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My Adventures With Superman S3 Ep 2 Review

I’m sorry that I didn’t post my review for last week’s episode of MAWS sooner, but I got distracted by other things. The good news is that this means that I am able to get the new reviews out back-to-back. The bad news? There are a few moments in this episode (and the next) that just feel so cringe! And it’s all thanks to Jimmy Olsen, who might have just fumbled the easiest romantic W I have ever seen! And I am so disappointed in him!!

I love Conventions!

It all starts when the gang heads to a fan convention for the day. Lois is going because Cat got her assigned the gig because she knew something crazy would happen around her, and Clark is supporting her. Jimmy is going as a guest because he turned his adventures into a comic book series that has made him a millionaire once again. And Kara? She’s going as the guest of honor, and wants to be close to Jimmy.

Jimmy, Why you Fumble the Ball?

This episode is really just three plots running concurrently with each other, but the one I was most invested in was the one with Kara and Jimmy. The two have such incredible chemistry together, and it’s obvious that the show wants us to ship them. But it’s insisting that the two go through the same relationship hurdles that Clark and Lois did in the first two seasons! In this case, Jimmy is the one who is insecure at the idea of dating a superpower alien. And it frustrated me to no end throughout this episode.

On the one hand, I wanted to feel proud of Jimmy for having the maturity to turn down Kara when she straight-up asks him to be her boyfriend. He doesn’t want to take advantage of her or ruin things if it goes wrong and that she should expand her horizons first. But as someone who’s never been able to get a girlfriend or have a romantic relationship, I’m super mad at him!!

JIMMY, DUDE! YOU ARE BEING GIVEN THE CHANCE TO DATE A BEAUTIFUL, SUPERPOWERED ALIEN GIRL WHO IS TOTALLY INTO YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE IN THIS DAY AND AGE?!?!? HOW CAN YOU BE FUMBLING THE BALL SO BADLY?!?

I know that the showwriters are only doing this for the sake of drama, but still, it frustrates me to have to see history repeat itself with our beta couple. I was practically foaming at the mouth when I saw Kara use the convention to announce she was looking for a date. Because despite what Jimmy js afraid of, there are plenty of guys and girls out there that could take advantage of Kara. In fact, I’m going to bet that that will end up happening before the season is out and Jimmy is going to regret doing that to her.

Not Interested in the other Stuff

The other main plots of the episode are not as interesting, sadly. Superman spends it fighting this woman with Kryptonite whips that is way too into him. Meanwhile, Lois sees the Toyman selling toys at the convention, and becomes convinced that he’s up to no good. All she manages to do at first is just make her out to be the bad guy that Jimmy initially makes her be in his comics. But it turns out she was right! Toyman managed to turn his entire booth into a mecha from Gundam, complete with the pose as he used it!

I know that should be a bad thing, but my nerdy half has to respect Toyman for doing that. Thank heavens it’s more acceptable for adults to play with toys now. Superman doesn’t even need to stop him, though, because another beats him to the punch. However, it’s who does it that is most concerning.

Hank Henshaw is gone. There is only Cyborg Superman. And if you know what he did in the comics, then you know to be afraid. Very afraid!

This is going to be a crazy season and I’m already enjoying where this will go. Though I have lost a lot of respect for Jimmy for that UNBELIEVABLE FUMBLE, and will only regain it when he steps up and gets the girl of his dreams!

I Give “Mobile Suit Toyman” a 2.5/5

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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 4 Review

I don’t know if I will ever see the appeal behind alcohol and getting wasted, and frankly, I think I’m better off not knowing. Since day one, we’ve seen Rick Sanchez use alcohol as a means of numbing himself to the pain of his existence, but this episode might be among his worst drinking binges ever! Being Rick, though, he’d rather find a convoluted method of avoiding the consequences like forgetting his passwords than address this drinking problem. The result? I walked away from this episode thanking myself for avoiding alcohol whenever possible. And I pray to heaven that Morty is better about it.

Remembering your Passwords Sucks!

The episode starts off with Rick coming home absolutely wasted. He’s so out of it, he wets himself   From being unable to control his bladder. Then he drunkenly tries to unlock his computer, only to get locked out when he forgets his password one too many times, leaving him to cry for Morty. And judging by the look on Morty’s face, this is a regular occurrence. The plot then segues into the arrival of Reese, a folksy man they’ve apparently known for years. Except it turns out that Reese is just some kind of advanced password manager for Rick. He’s programmed to show up whenever he forgets his password and help him remember it.

I’m going to be honest: I don’t see the point behind all of this. I mean, obviously, Rick would want some high-concept idea to serve as a means to remember his passwords. I just don’t understand why he would have to go through all of this trouble when he could save it to his phone or computer. Why build a cyborg to do all of this? Then again, this is Rick Sanchez. He turned himself into a pickle to get out of therapy. Of course he would be this this petty! It just wasn’t a joke that I liked.

What I did like, though, was how it handled Rick’s alcoholism, and how that leads to more problems in this episode. When Morty tries to do the right thing and save Reese’s life by getting him someplace safe, the universe decides to have it backfire on him like it often does. In this case, he takes Reese to the planet where Rick makes everyone supply him with alcohol, thinking he will be safe there. However, that leads to a group of radical youths, fed up with having to serve Rick, to hijack Reese and use him to gain control of all of Rick’s technology to kill him. That includes not only the garage and his actual weapons, but the entire house! The floor turns into actual lava at one point!

That IT guy was pretty funny

The real highlight of the episode, though, has to be who Rick gets to try and help unlock his computer. He calls these IT cloud-people that need to possess a physical form to interact with the world, and the one Rick’s talking to uses Jerry as a host. We get to see him spend the majority of the episode running around being possessed as the IT cloud just abuses his time to enjoy having a body, leading to some very funny moments. It’s one of the better parts of the episode, to be honest.

Ultimately, the episode ends with Rick having to shut off all of his tech to force the hackers out, meaning he can no longer rely on a bottomless flash anymore. The IT cloud takes Reese’s body to use for themselves and goes off to enjoy being physical. And you would think that all of this would teach Rick to cut back on the alcohol, but no. Instead, we get to see him end the episode downing even more beer while telling Morty that he’ll become just like him when he’s older. I wanted to say that this was just Rick being a jerk, but I looked it up, and it turns out that an affinity for alcohol can be genetic. Either way, I’m glad I don’t need booze in my life.

I Give “A Ricker Runs Through it” a 4/5

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My Adventures with Superman Season 3, Ep 1 Review

It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we last saw My Adventures With Superman, but I’m happy to say that the show is back! And better than ever, I might add! The show is going to have a tough act to follow, considering how season two wrapped things up in a way that could count as an ending for the show. But we all know that there are more stories worth telling about Superman, Lois, Jimmy, and now Kara. And with this season set to adapt the famous “Reign of the Supermen” arc from the comics, things are going to get bizarre. Though I think Bizarro might be the most appropriate term for this episode as we look as the new world after Brainiac.

I love Jimmy and Kara so Much!

It’s been some time since Kara and Kal-El defeated Brainiac, and their lives are slowly changing. The old fortress that Clark, Lois, and Jimmy found in season two has transformed into the Fortress of Solitude, and this might be the most opulent version of the iconic structure to date. Unfortunately, its appearance is somewhat marred by the reveal that Brainiac is still alive, albeit reduced to a state where he can’t do any harm…physically. As Kara leaves him to rot, he’s still trying to gaslight her into thinking she’s not a good person. Even worse, it’s implied that he has some influence over the robot caretakers of the Fortress. In other words, he’s going to remain a problem!

In the meantime, though, it’s Halloween, and the gang is happily celebrating at the Kent farm before heading back to Metropolis. Seeing Clark and Lois do a couple’s costume is just so adorable, but the real highlight has to be Jimmy and Kara doing the same thing! Indeed, this entire episode continues to push the Jimmy and Kara ship, with both clearly being into each other. Much like Lois before him, though, Jimmy is hesitant to take the next step since he thinks he’s not good enough for Kara, and it’s incredibly frustrating to look at.

To be honest, I had to pause my reaction video of this episode so I could go on a tangent about why Jimmy is more than worthy of Kara. He shouldn’t let the fact that she’s got superpowers stop him from shooting his shot! If anything, I think dating a beautiful, superpowered alien would be a big boost to my self-worth! I just pray that Jimmy takes Lois’ advice and doesn’t wait a whole season.

Not that Lois is one to talk, though. Now that she’s got her life working out for her, she’s nervous when Clark wants to take the next step and start thinking about the future. Moving in together, starting a family, that sort of thing. But Lois is so nervous about it because she doesn’t know if she can raise a family thanks to her own childhood. It’s sad, really. She would be an awesome mom!

Bizarro Cometh!

The main plot of the episode, though, centers around the gang investigating an abandoned military project, Caliban. Built concurrently with Project Cadmus, Caliban was focused on genetics research related to the Kryptonians. In other words, they were trying to clone them! At the moment, it’s unclear if Superboy, who is due to debut this season, is related to Caliban, but the group does find at least one clue that succeeded: Bizarro.

Now, in the comics, we know Bizarro as the mutated clone of Superman. He’s often a villain, but he’s not really evil, just misguided and having a thought process that doesn’t make sense to most people. The MAWS version of Bizarro, though, might be the most human variant to date, though. In terms of appearance, he looks like Superman, but buffer and with longer hair. In terms of personality, he’s incredibly kind, thanks to the late director of the project teaching him that rather than raise him as a weapon.

While Superman spends the second half of the episode fighting, and then protecting, Bizarro, the emotional crux is Kara seeing the videos the late director left to teach the clone about the world. Despite initially calling him an abomination, after seeing how he was raised, Kara sees a kindred spirit in him. She knows that Bizarro could have turned into a weapon, but instead, his father chose to raise him to be…human. And ultimately, that decision pays off, as when the base’s self-destruct goes off and they have to flee, Bizarro saves Superman’s life.

Uh oh

The episode ends on a very wholesome note for the heroes as Clark wears his Superman outfit to give out candy, much to a kid’s enjoyment. Bizarro goes out into the world, and hopefully, the lessons he learned will inspire him to do good in the world. Yet the bad guys are not resting, because it’s revealed that the drone that attacked Caliban was sent by Lex Luthor, trying to find something useful. Worse, the episode sets up that Luthor plans to turn the still-alive Hank Henshaw into a clone of Superman. And if you know what Henshaw was like in the comics, then you know that’s bad news for everyone!

The reign of the Superman arc has begun, and it’s off to a good start, in my opinion. Let’s hope the show can keep the momentum going, as with DC back in theaters and a spinoff getting greenlit, this could be the start of a new animated universe. Maybe even the second coming of the DCAU?

I Give “The New World” a 4/5

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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 3 Review

I’ve never been that into martial art movies, but I do appreciate the culture behind them and their impact on pop culture. Given that, I suppose that it was inevitable that they would be a target for parody from Rick and Morty at some point. And I have to admit, I think that this was a pretty funny parody of kung fu movies. Mostly because it’s just like the show to deconstruct the mystique using science, and for the trouble to start because of two stubborn old men.

Man, I need to make sure I don’t end up like Rick if I make it to his age.

Boob World foiled again

So, Rick is finally going to take Morty to Boob World like how he’s been wanting to since season four, so they stop at Trader Joe’s to get some snacks for the trip. But then Rick’s ship apparently bumps into the car being driven by this old an who looks like a martial arts master from those old kung fu movies. And when Rick refuses to apologize or cooperate, he gets hit with a death punch! If he takes five more steps, then his heart will explode unless he apologizes!

Of course, this is Rick we’re talking about. So rather than apologize or die, he looks for an out, first by walking backwards to avoid the curse, and then by using science to undo it. And when Morty tries to mediate an apology, the kung fu man, Lin Siu, gives him the death punch!

Really, should we expect anything less of Rick at this point? In the first season, he met the Devil running a thrift store, and proceeded to remove the negative effects of cursed items he sold. When his vat of acid plan failed and Morty called him out on it, he manipulated Morty into a situation where it had to work. Rick refuses to admit when he’s wrong no matter what! But if he did, there wouldn’t be much of a show, would there?

In any case, it turns out that the kung fu man, Lin Siu, is no better. He hit Rick’s ship on purpose to force them into conflict because that was the only way he can interact with people. But it was all worth it, though, getting to see the three parody old-school martial arts movies, complete with the hokey names and everything! And then it gets crazier when the god of punching shows up and angrily tries to kill them or teach them a lesson or something. I don’t know. At that point, I was just thinking how this was like something about of a shonen battle anime. They make up in the end and it’s all good.

The Day Jerry Committed Cringe

The b-plot of the episode, though, might have been even funnier thanks to how cringe it was. The new pool that Jerry got for the family needs cleaning, and he refuses to hire the cleaning guy Beth wants because he makes him insecure about his masculinity. In a nice parallel to Rick, he instead upgrades their pool bot to do the job better. Then it become self-aware, attracted to Jerry, and they somehow have s**. And then the robot tries to kill the pool guy for being a homewrecker.

Honestly, it’s both sad and hilarious to be reminded of how pathetic Jerry can be at times. But it’s those moments that make us appreciate it when he actually steps up. And he somehow does that again by tricking the yandere robot, I think. I don’t know; the whole thing was pretty cringe on my part! But at least he got the pool clean in the end, and everyone got to enjoy a pool party!

As someone whose family once had a pool in our backyard, I can appreciate the sight of a pool party.

This was a fun little episode, as far as I’m concerned. No major lore, no depressing ending. Just fun. I doubt I’ll remember it that well, but that’s fine by me. I was just happy to see the homage to old fashioned kung fu movies, bad attack names and everything.

I Give Rick Fu Hustle a 4/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 13 Review

Once again, the day has been saved thanks to the heroes! And I mean all the heroes, including the Naruhata Vigilantes. The Scarred Man/Number 6’s terrorist attack was foiled, and everyone has been able to move on with their lives. But the passage of time brings change, and as Koichi is getting ready for life after college, he makes a decision that leaves Kazuho speechless. It also means that the next season of Vigilantes is going to be our last, sadly.

Captain Celebrity’s Return Home

Picking up from the fight between Knuckleduster and Number 6, their little clash manages to reduce what was left of the building to rubble. The last we saw of either them, they were clashing fists as the building fell down around them. The good news is that when the police comb the rubble, Knuckleduster’s body is nowhere to be found. That means that he made it out alive. Unfortunately, it also means that Number 6 escaped, with the police noting how his blood is barely human at this point. The last we see of him in the post-credits scene, All for One and Garaki are running their experiments on him, meaning that he will be back.

For the moment, though, life returns to normal for everyone. Captain Celebrity is praised for his actions in helping to save the Sky Egg, though his wife does get mad at him, regardless, for almost getting killed. And unfortunately, he has to take all the credit while leaving none for Koichi to keep the media off him, much to his friend’s dismay. Especially since Koichi himself is fine with not getting the praise.

It’s good to see a hero remain humble, but at some point, I think it crosses the line into low self-esteem. The problem is that since Koichi is unlicensed, he has to keep out of the spotlight or face legal trouble! Speaking of which, Naomasa now knows that Koichi is the Crawler thanks to Eraser Head. Since he and Pop have good intentions and are competent at helping others, he’s willing to look the other way as thanks for helping to save his sister. But it still sucks that Koichi isn’t getting treated like the hero he is! At least, not yet.

Two weeks pass, and Captain Celebrity recovers enough to finally return home. Much to everyone’s surprise, though, Makoto is going with him to study abroad and keep being his manager. And the look she gives Koichi as she’s leaving makes Pop☆Step so jealous! Yet she’s still unable to tell Koichi about her crush on him, so she has no one to blame but herself!

The Final Season of the Crawler

The final third of the episode then skips ahead to two years in the future. Koichi is now a senior in college and getting ready to graduate and look for a job. Even better, he’s now well-known and well-regarded in Naruhata as its protector. These two girls he says even get his name right and ask him for a photo! Overall, life is going well for Koichi, Pop, and everyone in Naruhata. But that’s when he drops a major bombshell to Kazuho: he’s thinking of retiring as The Crawler. And the panic on Kazuho’s face is so hard to look at!

I completely understand why Pop☆Step would panic about this. Being a vigilante is how the two met. Without it, they may no longer have a reason to hang out, and she’ll never be able to confess to him. Speaking of which, she’s had two years and she still hasn’t told him? She’s almost an adult, so if it’s the age gap, that shouldn’t be a problem soon! Beyond that, though, I get why she would be upset. Koichi has gotten to live his dream for two years now, and he’s ready to give it up? Shouldn’t he want to do this for the rest of his life? I know working a job is important, but shouldn’t he at least try to do what he loves for a living?

Regardless, it seems as though this summer is going to be Koichi’s final season as the Crawler. Which also means that the next season of Vigilantes will be the last. In other words, unless we get another spin-off series, this might be the last we see of My Hero Academia, and that sucks. It’s an entire universe of superheroes, and I’m sure that there are plenty more stories that can be told! But all good things must come to an end, or they end up like The Simpsons. I don’t know when the final season comes out, but I’m looking forward to seeing. Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!

I Give “Graduation and Career Path” a 4/5

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Rick and Morty Season 9 Ep 2 Review

You think that being smart or being able to know what’s going to happen would be a good thing, but as Rick and Morty suggests, its a blessing and a curse. For Rick, it means he knows how little everything matters in the grand scheme of things. For me, it means I’ve watched this show long enough to know where it’s going without even finishing an entire episode. That’s right; I didn’t watch the full episode, and I was still able to figure out that Rick’s little misadventure was going to end badly for everyone. And I think I robbed myself of an otherwise emotional episode as we see Rick vs Vacation Rick. Or maybe it was just my brain’s way of managing having to juggle multiple things at once in my life.

Vacation Rick is Okay, I Guess

The episode starts off on a very strange note as we see Rick traveling to a bowling alley in an old RV to meet up with some friends of his who think his name is Ted. At first, I thought that this was another bit that Rick was doing. He would be pretending to not to be who he is so that he can get away from the stress of his regular lifestyle. And to a certain extent, I was right. This is, in fact, Rick’s way of going on vacation. However, after he gets caught in a robbery at a gas station and winds up killing his attacker, it becomes clear that there’s more to this.

As it turns out, Rick’s idea of a vacation involves him taking a vacation from himself. And that by, I mean he erases his own memories for a few weeks and makes himself believe that he’s an average guy so he can live a normal life. Once he’s done, he restores his memories and goes back to how he normally is. Since Vacation Rick is still Rick, though, Rick had Morty and an army of drones on standby to bring him back by force when he inevitably resists.

The problem? Like I just said, Vacation Rick is still Rick. If he doesn’t want to do something, he will fight like hell to avoid it.

This was pretty much the moment where I lost interest in the episode as a whole. I’ve been watching the show for years now, and I knew that this was not going to end well for anyone. Rick is a man who can do anything he wants, and we know he sees his knowledge as a double-edged sword. He believes that ignorance is bliss and that living a normal life to be the ultimate happiness, and is thus willing to lie to himself by becoming vacation Rick. He may end up having a point, though, as once his vacation friends, people from a world with an early 90s aesthetic, learn about everything, it pretty much ruins their lives.

I kind of knew where this was going

I only watched the remainder of the episode intermittently from this point onward. Vacation Rick tries to fight back against regular Rick, but in doing so, he falls into the trap he was trying to escape. His vacation friends start abusing Rick’s resources for their own benefit, and by the end of the episode, “Ted” is pretty much back to being Rick, two of his friends are dead, and he’s no longer welcome among them. By the time he hits the reset button, there’s hardly any difference between vacation Rick and regular Rick. It’s as Emergency Awesome put it: Rick is his own worst enemy.

Maybe I’m just too accustomed to the show or it’s because I can be good at predicting where things will go in fiction, but this episode just wasn’t doing it for me. I liked how emotional it was, but that’s about it. What made it veer back into comedy though was the post-credits scene where we see Rick doing the exact same stunt on another world, only for Summer and Morty to speedrun everything to save everyone the heartache. That was pretty funny.

I Give “Rick Days, Seven Nights” 2.5/5

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Rick and Morty S9 Ep 1 Review

I wasn’t planning on reviewing Rick and Morty this season, but after seeing the season premiere, I’ve had to rethink that. It gave us back one of the best characters in the show, someone who has been able to run rings around everyone, Evil Morty. The only problem is that the way it portrays Evil Morty seems to contradict everything that we know about the character. Or maybe the writers just decided that Evil Morty is not above it all like he made himself out to be.

Evil Morty is Back? But Why?

In the season premiere, Morty discovers that not only is Rick in regular contact with Evil Morty, but he’s been going on off-screen escapades with him. The reason being that Evil Morty has been using the Omega Device as a sword of Damocles hanging over our Rick’s head, extorting him to help him with stuff. They’ve been fighting off threats to their neck of the multiverse, and our Morty is not happy about it. Neither am I, really!

Even as I was watching this episode, one of my initial thoughts was, “this feels like character regression.” The whole point behind Evil Morty is that he’s the Morty who wants Rick out of his life. It’s why he orchestrated the fall of the Citadel. The only reason he helped Rick kill Rick Prime was to keep him from messing with his new life, with the Omega Device serving as his nuclear deterrent. Yet this episode reveals that not only is Evil Morty regularly forcing Rick to help him out, but he spends a good part of the episode acting like he wants to make our Morty feel jealous.

Maybe the show writers decided to change up this aspect of Evil Morty’s character so that they could keep him on as an antagonist. Or they were trying to show that despite what he says, Evil Morty can never fully get rid of his connection to Rick. Either way, though, I dont like how it feels like a 180 without any hints or build-up. The only thing that I did like about it was that we got to see just how competent the pair are working together as we get this big, sakuga-level fight against this multiversal threat. And the only reason that works is because the situation they’re in demands that they be competent, or else they will not survive. It’s cool in a vacuum, but if every adventure were like this, it would get boring.

Evil Morty finally Slipped up With Rick

In the end, though, it still feels like this was character regression on Evil Morty’s part. He talks all about how he wants to be the Morty that doesn’t need a Rick. But if you ask me, this episode said otherwise. It portrays Evil Morty less as someone who wants to get away from Rick, and more like someone who subconsciously wants Rick in his life, but on his terms and as an equal rather than a sidekick. Ironically, he ends up falling victim to the very ego that allowed him to one-up the Ricks.

When he carelessly lets Rick go off on his own, claiming he has to use the bathroom, Rick uses that to destroy the Omega device by destroying its very blueprints. And since the weapon erases all trace and memory of it from the multiverse, its gone for good!

Ultimately, Evil Morty’s subsequent assault on the Smith family’s bunker world is little more than icing on the cake for fans. It’s a chance to show what would happen if Rick and Evil Morty actually fought, and to its credit, it is pretty cool. Unfortunately for Evil Morty, Rick had won before firing the first shot. He tricked him into making a device messing with time, and thus, leading him to get busted by the Time Police. The last we see of him, he’s getting hauled off to Time Prison!

This isn’t the Last We’ve Seen of him

Now, some people think that this might be the last that we see of Evil Morty, and they might be right. Getting locked in prison for literal eternity is a good way to write a character out of the story. However, I disagree with this. Evil Morty is still the most dangerous Morty on the show, and his now-established ego won’t let this slide. I think that he’s going to eventually bust out of prison, utterly pissed, and he’s going to want revenge.

Regardless of whether this is the last we see of him or not, though, the myth has been broken. Evil Morty was seen as the ultimate enemy for Rick and Morty who could run rings around them. But that aura of an invincible villain has been shattered. Whether this is for good or for ill, I don’t know. But much like the character, I’m now compelled to keep following this show. Happy 9th season, you guys.

I Give “There’s Something about Morty” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia Vigilantes S2 Ep 12 Review

So, where were we last episode? The Scarred Man blew the support off the Sky Egg, leaving it close to toppling over. The Pro Heroes aren’t able to do anything. And to top it off, Captain Celebrity and the Crawler are falling to a high-speed impact with the ground. If there was ever a time for a deus ex machina like All Might, now is the time!

Naomasa Does Love his Sister

As we’ve seen throughout this season, whenever he meets up with All Might, Naomasa Tsukauchi doesn’t want his best friend to get involved in his investigation of the Villain Factory. He doesn’t want to bring too much heat onto the villains make them go into hiding. But then, this happened. And now his little sister, Makoto, is in danger.

On the surface, Tsukauchi is always frustrated by what Makoto does, but it’s made clear that its anger born of worry. He knows her personality, combined with her Quirk, could land her in big trouble, so he wants to keep her safe. But now? He’s in a situation where danger has come for Makoto regardless of what he does. So he does the only thing he can do: he calls for All Might.

This treats us to a very heartwarming flashback to Naomasa and Makoto’s younger years as we see just how much he cares about his baby sister. He knows how blunt and outspoken she can thanks to her Quirk, and he’s only hard on her because he doesn’t want her to piss off the wrong person. Which is something that I can understand, as I liked to speak my mind as a kid, which got me in plenty of trouble. I’ve gotten a better handle on it, but my family still cares about my well-being at times. And when it comes down to it, Naomasa is willing to bend the rules to protect his sister.

So This is All Might in his Prime

We know darn well how powerful All Might is thanks to the main series, but getting to see him closer to his prime is still amazing. He managed to clear out the monsters, save the Sky Egg, and save Koichi and Captain Celebrity in one fell swoop. And then he obliterated the monsters again! That one man managed to completely undo all of the Scarred Man’s plans. If Deku hadn’t had to sacrifice One for All, then he could have grown up to do the exact same things. The fact that All for One falls All Might a true superhuman and living deus ex machina is a testament to how broken the character is. The Scarred Man is so impressed that he can’t even be mad over his plans being ruined. I don’t blame him, either. That tornado punch was amazing!

With his fun ruined, Number 6 tries to make a getaway, but before he can, Knuckleduster almost puts a bullet through his body. His investigation into the Villain Factory has led him to its leader, and while they’ve never met, they are connected to each other. If you’re a manga reader, then you already know this, but for anime-only people, this episode confirms what the show has been hinting at: Number 6 has Knuckleduster’s Quirk, Overclock. All for One stole it from him and gave it to the Scarred Man, who decided to base his entire identity off the former hero. Knowing how dangerous his Quirk is in the wrong hands, Knuckleduster is determined to not let the psychotic criminal leave alive.

In the main series, All Might proved that someone without a Quirk can fight even the strongest of villains, but he had that advanced suit of armor to back him. In contrast, Knuckleduster has relied on his wits, brute force, and prep time to get things done, to great effect. I’ve often compared him to the likes of Batman in the MHA-verse, but seeing him use guns, a cleverly sped-up recording, and explosives reminds me more of the Punisher or Billy Butcher. He knows he’s fighting an uphill battle and doesn’t have the luxury of showing his opponents mercy, so he chooses to go for the kill. Under any other circumstances, he might have ended Number 6 then and there, but the villain injected himself with Bomber cells, so…

Yeah, that’s not good.

There’s only one episode left in the season, so ending it on a cliffhanger feels appropriate. Annoying, but appropriate for pacing. This final episode should be very interesting!

I Give “This is a Hero” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 11 Review

So, I know that these episodes came out a few weeks ago, but for whatever reason, the simuldub of MHA Vigilantes stopped out of nowhere. So I decided to hold off on the posts until the dubs came out! I’m really glad I did, though, because the dub is that good. Unfortunately, what isn’t good is the situation that Captain Celebrity is in. The Sky Egg is about to fall, 50,000 people are in danger, and all communication is cut off. If nothing happens, a lot of people are going to die. Captain Celebrtity needs to go beyond plus ultra anyone wants to get out of this alive!

Koichi Shines

By now, everyone in the Sky Egg can tell that something is wrong. The pro heroes have figured out that they’re under attack from a villain, but any attempts to call the outside are useless. The Scarred Man shut everything down with an EMP. The best they can do is keep everyone calm while the fliers find a way out.

The Scarred Man really thought this attack through. He’s tied down the heroes by having most of them stuck keeping the civilians calm. His bomber monsters already have CC on the defensive, and by the time the flying heroes reach them, it will likely already be too late. They’ve managed to put themselves in the best position to win. Thankfully, CC isn’t alone. Koichi is able to run interference and keep the pro hero safe.

Captain Celebrity is More than a Jock

At first glance, Captain Celebrity is a stereotypical jock, and he does have that personality. He openly admits that he likes being popular and well-liked by others, especially women. To him, it felt like the way things were supposed to be. But then, he met his wife, Pamela, the only person who didn’t look at him like he was God’s greatest gift on this planet. She even called him a balloon because he’s full of hot air! But his desire to get her to like him led to them falling for each other, and despite being polar opposites in personality, they got married.

It’s clear that Captain Celebrity loves his wife, but unfortunately, he’s still a big dummy. And that’s not just because of that stunt he pulled last episode. He kept angering her without meaning to, but even worse his good nature led him to be taken advantage of by people he thought were his friends. That’s why he had to leave for Japan for so long! The poor guy honestly doesn’t deserve that!

Thankfully, Koichi’s heroics were able to do the job! The other heroes start pouring outside to back them up, and it’s a who’s who of characters we’ve come to know. Eraser Head, Fat Gum, Ingenium, Best Jeanist, that dragon lady, Mirko! I know it’s not for everyone, but I like these kind of cameos. It looks like everything is gonna be good…but the CC loses all of his strength and starts falling!

Koichi, you Idiot!

And then Koichi jumps after him like an idiot! And then, the Scarred Man detonates the Bomber to break it free! It breaks the tower!

What a crazy episode! I really liked the flashbacks to Captain Celebrity’s life, but that ending was pretty shocking. Good thing I waited, since it means I won’t have to wait a week to find out what happens next! Go beyond, plus ultra!

I Give “Balloon Soul” a 3.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1183 Review/Recap

Well, well, well, it looks as though Oda has finally decided to address the elephant in the room. Ever since we learned that Brook knew Gunko, or as he calls her, Shuri, fans have been wondering what their history is. Given how bitterly he talks about it, it must have ended badly from his perspective. But the fact that Gunko was able to briefly resist Imu’s control means that there must be more to what happened than Brook knows. Well, it looks like we’re about to find out, as we’re getting another flashback. In an arc that has already given us a flashback. And a flashback in a flashback.

This is a little concerning, from a narrative perspective.   

Recap

The fights against Imu and the God’s Knights continue. Loki is amazed that Imu is still standing, while Imu declares that he will erase Loki and Luffy as the two continue to clash. Meanwhile, the parents of the Giant children get ready to stand against Killingham and Zaza. They refuse to let their children be taken from them!

Elsewhere, the other Straw Hats ask Broom what the deal is between him and Gunko, or rather, Shuri. He acknowledges that she looks like someone from his past that he never wanted to see again. At the same time, though, she was the one who let them go free. Deciding that they should know the story before dealing with the frozen Gunko, Brook begins to tell his story about his homeland.

Seventy years ago, in the West Blue, there was the kingdom of music and instrument makers, Esperia. In those days, Brook was the young captain of the country’s Battle Raider Corps and a close friend of the king, Leuven. He also had a crush on the Queen and former captain of the Royal Guard, Queen Candel, much to Leuven’s dismay. Even more important, Brook liked to dote on their young daughter, Princess Shuri, who said she wanted to marry Brook when she got older. Those were good times.

Review

Well, that was interesting. I think that this is the second time that One Piece revisited the backstory of one of the Straw Hats to flesh it out more, with Sanji being the first. I don’t mind it all that much, as I like well-developed characters. Like I said, though, I do find it concerning that Oda is giving us another extended flashback in this arc. Considering how much time we spent on the stories of Harald, Loki, and Rocks, I’m worried some fans are going to complain about the pacing issues.

That being said, the beginning of this flashback gave us a mixture of things that we should have already figured out, as well as some new information. We already knew that Brook knew Gunko back when she was called Shuri. We knew that the two were close, enough that Gunko has a subconscious fondness for Brook’s music to this day. And we knew that something must have happened that made Brook hate her up til now. And I think I can already piece together how things turned out: Shuri and her dad went to the Reverie one year, Shuri was captured and turned into Gunko by Imu, and that led to the death of her father and the destruction of Esperia. Brook either wasn’t there when it happened, or wasn’t able to stop it. Either way, it’s safe to assume that Queen Candel died.

All that being said, I do appreciate seeing what Brook was like as a young man. He was more or less like what he is today, being the same goofball and skilled swordsman we all know and love. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the fact that he was crushing on the Queen, either. It’s not cool to covet a friend’s wife, but it’s offset by the fact that he was willing to wait for Leuven to die naturally. They must have been really close!

I hope that this flashback will not run for too long, as we have had to wait on this fight long enough as it is. But if it means that they can somehow get Gunko on their side, that might be enough to turn the tide in the Straw Hats’ favor. They might not be able to beat Imu, but they can run the clock down to ensure that he will have to withdraw.

I Give “Good Mor-Maid” a 3.5/5

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