Top 5 Alternate Universe Gundam series

As I'm sure many of you are well aware, I am a huge fan of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise. I began watching 08th MS Team and G Gundam during Toonami's heyday, and jumped back in with 0083: Stardust Memory when I resumed watching anime on a regular basis a few years ago. Generally speaking, I am partial to the Universal Century series. I've found that - while not all are created equal - they do tend to trump the alternate universe series in terms of consistent plot development and likeable characters. However, I have viewed all of the alternate universe anime, save for Gundam AGE, and found a few series that really stood out to me as being impeccably well done and especially entertaining.

#5 - Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz: I should preface this by stating that I do not care much for the Gundam Wing series. The characters were so bland and one-dimensional and the plot ran in circles for nearly the entire run. Endless Waltz managed to turn all of that around to create a follow-up story that was not just stomachable, it was downright awesome. I find it curious that one hour and a half film did more to make me feel for and care about a small cast of characters than an entire forty-nine episode series did, and I wonder how much different Gundam Wing would have been had they cut out all the monologuing, emo Heero moments, and declarations of "it's a Gundam!" to focus instead on balancing the action and fun factor as well as Endless Waltz managed to.

#4 - Gundam 00: The second-most recent alternate universe series, Gundam 00 break from the military strategies so prominent in the Universal Century, but does not force ridiculous mobile suit designs on viewers. Instead, Gundam 00 presents a perfect balance between the stylized and realistic sensibilities, and is host to some of the most creative yet practical mobile suit designs to date. Giant robots aside, the concept of a unified world that is so frequently visited between the two seasons is very probable, considering the chronology of the series. While each season has its up and downs, the element of mystery surrounding the Gundam Meisters, Veda, and the Innovators keeps the experience interesting, and the fact that the plot allows characters to develop through both successes and failures adds a human level to the story.

#3 - After War Gundam X: To be completely honest, the execution of Gundam 00's story is probably done with fewer flaws. But Gundam X is such a bold and different Gundam series that I can't help but place it near the top of the stack. The ravaged Earth that resulted from a series of colony drops presents an incredibly cool setting that shapes the characters, forcing them to adapt to a wasteland of a planet. Garrod Ran is not only one of the youngest lead pilots to date, he's also one of the funniest. His relationship with Tifa Adil makes for one of the cutest and endearing romantic subplots in all of Gundam. Gundam X presents a perfect balance of fun action scenes and serious plot, with a younger cast trying to learn from the mistakes of the previous generation.

#2 - Gundam SEED Stargazer: A spinoff that deserves recognition as its own sequel series in the Gundam SEED storyline, this three episode OVA accomplishes so much in so little time. It chronicles the events that follow the Break the World Incident from SEED Destiny. Earth is subjected to both social and environmental chaos, and the DSSD races against time to complete their deep-space exploration Gundam, the Stargazer, before the forces of Phantom Pain find and destroy it. It's a unique series in the SEED universe, not only because of its notably darker tone, but because neither side is explicitly stated to be 'good' or 'bad'. The events that unfold are left entirely up to viewer discretion.

#1 - Turn A Gundam: The most daring Gundam series of them all, Turn A takes place in a retro-future where technology has reverted to roughly the same level as it was during World War I. Biplanes fly alongside mobile suits as the Moonrace humans return to Earth in hopes of claiming a territory for their own settlement. Unfortunately, not all of the Moonrace believe in the same strategy, and it quickly becomes apparent that a number of individuals share a stake in how this landmark meeting of Moonrace and Earth dwellers will ultimately play out. The rich culture cultivated in the anime, combined with the multiple layers that drive the primary conflict makes for a genuinely excellent story. But what really tops it all off is the brilliant cast of incredibly diverse characters - lead pilot Loran Cehack among the best of the best. Loran wishes that the Moonrace and Earth dwellers could all live in peace, but he also realizes that sometimes difficult decisions must be made in order to come to a peaceful resolution. He is perhaps the most believably human lead character in any Gundam series to date, and - gorgeous animation and breathtaking soundtrack aside - makes the entire experience of viewing Turn A Gundam so wondrous and memorable.

Anime review: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation is a retelling of the 1985 sequel to the classic Mobile Suit Gundam. This version of Zeta Gundam is compressed from the original fifty episode format to three feature length films. The first film, Heirs to the Stars, run approximately an hour and a half, while the second and third films - Lovers and Love is the Pulse of the Stars, respectively - each run about 100 minutes.

The updated animation style - which looks downright gorgeous - was highlighted in nearly every promotional piece for this film trilogy. Lighting effects are handled superbly, the colors of the various mobile suits really pop against the dark backdrop of space, and the motions of both characters and mobile suits appear very fluid. What is rather curious, though, is the fact that only about one third of the footage in the first film is rendered in this new style. The rest is retained from the old 1985 hand drawn animation. The transition between the two is quite random throughout, with full scenes shifting back and forth multiple times in a matter of minutes. Both Lovers and Love is the Pulse of the Stars see more of this new animation style included, with roughly fifty to sixty percent of either film's footage receiving the facelift. But the fact that Bandai went to the trouble of rendering such a substantial amount of footage as such begs the question as to why they did not do this for the entirety of all three films. Also, there is a rather grainy filter over all of the 1980s footage, which was hardly noticeable on the Anime Legends collections of the full anime series.

Obviously the faster pacing of three films versus a fifty episode series calls for some substantial editing. Thankfully, all of the shortened scenes maintain a smooth flow with the grand story, and the few plot points that see minor alterations feel right at home. There are a few minor things that lack explanation, like where the Hyaku Shiki came from and when the Gundam Mk II was painted in AEUG colors, but nothing that throws off the plot. The one scene that does feel like it might have been beneficial for them to include, however, is Lt. Quattro's speech before the Earth Federation.

The film takes a sort of "pick-and-choose" approach when determining which subplots are most important. Amuro's involvement in the series was prominent at a few key points, but has been scaled back even more for these films. Four and Kamille's meeting is left mostly intact, and their romance develops well enough. But the capabilities of the Psycho Gundam are hardly shown off at all, and viewers who are unfamiliar with the series will likely not understand why the AEUG perceives it as such a huge threat. The history of Haman Karn and Lt. Quattro is quickly glossed over, and the brief conflict that Kamille brings up over the Lt. Quattro's identity never comes to fruition.

The new animation is at its best when the setting requires a high level of detail, like the Hong Kong cityscape, or when mobile suits are engaged in dynamic combat, like when Lt. Quattro and Kamille take on the Asshimar. The 1985 soundtrack is carried over, with new intro tunes performed by Gackt. Whoever was in charge of determining where the cut off points for each film should be did a phenomenal job, and the pacing throughout is darn near perfect because of this. The ending has been altered slightly to provide some more concrete wrap-ups for some of the minor characters, as well as present a slightly happier ending for the main cast. While I'm normally not much a fan of these sorts of compilation films, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation does well to cover all of the bases it needs to and deliver a successful shorthand version of the events of the 1985 anime. It might not have as much time to spend on developing the characters or plot, but it's a fun viewing experience - especially for fans of the series who want a quick and easy means for revisiting the glory days of the AEUG vs. the Titans.

My rating: 8.25 (out of 10)

New trailer for A Link to the Past Zeldamotion anime

The Zeldamotion fan project at Aeipathy Industries has released a new trailer for their animated take on the story of A Link to the Past. This version of A Link to the Past is said to be based primarily off the manga adaptation, which features a number of characters not found in the SNES game. The character designs appear to draw a lot of inspiration from the manga roots and retain a traditional anime style. But much of the footage also appears to blend that with a sort of motion comic approach. I'm already digging Todd Haberkorn's voice for Link, and I can't wait to see the full project once it is completed

Rant: The "Subs vs. Dubs" Debate

I guess I really never noticed this point of debate back when I first started watching anime on Toonami. I would come home after school, flip on the television, and indulge in Ronin Warriors, Outlaw Star, Mobile Suit Gundam: 08th MS Team, and Dragonball Z. Frankly, my friends and I were plenty content with having access to these shows to concern ourselves with the possibility of watching it in a different language. But after I began watching anime on a regular basis post-high school, I've noticed how often some people feel the need to raise a stink about the "subs vs. dubs" debate.

It honestly baffles me that some people will constantly go out of their way to whine about the choices of voice actors when the dub of an anime is announced. I notice this frequently on YouTube, as I subscribe to Funimation and they upload previews of their recently acquired anime. Generally speaking, these comments prove very silly, like "this is terrible" or "they ruined the series", and are hardly ever followed up with any legitimate explanation as to why the poster disapproves. As far as I can tell, it's a simple matter of taste.

Which brings me to my main point - if these anime fans dislike the dub so much, why do they not just buy the DVDs and change the language selection to Japanese? It takes literally five seconds to navigate a DVD menu and select another language setting. I realize that when anime first came stateside, it was released on VHS, and that meant that the language setting was generally defaulted to the English dub for ease of access. But it's the year 2012. The few anime DVDs that come stateside with only one language setting are almost always presented in Japanese with English subtitles (ala the Zeta Gundam: A New Translation films).

To all the complainers out there: quit your whining and motivate your lazy self enough to click a few buttons on the remote control. Your argument is entirely invalid, and I have a sneaking suspicion that your circle of like-minded individuals are those who will never be pleased no matter what companies like Funimation, Bandai, and Viz do with the dubbing process. I will admit there are some anime series that I can't stand watching in English because of the way the voice actors deliver their lines. But I just make the switch and avoid any unnecessary fuss about it. Please do the rest of the anime community a favor and follow suit.

Wii review: No More Heroes

Travis Touchdown is a socially awkward otaku who just happens to have some serious skill wielding a beam katana. After blowing all of his money at the bar one night, he decides to take up the offer presented by Sylvia Christel to enter the United Assassin's Association. Travis has two goals in mind: become the number one ranked assassin in Santa Destroy, and get Sylvia in bed with him. After defeating Helter Skelter, Travis is qualified to challenge the remaining ten assassins, each of whom utilizes a different style of combat.

No More Heroes plays out as sort of a "greatest hits" series of boss fights. Each boss is preceded by a short level wherein Travis must take down weaker henchmen. As the game progresses, these areas become longer and the henchmen become stronger, equipping themselves with blunt objects and firearms. When it comes to the actual boss fights, though, the game does not disappoint. Some of the other assassin's use a more straightforward approach, while others utilize their environment. Some are able to use ranged attack, while others prove deadly at close-quarters. Each of the boss characters is quite well-developed and carries a strong presence - fights against Destroyman, Bad Girl, and Harvey Moiseiwitsch Volodarskii will be just as memorable as their names.

The pace does slow down in-between boss fights, as Travis must earn enough money to qualify to enter each. At first, Travis is only able to access side jobs that range from collecting coconuts to mowing lawns to picking up trash. And while those descriptions don't sound particularly enticing, the way the game utilizes the motion controls makes them mildly entertaining. The fact that each side job only lasts a brief while keeps them from getting stale too quickly.

After properly completing a side job, Travis' employer will inform him that there are assassination gigs accessible at various locales in Santa Destroy. The first few prove incredibly straightforward - either kill a specific target or take out everyone in the area. Later assassination missions will add further restrictions, like taking out a line of enemies by hitting a baseball at them with your beam katana or only using wrestling moves. The more strict the rules of an assassination mission, the more money Travis will earn. After a few times running the routine of side job-assassination mission-boss fight, it's easy to pin down a rhythm to quickly earn the required funds.

Aside from putting his money toward the next fight, Travis can visit a number of locales around Santa Destroy. At Area 51, Travis can pick up some new clothes, and at Thunder Ryu's gym he can pay for lessons to improve his physical stats. Travis can also visit the lab of Dr. Naomi, a woman who develops new models of beam katanas. Back at Travis' motel room, he can kill time playing the game-within-a-game known as Bizarre Jelly, help his overweight cat exercise, swap the models of beam katanas he has amassed, and save the game by sitting on the toilet.

The first time Travis sits down on the toilet is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this game's unique sense of style. It's chock full of humor, from references to other video games and anime, to Travis occasionally breaking the fourth wall. Character designs and environments are bright and colorful, while the soundtrack is an awesome culmination of techno, rock, chiptune, and even a few metal songs.

The motion controls are worked into nearly every nook and cranny of the experience. Swinging the Wiimote lets Travis strike with his beam katana, wiggling it back and forth will recharge it when his batteries are low, and a combination of the Wiimote and Nunchuk allows him to take down enemies with a variety of wrestling maneuvers. In the event that Travis locks swords with his opponent, a prompt will appear indicating the Wiimote be spun in a certain direction in order to gain the upper hand. When Travis reduces the health bar of one enemy to zero, a prompt will appear indicating he swing either vertically or horizontally. This attack can take out not only the main enemy being targeted, but also those nearby. Each time Travis gets a kill, a small slot machine will roll at the bottom of the screen, with a winning combo granting Travis brief use of a handful of powered-up attacks.

The Wiimote will need to be tilted from side to side in order to steer the lawnmower, and back-and-forth motions with the Wiimote and Nunchuck will help Travis exercise. Only when Travis is driving his futuristic motorcycle around town does the game suffer from less-than-spectacular controls. Sometimes the bike will boost with only a small amount of acceleration applied, and bumping into practically anything and everything will send Travis flying out of his seat. Navigating Santa Destroy is easy enough - the map is only so large. But there isn't much interesting to look at outside of the key locales.

The story does not take itself too seriously, but develops at a steady pace that allows players to gain a better understanding of who Travis Touchdown is and how his character evolves from the moment he sets out to become number one to the moment he enters the final boss fight. The side jobs are a bit lackluster, and the transition from fast and intense boss fight to slow and careful work proves a bit of an annoyance at first. That said, the boss fights are outstanding - as varied and as enjoyable as something like The Legend of Zelda series could dish out. No More Heroes is one wild ride - an incredible gaming experience that is also beautifully creative. The unique blend of action and style Suda 51 brings forth in No More Heroes leads it to be as much of a video game as it is a work of art.

My rating: 9.5 (out of 10)

Deadpool video game announced

High Moon Studios, the developers of Transformers: War for Cybertron, are making a Deadpool video game. Based on what little footage is presented in this trailer, it looks like a sort of action brawler, not unlike Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum, though Deadpool is more reliant on his guns and katanas. I will need to see significantly more gameplay before I make any sort of call on whether I feel this game merits a purchase, but High Moon certainly has Deadpool's style and humor nailed down. I hope they find some creative ways to have Deadpool break the fourth wall - he was plenty entertaining in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but it would be great to see him go all out in his own game.

Anime review: Redline

JP is a racer in the Yellowline circuit, but dreams of making it big in the Redline, where the vehicles drive at ludicrous speeds and there are no rules against harming the competition. Unfortunately, his history in dealing with the mafia and his partner Frisbee's constantly sabotaging JP's chances make that opportunity seem out of his reach. That is, until two racers who qualified for the Redline race drop out due to its being held on the hostile planet of Roboworld. JP seizes this window of opportunity and decks out his Trans-Am 2000 with an all new engine and extra turbo in hopes of beating the competition - most of whom drive much newer and seemingly more capable vehicles.

Redline comes from Mad House, and is a very visually pleasing film. The art style is heavily stylized, with character and environment designs appearing to hold some level of inspiration from American comic books. The ridiculous-yet-awesome race scenarios and vehicle designs, as well as the entire premise of Redline are something of a hybrid of Speed Racer and F-Zero. Each vehicle and driver takes to the track with a different tactic in mind, while the inhabitants of the alien worlds seem deeply invested in this dangerous sport. The soundtrack is super catchy and pretty kickin' throughout, even if there are only a handful of tunes, most of which are repeated at least once before the film's end.

The first half of Redline behaves similar to Star Wars: A New Hope in the sense that it balances the duties of focusing on the story while building this alien universe around it. There are a few vulgarities early on, and a couple nasty crashes, but by and large, it seems like an action-packed film for all ages. But when the second half rolls around, it takes on a much grittier and more adult tone. The film only runs a little over an hour and a half, and the shift to brief nudity, a handful of sexual references, and a few more swear words is both sudden and clunky.

Also with regards to the length of the film, Redline feels like it could spare to be much longer. JP's backstory is covered fairly well - we find out everything that we need to about his history racing and dealing with the mafia before the story's conclusion. But there is a lot of time spent covering the Roboworld government trying to stop the race from being held on their home planet. What should have been a mildly interesting subplot becomes the centerpiece for a large portion of the movie and draws away from the action. The fact that there are only two full-on race scenes in the entire film does not aid this.

Redline is a quick and easy watch. To be honest, it is a very visually entertaining experience. As far as the story is concerned, it does a decent job of staying self-contained. By the time the credits roll, all of the questions that need answering are, though there isn't any time spent on a wrap-up and the last few lines of dialogue are quite cliché. Redline is missing enough content to keep it at the level of "good", restraining it from getting anywhere near "great".

My rating: 7.25 (out of 10)