Category Archives: anime

MF Ghost is Great Sometimes

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You never know for sure who’s a fan of Initial D. While there are folks who are almost guaranteed to enjoy it due to a love of Japanese cars, I’ve seen quite a few people who aren’t really into that sort of thing will still embrace the series. Maybe it’s the exciting Eurobeat soundtrack, or getting to see an underdog whupping everyone, or just enjoying characters babbling about turbo engines and anti-lock brakes and what-not. Like many good anime and manga, the series has the ability to draw in people who might not care about the topic it focuses on.

The sequel, MF Ghost, isn’t nearly as compelling—at least not at first. For one, it doesn’t even have its first big race until the start of the second season. And when it finally gets there, the format isn’t as immediately and viscerally thrilling. Street racing duels have made way for 15-car competitions, trading a more direct fight for a complex mosaic of moving vehicles. That has its appeal in its own right, and it has kept me watching, but it’s different nevertheless.

But even as fun as the races are, MF Ghost has some weird personalities, and some of the dudes are the worst. Initial D was never a bastion of great characters, but there were some real charismatic personalities in there, and even the worst assholes and cheaters are compelling in their own way. In comparison, one of the top racers in MF Ghost is a guy who refuses to date anyone older than 17. An ally of the main character, a generally upstanding and generous racer, is in love with one of the race queens who’s secretly a high schooler (To his credit, he isn’t aware of this). The same girl is also the primary love interest of the main character (who’s closer in age), making for a strange love triangle. 

Between all that and the weird underwear-like outfits of the race queens (aka the “Angels”), a lot of MF Ghost on the character side feels like an old person’s idea of young romance. The girl, Ren, has a sweet and gentle personality, albeit somewhat different from a lot of current heroines who could be similarly described. Maybe it’s the lack of pointed fetishes in her design and personality specifically that contrasts with a lot of current manga, anime, and light novels. She’s also a far cry from either of Takumi from Initial D’s romantic prospects, which makes me further believe that the author created her to have a more general appeal

So that’s my experience with MF Ghost. Sometimes, it’s legitimately exciting. Other times, I can feel my face scrunch up into a weird frown when some character does something really off. I guess my desire to see the underdog still pulls through.

They Tried to Rig the Game, but You Can’t Fake Influence: Demon Lord 2099, Kendrick Lamar, and Being the True King

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Veltol, the protagonist of Demon Lord 2099. He is ruggedly handsome with long, dark hair. He is wearing armor, while one of his eyes is bloodied and his right hand is extended toward the viewer, also covered in blood.

I watched Demon Lord 2099, an anime about a vanquished Demon Lord who revives in a magitech cyberpunk future. This former ruler, Veltol Velvet Velsvalt, discovers that one of his generals heads the largest corporation in the world and by extension the way magic is used and controlled in society. Not long after their reunion, it’s revealed that this general, Marcus, would rather not cede his position at the top of the world, and betrays his former master. Marcus prides himself on being the strongest, and therefore the true Demon Lord of the modern day. 

WARNING: Demon Lord 2099 spoilers.

Marcus from Demon Lord 2099. He is a human-looking demon with sharp, angular features and long white hair, and he is wearing a red suit. Behind him are the silhouettes of bodies floating in ambiguous pink space.

But there’s a recurring idea in the anime that springs forth from Marcus’s desire: Just because you’re the best around doesn’t mean you’re the greatest or even endowed with greatness. This is an idea that occurs all the time in competitive environments, such as sports, video games, and music. Is Michael Jordan the GOAT of basketball, or is it Lebron James? RTS fans used to debate what makes someone a Starcraft bonjwa, a fan title reserved for a select pantheon of players, of which there are arguably only five or so. Heck, the first thing that came to mind when I saw Demon Lord 2099 highlight the difference between “best” and “greatest” is F.D Signifier’s hours-long video about Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar, where he describes the reluctance among many fans of rap towards accepting Drake as the king of his era, and the enthusiasm with which they embraced Kendrick upon his return. 

The second form of Veltol, now a massive demonic dragon towering over Marcus.

Being the greatest seems to require not merely a list of accomplishments, but to also have an aura that comes out in one’s actions and behavior. In Demon Lord 2099, this notion sees its culmination in a rematch, where Veltol reveals to his betrayer that he has a second and more powerful form, as per the classic video game final boss trope. In this new guise (unknown to all but the hero who bested him long ago), Veltol neutralizes all the technological advantages Marcus created for himself and humiliates the traitor. The Demon Lord also reveals the source of his power: He cannot achieve this second form unless he has enough worshippers, which he has spent time regaining by becoming a popular streamer. Marcus tried to clothe himself in greatness without embodying any of the qualities that make for greatness, be it inherent ability or the acknowledgement of the people.

“Greatness” is, of course, subjective by nature. Different people will value different things, and second boss forms aren’t a thing in reality unless you maybe count competitors being incredibly clutch in key situations. But I think the difference between “best” and “greatest” seems to be in the words themselves: whether you are simply better than those around you, or you want to carry your craft to higher heights and possibly even use it for a more profound purpose.

Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION…in Japanese?!

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While browsing Netflix one day, I came upon the movie Mewtwo Strikes Back EVOLUTION: a remake of the first Pokémon movie originally from the late 90s. Out of curiosity, I decided to look at the language settings to see what was available, and was surprised to see Japanese audio among the options.

This is a fairly big deal because the US release of the first movie never came with Japanese as an option, and it was from a time when dubs would substantially alter the contents of the original. While both the Japanese and English versions of Mewtwo Strikes Back are clearly meant primarily for kids, the differences are enough to practically make them two different movies. 

I watched EVOLUTION with Japanese audio and English closed captioning (an actual subtitle track was unavailable), and to my surprise, it actually translates a majority of the script faithfully. Gone are the attempts to “explain” mysterious moments from the film—there’s no legend of “healing tears,” for example. And rather than the antagonist Mewtwo being a grievance-filled villain out to start his “reign” over the world, they’re back to being the traumatized soul who “strikes back” at the world because of a deep existential crisis. I am serious when I say that Mewtwo is literally the best character in the entire anime because of the complexity of their character, and I’m happy that people get to see that now. For those watching in Japanese, Ichimura Masachika reprises his role as Mewtwo, and his performance remains unbelievably good. Ichimura’s background is actually in theater acting (he was the very first Japanese Phantom of the Opera), and his veteran skill shows.

I said the script was mostly faithful, though, and that’s because a few things do not match up. 

The opening and ending songs are still the ones used in the dub version even when you watch in Japanese, so I sadly did not get to hear the new rendition of one of my favorite songs, “Kaze to Issho ni.” At the very least, the new ending song is better than what used to be there in the dub.

The biggest departure comes from the fact that the English script retains the dub’s version of Mewtwo’s speech at the end: “I see now that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.” It’s not a bad sentiment, but it is significantly different from the Japanese, where Mewtwo is much more ambivalent to the very end. In Japanese, they talk about how the clones are alive, and they will continue to live—somewhere.” The difference in sentiment feels like it comes down to America’s valuing of being a master of your fate vs. Japan’s love of the ephemeral and imperfect (to overly simplify things), but I wish at least this version could have stuck closer to the original. Given how the rest of the script is so close, I suspect that those in charge felt that the dub line is inextricably tied to perceptions of the movie in English.

Aside from the translation comparison, the rest of the film just feels like an experiment they decided to throw out there. The CG is all right but unspectacular, and a number of action scenes feel longer than they did before (sometimes to the detriment of the pacing). Overall, the original holds up a bit better in Japanese, but having a version that’s 80% more accurate in English is something I’m just glad to see.

A Conflict: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for February 2025

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I feel of two ways about still using Twitter in any capacity. Its owner is a Nazi and a piece of shit, and I hate the way he ruined it, even if it already wasn’t in the best shape). I’ve already switched over the majority of my social media usage to Bluesky. Yet, I have to contend with the fact that that many artists, anime and manga creators, VTubers, and other related accounts have still not made the switch over. As an anime blogger who does things like keep a record of Kio Shimoku’s tweets, a part of me feels that abandoning it entirely is also abandoning the ability to accrue and archive information that might be lost otherwise. Kio himself has also mentioned that he’s hesitant to start another social media account.

Similarly, I wonder if I should even post links to my blog posts on places like Twitter and Facebook, because Twitter throttles links to keep them from getting traction, and Facebook is increasingly taking a disgusting turn. But I also know there are people who are only able to follow me through those platforms.

Whatever the case, I find it funny that there’s now a move encouraging people to make their own websites again, instead of relying on social media. It’s almost like the real Web 3.0 (and not the NFT bullshit) is a return to something closer to the internet of my youth.

Thank you to everyone on my Patreon, and extra special thanks to those below. Happy Lunar New Year to all.

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from January

A Lasting Legacy: Love Live! Superstar!! 3rd Season

A look at what made the story of Liella! truly special.

I Wish It Was 52 Episodes: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

Did you catch this show? It was delightful.

Celebrating Sakamata Chloe and holoX

In honor of Sakamata Chloe, who has now left hololive.

Kio Shimoku

Kio tweets about the release of his latest adult doujinshi.

Closing

I would very much not want a country controlled by a billionaire trying to gut out the federal government and steal our personal information.

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights January 2025

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https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1877245089363247282

Kio read Volume 10 of Koukaku no Sukima (Scheme in the Crimson Shell), a series about the world of Pandora in the Crimson Shell by the original author, Koshi Rikudo (of Excel Saga fame). Kio likes the “Shiromasa World” (which I assume has to do with Shirow Masamune?), and the fact that one particular story gets a continuation.

There was a Rakuen: Le Paradis magazine exhibit at Namba Marui (0101) in Osaka, from January 11 to January 19 this past month. 

Kio is overjoyed that he could relate to the main character of From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!, an anime adaptation of a manga about a 52-year-old salaryman who is reincarnated as a villainess.

Kio is happy to see that there will be more Dorohedoro.

An online preview is available for the sequel to Kio’s 18+ doujinshi, Zenbu, Sensei no Sei. (It’s All Your Fault, Sensei.) on the adult site FANZA. Note that the site is region-locked. The full 82-page version is out now.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1880631303504343048

Otani Ikue (voice of Pikachu) was trending on Twitter. Kio jokingly claims that she’s known primarily for her role as Kamishakujii Renge in Kujibiki Unbalance.

A fan mentions being surprised when Kujibiki Unbalance became its own standalone title. Kio concurs, though mentions that all the voice actors had to change from the OVAs that were packaged with the first Genshiken anime.

Kio watched the movie Muromachi Outsiders, and was particularly impressed by the actor Oizumi Yo. 

Kio also watched the movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. He enjoyed the portrayal of the people living in Kowloon Walled City and the free-flowing action.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1882074663100314022
https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1882354444941336731
https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1882720630216515868

More preview images from It’s All Your Fault, Sensei. 2, Part 1

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1883058656264192394

Kio managed to get the special exclusive from seeing the new Gundam movie, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning-. (I’m going to hate having to write that title all the time).

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1883080029401387518
https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1883153459081617739
https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1883172883096314019

And even more It’s All Your Fault, Sensei. 2, Part 1. Here is Kio getting hype about the impending release on FANZA.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1883172883096314019
https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1884606334928048264

WIth the doujinshi out on FANZA, Kio talks abouts how he originally intended it to be a single 134-page work, but found that doing so meant cutting out too much of what he wanted. Now, it’s been split into two roughly 80-page parts.

Kio wanted to upload some more pages to Twitter, but most of the pages this time are decidedly NSFW.

I Wish It Was 52 Episodes: The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians

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The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Be Magicians is an anime that should have been longer. 

Adapted from a web novel, the story of Mahonare (as it’s known for short in Japanese) follows  Kurumi Mirai, a girl who has always dreamed of being a magician, but failed to get into the magic program of the prestigious Rettoran Academy. Attending the school’s non-magical track, a crestfallen Kurumi and the rest of her class soon meet their homeroom teacher, the unusually petite and eccentric Minami Suzuki, who promises that she will teach them magic, despite common sense saying that it should be impossible.

There is one series above all others that Mahonare reminds me of: the wonderful Ojamajo Doremi. While the magic aspect is something they clearly have in common, the similarities also include the style of presentation. From the pastel-like filters to the opening narration each episode to the theme songs themselves, Mahonare greatly resembles the morning girls’ anime of the late 90s and early 2000s that include Doremi but also things like Ashita no Nadja and Fushigiboshi no Futagohime.

But the more important way that the Mahonare draws upon the tradition of Doremi is the way it builds up a strong cast of characters, both major and minor, that contributes to world building and story. Though we get only a few glimpses of some characters, each gives the impression that they’d have their own interesting stories to tell if given the chance. One girl in Kurumi’s class is supposed to be part of the magic elite, only to have come short. Others are more happy to just be attending even if they can’t cast spells, eager to pursue their passions whether it’s cooking, music, or fashion. 

Moreover, while the teens have teen troubles, the adults have adult troubles, and the intersection between them creates conflicts about everything from pursuing your dreams to moral quandaries that cut to the heart of their society. One of the most interesting plot points involves the positives and negatives of the magic notebooks that have become ubiquitous. Their widespread adoption encourages magic to be converted to easy-to-use apps that don’t require necessarily understanding fundamentals, mirroring concerns over the way smartphones and tablets have transformed how children grow up with electronics.

But that resemblance to Doremi is exactly why I think Mahonare should’ve had more episodes. It feels like a 52-episode work that was condensed down to 12, and the show suffers for it. Little crumbs of plot development that could have been sprinkled in here and there instead come one after the other. Character bonding moments happen very rapidly as well, as opposed to building up gradually and therefore with more weight. While I understand that the reality of current anime production means very few anime get that privilege, I can still lament the loss of that possibility for Mahonare nevertheless.

This certainly isn’t the first time that a series has received a truncated adaptation, and some even go on to have a more thorough version be made later. I can only hope that The Stories of Girls Who Couldn’t Become Magicians falls into this select category.

Thinking About Mazinger Legs

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I’ve been looking at the Kakumei Shinka Mazinger line from Soul of Chogokin, and the first thing that stood out to me was the legs. They’re slimmer than what immediately comes to mind when I think of Mazinger, and so I decided to just look at other images: anime screenshots, manga images, other toys, etc.

There are two things I’ve noticed. First, the Kakumei Shinka line more closely follows the original manga designs in terms of silhouette. Second, the lower halves of Mazinger’s limbs really run the gamut, from relatively svelte to Popeye-esque.

I don’t know why exactly this variation occurs, but I’d hazard that it’s about the constant push and pull between adhering to the original, appealing to nostalgia, and attempting modernization. The first Soul of Chogokin was the realization of a concept: high-end toys for the child fan who has grown up. It reflects a goal of looking more mature. The GX-07 is based on the Mazinger Z from the 90s Mazinkaiser OVAs, where it has some 90s flourishes but isn’t supposed to be the absolute unit that Mazinkaiser is. Other versions, like those based on Shin Mazinger and Mazinger Z: Infinity take their own angles as well.

I think I prefer the ones with a bit more heft, but I definitely find a certain charm in the manga/70s anime look. It gives Mazinger Z (and Great Mazinger) a more human feel that’s more superhero than weapon. 

So, to any readers, I have to ask: What are your favorite Mazinger legs?

A Lasting Legacy: Love Live! Superstar!! 3rd Season

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11 anime schoolgirls in gray uniforms holding letters in their hands that spell "Liella!"

Love Live! Superstar!! is one of my favorite entries in the Love Live! franchise, but even I was unsure if the third season was necessary. The previous season ended on a high note, and the girls of Liella! could have ridden off into the sunset for a satisfying conclusion. But despite some misgivings, I decided to stick with it. Fortunately, my faith was rewarded once again, and by the end, I found that this season solidified my ongoing belief that Superstar!! is the absolute best of Love Live! from a storytelling perspective.

Love Live! Superstar!! 3rd Season begins with protagonist Shibuya Kanon and the rest of Liella! coming off the high of finally winning the Love Live! national school idol competition. They start the new school year determined to be first back-to-back champions, but a few hurdles stand in their way. First is the pressure of being the reigning team. Second is the presence of one Wien Margarete, a transfer student from Austria who competed against Liella last time and decides to form her own school idol club at their school instead. Third is the fact that Kanon decides to pull a surprise heel turn (of sorts) and join Margarete’s side along with another girl, Onitsuka Tomari. Now, instead of everyone working as one, the two sides must compete to see who will represent their school.

The idea of rival clubs is an intriguing one, but Love Live! is not really a franchise that can make it particularly intense. Or rather, the last time they tried with the (now-defunct) Love Live! All Stars mobile game, it backfired among the fanbase, and the anime adaptation had to tone things down. And so events proceed fairly predictably, with the two sides eventually coming together and any animosity being just caring and affection in disguise. In that sense, Season 3 is a bit of a disappointment, but I eventually realized that this was the wrong angle to look at the whole thing.

The Love Live! competition itself isn’t actually the main focus in 3rd Season. Even the desire for a repeat victory and the challenge of getting there is merely a backdrop than the driving force. Instead, the real story is about how everyone deals with the inevitability of change that comes with the fact that Kanon and the other founding members will be graduating from high school. All the third-years are thinking about what their adult lives will look like and what careers they want to pursue. The second-years will be the ones to inherit the club, and they must go from being the newcomers to becoming the core. And the first-years, Margarete and Tomari, see their participation in more cynical terms. They’re all at different stages.

Superstar!! is also the first time we’ve followed a core cast from the start of high school all the way to the end. In the first season, Kanon’s main struggle is overcoming her trauma that prevents her from singing. In the second, it’s figuring out how to help others overcome their own fears and doubts. And in the third, it’s about leaving behind a system and legacy that will encourage even more in the future to have courage and chase their passion. This might seem par for the course compared to previous generations of Love Live!, but there is a significant difference. 

In every other case, the story begins with a collection of first-, second-, and third-years all coming together. While characters develop in their own ways, they’re also limited to a degree by this format in one way or another. Often, the specific roster is portrayed as lightning in a bottle—something that cannot (and maybe even should not) be replicated. In contrast, all three seasons of Superstar!! collectively work to show that even as Kanon and her classmates leave, the club will continue to grow and change. Each iteration of Liella! has been important in its own way, and the anime implies that this won’t stop even after the original five are no longer there. This flow of time is what sets this series apart, and ultimately makes this third season satisfying to watch.

So that’s Love Live! Superstar!!…or at least until the series gets a feature-film send-off. While I have great fondness for all generations of Love Live!, I really do think that this one is special because of how strong it is as an overall piece of narrative fiction. Superstar!! relies the least on expecting from its audience an inherent receptiveness to idols (and by extension the “school idol” concept), and I think this versatility helps make it a very rewarding series overall.

Snake? Snaaaake!!!: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for January 2025

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It’s customary to see the New Year as a fresh start, and an opportunity to say farewell to the previous year. I don’t expect 2025 to be an especially fantastic year, but I do know we have a lot of anime to look forward to. Witch Hat Atelier! Wandance! And more! At the very least, I hope that we can find comfort in art created by artists.

Thanks to my supporters on Patreon. I appreciate that you’ve stuck with me, and hope you’ll be safe in 2025 and on. And remember: Don’t subscribe on iOS if you can help it!

General:

Ko Ransom

Diogo Prado

Alex

Dsy

Sue Hopkins fans:

Serxeid

Hato Kenjirou fans:

Elizabeth

Yajima Mirei fans:

Machi-Kurada

Blog Highlights from December

Rawhide Kobayashi’s Favorite Anime: Delusional Monthly Magazine

I had to write about the fact that this anime even exists.

A Fine Roast: Fantôme Thief’s Revenge

I decided against all common sense to attend this concert, and it was totally worth it.

Best Anime Characters of 2024

Who are your picks?

Kio Shimoku

One last Kio twitter summary for 2024.

Closing

I don’t exactly have any big plans for Ogiue Maniax in 2025, but perhaps if I write about my lack of ideas, something fun will manifest. I really should get back around to doing a Gattai Girls series…

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights December 2024

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https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1863517206774161642

New web chapter of Spotted Flower. This one reveals a plan by Ogino-sensei to be engaged to both her partners!

“A new Gundam by Studio Khara. Wheeew, what a time to be alive.”

Kio wonders if the new model kit for Gundam GQuuuuuuX will have the parts sorted by color.

Kio thinks Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro still holds up.

Kio watched Black Magic M-66 on DVD, and the video quality was rough. He’s hoping for a remaster.

For a color illustration with a lot of skin tones, Kio tried a high-contrast style with lots of layers and some airbrushed red. He thinks he could figure out how to replicate what he did, but is holding off on that for now.

Kio was interviewed by Yomiuri Shinbun a little while back along with fellow manga artists Toyoda Minoru and Shito Reisa. (Unfortunately, I can’t seem to access the site.)

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1867939518843883758

Kio is shocked to discover that yuzu pepper sauce has no black pepper in it. Apparently, in Kyushu, they call chili peppers (karashi) “black pepper” (koshou). It might have something to do with English.

Just as Kio has been gathering materials about the Edo period, the latest Taiga drama is going to be set during Edo.

Kio never made an account on mixi (an older Japanese social networking site), so while he might be an old man himself, he can’t jump in on discussions related to it.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1870485801609626004

Kio grilling meat with family to celebrate. 

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1871466380702429362

A visit to a couple of galleries in Ikebukuro: One for giant robots, another for the author of Initial D.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1872881516352774147

Kio was finally able to buy the Real Grade ver 2.0 RX-78-2 Gundam model kit from his local model store.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1873005813599748585

In the new year, Kio plans to release part of It’s All Your Fault, Sensei 2, the sequel to his 18+ doujinshi. In the meantime, the first book is on sale at various sites.

A fan got one of the autographed artbooks (the sister from Jigopuri), and Kio thanks them.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1873994035284893866

As the New Year rolls in, Kio is thankful for getting to release his artbook.