‘My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999’ is a romantic comedy anime directed by Morio Asaka and produced by the Japanese animation studio Madhouse. Based on the manga by the creator Mashiro, the television show is written by Yasuhiro Nakanishi with thirteen episodes premiering during season one. Crunchyroll acquired the license to release it in the United States and has announced an English voice cast.
“After her boyfriend breaks up with her for another girl, college student Akane Kinoshita wrestles with a broken heart and the memories he left behind. Loading up Forest of Savior, the MMO they used to play together, she forms a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend through an in-person event for the game. In the process, she runs into someone unexpected: Akito Yamada, a gaming legend who just happens to be her guildmate.
Desperate for support, Akane ropes the asocial Yamada into helping with her scheme and lending her a shoulder to cry on. The differences between Akane and Yamada soon become apparent as they spend time together, yet they cannot help but notice each other’s inner qualities. As the two gain more experience with one another in and out of the game, their tentative acquaintance may level up in a way neither expect.”
The series ranked sixth at the 2021 Tsutaya Comic Award and the series won the grand prize in the Tsutaya Comic Award in 2022.
As the Fantastic Four continue their travels, they enter a new parallel world where the dinosaurs evolved into the Avengers. Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing encounter giant counterparts to their allies on Earth 616.
“Imagine a world just like our own, with one tiny difference: all the humans have been replaced by dinosaurs,” Marvel said on their website. “That’s exactly where Marvel’s First Family ends up in FANTASTIC FOUR (2022) #12 by Ryan North and Iban Coello, and they won’t have much time to ponder when they mysteriously switch places with their dinosaur counterparts. As their worlds begin to merge, the (very human) Fantastic Four must survive these dinosaurs with super-powers long enough to prevent an Earths-shattering catastrophe.”
Ryan North previously worked on Marvel’s ‘The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl’ in 2017 for which he won the Eisner Award for “Best Publication for Teens.” Iban Coello has worked on ‘Venom.’
They added, “Meet Brachiosaurus Iron Man, Lambeosaurus Captain Marvel, Quetzalcoatlus Black Widow, and more in a special first look at FANTASTIC FOUR (2022) #12. One page finds the Fantastic Four investigating a mysterious phenomenon in the woods, only to get sucked inside. In another page, they find themselves trapped in a glowing cage as the dinosaur Avengers descend on them. Elsewhere, the human Avengers face four extremely angry and confused dinosaurs with fantastic—and very familiar—super-powers.”
Celebrated artist Alex Ross will draw the cover with Marvel releasing a “first look” at it:
The comic book will be released in print and digital on October 4, 2023.
Ross has won several awards including Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, Harvey Awards, and Comics Buyer’s Guide’s CBG Fan Award where his covers have been highly acclaimed. CBG named him the Best Cover Artist for eleven years in a row from 1995 to 2005.
So many new Super Powers toys have been announced recently. However, something has been missing: vehicles. While the original Kenner line only had eight during its lifetime, McFarlane Toys’s version is quickly catching up.
Sadly, the only Batman vehicle in the relaunched line is an updated Batmobile. Well, that’s all changing thanks to a new version of the Batcoptercalled the Whirlybat!
While it may not be as slick as the Kenner Batcopter, it’s compact and has play features you’d expect from a retro-inspired line like Super Powers. The Whirlybat’s rotor blades spin with a press of a button at the vehicle’s rear.
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
“When villainy is afoot, BATMAN™ and ROBIN™ take to the skies with the WHIRLYBAT. Lightweight and remarkably agile, this single-seat helicopter is the perfect pursuit vehicle for maneuvering through the tightly-packed skyscrapers of GOTHAM CITY™.”
Product Features:
Continuing the legacy of the beloved DC SUPER POWERS™ line comes a brand new batch of your favorite heroes and villains
Compatible vehicles to complement new and vintage DC SUPER POWERS™ action figures
The WHIRLYBAT™ features free-spinning rotor blades and tail rotor
The WHIRLYBAT™ is showcased in DC SUPER POWERS™ themed closed box packaging
Collect all McFARLANE TOYS™ DC SUPER POWERS™ figures and vehicles
The first batch of vehicles had been available at Walmart, but it seems like McFarlane Toys is choosing to favor online retailers like Amazon, Entertainment Earth, GameStop, and the Big Bad Toy Store.
You can always pre-order straight from McFarlane Toys, but the price is the same everywhere: $19.99. The Whirlybat is expected to ship in October.
What do you think of the updated Super Powers line of action figures and vehicles? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Batman toy line almost ended too soon after Tim Burton’s 1989 blockbuster. Toy Biz made various weird design decisions, but Kenner picked up the license. We then got the Dark Knight Collection, which delivered far superior toys and vehicles. This classic toy line seems to be getting a nod thanks to McFarlane Toys’ Super Powers next Batman figure.
McFarlane Toys is reissuing various figures with new paint in true Kenner fashion, but Batman is seeing the most significant change. Decked out in all black with a gold bat symbol and utility belt, there’s no doubt that this Dark Knight is honoring Crime Attack Batman. However, this isn’t the only member of the Bat Family included in this wave.
The Knightfall saga is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and more figures are being released to honor the time Bane broke the Dark Knight. One of the figures released in the Super Powers toy line is Nightwing, which is being re-released. Dick, like the new Batman, is wearing a darker outfit with gold paint.
Although he is not listed as part of the Knightfall line, Tim Drake’s Robin is also being reissued with a slightly darker costume. I hope we soon see Jean Paul Valley’s Batman and classic Azrael, too.
In its ongoing effort to showcase fresh faces from the Batman universe, McFarlane Toys has introduced Thomas Wayneas the latest addition. Unlike previous releases, the Flashpoint Batman figure boasts a brand new head sculpt and unique parts that have not been used before.
The “reborn” Superman is mostly the same as the previous release but with a modern belt and a slightly darker color scheme. You can even see the lines where Superman’s trunks are supposed to be. At least McFarlane is doing the same thing Kenner used to do back in the day.
The same can be said of Opposites Attract Flash. The new blood-red speedster outfit looks way better than the vintage version, and the white-out eyes make the figure pop. Other than that, it’s the same figure.
Anime live-action adaptations have been a real struggle for many series. The biggest issue they face is trying to render the essence of the series being adapted, while trying to make things believable for an audience that loves unbelievable things. And while some adaptations have turned out decent, many are not successful for the audience they’re trying to appeal to. But that might have changed with Netflix’s take on the long-running manga and anime based on One Piece. What makes this series different than other adaptations is how much work went into making the heart of the series come together in live-action before everything else. Although it helps to have everything from the anime look good, it’s the story and how characters interact which make this show one of the good ones for anime fans.
One Piece is based on the manga and anime series created by Eiichiro Oda, who also had some influence in this Netflix series. The story follows a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, a dreamer who wants to become king of the pirates and sail to the Grand Line in search of the legendary treasure called One Piece. Along the way, he meets all types of characters and gathers together a crew that will help him fulfill his lifelong dream. But becoming king of the pirates is no easy task, nor is living during the golden age of piracy where so many people are trying to find their fortune.
The first season of the Netflix series adapts a number of stories from the beginning of the original manga, introducing viewers to the entire Straw Hat Pirates. Roronoa Zoro, Usopp, and Nami all have interesting stories that cross paths with Luffy and take the group on crazy adventures. Things appear to start off slow at first, but quickly get into crazy territory once we learn more about Luffy’s origins and see him in action. What works out very well for One Piece is how it’s not afraid to get into some of the more outlandish aspects of the original anime and manga, while still maintain a serious approach to the overall story. It acknowledges how over-the-top this world can be, with all of the powers and wild personalities, but treats it all with an element of reverence that makes it fun to explore. For One Piece fans that were hoping for a solid take that would respect the source material, this first season is definitely a step in the right direction.
Luffy is the heart of the group, played by Inaki Godoy. He has a cheery attitude that annoys some characters he meets, but quickly wins them over by his strong sense of morality and care for those he deems as friends. But when situations get serious, Luffy’s quick attitude change make him a force to be reckoned with that is great to watch. Inaki’s acting fits very well with Oda’s original vision for the character, bringing to life a beloved character that brings everyone together. His timing on jokes, conversations with the rest of the crew, and clashes with villains all fit together nicely and make Oda’s world feel real.
The rest of the Straw Hat Pirates are all very interesting for different reasons. Every member of the crew gets at least an episode that is focused around them, diving more into their backstory and having their past come back to haunt them in some way. Mackenryu plays Roronoa Zoro and looks fantastic in every action scene where he’s fighting, but also displays the guile and hard personality that feels pulled right out of the manga. His battles with various characters look very good and are even better when paired up with Luffy in some episodes.
At the same time Nami, played by Emily Rudd, brings a lot of wit and humor with her interactions with the cast. She has more emotional moments by the end of the season when he crew is faced with bad guys from her childhood, but can still scrap with the everyone else when the time comes. Usopp, played by Jacob Gibson, is another great addition to the crew. His humorous attitude and goofiness mirrors how the character is portrayed in the original story, but with an added level of charm that makes his appearance an added joy for One Piece fans.
He gets a few good moments towards the end of the season in the bigger fights, but has some great dialogue with various characters in the first episodes that he appears. And when Sanji finally arrives, played by Taz Skylar, it rounds off the Straw Hat crew. He also gets some great fight scenes where he teams up with Zoro that look really good. But it’s his escentric personality, love for cooking, and accent that make him an incredibly likeable character that audiences will enjoy seeing.
The one part of One Piece that might not work for everyone is how far certain elements of the world may go. Because this is an anime live-action adaptation, not everything translates great into real life. Inevitably, some things wind up looking too goofy when next to the serious tone the story is going for. Luckily, there aren’t too many examples that wind up like that in One Piece. The ones that do fortunately don’t bring down the episode, let alone the whole series. Some of the effects on powers for certain characters don’t look as good as others, with a few scenes that look low budget.
Luffy’s stretching powers look good for most of the show, with the exception of a few fight scenes that don’t have the best lighting and camera placement. The fishmen that featured prominently by the end of the season are probably the one aspect of the show that doesn’t look as good, with some of the fish thugs not looking as realistic as others. The rendering of their skin, as well as some of their unique features, don’t always match up to everything around them. For some viewers it won’t be a big deal, because of how faithful the show is to their characters in the anime and manga, but for others it will stand out.
One Piece will definitely get a lot of attention from hardcore fans and those who have never followed the original manga or anime. It will definitely be seen as one of the better live-action adaptations that have a good grasp on its source material and world. The action in One Piece is very good and fun to watch, but the story will be intriguing for many unfamiliar with series because of all these other aspects working out well together. There can be a lot of great things in store for the Straw Hat Pirates going forward, which could lead to many fun times for anyone looking for another fun show to watch.
What do you think of the One Piece Netflix live-action series? Do you want to see the show get a season 2? Who is your favorite character in all of One Piece? Let us know everything down below in the comment section!
Toho looks to be going back to where it all began. Godzilla Minus One’s official trailershows us Japan’s first encounter with the King of the Monsters after WWII.
The initial synopsis is pretty simple: “In postwar Japan, a new terror rises; Godzilla. Will the devastated people be able to survive… let alone fight back?” What possible defense could a recovering island mount against a towering atomic-powered monster?
The tone of the trailer is similar to the grim feeling 2019’s Shin Godzilla delivered. However, this time Toho has decided to implement a more familiar design for the famous kaiju.
The giant stomping reptile looks like he is a mix between the Final Wars Godzilla and a little of the more recent Legendary Pictures version. We only get a brief glimpse of his head and a blurry full-body shot.
However, there are still plenty of shots of the destruction the monster causes throughout various cities. Yes, there’s even a shot of his feet stepping on people.
Godzilla Minus One is written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. His other credits include helming Lupin III: The First and Dragon Quest: Your Story.
It’s unclear right now how much of the film’s runtime will be dedicated to the human drama, which Shin Godzilla had a healthy amount of. What we do know is that Godzilla Minus One will be in theatres on December 1st, 2023
I really need some proper Godzilla action to wash away the bad taste that Godzilla vs. Kong left in my mouth. The action scenes weren’t bad, but the human storylines were not only boring but almost entirely pointless.
Remember when Michael Bay’s first Transformers movie had a huge cast of people who ultimately didn’t matter to the plot because everyone wanted to see giant robots? Yeah, it was kind of like that.
Fans of once-obscure DC characters rejoice! Peacemaker, Vigilante, and Judo Master have officially joined McFarlane Toys’ version of the retro Super Powers toy line! Yes, these three are based on their DC Comics counterparts and not the James Gunn DCEU version.
Interestingly, McFarlane Toys has decided to pack the trio on one card rather than the typical individual blister packs. I’m unsure if I’m a fan of that because it means the comic book artwork usually seen on the front has now been moved to the back.
Peacemaker, Vigilante, and Judo Master come with no accessories. Peacemaker’s helmet is not removable. On top of that, McFarlane Toys continues not to include action features similar to the Kenner version of Super Powers.
This triple pack may be pre-ordered from Entertainment Earth for $29.99. They’re expected to be released this November.
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
Photo Credit: McFarlane Toys
The back of the packing gives you the characters’ bios, including their secret identities. You know, just in case this wasn’t the exact version of Peacemaker you were looking for:
PEACEMAKER™ Real name: CHRISTOPHER SMITH When diplomacy isn’t enough, PEACEMAKER™ loves peace so much he is willing to fight for it – violently, if necessary.
VIGILANTE™ Real name: ADRIAN CHASE A master of all forms of unarmed combat, VIGILANTE™ is also an expert in the use of firearms and knives. He is in superb physical shape and, combined with his superior skills in the martial arts, is a formidable opponent in almost any situation.
JUDO MASTER™ Real name: RIP JAGGER Skilled in all forms of judo, jujitsu and other martial arts, JUDOMASTER™ is an accomplished hand-to-hand combatant. He is also an above-average boxer and combines both disciplines to good effect.
If you’re new to this iteration of Super Powers, please remember that the figures are slightly larger than the Kenner run from the 1980s. The originals were 3.75″, and the new ones were 4.5″ tall. They look pretty awkward being displayed next to one another.
On the bright side, the old and new figures fit into the latest vehicles, including an excellent update to the Batmobile.
Oh, boy! Twitter and YouTube drama! Don’t you just love it?! Apparently, streamer JackSepticEye (Seán McLoughlin) recently made an inflammatory comment regarding the popular YouTuber MrBeast (James Donaldson).
Drama Alert tweeted out a video clip where JackSepticEye was connected to what we’re assuming is a legitimate polygraph (lie detector) machine; he stated that he did not like MrBeast. Seems harmless enough, right? When he was asked if he thought MrBeast ruined YouTube, he responded with “Yes.”
When asked during the video about his reason why he thought that, JackSepticEye said, “Because it became more about views, money, and popularity than it did about having fun.” The person manning the laptop connected to the polygraph machine indicates that McLoughlin was being truthful in his responses.
Keep in mind that readings from such devices are very subjective. Although this is not related to a court case, we’d just like to point out how BS “lie detector” tests are.
MrBeast did respond, stating:
“Sooo, I ‘ruined YouTube’ because I didn’t buy a mansion and sports cars and instead reinvested my $ into making content/focused on doing good and inspiring kids to help people? ‘If he had fun the videos would be longer’ what does that even mean lol. You think I’d give up every hour of my life for 14 years if I didn’t have fun? This clip is insanely disrespectful imo and obviously there is so much I could say about his content but I’ll just take the punches and be the bigger man. Sigh.”
Of course, none of this matters. I wasn’t even aware of who MrBeast was until various other YouTube channels and news outlets started targeting the guy for the charity work he was doing. It’s … it is all so tiring.
There’s some news I didn’t expect to see. Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of Smash Mouth, has entered hospice care due to liver failure.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the guy synonymous with the term ‘All Star’ will sadly not be with us much longer. An unnamed rep for Smash Mouth broke the tragic news, saying Harwell has “only a week or so to live.”
The grim prognosis comes after Harwell’s history of health issues, including cardiomyopathy and Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Both possibly stemmed from alcohol abuse, which Harwell had struggled with in the past. These medical issues led Harwell to retire from Smash Mouth in 2021.
It is unknown when Smash Mouth’s retired lead singer discovered his liver problem, although he probably did not want it widely known. Our hearts go out to Harwell and his family, as we understand how difficult this situation can be for everyone involved.
Being no stranger to severe medical conditions, it’s always best to seek medical attention early if experiencing physical abnormalities. Most of the time, it’ll be nothing, but then (like in my case), they may catch something about to enter your heart.
The symptoms of acute liver failure may be easy to spot. According to the Mayo Clinic, the serious medical condition could manifest as the following:
Yellowing of your skin and eyeballs (jaundice)
Pain in your upper right abdomen
A swollen belly (ascites)
Nausea
Vomiting
A general sense of feeling unwell (malaise)
Disorientation or confusion
Sleepiness
Breath may have a musty or sweet odor
Tremors
On a lighter note, Smash Mouth’s song All Star has continued in popularity since it first hit MTV in the late 1990s. The song and its music video were tied to the criminally underrated ’99 comic book film Mystery Men. The song was showing up everywhere and got even more fame when it kicked off our introduction of Shrek‘s title character in 2001.
Since then, All Star and Smash Mouth moved into meme territory, usually showing up with a crash zoom to Shrek’s outhouse in possibly millions of YouTube videos.
You can never go wrong with Denzel Washington in almost any film that he’s in. There’s always going to be something interesting or action-packed that keeps you watching. The Equalizer is a series of films that have the famous actor taking down bag guys who have done injustices to common folk, with grave consequences. And while the formula for these films isn’t as over-the-top as other series like John Wick, the violence has always had a strong sense of purpose and reason. The Equalizer 3 continues what came before but takes the story to a very different setting, and yet still manages to remain interesting.
This third film in the series follows former government assassin Robert McCall, played by Denzel Washington, to Italy. Robert takes down a warehouse full of criminals who turn out to be working in collaboration with a terrorist group in Europe. In the process, he is injured and almost dies from his wounds, but is taken in by a local cop who brings him to a nearby doctor in Altamonte. As Robert recovers, he connects with the people of the town. But a local mafia group increases its aggressiveness in terrorizing the town, provoking Robert to once again take to his old ways. This leads to a clash between Robert and the mafia that connects to something much bigger.
Denzel Washington does a fantastic job bringing a lot of heavy emotion and weight to his performance, showing you the physical and mental toll Robert’s exploits have taken on him. Because of this, the movie has a beginning that kicks off with an action sequence and then really slows down. For some, it might feel like things will drag, but the movie is actually setting up really important pieces to the story that fully pay off by the time things wrap up.
There are even a few callbacks to the first two films that are interesting ideas, most of which are not outright told to the audience but rather shown. If you’ve been watching these movies up to now, you’ll appreciate the attention to detail, even though they’re not too important to the story as a whole.
The weakest part about The Equalizer 3 is how almost all of the other characters besides Robert are forgettable. While they have a part to play in Robert’s story as he stays in Altamonte, they don’t have any deep connection to Robert. The town cop who saves him, played by Eugenio Mastrandrea, has a subplot that connects to the local mafia that feels rushed and unexplored in some ways. By the time things come to a boil in the town, it’s like he and his family have their part in the story wrapped up. It would’ve been more interesting if he somehow was able to help Robert more when taking on the local mafia thugs.
Speaking of which, the mafia boss is the villain and feels as one-dimensional as you might think. There are a lot of cruel moments from him and his underlings that make it very clear that they are all irredeemable. But they also don’t feel as if they have a bigger connection to the town beyond wanting to establish hotels and businesses they control there. In the end, they are there is a massive problem that causes Robert to come out of hiding and fight them. And when you see how cruel they can be, you’ll be satisfied when Robert brings some element of justice for their actions.
While The Equalizer 3 does have some great action scenes with brutal moments, it also manages to squeeze in a few great interactions that are calmer. Denzel Washington has some really good dialogue exchanges with Dakota Fanning, who plays a CIA agent that gets information on Robert, that feel layered and witty. Although there’s always a sense that Robert is a few steps further ahead of her, the conversations the two of them have are good moments that set up more of the action that comes later. At the same time, Robert’s interactions with the town doctor are also good moments. There’s a sense of decency that the two share, despite the harsh reality of what the town faces with the mafia causing problems.
And yet an underdeveloped part of the film is Robert’s connection with Aminah, a local waitress in the town played by Gaia Scodellaro. The film goes out of its way to show that the two seem romantically interested in one another, but doesn’t really go forward in exploring it nor does it play a factor in anything towards the end.
The moments between them are sweet and give a sense of warmth that Robert finds while recovering in the town, even showing the two spending time together at a local event. But the stakes from clashing with the mafia never truly threaten that relationship in a big way. It would’ve made Robert’s decision to take action against the criminals even bigger and more impactful, where things were starting to affect him on an even more personal level outside of what was happening to the town itself.
This is because a lot of the film tries to show how much restraint Robert has while seeing things go from bad to worse. The mafia’s actions are meant to push him to a point where Robert needs to take action to stop these bad men from hurting good people. It’s a similar theme that we see in the first two Equalizer films, and it works out good in here. But there’s a missing component to why Robert personally feels that he needs to do something about everything. There’s a scene that almost feels like this within a restaurant, but it’s not over something that is personal to Robert that becomes the breaking point for everything.
The Equalizer 3 is a solid film that may or may not be as good as the first two for some viewers. It has great action scenes that will impress you with their brutality, while also justifying why they happen. Although some of the plot stumbles in a few places, the overall story is interesting enough to keep you watching and enjoying how things unfold in it. It might not be the best film he’s ever done, but you can never truly go wrong by watching a movie with Denzel Washington in it.
What do you think of The Equalizer 3? Have you watched the previous films before this one? What is your favorite Denzel Washington movie? Share your thoughts about everything down below in the comment section!
