Anime Review: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust

Release date: 2000 (US release). April 21st 2001 (Japanese release).

Story: D has been hired to find and rescue a woman named Charlotte, who has been abducted by a vampire baron named Meier Link. But he doesn't know that he is not the only person who is hired. And soon it has become a small race to see who can rescue

My thoughts: This is an ok sequel. The animation is great and the characters are ok. Yet the only thing I didn't like about it is the fact that Charlotte and Meier are in love. All throughout the film, It gives you the feeling that Charlotte is under some sort of spell. And instead of rescuing her, D lets her and Meier get away. Apart from that, everything else is ok.

My score: Three stars.

Anime Review: Vampire Hunter D

Release date: December 21st 1985 (Japanese release). August 1992 (US release).

Story: In a post apocalyptic future, vampires and other supernatural creatures have awoken and are trying to claim the world. But a handful of humans have also survived and are doing their best to fight back and carry on with their lives. This is the story of a dhampir who is only known as D. He is a human/vampire hybrid who travels around on his cyborg horse, hunting and slaying monsters. One day, he is hired by a young woman named Doris Lang. Who has been bitten by a vampire noble named Count Lee. And wants D to slay him so she can be cured. Will D be able to slay the count? Watch the film and find out.

My thoughts: This was based on a series of novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi. And it is pretty good. D himself  is a cool character yet rarely speaks. This anime movie is a cross between Fist of the North Star and Hellsing (D himself is the son of Dracula). This movie has a sequel named Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (which I may cover in a later review). If you like anime or horror, then I would recommend giving this a watch.

My score: Four stars.

Gaming Reviews: Jump Force.

Release date: February 15th 2019.

Type of game: Anime, fighting, RPG, crossover.

Story: When the real world collies with many anime worlds, it is up to the player and a team of anime heros to save their worlds from an unknown enemy and an army of mind controlled people called Venoms (not to be confused with the Marvel villain/anti hero of the same name) before it is to late.

My thoughts: This is an amazing game. There is a huge collection of anime characters to play as and you can create your own playable character to fight alongside them and interacted with them (even though your character is silent except when fighting). You can either create yourself, make up your own character, or re-create a character from an anime. You can also chose which type of fighting style you want your character to have (either from Dragonball Z, Naruto, or One Piece). And you can also join three teams. Team Alpha (led by Goku which fights off the Venoms), Team Beta (led by Luffy which tries to recapture territory from the Venoms), and Team Gamma (led by Naruto which does stealth operations like spying and collecting data). Along with the story mode, you can also do team battles both online and offline. And you can customize your character as well (by buying them outfits and special fighting moves). Also when the characters are getting hit, they begin to show signs of damage (like their clothes getting dirty or torn and themselves getting cuts and bruises). 

Any dislikes?: There are a number of things that I disliked about the game. One of them being the fact that some of the battles can be a bit difficult. Like you can walk through one battle without much difficulty while it takes you several tries to win the other battle. Like the one where Dai from Dragon Quest fought Kakashi Hatake from Naruto. It took me twenty tries before I managed to defeat Kakashi. But what really annoys me is the fact that the enemy will defeat you in a few short hits while they constantly block every attack you throw out at them. This gets annoying really fast.

Also there is a part in the game where it seems that Goku, Naruto, and Luffy have all been killed or kidnapped. And yet turn up later on in the game all ok and saying that they were stuck in-between worlds. I would have prefer it if they have been kidnapped by the villains and that you have to rescue them. Also I would have like it if this game was also a choose your own path type of game. Cause it feels like it in places.

What I would like to see in an update or a DLC: Some more characters from the chosen anime, more customizing items, and perhaps one where you can create more O.Cs but for the online and offline battles.

My score: Five stars.

Anime Review: Dragonball Z. Battle of gods

Release date: March 30th 2013 (Japanese release). 2014 (worldwide release).

Story: This story takes place years after Goku defeated Kid Buu and life on Earth has returned to normal. Goku is off training with King Ki, Vegeta and Piccolo are their usual selves, Gohan and Videl are now married and are expecting their first child, Mr Hercule Satan is being held as the one who defeated Kid Buu, and Bulma is celebrating her 39th birthday. Yes things are back to normal. Until a god of destruction awakes from a million years slumber and visits Earth in search of a being he had dreamt about know only as a Super Sayin God.

My thoughts: This is a great anime film. It has a lot of laughs and action that would please any anime fan. Lord Beerus and his servant Whis are interesting characters (Beerus resembling a humanoid Egyptian cat who is a selfish and spoiled type of person who has the ability to destroy entire worlds). There is only one thing that I didn't like in the movie. When they summoned Shenlong in order to find out who this Sayin god is, Shenlong reviles that he is scared of Beerus. I felt that this was out of character for the immortal dragon and that it should have been the other way round (seeing that Shenlong as the power to take away Beerus's powers or even erase him from existence altogether). The final fight between Goku and Beerus is spectacular. And the lengths that Vegeta goes through in order to prevent Beerus from destroying everything (including a hilarious bingo dance) can get a chuckle out of some people. Like I said this is a great anime film and it is a must have for any Dragonball and anime fans.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Reviews: One Punch Man

Release date: October 4th - December 20th 2015 (original release). July 16th - October 8th 2016 (English release). One series, twelve episodes, plus seven OVAs.

Story: Saitama may look like your average superhero. But in reality he is the extremely overpowered hero known as One Punch man. Named so because he is able to defeat even other extremely powerful super beings with just a single punch. But for him it is dull. Not being able to have a decent fight with a supervillain without smashing their brains everywhere. But soon he teams up with a cyborg named Genos as he fights evil and seeks out a worthy opponent.

My thoughts: This is a great and funny anime. The show is set in a world where superheroes are a thing (just like My Hero Academia) and where anybody could be a superhero if you have powers. There are a lot of funny moments in this (like Saitama trying to swat a mosquito) and there is going to be a second season coming soon. Like I said this is a good series and I would recommend it.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: Fairy Tail. Phoenix Priestess

Release date: August 18th 2012 (Japanese release). December 10 2013 (US DVD release).

Story: After a failed assignment, the Fairy Tail crew come across a woman named Éclair suffering from memory loss. Her bird friend says that they had just escaped from being killed and that she has half of a mystical stone called the Phoenix Stone. The enemy has the other half and they intend to get the other half so that they can combined the two of them and (along with sacrificing Éclair) summon the powerful Phoenix in order to gain unlimited powers. Will the Fairy Tail crew be able to protect Éclair and save the day? Watch the movie and find out.

My thoughts: This is a good movie. There is plenty of action and funny scenes (like when Erza is fighting one of the villains and the fight ends up in a theatre. Making the audience believe that it was part of the play). One of the things that I didn't like about the movie is that it has an abrupted ending. When the villain is defeated, the end credits begin. But this doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the movie. If you are a fan of Fairy Tail or anime in total, then I would recommend giving this a watch.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: Pokemon

Release date: April 1st 1997 - present. (22 seasons, 1020 episodes, 20 movies, 48 specials).

Story: The many adventures of Ash Ketchum as he travels around the Pokémon world with his friends and his trusty Pikachu. taking on foes like Team Rocket, visiting new places, meeting new people, earning new badges, battling Pokémon, and ever reaching for his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.

My thoughts: This is a really great show for all ages. The Pokémon franchise started out as a series of games from Nintendo which evolved into a card game and then evolved into a successful anime. Everybody wanted to be Ash and his friends when this was first released and there have been fan art, fan fiction, fan made games, and mountains of merchandise. And it has only gotten bigger with the release of Pokémon Go two years ago. Like I said it is a great show and I would recommend you watch at least a few shows.

My score: Five stars.

Anime Review: Hetalia

Release date: January 24th 2009 - October 2nd 2015 (6 seasons, 1 movie, several special episodes, a stage musical, and a radio series).

Story: This anime tells the story about the personifications of countries. But mainly focuses on mainly Italy, Japan, China, Germany, France, England, America, and Russia. With a supporting cast including Prussia, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Southern Italy (a.k.a Romano), Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and many others.

My thoughts: Even though this is a comedy, I didn't find much of the comedy funny. When they make jokes, they expect that the viewer would find them side splittingly funny, but instead they would be like "was I supposed to laugh?". Also each episode is five minuets long. When you are just getting into the story, the episode ends. On the other hand the characters are great (even if they are stereotypes at times) and the animation is colourful. If you are an anime fan then I would recommend that you stream this.

My score: Three stars.

Anime Review: Black Butler

Release date: October 3rd 2006 -November 15th 2014 (Japanese release). January 11th 2011 - November 15th 2014 (English dub release. I may be wrong). Three seasons, nine OVA's, and two movies (one animated and the other live action).

Story: Thirteen year old Ceil Phantomhive leads a aristocratic life as the head of the Phantomhive household in Victorian era England. He is known as the Queen's guard dog and is asked to help solve various crimes all throughout the country. And he is never without his trusty butler Sebastian Michaelis. But what everybody doesn't know is that Sebastian is in fact a demon in human form who was summoned by Ceil in order to help him with his own business. Which is to hunt down and get revenge on those who have killed his parents and nearly killed him. And when it is over, Ceil's soul is Sebastian's as part of their agreement.

My thoughts: This is a great anime. The first season was good, the second season was bad, and the third season was again good. The characters have their ups and downs. Ceil acts like a spoiled little brat and the other employers at the Phantomhive household are walking disaster zones. But they do help out at times. There are times when the show gets dark (season two especially) but the comedy manages to balances it. If you are an anime fan then I would recommend checking this out.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: One Piece Gold

Release date: July 15th 2016 (Abu Dhabi premiere release). July 23rd 2016 (Japanese release). January 10th 2017 (English dub release).

Story: The Straw hat pirates have reached Gran Tesoro. A massive six mile long ship which is one massive casino (a sort of Las Vegas but times ten). Once on board, they are given the five star treatment and begin to enjoy their time. But soon they realise that there is something sinister afoot when they loose all of their winnings and are forced into slavery by the ship's captain and ruler. Will they be able to defeat him and rescue the other slaves as well? Watch the film and find out.

My thoughts: This is a good anime film. Although it starts abruptly with the crew already arriving at Gran Tesoro (I don't know if they have heard of the place in something else and had set sail to it at the end). The villain is your standard anime villain with the ability to control gold and there are cameos of characters that have appeared in the anime. Anyways this is a great anime film and I would recommend it for all anime fans.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: Fist of the North Star

Release date: October 11th 1984 - February 18th 1988 (109 episodes).

Story: After a nuclear war has destroyed everything, humanity is now fighting over food, water, and territory. One of these people is Kenshiro. A warrior who is trained in a deadly martial art. He travels the wastelands in search of the one who took his wife and scared him. Meeting new people and fighting off countless enemies along the way.

My thoughts: This is a very good anime. It has action and great characters. A sort of Bruce Lee meets Mad Max series. Due too a lot of blood and gore, this anime if only for 18 year olds upwards only I'm afraid. But otherwise this is a great anime series. If you are a fan of post apocalyptic and martial art shows then I would recommend this.

My score: Five stars.

Anime Review: Dragonball Z

Release date: April 26 1989 - January 31 1996 (Japanese release) September 13th 1996 - April 7th 2003 (English dub release). 9 seasons, 291 episodes. The series was re-mastered years later and renamed Dragonball Z Kai.

Story: After the events or Dragonball, Goku is happily married to Chi Chi and has a son named Gohan. But things turn when a new threat arrives on Earth in the form of Goku's brother Raditz. Who reveals Goku's origins. This then leads to a series of adventures which will take him to numerous places, fighting new enemies, meeting new friends, and gaining new powers.

My thoughts: This show is amazing. From the characters to the story archs. Many of the stories follow the same pattern. The characters learn of a new enemy that has appeared, Goku is absent for most of it, the others fight the enemy until it looks like they are close to being defeated, then Goku arrives at the last minuet and finishes off the enemy. The battles (despite been long and take up most of many episodes) are epic and suspenseful. And the opening songs "Fly Away", "We've gotta power!", and the english opening song "Rock the dragon!" are all amazing. So if you haven't seen this yet, then I would highly recommend it.

My score: Five stars.

Gaming Review: J-Stars. Victory +

Release date: March 19th 2014 (Japanese release), June 26th 2015 (Europe release), June 30th 2015 (North American release).

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita.

Style: Fighting.

Story: The player selects any of the four selected anime heros (Toriko, Naruto, Monkey D Luffy, and Inchigo) and they set out in a multi anime universe called Jump World, as they prepare for the J Battle Festival (which is a fighting tournament that takes place every 45 years). But soon whoever has organised the tournament tells the heros that it was a ruse to gather them as a team in order to combat an evil that is taking over the Jump World. Can the heros save the world and win the tournament as well? Play the game and find out.

My thoughts: This game is a must have for any anime fan. It has many of your favourite anime characters from the likes of Dragonball Z, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Toriko, And Fist of the North Star among others. This game was released for the 45th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and fans had voted on who they want to see in the game.  This game is only in Japanese language but the texts are in English and other languages. But overall it is great.

My score: Five stars.

Anime Review: Sailor Moon

Release date: March 7th 1992 - February 8th 1997 (Japanese release). There were various English dub releases through out the nineties by a number of companies for different regions. Five seasons (season five was never translated in the original English dub but there are fan dubs), 200 episodes. Plus a remake in 2014 named Sailor Moon Crystal.

Story: The life of a Junior High school student Usagi Tsukino (a.k.a Serena in the original English dub) takes a weird and mysterious turn when a talking cat named Luna tells her that she is the reincarnated form of a Princess who lived in a kingdom on the moon thousands of years ago. And also she has magical powers that she would use to combat the forces of evil from The Dark Kingdom (a.k.a the Negaverse in the original English dub) as Sailor Moon. So Usagi sets out to protect the earth from the forces of evil with her friends who are called the Sailor Scouts. They are Ami Mizuno (Sailor Mercury), Rei Hino (Sailor Mars), Makoto Kino (Sailor Jupiter), and Minako Aino (Sailor Venus). As well as a mysterious masked vigilantly named Tuxedo Mask. On their adventures they encounter more Sailor Scouts, take on more sinister threats, meet Usagi's future daughter Rini, and make sure that the day is saved for everyone.

My thoughts: A pretty good anime. I haven't seen much of this but I have watched random episodes and have brought volumes 1 to 5 of the manga. I have to say that my favourite characters are Sailor Mercury and The Wiseman. There is a lot of goofiness in this but it is mixed well with the serious scenes in it as many animes are. But I have to say that Tuxedo Mask isn't that great in the early episodes. All he did was turn up, sprout a encouraging speech, and then leaves. But he dose have some good moments in the series and also in the remake. So if you haven't seen it, I would recommend you give this a watch.

Also check out my fan fiction Sailor Moon meets the Puppet Master on this blog. Look for it under January and February of 2016. And if you have a YouTube account and do lets reads, then you have my permission to do a lets read of it.

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: Attack on Titan.

Release date: April 7th - September 29th 2013 (First series. Japanese release). May 3rd - November 1st 2014 (First series. English dub release). April 1st - June 17th 2017 (Second series. Japanese release). April 22 - July 22 2017 (Second series. English dub release). 

Story: In a alternate universe, mankind is on the brink of extinction, due to a race of man eating, human looking giants known as the titans. The last remaining humans built three giant walls (all inside each other) and thanks to them, the humans managed to have a century of peace. Until one day a Colossal Titan appears and smashes a huge hole in the outer most wall. The series follows a series of characters as they try and fight back. Including Eren Yager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert.

My thoughts: I don't really much like this anime. Mainly it's the characters that let it down for me. For start Eren Yager has serious anger issues. He is like Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. After seeing his mother being eaten by a titan (which to be fair would traumatise anyone), Eren declares a one man war against them and develops an obsession with killing every single titan ever. If Eren Yager was real, no one would allow him to join any military. And I also think that he is way over powered (he has the ability to transform into a titan, can control other titans with his mind, and can summon huge rocks from the ground). Mikasa on the other hand is a bit better. Even though she can rein in Eren, she too is over powered. She basically slays titans without any flaws what so ever (which is a flaw itself). And when she sees her comrades who have literally been through hell fighting titans and seeing their friends getting killed or eaten, Mikasa calls them babies and cowards. The only character who I like is Armin. Someone who was bullied a lot, but managed to make a name for himself as a expert strategist. Are there any other things that I like? Well the titans are impressive (the Armored, female, ape, and the Colossal titans especially) and the scenery is good. And also the first opening theme is awesome. But sadly the rest spoils it for me.

My score: One star.

Youtube Review: Godzilla and his amazing friends.

Creator: Goji73.

Number of  episodes: 18

Story: The adventures of Godzilla and his friends Anguirus and Rodan on Monster Island. Featuring kaiju from both the Godzilla and Ultraman series.

Completed?: Not yet.

My thoughts: This is a really amazing show. This has a lot of heart and effort into making it and it shows. A lot of your favourite kaijus are in this show. I have to admit I have never heard of any of the Ultraman monsters and I am looking forward to see where the series is heading.

Ideas for future episodes: Gamera appears as a Intergalactic Protector, Godzilla and Geronimon being force to join forces and take on a bigger threat, Godzilla and his friends come across the pacific rim kaijus who are the ancient guardians of a lost civilisation, and perhaps Zilla making a appearance.

Would I recommend this?: Yes

My score: Four stars.

Anime Review: Soul Eater

Release date: April 7th 2008 - March 30th 2009 (Japanese release). 2010 ( English dub release). 51 episodes.

Story: Somewhere in Nevada, United States, is Death city. Which is home to the Death Weapon Meister Academy (or the DWMA for short). A school for pupils who can turn into weapons and for humans who can wield these weapons called Meisters. The school is run my the Grim Reaper himself and the goal for the students is to become one of Death's many weapons known as Death Scythes. The only way that they can do that is to (apart from doing normal school work) is to collect ninety nine souls of evil humans plus one witch's soul. The students that the anime follows are Maka Albarn, her weapon Soul Evans (a.k.a Soul Eater), Black Star and his weapon Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and Death's own son Death the Kid and his weapons Liz & Patty Thompson.

My thoughts: A very cool anime. The characters are amazing, the animation is top notch, and the first opening song is great. This is a very perfect addition for any anime collection.

My score: Five stars. 

Anime Review: Fairy Tail

Release date: October 12th 2009  - December 26th 2015 (Japanese release). September 30th 2010 - November 10th 2015 (English release. Unfinished). Seven seasons, two hundred and sixty five episodes.

Story: In the mythical kingdom of Fiore in the magical universe known as Earth-Land, people have the ability to perform magic and become great and powerful wizards. And thus were able to form Wizard guilds. These guilds offer magical skills for paid jobs. These are the stories of the Fairy Tail guild. Whose members include the fiery Natsu Dragneel, the heart warming Lucy Heartfilia, the ice cool Gray Fullbuster, the fearsome Erza Scarlet, and Happy the cat.

My thoughts: If you mix Lord of the rings, Dungeons and Dragons, a little bit of Harry Potter, and just blend it all with fantasy anime, Fairy Tail will be the resulting smoothie that you would get. This anime is amazing. From the characters and scenery to the story arcs and voice talent. If you are an anime fan then I would recommend this for you.

My score: Five stars.

Anime Review: One Piece

Release date: October the 20th 1999 - still airing (Sub), September 18th 2004- still airing (Dub).

Story: This anime tells the story of Monkey D Luffy. A young man who has a dream of becoming the king of the pirates. With the help of his crew and a magic fruit that gave him the ability of elastic skin, he sets out to accomplish his goal.

My thoughts: This is one of the big three that I like (The big three if you are wondering is the three biggest and longest running Shonen mangas out there. They are One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach). And I have to say that I like it a lot. The comedy, the action, and the characters are a lot of fun and I would recommend it a lot.

My score: Five stars. 

Anime Review: Hellsing Ultimate

Release date: February 10th 2006 - December 26th 2012 (Sub), December 5th 2006 - October 28th 2014 (dub). Ten O.V.A's.

Story: When her police squad is wiped out by a vampire, Seras Victoria is saved by another vampire named Alucard. She is soon severely injured in the fight but Alucard turns her into a vampire. Seras then joins the Hellsing Organisation and helps them defend Britain from vampire threats. But things quickly change when a much bigger threat appears.

My thoughts: This version of Hellsing has better animation than the original. And the English dub cast return to reprise their rolls. This anime follows the manga more closely and has a lot of action in it. But there are some thing in this anime that some viewers might find disturbing and horrendous. So viewer discretion is advised.

My score: Four stars.