My issues with modern Sentai (and potentially Ryusoulger)

(SPOILER WARNING!!)

I will freely admit that I'm not the most familiar with Super Sentai as I am with Kamen Rider, though I have enjoyed the handful of series that I have watched and still acknowledged the importance of the franchise to Tokusatsu. Granted, the extend I had watched is more in lines with Gokaiger onwards as well as the first 5 or so episodes of Shinkenger and Goseiger, but I hope that is enough for me to be qualified to talk about today's subject; modern Sentai.

Since the end of Zyuden Sentai (Vamola!) Kyoryuger, I have noticed a drop in quality with the storytelling and characterisation not seeming anywhere near as refined as what was seen in previous years. Much of what was appealing with the likes of Gokaiger or Kyoryuger was either missing or outright dismissed in the narrative for the sake of promoting more and more toys and ridiculous gimmicks, which would then strangle the appreciation a viewer may have for a series. I am fully aware that Toei measures the success of a show based on toy sales nowadays as opposed to the actual ratings and viewership, but that is no excuse for how they keep on repeating the same bad elements from failed series instead of learning from their mistakes and trying to make good shows again.

Sadly, however, much of my problems with modern Sentai can be boiled down to what I consider the last legitimately good Sentai; Kyoryuger.

While not a perfect series, Kyoryuger was still nonetheless an enjoyable one, with entertaining characters and villains, as well as a nicely fleshed out storyline that allowed everyone a chance in the spotlight, no matter how brief. Despite the executive meddling and Riku Sanjo's difficulty in managing his cast the larger they get, the series still did well enough financially for Toei to overlook the decline in ratings and viewership statistics to call it a legitimate success story. Unfortunately, due to the series more comedic nature in contrast to Go-Busters' "serious" nature, this left Toei with the mistaken idea that making a show as silly as possible is what makes your show successful. And it all starts with... the train dorks:



Ressha Sentai ToQGer is, simply put, an awful series. The main 5 characters were insufferable brats with little in terms of growth, the soundtrack was either grating on my ears or lifelessly bland, the costumes were ugly to look at, the Megazords (calling them that for simplicity) were equally ugly, and it's Red Ranger, Right Suzuki, is one of the worst Sentai Reds ever in the franchise; a conceited, selfish moron who has no right (pun not intended) to even be considered a Sentai member let alone the leader. While the villain's main motivations were interesting and the ToQGer's 6th member, Akira, had some cool ideas behind him, it wasn't enough to save this series from being a financial and critical flop. This series was bad. And Yasuko Kobayashi should feel bad.

And yet, Kento Shimoyama would go on to do worse:



Somehow, through black magic or something, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger was not only bad, but it was actually worse than ToQGer. All of the issues I had with ToQGer were present in Ninninger, with even more problems on top of that. Takaharu Igasaki, the idiot Red for this series, is pretty much the same character as Right, only with a passion for combat instead of eating and the actor was absolutely atrocious, which thus results in none of the characters getting development that didn't in some way insult them or make them worthless. The villains for the series were blatant imbeciles who's own intentions completely sabotaged their plans for world domination, which ruined their overall status as a threat. The Megazords (bar Bison King) were awfully designed, especially that stupid visual of a robot sitting inside of another robot. Normally, that would be cool, but this series somehow made it suck, which resulted in Ninninger not only having worse ratings than ToQGer, but some of the worst toy sales in the history of the franchise. Ninja Steel may have sucked, but it still did more than it's source material with it's characters and storytelling.

These problems would negatively impact the next series, despite the obvious improvements showing from the first episode:



Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger (or Jyuohger, I forget which) was a MASSIVE improvement from ToQGer and Ninninger. The characters were not overshadowed by the Red and actually shown some growth from their early stages. The Megazords had some decent designs and I actually enjoyed the cube theme for the Zords. The villains felt like a legitimate threat, with each one having their own style of attack and having deeper connections than just "the bad guy". Yamato Kazakiri made for a breath of fresh air, with how he was actually a compassionate person who legitimately tries to help his teammates with their issues, showing no complaint or hesitation to do the right thing for his friends. But even with these improvements, the series was still underwhelming and lacked a sense of urgency due to the lack of complex villains or any real expansion on Zyuland. I still like the show, but it does take a while to show it's strengths with it's storytelling and characterisation.

But it is still a masterpiece when compared to when Kento Shimoyama took the writer's chair again:



Ninninger was ruined after the first episode. This series fell apart in it's first scene.

If there is a word to describe Uchu Sentai Kyuranger, it's this; LAZY! The characters are completely superfluous as none of them have a character arc. The villains are completely pathetic unlike any other in the franchise, with how they somehow take over the galaxy and yet have several squadrons destroyed by a stupid looking space-bike. This show does NOTHING with the outer space setting and makes it another "save the Earth" story despite the fact that they could've gone ANYWHERE ELSE and had a much more interesting story. And Lucky is the worst Sentai Red ever. He's a compulsive, reckless, selfish, egocentric, narcissistic, moral aggrandising dipshit, but the entire cosmos pretty much bends over backwards to make him right when everything presented says he should be wrong; instead, they reward him with power-up after power-up that he has not in any way earned, and only gets them because of his nonsensical Deus Ex Machina powers.

And need I even mention his catchphrase?



Yes. There is 7 and a half minutes of him shouting his stupid catchphrase. It is about as annoying as it gets.

And I'm not gonna bother talking much about the next series, Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, as I pretty much dropped it after Lupin Blue gets into a cooking contest with a monster. While still an improvement on Kyuranger, LuPat was still doing nothing for me due to the storytelling issues and the characterisation getting frustrating at points; namely Keiichiro, Patren#1, being a complete smeghead with no clue about what the fuck he's even doing, not to mention sucking at his job as a police officer. From what I've read, the show has done little to mediate the issue, despite doing better than Kyuranger has been.

When looking over all of these series, I think I've decided what the main problem is with most of them (not counting Zyuohger as it avoided this troupe); the idiot Reds. At the end of the day, the protagonists for ToQGer, Ninninger and Kyuranger were insufferable assholes, braindead idiots, or both rolled into one. Their actions prove caustic to everything and everyone else because of how often they are made the main focus of a series where one of the core themes is the importance of a team. They are made right despite all evidence saying they should be wrong, yet are never called out for their damaging actions and the way they mistreat those around them for the sake of their petty egos. Whereas good Sentai Reds like Captain Marvellous or Yamato act as a prism for the others to shine through, Right, Takaharu and Lucky are planks of wood that stop the lights of the others from ever coming together as one. Thus, it is all the more irritating when these conceited jackasses get more spotlight than any other potentially interesting characters.

Which is were the newest series to arrive at the time of writing this, Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger, comes into play. Thankfully, neither Kento Shimoyama or Shinichiro Shurakura seem to be nowhere near this series, thus there is hope that it will at least be adequate. But with how most modern Sentai just regurgitates the previous elements of successful series and do them worse, and how Ryusoulger's set-up directly contradicts any sense of canonical relevance with Kyoryuger, it's still likely that we'll get a dud of a series, not helped with the preview images of the suits and mecha looking really underwhelming. Here's hoping Sentai can pick itself out of it's creative slump and get back into creating good content again.

So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off.

Transformers: The Headmasters (1987-1988)

(SPOILER WARNING... for a show that's about 30 years old!!)

As I'm still in my re-emerging Transformers craze thanks to Bumblebee, I think now would be a good time to talk about one of the stranger points the franchise in between G1 and Beast Wars; the Takara Trilogy.

This is referring to a trifecta of Transformers fiction that was originally released exclusively in Japan, carrying on from where G1's third season left off. In the same vain as was seen with Scramble City, this trilogy (comprising of The Headmasters, Super-God [or Chojin] Masterforce, and Victory) acted more of deviation from the traditional formula of Autobots and Decepticons (or Cybertrons and Destrons) with how their story is presented. But while Scramble City was essentially a prequel story for Trypticon (or Dinosaurer), The Headmasters acted as an alternate version of the American G1's "The Rebirth" three part finale to the series. Unlike "The Rebirth", however, the story was continued passed The Headmasters with how both the shows and the toylines were continually popular, with Masterforce being the most well received... at least, among fans.

Still, talking about The Headmasters will be tricky for at least 2 reasons;

1. There are not that many subs of the series (that I am currently aware of, at any rate), and I am not the best when it comes to judging the accuracy of the translation. Thus, the version I am reviewing is the one that came in the "Transformers: The Complete Takara Collection" boxset from 2007, which I only found at my local CeX by complete accident for £50 (steal of a deal, I'd say).

2. The Headmasters actually DID get some notoriety outside of Japan, when Omni Productions dubbed the series in Malaysia and Singapore and released it on the TV channel RTM 1. And the overall quality of the dub is... well:





Yeah, it's terrible. Infamously so. From the abysmal voice acting, to needless changes in dialogue, to the bizarre renames for major characters and plot Mcguffins (Fortress Maximus is renamed "Spaceship Bruce", for fucks sake); it proved to be one of the single worst "English" dubs for any anime ever. As such, I avoided watching it for this review so that I wouldn't have the terrible, not in any way matching voices stuck in my head as I watched it.

Still, even as I avoided this dub and tried to not let it cloud my judgement for this series, I still couldn't bring myself to actually like this show. Even with the crazier subplots and stories presented, I felt like I was wasting my time watching this series, as it simply refused to make the characters or their situations interesting.

Also, I'll be using the Japanese names for the characters despite the subtitles using the American ones.

With that said, what is The Headmasters even about?

Well, it has been a year since Convoy has returned, and the Destrons, lead once more by Galvatron, are back attacking Seibertron with their new servants; the Destron Headmasters of Weirdwolf, Skullcruncher, Mindwipe and their shadowed leader, Zarak. Due the Matrix of Leadership losing it's power, there's nothing keeping the Vector Sigma computer operating fluently, thus it may lead to the planet dying for good, which the Destrons use as the opportunity to attack the Cybertrons. What they did not expect, however, was the arrival of new Headmasters who have allied themselves to the Cybertrons; Chromedome, Hardhead, Brainstorm, Highbrow, and their leader operating from their ship the Maximus, Fortress. With Convoy dying... again... and Rodimus abandoning the Cybertrons when their planet gets blown up by Zarak (yes, seriously), Fortress is made leader and they continue the good fight with new toys being added to their forces every other week; chiefly, the Destron Ninja Six-Changer Sixshot, and Fortress acting as the head for the Spaceship Maximus to become... well, Fortress Maximus.

Now, from the outset, the first 3 or so episodes are not that bad. They act as a decent set-up to the basic plot-line of the show and there are some decent moments where we get a better glimpse at not just the personalities of the Headmasters, but their abilities as well. I actually like how they swap their heads in order augment their abilities in different ways. I also appreciate how it actually shakes up the status quo a little bit by not having Rodimus or Galvatron be the focus of antagonism, but instead building up the mystery behind Zarak and his machinations. Also, Sixshot is easily the best character in the show, with how he shows himself as a legitimate threat, but still has a sense of honour and grace. He's isn't just run of the mill evil.

But sadly, that's pretty much where the good stuff of this begins and ends, as the rest can be chalked down to either filler or plain stupid.

And it all begins with THESE two nimrods!



Look; I never liked Daniel or Wheelie. They just felt like unnecessary additions to an already colourful and entertaining cast of characters. Whenever they were the focus of an episode, they would often end up being the worst part of it, as their stupid antics would eventually grate on you. That said, while I didn't like them, I wouldn't say they were outright awful characters. At the very least, their inclusion in the story didn't supersede the importance of the rest of the cast whenever said cast were the focus of an episode. They were certainly more pivotal to the narrative then Blurr was.

But with Headmasters, there weren't any other characters that I wanted to see killed off more than these two. While they didn't supersede anyone in G1's third season, they pretty much become the main fucking characters in Headmasters, with how a majority of their antics are not only annoying, but they took time away from the actual plot of the episode just to focus on some stupid shit they would be doing. For instance, a plan to stop an asteroid from destroying the Earth stops, comes to a complete fucking halt for a few minutes... because Fortress tries to stop Daniel crying by making some silly faces... fucking, REALLY?!



This not only robs any tension or suspense the episode may have previously had, but also paints Fortress, the newly christened and dignified leader of the Cybertrons, as wasteful idiot too busy focused on stopping this little bastard from throwing a hissy fit! Daniel's very presence in this show is robbing the cast of it's dignity! Made worse by the fact that Daniel is apparently the ONLY person who could stop this asteroid, thus the entire story pauses for a few seconds just because it's waiting for Daniel to get off of his lazy fucking ass and do his goddamn job!

What. A fucking. Joke!

Then again, Daniel robbing the dignity of the cast could be worse if any of the Headmasters had any kind of endearing personalities. But instead, the Headmasters, at least in this iteration, have to some of the blandest, most generic characters in the entire franchise. They're just "the good guys". That's about it. Oh, they try to give some kind of quirks to them to have them stand out from each other, but not in any way that gives us a chance to even know who they are. Chromedome? He's just the hot head who charges first and asks questions never. Hardhead? The bruiser who likes fighting. Brainstorm? I guess, the science guy? It's never made clear. Hell, I can't even describe Highbrow's personality, because they didn't even bother to give him one. He's just the guy who turns into a helicopter and will sometimes shoot something. How can I care about what these characters are doing if I don't even care about they are?

Same goes for the new villains, especially Zarak. Zarak has to be the most bare bones villain in ANYTHING I've seen in this franchise. He wants to destroy stuff, because:



With an extra dose of:



I couldn't choose between the two, so I included both. You're welcome.

And that's not even getting into how ridiculously stupid some of the filler plots can be. And when I say filler, I don't mean the good filler that's actually used to get to know the characters and enjoy our time with them. No, I'm talking about Steven Universe Season 4 type of filler; the filler that just exists to lengthen the list of episodes in a given series. Just for an example, there is an episode where the Headmasters encounter an alien planet. And the inhabitants... are Bees.



It was either that or the "Not the Bees" scene from Wicker Man. Take your pick.

And most of these filler plots just follow the same formula; someones/somethings in danger, go save that someone/something, Daniel and Wheelie antics, vague moral lesson, never call back to the event. Lather, rinse, repeat. There is such little continuity in this series, that I forgot what either the Cybertrons or Destrons want. At least with Zarak, I get him; destroy because evil. But everyone else? What purpose do they serve? What role do they serve? How do their actions affect the narrative? Do they have an end goal to any of the random shit that happens in this show?

The answer to all of these questions is, of course:



By the end of the series, very little was actually accomplished. In fact, it kind of felt like everything just went backwards, and I ultimately feel like I know LESS about these characters. And frankly, the less I know about Daniel and Wheelie, the better!

Overall, I won't say that The Headmasters is terrible, but there is one word to describe it overall. Or rather, one song:



Even with my frustrations with Daniel and Wheelies pointless shit, or the subplots being ridiculous in their presentation, I was just in a constant state of boredom. I probably could've skipped over this show entire and missed absolutely NOTHING by the end of it. As of writing this, I am at least 12 or so episodes in Masterforce, the series that comes canonically The Headmasters. And even though I think the "Headmaster Jr" stuff is just a dumb excuse to have kids be the heroes, the show thus far has been far more entertaining and well written than The Headmasters. I actually want to keep watching Masterforce, whereas I really struggled to get through Headmasters before turning it off and watching something else.

So, take my opinion for what it's worth, but I just can't recommend Headmasters, either to die hard fans or casual viewers.

Overall rating: 5/10 (BOOOOOOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIIIIIIING!)

Thanks for reading, and until next time: This is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

P.S: The theme song, as well as most of the music in Headmasters, sucks.

Bumblebee (2018)

(SPOILER WARNING!!)

Recently, I have started to sour on the previous Bayverse Transformers movies. After a while, it did start to feel as if the films where made with this sense of cynicism and contempt for the franchise, which is not how one should be approaching a film series based on one of the single most popular and profitable franchises of all time. I will always have an appreciation for the first film, as that was my gateway into the overall franchise. Even for a dumb action film, it still felt like the beginnings of a decent franchise. But despite the billions that the films has earned, fans and critics would nonetheless feel like they were just being bombarded with the same shit over and over again. And judging by The Last Knight's disastrous critical reception and lagging box office results, it seemed to finally break the camels back for a lot of people. This might by why people weren't really looking forward to Bumblebee, as they had finally gotten tired of watching these movies, in particular Michael Bay, and just wanted them to go away.

That said, I was still cautiously optimistic about the film, thanks in part to Travis Knight replacing Bay as director and the film itself being a soft reboot to the franchise, allowing for something of a fresh start and a means of making up for TLK's mistakes. Granted, doing yet another soft reboot just 4 years after Age of Extinction, the other soft reboot, seemed like a bit of a hasty decision, as that would also result in a lot of the set up storylines either being abandoned or incoherently retconned.

Fortunately, however, now that I've more than a week to fully process it, I can safely say that Bumblebee is by far the best live action film, as well as the closest to a modern G1 movie that we'll ever get. Although, thanks to Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns (looks like shit) coming out at the exact same time, it'll probably be hit the hardest in the race to the top of the box office. So yes, I am in the right to blame Disney if Bumblebee doesn't do well financially.

Regardless, it's time that we finally address the film that actually matters. The war for Cybertron is reaching it's peak as the Autobots, lead by Optimus Prime, have no choice but to abandon the planet and find new places to stay. The scout B-127, later named Bumblebee, is sent to Earth by Optimus to protect it until they can mount a small team together and build a new home. Upon arrival in 1987, however, Bumblebee is intercepted by Starscre-- I mean, Blitzwing, who proceeds to tear out his voice box and leave him without a memory, before the Decepticon is blown to pieces in a spectacular fashion. Thanks for the cameo, David Sobolov!

After the fight, Bumblebee scans the signature Volkswagen beetle alt mode and goes into stasis lock, until a few months pass and he is found and taken in by Charlie Watson, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Charlie, on top of having a less than amicable relationship with her mum after her dad died, is shocked to see her new car turn into a robot barely twice her height, but helps him out in keeping him disguised and even gives him his name based on the buzzing and beeping from his no longer existent voice box.

Meanwhile, the Decepticon Triple Changer duo for the film, Shatter and Dropkick, arrive on Earth after learning of Bumblebee being on the planet, and manipulate the more militaristic Sector 7, seemingly lead by Agent "Insert John Cena joke here" Burns, into helping them to find Bumblebee by framing him as a fugitive and member of a resistance trying to disturb the peace on their planet. With Bumblebee learning more about humanity and even forming a familial bond with Hailee, while said human companion deals with her own personal issues with regards to connected to people and reconciling with the people she already has. All the while they avoid getting captured or killed by the Decepticons on their tail in a film that ISN'T 2 and a half hours long.

It's nice to see the story go back to basics, which is something this franchise desperately needed. The Last Knight tried too hard to create a shared continuity, but failed as it didn't resolve any of the lingering plot threads from the previous films and over-complicated it with a needless "chosen one" narrative, made worse as it was coupled by several retcons that almost completely wipes the other films from ever being possible to have happened in spite of relying on those films to even exist.

I really wasn't joking when I said I soured on the previous Transformers films.

But Bumblebee, as said previously, goes back to basics with it's story. It doesn't try to be something that it isn't, nor does it just retread what was already done beforehand. It just takes the classic scenario of "kid with a pet alien", and showcases said alien learning what it really means to be human and how their connections with their "owner" lets them grow and change over the course of their journey. This is the first time in the entire series that I really saw Bumblebee become more than just the kid-appeal toy seller, and it shines through with giving us a character to route for. On top of that, he's not just relegated to the background as had been the complaint with the other films. It may have a good amount of the focus be on the humans, but this is still Bumblebee's journey through and through. I finally have a chance to really appreciate whenever he is on screen instead of groaning whenever he talks through the radio.

Speaking of characters I really enjoy, I think Hailee Steinfeld was fucking great in this film. I've always enjoyed her work in movies (especially the remake of True Grit) and this film is no exception. Her fantastic performance really helps to bring who would otherwise be a generic character to life, as you really do feel for her when she is going through the toughest shit in her life. Stuff like her dead father, or her overbearing mother, or her inability to interact with people because of what she has, and is still, going through. Her chemistry with Bumblebee is beautiful, whether it would be light-hearted banter or Hailee seeking comfort from the troubles in her life. It never feels like she's just talking to a tennis ball on a stick, it really does feel like Bumblebee is in the scene with her at all times.

Remember what I said earlier about this film being the closest to a modern day G1 film? That's not by accident, as is evident in the scenes with the war on Cybertron at the beginning. The character models are exactly what the original characters would look like with a live action update, which instantly allows you to tell them apart much easier. I could actually recognise the characters as who they are meant to be, which was especially true for Optimus, the Seekers, Shockwave and Soundwave. Other stuff like the Seekers turning into the Tetrajets, Soundwave launching Ravage out of his chest, Prime having his mouthplate on all the time, Shockwave with his British accent and arm cannon, and of course, the Noise:



Even getting Jon "Epic Trailer Voice Guy" Bailey to do the G1 voices for both Soundwave and Shockwave, my two favourite Decepticons, shows that Travis Knight really cared about making this as G1 as possible without feeling like a farce. Even smaller stuff like a tiny snippet of "The Touch" (called it, by the way!) helps to sell the idea of making "G1: The Movie" and showing respect to the franchise again. I felt like I was there in the 80's watching the Autobots duke it out with the Decepticons for the first time, and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face the entire time I was in the theatre and getting all of the references and call-backs.

The only complaint I could think of, and to be fair it is more of a nitpick, is that none of the Decepticons are actually named in the film. This is strange, especially seeing how Shatter and Dropkick are the main villains of the picture and we never actually know their names. Hell, Cliffjumper got to say his name three bloody times in his brief cameo before being called, and even Ravage gets namedropped, but unless you knew who Shatter and Dropkick were beforehand, you never would've known otherwise. Again, that's just more of a nitpick, but I think it would still help to really sell the film to both fans and regular audiences.

But otherwise, I can easily say, with no hyperbole or shadow of a doubt, that Bumblebee is exactly the Transformers film that we deserved the entire time. It's charming and funny when it needs to be, but it can also be action packed and heart-warming as well, allowing us to really appreciate the characters even more thanks to having slower paced scenes that let us breathe without being bombarded with exposition and mind-numbing stupidity. If this film is successful at the box office, I would gladly buy it twice on regular DVD and Blu-Ray, as it deserves to be seen by anyone and everyone. I'll probably see it a couple more times while it's still in theatres just to show my support. This may be my pick for best film of the year.

And yes, I say that after remembering Infinity War.

Overall rating; 9/10.

So, until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, rolling out!

... You know what? I'll just put both "Back to Life" "The Touch" here, if only because I love these songs and this film so flippin' much.

Aquaman (2018)

(SPOILER WARNING!!)

While I still think that the DCEU thus far has been mostly trash, that doesn't mean everything in it was God awful. This is where Aquaman comes into play.

Much like Wonder Woman, Aquaman is a character who is otherwise underused in terms of cinematic representation. That's not to say he's never been a part of any other DC related properties, as he was one on the main members of the Justice League almost since it's inception. But either due to Batman and Superman overshadowing the rest or creators not knowing what to do with the character, Arthur Curry has otherwise played little part in the overall franchise outside of the comics.

But with his out of nowhere introduction in the Justice League film, and Jason "Khal Drogo" Momoa himself in the role, there were still fans clamouring to see the character in his own cinematic adventure, especially with director James Wan attached to the film. So long as Snyder and Goyer stayed as far away from the project as possible, we'll be good. And thankfully, I can safely say that we finally have another good DC film that isn't Wonder Woman.

And hey, it's still better than Titans.

The story, at it's core, is simple; Arthur Curry is the half breed child of a lighthouse keeper and the Queen of Atlantis, the latter leaving due to an arranged marriage and to keep the ones she loves safe. This hasn't worked fully, however, as Curry grows up to act as the defender of the seas and kick some major ass along the way. Things change, however, when his younger half-brother Orm, a.k.a the Ocean Master, is planning to launch an attack on the surface by uniting the remaining legions of Atlantis together and Arthur has to dethrone him before that can happen. With the help and coercing from Princess Mera, Arthur sets out on a quest to find the spear of Atlantis to stop Orm, despite the fact that he doesn't exactly see himself as king material.

Oh, and something about a mercenary who eventually becomes Black Manta who also has some kind of connection to Orm and wants to kill Arthur for leaving his dad to die, but that's nothing major.

One of the things that helps the film stand on its feet outside of the DCEU is that they don't try to weave in a larger, interconnected story that will be resolved in a crossover film, nor does it act as if the universe this far existed. They briefly mention Steppenwolf from Justice League, but otherwise, they try to keep the film rooted to Aquaman and his journey. This was desperately needed after the mess that resulted from BvS trying to be more than it could've ever hoped to be. We needed more of a (so to speak) down to Earth story that actually allows the characters to breathe and develop beyond what was seen of them in a previous film. We finally have the chance to really appreciate Arthur's character and see him become a true hero in his own right, while still working off of what little was already established about him.

It's ALMOST as if having a character grow and develop before throwing them in with a bunch of nobodies allows us to appreciate their interaction more and thus doesn't come off as forced or narrative contrived... seriously WB, it's not that fucking hard.

What also helps is the fact that much of Arthur's journey makes sense for his character. He's someone with simple needs; he wants to just protect both land and sea without much else in terms of being a full on hero. And he wants to have fun while doing so. He isn't ignorant of what he can do, he simply doesn't want to break away and betray what he is and what he knows. Thus, him not wanting to be king in spite of his heritage makes absolute sense in the films context and with how he interacts with everyone.

This contrasts well with Orm, who, while still being a pompous, arrogant prick, still does what he does for the sake of Atlantis and it's intrinsic to his characterisation. He was simply raised that way and knows no other alternative, as he lived most of his life without someone to teach him right or wrong. He's still a manipulative and conceited bastard, but you still understand where he's coming from and he is never depicted as just "the bad guy".  Helped that he isn't just killed at the end; he faces the consequences of everything he has done and is going to answer for them.

If I had any real complaint about the film, it's mainly around one of the chief villains; Black Manta. Which is a shame, as they do a good job building him up from the start of the film. Arthur is actively responsible for Black Manta's father getting killed, and is in cahoots with Orm as both want Arthur dead for one reason or another. He is provided with Atlatean equipment and he builds various weapons and a cool looking helmet to prep himself to kill Arthur, taking on the Black Manta title in the process.

And he only gets about 5 minutes of screen time before he gets his ass kicked and isn't seen until the mid-credit scene to build up a sequel... laaaaaaaaaaaame.

I understand why he didn't have as much presence as Orm, as he is one of the lesser DC villains when comparing to the likes of the Joker of Lex Luthor, but he still felt like an afterthought who was mainly thrown into the film to sell more tickets. Very little of what he does actually matters to the films narrative and he could've saved the Black Manta suit for the next film.

Otherwise, I'm happy to see this film embrace the fact that it's a comic book film. With a character as inherently ridiculous as Aquaman is, it really is surprising that the film treats the character and his lore with such respect and dignity. Even right down to taking the costumes from the comics and translating it into live action. Seeing the orange and green spandex brought to the big screen and have it done in a simultaneously elegant and badass way shows how much the filmmakers really cared about pleasing both the fans and regular audiences. They don't just simply through a bunch of images from the comics for the sake of visual appeal; they integrate it and give a brand new sense of importance and legacy.

This film is what was so desperately needed after such misses like BvS and Justice League. It's fun, well-written, acted wonderfully by the entire cast, and finally gives me that excitement that has so desperately been missing from the DCEU for a very long time. I can finally look forward to seeing more DC movies again without having to just go back and watch Dark Knight for my DC movie fix. So, what's next?

*sees trailer for Shazam*

... At least I'm not groaning in frustration.

Overall rating: 8/10.

Until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

My Revelations on Adel

(SPOILER WARNING!!)

I think that I've made it clear in the past that I'm not particularly fond of Kamen Rider Ghost, and one of those reasons was the fact that Adel, the eldest prince of the Ganma World, is one of the worst villains in the entire franchise (that I had seen, at this point; maybe someone in Zi-O will be worse). But one of the reasons why he is such a waste of a villain is his sudden moment of redemption.

Essentially, Takeru is somehow able to forge a connection with him and reminds Adel of his long dead mother and brother, which somehow snaps him out of his stupor and he suddenly doesn't want to be a villain anymore. Thus, while the Ganmaizers somehow overtake Adel's body, Takeru is allowed to deal the finishing blow that kills Adel and somehow he ends up going to Ganma Heaven or wherever the fuck a Ganma goes when they die.

Have I mentioned that this show does not explain ANYTHING about how the Ganma World works?

But yeah, for no reason, Adel is just forgiven of regicide and potential genocide and he's suddenly supposed to be a sympathetic character. This, however, fails, as we were never alluded to the idea that Adel had any form of sympathy or empathy, or even the whole dead relatives thing that in no way relates to Adel's scheme of making everybody him. We were never given the impression that Adel ever regretted his actions throughout the series, and thus never feel sorry for him when he breaks down crying and allows Takeru to kill him.

But of course, this blog is more about a revelation I've had about Adel as well as why he was a terrible villain. Namely, as I've seen this exact character type done before to great effect, with how it was done correctly.

Here's some hints; a prince, themes of death, ideology twisted by sociopathic influences, is revealed to have a tragic back story, is meant to be a figure of sympathy and regret by the end.

You know who that reminds me of?



Yes, really. I've just described, word for word, the characters of both Adel from Ghost and Asriel Dreemurr from Undertale, as both are actually eerily similar.

Ignoring the fact that both Undertale and Ghost were first released in 2015, Asriel and Adel are actually quite similar in their purpose; an all powerful being who wants to change the nature of reality itself. This difference, of course, is that Adel simply does what he does out of his own ego to make everyone him, whilst Asriel wants to constantly reset the timeline so that they always have the chance of facing off against Frisk.

But see, here's where the two continue to diverge, and this will involve spoilers for the True Pacifist Route for Undertale (which I have not addressed yet as I haven't wrote the next part of my Undertale review [it likely isn't coming]). So if you aren't aware of the ending, you have been warned; there are massive spoilers.

Anyways, Asriel is the long dead son of Toriel and Asgore. Sometime before he died, however, he befriended a human that fell into the Underground; Chara. The child was able to convince Asriel to go through a crazy scheme that would involve Chara poisoning themselves and having Asriel absorb their soul so that they can return to the surface, gather six human souls, and return to break the barrier preventing the monsters from returning to the surface. Upon arriving at a village, however, the townsfolk blamed Asriel for Chara's death and attacked him, eventually forcing him to return back to the Underground where he turned to dust, said dust covering Asgore's yellow flowers. One flower, however, was used in Alphys' Determination experiments and thus, life was given to that flower, who would eventually be known by us as Flowey. Flowey retained all of the memories he had when he was Asriel, but was incapable of feeling compassion and empathy. This could be chalked up to him either being a completely soulless monster, or some leftover influence from Chara.

That last point is relevant for later, trust me.

Still, at the end of the True Pacifist Route where everyone finally meets one another and stops the fight between Asgore and Frisk, Flowey shows up; stealing the human souls as well of the souls of every monster in the Underground to finally regain his original form as Asriel, with him beginning his plans to reset the timeline over and over again just so they can play this little game with Frisk (whom he actually believes is Chara).

But do you want to know WHY exactly Asriel is what could've happened if Adel was in any way competently written?

Well, it's namely because Asriel is actually a sympathetic character and evidence in the game show him as more of a victim of the machinations of a sociopath.

See, Asriel himself admits that Chara was not a good person, as they wanted to use the monsters to wipe out humanity and have a semblance of peace. When Asriel carried Chara's soulless body back up to the surface to be laid on a patch of golden flowers, Asriel wasn't the one in control; Chara was. Chara was trying to force Asriel to use their new God-like powers to destroy humanity at their own leisure. Asriel, however, simply refused, which was what lead to his death and his ashes being spread on Asgore's garden. This not only paints Chara as a complete and utter sociopath, but also allows the players to have some of sympathy with Asriel as it's clear that everything he did as Flowey was merely a result of him going insane without the ability to feel any compassion towards other creatures, as well as the left over influence from Chara that twisted his goals into becoming the God of Hyperdeath (yes, really).

Furthermore, even before the revelation in the True Pacifist ending of Flowey being Asriel, we were still allowed the chance to sympathise with Asgore once we learned of the entire reason as to why he wanted to see humanity die; he was grieving over the death of his children and, in a fit of rage, swore to everyone in the Underground that human kind would pay. Heck, even during the Neutral and True Pacifist runs, there were illusions to Asriel's existence and the importance he had in the story.


Namely, after Frisk is left unconscious when they lose Undyne in a fall.



Ignore the "Joseph" bit, that was just the guy playing the game. But I hope that this helps you understand where I'm coming from, right?

This is what culminates in one of the most heart breaking moments in the game, when Frisk realises the main reason why Asriel is trying to RESET the timelines over and over again; it's not because he wants to keep killing Frisk, but because Asriel had yet to truly accept that Chara was truly gone.

Chara was the only friend that Asriel ever had in the Underground, and losing them rocked his world to the core. He wants to be able to relive those memories again and again, even if it meant hurting other people. It was only because he was finally able to feel compassion, thanks to him absorbing all of the Souls in the Underground, that he was able to accept that he was just afraid of really saying goodbye to the person he cared about the most, even when he acknowledges that Chara wasn't really a good person, as they manipulated Asriel into trying to destroy humanity.

But do you want to know what truly sets Asriel apart from Adel? It's this:



He earnestly, and honestly, earned his forgiveness, not through any story contrivances, but through his own machinations with him destroying the Barrier. He earned his redemption, because he actually tried to make amends for everything he has done, at the cost of his own happiness. After he used up all of those Souls, he would eventually turn back into Flowey, but he willingly made that sacrifice for the everyone else's sake.

Which is why, after everything he had gone through and everything he did to earn our forgiveness, I always have Frisk do this:



That simple few seconds of Frisk comforting Asriel is one of the most touching and heartwarming parts of the entire game, as it shows how you're supposed to do the whole "sudden villain redemption" troupe that I often otherwise despise. They built up to this moment, and thus it was earned.

Adel, in comparison to all of this, never deserved anything less than my ire and distrust. It was never alluded to that he missed his family, thus it makes no sense as to why we should suddenly feel sorry for him. There was never a point where Adel realised the error of his ways, but was instead forced by the narrative to suddenly be a crybaby brat. And of course, after he "saw the error of his ways", he never actually did anything to earn our sympathy or forgiveness, as the story was so hastily rushed that Adel never even got the chance to show his change, hence why it's so difficult for the audience to sympathise with him.

In short, everything that was done right with Asriel was done completely wrong with Adel. When an Indie game often derided because of its fanbase can do this story far better than a TV series with themes of death, you know you done fucked it up.

I'm not saying Adel has to be a word for word copy of Asriel; I'm saying that Asriel is an example of how to do the "fallen hero turned to villain" troupe far better.

Still, that's just the revelation I had only recently, maybe other people who've watched Ghost and played Undertale had that revelation before me. For all I know, it could just be me.

But until we next meet; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

[You have finished reading the review; you are filled with DETERMINATION!]

Top 10 DAGames Songs (Part 2)

Sorry this one is late, real life got in the way.

Still, I would like to make an addendum to Part 1 of this list. If you recall, I put both "Dream On" and "Path of Genocide" in the number 9 spot, mainly due to Will being the core reason as to why I checked out Undertale to begin with, as I simply could not get those songs out of my head. However, I did neglect to mention one other little gem that he made:



Much like how "Dream On" seemed reflective of Asriel's cycle of grief and "Path of Genocide" was more of a story piece for the games Genocide route, "I Stay Determined" could easily be seen as a P.O.V piece from Frisk's perspective during the Pacifist route. Lyrics like "So you can be not a foe, but a friend" help support that idea. Otherwise, this is probably my favourite Undertale song due to the guitar riffs and Will's vocals ranging from soft and calm to loud and rugged, which compliment the instrumentals perfectly. As far as I'm concerned, this is also on the first part of the list. I only neglected to mention it as I hadn't heard it at the time.

With that said, the rules from last time still apply here. Namely; this is all bias and opinion based, I have not heard every song, and I'm not putting entire albums on here.

But otherwise, from here on out, it'll be solely original songs by him, so let's keep the list going with:

5:


I think I enjoyed this song more for the superficial reasons as opposed to what Will might of intended.

While this song captures the idea of a savage beast being taken out of his cage to hunt down his prey in the dark, I can't help but focus more of the absolutely brutal way that the instruments, vocals and lyrical structure work off of each other. The initial slower pace of the lyrics match up perfectly with the louder build created from the guitars and drums, which help to sell the idea that the artist is a predator, searching through the night for his prey to prove their dominance and strength. The aggressive nature of Will's vocals in this number help to sell to the listener this idea that no matter where you run, you'll never be able to escape from your inner demons as they try to hunt you down.

Always leave it to Will to make a song about being an aggressive monster sound amazing. Lord knows, he did it better than Adam Levine did.

4:


A common motif that I have found in Will's original songs is this idea of defiance to compliance... if that makes any sense.

I feel that what this song represents is a tad more obvious with it's message; that no one is going to control what the artist is going to create, and that the corporate craft is what will destroy any sense of identity or uniqueness about the artist, so the artist has to scream louder that they are not their play things or their tools for gain. Once more, this seems to be a common theme throughout plenty of Will's original scores, but each one is given their own unique flavour so that it never feels old.

Or maybe I'm grasping for straws and should just say this song's awesome. Either way, love it!

3:


This song feels more along the lines of a character piece, which is something I greatly appreciate.

"Kings & Queens" tells the story of two people, so different yet so similar to each other, as they fight their way from the deepest, darkest parts of their lives to reclaim something that once belonged to them in another life. They aren't going to just sit back and wait for it to come to them; they are gonna keep fighting and striving for what they believe in just so they can announce to the world that forgotten them that they are back!

What else can you say except; "They're the fucking Kings & Queens!"

2:



And:



Again, putting more than one song on the same spot, though this one feels more justified as... well, it's the same song in different styles.

I intentionally left the opening of the original version in with the song so that people get the idea this isn't just "another Will Ryan song about his defiance". Instead, he makes it clear as crystal. This is Will's most personal song, as it represents his pain of being seen as an object, a toy; something for the audience to play with and demand more when they aren't satisfied. And as soon as he's out of the spotlight, they ignore him until he tries to satisfy them yet again. That spotlight is something that a lot of people like Will go through, in terms of emotional stress. Stuff like that stays with you, even if you can fight it off. It's not something anyone can take lightly, no matter how times you hear stuff like "Man up" or "Get over it". This Will at his most vulnerable and personal, and he's not going to let you look away this time. The simplicity of the song actually helps the listener to understand the complexities of this subject, and the last line of the song speaks more volumes than any kind of gothy, emo "woe, is me, with my million dollar mansion" trash that larger artists put out on a daily basis.

In short, this song is simply a masterpiece.

... Okay, I'll include the "Steamed Hams" version too:



But only because this is the only time I ever found that stupid late meme funny.

And now, without any further delay, let's get to it:

My Number 1 song by DAGames is:


There was never any doubt in my mind that this would be on the list.

I mentioned before that a lot of Will's original songs, along with dealing with his own emotional struggles, are ultimately about defiance against a negative stigma; to keep true to yourself and to always do what you love. Not because anyone told you to do it, but because you WANT to do it. And if they can't see you for who you are, then they can all fuck off, as you'll never need them again if they continue to stand in your way of growing.

This song captures that idea PERFECTLY, while still showing that no matter what comes his way, no matter what shit people may say about him and his music, Will is not going to stand there and take it any longer, so neither should you. So, simply stand up and shout "Fuck them all"!

But more than that, this song is number 1 on the list for a more personal reason, and this is what I meant when I said this list would become more serious. Know that not a word of this is hyperbolic.

In May earlier this year, I was going through an emotional state of decay. It was the final semester of University in my second year, and I was completely swamped by constant assignment after assignment, task after task. I was struggling just to get started on otherwise relatively simple essays, because of all of these other things just weighing down on my mind. Add on the fact that I was trying to balance that along with time I wanted to spend with my mum and baby brother, as well the fact that I was due for maxillofacial surgery in a few weeks time, and I felt my life just spiralling out of control. I was honestly considering just finishing the second year, dropping out and getting a 9 to 5 job, if only because I didn't want to confront the reality around me as my confidence was falling apart.

What ultimately stopped me from going down that road were two major factors. Firstly, a talk with my mum. She noticed that I was getting into slump and wanted to talk to me, to just allow me to let out any aggression or sense of doubt I had been feeling at that time. Talking with her has always what kept me down to Earth and allowed me to think more rationally. She is the rock that I needed in my time of desperation.

Secondly, this song. Hearing this song telling me that I was worth something, and that if I stand in defiance of my own demons, I will come stronger. So, that's what I did. I pushed those awful thoughts out of my head through sheer anger and kept striving forward to finish my year. And never had I felt more relieved when it was all over. Which is why "Heart of An Artist" will always be my number 1 DAGames song of all time.

And that wouldn't have been possible were it not for my mum and Will Ryan. And so; mum, Will, from the bottom of my heart:

Thank you. For everything.

I hope those of you who are still reading enjoyed the list. You have any other DAGames song that you feel should be on the list? Well, comment below and let me know.

But until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!

PEACE OUT!!

How to fix Kamen Rider Zi-O.

(SPOILER WARNING!!)

I had said previously that I was dropping Kamen Rider Zi-O after 6 episodes due to how insultingly bad the series was getting. However, I found myself going back to it and watching the next 3 episodes (as episode 10 inexplicably has not popped up on any website yet). The show is still gutter trash, but it hasn't reached the same level of insulting that we got in episode 6.

Still, looking back, I started think of how exactly the show could've been improved from it's inception and how the story (or lack thereof) has progressed thus far. I'm not gonna just say "have Riku Sanjou or Naruhisa Awakawa write it", as that was pretty obvious to me from day one. Those two actually KNOW how to write a good story with likeable protagonists. Instead, I will divide this into two categories and mark down how each could be improved immensely with simple revisions or difference in perspective.

With that said, let's begin where I feel the series suffers the most:

The Story:

On top of being derisive of Den-O's basis of a guy that helps some random lady as they travel through time to stop monsters from massively rewriting history, Zi-O's story has virtually nothing going for it thus far, with the exception of Sougo potentially becoming the evil overlord that Geiz and Woz believe he will end up as. But even then, it still feels derisive of other stories that have done this idea far better; the possibility of the protagonist becoming the villain due to both external and internal circumstances that forces them into that role. Hell, that was a major plot-point with Decade and how Tsukasa was trying to deny the idea that he is the Rider that will destroy all the others. Instead, he tried his hardest to earn the trust of his seniors and discover for himself what it means to be a Kamen Rider.

Zi-O, on the other hand, as just focused on the same damn thing with each episode:

Geiz: This guy is gonna ruin the world, so why don't we just stop him here and now?

Everyone else: Here's a stupid reason that stops you from completing your end goal and is used to say you're wrong when all evidence suggests that you're in the right.

Geiz: Oh, okay. I'll just accept it until I inexplicably don't.

Lather, rinse, repeat for every fucking episode.

On top of that, the subplots in each "arc" for the series has incredibly dumb and wrecks any appreciation one may have for it. The episodes focused on stopping Another Wizard, for instance, has said Kaijin do everything he does just to impress a random lady who will never love him the same way in return. And when he learns that lady is going to get married to his rival, he flips out and starts causing actual havoc instead of using his powers for a magic show. Appreciation for it is then ruined with how Zi-O has the guy talk to his past self to stop him for ever becoming Another Wizard, thus rendering the episodes focused on Another Wizard entirely pointless. Nothing was learned and nothing was achieved. Fan-fucking-tastic.

This could easily be remedied if it's not stated directly that Sougo will become Oma Zi-O, but instead leave it as a mystery for the characters to discover who their evil overlord is and how he came to power. Thus, necessitating the Time Jackers involvement with them creating the Another Riders to try and stop Zi-O and Geiz from fixing the timelines, which then allows for the original Riders to still exist without much in the way of narrative contradictions. Hell, the whole "Sougo becomes Oma Zi-O" thing could be a narrative red herring created by Woz as a means of sewing discord and mistrust in the team, along with Sougo questioning if his future is set in stone or if he can change it for the better. Automatically, you have a much more interesting character journey instead of "i WaNnA bE kInG!"

And on that note, that brings me to point number two:

The Characters:

Be honest with yourself, readers; the characters in this show are either one dimensional planks of wood or unlikable morons. Granted, there is more of the former category, but the latter is prevalent with it's lead "hero": Sougo Tokiwa. Sougo is, in every sense, an awful protagonist, on par with the likes of ToQger's Wrong Suzuki, Ninninger's Bakaharu Igasaki, and Kyuranger's Dumb-Luck with how horribly his characterisation is fucked up. At best, he's just an idiot, one with baseless aspirations to become a king (despite that fact that a majority of countries, including Japan, has abandoned that type of monarchy) and has no idea what the fuck he's even doing. At worst, he is a selfish, narcissistic, destructive, god-modding sociopath with no consideration of what other people may be feeling and completely ignorant of the consequences of his actions. He doesn't care if he destroys the future, so long as he gets to become a king.

I'd play the "Our Hero, ladies and gentlemen" clip, but I couldn't find one good enough nor short enough for this blog. Besides, I'm sure you're all thinking it already.

If he was more along the lines of a history savant and admired the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, that would actually make sense for him to model himself after that. Not in the sense that he would want to rule over a country, but be more of a modern day knight errand tasking himself with the duty to protect others in the name of hope. After all, Arthur was challenged by Merlin himself to oppose the whole "Might makes right" deposition, and instead decided the idea of "Might FOR right". That more aligns with the traditional ideals of a Kamen Rider; a person who uses the power that they wield, be forced or chosen, to save people simply because it's the right thing to do and it's how they hold on to what makes them human.

But of course, this being a Shinichiro Shurakura production and a Kento Shimoyama script, we don't get that. Instead, we get the bare bone minimum for the side characters, whilst the main character is a moron with delusions of grandeur who the story says is right when everything presented suggests that they should be wrong. Which is why Sougo is a horrible protagonist; he's not a character, he's a mouthpiece for the Shimoyama to project his own idiocy and hypocrisy onto other people. Combine that with Shurakura's lack of understanding of the merits of the franchise (to the point where he admits he has no clue of what heroism is), and you have a disaster of a main hero.

If more time was focused on actually giving the other characters, namely Tsukuyomi and Geiz, more time to flesh themselves as characters and actually allowing interaction between Sougo and the past Riders (who are little more than footnotes in the series, as half of them haven't even shown up), then maybe the cast could be stronger. And of course, it would help if the main "hero" wasn't a colossal douchebag with stupid aspirations.

Still, that's just how I would personally have fixed the series as it has been thus far. Other stuff like the integration of the gimmicks or the acknowledgement of previous canon could easily be handled by other experts, as I will admit that I have yet to see everything in the early Heisei run (specifically; Agito, Ryuki, Blade and Hibiki).

If you have any suggestions on how the series could be fixed, please let me know and I'd be happy to hear it.

So until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the newly christened Media Hood, signing off!