Cardfight!! Vanguard Divinez DELUXE Arc Review

Posted on August 3, 2025 by dreager1

Cardfight is back with another top tier title. It’s no surprise that this one would be good either because the entire anime arc is a single tournament. This means that every episode is filled with action. You’ve got everyone trying to be the best and the tournament isn’t even over when the season ends. Only the first phase, then finals will be the next season. It’s a pretty fun way to go about it. Now technically I’d have preferred to open things up a bit and get more combatants here in a bracket system instead of the whole round robin thing. Still, this works out well enough and it’s nice to be seeing every character duking it out at the top of their abilities.

The show starts out with a bunch of fighters being invited to the next Deluxe tournament. You’ve got a mix of old and new fighters trying to prove that they are the most powerful in the world. Akina is ready for this and hopes to have a good time. He is shaken up though when a new guy shows up Kagetsu and he’s awful close to Akina’s mentor Nao. Akina needs to get to the bottom of this and crush this guy but before he can do this, Akina will have to learn the true reason behind why he plays Cardfight in the first place. Without that answer he will be lost.

There won’t actually be a lot to talk about story-wise compared to other seasons since again, this is all just one big tournament. So I’ll spend most of the time here talking about the 12 contestants. They all have had a lot of character development in order to get to this moment after all so it makes for a good tournament. Of course the new characters do have to spend a little time getting introduced but they still did go through their share of struggles off screen. The stakes are also pretty high because out of the 12 fighters who are kicking things off, only 6 will move on to the finals. The final 2 slots of the top 8 will be filled out from good ole America.

So lets start off with Akina. This guy is the main character after all and he’s got some good skills. He has grown a lot more confident over the years but this season does bring up some of his insecurities like with how he reacts with Kagetsu shows up. By the end of the season he does finally come to terms with this and even makes a speech involving Nao. It’s definitely a big scene even if it’s sort of putting her on the spot there. He does have the worst lyrical song out of all the combatants but you can’t win them all.

I think the main character will always be at a disadvantage to the extent that you have seen his deck and heard his song far more than any of the other combatants. So it only makes sense that it won’t be as exciting as the others. Akina is a well written character either way and while I am not rooting for him to win the tournament, it is nice to see him doing well.

Then we have Mirei who is one of the fun wild cards here. She was the big bad several seasons against the original main characters so now she gets to test her skills one last time against the new fighters. She still has tremendous abilities so it’s good to see that she hasn’t been completely phased out. It’s hard for me to picture her winning the whole thing, but she looks better than I expected she would. Mirei still has a lot of confidence about her although she doesn’t talk smack as much as almost any of the other fighters. She prefers to win in a rather graceful way and even her cards feel rather ordinary next to the others. She doesn’t appear to have any kind of killer card to seal the doubt but her abilities are still enough to take her to the next stage.

After that is Erika, the one I am rooting for to win this tournament. She has had to go through a whole lot during the series. Having to live through an incredibly dark timeline, then nearly getting erased, and finally having to give up her family. I’d say it’s about time something went right for her. Her deck is extremely powerful so I’ve been surprised to see her struggle so much. Perhaps I shouldn’t be, these are all some of the best fighters on the planet. I’m sure she will adapt and continue to fight well though.

She has a fun personality and while she can be overly defensive in just about every conversation, you get why she would be on guard after everything that happened in her past. I’d give her a pass on that. At least she still gets a few scenes to hang out with Akina, they may not be able to reveal that they’re family anymore, but no reason they can’t hang out as friends.

Then we have Nao who of course gets a really big role here. She may be Akina’s mentor but she hasn’t gotten a very large role over the last few seasons. This is her chance to make a big return. I will say that despite her aspirations to be the strongest pro and even getting to that level, her deck has never struck me as being very impressive. So this is a good chance to see more of it, although like Erika she struggles a lot here. She definitely deals with a lot.

I can give Nao full credit for always being a good mentor to Akina though. Even when she’s at her lowest in this series, she still manages to congratulate him and put on a brave face so that he doesn’t worry. It’s the hallmark of a great character to be able to do that instead of panicking or having an emotional outburst. I already liked her character quite a bit, but I can say that she ended up going even higher here.

Megumi is one of the original characters so it’s nice to see her return. In the original series she lost a whole lot and always took the back seat to the others. Now that Danji is an eternal old man and the old main character has vanished off the face of the Earth, this is her turn to shine. She definitely does well in the fights and proves herself to still have a lot of ability. In a way it would be fun for her to win the tournament as a way to prevent a passing of the torch. Show that the old generation can still fight and all that.

I wouldn’t be opposed to her winning it all. Megumi has a fun personality and is definitely a passionate cardfighter. You absolutely need those traits in order to keep up with the energy that the others put out. Perhaps this could also allow her to have one last rematch with Danji and finally take that elusive W. As the current head of Blackout, she could pull this off.

Suo was a big villain a while back so now that he is a hero, can he really hold his own? The series plays up how awkward he is around people but the important thing is that he is always trying to improve. I definitely admire that about him even if I preferred him as a villain. Maybe we just have too many heroes at this point but this isn’t the kind of series where people stay villains so I suppose it makes sense. To me this guy would be a bit more of a waste to win the whole tournament, but hey it would show that his skills really did not diminish at all. He also does have his own character arc since one of the new characters parallels the old him.

Raika was the previous tournament winner so of course he is back but the power creep is real. I think Raika’s main problem is his arrogance. To an extent the series always tries to show that he’s not that crazy but I dunno. The actions just don’t really reflect it. He always comes across as real stuck up to me in how he talks to everyone. He may plan out thoroughly for every character and never hold back, but he just makes it so easy to root against him. When a guest star character barked at him through text I couldn’t help but smirk. Raika is strong but he is sure good at losing.

Kuon shows up for this tournament but lets just say he is mainly used to show the power creep here. Yeah he’s strong but part of the point here is that he’s just not on the same level as the others. He needs more time and experience to really build up his skills. As far as the characters go I would also say there is just less to him than the others. I expect most people would pick him as one of their early exits from the tournament if you had to select one. Nothing personal to the guy but that’s how stacked the cast is.

Gui is in a similar boat. The guy is an incredibly powerful A.I. and was one of the top tier threats but ultimately he hasn’t adjusted and continued to improve compared to the others. This means he will be left in the dust next to the others. I also think there is less chance for banter compared to the other characters so less reason for the writers to keep him engaged. I preferred him as more of an antagonist too since as a hero he’s a little boring. Getting him out of here was probably the right move.

Kagetsu is one of the new hype characters so you can bet that he is getting a lot to do here. He was so good that he essentially got bored of Cardfight…or is that the reason? We learn more about his past later on and it’s a bit more petty than that. He is still a solid fighter though and shows the logic of “there is always someone stronger” very well. This guy is treated as an absolute beast and then we find out there is someone even stronger than him and by a fairly wide margin. I think it will be tough for this other character to live up to the hype but I’m still really interested in how that plays out. We’ll also see if Kagetsu is able to push past his limits here.

We have Michiru from the American branch who is still a prodigy. He’s in a bit of a weird position though because he’s always been treated as a nearly untouchable character but rarely felt like it. Gui messed him up a while back and then Danji also gave him a hard fight. We’ll see how well he performs in the next season but from the big fighters, he may be my least favorite. I don’t mind if he gets bumped in round 1 to hype up a different character.

The other American fighter is a new character named Ruka. She seems to be a very powerful fighter who is sort of like Saitama from One Punch Man. She is a Cardfighter for fun. Ruka isn’t in this for fame or glory. She just likes Cardfighting and that kind of character can always be a great foil to the others. Akina was basically told that this is not a satisfactory answer and yet Ruka is living this philosophy out to great effectiveness. I’ll enjoy seeing how she interacts with the others.

Senka returns as one of the powerful fighters from the recent seasons. I like her confidence and how outspoken she is all of the time. A good attitude to have in this intense world of Cardfighting. That being said, I feel like there isn’t much going for her character at this point so it won’t be particularly surprising to see her not do well here. She’s the kind of underdog I would root for a lot, knowing that she won’t be going very far. That’s just how it goes sometimes though.

Finally we have Suzune. She feels a lot of pressure to win because her family honor is on the line. She isn’t really even allowed to have fun playing the game because a single mistake reflects on everybody. I enjoyed her character but naturally you are expecting some changes by the end. It would have been nice if she could have been a bit more powerful but the show did well in showing how toxic this kind of mentality would be. It would be absolutely suffocating in practice. We’ll see how skilled she can be in the future once that level of stress is lifted.

There are a few supporting characters running around like Danji but for the most part this is about the combatants. Masanori is still around to act shady and at this point I’ve just accepted that he probably won’t be facing any justice for being a constant villain. I would have liked to have seen more guest stars if this is really the last big tournament within the Cardfight saga but the show did still branch out across the seasons so I can’t be too greedy.

The animation is really excellent as always. The colors are striking and I definitely enjoyed seeing how dynamic the cardfights were. The show is always very energetic. Likewise the soundtrack is excellent with a whole lot of lyrical songs. The opening isn’t one of the strongest ones but it wors well enough. The soundtrack as a whole easily gets 5 stars here. The technical elements never let the show down at all.

Overall, This was another great season. While I may miss some of the end of the world stakes, a good tournament arc is a close second place for the kind of stories that I enjoy. It’s great being able to see the characters just enjoy their battles with no asterisks. The season also moves at breakneck speeds the whole time as it has to cover a lot of battles in just 13 episodes. Naturally this does mean that some fights do have to be rather rushed but all of the big ones get a solid amount of screentime. I definitely recommend checking this one out and it’s really impressive how long Cardfight has been going on for at this point. It’s a true rival to Yugioh.

Overall 9/10

Over the Top Review

Posted on March 23, 2025 by dreager1

It’s time for a film that actually gives a whole lot of screentime to an arm wrestling tournament. It’s definitely a pretty unique spin on things because there really aren’t very many films about that at all. I’ve never been interested in the sport myself. It looks way too painful and so many things can go wrong. Still, I know people tend to enjoy it and the film does a good job of presenting it as something exciting. In the end it’s a fun movie even with a really annoying kid.

The film starts off by introducing us to Hawk who is a young kid that has been doing well for himself in a private military school. He is shocked and dismayed when his father comes in to pick him up. Lincoln has been out of the picture for 10 years so this is all sudden but his mother really wants them to find a way to bond. She is super sick and so having a father will be good for Hawk. Hawk is determined not to get close to Lincoln and spend the whole trip in silence but what he doesn’t know is that Lincoln is entering the world championships for Arm Wrestling. Lincoln is really trying to win big and make his family proud but he will have to get past his father in law, Jason. Jason doesn’t approve of Lincoln and intends to do whatever is necessary to push him away.

Now you do sympathize with Jason to a rather large degree. It can’t be ignored that Lincoln straight up abandoned his family for 10 years. It’s not like it was one year or something, 10 years is absolutely crazy. The film never gives us much of a solid reason on why he left. It seems like he just couldn’t take the heat and so without any kind of justification (Which would be tough to get in the first place) there isn’t really a reason to root for him here. It’s great that he wants to make amends, but that should not be forced upon Hawk.

Lincoln is the main character so we see things from a very sympathetic viewpoint to him but even so, it makes sense why other characters would oppose him. His wife giving her blessing is nice but since she was basically on her death bed, Jason has a point that she might not have been in her right mind. The film shows that Jason is way too crazy with how he hires actual hoodlums to beat up Lincoln and kidnap Hawk so you’re not rooting for him but the movie had to make him super extreme because otherwise you may have found that he actually did have a good point.

The movie really needed to give us a better reason for why Lincoln was gone for so long. In the present he is fun with how he beats up the enemies and saves the day. He seems like a really good guy, you just can’t ignore the history. With all that said, I still don’t like Hawk. He looks unreasonable and annoying right from the jump. He’s really full of himself and even puts himself in mortal danger like when he ran across the highway. Hawks is very emotional and keeps on switching his feelings every few minutes. He seems like the kind of kid who doesn’t really own up to the situation and is always ready to pass on the blame. Definitely not a good thing to do in any context. I was expecting better out of him, even if just by a little bit.

Yes he gets his big moment by the end but it’s way too late. He was just way too emotional. Fortunately the climax is really more focused on Lincoln fighting off all the big opponents. The movie probably made the final boss a little too powerful though to the point where it is completely unbelievable that Lincoln is able to take him on. Not only is this guy way stronger but he barely struggled throughout the tournament. He’s at near peak condition while Lincoln already needed ice packs and rehab from the earlier matches. He really should have gotten absolutely crushed here.

Ah well, it’s always fun to see the hero win. This movie is generally a pretty light hearted film with quick pacing. It may not always be the most grounded but you will be having a good time as you watch it. I can’t really fault the movie for that. Having a good time should always be the main priority after all and this film never really forgets that. The ending is satisfying and things just work out. I also appreciated how big in scale and presentation the tournament felt. We had intros for the various characters, announcers hyping them up, etc. It felt like a true event and I don’t see how you can take arm wrestling much further than what this film did with it.

They even did have the obligatory arm break during one of the rounds which is absolutely why I would not engage with the sport. It seems to me that everyone who engages in the sport long enough breaks their arm at least once. It’s like Skiing where everybody says you break your leg at least once. Once is already too much for me. I know every sport carries a degree of risk but at least in most of them you can mitigate it. Once the other guy has your arm, I don’t know how you can fight it if they really want to break your arm or there is a big power gap. Too risky for me.

Overall, How much you enjoy this film will all come down to how much you can tolerate the kid. If you can’t handle how annoying and cringy he is the whole time then the movie may falter for you. If you can get past that hen it is a good film. It’s entertaining with a lot of good competitive energy the whole time. The villain and even the kid both have valid points so the movie makes sure to undercut them as necessary to ensure that you can still root for Lincoln. At the end of the day you want a main character you can root for after all and in the end this did the trick. It’s not amazing but it is pretty good and that was enough for me.

Overall 7/10

DOA: Dead or Alive Review

Posted on March 3, 2025 by dreager1

Dead or Alive is one of those titles that is always super tragic. The series has amazing characters who got a lot of hype thanks to the fan-animated Dead Fantasy series. Additionally there is a lot of rich lore and world building to be found but instead it is often thrown away in place of fanservice. The same thing happens here. The movie has a fantastic soundtrack, great fights and visuals, not to mention a great cast. Unfortunately the fanservice continues to come in strong and hard which ultimately prevents the film from succeeding the way that it should have. You have to squint your way through to the end which is not the way to go.

The film starts by introducing us to our three leads. You have Princess Kasumi who wants to find her brother Hayate who supposedly died during the Dead or Alive tournament but she doesn’t believe this. When she gets an invite to the tournament, Kasumi gets her chance to find out what’s going on. Tina’s reason for entering the tournament is a bit more mild, she wants to prove to people that she is a true fighter and not a fake wrestler. Finally Christie just wants to make more money and there are millions to be stolen from this island. Who will take the crown?

There are a lot more characters in the tournament but technically speaking most of them do not last very long. It was fun to see a bunch of characters from the games either way though. Tina’s father Bass gets a fight to himself and it’s clear that he is holding back a great deal so when he goes down it’s not like he suddenly had to get nerfed by the plot or anything. Who wants to defeat their kid in a serious fight right? If anything you could say he was mostly used for the comedy which worked really well.

This is the kind of film where you do have to overlook the characters really taking it to each other even when it’s a friendly match though. Christie for example dishes out a ton of pain to her boyfriend Max like hitting him where it hurt and crushing his hands. It was intense enough where I thought he was being set up to be a total villain but in the end it just ended up being their dynamic. Max has one scene where he defeats a fighter accidentally which was taken a bit far as a gag though. In the end I’m surprised he still ended up with Christie but I guess his confident attitude actually worked.

His romance plot is still better than Weatherby’s though. That guy didn’t stand up to help Helena when it counted and so that was a real bad look for him. I give him some points for actually talking to Helena instead of creeping by the computer all day but he still wasn’t really my kind of character.

Another character who looks bad here is Ayane. She is so determined to murder Kasumi that she takes this to a crazy obsessive level. Ayane could have been putting that time towards helping to find Hayate as well. Even if he was dead, just let Kasumi do what she wants for now. There is no reason to be going this aggressive and then by the end she is acting like nothing happened. I tend to like Ayane but she did not look good in this one.

Hayate sadly doesn’t get to do a lot here but he is given a lot of hype as being the strongest warrior on the planet. That was appreciated and he does his best even when he’s outgunned. I have a hard time believing that he would lose but I guess I can ignore that. The point of Victor’s new tech is that he can copy and predict people’s moves but I don’t think the body would be quick enough to counter and also properly execute the move. We can just chalk it up to sci-fi shenanigans.

Victor actually made for a pretty good villain. He’s nice and over the top the whole time with al the laughing and bragging about how strong he is. He’s a villain who is clearly having a good time throughout the movie and seems to actually enjoy being rich. Sometimes you just want a big villain like this who is completely unrepentant and does whatever he feels like. No need for some kind of a fancy character arc here.

Hayabusa does well in taking out a lot of minions here. I also appreciated that he was really protective of Kasumi rather than trying to murder her. The guy was even able to push his feelings aside throughout the movie so that he could properly protect her. He gets big props for not getting distracted. This guy is just a really good hero through and through who is as noble as they come.

Speaking of distractions, I was also pleasantly surprised that the film didn’t have any of the characters try and use their looks to distract the villains. That’s one of the worst tropes and fortunately the movie didn’t have any of them sacrifice their dignity. Now the extreme levels of fanservice in the film do negate this to an extent but at least that’s one thing it avoided. The various romance plots tend to be really weak. The only decent one is with Hayabusa and even then it could probably stand to slow down a bit. The others are definitely more on the annoying side and move too quickly.

Back to the characters, I would say Kasumi is the best one. She goes out of her way to try and save Hayate and puts herself in great risk. She understands what it means to look out for someone even if it puts your whole future at stake. She’s definitely the kind of friend you want to have on your side and her skills are quite impressive. Definitely a really fun character without a doubt. Then we have Christie who is fun as an antagonist. She doesn’t have the moral compass of the others.

Sure she’s not going around murdering everybody but she is a thief and takes whatever she wants. In terms of fighting abilities she may be the strongest heroine out of Kasumi even if it doesn’t seem like her training was as formal. You get the feeling that she just had to learn in a hurry after being a thief for so long which makes a lot of sense. She’s charismatic and a lot of fun to have around the whole time.

Now I have to admit that the final two heroines Tina and Helena look so similar that I was mixing them up the whole time. I generally know them from their storylines as Helena had the Weatherby one while Tina was proving herself but this is where video game costumes would help out to really differentiate them. They’re both fun enough, I probably prefer Helena because she has more of a troll side to her. She was definitely messing with Weatherby intentionally a few times. As far as flirting goes, that’s probably one of the better ways to do it. Tina had to start off with a fake victory to move on forward in the tournament so it didn’t make her look quite as hype.

Still you’ve got a lot of fun characters throughout. I also really liked the tournament style as matches could happen anywhere at any time. That’s just a really cool concept and there were a few homages to the games like how the cameras and UI worked. The soundtrack is awesome like I mentioned before with a ton of rock music. The pacing is really fast and so this film was really firing on all cylinders. The writing is really good with a fairly light tone but still keeping the story serious. You’re super invested in what’s going on the whole time and the fighting choreography is really solid. The film even played the volleyball match very seriously without any fanservice attempts in there.

Alas, like I mentioned before the fanservice still keeps this from being a good movie. I can’t really recommend a title that will have you shaking your head and wincing so often. That just wouldn’t make sense. It’s better than something like Charlie’s Angels which was all flash with no substance since this one has a good film buried beneath that but it has to succeed in spite of those scenes which was too hard of a mission. I would like to see a modern version pull this off while not falling into the usual traps.

Overall, Dead or Alive has a very distinct reputation which is pretty well earned by this point. It’s a shame that it always goes for the easy views when this has the makings of a great franchise. This film is just another example of this tactic. If you can get past all the fanservice then I would recommend checking this film out and seeing what you think. If that sounds like it’ll be a little too difficult then you should just check out the original Moral Kombat instead which is the ultimate tournament film.

Overall 4/10

Cardfight!! Vanguard Divinez Season 2 Review

Posted on March 2, 2025 by dreager1

It’s time for the return of Cardfight Vanguard! The Divinez season last time was excellent and this one definitely continues to operate as an incredibly high level. We get a big clash of teams here which was really hype and it ensured we got a whole lot of action. There were also some pretty massive plot twists that even affect events that happened in previous seasons. This really puts a cap on a lot of the recent adventures that each character had so it’ll be interesting to see how the next season plays out. It’ll also be hard to top this one although that has been the case for each season for a while now.

The show starts with a new villain named Sybilt appearing. This creature has decided to bring back the Destined fighters from last season so they can take on his chosen fighters. Once again the stakes are pretty high as the winners will be able to get their wishes granted. This time it’s not just one person who will have their wish granted after all but a whole team. So there is a lot of pressure on each person to win. Additionally Sybilt has turned on a sort of mind control on the fighters representing this side. Gabwelius knows that his fighters from the previous season are strong but can they really hold their own here? If they lose then everything might end up being lost.

The idea of bringing in a team of fighters who are all even more powerful than the first group is a very direct kind of story arc that works really well here. Folks that you saw as the enemy last time now have to team up which is another kind of story trope that I like. So mix that in with a tournament type setting and you’ve definitely got me on board. I would say the last season may have the slight edge in terms of impactful duels but it’s extremely close. As with last time, the highlight here is Hikari, the older version of course.

The younger version gets a much bigger role here as she shows up on the villain side. Unfortunately this role makes her look really bad as she turns against Akina and doesn’t even really try to get him on her side. She is completely stuck on her ways which is really unfortunate. I would say she comes across as ultra unreasonable even if she is doing this to help Akina out in her own way. You can’t help someone out by shutting them out first. It just doesn’t work that way and so she puts him through a lot.

Fortunately the older Hikari is around to help save the character. She directly confronts her younger self and really shows how to get off the dark path. The older version may not get to appear very much in any season but she really makes the most out of her scenes. Once again she completely steals the scenes that she is in. Her deck is also really impressive and still has a great theme to it. There are very few in the whole verse who can really hope to match her abilities.

As for Akina, he has come a long way since the old days. He certainly sticks up for himself more and isn’t quite as soft spoken. At this point it is old news since I’ve liked him for quite a while now. I’m not saying he’s on Aichi’s level yet but this guy can hold his own with any of the other protagonists. His skills are quite serious and he is really able to discuss any serious topic with ease. He’s someone that the heroes can really rally behind. In this season things may get rough for him during the duels but he is definitely no quitter.

Gabwelius is someone who doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence at all. Sybilt just seems better and more equipped for combat each time. Gabwelius is mostly stuck playing defense. Now granted, he does a good job of shutting down her more aggressive actions but it would be nice if he would straight up fight the whole time. Meanwhile Sybilt is actually a really fun villain. She has big plans on her end and keeps the heroes from getting too comfortable. The more we learn about her, the more impressive she gets. She really put in a whole lot of effort here in order to get her way. Also the fact that she can also duel really well is a huge advantage in her favor.

Then we have Massanori who somehow continues to show up in every single season. After a point you have to give the guy some respect although I still don’t like him. He’s just not that interesting and I also don’t think that he is really strong enough to justify his continued role. At this point it’s such a running gag he should probably be in the next season as an antagonist too though. Maybe you can somehow leverage this into some kind of really cool plot twist.

Jinki returns here and I was glad that his A.I. protected him from the mind control. It was a good way of acknowledging just how strong the program was and let Jinki keep some hype. I know a certain degree of power creep is unavoidable but I would have been a little sad if he was effortlessly defeated. In duels he still shows a good amount of skill and ends up being one of the more interesting characters on the villain side.

The thing to remember is that the mind control basically brings out your true instincts but doesn’t totally change you as a person. For that reason I’m still going to be a bit harsh on some of these characters. For example Kyohma. The guy resents how Taizo doesn’t take things seriously and really wants to take over the company. To an extent it’s to help Taizo but for the most part it’s just plain ole jealousy here. Taizo helped him a whole lot so for the guy to basically betray him here was crazy. I thought he was the least sympathetic character from the bunch and it wasn’t even close. He just seemed super ungrateful and so I wanted him to be defeated.

Taizo may not be the strongest character in the series but he’s always near the top so I really had to respect that. He’s just a fun duelist and someone who doesn’t take things too seriously. You want someone like that on your side to keep things from getting too stressful. You can also count on him when the chips are down like when he helped out Hikari. Rooting for him was a really easy decision and I think he let off Kyohma way too easily.

Suo may have been a really hype character back in the day who had serious abilities. Well at this point he has lost a lot of hype not that he is a hero. He looks good in the duel but not amazing or anything like that. It’s clear that he no longer has the same intensity. It’s great that things are going well for him now but it would have been good if he could have looked a little more powerful. His role here isn’t all that big but to an extent that had to happen to everybody since the episode count is very small. Most characters just get one duel and have to make the most of it.

Kuon was a fun duelist on the other side but I don’t think he ever grew on me too much even with all the screentime. It felt like the show was trying to make him really important retroactively but unlike the Sybilt twists, his just doesn’t work as much. I think the show should have kept him as a total mystery. He’s a nice guy and I liked having him around as an opponent to defeat but it still felt like there just wasn’t much to the character. I’d like to see him appear more without the whole tournament and see more of what his personality brings to the table.

Mikoto is one of the characters on the hero side who feels like she’s hit a bit of a wall as a character. She’s skilled to be sure but not one of the strongest ones. Her deck is nothing special and so her rivalry battle feels a bit generic. She is okay but it just feels like the writers don’t know where to take her next. With the cast already being rather large by this point I wouldn’t mind if she was the one to be written out.

Yuna on the villain’s side was also a bit of an empty character. I give her props for not coming across as antagonistic the whole time though. She actually seemed to be enjoying the fight and being very personable so it shows that even without any inhibitions she is a nice person. That’s always nice to see since some characters should definitely not be corruptible at all. It’s just not in their character.

Nao is a really fun heroine so it was nice to see her getting a big role here. She was originally a big mentor but got less to do as the series went on. She shows that she still has a lot of talent here and is one of the most charismatic members of the hero group. It’s easy to root for her and since she is the only one here aside from Taizo really going the pro route, the show should continue to show how advanced her skills are.

I also liked her opponent Senka. Senka is super competitive and wants to be someone who can defeat Nao. It’s a really goal and I always love a good rivalry so you’ll see no complaints from me. She just needs to level up her skills a bit more and she will really be a big threat. She also had to share time with a bunch of new characters so on her own she will be able to stand out more if she does return. Granted, the 12-13 episode count does limit possibilities for everyone but the more seasons you show up in, the more your appearances can at least stay high.

As always the soundtrack is really good here. Several characters have their own themes which is really awesome. It keeps the variety high at all times. Additionally the songs just rock out. They really help to amp up the intensity and even emotional feel of the duels. Then you have the animation which is pretty solid as well. They don’t have a blast showing off the in game animation as much as they used to but the character designs are still on point and the colors really pop out at you.

This is the kind of show that is more about the writing and the duels than the technical elements though. You will like the show if you like good duels and that’s really the whole point. Every duel throws in some good context and emotional weight behind it so that you are glued to the ending. The high stakes of the tournament also help to remind you that these aren’t just friendly fights either. Getting whatever you wish for is a pretty big deal after all, but you should be cautious considering who is offering the prize. At the end of the day when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Overall, Cardfight turned up another elite title right here. The episodes go by so fast and have such high replay value. You will get invested into pretty much all of the duels, even when it’s not the most exciting matchup. It shows that the company has turned these battles into a true science and you can really feel the intensity and creativity the whole time. The fact that they threw in a whole end of the world type plot at the end was just the cherry on top. I’m eager to see what happens in the next season and if the streak can continue. Cardfight is truly a worthy rival to Yugioh both in quality and scale at this point.

Overall 9/10

Cardfight!! Vanguard Will+Dress D2 Review

Posted on November 2, 2024 by dreager1

This manga is definitely a pretty interesting one. On one hand, it’s over extremely fast. There are only 12 chapters in the series and the whole thing is a quick tournament. So it has nonstop fights which is always fun for me but one thing that takes away from it a bit is that you already know who is going to win. I suppose if you got to read it instantly then maybe you could have gone in blind but the first episode of the season taking place after this one already revealed who would win. So that takes a little of the pop out of guessing who would win the match. Still, there are no real negatives to be had with the story. It’s a fun little title that lets you take a peak at how the characters have improved their deck.

The A.I. that nearly took over the world has decided that it needs to see a little more about how everyone duels. What is behind the magic of Cardfight Vanguard? Well the only way to really find that out is to bring the top 16 players over. Unfortunately there are a few big shots who don’t get to enter the tournament but we do have a lot of fun fighters here like Tohya. The winner will prove themselves to be the next true Cardfight champion. Without further adieu, let the games begin!

Each fight is generally around 1 chapter which makes sense since there are 16 people fighting it out here. Some of the minor fights do have to get skipped or abridged though. I was pulling for Tohya the whole time to be honest and you almost have to assume that he wasn’t giving this tournament his 100%. If he was then he should have done way better. This time there are no true stakes after all and I believe that’s what got to him. He’s the kind of character who performs best under duress and without it he gets to be too calm.

The series randomly introduces a new kid to the tournament roster. So far he has yet to appear in the anime so I’m not sure if it was just to give the manga some kind of exclusive or maybe he will return later on. He was nice enough and seemed like a good duelist but at the same time you’re never really thinking that he stands a chance here. I did like the banter he had with another player back in the shop during the final chapter. I think you could make a fine spinoff series about those two just having fun and dueling everybody.

Raika has a big focus here since he i one of the favorites to win the tournament. It’s nice to see him doing well and still getting really into the duels. He is not my favorite rival among the Cardfight cast, far from it! However, his deck is pretty fun. He goes for a very offensive style so he’s always on the attack which is naturally fun to watch. Certainly far more so than a defensive style although that’s where the duelist’s personality shines through. The right duelist can make any deck fun.

Also, fans of the card game will probably appreciate how in depth the games go. The manga is able to extend some of the fights beyond what the anime typically shows. So you get to really see the fight from start to finish with all of the cards that were used and their effects. You could probably try and pull off each combo yourself eventually. Provided that you own the cards of course.

The art is also pretty good. The characters are all on model and it is an easy title to read. You can really blast through the chapters without any real issues and follow the action at all times. It’s not extremely detailed but works for the approach that they are going for here. The writing is also pretty good. The author could maybe have infused the characters with a bit more personality as they aren’t as strong as in the tv show but of course we are working with a very limited amount of screentime here.

We definitely should have had some more cameos at least though. Showing a bunch of the characters who couldn’t enter the tournament would have been quite a grand idea if you ask me. There’s a lot you could do with that, even throwing in some foreshadowing or sequel bait. For better or worse, this is completely a self contained story that isn’t trying to be anything more ambitious than that. While it might not have a ton of impact right now, I think if they had released this a few years from now instead, it would have been super nostalgic to see all of the classic Will+ Dress characters again. Calling them nostalgic feels pretty weird right now though since I still think of them as being rather recent.

There isn’t much more to discuss for the title because of how direct it is though. You either really enjoy all of the classic duels and seeing the characters hang out or you don’t. This could have probably been stretched another volume or so and we could have really gotten to have the full versions of every duel in the tournament. That’s pretty much unheard of so it would have also put this manga on the map. Either way I look forward to seeing what manga they come up next. A crossover at some point would be awesome between classic, G, and the Dress series.

Overall, This was a pretty good mini series. Not every card title has to include end of the world stakes after all. I would have liked something to spruce the tournament up a little bit more though like some more banter and setup before the matches though. I think part of why this title feels extra low key is because everybody is super polite and professional. You don’t have any delinquents or people who are really trying to make a splash and change things up. Everyone treats this as if it’s their full time job and it is for some players but usually the series does a good job of still keeping all of the personalities really colorful. I would challenge a future series to spend more time making the characters interesting next time. Still, I would recommend checking this out whenever you have the time.

Overall 7/10

Cardfight!! Vanguard Divinez Review

Posted on August 4, 2024 by dreager1

Cardfight Vanguard is definitely one of the most impressive franchises out there. The fact that it has managed to create an all star franchise 3 times with classic, G, and then the Dress series is crazy. If you count the reboot and Divinez as separate then they’ve pulled this off 5 times. The fact of the matter is it can absolutely hold its own with Yugioh right now which would have been seen as nearly impossible back in the day. This is definitely a whole new era of hype and I don’t see it going down any time soon. This season is definitely a lot of fun.

The series starts off by introducing us to Akina. His little sister Hikari has been sickly for a long time so he works a job while in school to have the money for her bills. She occasionally gets better but always relapses. One day a cosmic being known as Gabwelius shows up and declares that the fated clash is about to begin. Several fighters have been selected for this and the winner will get their wish granted. Akina knows this is his chance to save Hikari and so he quickly enters. How hard can this Cardfight game be right? Of course everyone has their own reasons for entering and with wishes being what’s at stake, nobody is going to back down. Also why is Gabwelius hosting this tournament in the first place? There is a mysterious masked fighter who is trying to sabotage the tournament as well for some reason. A lot of mysteries need to be unmasked here.

I would say the series covers a whole lot of ground in 13 episodes. We get to see everyone’s motivations here and so the characters are really fleshed out. It reminds me a bit of Fate/Zero with how almost everyone feels like a main character and gets focus. The only decision I didn’t agree with here is how it’s not a standard bracket. So you just fight if your name is called and that means the same person can fight a whole lot. This is used to get Akina to fight multiple times in a row and I get that he’s the main character but seeing everyone get the standard amount of fights would have been better I’d say. It’s a minor thing though, I definitely enjoyed all of the fights either way.

As far as the characters go, I would say Akina is already better than the last one. Perhaps not in terms of skill level as that will take some time but he’s more confident which is always good. His wish is also a good one and the fact that he grinded out the training sessions enough to become world class in such a short amount of time speaks to his dedication. He really checks off all the right boxes of being a good lead so I really didn’t have any problems with him. He’s a good kid who who does the right thing and at the end of the day that’s what counts.

Hikari is more of a surprise standout character. Her determination is even greater than Akina’s and I would say that she easily has the best fight in the season. It’s an extremely personal duel with multiple insert songs and strong convictions on both sides. I’ll go more into this in the spoiler portion near the end of the review but yeah it’s good stuff all around. I really didn’t expect her character to go the direction that it did so definitely big props to her. This is another example of the show’s writing just being absolutely epic in every way.

Nao is the main heroine I would say. You would have some debates on this but ultimately her role is consistently large and she is also extremely important to Akina’s character development. She shows him how to really play and is always around to encourage him. He does the same to her and it’s really the ideal kind of bond between coworkers. She’s funny and talented which is a great combination and by the end of the series we see that she will only continue to improve from here. I’m definitely looking forward to her returning in a future story.

Suo is the main villain of the season and he’s okay but I don’t think he holds up compared to a lot of the previous villains. My main issue with him is a part of his character arc and that is that he barely feels anything. He is a very emotionless kind of character and he is just in this tournament because he was selected by destiny. He has one of the best themes in the season and a super strong deck though. His skills are the real deal but as a villain he wasn’t super interesting.

Then we have Mikoto who is rather famous and always has to keep up a nice attitude as a model. So by night she enjoys trash talking in Cardfight Vanguard while playing it online. It’s nice to see the online version of the game after so long because it makes sense that this would be really big too. In theory in a world that is absolutely filled with people playing the game, there would be a ton of people playing the online game too. So that works out pretty well. I think they could have done a bit more with her character and this is one of the only times where it felt like the 13 episode count was a little restrictive. She was all set up to be like a main character and she was definitely strong but doesn’t get to do a whole lot.

Still, Mikoto’s another character to bolster the cast with so in a future season I would expect her to still be doing a lot. She definitely has the skills and the fun personality to make this work out. Then we actually have some old characters who show up as main characters. You have cameo characters like Raika and Megumi but they don’t actually do anything here. I’m guessing they will eventually cross paths though and that will be super hype. In the meantime Taizo and Masanori get to have the lead roles.

Masanori enjoys trolling everyone as always and talking a real big game. I still wouldn’t say that he’s one of the better villains or anything like that but at this point he’s lasted for so long that I have to respect the hustle a bit. No matter what scheme is going on, he wants a part of it. He’s been on so many villain groups by now that it’s crazy. He also puts up a pretty good fight here so yeah the guy never gives up.

Then we have Taizo who is a fun character. He’s always been one of the strongest fighters on the planet but the problem is that he still manages to lose. This season sort of continues the trend so I do tend to feel bad for him. It’s got to be rough always being so close to the top but never actually getting to hold the gold trophy. Making it that far is super impressive of course but it’s probably not a huge consolation at the end of the day when you taste defeat.

Okay the next four paragraphs including this one are going to be spoiler based so skip them if you haven’t seen the show yet. It’s time to talk about their ideals. Specifically I’m talking about Akina and Hikari. So Hikari shows up from the future because Akina ended up losing the duel and so Suo’s wish ended up murdering everyone in the area. In an instant Hikari lost everything and she spent years on her own looking for Akina. Hoping that somehow he survived but this was not the case. So finally she entered the fated clash of her own and after winning, went back in time to save Akina. She tried a lot of different things to mess with the tournament but nothing worked. On this point I do have to say that I feel like she could have tried more things though. When it comes to time travel I’m always ready to backseat drive.

Why not snatch the card out of Suo’s hand so he can’t participate in the tournament? You could also do the same thing to Akina. There are a ton of ways you could sabotage everything as well. So I’m a bit skeptical here as I usually am with these things. Well, either way Hikari eventually decides to final option is to defeat Akina in a duel and get him to give up. Akina of course figures that he still needs to try and beat Suo so that he can cure Hikari and save the world. They have their duel which as I said earlier is the best in the season.

Both characters lay out their arguments but I thought Hikari’s absolutely destroyed his every step of the way. Keep in mind that she had to actually live out her entire future. So when Akina shouts that he won’t leave her, her comeback of “You already did!” is absolutely on point. Throughout the duel Akina keeps acting as if this is a hypothetical future which is why he says he won’t let it happen but it doesn’t sound very effective because he has no reasons for why it won’t happen this time. In theory it’s the same situation and he will get wrecked.

I don’t blame him for not believing in Fate because you can always change things but he should have based his arguments around that instead of just insisting that he would win. Hikari’s points were all a lot more valid and you have to consider the fact that she is still alive in the future. So at least the illness doesn’t seem fatal yet. Perhaps Akina shouldn’t be risking everyone’s lives for this wish when he already knows how it’s all going to end. Or at least how it can end. At the end of the day that’s why it is a clash of ideals though. Neither character is wrong and both should keep trying to do what they can. I just think Hikari’s positions were a lot stronger and she won that debate.

As always the animation is really solid here. I like all of the effects and backdrops. The character designs are really solid too so I definitely have no problems with them either. The soundtrack is excellent with quite a few good songs here. Unfortunately it is difficult to find them online for now except for videos with a ton of background noise. Either way you can be assured that these help to enhance the show and make the duels that much more epic. They were not holding back at all on the production elements here.

At the end of the day, the key to becoming an elite anime is to make sure that every episode forces you to watch it. Every episode needs to be important and powerful which this one pulls off. It may only be 13 episodes but each one meant a whole lot. It’s why a series like this can have more hype moments than a series with 20+ episodes. It’s not a pace that is easy for just any series to pull off but Cardfight is built for this. Mix in the fact that there is usually a new gimmick in every season and you’re never bored. I wonder if the user effects will return or not. Guess we’ll find out soon.

Overall, Cardfight continues to excel in every season. This new cast is already extremely strong and they are definitely ready to hold their own part of the franchise. I look forward to seeing Akina and the gang return again sooner than later. It’ll be difficult to pass this season but there’s always a chance. It sounds as though next season will be having an even bigger tournament. Throw in some heavy hitters like Tohya and this one could definitely make a lot of noise. I do always love to see some crossover aspects after all so that would do the trick but even without that, tournaments are always a lot of fun.

Overall 9/10

Juni Taisen: Zodiac War Review

Posted on July 25, 2024 by dreager1

This series is one of those survival tournaments sort of like Fate/Zero. There are a lot of fighters gunning for the grand prize and everyone has their own reasons for winnings and strategies. We change perspectives a whole lot which is interesting. The series does a good job with all of the varied abilities as well. It can definitely get rather intense at times and for the most part you really can’t trust anyone as they will all do whatever they can in order to win. It definitely keeps you at the edge of your seat the whole time.

The story starts by introducing us to the Zodiac War tournament which is a battle that is held every 12 years. One fighter is chosen for each of the 12 Zodiac symbols. This is typically someone who has really been training for this day because the prize is immense. You get whatever you wish for. The limits of your prize appear to be absolutely unlimited so who would not jump at such a chance right? Each player swallows a poison gem and the deadline for the tournament is midnight. If there is more than 1 competitor still alive at that point, the gem will unravel and everyone dies. So you better murder the 11 contestants quickly or you will find yourself in oblivion as well.

Part of the fun is of course seeing who gets bumped off and who wins so I won’t be talking about who wins or anything like that. Obviously you want to go in with as little information as possible. Most of the characters’ wishes are hidden as well until the end so I won’t really go into that. Instead, I’ll mainly spend the review talking about each character individually. At the end of the day this is really a true combat manga all the way so you can expect quite a lot of action all the way through. It definitely does not hold back on the action at all. The series can get rather violent with how everyone is getting murdered. Of course that will come as no surprise but the backstories tend to be dark as well. You’re shown just how hopeless things are for most of the characters and why it is so important that they win here.

I can understand why they take the risk considering the stakes. That said, I would say some characters are considerably more powerful than the others. Everyone has some kind of a special ability up their sleeve but it’s hard to compare reading vibrations to having unlimited bullets for example. For the most part the characters are rather down to Earth so having an infinite machine gun is actually super handy. The series does a good job of using the rock paper scissors type rules though where characters have good and bad matchups which ends up being just as important as the battles themselves. You might still find some fights a tad cheesy with who comes out on top but all in all I would say the series did a good job with this.

The art is definitely very high tier. The series has a ton of detail on each page, you can definitely feel the dread of the characters and understand how high the stakes are at all times. Each page makes you want to flip to the next. It’s very easy to read and the style is memorable. For example Rabbit in particular looks super deranged the whole time, definitely not someone you really want to mess with.

One thing that’s too bad is that we didn’t get a longer introduction. We only get to see all of the characters together in the same room interacting for a very brief time. The tournament starts almost immediately and from there we don’t have a lot of time for conversation. Sure we get the 1 on 1s, but after that it’s about action. Seeing a little more tough talk and flexing at the beginning is the kind of thing that I will never turn down. The tension is palpable and it’s the kind of thing I really enjoy about tournament series especially because until the rounds start, it really is anyone’s game.

Okay so first up lets talk about Rat. He is one of the more unremarkable characters at first glance. His ability is a mystery but all of his stats appear to be around average. The guy is quick but still wouldn’t be a favorite to win. He’s a fun character to have around though and when you think of Rats in any form of media you know that they’re really clever. So naturally you are expecting something smart out of this guy. I liked his plan and once we get the reveal about his ability, it’s one that I really like. It’s an incredibly useful ability and yet I would not say that it is downright broken. The author is careful to add some limits to it. Honestly it’s an ability that would still be super scary to have in real life.

Then we have Ox who is one of the big favorites to win the event. He’s known for being virtually invincible. His strength is completely off the charts and he wins every fight without getting a scratch. He is absolutely unstoppable and the guy is very emotionless. He just does whatever he wants and doesn’t generally doubt himself. I liked him quite a bit. We never get a whole lot of backstory into the guy but just enough where you can understand him. I like the mystery there and of course in general I tend to like the characters who are really good at fighting and come prepared.

After that is Tiger who tends to get drunk a lot. She’s a solid fighter as well and gets even better when she is drunk but at the same time she never feels like she is a match for the top tiers which is what holds her back. I like her can do attitude and how she never backs away from a fight but at the same time it would have been nice if she was a little stronger. Bravado is all well and good but when it’s not enough to lead you to victory then it can end up feeling rather hollow. I still liked her well enough and in general the series made almost every character likable. There are two main exceptions here but she isn’t one of them.

Rabbit is the next one to talk about on our list. Like I said, the guy is absolutely insane. It’s hard to know what he is thinking at any given moment and that makes him a dangerous wild card. He is strong but his real strength is his unpredictability. At any moment he can just lunge at you and end the fight. For that reason, I feel like the characters could have had their guard up a little more. It’s not like this guy even looks all that stable right? Rabbit is super smart though. His ability isn’t necessarily the best at first but is one that becomes more and more useful as the fight goes on. in a survival game that is absolutely a really good kind of ability to have. It sets you up just right to make a play for the win.

Then we have Dragon who is one of the only ones that I did not care about. I don’t think the series ever meant for him to be all that interesting though. In a tournament of 12 fighters with only 4 volumes, some fighters can’t get as much depth as the others. I felt like Dragon was one of these guys. His ability isn’t very interesting and the guy doesn’t seem all that tough. So in the end there just isn’t much else for the guy to do. He’s just absolutely busted but not in a powerful way.

Snake suffers from the same fate which isn’t really surprising since they’re basically twins. So he has all of the same issues that Dragon has with no real improvements there. This guy can feel vibrations…but yeah that’s about it. These two are still good to have in the story of course to round out the roster but I don’t imagine that very many people missed them. They just never felt like they were really ready for this level of competition at all.

Horse is one of those guys that I thought had a whole lot of potential but in the end it just wasn’t enough. The way he went out wasn’t super satisfying either to be honest. I know a lot of this is about wits and being careful but even so it was just underwhelming. I still think he made for an interesting character even with the lack of screentime. He’s one of those guys who really would have made waves if he was left on the board for too long as well so it’s easy to see why he had to be targeted early on.

Sheep is the oldest contestant. He’s been around for a long time and so he can’t compete physically at all. The guy has bombs though and one of his big advantages is the guy’s a team player. He’s willing to work with just about everyone but of course in a tournament like this you have to be careful. He has a lot of wits and is a reasonably fun character but at the same time it just feels like he is doomed right away. No matter how skilled you are, can you really make it far without having some level of physical ability? It just seems like a losing battle.

Monkey is the pacifist of the group and so naturally she is one of the most annoying characters. This is a war so of course there’s no way to get through this without violence. For starters that would mean giving up your wish and nobody is going to do that. So she felt rather nonsensical from the start. Monkey has some of the strongest stats in the tournament but it’s not worth much when she isn’t willing to make the first move. She made for an interesting wild card but as a character I just didn’t like her. She definitely went to the wrong tournament, that’s for sure!

Chicken doesn’t have the biggest role but is a fun enough character. She’s not thrilled about being in this whole fight because fighting isn’t her favorite thing. Still, she has a wish to be granted and is ready to get it. Anyone who sounds this nice is rather suspicious right out of the gate though. I would definitely say that for sure. She’s not bad but Chicken doesn’t really stand out next to most of the other fighters. I would consider her to be one of the weaker characters overall.

After that is Dog who is good against poisons. He feels like one of those characters who is also rather underutilized. I couldn’t take him super seriously and he didn’t feel like one of the smarter characters either. The guy definitely needed a better plan here. I’d have been eager to see more of what he can do but in the grand scheme of things, most of the others had more potential so it was definitely a fair tradeoff.

Finally we have Boar who feels like someone who would be the main heroine in another title. Her backstory is rather twisted but her design just feels like the lead. Her infinite ammo ability is really solid and she’s a very confident character. Definitely one of the favorites to win the whole thing and I really enjoyed her character the whole time. Definitely a really fun character to have around at all times.

There is also the referee Duedeculpe but not a whole lot to say about him. Of course he is important for checking on what’s going on and is key to the ending. Not the most interesting character or anything but definitely a necessary one. Especially since he is a part of the mysterious organization which is definitely interesting in itself. Now there’s a group that you definitely can’t underestimate considering how much pull they have. If you get in their way then it’s game over.

Overall, The Zodiac War is a pretty fun series. The battles are all rather intense and the abilities are used wisely. I liked all of the tactics being used here and the ending definitely works really well. It’s a satisfying conclusion that makes the whole thing really worth it. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes a solid action title. I would again caution that this definitely does get very intense but I wouldn’t say it ever gets extremely crazy to the point where it is trying to be an edge lord type title. For the most part the violence is limited to the contestants which is always a big deal.

Overall 6/10

Digimon Liberator

Posted on April 26, 2024 by dreager1

It’s been ages since I started a new title on the Webtoon site so this is definitely going to be fun. There’s not a lot of chapters up yet so you could say that I’m really here on ground zero. So far it’s off to a pretty fun start. I can easily see this being a long running title if they want to go the distance. The art is really solid and I’m always up for an SAO type virtual experience. I’ll have a review up for the series once it eventually concludes.

Overall 7/10

Bloodsport Review

Posted on November 11, 2023 by dreager1

This review is of the TV-14 edited version of the film. All thoughts below should be addressed as such as a review of the unedited version would be more negative

It’s time for a big tournament epic! Bloodsport is a film I can’t say I was too familiar with even though it’s a whole series. After watching it I can definitely see the appeal though as I always enjoy a big tournament like this. Now the story beats may be overly predictable to a dramatic degree as the film really telegraphs every moment but even with that it’s executed well.

The film starts off by introducing us to Frank. He used to get into a lot of trouble but eventually he was taken in by a nice man and learned the ways of the martial arts although mostly it was second hand as he wasn’t taught directly. The guy’s real son was the one who was meant to be the champion but unfortunately he ended up dying early. Frank figures it is up to him to achieve the dream of winning the ultimate tournament now and so he gets some training in and then heads over there. This tournament is a huge deal so fighters from around the globe will be participating. It’s all done under the books as this tournament isn’t exactly official. Now why would you enter a tournament where you could die? For some it’s a matter of honor and for others it’s the money. Either way it’s the opportunity of a lifetime!

So yeah it’s very much a Mortal Kombat setup right from the start here. There are a ton of battles and that’s one thing I really liked about this film. A lot of times in these martial art titles there can be a lot of deadtime before you get to the tournament. The training is important too of course but I want to see the matches. This has to be one of the longest tournaments that I’ve seen in a long while and trust me when I say that this is a very good thing. We see all kinds of opponents so you are reminded that this isn’t just a small battle with the main character and a bunch of throwaways.

A small detail I appreciated here is that most of the opponents put up a fight. For example in your average film the main villain will sleepwalk his way to the grand finals. Instead Li actually has a tough go of it at least for a little bit against several of these opponent. His victory is never in doubt but I’m glad that they at least landed shots. It feels a little unrealistically when the villain just steamrolls everyone no matter how good he is. These are all professional fighters after all.

Each fighter also has a different fighting style. You really get to see a lot of variety here and all of the fights are really intense. We’re talking kickboxers, sumo style, aggressive hands, jumping around, etc. It works really well as a solid blend to keep each match really interesting. You also get to recognize the characters as they go through the rounds. So yes this tournament was handled excellently with the bracket and actually making every fight feel real.

The pacing is on point as well and Frank makes for a good main character. He is confident in his abilities and really does well in battle. I also appreciate how confident he is, Frank knows that he is a good fighter after all. My only complaint is when he didn’t step in as a guy was harassing a girl on the bus. Feels like most main characters would have stepped in there. It was also a bit of a bizarre intro to Ray’s character as he’s meant to be the likable sidekick after the opening scene.

He brags a ton and the more he brags the more you know his ending is going to be painful. Even so you’re meant to like the guy so the opening scene just doesn’t work. I’ll also say I think the film overdid it with all the bragging in the final round. Cmon I don’t care how overconfident the guy is, he knows exactly who he is fighting. You don’t just turn your back like that for so long. The scene is so exaggerated that it would be funny except you knew that a lot of pain was coming up.

This film definitely does go all in on the finishing blows which is another thing that will feel like Mortal Kombat. The fights with Li always end with a final blow where it feels like a 50/50 on if you’ll die or not. He holds nothing back and the tournament isn’t going to eject him for it so he keeps escalating. He has murdered someone more than once after all. The tournament’s moment of silence definitely didn’t make sense with how callous they were the whole time. It’s also a completely empty gesture considering they aren’t going to disqualify him either way.

Li’s definitely a bad guy through and through however he makes for a great final boss. You do want a powerful opponent like that at the end and the final fight has a lot of good back and forth. Li does have to cheat so it does show right away who’s better but the final fight is really on point the whole time. It’s also a little less exaggerated of a comeback than Kickboxer so you can buy into the eyes closed fighting a bit more. Ultimately it makes for a fun climax.

Now I did still have some issues with the film. First off is the romance subplot with the reporter Janice. She can be pretty annoying the whole time. So at first she wants to get into the tournament and is doing whatever she can to make this plan work. Then once Janice gets in she starts to think that the violence is too much and gets angry at Frank. I never like this kind of plot because everybody told her to stay away but she insisted that she could handle it…and then she couldn’t. Cmon…that’s just bad.

Additionally the romance is really abrupt and comes out of nowhere. Given that it’s not even going to continue, it just feels like a waste where we could have had more fights instead. Frank also needed to give the tournament his full concentration so the fact that he was almost late to a match because of that was rough. The other time was because of the army so I can cut him a little slack there.

Also the government plot could have been cut out. I suppose it helps to explain why Frank is so powerful and well conditioned but you could have easily established that with his origin. The plot just doesn’t add anything to the film except for a slight obstacle that isn’t taken very seriously anyway. The fact that they were ready to knock him out is crazy. It gives us some decent humor scenes but eh the film would have been okay either way.

Overall, Bloodsport is a pretty solid film. It has a nice sense of humor and a pretty good cast of characters. You should be warned that the film can definitely be quite violent, particularly with the finishing blows. In some cases it’s not even the blow itself that is so intense, but the build up to it because you always know what’s about to happen. Still the fight choreography is really on point and for the most part the film is careful not to overdo it the way that Kickboxer did. Yeah this is one I could safely recommend.

Overall 6/10

Super Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultra God Mission!!!! Review

Posted on October 7, 2023 by dreager1

There are some manga that should give you chills when you open the volume and Dragon Ball has to be one of them. With Dragon Ball Heroes you always know that some brand new super forms will be on the way and this is another really fun adventure. It may only be 20 chapters long but it covers a lot of content and we finally get the Goku vs Goku fight that we had been waiting for. It really lives up to the hype and is something that every true Dragon Ball fan should read.

The story starts with the old Supreme Kai of Time deciding that there are simply too many timelines at this point. Each action creates a new divergence point and eventually it will destroy the cosmos. So she has decided to end it all. She hosts a massive tournament across time and space with the winner being the only timeline allowed to live. The true timeline if you will. Goku and friends have to win this tournament now with the stakes being so high but can they also find a way to save all timelines? Defeating Aeos will have to happen but can even Goku and friends defeat a godlike creature?

This tournament is a great excuse to see a bunch of alternate universe characters like a dark Bardock, one armed Gohan, etc. There are a bunch of great Saiyans running around but of course you also have some previous villains who showed up from a while back like Hearts making his big return and good ole Cumber. You can bet that Broly is around too and of course the demons like Demigra are always waiting in the wings. There are a ton of ultra powerful fighters here but there can only be one winner!

Pretty much the whole series is a bunch of nonstop back to back fights which is a huge win if you ask me. That’s basically what I like to see from this. Dragon Ball Z became famous for the fights although of course the story and characters are amazing too. This is just the iconic part though and so focusing on that is a really smart move. The art is pretty solid here. Now it’s naturally not as good as Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Super but there’s still a whole lot to enjoy so the fights really pop out at you.

These are also some fights you feel won’t happen in the main series for a long time. For example seeing Goku go up against Aeos was such a great fight. It’s a reminder of why time control on its own is not enough to take own someone like Goku. Goku is in a completely different league after all. The fight is cool though because sure we know that Goku has surpassed all of the Kais and the gods of destruction, but it’s still cool to actually see him fighting there.

Additionally Aeos is a really fun addition to the character ranks. She’s a kai but can actually fight really well and has ambitions of her own. She is a villain to be sure but at least she is one with a clear goal, motives for why she is doing this, and the logic makes sense. You wouldn’t be opposed to sympathizing with her cause as a result. In comparison Chronoa isn’t nearly as likable or charismatic. She spent too long having Trunks and friends fight her battles for her and as a result in a power levels sense she just can’t keep up with Aeos. Their battle was still fun though even if it basically ended immediately.

The demons make for a fun third party in the climax as they show up and everyone has to team up. This is the kind of series that would make for a perfect movie since it really has a true beginning, middle, and end structure. Perhaps you could make the case that the stakes feel a bit lower here but technically all of reality is in the balance. You’re just not worried since we have two Goku and two Vegeta fighters running around and all the other big heroes.

When the tournament is interrupted it is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand it’s naturally a lot of fun to see the demons force the heroes to team up with the other enemies but on the other hand there were a bunch of other matchups that I wanted to see finish. A good example of a fight that actually finished was Turles vs Raditz which was actually an excellent fight. In general Turles looks amazing in this series with a bunch of extra development the whole time that I was not expecting. I’m guessing that the author really liked him as a character because he gets a ton of shine.

The fight’s also one that you wouldn’t expect but makes a lot of sense thematically. So throwing in a bunch of other fights like that would be perfect wouldn’t you say? There are a lot of fights that start to be sure but a bunch don’t end. Now for fights that do end, naturally the big 3 generations fight was a blast with Goku, one armed Gohan, and Bardock. Seeing them team up for a big energy wave was awesome and the kind of moment that would be immediately iconic if it was in the main series. I’m really hoping these Dragon Ball Heroes titles will get bigger in America at some point. It’s basically like official fanfiction with all of the super forms. I mean just look at the cover at the top right? You probably would not have guessed that this was something official even from the screenshots. In a way that sounds like a shot but it’s more just about how crazy everything has gotten.

If I had any request for the next Dragon Ball Heroes story it would be for it to be more of a long ongoing instead of a mini series. Right now it’s basically a fight compilation which as I said in the beginning is awesome but imagine grabbing all of these characters out of time and having a big ongoing story with them? I think the possibilities would really be endless even if it means having two Heroes series on at once. One for the plot and one for the fights. With how popular the franchise is I think they should really be expanding it more and really churning out products. There is enough lore to absolutely sustain this for a very long time after all.

Overall, Dragon Ball Heroes continues to be a really fun part of the Dragon Ball franchise and I can’t wait to see what shows up next. It ends up being a bit of a quick review due to there not being a ton of story outside of the fights but I still guarantee the 20 chapters feel like a good amount of content once you’re reading it. Heroes has slowly generated quite a few different series and the next one should be coming up fast. It’s basically impossible to guess what the plot will be before it starts of course but you can bet it will involve a ton of action. I’m not sure if they can top the Goku vs Goku fight to end things off here though. Fans have always wanted a GT vs Super Battle and the first two times weren’t super satisfying. This time it was a full fight and it worked out really well. I guess the next logical step would be for Goku to fuse with himself and become GoGoku or something.

Overall 9/10

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