Spy X Family

 One of the few great manga from past 5 years that escaped my watch until recently. It was until Spy x Family getting anime adaptation that makes the series caught my attention and long story short i marathoned all 55 Chapters in single sitting. Taking in a cold war setting, Spy x Family tells the story of a Legendary Spy called "Twilight" who infiltrate enemy nation to unveil the secret of the Nation Leader through elaborate complex plan which requires him to have a fake family of a wife and child as part of the plan. But in a turns of strange event, The Spy's fake family member themselves are quite extraordinary too with a beautiful Professional Assassin played the role of the wife and a Psychic being the daughter in which only the latter know the truth.

 After reading through all current 55 Chapters, I could say Spy X Family is one of the manga from last decade that have one of the better writing. The Manga series put a good balance on Action, Suspense and Humor and still managed to stay on track with its genre. As history fan, i like how Spy X Family managed to replicate the atmosphere of Cold War Espionage quite well which other few mangas able to pull off notably with Golgo 13 which comes in mind. The main character himself might not be as badass as Duke Togo but Twillight is still well accomplished in his field as Spy.

 Time will tell how the series with end up, but with current quality of writing, i think Spy x Family could last for 100-200 Chapters just fine. For now lets hope that the anime adaptation next year won't distract the progress of a promising manga series like Spy X Family.

Joytoy 1/18 1st Legion Steel

 Joytoy is mostly well known for their 1/24 Mecha Toys that shares close aesthetics with Titanfall series, but from time to time they do make Military or Sci-Fi action figure both in 1/24 and 1/18 Scale as well. Recently there is a notable addition for their 1/18 action figure series dubbed 1st Legion Steel. The 1st Legion Steel featured Joytoy Original design of Power Armor action figure in 4 Variants. This lineup incorporated the cool elements from several Power Armor designs from series like Fallout, 40k or Dead Space. 

The 4 variants of Joytoy 1/18 1st Legion series are sold for 35 USD each which seems reasonable enough compared to Kotobukiya Hexagear that still require assembly. Out of the 4 Variants, The Green and Gray Power Armor variant interests me the most due to more unique selections for the Armaments. In any case i will keep a tab on the continuation of this series by Joytoy.

SSSS Gridman

  Another mecha anime from past few years that i gave a try with higher expectation due to the hype during its debut. SSSS Gridman was a reboot anime adapted from Tsuburaya older series, a company well known for their Ultraman series. During its inception, Gridman was probably created to serve as bridge for Tokusatsu and Mecha featuring Gridman, an Ultraman like character who can power up with giant vehicles to form some sort of hybrid mecha.

 But in the end SSSS Gridman proves to be a disappointment for a mecha fans like me. The series essentially focus too much on style over substance in order to target Teens as the main audience. The storyline of SSSS Gridman gets as barebone as its gets where a group of teenagers team up with Gridman in order to confront Kaijus that attacked their cities while attempting to locate the mastermind of the Kaiju attacks. In defense, 12 episodes can't really facilitate anything complex but i have to say the effort on the story is disappointing because even Yuusha series which are more than 2 decades could come up with something better. The mecha design in Gridman is also a failure for me as they are just feel something cobbled up together instead of being properly designed which make it a big miss. Perhaps Gridman would fared batter if they go with more organic route instead of the blocky mess.

 One thing you won't deny from Gridman is they have very nice eye candy as distraction, Rikka and Takane easily some of the most popular waifus in the period of late 2018/early 2019 being an oversexualized female teenager doing fanservices. SSSS Gridman is probably one of the anime series that you would enjoy more when you turned your brains off and don't think anything too much out of the series. I think Dynazenon would maintain the fanservice level quite well though i doubt the overall value will be any better compared to SSSS Gridman.

Back Arrow

 The latest Mecha anime made by Sunrise early this year that caught my attention since Bandai released some merchandise for this series despite the uncertainty whether the series will turn into hit. Overall Back Arrow had interesting concepts and characters but mediocre execution combined with meh mecha design makes it a mediocre mecha series which are forgettable by next season.

 The story of Back Arrow starts with a amnesiac young man fell from the sky who comes with mysterious power unseen before in the world. Accompanied with companions, the young man traveled around the two major nations that makes up the majority of the world to uncover his past which is tied to the fate of the world which are surrounded by walls of unknown origin on its ends.

 Back Arrow tells the story of the world that serves as the source of nourishment and pruned off if certain parameter exceed the limit which share some similarities with Ranceverse. The issue with Back Arrow using this trope is that the existence of character that exist as reset button is not justifiable enough in the series since it lack the bleakness for these Destroyer type to start exist. Mecha design is probably the weakest part of Back Arrow for me which i find the designs suit more as power armor for a series like Tiger&Bunny.

 Despite its glaring weaknesses, i do find some of the casts to be enjoyable which are rarity for Sunrise mecha series from last decade. The Emperor and Strategist guy certainly takes the crown of honor with the former is a good expy of Master Asia and the latter drives the storyline most of the part. Back Arrow might not be the best Mecha series that Sunrise could offer but i guess it is still more tolerable compared to Valvrave.

Onmyoji Nendoroid 1608 Shiranui

 

 After a long string of Male Shikigami Nendoroids for Onmyoji series, the songstress waifu Shiranui joins in for a change of pace. Nendoroid Shiranui is sold for 6200 Yen Price tag and scheduled for December 2021 release. 

 Shiranui is one the featured Shikigami in OA last year and she easily catches attention during her debut and remains to be one of the most popular Shikigami to this day as well as being one of the most banned Shiki in the higher ranked game. In OA Shiranui takes position as Mage/Jungler but most player utilize her as mid role with high mobility and burst damage which can easily wreck havoc on enemy team when used by skilled player. Shiranui had everything that it takes to be a popular waifu character with her gorgeous design complemented with tragic background story. I am not familiar with Onmyoji RPG storyline but Shiranui was a beautiful young maiden famed with her singing and dancing skill who attempted to kill herself in order to avoid being married to cruel lord only to turn into her current Shiranui form when she came into contact with the mystical spirit of the island.

 If i had Shiranui as my Shikigami main, i would have preordered this Nendoroid in an instant because Nao Touyama did really wonderful job voicing this character. This popular seiyuu's role as Shiranui  is way even better compared to her FGO characters because i guess she doesn't have the role to play the main heroine role in the latter game yet. I am still waiting Nendoroid release for Yoto or Hououga for my Onmyoji collection but i may be even willing to get one for Hakuro or Miketsu depending on which skin. In any case you can try to listen Shiranui image song which Nao Touyama did a great job on it,

 

Arknights Nendoroid 1715 Doctor

  It took 10 Operators from Arknights but our beloved mysterious main character, Doktah himself made his appearance in Nendoroid form! Nendoroid 1715 Doctor will be scheduled for June release with 6500 Yen Price tag. Surprisingly Doktah comes with generous amount of accessories ranging from Sanity Bar to Kettle to replicate the infamous low sanity moment where Doktah cooking instant noodle in his mouth. This Nendoroid rendition of the self-insert protagonist of Arknights is certainly a good bargain compared to some Operator Nendoroid who come with less accessory for the same price. But Just like Nendoroid Gudako/Gudao, this nendoroid of Doktah is practically essential when you collect plenty of Operators which certainly will easily pile up with the good amount of Waifus from Arknights.

In Arknights, Doktah is the one of the top leader of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical company that is practically a PMC in a disaster struck world of Terra. His background remains enigmatic until this day but he is a very capable commander who lead his operators to victory, During his pre-amnesia period, Doktah was a rather ruthless leader but in the game he is implied to be quite considerate toward his operators which is why there are plenty of romance options in the game. What attracts me with Arknights version of Self-Insert character is his close similarity with Hakuoro from Utawarerumono who are mysterious character, charismatic enough to lead an army but probably possess some sort of superpower as his trump card. In any case i will look forward to the future Nendoroid rendition for Angelina and Skadi.

Taiyou no Yuusha Fighbird - Super Minipla Draias

  Yuusha series is getting some attention from Bandai again this year and we are getting some Miniplas for Taiyou no Yuusha Fighbird! Apart from the titular mecha Fighbird, Bandai is releasing Minipla for the main antagonist mecha and Fighbird's nemesis; Draias. Super Minipla Draias is scheduled for February 2022 release with 6300 Yen Price tag as P-Bandai release.

 Draias is easily one of the coolest Antagonist Yuusha mecha from Yuusha series because it is a gattai Mecha formed by Lion, Dragon and Eagle. In terms Design, Draias could have easily passed as protagonist mecha because it is probably one of those scrapped design for Protagonist Yuusha mecha, but Takara at the time picked it as Antagonist mecha due to its imposing look. For a mecha formed from beast mecha, Draias has rather sick looking Plane Mode which somehow works out quite well to the extent to have some of its element incorporated into Fighbird's successor, Da Garn. As a kid, i used to have Draias Toy which i was quite fond of and thus i am still looking for newest take on this cool Yuusha antagonist. Hopefully Draias could make it as Yuusha Retsuden or The Gattai which is more in my hitzone compared to Super Minipla.

Osamu Tezuka Black Jack

  Another Osamu Tezuka-sensei works to discuss here, either Astroboy or this series called Blackjack is what probably play a prominent role in the rise of Tezuka-Sensei. Blackjack is arguably the precursor of Doctor-themed manga in Japanese manga industry, probably most of the manga that dabbled in this theme especially had to do with Surgery stuff paid some homage to Black Jack one way or another. This manga narrates the adventure of an unlicensed Doctor named Black Jack who had a disfigured face but possess godlike skill when it comes to surgery and had a reputation of avarice, charging hefty sum to his patients. Accompanied by his girl sidekick Pinoko, Black Jack will use his talent in surgery to all sorts of patients which sometimes make him encounter life-and-death encounter.

 Tezuka-sensei is well known as had a background in medicine who had a choice to be a doctor but become a mangaka instead. He certainly put more of his medical knowledge in Black Jack compared to Hidamari no Ki and i think he had penchant of using Peritonitis in this work. Black Jack is a great classic that explore the social facet of modern medicine industry and exposes its ugly side which undoubtedly had become abomination by this time. Out of  main protagonists from Tezuka's work, i quite like Black Jack because he uses his wits more compared to brute force and are not as bullheaded. Black Jack might be an outcast of his society but he had a firm sense of morality and even help some patients for free if they deserves it. Blackjack probably develop a reputation of avarice in order to protect himself since he often encounters people from shady background in his line of business who sometimes attempt to backstab.

 While the drawing style does not age well, Black Jack is definitely belong to must-read list from Tezuka-sensei's work. The english version of the manga spans over 17 volumes though i feel it could have gone longer since the manga finished somewhat in a cliffhanger. On an another note, Adult version of Pinoko would be quite a beauty if she is given a modern take of her design.

Guardian Tales

 Another Gacha Game that i encountered recently and i think this one will survive for quite a while. Guardian tales is a roguelike hack and slash Gacha game featuring retro 16-bit style sprites made by Korean dev named Kong Studio. I have tried Counter:Side before which is another Korean made Gacha Game that has somewhat sleek presentation. But the latter doesn't suit my liking due to its time demanding nature and rather lousy Gacha rate in terms of value-to-time ratio. 

 On the other hand, Guardian Tales is one of the least time demanding Gacha game i have encountered. Compared to Arknights which forces you to spend at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for daily grind, In Guardian Tales you can just spend 5 minutes a day to use of your stamina resources for grinding mats since this game have auto-resolve option for stages that you have completed before on top of auto grind option. Guardian Tales offers nice change of pace for me after getting burned out from Uma Musume which forces you to grind at least 2 hours per day to stay competitive. 

 In terms of Gacha Rate, Guardian Tales offer no pity rates but there is a mileage system where you can exchange for SSR of your choice once you had 300 Gacha pulls. Speaking about downside though, the premium currency pricing, Guardian Tales falls on the range slightly above Arknights, but it does offer some good bundle from time to time. Power Creep is somewhat an issue in Guardian Tales because only SSR units and some SR units worth investing in resources while the 1* units are just lef in the dust

 Speaking about Uma Musume, the game have slowly lost its luster to me personally. In terms of production value, Uma Musume is still no doubt amazing but given its gameplay model, i think the series would have fared better as Console Game instead of Gacha because the daily grind is just a big pain when you have done it over 300 times. I am just amazed some Japanese are willing to commit so much time over the monotonous grind for some paltry change of Gacha currency.

 Going back to Guardian Tales, the game's production value is nowhere close to the top Gacha Games but it makes a very good secondary Gacha in case you need one due to very low amount of commitment this game demands from players. The gameplay might be simple hack and slash but it still offer moderate amount of customization which may make worth you stick around with Guardian Tales . 

Osamu Tezuka Phoenix

 Osamu Tezuka is no doubt one of the most legendary figure in Japan Manga Industry with plethora of his works. However if i have to pick one works that serves as the testament of Tezuka-sensei's legacy, it would be either Buddha or this manga called Phoenix. Phoenix is another manga that i should have read earlier because it is just really that good, the drawing style might be old school, the story that the Tezuka tried to convey with Phoenix simply amazing.

 Using mystical creature Phoenix, the undying legendary firebird, Tezuka-sensei explored the big question of Life itself which spans from the ancient civilization up to far flung future. Utilising obsession toward immortality tied to Phoenix, Tezuka-sensei did a well done job in fleshing out the ugly side of humanity and the portrayal of life and death cycle along with the futility to avoid it in this work quite well. The protagonist in each arks find themselves in predicament revolving Phoenix directly by seeking immortality or indirectly through the whims of other people who are usually powerful figures. The story might get confusing at first due to sudden timeskip but everything will make sense once you read through the series.

 I don't really have particular favorite character in phoenix as most of the protagonists are way too stubborn to a fault, but i have a liking to the clone arc where a man find his clones end up being slaughter target for reality show due to his foolish intention toward Phoenix but eventually find way to redeem himself. Unfortunately the series never truly completed as Tezuka-sensei passed away before he could completed this work which is probably one of his remaining regret through his illustrious career. Phoenix is unquestionably masterpiece despite being unfinished work, and you will be astounded the depth of this series for a old school series.
 

Alexandros - Dream for World Conquest

 

 When it comes to manga retelling the tales about Alexander the Great, Historie comes to mind to be the best candidate so far. But if you want something that is more condensed then there is this manga called Alexandros around the corner. This manga recounts the main events of Alexander the Great campaign complete from his battles against Darius until his adventure to far east and even covers briefly the aftermath of Alexander's death. If you have read Historie before you will be familiar with most of the characters since Alexandros give quite good coverage for Alexander's main retainers with Lysimachus being the main focus in this one, Eumenes made some appearance but he only plays minor role in this one. Since it is only one volume, don't expect too much detail but the artist definitely try to evoke the grandeur of Alexander's journey in his best quality. I think the mangaka could cover the Diadochi period if he was given a chance to draw one more volume but i suppose it will be up to the future mangaka to pick up this one. On a side note, the mangaka of Alexandros is also the one in charge of Gundam Origin illustration, so you might feel that this version of Alexander looks abit like Amuro

Jigoku Shoujo

  One of the classic 2000 Anime series that had quite a following in its time which i only managed to complete its 4 season marathon recently. The series follow after the journey of a mysterious girl named Enma Ai who served on behalf of Hell to send a person directly judged to hell for the begrudged at a price of their soul in afterlife. At first i thought Jigoku Shoujo would be more intense in its horror theme due to its nature but turns out to be still quite mild compared to something like Ghost Hunt. The series could have cranked up the Horror if they want to do as showcased in some episodes but i suppose they want the series to be accessible for teen audience. Jigoku Shoujo spans over 4 seasons though only the first 3 Season can be considered full anime season since it is not easy to get fundings for 26 Anime episodes nowadays.

 While Jigoku Shoujo is episodic in its nature, where Enma accepting errands and send people to hell, each of the first 3 Season of the series had overarching theme in relation to Enma's Past, Present and Future which is tied to particular character that had relationship to Enma in some way. The first season had a Journalist whose ancestor had personal bond with Enma when she was human, while second season feature a young boy whose life drastically changed from witnessing Enma in action and finally third season had a middle school girl who is supposed to be Enma's future successor.

 While Enma supposed to accept request by people who is wronged by perpetrator who are unable to be judged by law, most of the clients are just as insufferable and no better than the people who wronged them especially the teens. Even Enma's subordinates which are bunch of Youkais had better shred of humanity compared to these clients showing that how depraved human nature could be. Just like Death Note, I think Jigoku Shojo just try to show that supernatural power to kill people does no good in the hands of human as they will end up misusing it anyway. 

Despite the animation didn't aged particularly well, Jigoku Shoujo story are still good enough if you want to get some fix of pulpy mild horror anime. There are probably attempts to revive Jigoku Shoujo series but personally i would love to see the ultimate fate of journalist guy from the 1st season.

Kino no Tabi - The Beautiful World -

 

   Another anime series in my backlog that i finished recently and Majo no tabitabi is definitely based on this. There are two versions of Kino no Tabi, the one made in 2003 and 2017. I tried to watch the 2017 version but ended up visited the 2003 one first. Kino no Tabi tells the story about a boyish girl named Kino travelling to all sorts of places with a sentient motorbike named Hermes as her partner. The series explores the ideas throughout the history of humanity through the places that Kino visited, some places are pleasant trip while a few can be a downright anarchic where Kino had to fight for her survival. Both 2003 and 2017 version had its own merit as each have their own separate story to tell with only about 3 episodes that had similarity. Personally i find 2003 version story are more interesting but darker at the same time, while the 2017 gives more screentime for supporting characters that Kino encounter throughout her journey. Personally Kino no Tabi deserves second season because there a much from 20 volumes of Light Novel material that can be covered. In any case this is a superior version of Majo no Tabitabi

Densetsu no Yuusha Da Garn The GATTAI Gaon

 

 It was quicker than expected since i thought it would have taken GSC more than 6 months to follow up the GATTAI Da Garn X, but here comes the Lion Sidekick Gaon! The GATTAI Gaon is scheduled for May 2022 Release with 22000 Yen Price tag, slightly below the GATTAI Da Garn X. Just like its partner counterpart, this version of Gaon comes with transformation gimmick and obviously include capability to combine with Da Garn X to from Great Da Garn X as its main selling point.

 Gaon is one of the last Yuusha to join protagonist team in Densetsu no Yuusha Da Garn, Gaon is one of the handful Yuusha in its series that taken Beast form as part of its transformation apart from Hawk Saber and Seven Changer though the latter is quite an exception. Compared to Da Garn, Gaon is more of a close combat fighter dual wielding Guns and Tomahawk to get the job done but for some reason  Great Da Garn X which is result from combination of Da Garn X and Gaon heavily focus on ranged firepower  with the Big Guns and Missiles.

I have come to notice that Great Da Garn X is basically Da Garn having Gaon as its external armor parts, which is abit derpy but still not the worst of the Main Yuusha Final Form. In any case this version of  Gaon is a must get for those who have ordered the GATTAI Da Garn X.

Kami no Shizuku / The Drops of God

 Another hidden underrated gem which its translation only accessible for the whole series recently. If Oishinbo focused only about wine industry and given modern breath of artstyle, you got yourself Kami no Shizuku! This manga is a legendary series at its own right which explore the world of wine through the rivalry of two men in 44 volumes of manga. The premise of the series is about a Son of a prominent Wine critic found himself fighting for his father's inheritance against a famous young wine critic in a battle of finding wines riddled as "12 Apostles of God" which ultimately will lead to the legendary Wine bearing the title of "Drops of God". 

 The manga explores the world of Wine which lead the main characters travel around the globe obviously including a good portion of time in Wine Birthplace France, to find the God Apostles Wine. The main character, Shizuku Kanzaki might look disadvantaged at first in the fight of 12 Apostles Wine as he is merely a salaryman who is pitted against Issei Tomine, a young Wine Critic who is at the peak of his popularity whose talents are real deal. However Shizuku, gifted with very sharp sense of taste and almost godlike perception when it comes to wines due to his upbringing proves to be serious challenge for Tomine in each of the 12 fights for the Apostles Wine.

Kami no Shizuku main strength lies at the vivid visualization of Wines which the main character portrays in very elaborate fashion. This selling point is what makes the manga a very interesting read even for readers who are not familiar with Wines and it is very enjoyable read for those who appreciate arts in general. The Journey of these Shizuku and Tomine for the Drops of Gods does not exactly end in Kami no Shizuku as the series has another sequel which spans over 26 Volumes that only finished last year. Hopefully it won't take too long for the Finale Part getting translation but in any case Kami no Shizuku is still very good read on its own right.