Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Brave 1: He's Here! The Bright Red King - Summary.Review

Behond, the 3rd dinosaur themed Super Sentai from 2013 and one of my personal favorites, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger which roughly translates to Beast Power Squadron Dinosaur Ranger. While the lack of a yellow ranger is distracting, (it is rare for them to not use one of the 3 primary colors) I do like these costumes and the dino themed seasons have been some of the best. So, click "read more" and let's take a look back.

Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger Ep. 5: Hell's Watch Dog - Summary/Review

Back again with more dinosaur fury. Last episode revealed the black Kishiryu beast for Bamba and now is the time to give it a proper introduction to the season. Click "read more" for my full coverage of this episode.

Kamen Rider 555 Episode 1: The Start of a Trip. Summary/Review

It's been a long, long time, but it's finally time for a new Kamen Rider TV episode review.  Only this time I'm only doing the first episode of this series as part of the "Kamen Rider Firsts" series where I look at the first episode of each (if not, most) of the Kamen Rider shows.  This time I take a trip back to 2003.  I turned 13, got stuck (and still am) on Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex's load screens, and watched MTV for the first time only to be wowed that TRL was a thing.  2003 is also when Kamen Rider 555 made its debut.  Now then, let's see what we are instore for.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full article.)

Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger Ep. 1: The Exciting Animal Land - Summary/Review

Behold, the great 40th anniversary season of Super Sentai. Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger or Animal Squadron Beast King Ranger and the second Wild Animal themed season. These anniversary seasons have a lot of hype to live up to so, let's go ahead and click "read more" to see what they have done.

Under Party (Steam) Review.

Today, I'm reviewing something a little different, something a little unique, something that's plenty violent, gruesome, and disturbing.  This is something that I wouldn't typically cover for this website, but I just found this game so fascinating that it'd be wrong not to cover it.  This is Under Party for the PC/Steam.  Make sure to read the warning found below before jumping into this review.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Warning: Under Party is a pretty gruesome game, with violent imagery and situations that might make you feel a little uncomfortable.  Granted, it's nothing more violent than an R18+ horror movie, but still.  You have been warned! So, don't complain!

Juken Sentai Gekiranger Lesson 1: Niki-Niki! GekiJyuKen- Summary/Review

Welcome to the 31st Super Sentai, Juken Sentai Gekiranger (Jūken Sentai Gekirenjā) which roughly translates to Beast-Fist Squadron Fierce Spirit Ranger. Also known as Power Rangers Wild Spirits in South Korea and was what Power Rangers Jungle Fury was adapted from. Following Super Sentai's bazaar tradition of having a 3 Ranger core team after an anniversary season, we have a theme about kung-fu and wild cats with the 3 primary colors. What could this incarnation have in store? Click "read more" and I will share that.

Ninja Captor Episode 1: 7 Ninjas Standing at Toykyo Tower - Summary/Review

I know what you're thinking, what on Earth is Ninja Captor? Is this a Super Sentai? Technically no. At least not anymore. Time for a brief history lesson. Once upon a time there were two franchises, "Sentai" and "Super Sentai". The original 2 Super Sentai, Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. were not originally considered part of the Super Sentai series but just the Sentai series along with Ninja Captor and Battle Feaver J was at one point credited as the first Super Sentai. However, nearly 20 years later in 1995, this was retconned to include Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. as Super Sentai with the airing of Chouriki Sentai Ohranger. Ninja Captor however, did not make the cut and was reclassified as a "Ninja Hero" series instead. To this day, Ninja Captor is mostly ignored outside an occasional loose reference.

Why was this season not included? I couldn't say. But, I have always been curious about it and now thanks to Toei's official YouTube page, I have a chance to watch it. Click "read more" and I will share my thoughts.

Whiteboyz Wit Attitude: The Pursuit of Money (PS4) Review

It's 2007, Soulja Boy is blaring on the radio, so you grab your best mate and form a band.  That's how Whiteboyz Wit Attitude came to form.  (An obvious parody on the band name, NWA.)  Now it's 2020 where WWA have re-united to create an all-new album.  So, how do you promote a cheesy underground hip-hop album, made by two blokes who like cheesy hip-hop music themselves?  Why, they make a game based on it.  This is Whiteboyz Wit Attitude: The Pursuit of Money for the PS4.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - 8 Amazing Non-Disney Animated Film Tracks

Let's be completely honest. When you think of animated music, it is almost a guarantee that the first song you will think of is likely produced by the Walt Disney Company. Ever since the Disney Renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s, the company has had a nearly undefeated stranglehold on the cultural zeitgeist when it comes to animated musicals. So prevalent is this perception that many of the non-Disney animated films from that period, like Fox Animation's Anastasia, are often thought of as Disney films by audiences.

So this got me thinking. Why don't I spend an article going over some of my personal favorite non-Disney animated musical scores? I can give some attention to some songs or movies that maybe don't get thought about as much as they should, and it gives me a chance to geek out about some of my favorite film tracks.

A win-win if ever I've heard it.

So after the break and a quick overview of the rules for this countdown, we will take a look at 8 incredible non-Disney animated film tracks.

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Mashin Sentai Kiramager Episode 2: Proof of a Leader - Summary/Review

Back again for the second episode of this shiny gem season. This episode was previewed to revolve around making red the leader which, is a topic that has not been covered in awhile. Usually, red is just defaulted the leader and everyone goes along with it. Click "read more" and let's see how they handle this episode.

Games of May 2020

    This is a report of all games to be (or that have been) released in this month (May 2020). It will cover all games on PS4, PSVR, XBO, N-Switch, PC, and G-Stadia.

Green Phoenix - Restaurant to Another World Review

In these introductory segments, I have long made it a pattern to reveal specific details or experiences of my life which draw me into the media I am reviewing or editorial I am writing for that respective week. Whether it is a personal anecdote, a memory attached to a theme close to the media in question, or some unique quirk of mine, I have always held that the audience will connect to my reviews more if I apply a personal connection to anything I am reviewing.

With that in mind, this week's interesting foible is that I have always enjoyed watching people enjoy things by proxy. This is fundamentally why I enjoy watching people in reaction videos online or reviewers and critics. Just viewing someone earnestly enjoying themselves is so immensely cathartic to me, even if it might occasionally creep some people out due to my incessant need to people watch.

Growing up, this led to the Food Network being one of my all-time favorite TV channels, which for a child or pre-teen is kind of strange for a kid with no actual interest in learning to cook. I loved watch Emeril Live, Unwrapped, and Good Eats whenever I got the chance, just because watching everyone enjoy themselves with good-looking food was exciting to me. As you can imagine, this led to me loving to watch others eat and enjoy themselves when eating.

So when I found out that there was an anime out there whose entire runtime was dedicated towards fantasy characters talking about good food and enjoying themselves eating good food, naturally I had to check it out.

Released between July 3 and September 18, 2017 and simulcasted on CrunchyRoll, Restaurant to Another World is based on a light novel by Junpei Inuzuka, which is still being written as of this review. This 12 episode slice-of-life cooking isekai covers only a portion of the light novel's content, leaving much excitement on my part for the possibility of a sequel series or second season someday.

The show has a tone that is unlike any isekai I have ever watched and, as I hope to show you in the article below, it makes Restaurant to Another World a singularly unique viewing experience.

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Larryboy and the Bad Apple (PS2) - Review

Well here is something different, a random PS2 game I found at a pawn shop. I have always been a big fan of VeggieTales and had no idea this game existed, so I got curious. Granted, a childhood cartoon made into a video game is a recipe for disaster, I was still very curious. How did this  Larryboy title fare? Click "read more" and I'll explain in my review.

Kamen Rider Agito (Playstation 1) Review

It has been awhile, but it is time for another dive into the realm of Kamen Rider video games.  So far we have had to cover nothing but cheap cash-ins here at the Emerald Rangers Ranch.  Will Kamen Rider Agito (AKA Masked Rider Agito) be the Kamen Rider game that will rise up and be a good game?  I severely doubt it, but we shall see in another exciting Kamen Rider video game review.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame Review

In the latter half of the 1990s, the Walt Disney Company's animation department had just passed the zenith of its power. Fresh off the heels of a string of monumental successes with films like Aladdin, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, Disney executives were absolutely certain that Disney animation could do no wrong, even in spite of the politics going-on behind the scenes, and began pushing heavily on their next big animation projects.

The Disney Renaissance had to continue, right?

First there was an adaptation of the story of Pocahontas, the Native American woman whose association with the Jamestown Colony had reached the annals of American legend which was released in 1995. It had to be good. This was the film that everyone wanted to be apart of, not The Lion King.

Reviews for the film were...lackluster at best. People criticized the appropriation of Native culture and the animation, which looked far too different from the last Disney outing featuring animated humans (Aladdin). The film made money, but for the first time, Disney executives realized that success wasn't a guarantee. Success was riding on their next big project.

So Disney pulled all the stops on their adaptation of Victor Hugo's most famous story after Les Misérables. They got the directing duo behind one of their biggest animated success The Lion King, they got Alan Menken on music, they got some of the best voice actors in the business.

1996's The Hunchback of Notre Dame was definitely going to be a hit...right?

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Mahin Sentai Kiramager Episode 1: The Mashin Are Born! - Summary/Review

With this, the 44th season has begun and 45th Super Sentai season has begun. (Thank you Lupin vs Pat for making the numbers out of sync.) However, unlike past seasons, this one had an Episode Zero movie so, we already generally know what to expect. This is both a beginning and a continuation. So, click "read more" and let's get this train rolling.

Green Phoenix - Goblin Slayer Review

NOTICE: GOBLIN SLAYER CONTAINS CONTENT THAT DEPICTS EXPLICIT ACTS OF VIOLENCE, INCLUDING SEXUAL VIOLENCE. I WILL DISCUSS THE TOPIC AT LENGTH AT SEVERAL POINTS IN THIS REVIEW. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VIEWER DISCRETION IF YOU CHOOSE TO WATCH THE SHOW.

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Last week, I did a review on the first season of Dr. Stone, an incredible anime for anyone who is a massive fan of science and technology. Which I am. So as you can imagine, I absolutely adored that anime and wanted to talk about it months after it first premiered. But there was another anime that I wanted to talk about for almost as long, but I was limited by circumstance and personal issues that I have with the anime, specifically in its first episode.

But I just love the concept behind Goblin Slayer way too much to not at least give a basic review on the show. It is somehow both a loving tribute to and a criticism of many of the underlying narrative elements present in the fantasy genre, especially in fantasy role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. As a D&D nerd myself, the concept immediately grabbed my attention, and barring the first episode, I was immediately hooked on the show. This was due in part to the word of Mother's Basement and other anime reviewers, which brought the show to my attention.

Such a grimdark and gritty exploration of a fantasy world, Goblin Slayer is not for the faint of heart but it is a realistic portrayal of the horrors of war and battle, and a criticism on a society that does not value those who engage in menial or necessary labors. So lets a dive into this controversy-ridden anime.

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GoGo Sentai Boukenger Task. 1: The Heart of the Demon God - Summary/Review

This should be an interesting Sentai because it was their 30th anniversary season. GoGo Sentai Boukenger or Rumbling Squadron Adventure Ranger. A treasure hunting themed season. Will this season be a treasure? Click "read more" and let's take a look.

Super Blue Fighter (Steam) Review.

When I heard that Super Blue Fighter existed, I thought that was a game based on the wrestler, The Blue Meanie.  Turns out that was not the case.  Nope.  Instead we have a neo-retro game that's trying to emulate the classic arcade games of the 1980's.  There's nothing wrong with that whatsoever, but how does it do at trying to be a game from that era?  Find out in my review of Super Blue Fighter for Steam.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full review.)

Green Phoenix - Dr. Stone (Season 1) Review

Before my passion for filmmaking and film criticism had fully crystallized, I was absolutely obsessed with science, technology, and mathematics. I've always fancied myself as a futurist, looking towards the latest scientific and technological advancements and imagining how our world could be improved by the widespread introduction of certain technologies.

This passion played heavily into my love of science fiction and alternate history, and it makes me deeply excited about any form of hard science fiction.

So when I saw advertisements on Crunchyroll for a new shonen anime early last year whose main protagonist wasn't a muscle-bound meathead, but a scrawny scientific genius struggling to rebuild a collapsed world. I was immediately hooked on the concept.

I ended up watching the show, spellbound at the portrayal of not only science and technology, but the depth of the characters, the moral philosophies and ideologies at play in the background, and a genuinely excellent mix of personality and humor from nearly every orifice of the show.

In truth, I wanted to talk about this show last year, but I wanted to finish the show in its entirety and make sure that we would, in fact, receive a second season. But it is, so...

...let's talk about the first season of Dr. Stone, one of my favorite animes in recent memory.

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