Ongoing Investigations: Case #102

I finally finished up Heroman which ended up being a rather unfortunate series. Things come to a head in the final 5 episodes as we learn a little more about Joey’s father, Psy’s accident, and the seemingly random episodes like the crazy monster on the island. If you couldn’t figure it out from the 2nd opening, the Skruggs role in this show were not yet done but their new forms are a surprisingly good moment in the series. Too bad much of the emotional hooks feel disconnected, but the Skruggs’ and Will’s part to play are a welcome sight. The final battle is climatic and full of friendship so it actually rounded out the story nicely if you don’t ask too many questions. But when the credits finish you see quite clearly Bones hoped to continue the series which we all assume will never happen. This hint of more to come though highlights one of the worst parts of Heroman: Dr. Minami and his minions. I could think of a number of much more exciting things to show in order to have me hope for more, but with that preview I thought to myself, “thank goodness it is over!” I was excited and full of hope for Heroman in the beginning, but it was plagued by uneven pacing and shallow characterization for its heroes and villains alike. I enjoyed the early episodes and the final ones but Heroman fell short in between. In many ways it kind of reminds me of how Ben 10 makes me feel, it is almost good but never quite makes it.

hisuiconAlso on another recommendation from mysterious voices from the Internet on the OSMcast I decided to pick up the DS game Infinite Space. That was an excellent recommendation. It is a great space opera game that has an epic story and some great characters. There are twists and turns and betrayals and alliances made all the time. There are several major decisions that can effect the plot line you travel along encouraging you to use the new game plus feature as well. The ships in the game are super customizable and anyone who ever enjoyed playing BattleTech will be in heaven. The game has two major sections. It starts of great and then the first parts ends and the game kicks everything into high gear. So much so that the game actually has and ending and then a new opening to herald in the second half. The main problem with the game is the learning curve is BRUTAL. There are many points in the game were how the game is played changes and if you don’t learn the switch you will be murdered until you figure out how to change your strategy or how a new mechanic works. This game can easily be a lesson in frustration but I think the game is rewarding enough that it offsets that frustration. It is a fun game and I am really curious how it is going to all end.

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Tenken: Tiamat’s Older and Meaner Brother

If you were waking around in the Exhibitors Hall at NYCC you might have seen a booth promoting One Peace Book’s recent publication, Tenken. It is an atypical manga that uses the legend of the Yamata no Orochi to tell a story of modern fantasy. The first time I had an experience of the learning about the legend of the Orochi was while watching the Reawakening Memories OVA of Ranma 1/2 in college. That was a great introduction to the story regardless of Rumiko Takahashi’s alterations of the story. Ever since then I have always taken an interest in anything involving the Orochi because it was those two episodes in particular that catapulted me in hardcore anime fandom.

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The Speakeasy: A Reverse Thieves Podcast – Drink #010

Anime 3000 presents The Speakeasy Podcast:
Drink #010:
The Red Comet, Romance in the various Gundam Universes

When you think of Gundam you usually think of a mixture of real robot battles and politics as the foundation of the various series that make up the franchise. But the relationships between the characters is an equally important part that is easily overlooked because of all the cool robot fights. High on the list of debate are the romantic relationships; some are praised as highly realistic and touching, others are viewed as melodramatic but engaging, while still others are seen as travesties. The problem is that few fans agree which relationships from which show go in which category. In this episode we will examine the relationships that stand out the most in our minds from all the Gundam series we have seen. We start with the works of Tomino and go up to the present with Gundam Unicorn and Gundam 00.

(Listen) (Show Notes)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present you a drink invented by Hisui:

The Red Comet (It gets you feeling toasty three times as fast)

6 oz. vodka
1 can Red Bull

Drop a shotglass of vodka into a Highball glass of Red Bull. Bonus points are given for being dressed as Casval Rem Deikun with a mask or at least wearing all red. Anyone dressed as Quattro Bajeena has to drink a Hyaku Shiki.