Thumper-113 Reviews

When They Cry: Kai (2007)

Believe in yourself

[10/10 · 29 October 2022]

Higurashi's second season is ultimately both the answer to all the suspenseful and horrifying mysteries surrounding this series, and the satisfying conclusion to Rika's long journey of escaping past the beautiful but murderous summer of 1983.

Season 2 reveals to us the true protagonist of this series, Rika Furude, along with her world jumping ability that allows her to be reborn into alternate worlds with the hope of one day living past her fated death days in 1983. After discovering from her friends of the will to fight fate, she uses her past knowledge of other worlds to her advantage to dig further into the mysteries of Hinamizawa.

From there, she ultimately learns the true nature of Oyashiro-sama's curse, and Miyo Takano's role as the culprit behind most of her deaths. Now knowing for certain her enemies and allies, Rika prepares for her final battle against Takano before her memory loss from previous worlds causes her to forget her true enemies, and remain trapped in an endless cycle of death for eternity.

The story for these two seasons together was nothing short of phenomenal. It starts as a story filled with mind boggling unanswered questions, and leaves you completely satisfied with everything laid out. What I really admired too was this season wasn't just relying itself on answers, it showed you the struggles and the will to push forward through not just Rika, but her greatest friends and allies throughout all of Hinamizawa. When fighting fate, you can't expect an easy road, and Takano acted as the embodiment of the twisted spiral of fate Rika had been forced to experience and persevere through.

I enjoyed that with season 1 establishing an arc around every crucial character for this series, season 2 allows itself to flow smoothly with such development, as it isn't afraid to recall not only what every character has learned in previous arcs, but it puts them to the test and sees whether or not the choices they make and the belief they place in themselves will open a better path down the road. With this in mind, you can also see the journey every character is silently pursuing on their own, and the good they truly have in them despite their previous and horrendous actions from past worlds.

This season we were introduced to a new character Hanyu, an ancestor of Rika's and the real inspiration of Oyashiro-sama, who despite only just meeting her in person, is revealed to have always been watching over Rika and the village throughout the entire series as a spirit. I was intrigued with how her character acted as not only the answer to the historical aspects of Higurashi, but as a goddess of the village who was finally willing to step into the play field and put a halt to the murderous cycle. I was glad to see, despite her character only becoming known in the second season, the series managed to make her a perfect fit among Rika and her friends, as she is someone who has always been with the group, but only Rika ever noticed her presence until now. That being said, you would hope after all the time she secretly spent with them, Rika's friends would come to accept her without question.

Though Takano's history arc didn't feature any of the prominent characters for the majority of it, I still respected it for not only tying up the loose ends of any remaining mysteries, but the origins of Takano's will that was so strong, it transcended through every world Rika was a part of. It also gave you a fresh take on characters like Irie and Rena, and why they were choosing the paths we've seen them take in the series thus far.

I'm very grateful for this series giving Rika a happy ending where her and everyone she loves survive. After all the pain and agony of witnessing her and her friends die, kill, or even kill each other, Higurashi Kai assured the viewer her hundred year effort was not in vain. Now she can move on with her life experiencing new days to come, which gave her character an amazing and well earned conclusion.

The animation for this season was in my opinion an improvement over the first, as I felt the lining and detail for the characters and scenery in season 2 was more emphasized on as a whole. I would say the music was all in all the same, it doesn't seem like the second season worked with too many different tracks, but at the same time that doesn't discredit it much since they were still efficient uses for the scenes. The opening was also very enchanting for the vibe to allow the viewer to see what to feel and expect in season 2.

Overall an amazing 2nd season and conclusion to Rika's journey. Though Higurashi Gou and Sotsu are something of a continuation for the Higurashi series, Higurashi Kai is the culmination of everything that makes this series exciting and suspenseful of a watch, and it gives the series a much deserved title as one of the greatest horror animes of all time.

Turning Red (2022)

Embracing who you are

[9/10 · 12 March 2022]

Turning Red was a film that knew exactly what it means to change and become your own version of yourself. It knows how to creatively and heartwarmingly handle the big topics of self-discovery, family dynamics, acceptance, being there for friends, and standing up for yourself.

We are introduced to the character Mei, a 13-year-old girl from Toronto Canada who tries to be the greatest example of a perfect daughter for her mother Ming, while also balancing her social life with her friends Miriam, Abby, and Priya. One morning, however, she awakens to discover she has turned into a giant red panda due to a quirk that's been passed down through generations of her family's ancestral history.

Though Mei initially has difficulties adapting to her new ability, with the help of her friends she begins to see a lighter side to her panda form, and soon realizes she's growing into her own person.

First off, I thought this film had a nice style for its metaphors of puberty and adolescence, because many can surely relate to Mei's experiences of the frustrating and anxious moments where you one day want to explode it all out, or in Mei's case exploding into a giant panda. I was also intrigued with how the end of this film offered an overall view to Mei's journey with choosing to keep her panda form, as it not only shows the audience her capabilities from everything she's learned, but also the idea that growing into a red panda signifies her growth as a person.

When it comes to the characters, I thought the dynamic between Mei and Ming was the biggest component that made this movie as great as it was. I admired how in scenes including when Mei wasn't willing to stand up for her friends after the party incident, it shows you that Ming's teachings to Mei after all these years isn't something that can be undone in the flick of a switch, rather it shows the audience how much pressure Mei's had for seeking to become the perfect girl her mother envisioned.

Ming's character was like the embodiment of refusal to change, and she took those learnings to heart through not just her own years with her mother, but with Mei as well. I also applaud how this film used those ideals for Ming to their advantage, by manifesting the discovery of her own daughter rebelling against her into a monstrous beast panda, to represent the rage dwelling within her over her refusal to accept the change that her daughter is rejecting the person she wants her to be. There was also a nice touch of showing the audience the feelings she was going through when she was Mei's age, and what the idea of perfection was doing to herself that shows a lot about her actions we've seen thus far.

I really appreciated how each character was written as well, cause they were written in a way where you'd think "oh this is for sure how a person at this age would speak" and it just made each scene feel that much more realistic. While I do believe Mei's friends played crucial parts in this story, it feels like we didn't get to hear a whole lot out of Abby and Priya's characters as much as we could've, and although we got to see what kind of a person Tyler was, it felt like there was a side to him that was never properly touched on.

Though I'm aware this is a controversial topic, I also enjoyed the style of animation for this film very much, especially every time we saw the red pandas come out. It had bright colors to give each scene a life of its own, the lighting was always there to give us that energetic or low toned atmospheres, and I liked how occasionally the style had a lot of close ups and sparkly eyes in a very anime-styled way to incorporate one of Mei's biggest interests into the animation flow.

Music was also an element I adored in this film, as not only were the tracks pretty catchy and appropriate to the time, but it also acted as a silent key to solving the problems at hand. When Mei had first revealed her panda form to her friends, it was the music they all knew and cherished they managed to connect to together in that moment, and it was also what allowed Mei to discover an inner peace to ensure her panda side didn't get too out of control.

Overall, another big win for Pixar and certainly a film unlike any other one they've done with the themes they worked with. I would for sure recommend this film to anyone who loves quirky twists to a lovable story, seeing a persons journey of self-discovery, and viewing the steps it takes to getting others to accept you for who you are.

Amphibia: True Colors (2021) Season 2, Episode 20

The colors that determine all

[10/10 · 22 May 2021]

As of the 22nd of May, Amphibia's True Colors season 2 finale has now officially premiered, and what a ride this sent us on through a tale of hardships, betrayal, trust, teamwork, redemption, and above all the true potential being awakened.

After successfully charging the box back to its colored form, Anne and the gang return to Newtopia to meet with Andrias before she, Sasha, and Marcy bid farewell to Amphibia. However, Sasha and Grime instead have other plans to overtake Newtopia with their own toad army, much to Anne's shock and frustration after believing Sasha had changed.

However, although Sasha and Grime's invasion is ultimately thwarted thanks to Anne, Marcy, Frobo, the Plantars, Lady Olivia and General Yunan, King Andrias has a reveal of his own which involves conquering all worlds, much to everyone's shock. Although Marcy attempts to reason with him, Andrias in return reveals to everyone that Marcy purposely got her, Anne, and Sasha stuck in Amphibia. As betrayed as Anne and Sasha were, they still knew stopping Andrias took first priority, and fought him heads on while retrieving back the box.

After the destruction of Frobo, along with Anne having a sudden outburst of power coming from her body after believing Sprig had died, Marcy manages to successfully open a portal back to the human world with the music box. However, before Marcy and Sasha can follow Anne and the Plantars inside the portal, Marcy is stabbed through the chest by Andrias, causing her to drop the box and for Anne and the Plantars to travel to the human world on their own.

First off, the animation for this episode was high quality astonishing. You could really tell they wanted to go all out for the sake of setting up big events that are bound to come out of season 3. As a major highlight, the body movement and transitions for Anne in her powered form offered high showings of both smooth flowing and her anger as she was fighting. I also loved the background transitions of not just the day change for a final battle sunset, but you could even see small details like the clouds moving from the windows as Andrias' castle was floating in the sky.

Like every hype for a finale, many core characters sure shined with not just fighting styles, but also expressing their true feelings that aren't simply passing by thoughts. For example, when Anne proclaimed her friendship to be over with Sasha, to Sasha they weren't just blank words, instead they actually stuck to her, and that became a big factor in the endgame battle.

I also loved the long term aspects of these characters being represented in this finale, in which for this instance can include moments involving Sprig and Anne's friendship. Their adventures and growth together after all this time was put to the test this episode, as not only did Anne surrender to Andrias over the threat of Sprig's life, but the moment Anne believed she lost Sprig, her ultimate power was revealed, which without a doubt guarantees her word to everyone including the audience for Sprig being her best friend in any world.

The music in this episode was also a very big highlight, as through the flow of every scene, even some of the most intense ones wouldn't feel the same if not for the music representing incredible elements of suspense, sadness, and hope. For instance, as Marcy was admitting to having known about what the box could do prior to going to Amphibia, Marcy's voice was filled with positivity because she believed what she did was right, but the music's tone of betrayal and sadness allowed us to understand what Anne and everyone else was feeling about Marcy's choice, as it eventually transitions to Marcy's realization that what she did was wrong.

Overall a great way to finish off the season, not just showing the build up for what's to come in the 3rd season, but also the audience with how much all these characters have changed and grown through every hardship they've faced so far in this series. Although this finale has also brought us many questions to ponder as well, it is also a great factor to show what we can be looking forward to for season 3.

Wolfwalkers (2020)

The brilliant view of two kinds in one world

[10/10 · 13 December 2020]

Wolfwalkers is the newest film to the astonishingly creative team of Cartoon Saloon, and they have surely reminisced my love for the style of hand drawn animation storytelling with this film.

We are introduced to the main character Robyn, a girl who wishes to be just like her father Bill as a hunter, but her father fears for her safety and prefers she remains a normal status as a scullery maid. However, wanting to help her father with hunting down wolves that have been disturbing the peace of the town, Robyn decides to follow him into the woods, only to discover the entirety of the wolf pack and discover a little girl among them known as Mebh.

The two befriend, and Mebh reveals to Robyn her identity as a Wolfwalker, a mystical being who has the ability to transform their soul into a wolf while their body stays behind asleep. Along the way Mebh accidentally bites Robyn which inevitably turns her into a wolfwalker herself, and all the while the townsfolk and lord protector Oliver begin to grow hastier by the day with the presence of the wolf pack close to their village.

First off, the animation all throughout this movie was spectacular. I loved how the different colors, lining, and textures all symbolize the themes and emotions this movie makes you feel scene by scene. It also delves greatly into the idea of "see what I see" at times by showing us amazingly drawn first perspectives of what a wolf can see, hear, and even feel. There are even moments of supernatural elements being present that I thought had a great combination with its surroundings when released such as the levitated vines to lead the way, or the stone carvings show us an entire story in itself.

Robyn and Mebh were so much fun to watch together, and even after just a couple days of them interacting with one another, you could already see a strong friendship vibe between the two. The chemistry between them also made the story very unique, as you've got Robyn a townie and a hunter, and Mebh the feral wolfwalker who takes Robyn on a journey of self-discovery within the vast world of nature.

I also found Moll and Bill's roles in this story to be an interesting mix of complication, because both of them believe what they're doing is right for their daughters, but when really their lack of freedom allowance for their children is only causing them to rebel further. A character like Bill is a great example of this because he may think he knows what he's doing is for the betterment of his work and Robyn, but his flaw is the continuous refusal to understand the other side's beliefs and predicaments. As for Oliver, his belief in keeping order and the safety of the citizens for the town is understandable, but what makes him a great villain for this movie is his representation of the belief that nature mustn't co-exist with civilization.

The music choices of smooth tones and wicked showdowns also brought a great atmosphere to the world since when you see Mebh and Robyn running around together as wolves, the joyful and strong music brought within these scenes allowed me to believe in things like Robyn and her acceptance to becoming a wolfwalker. You could even say each character had their own style of music every time they were shown, especially for Oliver due to his strong presence of dominance which brought a rough and low tone to better represent his status and what the viewer should think of him.

Overall this was an amazing otherworldly tale of friendship, acceptance, change, and fighting your beliefs for what is right. I would certainly recommend this movie to anyone who loves to see a good sense of another being's view of the world, as well as anyone who loves a good and mesmerizing fashion of hand drawn storytelling at its finest.

When They Cry (2006)

What do you believe?

[10/10 · 10 November 2019]

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni was such an amazing and uniquely mysterious anime that really does put you into question of what to believe in. Can certain incidents really only be explained with supernatural factors, or is there really just a logical explanation to everything that's happening? Questions like this are definitely what drive the viewer to wanting to figure what the real truth is behind all the mystery at the end of the day.

For the first half of this series, we're introduced to Maebara Keiichi, a young teenage boy who moves to the small village of Hinamizawa. From there he meets many new friends, particularly when joining an afterschool club to get along better with a handful of his new classmates. But even though his first impressions are positive, he soon begins to learn of the dark secrets the village has within the shadows. As he chooses to dig in deeper to these secrets, his sense of paranoia begins to rise further as the days go by, while also realizing his newly made friends may also have secrets of their own.

I love how an anime like this can make you be on your feet with suspense at times when it feels like you're not even meant to. I also love how this anime is very careful with the mysteries surrounding it, as well as when it's a proper time for each of them to come into play. You may not understand everything right away or even halfway, but the greatest thing about this anime is they leave no stone unturned.

The characters are also a very big highlight in this series, as each of them present themselves as a very unique element for when the time comes. A great way they do this is splitting the focus of all these characters into separate arcs, that way you can learn more about the characters and why they are the way they are now. Something I like about these characters to is, as violent as some of them may be, the choices they make throughout the story are pretty realistic and/or understandable depending on the situation. You may even think that the most violent options are sometimes the right options in the end.

I really like how they set up the animation at certain times in the story as well. When necessary, the goofy and fun moments can have the most bizarre styles of animation for some great humor. When necessary, the violent animations can make it seem like they're the creepiest things you've ever seen. At the end of the day, the anime is very good with introducing the proper atmospheres when needed to.

Overall an amazing first season to a show that will definitely leave you wanting more on the search for finding out the truth. I would without a doubt recommend this anime to anyone interested in looking for another mystery anime to follow along with, while also encountering some amazing, caring, but also horrific events to be shown in the summer of 1983.

Amphibia: Anne or Beast?/Best Fronds (2019) Season 1, Episode 1

Welcome to Amphibia

[9/10 · 18 June 2019]

The new animated series of Amphibia created by animator Matt Braly has now officially begun, and sure enough there was a lot to take in for the starting episode.

The series starts off with a young frog known as Sprig, accompanied by his little sister Polly and grandfather Hop Pop, doing their morning chores in the town of Wartwood Swamp. When Sprig wanders off into the forest, he befriends a taller looking creature named Anne, a human being who had come from a different world. But as horrifying beasts begin reigning on their greetings, Anne and Sprig soon come to realize that the two of them work pretty well as a team and as friends.

For a starters, the animation for this show looks amazing, including the locations, dangerous creatures and newly introduced characters. Their facial expressions and movement throughout the story are also a fitting element because throughout the episode, there are many times where Anne or Sprig perform or say something where you'd also be like, "Yea, that's probably what I would've done if I was in their shoes."

I like how the story of Amphibia keeps you attached to the seat wanting more on the very first episode. As examples, we would want to know more about Anne and her new adaption to a world of the unknown, Anne's sprouting relationship with her new friend Sprig, why Anne is unable to get back to her own world using the way she got to Amphibia, what is beyond the town of Wartwood Swamp, what will become of Sasha who was also revealed to have been brought to Amphibia, how will the other inhabitants of Amphibia perceive Anne, and what secrets the world of Amphibia have to offer which can either be good or life-threatening.

The humor in this series is definitely one that will make you smile along the journey to the point where you'll rarely ever feel a cringe, even on the not-so-funny parts. The only problem I really had with this episode was that it was split into two parts, which I would've imagined that at least the first episode would be one whole story. But at the same time, you can also think of the episode as one story since the second half seems to take place the very next morning.

A big thing I'm really interested in seeing from a first glance in this series is the idea of friendship. During this episode, Anne is under the belief through her human friends Marcy and Sasha that a true friend will help you get anything you want, otherwise they may not want you to stay as their friends. It's not very often in animated series today where you come across the concept of this deep of a toxic friendship, so it should be nice to see Anne learn just what true friendship really is through Sprig, who may just be the first true friend she's ever made.

Overall, a great way to start off the series for the story of a girl adapting to a place unlike any she's ever been to. I would without a doubt recommend this starting episode to anyone who's interested in starting a new series for the summer, especially since the entire first season is planned to have fully aired by the end of July. And especially to anyone who can relate to this show's characters and ideals, this is a must watch.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Spring Breakdown (2019 TV Movie)

The Calm Before the Storm

[7/10 · 23 May 2019]

The Equestria Girls have returned for their 3rd special of the series, and this boat-themed special did introduce to a few newly unique discoveries. We're now into the perspectives of human Rainbow Dash and partly human Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, as they attempt to have a joyful time on a cruise during their spring break. However, their vacation brought some ups and downs along the way with Rainbow Dash's excitement of evil equestrian magic on the loose ending up ruining the trip for some of her friends, as well as discovering new areas along the way involving a pony or two.

The first half of the special was pretty simple, mainly involving the Equestria Girl's vacation life on the boat, but it seems like it's main intention was to show Rainbow Dash's but-ins as an ongoing predicament for the rest of the girls. That being said, I feel like the story somewhat lacked certain potential for character development, but then again there's only so much you can do on a boat for even the EQG's.

The second half of the special did bring in a pretty interesting twist to the series, as it was discovered that the mirror portal in Equestria and the statue portal in the human world were not the only two methods of transportation between worlds. Although it was great to see humans in Equestria for the first time and the interactions between Princess Twilight herself, I still felt that overused concepts were in place considering this isn't the first time Sunset and Princess Twilight have interacted with one another as such. I can understand why they wanted to hide themselves to the public, but it still didn't feel overwhelmingly exciting to see Equestria characters with human world characters considering they had already interacted well with one another in the past.

I do like though how the animation styles in these specials are beginning to seem a lot more realistic when it comes to facial expresssions (many times you couldn't help but crack a smile at), body and camera movement, and other background art such as animals and lightning. The storm scenes had a pretty interesting effect, and it also did leave you at times with the worry of safety for the passengers of the boat.

Most of the jokes and puns in this special were pretty humorous at times, and they never tended to give off a corny-styled joke or situation throughout the special. I did like how this special was pretty straight-forward as it never left you with a feeling of a meaningless scene since anything that was introduced was later referred back to in a joke style, or as a playing part to the main story.

Overall, another well-entertaining special of the Equestria Girls and their further adventures of dealing with magic from another world. Although it did lack certain potential at times, this is definitely a special which would please both the fans of Equestria Girls and Friendship Is Magic. And with the final season of Friendship Is Magic currently in progress, this special does help get back into the spirit of things for what's left to come in 2019.

DuckTales: The Shadow War! (2018) Season 1, Episode 23

Family is the greatest treasure of all

[10/10 · 18 August 2018]

The first season of Ducktales has finally ended, having kept us in suspense for an entire year on the mysteries and adventures Scrooge McDuck, Webby Vanderquack, Launchpad McQuack, Mrs. Bleakley, Donald Duck, and of course Huey, Dewey, and Louie have fought and experienced. Now, the long awaited villain herself, Magica De Spell has finally risen from the form of a shadow to enact revenge on her biggest rival Scrooge McDuck.

It's been a few days since the incident which had begun to tear the Duck family apart, and none of them have been able to recover from it. But eventually, Donald and his nephews come to realize from their friends about how much Scrooge has always done for the family, and decide to make amends with him. But with Magica De Spell finally released from Scrooge's seal, the city begins to fall apart from everyone's own shadows turning against themselves.

The animation was once again impressive for the series, coming in many shapes and sizes for the shadows, returning characters, and of course the true form of Antagonist herself Magica De Spell. An episode like this also had the ability to very well portray the movements, and feelings of each character and situation which makes the audience easily understand the things all these characters are going through.

Especially for an episode like this, each character is aware of the things at stake and the dangers that may occur to the city, which brings out the best in them to witness with their perseverance. There are even some emotional times for some characters to come across such as Donald and his nephews sharing tears for deciding to make amends once more with Scrooge, or Lena's sacrifice to save Webby which ultimately lead her to dissipate right in front of Webby.

It was also nice to see many references from the rest of the series come into play within the episode. We saw some small cameos such as the lucky Gladstone Gander, the deadly Gabby McStabberson and reporter Roxanne Featherly within the city of Duckburg. We even saw assistants of Scrooge's throughout the series such as Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera, Headless Man Horse, and Gyro Gearloose play a hand in helping defeat the shadows being cast upon all thoughout the city from Magica's dark magic.

This series' story has definitely taken many turning points through many of these episodes, but this episode has become the top of it all, as expected for a season finale. It has also left us with many things to look forward to for its next season such as the next adventures these characters will come across, Lena's shadow still sticking with Webby, Magica De Spell's next big plan to take down Scrooge McDuck and his family once and for all, and most importantly the journey to find Huey, Dewey and Louie's mother, Scrooge's Niece, and Donald Duck's twin sister, the one and only Della Duck.

Overall, a very entertaining way to finish off the series. Season 2 is already looking very bright for next year, and hopefully more of its fun and creativity will show itself for the episodes to come. I would definitely recommend a show like this after watching this series finale to anyone who not only had enjoyment with the original 1987 Ducktales, but to anyone who would like to see the amazing tale of adventure and family within the series of Ducktales.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship (2018 TV Movie)

The magic of Honesty and Generosity

[7/10 · 21 July 2018]

The Equestria Girls have returned once more for their second 1 hour long special of the year, and it sure was a roller coaster of an experience. We're brought into an amusement park themed special this time around, as well as another test of friendship when it comes to the crucial words of honesty, and the pivotal moments of generosity.

We're now into the perspectives of human Applejack and Rarity for this special, as the two of them try to enjoy the amusement park for the day as much as they can with their friends, but Applejack can't help but notice Rarity's constant stress over her new fashion designing job at the park. To make matters worse, Equestrian magic leaking from the crack on the statue at Canterlot High has only been leading the Equestria Girls to an even more feared circumstance than they imagined, and all it takes to cause further chaos is as simple as the click of a photo.

The special was fairly enjoyable to watch, especially since we got to see some of the best interactions and pairings between the Equestria girls. We got to see the crazy rides from the eyes of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and her times as the fun inspector among all the people within the park, and the mathematical minds of Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle with the challenging fair games.

The main issue I had with this special however was that certain concepts felt rather similar in regards to other Equestria Girls specials in the past. For example, the concept of trapping someone into a small space room was similar to Juniper Montage's plan from the special Mirror Magic.

But even so, I still liked how the special represented honesty for Applejack in a way that all the Equestria Girls would be on her side, especially since they know by now about the kind of person she is and always has been. It was also used as a good tool for not just testing to see how well each of them truly trust one another, but also allowing the aspect of Generosity to come into place for a character like Rarity. In this case, her trust in Applejack's Honesty is what leads to her generosity by choosing her friends over her work if it means stopping the villain.

Overall, another well-entertaining special that the Equestria Girls has brought us. If you're a fan of the series and have yet to watch it, you will most likely enjoy it as much as any other special that's come out so far. It's hard to tell what and when other specials will be nearing for Equestria Girls, but as long as they're as creative as the other 1 hour long specials for this year including this one, then it will surely be worth the wait.

Legend of the Three Caballeros (2018)

No one ever saw it coming, but the ride is without a doubt worth it

[10/10 · 1 July 2018]

First this year we were introduced to the new remake of Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Webby Vanderquack, Launchpad McQuack, and of course Huey, Dewey, and Louie's greatest adventures in the world of Ducktales. Now Disney has brought back the famous 3 Caballeros introducing once again Donald Duck, along with Jose Carioca, Panchito Gonzalez, Ari the Aracuan Bird, Daisy's nieces April, May and June, and a new face Xandra the Goddess of Adventure.

The story introduces us to a new world of adventure, where we have Donald, Jose and Panchito be brought together by their own ancestors in the hopes of keeping the secret world of magic in the universe safe and contained. We are also introduced to another key character Xandra, who had partnered with the original 3 Caballeros many years ago, and only now been released from her curse by a mysterious golden book containing valuable information for their journey to come.

First off, the animation is definitely a straight-on positive for this show since it not only captures the movement, setting and especially characters and their styles of behaviour greatly, but it also acts as a significant callback to the original animation styles and formats used with the very first appearance of the 3 Caballeros for their film back in 1944.

The story itself has a very entertaining aspect to it considering it shows us many historical sites and legends we know of today (both mythological and scientifically proven), with a very adventurous and often time mysterious approach to it while throwing in some side stories and comedy aspects along the way. The show also has a knack for keeping the audience in suspense for the next episode by showing a teaser for the next plot at the end of each episode.

The characters for this series is also a big highlight we get to explore and understand throughout each episode. We see the development through the way each of them would interact with one another over time, we see how each character would react under a certain circumstance such as Donald's tantrums every time something doesn't go the way it's supposed to, or Jose's influencing abilities whenever he sees the opportunity to do so, and we also understand much more about everyone's personalities, interests and goals at the end of the day.

I also love how a series like this also gives many classic characters a chance to shine once again and show everyone how enjoyable and amazingly fun they can be. As examples, we finally see Daisy's nieces April, May and June make their very first debut with not just a speaking voice, but also as series regulars. Jose and Panchito have been making minor appearances here and there in cartoons like House Of Mouse and Mickey Mouse Works, but now they have the chance to show their true feathers within this series along with their pal Donald Duck.

Overall, a very lovable cartoon Disney has brought us yet again, and although it's mainly targeted at younger viewers, it's still got the skills to treat it like something for all viewers to watch and enjoy. I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who's looking for another fun and enjoyable cartoon to watch and tag along with, as well as anyone who would love to see more from the famous classical trio, the 3 Caballeros.

The Terror: We Are Gone (2018) Season 1, Episode 10

My eyes were not deceived

[10/10 · 22 May 2018]

The Terror has finally reached its conclusion tonight, and once again AMC has outdone themselves with this 10 episode series. Even this far in, we were still shown to the brutality, risks, sacrifices, and strong emotions among all of the remaining crew of the late Captain Sir John Franklin's expedition into the arctic.

Captain Francis Crozier is still struggling to lead his men to safety after having lost another one of his men over a brief refusal to cooperate from Cornelius Hickey's group. With him even among the group of Cornelius, he still doesn't lose hope in returning to his men.

Now in the presence of the mysterious Inuit monster once more, as well the men who have begun to fall sick over Dr. Henry Goodsir's personal tainted meat, most of Cornelius' group, including himself begin to fall prey to the monster. Even when they are able to defeat the monster once and for all, the remaining few men, now unable to even move, have nowhere else to go.

Meanwhile Lady Silence, whose real name is now found out to be Silna, finds the injured Francis Crozier and ends up treating him for a while until he is able to walk again. Later he finds his remaining crew still within the arctic, but was only able to make it just in time to see his last surviving man covered in jewelry freeze to death on his shoulder.

The effects in this show from glaciers, to snowy and rocky mountains, to frozen oceans were miraculous to gaze upon all throughout the series and especially this finale. Not only did it get the viewer to understand the atmosphere these men were surrounded by, but also the men themselves and the struggles they all had to go through throughout these 3 years of being stuck within the arctic.

The acting was also one of the biggest highlights of this series and episode. All of cast were mesmerizing to watch with their performances for their characters both main and supporting. As each episode went on, we could begin to see the slow pace of despair, corruption, emotion, and/or desperation occur among these men.

The story of these men were also amazing to see, as even the slightest notes of decisions among these men ended up leading the story to great depths of hope and despair. An atmosphere such as this series would inevitably bring in some interesting conflicts and resolutions whether it was leadership, trust, food, lies, deaths or choices, and this series pulled them off perfectly.

Overall, a brilliant conclusion to the end of another great AMC series about the terror itself of survival, human instinct and fear. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who is not only interested in the certain historic elements of Captain Sir John Franklin's lost expedition, but also viewing the elements of horror, drama and tragedy through a whole other perspective for this series.

Violet Evergarden (2018)

A show that gives words a whole other meaning

[10/10 · 6 April 2018]

As of yesterday on the 5th of April, Violet Evergarden has finally reached its finish, and wow was it stunning. Not only was its artistry on high bar all throughout each episode, but to see how breathtaking and realistic a show like this portrayed a girl, who all throughout her life could only ever understand orders from others, embarking on a journey of self discovery made me feel not only intrigued, but inspired.

Violet Evergarden, a name partly given to her by her late Major, Gilbert Bougainvillea. She was seen as but a mere tool in the time of war and acted on all of her orders without hesitation. After the war, Violet soon becomes employed as an Auto Memories Doll. Although it starts off rough for her, with enough practise, she soon begins to realize the deeper elements of human emotion when writing a letter.

Violet as a whole was a very unique character to follow along all throughout these episodes. It was interesting to see a character like her to see through the eyes of not only others around her, but even herself. The joy and pride from her new abilities as a Doll did prove herself to have a strong and positive impact upon others, but also soon left her to face her inner demons after realizing what her actions she inflicted in the past truly left on others.

The show genuinely had an extraordinary way of showing to the viewer exactly the kind of depression and sorrow every person in the show felt that Violet was able to change. Whether it was the loss of someone dear or the struggles to find the right words for someone they love, you can see and feel how as Violet is assisting them, they soon begin to find the true beam of light at the end of the tunnel.

If there is to be another season, I would gladly go along with it to see more about what the show and character Violet Evergarden has to offer. They surely left things off on a good note, especially in a way that that can be left both ambiguous, and soon-to-be answered for the mere future.

Overall this show was without a doubt, a masterpiece to explore and stay hooked onto until the very end. Here in this anime, you see human nature in a fairly different and peculiar perspective that shows us the story of a girl, whom all she wanted to learn from the start was what the words "I love you" truly meant.

Osomatsu-san (2015–2021)

Logic and nonsense combined into one

[8/10 · 4 April 2018]

The series started in the year 1966, was later adapted into another series in 1988, and has now adapted for the third time into 2015 and onward today.

The sextuplets Osomatsu, Karamatsu, Choromatsu, Ichimatsu, Jyushimatsu, and Todomatsu have now matured into fully grown adults from only knowing them before in their childhood years. However, they still have yet to grasp reality itself as they are still lazing around in their parent's house completely unemployed, and continuously depending on their parents for support over most of the shenanigans they either bump into, or create themselves.

Many of the interactions these brothers make with one another often end up quite humorous at times, but other times you may also be more focused on trying to figure out what's even going on in the first place. There are even times when this show gets serious with the audience about what they're portraying, often times to a point where you may even shed a tear or two.

The setting and atmosphere themselves seem pretty original and well liked, even if it isn't as detailed or realistic when you compare it to something like "Your Name." Then again, (you don't often see this in most animes) there are even times when the animation styles change themselves in more than one way. Sometimes they could go from a separate animation year style, to 2D or 3D style, and even to live action style if they wanted to.

I really liked the sort of "totally the same, but completely different" vibe from these 6 brothers all throughout the anime. All of them may look the same, but overtime you may even be asking yourself, "the way they get along, how the heck are these people related?" They basically all have so many separate characteristics, train of thoughts, physical and emotional traits that within the first 5 episodes, you could already easily tell the difference between all of them.

Overall a very funny anime most of the time, the story elements change most of the time so there's really no specific way to think about it unfortunately, and I would definitely recommend this anime to anyone who is looking for another good and wacky comedy to get into.

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: School Daze - Part 2 (2018) Season 8, Episode 2

A nice way to start off the season

[8/10 · 24 March 2018]

The 8th season of My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic has now begun, and sure enough there was a lot to take in. The season takes place immediately after the events of the My Little Pony Movie, so not only do we have a whole other world to now explore, but also new creatures.

In order to spread the learnings of Friendship throughout and beyond Equestria, the mane 6 decide to open up and entirely new school for that purpose, where many other races (including ponies) will be attending in the hopes of learning the meanings of friendship.

It was interesting to see a new group of mixed characters be brought into the show since all of them were of a race we had already come to meet and understand. We have another new pony named Sandbar, a griffin named Gallus, a yak named Yona, a dragon named Smolder, a changeling named Ocellus, and one of the newest races to the show a Hippogriff/Seapony named Silverstream.

I really did like how the show began to develop a "Team Avatar" (reference to Avatar The Last Airbender) sort of friendship where we have a group of friends who are all from completely different races working together to succeed in their goals. Seeing as how this has never happened in the show before, it should be interesting to see the further development of this group and how their relationships with one another will play out.

The only issue I really had with these episodes were the pacing of it, mainly since most of the scenes felt rather rushed into getting straight to the point. But to be fair, I suppose it's only natural when you're trying to introduce a whole bunch of new things at once to further progress the rest of season.

As for the Mane 6 (along with Starlight as a resourceful Guidance Counselor), it was interesting to see some relatable topics come into play when it came to the methods of teaching they were all forced to follow under through the "EEA" (Equestria Education Association). But nevertheless, we can see that the struggles eventually pay off as they realize that using your own methods can often be better than following what's typically required from someone else entirely.

Overall, this was a very nice opening to the new season. The show's atmosphere felt like any usual episode, and many of the new surroundings and characters were well liked and fairly original. In the near future, it should be nice to see what the rest of season 8 has to offer with these new elements put into place.

Invader ZIM: TAK: The Hideous New Girl (2002) Season 1, Episode 18

Invader VS Invader

[9/10 · 19 March 2018]

This episode of Invader Zim introduces yet another unique character and antagonist to the series, Tak. Only her plan isn't just to prove herself as an invader to the Almighty Tallest, but to prove to Zim she'll always be the better invader between the two. And thus began the battle between two invaders to see which one will be the victorious invader of planet earth.

Tak was such an interesting character to watch all throughout this episode because she was both a great antagonist to Zim and the others, and also felt similar to Zim in some ways including personality (Also brilliant voice work by Olivia D'Abo while we're at it). Not only that, she actually had a real good plan, unlike Zim and his numerous minor and failed attempts. She thinks about every detail, she blends in very well among humans, and she knows how to take down an enemy when she sees one.

The dynamic duo of Dib and Zim also played as a very interesting element in this episode as well because very rarely in the series did we ever see Dib and Zim, let alone Gaz and Gir along side them work together against a common enemy. When you see this group work together, it's almost as if they can be just as good as destroying the world if they are saving it. But sadly in the end, when everyone has a separate goal, it can't stay together.

Overall, a very entertaining and fun episode to watch. I would definitely recommend this episode to anyone who is interested in seeing more about the world of Invader Zim. And who knows, maybe this might be a good episode to learn more about Tak if she ever does make another appearance in the new special coming out sometime soon.

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Forgotten Friendship (2018 TV Movie)

Nice, exciting, and most of all satisfying

[9/10 · 7 March 2018]

The Equestria Girls are back with their newest special, and their longest one yet up to date. We're back into the perspective of Sunset Shimmer and her everyday life with the rest of the equestria girls, all of whom have now adapted to their new magic abilities given to them from the previous film of Legend Of Everfree. However, magic is still on the loose in the world of humans and now something is happening to all of Sunset's friends, when one day they suddenly don't remember any of her good deeds or even their own friendship with her.

I did feel like the other equestria girls had more of a minor role than they usually would, but I really like the character development used in this story for the theme of memories. For instance, there are certain characters introduced along the way in which many people can actually relate to today, and further more about how new memories with others by your side can start at anytime. As for Sunset's case, we begin to see her as someone who is willing to stand up for everyone's cause if it means getting back to how things should be.

There were many exciting things to be seen all throughout this special, and even some heartfelt, challenging and needed moments to come across for certain characters. It was well paced, nicely scripted, strong animation for both designing and camera shots, great voicing and singing, and there were rarely any scenes that made you feel like it wasn't necessary to the storyline.

All in all, it was definitely an enjoyable worth-watching special that may even come to the likings of fans within the My Little Pony franchise who have yet to see much of the world of Equestria Girls.