Jan 12 // Salvador GRodiles
From day one, it was obvious that Ultraman X was going to go down a full circle, as the return of the villain that X knocked into Earth’s Sun ended up being a huge thing. Despite, the final villain Greeza resembling a random tokusatsu grunt character, the gang at Tsuburaya made sure to turn this guy into a menacing entity. From the moment it stepped foot on our planet, we were treated to a hopeless scenario where many defense facilities fell to this powerful entity. Like with many giant monster shows and movies, all we heard was a creepy screech that when an area was about to go bye bye. Throw in a major loss for the home team, and we’re taken back to the most of the franchise’s intense finales (such as the original Ultraman series). Going back to Daichi’s character, I was surprised by how much is defeat affected me during the show’s last moments. Yes, his character comes off as a bit of an avatar for the viewers to witness the situations around them, but his will to see his dreams come true shined through the image that his presence gave off. Despite my slight issues with how they didn't give Daichi’s personal dilemmas the spotlight too much, this didn’t stop me from being affected from his defeat. That being said, this shows that Tsuburaya added enough spices to make us feel this way. Going back to a thing I said in a previous post, the thing that made Daichi’s character great for me was his ideals and the way how he bonded with the entire cast. For a guy to gain the trust of a giant dinosaur monster deserves a huge freaking medal. Through his role as a scientist at Xio, we grew to love Gourman and Rui’s antics. In combat, we saw him bring out the best out of Asuna, Hayato, and Wataru. On top of all that, his pact with X helped the giant learn more about Earth customs and mannerism, which is something that a bland character could never achieve. While the series mostly centered on the random monster attacks caused by the Ultra Flares, the amount of screen time that each character was given gave us that wonderful sense of family and teamwork that XiO uses during each big crisis. The science division gave us Rui’s huge obsession with nonhuman lifeforms and the amazing timing behind Dr. Gourman’s random appearances, which made them one of the great representations of the show’s concept of being able to live alongside other creatures. With segments like Tachibana's dilemmas as a parent and Wataru having to accept that he might not get to date his childhood friend, the show’s brief character-focused episodes brought life to the cast, as we see them deal with other issues outside of protecting the city from danger. Everyone’s working towards the same goal and the contributions of each member play a role in saving the day— regardless of the size of their task. Aside from the gang’s teamwork skills and dilemmas, X’s segments where humans bonded with the franchise’s monsters were some of the most heartwarming segments of the series. The Houlinga and the Pigmon episodes were two moments where one can’t rely on stereotypes to judge the world around you. In this case, the common misconception was that almost all creatures want to obstruct everyone’s way of life. This also goes back to the franchise’s idea that most of the show’s giant monsters are like animals. You have your vicious territorial creatures and you have those who tend to be peaceful around others. In the end, I found these segments to be the ones that express the show’s coexistence theme the most. Despite Tsuburaya’s tendency to cut corners on certain segments (such as reusing older monsters from the franchise), Ultraman X’s new angle shined well through in through, as the potential shown from day one continued to go higher each week. The Mons Armors allowed for the crew to experiment with different action scenes and attacks, an element that helps many of the Heisei Kamen Rider shows in promoting their toys. This also allowed for X to use a variety of moves outside of the Ultra Warriors' usual beams and wrestling moves that they're known for. Since each form had a cool gimmick, I’m hoping that this could evolve into a new trend for future Ultra titles— as long the gang continues to show the same passion that went into X’s different transformations. With the few original designs that entered the show’s realm, the team didn’t hold back with these arcs. These segments mostly gave off a ridiculous finale type of feeling, as they ended up being played during the key points in the series. Overall, Gargorgan, the Gua Army’s updated look, and Greeza’s final form all had some neat designs that gave off that menacing feeling that many major adversaries from giant monster titles exhibit. Other than the powerful bad guys, Demaaga, Rudian, and Houlinga were some other great examples of some nice costume work that was put into the franchise’s new characters. as a guy who loves great-looking monster suits, the costume team deserves some praise for their work on the X-exclusive creatures. When I first decided to watch Ultraman X, I came for the fierce giant warrior on monster action. However, I ended up staying with a fun tale about a group of people who fight to protect the peace while doing their best to turn the world into a place where all types of life forms can live together. Sure, the story with Daichi’s parents was never resolved, but we can only hope that the show's upcoming film will give our hero the ending that he deserves. With Tsuburaya doing some interesting things with the series, let’s hope that this is a sign that they’ll keep this rainbow strong with their later installments. In the meantime, X got me more interested in the Ultra franchise, so I plan to dive further into it in the future. Thanks to its fun run, I guess you could say that it’s one of my favorite tokusatsu shows from last year. [You can unite with Ultraman X one last time at Crunchyroll and Tsuburaya’s YouTube channel]

Jan 11 // Red Veron
[embed]34690:5346:0[/embed] "Glitter Days" Anime: Kuroko no Basuke There hasn't been a super successful basketball anime/manga since Slam Dunk! in the early 90's until show came along, probably due to it appealing to shounen sports fans and a lot of the female audience that loves to fantasize about the characters in one way or another.   [embed]34690:5347:0[/embed] "Shissou" Anime: Ouran High School Host Club I love this ending and I love this show, a comedy with a bit of romance, this show is all about a poor student being roped into the "Host Club" in the rich school that the student goes to on a scholarship. Mix-ups happen and this is a superfun show with good comedy, don't let the flowery and girly opening fool you, this show is worth it for the laughs.   [embed]34690:5348:0[/embed] "Bokura no Tsubasa" Anime: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukinai A group of friend-less people in a school start a club in order to learn how to get friends. Great comedy here.   [embed]34690:5349:0[/embed] "Brave Song" Anime: Angel Beats! A student finds himself in a weird school where a club has dedicated themselves to fighting another student who seems to have super powers. Weird? Well, just watch it and brace yourself for the sad emotions you are about to feel. You have been warned!   [embed]34690:5350:0[/embed] "Ohi-sama" Anime: Daily Lives of High School Boys A great comedy about the silly and dumb things that high school aged boys do. That is the premise. The ending above does a great job in showing how this show is random and dumb but still worth a watch.   Is there an anime or anime opening/ending set in a high school that you love? SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! I wanna know!

Jan 10 // Josh Tolentino
The answer to the immediate question is "Not quite". Patlabor was always a character-driven comedy first, and a giant robot show second (though the star Patlabor "Alphonse" could definitely be considered a character of sorts). Active Raid is more a straight-faced action title, and in truth, its robots aren't actually that large.  The stars are definitely still cops, at least. But unlike Patlabor, where the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, Special Vehicles Unit, Division 2, were a bunch of misfits regarded as barely competent, Active Raid's Public Security Division 5, 3rd Mobile Assault Unit 8 are more a squad of loose cannons, getting quality results, through a complete disregard of protocol and procedure.  Similarly, Patlabor's 30-foot robots have been traded in for the WillWear, a human-sized battle suit that seems to take its cues less from Gundam and more from Kamen Rider or Super Sentai, with perhaps a bit of The Centurions and Tiger & Bunny thrown in for good measure.  As may be expected of a first episode, our initial outing with Unit 8 accompanies newbie member Asami Kazari, who tends to spout English when stressed, and suffers from delusions of grandeur, somehow led to believe that she's been assigned to Unit 8 to "take control" and reform it as a paragon of the "justice" associated with sticking to the rules and regs. As a result, it sucks to be Asami, as roughly the whole plot is employed in shutting her down at every possible opportunity. Her theories are dismissed, she's interrupted rudely, ignored routinely, and ends up doing it wrong from start to finish. All she gets for her trouble is a face full of hot speedo-clad manservice. That said, I can't say I feel sorry for her because she's super annoying about it. Rather than being a hapless rookie who takes her lack of experience as a challenge, Asami constantly gripes for attention, her delusions about being there to take charge of things looking more baseless by the minute.  Of course, I know that the goal here is to establish the initial conflict, for Asami's uptight manner to eventually loosen as she comes to terms with Unit 8's unorthodox style, but Active Raid may have overdone it a bit. Instead of looking like a fish out of water, Asami comes across as beyond help, the stick up her butt inextricable. With luck, future episodes will give her a fairer shake, but for someone who is ostensibly the viewpoint character for the show and someone the audience is supposed to root for, this isn't a great sign. The other members of Unit 8 are more tolerable but thinly drawn. Takeru and Souichirou are the squad's WillWear users, and make up Active Raid's "ACTIVE" (as their special cop-issue WillWear is the "Armored Combined Tactical Intelligence Vanguard Element"). They're pretty much the Red and Blue Rangers, respectively, with Takeru as the Maverick to Souichirou's Iceman. Section head Funasaka's an old hand who pulls strings to get Unit 8 its operational carte blanche, Kyoukai is the slightly creepy tech guy, Madoka's the computer nerd that doesn't talk, Haruka's into buses, and the Chief is absurdly young-looking. Seriously, she could cosplay as the Professor from Nichijou. Together they're a pack of misfits who have the temerity to see policework as a profession rather than a sacred mission.  Active Raid seems less interested in the crimes being committed than in the way the cops go about stopping it. Case in point: The robbery that kicks off this episode's event is barely contemplated. The show goes out of its way to dismiss the perps' motivations as destructive attention-seeking by a pair of teens, and Asami's speculation of an organized crime connection are dismissed as fanciful, but everything from Unit 8's sweet police train (which reminds me of the Police Express from ToQger) to the three-step transformation process for the squad's WillWear is displayed in detail.  It's also here where Unit 8 is shown to be less of a wild bunch than Asami seems to think (in turn making her complaints seem even less reasonable). They patiently wait for authorization to use their weapons, and even find roundabout solutions when their chase is called off because it could threaten a nearby, politically-connected anime studio. Takeru even grins and bears it while Funasaka twists arms to allow him to use his WillWear's super move. Those sound less like loose cannons and more like a wily group of veteran cops with little tolerance for bureaucratic nonsense.  Active Raid seems to be engaging at first glance, despite some missteps in its characterization. Whether or not it will be this generation's successor to Patlabor remains to be seen. [Catch Active Raid weekly on Crunchyroll!] ACTIVE system (standing for "Armored Combined Tactical Intelligence Vanguard Element")

Jan 06 // Red Veron
[embed]34675:5335:0[/embed] "Driver's High" Anime: Great Teacher Onizuka Though this one is set in a middle school but when it comes to school-set anime/manga, Great Teacher Onizuka deserves a mention. The drama can be quite heavy here that you may forget that these kids are in middle school and not high school at times. GTO is a sequel to an okay delinquent manga with the titular character wanting to go teach high school so he can hit on high school girls and maybe even lose his virginity. Though one thing is in the way: he has a conscience and a heart even with his rough ways and looks. The anime is good but watered down compared to the manga because of the heavy stuff in the manga.   [embed]34675:5336:0[/embed] "Sekai wa koi ni ochiteiru" Anime: Ao Haru Ride (Blue Spring Ride) A love story set in high school but started long ago in middle school. It's girl meets boy and they agree to hang out but boy doesn't show up. Girl goes to high school and meets boy again but he has a different name. I loved the manga but caught up to it, I've seen a tiny bit of the show but this opening is just so good and one of my fave shoujo openings.   [embed]34675:5337:0[/embed] "Kirameku" Anime: High School Girls (Girl's High) High school girls get into all sorts of stuff in this one, not a slice of life but there is fun and drama in there. I've only seen a bit and I did enjoy it.   [embed]34675:5338:0[/embed] "Kimi + Nazo + Watashi de JUMP!!" Anime: Baka and Test Here is the supernatural magic school setting anime, when I first heard of the premise--- a high school where students compete to be the best alongside having summon beasts and such. But this one is a straight up comedy where the usual main character is a dense idiot and everyone know about it rather than using dumb excuses as to why the MC just doesn't get that the ladies want him. A really fun show that will please SHAFT fans since the main staff behind this worked on shows by SHAFT. Avoid the manga, I hear it is bad.    Is there an anime or anime opening set in a high school that you love? SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! I wanna know!

Jan 06 // Soul Tsukino
I don't care if the plots to most of the episodes are cliché and following numerous anime tropes. I don't care if the show's writing can get predictable at times. And I don't care if it's not the deeply written psycho shockfest of the source manga or show. It's a fun parody of a popular show that isn't supposed to be taken seriously. It's not trying to drive home a lesson on mortality or finding my own strengths in adversity, it's about me sitting down for 15 minutes and watching a group of big-headed chibified kids running around and getting into goofy situations all the while under the threat of large naked giant people stomping in to steal their lunches. No deep thinking required and that's just what I wanted. Visually I enjoyed the show as well. It's not Miyazaki, I got that before I started. But I love the way the characters expressions are done and the visual gags are presented during the course of the series. I would prefer something done in this kind of art style over some of the eps of Naruto, Bleach, Space Dandy, or One Piece that were animated in that crappy style where they were trying to save time and money by skimping on the details. If there is a knock I have, and it's one I mentioned before, is that once you get past the episode where Jean has a crush from a Titan, Eren and Hange's actions during the rest of the eps come off in a totally different light. Hange start coming off as some weird psycho dominatrix the way she "experiments" on Sawney and Beane, and Eren talking about destroying the titans and how much he hates them comes off as really hateful and downright mean coming from a first-year junior high kid. But I think I'm over-thinking the whole thing.   This isn't the best anime ever. Hell, even I'll concede it's not even the best anime this season. But while a lot of people complain that it is worthless and why is this being made when the original series has so much left to tell, I sit back, take in the goofiness, laugh for a while and enjoy myself. So here's to you, you chee-burg bastards for giving me 12 reasons to laugh this anime season! I don't care if the plot's to most of the episodes are cliché and following numerous anime tropes. I don't care if the show's writing can get predicable at times. And I don't care if it's not the deep written psycho shockfest of the source manga or show.   It's a fun parody of a popular show that isn't supposed to be taken seriously. It's not trying to drive home a lesson on mortality or finding my own strengths in adversity, its about me sitting down for 15 minutes and watching a group of big headed chibified kids running around and getting into goofy situations all the while under the threat of large naked giant people stomping in to steal their lunches. No deep thinking required and that's just what I wanted.   Visually I enjoyed the show as well. It's not Miyazaki, I got that before I started. But I love the way the characters expressions are done and the visual gangs are presented during the course of the series. I would prefer something done in this kind of art style over some of the eps of Naruto, Bleach, Space Dandy, or One Piece that were animated in that crappy style where they were trying to save time and money by skimping on the details.   If there is a knock I have, and it's one I mentioned before, is that once you get past the episode where Jean has a crush from a Titan, Eren and Hange's actions during the rest of the eps come off in a totally different light. Hange start coming off as some weird psycho dominatrix the way she "experiments" on Sawney and Beane, and Eren talking about destroying the titans and how much he hates them comes off as really hateful and downright mean coming from a first year Junior high kid. But I think I'm over thinking the whole thing.   This isn't the best anime ever. Hell, even I'll concede it's not even the best anime this season. But while a lot of people complain that it is worthless and why is this being made when the original series has so much left to tell, I sit back, enjoy the goofiness, laugh for a while and enjoy myself.   So here's to you, you chee-burg bastards for giving me 12 reasons to laugh this anime season!

Jan 04 // Anthony Redgrave
Before we start, Kizumonogatari is actually the first part of a trilogy of movies. The first one coming out is called Tekketsu-hen, second is Nekketsu-hen, and finally Reiketsu-hen. Or to put it in English terms; Iron-Blooded, Hot-Blooded, and Cold-Blooded referencing Kiss-shots full name and title Kiss-Shot Acerola-Orion Heart-Under-Blade the iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded vampire.  If you thought the trend of splitting the last book of a series into two movies is bad, they're doing a Hobbit here by splitting a 344-page book into three movies.  [embed]34670:5332:0[/embed] Kizumonogatari I- Tekketsu Trailer (10.10.15)  One of the first shots is of a tree with narration in the background. The tree isn't actually referenced in the book at all, or at least in any significant detail. However, we do know that there is a massive tree that grows out of the Cram School which is featured heavily throughout the series and that includes Kizumonogatari. The tree grows out of a hole in the roof of the cram school that was created by Kiss-Shot once she regains her true form.  Oshino and Araragi are sitting down in a sparse room that looks like a station. While the two of them are seen conversing with one another alone it is often done in the Cram school rather than any other location so that leads me to believe that this is still the cram school. However, the cram school has always been described as abandoned and unused. This being Shaft I can always suppose it holds a cinematographic purpose more than an accurate one.  Kiss-shot is shown bloody and limbless on the floor of a train platform. While this is the basis of Kizumonogatari the location differs from the book. In the book Araragi finds her on the street illuminated by a sole street light and is able to identify her as a Vampire due to her lack of shadow. 'You aren't going to save me' is a reference to Araragi's initial hesitation to help Kiss-shot. Ah yes, the panty scene. During Araragi's initial encounter with Tsubasa, a gust of wind blows up her skirt while she is adjusting her braid causing her panties to be revealed to Araragi. The book takes a long time describing the situation in great detail for something that takes a few seconds in the trailer. Earlier in the trailer, you see Tsubasa catch up to Araragi. This takes place after Araragi sees Tsubasa pants. I know this compared to any other times Araragi meets Tsubasa throughout the book because of the line 'You walk fast, Araragi' as Araragi was trying to get away without embarrassment from seeing her pants.  Araragi inspecting a young blonde girl on the ground surrounded by chairs is just after he awakes after saving Kiss-shot. The location is supposed to be the cram school which I can see through the use of the plastic school chairs. Araragi running crazily to the right in a sort of frenzy is when he attempts to save Kiss-shot. In the book Araragi internally debates whether or not he should save her and ultimately abandons his humanity to do so hence the crazy running. Some of the last shots in the trailer have people engulfed in fire. This is because vampires are weak to certain things and sunlight is one of them. The first figure is Araragi having just discovered this weakness and the second is Kiss-shot in her now 10-year-old form saving Araragi from burning to death. [embed]34670:5331:0[/embed] Kizumonogatari I- Tekketsu Trailer 2 (12.24.15)  The second trailer doesn't have a lot more to add that hasn't already been seen in the first. But we do get a glimpse of the three vampire hunters that are after Araragi and Kiss-shot throughout Kizumongatari.  Araragi's first bites of dialogue follow the novel as he pleas with the Vampire Hunters not to kill him because he is human. Despite at this point having just turned into a Vampire by Kiss-shot. The first Vampire Hunter shown is Dramaturgy, as described in the books to be a seven feet tall man with unkempt hair held back with a hairband.  Next is Episode. Now he has already made a reappearance in the latest Owarimonogatari as part of Shinobu Mail and also earlier in Tsubasa Tiger as part of Monogatari Second Season. For the most part, he looks the same as his TV anime counterpart including the giant cross he slings over his shoulder.  Last is Guillotine Cutter. The trailer has a glare behind him so it shadows most of his clothing. In the book, he is described to be wearing priestly robes, docile face, and hedgehog-like hair. The light shining from behind him may be a reference to his holy background. Another interesting point is Araragi's duds. Araragi is never described in the books and it was character designer Akio Watanabe who had made him the way he looks now. What's interesting is that Araragi has the same sense of style as he does in the anime; hoodie, vest, and jeans but he is also rocking a peace medallion. Could this be referencing the lie he tells his sisters that over the holidays he is on a journey of self-discovery? One of the last shots is Araragi holding Kiss-shot in his arms with blood spray across the ground. From the pose and Kiss-shot's lack of limbs, I think this is just as Kiss-shot feeds on Araragi to save herself.  [embed]34670:5333:0[/embed] Kizumonogatari Movie Trailer (2012)- VERY MUCH SPOILERs This is a little bonus. Before Kizumonogatari exists as we know it now, there was a lot of talk about releasing it as a stand-alone movie in 2012. There were a lot of delays and radio silence about the project before 2015 finally revealed the trilogy. They were able to bring out a trailer for Kizumonogatari before all this uncertainty and it shows a lot more of the story than the previous two.  This section will include massive spoilers for the whole book since there are scenes from the finale featured in the trailer.  First it is more accurate than the more recent trailers having Kiss-shot actually being found on the street illuminated by a sole street lamp just as it's described in the book.  Next is Araragi's first confrontation with the Vampire Hunters. Dramaturgy is seen in the left lane, Episode can be identified in the right fork with his massive silver cross. And Guillotine Cutter appears from behind Araragi just as it's described in the book. The character designs for the three Vampire Hunters look a little rougher than their other anime counterparts. Episode looks a tad older and without his white school uniform and is instead in a generic white shirt.  Dramaturgy doesn't even look human here although his hair and physique still match his description. It could be a reference to his true form as a Vampire. We get a better shot of Guillotine Cutter here as it's obvious that he is in a priestly garb, still with a calm demeanor. No better shot of his hedgehog-like hair, though. Next we see Meme Oshino intervening against the three vampire hunters taking down Araragi. This is very faithful to the book as he adopts the same weird pose to block all three simultaneous attacks.  Episode's cross is seen connecting with Araragi with a splash of blood emitting from his shoulder. This is from Araragi's battle with Episode where Araragi discovers another one of his vampire weaknesses.  Tsubasa watches the fight from the background. This is either from the first or the second fight as she is witness to both. However judging from the previous shot referencing Episode's fight with Araragi I'm thinking it's from that fight also. Tsubasa faces away from a pair of hands inching creepily towards her. From the background, I know that it's the scene where Araragi asks to touch Tsubasa's breasts. Next is Oshino Meme holding up Kiss-shot's stolen heart moments before he returns it to Araragi. The corpse is Guillotine Cutter after he is eaten by Kiss-shot in her newly regained perfect form. The next few scenes are fairly chronological. Kiss-shot arrives on the school sports field to do battle against Araragi. Her landing destroys the ground due to her leaping from the Cram school to Araragi's school grounds. Then Araragi and Kiss-shot fight each other, completely decimating each other with each hit. Again very similar to the novel as their vampire strength is able to destroy the bodies but their healing factor can regenerate the lost flesh. Overall this trailer is very faithful to the novel it is based on. It also retains the anime style that Shaft had been using for the past few seasons compared to the style being incorporated into the films now.  Kizumonogatari I- Tekketsu Trailer (10.10.15)

Jan 04 // Soul Tsukino
Episode 11 It's school festival time (what did I say last time about anime requirements?) and the class of our first-year buddies have to run two different events during the festival. Since there are not enough kids to staff both events during the festival, they will have to take shifts at each. The events decided on, a stage play of Snow White and running a Cheeseburger stand.   The food stand, of course, gets almost all the attention. They are stuck right next to Rico and her class's rice stand (which actually is a giant rice pot) that won the award last year (In sales? Popularity? They never really say). Eren, of course, takes the competition way too seriously as he leads the team of himself, Mikasa, Armin, Mina (who has done squat the whole series), along with Franz and Hanna.   Easily the star of the burger stand scenes is Armin. He takes his role dead serious and even gives himself an internal monologue to fire him up before he's dolled up to look like a cute girl. Seeing him give out a strategy for beating Rico's class and acting like a cute girl n the same breath are hilarious.   Outside of the food stall battle we see some of the other stalls going on. We check back to the play which gets worse and worse as more of the cast disappear to help Eren. We also check in with the maid cafe with Christa and Ymir (And Ymir's attempts to keep Reiner from enjoying Christa's prepared food), along with Hitch and Annie's time in the "Cat Snuggle Cafe" (that hits close to home for me as an ardent cat person), and Hange's insane demonstrations with Sawney and Beane that have way to much of an S&M vibe to it.  The ending is either completely predictable if you have been following the series or a bit of an "Oh Crap!" moment if you have been caught up in the antics of the episode.   This series is not known for its writing and this is a good example of it. There isn't really much of a story here and it is standard fair for a "school festival" episode. It's not a terrible episode, but if you've seen enough anime and have been following along with this series, it doesn't exactly come up with anything new or surprising. Episode 12 The episode picks right up where we left off. Eren is PISSED. Nobody messes with his chee-burgs! He's rip-snorting angry and wants to go get his burgers back. Mikasa isn't going to let Eren kill himself, and soon the others join in. They quickly face resistance from the teaching staff but Eren isn't hearing any of it. He tries to get the upperclassmen on his side, but they resist. Eren isn't satisfied and decides to do this on his own. Once again, the others join him.   The rest of the episode plays out as the gang scurry through the Titan's part of the school building. It goes about as well as you'd expect from this show. They get some help from Rico and her class as they lost their rice stand as well, but after that, the episode just gets absolutely bizarre.   Featuring Titans in raver gear, A musical number by blindfolded upperclassmen, The reappearance of Jean's secret crush, and a parody of the "boulder" battle from the original series really doesn't describe how insane the episode turns. What the last episode lacked in originality, this episode makes up for in spades.   But you know what? I got into it. I know, it's a show where thought isn't a prerequisite. It's a goofy nonsense parody of a dark and brutal series, but by god I was cheering on these little guys in their quest to get the chee-burgs back. I thought the ending was heartwarming. it was like that the main series doesn't have real good endings for most of the characters, but here these little guys give you the good things the main series can't give you.   The finale really lets loose and brings some weird insanity that some of the previous episodes lacked. It started in line with the rest of the series but started getting into Excel Saga levels of crazy in the second half, but brought everything back together to give a good ending and wrap it all up in a happy chee-burgy way.   I'll wrap up the entire series in its own article, but I give this finale a big thumbs up. It was something that caught your attention, wrapped things up, and most of all was fun! It's school festival time (what did I say last time about anime requirements?) and the class of our first-year buddies have to run two different events during the festival. Since there are not enough kids to staff both events during the festival, they will have to take shifts at each. The events decided on, a stage play of Snow White and running a Cheeseburger stand.   The food stand of course gets almost all the attention. They are stuck right next to Rico and her class's rice stand (which actually is a giant rice pot) that won the award last year (In sales? Popularity? They never really say). Eren of course takes the competition way to seriously as he leads the team of himself, Mikasa, Armin, Mina (who has done squat the whole series), along with Franz and Hanna.   Easily the star of the burger stand scenes are Armin. He takes his role dead serious and even gives himself a internal monologue to fire him up before he's dolled up to look like a cute girl. Seeing him give out strategy for beating Rico's class and acting like a cute girl n the same breath are hilarious.   Outside of the food stall battle we see some of the other stalls going on. We check back to the play which gets worse and worse as more of the cast disappear to help Eren. We also check in with the maid cafe with Christa and Ymir, Hitch and Annie's time in the "Cat Snuggle Cafe", and Hange's insane demonstrations with Sawney and Beane that have way to much of an S&M vibe to it.   The ending is either completely predictable if you have been following the series, or a bit of an "Oh Crap!" moment if you have been caught up in the antics of the episode.   This series is not known for its writing and this is a good example of it. There isn't really much of a story here and it is standard fair for a "school festival" episode. It's not a terrible episode, but if you've seen enough anime and have been following along with this series, it doesn't exactly come up with anything new or surprising.

Jan 03 // Red Veron
Honorable Mentions: Dragon Quest Heroes, Oneechanbara Z2, Hatoful Boyfriend, Steins;Gate, Bloodbourne, Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Cold Steel, Earth Defense Force 2 Portable.   Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain I easily spent 30 hours in this game and I have only tapped into a quarter of the game's content (if not less). This game, considered now the swan song for the now defunct (but born anew) famed Kojima Productions over at game publisher/developer Konami in the long running Metal Gear franchise. This game, even in the era of first person shooters where you can run on the sides of buildings, can make hiding in the cardboard boxes so much fun. I absolutely loved the fine tuned mechanics such hiding and shooting. The new open world sandbox just keeps it so fresh and each encounter can be new every time adding to the tension you just don't get in other games. There is just so much in this game that you wouldn't think would be there and some even bordering into the absurd.   SuperBeat Xonic From the developers of DJMAX, this new game aims to satiate those rhythm music game fans that loved the DJMAX series and/or just loved the genre. This one has a great selection of music and great gameplay with mechanics that compliment both touch and physical controls well. A great start for the new studio, this new title has the great potential and I can't wait to see the next game in the series.   Yakuza 5 I've only barely scratched the surface of this game, and I am already loving it. This game is basically a Japanese RPG set in modern day Japan with a beat-em-up combat system along with a cheesy, over-the-top dramatic crime drama. I am told by many that this is one of those games that let you experience Japan by walking through the streets and going into places such as restaurants that capture the atmosphere and ambiance really well.   Once Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 I am not a One Piece fan at all but being a Warriors fan, I loved this entry. This game has more improvements over the past two games and runs amazingly. I thoroughly enjoyed this beat-em-up formula set in the One Piece universe that suits it very well. More characters and following the actual manga story, this new entry impresses a lot with also its great stylish combat and overall fun gameplay.   Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair A great update to the latest entry of the Earth Defense Force series, this one takes advantage of the new hardware muscle of the PS4 for better performance and added content with some tweaks along the way. Those who got put off by how the game ran on older consoles should give this new one a try, it works so much better and makes it a much more enjoyable game. They added more missions and even a giant robot sequence which regrettably brings the game to its knees in performance.

Jan 02 // Red Veron
[embed]34662:5317:0[/embed] "believe" Anime: FATE/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Another adaptation from this series that pretty much erases that horrible attempt more than a decade ago, this ending has a great song by kalafina and shows us some glimpses to the lives of the protagonists of this show.   [embed]34662:5318:0[/embed] "Hello, Shooting Star" Anime: Assassination Classroom A pretty ending for a show about trying to kill and alien teacher in a classroom or the the world will end. I love that chalkboard styled art with that soft rock song. I really need to finish the first season.   [embed]34662:5319:0[/embed] "Sugar Song to Bitter Step" Anime: Kekkai Sensen (Blood Blockade Battlefront) I know nothing about this show but I read Josh's description of it on his Japanator Awards list and seeing the ending above, immediately shot this show up to my top priority watch list.    [embed]34662:5320:0[/embed] "Never Say Never" Anime: Durarara!! X2 Shou The latest in the anime adaptation of this series about all the crazy stuff happening in urban metropolitan Tokyo, I am digging that song a lot.   WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIME AND/OR ANIME OPENING/ENDING FROM THIS YEAR?! SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! I WANNA KNOWOWOW

Jan 01 // Christian Chiok
Honorable Mentions Toukiden; Kiwami (PS4, PS Vita, & PC), Dragon Quest Heroes (PS4, PS3, & PC), Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson (3DS), Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance (PS4), Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (PC), and The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PS3 & PS Vita) 5. Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water (Wii U) As a huge fan of the Fatal Frame series (or Project Zero as known in Japan), I was really happy that Nintendo of America took the risk to port this game over to the west. While some of the costumes as well as scenes were unfortunately censored, it doesn’t hinder from the overall gameplay and it’s a gem you must play if you need to add to your horror game’s collection. 4. One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 (PS4, PS3, PS Vita, & PC) It’s really hard to say that Pirate Warriors 3 isn’t the best entry in the series. While I enjoyed the first title since it did a great job recreating the first part (before the time-skip) of the One Piece series, the gameplay was really annoying and hard to appreciate, as if it was trying to separate itself from the Musou genre while still being a Musou. The second title fixes that issue, but the “What If” story wasn’t really that appealing.  Then comes Pirate Warriors 3, which mixes both the great gameplay from the second title, and improves it, and it actually retells the story of One Piece, starting from the first arc. So if you’re and One Piece fan and own any of the platforms above, but still haven’t gave the game a chance, then do yourself the favor of playing the game. 3. Dragon Ball Xenoverse (PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 & PC) This definitely had to go on my Top 5 of 2015 for various reasons. For once, it’s the first Dragon Ball game that implanted “Create a Character” that right way, giving us various races and options for our character. Second of all, it’s almost original story was definitely felt fresh and it was a good change from the usual story mode we have been playing for the past two decades. While the gameplay isn’t on par with games like the Sparlking or the Budokai series, this is definitely the best Dragon Ball game we have received since Raging Blast. 2. Bloodborne (PS4) At first, for the sake of making this list “Otaku”, I wanted to exclude Bloodborne from the list and make Dragon Quest Heroes my fifth recommended title. However, Bloodborne is a Japanese-developed game, so it counts. If you haven’t played the game yet and own a PS4, I don’t know what you have been doing all year. While the combat isn’t an exact replica of the Souls games, Bloodborne is still a game that Souls fans can enjoy. It’s certainly faster too. 1. Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U) Considering I kept this list exclusive to Japanese games, this made it easily as my favorite game of 2015 (Otherwise it would have been a tie with The Witcher 3). Xenoblade X is a great game for many reasons, including its massive world, gameplay, combat, and it’s variety of classes and weapons. While the story is definitely enjoyable, it’s definitely inferior to its predecessor. The same can be said about its soundtrack.   Note: For those curious of my overall Top 5 Video Games of 2015, it would be; Xenoblade Chronicles X, The Witcher 3, Bloodborne, Splatoon, and Fallout 4.  

Dec 31 // Salvador GRodiles
5. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Ever since I watched Fate/Zero and The Garden of Sinners, it was certain that ufotable should be the go-to studio for all major TYPE-MOON-related adaptations. When it was announced that they would be remaking Fate/Stay Night’s “Unlimited Blade Works” route, this seemed like the perfect ingredient to bring joy to the hearts of fans of the original visual novel game. In the end, the studio struck us with a spectacle that did justice to the route’s great moments. To top things off, they were able to add some nice touches that benefited those who watched Fate/Zero before diving into the original Fate/Stay Night visual novel. While my only experience with the series is the anime installments, Shiro’s sheer determination to become a true hero of justice against all odds showed us how most folks are able to accept reality’s harsh truth when they take a risky path in life. Like with most dreams, it takes a lot of guts to journey into a realm that many individuals consider to be crazy, which is one of the things that made this series worthwhile. With ufotable applying the elements I mentioned earlier, it felt like we were getting the key things of the experience that Studio DEEN denied us in their movie version of Unlimited Blade Works. Also, the pretty colors and dynamic battles acted as the cherry to complete this delicious ice cream sundae. 4. Gatchaman Crowds Insight Speaking of heroes, when a person walks the path of true justice, he/she might have to find a way to bring a resolution to both opposing parties. In order to accomplish this feat, one must undergo a major sacrifice; therefore making this path a difficult one to take. This is where Gatchaman Crowds Insight shined over its predecessor, as it challenged its main heroine in making the proper choice that would benefit society. Usually in life, there are lots of moments where people follow a certain trend or view while pressuring others to do so. The real kicker was that this happened within the team as well, which kept us guessing on how things would get resolved. With the way how the new character Gel’s abilities were used in this factor worked amazingly in creating the right conflict for the show’s main cast. Just like its predecessor, the series handled this theme without resorting to the typical good punching out evil to save the day scenario. Instead, it showed us how the media and technology affect people’s lives in many ways. Whether they were positive or negative, the effects it had on the characters made way for a ride that kept me invested throughout its run. Also, the music continues to be catchy as hell. 3. One Punch Man Despite my love for Gatchaman Crowds Insight and its special take on the superhero genre, One Punch Man knocked my expectations out of the water. Right when you felt that this show was going to focus on a hero’s unfortunate journey to find that one adversary that would give him the fight of his life, the series hits us with the message on what it is to be a good hero. To an extent, it took me back to Tiger & Bunny where you had certain people who were only in it for the fame and those who really wanted to protect those who need help. Because of this moral, the low-rank heroes (such as Mumen Rider) were the ones who expressed this theme the strongest— especially when you compare them to the show's higher ranking superheroes. When the show focuses on Saitama one-shotting his opponents, the buildup towards this moment always manages to increase the audience’s excitement, which results in a satisfying conclusion that leaves them with a burst of joy. Combined with the great punchlines thrown into these scenes, there’s never a dull moment in One Punch Man. Seeing that this show is running on an average budget, it’s amazing to see that the anime adaptation was being made by a group that placed their heart and soul into each frame of animation. That being said, the payoff from their work is shown nicely in the final product, which shows that this title packs quite a punch. 2. Japan Animator Expo I’m not going to lie. While I had a good time with this year’s offering of anime, the Japan Animator Expo was the one that stood mostly stood out for me. Each week was a great surprise as we many shorts acted as a canvas for various animators to express their full creativity without anyone holding them back. Whether it was Hiroyuki Imashi’s spiritual sequel to Panty & Stocking, Akira Amemiya of Ninja Slayer expressing his love for the classic Tsuburaya toku series Gridman, the follow-up to "ME!ME!ME!," or the perverted humor of Hiroyuki Okiura's (Jin-Roh and A Letter to Momo's Director) Robot on the Road, there were a ton of wonderful surprises that left my jaw wide open. Combined with an array of comedy and wonderful love letters to classic stuff like Ultraman and Daicon IV, this project was jam packed with lots great treats. Even though there were some pieces that would’ve worked better as larger pieces, I found the majority of them to be shining gems. In the end, most of these shorts left me with a wonderful impression in a shorter time span than the titles mentioned earlier in this segment. Seeing that it isn’t too often that an opportunity like this one drops by, this played a role in Japan Animator Expo making it on here. Also, Megumi Hayashibara (Slayer's Lina, Cowboy Bebop's Fae) and Koichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop's Spike, Ranma's Ryoga) deserve mad props for voicing every character in the project. 1. Shirobako If a group's dedication and commitment were to affect my decision in this year’s segment, I’d have to say that Shirobako takes the cake on this one. While I wasn’t able to catch the series when it premiered last Fall, the great things that I heard from it in the past gave me the drive to marathon it before the curtains closed on 2015. And boy was everyone right about it being stupendous. In fact, this method caused me to experience a huge joyful waterfall of tears as I rooted for Miyamori and the rest of Musashino Animation on their quest to deliver solid anime titles to the masses. Despite me being a person who gave up on pursuing the path of animation, my knowledge of the medium and my experience with going to school with other possible future animators went hand in hand in improving the whole show for me. The drive and determination behind each member of the studio showed us how they were willing to jump over all of the hurdles that would ruin the project. All in all, it was amazing to see how each character grew between each project that they tackled, as it felt like we were working with these people in real life. When the team got hit by impossible odds, Shirobako drove me into a state of rage, as the situation drove a huge stake through the staff’s objectives. However, the journey also made me feel sadness and joy when they tore down each wall. It’s not too often that a show throws me into different states of emotions during each episode, as P.A. Work’s hard work paid off with how they handled each dramatic moment in both of Musani’s productions. Most importantly, it changed the way how I view donut from now one; therefore deserving the number one spot in my heart. Honorable Mentions: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Egypt Arc

Dec 31 // Red Veron
5.) Shigatsu wo Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April) So let's the get this one over with first. Many emotions were felt this year with this entry. If you haven't watched this by now and not know how the story goes, just try and watch it. The beautiful visuals and music do well to serve this story where boy meets girl. This one is where boy has gone through a traumatic experience years prior and girl helps rediscover what he lost. Sounds typical but I do indeed love this show. Though I have encountered people who thought the story was cheesy and not very dramatic but the presentation was the best part. If you've seen other sad anime or Japanese movies, you know where this will lead but this anime is just a really good way to tell that story efficiently and in a beautiful way.   4.) Yuru Yuri San Hai! The third season of a great comedy show that is framed as a parody of Yuri school anime that does way more than it should for a comedy about cute girls. Don't let the cute facade turn you away if you're immediately repulsed by moeblobs but this show barely goes into trying to woo people with cute characters. The entire appeal of the show lies in its comedy, from parodying elements in the romance genre and even archetypes to ridiculous comedy without becoming absurd, this show does a lot of that. This third season continues to be strong in its comedy and even the different studio behind the animation resulting in not so ideal visuals, the comedy shines through.   3.) Non Non Biyori: Repeat The second season to a show about girls who live in the Japanese countryside is back and it is charming as ever. No, this one has cuteness but doesn't try to the usual moe pandering with the cute girls and this one has a lot of heart. More laughs and beautiful scenery to be seen in this one, newcomers can try to watch this one without seeing the first season and just have some plain fun. The show is mostly innocent fun in a rural setting that is pretty close to reality without much contrived genre. It's a great slice-of-life comedy without resorting to crude humor or sexuality like other comedies and should be checked out for a breath of fresh air.   2. Osomatsu-san (Mister Osomatsu) How do you modernize a comedy anime from the 1960s? Well, the first episode of this show goes into just that and raises the bar so high for the rest of the show and does keep up a lot. A sequel to a comedy anime from 1960s updated to reflect contemporary humor, this show is one the best comedies in recent years (Nichijou is still best) and also features an all male cast. No trying to sell female character goods here, just plain good comedy. This sequel has the characters all grown up and are still up to their antics but now they're good for nothing NEETs (basically unemployed losers) trying to get the occasional job or just going about their day and random things.   1.) Gintama° The fourth anime series(?) to adapt the comedy action manga came back this year after a couple of years of hiatus and it is still one of the best overlooked action comedies in anime. Why is it good? It still maintains the same comedy we expect in the anime even after more than 260 episodes (skip the first two episodes, those are bad) and the action still shines when it shows up on occasion. What is Gintama? Well, imagine Rurouni Kenshin but space aliens come to Japan (and Earth) instead of the Americans in the late 1800s. Though the space aliens only serve to accelerate the technology to modern times though keeping the pre-western era Japan. The comedy part ranges from pop culture references to absurd humor while the action part that shines most in the short serious and focused story arcs. Want to get a satisfying shounen action story in 4-5 episodes instead of 50 while still packing plenty of action and drama? Gintama just has that plus sprinkle in many laughs.   Honorable Mentions: Shirobako Yuri Kuma Arashi Prison School Himouto! Umaru-chan School Live!

Dec 31 // Jeff Chuang
5. Hackadoll & Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life: Phantasmagoric Arc I'm cheating here by clubbing two half-length shows together for the fifth spot, but these two shows consistently entertained me. They belong to the same anime block, so maybe it's okay?  Being half-length gave Hackadoll and Wooser huge advantages as comedies to not outstay their welcome (although I wish I could say the same for some other shorts that still ran too dry). I think what worked well in both are their ability to change up the genre every week. Even if the characters remain the same, the humor comes off differently in different situations and moments. Both Wooser and Hackadoll are also remarkable for somewhat meta reasons. Hackadoll is the first anime made to promote a mobile app that delivers news links to your phone or tablet. While the app itself is Japanese only, it isn't region limited and it works pretty well. But think about it, here you are reading a rec for a TV show promoting an app that can deliver online posts about anime (possibly like this one) to your phone. It's one of the few nuggets of meta about anime that just tickles me. Not to be outdone, Wooser's third season features a voice-over role for a certain Crunchyroll mascot. That is also a first of another type, even if watching Hime-chan on Crunchyroll seems kind of natural. I guess that's what it means when the show is co-produced with CR's involvement. 4. Saekano Saekano was hard to put a finger on while it was airing. Somehow during the spring season I noted that it was my favorite, and looking back it was hard to recall the love I had for the show until I put it on again. I loved this super-cheeky story about a nerd who blogged about light novels, tried to be ethical in her rejection of getting to know the girl of her dreams, and ends up making a visual novel. It's the most convoluted nonsense, yet it works so well to entertain. That makes this show really cerebral in a sense, and it's safe to say that Saekano can be an acquired taste. There are a lot of layers at work in Saekano, and like many harem series we have to take some things for granted--like why this guy and what's the big deal anyway. However as the narrative peels back each layer to the story, inside Saekano was a mind-blowing origami of different layers of meta that meshed with each other, creating some freakish phenomenon of fanservice that catered to not just the id, but the ego and super-ego all at once. Oh, the animation for those scenes are also top notch. And once I started watching it, all of that visual language and snappy direction just brought my affection for the show back. Lastly, while this was more timely 9 months ago, Saekano also gets bonus points for talking about ethics in light novel journalism. 3. Non Non Biyori Repeat Rather than getting sick and tired of reboots and sequels, in the year of 2015, it's about appreciating what silver lining there is left unexploited. And in that sense, what makes a good original work outstanding is how it's creative, not that it's not a sequel or reboot. For appreciating creativity for creativity's sake, Non Non Biyori Repeat is actually as good as it gets. Unfortunately I think it's a huge spoiler to tell you what is really creative about Non Non Biyori's second season, yet it's the most compelling reason to watch it. Well, maybe the head-turning gambit is just the second-most compelling reason. If you loved season one of this country-side daily-life story, season two doubles down on all those charming moments and adds somewhat more snap to its comedic timing. And even after letting up its gambit from the first episode, this reboot/sequel does not feel tiresome at all. If anything Renchon's antics really soothes that cynic spirit! If we're to get another Azumanga Daioh anime, maybe this is how it has to be done. But short of that, Non Non Biyori is the best we will get. The reboot simply keeps the good going, and that's enough for a rec. 2. Sound! Euphonium Kyoto Animation's Sound! Euphonium was one of the best youth dramas you can find on TV in 2015. I think if there were any flaws to it, it was that the story plays really typical to the East Asian form of high school drama that litters mainstream TV and movies. Thankfully, Kyoto Animation's measured and subtle adaptation speaks to us beyond the simple character acting, with its expressive character animation on full-throttle as usual. It's nice to hear some sharp brass band going at it, covering some all-time Jpop hits or even just typical recital music. A big reason why Euphonium was really good is because the animation was really, really good. The portrayal of the emotional highs and lows, how the characters read between the lines, and the feelings for each, comes through loud and clear without having it all spelled out for us. The voice acting from our heroine was even just as good. Really, this is one of the best put-together anime I've seen in a very long time. 1. Shirobako  Shirobako might be an orphan, a two-cour show stuck between 2014 and 2015, but Shirobako defined what anime is capable of doing as far as filling my heart with feelings of all sorts, and filling my mind with ideas of all sorts. It ignites my imagination and brings catharsis through both tears and laughter. As Shirobako was so good by the end of the first cour, I did not hesitate to call it the anime of the year last year. When it ended in Winter of '15, I naturally used it as a bar to measure all the subsequent works in 2015. And it's with slight disappointment that I don't hesitate to do so again to crown Shirobako my top show in 2015. I hoped all year long for some other show to whisk me away and take all my attention, but that didn't happen. Perhaps I was asking too much of every other show, but the human drama really hit a bulls eye in Shirobako, to me, as someone who watched a lot of anime over the past 10+ years. It's more than just the references or the idealized studio, it goes beyond the perfect mix of cynicism and comedy, or the reoccurring themes about finding and pursuing your dreams or what's important to you. But yeah, those too. Honorable Mentions: Blood Blockade Battlefield, Log Horizon S2, Overlord, IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, Love Live the Movie, The Anthem of the Heart, Little Witch Academia 2, Animator Expo, Food Wars, Charlotte, Monster Musume, Gundam Build Fighters Try, Fate/stay Night UBW, Death Parade, Classroom Crisis, Maria the Virgin Witch, One Punch Man, Koufuku Graffiti (and Wakakozake), Umaru, Punch Line, Plastic Memories, Danmachi. Bonus nods to Concrete Revolutio, Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, Osomatsu-san and Ace of the Diamond as on-going series.

Dec 30 // Red Veron
[embed]34655:5309:0[/embed] "Ring of Fortune" Anime: Plastic Memories [From Christian's List] A cute but still serious take on human and android relations in a world where humans coexist with human-looking androids that have emotions. The setting and the androids certainly lend well to the drama and this show has those as well as cute moments with the female lead who is just the best ever.   [embed]34655:5310:0[/embed] "Flyers" Anime: Death Parade [From Josh's List] A great show that's all about a purgatory-eque setting where people are judged to be sent to hell for their past sins. Pretty entertaining and certainly changes itself up for the better.   [embed]34655:5311:0[/embed] "I've been waiting in the forest" Anime: Yuri Kuma Arashi [From My Upcoming List] A bizarre show inspired from a series of bear attacks in rural Japan in the early 1900s which features lesbians and bears that turn into girls set in a world after all the bears gained human levels of intelligence. Still with me on this? Just watch the saccharine opening that equals the strangeness of this show.   [embed]34655:5312:0[/embed] "Kakushinteki☆Metamaruphose! (かくしん的☆めたまるふぉ～ぜっ！)" Anime: Himouto! Umaru-chan [From Anthony's List] An anime about the perfect teenage girl that is beautiful and just an all around amazing student that is looked up at school. Then she gets home and becomes just like us, who loves anime and video games while gorging on chips and soda. A lot of people hate her character. Probably because we are her and we hate ourselves.   WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIME AND/OR ANIME OPENING FROM THIS YEAR?! SHARE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

Dec 30 // Soul Tsukino
NJPW Rumble: Gedo, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi   IWGP Jr. Tag team title: ReDRagon (champions) vs. Roppongi Vice vs. Young Bucks vs. Matt Sydel/Ricochet [embed]34650:5301:0[/embed]   NEVER 6 man title (To crown first champions): Toru Yano & The Briscoes vs The Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale/Yujiro Takahashi/Tama Tonga)   ROH Title: Jay Lethal (champion) vs. Michael Elgin   IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kenny Omega (champion) vs. Kushida [embed]34650:5303:0[/embed]   IWGP Tag team title: Doc Gallows/Karl Anderson vs. Global Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma) [embed]34650:5304:0[/embed]   Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito [embed]34650:5305:0[/embed]   NEVER Openweight Title: Tomohiro Ishii (champion) vs. Katsuyori Shibata [embed]34650:5306:0[/embed]   IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (champion) vs. A.J. Styles [embed]34650:5307:0[/embed]   IWGP Title: Kazuchika Okada (champion) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi [embed]34650:5308:0[/embed] On paper, this looks to be a killer show. The big question is can Tanahashi and Okada face each other for the third time main eventing this show (and the umpteenth time at major events) and still knock it out of the park? Chances are good there. A.J. Styles has said that despite fighting a back injury, he will be able to perform on the big stage. If he doesn't reaggravate it, he and Nakamura will have a dandy. Ishii and Shibata is making me drool already. And that the rumble looks like a fun one. So tune in on January 4 (check for differences in your time zone) on NJPW's streaming service New Japan World to see all the action in both Japanese and in English with Kevin Kelly, Matt Striker, and Yoshi Tatsu. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jado, Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima, Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata.

Dec 30 // Soul Tsukino
  5) The end of Takeshi Morishima's career. Takeshi Morishima at one time was the biggest young prospect coming out of Japan. The big man first came to the United States in 2003 but gained his reputation from his time in Ring of Honor, where he became the ROH Champion in 2007, drawing similarities to Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy. He was honored with the Cauliflower Alley Club "Future Legend" award that same year. He was well on his way to becoming the next big star in Japan. It never truly panned out for Morishima though. Upon returning to Japan full time, he stayed true to Pro Wrestling NOAH during the time where New Japan Pro Wrestling was growing by leaps and bounds. He won many titles for the NOAH promotion, but could never break out as NJPW was dominating wrestling.  Hampered by injuries and bad health, Morishima was never able to reclaim the promise that he had shown in his earlier days. In 2015, he hung it up for good citing reoccurring injuries that stopped any forward momentum he had in the industry. While he certainly doesn't have anything to be ashamed of in his career, it never really lived up to the lofty goals some fans and those in the industry heaped onto him. 4) Genichiro Tenryu's retirement Genichiro Tenryu has been a known name in Japanese wrestling since the mid 70's after retiring from Sumo wrestling. The one time handpicked successor to Giant Baba was on the cusp of being the main man in All Japan Pro Wrestling when he split with the company to form his own group (SWS) in 1990.  In the 25 years since he has started other companies, made some appearances for the WWE (then WWF), and wrestled for every major (and a lot of minor) wrestling companies in Japan. After a remarkable 40 year career, this after 13 years of Sumo (starting when he was just 13 years old) Tenryu finally decided to hang it up. After making his plans known in February to retire at the end of the year, Tenryu went around Japan on his "retirement tour" before making a surprise appearance in New Japan Pro Wrestling to challenge "The Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada to be his opponent in his last match. The match was the main event of a huge multi-promotional show on November 15th. Tenryu lost the match, but the final bout for this ageless star was voted Match of the Year by Tokyo Sports. Not a bad way to wrap up a career of four decades.   3) All Japan's biggest star (and many others) goes Freelance  While New Japan soars to new heights in wrestling, its former rival just can never seem to catch a break. The once mighty promotion under the lead of Giant Baba has seen its roster depleted by many mass migrations away from the company. This year did not do them any favors and several of its current stars decided to go "freelance", as in they would not be signed to any company and could wrestle wherever they wish. Stars like KENSO (the former Kenzo Suzuki), Kotaro Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru all announced their intentions to go freelance this year, but the biggest (in more ways than one) blow to the company was when former sumo grand champion Akebono announced he too would be going freelance so that he could devote more time to a return to mixed martial arts. Akebono was not only a big name for AJPW as well as part of the office of the company, but a known name in Japan for being the first non-Japanese Yokozuna and his celebrity status in the country. Although AJPW is still going and doesn't look like it will close anytime soon, its status in Puroresu continues to be a shadow of the company that it used to be.   2) WrestleKingdom 9 shown on American pay-per-view. This was a big deal for not only New Japan, but Japanese wrestling in general. The January show at the Tokyo Dome has been the biggest show in Puroresu for decades under various names. However, when it came to the American market, the best exposure the card had in its history was when WCW covered 3 of the shows in the early 90's, months after the fact of when they were held (calling them the WCW/New Japan Super Shows).  In recent years, these shows, now under the WrestleKingdom banner, had some coverage on internet pay-per-view systems but nothing that would be considered mainstream. But with NJPW looking to expand more into the American market, with some help from Jeff Jarrett in promoting his upcoming Global Force Wrestling project, they were able to bring WrestleKingdom to American pay-per-view systems for the very first time. Broadcast on a few hours delay and with English commentary from Jim Ross and Matt Striker, the show did good numbers for a non-WWE event. In 2016 the show will be shown on NJPW's New Japan World streaming service and will feature the English commentary or Matt Striker, ROH announcer Kevin Kelly, and former WWE wrestler Yoshi Tatsu providing some direct translations. Considering there is a sizable English speaking audience that subscribes to New Japan World, this event will once again expand its audience well beyond the land of the rising sun. 1) New Japan lands American TV deal.   In late 2014 when it was announced to wrestling fans that cable network AXS TV would be showing New Japan Pro Wrestling in English, there was a lot of cautious optimism. Although it was great that NJPW was getting a weekly English language show in America, we were quick to remember what can go wrong with similar concepts (Tokyopop's coverage of FMW being the big example of what can go wrong). We had nothing to worry about. Starting in January, the New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV show not only opened many people's eyes to Japan's biggest wrestling company but also blew away longtime and hardcore fans of wrestling who were impressed with the presentation of the show. The commentary team of Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett, both of whom were known more in the mixed martial arts world, had some people wondering how good they could be in the pro wrestling environment. They did not disappoint as Mauro's long time involvement in wrestling (starting in Canada when he was just 16), and Barnett's experience wrestling many of the big names in Japan proved to be a winning combination that not only provided great detail and context behind every match but brought a legitimacy to wrestling not seen since the days of Gordon Solie. The show proved to be a hit. While New japan and AXS had at first ordered 13 shows, they have since broadcast two more seasons and extended the show through 2016, with the new season starting January 15th. Mauro himself did such an impressive job on this show, he landed the role of lead announcer for WWE's Smackdown show starting in early January (having already recorded the next season of NJPW it seems). This show proved not only was there a market for Japanese wrestling in the United States but that it can be presented in a way that doesn't take away from the product or insult the fans. It brought a shot of publicity for the company it had been trying to achieve in the last number of years more so than anything else. 2015 was an interesting year for Japanese wrestling with a lot of ups, downs, and in some cases the really bizarre. What does 2016 hold for the Japanese wrestling world? We shall wait and see. Takeshi Morishima at one time was the biggest young prospect coming out of Japan. The young man first came to the United States in 2003, but gained his reputation from his time in Ring of Honor, where he became the ROH Champion in 2007. He was honored with the Cauliflower Alley Club "Future Legend" award that same year. He was well on his way to becoming the next big star in Japan.   It never truly panned out for Morishima though. Staying true to Pro Wrestling NOAH, it was New Japan Pro Wrestling that ahieved the greater success in Japan and around the world. Hampered by injuries and bad health, Morishima was never able to reclaimed the prmoise that he had shown in his earlier days. In 2015, he hng it up for good citing reaccuring injuries that stopped any forward momentum he had in the industry. While he certanly doesn't have anything to be ashemed of in his career, it never really lived up to the lofty goals some fans and those in the industry heaped onto him.

Dec 29 // Christian Chiok
5. Plastic Memories When I read the description for Plastic Memories, my expectations for the series were entirely different from what it was.  The series started off quite interesting with its futuristic setting and the androids called Giftia, which have emotions and a life span. After their life span reached their expiration date, they basically turned into a zombie-like form, losing their identity and went berserk if not picked up by SAI Corporation. From what the series introduced, I definitely thought it was going to take a darker approach but instead the series took a more romantic route with the protagonists of the series, one being a Giftia herself. While the series didn’t really turn out to be what I was expecting, I still really enjoyed it all the way through. The characters are enjoyable and the story can get emotional. 4. Assassination Classroom I was first introduced to Assassination Classroom when Koro-sensei got revealed as a playable character for the Shonen Jump crossover J-Stars Victory VS. I thought both his character and moveset were interesting so I decided to check out the manga fight after. Almost a year later, the Anime adaptation was released and I definitely had to check it out. Assassination Classroom is one of those series that it has too many characters (mostly students) that you probably won’t remember half of them by the end of the series, except for those who really stood out. What I really liked the most about the series was that despite Koro-sensei’s goal of destroying the Earth, he helped the students gain more confidence and value themselves, since they were put in the worst class in their school. In just one season, there was a lot of character development for all the characters, especially the protagonist— Nagisa Shiota. 3. Shokugeki no Soma Something that we can all agree on is that Food Wars is definitely one of the most unique series that was released this year with its over-exaggeration when the characters appreciated the food. Aside from the amazing looking food, the series had great comedy and a simple yet entertaining story. Just like Assassination Classroom, I really enjoy series that introduces variety of characters with different personalities, especially unlike the former; the competitive setting in this series is more obvious. 2. Kuroko's Basketball Season 3 As I stated in my Extra Game review, I really love sport series, especially Kuroko’s Basketball since there’s special charm that keeps you engaged throughout the series. Just like the first two seasons, the animation was definitely phenomenal, especially the last few episodes. What made this season most enjoyable though was seeing the Teiko arc in animated. It’s definitely one of the most dramatic yet most powerful arcs of the series. 1. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders Battle in Egypt I’ve been a huge fan of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure since 2007, so it was very hard for me not to make this my top series of 2015. While Stardust Crusaders isn’t my favorite arc (Diamond is Unbreakable is, automatically making it my Top 5 of 2016), both anime adaptations were highly enjoyable and it was very pleasing that it finally got the animation treatment it deserved. The animation was great and it definitely has a great set of characters.