The first look at Captain Marvel has found its way online!
Yesterday, Brie Larson and Entertainment Weekly came together on Twitter to tease something “Marvel-ous”, and today they teamed-up once more to release the first look at Marvel Studios’ next superhero blockbuster (its first with a female lead), Captain Marvel.
The first look, which comes in the form of an EW cover and an image from the movie, gives us a great first look at Larson as Carol Danvers aka. Captain Marvel.
Check out the cover and the image below:
“She can’t help but be herself,” Larson tells EW. “She can be aggressive, and she can have a temper, and she can be a little invasive and in your face. She’s also quick to jump to things, which makes her amazing in battle because she’s the first one out there and doesn’t always wait for orders. But the [not] waiting for orders is, to some, a character flaw.”
While Larson’s Carol Danvers was teased in the credits of Avengers: Infinity War, the characters solo movie will take place before the events of that movie, in the 1990’s. Captain Marvel will then join the remaining members of The Avengers to take down Thanos in the still untitled Avengers 4.
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film stars Brie Larson (Carol Danvers), Jude Law (Mar-Vell), Gemma Chan (Doctor Minerva), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Ben Mendelsohn, Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson), Lee Pace (Ronan) and Djimon Hounsou (Korath the Pursuer).
Barry manages to close the Umbrax using the Still Force while Aquaman battles Black Manta, Cheetah, and Grodd with two huge sharks. Also, Hawkgirl holds off Lex Luthor at the Totality and claims it for the League while realizing she’s somehow profoundly connected to all of this.
On top of everything else, John Stewart continues to fight Sinestro and hold off the Ultraviolet Corps with his new Green Lantern ring that manifested itself out of thin air. And if all of this wasn’t enough, the issue wraps up with Starman time traveling from the past to deliver a message while Lex makes a deal with the Batman Who Laughs to help defeat the Justice League and access the Totality.
The Stage Isn’t Too Big
Snyder did a tremendous job throughout the first arc having the heroes come together and gradually find a way to win. The Justice League doesn’t win on the last page with a newly created magic metal or a magical wish. The League wins with heart, determination, and true teamwork that has been building since issue one. Snyder found a way to get as many heroes involved as possible, gave them each a purpose, and showed readers a Justice League that worked together to overcome a universal disaster throughout multiple issues. Snyder did a fantastic job balancing so much in this opening arc and showed fans that the stage isn’t too big for him to handle.
Enjoyable but Complicated
Snyder’s wrap up issue still seemed complex and overly intricate. His attempts at explaining the Totality, the Umbrax, and the Still Force were present in the issue, but after several reads continued to confuse. But, even though Snyder may have left some readers bewildered (or maybe just me), the overall plot was exciting and enjoyable. Ironically, the story felt complete even though it had many purposeful dangling plot threads. Snyder made this issue feel important and worthy of fans time while keeping each character true to his or her heritage and roots. There is no doubt that Snyder captures the voice of every character throughout the issue.
The Art
Jim Cheung’s pencils were remarkably detailed, stimulating, and vibrant. Cheung’s backgrounds were thorough, his designs of the characters faces and hands were precise, and each Justice League member was drawn so well with appropriate poses and action sequences. Mark Morales and Walden Wong’s inks were clean and crisp while Tomeu Morey’s colors packed a heavy punch on each page. Tom Napolitano’s lettering brought the issue together, making the movement from panel to panel feel natural and organic. Together, this team didn’t miss a beat following Jorge Jimenez and his art team. Snyder is working with some fantastic artists on Justice League that help to elevate the book to another level.
Should you buy this issue and/or add it to your pull list?
Cheung’s pencils, Morey’s colors, as well as Morales and Wong’s inks, were simply phenomenal. Snyder’s story was captivating and fun regardless of this reviewer’s lack of understanding in a variety of areas. Ultimately, no one can doubt Snyder’s creativity and passion for DC Comics. The man is a legend. However, sometimes his ideas here become somewhat busy and complicated, which can pull readers out of the story. For example, what are the rules with the Still Force and Totality moving forward? The good news is, as the writer, Snyder can create and establish the rules to be whatever he wants. Regardless, the issue is worth the buy and should still be on your pull list moving forward. The genuine hope is that readers gain clarity as the series continues and Snyder further develops some of the rules surrounding these fantastically epic and other-worldly forces moving forward.
What did you guys think of JUSTICE LEAGUE #7? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Cable easily handles Galactus, Frank takes on a sea of Marvel heroes, and Uatu becomes a babysitter all in this week’s COSMIC GHOST RIDER #3 by the insanely creative Donny Cates. Let’s time slide by one into this issue!
The Cosmic Ghost Rider fights off Cable, the new Guardians of the Galaxy from that timeline, and basically, every other Marvel character Cable can time slide at him. While Frank fights off Cable’s horde of heroes from the future, Uatu babysits Thanos to make sure he doesn’t watch any of the bloodsheds. However, this doesn’t work out very well, and Thanos gets in on the action. After Frank takes everyone out, the issue ends with Thanos arriving from the future wearing a Punisher outfit and calling Frank “Dad.” WHAT! Could this story get anymore more nuts?
The Goods
The imagination and creativity of Cates can’t be matched right now. After reading Cosmic Ghost Rider #3, your jaw will drop in utter amazement. Cates’ witty humor, as well as his innovative and original ideas, from Howard the Duck as Juggernaut, Pym Particles to stop Galactus, or even his brilliant use of Cable time sliding to grab 100’s of heroes to help, will blow your mind.
Also, through all the chaos, the battles, and insane character guest spots, the plot is so incredibly easy to follow. From the first page, Cates’ story is filled with relentless action leaving fans enraptured by the story. Maybe it’s the fact that Cates is given free rein to do practically anything in this story without any repercussions (at least that we know of), but Cosmic Ghost Rider #3 is what can happen when a writer is given latitude to explore the universe, it’s history, and it’s characters without the concern of continuity and backlash. Fans need more writers like Cates.
The Art
Dylan Burnett’s art has a bit of Saturday morning cartoon mixed with his own wild, kinetic, and bloody flare. There is no doubt that Burnett had a great time drawing this issue. His art style is over the top but often times busy and hard to follow with so much happening on each page. Occasionally, this reviewer treated each page as an Easter Egg Hunt trying to spot all the cameos of severed heads of heroes sprinkled throughout the pages. Also, Burnett’s punk rock feel fits well with Cates’ theme for the book.
Furthermore, Antonio Fabela’s colors seemed warm, muddy, and dull at times taking away from some of the action and battle scenes. However, Fabela’s color choices fit the dark and twisted mood of the comic well. Clayton Cowles letters escorted the reader through the story efficiently and helped to focus your attention on the explosive areas of the issue. Overall, the art team didn’t take anything away from the issue. However, the issue wasn’t as crisp, clean, and detailed as some may prefer.
Should you buy this issue and/ or add it to your pull list?
Call your comic shop now! Tell them you want Cosmic Ghost Rider #1-3 AND that you want the rest of the series added to your pull list. Cates is not holding anything back, and you genuinely don’t want to miss the next issue with Thanos as the Punisher. The art may not be my cup of tea, but it certainly does the job nicely and adds that particular burst to each page taking this series to another level. Cates is on fire right now, and everyone just needs to get out of his way and let the man “do what he does!” As a fan, just kick back and watch the craziness unfold. Trust me; you’ll love every minute of it!
What did you guys think of COSMIC GHOST RIDER #3? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
A 12-year-old girl is introduced to a family of assassins, hitmen, and murder generations in the making in this week’s UNITED STATES VS. MURDER INC. #1 as Brian Michael Bendis debuts another Jinxworld original. Let’s jump in and take a look!
CREATED BY: Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming
COLORS: Taki Soma
LETTERS: Carlos Mangual
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
U.S. VS MURDER INC. SPOILERS TOO!
Summary
The story opens with a little girl named Jagger telling a story to her class about her father being pushed off a building to his death. As her Uncle Jake comes to pick her up from school, readers find out that Jagger was not only telling the truth, but her father was a trained hitman. After school, Jagger’s Uncle takes her to a guy that’s tied up, beaten, and gagged. It turns out; this is the man that pushed her Dad off the building and killed him.
At this moment in the story, Jagger chose to go down the path of her father, her Uncle, and her family before her. She decided to join the business at that moment by stabbing the man who killed her father through the eye. As the story ends, readers see Jagger raised by her Uncle Jake from 12 years old until she finally gets her opportunity to impress the Padrino. However, her last challenge is a fight to the death against some muscle-bound goon. Can Jagger survive and become the first female trained assassin in her family line?
The Goods
Bendis’ debut of UNITED STATES VS. MURDER INC. was fast, clever, and unique. Readers have seen female assassins in comics and movies alike, but often the narrative is centered around their adulthood. Bendis’ issue shows readers the introduction to the family business and bounces around from time period to time period smoothly.
From start to finish, UNITED STATES VS. MURDER INC. was straightforward and easy to understand. Bendis laid out Jagger’s motivation for becoming an assassin for hire early on and gradually gave readers a little taste of each aspect of her life to that point. My hope is that Bendis continues to focus more on Jagger learning the ”craft” and less on the present.
The Art
Michael Avon Oeming’s art is definitely his own style. He uses clean, angular, sharp edges and thick, dark lines which portray a shadowy cartoon-like tone that’s contradictory to what the reader may be expecting from a more adult-themed comic. Taki Soma, who’s worked with this group of guys before, uses different color schemes in different panels to help change and elevate the mood of the issue very well. Oeming and Soma’s artistic style is not my favorite blend for this type of story. However, the clashing differences between this approach with the plot are an interesting choice that has left me more curious for what’s to come.
In addition to Oeming and Soma’s contributions, Carlos Mangual’s lettering was well placed and guided the narrative fluently. However, the placement of the time stamp on page 14 was at the bottom of the page instead of the top and put these panels six years into the past. At first read, my impression was the sniper scene took place the same day as when Jagger stabbed her Dad’s killer, which was not the case. This didn’t hinder the overall plot, but it did take me out of the story for a bit while placing the time period.
Should you buy this issue and add it to your pull list?
From the first page, Bendis grabbed the readers attention by showing Jagger’s father falling to his doom and he never let off the gas throughout the rest of the issue. Normally, my enjoyment comes from Superheroes and Science Fiction comics. However, this issue caught me by surprise making this reviewer excited for what’s to come.
In short, I strongly recommend readers give UNITED STATES VS. MURDER INC. a chance, especially if you’re a Bendis fan. The story makes sense, the character motivations seem genuine, and the female lead shows so much development in just one issue that you’ll be excited to see her transformation in the next issue. From the perspective of a Superhero, Sci-Fi fan, give this issue a buy, add it to your pull list for now, and tell me what you think. This reviewer stepped out of his comfort zone and landed on something compelling and intriguing. Maybe you will too?
What did you guys think of U.S. VS. MURDER INC. #1? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!
Marvel’s Iron Fist Season two hits Netflix Friday, and the first episode ‘The Fury of Iron Fist’ brings a refreshing new tone to the series as the drama moves from the boardroom to the streets of Chinatown.
‘The Fury of Iron Fist’ has excitement, with two major action sequences and a few quick spurts of hand to hand combat. The cinematography is what stood out most about the episode, with most of it filmed at night. There’s a gritty dampness to the scene selection, giving a feel of evil creeping into the city. The last few minutes of the episode had no dialogue and relied on the cinematography to convey the emotion, and it does. You will be compelled to watch the next episode.
The plot of the episode is straightforward and sets up the series well. The weight of the world is about to be dumped on Danny Rand, and it is up to the Iron Fist to dig himself out. Danny’s relationship with Collen evolves well to where you feel for the couple and want to see them succeed. As soon as you see Ward Meachum, you can’t stand him. It will be interesting to see what his story arc is for the season. Joy, on the other hand, is at the beginning of her origin story and the path she takes will be exciting to watch.
Marvel’s Iron Fist
Finn Jones finally feels comfortable as Danny and the Iron Fist, and his surfer delivery fits the character. Jessica Henwick (Colleen) seems to have the most compelling on-screen presence, and Tom Pelphrey (Ward) has the ability to steal the show. The cast has grown in the acting craft since the first season.
The only issue is with Davos, it is hard to find him intimidating. The Steel Serpent needs to become pure evil and strike fear in the hearts of men. Sacha Dhawan is a good actor, but the size difference between Jones ruins all the tension. All the praise I gave the cinematography crew above, they need to work on finding a better angle when Davos and Danny are on screen together.
Overall, now that the show is past the origin the series will improve immensely. Season two can get to the good stuff like the Iron Fist battling it out, and the viewer can sit back and enjoy the binge.
This is the first of 10 reviews of the second season. After you binge watch the show come back and give us your thoughts in the comment section below.
The American Dream Dusty Rhodes introduces us to the talent that would eventually become the greats in BOOM! Studios’WWE NXT TAKEOVER: THE BLUEPRINT #1.
BOOM! Studios – WWE NXT TAKEOVER: THE BLUEPRINT #1
STORY
A lot of former WWE talent are now instructors and trainers at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, the home of WWE’s NXT developmental program. The man behind the character development was the late, great Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes was known for his charisma and his microphone skills were unrivaled.
Dennis Hopeless, writer of the ongoing monthly WWE comic book for BOOM! Studios, takes us hand-in-hand with Dusty as he explores the backstage area of NXT and the Performance Center.
BOOM! Studios – WWE NXT TAKEOVER: THE BLUEPRINT #1
We get to meet some of his favorite prodigies. Dusty teaches TheUsos how to tag correctly to claim the victory together and calms the hot heads of Seth Rollins and Jinder Mahal. He sees potential in pairing Xavier Woods and Big E Langston and is curiously disturbed by the quirkiness of the Wyatt Family. We also get introduced to Paige, a 19-year-old British wrestling royalty, who is probably the talent who Dusty loved to push the most.
Little did he know before his untimely passing in 2015 what each of these superstars would become.
ART
Though we have the usual writer in Dennis Hopeless, colorist in Doug Garbark, and letterer in Jim Campbell, this issue’s artwork is done by Jake Elphick.
Elphick’s depictions of WWE talent are a little more exaggerated with larger-than-normal facial features and bulky muscles. Figuring out who each person was before I read the text was a little more difficult than I’d like, but the attention to detail in the ring attire and (lack of) tattoos is a nice touch, considering this particular issue is taking place during the dawn of the NXT brand in the early- to mid-2010s.
BOOM! Studios – WWE NXT TAKEOVER: THE BLUEPRINT #1
Garbark’s transition of color pallets when the story shifts from superstar to superstar is flawless, weaving the story together but allowing each superstar his or her own spotlight. Campbell’s lettering ties the story together smoothly, as usual.
CONCLUSION
Getting to take a trip back in time to when the NXT brand came to be is incredibly fun. It’s interesting to see what an influence that Dusty had on these green newbies, shaping and molding them into the household names that they are today.
I’m looking forward to reading about NXT over the next few weeks, as BOOM! Studios is releasing a new NXT story each week in September.
This week sees the release of NIGHTWING #48, the start of a new high-octane and action-packed motorcycle race driven arc called ‘Harm’s Way’. Series writer Ben Percy sat down with us at Monkeys Fighting Robots to get us up to speed and ready for the starting line.
Ben Percy Interview
MFR: Ben, once again big thanks for talking to us at Monkeys Fighting Robots!
Percy:Thanks for helping make some noise about NIGHTWING. (Also, I love the name of your site, so I really can’t resist).
MFR: Thank you! So, NIGHTWING#48 is the start of a new arc, ‘Harm’s Way’, which spills out of events in the NIGHTWING ANNUAL #1. For those who didn’t read the annual, can you give us a little setup?
Percy:There is a connection to the annual, but you could also jump on here without understanding it. ‘Harm’s Way’ is a two-issue story, and in it, we’re paying homage to Grant Morrison. And by that I mean it’s completely gonzo. Pure fun. Jacked with adrenaline. This is the greatest motorcycle race in the cosmos. The winner gets to ask one question of the Pathway Altar, which is a cosmic search engine that can access deep space and time. Readers are going to encounter a lot of characters they recognize, including old favorites like Flamingo and Professor Pyg (and his cleaver-wielding dollotrons) and new favorites like The Silencer (from the New Age of Heroes). Again, the connection to the annual is minimal but present. Nightwing is in the race because The Dark Web has muscled him into a corner. His friends—Vicki Vale and Willem Cloke—are being held hostage. If he doesn’t win the race, they die. But if he does win the race, The Dark Web hacks the Pathway Alter. It’s a can’t-must situation that cranks up the stakes.
MFR: Holy shit..the Flamingo and Professor Pyg?! What made you want to use these Grant Morrison created modern classics?
Percy:I’ll outright say here that Morrison wrote some of my favorite Nightwing stories and I wanted to pay my respects and channel some of his legacy.
MFR:What appealed to you about Silencer to use her in ‘Harm’s Way’?
Percy:I’d love to see more New Age of Heroes characters show up elsewhere. If you haven’t read ‘The Silencer’ yet, do so. Fantastic story, fantastic art. She’s a really exciting addition to the DC roster. So the simple answer is: I was a fan. I thought she’d be the perfect character to draw into an action story that’s all about someone who’s trapped in a compromised position. Her situation—with Leviathan—matches Nightwing’s situation with The Dark Web.
MFR: Where did the idea for the island of Diobhail and the race come from? It seems to have such a rich mythology and backstory.
Percy:I read an article a few years ago about an actual motorcycle race that takes place every year on the Isle of Man (off the coast of Ireland). People come from all over the world (including celebrities, politicians, and businessmen). Injuries and death are commonplace. I took that concept and supersized it—gave it a rich mythology that hopefully, other writers can draw upon. I’m always trying to build upon the DCU rather than simply garden what others have done. So the Isle of Harm is a place where time and space…are frail. The roads here, which were built by a druid, might seem like ten miles at a glance, but could, in fact, go on for a thousand. There are obstacles that defy the laws of physics and caves that are in fact portals to other dimensions. And at the very summit of the island, you’ll find the Pathway Alter, which is guarded by a Celtic deity.
MFR: You have bar fights, motorcycle races, and chases. Was it hard to write a chapter with so much ‘movement’ and ‘action’ in a medium like comics?
Percy:We wanted to give the audience something tonally different. Variety is essential to keeping readers engaged month after month. So we’re coming off a cyberpunk mystery—with The Bleeding Edge storyline—which had plenty of action, but was also super moody and raised some heavy questions about identity and cyberterror. This, by contrast, is an adrenaline-fueled romp—a story that would have cost a hundred million to shoot as a film. But in comics, the special effects budget is unlimited, so you might as well go hog wild.
MFR: With all the characters, locations and action scenes, AmancayNahuelpan and Nick Filardi do some truly dynamic work. What was it like working with the art team on this rollicking issue?
Percy:I was very lucky to partner up with AmancayNahuelpan. This was NOT an easy story to draw. There are no quiet moments. It’s high-octane from start to finish, with panels crowded with detail and insane geographies and speed-speed-speed driving it forward. He absolutely killed it. And Nick Filardi’s colors only enhanced the otherworldly effect of the amazing art along with the sense of speed and danger.
MFR: What can readers expect from ‘Harm’s Way’?
Percy:If they pick up [NIGHTWING #48], I can guarantee them love, happiness, and fortune. They will add another decade to their life expectancy. They will be able to slam dunk a basketball. I can’t guarantee that they will suddenly become the owner of a cherry-red Lamborghini, but I’m not ruling it out either. Also: the story is fun as shit. I hope people give it a shot.
MFR: Can you tease us with anything?
Percy:Well, I would totally tell you about the huge, top-secret, game-changing event that’s coming in NIGHTWING #50, but then the DC publicity department would shoot me with a tranquilizer dart before I could utter a word.
Nightwing #48 hits comic shops on Wednesday, September 5, 2018.
Are you picking up NIGHTWING #48 and joining the race? Comment and discuss below!
Season five of the nuanced animated comedy will debut on Netflix September 14th. Bojack Horseman tells the story of an emotionally troubled actor as he deals with fame, substance abuse, a longing to connect with the people around him, and a paradoxical tendency to drive them away. It takes place in a version of our world populated by both humans and animal people.
Through four seasons, the show has used animation and anthropomorphic characters to tell stories that are emotionally rich while still being uproariously (and at times absurdly) funny. It satirizes and revels in the insanity of celebrity culture, politics, and privilege. From the looks of the trailer, season five will continue that tradition.
BoJack Horseman stars Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aaron Paul. The trailer features BoJack’s latest gig on the fictional show Philbert, which was introduced (along with its creator Flip McVicker – played by Mr. Robot star Rami Malek) last season. It was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg.
Will BoJack find peace at last? Will his pride cost him his relationship with Hollyhock? Which guest star are you most exciting to hear from? Let us know in the comments.
As Gundam Build Divers starts to move towards the final battle, the stakes keep getting higher. Does the the series score go up as well with this episode?
Summary
With time running out, the Build Divers must find a way to save Sarah or risk losing her forever.
SPOILER WARNING
Review
With Sarah’s life on the chopping block, the team has to pull out all the stops to make sure she doesn’t get deleted when the next patch comes out for the system. A point which is made multiple times over the episode. It is important to remind everyone of the stakes and consequences but the episode took too much time to establish the idea the Build Divers are outnumbered and going to have engaged in a near impossible battle in the upcoming episodes. Really feels like this point could have been done with less dialogue and more giant robot combat.
A thought came to mind while watching this episode. Koichi is working with Tsukasa, the person wanted to destroy GBN to save Sarah. Though Tsukasa seems to have redeemed himself a little bit there is a good chance there will be a betrayal. The episode explains if the operation to save Sarah doesn’t go properly it will result in feedback and it could destroy the entire network. This is basically what Tsukasa wanted to begin with. The plot of the first half of the series was him trying to take down the network. At least it seems like he should at least TRY to double cross everyone.
Only three episodes left in the series but things are still looking very promising. Though the series will not be as good as Gundam Build Fighters, if the finale plays out just right, it will be enough to be a better experience than Gundam Build Divers Try.
Gundam Build Divers is Streaming on The GundamInfo YouTube Channel.
When I started reviewing old OVAs, I didn’t expect “OVA Diamonds” to be a regular column, this all started on a whim. As a result, I’ve been reviewing OVAs out of my comfort zone. It’s easy to talk about Devilman, it’s hard to talk about Phoenix (Madhouse), it’s a true challenge to talk about a Yaoi classic: Ai no Kusabi, in particular, the 1990s OVAs.
First, a caveat: if there is anything I write in this review others would consider offensive, I am sorry. None of the erotic scenes did anything for me and even if they did, this is smut with a plot. This means the plot should take focus over the smut. I don’t know how to react to this. On one hand I love a solid story. On the other hand this is porn, a genre not known for its strong plotting. So it’s “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”
She’s a very attractive man.
The setup: It’s the future, on a distant planet. There exist two types of people; the “Blondies”, the upper crust who dress like military officers from the Principality of Zeon, and the “Mongrels”, dark haired humans who live in slums, who look like Abercrombie & Fitch models, and dress like them too. One day, a thief named Riki is attacked by a gang, until he’s rescued by a blondie named Iason Mink (member of the Seme Hall of Fame, and illegitimate offspring of Char Aznable from Char’s Counterattack and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII). Instead of being grateful for someone of the upper crust saving his life, he gets upset over this. Thus, starts a story of doomed love, a gay love square (a love triangle with four people instead of three), and commentary of class structure, social problems, and power in a relationship set against a dystopian future. It’s a classic “He said, he said” story.
Sarcasm aside, there’s a lot I do like about Ai no Kusabi. I love the world the series creates. It’s distinctive and for sci-fi, if you can create a unique world, you’re already halfway there to being great. I love Iason Mink and his black-market contact: Katze (His first name is not Berg and no I’m not making a Gatchaman Crowds joke). All the characters are distinctly well rounded, specifically our four leads. Mink, in particular strikes me as someone, endlessly fascinating. A humanoid robot who could organize the universe, is widely regarded as the best at what he does, and universally respected by all the blondies and their ruler a computer called Jupiter. However, he’s in love with someone of a lower class. So, the OVA checks off a decent number of positives on my personal checklist, so why I am not ecstatically praising this to high heavens?
I swear I’ve seen this before, but I don’t know where.
Well, as Phil Collins once sang: “Something Happened on the Way to Heaven.” In this case, those somethings turned out to be: a limited amount of exposition on who the blondies were, and where they came from. The fact I had to look up the plot point all the blondies were robots, is something which should be explained in the first five minutes, either in a text crawl or a canned narration. Other parts I feel needed exposition are not explained. How did this society come to the idea of “Pets” and “Furniture” (i.e. sex trafficking of Mongrels by blondies and people used as furniture)? Why do the pets only serve the blondies until they turn 20? Finally, one of the most important questions: Why does Iason have a sex drive? He’s a robot (fine, artificial human), but why does he need this? Didn’t we learn anything from Blade Runner about giving robots emotions. Really?
I should also mention those themes I talked about, specifically the power in the relationship theme. This OVA eschews the traditional Seme/Uke characterization, with both leads being Semes. Iason clearly has a strong personality, as does Riki (although his personality is more headstrong than anything else), however because of the class structure, Iason holds all the power, and Riki isn’t happy about this in the slightest.
Our two “lovebirds”, more like “hatebirds” than anything else.
I hate Riki as well. I mentioned the opening scene, where he’s ungrateful for being saved. This first impression left a bad taste in my mouth. This is a man who’s headstrong yet doesn’t realize in a world this dire and miserable, getting the breaks is the best possible situation he could hope for. So, this annoyed me to no end. There’s a scene where Riki is talking to Katze, and Katze mentions how being in his situation (being a pet older than 20, in a relationship with someone who loves you [Iason], and has sex with you, in this time where nobody can have sex) he should be consider himself lucky. Riki gives it barely any thought.
Finally, there is Guy. Oh boy. Guy was Riki’s right hand man when Riki lead a gang called the Bison. It’s clear Guy is not in his right mind and he slowly becomes a yandere in the worst way. What do I mean the worst way? He turns into a male Yuno Gasai. What do I mean by this: He kidnaps Riki, cuts off Riki’s tracer (apparently the Pets have tracers, so their blondies can follow their location) and turns Riki into a eunuch. Horrified, yet? It gets worse.
Somewhere out there, Gendo Ikari is getting ideas.
Katze (who was formerly “furniture” for Iason and became an Iason’s broker in the black market) finds out Riki is in another castle and the place Guy sent Iason to will blow up with Iason and Guy inside. Why, because if Guy can’t have Riki, no one will. Cliché? You better believe it.
There’s a scene where Guy is asking Riki what he sees in Iason. Riki holds his ground and stands on Iason’s side. Then Guy says he refuses to accept the notion of Riki moved on to Iason. At this point, it would have been perfectly reasonable for Riki to punch Guy in the face or tell him screw off. He doesn’t and Guy castrates Riki. Why is Guy mad at Iason? From what I gathered, Guy assumes Iason was the one who sent The Bison gang to prison. Then again, Guy doesn’t have the moral high ground here. They were a gang, not exactly the Salvation Army we’re talking about. Iason’s hands in this aren’t clean either, pulling strings to get Riki out of prison, when a love affair between a blondie and a mongrel is forbidden. Yet, Iason has the appearance of a moral high ground (due to the class structure), so he at least has an edge over Guy. So Guy was probably right, yet Guy clearly doesn’t understand the word “optics”, it doesn’t matter if you’re right, if you don’t have the positive optics you might as well be in the wrong.
Hello, Operator? Send an army to find my lost boyfriend!
This leads to the ending where Katze finds Riki, and Iason goes up against Guy. I’ll say this, I got excited when Iason beat the crap out of Guy, although if I were Iason: I would have mortally wounded Guy. Katze and Riki catch up to Iason, and Riki throws a fit about Iason not hurting Guy. Again, if I were Iason I would have yelled at Riki. Now was the time to complain? The building’s about to explode, and you’re complaining about a friend!
So, to barrel us through this ending, the building explodes, Riki and Guy get out, and Iason has his legs cut off by the explosion. In an effective bittersweet ending Katze gives Riki his last two specialty cigarettes to have one final smoke (because apparently lung cancer doesn’t exist in this universe), Riki goes back to Iason, to spend his last moments with a man who he thought he hated, yet he loved. We close out this roller coaster of emotions with Katze crying over Iason and Riki and Guy realizing Iason and Riki were meant for each other.
That moment when someone is blackmailing you, and you want no part of it.
I really wanted to like Ai no Kusabi and came out enjoying it for the most part. The OVA is not going out of here unscathed. I didn’t like Riki, Guy and his gang, yet the deep world building, and strong characterization makes the OVAs work overall. So as a critic, I recommend you track it down.
