So, this is a tale of redemption. I always expected Dragon Ball Super: Broly would be as lame and forced as the previous Broly entries, but by reinventing aspects of the character, they (finally) made him a worthwhile addition to the Dragon Ball canon. I completely discounted this movie for years, believing it was just another Broly stomp romp, and especially hating the Dragon Ball Minus aspect, but never actually sitting down and watching the entire thing. Now that I have, I understand its popularity. It’s a damn fine DB movie. Might be the best entry in decades, it’s certainly among the best. And for that, I apologize. I was wrong. It happens (though rarely).
Penguin Truth
Otaku Evolution Episode 283 – Lupin III Part IV
I just love Lupin III. Especially when Lupin III is good, and Lupin III: Part IV is quite good, indeed. It has just the right balance of standalone capers and ongoing storyline, and is bursting with energy and fun. It was just what the franchise needed after years of mediocre TV specials (though The Woman Called Fujiko Mine came out just a few years before it, and that’s arguably the best series): a return to form for Lupin. Not too soft, not too rough. A great balance.
It also happens to have my favorite new Lupin character in ages, MI6 Agent Nyx, who I am so upset never appeared in anything after this. At least Rebecca got a cameo in Part V, but I’ll get to that another time.
Otaku Evolution Episode 282 – Flame of Recca
Flame of Recca is one of those shows I saw as a teen, back when I was just getting into anime, that I thought was pretty neat, only to revisit and realize it’s not so great after all. It’s a shonen action series that feels pretty diminished when compared to a lot of other, better shonen action series… especially Yu Yu Hakusho, which it feels like a lesser version of. I tried to find all the positives I could about this show, but try as I might, there wasn’t a whole lot to say about it.
Otaku Evolution Episode 279 – Astro Boy (2003)
Welcome back to Otaku Evolution!
I am so sorry it’s taken me this long to post a new video. I had terrible sciatica pain in my back for a few weeks, forcing me to sleep on a yoga mat on the floor of my room at night, and hampering my concentration on completing my viewing of this series, which is 50 episodes long! That, and my obsession with completing Chrono Cross (which is entirely my fault), slowed me down. But at least I mostly avoided my usual post-holiday funk.
In the bookend material here is the aftermath of that attack on me in my quarters at the end of last year. I wanted to show that one of Pen Pen’s students, Llewellyn, who was normally depicted as a child, has grown up since the last time I used him. As for the “Puffin Elite”, they’re characters that I created years and years ago that I never ended up introducing into my sprite comics. You’ll see me explore that story idea sometime this year.
Otaku Evolution Episode 274 – Lupin III Part II
Lupin III Part II may not technically be one of my favorite anime, but it is one of the more enjoyable Lupin TV shows, and that should count for something. It’s great just how many international locations the Lupin gang find themselves in with their endless heisting. While the first series took place mostly in Japan, Part II has the gang spreading its wings and making the entire world Lupin’s back yard.
Of course, I’m accentuating the positive in this video, skipping weak episodes like “Curse Case Scenario”, “Now Museum, Now You Don’t”, “Twins Pique”, “Khan Job”, “Pretty Cluckin’ Insane”, and “Heroes and Vixens”. I only wanted to talk about four and five star episodes, and naturally, among the English-dubbed ones.