan into action. As Alphonse grabs Pride, Hohenheim uses his power to cause huge chunks of the ground to come up and close around Pride and Alphonse. The plan is revealed to have Pride trapped in total darkness in the giant mound until after the Promised Day. Realzing Pride is out of comission, Greed races towards Central, planning to take over the world. Scar, Marcoh, and their chimera companions meet with homeless folks who inform them of the blowing up of Bradley’s train. Meanwhile, Kimbley kills several Ishbalans in the Central area. Inside the dark mound, Pride tells Alphonse of Mrs. Bradley’s kindness. Scar’s group meets up with Ed’s group and Fu goes ahead to Central. Daylight comes and Edward puts on hs red coat for the Promised Day. In Central, Roy’s rebellion begins. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 48 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 48, "A Vow Made Underground"


 
*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Ling and Ranfan team up to take on Gluttony, easily taking out several of his lives due to their ability to sense him, which Fu (who suddenly appears) explains to Edward. The lights in the slums begin to come back on, concerning Ed and Darius, and Ed comes up with a plan involving Fu. Heinkel continues to attack Selim, but doesn’t make very much progress. Meanwhile, Roy meets with Madam Christmas and recieves confirmation that Selim isn’t human. Villagers happen upon Heinkel and Selim and Selim scares them, causing one to drop a lantern. The fire allows Pride to use his abilities, but Edward saves him. In Central, soldiers try to get at Roy at Madam Christmas’s bar, but he blows it up and the two escape in the sewers. Roy meets with Hawkeye, Breda, and Fuery in a hideout underground as they prepare to go into action, and he tells them not to die. Pride, unable to hurt Ed because of his use of carbon hardening on his automail, decides to use Alphonse to fight Ed, but Ed has Fu use a flashback which seperates Al long enough to be carried off. Gluttony races to meet with Pride, who he informs of the many lives he’s lost. Pride takes this chance to devour Gluttony to gain his sense of smell in order to find his opponents in the dark. In Central, Father wonders what Roy plans to do next, and Olivier says that he will probably kidnap the Fuhrer’s wife. Roy does just that. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 47 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 47, "Messenger of Darkness"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Edward, Greed, Darius, and Heinkel arrive in the slum town of Kanama, where they meet up with Hohenheim. That evening, he tells them all his story, which Edward has a hard time dealing with. Edward tells his father his mother’s last words, which provokes Hohenheim to cry. Feeling akward, Edward goes to eat, and then creates a new red jacket for himself. Walking towards the woods, Ed, Greed, and the chimeras are approached by Alphonse. However, Ling detects a homunculus, and it becomes clear Pride has posessed Alphonse. In the east, Grumman oversees the search for Bradley’s body, but Miles has his suspicions over the lieutenant general’s motivations. Pride attacks the group, but Edward uses all the lights in the village, sending the whole lot into darkness. Heinkel finds Pride’s container, attacking Selim. Gluttony attacks and Darius tries to take him on, while Greed gives Ling control of his body again due to his ability to detect homunculi. Gluttony gets fed up and transforms into his fake Gate form, but Ranfan arrives, with an automail arm, attacking him. read more

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Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood – Episode 46 ENGLISH DUB Review

Episode 46, "The Creeping Shadow"

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Time passes, and the time of the Risembool Sheep Festival arrives. A military train is at the train station, and Miles is among soldiers there. Winry is escorted secretly back to her house, where she encounters Edward, Greedling, and the chimeras. Winry tells Ed that Alphonse is in the train, but Ed decides is safer not to go visit him. Winry adjusts Ed’s automail and tells him about Lior’s recovery and that she knows about "the promised day". Ed and his group leave at night for Kanama, to meet up with Hohenheim. In Lior, Scar and Marcoh meet with the other chimeras, and they all meet up with a group of Ishbalans. More time passes, and in the East, the training excercises between the East and the North are being overseen by Fuhrer King Bradley. This concerns General Grumman and Miles who try to come up with a plan to get rid of him. Alphonse wanders out of the train and is chased by Gluttony and Pride, who eventually capture him. In Central, Roy pays Olivier a visit and passes along what he knows about Selim. General Hakuro informs Bradley of the information he gathered about a coup attempt about to be made with the help of the Ishbalans, leading Bradley to take a train home, which is destroyed by soldiers working for Mustang and Grumman. In Central, Olivier considers making her move, but Father arrives with Sloth. read more

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Anime Voice Talent Highlight #7: Kei Tomiyama

#7 Kei Tomiyama
 

One of the classic anime voices of the 70s and 80s, Kei Tomiyama’s tragically short life was nevertheless fruitful in his industry. Already well-known by the seventies for his role as the wrestler eponymous Tiger Mask, an character who has endured as an anime icon for decades, he went on to play a few other very notable roles. His tender, sincere voice at times belied his often firey delivery.


He played three classic science fiction characters. One of them is the hotheaded, but honest Susumu Kodai from Space Battleship Yamato. He brought a sense of romantic conviction to the character, and as the character grew from an angry young man looking to avenge his brother to a man willing to sacrifice himself for his convictions, his voice reflected it. In a different work associated with Leiji Matsumoto, he played Captain Harlock’s trusted friend and designer of the ship Arcadia, Tochirou Oyama in Galaxy Expres 999. These roles alone would have been enough to qualify him for this higlight. But he played one more unforgettable character in anime.
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