Fire Force Season 2 Hit T.V. and streaming Services in July 2020

 

                 Fire Force Promo Poster 

Fire Force Season 2 release date

Amazing how even in these trying time there are those who persevere. Although I do hope the Fire Force team at David Productions is taking precautions to not get sick. Especially since Fire Force season 2 is slated to premiere on July 3 this year.

This is kind of expected since two trailers dropped three weeks ago. Though personally I was expecting the release to be around September. Especially since making cartoons takes a long time.

        I don't know who she is, but I'm looking forward to learn about her.

The new girl...

Fire Force Plot

Fire Force takes place in a world where pyrokenetics battle combusted zombies and demons called "Infernals." The pyrokenetics who do this professionally are known as "The Fire Force." The story proper takes place with the pyrokenetic boy Shinra who joins the Fire Force company eight to uncover the true killer of his mother and brother. Along the way, Shinra encounters a group of extremists called "The Evangelists." And it is in this group that Shinra found his brother Sho, and renews his vow to protect him.

                  Can't wait to see the context for this scene.

                       Shinra charging into battle.

Expectations for Fire Force Season 2

From what I can gather from the trailers season 2 looks to be a race between The Evangelists and Shinra and the Fire Force companies 5 and 8 to acquire all those with Adolla Bursts(apparently pyrokenetic abilities with nuke level potential) and a pillar.

The Evangelists want to destroy the world, the Fire Force are trying to save it.

My expectations are simple. The fights being interesting is a no-brainer, but I'm expecting to see the group dynamic to grow due to this situation. Like maybe Shinra could develop a strong master/subordinate relationship with Obi, or a sibling level relationship with Maki and Iris. And I'm expecting Shinra and Arthur's rivalry to develop in a way similar to Goku and Vegeta's rivalry. Meaning that Shinra and Arthur strengthen each other in their own toxic way.

And lastly I'm expecting an interesting set of antagonists in the Evangelists. Basically each member stands out not only in powers, but personalities too. Because as someone who's writing a group of religious extremists as antagonists in his own work, while they have a common goal, each member has their own reason for joining. I expect this to reflect in the personalities of the Evangelists members. I'm also expecting to learn how Sho was indoctrinated into this cult, but it won't surprise if we get a third season and such a plot thread is revealed then.

                This is like a comic-book cover. The context fits what you'll see in the book, but the exact scene                     won't exist in the book.

                    Fire Force Promo Poster

Conclusion...

In conclusion I'm excited that Fire Force Season 2, and look forward to it in July. If at all possible I'll probably see the first episode on Independence Day. I'm hoping too that season 2 might be better than the first season. Though that might be asking to improve on perfection.

Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia Season 1 Review

 

                 Boku No Hero Academia Season 1 Review

Yes, I'm back in addressing My Hero Academia again, but this time it's a review of the complete first season. I've had the pleasure of finishing it, fall of 2016, and enjoyed it, but I'll get into that in the actual review.

           Look at hm, he was so hopeful back then.

              Introducing Izuku Midoriya

The Summary

Let's start with the summary. My Hero Academia or "Boku No Hero Academia" is a story about a boy named Izuku Midoriya who aspires to be a hero, but he was born without superpowers. All of that changed when he finally got to meet his hero All Might. After Midoriya rescued his bully Katsuki Bakugo from a slime powered villain, All Might deemed Midoriya worthy of his quirk, and proceeded to train him. After Midoriya's training, he attended U.A. and got in after acquiring Sixty Rescue point from rescuing his future classmate Ochako Uraraka. From there during practice rescue routine, Izuku's class are attacked by a league of villains, before All Might comes in and saves the day.

The most important characters in the story.

The Main character trio

How I felt about the first five episodes

Let's start with a brief overview of episodes one through five, as I enjoyed them. The first episode while I felt was heavy handed with the plight of the protagonist Izuku Midoriya, I enjoyed how the heroes are established and how they worked with the world around them. The second episode, I like how we had to learn more about All Might as a character. I liked how Midoriya had to train to receive One For All in Episode 3. I especially enjoyed how after acquiring One-For-All, Midoriya didn't have full mastery of it by the later episodes, even in the season 1 finale. Episode 4 I enjoyed showcased the variety of quirks from the future UA students, and again the showcasing of Deku's lack of control. I also enjoyed how he leaped into action to save Uraraka. Personal nitpick was Izuku's lack on confidence irked me, but I get it as getting superpowers is not an immediate confidence boost. Episode 5 had Midoriya, and students test the limits of their quirks, as Midoriya surpasses Bakugo in the throwing test, but fail the rests. And it turned out Aizawa decided to not expel any of the under performing students...

              For a kid that's meant to be unremarkable they seem really happy to see him.

               Midoriya meets his class

Thoughts on the latter eight episodes...

Episode 6 placed the students in teams of two and pit them against each in a practice mission. I enjoyed the set up of Bakugo and Midoriya's fight as we got to see some more of Bakugo's layers of why he resents Midoriya.

Episode 7 continued where the previous episode left off, as Bakugo and Midoriya engaged each other. I enjoyed Midoriya's efforts to hold his own against Bakugo, but the stand out for me was Iida pretending to be a villain as he hammed it up. I also thought Ochako was cute too even if her batting he debris at the missile was reckless.

Episode 8 acted as the aftermath for Bakugo and Midoriya's match. As the two watched the rest of the matches, as Bakugo's ego was chipped away at the other quirks and Momo's criticisms of his actions. Not even All Might's kind words could lift Bakugo's spirits. Thinking back, Bakugo was he real focus of this episode. If he had not earned my ire from the first episode, I would have looked forward to seeing how he'd overcome his shortcomings.

Episode 9 saw Midoriya being chosen to be class rep. Midoriya insisted Iida be class rep. Iida earned by calming down panicked students during a false alarm. The episode ends with Shigaraki attacks Midoriya and the UA students during a rescue exercise. Shigaraki's intent being to kill All-Might. I enjoyed Iida's sense responsibility and charisma. I also enjoyed the sense of suspense and dread when the villains showed up.

Episode 10 had the villain scattered as they fought the UA students in different environments in the course. During this Asui, Mineta, and the other students to showcase their skills. During this chaos Iida was tasked to get help from Pro Heroes. I enjoyed Asui's capabilities, as well as how the other students held their own against the villains. Admittedly I didn't like how nonthreatening the villains were but that was the idea...

Episode 11 saw Iida succeeding in calling for help, as Aizawa joined the fray and managed to turn the tides. This is until Shigaraki summoned Nomu that dominated Aizawa, before All-Might saved him. Seizing the opportunity, Shigaraki sicked Nomu on All-Might. I sadly liked all the heroic cliche at play in his episode of the big hero making the save from overwhelming odds. Mainly because My Hero Academia gave us reason to care about these characters, so All-Might showed up it was an uplifting relief.

Episode 12 had All-Might fight Nomu, as Nomu absorbs his attacks. When All-Might is pushed to his limits, All-Might ejected Nomu from the facility. I liked the threat Nomu posed, I liked how it'd take more than Nomu's capabilities to take down All-Might.

Episde 13 Agitated, Shigaraki attacked All-Might, before he warded off by the pro-heroes that answered Iida's call. Outnumbered and outmatched, Shigaraki retreated, as the heroes and students licked their wounds and regrouped. However, while the day maybe won, Shigaraki met up with his master to discuss future plans to defeat All-Might. I liked how this was all the cal before the storm. You got to relax and enjoy the reprieve, before learning that another scheme was afoot, adding hype for season 2.

        How do you beat your bully? With a judeo flip of course.

          Bakugo vs. Midoriya

The Negatives...

I feel the negatives are subjective, but regardless, they are the follows:"The pacing is slow, and may drag for some. Midoriya is lacking in terms of interesting traits. And some may see this series as lacking in depth."
I personally disagree with these, but that's what makes them subjective.

My negatives are as follows:"I felt that Mioriya's origin of being a quirkless toddler was a tad heavy-handed. But that's because I've seen this origin several times. I would've liked to get a stronger impression of Class 1-A given their importance later, but that's me projecting an opinion based on what I've seen from others.

      Midoriya's first day at school and already has made two friends.

Midoriya and friends...

The Positives...

The positives for me start with the cast. I think Midoriya, Bakugo, Ochako, and Asui are interesting characters along with the rest of class 1-A. I also enjoyed the action and how sparse it was. But that's due to the fact that this a Marvel/DC Comics story with Japanese battle shonen elements, which helps set it apart from the crowd. That being said I like how All-Might is a blend of Superman and Captain America, and how underneath that heroic image lies a regular guy.

Also the season left on a cliff hanger that left me excited for more which was nice.

      These characters might be second fiddle, but fans love them.

Some of the secondary cast.

Conclusion

Honestly while some shonen fans and comic book fans may like this, because of the fact that My Hero Academa/Boku No Hero Academia isn't for everyone.

But me personally, while it had a bumpy start, I enjoyed My Hero Academia Season 1, and was looking forward to season 2 after season's conclusion. As a result, it gets an A- from me.

           My Hero Academia Season 1 English dub trailer.

WWE's 2018 Summerslam Was Decent, Yet Disappointing All the Same

 

         2018 Summerslam poster. Kudos to the artist, because this looks nice.

Premise...

Admittedly Summerslam was better than I expected. I didn't know what the card was going into it, except for Lesnar vs. Reigns, and that had me expecting the absolute worst from the show over all. And yet it was better than I expected, but had a disappointing finish and moments... But let's get into it with the assessments.

    I get the finish, I just think the B Team deserved better.

I didn't like the finish, but I think Lana's improved

A good match with a neat finish

Pre-Show Matches...

We "kicked off" with Rusev and Lana vs. Cien Almas and Zelina Vega in a "mixed tag team match."

We started off with Rusev vs. Almas, as Almas literally gave Rusev the run around. This quickly ended up with Almas on the offensive, which turned into Rusev reversing matters. That reversal didn't last long, as Almas took his advantage back, and wore down Rusev. Rusev after a managed to make the tag to Lana, it was her turn to go on the offensive against Vega. Lana overwhelmed Vega, and it looked like she had this match. But Vega turned around and beat Lana with a roll up, planting her legs on the ropes for added support...While the ref...Wasn't...Looking...

Anyways next was Drew Gulak Vs. Cedric Alexander. for the Cruiserweight Championship It started out with with Cedric having the advantage, but Gulak turned the tides after some underhanded tactics. As a result Gulak dominated the match, and wore Alexander down, before Alexander turned the tables. From there Alexander overwhelmed Gulak with some quick and high flying offense that crashed the two outside of the ring. Gulak managed to take his lead back, but Alexander fought desperately enough to where it didn't last long. The turned into a trade off of holds, slams, and leaps that ended with Alexander pinning Gulak and becoming the New Cruiserweight champion.

Then came The B-Team vs. The Revival, and what an odd match this was. The B-Team were the underdogs in this match,. and given how they were the former entourage of the Miz, that's understandable, but I digress. Dawson and Wilder dominated a majority of the match by continuous tags, working over Bo Dallas' leg, and keeping Curtis Axel at bay. This didn't last long however, as Bo managed to tag Axel, who proceeded to run wild on Revival. From there, Dash, and Wilder tried to regain their advantage, but that ended in Axel pinning Wilder, after Wilder's pin to Axel was reversed by Bo Dallas falling over him. As a result the B-Team retained the tag titles.

And that ended the kick off show as far as matches go, as it was a decent opener with some entertaining moments.

I really love this paint job for this demon persona.

I like their masks in this entrance, especially Harper's mask.

This was a neat match, and am glad that Rollins won.

Main Card Match Assessment

The main card started with Seth Rollins Vs. Dolph Ziggler for Intercontinental Title. Standing guard in each corner of course were Dean Ambrose to watch out for Seth, and Drew Mcyntire to watch out for Dolph Ziggler. The match got under way with Rollins and Ziggler matching each other for a bit, before Ziggler got overwhelmed, and had to retreat once or twice. Drew would try to interfere, but was intercepted by Dean. Drew eventually managed to interfere, but it backfired, and cost Ziggler the title with a roll up. Thus Rollins was once again the Intercontinental champion.

Next was The New Day(Big E. and Xavier Woods) vs. The Bludgeon Brothers for the SmackDown Tag Titles. The match started with Xavier and Rowan, before Xavier found himself being overwhelmed by Harper and Rowan. Xavier managed to tag in Big E., who ran wild on Harper and Rowan, who tried to overpower him. They managed to subdue Big E., before Xavier came to his aid. New Day made a push back against The Bludgeon Brothers leading to a moment of desperation that caused Rowan to bludgeon Xavier with a hammer, disqualifying the Bludgeon Brothers. Rowan then struck Big E., before Harper struck Big E. with Rowan's hammer. The Bludgeon Brothers however retained their titles.

Braun Strowman vs. K.O. for the Money In The Bank Brief Case. The stipulation was if Braun loses via pin, count out, submission, or disqualification, he lost the Money In The Bank Brief Case. That didn't happen, as Braun knocked Kevin out of the ring, slammed him onto the ramp, and announce table. This was all it took to wear Owens down enough for Strowman to win the match and walk away the victor.

What followed was the triple threat SmackDown Women's Championship match.This was decent, despite some minor irritating aspects. Realizing she had no chance against Becky and Charlotte, she decided to turn them against each other. This proved fruitless, as individually they proved too much for Carmella. Carmella struggled and strained against Charlotte and Becky, who overwhelmed her, and occasionally tussled with each other. Becky nearly had the match won with an arm bar, but she was blind sided by a Charlotte's "Natural Selection," which allowed Charlotte to claim the SmackDown Women's Title. And you think all would end well with Becky seemingly being a good sport, but she turned on Charlotte cementing a heel turn.

What followed was Aj Styles vs Samoa Joe for the WWE Championship. After some taunting from Samoa Joe, Aj Styles was out for blood, as he overwhelmed Joe, who tried to fight back. Joe managed to turn the tides after slamming Aj Styles against the announce table. Styles fought hard to get his advantage back, and it lasted for a good while, as despite getting in some good offense, Joe was still outmatched. Joe managed to get his advantage back after a leg drop from the top rope, but try as he might, Styles refused to stay down. The match turned into a slugfest, as Styles and Joe matched each other in strikes, slams, and holds. Joe managed to break this pattern by kicking Styles from the top rope, and throwing him into the steel step, before taunting Styles' family once more. This sent Styles in a rage, as he struck Samoa Joe several types with a chair, ending the match in a disqualification, as Styles retained the title despite this.

Next was a comedy segment with Elias... At least I think that's what it was... Because after a long monologue about how great he was, and how Brooklyn sucked, Elias began to play his guitar, before it literally snapped in half. Enraged, Elias threw his guitar, before storming off the stage.

Next was The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan, which was decent over all. Miz used Bryan's own moves against,, and a figure four leg lock. Try as he might though, Miz couldn't put Bryan down. Bryan furiously withstood Miz's attacks, and retaliated against the Miz. As Bryan showed Miz how do the surf board hold, the "yes kicks," and reversed the figure four, Miz was overwhelmed. Maryse handed the Miz an item after he scurried out of the ring, before Miz thwarted a dive from Bryan by punching Bryan in the face, and pinning him for the win.

Next was Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin. And was more of a squash, as Balor emerged with his "Demon King" persona, and thrashed Corbin with a sling blade, drop-kick, clothes-line, and running dive. And Balor ended matters with a coup de grace, cemented Corbin's tour in Hell for a total of ninety seconds.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jeff Hardy for the U.S. Title. This match was longer than expected, as the Jeff Hardy held his own against Nakamura. Jeff's offense included a twist of fate and swanton bomb, among a few punches and kicks. Nakamura retaliated with his own attacks, and tried to strike Jeff's nuts about once or twice. After a swanton bomb outside of the ring, Nakamura threw Jeff back in the ring, and took Hardy out with an axe kick, and a kinshaza to retain the U.S. Title. Then Orton came out, before turning about and leaving again...

What followed was Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss for the RAW women's title... Alexa ran from Ronda, before Ronda gave her an opportunity to choke her. Ronda sat patiently, before Alexa locked her in a rear choke. Ronda judo flipped Alexa, and locked her in an arm bar to win the RAW Women's title.

And finally it was time for Reigns vs. Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Before the match started, Braun Strowman emerged, and said that he was gonna cash in face to face. And instead of a triple threat, Strowman said whoever won, is the person he'd face. After a short skirmish, Lesnar dodged a spear Reigns, causing Reigns to crash into Strowman. Lesnar then F5'ed Strowman, before Strowman retaliated, and got beaten down by Lesnar with a chair for his troubles. Lesnar made his way to the ring, before he got speared by Reigns, and lost the universal title to Reigns.

The. Worst. Match. Of. The. NIGHT!!!

The Conclusion...

Like the title suggest, SummerSlam was a decent Pay-Per-View, yet disappointing. What made it decent were the matches of Drew Gulak vs. Cedric Alexander, New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers, Aj Styles vs. Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz, and oddly enough, Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin. What I loved about these matches had good in ring psychology, story, and conclusions. I loved Gulak's underhanded tactics against Alexander, but how it didn't prevail with Alexander turning the tables. I like how New Day overwhelmed the Bludgeon Brothers, causing them to cheat and leading to a DQ finish. I liked how much of a smug slime ball Samoa Joe was, leading him to get beaten by an enraged AJ Styles. Balor squashed Corbin, sure but I loved how Corbin got throttled because he wasn't ready for Balor's "Demon King" persona.

I loved Elias' segment, and it made me giggle. I'm a sucker for anything that can make me laugh.

What I didn't like the finish of the SmackDown Women's Triple Threat. I hated that Charlotte won. I so hoped this was gonna be Becky's night, but they gave Charlotte the title again... I hated how Becky turned heel, while instead of Becky cheating out of desperation of wanting to win, she turned on Charlotte after the match, which felt predictable and lame.

I liked Ronda's sense of patience during her match with Alexa, but what I hated was how easily Ronda won. I expected Alexa to give Ronda more of a run around, and try some underhanded tactics to try and get over on Ronda, before Ronda overpowers her, and wins. But instead it was a simple match that ended with an arm bar.

Nakamura and Hardy tried to have a good match, but I wasn't feeling it. I liked that it was longer, and well choreographed but I wasn't feeling it.

And lastly, I HATED Reigns vs. Lesnar. I don't ask for much, as I just want to see two big men slug it out like brutes. And Strowman could've made it a triple threat. But no, Lesnar put Strowman out of commission, and lost with relative ease to Reigns. I mean yeah Lesnar and Reigns was over done, but that doesn't excuse the lack of choreography or energy.

And that's how this show was decent, yet disappointing. It had some decent matches, and some bad ones, and a disappointing finish to Pay-Per-View Main Event.

Thor: Ragnarok Review...

             Thor Ragnarok Poster

Introduction...

So I saw Thor Ragnarok Sunday November 12th, and of the Thor films, this one was the most enjoyable. Although there were some negatives to be had, albeit some of those negatives came from the promotion of this film rather than the film itself, but I'll get into that when it comes to my pros and cons of the film, but for now let's start things off with the summary.

                                                                              

                   Thor is excited to see Hulk

Our film starts with Thor chained in front of Surtr, who monologues about bringing Ragnarok to Asgard. Thor beats Surtr of course, before he takes Surtr's crown back to the vault. After arriving at Asgard, Thor sees Odin watching a play paying honor to Loki's sacrifice in Dark World. Thor reveals Odin to be Loki since Surtur mentioned that Odin is not on Asgard, before they head to Earth to find Odin. After Dr. Strange teleports them to Odin's location, before Odin warns Thor and Loki about their elder sister, The Goddess Of Death, Hela who draws her power from Asgard. Odin dies and Hela shows up, destroys Thor's hammer as he tries to hit her with it, before Thor and Loki flee on the Bifrost with Hela in pursuit. Hela disposes of Loki before Thor managed to escaped from Hela's grasp. From there, Thor landed on planet Sakaar, before he's taken to The GrandMaster by a female bounty hunter. From there, after meeting up with Loki, Thor engaged in a gladiatorial match with Hulk. During this battle, Thor is being pummeled by Hulk, before he gets a shonen style power up, as his true power awakens and he over powers the Hulk. After the Grandmaster incapacitates him, Thor awakens in a guest chamber with the Hulk. The two have an argument before the bounty hunter visits them, and Thor learns that she is a valkyrie, before she turns down helping him save Asgard from Hela. From there, Thor, Valkyrie, Loki, and Banner escape Sakaar, and made their way back to Asgard. From there they do battle with Hela and her undead army. As Hela grows stronger, Loki revives Surtr, who then destroys Asgard, and from there they flew of into space with all the Asgardians.

Now with that established on to the pros and cons.

    Behold one of the most awesome things to be put on screen, only to never be seen again.

Crap, daughter's home, RUUUUUUUN!!!!

The pros are the balance of comedy and drama, and characterization. Each character was a stand out, which was good, because to have only Loki and Thor be standout would've been dull. I enjoyed Valkyrie's simple character arc of going from a lush running from her past to facing it and helping Thor and crew defeat Hela. I enjoyed Skurge, Dr. Strange's cameo appearance, and the fact that Hulk got some characterization. A lot of average movie goers may not know that Hulk actually has his own personality, as he's like a big kid. I enjoyed Hulk and Thor's friendship conveyed in the film. I enjoyed Kate Blanchette as Hela, as I felt she held great presence and personality. Hela was imposing, yet not too vicious that she couldn't have any light hearted moments. I also like the use of the Chekov's Gun of Surtr monologuing about how he'll destroy Asgard only for him to do it, if only so they could beat Hela.

But then the Cons... I hated how easily Hela killed off the Warriors Three by impaling them, as I would've enjoyed for them to put up more of a fight. I wish Hulk had worn his Sakaar battle armor in the climatic fight at the end of the film. I also wish Hulk did more during the climax, as it would've been nice to see him fight Surtr, but oh well. Another con I have wasn't the fault of the film, but I felt underwhelmed when Hela destroyed Thor's hammer because they gave it away in a trailer. I didn't like the execution of Skurge's character arc, as it wasn't executed well. He sulked every time he was on screen. I wished Korg and Miek did more during the conflict too, but I can understand, time and budget constraints. I wish Dr. Strange took part in the climax, and did more than just a cameo appearance. And then there was Korg's line as they watched Asgard get destroyed. It just felt gratuitous as a gag line for a tragic moment.

Admittedly I'm torn on the ending of the film, as a part of me doesn't like that Asgard had to get destroyed. However again it was a Chekov's Gun and added purpose to the title of the film.

    This is so battle shonen anime in execution, and I love it! :D

    REVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

Bottom line I enjoyed the balanced tone of this film and how fun it was. I enjoyed Thor battle shone power up and how imposing Hela was. I'm bummed that Hela was a one time villain as a result since she carried such a great presence. Though I feel the tone might be problematic for some viewers.

As a result I'd give Thor Ragnarok a 9.0 out of 10.

Microsoft's E3 Conference of 2018

                       Microsoft's E3 2018 Xbox poster

So yeah... Microsoft....

Microsoft's conference was better than EA's conference. But while there were games showcased that I did get excited about, it wasn't enough for me to agree that Microsoft "won E3 this year!" I'll cover that after the assessment.

  No other details beyond this.

Our conference with a cinematic trailer filled with wildlife and beautiful nature based environment. All before we see Master Chief holding his helmet, snd the title to be revealed as "Halo:Infinite."

What follows is a trailer for Ori And The Will Of The Wisp, as Ori seems to have befriended an owl hatching. And we get some gameplay footage that showed off Ori's Metroidvania style platforming, and some new enemies. But I thought the came was released already, as I learned that it's slated for a 2019 release date.

Next was a game seemed to be set in a cyberpunk feudal japan, and being made by "Software" who developed Dark Souls, it's gameplay displayed similarities to Dark Souls. I'm more intrigued by the cyberpunk feudal Japanese aesthetics and am curious in how they'll be implemented in the game. It's called Sekiro:Shadows Die Twice, as I'm curious in how that title fits with the game.

Next was a first look at Fallout 76... Which I learned why it was called "Fallout 76," as the trailer opened with a monologue about the completion of "Vault 76." From there we get the main character walking through some rather colorful scenery, which is weird given the fifty shades of brown from past Fallout games. But I digress, as the story seems to revolve around restoring America after the fallout from the very first game. And if that's true then this has probably been a long time coming for Fallout fans.

Next is a side story from DontNod set in the Life Is Strange universe about a kid with a huge imagination. A story of a boy who pretends to be a superhero and plays with action figures. No doubt it has something to do with him acquiring actual powers, maybe. It's called "The Awesome Adventures Of Captain Spirit." I'm interested, as this is something reminiscent of my own childhood, which is nice to se every now and then.

Next was Crackdown 3, which much like Ori And The Will Of The Wisp, I thought had already come out, but apparently not. I enjoyed the vibrant colored futuristic weapons and transforming vehicles. Despite having Saints Row IV vibes I'm still looking to play this game, as it's slated for February

What followed was Neir Automata: Become As Gods Edition, which will include the following DLC: Base NieR:Automata game ($59.99 value), The 3C3C1D119440927 expansion DLC ($13.99 value), Grimoire Weiss Pod, Retro Red Pod Skin, Retro Grey Pod Skin, Cardboard Pod Skin, and The Machine Lifeform Mask Accessory. Honestly if it's all just cosmetic DLC, I'mma stick to just getting regular Nier Automata, as I still have not played it. It's slated to come out June 26 of this year.

What followed was Metro Exodus, which is another game I thought was already released. It seems to be a slavic civil war, probably Russian, as given the speech in the trailer it's a religious cult vs. technological society. We got some gameplay footage added too as you'll battle, mutants, monsters, and a dragon from the looks of it. Despite my questions I'm sold on that prospect.

Next was Kingdom Hearts 3, surprisingly enough. While it does me good to see Xbox owners won't have to get a PS4 to play this, I was more interested in what was displayed... Sora and crew will got to the worlds of Frozen, Wreck It Ralph, Toy Story(Which was shown off last year, if I remember correctly), and Tangled. And apparently Organization XIII's still around, as I could've sworn they were eighty six'd in the events of Chain Of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2. And Aqua's alive? I seriously NEED to play Birth By Sleep. Regardless, again it's good to see Xbox owners will get a port for this, and it sells on that console too.

Next is Sea Of Thieves trailer... I was unaware there was a new season, or expansion, as I didn't know it did well enough to warrant such a thing.(Seriously I live under a rock...) What awaits players seems to be a set up for fending off a sort of apocalypse, or seeking to prevent it. Sounds like fun, but I'mma look into the first Sea Of Thieves for continuity's sake. And it's two installments:"Cursed Sails," and "Forsaken Shores." Must be currently in development because no release date was announced.

Next was BattleField V, as it was a short Cinematic trailer. Don't know why they didn't want to show off more since it's a different conference and audience, but okay, fine.

Next was Forza...At there were a variety of environments, trucks, off-roaders, an a variety of cars, and apparently hover cars. It also has climate changes offer changes in terrain. Seems interesting...

And there's been the creation of a new game development studio for Microsoft called "The Initiative." They'll also being adding "Undead Labs" and "PlayGround Games" to Microsoft Studios. I guess with PlayGround being with Microsoft all future Forza sequels and other projects will be Xbox and PC exclusives... Bummer... And apparently Ninja Theory will be added to Microsoft studios too, which means all of THEIR future titles will be Xbox and PC exclusives. Now I'm bummed out.

What followed that news however lifted up my spirits in a sick sort of way. The story trailer for "We Happy Few," which I forgot about, despite seeing it last year. The trailer starts out with a guy trying to persuade a woman to remove a white mask that keeps her smiling. She refuses, as she feels it keeps her feeling happy. From there we go from a town living in bliss with the white masks to a devolution of chaotic scenes of people going nuts and society unraveling. Color me intrigued...

Next was a trailer for player Unknown's "BattleGrounds" as It showed off some new environments and outfits like environments and outfits from the old west, a pick up truck, and such. This update will emerge this winter.

What followed was Tales Of Vesperia, which I still have yet to get a hold of. It's a Definitive Edition slated to be released Winter 2018 as well. It was a trailer filled with animated cut scenes and gameplay footage, as I somehow forgot the Tales games were action RPGs. But aside from that, I'm torn between getting the original, or waiting until winter for the Definitive Edition, or maybe get both.

Next came a cinematic trailer for The Division 2. And before I wrote it off as a teaser, we did get some gameplay footage, as they've seemed to have kept many elements from the last game. Stuff like weapon and item selection display, which is nice, as the developers wanted to keep it simple and familiar. And not having played the first Division, from what this trailer showed off, there will be more environments outside of New York. Maybe, we'll have to see.

An indie game montage later, we get a trailer of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, and it'd be redundant to say "it felt like the action movie trailer." And well, I get this trilogy of games is a reboot is an origin story for Lara, but her unleashing an ancient evil feels off to me. Still despite not being much of a fan of this franchise, the execution and outcome should be interesting.

Next was a trailer for a skateboarding game called "Session," and I for a minute thought I traveled back in time to the 90s and early 2000s. It didn't much, just skateboarders doing simple tricks and grinds. Sadly wasn't enough to catch my interest, despite growing up with Tony Hawk's "Pro Skater" games...

What followed that was a trailer for another story line in the MMORPG, Black Desert. This felt like a tease since I haven't gotten around to playing it. The gameplay looked nice with its showcasing of magic and close quarter combat against monsters. And from what I've gauged players will go on quests to other realms, or environments, and seek out McGuffins like "The Black Stone." Should be fun...

Next up was surprisingly a trailer for Devil May Cry 5. Now while this isn't the first Devil May Cry to be ported to Xbox,(we won't speak of that OTHER ONE) I'm glad Capcom and Platinum Games have decided to continue this aspect as PlayStation owners like me won't be the only ones to enjoy the thrills of Devil May Cry. But what about the trailer itself? Well Nero's returned, which I'm happy with, because I want that mystery of his implied relations to Vergil solved, dagnabbit! I hate how fans were left hanging for that OTHER ONE!(Which again, we will not speak of...) But I digress, his haircut feeling reminiscent of the Main Character from Scalebound almost feels like an apology for Scalebound being canceled. Though I think that's my bitterness talking, but I'm looking for to Nero's new abilities, as he seems to have aged and acquired new companions. I eagerly await to see how Nero's grown in his abilities and to see what Dante's shenanigans are gonna be in this game. Especially he seems to have a rad new bike.

And Cuphead's getting some DLC, didn't know it made that much money. I'm happy that it made that much money. But anyway, what the DLC? Well a new playable character with the Legendary Chalice as "Ms. Chalice," along with new islands, bosses, weapons, Charms, and "The Jolly Chef Salt Baker." This DLC is called "CupHead in The Delicious Last Course." And of course it's coming in 2019...

Next was the trailer for "Tunic," as I had seen the trailer pop up on my Youtube feed, but didn't want to watch it since it debuted at E3, and I wanted to see it at one of the conferences. It looks similar to Legend of Zelda, except with a sword wielding anthropomorphic fox. Which I'm 100% cool with. Can't wait to hear more about this ame in the coming months.

Next was Jump Force, yet another game I saw a trailer in a youtube feed, but avoid it for the same reasons I avoided the Tunic trailer. Gotta say as a fan of Shueisha's "Shonen Jump" magazine and several publications like DragonBall, Naruto, One-Piece, Bleach, HunterxHunter(which I'm hoping will show up in this game) I'm excited as all Hell for this. The trailer looked neat in terms of cinematic and combat, and apparently Light Yagami and Ryuk will be in this. Don't get how that'll work, but sure why not. And I wonder what hokey reason they'll have to justify these universes merging. Should be fun.

Next was Dying Light 2, didn't show much but a post-apocalyptic environment. But when one of the developers took the stage to explain the game, I got Mirror's Edge vibes from the First Person PoV parkour gameplay shown on the screen behind him. It might be more interesting than I give it credit for, but I'll wait and see.

Next was BattleToads, yet another trailer I saw pop on my youtube feed, but avoided for reasons that you can already discern by this point. But I assumed it was going to be an HD rerelease of the original game. And while an HD rerelease might be available soon(if not already thanks to that Rare arcade DLC pack they announced I think in 2016), this is a new BattleToads game, slated for 2019.(no surprise there...) I'm guessing the demand from the cult following was loud enough to warrant it. And as a casual Battle Toads fan, I'm kind of looking forward to this. It'll contain body morphing mashups, three player co-op(which is a step up from the last game I think) and of course 2.5 Graphics. Not to mention more "broad non-specific feature declarations!(Hey their words, not mine!) Still has me excited for the game, though this'll be a first BattleToads game... Can't wait.

Next was Just Cause 4, which I assumed was a PlayStation exclusive, but I was wrong. You'll apparently be taking on a private army this time. When and where, the trailer doesn't say. But given the outrageous and explosive nature of the trailer, it's a wonder why I haven't played these Just Cause games yet...

And what came next must've pissed off Gears Of War fans something fierce, or so I assumed. Given what I saw on Youtube, fans seem to like the idea of Gears Pop. Gears Pop is a Funko Pop styled mobile Gears Of War game. But not only that, but announced a prequel to the first Gears Of War, Gears:Tactics which is a PC exclusive strategy game, and then finally the unveiling of Gears Of War 5... The fifty shades of brown aesthetics never appealed to me about the series. But it's a war between mankind and aliens, so I might give it a shot, snd Gears 5 seems to have more varied colors to it. The trailer is a dramatic exploit of a girl seeking revenge for a fallen comrade, or friend, it's not clear.

And finally aside from announcing a new Xboxconsole in development, we got a trailer for CyberPunk 2077. Which is a cyberpunk crime thriller judging by the trailer... I'm intrigued, and looking forward to learning more towards the game's release.

         Ori And The Will of The Wisps poster

    The Battle Toads are back and in a new game too.

In Conclusion...

In conclusion, I can see why many on youtube are saying Microsoft "won" this year's E3, as it showed many premieres people were looking forward to like BattleToads, Devil May Cry 5, Gears 5, CrackDown 3, Halo, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Ori And The Will of The Wisp.

However for me, while I got excited for Devil May Cry 5, CupHead, and Kingdom Hearts 3, I'm weary of Microsoft coming off as desperate with the "GAMES! WE HAVE GAMES! DO YOU LIKE GAMES?! WE LIKE GAMES! WE HAVE GAMES TOO! PLEASE BUY OUR CONSOLE!?!" vibe, as I don't think it's necessary. I'm not fond of the idea of Playground Games and Ninja Theory being acquired by Microsoft, because I don't like the idea of their future titles been Microsoft exclusives. I'm a cheap son of a gun, and I don't like spending more money than necessary on games, hence why I tend to go for multi-platformed titles.

All and all it was a decent conference, and I hope the rest are just as good if not better.

 

Wolf Children Review

            Wolf Children Blu-Ray collector's edition Box Art

Introduction...

I've seen how cute this film is, but I had yet to learn how beautiful this film was animation wise.... Plot wise? Well I've been on some crazy emotional rollercoasters, and I'm adding this one to the list. Because man, it gets nuts! It's a good character driven film, and it's loaded with a lot of emotional moments. But let' get into that...

               Hana in a flower field.

              

              Hana and Okami

           Man, these kids put her through a lot... Hana spots Yuki climbing the clothes drawer.

The Summary....

The story is narrated by Yuki, a "wolf girl" who tells the thirteen years of her mother, Hana, raising Yuki and her younger brother Ame. It starts with Hana meeting Yuki's father commonly dubbed "Okami,"(which means "wolf" in Japanese) in college. After they got acquainted, "Okami," who was introduced as a man, revealed that he could transform into a wolf. Afterwards, Hana and "Okami" marry, before they begot Yuki and Ame. From there after "Okami" dies, Hana takes her children to the country side so they can grow up without society's scrutiny from being "half wolf." And from there, the story plays out like out your just watching characters go through life. Granted there are time skip transitions, but these transitions are seamless, as it relies on the characters going through life, not "because the plot demanded it." Hana becomes a farmer, as we watch her learn how to farm, while Yuki and Ame grow up in different ways. Yuki goes from an aggressive and extroverted girl to embracing her humanity, and becoming somewhat more reserved. Ame goes from a codependent little brother to embracing his wolf side. And Hana...? She tries her darnedest to raise two children who's lineage she knew nothing about. She watches over them, looks after them, works to provide for them, and tries to raise them in a way that the world will accept them. Her efforts pay off as she allows her children to also grow into their own, but man does she go through a lot. Though I'll save my praises for the second segment of this review. But this film ends with Yuki embracing her humanity and Ame ends up embracing his side, while Han accepts the choices her children have made.

I'm sorry to those who are allergic to adorableness.

Yuki in wolf form with Ame reaching out in curiosity

     Oh dear God, I regret finding this image as it's loaded with cuteness and feels! Dx A collage of screen shots from Wolf Children

    Your eyes aren't deceiving you, that's a fox...teaching a wolf...how to survive in the wild... Indeed, "what does the fox say?"

Ame with his "sensei" in the wild.

    Wait, does this count as a spoiler...?

A teenage Yuki(on the left) with her mother Hana(on the right)

The Positives And Negatives

The Negatives for me are minor, as I found every little to dislike and overall it's inconsequential. But I didn't like the exposition about "Okami's" life prior to meeting Hana. It would've been nice to see his past through animation, especially since the rest of this film's story is told through the animation and character interactions. But my point is Okami's scream time isn't fleshed out in a way that would make his passing tragic for most viewers. Although given that most people follow stories through exposition that might be more effective for some people. Another problem was Yuki's exposition during the early years of Hana raising Yuki and Ame. The scene I'm referring to is when Yuki mentions how demanding of Hana's time Ame was. we don't see her breast feeding him, or how she handled him when he refused to be fed. It's all exposited to us, which strengthened my fear that this entire film would be exposited instead of shown through animation. And after Shamylan's take on The Last Airbender, I didn't want to see an animated film given entirely through exposition...

The positives far outweigh the negatives for me. For starters given the exposition of Okami's life, I thought this film would be narrated instead of letting animation tell the story... Oh boy, was I wrong in that regard, as the majority of this film's story is told through animation. This makes the transition of Yuki and Ame aging work because you watch their interactions with their mother, Hana, along with Hana's interactions with other characters. The interactions and dialogue felt natural as opposed to needless exposition. Saying the animation was beautiful seems obvious at this point, since it had a bigger budget. But what shocked me is that Studio MadHouse, which while MadHouse is good at animation, this was some Miyazaki-level animation. The CGI backgrounds are seamlessly integrated into the film, and are breath-taking in the kinetic scenes.

And then there's Hana... Good lord is this woman a trooper. We watch her raise Yuki and Ame, learn how to plow fields, grow crops, repair her home, and receive help from the other farmers. All of this while being upbeat and optimistic, while learning how to raise children whom's lineage she doesn't know anything about through experience and interaction with those around her. And Yuki and Ame feel like real children as they transition and mature through interacting with their environments, which is how children grow and mature.

But this is how the emotional moments in this film work, because of the genuine nature of these characters, and how it's possible to relate or sympathize with them. The joyful moments feel uplifting and the sad moments feels saddening. I worried and fretted when Ame fell into a stream while catching a bird, and you especially see the stress, strain and labor of Hana's efforts in raising Yuki and Ame. I dare not mention the scenes of Yuki and Ame as children, as they're so adorable in their early years showcasing wolf and human traits. But all of this interactions with the characters culminates in development of Hana,Yuki, and Ame.

      No, I refuse to make that one joke that would've been hilarious in 2009...

      Hana and Okami

    What a splendid moment

    Hana, Yuki, and Ame farming vegetables

    He looks neat with that scarf.

   Ame atop a hill

The Conclusion...

This film is beautiful, but only in the natural structure in the narrative. It's engagement comes from watching the characters naturally grow and develop. What makes this story work is how Hana, Yuki and Ame are "every men," how they go about go through life. Yet at the same time these characters felt unique in their portrayals, especially with Yuki and Ame in the choices they made and paths in life that they took.

It's a good film, and good be a real work of art, but I only recommend it to fans of "slice-Of-life" anime or those open to trying any anime genre.