I need to say it: I’ve been worried about the world. We’re seeing government silencing of creative expression, bullying and pressure to silence video games and other artistic projects by credit card companies and payment processors, and a media engine that seems obsessed with trying to convince everyone that red is blue and up is down. It reminds me of every time an overblown hype machine tries to convince us that NFTs or generative AI are the future, except it’s targeting big organizations and regular people who haven’t been paying attention for the past 15 years to a fascist propaganda machine.
I feel some relief that people managed to push back against the attempts to censorship, but also some disgust over the way organizations and companies with real money and power are so ready to capitulate. Having so much influence should make you geared to fight back, not bend the knee.
A new anime season is starting this month, and I hope I can enjoy it.
As for the Patreon, here are my sponsors for the month. Many thanks to them all.
This month, I’m going to be doing a lot of fun things not necessarily related to anime and manga. I’m thinking about whether to write about them for the blog, but leaning heavily towards “yes.”
Sounds like Chapter 50 of Spotted Flower will have a hell of a finale. It’s not clear whether this means the end of the series, or it’s just the final scene of the chapter that’s a big deal.
Different stores in Japan have different purchase bonuses for Volume 8 of Spotted Flower! Almost all of them are basically different girls in skimpy swimsuits.
It also seems like Kio will be including something like a doujinshi with Volume 8.
There will be a live action adaptation of Kio’s erotic doujinshi sequel, It’s All Your Fault, Sensei.2. Here’s an NSFW tweet with a barely censored picture of the actors.
While visiting Obata Castle in Ibaraki Prefecture, Kio heard a loud roar coming from the south. Then he remembered that the JSDF’s Hyakuri Base is there.
It is a hell of a move to conclude Demon Slayer, one of the biggest anime and manga of the past 10 years, with a trilogy of movies. I have to assume that putting it in theaters is a way to both create hype and make lots of money in the process, and dang it, it’s working. Not only is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba –Infinity Castle- Part 1 an overall compelling watch, but it’s apparently the biggest box office weekend in the US for an anime film since Pokémon: The First Movie.
Despite being the finale, the premise of the Infinity Castle movies is a simple one: After a costly confrontation against Kibutsuji Muzan, protagonist Kamada Tanjiro and the rest of the Demon Slayer Corps seemingly have the villain cornered. However, the heroes suddenly find themselves teleported into the heart of enemy territory. Here in the infinitely expanding castle that Muzan calls his home base, they must face his strongest lieutenants while dealing with a space that defies logic and reason. If they don’t take out the demons here, all will be lost.
The setting is pretty much perfect for a shounen battle anime: an array of elaborate and intense fight scenes that also tell interesting stories about the characters involved. Some clashes are culminations of previous storylines, others reveal previously unknown sides of characters, and everything remains pleasantly hard to predict. It’s a little bit Ninja Scroll and a little bit Girls und Panzerfilms in terms of never letting up on the tension, with the occasional requisite backstory flashback being the main way to calm things down.
But while Infinity Castle Part 1 is pretty much all “fight, fight, fight,” I think it still portrays compelling and often tragic dramas involving both the beauty and ugliness of humanity in a satisfying manner. Through it all, the film emphasizes ideas that have been core to Demon Slayer: Mutual cooperation can overcome obstacles, compassion is a strength, and humanity is built on helping the weak and paying it forward to the next generation.
One issue with this movie is that while it has not yet been adapted for TV episodes, it still feels like a series of episodes or chapters stitched together. There was little attempt to structure it as a feature-length film, especially when it comes to the positioning of flashbacks (of which there are many). Moreover, Part 1 is over two and a half hours long, and while I enjoyed every minute, it did feel a little bloated and awkwardly paced at times.
Every battle in the movie are amazing, but I do want to give particular attention to the main fight of this first movie, so there will be SPOILERS AHEAD.
As Tanjiro and the others try to make their way through, he and Giyu the Water Hashira are attacked by Akaza, Muzan’s third strongest minion, and the one with whom Tanjiro has the most history. It was Akaza who killed a valiant Rengoku Kyojuro during the Mugen Train arc, and when they last met, Tanjiro was far outclassed by the demon and his hand-to-hand fighting skills. However, Tanjiro also left a searing impression in Akaza’s mind, calling him a coward for fleeing at dawn when Demon Slayers have to fight demons in the dark of night all the time.
In this violent reunion, Tanjiro manages to accomplish what he couldn’t before when he slices through Akaza’s body. While this is only a temporary setback for the demon, it’s the first sign that Tanjiro has grown as a warrior. Unfortunately, Akaza quickly adapts to both Tanjiro and Giyu, and it isn’t until Tanjiro manages to piece together various thoughts and memories related to Akaza, the nature of battle and conflict, and his own childhood with his father that he manages to tap into a higher plane of martial expression (the “transparent world,” where killing intent is absent and only movement remains) that he deals a catastrophic blow to his opponent.
While Akaza somehow survives and even starts to regenerate from the brink of demise, the fact that Tanjiro surpassed him in battle, if only for an instant, helps jog Akaza’s faded memories. Remembering his turbulent past life as a child thief trying to get medicine for his gravely ill father, and the second chance he received from a martial artist and daughter before Akaza’s happiness was ripped from him by a petty local clan, Akaza realizes that Tanjiro is exactly the kind of person he wanted to be. The bloody pursuit of strength that has defined him as a demon is revealed to be a corruption of his own desire to live honorably and protect his loved ones. Akaza willingly defeats himself (literally), and visions of his departed fiancee, adoptive father, and birth father help him to shake off Muzan’s control and pass on for good.
I am utterly impressed by the way this fight plays out. It just encapsulates so much of what makes Demon Slayer a great series, especially the way Tanjiro’s heart breaks through even the toughest obstacles, including the very demons he fights. Akaza is shown to be a human who struggled with the unfairness of the world that punishes the poor for merely existing, and that much of the trauma he suffered came from human hands. Yet, he also recalls a lesson from his old life that it’s never too late to start over, and this puts him on the path to relinquishing his demonhood, even at the cost of his life.
END OF SPOILERS
As someone who was there in the theater to watch Mewtwo Strikes Back back in 1999 and remember the buzz surrounding it, this record-breaking achievement says a lot about how far anime has come. This is maybe the biggest sign that anime has truly, truly arrived on American shores, and the long-time fan in me rejoices in this development. And given what a great watch Infinity Castle Part 1 is, I wouldn’t be surprised if fans are going to watch it multiple times.
Anime NYC 2025, held from August 21 to 24, was the second time since the New York–based convention moved its dates to take place in the summer. The decision allows it to use more of the Jacob Javits Center, but comes at the cost of being stuck in a crowded con season, as well as the risk of unpleasant heat and humidity. Luck was in Anime NYC’s favor this year, however, as the weather was pretty much ideal despite the weeks prior being pretty dire.
As always, the convention is very concentrated on its Exhibit Hall and its events. There are plenty of panels featuring industry insights and announcements of upcoming plans, but they tend to be geared more towards promotion, with a few less business-focused gems here and there. For me, because Anime NYC has become a big event for VTubers, I’ve found myself dedicating more attention in that direction.
The Takahashi Yoko Concert
I don’t always attend the concerts at Anime NYC, which require an additional ticket purchase. But there was almost no price that would keep me from seeing Takahashi Yoko, the singer of the Neon Genesis Evangelion opening. The series has been such a part of my life over the course of decades that I jumped at the chance to hear her sing live.
Curiously, her tickets didn’t sell out that quickly, and there were plenty still available even after a small group purchase. I could see people not making the connection between Takahashi and the evergreen “Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” or that we’ve hit a point where Evangelion is considered more history than anything else among newer generations of anime fans. More for people like me, I guess.
Takahashi performed songs found in Eva such as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Soul Refrain,” but her set was not just limited to music from the franchise. She was also accompanied by two young backup dancers, who were quite impressive. A part of me hoped that Hakos Baelz, the hololive VTuber who specializes in dance and was in NYC at this time, was in the audience and could see them. Naturally, Takahashi capped off the concert “Cruel Angel’s Thesis.”
There were some issues with the audio that took time to resolve. The acoustics of the main event space aren’t ideal for concerts in the first place, and there was something about the setup that drowned out her voice to a degree. I brought ear plugs, but had to take them out at first because I couldn’t hear her well enough with them in. There was also a tech flub on one song that forced them to restart it. In spite of all that, Takahashi’s voice was simply sublime; it sounded even better in person.
During the concert, Takahashi gave a speech in English, reading from some prepared notes. She talked about how she basically grew up with music and was going down the path of the classically trained, but various issues kept her working as a session musician. She was initially hired to sing one of the versions of “Fly Me to the Moon” for Evangelion, knowing nothing about it. At her first recording, she was accompanied by just one bespectacled man in a sweatshirt and sweatpants—Anno Hideaki. After this, she was asked to sing the opening as well.
Takahashi described her relationship with Evangelion as a complicated one, but also something she’s overall grateful for. It boxed her in, but without it, she would not have been able to achieve such success or have so many opportunities. She talked about how her favorite episode of Eva is actually 26 because of one scene in particular: In the “abstract sketch” space seen in the finale, Shinji is shown floating through an empty void with total freedom, but the lack of any boundaries makes it intimidating. He is then drawn a ground, limiting his freedom in one way. However, the boundary that exists now allows Shinji to do what he couldn’t before, which is walk and find a way. Takahashi basically feels the same way about Eva.
hololive
The VTubers of hololive have become a staple of this event. Returning to the Exhibit Hall was the large booth featuring convention-exclusive panel streams, as was the hololive World Tour (more on that later). Curiously, while past Anime NYCs have also included a big hololive panel as well, that wasn’t the case this time around.
The Booth
One big change from previous years was that the panels were spaced further apart on the schedule, which I found very welcome. It gave me an opportunity to check out other things, and helped mitigate the potential fire hazard that forms with the enthusiastic crowds. I didn’t attend every panel, but every one I did see was fun in its own way.
I’m a fan of all the holoX ladies, so I really wanted to see Takane Lui. She did not disappoint, especially when it came to karaoke, but the antics of her panel partner, Shirakami Fubuki, made it even better. The fox would bust out a 2D Yagoo mask and a pair of muscular arms on occasion, which culminated in their fitting presence during the song “Onegai Muscle” from the anime How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?
The Tombstone panel, so named because Calliope Mori is a grim reaper and Koseki Bijou is a living gemstone, had them answering “Would you rather” questions related to New York City. The NYer heavy crowd naturally had a lot of opinions, and it was entertaining to hear the VTubers try to twist logic to suit their choices.
I also went out of my way to see the hololive Indonesia karaoke relay, which had Kobo Kanaeru, Airani Iofifteen, and then Pavolia Reine. You could tell that people really love Kobo’s singing because the normally boisterous crowd was almost pin-drop silent as she covered “Mayonaka no Door,” “Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” and other tunes. Kobo was going to sing “Dragostea Din Tei” too, but a technical mishap prevented her from finishing it. Iofi amazed me by singing “Do You Remember Love?” and I even got noticed by the camera when she was looking around for holo merch.
If I had any big complaints, it would be that standing on concrete for extended periods is really tough on my feet, even though I have good shoes. It’s possible to have better flooring for a booth, and I think Cover Corp can afford it.
The World Tour
Anime NYC was selected as one of the stops on the world tour, which is officially titled ‘hololive STAGE ‘25 World Tour -Synchronize.” This is not to be confused with the hololive EN 3rd Concert, All for One, which took place the same weekend. You can read my review of that here.
The different lineup from last year brought a different energy that was less “pop diva.” With Calliope Mori, IRyS, Nerissa Ravencroft, Momosuzu Nene, and Kureiji Ollie on stage, you had a combination of dedicated singers and all-out entertainers. Personal highlights included the covers of “Shijoshugi Adtruck” and “Don’t Say Lazy,” as well as the world tour official song, “Live It Loud!” which I think does a good job highlighting the strengths of each performer.
I do have a few complaints. The first two are ones I’ve already mentioned, namely the whole “standing on concrete for hours” thing like at the booth, and the iffy acoustics of the Main Events hall. The third is what I’d consider a very mild gripe: a good amount of the songs performed were also at Breaking Dimensions last year. However, I know I pay a great deal of attention to the musical performance side of hololive, and this is less of an issue for those who watch events less often.
Each stop includes two additional guests, and New York City’s were Natsuiro Matsuri and Haachama, aka Akai Haato. Matsuri is a nice middle point between singer and entertainer, and I’m a big, big fan of Haachama in general. I was a little sad that I couldn’t see the entirety of Haachama’s panel last year at Anime NYC, and I consider myself very fortunate that I managed to purchase a ticket to Synchronize. I even brought my Haaton wearable head towel so I could represent, and spotted other Haatons (i.e. Haachama fans) while waiting in line. For the concert, she performed her first original, “RED HEART,” and its simplicity is something that goes back to the very core of VTubing in a way I enjoy immensely.
The Stamp Rally and Other Merch
There was a great deal of hololive-related goods available at the con. They had very visible representation in the Artist Alley, and the official booth gave away a con-exclusive trading card featuring the participants of the world tour, as well as a card for a stamp rally. The prize for completing the rally was a sticker set with all the ambassadors from hololive MEET ‘25, the general umbrella for conventions and other events around the world. However, it required participants to make purchases at specific booths, and if you got there on later days like I did, it meant making more expensive purchases. This is exactly why I ended up caving and getting the Hakos Baelz hoodie from Ohmonah. I had been eyeing it since July, and the quality and comfort (on top of the stamp for the rally) was too much for me. It’s so good, man.
Other VTubers
Likely because of hololive’s presence every year now, Anime NYC has also become a focal point for VTubing on the east coast. Merch-wise, big names like Sameko Saba, Nimi Nightmare, Dooby3D, Mint Fantôme, Dokibird, and Shylily were all over the Artist Alley. Ironmouse and CDawgVA also had a panel promoting a new game.
Additionally, the Exhibit Hall had a couple booths featuring Meet & Greets with smaller VTubers all weekend long. I used this opportunity to talk to Pillowdear, and complimented her for doing fun and creative ASMRs like her Easter stream. This was my second ever Meet & Greet, and I found it fascinating that you really get the gamut of participants. I saw someone who was clearly a dedicated fan of Pillow, but also people who literally had no idea about or even VTubing in general. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle.
There was also a Phase Connect karaoke event that I ended up not attending, but I did finally buy coffee from their booth. I got the Ember Amane beans, and while I also wanted Dizzy Dokuro’s, I foolishly forgot to take into account that her blatantly shilling-oriented original song made it a hot commodity. (Expect an Ember coffee review at a later time.)
Other Panels
Tsuda Kenjiro and Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary
I attended the Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th anniversary panel, which featured the Japanese voice of Kaiba Seto, Tsuda Kenjiro. These days, Tsuda is everywhere, but this was basically his first really big role. For those who grew up on the English dub, I still think it’s worth listening to his portrayal of Kaiba, because it gives a similar yet different flavor to the character. For the panel, he did a live reading of a scene from the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie The Dark Side of Dimensions.
There were a few stories Tsuda told that I found particularly interesting:
Back when Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was airing, the voice of Yugi (Kazama Shunsuke) was still in high school, and he would sometimes come to the recording studio in his school uniform.
When Tsuda recorded a voice-over for a Yu-Gi-Oh! video game, he saw a lot of comments online about how “Kaiba sounds so old now.” This made Tsuda want to show that he could still voice the character, and when he was asked to come back for Dark Side of Dimensions, he relished the chance.
Tsuda talked about how unlike most other shounen series, where the characters get amped up and then calm down, Yu-GI-Oh! characters are basically dialed up to max at all times. It makes recording for other series way easier by comparison.
One-Punch Man and JAM Project
I could not attend the entire One-Punch Man panel due to having to leave for All for One, but I do want to make sure story in particular is told for posterity. The guests for the panel were the members of JAM PROJECT, who do the One-Punch Man openings. In recounting the creation of the first opening (“THE HERO!!”), leader Kageyama Hironobu recalls going to his bandmates and vaguely humming the lines of the first verse without any lyrics, including the part that would eventually go Nandatten da? Frustration!/Ore wa tomaranai!—which Kageyama recreated as a series of ambiguous squeals and yells. Apparently, the other members looked at him funny and basically replied, “Are you serious?” I later found out that they played “SKILL” from Super Robot Wars in addition to One-Punch Man music. I wish I could have been there, but alas.
The Food Is Too Expensive
Like so many other convention centers, the Jacob Javits has never been cost friendly when it comes to food options. For anyone looking to save money, I never recommend anyone eat the con itself, and I do it because I see trying out different overpriced meals to be part of the experience—kind of like gambling in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. However, even I felt that the prices were getting beyond ridiculous this year. Things were close to if not exceeding $20 when they weren’t that way last year, and I will definitely bring food with me next year. Moreover, there were certain options available last year that weren’t present for 2025: Korilla and its Korean dishes were sorely missed, as was the Indian section in the food court area.
If I had to recommend one place, it would have been the BentOn stall in the Exhibit Hall. While the prices are still not great, the bento options (fish or fried chicken) are the best bet for getting a well-balanced meal at Anime NYC.
Cosplay
Final Thoughts
Anime NYC has long been trying to be the Anime Expo of the east coast, and it has succeeded in essence. It gets big guests from Japan and around the world, has a major industry presence, and it looks and feels big. If you want to attend events and see things you wouldn’t be able to otherwise, this con is generally a good place to be. However, that comes at a price, in that it can sometimes feel overwhelming the same way one might get bombarded by neon signage. The difference is that Anime NYC is like a less extreme AX, where there are fewer good things (AX being on the west coast gets it a lot more opportunities for interesting guests) but also fewer bad things (Anime NYC almost never has the really bad crowding issues of AX).
I think this is why I’ve come to enjoy the VTuber side of Anime NYC so much. While it’s definitely part of the “corporate” presence due to hololive (and other VTuber companies to a lesser extent), that side still feels very fan driven. I would like to see some of that spirit and energy on the anime and manga side as well.
Anime Central 2025 featured the Global Anime Challenge, what is described on ACen’s official site as “a three-year program funded by the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Its goal is to nurture the Japanese anime industry’s next generation of creators. The program participants aim to develop brand new and exciting contents for the ever increasing global anime fans.”
While it’s not entirely clear how the GAC plans to accomplish this, their panel at the convention gave some basic ideas. Essentially, the animators do internships abroad with the eventual goal of making pilots or short films to be presented at Annecy and AX. They’re also involved in participating in and even creating events, such as a lecture by animator Inoue Toshiyuki, who worked on Ghost in the Shell and The Eccentric Family, among numerous other works.
The guests at ACen were Sato Keiichiro (director of Frieren), Nakame Takafumi (producer of Frieren), Tanimoto Kaoru (calligrapher and animator whose brush work was used extensively in Sengoku Youko), and Kudo Mana (animator on the Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise). The panel began with introductions from all the guests, where they showed things they’ve worked on, as well as drawings and other items of note from childhood. It was a nice window into how these creators discovered the joy of creating.
Nakame’s early drawing was of him capturing a stray cat as a pet, and his first manga he ever bought: Vols 3 and 10 of KochiKame. He showed the opening to Witch Watch, a show he helped produce.
Saito showed the dream of his five-year-old self, to become a truck driver selling toys. Another drawing was a perspective shot looking down at the school yard from a window in 4th or 5th grade. (It looked extremely good for elementary school.) His hometown is known for getting a lot of snow, but the only reason the drawing had lots of it is because he didn’t want to color it. His featured video was from Bocchi the Rock!
Kudo Mana’s childhood art was of a stuffed pheasant in her grandmother’s house. She then showed some clips from Cardfight!! Vanguardwill+Dress of a character freaking out and hitting her shin on a bench.
Tanimoto’s first drawing was a very crude one of him with his mom and dad. He also made a picture book with his mom. His showcase was of his calligraphy used in attacks, episode titles, and the end-of-series image for Sengoku Youko. In one case, there were numerous talisman papers, and despite it being the same words written over and over, it was not a copy-and-paste job. Instead, Tanimoto actually wrote separate ones for each piece of paper.
After the introductions to each creator, they had a Q&A mixed with a live drawing. Saito drew Kikuri from Bocchi the Rock! Kudo decided on Yuyu from Cardfight!! Vanguard crossdressing. Tanimoto did two girls from Sengoku Youko, and Nakame didn’t draw.
Tanimoto was asked when he was satisfied with the storyboard, and he said he would try to get it good enough initially and then spruce it up during the QC stage.
Nakame wants to learn what people love overseas through the Global Anime Challenge. He works domestically in Japan, but wants to co-produce with great animators abroad.
Saito’s favorite part of Frieren is the introduction and how it feels like both an epilogue and the beginning of a story.
According to Nakame, the challenge of making the Frieren anime is that both the action sequences and the everyday life parts need a lot of work.
They all collaborated on artwork to be used on various merchandise, such as t-shirts and even alcohol. “Chicago” is written on the shirt and poster using the official kanji to spell it: 市俄古.
Fist of the North Star Side Story: The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend is an isekai spinoff starring a minor villain from the popular shounen franchise, and it concluded earlier this year after nine volumes. This manga been one of my favorite series in recent years, so I wanted to just give my final thoughts on this ridiculous work.
For context, here are my previous two posts about the series:
The “hero” of this series is Amiba, the cruel Toki impersonator who met a grisly (and hilarious) end from being forced to walk backwards off a ledge before exploding into a gory mess—a fate courtesy of franchise protagonist Kenshiro. Now reincarnated in a fantasy world, he has to fight monsters using his own bastardized version of the pressure points martial arts Hokuto Shinken, all while learning about the magic that governs his new environment. As he gains unlikely allies (because it’s really hard to make friends when you’re a self-centered asshole), Amiba ends up on a collision course with the army of the Demon Lord, including the Four Demon Generals. And all along, no matter his successes or numerous failures, the man still declares himself to be an unparalleled genius.
There are three main recurring gags in this manga:
First, nearly everyone Amiba encounters oddly resembles people from his original world, though not necessarily sharing personalities. He travels with Lilin (Rin) and Pat (Bat), and fights foes like Southern (Souther) and Maou Kenshi Rou (Jagi).
Second, many of his allies are alternate versions of other bad guys. My favorite is a gigantic old lady who was originally a muscly thug in a poor disguise but in this world is actually a titanic grandma.
Third, Amiba remains a mostly delusional dickhead throughout, but people also don’t put up with his bullshit.
If you’re not a fan of Fist of the North Star, a lot of the in-jokes will likely go over your head, but I am squarely in its target demographic and highly entertained. Fortunately for other readers, The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend also features a contemptible antihero who actually grows and learns to a degree, avoiding running its premise into the ground.
In the original story, Amiba is presented as irredeemable, but here in a different world and context, we find that he has the power to do good even if he is anything but noble. He might not be healing people out of the goodness of his heart, but the results are the same. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but what if bad intentions create benevolent results? It makes one wonder if society (or lack thereof) is what made Amiba into the absolute monster he was, instead of the somewhat less obnoxious person he is after death.
Amiba goes from one-off character to fascinating psychological study as a result. He vastly overestimates his martial arts skills, but that’s only in comparison to the impossible standard set by the warriors of the post-apocalypse he came from. His magic starts off poor at best (a nominal bump in his mana is his only isekai power-up), but his unreasonably high confidence allows Amiba to break through those limitations and create a hybrid magical kung fu. And as reluctant as he is to admit it, Amiba learns an important lesson: Other people are capable in their own right, and they can work together with him to achieve greater things. They’re just not as capable as himself, of course.
The story reaches its climax in Volume 9. After defeating the Four Generals, it’s revealed that the legendary heroic armor and weapons Amiba obtained actually house the divided soul of the Demon Lord. That demon’s name: Maoh (as opposed to Raoh). Yes, he’s Maoh the Maoh (Japanese for Demon Lord).
His last surviving general channels the Demon Lord to take over Amiba’s body as a new physical vessel. Yet, despite being nearly overwhelmed, Amiba is able to resist the takeover through sheer ego. Maoh then answers this stubbornness by plumbing the depths of Amiba’s soul and manifesting his greatest fear: Kenshiro. Suddenly, Amiba finds himself with his back to that ledge again.
On the verge of giving up, Amiba sees images of his allies in the new world giving their support. Naturally, in his inner world, they have nothing but effusive praise for his endless brilliance. With both feet back on the ground (and a body decidedly not exploded), Amiba starts fighting back, using all that he’s learned since being isekai’d. He battles Kenshiro’s Hokuto Shinken using his own magic-infused martial arts, but can only reach a stalemate at best. Then, something incredible happens: The Kenshiro in his mind compliments Amiba for getting stronger, refers to him as another powerful rival, and fades away. It’s not clear if this is simply Amiba imagining Kenshiro accepting him, or if Kenshiro is such a great hero that even a psychic apparition of him exhibits a high standard of honor, but the result is the same. Amiba wins.
The series epilogue jumps a few years into the future, mirroring the second part of the original Fist of the North Star. Lilin and Pat, both adults now, discover that Amiba has created his own peaceful kingdom populated entirely by minor bad guys. He’s said to have later tried to take over the world, inadvertently uniting the humans and demons against him, but the veracity of this (and everything else that has happened in the story) is up to the reader to decide.
I choose to believe that everything we’ve seen is super duper canon, and if they ever make another fighting game, I hope they put this version of Amiba in there.
The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend is a lot of things: Spin-off, parody, silly take on a popular genre. But it also scratches an itch to see a fundamentally flawed and morally void protagonist somehow manage to improve his world, at least for a little while. All the terrible qualities possessed by Amiba are channeled into doing good, all thanks to the people around him. It’s perhaps an even more far-fetched dream than all the harem and power fantasies in the world, but I simply can’t resist a wacky redemption tale that gives a new perspective on one of manga’s jerkiest villains. Isekai is ultimately about second chances, and Amiba uses his to the fullest.
Adapting the Fantastic Four to film has long been a tricky proposition. The characters are neither the biggest nor the most iconic, yet they are meant to stand tall as titans of superhero history because they are the faces that essentially launched Marvel Comics as we know it. Indeed there have been films in the past, but for one reason or another, they don’t have the most stellar reputations.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest attempt, and on top of the inherent challenges described above, it’s also had to contend with Marvel Cinematic Universe fatigue that has built up in its audience ever since Avengers: Endgame—a fatigue I have keenly felt myself. I think what ultimately brought me to watch this is 1) I really wanted to see what a Fantastic Four movie looks like in an era when superheroes have actually become mainstream instead of trying to cater to skeptics, and 2) the 1960s retro setting seemed interesting. In the end, I came out of the theater feeling that this was definitely a step in the right direction for Marvel, but that it still suffers from some of the issues that have plagued its releases for the past five years.
The film takes place in a 1960s New York City in a universe different from the main timeline, where the Fantastic Four are a beloved superhero team. Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, is a phenomenally brilliant scientist and can stretch himself like rubber. His wife, Sue Storm, is the Invisible Woman, able to cloak herself and others, as well as create invisible force fields. Johnny Storm, Sue’s younger brother, is known as the Human Torch. Ben Grimm is the Thing, a physical powerhouse with rock-like skin. They’re treated as celebrities for their contributions to science and their protection of NYC from villains of all stripes. However, when a threat from beyond in the form of the world-devouring Galactus tries to make them choose between family and the rest of the world, the four have their bonds tested both with one another and the very people they protect.
One of the things that made the Fantastic Four such a milestone in superhero history was the complexity of their relationships. While they were very close, there was also a good deal of interpersonal tension. I find that this movie does a really solid job of portraying this kind of dysfunction in a way that doesn’t feel quaint or two-dimensional. Reed, for example, comes across as someone whose immense genius can be alienating at times for those he loves, and his behavior makes him seem like he might be somewhere on the autism spectrum. Sue has to still give it her all as a member of this elite team despite the challenges that come with pregnancy, highlighting all the extra work women have to do. Johnny is something of a jock, but the unintended dismissal of him as a thinking human being clearly bothers him. Grimm takes his appearance in relative stride, but the guilt Reed feels about failing to properly shield his loved ones from those transformative cosmic rays colors their interactions.
Speaking of Reed and Sue’s child, First Steps is definitely a play on his inclusion. It’s also surprising that they decided to take two big storylines from two very different periods in Fantastic Four history and combine them together, but it works pretty well. However, it also feels like they’re trying to speedrun the Fantastic Four’s story to get them ready for the next big crossover. That pace is also part of what I consider to be the ongoing flaws of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—namely the need to try to cram and fit everything together for the Next Event—alongside some really awkward acting and action that seems to be the result of too many green-screen shenanigans.
I normally don’t care about the box office (and I still don’t), but it’s been news that Supermankind of ate The Fantastic Four’s lunch. While I do think Superman is the better film and carries the more powerful and relevant message overall, the two works also have a great deal of synergy. They emphasize loving family as well as treating humanity as family, and pushing back against those who want to force us into false dichotomies meant to divide us and make us suffer under bizarre and dehumanizing ultimatums. While it might seem a bit redundant, I think we need all the voices we can right now to fight the increasing levels of hate and fascism that we’re seeing.
Last month, All for One took place on August 23 and 24 at the iconic Radio City Music Hall. The third hololive concert also included 15 VTubers in the Big Apple, but all was not the same. The past 12 months have seen the departure of four talents and the introduction of a new generation. Because of all that has transpired, the concert atmosphere conveyed an energy that was about, if not passing the torch, at least sharing the flame so that all may shine.
Overview
In terms of fame and seating capacity, Radio City Music Hall was a major step up from the King’s Theater in Brooklyn. That’s not a knock against last year’s venue, which was overall great, but if hololive EN wanted to send a message, this was certainly the way to do it. One other upside was the efficiency and courtesy of their staff. It was very clear that they were more than accustomed to dealing with large crowds, and none of the delays or long snaking lines that occurred last time were an issue.
One thing that was notably different compared to every previous hololive concert I’ve seen, English or otherwise, was that the setlists consisted entirely of songs from hololive. This was apparently a deliberate decision to highlight all the music that has been created under their banner over the years, and in that respect, they certainly succeeded. Whether it was people singing their own songs or earworms that have turned into Holocure BGM, there was a real sense of history for a company that is both still young and the grizzled veteran organization of this industry.
That said, I have to admit that I missed the anime covers and what-not a little. While I do write more and more about VTubers these days, I’m still primarily an anime fan at the end of the day, and I get a kick out of hearing virtual people bust out an opening or two.
All for One was also the first time an EN concert had all its performers in idol outfits—before, this was usually reserved for the annual big holo fes. Similar to the music, it does give a sense of unity, but I also enjoy seeing the regular outfits due to how unique they are. Maybe if they modeled the idol outfits to better match the bodies of the default models, I might feel differently. Another aspect of the visual presentation was the inclusion of lasers. They didn’t show up for every song, but when they did, it felt like Ideon launching all its missiles at once.
Lack of anime themes aside, in terms of song choices, I don’t exaggerate when I say that they managed to hit virtually every number I was hoping for. Baelz Hakos performing “Countach”? Hell yeah she did, alongside Gigi Murin and Indonesia guest Kureiji Ollie. “Start Again,” a song that features the top singers of every generation? It literally kicked off the second day. I know the setlist has at least some input from the talents, but however they decided to finalize it, I felt treated to one amazing moment after the next. The way they also mixed things up in terms of song order compared to the previous concerts was also refreshing.
Start Again
The Talents
While last year I wrote about each VTuber and their presence individually, I think All for One is better served by focusing on their generations and narrowing down.
Justice
The four ladies of Justice are the newest additions to hololive EN, and they debuted the 3D models that allow them a full range of motion only recently. All for One was their very first live concert, with all the pressure that entails. But one way or another, each of them showed a real spirit of performance.
Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame is one of the best singers to ever grace VTubing, and the strength and playfulness of her voice commanded attention, whether in her solo cover of “Stellar Stellar” or in group songs such as “Above Below.” Raora Panthera’s boundless energy was infectious, and she would do things like get in a little wiggle while disappearing off stage. During the big group numbers like the titular “All for One,” I even saw her do the monkey once, and also spin around while hopping. Cecilia Immergreen’s “Wind Up” has quickly become one of my favorite hololive songs, which she accompanied with a graceful dance, and a group cover of Aki Rosenthal’s “Shallys” saw her manifest her violin for a brief solo. Gigi Murin’s combination of brashness and silliness served her well, as her songs ranged from cool to comedic. While the latter three don’t have Liz’s vocal skills, they all work well with their limitations.
I also need to give attention to the MC part featuring CC and GG, as I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so entertained by one of those breaks. You could tell that they started from an absurd spot (GG carrying CC while on all fours) and then through improvisation naturally escalated it into anti-humor about stand-up comedy cliches and the inherent absurdity of their fan-favorite pairing name, AutoFister. Even thinking about it now, it still makes me snort in laughter.
Advent
Returning for a second year, Advent is considered one of the newer generations of hololive, but they’re also no longer inexperienced rookies. Their mutual closeness has been one of their biggest strengths: They have released the most group covers out of anyone, and are currently in the middle of releasing a whole series of lore-centric songs.
The first of those works, “Genesis,” came out a couple weeks before the concert, so I didn’t have my hopes up about getting to hear it live. Fortunately, I was wrong. This performance became one of the highlights of my weekend, and I especially love the way the song plays on each of their official back stories without sounding disparate or forced. Best of all, it’s in the free section of the VOD, so anyone can revisit it anytime.
Genesis
Like Justice, Advent has one particularly strong singer in Nerissa Ravencroft, who is versatile but especially good at sounding sultry. One of her lines in “Genesis”—“Watch me be your diva/I’m gonna raise your fever”—leaves me actually feeling flustered, with her wide-swinging hips adding to her appeal. The twins, Fuwawa and Mococo Abyssgard, once again showcased their harmonization skills with each other and their thorough embracing of their personas. Diminutive Koseki Bijou appeared dedicated to showing that she has more than a cute side, with a surprising solo choice in Houshou Marine’s “Dead Ma’am’s Chest” and a group performance of another Marine song, “I’m Your Treasure Box.” As for their leader, Shiori, she continued a trend that started last year with her singing in a lower register that might seem uncharacteristic of her but sounds noticeably better, as well as conveying an almost nonchalant charisma that’s both graceful and charmingly awkward.
Promise
The girls of Promise have faced many challenges over the years. They had the unenviable position of following a powerhouse first generation, and if you count their past as Council, they also have lost three members over time—the most of any hololive generation. But their year has also seen some huge positive changes for them as IRyS, Ouro Kronii, and Hakos Baelz have worked to hone their crafts while seemingly less beholden to outside expectations.
IRyS went with “Diamond Girlfriend,” a song that is a culmination of a long and incredible journey that took her from wishing she could have her own Eurobeat song to collaborating with Motsu of Initial D fame. She also came full circle a different way by pefrorming “Gravity” alongside Towa and Kronii. While this was not the first time IRyS had sung it on stage (see Connect the World), this different context brought “Gravity” from a symbol of her “Project Hope” era to a defining work for hololive EN as a whole. With Kronii, meanwhile, the difference between All for One and Breaking Dimensions (or even 6th fes earlier this year) was like night and day. Neither singing nor dancing were her strong suits, but they’re increasingly a part of her repertoire, especially when you take into account the fact that Kronii lives outside of Japan, and thus away from the main hololive studio and its resources.
Then there was Baelz Hakos. She’s my favorite current hololive EN member, and this concert had me trying my damn hardest to not blink and miss any moment with her. The amount of training she has undergone to improve her physical fitness, her singing, and her already top-tier dancing is hard to overstate.
The result was one unforgettable number after the next. There was the aggressive aura of “RxRxR” with Calliope Mori, her stylish dance moves in “Countach” (a song originally from her fellow elite hololive dancer Hajime), and Bae’s mind-boggling combination of nuance and dynamism for her solo “La Roja.” She even got to be the center for the encore performance of “All for One” to end the whole thing! I am eager to see more people learn about her.
For their group number, Promise covered “feelingradation” from ReGLOSS. This was another favorite of mine from this concert, not simply because I really love the original version, but because the three just felt very cohesive as a unit. It’s also not lost on me that Bae sang not one but two Hajime songs; the Vroom Boom Duo is truly one of the hottest things to ever hit hololive.
Myth
As the generation that started hololive English, Myth are rightfully seen as pioneers. They celebrate their 5th anniversary this month, and a lot of All for One could be seen as giving props to them for laying the groundwork that has allowed later arrivals to thrive. At the same time, they’re in a position similar to Promise’s in that they’ve been down two members after Gawr Gura and Amelia Watson left. The complexion of their generation does feel different as a result, and adjusting to this “new” Myth has taken some time.
Temari
Whatever the situation, it’s pretty astounding how far they’ve come. Ninomae Ina’nis was the first solo performance of Day 1 with her original song “Temari,” and her voice over the years has gone from cute and sweet to being capable of this wonderfully haunting quality. Calliope Mori was originally all about defying expectations of what a VTuber should sound and act like, but has now become a mentor and even a standard of measure. Her music, her singing style, and even her dancing (which includes a surprisingly well-done can-can) have all transformed over time—and her songs at All for One cover that history well. The third Myth member, Takanashi Kiara, may have gotten the most love of all. Not only did she perform a short medley for her solo number, sing her original song “Mirage” with IRyS, and showcase her enticing dance moves, but Kronii also covered “Do U,” the kpop-influenced song that became Kiara’s first breakout hit.
Chimera
And as if to add to the fond reminiscence, their group performance of “Seishun Archive,” was a choice deliberately requested by Kiara because practicing for it was when she first really bonded with Gura.
Towards the end of Day 2, all three did an MC together, and it became a time to reflect on where they came from and where they’ve gone. While a part of me braces for impact when you see this much reminiscing, I think all of them have shown that they’ve come out of the last five years better than ever.
Guests
Although none of them got their own solos, it’s worth discussing how much the guests—Oozora Subaru and Tokoyami Towa from hololive JP, as well as Ayunda Risu and Kureiji Ollie from hololive ID—put on wonderful performances.
Oozora Subaru’s “Hot Duck” and its lighthearted silliness contrasted with a breathtaking performance of Ayunda Risu’s “Alice&U.” The latter has long been considered a tremendously difficult song that was arguably too difficult for others to cover, but Nerissa and Elizabeth showed that they had the technical skill to knock it out of the park. Towa and Calli’s “Queen of the Night” is the best song from the MythMash series in my opinion, and getting to hear it live was a joy. There wasn’t an Ollie-centric song during the event (which is very characteristic of her humility), but the zombie idol brought a welcome energy of excitement. A minor hiccup during Ollie and Shiori’s MC left us all literally in the dark for a few minutes, but this seemed to be more of a random mishap than anything else.
Miscellaneous
There was a whole bunch of ticket shenanigans that happened earlier this year when a bunch of fans tried to outmaneuver the scalpers but ended up making it harder for other fans to buy tickets. Over the weekend of Anime NYC, I saw people online and even at the convention center trying to sell off tickets for heavily discounted prices. While this was done with good intentions, I think one of the major failings was assuming that all fans of hololive are active on Discord or even use it at all.
Moving on from that, each night ended with a credits roll, as is typical. However, one funny thing for me personally is that I recognized the font used: Marker Felt Thin. So if you want to ever replicate the All for One credits, here’s your starting point.
My last unorganized thought is: Houshou Marine sure is popular. Even though she wasn’t involved with the concert directly, she probably got more songs of hers into All for One than anyone else, barring Kiara.
Overall
To say I was happy with how All for One turned out is a gargantuan understatement. I came out of it with my feet aching but my heart full. Despite all that they’ve gone through, this was a really strong showing for the ladies of hololive English.
I benefited immensely from All for One being in New York at Radio City Music Hall, but I really wouldn’t mind it being somewhere else—even on a different continent. I want more people to have this experience, and I’m willing to settle for streaming tickets to give it to them.
Summer is winding down, and the first Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie will be in theaters soon. I already have my ticket, and I’m eager to see how this series begins to conclude. I feel they made this into a trilogy in order to make more money, but I don’t begrudge them about that. If there’s a reason to make it a big event and draw fans to theaters, so be it.
Later in the month are some big hololive milestones, namely Myth’s 5th anniversary and the first online concert for Holostars EN. I’ve decided I’ll celebrate Myth with some Raising Cane’s, but I haven’t figured out what would be fitting for the EN boys.
I’m also fresh off of Anime NYC and hololive EN’s third concert, All for one. I intend to get my thoughts about both before the end of the month.
Amid the erosion of human rights and the destruction of the United States’ scientific expertise, the weird obsession with tariffs feels like kicking someone while they’re down. I desperately hope, for the sake of everyone regardless of political beliefs, that things are made right. We should not be beholden to the most ass-backwards ghouls who seem to want to burn the world down so they can grift just a little more.
Kio caught COVID at the beginning of the month. He went to the hospital (which is a very normal thing in Japan), got some medicine, and his fever broke around the 5th. He also thanks all the fans who wished him well.
OGIUE MANIAX 