The reason for the article title is predicated on how unhinged Macky acts throughout the episode. If it is not using his mastery of Bael to force the non-aligned parts of Gjallarhorn under his thrall, it’s being able to unflinchingly prevent a despairing Almiria ready to turn a knife on herself after botching her childish (I don’t mean this as an insult, she’s still young after all) attempt to kill Macky. The scary part is I do not even know where the play acting stops and the craziness begins, since Macky is so dedicated to his craft. Does he WANT them to think he’s crazy? Or is it his true honest form?
Otaku Evolution Episode 84 – Dominion Tank Police
In this episode, I take a look at the four part OVA, Dominion Tank Police, that features what seems like the inevitable future of American police militaritization (Japan will just go the Patlabor route)! But is this send up of 80s hyperviolence a social satire or just a parody that identifies with its captors? I hope to sparse the mixed messages from this old “classic” I first saw on Sci-Fi Channel’s Saturday Anime block.
My Patreon (please support my videos!)
Dragon Momoko 1/60 PG Unicorn Gundam – Project Complete
Another build complete, and my first one of 2017. At the very least it can’t get any worse from here. Behold, Dragon Momoko’s PG Unicorn. It’s actually pretty good looking, though the devil’s in the details, and the details is where things went south for me.
Before I discuss my work I want to add to my initial review of DM’s Unicorn…
- The decals are pretty high quality. They’re thick enough that you can place the big ones without worrying about them ripping yet thin enough that they disappear into the paint after you apply MicroSol or equivalent.
- There are a lot of decals, and if you follow DM’s guide, 50% are unused. There’s just under a half of the giant decal sheet that went untouched. With a bunch that don’t quite work on the kit itself, but seem well suited for an Armed Armor…
- One of the unique things about the DM’s decals are the line details used on the shin, waist, shoulder, and other places. In the manual they use the decals only on one side for the most part, but in a few areas they use both. They also neglected the decals that go on the outside of the arm (the end of the piece that holds the beam saber). Why they did this? I have no idea. While I followed the decals elsewhere on the kit (aside from a few I added to the feet since they were too bare) I said ‘fuck it’ and used up all the special decals.
- There are three things on the this kit which are different than Bandai’s (other than all the exterior details that is, and the backpack system if you want to include that too)…
- The chest/cockpit piece. It’s more pronounced and looks pretty cool but the neck piece that sits on top doesn’t quite fit. You can even see the issue in their official photos. Seems like a lazy thing to get wrong.
- The shoulder to upper arm bit has bit of extra added on, as though it were there to provide more contact deeper into the arm for extra grip. While they added it, they didn’t actually add anything in the upper arm to make use of that addition. It’s odd, especially since there’s no real reason for it. Of the areas on the PG Unicorn that could use improvement, that part of the arm is not one.
- In the rear skirt armor, they added an extra notch for the two pieces that make the little square thruster thing. This means it doesn’t fall out before you mount the backer piece, and is a super nifty addition.
Wait, there’s more!
- You know that weird backpack contraption? It’s really cool, but it’s seam line city.
- For being built without poly caps, it does a damn good job hold all the weapons (granted all my joints there are somewhat painted).
- The single mounting point to the backpack is a super obvious point of failure. While mine hasn’t broken, it does like to sag out a bit.
- In case you didn’t know this, the contraption is a copy of the arms that come with the Tamashii Nation Unicorn MS Girl.
Final verdict on the Dragon Momoko Unicorn? If you can get it for retail, it’s a hell of a steal and worth a pickup. If you’re looking for a show quality kit, get the real version. Or at least the real LED set.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 18 – Jibun Woah
SPOILERS
For the first time, I couldn’t really find ONE good image from this episode. So like I did with Escaflowne, here is this episode’s Four Perfect Shots. Seriously, it’s really goddamn pretty. In fact, those aren’t the most perfect of shots. Also no, don’t get mad that one of em is Galli-Galli, you pretty much knew the moment he spoke under that mask Vidar was Galli-Galli. The true pleasure though, is what happened to him during the interim between seasons.
So Macky’s plan to seize Gjallarhorn’s HQ goes off without much of a hitch, with the help of Mika and Barbatos Lupus-Rex-Ou-Rey-Roi-King. It has been a long time coming, and this episode doesn’t mince about delaying his movement too much, not only in his coup but also in FINALLY revealing his past. It is as dark as you would expect given his chibi-self’s dourness and implications of abuse. In the latter’s case, boy he has had a lot. There is no innocent, young, rogue in Macky’s past who was slowly driven to the dark side, but somebody who was already there and just moved deeper and deeper into it as time went on. One would wonder if it wasn’t for their friendship with each other, Orga and Mika would have ended up the same if they were on their own. However, this question is neither here nor there in the long run, since we are at the beginning of endgame, and they are where they are, and Macky is where he is. It’s not exactly the most original out there (I was thinking of Griffith throughout his flashback), but it is effective, and very welcome that we now know what makes Macky tick.
Otaku Evolution Episode 83 – Birth
It’s another year, and it’s time for the first brand new episode of Otaku Evolution of 2017! In this video, I look at the 1984 sci-fi-action-comedy-curiosity, Birth! It was once released by Streamline Pictures as Planet Busters, but the version I’m reviewing is from the more accurate ADV release from the early aughts. It’s a really strange feature that boasts of talents like Hideaki Anno and Joe Hisaishi, but besides some interesting visuals, it’s a whole lot of nothing!
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 17 – With Terror and Slaughter Return
Like clockwork, after brief 22-minute long pit stops, the episode after said events brings us full force to that Road to Renewed Strength and Promise like it has in the past. Minutes into the show, without any of the pre-battle warm-up talks Tekkadan has already engaged with Jasley’s forces. By episode’s end, they acquire total victory over the man.
There are stakes to be had here since the last episode ended with a potential confrontation of multiple parties from Jasley, Tekkadan, and even Kujan. Yet, in a surprising twist, despite all the frenetic action that occurs in this episode, what’s more interesting is what DOESN’T happen. I guess Rustal’s lack of energy in the previous episode compared to Kujan’s bevy of it had more to it than that, with him restraining Kujan (who doesn’t even APPEAR in the episode) from joining up with Jasley. From what the episode implies, he had an offscreen conversation with McMurdo on the situation and blueballed both Jasley and Kujan from a chance at catharsis. McMurdo even breaks Orga’s Sakazuki cup offscreen and we are shown its remains with very little dramatic fanfare. Both a shame and expected, but a pleasant surprise how McMurdo doesn’t take it TOO hard. He (alongside us) knows Orga offered his cup if he decides to break his oath, and even so he is not surprised or TOO disappointed in the slightest bit that this is the case now. Time to move on is the message for that scene, as well as another where Kudelia finds out Tekkadan has cut ties to her, possibly for protection. Unlike McMurdo, she doesn’t take it well.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 16 – Third Pit Stop on the Road to Renewed Strength and Promise [SPOILERS]
SPOILERS
You know an episode has it in for its protagonists if a catharsis one has been hoping for such a very long time does not come to fruition. Yes, Iok is not dead yet. In fact he is as alive and chipper as his usual annoying self is, and thus we all must wait once more for his demise. The only consolation we can seize from this is Rustal is rather blasé about this whole thing, and did not adulate the slightest bit towards Iok’s decision.
Sadly, the aforementioned is one of only two consolations to seize from this week. It is not enough for Gjallarhorn to have the bodies of Naze and Amida, it is Jasley fishing for outrage from the remaining Turbines and Tekkadan during the funeral. McMurdo remains steadfast in his respect for Naze, but now that he’s gone, Jasley is more open in his ambitions to wipe Tekkadan out. It is not shocking in any way, but it is good to see it finally coming to fruition after being already established so long ago…
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 15 – Turbine Muyo!
I found out what the show was clogging the turbines with for this episode…
…It was using soggy biscuits.
UNEXPECTEDLY, as if the last episode did not imply it in any way, shape, or form that something would happen, we finally get our first few major deaths of the season. Yeah, maybe Aston’s death is kinda tragic, but we only knew him for about seven episodes and were more inclined to feel bad for Takaki. Here? We have some Season 1 veterans biting the dust: Naze and Amida. The entire situation they are in is rather predictable, but as always it is the execution that matters and this episode does it so darn well.
Open Letter To Netflix: Please Release Anime Episodes On A Weekly Basis
Dear Netflix,
Like many anime fans, I was completely blown away by 2013’s Little Witch Academia, which was made by Studio Trigger for the Young Animator Training Project’s Anime Mirai showcase. Fan enthusiasm was so high that when a sequel was announced later that same year, a Kickstarter campaign launched to fund its extension to 50 minutes met its $150,000 goal within hours, and eventually raised a total of over $625,000. Clearly fans around the world were extremely passionate about this franchise.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-blooded Orphans Season 2 Episode 14 – Clogging the Turbine(s)
After two weeks of hiatus, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans finally returns to the airwaves. Like the first season, the start of the second half begins on a rather dour note, and Tekkadan is once again at the center of it all as the world tries to overwhelm them.
The events at this juncture however seems to hit a more personal level than the events of Dort ever did, despite the immense effects it had on Kudelia and Biscuit. The Turbine transplants at Tekkadan (Lafter, Azee, and Echo), after stating it so many times in this series that they would, finally depart to rejoin Naze and the rest of the Turbines. The opening scene is a good way to see them off, and you can tell how the departure is quite sad for all of them. The real crux of the farewell’s emotional pathos comes from a personal scene between Akihiro and Lafter. The latter doesn’t confess her feelings to the former, but you can tell how much has changed since their first encounter. Once the most ardent opponents now are the most bosom of buddies. Funny really since I keep falling into the enemy/rival romance trope in this show, for I thought Lafter and Mika might be something, and now it’s Julieta and Mika. Yet I like these developments better. I guess that’s why I don’t write for animu.