The Curious Cat is a very talented fighter who has a lot more raw power than Billy does. Now it’s probably reasonable to say that Billy still has the edge in pure martial arts. I think that would be very fair to be honest but at the same time I still don’t see him winning this round. When he gets in close to land some combos, The Curious Cat can endure them for quite a while when all he needs is one clean counter hit and that would end the match. There really isn’t any coming back from that. The Curious Cat wins.
Katsura vs Cosmo Kramer
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Cosmo Kramer may be good at acting on the spur of the moment and coming up with plans but he’s not taking Katsura out. Katsura is probably even better at being absurd than Kramer is. Kramer just won’t be able to keep up with this guy’s nonsense which in the end will definitely put Cosmo on the losing side. Katsura can also actually fight and Cosmo cannot so that should be taken into account too. Katsura wins.
Tatsumi Tatsunami vs Luke Hobbs
Luke Hobbs is a very strong guy. Some would say that he’s basically superhuman in terms of strength at this point and it’s hard to go against that. Still, Tatsumi Tatsunami has abilities that are also beyond any normal humans. He can also extend his arm to increase the range of his attacks. Tatsumi even goes up against alien fighters. Luke isn’t quite pulling that off yet and as good as his car skills are, this is where it all ends for him. Tatsumi Tatsunami wins.
Cha Hae In vs Veyle
Veyle may have a lot of good spells at the ready but Cha is a speed fighter who can really hold her own. She should be able to dodge those spells easily enough. Veyle can fight well in close quarters but it isn’t exactly her forte and Cha basically surpasses her in all of the relevant stats. Without a way to keep up Veyle will ultimately go down here. Cha Hae In wins.
Beru vs Eight
Eight is a powerful fighter and as one of the Dragon Quest leads you already know that he’s packing some serious ability. That being said, I don’t see him keeping up with Beru’s incredible speed. The creature would have already gone way past Eight before the guy could even hope to respond. That level of power is really just crazy to deal with and I dare say Eight wouldn’t last a minute. Beru wins.
Noah Diaz vs Veyle
Noah Diaz has returned but this time he’s fighting a mage of immense power. Veyle may have lost sight of herself for a while there but she never lost her skills. With her various magics there isn’t much Noah can do. He’s not fast enough to dodge her attacks and would quickly get decimated in close quarters combat as his armor can’t block her blades. Veyle wins.
Bomberman Tournament Review
Bomberman has returned for his next adventure! When playing through the story mode you’ll probably be wondering why this is called “Tournament” but it does have a multiplayer mode and there are some optional tournaments you can enter with the creatures so I guess that’ll do. Personally I’d say it is a bit of an untapped resource here since there’s a lot you could do with the whole Pokemon homage. As it stands you only have 2 mandatory fights in the whole game.
The basic plot is that Max has gone missing and now the Dastardly Bombers are running around causing trouble. Bomberman is called in to take these guys down once and for all. Let me tell you, this guy is absolutely ready for action and won’t be taking prisoners. Does he have the bombs needed to blow up all of the enemies around him or is he quickly going to find out the limits of his own abilities? One thing’s for sure, they never should have messed with Bomberman’s planet!
The gameplay is your classic Bomberman style to an extent with a few extra additions. You use bombs to clear out debris and enemies as you try to get to the goal. During a boss fight you use the bombs strategically to box the enemy in and land some serious damage. Where it’s a bit different here is the game’s part RPG style so you actually capture a lot of Pokemon (Karabon, but it’s so similar I’m just going to call them Pokemon) and they have special abilities. Things like kicking the bombs, throwing them, moving through walls, etc. It’s a pretty interesting way to add some depth to the gameplay although the only mild annoyance is to switch your equipped Pokemon (You can only have 1 equipped at a time) you have to go into the start menu and switch through some tabs. Like I said, not the most convenient option for sure.
Some abilities are permanent at least so you don’t need the Pokemon equipped. Another benefit to having one equipped is that any items you find along the map are automatically added to that creature’s level. You’ll see a lot of attack, defense, and special point boosts. They all go to the one you have equipped and so if you have none equipped then they are just wasted. There are tons of these everywhere so you don’t need to go out of your way to grind them. You’ll get the power ups fairly quick, trust me on that. I didn’t focus on this and I still won my two matches rather quickly.
There are also a small handful of minigames in the story but only like 2-3 so you can easily forget that they’re even a thing here. It was still nice to see though. So the game gets props for having a lot of different gameplay styles in the mix. I also think it tried a little harder to have a grand story as it’s all played fairly serious and the villain designs were on point. It’s a lot older so there isn’t any voice acting or any of that but the story’s on point.
The graphics could stand to be a little more detailed but they work well enough. You can always follow the action of what’s happening here. The ost is also surprisingly good, there are actually a number of solid songs as you go through the levels. That’s also good because it’s a fairly small soundtrack so you need to prepare to hear each song quite a few times. The story I’d say is probably like 4-5 hours give or take. It took me longer than expected mainly because I happened to bump into a game ending glitch in the first world. The character just would not let me heal the Pokemon to continue. I had to replay the world 2 more times after the initial playthrough before it finally worked. I still don’t know what the problem was but in the end I just followed a video walkthrough for that level exactly. I must have been doing something in the wrong order but it was definitely a bit of a bizarre glitch.
Well, glitches can happen anywhere I suppose. On the whole the game is still fun enough where you will have a good time. You are rewarded as you play through by getting stronger and stronger. It’d be nice if more of the secret caves had nice stuff in them though. Half the time it’s an NPC just telling you basic information and you wonder why they were hidden. Give me more power ups and hearts. The game isn’t a cakewalk but it’s not too difficult so you should have a smooth time even without a lot of the bonus hearts to help you out with. Always keep a potion on hand just in case you need it.
For the most part you’ll find most of the collectibles just while playing normally anyway. Each world doesn’t trigger its story until you talk to someone so to be on the safe side I always talked with everyone in every village so you end up grabbing everything else too. My main advice in the gameplay/boss battles is to run and gun. Constantly throw out as many bombs as possible behind you and that should help give you the edge in combat. Bomberman veterans will really know how to trap the opponent right away but I’m definitely more casual. So I find the best way is to just throw out a lot of bombs and eventually you will hit the opponent. Just make sure you don’t get hit too because your own bombs do 2 hearts worth of damage to you.
Overall, Bomberman Tournament is a pretty fun game. The Pokemon addition is pretty fun but the battles feel like a missed opportunity since they weren’t incorporated into the story all that much. Additionally there is no gameplay in those as you’re just watching the characters fight each other. I definitely would have changed that up a bit to have active gameplay in the mix as well. It would make the fighting feel more engaging and would encourage you to level them up. Instead it’s basically full RNG which isn’t quite as satisfying. You are playing for the bomb gameplay first and foremost though and that is as smooth as can be. The Bomberman series definitely understands how to pull that off without a hitch by this point.
Overall 7/10
Igris vs Alear
Alear is a strong fighter with really good close quarter skills. Still, she won’t be able to react to an opponent with this level of power. Igris continued to get stronger throughout Solo Leveling and his sword would likely break right through her weapons. She doesn’t have the durability to endure any direct shots here so she would ultimately go down. Igris wins.
Jinwoo vs Twice
Jinwoo and Twice can both fight with absolutely massive armies at their disposal. We’re talking thousands not hundreds. That said, Jinwoo’s army is ultimately a lot stronger. He can also revive them as needed and as a solo fighter he would already be enough to take out all of Twice’s clones. Jinwoo’s powers are at an absolutely crazy level and he can move faster than the eye can see. Jinwoo wins.
Den-noh Coil Review
Seems like there’s quite a few ways to spell this anime’s title. I’ve seen it as Deno Coil, Den-noh Coil, Dennou Coil, etc. I suppose they all get to about the same place though. The show’s a slice of life style mainly revolving around a bunch of kids but it doesn’t get as colorful and energetic as you’d need to make this show pop out. Slice of Life titles usually need to be really funny as a comedy or have some kind of really engaging storybeats to keep you in the mix. I think this one suffers from the main kids the most since you wish they were all a bit older to have some more intense plots.
The show follows a bunch of kids who live in a town that is mostly normal except for the digital aspect. See kids all wear these fancy glasses that let them see the digital world now and so they get to see all kinds of monsters and other creatures that aren’t actually around in a physical sense. Still, the old technology is getting dangerously outdated so there are cleaning robots that patrol the streets to destroy the cracks in the system. This means they will also destroy any old creature programs no matter if that animal is a trusted pet or something like that. Characters have to deal with loss, betrayal, and mysteries. There are quite a few characters running around the town after all. Can you trust the government or the kid rebels? The main character Yasako will have to find out because she really just wants to have fun over the summer.
So I would say here the main issue at its core is that the show’s cast just can’t hold up the plot. You won’t be very engaged with what’s going on for most of the adventure because there just isn’t much of a reason for you to be engaged. The kids are messing around in town but for the most part it’s not like the stakes are super high. They may get the glasses confiscated or perhaps or perhaps blasted by the robot but in most cases it doesn’t seem like this would be dangerous. There are definitely some exceptions and we do have a missing persons subplot so things are happening but the main kids aren’t part of the most interesting plots.
The show’s animation style is also not that good which doesn’t help matters. All of the color feels drained away the whole time. It looks more like a mainstream anime type movie than a full anime. The sharp colors are really needed to take this one to the next level or at least to help because it gives you something fun to look at visually. There is a decent track or two in here for the ost though so I’ll give the show props there. On a technical level it’s not really holding its own all that well.
The most brutal character in the show has to be Kyoko though. She’s Yasako’s younger sister and all of her scenes can be hard to watch. She’s young enough where she can barely talk but is always getting into constant trouble. She doesn’t understand the stakes which means that she is always getting in the way as well. The worst episode in the series is easily the one where she is spreading a virus to everyone by kissing them. That episode was cringe and also just pretty gross. Take her out of the series and it immediately gets better. Not saying it becomes a great show overnight or anything like that but it absolutely does improve quite a bit.
Isako is trying to single handily carry the series for the most part but that’s a tall order for anyone. In her plot she’s trying to find her missing brother which is a compelling plot. The darkness of the cyber world is vast and it’s difficult to have any leads with the government keeps closing up the cracks. That’s part of why she ends up being a big hacker because that’s possibly the only way to get to the truth. She quickly takes over the local gang and in general she is a very pro active character doing her best at all times. Definitely should have been the main character if you ask me a she also gives us some actual fight scenes against the robots thanks to her talismans.
Then we have Haraken whose plot is a bit similar in some ways. In this case he’s looking for a friend of his in the digital side. It’s possible that she’s dead but he figures there’s still a part of her out there. He’s not as good at hacking as Isako so it’s a tougher road for him but his aunt works with the government which does give him a foot in the door. It does mean breaking her trust though so it’s a pretty steep penalty. He’s very determined to find the friend and you get it since if there’s any chance that she is alive then he really can’t stop until he finds her. Being stuck in the shadowy digital realm on your own would be rough.
While most of the show takes place in the human world we actually do see what the digital realm looks like at times. There’s also some spooky visuals where we see the shadowy denizens of the digital realm show up to resume their kidnappings. You definitely don’t want to let them make any kind of contact with you or it could be all over. Of course if you take the glasses off then you’re usually in a better spot but sometimes ignorance is not bliss.
It is always funny when we cut back to the adults who just think that the kids are all really crazy. Without the glasses after all this probably does look like some kind of elaborate prank the whole time. The adults don’t really have time for all of that after all. They’d much rather the kids have some real hobbies and hang out outside. The whole AR tech and digital world is pretty well detailed in the world’s lore so from the adult’s perspective it’s just another tech. People work in the government and close up the holes but as far as the adults are concerned that’s really it. There’s no monsters to worry about or things like that.
At most I’d say the robots running around do seem potentially dangerous. They’re rather large so if they fall on a kid that’s game over. Also the lasers may not deal permanent damage but it still seems like it would be really disconcerting. Maybe if you don’t wear the glasses you wouldn’t notice that you’re turning pixelated but then you probably are still talking about a ton of radiation. Nothing’s perfect of course but yeah the dangers of technology are very real.
Back to the characters, Daichi starts out decently solid as the leader of the gang but once he gets humiliated by Isako he is never the same. The guy loses most of his dignity and spends a lot of the show complaining. Mix in some shipping in the show and he definitely lost his edge real quick. He beats some of the other kids but yeah he’s definitely not going to be very high at all. He might beat Grannie though. She has an organization all about completing small missions and using the digital realm but it felt like she wasn’t super helpful for the important matters. She’d get sidetracked by having to go to the hot springs and such.
Yasako may be the main character but she’s not one of the more interesting people here. She is a nice girl who wants to do the right thing but in a lot of ways that’s the extent of her character. She’s hoping to make some friends and wants to help other characters in their quest but she never really has as much of a personal stake in all of this. If she was a bit bolder and less timid that would have helped her character a whole lot. Give her a little more intensity or hacking skills at least. Since she’s not a hacker like the others she isn’t able to fight much until she at least knows how to throw the talismans.
Speaking of cyber risks, the talismans were clearly super painful to use so if the parents found out about that they would be outlawed real quick. I guess it’s like you’re overloading your brain a bit or if you believe Isako’s explanation it’s like putting a bit of your core code/soul into it. Either way that’s definitely pretty dangerous no matter how you slice it. Fumie is the tough member of the group and even she wasn’t big on that. Fumie was pretty fun for the first half but unfortunately she pretty much gets written out in the second part. It’s not like she moves away or anything but her screentime just got significantly reduced.
It’s too bad since she had a fun personality and helped to at least get Yasako to take more risks. Finally we have Tamako as one of the grownup figures here. It’s always good to have an adult to shed some reason on all of this after all. She may end up getting the company in trouble a lot and tends to lower her guard but it was still good to have a different perspective on this. You can only watch the kids mess around for so long before you need a leadership figure in there…if she really counts as one.
So there’s quite a bit going on here and a lot of characters at the ready. It’s not like the show stays aimless forever. The first half is about showing you the rules of the verse and setting up the plot points before the second half really dives into them. Typically this is a pretty good formula but the problem is that the setup still revolves around the kids and there’s only so much you can do to make that very interesting. As it stands the show was not able to pull that off at least as consistently as it would have needed to in order to make this a really solid show.
I’d like to take the concept and make it more action based. The fact that these guardian robots can shoot lasers already sets up for a nice premise about stopping them when they end up taking over. You could have a robot invasion and the heroes have to try and fight them off. Then you remove the kids as the adult step in. We don’t have to worry about any romances or kids being annoying either. The show will perhaps be less unique but I think it’s worth it to get this into the next level. There was a lot of effort put in here but I’d say it was put into the wrong places.
A slice of life is only as strong as its main cast and by the end you’re not going to love the characters. I had my favorites to be sure but put them in almost any other show and they would be fairly low tier. You need the characters to all pop out more, give them some more interesting traits or again just make them funny. From the poster at the top you can see how the cast is fairly big and yet most of the characters won’t leave much of an impression on you other than that they cause trouble a lot.
Overall, Den-noh Coil is a show that just didn’t have many draws for me. The main characters being kids definitely doesn’t really help since I need the adults and as a slice of life it wasn’t really funny enough to turn the corner either. I think you absolutely need to age the kids up for the show to really have a chance. It doesn’t make any big mistakes either, it just can be boring at times. That’s why I’d say it doesn’t quite get up to the middle level, however it’s not an awful show or anything like that. Naturally if you really enjoy shows about kids hanging out and working together then you may have a good time here. I’d just recommend picking a show with a bit more pop like Megaman NT Warrior.
Overall 4/10
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