Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson revealed her personal expectations for her first solo movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She explained that, if the story hadn't impressed her, she would have been content to walk away from Marvel following Avengers: Endgame.
"I did not want it to be an origin story," Johansson told Vanity Fair. "I did not want it to be an espionage story. I didn't want it to feel superficial at all. I only wanted to do it if it actually fit where I was with that character. I had spent such a long time peeling those layers away -- I felt that unless we got to something deep, then there was no reason to make it. Because I did my job in Endgame, and actually felt satisfied with that. I would have been happy to let that be it. So there had to be a reason to do it other than just to milk something."
Johansson has played the titular character throughout her tenure in the MCU, with Black Widow making the ultimate sacrifice in Endgame. Her actions not only saved Hawkeye but also assisted the rest of the Avengers in their mission to stop Thanos.
The upcoming solo movie will be a prequel set before Endgame and is expected to take place after Captain America: Civil War, following Natasha "Black Widow" Romanoff in a story that forces her to confront her past.
Directed by Cate Shortland, Black Widow stars Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle and Rachel Weisz. The film arrives in theaters on May 1, 2020.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Titans Season 2 finale, "Nightwing," streaming now on DC Universe.
DC Universe leaned in to comic book tropes in the promo for Titans' Season 2 finale, promising, "A Titan Will Fall." This week's episode, "Nightwing," delivers on that promise, only in the most anticlimactic of ways. There were plenty of candidates for the casualty, what with Hank Hall hitting rock bottom and Rose Wilson revealing herself as Deathstroke's mole within the team. However, the Titan who falls in either of those; it's Donna Troy.
It might have been logical, from a storytelling perspective, for Donna (Conor Leslie) to be taken down in a heroic last stand against Slade Wilson (Esai Morales), to finally exact revenge for his murder of Aqualad (Drew Van Acker) five years earlier. Or perhaps she could sacrifice herself in the fight with Superboy (Joshua Orpin), rather than allow the brainwashed clone harm innocents.
But it's neither of those scenarios, as Nightwing (Brenton Thwaites) and Rose (Chelsea Zhang) confront Deathstroke, and Donna proves she can endure direct blows from the Boy of Steel. Instead, Wonder Girl falls immediately after those battles, in a freak accident that, by all evidence, she should have shrugged off.
Like Shazam! and HBO's Watchmen before it, Titans chooses a carnival for its big set piece. Well, technically, Cadmus chooses the location for a demonstration of Superboy's powers for bidders interested in having a mind-controlled superhuman powerhouse of their own. With Deathstroke (too) quickly dispatched, and Gar (Ryan Potter) deprogrammed by Rachel (Teagan Croft), that leaves only Superboy for the Titans to confront. With a bit of teamwork, the heroes succeed in freeing the Boy of Steel from Cadmus control, and then bask in the adoration of carnival-goers, who ... apparently comprehend what they witnessed.
With about 22 minutes remaining in the finale, it would appear the Titans appear to be reunited and victorious, until some sort of pylon damaged in the battle, oh-so-slowly falls, threatening to crush Dawn (Minka Kelly) as she returns a doll to a girl. Donna springs into action, and grabs the pylon before it can strike any of the onlookers. However, electricity courses through her, and she collapses, lifeless.
The Titans mourn her loss, and even deliver her body in a casket to Amazons waiting at the airport to whisk her away to Themyscira, Donna is never actually said to be dead. "They have a place for warriors like Donna, sacred grounds," Dick tells Rachel, which implies a tomb or cemetery, but may mean something else. The latter is underscored by Rachel's decision to accompany them back to the island. "If anyone can help Donna," she says, "it's me."
While Dick assures her, "We all want to bring her back," Rachel believes her growing powers may provide Donna with a chance of returning. Odds are, she's right, and we'll see Wonder Girl again in Season 3. She will still have fallen, technically; she'll just get better.
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.
Two major fighting game franchises are colliding for the first time as Netmarble announced the newest King of Fighters mobile installment, entitled The King of Fighters ALLSTAR,will feature numerous characters from Bandai Namco's Tekken 7. While the Japanese release of ALLSTAR featured crossovers with lesser-known franchises, this is the first time both 1990s franchises have come face-to-face.
From Nov. 26-Dec. 17, players can collect famousTekken characters Heihachi Mishima, Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, Armor King, Ling Xiaoyu and Paul Phoenix. There are also Tekken-themed modes of some of ALLSTAR's gameplay, like Super Mission and Prize Wheel.
New KOF Fighters are available for players to collectGeese Howard XIV (release on 11/26)Mr. Big 96, and Li Xiangfei 99 (release on 12/1)Thanksgiving Bonus Time Event (Starting on 11/28)AP spent reduced by half for Gold Dungeon (EASY, NORMAL, HARD)Obtainable Gold doubled for Gold Dungeon (EXPERT)Obtainable Affinity items doubled for Story ModeBlack Friday Promotion EventTotal 3 Black Friday celebration Packages with high bonus rates
An SNK property, the first King of Fighters game was released in 1994 and, like many of its contemporaries, depicts a tournament of fighters from all around the world. ALLSTAR, which was released in 2018 and is free to the public, features characters from every game in the franchise's 25-year run. Tekken, meanwhile, was also first released in 1994, and its characters have previously crossed over with other fighting games like Street Fighter and Soulcalibur.
The King of Fighters ALLSTAR is available on Google Play and the App Store.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the series premiere of Harley Quinn, "Til Death Do Us Part," streaming now on DC Universe.
It seems like only last year that Titans rocked the internet with a trailer in which Dick Grayson declares, "Fuck Batman." Never mind that the dialogue made sense in context, it nevertheless drew widespread derision on social media, coloring views of the DC Universe series, months before its premiere. Rather than learn from that experience, the streaming service's new Harley Quinn animated series pushes back against it, and has a little fun with "Batman" and, um, "fuck."
It's no secret the comedy isn't safe for work, or for children, or for anyone with a low tolerance for profanity or cartoon violence. Pitched by series creators Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern (iZombie, Powerless) as "Mary Tyler Moore, if she were a serial killer,"Harley Quinn follows the fan-favorite villain/antiheroine as she comes to her senses about her relationship with The Joker, and decides to make a name for herself and secure a place with the Legion of Doom.
In the series premiere, "Til Death Do Us Part," Harley (Kaley Cuoco) is abandoned by The Joker (Alan Tudyk) during a yacht heist so he can escape Batman (Dierdrich Bader) in a signature purple-and-green submarine (with a horn that plays "La Cucaracha," naturally). Hauled to the roof of Gotham Police headquarters to be handed over to a tightly wound Commissioner Gordon (Christopher Meloni), Harley remains defiant, refusing to provide the whereabouts of The Joker.
"Why are you protecting a psychotic clown who treats you like garbage?' the Caped Crusader asks, giving voice to countless fans. However, Harley isn't ready to consider that question just yet, and instead shuts down Batman with, "Asks the guy who fucks bats."
Jim Gordon, coffee mug in hand, immediately steps in to correct Harley, and perhaps defend the Dark Knight's honor. Still, that doesn't prevent her from returning to the subject a little later, prompted by Gordon's threat that she's going to be put away for life in Arkham Asylum. When he asks why she's laughing, Harley fires back, "Cuz you said 'for life.' And as sure as I am that he fucks bats, I know my man will break me out of Arkham before I spend a single night."
It turns out that she's not very sure, though, as she languishes in Arkham for an entire year (Calendar Man kept track), until she's knocked out by Poison Ivy (Lake Bell), and freed during a riot.
Logic might dictate that, if Harley was wrong about Joker freeing her from Arkham, then she was also wrong about Batman's, um, predilection for winged mammals. That's how logic works, right? In any case, while improper suggestions have been made since at least the early 1950s about the nature of the Dynamic Duo's relationship, there's no indication the Dark Knight has ever been accused of having sex with bats. By anyone other than Harley Quinn, that is.
DC Universe's Harley Quinn stars Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, Diedrich Bader, Alan Tudyk, Rahul Kohli, Christopher Meloni, Tony Hale, Ron Funches, Wanda Sykes, Natalie Morales, Jim Rash, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Alexander and J.B. Smoove. A new episode is released each Friday.
The Agents of Atlas is the name of a super team led by former FBI and SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo. Unknown to him for decades, Woo’s entire life and career were been manipulated by his greatest enemy, the culturally unfortunately named Yellow Claw and the dragon Mr. Laos.
The Atlas Organization is vast and has its hands into everything from evil avocados farms to evil Zamboni drivers and reshaping that into a force of good has caused Jimmy Woo to make many unconventional choices that make the Agents of Atlas one of the most unpredictable teams of heroes in the Marvel Universe. So without further delay, here are 10 things everyone seems to forget about the Agents of Atlas.
10 Atlas
The name “Atlas” is a major part of comic history. Atlas Comics is the name of the company that would become Marvel Comics. The company started in 1939 as Timely Comics and ran until the first superhero bust and then it evolved into Atlas in November 1951.
The original team of the Agents was made up of characters from the Atlas Era or before. Team leader Jimmy Woo was created by legendary writer Al Feldstein in “The Coming of The Yellow Claw” in 1956. M-11 the Human Robot was first introduced in an anthology comic and Ken Hale, the Gorilla Man, was created in a book called Men’s Adventure in 1954. The remainder of the team was created during the Timely era.
9 They Were Originally Avengers
The Yellow Claw had made several attempts to capture President Eisenhower and FBI Agent Jimmy Woo believed that he needed super-powered help to keep the President safe. Woo was given a large list of heroes to choose from. First recruiting Marvel Boy, Woo was aided by Grayson and 3-D Man against the Claw’s first kidnapping attempt using a motorcycle gang.
Marvel Boy retrieved Gorilla Man and repaired the damaged M-11while Woo found the Goddess Venus. They labeled themselves “Avengers” as they would be avenging the crimes of the Yellow Claw. Eisenhower and Woo were captured by the Claw but the team managed to save them. However, Eisenhower asked the team to disband because he believed the world wasn’t ready for such fantastical heroes.
8 The Problem with Goddesses
Venus believed herself to be the actual Goddess who had given up a large part of her powers to walk the Earth and spread her message of love and peace. The truth is that she was formerly a siren who had drawn many sailors to their deaths. She was given a soul by the Sorcerer Supreme of that era and, horrified by what she has done, retreated to a nunnery.
Namora knew the story of the siren and informed Woo of her origins, which Venus overheard. She fell into despair and began to wail, which caused her despair to be transferred to her teammates. The team began fighting until Woo reached Venus, restored her confidence and used her powers to calm her teammates. Aphrodite claimed blasphemy against Venus. But Aphrodite was so moved by Venus’ song that she awarded her the mantle and girdle of the Goddess of Love.
7 The Marvel Boy Transformation
Robert Grayson aka Marvel Boy and the Uranian is a human whose physiology has been changed by Eternal science to lived on Uranus. He was first taken to Uranus with his German Jewish astrophysicist father before World War II. Longing for the home of his birth, Robert was given powerful wristbands, a headband and the spaceship “The Silver Bullet” and became the Earth hero Marvel Boy. He remained until receiving a distress call from the Uranians.
When Grayson arrived, he learned the truth that the Uranian Eternals colony was actually a penal colony. It began to crumble around him and his equipment began to fail. The Uranians were able to save him but had to turn him into something closer to them. Grayson spent decades in a Uranian membrane until he received a distress call from Gorilla Man to save a dying Jimmy Woo.
6 The Real Master Plan
Plan Tzu was a descendant of Genghis Khan. He kept himself vital for well over a century with chemicals of his own design. As he grew older, he wanted to steer Atlas into a force that would aid humanity. He chose young Woo Yen Jet as his successor, but his parents moved Jet to America.
Jet’s name had been changed to the more Americanized Jimmy Woo and he had risen through the ranks of the FBI. Tzu knew that Woo needed a suitable adversary, so he became the Yellow Claw. Woo and Yellow Claw battled for years but it wasn’t until Woo’s resurrection as his 1950’s era self that Woo found out the truth behind Master Plan and took over leadership of the Atlas Foundation.
5 They Were Betrayed from Within
Right after he returned as his 1950’s self, Jimmy Woo went right back to work investigating the Atlas Foundation. At each turn, Jimmy’s team was ambushed by the Yellow Claw repeatedly, although the Agents plans were classified. The Agents of Atlas had a traitor in their midst.
At first, the team thought it was Derek Khanata, the Wakandan born SHIELD agent that was initially sent after Jimmy Woo and Gorilla Man after their escape from a SHIELD black site. Each member suspected the others and it wasn’t until the team came to blows that Woo determined that M-11 had been broadcasting to Yellow Claw through Atlas built machinery.
4 The Asgardian Connection
The Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed invaded Midgard along with an army of creatures in a bid to take over the Nine Realms. Heroes on Earth were engaged in defending the planet against these creatures or traveling to other realms to thwart Malekith’s plans.
Jimmy Woo had offered membership in the Agents to the Protectors team just as Malekith invaded. Brawn, Silk, and Shang-Chi agreed and traveled to Seoul where Queen Sindr was attacking the area. Korean heroes White Fox, Luna Snow and Crescent and IO were already battling her and the Muspelheim demons. Brawn recruited a number of other Asian and Asian-American heroes for the final battle with Captain Marvel.
3 Brawn in Charge
Amadeus Cho is the eighth smartest person in the world and took on the powers of the Hulk by choice. After several adventures and losing control of the darker aspects of that power, Cho was forced to give up some of the power and changed his name to Brawn. As Brawn, he was a member of the Champions and the Protectors.
With the new incarnation of the Agents of Atlas, Brawn had to make decisions, deal with people from different cultures that he barely knew and tried to solve a mystery at the same time. Thankfully for him, he had the seasoned adventurer Shang-Chi and his Protectors teammate and friend Silk to rely on.
2 The Truth About Pele
Brawn recruited Pele, the Hawaiian Goddess of Fire and Volcanoes. Pele played peace-maker for Brawn when she assured several angry teammates that Sindr would melt the polar ice caps and destroy the planet.
Unknown to everyone, Pele was a mystically enhanced Atlas Android identified as M-41 Zu. It absorbed all the energy from Sindr and then detonated in her face, weakening her. After the battle, Brawn confronted Woo about the Pele ruse. Brawn warned Woo that gods don’t take well to being impersonated by robots. He also told Woo that he had lost the team’s trust.
1 What’s Jimmy Planning?
It’s hard to figure out exactly what Jimmy Woo is thinking. He had lost the team’s trust by placing an android on the team that impersonated Pele without telling the team and then had seemingly disappeared with the emergence of the City of Pan.
It was Mr. Lao, Atlas Dragon adviser, who doesn’t believe that the new team can be trusted. Consequently, Shang-Chi discovers a photo of Woo shaking hands with Mike Nguyen, the highly suspicious leader of Pan and the team’s key suspect with the merged cities problem. Woo also believed that he may have sparked a new Dragon War when the original Atlas team informs him of a dragon named Mr. Thong in Thailand.
RWBY is undoubtedly Ruby Rose’s show. The young huntress in training became a hero in her own right while leading her own team of older students. Of course, one of those students Ruby was in charge of leading happened to be her big sister. Yang Xiao Long was never upset that her little sister was calling the shots. Instead, she was always proud of Ruby and ready to head into whatever battle Ruby thought she should fight.
Over the course of now seven volumes, Yang has been through a lot. Her school was destroyed, her team temporarily separated, and she even lost her arm. Yang found her mother after spending more than a decade without her and found a family in her teammates Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna. She’s definitely a fan favorite in RWBY that fans would love to learn more about. Here are 10 questions about her, finally answered.
10 How Does Barbara Dunkelman Get Into Character To Voice Yang?
Voice actors often change up their tone to voice different characters. That can require a lot of interesting vocal warmups to get into character. For Barbara Dunkelman there’s one thing she does in particular to get herself into the right frame of mind for Yang.
Dunkelman has said that overall, there’s not much she has to do to think like Yang, but one thing does help. Yelling “Ruby” repeatedly before she gets in front of the microphone warms her up. It makes sense considering just how close Yang is to little sister Ruby Rose.
9 Is She The Strongest Of Team RWBY?
Physically speaking, Yang is definitely the strongest of the group. She doesn’t even need to use her semblance to seem like she’s got super strength.
On multiple occasions, she’s able to hit someone hard enough to go through a wall without the aid of any weapons or powers. She’s also even able to stand inside the mouth of a Nevermore and hold it open with one hand while using her other hand to fire her weapon!
8 What Is Yang’s Semblance?
Yang’s Semblance is officially called “burn” in the world of RWBY. It’s a way for her to redirect kinetic energy. Yang can actually absorb the energy used against her in a fight, taking the energy of blows from an enemy and redirecting it at them. According to her father, her semblance causes her to hit people with twice the power they use to hit her.
Of course, he also referenced it as her version of a “temper tantrum” since she tends to activate her semblance when she’s upset. She shared similar traits to Adam Taurus in that regard. He could also redirect energy at his opponents. The difference is that Adam’s semblance allowed him to block energy without having to absorb it and cause damage to himself first. As Yang pointed out during their battle, Adam didn’t have to feel anything.
7 Why Does Her Hair Glow When Using Her Semblance?
Some fans noticed early on that Yang had a peculiar effect when she decided to use her semblance. In addition to her eyes flashing red and her hands flaming with the effect of the burn, her hair also glows. In fact, it almost looks like her hair is on fire.
In an episode of the RWBY after show, actress Lindsay Jones remarked that Yang’s hair is a little bit like the story of Sampson and Delilah. That is to say, some of her power comes from her hair. Perhaps that’s why we’ve never seen Yang go for a dramatic haircut in the series.
6 What Fairy Tale Character Inspired Her?
All of the members of Team RWBY have a little bit of fairy tale inspiration. It’s no secret that Ruby takes inspiration from Little Red Riding Hood and Weiss gets hers from Snow White. Yang’s inspiration can be a little harder to pin down unless you’re looking for clues.
One major clue is her tendency to take on Ursa (that is Grimm bears) in fights and her golden locks. Yang’s enthusiastic personality, and her tendency to charge right into things, is inspired by the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
5 How Did The Fairy Tale Inspire Yang’s Original RWBY Trailer?
Even the initial “Yellow” trailer highlighting Yang’s character got its inspiration from Goldilocks. Over the course of the trailer, she not only fights someone in a bear mask, but also someone whose name literally means “Black Bear.”
Hei “Junior” Xiong is the man running a nightclub that Yang enters in the trailer. While his name translates from the Chinese to the English “Black Bear,” the nickname given to him also would signify he’s the baby bear in the original story, and Yang’s match for the real fight.
4 What Is The Special Artwork In Her Original Trailer?
In 2009, RWBY creator Monty Oum shared a piece of artwork on his own Deviant Art account. Called “Transient Princess,” it was inspired by the character Rinoa from Final Fantasy VIII. That piece of art became a part of the Yang focused trailer for the first volume of RWBY.
During the trailer, Yang flashes a picture of a character that she’s looking for. Instead of showing the character initially, the trailer used an image as a placeholder. That image was Oum’s “Transient Princess.” Eventually, the character was revealed to be Yang’s mother Raven, so Oum’s image, of a princess whose dark hair becomes raven-like feathers, worked perfectly as a placeholder.
3 What Is Used To Create The Sound For Her Gauntlets?
Rooster Teeth likes to give back to the fans of their programs with lost of extra content.The crew that works on RWBY, known by fans as CRWBY, even has their own video series on the Rooster Teeth website where they give fans insider details about the series.
Some of those details include information about sound mixing for the series. Yang’s gauntlets - and later her mechanical arm - have a very specific sound associated with them. The CRWBY episode revealed that a few different sounds make up the sounds for Yang’s gauntlets. In addition to the sound of machine guns, bullets hitting metal and jackhammers create Yang’s unique weapon sounds.
2 What Does Her Name Mean?
Yang Xiao Long is one of the few characters who has a Chinese name on the series. In English, her name translates to a phrase that speaks to both her fiery personality and her signature color.
Her name means “small dragon of the sunshine.” Yang’s father even calls her his “sunny little dragon” in the series. Like all four members of Team RWBY, Yang’s name also links her to her favorite color. In Yang’s case, that color is yellow. Yang actually means “sun,” which is associated with yellow. Just like Ruby is associated with red, Weiss with white, and Blake with black.
1 How Many Fights In RWBY Has Yang Won?
Yang has a surprisingly successful track record considering her temper can sometimes cause her to lose focus in fights. Though there are a few fights where she’s been interrupted and been unable to finish them (like any time she’s gone up against Mercury or Emerald), more often than not, Yang wins her fight.
Of 21 fights, Yang has won, sometimes with a partner and sometimes on her own, 19 of them. Her only losses have been against Neo and Adam. She later got the chance to take on Adam again with Blake, and the duo beat Blake’s former abuser once and for all.
Call OVAs little bonuses from anime producers, if you will. Original Video Animation, briefly abbreviated and famously known as OVA, is like a filler episode of any particular anime. It is remotely related to its parent anime, in that it doesn't have to do anything with major plot lines. Producers put an OVA out as a filler episode to mostly explain characters' POVs etc.
OVAs don't have to do anything with the canonical timeline of an anime. Hence if they fail to impress, they can be easily forgotten about. Usually, OVAs come out after an anime has finished airing. They don't follow the standard anime broadcast code. Since OVAs act as fillers to promote sales, they are mostly available in the form of home releases. It shouldn't be hard to guess most OVAs are meant to target smaller audiences. Here are the worst OVAs in existence, according to IMDB.
The anime OVA ViolenceJack part 3: Hell's Wind is rated 5.2 on IMDb. It is an OVA of Violence Jack, the anime by Gô Nagai. The colorful OVA is directed by Osamu Kamijô and written by Gô Nagai. The plot is from Violence Jack manga arc in which a biker gang unleashes a wave of mayhem in Hope Town. The gang is named 'Hell's Wind'.
Given that Hope Town has just recovered from the rubble of Kanto's Hell Earthquake, the violent Hell's Wind is unbearable to watch. What's despicable is the portrayal of women abduction in the OVA. And as any substandard plot would have it, in the end, the citizens lead by the hero gain an upper hand against Hell's Wind.
9 DIGITAL DEVIL STORY MEGAMI TENSEI (1987) - IMDB Score: 5.1
An example of a crass OVA is Digital Devil Story Megami Tensei. It was available on DVD release but it's not printed anymore. The story talks about a programming prodigy Akemi Nakajima. He combines magic and his proficiency in computers to summon a demon into the world. Why do you ask? To seek revenge on a schoolroom bully. The plot is just as bad as it sounds. It is directed by Mizuho Nishikuno.
The problem here is with storytelling, although the direction is alright. None of the elements such as art, direction or animation work together to make sense. The resultant: a scattered plot that may require an extra effort to understand.
8 SWORD FOR TRUTH (1990) - IMDB Score: 5
Equally pathetic is another entry: Sword for Truth in the list. Directed by Osamu Dezaki and written by Takeshi Narumi, it talks of a feudal Japan. The plot is the standard 'challenge to the feudal order' one. A ninja named Shogun is ruling feudal Japan and living in his era is a samurai named Shurannosuke Sakaki.
Sakaki is hired by Nakura Clan to rescue their beloved Princess Mayu from a gang of bandit ninjas. Combine Sakaki's arduous battle with a pathetic ending, you get why this OVA failed miserably. No one understands why Princess Mayu had to cough up blood and die. Was sacrificing the ending for shock value that necessary?
7 JUDGE (1991) - IMDB Score: 4.8
Judge is directed by Hiroshi Negishi. The story is about Hoichiro Ohma, an average office worker. However, Ohma holds a secret: he is a Judge of the Dead who makes sure people don't go unpunished.
Hoichiro uses a book of human skin and a weirdly looking parrot to deliver judgment. Odd, right? The writers should have put in a more effort towards explaining why Hoichiro is the way he is. Faults lie with character design, mostly. As a result, Hoichiro is pretty damn easy to forget.
6 M.D. GEIST II (1996) - IMDB Score: 4.8
M.D. GEIST II tells a post-apocalyptic tale. Geist, the Most Dangerous Soldier has activated the Death Force to exterminate almost half of Jerra's population. Now he's trying to decimate the machines that helped him to exterminate in the first place.! Meanwhile, the rest of Jerra's population live in a haven run by another MDS, Krauser. The OVA is a battle between the sinister MDS Geist and the benevolent Krauser.
This is the second part of M.D. Geist. Part 1 was a huge success but everything about the second installment is pathetic; the acting, the storyline, the music, and the animation are just incoherent and substandard. How the mighty have fallen.
5 DARK CAT (1991) - IMDB Score: 4.5
The OVA of shape-shifting cats and their master puppets. Dark Cat is the tale of two brothers Hyoi and Ryoi Kagezaki who use cats to battle the demon plague that has affected their school. Two cats enter a school premise and investigate the odd happenings! The brothers must confront their cat-master, Jukokubo if they are to save lives.
Directed by Iku Suzuki and written by Toshiki Inoue, this OVA is pure trash. Combine horrible dialogues with a gonzo plot and pathetic voice actors, you get the joke of an OVA- Dark Cat. 3
4 VAMPIRE WARS (1990) - IMDB Score: 4.4
Vampire Wars is written by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama and directed by Kazuhisa Takenouchi. In the Arizona desert, a terrorist attack takes place on a NASA base. Days later, a dead CIA agent is found floating in the Seine in Paris. Somehow these two incidents are linked to one another. Deducing the mystery and the odd connection between the two is a French officer, Monsieur Lassar.
The story doesn't make sense. But just as well, neither does the animation or unnecessary violence. The OVA comes in an English dub which is hilarious. Also, no one in their right mind would care about the cliffhanger ending that the makers decided to leave for us.
3 ROOTS SEARCH (1986) - IMDB Score: 4.4
A sci-fi/horror OVA, Roots Search brutally murders these wonderful genres. The story is based on a research crew that discovers a desolate ship in space. As this mysterious ship startles the crew, they are more shocked to find its incapacitated commander.
Unable to help them with the mystery, the crew must find answers on their own. The plot couldn't have been unclear and the storyline rushed. Not to mention the pathetic animation, voice actors and the sound.
2 APOCALYPSE ZERO (1996) - IMDB Score: 4.3
The tale of two siblings who are trained to fight monsters. Welcome to post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Kakugo and his sister/brother Harara are two child prodigies who must do everything in their capacity to save the world. How so? By wiping out humanity!
Before you try to figure out the plot, exaggerated gore in the OVA steals your attention. We are talking of guts coming out of people's mouths and ripped-off faces. Add scandalous sexual imagery in the splatterfest and Viola, Apocalypse Zero is born.
1 DOG SOLDIER: SHADOW OF THE PAST (1998) - IMDB Score: 3.7
At the runt of the ladder is Dog soldier: Shadow of the Past, wherein the plot is just as hilarious as the animation. An American researcher who claims to know the cure for AIDS is whisked away. Enter: John Kyosuke who vows to save this man. If there's something to epitomize the pathetic 80s Japanimation, it is this.
This may also be by far the most simple description in this list of OVAs. But don't let that fool you. For the OVA is a mishandled disaster from the beginning. The animation is rough work and the dubs are just hilarious. And to top it all, John Kyosuke looks like a cheap rip-off of Rambo, as do his action sequences.
Marvel has been publishing some of the greatest superhero comics to hit newsstands and comic shops for decades now. While they’re certainly recognized as one of the greatest comic book publishers in the world, there are certainly some titles that they have missed out on.
Though they may not focus on specifically American superheroes, mangaka in Japan have been crafting some of the finest super-stories ever told. But which ones do Marvel fans need to get ahold of immediately? Let’s find out!
10 Spider-Man: The Manga
This one is probably a no-brainer for most Marvel fans, but it deserves to be mentioned nonetheless. Spider-Man: The Manga follows the story of a young Japanese student names Yu Komori. After being bitten by a radioactive spider, Yu is granted abilities matching that of the American Spider-Man, Peter Parker.
While there are many parallels between this version of Spider-Man, including Japanese versions of his most iconic villains, an aunt Mei, and even J. Jonah Jameson, the similarities stop there. This story is a much darker, moodier, and more vulgar version of its American counterpart. This sure isn’t your grandfather’s Spider-Man.
9 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a story filled with timelines that don’t make sense, secret organizations within secret organizations and child saviors galore. So naturally its the perfect manga for Marvel fans to get into.
Seriously though, the series is filled with depressed and lonely young people fighting to save whatever scrap of a world they have left, all while being manipulated by a shady organization that may or may not be trying to bring about the end of the world. Definitely a must for any Marvel fan and especially for any manga fan.
8 X-Men: The Manga
Another no-brainer featured in this article is X-Men: The Manga. Unlike its Spider-Man counterpart, this series is actually focused on the familiar characters from the American comics.
The series, which was introduced as a way to help Marvel get a foot in the door in regards to the Japanese market, is actually based on the animated series from the 90s that was also airing in Japan at the time. The series follows the first two seasons of the animated series, so any fans looking for the same action in manga form will definitely be pleased.
7 Tiger & Bunny
Tiger & Bunny follows the story of the hero “Wild Tiger” and his newly assigned partner, Barnaby Brooks Jr. as they attempt to piece together the mystery surrounding the murder of Barnaby’s parents.
Their world is not like other superhero worlds, however, as heroes in this world are backed by corporations and even their suits carry advertisements. Though the homicidal hero “Lunatic” is beginning to change the publics’ opinion on professional heroes, typically heroes compete on live television to earn points towards becoming the “King of Heroes”.
6 My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Unlike the series its spun-off from, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is about the heroic people who just couldn’t make it as heroes. The series follows a young boy named Koichi, who after being harassed by a group of thugs is saved and then recruited by a vigilante named Knuckleduster.
These heroes were not the cream of the crop that fans may recognize from the main series, but with a little help from each other, they just may be able to rise up through the ranks and become true heroes.
5 Akira
When mangaka Katsuhiro Otomo created Akira, he did so with almost masochistic attention to detail in both the artwork and the story itself. While many readers may have already been introduced to Akira through the animated feature that was released back in 1989, it would be a terrible shame if that was the only form in which they had experienced the story.
For starters, the manga was only about halfway done when the film came out, which might explain the ending that only raises more questions than answers. In contrast, the manga goes far beyond the story of the film and the artwork is one of the best in the history of manga.
4 Spider-Man J
Spider-Man J, by mangaka Yamanaka Akira, is another series that should be a no-brainer for fans of the Marvel landscape. While the series does not feature Peter Parker in the role of Spider-Man, there are many familiar faces that will make Spidey fans right at home.
The story follows fifteen-year-old Sho Amano who has recently received spider-powers, much like Peter Parker. During his time as the Japanese Spider-Man, Sho has run-ins with the Japanese versions of the Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom, Electra and even Blade.
3 One-Punch Man
Any fans of Marvel comics who haven’t already picked up a copy of One-Punch Man already should probably make that their very next purchase when the hit the comics shop.
The series, created by One and illustrated by Yusuke Murata, follows Saitama a self-proclaimed “hero for fun” as he struggles with the fact that, due to his immense and inescapable strength, he no longer find joy in his heroic escapades. And why would he? He knows the outcome of every fight. He throws one punch and it’s over. Talk about anticlimactic!
2 Spider-Man: Fake Red
Created by mangaka Yusuke Osawa, Spider-Man: Fake Red, as the title may suggest, is not about Peter Parker. Or perhaps it would be better to say that it does not star Peter Parker as the main character. In this series, the main character is a young boy named Yuu, who after failing to save a classmate from some bullies, discovers a Spider-Man suit.
Unbeknownst to him, however, is the fact that this is actually Peter Parker’s real spidey suit. After he discovers the truth, Yuu decides to do his best to take on Spidey’s mantle and help those in need. But just how long can he keep this up without any superpowers of his own? And what happened to Peter Parker? Find out now by picking up your own copy!
1 My Hero Academia
It’s very likely that fans of Marvel comics have already heard of this series or watched the anime adaptation of it. However, if comic fans really want to get the full experience, then they’ll have to pick up mangaka Kohei Horikoshi’s original work.
For those who have yet to discover My Hero Academia, the series follows Izuku Midoriya as makes his way through UA, the preeminent school for young heroes, after inheriting the powers of the world’s number one hero, All Might. This manga (or anime, if you prefer) is something that needs to be experienced by any self-proclaimed fan of superheroes, supervillains, and the imaginative worlds they live in.
A terminally ill Star Wars fan had one of his dying wishes fulfilled by Disney CEO Bob Iger, who granted him and his son an early screening of The Rise of Skywalker.
The fan, whose name has not been released, is a patient at the U.K.-based Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville, Hampshire, and his situation was brought to Iger's attention by the facility via Twitter on Nov. 26. Iger then responded by requesting "the necessary details" and said, "we will certainly try."
According to the hospice, "a very nice man named Jonathan from Disney turned up at our Hospice with a laptop that had a very important movie on it. Our amazing patient has now seen #StarWars#RiseofSkywalker with his son."
Rowans later released the following statement on behalf of the patient: "I just want to say the biggest thank you to everyone that has helped to make this happen. During what is just a horrible situation to be in, you have helped to make some wonderful memories and bring some joy to my family. I am a huge Star Wars fan and what I am going through is completely dire. Then to top it all, I thought I wasn’t going to see the film I have been waiting to see since 1977! I still can’t believe it. The only way I can describe this to you is to say that this must be what it feels like to be told you have won a million pounds!"
"We are truly humbled by everyone’s support," the patient's wife added. "What has happened over the past few days has been truly mind-blowing. From a simple conversation, to witnessing the out pouring of generosity has been amazing. The massive Star Wars community has been incredible. The amazing people who have visited, along with the messages and gifts we have received have provided us with an opportunity to talk to our son more about the reality of his Dad’s condition."
Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film arrives on Dec. 20.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Knives Out, in theaters now.
Knives Out includes some subtle (and not so subtle) slams against wealthy families like the fictional Thrombys, who seem more concerned about the loss of their wealth than about the death of family patriarch, Harlan. Some of the sly remarks are tied to the current political situation in the United States, however.
Specifically, Knives Out uses its characters and narrative to take shots at U.S. President Donald Trump.
RELATED: Knives Out's Biggest Twist Is On a Classic Mystery Trope
The entire Thromby and Drysdale clan takes great pride in their wealth and status, which is modeled after that of most wealthy families in the world. But some members of the family take particular pride in drawing attention to their "self-made" wealth.
Linda brings up how she left her family's publishing company to open her own business, which has led to her own fortune separate from the Thromby family. However, she was only able to start the "self-made" company with a massive million dollar loan from her father, Harlan. This reflects the way Trump often claimed he'd built his company from the ground up, but in reality started it with a million-dollar gift from his father.
Jacob, the son of Walt and Donna, is quickly established the youngest member of the Thromby family. He's a student at a prestigious prep school and is only ever seen wearing his school uniform, even during the birthday celebration and will-reading for his grandfather.
He's also shown to be a very Conservative young man. He's almost always on his phone, apparently commenting on Alt-Right websites. He seemingly believes in this ideology, at one point even calling Marta an "anchor baby" when he learns that his grandfather left his fortune to her and her family. It's an anti-immigrant sentiment that is shared by many of Donald Trump's public policies, which have attempted to heavily limit the immigratscoming from certain nations -- including Marta's native Cuba.
It's also noteworthy that Jacob's family sees him as a jerk. No one seems to particularly like him. Even his father admits that Jacob can be a creep. This could be reflective of many members of the Trump family who have been decried as confrontational and creepy.
Jacob is juxtaposed with Meg, an overtly liberal college student, who is shown to be perhaps the most emphatic member of the family. Jacob plays a role in the eventual discovery of Ransom's guilt, as he was able to hear snippets of Ransom's final fight with Harlan. This gives Blanc the context he needs to solve the mystery of who killed Harlan. This means Jacob helped ensure his family fortune doesn't stay with them, introducing the idea that people like Jacob, in their own conniving self-interest, end up shooting themselves in the foot.
One of the most crucial scenes in the film consists of late-night drinks with the family members on the night of Harlan's birthday. While the sequence is initially presented as a friendly moment where the Thrombys embrace Marta as a member of the family, Marta's memories of the day in question reveal more about them than they'd probably like to admit.
Richard and Donna are conservatives who rail against immigrants for wanting to take money from those who earned their wealth. This is particularly ironic coming from these characters, who both married into the Thromby family. Neither are presented in a positive light, and Donna's argument that she'd still dislike immigrants even if they came from Scandinavian countries brings to mind Donald Trump's infamous remark that he wanted immigrants from nations like Norway to come to America instead of African or South American countries.
The scene also takes aim at out-of-touch liberals, with Meg's mother Toni, a lifestyle guru who's high-end existence hides the fact that she's dependent on her family's money. She argues with Richard and Donna over the morality of illegal immigrants. She points out that many of them are just looking for a better life. But she's so disconnected from the argument on a real-world level that she doesn't know what country her "friend" Marta is actually from. Mind you, no member of the family is shown to have an understanding of that. This can be seen as a commentary on both sides of the political spectrum, who care more about arguing with each other than about the people they're arguing about.
Written, produced and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out stars Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, and Jamie Lee Curtis, Jaeden Martell, Katherine Langford, Frank Oz, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, and Riki Lindhome. It is in theaters now.
Jason Fabok has just set some pretty high expectations for his and Geoff Johns' upcoming DC Black Label miniseries Batman: Three Jokers.
In response to a viral tweet asking fans for their most controversial Batman opinion, Fabok wrote, "My most controversial batman opinion...has actually become the ending of Batman: Three Jokers... it's going to cause quite the stir and is the gutsiest thing written in Batman in 80 years... #batman #threejokers #2020[.]"
Three Jokers is a story that's over four years in the making, as the seeds were first planted in Johns and Fabok's Justice League #42 in June 2015. In that issue, Batman used the newly acquired powers of the Mobius Chair to ask two questions: Who really killed his parents, and what was The Joker’s real name? However, it wasn't until eight months later – the day Justice League #50 and DC Universe: Rebirth #1 hit stands -- that we finally got our answer as to what the Mobius Chair told Batman: "There are three."
In June, Fabok revealed he was hard at work on the miniseries and that the interior art was taking him twice as long as any of his previous projects, writing, "I want to give the readers my everything."
Batman: Three Jokers #1, by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok, has yet to receive a release date. However, judging by Fabok's tweet, it's likely readers can expect the first of the three 46-page issues to arrive some time in 2020.
The Flash star Candice Patton, who plays Iris West-Allen, shared some behind-the-scenes footage of what she once described as "one of the most disgusting scenes" in the series.
As it turns out, the scene she referred to back in September was actually a dream sequence. In "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 1," Barry was infected by Bloodwork when he tried to save Ralph Dibny from the same fate. This allowed Dr. Ramsey Rosso to get in his head. In an attempt to get Barry to submit, Ramsey showed him a variety of visions, including a dinner sequence with Team Flash. All of Barry's friends and family invited him to partake as black goo oozed out of their mouths.
In the video, which Patton shared on Twitter, she declared she is "about to get gooed!" She showed herself and several other cast members getting black goo applied to their teeth and lips. At one point, she is told to swish the substance around her mouth, and her look at the camera suggests it doesn't taste all that great. "I don't get paid enough for this shit," she said.
"How are we going to do something like this?" she mused through peals of laughter. "I'm always crying! I'm very sad! My boyfriend is dying!"
According to the synopsis of "The Last Temptation of Barry Allen, Part 2," the midseason finale,
With The Flash (Grant Gustin) battling Bloodwork (guest star Sendhil Ramamurthy), Iris (Candice Patton) and Cisco (Carlos Valdes) fight to help Barry take control before he’s lost to Ramsey’s influence. Meanwhile, the rest of Team Flash fight to reclaim Central City from Bloodwork’s growing army.
Airing Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW, The Flash stars Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Carlos Valdes, Danielle Panabaker, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Danielle Nicolet and Hartley Sawyer.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Dragon Prince Season 3, streaming now on Netflix.
Over three seasons, Netflix's The Dragon Prince has introduced fans to a vast array of unique characters. From the altruistic mage in Prince Callum to the kind King Ezran to the badass elf Rayla to, last but not least, the show's version of Littlefinger, Viren, we've seen some very intriguing personnel fighting for what they perceive to be the good of Katolis and the four other kingdoms.
However, as much as we love seeing these figures hash it out over the fate of the young, titular, Zym, the show continues to waste its most interesting character: General Amaya.
Amaya's the maternal aunt of Ezran and sister-in-law to King Harrow. She lost her sister to the Dragon King, Thunder, and since then has been a protector of the realm driven by vengeance. It's not that she's become bloodthirsty, but she's absolutely become far more no-nonsense in her demeanor as she doesn't trust the elves and dragons of the magical realm, Xadia, anymore.
The first two seasons barely scratched the surface of the warrior, which seemed like it would be rectified in Season 3 as she was taken prisoner by the Sunfire elves in the land of Lux Aurea. But she's given little to do for the entire season, apart from the last two episodes where she breaks free as a prisoner of war and helps Ezran protect Xadia from Viren's evil army empowered by the sinister Aaravos. There's not much nuance to her anymore and Amaya's merely used for her brute force rather than her brain, throwing away the potential she holds as an advisor to Ezran in the same way she was to his parents.
Amaya's Deaf -- a trait rarely seen in mainstream media -- so that also is something the series should give more airtime to. Instead, we see her in short bursts, which is a mistake considering how much she could offer in terms of inclusivity and progressive storytelling. Also, we just don't see enough of her in the field, despite it being perfectly obvious she's the best fighter on the show.
When the Sunfire elves hold her hostage, her relationship with her captor, Janai, isn't fleshed out that much either, which is a shame because they have such a powerful dynamic. They clearly see themselves in each other yet the series doesn't spend too much time fleshing out this emotional connection to establish why Janai feels sympathy for Amaya.
That's why it's not that genuine when both help Ezran's alliance of elves, humans and dragons stop Viren's legion. In the aftermath, the two of them hold hands, hinting at a lesbian relationship to come. Unfortunately, it feels superficial as it comes out of nowhere, rather than coming across as deep, natural and earned as we'd like it to. Had we gotten more of them exchanging war stories and family history at the Sunfire prison, it'd be more believable that the two would have romantic feelings for one another.
Janai's elves could have learned so much from Amaya and vice versa. Similarly, when Viren appears to steal the Sunforge power, he doesn't have that much to do with Amaya, either. It's disappointing because she was one of his biggest critics, staunchly opposing his methods since the show started, so by not giving her any interactions with him, the Sunfire queen or Jaina for that matter, Amaya comes off like nothing more than a forgotten prop. Instead, she's just there to decorate Ezran's life as a bodyguard, or, when the going gets tough, as some sort of deus ex machina at Xadia. By reducing her agency, she really feels trivial.
Fans complained about this last season as they know she's one of the greatest figures on the series -- something hinted at since day one. With Ezran's parents dead, people expected more of her being a mother-figure to him and Callum -- and even to Rayla, who senses a kindred warrior spirit in Amaya. And yet, Amaya is nothing more than peripheral in Season 3 of The Dragon Prince.
Hopefully, she moves past this secondary role should the show get a fourth season because with her wisdom, military tactics and new position as a bridge between elves and humans, Amaya deserves a lot more time in the spotlight than she's been getting.
Netflix's The Dragon Prince Season 3 is now streaming. It stars the voices of Jack DeSena as Callum, Sasha Rojen as Ezran, Paula Burrows as Rayla, Jesse Inocalla as Soren, Racquel Belmonte as Claudia, Luc Roderique as King Harrow of Katolis and Jason Simpson as Viren.
One of the current big bads in this season of Supergirl is an organization/syndicate called Leviathan. This mysterious group has several shadow operatives and plans to remove the current human power structures on Earth. Meanwhile, one of the newest villains in current DC comics is also called Leviathan. Much like The Batman Who Laughs, Leviathan has had an undeniable impact on the DC Universe in the past year, heavily affecting numerous titles.
However, despite having the same name, these two entities are quite different. It's actually rather weird to have a concept that is currently receiving such high profile use in the comics get the same on-screen, but in such a different way. Here's a rundown on both versions of Leviathan, as well as the subtle similarities and drastic divergences between the two.
The original incarnation of Leviathan organization appeared in 2011 and was an anti-capitalist offshoot of the League of Assassins led by Talia Al Ghul. The modern incarnation, however, has appeared in the eponymous Event Leviathan limited series. This version's goals are to drastically tip the scales of order and be far more proactive than groups such as the Justice League when it comes to dealing with, and preventing, the world's issues. To this end, the organization has even gone so far as to try to recruit superheroes who are also tired of the status quo.
The leader of Leviathan also bears this name, and his identity is that of a former hero, as well. Leviathan was revealed to be Mark Shaw, who once operated under the mantle of Manhunter. Shaw had joined the Manhunter cult, which derived its name and mission from the alien androids. These robots were a taciturn police force employed by the Guardians of the Universe before being abandoned in favor of the Green Lantern Corps. His new Leviathan organization is an attempt to similarly police the planet Earth, as Shaw has grown tired of both the burden being solely on superheroes, as well as their reactive methods. To this end, Shaw has enlisted metahumans, as well as several other operatives across the globe in an attempt to shatter the status quo of security, putting the fate of the world back in its peoples' hands. To possibly safeguard against those who wouldn't go along with the organization, Shaw even employed technology capable of taking on some of the biggest DC heroes.
The Leviathan on Supergirl is similarly a shadowy organization with eyes and operatives everywhere. Finally revealed in the recent episode "Tremors," this Leviathan is led by a very ancient alien. The members of Leviathan trace their origin to Jarhanpur, a sister planet to Krypton. Fleeing the planet before its civil war led to its destruction, they came to Earth and hid for millennia. Their leader, Rama Khan, has the power to control the Earth and its natural forces and was behind several "natural" disasters throughout human history. Along with Gamemnae, Rama Khan intends to forcibly take Earth back from humanity, who they see as a scourge to it. Rama Khan and Gamemnae first appeared in Justice League comics of the early 2000s, where they and Jarhanpur instead had terrestrial origins tied to magic. The idea of them operating since early human history was retained for the show versions, however.
It would seem, at first glance, that the only similarities between these two Leviathans would be nominal in nature. There are some rather subtle things that tie the concepts together, however. Besides the name, both Leviathans are mysterious, far-reaching organizations that have operatives every which way. They also intend to dramatically change the power structure of Earth, though in staunchly opposite ways. The former seeks to put humanity's fate back in the hands of the people and off of the shoulders of superheroes, whereas the latter wants to give Earth to the aliens of Jarhanpur and out of humanity's clutches. That Leviathan in the comics has also targeted Superman, in particular, gives both versions a loose connection to Kryptonians. Both versions also repurpose previous concepts from the comics, with the former revitalizing an idea from right before the New 52 and the latter by reimagining Post-Crisis Justice League villains.
Even these connections are fairly minimal, and it's rather uncanny that the name is being used in such different ways in the same timespan. It might have been intentional to "adapt" the current villain organization in this season of Supergirl, but the lack of any real connection says otherwise.
It appears the claim that the hit animated series The Simpsons is coming to an end was a bit premature.
After composer Danny Elfman said the three-decade-old series was nearing its conclusion, executive producer Al Jean stepped in to reassure fans that's not the case.
"From what I’ve heard, it’s coming to an end," Elfman claimed, causing an immediate rift among fans of Springfield's first family. "I don’t know for a fact, but I’ve heard that it will be in its last year."
The Simpsons was created by Matt Groening and developed by James L. Brooks, Groening and Sam Simon. Brooks, Groening and Al Jean are executive producers of the series from Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on Fox.
Reed Richards being too smart for his own good is a recipe for success in any Fantastic Four story, and writer Mike Carey delivers a tightly scripted gem in this delightful one-shot with spot-on art by Stefano Caselli. One of the best features of the current FF run is its fresh interpretation of familiar tropes. And let’s face it, the science-gone-wrong notion never gets old when the family dynamic that drives this title is firing on all cylinders.
Much in the way that we love Star Trek stories based on the foibles of the transporter, this issue concerns the ethical repercussions of Reed Richards’ insatiable curiosity and the scientific upheaval that sometimes results. Although that’s not a new notion, Carey makes excellent use of the Negative Zone — one of the FF’s best and most dangerous settings — as the team is summoned there to track the reactivated beacon of experiment 326, which suddenly started transmitting a signal after presumably being lost. Carey deftly incorporates the Negative Zone’s character roster into the adventure as the FF discover that Reed’s bacteria experiment has developed into a sentient life form courtesy of some nefarious assistance.
Carey and Caselli offer an excellent balance of action, banter, and teamwork. It’s never one teammate who solves all the problems/mysteries in a good FF story, and that’s true here, with the notable exception that Johnny’s main role is just witty dialogue and it would have been nice if he was better incorporated throughout. But Reed usually takes the lead in the science-based stories, and Caselli’s script is consistent with that pattern.
Stefano Caselli delivers a gorgeous issue loaded with action and humor. Although science-based stories tend to rely on a good deal of exposition to reveal the nerdy plot elements, Caselli’s fluid panel construction and gripping action sequences balance out the more wordy bits, creating excellent flow as you read. And his clean, thin linework is complemented nicely by Erick Arciniega’s richly layered colors.
The issue also contains a serviceable backup feature, “What Are the Fantastix For?” written by Ryan North and illustrated by Steve Uy, in which the Fantastix are the new owners of the Baxter Building. As much of a character in FF lore as the sentient beings, the Baxter Building has taken a beating through the years and still stands tall. It’s clear that the FF's direction will continue to emphasize the elements of human connection to people and places that make the title universally relatable. And if we’re treated to the occasional minor-league heroics of the Fantastix along the way, that’s fine, too.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Mandalorian Chapter 4, "Sanctuary," streaming now on Disney+.
The Imperial AT-ST walker was seen briefly in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back before playing a more prominent role in the Battle of Endor in Return of the Jedi. But even then, the so-called "chicken walkers" were brought down by the adorable Ewoks and piloted by Chewbacca as the Rebels turned the tables on the Imperial forces.
Despite appearances in Star Wars Rebels and Rogue One, the two-legged walker has never been viewed as all that formidable -- compared to the X-wings and TIE-fighters, the AT-ST was clumsy and impractical. Just like their big brothers, the AT-ATs, they looked like they could be tripped up by a couple of strategically placed cables, and piloted by a novice. All of that changes with the fourth episode of The Mandalorian, which makes the AT-ST a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and a surprisingly effective weapon even in the hands of unskilled raiders.
In "Sanctuary," Mando (Pedro Pascal) finds a backwater planet on which to lay low with Baby Yoda, only to cross paths with Cara Dune (Gina Carano), a former Rebel shock trooper with similar ideas. They're soon hired by krill farmers in a remote village that's subjected to repeated pillaging by raiders. Mando and Cara accept the job, thinking they can barter their protection services for food and lodging -- that is, until they discover the raiders have their own Imperial AT-ST, prompting them to recommend their clients to pack up and move. The villagers don't know what an AT-ST is, so Cara explains: "The armored walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us."
Of course, the villagers don't move; those krill ponds were seeded by their ancestors. So what follows is a charming training sequence reminiscent of The Seven Samurai, in which Cara and Mando ensure that the villagers are minimally prepared for the battle that will follow.
"There's nothing on this planet that can damage the legs of this thing," explains Cara, who has seen AT-ST take out entire battalions in seconds. "So, we're going to set a trap." The plan is to lure the raiders and the death machine into a hole in the ground, the only way to destabilize chicken legs.
Even that proves difficult, because the AT-ST driver has no reason to go further than the border of the village. His guns have significant range, allowing the walker to set fire to every house and wreak havoc in the krill ponds. The "head," or cabin, also possesses significant range of movement, which, combined with its powerful headlights, provides enough visibility to the AT-ST to unleash hell from a single spot.
That means the only way to bait the vehicle to move is to get in its blind spot, right under its head, and pester it from there, which is what Cara does. Using Mando's modified Amban sniper rifle, she takes out one of the windows of the AT-ST, forcing it to tilt into the excavated pond to try to aim at her, where it falls.
Although this episode has a happy ending, its implications are quite dark. If the remnants of the Empire, and its equipment, are so promptly commandeered by warlords all across the galaxy, and used to terrify defenseless people in planets too far from the New Republic, is it really a surprise that the First Order was able to ascend in the 30 years following the Battle of Endor? Just like the rusty Stormtroopers from the first and third episodes of The Mandalorian, the fact that the Empire is gone does not mean that its tools of oppression have disappeared.
Demon Slayer is widely regarded as one of the best new anime for a variety of reasons. The main storyline is compelling, the action sequences are breathtaking, and Nezuko is a small bean that fans will defend until the end. Yet, one of the most inspiring reasons for the series' success involves the protagonist's dialogue.
Tanjiro Kamado likes to talk... a lot. If he's not speaking, we're granted access to his inner monologues, which usually serve as the voice of reason during tough times. Either way, Tanjiro is an excellent source of valuable life lessons, so let's take a look at 10 of his best quotes to date.
10 Use Your Head
"Spirit alone isn't gonna get me anywhere! Use your head not just spirit. Think, think, think."
This quote comes about in episode 13 titled "Something More Important Than Life". Tanjiro has been struggling against Kyogai, the master of the Tsuzumi Mansion, for quite some time now. The Demon has him at his wit's end, which causes Tanjiro to pause and consider a more productive strategy. This is when he realizes that spirit alone is insufficient when it comes to certain battles. Sometimes you need to take a deep breath and tackle situations logistically and with a level head.
9 Protect Nezuko!
"Don't stop! Run! You gotta protect Nezuko! Even if it means getting slashed by him at the same time!"
It's impossible to forget the most remarkable fight in the Demon Slayer anime thus far. Episode 19 is famous for the mind-blowing sequence that occurs near the end and this quote can be found during that time frame. Tanjiro is in the midst of facing his most formidable foe yet, but all he can think about is protecting his younger sister, even if it means getting slashed by Rui. It's heroic, inspirational, and utterly beautiful.
8 Work Hard
"Work at it. All I can do is work hard! That's the story of my life!"
Those that don't read the manga have only received one season of Demon Slayer thus far, so they're at the very beginning of Tanjiro Kamado's journey. Therefore, hard work is a recurring theme. The protagonist has to work hard to learn the basics of Demon slaying and then work harder to be able to hold his own against such daunting opponents. It really is the story of Tanjiro's life, but it's also applicable in the real world where most of us put our best foot forward to pursue our individual goals.
7 Go On Living
"No matter how many people you may lose, you have no choice but to go on living. No matter how devastating the blows might be."
Tanjiro says this to Kazumi — a villager who had lost his fiancée to the Swamp Demon — in episode 7, titled "Muzan Kibutsuji". Kazumi had claimed that he could never continue living without his loved one, but Tanjiro soothes him with these wise words. Pain and loss are a natural part of life; death is unavoidable. As heartbreaking as it might be, you can't let these tragic events paralyze you and prevent you from persevering.
6 I Can Do It!
"I can do it. I know I can do it. I'm the guy who gets it done, broken bones or not. No matter what, I can do it! I can fight!"
Tanjiro had a rough time in episode 13 against the aforementioned master of the Tsuzumi Mansion, Kyogai. This is partly due to the fact that he had broken several bones during his previous battle. One of the most inspiring things about Tanjiro is that he can talk himself into accomplishing just about anything he sets his mind to. It's a great quality that requires confidence and strength, so we have to admire how resilient Demon Slayer's protagonist is.
5 Big Brother
"I swear your big brother will save you no matter what!"
Tanjiro declares this promise in episode 1 of the series and it basically sets the tone for his entire relationship with Nezuko. From the jump, it's obvious that the protagonist truly loves his family and will go out of his way to keep his last remaining sibling safe. It's a positive attitude for a young boy to have toward his sister and it reassures the power of familial bonds. It's a slight deviation from the most popular anime themes that primarily emphasize friendship instead.
4 The Law of Nature
"The strong should aid and protect the weak. Then, the weak will become strong and they, in turn, will aid and protect those weaker than them. That is the law of nature."
This moment occurs during chapter 148 of the manga, which hasn't been animated yet, so we'll be sure to avoid any spoilers or plot details. However, it's still a valid lesson within the Demon Slayer series that deserves some recognition. It's reminiscent of a Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist) quote where he states that "I'll do everything humanly possible to protect the people I love. In turn, they will protect the ones they love." The concept implies a trickle effect where one person's good intentions could empower those they help and so forth.
3 Hashira or Not
"Anyone who hurts my sister, Hashira or not, I won't let you get away with it."
After the climax of the series, Tanjiro and Nezuko are taken to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters for their fates to be determined by the leader. The Hashiras (also known as "Pillars") are set on killing Nezuko because she's a Demon, but her big brother won't hear it. He threatens that anyone who hurts his sibling will face the consequences, even if they're one of the nine most powerful swordsmen in the Corps. A brother's love knows no bounds.
2 Humans Like Me
"To dispel the regrets of those killed, to stop any more victims from appearing, I will relentlessly wield my blade against the Demons and that's a fact. But I will not trample on the pains of being a Demon. Nor on those who regret their actions. Because Demons were humans... they were humans like me."
After Rui is defeated, his body dissolves and Giyu steps on his clothing in victory. Tanjiro then asks him to demonstrate a bit of respect toward their enemies and their tragic backgrounds. Of course, Tanjiro won't hesitate to kill a Demon, but he also acknowledges that they were once human like he is. It's an admirable display of sympathy and understanding that only the most kindhearted people possess.
1 Muzan Kibutsuji!
"Muzan Kibutsuji! No matter where you go, you're not getting away! I'll follow you to the ends of Hell and I swear I'll slice your head with my blade! I'll never forgive you no matter what!"
Tanjiro Kamado crosses paths with Muzan Kibutsuji rather early in the series, but chaos ensues when the villain turns a passing civilian into a Demon to distract the protagonist. Kibutsuji flees and sends two of his subordinates to kill Tanjiro. Given that this was the monster that killed Tanjiro's family, his determination to hunt the Demon down "to the ends of Hell" is completely reasonable.
The sports anime genre covers almost every kind of sport there ever existed. From race car driving, ping pong, ice-skating, swimming; there exists a plethora of anime on the same. One of the consistent things in sports anime that you see is the spirit of sportsmanship. What is a sports anime without it, after all?
Other noticeable qualities in a sports anime are engagement with the audience, thrill, and motivation. If an anime excels in all of these, it is deemed to be inspirational. However if an anime lacks any of these, it becomes the least inspirational. Here's our list for the 10 of those.
10 PRO GOLFER SARU (1985-1988)
Based on a Japanese manga by Fujiko Fujio, Pro Golfer Saru is the tale of a monkey/boy. He's cross between a monkey and a boy and he must beat every odd to become a pro golfer. The antagonist, Mr. X, and his shadow golf organization seek to create problems for Saru at every step.
Pro GolferSaru is a typical grainy 80s Japanimation and is more of a fantasy tale than a sports anime. It doesn't serve any inspirational purpose, whatsoever.
9 AKAKICHI NO ELEVEN (1970-1971)
Made in the 70s, Akakichi No Eleven tells the tale of Shinsei High School soccer coach, an Olympian, Teppei Matsuki. The anime is based on a manga by Ikki Kajiwara. Whilst Matsuki may be a difficult coach, he's definitely met his match with the star-student Shingi Tamai. Initially, Shingi stays away from Matsuki's antics to form a club of his own. But as any standard anime trope would have it, they work out their differences and eventually work together.
The visuals are understandably not that appealing given that the anime was made in the 70s, but it fails to impress on account of coach Teppei Matsuki's worked-up attitude. Overall, it makes for a very good sappy fest, but not an inspirational anime.
8 ASHITA TENKI NI NAARE (1984-1985)
What can be said about this anime, the visuals alone scare the bejesus out of you? Ashita Tenki Ni Naare is the tale of a young golfer Taro. It was originally serialized in a Weekly Shonen Magazine.
This is the story of Taro: a stout food addict who is obsessed with golf. For an anime about golf, it's not clear why so much importance has been placed on body image. Anywho, Taro discards everything in the sole pursuit of golf. The anime focuses more on Taro's appearance than the importance of the game. It tries to prove that even unhealthy boys can succeed in golf! Yeah, do not seek this one out for inspirational sports anime.
7 ONE POUND GOSPEL (1988)
Again with the body image, One Pound Gospel tells the tale of a young boxer Hatanaka Kosaku. Kosaku can barely focus on his game because food is his main distraction. Touted as a pro boxer, shouldn't fitness be his first priority before the game? As Sister Angela, a nun, decides to help Kosaku out, he uses the game to get to her.
Whilst it is fine for a sports anime to focus on body image, what's odd here is the sheer importance placed on food and romance. One Pound Gospel is more of a romantic tale between Angela and Kosaku than an inspirational sports anime.
6 GINBAN KALEIDOSCOPE (2005)
Consider a figure skater being possessed by a stunt pilot, and that's Ginban Kaleidoscope for you. No, really - that's the plot.
Tazusa Sakurano fails at the Olympics by literally knocking herself out of the game. When she returns to Japan, she begins to hear voices in her head. Turns out, Tazusa is possessed by Pete Pumps, a pilot who died the very same moment she passed out in Olympics. Together both of them must improve Tazusa's game.
While the anime isn't as bad as others on the list, it isn't an inspirational sports anime either. It is the element of comedy that resonates well with the audiences' than ice-skating.
5 CHOU SUPERCAR GATTIGER (1977-1978)
Created by Hitoshi Chiaki, Chou Supercar Gattiger tells the bizarre tale of five race car drivers who combine their vehicles to form a Gattiger. In case you didn't know, a Gattiger is a high powered vehicle that works on solar energy.
Professor Kabuki, the man behind the creation of the Gattiger fears for his life. He reveals that a criminal from the Demon Empire wants to monopolize Gattiger. Soon after he is murdered, his son Joe must avenge his father's death. He travels far and wide by competing in races to solve the Gattiger scandal. In hindsight, we're not sure why this is even considered to be a sports anime when it is dominated by sci-fi action and drama!
4 PRINCE OF STRIDE: ALTERNATIVE (2016)
Let's just pretend that Prince of Stride: Alternative never happened.This animetalks about stride; an extreme sport that combines elements of running, relay and parkour. A couple of first-year students at Honan Academy are obsessed with the sport. As Takeru Fujiwara and Nana Sakurai aim to restart the Stride club in their school, they are joined by Riku Yagami.
Prince of Stride: Alternative was a big let-down. The plot could have done wonders, even with sports as bizarre as Stride. Sadly, the character pacing makes it hard to get familiarized with the show. It's least inspirational because it focuses less on the sport more on random high-schoolers. At best, it is a slice of life anime with a weird make-believe sport in the background.
3 TAISHOU YAKYUU MUSUME (2009)
Taishou Yakyuu Musume is particularly bland for a sports anime. It is the year 1925, the Taisho period in Japan. A sexist baseball player chooses to discourage a 14-year-old girl from playing the sport. Akiko, the girl in question, decides to make a challenge out of this sexist slur and starts her own baseball team.
Taishou Yakyuu Musume is an interesting story that's barely capitalized upon, leaving a lot of untapped potential in its wake. If lousy baseball is your motivational shot, please oh please, watch this one.
2 BUZZER BEATER (2005)
Buzzer Beater tells the tale of Hideyoshi, a homeless boy living in the near future who wants to excel at basketball. But here's the catch: Hideyoshi lives in a time where basketball is dominated by aliens. Determined to change that, he enters the Space League with an all-human team. It's not clear how he manages to train the team and qualify for the league. The most inspirational aspect has been cut right out of the anime.
The aliens are particularly badly animated, every time they speak, their lips look funny. Because it is basketball, you'd expect better camera work at crucial angels. Though there are instances of CGI and 3D but other than that it just special camera work. So to summarize, BuzzerBeater is an inter-galactic sports anime. If you would want to watch a generic basketball anime with an unusual storyline, Buzzer Beater offers some potential.
Either that you could just watch Space Jam.
1 MOSHIDORA (2011)
The drama co-efficient in Moshidora runs higher than the sports side of things. Minami joins her high-school baseball team as a manager, to fill in for her best friend. She buys Peter Drucker's management book to help with her new job. And she ends up applying the same principles to the baseball team.
Moshidora focuses so heavily on the management book more than the sport itself. Sure, baseball or any professional team is run on well-established management principles. But Peter Drucker's book is an odd choice; it's a textbook for corporations, not high school baseball teams. At most, Moshidora is a strange yet well-marketed commercial for Peter's book.
If there’s one thing this decade has been about, it’s superheroes. Though the world has always had some affinity for characters in capes and fanciful costumes, it feels like this generation took all of that to another level. Thanks to the MCU, the influence of superheroes isn’t just something that’s found in America—it’s gone worldwide, even getting into the world of anime.
Of course, Japan has always had a connection to superheroes—Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai all date back over forty years at this point. But this decade, some of the best and most popular anime have been about caped crusaders, and this list looks at ten of the very best.
10 HEROMAN
The late 2000’s are filled with things that claim to have some level of Stan Lee involvement to them, but there’s enough of the DNA of Stan Lee to this series that it feels genuine, right down to the lead character’s perfectly alliterative name. Joey Jones is a young man who lives with his grandmother while both working and going to school. When Joey finds a toy robot named Heybo, he works on fixing it to no avail. But when Heybo is struck by lightning, it becomes sentient and is able to transform into a giant robot, just in time to help Joey against the insectoid alien race, the Skrugg.
9 INFINI-T FORCE
Celebrating the 55th anniversary of Tatsunoko, Infini-T Force is a series which combined characters from all their major series into a single show. It’s set in a version of the “real” world, where a young girl named Emi Kaidou discovers “Case”, an artifact which constantly changes shape based on who holds it and which can grant wishes. This brings her into contact with a handful of heroes from other worlds who seek to battle against Z, the man who destroyed all of their homes.
8 SAMURAI FLAMENCO
Samurai Flamenco starts out following a young man named Masayoshi Hazama, who dreams of being a superhero...in a world that’s never had anything of the kind. He becomes a superhero named Samurai Flamenco, but winds up only fighting random street criminals.
But before long, Masayoshi starts going up against actual supervillains and monsters. Samurai Flamenco manages to both be a parody of Japanese Tokusatsu superheroes while also being a solid animated Tokusatsu series itself, with references to classic characters like Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and more.
7 HAMATORA
This series isn’t as much of a blatant superhero series as others on this list, but anyone watching it would find themselves hard-pressed to ignore the superhero vibes. This is a world where there are some humans who’ve been gifted with powers, referred to as Minimum Holders. One such Minimum Holder, Nice, creates an organization known as Hamatora, and gathers other Minimum Holders around him to solve cases in the city of Yokohama. This often brings them into conflict against other Minimum Holders, which means this is essentially X-Men but without the flashy costumes.
6 BATMAN NINJA
Big Two Superheroes and anime don’t have the most fantastic track record—that’s why no one ever talks about how Madhouse did series based on Blade, X-Men, Iron Man, and Wolverine. No, please don’t Google them; they’re terrible. But in 2018 DC hit on to something when they released the film Batman Ninja, which saw all the heroes and villains of Gotham somehow time/space displaced into Feudal Japan. This gives us an opportunity to see Bruce and the rest of the Bat-Family dress up like ninja to fight Two-Face, Bane, Deathstroke, and the Joker. It’s incredibly over the top and goofy, but it’s the kind of fun superheroes need to have more of.
5 GATCHAMAN CROWDS
Tatsunoko’s Gatchaman franchise (better known as G-Force over here) experienced a revival with the release of Gatchaman Crowds in 2013. In this version, the Gatchaman are a group of individuals who use NOTE, which transforms their own spirit power into armors and weapons for them to use. The Gatchaman organization here protects the city of Tachikawa, specifically against an alien threat seeking to destroy the Earth.
4 TIGER & BUNNY
Before anyone had ever heard the phrase “Plus Ultra”, this was probably the closest thing to a superhero anime we had. Originally airing in 2011, the series is set in the fictional Stern Bild City in the near-future, where people have developed incredible superpowered abilities...and of course, some of them choose to become superheroes.
In this world, heroing is a job as much as anything else (the heroes even have sponsors, which is an entirely different kind of commentary on modern heroes in general) and Tiger & Bunny focuses on an odd couple pairing of Kotetsu Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr., who’ve been paired together by their employer.
3 CONCRETE REVOLUTIO
Concrete Revolutio’s storyline is split between two different eras—one in the past, where the Superhuman Bureau try to keep the existence of superhuman activity a secret while also learning about them as much as possible, and a darker-tinged future where the lead protagonists are revisited by the ghosts of their past cases. It’s an anime series for people who love Tokusatsu—there’s kaijuu and Ultraman shout outs everywhere. And while it can get a little too referential and the plot can sometimes get dragged down trying to be “deep”, it’s still a great series and a beautiful show thanks to incredible BONES animation.
2 ONE PUNCH MAN
This is as literal as it gets. One Punch Manmanages to be both a parody of battle shonen characters and a shout out to superhero universes everywhere. For the few who haven’t seen it already, the series is about Saitama, a man who’s reached the utter limits of his power and can defeat any enemy...with a single punch. He decides to become a hero for fun, and just as he makes himself known, the country finds itself overwhelmed with attacks from increasingly dangerous villains other heroes find themselves hard pressed to stop. All Saitama wants is another challenge in combat...but with no one capable of withstanding even a single serious blow from him, is this an unattainable dream?
1 MY HERO ACADEMIA
One Piecewas about pirates, Dragon Ball Zabout martial artists, and Narutowas about ninja. Battle shonen have been based off a single primary theme for decades, and it was only a matter of time before they made one based off superheroes. Kohei Horikoushi has created a universe which manages to keep the colorful costumes and inventive powers of superheroes, adding in the complexity necessary to explain how society would deal with everyone having superpowers, and at the same time keeping the earnestness and admirable characters necessary for a superhero universe to work. While it doesn’t do much new, My Herounderstands and executes every shonen trope perfectly, so it’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular series of the decade.
