This month,FUNimationis offering up some live-action adaptations of the incredible manga/anime series,Death Note. These include the original 2006 feature and its sequel, released in the same years as the anime series itself, as well as the less stellar 2016 sequel that picked things up a decade later, but missed the mark a bit. (All three of these movies are still better than the bad decision that was the 2017 Westernized remake.)
Additionally, this month gives us new installments ofBlack Clover,Overlord,Dragon Ball Super, and aOne PieceTV special. Check out our latest reviews below.
For the uninitiated, FUNimation is a U.S. company known for their dubs and domestic distribution of Japanese anime. So all of the reviews you’re about to check out are for the dub version of each anime, though some Blu-rays/DVDs have a Japanese audio option as there are some exceptions to the rule. Below, you’ll find the official synopsis for each movie and series, along with a link to pick up your own copy at FUNimation’s online store, should my review convince you. Sometimes, it’ll be an easy thing to suggest you buy it, other times, it’ll be just as easy to go in the other direction.
Check out my rundown of FUNimation’s home video selections from this winter season, and be sure to take a look at their 2018summer selections,fall favorites, andwinter titlesas well. Plus, 2019 is starting off strong with theseearly (and rather randy) selectionsin both January andFebruary. You might just find a favorite you overlooked or a new addition to your catalog you might have missed.
Some programming notes: Another big title, theMy Hero Academiamovie, also popped up on FUNimation this month in a combo release, featuring an exclusive interview with the English-language cast. I didn’t include it in the round-up since it deserved its own article, so click here for myMy Hero Academia: Two HeroesBlu-ray review.
Unfortunately,Twin Star Exorcistsis no longer a part of FUNimation’s collection due to their partnership with Crunchyroll coming to an end. So if you’re looking for episodes to stream on their service or purchase from their shop, you’re out of luck. Sorry!
Anime-Gataris
As if by fate, anime newbie Minoa Asagaya is thrust headfirst into co-founding her school’s new anime club. Unfamiliar with the culture yet eager to learn, she’s getting a crash course in all things otaku! But with the student council hellbent on dismantling their organization and a dark presence lurking behind closed doors, participating in the club might be a lot harder than it sounds!
At the outset, it’s basically an anime about … anime. It’s your standard high school drama series but the main character’s interactions all seem to revolve around anime of all kinds. If you take a sip of water every time a character says the word “anime”, you’ll drown; don’t try this at home. By Episode 3, the main characters talk about viewers giving up on an anime too early, especially since it takes three episodes for said characters to establish themselves; let’s see if this pays off… It does! The team starts to come together and earns their first victory over the bullying student council.
The series is a love letter to all things anime with plenty of little in-jokes for super-enthusiasts. It’s weirdly entertaining even while it feels like a strange sort of promotional campaign for anime itself, but I dig the meta commentary on a low-budget anime production, someTwilight Zone-like episodes that dabble in various anime tropes and animation styles, and a joke about tagging on a meaningless “sexy Santa” holiday special after the season’s end. Really well done, but this one’s for the weebs.
Konohana Kitan
Halfway between heaven and Earth lies Konohanatei, an inn where Yuzu, a naïve yet eager foxgirl, works alongside her fellow attendants. As patrons come and go with the passing seasons and connections blossom between the girls, Yuzu’s curiosity guides her. Because every guest, expected or not, has a story to tell and life lessons to share—and Yuzu is happy to listen.
Very cutesy to start but with a fun sense of humor too, like a smoking granny fox boss who runs the inn and a pair of tiny rats shouting for people to get out of their way in the street.
Yuzu is the new arrival working at the inn … and it takes about 5 minutes before the expected bit of fan service. It carries on a bit through the series but it’s mainly about Yuzu’s relationships with the other staff members at the inn.
Pretty sweet family series throughout the telling with a lot of heart mixed in with the mythology. The halfway place, an inn between heaven and Earth, is an interesting setting to tell this coming-of-age story, which sets it apart from similar titles.
Japan’s fashion hotspot, Harajuku, is known for having some unusual visitors—but culture-thieving aliens from outer space? Well that’s just crossing the line! Banding together, three kawaii high school girls aren’t about to let anyone take away the beloved district where PARK, their new pop-up shop, has just opened for business!
A super-cute fashion-forward trio goes from running a clothing and accessories shop to having to fend off an alien invasion that’s gobbling up national landmarks. Along the way, the girls get an upgrade to their uniforms/costumes, weapons, and accessories, allowing them to battle the alien “Scoopers.”
There’s an engaging animation style has a more hand-drawn, painted, traditional feel to it and features some fun shifts in visuals in the interstitials, like a live-action talking fried shrimp and the dangers of invasive crepes. )
Things are charmingly odd throughout this series, but when the girls start to transform into human-scoopers …things getveryweird. The gluttonous Scoopers consume everything without thought and without their original personalities, though they gain recognition and popularity. It’s a show about literally protecting a safe, creative space where you can be an individual at the expense of popularity and acceptance. It’s a good message for younger viewers, if a bit over-stretched.
Oddly enough, in the end, the characters discover that none of their creative endeavors actually made it into the real world, but their sincere effort was important nonetheless. The ultimate reveal at the end undercuts the message a bit, but it’s fitting with the show’s super-cute and safe style.
Dragon Ball Super: Part 6
Goku, Vegeta, and Future Trunks take on the mighty Merged Zamasu in an epic confrontation of good vs. evil. But when the dust settles and they return to the present, the Z Fighters face even greater challenges. A baseball game grudge-match between gods and a mysterious attempt on Goku’s life keep our heroes in top form in preparation for the Tournament of Power!
Enjoy the end of the Zamasu/Goku Black arc in this installment, regarded as the point thatDragon Ball Superreally starts to take off and become its own thing. (I mean, the arrival of Vegito Blue is featured in this collection, taking on Merged Zamasu!) Sure, it’s still a warm-up for the eventual Tournament of Power, which is the shining center of the series, but it’s a solid B story with a satisfying conclusion, even if it doesn’t add a whole lot to the overall mythology.
KanColle-Kantai Collection: The Complete Series
Fubuki is a Special Type Destroyer who has just been assigned to the Naval District. With a grand total of zero battles under her belt, she’s sure to sink fast under the pressure of expectation. Luckily, she’s grouped with Torpedo Squadron Three, and they’re ready to support their new comrade. Together, they’ll prove they have what it takes to defend the ocean and win it all for humanity!
So the Fleet Girls, teenage girls imbued with the spirits and powers of Japanese warships of the past and given powerful weaponized “Outfits”, basically engage in naval combat as human warriors. What starts out as an interesting premise actually turns into a decent and compelling story about a new recruit earning her way up the ranks through tough training and challenging trials.
The original title was a free-to-play browser game that represented World War II warships as teenage girls whose personalities reflected the history of each ship. This translates over to the anime adaptation, with the addition of the characters' story arcs taking on those of named, iconic ships themselves. For example, the main character and newcomer to the team, is Fubuki, based on theFubuki-class destroyer.
The designs are great, from the reveal of impressive “Battleship” class members, to the idea that “Aircraft Carriers” can launch scout planes using a bow and arrows. The eventual reveal of the famed and storied Battleship Yamato is a great combination of history and original storytelling, and it comes just as viewers witness newcomer Fubuki truly earning her place among the fleet.
Black Clover: Season 1, Part 3
After a close call against Mars and the Diamond Kingdom knights, Asta and his friends are honored by the Wizard King. But the celebratory event is more jeers than cheers as the other Magic Knights show their true colors. Before things get too heated inside, they learn there’s a more serious problem happening outside. The rising dead, an energy-sapping witch, and other horrors plague the capitol!
Personally, I find this to be the best arc of the series so far, with plenty of action and consequences yet offering a contained story that opens up some more of the mythology and raises the stakes for all involved. This was the arc that finally started to win me over to Asta’s side and his story.
We get to meet the current wizard king (!) fairly early on in this installment of episodes that are much more action-focused than previous ones have been. It’s got easily the most intense sequence yet thanks to crazy shifts in the balance of power and sudden (near) deaths of important and powerful characters.
The final episode in the sequence may be a catch-up episode on Asta’s adventures so far, but it’s told through the eyes (and whispers) ofGordon Agrippa, so it’s not only a good recap, it’s very silly and odd. I dig it.
Overlord: Season 2 - Limited Edition
Overlord: Season 2
Continuing his quest to rule this new world, Ains begins to put the pieces in place for his conquest. But between a Lizard Man tribe uprising, and performing missions as adamantite adventurer Momonga, Ains has his work cut out for him! Thankfully he has his most loyal and willing subordinates to do his bidding.
Despite a litany of exposition at the beginning of the first episode, I have not clue #1 what’s going on. There are some political machinations happening on many different fronts, though more than just a royal series with kings, princesses, and knights, there are also dragons, vampires, and magical items. Nowhere do you get the sense that this is a virtual world, but that was likely established in the first part of the series.
Looking like a beefy, armored-up Grim Reaper, Ains makes for an imposing, impressive, and original protagonist. Inside, he’s just a teenage boy controlling his powerful avatar, so it’s nice to hear his inner monologue, especially since it guides Ains' moral compass.
The structure ofOverlordis interesting. Ains is at the center, but much of the time is spent focusing on stories of other supporting characters, like the plight of the Lizardmen, various royals, etc. Ainz also plays both sides, either as a warrior/adventurer in his black armor and helm, or as the evil Overlord in his skeletal form. This leads to some humorous moments where Ainz has to think quickly to prevent him being found out. However, assuming his undead form also slowly deadens his emotions and response to them, which concerns his human counterpart.
It’s a very original series that succeeds when it focuses on things like Lizardmen romance and loyalty, but stumbles a bit when trying to do too much.
Limited Edition includes:
Yuzu Aihara is ready to face her brand-new school and find her first love. The only problem? It’s an all-girls’ school. Determined to at least make new friends, Yuzu puts on her best looks and winds up…in trouble! And with the beautiful student council president no less. But when this cold beauty winds up being her brand-new stepsister and kisses her, Yuzu is in for a bittersweet experience!
It’s pretty rare to see a full-on yuri anime from FUNimation butCitruspulls no punches. It’s like an anime version ofCruel IntentionsmeetsBlue Is the Warmest Color.
A younger “little sister” asking her former “older sister”/crush “Do your parents know you’re horny for your little step-sister?” while straddling her in the karaoke booth; this pretty much sums up this entire story.
When it’s not being sidelined by its own horniness for itself, it’s actually a good story about complicated relationships, intense feelings, adolescence, and confusing urges vs social and familial norms.
The “will they / won’t they” plot gets stretched pretty thin by the midway point, but there’s a solid resolution to a series' long love story (even if it sees the step-sisters dating and living under the same roof) and a decent effort at complicated character storytelling.
In a city filled with sin and scandal, the charming Worick and powerful Nicolas have made names for themselves as men who can get even the dirtiest of jobs done. Working independently, taking jobs from both the mafia and police, these unique Handymen navigate the seedy underworld of Ergastulum in style, leaving a trail of chaos behind them.
Right off the bat, you can tell this is a mature title. The credits sequence alone features big-breasted women in skimpy tops as copious amounts of various drugs rain down on them, all to a bouncing techno beat. At least you know what you’re getting into immediately.
“Handymen” Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown keep busy by taking jobs from both sides of the thin blue line in the city of Ergastulum, rife with mafia, hoodlums, prostitutes, and dirty cops. But more than just a noir-y, gritty crime drama, the anime pumps things up a bit on the character side of things: Worick has been a gigolo since the age of 13 and happens to have an incredibly detailed memory of his life’s events, thanks to hyperthymesia. This comes in handy as a Handyman taking on cases, but also serves to keep Worick’s abusive childhood at the forefront of his mind and memory.
His bodyguard, Nic, is a superhuman known as a “Twilight”, who gain abilities from a stat-enhancing pharmaceutical drug. A rarity in fiction let alone anime, Nic is deaf and communicates through sign language while being an adept lip-reader. Worick’s bodyguard since childhood, he too suffered an abusive upbringing but was also responsible for freeing Worick from his own sadistic family.
Completing the trio from the box art is Alex, a prostitute who goes through a redemptive and restorative arc throughout the story, thanks in part to the intervention from Worick and Nic. It’s a very mature story in both theme and visuals, but it’s well told, even if the super-human abilities. overdosing on enhancing drugs, and use of dog tags as markers of Twilights feels a little tacked on. Unfortunately, the mythology didn’t grab me nearly as much as the main characters' story did.
One Piece “3D2Y” TV Special
One Piece: 3D2Y
Haunted by the tragic loss at Marineford, Luffy continues his two-year training session under Rayleigh’s tough tutelage. His Haki powers are hardly developed when the escaped convict, Byrnndi World, wreaks havoc on the high seas and kidnaps Boa Hancock’s sisters! Determined to save them, Luffy teams with Hancock for a bold rescue operation that tests his will to get stronger.
In case you didn’t get to watch the conclusion of the Marineford Arc or the epic “War of the Best” where Luffy lost his brother Ace, this special starts out with an action-packed recap. It also introduces the supporting cast of characters through Luffy’s memory, just in case this is the first time you’re watching aOne Piecestory after almost 500 episodes.
This story tells of Luffy’s recover and his travels with Rayleigh, a nice side story that takes place in between Luffy’s other adventures with his crew and fills in a two-year gap and allows Luffy to train up before getting back into the game.
In this TV special, viewers get to see Luffy take on Byrnndi World, a fierce and powerful pirate who escaped his icy prison confinement during the War of the Best at Marineford. (Other pirate Warlords, like Buggy and Mihawk make their presence felt as well.) The story centers on World’s plot for revenge for a former betrayal, but his actions are reckless and, honestly, don’t make a lot of sense other than to draw out the people he wishes to see punished. It is, however, a good training tale for Luffy, who has to tap into some pretty deep places in order to grow strong enough to win the day.
Oh, and that title? It’s “two years later rather than three days later”, to explain the time gap.
