Greetings Ladies and Gents! I am The Shaman of Animation. Here, I talk about mainly cartoons and whatever else is on my mind from Superheroes to Wrestling, to games, and anything else. Enjoy my reviews/ramblings and share with friends.
Greetings Ladies and Gents it is I The Shaman of...Wait something's not right here...
There We go...
As I was saying, it is I, The Shaman of Animation with a new review. 2014 has come to a close people (Well it already had in some places, but it's only official now that it has on my end!), and with it, a lot of the anime of this year are going with it. 2014 brought us some interesting titles. Some with dark and haunting tones and themes, some were classics being reborn, and others that were...laughably stupid. And with the end of any year, people want to make lists of some of their favorite series of the year. Well...I'm not gonna do that, mainly because their wasn't many series this last year that I started and actually finished; because I was either too lazy, or the series just didn't keep me interested...
But there was one series that I wanted to review no matter what. One that was my favorite of the summer season, and one that I'd go as far as to say was my favorite of the year. The series I'm taking about today, as you can see in the picture above:
NO! NOT THAT ONE!!
The series I'm talking about today is Barakamon. Let's not waste anymore time and dive in!
Synopsis: Barakamon is about Handa Seishu, a calligrapher who's a little down on his luck to say the least. After punching the ever living hell out of an old guy for insulting his calligraphy, Handa's dad moves him from the big city of Tokyo to a small island and...that's it. It's just a simple show about a city boy (Who WASN'T born and raised in South Detroit) adapting to the country life.
The Good: Something that I really love about this series is the underlying theme of finding your own identity. The continuing arc of the main character Handa was that he was a calligrapher whose work was unoriginal and too rooted towards what he was taught to do. The purpose of him being sent to the island was to essentially break away from the basics of calligraphy and find his own style. Throughout the series, we can see how being on the island and its natives not only change him as a writer, but also as a person. It was fun watching that development and I would throw my vote for Handa Seishu as the best main character of 2014.
Being a Slice of life Comedy, the comedy must be good enough to keep everyone entertained for the whole twelve episodes. Barakamon's humor mainly stems from the concept of Handa, who's been accustomed to the life of the city, going through the wacky shenanigans of the country and country folk. From trying to catch beetles to playing with the kids, the situations that not only Handa, but the rest of the cast are placed in, makes for good laughs all around.
The secondary characters in this series are also just fun to see interact with Handa and their personalities also create some memorable and entertaining moments. But of course, the best character of the show was:
SHE'S SO ADORABLE!!!!
This little bundle of joy is Naru; and no matter what anyone says, this girl is the real star of the show. Every scene she's in, she just steals it with the naivete that only a child could have. What helps aid in her charm is the fact that she's actually voiced by a child, which surprisingly doesn't happen a lot in animated shows, if ever. The kid characters in animated series are usually voiced by grown women (I can only think of two times where kids voiced kids). I tip my hat to the VA of Naru's performance. It makes me really wonder why a lot of animated series don't use kids to voice ki--
....Oh (You children stop staring into my soul!!!!!)
The Bad: To be honest, the only thing "bad" I could find about Barakamon was the art and animation, and even then, it wasn't bad, it perfectly served what the series was about, it was just very basic and no one should expect something spectacular like say...Space Dandy.
Conclusion: A story like Barakamon's is not one you see too often in anime. It didn't have the big fight scenes, "grand" story, or enormous hype like other series this past year did. Instead what it had was a small, down to Earth, heartwarming story with fun characters that was nothing short of a treat to watch and I'd wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. In five years time, a series like Akame Ga Kill will be a dime a dozen, while Barakamon, in my opinion at least, will be a gem. Till next time Everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
To Leave you all, here's some manly Naru face!! Take Care...
I may be late to this party, but that doesn't mean I can't talk about this book!
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I the Shaman of Animation here once again. We're three days removed from Christmas and I feel a little bad. I actually had a review planned out that was going up on Christmas, but I never got around to doing it because I got distracted by one of my Christmas presents...
DAMN YOU KINGDOM HEARTS 2.5...which I'll probably play after this review goes up!!!!
Speaking of Christmas presents, I received a $50 gift card for Barnes and Noble, which allowed me to pick up some comics for reading. One of these, I'll be talking about today: Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One.
Now, when it comes to The Titans, my experience, like most people, comes mostly from the 2003 Animated Series. The only comics I actually read about them was the New 52 version written by Scott Lobdell...and the less I talk about that comic series, the better. But I heard a lot of good stuff about this book and I figured I'd give it a read; and after reading, I had to talk about it. I'll try my best not to spoil too much, because I feel like this is something that people need to read to really enjoy.
Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One is written by Jeff Lemire with art by Terry and Rachel Dodson, Brad Anderson, and Cam Smith. It is a modern take on the famed superhero team with a brand new origin of how they get together and how they get their powers. Teens Victor Stone, Garfield Logan, Tara Markov, and Joey Wilson were just ordinary kids until one day, things got very strange VERY quickly. Vic's skin started turning to metal, Tara could start earthquakes, Garfield could turn into animals, and Joey...well, we don't know what he does until the climax of the book (Unless you're a long time fan of the titans, then it's obvious what he does). The one thing that these kids all have in common are visions of a girl who throughout the book asks them for their help.
This is a hundred plus page Graphic Novel; something that writer Lemire takes full advantage of as he tells a great story with a beginning, middle, and end with room for more books. Something that I find great about it is that it really gives us an idea of who these kids are before they gain their powers. Believe it or not, writing teenagers is a bit of a difficult task in media. Every now and again, you'll get something genuinely good starring Teens, but the majority of the time, you'll get dumb sh*t like...
...Yeah. This is Teen Wolf for those blissfully unaware.
But the characters of TT Earth One feel like real genuine teenagers with situations that I'm sure any other teen could relate to. Victor's mom thinks he's wasting his potential in school and doesn't like the girl he's with, Tara's relationship with her mother is horrible, Garfield is a young boy moved ahead two grades, and Joey is a guy who doesn't like being around his peers and seems to be getting more distant from his father. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters before the plot really kicks in. Again, I really don't want to talk too much about the plot of this novel because the way the characters gain their powers and the story behind it all is one I feel people should read for themselves. Just know, there is a great twist to it.
Teen Titans Earth One is not just a recreation of the Titans, but it feels very much like a recreation of the DC Universe itself. Not only do we see a modern version of the characters I mentioned so far, but we also see a new take on some very familiar characters and staples of the DC Universe. As the cover of the book shows, we have a new take on Raven (Whose part in the book is rather small yet effective), Star Labs, and even the greatest assassin in DC Slade Wilson A.K.A Deathstroke along with more.
Another great trait this book has going for it is the fantastic art. It does a great job of modernizing the titans while making them feel familiar (Plus for me, the fact that Victor Stone has a Kid N Play High top fade is the greatest thing ever). In some sections of the book, I felt reminded of the art style of the legendary Bruce Timm (One of the men behind Batman The Animated Series, Superman The animated series, Justice League, and more). Plus the coloring of this book is great.
In case you couldn't figure out, Teen Titans Earth One: Volume One is a fantastic book. Jeff Lemire's re-imagining of these characters we know and love is one that I feel that any fan of the Teen Titans, whether you're a fan of the comics or the cartoon, should check out. Well written characters, great story and a beautiful art style; it's definitely a must read. The only negatives I could find with the book were that it had to end and I don't know when the next one will be. Everyone: Do yourselves a favor and pick this book up.
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation taking off to play some Kingdom Hearts 2.5 and read some Nightwing.
Take a Look at this cover. Dude looks Manly as F**K!!!
Quite possibly, the last season of the Avatar Franchise period...
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, The Shaman of Animation here back again with a new review! Today's review: The fourth and final book of The Legend of Korra titled 'Balance'. This blog started with a Legend of Korra review, so it's only right that I talk about it's final season. Let's hop on in!
Synopsis: The Legend of Korra Book 4 takes place a whopping Three Years after the events of Book 3 (Spoilers to those who haven't seen Book 3...then again if you haven't seen Book 3 of Korra, why the hell are you here???) Korra is still recovering from her battle with Zaheer and company, Republic City has learned to coexist with the spirits and the spirit vines that inhabited it, The air nation is going strong and is helping people, and the Earth Nation is still recovering from the death of the Earth Queen with a new King days away from being crowned. As this is going on, Kuvira, who was sloppily introduced in the final episodes of the third season, has been using underhanded methods in helping The Earth Nation people, in her final days of work decides to break the Earth Nation away from the rest of the world and create a new 'Earth Empire' and those who oppose her are considered her enemy. It is now a still healing Korra's job to stop Kuvira's dictatorship and bring balance (See what I did there?) to the Earth Nation and the rest of the world.
The Good: As usual with this series, the fight scenes and bending are top notch and are always fun to watch, which perfectly reflect the amazing animation that the show has had throughout its entire run. Although one of the parts of the season that made it so enjoyable were its first few episodes that brought attention to this little lady here:
Short Hair, don't care b*tch!!
The end of LOK Book 3 saw Korra beaten and exhausted. When we get our first look at her in Book 4, she's at her lowest. She feels like she's lost a part of herself and she's on a journey to find that part again so she can go back to helping the world like she's meant to. The episode that covers her voyage of self discovery titled 'Korra Alone' was one of the best and strongest of not only the season, but the entire series itself.
As it's the final season of Korra, the show's writers do their best to wrap up loose ends such as finally providing closure with Asami and her father while also managing to provide plenty of fanservice for viewers of both this show and its predecessor: Avatar The Last Airbender. Plenty of fan favorite characters make a return (Both long and short) in this series such as Varrick, Katara, and Zuko. Of course, no return was bigger than the return of:
The Greatest Earthbender ever! Albeit really really old...
That's right, Toph, who had been seen in the series through flashbacks and has been mentioned plenty of times, makes an actual appearance in the series in the second episode of Book 4. She serves as sort of a Yoda like figure for Korra in her recovery process in the book and we also got to see her interact with her daughters and patch things up with them.
Now let's talk about the season's villain, Kuvira. I felt the character did a good job of carrying the overall trend of morally gray villains and I think the actress voicing the character did a terrific job of having Kuvira come off as the powerful dictator she was displayed as...but, that doesn't necessarily mean that there was all good to that character as you're about to read.
The Bad:
Was saving that Kuvira picture for this
The character of Kuvira isn't bad. Like I said, she continues the trend of villains who have good intentions but are going about things the wrong way, something the show mentions itself. It's just I feel that continuing that trend with the villain was a bit of a double edged sword as because of it, Kuvira to me, felt a little bland. Don't get me wrong, the show did an amazing job at making the character feel like a big threat, it's just that she felt the same as other villains in the series except she didn't have the wisdom and ruthlessness of Zaheer nor did she have the charisma of Amon.
Then again, it's hard to out charisma any character voiced by Steve Blum
Another negative for Korra Book 4 is that there were some missed opportunities or some things just weren't mentioned. The picture perfect example is the Fire Nation. Throughout the entire Series of Korra, we never get to see what has changed in the fire nation over the years like we did with the other three nations, which is majorly disappointing as I was interested in seeing the new fire lord do more in the series. Speaking of fire lords, let's talk about Zuko...or the lack of him, Katara, and Toph meeting up. That was a serious opportunity that the writers missed out on. I know for a fact that it would have been great for older fans to see the elderly members of the original Team Avatar to interact with each other and the fact that it didn't is a little deflating.
And for a final odd nitpick, Todd Haberkorn voices a character in this season. That's not knocking the guy, he's a great voice actor, I just need him to stop being in everything...
Conclusion: The Legend of Korra as a series overall has been a roller coaster ride to watch, the show's had shining moments of greatness and moments that just made you look at whatever screen you're watching it on and shake your head in disbelief of the stupidity transpiring. But I like to think that this season definitely continued the momentum that the last built up on and gave the series a great send off. With great animation, voice acting, soundtrack, and a finale that truly brings it all home, there aren't a lot of animated series on T.V. right now that could match The Legend of Korra and bring the sort of discussion that it brought. If you couldn't tell, Book 4: Balance gets a much deserved stamp of approval.
Till next folks, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying: I. LOVE. LESBIANS!!!
Those are my thoughts on the final scene, plus Chappelle Show rules. Take care folks...
I usually have something fancy or witty to say here, I got nothing...
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, the Shaman of Animation! Today, I'm here to give my thoughts on RoosterTeeth's newest animated series: X-Ray & Vav. The series is three (or four depending on when you read this) episodes in, so how is it? Let's find out!
X-Ray and Vav stars...X-Ray and Vav (I don't think their actual names have been stated yet...), two average joes who dream of being Superheroes and helping those who can't help themselves. The only downside is that they're total losers and every time they try helping people, they completely fail at it.
After a failed attempt at stopping a robbery, they run into this person:
Hi. I'm the tech person of this series
This lady is named Hilda, a genius inventor who, after an interesting first meaning, decides to make our heroes equipment to help them in their crusade and make them legit superheroes...which turns out to be a mistake as X-Ray and Vav end up destroying the city and cause Hilda to lose her job, and this was all in the first episode.
To be honest, the first episode of this show...felt lacking. There was nothing inherently wrong with it, it established who our main characters were, what the goal of our two title characters is, and it even gives us a glimpse at, who I'm guessing, is the main villain. My problem was that there wasn't a lot that made this episode stand out. When I'm watching a premiere episode of a series, while I appreciate a coherent and competent story, I'm also looking for something that'll hook me to show, for it to have something that has me coming back for more.
To bring up another RoosterTeeth series, the premiere episode of RWBY gave me a short but fun fight scene with a little girl wielding a stupidly awesome weapon that made me want to keep watching in hopes of seeing more stuff like that. The first episode of X-Ray and Vav just showed, for a lack of better term, incompetent idiots who want to be heroes and want all the glory that comes with it while having a brainy sidekick that helps them. I've seen shows with the same premise that did a better job at standing out. Shows like 'The Awesomes' Or 'Ultimate Spider-man'.
Granted, Ultimate Spider-man stands out as a show for all the WRONG reasons...
Now all this were my thoughts from the FIRST episode. The episodes that followed it, especially the Second Episode titled 'Operation: Rescue Friend', were much stronger than the first one. The episodes had more of the humor most would associate with a RoosterTeeth product (Or for me since I'm not a big follower of RoosterTeeth, Red vs Blue): A kind of meta humor that poked fun at tropes (like the fact that a pair of superhero trunks contain an infinite space to hold everything and the fact that the power of friendship solves everything), to dick jokes and sexual innuendos, to something silly like an old lady getting the crap beaten out of her. It also does a great job showing the chemistry between our heroes X-Ray and Vav and watching how they save the day (or not) can make for entertainment for some.
Now looking at things from a production standpoint, The show's art and animation is very basic. Now that's not a bad thing per say, it works for what the show's trying to be, just don't expect anything too fancy with it. The voice acting is...decent at best. My problems stem from the sound quality in each episode. I'm not an expert when it comes to mic and sound quality so I don't know if I'm phrasing this correctly, but I noticed it this problem the most in the first episode. There are numerous times (such as when X-Ray and Vav go on their heroic rants and shout their names) that the sound of these lines are a little, once again for a lack of better term, hushed and a little forced. Like during their takes they were directed to not be as loud as possible in fear of walking up the neighbors next door. I also noticed this problem the worst with Hilda's voice actress whose delivery fell very flat and at times, was like she was just reading off of a script and not trying to put in any effort.
Now I'm sure some fan out there is chastising me and throwing multiple insults at me using the excuse that 'The show is just starting, Not everything can be perfect, RVB didn't start off like that, NEH!!!!' To those fans using that excuse: Animation I can buy that. Story, I'll except. But this is a company that has been delving into voice over work for ELEVEN YEARS!!! This is their third original series that has involved voice acting and while I can except rough around the edges writing and animation for when they're starting a new series, they should have more than enough knowledge by now in Voice acting direction!
Take a look at people like TeamFourStar (Of DBZ Abridged fame) and LittleKuriboh (Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged), who post their parody series without the benefits of gaining ad revenue from Youtube. Their sound and voice quality had drastically improved over the years from their humble beginnings, something they carried over to whatever new project they do. If these guys can do it for free (For the most part), why can't a decade long company with more resources and money?
Tangent aside, X-Ray and Vav at the end of the day is a decently put together show that shows stride in improvement with each ep. so far without taking steps back, which is more than I can say for RoosterTeeth's other original animated series...
Oh, the amount of sh*t I'm gonna get for that statement...
The two title characters do have a nice chemistry together that does make for some entertaining jokes and the show clearly knows what it's going for. If I can offer some words of advice for the RT crew working on this show (If any of them are reading this), I think the show works best when it's parodying superhero shows and going for more self aware jokes much like in the second episode. If they stick to that, then I'm sure they'll have a winner. If you're interested in all, give X-Ray and Vav a watch, there might be something in the three (Or four, depending on when you read this) episodes that you'll like.
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying:
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, the Shaman of Animation back again. Tonight, I'm here to talk about/review WWE: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2014 (Cuz F**K calling it Tables, Ladders, Chairs, and Stairs). Tonight's show was one with a rather...weak build going into it. But, was the actual show itself good? Eh...Kinda? Let's get into this Pay-Per-View.
First let's kick this off with the first, and one of the best, matches of the night:
Dolph Ziggler Vs. Luke Harper For the Intercontinental Title In a Ladders Match
There's a reason Dolph Ziggler is nicknamed the show off, that's because every single Damn match he's in, he steals the show. That is exactly what he and Luke Harper did in this match tonight. These two left everything they had in the ring and it showed in one of the most brutal Ladder matches I've seen in a while. The creativity in how the ladder was used along with lot of the bumps these two took in this match just plain sold it for me. The match was booked very well with Harper looking incredibly strong in this and Dolph sold the underdog who can take a beating and come back and win to a T. The match ends with Ziggler becoming a 4 time IC champ and the PPV is off to a scorching start.
The Usos Vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow
This match was...an Usos match. That's not saying the match was bad, but it was a standard match for that tag team. Of course, the real MVP of this match was Damien Mizdow, whose imaginary selling of moves like suplexes and and him throwing himself out of the ring more than made that match enjoyable.
Next up:
Big show Vs. Eric Rowan in a Stairs Match
Okay, I have to ask something: WWE Creative team...WHAT THE F**?! Who in the bluest of blue hell thought making a stairs match was a good idea? Let me break it down for all my non wrestling viewers here: Tables match: The stipulation is to put your opponent through a table to win the match. Ladders match: The Stipulation is you have to climb up a ladder and pull something down in order to to win the match.A stairs match...is just a match with stairs. Which has me asking what's the point of even having a stairs match in the first place?! This match could have been a street fight or a no DQ match and there wouldn't have been a difference. As for the match itself? BORING!!
After that we have:
John Cena vs. Seth Rollins in a Tables Match?
The fact that this match didn't main event...actually surprised me, especially considering what was at stake here. But I will not complain about it. This match had an extra stipulation attached to it: If John Cena were to lose this match, he were to lose the Number one contender opportunity against WWE World Champion Brock Lesnar. The match was okay up to a point. Rollins security was a nice little add-on, and Rollins showed his athletic ability with Cena doing his best to make him look good and the match like I said, was okay up to a point. Up till the last seven to ten minutes of the match where it became, for lack of a better term...a clusterf**k. It started with Cena putting Rollins through the table, but the Rollins's security cleaned up the mess before the ref saw it, then Cena and Rollins both going through a table at the same time, resulting in a no contest. Then, Big Show showed up for no reason and beat up John Cena, which followed up with the return of...
....YAY???
Sooo....Roman Reigns came back...beat up Big Show, and Superman Punched Seth Rollins, allowing Cena to put Rollins through the table. Long story short, this match was an overbooked mess!!
NEXT:
Nikki Bella Vs. AJ Lee
There was a cool submission spot I saw there...that's about it...
The main event: The match I was waiting for. This match had two months of build, with their Survivor Series Match ending in a DQ just to build towards this match. This match...oh man this match, this was just a physical brawl, these two guys beat the sh*t out of each other...and IT WAS AWESOME!!!! Seriously, the innovations they had with weapons like the Singapore cane was just made me cringe and watch on in awe when I saw it and it made for a glorious main event. Besides Ziggler vs. Harper, this match was the best of the night...and then... THEY F**K IT UP WITH A COMPLETELY HORRIBLE ENDING!!!
The Match ended with Dean Ambrose ripping out a T.V. monitor that was plugged under the ring (For some reason...) and it exploded in Ambrose's face...what...WHAT?!?!
Did THIS GUY Book that ending?!?!
That ending was so ridiculously cartoonish, I just looked at my laptop screen and just facepalmed. This ending completely ruined the whole match for me.
TLC 2014 was just a bad show. There were only two matches that made it worthwhile and one of those had a sh*t ending to it. It's said to think that THIS was the final PPV of 2014.
Till next time guys, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying: Here's hoping the Royal Rumble doesn't suck...Take care.
The People's Champ does not know what to make of this...
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, The Shaman of Animation back again with a new topic discussion. The new hot topic in the world of Superhero TV shows: The recently announced Superman Prequel series coming to the channel Syfy titled Krypton. The series is set to take place 50 years before the Planet Krypton explodes and it will follow Superman's grandfather as he tries to, and this is an actual synopsis for the series, "bring hope and equality to Krypton,turning a planet in disarray into one worthy of giving birth to the greatest Super Hero ever known."
My thought on this series being an actual thing is: WHY?! WHY, WHY, WHY?! The ONLY Noteworthy Krypton as a planet did, was blow up. It's the part that's ALWAYS in the beginning of a Superman Origin Story/Movie and quickly gone over cause there's no story that's all that interesting to tell there!
This is the series's actual Logo, which shows Krypton on the verge of blowing up!!
Now, to be fair, if this series revolved around Superman's birth father Jor-El, I could possibly see where you could go with that. You could go the route of Smallville, where Jor-El decides to create the Phantom Zone to lock away criminals. Also with Jor-El, you can introduce Zod, Kara Zor-E (Superman's cousin) along with her father, and Brainiac. Or You could turn Krypton into a mini series that's about Jor-El's final days on the planet, how he tries to convince the Kryptonian council about the planet's destruction and they just won't listen, and show him building the spaceship that would take Superman to Earth and how he discovers which planet would be most suitable for him.
But instead of that, we're getting a series starring Superman's granddaddy...who, as far as I know, has never had any real big story that you could do about him. With this show being about him, you really set yourself back as with Supes's gramps, there'll probably be no superpowers because once again, Jor-El is the one that discovers Kryptonians get powers from the yellow sun. Plus, do you really think the show can properly present Krypton on a TV budget...A SYFY TV budget?
If this is to tell you anything, I'm not looking forward to this show. With Gotham, I can see how you could make a prequel series without Batman. This on the other hand...yea, good luck with that Syfy...
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying: Here's hoping the Supergirl show doesn't sound as bad as this...Take Care.
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, the Shaman of Animation with a new topic discussion. The trailer for the newest Dragonball Z movie, Revival of F is out.
This was taken from the Saiyan Island YouTube channel
I've seen it a good couple of times and, if I can be perfectly honest, I don't know how I should feel about this movie...
Well first of all, one of the biggest issues I have with this movie period is that Frieza has been brought back with the Dragon balls. The problem with this is that it's been an established rule in the Dragonball story that a person can only be brought back with Earth's dragon balls for only up to a year. Now I could be just complaining just to complain as Toriyama might fully understand this and uses the Namkekian Dragon balls, which doesn't have the same limitations as Earth's dragon balls. But, I feel I should bring up this concern
Secondly, its Frieza himself. I can't help but think to myself just how in the blue hell is Frieza supposed to keep up with Goku and the others at their current strength. In the trailer, we see Whis who was a prominent character in the last DBZ movie, Battle of Gods. It's been confirmed that he along with the main villain of that movie Beerus, will be returning for this movie. I'm assuming that for some reason, they're going to give Frieza a god like power boost. Now the movie needs to be careful; this power up needs to come off naturally and not as some cheap asspull.
Now my final thought or really more of a nitpick: Gohan. It's not really his look so much that bothers me (although that does play some part in it) but the fact that he goes Super Saiyan in the trailer. He shouldn't have to go Super Saiyan; the old kai gave him a power boost that pretty much renders his super saiyan powers pointless. But hey, the BOG trailer showed him going SS and they fixed that error, so who's to say that they won't do it for this movie.
All in all, these are just some of my thoughts that come with this trailer for Revival of F. Overall, the trailer makes me raise an eyebrow at some of the aspects that will be shown in this movie. But, as a Dragonball fan, I shall stay cautiously optimistic for when the movie comes out.
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation: Take care.
I honestly like this song more than Cha la Head Cha La...Is that bad?
Greetings Ladies and Gents! It is I, the Shaman of Animation with a celebratory discussion topic. Today marks a very special day in the world of manga for today marks the 30th anniversary of when Dragonball was first serialized in Japan. It's really hard to believe this franchise has been going on for Three decades now. Dragonball (More specifically Dragonball Z) is my favorite anime of ALL TIME; I am a huge dork when it comes to this series. I know the dragonball z story like the back of my hand, I've played a lot of the games that were released when I was growing up, and I've seen nearly every DBZ movie.
Ironically, I have yet to see the latest movie Battle of Gods, maybe I'll get a surprise and have a Blu-Ray copy of it in my stocking this Christmas...
A HUGE chunk of my childhood was spent watching, playing, or talking about something related to Dragon Ball. The franchise as a whole has had such great moments that to this day, I still remember; and that people is what I'm here to talk about today. I'm here to give you the top ten moments that stand out the most to me as a Dragonball Fan. Now these scenes admittedly aren't ranked by most standout to least, these are some of the moments that either had the most impact on Dragonball or are ones that automatically come to my mind when I think of it. For this list, I will be taking a look at moments from the anime to the original manga to even the movies. So strap in and enjoy this trip down memory lane.
1. When Goku and Bulma meet for the first time
This was the moment that started it all. In it, we are introduced to Goku and Bulma and we see them hit it off well...as well as a teenage girl from the big city and a small boy raised in the woods would. This moment not only gives us an idea as to who these two characters are, but it also introduces us to the Dragon Balls, the items that would be the center-stage of the entire franchise (Until DBZ gets to the android saga). Bulma wants to collect all seven of these to wish for the perfect boyfriend and she stumbles across Goku, who has a ball that he keeps as a memento to his grandfather. After working up a deal, Bulma convinces Goku to travel around the world with her and search for the dragon balls; and the rest is history.
2. Goku checks Bulma for her "balls"
This is EXACTLY what it looks like
Back in the OG Dragonball, author and artist Akira Toriyama pulled no punches when it came to humor; this scene is a picture perfect example. Because he was raised in the woods with NO other company besides his grandfather who was already dead when the series started, Goku had no experience with the opposite sex and he wasn't aware of the fact that girls were..."different" from boys. So when one morning he laid down in Bulma's lap (much like he did with his grandfather, its not as bad as it sounds...) and found that there was, in his own words, nothing there...he removed her underwear and got his first look at a woman's privates. When I first read that scene in the original manga, my jaw dropped to the floor and my laughter could not be contained. This moment isn't as big as the other moments in this list, but it definitely is one that stuck with me. If anyone has time, go find this scene on Youtube.
3. The first Kamehameha
History being made
It is an unarguable fact that the Kamehameha is one of the greatest fictional techniques EVER! It's been parodied, imitated, and duplicated around the world. If you have seen or read ANYTHING Dragonball, then you have probably attempted a Kamehameha once as a kid...and was severely disappointed immediately after. It is a move that I'm sure everyone and their parents know. The first time it's performed, it cemented its legacy. Master Roshi arrived on The Ox King's castle on Fire Mountain to put out the flames that surrounded the castle. Our heroes doubted the fact that a short old man would be possible of putting out the flames of a giant castle. That was until that short old man went from this...
wimpy, wimpy, wimpy....
TO THIS!!!
HEFTY, HEFTY, HEFTY!!!!!!
Roshi then proceeded to not only extinguish the flames of Fire Mountain but also destroy Ox King's Castle! Since that moment, the Kamehameha would go on to be the most frequently used technique in the dragonball mythos with multiple users ranging from main character Goku, to his kids, to plenty other characters I'm too lazy list here.
4. The First Time Goku turns into a Great Ape
One of Goku's trademark features when he was a young boy was the fact that there was a monkey tail hanging behind him. No one knew why he had the tail, it was just there and we all pretty much just rolled with it. No one ever considered what would happen during a certin night. After getting locked up in Emperor Pilaf's castle for ruining his wish with the dragonballs, Goku gets a glimpse at the full moon, which then turns him into a giant raging monkey! This scene would be one of the biggest hints that Goku was actually an alien from another planet.
5. Goku and Vegeta's First Battle
The Greatest Rivalry in all of anime
Now we jump into the Dragonball Z era in this list. The Saiyan saga dropped a lot of bombs and had a lot of shocking moments along with great battles, such as the one presented here. With the the majority of the Z-Fighters either dead or unable to keep fighting due to the onslaught from Nappa, the number two to The Saiyan Prince Vegeta, Goku finally arrives and makes quick work of the alien, although he doesn't kill him, Vegeta himself did so. With everyone else out of the way, what follows next is a remarkable back and forth battle between Goku and Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince seemed to have the advantage over Goku as his natural strength overpowered him. But our main man kept bouncing back with every move he had up his arsenal. Of course the greatest moment that fans took away from this fight was the iconic beam struggle between Goku's Kamehameha and Vegeta's Galick Gun
So much happened in this fight that I can't cover it all. You really have to see it to believe it.
6. Goku going Super Saiyan for the First Time
Oh man. This moment...THIS MOMENT!
When I think of the BIGGEST highlights of Dragonball, this is the first one that comes to mind. The build up, the tension, the emotion! It all started on the planet Namek after Goku supposedly defeated the space tyrant known as Frieza with his Spirit Bomb technique. We see him, his son Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin seconds afterwards taking a moment to celebrate Frieza's demise. This celebration was all for naught as Frieza shows up, with plenty of power left and he proceeds to not only deal a near fatal strike to Piccolo, he BLOWS KRILLIN UP. No literally, he blows him up.
See? BTW, the old dub for DBZ has HORRIBLY aged...
Seeing his best friend gruesomely murdered (Although it wasn't the first time Goku's seen a dead Krillin), Goku's became enraged like never before, allowing him to turn into the warrior that most Saiyans thought of as myth, a Super Saiyan. It is one of the most mesmerizing and legendary moments in all of dragonball.
7. Future Trunks' first appearance
Take a look at this smirk! It's the smirk of an awesome character!
This moment takes place In story a year and a half after the previous moment on this list. Goku has defeated frieza and hasn't returned home to Earth. Shame he didn't because one day out of the blue Frieza (who wasn't actually dead) returns as a cyborg and this time, he brought his daddy dearest and a whole new army ready to conquer the Earth. With Goku M.I.A., things seemed pretty bleak for the rest of the Z-Fighters...that was until this purple haired kid appeared out of nowhere and cleaned house. Not only did he easily wipe out Frieza's army, he also had another trick up his sleeve
This transformation loses its novelty as the series goes on...
Yep, this new kid on the block was a Super Saiyan, something that was impossible as, at the time, Goku was the only known Super Saiyan. After using these powers to kill Frieza and his dad, Goku finally arrives on the scene and the stranger reveals himself to be the future son of Goku's rival Vegeta, and he gives him warnings of what's to come.
8. Goku and Piccolo Learn to drive
Fast and Furious: DBZ Demolition
Now for something a little silly. In the 'Z' era of the original DB manga, we didn't get to see a lot of what our heroes did when they weren't traveling to other planets or training for the next earth threatening disaster. But thanks to a little thing called filler episodes, the Dragonball Z anime provided us with an unforgettable moment (I say that but I can't remember which episode this took place...). Because she was fed up with walking everywhere to get food while he trained all day, Chi-Chi orders Goku, along with Piccolo, to learn to drive. The end result of this? Well...just look for yourself
No people were harmed in that crash...I think...
No doubt one of the funnier and more memorable moments of the DBZ anime, you should watch if for nothing else, that race scene...and Piccolo's clothing.
Hoes be all over the green man in Dat yellow shirt...
9. Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan
He's Dragonball's equivalent to The Hulk...except no where near as interesting...
Broly, Broly, Broly...I'm gonna come out and say it: This guy, in my opinion, is the most overrated Dragonball character EVER! He's nothing more than just screaming one word, punching things, and more screaming. He's the textbook definition of a generic movie villain; a one-trick pony, some might say. But, despite what I feel about him now, that doesn't discredit my initial thoughts about him when I first saw him and his first movie. It was something along the lines of: "THIS GUY IS THE SH*T!!!"
I was first introduced to the character in The game Dragonball Z Budokai 3; and he just stood out to me. He was shown in the game's opening sequence where his fist is colliding with Gogeta's and I just thought to myself:
Whoa! Who's this guy?
When I finally played against him in the game, he immediately stood out to me. He was this giant hulking figure who just towered over every other character and his move set was just brutal. When I finally saw his first movie for the first time, it was phenomenal. When you see him transform, you just knew, it was gonna go down, and it did. The first time I saw that movie, my mind was blown with just the amount of damage he caused. This guy casually destroyed a planet with no f**ks given at all. He then went on to thoroughly trounce all of the characters that went up against him and he didn't even look like he was trying! It took the combined efforts of four super saiyans and a super namekian to beat him, and even then, they didn't destroy him for good. Like I said, despite what I feel for the character Broly himself, I LOVED his first movie just for the sheer mayhem he caused; hell, it's one of my favorite Dragonball movies. My problem was that he was great for a one time thing, and then he came back Again.
And again...
And Again...
And again (Each time more ridiculous than the last...)
Before I get to my tenth and final most standout Dragonball Moment, I figured it would be a good time for some honorable mentions...
The Debut of Cooler, Frieza's brother
The death of Future Gohan, leading to Future Trunks going Super Saiyan
Goku going Super Saiyan 3
The debut of Gogeta: The fusion of both Goku and Vegeta
Goku going Super Saiyan 4
The debut of Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta
10. Gohan going Super Saiyan 2 for the First Time.
The Hypest Sh*t Ever!!
Now for my final most standout Dragonball Moment which is also my favorite Dragonball moment in the entire franchise. Throughout Dragonball Z, it had been hinted that Gohan, Goku's first born son, had limitless potential to overcome the warriors that came before him, and there had been several glimpses of it, but we got to see it in fullest in the Cell Saga. During the Cell Games, Goku, the wise and caring father he his, puts his 9-11 year old son (I'm never quite sure how old he is when this takes place) in a life or death battle against the android known as Cell. For a time, Gohan held his own against Cell until the boy pretty much told the android that he didn't want to fight anymore because he was scared of his full power coming out and him going into a battle frenzy. Cell was all like:
And proceeded to spawn mini-mes that beat the crap out of his friends. Finally, it got to the point where Gohan couldn't take it anymore and he exploded, leading to him becoming the first Super Saiyan 2. This was the moment that made Gohan the favorite character to millions of fans everywhere. The power he displayed was so incredible it ended up scaring Cell so much that he was ready to kill himself...along with the Earth and all of its inhabitants. But Gohan's fight with Cell was no doubt the character's biggest highlight and the moment that closes out this list.
In its thirty years, Dragonball has become the most well known and popular anime in the world. Its influence can still be seen in a lot of today's modern shonen series such as One Piece, the recently ended Naruto, and others. Even after all these years, the franchise is still going strong and continues to grow with the latest movie Battle of Gods and the new movie in 2015: The Return of F (That's really what the movie's called). With this, new games and an ever supportive fanbase, Dragonball, in my opinion, will never die.
Till next time everyone, I'm the Shaman of Animation saying: Happy Anniversary Dragonball.
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