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Lupin III (2015) Episode JP 13 (Italy 14) Review

“The End of Lupin III”
 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: The greatest thief, Lupin III, has been captured! Under tight wraps and guarded by Inspector Zenigata, Lupin wastes away with nothing more to live for. Zenigata is at first confidence that his nemesis will make an escape attempt, but as time passes, it seems less likely, with his allies ignoring his plight. When Lupin begins to refuse to eat, Zenigata wonders if he really plans to die. Is this really the end of Lupin III, or will he break out of the little box he’s being held in? Lupin knows why the caged bird sings in this confined episode! read more

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Lupin III (2015) Episode JP 12 (Italy 13) Review

“The Dream of Italy, Part 2”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: In the pages of the mysterious book, Lupin gets caught in a dreamscape, finding himself in the memories of Wataru Uraga, Rebecca’s first love. It’s a world created as a record of the man’s memories to leave behind a piece of himself after his death, a temporary implant of his personality that can be injected into whoever deciphered his notes. Lupin, witnessing Wataru’s death and Rebecca’s dispair, awakens with a goal: destroy the leftover notes Wataru left behind. However, MI6 wants what the thinker invented for their own applications, and Agent Nix is close on Lupin’s heels. Can Lupin escape his persistent foe’s keen senses and deadly skills or is this the end of the road for our favorite thief? The puzzle is assembled in this dangerously enlightening episode! read more

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Batman & Robin Eternal #15 Review

“I’m the worst character in this book!” “No, I am!”

The situation’s dire as Tim’s plan backfires, but you have to admire of all Batman’s squires, he’s inspired to inquire about the man covered in wires while in flashbacks Batman’s a liar. All this and less in the fairly dry fifteenth installment of DC’s weekly Batman escapade. Less compelling, less exciting, less informative than the previous issue! It’s almost as if the Tim/Jason/Jean-Paul subplot is… pretty boring overall. But hey, that flashback is neat. read more

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Lupin III (2015) Episode JP 10 (Italy 11) Review

“The Lovesick Pig”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Lupin tries to cut his love in two when he promises both Rebecca and Fujiko to take them as a date to a private party to auction off a dead count’s wine collection. He attempts to split his affections and time between the two women, hoping neither of them notice the other or his swift switching between them. Both women, however, are after the same thing: a special wine said to make people fall in love, Rebecca for the thrill of the steal and Fujiko for profit. But when the whole crowd is lovestruck, will this potion prove poisonous or will Lupin have his best treasure yet, the hearts of two beautiful women? This Lupin adventure will have you exclaiming, “In vino veritas!” read more

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Lupin III (2015) Episode JP 09 (Italy 10) Review

“Requiem for the Assassins”

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Several assassins are themselves being killed off and Goemon is one of their targets! Goemon approaches a fellow killer, a woman named Beladonna from the same hit squad he was in to assassinate an African warlord. Can their old target’s bodyguard, a man who shoots a Winchester M70, still be alive, looking for revenge? It’s a tale of death, promises, and betrayal, and no matter how you slice it, Goemon will cut to the heart of the matter with his Zentetsuken! read more

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Gundam: What Sunrise thinks is Official

While researching for Falldog’s Guide to Gundam Canon and Timelines I was directed to this post by the great Mark Simmons on Mecha Talk back in 2007. In it he references a round table discussion from 2001 in Dengeki Hobby where folks from Sunrise discuss what’s canon within the Gundam franchise. The website Mark linked to, at the time containing a transcript of the discussion, no longer exists. However, thanks to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine the content can still be accessed. In additional sections (which I didn’t have translated) go on to reference other works and how they view them from a canon prospective. Mark’s post on Mecha Talk does a good job summarizing the related content. read more

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Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Episode 15 – 鉄血のアトラ

 

Predictably, Biscuit and his brother do not have a happy reunion. As per usual with the show, the complexities of the world continue to seep into everything, as Savarin’s motivations are driven by said complexities. Unions want a revolution, Tekkadan is unsure of that, and Savarin (who is more than likely a part of the upper crust) definitely does not want an uprising. Now after the primer that was last episode, it’s becoming a bit more of a convergence since everyone’s in the know and finally on the move. Thankfully this episode doesn’t allow them to waffle and gets the lot of Tekkadan to reunite by episode’s end but not without many great revelations inbetween. read more

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Lupin III (2015) Episode JP 08 (Italy 09) Review

“Welcome to the Haunted Hotel”

 

*****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Lupin is eager to get his hands on a collection of valuables at a famed haunted hotel, once the castle home of the Gautieri family. However, he’s not the only one looking to purloin priceless prizes at “The Mansion of the Cursed Bride”, and even if he gets past the traps and travails of the castle itself, there’s his rival in crime, a mafia matriarch named Mama, for the haunting, is it just a trick played by the manager or is there a bonafide apparition within the castle walls? When Lupin is determined, the competition won’t have a ghost of a chance! read more

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Batman & Robin Eternal #14 Review

Well, they’d both qualify for Yellow Lantern rings…

Scarecrow’s new gas, a lass holds a lass, Cass kicks robot ass, and one giant blast are all featured in this fourteenth installment of DC’s weekly Batman annal. In this issue, it’s a race to avoid being blown up in Mother’s nursery or killed by her robot minions. It doesn’t help that David Cain, ever loyal even in the face of death, is trying to slow Dick and the others down when they want to escape. But we also get more of that pursuit of Scarecrow by the Dynamic Duo, and discover that Batman enlisted his hooded rogue in his fight with Mother. read more