Review of Dragon Ball Abridged Ep. 58

Oh Dragon Ball Z Abridged…. Have you gotten shorter or is it just me?

After Mr. Satan’s loss and lying to cover up for it, Goku takes his turn, and after an exchange of sexual innuendo that fight begins. If you know the original there isn’t much to say. Cell uses the multi technique, Goku defeats it, Cell uses the Kamehameha, Goku dodges it. There are also jokes. While that might not sound impressive some of them were really funny. 

Dragon Ball Z Abridged continues to be funny, and a great fan tribute to the original. That said I have great problems waiting months at a time for a few minutes of footage. I know I have no right to complain since it is a free fan work, and Team Four Star has a lot of projects to work on. But I really wish we could have at least gotten fifteen minutes. That said I am a firm believer that the episode cannot truly be judged until the season is complete and we can watch it as part of the larger whole.

This episode was step up from the last few, though it didn’t have a huge impact on me.  It almost felt like this was material they were just trying to get through. Perhaps they are working up to the Super Saiyan Two transformation, which TFS is on record of loving. The biggest thing is that a few months in producing for a few minutes of footage leaves a lot of room for anticipation that is hard to deliver on. Having watched this episode twice I will say it holds up, and will probably be a good addition to the season as a whole. All in all it was a decent but not great episode with only one really memorable line. It just left me wanting more. The live stream gave some insights into their decision and a rewatch did a lot to convince me that the material was solid, but I can’t change my initial reaction as much as I understand their choices.

-Gedaemon                                                 

Pokemon Sun: A New Light for the Franchise

Pokémon is twenty one years old and in its Seventh generation, not including remakes. What is remarkable about this is that for the first six generations the games followed a remarkably consistent formula.  A preteen trainer leaves home, defeats eight gym leaders, a criminal gang, s the elite four, becomes champion, and catches one or more legendary Pokémon. While the writing and graphics got more sophisticated over time, the key story points and gameplay have changed very little. Pokémon has become notorious for following the same twenty year old formula in every game. 

Pokémon Sun breaks with the traditional formula in several significant ways, but not as radically as it appears on first glance. The game is set Alola; a region based on Hawaii. The player travels between four main islands and a few minor venues. Rather than fighting gym leaders the player has to beat several trails which feature totem Pokémon; powered up versions of Pokémon in the game who can summon minion Pokémon to fight with them. In addition you have to fight four “Kahuna”, one for every major island. There is also a much heavier emphasis on plot and character interactions than in earlier entries. These elements give the game more of a classical JRPG feel than any mainline Pokémon game to date.  But while it has a different feel, only a handful of gameplay mechanics are new to Pokemon, and these new elements only occasionally come into play; most battles follow the same format players have grown used to. 

The graphics turned me off when I first saw them. The new character designs looked too thin for my taste. But as I played it warmed on me, and I recognized that it was superior to the graphic design of the last generation, the characters are now far less blocky looking. The one great flaw is that the game hardly takes advantage of the 3DS’s 3D capabilities. Even the battles which were in 3D in the last generation are now 2D. 

While Sun is not revolutionary, it is one of the best Pokémon games thus far; few Pokémon games besides Gold & Silver have thrown as many new elements at players.  They have a somewhat unique feel in a franchise where many games feel the same. At the same time they do not stray so far from the formula as to alienate longtime fans. If there is anything to complain about it is that it didn’t depart far enough from the formula. A bit more battle variety would have been great, as wood choices that actually matter. The best you get is a slightly different reaction, sometimes not even that! Variety being the spice of life, different story routes would add a lot to the replay value. Of course Pokémon is aimed at an international audience of all ages, primarily kids; it would be nice if it had difficulty beyond simply grinding levels. Unless you self-impose a limit like a Nuzlock veteran players are unlikely to find the game very challenging. 

While I hesitate to call Pokémon Sun a masterpiece, it is a solid entry into a storied franchise. If you haven’t played Pokémon in a while but want a fun game give this one a try.

8.0 out of 10

-Gedaemon

State of the Blog Update

First I would like to apologize for the limited material I’ve been putting out. I’ve been trying a few things lately and reconsidering my approach to writing. I’ve also been working on a novel. In any case I should be able to put out some more content in the next few weeks. 

Also if there is anything you would like to see me write about please let me know and I will consider writing about it. 

Thanks.

-Gedaemon

Review of Dragon Ball Super Ep. 90

Two Gohan episodes in three weeks? They’re really spoiling us! 

Starting off, Gohan is Meditating on a mountain with Piccolo who tells Gohan his training is over and that before the tournament begins he must test the extent of his powers. 

Cut to Goku who is eating a meal on Tenshinhan’s tab. Goku is talking about getting Roshi to train him until the tournament begins when Gohan walks in. A two on two match is soon set up between Gohan & Piccolo vs Goku & Tenshinhan. Tenshinhan suggests they go easy on them as to not injure anyone before the tournament but Goku suggests that perhaps they are the ones who should worry about injuries. 

The fight begins and Gohan immediately takes the offensive against Goku. They break, and Piccolo begins to power up. This prompts Tenshinhan and Goku to attack but as they close in Gohan appears in front of them and knocks Tenshinhan aside. Gohan and Goku begin fighting alone leaving Piccolo and Tenshinhan to their fight.  But has Tenshinan begins his kikoho Gohan fires a small ki blast which interrupts his attack. Gohan takes this opening to hit Tenshinhan again. As soon as Gohan has taken care of Tenshinhan, Goku attacks and Gohan barely dodges. Using this as an opening Piccolo attacks Goku who barely blocks only to be attacked again by Gohan. At this point Tenshinhan calls an end to the match. The ring has been completely destroyed. But Gohan isn’t satisfied, and challenges Goku to a one on one. 

Meanwhile in Universe 10, Gowasu is agonizing over who to pick for the tournament, not wanting to select another bad egg like Zamasu. But the universe 10 God of destruction, Rumooshi has already selected a team in his place. He tells Gowasu he thinks to much with his head and to trust in muscle this time. Satisfied Zamasu begins his speech but the warriors interrupt him to drink  protein shakes. He does not look happy. 

Gohan and Goku each eat a senzsu bean and Goku powers up to super sayian 2, Gohan goes straight into his ultimate form. Goku asks if he will go super sayian but Gohan declares he is taking a different path from Goku, a power up the universe has never seen before. Before long it seems Goku has the advantage. But Gohan adapts and challenges Goku to use his full strength. Powering up to Super Sayian Blue, and even unleashes Kaioken. As the whole earth sakes, Gohan appears knocked out but tries to throw one last punch before fainting. 

Gohan thanks Goku for the match and apologizes for the troubling Tenshinhan. Goku is nonchalant and appoints Gohan the team captain for universe Seven.

This was a good episode, well animated by Super standards. We didn’t get a Gohan win like I was hoping for but we established he is now in the same league as Goku. Tenshinhan has gotten the short hand of the stick in the last two episodes so I hope we get to see him do something a little more impressive in the tournament.  Dragon Ball Super has impressed me the last three weeks. It almost feels like its being made by people who know what they are doing. Too few episodes have felt like that during Super’s run.

The next episode appears to be a transition episode. I doubt I t will hold up like the last three but we will have to wait and see.

-Gedaemon

Review of Dragon Ball Super Ep.89

Tenshinhan’s turn this week, or rather Roshi’s.

Goku goes looking for Muten Roshi only to find out from Oolong that Roshi is working as a guest teacher at Tenshinhan’s dojo. At the dojo Roshi is lazing about, upset that all Tenshinhan’s students are all men, while Tenshinhan teaches. At that moment a young women appears. She seems to have a grudge against Tenshinhan but hides it. Roshi is thrilled. But Tenshinhan grills the young woman named Yurin on why she wants to be a martial artist. When she says it’s supposedly good for beauty he tells her to get lost. Roshi overrules him and carries the girl off to give her a “lesson”.  Right after this Goku flies in. Tenshinhan dismisses class, and we find out his dojo started because locals gathered around him when he was training nearby.Goku then brings up the tournament.

Cut to Roshi training Yurin. Roshi gives her a training uniform complete with a miniskirt. He then comments that her wickedness must be purged. Yurin thinks the jig is up, but it’s just another attempt of Roshi to feel her up. After escaping Roshi’s sexual harassment, Yurin comes upon Tenshinhan’s students who she says she can use.

Meanwhile Goku and Tenshinhan talk about the tournament. He declines because he can’t leave his students. Goku tries bribing him with Zeni which doesn’t work. Suddenly a villager pounds on the door, telling Tenshinhan his students are rampaging.

Back in Universe Six Cabba is trying to convince Caulifa to join the Universe six team. She tells him to get lost and one of her henchmen closes in. He goes Super Sayian and throws the guy with energy. Caulifa is intrigued by his power but still won’t join, but after a rather lame speech about greater heights she is finally interested.

Cutting back to universe Seven Tenshinhan’s students are destroying the village. Muten Roshi says they are under control of witch craft and to destroy the talisman on their foreheads. Chaozu tries using his Physic abilities but to no avail. At this point Yurin reveals herself and her desire for revenge on Tenshinhan. She also trained under the Crane style and decided she had to beat Tenshinhan…because he ignored her? 

Roshi says Tenshinhan doesn’t know how to handle women so he will fight her. Gou, Chaozu and Tenshinhan begin subduing his students while Muten Roshi faces off with Yurin. She is eager to beat up the perverted old man but has no luck. Muten Roshi is just too strong for her to hurt him.  But when Yurin falls he is momentarily distracted by her panties and taken down by a groin kick.

Now under her control, Yurin turns Roshi on Tenshinhan. Roshi bulks up, and Takes Tenshinhan down with some of his strongest techniques. Goku steps in.  Goku surmises Roshi has been doing secret training, and while he wants to fight him, says there is no time. As Goku charges a Kamehameha, meanwhile Chaozu flips Yurin’s skirt, stunning her which allows Goku’s hit to take out Roshi. 

Defeated, Yurin vows to get stronger and defeat Tenshinhan, but Tenshinhan offers to take her as a student, which she reluctantly accepts. Tenshinhan has also changed his mind on the tournament. He wants to use the ten million Zeni Goku promised to rebuild the town. Upon hearing about the money Roshi wakes up and joins as well. With eight hours until the tournament, the team for Universe Seven is assembled. 

This episode was fun. We haven’t seen Roshi in his prime, both as comic relief and a fighter in a long time. The episode was funny, and reminded me a good deal of early dragon ball. It was interesting to see Tenshinhan started a dojo, something that has been hinted at in the videogames. We also got some more clues about fem-Broly. Perhaps Caulifla is not the legendary Super Sayian like many of us thought.

The preview for the next episode has me really pumped. Goku VS a powered up Gohan. How I have waited.

-Gedaemon